Thursday, December 18, 2014

Mele Kalikimaka!

In case you've been wondering where I disappeared to, the answer is here:



I've arrived in Hawaii for Christmas with my family and while this is my favorite thing ever in the history of mankind, it is also a bit exhausting doing all the shopping and wrapping and decorating and cooking (and lions and tigers and bears, oh my!) for not just myself but also for family members who need assistance.  So I've been BUSY, boys and girls, but now I get to reap the rewards of family time and memory making.  (And maybe reading a holiday book or three.)

I wish you all the most brilliant of holiday seasons, whatever you may be celebrating this time of year.  I hope you and yours are well and happy--and have plenty of books to read! 

And as we say here in the islands, Mele Kalikimaka and a Hau'oli Makahiki Ho!


Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

I'm so thankful for every day I can say writing is my job.  And for every one of the readers who have read and enjoyed my books.  You guys are rockstars!

May your holidays be filled with food, laughter, and BOOKS!

This is a shot of my pre-Thanksgiving project.  Had to build and organize these bookshelves for my aunt or else how would we be able to dine with her romance collection?  :)


Now I'm off to stuff a turkey so I can stuff my face later! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

My New Brand

You know exactly what you're going to get from a Kristan Higgins or a Julia Quinn or a Nalini Singh book, right?  Today I'm over at the Ruby Blog, sharing what I've learned about branding while stumbling along as a fledgling author and how those lessons influenced my decision to launch a new pen name.

Check out my new self at www.LizzieShane.com. 

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Taming Intrigues LASR

Hullo, darlings!  I'm packing wildly in preparation for my walkabout, but guess what just popped into my inbox?  Why, it's a review of Taming the Lion from Long And Short Reviews!  Four Stars!  (Thank you, LASR!) I'm just tickled.

In the words of Reviewer Bluet, Taming is "an intriguing and exciting story. I enjoyed the visit to this interesting world with its various characters and will definitely look for future installments." 

Future installments coming in February!!! And May... and August... I just can't seem to stop myself.


Monday, November 10, 2014

Hawk's Revenge Cover Art Revealed!

Hawk's Revenge (Lone Pine Pride #3) comes out in February and we have art!  Behold!

Her betrayal is unforgivable. But their passion? Unforgettable.

Hawk-shifter Adrian Sokolov made the mistake of trusting the beautiful Dr. Rachel Russell once—and wound up drugged, captured, and experimented on inside Organization Labs. 

He isn’t about to make the same mistake again, but when she offers to help him escape this hell hole, he can’t say no. Her only condition? That he take her with him.

From the moment Rachel discovered her bosses’ true intent, she’s been secretly smuggling shifters out of the Labs. But now the higher-ups suspect they have a mole, and it’s time to flee—but not before she frees the golden-eyed hawk she was forced to betray.


When their escape goes wrong, Adrian wakes, confused and alone, in the safety of the Lone Pine Pride infirmary and realizes he may have left behind the one ally the shifters had within the Organization—the same breathtaking woman who invades his dreams.

Now he must face the Organization that destroyed him… before she pays for his freedom with her life. 

Warning: This book contains betrayals, escapes, rescues, plots, double-crosses, a sexy surly hero, a heroine who deserves sainthood… and a pride full of trouble.

What say you, boys and girls?  You like?

Friday, November 7, 2014

The Series Addiction

I've been rather delinquent with keeping up with the online world but I have two very good reasons for this. 

EXCUSE ONE:  I am writing!  A ton!  Book Five of Lone Pine Pride is flying off my fingers!  Huzzah!

EXCUSE TWO:  I am moving!  I'm going to be back on the road again.  Leaving the Big Apple and drifting like a leaf on the wind (FIREFLY!!!!!!!!!!!!) until I settle in my next semi-permanent locale.  I'm very excited by this turn of events, but it also means I have to do slightly necessary things like pack. 

But TODAY, I am not just packing.  I am also discussing my addiction to romance novels in series over at the Ruby Blog.  Are you a series or a stand alone sort?  What sort of series do you prefer?  Come tell me!

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Bump in the Night Fest & Secret Crushes

Happy Almost Halloween!  Come celebrate Bump In the Night Fest with me over at Sizzling Hot Books!!!  I'm giving away books and talking about secret crushes and dreamy alpha heroes. You could snag a signed print copy of Naughty Karma AND a digi-copy of Taming the Lion.  Go forth and enter!  Win!  (Winners will be drawn on 11/1.)


Friday, October 24, 2014

Get Your Karma!

LAST CHANCE!!!  The Goodreads Giveaway for Naughty Karma expires in just a matter of hours.  If you haven't already entered for your chance to win, DO IT NOW!  DO NOT DELAY!



Goodreads Book Giveaway

Naughty Karma by Vivi Andrews

Naughty Karma

by Vivi Andrews

Giveaway ends October 25, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win


Okay? Cool. Awesome. Thanks. Happy reading!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

A Very Lone Pine Halloween

Do you ever wonder what your favorite characters would wear to a Halloween party?  Join me today at Paranormal Haven where I'm chatting about a Lone Pine Pride Halloween party and showing pics of what these lions and tigers and bears would be wearing.  See what all your favorite LPP shifters would don... and maybe win a book!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Faithful Adaptations?

