Please welcome Andrea Speed!

In honor of the relaunch of the Infected series, I thought I’d Google some random questions, and have characters from the series answer them. First up is Dylan Harlow, bartender/artist, and all around nice guy. He has the distinction of being one of the most normal people in the Infected universe. (Poor guy.)

 

  1. Where are you most likely to be at 8:00 on a Saturday night?

Dylan: At work

  1. What is the biggest change you have made in your life in the last year?

Dylan: I think it’s been learning to let go and accept some things that I’d rather not. But life isn’t ideal, and sometimes you have to accept situations and people as they are.

  1. What’s your middle name?

Dylan: Alejandro

  1. On a scale of 1-10 how honest are you?

Dylan: I’d say I’m a solid nine. I’m including lying to myself, and the occasional bar patron. I don’t like to do it, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.

1. What is something unusual you like to put on a sandwich?

Dylan: I guess fruit. I’ve been known to throw in grapes or mango, depending on the sandwich. Fruit goes better with savory things than most people know. Strawberry can work too, as long as they’re really fresh. And I’d recommend growing your own for best taste, as the ones they sell in grocery stores have almost no flavor at all, and strawberry plants are readily available and easy to grow in containers. But that’s probably way more than you wanted to know.

 

 

  1. If you could trade lives with somebody you know, who would it be?

 

Dylan: No one. I’m generally happy with my life, as weird and stressful as it can be.

 

 

  1. Do you want to be buried or cremated after you are dead?

 

Dylan: Ooh, morbid. But cremated, definitely. Bodies are just a shell. They aren’t us. Once I’m dead I don’t give a crap what happens to my body.

 

 

  1. Would you rather have a beautiful home in an ordinary suburb or an ordinary home in an extraordinary place?

 

Dylan: There’s no contest. An ordinary home in an extraordinary place. I mean, just imagine. On top of a waterfall? In space? On top of a mountain? In an underwater cavern? I don’t give a shit about having a split level with one and a half bath in those circumstances.

 

  1. What is your favorite condiment?

 

Dylan: Salsa. Is there anyone who wouldn’t pick salsa? Oh, strike that. Roan would probably pick mustard.

 

 

  1. What do you think is beyond the stars?

 

Dylan: Stars, planets, life, one assumes.

 

 

  1. Do you believe in love at first sight?

 

Dylan: I think it can happen. It’s never happened to me, though.

 

 

  1. What makes you jealous?

 

Dylan: Guys who get clearly obsessed with Roan. I’m really not a jealous person, but some guys get under my skin. I know Roan is the type of person who will always garner a lot of attention, and the fact that he has a type of blindness to his own magnetism isn’t helpful, but I’m not above the occasional pang of jealousy.

 

  1. If you were to write a novel what would it be about?

 

Dylan: The intersection of art and Buddhism. It’d be a total fucking bore. Even Roan would force himself to try and read it, and then lie and say he did, because he’d be unable to finish. It’d be terrible. I’m an artist, not a writer.

 

 

  1. What is your idea of heaven?

 

Dylan: A nice, quite place in the country with my husband. Far, far away from anyone who could bother us. Oh, and I’d have a private gallery where I could paint, of course.

 

 

  1. If you could have a drink with someone from history who would it be?

 

Dylan: Interesting. Right now I’d probably say John Stuart Mill, because I’ve been reading some of his writings lately, and his philosophies are fascinating. He was ahead of his time in many respects, and that must have been difficult.

 

 

  1. Do you say meaner things to your friends or your enemies?

 

Dylan: I really don’t like to be negative, and I don’t stay in contact with anyone I’d consider an enemy. But enemy is the answer to your question, because I can’t stand people who are negative towards their own friends. Save that creepy, bitchy behavior for reality shows.

 

 

  1. What three adjectives best describe you?

 

Dylan: Quiet, artistic, friendly. Or at least I hope I’m friendly.

 

 

  1. If you could have one superpower what would it be?

 

Dylan: That’s a tough one. I think I’d like the power to heal. Not just myself, but other people as well. Healing I could share.

 

 

  1. What is something most people do not know about you?

 

Dylan: I was really into archery as a teenager, and I actually tried out for the Olympics in college. Isn’t that weird? Even I can’t believe I ever did that.

 

 

 

  1. I’m really good at …

 

Dylan: Painting.

