Monday 30 September 2013

Tony-Paul de Vissage...Shadow Lord!

I'm very pleased to welcome author Tony-Paul  de Vissage today! Tony-Paul has brought us a very interesting post today, detailing how one unique medical condition could have contributed to vampire legends. And we also get a peek at the wonderful Shadow Lord!

Welcome Tony-Paul!




The Second Species:  Vampires based in Fact

 

            It was a lovely Southern summer afternoon—late afternoon, in fact.  What the townspeople called “evening,” that time when day is turning into night and the sun begins to dim.  It was around six o’clock when Warene de Vissage stepped from the dining room of the house onto the back porch, calling to her child to come in for dinner.  The sinking sun was shining over the front of the house and Warene was sheltered from its rays by four walls and a roof.  Nevertheless, she could see the heat rising in shimmering waves from the sidewalk fifteen  feet away on the other side of the running rose-covered picket fence.  She could also feel that same heat touching her skin.

 

            Wrapping her arms protectively across her chest, she hurried back inside not waiting for the child to obey.

 

            The next morning, Warene awoke in agony.  Her skin burned, felt hot and tight.  Staggering out of bed and to the mirror above her vanity,  she stared at the startling and horrific image before her…skin crimson and scorched, edges curled and inflamed, blisters and scales…as if someone had held her over an open fire.  To touch her face brought excruciating pain…to look at it brought tears…it itched, it burned, and the most awful part was…but she knew why.

 

            The sun…reflecting off the pavement.  Hadn’t she felt its heat?  She’d dared step outside during daylight, thinking just this once, it wouldn’t matter…just this once, so late in the day, she wouldn’t suffer. Though she hurried back inside, that damnable sun still found her, and did its work.

 

            It would be weeks before she healed.

 

This may sound like the beginning of a vampire story, but it’s a true episode, taken from my own mother’s life.  Maman suffered from PMLE…polymorphic light eruption…a condition in which an individual’s DNA cannot repair the damage done to the skin by ultraviolet  rays.  Even on the most overcast days, she was never able to go out during daylight without being completed covered from head-to-toe.  Long pants, knee socks, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, a neck scarf, a wide-brimmed hat, and an umbrella were her usual attire when leaving the house…and still, she could be burned by sunlight reflecting from the pavement or any surface, going through her clothes to cause near-first degree burns.

 

PMLE appears to be hereditary. I was lucky, however; even with my blond hair and fair skin, I can walk in sunlight with no more than the normal fear of getting a sunburn.  SPF-70 sunblock and I are old friends, nevertheless, and I use it faithfully. A little caution is a prudent thing.

 

For most sufferers, PMLE simply causes an annoying rash but a small percentage are stricken with a much more severe case, in which they appear to have been actually cooked. It is the less painful form of a condition called XP—Xeroderma pigmentosum. This is, in medical terms, “a skin cancer-prone autosomal recessive disease characterized by inability to repair UV-induced DNA damage.”  XP suffers never come out in daylight; they live their entire lives after dark.

 

What does this have to do with vampires?  The inference is obvious, and may be one of the ways the vampire myth began.  If you were a superstititious person living in a primitive time when it was believed the sun sank into the sea every night at the edge of the world, and you saw someone actually burned by that same sun…someone who was only comfortable after dark and only felt he could safely come out of his dwelling at night, what would you think?  Other opinions have been offered:  premature burials, porphyria, lycanthropy.  I’m certain all these—plus PMLE and XP—attributed to the legend a good many of us who are writers have used to our advantage, and I am one of them.

 

When I began my series The Second Species, I wanted my vampires to be different, not the usual Undead, sleeping-in-a-coffin type.  So I made them a living people, a second species of Mankind, divorced from their human brothers because of their differences.  They have many characteristics of the Undead but I’ve given acceptable reasons for them:  the entire group suffers from XP, therefore they can’t emerge into sunlight; they have allergies—the most powerful one being to garlic and certain herbs; their refusal to look at crosses, etc., is not because they are repulsed by them but because their own religion demands they not look on the sacred objects of other faiths, and so on.  Understanding how humans fear them, they have hidden themselves away in the cloud-covered peaks of the Carpathians where the sun never penetrates. If and when they emerge into the land of humans, tragedy inevitably follows.

