Guest Post and Giveaway: "Hunger" by Felicity Heaton

Click here to enter

Introduction to the Vampires Realm series by Felicity Heaton

It’s great to be here at Underworld Love Addiction today as part of the Hunger Virtual Book Tour celebrating the release of the latest book in my Vampires Realm series of paranormal romance novels.

Today, I’m going to be introducing you all to the Vampires Realm romance series.

But before we get to the main event, I want to introduce myself. I’m a British paranormal romance author and a New York Times and USA Today best-seller. I have been writing since 2005, and went indie in 2006. I love to write big worlds, populated by vampires, shifters, demons, fae and angels, and I have several series. This tour is about the Vampires Realm series, which focuses on the world of the seven pureblood vampire families of Europe, the werewolves fighting for their freedom, the weakling vampires, and the vampire hunters determined to destroy them all.

Now, on with the show…

I’m never sure where to begin when I have to talk about the world of my Vampires Realm series. It seems so huge and daunting, and I don’t want to miss anything.

The Vampires Realm series is a work of passion for me. It’s the darkest and deadliest world of vampires that I write, and it’s also the original world. I began this series back in 2007 with the Prophecy Trilogy. At the time, I was only going to write those three long novels but as I worked on them, I realised that I had built such a beautifully detailed world and had found many other characters in the books that I wanted to write stories for too. There are several other stories woven into the Prophecy Trilogy, some of which I have since written.

Everyone who knows me knows that I adore writing dark vampires, ones who will kill without apology and see humans as a food source. I enjoy exploring their darker nature, the side of their legend that a lot of authors tend to avoid in favour of a lighter kind of vampire (those who like bagged blood, abstain completely, or possibly sparkle). Like my vampires, I make no apologies for their behaviour. They fight, they love, they kill, and they do what they must to survive.

In the series, seven separate bloodlines share Europe, and sometimes cities (but never willingly and never without some serious confrontations). Each has a long bloody history with the others and all have been involved in wars with each other throughout the millennia. They are territorial and more often than not at least two bloodlines are at each other’s throats. Despite the battles that often rage between their families, humans are for the most part unaware of the existence of vampires. Only those unfortunate enough to find themselves on the menu or those who have survived an encounter and become a vampire hunter know of them.

There are vampire hunters in the world of the Vampires Realm series, and while most of them aren’t a threat to the vampires of the seven pure bloodlines, there are some organisations that are on the rise and are becoming worthy of the attention of their nocturnal adversaries.

But vampire hunters and other bloodlines aren’t the only enemies the vampires in my series face. There are the free werewolves too, those who have escaped or avoided the compounds owned by the bloodlines, as well as witches, demons straight out of Hell and even angels.

The world of the seven pure bloodlines is dark and deadly, and the lives of the vampires are complicated by hierarchies, rules and laws that spell certain death to anyone who dares to break them by falling in love with a human, werewolf or a vampire from another family. But it doesn’t stop these passionate creatures of the night from following their hearts, fighting for their love, and taking on the world to claim their forever after.

The world of Vampires Realm is so vast that I can only touch on it in this post, but as the Hunger Virtual Book Tour progresses, I will be talking about elements of the world in more detail, as well as interviewing the hero and heroine of the novel, and sharing excerpts with you all.

I hope this post has given you some insight into the series, and that you’ll join me on the tour. If you can’t wait, you can find out more about the series, the books and the characters at my website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/vampires-realm-romance-series.php

Be sure to follow this fantastic tour to learn more about the passionate heroes and strong heroines in the Vampires Realm romance series! You can also find yourself in with a chance to WIN a $50 or $25 Amazon Gift Certificate if you follow the tour. More details, including how to enter and a full list of stops, are available at the Hunger Virtual Book Tour page: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/hunger-book-tour.php

Hunger can be read out of order with the rest of the series and is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback. Find the links to your preferred retailer and a downloadable 6 chapter excerpt at:  http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/hunger-vampire-romance-novel.php

Hunger (Vampires Realm Romance Series Book 8)
Felicity Heaton
Betrayed by one of her own and turned into a vampire, hunter Eve is consumed by her hunger for vengeance and has spent five years surviving hell, driven to take the life of the man she once loved. But just as she is about to close in on the hunter-turned-vampire, an event is set in motion that threatens to see him slip beyond her grasp forever—the leader of her bloodline has sent an escort to bring her to the family’s mansion. To a nest of the very creatures she once hunted and loathes.

A vampire assassin hardened by centuries of service, Tor is a man of discipline and loyalty, never straying from his mission or the rules set out for him, and has purged all his weaknesses, including his emotions.

But the moment he meets the broken, fiery female he is to escort to Oslo, something dangerous awakens in him, something possessive and powerful, and when he is pulled into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the man who betrayed her, Tor discovers he will do anything to protect the woman slowly claiming his heart and give her the vengeance she desires—even break all the rules.

