Book Spotlight: Forever: The Dragon Wars by Rebecca Royce

 Rebecca Royce

As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.

Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They’ve just moved to Texas where Rebecca is discovering a new love for barbecue!

She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.

In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

Author Links

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Forever: The Dragon Wars

By: Rebecca Royce

Paranormal, Fantasy, Erotic Romance

Decadent Publishing

January 29, 2013

Blurb: Devin Owen has come back from the Dragon Wars a changed Werewolf.  For one thing, he's lost his wolf side as well as most of his desire to live.  He spends most of his life doped up to handle the pain from his injured leg.

Lena Knox knew the moment she met Devin that he was her mate.  But, she'd been a child at the time and he hadn't noticed her at all. Now, all grown up she wants Devin to be the wolf she’s waited for.  Not that she has a lot of time for longing with life crumbling around her.

A couple of heated encounters draw them together but is it enough to overcome the war wounds they both carry?  Or will an outside enemy destroy them before they get the chance to know?

Excerpt: “You’re my mate, Devin. I’ve known it since the first time I was in your company when I was seven years old.”

Devin gripped the side of the table he stood next to like she’d struck him. “No.”

“No?” She hadn’t expected the pain of his rejection. She’d known he might not believe her at first. Tears she refused to shed clogged her throat. “It’s not ‘no.’ I’m your mate, such that I am.”

Lena knew she wasn’t an ideal Female specimen. Her skin frequently broke out in horrible bouts of acne, although she looked pretty clear at the moment, her chin jutted out too far, her hands were not dainty, and when she shifted, her Wolf form frequently had trouble coming to a stop at high speeds. More than once she’d collided into trees, bushes, and other Wolves.

But she knew she was a nice person. She could work hard, and she never asked anyone for anything but common decency. She’d be a good mate to him, and he shouldn’t be rejecting her outright.

Unless he found her absolutely repulsive to look at…

“You’ve made a mistake. Whatever you thought you smelled when you were a child was the wild fantasy of a young girl. You should be over it by now.”

She sighed. “Devin, I can still smell it. I promise when you get to know me you’ll find out I’m not wildly fanciful. I live in the real world.”

“I can’t smell it on you. Not at all. I’m sorry, Lena. You seem like a nice kid, but if you can really smell mating from me, then it’s one of those rare occasions where one Wolf feels something the other doesn’t.”

Lena had heard about those situations. It was every young Wolf’s deepest fear. Something went askew with the chemistry. One Wolf felt mated and the other one didn’t. They could even mate with someone else.

“I think you should go home and work on getting over whatever this is because, at least for my part, it is not a mating.”

Lena’s heart might explode from her chest. She turned on her heel. What else was there to say, really? He’d said no. He didn’t feel it. She’d waited fifteen years for him to come home, and it had been for nothing.

Buy Links

Decadent Publishing / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

TBR welcomes Holli Castillo

TBR: Welcome to TBR, Holli. Will you share a little bit about yourself?
Holli: Hi and thanks for having me. I am a Louisiana appellate public defender and former prosecutor.  I live in the metro New Orleans area with my family and a host of pets, including a deaf cat that appears in my current novel.  Like most writers I love to read, mostly mysteries and thrillers with an occasional romance thrown in. I am also an avid t.v. and movie watcher, mostly cop and lawyer shows but I’m also a big sci fi fan.

TBR: Tell us about JAMBALAYA JUSTICE.

Holli:  When the body of a hooker is discovered in a crackhouse, New Orleans prosecutor Ryan Murphy refuses to let the case languish into yet another unsolved homicide.  She has a connection to the victim and won’t back down until the murder is solved, even if it means insinuating herself into the investigation.  And if she hides her involvement from her detective boyfriend, it’s only because he’s busy working late nights on a secret case of his own. 

When Ryan isn’t hounding the homicide detective for information or investigating the murder behind his back, she’s juggling her Strike Force cases, including a four-victim mob hit, a nasty domestic violence assault, and the armed robbery of a strip club.  At first, Ryan’s only concern is getting justice for her victims.  By the time the weekend ends, she’ll settle for staying alive.

Jambalaya Justice can be purchased on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Jambalaya-Justice-Holli-Castillo/dp/1610090209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365905016&sr=8-1&keywords=jambalaya+justice 

At Barnes and Noble online at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jambalaya-justice-holli-castillo/1102777100?ean=9781610090209 

My publisher’s website at http://www.oaktreebooks.com/Shop%20OTP.htm#JKLM.

Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Holli: This is the opening of the first chapter of Jambalaya Justice:

Dead eyes.

Ryan could think of no other way to describe them.  Except maybe dead eyes staring back, if something dead could stare.  Did eyes actually die? Or did they just stop working when the heart stopped beating and the brain synapses stopped telling them to see?  She should have paid more attention in biology.  Or was it chemistry?

