Recommended Reads 1/8/12

I've been devouring books by the dozens lately, and I've got a few I'd like to recommend. If you're into historical romance you HAVE to check out these. They aren't new releases, but books don't have to be new for people to have never heard of them.

To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt

NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING-
Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl's heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?


OR DANGEROUS-
Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle's home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh-and luring her into his bed.


THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.
Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud's savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice's love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title-even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

Dear Reader,

I'd been prowling the crumbling ruins of Castle Weyrcraig for so long that I could no longer remember if I was man or beast. Then one stormy night the superstitious Highlanders of Ballybliss decided to leave a helpless virgin bound to a stake in the castle courtyard to satisfy my insatiable appetites.

My demands might strike terror in the hearts of men, but this bold beauty dared to defy me. After she informed me that she didn't believe in dragons, I had no choice but to make her my prisoner—or risk being exposed to those I had sought to deceive with my dangerous masquerade.

Soon I found myself stealing into the moonlit tower just to watch her sleep. Little does she know that beneath this beast's gruff exterior beats the passionate heart of a man. Gwendolyn Wilder may not believe in dragons, but I intend to use all my sensual wiles to teach her to believe in something even more magical—true love.

Eternally yours, The Dragon of Weyrcraig

And I actually re-read this one in preparation for the next book in the series which is coming out on the 10th. Can't wait for Lothaire!

HE VOWED HE’D COME FOR HER . . .

Murdered before he could wed Regin the Radiant, warlord Aidan the Fierce seeks his beloved through eternity, reborn again and again into new identities, yet with no memory of his past lives.

SHE AWAITS HIS RETURN . . .
When Regin encounters Declan Chase, a brutal Celtic soldier, she recognizes her proud warlord reincarnated. But Declan takes her captive, intending retribution against all immortals—unaware that he belongs to their world.

TO SATE A DESIRE MORE POWERFUL THAN DEATH . . .
Yet every reincarnation comes with a price, for Aidan is doomed to die when he remembers his past. To save herself from Declan’s torments, will Regin rekindle memories of the passion they once shared—even if it means once again losing the only man she could ever love?

New Years Resolutions

The classic New Years Resolution post. My goals list for 2012 is long, and doesn't just cover writing. I've decided to add some other stuff too, because while I love writing, and want to make it my career, it's not the only thing that's important to me. So here's my list:

WRITING: These are my writing goals for 2012. I'm determined to hit them, because usually I don't.

Finish Bad Animals – May 31^st

·       Submit Bad Animals to agents and publishers

Finish Almost Human – August 31^st

·       Submit Almost Human to agents and publisher

Finish short stories on Saturdays

·       Topless

·       Straight Laced

·       Untitled Ménage

Start plotting Sci-Fi story on Sundays

DANCE: I also have some goals in belly dance this year, because there are some things I didn't do this year that I'd like to get done.

Choreograph at least 3 solos

Practice Improv

Create a Yoga routine

Practice when I don’t have school

MISC: These are just good things to do, that I feel I don't do enough of. I know everyone feels like what they give or do won't help, because they're just one person, but if every person pitched in, we could accomplish a lot. So I encourage you to give back this year. Whether it be time or money. Everyone can spare a little.

Donate at least $5 every other month to ISF or Cause An Uproar, or Unicef.

Volunteer at least once at the animal shelter or make blessing bags for homeless.

And that's the end of my big goals list. Of course there are smaller things like trying to promote more, and what not, but they don't go on the big list, those things go on the lists I make daily.

If you're wondering what blessing bags are, this is where I got the idea:

Visit my website.

The Devil's Trap release!

Blurb:

Regan is the best vampire hunter money can buy. But, when she’s paid to kill one of the most powerful vampires in existence, she doesn’t realize she’s in way over her head. Things go terribly wrong and there is no escape…

Zarek is so powerful he scares other vampires. One little hunter should be no challenge. However, Regan is different, and as soon as he sees her, he will do anything to keep her. But she’s a stubborn woman, who refuses to let someone else control her.

When a powerful enemy comes to town, she’s forced to trust Zarek with her life. Who is the larger threat? The man out to destroy humankind? Or the vampire determined to own her heart?

Excerpt:

I reached the wooden bar and slid onto a sleek black stool with a groan of relief. In front of me, a shirtless vampire buffed the countertop, muscles flexing with each circle he made. Now this was a guy you actually dreamed about seeing naked. He was built like a god. Every muscle toned to perfection. He had probably been a big, chiseled guy before, and vampire blood washed away any flaws he might have had as a mortal. His raven-black hair gleamed in the lights. He was the perfect thing to bring in young women for a bite on the neck.

I sighed in pure feminine pleasure. Just because he was a vampire didn't mean I couldn't appreciate the view. But, a black aura and raw vampiric strength bled from him. He would have been jump-his-bones hot if his power didn't creep over my skin like spiders. I suppressed a shudder. No matter how enticing their form, vampires always made my skin crawl.

His gaze met mine, and I drew in a breath. He had the most gorgeous violet eyes. They were filled with an ancient intelligence. His lips curled into an amused grin, as if he knew I was ogling his body.

