Monday, July 14, 2014

Dark Heat!

After taking off almost four years while dealing with some personal issues, I've finally got some things happening on the writing front!  First, I have two old anthology pieces that are re-releasing.  The first just came out - DARK HEAT!  See below for the first chapter.


Second - I have some new stories releasing by the end of the year.  I still don't have release dates, so stay tuned for an update.


Hope you've been having a fabulous summer,
Leigh


DARK HEAT





Chapter 1



The bloodred, heavy velvet on the walls made the massive throne room stifling. The bold, swirling pattern on the hard tile beneath her knees bit into her skin through her healer’s robes, adding to her urge to leap to her feet and run. But it was the man Caelan prostrated herself before who had her attention, even as she tried not to stare at him, fearful of drawing his notice.



No matter what the consequences were, she couldn’t lie. She could, however, evade the question with other truths. What mattered were the words that left her mouth. This gift, which had saved lives in the past, now led her into a situation where her own was in jeopardy.



Whatever she said, she would either betray her only friend or enrage her King.



Caelan bowed her head deeper, hoping to delay the inevitable, knowing King Useph wouldn’t hesitate to crush her if he suspected even a fraction of how much she really knew.



Standing to her left, Brianna sobbed silently, her body shaking, blood sliding down her cheek, along her chin, to puddle on the skirt of her golden angel’s gown. During her beating, her kind blue eyes had filled with anger and a stubbornness Caelan would never have guessed possible in her sweet, gentle-natured friend. As delicately beautiful as Brianna was, as fragile as she appeared, even after they’d terrorized her, she had lied.



"You dare to defy me. Me, your King!" Useph had been their friend long ago. The three of them, all related through the vagaries of noble birth, had grown up in this castle together, running wild, playing in the gardens, and laughing together. In the five years since he’d ascended to the throne, he’d turned from a lost, gentle boy into a power-hungry ruler Caelan didn’t even recognize, crushing anyone who got in his way.



Righteous anger marred his handsome face, but it was the fisting hand on the arm of his throne chair that had everyone in the room flinching.



His calculating gaze swooped down on her. "But you, Caelan, you cannot lie." His voice turned knowing, dripping like honey, his eyes full of satisfaction.



No, she couldn’t lie. Falsehoods of any kind eroded her ability to heal. There was a reason her magic was called Speaking. She healed with words, a gift bestowed by the Goddess at her birth. If she lied, her words lost their power. So she would not lie. But that didn’t mean she had to tell the complete truth either. "Please, Sire, I have never seen Brianna with him."



And that was true. She’d never actually seen them, but knew without a doubt that they’d been together. Brianna had told her they’d spent the last month lying in sunbeams and laughing. And Radley’s face, as Caelan shoved him aboard a ship to safety that had left port only hours before Useph had them dragged to the throne room, had been filled with grief only a lovesick fool could experience. They’d been playing with their very lives and they’d known it, yet they’d fallen in love anyway. And their foolish behavior now involved Caelan, putting her in a position where she risked her healing power.



He’s on the edge, Caelan. Keep your head down, your voice respectful. Don’t anger him, or he’ll lash out at you with more than a fist to your face. You just need to make it through this interview unscathed. He won’t kill Brianna. He loves her, he always has.



Useph settled back into the plush, red silk of his ornate throne chair, stretching his legs out in a deceptively lazy action. "You have never seen them together. How carefully worded, Caelan." He tsked. "So close to a lie."



Caelan reeled in her temper. She could not, not, treat him with anything but the utmost respect, or he’d go into one of his rages. He’d be sorry later, but if he killed her, the damage would be done. "Carefully worded or not, Cousin, I am telling the truth."



"If you are so insistent on hiding Brianna’s secrets, perhaps you would like to take her punishment as well. Cousin." He spat the last word, obviously displeased that she’d called attention to their family connection. Leaning forward, he stared at Brianna while drumming ring-laden fingers on his knee. "Would you let your best friend take your punishment to protect your lover?"



