Wow, What a Week!
It has been a pretty amazing week -- or three -- around Casa Sheridan. First and second round edits for Brad and Angel's story, Just a Little More (Secrets To Hide 3) are completed. Since the first round included adding three new scenes (one of which was an entire chapter!), this took up a good chunk of time, but the results are oh so wonderful! Just a Little More is off to lines, and hopefully we will have a release date very soon. Don't worry; I'll definitely keep you updated!
In addition, my editor cap has been incredibly busy. I've edited six -- count them again...SIX -- full-length books in the last two and a half weeks. No wonder I was completely fuzzy on Friday! I turned in the last book late Thursday night (okay, early Friday morning), and that was it. My brain shut off. Ever have those days? The ones where work is so involved and you give it all you've got until your brain just won't function anymore? Yep, that was me. I spent Friday in a complete fog. But now Monday is here and I can get back on the bandwagon of work and writing -- mostly writing! -- and feel productive (instead of like I was run over by a steamroller!) once more. :)
So, what's the point of today's post then? Am I just whining about how busy I've been? Well, kinda. ;) But I also wanted to share a little bit about what I do on the other side of my life, my Day Job as a line editor. I get to work with some fantastic authors on a regular basis -- I think I figured last year that I edited somewhere around 60 books? This past week I got to work on a very special project for my sister, Dani Wade. I finally got the chance to edit her second Backstage Pass book, Settling the Score! This book features Daniel Korvello, front man for the rock band Solar Uprising, and his sexy publicist, Becca Buchanan. Here's Dani's description of their story:
Daniel Korvello isn’t your average Joe with a case of unrequited lust. He’s a hard rock front man who wonders if his publicist will ever see him as anything other than a job. Then they team up to hunt down a threat to Daniel’s family…and he seizes the chance to show her he’s up for more than just a one night stand.
Becca Buchanan already lived through one rock-star scandal with her reputation barely intact. She’s determined never to put herself, or her family, through that again. Only she can’t deny the desire she feels for Daniel. When he exposes the molten heat beneath her Ice Maiden exterior, she may never be able to freeze him out again.
Then their amateur investigation takes a dangerous turn that threatens the lives of those they both love. Can their newfound trust extend past the bedroom? Can Daniel let go of his guilt enough to embrace a future with Becca?
Dani's first Backstage Pass novel, Finding Her Rhythm, told the story of Michael Korvello, Daniel's brother and guitarist for the band, and his nanny. The story was HOT, HOT, HOT, and so were the glimpses of Daniel we got, which was why I asked Dani to let Daniel make a special guest appearance in my second book, Naughty Little Christmas. That's right, our books intertwined! The connection made it that much more special to help Dani get Daniel's story out to the world. So if you're interested in hot rock stars with a penchant for blindfolds and outdoor sex and growly, sexy song lyrics, check out Dani's new release. You won't be disappointed!
Settling the Score is available at Amazon here. And if you enjoy it, don't forget Michael's story, Finding Her Rhythm. Enjoy!
TGIF........
It's been such a long week I don't even have the energy for Funny Friday. :) But Just a Little More is shaping up nicely, according to my editor, and we should have a release date soon. So, this weekend, I'm resting and trying to get back on track for Monday. Oh, and sleep -- lots of sleep! Hope your weekend is awesome too!
~ Ella
Must-Read Advice for Writers
21 Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Writing: Must-Read Advice for Writers at All Levels
By Robin Black
This article appeared on The Review Review website -- and my Facebook feed -- last week. After a particularly long and work-heavy month, I was taking a morning of downtime and actually managed to read an article I'm interested in. Yay! I found Black tips encouraging at a time when I'm struggling to handle my workload, deal with medical issues, and still manage to be enthusiastic about revisions on my current novella. It's not easy. But the validation of seeing some of the things I'm trying to tell myself reiterated from an experienced author helped me see that I am on the right path. I'm not delusional. This really is how I should see the world. And yes, "it will get better" is just as much a fact as "the downtimes will come again." Everything has its season; isn't that what Solomon said? :) Here are a couple of the tips I found particularly helpful:
" The best you can do is the best you can do. There’s a fine line between learning from other authors, and trying to be them. Be yourself. There are more than enough different types of readers out there for us all. I can’t tell you how much time I have wasted wishing my work were more 'hip' and 'edgier.' And every single moment was indeed a waste of time. I didn’t even like much of the writing I wanted to emulate. I just liked the attention heaped on the people who wrote it. Write the book you’d most like to read – not the one you think will win over the editor du jour."