Assistant district attorney Ryan Murphy let the jumbled thoughts brew in her mind like the coffee and chicory that once percolated in the battered silver pot on the dead woman’s stove.

She fought the urge to close Cherry’s eyes.  Regardless of whether the cause was biological or chemical, the woman couldn’t see anything now.  She was smiling, though, or so it seemed, dying the way she lived, with a gold-capped grin spread across her ebony face.

Ryan remembered that smile and the way Cherry called everyone baby.  She also remembered Cherry’s help, which had saved Ryan’s ass on more than one occasion.

And now Cherry was dead, her pit-stained tank pushed up to reveal a bloody, makeshift tattoo.  If anything would salve Ryan’s conscience, it was that crude smiley face, cut just above Cherry’s right breast.  The bodies of two other prostitutes had recently been found bearing the same mark, making Cherry’s lifestyle the more likely reason for her untimely death than Ryan’s tenuous connection to her.  Either way, Ryan doubted she would get much sleep tonight.

Murders were common in New Orleans, and homicides occurred for a multitude of reasons–drug deals gone wrong, gang and turf wars, or in the case of a working girl, sexual deviance carried too far.  But this was different.  Whatever his motivation, this killer wanted the world to know he thought the murders were funny.

TBR: What inspired you to write about the theme?
Holli: The theme of the series is the distinction between justice and fairness, and that comes directly from my experiences working as a prosecutor and then as a public defender.  New Orleans particularly has a troubled criminal justice system, and it really didn’t take too much imagination to incorporate that whole idea into the series.

TBR: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Holli: Definite plotter. I do a scene by scene outline. As I get further in, I modify and update the outline and may move scenes around, but I always have an outline to work from.

TBR: How do you develop your characters?
Holli: Most of the time, I start with a personality first.  Once I have a grasp on the personality, I decide the character is going to speak.  Dialect and manner of speech is distinctive in New Orleans, and the area of town a person is from makes a huge difference in how he or she speaks, so it’s just as important for me to nail that down as it is to figure out the physical description, which usually comes next.  I also think about if I’m missing any particular roles in the story after I’ve started writing and if so, create a character to fit the role.     

TBR: Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?
Holli: My favorite quote is from the character Lexie Littleton played by Renee Zelweger in the movie Leatherheads, “Being the smoothest operator in Duluth is a little like being the world’s tallest midget, if you ask me.”  

TBR: Did any music inspire your book? Do you have a playlist?
Holli:  Music didn’t inspire the book but I do listen to music that fits the mood of the particular scene I’m writing at the time.  There’s a scene toward the end of the book where Ryan is in a club and I listened to the music I wrote playing in the club Ryan was listening to so I could get the mood exactly right.  I tend to listen to alternative hard rock when I’m writing chase scenes or heavy emotional scenes.   

TBR: What's next for you?
Holli:  Right now I am working on the third in the series, CHOCOLATE CITY JUSTICE, which picks up where Jambalaya leaves off and will follow Ryan through Hurricane Katrina, bringing the series into post-Katrina New Orleans.  It should be available before the end of summer.

TBR: What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
Holli: A reader who disliked the book immensely wrote in an Amazon review that my protagonist made her so mad she had to stop reading so she wouldn’t throw her Kindle across the room.  While I’m never happy when someone dislikes my work, I couldn’t help but feel a little proud that Ryan Murphy was so real to this girl she could hate her enough to worry about destroying her Kindle over her.  THAT is what I call a realistic character.  

TBR: Where can readers find you on the web?
Holli: I’m on Facebook  www.facebook.com/holli.castillo.com or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hollicastillo

TBR: Readers, Holli will give away a copy of Jambalaya Justice to one lucky commenter. She'll pick a winner on Monday, April 29, 2013, and announce the winner here. Be sure to leave your email address so she can contact you.

Thanks for visiting TBR, Holli. All the best to you.

Covers reveal: Decadent Publishing's new Tease line!

Decadent Publishing is proud to present

 

What is a Tease you ask? It’s Decadent Publishing's fabulous new line of short stories coming soon! With a wide variety of talented authors and compelling story lines, we’ll have you at the edge of your seat from the tempting start to the tantalizing finish! We offer three sub-genres:

Allure = Paranormal tales of sexy shifters, dark and dangerous vampires, unusual situations, and spirited heroines. No matter what life-and-death situation the characters face, the romance comes first in these action-filled adventures.

Captivate = Delights will captivate audiences, no matter the time period or location. Not your mother’s historical romance, Tease Captivate puts a fresh spin on delicious stories of rakes and rogues and the naughty ladies who show them the path to love. Leave your daily problems behind and escape with a Tease Captivate.

Entice =  Entice creates contemporary adventures of romance. Across the country, around the world, or right in your back yard, these character-driven stories explore true romance and carry the heart on an emotional ride. Let Tease entice you to enjoy love stories once more.

