RBTL Presents What Lies Within Us by Kiki Howell Blog Tour

Title: What Lies Within Us

Author: Kiki Howell

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Gothic/Paranormal/Romance/Contemporary/

Suspense/Thriller

Publisher: Self Published

Release Date: Nov 1 2014

Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

After receiving a letter from an aunt she never knew existed, Kyna Hughes travels to Ireland only to find out that her whole life has been a series of well-orchestrated lies. Suddenly, this poor girl from the foothills of the Alleghany Mountains is thrust into a life of not only the wealthy and affluent, but of dark magic and secret societies. As Kyna learns of the magic hidden inside her, purposefully stunted as she grew up for her protection, she must now battle mystical hauntings which are the result of curses while getting a crash course in utilizing her powers. Kidnappings and satanic weddings become her daily events as she struggles not to lose her heart to one of two men—a former Navy SEAL hired to protect her or a wizard hired to train her. Soon she will realize just how true it is that “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Amazon Top 100 Best Seller in Gothic Fiction & Occult Horror


Book Links  

Amazon




Excerpt:

Ominous fanfare for her arrival in County Monaghan, lightening shred the fall of dusk. As a grisly storm surrounded the car she rode in, her every nerve vibrated with electricity. The well-read letter in her hand trembled in the heat of her clenched fist. Her last minute research of this part of Northern Ireland had not done the place justice. Beauty that of a rolling and majestic nature even in the dark downpour, stole her already shallow breath.
The thousand slices of light tearing through the sky reflected in the grey water beside the road. The black shadows cast by the trees, Kyna perceived as decrepit, arthritic fingers that reached out for her from the heavy flowing stream. A resounding flood of sound, deep rolling thunder, made her body curl in on itself as she angled away from the car window. The squall so violent, she imagined the glass would shatter. Never one to cower, she swore in a whisper to herself. Ever since she’d landed in Ireland, a someone or a something, specifically an indescribable dark presence, followed her. Sure, it made no sense, but she couldn’t tell her over stimulated brain and racing heart that.
Trying to swallow despite the dryness in her mouth, looking straight ahead, she sought a moment’s peace. Deep breathing exercises had yet to award her any. This unexpected turn in her life over the past few days propelled her toward her wits end. From the moment she’d taken the letter from her mailbox, every part of her being had been altered in some way. From bursts of indefinable energy making her want to run a marathon, to unbidden ideas reminiscent of familiar dreams, to a feeling of having a sixth sense that warned of impending danger, she warred within herself to keep some semblance of composure. She didn’t understand her own body anymore, but had not the time or the mental capacity to analyze the abrupt changes as she traveled.
Erratic thought patterns plagued her instead, a barrage of unanswered questions. Prior to that fateful letter, she’d just been a girl from the foothills of the Alleghany Mountains, having lived her whole life in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. Her mother’s confession of her true heritage came when confronted with the letter, the damned letter, scrolled in a shaky hand, from an aunt from Ireland she never knew existed.
Apparently, Kyna was more Irish than she knew, as in born in Ireland and adopted through the Irish Mafia into the United States. The father she barely remembered, a man who’d died in a mining accident when she’d been barely five years old, had ties to the organization. She’d been a black market baby, for the love of all that is holy! The adoption had born conditions. Telling the poor child of her adoption stood a deal breaker punishable by death. None of these random facts brought about feelings of safety and security as she traveled abroad to meet her aunt on her biological mother’s side.
The letter, the freaking destroy-a-simple-life letter, ranted on for two pages a heartbreaking tale. Her birth mother, Alana O’Riagain, had passed away a few years ago. Her aunt, Saoirse O’Riagain, now desperately wanted to meet her only living relative. Kyna’s birth father and his family were all long go buried, so whatever perceived danger her mother had given her away to protect her from had passed away with them. Maybe her tired eyes played her for a fool, but even now, Kyna swore that words following danger on the paper in her hand appeared written in an even shakier scroll.
Rain assaulted the car window with the unrelenting onslaught of gunfire. Her pulse beat as if under attack. Another round of multiple lightning strikes, the ones that cross the distance of the sky to the ground, brought Kyna out of her murky thoughts of a re-written past to a clearly foreboding present. Just ahead, the first glimpses of her aunt’s home in Armaugh appeared and disappeared in brief glimpses granted by the windshield wipers and the lightening.
