June 2013 – Behind Closed Doors

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Author @TashaBlackstone And Her New #Eroticromance #fantasy #paranormal #vampires

Hello my friends! Welcome to another Saturday Spotlight here at Behind Closed Doors. I’m Tammy Dennings Maggy and your host. Our guest today is fellow Siren author Tasha Blackstone. She’s here to tell us a bit about herself and to give us a little taste of her new fantasy/paranormal erotic romance Echo in the Night. Today’s visit is only the first half of her interview. To get the next part, you’ll have to follow us over to Sassy Vixen Publishing day after tomorrow for Oh My! Monday. So enough teasing. Let’s get on with the first part of our interview.

What inspires you to write?

I’m an only child and because my mom worked numerous jobs when I was a kid to support us, I spent a lot of time at my grandparents. I loved my grandparents but they were definitely aged and loved to watch the nightly news, 60 minutes and episodes of Hee Haw. I found it extremely boring and living in a world that was at the early, early stages of technology, my entertainment had to be created. It was during this time that I found my love of writing. I made up countless stories and over the years have found that my peace of mind can only be fully achieved when I am writing.

Are you a plotter or panster or a little of both?
A little bit of both, but I have to be careful. If I over plot, I lose the creativity and if I under plot, my scatter brain ADD causes me to forget important details.

Do you listen to music while writing?
I have to. Lol I don’t have my dream writer’s cave yet and my house tends to be hectic with kids and husband and dogs running around 24/7. If I don’t plug in, I get nothing done.

What kinds of music work best for you? Do different types of music help you for different types of scenes?
I am fortunate enough to have a music hoarder for a husband so I have an endless library of music that I can transfer over to my laptop at any given time, so I can honestly say that I listen to just about everything. I have found that different types of music helps move a scene forward. (I listened to Enigma on repeat during the club scene and absolutely loved how it helped set the tone).

Tell us about the different types of characters you like to write about? Why are these types so appealing to you?
I really like to write about the broken heroine and the morally conflicted hero. The heroine needs to be strong enough to survive on her own, but I’m drawn to the shattered aspect because a perfectly normal character is a little boring to me. I also love the conflicted hero. A man with a dark past, or questionable character, who can find redemption in choosing good or sacrificing himself for love. I find these types of characters to be more enjoyable to write because in reality, most of us are a little broken and little bit dark.

In what ways are your characters like you? In what ways are your characters not like you?
I pass of my insecurities to my characters and have given them some of my own inner battles to struggle with because I know how to feel them, but as for differences, I can admit that I’m not nearly as independent as my characters are. I don’t like to be alone and I’m fairly non-confrontational. I definitely enjoy being able to channel that inner part of me though through my character’s voice.

What are your favorite fiction genres to read from?
It’s basically a tie between Fantasy/Paranormal and Mystery/Crime drama. I love Faeries and Witches, supernatural creatures, and mermaids, and of course Vampires of all makes and models, however, I am also a murder mystery, suspense thriller junky!

Who are some of your favorite authors and why do you think they appeal so much to you?
I have been a dedicated Stephen King fan since my early teen years. My grandma turned me on to his books and Carrie was the first book to give me nightmares and when she passed, she left her Stephen King library to me. I’m also a huge fan of Terry Goodkind and have read every one of the Sword of Truth books numerous times. I love both of these authors, and those like them, because they ignore boundaries. King is so open and honest and willing to write about subjects that most would shy away from and Goodkind created such a fantastical world and also pushed the boundaries to the point of being controversial.

What kinds of stories are your comfort reads when you are sick or feeling low?
In complete opposition to books like King or Goodkind write, when I’m sick or blue and just want ot o curl up with a good book, I turn to YA novels. Yes, I’ve read the Twilight saga. Three times. I was also introduced to PC Cast’s House of Night series and went on strike for a week to read my way through the series.

Want to know more about Tasha? You’ll have to join us on Monday for the rest of the interview and a smokin’ hot adult excerpt. Don’t worry. I do have the blurb and a story excerpt to share with you. Tasha and I don’t want to leave you hanging! 😉

Blurb

Can a Witch who was born to be a Vampire Hunter find true love with her mortal enemy?

