Blood & Dreams Sons of Navarus Box Set for .99! #PNR #UF

To kick off the two-week countdown to the release of Blood Prophecy, I've put the Blood & Dreams Sons of Navarus Box Set on sale for just $.99. The set includes the series prequel, Vampire Dreams Revamped, along with the first two books in the series, Blood Avenged and Blood Betrayed. It also includes the 5 chapter preview of Blood Prophecy.

Don't miss this chance to pick up over 500 pages of paranormal romance and vampire goodness for such a great price! It's only for a limited time, so get yours today!

Amazon

B&N

Vampire Dreams Revamped at USA Today

I was fortunate to have the chance to talk about one of the real perks of being an indie at USA Today's Happily Ever After blog yesterday. It can be a lot of work being a one woman show (okay, few woman show--I can't forget my editor, Talina who designs all the great graphics for my books and swag, my betas, Nicole, my street team leader and promotion guru, and my street team members who do such a terrific job of getting the word out about my books).  But one of the joys of being an indie is being able to give readers what they want when I can.

Over the past year, so many readers contacted me to let me know that they'd loved Vampire Dreams but wanted more. More Brandon. More Arden. And especially, more Vasilije. It was from those requests that I was spurred on to write the Sons of Navarus series.

I can't tell you how great it was to hear from readers and know how those wonderful characters had affected them. It made me want to give them more of that original story, so Vampire Dreams Revamped came about. Because I'm an indie author, I have no restraints concerning publishing timetables other than my own ability to get things completed. Usually that means worrying that Amazon won't get a book up when you said it would (prayed it would), but this time it meant literally giving readers what they'd asked for.

Stop over at the USA Today post and read more about what I consider to be one of the best things about being an indie author.

And on the topic of making readers happy, I'm over at Hesperia Loves Books with the Top Five Reasons to Love Saint on Blood Betrayed's book tour. Stop over and comment to be entered to win some great Sons of Navarus swag and a $10 Amazon giftcard.

And tonight I'm going to be a guest on Author's Corner with Elaine Raco Chase. Head on over to http://www.trianglevarietyradio.com/ and click on Blog Talk Radio to hear me talking all things sexy and Sons between 8:25 and 8:55 tonight. ;) Hope you'll give it a listen.

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

An Interview With Saint

Blood Betrayed's book tour continues today with a stop at Claire Ashgrove's place, For The Muse. Saint's story was tough to write, but he's always great to interview. He even gave up what cologne he wears (I have a thing with men who smell good and he has impeccable taste). Stop over and comment to be entered to win a set of signed cover flats from the first three Sons of Navarus books and a $10 Amazon gift card.

The tour continues tomorrow at Wicked Readings by Tawania, so be sure to check back then. And if you want to get a taste of Blood Betrayed, head on over to my website where the first chapter is available to read.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Blood Betrayed's Book Tour Starts Today!

Today's the start of a two week book tour for the second book in the Sons of Navarus series, Blood Betrayed. Saint and Solenne's story, the book gives readers their romance and the continuing story of the civil war in the vampire world. Readers are also introduced to the villain who will take center stage with the Archons for at least the next few books, Marc Verrater.

Each stop on the tour will have a giveaway, so be sure to pop in at each one and leave a comment. The first stops are at Guilty Indulgence, where the bloggers there wanted to know what my guilty indulgence is, and Journey With Books, where I was asked about indie vs trad publishing. I hope you'll stop by each one!

Here's the schedule for the rest of the tour:

August 7:  Erotica For All
August 8:  All I want and more
August 9:  The Muse
August 10:  Wicked Readings By Tawania
August 13:  Ramblings From This Chick
August 14:  Melissa Keir's Blog
August 15:  Bookin' It Reviews
August 16:  Hesperia Loves Books
August 17:  Novel Reflections

Saint at RomCon and I'm On The Airwaves Tonight

Today is a busy day.  Saint is over at RomCom's erotic blog chatting with Chris, the fantastic woman who runs the blog, so I want to make sure I stop over there and see that he's behaving.  Saint can be anything but a saint sometimes. ;) One lucky commenter will win a $5 Amazon Gift Card, so stop over there and say hi.

