My latest paranormal romance, Tied to a Demon, is now available at Purple Sword Publications. Here's the official excerpt to put you in the buying mood:
“Are you all right, little witch?”
She wasn’t. A demon stood so close to her she could feel the unnatural heat baking off his skin, coming off him in waves. Her muscles had tensed up so much she didn’t think she could move, even to defend herself. Of course, any spells she’d memorized had flown right out of her head anyway. They wouldn’t do her any good.
He picked her up before she could fall again and retrieved the jar from her limp grasp. He set it back on the shelf.
“Clumsy little witch.” She gasped as he slung her over his back, steadying her with a hand on her rump. He took the stairs two at a time, and she bumped along with his unsteady gait, her view obstructed by his back.
They passed through the kitchen and into her bedroom. Dried potpourri filled the air with the scent of lilacs, an aroma she favored. He unslung her and after a short ride through the air, she landed on a soft surface. Her bed. She grabbed handfuls of the yellow comforter, sure it would soon be splattered red.
His face appeared in her view at the side of the bed, his forehead wrinkled. “You okay?”
She scrambled backwards, rumpling the sheets and comforter into a ball around her feet. Her head banged against the wall. “Ow!”
Rubbing the back of her head and trying to hold back a sob, she stared at the demon. His image doubled in her vision as tears threatened.
“Why don’t you just kill me and get it over with?” she choked out.
He cocked an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’m going to kill you?”
She thought that should be obvious, but maybe he needed clarification. “You’re a demon.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I’m not that kind of demon. Tell me something, little witch. Why did you summon me?”
The question caught her off-guard. She sniffled. “What?”
“It’s a simple question. Demons are usually summoned because the summoner wants something. What. Do. You. Want?” He enunciated each word, as if speaking to a half-wit.
“I didn’t mean to summon you.”
“Oh. I see.” He sat on the bed with his legs folded underneath him. Then he smirked. “Then you shouldn’t have drawn my symbol within the circle.”
“I didn’t—” she began, but he cut her off.
“I’ve been summoned by many witches. But never accidentally.” He gave her a sly, sidelong glance, his eyes smoldering.
The temperature in the room rose about ten degrees. He got off the bed so he could execute a sharp bow. “If I’m an accident, allow me to introduce myself. I am Alecandros. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
After giving her sore head one more rub, she folded her arms.
“Do you even know what you’ve summoned, little witch?”
“It doesn’t matter. As soon as I figure out how to send you back to wherever you came from, I will.” The brave words lost some of their edge when her voice wavered.
“And why would you want to do that?” he asked in a dangerous tone.
She sounded uncertain even to herself. “You’re a demon. You belong in another dimension.”
“I do?” He spread his arms. “Do I look like a demon to you?”She stared at him. He looked a few years older than she did, and his blue eyes had adopted a more innocent look. No, he didn’t look much like a demon now. Until his eyes flashed to black and back again.
“Let me show you what witches usually use me for,” he whispered, sliding closer. His hand on her ankle made her jump.
“Stop it.” Her voice sounded strangled, even to her.
His hand slid higher, bringing her skirt with it as he leaned over her. “Why? I promise you’ll enjoy it.”
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
April Newsletter
New contract announcement!
I'm very excited that Tied to a Demon is 100% completed and now contracted with Purple Sword Publications. The release date is scheduled for April 14, 2010. Here's the official blurb:
Shanna dreams of becoming a level-five witch. Only one thing stands in her way—her ability. Attempting to conjure a low-grade imp brings forth a terrifying demon straight out of the nine hells. Worse yet, he claims to be tied to her through a contract formed with her late father. Who is the demon Alecandros really? He seems to know far too much about her...
I will be hitting the 'promotion circuit' this month to promote the new book. Hopefully I'll be able to get some chats scheduled for either April or May.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
March Newsletter
February came and went in a flash. I got a promotion at work so that's where I've been concentrating most of my energy.
Tied to a Demon is nearing the final stage. I've revised through Ch 10 and since I decided to rewrite the last few chapters completely, I think I'm going to end with 12 chapters rather than 13. I don't really see a need for the final chapter anymore, and with the plot changes I've implemented, 12 should be enough, unless the climax takes longer than I expect. In either case, I'm going to try to push myself to be done by the middle of the month so that it can be submitted to my publisher by the end of March.
I realized something this morning. I've always known I've had a thing for bad boys--in movies, in books, sometimes I find myself rooting for the villain. Well, it seems I implement that penchant in a great deal of my writing. I tend to write about bad guys trying to do good, or heroes struggling for redemption. I've realized it's sort of a theme of mine. What's the point of a story if the hero doesn't struggle a little? Of course, my demons are obvious representations of this, in both Demon's Torment and Tied to a Demon. But this theme is constantly repeated in most of what I write, so if you like your heroes with a little 'bad boy' in them, you've come to the right place.
