February 18th, 2012 | by KateDouglas |
This has been a wild month and I wasn’t sure I’d even have time to post, but then I realized that if I didn’t do a blog, I wouldn’t have a reason to give away any books, so I’ll think of SOMETHING to write about! That way, you just need to leave a comment to be entered and you’ll help me clear out my bookshelves. Works for me, hopefully works for you as well.
It’s almost March (UGH–how did THAT happen) which means that the release of CRYSTALFIRE, the last book in my DEMONSLAYERS series will be coming out in a matter of weeks, not months, on April 3. Amazing how quickly time goes by. This is such a fun story, and it ties up the series with the final battle against the wannabe Demon King. It also introduces 
Willow the will ‘o the wisp as a full-fledged (and wow! Is she ever fledged…) woman. And Taron the Lemurian scholar, a brilliant man who has lived a celibate life, who discovers that maybe there is something powerful and meaningful to this whole sex thing.
Anyway, if you’d like a little taste of Taron and Willow, here’s a short blurb from the scene where an attack by the Demon King has shot Willow’s consciousness out of Bumper the dog’s body. Taron assumes that’s what happened, but the only thing he’s sure of is that he’s stuck on Earth with a woman who might be the sprite he’s always cared for, she’s unconscious and naked and he’s verging on panic. What to do?
~*~*~*~*~
Okay. He was on his own, at least for now. Somehow, he’d make this work—if he could get inside the gods-be-damned house. He paused at the back door and stared at it a moment. What he wouldn’t give for a nice Lemurian energy portal about now. After a moment’s pause, he shifted Willow and carefully slung her over one shoulder to free up his hand, so that even with his arms full of unconscious woman and one hand planted firmly on her soft, round butt, Taron managed to figure out how the handle worked. Feeling just a little bit smug, he turned the knob and opened the back door to the house.
First obstacle overcome. He carried Willow down a long, dark hallway until he reached a room where a nightlight burned. This one had to be Eddy’s. He recognized a shirt lying on the bed, one he’d seen her wear before.
The big bed was made up so he laid Willow down on top of the comforter and brushed the tangled hair back from her face. She had felt icy cold when he first picked her up, though she’d lain in his arms as still as death while he carried her into the house. Now her body shivered and trembled as if she were freezing. The tiny pulse at her throat fluttered faster.
He put his hand against her forehead. Her skin still felt like ice. What the nine hells could he do for her? Taron glanced around the room, found a soft knitted blanket tossed over a chair in one corner and carefully covered her. Then he sat down beside her and took one of her hands in his.
Her icy, trembling fingers clutched his hand, as if, at least on some level, she was aware of his presence. She moaned softly and drew her knees up, tucking herself into a fetal position. Why was she so cold?
That single knitted blanket wasn’t nearly enough. He hoped Eddy wouldn’t mind, but he tugged the blankets back, lifted her again and stuck her beneath the covers. Then he tucked them close around her chilled body and sat down beside her again. He held onto her hand and sat there without a clue what he could do to help. What did humans have for healers? Dawson Buck would know, but he wasn’t here.
How the nine hells could her get her warm? The room felt uncomfortably hot to him, so her chills made no sense. But, if he was hot and she was cold…
He’d read about using body heat to warm victims of hypothermia, which made the only solution more than obvious. Taron kicked off his sandals, unbuttoned the flannel shirt and took it off. He shoved his jeans down his legs and the stretchy underwear went with them, so he kicked everything off. Then with a prayer to whatever gods might be watching, he slid beneath the blanket and drew her body close to the warmth of his.
She felt like ice, but if he’d had any concern that he was doing the right thing, those worries fled as Willow snuggled close against him, buried her cold nose in the dusting of hair on his chest and sighed. Her tremors seemed to slow and she pressed even closer. Taron wrapped his arms around her, and held her tightly against him.
He refused to think of the obvious, that she was naked and so was he. That his body was reacting in a manner that was far removed from his intention of merely warming her. No. He searched for and found control, forced himself to relax, reminding himself he held her for one purpose and one purpose only—to warm her. That was all.
So how many times did he have to repeat that stupid command before he actually believed it? Nine hells, what else could he do? He was alone in Evergreen with an unconscious woman who could only be Willow, his friends were all fighting demons in Sedona, and the demon king had taken over the body of a very good man who was now in terrible danger.
He’d panic, except he knew that if he lost it, he might never get it back. He’d never felt so terrified in his life, though it wasn’t fear for himself that had his heart thudding in his chest or his lungs clutching at every breath of air. It was fear for a woman who shouldn’t be. Fear she might not survive, that she could somehow disappear as quickly as she’d appeared.
~*~*~*~*~*~
So, leave a comment and you just might win a copy of a book, or a stuffed Bumper dog. I’ve got a selections of Wolf Tales and Sexy Beast books, a few copies of NightShift and some from my DemonSlayers series (HellFire and StarFire) And if you haven’t yet signed on to my newsletter, please do by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KateDouglas/ where I will give away even more stuff. I’ll be sending my newsletter out some time in the next week or so.
Hi Kate…
just stopping by to say hi!!!!! Loved this book by the way….
♥
by Kelly Mueller · February 18th, 2012 at 5:55 pmKelly
Books-n-Kisses
Hi Kate, so enjoy reading your books
by Shirley Roelens · February 18th, 2012 at 6:00 pmGlad to see your blog up and running, congrats! Love to read your books, keep up the great work!
by Jess · February 18th, 2012 at 6:06 pmso awesome I love your stories
can’t wait to read more
by Cianna · February 18th, 2012 at 6:13 pmjust finished the last book in the wolf tales series now i’m all sad…but it was amazing as all the ones before…keep up the great writting i love it
by trina pinksen · February 18th, 2012 at 6:17 pmI can’t wait to read this book! I will be sad that the series will be over but I’m very excited that Willow gets her own body!
