Samhain Publishing

When I was first writing Love is a Battlefield, its working title was There Will be Trebuchets. Not because trebuchets had any relevance to the plot, mind you, but because I was determined to find a way to put one in there.

Let’s face it—when you write contemporary romance, the opportunities to insert medieval weaponry are few and far between. Since it just so happened that I was writing about Scottish Highland athletes and Jane Austen re-enactors taking over a Renaissance Fair, it seemed appropriate to try and wedge a trebuchet in there somewhere.

Well, Dear Reader, I did manage to squeeze one in, but not nearly to the extent I’d hoped. You see, I kind of have a fascination with catapults and projectiles. I wanted things to be catapulted. I wanted projectiles.

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The first time I wrote vampires, my heroine was a jealous, homicidal bitch with a score to settle. She was vindictive and violent and honestly gave me nightmares. She also has never been published. I shelved that book almost immediately after finishing it because everyone was writing vampires. Though that trend hasn't diminished much in the past few years, I found a new voice in my head that I simply couldn't ignore.

Zaria Stonewell is a human living in a vampire-run world. Greg Parsons is a vampire detective trying to figure out what Zaria's ex-husband, Ivan, is trying to pull. Humans are dying at the hands of a hungry vampire and it's all drawn out in vivid comicbook color.

Blurb:

A Touch of Magick is now available in print from Samhain Publishing!

If you go casting love spells, be careful what you wish for.

Spells, Secrets and Seductions, Book 1

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/touch-magick-p-6510.html

Rhiannon Sparks admits she’s not a very good witch—she can’t even light a candle without a match—but she keeps trying. At least her talent for business has made her magick shop a huge success. Now if only there was even the faintest flicker in her nonexistent love life.

During a night of eating and drinking, she and her girlfriends cast a candle-magick spell for hot sex. All in good fun, of course. Except Rhiannon accidentally mixes up the words. Instead of a lover, she asks for true love.

Deputy Ryland Stone’s past keeps him firmly rooted in reality. Then he meets Rhiannon and sparks literally fly. One date leads to another, and then they’re practically setting the bedroom on fire…until she reveals the deal breaker.

Though love and magick have found Rhiannon at last, getting a handle on her newly unleashed power is the least of her problems. Unless Ryland accepts that magick exists, he will never accept her for who and what she is. 

N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Nj-Walters/714113604

The wait is finally over for HOOKED (Studs in Spurs, Book 4)! Please enjoy the below excerpt!

Cat Johnson

HOOKED (Studs in Spurs, Book 4) by Cat Johnson 

His last eight seconds could lead to the longest, most satisfying ride of his life.

Annie Grant is at the top of her game as an on-air interviewer for the pro bull-riders tour. In all those years standing within microphone range of thousands of sexy cowboys, she’s never been tempted…until now. Now that respected veteran Luke Carpenter is no longer with his longtime girlfriend, he’s back on the market. And Annie is buying.

Luke knows his days are numbered. Every year the rookies get younger, the bulls get ranker and, like it or not, the time is coming when he’ll be hanging up his spurs. After a sizzling hot night with Annie, he realizes that maybe this old dog can learn some new tricks. But quicker than a bull can spin, things get complicated.

A tragedy forces Luke into a no-win decision: hang onto the tail end of his career, or retire early for his family. Either way, he can live with his choice. Question is, can he live without Annie?

Warning: Contains knock-your-boots-off cowboy lovin, some up close and personal interviews of the oral persuasion, and a happy ending…cowboy style.

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Breaking Free, my erotic Regency-set romance, had the roots of its inspiration in a very strange place—Pride and Prejudice. Yet it wasn’t the romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy that stirred my creative juices, but the fate of one of literature’s most oblivious characters, Elizabeth’s sister, Lydia. Here was a very young girl who gets herself entangled with a rake of the worst kind and, in the end, thinks she’s come up roses. What kind of life would she really have, and what happened, I wondered, to all those other young girls who, through circumstance or stupidity, found themselves similarly bound?

And so Claire, my heroine, was born. Although nowhere as silly or oblivious as Lydia, she too finds herself wed to a libertine and drawn into his world of sexual profligacy. After he dies she’s left clinging to the fringes of Society, knowing she will never be able to regain the respectability her deceased husband stole with his actions.

When she meets Xavier, a man who believes himself incapable of inspiring true passion in a woman, the scene is set for a seductive romance neither is expecting—and neither know what to make of. In the world they live in there can be nothing permanent between them, no matter how their hearts yearn to be together. I hope you enjoy the excerpt below, and the story of two lonely souls that find passion and solace in each other.

Anya Richards

Journeys Through Seduction

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Oh happy day! I love this story, love it so much I wrote it, rewrote it, tore it apart, put it back together, wrote sexy e-mails, deleted sexy e-mails, wrote more sexy e-mails – and here it comes, finally… the genesis story for my Come Again series.

