Free short story on my website next month!

This is my new cover for the short story I will be offering next month for 99 cents on Amazon, iBooks and other vendors, and for free when you sign up for my newsletter! Click here to sign up for my newsletter. 

Weaving his spell of enchantment, he came to her in dreams, initiating her into the passionate world of the vampire. She cannot forget the slide of his muscular body thrusting into hers, the erotic sting of his fangs sinking into her tender skin. Now Adrian, leader of the vampire world, will seduce Lily to officially change her into a vampire. Only Adrian knows Lily's darkest secret, a secret that can turn his people against her. He is determined to protect her by claiming her as his mate. Once they make love, Lily becomes addicted to Adrian's sensual caresses, but fights his attempts to coax her into mating. Yet only Adrian's touch can bring her the ecstasy she craves. Even the legendary vampire orgies hold no appeal for her, for she burns for Adrian, and only in his arms will she at last surrender to him… and the night.

It was published by Ellora's Cave under my pseudonym, Blair Valentine. Next month I am getting the rights back and will self-publish it. 

In other book news, I'm busy slogging away on Tristan's story, The Mating Season, and hope to finish next week! The first half of the book is now with an editor. And Bad Boys of The Night, our boxed set of eight sexy stories, is still available!  Only 99 cents for eight sizzling paranormal romances by eight New York Times bestselling authors. Fulfill your darkest fantasies with alpha-male bad boys of the night in these stories about vampires, shifters, fallen angels, werewolves, demons, psychic warriors and ghosts.

Stories by Erin Quinn,Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James, Erin Kellison, Colleen Gleason, Felicity Heaton, Bonnie Vanak, Laurie London,and Caris Roane!

Amazon:

iBooks: 

Barnes and Noble: 

Kobo: 

Happy reading! 

Like bad boys?

Bad Boys of the Night, our new paranormal boxed set, is out Feb. 16! Only 99 cents for eight stories of sexy, otherworldly males!

Bad Wolf (Shifters Unbound) by Jennifer Ashley

Wolf Shifter Broderick is stuck looking after his three younger brothers and a Collar-less Shifter who is driving him crazy, but he's putting up with them for Joanne, the human woman he wants to take as mate. When Broderick is captured, mistaken for a Guardian, it's Joanne who figures out that hackers are after the Guardian Network, the database that holds the deep secrets of Shifters past and present.

Shadow Fall (Shadow series) by Erin Kellison
A man with all Custo's sins isn't cut out to be an angel. One moment he's fleeing Heaven; the next, he's waking up stark naked, called by a woman who's afraid of the dark. Shadow gathers around Annabella as she performs, a magic that allows her to move between worlds. Her abilities attract a primeval wolf, and it stalks her relentlessly. Custo stops at nothing to keep her safe, and though danger proves seductive, they fight for redemption and love.

Warrior's Heart (Iron Portal) by Laurie London
Librarian by day, Zara Kane is a thief by night, stealing artifacts that belong to her homeland. When she learns a man she once loved has been wrongly imprisoned, she uses her para-abilities to orchestrate a daring escape.

Vince Crawford isn't afraid of anything, but when the woman he's never stopped loving and the son he never knew he had are threatened by a ruthless enemy, he will stop at nothing to keep them safe...even if it costs him his life.

The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason
In 19th Century London, vampires live alongside the uppercrust members of Society...

Even after centuries of lust, hedonism, and women, Voss, rarely finds himself bored. He is a rogue of the first order who loves nothing more than a warm woman, excellent vintage, and even a puzzling challenge to keep his mind active. But when one of his seemingly harmless manipulations sets him on the path to seduce the beautiful Miss Angelica Woodmore, things become a little less simple...a lot more passionate...and definitely more complicated.

