Showing posts with label vampire romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vampire romance. Show all posts

Monday, December 9, 2013

The Holidays with the Wymans

Available HERE

By Lia Davis

Hi! Lia here and I’m standing outside the Wyman’s house. They have graciously asked me to come over for holiday cocktails. Of course this also gives me a change to get in an interview before hand. *wink*

For those of you haven’t meet the Wymans, let me give you a brief low down.
Darian Wyman was a widowed vampire with an adult daughter, Katrina, who still lives at home—it’s common among vampire clans to have their children stay at home until mated.

Emalee Black was a human who wasn’t so human. Her “not so human” part had made her hide away inside a witch’s coven, far away from the paranormal communities who thought she could be a threat.

The two of them were lonely and sought some excitement in their lives. What better way to find it than a 1Night Stand?
                                         
Here the blurb for their story, Ravished Before Sunrise.

Born with the unusual ability to see what truly lies in the shadows, Emalee Black is stuck between two worlds, the paranormal and the human. Neither one accepts or understands her and she's forced to live a quiet, boring life in hiding. When her best friend mentions 1Night Stand dating service, Ema chooses a role-playing adventure straight out of her romantic fantasies. She's to hunt her very own vampire and have her wicked way him.

Vampire Darian Wyman is surprised when his daughter signs him up for a one-night stand with an exclusive matching agency. At first he's appalled by the idea, but as he reads the details of the date he becomes intrigued. For one night he will get away from the life he has long grown tired of to be hunted and captured by a would-be huntress. But he has plans of his own for his little vixen.

