Another Great from Cat Schield

HIS SECRET TEMPTATION

Now Available

Carina Press

ASIN: B0070XZZPA

2010 Golden Heart Winner

Who's the sexy blonde stranger sleeping in Simon Holcroft's bed? The workaholic returns from a business trip to find someone stretched out on his sheets. Between the laundry basket at her side and the smell of orange cleaner, he deduces that the young woman is his maid—and resists the urge to kiss her awake.

But when his brother's fiancé—his own ex—bursts in and strips down to her panties, Simon has to get her dressed and back where she belongs. So he introduces the maid as his fiancée. But his little white lie gets bigger, because now he has to bring his supposed bride-to-be to meet the whole family. One offer-she-can't-refuse later, Simon has bought himself a temporary fiancée.

In debt up to her eyeballs and all alone for the holidays, how could struggling grad student Caroline Sampson not accept her gorgeous client's fantasy proposal? But acting like she's in love comes more easily than she ever expected.

Get Lost in Temptation with Avery Flynn

Get Lost in a Story readers, please welcome Avery Flynn, author of steamy romance with a mysterious twist, also self-proclaimed writer, smart ass and lover of chocolate.

About Avery's Temptation series. . .

Temptation Creek (Book 1, Layton Family series)

Claire Layton expects the usual busy Saturday night at Harvest Bistro to be killer on her stilletto shod feet. She never imagines there’d be an actual murderer on the loose at her restaurant in rural Dry Creek, Nebraska. But when she discovers a customer dead in a dumpster, the killer demands she find the victim’s phone and flash drive or face fatal consequenses.

Jake Warrick, a cocky and mind-numbingly hot private investigator, becomes Claire’s unlikely ally in the search. Jake just wants to solve the case and get out of this hick town, but the diminutive and curvaceous Claire turns his plan upside down as they uncover a more complex crime than they ever imagined. The two bicker and banter like Tracy and Hepburn caught in a whirlwind of intense sexual attraction as they try to find the killer before it’s too late.

Seduction Creek (Book 2, Layton Family series)

"I do believe I can arrest you for looking at someone like that. You've got to be breaking some indecency laws."

Taking a deep breath, she recovered her bearings. Mostly. "You're out of your jurisdiction, sheriff."

Dry Creek County Sheriff Hank Layton is the stuff of dreams. Nasty, steamy, delicious fantasies that leave Beth Martinez weak-kneed and desperately wanting the man she can never have.

Hank can’t stop thinking about Beth to the point where he’s afraid of becoming permanently bowlegged. And even though the sexual tension between them is thick enough to trip over, she runs every time he chases.

But when a mysterious developer forces her neighbors off their land, Beth becomes the one person standing between the scoundrel and millions of dollars. Only Hank can help her uncover the truth. Together they risk their lives exposing decades-old secrets and learn that everything is not as it seems in their rural Nebraska town.

Reviews for Temptation Creek and Seduction Creek:

http://averyflynn.com/reviews/

Excerpt:

Temptation Creek Excerpt (book one in the Layton Family series). I’m happy to give away a signed print copy of Temptation Creek, open internationally.

DONNELL:  Avery, Welcome to Get Lost in a Story.   I neglected one very important question.... is your hair REALLY blue???    You write romantic suspense.  So tell us about the most suspenseful room in your house, and why.

AVERY: First off, thanks so much for having me! Now to the scary room .... Do the kids’ rooms count, because those are scary! I have a nine-year-old daughter who has her own room in the basement. I’ve yet to figure out where the funky smell is coming from and what kind of creature lives in there who can’t close a closet door.

DONNELL:  If you’re not writing, where should we look for you?

AVERY: Oh my God, I just realized I never leave my house. That is so sad. Ummm. Give me a minute ... OK, I have a great set of friends and we get together quite often to dish the dirt and dance

DONNELL:  Are there themes in your books?  Have you noticed a pattern?

AVERY: The Layton Family series, which takes place in Dry Creek, Nebraska, are all about family and coming into your own in your family. In the first book, Temptation Creek, Claire, the youngest, has to show her loving - if overbearing - family that she can stand on her own. In the second book, Seduction Creek, Hank, the eldest, has to figure out what family means to him.  In the third book, Passion Creek, Sam, the Adam Cartwright of the family, is coming to terms with the fact that the man he really is isn’t the same as the man he family thinks he is. Books one and two are out now and I’m putting the finishing touches on book three now.