Can Eve embrace her new vampire nature in order to have her revenge and find a reason to live again in Tor? Can Tor and Eve stop the man who betrayed her and the deaths of thousands of innocents? Or will he succeed in creating a new army of hybrid vampires who will rise up against the purebloods?

Hunger can be read out of order with the rest of the series and is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/hunger-vampire-romance-novel.php

Books in the Vampires Realm paranormal romance series:

Book 1: Prophecy: Child of Light

Book 2: Prophecy: Caelestis and Aurorea

Book 3: Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising

Book 3.1: Spellbound

Book 3.5: Reunion

Book 4: Seventh Circle

Book 5: Winter’s Kiss

Book 6: Hunter’s Moon

Book 7: Masquerade

Book 8: Hunger

About Felicity Heaton:

Felicity Heaton is a New York Times, USA Today and international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk

Blog: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/blog/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

Mailing List: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/newsletter.php

Giveaway and Guest Post with Gena Showalter - "Burning Dawn"

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with a sizzling Angels of the Dark tale about a winged warrior renowned for his ruthlessness, and the woman who becomes his obsession...

A tormented past has left Thane with an insatiable need for violence, making him the most dangerous assassin in the skies. He lives by a single code: no mercy. And as he unleashes his fury on his most recent captor, he learns no battle could have prepared him for the slave he rescues from his enemy's clutches--a beauty who stokes the fires of his darkest desires.

Elin Vale has her own deep-rooted scars, and her attraction to the exquisite warrior who freed her challenges her every boundary. But Thane's unwavering determination to protect her means she must have her greatest fears--and enter a world in which passion is power, and victory means breathtaking surrender.

Singles ads for Thane and Elin:

Thane: A ruthless immortal demon slayer with a smoking hot set of wings and a serious case of ‘no mercy’ seeks a strong female who enjoys inflicting and receiving pain a fierce yet vulnerable beauty with who stokes a violent need to protect her.  Must have sharp tongue…to be used all over him.

Elin: A former slave turned barmaid with a dangerous secret and a love for playing in the National Dodge Boulder League seeks a gentle man with a desire to live a nice, quiet life a savage warrior who will break every rule, shatter every boundary.  Must be able to fly long distances...while distracted.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post and Giveaway: Terri Rochenski (Eye of the Soul)

I would like to thank Terri Rochenski, author of the "Pool of Souls" series, for stopping by today. She's here today to give us a little look at how she gets "in the zone" to do her best writing.


Terri Rochenski:

How I get in the zone...

For some, writing comes easy, a natural ability to put pen to paper and watch the story within their mind unfold. For others—ME!!—writing is a bit harder. Rarely do I have sudden inspiration and scribble until ‘The End’ makes an appearance.

I envy those who can do that. Big time.

I’m not saying all writers don’t find writing to be work, I’m just saying some need a ‘zone’ while others might not.

Most of my author friends enjoy listening to music, others need a hot java on hand and the bustle of a coffee shop. I need silence. It’s because the stinkin’ voices within my mind like to whisper rather than carry on in a loud, clear, and precise manner. 

Closing the eyes helps, especially when I’m trying to make sense of an unclear scene in my mind. My zone is concentration, and if I don’t have it?

Forget about it.

On the rare occasion I listen to music for inspiration, I tend toward instrumental since there are no voices and words to distract me. Classical is one of my go-to’s, but Celtic is bar far the most inspiring because of the haunting instruments and the magical otherworldliness sense they pour over me. I don’t write while it’s on, just let it lead the scene that needs clarity.

Then it’s back to silence so I can concentrate.

Did I mention that I’m a stay-at-home mom with three little kids? Yeah. Silence happens a LOT. *snort* Pretty sure that’s why it takes me so stinkin’ long to write a novel.


How do you get in your writing / most productive / most creative zone?

________________________________________________________________________________

     Escape. 
     That should be Hyla’s first thought as her people are chained and imprisoned for no imaginable reason. 
     Instead, Hyla finds herself traveling through a land void of Natives, with human soldiers pillaging in desperate pursuit of her, and in search of the mystical Pool of Souls—home to the one man who can save her people. 
     Or so she believes. 
     Led by her faith in the deity Fadir, Hyla is met along her journey by Jadon—a human male and fierce King’s warrior, and his childhood best friend Conlin—one of the few Natives aware of his Fadir-given Talents. 
     Protected by Jadon, guided by Conlin, and with an unfailing belief in the purpose of her pilgrimage, Hyla carries on. 
     Like her, though, another searches for the Pool, and should he gain access first, everyone she loves, and everything she knows, could be lost. 
     Forever.

