Guest Author, Eden Glenn

Welcome Shapeshifter fans, joining us today is Eden Glenn.  She's here to tell us about her New Release Dar'kind Promises!  Grab a cup of your favorite brew or if it's noon where you're at a nice glass of the grape, sit back and enjoy...

Psst...keep an eye out for the special offer at the end of this blog.  :)

Eden lives in the mountains of Chattanooga, Tennessee with a cat and a loveable nuisance dog that should be in Japan. Eden has blue eyes, but her hair color is subject to change without notice. (Ann McCaffrey always said that on her book jacket. Sadly she passed on last year and I say this first because it is true and second to honor that great woman) Eden is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America) and FCRW (First Coast Romance Writers).

Prepare to leave your safe world behind.
http://www.edenglenn.com my social networking links are here on my website for FB, Twitter, Amazon and more. Check out my book trailers, blog and news.




Hi Eden, thanks for being with us on this special day!

Thank you for allowing me to visit today. I am thrilled to be here on release day for “Dar’kind Promises” an erotic f/f paranormal romance. I have several shapeshifter Paranormal Erotic Romance short novelle’s that will be coming out in 2013. Whew, that’s a tongue twister…say that six times really fast. Also, we are having a contest so read on through to the end to find out more about what and how to win.


How did you celebrate your first release?
I took the family to a restaurant. We all had dinner and talked about my “contract” I felt very special and grand. We drank sangria and had wonderful food. I indulged myself in the fantasies we tell ourselves as ‘professional’ writers. For the first time I really felt like a writer. LOL

How long have you been writing and who are your publishers.
I started writing in 2005 to escape my real world, which at the time was consumed with illness and painful treatment. In 2007 I learned about RWA (Romance Writers of America) and joined a chapter, FCRW (First Coast Romance Writers). I published with Rebel Ink Press in 2011 with a short novella in one of their anthologies. We’ve since pulled out “The Galloping Ghoul of Hockomock Swamp” and published is as a stand-alone.

Where do you get the inspirations for your books?
It varies. A special event, something in the news, something someone says, an object, daydreams. Just about anything can trigger a story for me. “Raynia’s Magic” was inspired by a necklace I bought myself. Now, I’ve been selected as a Rebel Ink Elite Author under exclusive contract with RIP. I write based on blurb. Meaning, I will write a blurb proposal and send it to them. If they like the idea I’m basically contracted for the piece and release dates are scheduled. Then I write the story and submit it to my editor under deadline to make the release date. Once they receive the finished work, we finalize the contract and my editor goes through the piece for revisions. The graphic artist takes a contact sheet I’ve completed about the story and begins the cover art.
So, inspiration isn’t nearly as organic as it used to be. I have to plan and plot and hit key points from the blurb. I have to do what I say I’m going to do. It’s like a real career. LOL.

Which book was the hardest to write and which was the easiest?
Hands down “Raynia’s Magic” was the easiest. I bought this amethyst quartz necklace for myself. The moment I touched the stone my imagination kicked in. On a Saturday I wrote for hours into the evening and ended up with about 7,000 words. I put the kernel away not really knowing what I would do with it. In 2011 I took it out and started working with it doubled the size and wrestled it the rest of the way to finished short novella.
Once I was in the wrapping up stages of editing, I knew the necklace would touch other lives. I just had no idea what or who. “Raynia’s Magic” has become vol 1 of the “Amethyst Desire Collection”. Vol 2 “Beverly’s Secret” will be out in Mar/Apr 2013 time frame and be followed by other stories of different lovers whom the stone ‘visits’.
The hardest was Dar’kind Promises. Zelia wasn’t very cooperative. It was also my first try at a f/f erotic romance. I wanted readers to come away from the read enjoying it and realizing love is love regardless of gender.

If you could travel through time to visit a special person who would it be?
I adore Ann McCaffery. She passed on this year. I loved her books as a young adult. As a young mother, I read her stories with my aloud children. I gifted my middle child a first edition picture book written by Ann McCaffery about dragons and illustrated by John Howe. I wrote to Ms McCaffrey and she graciously sent me an autographed book-plate.
If I could, I would wish to be her real friend. I would go back in time to ride horses with her at Dragon Hold. We’d talk of her Irish Horses and hound dogs and dragons.