So I'm reading Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs. This is a big departure for me, because usually I'm way too big a chicken for Romantic Suspense (especially of the serial killer variety), but I was assured by a trusted friend that this one would not give me nightmares or make me want to scream in frustration (so far so good).

This is one of the books in the series on which the television show "Bones" was based and I'm finding myself amazed by how little relationship the book seems to have to the TV series. Pretty much just the words "forensic anthropologist" and "Temperance Brennan", as far as I can tell. After that, all bets are off. Different tone, setting (North Carolina and Montreal rather than D.C.), characterization (heroine is older, divorced, mother of an adult child, surrounded by a completely different cast of supporting characters)... all of it. 


Usually I'm a stickler for honoring the original source material, but in this case I'm finding I enjoy both - though they are completely different animals. It's so different my brain has entirely given up on comparing them and now I'm just enjoying them independent of one another.

What do you think? Sacrilege to change a single word? Or is simply using the most stripped-down premise as a springboard preferable because then the series can remain in your imagination, independent and unsullied by the bumbling attempts of Hollywood to bring it to life? Survey says?

Monday, October 13, 2014

The Urge to Be Heard

What drives you to write? Today I'm over at the Ruby blog getting all navel-gazey and psycho-babbley and talking about my feelings n' stuff. Observe! The post.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Taming the Lion Named Fresh Pick!

You guys! Two awesome pieces of news from Fresh Fiction!

1) TAMING THE LION is the FRESH PICK today! This is downright giddy-making for me because it's picked by readers, so thank you darlings! You guys are the best.

And 2) There's another snazzy new Fresh Fiction Review of TAMING THE LION up too!  Clare O'Beara says, "Vivi Andrews has written a complex, fun and easily readable tale in TAMING THE LION which follows on from Jaguar's Kiss and precedes Hawk's Revenge. This adult romance fantasy series will prove addictive."

I certainly hope so!  ;)

Happy Thursday, boys and girls!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Naughty Karma - Now In 3D!!!

Do you like your books of the touchable variety? So you can pet them and hold them and whisper words of affection into their pages? Do you love the Karmic Consultants? Then today is your day, darlings!  NAUGHTY KARMA is now available IN PRINT!

Double crossing the devil is a dangerous business.

Nearly two decades ago, Prometheus sold his beating heart to a devil in exchange for epic power. That contract is about to expire—and so is he. There’s only one woman with the power to help him see his next birthday. And he’s willing to use every manipulation in his arsenal to pry that power from the ice queen’s grip.
Karma, who values order above all else, has had enough of the unscrupulous warlock’s pranks endangering her people. But when she confronts the wily trickster to demand a cease-fire, his terms throw her for a loop. The bastard wants her to save his life—and he wants her in his bed.
Clinging to her hard-won control is the only way Karma knows to keep her abilities from overwhelming her. If anyone can tempt her to embrace the chaos of her magic, it’s Prometheus.
One kiss brings her defenses crashing down. But can she trust Prometheus…or has she lost her own heart to a warlock with a hidden agenda?
Warning: This book contains scheming, manipulation, bargains-with-the-devil, and meddling consultants. All’s fair in love and magic. 

Get your souvenir copy today.  :)

Friday, October 3, 2014

Goodreads Giveaway for Naughty Karma in Print!

I know we've been in shifter mode, but lest we forget, Naughty Karma, a Karmic Consultants story full of awesomeness (RT Top Pick!) is coming out in print on Tuesday!

And from now until October 25th, you can enter to win a signed print copy at Goodreads!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Naughty Karma by Vivi Andrews

Naughty Karma

by Vivi Andrews

Giveaway ends October 25, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Author, Interviewed

Three days now that Taming the Lion has been out in the world.  Probably too soon to start badgering readers to tell me which pride members they most want to get their happily-ever-afters, eh?  Too bad patience was never my virtue.

To distract myself, today I am being interviewed by the lovely and talented paranormal scribe Robyn Bachar.  Come on by her blog and say hello!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Writing Linked Books

Join me today at the Ruby Blog where I'm discussing the fun and challenges of writing books that are tightly linked to one another - as JAGUAR'S KISS and TAMING THE LION are.  I even show a side-by-side look at one of the overlap scenes where Lila is talking to Patch.  Curious?  Come check it out. 
ALSO... Taming the Lion already has 5 reviews on Amazon and I'm thinking when we hit ten I should reveal the cover art to the next book in the series.  What do you think, boys and girls?  Should I blackmail you with art?  :)

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Taming the Lion is Here!

It's time!  Taming the Lion is officially out in the world.  Hope you like it, shifter lovers!



