Friday, December 12, 2014

The Perks of Having a Fictional Little Sister


by Tara Quan


I probably should start by admitting I’m an only child. And yes, it shows. I’m as spoiled as they come, though age has tempered my brat tendencies somewhat. I’ve always wanted a sibling, but since I was a super-late surprise baby, Santa never dropped off a playmate during his various trips from the North Pole.  
   So I had a lot of motivation growing up to give my characters little sisters (sorry, gentlemen—back in the day, all boys were enemies). When it came to writing A Witch’s Night Out, creating a smartass sibling for my heroine in Flirting with Fire served several purposes. Though perpetually short on funds, Dulcina “Sweets” Gato nonetheless paid for Catalina’s 1Night Stand, which kicked off my series. She also injected some much-needed humor, and served as a pivotal side-character in the series’ second book, Frosty Relations.
   As maybe the case for many baby sisters, Sweets soon demanded her fair share of the spotlight. And thus the third installment of my paranormal romantic comedy line was born. In Fireworks at Midnight, this destitute college graduate experiences the highs and lows of financial independence, kicks some serious ass, and spends much of the book avoiding her best friend’s big brother, a warlock cop named Mikal Knight.
   With the aid of supernatural mayhem and our mysterious matchmaking service, this meddlesome witch gets a storm-filled 1Night Stand of her own. You can find out all about it in Fireworks at Midnight, now available at all major eBook retailers.
To help kick off the new year, I’m giving away a $15 gift card. To enter, leave a comment here and drop your details in the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post (or at my website: TaraQuan.com/FireworksAtMidnight)

Fireworks at Midnight 
A Witch’s Night Out book 3

Recent college graduate and part-time cat familiar Dulcina “Sweets” Gato is having the worst New Year’s Eve in living memory. End of year expenses trigger serious cash flow problems, and her microwave just went up in smoke. To make matters worse, her best friend’s overprotective big brother is back in town, and his return threatens to put a huge crimper on her nocturnal activities. The only thing she can look forward to is Madame Eve’s 1-Night Stand service. After all, she’s sick and tired of being a 21-year-old virgin.
   Enforcement Agent Mikal Knight is a warlock on a mission. Having finally scored a transfer to Washington, D.C., he’s now at liberty to pursue the object of his desires—his baby sister’s best friend. But first, he has a vigilante to track down and a mysterious matchmaking service to investigate. Sent on an undercover operation, he resigns himself to a pointless 1-Night Stand on New Year’s Eve. As luck would have it, his mystery date’s identity might let him kill several birds with one stone.  
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Comedy, Interracial/Multicultural

Buy Links: Amazon | Amazon UK | ARe | B&N | Decadent | Kobo | GoodReads

About Tara Quan
Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, Tara enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha males into exotic contemporary locales, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after. Learn more at:
 www.taraquan.com


Excerpt
   “Need a boost, Dulcina?”
His continued use of that god-awful name baffled her. Even her parents and sister had switched to calling her Sweets, but this guy couldn’t seem to wrap his mind around the preference. Of course, the three syllables somehow gained a hint of sexiness when he said it in that Southern drawl. The word rolled off his tongue with a lilting musicality that appealed to some traitorous part of her psyche, the unwelcome effect getting on her nerves in a big way.
   On top of that, the weird physical reaction she had to his mere presence irritated her. Ever since she’d hit puberty, being within five feet of the boy she’d known all her life—one who’d since grown into a gorgeous twenty-five-year-old man—did weird shit to random body parts. Her cheeks burned, her breath quickened, her palms got sweaty, and her heart rate turned erratic. The smug grin he wore, along with the patronizing tone he’d used, earned her best friend’s half sibling a temporary place on Sweets’ list of least-favorite uninvited guests. 
   “You’re blocking my view.”
   He offered his hand. “Of what?”
   “Water damage.” Before she could accept his assistance, the empty space between them distorted. Transparent, flickering waves created a blur, as if two realities had shifted out of sync. Frozen in place by the premonition’s onslaught, she watched a version of herself meet his palm with her own. Their fingers twined, and he hoisted her up too fast. When she crashed into his chest, his arms lowered to circle her waist.
   He drew her closer. She tilted her head back and parted her lips. A storm brewed in the depths of his almost-black eyes, coloring them with swirls of white and gray. A light furrow formed between his brows, certainty and possession lending his face a dangerous edge.
   Alarm bells ringing in her ears, she blinked away the vision and clenched her hands into fists. Keeping them at her sides, she did a full sit-up. Talk about a close call. “Thanks for taking care of the smoke. It even smells nice in here now.”
   Lines bracketed the sides of his mouth. He scrutinized her through narrowed eyes, as if he somehow suspected she’d altered their course. “No problem.” 

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