I frowned. It annoyed me that he read me so easily. I shook my head. I needed to remember the real reason I was here. I was here to kill Zarek, not drool over some gorgeous vampire. I was in a den of evil creatures, and he was one of them. Now really wasn't the time to do any lusting.

The smile widened and he raised his voice over the music. "What can I get you?"

He had a subtle accent I couldn't identify, and the deep, growling bass made my toes curl. It soothed my nerves in spite of what he was and caused another kind of excitement to bubble in my stomach. God, this was not the right guy to get that good down-low tickle for. Focus, Regan!

I cleared my throat and leaned closer to him. "I'd like to see the owner."

The smirk turned wicked and suggestive. "I'm Zarek. I'm the owner." He scanned my body, eyes finally resting on my throat. The scrutiny made me flush and wish I could hide my neck. Unfortunately, my black tank top and ultra-short shorts didn't leave much to cover up with. People who went into vampire clubs usually favored bare skin and a gothic appearance, so I'd been forced to blend.

Had he fed tonight? Vampires were twice as dangerous when they were hungry. The better question was, had he killed tonight? For some strange reason, I found myself hoping he hadn't. I tried to shake the ridiculous feeling. Even if he hadn't killed tonight, he had in the past. And even if he'd stopped, like Alaric and his brothers, it didn't change what he was, or the fact that someone wanted him dead.

He licked his lips before meeting my gaze again, leading me to believe that he hadn't fed. Great, I wouldn't leave this place without giving a little blood to him, even if I ended up killing him. If a vampire wanted blood, he'd find a way to take it.

"Again, how can I help you?"

I barely kept my curse of frustration to myself. I'd hoped to meet with him in private. Fighting to the death in the middle of his bar was a bad idea.

You can read the first two chapters on me website: www.honoriaravena.com

Buy Link: http://www.breathlesspress.com/devils-trap

15 (16?) Weird Facts

Okay, originally this was a YouTube tag, but I really didn't feel like doing a video, so I figured I'd could use it for the blog. People do these sorts of things on blogs all the time. Besides, I think I need to try harder to keep this blog active, because I suck lately.

#1. What's a nickname only your family calls you? Mom and Dad call me Pooh. I'm rarely called by my name, it's always Pooh.

#2. What's a weird habit of yours? Uh, damn, just one? I've got a few. I think the weirdest that everyone comments on is that I wear my socks inside out. I don't like the fuzzies on the inside, or the seam at the toes that always seems to lay right under your toe nails. However, the other that's commented on is my relationship with food. I have this thing where my food can't touch on a plate. I will actually get multiple plates just to avoid things touching. I will RARELY mix any food (like some people mix their corn in their mashed potatoes. That freaks me out). I also don't like anything soggy that wasn't originally soggy. That means: no cereal in milk, no cookies dunked in milk, and who knows what else.

#3. Do you have any weird phobias? I'm a fount of phobias. Chief among them is a fear of spiders and riding on ferris wheels. I hate driving. I don't think that counts as a phobia, because I still do it, but I avoid the busier highway in my town, and stick to back roads. One of my weirder ones is a phobia of open closets. One time when I was little mom said something about skeletons in her and dad's closet (probably to keep me out of Christmas presents) and that weird thought just stuck.

#4. What's a song you secretly love to blast and belt out when you're alone? That changes all the time. I like almost all genres of music. Just when I think I've found something I hate, someone will come out with a song in that genre that I love. I think the biggest shocker to most people would be Miley Cyrus's See You Again. Or Taylor Swift's Our Song and Love Story. Considering how opposed I used to be to country and pop (seriously, heavy metal/punk rock all the way). There's a lot of belly dance, and some weird Balkan brass bands. Right now its You And I by Lady Gaga (usually not a fan of hers, but I like that song). Or it's In Ruins by Fol Chen.

 #5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves? I don't know. I have so many and can never think of them when someone asks me that. I guess its mean people. I don't get mean people. I try to be nice to everyone (with the exception of mornings. I'm not a morning person). #6. What's one of your nervous habits? Pfft. Pick one? There's nervous laughter, fiddling with my hands, clothes, fingernail polish, etc. Nibbling my lips.

#7. What side of the bed do you sleep on? Well I used to sleep smack in the middle. I have a queen size bed and I like to take advantage of the space, but lately I've been sleeping horizontally across the center. I like it because I watch TV when I sleep, because I tend to have nightmares, and wake up in the middle of the night, and it's just comfortable. And I had some kind of stomach virus a few months ago, and after that dizzy spells, and it just helped to sleep that way, so I've been doing it ever since. I don't particularly like it, my feet hang off the bed, and after seeing Paranormal Activity, that kinda freaks me out...Well that's not true, before Paranormal Activity it was the childish phobia of monsters under the bed. Seriously, the only thing good in Paranormal Activity that actually freaked my shit was when the demon dragged her down the hall and the very end. The rest was boring. Can't believe they made more than one.

