Landra Graf shares spooky stories and sweet treats!

Cate: Woot! Landra Graf's arrived at my special Halloween celebration. Landra, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Landra: I enjoy long walks, experimenting in the kitchen and getting lost in books. No really, I write in multiple genres from erotic, contemporary, and paranormal. My love for Supernatural knows no bounds. I've been a faithful watcher since the first season premiere. That's right no late bloomer here. I never got off the band wagon.

Cate: I can understand why! lol What do you love most about Halloween?

Landra: Candy? No, I love the spooky movies, sharing traditions with my kids, going to haunted houses, and the ushering in of fall and all things pumpkin, including carving pumpkins.

Cate: Do you have a favorite memory of a Halloween past?

Landra:  I do. Several in fact, but my fondest is of the webshow I hosted, The Beyond Natural, and our features on a couple local haunted houses and historic locations. Completing those episodes was a blast.

Cate: How cool! Have you ever had an unusual experience you couldn’t explain?

Landra: I've had a lot of unusual experiences. One of several is waking up to seeing a woman in a hospital gown at the entrance to my bedroom. Once I saw her she refused to leave me alone until I started to pray. That's one of the weirder experiences and I don't ever discount others strange tales.

Cate: *shudders* Scary! I'm intrigued by everyone's tales as well. What frightens you the most?

Landra: Zombies, which is hilarious since my latest release features zombies. I'm deathly afraid of the sci-fiction monster.

Cate: Good for you, facing your fears. :) Ever gone on a ghost tour? Or ghost hunting on your own?

Landra: I've never been on a ghost tour, but my husband has his own paranormal investigation team and I've been on a few investigations. I've also reviewed tons of footage and audio, which revealed a lot of spooky things to me. It's a pretty interesting experience and I highly recommend it to others.

Cate: Now for the sweet part - any favorite Halloween recipes you’d care to share?

Landra: Love me some pumpkin bread. Here's a great, simple recipe on pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892713389457/ - this one is very similar to my own, but some recipe secrets must be kept quiet. :)

Cate: Yum! Thanks for sharing. Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online.

Landra: My latest release is a fairytale re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. It's available now, and is set in a small Iowa town called Charming. There's romance, zombies, and a campy feel.

Cate: Care to share a blurb or excerpt?

Landra: Zombies don’t belong in fairy tales….at least not those with a good chance of a happily ever after…

Jason Prince, Charming's once-upon-a-time star jock, only attends his Charming high school reunion to find his way into the heart of a certain wallflower who had no date for the prom.

Shy, geeky, chemical engineer, Emma Fay has been keeping her love for Jason a secret because she knows Jason and Rose belong together. But, when Rose Briar pricks her finger, fulfilling a prophecy about death and a plague, she throws a wrench into the class reunion that not even the best planning committee can tackle.

Can Jason and Emma stop Zombie Beauty Rose before she turns their loved ones into her undead court and sends them forth to spread the infestation to the rest of the world? Or will human flesh become the daily special at diners everywhere? And will there be enough left of Jason and Emma for romance to blossom?

Cate: Fun! What inspired you to write about the theme?

Landra: My friend challenged me to re-write a fairy tale with zombies and Sleeping Beauty seemed the logical choice.

Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?

Landra: This book is a big deal for me, since I conquered a fear of mine to write it. Though it will probably be my last zombie story.

Cate: Oo, readers, you’re in for a double treat!

Landra: One lucky commenter will win a $5 dollar Amazon Gift Card and a copy of my latest release, A Rose By Any Other Name.

Cate: Good luck to all! And thanks for sharing in the Halloween fun, Landra.

Lip Sync Battle - Raven Style

Thanks to Cate Masters for hosting me today! It's a pleasure to be here and chatting about my newest release, Raven Pirate Assassin Spy. Before all the basic book hubub I want to talk - LIP SYNC BATTLE.

So, I'm crazy about the show. I fell in love with the idea thanks to Jimmy Fallon, but the show on Spike TV is even better. There have been some great performances. For those not familiar the show pits two celebrities against each other. They get to lip sync two songs and the audience determines the winner based on applause.

After watching about half a dozen videos on Lip Sync Battle's Youtube channel last night I started thinking about my characters and the show. I wondered if my main heroine and hero faced off what songs would they pick... you're about to find out. 

