Some Burlesque Graphics

Thought I would share these with you...they'll be up on pinterest soon!

Blog Hop Winner!

I am pleased to announce that the winner of a $5 Amazon or BN gift card (winner's choice) and a copy of Blood Struck is LhasaLuma.

The winner was selected by random.org per the screen shot below. Random.org gave me the number 4 which means the fourth person to comment won.

I don't know yet who won the grand prize for the hop but will update when that information is available. Thanks so much everyone for hopping to my blog!

Marriage on the (Vampire) Rocks - Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop

This blog post is part of the Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop!

The first inkling that I was a little umm...obsessed with vampires was when I read the thousand page Vampire Encyclopedia front to back...and enjoyed it. If that wasn't a clue, for sure, by the time I was stealing rocks from a vampire, there was no more hiding from the truth.

Hi. My name is Michelle and the only bad thing about the Vampire Encyclopedia? Was that it ended.

So rocks. Vampire. What gives?

Most of us are familiar with the idea of Dracula. Those of us with cable and a rainy Saturday on our hands have probably watched some Dracula movies. The thing is, Dracula is based on a psychopath named Vlad Tepes. He was no more vampire than I am werewolf (I wish!). However, there really were vampires in Europe. Actual documented bloodsuckers, and, for whatever reason, the truth in the legends never permeated modern fiction like Bram Stoker’s Dracula has.

Ever hear of Countess Elizabeth Bathory? The Countess is one of few known vampires (per the Vampire Encyclopedia, naturally) in Europe, and I visited the castle where she drained over 600 girls dry. Her exploits bring new meaning to the phrase ‘bloodbath’ as, not only was she rumored to drink blood, but she also bathed in it to preserve her youth. Once she was caught and prosecuted by a court known as the Diet (har-de-har-har), Bathory was walled into the castle tower a la Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart.

Not too many people get out to her castle. It's pretty isolated in Slovakia, a country that doesn't top all that many bucket lists (although it should). Lucky for me, my husband is Slovak, and, when we went ‘back home’ for a visit, I insisted he take me to see the castle.

Now, take a moment to picture what might happen to such an infamous castle here in the US. Think Salem, Mass. There are ghost tours, shops with made-in-China tchotchkes, restaurants and palm readers. Salem is a real supernatural smorgasbord.

It seems logical to think you would see something similar in Slovakia, but no. There's a museum with irregular hours and that's it. There's no entrance fee. No restaurants. No guardrails along the cliff. Nothing to stop a tourist from lighting a fire and doing a voodoo ritual.

Or, you know, filching a rock from the walls of a vampire’s castle.

The first rock I selected was about five pounds and my husband made me put it back. (Luggage weight limits in Europe are so strict!) With a long suffering sigh, he finally allowed me to take a flat rock about the size of my palm. He thought I was silly, but he also knew loving me meant enabling my rock obsession and he's a romantic guy at heart. My souvenir now sits with other rocks I've smuggled out of various countries, but mostly I remember how patient he was with me when the rocks I selected were bigger than my suitcase.

Why am I so crazy about rocks anyway? I don't know. Maybe I was a boulder in a past life. For whatever reason, I like rocks and I'll steal them from anyone, even a vampire.

It's genetic, too. My kiddo has a thing for stones just like her momma. We bring back buckets of rocks from the beach every year. When she's older, she'll probably dig vamps and werewolves, too, which would be awesome since I keep writing vampire and werewolf stories.

Here's the scoop on my latest vampire book:

In a world where vampires are real, blood is a financial asset and sex mixed with blood commands the highest price. 

Myra Danson is in desperate need of cash for her ailing mother and when she has the opportunity to join the shadow world of blood courtesans, she jumps before she looks. Soon she’s sharing a bed with the handsome Kristos Anastos, but then bullets start to fly and she finds herself running for her life.  

At first, Kristos assures her the attack stems from his enemies hoping to destroy him, but it quickly becomes clear that Myra is the real target. Worse, she’s falling in love with Kristos, but is the sexy vampire friend or foe?

Blood is money and Myra’s may be worth the most of all. A past she never knew existed has come to claim her and she’ll be lucky if she only ends up dead.

Blood Struck ranked Top 20 in Vampire Romance!

Read more: Amazon    Barnes and Noble     Kobo

This blog post is part of the Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop...details on the giveaway are below.

Leave a comment on this post and I'll select one winner to receive a free copy of Blood Struck in ebook form. To make it more fun I'll throw in a $5 gift card to enable your reading habit ;)  Winner will be announced on July 22nd.

Also, don't forget to comment on as many of the blogs in the hop as possible as that's how you get a shot at winning the grand prize for the tour; a Kindle Fire and a gift card.  For another chance to win a Kindle Fire and even more gift cards be sure to check out the Insatiable Reads tour site.

