Guest Post and Giveaway - J Kenner

Where will you be this summer and fall?

One of the things I most love to do is travel, and so I’m always excited when I can work a conference or event into my writing schedule.  And I’m super-psyched because I have several on the agenda, including the upcoming Romance Writers of America Conference in Atlanta.  I’ve been to Atlanta twice before—once for an RWA con and once for DragonCon (So. Much. Fun.)—and I’m looking forward to going back, revisiting the Coke Museum, and—best of all—hanging with writing friends I’ve made in the 14 (OMG) years since my very first RWA conference.

The RWA conference is in July and includes a signing, the proceeds of which benefit literacy, that is open to the public. I would absolutely love to meet readers of the Stark Trilogy (or any of my books) there!

And in August, I’ll be coming back to Georgia (I seem to have an eastern coast theme this year), this time to Savannah for Authors After Dark, which will also have a signing (please come!).  I haven’t been to Savannah since I was ten and my stepbrother managed to catch a shrimp in a net.  (Yes, that is the extent of my memory of Savannah). I’m especially excited about this trip because not only does it sound like a fabulous con (I am already planning my costume for the vampire ball), but I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil years ago, and I can’t wait to see Savannah through the eyes of that book (which, I think, I really must re-read).

Later in the year (October), I’ll be up in New Jersey at the Put Your Heart in a Book conference.  That’s always a fun conference and has the added benefit of putting me in close proximity to friends who abandoned me to move from Texas to New York!

Of course, each of these are working trips, but I love that there is fun and friends involved, too.  (If you’re in any of these areas, I’ll have details on my website soon.  I really would love to meet folks in person!)

Now if I could just see my way clear to a conference in Europe!

Do you travel for work?  Love it?  Hate it? 

One lucky commenter will win a copy of Claim Me! (print for US winners, digital for international winners!)

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. Kenner has written over 40 books under multiple names including Julie Kenner and J.K. Beck.  Her newest release, CLAIM ME (April 23, 2013), debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list.  Claim Me is the second book in the bestselling Stark Trilogy, which began with RELEASE ME, continues with CLAIM ME, and which will conclude in July with COMPLETE ME.

You can learn more about her at her website (http://www.juliekenner.com) or connect with her on Twitter (@juliekenner) or on Facebook (http://juliekenner.com/facebook/)

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes an erotic, emotionally charged romance between a powerful man who’s never heard “no” and a fiery woman who says “yes” on her own terms.
 
He was the one man I couldn’t avoid. And the one man I couldn’t resist.
 
Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident, and commanding: Anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me.

Our attraction was unmistakable, almost beyond control, but as much as I ached to be his, I feared the pressures of his demands. Submitting to Damien meant I had to bare the darkest truth about my past—and risk breaking us apart.

But Damien was haunted, too. And as our passion came to obsess us both, his secrets threatened to destroy him—and us—forever.

Release Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

 

For Damien, our obsession is a game. For me, it is fiercely, blindingly, real.
Damien Stark’s need is palpable—his need for pleasure, his need for control, his need for me. Beautiful and brilliant yet tortured at his core, he is in every way my match.

I have agreed to be his alone, and now I want him to be fully mine. I want us to possess each other beyond the sweetest edge of our ecstasy, into the deepest desires of our souls. To let the fire that burns between us consume us both.

But there are dark places within Damien that not even our wildest passion can touch. I yearn to know his secrets, yearn for him to surrender to me as I have surrendered to him. But our troubled pasts will either bind us close . . . or shatter us completely.

 This sexy, emotionally charged romance continues the story of Damien Stark, the powerful multimillionaire who’s never had to take “no” for an answer, and Nikki Fairchild, the Southern belle who only says “yes” on her own terms.

Our desire runs deep. But our secrets cut close. Beautiful, strong, and commanding, Damien Stark fills a void in me that no other man can touch. His fierce cravings push me beyond the brink of bliss—and unleash a wild passion that utterly consumes us both.

Yet beneath his need for dominance, he carries the wounds of a painful past. Haunted by a legacy of dark secrets and broken trust, he seeks release in our shared ecstasy, the  heat between us burning stronger each day.

Our attraction is undeniable, our obsession inevitable. Yet not even Damien can run from his ghosts, or shield us from the dangers yet to come.

