Happy New Year, friends! I don’t know about you, but I honestly can’t think of a better way to start the year than with a bit of…blood and wine! Yes, this is me, seriously missing my vampires. I think I’ve been lost in the land of contemporary fiction for way toooo long, and it’s time to sink my teeth back into my beloved blood suckers. Luckily for me, I’ve got a excerpt from a new novel from author Amber Belldene that sounds like it will instantly bring me back to the fangtastic world of fangbanging. Let’s see what we’ve got!
After a shower, she stood before the mirror on her closet door, wrapped in her towel, and looked closely at her face. Thirty-one, and it showed in the laugh lines at the edges of her eyes, from all the laughing she didn’t do, and the tiny creases around her mouth. She didn’t mind. They were a badge of honor.
I’ve survived. Four years alone, and no more visits to the hospital, to boot. If those signs of age and an ill-advised affair were the worst she had to show, then she was going to kick thirty-one’s ass.
In the apartment below, the radio played some dance music. Her toe tapped to the beat. She unwrapped her black wool skirt from its dry cleaner’s plastic and slipped it on. The lining felt cool against her thighs and she rubbed her legs together to enjoy the satin’s softness as she peered into the closet. Running her finger over blouses in various shades of white, ivory and gray, she picked one that looked crisp and professional, but comfortable enough for a car ride. As she pulled out the shirt, she stuck to her daily ritual, and squeezed her eyes shut. She was always careful not to look behind the curtain of hanging clothes, to where the skeletons hid in her closet.
Finally, she held up two pairs of shoes. The pumps were better for kicking ass. But she was going to a winery, so the kitten heels were probably more practical. Plus, they were red and it was her birthday. So what if she wasn’t having a party. Slipping them on, she clicked them together like Dorothy and headed for the door.
In Blood Vine, bites are an inconvenient bliss, exiled vampires are wasting away, and the fate of their kind depends on the perfect PR campaign.
When public relations pro Zoey Porter arrives at an enchanting California winery, she discovers her sexy new client is the almost one-night stand she can’t forget. After her husband’s suicide, Zoey has vowed never to risk her heart again. But can she walk away from the intriguing winemaker a second time?
Driven from Croatia by his ancient foes, vampire Andre Maras has finally made a blood-like wine to cure his fellow refugees. Now he needs Zoey’s PR expertise to reach them. After his wife’s death, Andre has a vow of his own—never to risk another painful blood bond. And one taste of the tempting Zoey would bind him to her eternally.
His secrets stall her PR plans. Her jealousy is stoked by the blissed-out beauties leaving his bedroom. At every turn, he utterly fails to resist her. When she discovers he is a vampire, will she be lost to the golden-eyed Hunters, or lose herself to the emptiness in her heart, before she can help him save his kind?
Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons—an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days.
With a B.A. in comparative religion and an M.A. in theology, Amber is a Christian minister and student of religion. She believes stories are the best way to explore human truths. Some people think it is strange for a minister to write romance, but it is perfectly natural to Amber. She believes the human desire for love is at the heart of every romance novel and God made people with that desire.
Amber is addicted to vampire stories, but loves to read all kinds of romance and literature. Her favorite books examine history and cultural origins, like Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle, Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent, or Salmon Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses. And, yes, she was named after that Amber, of the classic romance novel Forever Amber.
From the wine country of Sonoma County to the foggy neighborhoods of San Francisco, all of Amber’s fiction is set in Northern California, where she lives with her husband and two children.
This cartoon pretty much describes how I have felt about New Year’s Resolutions in the past. I mean after a while I learned my lesson with this tricky little tradition.
Sure, I made a few resolutions in the past – many moons ago. What have I resolved to do? Pretty much what every other American resolves to do:
Many years I resolved to stop biting my nails. How they hay does one do this? To this day I cannot figure it out. My husband says, just stop doing it. Sure, I say, and you just stop scratching yourself. I don’t think he found the humor in that – ha ha ha. I mean how does one stop doing something that I don’t even realize I am doing until my nails are bitten so low they hurt and I have hang nails on my thumbs that require band aids.
So after several years of trying and failing I stopped resolving to stop biting my nails.
I have also resolved to lose weight. This just makes me want to eat more. I mean really you tell me NOT to do something and that just makes it all the more appealing. Just like the bad boy syndrome. Don’t even pretend that a bad boy isn’t appealing. LOL.
