Rosalie Lario

This is it…the last day of 2011! I wish that it brings much joy to all of you, and that  you start the New Year on a fabulous note!

Today I’m being spotlighted over at Read 2 Review. If you have a chance, please stop in to check it out.

Also, I have a new review for Touch of the Angel up at Paranormalromance.org.

Today’s the last day to VOTE for your fave authors over at GraveTells Paranormal Romance News & Reviews. If you can, please stop in and vote.

And finally, today’s also the last day to enter my Touch of the Angel release contest, where you can win a signed book from the series, bookmarks, and a Blood of the Demon refrigerator magnet. Click HERE to learn more!

Happy News Years everyone!!!

I’m still in the middle of family vacation and having a great time. Hope everyone else is having just as much fun!

It looks like 2011 is ending with a bang. I just found out I’m nominated for several awards on GraveTells Paranormal News & Reviews’ 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards, including Favorite Book, Series, Cover Art, Couple, Hero, Heroine, Author AND Breakout Author, and Sexiest Story!!!! Wow, what a list!! I cannot even express how honored I am. *happy dancing*

I would so appreciate it if you could show your support by voting for me in one or more of these categories. Even if you haven’t read my work, there are a lot of other great authors nominated, so please stop by and VOTE!!

http://gravetells.com/2011/12/27/gravetells-2011-readers-choice-awards-vote-here/

Oh, and I also found out I’m a Books on Board Bestselling Author for this past week! Blood of the Demon is #4 on the Bestselling Romance eBooks list, Mark of the Sylph is #6, and Touch of the Angel is #9! I also landed the #2 spot for Bestselling Romance Author!!!

Check out the rest of the list here: http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=150929

Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the year!

Hope everyone has been having a wonderful Christmas! I’ve been spending a lot of great time with the family, but I was able to fit in a holiday party with Keegan, Taeg, Ronin and Dagan from my Demons of Infernum series!

Pop on over to GraveTells Paranormal Romance News & Reviews to see how my half demon boys spent the holidays, and leave a comment to enter to win your choice of one of the books in the series (including an ARC of Heart of the Incubus, my novella featuring the incubus Cresso)!!

There are four chances to win, so don’t forget to stop by!

Merry Christmas, and happy New Year!!!

Christmas is almost here! That time of year when I’m maniacally trying to wrap gifts. I’ll be taking the next few days off to celebrate with my family, but here are links to a few holiday posts:

All I Want for Christmas ~ Bookin’ It Reviews

So What Do You Get a Demon for Christmas ~ Romance Under the Moon

Holiday Gift Giving…And a Giveaway! ~ Fang-tastic Books

Hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing holiday!

Update: The winners for this Giveaway are…

Desiree and Stacey Siferd! I’ll contact you privately to arrange delivery of your books.

Thanks to everyone for participating!

To get into the spirit of the holiday season, I’m participating in a 193 author blog hop, where there will be all sorts of prizes, from Gift Cards to Jewelry to (my personal fave) books!!

Here’s the deets:

The contest runs today through Sunday, December 18, 2011. I’ll be giving away 2 ecopies of Blood of the Demon:

So if you haven’t read it yet and would like to, now’s the time to enter! All you have to do is leave a comment to this post between now and Sunday, and once the contest expires I’ll pick the 2 winners and announce them as an update to this post!!

Increase your chances to win a prize by visiting other blog hop participants. Click HERE to see a list of the other participating authors and the prizes they’ve got up for grabs. Believe me, you want to win some of this awesome schwag!!!

Have fun with it, and happy holidays to you all!

I’m being interviewed over at Rai 29 Book Read N Review, and I’m talking about everything from my favorite books to my upcoming releases, plus showing off the cover for my January release, Heart of the Incubus. 

Please stop by if you can!

Just in time for the holiday season, I have author J. Paulette Forshey here talking about her latest release: 33 Days Til Christmas.

ME: Your book, 33 Days Til Christmas, features the archangel Gabriel. Can you tell us a bit about it?

