trueromance

Setting: Los Angeles, California and Malibu
Subgenre: contemporary romance
Hero: Michael Warner
Heroine: Rebecca O’Neill

One sentence summary: BUTTERFLY TATTOO is the story of three scarred people—a man with a complicated past, a little girl in mourning and a woman who is stronger than she knows—being healed by the power of love.

Scene you like most and would never cut: When Michael gets it right on, Andrea’s, his daughter’s, birthday and they have an important talk. Don’t want to say too much because of spoilers. But that scene in the studio commissary, for those who have read the book, is probably my favorite because of how far the characters have come and because of the breakthrough they share in it.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
Rebecca wouldn’t do anything to attract undo attention. She was in the limelight while starring on a successful sitcom and that nearly ended in her death at the hands of a stalker. So not only is she leery of drawing too much notice, she’s self-conscious about her resultant facial scars. In fact, this is part of her growth arc. She begins to step out of the dark (which is where the book literally begins) and into the light again. She stops hiding, both literally and figuratively.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy:
A boxer guy, definitely. Although he wouldn’t say no to commando!

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: Oh, this one’s easy! Trevor, Rebecca’s best friend and assistant. He was the one who found her after she was stabbed, and he’s the one who’s held her together and also pushed her the hardest. Always gentle about it, Trevor is firm with Rebecca when he needs to be. The velvet hammer! But the thing that’s interesting about him, too, is that because he’s gay, he has his own take on Michael’s bisexuality and is distrustful of Michael’s intentions. So that adds an interesting complication to the friendship between Trevor and Rebecca as her relationship with Michael deepens.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: She loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen. She’s also a fitness nut, and runs every day. Staying strong is important to her because she’s fought so hard to come back from her life-threatening injuries.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Surfing! It’s the family’s biggest hobby and that definitely comes to include Rebecca after the book ends. She even enters a women’s amateur surfing contest one day.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
I hear from lots of people that it’s a multi-hanky read, but in the best possible way. So I think people will like the emotional journey they go on with these characters, wounded, broken people who find healing and love.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
That would be King Leonidas in my Gods of Midnight series. But guess what? I’m writing that book, RED MORTAL, now!

What’s next: In May, I have a digital e-read from NAL/Signet called RED BLOODED, the story of a blinded Iraq war vet who hunts vampires. Then in June, RED DEMON comes out and I am so excited to share Ari’s story with all my readers. He’s one of my favorite heroes that I’ve ever written.

QUESTION FOR READERS: In BUTTERFLY TATTOO Rebecca tries surfing, even though she’s terrified. It’s a pivotal moment in her journey to finally overcome her attack and embrace life again. Have you ever tried something that you were tremendously afraid of doing? What did you feel like after tackling the fear?

A free copy of BUTTERFLY TATTOO will be given to a randomly-selected reader who answers the above question or who makes another comment related to BUTTERFLY TATTOO.

This is your chance! We are now soliciting guest READER bloggers & we want you!

I know, you’re saying to yourself, I don’t know if I can write a post . . . what would I talk about . . . if these thoughts are running thru your mind, think about these questions & comments:

1. Do I love to read romance?

2. I just finished reading “__________” & would love to chat with other readers who also read romance.

3. I’m not a writer but can put my thoughts together . . . anyway, I know I can do a better job posting than SueG!

4. My friends are always telling me I should start a blog - - urgh! Who has time for that? Here’s an opportunity to be part of a community of readers & post on Borders blog . . . can I do that?

5. It would be fun to post on a blog where I can direct the conversation, at least I should try it once . . .

6. No commitment needed but to create one post . . .right?

7. I won’t have to worry about others commenting as I’ll have all my friends come & comment.

8. SueG can do free giveaways for me, right?

9. SueG should give me a free giveaway for posting, right?

10. Awwwwww heck, why not just do it, what do I have to lose . . . I can change my avatar if I mess up badly, it’s not as if I’m SueG!

So you savvy readers out there . . . you Tweet, avid Facebook commenters, are My Space fluent & love youtube, comment below & see if you’re chosen to guest post.

Borders True Romance Blog is a community for its readers & we want YOU to be part, so what better way to express yourself in the Romance community is there but to blog.