DONNELL:  What’s in your refrigerator right now?

AVERY:  OK, I just went to the grocery store so there’s a ton in there. Three gallons of milk, grape juice, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, mini-bell peppers, eggs, Girl Scout cookies, about five different kinds of cheese, left over sweet potato tater tots and beer.

DONNELL:  When you write, what do you look for in a hero?  Are your heroes true to real life?

AVERY:    My heroes are like French bread - hard and crusty on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside. Are they true to real life? Hmmm. I think so. You could meet any of the Layton brothers or Jake Warrick out on the street and walk away with your heart beating a little bit faster.

DONNELL:  Finish this story in a short paragraph.  Your heroine has entered a bank, where she discovers that everyone inside has been taken hostage.  She’s right by the door, all she would have to do is slip back outside.  What does she do?

AVERY:    The three-man stick up team argued in front of the counter, never noticing her entrance. Josie sank down to her stomach next to the guard as if she’d been there the whole time. Judging by the blood matting his temple, he’d put up a fight. And lost. Even though her fingers were shaky and her palm clammy, she managed to slide her cell phone out of her back pocket and pushed it along the tile floor closer to her mouth. She kept her gaze locked on the masked men, shielded the phone from view with one hand and punched in nine-one-one. Unable to hear the emergency operator, she began to give details in a way that, if overheard, would be mistaken for a prayer.

“Dear Lord, please forgive these three bank robbers at Dry Creek Federal and Trust on Main Street for holding twenty people hostage. I know they have knocked the guard unconscious and are heavily armed, but please Lord let them see the error of their ways.”

DONNELL:  Excellent solution!  What was your favorite subject in school?

AVERY:  I had an amazing American history teacher in high school, Mr. Largo. I learned so much in his classes.

DONNELL:    Do you listen to music when you’re writing?

AVERY:  If I’m home alone, no. If I have to block out the three kids and the husband playing kitchen hockey a few feet away, then yes. :)

DONNELL:  If you could visit with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be, and what might you chat about?

AVERY: Wow, there are a ton of options with that question but honestly, I’d skip all the famous people and go find my dad. He died when I was six and I’d just love to get to have a grown up conversation with him, show him pictures of his grandchildren and have him call me Little Bit one more time.

DONNELL:  I think I'd go with your answer too.  My condolensces, Avery.

AVERY:  NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.  THIS IS A QUESTION YOU ASK FOR YOUR FAN AND READERS.

AVERY: My latest heroine, Josie, has several tattoos. If you had to get a tattoo - or were lucky enough to get another - what would you get and where?

Thanks Avery, terrific answers.  READERS, FOR THOSE WHO LEAVE COMMENTS OR ANSWER AVERY'S QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU'D PLASTER YOUR TATTOO, YOU'LL BE ENTERED IN A DRAWING TO WIN TEMPTATION CREEK! 

The name Avery Flynn is a pseudonym for the author who, at least for now, prefers to remain behind the scenes.  She believes having Avery as her alter ego is a very good thing because, as she says, “Pen name Avery is way cooler than me. Her favorite color is hot pink. She drinks single malt scotch on the rocks. She loves the Argentinean tango and stays at Iceland’s Ice Hotel.”

Author Avery has been writing since she was a child and her father gave her a baby blue Brother typewriter. She couldn’t read but nonetheless wrote numerous stories about her stuffed animals in gibberish. She hasn’t stopped since, though she maintains that her spelling has gotten much better and she now prefers to write in English.

Today she’s enjoying her own happily ever after with her dashing husband, three crazy kids and two arthritic dogs.  She dreams of one day having a floor-to-ceiling library à la Beauty and the Beast and is working to perfect the coffee IV drip.

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

DON'T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter (#GetLostStories) or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join me tomorrow when I host Author Avery Flynn. And join us next week for GLIAS contributor Cat Schield's newest release and on Wed. May 1st when I host autho Trish Jensen, May 2, Thurs. Angi hosts Bethy Shriver and on Friday May 3, Cat hosts Kathleen Garbera. 

Midnight Remedy & Award-Winning Author Eve Gaddy

Get Lost in a Story Readers, today I'm pleased to bring you the prolific Eve Gaddy who's with us today to talk about MIDNIGHT REMEDY, brought to you from Bell Bridge Books .