Hunger (Vampires Realm Series) by Felicity Heaton
A vampire assassin hardened by centuries of service, Tor is a man of discipline and loyalty, never straying from his mission, and has purged all his weaknesses, including his emotions. But the moment he meets the broken, fiery female he is to escort to Oslo, something dangerous awakens in him, something possessive and powerful, and when he is pulled into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the man who betrayed her, Tor discovers he will do anything to protect the woman slowly claiming his heart and give her the vengeance she desires--even break all the rules.

The Mating Challenge (Werewolves of Montana) by Bonnie Vanak
Alpha werewolf and ranch owner Aiden Mitchell desires the curvy, vivacious Nikita Blakemore, alpha female of the Blakemore pack. He will have her as his mate and no other. To force her hand, Aiden maneuvers her into hosting a Mating Challenge, the ultimate warrior competition for werewolves, where males fight for the right to mate and breed with a female alpha. Fiercely protective of his future mate, Aiden will do anything to make her his own, even fight to the death...

Dark Flame (Flame Series) by Caris Roane
Committed to the rule of law, vampire Border Patrol Officer Robert Brannick falls hard for a beautiful fae woman who illegally seduces him in his dreams...

Diablo Springs by Erin Quinn
When she escaped Diablo Springs years ago, Gracie Beck swore she'd never return. But all that changes on the night of her grandmother's death when Diablo Springs lures Gracie's teenage daughter to its treacherous border. Gracie races to the rescue--only to find herself trapped in the undercurrent of a hundred year old curse and the menacing spirits that still terrorize the town. She isn't prepared to deal with Reilly Alexander--a man from her past who she's never forgotten--at the same time. Reilly is determined to help Gracie and prove his to love to her, but they've come to a dangerous place where every lurking shadow should be feared....

Coming June 15! EIGHT new PNR stories for 99 cents!

DARK AND DAMAGED, our new boxed set, is available June 15! All new stories by Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Erin Kellison, Felicity Heaton, Erin Quinn, Laurie London, Bonnie Vanak and Colleen Gleason.

Tortured alpha-male bad boys will ignite your darkest, most secret desires in these stories about vampires, shifters, dragons, fallen angels, werewolves, demons, psychic warriors and ghosts.

Featuring the heroes of:
LION EYES by Jennifer Ashley
BLOOD FLAME by Caris Roane
TEMPTED BY FIRE by Erin Kellison
HER SINFUL ANGEL by Felicity Heaton
THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN by Erin Quinn
REBEL'S DESIRE by Laurie London
REDEMPTION by Bonnie Vanak
RAGING DAWN by Colleen Gleason

BONNIE VANAK – Redemption (Werewolves of Montana Mating Mini #4) Robert Keynes has known more tragedy than any soul should have to bear. Years ago, a Mage—Robert’s ex-lover—cursed the alpha werewolf and his pack, resulting in the deaths of many, including Robert’s parents. Only a great sacrifice on his part stemmed the curse. But the magick that protects the pack is now waning, putting Robert’s people in peril once more.

Aurora Seville is little more than a captive; a beautiful slave given to Robert so he might produce an heir. A gifted Mage, Aurora has little chance of gaining his trust—until he discovers she bears the mark of the dragon. Mating with her could be the key to breaking the curse over his pack forever. In exchange, Robert promises Aurora her freedom…unaware the very woman capable of saving his pack could also destroy the dark secret keeping them alive.

Aurora has her own reasons to get close to the sexy wolf. The secret Robert hides could free her beloved sister. So she’ll agree to become his mate—but at what cost to both their hearts?

  
Robert and Aurora first made an appearance in my last book, Passion. 

You can read an excerpt of Redemption here.

SALE! Bestselling authors books for only 99 cents on iBooks!

For two weeks only, iBooks is offering a special sale price of 99 cents for Seduction, my first Werewolves of Montana Mating Mini. I've teamed with Laurie London and several other authors to bring you an amazing collection of paranormal romance novels!