 

That is the story behind the creation of my “vampires,” based in fact, elaborated in fiction.  The first novel in the series, Shadow Lord, is expected to be in the next two months by Double Dragon Publishing.  Look for it…you will enjoy it…and feel a little sympathy for those true suffers who are “deprived of God’s holy sunlight.”

 

BLURB:

 

Men call them vampires.  They call themselves aventurieri.  For generations, they hide in the mists of the Carpathians away from their human foes.

 

In 1794, everything changes… Their Prince’s assassin is murdered. His son demands revenge.

 

Marek Strigoi’s quest for justice will take him from his Transylvanian homeland to the Hellfire clubs of Vienna, and the boudoir of a Parisian Marquise, but not even love will stop his vengeance.

 

Mircea Ravagiu must die.

 

When both the hunter and the hunted are vampires, not even Hell can stand in the way!

 

EXCERPT:

 

Marek, ghidaj of Castel Strigoi, sat at the desk in his father’s study. It was now his study, but the thought of being head of the family was an uncomfortable weight. He’d never wanted to be his father’s heir and still rued the day Janos had been forced to make his son the successor to Casa Strigoi.

Well, there was no fighting what was already done. He was now ghidaj of the assassin faction of the warrior caste, and leader of the Strigoi, the Shadows, the House supplying the Prince’s hereditary executioner.

Wearily, he brushed a hand across those damned mismatched eyes silently declaring his right to inherit, wishing again they’d never changed. That once more he was thirteen and his eyes still as blue as his father’s and not absurdly of different colors. Might as well wish the repeal of the aventurieri Law of Inheritance, which insisted the title of ghidaj go to one displaying a striking physical difference.  As if only a sport of Nature could be named the next leader. Marek’s dark hair had not been enough to mark him as his blond father’s successor. When one of his blue eyes turned green, there was no question his own body made him Janos’ heir. At first, he cringed when anyone looked at him, peering into his face to declare, “By the gods, they aren’t alike!” but with it came reverence, and he soon accustomed himself to their scrutiny. Now, Marek looked at the world defiantly through that unsuitably-hued gaze.

Gods, things might’ve been so different...

Only four days before, he’d been a student, living with others his age at the University of the Scholomance in the high reaches of the mountains. Then the messenger, exhausted from flying so far, delivered the news:  His father and stepmother were murdered, and his siblings abducted.

The aventurieri world was shaken. To attack the Shadow Lord was to strike at the Prince himself. As His Majesty’s assassin, Janos had served the Council for centuries, and this occasion was no different. He’d simply followed orders, punishing a renegade enslaving deomi and preying on them in defiance of the Law.

Armed with orders from His Majesty, he’d commanded Minea Ravagiu to bow to his master’s will. Minea refused, bringing death to himself and everyone within the walls of Fortreasta Ravagiu. When his brother returned from his own hunting foray, the deed was done. Standing ankle-deep in his kinsman’s bloody ashes, Mircea Ravagiu swore vengeance against the Shadow Lord, and now had carried it out.

Marek’s thoughts were grief-filled, a turmoil of rage and a bloodthirsty desire for revenge. Even now, his men were winging their way to Fortreasta Mircea, the killer’s stronghold higher in the mountains. He’d wanted to go with them, but concern for his siblings demanded he stay behind.  His orders to the soldati were clear: If they found the murderer, they were to bring him to Castel Strigoi. Marek wanted the pleasure of killing Mircea Ravagiu himself, and he wasn’t going to make it a painless death.

I want to taste the bastard’s blood, feel it spatter my face and stain my robes as my fangs rip out his throat. The Domnitor might protest, but he didn’t care, and if he was called before the Consfatuire, so be it. I’ll claim the right of sange revansa for my family’s deaths.

