Rumors that Vonna was born with a pencil behind her ear are exaggerated. Her mother would have remembered. She does recall being in about the third grade and staring fixated at a box of stationary. She had no interest in writing letters, just wanted to fill the white space. Her earliest success with pencil and paper featured comic books with the Lone Ranger’s horse Silver as the hero.
Long story short, Vonna has been writing for so long she no longer (if she ever did) has any other marketable skill beyond rudimentary gardening and dog walking. One of the early erotica writers, she writes for both print and epublishers and fully embraces new publishing technology as long as she can keep her old workhorse of a computer.
Known for her capture/BDSM stories, Vonna wants to make it clear that her real life is nowhere near that exciting, unfortunately. But she dreams of being carted away by Tarzan as long as he’s a believer in deodorant.
Vonna’s latest release is WINTER OF THE BEAST:
Dio of the Puma clan is a skilled warrior and hunter. What he doesn’t feel prepared for is his new role as ruler of a clan with few women. Does he have the necessary leadership and compassion or will his need for sex dominate? Only the massive, mysterious Beast knows.
When her cruel husband casts her out, Tawia can no longer call herself a Falcon. Her future a frightening unknown, she heads into the wilderness as winter approaches. The Beast watches.
Captured by the enemy warrior, Tawia fights her body’s demands. Trust is as incomprehensible to her as the relationship between Dio and the great puma. But neither man nor beast are willing to set her free.
Today Vonna is giving away a signed copy of her Aphrodesia release, TAMING THE COUGAR, to one lucky commenter. Just answer this question: What’s the name of my one Samhain book?
Winner of Jess Granger’s BEYOND THE RAIN: #4 – Chelsea B.
Winner of Maureen McGowan’s MAMMOTH BOOK OF TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE: #6 – Kara
Winner of Susan Lyons SEX ON THE BEACH: #10 – Mimi Barbour
Winner of CL Wilson’s QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS: #7 – Katherine Lockhart
Winner of Angie Fox’s A TALE OF TWO DEMON SLAYERS: #14 – Jacabur1
Winner of Anna Campbell’s book – choice of CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, UNTOUCHED, TEMPT THE DEVIL or CAPTIVE OF SIN. #39 – Christine M.
Congrats to all the winners! Email me at elisabeth@elisabethnaughton.com with your email and snail mail addys so I can forward your info to the respective authors!
And don’t forget I’ve extended the contests through Sunday so you have TWO MORE DAYS to enter for that $100 Amazon Gift Card!
My guest today is New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione!!
Larissa Ione is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Demonica series. She also writes sexy contemporary romance stories for Samhain and Red Sage. Her alter ego, Sydney Croft (pen name with romantic suspense author Stephanie Tyler), writes erotic paranormal action-adventure.
An Air Force veteran, she has been a meteorologist, EMT, and professional dog trainer. She is now lucky enough to write full time while living a nomadic lifestyle with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, son, and an extremely high-maintenance cat.
When not writing, she can be found reading, playing RPG’s on the computer, and watching re-runs of Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural.
Larissa’s upcoming release (January 26th!) is ECSTACY UNVEILED:
A Demon Enslaved…
Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master’s assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister’s life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he’ll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.
An Angel Tempted…
Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She’s determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary—even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.
Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again—hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.
As a special treat, one lucky commenter today will win THE FIRST THREE DEMONICA BOOKS: PLEASURE UNBOUND, DESIRE UNCHAINED, and PASSION UNLEASHED. All you have to do is enter this question: Who is Larissa Ione’s secret alter ego? (Hint: she shares her secret identity with author Stephanie Tyler).
Anna Campbell lives near the sea on the east coast of Australia. She writes Regency historicals for Avon and her most recent release is CAPTIVE OF SIN, chosen as one of the best 100 books of 2009 by Publishers Weekly. Anna has won numerous awards for her passionate, emotional books and was a double RITA finalist in 2008. Her third Regency noir TEMPT THE DEVIL has just been nominated in the Romantic Times 2009 Reviewers Choice Awards. Make sure you look for MY RECKLESS SURRENDER in June 2010!