SoloPlay was inspired by a spur of the moment visit to a sex shop while I was on a mini-vacation in Toronto, but it was nurtured into being by my steadfast girl friends, who read it and encouraged me to keep working on it. One adventurous friend even lived out the BodyVibe scene with her husband at a local restaurant! (The research required to write erotic romance is admittedly unique.) I’m so grateful to my friends for their support of my writing and even more grateful to my genius editor, Mary Hamilton, for helping me polish my first rough gem. SoloPlay is my first dream come true, and I hope my readers will love it as much as I do, albeit for different reasons.

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The Mercenary is my first release with Samhain Publishing – and my first solo release at that! It’s a post-apocalyptic action/adventure, with steampunk elements, and a core of GLBT romance. It’s probably a given, but I greatly enjoyed frolicking in this story’s sandbox. I was able to indulge in my passion for apocalyptic settings, steampunkish details, long-haired men and conflicted relationships – what with jealousy, stubborness, hot-headedness and of course mortal peril! I have a few more story outlines set in the Mercenary’s world – looks like I’m not ready to let go just yet! To celebrate, I’m holding a little contest at my livejournal, offering the chance to win a free copy. The winner will be announced on monday. All you have to do to be entered in the draft is leave a comment at my blog post telling me what kind of character you’d want to be in a post-apocalyptic world. Me, I’d be an odd, geeky bookman who’s in charge of some last, great library that somehow escaped the catastrophe. And I’d have an army of little rat-men to help me manage the place. What about you?

Hope you enjoy!

Cornelia

Livejournal: http://corneliagrey.livejournal.com
Blog: http://corneliagrey.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/corneliagrey

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New Print Books ~ March 1, 2011 releases!
Let your Imagination Run Wild at Samhain!
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Experience the Adventure at Samhain ~ New Titles 30% off Every Week!
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Publication Date: March 1, 2011  

Far From Perfect by Portia Da Costa
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Category
ISBN: 978-1-60928-269-1
Price: $4.50 On SALE during release week for $3.15

Enduring passion, turbulent emotions, and an engagement of convenience…

At age twenty, Anna Felgate rid herself of her unwanted virginity with the one man she adored–Nick Lisitano, long-time family friend and legendary lover. But that one taste of passion branded her soul for all time–and still casts a long shadow, four celibate years later. Their single night of matchless lovemaking left Nick racked with remorse for taking advantage of Anna's innocence. Thanks to his parents' stormy marriage, he's sworn off commitment, but believes Anna deserves deep, enduring love, not a temporary liaison.

In the intervening years, they've managed to keep a cordial distance, but when a crisis in Nick's family brings them together again, Anna is shocked by Nick's daring plan to cheer up his dangerously ill father–a temporary façade of an engagement. Against her better judgment, she agrees to it, fully aware of the emotional minefield yawning before her.

As if destiny has been waiting for them to touch once again, their volcanic mutual attraction reignites, threatening to burn the terms of their pragmatic bargain to ashes. Each begins to wonder privately if their passion can become permanent–or whether it will crumble under the weight of past sins and present secrets…

Product Warnings: This book contains a red-hot 'n' sexy blond Italian businessman with the face of an angel, the body of a god… and a caring but carefully shielded heart. He enjoys fast cars, fast living and slow, sumptuous lovemaking, and his “cure” for the heroine's headache makes it well worth faking another!

Read an excerpt and BUY at Samhain!  
Vampires' Consort by Bonnie Dee
Genre: Paranormal, Red Hots!!!, Ménage & More, Shape-shifters
Length: Novel, Series: Magical Menages
ISBN: 978-1-60928-374-2
Price: $5.50 On SALE during release week for $3.85

Bloodlines merge, passions surge.

Magical Menages, Book 2

One riveting glance from the handsome stranger stalking her in the supermarket shakes Akila Massri down to her soul. And when Jacob Baum hands her an engraved invitation to visit his billionaire employer's retreat, curiosity–and the need to pay off her student loans–overcomes the instinct to refuse. Once on Valarian Kaspan's private tropical island, her dark and deadly host confronts her with several incredible facts. Vampires exist. Her Egyptian ancestry traces back to the sun god, Ra. And her bloodline is critical to the future of mankind.

From his thrall's heated reaction to the supple-limbed Akila, Valarian is certain she is destined to mingle his Genghis Kahn bloodline with that of Ra. As a vampire, Valarian is sterile; it is through Jacob that a prophesied savior of mankind will be born.

As Akila tries to wrap her mind around all this, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of erotic passion for two, very complicated men. When they all come together, something powerful unfolds within her. Something that makes her the target of evil vampires who plan to use her–and her unborn–to erase humans' very existence from the earth…

Product Warnings: One woman plus a powerful vampire and his thrall equals sexy ménage with explicit sex scenes.

Read an excerpt and BUY at Samhain!  

Bound By Honor by SE Jakes
Genre: Contemporary, GLBT, BDSM, Red Hots!!!, Men In Uniform
Length: Category, Series: Men of Honor
ISBN: 978-1-60928-373-5
Price: $4.50 On SALE during release week for $3.15

A promise forces two men to bare themselves…completely.