However, when Darian discovers the truth about Ema's inhuman abilities, the date could end before it gets started.


~~~~

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Now let’s get started with that interview:

I rang the doorbell to the large, stone-faced mansion and waited. It wasn’t my first visit to Darian and Emalee’s home, but each time I’m here, I can’t help but take in the beauty of it.
All it needed was a few gargoyles perched along the roof and it’d be prefect.
The door opened and I smiled at Katrina, Darian’s daughter. Her straight black hair hung loose around her shoulders, accenting her ice blues eyes. She smiled back. “I’d told father he should get a few gargoyles.”
Shoot. I forgot Kat can read minds. “I might put a buzz in his ear as well.”
Kat laughed and stepped aside. “Please come in. Ema will be down in a moment.”
“Just Ema?”
Sighing, Kat nodded. “Father was called into the work. One of the clients are freaking out about something.”
“Ah,” I said and walked into the living room.
The biggest indoor tree I’ve ever seen sat in the far corner decorated in red, gold, and silver. Scanning the room, I noticed that almost every inch of the place had garland and lights either wrapped around it or draped over it.
Kat laugh softly. “Ema loves Yule. We had a blast decorating.”
“Lia!”
I turned to Ema’s voice and smiled. Her red hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore a light green sweater that matched her eyes and faded blue jeans. When she reached me, she drew me into a tight hug. “It’s been too long.”
“I know. Sorry.”
Ema waved off my apology, took my hand, and pulled me to the sofa. She sat, tugging me with her. I studied her for a moment and my heart warmed. She was happy and very much in love. I could tell by the way her green eyes sparkled and her skin held an almost magical glow to it. Well, not quite a glow, more like an otherworldly shimmer.
I heard it was like that when one is mated to the vampire.
“How is that vampire of yours?”
Ema’s cheeks turned pink. “He’s wonderful.”
Kat sighed. “I’ll just go up to my office now. You two have fun.”
Ema and I waved bye as Kat jogged up the stairs.
“She’s been working too hard,” Ema said with a sad note in her tone.
“She should take a vacation.”
With a sigh, Ema said, “That’s what I told her, but she is as stubborn as her father.”
I nodded. Darian was pretty stubborn and I can totally see that trait in Kat. “So, this is the second Yule you’ve spend with Darian. Any new traditions you started?”
“Well, we celebrate twice since Darian has Christian roots from when he was human. We spend Winter Solstice with coven and we spend Christmas day together with Kat watching the parade, old movies, and have friends over for dinner.” Ema paused to think. “That’s it. Just enjoy the holidays with friends and family.”
“That sounds nice.”
Ema smiled. “It is. Oh! Look at the time. What you like to help me get the appetizers ready? Darian should be back soon.”
“Sure.” I rose and followed her to the kitchen, which was almost as big as the living room.
Ema buzzed around the kitchen, humming while she pulled out items from the cabinets then the refrigerator. I smiled, not able to stop myself. Her happiness was just so infectious. It’s amazing how one night changed her whole life.

About the Author:
Lia Davis is a mother to two young adults and two very special kitties, a wife to her soul mate, and a self-employed romance author. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers.

An accounting major, Lia has always been a dreamer with a very active imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing and designing are stress relievers that allow her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs.

Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.

Find Lia:  Website||Facebook||Twitter



Giveaway! 
Three lucky winners will each receive a $5 Starbucks gift card and a swag pack. To enter leave a comment answering the below question. Please be sure to leave your email address with your comment. Contest ends on Friday, 12/13.


What are your family traditions during the holidays? 

Friday, September 20, 2013

Bad Ass Biters

This Time Next Year available HERE
By Catherine Peace

As a connoisseur of sexy fanged men (and grateful for spell check because I can’t spell connoisseur on my own), I spend a lot of time considering certain attributes of the delicious vampires that inhabit popular culture. Three of my favorites? Ridiculously hot and devious Eric Northman, brooding and loving John Mitchell, and kindhearted and moody Louis du Point du Lac, on whom my hero Kiernan is based…. The point (get it?) here is that there are plenty to choose from. And I didn’t even get to the Vampire Diaries. (I don’t read the books or watch the show, but Ian Somerhalder, if you somehow see this, have your people call…um…me.)

But which of these badass biters would be the best 1Night Stand date?

The Contenders

Eric—Oh, Eric. This tall drink of True Blood is the show’s resident undead panty drencher. On the outside, he’s cold, calculating and ruthless, but as season two showed us, he’s got a much softer side that is just as gorgeous as the package it comes in. Plus his intense loyalty to those he cares about puts him in the front running for a successful 1NS match. If you can get past his deviousness and into his heart, a happily ever after is almost guaranteed. HEA potential: Extremely high

