Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Ok, right up front I'm here to tell you I HATE the Flying Monkeys!!!! Thus, the Wizard of Oz is not my favorite movie but the analogy of following a magical road to a magical place kind of fit with my topic.

While I don't care much for Dorothy and her crew, I do love magic. That is to say, I love magical romances and romances filled with more than the magic the hero and heroine have together. Although a rabbit out of the hat, so to speak can be pretty hawt!

I love the added spice of magical abilities. I want either the H/H to have the ability to turn the other into a goat J

Well, only if he deserves it.

You might be wondering why I am rambling on about magic and romances and goats. It's because I'm traveling a different writing road…a yellow brick road…to a new subgenre.

Don't be alarmed. My Roman boys are right there with me…I mean somebody has to protect me against those blasted monkeys (Psstt…Demetrius. Just to be on the safe side, take down anything wearing a bellhop outfit) but I'm exploring a whole different realm. A realm that I'm making up. A magical world that I'm building.

My new series is based in Irish mythology. I hope to bring a whole new spin to the folklore of old and cause some trial , tribulation and hot, steamy sex for my heroes and heroines. The first installment is a little over half-finished and was inspired on my third trip to Ireland. With one quick glance of a hunky, black haired, blue eyed Irish stone mason, my saga was born.

But to do this I have to build a world. I stand in awe of my favorite paranormal authors who have woven such wonderful, fascinating fantasy worlds: Sherri Kenyon, Lori Handiland, Jessica Andersen, JR Ward (I used to hate the addition of the "h" in all her names…but I'm so taken with her Black Daggerhood series I'm considering Johanie as my new moniker). They do a masterful job of blending myth with story and creating a back drop of magic for their H/H. I'm TRYING to be a good girl and make out a story "bible" but…I don't do structure well. I'm just letting my characters lead me along and when you're dealing with mischievous beings that can be challenge. Who knew that gnomes were poisonous? That the Lucky Charms guy is a mere caricature of the REAL warrior?

One aspect I'm concentrating on is their magical abilities. Oh, sure everybody can pull an "I Dream of Jeannie" and pop in and out, but I'd like to give them new twists. I also have to guard against making them able to do too much and they have to have their weaknesses. Easy, right?

Not so much.

Add to that the new challenge of writing within the contempary world, using dialect and I've got my work cut out for me and for my hero Ruarc, the High King Patric and assorted other hot blooded magical folk.

So I've been wondering, what magical power would you like to have? Any favorite magical beings i.e. vampires, werewolves, (shudder) gnomes?

A Storm Kissed Wedding

posted by Nancy
Jessica Andersen joins us today the release of Storm Kissed, the sixth book in her wonderful, hot Nightkeepers paranormal romance series. For those of you who're new to the Lair, Jessica's debut Harlequin Intrigue was an RT Top Pick. Her Intrigues have made category bestseller lists and have been nominated for the RITA Award. Welcome back, Jessica!

Ahoy, Banditas! I'm thrilled to be visiting here today to talk about STORM KISSED, which hits shelves today—I couldn't think of any other group I'd rather hang with for the launch of Dez and Reese's story. In fact, this is one of only two blogs I'm doing for this book—I've kept the appearances trimmed way back because I'm otherwise deep in revisions and other chaos ... and it's that other chaos I'd like to talk about today.

But first, the blurb:


Dark forces stand poised to crush mankind beneath a vicious rule of terror and blood sacrifice. Our only hope rests with a group living in secret among us: modern magic wielders called the Nightkeepers.

Dez is no angel. The former gang leader spent years in jail and alienated the love of his life, Reese Montana. Now he has a second chance to join forces with the Nightkeepers and master the Triad magic. Even better, Reese is back—taken on as the Nightkeepers’ sexy bounty hunter. But this time the stakes are even higher for Dez and Reese.

The sexual electricity between them is still alive, but when Dez goes rogue on a hunt for a powerful artifact, Reese can’t help wondering if he’s been playing her again all this time … What will become of the Nightkeepers with a potential traitor on the run?

Dez and Reese's book has some of my favorite storylines in it—the bad boy magic-wielding hero who comes back from the dead a changed man; the bounty-hunting heroine he once betrayed, who now kicks butt on her own terms; and stakes that are getting higher by the day as we get closer and closer to the 2012 end date predicted by the Mayan calendar.

Not only that, but STORM KISSED contains the first wedding in the Nightkeepers’ series. So I'd like to hear some of your thoughts on fictional weddings.

Personally, I like weddings that are true to the characters and maybe even continue to advance their story. Oddly, one of my favorite fictional weddings happened off-screen (unless I missed a story, which I don't think I did): Eve and Roarke. For me the important part for these characters was the lead-up to the wedding, and the two of them working through their fears and getting the pieces in place. The ceremony was icing, and while I can imagine its fabulousness (it would have to be fabulous, of course ... this is Roarke we're talking about), I didn't feel like I needed to be there.

Another fictional wedding that stands out for me, albeit a TV/movie one was Carrie and Big from Sex and the City. Now, disclaimer time, I've only seen probably twenty episodes plus the first movie, so I'm far from an expert. But I appreciated how we saw the way a wedding can take on a life of its own, until it turns into something very different from how the bride and/or groom envisioned ... and I liked how in the end it was down to the two of them, their peeps, and a courtroom ceremony.

I'm not going to talk about what happens in STORM KISSED—hello, spoilers—but I hope you'll check out Dez and Reese's story, which includes a wedding that I think is exactly right for the characters involved.

Now, though, I'd like to hear what you guys think about fictional weddings. Love them? Hate them? Have a favorite you'd like to give a shout-out to, or something you wish authors would avoid? Let's hear it!

One random poster will be selected to receive a signed copy of STORM KISSED. So let's talk!

For more about Jessica and her books, check out her website.

Demon Hunting in the Lair!

by Anna Campbell

We love debut authors here in the lair and I'm delighted to introduce a very talented new author who I met for an uproarious lunch a couple of RWAs ago (she's a friend of Louisa's - should be recommendation enough, huh?). Lexi's huge fun in person so I wasn't remotely surprised when I heard she'd translated that funny, snarky humor into a three-book deal with Kensington Brava.

