The official blurbage: Over time, the Magickals have learned to live in the company of humans and keep their extraordinary abilities a secret. But despite their vigilance, one lurks among them who will stop at nothing to obtain his dark desire. . .

A cop with the Seattle P.D., Selina Grayson is committed to both her job and her privacy. Few know that she’s a centuries’ old elf with a tragic past that continues to haunt her. Yet her body still craves the exquisite ecstasy of sex that is her birthright—and a night of complete sensual abandon is just what she needs. . .

A Special Agent with the FBI Magickal Crimes Unit, Jack Laramie is one of the few Normals who know Magickals exist. He’s wary of their power, but one touch from Selina ignites a fire within his blood. Hot with desire, he’s ready to succumb to her erotic spell. But working a serial killer case together isn’t quite as pleasurable—especially when the killer has a taste for humans like Jack. Now one wrong move could put out their heat for eternity. . .

And the excerpt I promised:

“You look hot, baby.”

A low wolf-whistle pierced the air, and Selina turned away from the window she stood at, her eyebrow arching high. The sight of a woman in a long, shimmery wedding gown and a leer on her face made her snort. Chloe Standish of the wealthy, influential Standish witch family was not your average bride. Chloe’s best friend, Tess Jones, chortled as she walked out of the bathroom to join them in the big bedroom.

When Selina spoke, her tone was wry. “Thanks, you’re going to make Merek jealous.”

If anyone besides Merek had asked her to be in a wedding, she’d have laughed in his face. But the big warlock used to be her partner in the Seattle Police Department’s Magickal Task Force. The years together meant she’d developed an unfortunate weak spot for the man. Which meant she was not only attending his wedding to a high-society bride, but she was in the wedding party. And wearing a damn dress. She hadn’t worn one in at least a decade, and this thing was tight enough to count as a second skin. She had no idea how women wore shit like this on a daily basis, especially considering the high heels were killing her toes.

Uncomfortable was something of an understatement for the day. Her boss, her boss’s boss, and his boss were all at the wedding. Along with every important Magickal law enforcement officer in the city, state, and country, the mayor and several senators and congressmen who happened to be Magickals as well as elected officials. And they’d all be watching her shimmy up the aisle because the way she had to move in this get-up couldn’t be called a regular walk.

Good thing they’d never tapped her to go undercover as a hooker in a prostitution bust. She’d never have pulled it off. Then again, coy flirting had never been her forte. Either a man wanted her or he didn’t. And she wanted him back or she didn’t. End of story. No need to beat around the bush with stupid little mind games. Modern courtship was for the birds. Most of her lovers in the last few years were older Magickals like her, who’d been around the block a dozen times and didn’t want to mess about with all this love and dating crap.

Even then, it had been many months since she’d bothered with sex. Too busy with work, but she’d gone through longer dry spells before, so she didn’t worry about it. If she wanted some play, she could get it. Her hormones decided to give a sharp wail at that moment, telling her that they damn well wanted some play, even if the rest of her was wrapped up in police work.

The bride shrugged, her grin widening. “Merek knows I don’t bat for the other team. But, since he’s a guy and that’s how they are, I wouldn’t put it past him to want to watch us together.”

Selina rolled her eyes, but didn’t deny that the other woman was probably right. Men. It didn’t matter their species–Normal or Magickal–they were all the same. “That is both disturbing and typical, all at that same time.”

Turning toward a floor-length mirror, Chloe checked her make-up one last time and straightened the little pillbox hat and short veil she wore. After her parents died, the witch had lived in her Aunt Millie’s mansion in Upper Queen Anne. Selina was pretty sure the old woman had been around in the 1800s when the palatial Victorian style home had been built. Mildred Standish was a mover and shaker in the Magickal community, representing the Witch Coven on the All-Magickal Council. Everyone knew her name and her fearsome reputation.

It felt more than a little odd to be standing in the woman’s house, but everything about this day was designed to throw Selina off-kilter, so she ignored it and went to help Tess straighten the back of Chloe’s dress.

Tess’s long red hair fell forward to cover her face when she bent down. “I’m just glad Merek didn’t add me to that little fantasy.”