Sorella's tough, doesn't really want help beyond what she asks for. So her first selection would have to be - Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox's Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves

Ian Malcolm is a man looking for his freedom. He also believes that dreams can come true if you work hard enough. His first pick would have to be Journey's Don't Stop Believin'

The second round is a bit harder. In this round I think Sorella would keep trying to play tough. She'd want people to know they don't mess with her. Ever. And my girl gets even more worked up at the sight of abuse and those trying to enslave others. Against my recommendations, I even tried to search for another song she wanted- Bodies by Drowning Pool.

For Ian, I think he'd want to woo and nothing says woo like - Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden. My hero is definitely a hopless romantic, even if he'd never admit it.

Who do you think would win? 

Once Upon A Time...

Sorella Corvino lost her brother to The Cursed years ago. Sorella is so determined to find him, she'll make any deal, rescue the outcasts and those like him, and risk flying into any port to rescue him. When her latest pirate efforts partner her with a bounty hunter who's too charming, sexy, and handsome for his own good, she knows she's in trouble.

Ian Marshall no longer believes in fairy tales…

Disowned and a marked criminal in the United States, this merchant turned bounty hunter, is one bounty away from freedom; and freedom's price is handing over one person to the most cutthroat gang in the world, The Cursed. Yet, he can't get to them without Sorella's help. Too bad she's gorgeous, aggravating, and a little trigger happy.

As the attraction mounts, the danger grows and the pair find themselves invading a skin trader den, the ballrooms of dictator-ruled Germany, and fighting battles in the sky in the hopes of getting everything they want. Only thing they didn't plan on... falling in love.

Buy Links

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Raven-Pirate-Assassin-Spy-Fairytales-ebook/dp/B0148UZ1BU/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

All Romance Ebooks - https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ravenpirateassassinspy-1873959-149.html

Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/raven-pirate-assassin-spy-landra-graf/1122559905?ean=2940151004435

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26140840-raven-pirate-assassin-spy?ref=ru_lihp_up_rs_1_mclk-up2548297283

Excerpt

“I already paid off the police, at least for the moment. Until your cousin offers them more.” The words rolled off her tongue matter-of-factly as if this sort of situation occurred every day. His pants tightened at her words. A woman who feared nothing, who didn’t believe in danger.

“Very generous of you.”

“Hmm?” She stopped playing with her balisong knife and looked at him.

He came toward her, arms open, expecting her to move away from the door and put distance between them. She didn’t. “You protected me at your own expense.”

“I thought you might take my generosity as replacement for me losing the bet.”

Less than six inches separated their bodies. The pulse point at her neck fluttered, her breath shallow. Her knife stilled in her hand, closed, but ready to deploy. She waited for him to make a move.

The distinct possibility existed he’d be dead in the next minute, but her lips were deep red, like cherries he’d eaten in late summer. To leave them untouched would be a crime. “You thought wrong.”

He leaned in. She gasped, and then he kissed her.

She’d been kissed before, but it had merely been her parents’ chaste touches to her cheeks or forehead, and, once, her fiancé had brushed her lips with his. Otherwise, she had remained untouched until now. As he touched the tip of his tongue to her closed mouth, a sinful sensation swamped her body. Gooseflesh broke out underneath her clothes, and little hairs stood up on the back of her neck.

Sorella grabbed the lapels of his coat and opened her mouth. Something carnal took over, an instinct to engage his tongue in some primitive dance. If this was considered uncivilized, she’d gladly abandon society and all its norms.

As fast as the moment began, it ended, and Ian pulled back a few inches. “You taste amazing.”

He did, too; like peppermint, and…. “You taste familiar.” Not as if she’d tasted him before, but somehow the aromatic tang of his mouth and the scent of his breath on an exhale resonated within her. She’d bottle it if she knew how. “Kiss me again.”

“As my captain commands.”

Author Bio 

Landra Graf consumes at least one book a day, and has always been a sucker for stories where true love conquers all. She believes in the power of the written word, and the joy such words can bring. In between spending time with her family and having book adventures, she writes romance with the goal of giving everyone, fictional or not, their own happily ever after.