How often I have done this! I have lamented not being as good as so-and-so. I've lamented not being able to get my work in front of some big-time agent or editor. I've worried and wondered and agonized over the quality of my work -- and not believed my wonderful editor and critique partners and readers when they say they love it. It's got to stop! Can I doubt? Yes. Can I do it for more than a few seconds? No. As my daughter is fond of saying, "Ain't nobody got time for that."
"You cannot write the pages you love without writing the pages you hate. Nothing that you write is pointless, useless, or unnecessary. The product requires the process. The good days may be more enjoyable, but the tough ones are the ones they’re built upon."
Amen! Telling myself this was the only thing that got me through a period of severe writer's block (and yes, it does exist -- denying it doesn't make it so) over the last six months. I spent so much time agonizing over every word that I trained myself to have panic attacks when I sat at the computer to write. It has taken a lot of time, effort, and patience with myself to come out the other side, and still my confidence is more shattered than intact. That's okay. I'll get there. But it means going through the bad days as well as the good days -- and not being afraid to do so.
The final piece of advice speaks for itself, in my opinion. And, honestly, doesn't just apply to writing. Think about it.
"Don’t believe there are rules. There is only advice. There is only opinion. There are only my experiences and yours and yours and yours. . ."
Check out the full article and all of Black's tips here.
~ Ella
*Photo courtesy of AnimaTigris.
Taking Stock
I had a moment this week where I sat down and took stock of the last year. At this time in 2013, I didn't have a publishing contract. I didn't even know one was on the horizon. In fact, I was extremely discouraged with what little progress I'd made, and the only thing keeping me going was the fact that I'd finalled in the RWA Golden Heart®. It was not my best time.
And then the magic happened. By June, I had my first publishing contract for Dirty Little Secret. Wow, what a ride! My first book came out in October of last year. My second book, Naughty Little Christmas, came out in December. Now I have a release planned for this summer, Just a Little More. The Secrets To Hide series is taking off by leaps and bounds, and hopefully Ian's story will round it out late this year. It's hard for me to believe that these characters, for so long on my heart, have come into the world and are available for any reader to read. It's bemusing, really. Surreal. And so gratifying as a writer, to see my work out there, being enjoyed. Thank you all so much for believing in me!
So what else is coming up? A lot! This September, October, and November, I will be releasing my Southern Nights series, Teach Me (book one), Trust Me (book two), and Take Me (book three). I'm so excited for this series, also set in and around Atlanta, Georgia. These books are contemporary, erotic, with just a hint of suspense thrown into the mix. I'm hoping you'll enjoy them as much as I have. Keep checking back for updated information on exact release dates, blurbs and covers, all of which will be coming in the very near future.
So, yes, that's a guaranteed four releases this year, possibly five. Eight books in two years. O.o That is an amazing number, truly. And all made possible because I have tremendous support from fellow writers, editors and amazing readers. Thank you all! I'm looking forward to many equally amazing years to come!
~ Ella
Funny Friday: Romance GIFs
Saw this on Smart Bitches Trashy Books and couldn't resist sharing!
Romance Visuals: Thank God for GIFs
No Sick Days
There are no sick days in writing.
Okay, for some people there are, but unfortunately I’m not one of them. Between the kids and the editing gig and just plain normal maintenance -- hey, this body didn’t get this way by itself. Actually, it did, but I’m trying to work on that! ;) -- I have to write when I have time, not when I feel like it. And that means writing when I’m sick. Depressed. Just don’t want to.
Suck it up, buttercup. You still have to write.
This week I’m on a deadline. My wonderful editor has sent me revisions that will make Just a Little More a “more better” story. And that means I need to actually follow through on them (imagine that!). I spent this past week struggling through therapy for a bulging disc in my neck, and this weekend both my son and I got hit with a nasty virus (him more than me). All I wanted was to curl up in the bed, cover my head, and sleep the bad feelings away…but I can’t. I have to write. The week ahead is already full of work, and the revisions have to be squeezed in around that. The whip must be cracked and the laptop must be opened. There’s no time to waste on a sick day.