“Oh, he so would. Three hot chicks going at it for his entertainment? Or maybe just the two of you, since he’s probably too possessive to share me.” Chloe’s hazel eyes sparkled as her reflection met Selina’s gaze. “Men. Can’t live with them, illegal to kill them.”

“Mostly illegal.” Selina winked.

“Yeah, damn. There’s that whole having a badge thing.”

She arched an eyebrow. “It has its trade-offs for the lousy hours and bad coffee.”

And that’s the update from me. Now I have to run around like a crazy lady to pack and get on the road for my next trip. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, or as they said to us in Hawaii “Mele Kalikimaka and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou”!

-Crystal Jordan

Their human form is ephemeral, but their sexual desire is endless. Enter the mysteriously sensual world of the shapeshifters and share in their erotic passion…

“Dream Catcher” by Kate Douglas

She comes to him at night in dreams of carnal pleasure. Real or imagined, Mac doesn’t know and doesn’t care. For his body throbs with a need that only his mystery lover can satisfy…

“Taken Between” by Crystal Jordan

Kira lives to protect her queen, but the king’s brother is the one who commands her desire. She longs for him with a feral sexuality and ferocious passion she can barely control…

“The Right Number” by Lynn LaFleur

Jay may have dialed the wrong number but the right woman answers. She is the mate he’s been looking for all his life. And when he hears the sexy purr of her voice, it arouses the hungry wolf inside…

Check out the video!

Read an excerpt from my story, Taken Between here.

Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Chapters | B-A-M | Indiebound | Powell’s | Kensington Books

——-

CONTEST: I’m over on the Smutketeers for the next couple of days giving away some of my knitting to celebrate the new book release. If you want a chance to win (and to see exactly what I’m giving away), go leave a comment!

http://www.smutketeers.com/2011/11/29/nightshift-and-knitting/

Prowl the Night

Amazon | B&N | B-A-M | Powell’s

They are Panthers, sleek and sultry shapeshifters who survive by banding together and mating for life. Theirs is a world of unmatched power and uncontrollable passion…

Crave Me

As newly appointed heir to his Pride, Tomas Montoya struggles with both his new duties and his new mate. He craves the dark and dangerous pleasure he finds with Ciri but wonders if he can ever satisfy her need for more…

Want Me

Teresa Garcia has seen how loving and losing a mate can drive someone mad and she has no interest in experiencing that herself. But when she meets Rafael Santiago, she wants him like no other. Driven by desire, she hungers for his body with a fierce and feral passion…

Read an Excerpt

And for those who haven’t read the first book in my Prowl series, here you go…

On the Prowl

Amazon | B&N | B-A-M | Powell’s

Meet the Cruz brothers. They look human—except for the golden sheen their eyes take when they’re aroused beyond control…and the way their claws come out when it’s time to play rough. They’re Panthers, ancient shapeshifters, and their survival depands on mating to bring out their wild sides…

Undeniable
When Antonio, the strong, sexy new leader of the Panther pride, meets luscious Solana in a dark alleyway, their passion lights up the night. But she’s an outcast, an impossible mate—and her touch makes him lose all control…

Irresistible
Ex-model and businesswoman Andrea doesn’t need anyone—until she meets Miguel, who tempts her mind with daring games and teases her body with dark, forbidden please she can’t resist…

Indescribable
Wild twins Ricardo and Diego do everything together—and their women appreciate the teamwork. Until shy Isabel takes refuge in their pride, and both want to claim her. Of course, sometimes two mates are better than one…

Read an Excerpt

Wouldn’t you want to see this, live and in print? It’s so pretty!

I meant to take a picture of the box, which was ripped mostly open at one end. Maybe the mail lady wanted an advanced copy–who knows? I don’t think any books were missing, but I didn’t pull them all out to count.

The big problem with getting author copies (there’s a drawback to everything, it’s a sad but true fact) is that they fill up my one bedroom apartment at an alarming rate. Don’t even open the door to my walk in closet. Just don’t. It’s safer for you that way. Books stacked to the ceiling are heavy if they fall on you. They do damage when they hit you on the head. Trust me on this.