 

 Cursed

by Cate Masters

Available April 24, 2013

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=767&osCsid=b7u4d1li166jjumc862tjtbpb1

 

Silk & Scandal

by Cassandra Dean

Available May 8, 2013

 

Burning Sage

by Deena Remiel

Available May 22, 2013

Carry Me Home

by Alexa Bourne

Available June 5, 2013

Sun, Sand & Seances

by Kathleen Ann Gallagher

Available June 19th, 2013

For updates, visit the Decadent Tease site

and bookmark the Decadent Tease blog

 

Authors: check the submission guidelines for Decadent Tease.

TBR welcomes Zoe Forward

TBR: Welcome to TBR, Zoe. Will you share a little bit about yourself?
Zoe: Thank you for inviting me to visit!  I’m a veterinarian with a passion for writing fiction 

and a special love for archaeology, especially anything Egyptian. Although my past has 

taken me on field expeditions into rain forests, I’ve never had a chance to visit a hot, 

sandy country and see a real dig site. It’s a goal. And I’m good at goals.

TBR: Tell us about Dawn of  Dark Knight and where it's available.
Zoe: DAWN OF A DARK KNIGHT

Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Dark-Knight-ebook/dp/B00ADAD9AU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354501520&sr=8-1&keywords=dawn+of+a+dark+knight

TBR: Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Zoe: In the shadows of our world, a secret band of warriors fights to protect us. They are the last line of defense against an evil no human can stop.

An ancient nemesis has resurfaced. Duty demands that Ashor Vlahos, Scimitar Magi commander, recruit a magical healer to fortify the remaining eight magi. The gods' choice is the woman who helped him escape torture a decade ago. Ashor couldn't have imagined a better punishment for his vow-breaker homicidal incidents than for the gods to bind him irrevocably to the only woman in the universe he cannot have. The soul-searing desire she ignites in him is strictly forbidden.

Kira Hardy, M.D. is a brilliant, hardworking internal med resident with big secrets. But when Ashor asks for aid after a brutal daemon attack, she is sucked into his dangerous, secret world. Enslavement to the magi, no matter how hot they are, may be an unattractive life plan, but being targeted for death by their enemies is less tolerable.

She must trust the sexy, tormented Ashor to keep her safe while he must deny his ultimate desire and keep Kira at arm’s length lest he bring destruction down on them both. As a centuries-old evil catches up to them, they face a crucial decision—follow the gods' rules or follow their hearts.

TBR: What inspired you to write about the theme?
Zoe: The idea really just came to me all at once.  I love the mystery of ancient Egypt, and created this small band of heroes trying to make it in a modern world while obeying rules set down by ancient gods.

TBR: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Zoe: I have a general idea in my mind of the plot points and where I need to go.  The story is far more exciting to allow it to be led by the characters.  And, oh my, can they be opinionated.

TBR: How do you develop your characters?
Zoe: Building a character’s life history first helps me to understand the character’s motivations. 

TBR: Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?
Zoe: My favorite quote is by Georgia O’Keeffe: To create one's own world in any of the arts takes courage.

TBR: Tease us with one little thing about your fictional world that makes it different from others.
Zoe: I created a new hero.  As a passionate reader of paranormal romance I’ve read my fair share of vampires, weres, fae, shape shifters and demons. I decided to pen something new. In DAWN OF A DARK NIGHT the Scimitar Magi are ten pseudo-immortals that live within our world, but struggle to remain incognito. The guys are not exactly thrilled to discover they vowed their eternal soul eons ago to serve the Egyptian gods, and now must execute daemons for the rest of their life.  With no past-life memory, they’ve got no clue how to wield the powers gifted to them by the gods.  Man to super warrior in five minutes with no instruction manual.  So it takes a long time for each Scimitar to work it out. At first losing control at random is the norm, and irritates the bejesus out of the more experienced Scimitars. Incidents happen like blowing up a gas station, which is misinterpreted by the government as a terrorist act.

And then there are the women. The Scimitars each get matched to one woman for all-time, and she is also reincarnated.  But when…and if this woman shows up is entirely up to the gods, who love to muck things up for fun.

TBR: What's next for you?
Zoe: I am working hard on the sequel to DAWN OF A DARK KNIGHT, which is deliciously 

exciting.

TBR: Who are some of your favorite authors and books? What are you reading now?
Zoe: I love to read, but I don’t get a lot of time to do so anymore.  Sometimes, I’ll have time 

to pick up a new book, but if I’m awake with free time, I want to be writing. I love paranormal romance, 

but also action contemporary fiction.  Some favorite authors that come to mind are Linda Howard, 

J.R. Ward, Heather Graham, and Sandra Brown. 

TBR: Where can readers find you on the web?
Zoe: 

My website: http://www.zoeforward.com. 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorzoe.forward

TBR: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Zoe:   Happy reading to all.  I’m always delighted to hear from readers!

TBR: Thanks for visiting TBR, Zoe. Best of luck to you.