WHAT A CHARACTER - with 'Gateway to Hell's' Daniel

Today we have a talk to the handsome Warder from Eleni Konstantine's Gateway to Hell.


Character Questionnaire

Name: Daniel Richards 


1. What one thing from your childhood has had the biggest effect upon you as an adult?

Vampires trying to kill/eat me. Whatever they wanted, I didn’t take to kindly to it. Neither did my dad. We’ve been Warding every since.


2. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?

I’m a Warder, so I’ve seen a lot of sh… stuff. Worst thing - seeing what Zeta goes through with the Gateways.


3. What do you do best?

Ward the supernatural bad. I make sure humans are safe. Not a pretty job but someone has to do it.


4. How would you describe yourself in one sentence?

I don’t know - a professional Warder with a killer smile *wink *


5. Do you have any distinguishing marks?

Scars on my neck. But what Warder hasn’t got scars.


6. Where do you call home?

Anywhere my family is. Especially Zeta.


7. What makes you laugh out loud?

Zeta. She does have a funny sense of humor. Maybe because she’s Australian.


8. Who do you wish you were closest to?

Zeta - if she’d let me.


9. Do you have a secret?

Nah, I’m an open book. It’s probably what makes Zeta nervous. It’s like she can’t believe anyone would love her.


10. On what occasion would you lie?

I lie all the time. A Warder has to. The supernatural underbelly shouldn’t been known by your average guy.


11. What is your greatest fear?

You really want me to answer that? Even though all the supernatural bad would read it. Ah, only for romance readers. Okay, greatest fear is losing my family.


12. Do you have a nickname?

Zeta insists on calling me Danny Boy. But she’s the acceptation.


13. Have you been in love and had a broken heart?

I’m in love for the first time with Zeta. Totally new experience especially not knowing her feelings for me.


14. What is your idea of happiness?

Being in Zeta’s arms.


15. What is the strangest thing to happen to you?

Meeting Zeta. She just blew me away with her stubbornness and refusal to go away. Actually it wasn’t strange as astonishing. She’s an astonishing woman.


16. What would you do to save someone you love?

Die for them. I’m not being dramatic. I take risks every time I go against some supernatural bad. I’d definitely wouldn’t think twice about it for someone I love. Nor going to hell.

Gateway to Hell: A Warder Tale 1

Zeta will protect the one she loves, even if it means living in Hell.

Mastering a unique power was much safer for Zeta Kosmos with a mentor to help her along. Now that he’s disappeared, Zeta must continue alone with her calling—closing Gateways to Hell.

Daniel Richards is in the family business—Warding supernatural evil from causing havoc on humans. As such, he’s only interested in the safety of one-night stands. Until Zeta. This bad boy now wants a long, lasting relationship.

But Zeta can’t let go of her past, nor can she ignore the secret demonic threats against Daniel’s life. She’d rather fight demonic spawn and be dragged into Hell than allow anything happen to him. Can Daniel convince her to stay? Will she have to pay the ultimate price?



Read an excerpt here.

Gateway to Hell is currently 30% off at Musa Publishing.


You can find Eleni at her website and her blog, Eleni’s Taverna.

SARA News: Noir and YA Paranormal romance, we have it all

Time to get SASSY with our news of the week....

We at SARA have a wide of sub-genres. Today we bring you two of these...

Eleni Konstantine's Paranormal Noir novelette SNOOP (Snoop Cases 1) has a noir-looking cover (hooray). It is due for release on 6th December from Musa Publishing.


SNOOP's rule of investigating: Never take the paranormal at face value.

Daisy Luck is a SNOOP - Sanctioned Nationalized Officer Of the Paranormal. Her latest case involving a vampire and a gremlin has her private eye senses in a spin. Throw in yummy Detective Maroney and her life couldn't get more complicated - or could it?

Danielle Sevenwaters has had her first book, a YA paranormal romance, 'Of Fire and Roses' (book 1 of the Erlanis Chronicles) accepted by Evernight Teen. 

SARA Facebook page

Check out our page for more SARA goodness.

~Until next time, happy reading!

Southern Speak - Before You Hit Send

with Maggie Mundy

A few years back Angela James from Carina Press came to a RWA conference and talked about her online course so I thought I would sign up. It cost $55.00 US and takes three weeks. It is good to try and schedule it when you know you have time to be able to get to the computer and respond to the lessons. It is definitely one of those courses that the more you put in the more you will get out. So this was how it went.