Good luck . . . . comment below . . . . winners will be chosen & announced next week under a separate post.

Happy Romance!

Is it the furry kind that twinkles your fancy? A lion like in Mane Event? Wolf friends like Dark Slayer? Werebears seen in Bad Moon Rising?

Or do you like the scaly type — Dragons w/ Deborah Cooke & Winter’s Kiss? Katie MaAlister has dragons with color, Me & My Shadow? Naked Dragon with Annette Blair on sale 1/5/2010?

Or do you like totally dark Demon types in Gena Showalter’s sereis, The Darkest Whisper? Or, a total twist with fallen angels in Covet, by JR Ward? Claire Delacroix has her version of angels on the decline with Guardian, are these characters more to your taste?

Or are vamps the thing for you? Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed Series, next installment, Shades of Midnight? Shadowlight by Lynn Viehl continues her ongoing Darkyn series? Or, do you prefer the undead in Mary Janice Davidson’s zanny, Queen Betsy series, Undead & Unworthy?

Obviously, I could go on & on, as there is not a void in the paranormal publishing market! So tell us below, what do you like? Personally, I like them all, but I still gravitate to my all time fav’s, the vampires written by diva’s Christine Feehan & Sherrilyn Kenyon, but, the werewolves are hot on their heels!

One random commenter below will be chosen to receive a pararnomal batch of goodies! (sorry! for US residents only!)

Until tomorrow - happy romance!!

BEYOND THE DARK, Emma Holly’s story
Setting: An alternate ancient Egyptian reality, one that includes demons
Subgenre: Fantasy romance
Hero: Prince Memnon
Heroine: Queen Tou

One sentence summary: Proud Prince Memnon is sent to join beautiful Queen Tou’s harem as a peace offering.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Where Memnon and Tou fight their enemies back to back. They’re both so kick-butt!

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “You decide, honey. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: My hero would rather go naked

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: All the members of Queen Tou’s harem were fun to write, but her adviser Deir touched my heart the most.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: She has a harem, so three guesses . . . and two don’t count!

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Convincing my heroine she doesn’t need a harem.

What you think readers will like best about this book: It’s escapist and sexy and Memnon and Tou really come together as equals.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Queen Tou was that person! I introduced her in the backstory to DEMON’S FIRE and became hopelessly intrigued.

What’s next: Right now I’m playing with my vampires, a two-part story tentatively titled DEVIL AT MIDNIGHT/ANGEL AT NOON that follows Christian Durand from SAVING MIDNIGHT.

Question for the Day: If you could have an adventure in any period of history, where would you go and why?

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“Caught by the Tides” by Diane Whiteside
Setting: 1803 Cornwall
Subgenre: Paranormal Romance
Hero: Owen Bentham, a reluctant King’s Mage who’s carrying a vital message back to London
Heroine: Emma Sinclair, a naval officer’s widow with hidden magickal talent

One sentence summary: In 1803, only a single King’s Mage and a chance-met country widow stand between Napoleon Bonaparte and the conquest of England – that is, if they can open up more than their hearts to each other.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Emma summons her home’s magick to evict her importunate suitor from her very elegant morning room, using elements like rippling floors, slamming doors, and howling drafts.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Emma is a general’s granddaughter and an admiral’s daughter. She’d never be caught dead having a food fight.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: Boxers. (I’m guessing about this, given that neither item of clothing was around in 1803. But I think boxers are closer to the breeches’ fit back then.)

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: Emma’s grandfather, the General, who’s a very salty old dude.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: Needlework. It’s delicate, colorful and useful, since it can decorate many everyday items.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Anything related to horses. Owen is always happiest around them – at least until he meets Emma.

What you think readers will like best about this book: Magick which increases when you open your heart to love.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Sean’s son Mike, from THE SWITCH. I’ll be happy to write it, once he tells his story to me!

What’s next: Lowell and Portia’s story in THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS, coming June 2010

Question #2 of the day: If a hero washed up at your feet during a raging storm (the way Emma met Owen), who would you want to meet?

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“Dragon Dance” by Angela Knight
Setting: James County, South Carolina
Subgenre: Paranormal Romance
Hero: Josiah Ridge, also known as the superhero “Tracker.”
Heroine: Sergeant Arial Dean, hostage negotiator and sheriff’s deputy.