Tonight I'm on Elaine Raco Chase's radio talk show.  I'm a little nervous.  I've done this before and it went beautifully (thank you, Desmond!), so I just have to remember that.  I'm scheduled to be on from 8:45-9:05.  Readers can listen in and even call in to the show at http://www.trianglevarietyradio.com/

Today is also the last day to grab Blood Avenged at the sale price of $.99 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Grab it and begin the Sons of Navarus series.  You won't be disappointed.

And tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of my being a published author, so be sure to stop back for that post.  It's been such a wonderful year! 

Have a great Thursday!

Alphas and Their Ladies

I'm over at the wonderful Malia Mallory's blog today talking about why I write about Alphas, so stop over and take a look.  If you love Alphas too, join in on the conversation and let me know why. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

While I usually spend my time talking about the heroes of my books, today the leading ladies are also front and center.  They were showcased at Heartthrob Haven recently where Sasa interviewed Solenne, and the girls let their hair down to give readers a better feel for who they are.  Stop over and comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card.  While their men are less than friendly toward one another, Sasa and Solenne are good friends.  Maybe some of that will rub off on Vasilije and Saint?

And after you get to know the heroines, you can still get both Blood Avenged and Blood Betrayed for less than $5 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble through the end of May. 

Hot vampire heroes, sexy heroines, and a price you can't beat.  What better holiday sale is there for a romance reader?

1st Chapter Of Blood Betrayed On My Website

This week's Paranormal Romance Friday is a special one because of the release of my newest book, Blood Betrayed, yesterday.  Another huge thank you to all the people who helped me get the word out about my newest baby. :) 

And to give readers a real taste of Saint, the hero from Blood Betrayed, the first chapter of the book is available on my website at http://www.gabriellebisset.com/blood-betrayed.html

Be sure to scroll down after reading and check out the reviews so far.  5 hearts from Riverina Romantics--Megan loved it!  And a 5 rating/Alpha Howl from Nookmom over at Bitten By Paranormal Romance .  And just this morning a third review came in--a 5 book rating from Selena at The Enchanted Book, who calls Blood Betrayed one of her "new favorites." 

So stop over at my website to take a look at the first chapter of Blood Betrayed.  But be warned:  one taste of Saint won't be enough!

Have a wonderful Friday, and to my US readers, have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Blood Betrayed Official Release Day!

Yes, I know the book has been up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for a few days.  The best laid plans of indies mean nothing to the big boys.  But that's okay because today is the official release date for Blood Betrayed! 

This book was a labor of love for me.  Saint was a difficult character to write at times, and I'd been spoiled by his predecessor, who had been very easy to get down on paper.  Saint's a deeper soul, so many nights the writing was emotional and exhausting.  I'm very proud of what came from all those nights, though.

When I finally knew that Blood Betrayed would be released today, I contacted the bloggers I love the most and asked them if they'd spread the word.  I can't tell you how thrilled I was when they said yes!  It says a lot about people that they want to spread someone else's great news, and I want to thank all the wonderful bloggers who are helping me get the word out today about this new release.  It's so terrific that they'd do this for me, and I appreciate it so much.  Some are offering a spicy excerpt (18+ over eyes on that one) and others are offering the more family friendly PG-13 excerpt. In addition, Sharon over at I Smell Sheep has a fantastic new diner opening up over there and Vasilije and Saint are the first dishes on the menu.  Definitely check that out! And there are giveaways too at a couple of the blogs.

And to celebrate the official release date, I've put another excerpt up on my website--the ENTIRE FIRST CHAPTER is there to give you a taste of Saint and Blood Betrayed.  Visit http://www.gabriellebisset.com/blood-betrayed.html to read that.

Here's the list of those fabulous people helping me get the word out about Blood Betrayed. 

Felicity Heaton
Talina at Bookin' It
Megan at Riverina Romantics (she has a review up already too!)
Michelle at WereVampsRomance
Nikki at Close Encounters
Selena at The Enchanted Book
Dana at Readaholics Anonymous
Jennifer James
Laurie at Bitten by Paranormal Romance
Sharon at I Smell Sheep (Saint and Vasilije are on the menu here)
Nat at Reading Romances
Liz at Fictional Candy
Tanya at All Things Books
Shah at WordsInSync
Silvia at Darkest Sins
Buffy Kennedy
RaeBeth at The Writing World
Jess at The Romanceaholic

Thanks to everyone who was so great to help! 