You can find out more about Lexi at her website: www.lexigeorge.com

Here's the blurb for DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE which is out this month:

A warrior, a demon, and the girl next door…

Looking For Trouble...

Addy Corwin is a florist with an attitude. A bad attitude, or so her mama says, ‘cause she’s not looking for a man. Mama’s wrong. Addy has looked. There’s just not much to choose from in Hannah, her small Alabama hometown. Until Brand Dalvahni shows up, a supernaturally sexy, breathtakingly well-built hunk of a warrior from—well, not from around here, that’s for sure. Mama thinks he might be European or maybe even a Yankee. Brand says he’s from another dimension.

Addy couldn’t care less where he’s from. He’s gorgeous. Serious muscles. Disturbing green eyes. Brand really gets her going. Too bad he’s a whack job. Says he’s come to rescue her from a demon. Puh-lease. But right after Brand shows up, strange things start to happen. Dogs talk and reanimated corpses stalk the quite streets of Hannah. Her mortal enemy Meredith, otherwise known as the Death Starr, breaks out in a severe and inexplicable case of butt boils. Addy might not know what’s going on, but she definitely wants a certain sexy demon hunter by her side when it all goes down…

So without more ado, here's Lexi!

Lexi, welcome to the Bandits and huge congratulations on the release of your debut paranormal romance DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE. Can you tell us about this story?

Small town florist Addy Corwin is out running with her dog one night when she is attacked and left for dead. She is saved by Brand Dalvahni, six-foot-four inches of hard-muscled yummy. Opposites attract and, from the start, Addy is irresistibly drawn to Brand. Says he’s an immortal demon hunter and that he’s come to rescue Addy from the rogue demon that marked her.

Demons and demon hunters in boring little Hannah, Alabama? Pul-leeze!

But right after Brand shows up, strange things start to happen. Dogs talk and reanimated corpses stalk the quiet streets of Hannah. Woo woo is one thing, but what really has Addy rattled is her reaction to Brand. She goes into hormonal meltdown every time the handsome warrior comes near. And that’s not her only problem. Addy's encounter with the demon has changed her, giving her powers of her own, not to mention a startling new hair-do.

Her cosmetological troubles are nothing compared to the extreme make-over Brand gets when he meets Addy, the one female in ten thousand years who can make him forget that he’s a warrior and remember he’s a man. While Brand struggles to protect Addy from the evil creature on her trail, a demon of a different sort stalks the unsuspecting warrior: Addy’s matchmaking mama.

Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter of DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE. The scene opens in Addy’s living room where she awakes, dizzy and confused, on her couch after being attacked by a demon. Surely she imagined the whole thing? To her surprise and astonishment, the supernaturally gorgeous guy from the woods is real. And he’s in her house! She tells him to leave and he refuses. Says he’s there to protect her from the djegrali—his word for 'demon'. Addy thinks he’s a total babe. Too bad he’s a whack job.

Addy stepped away from the couch and her knees buckled.

One moment Brand was across the room, his shoulder against the wall, the picture of aloof boredom, and the next she was in his arms. She closed her eyes and swallowed a sigh as she was lifted against his hard chest. The man sure had muscles, she’d give him that.

“You will recline, at once.” His tone was stern.

Okay, muscles and a few control issues.

She opened her eyes as he lowered her to the couch, and saw a grimace of pain flash across his features. It was the first expression of any kind she’d seen on his face, unless you counted the lip twitch thing. The man could give a marble statue lessons in being stoic.

She caught his arm as he started to rise. “That thing hurt you!”

He stilled, his gaze on her fingers wrapped around his wrist. “You are mistaken. The djegrali did not injure me. It is your touch that disturbs me.”

Addy stiffened and drew back.“Well, excuse the hell out of me.”

He caught her by the hand. “You misunderstand. You do not repulse me.”

He knelt down beside her. He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her face with gentle fingers. Addy stifled a gasp. Who was this guy? The merest touch from him and her breasts tingled and she felt all hot and wobbly inside. What was the matter with her?

“Look at me,” he commanded.

Sweet Sister Ruth, he had a voice was like whiskey and smoke. She shivered and raised her eyes to his. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, a rapt expression on his face. His thumb drifted lower to brush her bottom lip. “You must be patient with me, Adara Jean Corwin. The Dalvahni do not experience emotion. It would be superfluous. We exist for one purpose and one purpose alone: to hunt the djegrali. For ten thousand years, that has been my objective, until now.”

“Ten thousand years, huh?” With an effort, she squelched the sudden urge to scrape the pad of his thumb with her teeth. No doubt about it, she was in hormonal meltdown. “Sounds boring. You need to get a new hobby, expand your horizons.”

“Earth is but one of the realms where the Dalvahni hunt the djegrali.”

Oh, brother, too bad. He was paying a visit to schizoid-land again.

Then the impact of his words percolated through the fog of lust that set her brain and her body on fire.

“Hey, wait a minute, I didn’t tell you my name!”

“The animal you call Dooley informed me of many things, including how to find this dwelling.”

“You don’t say? Funny, she’s never said a thing to me in four years.”

He put his hand on her shoulder as she tried to sit up.“You will not rise,” he said with annoying calm.

“Oh, yeah? That’s what you think, bub.”

She pushed at his arm, an exercise in futility. The man was built like the proverbial brick outhouse.

His hand slid over her abdomen and down her running shorts to her legs.His hand felt hot against her bare skin.

“Dooley, come here,” he said.

The dog rose and trotted over to the couch.

Brand traced an intricate pattern with his fingers along the skin of her inner thigh. Addy began to shake. What was happening to her? This was so unlike her. All her life she’d struggled to rein in her reckless nature, the wild streak that made her mama wring her hands in despair. Self-control was her hard-earned mantra. Think first and feel later. But this guy . . . this guy really got her going, made her want to throw caution to the wind. She wanted to arch her hips against his hand, a stranger’s hand.

“Speak, Dooley,” Brand said with his gaze on Addy’s face.

“DOOLEY LOVE ADDY. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,” the Lab said in the growly voice of a three-pack-a-day smoker. Flinging up a back paw, she scratched her ear. “CAN DOOLEY HAVE CHICKEN LEG IN COLD BOX? CAN DOOLEY?” Her head snapped around. "OH, LOOK, A BUG!"