It’s easy to live life on auto pilot and that’s just what Echo Abbott is doing. That is until everything shifts. As her house of cards begins to crumble, she meets Henry Knight. Obnoxious and gorgeous she can’t stop thinking about him and against her better judgment she wonders if he is the key to healing her broken heart.

In this dark, seductive tale set in the heart of Oregon, Echo is a Witch with remarkable powers whose gift is sought after by a power hungry Vampire, Corrine. Corrine’s brother, Henry, is a willing pawn in her fight for the ultimate power and has been tracking Echo for years. Seeking out Echo’s weakness he soon finds his desire for her is more than he can control. He wants Echo all to himself, but can he convince her that he isn’t the enemy before it’s too late or will her stubborn nature be her downfall?

Story Excerpt:

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” A large man with muscled arms and strong hands lifted her effortlessly from the glass battlefield. “I didn’t mean to scare you! Are you okay?”

Suddenly more pissed than scared, Echo wriggled and screamed in his embrace, trying with all of her might to break free from his hold. “Put me down!”

Gingerly and on command, he did, but as her foot found the deck, she pushed a shard of glass deeper into her heel and cried out again, “Pick me up! Pick me up! Take me inside!”

The stranger quickly swooped her up back into his arms and with rapid procession, carried her into the house and set her down onto the kitchen counter. Without a word he grabbed a towel from the oven bar, soaked it in warm water and tended to her foot, pulling out the largest shard of glass that had impaled her. She screamed and kicked at him as the pain pulsed through her and as he dropped the sharp triangle on the counter beside her, Echo could feel the familiar sensation of warm blood dripping down her foot. With an eerie swiftness, the man backed as far away from Echo as he could without stepping back outside.

“That’s–that’s a lot of blood.”

His face was ashen and there was a quiver to his voice that oddly enough set Echo at ease. He was tall and muscular with broad shoulders and a chiseled chest, easily defined even through the fabric of his gray button-up shirt. His hair was raven black and clean cut and he had the hint of a five o’clock shadow on his face. His thick eyebrows were arched in alert and his crystal-blue eyes had locked onto the droplets of blood that fell to the tiled floor. He was a beautiful mess.

“Who are you and what the fuck are you doing here?”

He did not pull his eyes from the blood when he answered. “I’m Henry. I’m here to buy your house.”

“You have got to be kidding me! Henry?” Rage pulsed through her. “As in Henry Knight the douche bag stalker who refuses to take no for answer and just leave me alone? That Henry Knight?”

He finally looked up into her eyes, a hint of a smile etched along his full lips.

“Well”—he laughed—“Most women don’t refer to me as a douche bag, but yes, I suppose I am that Henry.”

About the Author

New to publishing, but not new to writing, Tasha Blackstone has been spinning tales ever since she was a little girl with an overwhelming imagination. She has spent her life weaving stories, but found a love of romance back in high school when she filled her time writing fantasy love stories for friends and classmates. Though she only writes part time for now, she hopes to someday be able to write full time. When she isn’t pounding away at the keyboard, Tasha spends her time with her best friend/husband, her three teenaged kids, and her two drama queen dogs. Life is busy, overwhelming, and hectic at times, but it’s all worth it. During the late night hours, when all is quiet, you can find her working on her next work-in-progress or curled up with a good book and bottle of tequila. Yes tequila, she hates wine!

Where to Find Tasha

Sassy Vixen Publishing Oh My! Monday (July 1st)

Authors Stealing From Authors: Who Can You Trust?

Over the last few months we’ve been privy to several cases of piracy, plagiarism and outright deceit perpetuated by authors against other authors. All of us have had to deal with the continued threat of piracy but more and more of these cases are being traced back to individuals in well known book review sites. Of course when found out, the review sites do what they can to help rectify the situation, but the damage is already done. The shock and the sense of being violated always sticks in the back of your mind. Who do you trust to send your book for reviews if even the busy review sites are being infiltrated by dishonest individuals?

