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Aug
25 2011 | ||
I loved writing Goddess With a Blade – being able to make the female protagonist hard and vicious was important to me and I knew Angela James would make me work my butt off to get everything just right. But I thought hey, I should give away another Carina book and when I asked around, Man Law was a book that was mentioned quite a bit so I’m going to give that one away as well!
GODDESS WITH A BLADE by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2011, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Carina Press
The heels of her boots clicked like a metronome on the shiny floors as Clive’s assistant brought Rowan up to his apartment again. The boots were favorites because they ferreted all sorts of weapons and lock picks and other various implements of up-to-no-goodedness in the buckles.
This time Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass met her at the doors of the elevator. The smooth, regal female who’d escorted Rowan murmured to Clive, who nodded and dismissed her before turning to Rowan again. And she didn’t fail to notice the way his eyes lingered on her breasts and legs.
“Ms. Summerwaite, won’t you come in?” He might have roving eyes, but his voice was haughty and cool.
“Sure, Clive.” She swept past him into the living room and sat down. “You’ve got a lawbreaker on your hands,” she said without preamble as he joined her, sitting across the low table from her.
“What makes you say that?”
She tossed the pictures from the file across the table to him and sat back.
Annoyed, he picked them up and looked through them one by one until he put them down on the table again. Face a schooled blank mask, he blinked at her. “And what makes you think this is a Vampire?”
“Uh, because I’m not an idiot?”
“Must you always be so crass?”
She stood up. “Crass? Look at those pictures and the notes on them. Drained of blood. Desiccated heart that’d been ripped out of her chest. Throat torn out. You know what it is as well as I do.”
He stood and got in her face. “You people are capable of this kind of violence too.”
“But not in this case.”
“You’re biased where we’re concerned, Ms. Summerwaite. It seems you’re always looking for something to pin on us.” He narrowed his eyes at her.
She threw her hands up in the air. “Always? You’re an expert on my behavior now? You’ve known me all of two days and you know what I always do?”
The moment stretched as their eyes remained locked. Feeling something build between them, she moved away, escaping to the large windows overlooking the Strip.
“I know your history.” His voice was a growl.
“And I know yours.” Her reply was a whisper and suddenly he was right behind her. “You know what this is. The body was dropped some miles out of town in the middle of an abandoned field. No tracks of any kind around the body. No tire marks. Nothing.”
He was silent for a moment. “It could have been an animal.”
She spun then, eyes narrowed, mouth set in a frustrated slash. “You know what this is. Stop it! What is it with you people anyway? You just don’t fucking care that one of your own has murdered this girl and left her body in the middle of nowhere. Animals wouldn’t go near it. All the time it sat out there in the open and nothing touched it. I’m here to tell you that the cops are investigating and this will bring down a whole load of shit on your heads. I will hunt this lawbreaker, Scion. So wise up and get out of my way. I only came as a courtesy.”
“Courtesy?” His face was close to hers, anger radiating from him. “You have no courtesy. Damn you,” he murmured right before his lips found hers, taking her in a rough kiss.
Before the surprise set in and enabled her to pull away, desire, hot and forbidden rushed through her body as her hands fisted in the front of his expensive shirt.
The cool of the window at her back didn’t matter as his lips owned hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth, shocking in the contrast of temperature even though it was only a few degrees different. It’d been a very long time since she’d kissed a Vampire. She’d been young then, a totally different person.
Wantonly, she writhed against his body, the hardness of him sliding against her breasts, her thighs. She kept her grip on his shirt, knowing if she let go, her fingers might wander to places best left untouched.
He had no such compulsion though. Slightly rough, as if he couldn’t touch enough of her at once, his hands roved over her body, up her thighs, across her belly, skirting her breasts, through her hair. All the while he kissed and kissed her with a feral intensity that made her lose her mind.
He broke away, pupils dilated, breath heaving from him, his incisors gleaming in the low light, and a thrill skittered through her, even as she knew she should be ashamed.
He groaned and laughed ruefully. “This is so wrong.”
“Yes, it’s wrong.” Was he gonna do something with what he was packing behind his zipper or what? Why was he questioning it now?