Brianna pulled her chin up, her eyes briefly begging Caelan’s forgiveness, then her face turned hard. "I am not Radley’s lover, my King, so I cannot tell you where he has gone."



Radley, a common soldier, a farmer’s son. And the love of Brianna’s life.



In the shadows behind the throne, Useph’s advisor, Sneed, snorted in disbelief.



Brianna glared at Sneed with a contempt they all might feel, but no one dared to express. "If you punish Caelan because of your incorrect suspicions, her blood is on your hands, not mine."



Caelan barely stifled her moan. Had Brianna’s love for Radley turned her insane? Was she mad? She must be, to bait Useph like this.



Only by denying it and sticking to her denial can she save Radley’s life. Useph had promised her lover’s death, but Radley had disappeared. Their King knew Radley could not have escaped the castle unless someone aided him. The magical locks surrounding the area Brianna had been seen in could only be opened by those who had been blessed in ritual.



Only one person could tell him what he needed to know, and Caelan knew it would take luck she’d never had to keep her involvement secret.



She just wished Brianna hadn’t fallen in love in the first place. No man was worth risking your life for under any circumstances. Why did first her mother and now Brianna have to make that mistake?



Useph lunged to his feet. "Don’t you dare talk to me like that!" In two steps, he was before Brianna, the crack of his open palm on her face ringing through the room.



Caelan kept her head bowed, trying not to flinch. Her heart ached for her friend, but she didn’t want to be caught in the middle of this battle. She was a peacemaker and had never been one to flout the rules or engage in confrontation. Her only mistake had been to help a friend in need.



In a moment of panic, she’d let Radley out of the castle and bargained with a boat master to secure him a space on a schooner setting sail for the New Worlds. Caelan had broken the rule she’d lived her life by, and now the consequences could be deadly.



"Your chaste body was intended for a marriage alliance and well you knew it, Brianna. Yet you sullied yourself like a whore with a farmer’s son." Useph trailed a gentle finger down her face, shaking his head as if he was saddened by her behavior.



But Caelan had long suspected that the King had put off marrying Brianna because he wanted her for himself.



"Did you think that my love for you would keep you from feeling my wrath? Did you think you could do whatever you wanted because I’ve always desired you?" His hand snarled in her hair, viciously yanking downward until Brianna fell to her knees before him. “I will kill your lover when I find him. You let him out of the keep, Bree. You helped him escape,” he murmured so softly that Caelan could barely hear the words from where she knelt.



“No,” Brianna moaned, and Caelan could tell from the agony on her face that she’d finally broken. Tears and blood ran down her face, mixing into a pink rain. Her body shook uncontrollably with fear. “I didn’t let him out. I didn’t unlock the door.”



Caelan dropped her head into her hands. She’s scared. She’s thinking about the time we saw the King beat one of his commanders. The beating had gone on and on, until it was too much to endure. The sound of Useph’s fists, then the whip Sneed had so helpfully provided, the spray of blood, the never-ending cries the commander had uttered, pinned upright by his arms between two of his own soldiers. Until his face had turned to just a slab of meat with little specks of bone poking through. He’d lived—Caelan had been able to save him—but the ruined shreds of his face still made her stomach clench a year later.



And all that had only been over an order not being followed with enough speed. The commander’s sin was not nearly as monumental as Brianna ruining a potential marriage alliance that would bring untold wealth and power to their country.



“If you didn’t let him out, who did, Bree?” A stolen glance at Useph showed his long brown hair had shaken free from its queue by the force of his words.



“No—no one.”



“She lies,” Sneed scoffed. “Radley can’t let himself out. He hasn’t gone through the Keep Ritual.”



“So who helped you, Bree?”



Brianna whimpered, crumpling in on herself.



“Shhh,” Useph whispered. “Calm yourself.” He dropped to his knees and cuddled her close, rocking her a little. “I need to know where he’s hiding, Bree. Once I kill him, everything will be all right again.” He pulled back to chuck her under the chin. “Just tell me where he’s gone.”



“I don’t know. I swear it.”