I’m running a contest to get rid of some of my accumulation of author copies, so you can stop over at my blog to read about that, if you’re interested.

Bis später! (Did I mention I’m taking a German class now?)
-Crystal Jordan

On August 1, I have the second short story in my Wild trilogy from Spice Briefs. And on July 19, I had the final story in my Unbelievable series from Samhain. I’ve been pretty busy lately, and I’m working on more. There’s a few new short story ideas percolating, I’m working on the sequel to Untamed, and the sequel to On the Prowl comes out in late September/early October, and the sequel to Between Lovers comes out in late November/early December. I just finished the last round of edits on that one and sent it in last week. Whee! I love new books!

WANTON

Two years after her lover died, Lynx Jenise finally feels ready to indulge the consuming urge to mate at the shifter gathering known as the Wild. Though her very human heart was broken, her animal instincts can no longer be suppressed.

But even as she finds the rough pleasure she craves with other Lynxes, another instinct haunts Jenise—the feeling that another mate is near….

Find out more!

MAKE ME BELIEVE

She has two words for love. “Make me.” Then love changes the rules…

As far as hairstylist Celia Occam is concerned, she’s struck out at marriage twice, and there will be no “third time’s a charm”. So what if one salon employee and the town gossip seem dead set on fixing her up with Prince Charming. She’s nobody’s princess.

She’s all for scratching the occasional itch with the right man, but flirtatious firefighter Mason Delacroix is all wrong. Besides, with three broken engagements on his romantic rap sheet, even a one-night mattress mambo sounds like a bad idea.

From the first moment Mason encounters Celia’s emotional barriers, he’s determined to turn up the heat as high as it takes to melt the ice. If the whole town wants to back him up by playing Cupid, he’s on board. Track record be damned. He wants Celia, and he’s ready for permanent.

When her self-appointed guardian angels conspire to lock them in the basement, their long-denied chemistry explodes. She finds herself relishing every moment—though her subconscious is already on the run.

Funny thing, though. Every time she zigs, Mason’s already zagged. Making her wonder if this time it’s for real, or if Cupid is just up to its old tricks.

Find out more!

I just finished up the sequel, which my editor tells me is called NIGHT GAMES, and it’s not only a full-length novel, but also my very first mystery. There are clues and false leads and all that good stuff. Since plotting isn’t my strong suit, I’m immensely proud of that book. Both books, actually. This series has been a challenge, a huge growing experience for me as a writer, so I’m very excited to see it all moving out into the world. I hope readers enjoy it!

Here are the dirty details for the one you can actually buy now…

EMBRACE THE NIGHT by Crystal Jordan

Places to get it: Kensington Books | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Barnes & Noble | B-A-M | Borders | Chapters | IndieBound | Powell’s

They’re the Magickal ones…vampires, werewolves, witches, and fae who dwell among humans, united by extraordinary talents and unbridled sexual powers…

Chloe Standish went looking for a one-night stand to erase the memories of her cheating ex–and found the hottest sex of her life. A witch and biochemist working on a cure for werewolves, Chloe knows all about magic, yet Merek Kingston evoked a spellbinding lust beyond anything she’d ever felt. But now her ex-boyfriend and research partner is dead, his part of the formula in terrorists’ hands…and the detective in charge is Merek, the same man who’s haunted her dreams ever since the frenzied night together.

Chloe is the one person whose future Merek can’t predict…the only woman who could make him break every rule just to posses her again. Nothing will stop him from protecting her, and an explosive passion too primal, too perfect to forget…

EXCERPT

“Mmmph.” Something heavy landed on Chloe’s stomach, jerking her out of the erotic dream, the erotic memory. Her heart thundered, sweat slid down her face, and her lungs heaved in a desperate bid for air. Icy fear and hot lust warred for dominance inside her as the fantasy gave way to reality. She shuddered, her fingers balling in soft cotton sheets. Her familiar’s eyes glowed in the low lighting of the lamp she’d left on, a freakish little alien head peering down at her. Ophelia blinked, her whiskers twitching. Chloe groaned, shoved the Siamese cat off her belly, and flopped over to bury her face in the pillow. “Gods.”

