Vixenwriter

I’m so thrilled to announce that COMING UNDONE is now available in trade paperback or digital format!

COMING UNDONE
Berkley Heat
ISBN: 978-0425232705
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance: Related to Laid Bare
Length: Novel

Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Books A Million
Also available in digital formats (from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the sony ebook store) and Books on Board!

Brody Brown has always been responsible for others. After his parents’ death, he gave up a promising artistic career to care for his younger brother and sister. Now, with his siblings grown, Brody owns his own business, has a nice house, makes a nice living, and for the first time in years he’s on his own.

Elise Sorenson has come to Seattle with her young daughter to find peace. After years as a world-famous ballerina—(and just as many years in a marriage-gone-bad)—she’s looking for neither love nor attention. But she finds both in the handsome, honest man who befriends her with no strings attached.

More than friends, Brody and Elise discover in each other what they need—wild, physical passion without commitment. But it’ll take a shadow from Elise’s past to make them look beyond what they need—to what they truly desire.

I’m in a few places today if you should like to pop in and say hello (and just perhaps win a book):

BRODY is interviewed at Leontine’s place

Fatin has me talking about series

I’m over at Seductive Musings as well, guest blogging and I’m part of a week filled with great authors and book giveaways:

A fix for my jones – new books out today!

Shannon Stacy’s next Devlin Group novel, No Surrender is out today from Samhain!! Shannon Stacy is a really wonderful writer and it’s one of my goals in life to introduce more readers to just how fabulous she is. This series is a not miss!

Um, whew that’s SOME cover huh? Tasty abs! Here’s the blurb:

Don’t hold back. Never give up. If only it was that easy…

The Devlin Group, Book 3

When sabotage downs their helicopter in the mountains, Gallagher finally gets the up-close and personal time he’s been craving with fellow agent Carmen Olivera. After their rescue, the saboteur’s trail sends the Devlin Group to Africa, where Carmen tries to revert back to her cold, professional self. Except Gallagher isn’t ready to let her go. Not by a long shot.

As the Group gears up to rescue a young woman held hostage in the well-guarded compound of a guerilla warlord, Carmen tries to shove her long-time attraction for Gallagher—now jacked up by one mind-blowing night—back into its mental corner. No matter what her heart says, there’s no future with him. They’re from different worlds. Not to mention the effect a failed relationship could have on the job.

But as the mission gets blown all to hell, they find the African jungle has its own, brutal way of deciding who has a future at all…

Jill Sorenson has a new book out today as well, Set the Dark On Fire! If you haven’t read Jill yet, you really need to! Crash Into Me came out last year and it’s really excellent (hot surfer who is also a dad? Yum). This one is on its way to me right now so I’ll be reading it soon

Blurb: Shay Phillips knows her way around Dark Canyon. She’s handy with a gun and can track a wild animal with the best of them. It’s humans who usually give her the most trouble. And with a hormonally charged teenage brother to raise—and an admitted weakness for the wrong kind of man—they’re giving her plenty of trouble these days. Then there’s the matter of murder. As an expert on mountain lions, Shay is skeptical when a local prostitute turns up mauled without a drop of blood near the body.

Now, together with the town’s newly arrived sheriff, Luke Meza—a Las Vegas city boy with his own dark secrets—Shay must navigate a dangerous valley filled with angry ex-lovers, unfaithful spouses, and poisonous snakes in a desperate search for the killer. But when suspicion falls on her own brother, and her attraction to Luke rages into a full-on erotic affair, can Shay quell the fires inside her long enough to uncover the truth?

One of my very favorite paranormal romance authors (and one of my very favorite people) Cynthia Eden has a new one out today too! An anthology with the most wonderful Shelly Laurenston (LOVE HER) and Sherrill Quinn called BELONG TO THE NIGHT

Cindy’s story is In the Dark: FBI agent and leopard shifter Sadie James’ undead ex, Liam, still arouses her deepest desires, distracting her from tracking the brutal rogue shifter who is terrorizing Miami. By teaming up with Liam, Sadie has a better chance of solving the case, but as passion consumes them, she stands to lose more than just her heart.