 

Shadow Lord, Book One of the Second Species, is scheduled for an October release from Double Dragon Publishing.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

A writer of French Huguenot extraction, Tony-Paul de Vissage saw his first vampire movie on television at age 6--the old Universal horror flick, Dracula's Daughter--and was scared sleepless. He’s now paying his very permissive parents back by writing about the Undead. 

 

MORE ABOUT TP AT:

 







Twitter: @tpvissage

 

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Wendy Owens Visits!

I am very happy to welcome Wendy Owens as part of her current blog tour, and so excited to share some info on Wendy's wonderful books! Please help me spread the love. I'm highlighting a couple of the books today, but be sure to check out her links, because the series extends beyond these two.

Welcome Wendy!



Sacred Bloodlines (Book 1)

by Wendy Owens


 

Free Everywhere




 

Blurb

Tragedy has defined Gabe's short existence in this world. An ominous darkness lurked on the edge of his existence until one day in a subway, strange things start happening. A series of events lead Gabe into a new and fascinating life filled with angels and demons, but he isn't sure if he wants to be a part of it.

 

Gabe is thrust into the middle of this exciting world that is full of things he has longed for in his life but it comes with a price. This new life also promises constant terrifying dangers that Gabe fears he may not be able to survive.

 

 


Cursed (Book 2)

by Wendy Owens





Blurb:

Some people are born into love, some people are born into war, when Gabe discovered he was a Guardian Angel, his life was suddenly thrust into both. If this hidden war wasn't enough to deal with, Gabe learns he is fated to be the great protector who will one day deliver the last prophet to either safety or death. All of these revelations didn't matter for Gabe, he only cared that his new life included Sophie. 

 

Sophie and Gabe grew closer over the summer. She is now a fixture in his life that keeps him moving forward. Evil doesn't stop stalking him just because he found happiness. This time darkness finds it's way into Rampart manor and Gabe will have to decide if he is willing to risk everything to try and stop it.

 

Excerpt #1

Gabe’s stomach twisted, each knot tighter and more agonizing than the last. He wiped his sweat-soaked hands on the legs of his jeans and searched the nearby crowd for a familiar face. He imagined that if he could just catch a glimpse of Sophie, everything would be all right. Unfortunately, Sophie was nowhere to be found. Gabe felt hopeless.

The roar of the crowd began to grow. He heard them harmoniously stomping their feet in a rhythm that cried out for battle. Gabe glanced across the arena to several cages that were shielded by large cloaks. Whatever was inside was clearly becoming agitated by the noise of the crowd. The captive creatures began beating against the bars. Random secret shrieks and growls came from their general area.

“Rampart Manor!” Gabe heard Uri’s magically amplified voice shout over the thunderous group. “Let’s be honest, we all know the reason why we’re gathered here today. Yes, yes, of course we want to support our dear friend, Gabe. But, let’s get real for a minute. Day in and day out we learn and train and grow as Guardians. We do as we’re told and follow the rules. We all work hard. Now it’s our turn to watch some demons tremble in fear! It’s our turn to watch the hunters become the hunted. Who’s ready to see some fighting? Better yet, who wants to see what our great protector is made of?”

The crowd erupted into a frenzy at Uri’s words.

The past summer had been full of blood, sweat, and tears for Gabe, but it was also an experience he wouldn’t trade for anything. He had grown close to Sophie and all of his new friends. Uri had even become what Gabe would call his best friend; something he hadn’t had in his previous life. As appreciative as he had grown of Uri’s humor, right now, in this arena, was one of those moments he wished Uri was able to contain himself.

Gabe had felt somewhat confident about his tests when he awoke that morning. He had spent every free moment studying and practicing for this all summer,though it didn’t take long before he realized what Uri had done. After the tenth or so person wished him luck and expressed how much they were looking forward to seeing him in action, he knew Uri had decided to make this day into a big event for the entire manor, even though Gabe wasn’t comfortable being a spectacle.