Marked by Midnight - A seductive novella of paranormal romance & high-stakes action in Lara Adrian Books' acclaimed, international hit series. (Midnight Breed #11.5)

Hard Mated - Another thrilling tale of Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James' collared & controlled Shifters, following rules meant to subdue their violent & animalistic natures. Humans believe they’re tamed, but are they? (Shifters Unbound #3.5)

Marked by the Vampire - In book #2 of Cynthia Eden Official Fan Page's Purgatory series, Dr. Olivia Maddox must rely on sexy vampire Shane when all hell breaks loose in the only paranormal prison in the U.S. But can she trust the vampire with her life? Or is he working his own dark agenda?

Vampire Vacation - Meet a 580-year-old female vampire who exudes sex, has a talent for drama, & is passionate about two things: her human husband & their resort for the undead - check in to the sexy mystery that is C.J. Ellisson's VV Inn & stay awhile.

Lucifer’s Rogue - A dark, passionate story of love & redemption, Colleen Gleason's 1st book in the Draculia Vampire Trilogy tells the tale of men & women tied to Lucifer for eternity & given immortality, power, & a guilt-free life of pleasure, wealth & freedom.

Moon Kissed - In book #1 of Donna Grant's intense & sexy LaRue series, you will meet a generations old family of hunters who fight the many evils that abound in New Orleans.

Claimed by a Demon King - In Felicity Heaton's 2nd book of the sweltering Eternal Mates series, a gathering storm between rivals unleashes irresistible passion that flares white-hot, & the heat of the battle brings life-shattering realizations.

Lay Me Down - Imagine being able to fall asleep at night, only to wake in a dream world where you are lucid & in control & can be anything, do anything; but you must be careful…dreaming can be as dangerous as it is seductive in Erin Kellison's Reves (Reveler #2).

Rogue’s Passion - In book #2 of Laurie London's addicting Iron Portal series, where portals separate the modern & ancient worlds & only the Warriors of the Iron Guild know their locations, a bad boy falls for a mysterious woman & strikes up a deal she can’t refuse.

Entwined - In book #2 of Elisabeth Naughton's acclaimed Eternal Guardians series, meet the most feared of the seven warriors descended from the greatest heroes in all of Ancient Greece tasked with saving mankind from the unrest in the Underworld - & the woman who makes him feel most alive.

Viper - The oldest living descendant of Vlad III, sexy-as-sin vampire, & President of the Sons of Sangue motorcycle club defies tradition for a pretty little detective who has him breaking all the rules in Patricia A. Rasey's 1st book of the Sons of Sangue series.

Taste of Darkness - Intrigue, action, suspense & romance abound in Katie Reus's 2nd book of the Darkness series, where an ancient dragon shifter & a wolf shifter race against the clock, trying to figure out who wants them dead & who they can trust.

Awakening - In the first installment of Caris Roane's hot & steamy Rapture's Edge series, fans get to continue on in the beloved Guardians of Ascension world with a brand new standalone tale full of passion & non-stop action.

The Forbidden Life of Alex Moore - Another incredible story from Erin Quinn Books' thrilling Beyond series that will immerse you in a beautiful world of hellhounds, hunters, & change. (Beyond #1.5)

Seduction - Bonnie Vanak's BBW tale of billionaire cowboys & sexy one-night stands is sure to delight & have you wanting more of the Werewolves of Montana Mating Mini Series.

Click here to see the collection on iBooks!

Birthday reflections 2014

Another year older and as I reflect back on the past year, there’s tremendous joy and aching loss.

Last year I wrote a short story for my own amusement and self-published it. I never thought The Mating Chase would carve a new pathway in publishing for me. I only wanted to write a sexy story about two werewolves, something a little more daring than I’d previously written. I wanted to write it with the freedom to write as I pleased, and publish it myself. And once I wrote it, the other characters in the pack compelled me to continue.