There was a long moment of silence as Addy gaped at her dog in shock. Slowly, she raised her eyes to Brand’s.

“Who are you?”

A slight crease appeared between Brand’s brows. The expression in his eyes grew puzzled.
“Until tonight, I thought I knew.”

Lowering his dark head, he kissed her.

Whiskey and smoke, huh? Works for me! You’ve got a novella, “The Bride Wore Demon Dust”, in what looks like a really fun anthology called SO I MARRIED A DEMON SLAYER that comes out in August. Please give us the lowdown on this story.

"The Bride Wore Demon Dust” is the story of a runaway bride. Bunny Raines is the librarian in the small town of Hannah—the town that is the setting of the first book. The story opens at a quaint church on a river. It is Bunny’s wedding day and she is blissfully happy to be marrying the man of her dreams—Rafe Dalvahni, six foot four inches of hard muscled, masculine yummy. To Bunny’s horror and dismay, she discovers—after she’s married!—that her boring little hometown is infested with demons, and her husband is an immortal demon slayer. The ‘mugger’ he saved her from the night they met was a demon, and Rafe saved her from certain death by giving her part of his essence.

Not only is she married to a total stranger, she’s changed species! Worse, she’s pregnant . . . although she hasn’t told Rafe about the baby yet.

Distraught and confused, Bunny flees the wedding and Rafe goes after her. Unfortunately, so does the demon that tried to kill her. Having marked her, the demon is irresistibly drawn to her, especially now that she’s a powerful Dalvahni and a worthy receptacle for the demon.

Sounds great! Here in the lair, we love call stories. Will you please share yours?

I’ve been writing for more than 16 years. My first two books were part of a romantic fantasy series. I knew nothing about fiction writing. Never took a class or read a book on writing, just started writing and loved it. So, I’m self-taught. I joined a writer’s group about five years ago and that was a tremendous help. Getting feed-back and constructive criticism is essential, in my opinion. You can’t write in a vacuum, not if you want to get published. There are rules and you have to learn about them before you can break them.

Around the same time that I joined the writer’s group, I started the querying rounds on the first book of the romantic fantasy that I’d been working on for more than ten years. I got rejected. Big time. Something like a hundred ‘no thanks.’ Discouraged, I decided to try my hand at a paranormal romance. The book took a year to write and the result was DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE, my debut book with Kensington. The book was a total surprise. When I started writing it, I thought it was going to be dark. But it quickly morphed into something else. This snarky voice came out of me that I never knew existed. It was amazing and liberating.

I had done well on the contest circuit while writing the book and I was jazzed. This is it, I thought. This is the one that will make it! In January 2010, I started querying and received a flurry of requests for partials and fulls from agents. I was excited and hopeful . . . and then the rejections started pouring in. Light paranormal doesn’t sell, was the consensus. I was devastated. Another series dead in the water.

I went on my romance writer’s loop and whined and a woman I barely knew at the time sent me an email. There was an interview of Megan Records on line that I needed to check out, she said, and then I needed to query her. I had never thought about querying an editor—too focused on getting an agent. I read the interview and Megan said she saw a lot of dark paranormal. No surprise there, that’s what the agents had said was selling. But then Megan said something that made me sit up and take notice. I don’t see much funny anymore, but I’d like to.

I sent Megan a query letter, referencing her interview and said, I write funny! She sent me back an email and asked for the full. This was in February of 2010.

On March 11, 2010, I was on my way to the doctor for a recheck because I had broken by foot in two places in February. I fell off my shoe. It’s a talent, I know. Anyway, a friend was driving me and my sad, casted foot to the doctor when my cell phone rang. I almost didn’t answer it, because it was an out-of-state call. I figured it was a wrong number or one of those Nigerian bank schemes. I answered the phone and, boy, am I ever glad I did! It was Megan Records calling to offer me a three-book deal! Good thing I wasn’t driving. I would have wrecked the car!

Great story! What’s next for Lexi George?

I am hard at work on book two of the demon hunter series, tentatively entitled DEMON HUNTING IN THE DEEP SOUTH. The deadline on book two is in June and it will be out next year. After that, it’s on to book three, DEMON HUNTING IN A DIVE BAR.

If the series does well, I have three more demon hunter books in mind.

Because my spies have been following you for years, I know you’re an enthusiastic amateur thespian. How do you think your acting experience feeds into your writing?

I think anything creative, whether it be dancing, painting, acting, quilting, etc., gets your juices flowing. I started out writing poetry in elementary, but the words dried up when I went to law school. The thing that freed my inner muse was scrap booking! I started scrap booking when my kids were little. Tapping into my creative side opened me up to other possibilities within myself and, from there, I turned to writing. Acting does the same thing. Being creative fills you with joy, connects you to the divine, and spills over to other things in a positive way.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?


Read, read, read, and WRITE! Writing is a craft and it’s a muscle that gets stronger with exercise. Try to write something every day, whether it’s a letter, blog, a short story, an essay, poetry—whatever. Check out some of the wonderful craft books on writing out there. Stephen King’s ON WRITING is an excellent one. Take advantage of the internet. There is a wealth of knowledge available at your fingertips on everything from structure and plot to POV and dialogue tags. Join a writer’s group or start one of your own. Even if you don’t all write the same thing, it is exciting to be around other writers, and you will learn from one another. Brain storming with other writers is great. A writers' group will also teach you to give and accept constructive criticism.

Also, be ready to face rejection. It is part of the process. It sucks. It stings. It hurts. It knocks your feet out from under you and throws you into a spiral of self doubt. Give yourself a day to pout and sing the “I Suck” song, then shake it off and get back on the horse. Remember that writing is subjective. You cannot write a book that will please everyone. Write the book you want to read. Name an author, classic or otherwise, that everybody loves universally. You can’t, because people have different tastes. You are going to be rejected on the road to being published. After you get published, guess what? You face rejection again! There will be reviewers that love you and those that hate you, as I am already finding out. You will work with editors who want you to revise your manuscript. You may submit a proposal on your next fabulous series idea and get rejected on that too. But, don’t give up. If you give up, you will lose. Believe in yourself and persevere.Writing is not for wimps.

Lexi, do you have a question for the Bandits and Bandit Buddies?