Her breath caught at the vast size of what resembled a castle on a hill. A steep incline of land seemed formed to hold up the formidable three storey stone façade. The structure consisted of several three-sided bays stuck together and one four-storey tower to the right side. On the tower hung corner bartizans. These came into view as they made the steep climb closer to her ancestral home. These rounded turrets cut with windows multiplied her sense of being watched, that some sinister being stood sentinel over her, taking in her every move.
Crazy. All of it. She’d lost it, and she had to get it back in the immediate future. Tough, a fighter in an impoverish world, surely she could handle whatever this display of wealth held for her. But, little made sense. Her past lay in a shamble of lies around her feet. Her future looked, well, scary. She had a lot to sort out, and planned to get right to it once she met her aunt.
Her mouth had remained parched and her shoulders tense since she’d landed in this country. Her body betrayed her in various other ways as well. Strange sensations of heat in her core coupled with flashes of what she could only refer to as static electricity along her limbs, made her feel a foreigner in her own skin.
As her driver grunted and got out, Kyna took advantage of another long streak of lightening to gaze upon this veritable castle of a house. The bays had mullioned windows, curvilinear gables and tall chimneys. While she guessed the stone a light grey in the day, it accosted her with looming shades of smoke, as if old and charred, from her storm-shielded, misty view.
The metallic shriek of her door opening sent a wave of panic crashing over her. From her teeth set on a painful edge to that cold slither of fear down her spine, she forced herself to ignore each physical sensation, each body betrayal. Looking toward her driver, a streak of lightening silhouetted him, made him a dark outline like that of a large monster-figure looming over her. He had several inches on her as well as a bulky, full-muscled build one could only achieve with hours in a gym or steroids she supposed. As he reached for her hand, the strength of his grip intensified to painful when an explosion of thunder rolled over them seconds later. She reminded herself, as way of comfort, what little she knew of the man. Aedan Dunne, employed by her aunt, served as head of security, a man the woman trusted with her life.
In a brief conversation at the airport, Kyna had learned through grumbles of words in response to her barrage of questions, that the man had been injured then forced into an early retirement from the Navy SEALs. Irish-born, he’d come home in hopes of finding similar work, something where a mere leg injury would not be the big deal the military had made it out to be. While he may not be able to hide underwater at night in frigid water for hours like he used to without pain and cramping of the damaged muscles, he could surely protect on land, a home and a woman. From what her aunt had written of Aedan, while he may be short on words, failure wasn’t in his vocabulary.
The cool sweat covering her skin intensified with the firm grip Aedan took of her waist once she stood. While looking at his face, what she could see of it for the shadows created by his hood, sharp cheekbones chiseled into a grimace. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the image of a man and a woman in black uniforms run to the trunk of the car and grab her belongings in a swift and sure manner. To her, the rain-soaked stones that made up the pathway to the inset of the main door resembled yet another insurmountable obstacle. Really, she’d reached that point in her day. Every little thing currently escalated to dramatic portions. Never the type to make a mountain out of a mole hill, she straightened her spine and raised up her head, determined not to start now.
Yes, life had dumped a whole crap load of change and new discoveries on her. By the looks of things, another dump truck sped her way, but her mother hadn’t raised a quitter. Besides, Aedan’s strong arms and solid frame offered a possible means to diversion if desired. From what her glimpses in the airport had gathered her, outside of being exactly what she’d imagine a SEAL to be, retired he could now pursue a career in modeling with such intense eyes and full lips. Simply put, he had rugged good looks that rivaled anything she’d seen in the movies. He stood beside her an image of masculinity beyond any she’d witnessed before, at least in her mind.
While she dared another look, Aedan focused on getting her inside. With her first glimpse despite the rain that fell in large drops from the hood framing his face, her stomach tightened even more. Locks of dark brown hair fell in long, messy sections on each side of his forehead. Full eyelashes framed moon-shaped eyes, wide with flecks of green and gold shimmering in the house lights. Intense and mesmerizing, she lost her train of thought, even as curiosity and anxiety mixed to further unsettle her.

My Review:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book very much. It captivated my attention in a way that this book offered me a quick read and a well thought out story.  I loved the way the author described the setting and the characters. It allowed me to fully immerse myself. The relationship between Kyna and Aedan had that sweet appeal that I think many of us found  ourselves in at that age. I have to say that though I wasn't surprised by the end, I loved the twists the author presented to me. 