“The Wolf, The Witch, and Her Lack of Wardrobe” by Shelly Laurenston: Jamie Meacham has enough trouble controlling her supernatural abilities. There’s no time for lust, or for Tully Smith, even with his smoldering amber eyes. But Tully’s grappling with his own animal instincts as a powerful shifter-wolf, trying to protect all his territory-including a certain sassy witch-from vicious rivals.

“City of the Dead” by Sherrill Quinn: Dori Falcon is a witch with a plan: get to New Orleans, locate her missing brother, and recover the Eye of Bastet, a mysterious and powerful amulet. Her plan never included falling for sexy Cajun copy Jake Boudreau; but without his help, she may never find the demon who has her brother, and the key to her family’s survival.

Last but never least – another fellow Bradford Babe – Shelli Stevens is in the newest Sexy Beast anthology out today!!

“Chanku Challenge” by Kate Douglas

When Beth and Nick first discovered the amazingly sensual power of their Chanku birthright, the desire to mate was fierce and uncontrollable. But Beth remains haunted by an event from her past, and she must confront it in order to accept her new life and find the happiness she so desperately seeks…

“Eye of the Beholder” by Anitra Lynn McLeod

Terrified at the rumors of her new husband’s hideous disfigurement, Larra of Rellmon fears the night and his approach. But as the hooded Dauer caresses her body Larra’s shivers of terror become quivers of ecstasy, and under cover of darkness she willingly submits to complete sexual surrender…

“His To Reclaim” by Shelli Stevens

Five years ago Gemma gave her heart and soul to a fellow werejaguar only to have him disappear. Now Hunter has come back and kidnapped her on her wedding day in order to make her his again, and he will tempt, tease and taunt her body to the heights of hedonistic pleasure to get exactly what he wants…

Sometimes you have to go more than halfway to meet in the middle.

Caitlin Moore has every reason to celebrate. She’s through with law-school finals, and out for some post-semester fun when she runs smack dab into Eamon Blake, the Irishman with whom she had a summer fling years ago. Time hasn’t dimmed their lingering friendship—or their sexual chemistry.

Eamon isn’t looking for love when he bumps into Cat while he’s in Seattle on a job. Yet over the next year, he finds himself involved in a rekindled long-distance romance that moves from casual to a lot more.

That’s the rub. Cat is determined not to repeat her past mistakes with men and give up the dream job for which she’s worked so hard. Independence is something she’s spent years achieving. Eamon can start over so much easier than she can—why shouldn’t he make the sacrifice this time?

But Eamon doesn’t much relish leaving the life he’s been building in Los Angeles—and he really doesn’t like ultimatums. At an impasse, goodbye seems the only direction to go. Ending it is the right thing to do…or the biggest mistake they ever made.

Today, at long last, Taking Care Of Business is available in trade paperback here in the United States! Megan Hart and I came up with the idea for this book while we stood in line for a party at the RT convention in Houston in 2007.

BTW – Megan and I are guest blogging over at Novel Thoughts today about music – there’s a contest too….

One conference, two friends, two men who know how to take care of business.

Blurb: After leaving the wrong man, Leah Griffin’s not ready to look for the right one. All she wants is to survive the conference she’s planning and spend some time with her best friend Kate Edwards. She’s not expecting the conference services manager to be so tall, dark and handsome…or so eager to please. It’s Brandon Long’s job to make Leah happy, but after a scorching interlude in her hotel room, neither can deny business has become pleasure.

Smart, driven and successful attorney, Katherine Edwards has spent her life making the right choices. Directly counter to those right choices, she’s involved in a long distance, secret love affair with a co-worker. Charles Dixon is a bad choice she can’t help but make – over and over. A conference and a promotion bring Kate back to Pennsylvania and suddenly, Dix wants far more than a few nights in random hotel rooms. He wants something permanent and Katherine has to figure out if sometimes a wrong choice isn’t exactly what a woman needs.

And… shipping from Barnes and Noble and MBaM but not amazon who is listing the release date as late April instead of today (sigh) Cascadia Wolves: STANDOFF is also available in trade paperback!! Standoff is the last in the four book story arc (Enforcer, Tri Mates, Wolf Unbound, and Standoff) and resolves the Pellini group issue.