Anna’s recent release is CAPTIVE OF SIN:
He pledged his honor to keep her safe . . .
Returning home after tragedy, Sir Gideon Trevithick discovers a defiant beauty in danger. He’s dismayed to discover she’s heiress Charis Weston—and he can only protect her from her violent stepbrothers by wedding her himself! Now Gideon must hide his dark secrets from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.
Anna is giving away the choice of one book from her backlist: either CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, UNTOUCHED, TEMPT THE DEVIL or CAPTIVE OF SIN. Simply answer this question: What is the name of the hero in her June 2010 release, MY RECKLESS SURRENDER?
Welcome, Anna!
***
Lights, Camera, Action…Romance?
Firstly, congratulations, Elisabeth, on the release of the third in your Stolen trilogy (hmm, that doesn’t sound quite right!), STOLEN SEDUCTION! I’ve been seeing so much buzz about these books around Bloglandia. You must be delighted. And thank you for inviting me to blog today and play in your great contest. Wow, what a wonderful selection of prizes!
I’m here to talk about CAPTIVE OF SIN which was a November release in the U.S. and has just come out in the Land Downunder in a gorgeous trade paperback edition that has me drooling. Actually a bit like the stolen trilogy comment, that doesn’t sound quite right!
CAPTIVE OF SIN is a classic marriage of convenience story. I’d never written one before although it’s a theme I always enjoy in romances – how could a girl brought up on Harlequin Mills and Boon say anything else? There are more marriage of convenience stories in Harlequins than there are conveniences in a toilet shop! I love how a MOC story forces the couple together, usually under one roof (plenty of opportunity for passion and conflict and mayhem). In a historical, given the difficulty of obtaining a divorce, they really did have to work out their problems or be stuck with that other person forever. How delicious!
The lovely folk at Avon Australia have put together a video of me talking about CAPTIVE OF SIN that they’re featuring on their site SCARLET PAGES and also on YouTube. My talented friend Amanda Bell played director and also interviewer, and her budgie got in on the act, if you listen closely. Check it out:
So what book makes you drool? Leave a comment to go into the draw to win your choice from my four books! Good luck!
My guest today is New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox!
Angie Fox is a New York Times bestselling author who likes to write about biker witches, demon slayers and things that go bump in the night.
Angie’s upcoming release (January 26th!) is A TALE OF TWO DEMON SLAYERS:
Last month, I was a single preschool teacher whose greatest thrill consisted of color-coding my lesson plans. That was before I learned I was a slayer. Now, it’s up to me to face curse-hurling imps, vengeful demons, and any other supernatural uglies that crop up. And, to top it off, a hunk of a shape-shifting griffin has invited me to Greece to meet his family.
But it’s not all sun, sand, and ouzo. Someone has created a dark-magic version of me with my powers and my knowledge–and it wants to kill me and everyone I know. Of course, this evil twin doesn’t have Grandma’s gang of biker witches, a talking Jack Russell terrier, or an eccentric necromancer on its side. In the ultimate showdown for survival, may the best demon slayer win.
A Tale of Two Demon Slayers also features Lizzie’s talking dog, Pirate and a supernatural pet that he picks up a along the way (much to Lizzie’s dismay).
Lizzie: “You can’t have a pet. You are a pet!”
Pirate: “That’s why I know how to treat a pet. First rule – no Healthy Lite dog chow!”
Do you want a supernatural pet? Take the quiz: What Supernatural Pet is Right for You? Post your results below and enter to win a copy of A TALE OF TWO DEMON SLAYERS!
My guest today is New York Times bestselling author C.L. Wilson!
C.L. Wilson is the USA Today and NY Times bestselling author of the Tairen Soul series, which combine epic fantasy and romance. She loves reading, writing, and torturing her characters mercilessly. When not working, she enjoys relaxing with her family in sunny Florida and daydreaming of a world where people exercise in their sleep and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a fat burning food. (Hey – it could happen!)