 

 

 

Blurb: Infected: Book One  In a world where a werecat virus has changed society, Roan McKichan, a born infected and ex-cop, works as a private detective trying to solve crimes involving other infecteds.  The murder of a former cop draws Roan into an odd case where an unidentifiable species of cat appears to be showing an unusual level of intelligence. He juggles that with trying to find a missing teenage boy, who, unbeknownst to his parents, was “cat” obsessed. And when someone is brutally murdering infecteds, Eli Winters, leader of the Church of the Divine Transformation, hires Roan to find the killer before he closes in on Eli.  Working the crimes will lead Roan through a maze of hate, personal grudges, and mortal danger. With help from his tiger-strain infected partner, Paris Lehane, he does his best to survive in a world that hates and fears their kind… and occasionally worships them.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Infected-Prey-Andrea-Speed-ebook/dp/B00NJRJZGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412291499&sr=8-1&keywords=infected%3A+prey

 

http://www.dsppublications.com/

 

 

I love my daughters

After dinner last night, my 11-year-old asked my husband to debate same-sex marriage with her (because she likes to debate). She asked him to take the anti-equality stance. He obliged, and she proceeded to give a really excellent refutation of every argument the anti-equality people have come up with. Did I mention that she’s 11?

And then there’s the other one, who turns 15 this week. For her English class yesterday, she had to write a short story using specific words. Here’s what she came up with:

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Charles. He was a very taciturn boy, rarely speaking to anybody. Then one day he met a girl named Mabel. Charles was very melancholy when he first met Mabel, but her amiable manner soon cheered him up. His parents’ fears of him never having any friends were assuaged, and Charles and Mabel got along swimmingly.

Charles and Mabel had a tacit agreement that they would take each other everywhere whenever they went out with friends- well, whenever Mabel went out with friends. They went on forays a lot, venturing out late at night to mess with their rival school.

Then came an auspicious day, when Charles met Mabel’s brother, George. George was the opposite of diminutive; he was taller than Charles, who was already pretty tall, and he was very outspoken. He would always make snide remarks to Charles in the most placid way, making Charles furious. Mabel told Charles that George isn’t normally like that, but Charles didn’t listen.

Both Charles and George tested their prowess against each other, always competing to be better than the other, especially verbally. They would make asinine remarks about each other, Charles targeting the fact that George was single and George targeting the fact that he knows Charles likes Mabel.

George was wrong. Charles liked George. They end up together, by magic. The end.

I love my daughters.

Please welcome Charlie Cochet!

Hello all! Welcome to the Rack & Ruin (THIRDS, Book 3) cover reveal & giveaway! I’m super excited to share with you the cover to for the latest THIRDS book by the fabulous L.C. Chase! There’s also a giveaway, and Rack & Ruin is now available for preorder!

When the walls come tumblin’ down….

Rack&Ruin500

 

Blurb

New York City’s streets are more dangerous than ever with the leaderless Order of Adrasteia and the Ikelos Coalition, a newly immerged Therian group, at war. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire and although the THIRDS round up more and more members of the Order in the hopes of keeping the volatile group from reorganizing, the members of the Coalition continue to escape and wreak havoc in the name of vigilante justice.

Worse yet, someone inside the THIRDS has been feeding the Coalition information. It’s up to Destructive Delta to draw out the mole and put an end to the war before anyone else gets hurt. But to get the job done, the team will have to work through the aftereffects of the Therian Youth Center bombing. A skirmish with Coalition members leads Agent Dexter J. Daley to a shocking discovery and suddenly it becomes clear that the random violence isn’t so random. There’s more going on than Dex and Sloane originally believed, and their fiery partnership is put to the test. As the case takes an explosive turn, Dex and Sloane are in danger of losing more than their relationship.

Preorder links

Dreampisnner Press eBook | Dreamspinner Press Paperback

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Release Day
November 7th

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt

Dex had never been so eager to start his daily training session. Down in Sparta, he changed in the male locker room, swapping his uniform for his black Led Zeppelin T-shirt, loose jogging pants, and sneakers. He grabbed his boxing gloves from his locker and slammed it shut.

The bays were pretty busy at this time of day, but there was plenty of free boxing equipment in the boxing bays. He chose one of the emptier ones, and as he got ready, all he could think about was Sloane. The moment Dex had seen his face, he’d known. Sloane was going to run. I’m so stupid. He finished wrapping his hands and made straight for the punching bag.