If you pre-ordered a copy through Samhain's website, you may have noticed that they are updating the world and the website is now down.  Apparently this is going to be completed within the next day or two, but if you can't wait for your shifter fix, you can get your pre-ordered copy hand delivered by requesting it (with your pre-order number, if you have it) from customerservice@samhainpublishing.com.  If you wanted to order from the Samhain store, but haven't yet, the book will be on sale through them for an extra week after everything is up and running to accommodate for the release day radio-silence.  But it is currently on sale normally at all other retailers!  Like Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Happy release day, everyone! 

When she’s in heat, there’s no cooling down…
 
Wilderness guide and cougar-shifter Patricia “Patch” Fontaine has known the dangers of lone-shifter life since she was ten, when her parents mysteriously vanished. All grown up now, she thrives on her hard-won independence.
When rumors of a new rash of shifter abductions crop up, she’s forced to come home to the Lone Pine Pride for protection—right as the man she’s always secretly wanted is about to marry her best friend. And right as she’s going into heat.
Roman Jaeger values his role as Alpha heir apparent, but he isn’t thrilled about his arranged marriage to the Alpha’s daughter—especially when his bride is just as nonplussed as he is—but he’ll do his duty for the pride. Seeing Patch again challenges his noblest intentions. The wildness in her sets him on fire, and he can’t resist the chance for one last fling.
Both know a future together is impossible. But when chemistry and sowing wild oats grows into a need deeper than lust, their bond could threaten the very heart of the pride they both love.

Warning: This book contains a strong sexy Alpha-to-be, an independent cougar-shifter who knows her way around a lion’s heart, secret affairs, arranged marriages, politics, passion, and a pride full of lions and tigers and bears. Oh my.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Mutant Day on Snarky Mom's Blog (And a Giveaway!)

 

Taming the Lion releases TOMORROW (squeeeeee!!!!) and today I'm visiting the 30 Days of Snarktember Festival, celebrating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Day (did you know there was such a thing?) and talking about the bonds between BFFs like the heroines of Jaguar's Kiss and Taming the Lion, Lila and Patch.  Come on by for your chance to WIN A COPY OF TAMING THE LION!

Friday, September 26, 2014

Countdown to Shifter Goodness!

4 Days until TAMING THE LION!!! Did you know there's a shiny new shape-shifter romance hitting the shelves on Tuesday? Anyone excited? Or is it just me? Patch and Roman's story, baby!


Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Entering the Golden Heart?

If you're thinking of entering the Golden Heart this year, why not enter a free contest to see if you can get your entry fee covered?  Swing on over to the Ruby site for details on how you can enter to win TODAY ONLY.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

One Week Until Taming the Lion Arrives!!!



ONE week to go and TAMING THE LION will be HERE!!! Patch and Roman are gonna scratch and claw their way to HEA in just SEVEN DAYS!!! So how's about one more Teaser Tuesday‬ to tempt?
 
Roman hadn’t been a monk, but he’d always been discrete in his affairs—he’d had to be as the perennial betrothed of the pride princess.
Somehow banging the maid of honor three months before the wedding didn’t strike him as the height of discretion.
Not that he had much likelihood of getting into Patch’s pants, given the way she’d been hissing and snarling at him. Though if cougars were anything like lionesses that could be foreplay.
F*ck. He did not need to be thinking of his fiancé’s best friend in terms of foreplay.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Celebrate with the Rubies with Free Books!

Today the Rubies are celebrating their 5th Blog-o-versary - and that means prizes!  Prizes including an advanced copy of Taming the Lion.  Read it before it releases!  Just come on over and toast some cyber-mimosas at the Ruby blog to be entered to win beaucoup books.  Happy reading!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Ruby Tuesday - TWO WEEKS AND COUNTING!!!

It's Ruby Tuesday! What does that mean, you ask? Only that I'm over at the Ruby Blog being interrogated about everything from the first romance novel I ever read to my sign. Come learn all about my hidden depths.  (Supposing I have hidden depths.)

Aaaaaand... since it's only TWO weeks until TAMING THE LION, shall we have a little teaser taste today? Just a little one?



“I—” She didn’t know what she would have said. I have to go? I-need-you-take-me-now? I can’t ever see you again? I want to lick you like a lollipop and swallow you whole? Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. The words clogged in her throat and she gave up on pushing them past the shame.
She couldn’t meet his eyes. Didn’t want to know what color they were when they were drenched in need.
Taking a page out of Lila’s book, Patch ran.
Do not pass Go. Do not look back. Do not shift because the cat will say yes, no matter how badly she needs to say no. Patch ran.
Thank God he didn’t follow her. She didn’t know what she would have done if he’d tried to come after her. To chase her down. If he’d caught her…
Images crashed against one another in her brain, half-baked fantasies springing instantly to life. Roman catching her, those muscled arms sweeping her off her feet, taking her to the ground, his weight riding her down, hands stripping away her clothing, caressing, always just on that perfect borderline of too rough. So strong. So dominant. Leaving no question of whom she belonged to, body and soul.
Holy Hades.

Monday, September 15, 2014

A Fresh Fiction Two-Fer!

