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…

4.5 stars from RT Book Reviews ~ “Bast finishes up her Elemental Witches quartet with plenty of fast-paced action and flair. She’s done a terrific job of setting up the supernatural conflict that comes to a thrilling climax in this book. A tremendous finish to a riveting series!”

Berkley Sensation
Elemental Witches 4
ISBN-10: 042522869X
ISBN-13: 978-0425228692
Release Date: June 2, 2009

Sarafina Connell is having the worst week of her life. It takes an even darker turn when an infamous playboy kidnaps her and reveals a world she never knew existed….

It’s a world where magick is real, and where Sarafina is given a chance to join a secret cabal that is bent on gaining absolute power. They could use a woman like her—a witch with an untapped gift for creating fire. But she isn’t about to get in league with the devil.

Rescued from her captors, Sarafina is introduced to a coven that is duty-bound to fight the forces of darkness. She’s pleased that her savior is the imposingly seductive Theo—until the trust between them goes up in flames. However, as the war between good and evil is waged, Sarafina and Theo realize they have no choice but to unite in the battle for supremacy—that’s getting hotter by the minute.

Sound awesome? Well it should, because it is. Wanna win a copy? I might be able to help you with that. Simply respond to this post with: book you just finished, book you’re reading now and what you’re looking forward to next. I’ll choose a winner at random at 2:30 pm my time/5:30 eastern. Easy peasy and good luck!!

Michelle Pillow follows up last month’s reissues from Samhain (I drooled over the Realm Immortal books here in March!) with an EC book called Lilith Enraptured!

Blurb: A Divinity Warrior book set in the Divinity Universe.

Sorin of Firewall lives in a land forever at war. In fact, the Starian men are so busy fighting, their marriage ceremony has been reduced to a “will of the gods” event where they simply pick a woman out of a lineup and claim her as a wife. With women becoming scarce, it’s necessary to trade the offworld Divinity Corporation for brides. Duty-bound to attend the ceremony, Sorin has no intention of picking a bride, let alone one from another dimension. That is, until he sees Lilith, the bewitching woman sent by the gods to reward—or punish?—him.

Lilith, a data analyst for Divinity, is betrayed by the Corporation and wakes up in a primitive, uncharted dimension filled with warriors who know only war and duty. Her fear of becoming a sex slave to a big, beefy knight becomes all too real when a warrior of god-like proportions claims she’s his new woman. As Lilith discovers, there are worse fates than being the focus of Sorin’s skillful and earthy seduction.

Cynthia Eden has a new book out in a new universe! This one is called Immortal Danger and I adore that cover!

Blurb: BEING BULLET PROOF SUCKS—LITERALLY
Once, Maya Black was a kick-ass cop patrolling the streets of L.A. She still keeps the city safe, but nowadays her bad guys of choice include demons, werewolves, and assorted nocturnal scum. Something Maya knows a thing or two about. She’s a vampire—and not thrilled about it. Payback meet bitch.

Adam Brody hopes Maya is as dangerous as they say she is. He needs her to help rescue his niece Cammie from a ruthless band of vamps, and he’s willing to pay—in blood. Trusting her is another matter. Adam has never met a vampire who doesn’t lie. Then again, he’s never met anyone like Maya, who fills him with a desperate need that ignites into explosive, no-holds-barred encounters…

On April 1, Vivi Anna released a new Valerian Chronicles book from Nocturne!

In a race against life and death, one woman holds the key to sanity and salvation…

After escaping from the Otherworld Crime Unit, Kellen Falcon came to Nouveau Monde to crack a rare blood disease. But the European hotbed of temptation yielded sport no vampire could resist—criminologist Sophie St. Clair. And with only days to live, Kellen sought sweet release from her to escape a savage past.