ABOUT MIDNIGHT REMEDY:

Piper Stevenson's mysterious "potion" cured one of Dr. Eric Chambers' patients. Dr. Chambers is determined to unravel the secret of her painful past. But can they heal each other's hearts?

He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed the knuckles. Her scent, as rare and delicate as one of her orchids, assaulted his senses.

"What-what are you doing?"

She sounded breathless, he noticed, pleased. He turned her hand over and grazed his lips across it. Hiding a smile, he answered her. "Changing the subject."

"Well . . . well . . . don't." She tried to pull her hand loose, but he kissed her wrist again. His lips traveled to her open palm.

"Don't what?" "For heaven's sake, we're in a restaurant," she hissed.

"I know. If we weren't, I wouldn't be kissing just your hand." Dropping a last kiss on her wrist, he regretfully let go, gazing at her mouth and schooling his features into an innocent guise.

"Stop trying to . . . to . . . to seduce me," she whispered loudly. A slow smile spread over his face.

Reviews: "A sparkling-fresh love story . . . Four Stars" — Romantic Times, Melinda Helfer

"This book is fabulous; the plot is original and fresh. The characters are darling and the sexual tension simmers . . ." — Rendezvous

Eve Gaddy's writing career began when she was in search of the perfect job and a friend challenged her to write a novel. Naturally, she thought of romance, since that is one of her favorite things to read. Once she began it was love at first type and she's been writing ever since. Eve is the award-winning author of sixteen novels. Her books have won and been nominated for awards from Romantic Times, Golden Quill, Bookseller's Best, Holt Medallion, Texas Gold, Daphne Du Maurier and more. She was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Innovative Series romance as well as winning the 2008 Romantic Times Career Achievement award for Series Storyteller of the year. While a confirmed native Texan, Eve loves the mountains of Colorado. She loves spring in east Texas, especially when the azaleas are in bloom. She also enjoys books and needlework and is currently working on needlepoint Christmas stockings. She adores animals. Just ask her incredibly spoiled Golden Retriever who is firmly convinced he is Eve's third child. Eve enjoys cooking except when she is in the throes of creating, and has been known to tell her husband that is what peanut butter and jelly was created for.

DONNELL: Eve, thank you for joining us on GLIAS. Are you a big city or small town girl?

EVE: In between. I've lived in both and now live in a mid sized city. I'm more city girl than country girl, that's for sure.

DONNELL: Favorite room in your house?

EVE: My study. Lots of books, my computer, my desk. If it's messy it's my mess. Which it is right now, as a matter of fact.:)

DONNELL: You’re been called the author of EVE’s men. So here’s a hard question for you. Which one would you invite to dinner?


EVE: Ooh, that is hard. One of them is a doctor, and since I'm married to a doctor I guess I wouldn't ask him. I like them all. I think I'd ask Devlin Sinclair, from On Thin Ice. He's handsome, smooth, witty. Oh, wait. That describes all of them!

  DONNELL: Do you read your reviews?

EVE: Yes. Can't help myself. I try not to let bad ones get to me. I have to remind myself that not everyone is going to like my books. The good ones are always fun, though.

DONNELL: Are you athletic?

EVE: I used to be. I snow ski and walk and hike. I don't think I'm really athletic though.

DONNELL: What’s in your refrigerator right now?

EVE: I'm always on Weight Watchers, so I have a lot of fruit, milk, diet drinks, ground meat waiting for me to do something inspiring with it for dinner. (Not going to happen.) Some veggies. Creamer because I'm a coffee addict and must have my fat free creamer.

DONNELL: The first book of yours that I read had a very authentic medical scene. I’m always astounded when authors get it right. Do you have a medical background?

EVE: I've been married to a doctor for a long time. I am always asking him questions. I also have a lot of doctor friends and ask them about their specialties. Plus my daughter is now a Physician's Assistant, so I have access to lots of medical professionals. I did kind of laugh at one comment that said the book was a little dated because the doctor used a pager. My husband still uses a pager, as do a lot of doctors I know. They get the page and then use their cell phone to call in.

DONNELL: You write romantic suspense… so write your way out of this one. You’re in a private plane and the pilot has been poisoned. You’re already at 12,000 feet. You suspect one of the four people onboard is guilty. (Note I didn’t say the pilot is alive or dead) so you can do whatever you want to make this work. 