Author Information

Ever since she was young, Kiki Howell has loved to listen to a well-woven tale with real characters, inspired plots, and delightful resolutions. Kiki could spend hours lost in a book, and soon she knew that creating lives, loves, and losses with just words had to be the greatest thing that she could do. To that end, she pursued her study of literature and writing, earning a bachelor’s degree in English. She has now had over forty stories published, and could not be more thrilled or grateful to see her creations polished and out in the real world.

In May, 2011, Kiki was chosen as an Ohioana Book Festival author for her novel, Torn Asunder. She's also had three flash fiction stories win writing contests. In the fall of 2013, her novel, Hidden Salem, made the Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers Lists in 3 categories: Paranormal, Suspense and Ghosts. You can find out more about Kiki on her website www.kikihowell.com or stop by her blog http://anauthorsmusings.blogspot.com/

Author Links

Amazon Author Page 

Blog

Facebook Author Page 

Facebook

Goodreads 

Google+ 

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Other Works by Kiki

Hidden Salem

At War in the Willows Trilogy

Torn Asunder

The Sorcerer

’s Songs

M

ystical Mayhem

Mystic Stones Anthology

A Questionable Hero

Rituals

 

Unwrapping Tess by Krystal Shannan #romance #giveawy

Tess Demakis loves the city life. The noise, the lights, the people. Everything about the rush feels like home. The only thing missing is a spark with any of the pack males. After her and her twin sister's twenty-fifth birthday passes, she'd thought for sure one of the handsome men in her aunt's pack might've been meant for her.

- No. Such. Luck. -

Patrick O'Hearn just got back home from a long tour overseas with his SEAL unit. The big grizzly is ready to lie back and enjoy the snowy mountain inn retreat his brother renovated last year, meet his brother's wife and some of her family, enjoy good food, etc. The last thing he ever expected was to find a mate, especially not his sister-in-law.
Now he can't think of anything but unwrapping the gorgeous sassy blonde and making her his forever.

- Best. Christmas. Ever. -

Links:

Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OABLFN6

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/unwrapping-tess/id927556187?mt=11

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/unwrapping-tess

B&N:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/unwrapping-tess?store=allproducts&keyword=unwrapping+tess

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23550241-unwrapping-tess?from_search=true

Giveaway:

Tour-Wide Giveaway Rafflecopter Iink:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

**********

Please spread the word about the Facebook Release Party. It will be going on during the week long tour AND the party will be Friday December 12th at 7:00 CST.  The winner of the tour-wide giveaway will be announced at the FB Party as well as other prizes. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/585754014862471/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming&source=1&sid_create=4093795839

 ~ Author Bio ~

Krystal Shannan goes to sleep every night dreaming of mythical realms with werewolves, vampires, fae, and dragons. Occasional a fabulous, completely human story slips into the mix, but powers and abilities usually crop up without fail, twisting reality into whatever her mind can conceive.

As a child, her parents encouraged her interests in Ancient Greek and Roman mythology and all things historical and magickal. As an adult the interests only grew. She is a child of Neverland and refuses to ever stop believing in fairies.

She is guilty of indulging and being a Buffy the Vampire Slayer groupie as well as an Angel fan. For those of you unfamiliar with the world of Joss Whedon, you are missing out! She also makes sure to watch as many action and adventure movies as possible. The more exciting the better. Yippee-Ki-Yay..... If you don't know the end of that phrase, then you probably don't like the same movies.

She writes stories full of action, snark, magick, and heart-felt emotion. If you are looking for leisurely paced sweet romance, her books are probably not for you. But, for those looking for a magical ride, filled with adventure, passion, and just a hint of humor. Welcome home.

Krystal Shannan

Putting Magick in Romance one Soul Mate at a Time.

___________________________________

~NEWSLETTER~  

Sign up for newsletter to hear about new releases and giveaways!

www.krystalshannan.com

www.theromancetroupe.com

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Love Repeated By Nancy Corrigan #Romance #RHACafe #Giveway

Love Repeated

By Nancy Corrigan

Blurb

Young lovers, Kyle and Ronnie, had the world ahead of them at seventeen. Stubbornness, misunderstanding and a mother’s influence forced them to forge their own paths. A decade later, neither can find love.
Ronnie always thought it was easier to move on than deal with the pain and hurt of past mistakes. She made plenty of them, but so did Kyle and her parents. Kyle knows the moment he touches Ronnie that he still loves her. He won’t repeat the past and let her leave him a second time.
It takes a tragedy and a secret to reunite them, but their passion returns in a rush along with regret and guilt. To have love, they’ll have to overcome their issues—before her mother’s sin takes Ronnie away, once and for all.