In the case of the pirates, the stolen property is uploaded to various file sharing sites and available FOR FREE. What is the motivation for these people to take someone else’s work and simply give it away for nothing other than to be known on these sites as the go to person for any book you want? They don’t care that each and every download takes money out of that author’s pocket and less they have to cover their bills for the month. They don’t care because it doesn’t affect them one bit. If someone came up to them and had access to their bank accounts and took a dollar out every hour, I bet they’d feel just a bit put out, but that’s a story we’ve talked about many times before.

On the same level as these criminals (yes using copyrighted material in any way without permission is a crime) are the current brain trusts who’ve been caught stealing portions and in some cases the entire book of another and passing it off as their own. How can this happen? Well, some start out “innocent” enough as fanfiction. They post a chapter or two claiming to be a unique take on two characters from some television show, book, or movie. They insert the right names in the right places and BAM! Others on the fanfic site are impressed. They fawn all over this “aspiring author” slapping the praise on so thick that the recipient just has to keep putting out the chapters. It gets to the point that one or three of the folks actually have to convince this “writer” that his/her stuff is good enough to publish. That’s when the shit usually hits the proverbial fan, but in a few cases these stolen works actually get published and are up for sale on Amazon and in other outlets.

How is this all figured out? By READERS!!! Sharp-eyed readers gravitate to these books because they remind them of another book. Book bloggers and reviewers have hosted these authors and their books and found one too many similarities and went investigating throughout social media and the rest of the World Wide Web. It’s these fabulous individuals who have found the incriminating evidence and shared it with all of us. They’ve found screen shots of Twitter conversations, websites and blogs, excerpts from the stolen works to compare side by side to the “new” book and highlighted passage after passage of the crime.

Of course is this enough to make the criminal back down? Nope. They continue to say it’s their original work and we’re all being cyber bullies even going as far as to say they would never even consider reading the “filth” put out by the author they stole from. By filth here you can read erotic romance. You already know my opinions about the people who look down upon MY GENRE…sorry. I’ll get back on track. Suffice it to say, when you’re caught just admit it and go on. Stop making up more lies and stealing more identities to come to your rescue. You’re just digging a deeper hole and larger lawsuit for yourself. Here’s another lesson for you would be thieves: it doesn’t matter that you’re copying from a book that came out yesterday or 7 years ago. Stealing is still stealing. All we have to do is Google passages and we can find you. You may get away with it for a little while, but when we catch you…be prepared for a good old fashioned trial by fire.

This last one really boggles the mind and has many of us in my author groups thinking it’s not just one person doing this. There has got to be at least two of them to be this organized and convoluted. Teresa Mummert did a fabulous job going through all the twists and turns HERE. It will boggle your mind how this particular thief set all of us up. Once again, it was a READER who found it and alerted DearAuthor. The evidence presented is overwhelming and I have to admit it makes me angry on one hand and so very sad on the other.

I guess I’m one of those naive people (only when it comes to this! hehehe) who thinks that authors stick by each other and support each other. Before I entered the world of being a published author, I never dreamed I would be witness to this sort of thing, let alone it become such an elaborate production. Don’t these people have any morals at all? No sense of right or wrong? I only knew about piracy from the Napster controversy years ago, never thinking that one day I would be sending out take down notices to websites overseas. Before 2011 I never dreamt I would be sharing blog posts and retweeting information about plagiarizing scum. Who would have thought I would have to defend the copyright of not only my own works, but help to defend that of other authors.

So who do I trust? The readers for one. They are the ones who point out to us when another is stealing our work or when another is deliberately rating our work low and giving themselves five stars. I also have a few groups of authors who I’ve grown close to over the last two years and would trust them to not only give me honest opinions about my work but would have my back if my stuff was stolen and published under someone else’s name. I would do the same for them. I still trust the well known review sites and I will send them special watermarked PDF copies of my work for review. This way it protects me and it protects them.