1. Introduction. Angela asks you to choose a manuscript you love because you will be doing a lot of work on it. There will be a lesson every day and you are on a forum so you have to read other peoples comments and put up your own that can be daunting.

2. Read aloud. She repeats this comment a lot. It is a very good tool to use.

3. Track Changes. As someone who has just had to learn how to do this with my current editor. This is a safe environment to get used to it.

4. Find and Replace.

5. Customising your word Processing Program.

6. The Basics Part 1. Spell check, grammar check, formatting.

7. The Basics Part 2. Comma usage, capitalisation and titles and possession.

8. Back up, and when you have done that. Back up.

9. Basics Part 3. Apostrophes

10. Similes and clichés.

11. Adverbs.

12. Adjectives

13. Comma splices, contractions and conjunctions.

14. Dangling participles, prepositions and misplaced modifiers.

15. Random Post. Be yourself and bend the rules a little.

16. Random Post. Proper pronouns.

17. Grammar verses style.

18. The Editorial Relationship.

19. Body Parts gone Wild

20. Tagging Your Dialogue

21. Punctuating Dialogue

22. Examining your Character Dialogue

23. Passive Voice

24. Pacing Info Dump and where to Start.

25. Show verses Tell.

26. Overwriting.

27. Point of View.

28. Timelines, Character Outlines. Plotting.

29. When to Stop Editing.

30. Finalizing a manuscript before you send.

I found this course extremely beneficial but time consuming and a shift worker a bit difficult to complete. It is still worthwhile. I did this course a year or so ago and it may have changes recently.

Click here to find out more about this course.

About Maggie

Maggie Mundy lives in Adelaide, Australia and is a member of Romance Writers of Australia, and the local chapter SARA (South Australian Romance Authors). She recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and English at Flinders University. She had a short story published in the RWA Topaz Anthology Little Gems in 2010 called Sea and Vines. Over the past year she has had stories on line with Alfie dog in the UK and Antipodean SF in Australia. Her debut novella Blood Scent came out in July this year with Rogue Phoenix Press. She has also performed for many years in corporate entertainment for which she wrote her own sketches, which probably explains why her head is so full of characters. She loves writing romance but thinks falling in love can be scary, especially in her stories where creatures of the night really exist.

Blurb for Hidden Mortality

In Bath in 1850 a witch is murdered in a ritual granting longevity to four men. What they are not aware of is that she has bestowed the same power to another called Seth to avenge her death.

Cara is a descendant of the witch and fills her days with food with her Irish themed catering business. Her nights are another matter; they are full of erotic dreams of a mysterious lover, or nightmares with mutilated bodies. So this wasn’t the best time for her Nana to tell her she is coming into her power. 

Of the original four immortals, Vincent is the only one left and to stop his own long life fading he needs another witch to kill. Seth was meant to protect the witch’s descendants from a distance, but with Cara he can’t stay away. He has to make a choice to love Cara, or avenge the original death and possible die himself. Cara has the fight of her life on when one man comes to kill her, and another to love her.

SARA News - many thanks, I'd like some suspense with that, Likety Like, and glitter

Time to get your SASS on with some SARA News....

I'd like to thank Emmeline Lock for doing the SARA News a while now. Always fun and entertaining, Emmeline is a hard act to follow, but don't worry she hasn't gone. She'll be taking over the Reading Adventures column. Emmleline, thanks!!

Claire Baxter has signed a contract with Entangled Publishing for a romantic suspense to be published under the Ignite imprint.

This is her first foray into the mystery/suspense genre and she’s excited. The book, set in South Australia’s far north, will be titled Down Among The Dead Men.

Go SA and supsense!

Leesa Bow now has an author page on Facebook.  Please go and do the LIKE thing.

While you're at it, why not the SARA Facebook page.  :)





Eleni Konstantine reviewed Carla Caruso's Cityglitter over at the DarkSide DownUnder blog.



~ Until next time, happy reading and Facebooking!


Eleni

Reading Adventures:

Welcome to this month's reading adventures. 

Grab a chair and let us tell you about some great books.