"What are you so afraid of?" he whispered. "The worst thing in your life right now is already inside your house."
--excerpt from Tied to a Demon, spoken by the demon Alecandros.
Tied to a Demon is nearing the final stage. I've revised through Ch 10 and since I decided to rewrite the last few chapters completely, I think I'm going to end with 12 chapters rather than 13. I don't really see a need for the final chapter anymore, and with the plot changes I've implemented, 12 should be enough, unless the climax takes longer than I expect. In either case, I'm going to try to push myself to be done by the middle of the month so that it can be submitted to my publisher by the end of March.
I realized something this morning. I've always known I've had a thing for bad boys--in movies, in books, sometimes I find myself rooting for the villain. Well, it seems I implement that penchant in a great deal of my writing. I tend to write about bad guys trying to do good, or heroes struggling for redemption. I've realized it's sort of a theme of mine. What's the point of a story if the hero doesn't struggle a little? Of course, my demons are obvious representations of this, in both Demon's Torment and Tied to a Demon. But this theme is constantly repeated in most of what I write, so if you like your heroes with a little 'bad boy' in them, you've come to the right place.
"What are you so afraid of?" he whispered. "The worst thing in your life right now is already inside your house."
--excerpt from Tied to a Demon, spoken by the demon Alecandros.
Monday, February 1, 2010
February Newsletter
After a month of (mostly) relaxation, I am now ready to jump back into the fray. I'm working on mustering up the energy to plunge back into writing. I'm up to Ch 5 for revisions for Tied to a Demon (out of 11). Not bad. Almost half done.
To help with relaxation, I spent the last week of January chilling out in Las Vegas. My first time there. It was amazing and a lot of fun. Even managed to catch a show--Bite. It centered around my favorite creatures--vampires.
After that I'm ready to delve back into revisions and hopefully have them finished by the end of February. It's a short month so I'd better get cracking!
I love February--the month of romance. My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's day, but I love the cute pink, red, and white merchandise stores come out with, probably because I can be such a girly-girl at times.
Everyone should check out my friend's webcomic: Impure Blood. Apparently they're going to be attending the Spring Con in MN this year. I'd like to attend, but I don't know if I'll be in MN that weekend (May 15-16). Anyone who is should stop by to support them.
Happy Valentine's Day everybody and have a good February! Mine will be spent at my computer and I wouldn't have it any other way.
To help with relaxation, I spent the last week of January chilling out in Las Vegas. My first time there. It was amazing and a lot of fun. Even managed to catch a show--Bite. It centered around my favorite creatures--vampires.
After that I'm ready to delve back into revisions and hopefully have them finished by the end of February. It's a short month so I'd better get cracking!
I love February--the month of romance. My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's day, but I love the cute pink, red, and white merchandise stores come out with, probably because I can be such a girly-girl at times.
Everyone should check out my friend's webcomic: Impure Blood. Apparently they're going to be attending the Spring Con in MN this year. I'd like to attend, but I don't know if I'll be in MN that weekend (May 15-16). Anyone who is should stop by to support them.
Happy Valentine's Day everybody and have a good February! Mine will be spent at my computer and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Friday, January 1, 2010
January's Newsletter
Happy New Year!
2010 is upon us. Can you believe it? I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions. They don't seem to work for a lot of people. If I had a resolution it would be the same it always is. Write more. I think I succeeded last year. This year it's more about getting some more books on the market.
For Christmas I finally got an e-reader. My husband bought me the Sony e-reader Touch and I love it. I have a few series that I've started collected that I'd like to keep buying in paperback, but lugging around boxes of books is starting to get old. Having an e-reader is really convenient. My husband doesn't really understand my reading and writing habits, but at least he puts up with them. Sometimes.
I'm still working on revising Tied to a Demon. I'm now shooting for finishing by the end of January. End of February at the absolute latest. It's difficult because I have other demands on my time, as well as other interests. By setting goals I hope to get more accomplished.
At the end of January I'll be in Vegas for a week! I've never been there so I'm super excited. So yeah, it's probably more realistic to expect Tied to a Demon to be finished by the end of February, but I'll keep plugging away whenever I have some free time.
2010 is upon us. Can you believe it? I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions. They don't seem to work for a lot of people. If I had a resolution it would be the same it always is. Write more. I think I succeeded last year. This year it's more about getting some more books on the market.
For Christmas I finally got an e-reader. My husband bought me the Sony e-reader Touch and I love it. I have a few series that I've started collected that I'd like to keep buying in paperback, but lugging around boxes of books is starting to get old. Having an e-reader is really convenient. My husband doesn't really understand my reading and writing habits, but at least he puts up with them. Sometimes.
