A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

I saw a great post over at one of my favorite blog sites--TalkSupe--and I thought I'd do a list of my own favorite things and share them with my followers. 

Of course, books is at the top of the list. Whether they are paperback, hardback, eBook...doesn't matter. I really have no preference. A book to me is like a portal to another world. And I love to lose myself in a good story. 


1.

2. Every morning. Gotta have. Hazelnut. And lots of refills.

3. Great music. Favorite bands on hand. Lots of drums. Lots of guitar. And a few tatted rockers to seal the deal. 


4. I don't watch a lot of t.v. Only about 3 shows do I DVR to watch whenever I get a free moment. But those I love to watch, I'm a die-hard fan for. Sons of Anarchy. Drop Dead Diva. The Voice (ahem-Adam Levine and Blake Shelton)



















5. Great friends and going to conventions--sharing my passion for the written word with those who have that same passion. 

My bestie Leta-who I have know practically all my life. She is the other half of me (the best half) and has a heart of gold. She loves me despite my faults...and believe me--there's a LOT! 

 CL Parker is another BFF who makes me smile whenever I've had a pretty shitty day. She's also the gal that I depend on to give it to me straight--whether it's what I want to hear or not. 

One day, my friend, we'll co-author a best seller and rock that shit! 

Britta you are just freakishly amazing. There are no other words to describe your crazy-ass self. And seriously, I wouldn't want you any other way. This was taken the night we went to see Nickelback in concert--still the best freakin' concert--EVER! 

p.s. don't look at my freakishly wide ass. Please. 

6. Great authors who make you feel all gooey and shit when you are finally in their presence. They are normal folks, just like us, and go out of their way to make you feel special. These ladies (left to right--Donna Grant, Jaci Burton, Suzanne (The QUEEN) Brockmann, Sherrilyn Kenyon (who is just absolutely GORGEOUS), Gena Showalter and Kresley Cole---these woman are not just fabulous authors, but friendly, heart-on-their-sleeves kind of gals that I'd bake a cake for any day of the week!  

7.  Freebies. Really, any kind of freebies. But books in particular are always appreciated. And not only that--I get to offer them to you during giveaways! I love to spread the love! 

8. Last, but never LEAST--my family. They rock my world. They love and accept me--warts and all. They drive me crazy. They make me insane. But I love them with ALL of my heart and soul. I could not and would not choose to do this crazy life without them. I love you. 

**This is dedicated to a super fantastically beautiful Kellye Baker. I am so glad that I got to know you and spend time with you and some other really great gals in NYC. Your smile radiated such warmth and genuine love. You are truly gonna be missed the hell out of and God now has the most special of Angels with him. 

Megan, Me, and Kellye

2012 ~ BEST READS / FAVES OF THE YEAR

My Favorite Top Reads of 2012 

Okay, 2012 is almost over (WTF) and 2013 is tapping its foot impatiently around the corner. 

As I am writing this post, I have read over 200 books in 2012. I met and surpassed my Goodreads Challenge of 125. So what were some of your favorite reads of the year? 

~ Here is my list for my favorites ~ 

*Best Book (CR, E PN, UF, H) ADULT ( in no particular order)

1. Lothaire ~ Kresley Cole
2. Shadow’s Claim ~ Kresley Cole
3. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet ~ Darynda Jones
4. Bared to You ~ Sylvia  Day 
5. Rapture ~ JR Ward
6. Seducing Cinderella ~ Gina Maxwell
7. Firelight ~ Kristen Callihan

8. The Fireman Who Loved Me ~ Jennifer Bernard
9. Lover Reborn ~ JR Ward
10. Crash Into You ~ Roni Loren
11. Fury of Fire ~ Coreene Callahan
12. Fever ~ Joan Swan
13. Born To Darkness ~ Suzanne Brockmann
14. Echoes at Dawn ~ Maya Banks
15. Double Down ~ Katie Porter
16. Undeniable ~ Madeline Sheehan

*Best Book in Young Adult and New Adult Fiction ( C, PN, UF)

1. Poison Princess ~ Kresley Cole
2. Pushing the Limits ~ Katie McGarry

3. What I Didn’t Say ~ Keary Taylor
4. The Golden Lily ~ Richelle Mead
5. Immortal City ~ Scott Spear
6. Death and The Girl Next Door ~ Darynda Jones
7. City of Lost Souls  ~ Cassandra Clare
8. Obsidian ~ Jennifer L. Armentrout
9. The Immortal Rules ~ Julie Kagawa
10. Easy ~ Tammara Webber
11. The Edge of Never ~ J.A. Redmerski
12. The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden ~ Jessica Soreson 

*New-to-Me Favorite Authors of the Year—haven’t read author prior to 2012 – Not necessarily first published in 2012, although some are debut authors. 