Blood Betrayed is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. And if you haven't read the first book in the Sons of Navarus series, Blood Avenged, you can grab it for just $.99 until the end of May at Amazon and Barnes and Noble too!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Blood Betrayed's Heroine: Solenne

Heroines are a dicey thing for me in many stories. I find a lot of  heroines to actually grate on my nerves. They're either too sweet or too feisty, so I'm left feeling like whatever happens they had it coming.  That sounds bad, but when a smarmy heroine has bad happen to her, I often think, "Well, if you hadn't let him run all over you, this might not have happened."  And the constantly fighting with the hero type of heroine is even worse. That's not creating sexual tension for me.  It's often just getting on my nerves to the point that I end up loving the hero, even if he's a bastard, because he has to put up with such a shrew.

When I began working on Blood Betrayed, I decided immediately that my heroine had to be strong, but there would be none of that pain in the ass heroine business. 

Her name means "solemn" or "sun" and either work for her character.  She's the calm that Saint has always sought but won't allow himself to have, and she possesses a warmth and light that no one else has around him. Sometimes names are just good because of the way they sound, but Solenne's was always intended to be meaningful.

She's one of those characters that grew on me.  I liked her from the beginning, but as I began to really flesh out her traits and back story, I found myself really feeling a kind of affinity with her. She's strong, a trait I admire in both males and females, and even with all that Saint forces her to deal with, along with what she has to do to help the Sons, she still stands strong in the toughest of times.

I think the key to Solenne is that she's a woman in love.  That the man she loves hasn't forgiven her for almost 100 years is simply something she accepts and intends to overcome.  I like that in her.  That he's stubborn and brooding doesn't stop her; in fact, she loves him just the way he is.  That I really like. 

When I set out to find a picture of what she looks like, I stumbled upon the one I used for this post.  It's perfect.  She's sexy, strong, and has red hair (well, it's reddish in black and white).  But beneath all that is a gentleness that is very much like what the character Solenne has inside her.

Heroines can be difficult for me to write because I feel like I'm always working to avoid the smarmy on one side and the pain in the ass on the other while trying to create someone unique.  In Blood Betrayed, Solenne is neither extreme and very unique.  I like that in her.

Blood Betrayed's Hero: Saint

When I began sketching out ideas for the second book in the Sons of Navarus series, I knew I had to make the hero someone very much not like Vasilije, the hero (so to speak) of Blood Avenged.  I wanted a male who was deeper than his predecessor.  That was a definite.  I also needed him to have a back story that reflected that.

It took me a while before Saint was fully formed as a character.  Physically, I knew exactly what he looked like.  That was easy.  The moment I saw the pic below, I said (I think out loud), "That's Saint."

In a world of bodies, this image represented the idea I had of Saint perfectly.  Hard, pushed to the limit, and cut up.  In fact, out of all eight of the Sons of Navarus, Saint is the best built.  Ramiel is bigger, but Saint is the one with the hardest body. 

Now that I had the physical idea of him set (all the way down to the very short hair Saint has in the book), I needed to flesh out why he was a man who pushed his physical limits.  Thus the back story was born. 

Saint was turned on the battlefield at the Battle of the Somme in the First World War in 1916.  He was a young man in his twenties named Declan then, and he and his brother, Teagan, were turned by two vampires, Kir and Vasilije.  Declan had always been his brother's protector, even promising their mother when they left to go to war that he'd watch over his younger brother. But that changes when Vasilije makes Teagan one of his favorites, and Declan is left on the outside with a sire who cares little for his vampires. 

Some of the most enjoyable non-romantic writing for me in Blood Betrayed are the scenes between Saint and Vasilije.  There's a lot of dislike between the two men, and their scenes particularly show Saint's feelings toward the man he calls the "Romanian." 

And then there was the reason Saint was given that nickname--his refusal to sleep with vampire women and instead go exclusively with human women.  To some in the vampire world, this made Saint a traitor, but to others, he's just odd.  The name Saint is meant to be an insult, as if there was something wrong with him because he won't sleep with vampires.  But readers will find that much of what makes up Saint is wrapped up in that choice to avoid vampire females. 