Gabe’s confidence quickly disintegrated into rage, conjuring visions in his head of strangling his dear friend Uri for inviting a crowd to watch his tests. It was hard enough for him to concentrate alone in complete silence knowing what was at stake. He wasn’t sure how he would be able to do anything with a hundred of his future classmates looking on. Gabe knew that failing today wouldn’t only let down everyone who helped him, but could also have his mentor, Michael, questioning if he had made a mistake in choosing Gabe.

“Get over here, Gabe,” Uri motioned to his friend to join him in the circle. He reluctantly walked to his side. Uri grabbed his hand and raised it high into the air in a triumphant motion. “Are you ready to kick some demon tail, my friend?”

Gabe glanced over his shoulder at the rattling cages and could only feign a smile for a short moment. As he looked back to the crowd, he saw Michael standing off to the side with an expressionless face, his arms crossed, watching intensely as the scene unfolded. For a moment, he thought Michael may step in and stop the side show antics. When Michael just continued to watch, Gabe knew he was on his own.

“So everyone knows the rules …” Uri shouted. “Oh yeah, that’s right, there are no rules! Gabe can showcase anything and everything he has learned to stay alive!”

“I think you’re exaggerating a bit, don’t you?” Gabe mumbled under his breath to Uri. He was sure Michael wouldn’t let him die in these tests. At least, he thought he was sure. Gabe quickly looked at Michael again for some reassurance. He still displayed no change in expression or stance.

“Don’t worry,” Uri continued. “We’ll all be safe. There’s a protection spell on the arena so the demons won’t be able to escape. Just you and them!” Uri patted Gabe on the back heavily. Then he turned and scurried out of the arena. Uri’s words made Gabe even more anxious as he stumbled forward.

Gabe turned slowly, his hands feeling like two large boulders hanging from his sides. He watched in horror as Uri and two other men pulled the draping from the three cages.

 




 
Author Bio:
Wendy Owens was raised in the small college town of Oxford, Ohio. After attending Miami University, Wendy went on to a career in the visual arts. After several years of creating and selling her own artwork, she gave her first love, writing, a try.
Since 2011, she has published a young adult paranormal series, The Guardians, which will contain five books total, as well as a novella.
Wendy now happily spends her days writing—her loving dachshund, Piper, curled up at her feet. When she's not writing, she can be found spending time with her tech geek husband and their three amazing kids, exploring the city she loves to call home: Cincinnati, OH.
Author Links:
Website: http://wendy-owens.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WendyLOwens



Friday 20 September 2013

Book Indulgence Hop!

Hello hoppers!!
I'm so excited to be part of this hop organized by some of my favorite people...the kind folks at Guilty Indulgence! I'm rather fond of the reviewers at Guilty Indulgence. You see, they saw fit to make my book The Selkie the winner of their Ultimate Indulgence Award last year, so I am still very grateful. Thanks to everyone at Guilty Indulgence for supporting a small press author and sharing the love.



There are lots of fabulous authors taking part in this hop and wonderful prizes, including the grand prize of a ton of cool swag. So make sure you comment on each blog you visit, and be sure to leave your email address.

In order to visit each stop on the hop, just click the deliciously-sticky man above or this link: http://guiltyindulgencebookclub.blogspot.ca/p/blog-hops.html

What makes something an indulgence? Well, I always see it as something that's tasty, but a little bit bad for you. Ice cream, cheesecake, Nutella...these are some of my favorite indulgences.

However, one could stretch the idea and become really sinful. What about a sexy Alpha hero? One who clearly shows he's a little bit bad, but also oh, so good. Oh yes, isn't this one of our fave indulgences as well?

Well, I have one of these bad boys for you, and if you are really good, you might win him! I'd like to introduce you to Soren Snow, the bad boy hero from my bear shifter romance Predator's Serenade, Gemini Island Shifters book 2.