My birthday is coming up in about six weeks. Think I could wish for a sick day when I blow out the candles? ;)
How ’bout you, do you get sick days? Wish you did? Save them for when you aren’t really sick? (Wish I had that option!)
~ Ella
Photo courtesy of mcfarlandmo.
Funny Friday: Too Cute!
I love that show on Animal Planet, "Too Cute!" My husband just rolls his eyes and goes to play RP games in his study whenever I turn it on. But hey, animals are just plain funny. :) So, for today's Funny Friday, here's your dose of "cute" for the week. Enjoy! ~ Ella
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jv7X-SYxUk?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
What I'm Reading: Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye
Tattoos. Special Forces. A damsel in distress. What could be hotter than that? In this first book in Kaye's Hard Ink series, absolutely nothing. Becca Merritt goes head to head with Nick Rixey when her brother disappears, leaving only Nick's name as a clue for help. I have to admit, shocking as it was, Nick's hard-ass attitude in the first scene was enough to wet panties, just because you knew all that badness would eventually be channeled into taking care of his woman. Yum!
For me, Nick was the driving force behind enjoying this book, though his sexy, tortured teammates came a close second. And the dog. The bit about the dog was hilarious -- and I am not a dog person by any means.
Here's the blurb from Kaye's website:
Tall, dark, and lethal...
Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.
With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.
Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...
Now, I have to admit, while I enjoyed this book and all its alpha-male abundance, I did not enjoy it as much as I did Hearts in Darkness, which is a stand-alone novella that got me interested in Kaye's writing. She has a way with wounded, tough-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside heroes that just works for me, and HiD was a phenomenal example of that -- I highly recommend it. Then again, I enjoyed HAIG, too. It took me less than a week to read, which is always an indicator of how much I'm enjoying something. I have so little time to read that, if you haven't hooked me early, I have to set the book aside. I kept going back to this one, even reading on my iPhone occasionally. And I definitely plan to read the rest of the series: The second book, Hard As You Can, featuring teammate Shane, has just come out. Book three, Hard To Hold On To, will be out in August.
There you have it! If you're looking for tough heroes with wounded bodies and hearts, look no further...or should I say, harder? ;) Oh, just go buy it already! And don't stop reading till you get to the scene where the guys sing on the stairs. You'll know it when you get to it -- and you'll probably roll on the floor laughing as hard as I did!
~ Ella
Funny Friday: Fabio!
This has to be the funniest "romance cover" commentary I've seen in a while. Hilarious! Check it out: 19 Things Fabio Is Actually Thinking on His Romance Novel Covers
;) Enjoy your weekend!
~ Ella
The Rain
It's currently cool and rainy down here in the Deep South. On mornings when I wake up to the gentle patter of rain, it's like a huge sigh settles over my soul -- there's just nothing better than rain. The steady drum, the muffling of outside noise, even the rushing tide of heavy winds when the rain breaks completely free. In all its faces, rain draws me in.
It's my favorite time to walk. Let's face it -- the South gets HAWT, and not in a good way. Considering that my career means sitting on my rear for 90 percent of my day, I know moving is important, both to my mood and my health. But I hate the heat! This past winter I reveled in the few days we got snow, went out and walked in it and felt the soft flakes on my face, but nothing compares to walking in the rain. As Roger Miller says, "Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." The cool breeze caresses your face, and there's that strange sense of cool wetness on your skin when you aren't actually wet. You know what I mean, right there under your raincoat, with the raindrops beating against you like a massage and the world coated in a hazy gray blanket. All the things that weigh heavy on my mind are coated too, drowned out, and I can just be, there in the rain.
I grew up in an old farmhouse with a tin roof. Lots of houses out in the middle of nowhere in the South have tin roofs, especially the barns, but I was lucky enough that my bedroom was right underneath it, right up there in the eaves, right where the sound of the rain on the metal would resonate in my ears. Sure there were times that the thunder and lightning would scare the bejesus out of me, but mostly I remember how calming that sound was, how it sank down in my chest and felt like home. Even now, when I listen to meditation or sleep programs, I'm drawn to the ones that sound like rivers or streams, the tinkling of water over rocks, the sound that reminds me of the streaming of water down that old tin roof. There's no other sound quite like it.