Has any of this made me leery about publishing any more of my work? A little bit, but I’m not going to let a few bad apples destroy my lifelong dream. I’m going to keep writing and putting myself out there. I’m going to keep building up the friendships throughout the publishing world so maybe one day we can actually stop this crap from happening BEFORE it gets to the published stage. I’d like to see the fanfiction sites take a more active role in monitoring what’s going on under their noses. Unfortunately with Amazon’s new program of publishing fanfic of a limited number of TV shows, I just see this getting worse before it gets any better. I mean, if Amazon could let Amazingly Broken by Jordin Williams be up for sale with huge passages of it lifted directly from two other books by two other authors, how is it going to police the books that go up under the new venture?

Food for thought, my lovelies. Food for thought.

~Tammy

#WildAndWicked Wednesday with @kendallmckenna, #tattoos, and Her Recon Diaries #LGBT #Marines #eroticromance

Welcome to hump day here at Behind Closed Doors. One of our favorite guests is back with us again today. Author Kendall McKenna has agreed to share a bit more about what makes her Marine heroes so HAWT. This time she’s chosen a specific body adornment that I love…tattoos! I’ll just turn over the blog and let her share some fabulous photos of her sinspirations. Enjoy! ~Tammy

You know Kendall McKenna has a new book coming out when she shows up here, bearing hot men! For those of you who haven’t encountered me before, I’m an author of M/M Erotic Romances.

Still with me?

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Tattoos. Not everyone likes tattoos, but I have certainly seen a distinct uptick in the number of us who do, over the last several decades. While I was growing, only bikers, criminals and military personnel had tattoos. They all tended to appear the same, heavy in the blacks, blues and reds.Excellent! Let’s get started.

I was twelve years old when my mother got her first tattoo. My father followed. My family is very conservative. My father is a retired cop, my mother a homemaker. Both of my siblings and I have tattoos. It really does seem as though more of my friends and co-workers have tattoos, than don’t. At least one.

I’ve always liked tattoos. I’m thrilled that the stigma surrounding tattoos has all but disappeared. Culturally, we’ve come to recognize tattoos in much the same way as the societies that originally developed them. They’re body art, they’re symbols of our individuality, outward symbols of our souls, they’re self-expression that we wear on our skin like shields, or like pages of our personal books.

My specialty is in writing realistic U.S. Marines in realistic military-related situations. As strange as it may seem, none of my Marines have tattoos. You would think that with my love of ink, and the fact that I write about Marines, that all of my characters would have tattoos. Up until now, some of my characters didn’t have anything they felt the need to wear on their skin. Others will be getting their tattoos in upcoming stories, for ritualistic reasons. But one character, who has been with me from the beginning and as finally gotten his own story, has always had tattoos.

If you’ve read my books, you’ll know that Jonah and Kellan from Brothers In Arms and Fire For Effect, don’t have tattoos. Jonah, the career Marine, would be more likely to get one, than the Ivy League, WASP-y Kellan, but Jonah also isn’t going to just get the Corps logo or some other cliché. Noah & Lucas from Strength of the Pack will eventually get tattoos, because Noah can’t wear either a ring, or his dog tags, while in wolf form. He and Lucas getting matching tattoos will let him carry something of Lucas with him while he’s a wolf. That’ll be a short story when I get around to writing the anthology.

That brings me to Staff Sergeant Corey Yarwood. Corey first showed up in Brothers In Arms. He makes a quick appearance in Fire For Effect. But on July 4^th, Corey finally gets his very own story. The Final Line is the story of Corey’s battle with PTSD, while providing witness testimony in two criminal investigations. And, he gets to fall in love.

Giving himself a mental kick in the ass, Corey admitted he was going to show off what he had and hope Sean wanted to get a closer look. His jeans were faded to the perfect shade. They hugged his ass and rode low on his hips. The button front black shirt he selected had short sleeves that barely fit over his biceps, leaving the muscles of his arms on full display. Corey left several buttons open, revealing the skin of his chest and the edges of his dog tags.

Checking himself in the mirror, he saw the lower edge of his First Recon skull and crossbones tattoo on his right shoulder. The eagle, globe and anchor over his heart was partially visible, too. He hoped Sean liked tattoos.