Blurb: Cade Warden has put his Pack first for most of his life and now Warren Pellini and his thugs threaten everything he holds dear. Into that life of intense focus and increasing loneliness walks the woman he’s been waiting for.

Grace Pellini isn’t just Cade’s mate, she’s the sister of his greatest enemy and she’s been putting herself in grave danger to gather information to aid the Nationally Allied Packs. Cade is everything she could have hoped for in a man even if he is overprotective and pushy at times.

Against the backdrop of their increasing passion and deepening bond, they race against time to find a key to stop Pellini’s biological weapon. And then the stakes rise again when Pellini calls an ancient Challenge. It’s up to Grace to stand by and let her mate risk everything for his people. And his life is in her hands.

The story of the wolves you met in these books will continue with October’s Trinity, which tells Jack’s story and moves us to the East coast and National Pack territory…

Less than a week! Yay! My characters are Katherine and Dix – I thought it might be nice to introduce Kate to everyone so how about an excerpt?

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS by MEGAN HART AND LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2009, Megan Hart and Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Black Lace
Releasing March 31

The artificially cool air soothed over her skin as she pulled Katherine tight, pushing Kate far away. Here in midst of three thousand dollar office chairs and floor-to-ceiling glass and chrome, there was no room for mistakes.

The shiny reflective walls of the elevator showed a confident, cool woman. Feminine, but not too. Her heels weren’t matronly, nor were they sexy. Understated and expensive, chosen with the same deliberate care she put into everything else to do with her career. The suit, a summer weight, was smoky gray. The wine-colored blouse added just enough color. Not flashy, but it complimented her skin tone and hair. Hair carefully tucked into a sleek chignon at the base of her skull completed the look she wanted to achieve.

Choices. It all came down to choices, and Katherine Edwards made the right ones. The right choices were what it took to get ahead in the savvy and male-dominated world of corporate law. It didn’t mean she was a ball-busting bitch, but she’d made her share of attorneys on the other side of the aisle cry, she was sure. A smile touched her lips at that.

Katherine wasn’t cold, nor did she hate sex and men. She wasn’t a cliché. What she was, was smart and ruthless when she had to be. She knew the difference between how men and women were allowed to act at work. She wasn’t one to fret over it, it was what it was so she sucked it up and dealt.

She’d nearly lost it all as a result of her wilder days when she was in college. Lost a job, nearly had her future derailed in the aftermath, so she knew the importance of staying on the straight and narrow during business hours.

She saved Jello shots and gossip for after six and well away from the office. She kept a firm wall between Katherine, the woman with her eye on the prize of the corner office and her articles in legal journals and Kate, the woman who wore jeans, ate Doritos and watched reality television while on IM with her best friend Leah.

A flicker of unease shot through her at thoughts of Leah and that stupid fuck she lived with, but she’d have to deal with that later. She’d also have to confess about Dix. Leah would love that one.

The elevator doors opened up to a large reception area and the two women behind the ridiculously large credenza looked up in unison and smiled brightly. Holding her briefcase in her left hand, she approached with a smile of her own and introduced herself.

‘Hi there, I’m Katherine Edwards and this is my first day. I’m doing a CLE and I’m supposed to meet someone from HR to get all my paperwork turned in.’

Another surprise she hadn’t told anyone about. She wasn’t sure how to process any of it. Something big was going to happen one way or another. A sense of expectancy had been building over the last two weeks. Excitement warred with worry deep within her.

Christ, it’s bright. A shaft of absurdly golden sunshine heated her arm as she waited in the hotel lobby for her cab. At least the air conditioning kept the space cool.

June in Philadelphia was um, golden and hot. It had been so easy to forget when she’d headed to the University of Washington to go to law school and ended up staying. How quickly the rain and mist became normal. Back home it would be nearing about seventy degrees and the sunlight would still be pale. Well, not back home anymore. Philly was home now. All her stuff would be delivered the following weekend to move in. How this would affect her arrangement with Dix she didn’t know.

They’d begun speaking on the phone when she’d been hired of-counsel to Allied Packaging on a contracts issue and the spark had been there immediately. How it’d flowed into phone sex Kate wasn’t even sure of anymore but it had. And then emails.

The first time they’d met face to face was for two days in Chicago when she’d gone to speak at a legal conference and he’d shown up at her door. The sex had been explosive, amazing, so furtive and guilty, nothing had ever been so delicious.