Complete Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

VBT and Giveaway - Blood Bound

Blood Bound

by Melanie Atkins

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BLURB:

Fueled by grief after his fiancée is brutally murdered, Detective Sam Walker focuses on finding her killer -- a calculating predator who binds books with human skin.  Dani Barrington, the newest member of NOPD's Victim and Witness Assistance Unit and a survivor of another frightening attack, helps him discover the terrifying link between the monster's known victims.  Despite his anguish, Sam is struck by Dani's strength and determination, especially when her inquisitive  nature makes her the killer's next target.  He must find a way to protect her or risk losing the one woman who can bring his dead heart back to life.

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EXCERPT:

. Kristen was gone.

She wasn't at work. She wasn't at home. She hadn't gone out to run an errand. She had simply... vanished.

New Orleans Detective Sam Walker stood in the center of his fiancée's cluttered bedroom and struggled to piece together the timeline of her disappearance. Last night they were supposed to meet for dinner, but he'd caught a case. They'd talked on the phone around eleven, and he'd asked her to meet him for lunch today.

He hadn't spoken to her since.

She was supposed to arrive at the Victim and Witness Assistance Unit for work at nine a.m., but never made it. One of her co-workers had called him about ten o'clock. He'd tried Kristen again, but she hadn't answered.

So he'd come here and found her car in the driveway.

Yet she sure as hell wasn't here.

Her bed was meticulously made, the way she left it every morning, dumping him out if he'd stayed over. A damp towel lay beside the bathroom sink. Soulful jazz drifted from the iPod dock on her nightstand. What terrified him most, though, was the spot of blood marring the door frame and the lone pink sandal lying in the living room floor beside her purse, keys, and cell phone.

His heart lurched. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Simply could not absorb that she was missing. They'd been engaged for five months and three days, with only a month to go until the wedding. They should be mulling over the guest list, squabbling about where to go for their honeymoon, and deciding where they wanted to live.

Instead, Sam stared at an empty bed.

"There's no sign of forced entry, so she either let the guy in or he jumped her when she went after the paper this morning." Major Sabbatini's voice seemed to come from far away. "I'm thinking she fought him off and ran, and he caught her here in the bedroom."

"She would have clawed him." Hell, she would've drawn blood with those nails. Sam should know. He had the marks on his back to prove it. Moisture blurred his vision as he eyed the smudge on the door jamb. "She... she just had her nails done a couple of days ago. They're like talons."

"We'll check the blood for DNA. You know that. What were her plans for today?"

"Um... just work, far as I know. She and I were supposed to have lunch." Sam shook his head. "Then tonight, she was going to a wedding shower. I just--"

"When was the last time you spoke with her?"

"Late -- last night." Sam's eyes fell on a partially-filled mug on the table beside Kristen's favorite chair, where she liked to read. A hard knot formed in the center of his chest. "She didn't... even finish her coffee. She loves coffee."

"We're gonna find her, son."

"You don't know that." Sam's voice cracked. He turned to his boss. "What if I never see her again?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Melanie Atkins a multi-published author of romantic suspense, an editor for an online

publishing company, and an avid reader. Writing is more than an escape for her—it’s a way of life. She grew up in the Deep South listening to tall tales and penning stories about her cats. Now she writes gripping stories of love, suspense, and mystery with the help of her furry little feline muses.

Melanie is an active member of Romance Writers of America®, the Magnolia State Romance Writers (MSRW), the Published Author Network (PAN), the Electronic and Small Press Authors' Network (ESPAN), the Electronically Published Internet Connection (EPIC), Sisters in Crime (SinC), the Red Dog Writers, the Gulf Coast Writers Association, the Southern Writers, the Mississippi Authors Guild and the Byram Writers’ Group. She currently serves as Past President of MSRW.

www.melanieatkins.com

www.wordpress.melanieatkins.com

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GIVEAWAY:

Melanie will be awarding the winner's choice of a backlist eBook to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment often; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-super-book-blast-blood-bound-by.html

VBT - Guest Post and Giveaway - Krystal Shannan - Chasing Sam

What is it about the paranormal and wolves?

It’s the fantasy that makes them so attractive! They are supernatural, therefore they are uber-strong, muscular, and the ultimate protector –HOT!!! We all know it’s a dream, but dreams are fantastic! Well, mine are. Hopefully you are reading one of my dreams right now… are you? Which one? I have my favorite. Which of my books is your favorite?