When I sent the book to my editor, I'd already heard from my betas about how much they loved Saint, some even more than Vasilije.  I told her that I was concerned, however.  Vasilije had been such a strong character, and I was worried readers wouldn't be able to move past him.  As a great editor does, she reminded me that it wasn't my style to write eight men cut from the same Vasilije cloth.  Then she was quiet for days about Blood Betrayed and I thought, "Uh oh.  She loved Vasilije (and I mean LOVED) and she doesn't like Saint. That's not good."

A few days later she sent back the book with the message, "I didn't think you could write a hero who I could love more than Vasilije, but you did." 

I freely admit I fall in love with every hero I write.  Hell, I've fallen in love with a villain or two.  And I'm sure I'll say something similar to what I'm about to say in the future about Terek or the other Sons I'll write, but as I write this, I can honestly say there isn't a hero I've written who I like better than Saint.  Sure, Vasilije is hotter than all hell, and Amon from Destiny Redeemed is incredibly sexy as he's almost as powerful as a god.  And I can't forget Nikolai, the smartest hero I've had the pleasure of writing.  But there's something about Saint--that soul inside him that can't forget the past and tortures himself for the mistakes he made so long ago--that makes him irresistible to me. 

I do love me a brooding man.

Win A Pre-Release Copy of Blood Betrayed!

To celebrate the release of the second book in the Sons of Navarus series, I'm giving away one ebook copy of Blood Betrayed BEFORE it's released on May 24.  Just go to the Sons of Navarus Facebook page, like the guys' page, and leave a comment on the Giveaway post.  One winner will be chosen by random Sunday night, May 20 at 11pm.  The more you comment, the better your chances are of winning.  Be sure to check out the blurb and excerpt in the Notes section of the page too for the lowdown on Saint's book, in addition to interviews with Saint and Vasilije!

Good luck! 

#ParanormalRomance Friday

The end of the week is here, and I can even see the end of the month coming, but first there are some fun things happening before we get to the month of May.  Blood Avenged's book tour with Goddess Fish begins on Monday, and take a look at all these fantastic blogs I'll be visiting:

April 23: The Forbidden Bookshelf
April 24: Romancing the Book
April 25: The ParaNormal Romance Party
April 26: Black Velvet Seductions Blog
April 26: STOP #2 Dawn's Reading Nook
April 27: Cocktails and Books
April 30: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
April 30: Delighted Reader Book Reviews
May 1: Kacey's Konnections
May 2: Ramblings From This Chick
May 3: Erotica for All
May 3: STOP #2 For The Love of Reading
May 4: Reading Romances

I'm thrilled all these wonderful bloggers are giving me time at their blogs to chat about Blood Avenged, my Sons of Navarus series, and of course, Vasilije. I hope you'll stop by each day for all the interesting tidbits and giveaways.

And on Monday, April 23, in addition to the tour I'm participating in the Spring Fling Giveaway Hop.  Love is in the air, so what's better than a giveaway of some erotic love?  Be sure to stop back for that!

Blood Betrayed's edits are almost complete, so I'll begin posting excerpts soon, along with sending out emails to all the sites that have agreed to review the book. I've loved hanging out with Saint, Solenne, Vasilije, Sasa, and all the Sons of Navarus in this second book.  (Yes, Vasilije appears prominently in this book too.)  I've been writing Blood Spirit, and Terek's story has been wonderful fun.  I enjoy these characters a great deal, so writing their stories is a joy for me.  However, the reality of what's to come always lingers on the horizon. Nothing's written in stone, but a battle is coming and the Sons will need everything they possess to triumph over the Archons. 

But not all will make it to the end...

Musical Inspiration As I Edit Blood Betrayed

As I've been editing Saint and Solenne's story, this Rod Stewart song has been playing in my head over and over.  I love the emotion in this song. The idea of not wanting to love someone when you can't help yourself is one I love, but I can tell you that writing a character who is so tormented by what he feels can be incredibly draining. The payoff, though, is when your betas and editor tell you that they weren't sure you could top Vasilije, but somehow you made a character so different from him just as wonderful.  I love Saint as much as Vasilije, maybe even more because he's a tortured soul, so to hear those words makes me beam with happiness.  So for a sense of what my hero is feeling in Blood Betrayed, here's Rod singing about love that tears you up inside and still you can't let it go.


