Tantalizing Thursday ! Sneak Preview of Allie Ritch’s Drinking Partners!

Today is Tantalizing Thursday on my site! This is new for 2015 and what I’m doing is inviting other authors to give us sneak previews of an upcoming release. I’m so thrilled to have author and friend Allie Ritch inaugurate Tantalizing Thursday.

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Allie’s giving away a copy of her latest release, Drinking Partners, to one lucky commenter. So leave your email addy in the comment!

Welcome Allie and take it away!

Thanks for having me on your blog, Jianne. You’re always such a good friend and gracious host. What I’d like to share today is the journey of a book — how I first came up with the idea for my latest novel, Vampire Territory 1: Drinking Partners. To celebrate my new release, I’m also doing a giveaway. Commenters, please include your e-mail address in the body of your comments for a chance to win an e-book copy of Drinking Partners.

The journey for some books is longer than others, and Drinking Partners had by far one of the longest. I was looking through stacks of my old writing journals, which I use to jot down ideas for books, when I came across a concept I’d thought of in the 1990’s. You didn’t misread that. Yes, I really said the 90’s. Back when P. Diddy was still Puff Daddy and Madonna was reinventing herself and becoming a mommy. So many book ideas run through my brain that some get shoved to the back, and this one finally elbowed its way to the forefront. The idea was simple: two master vampires — both strong alphas, lethal and cunning — fall for each other but have trust issues.

I’ve always loved vampire fiction, starting with writers like Anne Rice and Fred Saberhagen and continuing with Laurell K. Hamilton, Christine Feehan, and other great authors today. When I rediscovered my premise for my own vampire book, I couldn’t wait to run with it. Drinking Partners was born. Or should I say reborn?

This book is definitely the darkest and edgiest one I’ve written. I may have watched Kill Bill around the time I was writing it, and there’s definitely a lot of action. The heroine, Alexandra, is a badass with guns and swords and even a machete. She doesn’t go looking for trouble, but because she’s a turned vampire — one considered lower class — plus a member of the “weaker sex” according to the older bloodsuckers, trouble has a way of finding her.

Lucas has his own battles and is ruthless in protecting those he cares about. Once Alex and Lucas team up, she becomes the person he cares about most. And what does a master vampire get his lover when she likes to shoot and decapitate her enemies? Find out in an excerpt from Drinking Partners:

AR_VT1_DrinkingPartners@AllieRitch Brings on the Fangs in Drinking Partners

Blurb: Being the master vampire for the Mid-Atlantic Territory is a tough job. Between the Human Rebellion trying to kill him with poisonous suicide donors and snobby born vampires bucking his authority, Lucas Thane has his hands full. What he needs is a regular drinking partner to feed from and a bigger power block. He finds both in the form of Alexandra Gage, the master of the territory south of his.

Alex could use a little help herself, but she has no intention of letting Lucas take over. Turned into a vampire against her will, she has had enough control taken from her. She’ll never let Lucas usurp her right to rule, but will she let him steal her heart? Passion ignites between them, and it’s amazing what vampire bodies can do.

Buy Links: http://www.loose-id.com/drinking-partners.html

Drinking Partners is available at Loose Id, Amazon, ARe, and other places where e-books are sold.

Excerpt from Drinking Partners:

She reached inside for the sparkly handle of a short sword. The hilt was made of walnut as dark and rich as her brown leather coat. The wood had been carved, and centered within each diamond etching was a pale-blue gemstone.

“It’s exactly what I wanted. How did you know?”

“I pay attention to everything that interests you.”

That was a very smooth answer.

“Are those real sapphires?” she asked.

“Blue diamonds.” Lucas traced the curve of her cheek with one finger. “They’re the same color as your eyes.”

Her heart flipped. He’d gotten her diamonds after all.

Alex’s hand trembled as she reached for the exquisite weapon and pulled it free of its sheath. The blade was clean and unmarked and so sharp it sang when she sliced it through the air. It was a work of art.

There was more, though. She reluctantly set aside her new sword so she could pull out the large wooden box that rested next to it. The lid was hinged, and she swung it open to see a matching handgun. He must have had the pair custom-made for her, though she hadn’t a clue how he’d managed to have them done this quickly.

“Do you know what it is?” he asked.

She was practically drooling over the gun. “Are you kidding me? It’s a Colt M1911.”

“You know your guns.”

“My father taught me.” She let the remark slip without thinking.

Lucas regarded her closely. “That’s an unusual thing for a father to share with his daughter. Was he in the firearms business?”

“No, more like a military man,” she said. “This is a beautiful custom-made piece. A collector’s wet dream.”

He barked out another laugh. “You could say that. I knew you’d shoot me on the spot if I gave you some dainty compact pistol.”

The idea didn’t bear thinking about.