Mitchell—Anyone unfamiliar with this amazing and beautiful vampire from BBC’s Being Human is missing out. More than once, this hunk of Irish goodness almost made me late for work. He’s basically vampire perfection—he can be ruthless and cruel when he has to be, but he can also be tender and loving, quick with a joke, and kind. Essentially he’s a mixture of Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, minus the billions of dollars, abandonment issues, and alcohol problems. He’s also extremely loyal and has a lot of love to give. HEA potential: High

Louis—Louis…Louis, Louis, Louis. I’m partial to him for many reasons, one of which being we share the same birthday (October 4th, which is also Anne Rice’s birthday). He’s broken, wracked with guilt over his brother’s death, and is in serious need of Madame Eve’s matchmaking services. If anyone deserves a happily ever after, it’s Louis, and I have confidence he would give as much—or more—than he gets, which is probably why there’s so much of him in Kiernan. HEA potential: Extremely high, if he can stay away from Lestat

Want a guaranteed happily ever after? This Time Next Year is available at Decadent Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Blurb:
  Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when he’d been forced to stand by while another vampire killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades watching over her, protecting her and hoping for an opportunity to make amends one day.
  Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her biochemistry career, preferring a life of a hermit in her lab to facing the reality of her lonely life.
  Madame Eve brings them back together for one fateful night. An immediate bond of sizzling chemistry and respect forms, but can it heal her fears and his guilt?

Add TTNY to your Goodreads TBR pile.

Find Catherine at:
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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Date with a Vampire. Or: Why we love the brooding undead? Let’s switch it up a bit!

Love, Transylvania Style available HERE

By Stephanie Williams 

When I first decided to write Love, Transylvania Style, I already knew how I was going to portray Thaddeus, the Vamp and hero.

I have read (or tried to) many Vampire stories, and although most of the stories I’ve attempted have been written very well—they kinda gave me the creeps and got me depressed.

I understand the whole brooding dark hero that has issues from his past. I know about adult angst. That’s what makes these heroes so fascinating to the heroine. He’s mysterious, dangerous, taking risks emotionally and physically sometimes.

He’s the ultimate Bad Boy with a past.

But let’s face it. How many stories of angry, brooding, bitter Vampires do you want to read about? Now I am not knocking those books. I wish I could write dark stories like that. And they have their place. It’s part of the genre. But that’s not me. So I decided to take a different approach with Love, Transylvania Style.

I gave Thaddeus a bit of humor. And yes, for you die hard Vamp lovers, there is a bit of darkness there too. In fact, when he brings up the inevitable to Donna, his love interest, I bring out some of that gloom and doom. LOL

But I could not have him be the typical, prototype Vamp. For instance, the story opens up with him making a blind date with Madame Eve. Usually, vampires find their victims, sink their fangs in them and the story goes on from there. Or he’s hunting and seducing his or her intended prey, and then occasionally has flashbacks of how he or she became vampires themselves.

Very bitter.

Thaddeus actually tries to talk Donna out of a decision that could change her life—literally

On the whole Thaddeus is fun, a bit of a cynic and sarcastic. He makes jokes, but more importantly, he knows how to show a woman a good time. Hell, he brings her flowers and chocolates!

I mean really, have you ever thought about a hot date in Dracula’s castle in Romania?

Blurb:

Thaddeus Dumas is a Vampire looking for love. Well, he was at first until he realizes that finding true love means changing a potentially unwilling female. So he settles for a night of one-night stands, starting with Madame Eve’s services. He can’t possibly fall in love with a one nighter, and he can just move on to the next female. He didn’t count on the feisty Donna Kent.

 Donna Kent is bored crazy with the men she’s been dating. The same old same old. Dinner, dancing, hanging out and dull sex. She wants something extraordinary. She’s more than surprised when Madame Eve finds that someone. But is this the extraordinary she’s willing to sacrifice herself for

Excerpt:

Room 506. He took a deep breath then knocked. A few seconds later, the door slowly opened.

“Mr. Dumas?”
“Ms. Kent?”

A broad smile spread across her luscious, tawny face. A petite woman, standing about five-three, she possessed a curvy figure accentuated by a tight fitting, low cut knit dress and high heels. Nice neck, too. Okay, I need to stop that.

“Please, come on in.” She stood aside as he brushed passed her. “Have a seat.”

He paused and took a good look at her pixie-like face, captivated by large eyes the amber of light scotch, sweet dimples, and bow lips. She wore her thick, tightly curled hair pulled back in a ponytail.

He found her the epitome of cute. He also found her very nervous.

Her vibes were out of control. The room was literally vibrating. It wasn’t a fearful nervousness, however, which piqued his curiosity even more. So she wasn’t scared of him. Hmm. Interesting.

“Um…these are for you.” He handed her the flowers and candy.