Short blurb

Sparks fly when Kyle's ex shows up in town. Whether she'll stay—or survive staying—is another matter entirely.

Excerpt 

“I want to kiss you, Ronnie.”

She swept the tip of her tongue out, moistening her mouth and tempting him to feast. “Are you asking permission, or—”

He leaned closer and caught her bottom lip between his teeth, stopping her words. Her shaky exhale washed over him, filling his lungs with the scent of cinnamon. The long-denied craving for her taste surged. She’d always chewed on cinnamon gum or mints. The taste used to drug him. Would it still? She’d been his favorite addiction a lifetime ago.

He grasped the back of her neck and licked the inside of her lip. Her flavor hit him, a punch in the gut he welcomed. It left him a little crazed and a lot horny. On a groan, he kissed her. She opened to him, stroking her tongue with his and feeding him her soft mewling noises, those little purrs of contentment she’d always offered him whenever they first came together. He soaked them up along with the rightness kissing her brought.

She complemented his thrusts and licks with ones of her own. They’d perfected the art of kissing years before they’d ever joined their bodies. It had been his favorite hobby. He’d never been able to get enough. He still couldn’t. Head angled, he delved deeper and sucked on her tongue, tearing moans from her throat.

She twisted her torso and linked her hands around his neck. Nails dug into his skin, she tugged him closer, kissed him harder, and tore his tenacious control to shreds. He rocked into her and let his hands roam over her soft, curvy body.

Primitive hungers beat at him. He wanted to strip her and lick every inch, memorizing her swells and valleys. Maybe spread her thighs and get drunk on her sweet sex. Or push her to her knees and pump into her mouth until he exploded. So many images rose, but it was the need to possess her that made his decision.

He tore his mouth from hers. She panted hard. So did he. The lust they’d shared returned, stronger than ever. He couldn’t wait a moment more.

He rubbed his forefinger over her lips, then slipped it between them. Her breath heated his skin. She closed her mouth over his finger. With a swirl of her tongue, she drew him deeper and held him there for a long moment before she sucked. Hard.

His dick jerked. Precum seeped from the tip. He yanked on his finger, but she bit just to the point of pain, stopping him. His breath escaped in a shudder. He dragged the digit out, her teeth scraping him, and cupped her face between his palms.

“I’m going bend you over your car, lift your skirt, and fuck you, Ronnie. If you have some guy that’s going to hunt me down for making you come all over my dick, tell me now.” He flashed her a wicked smile. “And I’ll make you writhe over my tongue instead.”

Purchase Links
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Add Love Repeated to your TBR at Goodreads: Click HERE.

Author Bio

A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there’s a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won’t find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with woman strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone’s norm.

She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she’s the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she’s married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.

MEDIA LINKS

Website

Newsletter

Pinterest (I’m a very visual person. I love to PIN.)

Facebook Friend (friend or follow me)

Amazon page (Add me to your favorites or like me.)

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Twitter

Contest

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b9820a6521/

Plotting and Planning--a #Writing Manual, Just in Time for #NaNoWriMo! (@suzdemello #MFRWAuthor #iamwriting)

Hey there, aspiring authors! Ever wondered how an author plots and writes a book?

Wonder no more! Suzie deMello is here to tell you the secrets, or at least a few of them.

Plotting and Planning is Suzie’s second writing treatise, following the best-selling Write This, Not That! 

Here’s the blurb:

Another engaging, witty writing primer from Suz deMello, whose Write This, Not That! was an Amazon bestseller. Plotting, point of view, character creation, conflict and much more are examined in this brief but pithy writing manual.  A must for the serious writer who wants the basics without boredom. 

Here’s an excerpt to pique your interest:

How does an author write a book?

Unfortunately for aspiring authors, this is not an easy question to answer. It's tantamount to asking, Where do authors get their ideas? which, believe me, is our least favorite question. I often tell people I get them at Sears—they're sold by the dozen in the basement between the barbecues and the bikes.