1. Cassie Alexander ( Edie Spence Series-Paranormal)
2. Jessica Clare  (Blubonnet Series)

3. Cherrie Lynn (Ross Siblings Series)
4. Roni Loren (Crash Into You)
5. Samantha Young (On Dublin Street)
6. Toni Aleo (Taking Shots)
7. Katie Porter (Vegas Top Guns Series)
8. Gina Maxwell (Seducing Cinderella)
9. Macy Beckett (Sultry Springs Series )
10. Cari Quinn (No Flowers Required)
11. Elle Aycart (More Than Meets The Ink and Heavy Issues)
12. Pamela Palmer (I-Team Series)
13. Jessica Sorenson
14. Laura Griffin
15. Kelly Jamieson

*Best New Series for 2012—Must Reads 

1. Julie Ann Walker’s Black Knights Inc.
2. Jeaniene Frost’s Night Prince
3. Laura Kaye’s The Hero Series
4. Cassie Alexander’s Edie Spence Series
5. Kresley Cole’s The Dacians: Realm of Blood and Mist
6. Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street Series
7. Sylvia Day’s Crossfire Series
8. Macy Beckett’s Sultry Springs Series
9. Joan Swan’s Phoenix Rising Series
10. Lori Foster’s Love Undercover Series
11. Pamela Palmer’s Vamp City Series
12. Gina Maxwell’s Fighting For Love Series
13. Kristen Callahan’s Darkest London Series
14. Jessica Clare’s Bluebonnet Series
15. Elle Kennedy’s Killer Instinct Series
16. Jennifer Bernard’s The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel Series
17. Roni Loren’s Loving on the Edge Series 
18. Coreene Callahan’s Dragonfury Series

*Favorite Covers of 2012 –again, has original publication date of 2012.

1. Lothaire ~ Kresley Cole
2. A Perfect Storm ~ Lori Foster (Men Who Walk The Edge of Honor Series, Book Four)
3. Fever ~ Joan Swan (Phoenix Rising Series)
4. Crash Into You ~ Roni Loren Couple 
5. Bared To You ~ Sylvia Day ( The Original Cover) Couple
6. Her Forbidden Hero ~ Laura Kaye (Hero #1 Series) Couple
7. Savage Awakening ~ JD Tyler (Alpha Pack, Book 2 Series)




8. Echoes at Dawn ~ Maya Banks 
9. Double Time ~ Olivia Cunning (Sinners on Tour) Couple-Triad
10. Seducing Cinderella ~ Gina Maxwell (Fighting for Love Series)  Couple 
11. Rogue Rider ~ Larissa Ione (Lords of Deliverance Series, Book 4)       Couple 
12. No Flowers Required ~ Cari Quinn (Love Required Series, Book 2)    Couple 
13. One Night With A Hero ~ Laura Kaye (Hero #2 Series)   Couple 
14. The Mighty Storm ~ Samantha Towle (Storm, Book 1)    Couple 
15. Leave Me Breathless ~ Cherrie Lynn    Couple 

*Looking forward to in 2013 (Adult)

1. Lover At Last ~ JR Ward 
2. Up From the Grave ~ Jeaniene Frost 
3. Twice Tempted ~ Jeaniene Frost
4. Styxx ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon

5. MacRieve ~ Kresley Cole
6. Entwined With You ~ Sylvia Day
7. Fifth Grave Past The Light ~ Darynda Jones
8. Shades of Gray ~ Maya Banks 
9. Hot Ticket ~ Olivia Cunning
10. Striking Distance ~ Pamela Clare
11. One Sweet Ride ~ Jaci Burton
12. Winter Blaze ~ Kristen Callahan
13. Ours To Love ~ Shayla Black
14. Thrill Ride ~ Julie Ann Walker
15. Fall Into You ~ Roni Loren


*Looking forward to in 2013 (Young Adult)