One sentence summary: When a beautiful hostage negotiator finds herself with superpowers, a handsome superhero becomes her erotic mentor in the battle against evil.

Scene you like most and would never cut: The first scene of the novella in which Arial conducts a hostage negotiation to save a woman and her children from the woman’s psychotic superpowered husband.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Wearing a skimpy bimbo costume.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: Boxers

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: The heroine’s Chinese dragon spirit.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: Target shooting

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Lifting weights.

What you think readers will like best about this book: My superpowered hero

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Richard Bay, also known as the superhero Psych.

What’s next: I’d like to do Psych’s story.

Question #3: How would the existence of real-life superheroes change modern life?

Answer all three questions & one commenter will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BEYOND THE DARK! good luck!

Setting: Ohio - February 2009

Subgenre: Paranormal Romance - Dragon shape-shifter romance (WINTER KISS is book #4 in the Dragonfire series.)

Hero: Delaney Shea

Heroine: Ginger Sinclair

One sentence summary: Delaney is on a suicide mission to destroy the source of the Dragon’s Blood Elixir to ensure that none of his fellow Pyr ever have to endure his fate - but he’s not counting on having his firestorm, much less on fiery Ginger, who never gives up without a fight.

Scene you like most and would never cut: I love Ginger and Delaney’s first sex scene! It comes early in the book and they don’t know each other that well - there’s just this powerful attraction between them. Okay, there’s HEAT! And Ginger surprised Delaney, shaking his world a little bit with her lingerie. That was fun. I liked that they were so playful in bed together — a good sign for a future beyond a one-nighter - as well as the contrast between the blizzard outside, and the firestorm inside.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Ginger would never surrender - anything or anyone. I loved that she went after Delaney, and that everything she learned about his history just made her more determined. She’s someone I’d want on my team. (Did Delaney ever have a chance of resisting her? I don’t think so…!)

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: Brief. Absolutely! I’m actually having a hard time envisioning a buff dragon-shape shifter dude wearing boxers. Hmm. What kind of Pyr do you think would wear boxers?

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: The whole Wyvern subplot is one that fascinates me, and one that keeps turning in unexpected directions.

In the world of the Pyr - my dragon shape shifters - all of the Pyr are men. There is only ever one female Pyr at any given point in time, and she’s a kind of prophetess. Traditionally, she has remained apart from the world and dispatched dreams to the Pyr to help them out, if she’s so inclined. A lot of them haven’t been too interested in the mundane details of the world. When the Dragonfire series started, the Wyvern was Sophie and she was different from her predecessors - she wanted to make a difference. So, she bucked tradition and overcame her own reservations - she even fell in love. But she paid a price in KISS OF FATE for her choice.

I’m determined to give the former Wyvern, Sophie, her H.E.A. although the details aren’t quite clear to me yet. (I suspect that Erik, the leader of the Pyr, is withholding information from me. He tends to be that way). Meanwhile, the Pyr have a new Wyvern, Zoë. She’s Erik’s daughter and just a toddler, but I’m interested in how her powers are already revealing themselves. She’s going to be a force to be reckoned with!

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: I’m not sure Ginger has time for a hobby - instead she has a couple of jobs that she loves. (Maybe when you make a living by following your passion, you have less need for hobbies.) She breeds heritage cattle, runs an organic dairy farm, wants to turn the rest of her land into an organic farm, and is a professional chef.

No spoiler that she’s going to be busy with the mom-thing, too.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Delaney hasn’t had hobbies for a while, either, since he was being tortured by Magnus and trying to not go crazy. He’s pretty interested in Ginger’s organic plans, though, and I can see him taking charge of turning the land into an organic farm. Maybe they’ll raise market produce. He also loves horses, especially workhorses like Clydesdales and Percherons - I suspect Ginger is going to find a new breeding program starting in the barn, alongside her dairy cattle “girls”.

I also have a feeling that once the kids (his and Donovan’s) get older, there might be some motorcycles and muscle cars being taken apart in the old barn.