As far as the specific breed of shifter goes, I think people connect with wolves (werewolves) more because we relate them to dogs. Dogs are friendly, caring, protective, and loyal. Wolves are much the same to their pack. These are all characteristics that we as people, admire.

But anyway, back to the topic. I adore reading paranormal –Shelly Laurenston, Carrie Ann Ryan, PC Cast, to name just a few. They inspire me to bring my worlds to life, too. I have all these fabulous characters in my head just hoot’n and holler’n to be let out. In 2012 I took the plunge and started. I’ve never been happier.

Thank you so much for having me here today! I look forward to interacting with your guests.

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Chasing Sam

Vegas Mates, Book 1

by Krystal Shannan

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BLURB:

Samantha Demakis doesn’t want a mate right now. Her birth-rite and family obligations to her status as the first daughter of a noble family beg to differ. In fact, even her wolf seems to be against her. When a chance encounter reveals the man who might just be a perfect fit, will she run? Or will she fight?

Chase Michaels has been alone for seventy-five years. He’s fought in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan in the US Army. Somewhat resigned to never finding his true mate, he is shocked when his wolf reacts so strongly to a woman he runs into in the airport. Unprepared for the politics and snobbery of the noble families, Chase finds himself fighting in a different type of war —a war for the heart of a woman he knows should be his.

A lot of things are chasing Sam, but who or what will catch her in the end?

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EXCERPT:

Samantha Demakis wrinkled her nose at the barrage of scents coming from the Christmas hordes invading McCarran International Airport. She swallowed a growl of frustration and tightened the leash on her inner wolf. Everybody and their brother traveled for Christmas, and she didn’t like being one of them. She should have stayed at Duke. Her gut told her it was a mistake to come home.

Duke Medical School was her haven away from all this crazy.

People jostled her from all angles. Her rolling suitcase flipped over and she leaned back to right it. In the process, someone snatched her blue leather jacket from the carpeted floor and dashed away.

Shit. Really?

She straightened and scanned the crowd in the direction the thief had run.

Nothing.

“Miss.”

Sam turned and looked to her left. Holy mother of hotness! Six and a half feet of beautiful man, dressed in a muscle-hugging beige thermal shirt and army camo pants, stood holding her royal-blue leather jacket. She curled her lips into a smile. His scent was magnetic, and she hurried toward him.

“Thank you so much.” She reached for the jacket, brushing her fingers along his hand on purpose. “I thought it was gone for good.” His blue eyes widened just for a moment. A charge had passed between them. She’d never felt anything like it before. Her wolf howled and slammed against her consciousness. It took every scrap of will power not to launch herself at him. The canine soul within her wanted him right now and so did she. The mate connection between them was strong. No, no, no. I don’t want a mate right now.

.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Krystal Shannan is a born, raised, and current TEXAN. She is married to a wonderful man

who supports her dream of writing and allows her to spend many evening and weekend hours glued to her laptop. During the day she moonlights as an elementary music teacher. In addition to a doting husband, a young daughter is also part of the picture and keeps her hopping! An ornery little Welsh Corgi completes the household.

Krystal has been writing stories since she could hold a pencil. She has always dreamed of writing romance and sharing the "movies in her head" with the world. If she's not writing, she's reading -historical, paranormal, action, adventure -anything she can get her hands on that ends with a Happily Ever After!

If you are interested in receiving emails when new new books are released, please sign up for her distribution list by visiting www.krystalshannan.com and clicking the "contact" tab.

Buy Links:

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Sam-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B00BB3KD0W/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1360125077&sr=8-11&keywords=chasing+sam

Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/282358

Website:  http://www.krystalshannan.com/

Blog:  http://krystalshannan.blogspot.com/|

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/krystal.shannan

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/KrystalShannan

GoodReads:   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6543639.Krystal_Shannan

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GIVEAWAY:

Krystal will be awarding to 5 random commenters autographed swag (US ONLY) during the tour as well as awarding one random commenter with a digital copy of Open House by Krystal Shannan. A grand prize of a $25 Gift Card to Starbucks will be awarded to one random commenter during the tour.

Sign up for her newsletter and tell her in your comment that you did. She'll put your name in the Grand Prize drawing twice.

Newsletter sign up link:

http://krystalshannan.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f33a8ba4321dc5e638b5496db&id=c07101f1a6

Follow the tour and comment often; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/02/virtual-nbtm-tour-chasing-sam-by.html