Tell us a bit about your new release.

Dar’kind Promises

Released 2/3/13 at all fine ebook vendors

(BLURB) Novellette length (16,920 words)

Darkind Fairy Maura comes to the human dimension on a search and rescue mission for one of her race. The success of the mission rests on her wits and the skilled aid of her feline tracker, Zelia. Unfortunately, Zelia is experiencing unpredictable shifts between feline and human forms.

Distracted by the sultry woman in her bed, Maura struggles to stay focused on their quest. If they’re unable to figure out how to gain control of Zelia’s shifting, all hope for success of their mission as well as any possibility of their future together will be lost.

Worse yet, an ancient evil targets Zelia and Maura in a bid for power and control of their magic.

Zelia is willing to risk becoming trapped in feline form and losing the love she’s found if it means she can save Maura from the evil hunting them. Meanwhile, Maura searches for the strength to abandon the quest for her lost ‘sister’ if doing so will save Zelia’s life and stabilize her shifting abilities.

* * *

So, contest deets. I’ll be choosing one luck winner to receive an E-ARC – (Electronic Advanced Readers Copy) of Dar’kind Promises. So you have three days to comment on this post for your chance to win. Tell me your top two—most  important qualities in a shapeshifter romance. Something specific to shapeshifters please!

Guest Author, Kate Hill

Hey all you shapeshifter fans out there, please help me welcome our awesome guest author, Kate Hill.

She's here today to share a bit about herself and her writing, plus she'll be offering a free download (winners choice) from her Whisper series to one lucky poster!

So, lets get to it..

Hello Kate,
Welcome to Shapeshifter Seductions!  Tell me...



Where do you get the inspirations for your books?

Kate: Just about anything can inspire a book. Sometimes it's a person or a place. The Whisper series, for example, was inspired by several different New England towns. It has a seashore, a wooded area and a picturesque town square with historical buildings. It seems like a typical New England town, except most of the residents are supernatural.

Do you find it difficult at times to write love scenes?

Kate: I need to be in the mood to write love scenes, but when the characters have strong chemistry, it's easy to get into that mood! Black Cat starts out with a love scene and I really looked forward to writing it because throughout the series I've been hinting at the relationship between Edmond and Tobias. It was great to finally explore it.

If you could change places with one character from your books, who would it be and why?

Kate: I'd like to change places with Cal, the hero of Whisper 1: Dragon's Bar because I think it would be interesting to have shapeshifting abilities.

How long have you been writing and who are your publishers?
 
Kate: I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember, but when I was sixteen I started writing with the hope of being published. It took over ten years for me to actually get published. My first story was accepted in 1996, so it's been a while. I currently write for Changeling Press, Ellora's Cave and New Concepts Publishing.

Tell us a bit about your new release.

Kate: Black Cat is the last book in the Whisper series. Whisper is a fictional New England town founded for the supernatural by the supernatural. It's governed by a secret organization called the Original Town Council that is made up of a vampire, a cat shifter, a werewolf, an elf and a witch.

Edmond Chancellor is leader of the council. He's a vampire who severed ties with his family because he didn't agree with their violent ways. His dream was to create a sanctuary for supernatural beings who want to live in peace, so Whisper was his idea. Edmond is deeply in love with another member of the council, cat shifter Tobias Crawford.

Though Tobias loves Edmond, he has refused his proposal to make their union permanent. Tobias is still haunted by his past, but Edmond is willing to wait for him to come to terms with it.

Do any of your characters from previous books appear in your latest?
 
Kate: Yes, just about all the characters from the previous Whisper stories appear in Black Cat. Cal from Dragon's Bar, Sara and Nathaniel from Bronzed, and Hugh from Mating Call make appearances. Also Marka and Reese, secondary characters in the series, have parts in Black Cat.

One of the things I love about a series is having the same characters appear throughout the books. As both a reader and a writer I love to revisit old favorites.

I hope you enjoy the following excerpt from Whisper 4: Black Cat.