The absolute best thing about rain, though, is curling up with a good book under a fuzzy blanket while the water pounds away outside. Maybe it's the white noise effect or maybe the sense of being enclosed, cocooned against that relentless force; I don't know. I can lose myself in the sound as much as in the world of the book I'm reading, or maybe that fiction world becomes clearer as reality is dampened by the rain. I know I'm conditioned now -- when it rains, all I want to do is curl up and read. Not a bad way to think, huh?
Does the rain draw you? Why? While you think about it, I'm gonna go curl up. Coffee's calling, and a book, and the rain.
~ Ella
Photos by: Yuliya Libkina, llya, and docoverachiever
Funny Friday: True Facts About Owls
I saw this video shared on FB the other day and couldn't stop laughing! Enjoy a good laugh for your Funny Friday. :D [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeFxdkaFzRA&w=560&h=315]
The Yin Yang That Is My Life
This week, I go back to the doctor for what seems like the umpteenth time. I'm there every three months for a checkup, and it's something I hate to do. Being a perfectionist, I struggle with the constant feeling that, for my doctor, I can never be good enough -- and I can't. At any given time I find I can only work to improve one thing, and something else inevitably gets left behind. If I'm working hard to stick to my diet, I end up not working out enough. If I'm working out five days a week, I'm not watching what I eat carefully enough (usually because I'm starving after all those workouts!). If I'm working hard on a writing project or a new writing skill, both workouts and diet go by the wayside.
Needless to say, my doc is never completely happy with any of it.
That's not to say I am completely happy with it. If I was, I wouldn't dread going to see him so much. But this year my goal has been to accept imperfection, to realize that no one is perfect -- especially me -- and to be okay with the process instead of some nebulous end result. The yin yang symbol is my daily reminder that no light is completely devoid of darkness, and yet no darkness is completely devoid of light. It's okay not to be perfect as long as I'm striving to improve, and on my darkest days, I am never a complete failure either, no matter how much I might feel like I am.
Yin yang is all about balance. Balance by its very nature cannot be attained if I am perfect all of the time -- and all that perfection would probably make me arrogant anyway. :) If I am perfect in one area, another must naturally fall away. It's that whole "you cannot be all things to all people," except applied to myself. I can't do it all, no matter how much I want to. I'm trying to realize that, accept it, and not beat myself up about it like I have for the last 39 perfectionist-driven years. So when I go into my doctor's office this week and he looks at me and asks how I've been doing, I'll say I've been doing okay and mean it. I'm not required to be anything else. I don't have to be fantastic. I can just be okay -- a work in progress, as we say in the writing world. That work leads to some really great stories, and I look forward to the process. :)
Great minds think alike! Head on over to my sister Dani Wade's blog and see what she has to say about being a WIP today!
*Above picture courtesy of DonkeyHotey on Flickr.
Funny Friday: The Onion
I don't read The Onion, or any other online news site, really. I just don't have time to search sites on a regular basis. I rely on my FB news feed to expose me to the little funnies of my day, including this one from a fellow author. Just the title meant I had to click on it. :) Why don't you pop on over there and enjoy a little satire to get your weekend off to a great start!
Increasing Number Of Men Pressured To Accept Realistic Standards Of Female Beauty by The Onion
The Joy of Silence
"Silence is a source of great strength." ~ Lao Tzu Sound clutters the mind. I am, by nature, a talker -- I love words and use them often to work out what's in my mind. But I've realized lately exactly how cluttered my mind is, that often I have to fill any silence with, if not actual words, then thoughts of words. I can't go a moment without running conversation through my mind. Silence makes me antsy, yet all that noise in my head is exhausting.
We need rest. Our minds need rest. When I began my publishing journey last year, I was on constant deadline. I was thinking about writing, listening to music to inspire my writing, talking myself through scenes for my writing, talking to others about my writing or my books or my career -- and doing nothing for me, the internal me. The realization that I'd not had a vacation from writing in over two years was illuminating. No wonder I felt burned out. No wonder my mind was tired all the time. And yet when I tried meditation, to immerse myself in the silence, it was virtually impossible. I was too used to the noise.
When I was a kid, we lived in a house with no air-conditioning. So during the summer, we slept with those big box fans running in the bedroom, usually in the window so it would blow the cooler air inside. I loved it, but I didn't love the transition from summer to winter. See, that was when the house went from no air-conditioning to only wood heat, and we went from all that glorious noise at night to complete silence. I hated it. I'd toss and turn and try to sleep, and all I could hear was the silence after that big, noisy fan was put away. The lack of noise was a void I couldn't ignore for the sake of sinking into the silence. And yet the absence of sound slowly became the norm again, and I could sleep without the interference between me and the silence.
