Shira Anthony's Blog - Posts Tagged "new"

Blood and Ghosts (Blood #2) releases today, April 20th! Even better? Dreamspinner Press is running a great sale, you can purchase the book for 25% off. Haven't read book #1, Blood and Rain , yet? That one's also 25% off! Want to read an excerpt? Scroll down to the bottom of this post.

I've got a brand new giveaway for blog tour (and a second shot at the Dr. Who Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey pendant. You can enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


There are three books planned in the Blood Series. For those of you who might have been putting off reading book #1 because it has a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, the second book ends with a HFN. And of course, you'll find a HEA at the end of book #3. Three, HEAs, to be precise! The last book in the series, Blood and Eternity, will be released in early 2016.

Here's the list of wonderful blogs I'll be visiting with my vampires and hunters over the next few weeks:

April 20th – Prism Book Alliance

April 21st – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

April 22nd – My Fiction Nook

April 23rd – Love Bytes

April 24th – MM Good Book Reviews

April 25th – Andrew Q. Gordon (The Land of Make Believe)

April 26th – Aisling Mancy

April 27th – Bike Book Reviews

April 28th – Charlie Cochet

April 29th – Hearts on Fire Book Reviews

April 30th – Kim Fielding

Blurb for Blood and Ghosts:

Sequel to Blood and Rain

With vampire Nicolas Lambert’s marriage to a rival clanswoman only weeks away, Adrien Gilbert struggles to come to terms with his defeat at the hands of Verel Pelletier, a vampire hunter and an immortal like himself. Adrien and his former teacher, Roland Günter, begin to explore his newly acquired abilities. But without his soul’s sword, Adrien flounders.

On Nicolas’s wedding day, a two-hundred-year old secret is revealed, sending the wedding party into a blazing battle between hunters and vampires. Once again Adrien finds himself facing Pelletier’s superior strength. Just as Adrien believes all hope of a future with Nicolas is lost, he finally learns his true gift—he can turn back time. But time travel comes with a high cost. To save Nicolas, Adrien must become strong enough to use his power without descending into madness.

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Sales Links: Dreamspinner eBook and Paperback

 

Excerpt:

Adrien walked back onto the main street and over to the curb, where someone caught his eye. A man with short black hair walked toward him. Dressed in dark jeans, with a white shirt and dark wool jacket, he wore a single diamond stud in his left ear. A woman hurrying down the sidewalk dodged Adrien as he stopped, but the man behind him knocked him to his knees.

“Are you all right?” someone said with a hint of a French accent.

Adrien looked up into familiar brown eyes. Adrien inhaled slowly, hoping to head off the bloodlust that buzzed at the back of his brain. Heat tingled at the back of his neck, raising the hairs there. His palms felt suddenly sweaty. He felt sick. Not nausea—shock at seeing Nicolas here, realizing it really was Nicolas.

“Yes, I….” Adrien took the hand Nicolas offered and struggled back to his feet. The world spun and he grabbed Nicolas’s arm to steady himself.

“You’re not all right. You look ill. I should call an ambulance—”

“No ambulance.” Adrien righted himself. “I just need to eat something. It’s hotter than I realized.”

Nicolas glanced around, frowned, then said, “There’s a coffee shop at the corner.” He didn’t appear convinced by Adrien’s words. “Why don’t I help you over there?”

As if Adrien would object. “Thank you.”

Five minutes later they sat at a booth by the window, Adrien drinking coffee with a trembling hand. Adrien had watched Nicolas as they’d walked the short distance to the restaurant, his swordsman’s muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt. He looked only slightly older than he’d been when they met. “I’m sorry,” he said, coming back to himself and wondering why Nicolas was sitting with him when he could have left. “I must be keeping you from something.”

“No,” Nicolas answered. “In fact, I just came from a meeting. I’ve got the rest of the afternoon free.”

“I’m Adrien.” He forced a smile and set the empty mug down.

“Nicolas.”

“It’s good to meet you, Nicolas,” Adrien said in French. He drew another long breath and his heart slowed its gallop.

“Please call me Nico,” Nicolas said, also in French.

I can't tell you how excited I am that the first book in the Blue Notes Series, Blue Notes , is now available in audiobook format. The narration is by Peter B. Brooke, who does a wonderful job bringing Jason Greene and Jules Bardon to life! The book in unabridged, and comes in at nearly 8 hours in audio format. The book is available at Amazon, iTunes, and Audible. You can link to all of those here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6454&cPath=673

Stay tuned for future audiobook releases including my Mermen of Ea Series. Stealing the Wind should be available in audio format this year. And along those lines, the cover reveal for the final book in the Mermen of Ea Series, Running with the Wind , will be this week, May 7th! The cover is amazing. Anne Cain outdid herself on this one.

Happy May everyone! -Shira

With the final Mermen of Ea Series book, Running with the Wind , to be released on June 8th, and the cover reveal only 2 days away (Thursday, May 7th!), I wanted to share some more amazing artwork with you. This is the fabulous Ea universe map Dreamspinner Press created by artist Margaret Warner. The map will be included in Running with the Wind.

