Book BIN Special Edition -- Charming the Darkness

Hey all!

It's 2009! So why not start the new year off with a new book? Shiela Stewart has the latest in her Darkness series coming out today, and here's the scoop:

Danny Vega had never been comfortable as a human, unlike his twin brother. When he was offered a new life, Danny took it. As a vampire. Turning his back on his family, he welcomed the darkness. But when Chaos, the one man he has always looked up to most goes missing, and Danny is shunned by his kind, he decides to leave Jacobs Cove.

That is, until he’s run off the road.

As a witch, Starla Raine is fascinated by the ritual used to cast Jacobs Cove in darkness and decides to check it out. Entering the city she’s mesmerized by the blanket covering the city, and accidently runs someone off the road. When she discovers the man behind the wheel is connected to the spell that cast a shadow on the city, she decides to hold him captive until he agrees to help her find the spell book. And she’ll use any means possible to convince him, including seducing him.

Annoyed at being held against his will, Danny caves to Starla and agrees to help her find the ritual as long as she helps him find Chaos. He doesn’t mind using her magical abilities, or her body, for his own gain. Sex is just sex, until his heart gets in the way. But when she pushes him to make amends with his brother, or lose her, he finds letting her go isn’t that easy.

Can he open his heart to the light, or give in to the darkness once more?

You can get a copy here. So why not head on over and Buy It Now?

Book BIN Tuesday -- Lessons Learned

It's finally here!

The two-in-one print edition of my royal romances, Lessons Learned, will be released today. It's been up on Amazon and B & N for pre-sale for a while now, but officially you can get it now.

Here's the scoop:

Two royal siblings. Two regular Americans. When love comes to Laurivenia, no heart is safe.

Lessons In Love

Hungry for adventure, Brynn takes a teaching job in a foreign country. But on arrival she discovers she’s the new royal nanny instead.

Prince Alex is tired of women feigning interest in his daughter to get close to him. So if he fudged the details of the job to protect his child, who can blame him?

His plans unravel the moment Brynn appears. She is beautiful and free spirited, nothing like the nanny he expected. Sparks fly between them, but when the paparazzi discover their affair, all bets are off.

Can the prince and the nanny find common ground?

Lessons In Trust

Princess Lucia’s new bodyguard refuses to play by the rules. His insistence on shadowing her 24/7 is cramping her style. He needs to go before the sparks between them get too hot.

Eric would be happy to leave. The sinfully sexy princess is a royal pain. But he won’t go until the threat against her is neutralized.

Eric spirits her away to a safe house where passion ignites, leaving them shaken. They must work together before Lucia’s safety—and their connection—are lost forever.

****

It's a nice way to close out 2008, don't you think? :)

Digging Out

Today was a red-letter day.

I took the garbage out wearing my black flats.

This is an accomplishment, you see, because today was the first day I wore something other than thick winter boots on my feet. And why the winter boots, you say?

Because of the snow. Lots and lots and lots of snow.

Now, you have to understand that here in the Pacific Northwest, we're lucky if we get one or two snowfalls per winter, which tend to stick around for a day or two before the thaw sets in. This year, however, we had snow on six of the seven days prior to Christmas, including one day when it snowed for nine hours straight.

Let me tell you, it messed everything up. We northwesterners aren't accustomed to snow that, you know, lasts. We don't have experience driving on it, shoveling it, or (heavens!) looking at it for days at a time. There were benefits, of course. Lots of family time -- we took long walks through town enjoying the Christmas lights, held incredibly long snowball fights, and helped the kids make snow forts and find the best icicles for Harry Potter-style wands. And having a truly white Christmas was something we rarely experience.

On the other hand, I haven't driven in over a week and a half, finishing the Christmas shopping was an exercise in futility (one nephew still doesn't have a gift), and holiday plans were shifted, postponed, and even scrapped altogether.

So, though it's a little sad to see the lovely white snow melt away, I'm not disappointed to have life get back to normal again.

How is your post-holiday season treating you?

A Little Holiday Cheer

Home For Christmas Featured on Writer's Vineyard

A month or so ago I was invited to participate in a really cool holiday celebration at the Writer's Vineyard. Every day in November and December they're posting a different short story or excerpt from a holiday book. Well, today (the 19th) is my day! Stop by to read a fun excerpt.

Don't forget you can get a bigger sampling from the Discover New Authors program at the Samhellion site, with the promo edition of Home for Christmas now available for download.

And if you want to read something completely different, but still in keeping with the season, check out my guest blog on the Samhain weblog from Wednesday. I would have posted about it earlier but the power went out (during a snowstorm!) and I got a bit distracted. But you should definitely stop by, if only to find out what words of wisdom my mom shared with me during the winter months many years ago. (Words to live by, I tell you!)

See? Didn't I tell you I was going to be everywhere this month? ;)

Try Me -- Free!

Hey! It's the holiday season, and Samhain has a special offer for you. They're giving away the first part of my Christmas story, Home for Christmas. You'll get to read the first twenty-five or so pages for free and then, if you like what you read, you can buy the rest (buy links at the end of the promo copy).

Home for Christmas is part of Samhain's The Perfect Gift anthology, and also available as a separate e-book. This is one of my all-time favorites -- Ethan and Sophia were such a fun couple to write. If you haven't checked it out yet, now is the perfect time.

Here's the link. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Anniversary!

So today's my wedding anniversary.