Khloe Wren

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

At around 360,000 words this is one massive book! Any one who has read Kenyon knows her love of torturing her heros, and Styxx raises the bar. I think I read 95% of this book with tears in my eyes. The torture and abuse Styxx suffers is unimaginable and by the time you finish the book you feel like you've lived it yourself. Styxx does get his well deserved HEA... but as Kenyon so often does, not until the final chapters.

I recommend this book, but be warned, it's not for the faint of heart and definitely is a 18+ book.

The Emperor's New Nightingale by Angela Castle

Blurb:

On the planet Ario within the Four Galaxies of Harmony. Peace is kept by a special Song Krystal. Once each life time the Emperor seeks a new nightingale – One pure voice, who makes the Krystal shine, keeping the peace among the stars.

 When full figured Julie is kidnapped from Earth, she is whisked away to sing before the Emperor, but when she escapes, she finds herself on an alien world, ruled by music. She wanders into a Song Tavern and finds friendship and employment.

Orin Emperor of Ario, in disguise, visits his friends Song Tavern. The moment he meets Julie and hears her sing, he knows she is his nightingale.

As their passion grows, the forces of evil are working to drive them apart and bring darkness to the galaxy. When Julie uncovers the plot to destroy the Krystal, she must race against time to save the galaxy and her Emperor or lose them both forever.

I love Angela's writing style and her use of witty humor. Nightingale is no exception. As a singer, I love the concept of this book. I couldn't put it down and read it in two days. The chemistry between Julie and Ario is explosive and I fell in love with not only the main couple but all the background characters too. Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys erotic romance.

Alison F

Currently reading on the train:

1356 by Bernard Cornwell

1356 is the follow-on from the novels Harlequin (The Archer’s Tale in the US), Vagabond and Heretic. The main character is Thomas of Hookton, an illegitimate English archer who participates in one of England’s greatest mediaeval victories, the battle of Crecy.

I have only just started reading 1356, but have no doubt I will enjoy it as much as I did the three previous novels. Cornwell has a fine ability to describe the blood and gore of the mediaeval battlefield, as well as the day to day life of the people without turning it into a history book (not that there is anything wrong with a history book – I possess more than my fair share of history books – as well as historical novels). Cornwell portrays the English and Welsh archers very well and it is easy to see why they were so feared (and so successful!). The English long bow (or war bow) definitely has a starring role in these novels.

In 1356, Thomas of Hookton is a mercenary leader known as Le Batard. And he is a very successful mercenary. As successful as he was as an English archer. Thomas’ journey from English archer to mercenary leader is told in the preceding three books. In the opening chapters, a French count discovers just how dangerous it can be to renege on an agreement with Le Batard.

The previous three Thomas of Hookton novels were an enthralling journey through mediaeval life and warfare and I have no doubt that 1356 will be just the same. They would make a great gift for a male reader in your family (if he hasn’t discovered them already), but they are also a good choice for women with an interest in historical (particularly mediaeval) novels (non-romance ones, that is).

I will add one caveat however. If you are the least bit squeamish, then this is probably not the book for you. Cornwell is nothing if not honest in his accounts of battle scenes and various other bloody (in the literal sense) bits of life in the Middle Ages. As a general rule, I can be a bit squeamish myself, but it says something about the storyteller if the strength of the story is such that I can overlook/accept the gory bits. This is one of those strong stories.

And in an interesting publishing side note, the reason Harlequin was published as The Archer’s Tale in the US was because the US publishers thought the public might confuse it with Harlequin books and think it was a romance. I. Kid. You. Not.

Previously read on the train – 

Lionheart by Sharon Penman (also known as Sharon Kay Penman)