1. Clockwork Princess ~ Cassandra Clare
2. The Indigo Spell ~ Richelle Mead
3. Inferno (Chronicles of Nick) ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon
4. The Eternity Cure ~ Julie Kagawa
5. Death, Doom, and Detention ~ Darynda Jones
6. Swear ~ Amanda Hocking
7. Black Fallen ~ Elle Jasper
8. Just One Day ~ Gayle Forman
9. Natural Born Angel ~ Scott Spear
10. Antigoddess ~ Kendare Blake

*Sleeper of the year--didn't think I'd like it as much as I did

*Book that made me sob aloud until I could no longer see the words

*Book that gave me a complete WTF moment with the ending

*Best M/M Romance of the Year

*Author of the Year

Kresley Cole

*Best Fictional Character of 2012

Lothaire ~ Kresley Cole

*Best sex scene that to this day still echoes in my head--made me laugh out loud and squirm...a lot.

Lothaire ~ Kresley Cole

"My poor, poor vampire" -- she tongued one of his nipples, making him shudder -- "all you ever wanted was me in a red teddy, giving you head."

Somehow he tensed even more. Voice gone hoarse, he asked, "Am I to have what I want at last?"

"No." She removed her gown all the way, tossing it aside. "Only the head."

"I suppose I'll have to make do."

Her lips curled. "I'm hungry for you, Lothaire."

"Are you, then?" His tone was dubious.

"When I sucked your thumb, I imagined it was the crown." She continued her trail downward. "I've dreamed of it, too."

So that is what she dreams of? "Your behavior is...unexpected."

"Now, I've never done this before, so I won't be quite as expert at it like I was at riding you." 

Insolent chit. 

And yeah--this book also made my favorite audio book of the year. Although, truthfully--I only listened to two books. (Big Smile).  

Please leave a comment and let me know what some of your favorite reads of the year were--I'd LURVE to hear from you.

Happy New Year!

2013 TBR PILE READING CHALLENGE

6 BLOGGERS, 12 MINI-CHALLENGES, 24 BOOKS TO WIN!!!

We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they’re gifted to us. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we’ll finally decide to pick them up.

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you’ve been telling yourself you’ll read next time you’ll get a chance. This is your chance! And we’ve got PRIZES!!!

I am excited to join this particular reading challenge as I have **ahem** a lot of books in my TBR pile. Mountainous. HUGE. GARGANTUAN. 

I have AT LEAST 600 books (easily) in both my kindle and "library". In fact, I am scared. VERY scared. I'm moving and I need at least, oh, 15 boxes to pack up my books that I have in my "library". 

Challenge Guidelines  ~ Fiktshun and the other participating blog hosts are YA sites. So bear that in mind, if you are participating in this reading challenge.  However, if you read mostly adult romance like me, and would still like to participate (like me), feel free to do so. I would LOVE to see readers/followers out there with tons of different genres participating!  BTW--If you mainly feature Adult Romance on your blog, and you are participating in this challenge--PLEASE leave me a comment. Thank you so much!

• This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013
• Anyone can enter! You don’t have to be a blogger, as long as you review the book you’ve read! (On your blog, Amazon, Goodreads or Shelfari!)
•  Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that’s been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2012 or earlier! NO  2013 ARCs or 2013 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
•  You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood suits you.
•  When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge.
• You can move up levels, but no moving down.
• Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
• On the 20th of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will be a unique theme, and include a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from that month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of your choice from The Book Depository. It’s open to INTERNATIONALS. The giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up! (i.e., the entire year).
• If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking.
• December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you’ll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway for a box of books.
• You don’t have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in the giveaways!

Levels

1-10 – A Firm Handshake
11-20 – A Friendly Hug
21-30 – A Sweet Kiss
31-40 – Love At First Sight
41-50 – Married With Children


Wrap-up Post Schedule

• Jan. 20th: Evie ~ Bookish  
• Feb. 20th: Rachel ~ Fiktshun
• Mar. 20th: Justin ~ Justin's Book Blog 
• Apr. 20th: Tiffany ~ Escaping…One Book At A Time 
• May 20th: Bonnie ~ Words At Home 
• Jun. 20th: Justin ~ Justin’s Book Blog 
• Jul. 20th: Emily ~ Doodle’s Book Blog 
• Aug. 20th: Tiffany ~ Escaping…One Book At A Time 
• Sept. 20th: Rachel ~ Fiktshun 
• Oct. 20th: Emily ~ Doodle’s Book Blog 
• Nov. 20th: Bonnie ~ Words At Home 
• Dec. 20th: This one will be posted on all the blogs. 