Taming the Lion got two--count them two--shiny new reviews from Fresh Fiction this week, talking about the upcoming shifter sizzle.  (Fifteen days! I'm counting!)  And they liked it! They really liked it!

Annetta Sweetko thought it was "an amazing, sizzling read that will hold you from the first page to the last" and "this fantastic, sexy and touching read will go into my read again pile and I can't wait to see what Ms. Andrews does next with the Pride."  (Read the full review here.)

While Shellie Surles said, "Vivi Andrews has created a great group of shifters in this series" and "You will enjoy TAMING THE LION, the characters, the plot and look forward to reading the rest of the Lone Pride Series."  Which I certainly hope is true!  :)  (Read the full review here.)


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Taming Teasers - Three Weeks to Go!

 
TAMING THE LION comes in 3 Weeks! Are you excited? Want a taste?
Holy Hades. She’d kissed Roman. They’d almost done a lot more. If she hadn’t come to her senses, God only knew what they’d be doing now. What part of her he’d be nibbling on, caressing…
Not a helpful line of thinking, Patch.
She didn’t know what had triggered her freak-out—that scent, the horrible wrongness of it—but she was damn glad something had woken her up to what she was doing. Sure, she’d wanted to kiss Roman since she’d discovered boys, but he was Lila’s. She would never betray her best friend like that.
Except for the fact that she just had. Crap.
“Patch…” From the expression on Roman’s face, he was just as horrified by what they’d done as she was.
“The heat,” she blurted, insanely grateful for the excuse. It couldn’t have just been her wanting him like she wanted to keep breathing. Not if she ever wanted to be able to look her best friend’s husband in the eye. “It was just the heat. My bad. No hard feelings.”
He lowered his hands from his stick-em-up stance, shifting uncomfortably, and she realized he probably had some very hard feelings left over from their little bout of insanity.
Don’t look. Do. Not. Look.
She looked. And he was just as big as she’d felt. Just as deliciously hard. Oh, have mercy.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

A Little Lion Buzz

With the release of Taming the Lion approaching (less than four weeks!!!) the reviews are continuing to roll in.  Here are a couple more that arrived in my inbox recently!

From Me To You gave us 5 STARS!!! (Can I get a woohoo?)

"This novel reminded me of Ms. Andrews' Serengeti Shifters Series because of it's intensity and romantic swagger, which is why I think I liked it so much! [...] I can't wait to see where this series will go next!"

You can check out the full review here.

Aaaaaand Night Owl Reviews liked it too! 4 STARS, baby!

"Readers are in for a riveting shifter romance. [...] I can’t wait to see what happens next with this mixed shifter pride."

The full review is here

How sweet are they? I'm so psyched that people are digging into Lone Pine Pride with me.  THANK YOU!!!  The people who dish about books... y'all are my tribe.  I love you guys.  :)

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Taming Teaser!


T-minus 4 Weeks until TAMING THE LION releases! How about a little Teaser Tuesday‬ snippet of Patch and Roman's story, hm?

Here we go:

Bad idea. Worst idea ever. Epically atrocious idea.
She shouldn’t be here with him. Roman. Lila’s Roman. She should have run back to the Den at top speed. She should have stopped walking the second she realized he was following her. It should never have gotten to this point. The two of them. Alone. In the dark. With his strong, callused hand raised almost as if to cup her face, one lock of her hair caught around his finger. With his body so close to hers she could just lean a little and fall against all that delicious, rock hard strength. With his gaze locked on hers—Holy Hades, his eyes. No man should look at a woman like that unless she was beneath him and moaning. Which didn’t sound like a half bad place to be.
“Roman.” She was going to tell him no. Tell him to leave her alone. To walk away. Hell, she was going to walk away herself. She was. But then he lowered his head and her hands were suddenly, of their own volition, splayed on the glorious firmness of his chest, and she was kissing him.
Or she thought she was. It was so soft, so fleeting, so indescribably inadequate that it was hard to know for sure that she’d been properly kissed before he lifted his lips away from hers, and cool air washed away the fleeting sensation of warmth.
No. If this was it, if this was what she’d been waiting for and dreaming about for the last decade it was not going to end like that. A peck. A brush. A tease. Hell no.
A growl ripped out of Patch’s throat as she lurched up into his arms, nails raking into his hair, grasping his skull to hold him steady as she yanked his mouth to hers, their bodies colliding hard as she devoured his mouth.


 **

Gotta appreciate the carpe diem in that girl.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Snarktember!

I'll be visiting Snarky Mom Reads later this month to celebrate the release of Taming the Lion, but in the mean time don't miss the rest of the celebration!

Change your calendar… it’s SNARKTEMBER !!
Celebrate the fun… the quirky… and sometimes even the smexy… days of SNARKTEMBER! Be sure to visit SNARKY MOM READS each day of Snarktember to learn about the daily celebration, featuring guest posts from awesome authors! Each author will offer a giveaway and there will also be a HUGE giveaway with the grand prize of a Kindle, sponsored by amazing authors, publishers and bloggers – so don’t forget to enter the SNARKTEMBER Giveaway!