I think, in today's busy, modern, information-filled world, the value of silence is even higher. We need the silence to calm our minds. We need to teach our kids to find themselves in the quiet rather than having to constantly be fed on chaos. The more we practice silence, the easier it becomes and the more centered we get. The bits of ourselves that we forgot existed float back to the surface. Like our creativity. Our joy. Our passion. Our hunger for something other than chaos. It's a hard transition, but one I think is well worth it.
In the silence, we rediscover who we are.
How very true that is. And what strength we find on the journey.
~ Ella
Funny Friday: Orbit Commercial
So I saw this for the first time last night. I laughed and laughed and laughed -- and not because of the actual storyline of the commercial. Yes, it's funny, but what's even funnier is a single line from the coffee cup: "I have your lipstick all over my rim!" Um, I'm an erotic romance author. Yes, my mind went way farther than the Orbit people probably intended! *snicker* Great pun...
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogYh9Q0k00s?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
~ Ella
Favorite "Naughty" Bits
It's the last week to get the Secrets To Hide series on sale at All Romance ebooks! To celebrate -- and give you a sneak peek into the fun second installment in the series -- I've gathered some of my favorite quotes from Naughty Little Christmas to share with you. Have fun delving into Harley and Damien's explosive relationship -- then pop on over to ARe get your copy today!
Chapter One
The Christmas lights illuminating the area glinted in her eyes, and he couldn't keep his fucking gaze off her. Which was bad, because he didn't do employees -- ever. And he wanted to do her, no doubt about it. ~ Damien
Chapter Two
"So what was he like?" Cassie asked.
Shifting her purse higher on her shoulder, Harley tried to give herself time to think. "A real dickhead at first." She snorted at the memory of the way she'd shaken in her high-heeled boots those first few minutes after meeting him. "But I wore him down."
Chapter Three
"Uh-oh. Harley, what did you do to put such a big, bad frown on our boss's face?"
"Me?" She pulled her hand out of Marc's grasp in protest. "Nothing. From my experience, this is his permanent expression."
Chapter Four
"You're the one playing games. Go play with yourself and leave me out of it."
Between one breath and the next, she found herself pinned face-first against the nearby wall, Damien's arms sandwiching her between his hard frame and the unyielding surface. "I'd rather you played with me," he whispered, the sound rough, raspy in her ear.
Chapter Five
"Congratulations, Wonder Girl." And then he was lifting his head, those sinful lips coming closer and closer. They scraped, whisper soft, across her own. Harley couldn't resist the need to lick her lips, to savor his taste. The sight of her tongue obviously gave Damien other ideas, because he swooped up for another kiss, this one anything but soft. He devoured her, sucked on her tongue, and rolled her beneath him to hold her still as he took his pleasure from her mouth. Harley moaned deep in her throat. So good. He felt so good surrounding her, and she wondered in that instant if it was even possible to get enough of what this man was giving her.
Chapter Six
"If you think I'm going to pussyfoot around like you're some simpering idiot, think again. I am far too hungry to even consider that road, but neither am I willing to downplay what we're about to do together. Whether it's your first time or your hundredth, it's your first time with me, and contrary to what I've thought with every other woman in my life, this means something to me." ~ Damien
Chapter Seven
"What is it with you and this chick, Damien? You were barking at me the first time I met her. Like a dog with a bone," Ian muttered.
"She's not a chick, and she doesn't have great--" He couldn't finish that sentence, not only because it was an outright lie -- Harley had the most mouthwatering breasts he'd ever gotten his hands on, and he'd had his hands on plenty -- but because Ryan was red and choking and Alex looked completely baffled by the whole conversation. And he didn't want to discuss Harley's breasts, damn it, not with Ian or any other man.
Chapter Eight
"I want," he said as he reached for a small bag on the mantel, "to run one of these candies over every inch of your body. I want to taste the sweetness on your skin, taste you, until every time I put one in my mouth, all I can think about is you. Tonight." The last word scraped across his vocal cords as he took her hand and pulled her toward the bed. "Now strip." ~ Damien
Chapter Nine
Cheers roared through the room. Couple grabbed each other, kissing passionately. Singles tooted their party horns and threw confetti in the air. Chaos erupted, but all Damien could see was the stage, where Aftershock stood with Sound on Fire, waiting for the cue to begin playing. The lead singers' antics pumped up the crowd. A couple of the musicians jumped down from the stage, grabbing a pretty girl to lay one on. And far in the back, Harley stood, her bass cuddled to her chest like a shield, the look in her eyes as lost as he felt.