There will also be a huge BOX OF BOOKS giveaway and this time you can link up ALL YOUR TBR Pile REVIEWS you wrote for the entire month!

Here is my list for this challenge:

1. Scorched ~ Laura Griffin
2. Fatal Destiny ~ Marie Force
3. Because of You ~ Jessica Scott
4. Forbidden ~ Syrie James
5. Iced ~ Karen Marie Moning
6. Shadow of Night ~ Deborah Harkness
7. Endure ~ Carrie Jones
8. Fury of Seduction ~ Coreene Callahan
9. Black Moon ~ JD Tyler
10. Battered, Not Broken ~ Ranae Rose
11. Sealed Forever ~ Mary Margaret Daughtridge
12. Hold 'Em ~ Katie Porter

So tell me how big YOUR TBR pile is...

2013 IMMORTAL READING CHALLENGE

I participated in UTC's Immortal Reading Challenge last year...and yeah...I didn't do so great in reading the actual books that I picked out for that challenge. However, I made some kick-ass friends with the ladies over there. They absolutely ROCK! 

This year I hope to do better. 

If you are interested in participating in this reading challenge, head over to Under The Covers and and get the deets on how to join.

Vampires, angels, demons, werewolves and fae. If you can’t pick a favorite, then that’s okay!


At UTC, we love them all! So let’s celebrate our love for all things immortal with 2013’s Immortal Reading Challenge.

Here’s the rundown:

1. The Immortals Reading Challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. You can join at anytime from now and throughout the year. This is a 2013 challenge, so books read before January 1 will not count to your progress.
2. You pick your goal! Read as many books as you’d like for each species. This means that you can do just one category or all five or a combination of. The choice depends on you and your reading pace.

*We have chosen to have a three book per species standard. However, if this is a breeze for you, then feel free to tackle on the additional bonus entries of two more books of the same level.

3. Re-reads are acceptable.
4. Books chosen can be of any genre.
5. To participate, copy and paste this post on your blog along with the challenge button. We ask that you provide a link back to the sign-up page in case others wish to participate.
6. Readers without blogs can still participate! Keep track of your progress with Goodreads, Shelfari or LibraryThing.


To sign up:

1.  Make a sign up post announcement, listing the level you’ve chosen and a list of books you plan to read.  If you don’t have a blog, post on GoodReads or another site as a thread where we can access your list of books.  Be sure to take the image code above.
2.  Come back here and using the list below, add your entry with a link directly to that post so we can see what you’ll be reading.

You’re done!  Every month during 2013 we will make a challenge update post where you can come and updates us on how you’re doing with your challenge.


Category 1: Vampires

Read any THREE books with vampires as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with vampires

Category 2: Angels and Demons

Read any THREE books with angels and/or demons as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with angels and/or demons.

Category 3: Fae and Magic

Read any THREE books with Fae/Witches as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books on Fae/Witches.

Category 4: Shifters/Werewolves

Read any THREE books with shifters or werewolves as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books on shifters or werewolves.

Here is my list for the Immortal Reading Challenge

1. Vampires 

*Lover At Last ~ JR Ward

*Up From The Grave ~ Jeaniene Frost

*A Kiss of Blood ~ Pamela Palmer

*Twice Tempted ~ Jeaniene Frost

*Immortal Ever After ~ Lynsay Sands

2. Angels/Demons

*Fifth Grave Past the Light ~ Darynda Jones

*Death, Doom, and Detention ~ Darynda Jones

*The Collector ~ Victoria Scott

*Forbidden ~ Syrie James

* Natural Born Angel ~ Scott Spear

3. Fae/Witches/Magic

*Iced ~ Karen Marie Moning

*Glass Heart ~ Amy Garvey

*Shadow of Night ~ Deborah Harkness

*Winterblaze ~ Kristen Callihan

*Endure ~ Carrie Jones 

4. Shifters/Were

*MacReive ~ Kresley Cole

*Fury of Seduction ~ Coreene Callahan

*Fure of Desire ~ Coreene Callahan

*Black Moon ~ JD Tyler

*Hunter's Heart ~ JD Tyler

I'd love for all of my peeps to join me in this challenge--let me know by leaving me a comment! I'd love to hear from you. 

