Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

I apologize for not being able to post in awhile, but have been more busy over the last few months than I’d foreseen. But I do have news to share today and this of the release of my latest novel. The title is The Story of Odette: the Swanmaiden’s Unveiling.  Here is some info and I’ll provide an excerpt, too.

It began as a short story in the anthology Sexy Beast VI from Kensington Aphrodisia and continues with The Story of Odette: the Swanmaiden’s Unveiling.

As the swanmaiden’s daughter, Odette was orphaned at a young age when the forces of Charles Martel laid siege to her village and tribe. She was left helpless to the whims of a vengeful half-sister, Vanda. Some years later, however, Odette’s fortune changed when Vanda’s sympathetic husband escorted her into the refuge of fabled Athla. It is a realm sacred to the gods, where only a few mortals are allowed entrance — and the power-hungry Vanda is not among them.

Odette now finds the acceptance and love she’s always craved, and upon entering adulthood she is also educated in Athla’s sacred disciplines of passion and surrender. Unknown to Odette, however, Vanda has pledged her aid to the vampire priests of Loki, who want the swanmaiden’s daughter to sacrifice to their deity. To this dark end Vanda recruits a handsome soldier named Cu’lugh to enter Athla’s borders and bring Odette back. Cu’lugh sets off to Athla, ignorant of Vanda’s true motives and the dire fate intended for his quarry.

But what neither the vampires nor Vanda know is that Loki seeks more than a mere sacrifice. This father of lies and chaos awaits release from his ancient prison and to exact revenge on the gods who confined him there. Killing Odette is only the first step in Loki’s malevolent agenda — to destroy hope, happiness and love forever in the world of mankind.

EXCERPT

She heard someone enter the house and soon she heard Holbarki speaking with another man. She figured it must be one of his light elf friends he was expecting. They could come and go freely in Athla and their artists had a penchant for Athlan trinkets, which, obviously, Holbarki could supply easily enough.

Two silhouettes approached from the front of the room.

“My finest stirrups are on a table in the back,” she heard Holbarki say, “in front of the tapestries.”

She watched as the merchant stepped out of sight and the other figure advanced. It was a man, so focused in his purpose he seemed unaware of everything else. An Outer Realm soldier, she guessed by his worn boots and scuffed scale mail and the much-used scabbard at his back. He was sweaty and unshaven, his mustache thick and dark as his short hair. He was stalwart but not overly tall, and his neck was thick but smoothly attractive under the stubbled chin. Evidently weary from travel he showed none of the eagerness most visitors to Athla came in with, nor the satisfaction of having prevailed against the hardships of the Wasteland to enter the fabled borders. No, this Outer Realmer’s demeanor was like none she’d ever beheld before. She could not read the look but she was sure of it, so glaring was it behind his weariness.

As if this were but a stop on some journey he’d rather have over, Odette thought.

The warrior’s almond-shaped eyes glittered like dark coals as he examined the stirrups displayed; his face was grim, preoccupied. Odette breathed shallowly, hoping he would find whatever it was he needed and go away. The elf girl’s attentions had been one thing; she did not want to endure a man’s touch without the protection of Lord Eryan or one of the stewards she knew.

For several minutes he browsed through the collection, his tanned brow creased; and even in her frightened impatience Odette could not take her eyes from him. He was different from the men of Athla with the animal-like energy that radiated from his very being. Not even the Athlan soldiers exuded such an aura of raw power . . . and it stirred something very deep in her sex that bade her to plead for but one glance from his beautiful eyes.

She chastised herself silently. Certainly, she should be glad this Outer Realm warrior had other concerns. Surely, he was no more than a barbarian who had stumbled out of the Wastelands and been allowed to enter the borders simply because of his personal tolerance, not because he’d quested to find Athla. Otherwise, she told herself, he would be overjoyed to be in the realm and probably already have his own serving girl on a chain by his side.

But her sex was wet and throbbing. She closed her eyes and tried to think of nothing as she waited for him to leave.

Holbarki’s voice piped close by. “Find what you need, good sir?” Odette heard the man mumble something indistinct and the merchant went on. “You have come to the right place. Unlike many merchants in this realm I understand the practical needs of the Midgardians. You need something, I will do my utmost to make it available hastily. You do not need to dally about while I craft the thing from raw materials or imbue it with magical incantations or artistic fancies.”

“No?” The soldier sounded bored, and Odette opened her eyes just enough to peek out and saw the dissatisfaction on his face.

“My own mother is from the Outer Realm,” Holbarki explained. “She told me time and again the more commonsense habits of her people as compared to the Athlan folk. With their lax lifestyles, they have no conception of necessity. The blacksmiths, for example, save you be one of the street sentries or a member of the army or royal guard, would put you on a waiting list.”

The soldier’s mouth turned up in a smile. “Well, perhaps your king pays highly to promote such an enthusiasm to join his army.”

Holbarki laughed overmuch, and by the hardening of the soldier’s smile Odette knew he saw clear through the merchant’s ingratiating polish.