PAULETTE: Gabriel is having a problem with humans, specifically their lack of Christmas Spirit, or at least he thinks that’s what his dilemma is. An angel losing his way is one thing, but an archangel, that’s disastrous. The Boss decides to send Gabriel on a working vacation, in human form, to guard a woman for the next thirty-three days. Gabriel knows nothing more than that, he’s a good soldier and does what he’s told without question.

ME: What made you decide to write a Christmas story featuring an archangel?

PAULETTE: At least you didn’t ask why a person who usually deals with vampires and dragons would want to write a story with angels in it.  For a long time I really wanted to do a Christmas tale based on the holiday story “Gift of the Magi”, but never found the right vehicle to express the emotion of sacrifice as in that wonderful tale.  When Whispers Publishing asked for holiday submissions based on a holiday classic the words “terminally ill woman helps a disillusioned angel find his Christmas Spirit”, popped into my head.  After that I figured if an angel was cynical it would have to be an archangel, they see the worst side of us.

 ME: What do you think your readers will like most about your story?

PAULETTE: That even the strongest, most faithful of us needs help now and then, and small towns still have big hearts.

ME:  If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would it be and why?

PAULETTE: You mean besides that multi-millions winning lottery ticket? Okay, serious now, I’d love to have every child in the USA go to bed with a full stomach, many don’t. We’re too great of a nation to have this happening to our own. And I step down off that soap box.

ME: Can you tell us about some of the other books you have available?

PAULETTE: ”Oooo,” she says gleefully rubbing her hands together. “Yes, I can.”

“The Tarczal Alliance” which is about my own breed of blood drinkers is the start to my Tarczal series. I just love the Tarczal guys so alpha and not looking for love, until it and the woman who rides in with it smacks them in the face.

“Chances Taken” my contemporary romance whisks you off to the Emerald Isle where asking for a ride can get you more than you expected.

The Tarczal Alliance and Chances Taken are available from www.whispershome.com

“Cat and the Wizard” is an adult fairy tale written in the language of traditional Celtic folklore.  This book is available from Smashwords.

ME: So what’s next for you?

PAULETTE: I’m gleefully working on a horror short “The Estate”, what else do you write this time of year,  due out July 2012 from Whispers Publishing. It’s about magical books, an abandoned house, and a spirit looking for love. Also, hoping to have the next in the Tarczal series, The Archway, finished and out, it’s a time travel romance.

Visit Paulette at:

FaceBook:  paulette.forshey@facebook.com

Twitter@ ForsheyJ

Email: lvkkincaid7@yahoo.com

http://www.jpauletteforshey.com

Blurb: Archangel Gabriel is sent to Earth in human form to keep a woman, Zippy, safe for the next thirty-three days. He’s not told why, only that he must protect her. He finds his job is more difficult than he imagined, Gabriel has to watch over Zippy without falling in love with her. But when Zippy ends up in his arms there’s only so much an angel can do.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Gabriel Archer hunched his shoulders in his bomber jacket bringing the sheepskin collar up further on his bare neck. His gloveless hands were thrust deep in its pockets. The cold air nipped at the tip of his nose, while his boots crunched the snow and ice beneath them as he made his way among the shoppers. This was his third trip up and down the crowded sidewalks. The people were thick on both sides pushing, shoving, and bumping into each other without an “excuse me” or “sorry.”

Most grumbled under their breath, some didn’t care and said one of several expletives common to the time. The masses seemed to have no thoughts on their minds other than finding that perfect gift, even if it meant maxing out their credit cards.

Yeah, they had the Christmas spirit all right.

He’d been sent here to find and protect one woman for the next thirty-three days. He hadn’t seen any sign of her yet, and day was quickly turning to night. To make matters worse, The Boss sent him here without his powers. He was to do this job as a human. Who said The Boss didn’t have a sense of humor? Many didn’t think The Boss did, when actually, He had a good one, and at times it could be labeled as twisted. One word came to mind about The Boss’s humor, platypus. Gabriel shook his head. He was still trying to figure that one out and why The Boss snorted and guffawed when the word platypus was uttered.

