GODDESS WITH A BLADE Contest Day Three!
Jun
1
2011

This morning I’m a helper mom at the elementary school for middle boy so I won’t be announcing the winner for yesterday until I get back (closer to noon pacific). Meanwhile, here’s today’s entry!

Also out this summer is the trade paper release of REVELATION, the second de La Vega Cats book and Kendra and Max’s story!

He has the one thing she never thought she deserved. A place to belong…

At long last, Kendra Kellogg has found her sister—but she’s no closer to filling the gaps in her past. The magick that brought them together makes them targets for dark mages intent on finishing what started with their mother’s murder.

As if her life wasn’t chaotic enough, in barrels the one thing she doesn’t expect, Max de La Vega. He’s six-and-a-half-feet of cocoa-brown alpha male. He’s strong, intelligent, sexy and intense. Everything she’d wanted in a man. And he scares the hell out of her. Still healing from a disastrous past relationship, she wonders if she’ll ever have that kind of forever.

The next in line to run his jaguar jamboree, Max is unused to hearing “no”. Once he knows what he wants, he assumes he’ll get it. And he wants Kendra. She deserves happiness and it’s his mission to give it to her.

When dark mages attempt to steal her magickal energy, Max’s cat agrees with the man—Kendra is his to protect and he will stop at nothing to keep her safe. She can push him away as hard as she likes, he’s not going anywhere.

Warning: Prickly, grumpy witch, bossy alpha male, scorching hot sexual attraction, toss in some bad words, a little bit of violence and a whole lot of action.

DE LA VEGA CATS: REVELATION by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2010, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Samhain Publishing

Kendra sat up in her bed on a strangled gasp, her hand outflung to ward off the danger she’d dreamed of. Before she could shake off sleep enough to call Renee to check on her sister, her phone rang.

She scrambled to grab it as the dream wore off and set her free.

“Yes? What’s happening?”

“Kendra, can you come over please?”

Kendra shoved her hair from her eyes, getting out of bed and yanking pants on. “Jack?” she asked, recognizing her brother-in-law’s voice. “What’s going on?”

“Renee’s had a dream. She’s upset and she won’t talk about it without you.”

“Give me a few minutes. I’m on my way.”

“Max is on his way to your apartment right now. I’d send one of my men, but he’s closer and obviously capable of protecting you. Don’t leave until you know it’s him.”

“I don’t need an escort,” she managed to say as she pulled on her bra and then a shirt. Max. A delicious warmth pushed away some of her panic. Still, it wasn’t time for adolescent mooning over a boy she could never have. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Kendra, your sister will kill me if something happens to you because you were attacked.” Jack’s voice lost some of its bite. “She’s safe now. I know you’re worried. Just sit tight. Please?”

She smiled, knowing he couldn’t see her and also that he loved her sister with a ferocity she’d only ever seen in a shifter. For such an alpha male to break down and plead only made her more worried about her sister even as it pleased her that he clearly adored Renee.

She sighed. “Fine. Just keep her awake and don’t let anyone inside until I arrive. If he’s not here in five minutes, I’m going without him.”

His sigh was way less tired and more agitated.

“What? Come on, Jack, I’m worried about her and she’s there and I’m here. I can’t wait all night. I’m worried. All right?”

“All right. And Kendra?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“I love my sister. It’s not a thing.”

She hung up and put on shoes while she brushed her teeth quickly. Max de La Vega was one of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes on, the least she could do was not look like a hag when he arrived. They’d exchanged some looks. Mild flirting. Renee had told her he was dating a woman, another jaguar shifter, but had broken things off a few months back. Renee seemed to think it was about Kendra. She’d love to believe that, but he was not her normal fare. Like a five-star restaurant with all the dollar signs and she was that little pho shop down the hill that everyone loved because it was good and fit a budget.

Hm. That didn’t necessarily sound right. But whatever, it was an argument she was having in her head, who would judge?