Thanks Kate!
beckerjo at verizon dot net
by JoAnna B · February 18th, 2012 at 6:27 pmOh wow, can’t wait to read the whole book! Would love a copy of Nightshift or Bumper
)
by Pat Idleman · February 18th, 2012 at 7:08 pmHi Kate,
Looking forward to the new book, I have the other 3, but would LOVE to get one of the latter Wolf Tales/Sexy Beast books I’ve been wanting.
Thanks for the giveaway!
by Mary Jo · February 18th, 2012 at 7:13 pmOh, this looks like another great story. I would love a chance at Hellfire.
by catslady · February 18th, 2012 at 7:26 pmOMG!!!! I am dying to get this book. I literally could not pick a favorite book of yours because I love all of them. Great books and great writer.
by Lavonne Page · February 18th, 2012 at 7:31 pmHey, Kelly! So glad you approve of this one–it was way too much fun to write, and I’m really getting excited about it actually coming out. Thanks for retweeting for me–I’ve not been back on twitter or would have thanked you there.
Thanks, Shirley, and Jess, so true. Getting hacked was not a fun thing. I felt so sorry for our web lady who had a lot of sites to repair. It had to have been SO frustrating for her.
Thanks, Cianna, and Trina, I need to go back and reread WT12. I’m getting ready to start work on my Spirit Wild series and have to get back into the Chanku world. The first book, TO LOVE A DARK WOLF, comes out next spring, probably in March 2013.
JoAnna B–me, too. When I first started the stories, I thought that Dax and Eddy would be the ones to go after the Demon King, so I was totally shocked when I started writing and discovered it was going to be Willow and Taron!
Thanks for letting me know, Pat. I’ll be picking winners in a few days. I usually wait until people stop leaving comments.
Mary Jo, those are the ones I have. Good luck!
Catslady, if you haven’t read that one, I know you’ll love it!
Thanks, Lavonne. If you’re one of my winners, I’ll contact you to find out. Thanks for stopping by.
by KateDouglas · February 18th, 2012 at 7:51 pmKate…. Just stopping by to say Hi…. love the blog and I am looking forward to Crystalfire!
by Betty Hamilton · February 18th, 2012 at 8:10 pmCan’t wait for this one or Dream Unchained! Kate, You’re my idol. And I love Bumper, too!
by Maria E · February 18th, 2012 at 8:18 pmMiss Kate,
I am so excited for this book to come out! I have been counting down! These are amazing characters and i can’t wait to see what happens! I just love the world you built!
by Jamie Spence · February 18th, 2012 at 8:57 pmwoohoo can’t wait for the new book. guess it will be another all nighter! lol
by Amber · February 18th, 2012 at 8:59 pmLove Your Wolf Tale series and will soon start your DemonSlayer series. Love your writing and glad your sites back up!
by Shaine · February 18th, 2012 at 10:02 pmI love the Wolf Tales series and have been reading my way through the other books you have. I’m so looking forward to this new one.
miztik_rose@yahoo.com
by Mary Kirkland · February 18th, 2012 at 10:58 pmHi, Kate! Just stopping by to give props to my favourite author.
Can’t wait for the final book. Sorry to hear about the hacking – sounds like a lot of headache.
by mylilypad · February 19th, 2012 at 12:16 pmAs always, I am ready for whatever you write. I am REALLY looking forward to the Spirit Wild Series – I so love the Chanku world. Sorry to see the Demonslayers end. Will there be a book 4 to Demon Lovers? Hope your Sunday is going well!!!
by Wanda Kirkland Conley · February 19th, 2012 at 4:34 pmThanks, Betty. I swear this year is going to go too fast if the first few weeks are any indication, which means this book will be out before I know it!
Glad you stopped by.
Thank you Maria!
Thanks, Jamie. It’s always fun from an author’s point of view to get immersed in a new world. I always learn things I didn’t know when I first came up with the idea.
Shaine, hacking makes me nuts. And do hope you enjoy the DemonSlayers series!
Thanks, Mary.
Glad to hear you’re enjoying them.
Kim, so true. Hacking creates so much trouble for everyone. I have no idea WHO benefits. Must just be an ego trip for the hacker.
Wanda, I’m working on Book 4: UNLEASHED, this week. Will let you know as soon as it’s out.
by KateDouglas · February 20th, 2012 at 12:08 pmHello Kate! Congrats and good luck with the upcoming release of Crystalfire!
geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com
by StacieD · February 20th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
yeah now I can run to the book store
by Rolanda · February 20th, 2012 at 11:29 pmAh, I love the lengths that Taron is going in order to warm Willow.
Betting that Willow will be warming his heart.
by Little Lamb Lost · February 21st, 2012 at 2:14 pmThanks, Stacie.
Run slowly, Rolanda! It doesn’t come out until April…
LLL
Taron’s a little slow on the uptake, but once he sets his mind on something, he’s a fast learner. 
by KateDouglas · February 21st, 2012 at 6:06 pm#9 catslady, #10 LaVonne Page, and #16 Shaine all came up with my random number picker. Please get in touch with me at kate@katedouglas.com and let me know what book to send to you and where.
Thanks to all for stopping by, and my newsletter just went out with more chances to win.
by KateDouglas · February 25th, 2012 at 1:47 amThanks so very much. Sending my info now
and congrats to the other winners.
by catslady · February 25th, 2012 at 12:08 pm