Not to worry, Corey, Sean loves tattoos!

“You’re a cheap date,” he muttered before he could stop himself.

Sean snorted into his drink. “I’m easy, too.”

“Not for me, you’re not.” Corey couldn’t make himself look at Sean.

They were silent for several interminable moments before Sean leaned in and said quietly, “Do you even know how fucking hot you look, tonight? I’m getting hard just looking at you.”

Corey grinned, heat pooling in his belly and his cock pushing steadily against his fly. Finally, he met Sean’s eyes. “I clean up pretty good for a grunt, huh?”

“Are you good with your tongue?” Corey asked, blatantly staring at Sean’s pouty mouth. He wondered if they could skip the hand jobs and just have Sean wrap those sinful looking lips around his dick.“I knew last night you cleaned up well,” Sean replied. “But this is something else.” He traced a finger over the edge of the tattoo on Corey’s arm. “I want to take that shirt off of you and get a good look at your ink. I probably couldn’t stop, though, and I’d end up running my tongue over the one on your chest.” Sean stared blatantly at Corey’s chest where his shirt stood open to reveal part of the Marine Corps logo.

Sean gave a husky laugh, his eyes sparkling. “I really like this side of you.”

Corey has typical Marine Corps tattoos because he is making a statement of defiance to all those who disapprove of his life choices, and his orientation. By permanently marking himself with the symbols of his beloved Corps, he’s telling the world he is a Marine, down to his bones. He’s got a warrior’s soul. At the same time, his tattoos align him with his fellow warriors. He has chosen his family, and he wears their coat of arms – their sigil – on his skin.

Sean picks up on that quickly. He likes tattoos, sure, but he figures out early on what Corey’s ink means to him, and he accepts those symbols in the very same way he accepts all things about Corey.

Corey lifted his hand and reached blindly behind himself. He found Sean’s soft hair and wove his fingers through it, drawing his face down close.

Sean cooperated, nuzzling the sensitive spot behind Corey’s ear. His hand moved quickly on Corey’s cock, squeezing firmly. Corey moved his legs restlessly and Sean secured him by hooking his own leg over Corey’s. It felt so fucking good, Corey’s orgasm had already begun to build up inside of him.

“I’m not going to last,” he groaned, chest heaving as he breathed heavily through parted lips. “Christ, you’re gonna make me come quick.”

“Good,” Sean replied, sounding pleased with himself. He kissed his way down Corey’s neck. “Don’t try to hold back.”

Corey flexed the muscles in his thighs and Sean groaned against his shoulder, even as the thrusts of his hips became stronger and faster. Sean’s hard-on slid easily between Corey’s legs, gliding against his taint. The thick head bumped Corey’s balls, making them tingle and dragging his climax up faster.

Sean shifted again and Corey was forced to release the back of his head. He turned to watch Sean lick the point of his shoulder before dragging the flat of his tongue down Corey’s bicep. When he reached Corey’s tattoo, Sean firmed the tip of his tongue and used it to trace the edges of the ink.

He watched in fascination as Sean worshiped his tattoo while stroking his dick. Corey pushed his hips into Sean’s tight grip. His balls tightened. Heat spooled out from the base of his spine and flooded his pelvis. He was so fucking close.

“I love your tats,” Sean said against Corey’s ink, his soft lips and hot breath sending a shiver through Corey’s body. “What does this one stand for?”

Corey struggled to focus. He knew he needed to answer Sean but all he wanted to do was fuck Sean’s hand and come his brains out. “It’s the 1^st Recon logo,” he gasped.

“You’re proud of being Recon, aren’t you?” Sean traced the skull in Corey’s tattoo. “It’s a big deal, isn’t it?” At least Sean sounded breathless now, too, as he slid his cock between Corey’s clenched thighs.

“Yeah,” he gasped, just before his lower belly tightened and his dick pulsed in a few times. “Oh fuck, I’m gonna come.”

“Good, I wanna feel you,” Sean replied, panting through parted, red lips.

