I have loved Emma Holly for years. She's one of my favorite authors and I was once very honored to get to advance read some of her work and pass MY opinion on it for a quote!! Imagine that!! She's totally my idol and she wants MY opinion! Well, I wanted to be very fair...but when I found myself yelling at her publisher WHERE'S THE REST OF IT!?!?!? (It was a three part series I believe.) That's when I knew it was yet another gem by Ms. Holly. I'm so delighted she took the time to answer this interview and hope she will come back many times in the future. :)

1. If you could transform into any animal, what would you choose? Please tell us, as only an author can, why you would make this specific choice?
That’s too easy! I would be a cat, because cats are cool and slinky and – most of all – independent. It’s no accident you can’t teach a kitty to fetch your slippers. Well, maybe if you taped some salmon in them first.

2. Please share with us your most embarrassing moment with a fan or another author
When I was still a newly published author, I met Nora Roberts at a Penguin party. Betina Krahn, who’s a real sweetheart, was kind enough to introduce me to her. I was all excited, until suddenly it seemed Betina was going to speak to someone else, leaving me alone with Nora. Nora was being perfectly nice - even funny - but this paralyzed me. How would I make conversation with the Great One all by myself? Was I allowed to leave if I couldn’t think of anything to say? Thankfully, Betina spied the panic on my face and guided me gently off.

3. Which do you prefer to write? The hero or the villain? And why?
Like any reader, I enjoy a good juicy villain, but I prefer to write the hero. It’s like real life, I suppose. I’d rather spend time with someone nice!

4. Do you have someone in your life that you model your heroes after? What about those villains?
My heroes are combination of qualities I admire, plus a few scrapes and flaws to add dimension. Like a lot of writers, now and then I’ll borrow a villainous trait from some annoying person who’s crossed my path. Naturally, everyone close to me is far too wonderful to provide *that* sort of inspiration.

5. I am a woman who is 43 years old and has a crush on her 25-year-old gardener, what naughty secret do you have to share?
Um, offer to lend him your copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover?

6. I’ll go easy on you this time. What is your sinful pleasure? I have two. Gluttony: where I eat too much Ben & Jerry’s Pistachio Pistachio, and Sloth : where I laze in bed all day watching HGTV (Mike Holmes…mmm nummy!) or Farscape. Please be equally specific.
I’m a bit of a TV addict (and also a Mike Holmes fan!) I’m a fan of expensive imported beer, not so expensive red wine, and too many kinds of sweets to single out just one.

7. Do you sing in the shower? What would Simon Cowell think of your performance? What is your favorite song choice?
Because I have neighbors I don’t want to horrify, I don’t. Not only do I have trouble remembering the words to things, I can only rarely carry a tune. If I were tone deaf, this would be less of a problem. My ideal situation might be a soundproofed shower with a waterproof radio that would always be louder than me. I hate to think I’d be too cowardly to sing at all!

Simon would tear me apart, I’m sure - or maybe just leave the room, shaking his head. I expect the expression on my face would be very poignant.

8. If you could be any of your characters whom would you choose? Tell us why of course.
Nim Wei, the vampire from my Midnight series, springs to mind. She’s not the nicest character I’ve written, or the happiest, but I love how unapologetic and kick-butt she is. She’s always up for a new adventure, and that’s something I admire.

9. Who did it the best? Out of all of your favorite paranormal authors’ works, who wrote the BEST SCENE EVA? Explain.
Laurell K. Hamilton’s first love scene between Anita and Nathaniel in her Anita Blake series is certainly one of my favorites. (I can’t remember which book, but maybe Narcissus in Chains?) That scene struck me as the perfect blend of emotion and hot yet poetic descriptions. And Nathaniel’s butt dimples! They were memorable.

10. You are now a published author, which some would say is the pinnacle for any writer. Now that you have achieved this goal, what is your new dream? What is it that you now aspire to do?
To keep doing it better, of course. Mastering the art of cover design would also be satisfying. Now that I’m indie, playing with covers is my new hobby!