I'm still working on revising Tied to a Demon. I'm now shooting for finishing by the end of January. End of February at the absolute latest. It's difficult because I have other demands on my time, as well as other interests. By setting goals I hope to get more accomplished.
At the end of January I'll be in Vegas for a week! I've never been there so I'm super excited. So yeah, it's probably more realistic to expect Tied to a Demon to be finished by the end of February, but I'll keep plugging away whenever I have some free time.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December Newsletter
I've decided to switch this to a more monthly thing since I just don't have the time to post once a week. We'll see how well I do with this structure.
Well now that December is here, NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) is over. I squeaked by with just a little over 50,000 total words, split between two novellas--I say squeaked because according to my word counter I ended with 50,001 words. Whew! And I couldn't really write more because I completed both stories and didn't want to add anything else just to pad my numbers. I was working on my word goal right up until about 6:30 Central Time on Nov. 30th though, so it wasn't like I ended up with a whole lot of extra time.
Here's what I've got planned for the month writing wise and also what I used NaNo to work on:
Tied to a Demon
I started this novella before November rolled around so the first chapter was written beforehand. It ended at a little over 25,000 words and is a paranormal romance with a fantasy setting. Shanna is a witch who has trouble completing even the simplest spell correctly. So it really shouldn't come as a surprise when she tries to conjure an imp and gets the demon Alecandros instead.
This novella is done, but I'll be spending December polishing it up and getting it ready for submission to my publisher. I find that it's a lot more helpful if I set goals and then do all I can to stick to them.
Personal Protection
This is also a fantasy novel, but it doesn't have any paranormal elements to it. It's still a romance, actually my first stab at m/m romance. After receiving a crippling injury in battle, Aric finds himself transferred to a more laid-back position, guarding the crown prince, Matthew. Aric thinks Matthew is a royal pain, until he gets to know him.
If all goes well I should be working on revisions for this one in January, and judging by how the first book ends, it will probably have a second one to follow. There's a bit of a cliffhanger there.
I'm really focusing on my writing right now to get some projects finished up, so with any luck I'll have more books out there in the near future.
Thanks for reading and happy holidays!
Well now that December is here, NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) is over. I squeaked by with just a little over 50,000 total words, split between two novellas--I say squeaked because according to my word counter I ended with 50,001 words. Whew! And I couldn't really write more because I completed both stories and didn't want to add anything else just to pad my numbers. I was working on my word goal right up until about 6:30 Central Time on Nov. 30th though, so it wasn't like I ended up with a whole lot of extra time.
Here's what I've got planned for the month writing wise and also what I used NaNo to work on:
Tied to a Demon
I started this novella before November rolled around so the first chapter was written beforehand. It ended at a little over 25,000 words and is a paranormal romance with a fantasy setting. Shanna is a witch who has trouble completing even the simplest spell correctly. So it really shouldn't come as a surprise when she tries to conjure an imp and gets the demon Alecandros instead.
This novella is done, but I'll be spending December polishing it up and getting it ready for submission to my publisher. I find that it's a lot more helpful if I set goals and then do all I can to stick to them.
Personal Protection
This is also a fantasy novel, but it doesn't have any paranormal elements to it. It's still a romance, actually my first stab at m/m romance. After receiving a crippling injury in battle, Aric finds himself transferred to a more laid-back position, guarding the crown prince, Matthew. Aric thinks Matthew is a royal pain, until he gets to know him.
If all goes well I should be working on revisions for this one in January, and judging by how the first book ends, it will probably have a second one to follow. There's a bit of a cliffhanger there.
I'm really focusing on my writing right now to get some projects finished up, so with any luck I'll have more books out there in the near future.
Thanks for reading and happy holidays!
Monday, November 2, 2009
NaNo kicked-off!
November is National Novel Writing Month, in which writers all over the world strive to write 50,000 words in the month of November. This will be my fourth year participating. I'm planning to finish off a paranormal short story and hopefully either work on finishing another one, or starting something else.
The story I'm working on right now is titled Tied to a Demon. A little info: Shanna is a struggling witch who can't seem to get the simplest spell right. When attempting to summon a basic garden-variety imp, she ends up with the demon Alecandros instead.
I've added the word count goal for this one to the left and I plan to have it be my next published book.
The story I'm working on right now is titled Tied to a Demon. A little info: Shanna is a struggling witch who can't seem to get the simplest spell right. When attempting to summon a basic garden-variety imp, she ends up with the demon Alecandros instead.
I've added the word count goal for this one to the left and I plan to have it be my next published book.
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