“She knows,” Sneed snarled, pointing a gnarled finger at Brianna.



“I don’t think she does, Sneed. I don’t think she knows where he’s gone.” Curling a lazy finger around one of Brianna’s curls, he stared off in space for a moment while Bree sobbed great tears of pain and hopelessness.



Standing abruptly, Useph dumped her on the floor and turned in half-time. “Who knows all her secrets, Sneed?”  



“Who, my liege?” Sneed asked promptly, ever there to play the lackey.



“Why, her best friend and constant companion, of course. And to make things even more convenient, the only person in this whole castle who cannot lie.” He crossed the room and stopped so close Caelan could see small drops of Brianna’s blood on his otherwise perfect leather shoes. Feathering a finger along her cheek, he whispered, “And you will tell, Cousin. You will tell me where Brianna’s lover is hiding.”



The turn of events had Caelan gasping for breath. Nausea welled up, her stomach twisting so sharply she would have burst into tears and huddled in a ball on the floor if she didn’t think that would anger Useph more.



Instead she closed her eyes, trying to form the prayer that might call the Goddess.  She didn’t expect to be answered. Her deity was always so close when she healed, but in other parts of her life, the Goddess had gone silent.



Behind her closed lids, Brianna’s shining face greeted her. “I love him, Caelan,” she’d whispered months ago, sharing her precious secret, unable to contain her joy. “He’s so gentle and sweet. And he loves me in return. He doesn’t just want to possess me for my beautiful face, but really loves me, Caelly.”



Caelan had tried to warn her, tried so hard to talk some sense into Brianna, but love clouded the air, making reasonable, well-thought-out actions impossible.



“Caelan, I’m waiting for the truth,” Useph said, the sharpness of his tone saying he wouldn’t wait long. He confirmed it by whispering, “You have until the count of five to tell me, or I’m throwing you into The Abyss.”



“Please,” she begged. Could she say the words that would lead to Radley’s death? Could she live with that on her conscience?



Yet the dungeon below the castle—called The Abyss because people went in but rarely came out—scared her worse than anything. A deep pit carved into natural caves where people could only leave if the jailors hauled them up by ropes tied around their waists. She would be a lamb to the slaughter.



Anger crawled up her body and almost shook free a set of words she could never take back. How dare Brianna put her into this position? For that matter, how dare Useph? She was a healer. She’d just wanted to help when Brianna had come to her in tears and panic with the news they’d been seen.



“One,” Useph said gently.





“I am your Speaker, King Useph,” she reminded him in desperation. “I’m valuable to your household. Please do not do this to me.”



No emotion passed his face at her plea. “Two.”



In the background, Sneed sighed. “If you can’t control two girls, Useph, how can you control a kingdom?”





“Do you think I won’t do this?” Useph fisted his hands in her healer robes and hauled her to her feet. “Three.”



“You will. You will. I know you will,” Caelan said, rushing to reassure him.



“Tell me, Caelan.”



If she told, she would save herself from the torture she knew was coming. But how could she live with herself if her words led to someone’s death?



“Four.”



“Oh, Goddess,” she whimpered. She couldn’t tell, couldn’t leave anyone in Useph’s hands. She could only refuse and hope Useph came to his senses before his punishment killed her. “I cannot.”




“Five.” Useph let her go so abruptly she tumbled backward, falling onto her bottom, pain shooting up her spine. “You leave me no choice. Guards, take her to the dungeon and ask her tomorrow and every day after that if she’s ready to tell where he’s gone.”




Two men grabbed Caelan’s arms.




“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Caelan!” Brianna sobbed from where she sat crumpled and broken on the floor.





“So am I, Brianna,” she said, right before the doors to the throne room closed behind her, maybe forever.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Susan Grant Returns!!


MOONSTRUCK by Susan Grant
HQN Books, June 1, 2008

PEACE IS FOR LITTLE GIRLS.
And Coalition starship admiral Brit Bandar is one tough woman. A mere intergalactic treaty could never get her to trust the Drakken Horde. There was too much bad blood between the Coalition and the Horde and, for intensely personal reasons, Brit wasn’t sure that she was through spilling it! But now a peaceful accord has made Finn Rorkken, a notorious Drakken rogue, second-in command on her starship – and through some grand cosmic irony – front and center in her thoughts…and her heart.

WARLEADER. PIRATE.
Either title sat easily on Finn’s battle-hardened shoulders. Though second-in-command to “Stone-Heart” Bandar? That would take some getting used to. Peace required as much sacrifice as war, so he’d comply even if his reaction to the gorgeous admiral fell decidedly outside protocol. But would he end up kissing or killing her if the galaxy’s tentative truce turned into all out war?

Read an Excerpt Here!!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

New Books!


THE DARKEST NIGHT by Gena Showalter

His powers – Inhuman
His passion -- Beyond immortal . . .

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man cursed to die every night, only to awaken the next morning knowing he has to die again.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful . . . Don’t miss this incredible new paranormal series from Gena Showalter!
*****************
LADY AND THE VAMP by Michelle Rowen
April 2008 – Forever, an Imprint of Grand Central Publishing

She fights.Janie Parker’s a supernatural assassin—not by choice, but what’s a girl gonna do? The only thing standing between her and decapitation at the hands of her hellish boss is a magical artifact called The Eye. To get it, all Janie has to do is find a dark, broody vampire named Michael Quinn and take it. Easy, right? Except if Quinn keeps kissing her that way, she just might lose her head...in more ways than one.

He bites. Former vampire hunter Michael Quinn is determined to become human again. If he grabs hold of The Eye and makes a wish—then boom, everything’s good with the world. But now Quinn has a sassy tagalong with a long, delectable neck and orders to stake him on sight. He just hopes his first bite won’t be Janie’s last moment on earth...
*******************
Chris Marie Green also writes as Crystal Green for Silhouette Special Edition and Harlequin Blaze. MIDNIGHT REIGN is book two of the Vampire Babylon series, following NIGHT RISING, Book One.
Reviews:

“An exciting, high tension horror thriller with enough unresolved trust and family issues to make it credible, a hint of romance for spice and a bit of black humor to lighten up the often dark tone, this is a nicely conceived modern vampire tale that will keep readers guessing. The conclusion is certain to leave fans anxiously awaiting the final installment.”
- MonstersandCritics.com

“MIDNIGHT REIGN VAMPIRE BABYLON BOOK 2 is a powerhouse of emotions and revelations…. This story grabbed me and wouldn’t let go until I finished it. Now I have to find out how it all ends. Don’t miss this one. You won’t be sorry. “

- Chere Gruver, PNR

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Oops! Forgot one!


HEAT OF THE NIGHT by Sylvia Day
ISBN: 978-0061231032
HarperCollins Avon
January 8, 2008
Bad boys are her weakness and no one is as wicked as Connor Bruce…
He is the realization of every woman’s erotic fantasies. Existing in the Twilight between sleep and consciousness, Connor brings them decadent pleasures, fueled by their sexual energy. But violence and strife now tear apart both worlds, and Connor must embark on a perilous quest into the mortal realm … and into the arms of one intoxicating enchantress.
Stacey Daniels has always been attracted to the wrong type of men – and the muscular, Viking-like champion on her front doorstep is no exception. She can hardly believe the wounded warrior is from another world, a world where erotic dreams are needed to survive, a world of terrible danger that has followed him to her home. Connor finds solace in her passion, but only time will tell if he can defeat the dark foe who hunts them … and if Stacey can surrender to the promise he offers with every electrifying touch.

Read an Excerpt!

New books out!!

KEEPERS OF THE FLAME by Robin D. Owens
Luna

Twin sisters Bri and Elizabeth Drystan each have a special gift for healing, but they've taken very different career paths. While Elizabeth has pursued a medical degree, Bri has taken a more unorthodox and holistic path. Both of their gifts are sorely needed in the world of Lladrana, as the Dark has launched a deadly new plague. Abruptly summoned to this alien world by desperate sorcerers, Bri and Elizabeth discover they are the fourth such summoning of Earth-born women, or Exotiques. The situation in Lladrana is dire, and Bri and Elizabeth are immediately thrown into the fray. To save the lives of many, one twin may place her own life in dire risk.


Read an Excerpt Here!
ALSO!!!

SOLAR HEAT by Susan Kearney
(TOR Books, February 5, 2008)

Is she an indispensable ally. . . or his worst enemy?

When Intersolar Mining entrepreneur Derrek Archer rescues Azsla from her emergency sleeping pod, he's confounded by his desire for her. An inexplicable desire. An irresistible desire that causes Derrek to wonder if he's been drugged or hypnotized.

Is she better off with him . . . or without him?

Azsla's attracted to the sexy asteroid miner, but she fears getting close to Derrek might compromise her mission and reveal her secret. A secret that she's an enemy spy and her facade hides a complex and powerful woman—one capable of enslaving Derrek and destroying everything he holds dear.
Will Azsla's devastating secret destroy them . . . or save them?
When a cataclysm of deadly proportions threatens Derrek's world, they must overcome their distrust, suspicion and opposing loyalties. But while uniting forces might save a planet, working together might tear them apart or bring them together. Forever.

Read an Excerpt Here!!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

SAVOR ME SLOWLY


by Gena Showalter
(Pocket) December 26, 2007

Mishka Le’Ace was created to be an undercover operative . . . literally. Her beautiful body has been mechanically augmented to give her superhuman strength -- strength she’s going to need. Her latest mission sends her to rescue Alien Investigation and Removal agent Jaxon Tremain from torture and death. With him, she discovers a passion unlike any other. A passion she was forbidden to know. . .
From the moment they meet in a darkened cell, Jaxon craves her touch. But the machine half of Le’Ace forces her to do things she doesn’t always want to do. Even betray him . . . and ultimately destroy him. Now Jaxon must battle the man controlling Le’Ace and even Le’Ace herself to at last claim the woman he’s come to love.

Cover: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ncX3TGilL._SS500_.jpg
SAVOR ME SLOWLY by Gena Showalter
(Pocket) December 26, 2007

Mishka Le’Ace was created to be an undercover operative . . . literally. Her beautiful body has been mechanically augmented to give her superhuman strength -- strength she’s going to need. Her latest mission sends her to rescue Alien Investigation and Removal agent Jaxon Tremain from torture and death. With him, she discovers a passion unlike any other. A passion she was forbidden to know. . .
From the moment they meet in a darkened cell, Jaxon craves her touch. But the machine half of Le’Ace forces her to do things she doesn’t always want to do. Even betray him . . . and ultimately destroy him. Now Jaxon must battle the man controlling Le’Ace and even Le’Ace herself to at last claim the woman he’s come to love.

Cover: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ncX3TGilL._SS500_.jpg
SAVOR ME SLOWLY by Gena Showalter
(Pocket) December 26, 2007

Mishka Le’Ace was created to be an undercover operative . . . literally. Her beautiful body has been mechanically augmented to give her superhuman strength -- strength she’s going to need. Her latest mission sends her to rescue Alien Investigation and Removal agent Jaxon Tremain from torture and death. With him, she discovers a passion unlike any other. A passion she was forbidden to know. . .
From the moment they meet in a darkened cell, Jaxon craves her touch. But the machine half of Le’Ace forces her to do things she doesn’t always want to do. Even betray him . . . and ultimately destroy him. Now Jaxon must battle the man controlling Le’Ace and even Le’Ace herself to at last claim the woman he’s come to love.

Cover: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ncX3TGilL._SS500_.jpg
SAVOR ME SLOWLY by Gena Showalter
(Pocket) December 26, 2007

Mishka Le’Ace was created to be an undercover operative . . . literally. Her beautiful body has been mechanically augmented to give her superhuman strength -- strength she’s going to need. Her latest mission sends her to rescue Alien Investigation and Removal agent Jaxon Tremain from torture and death. With him, she discovers a passion unlike any other. A passion she was forbidden to know. . .
From the moment they meet in a darkened cell, Jaxon craves her touch. But the machine half of Le’Ace forces her to do things she doesn’t always want to do. Even betray him . . . and ultimately destroy him. Now Jaxon must battle the man controlling Le’Ace and even Le’Ace herself to at last claim the woman he’s come to love.