"Date Night"
Olivia Forster never dreamed she’d serve as queen of an enchanted city beneath the sea, something her three sexy husbands know. Though she adores her shapeshifter mates, she’s shy by nature, and they can tell the strain of always being “on” is beginning to wear on her. Sneaking away from their responsibilities won’t be easy, but come hell or high water, they’ll treat her to a night she won’t soon forget!








HIDDEN DEPTHS
James and Olivia Forster have been happily married for many years. A harmless kink here or there spices up their love life, but they can’t imagine the kinks they’ll encounter while sneaking off to their beach house for a long hot weekend.

Anso Vitul has ruled the wereseals for one short month. He hardly needs his authority questioned because he’s going crazy from mating heat. Anso’s best friend and male lover Ty offers to help him find the human mate his genes are seeking. To Ty’s amazement, Anso’s quest leads him claim not one partner but a pair. Ty would object, except he too finds the Forsters hopelessly attractive . . .

Hidden Talents
Werewolf cop Adam Santini is sworn to protect and serve all the supes in Resurrection, NY—including unsuspecting human Talents who wander in from Outside.

Telekinetic Ari is hot on the trail of a mysterious crime boss who wants to exploit her gift for his own evil ends, a mission that puts her on a collision course with the hottest cop in the RPD. Adam wants Blackwater too, but mostly he wants Ari. She seems to be the mate he’s been yearning for all his life, though getting a former street kid into bed with the Law could be his toughest case to date.

Emma has been gracious to enough to donate a copy of Hidden Talents to a lucky commenter. Make sure you comment below for your chance to win!!

Contact Emma on her Website
Facebook or Twitter

At Last! At Last! ADAM: Nightwalkers Book Six!

I made you wait THREE years. Some of you are far luckier than those who followed me from the beginning and had to wait much less time. To be honest, I didn't think I was ever going to write this book. I thought, maybe in my old age I would amuse myself by finally doing something with that bitch Ruth. Heh. Well, I admit, I was feeling a little burned out at the time. I wrote those novels back to back, REALLY fast, (on average of 2.5 weeks per novel--unmedicated bipolar manic episodes--with minimal time in between) and I also had so many other worlds I wanted to write about now that I was officially a published author! I do confess to a bit of series A.D.D., but this time I am finishing what I started.

Well,...maybe ;)

I'm not trying to be coy. I'm trying to be a naughty biotch. Is it working? Hehehe.

Let's talk us some ADAM. Ahh..what can I say? Well, to be honest, not very much! I have bent over backwards trying to keep the plot of this book secret. Not that outside sources have helped much with that. But those of you who follow me on Facebook know about my pet peeves about reviewers who think its their job to blab out spoilers (it's not) and readers who like to spoil things for others, and websites that think misprinting parts of the lead in to the book is going to help you want to buy it. (It's not.) And bookstores that continually insist on slapping the book out onto shelves in advance of the release date like they are doing me some kind of favor. (They aren't.) Sigh. It's been an uphill battle really. And what's the big deal? Why work so hard? Well, first, that's my job. I work damn hard at crafting not just a story, but what I like to consider a total experience. That excitement when you read the back of the book, the anticipation when you wait for it to come in the mail (or download on your kindle:nook:etc), the fondling of the cover, the deep breath in before you crack that cover and start the whole experience....then the laughing, the crying...the fury...the sighing, the joy, the lust...oh, yeah baby, that's the stuff! And if I don't wrench all of that out of you, I have NOT done my job, dammit. THAT'S why I take this all so seriously. And when I take risks like I did in ADAM, I take them in order to craft the entertaining and emotional arc that you are spending your hard earned downturned economy bucks to get! For someone to come along and take that away from you...well, I'm the first in line to kick 'em in the balls. NO ONE is going to cheat my readers, dammit! Not while I'm still alive and breathing!

But now is the day. ADAM is here! The countdown is over! YAHOO! I just served you up a heaping plate of tall, dark and handsome with a side order of smoking powerful and deeply loyal manliness. Oh, and the dessert is that tart and saucy little minx of a Vampire you all know and love so well who is SO in dire need of meeting her match! Watch out Jasmine, here he comes! Available in audio, print and ebook!