Chapter Ten
He itched to touch her, but more than that, he itched to fist that hair, hold her down, and torture her until they found a way around the gulf that separated them. Until he found a way to reconcile the pain he felt with the love that tore him up inside, a way not to be so goddamn angry at wanting her and needing her and knowing he could never trust her again. ~ Damien
Chapter Eleven
"I've seen you naked before, Harley. It's not a big deal."
Lightning didn't strike, which kinda surprised him.
"You -- Grr! Get out!" Harley actually stomped her foot, which did fantastic things to her already fantastic breasts. His zipper creaked in appreciation.
"Sure." He went to duck out, then popped his head back around the door, forcing his laughter back by sheer willpower. "Um, onesie?"
Harley turned her back then. Even from across the small room and with blurring plastic between them, he could see a red flush covering her neck and the tops of her shoulders. "In the laundry room, dumb-ass!"
Chapter Twelve
Since she'd been a little girl with that tiny Christmas tree on her nightstand, she'd wanted the perfect Christmas gift. Now, all these years later, she knew that gift wasn't a what but a who. Two whos.
Klio, her sweet, sweet baby.
And Damien.
Merry Christmas to me.
~ Harley
And if you liked these, be sure to check out book one, Dirty Little Secret, too!
~ Ella
Funny Friday: Grumpy Cat
It's been a bit of a rough week at Casa Sheridan, but next week? Ah, spring break! The kiddos and I are doing our Snoopy dances, let me tell ya! I got my grump on this week, but next week should be better. However, in honor of this week's grump, I'm sharing my favorite grump ever, Grumpy Cat. Here's a couple of funnies to brighten up your first Spring Friday...
Funny Friday: Frozen
I have to say, I really liked this movie. Still...this Honest Trailer for Frozen is hilarious! Have a very funny, happy, enjoyable Friday, y'all! ~ Ella
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb5IH57SorQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315])
What I'm Reading: The Night Prince Series by Jeaniene Frost
I admit I'm just now starting on this series, which began in 2012, for one very good reason: I hate first-person point of view. I'd heard several people raving about Jeaniene Frost -- totally deserved, by the way, and thank you, thank you, thank you, M. V. Freeman! BUT...I wouldn't pick up her books because it takes a very good writer, with just the right touch, to allow me to enjoy first person. Kristina Douglas (a paranormal pseudonym for Anne Stuart) is one. And now Jeaniene Frost.
Her prose is compelling. To be honest, I can't put my finger on why -- it's clean, almost feeling too concise and uncluttered, abrupt, though it isn't. Not normally what I enjoy; I admit to preferring a more descriptive voice. But I couldn't put it down. I've really enjoyed finishing it, and I'm looking forward to reading more. (Hurry, hurry, hurry! :) )
The Night Prince series centers around the vampire Vlad, who is the original Dracula, and a psychic named Leila who -- get this -- is a carnival performer. Yes. I didn't think it would work either, but it did! The first book in the series is Once Burned; here's the blurb from Frost's website:
She’s a mortal with dark powers…
After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person’s darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude…until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world’s most infamous vampire…
He’s the Prince of Night…
Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don’t call him Dracula. Vlad’s ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him – a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.
The book drew me so much I immediately bought book two, Twice Tempted. This book begins with Leila leaving the emotionally closed-off Vlad -- which is a good point about this series: Frost does a lot of those "Do Not Do This!" things most of us have been told is the death of a story. Vlad is no clean-cut alpha hero. No meditation for him when he's stressed; no, he tortures people. He's so emotionally constipated that Leila leaves him. Why doesn't he go after her? He says later he thought she was bluffing. Yeah, constipated. Leila's not your typical heroine either -- the torture she suffers in book one is pretty unpalatable. But her knowledge of '80s pop rock is a thing of beauty. :)
I cannot wait for the third and final book in this series to come out. I highly recommend the first two books in the meantime, so go check them out. Now!
Don't make me take a page from Vlad's book and impale you.
~ Ella