99 cent New Release: Dreaming (Navy Seal romance, Military romance)

Hey, guess what? I have a new story out! Yay! This is the perfect July 4th read...a sweet, sexy romance with a hot, hunky Navy Seal. It's like fireworks, but with words. Plus, it's only 99 cents!

Blurb:
Rebecca’s husband, Kane, is a man of mystery and action. As an elite Navy Seal, he’s gone for long periods of time working on top secret missions. She never knows when her husband will return and the wait is often lonely.

While away on his latest mission, Kane has come up with some creative ways to keep the home fires burning even if he can’t call or email. And then the dreams start. Strange, vivid dreams of Kane; his strength, his touch, his scent.

Every morning, Becca wakes up convinced it’s all real, yet her bed remains empty...until one unforgettable night she has the best dream of all.

Dreaming is a short but steamy romance of approximately 10,000 words about a woman standing by her man while he serves his country. Please note this is not a novel, it is a short, quick read--the perfect length for a romantic bed time story.

Read more: AmazonUS    AmazonUK   Nook 

 (If you're a Kobo reader, I'm having some issues getting the book published there, but it's coming.)

Excerpt:
“You should be pregnant right now,” Becca’s mom chided.

Becca shifted the cell phone to her other ear and held it in place with her shoulder as she rinsed out her cereal bowl. It was Monday morning, the end of August and another lonely, empty day stretched out in front of her. “Geez, mom, tell me how you really feel.”

“Well, you said you wanted to have kids and I’m not getting any younger. What’s the hold up?”

Becca sighed and loaded her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. She loved her mother, but not so much her strident interest in becoming a grandmother. “Kane doesn’t want me pregnant by myself. We’re waiting until his assignment changes.” At the mention of her husband, she looked to the calendar on the refrigerator. She’d crossed off the current month as well as the three prior months waiting for him.

“When will he be back this time?”

“I don’t know. They never tell him and he can’t tell me anyway. It’s all top secret Navy Seal stuff.” Becca started the dishwasher and leaned against the counter, feeling too weary to withstand her mother’s ire yet again. They had some version of this conversation every week. While Becca’s biological clock was definitely ticking, her mother’s had apparently exploded and lost its damn mind.

Her mother snorted. “Off serving his country, but never taking care of you. It’s not too late to get divorced, you know.”

“Mom!” Becca couldn’t keep a sharp note of disapproval from her voice. “Kane takes care of me.” Kane’s dog, Ox, came over to investigate, alarmed by the tone of Becca’s voice and she patted the large mutt on the head. Not wanting to be left out, her calico cat, Trixie, stalked into the kitchen trying to act like she didn’t care, yet totally scoping the situation out to make sure everything was okay. Sometimes Becca wondered if Kane had taught the cat some of his recon skills.

“I don’t see it and I’m not impressed. He thinks life is an action adventure film and that you’ll be there waiting for him. Maybe you’re not tired of it now, but someday life on pause won’t be enough for you.”

“This isn’t helpful, mom. Really. I’m going to let you go. I’ve got things to do. Bye.” Becca hung up and stood in the kitchen for a moment as her mother’s words reverberated in the air. Trixie sauntered off with a sour ‘stop bothering me, stupid human’ meow, while Ox pressed against Becca’s legs with a hopeful look that meant he wanted food. If there was no food, he would settle for a sock. Sweaty or clean, either was fine by him. The mutt wasn’t picky.

Absently scratching Ox between the ears, Becca replayed the phone call in her mind. Kane did take care of her. She smiled remembering the latest note she’d found. He’d written ‘I love the way you look in the morning.’ Her husband had stashed notes like that all over the house, sometimes with little gifts. So far, he’d surprised her with some perfume and a brand new set of brushes for her work as an illustrator and artist. She ran across them at the most unexpected yet opportune moments. He’d seemed to anticipate when she would find them with eerie accuracy.

She startled as the dishwasher made a groaning sound followed by an ominous rush of water. Ox looked at Becca, his fuzzy eyebrows arching up with concern. There was a clunk and sudsy water seeped out from the dishwasher as well as from the cupboard under the sink.

Becca shooed Ox out of the kitchen as she hopped over the rapidly growing puddle to turn off the dishwasher. When that didn’t stop the flooding, she swore loudly and made for the basement. Kane had shown her where the water shut-off valve was just in case.

She had to laugh when she found another note tapped to the valve. After she turned off the water, she opened the envelope and smiled at its contents.

‘Babe, if you’re reading this you need a plumber. Since you won’t have water for a while, go out to eat.’

He went on to give her the number for the plumber along with a gift card for her favorite cafe. Becca hugged it to her chest. “Oh Kane. I miss you. Come home soon.” She closed her eyes and prayed for his safety with every fiber in her being.

Read more: AmazonUS    AmazonUK   Nook  

(If you're a Kobo reader, I'm having some issues getting the book published there, but it's coming.)