Whisper 4: Black Cat
by Kate Hill
(M/M Vampire/Shapeshifter)
From Changeling Press
http://www.changelingpress.com

Vampire Edmond Chancellor and cat shifter Tobias Crawford have had a not-so-secret affair for over three hundred years. Edmond wants to bond with Tobias permanently, but Tobias has reasons for keeping his distance.

On a chilly December night, both men turn to past memories for guidance, but it's a present danger that makes them realize that time is precious, even to men who are practically immortal.

The Following Excerpt from Black Cat is for readers 18 and over.
Tobias had hoped that by bringing his family to this new world, they would have a chance to build a life for themselves, away from the unsubstantiated hatred. The endless wilderness of this place would take generations to populate, even for creatures as ambitious as man.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy breathing and the familiar slash of a blade through air. Tobias growled and his fur bristled. On silent feet he stalked through the snowy woods and paused behind a boulder outside a clearing. A man wearing boots, breeches and a linen shirt, damp with sweat despite the weather, practiced with a sword with a silver pommel. He had shoulder-length brown hair bound at his nape. Several tendrils had come loose and clung to his damp cheek and neck. His wide-set blue eyes gleamed in the moonlight as he fought an imaginary opponent. Tobias' heart skipped a beat at the fierceness in those eyes.

Tobias knew this wasn't a mere human--the man's scent told him that. It was a deliciously powerful aroma, similar to that of an animal shifter. It was musky yet fresh but with an underlying potency-like the finest Egyptian incense. Tobias had met people with a similar scent and they were invariably dangerous.

Blood drinkers.

Killers.

Vampires.

Tobias tensed. He hadn't expected to find a vampire here in this untamed land. Vampires liked their creature comforts, not to mention they preferred to mark their territory in heavily populated areas where hunting was simple, plentiful, and where no one asked questions when slaves and peasants went missing.

Worst of all, Tobias knew that there was never only one vampire. Like wolves, they traveled in packs, yet unlike wolves they killed for pleasure, not simply to survive.

Tobias' protective instincts rose. Should he attack now and rid his new home of this fiend? Yet if he did, this vampire's kin would hunt him and his family. Although they despised most other races, vampires were fiercely loyal to their own families.

The vampire stopped his practice and stood, panting, his jewel-like eyes surveying the area.

"Who's there?" he called in a smooth voice, neither too deep nor too high. It was perfect and Tobias resisted the urge to purr at the sound of it.

Tobias remained still, blending in the shadows.

"I know you're there. I can smell you."

Damn. Vampires' senses were almost as keen as those of cat shifters.

"Show yourself, since I've ruined your plans for a surprise attack. Or perhaps you'll run. I wouldn't be surprised if you did. After all, only cowards hide in the shadows."

Tobias nearly snorted with laughter. It was a childish taunt, designed to draw out a stupid foe. Tobias hadn't lived thousands of years because he was stupid or merely lucky.

For several moments neither Tobias nor the vampire moved or spoke. It seemed they didn't so much as breathe.

Then the vampire approached. Tobias considered running or attacking, but like most cats, curiosity got the better of him. He stepped from behind the boulder, directly in the path of the vampire who stopped walking, his blue eyes wide.

Tobias' tail swished in a warning and he growled softly.

"Can't say I expected this," the vampire said.

Tobias circled him. The vampire turned slowly, following Tobias' movements. He held his sword firmly, but not in an attack position. Still Tobias was prepared to dodge a blow and defend himself. He knew better than to trust a vampire.


Previous books in the Whisper series:

Whisper 1: Dragon's Bar
Whisper 2: Bronzed
Whisper 3: Mating Call


About Kate

Always a fan of romance and the paranormal, Kate Hill started writing over twenty years ago for pleasure. Her first story, a short erotic vampire tale, was accepted for publication in 1996. Since then she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas and novels.

When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out and spending time with her family and pets.

She enjoys hearing from readers and she can be contacted at katehill@sprintmail.com .


Contest

To enter this contest you must be 18 or over.

To enter for the chance to win a download of one of the first three books in the Whisper series (winner's choice of title), please comment. The contest will run for three days from the day of this post. At the end of that time, a winner will be selected from the comments. Thank you!