She heard the purr of an engine and looked out to the street where Max had just pulled up. Not bad. Four of the five minutes she’d given Jack. He probably drove like a crazy person, which given the situation, she appreciated as she jogged down the inner stairs and outside to meet him.

He—good sweet heavens—looked soooo good standing there on her stoop she nearly forgot her sister was in trouble.

“Did you look through the peephole before you came barreling out here?” he asked her in that voice, the voice she’d been thinking about since she’d first heard it nearly four months before. A rumble, a growl and sometimes if she was very lucky, nearly a purr.

Still, hello, she wasn’t a five-year-old.

“Nope. I rushed out here with dollar bills pinned to my shirt.”

He snorted, a smile hinting at the corners of his mouth. “Come on then, car’s right there.”

If by car, one meant a sleek, black jaguar. Which, okay, she laughed and he looked at her sideways.

“What?” He hustled her inside the still-running car, and he lectured her about opening her door? “You’re a black jaguar, am I not supposed to notice your car is too?”

Without asking, he reached over and belted her in before squealing away. “Watch the upholstery, you’re going to rip it to shreds.”

“If you didn’t drive like a maniac I wouldn’t have to hold on so tight. Also, you left your car running! You lectured me on opening my door, which yes, I did look out first, I’m not a moron, and your car was unlocked and running on a city street in Boston at three in the morning.”

“Who’s going to steal from me, Kendra? Hmm?”

He had a point she supposed. “It’s not like a thief is going to know you’re some super-dooper alpha jaguar shifter.”

He laughed then. “Oh little witch, you’re so smart and powerful and yet, naïve sometimes. Predators always know other predators. Or they become prey.”

Oh.

“I’m nearly five nine, I’m not little.”

“You are compared to me.”

Hmpf. If he wasn’t eleven feet tall that wouldn’t be true. Then again, if he wasn’t six and a half feet tall of delicious chocolate skin, he wouldn’t be as ridiculously sexy as he was. Which would be a shame because he was the fodder for many of her best masturbatory fantasies.

“Why are you on guard duty anyway?” She pretended to ignore the way he drove all while fervently thanking the universe for airbags.

“Galen asked. It was you. I came.”

It was her? Really? What did he mean? That she was Renee’s sister and so his relation? Or her specifically because he had fantasy wankfests about her? Gah, okay, she didn’t need to go down that road just then. They turned onto Renee’s street, and she tensed, holding her bag ready.

“Hold on, babe. No need to hurt yourself jumping from a moving car,” he said, screeching to a stop.

“Babe?”

“I could call you sexy if you prefer.”

She huffed an annoyed breath, swinging her door open and jumping out. “I’m not that girl, Max de La Vega.”

“Dream on, Kendra. You are and more,” he murmured as he got out on his side, making her all flustered. Several times over the last few weeks he’d turned her into goo with silly things. The way he looked at her, or some tossed-out comment.

At first he’d sort of been wary, but friendly. Slowly though, it had felt as if he’d begun to focus on her in an altogether new and non-related sort of way. His attention wasn’t so much off-putting, but intense. He had a way of looking at her, intimate, as if he brushed her skin with his lips as he stared.

They were all that way, the shifter males, no matter the rank, they were intense beings. They paid attention on a level she hadn’t thought existed.

This one in particular also had a way of moving like there wasn’t a damned thing in the universe capable of scaring him. He owned every single step he took. Simply expected everyone to pay attention and be there when he needed it. Like the way he handed his keys off to Gibson, Max and Galen’s brother and the Bringer of the jamboree, who tossed them to another guy who drove off without a word.

Cripes, there were at least six shifters out in front of the house, all on guard. Their magick filled the area with loam and fur. Her magick always rose in the presence of Weres, it flowed around her like a warm breeze.

Gibson cleared people from the base of the steps and nodded at Kendra. “They’re inside waiting.” Gibson rarely said much, but damn he was pretty to look at.

Two extra-large males flanked them, leading them into the house. She really had no idea how Renee could take all this coddling and manhandling. It drove her nuts.