A sensual shiver traveled down Alex’s spine when she traced the stylized fleur-de-lis engraved along the slide and frame. The grip panel was made of walnut with the same pattern of carvings and blue diamonds as the sword. She picked it up and felt a smile split her face.

The single-stacked magazine offered her a narrower handle, which was a much better fit than some of the stockier pieces. All those gemstones were cool against her palm and made sure her grip didn’t slide. She liked the weight and balance too. All in all, it felt pretty damn good.

“I’ll get you something else if this doesn’t suit you,” Lucas said.

“Oh, this suits me.” She might never put it down.

Alex kept it in her hand, muzzle pointed toward the floor and finger off the trigger, as she stepped into his body. She tilted her head to press her lips to his and slipped her tongue behind his teeth when he opened for her. He was yummier than any chocolate, with the same amount of dark and sweet in his makeup. If she hadn’t been sure before, she was now. She’d fallen for the vampire.

Drinking Partners is available at Loose Id, Amazon, ARe, and other places where e-books are sold.

Allie’s Contact Info:
Website/Blog: http://allieritch.wordpress.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allieritch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllieRitch
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/AllieRitch

Wow! Drinking Partners sounds like a fantabulous read!!! This one’s my reward reading this weekend. Thank so much for sharing, Allie. And may the Gods allow us to finally meet in person this year!  (Allie and I live about an hour away from each other and still haven’t met in person)

Remember to include your email address in your comment to win a copy of Drinking Partners!

Have a tantalizing Thursday!

Cheers,

Jianne

Congratulations!

congrats

 

I love announcing contest wins and what better way to start the week? Andrea Lovette wins the photo contest for Bandit of Prymal Passion, and Nikki Lynn Vale wins the same contest for the Kydd Kolton lookalike (Prymal Hunger).

Nikki Lynn and Andrea – please email me with your format choices for Prymal Lust and Prymal Obsession!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Cheers,

Jianne

RedZ World Reviews!

It’s the day before Prymal Obsession releases, and I awaken to this awesome review of Prymal Lust from Redz World reviews. Don’t forget Prymal Obsession is available for pre-order at Amazon:  tinyurl.com/oh9uz2m

Just couldn’t resist tooting my own horn on this hump day!

Sunday, September 28, 2014
logo - REDZ World Reviews - Recommended read.

Recommended Read- Prymal Lust by Jianne Carlo
Title: Prymal Lust
Series: Prymal Book 1
Author: Jianne Carlo
Genre:    Paranormal Romance, Horror, Shapreshifter
(M/F, violence, oral sex)
Page Count: 116
Reviewer: Cassiopeia
Buy link: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-prymallust-1588142-340.html

 Prymal_Lust-Jianne_Carlo-200x320Review of book:

You know you have a winner when you’re reading a book and feverishly begin plotting how much time you’re going to have to wait until the next installment of the series comes out. Prymal Lust had been recommended to me by more than one friend, and yet I hesitated to read and review the first installment in Jianne Carlo’s Prymal series.  What an idiot I was. Prymal Lust was well written, suspenseful, and chock full of just the type of guy that I like: an alpha male that will move heaven and earth for his woman.  Except when her safety is at risk.  And let me tell you, Tania was in trouble of some sort more than she was out of it, so there were moments when she and her mate, Axe were at odds. Even then, I loved how Ms. Carlo allowed the characters to have a realistic discussion and work things through.

Tania Prakov, as a Wylfen, appears to be part of the aristocracy in the shifter world.  One where, if you don’t fit their narrow ideal of perfection, you can be assured that you’ll be hunted to the point of death.  Even having been brought up with this myopic ideal, Tania struggled with the traditional role of wife and uterine production engineer (read: baby maker) she was being groomed to play.  Desiring more out of life, she was allowed to attend culinary school and have a career that was independent of her family’s dreams for her. She’s also no prude, having taken lovers (all human) during her time living apart from her family, but she’s discreet, careful that no hint of her alternate life reach anyone in the Wylfen community.

Then Axe happens.

Axe is her twin brother, Jaz’s SEAL instructor and happens to be a feral wolf.  The irony that Tania is his mate, and as such,knowing that casual physical contact would be deadly to them, is not lost on him.  His struggle to do what he thought would be best for Tania vs. what instinct (initially) was driving him towards, was interesting to watch.  He came across as a no-nonsense, kick-your-ass-now, ask-questions-later kind of guy, but surprised me with the depth of conscience and compassion he demonstrated towards his mate.  He genuinely wanted Tania to be happy, and within reason was willing to do whatever it took to achieve that with her.  Too often in these types of stories, you see one partner in the pairing giving in to the point of ridiculousness, and the other one inflexible as concrete.  Not the case withPrymal, and it gave me another reason to love the book.When Tania was in the wrong, she’d say so, even when she had to take time and work things through for herself before admitting it.