My Heart Can't Tell You No

I don't want you
To come round here no more
I beg you for mercy
You don't know how strong
My weakness is
Or how much it hurts me
Cause when you said it over with him
I want to believe it's true
So I let you in knowing tomorrow
I'm gonna wake up missing you
Wake up missing you

When the one you love's
In love with someone else
Don't you know it's torture
I mean it's a living hell
No matter how I try to convince myself
This time I won't lose control
One look in your blue eyes
And suddenly my heart can't tell you no

I don't want you
To call me up no more
Saying you need me
You're crazy if you think
Just half your love
Could ever please me
Still I want to hold you, touch you
When you look at me that way
There's only one solution I know
You gotta stay away from me
Stay away from me

When the one you love's
In love with someone else
Don't you know it's torture
I mean it's a living hell
No matter how I try to convince myself
This time I won't lose control
One look in your sad eyes
And suddenly my heart can't tell you no
My heart can't tell you no

I don't want you
To come round here no more
I beg you for mercy
You don't know how strong
My weakness is
Or how much it hurts me
Cause when you say it's over with him
I want to believe it's true
So I let you in knowing tomorrow
I'm gonna wake up missing you
Wake up missing you

When the one you love's
In love with someone else
Don't you know it's torture
I mean it's a living hell, a living hell
When the one you love's
In love with someone else
Don't you know it's torture
I mean it's a living hell, a living hell
(Simon Climie/Dennis Morgan)

Wednesday Tidbits: #iamwriting, #iamediting, and a new publishing gig

So how is everyone doing today?  I'm in the last days of the semester, and the four month summer vacation is calling my name, so I am feeling fine! :)

Blood Betrayed is nearly done with the editor and will be back in my hands within a week.  I'm looking forward to getting back into Saint and Solenne's story.  Since I've been away from it, I've had a few ideas crop up in my mind about little things I want to tweak.  I guess I'm strange, but I like the editing part of the process.  Stepping back from a project and coming at it again anew is always a good feeling.

The third book in the Sons of Navarus series, Blood Spirit, is just at its beginning, but I'm enjoying the writing a great deal.  Terek is a former monk, so he's a character whose sense of commitment and devotion runs deeper than other characters I've written before.  Add to that the influence his sire, a Muslim trader, had on him when he was made vampire in the mid-1300s and Terek is a very interesting man.  This book is coming together well, so here's to a great summer of writing and editing so it can be ready this fall!

Speaking of the Sons, have you stopped over and liked their Facebook page yet?  I'm busy building it up, but there's some history of how my vampires came to be there, along with the yummy covers for the first three books.  Stop over at https://www.facebook.com/SonsOfNavarusSeries and give those incredible men a like. ;)

And I've been keeping secrets from everyone. A while back I agreed to be the columns editor for the BTS eMag.  I've been editing for years, so I thought I'd give this new gig a try.  The first edition of the eMag is out today, so jump on over there and take a look.

Also, my blog and website are getting makeovers, so look for the new digs soon.  I've gone a little darker and sexier. ;) I figured since I'm all in with these sexy vampire men for a series, I might as well make them feel at home.

Have a terrific Wednesday!

#ParanormalRomance Friday

It's Friday again, and the weekend is so close we can taste it. :)  Today is the last day for the Destiny Redeemed book tour and it's ending with a bang over at Salacious Reads. Thanks to all the bloggers who've been so wonderful on this tour! And I'm over at the very talented Tracey Kitt's blog doing an interview with her, so check that out too!

This week has been research week for me, and I have to admit I love this kind of week.  I've had my nose in the books (well, internet too) for Blood Spirit and a new book for my alter author ego (the non-romance one).  That's a blockbuster idea, but it's in the very early stages of infancy.  Blood Spirit, on the other hand, is set to begin with the new month. 