Now, as I get ready to publish The Mating Rite, Book 4 of my Werewolves of Montana series, it’s thrilling to know that my self-publishing efforts led to a lifelong dream when I became a USA Today bestselling author. Dark and Dangerous, the book bundle I participated in with Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Erin Kellison, Laurie London and Felicity Heaton, was on the USA Today list for 3 weeks. I will always remember how Felicity, who lives in the UK, emailed us the exciting news as she’d seen it first. I think I screamed at the top of my lungs, which startled a lot of people as I was in the office for the day job. I will always be grateful to those authors and cherish the experience of working together in that project that brought us success. Thank you ladies!

And we have a NEW book bundle out, that includes authors Alyssa Day and Erin Quinn. Dark and Deadly is 8 hot tales of paranormal romance. 

And last year brought heartache and sorrow as well. Too many losses, from my uncle to cancer, a dear friend to pancreatic cancer and then the loss of my beloved sister-in-law at the year’s end. My birthday this year is bittersweet, for Sissy isn’t there to pick up the phone, call me and shout HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

But overall, one thing I have learned since my last birthday is that life is short, but it can be sweet as well as painful, and you need to cherish the good moments and keep them in your heart to get you through the bitter ones. Never take for granted those whom you love, and try to make life joyful whenever you can, for the joy will balance the sorrow.

I don’t know what this year will hold, just as I never imagined last year at this time becoming a USA Today bestselling author or watching my sister-in-law waste away from liver failure and then die. I only know we are given this moment in time, and for every moment we are given, we should hold it close, just as we hold close our loved ones and our joyous moments, and forge ahead as best as we can with faith, hope and love.

And along the way, having a rum runner or two to celebrate can’t hurt!

Primal Bonds releases tomorrow!

MMMMMM!!!!

Primal Bonds
by Jennifer Ashley
Berkley Sensation

When half-Fae, half-Shifter Andrea Gray flees an abusive would-be mate, the only way she is allowed to relocate to the Austin Shiftertown is if a Shifter there claims her as mate.

Sean Morrissey, the Guardian of his clan and all of Shiftertown has a tough job--to send the souls of deceased
Shifters into the afterworld. He volunteers to claim her, but doesn't realize that one look at the gray-eyed, dark-haired Andrea will stir the mating frenzy in him. Even though the mate-claim isn't finalized, Sean will do anything to get Andrea into his life and keep her there, forever.

To read an excerpt, click here.

News

I've received word that COURAGE OF THE WOLF is officially approved for publication. Woot! This story is the first featuring my immortal Justice Guardians. Michael, a Phoenix, must convince Sabrina, a Draicon werewolf, to fight the demons that killed her family.

As soon as I hear of a publication date, I'll post it here and on my Facebook page. Here's the link to my FB page. I've been updating it on a regular basis with news of projects and information like links to the free online read I did for Harlequin, so FB is a good way to get news from me the fastest on current writing projects.

I'm also finishing a short story for my chapter, Florida Romance Writers, to raise money. Our brilliant former president, Kathleen Pickering, came up with a great idea that has some of us writing stories. More later on this as details emerge. My story is a werewolf/zombie short.

Short stories dovetail nicely into the workshop I'm helping Jennifer Ashley present July 29 at RWA. It's titled "Put on your shorts" and it runs from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jennifer's a fantastic, talented and NY Times best-selling author who has all sorts of wonderful advice on writing shorts. I'll be presenting tips on emotional conflict for your characters.

All next week I will be in Honduras for the day job and after that, off to Orlando for RWA! Honduras promises to be very interesting. The region we're visiting on the second half of the trip is a remote, mountainous area that promises to be very very hot. Jungle-like. I am most excited about the women's development program we are finally going to launch. This has been a dream of mine for two years since I first came up with the idea, and it's wonderful to finally see it come full circle.

Darkness of the Wolf wins CataRomance Reviewers Choice

DARKNESS OF THE WOLF, my Nocturne Bite, has won a CataNetwork Reviewers' Choice Award for 2009.

This personally means a lot to me, as that story was set on a fictional island meant to resemble Haiti, and one of the hotels was modeled after the Hotel Montana, the hotel where I wrote part of the story while in Haiti.

