Updates and an excerpt
I feel bad for pushing that slice of beekcake heaven down a thread. He'll have to return soon.
I'm up to chapter 27 of The Darkest Lie. If I push through, I will finish this rough draft on Friday. That means I can do copy edits for Tempt Me Eternally Saturday and Sunday. Then, come Monday, I'll start my first read-through of Darkest Lie. I have changed my mind a LOT in this manuscript -- meaning the characters were naughty and difficult -- so there will probably be a lot of rewriting and fixing at that stage. Which then means it will need a second read-through to make sure I followed the final story-line (and character arcs) all the way through. But I'd really love to have this book done before I leave for RWA National in July. We'll see.
If you haven't ordered your copy of Seduce the Darkness, now's your chance to get it early. And here's an excerpt taken from Chapter One. I sent this to my yahoo group a week or so ago, but thought I'd post here as well. Or maybe I already posted it here. I have no idea LOL
“Well, well. Aren’t you a pretty thing?” the man said, offering her a hand. That voice. . . deep and raspy and just roused from bed, as perfect as his face and body.
As people buzzed beside them -- the females staring at him in open-mouthed wonder, the males giving him a wide berth -- Bride tentatively accepted his aid. His warm fingers curled around her wrist, and he easily hefted her up.
When she gained her bearings, she realized he’d tugged her forward so that they were only a few inches apart. He did not release her hand. Her smaller height placed her gaze right at the steady pulse in his neck, and her mouth once again watered.
Concentrate. Bride raised her chin and forced herself to look him in the eye. “You smell like my friend Aleaha Love. Do you know her?” Wait. What if she’d changed her name? He could have been with her and not even known it.
“I smell like a woman, hmm?”
At least he didn’t sound insulted. Merely amused. “Yes.”
“Well, you smell like sex.” He leaned down as if he intended to share a secret with her, moonlight caressing him as though it couldn’t help itself. Maybe it couldn’t. “The dirtiest kind of sex, at that. Which just happens to be my favorite.” His thumb traced her palm.
A shiver slid the length of her spine. He was flirting with her, and wickedly so. Though she had no desire to flirt back – really -- she forced herself to say, “Wow. Already we have something in common.” One thing she knew about men. They were more likely to help a woman if they thought they’d get something in return. “That’s my favorite kind, too.”
That put a surprised sparkle in his amber eyes. “Isn’t this just my lucky day, then?”
“You never answered my question. Do you know Aleaha Love?”
“I know many women, but their names escape me right now. I so want to solve this mystery and become your hero. Perhaps your friend and I use the same perfume.”
“She doesn’t wear perfume and I doubt you do, either.” Even though so much time had passed since Bride had seen Aleaha, she knew her friend would never douse herself in any kind of body spray. Aleaha had to be as desperate to find Bride as Bride was to find Aleaha. She couldn’t believe otherwise. Aleaha was the one person who would never have walked away from her willingly. They’d become family, relied on each other.
“Perhaps, then, it’s a coincidence that we smell the same.”
“Perhaps.” Her shoulders slumped. He could very well be a shape-shifter like Aleaha, and all shape-shifters could very well produce the same fragrance.
“I didn’t expect you to agree. Darling, coincidences don’t just happen. We need to put our heads together and think up some kind of explanation for this extraordinary occurrence. I do my best thinking in bed. You?”
She laughed; she just couldn’t help herself. The man was incorrigible. “Another thing we have in common. Thinking in bed. Alone.” Letting him assume a little some-some was possible was one thing. Outright agreeing to it was another.
“Alone.” He tsked under his tongue. “Now that’s just silly.”
As people buzzed beside them -- the females staring at him in open-mouthed wonder, the males giving him a wide berth -- Bride tentatively accepted his aid. His warm fingers curled around her wrist, and he easily hefted her up.
When she gained her bearings, she realized he’d tugged her forward so that they were only a few inches apart. He did not release her hand. Her smaller height placed her gaze right at the steady pulse in his neck, and her mouth once again watered.Concentrate. Bride raised her chin and forced herself to look him in the eye. “You smell like my friend Aleaha Love. Do you know her?” Wait. What if she’d changed her name? He could have been with her and not even known it.
“I smell like a woman, hmm?”
At least he didn’t sound insulted. Merely amused. “Yes.”
“Well, you smell like sex.” He leaned down as if he intended to share a secret with her, moonlight caressing him as though it couldn’t help itself. Maybe it couldn’t. “The dirtiest kind of sex, at that. Which just happens to be my favorite.” His thumb traced her palm.
A shiver slid the length of her spine. He was flirting with her, and wickedly so. Though she had no desire to flirt back – really -- she forced herself to say, “Wow. Already we have something in common.” One thing she knew about men. They were more likely to help a woman if they thought they’d get something in return. “That’s my favorite kind, too.”
That put a surprised sparkle in his amber eyes. “Isn’t this just my lucky day, then?”
“You never answered my question. Do you know Aleaha Love?”
“I know many women, but their names escape me right now. I so want to solve this mystery and become your hero. Perhaps your friend and I use the same perfume.”
“She doesn’t wear perfume and I doubt you do, either.” Even though so much time had passed since Bride had seen Aleaha, she knew her friend would never douse herself in any kind of body spray. Aleaha had to be as desperate to find Bride as Bride was to find Aleaha. She couldn’t believe otherwise. Aleaha was the one person who would never have walked away from her willingly. They’d become family, relied on each other.
“Perhaps, then, it’s a coincidence that we smell the same.”
“Perhaps.” Her shoulders slumped. He could very well be a shape-shifter like Aleaha, and all shape-shifters could very well produce the same fragrance.
“I didn’t expect you to agree. Darling, coincidences don’t just happen. We need to put our heads together and think up some kind of explanation for this extraordinary occurrence. I do my best thinking in bed. You?”
She laughed; she just couldn’t help herself. The man was incorrigible. “Another thing we have in common. Thinking in bed. Alone.” Letting him assume a little some-some was possible was one thing. Outright agreeing to it was another.
“Alone.” He tsked under his tongue. “Now that’s just silly.”
Yes, I will enjoy reading this on for sure. Best with the end of TDL. Take some time to enjoy the weekend though. I am going to have a big family dinner in Victoria as my sister is here from Colorado--Bringing with her some new/old clothes for me and some roasted green chilis for BBQ burgers. You just can't get good SW food up here in Canada. Have a great day, Karia
Anonymous said... 12:39 PM
Can NOT wait for this!!
DonaGothika said... 2:51 PM
Seduce the Darkness..wow, he sounds like quite the naught one, doesn't he!?!
Rhonda said... 3:16 PM
I'm looking foward to reading Seduce the Darkness, but I'm REALLY excited for The Darkest Lie whenever it gets around to comming out! Gideon was always my favorite!
Marie said... 7:27 PM
Good book!! Love it!!
Thats soooo awesome, you are almost finished with the Darkest Lie!!!
nicolethecrazyone said... 4:50 AM
oohhh, I am so excited, this sounds amazing!
Book Junkie said... 9:08 AM
Hi Gena,
I just finished reading your book. I had gotten an ARC for our blog tour on Tuesday, 6/30. I will also be doing a review...I will tell you though, I loved it so it'll be all positive!
Now I'm ready for your next books =)
♥Isalys
www.booksoulmates.blogspot.com
Book ♥ Soulmates said... 12:13 PM
LOL..I can't wait to read this book Seduce the Darkness!! I am already in love with the characters!
Natalie D. said... 6:42 AM
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