“I already want to do it again. What are you doing to me? This is your fault.” He pushed away and began to pace.
It was her turn to laugh and thank the Goddess he’d acted like the prick he was to help her wrest control from her hormones.
“My fault? Who shoved their tongue in whose throat? You started it. You were all Frenching me and grinding your dick on me and stuff. I was just you know, um, stuck between you and the window.”
“Must you be so bloody vulgar?”
“Vulgar? You think that was vulgar? You’re a pussy. And anyway, you said bloody! I know that’s a bad word to you Brits.”
“You make me vulgar. Damn you.”
“Yeah?” She exhaled violently. “I’m already damned. Now, where’s the bathroom?”
He pointed and she snatched up her bag and sealed herself in the palatial powder room, staring at herself in the mirror. She gripped the marble countertop so hard the tendons in her hands protested.
Ruthlessly, she forced herself under control.
What had she done? What would she have done if he hadn’t stopped? He was the enemy and she was a traitor for even letting him touch her. Guilt and shame warred within until anger pushed it all away.
He’d had the audacity to blame her? Oh he was such a piece of work. All Vampires were so damned arrogant. He should be thanking his lucky stars she hadn’t twisted his ‘nads off!
She splashed cold water on her face and reapplied her lipstick. Clive Stewart needed to be kept at a distance. He was a Vampire. Underline, underline, bold and exclamation points. She knew, only too well, what they were. What they were capable of.
Methodically, she smoothed her clothing and fixed her hair.
There was no reason to have anything but a business relationship with him. The more he feared her wrath, the better. Wrath didn’t include kissing and second base.
Looking at herself in the mirror again, she repeated that last bit, just to make it extra clear to herself because she totally was a bad influence, even on her own self.
Safely pulled together again, she returned to find him totally composed and sitting, looking through the file. Good.
“I should tell you you needn’t worry about catching the virus.”
She must have looked as confused as she felt because he pointed to her mouth. “I believe I nicked your lip. I apologize for that. And of course, Vampires can’t carry STDs so you don’t need to be concerned about blood exchange.”
Her tongue found the spot he’d brushed with his incisors. A perverse need to poke at him built within her. A need to shake him and wipe that smug look from his face. “I know. You seem to forget I was raised by The First. I lost my virginity at sixteen to one of his lieutenants.” The man who’d told her the truth about what really happened to her parents not six months later when they’d broken things off. When her godfather found out, the lieutenant had been executed. Another six months later and she’d escaped the Keep and landed on the doorstep of the Motherhouse in Paris.
He made a strangled sound, his fists clenching a little, before he sighed. “I do forget. Yes.” He looked at her for a moment and then down to the photos on the table. “What are you going to do about this?”
“I’m going to hunt him down and slay him. You can help me. Or not. The outcome will be the same.”
“You want me to help you kill a Vampire?” he demanded, incredulous.
“Don’t pretend to be something you aren’t, okay? I know what you are. I know what you do. This breaks the treaty. Period. You can’t kill humans. You certainly can’t torture them, kill them and dump their bodies. More than the fact that you seem to show no outrage over murder, you should be concerned that the human police are involved. They’ve asked me to consult on the case, as a matter of fact.”
“If you tell them about us, it’s you who’ve broken the treaty.”
She shook her head and stood. Picking up the photos and tucking them in her bag, she looked at him for several long moments.
“I have not broken the treaty. Let’s be clear here, you may wrap up what you are in a three-thousand-dollar suit and think you fool others about your true nature. But I don’t pretend to be what I’m not. I’m a Hunter and I’ll find this Vampire and kill him. I won’t feel remorse for it. I won’t tell the cops about you, but try not to underestimate humans for a change, okay? After a while, they’re going to start asking the right questions and they may just figure it out on their own.”
She moved toward the elevator and hit the call button. “In any case, it’s up to you what you do. But never what I do. Remember that. I’m a Hunter. It’s my job. I serve the Goddess, that’s my calling. Justice will be meted out.”
Have you made any great discoveries this year? New authors you became fans of?