Corey stared at Sean’s mouth. He wanted those lips pressed to his own. It felt like Sean was miles away, as he mouthed at Corey’s arm. He wanted Sean closer. Corey tried to tell him. He wanted to ask Sean to kiss him. Hell, he’d fucking beg for it, if he could just form the words.

Sean’s shrewd hazel eyes flicked up to Corey’s and he must have seen something. He slid up Corey’s body, slightly, his brows furrowing slightly. “What, Corey, what do you need?”

“Kiss me.” Corey’s voice was much more desperate than he’d planned. He’d be embarrassed later. “Please kiss me.”

Corey likes to kiss. A lot. But to learn more, you’ll have to read the book when it’s release by MLR on July 4th.

If you’d like to learn more about me, or any of the stories I mentioned in my post, you can check out my website: www.kendallmckenna.com

Now is your chance to win free stuff! This is your chance to enter to win an e-book copy of any the three Recon Diaries titles!

Click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter to win. Good luck!

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OhMy! @KaraLeighMille1 and Her Whirlwind #booktour Celebration #newadult #romance

It’s that time again and I’ve got a special treat. Author Kara Leigh Miller is in the middle of two book tours. One celebrates the release of her new YA contemporary romance and the other with her New Adult contemporary Death of a Waterfall. Kara started out her Waterfall tour with my blogs on Sassy Vixen Publishing just two days ago. We decided to split up the fun and have her do an interview then, and share the blurb and excerpt with us here today for Oh My! Monday.

So let’s get to the good stuff!

Blurb

Teghan Jacobs didn’t think anything could be worse than learning she’s pregnant by a man she’s been dating less than six months. Boy, was she wrong. Her mother, whose drowning in the river of denial, refuses to take a side on the issue. And her overbearing, manipulative father threatens to disown her and cut her off from her trust fund if she doesn’t have an abortion.

Donnie Marks couldn’t be happier. The woman he loves, the woman he fought so hard to be with, is going to have his baby. Life has never been better. But when she shows up in his dorm room, sobbing and heartbroken, he learns the horrible truth of what happened. He vows to get revenge on the man who’s responsible: Teghan’s father.

Excerpt

Teghan walked to the door and opened it. “Get out.”

He approached her. “I’m not leaving.” They stared at each other in a silent battle of wills. “I know I broke a promise to you and I’m sorry, but I come here to fess up, to make things right and I find you with another guy. I’m the one who should be angry here, Teghan, not you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. There was no way in hell he was leaving when he knew she was so angry with him–all though he still didn’t know why she was so pissed.

“Fine.” She swung the door closed.

Donnie hated the way her voice had flattened. “We can get through this,” he said.

She faced him. “You wanna know the best part of Alex’s message?”

He cringed. God only knows what Alex said. “No.” He really didn’t want to know, but knew he had to hear it.

“Alex said he still loves me, and that’s why he made that bet with you. The one where you two bet me over a basketball game. You know the one I’m talking about, don’t you, Donnie?”

Donnie looked at her, stunned. “What?” Of everything Alex could’ve told her, Donnie hadn’t expected Alex to tell her that. Why had he? Surely it didn’t look good for Alex either.

“Don’t play dumb. I want to know what the bet was,” she said.

“Does it really matter?”

“Yes.” Teghan folded her arms across her chest and leaned up against the door.

Donnie sighed. “Alex and I bet on a basketball game. I win and I get to take you out. Alex wins and I walk away from you for good. It was just a stupid bet, Teghan. It didn’t mean anything. We were drinking and…”

“Who won?” Donnie looked down at the floor. “Who won?” she repeated.

Click on the following link to get yourself in the running for the prizes!
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Where to Find Kara and Her Books

@AlexAnthony80 Turns the Spotlight On Her Characters From #Ascend #eroticromance #vampires

Behind Closed Doors is being taken over by vampires once again. Josie and Stefan from Alexandra Anthony’s Vampire Destiny series have agreed to be interviewed by the author for today’s Saturday Spotlight. Sit back and relax and let Alexandra pull a few secrets out of the two love birds. They won’t give away anything too juicy, but what they do share will curl your toes! ~Tammy

It’s an honor to be back at Behind Closed Doors once again. During my visit during the Saturday Spotlight, I’ll be introducing my fourth book in The Vampire Destiny Series, Ascend.