Soren is a polar bear shifter and professional percussionist with a penchant for models and teasing the female fans in his fanclub. The last thing our Soren wants to do is get mated, so he becomes understandably upset when fate kicks him in the ass.

Want a sneak peek?

Blurb:

There are three things that make bear shifter Soren Snow’s skin crawl: mothers, their children, and the great outdoors. Soren is a famed musician and playboy, and he would rather spend his days pressing the flesh with the women in his fan club than developing meaningful relationships. When his brother calls in a favor, forcing Soren to revisit the Ursa Fishing Lodge in Northern Ontario, he couldn’t be more displeased. However, he owes his brother big time. 

Gioia Clementine would rather not meet Soren, her drummer son’s rock idol. But when tragedy strikes her home, it seems the only one the boy might respond to is Soren. Gioia begrudgingly agrees to let her son meet him, hoping the rock star won’t turn her tween into a musical misogynist. 

When Gioia and Soren meet, the sexual chemistry threatens to set the Ontario woodland ablaze. Can these two opposites find a common ground? And can they manage to resolve their unwanted feelings, even when a mysterious stranger arrives at the lodge, threatening everything?

Excerpt:


Gioia followed Soren's approach with a curious eye. She'd wondered if the miracle kisser would beat a hasty retreat after witnessing her boy fall to pieces, and yet here he was. He wore the same famished look he had right before he'd ruined her for any other man's kiss. And she felt it too. The tingles between her shoulder blade, the gelatin knees, and trembling lips that wanted to gobble him up.
She couldn't. She didn't want to saddle him with such a wreck of a woman or family.
He came right up to her, so close, as if making a mockery of the space that sought to separate them. Weaving his fingers through her hair, he cradled her skull and pulled her close. Tucking her head against his chest, he kissed the top of her head, blazing a trail of hot reaction down her spine. He had new clothes on and smelled fresh and clean. As she breathed him in, he rained soft kisses all over her head.
He knows.
She pulled away, suddenly terrified he'd think she was a travesty of a mother. It's what anyone would think in his case. They'd wonder what Gioia had done wrong to create a monster child. But as she attempted to remove herself from his grasp, Soren fought her by holding her still. Again she tried jerking away from his wall of a chest. He held her firm.
When she tried two more times, each time unsuccessfully, he looked at her and shouted, "Dammit, woman, I am not letting you go, so you can stop pulling away from me!"
Something in Gioia broke. She'd been carrying her sadness around for so long, trying to be strong, and Soren was offering to be strong for her. For just a moment, maybe she could surrender. God only knew how badly she wanted to give herself to the bear man.
He grabbed her tighter, and his hands slid down to mold over her ass cheeks. His warm breath was all over her face, and she took a dizzying dive into the seas of his eyes. He ground her against him, and she was forced to stand on tip toes.
"Gioia," he whispered.
She wound her arms about his tense neck, felt him tense further. Then … a sigh somewhere in his big frame and a relaxation in his muscles. As if he needed to have her wound about him. As if it soothed him as much as her.
"Soren. Please."
As he kissed her, he picked her up, his hands under her bottom. Her miniskirt rode up, and she spared a second to mentally curse her decision to wear it. And then she didn't care.

Kissing her madly, Soren spirited her into the woods.


In order to win a copy of Predator's Serenade, leave me a comment and tell me about your favorite indulgence!! I will pick a winner at the end of the hop and award a copy of my sexy book.

In the meantime, happy hopping!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Sultry Summer Reads Blog Hop!

Welcome hoppers and many thanks to Carey for having me!

Now there are some wonderful prizes and books to be had, so make sure you visit each stop on the hop:
http://safariheatbooktoursandauthorservices.blogspot.com/

The Grand Prize is a Kindle Fire HD 7". Second Prize is a $100 gift card to Amazon or B&N. To say nothing of so many amazing books. Make sure you leave your email on your comments, so a prize can find its way to you if you are chosen as a winner.