I didn’t even mind their instant bonding, as I felt that it was explained well enough in the story’s premise to be believable, and it actually helped ratchet up their sexual tension for me.  Believe me, even though the couple “do the dance with no pants”very early on in the book, it in no way diminishes their chemistry throughout the duration.  The author knew exactly what balance of emotion and smut to throw in the mix to ensure that I’d be fanning myself religiously every time Tania and Axe got busy.

I’ll say it again – I LOVED Prymal Lust, and heartily recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of paranormal/military/alternate history genres.  I can’t wait for the next installment to be released, because the secondary characters in this book were engaging, intriguing and hotter than hell.  Jianne Carlo has me hooked; and I don’t care one bit. You might initially pick this story up for the panty dropping alpha male hero, but you’ll devour it to the last page because of its well written characters and multi-layered plot.

logo - REDZ 5 shooting stars

Five Shooting Stars!!

I hope your hump day started as well as mine 🙂

Cheers,

 

Jianne

Nice Girls Writing Naughty – Teacher’s Pet Scavenger Hunt!

TeacherPetBadgeThe Nice Girls Writing Naughty blog group (of which yours truly is a member) are doing a super-sexy scavenger hunt for September. As you may know, every month one of us NGNW ladies hosts a FUN event filled with drool-worthy studs, sizzling excerpt, and—PRIZES.

This month the lovely Dakota Trace is throwing the party. With the kiddos going back to school, Livvy and Dakota have come up with the notion having each of the NGWN gals post one of our yummy heroes as our Teacher’s Pet and share juicy tidbits of what he might have been like in school.

GRAND PRIZE is a $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD

MY PRIZE IS a eCopy of PRYMAL LUST & a $5 AMAZON GIFT CARD

Other NGNW Author’s Prizes are:

BOTH “Secrets of Stone” books
5 eBookCopies of Sinful Rewards 1
eBook copies of Twice the Chances, Twice the Ecstasy
eBook copies of Finding Her Rhythm and Settling the Score
eBook copy of Just a Little More and $5 Amazon gift card
eBook copies of Kitty Kitty, Bang Bang and $5 Amazon gift card
e eBook copy of A Haught Date
eBook copies of Uncollared and His Kind of Woman
eBook copy of Tiger Tiger
$15 All Romance Gift Card

To win the GRAND PRIZE all you have to do is the following:
1. Check out the Form on the NGNW website which lists all the answers you need from each author’s website.
2. Fill in the form with the answers.

Collect all the names from the various stops, enter them into the form and for each name supplied – you get one entry for the GRAND PRIZE. Hit all 14 of our blogs and comment on the main post….well that’s 15 entries.

To win MY PRIZE all you have to do is:
1. Leave a comment here (please say NO if you DON’T want to be added to my newsletter list).

Winners will be announced on Monday, 29 here on my blog, on each NGNW author’s blog,  and on the NGNW blog.

Please note: the onus is on the winner to contact each author and the NGNW blog (if they won the GRAND PRIZE) either via a comment, or via email within 5 days of the announcement, otherwise another winner will be chosen. My email is: [email protected]

My pet is Axe Richard Smith, the shifter SEAL hero of Prymal Lust.

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Isn’t he drool-worthy?

Instead of describing Axe, I decided to give you a sample of what the reviewers have to say about Axe:

He is alpha, he is strong physically and mentally and he’s hotter than the sun. Lari, Romancing The Book

The characters are amazing, with a kick-ass heroine and a to-die-for hero. Really, Axe is the alpha of the alphas. He is dominant when he must be, but he is comfortable enough with himself to let his female shine. Isabelle, The Romance Reviews

I loved Axe! He was all that you would expect from a dominant military man (SEAL), but the soft vulnerable side that went along with it, was perfect. Midnight Attic Reader

Check out Axe’s Fast Five Facts and don’t forgot to comment at the end of the post for my blog prize.

FAST FIVE FACTS:
1. I was voted the: Most likely to be a Navy SEAL—everyone was SO right!
2. When I went through Hell Week during BUD/S, I passed the underwater test by a hair’s breath. After I earned my Trident, I voluntarily redid Hell week and passed with room to spare.
3. On Friday nights, you’d have found me training in the gym.
4. In high school I joined the ROTC from the get go.
5. I was a guard for my high school football team, The Tullalulah Tigers. Go Tigers!

Couldn’t resist giving you a SNEAK  preview of Prymal Obsession, Book Two in the PRYMAL series:

Blog links on the hunt:

Angel Payne        Cynthia Sax         Dakota Trace

Dani Wade        Ella Sheridan        Harlowe Wilde

Jianne Carlo       Lara Archer      Leela Lou Dahlin

Linden Hughes      Noon & Wilder      Nona Raines

Taige Crenshaw       Tina Christopher

Good Luck in the scavenger hunt!
Cheers,

Jianne