How many times was she going to have that dream? How often did she have to relive that wild night? It had happened two months ago, and hardly a night had passed that she hadn’t had the dream.

Maybe she just needed to get laid. Get that night out of her system. She moaned into her pillow, squeezing her thighs together as a lingering throb of desire went through her. That was how she’d ended up having that night in the first place, by telling herself she needed to get laid, to get her cheating ex out of her system.

That had gone so well for her.

She’d gone out to Sanguine, her favorite Magickals-only private club, scoped out every species of hotty the Magickal community had to offer–elves, Fae, vampires, werewolves, warlocks–mentally debated the sexual gifts each species could bring to the table–bedroom, whatever–and then she’d seen him. After that, there’d been no contest. Chemistry was a bitch like that. She would know–she was a biochemist.

Sighing, she rolled over, kicked the sheet off of her, and forked her hands through her sweaty hair. Her body still burned, her sex aching with a need to be filled with more than just her vibrator. “Damn it.”

Dwelling on her lack of a love life since her one-night stand wouldn’t help her. And thinking about Damien-Raines-the scum-sucking-vampire who’d left her for a she-vamp he’d knocked up, which was where her shame spiral had started, wouldn’t help her disposition at all. However, the fact that his ferret familiar was probably still hexed into an ugly lampshade made her lips quirk. Vampires sucked at casting spells. Damien had just sucked, period. Too bad it had taken her so long to figure that out.

She heaved herself out of bed and played soccer with Ophelia’s sinuous body as she tried to twine herself around Chloe’s legs while she walked. Tripping, she hit the swinging door to the kitchen and almost face-planted into the floor. “Damn it, Ophelia.”

The cat sniffed, leaped up onto the counter, and flicked a delicate paw at her food bowl in an unmistakable feline demand. Chloe rolled her eyes and grumbled all the way to the cabinet that contained the outrageously expensive cat cuisine her familiar liked. Dumping the contents into the food dish, Chloe went about retrieving her own sustenance while the cat dug in.

Thirty seconds later, she had a steaming mug of coffee cradled between her palms. The first sip made her moan. “Ahhh.”

Bless the Normal human who’d invented the automatic coffeemaker. Magic did some awesome things, but sometimes Normal technology trumped all. She leaned against her counter and gazed out her kitchen window at the morning mist shrouding her Queen Anne Hill neighborhood, drifting out into downtown Seattle. The city lights were a pretty haze that streaked the skyline. Sunbeams began to pierce the fog, so she knew it would be a rare sunny day in the Emerald City. Yesterday had been wicked hot, too, but Chloe loved the brightness. She’d have to remember to go for a walk during lunch today.

Bon Jovi’s “Bad Medicine” blared from her cell phone, jolting her from her reverie, and she jogged into her living room to grab it from the charger. Her best friend, Tess’s, name popped up on the caller ID. Grinning, Chloe punched the button to answer. “Dr. Jones, I presume. What are you doing up at the ass crack of dawn this morning?”

“Still haven’t slept from last night.” A huge yawn fuzzed the phone line. “We’re short-staffed so I pulled a double. Budget cuts.”

“Ouch.”

“Tell me about it.” Tess worked as a pathologist for the FBI. The Normal side of the FBI. She was one of the most Normal humans Chloe had ever met. “I haven’t put in hours this awful since my residency.”

Along with werewolf Jaya Nemov, they’d become friends in med school, which was the only reason Chloe and Jaya had gotten close to anyone outside the Magickal community. Most Magickals didn’t bother because it was just too hard to keep people in their lives they had to constantly lie to about who and what they were.

Chloe knew she should probably ease out of her relationship with Tess, but when Jaya died during a full moon Change, it emphasized to Chloe that a good friend was hard to come by, magic or no magic. Tess might never know the truth behind Jaya’s death, but she’d still shared the loss of someone they all loved. So, Chloe kept her friend and did what she had to do to keep her secrets.

Then again, a part of her had always wondered if the reason she held on to Tess was because her long-dead mother had been a Normal. She grinned, and it wasn’t nice. Her family was almost as horrified that she had befriended a Normal as they had been when her father had married one and bred a halfling.