I also spent my time trying to find models for the covers of the rest of the Sons books.  Dante, Ramiel, Thane, and Nico are all set, but Sion...he's been impossible to capture. I've complained about the photo stock sites before here, so you know how I feel about them, but damn, is it that difficult to offer a good looking man with blond hair?  I used to know someone who claimed that there were very few good looking blond men.  That's stupid, and I should've told her she was a chowderhead.  I've seen many good looking blonds in my life.  Dated a bunch of them.  However, it seems there's a dearth of them on stock photo sites.  I have one I'd love to use, but Talina and I are still working on him.  We'll see...

Last, but not least, the date for Blood Betrayed's release has been settled.  May 24 my newest baby will enter the world.  And I've got a bunch of bloggers and reviewers who will be helping me spread the word that day about my new release.  Thanks to all of them!  I'll be talking more about that in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that.

I have an easy day at work (all tests today), it's payday, and tonight's the season finale of Spartacus.  Do they follow the history, or will there be the historically incorrect but possibly interesting showdown where Spartacus kills Glaber?  I don't know, but it could be good. I'll be there, taking an hour out of researching for it (or an hour out of celebrating my Megamillions half a billion win).

Have a great Friday, everyone!

Monday Fun

I'm over at Menagerie Authors for an interview with Megan and Kealie today,so stop over. They're great fun and always ask great questions. I'm also at Ginger Simpson's blog today talking about my two vampires, Vasilije and Saint, who are different as night and day. Stop in and say hi!


Also on for this Monday is the Proudly Paranormal Blog Hop, which continues today at J.D. Brown's blog.  She's giving away a copy of her new book, Dark Heirloom, so head on over there after you hit the first two stops and show some paranormal love. :)  And for a run-down of who's up next in the month long blog hop, stop over at the hop's page. 

Today is the first official day of Spring Break for me, so I'm pumped.  And the great news is that I finished Blood Betrayed last night, so let the edits begin (well, let the typing begin, then the edits). 

Have a fabulous Monday!

Proudly Paranormal

Welcome to my leg of the Proudly Paranormal Blog Hop!  The brainchild of author Adriana Ryan, it celebrates the paranormal genre in all its facets.  The hop runs all month, so expect to see all varieties of paranormal, from the erotic romance I write to the supernatural women's fiction Adriana writes, and all areas in between.

Since this is a hop dedicated to the Proudly Paranormal, of course I'm talking about my vampires in the Sons of Navarus series. The paranormal genre gives an author such freedom to write stories that are fantastic and imaginative.  In Blood Avenged, I had the chance to first introduce readers to my vampires' world and Vasilije, the book's main character.  In Vasilije, I give readers the first initial taste of my version of vampires--sensual, earthy, and dangerous.  He's unlike any character I've ever written, an unrepentant hedonist, and the paranormal genre is a place he can shine.

Vasilije is the quintessential vampire to me.  He preys on humans, turning them to please himself.  In another genre, this kind of character wouldn't work.  Hedonists are rarely appealing, but as a vampire, Vasilije exudes a very appealing air because of his hedonism.

And now as I finish the second book in the Sons of Navarus series, Blood Betrayed, I'm getting ready to introduce the second Son to the world.  Saint is very different from Vasilije, manifesting another set of characteristics of my vampires--haunted, brooding, and different. 

The paranormal genre is perfect for Saint's character.  In the paranormal world of the vampire, he's right at home with his darkness. 

I write in other genres and the historical always makes its way into all my writing (What can I say?  I'm a history prof!), but the paranormal is where I love to spend my time the most. It's the genre that gives me the most freedom to be creative, and I'm so thankful for that outlet. 

Thanks for hopping by on this stop in the Proudly Paranormal Blog Hop.  One lucky commenter will win a $10 Amazon gift card and a set of bookmarks from the first three books in the Sons of Navarus series--Blood Avenged, Blood Betrayed, and Blood Spirit.  Just be sure to include your email address in your comment so I can contact you when you win.  Good luck!

And watch for posts all month long from other authors who are proudly paranormal! Next up on Monday, March 5:  Author J.D. Brown

First Sneak Peek at Blood Betrayed

Over the weekend, amid all the hustle and bustle, I had to finally write the blurb for Blood Betrayed so it could appear on the bookmarks that are being made as I type this.  With just a few chapters left in the story, I guess it was time. 