After some quick stretches and warm ups, he started pummeling the red leather bag, hoping to release some of his frustration, but the more he punched the bag, the angrier he became. He’d told himself not to get so close. His head had known far longer than his heart what would happen, tried to warn him. But Dex hadn’t listened. He’d been a lovesick idiot, trailing after Sloane, getting on his knees, content to let Sloane bleed him. Maybe a part of Dex enjoyed it. Enjoyed being stripped, his vulnerability exposed. Why else would he continue to put himself through this? Why did he keep waiting? Because he’d promised Sloane he would. And what had Sloane promised in return? Dex remembered the words as if they’d been said yesterday. I can’t make any promises. Sloane had made it clear. Dex had no one to blame for his heartache but himself.

“Well isn’t that cute.”

Dex froze. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Someone up there was conspiring against him. Was this a test to see how much he could take before he lost his shit? Any other day, Dex would have walked away. But not today. He turned and faced Ash who was dressed similarly in a T-shirt and loose jogging pants. Letty was beside him looking worried.

“Come on. You and me,” Dex said through his teeth.

Ash let out a laugh. “Are you fucking kidding?”

“Does it look like I’m kidding?”

“Sloane wouldn’t be happy about that.”

“Well Sloane’s not fucking here, is he?” Dex snapped. He expected a smart-ass remark, but instead Ash seemed to be thinking it over so he pushed on. “You’ve wanted this since I joined. Now’s your chance. No one here’s going to stop you. You want to beat the shit out of me, now’s your fucking chance.”

“Okay.”

Dex nodded and swiped his boxing gloves off the side of the mat. He held them out to Letty. “Help me out here.”

Letty took one glove from him and helped secure the strap before taking the next one. “Dex, are you sure you want to do this? You know he won’t hold back.”

“I’m counting on it.”

Letty cursed under her breath, saying something in Spanish Dex didn’t understand. He tapped his hip where his pocket was, and Letty reached in. She pulled out the small box containing his mouth guard and opened it, looking as if she was going to try again to convince him not to do this, but instead, she held the mouth guard up to him. He leaned over and closed his mouth around the rubbery piece. He could tell she wasn’t happy, but he needed this.

He hopped on his toes, rolled his shoulders, and waited while Letty helped Ash with his gloves and mouth guard. As soon as Ash was ready, they both stepped onto one of the larger empty blue mats. Looking at Ash, all the anger came flooding back, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about Sloane.

You really thought he wouldn’t run? He’ll always run. From you.

“Come on,” Dex said around his mouthpiece.

Ash shook his head, but there was no way Dex was letting him back out now.

Come on!”

Ash gave him exactly what he asked for. The first punch landed across Dex’s jaw and sent him reeling. He fell hard against the mat, his face in a world of pain and stars in his eyes. How the hell Dex hadn’t been knocked out by that one hit was beyond him. Fuck. That hurt. Okay, maybe this wasn’t your brightest idea.

“That all you got, Daley? One hit? That’s pretty fucking pathetic.”

Bastard. Dex pushed himself to his feet and shook himself off. Would Sloane come back this time? He had to. They worked together. What if that’s all he came back for? You fucked up. The first guy you could see yourself spending your life with, and you fuck it up within months. A new record. Ash grinned at him, and Dex lost it.

He came at Ash with everything he had, mindful of Ash’s fierce hooks. He maneuvered around him, ducking under hooks and jumping out of the way when Ash swiped at him. Ash threw both arms out to grab him, and Dex dropped down to the mat and rolled. He popped back up and took a swing, catching Ash on his shoulder. Then Dex remembered what Ash’s proficiency was. Close Quarter Combat. The guy had been toying with him. Letting him land blows, waiting for Dex to realize the mistake he’d made.

About the Author

CCochet100Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | THIRDS HQ | Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest
Email: charlie@charliecochet.com

Rack&Ruin_headerbanner

Please welcome Nikka Michaels!

rawIn the Raw

By Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels

Genre: M/M, Foodie Romance

Length: 84,000 Words

Series: In the Kitchen

Release Date: October 6, 2014

Publisher: Carina Press

ISBN: 9781426899119

Ebook ASIN: B00KV5ZHD4

 

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22599510-in-the-raw

 

BLURB:

 

If you can’t take the heat…

 

James Lassiter has had a crush on fellow culinary student Ethan Martin for three years, but has never had the guts to make a move. Putting himself out there is hard, especially when under the thumb–and wallet–of his overbearing parents. Now that bad boy chef Ethan–who is always vying with Jamie for best in class–is struggling with the pastry course, Jamie suddenly has a reason to reach out.