“Thank you. They’re beautiful.” She stuck her face in the bouquet and inhaled. “Nice. And these chocolates just became my new favorites. I discovered them since being here. They gave me a little box of them at the front desk.”

“I’m glad you like.” As she replaced the blooms in a vase provided by the hotel with the ones he’d brought, he thought about how to approach the pink elephant in the room. He shrugged. After arranging the flowers to her satisfaction, she showed them to him. “This whole set up is new to me. You?”

“Umm…yeah. Ms. Kent. I think you should be aware that—”

“You’re a vampire. And please call me Donna.”


Where you can find Stephanie Williams: 

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Joys of Wedges

This Time Next Year available HERE
By Catherine Peace

Sorry, guys. I don’t mean shoes, although there’s a spectacular joy in those, too. No, today I’m thinking about the wedges that we, as authors, drive into our characters’ relationships. Be it a conflict of interests, a conflict in social statuses, or good old-fashioned hate turning to love, these plot devices help make our writing worlds go ‘round. They also tend to make us the devil.
For This Time Next Year, I depended on two: Moira’s hate/fear of Kiernan, and Kiernan’s self-deprivation, which keeps him from even wanting to attempt a relationship.  These wedges were introduced incredibly early in the story—Chapter 3 to be exact—and most often give us the smallest devil rating: 0-3 depending on your deviousness.
(However, wedges can be used in the beginning, near the middle, or even toward the end of a story. So you’ll have to adjust your devil rating accordingly.)
The above with Kiernan and Moira is an example of using a wedge in the beginning. It already creates tension and gives the characters something to fight for from the start, and readers something to cheer on.  
Sometimes, though, it’s fun to drive your couple apart. Maybe it’s an old flame coming back into the picture, or a secret that threatens the relationship?  Throwing these into the middle usually constitutes a devil rating of 4-7. If you’re really bad (an old flame AND a secret???), you can nab an 8.
So what does it take to get a 10 (or 11 if we’re on the Spinal Tap scale)? When the wedge you drive into the relationship results in a will they/won’t they cliffhanger. And especially if said will they/won’t they spans over several books *cough* Charlaine Harris *cough*. Heck, that might even nab you a 20.
However, it’s important not to abuse your wedges. Like with our beloved shoes, overuse can cause them to wear out, so only pick wedges that perfectly compliment your story. You definitely don’t want to commit a fiction faux pas.
Vampire Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when he’d been forced to stand by while another vampire killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades watching over her, protecting her and hoping for an opportunity to make amends one day.
Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her biochemistry career, preferring a life of a hermit in her lab to facing the reality of her lonely life.
Madame Eve brings them back together for one fateful night. An immediate bond of sizzling chemistry and respect forms, but can it heal her fears and his guilt?

Buy links

Add TTNY to your to-read list on Goodreads! 

Find Catherine at:

Friday, July 12, 2013

Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck

Buy This Time Next Year HERE

By Catherine Peace
I was the kid who read Mary Shelley just for the heck of it. I was the one who researched monsters for nothing better to do. So when I decided to write for 1Night Stand, I went to my comfort zone—vampires. Which is funny because when I was really young, I used to pull the covers up to my chin in fear of vampires, and I’ve always had love for a sword.

But my vampire slaying never came to fruition. Instead, thanks to Anne Rice, I fell in love with them. She presented a different kind of vampire—a more human, more relatable, sexy-as-hell kind. Love her or hate her, you have to admit that she’s done a lot for our favorite nocturnal, fanged hunters.

Since my reading of the Vampire Chronicles (including a very thorough reading of The Vampire Lestat), my fictional world has been filled with these creatures of the night. I loooooooooooove writing vampire stories, I love the society, the world, the rules, the rules I get to break, the interplay between vampires and humans. There’s a huge amount of material to tap.
And tap it I did.

Though This Time Next Year is a short read, I wanted to bring some of those aspects into the story to give it as big a feel as I could. I wanted to provide the biggest bang for your buck, so to speak, by giving as much detail as possible without overwhelming the story or the reader. Thanks to some fantastic editing from Miss Valerie, I got to do just that.

Googling vampire myths, I ran across a couple of things that I knew would translate well into the story’s flow. Rather than go ye olde route of “pain, bloodlust, etc etc etc,” I found the “comatose state” and “possible feral vampire” routes to be much more interesting. In some cultures, when someone is undergoing a vampiric transformation, they enter into a death-like state, which often leads to them being buried…well…pseudo-alive (hence vampires sleeping in coffins).

The feral vampires thing was the bigger one that I loved—LOVED—because it fit so perfectly into the narrative. Moira’s parents were killed by a feral vampire, setting the entire story into motion. This upped the stakes like nothing I could have come up with on my own. How do these fit in? You’ll have to read to find out!