In reality, I get my ideas from almost anywhere. Maybe a magazine article about a place or event. Perhaps someone I meet or something a person says may trigger a train of thought that will eventually lead to a book. Maybe travel to someplace new ignites the creative spark that will inspire me.

Here's a better question: What are the building blocks of plot and story?

If you like what you read, here’s where you can buy the ebook:

http://tinyurl.com/deMelloPlotting

About Suz deMello:

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for several including Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

 

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

Check out Suzie's site: http://www.suzdemello.com

And her blog: http://www.TheVelvetLair.com

RBTL Presents Deamhan by Isaiyan Morrison Blog Tour #giveaway #paranormal

Title: Deamhan
Author: Isaiyan Morrison
Series: Deamhan Chronicles (#1)
Genre: Adult/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Rainstorm Press
Release Date: Aug 12 2013
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print






Blurb/Synopsis:

Deamhan have survived by remaining hidden in the shadows. Ramanga, Lamia, Metusba, and Lugat have been overshadowed by what humans know as the modern vampire. But what if vampires aren’t the real threat?
One woman’s search for her mother who disappeared without a trace on the streets of Minneapolis takes her into the precarious world of Deamhan, psychic vampires who rule the underground nightlife in the city’s most darkest corners.
She gains the trust of the only other human familiar with the Deamhan lifestyle. With his help she finds not only can the Deamhan not be trusted but it’s her own father, president of a ruthless organization of researchers, who has diabolically maintained that distrust

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Print

Barnes and Noble (B&N)

Books A Million (BAM)

Goodreads

Isaiyan Morrison was born and raised in Minnesota. She moved to San Diego, California while in the Navy. After serving four years of active duty, she moved to Los Angeles. After a few years, she moved back to Minnesota where she started to pursue her dream to be an author. Her novel Deamhan, is the first book in the Deamhan Chronicles. She now resides in Texas with her two cats, a pit bull dog, and two guinea pigs.



Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Blog

Deamhan Facebook Page

Deamhan Website

Facebook Author Page

G+

Goodreads

Pinterest

Twitter

Website

Other Works by Isaiyan Morrison

Deamhan Chronicles

Deamhan (#1)

Dark Curse (#2)

Deamhan Tales

Kei. Family Matters (#1)