“Come on up. Renee is waiting for you.” Galen motioned to her and she pushed past the guards to jog up the stairs to her sister.

TODAY’S Prize is a copy of Kiss of Snow – I pre-ordered two, which is nice because now I have an extra to send to one lucky winner! I’ll announce that winner tomorrow morning, June 2 at 9 am pacific and the usual rules apply – you need to claim the prize within 7 days and it’s the winner’s responsibility to check back to see who’s been chosen.

Today’s Question: What books are you planning to read this summer?

39 comments to “GODDESS WITH A BLADE Contest Day Three!”

  1. Marlene Breakfield
    June 1st, 2011 at 8:29 am · Link

    I want to read Big. Bad Beast, The Reluctant Vampire, Magic Slays, Never Cry Wolf, and Kiss of Snow.



  2. Rachel Riddles
    June 1st, 2011 at 8:31 am · Link

    Well later this summer I’ll be reading Never Enough, Once and Again by you!! Dangerous Pleasure- Lora Leigh, The Ideal Man- Julie Garwood. In Bed with a Highlander-Maya Banks, Only Mine-Susan Mallory, Changing the Game-Jaci Burton. Obviously I’m gonna be very busy!!! 😆



  3. Raonaid Luckwell
    June 1st, 2011 at 9:19 am · Link

    Hopefully Kiss of Snow, Legend of Michal and a lot of others in my to be read pile.



  4. CrystalGB
    June 1st, 2011 at 9:26 am · Link

    I want to read Kiss of Snow, Forever by Maggie Stiefvater, Storm Kissed by Jessica Andersen, and Forgotten Sea by Virginia Kantra.



  5. Collette
    June 1st, 2011 at 9:33 am · Link

    This summer? I can barely figure out what I’m going to read this week! 😉 Kiss of Snow and the new Ilona Andrews are up for this week. And I just got the new Courtney Milan novella. That’s probably afternoon nap reading. I also have a library pile and a TBR pile (both paper and ebook) that’s out of control. Just how I like it.



  6. Michelle Bledsoe
    June 1st, 2011 at 9:55 am · Link

    Bad me, but I have not read Ms.Nalini(?). I will be reading a whole bunch of books this summer. Won’t name them all because it would take too long…LOL



  7. Pam B
    June 1st, 2011 at 10:21 am · Link

    Hi

    There are so many books I want to read this summer…I will name a few:
    Kiss of Snow
    Magic Slays
    Deeper than Midnight
    Goddess with a Blade

    Thanks



  8. Ferishia
    June 1st, 2011 at 10:26 am · Link

    My summer reads list includes: Godess with a Blade (of course :), Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh, Deeper Than Midnight by Laura Adrian, and Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon



  9. Stacie
    June 1st, 2011 at 10:55 am · Link

    I will be reading Goddess With a Blade, Collide by Megan Hart, Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison to name a few. I haven’t read this series by Nalini Singh but I heard that Kiss of Snow could be read as a stand alone story.

    Congrats on the new release!



  10. Ilona
    June 1st, 2011 at 11:01 am · Link

    I’ll be reading whatever I can get my hands on from my local library or rereading what’s on my keeper shelf as I can’t afford new books right now (need to buy a new Power chair for DH). 😥



  11. Danny
    June 1st, 2011 at 11:16 am · Link

    I have to catch up on several of my favorite series and authors, like Nalini Singh or JR Ward



  12. Christine
    June 1st, 2011 at 12:04 pm · Link

    Lord Langley is back in town by Elizabeth Boyle and Nathan’s book of course.



  13. Joder
    June 1st, 2011 at 12:06 pm · Link

    Two books that I’m most looking forward to are….Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Waking Up With The Duke by Lorraine Heath.



  14. Dana
    June 1st, 2011 at 12:20 pm · Link

    Well like Ilona said, whatever I can get my hands on. My go to authors are…

    1) Megan Hart
    2) Kate Douglas
    3) Shayla Black
    4) Cynthia Eden
    5) Jeanine Frost

    and of course,

    You!