 

Ethan doesn’t mean to be an ass–okay, so mostly he does–but even though he’s secretly hot for Jamie, he sure as hell doesn’t want help with pastry. Ever since his dad walked out, Ethan has been the one to hold things together and he’s done fine on his own. Except that he can’t get his cake to rise.

 

Jamie could be the answer to what Ethan’s been missing his whole life–someone to depend on. But with the two competing for the same scholarship, things suddenly get too hot to handle. And if Jamie finds the strength to go for what he wants, he isn’t about to settle for what he needs.

 

 

EXCERPT:

I opened the door, shivering when a gust of wind swept through. I pulled my jacket tight around my body, sighing when I saw no cabs waiting at the curb. “Shit.” I could either call information or wait a few minutes for another to drive by. I leaned against the brick wall of the building to wait when I heard the bar’s door squeak open and shut again.

“You could have waited for me, you know?” Ethan’s annoyed voice as he approached had me wondering what I’d done now.

“No worries.” I shrugged, tired from the long day and the confusing mix of emotions hanging out with him seemed to bring. “I didn’t want to rush you because I was ready to leave.”

He stepped closer, his shoulders hunched as he reluctantly admitted, “I wanted to hang out with you. Not Summer or the guys. Just you.”

I stared at him. “What do you want from me, Ethan? Half the time I don’t know whether you hate me or want to be friends. Then you do something like defend me to my father, who incidentally thinks you’re the antichrist. Tell me what we’re doing here.”

Instead of launching into the verbal tirade I expected, a determined look crossed his face and he murmured, “Fuck it.”

He stepped closer and I tensed. As unpredictable as Ethan was, I wasn’t sure what he’d do. I let it out a surprised gasp when his mouth met mine. There was nothing gentle about it. Months of tension, fighting, flirting all igniting when he touched me. Not a romantic kiss by any means…it was bruising, rough, passionate, intense, all the same things I’d come to equate with Ethan Martin. My fingers curled in the fabric of his sweatshirt, tugging him closer as my eyes slammed shut.

Braced between the solidness of his body and the cold wall behind me, I felt my entire body heat. Ethan’s ravenous lips and desperate tongue claimed my mouth, tasting of beer and mint. He slid one hand up to cup the back of my neck, holding me captive as he braced himself against the wall. I kissed him back fiercely, our teeth knocking together with the force of it.

Sounds I didn’t even know I was capable of making left my mouth and I didn’t care we were in public where anyone could see us. I nipped his lip, sighing with pleasure when he moaned into my mouth. He might be an infuriatingly stubborn asshole at times but one thing was for certain: Ethan Martin could kiss. He broke away, breathing hard as he leaned his forehead against mine.

“Wow.” I fought for breath, a smile tugging at my lips. “For once we’re actually on the same page.” As soon as the words left my mouth, he pulled back. His expression changed from needy to terrified as he released me, his hands clenched into fists.

“Ethan?”

“I’m sorry.” He backed away, staring at my face like I’d punched him. “I’m really fucking sorry, Lassiter.”

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, raising my hands as if I was soothing a spooked animal.

“Ethan?”

He yanked up his sweatshirt hood and took off, leaving me to stare after him in silence. What the hell had happened?

 

Text Copyright © 2014 by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

Cover Art Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books

S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited.

All rights reserved.

® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

 

 

 

BUY/PRE-ORDER LINKS:

 

 

Carina Press: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/4138180C-E926-4FC6-841D-5E908E3F9B25/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=8C44110F-0A10-44DE-AF86-8E151D8E55CE

 

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Nikka-Michaels-ebook/dp/B00KV5ZHD4

 

Amazon Universal Link: http://authl.it/B00KV5ZHD4

 

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-raw-nikka-michaels/1119740514?ean=9781426899119

 

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/in-the-raw-2

 

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/in-the-raw/id903769451?mt=11&uo=4″ target=”itunes_store”>In the Raw – Nikka Michaels & Eileen Griffin

 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Nikka_Michaels_In_the_Raw?id=4LjSAwAAQBAJ

 

 

EILEEN GRIFFIN BIO:

 

Eileen Griffin lives in the southwest, but loves to travel and has spent many summers crossing Europe with nothing but a backpack on her back. She enjoys TexMex, lives for good wine, and has a certain penchant for purple unicorns. She loves reading all genres of books, but her current obsession is writing M/M romance. Her past published works include: Chasing Matt, a M/M novella co-authored with Nikka Michaels, Dinner For Two, a M/F romance novella, “Claiming Ayden”, a M/M shifter romance that is part of Evenight’s Alpha’s Claim Anthology: M/M Edition, and “Lost and Found”, a short story written for the M/M Romance Group’s Don’t Read in the Closet: Love’s Landscapes Event. Eileen is currently working on a new M/M series set in a Bed and Breakfast with Nikka Michaels, as well as several other projects both individual and co-authored.