Getting married the week before Christmas is both great and strange. You save a ton on decorations, since everything available surface is covered in poinsettias and Christmas trees. On the other hand, you get a lot of Christmas-themed presents.

And it's hard to celebrate just as a couple, so close to Christmas, with all the activities associated with the holiday. Tonight, we'll be having dinner at home with the kids, watching the snow fall.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy anniversary, sweetie!

Book BIN Tuesday -- Reaction Time

Five days. Close quarters. It’s enough to drive any woman crazy—or into submission…

Nikki Kincaid carries her smart mouth and in-your-face attitude like other women carry mace. But the sharpest parts of her razor tongue are reserved for Adam Guthrie, a man who sparks her body’s reaction time quicker than a green light. That out-of-control response terrifies her, because control is her middle name.

When someone starts sending Nikki threatening letters, Adam jumps at her brother’s request to help protect her—whether she likes it or not. For the past year and a half he’s been watching her, analyzing her body language and cutting remarks, and has come to one definitive conclusion. She’s a sexual submissive in hiding.

Five days in close quarters is exactly what Adam’s been waiting for—and Nikki’s idea of hell. Bringing her deepest desires to the surface will be the greatest challenge of his life. And, if he succeeds, his greatest reward.

****

Doesn't that sound intriguing? Just the thing to warm up these cold winter nights. So head on over to Samhain and Buy It Now!

MTA Monday -- Meet Alannah Lynne!

NAME: Alannah Lynne

WEBSITE: www.alannahlynne.com

BLOG: www.alannahlynne.blogspot.com

TITLE OF FIRST BOOK: Reaction Time

RELEASE DATE: December 16th from Samhain Publishing

FAVORITE WRITING STORY/SAYING/MEMORY: Write the truth. I can’t remember the exact words that Stephen King uses (and I’ve heard several other authors say the same thing) but the gist is, stay true to the story and write the way the story demands it.

FAVORITE NON-WRITING STORY/SAYING/MEMORY: “Well behaved women rarely make history.”

COMFORT FOOD: Oreos and Lucky Charms

COMFORT READ: Anything that makes me laugh. Usually a Stephanie Plum novel does the trick

YOUR PERFECT DAY: A maid comes in and cleans. A chef shows up to cook and I get to spend several uninterrupted hours writing. LOL…I would imagine that would be my perfect day. Since its never happened, I can’t say for sure but that’s my dream.


WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?: A contemporary romance about a driven advertising executive who must choose between her career and an irresistible client.

Freebie Friday! Contests Ending!

Is it Friday already? Man, time is flying. First, congratulations to Robyn L, for winning last week's Freebie Friday giveaway. Robyn, email me with your address so I can send out your copy of Flirting With Forty.

Next, today is the last day for the 12 Days of Holiday Hell contest being run on my editor's blog. Stop by Nice Mommy-Evil Editor to enter the last contest, and don't forget to enter to win the two Kindles as well!

The Winter Wonderland contest is drawing to a close as well, with the last day scheduled for the 15th.

And today, my Friday freebie is for everyone! I'm offering a sneak peek at my upcoming e-book release, The Devil Inside. I've hidden a never-before-seen excerpt somewhere on my website. Just e-mail me the answer to the following question, and I'll send you the link!

Who is HOOKED dedicated to?

If you don't have a copy of HOOKED, you can pick one up here. And of course I'll have the excerpt up for everyone in the next few weeks.

Have a lovely weekend! We're going to decorate the tree and get started on the Christmas cards. What are you up to this weekend?

Book BIN Tuesday -- Wand'ring Home by Maia Strong

In case you haven't heard, several Samhain authors are giving away free holiday short e-books as a gift to readers. Today, one of my favorite authors, Maia Strong, is the featured author. Her short, Wand'ring Home, is a wonderful visit with the heroes of her first book, The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing.

You can download the free book here -- but if you haven't read Jimothy yet, I highly recommend it. It's not only a great read, it makes Wand'ring Home that much better.

So hie thee to the Samhellion free e-book giveaway and pick up your copy of Wand'ring Home -- and all the other great freebies there!

Freebie Friday! Win! Win! Win!

I'm absolutely thrilled for Jane Porter, a fellow Northwest author, whose book Flirting With Forty has been adapted for TV. This made-for-TV movie, starring Heather Locklear, will be debuting tomorrow night on Lifetime.

I've read the book, and loved it. I can't wait to see how it turns out on the small screen.

So to celebrate, I'm giving away a copy of the book that started it all -- Flirting With Forty, by Jane Porter.

To enter the contest, just post in the comments what book you'd like to see made into a movie -- and who you think should play the lead role(s).

I'll draw a winner Sunday night. Good luck!

Happy December! New Contest!

It's the last month of the year, and I'm going to be all over the web this season. I've already told you about the 12 Days contest (reminder and linky coming soon), plus there are a few places I'll be blogging as well. But today, my lovely editor Angie is opening her Holiday Hell contest!

You'll want to check back at her blog daily to enter the great giveaways (you'll notice books from me popping up from time to time!), especially since the grand prize(s) are so fabulous -- two, count 'em, TWO Kindles!

Today, all you have to do to enter is promo the contest. Stop by Angie's blog for more details. And no, I'm not entering -- I just want to help get the word out about this fabulous opportunity to win! (Plus, there's that whole not-eligible-because-I'm-a-participating-author thing.) :)

Stay tuned for more giveaways, contests, and fun right here!