    There are many, many more authors I do LOVE, but won’t take up all the space. The above are the ones I rarely even need to read the blurbs of, I KNOW I will love the story.
    😀



  15. Valerie
    June 1st, 2011 at 12:39 pm · Link

    Kiss of Snow
    Goddess with a Blade
    Too Hot to Touch-Louisa Edwards
    Changing the Game-Jaci Burton

    Just to name a few, I have a very long list 🙂



  16. Danielle W
    June 1st, 2011 at 1:02 pm · Link

    If we count august, my buy list includes all YOUR new releases, plus maya banks’s, jaci burton’s, shannon stacey’s, thea harrison’s, paula quinn’s, gena showalter’s, kenyon’s, and richelle mead’s new releases. My list is long and expensive and I could not be happier. 🙂



  17. Danielle W
    June 1st, 2011 at 1:03 pm · Link

    ^ and inez kelley haha



  18. Fedora
    June 1st, 2011 at 1:30 pm · Link

    LOTS! A few of the top ones are Sarah Mayberry’s latest–The Last Goodbye, Ann Aguirre’s Nightfall, and a bunch of yours (I have some backlist to catch up on–can’t wait!) 🙂



  19. Chele Blades
    June 1st, 2011 at 1:33 pm · Link

    Kiss of the Snow is on my TBR folder so is 2 by Jessica Bird (JR Ward) and also Sydney Crofts new one will be out soon…just rec’d my copy of the Guardian as well..and Rock Hard too…not to mention my Backlist of TBR…ugh now i know just how far behind i am



  20. becky jean
    June 1st, 2011 at 3:07 pm · Link

    kiss of snow by nalini singh and jaci burton’s new book 🙂



  21. Brandy Swain
    June 1st, 2011 at 4:08 pm · Link

    a few I’m waiting for are Everdark: The Dark Ink Chronicles, The Sookie Stackhouse Companion, Embrace the Night by Amanda Ashley. Just to name a few



  22. Estella
    June 1st, 2011 at 4:35 pm · Link

    Kiss of Snow
    Goddess With A Blade
    Wicked Lies
    Bloodlands
    Love Drunk Cowboy



  23. Amy Kathryn
    June 1st, 2011 at 5:08 pm · Link

    As many as possible…I have the stacks by the chair and the kindle loaded up. Bring on the beach!

    Specifically, The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn, Heartless by Gail Carriger, Lorraine Heath’s new one, a lot of Georgette Heyer, and many others.



  24. Diane Sadler
    June 1st, 2011 at 5:21 pm · Link

    Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan
    Bound by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon
    Merciless by Diana Palmer
    Canyons of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz
    Vampire in Atlantis by Alyssa Day
    Hunter’s Fall by Shiloh Walker
    Deeper than Midnight by Lara Adrian
    That’s a few of them!



  25. Jessie
    June 1st, 2011 at 5:48 pm · Link

    Kiss of Snow, Changing the Game, In Bed With The Highlander, just to name a few of them



  26. Lisa B
    June 1st, 2011 at 6:07 pm · Link

    Playing Dirty Susan anderson
    Only Mine Susan Mallery
    Ideal man Julie Garwood
    The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters Sierra Dean

    I have to catch up the last JR Ward Book and a couple of Christine Feehan books and Nalini singh’s last huntersguild book. That should keep me busy for a little while lol

    Lisa B



  27. infinitieh
    June 1st, 2011 at 6:24 pm · Link

    I have so many books in my TBR pile already that I don’t even want to think about all the wonderful books coming out this summer!

    For sure the latest Jayne Ann Krentz and catching up on J R Ward’s books.