Another yawn sounded through the phone, recapturing Chloe’s attention. Her grin softened and she cradled the phone closer to her ear. “So, you’re calling because . . . you want to get together for dinner tonight and tell me more about the suckfest of budget cuts?”

Tess chuckled. “You’re a mind reader.”

“Sure. That’s totally a plausible explanation, Doctor.” Chloe inserted as much drawling derision into her voice as possible, and Tess laughed. Telepathy wasn’t one of Chloe’s magical skills, so it wasn’t an outright lie, it just wasn’t the whole truth. This time. A familiar twist of guilt knotted her insides, but she pushed it aside. Tess was Normal, Chloe was Magickal; there was nothing she could do about the need to prevaricate. “How about you meet me here around seven?”

“Perfect. See ya. I’m hitting the hay now.” The call was punctuated with one final yawn from Tess before both women disconnected.

Chloe went to drop the phone in her purse and saw she’d missed a call about an hour before. There was a voicemail message waiting for her. She hadn’t heard the phone ring, but then, why would her subconscious want her to wake up from a steamy episode of her regularly scheduled Merek-dream?

She shoved a hand through her disheveled hair and pushed the reminder of her one-night warlock out of her mind. Flipping her cell over to speakerphone, she accessed her voicemail while she wandered into her bedroom to dress for work.

A deep, silken male voice emerged from her phone. “Chloe, it’s Damien.”

Chills crept down Chloe’s spine and a hollow feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. The last person she expected to get a call from was Damien. Hell, the last person she wanted a phone call from was Damien. Shaking off that inane thought, Chloe zipped up her skirt and shoved her feet into a pair of ballet flats. While she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair, she hit the buttons to replay the message she hadn’t really listened to.

“Chloe, it’s Damien.” A muffled thump sounded in the background of the call, but Damien hurried on. “I’m sorry to bother you at home. Don’t erase this . . . I need to talk to you about work. It’s . . . It’s important to the project. Call me back. Please.” The call ended abruptly, as if someone had stabbed the End button with more force than necessary.

The please gave her pause. Damien never said please. Then again, he also never said I’m sorry. He was a vampire. They were, by definition, coldblooded. They also tended to have superiority complexes and thought everyone, from other Magickal species to Normals, were so far beneath them they didn’t even register on their radar. Sure, most of them would stoop to having a fling with a non-vampire, maybe one or two non-vampire friends, just for variety, but anything else was out of the question. They didn’t mix.

Luckily, Chloe hadn’t wanted more than that from Damien, but she had expected fidelity while they were together. Apparently, that had been beneath him, too. She sighed, disconnected the call, and slid her cell into her pocket.

The worst part about dating someone you worked with was when it ended badly. She’d learned that lesson the hard way. They were both team leads in pharmaceutical R&D for Desmodus Industries, but since those teams were working on the same project, they did see each other, but not that often. Thank the Gods.

Shoving her arms into a jacket, she picked up her handbag and headed for the side door that lead to her detached garage. If the bloodsucker wanted to talk to her about work, he could do it when she got there.

She wasn’t calling him back.

Aside from that, the co-writing was a fun experience. We both write erotic, paranormal, shape-shifters, and suspense (her more than me), and we decided to combine those similarities and see what we might come up with in terms of a world and characters we were both willing to write. This series is what we came up with. Add to that some kickin’ cover created by the very talented Kanaxa and we were in business.

I’ve heard horror stories of series that get co-written where one person or persons override everyone else’s suggestion and make unilateral decisions abut The Way Things Will Be. If you go into a situation where you know you won’t get to make the world-building decisions, that’s one thing. It’s something else entirely when your input is completely ignored when you thought you’d get to contribute.

I think why it worked for Loribelle and me is that we have a pretty good friendship to start with, which means we’re good at communicating with each other and have a healthy respect for the others talents. Also–and I think this is key–the major worldbuilding decisions were made together, but there were also certain parts of the world that we each claimed “ownership” of, so it wasn’t all compromise and hashing things out. That give and take made the experience a lot more pleasant than it could have been.