EVE: The pilot dies. Luckily one of the others can fly the plane and make an emergency landing near a remote forest. We all have to depend on each other to get back to civilization, so although everyone suspects each other, we have to trust each other to survive. Naturally two of the people fall in love and figure out who the bad guy is and he is taken into custody in the end.

DONNELL:   Love it!!! Do you need quiet to write, or do you thrive around chaos?

EVE: Definitely quiet. Sometimes I can write when it's noisy but not usually. I like music but only when I'm not writing. I have a soundtrack I make and listen to in the car, etc. But not while actually writing. I don't see how people write in Starbucks and such. I'm far too distractible.

DONNELL: Where is the most interesting place you’ve traveled?

EVE: I went to Europe when I was young. I still remember Florence in particular and falling madly in love with Renaissance art. That started my Michelangelo period where I read anything I could find about him. Irving Stone's The Agony and the Ecstasy was great.

DONNELL: Name the most unusual thing you have in your closet.

EVE: I have a big walk in closet and it generally looks as if a bomb went off. I always have something that seems much more interesting to do than clean my closet. I don't think there's anything unusual now but one time a squirrel got into my bathroom and ran around in the closet until I screamed bloody murder for my husband to come get it out!

DONNELL: If you could meet any person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

EVE:  I'd like to see my grandfather again. He died when I was thirteen and I'd love to meet him and talk to him as an adult. He taught Greek and Mathematics, was an attorney for a big oil company and also was a judge. He lived for many years in Mexico and was a huge Texas Longhorn fan, having played football on their first team. I'm sure he'd have many fascinating stories to tell.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN, EVE. TIME TO ASK THE READER A QUESTION.

EVE GADDY: For romantic suspense readers, what really wows you in a romantic suspense? Do you want intricately plotted suspense, lots of romance, a blend of both? What gets your attention? What makes you finish the book.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of MIDNIGHT REMEDY.

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

DON'T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter (#GetLostStories) or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join me tomorrow when I host Author Avery Flynn. And join us next week for GLIAS contributor Cat Schield's newest release and on May 1st when I host author Trish Jensen. 

Laura Griffin

LAURA GRIFFIN

This New York Times bestselling author started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense. She is the author of ten novels and has won numerous awards, including a RITA Award for Whisper of Warning. Laura lives in Austin, where she is working on the next book in her popular Tracers series.

TWISTED

Tracers Series, Book 5

Pocket Star

ISBN: 978-1451617375

ALLISON DOYLE’S NEW CASE WILL MAKE HER CAREER . . . IF SHE LIVES TO SOLVE IT.

Motive, opportunity, and no alibi—rookie detective Allison Doyle knows it’s as close to a slam dunk as most investigations get. But even though her small-town Texas police department has identified a prime suspect in a young woman’s vicious murder, she can’t rest easy. And when legendary FBI profiler Mark Wolfe shows up with a startling new theory, all her doubts are amplified. If Wolfe is correct, the real killer is an elusive psychopath who has left a trail of bodies behind him. And he’s just days away from his next kill. . . .

Allison was supposed to be Wolfe’s way into the case, nothing more. But she’s ambitious, stubborn, and far too tempting. With the help of her contacts at the Delphi Center crime lab, Wolfe is within striking distance of the monster he’s pursued for ten years. Except the closer Allison and Wolfe get, the more reason there is to fear. Because with a predator this brutal, every thread of evidence can make a difference between hunting a madman—and becoming hunted yourself.

READ THE EXCERPT

ALL ABOUT LAURA

ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?
LAURA: Every day! I’m a voracious reader.

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading? 

LAURA: Can’t remember the first book, but the first series I remember reading was Nancy Drew. I thought she was so cool and smart. Maybe that’s why I grew up to write suspense.

ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?

LAURA: I meet real-life heroes all the time when I interview law enforcement people and forensic experts as part of my book research. One who especially stands out is the forensic artist who inspired the main character in THREAD OF FEAR. Like the character in my book, she spends her days interviewing victims of violent crime and creating drawings that help investigators track down criminals.

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

LAURA: Definitely Action Adventure!

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

LAURA: Can’t pick just one! The Color Purple, The Graduate, Silence of the Lambs.

ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?

LAURA: Hannibal Lecter.

ANGI: What is your biggest vice?

LAURA: chocolate.

ANGI: Is there a “Blooper” in your story (it may have been changed before printing)?