A week after this debut, ADAM will make his appearance on my role-playing page on Facebook. If you aren't following me on Facebook, please do so! I'll give you all the latest and greatest and some really freakin funny cat pictures too. I also TWEET. Both links are in the sidebar or you can click to follow. Oh and keep an eye out for some fabulous updates on the webpage! Also, there's some work in store for JAX, my alter-ego. You'll here more about that just as soon as I do.

Now I may seem a little quiet these next few months as far as unblushing is concerned, but that's because I have HUGE HUGE plans in the works. Stay tuned. I'll let you know all about it as soon as possible. I think you'll be tickled to death. :)

Anyway, my assistant Natalie, my fan club president Melena (who runs the role-playing page) and myself are thrilled to have you with us. Let's have some fun. And please, if you like the book, post reviews like crazy. And even if you don't...post on Amazon and let me know why. I'm not above your opinions. Far from it.

Thanks for hanging in with me guys!

Hugs and Kitties,
Jacki

PS: Comment or ask me a question below to be entered into a contest for an AUDIO version of one of the earlier NIGHTWALKER books!

Kate Douglas With Her New Series Debut, Dream Catcher!

New series debut—Kate Douglas

Thanks to the amazing Ms. Jacquelyn Frank for turning me loose on her blog for a bit. I do appreciate the opportunity, and a thank you to her assistant, Natalie for keeping me organized! It’s been one of those truly weird months where I’ve literally lost track of what year it is. Those of you who write for a living—or have kids (or cats) of any age—will fully understand. Sometimes life just seems to get ahead of you, doesn’t it?

Part of my problem is that I am really connected to the characters in my new Aphrodisia series, Dream Catchers, which means I’m leaving the real world behind every time I log on to my computer and pull up the story. I didn’t think it would happen so quickly after Wolf Tales, but I guess I’m more fickle than I realized.

I really love these guys!

I wrote the introduction to the series, a novella called Dream Catcher, almost a year ago. It comes out next month in the NightShift anthology from Kensington Aphrodisia, and introduces the new series, called Dream Catchers, which is one of the most bizarre I’ve ever done.

And my poor husband was there when it happened.

Often, I haven’t got a clue what I’m going to write when I sit down at my computer, but this one jumped out and bit me on the butt when I wasn’t anywhere near my office! Doug and I were up in the Sierras, traveling back roads and such, and we stopped in the tiny community of Hat Creek and took a tour of the Allen Array. Now, this is just the coolest thing—like a huge science experiment on steroids.

The array is a collection of high tech satellite dishes marching across a big valley, all pointed at the heavens and recording radio signals from space. It’s part of the SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) project among others, but it’s much too involved for me to go into here—if you want to know more about the Allen Array, Wikipedia has a great article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Telescope_Array

There are now over 40 huge dishes—the ultimate goal is for 350—so completion is way off in the future, but so is the idea for my newest series, which has got more of a s/f twist than a lot of my work. The Dream Catcher novella actually takes place in the past, in the early 1990s when personal computers were just becoming popular. My hero is a young computer geek named MacArthur Dugan who literally meets the woman of his dreams.

Except Zianne is a lot more than fantasy. She owes her corporeal existence to fantasy—Mac’s, to be precise—and her story and the fate of her entire race of Nyrians will depend on the technological advances Mac can make over the next twenty years.

When I saw the huge dishes at the Allen Array, which are all receivers, the “what ifs” took control. I wondered what would it be like if you could send signals out as well. And what if the signals you were sending were sexual fantasies, and the energy in those fantasies could help bring a group of enslaved aliens to safety? (and yes, I really did get this idea while wandering through the array up at Hat Creek with my husband. And no, he didn’t bat an eye when I ran the idea by him...) And that, of course, led me to my first story and a young man at the dawn of today’s amazing technology. I decided that Mac would be the one to push science and computers to a point where he could build his own array and use those dishes to help save Zianne’s people.