Today I’m giving away a copy of GODDESS WITH A BLADE and also a copy of Man Law by Adrienne Giordano both from CARINA PRESS (and both in digital format). I’ll choose the winner of both books from the comments to this post tomorrow, August 26th! All winners have two weeks to claim their prize and are responsible for checking back to see if they’ve won.
August 25th, 2011 at 5:54 am · Link
There are a few I have discovered through the program on my kindle Sophie Oak, Lainey Reese, Terry Spear, Rhys Bowen, & Cara Black, and thats just to name a few.
August 25th, 2011 at 6:41 am · Link
Great excerpt. I found some “new to me” authors this year that I have enjoyed. They are Pamela Palmer, Beth Kery/Bethany Kane, Vicky Dreiling, Crystal Jordan.
August 25th, 2011 at 6:51 am · Link
Some authors I’ve found this year are Julie Garwood, Jeaniene Frost and Cherry Adair.
August 25th, 2011 at 7:05 am · Link
Hi Lauren 🙂
Goddess With A Blade has made me a fan of YOURS!
I LOVE the excerpt, Rowan and Clive using “vulgar” talk as foreplay is a riot. Rowan is such a kick ass heroine & Clive is a perfect vampire for her
Other authors I’ve found are Rys Bowen, Beth Trissel, Pamela Palmer and soooo many others.
Mindy 🙂
Birdsooong@aol.com
August 25th, 2011 at 7:23 am · Link
Yes, I found you and Lynsay Sands. Great reading from both of you.
August 25th, 2011 at 7:33 am · Link
New to me this year is you and Jill Shalvis! My hubby got me an ipad for my birthday this past year and the kindle app has allowed me to get all kinds of fun books. 🙂
August 25th, 2011 at 7:35 am · Link
From reading the Romantic Times magazine I tried 2 new authors and enjoyed both: Dianne Duvall and Dianne Sylvan. I check this magazine monthly and have gotten many such good authors over the years.
August 25th, 2011 at 7:38 am · Link
oh several!!! Sophie Oak, Sherri Desbois, Lainey Resse, Chloe Lang & first year i read a Jaci Burton (where have been)…and too many more to count
my fav author list is growing!! after you and others
August 25th, 2011 at 8:09 am · Link
I have discovered: Lainey Reese, Lauren Gallagher, Shannon Stacey and Trista Ann Michaels
August 25th, 2011 at 8:21 am · Link
I loved this excerpt. Hot! “All the while he kissed and kissed her with a feral intensity that made her lose her mind.” Who wouldn’t love a kiss like that??
My favorite author I’ve discovered this year is Heather Killough Walden. I love the Big Bad Wolf series!
August 25th, 2011 at 8:29 am · Link
To name a few, I found: Ilona Andrews, You, Thea Harrison, Kevin Hearne, Moira Rogers, Caridad Peniero, and so many more.
August 25th, 2011 at 9:25 am · Link
I have discovered a few to name 🙂 You,Dianne Duvall, Adrienne Giordano,Jayne Rylon. So far my favorite book series is The Chase Brothers.
August 25th, 2011 at 9:32 am · Link
This year I discovered Lara Adrians books. I dont know how I missed them before but I am completely hooked. Caridad Pineiro too just found hers and dont know what to read first.
August 25th, 2011 at 9:48 am · Link
loved the expert!!! ive found alot of new reading material so far this year like dana maire bell,J.R ward , sarah mccarty, and so many more! But my fav’s are still you, maya banks, and loreilie james! i never get tierd of reading y’all’s work over and over 😆
August 25th, 2011 at 9:48 am · Link
I’ve discovered Sarah MacLean and Veronica Roth. Their books are enjoyable will entertaining characters and storylines.
August 25th, 2011 at 9:50 am · Link
I really loved GWAB, but MAN LAW was not my thing. I have made a lot of new discoveries! Jill Shalvis, Jaci Burton, Thea Harrison, Virna De Paul, and many others!
August 25th, 2011 at 9:50 am · Link
I have been so fortunate to discover so many great authors this last year, and new ones all the time. But I discovered Moira Rogers, Shelly Laurenston, Margie Church, Tara Lain, Sable Hunter, TJ Klune, KevaDand you of course!