Monday, August 25, 2014

Writers Writing About Writers

Why is it so hard for writers to write about writers?  Namely film and television writers writing about fiction writers in wildly romantic terms.  I'm over at the Ruby blog today, discussing this phenomenon. 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Some Early Word on Lion Lovin'

It's less than six weeks until Taming the Lion releases (Sept 30!!!) and we're starting to get some reviews a'tricklin' on in. Lookee what just tripped into my inbox!  Why it's a 5 Cups Review from Coffee Time Romance Reviews and More!  Woot!

You can read the full review HERE, but allow me to share my favorite part. 

"The second book in the series tells the other side of the pride's princess story, and shows Ms. Andrew's range of writing wizardry. Roman and Patch are a dynamic couple who fight together as hard as they love together. Taking the pride and the series forward, Roman and Patch are the perfect match for all the shifters in Lone Pine."

Did you hear that?  I'm a wizard!!!  (I imagine this said to me in a Hagrid voice.)  I'm going to start telling people who ask me what I do for a living that I'm a wizard.  Best job ever.

THANK YOU to the lovely folks at Coffee Time.  I'm so glad you are enjoying my Lone Pine beasties. 


Monday, August 18, 2014

Jaguars and Lions and Reviews, Oh My!

I'm starting to get awfully excited about the upcoming Taming the Lion release, boys and girls.  It's gonna be here in just over six weeks!  I'm definitely getting into Lion Mode... and guess what just hit my inbox?  It's a sexy new review for Jaguar's Kiss.  And if you haven't read Jaguar's Kiss yet, now is the PERFECT time because it is tightly linked with Taming the Lion.  (The two stories feature besties finding their fellas.)

Here's what Night Owl Reviews had to say about Jaguar's Kiss...  (You can read the full review here.)

"This fast paced and smooth flowing plot keeps readers on the edge with suspense, drama and spicy romance."

"The reader can’t help but get caught up in this romance..."

"I will be looking forward to reading the next novella in the Lone Pine Pride series..."

 I'm delighted to hear it because Taming the Lion is coming soon--and it's a full length novel this time!

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Be Super For Less!

Happy Birthday to me... happy birthday to me... It's my birthday on Monday... you know what that means... DISCOUNTS. (I know, I'm weird, embrace it.)


Super Bad, Super Hot, and Super Trouble are now each only 99 cents! Because I love you.  Enjoy!

Friday, August 15, 2014

Sup, World?

So, in case you're wondering where I've been, the answer is in my writing hole.  So deep in my writing hole, in fact, that I'm probably starting to smell musty and dank because it's been so long since I've seen daylight...  But I'm getting stacks upon stacks of words written and I look forward to exciting things like CLEANING and LAUNDRY and SHOWERS as soon as I get just a little bit further. 

But now, I had to share this random anecdote with someone and YOU, lucky internet, get to see it.  Ready?

So I'm living in NYC right?  And it... doesn't fit me well.  I love the shows and the random bands playing in parks during lunch hour and the fact that I can walk everywhere (LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE)... but the rush-rush-my-life-is-so-important-and-I'm-in-a-hurry vibe of New Yorkers doesn't really suit me.  Everyone here is so Busy and Important. It's exhausting.

Case in point.  My birthday is Monday.  My roommate sends me a text.

Roomie:  When do you want to celebrate your birthday?
Me: No plans. Figured you guys were busy with travel so we wouldn't make a thing of it. (Both roommates are out of town all this weekend and next - remember, they are very Busy and Important.)
Roomie: NO! Yes, busy, but we HAVE to celebrate!
Me: I was considering doing trivia on Monday. You're welcome to join me.Roomie: I'd love to! Busy Monday, but I'll try to come after and if I don't make it totally pencil me in for Tuesday!

Um... okay, then...

I am so not Busy and Important enough to be a New Yorker.  I'm gonna go crawl back into my writing hole now.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

New Steps! New Steps! New Steps!

(Bonus points if you giggled over the Strictly Ballroom reference in the title.)

I'm back!  RWA was awesome and exhausting as ever.  I'm still recovering, but as I do I'm also over at the Ruby blog talking about the new Golden Heart & RITA rules for 2015.  Exciting stuff, boys and girls.  Come on over and see what the future brings...

Monday, July 21, 2014

Off to RWA!

I'm headed to San Antonio to join other romance writing chicas and chicos at the RWA National Conference! So if you don't hear from me for a week, don't be surprised.  And if you're going to be there yourself, look me up!  I'll be at the Literacy Signing on Wednesday, at the Samhain Signing on Saturday, and generally "around' so if you see me, say hi!

Hasta la vista, boys and girls!

Friday, July 4, 2014

Reviewer's Recommend Award!

You guys!  Guess what just popped into my inbox.  Jaguar's Kiss "has received a CTRR (Coffee Time Reviewer's Recommend Award) from Coffee Time Romance & More.  This award recognizes outstanding writing styles in all book types and genres. Your book has received this award because I feel it is above and beyond a 5 Cup Rating."