Purchase links:    Amazon   /  Barnes & Noble  /  Kobo

Author Bio:

Terri started writing stories in the 8th grade, when a little gnome whispered in her brain. Gundi’s Great Adventure never hit the best seller list, but it started a long love affair with the fantasy genre.

Today she enjoys an escape to Middle Earth during the rare ‘me’ moments her two young daughters allow. When not potty training or kissing boo-boos, she can be found on her back patio in the boondocks of New Hampshire, book or pencil in hand.

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post and Giveaway: "Finding Obscurity" by Emma Stone

I would like to welcome Emma Shade to the blog today.  She's here to share her 

top ten quotes from Finding Obscurity and how the idea for the book came to her.

Finding Obscurity came to me one night while sitting on the couch bored out of my mind. My husband was playing Call of Duty (yes, we are over 30 and play video games), there was nothing on TV, and Lily’s story popped in my head. With no direction, other than my main character, I started writing. I didn’t outline or know how it was going to end, but as my fingers flew across the keyboard, different characters displayed their quirks, a love triangle spurred to life, and the twists came out to play. 

My characters have a life of their own. My top ten quotes from Finding Obscurity are:

1. Sam: “I will tell you what you were thinking,” he said. “Ashton Ryder is one hot piece of ass. H-O-T. He is one of those guys written in those steamy romance novels they sell and women dream about. Well some guys, too, like myself.”

2. Paige: “We have to be as quiet as possible. Vampires can hear a mouse fart a mile away, but lucky for us, Joe is vacuuming the floor upstairs.”

3. Ashton: “To make a long story short, he has an interest in Lily, and so do I, so there is a mutual need to keep her safe, even though he wants to get into her pants, too. Best to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

4. Sam: “It was worth a shot. Besides, I’m pretty sure that the only one who sparkles in this room is me.”

5. Blake Moore: “Pity. That explains why I never knew you existed. If I would have known how pretty you were, I would have been here a long time ago.”

6. Sam: “Hey, I know how you are with coffee, and since we’re up way too early, I didn’t want bitchy Lily with us today.”

7. Lily: “I knew it was you anyway. Freaky superpowers, remember?”

8. Paige: “I always wanted to be a Bond Girl.”

9. Ashton: “If only they knew who you really are and could see you the way I do, then they would know that you’re amazing.”

10. Lily: “I don’t think she would hurt me, except maybe with her smartass comments.”

      Lily Canton always knew she was unique.
      After she loses everything she has ever cared about ten years ago, Lily decides it's time to find answers about her past and why she has special powers. But when you can’t control seeing the future, and you hold enough electricity inside you to black out an entire city block, it doesn’t always make life easy.
      She swore she would never care about anyone ever again after that fateful day so long ago. Then she meets sexy club owner, Ashton Ryder. Lily can’t afford to fall for Ashton. Then there is handsome, powerful, Blake Moore, who wants to help her with more than just her powers. She has to learn to trust people and let them into her heart, even as things spiral out of control.
       Not only does she learn Ashton has a secret that will make her question everything she ever thought was real, but Lily finds out that her birth parents are anything but ordinary. Just when Lily thinks she has everything figured out, someone is determined to destroy her - because she isn’t supposed to be 
                                                           alive.

 About the Author

 Emma lives in Indiana with her husband and three crazy cats. When she’s not busy writing her next novel, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, listening to music, taking naps, or curled up with a good book.

Connect with Emma:

Website:  http://emmashadeauthor.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoremmashade

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17971236-finding-obscurity

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ShadeEmma

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post and Giveaway: "The Wolf's Mate" series by R.E. Butler

R.E. Butler is stopping by today to introduce us to the hot couple from book #5 of the series, Bo and Reika.  So, let's here it... tell us all about this last couple that leads us up to the current Logan and Jenna.

Bo Elliott

Physical Characteristics:  short, black hair, hazel eyes, scarred right leg

Looks most like:  Actor Jeremy Renner

9 to 5 Job: Mechanic at Pete’s Garage

Pack Job:  Third Rank

Pet Peeve:  female wolves that won’t take no for an answer, were-lynxes

Loves:  Reika, his family, his pack

Favorite song:  Maybe by Sick Puppies 

Best Line:  “I’m not the sort of male who rescues a woman in distress and then lets her go on her merry way, so get that thought far from your mind.”

Author Tidbit:  The scene in the book where Bo leaves all the towels on the bathroom floor is based on a true story from R.E.’s life.

Reika Snow

Physical Characteristics:  long, black hair, blue eyes, ivory skin

Looks most like:  Actress Julia Voth

9 to 5 Job:  Works in the office at the community center in Allen, Kentucky

Pack Job:  Lykar (healer)

Pet Peeve:  were-lynxes, male wolves who won’t take no for an answer

Loves:  Bo, her family, her home pack, her brother’s peach smoothies

Favorite song:  Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira

Best Line:  “If you die on me, I’m going to be so pissed.”