What you think readers will like best about this book: What I’ve heard from people is that they like that this Dragonfire book is a bit darker and a bit sexier. Everyone loves Delaney - and really, what’s not to like about a wounded hero being healed by the power of the right woman’s love? I really enjoyed writing Delaney’s story - those tormented heroes are my favourites. Ginger was a delight - she’s just so “can-do” and takes everything in stride. She’s the kind of person who is always ready to listen to the problem, then start working immediately on a solution.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:  Rafferty! Everyone wants Rafferty to have his firestorm, I think because he’s such a romantic.

What’s next:  Next up is Niall’s book, WHISPER KISS, coming next summer. Niall takes on the job of eliminating the last of the shadow dragons - this second trilogy is all about ridding the world of the Dragon’s Blood Elixir - even though he knows that his twin brother is a shadow dragon. The shadow dragons are like zombies, so Niall thinks he can do the dirty work of killing his brother. It won’t be easy, but he’s ready. Of course, he’s not counting on his firestorm happening at the worst possible moment or on a new villain finding a way to re-animate the shadow dragons. This throws Niall’s game, and makes him wonder whether his twin, like Delaney, could be healed.

Niall might not want a firestorm when he has so much to do, but his twin brother is ready to interfere out of jealousy - will Rox be able to tell the difference between them? Does she hold the key to Niall fulfilling his quest? Plus there’s Rox, an unconventional heroine who is about as different from Niall as possible. I love how Rox challenged Niall and pushed him out of his comfort zone - she’s another heroine who doesn’t take no for an answer. And she asked really good questions, ones that made Niall stop to think and reconsider his assumptions.

That was good for him - he was wide awake every night, fighting the heat of the firestorm anyway! We head into some new territory with this book, right along with Niall and Rox. I think you’ll enjoy the ride.  And now - yes, it’s true - I’m writing Rafferty’s book. Don’t worry - I have a very special firestorm planned for our fave dragon dude. He’s been waiting so long, after all - Melissa has to be worth the wait!

Question of the Day:

So, tell me what kind of a Pyr you’d have as your own, if you could choose? They’re all honorable and loyal and strong, but their characters are different. So, would it be the strong silent hero, like Quinn in KISS OF FIRE? The handsome confident hero, like Donovan in KISS OF FURY? The resolute - and taciturn - hero like Erik in KISS OF FATE? Or the wounded hero, determined to make the world better for others even if it means destroying himself, like Delaney in WINTER KISS?

I have to admit that I love them all, each for a different reason!

Add your comments here, and be eligible to win an autographed copy of WINTER KISS!

Hello, Borders readers! I’m tickled three shades of pink to be here, discussing my very most favorite thing in the world: dishy guys. Well, OK, technically, I’m here to talk about my newest release, Me and My Shadow, but since that book is just chock full of dishy guys, I figure I’ll just do the two birds and one stone thing and make everyone happy.

For those of you who are new to my books, Me and My Shadow is the third book in my silver dragons series, which you probably guessed is a paranormal romance. Dragons, in my books, are beings who mostly run around in human form—extremely dishy human form—but they are most definitely not human.

The hero of the silver dragon series, Gabriel Tauhou, looks a whole heck of a lot like Jason Mamoa, but with silver eyes. I used to think of Gabriel as a kinder, gentler dragon—especially when compared to the hero of the first dragon series, Drake Vireo—but after seeing him in action defending his much beloved mate May Northcott, I’ve revised that idea. Gabriel may look like a nice guy, but he is most definitely a dragon; he defends what’s his, and doesn’t take crap from anyone. And that, to me, is what’s so appealing about him; he may be as handsome as sin, but it’s his heart that has me melting into puddles of Katie goo. He’s unswerving in his loyalty, has a wicked sense of humor, and will do whatever it takes to protect those he loves.

I also used to think that May, the heroine of the series, was about as different from Aisling Grey as she could be, and yet there are traits the two of them share: neither one is content to sit around and allow the men to make everything right for them, both believe in taking charge of a situation rather than avoiding it, and like the dragons, they also try their best to protect their loved ones. It goes without saying that both May and Aisling also find the dragon men arrogant, unyielding at times, and hotter than the dragon fire that simmers beneath the surface.