The Montana was my "home" in Haiti for 16 years. That hotel collapsed during the earthquake and several people were killed.

I'll be back in Haiti next week, touring tent cities and areas where my organization is building about 300 houses a month. Another 100 homes will be built in northern Haiti to accomodate families with relatives who fled Port au Prince after the earthquake. We're also building pit latrines in camps.

In other news, Jennifer Ashley and I will be presenting a workshop at RWA National called "Putting on Your Shorts." Jennifer is the NY Times-best selling author of Pride Mates. WOOT! Congrats Jennifer! Pride Mates is one of the books I'm taking to Haiti to give to friends who asked me to bring them romance novels.

Here's an excerpt from Darkness of the Wolf.

They could kill him. Now. Or wait. He’d gone past caring.

No one would mourn his death. Guy Laurent was alone in the world. The thought made him ache. In his world of Draicon werewolves, anyone who used to know him thought he was already dead.

Huddled in a corner of his cage at the Savage Kingdom Zoo, he lay with his head between his paws. He stared at the steel bars prohibiting escape. Disguised as a real zoo, the facility was a prison for werecreatures who were forced into their animal forms during the day for unknowing human visitors.

A little girl licking an ice cream stopped before his exhibit as her mother sat on a bench feeding a toddler. The child looked upset. “Please don’t be sad, wolf.” She held out her cone. “You can have my ice cream.”

No one ever gave him anything without a price. But he still had a soft spot left for children. Guy loped toward the bars, wishing he could smile at her.

His keeper approached, knocked her hand away, sending her ice cream toppling.
“Hey, you stupid kid, don’t feed the animals!”

The girl started crying.

A low growl rumbled from Guy. He glared at the demon and charged the cage.
Electricity zapped his powerful body. Uncaring, he pawed through the bars, wanting to hurt the demon for upsetting the child.

The little girl screamed. “Mama, the wolf’s going to hurt me!” Guy watched in pained bewilderment as she ran off. I was only trying to help you.

When would he ever learn that nothing good came of helping others?

The demon pressed a box on his belt. The Ident chip buried beneath Guy’s skin sent painful pulses through him. He yipped, shaking his head, trying to get rid of the agony.

Later, they came for him. In human form now, he was naked. Using the Ident chips injected into each werecreature, their demon keepers restricted their magick and forced all the prisoners into their human forms long after the zoo had closed.

The garrote around his neck choked him as they paraded him off to the shed. The demons stretched him out as they tied him to the punishment posts. The leather whip cracked through the air. Guy tensed. Salt on the whip’s silver studs ensured his wounds would scar.

A cold night wind whistled over his body as they dumped him into the cage after his beating. The winter chill infiltrating central Florida felt like needles stinging his shivering flesh.

“Rough day?”

At the sound of that familiar, deep voice, Guy raised his head and snarled.

“Come to finish off what the demons didn’t, Phoenix?”

The tall, dark-haired man standing before him raised every hair on Guy’s nape. Tristan was a Phoenix, one of the immortal Justice Guardians who oversaw all werecreatures.

“If I were, I’d have given you to the Draicon executioner instead of confining you here.”

“Fine. Now get the hell out of here. You’re blocking my view,” Guy muttered.

“How would you like to be free?”

Agony flared on his back. “I’ve been tortured enough today. Save it for tomorrow, when the demons get bored.”

“I never torture. Not my style. This is legit,” Tristan sat cross-legged before him.

“They told me the only way I’m getting out of here is in a coffin.”

“I have final authority here. How does visiting Ile a Sanglier in the Caribbean sound?”

Wild boar island. “Why, they have a new zoo they want to display me?”

“You have a friend there. Bernard Belizaire. Bernard acts as sort of a resource coordinator for Draicon on the island and keeps tabs on everything that happens. He helped several Draicon packs settle on Ile a Sanglier years ago. Recently, the oldest pack vanished.” Tristan’s green gaze met his. “They were slaughtered by Morphs.”

