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.

allie ritch site header

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

Hot for The Holidays Winners!

holiday-blog-hop-buttonI totally love announcing contests wins!!! Why? Because I never win any fricking thing and I can only imagine how great it must feel to hear that you’ve won a prize.
That said, here are the winners for the Love, Lust, and Laptop Hot for the Holidays Blog Hop:

 

That Pearly Drop – Christine Maria Rose
Alpha Me Not – Robin Mlckovsky
The Dragon Slayer – Tracey Gee

And since it’s Christmas time and I’m a total suck, I’m giving consolation prizes to everyone who commented as follows:

Prymal Obsession – Shadow, Donna, & Krystle
The Bear and The Bride – Angie, Savannah, & bn100

Winners—please contact me at [email protected] with your choice of eBook format.

Happy Holidays To All!!!

Cheers,

 Jianne

Prymal Obsession – TOP PICK from The Romance Reviews

Hartwood---prymal_obsessionlogo - trr top pick  Five stars

Isabelle of The Romance Reviews made my day with this 5 Star Review and TOP PICK of Prymal Obsession. Here’s what she had to say:

Do you have any ideas what happens when dynamite meets fire? It burns extremely rapidly until it explodes. When Brut Jurango and Sidonie Walker meet, it’s boom, baroom, badaboom… very explosive.

Brut Jurango is a Rogue. He is not a Prymal, but he is friends with them, and they help each other. The first moment he sees Sidonie Walker, he knows she is trouble with capital T, and he tries to avoid her. But when he smells her fear, he knows he is doomed and he must help her. Now they are stuck together until she is one hundred percent safe, but will he be able to keep himself safe from her?

Sidonie Walker is full of shame and secrets from her past. Now she uses slutty clothes and make up to portrait a facade to the world. After meeting Brut, she has been shaken, but has vowed to not let a human/wolf/cat destroy her perfect foundation. She only wishes that her body would listen to her head when near the mouth-watering Rogue.

PRYMAL OBSESSION is a thriller packed with danger, excitement and explosive chemical reactions. It brings together another drop-dead gorgeous alpha and a surprisingly brave heroine. It also has strong secondary characters and one amazing sub-plot mystery.

Ms. Carlo’s passionate scenes are works of art. The chemistry among her characters is undeniable, and the amount of tension and heat generated in each description is explosive.

While Prymal Lust was a promise of a great new series, PRYMAL OBSESSION is a certainty of a very addictive series to follow. I would recommend this book and series to everyone who is ready to be awed and blown away.

“I know your deal. You had a mate. Your kind has one in a lifetime. Whatever happens between us is temporary. As soon as this…this situation is resolved, we’re done.” Brut stifled a wince. Did she have to put it so badly? And did she believe for a moment she could set the terms of their relationship?

What a great way to start the week!

Cheers,

Jianne

Guest Author – Dakota Trace!

dakota - bloghop graphic

Today my guest is fellow romance author Dakota Trace who’s going to give us a sexy teaser from her new release Wolfen Bonds. The teaser’s part of Dakota’s Blog Hop for Wylfen Bonds release!

Dakota - DT_WolfenBonds_coverlgBlurb:

The Council of Elders has charged Matthias Galloway with bringing the once prosperous Taghte Pack back into the Council’s fold. In exchange for his services, Matthias names his terms: he wants to claim his longtime lover and friend, Andrew, as his mate.

Nephew of a powerful alpha, Andrew Gilchrist has long been a coveted commodity because of his services as a healer. Neither expects the Council to agree to Mathias’s terms, leaving him free, finally, to claim his chosen mate. Even more unexpected is the presence of a third-bond to appear during their mating ritual.

The grandchildren of the slain alpha of the Taghte pack, Colleen Donghall and her twin brother, were whisked away at birth. They’re still kept hidden from those who would harm them. Raised in seclusion, Colleen’s never experienced lust, let alone the bond between mates. On the night of lunar eclipse, she’s drawn into Matthias and Andrew’s passionate claiming, and her dormant libido is powerfully awoken. 

But it’s nothing compared to the lust and danger that will stalk her and her mates, when she arrives in Scotland.

BUY LINK:

Publisher: http://www.loose-id.com/wolfen-bonds.html

Now here’s the tantalizing teaser :Dakota - Horace - Jianne

Trailing after the determined muse in front of her, Colleen wanted to pull her hair out. How had this become such a fiasco? Sure, she probably shouldn’t have taken the torque off, but damn it, was everyone in the pack going to have handled it by the time she got it back?

“Oh quit your pouting.” Livvy tossed over her shoulder. “We’ll get it back and Nevin will be none the wiser.”

“So you think.” Colleen muttered softly. She knew her mentor. At times, she swore he had eyes in the back of his head. A muffled grunt escaped her as she suddenly plowed into the woman in front of her.

“So I know.” Livvy grinned, obviously having a grand old time. “It’s all part and parcel of being slave’s muse. I know how things turn out before they happen.”

“Unless of course, Dakota changes her mind.” Colleen turned to look down at Aine as she scanned the empty great hall. “Are you sure you saw Horace in here, sweetheart?”

Aine nodded. “Ollie told me that the beta came in here just a little bit ago.”

“Okay then it stands to reason he’d still be around, doesn’t it?” She tugged on the little girl’s braid, and then looked up at the readers. “For those of you who are new, I’m Colleen and the heroine of Dakota Trace’s newest book, Wolfen Bonds. A few days ago, I misplaced the seer torque that my mentor gave to me – so Livvy, Dakota’s muse, is helping me find it.”