2013 CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE READING CHALLENGE

This reading challenge is host by The Book Vixen and if you would love to participate, click over to her blog and add your name to her linky! There are some really great authors that I can't wait to read during this challenge. 



Reading Challenge Details:

• Runs January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (books read prior to 1/1/2013 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to read at least 10 contemporary romance novels. As per Pearl’s original post:

“by contemporary romance I mean straight contemporary, so without paranormal, fantasy or time-travel elements. Sexy, steamy contemporaries are eligible and so are category romances. (i.e. Harlequin Blaze, Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Super Romances, Silhouette Desires, etc.).”

• I’m going to elaborate on this a bit just for the sake of clarification: Books read for this challenge can be young adult, new adult, or adult. This reading challenge is specifically for romances between a hero and a heroine. Romances with the following elements do not qualify for this reading challenge: paranormal, historical, time-travel, fantasy, science fiction, or mystery/suspense/thriller.
• Books can be any format (bound, ebook, audio).
• Novellas that are at least 100 pages in length, as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Here is my list of Contemporary Romance books that I plan to read for this challenge:

1. Unbeautifully ~ Madeline Sheehan

2. It Had to Be You ~ Jill Shalvis

3. Kissing Under the Mistletoe ~ Marina Adair

4. Fall Into You ~ Roni Loren

5. Love Irresistibly ~ Julie James

6. Getting Rowdy ~ Lori Foster

7. Bare it All ~ Lori Foster

8. A Shot of Sultry ~ Macy Beckett

9. Caught Up In You ~ Roni Loren

10. One Sweet Ride ~ Jaci Burton 

 

2013 ROMANTIC SUSPENSE READING CHALLENGE

One of my favorite genres to read is Romantic Suspense. I love to try to figure out who the bad guy/woman is while reading. And I have a few favorite authors in this genre. But I am 3 books shy of the goal to read 13 books...so if anyone has any suggestions, that'd be great! Leave me a comment and let me know what book you think I need to add to my list. 

This reading challenge is also hosted by The Book Vixen ~ so if you want more deets, go to the blog site. And if you want to participate, add your name to the linky! 

Reading Challenge Details:

• Runs January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (books read prior to 1/1/2013 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to read 13 romantic suspense novels in ‘13.
• Books can be any format (bound, ebook, audio).
• Novellas that are at least 100 pages in length, as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Here is my list of books that I'm going to attempt to read for this challenge:

1. Scorched ~ Laura Griffin

2. The Heart of a Killer ~ Jaci Burton

3. Underground Guardians-Protector ~ Lisa Renee Jones

4. Fatal Destiny ~ Marie Force

5. Heart of Danger ~ Lisa Marie Rice

6. Mr. Real ~ Carolyn Crane

7. Mystery Man ~ Kristen Ashley

8. Because of You ~ Jessica Scott

9. Shades of Gray ~ Maya Banks

10. Crazy Hot ~ Tara Janzen

11. ?

12. ?

13. ?

Who are your favorite authors of Romantic Suspense? I'd love to hear from you.

2013 MEN IN UNIFORM READING CHALLENGE

I am planning on participating in several Reading Challenges for 2013. Out of the five Reading Challenges that I've taken up (GULP), three of them are hosted by The Book Vixen. 

Let's start with those sexy men in uniform. 

According to The Book Vixen, Men In Uniform can be any of the following: policeman, firefighter, paramedic, doctor, veterinarian,  Army, Navy, Marine Corp., etc. – As long as the leading man wears some sort of uniform, it counts. 

If you would like to participate along with me, click over to The Book Vixen's blog post, add your name to the linky and prepare your post that include the list of books you are planning on reading. 




Here are the other rules to consider with this reading challenge: 

• Books can be any format (bound, ebook, audio).
• Books can be any genre (contemporary romance, m/m romance, fiction, non-fiction, etc.).
• Novellas that are at least 100 pages in length, as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:

     Sergeant – Read 1–5 men in uniform novels
     Lieutenant – Read 6–10 men in uniform novels
     Captain – Read 11–15 men in uniform novels  
     Chief – Read 16+ men in uniform novels

Click here to see book ideas.