Excerpts


Veronica nodded, and the waitress disappeared into the crowd. Veronica held her breath to calm her rapid breathing in hopes the adrenaline coursing through her body would dissipate. The pulsating bass emanating from the speakers grew louder and more intense, causing her to rub her temples. The dancer from the bathroom had returned to the stage, now even more scantily clad in a short skirt with white electrical tape X’ed over her nipples, dancing in gymnastic gyrations.
The crowd’s movement grew violent, with patrons pushing and shoving. The throng morphed into a mosh pit, and Veronica wondered how long it would take before someone was crushed. Fog machines released a steady stream of mist from above the crowded dance floor, giving the huge room an ethereal atmosphere. The lights dimmed, and Veronica could hardly make out the waitress as she returned, carrying a shot of whiskey.
“Here ya go.” She handed Veronica the drink.
Veronica gulped her drink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, this time thankful for the sensation of the amber liquid searing her throat. She preferred vodka, but at this moment, any liquid running down her gullet was good enough.
“You want another one?” she asked. Veronica nodded, and the waitress left. Veronica dropped her face to her hands, trying to readjust. Damn, this is harder than I thought it’d be. Her mind raced: hide your thoughts, don’t show fear, stick to the plan.
She felt a tingling sensation deep in her forehead. In seconds, it had increased to the extent of a migraine. She looked up squinting, the pain becoming more intense with each passing moment, and she knew.
Someone is reading my thoughts.
The waitress returned with two drinks. She placed them in front of Veronica.
“Uh, thanks?” Veronica couldn’t recall ordering two whiskeys, but she pulled out a ten.
“It’s already paid for.” The waitress pointed to a man sitting at the opposite end of the bar, his long brown hair slicked back in a ponytail. He wore black jeans and a long black see-through shirt, revealing pierced nipples and a six-pack. Beautiful.
He stared at Veronica with deep brown eyes and smiled, his pale skin resembling a Deamhan at its finest. She felt the pain in her forehead ebb and flow, subsiding a bit each time. Veronica turned to the waitress, but she’d again disappeared.
Muddled, she downed the whiskey and slammed the empty glass on the table in front of her. She shut her eyes and concentrated on emptying her mind. The pain diffused into a mild tingling.
Veronica snapped her eyes open when a male voice told her to not be afraid. She whipped around, but no one was near.
The voice came from within her head.
“It’s okay,” the voice said.
She looked at the man, who still fixed her in his stare, and he slid from his seat and headed her way.
She dropped her head and stared at the counter. She fought the urge to fling her glass at him and run. Leaving Dark Sepulcher wouldn’t answer the questions about her mother’s disappearance. Don’t think of Mom. She quickly visualized the brick wall.
“Your thoughts stick out,” the man said, taking the empty stool next to her.
His penetrating stare caused Veronica’s head to tingle again, but the tingle stopped as quickly as it started. She’d clouded his attempt to rummage through her mind.
Veronica cupped the whiskey glass and stared into its glowing liquid.
“Beautiful women like you shouldn’t drink whiskey.”
What a line. His respectful approach did nothing to impress Veronica. The Deamhan were naturally devious.
Veronica remained quiet. The stranger smiled and reached for the glass, grasping it from the rim and placing it front of him.
“I’m trying to start a conversation,” he prompted.
From the corner of her eye, Veronica saw him examine her. His eyes roved her short, formal straight brunette hair, her face, and finally her hands. Even over the din of music, she could hear him inhale her virginal scent. She tried hard to block her thoughts from him, but the tingle told her she was failing.
“You should know it turns me on when you do that,” he said.
She glanced at him, making eye contact for a second and then quickly looked away. He mumbled something, but his voice was too low for her to hear over the blaring speakers.
Veronica’s thoughts caught his attention again, and he leaned back on the stool, studying her.
Veronica understood now how a woman could fall for a man like that. Most of the men in Dark Sepulcher were attractive, but this man was hot. She stole a covert glance from under her eyelashes. Tall, medium build, long, glossy hair—stop it. Stay off that bandwagon.
His full lips broke into a smile. “Sorry I intruded on your thoughts. But I gotta admit, I like what I see in there.”
Veronica felt heat rise in her chest, neck and face. Busted. He offered his hand, another trick she wouldn’t fall for.
“I’m Remy and you are?”
Remy. The name sounded too familiar. Veronica recalled the name listed somewhere on the documents she’d stolen from The Brotherhood. His name was just one of the many that stuck out to her but at the moment she couldn’t remember why.
She fixed her thoughts on her napkin, staring at the condensation ring left by the wet glass. Still her mind wouldn’t quiet. What Deamhan type is he? Until she knew which, she couldn’t be sure of his level of threat. She couldn’t get too close.
Despite herself, she stole a quick look in his direction.
He flashed a ready smile.
Teeth aren’t sharp and pointy. He’s not a Ramanga. She stared again at her drink, wiping the droplets of water from the side of her glass.
“Am I scaring you?” Remy’s voice interrupted Veronica’s thoughts. She shook her head and remained silent.
“Do you talk?”
“Not to strangers.” She immediately regretted her gutsy remark, knowing it would intrigue him further.
“Maybe you should.” He traced the rim of the glass with a slender, pale finger. “You’re new here.”
Veronica wanted to check him out but knew she should avoid his eye. She looked over her shoulder and then at the ceiling. She glanced at the sticky floor and studied the woodwork on the bar.
“Nervous?”
He’d read her like an open book. She felt a tiny tingle as he tried again to read her thoughts.
“Your thoughts. They come to me kinda like a movie: sometimes clear, other times fuzzy.” He chuckled. “Right now, they’re crystal. Do you really find the bar’s wood grain that intriguing?”
Veronica couldn’t help but grin.
“Do you smell that?” His voice dropped to a loud whisper. “I smell a vampire.”

Giveaway

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54e9c425146/

RBTL Present Shadows on Snow by Starla Huchton Guest Post

AJ Wiliams, Adding Spice to Life 

Top Ten Guest Post for Shadows on Snow by Starla Huchton 

Top Ten Fairy Tales You Would Like To Do a Retelling of Someday and Why?

Retelling fairy tales wasn’t ever something I thought I’d tackle as a writer, but I’ve learned over the years never to say never to anything. When I hit on the idea of gender flipping these stories that have been told and retold so many times, however, it was just too juicy an idea to pass up. In writing Shadows on Snow, while I’d intended it to be a one-off experiment, I actually ended up sprinkling in potential for other books in line with this one. Shadows on Snow IS a standalone and a self-contained story with no cliffhangers, but I have a few plans for the future, so I’ll share some of those with you, plus a few that fascinate me by themselves. As a general rule, fairy tales aren’t big on character and world-building, so these foundations provide ample fodder for expansion into something much larger.