Lionheart, as the name suggests, deals with the English King Richard the First (aka Richard the Lionheart or Richard Coeur de Lion). I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The book covers the period of the Third Crusade, starting with the journey to the Holy Land, via Sicily and Cyprus and ending with the truce between the Crusaders and Salah Al-Din (whom English history calls Saladin) and Richard’s preparations to return to his own lands. While this is essentially a book about the Third Crusade, and Richard’s part in it, it is also very much about Richard the man. Penman paints a very human portrait of Richard with all his strengths and failings. She shows his love for his mother (the remarkable Eleanor of Aquitaine – the bits about Eleanor and Berengaria’s journey to meet Richard in Sicily I found to be fascinating) and his sisters, and his relationship with that most elusive of English queens, Berengaria, in the very early part of their marriage. She portrays Richard as the superb battle commander that history has always remembered him has, but she also shows a more personal side of a King regarded as one of history’s greatest (even if he nearly did bankrupt the Kingdom and leave it ultimately in the ‘tender’ care of one of history’s most reviled Kings, John Lackland). Richard is shown as being fearless, almost to the point of being foolhardy, with his own life, but very concerned with the lives of his men (one of the reasons he would not attack Jerusalem – Richard knew it was an unwinnable battle and the loss of life would be horrendous). The poor relationship between the French and the English is a major sub-plot running through the story. Yes, Richard is arrogant and some might say foolhardy. Yes, he had an undeniable flair for the dramatic and used it to great effect. He could be careless of others, but equally he could put the welfare of others ahead of his own. He was clever, witty and good-looking. He was a superb fighter and commander, and pitched in with the rest of the Crusaders in the rebuilding of retaken castles. But he also suffered from poor health and some self-doubt.

I have always thought that Richard suffered a bit from bad press, and this novel goes some way towards giving a more balanced view of this remarkable man. It is faithful to the history, but this doesn’t prevent Penman from telling a very good story. If you knew nothing of King Richard at all, you would still find this an engaging story.

The author’s notes at the end of the book give an indication of just how much research Penman does for her books and it was interesting to note that she apologised for some historical inaccuracies in previous books.

I look forward to reading the sequel, A King’s Ransom, as well as the novel about Henry and Eleanor and their children, Devil’s Brood (which is sitting on the bookshelf trying to convince me to bump it up the schedule).

And if you think there is a theme of mediaeval warfare in my reading at the moment, well then, you would be right <g>. I find bows and siege engines far more fascinating than guns.

Elizabeth Rolls

I have been re-reading Diana Wynne Jones's last book, Enchanted Glass. 

I love this book. It is, if genre definitions matter to you, YA. It is also probably the start of something she was thinking about before cancer claimed her. I miss her bitterly and this book is very much a bitter sweet read. There are things hinted at that will never be answered directly by Diana but it is a wonderful read, and perhaps if I re-read her other books I will work out the answers for myself. For anyone yet to discover Diana Wynne Jones, my other favourite is The Homeward Bounders. Yes, I can see where it is going, but since I want to go there that isn't a problem.

Eleni Konstantine

Wild Encounter by Nikki Logan

5 stars

I was very lucky to read an early draft of the first few chapters of this back when the Bootcampers formed. I knew then how wonderful a writer Nikki Logan was and thought this book would one day be published. What can I say? I was right.

Wildlife worker, Clare Delaney is captured with her African Wild Dogs. She calls the leader, Alpha, who does protect her from the rougher men of the group. However, she takes things into her own hands and plans her escape. What follows in an emotional roller coaster ride for both Clare and Alpha, with danger abound. 

Clare is a strong but vulnerable character and Alpha is an onion. Logan peels back the layers in a rhythm that hitches up as the novel progresses. The romance is at is centre but so are the questions of survival, duty and trust. And the wilderness is very much another character in the story - beautiful and vast. 

If you like romance, action, suspense and nature, you'll love this book. 

I also love the cover.

Now for the audio book of the month....

The Ultimate Neil Gaiman Audio Collection by Neil Gaiman

5 stars

Children's stories

A great way to introduce yourself to Gaiman's work though I have read his work before. Even though I had read Wolves In The Walls and Coroline before, hearing them was a great way of re experiencing them and getting something new from the stories as well. 

Both Neil Gaiman's and Dawn French are excellent narrators.

The stories are fun, fantastical and witty, and there is always social commentary scattered in them.  I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.