But that, of course, is all in the future—in the book I’m writing now. The beginning of the story will be out in a few weeks, and I hope you’ll give it a shot. Dream Catcher is already leading me into story ideas that are so different from what I’ve done before, and yet in many ways the same. The novella will introduce you to MacArthur Dugan and his closest friend, Nils “Dink” Dinkemann. And you’ll meet Zianne, who is so much more than what she seems.

Mac and Dink have grown up together in the same foster home and are as close as brothers, though that’s not close enough for Dink. He’s gay and has always loved Mac, and while Mac loves Dink, he feels he can’t be the lover Dink needs and wants—Mac loves women way too much.

Zianne changes everything. She quickly becomes a lover and a friend, and she encourages Dink to join them when she and Mac make love. It’s something Mac and Dink hadn’t expected, and it’s a huge surprise to Mac to discover how much he loves having Dink in his bed. But it’s not all love and sex—Mac’s been falsely accused of dishonesty during the application for a grant to continue his graduate studies. His search for the truth lands all three of them in danger from a problem that’s much larger than just Mac’s application. And then there are the questions about Zianne, who is intelligent and beautiful—and obviously not quite human.
Dream Catcher is pure fun with a couple of gorgeous guys, a mysterious woman from another world, some good action and even more really hot sex. And, if you don’t mind waiting for your prize, I will send the winner of this blog a copy of NightShift as soon as my copies arrive. Just leave a comment to be entered—say hi, tell me what you’re reading now, what your favorite genre is, whatever you like and your name will be automatically entered to win a copy of NightShift. Or, if you’d rather not wait, you can choose from either one of my Wolf Tales or DemonSlayers books—readers choice (anything from WTVII on/Sexy Beast VI on or any of the first three DemonSlayers).
If you’d like to read the first chapter excerpt of Dream Catcher, you can find it in the “adults only” section of my website. http://www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance/id71.htm

You can find me at www.facebook.com/katedouglas.authorpage or on Twitter @wolftales

A Brief Note:

Dear Readers,

There have been some distressed letters from people who have been exposed to a shocking part of the first chapter of ADAM: THE NIGHTWALKERS on a website. This chapter is sans prologue and out of context. My only advice to you is to please...keep reading...and trust your author. ;)

USA Today Bestselling Author Nina Bangs!!

Please join me in welcoming the lovely Nina Bangs to our blog this week. She is the USA Today bestselling author of three series: the Mackenzie Vampires, the Castle of Dark Dreams, and the Gods of the Night. Romantic Times Book Reviews chose Eternal Craving, the second book in her Gods of the Night series, as their best shape-shifter romance of 2009.
She has been gracious enough to answer a few crazy questions for your enjoyment, so sit back and relax. Be sure to leave a comment below because Nina has several great gifts to give away!




1. If you could transform into any animal, what would you choose? Please tell us, as only an author can, why you would make this specific choice?

I did some heavy thinking (about three minutes) and decided that I’d love to be the Loch Ness Monster. Nessie has it all. She wakes up each morning surrounded by the beauty of Scotland. She is a woman of mystery, pursued by many. Men have spent their entire lives trying to get merely a glimpse of her. She is the subject of conjecture and legend. Nessie doesn’t have to worry about facelifts or growing old because she just…is. Not a bad life.

2. Please share with us your most embarrassing moment with a fan or another author.

My most embarrassing moments are inevitably when someone asks me to tell them about my books. My plots tend to be…unique, and peoples’ eyes generally glaze over when I’m about halfway through. I always hated trying to pitch my books to editors or agents in person. Their expressions usually said, “Where’s the nearest mental health facility? Get this woman some help.” Somehow, once I write the whole book it all makes sense. Usually. Sometimes. Okay, once in a while.

3. Which do you prefer to write? The hero or the villain? And why?

The villain is a lot more fun. He doesn’t have to be sensitive with an inner core of goodness. He can be as vile and miserable as he wants to be. And sensitivity is definitely not a desirable character trait for the truly evil. The best part? I don’t have to redeem him. He can go to his grave cursing and making obscene gestures. Yes, I love my villains.