 #8. What was your first stuffed animal and it's name? I have NO idea. I had like a million stuffed animals as a kid. I couldn't tell you the first, and I don't think I ever named them.

#9. What's the drink you always order at starbucks? Depends on the time of year. Soon it will be fall, so we're coming up on triple tall pumpkin spice latte time. Yes always triple tall. Don't judge my caffeine intake. All the barristas have been questioning it lately. It's like 'Whatever Starbucks worker! Like you don't consume much more than that."

#10. What's a beauty rule you preach, but never actually practice? Uh, quite a few. Lets see, I pop my pimples, and tug on my eyes to apply liner. I think those are my major offenders.

 #11. Which way do you face in the shower? Usually away from the shower head. But it depends on what I'm washing I guess. This is a strange question.

#12. Do you have any 'weird' body 'skills'? Well, that really depends who you are. I'm a belly dancer, and while I can't seem to choreograph jack shit, I can do some interesting muscle isolations. I've had people say my spine must be a bendy straw. But if you're also a belly dancer, you might not find back bends, undulations, or really deep vertical chest figure 8's to be all that out of the norm.

#13. What's your favorite comfort food thats 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways? Anything sugary. I'm a sugar junky. I'm trying to cut back.

#14. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say? That changes a lot. It's usually a curse word. I'm famous for my potty mouth. Well, not famous, but whatever.

#15. Time to sleep, what are you actually wearing? T-shirt and underwear. Pants push up to you knees and get tangled around your legs and are too hot. I like to wear as little as possible because I like to be covered by blankets no matter how hot it is. It hasn't been possible all summer. Makes me grumpy.

#16. I figure I should include something writer/book related. So for writers, do you have any weird writing habits? For readers, do you have any strange book habits? I'll answer both. Respectively: I like to drink hot tea when I write. I think it helps me focus (haven't been able to do that all bloody summer either!). I skip ahead in books looking for a good part, and then I'll read for a while when I find the good part, then curse myself for doing that and try to go back to read the part I skipped, but then I'll put down the book, because I get frustrated, because I was at a good part and had to go back. I've started to just go with the flow and if I skip ahead I figure I'll just catch the part I skipped next time I read the book.

If you do this tag let me know in the comments! I'd love to see some of your answers.

First Books and Dyslexia

Elle Fowler (a YouTube beauty guru for those of you who don't watch her videos) talked about her favorite childhood book in a recent post and, well this sparked an idea for a blog post, so I'm just gonna roll with it, cause I don't blog enough.

I didn't read a lot in my early childhood, so almost every book I enjoyed sticks out in my mind. I have dyslexia, so getting me to read was always a struggle. I'm over it now (with the exception of lowercase b's and d's. If they're in a word, okay, but on their own? I really can't tell which is which) but back then I was a very picky reader, and had to be forced to do any reading. I'm kinda really surprised I ever learned how.

As I said, every book sticks out in my mind, and as I look back on them, they all have something in common. They ALL had a paranormal element. I guess that's always been my thing. I know I liked everything paranormal even before I could read. Like Buffy. Which I think started when i was six.

The first books I ever read were scary short stories. I read them over and over again, because they were short, and could hold my attention.

The first Harry Potter book came out when I was in 4th grade...Well I think it did, that's when our teacher started reading it to us anyway. And while I liked the teacher reading it to us, the prospect of reading a book that thick was a little too much for me, so I didn't start reading them until a few years later.

The first books that change my WORLD were the Everworld series by K.A. Applegate. My mom bought it for me to take to camp in 5th grade, because we had to have an hour of rest/reading time a day. Ugh. I dreaded that. They were taking something that was supposed to be fun, and they were putting an hour long torture session in it every day. I could have napped, but I've never been capable of that either. No matter how tired I am. So it was either stare into space for an hour, or read that blasted book. So, grudgingly, I picked up the book. It was the 11th on in the series, so I was more than a little confused. But even with that confusion, the world was absolutely riveting.

As soon as I got home, I begged for the first book in the series. Well, actually, I sincerely doubt I had to beg, considering my mom was probably desperate for me to read something. I finished the whole series before the 12th and final book had even come out. This was the first time I had to drum my fingers, and wait (not so) patiently, for the release of the next book in a series. I hate the way it ended by the way (well...if I remember right. It's been a while).

After that I moved onto the Fingerprints series by Melinda Metz. After that I pretty much read every book with paranormal elements I could get my hands on. Eventually I stumbled into Shattered Mirror by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, which made me a writer, and then a friend's mom loaned me my first romance ever. But those are separate stories for another time. I'm pretty sure I've told everyone about Atwater-Rhodes anyway.

Okay, peoples. I'm done typing. Hope you enjoyed my long pointless post. I guess it kinda does have a point. I guess it tells parents not to give up if your kid is dyslexic. Just keep gun forcing them to read books from different genres, and hopefully they'll stumble into something they can't live without.

Ooh, ooh. I can add a little promo at the end:

Running from an abusive husband, Natalya encounters more than she can handle…especially when she becomes a vampire’s target. Buy Fear of Darkness here.