That’d been four months before and they’d met once more in San Francisco a month prior. In between the few times they’d been together physically, they’d gotten to know each other, which in retrospect had been very stupid on her part because she liked Charles Dixon a great deal. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him. Which was, of course the crux of the issue.

What they had was a nice, part-time no-strings fling. Had she endangered that by taking a job at the Philadelphia offices of her firm and moving there?

She had a plan, she had goals and she prided herself on keeping her business separate from her personal. And yet, there she sat, majorly muddled with this man at the core. Katherine Edwards and her right choices—only she cheated and made a wrong one because he was too delicious not to.

She heaved a sigh and settled in the cushy chair. After returning from her day of meetings, she’d taken a shower and changed out of her suit and into a sleeveless shirt, Capri pants and sandals to battle the heat. Something she’d be doubly glad for on the two hour train commute.

Her phone rang. Shake It Like A Salt Shaker.

Leah’s voice came over the line and while she’d tried to play off her break up with that asshat Mike, the emotion hung heavy in her voice.
In any case, they made arrangements to meet at the train station but there’d been a moment when Dix had come up in passing.

Kate’s breath caught at the mention of his name. Leah had been her closest friend for what felt like forever but Kate hadn’t told her about him yet. It called for alcohol and lots of it. They had a lot of catching up to do when they met later on that evening in Harrisburg.

After they’d rung off, Kate settled back into the plush faux-comfort of the chair, staring out the windows to Market Street just beyond and waited.

She could have jotted down her notes. Could have pulled out her laptop and worked. Could have made a few calls and checked her voicemail. Instead she allowed herself to do nothing but think.

Sometimes you have to go more than halfway to meet in the middle.
Caitlin Moore has every reason to celebrate. She’s through with law-school finals, and out for some post-semester fun when she runs smack dab into Eamon Blake, the Irishman with whom she had a summer fling years ago. Time hasn’t dimmed their lingering friendship—or their sexual chemistry.

But Eamon doesn’t much relish leaving the life he’s been building in Los Angeles—and he really doesn’t like ultimatums. At an impasse, goodbye seems the only direction to go. Ending it is the right thing to do…or the biggest mistake they ever made.

Warning: Like-whoa sexy Irishmen speaking French in the ear of a very willing Seattleite. Sexin with all the big words.

Always comes out from Samhain on April 14, right before I’m off to RT! I thought a wee excerpt would be fun to toss up here as I’m on the very last bit of polishing Coming Undone before I send it to my editor.

ALWAYS by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2009, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Samhain Publishing
Releasing April 14

Caitlin woke up to a slight headache and sore thigh and groin muscles. Stretching experimentally, she bumped into the hard wall of warm, naked man and smiled.

Eamon.

It was then she realized what had roused her from slumber after a night where he’d woken her up twice more to make love.

She nudged him gently. “Eamon, wake up.”

“We’re out of condoms, darlin’. I can run out and grab us some if you let me sleep just a wee bit longer,” he mumbled, making her laugh.

“I’m not sure my muscles are up to another romp with you just now. Your pants are ringing.”

He opened his eyes and groaned. “Shite.” Rolling out of bed, he scrambled to his pants and fished out his phone, answering it quickly.

Not wanting to intrude on his call, she eased out of the warmth of the blankets and headed to the kitchen. Once she’d turned on the coffeepot, she headed to the bathroom and turned the hot water on for a desperately needed shower.

It wasn’t but about ten minutes later before he tapped on the door and stuck his head in as she was drying off.

“You have no idea how much seeing you that way makes this even harder.” He groaned. “I have to go. The PR guy from the record label needs to reschedule one of the bands to today. I need to get back to my hotel and change and grab some supplies before heading over to Bellevue where they’re all waiting.”

She frowned, disappointed. Still, she understood the demands of a career. “Oh, okay. I understand, believe me. Work comes first. It was lovely to see you.” She grabbed her robe. “Let me give you my cell phone number. Give me a call if you have the time while you’re still in town.”

Rustling through her utility drawer in the kitchen, she found some paper and a pen and wrote the number down along with her home number and handed them to him. “You want some coffee to take with you? I’ve got a million travel mugs you can take.”