Woot!  How sweet is that?

It's interesting to me how this story seems to keep getting a love-it-or-hate-it reaction.  We don't need no stinkin' middle ground.  Polarity for the win.  ;)

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Writers on the Brink

It's easy to love writing, but is it as easy to love being a writer?  Today I'm over at the Ruby Blog talking about the definition of success and the strain of an artistic career. 

Monday, June 23, 2014

Book Addicts Unite!

There's a lot of truth here...

50 Signs You're Addicted to Reading

BFFs, Shifter Style

Howdy, darlings!  Today I'm visiting Lust with a Laugh (some deeply awesome ladies who write deeply awesome romances with humor and sexiness) and we're talking about besties. The invaluable BFFs and the books that feature them. (Which, of course, includes Jaguar's Kiss!) Come on by!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Fun with Tropes!

Today I'm over at the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Blog talking about Jaguar's Kiss & exploring old, familiar tropes in new genres. Come get your trope, baby.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Excerpt-a-Ganza: Shifter Madness - Moon Shine by Vivian Arend

Wolfies!!!  I adore Vivian Arend to a frightening degree and she has MORE KICKASS SHIFTERS coming your way.  So as I continue the Excerpt-A-Ganza of Shifter Awesomeness, of course she had to be included.  Observe:

When the past hurts, it bites.

Takhini Wolves, Book 4

Meet Evan Stone. Laid-back, in-control Alpha of the Takhini Wolves. Life’s not perfect, but he’s got a good handle on his world. At least, he did—until the night he ends up in jail, soaking wet and wondering what the hell just happened. 
The “what” is Amy Ryba, a vengeful female who’s decided it’s long past time to make Evan pay for his sins. Amy has spent years tracking him down, and the last nine months working in secret to destroy him. She’s ready for anything—except discovering the shifter she hates is her mate. 
Suddenly, Evan’s not so very in control, of himself or his pack. And unless Amy can learn to forgive and forget, she’ll have to do the unthinkable: reject her mate. 
With two packs watching, one thing is certain. Their personal issues won’t stay personal for long. If Amy and Evan can’t find a way to work together, there won’t be a happily-ever-after for them…or any of the wolves of Whitehorse.

Product Warnings: Contains angsty wolves. Lots of angsty wolves causing explosions of all sorts, playing bad pranks, hacking computers, and having angry sex against a wall or two. Not all at the same time, though, because that would be silly.
EXCERPT:
Copyright © 2014 Vivian Arend
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Amy leaned back in her chair, annoyance rising. Well, that hadn’t gone nearly as well as she’d hoped. Evan had clammed up, and she hadn’t had a chance to set up the next sting.
Losing the ability to drop leading hints would have hurt a lot more a few weeks ago, though. Now she just about had everything in place.
She rose to stare out the window, the nearby leaves trembling in the slight breeze. Her skin itched, as if she’d been too long in a hot tub and was badly in need of cream.
Her wolf nudged her. Hard.
It wasn’t a trip to the spa she needed, but a good long run. Everything she did for the pack drained more of her energy. She loved each of them, cared for them deeply, but they were a group of individuals who required a unique kind of attention. Plus, there was the computer shop that was a real business even though she also used it to hide her presence.
Add in the extra time she’d put into planning surprises for Evan?
Screw it. A run would refresh her so she would have more to give. Amy pulled off her clothes and folded them carefully, stacking the articles to one side of her desk. She pushed open the sliding door behind her that led to the second-storey balcony, and drew in a deep breath of fresh air.
The sound of an email alert stopped her in the middle of taking advantage of her usual route to freedom. She stared longingly at the slim ramp built along the outside of the building at a narrow incline, stopping just far enough off the ground her wolf could make the leap but wild animals didn’t access her domain uninvited.
Amy took a quick glance at the email in the hopes she could blow it off, but this one needed attention ASAP. She left the door open, though, even as she sat, bare-ass naked in her computer chair and put out the pack fire.
But as soon as this was dealt with? She would take her cranky butt into the bush and work off her lingering aggression. The power of her wolf side hovered in the background as always. The beast made her strong and drove her nuts. One of the downfalls of being an Alpha female—she rarely had someone to work out her itch without them caving to her superior wolfie vibes.
The date with Colin on Monday was very much needed. He seemed strong enough to give her physical relief without her wolf becoming pissed off or bored by a weaker partner.
Solitude and frustration had become her constant companions, and she didn’t expect that to change. She’d been alone for years, and she always would be alone. Expectations of anything more had long ago been burnt away. Her heart was devoid of all but two things—love for pack.
And vengeance.
She bent her head and put her fingers to work composing a reply, the fire burning up her spine balanced evenly with the ice in her soul.