 

 

NIKKA MICHAELS BIO:

 

Nikka Michaels lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest where she spends her time cooking, laughing and crafting romantic tales to satisfy her craving for HEAs with heat. A voracious reader, novice knitter and music lover she’s been known to multitask without breaking a sweat. She loves to read and write M/M romance but believes everyone deserves a love story. She currently has several releases out including, Chasing Matt, a M/M novella co-authored with Eileen Griffin, Christmas with Caden, a M/F romance novella from Cobblestone Press, “Waking up Wolf”, a M/M shifter romance in Evernight Publishing’s Alpha’s Claim: Manlove Edition anthology, and the MM series which includes, Mile High Service, Room Service and Lip Service from Cobblestone Press’ Blue line. She also has a short story, “His Assistant” in Evernight Publishing’s best selling Executive Assistant: Manlove Edition anthology.

EILEEN GRIFFIN SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website and Blog: http://eileengriffin.wordpress.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/eileengriffin77

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/eileen.griffin

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/eileengriffinauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/EileenGriffin

Evernight Publishing: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/eileen-griffin/

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Eileen-Griffin/e/B00EOA3Z9A

All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Eileen+Griffin

 

 

NIKKA MICHAELS SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website: http://www.nikkamichaels.com

Blog: http://nikkamichaels.com/blog/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nikkamichaels

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/Nikka.Michaels

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/nikkamichaelsauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7231273.Nikka_Michaels

Cobblestone Press: http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/author/nikkamichaels.htm

Evernight Publishing: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/nikka-michaels/

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/author/nikkamichaels

All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Nikka+Michaels

 

 

 

Please welcome Suki Fleet!

Skeleton_postcard_front_DSP

My writing process… …is very disorganized–made up of scraps of paper, receipts that were at hand, notes on my phone and scribble down words. Titles often come to me long before stories do—though I suspect my subconscious is working away scribbling down on its own scraps of whatever happens to be lying around in my brain, because it always amazes me how everything comes together (when that happens it’s one of the best things about writing for me). Skeleton is the most complete story that I’ve been inspired to write. And by that I mean I didn’t really struggle with the plot or the characters. I didn’t stop in the middle thinking where do I go from here! like I normally do. I just wrote. Jan’s character was clear to me from the start—tall, Dutch, imposing, but sweet and caring beneath. He was inspired by the Dutch people we’ve met at the campsite we stay at on in the South of France Before I started writing it, I remember thinking I wanted to write a really self-contained short story that left a reader with feeling of completeness. And I hope I’ve accomplished that. I’ve packed a lot of story in there. A little mystery, a little sweetness, a little twist. It was a fun story to write. I finished this story in a month (including edits) and that is fast for me. I think I usually average 15-20K a month now, but that is something I’ve had to build up to.

Skeleton Blurb and Author Bio Blurb

Jan has given up on love, at least the romantic kind. He loves his five-year-old son Henry more than anything.  But when Henry starts school, Jan is introduced to Matthew, a very sweet but shy young man who helps out in Henry’s class. Although he tries desperately to ignore his attraction, Jan finds himself falling for Matthew—he’s everything Jan needs.  But amid creepy silent phone calls and possible break-ins, things start to fall slowly apart for Jan. Matthew wants to trust Jan, but the skeleton Jan has been trying to keep buried in his closet and the guilt he feels threatens to destroy everything good in his life.  

Author Bio

Suki Fleet currently lives in the heart of England. Her childhood was quite unconventional and she spent some time living on a boat and travelling at sea with her family. Since she was very small she has always dreamed of writing for a living, but though she has written original fiction online for years and encouraged many new writers to keep going and follow their author dreams, it is only recently she got the courage to make her own dream a reality and actually send something off to a publisher.   By day she runs her own business selling fabric (her second love) and juggling family commitments, by night she weaves the stories that the characters in her head dictate. These stories often start with pain or longing but always end with love.

Skeleton Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon.com

All Romance ebooks