The lycan beauty wasn’t one to stray from her pact. But an investigation into a downtown bombing now tied the two together. And it wasn’t long before Kellen’s smoldering eyes and Sophie’s fierce desire for this vampire put her loyalties to the test…

Coming Tuesday April 7 is Ann Aguirre’s Blue Diablo, the first in a brand new series (I gotta say, I loved this book)

Eighteen months ago, Corine Solomon crossed the border to Mexico City, fleeing her past, her lover, and her “gift”. Corine, a handler, can touch something and know its history—and sometimes, its future. Using her ability, she can find the missing—and that’s why people never stop trying to find her. People like her ex, Chance…

Chance, whose uncanny luck has led him to her doorstep, needs her help. Someone dear to them both has gone missing in Laredo, Texas, and the only hope of finding her is through Corine’s gift. But their search may prove dangerous as the trail leads them into a strange dark world of demons and sorcerers, ghosts and witchcraft, zombies—and black magic…

I’m in such amazing company! Laura Bradford’s clients are so awesome!

But wait! There’s more!

Non Bradford gals, but authors I love nonetheless!

Larissa Ione’s third book in her Demonica series, Passion Unleashed is also out! I think this series is one of the very best paranormal worlds out right now. Larissa’s writing is just plain awesome.

FORBIDDEN TEMPTATIONS

Serena Kelley is an archaeologist and treasure hunter-and a woman with a secret. Since she was seven, she’s been the keeper of a powerful charm that grants her health and immortality . . . as long as she stays a virgin. But Serena isn’t all that innocent. And when a dangerously handsome stranger brings her to the brink of ecstasy, she wonders if she’s finally met the one man she cannot resist.

FATAL DESIRES

Wraith is a Seminus demon with a death wish. But when an old enemy poisons him, he must find Serena and persuade her to give him the only known antidote in the universe-her charm. Yet, as she begins to surrender to his seductions and Wraith senses the cure is within his grasp, he realizes a horrible truth: He’s falling for the woman whose life he must take in order to save his own.

And the ever-so-fabulous Jaci Burton’s next Wild Riders book, Riding on Instinct, releases on Tuesday the 7th!

Department of Justice agent Shadoe Grayson is out to prove she’s no rookie, and eagerly accepts her first undercover assignment at a strip club in New Orleans. Working with the Wild Riders, a government agency of bad boy bikers, her goal is to expose a corrupt DEA agent. All she has to do is learn to strip like a pro.

Standing in Shadoe’s way is arrogant and smokin’ hot Spencer King, her new partner and one of the Wild Riders. Spence thinks she looks more like a schoolteacher than a stripper, and doubts her ability to do the job. But when he mockingly challenges Shadoe to strip just for him, he finds out there’s more to the surprisingly sexy agent than by-the book rules and Government Issue pantsuits…

(Keep an eye out! I’m going to be running some contests this upcoming week, starting with Ann’s Blue Diablo)

Blurb: Plum Creek, Colorado 1872

The Right Man Comes Along

Madeline Brewster practically owns Plum City, Colorado. But at thirty-two, she knows she has missed any chance for happiness. Until she finds a tall, strong, handsome Irishman on the wrong end of the hangman’s noose. Suddenly this unconventional woman comes up with an outrageous idea . . .

Teague O’Neal has rugged cheekbones, tousled black curls, and eyes as blue as the sky, even if he is caked in Colorado mud. The men insist they caught him horse-thieving, and there’s something desperate about him that says he’d do anything for a buck.

Maybe it was pure chance, or maybe it was something more that brought Madeline and Teague together. But one thing’s clear, between a woman who has just about everything she could ever want, and a man who’s lost that and more, they might find something in between worth living for.

If you haven’t read her yet, you really need to. Beth has a way of balancing heat and sweetness, strength and tenderness that creates a great read every time.

BTW, I say Dream Man but I meant Mr. Perfect!

Two of my friends have really wonderful books coming out at the end of this month – Cynthia Eden has Everlasting Bad Boys releasing on August 26 (an antho with Cynthia, Noelle Mack and Shelly Laurenston) and Ann Aguirre has Wanderlust, the follow up to Grimspace, also coming out on August 26!

In honor of that, I’m going to choose two winners, one to win a copy of Wanderlust and one to win a copy of Everlasting Bad Boys. I’ll have the copies pre-ordered to ship direct from Amazon.

ATTN: here are the rules! All you need to do is respond to any of the the posts about tropes (there’ll be a few, starting with lone assasins on August 14th) with some of your own favorite tropes/storylines and an example of that (because I always want to find new books!) and I’ll toss your name in and choose a winner via randomizer on Thursday August 21 at noon pacific.

Good Luck!!

