SSS: Last peek at A Hard Day's Knight

I missed my SSS fix last week. But I added almost 7k to my WIP, so whew and yay! It's now 57k, and the first draft is finished.

Another big yay for A Hard Day's Knight, which released on Friday from Decadent as part of their 1NS series! Woot! Here's the last snippet from my Arthurian-themed fantasy:

Not even Kurt’s babble dampened the evening. With Gwyn at his side, Lance felt strangely at home. His head warred with his heart, warning him not to get too comfortable, not to let the warmth of the evening lull him into complacency. Especially with the threat still lingering in the air, still buzzing along his nerve endings. He’d already stayed as long as possible in Las Vegas. Soon the buzz would sink into his veins like poison, and every part of him would scream for relief – only obtained when he took to the road.

I'll make the SSS rounds a bit later. Today I'm visiting with my sisters, who are venturing out to central PA to help me celebrate my birthday. I can't wait to see them. :)

Don't forget to check out all the amazing snippets at Six Sentence Sunday. Have a great week!

Release day for A Hard Day's Knight!

Hooray, my Arthurian-themed fantasy, A Hard Day's Knight, releases today from Decadent Publishing! I'm so excited they accepted it for their 1Night Stand series. I found it a little bit addicting, and wrote a second as soon as I finished this story. That one releases at the end of the month. :)

I'm over at the 1NS blog today, sharing a bit about A Hard Day's Knight. The title, as you can guess, pays homage to my love of The Beatles, and of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table, which fascinated me since I was in my teens and read The Once and Future King.

I'm also part of Amber Leigh Williams' 14 Days of Romance event.

I hope to see you! :)

Calm before the storm

I've been preparing posts for lots of other blogs and sites, so have neglected my own blog this week. It's not that I haven't been busy, just busy behind the scenes. I'm gearing up for the release of my two 1NS stories this month, and the release of my dark paranormal, Dead to Rights next month. I love release days, but it means promo, promo and more promo. :)


Which, of course, means goodies for everyone else! So come back for the virtual party on Friday, when my fantasy, A Hard Day's Knight, will release from Decadent.


Any marketing tips to share? What's worked for you? What isn't worth your time?

Release dates for Dead to Rights and A Hard Day's Knight!

I finished up line edits and the galley proof this weekend for my 1NS short, A Hard Day's Knight.

Feb. 10 is the big day!

Here's the shiny new book video:

Decadent Publishing will release Dead to Rights on March 16! I'm very excited. Edits and line edits are finished, and I have an amazing cover.



My second 1NS story, Tonight You Belong to Me, should follow soon. Some busy months coming up!

SSS: Facing down fears

Thanks so much for visiting! And thanks especially for your comments. They absolutely make my day.

Here's a bit more from my fantasy, A Hard Day's Knight, to release from Decadent next month as part of its 1NS series. Lance receives the same invitation from two women, for two very different reasons:

The curve of a fishnet-stockinged knee ended at the black skirt’s edge, hitched thigh high, and the black-haired wench leered at him. “Dance with me.”

How the same words sounded like heaven uttered by one woman, and hell when spoken by another, confounded him. With the strong scent of apples suffusing the air, he knew exactly why she intruded. She came from the isle of apples: Avalon.

“Tempting as your offer is, I’m promised to another,” he said, and let his cold smile taunt her.

Visit all the awesome Six Sentence Sunday authors here. Have a great week!

SSS: Old enemies meet again

Thanks so much for visiting to read my Six Sentence Sunday snippet. :) And thanks especially for your comments.

Here's another peek at A Hard Day's Knight, due out soon as part of Decadent's 1NS series.  Lance meets his ancient enemy, a certain witch by the name of Morgan le Fay, and isn't about to back down but chooses to dance with Gwyn instead:

The wench’s harsh laughter raked his skin, and seeped into his veins like poison. “Enjoy tonight. Time’s so fleeting, isn’t it?”

Except when it stretched to infinity. “I have no intention of wasting it.” He led Gwyn down the length of the table and toward the swirling couples.

Check out all the fantastic Six Sentence Sunday authors here. Have a great week!

SSS: Time warp

Thanks so much for visiting for SSS. I love all your comments, and can't wait to read your six.

Time for another peek at my fantasy with elements of Arthurian legend, a witch or two thrown in for good measure, and a brief hint of time travel - A Hard Day's Knight. In this scene, Lance gets his first look at Gwyn. Hm, or has he seen her before?

He distantly registered Darien leaning against his arm, whispering something, and Kurt adding a comment and a guffaw. 
But the light glinting against her golden locks gave her an angelic appearance. He imagined his fingers working the laces along the front of her bodice, unfastening them, letting the full green skirt pool around her ankles to reveal that creamy silken skin he’d so missed. Craved.

Hitching up her gown, she glided toward them like a swan across a lake. When she fixed her green eyes on him, he scrambled to his feet, dumbfounded as a peasant before a princess.

Check out all the fantastic sixes at Six Sentence Sunday. Have a wonderful week!