It’s been some time since I sat down with Stefan and Josephine to see how they’re adjusting to life and all of the changes that have happened since the first book, Fated. In preparing for our spot here today, I opened up the floor to my readers and I’ll throw in a few of their questions today as well.

AA: Stefan and Josie, thanks for taking time to sit down and talk to me.

Stefan: *arches eyebrow* It is always a pleasure, Alexandra. It is the least I can do. I am your muse after all.

Josephine: Anytime. Even though I find it unfair that the story is told from my point of view and he’s your muse.

AA: I can see why that might be a little odd. So, tell me what’s happened since we last sat down and chatted. I think the last time was shortly after Illusion was released.

Stefan: Much has happened since Illusion. Josephine was almost murdered by

another vampire and I gained a new child. She also had moved to New York and agreed to live with me.

Josephine: There really was no choice since someone decided to permanently bond us. *fixes a pointed stare in Stefan’s direction*

AA: There was that issue. You seemed to handle it better than expected, Josie.

Josephine: I suppose finding the love of your life and learning that you’re a half vampire helps you put things in perspective.

Stefan: I think it my influence. I do like to keep her occupied.

AA: True. And Stefan, what is it like for you? Being single for almost 1,000 years must make settling down a bit…odd.

Stefan: *smiles crookedly and leans forward slightly* It would only be odd if it was not the ultimate goal. Josephine was much more…agreeable than I had anticipated.

Josephine: Agreeable?! *slaps Stefan lightly on the arm and snorts* I think Stefan had plenty of time to live as a bachelor. But we’ve agreed not to dwell on each other’s past.

AA: That’s right, Josie. We met one of your exes in Awakening. That didn’t go so well. How do you think you’d feel if you had to meet one of Stefan’s ex lovers?

Josephine: It didn’t go so well…at least for Aidan. And I can’t say I’d handle meeting one of Stefan’s exes well either. It’s bad enough knowing you’re with one of the most gorgeous men that every woman wants.

Stefan: Ah, but I only have eyes for you, vackra.

AA: Good save, Romeo. This is a question for both of you from one of my readers…do you ever wish you’d be able to have a child together?

Stefan: *glances at Josephine deviously* It is not wise to wish for something that can never be. And a child under foot would not give us the…freedom we have now.

Josephine: I never thought I’d be in the position to have a child, so it’s no loss. I’m not going to lie and say now that I’ve met my soul mate I wish there wasn’t a way to have a child that was as beautiful and strong as Stefan…and as stubborn as me. But as Stefan said, there is no reason to wish for something that can never be.

AA: In Awakening, a line in the sand was drawn with your father, Josie and Stefan nearly died in Book 3. Any idea how you’ll resolve the situation with Kian?

Josephine: This may sound trite, but I think we’re at the point where we’re both waiting for the other to make the first (or wrong) move. We’re sort of in standby mode. Regardless, no one will win in the end.

AA: Another reader question. Stefan, Josie is becoming much more powerful. Does it bother you that she might possibly be the stronger one at some point?

Stefan: Josephine is growing stronger with immortality…her mental powers will grow as well. It is logical and expected for her to be stronger as far as her abilities go. With my experience and physical strength and her mental abilities, we will be a force to be reckoned with. But to answer the question, it does not bother me. It is fitting that I have a mate that is powerful in her own right.

Josephine: So one of these days I’ll get to save the day?

Stefan: *shakes head and grins* As long as I am around to protect you, it is highly unlikely.

AA: And I have another reader question for each of you. Josie, what was it like to adjust to having a brother? And Stefan, can you put into words how it feels after such a long journey to have at last bonded with you soul mate?

Josie: I’ll go first. It’s been a big adjustment. I’m used to being a bit of a loner…and I meet Stefan and suddenly I’m surrounded by vampires. Meeting Nikolaus was wonderful. Even though we missed out on growing up together, we’re linked together and we have a great bond.