There are 4 ways readers can gain extra entries for the Grand Prize, but you are not required to do this:
-leave a comment
-follow my blog
-follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rleoauthor1
-follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LeoRosanna


********************

There's nothing better than launching into a sexy new read. What is it that you like best? Meeting a gorgeous hero? Identifying with the plucky heroine? Imagining yourself in all those steamy scenarios?

Personally, I cast a vote for all of these. What can I say? I'm greedy. ;) I love to live vicariously through my characters and relish an escape into a new world, inhabited by strange and beautiful people.

As my own prizes, I'm offering a copy of Night Owl Review Top Pick choice Predator's Kiss, book 1 of my Gemini Island Shifters series. In order to win a copy of this steamy shifter read, leave me a comment with what you like best about shifters, bears or otherwise.



Blurb:

Bear shifter Ryland Snow just wants peace. The peace and quiet afforded him at his woodsy retreat, the Ursa Fishing Lodge. As owner of the lodge, Ryland enjoys the tranquil life he’s created among his fellow shifters. He lives to maintain a safe haven for them, away from meddlesome human eyes.

When his rock star brother arrives, bringing trouble in the form of a possible hitman, Ryland is incensed. He’s been cleaning up Soren’s messes as long as he can remember, and is tired of his brother’s lecherous exploits.

Things go from bad to worse when Lia Goodblood stumbles upon Ryland and his lodge. Yes, the reclusive erotica author is easy on the eyes, but the human woman is more trouble than she’s worth. To say nothing of her bizarre fear of furry creatures.

Ryland determines to rid himself of her presence. But when he learns she’s on the run from a crazed fan, Ryland’s protective bear instincts flare. And the bear won’t be denied.

 

Excerpt:

She was already reviving a few minutes later. Ryland let out a sigh of relief.

Thank God. When he’d first seen the petite woman hurtling through the trees, he’d worried someone was after her. But no one else had barreled behind her. And yet she’d seemed so scared.

They hadn’t helped, presenting her with a couple of snarling bears.

She moaned a little, and the soft sound warmed him, making him hard again. Damn. He glanced around the room, remembered he didn’t exactly tend to stash clothes in guest cabins, and raced for the bathroom. He grabbed a couple of clean towels off the rack and tossed one to Soren. “Cover yourself.”

Soren grinned like a devil and motioned to his nude bottom half. “I can conduct my flirting business much more efficiently this way.”

Ryland glared as he wrapped his lower half in the towel. “Cover yourself or I’ll strangle you with it, lover boy.”

His brother placed the woman’s backpack on the floor and threw the towel about his waist. “Such animosity is really not in keeping with your sainthood, Brother Ryland.”

Ryland ignored him and turned back to the woman. He didn’t know why it mattered so much she recover and feel comfortable in his presence, but it did. Of course, as owner of the lodge, it made sense he didn’t want to see anyone scared or hurt.

Yeah. That’s it. That’s all.

His rationalization did nothing to quell the nervous tremors in his gut, though. Or his excruciating hard-on.

Okay, she’s sorta pretty and has a body made for sin. So what? Get over yourself.

Clearly  it had been too long since he’d allowed himself to get lost in a woman’s body for more than a quick fuck. And this woman’s body deserved slow, leisurely loving. Greedy licks. Sensual tugs. Why, her breasts alone were so full and perfect, they just begged one to suck. To say nothing of those rounded hips and soft, womanly ass.

Ryland ran a hand over his face, feeling overly hot. Jesus Christ. Stop thinking like a horny teenager. You sound like Carter.

Besides, she was nothing like him. Human. And if time had taught him anything, it was the pursuit of romance with a nonshifter was a fool’s errand. She didn’t belong here on his resort, on his island. He needed to revive her and get her out of there.

Desperate to relieve the sudden, raging desire shooting up through his body, Ryland forced himself to look away from the woman. In doing so, he caught a glimpse of his brother. Soren was sitting next to her, his gaze contemplative, his eyes trained on her boobs. Ryland realized he didn’t like the way baby brother was looking at her. “Hey.”