If I have one favorite scene in Me and My Shadow—and to be honest, there are several that even now make me giggle—it would be the scene with Magoth in the forest. Magoth is a demon lord, and yes, he’s also a dishy guy, but a very bad dishy guy. I think it’s because he’s the epitome of a bad boy (how much worse than a demon lord can you get, after all?) that I love him so very much. In a way, he’s an antihero, very much concerned with himself, but with a passionate interest in everything that goes on around him. He also knows to a very fine point his attraction to women, and isn’t above using that to get what he wants. I keep promising myself to give Magoth a book of his own some day, but until then, I made do with allowing him free rein during a couple of scenes.

Like many readers, when I read a series, I wait with anticipation for characters from previous books to make their appearance. The same thing applies when I’m writing—and it’s for that reason that I have included, and will continue to include, characters from the Aisling Grey series into the silver dragon books. Drake, Aisling, Rene, Nora are all there, and I greatly enjoyed seeing them through May’s eyes. Jim was also there, because it couldn’t be a dragon book without Jim the demon dog, now could it? I think Aisling fans would rise up en masse and smite me if I tried to get away with a Jimless book, but that’s OK, because I’m as fond of the hairy little demon as everyone else. I couldn’t resist one thing with this book, though—I wanted to see Jim in human form. I let him have a brief scene in that shape just to satisfy my own desire, but had to change him back because he was kicking up a fuss about what his Welsh Corgi girlfriend would say.

While I’m on the dishy guy kick, let me mention the hero of my next book, Steamed (February 2010). I’m wildly excited about this book, not just because it’s steampunk and full of adventure and airships and aether, but mostly because the hero, Jack, is a new kind of dishy guy. He’s not arrogant and pushy like the dragons, in fact, he’s pretty much the opposite: he’s a Quaker, and doesn’t believe in lethal force. That doesn’t mean he’s a pushover, however. He’s fiercely protective of Octavia, the heroine, is a swashbuckler at heart, and despite suddenly finding himself ripped out of our world and dropped into a steampunk version, is absolutely in his element rescuing damsels, fighting the bad guys, and cutting a big swath as an airship pirate. All that, and madly in love with the heroine. Could you ask for more in a hero? I couldn’t. Just thinking about Jack makes me smile.

The last dishy guy I want to mention is another bad boy, this one from the dragon series. The dread wyvern Baltic makes several appearances in the silver dragon books, and will be given his own series starting with Love in the Time of Dragons (May 2010). When I told readers that Baltic would be given his own series, many of them shook their respective heads at the idea—like Magoth, Baltic is a bad boy, set on his own course, and apparently without consideration of what anyone else thinks. But I believe that by the end of Me and My Shadow readers can see that there are some extenuating circumstances, and that redemption for Baltic isn’t quite so impossible as it may have seemed.

Here’s my question for all of you: what sort of dishy guys do you prefer as a hero? Do you like the sexy, smoldering dragons, with a touch of arrogance and something that’s not quite human? Or do you prefer a guy with his feet on the ground, who is much more of this world? Or perhaps something in between?

Giveaway – one copy of Playing With Fire & one copy of Up In Smoke, comment below & winners will be chosen at random.

GIVEAWAY:  Meljean will be giving away 20 copies of Demon Forged to random commenters.

DEMON FORGED, by Meljean Brook

Setting: Modern-day Rome and San Francisco, with a few side trips: to Siberia; to Caelum, a heavenly realm; and to Chaos, a hellish realm filled with dragons

Subgenre: Paranormal romance

Hero: Alejandro Sandoval de Córdoba y Hacén, a Guardian who was originally a Spanish noble, and who was executed during the Inquisition.

Heroine: Irena, a 1600-year-old Guardian who had been a Roman slave.

One sentence summary: Once almost lovers, but separated by a demon’s bargain for four hundred years, Irena and Alejandro must put aside their painful history, overcome betrayal and tragedy – and destroy a monster that threatens not just the Guardians, but everyone on Earth.

Scene you like most and would never cut:

In the second half of DEMON FORGED, Irena and Alejandro share a scene that just rips my heart out. They’ve had a long and tumultuous romance, to say the least – and when they’ve finally managed to settle a few things between them and hope to move forward, the Guardians suffer a loss that leaves Irena emotionally gutted.