The Wolf’s Mate Book 1:  Jason & Cadence (January 2012)

For 14 years, alpha wolf Jason has watched his partially marked mate Cadence live her life without him. Circumstances force his hand and he must find a way to get her to uncover her buried memories of their past before someone else steps up to take her from him. For as long as she can remember, hybrid wolf Cadence has loved Jason with every fiber of her being,but he’s consistently shoved her away until the love that’s there is bound tightly in anger and shame. No one can take his place in her heart, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t wolves willing to try. Will Cadence be able to get through Jason’s icy demeanor to the heart of the boy she’s always loved? Can Jason undo the past so they will have a future together? This book contains red-hot werewolf loving, plenty of neck biting, and misuse of a kitchen counter. The Wolf’s Mate is a book for mature audiences only and contains sexually explicit content.

The Wolf’s Mate Book 2:  Linus & The Angel (March 2012)

He thinks he’ll be alone forever: Linus Mayfield has a lot of good things in his life: fourth ranked in the Tressel wolf pack, nice house, decent job, and plenty of friends. What he doesn’t have is what he longs for most – a true mate. His first foray into marriage was a disaster and he’s certain he’ll never be free to love again. She’ll prove him wrong.

Karly is an Angel, a supernaturally perfect mate for one special werewolf. She’s spent the last 15 months looking for her mate, only to nearly die before she ever meets him. One icy winter night changes both of their lives forever.

When their past interferes with their future, will all be lost in the darkness, or will he find his perfect angel in time? This book contains plenty of claws and fangs, possessive werewolves willing to move heaven and earth for their mates, red hot werewolf sex, a sweet wolf with a heart of gold and an angel made just for him.

The Wolf’s Mate Book 3:  Callie & The Cats (June 2012)

Callie Hunter, best friend to alpha half-wolf Cadence, has had enough of the pack life. Setting her sights on anyplace without wolves, she heads north only to be sidetracked by a devastating car crash that brings her face to face with twin mountain lions.

Ethan and Eryx, small town sheriff’s deputies, knew the moment they touched Callie that she was the mate they’d always wanted. But mountain lion females don’t take kindly to sharing their males with anyone else and will do anything in their power to discourage Callie from sticking around. Will Ethan and Eryx’s desire for Callie cost them everything, or will Callie find her inner wolf and the home she’s always dreamed of?

This novel contains menage-a-trois, hunky cops, handcuffs, an on-the-run she-wolf, sex in every room in the house, and inappropriate use of the phrase “assault with a deadly weapon”.

The Wolf’s Mate Book 4:  Michael & Shyne (October 2012)

Michael Gerrick was beginning to wonder if he would ever find his truemate. Fate seemed to smile on him, when he fell hard for the delectable fitness instructor, Shyne. The only problem: three were-hyenas want her for their clan and are willing to do anything to get him out of the way.

Shyne Jackson was smitten with Michael from the moment they met. Swept up by his devastating good looks and sense of humor, she’s unaware of the plotting of her were-hyena bosses behind the scenes as they attempt to keep her and Michael apart. When they cross the line, will a showdown of fur and claws destroy everything she holds dear?

This book is for mature readers only and contains a wolf looking for his mate, a woman with a dark past, neck biting, plenty of teasing, wisecracks galore, and creative use of a pool table.

The Wolf’s Mate Book 5:  Bo & Reika (January 2013)

She’s on the run for her life …As a child, she-wolf healer Reika Snow was promised as a mate to three were-lynxes to prevent a war between her pack and the lynx clan.  Her freedom is coming to an end as her twenty-third birthday arrives.  With her bleak future as the subjugated bride of the three males looms near, she does the only thing she can think of … she runs.  With the lynxes hot on her tail, the only thing she can do is pray she can find safety, somewhere.

He’s not going to let her get far …Bo Elliot, highly ranked member of the Tressel wolf pack, rescues a she-wolf from the claws of three were-lynxes as they attempt to capture her.  When she awakens, he’s surprised to find himself staring into the beautiful blue eyes of his truemate.  With his bum leg, Bo doesn’t want to tie Reika down to a wounded male like himself by acknowledging that they’re mates, but he vows to set her free from the lynxes and give her back her life.  It will take every trick in Bo’s book to keep Reika from taking off on her own in a misguided attempt to spare him from getting tangled up in the hot mess of her life, but Bo will do anything for his truemate, even if it means walking away once she’s free.

This book contains a scarred wolf with a heart of gold, a she-wolf healer who wants to protect her truemate at any cost, and a wolf-on-lynx battle that will determine where Reika spends the rest of her life.  Readers should expect possessive werewolves, passionate sex, neck biting, and the kind of horniness that only the full moon can bring.