C.L.’s latest release is QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS:
The Tairen Soul series tells the story of Ellysetta Baristani and Rain Tairen Soul as they struggle to defeat the darkness threatening to consume their world, ensure the survival of the immortal Fey and the tairen (the great, winged fire-breathing cats of the Fading Lands – think gigantic jaguars with wings), and complete their truemate bond.
In the previous books, Ellysetta (who was raised as the adopted child of a mortal woodcarver and his wife) discovers that she is, in fact, a powerful immortal and the truemate of an infamous Fey king (Rain). She must struggle to accept the powerful magic that is her birthright and learn to control it. But as she becomes
In QUEEN, the first deadly battles of the new Mage Wars have been fought, and victory has been won at a terrible price. Though the last clutch of tairen kitlings has hatched from the egg, ensuring at least a hope for future generations of tairen, Rain and Ellysetta have been banished from the Fading Lands for wielding the forbidden magic. When they discover the High Mage of Eld has been building an army of mythic proportions and will soon unleash its evil might on the mortal kingdom of Celieria, Rain and Ellysetta race against time to rebuild the ancient alliances and prepare for the coming, cataclysmic battle. Meanwhile, the seeds of Elden evil planted in the court of Rain and Ellysetta’s Celierian allies are finally coming to fruition.
As the toll of an unfulfilled matebond and the torment of war begins tips Rain towards madness, Ellysetta knows if she cannot find a way to defeat the darkness growing inside her and complete the truemate bond, Rain will die and she will become the prophesied monster Vadim Maur uses to destroy the Fey and enslave the World.
Note: QUEEN was originally supposed to be the fourth and final book in the story, but at the last minute my editor and I realized I simply had too much story left to fit in a single book and we made the decision to cut QUEEN into two. I’m currently finishing the fifth book and will be announcing the official release date soon.
C.L’s giving away a copy of QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS today to one commenter. Today’s question is a two-parter:
a. What was the original name of the manuscript that became LORD OF THE FADING LANDS and LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS?
b. Name the five magics wielded by the Fey and the sixth, forbidden magic (English and Fey names J)
Award-winning author Susan Lyons writes sexy romance that’s passionate, heartwarming, and fun. She is published by Kensington Aphrodisia, Berkley Heat, Kensington Brava (as Susan Fox), Harlequin Spice Briefs, The Wild Rose Press, and Freya’s Bower. She has degrees in law and psychology and has had a variety of careers, but fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor.
Susan’s latest release in SEX ON THE BEACH:
An exotic wedding turns into an erotic escapade for three unlikely couples who find lust – and maybe even love on the white sands of Belize.
In “War of the Sexes,” wedding planner Sarah McCann learns that the groom’s best friend, Free Lafontaine, intends to save his pal from the mistake of marriage. It’s an all-out war between the sexes – a war that just might have two winners!
In “Sex With the Proper Stranger,” model Tamiko Sato comes to the wedding as arm-candy for the bride’s deep-in-the-closet uncle, so what’s she to do when resort manager Ric Nuñez proves far too tempting? Is Ric the man who can heal her wounded heart?
In “Sexy Exes,” Giovanna Moncrieff and her ex, James, mix as well as Italian olive oil and English tonic water, so it’s embarrassing – and exciting! – to discover the flame of passion still burns. Is true love possible the second time around?
Today Susan is giving away a copy of the SEX ON THE BEACH. Simply answer this question: Where and when did Susan get the idea for her January release, Sex on the Beach? (Hint: no, she wasn’t in Belize!)
Welcome, Susan!
***
It’s fun for an author to set herself new challenges, though sometimes she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it. I’d never written a book with three interconnected novellas when I came up with the idea for Sex on the Beach. In the past I’d written either “pure” single titles (i.e., one heroine and one hero) or novellas that went into anthologies with other authors.