So after attempts at resolving to lose weight I started resolving to accept myself the way I am. That sounds all nice and pretty right? It’s a lot harder than it sounds. I still work on that every day. I will say that I think something like this comes with age. I stopped resolving this as well.
I’ve resolved to save money. Let’s all laugh now and move to the next one.
I’ve resolved to be a better person. This is very vague and wide reaching. Exactly what does this entail? I hold the doors for others at the mall, I try not to glare at people in public who annoy me (oh please like you haven’t been in line with someone behind you that is like “OMG did you hear…?” Actually, I didn’t hear but thanks to your loud voice – I have heard now!) I recycle, I try to take things in stride when I don’t like the way things go. But let’s face it. You can’t just become a “better” person because it’s your New Year’s resolution. You have to work at something like that. It doesn’t happen overnight. And invariably – I am human – and sometimes I get annoyed and tell people about it. LOL.
Eventually I looked in the mirror and realized that making a New Years Resolution was like guaranteeing myself that it wouldn’t happen.
So I gave it up. Why bother making a resolution I was destined to fail then feel like crap because I didn’t do it. *Shrugs* Seems like a vicious cycle to me.
I became like Gerald:
And I pretty much made fun of others who tried to make New Year’s Resolutions:
So to all of you Resolution believers out there. Keep on resolving. It’s a New Year and anything is possible!
Just for fun I googled New Year’s Resolution. I found this list of the top made New Year’s resolutions. Have you resolved to do any of these? Has anyone NOT resolved to any of these? Lol.
Top most made New Year’s resolutions
• Drink Less Alcohol
• Eat Healthy Food
• Get a Better Education
• Get a Better Job
• Get Fit
• Lose Weight
• Manage Debt
• Manage Stress
• Quit Smoking
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
• Save Money
• Take a Trip
• Volunteer to Help Others
Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). In addition to her many writing credits she is also the co-host for JournalJabber, a blog talk radio show that focuses on writing and books. She currently lives in Pennsylvania where she is plotting her next book.
Satan Jack invites you to come…and indulge yourself in his journey to save the angel he loves. After running Hell for over a thousand years, one foul-mouthed Seraph has changed his end game.
Even if it means destroying the universe, Jack refuses to give up on his woman. He didn’t know what love was until Emma’s skin pressed against his, the addiction to any of his other vices paling in comparison. Jack has never been a fearful man, but he gets it now. Fear comes when you have something to lose. Or someone.
“Your boyfriend’s back, Missie. You look lovely tonight. Drink this wine; it’s spicy and deep. Much like yourself. That drip on your bottom lip looks delicious. May I taste it? Do you like when I ask or would you prefer I just take?
Dirty girl, I knew you’d want it rough. Look how soft your skin is. I think I could just taste every little bit. I believe a night between us is long overdue. I’ve learned a new trick. My smoke can travel all over you, touching any place that craves me. Right now? It’s your neck so I’ll let the smoke slide under your clothes.
I have only one request before I toss you onto that bed. I need to know where Debra Anastasia is. She owes me…something. Why do you press your lips together? Is it because I’m Satan? Does giving me what I ask for make you feel guilty?
Debra deserves anything she gets. She took my foul-mouthed angel from me. And you know how long ago that was. All this time I’ve waited. I’ve been patient. Now she won’t tell me how the sequel ends, only the title. Bittersweet Seraphim? That tells me exactly nothing. If the title gave some hint of victory I might be less vicious with her.
But enough about my needs. Come to me, Missie. Let me pull your hair off your shoulders and kiss your neck until you purr. Let my smoke shackle you to my bed, that way when the pleasure overcomes you, I’ll be able to…push you further than you’ve ever gone.
Just one whispered word about where she is and then we’ll get started.”
~Jack
Suffering is worst when you’re doing it alone. But Emma’s taking Hell like an angel—even though her languishing began with having her seraph wings torn from her back. Now her worst enemy lords his body and his evil desires over her while she tries desperately to remember the words to her favorite prayer.
As Devil, Jack used to have Hell and its women humming like well-oiled machines. Too bad he’s nowhere near the place now. Stuck on Earth as a human, he must work with a ragtag team of exiled minions and half-breeds to save the angel who’s become all that matters.