Men of Honor, Book 1

One year ago on a mission gone wrong, Tanner James failed to save the life of Jesse, his Army Ranger teammate. Before dying in that South American jungle, Jesse extracted a promise that won't let Tanner rest until it's fulfilled–no matter what it costs him. Damon Price loved Jesse, but problems in their relationship had come to a head right before Jesse left on his final mission. Now a reluctant Dom and a man still in mourning, he's not happy when Tanner appears at his BDSM club. And even less happy with Jesse's last request–that Tanner sub for him for one night.

After a rough start, Damon realizes that the tough soldier, despite his protests, aches for someone to take control. And Tanner senses a hesitance, an insecurity in Damon that makes him wonder if he's simply a placeholder for Jesse, or if their tentative connection could grow into something more.

For Jesse's sake, they agree to try one weekend together. Then duty calls, and a series of attacks that have been happening near the club hits too close to home, making both men wonder if giving their hearts is a maneuver fraught with too much risk…

Product Warnings: Contains rough language, rougher sex and warriors who fall hard for each other.

Read an excerpt and BUY at Samhain!  
Key of Solomon by Cassiel Knight
Genre: Paranormal, Angels & Demons
Length: Novel, Series: Relic Defender
ISBN: 978-1-60928-372-8
Price: $5.50 On SALE during release week for $3.85

Trust no one…except the one who walks in the dark.

Relic Defender, Book 1

Anthropology PhD candidate Lexi Harrison never bares it all when she belly dances for a strip club crowd. She doesn't have to–she's that good. Every performance earns money toward her degree, and restores the sense of power that her painful childhood ripped away. Something is different about tonight. A man whose silver gaze seems to touch her skin beneath her veils. When a rowdy customer crosses the line, he comes to her rescue with the speed of a falcon–complete with wings.

Mikos Tyomni has never seen anyone dance the raqs sharqi like Lexi. Trust his tormentor, Archangel Michael, to put him in close contact with the cause of his downfall: a mortal woman. Particularly this mortal woman. The Defender. He has only thirty days to win her trust before Hell's deadliest demons attempt the mother of all prison breaks.

No matter how sexy the messenger is, Lexi's career plans don't include some crazy idea that she's the last line of defense against the forces of evil. Until her university mentor's murder leaves her holding the key to Hell. And fighting a losing battle against a passion with the unholy power to bring down Heaven…

Product Warnings: This title contains a dark and sexy fallen angel, bad-ass demons, a heroine with kick-assitude tossed together with mythology, archeology and a shape-shifting rock with a fondness for the gangsters of the 1920s.

Read an excerpt and BUY at Samhain!

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Hi fellow Readers and Authors!

I’m excited and thrilled that today is release day for my debut book, Relic Defender: Key of Solomon with Samhain Publishing.

RELIC DEFENDER: KEY OF SOLOMON is the first book in a series surrounding the search and protection of world-altering relics. The series mixes mortals and immortals, forcing them to work together when most of the time, that’s the last thing they want to do.

To celebrate release week, I’m hosting a Virtual Book Launch party at www.relicdefender.wordpress.com from March 1 through March 6. The prizes include Samhain Publishing gift certificates, local (Oregon) chocolate, Starbucks cocoa, free downloads and a lovely angel wing necklace and earring set.

To enter, just visit my blog at the above address, make a comment each day you are interested in entering and you’ll be entered in the drawing. If you mention, in the comments on any daily blog post at www.relicdefender.wordpress.com, that you came to my blog from this post and answer this question, “What makes a shape-shifting rock happy?”, you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $20.00 Samhain gift certificate!

And while you are at the blog, check out the extra excerpts of RELIC DEFENDER: KEY OF SOLOMON, a preview of book 2, RELIC DEFENDER: THE SKULL OF DOOM, a taste of the backstory to some of the items mentioned, and even some “deleted scenes”.

Here’s my blurb on this fun story to write:

Anthropology PhD candidate Lexi Harrison never bares it all when she belly dances for a strip club crowd. She doesn’t have to—she’s that good. Every performance earns money toward her degree, and restores the sense of power that her painful childhood ripped away.

Something is different about tonight. A man whose silver gaze seems to touch her skin beneath her veils. When a rowdy customer crosses the line, he comes to her rescue with the speed of a hawk—complete with wings.

Mikos Tyomni has never seen anyone dance the raqs sharqi like Lexi. Trust his tormentor, Archangel Michael, to put him in close contact with the cause of his downfall: a mortal woman. Particularly this mortal woman. The Defender. He has only thirty days to win her trust before Hell’s deadliest demons attempt the mother of all prison breaks.

No matter how sexy the messenger is, Lexi’s career plans don’t include some crazy idea that she’s the last line of defense against the forces of evil. Until her university mentor’s murder leaves her holding the key to Hell. And fighting a losing battle against a passion forbidden by Heaven.

Warning: This title contains a dark and sexy fallen angel, bad-ass demons, a heroine with kick-assitude tossed together with mythology, archeology and a shape-shifting rock with a fondness for the gangsters of the 1920s.