Livvy wandered over by the hearth. “And don’t forget about the grand prize. Slave will be pissed if we don’t mention the pretty cool prize we’re giving away.”

Colleen crossed her arms over her chest. “I see what you’re concerned about…and it’s not finding my torque.”

Livvy arched a brow at her. “Damn straight. The last time I screwed up, slave cut off my chocolate supply for a month. It’s bad enough she keeps shoving salads at me…but to take the chocolate…” she shook her head. “Not gonna chance that again. A muse has got to have her fix.” Then she disappeared through a door at the far end of the hall.

“Really?” Colleen called after the retreating muse. “You’re leaving me to tell them about the grand prize?” When there was a no answer, Collen sighed. “I guess that’s a yes. So here’s the scoop. Dakota is giving way a nifty little prize basket. It’ll have a copy of my book in it, a lovely replica of my torque, along with a few other goodies. To enter all you have to do is enter the name on the graphic below along with site you found it on in the google form at the end of this post. Dakota will then be drawing a random winner on the 25th at her Wrap Up Party on Facebook.”

Aine tugged on Colleen’s sleeve. “Don’t forget about the stop prize.” She smiled, the gap in her teeth showing. “Readers can win a set of Dakota’s Doms of Chicago’s books. All they have to do is put their name and email thingie in the comments, right Ms. Colleen?”

“You’re correct. It’s easy.” She sighed. “Easier than finding my torque has been.” She gave Aine’s hand a squeeze.

“Woo-hoo…look what I found?” Livvy reappeared, tugging on a large man’s arm.   “Readers, this hunk of a man is Horace, the Taghte Pack Beta. And he was just telling me that he had Colleen’s torque but after a bit of a disagreement, he ended up giving it to Sara to clean off for him. ”

Colleen sighed. “Okay, so why did you give it to the housekeeper?”

“Ummm, it was covered in blood?” The tall blond flushed. “I had a minor disagreement with a pack member and when I went into the kitchen to clean it off, well Sara ran me off.” The flush spread. “I marked up her floors again.”

“And you left my Seer’s Torque with the housekeeper?”

He nodded. “Yeah. She has a mean streak in her. She asks for something and we give it or pay the consequences. She has a mean right hook.”

“Fine.” Colleen turned to the readers. “So it looks we like we’re no closer than we started. So join me tomorrow at The Love of Bookends blog and maybe we’ll be one-step closer.

BUY LINK:  http://www.loose-id.com/wolfen-bonds.html

AUTHOR BIO:
Dakota is a simple Midwest girl, who found her passion in storytelling at a young age. She wrote her first novel her freshman year on an old electric IBM typewriter. Now writing in several different genres from erotic romance and BDSM to m/m and paranormal, she is a published author with multiple books under her belt. When she isn’t writing, she’s a devoted band mom and a loving wife.

Dakota’s Website: http://www.dakotatrace.net/
Dakota’s Blog: http://alittlebitofnaughty.blogspot.com/
Dakota’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dakotatrace
Dakota’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dakota75

Have fun on the Blog Hop Dakota & thanks for being my guest!

Cheers,

Jianne

Prymal Obsession Releases Today!

Hartwood---prymal_obsessionIt’s always thrilling when your book releases. Of course, then there’s the will-anyone-buy-it anxiety followed by the suppose-everyone-hates-it trepidation. Thankfully, I have at least one good review out there courtesy The BookChick Reviews. Here’s what she had to say about Prymal Obsession:

Prymal Obsession was a wonderful installment in the Prymal series. In this story we find out more about Sidonie and Brut who are introduced in book one. I enjoyed the push-pull nature of their relationship. Brut tried to push Sid away at every turn but she pulled him with her “sunshine.” Both Brut and Sidonie bore series bruises from their past. Sid came from her horrible upbringing from absentee parents. Brut’s came from the slaughter of his mate and his pack. He swore that he would avenge them which is why he pushed Sid away — she was much too tempting for him. But Brut succame to his desire for Sid. His plan was simple…he would have a physical affair with her until they found her friend and figured out had taken him. But as Brut gave Sid his body, he gave her his heart as well, although he fought it tooth and nail. I appreciated how Carlo crafted the story so that it was not an insta-love kind of deal. Sure, those stories have their place in fiction; however, the fight to get to love makes the story even more enjoyable. I am greatly enjoying the direction of this series.

 

I’m an ostrich kind of author on release day. Basically, I hunker down, refuse to check bookseller sales rankings, and immerse myself in a curent WIP. So, today I’m working simultaneously on Prymal Passion (Bandit’s tale),  a new story based in the Caribbean, and my still unnamed Viking series.

In my last newsletter, I’d asked for suggestions on the title for this new Viking series. Karen Anderson, one of my readers, suggested The Warriors of Ragnarök. I love this title and am definitely going to use it. So, Karen, you get to star in this new series. I’ll email you so we can discuss the details. Cristina Machado also suggested Viking Realms and I’m tucking that title away as a possibility for a future Viking series.

Anyone know of a good calendar plugin for WordPress? My current one is so cumbersome that I avoid it like the plague.

Ah, shoot, I’m wandering all over the place today. Put it down to nervousness and forgive me. Have a great Thor’s Day!

Cheers,

 

Jianne