I’d really love to hear about YOUR creative outlet. Writing, scrap booking, painting, sculpting, photography, cooking? What gets you inner muse going?

Lexi is very generously giving away TWO copies of DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE today to commenters so good luck, people!

Moon Cursed

posted by Nancy

Bestselling author and RITA winner Lori Handeland makes her first appearance in the Lair today! Lori's books have hit the New York Times, USA Today, Waldenbooks, and Bookscan bestseller lists. They have also won numerous awards, including the RITA in two different categories, a Romantic Times Award for Best Harlequin Superromance, the PRISM, and the National Readers Choice Award.

She's here to celebrate the continuation of her Nightcreature Novels with the March 1 release of the tenth volume, Moon Cursed. Welcome, Lori!

We love call stories here in the Lair. Would you like to tell us about your first sale?

I remember that day very clearly. My kids were 5 and 2. I was making lunch, still hadn't gotten dressed or taken a shower. The phone rang and it was my agent. Since she'd just called to give me a rejection on what I thought was the last submittal we had out, I had no idea what she wanted. Turned out she'd sent my first book one more place and hadn't told me. Alicia Condon had called and made an offer on SECOND CHANCE, a western.

Of course back then we had no cell phones. I called all my friends and relatives and no one was home. My DH didn't find out until that night. My 2 year old was unimpressed. The 5 year old wasn't either.

But it was very exciting and I'll always remember.

How frustrating to have no one home! But it's a great story.

Moon Cursed is the latest installment in the Nightcreature saga. Who are the Nightcreatures?

The Nightcreature novels are my paranormal romance series, which deal with a group of monster hunters called the Jager-Suchers, or Hunter-searchers. They are led by an ancient German double agent from WW2 named Edward Mandenauer. Edward discovered Mengele was creating monsters for Hitler back in the day. When the Allies landed, the monsters were released and he's been chasing them, as well as all the others, ever since.

Who are the hero and heroine of Mooncursed? What internal conflict keeps them apart?

In MOON CURSED, Kristin Daniels hosts a show called HOAX HUNTERS where she debunks myths. She travels to Loch Ness to debunk the greatest myth of all, the Loch Ness Monster. Kris doesn't believe in magic or mystery, she hates liars. Which caused quite a problem when she meets Liam Grant, the keeper of the loch, a believer in Nessie and one of the biggest secret keepers of all time.

Are Kris and Liam working together on anything, or do they have a common problem?

Kris is trying to prove Nessie doesn't exist. Liam is protecting the secrets of his village, Drumnadrochit.

(To read an excerpt, click here. Or go to http://www.lorihandeland.com/moon_cursed.php )

You've written several other series. Could you tell us a little about them?

I've also written an urban fantasy series, The Phoenix Chronicles. In it, the heroine Elizabeth Phoenix, must save the world from the Nephilim--the offspring of the fallen angels and men, which are all the creatures of legend--vampires, werewolves and more. She has help in her quest from her childhood love, Jimmy Sanducci, and her mentor, the Navajo shaman Sawyer.

I have also written The Luchetti Brothers series for Harlequin Superromance, which deals with 5 brothers raised on a farm in Illinois and the stories of each one finding true love. There are quite a few fun characters in these books, both human and animal.

And then there is the Shakespeare Undead series, which began as one book and morphed into more. The concept is that Shakespeare is a vampire, an immortal undead, which explains how he
could write so many plays and know so many things a commoner from Stratford couldn't know. The first book, SHAKESPEARE UNDEAD, dealt with his finding his love, the Dark Lady of his sonnets, who just happens to be a zombie hunter. The second, ZOMBIE ISLAND, is my take on the Tempest.

How cool! What's next for you?

As soon as I finish ZOMBIE ISLAND, I will turn to a new venture. I'll return to my roots, western historical romance, writing under the name Lori Austin. The first book CHASE THE WIND, deals with a con man and a female bounty hunter.

Sounds like fun!

For more about Lori and her work, visit her website or check out the Goddess Blogs.

Lori will be signing books in NY at the RWA conference on Tuesday, June 28, which is coincidentally the release date of the next Nightcreature novel CRAVE THE MOON.

Lori's giving away, to one winner, a stuffed Loch Ness Monster and an autographed backlist Nightcreature novel of their choice. So tell us, what's your favorite Shakespearean play (or book or movie inspired by or based on Shakespeare)? Which of the legendary creatures Lori writes would be your favorite? Would you side with Liam or Kris about the Loch Ness monster?

Regan Hastings, Author of VISIONS OF MAGIC - Giveaway!

Although VISIONS OF MAGIC is the first book by Regan Hastings, it’s far from the author’s first book. Under another name, her contemporary romance novels number in the double digits, and she has been nominated six times for the prestigious RITA award from the Romance Writers of America. Her romance novels have appeared many times on the USA TODAY bestsellers list. She’s holding a contest for readers to guess her true identity for a chance to win a Federal Bureau of Witchcraft fleece jacket. Enter at http://www.reganhastings.com/. The contest ends February 1, the release date of VISIONS OF MAGIC, so enter immediately!



Kate: I know who Regan is, but I'm not telling! I'll give you a hint, though. She's fabulous, and I love her and her books. Welcome to the lair, Regan Hastings!

Thank you for hosting me, Kate!

Modern Day Witches

Ten years before the start of my book, VISIONS OF MAGIC, the world discovered that witches are real. Reaction was volatile and violent. Women were imprisoned without trial if they were even suspected of witchcraft. Some – including the heroine’s aunt – were burned at a stake erected on a high-tech, gas-powered grid.

The truth is, I believe that magic is real, and witches do exist. But there’s no reason for paranoia because, like humans, witches can be good or bad.

I’ll give you a few examples.

Bad witch: Martha Stewart. Magical power: Making perfectly competent women feel like failures. Not only can Martha fashion the julienned strips of a butternut squash into an amazing centerpiece, she can win the public’s admiration by going to prison.

Good witch: Pink. Magical power: Levitation. Did you see this chick at the Grammy’s last year? First of all, only a witch would feel comfortable in an outfit made of masking tape. Then she rose above the crowd, belting out a song with her powerful voice, and performing Cirque d’Soleil acrobatics all the while.