10. Beauty and the Beast - one of my favorite sequences from any Disney movie are the stained glass backstory scenes from Beauty and the Beast. For purely aesthetic reasons, it’s gorgeous to watch that part. I also love the theme of the story in general: one person’s kindness unlocking the same in another person who’s hardened their heart. This is one I have plans for in the future, but it’s a ways off yet.

9. Ivan and the Firebird - Russian fairy tales have a very different feel to them than European ones. Things or people die and there’s rarely any expression of remorse or sadness or regret ever expressed, and not really even any mention of love. This story is exactly that, but it’s always irritated me because the main character, Ivan, does a string of really stupid things, consistently doing the exact opposite of what he’s been told, and is CONTINUOUSLY bailed out. Continuously. It’s super annoying, and I’d love to take a crack at it to give the main character half a brain, but, as of this second, it’s not on my to-do list.

8. Jack and the Beanstalk - This is a story everyone and their dog knows, and it’s pretty straightforward. Poor boy messes up, poor boy lucks into something, a bit of an adventure ensues, and he lives happily ever after. I feel like stories like these are sort of missing for girls sometimes. Sure, they exist, but not in the abundant way they’re out there for boys. That said, I couldn’t pass up my chance to rewrite this one. It’s currently the one I’m working on at present.

7.  The Enchanted Bottle - I have mixed feelings about this Irish folk tale. On the one hand, I love the potential for imagery it presents, but I’ve got a hard time feeling bad for the family that squanders their gifts. I have to believe that they learn their lesson in the end, however, because they use a bit of cleverness and get their happily ever after. I don’t have plans for this one right now, but if I ever did, I’ve got a lovely photo I took for a college project a few years ago that I’d love to use.

6. Little Red Riding Hood - Oh goodness. How much fun would this be to gender flip? I love the idea of this one, so it’s definitely on my to-do list, though not for a little while yet. However, this wouldn’t be a werewolf spin, and anyone who’s read Shadows on Snow might get a tiny hint about where the story springs from.

5. Cinderella - To be fair, a lot of my stories will have a “Cinderella” moment. This isn’t really intentional, but something I’ve recently realized carries through much of my writing. I think it’s mostly that I love the idea of being able to show a person’s beauty inside reflected by what’s on the outside. Humans are very superficial creatures, and the ability to circumvent that in fiction is really hard to pass up.

4. Fairy Gifts - Of all the morals taught in fairy tales and fables, I love this one dearly. Above all, it shows that being content with yourself is a greater gift than nearly any other in the world. Humility and acceptance are hard things to acquire and hold on to, but are often the most rewarding of any trait a person can possess.

3. Sleeping Beauty - You want to talk about dark? Wow. Go look up the original versions of this story and it’s quite eye-opening, and DEFINITELY not the tame tale that Disney put before us. Jealousy, obsession, imprisonment, rape, cannibalism… this one’s got it all. You’d better believe this one’s on my radar in a BIG way, but not until I find exactly the right angle to approach from.

2. The Clever Little Tailor - Smart characters are the ones I fall in love with the fastest. I will always reward my children (real and fictional alike) for using their wits, but I don’t hesitate to take them down a peg for getting too big for their britches. This story has huge potential for doing exactly that, so it’s on my list as well.

1. East of the Sun, West of the Moon - Much like Orpheus’s tale of woe when it comes to love, this one has a similar theme of the tragedy that can befall you when you doubt the person you love more than anyone else in the world. But, unlike that myth, East of the Sun, West of the Moon offers a chance to make up for mistakes made. This is interesting to me, as it’s already about a girl on a quest to save a prince (as you don’t find that terribly often), so I’ll basically be reverting this one to the more standard “boy saves girl” trope. So while I originally set out to turn the tables on these standards, in falling in love with this story (and, yes, it’s definitely on the list), I’d be remiss if I neglected to carry through on my gender-flipping mission with this one. Equality in all things, I say, so it, too, will have its day under my pen.

There are endless possibilities with fairy tales, but some of them are just a tiny bit juicier than others when it comes to retellings. I’d love to know what other folks would like to see, as I’m sure everyone has their favorites.