Soren looked up. “What?”

“What are you staring at?”

Without batting an eye, Soren turned back to their unexpected guest. “Her. Can’t I stare?”

Ryland’s eyebrows shot up. “Staring at women has already gotten you into trouble. Maybe you should find a new hobby.” He stifled the low growl building in his throat. Now wasn’t the time for brawling, but he didn’t appreciate the way his brother gawked. His cool eye, appraising, as if he’d never seen anything like her before.

“You were checking her out too,” Soren replied.

“No, I wasn’t. I’m not interested in this … person,” Ryland retorted. As he uttered the words, he bit his tongue hard by mistake, as if confirming the words were a lie. “Damn,” he whispered, tasting blood.

“Do you think someone was chasing her?” Soren asked in a pensive tone, picking up one of his drumsticks and stroking it as if it were a lover’s finger.

“I don’t know.” Ryland sat on the other side of her small body and looked her up and down as she lay under the covers. Despite his mistrust of humans, he couldn’t help wondering who would frighten such a tiny, delicate thing. Had someone tried to hurt her? The very idea made him want to bash his head against the wall. Or better yet, bash any lowlife who dared to touch her.

No one touches her but me, his heart declared.

What?

As another stress headache shot through his brain, he wondered at the ferocity and lunacy of the feeling.

 

Predator’s Kiss is available at http://www.lsbooks.com/predators-kiss-p794.php and all ebooksellers.

 Now hop along to the other stops!

Thursday 5 September 2013

The eyes have it.

In romance lit, we get to wax poetic about all sorts of interesting body parts. If we write erotic, even more so. To me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of writing romance is the moment when I get to describe the hero through the heroine's eyes for the first time. It's also probably one of my most enjoyable things to read. There's nothing like a sexy description to spark an image in one's mind.

Of course, one could go crazy creating descriptions to entice a reader. One could mention bulging muscles, knowing smiles and, ahem, other parts.

However, for me, I think the most exciting descriptions are about a man's eyes. Certainly this is something I try to bring to my writing. We all know the old "windows to the soul" adage, and it really is true. Amazing things can be expressed in a hooded glance, a quick series of blinks or a wistful gaze.

I recall so many readers asking me for Mack Kirk's story in my Orkney Selkies series. This flabbergasted me because my only description of Mack at the time was "a man with black hair and blacker eyes." Not really a detailed description, but it must have gotten some wheels turning. And I suppose the sexy cover got a few other gears in motion afterward!



With a few short words, so much can be conveyed. And when it comes to facial expression, I find I don't like to have a lot of fussy detail anyway. As a reader, my imagination will fill in the rest. I just need a couple of key words to kick start my imagination. Less is more, so they say.

Can you think of your favorite descriptions of a hero from romance lit? Did the eyes have it? Or was it something else that grabbed you?


Tuesday 3 September 2013

Aoife Marie Sheridan...Eden Forest!

I'm very happy to showcase Aoife Marie Sheridan today as she shares her new book Eden Forest with us. This is Book 1 of her Saskia Trilogy, and I'm very excited to hear more about it.

Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Sarajane Anderson is your regular twenty one year old. With family, friends and a normal job. She also happens to be the only person who can save Saskia, a world parallel to earth.

When Sarajane is taken to Saskia, she could never have imagined the reality of the world she steps into, a world where magical abilities are in everyone's possession.

She must face a father she never knew, a world that is beyond her belief. A guardian who captures her heart, and a darkness that wants to take it.
On this journey Sarajane discovers her magical abilities and realizes they come with a price. Sarajane is truly tested, as her loved ones are put at risk. The question she must ask herself is, how do you choose who lives and who dies?

Eden Forest

http://www.amazon.com/Eden-Forest-Saskia-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00C43FKHY/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378209231&sr=1-2&keywords=aoife+sheridan