LAURA: My editor’s good at catching them. She’s always writing what I call “duh” comments in the margins. Things like, “…and then she loaded the gun with bullets.” And my editor will scribble, “As opposed to what? String cheese?” Good to have someone point out that stuff ahead of time.

ANGI: How is it working with hot guys and sexy women all day?

LAURA: I must say, can’t complain! I just finished a book with lots of Navy SEAL guys (SCORCHED, coming out this fall) and that was fun, fun, fun to research. Wow, those men can do amazing things. Writing about their adventures was a thrill for me.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Hiya Laura!  I read on your website that you love researching your books. Can you share the best, worst, or most unusual thing you’ve had to discover or do to get a scene perfect?

LAURA’S GOTTA ANSWER:   Well, I just wrote this love scene involving a Navy SEAL and so… (kidding!)

Actually, some of the forensic research I’ve done has been fascinating, but also pretty grim. I toured a crime lab once and the CSI was kind enough to give me a first-hand (literally) demonstration on how they get fingerprints from partially decomposed bodies. That was a memorable moment and I ended up using it in the second Tracers book, UNSPEAKABLE.

Here’s a video highlighting some of the fun I’ve had researching the Tracers series.

WHERE TO FIND LAURA

Contact: laura@lauragriffin.com    Twitter: @Laura_Griff

Website   Facebook    Goodreads    Blogs 

UP NEXT: SCORCHEDTracers Series, Book 6

Pocket Star

October 30, 2012

LAURA’S BACKLIST: THE TRACER SERIES
Untraceable, Unspeakable, Unforgivable, Snapped, Unstoppable (Novella)

Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of TWISTED.

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

DON'T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter (#GetLostStories) or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join Donnell Thursday and Friday with Eve Gaddy and Avery Flynn. And join me next week when I’m back with Beth Shriver and Shelley Coriell. ~Angi

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?

What is your favorite Tracers character who hasn’t had his / her own book yet?

Get Lost in a Cozy Mystery! Hounds Abound

Hounds Abound

Linda O. Johnston

Berkley Prime Crime

 

I love the name of this blog: Get Lost in a Story. That’s exactly what I do, and probably a lot of other writers as well. And, yes, we hope our readers do, too. 

How do I get lost in my stories? Well, for one thing I write about things I’m passionate about.  These days, that mostly includes animals.  My current cozy mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime is the Pet Rescue Mysteries, a spinoff from my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries. It features Lauren Vancouver, a dedicated animal rescuer who runs HotRescues, a private no-kill shelter in LA’s San Fernando Valley. In the Pet Rescue Mysteries, animals may start off in dangerous situations, but they’re always saved.  Not so for all people.  It is a cozy mystery series, after all. In the Pet Rescue Mysteries, “no-kill” means pets, not people!

So far, there are three Pet Rescue Mysteries in the series, with more to come. I didn’t know where the stories might lead me when I started them with BEAGLEMANIA. That one featured a rescue from a puppy mill. The second, THE MORE THE TERRIER, dealt with an animal hoarder.

My new Pet Rescue Mystery HOUNDS ABOUND, the third in the series, revolves around a very special pet sanctuary, one where hard-to-adopt pets go to seek wonderful forever homes, but if none is forthcoming those senior or disabled animals can live out their natural lives in wonderful and loving surroundings.

Do such places exist? Yes! I first heard of a local one near Los Angeles when I was in a local boutique grocery store and one of the people handing out food samples happened to mention it. Of course my Pet Rescue Mystery mind started focusing on it, I did some research, and the result was HOUNDS ABOUND.

Since then, I’ve heard of other wonderful sanctuaries like that. I volunteer as a dog adoption counselor at a caring, real shelter called Pet Orphans of Southern California.  Occasionally, a pet there has behavior or other issues that make it so difficult to adopt that it is taken lovingly to a new home--a sanctuary where it can live out its days with lots of wonderful care. 

Of course, in my story there is conflict... and a murder. Lauren has to figure out whodunit when her new friend, who owns the sanctuary, is the main suspect.

One thing I’m particularly exited--and passionate--about at the moment is that I’m participating in a very real program: Read Humane™.  Berkley Prime Crime is an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.  Penguin has made a substantial donation to the Humane Society of The United States® in support of its Animal Rescue Team, and is also shipping 50,000 books starring furry friends, both dogs and cats, which encourage readers to learn more and donate to the Humane Society and its Animal Rescue Team. Besides me, participating authors include Rebecca M. Hale, Alison Pace, Miranda James and Sofie Kelly--and I’m especially excited to report that the Read Humane spokesperson is Nora Roberts.