He looked damned good as he cocked his head and gave her a sexy smile. “That would be fantastic. Thank you. Aren’t you going home for the holidays then?”

She avoided his eyes as she grabbed a mug and poured the hot coffee into it. Hell no, she wasn’t going back to Boston to be harassed about her choices by her family. “Sugar and milk there if you like.” She indicated their spot on the counter. “And no. I’ll be here. My mentor and her family will have me over for Christmas. Anh is a cross between a mom and a big sister. Her kids will run me ragged all day and I’ll eat too much. Her husband is a sous chef so there’ll be plenty on their table.”

“Well, good then. I’m sure your family will miss you though.” He looked at his watch before securing the lid on the mug and sighed. “I really have to get moving. I’ll call you soon. We didn’t do much talking last night. Not that I’m complaining. Still, I want to know what you’ve been up to.”

“Call me and I’ll tell you. I’ll even make you dinner if you like.” She cocked her head and smiled. How could he resist such an invitation?

“Sounds like a very fine offer.” He kissed her quickly before rushing out and she sighed, tossing herself onto her bed, loving the way the pillows still carried his scent.

wanna win something? Since it’s the tail-end of Read an Ebook Week – I thought it would be fun to give away an ebook, or two even. So how about an easy contest? What books are you looking forward to picking up between now and June? Winners will receive their choice of my backlist available in digital format! I’ll choose a’la randomizer at noon pacific tomorrow (Saturday the 14th)

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED VIA EMAIL! THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ENTERING

Click to Play

You can read excerpts and advance reviews at my website.

In this erotic universe, passion knows no rank…

Since the first settlers came through the portals from Earth, fifteen Families have held the rule of the Federated Universes in their hands. There’s never been a better time than now to throw out the old and usher in a new order. Give voice to the unranked. Abbie Haws has spent her life battling the system. A fighter, she’s always been too busy and driven to pay much attention to finding love. But when she’s granted audience with Roman Lyons, the head of House Lyons, who stands for everything she hates, her instant attraction catches Abbie off-guard…

It’s common knowledge that the Known Universe revolves around Ravena—and that Ravena revolves around Roman Lyons, bred to lead since birth. Roman dreads his meeting with a defiant—if stunning—rabble-rouser. But, sometimes, headstrong personalities in the conference room make for hot-and-heavy, guilty trysts in private….

Now, Abbie will show Roman the parts of her world he wouldn’t otherwise get to see. And he’ll give her a glimpse of the Families’ age old tradition and unleash a sexuality he’d never given rein to before.

Now On To The Contest Details!!

This is an ARC contest for my upcoming Heat release, Relentless. The intent of an ARC is to get readers and reviewers talking about the book – so essentially what I’m asking people to do is talk about the book – review it at your blog or at your reader group or review site between April and May 5, when the book releases.

The winners just send the link with their review and agree let me quote it at my blog and website (with proper attribution, natch). I don’t require that you like the book although I hope you do!

THE RULES (please read carefully) All you need to do to enter is reply to this post and tell me where you’d be talking about the book if you win (urls are always helpful if you mean your blog!). I’ve got a limited amount of ARCS so I’ll choose winners based on that supply. I also have a limited number of electronic ARCs so if you’d be willing to read and review an electronic ARC, say so in the comments

I’ll announce the winners by Noon March 1 at my main blog and contact winners off list – please include an email so I can notify you and get your mailing address!

Good Luck!!

Oh and btw – ARCs are in the air and if you love good books, you should head on over to Jaci Burton’s blog where she’s running an ARC contest of her own for her next Wild Riders book – Riding on Instinct

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

One conference, two friends, two men who know how to take care of business.

Blurb: After leaving the wrong man, Leah Griffin’s not ready to look for the right one. All she wants is to survive the conference she’s planning and spend some time with her best friend Kate Edwards. She’s not expecting the conference services manager to be so tall, dark and handsome…or so eager to please. It’s Brandon Long’s job to make Leah happy, but after a scorching interlude in her hotel room, neither can deny business has become pleasure.