The Wolf’s Mate Book Six:  Logan & Jenna (May 2013)
Jenna Odile planned to spend the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday partying with her friends before she cast a spell to find her truemate. Before she can, she’s captured by a group of criminally-minded werewolves who want to use her fae-abilities to commit crimes. Poisoned and left for dead, she used the last of her strength to cast the spell for her truemate, hoping that he would find her before it was too late.
The last thing Logan Anderson wanted to do with his Saturday evening was watch over the young male wolves in his pack while they attended a dance in hopes of finding their mates. As the night wore on, he began to feel compelled to leave, and his instincts led him to race into the woods at the side of the highway. In the darkness of the woods, he finds a woman near death, who begs him to protect her. Now, nothing is more important than helping her get well. He’ll deal with those who hurt her… later.
This story contains a male werewolf with a dark past, a fairy who can’t wait to find her truemate, and the betrayal that brings them together. Features hot werewolf-fairy loving, mythical creatures, full moon madness, and lots of neck biting.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
     I always wanted to be a homebody and live in one place for my entire life, but fate had other plans. In the past twelve years of my married life, we’ve moved seven times, including from one coast to the other. Southern New Jersey is home now and I love it.  I have two young children, a husband who begrudgingly pays for my ebook addiction, and two dogs that think they’re people. After college, I spent eight years as an executive assistant before “retiring” at twenty-seven to become a stay-at-home mom. I have a soft spot for self-published authors, Ghirardelli chocolate, muscle cars, and men with tattoos.  Most people who know me don’t know I have a tattoo of a tiger on my hip or that I have an unhealthy obsession with The Simpsons.

     I love sunsets, several cups of coffee in the morning, and I absolutely cannot live without books. When I’m not busy with my family, you’ll find me sitting at my desk working on any number of projects, including reading, reviewing, and writing.


     I adore talking to fans and other authors, so please write to me!  You can email me at rebutlerauthor@gmail, find me on Twitter, or join me on Facebook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post and Giveaway: Elise Sax

Today we're welcoming Elise Sax to the blog.  She's here to discuss a little about Gladie's "special abililty."

         With Matchpoint, Gladie Burger continues as a matchmaker-in-training, continues to solve murders, and continues in a hot love triangle. Her grandmother says she has “the gift,” which means the third eye. Some people call her grandma a witch.

So, my editor wants to know if it’s true. Does Gladie have “the gift?” Is she psychic? I’m keeping her guessing.

Do you believe in psychic abilities? Have you met someone who knows things that can’t be known? Like what you’re thinking or what’s going to happen minutes, days, or years from now?

What do you think? Is it better to be psychic or just to have really good powers of deductive reasoning like Sherlock Holmes?

I think psychic abilities would have it all over deductive reasoning, any day. If Gladie has “the gift” or not will wait to be known, but she does have a knack for figuring out mysteries. I’m encouraging her to nurture this gift.

Maybe it will help her out. Who knows? Maybe she can pick the winning lottery numbers, while she solves murders and makes love matches.

There’s a bit of magic in writing a book. Creation comes from nothing, like knowing something that can’t be known. Like the magic that sparks from love between two people.

So, I put some magic in my Matchmaker series.  Matchpoint, the latest in the series, has a good dose of it. I think the world is better with some magic in it. I hope you like it in my books!

An Affair to Dismember
Book One of the Matchmaker Series

Three months has been Gladie Burger's limit when it comes to staying in one place: She's always been a temp agency kind of girl, ever ready to move on. That's why Gladie is more than a little skeptical when her eccentric Grandma Zelda recruits her to the family business in the quaint small town of Cannes, California. Gladie is also highly unqualified: Her beloved grandmother's business is matchmaking, and Gladie has a terrible track record with romance. Still, despite evidence to the contrary, Zelda is convinced that her granddaughter has "the gift." But when the going gets tough, Gladie wonders if this gift has a return policy.

When Zelda's neighbor drops dead in his kitchen, Gladie is swept into his bizarre family's drama. Despite warnings from the (distractingly gorgeous) chief of police to steer clear of his investigation, Gladie is out to prove that her neighbor's death was murder. It's not too long before she's in way over her head—with the hunky police chief, a dysfunctional family full of possible killers, and yet another mysterious and handsome man, whose attentions she's unable to ignore. Gladie is clearly being pursued—either by true love or by a murderer. Who will catch her first?