Guy swore softly. Morphs, former Draicon who turned to evil for greater power by killing a close relative, were their race’s greatest threat.

“The Quartermaines left the States, but their alpha, Dell, kept tabs on them through Bernard. Dell wants Brianna, the youngest Draicon. She managed to escape, and make it to a Draicon safe house. Your job is to be bodyguard for Brianna and help Kayla Morris, the woman hired to find and bring Brianna back to Dell. We need a Draicon who is a good fighter and will keep Brianna safe until her return to the States.”

“Why can’t Bernard do it himself? Or this Kayla person?”

Tristan’s jaw tightened. “He admitted he can’t protect her from Morphs. He has a rare condition and his senses, especially hearing and smell, are failing. Kayla lacks Draicon powers. She’s been hired because Brianna only trusts females. If you do this, you can go free.”

“And you’re offering me this out the goodness of that black ice you call a heart?”

His windpipe compressed as Tristan squeezed a fist, clutching nothing more than air. “Watch it, wolf.”

Tristan released him. Guy rubbed his aching throat.

“And why should I trust you when you put me in here?” he demanded.

“You’re here because you killed your pack alpha.”

“I’m here because of Anne. I warned her Simon was turning evil and I was going to take him out. So she told Simon. He went after me, I killed him and then Carl, Simon’s beta, took over. Carl got leadership and I got prison.”

He’d foolishly warned Anne to keep her safe, failing to see her blind loyalty to their leader. He should have known better than to put a woman’s needs before his own.

Tristan stood, shadowing Guy with his tall body. “Because you saved the pack by killing Simon, you’re here instead of six feet under. You knew the rules. You should have told Carl, who would have alerted the Kallan to execute Simon. The Kallan is immortal and the pack would have respected his authority. Instead, you killed Simon and nearly involved your pack in a brutal war over who believed you and who didn’t. You’re a rogue who can’t follow orders.”

“And you think I can follow rules now?” he taunted. Damn, he still had freshly bleeding stripes on his back to prove otherwise.

“I’m giving you this chance to see if you can.” The Phoenix flashed him a dark smile.

Freedom. So close he could taste it. Guy squeezed his aching fists. “I’ll do it. What about the Ident?”

“It stays in until you deliver the girl to Dell. A little insurance in case you take a detour.” Tristan looked impassive. “I’m deactivating it, but in five days, starting it up again unless you deliver the girl.”

The thought of the chip still buried inside him rankled Guy. He took a deep breath.

“Just remember deliver Brianna to Dell or you’re back here. And you won’t leave until you’re in a coffin.” Tristan paused. “When she shows up tomorrow, go easy on Kayla. She usually avoids Draicon.”

“Sure, I’ll take it easy on the human.”

Tristan smiled. “I never said Kayla was human.”

“What the hell is she?”

“Your destiny.”

Fear and rage roared through Guy. “The hell with destiny, Phoenix. I’ve spent 30 years locked up because a woman betrayed me. You call that my destiny, too?”

“Kayla isn’t Trish, Guy. She has no pack loyalty.”

Guy shook his head. “Every wolf for himself.”

“We’ll see,” Tristan murmured as he vanished.

Writing, RWA, etc.

Here's a trip down memory lane. RWA National in Dallas, 2004. Pamela Clare finaled in the Daphne awards for her first RS, Extreme Exposure.

That was a great conference. Below is a photo of some of the RBL Romantica gals who went to Dallas. It was my first time meeting them, and it was great.


My last RWA conference was Atlanta, 2006. I got to see Jennifer Ashley win her RITA (yay) and meet my HQ editor for the first time, before my first Nocturne was even published.

This year, I'll be in DC. And I think RWA will be different for me. Lots different.

I'm seriously thinking of not doing the booksigning.

I'm waiting another week or two to see how it goes with the family health issues, which take priority right now. But I'm feeling kinda strong about this. DC for me will be more of a "me" conference.