Here’s the official announcement:

This week, you can download Nate by Beth Williamson free for your Kindle! (and Beth is AWESOME!)

Up next will be Giving Chase by Lauren Dane. (yes, that’s right, me!)

Here’s the official promo:

Samhain Publishing is pleased to announce our very first Amazon Kindle ebook giveaway! The title is Nate from Beth Williamson. The free download period begins on Monday, July 14th through Sunday, July 20th. This title is the first in the Devils on Horseback series from Williamson and we’re thrilled to share this exciting series with readers. As an FYI, Williamson recently signed with Kensington in April 2008.

Our next Kindle giveaway will be in August. That title is Giving Chase from Lauren Dane. I will send out a notice with all the details once they are finalized.

I finished Jeri Smith-Ready’s Wicked Game last night. It’s been a while since I’ve been this totally gonzo about a book. I just really loved it. It’s smart, the writing is clever, tight, sexy in the right places, tense in others, scary here and there and totally original.

Ciara is a smart but not perfect heroine. A grifter (oh how I love twisted characters) trying to go straight for a host of believable and layered reasons. Her job at this funky radio station makes sense. The way she acts with the vampires makes sense. The way she interacts with Shane her sort of boyfriend/vampire makes sense. I liked her a lot because she was accessible in a really wonderful way.

The mystery/suspense element was well done. The worldbuilding was clever and believable and the romantic sub-plot handled well and in proportion to the story. On top of all this? Jeri is a really, genuinely nice person, which is all too rarel.

Wicked Game is a really good book and if you haven’t grabbed it yet you really should. You won’t be sorry at all.

And lastly, my husband is home from his business trip so yay! A long weekend without copy edits or a super close book deadline, a new book opening up in front of me to write, time with my family – it’s all good.

So fellow Bradford Buncher and really nice person and all around excellent writer Cynthia Eden has a new book coming out next week – Hotter After Midnight. Click the “More” link to see an excerpt and check back later for my review of this really good book!

How much do you know?”

Emily swallowed and tried to figure out just how much she should reveal.

His hold tightened around her.

He was the one sitting down, the one forced to look up at her, but Emily had the feeling she was the one in the vulnerable position. “I-I know you aren’t human.” Her voice came out softer, huskier than she’d intended.

She hoped Colin would leave it at that. Hoped he wouldn’t probe any deeper.

“Ah, baby, I already knew that.”

She tried to tug her hand free, but his grip was unbreakable.

“You’re the Monster Doctor, the one all the local ghouls go to see.” A faint trace of amusement underscored his words. But his eyes were watchful, intense, showing no echo of humor.

Her jaw clenched. “Let go of my hand.”

He smiled at her, and his fingers fell away from her wrist.

Emily immediately sprang across the room, putting several feet between them. Nice, protective space. “Look, if you aren’t here to discuss the case, then I want you to leave.” She turned her back on him, heading toward the front door.

“How do you do it?”

His words stopped her.

“How do you tell who is human and who isn’t?”

She heard the soft rustle of the sofa cushions as he rose.

“That’s a pretty interesting talent you’ve got there. And I’m just dying to know exactly how you do it.”

Emily cast a longing glance toward the front door. “I’m afraid you’re just going to have to live with your curiosity, detective.” Because she sure as hell wasn’t going to reveal her innermost secrets to a stranger. Yep, letting the guy inside had been a definite mistake.

“Hmmm.” His breath blew against the nape of her neck. Emily jumped, startled to find him so close to her. The guy hadn’t made a sound when he’d crossed the room.

“I’d like to see your hair down,” he muttered, and his fingers brushed against the bun she’d yet to unwind.

She jerked away from him. “And I’d like to see you leave. Guess which one of us is about to get her wish?”

His hard lips curved into a smile, a smile with a hint of real warmth. “Tough lady, aren’t you?”

She’d had to be.

His smile slowly faded. “But trust me, I’m a hell of a lot tougher than you could ever dream of being.” And in a flash, he had her pinned against the wall. His strong, hard body pressed against her, his muscular thighs pushed between hers, shoving up her skirt, and his right hand locked around her wrists as he forced them against the wall over her head.

Her breath left her body in a startled gasp.

“Now let’s try this again,” he growled. “Just how much do you know about me?”