Rescuing a seraph is the plan, but breaking into Hell means letting evil things out. Once they collide, minions and angels converge in the battle of the ages: good versus evil. But which side is which? Will Jack destroy the world as he fights to save Emma, his true and timeless love, from a damnation he designed?
An action-packed sequel to Crushed Seraphim, this tale reveals—time and again—what happens when the heart’s deepest desires break free. With a story both sizzling and sensual, emotional and enigmatic, Debra Anastasia invites readers to join a battle with nothing less than love on the line.
When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend’s unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her .
Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new “construction worker” who’s moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer’s crosshairs?
Review:
You can’t help but love Lori Foster’s sense of humor once you meet her latest pair of sheet burners. Logan and Pepper are the most unconventional couple, him being an undercover cop posing as a construction worker, her being a shewolf disguised behind sheep’s clothing. But boy, were these two a hoot to hang out with, especially considering how awkward yet erotic their first few smexy times scenes were. Each believes they are deceiving the other in an unforgivable way. For Logan, the depiction can not be helped if he plans to catch his best friend’s killer; for Pepper, she’s protecting the only family she has left, her brother. But even though Logan uses Pepper to get to her brother, he plans to win her back, no matter the risk.
I’ve been reading Foster for a long time now, and I’ve always enjoyed the mind tricks she plays on me. She’s fantastic at developing multidimensional characters. There were a few I was rooting for but I wasn’t entirely sure if I could trust them or not. That alone was enough to keep me glued to the story. I also really liked how romance took center stage Run the Risk, and not just the one between Logan and Pepper. Foster also took the time to develop romantic tension among various pairs of secondary characters for the future installments in this series, which added a welcomed anticipation.
The crime boss nemesis bit was somewhat predictable, but it was still edgy and it helped moved the story along. Overall, Run the Risk was a fun, fast read that ended with a promise of more sizzling romances to come.
Hello, book nerds! Thanks to the wonderful people over at Tribute Books, I have a read-along excerpt from author Emma Michaels’ newest series, Owlet! The read-along is part of a blog tour; you can check out more excerpts here: Owlet Blog Tour. And don’t forget to enter the mega giveaway at the end of this post.
“I’ll be missing you, Izzy.”
She didn’t want to leave her father’s arms. He had acted so strange the night before and she was worried about him. She didn’t understand what had happened, but the way her father acted towards her had changed. It was like the distance he had put between them emotionally was slowly melting away, and Iris didn’t want to leave and have that distance reappear. She was worried it would grow back and leave them even farther from each other than they had been before.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear as he hugged her close, slipping something around her neck. He had rarely ever said the words aloud. She had always known he loved her but saying the words was different. It meant more.
Diana pulled her towards the terminal as her father waved goodbye.
“I love you, too.” Iris said making sure it was loud enough for him to hear.
Diana stopped for a moment and smiled, yet her expression immediately changed when her gaze fell to Iris’ neck. It was like she was seeing a ghost. Iris looked down and saw that what her father had slipped around her neck was the unique chain from the night before; she was now wearing the golden feather.
Please bring my dreams back. I could only dream of darkness last night, Iris thought.
Clasping the feather between her hands, she walked away.
Emma Michaels is the author of the ‘A Sense of Truth’ and ‘Society of Feathers’ series. Her goal with her latest YA novel Owlet is to give others what she did not have growing up; a strong female protagonist with asthma. While her previous aspiration was to be a lady knight she realized that not being able to run more than a few feet might become a hindrance so turned to writing instead. Her day jobs include being a cover artist, marketing consultant and silk screen designer.
As the founder of The Writers Voice blog, she loves to connect authors and readers. As a book blogger turned author, she was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, until she moved at eighteen to Washington State. Suddenly, the world was a new place filled with tall green trees that reached further for the sky with every moment, making her want to do the same. Ever since, she has tried to make her life something new and different from what it was before, pursuing her future career, setting high goals and reaching for them. With the support of her fiancé, Chihuahua, and her amazing blog followers and fellow bloggers, she wants to prove to the world that anything is possible and help inspire fellow literary lovers to reach for their dreams.
Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.
Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.
Blood Vine
Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons—an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days.
This cartoon pretty much describes how I have felt about New Year’s Resolutions in the past. I mean after a while I learned my lesson with this tricky little tradition.