I have wanted LAid Bare and the entire series, and thank you so much for the great contest!
Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com
August 25th, 2011 at 10:11 am · Link
Hi Lauren,
This year was really a revelation for me in terms of discovering new authors.. So many fab authors whom I hadn’t read earlier !! Like Kylie Brant (Fell in love with her mindhunter series), Shayla Black, Eden Bradley, Shannon Stacey to name a few 🙂
Goddess with a Blade seems really fantastic and so does, Adrienne’s Man Law!
Count me in for the fab giveaway. judimello AT gmail DOT com
August 25th, 2011 at 10:20 am · Link
I discovered Shelly Laurenston/G.A. Aiken. Her next two books
coming out the same day as Once and Again and Never Enough. Two of my favorite authors have books on the same day! I think I will be too sick to go to work on two Tuesdays in a row!
August 25th, 2011 at 10:34 am · Link
Just looking back now I have discovered so many new authors and even more wonderful books. I dsicovered the Fever series a few months ago and I am sad to say I finished it. Authors include Karen Marie Moning, Jeanienne Frost, J.R. Ward and Erin Quinn.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:46 am · Link
I discovered Marie Force!! Love all her books. One of my favorites is the Fatel series.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:48 am · Link
Here’s a few authors that I have recently found and loved their books…… Lauren Gallagher, Desiree Holt, Dee Tenorio and Laurann Dohner.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:55 am · Link
New authors yes 🙂 Let’s see, Suzanne Mcleod, Kate Elliot, Lauren Oliver, Courtney Milan, Evangeline Collins, jess Haines and tons more 😀
it has been a good year
August 25th, 2011 at 11:23 am · Link
Greatest discovery this year – I never have enough money for all the books I want :p
Great new authors found this year:
Lexie Donovan (slight bias as she’s my daughter :D)
Michael R Hicks
Gail Carringer
Kady Cross
Lorelie James
August 25th, 2011 at 11:42 am · Link
No new ones this year, but I have been catching up on some favorites backlists!
August 25th, 2011 at 11:55 am · Link
I became a fan of Ashley March and Leslie Tentler.
August 25th, 2011 at 12:08 pm · Link
My new author discoveries this year are Candace Camp and Teresa Medeiros.
August 25th, 2011 at 12:11 pm · Link
I had forgotten the Eden Bradley series the Midnight Playground.
And of course the Sable Hunter’s series about the brother…darn it…
Thanks again!
Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com
August 25th, 2011 at 12:45 pm · Link
don’t enter me in this one. I was lucky enough to get goddess with a blade for review at netgalley and it was fantastic as normal.
August 25th, 2011 at 12:58 pm · Link
Some new authors I’ve discovered this year is Loretta Chase and Sarah Mackenzie.
August 25th, 2011 at 1:28 pm · Link
Chris owen is a new “must-buy” or me.
August 25th, 2011 at 2:36 pm · Link
Not so much as a author but stories I originally missed when they were released.
August 25th, 2011 at 2:37 pm · Link
Catherine Mann is my new favorite author!!!
August 25th, 2011 at 3:22 pm · Link
I just finished reading about how you developed the character for Adrians love interest. I read plenty of books about how opposites attract, and I think a woman Adrian is going to have to work hard for is perrrfect! Can’t wait to read it!
August 25th, 2011 at 3:26 pm · Link
I found Jennifer Ashley and so far I love everything I have read
August 25th, 2011 at 3:26 pm · Link
well, I discovered YOU this year!;D LOL
and Ashley March!=) love u both!
August 25th, 2011 at 3:31 pm · Link
Some of my favorite authors:) Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Jill Shalvis, Luanne McLane, just to name a few. I also just read First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones and could not stop laughing!! Her heroine has ADD and is so relateable. 😉
August 25th, 2011 at 4:11 pm · Link
I’ve found a few new authors this year Tara Lain, Jess Dee, Lynn Hagen and Joyee Flynn.