I think I’m rambling at this point, but what I think worked for us in this co-writing experience is: communication, respect, compromise, and little bit of owning our own part of the series and world.

We have had a few emails asking if we’re going to write more in the series, and to be honest, I have no idea. We’d have to sit down and figure out more stories, how to grow the world even more, and whether or not we have time to carve out of our very busy writing/deadlines schedule to make it happen. Could go either way, but I’m glad our readers are enjoying the series enough to ask!

-Crystal Jordan

Which means that February will kick off a new book book for me. I’m pretty excited about this one because I’ll be writing the sequel to my June 2011 release, Embrace the Night. Not totally sure what the sequel is called yet because my editor is still deciding, but I do know it comes out in 2012.

Embrace the Night is the first novel I’ve ever published. I tend to write a lot of single author anthology, where I write a series of two or three novellas and put them in one book. So, doing a series of full novels is going to give me a little more room to work in the characters from previous books that I’m still in love with. In fact, if I hadn’t loved Merek and Chloe and her godson, Alex, I would never have finished this book. I started it years ago and they nagged at the back of my mind until I finally gave them an ending. So, I can bring them back and let them play parts and make guest appearances in later books, which is nice.

What interesting about the sequel to ETN is the first mystery I’ve ever written. So, this is cool and scary because I’m stretching my writer wings with this. Plotting isn’t my strongest suit and mysteries definitely require a plot, so this book has taken more pre-planning that any of my previous book. I also read some writing technique books about mysteries, I consulted with writer friends who are good with plotting. Lots of stuff that I hope pays off in a big way for me and, of course, my readers.

So…good luck to all of us, right?

-Crystal Jordan

This year, my best friend and her mom made me cupcakes from scratch. Even the frosting was homemade. So freaking yummy.

Here’s what I’m giving away…

With the ability to shapeshift into white tigers, the Kith have arrived on Earth in search of their “One”–the soul mates who are destined to satisfy their scorching lust…

Wicked Lord

U.S. Sergeant Major Bren Preston has no control over keeping half-human, half-tiger Kith Ambassador Lord Farid Arjun from entering her dreams at night–and surrendering to the feral hunger he sets off in her. Though powerless in dreams, she’s determined never to succumb to her desires in person. But seeing Farid transform into his magnificent feline form elicits a wild passion that won’t be denied…

Carnal Empress

Jana Townsend doesn’t know what’s more incredible: Falling in love with a shapeshifter or discovering that Kith Emperor Kyber traveled the universe to find her. Now together, their union is a perfect joining of souls and bodies as Jana discovers a ravenous desire that begs to be sated again and again…

*

The Between. A race of people between light and dark. Good and evil. Human and animal. The world discovered their existence over a decade ago, and so far the balance between humans and Between has been precarious at best. One bite is all it takes to cross the line from human to Between. It doesn’t matter what species of shapeshifter bites a human–only the soul can dictate what kind of animal is most suited to a Between. Many humans think they’re dangerous and should be locked away, while others covet their power.

On a fateful camping trip, fiery Oregon beauty Rhiannon Reid is kidnapped and turned into a “Between”–a magical shape-shifting creature. Now forced to prove her worthiness to the group’s golden king, lion-shifting Elan Delacourt, the two test each other’s strength and character–but lose themselves in the hot-blooded battle…

*

Meet the Cruz brothers. They look human—except for the golden sheen their eyes take when they’re aroused beyond control…and the way their claws come out when it’s time to play rough. They’re Panthers, ancient shapeshifters, and their survival depands on mating to bring out their wild sides…

Undeniable
When Antonio, the strong, sexy new leader of the Panther pride, meets luscious Solana in a dark alleyway, their passion lights up the night. But she’s an outcast, an impossible mate—and her touch makes him lose all control…

Irresistible
Ex-model and businesswoman Andrea doesn’t need anyone—until she meets Miguel, who tempts her mind with daring games and teases her body with dark, forbidden please she can’t resist…

Indescribable
Wild twins Ricardo and Diego do everything together—and their women appreciate the teamwork. Until shy Isabel takes refuge in their pride, and both want to claim her. Of course, sometimes two mates are better than one…