Bad witch: Lindsay Lohan. Magical power: Destroying her own career (aka, wasting her talent). I keep pulling for Lindsay. Beneath all the addictions, she’s a very talented actress, and I truly want her to get clean and move us again to some emotion other than distaste.

Good witch: Ellen DeGeneres. Magical power: Opening minds, and making even the least coordinated of us get up and dance. Who can resist her joy for life? Portia is a very lucky woman.

Bad witch: Kathy Griffin. Magical power: I don’t know, but she is just plain mean. Wicked… and not in a good way.

Want to play? Name a modern day witch and her magical power. I'll give away a copy of VISIONS OF MAGIC to a random commenter.

Kate: Thanks for visiting with us today, Regan! What a fun post! Except ... Kathy Griffin makes me laugh. Does that mean I'm a bad witch, too? Or am I just under her power?

Werewolves, Vampires and Immortal Guardians

posted by Nancy

Silhouette author Bonnie Vanak makes her first visit to the Lair today. Bonnie broke into publishing with romances set in ancient Egypt and has since written vampires, werewolves, and demons. We'll chat about her latest releases. Welcome, Bonnie!

Please tell us about yourself and how you got into writing.

My writing career began when I authored adventure stories starring Kissy, my pet kissing gourami. Critics at Shongum Elementary School in New Jersey gave these tomes rave reviews, noting, “Your spelling has improved.” Although they never made the NY Times bestselling list, the short stories were featured on my mother’s very busy refrigerator door.

And then I found my mother’s stash of romance novels, including Dorothy Eden and Victoria Holt. I was in heaven!

More than ten years ago, I started writing romance novels to balance the emotional strains of constantly seeing poverty and suffering. I work as a writer for a large international charity and travel to poor countries. In fact, I’ve just returned from Haiti and covering the cholera epidemic. Then, in 2001, I won a romance contest and that historical became The Falcon and the Dove, my first published novel.

What draws you to paranormal romance?

I enjoy the possibilities and the adventure of creating my own world. It’s a very freeing sensation when you write paranormal, so different from when I wrote historical romances. I wanted to write werewolves because I like pack loyalty and the challenges it creates. But I also wanted my werewolves to be different, so I gave them unique abilities, from being a healer to being an immortal like Raphael in Immortal Wolf.

You have two releases this month. Courage of the Wolf, a Nocturne Bite ebook, launches the Immortal Justice Guardians. Who are they?

The Justice Guardians are paranormal beings who die and are reborn to immortality. They’re called Phoenixes because of the death and rebirth cycle. They patrol the earth, doling out justice and destroying predators of paranormal creatures. Tristan, one of the most powerful Justice Guardians, first appears in this Bite and he also is in The Shadow Wolf, my September 2011 Nocturne.

What’s the biggest conflict between the hero and heroine of Courage of the Wolf, Michael and Sabrina?

Michael knows he can’t have Sabrina. He must maintain this professional distance, even though he’s sworn to guard her and watch over her. Think of a guardian angel who can’t emotionally become involved with his charge. Sabrina has always had feelings for Michael, who now has enormous responsibilities and is far more powerful than when they first met. She knows he could break her heart if she falls in love with him.

Here's an excerpt (copyright 2010 by Bonnie Vanak)

Just another day in a tropical paradise filled with demons. Right. If only it was just a typical day and not the very one he’d been dreading.

Ambling backwards on the roadside, Michael Anderson scanned Florida’s Alligator Alley for a silver Lexus. As always, Sabrina Kelly was late. The Draicon werewolf would be late for her own funeral. The thought sobered him.

Minutes later, Michael pushed a hand through his long, ragged hair as Sabrina’s car pulled off the road. He breathed in her scent of fresh lavender as the Draicon werewolf hurried toward him. Dressed in a pink sweater set and a floral skirt, she looked like spring. Cut razor straight, her black hair swung just below her jawline. Wide, sea-green eyes shone with intelligence.

When she threw herself into his arms, he hugged back, feeling a lump rise in his throat. The vision came to him again. Blood. Death. Sorrow.

Michael set her back down on her feet. As much as he wanted to use his powers as an Immortal Justice Guardian to direct destiny, he could not. Punishment would be severe if he broke Guardian laws. He’d already broken a big one to buy Sabrina time.

Years ago, when he was still a Draicon werewolf, he’d made a promise to keep her safe. The burning need to protect her had never stopped. It wasn’t love, but a fierce admiration of her strong spirit and honoring the deep friendship they’d shared in the past.

“Why did you want me to pick you up on this road? Forget how to dematerialize?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I like walking. And I thought it would be nice to ride with you in the Lexus to your grandparents’ anniversary party.”

“You knew I was taking the Lexus and not the Expedition? Oh, of course, you know everything.” She shook her head. “Even what type of underwear I have on.”

“I don’t know everything.”

When she turned, he flicked his fingers. A microburst of air sent the fabric swirling upward. “White lace,” he noted with a grin. “Very nice.”

“Michael!” she scolded him with a smile.

A faint blush raced across her cheeks. It was like watching the sun chase away the night. Enchanted, he watched her moisten her pink lips. What would her petal-soft mouth feel like beneath his as he took her, hard and fast? He swallowed hard at the startling, sexual thought. Sabrina was off-limits.

He was a Phoenix, an Immortal Justice Guardian who’d died and been reborn to his powers. Michael patrolled the earth, doling out justice and destroying predators of paranormal creatures. He’d succeeded at his job until a year ago, when the Hellfire demon Ambrosis slaughtered Sabrina’s parents and five siblings as Sabrina tried to save them. Her family had been heading to visit her grandparents when the demon attacked them as they took a brief respite from driving.

If he could, he’d die to keep her safe. But he couldn’t die again. Sabrina had to face her own demon. Guardian laws demanded he must not interfere.

“Let’s go,” he muttered. The sun sinking toward the horizon warned they were running out of time.

Inside the car, his senses drank in her scent as if he were still a Draicon werewolf. Trees, palms and scrub brush passed in a blur as the car sped toward Florida’s west coast.

“Michael, you’re the only friend who still bothers with me. Thank you,” Sabrina told him.

“I’m not just your friend, Brie. I’ve watched over you since I became a Justice Guardian. You’ve shut yourself off from the world.”