Contains stories:
The Wolves in the Walls
Crazy Hair
The Day I Swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish
Odd and the Frost Giants
Coraline 

~~~

This is my last Reading Adventures column. Emmeline Lock will be taking over the reins next month, while I take over the SARA News. 

Until next month, happy reading!

SARA News - a new anthology to sate your reading cravings...

Khloe Wren has a new release out now with Secret Cravings Publishing -- Edible Delights Anthology Volume 3.  

"Healing Carina (Book Three of the Dragons of Feury)" follows on from "Sealed with a Honeyed Kiss" (features in Edible Delights Anthology Volume 1) and "Becky's Journey".

Title: Edible Delights Volume 3
Authors: Khloe Wren, Tamsin Baker, Jan Graham and Willsin Rowe
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Buy link: Secret Cravings, Amazon, All Romance eBooks 
Blurbs:

First Glance, First Bite

Lina is a four hundred year old vampire who doesn't believe in the fabled blood bond the original vampires talk about. That is, until she meets Benedict. An English lord that not only taste's better than any human ever has, but also shares with her, the most incredible sex.

Benedict hates his predictable, boring stressful life. Meeting the very sexually dominant Lina seems like the perfect way of escaping his world for a few hours, but she has something more permanent in mind.

Enter Antony, Lina's long time vampire lover and friend. Antony has long stopped caring about anything but his own pain over losing his mate. He is amazed at his attraction to Benedict.

Can two possessive and passionate vampire's make a relationship work with the one human they are destined to love, yet wants to continue his mortal existence?

Healing Carina

When Carina goes camping with her friends she's hoping her friends can help her heal from the horrific attack she suffered ten months ago. The day after she confesses all to her friends around a campfire, all five of them are blown through a portal to The Land of Feury.

Dragon shifters call The Land of Feury home. Brothers, Denver, Phelan and Hart, the clan's farmers, are excited when they discover Carina is their Desired; their destined mate. But can they help her heal from her from her past hurts? Will Carina ever be able to accept the attention of three men after being attacked?

A Tasty Little Treat

Faye Redwood is different to other humans. She sees supernatural beings. When it comes to surviving as a Seer, Faye always follows her grandmother’s advice, whatever you do, don’t let them feed on you.

As a result, Faye has managed to avoid being any creatures’ dinner for twenty-seven years now. A late night walk through the park and a chance encounter with a sexy vampire is about to change that situation for ever.

After being a creature of the night for the last two and a half centuries Owen Ashmore has become pragmatic about the human race. They are a source of food and a side order of carnal delight if the mood takes him. However, Owens opinion is about to change. Faye Redwood is unlike any human he’s ever met. He isn’t content to simply make her his tasty little treat, Owen is about to help her become so much more.

Vanilla

Douglas Blackwood stands to inherit a lot of money...as long as he takes over the family textile business. Desperate to find his own path in life, and to clear his head, he has taken an impulsive sabbatical to Mexico. A sabbatical that cost him his materialistic girlfriend.

With funds running low, he talks his way into some casual work at a vanilla plantation, run by siblings Domingo and Isabel Melendez.

Douglas finds Domingo dismissive and angry. Isabel, on the other hand, is beautiful, fiery, passionate...and off-limits. It’s not just that she’s engaged to Patricio, possibly the most beautiful man on the planet. She’s also treated like a princess by all the plantation’s workers. Whether she likes it or not.

Isabel’s dream in life is to remind the world of the delightful intensity of Mexican vanilla. No mean feat in a world that has come to believe “vanilla” is synonymous with “dull”.

When Douglas’s ignorance raises her ire, Isabel initiates the handsome American into the sensory power of pure vanilla. Using some unconventional, yet memorable, methods.

But what is the secret that makes—and keeps—Domingo so angry? How does that secret affect the engagement of Isabel and Patricio? And where does that leave Douglas?

UP CLOSE with SARA member and debut author Victoria Purman

What made you go from the media and world of politics to romance writing?

Because there are no handsome men or happy ever afters in politics! Seriously, since I was a teenager I’ve wanted to be an author. But it always seemed more fantasy than reality, so I put that ambition aside for many years while I went into the world and got a “real” job. A real job that happened to involve writing! As well as the “real” job, my husband and I had three children and life just got in the way. I loved being a journalist, and also loved working in politics, but the dream was always there, niggling away at me whenever I read a book I enjoyed. And finally, at the beginning of 2012, I challenged myself to write a book. “It’s now or never” was my mantra!