4. Do you have someone in your life that you model your heroes after? What about those villains?

My heroes live only in my mind. Not that I haven’t known men who were hero material, but molding a hero in the image of someone I know makes me uncomfortable. I want my heroes to be their own men. I do admit, though, to modeling one of my villains after a real person.

I was a teacher for many years, and an official evaluator would sit in on one of my classes once or twice a year to decide how well I was doing. And of course he could tell that from a one-hour visit. Ahem. Anyway, every time he visited my class he delighted in nit-picking me to death. I took great pleasure in making him evil incarnate in one of my books.

5. I am a woman who is 43 years old and has a crush on her 25-year-old gardener. What naughty secret do you have to share?

Horrors! Shame on you! I can’t believe you’re telling me something so disgraceful. And I wouldn’t think of sharing any naughty secrets with you.

My advice is to avoid temptation by firing your gardener. Umm, and when you do, please send me your contact information for the hottie. I’ll tell him my naughty secrets.

6. I’ll go easy on you this time. What is your sinful pleasure? I have two. Gluttony: where I laze in bed all day watching HGTV (Mike Holmes…mmm yummy!) or Farscape. Please be equally specific.

I’m a slave to ice cream (any flavor). I can’t have it in the house. I’m not one of those people who can eat a few teaspoons and be satisfied. One teaspoon leads to a tablespoon which leads to a big honking bowl. Then, of course, comes the guilt. The punishment phase begins when I step on the scale the next day. It’s always been a mystery to me how one bowl of ice cream translates to three pounds of fat. Do the math.

My other sinful pleasure is “Coast to Coast AM”, a radio program that comes on at midnight in my time zone. They interview experts in many fields including the paranormal. Yes, I stay awake to hear interviews with people who believe aliens have visited Earth in the past and the latest research on time travel. The show had discussions on the 2012 ending of the Mayan long count calendar long before it came to the notice of the mainstream media, hence the idea for my Gods of the Night series.

7. Do you sing in the shower? What would Simon Cowell think of your performance? What is your favorite song choice?

I love singing in the shower or any other place where I won’t have an audience. As for Simon Cowell, he’d probably say, “I never want to hear that song again. I cannot stand it. I’m allergic to it.” That’s an actual quote from him, and I’m sure he’d break it out again for me.

Actually, I did sing publically for a short time when I was much younger. A friend and I went to Ireland and stayed for several years. It was tough to get regular jobs without a work permit, so since both of us played the guitar and had sung together for a while, we got gigs in Dublin pubs and hotel lounges singing Irish folk songs. Yes, there’s a great deal of irony in that.

My favorite song choice? Any song that doesn’t involve more than two octaves. I don’t have much range. “And the rockets’ red glare” in the “Star Spangled Banner” gets me every time.

8. If you could be any of your characters whom would you choose? Tell us why of course.

I’d have to choose Sparkle Stardust. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be the queen of sexual chaos? Okay, so maybe I’m the only one. But let’s look at what it means to be Sparkle. She’s a cosmic troublemaker who’s lived for millennia, and during that time she’s brought thousands of mismatched couples together, watched them achieve sexual nirvana, and then experienced the joy of seeing their relationships wither and die. What fun! She’s utterly cool in every way. She has the sexiest wardrobe in existence, and she’s always willing to share her beauty and relationship secrets with her female victims…er friends. She’d share them with her male friends too, but most of them aren’t secure enough in their masculinity to accept her wisdom. Too bad for them. But the best thing about Sparkle is her unapologetic shallowness. She’s all about sex, sin, and her next victim. You have to admire someone that goal oriented.

Hmm, perhaps I haven’t made her seem particularly likeable. Well, she does have one weakness. She loves Ganymede, the cosmic troublemaker in charge of creating chaos throughout the universe. Perhaps in the end, love can truly redeem the irredeemable. Besides, she makes me laugh.