She blinked hard. “If not for you, I’d never have done this. I can’t bear the memories.” White showed on her knuckles as her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “All I can recall is fighting. Pain, and then nothing. Nothing except waking up to see my family was dead.”

“You still don’t remember what happened to you?”

“It’s a blur, except I have the scar to remind me. I have nightmares about Ambrosis, and this voice keeps telling me I must have the courage to face him again. But ever since I lost my family, I’m terrified of something else happening.”

Michael looked away. “You should pay attention to your dreams. Often, they contain messages.”

She inhaled deeply. “Dreams are just dreams. Let’s not talk about it. It’s hard enough for me to drive on this road again. I haven’t been this way since Ambrosis killed my family.”

A fist of guilt slammed into his guts. He stared out the passenger’s side window. I’m sorry, Brie, but I must do this. It’s my duty as a Justice Guardian.

Familiar landmarks appeared on the roadside. Sabrina’s hands shook. “This is the place. If I’d never insisted on Dad stopping so we could hunt in the swamp, they’d still be alive. I’m going to speed up .…”

“Pull over,” he told her.

“Here?”

“Now.”


I love that! You also have a story,”Unwrapped,” in the Christmas With a Vampire anthology (with that seriously cute guy on the cover). What’s that story about?

Think Romeo and Juliet with fangs and sharp claws! Adrian, the vampire, and Sarah, the Draicon werewolf, must team together to defeat the evil creatures who want Sarah dead. There’s a surprising twist at the end of the story.

Do the hero and heroine have a history?

Yes, in "Unwrapped," Adrian and Sarah were friends who secretly cared about each other.

When you aren’t writing, what do you like to do?

In my spare time, my husband and I bike ride and take hikes, and we just finished decorating the whole house for Christmas. He’s into trains, so instead of one train beneath the tree, we have three! It’s great fun at the holidays for our friends and their children.

What’s next for you?

The Shadow Wolf is my next mass market Nocturne book, out in September 2011. And I just contracted to write three novellas for Nocturne in a sexy new series I’m calling The Ancients. It’s about three sisters who are half demon, half angel. They are coming into their powers and must be stopped before they turn fully demonic. Three Ancients, a werewolf, a vampire and a shapeshifting jaguar, are assigned to sexually bond with them to tame their dark side, or destroy them if the bonding fails.

For more on Bonnie and her work, visit her website. Bonnie is giving away a copy of her first Nocturne, The Empath (now out of print), to one commenter today. So answer one of these questions to be eligible. What's your favorite kind of paranormal romance? Your favorite Christmas romance? Your favorite romance hero and heroine who battle forces of darkness?

Alias J. K. Beck

Julie Kenner and JK Beck visit the Lair today with the Shadow Keepers series of paranormal romances. Julie's novels have hit bestseller lists ranging from Waldenbooks and USA Today to Locus magazine. She is a two-time RITA nominee and has won a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice awards, a National Readers Choice award and various other honors. Today we'll chat about her alter ego, J. K. Beck.

Welcome Julie! Who is J. K. Beck, and how did you decide to create her?

J.K. is me, me, me!

Ahem.

Seriously, J.K. Beck is Julie Kenner’s alter ego. (“J.K.” for “Julie Kenner” and Beck because it’s my maiden name.) It’s the name I’m using for the Shadow Keeper series, a series of dark paranormal romances set in and around a paranormal judicial system.

We went with a pen name because lately “Julie Kenner” has been writing primarily urban fantasy, and the “Julie Kenner” romances tend to be lighter and quirkier. We wanted to distinguish the tone and genre of these books, and so a new name made perfect sense!

Tell us about the Shadow Keepers.

Dark and edgy, and full of mystery and intrigue and romance. The world is great fun to write, and each story centers around a paranormal judicial system that’s been in existence since before the dawn of civilized man, and governs the shadow creatures—vampires, daemons, werewolves, jinns. All creatures humans think live only in nightmares, but don’t. It’s a system that investigates, apprehends, adjudicates and punishes those shadow creatures who break the Covenant, and each book centers around a couple and an element of that system.

You have three releases out close together. Do the books feature the same characters?

The books are romances, so each book focuses on a different couple. But the world plays into all the books, and so a character that was the hero in one book may be a secondary character in another. Nicholas, for example, is a vampire and an advocate (attorney). He is in both WHEN BLOOD CALLS and WHEN PLEASURE RULES. But he’s not the hero until WHEN WICKED CRAVES.

Briefly, what is each of the books about?

IN WHEN BLOOD CALLS, prosecutor Sara Constantine is pulled into the paranormal world when she gets a promotion to “Division 6,” which turns out to be the cover for the Los Angeles division of the PEC (Preternatural Enforcement Coalition). Learning that such a world exists is shocking enough, but what really rocks Sara’s world is when she discovers that the man she’d had a recent wild night with—the man she can’t get out of her head—is the first defendant she’s assigned to prosecute. And not only is he wanted for murder...but he’s a vampire, too.

In WHEN PLEASURE RULES, we meet Lissa and Rand. Lissa is a succubus with a special gift—when she takes souls, she can also take information/read minds. She’s used that ability to help save other succubi who are being abused at the hands of their masters—blackmailing for their freedom and giving them employment in her club. It’s a good cause, but her method is highly illegal.

Rand is a werewolf who’s recently come to Los Angeles on a special mission from the head werewolf of the Alliance. When Division 6 thinks that the weren community is behind a series of brutal murders, they want to investigate—and they enroll Lissa as a confidential informant. Lissa will do anything to protect the girls she’s rescued, but she doesn’t expect to fall for the reclusive werewolf, a man with a tattered soul and a shattered past.

In WHEN WICKED CRAVES, Petra Lang is cursed never to touch—because her touch renders a monstrous transition. Now she’s about to be executed as a result of certain events that occurred in PLEASURE. But attorney Nicholas Montegue is certain that the cursed witch holds the secret to his friend Serge’s cure. After braving a daring prison escape, the two are on the run, and the chemistry between them is both unexpected and hot. But the lovers are doomed from the start—because the first time she touches him, Petra would turn Nicholas into a monster.

The books were released back to back, and that’s been a great experience. As a reader, I love being able to really dig into a world, and the feedback I’ve received has been great. Of course, on the writing end it’s a lot harder!!