Here is the list for my 2013 Men In Uniform Challenge

1.  Forged In Fire ~ Trish McCallan 
2. Hold 'Em ~ Katie Porter 
3. Shades of Gray ~ Maya Banks
4. Battered Not Broken ~ Ranae Rose
5. SEALed Forever Mary Margaret Daughtridge
6. Heat of the Moment ~ Elle Kennedy
7. Because of You ~ Jessica Scott
8. Love Irresistibly ~ Julie James
9.Bare It All ~ Lori Foster
10. One Sweet Ride ~ Jaci Burton
11. Taking A Shot ~ Jaci Burton
12. Thrown By A Curve ~ Jaci Burton
13. Hard Way ~ Katie Porter

I would love for you to join in all the reading fun! 

BOOK SPOTLIGHT ~ IF WISHES WERE SHADOWS BY A. SANGREY BLACK

Title: If Wishes Were Shadows

Series: The Shadows Series, #1

Author: A. Sangrey Black

Genre: Paranormal, Erotica, Menage (m/m/f), BDSM, Vampire

Publisher: Cobblestone Press

Ebook

Words: Approx. 14,000

Purchase at Cobblestone Press 

Book Description:

Calinda Byer is all assertiveness in her daytime life, but when it comes to the bedroom, she leaves her will at the door with her clothes. Her vampire Dom, Adam Straton, refuses to turn her until she has witnessed the darker side of immortality and the true depths of his sexuality -- including his male vampire lover.  A weekend at his country estate promises dark, twisted delights the likes of which Calinda could never have imagined. All she has to do is use the safe word, and she can return to the "normal" world alone. But will she?

About the Author:

Alexia enjoys the darker side of entertainment, including literature from the classic gothic style to the modern horror novel, erotica and romance that walks in the shadows off the beaten path. She loves horror movies both psychological and gory, and nurses a fascination for and dedication to the rights and practices of alternative lifestyles. What two or more adults do in the privacy of their dungeon is her... rather THEIR business. Vampires are her great fictional (or are they?) love, but all things that hunt the night, human or otherwise, forever capture her imagination and demand that she tell their stories. A denizen of the Adirondack Mountains of New York, there are plenty of legends, ghost stories, and creepy happenings in the deep forests and abandoned caves to keep her writing for the rest of her life. 

A. Sangrey Black also writes more mainstream paranormal romance and urban fantasy as H.A. Fowler. She loves to hear from readers of both styles, so feel free to drop her a line or visit her blog or Facebook.

Author Links:

Blog / Facebook for author / Facebook for If Wishes Were Shadows / Twitter

 Book Excerpt:

“Are you certain you wish to go on?” he asked.

Calinda grinned in spite the horror-movie air and his grim demeanor and nodded. There were no shadows dark enough that would keep her from taking this journey with him. Nothing she wouldn’t do if he asked it of her, just as she knew he would, if he hadn’t already tasted all of her secrets.

Satisfied, Adam took her hand, pressed a small switch on the wall beside them, and led her down a narrow set of stone stairs, now illuminated by a dim red light. The stairway curved sharply, and he was guiding her down and down forever, circling into the depths of who knew what. She had learned from experience that the border between the heavenly and hellish was very fine indeed. She liked it that way.

Calinda’s heart thundered, her stomach fluttering with nerves, and she relished each sensation, tucking it away in her memory like some women might keep tickets to a show she’d attended with her lover. She had been an adrenaline junkie since the day she was born. Instead of drugs, she far preferred driving fast cars, jumping out of airplanes, and dating ancient, sadistic vampires than pills or needles. This occasion, with its mysteries and uncertainties, was better than any shot of pure heroin straight into her system, and the vampire she loved was giving it to her. He had become so many things to her in the two years they’d been together, and adrenaline dealer had been one of the greatest of them from the moment they met.

She remembered with an electric shiver through her system the first moment when she realized what he was, when she invited him home knowing what he could do to her. The biggest charge of her life. She gave his hand a squeeze in thanks. No, she had no difficulty in taking this journey. There was only one thing that could be at the bottom of this staircase, spiraling them into the depths of the earth together: the darkness he kept talking about, made manifest. The deepest shadows inside him. She was so eager to see it she was already wet.