In your debut novel, Nobody But Him, the setting is SA’s Fleurieu Peninsula. What inspired you to write about the area?

As a family, we’ve spent many summers down on the south coast, and I simply love it. The stars are brighter, the air feels cleaner, the beaches are spectacular and the waves are awesome! I’ve tried to take all that and create a sea change experience for my readers, so no matter where they are when they’re reading it, they’ll get the feel of being on holidays at an Australian beach. While I love reading books set all over the world, I wanted to create a small-town story set in a place I knew and recognised. I hope my readers will too.

Why a trilogy? Is that just how the story and characters came to you?

I love reading trilogies myself so I really set out to create something I’d want to read – and keep reading. Once I visit a place in a book, and grow to love the setting, I want more. And with a trilogy, you’re guaranteed two more happy endings! It helped that when my publisher read Nobody But Him and asked if I had anything else like it, I could describe my plans for the next two books.

Where and when do you write? How do you juggle writing with being a mum?

With three teenage sons, there is rarely peace and quiet at home and no space for a study (damn it!) but I managed to wangle enough space for a desk in the bedroom – it’s literally one metre along a wall – and I write there.

When I set myself the challenge in February 2012 to write a book, I made a deal with the family. I cooked dinner and then I hid away for two hours each night and wrote. As long as they were fed, they were happy! I spent a couple of hours each day on the weekends too. Working that way, I finished the book in six months – a pretty exhausting six months, I have to say. Since then, I’ve become a part-time worker in the “real” world, so I have more time during the other days of the week.

You write beach-lit and love the beach, but, as you say on your site, have red hair and pale skin - worthy of Nicole Kidman! How do you enjoy the sun still ‘safely’?

Lots of sunscreen! To be truthful, I cover up – fear of skin cancer will do that to redheads from a very early age. But there are loads of ways to enjoy the beach safely. I love walking along and staring at the view and when I’m body boarding, I’m in a wetsuit, so that helps. It’s always nice to take a bottle of champagne there at sunset, too.

Any ‘author crush’ moments you can share? 

Loads! South Australia’s own Mills and Boon author Trish Morey, obviously. I did her romance writing workshop at the SA Writers Centre back in 2012, which inspired me to get serious. (And – pinch me - she came to my book launch!) I met Helene Young at the Romance Writers of Australia conference in 2012 and she signed my book with: “Good luck with your writing.” How’s that!

Similarly, Bronwyn Parry signed a book for me at RWA 13 – I love her romantic suspense so that was a thrill. Let’s see. I’ve danced with Anne Gracie. Hitched a ride in a cab with New York Times best-selling writer Julia Quinn. Shared a diet Coke with the delightful Rachael Johns (best-selling Harlequin author and new friend). Spied Sarah Mayberry at conference (but was too scared to talk to her). Got to touch Tricia Stringer’s Ruby [award]. That’s the joy of being involved with RWA. Newbies and million-selling authors are all in the same room at conference, and I’ve chatted with many of them on social media, too. They are all so lovely and supportive.

Any books you’ve read lately that have got you excited or inspired?

Helene Young’s Half Moon Bay was lyrical in its descriptions of far north Queensland and the sexual tension between her hero and heroine was smoking! Into My Arms by Kylie Ladd, although not a romance, was heartbreakingly beautiful. I also loved Kristan Higgins’ The Best Man. If I can be half as funny as her, I’ll die happy. And I’m devouring Bronwyn Parry’s Darkening Skies. I’m also hanging out to read Rachael Johns latest – Outback Dreams – we released on the same day!

Who in your life are you a tad anxious about reading the more, shall we say, lust-filled pages of your novel?

I was a little worried about what my mother might say, but she loved it, reminding me that she’s not a prude! I’m also wondering if some of my friends (who don’t normally read romance) may look at me a little differently now. My three sons have vowed they will never read it, so I’m safe there!

For more on Victoria, check out her site here.

 

SARA News - Steampunk romance? Contemporary romance? Erotic romance? For romance, we've got the lot.

Welcome to the latest edition of the SARA News. 

We have a sumptuous smorgasbord of sass for you today.  

So get your tea/coffee/cosmopolitan/jelly shot ready, we're going in!

Kyoko Church's newest short story "Wet" is available now in the Shameless Behaviour:  Brazen Stories of Overcoming Shame anthology from Go Deeper Press.
Kyoko is "...really, really proud to be in this antho.  The quality of the work is really outstanding and the theme of overcoming erotic shame is something I think is powerfully important. I hope you'll consider taking a look!"  