“I am sorry, but I do not find . . . what I need. Where may I find the closest ironworks?”

Holbarki darkened, but his gloss did not fade. “There is Reir and his son, just down the avenue, the red stone house.” Seeing the soldier nod he added, “I see by the fashion of your mail you favor Celtic work. I have just a few days ago received a cargo of horse blankets from friends in Brittany you may be interested in.”

The soldier’s brows rose. “Celt? From which tribe?”

“A tribe friendly with the Frisians, who give them aid against Boniface’s crusading monks.”

The soldier’s face grew thoughtful again. He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced about, and in that moment he discovered Odette. At once his somberness fled. A heated, almost dazed smile softened his mouth and he gazed at her with an intensity that made her tremble. She lowered her eyes instantly, and as she endured the blush that scorched her entire face she prayed he would look away again.

Instead, he walked over to the trestle and raised his fingertips to the ends of her hair over her left shoulder. Her heart beat so rapidly that her ears rang.

“I was shocked—pleasantly, that is—when I entered your realm and found the women running about unencumbered by wasteful apparel,” he said to Holbarki, “and when the guide who led me in explained that this is custom, well, I thought for a few moments I had passed into the realm of the fey.”

Odette felt stifled with heat as his dark eyes canvassed her flesh. And though she sought to turn her face away, those same penetrating eyes drained her will.

“She is quite real, as are all our lovelies,” said Holbarki. “However, this little flower has been displayed for viewing pleasure alone. She belongs to Mistress Helrose, one of our most esteemed priestesses, and has not yet been Unveiled.”

The soldier threw him a questioning glance. “Unveiled?”

Excerpt from The Story of Odette: the Swanmaiden’s Unveiling

©2012 by Anya Howard

This novel is available in an Amazon Kindle edition. For more information about the book and the prelude story in Sexy Beast VI visit  http://anyahoward.com/

Have a great weekend!

~Anya Howard

The sequel to Embrace the Night just hit the bookstores this week, and I am out of my skull with excitement. I love this series, and I hope I get to write a lot more of them. Oh, yes. I have plans. But let’s get on with celebrating the new book NIGHT GAMES!

Below are the fun deets about the book, plus I’m having a CONTEST to celebrate over on Smutketeers. Check it out!

NIGHT GAMES

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. . .

* * * * *

EXCERPT:
“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.”

The sequel to EMBRACE THE NIGHT is coming out at the end of next month! This one is about Merek’s partner with the Seattle PD, Selina Grayson. Only she’s his former partner now, since he moved over to the FBI Magickal  Crimes Unit. The book opens on Merek’s wedding day to Chloe Standish. I have an excerpt of NIGHT GAMES for you. Check it out!

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. . .
Read the rest of this entry »

NIGHTSHIFT is out, woohoo! I know Kate, Lynn, and I have all been eagerly awaiting the chance to share this anthology with you. No, our stories aren’t related to each other, but it’s so much fun having two such lovely authors to help you get the word out about a new book. Yay! Here’s all the info you need….

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/

Here we are, right on top of a new release for me. And this one is extra special because it let me revisit my Panther shifter world, which I loved. Sexy, animalistic, and right near me in the California Bay Area. Only not all my shifters love San Francisco or stay there in this book. We got a little more global.

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

The other day, I came home to an enormous box of new books. My author copies of Prowl the Night, which comes out at the end of September. Obviously, this was a moment of glee and bouncing around with joyful hand-clapping. What? I may be a bit dorky, but it’s the coolest thing ever when you see the final product in the form of a real book in your hot little hands. The feeling just never gets old.

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

Okay, this isn’t all about Aphrodisia books, but I’m going on the assumption that if you like my Aphordisia titles, you might also maybe kinda sorta like the other stuff I write. So, here’s what’s up with me.

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!

So, I’ve got a new series coming out. Actually, the first in the series is coming out. The second releases next spring. EMBRACE THE NIGHT, which comes out officially tomorrow, though I’m pretty sure you can already get your hands on a copy, is my first full-length novel. Mostly, I’ve written two or three shorter stories in one book, but this one? Is all one story. It’s an action adventure with witches and warlocks and werewolf terrorists. And naughty sex. Quite a lot of it, in fact. I’m sure you’re shocked.

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.

BETWEEN LOVERS

Kensington Aphrodisia ♦ SEXY BEAST IX anthology ♦ Genre: Paranormal; Shifter ♦ Release Date: September 1, 2010
Order Here: Amazon.com · Barnes & Noble · Chapters.ca · Borders · Books-A-Million · Kensington · IndieBound · Powell’s Books

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…

This is an unedited excerpt, it may differ slightly from the final version.

Elan rolled his tight shoulders, shoved his hands in his pockets, and left the room to wander down the hallway that lead to his suite. He smiled tiredly to the Guards positioned along the hall, and they nodded back.