Just A Quiet Night Out

I could be home, Beth Carter thought. She dodged a flying beer mug and just barely made it under the table with her dress intact. A plate of hors d’oervers sailed overhead like a Frisbee, scattering Vienna wieners the length of its trajectory. I could be watching Dancing With the Stars or reading a book or something. But nooooo. Everybody at work says this place has the best food around and why don’t you give it a try?

Someone tipped a table over. Beth risked a peek beyond her table’s rim. She couldn’t be certain, but it looked like a hawk was trying to divebomb a wolf in a tie and sports jacket. The wolf, like Beth, had taken refuge under a table. Every time it tried to dash for the door, the hawk lunged at its muzzle with talons and beak. Beth pulled her chair before her for extra security.

Trouble was, the food here actually was downright tasty, at least the bit she’d been able to sample before the hubbub started. It had all begun so innocently. She walked into Rattigan’s, ordered a drink and the Mucho Muncho Nachos, and amused herself trying to guess which patrons were human and which weren’t. Rumor had it Rattigan’s catered to shapeshifters. Beth had heard the stories about Talbot’s Peak but never believed them. Shapeshifters? As in werewolves? Seriously?

She’d been sort-of flirting with a cowboy at the bar when the man in the sports jacket came in. He took a seat in the corner and ordered a burger. Maybe his burger wasn’t as good as her nachos. He’d certainly been vocal about whatever his problem was. The server, a striking woman with feathers in her hair, took it in stride, and marched his plate back to the kitchen. She returned shortly with another serving. The man knocked the plate aside with a sneer and a loud suggestion about what she could do with the food here.

They must have put something other than whiskey in her drink, because the next thing Beth knew, the server had turned into a hawk, the rude customer had turned into a wolf, and fur, feathers and food starting flying.

She eyed the door and considered making a break for it. Something that looked like a bear in a hoodie lumbered past her table. It started waving its paws, though whether at the wolf or the hawk Beth had no idea and didn’t want to know. I should have gone to the vampire bar.

When the rat with the cleaver came out of the kitchen, she knew she was going to faint.

“Hey.” Someone wriggled under her table. She cowered back until she realized her new companion was, or at least looked, human. “You okay, miss?”

The bear bawled. The hawk screeched. Somebody flung a salad at the wolf. Beth whimpered.

“Human. Thought so,” the man said. “Let’s get you out of here.”

How they made it to the door unscathed Beth had no idea. The man must be a running back; he maneuvered her through the chaos like he was headed for a touchdown and the whole offense was after him. The quiet bar had turned into a zoo gone berserk. “Is that a panda?” Beth said before her rescuer thrust her and himself into the relative safety of the street.

Not a moment too soon. Sirens announced the imminent arrival of the cops. “Time to skedaddle,” her savior announced. They legged it down the block.

“Don’t let that put you off Rattigan’s,” he said while they watched, from a safe distance, the cops round up the patrons and herd them into the backs of patrol cars. The wolf and the woman, her hair-feathers now askew, got separate cars. “Usually it’s pretty quiet. Well, there was that bit the other week when the special pulled a gun on the dinner crowd, but that doesn’t happen too often.”

“Um … ’kay … ”

"It’s a good place to drop in for a drink and a bite. Louie’s the best danged cook we’ve had in Talbot’s Peak in a coon’s age. I don’t blame Sam for going off on that flea-bus.”

“Sam?”

“Sam Knighthawk.” He nodded toward the police car with the server in it. “She won’t hear a word against Louie.” He pointed out the wolf, now human again, his sport coat in tatters. It didn’t cover nearly enough. Beth hastily looked away. “Food critic,” her rescuer explained.

“Ah.”

The man snorted and dusted his hat against his thigh. Beth recognized him now. The cowboy. He was even cuter up close than when he’d been leaning on the bar. He tossed back his rich, copper-colored hair before he put his hat back on. “Name’s Tanner,” he said. “I herd cows at the Wayne spread back of the hills. You’re … ?”

“Beth. Beth Carter.” She checked her dress for stains. Oh crud. That smear on the knee wasn’t coming out without a ton of Tide.

Tanner grinned. “Well, Beth Carter, I’ve had my eye on you since you came in. I’m sorry you had deal with that. That isn’t how shifters act. Not on a normal day, at any rate.”