Sara and Lucius are the hero and heroine of the first book. What’s their biggest problem?

Well, they have several! The biggest would seem to be that she’s the prosecutor and he’s a murder defendant. But even more to the heart of the issue is they way they look at the world. They each have strong beliefs about how justice should be rendered, and their opposing views are a wall between them that will have to be knocked down or climbed over before they can truly be together.

Is there an over-arching plot?

There is an overarching world and political machinations. But as for a specific plotline that runs through all the books, no. Because of that the books can be read in any order, though it does make the most sense (and is probably the most fun!) to start with Blood and move through the series.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on WHEN PASSION LIES right now! That’s the next book in the series, and that will be followed by two more for sure. An e-novella is in the works, too, and will be published before PASSION hits shelves!

Thanks so much for having me! Folks can find me on Twitter (JKBeck) or Facebook (authorjkbeck) or at my webpage (www.jkbeck.com).

Julie is giving away a $15 Amazon gift certificate to one commenter today. So tell us, what's your favorite lawyer story? Your favorite story that has someone ending the rules or stepping outside the law for a good cause? Your favorite Julie Kenner or J. K. Beck book?

After the Happily Ever After

A familiar face joins us today as Jessica Andersen celebrates the release of the fifth book in her wonderful, hot Nightkeepers paranormal romance series. For those of you who're new to the Lair, Jessica's debut Harlequin Intrigue was an RT Top Pick. Her Intrigues have made category bestseller lists and have been nominated for the RITA Award. Welcome, Jessica!

Hi Banditas! It’s great to be back—thanks to Nancy for setting this up, and to you for joining me to celebrate the release week of the fifth Nightkeeper novel, BLOOD SPELLS ☺.

First, the blurb:

Mayan lore and modern science warn that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm, and dark forces stand poised to crush mankind. Our only hope rests with a secret group of modern magic-wielders called Nightkeepers, who gain their full powers by finding and winning their destined mates. But what happens when the mated bond unravels?

Patience and Brandt were both living in the human world when they met, married, and had twin sons … but when the Nightkeepers are recalled to duty, cracks appear in a marriage founded on secrecy and lies. Now, with their sons sent into hiding and the demonic threat kicking into high gear, they’re living separate lives, unable to reconnect … and not sure they want to.

They’re forced to team up once more when an ancient Aztec god-king arises, threatening the very fabric of the earth. But as they race to prevent their powerful enemy from enacting a terrible ritual, the danger turns personal, becoming a deadly test of their powers … and the love they once shared.

Yep, the romance centers on a married couple who have lost the spark in a big way. More, it’s the story of them trying to build a second happily ever after when the first one stops working because of how much they have grown and changed.

For the record, when I first outlined the Nightkeeper novels, I thought Brandt would die rather horribly at the end of the first book, with the guilt split between Patience and the man who would become her hero (and no, I’m not telling who, because the stories sooo didn’t write that way).

But when I wrote scenes in Patience’s and Brandt’s POVs in the first book (NIGHTKEEPERS), both characters really gelled for me … and I realized there was a far more interesting story there to tell, about a marriage that was based on lies, and two people who go from being normal parents to superheroes, and lose track of each other in the process.

I’m not always a fan of revisiting characters who are already paired off, especially if that revisitation (Hm. Spell check tells me that’s not a word … but it really ought to be) involves breaking them up and putting them back together. I think the author needs to be very cautious, or else I’m going to question whether this second HEA is the one that’s going to stick.

Suz Brockmann’s Tom and Kelly are together at the end of their book, but it takes several more books (and a fairly black moment) for them to get married. Similarly, JR Ward put us back in Wrath’s POV to look at how his failing sight tests his and Beth’s bond, but their love triumphs in the end.

For me, these stories worked because I never felt like the hero and heroine stopped loving each other despite their challenges, and the second happy ending for each couple felt like a continuation of their original romance.

In a very few other cases, however, I’ve watched favorite relationships decompress so thoroughly in a later book that it sours the original happy ending and leaves me worried that they’re not going to be okay after “The End.”

Thus, because the entirety of BLOOD SPELLS is technically Patience and Brandt’s ‘after the happily ever after,’ I wanted to make very sure that their conflict didn’t devalue the six years they’ve already been married. Their first happily ever after was perfect for the people they were back then. Now, though, they need to figure out whether their Nightkeepers selves can be together for real, and how to renegotiate some things that they—okay, mostly Brandt—thought were set in stone.

So tell me … do you like revisiting prior h/h couples, not just as a flyby at a garden party (Ooh, look! They’re so perfect together! And what a cute baby!), but as subplots with conflict and a black moment? Can you recommend some stories where this works? Are there situations where you wouldn’t want to see a couple again? Do you like seeing couples who have a history before the story opens, even if it happened off-page? Let’s talk about what happens after the HEA!

Kendra And The Beasts, Both Winged and Furry

posted by hackey hudjson

AC: Our guest today is the lovely and talented paranormal romance author (and Aunty's good friend) Kendra Leigh Castle. Welcome back to the Lair, Kendra!

We’re thrilled to have you back with us to talk about your newest release. Please tell us all about it.

KLC: Thanks so much for having me back, Aunty Cindy! You know how I feel about Lairs. I plan to build one in my house someday. With several deadbolts and a steel door to keep out intruders (otherwise known as my family). And it’ll be fully stocked with chocolate, wine, and movies where Gerard Butler takes his shirt off. Wait, what were we talking about?

Aunty's eyes glaze over as she pictures Gerry, shirtless... Then she shakes her head and regains focus.

AC: Your book, Renegade Angel?

KLC: Oh…my book. Right. Well, it features hot men taking their shirts off too. So I’m sort of on topic. Here’s the blurb:

It's been thousands of years since Raum's angelic wings turned from white to black, and the Destroyer of Dignities and Robber of Kings never looked back. These days he's also on the outs with Hell and works with a motley crew of ex-demons on a new mission: snuffing out lesser demons and their half-human progeny. Raum's latest assignment brings him to a small Vermont town—and a sweet, funny half-demon, half-human he'll risk everything to save. Ember Riddick stirs him as no woman ever before—and she holds the key to what Lucifer will move Hell and Earth to prevent: his team's redemption. But Ember's secrets are as dark as Raum's midnight wings. And their fate may leave them entwined…but destroyed…

KLC: You can read an excerpt here:

http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?itemid=22195&cid=416

AC: What inspired you to write paranormal romance in general and this story in particular?