SSS: First peek at A Hard Day's Knight

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! They always end too soon, don't they? But I'm glad to jump back into Six Sentence Sunday. I missed you guys.

Here's a first look at my short fantasy, A Hard Day's Knight, tentatively set for release in February as part of Decadent's 1NS series! To set up this scene, the hero Lance is about to be introduced to the heroine, Gwyn, but is reluctant to meet her for reasons he must keep secret, even though his friend tells her what a great girl Gwyn is:

“I’m sure she is, for someone else.” It pained Lance to say it.

Kurt blew a sharp breath. “Fine, be an ass but you will be nice during dinner, at least.”

“I’ll be a perfect gentleman.” And once this night ended, he would leave, and start over again in a new city, as he had for centuries.

Visit all the participating SSS authors here. Have a great week!

New cover for A Hard Day's Knight!

Decadent came through with another amazing cover for my second 1NS story, A Hard Day's Knight. Isn't it cool? 


I haven't started edits yet, so this blurb isn't official, but here's the general premise:

Some days, it’s best to lay low. Lance Knight finds out the hard way – when he encounters his longtime foe, witch Morgan le Fay, at Medieval Merriment. Her curse kept him wandering the world for centuries. When he also meets Gwyn McCartney there through a 1NS date, he’s struck by her resemblance to his true love, Guinevere.  It gives him hope for the first time in centuries. First, he must face Morgan to break the curse, and he has only one hope: his sword, forged in the fires with Excalibur and imbued with magical powers by Merlin.

Gwyn McCartney’s had it with dating. Her friend’s setup through 1NS with Lance Knight irritates her, especially when Lance acts bored at Medieval Merriment – her employer and greatest fantasy. When a wench threatens Lance – a witch, he says – her fantasy world seems all too real. After Lance kisses her, she knows she has to battle Morgan le Fay. Can she free him, or will she lose him forever to the witch’s curse?

A Hard Day's Knight - contemporary fantasy with TT elements

A Hard Day's Knight
Feb. 10, 2012 
from Decadent Publishing, 1NS series

Blurb:

Some days, it’s best to lay low. Lance Knight finds out the hard way – when he encounters his longtime foe, witch Morgan le Fay, at Medieval Merriment. Her curse kept him wandering the world for centuries. When he also meets Gwyn McCartney there through a 1NS date, he’s struck by her resemblance to his true love, Guinevere.  It gives him hope for the first time in centuries. First, he must face Morgan to break the curse, and he has only one hope: his sword, forged in the fires with Excalibur and imbued with magical powers by Merlin.

Gwyn McCartney’s had it with dating. Her friend’s setup through 1NS with Lance Knight irritates her, especially when Lance acts bored at Medieval Merriment – her employer and greatest fantasy. When a wench threatens Lance – a witch, he says – her fantasy world seems all too real. After Lance kisses her, she knows she has to battle Morgan le Fay. Can she free him, or will she lose him forever to the witch’s curse?

Reviews 

I love the idea of Camelot and the characters from that historic tale. A Hard Day’s Knight brings a modern twist to that tale. If you also enjoy Camelot and King Arthur, then you will enjoy the new take on the classic tale.

Sizzling Hot Book Reviews - 3

A fun short that relies heavily on Arthurian legend. Lance and Gwyn have a nice attraction and the action is page-turning. The romance develops very fast and the story in general hits the ground running. As this is a short, there is not much background, but Lance is intriguing enough that I would have liked to hear more of his story. Masters has put together a fun, sexy glimpse of a knight in the modern age.

Bitten by Books - 3 

Casting Call - Who would Cate cast in these roles? Find out here.

Excerpt

She’d rocked him, body and soul. Possessed him so that he’d forfeited his honor. The stolen nights they’d shared haunted him, and he feared she’d returned to torture him again, ever out of reach. Trying to reconcile the vision in his head with the one approaching, he licked his dry lips.

The woman who haunted him was not the one who walked toward him.

Yet they were one and the same, he’d swear an oath.

Hands full with three tall glasses of beer, Darien returned and scooted next to Kurt. “Did you tell him?”

Kurt mumbled something and slurped.

“Lighten up, Lance, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Darien’s muted squeal heightened his attention. “Oo, here she comes.”

One of the three? Dread formed a cold pit in Lance’s stomach and he took the fresh mug of beer, tempted to apply its “lite” description to all of present day. With his luck, she’d be the raven-haired girl with the overbite. He detested women with dark hair. Brought back too many bad memories.

“Gwyn!” Standing, Darien waved.

The blonde waved back. Excitement coiled in Lance’s chest. He distantly registered Darien leaning against his arm, whispering something, and Kurt adding a comment and a guffaw. But the light glinting against her golden locks gave her an angelic appearance. He imagined his fingers working the laces along the front of her bodice, unfastening them, letting the full green skirt pool around her ankles to reveal that creamy silken skin he’d so missed. Craved.

Hitching up her gown, she glided toward them like a swan across a lake. When she fixed her green eyes on him, he scrambled to his feet, dumbfounded as a peasant before a princess.