Smart, driven and successful attorney, Katherine Edwards has spent her life making the right choices. Directly counter to those right choices, she’s involved in a long distance, secret love affair with a co-worker. Charles Dixon is a bad choice she can’t help but make – over and over. A conference and a promotion bring Kate back to Pennsylvania and suddenly, Dix wants far more than a few nights in random hotel rooms. He wants something permanent and Katherine has to figure out if sometimes a wrong choice isn’t exactly what a woman needs.

This is an ARC contest for my and Megan’s Taking Care Of Business. (we put the blurb and cover up above this) The intent of an ARC is to get readers and reviewers talking about the book – so essentially what we’re asking people to do is talk about the book – review it at your blog or at your reader group or review site between mid February up until March 31 when the book releases.

The winners just send us the link with their review and agree let us quote it here and at our websites (with proper attribution, natch). We don’t require that you like the book although we hope you do!

THE RULES (please read carefully) All you need to do to enter is reply to this post and tell us where you’d be talking about the book if you win (urls are always helpful if you mean your blog!). we’ve got a limited amount of ARCS so we’ll choose winners based on that supply.

We’ll announce the winners by Noon February 7 – please include an email so we can notify you and get your mailing address!

Good Luck!!

A surprise but a nice one – Anya Bast and I wrote connected stories for the Torrid Tarot series in 2007 at EC. Her heroine and mine are sisters. Anyway, we’d always hoped the novellas would come out in a print combo and we found out via google alert that is is finally available as Crown and Blade

I do like the cover (minus the banner at the top which takes away from the cover art I think). It’s very sexy and I like that blue/silver hue (and he’s no chore to look at either)

Blurbage: Sword and Crown by Lauren Dane

For most of Rhea’s life, she used her Talent as a Practitioner of sex magic to keep her world safe from a powerful dark menace. But tragedy struck and she found herself exiled to Earth.

Fifteen years later, out of the blue, a face from her past appears on her doorstep. The Nameless is back and stronger than before. Her people need her and they’ve sent her first love, Jax, to petition for her help.

As the stakes get higher, with the balance of the very existence of her universe in her hands, she’s also fighting the loss of her heart to a man who walked away from her once before. She knows her past has changed her in elemental ways but while she knows she can trust Jax at her back, she has to figure out if she can trust him with her heart.

Whisper of the Blade by Anya Bast

Emmia feels the emotion of all who surround her. Her Talent is empathy and it’s more curse than blessing. She employs her skill as a justice mercenary, discovering criminals and meting out punishment.

Magnus didn’t kill his lover, Caith, the way everyone suspects. Now he is lord to a keep filled with suspicious, angry people.

Quinn, part three of the ménage à trois that ended in Caith’s death, wants only to set things right and resume the loving relationship he once had with Magnus. He seeks out Emmia and employs her.

In a sexual tangle…
But both Magnus and Quinn are drawn to Emmia, just as they are drawn to each other. All three of them become lost in a weave of scorching and erotic desire coupled with emotional need.

A bad boy is about to find out just how naughty a good girl can be.

After eight long years of pretending a horrible one-night stand hadn’t happened and wondering if it had been her fault, Charity Harris has finally coaxed handsome bad boy and lifelong friend, Gabriel Bettencourt, back into her bed. It’s not just good, it’s fanfreakingtastic! Trouble is, he’s persisting with his story about not wanting a relationship and not being good enough for her even as their friendship blooms into something looking a lot like love.

Gabriel has ached to make Charity his for years, and finally having her in his bed, not just enduring but enjoying his darker urges is more than he’d ever imagined it could be. Despite what she says, he knows she deserves candlelight and roses, not candle wax and ropes. He’ll enjoy her while he can and let go when she finds the right man.

Charity knows Gabriel’s game and she’s not having any of it. A man can like it rough in bed and still be good and kind. He’s exactly the kind of man she wants to marry and she will. She loves him and she knows he loves her and she’s not taking no for an answer.

So when he runs off “to think” just after Christmas, it’s up to her to let him know that good girls can like it dark and rough and bad boys can be good men.

(also this week are Jaci Burton’s Unraveled – like Sweet Charity, Unraveled picks up after her 07 holiday story, Unwrapped! And Lorelei James’ Mistress Christmas and D. McEntyre’s Midnight Rose – it’s a very good day at Samhain!)