Irena tries to deal with her grief alone, but Alejandro finds her and simply holds her. The scene is quiet, and relatively short, and just shows all the ways that Alejandro and Irena are right for each other. I love it.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “Oh, I just love those heels!”

I’ve written my share of heroines (and one hero) who care about their appearance, and who would absolutely love shopping for clothes, makeup, the works. Irena – however much she would enjoy spending time with her friends – can’t imagine putting anything on her body that isn’t practical.

Irena isn’t my first heroine with almost two thousand years under her belt, but I went in an entirely different direction than I did before. Lilith in DEMON ANGEL developed a sheen of urbanity and cynicism, as have many other long-lived characters in paranormal romances. And that urbanity makes sense for these characters, who have often spent centuries maneuvering through complex alliances and political agendas.

Given Irena’s history as a slave of a Roman senator, however, urbanity just didn’t fit. She hates demons, politicians, and games of any kind. She’s blunt to a fault, earthy, and forthright. And although I think that “womanly” describes her perfectly, the traditional notion of “feminine” does not. She’s my barbarian in leather stockings and with kukri knives in her hands, and I love her for it.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy:

Surprisingly, Alejandro is a commando kind of guy. And I say surprisingly, because at first glance he seems more like a black silk briefs type of hero: he’s quiet and controlled, sophisticated and sexy. But you don’t have to strip away many layers before discovering that he’s just as earthy as Irena is. That’s not to say that the controlled outer layer is a façade and the “true” Alejandro lies beneath – he’s both, and that makes him utterly fascinating to me (and, more importantly, to Irena).

Ancillary character you had the most fun with:

Khavi, the ancient grigori with a gift for prophecies that no one can interpret until it’s too late. She helps the Guardians right now, but her motives aren’t exactly altruistic, and no one can get a straight answer out of her. She ends up either infuriating or exasperating everyone, and so the scenes she’s in are both tense and funny.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby:

Sculpting. Irena’s special gift is the ability to manipulate metal, and although she uses it for practical purposes as well – creating weapons, for instance – she also sculpts statues and abstract figures. Very often, her mood can be determined by what forms beneath her fingertips. And, as Alejandro discovers, she can use her gift in some very interesting ways.

Your hero’s favorite hobby:

Reading. Like Irena, Alejandro has his own gift – to manipulate fire – but his method of relaxation includes reading a book, a newspaper, or an essay. He usually chooses nonfiction, especially works discussing world affairs, and is deeply passionate about politics. They aren’t his only love, however, and he has been known to read through a book of poetry from time to time. And if he has the chance to read it aloud to Irena, all the better.

What you think readers will like best about this book:

Irena. I think she’ll be a little hard to warm up to right away, simply because she has bottled up a lot of hate and anger. It’s all directed toward the demons, but her blunt personality takes some getting used to. As the story progresses, however, we see more of her vulnerability, the depth to her character, and the strength that isn’t just physical – and by the end, I hope that everyone will be cheering for Irena as hard as I do.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:

I receive quite a few e-mails about Michael, the leader of the Guardians. He plays an important part in DEMON FORGED, and we get to learn a little bit more about him – and we see a few events that will affect him and his happy-ever-after (which is still a few books away, but I promise we’ll get there!) This is a huge turning point for the Guardian series, and I think readers will be surprised … but also ready to see where we go next.

For anyone who hasn’t met Michael or started the Guardian series, and is afraid that they might be lost if they begin in the middle, I have a series guide on my website (http://www.meljeanbrook.com/primer) that gives you all of the background you need to begin with DEMON FORGED. And I’m always available via e-mail to answer any questions.

What’s next:

I’m writing the next Guardian novel, DEMON BLOOD, and working on my new steampunk romance series, The Iron Seas. I’ve wanted to write steampunk for years, so I can’t begin to express how excited I am by this series, which combines nanotech and pirates with a gritty, gaslit Victorian atmosphere to create swashbuckling steampunk romance…with an emphasis on the steam. The series will kick off with a novella next August, followed by the first novel, THE IRON DUKE.

Q of the day:

Angels are becoming more and more an element in paranormal romance stories . . . how do you as a reader feel about this?  Does it bother you that angels are incorporated in stories that may cast them in a less than positive light?  Or are you OK with this as it is all just for fun?