Matchpoint
Book Two of the Matchmaker Series

Lovably troublesome Gladie Burger runs into sizzling danger and a fiery love triangle in the second installment of Elise Sax's hilarious and sexy Matchmaker romance series.
Since joining the family matchmaking business run by her eccentric Grandma Zelda, Gladie is always looking for love. But when an unbearable toothache knocks her out of commission and into the dentist's chair, she prays only for relief. No such luck. Emerging from an anesthetic haze, Gladie awakes to find that not only is her tooth still throbbing, but her dentist is dead—and the lead suspect in the murder, office receptionist Belinda, just so happens to be Gladie's first real client. Now it's up to Gladie to find Belinda a manand keep her from being locked up behind bars.

As if that weren't enough distraction, two gorgeous men are vying for Gladie's attention: Spencer, the playboy chief of police, and Holden, Gladie's secretive, gorgeously muscled neighbor. Still, Gladie's not complaining about having a helping hand or two when the case leads her to a dangerously bizarre cult. She may have met her match—and if she's not careful, it could be her last.

About the author:

Elise Sax worked as a journalist for fifteen years, mostly in Paris, France. She took a detour from journalism and became a private investigator before trying her hand at writing fiction. She lives in Southern California with her two sons. An Affair to Dismember is her first novel.

Connect with Elise:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post and Giveaway: Jolynn Raymond

Thanks to Jolynn Raymond for stopping by the blog today

to let us in on why she writes dark paranormal.

Why dark paranormal?
     (by Jolynn Raymond)

If you read a few of my books you will notice a common thread no matter what genre they are, and that thread is darkness. Be they erotic historical romance, kink erotica, or historical paranormal romance, rainbows and sunshine are missing. That is not to say I don’t give happy endings, but along with the happy endings, come a good dose of tribulation, sorrow, and thorns. My characters have to work for their happy endings, often fighting each other and numerous outside forces to claw their way towards love and happiness. Nothing comes easy. I think that my passion for peeling away the frilly romance and exposing the hard realities of life under it all, lends well to paranormal books, or perhaps it’s paranormal aspects that lend well to darkness.

My paranormal historical romance trilogy is set in a time period when those with power really gave no thought, or even made things much harder for those who were poor and under their thumb. Life was brutal is you were poor, or if you were a woman. This way of life opened the door for my leading male character. He is a vampire king who rules without remorse and takes great pleasure from tormenting, slaughtering, and unleashing evil on those he controls. My vampires don’t come with a sugar coating. I portray them as they have been seen through history and not how they are often portrayed in modern media. They are soulless creatures who have no qualms about taking what they want and crushing anyone they choose. My anti-hero is wicked through to his core, and it will take more than a beautiful face to reform him. Many readers hate him before loving him and cannot fathom how he will be forgiven let alone loved by the heroine.

That brings me to the women in my stories. Life was hard, really hard, for women throughout history. They were property, sold by way of arranged marriages for the benefit of the men in their lives. The poor were cattle; women were even lower than the poor. Rich or poor, they were at the mercy of men. Again, the darkness of paranormal magic and vampires sets the stage for a heroine who must struggle and persevere against cruel treatment and the hand life dealt her in order to survive. Often my female lead isn’t strong to start with, but she learns as she struggles. She may hate the anti-hero male for good reason, and by using paranormal aspects in the dark setting of much of our history, I can create an anti-hero who is truly dark, and a heroine who can be helped by way of magic in a time when women had no power.

So therein lies the wonderful merging of history and dark paranormal plots, settings, and characters. The history sparks my Muse and my sometimes twisted imagination adds a good dose of wickedness, evilness, and one hell of a struggle to create a story that combines so much of what I love.

Treasured, which released July 1st, is the last book in the Beneath the Shadows of Evil Trilogy.

First there was Taken…
Alliana was a young Gypsy woman stolen from her family, she was to be used and discarded, but fate had other ideas. Mikhal was the cruel and evil vampire lord, he was to be feared and despised for all of time, but destiny wouldn’t allow it.

Then there was Torn…
Mikhal never intended to care for Alliana, and she never intended to forgive him for the cruelty he inflicted upon her. Once love began to enter his heart, he vowed to make his unwilling bride happy in her new life. Try as he might to convince her he had changed, Alliana’s heart remained torn between the pain her heart could not forget and the tenderness Mikhal now showed her.

Now there is Treasured…
The evil his past created, threatens their fragile bond and all they hold dear. She will kill to protect her family. He will do anything to save the love he can once more feel. Who will win in the war between the horrors of his past and the promise of their future? Can their love survive the evil he wrought for a hundred years? Can love and goodness overcome terror and hate? Evil means to destroy their happiness. Can a love that is so fragile survive? Who will triumph when darkness once again comes to call?
The final battle unfolds in Treasured.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more information about Jolynn Raymond and her books, visit her at her website, on Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.

Guest Post and Giveaway by Eleri Stone

Thanks to Eleri Stone for stopping by today with her thoughts on love triangles.  Be sure to check out her upcoming novel "Witch Bound."


Love triangles - Love ‘em or Hate ‘em?