In addition to my Pet Rescue Mysteries, I write romances for two Harlequin series. My Harlequin Nocturnes are mostly a paranormal romance miniseries called Alpha Force, about a highly covert military unit of shapeshifters. Can I get lost in those stories?  Of course!  It’s fun to imagine what shapeshifters could do and feel and say. I’ve also created my own world of shapeshifters with, perhaps, different rules from those that other authors write about.

Then there’s my first Harlequin Romantic Suspense, UNDERCOVER SOLDIER, which will be a July 2012 release. Its plot is very loosely based on a mystery in my own life, and that is where the idea originated.  So, yes, I got lost in that story, too.

Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the Year. Since then, she has had had more short stories published, plus several novellas, and thirty novels including mystery and romance.  

Her Pet Rescue Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime is a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series. The Pet Rescue Mysteries debuted in March 2011 with BEAGLEMANIA and continued with THE MORE THE TERRIER, an October 2011 release and HOUNDS ABOUND, published in April 2012. Protagonist Lauren Vancouver runs a no-kill pet shelter in LA’s San Fernando Valley and will do anything to save animals. In the Pet Rescue Mysteries, “no-kill” means pets, not people!

Linda also writes paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne including the Alpha Force miniseries about a covert military unit of shapeshifters. Her first Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel, UNDERCOVER SOLDIER, will be a July 2012 release.

Commenters: How about you--what leads you to get lost in a story?

Visit Linda anytime at www.LindaOJohnston.com.  She blogs each Wednesday at KillerHobbies.blogspot.com and you can also find her on Facebook.  

Bad Boy Competition: A Rogue's Gallery

To finish up the release week for The Seduction of Phaeton Black, I thought we'd have a kind of beauty contest for roués, rascals, rogues, rapscallions...can you think of another "r"word...rat bastards, perhaps? So here they are ladies, some of the baddest of the bad. 

I googled many of your bad boy requests, and added a couple of personal favorites. They come from all media and have one thing in common: They're pretty (as in hot). They're enigmatic. And they're bad.

Some of these bad boys are genuine heroes, while others are anti-heroes. 

Is it possible to prefer a real hero, shrouded in the mystery of an anti-hero? Lol!

So, which one of these bad boys makes you tingle?

The Vampire Lestat

"I can't help being a gorgeous fiend. It's just the card I drew."  

Captain Jack Sparrow

"Me? I’m dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It’s the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they’re going to do something incredibly…stupid."

James Bond

 "I've got a little itch, down there. Would you mind?"

Sawyer

"I'm a complex guy, sweetheart."

Don Draper

"What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons."

Terry Sheridan

"You want to shoot me? Shoot me. Personally, I'd rather you do it... than them." 

Heathcliff

"Yes, you may kiss me, and cry; and wring out my kisses and tears: they'll blight you—they'll damn you. You loved me—then what right had you to leave me?" 

Spike

"I said, 'I'm not putting up with this any more.' And she said, 'Fine!' And I said, 'Yeah, I've got an unlife, you know!' And then she said... she said we could still be friends. God, I'm so unhappy!" 

Valmont

"I ended by falling on my knees and pledging her eternal love. And do you know that, at that time, and for several hours afterwards, I actually meant it."

Damon


"What's so special about this Bella girl? Edward's so whipped."

Sherlock Holmes


"Now, Watson, the fair sex is your department," said Holmes, with a smile, when the dwindling frou-frou of skirts had ended in the slam of the front door. "What was the fair lady's game? What did she really want?"

Question:

 Who's your favorite bad boy? 

(Feel free to nominate your own personal favorite.)

One signed copy of The Seduction of Phaeton Black to a commenter today plus a

chance to win the key to Phaeton's heart

A unique Steampunk necklace created by Ula Kapala: ​"Every piece I make is one of a kind. Even if I make similar items, there’s always some difference: color, size, type of wire, type of stone, pattern. My favorite materials are enameled craft wire, silver foil glass and various minerals."​

All commenters will be entered to win the key to Phaeton's heart, so be sure to leave your e-mail contact info along with your bad boy pick! Necklace winner will be chosen at random. Follow my blog tour over the next month or visit my website contest page for more chances to win the necklace.

Good luck!

***Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America  addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.