Author Links

Website: http://landragraf.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LandraGraf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/landra.graf

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7847192.Landra_Graf

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/landragraf/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Landra-Graf/e/B00IESJED4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1440641120&sr=8-1 

Landra Graf kicks off the 12 Days of Christmas

Cate: Yay, Landra Graf is here to spread some holiday cheer! Landra, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Landra: Thanks for hosting this awesome event, and what an honor to be on the launch pad. A little about me, I write sexy contemporary and historical erotic romance. I've had a couple releases in 2014, including my first book ever. So this whole year is has been like one big Christmas present.

Cate: Thanks for helping to get us in the spirit! What do you love most about Christmas?

Landra: It's hard to pick one thing, but if I have to... the emotions the holiday evokes. I'm very family and friend oriented, I love the sights, the sounds, and the good feelings from spending time with my family to baking cookies. I love curling up on the couch in front of the tree and cold weather blustering about outside.

Cate: Sounds perfect. Do you have a favorite memory of a Christmas past?

Landra: As a child Santa always brought me a Holiday Barbie for Christmas. One year it looked like Santa wasn't going to get it to me, there was a shortage of Holiday Barbie's. Yet miracle of miracles on Christmas morning the Barbie was there. When I got older I found out my grandmother located my prize two states away, this was before the time of Amazon and Ebay, and had my godfather drive one state over to get it from her and bring it to me in time for Christmas morning.

Cate: How sweet is that? If Santa could grant one wish, what would you ask for?

Landra: This is a hard one for me, but I'd wish for the money to buy my house and get it fixed up. To have the security of your house being completely paid for is something special, though I'm happy to have a roof over my head.

Cate: I hope Santa grants you your wish. What was the best gift you’ve ever received? What made it so special?

Landra: A ring and a question were the best gifts I ever received. Two Christmas's ago my husband proposed on Christmas day. It was a surprise and one of the best ones ever. Definitely a long time coming since it took him nearly thirteen years.

Cate: Any favorite Christmas recipes you’d care to share?

Landra: Ooh, Christmas recipes. My favorite thing to make is Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is a classic recipe you can find on the Nestle Tollhouse website. My father made them with me as a child and I make them with my children. My daughter has already asked me if we're baking cookies for Christmas. I have some new recipes for butter cookies and sugar cookies I plan on trying.

Another favorite Christmas recipe for me is banana bread. My secret is to get it out of the pan five minutes after pulling the loaf out of the oven and seal it in a gallon size plastic storage bag so the top will get soft.

Cate: Mm, yummy. Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online.

Landra: My latest release, With This Kilt I Thee Bed, is a collection of short stories, each one about a hot highlander finding love in the most unlikely places. I've also featured a heroine in each story who has fallen from grace. No simpering misses in my book. Readers can purchase ebook versions at Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Allromanceebooks ~ Kobo

Cate: Love that title, lol Care to share a blurb or excerpt?

Landra: They’re not your traditional highlanders.

Rafe Gordon, Laird of Nairn, is searching for release from the nightmare of his wife’s passing. When Elsie, his daughter’s new governess, brings with her the temptation of passion and a less-than-perfect-past, Rafe must decide if love truly can conquer all.

Innes Gordon is looking for a good time. When that good time turns out to be the childhood-friend-turned-kept-woman Catriona, he finds himself torn between claiming her ‘til death do us part’ or simply sharing her with his twin.

Hamish Gordon is seeking a woman all his own. While his family’s home is invaded with nuptial ceremonies, Hamish is sent to patrol his older brother’s hunting grounds in search of a thief. Discovering his prey yields the biggest surprise — and Athdara needs his help as much as he needs hers.

Cate: What inspired you to write about the theme?

Landra: A challenge to myself and originally a short story submission call for hot highlanders, which quickly escalated into some else.

Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?

Landra: My first erotic historical romance has been doing so well I'm planning another one. More highlanders, more challenging secondary characters and even some highwayman thrown in for good measure. The book should be out Summer of 2015.

Cate: Woot! Landra's playing Santa today! Comment for a chance to win a copy of With This Kilt I Thee Bed.

Landra: I'd say it's the perfect way to keep warm in the winter time or simply a quick read that will have you feeling jolly.

Cate: Thanks so much for launching the 12 Days of Christmas! Hope you have a jolly holly holiday!