I want to see old friends I seldom ever see, and I want to play tourist. A friend is coming down and we're going to sightsee. I've never been to DC before and I figure this is my only time to do everything.

So for me, this will be more of a "behind the scenes" RWA. I might attend a workshop or two that gets my interest, but there'll be no "networking" or career pumping for me. RWA is the place to network, and this year I have little interest in promoting my career.


Why?


Because this year, I've decided to focus on something much more important to me than promoting my career or aiming to get new contracts or climbing the romance author ladder.

I'm focusing on my writing.


Writing is one of the few things you can control in publishing. You can't control distribution (ask me about this, lol, I can tell you) or if readers will buy your books or maintaining momentum or creating buzz or sales or even control release dates and scheduling. Or if your books will be pirated and available as free downloads, stripping you as the author of funds needed to promote your books or even to pay the grocery bill. (Pamela has a great post on this subject, click here to read it.)



But you can control your writing.



I came to a tough decision earlier this year when I realized something had to give. It wasn't going to be me, either. One of the genres I was writing had to go, at least temporarily. And trust me, seeing my books out on the internet as free downloads helped me come to this decision. I asked myself, "Why am I working so hard just so people can rip me off?"



So I dropped the Egyptian historicals. It wasn't easy for me to do, but in retrospect, I'm glad I did. The pressure and the strain to produce one 90,000 historical a year, along with the Nocturnes, and working a demanding day job AND traveling to Haiti, Nicaragua, etc, and having a life! was too much.



The Nocturnes are fun and different for me. And now I'm writing another Bite, a 15,000 word or less short story that's released in ebook format only (though my first Bite, Broken Souls, was released in trade paperback in April in the Midnight Cravings anthology).



When I wrote Broken Souls, I knew I could do better. I'm not very good at writing short stories; they're a huge challenge.



So when I set out to write the next Bite, Darkness of the Wolf, I resolved to do better. I took my time, revised, revised, revised.



I just turned in edits for that Bite, which is out in August. And I was delighted to see the edits my editor requested were few. I had a real good feeling when I turned in Darkness that it was a stronger story than Broken Souls. I think I was right.



It was a better story because I took the time to write it, putting in as much effort as I would to a full length Nocturne, and I read some articles about writing a short story, and asked friends for advice on how they write short stories.



I learned more. This is a fluid business. I firmly believe writers should always be learning, otherwise, your writing grows stale. There's always new ways/methods out there to explore.



So this year, I'm exploring.



I also made the tough decision to push my next deadline way back. It wasn't easy, but the family health issues came first. I knew it would be near impossible with a very tight deadline to produce the kind of book I want to write, the kind of book that makes me go "ah!" with what's happening now.



Right now, I'm writing another Bite, due in August. It's called Courage of the Wolf. I started it last week and so far I really like it. I brainstormed an idea to give it a new twist and now I'm experiencing a feeling that makes everything worthwhile.



I'm getting excited about writing romance again.



It's a wonderful feeling. I want to write this story, not because it's a contracted work or I'll make oodles of money (I won't, lol) but because it's galvanizing me as a writer. I'm writing as I once did, as I should. There'll be a learning process along the way, and mistakes will be made that will require revisions or edits, but that's okay.



I'm loving this again. And to me, that's more important than anything else in the business right now.

Interview with JENNIFER ASHLEY

RITA award winner and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Ashley's historical, HIGHLANDER EVER AFTER, is now out! Jennifer's book is the third in the Nvengaria series and features Egan from THE MAD, BAD DUKE.

Egan MacDonald was the one person Princess Zarabeth couldn’t read. Yet even without being able hear his thoughts, she knew he was the most honorable, infuriating, and deliciously handsome man she’d ever met. And now her life was in his hands. Chased out of her native country by bitter betrayal and a bevy of assassins, Zarabeth found refuge at the remote MacDonald castle and a haven in Egan’s embrace. She also found an ancient curse, a matchmaking nephew, a pair of debutantes eager to drag her protector to the altar, and dark secrets in Egan’s past. But even amid all the danger raged a desire too powerful to be denied...