Thank you for having me here today Underworld Love Addiction! 
The Twilight of the Gods series is based on Norse mythology with the premise being that Asgard was destroyed centuries ago. Some of the Æsir (Norse gods) fled to earth and have been living here ever since in small clans scattered around the planet. In Witch Bound, a witch named Raquel travels to her new clan to meet the man her parents picked for her to marry before she was born. While she thinks Christian is a nice enough guy, the person she’s really interested in getting to know better is the best man—Fen, a hound and wolf shifter. Fen falls hard for Raquel but the problem is, well…one—she’s about to marry his best friend, and two—when hounds have sex they’re bound for life to that one woman. The woman is free to move on and because Fen has no interest in shackling himself forever to a woman who could decide at any moment to walk away, he’s still a virgin and plans to remain celibate for life. 
So, yep, I did something I never thought I’d do—I wrote a love triangle story….kind of. It is a triangle but it’s not exactly a love triangle. Raquel is meeting Christian for the first time when she steps through the portal to Ragnarok, IA. Until that moment, she had a picture and a penpal, not a fiancé. The thing is…she believes in destiny. The Norns, who are the clan’s seers, placed their stamp of approval on the engagement and for her to turn her back on all of that is a huge leap for her, especially when Christian is being as accommodating as hell trying to help her fit in with her new clan. But she loves Fen. She knows exactly who she wants even though there are huge obstacles to that path. 
For me, the kind of love triangle that drives me batty is the kind where the man or woman can’t make up their mind between two suitors, where the heart is equally engaged by both. 

How do you feel about love triangles—love or hate? 
  
a Rafflecopter giveaway ________________________________________________________________________________

Raquel Lindgren knows what her future holds. An arranged marriage. A new home in Ragnarok, Iowa, with another clan of refugees from Asgard. She should be happy. But there's a mental block preventing her from tapping in to her true abilities as a witch. And she's more attracted to the best man than she is to the groom…

Fen can't believe he's falling for his best friend's future wife. As a hound, a wolf shifter, his duty lies with the pack. He's seen too many hounds destroyed by love, and he's sworn never to take a mate, never to have children of his own. He can't deny his desire for Raquel, but she deserves more than he can offer her.

Raquel's been raised to trust in magic, her clan and her destiny. But when a vengeful demon threatens to break out of Asgard and destroy the clan, Raquel learns she must trust in love if she is to take the future into her own hands.

Witch Bound releases today!  Buy at Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Kobo/All Romance/iTunes

About the Author:

Eleri Stone was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from the University of Iowa, married her college sweetheart, and settled in the Midwest where she still lives with her husband and their three children. A lifelong fan of fantasy, she started reading romance as an adult and was instantly captivated by the strong female protagonists, character-driven storylines and guarantee of a happy-ever-after. Writing fantasy and paranormal romance, she is the author of the Lost City Shifters series (shapeshifter paranormal romance), the Twilight of the Gods series (paranormal romance based on Norse mythology) and the Spellcraft series (secondary-world fantasy romance).

Contact the author on her website, Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads.

Kait Ballenger Guest Post, Giveaway and "Shadow Hunter" Review

Shadow Hunter Playlist by Kait Ballenger:

 A question I frequently hear from readers is ‘do I listen to music while I write?’, and ‘if so, what songs do I listen to?’ I find that silence works best for me while I'm actually writing, but in order to get my inspiration flowing and get into the mood of writing a particular scene or character, I do listen to music before I begin typing. I thought I would share some of the songs that influenced me while writing Shadow Hunter, a prequel novella to the Execution Underground series, which releases in the After Dark anthology with Gena Showalter on June 25th. This is an unofficial playlist for the book and is not endorsed by any of the musicians or artists mentioned in the post. 

 1. A Perfect Circle. When I wrote the opening to Shadow Hunter, in which Damon is hunting for a sadistic vampire in Rochester, New York, I imagined this being the song playing as Damon walks into Club Fantasy for the first time. Club Fantasy is a vampire club run by Caius Agyros Dermokaites, the master vampire at the top of Damon’s hit list. “Damon was going to kill him. He’d make sure of it this time.”

2. Rest in Pieces by Saliva. I listened to this song frequently before writing Shadow Hunter, particularly in any scenes with emotional and romantic conflict between Damon and Tiffany. Over their years of writing one another, Tiffany got much closer to Damon than he ever would have expected. Losing her after his hunting partner, Mark Solow’s (Tiffany’s older brother), tragic death destroyed him. All those feelings are drudged up all over again when Damon unexpectedly encounters Tiffany in Club Fantasy. “Tiffany Solow... Mark’s baby sister. His own Achilles’ heel.”
 