His eyes burned with grit, and he knew he should sleep, but doubted he’d be able to. The way his muscles felt, he’d probably do better if he spent an hour in the gym before he crawled into bed. What he should not do was call Rhiannon to see if she was still up. Nor should he walk down the long pathway to her house and just surprise her. So far, she’d protested neither, no matter how late he worked. She just slid her hands over his body and kissed his as greedily as he kissed her. No questions, no accusations, nothing but a quiet understanding of the momentary escape from reality they both needed.

And, God, he needed.

It was dangerous and stupid to crave her like he did. Even more dangerous was that he enjoyed talking to her as much he enjoyed fucking her. Sex was one thing, but any other kind of intimacy shouldn’t even factor into this affair. He was supposed to be winning her over, not the other way around. Damn it.

“Sire.” The Guard stationed outside Elan’s suite snapped to attention and held the door open. “You have a visitor.”

The other man didn’t specify who, but he didn’t need to. Only a handful of people had the security clearance to be allowed in the king’s private quarters, and when Elan stepped into his sitting room, he drew in a lungful of her sweet scent.

Rhiannon.

Tilting his head, he waited for the feel of her boundless energy to vibrate along his senses. It didn’t come. Frowning, he followed the smell of her into his bedroom and over to the wide expanse of his mattress. She lay curled on her side, one palm tucked under her cheek in sleep. His chest tightened with a tenderness he didn’t want and shouldn’t feel. The pose made her look impossibly young and innocent, something he knew wasn’t true. A smile curved his lips. The woman more than matched him in insatiable wickedness.

Reaching out to push back a flaming curl gently, he watched her eyelashes flutter. She yawned, rolled onto her back, and stretched. Those changeable eyes locked on his face, unpredictable as her moods, and she smiled. “Mmm. I tried to stay up, but the bed looked too inviting. What time is it?”

“Very late. Or very early, depending on your definition.” He let his fingertip trail over her soft cheek, down her throat, and across her collarbone as he mapped his way to her cleavage.

Arching into his touch, she chuckled. “I wore myself out today. Kira has me teaching Pilates to the poor, unfortunate guys on your Guard. The women on the Guard are loving the show, and I’m pretty sure Kira’s just enjoying watching the men be tortured into flexibility.”

He knew that. Every move she made was reported back to him, but listening to her animated retelling made him smile. “How’s my brother doing with it?”

“Very well.” She licked her lips and stared at his mouth, desire shimmering in her gaze. “And flirting with me outrageously while he shows off for his people.”

Elan’s hand froze, hovering over her silken flesh. He shoved back the totally unfamiliar jealousy, reminding himself that the more Between Rhiannon liked and cared about, the more successful his plan would be. He closed his mouth tightly, hiding the fact that his fangs had elongated to deadly points.

Sitting up, Rhiannon tugged her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor beside the bed. “It’s good that I’m keeping in practice with my teaching for when I go back to Portland. I’m going to have to hit the ground running at the gym.”

His muscles tightened as the blow of her leaving hit his gut the same way his jealousy had. That she was leaving wasn’t a surprise–that he hated the idea was. It was a bad sign and it worried him. Shoving his hand into her red-gold hair, he pulled her head around until he could slam his mouth over hers. The possession in the gesture angered him because he knew he had no right to feel it.

Her lips parted under his, welcoming his kiss. He groaned and filled his hands with her breasts, desperate to touch her, to claim her. The lace of her bra maddened him, kept him from softness of her flesh, the tightness of her nipples. A quick jerk and the fabric gave under his superhuman strength. He threw the offending garment in the same direction as her shirt.

People are into some interesting stuff. Fetishes from flesh hooks to flashing to French maids to feathers to figging… and that’s just under “F.” Assuming it’s Safe, Sane, and Consensual, that’s great by me! To each their own.

So, I’m curious. What’s hot, what’s boring or gross or humorous, what’s frightening to you in a kinky erotic romance story? Is electroplay intriguing or scary, or does it completely depend on the circumstance? Is vanilla (a.k.a. non-kinky) lovemaking acceptable in a BDSM story, or does the eye skim past it to the more twisted stuff? Does domination, or a flogging, or a skillful spanking or rope bondage work for you, or not, or is it all about context? Is consensual nonconsent play a total dealbreaker, or a secret fantasy? I have a few of these things in Sweet and Dirty — yep, including vanilla.

Here’s a new excerpt from Sweet and Dirty.

I’d love to hear what you think about kink. What kinky scenes have you read that worked for you, or didn’t work for you?

I’m giving away a copy of my January release, Sweet and Dirty, to one winner out of those of you who leave a comment. Sweet and Dirty contains two long novellas, or “two books in one!” as Terri from Night Owl Romance puts it. But fair warning, these stories “both explore the edgier side of BDSM, going further than just a little bondage.”

For a SECOND chance to win, feel free to visit the Goodreads giveaway of Sweet and Dirty. The giveaway opens today and goes on all month. Goodreads will pick a winner of Sweet and Dirty on December 10th.

Christina