“Excuse me. Happy Holidays!”

The voice yanked him from his morose thoughts.

“Merry Christmas.”

The voice, clear in the crisp air, rang out over the clash of bodies and traffic. Gabriel focused on the sweet sound and zeroed in on her voice. A dark blur caught his peripheral vision amidst the colorful shoppers snatching his attention away from her for a split second.

A terrified scream yanked him back. His assignment was flying through the air…straight into the path of an oncoming car.

Gabriel vaulted a bench, hit the ground running, and didn’t think; he just dove. He was a warrior and fierce as they come.

His six foot six frame wrapped around her mere five foot seven one as he snatched her from the path of the car sliding on the ice straight for her. The throngs on the sidewalk had bumped her into its path.

Twisting his linebacker’s bulk to take the impact of the landing, he smacked the frozen ground, breaking their fall. They skittered across the slippery road, causing other pedestrians to scatter out of the way. He slid with her atop him to finally land in a heap against a pile of snow left by a plow.

Great puffs of white escaped from his mouth as his inside warmth met the frigid outside air. He’d never seen his breath before. Holiday lights danced above his head from strings on lampposts blinking their celebratory colors. Quarter-sized snowflakes drifted lazily down on his dark chestnut hair like an afterthought to splat on his nose and cheeks.

All new experiences for him.

“Wow! That was some ride.” She squirmed against him. “Hmm, sir, you can let go of me now.”

Gabriel lay on his back and dipped his chin to look at the bundle he held tight to his chest. Pansies. Big. Spring. Purple pansies, was his first thought. He’d never seen eyes that shade on a person. Her skin, almost translucent, made the dots of pink from the cold on her cheeks stand out like paint on a doll’s face. A red and green knit cap adorned hair as black and shiny as a crow’s wing, hair that swooped forward to brush and tickle his nose.

“Sir, are you okay?” said the bundle that wiggled against him, stirring things down below that shouldn’t be stirring. After all, he was an angel, and angels weren’t supposed to have stirrings.

Buy 33 Days Til Christmas:

http://whispershome.com/romance/33-days-till-christmas/

So what is your favorite Christmas memory?

It’s been a great release week for Touch of the Angel! For the next 3 days (December 10-12), I’ll be over at GOODREADS hosting an “Ask an Author, Win a Book” session. If you have time, please pop in and ask a question–any question–and you’ll be entered to win an ecopy of Touch of the Angel! (Already have the book? No problem. I’ll substitute any other book from my collection.)

For those of you who love to feel the book in your hand, don’t forget to enter my giveaway of a signed copy of one of the books in my Demons of Infernum series, as well as some additional swag. Go HERE for more details!

Finally, the book signing scheduled for today at Raintree Books in Eustis, FL has been cancelled. I’ll post the rescheduled date as soon as I have it.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Update: The winner for this Giveaway is Emily Tardy! You will be contacted privately by the author, and thanks to everyone for participating!

I watched too much “Creature Double Feature” when I was a girl. Seriously. How else would an 8 year-old grow up with a fascination for werewolves, zombies, gozillas, and vampires? Heck, I was convinced a vampire lived under my bed. Sadly, he didn’t look like Robert Pattinson.

Growing up, I got into Anne Rice. She fueled my need for the supernatural with her vampires and witches. Then I discovered Victoria Holt with her gothic tales of spooky manors, secrets, omens, brooding heroes and high drama.

When I decided to plunge headlong into paranormal romance writing, I decided to write about werewolves. It was an interesting choice to say the least. Vampires were popular, but the werewolf – well, it’s not easy to be a wolf in love. Throw out eternal life. Werewolves die. They’re feral, hairy, and hate silver. Heck, what are they suppose to eat off? China plates? My grandmother would disapprove.