9. Who did it the best? Out of all of your favorite paranormal authors’ works, who wrote the BEST SCENE EVA?

This is a toughie. I’ve read so many wonderful books in my lifetime that it’s difficult to remember individual scenes. And everyone’s reading taste is different. What I find memorable might be very ordinary to someone else.

With that said, a scene that I’ve remembered over the years was from Body Electric by Susan Squires (published in 2002 by Dorchester). I won’t go into the plot, but the scene where Jodie Prime dies made me cry. Books don’t often make me cry. Movies are another thing. I was a child when I first saw Bambi. I never recovered from the death of Bambi’s mother.

10. You are now a published author, which some would say is the pinnacle for any writer. Now that you have achieved this goal, what is your new dream? What is it that you now aspire to do?

I don’t think I’ll ever reach the pinnacle. Nora Roberts is already sitting there and she doesn’t seem ready to vacate the spot. I can almost see her waving down at me now. ☺

Seriously, I’d love to create a blockbuster series, preferably in paranormal romance or urban fantasy. By blockbuster, I mean books that millions of readers wait breathlessly for each year. No, I don’t expect a Harry Potter in my future, but I’ll keep writing each book with the goal of becoming a better storyteller. And maybe someday…

That said, if I never have a blockbuster series, I’m satisfied with the privilege of writing stories that people enjoy reading. There was a time when actually getting a book published seemed like an unreachable goal. Thank you to all the readers that made it happen for me.


Nina lives in Texas with her cat and a sexy vampire who never made it into her books. She’s joking about the vampire, but she assures me that she’d be open to the concept. The paranormal world fascinates her, and when she’ s not racing the clock to meet a looming deadline, she dreams about sneaking around old houses in search of resident ghosts.

Nina Bangs, offers the next installment in her popular Gods of the Night series.

The souls of ancient predators crouch within these men. Primal instincts and barely contained savagery drive them. But in a modern world threatened with chaos and darkness, they are…
Gods of the Night.

Utah knows all about vengeance. Vampires killed his brother, and that act demands only one response. He frees his beast and destroys every bloodsucker he finds. But he never expected to meet a leader of his immortal enemies who was so beautiful, bewitching…and mortal.

Lia understands her destiny. She has a duty to stop the rogue vampires who are intent on wiping out the human race along with any nonhumans that get in their way. But she needs help dealing with the shadowy power guiding the escalating slaughter. Utah would be her last choice for a partner. Once a deadly foe, he now becomes her ally and protector. Loving him will be more dangerous than anything she’s ever done. Because when Utah releases his soul, the ultimate predator will once again stalk the earth, and death will walk with him.
USA Today bestselling author Nina Bangs once again tempts readers to enter the wickedly sensual Castle of Dark Dreams—a playground where private pleasures and devilish fantasies come true, where the men who breathe life into women’s ultimate desires burn with their own supernatural fire…

As an angel, Passion prides herself on perfection. But some mischievous part of her always goes against the godly grain. After one too many attempts to enliven the heavenly halls, she’s sent to earth to tame her naughty nature. While human, she has to bring goodness and light to the most sinful of places, the Castle of Dark Dreams. Once there, she finds herself in the role of a virgin used as bait to trap a marauding demon. Passion thinks the game is harmless—until she sees the man playing the demon. His name is Edge, and Passion senses darkness in him beyond any she’s ever dreamed.

Edge may play a demon, but he is something much worse. His past is littered with pain and destruction—and that’s the way he likes it. Now he must prove to himself and others that he is what he’s always been—cold and emotionless. But as danger threatens and his need for Passion heats up, he finds himself balanced on love’s Wicked Edge.
The Castle of Dark Dreams series, Book 5 Releases March 6th, 2012!
Pre-Order TODAY!

Leave a comment below for your chance to WIN one of two prizes. Each winner will receive their choice of a signed set of either the Gods of the Night series or the Castle of Dark Dreams series, plus a $20 Barnes & Noble gift card. Wow, those are some great giveaways! Please thank Nina for being here and comment below :)


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