I recently spent a few minutes asking Jennifer about her latest release (after drooling over the verra nice cover!)

1) Tell me about Highlander Ever After. Why a princess as a heroine?

Highlander Ever After is the story of Egan MacDonald and the young woman he loved and lost years ago. She can read minds--all but Egan's, which drives her nuts! She has to retreat to his remote Scottish castle for protection, and being in close quarters with Egan is a challenge. They still love each other, but now that love is forbidden. Zarabeth also discovers a darkness in Egan's past that he's desperately trying to keep from tearing him apart. Zarabeth is sort of a princess.

She's related to the royal family of Nvengaria, and her title is "princess," but she's not royal herself. In Nvengaria (my fictional Eastern European country), the sons and daughters of dukes were called dukes and duchesses (unlike in England where only the oldest male heir inherits the title), so you could be several times removed from the title and still be called "duke." Zarabeth's father, Prince Olaf, is tenth in line for the throne, and Zarabeth takes her "princess" title from him.

Why a foreign princess? I thought it would be fun. I like showing a different perspective of societal rules of the Regency era--not every country conducted itself like England. It's enjoyable to me to have someone not English (or Scottish in this case) confront the British culture. The reader gets to see a different perspective through their eyes. I love fish-out-of-water stories.

2) Egan was verra sexy in The Mad, Bad Duke. What's his most notable feature?

I think Egan's sexiness comes from his strength, both physical and emotional. He's of course a tall, hunky warrior, and looks terrific with a kilt wrapped around his brawny body. (Even better when it's nothing but the kilt!) He's also got a warm smile, a deep and gravely voice, and very curly brown hair that never stays put. I could go on about "notable features" but I'll keep it clean. The notable features all appear in the book. :-)

3) Is Egan as hot in the book as he is on the cover. All those yummy muscles! And the big sword

Yes, Egan is just as hot in the book as he is on the cover! He's a broad-shouldered, gorgeous Scotsman. This story takes place mostly in his run-down castle, and he dresses very casually because he's often out riding the land or helping his tenants. He cares very much for his land and people. The sword plays a significant part in the story, not one you'd think.

4) What do you like best about this book?

Oh gosh, that's a hard question! I thoroughly enjoyed writing this story. I wanted to portray the realities of Scotland in 1820--this was just when Romanticism arrived to paint Scotland with a rosy-colored hue, but people's lives were often harsh. The Clearances were going full force: big landholders were evicting tenant farmers and replacing them with sheep, because wool made much more money than collecting rents from small farmers. The tenants had no money and nowhere to go, and and that's when so many either went to Glasgow and other cities to work in the factories or emigrated to America. Landholders that didn't convert to sheep struggled.

It was a hard time for many people. Scottish nationalism was also beginning to grow, as was tourism and the fads for all things Scottish. It was a very interesting time. Plus, writing about Egan was terrific. He was not a difficult hero to write at all--he seemed to be standing next to me the whole time, and I could picture him very clearly. I love when that happens. It doesn't always.

5) What is up next for Jennifer Ashley or your other writing selves? What can we eagerly anticipate?

Many, many things. The next big book for Jennifer Ashley is Immortals: The Redeeming, which is out in September 2008. It's already up for pre-sale on B&N and Amazon. After that I'm doing a new historical series and a new paranormal series which I'll post about on my site as things are more developed.

As for Allyson James: I'm currently working on the third book on the Dragon series (The Dragon Master), which will be out in November 2008. The response to the first two Dragon books was wonderful, for which I thank my dragon-loving readers! Also, Allyson James will have a novella in an anthology in August with the fabulous Robin Schone called Private Places, a collection of erotic, historical tales. Yum!

Check out Jennifer’s current and upcoming releases at her website

You can purchase HIGHLAND EVER AFTER here at Amazon or here at Barnes and Noble.