What I love about writing werewolves, especially in my Budapest Moon series, is how the man, who is a wolf, struggles to hold onto his humanity. That’s the crux of each novel.

Another aspect I enjoy is world building. The setting of the novel, the myths, the beliefs are fun to create and are only limited by your imagination.

In the Budapest Moon Series, a wolf needs a witch. My witches, Resa and Esmé, take a holistic approach to healing, using natural based lotions and potions.

My wolves, Matthias and Anton, are challenged – only turning into wolves during the full moon. Their moods change with the phases of moon and when there is a waxing gibbous, their fangs ooze with an intoxicating venom that heightens lovemaking, but they must be careful – they don’t want to get too carried away or their venom will turn the one they’re kissing into a wolf.

In 1997, I visited Budapest on a USO trip right before I left the military and I fell in love with the city. The Danube River runs through it and in the 1840′s, the Széchenyi Bridge was built over the river to connect the two sides, Buda and Pest. It’s the earliest chain suspension bridge built. For me, personally, the best views can be found at Fisherman’s Bastian. It’s a ½ mile long wall built on Buda Hill overlooking Pest and the Danube. The view is awe-inspiring. Budapest’s architecture is that rare gem in Central Europe which makes one believe that a werewolf just might exist there.

About the Author:

Stephanie’s latest release is “Danube in Candlelight,” Book 3 in the Budapest Moon Series. Stephanie was born and raised in Manchester, NH. She served in the US Army from 1986-1997 and now works as a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD.

Danube in Candlelight is set in 1922 in Budapest, Hungary. Morgan Duma returns home after a long stay in England. Her happiness is short lived when her mother is gravely injured. To save her mother, her father wants to turn her into a werewolf so the unnatural healing factor can help her back to health. Her father’s secret, that he’s a werewolf, now revealed, turns Morgan’s world upside down. Will Morgan submit to the baser, more primal urges in her blood and embrace the feral nature of the wolf?

REVIEWS:

5 Stars, Reader’s Favorite:

This story is the closest I have ever come to reading a book that feels like a movie!

5 Hearts, Sizzling Hot Book Reviews:

Once again, Stephanie Burkhart has touched my imagination and with her writing brings 1922 Hungary to life. Danube in Candlelight is a very romantic, yet spicy read. This is a must read if you enjoy the paranormal werewolf stories or even if you merely enjoy a great romance.

3.5 Books, Hope Chest Reviews:

“A pleasant, easy read…with a unique historical setting.”

Book Trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgzUIHCRN0I

ENJOY THIS EXCERPT:

Morgan drew in a deep breath as the knot in her shoulder tensed. Adam had a point. How could she be so self-centered, dwelling on her high-strung emotions? Perhaps it was a cover. Perhaps she couldn’t face the real issue because it mortified her. She didn’t want to think about it now. Morgan turned her head away and reached over her shoulder to massage that tension-filled knot.

“Turn around.” Adam’s voice brooked no debate. She liked a man who commanded authority. Morgan turned, and he massaged both her shoulders. Heat from his hands trailed down her back. Her core warmed. Her body relaxed, reacting instinctively and with a desire she couldn’t hide.

“Did I hit a nerve?” he asked.

“A nerve? In my neck?” She took a step backward to be closer to him.

“No. About your father. Is your real fear about what will happen to your mother once he turns her?” Adam kept his voice low and leaned close to her ear.

She closed her eyes briefly and faced her anxiety. “Yes.”

“Morgan, our fathers’ condition has a host of positive traits — heightened senses, for example, but the best trait is the healing factor.”

“I understand, Adam. That healing factor will help my mother recover from her awful injuries, but it comes with a tradeoff — she’s going to become a werewolf.”

“Is it better she become addicted to morphine? That addiction is a beast in itself. Which would you prefer she’d become? The soldiers hooked on morphine have vacant eyes, and their hands tremble for their next fix. Do you want that for your mother? Fighting something she can’t win against, or do you want her dealing with a manageable condition? Both our fathers are good men. They’ve managed it.”