Evan stared at the computer-shop signage, every nerve in his body on high alert. This neighbourhood wasn’t his usual stomping ground, and a computer store? The last place on earth he’d ever go for shits and giggles.
But the closer he got to Bytes Unlimited, the more agitated his wolf became. He paused across the street in the shadows to scope the place out. Make sure there wasn’t a hidden assault team from the mysterious Canyon pack waiting in ambush.
Amy might have thought she was safe, but that didn’t mean her Alpha wasn’t checking up on her. Evan needed to get the woman out of danger, his sensation of uneasiness rising by the second.
Damn the risk to himself, this was happening now.
Evan strode across the road, jaywalking between moving vehicles. He was at the door in no time, jerking the glass open. Somewhere deep in the shop, a gentle buzzer sounded.
From the back of the store, two males turned to face him, welcoming smiles melting into rigid grimaces. Before Evan could say a word, the men vanished.
Gone. Completely.
It was like the coolest magic trick imaginable, only Evan was more pissed than impressed. He stepped into the shop and closed the door behind him, glancing past shelves that were loaded with computer thingies and plastic packaging.
“Hello?” he called into the silence.
And that’s when it hit him.
Peaches. Sunshine. The aroma of a wind that had crossed miles of seemingly empty tundra—wilderness at its rawest yet full of hidden life. All mixed up into one unique package.
It was a full-on dose of the scent he’d caught a hint of nearly two weeks ago. His stomach tightened, his heart rate kicked into overdrive. Instinctively his legs carried him forward as he tracked the scent that grew stronger and stronger.
His mate.
His mate had been in the computer shop. More than once. Often enough that as he moved toward the cash register and the counter, his head was so full of her he had to work hard to remain alert.
What was the deal with the missing staff? Evan kept his gaze moving as he silently padded forward. To one side, he spotted a couple of doors that explained where the men had gone, but not the why.
Until he hit their scent. Wolves.
Two unfamiliar wolves who vanished when they spotted him? Had to be Canyon pack. He’d deal with them later, though. Spend a little time explaining he wasn’t the enemy.
The enticing trail led him to the back of the shop and a narrow set of stairs. He moved like a wolf, noiseless and invisible. Sensing which treads to avoid stepping on to maintain absolute silence.
Easing his way upward was brutal when everything in him demanded that he run. Rush forward and swoop in on the woman who had to be at the top of the stairs.
His wolf clawed at him, eager for the hunt. Evan wrestled that part of himself under control for long enough to reach the top landing and step through the doorframe.
The room was filled with her, the open door pushing her intoxicating scent toward him like a sledgehammer to the brain.
He got a quick glimpse while she was unaware of his presence. Impressions struck like lightning bolts. Short dark hair worn in a simple style that suited her. Smooth creamy-brown skin, similar in shade to his own.
Lots of naked skin as she sat behind a desk and stared at her computer, and he wasn’t even going to ask why the hell she was working in the nude because she was his mate, and if she chose to wear nothing but skin for the rest of her life, he was oh-so-fine with that.
Then she looked up, and their eyes met. Pupils widened against her dark brown irises. Her nostrils flared, and if possible, her eyes widened farther.
“Amy?” Evan moved cautiously.
His naked goddess didn’t answer. Just blinked, hard, as if in total shock to see him in her office, which made sense.
He lifted a hand to reassure her—
She bolted. Twirled and shot through the open door, naked skin transforming in a flash to midnight-black fur.
He cursed even as he leapt after her, scrambling onto the balcony. The lithe body of a wolf ran full-out down a narrow ledge on the side of the building. Evan stripped his clothes off as quickly as he could, but she’d already hit the ground before he was able to make the shift.
Chasing her wasn’t a good idea. She’d obviously been shocked enough to flee, and having an Alpha on her tail wasn’t a very nice thing to do to any wolf, especially to one who was afraid.
But hell if he could let his mate get away again.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

So Fresh and Fabulous!

You guys! Guess who's the Fresh Pick over at Fresh Fiction today? JAGUAR'S KISS, that's who! (Okay, not technically a who, but still.  Wheeeeeeee!)  Check it out!

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

A Kiss To Build a Dream On

Today I'm over at Delilah Devlin's blog, talking about those all important first kisses kisses, Jaguar Kisses, and my glamorous life as a single romance writer...

And in unrelated news... Jaguar's Kiss is #4 on the Samhain Best-seller list and top among paranormals!  It's the little things that make a girl's day on release week.  Thank you reader-friends for embracing my new shifters!

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Jaguar's Kiss Release Day!

It's here!  Jaguar's Kiss release day has arrived!  That's right, boys and girls, it's time to get furry.  Rrrrrawr!

All day today I'm over at the Ruby Blog chatting about the genesis of this new shape-shifter series (and some of my favorite romance tropes).   Also, this afternoon (eastern, morning west) I'll be visiting the Samhain Cafe to share excerpts and gush about all things furry.  Come by and play!