“I kind of figured.” She looked up at him with sudden suspicion. “I suppose you’re … something?”

He laughed at that. “Oh hell yeah. Nothing carnivorous, so don’t you worry. Would you let a fellah give you a ride home?”

Oh heck, why not? The whole point of the evening, aside from the food, had been to see an actual shapeshifter. She smiled up at the lean, handsome cowboy. “I’d like that.”

#

Beth’s report on her visit to Rattigan’s the next day at work had to be carefully edited. She mentioned the bar fight, but not the forms of the fighters. She especially left out her wild, exhilarating ride on the bare back of a mustang. Both her rides, and the one she had lined up for Friday. The way she saw it, that wasn’t anyone’s business.

My Dream Car Is Faster Than Your Dream Car...

Serena eased into the 1966 Ford Mustang Convertibles low seat and pulled her long flowing hair into a ponytail so tight she was sure it could be deemed a new type of face lift - not that she'd mind shedding a few of the past years. She turned the car over and felt the rumble of the beast pulling at the reins. She was determined to win this race and gather up her awesome new win, a copy of Writing Romance—The Ultimate Guide on Craft, Creation and Industry Connections. She'd take home the studly shapeshifting alpha holding the take off flag as well. It never hurt to have a reading buddy!

As she looked down the line, first up was Crystal in her 1960 Corvette Convertible. It was a thing of beauty, sleek and small, ready to shoot off the line and try for the lead, but the big gorgeous Vamp and the stone hard Guardian in the back were going to weigh it down. If she got the wheels to spin, it would be all over but for the crying. Good thing she had two broad shoulders to do it on.

Next up was Paris in her Silver Rolls Royce. The car was a definitely a sweet ride, and the mechanic that tagged along was clearly a smart idea as he tinkered under the engine. Paris was bound to have quite the time during the race with that hard body in the back with her, but Serena doubted the chauffeur had what it took to win a drag race.

On her other side sat Savanna in her Shiny Red Stealth. Yeah, the lady Kougar had wings and she was definitely going to fly. The cars racing body screamed winner, but the large lovely cat in the seat next to Savanna could make it hard to drive. Serena had her work cut out for her there, but she had faith that her drag racing skills.

Last up, Francesca in her Koenigsegg CCX. Holy Moly, how fast would that gorgeous work of art go? Zero to Zoom was Serena's best guess, but she was keeping the faith in her wild pony. That and word on the street was Francesca might have had a bit of a run in with the law lately, which if asked about sweetly, maybe she would share that "secret life" with us one of these Monday's. Perhaps, Serena would whip out the hidden siren she had with her - you know for a little bit o' driving fun and scare Francesca off the course...well she could hope anyway. ;)

As the Dream Cars reved and the sexy alpha shifter raised the flag, a sight most enjoyable to all around, they were ready for anything. Going for broke. The flag fell and the five sexy bloggers were off. Neck and neck they flew, each working it to the best of their ability. The finish line was in sight,
Just. A. Little. Further....

Happy Friday everyone! I thought this might be a fun way of sharing more of our secrets....but you tell me, just for giggles, who do you think won that race?

Contest! and Contest Hint #1

This month Shapeshifter Secuctions is having a contest. We’ll be giving away a copy of the San Francisco Area RWA chapter’s Writing Romance.








Writing Romance—The Ultimate Guide on Craft, Creation and Industry Connections

• 50 Inspiring Articles
  
  
• The process, craft and business of writing by some of your favorite published romance authors, as well as a few of the industry's leading editors and agents.
  
  
• A Complete Resource List
  RWA chapters, SFA-RWA member authors, and RWA-approved publishers and literary agents.
  
  
• Success Secrets
  How to craft a compelling story, find a great agent, and more!
  

Our contest will run through September. Four times this month, one of our posts will include a short list of our member’s favorites. At the end of the month, one of those tips will be the answer to our question (just to see if you’ve been paying attention)

Our first list of favorites is:

Favorite Color:
Crystal ~ Mauve
Serena ~ Purple
Paris ~ sunset orange
Savanna ~ violet
Francesca ~ red