Morgan pursed her lips. Adam’s tone was laced in objectivity and confidence, offering her a plausible reason for her father’s actions. Morgan didn’t want a shell of skin and bones that resembled her mother — she wanted her mother well, both emotionally and physically. Why had she been so selfish not to see that?

“It doesn’t bother you that you have these traits?”

“I’m comfortable with who I am.”

Morgan spun around, pressing the length of her body against Adam, curving her hand around the nape of his neck, and bringing his lips to hers. Their mouths met in a searing kiss full of desire. Want. Warmth. Pleasure replaced Morgan’s emotional pain, and she deepened the kiss between them by sweeping her tongue into his mouth.

Adam groaned, wrapped his hands around her waist, and tugged her closer. Morgan continued the kiss, nipping his lower lip with her teeth. A blast of heat from his body washed over her like an ocean wave, sending pleasure spiraling through her. God, she had never felt so wonderful.

He threaded his hand through her hair and then yanked her head back. His mouth fell to her neck. Shivers of delight followed the hard, demanding kisses he placed on her skin.

“Adam, God, don’t stop…”

He did just that. He withdrew his hand from her hair, sliding it down the side of her body to rest at her waist. She looked into his golden eyes blazing with the flames of desire. Adam drew in a deep breath.

“Damn, Morgan, I am a man, and I have more control than that.”

She placed her hand over his heart. “You enjoyed it. Don’t deny it.”

PUBLISHER’S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-219/Budapest-Moon-Book-III/Detail.bok

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment on the blog, and I’ll be by tomorrow to select one lucky poster to win: a decorative cloth Christmas tree, Yankee Candle scents, chocolate and Panera GC along with a PDF copy of Danube in Candlelight.

Question: What was your favorite Underworld Movie: 1, 2, or 3 and are you going to see Underworld 4, Awakening in January?

AMAZON KINDLE BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Hungarian-Moon-Book-Three-ebook/dp/B0061XJFG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320188529&sr=1-1

BARNES & NOBLE NOOK BUY LINK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hungarian-moon-book-three-stephanie-burkhart/1107039692?ean=2940013659148&itm=1&usri=danube%2bin%2bcandlelight

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hungarianmoonbookthreedanubeincandlelight-636082-139.html

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Two of my published Books have Short Sequels to them: TEMPTATION UNLEASHED and SPELL-KISSED. I had never planned on doing the Sequels but Readers kept asking and my muse wouldn’t let me ignore them. For “Temptation Unleashed” I wrote “The Christmas Chapter” (Lena and Gavin’s love story), and “Soul’s Choice” (Riana’s love story). Both are offered FREE through me or my publisher Samhain. After writing them I quickly discovered what the Readers were saying: there’s something really satisfying about knowing what happens to the other characters after a Book is finished.

With the “Spell-Kissed” Sequel I wrote the hero’s brother’s love story, titling it SLOAN’S WITCH. Readers wanted to know what happened to Sloan and witch Kassidy after Briana and Hunter had their HEA. I felt so honored and humbled at the same time to realize that the Readers like my characters enough to want MORE of them! SLOAN’S WITCH is a Special Short Paranormal Romance available for ONLY $0.99 and I hope Readers will love what “came after”.

So what do you think? Are Short Sequels a great idea for EVERY book? Would you prefer a Short HEA or a full length story? 

Please visit my site for a List of my Books:  www.authorkari.com

TEMPTATION UNLEASHED
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/temptation-unleashed-p-3195.html
Paranormal Romance, Print and Ebook
“Something WILD this way comes…..”
FREE: “The Christmas Chapter” and “Soul’s Choice”, contact author: authorkari@yahoo.com

SPELL-KISSED
http://www.blacklyonpublishing.com/Spell%20Kissed.html

SLOAN’S WITCH is ONLY $0.99 and can be purchased at these Links: