Heaven and Hell in one place

It's been a little while since I blogged, and I promise, I haven't forgotten about my readers. In fact, I talk about my personal life these days more on Facebook and mostly via my newsletter. So if you aren't getting those emails, you're missing it. But I wanted to drop something here and say hi. Let you know I'm thinking of you if you're thinking of me.

For the past few months, I've been splitting my time writing as myself: Heather Hidenbrand, AND writing as a make-believe person named Holly Eastman. Having a pen name was a really fun secret but also I am really bad at keeping secrets apparently because back in October, I finally "came out" as Holly. If you missed it: My name is Holly Eastman and I write naughty shifter romance.

Obviously my "Heather" backlist is not so naughty. Young adult is readable by everyone but Holly's books are... grown up. :) MOM, STOP READING THIS! If you're into that sort of thing, check it all out on Holly's website. OR keep scrolling. I have a new release surprise for you.

Mostly, it's a surprise because even I didn't know it was coming until 3 days ago. It all happened very fast but now Wilde Bear, my first "Holly" book is included in this amazing boxed set that has some very steamy and very good urban fantasy/romance reads. And it's only available for a limited time so grab it while it's here...

And if you're over 18 and can say the word SEX out loud without blushing (not my mother, of course) then check out all my Holly titles. Happy reading, love bird!

~Heather

10 Full Length Novels featuring strong, powerful women and the men that love them from TEN Best Selling Authors!
Available for a very LIMITED TIME!

$0.99 or FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Stories include:
BURNING DESTINY- Wendy Owens
When Tynder Crown discovers her grandfather was murdered she learns he was keeping an entire other life secret from her. Now, if she wants justice for the man who raised her, she will have to jump head first into a world full of magical creatures to figure out just how deep the conspiracy goes.

GIFTED THIEF- Helen Harper
A skilled thief with a terrible sense of humour, Integrity Taylor despises her Sidhe heritage and the magical Scottish Clans who lord it over the rest of the Highlands. However, when her old mentor runs into trouble, she's got no choice but to get involved with them again, regardless of the consequences.

ANCIENT MAGIC- Linsey Hall
Cass Clereaux is good at two things: hunting magical artifacts and hiding her forbidden magic. When a past enemy threatens everything she loves, she must learn to use her magic. Or die trying.

BROKEN COMPASS- Jaymin Eve, USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author
Within the five supernatural races there is one golden rule: true mates are never mixed between the races. But vampire Maximus Compass, and wolf shifter Mischa Lebron, will set out to prove that rules are made to be broken.

INFERNAL MAGIC- C.N. Crawford, Amazon Bestselling Author
She's forgotten her past. Too bad her past won't return the favor.

DARE- Ally Summers, Amazon Bestselling Author
Choices should come easily to a queen, but sometimes the choices we make are the ones we least expect.

DARKNESS OF LIGHT- Stacey Marie Brown, Amazon Bestselling Author
Strange things have always happened to 18 year old Ember Brycin, but when the latest school explosion lands her in a facility for troubled teens, she discovers a secret that changes not only her life, but what and who she is. Love, lies, deceit, and betrayal lead her down a path to the Otherworld, into another realm where she will probably not survive.

CAGED-Amber Lynn Natusch, Amazon Bestselling Author
A young woman with a curious past gets caught up in a supernatural war between ancient foes. But is she the prize, or a weapon that could utterly destroy both factions...

MAGIC BORN-Caethes Faron, Amazon Bestselling Author
A college student discovers she's the daughter of a powerful mage when a panther shifter delivers the news of her mother's murder...and now the killer is after her.

WILDE BEAR- Holly Eastman and Terra Wolf, Amazon Bestselling Authors
In their line of work, mistakes can cost people their lives. So how can they trust each other to keep everyone they care about safe when they're both hiding their own secrets?

$0.99 or FREE in Kindle Unlimited

 

GIVEAWAY!
Do you want a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card?
Go over to Facebook and follow the instructions!

I need your help: and I'm willing to bribe you with this!

I hope everyone's enjoying summer (if that's the season where you live.) Last weekend, I zipped up to Virginia and grabbed my minions and brought them down to Florida with me for the summer. They've decided it's not just summer here. It's like summer in Hell. Another level of heat. Hehe. I told them get used to it. I like the heat so I'm good. And plus... beach day later! So that makes it bearable.

I've had some people checking on me (thank you!) so I'll tell you I'm still on writing hiatus and I probably will be for the rest of the summer. If you missed that bit of news, you probably aren't on my newsletter list. You should be. It's where I tell all my secrets :) Anyway, I am dealing with some serious burn out and I've gone on break from writing until further notice. I need time to work on other projects and not work 12-14 hours days to do them AND write my next book. So that's the major news. More on that to come. 

Basically, though, I'm feeling better already but there is so much stress and pressure built up that I don't want to rush back to the work and then fall right back into this space. Plus, there are a lot of other projects I'm still working on right now.

This is my latest AND I could really use your help! 

**A NEW KIND OF SUPERHERO HAS ARRIVED...** 

Richard Shanary isn’t the best student. In fact, when it comes to English, he’s struggling for that “C” average his karate scholarship requires. 

On a stormy night in the bowels of the library, a freak lightning strike sends a jolt of electricity—and magic—into the hard line of the old desktop computer. Richard is injected with enough voltage to fry eggs—not to mention download the entire contents of the web dictionary he’s currently scrolling. Every word from A to Z is seared into his brain forever. 

By the time he wakes, Richard has gained the superhuman ability of instant recall on any definition in the English language, and even a few in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. Richard Shanary has become the Human Dictionary. A superhero bound to uphold the laws of society and grammar with his immense martial arts abilities and his power of instantly recalling the definition of the last word someone speaks to him. Not a single slang term or crooked criminal is safe. 

But Human Dictionary isn’t the only one with a gift. 

A scientist turned T Rex. A mapmaker with route recall better than any GPS. And an evil villain with an affinity for spandex intent on destroying them all and ruling the city herself. But she’ll have to take it from the meanest slang-slinging gang this city’s underbelly has ever seen. 

**What we need is a hero. Or three. And so, a new era of superheroes begins…** 

Amazon US 
Amazon UK 
iBooks 

OMG isn't this the cutest book idea??? And totally perfect for book/grammar nerds??

I had the privilege of working on this story for over a year now, bringing it to life along with the most talented illustrator I've ever worked with. This story is fun and entertaining for my 10 year old son, but also, my mom read it alone and laughed out loud like I did, so adults will love it too. 

I don't normally read middle grade, but this book is special and hilarious and so fun and deserves to be read! This awesome book is out today and it deserves all the love.

So here's the deal:

When you share about The References, you get entered to win a signed paperback by ME!

Contest ends 7/21 so do it now!

And thanks for helping me out -- and shamelessly accepting my bribe :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Bet Worth Making is here! (signed pb giveaway!)

A Bet Worth Making is now available! 

A Bet Worth Making is now available on iBooks!

(It will be avail everywhere else on 5/31 so make sure your pre-order is in.)

I hope you enjoy Casey's story as much as I do. He was so fun to write. What a sarcastic, flirty charmer! I can't wait to hear what you think! Stay tuned below for an excerpt but first....

My friend, Tawda Kandle, has just released book 2 in her NA romance series, Hanging by a Moment. This story is amazing and we want to celebrate together! But this isn't a standalone, so if you haven't read book 1, you should definitely start there.

And guess what??

I'm giving away a signed paperback from Tawdra of When We Were Us AND a signed paperback of A Risk Worth Taking!!                                                          

To enter, click the link below.


Then come back and keep scrolling for your excerpt from A Bet Worth Making!


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A  Bet Worth Making Excerpt: 

I used my forearm and the hem of my work glove to wipe my brow. This August heat was no joke. Up ahead, the humidity blurred the form of an approaching body. Sweat dripped into my eyes, clouding it further, until all I could make out was a mane of loose blond hair glinting in the light. Frayed shorts. Thin button-down blouse.

I blinked, not quite willing to hope.

Maybe it was a mirage.

I had heatstroke.

Why else would I see Jordan running toward me in the middle of this field on the hottest day so far this year?

When I blinked again, she was suddenly right in front of me—and she was still coming. I yanked the wheel of the tractor, swerving around her, but at the last second, she darted sideways and came alongside me.

“Jordan?” I said, dumbfounded.

She grinned and grabbed the handle, swinging herself up onto the foot board beside me.

“What the hell?” I demanded, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her in close to keep her from falling off the side of the damn thing.

But I wasn’t mad. Not even a little.

She looked glorious in the sunshine, her hair tangled and wild, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Her blue eyes were like icy pools in the desert. I fell in immediately and didn’t care if I ever came up for air.

“I’m glad I caught you,” she said, swiping absently at her brow.

The sheen of sweat only added to her sex appeal. An image flashed in my mind of the two of us in the greenhouse up ahead, naked, bodies sliding against each other. I shook it away.

Seven 11 Blog Hop: teaser & a giveaway

Every month, I offer a 7-line teaser from a WIP on the 11th of the month. This month, there are prizes involved! It's also special because it's the last month on this blog. I'm working on a new site and I can't wait to show you guys, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are 7 lines from Generation, coming this Tuesday 10/13! This is book 3 (the final book) in the IMitation series. I am so excited to share this one with you guys--thank you for sticking with Ven and the gang. In the comments, tell me whose wrap-up/ending you're most looking forward to!

The pause stretches into a millennium of memories.

Linc standing in the foyer that first day, leather jacket in hand, a cold smirk on his lips. My first motorcycle ride, viciously cold and addictive in its thrill. Obadiah and his vintage blue car. Ida and Lonnie. Daniel. Melanie. Raven. Becoming friends with the ones I thought were the enemy. All to beat the monster before me.

Please be happy.

I hope they understand I did this all for them.

~~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Other authors/giveaways to check out:

Felicia Tatum giving away 5 ebooks of Scornful Sadie!
SC Ellington giving away a $25 GC!
Bethany Lopez giving away e-copy of 3 Seconds
Justine Winter giving away ebook of Sapphire's Divinity
Amanda Aksel giving ebook of The Man Test
Kayla Smith giving ebook of Return to Pandora

Just Breathe

August was extra-stressful for me. If you missed it, you can read about it here.

At the beginning of September, I made a commitment to myself to stop pretending I was too busy to do things that made me happier and healthier. To pay more attention to my kids and nature. To go outside. To read books. To stop worrying that I'm going to become obsolete if I don't "hurry up and write the next book."

I am just over two weeks into my new schedule. In that short time, I've lost weight, gained muscle, laughed, read great books, daydreamed, felt the breeze, hugged a turn on my motorcycle, written my first speech, done a full moon ceremony, read love letters to myself out loud in front of the mirror, and JUST BREATHED.

That last one is my favorite.

Whether you're a writer or another professional or a professional Momma (or Daddy), if you're feeling the stress (that we've mostly put on ourselves) to do and be MORE than is possible or necessary or FAIR, I encourage you to make your own commitment.

Just like me, you don't have to tell anyone about it when it happens. Sometimes the biggest changes occur in small silences. But do it. Sticking to my promise to myself has increased the quality of my life. The only one I get in this body and this mind. And my soul is grateful.

What do you do to disconnect from the stress and just be in your own body?

Bitterroot: Part 1 is available now!

There is nothing quite like a new release--I get so excited and nervous and silly every single time. This one is no different. Except that it is.... Werewolves AND vampires!??! 

If you know me or have read any interviews I've given on the subject, then you know that vampires have always scared me. I've been too afraid to write them and get them wrong somehow. So, I've refrained. and finally--I've done it. Owen is delicious and moody and slippery and mysterious--and deadly. I hope you like him!!! I want to hear from you guys! Please let me know your thoughts after reading! Then again, being a werewolf girl myself, Carter holds a special place in my heart too. Who is your favorite?? I can't wait to hear!

BITTERROOT Part 1

by Heather Hildenbrand & SM Reine

Seventeen year-old Regan Vuk has lived her whole life under the shadow of her future: the pack alpha. She is fast, smart, and determined. According to her own pack members, she is a shoo-in. But Regan’s dad has a secret.

Seventeen year-old Charlie spent her adolescence drifting from place to place with a mother desperate to hide her illegitimate daughter from the unforgiving reality of werewolf pack dynamics. All Charlie has ever wanted is to know her father--and the family that's been kept from her all these years. But most of all, she wants a place to belong in the world. Where she doesn’t have to pretend she can’t sprout fur and paws at will. Being kidnapped on her way home from prom was not she Charlie had in mind.

When Charlie finds out the only way to fit in with her new family is to defeat her long-lost sister for the role of alpha, she refuses. That is until she learns that the strange and alluring vampire she's befriended, Owen, is the same vampire prince that's been promised the winner.

Regan has no doubt that, although she loathes the vampires, it will be her who "wins" Owen.

Only problem: Charlie's already fallen for him.

Bitterroot is a Young Adult Paranormal with a dose of sibling rivalry... Who will you root for?

Just .99 for a limited time! 
Get it for: Kindle / Nook / iBooks

Contest! Help spread the word about Bitterroot!

Share the following message on Twitter, FB, or IG OR follow me on any of these platforms and get entered to win a signed swag pack including a paperback of Seasons of the Moon by SM Reine & Dirty Blood by ME! Contest ends 9/26!*

2 sisters. 1 vampires prince. Can family survive forbidden love? #Bitterroot for .99. http://bit.ly/Bitterroot1

*Contest not affiliated with FB, IG, Twitter, or any other outside entity. Must be 13 years or older. Void where prohibited.

Happy reading!

Just let it SUCK

It's been a while since I wrote a personal post but it's also been a while since I had a month quite like August.

Hot damn, I'm glad that's behind me.

I don't know if it was Venus in Retrograde or the heat of summer melting brains, but it was a rough one. There were things that happened, sure, but mostly, it was the boat rocking way I DEALT with those things. I felt knocked off my game. I knew I was letting little things get to me more than I should--that the problem wasn't the problem but how I was DEALING with it--but I just couldn't seem to pull myself up by my bootstraps like I usually can.

I got mad and then emotional and then depressed. And then I began doubting myself. And I mean the basic foundational things that I've been working so hard at building up these last few years. After months of affirmations and struggling to be clear on WHO I AM and WHAT I STAND FOR, August came along and then I couldn't self-talk my way out of a paper bag.

Basically, I was a hot mess.

I know I'm not the only one this happens to. We all get it together and start rolling along thinking we're tougher because of that last thing that knocked us, and maybe you have a solid few months ... (the past YEAR for me has been great! Meaning: sucky stuff happened here and there but it never knocked me off the horse. I got good at feeling good.) ...and then something comes along and you feel like an infant about your emotional responses. No control.

I'm about to say something that sounds so cliche, it makes me feel like an asshole for saying it. Especially if you're still down there trying to get up.

YOU CAN'T CONTROL WHAT PEOPLE SAY AND DO. YOU CAN ONLY CONTROL HOW YOU REACT.

I know, I know. So cliche. Hokey, even. It probably pisses you off. It definitely pissed me off for the entire month of August. Because it sounds so EASY but it's NOT.

But the triteness of the phrase doesn't take away from it's truth. And the best part is there is POWER in that truth. If you can climb back to that place where you can begin to control your reactions, you feel so powerful!

There is no greater reminder of your own strength than the power of being in control of your own emotions.

And in the meantime, when that option just isn't in your arsenal of tricks, give yourself permission to let it SUCK for a minute. We get so caught up in how to feel good and reminding ourselves to be grateful and positive and only see the good, glass-half-full version of the picture that we don't let ourselves just FEEL HOW WE FEEL. It only compounds the problem.

I'm climbing my way out of the mudhole but the sky is brighter and for anyone else stuck down there, especially the ones who thought you'd put all that muck behind you, it's not a failure. It's not a setback. It's a lapse in personal power and it happens.

I know none of that means a ton when you're in it, but from someone standing on the other side, I'm with you. You're not alone. Sometimes, that is comfort enough. I'll see you when you get back.

The thing Utopia gave me that changed my life!

In 2011, I was no one in the author community. I had JUST published my first 2 books. No one. Knew. Me. And then something crazy-new happened. 

A woman named Janet Wallace in Nashville, TN, fell in love with this new-fangled wave of indie/self-publishing. She was desperate to meet all of her favorite authors but alas, there was no conference in existence that invited indie authors. Back then, self-published still had a HUGE stigma. She didn't care. She had a vision. 

Janet created UtopiaCon (Originally UtopYAcon) out of a love for YA and a desire to meet and connect with the authors of her favorite YA stories. Authors like Amy Bartol, Shelly Crane, Tiffany King, CA Kunz, and Quinn Loftis (to name a few). 

Despite my anxiety, I went. And it changed my life. 

You have to understand, this was my first public appearance as an author. I hadn't so much as signed a bookmark in my hometown before Utopya that first year. It was terrifying but it was also the most rewarding thing I've ever done.

Fast forward, and we've just wrapped the 4th annual 

As we jump into the FIFTH year of the amazing UtopiaCon, we want to give back to the organizers who have given so much inspiration and support to us. A conference of this magnitude--of this level of MAGIC--is not cheap.

Over the past few months, we’ve learned that organizers, friends, and even family have come forward and given from their own personal funds in order to help move Utopia forward another year and we want to pay them back. We want to FIGHT FOR OUR WRITE and do our part to help.

This year especially, we'd like to make sure they go into planning sessions with an extra boost to the bottom line.

So if you've ever been touched by Utopia, or if you love any of the authors, bloggers, or readers who have, please take a moment to give a few dollars. This will insure the inspiration continues.

We hope you'll be led to give from the heart, but to sweeten the deal we have some MAJORLY EPIC incentives! In addition to what you’ll get from the Go Fund Me organizers (see the donation page to read about those), you’ll also get entered to win any one of these amazing raffle prizes listed in the rafflecopter below!

Prizes like this one:

or this...

And in order to help convey the magical sense of community Utopia has instilled in its attendees, I want everyone to know that...

WITHOUT UTOPIA I NEVER WOULD HAVE….

There is no purchase or donation necessary to enter to enter the drawing, but we encourage you to give even just $10 in order to help move us toward our big goal. And don’t forget, every donation of at least $10 earns you free books!

How to enter:

1. Go visit #UtopiaLove’s Go Fund Me page and make a small donation (this isn’t necessary, but we would be so jazzed if you did this first! AND this earns you an automatic prize based on your donation level. Check your email to collect.)
2. Click through any one of the rafflecopter entry methods. Complete the necessary item and get entered for all of the raffle prizes listed below.
3. Click through to the list of other participating authors & bloggers to read how Utopia has changed them!

That’s it! Thanks!

Participating Blogs:

Karen Hooper    http://karenamandahooper.blogspot.com/

Kallie Ross    Kallieross.com

Susan Burdorf www.facebook.com/susanburdorfauthor

Jo Michaels http://jomichaels.blogspot.com

Carlyle Labuschagne Www.worldsawaybookblog.blogspot.com

Shantella Benson https://thewordsmithe.wordpress.com/

Shelley Custer www.stalkingshelves.blogspot.com

S.M. Boyce smboyce.com/boyce-blog

Komali da Silva www.komalidasilva.com

PK Hrezo Http://Pk-Hrezo.blogspot.com

Elisabeth Kauffman http://writingrefinery.blogspot.com

Patti Larsen www.pattilarsen.com

Michaela Mills http://www.michaelamillswrites.com/blog

Ginny Gallagher http://ginnygallagher.com/blog/

Liz Long http://lizclong.com

Raine Thomas http://rainethomas.com

Stacey Marie Brown http://www.staceymariebrown.com/

Heather Hildenbrand http://www.heatherhildenbrand.com

Amy Evans http://amyevansbooks.com/

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Seven 11 Hop: A teaser from my upcoming release and a clean glass of water

It's that time again. The monthly Seven 11 Blog Hop is a teaser event where some awesome author peeps get together and tease you ... (with their fiction-writing, DUH!)

This month is a special one because it's also one of my BFF's and author friends, Amanda Aksel's birthday! (you can check out her books and Seven 11 teaser here.)


Also, she's kind of freaking out about being the dirty thirty. So, Amanda, this is for you:

And in honor of her freak-out, she's asked you NOT give presents. Take your money and give it all to CharityWater, instead, a charity committed to providing clean water to countries and people without. You can donate here to offer up someone thirsty a clean glass of water. https://my.charitywater.org/amandas-30th-birthday


And now, my teaser! And because I couldn't help myself, it's a little longer than 7 lines. I am really bad at following directions...

“Dad, what’s going on?” Regan asked.

“We’re getting ready for a wedding,” he said, the words so matter-of-fact, I was surprised Regan didn’t already know. It felt like everyone knew what was going on but me.

“It looks like a pretty big deal,” I said. “Who’s going to be married?”

“You are,” he said. And then, turning to Regan, added, “Or maybe it will be you.”

I felt all the blood rush out of my head. The world spun around me, and I had to grab one of the benches to stay standing. “Excuse me? I’m … You’re joking. This is a joke, right?”

Regan was pale and deathly silent beside me.

“Not a joke,” he corrected. “Rather a pledge. Tonight, we are hosting an engagement party for the impending marriage of the next alpha. Whichever of my daughters that turns out to be.”

My half-sister stiffened behind him. Her eyes went round and her nostrils flared.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” I protested.

“It makes too much sense, and there’s the logic in it that can’t be overlooked, unfortunately. No matter our...feelings,” he said with a pointed look at Regan that sent a ripple of dread through me.

“Dad, what did you do?” Regan asked.

“It’s time for both of you to learn about the treaty,” Dad said. “Sit down.”

I did what he told me to, but not because I wanted to be obedient. I just didn’t have any other choice. My legs wouldn’t hold me up anymore. Regan didn’t budge, but she was breathing hard, and I guessed she hadn’t known any more about the marriage thing than I did.

Marriage? Was he crazy? Had living out here in isolation amongst only werewolves rotted his brain? 

(Bitteroot, a YA PNR novella series coming this Fall)

And before you go, show Amanda some birthday lurve and enter to win an ebook copy of her book!

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(slightly more than) Seven 11 Blog Hop & a giveaway

It's time for another Seven 11 Blog hop. Which means you get a random seven lines from my current draft!... Only, this month, it seems I forgot how to count :) I'm giving you the first SNEAK PEEK of a new project I'm working on with SM Reine due out this Fall. It's called Bitterroot. A YA paranormal with (drum roll...) werewolves vs. vampires!

Read on and then click the links at the end for a sweet giveaway and more authors who have posted teasers. And if you want more info on Bitterroot (teasers, release date, cover reveal, etc) make sure you get signed up for my Love Birds newsletter and be the first to know!

I bounded down the steps and darted in among the parked cars, heading straight for the treeline at the edge of the blacktop. I glanced around as I ran, making sure no one witnessed my strange exit--you never knew who’d stepped out the back door to sneak a cigarette--but it looked like the coast was clear.

I sniffed. Yep. I was alone.

My body relaxed when I stepped off the pavement and onto the soft ground of the woods. A collective exhale.

The change was fast and easy these days, but it wasn’t always that way. It was kind of embarrassing as a kid. Lots of torn clothes and nudity. But there was a trick to it, and my mom and I had practiced enough that everything went much smoother these days. Now, I knew how to shift at will--and still have my clothes on when I shifted back.

I held my breath and focused on keeping everything together as I shifted into my wolf form. Skin and muscles rippled. The air around me shivered. I fell onto all fours, and it was paws that hit the ground instead of fingers.

Starting out with an easy run, I increased my speed until the depressions of my prints were so slight, they barely left a mark. I’d been denying myself this all week. It was too difficult to give in often here, among so many humans. But tonight, with the rain to mask my scent, and all of the nocturnal creatures hiding from the deluge, I could run. I gave in to my stolen minutes of guilty freedom and let everything fall away but my wolf.

The run home was entirely too short, but at least I made curfew. I shifted at the edge of the woods, bracing against the chill of the night air on my bare skin as my fur fell away. My dress remained intact, though a little muddy around the hem (which would annoy my mom to no end). The shoes weren’t so lucky. I must have left them behind.

“Stupid heels,” I muttered. For whatever reason, they were so much harder to hang on to than sneakers.

I stomped toward the house, bare feet sucking in and out of the mud. Halfway up the back steps, voices drifted over. I halted mid-step and looked around for the source.

“I’m telling you, I just scented someone, and it wasn’t Anita. I think she’s almost here,” said a voice. The speaker sounded young, close to my age maybe.

“Must be on foot, then,” said another. This one was deeply male. Older.

Their conversation caught my attention. They smelled me? A human couldn’t have…

No way. It couldn’t be.

*****************************************

I was kind of uncertain about posting this or putting it out. Some people say paranormal romance is dead right now. I think they're crazy. In the comments, let me know what you think! 

When you're finished, click the links below to read more great teasers from some authors I love....

Bethany Lopez

Felicia Tatum

Justine Winter

SC Ellington

Kayla Smith

From now until June 17, I'm giving away one of my favorite planners: The Passion Planner! The best way to keep focused and balanced as it prompts you to remember things like self-care and introspection along with your daily life and work.

To get entered, share about the Connective Collective, a monthly conference call for authors, and use the rafflecopter to record your entry.

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Seven 11 Blog Hop for April

Hi from Roanoke, VA! 

I'm here for the weekend signing books and staying up late chatting about book boyfriends and all the fun "fiction gossip" that goes with getting to hang out with My People. 

Monday, I fly out for Guam, and I Can't. Wait. For. Hot. (I meant the weather, not the husband. Okay, yes, I did. I meant both.) So next week I'll probably be a little absent as I adjust through the jet lag, etc. and get settled in my house there. and then Pictures!

This winter fellllt loooong. Pretty sure I left my house only on a Must-Survive basis. Same goes for real pants. But I did write three books during that time. 

More news on what's coming next very soon!

In the meantime, a throwback for this month's Seven 11 Blog Hop! 

7 lines from Dirty Blood, the book that started it all, really. 

Enjoy and then click through to some other awesome authors!

His eyes were the same exact color as his hair, a sort of bronzed brown, and they seemed to hold some dark edge that hinted at danger, no matter how gentle they got. The rest of him wasn’t bad, either. His face matched his eyes, rugged and hard edges from his cheekbones to his jaw. When he’d spun me around, I’d grabbed out to steady myself and even now my hands still rested on his shoulders, where I’d first gripped. Underneath my fingers, and the leather of his jacket, was solid muscle. The fact that I was actually checking him out—just moments after killing a girl—was my first clue I was in shock.

If you haven't read it yet, you can get book 1 and two FREE

when you sign up for my Love Birds email updates!

Amanda Aksel - 7 lines from her new secret project I can't WAIT to read!

Kayla Smith

Justine Winter

Steph Nuss - not YA-appropriate but GREAT adult reads!

Generation's cover and a bonus scene

Generation (The Imitation Series, Book 3)

Releasing October 13, 2015

After months of pretending to be Raven Rogen, Ven feels less like a clone and more like a human than ever. But when Raven’s father, Titus—the same man who engineered Ven—discovers her plan to escape, everything she’s worked so hard for is taken away in one explosive moment.

Now she’s imprisoned in Twig City, the secret warehouse where she grew up. She spends her days plotting ways to get back to the outside world, determined to topple Titus’s empire and free every last Imitation. But Titus’s reach is extensive and his plans are more deadly than she realized.

In the shocking conclusion to the Imitation series, one wrong move could mean the end for Ven and everyone she’s come to love.

AVAILABLE NOW FOR PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON.COM

**SPOILER ALERT – SPOILER ALERT**

If you have not Read Deviation Yet

STOP NOW!

Bonus Scene from Linc

*Two Months After the End of Deviation*

The car is warm despite the chill outside. My window has fogged and I shift trying to get a better view. My legs cramp at being bent so long. I stretch them slowly, first right and then left. My knee pops and I wince. Anna looks over, an apology on the edge of her lips.

“I’m fine,” I say.

She presses her lips together and I know what she’s thinking. We could leave. But neither of us is willing to give up with so little to report back.

The mission is to watch Marla, the woman Titus uses as his gatekeeper out of Twig City. She’s one option among a scant few that we’ve come up with as a way in to look for Ven. Melanie suggested we follow her and try to find a weakness, something we can use against her. But the woman is a robot. She goes to work, she comes home, she watches The Biggest Loser. If we don’t find anything tonight, we’ll move on. I need to watch, to spot something we can exploit. I can’t do that through frosted glass.

Maybe my breaths are too heavy. I will myself to calm down. Anna’s still watching me, her brow furrowed like she’s still trying to come up with a way to fix me. If she only knew.

I pretend not to see her and stare through the window. Outside, the darkness is lit by the soft glow of the street lamps but it’s eerie to me. Shadows encroaching on the light. Monsters plotting. Everything in my life feels like a damn threat these days.

“You could climb in the backseat,” Anna offers finally.

I sigh. Anna’s always trying to please others.

“I’m good,” I repeat, pretending the stiffness doesn’t linger when I reposition my legs and tuck them underneath the dashboard. We’ve been here six hours and counting. Not how I wanted to spend the night—with a girl who isn’t Ven.

As usual when I think of her, I wince at the ache it brings. Anna’s gaze sharpens as she studies me across the shadowed interior of Melanie’s car.

“She’s fine, you know,” Anna says.

I consider pretending not to catch her meaning but it’s no use. I’ve been an open book with a harsh ending for months now. I pretend to stare at Marla’s townhouse at the end of the street but I don’t register a damn thing about it. Inside my head, Ven’s eyes blink back at me, trusting. Her lips pucker affectionately. All of the images are reminders that I failed her.

“How do you know?” I ask and hate the tortured sound of my own words.

“Ven is a fighter. She always has been. She’ll find a way to be okay.”

I ran a hand over my hair, rubbing hard as if that will erase the images that taunt me. “You sound really sure about that. But you can’t know. Not really. She’s in there and we’re out here and no one has even seen her.” Anger, helpless rotten fury, wells in my veins. Without meaning to, my hands ball into fists in my lap.

“He won’t kill her,” Anna says. I don’t know whether to be relieved or dismayed that she sounds so sure. Anna can be hopeful to the point of naïve. But right now, it’s all I’ve got to cling to. “If he was going to do it, he would’ve done it long before that night,” she adds.

I lean my head back on the seat, giving up the pretense of actually performing any recon. “How do you do that?” I ask.

“Do what?”

I look over in time to see her blink at me, so unaware of her own strength. Like Ven. I grimace, shove that aside, and force myself to focus on the present. “Be so optimistic all the time,” I say. “Even when things look completely hopeless you’re upbeat.”

Sh shrugs. “My Authentic was that way. Maybe she influenced me. Maybe it’s partly my personality.” She sounds uncertain and I glance sideways at her.

“And the other part?”

“Families don’t give up on each other,” she says. And it’s a matter-of-fact kind of thing that knocks me for a loop. Guilt gnaws at me. She’s right. And she’s family too. All of them are now and I’ve been so wrapped up in losing Ven and trying to get her back, I’ve forgotten all of them are messed up too.

“You’re right,” I say, forcing myself to sound like I mean it. For Anna’s sake. I twist to face her squarely. “We are family. And families always fight.”

She smiles at me but I look away. I don’t know how to tell her that particular kind of smile, the warm, fuzzy feeling it gives, reminds me of Ven. I don’t deserve a smile like that when I lost her to  a man like Titus Rogen.

I clear my throat and look around for something to say. “How’s your arm?” I ask.

She holds it up and even in the dim lighting I see the scar is already fading. “Much better,” she says.

I grunt, glad to see the infection didn’t cause permanent damage. Cutting out a GPS tracker is risky business. But she’s right, it looks a lot better. Much more healed than my sorry ass broken heart. I look up at Marla’s house one last time and start the engine. There’s nothing for us here. We’re going to have to do this another way.

Haven’t Started the Series Yet?

Get Imitation for Your Kindle or Pre-Order Your Paperback Coming May 19!

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me. 

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face. Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has neverneeded Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?

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