To get what he wants, he’ll have to rattle her cage…
Lila Fallon, the Lone Pine Pride Alpha’s only daughter, has been betrothed since childhood to marry her father’s chosen successor. The match is designed to maintain peace by shoring up any cracks in pride solidarity.
She’s always known she would do her duty—she just never expected to meet a man who would tempt her to throw it all away.
As a black panther, Santiago Flores couldn’t be a less suitable mate for the Alpha’s purebred lioness daughter. But that doesn’t change the fact that for every one of the five years he’s been with the Lone Pine Pride, he’s been head-over-heels in love with her. And when the Alpha announces that Lila’s indefinite engagement is about to end in a very definite marriage, Santiago is through holding his peace.
From their very first kiss, Santiago rattles Lila’s neatly ordered world. But can a lioness who’s always lived to please everyone else risk everything to please herself?
Warning: This book contains tempting lone-wolf jaguars, lionesses who long for fairy tale endings, arranged marriages, tangled emotions and a pride full of trouble.

You can check out an excerpt or buy it now from Amazon :: B&N :: Samhain 

Now it is time for my very (un)dignified celebratory dance around the living room.  

Monday, June 9, 2014

Anticiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-pation

It's almost here!  Can you believe it?  Tomorrow is Jaguar's Kiss release day!  Squeee!  My lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) will be released into the world in a few short hours.  If you've pre-ordered your copy, the Kindle & Nook elves are getting ready to sneak into your ereading device and leave you a book at two in the morning.  (Creeepy, creepy e-reader elves who leave us such wonderful gifts.) 

Now if you'll excuse me, I must needs dance around my living room belting out my theme song for the day...

The book will come out, tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be shape-shifter.  The book'll come out tomorrow, so you gotta hang on til tomorrow... then you can binge-read.  Toooooooomorrrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, you're Jaguar's Kiss release day!!!!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Excerpt-a-Ganza: Shifter Madness - Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

This is my favorite book in my favorite shape-shifter series.  (Arguably my favorite series of all time.)  There's just nothing like Nalini Singh.  I bow down.  Observe:


Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.
Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.
Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…
A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

Excerpt from Kiss of Snow:

Chapter 1 Hawke folded his arms and leaned back against the solid bulk of his desk, eyes on the two young females in front of him. Hands clasped behind themselves and legs slightly spread in the “resting” stance, Sienna and Maria looked like the SnowDancer soldiers they were—except for the fact that their hair straggled in a wild mess around their faces, matted with mud, crushed leaves and other forest debris. Then there was the torn clothing and the sharp, acrid scent of blood.
His wolf bared its teeth.
“Let me get this straight,” he said in a calm tone that had Maria turning pale under skin that was a warm, smooth brown where it wasn’t bruised and bloody. “Instead of staying on watch and protecting the pack’s defensive border, you two decided to have your own personal dominance battle.”

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Jaguar's Kiss Countdown - Teaser Tuesday - One Week More!


Only One Week Until Jaguar's Kiss! One more week! And one more Teaser Tuesday to tempt you! Enjoy!

**



Everyone wants me to be their version of what I should be. Even you.”
“Then what do you want? Who do you want to be?”
“I don’t know! Don’t you see? If I wanted something more than this life, maybe I would go after it, maybe I would be brave, by your definition of the word, but I don’t. I never have. So what’s so terrible about what I’m doing? What am I giving up, Santiago Flores? What is supposed to stop me from doing what I’ve always known I would when the time came? What is it you think I’m supposed to want?”
Me.”
He gripped the nape of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her toward him, his other hand cupping her jaw, tipping her face up to meet him as his lips closed over hers, firm and fierce and demanding and—oh my God, so exquisitely perfect.
She’d been kissed before. Of course she’d been kissed before. In twenty-three years as the pride’s resident flirt, she’d kissed dozens of guys in a sort of playful almost-platonic way that was all the other shifters would dare. She’d even gone a bit further with a few humans who didn’t know Roman to be afraid of him—until her instincts had reared up and put a stop to it.
She knew perfectly well what lips were for, thank you very much. But all those kisses. All those affectionate busses and eager lip locks. They had never been this.

**

Who's ready for some shifters?!  

Pre-order from Amazon :: B&N :: Samhain

Monday, June 2, 2014

Early Jaguar Buzz

Only eight days until Jaguar's Kiss releases and of course the impatience is killing me, so when I saw notices of early reviews popping up in my inbox I simply had to share the early buzz with you, my darlings. 

Two different Fresh Fiction reviewers took a peek at Jaguar's Kiss.  Shellie Surles called it "an outstanding start to this series" (Full Review) and Annetta Sweetko says "JAGUAR'S KISS gives readers an intriguing and steamy look into the world of a pride" (Full Review).

RT Bookreviews said of it, "The forbidden romance between a heroine who is essentially a princess and a 'nobody' is one readers will root for." (Full Review)

And Hollie at Coffee Time awarded it 5 Cups, describing it as "an amazing new series, with lots of exciting possibilities leaving you bouncing in your seat" (Full Review).

I can't wait until you guys can decide for yourselves next week!  Why can't the days go faster?  If I had a TARDIS (time machine, for you non-Dr. Who addicts) I would probably just use it to jump forward and read the next book in all my favorite series.  Not sure if that would be abuse of time machine or the Best Possible Use Ever of time travel.  (I think the latter.)