THE LURE OF THE WOLF


by Jennifer St. Giles
Pocket, July 31, 2007

Mighty warriors sworn to protect humanity, the shape-shifters known as The Shadowmen move between two worlds. Now their dark leader has exiled himself from the spirit world, opening the door to the forces of chaos...and to the power of love.

Half wolf, half man, Aragon has abandoned his brethren to repay a debt of honor; he is sworn to kill a rogue Blood Hunter, though exacting revenge will doom him to a ghostly existence trapped between two worlds. But when a mortal woman unexpectedly calls him to her side, the heat of her soft flesh arouses a hunger in him that threatens to complicate his mission.

Dr. Annette Batista, a dedicated healer, is determined to find her missing sister. With the amulet found at the site of her sister's disappearance, she unwittingly summons a shadowy warrior. She wonders if she can trust this powerful male named Aragon, who claims he can vanquish her sister's captor -- the very monster he's vowed to destroy. Or is Annette blinded by her shocking passion for the most alluring, mysterious man she's ever seen?

Read an Excerpt!

FANGED & FABULOUS


by Michelle Rowen
Warner Forever, July 1, 2007

Just stake me now.

My name is Sarah Dearly, and I've got major problems. Last month, I was turned into a vampire by the world's worst blind date. Then I may have, totally by accident, started a war between the mostly peaceful bloodsuckers and a bunch of sociopathic vamp hunters who have nicknamed me the Slayer of Slayers. Now I'm being used as bait to draw out the hunters' bad-ass leader, while my gorgeous 600-year-old boyfriend Thierry seems to be blowing me off, and my sizzle-hot, fanged friend Quinn is trying to turn my self-defense lessons into make-out sessions. So you know what? I'm done. I've had it. There comes a time when a vamp has to just suck it up and go after what she wants. And as soon as I figure out what that is, that's exactly what I'll do...

Read an Excerpt!!

Another from Robin Owens!!!


HEART DANCE by Robin D. Owens
Berkley Trade, July 3, 2007

DuFleur Thyme is a scientist who's secretly experimenting with time. She'll allow no distractions from her work-not even from a HeartMate. Meanwhile, Saille T'Willow has sent his HeartGift out into the world in hopes of finding his HeartMate, who, it turns out, is DuFleur. Still, DuFleur wants nothing to do with Saille, especially when she discovers that it was his grandmother who brought about her father's ruin. Unfortunately, her body can't help but submit to the passion he stirs in her. But when a scandal threatens Saille's position as head of the family, will DuFleur stand by his side?

Read an Excerpt!!!

PLEASURES OF THE NIGHT


by Sylvia Day
ISBN: 0061230987
HarperCollins Avon, April 24, 2007

In the Twilight between sleep and consciousness, a battle rages between Dream Guardians and Nightmares. Captain Aidan Cross is a legend, as skilled in fulfilling erotic dreams as he is with the glaive that kills his enemies. Women see Aidan as part of their fantasies...except Lyssa Bates. Exquisite, desirable, enigmatic Lyssa perplexes this immortal seducer because she sees him as he really is. And as he attempts to unravel her secrets the unthinkable occurs: Aidan Cross falls in love.

Lyssa has been having the most incredible dreams about a man whose blue eyes hold the promise of decadent pleasures and tempting intimacies. And then he appears on her doorstep! This intoxicating stranger is just as irresistible as the man of her dreams...but with her surrender there is also grave danger...

Because Aidan is on a mission, and the passion that consumes them body and soul could have dire consequences. Loving the mortal woman prophesied to destroy Aidan's world is not only impossible...it is forbidden.

Read an Excerpt!!