I grew up as one of those kids who just liked spooky. I was reading Stephen King by 6^th grade, and sneaking my mom’s romances besides…I think the two things just got all tangled together and became my reading preference! Which quickly became my writing preference.

I have fond, and slightly cringe-worthy, memories of my first attempt at a paranormal romance story when I was about, oh, eleven or so. It involved vampires. And a waterslide. That might work for bad porn, but that really wasn’t what I was going for. Count Dracula was one of my earlier crushes…and I had vampire Barbies who slept in shoeboxes…okay, I was just a weird kid. But hey, not everyone gets to be weird in a way that you can build into a career!

AC: Aunty would not presume to speak about weird childhoods, lest her own be mentioned. Besides, can't argue with whatever is responsible for your wonderful paranormal romances!

KLC: I absolutely love paranormal romance. There’s something about a man with that little something extra, the glowing eyes, the fangs, the fur, the wings, that just gets my motor running. There are endless possibilities in these dark faerie tales, and I love it!

Aunty nods in vigorous agreement.

KLC: With this story, I was moving from fur (with my MacInnes Werewolves trilogy) to wings, which provided me with kind of a creative boost. It’s good to shake things up sometimes. The idea of angels is something I’m very familiar with, having spent a lot of years in Catholic school. But as gorgeous as some of the artistic representations of angels are, you KNOW that these built men with wings are too goody-goody to spirit you away and, um…take you to their Lair.:-)

I have sort of a bad boy fixation anyway, so I found the idea of a fallen angel, albeit one who still had a heart that could be redeemed, incredibly fascinating. Then into my fevered little brain sauntered Raum, The Destroyer of Dignities and Robber of Kings, with his curly black hair and sea green eyes and black wings and ATTITUDE, and I was in love. And off we went!

AC: (wiping drool from her chin) Did you face some challenges in moving from writing about shape-shifters to fallen angels?

KLC: It was actually wonderful to be able to switch gears and start fresh, with new characters and a completely new world. I love my werewolves, I always will, and I’m already committed to writing more men with fur (though not related to that trilogy). But between a cross-country move and a bunch of other stuff, I was pretty drained after I finished up with the MacInneses.

I needed something to set fire to my imagination, and the story of Renegade Angel just hit me like a ton of bricks one day. It was one of those moments I love, where everything clicked and I had to write, RIGHT THEN. I whipped off ten pages of prologue like it was nothing, and then I happened across a song that totally matched up with what I was envisioning, and another book started to happen. Which was awesome, because every time I finish a book, I’m afraid there are no more in there. Hasn’t happened yet. Maybe I need that fear. Or maybe I’ll just wind up committed somewhere by the time I’m 40. I don’t think that the psych ward really qualifies as an acceptable Lair for me, though, so I hope not.

AC: Oh, Aunty seriously doubts you'll end up in the psych ward. I mean, look how long some of us Banditas have managed to avoid it... AHEM!

Speaking of furry hunks, Aunty heard you have a new little four-legged guy around your house. Care to tell us about him?

KLC: Chewie!! Yes, thank you for asking about my new baby. He’s Chewie the chocolate Newf, and he’s eleven weeks old today! He’s getting so big. Not nearly as big as he’s gonna get, though. I’ve never had a big dog before, but my husband and I had talked for a while about getting a Newfoundland eventually. “Eventually” meaning when one of our sweet little Pekingese was no longer with us, which unfortunately came to pass in July. My Fizgig was 13, and losing him was just awful. He was so beautiful…one of those dogs that’s just all heart. I still have a hard time looking at his picture, because I miss him.

But getting Chewie has been a wonderful balm to that wound, and the fact that he’s a completely different breed, and a very different dog in every way, has been great because there’s really no way to even make a comparison. Some people mistakenly believe that Newfies are dumb just because they’re sort of the big lugs of the dog world, but they’re very bright, very sensitive, and Chewie is no exception.

AC: O.M. GOSH! Is that not the most adorable fuzzy face EVER?!?!

KLC: He’s also obsessed with water. Sits in the water dish, sleeps in the water dish, has a baby pool he plays in…it’s really cool. Well, and messy. Our 11.5 year old Peke, Daisy, has adjusted well to him overall. Our seven-year-old Siberian cat Bruno is just disdainful. But he’s kind of like that about everything.

AC: What exciting new stories can we look forward to reading from Kendra Leigh Castle?

KLC: This summer has been a BIG one for me on the writing front! I’ve had another Nocturne accepted, this one about a big, sexy werewolf who finds himself responsible for a bitten woman who he’s forbidden to lay claim to (you can imagine how well that goes for him). We’re talking about spinning that into a series, which I think would be great fun!

And I’m just finishing up (translation: in the depths of Deadline Hell) with my first book for Grand Central which is slated to come out next summer. It’s the first in a series about the ancient dynasties of the vampire underworld, and in this particular story, a cat-shifting hero caught in between the dynasty he serves and the woman he loves. I am SO excited to have all of this going on…there are no words, seriously, and that’s saying something because I have a tendency to ramble. You’re, um, supposed to pretend you don’t notice that, though.

AC: Notice what?!?! And I'm seriously EXCITED to have more wonderful stories by Kendra Leigh Castle to look forward to reading.

KLC: Thanks so much to all of the Banditas, and especially the faaaaabulous Aunty Cindy, for letting me come back to celebrate my Nocturne debut! I hope everyone who decided to pick up a copy of Renegade Angel enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Raum and Ember’s story was just a lot of fun.

That said, I have a signed copy of the book to give away to one lucky commenter! I’ll be selecting someone at random, so be sure to check back to find out whether you’ve won…Aunty Cindy will post the winner here, with further instructions so I can get you your signed copy of Renegade Angel, which is also available for purchase in print or digital formats here (http://www.eharlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=22195). And please feel free to visit me at www.kendraleighcastle.com.

All right everyone, it's YOUR TURN! Feel free to ask Kendra questions about any of her books and please tell us: How do you prefer your paranormal heroes? With wings? Fangs? Fur? Something else???