August 25th, 2011 at 4:50 pm · Link
I’ve only had one new discovery and that’s Cherise Sinclair and her Shadowland Masters series which is a BDSM series that is to die for. Also, I had already heard of Jaci Burton, but not until recently did I start reading her books, specifically the play-by-play series.
And of course I’ve been keeping up with my favorite authors and their series.
August 25th, 2011 at 5:07 pm · Link
This year’s discoveries: Lyn Benedict, Jeaniene Frost, G.A. Hauser, Andrew Grey, Josh Lanyon, Devon Monk, and Nalini Singh to name a few!!
August 25th, 2011 at 6:01 pm · Link
Well, Lauren Dane is the best author I’ve discovered this year! Along with Maya Banks, Cara McKenna/Meg Maguire, and Anne Calhoun.
August 25th, 2011 at 7:23 pm · Link
My most recent great discovery is Sisters of the Sari by Brenda L. Baker. I won it in a contest and I am so glad I did. It was a wonderful read. I also found Vivi Andrews. Her books are snappy and funny! I know there are many others but I can’t think of them right now. I have been trying to get caught up on all of the series I am behind in so I haven’t been reading too much new…
August 25th, 2011 at 8:41 pm · Link
Yes!!! I have learned there are more types of romance out there than you can shake a stick at. I found that I love historical romance novels and that everyone has a different version of history. I have learned this from authors like Amanda Scott, Donna Grant, Julianne MacLean, Kresley Cole, Madeline Hunter, Mary Balogh, Mary Wine, Monica McCarty and Kaki Warner. Those are a few of the “New to Me” authors I have had the greatest pleasure of reading this past year. 😀
I READ ALOT!!!
I have learned that even though an author write mostly one genre, that they may venture off the path a bit and still be totally amazing still. Linda Lael Miller is a great example, she writes mostly western romance, some from way back when and some modern. But she has this two book series that I love, “MoJo” series, its both western and morden, its has some romance also. But its also a mystery, and instead of changing the focus to different characters, its the same main charater. But Mojo has some much to offer, I am desperately hoping she will write more!
Sadly I have also learned that some series end. This year I said goodbye to my friends the “Chanku” from Wolf Tales by Kate Douglas. 😥 I Love my Chanku, but she has said we will see the next generation in the future. 😀 Also, the ladies from the “Rarest Bloom” series by Madeline Hunter. The women from Nora Roberts “Bride Quartet”, and also Lora Leighs sexy as hell “Elite Ops”.
But Mostly, what I learned was that if I do not carry a list of the books I need in order of the authors, I always end up with a copy of a book I already own. So now, in my car, are TWO flexible report covers with a author booklist in each of all the authors I currently have, and the titles I no longer need checked off. We are in a recession, I have to watch my spending. Since books are my drug of choice :oops:, I have to be cafeful not to OD on books I already have!!!
August 25th, 2011 at 9:37 pm · Link
I re-discovered Shannon Stacey. I love her writing and am looking forward to reading more.
This sounds so great!
August 25th, 2011 at 9:56 pm · Link
I discovered PNR! Before this I’ve been reading mainly Historical Romance & SFF & PNR is a nice combo of both.
I’ve read books (or a book) by Gail Carriger and Thea Harrison which were really good. I’ve added other authors to my TBR list & looking for recommendations.
August 26th, 2011 at 2:02 am · Link
Illona Andrews, Pamela Clare, Isobel Carr, Chloe Neill and Seressia Glass just to name a few of the authors I have found this year.
August 26th, 2011 at 2:16 am · Link
I’ve rediscovered the awesomeness of Jodi Picoult. Always interesting subject matter and remarkably realistic characters. Top shelf stuff!
August 26th, 2011 at 5:34 am · Link
I have found some great new Authors through a book club I start started participating in Stella Price, Tilly Greene, Joey Hill to name a few. I would love to win this book i have been meaning to buy it, it sounds sooo good!
August 26th, 2011 at 8:36 am · Link
I read an ARC of Where demons fear to tread by Stephanie Chong and I can highly recommend her book
August 28th, 2011 at 11:10 am · Link
🙂 love your style!!!!