Stefan: Meeting Josephine after so many years was simply a relief. I suddenly felt complete, as if the missing part of myself was back in its rightful place.

AA: One final question since I know you won’t give any spoilers away for Ascend. Can you at least share a little about the book and what happens?

Josephine: We’re off to look for Garrett’s journal in my childhood home in this book. We’re also a little on edge after the explosion in Book 3. Ascend is all about self-discovery and reliving the past. And the journey has just begun for us…there are many surprises around the corner for us in the next few books.

Stefan: And our story has just begun. We have much to discover about our past…and our future.

Excerpt from Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book 4)

His lips tickled my ear. “It will work itself out, Josephine. I will not let you fail. You are stronger than you think.”

He always knew what to say. Twisting in his arms, my fingers caressed the planes of his face. I was still amazed as I took him in, so much more beautiful than my human eyes had ever been able to perceive. His deep-set sea blue eyes twinkled brightly, his prominently arched cheekbones standing out sharply only to taper to his strong, chiseled jawline. Light sandy blond stubble darkened his face, tickling my fingertips.

He captured my hand in his and brought them to his lips. His warm breath was ragged against my skin as he kissed each finger softly.

I closed my eyes as his mouth ghosted over my skin. “Your strength is the only thing holding me together right now. I feel so much more than before. It’s…”

“Overwhelming? Frustrating? I have been there before. It will get easier. You are hours old.” Stefan finished reassuringly. “Come.”

He tugged at my hand and led me into the kitchen. As soon as I stepped away from the window, my throat was on fire. The most alluring smell filled my nose, my mouth almost watering as I inhaled the intoxicating elixir. My mind began to shut down, instinct threatening to take over.

Blood. It was all my mind could think about. I wanted it…I needed it. I began to pull at Stefan’s hand, struggling weakly against the much stronger vampire.

The one time I thought I might be able to match him in physical strength and I still came up short. Figures.

“Enough. Focus.” His mental voice was sharp and was like a much-needed slap across the face. I stood with my mouth gaping, wide-eyed and cautious. He pulled me to a sudden stop and his hands rested heavily on my shoulders. My eyes skittered to his face. His expression was soft, a contradiction to his harsh mental command.

“I know it is difficult, Josephine. Your mind is fragmented and it is difficult to concentrate on the smallest of things. You must focus. Learn how to control your urges. Direct it as you do your shield.”

Nodding quickly, I remembered my old trick of pretending to bring a curtain down over my mind, instead directing it to my sense of smell. Once shielded from the temptation, my mind cleared and my mood settled. I licked my dry lips anxiously. “It’s much better. I’m ready.”

His lips curled into a proud smile as we resumed our trip to the kitchen, his hand firmly holding mine. I swallowed roughly as I noticed the large glass sitting on the counter, my fingers tightening around his. My sense of smell was closed, but my mouth still watered as I imagined the soothing liquid rushing over my parched throat. When our eyes met, his eyes were pitch black and I’m sure mine was as dark as his.

“Fuck,” he suddenly hissed, his eyes squeezing shut as he rocked back on his heels. His golden hair fell forward as his lips brushed across my cheek. “I vowed to be strong for you and keep my desire in check until you were ready. But I find watching you like this makes me want you, Josephine…in ways I can’t even articulate. You must feed first.”

The carnal cadence to his voice made me want to fall to my knees. I knew that tone, and despite the fact that we were literally unbreakable as immortals, I had a feeling that walking the next day was going to be difficult.

“A goal I would love to achieve,” he teased, shifting me until I was between him and the counter. “Drink,” he purred against my shoulder as his nose traced along my skin and up to my ear at the same time, his hands guided me closer to the cup filled with warm blood.

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@dochappycamper Joins Her Wicked Friends at the Latte Lounge

I belong to a special group of writers and we call ourselves the Wicked Women. We all write erotic romance and are in different stages of our career.

This Friday, June 7^th, we’re taking over the Latte Lounge at Coffee Time Romance for an ALL DAY event.