But when I decided I wanted to set a story around a destination wedding in Belize, it struck me that it would be fun to follow three separate romances, all taking place during the same week. Not only that, but to see each couple through the other couple’s eyes. To add to the fun, each couple would have an important reason for keeping their romance a secret. Are you getting the picture? The book was fun to write, but a real challenge when it came to keeping track of what was happening when, and who was observing what.
As an author, I enjoy writing different lengths of stories. With a novella, I can explore a smaller period of time or smaller issue. With a full-length book, I can go into more depth and have more subplots and secondary characters. In my life, both as a reader and as a writer, I enjoy reading both, depending what I’m in the mood for at the time.
How about you? What’s your preferred length of story and why?
Nope, you didn’t imagine it. There was no post today. My fault. I forgot to remind my guest author that today was her day and I completely forgot to check ahead of time to make sure I had her book info. So…since it was my bad, I’ll put her post up next weekend.
(In my next life, I swear I’ll be more organized…)
So…long story short…to be fair I’m keeping the BIG $100 Amazon gift card contest open through NEXT Sunday, the 17th. Winners will be posted by Monday, January 18th at the latest.
Maureen’s writing has won or been nominated for several awards including the Golden Heart® and she was a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition in 2008. You can find out more about Maureen at www.maureenmcgowan.com.
Maureen’s latest release in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE:
“Lost and Found” is included in the MAMMOTH BOOK OF TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE, an anthology of twenty short stories, many by USA Today bestselling, and RITA award winning authors. “Lost and Found” is a mash-up of The Time Traveller’s Wife, Life on Mars and Groundhog Day. A man falls asleep in Central Park in 1968 and after that, no matter what he does, where he goes, whom he meets, he wakes up every morning in the same place, on the same date, but in a different year. Can a woman he encounters in 2009 finally stop his random jumps through time?
Today Maureen is giving away a copy of the MAMMOTH BOOK OF TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE. Simply answer this question: Name at least two things Maureen’s passionate about (besides books and writing).
Jess Granger grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin valley in the dead center of California, close enough to visit “cool” too far out in the middle of nowhere to “be cool.” She still loves home and her California farm girl upbringing. Now she lives all over the place as a military spouse. Currently she has landed in Ohio, but who knows what the future will bring. She lives with her hubby, two kids, two cats and an all-American mutt-dog named Jake. When not writing, Jess likes birdwatching, making beer, writing slightly naughty haiku and posting them on Twitter, and growing butterfly gardens.
Jess’s upcoming release in May from Berkley Sensation is BEYOND THE SHADOWS:
A man of deception. A woman of justice. Can their fragile trust be strong enough to prevent a war?
Commander Yara knows perfect leadership requires perfect control and discipline. She has spent years living without the distraction of caring for anything—or anyone. It’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make. Yara has honed herself into the perfect heir to the Azralen throne, but a bloody coup could destroy everything she’s worked so hard for. She must return home to prevent war. Unfortunately the only ship available belongs to an Earthlen trader with no regard for authority—especially hers.
Cyn is a rebel, driven to protect those suffering at the hands of the Elite leaders of Azra. Using his alias to manipulate the lovely but icy commander onto his ship, he has to keep her from Azra long enough to ignite the revolution. But when he awakens a vibrant and feeling woman beneath that hard exterior, he gets more than he bargained for—love. He must find a way to convince Yara to join him, before they get caught in a web of deception that could tear their world apart.
Today Jess is giving away a signed copy of BEYOND THE RAIN. Simply answer this question: What is Tuz?
Welcome, Jess!
***
Some of my favorite characters in books are the pets. I’ve had a lot of fun creating fuzzy and sometimes robotic sidekicks for my main characters. Whether they’re serving as comic relief, the heroes in their own right, or troublemakers, I love a good pet.
What are the most entertaining pet characters you’ve seen in a book?
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Dio of the Puma clan is a skilled warrior and hunter. What he doesn’t feel prepared for is his new role as ruler of a clan with few women. Does he have the necessary leadership and compassion or will his need for sex dominate? Only the massive, mysterious Beast knows.