It usually takes me a good long while to craft the blurb.  I've been trying to keep them under 100 words, and if you've ever had to encapsulate a novel in such a tight space, you know it's a chore sometimes.  I have to admit that the blurb for Saint's story came pretty easily, relatively speaking.  For once, he didn't give me a hard time. :)

So, here's the blurb for Blood Betrayed so you can have a sneak peek at the story.

I am everything forbidden.  I am vampire.

Haunted by betrayal, Saint hides in the human world, giving his heart to no one and finding the only solace from his past in the arms of human women. Now as the Archons begin their takeover of the vampire world, this Son of Navarus has been marked for death. 

Summoned to defeat the Archons by the world that shunned him, Saint must face his past and Solenne, the woman he loved and lost a century ago, for only in accepting her will his body and soul finally find salvation.

Look for Blood Betrayed this May. And if you love swag, watch for pics of the bookmarks for the first three books in the Sons of Navarus series later this week.  They're gorgeous!  Thank you to Talina for the stunning designs.

Blood Betrayed So Far...

Thanks to a terrific schedule this semester, I've had far more time to devote to writing, which is fantastic.  If the work gods smile on me, I'll have even more time for the fall.  (More on that if it happens.  Keep fingers crossed.)  In addition to most nights, two days during the week I can devote to writing, and of course, all day Saturday is a given in that department.

Last night I wrote a scene between Vasilije and Saint, and I love how those two work off each other.  Vasilije is so smooth and almost smug at times with Saint.  There's almost a brother dynamic to their banter, and as easily as Vasilije's words come out of my pen, Saint's flow even nicer.  Smooth is great, but I love writing a smart ass.  :) 

In addition, I've enjoyed creating Saint's relationship with Solenne.  While my female leads are never tender flower types,  none have ever been as strong as Solenne.  I'm not a huge fan of super-tough heroines.  They tend to get in the way of what the hero needs to do.  I can't tell you how often I've wanted to throw a book across the room (or throw my Kindle across the room) because some female character is in the way of what the hero should be doing or adding to his problems by doing stupid things.  So I've been very careful to make Solenne the kind of strong that complements Saint instead of hindering him.

Following up Vasilije has been a real challenge for me, but I think readers will enjoy Saint's darkness in Blood Betrayed.  I do love me a tortured soul!  And I get to introduce more focal points in the vampire world I'm creating.  The Archons are far more involved in this story, and the prophecy the Sons need to figure out is beginning to be revealed to readers. 

I'm still looking at a May release for Blood Betrayed.  Depending on how the action flows now that things are coming together in the story, it may be an early May release, though.  Then it's on to Blood Spirit, which I'm still planning to release in the fall, but I might sneak in a summertime novella before I jump into the third book in the Sons series.  I'll have to see what I can fit in, but the trilogy of novellas I planned out a few months ago is still waiting. 

Keep checking back for more on Saint and Blood Betrayed. I'll be posting snippets in the upcoming months as things draw to the end. And, of course, I'll be sure to give readers a sneak peak of the sexy side of the book!

Tuesday News-Lovin' The Villain

I've grown to quickly love Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester since I have no classes or work on those days. After school with my son, I have the entire afternoon and evening each day to write and revise. I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon. :)

Progress continues on Blood Betrayed, but I have to admit Saint is difficult to write sometimes.  I think I was spoiled with Vasilije because his story came so easily.  Hedonism is far easier than tortured soul.  The thing is, though, that Saint's story has a lot of themes to explore, which makes it even more difficult to write him. In many ways, he reminds me of Amon because of his past continuing to haunt him, but whereas Amon was almost flippant about what he'd done, Saint is far more troubled and cognizant of his actions and the man they've made him into. 

Amon is on my mind today because Laurie from Bitten By Paranormal Romance listed him as the best villain in her Top Picks from 2011. More than anything else, I appreciate this because I know from talking to her that he had an effect on her.  As an author, there's no award or sale or review that can beat a simple line in an email saying that a character you created was so memorable that he or she stuck with a reader.  Thanks, Laurie!

Regarding Vasilije and vampires in general, I'm over at Paranormal Freebies today talking about why I think we love the paranormal.  Stop over and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Blood Avenged. 

I'm off to do some schooling and then a whole lot of writing of my tortured bad boy.  Have a great Tuesday!