 3. Hate Me by Blue October. Anyone who has read the novel knows that Damon fears Tiffany hating him, but at the same time, he thinks she’s better off without him. When I was writing scenes related to those feelings Damon had, I liked to listen to this song. “How could he look her in the face when he held the blame for her brother’s death?”

4. Dust in the Wind by Kansas. Kansas is Damon's favorite rock band and this song is one that he uses to remind himself that he is just a small part of the greater scheme of this universe to them. Somehow, it’s comforting to him. Hunters are not known for having the longest of life spans. “...you’d lost so much blood. I managed to get you out of the restaurant, but then...”

 5. Bother by Stone Sour. This song is very influential in all my work. Anyone who has read more than one of my novels knows that I really like to torture my characters, particularly my heroes. I’ve used this song for emotional inspiration for Damon, Jace, and the hero of my YA work as well. “If he’d been a weaker man, he would’ve eaten his gun right then.”

6. Broken by Seether featuring Amy Lee. Tiffany is a big fan of Evanescence. When I was trying to get into the emotional state of her character, in particular in regard to her feelings about “B,” this song was a perfect fit. “You know how difficult it is for me to admit this to you, but I’m not okay. I can never be okay.”
 

 7. My Immortal by Evanescence. This is another song for Tiffany. This song was very influential as I wrote the scene where Tiffany really mourns the loss of her brother, Mark, and the role Damon played in his death within the middle of the novel. Tiffany’s life is also very consumed by the feelings of loss for her brother and the anger she feels, which is what drives her need to avenge his death. “He trusted you and you let him down, and now he’s dead because of it.”

8. Going Under by Evanescence. Yet another Tiffany related song by Evanescence. Are you noticing a theme here? ;-) In Shadow Hunter Tiffany is forced to play nice with the vampire responsible for her brother’s death. She even has to pose as his potential Host all in an attempt to give her the right moment to kill him. This is more emotionally grueling for her than she lets on to. “...because she was going after Caius and she wanted to get to him before morning”

 9. Carry On My Wayward Son. Another favorite song of Damon’s. In general, this song is one I would choose for the series as a whole. This is in part because this song reminds me of my favorite T.V show, Supernatural, which was a big influence on my drive to write the Execution Underground series and the hunters who are a part of the organization, along with the kickass females at their side. “Happy to oblige, she pulled her Smith & Wesson from her lower back, aimed and fired.”

10. Your Body is a Wonderland by John Mayor. I listened to this song frequently before writing the first sexy scene between Damon and Tiffany in the novel ;-) Hubba hubba lol. “If he’d told her then that he loved her, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her in his arms, he wouldn’t have been lying...”

11. Claire de Lune by Debussy. Little did you know, Damon has an extremely soft spot for classical music and jazz. Debussy is one of his favorite composers. 



Thanks to Underworld Love Addiction for allowing me to guest post on their site! 

 BIO: Kait Ballenger is a full-time paranormal romance author, wife, bellydancer, graduate student, and soon-to-be-professor. She is the multi-published, award-winning author of the Execution Underground paranormal romance series. With a B.A in English from Stetson University, Kait is currently earning an M.F.A in Writing. Kait believes anything is possible with hard work and dedication. One day, she hopes to be a bestseller and to see her novels on the big screen. Look for the next two books in her page-turning Execution Underground series: Twilight Hunter, book one (August 2013) and Immortal Hunter, book two (January 2014).




For more information, please visit www.kaitballenger.com
Follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Goodreads. 


________________________________________________________________________________

Vampire hunter Damon Brock’s first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead.  But he isn’t the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work to massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs… and their newfound hearts.





Shadow Hunter is the prequel to Kait Ballenger's Execution Underground series.  It is currently being released along with Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld novella, The Darkest Angel, under the title After Dark.  It is scheduled to be released June 25th, 2013.


After witnessing the death of a fellow comrade and his best friend, Mark Solow, operative Damon Brock returns to his friend's hometown tracking the ancient vampire responsible for his death. What he doesn't expect is running into Mark's baby sister, Tiffany, cozying up to the vampire who killed her brother then finding out she's out for revenge too and she's not a baby anymore.

I really enjoyed this novella. The author keeps it exciting and had me wanting to keep turning the page until the end. I am anxious to see what happens with Damon and Tiffany.

The book has a Buffy the Vampire Slayer feel with the elite government slayer organization, (aka Riley Finn from Buffy) and the altered DNA. Although some parts were a little predictable, the ending of this novel actually surprised me. I'm looking forward to the next installment, Twilight Hunter. This author is definitely one for the watch list!

Rating 5/5

For more information about Kait Ballenger and her Execution Underground series, visit her website at http://kaitballenger.com/. 

http://kaitballenger.com/events/shadow-hunter-blog-tour/

a Rafflecopter giveaway






An advance copy of this book has been provided by the author/publisher for an honest and fair review.