Lilliana Rose has "Circus Escape", a f/f steampunk romance mecha novella, coming out Less Than Three Press early next year, in their mecha anthology Screw Loose.  


Carla Caruso also has a new book, Catch of the Day, coming out in December with Penguin's Destiny Romance--just in time to throw a copy in your beach bag for summer!  Carla says on her blog that this book is, "...a little inspired by my first stint as a journalist in the South Australian lobster fishing capital of Kingston SE."

How's that for a cover, eh?  

After a regrettable incident at the office Christmas party, up-and-coming fashion editor, Winnie Cherry, is banished to coastal South Australia to set up a beach lifestyle magazine – 300km from nowhere.

Her friends joke that she'll marry a rich cray fisherman and stay there for good, but Winnie has other ideas. Determined to get back to Sydney within two months, she gets to work and starts counting down the days. Until she meets handsome freelance photographer Alex Bass, and sparks begin to fly.

As Winnie is increasingly drawn into the close-knit local community, she starts to question whether city life is really what she wants.  That is, until Alex drops a bombshell that casts dark storm clouds over all her coastal dreams…

Just because there's no such thing as too many gorgeous covers, here's the one for Virginia Taylor's romantic comedy Dr No Commitment, a novella coming out with Random Romance, also in December, plus as an anthology in print just in time for Mother's Day next year.

A mischievous romantic comedy, about a man who's always run from love and the girl who just might catch him.

Ally was warned about Rohan Sinclair when she first moved to town – and she is determined she won't let this gorgeous, model-dating doctor distract her from being the best nurse she can be. 

Problem is, this bad boy just happens to live in the room next door . . .

It's hard enough to resist his persistent charm at home; almost impossible when they are thrown together at work . . . But a little innocent flirting never hurt anyone, right?

Wrong. Ally knows it's a terrible idea to fall for a man who will never commit, but what if in every other way he's her perfect guy?

Until next time, happy reading.

Emmeline.  

What A Character - Seth from Hidden Mortality

Hidden Mortality

In Bath in 1850 a witch is murdered in a ritual granting longevity to four men. What they are not aware of is that she has bestowed the same power to another called Seth to avenge her death.

Cara is a descendant of the witch and fills her days with food with her Irish themed catering business. Her nights are another matter; they are full of erotic dreams of a mysterious lover, or nightmares with mutilated bodies. So this wasn’t the best time for her Nana to tell her she is coming into her power.

Of the original four immortals, Vincent is the only one left and to stop his own long life fading he needs another witch to kill. Seth was meant to protect the witch’s descendants from a distance, but with Cara he can’t stay away. He has to make a choice to love Cara, or avenge the original death and possible die himself. Cara has the fight of her life on when one man comes to kill her, and another to love her.


Character Interview with Seth from Hidden Mortality

1. What one thing from your childhood has had the biggest effect upon you as an adult? 

My father beat my mother when he drank too much. I swore I never would but I ended up hurting someone long ago. I have lived a long time trying to pay penance for my wrong.


2. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you? 

Becoming immortal but not being able to avenge the death of my first love. Even worse would be to live on if Cara died.


3. What do you do best?

I watch over the ones I love.


4. Where do you call home? 

My small cottage and forge not far from Bath.


5. Do you have a secret? 

I know that if I kill another immortal with the dagger I repaired I will die as well.


6. On what occasion would you lie? 

If it would give me time to save those I love.


7. What is your current state of mind? 

I have never been so afraid and so determined to keep the love I have found with Cara.


8. What would you change about yourself?

I would become mortal and grow old with Cara


9. Do you believe in luck? 

After living so long I think luck may happen but it does not always favour the righteous.


10. Do you have any distinguishing marks? 

My chest is covered in scars. One for each time I have failed to save someone I loved and cared for.


11. What makes you really angry?

People who throw away the gift of love


12. What is your greatest fear? 

I have loved and lost before. Cara is the reason why I live. If I lost her I don’t know what will become of me. To be immortal and to lose the ones you love destroys you.


13. What would you do to save someone you love? 

Give my life.

Hidden Mortality is scheduled for release October from Soul Mate Publishing

Blood Scent available from Rogue Phoenix Press


Website - maggiemundy.com