  28. Maryam
    June 1st, 2011 at 6:27 pm · Link

    KISS OF SNOW
    GODDESS WITH A BLADE
    THE IDEAL MAN by Julie Garwood
    ZOMBIES SOLD SEPARATELY By Cheyenne McCray
    TRACE OF FEVER AND SAVOR THE DANGER By Lori Foster
    DANGEROUS PLEASURE by Lora Leigh
    DOMS OF DARKHAVEN 2 By Belinda McBride, Sierra Cartwright, and Cherise Sinclair
    ACCIDENTALLY CATTY by Dakota Cassidy
    TAKEN BY FIRE by Sydney Croft

    and so many, many more…



  29. Pamk
    June 1st, 2011 at 6:28 pm · Link

    I plan to read Kiss of snow, Magic Slays anything new by you, sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole and lots of others. I am afraid to look at my wish list but I know those top two are on my list. I am heading to Lori Foster’s gettogether this weekend. Wish you were going to be there. But I get to meet nalini yay.



  30. Jen B.
    June 1st, 2011 at 7:46 pm · Link

    My TBR list for this summer is huge but here are a few highlights:
    Jessica Andersen Storm Kissed
    Karen Rose You Belong To Me
    Shannon Stacey Yours To Keep
    Gail Carriger Heartless
    Catherine Coulter Split Second…

    There are about 20 others. And, of course, I have some Lauren Dane mixed in. I am on pins and needles waiting for the next Brown sibling story!



  31. Chelsea B.
    June 1st, 2011 at 7:50 pm · Link

    I am planning to catch up on the IAD series by Kresley Cole this Summer! I am about 4 books behind!



  32. Ren Puspita
    June 1st, 2011 at 8:26 pm · Link

    There’s so many books at my TBR that I plan to read at this summer, like This Side of The Grave, The Darkest Secret, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, Kiss of Snow, Dragon Bound, Magic Slays etc
    Summer will be fun! 😀



  33. Jimena D.
    June 2nd, 2011 at 12:25 am · Link

    My summer reading list are some new releases coming out this summer and some other books that I’ve been meaning to read an haven’t had time:
    Dark-Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon (I’m on Dance with a Devil right now)
    Changing The Game by Jaci Burton
    Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
    Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
    Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
    Total Abandon by Opal Carew
    Afterlife by Claudia Gray

    I’m sure there are more I can add to the list 🙂



  34. Lindsey Ekland
    June 2nd, 2011 at 12:35 am · Link

    I have piles of TBR and it changes by the week but I will read Kiss of Snow Nalini Singh, Changleing Moon Dani Harper, My danger ous Pleasure Carolyn Jewel, Jaded Anya Bast, and the backlist of Kate Douglas, Karen Chance and Sherilyn Kenyon.



  35. steph j
    June 2nd, 2011 at 3:41 am · Link

    I have a long list but here are a few.

    hit List
    Vampire in Atlantis
    Maya Banks sweet series
    Goddess with a blade

    And the list goes on and on. 😆



  36. Kris M.
    June 2nd, 2011 at 4:40 am · Link

    A few of them are:
    Goddess with a Blade
    Lover Avenged
    Kiss of Snow
    Something Borrowed
    Cameron’s book (don’t remember the name of it) by Jennifer Ashley
    Everdark by Elle Jasper
    Night Veil by Yasmine Galenorn



  37. CARRIE BERNARD
    June 2nd, 2011 at 8:53 am · Link

    I have so many books in my TBR pile. I want to start off with Game of Thrones. I heard it is 800 pages so that may be my summer of reading..lol. Thank you for the giveaway.



  38. Meggerfly
    June 2nd, 2011 at 11:47 am · Link

    I have way to many books lined up! Today’s book is Hidden by Blood by Laurie London then Divergent, Enclave, Kiss of a Highlander, Highland Destiny and Embraced by Blood just to name a few!



  39. Jolene A
    June 5th, 2011 at 10:40 am · Link

    There are so many I want to read, I really want to start on the BBD series by J.R. Ward and I need to get going on Bones, heard so much about him and I have some paranormal YA’s I’d love to get my hands on