For those of you who have read the first 2 installments in the series, Stealing the Wind and Into the Wind , you'll recognize the Kingdom of Derryth, where Taren starts his journey when he's kidnapped by the captain of the Sea Witch and finds himself at sea. You'll also find the Luathan Islands and the tiny island of Ea'nu, where most of the merfolk are hidden behind enchantments. The map also shows the location of the fabled Eastern Lands and the country of Astenya, the land of the high mountains, where much of the final book takes place.

I grew up with my father reading the Lord of the Rings stories to me and my sister, and I remember being enthralled by the maps of Middle Earth on the inside covers. As I was working on the Mermen of Ea Series, I created my own map so I would be able to move the characters about and not get completely turned around. Just for giggles, here's my map, which Margaret turned into the beauty you see above.



I hope you'll join Taren and Ian in this final series book as they fight for the survival of their people. And if you've been waiting to start the series because you wanted to wait until it's finished, the wait is over! Happy reading! -Shira

******

Blurb:

Sequel to Into the Wind

With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.

Buy links (active late on May 6th):

eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6455

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6456

Running with the Wind , the final installment in the Mermen of Ea Series from Dreamspinner Press, is now available for preorder here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6455! You can find the complete series on Dreamspinner Press's website: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=914 The gorgeous cover art is by the incomparable Anne Cain. Read to the bottom for an excerpt from the first book in the series.

The Mermen of Ea Series is high fantasy, adventure, and romance set on the high seas. It follows the story of Taren Laxley, an indentured servant who works as a rigger repairing the ropes of ships putting into port in Raice Harbor. When Taren is kidnapped by the lusty captain of a pirate ship, he finally realizes his life-long dream of sailing on the ocean. After Taren falls overboard trying to save a fellow crewmate, he is plucked from the water by the crew of the Phantom, a mysterious ship captained by the seemingly ageless Ian Dunaidh. What Taren soon learns is the Ian and his crew are not human at all, but Ea, merfolk shifters who can take human form. More surprising still, Taren discovers he, too, is Ea.

The final book in the series, Running with the Wind, takes up where the second book, Into the Wind , left off after a battle at sea that culminates in the destruction of the Sea Witch. Haven't read any of the books yet? You'll want to start with the first book, Stealing the Wind .

I can't wait to share this last series book with you! I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. -Shira

Blurb: Sequel to Into the Wind

With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.

Excerpt from Stealing the Wind (Mermen of Ea #1):

Chapter One

The sound of thundering hooves outside the door of their one room hut caused the wooden table to shake and the lamp light to flicker. Surprised, Taren met Borstan’s wide, fearful eyes over the top of the book he’d been reading.

Borstan jumped up from the bench. “Hide, boy! Quickly, now!” he hissed as he shooed Taren up and away from the table.

“Who—?”

“Go! Now! And not a word from you!” Borstan shoved Taren hard and he scrambled behind the stores of rope and flour.

The heavy thud of a battle-axe nearly shook their wooden door from its ancient hinges. “Rigger Borstan Laxley! By order of Lord Grell, we seek recompense for your gambling debts!”

Taren peered around a flour sack. Borstan stood next to the door, his back flat to the wall, his eyes squeezed shut.

“Who are they?” Taren whispered loudly.

Borstan put a finger to his lips to silence Taren just as the men broke through the door, only Borstan’s body kept it from banging against the wall. Borstan yelped as four ironclad giants stormed the room. “Borstan Laxley!” the leader shouted as he dragged a terrified Borstan from behind the door. Another man pulled the bench, their only bench, from the table and aligned it in front of the fireplace. “Tie him!” the leader commanded.

“No, please. No! I told his lordship I’d have the money to pay in a fortnight.” Borstan shouted as they lashed him, face up, to the bench with his own finely crafted cordage.

Taren started when the first blow landed. He huddled in the corner, trembling like a newborn leaf, and buried his head beneath his arms. He couldn’t bear to hear Borstan’s mewling cries with each successive blow. Hot tears quavered on his cheeks for the only master he’d ever known.

“Use the tar!” the leader shouted.

Taren’s head snapped up. No. The cauldron over the fire held the boiling tar they used to coat the rigging they made. Borstan began to scream in earnest and Taren, no longer able to contain himself, shot to his feet with a shriek, his voice cracking with emotion and youth. “No!”

The four soldiers turned to Taren in unison, one holding the dripping tar swab in his hand.

“Y-y-you... you cannot do that to him!” Taren forced out in terrified effort, fists balled at his sides.

The leader advanced on Taren, a wicked grin of rotted teeth filling his rat’s nest of a beard. “What have we here?”

Taren backed up quickly. His heels met a flour sack and he fell on his ass, the sack bursting and caking him in fine white powder.

The brutes roared in laughter as the leader’s beefy hand claimed the front of Taren’s cotton shirt and hauled him into the air with a single, powerful arm. The man’s odor was an acrid stench in Taren’s nostrils as his feet left the floor. “Who are ye?” Taren’s shirt pinched his throat as the man shook him violently.

Taren desperately batted at the man’s powerful forearm in an effort to loosen the grip on his shirt. “Taren.” The single word was a strangled breath on the air.

The leader leered at him. “Yer a right pretty one, boy.”

“Leave ‘im be! He’s mine!” Borstan mewled.

“Yer what?” he demanded with another suffocating shake to Taren. Spots of gray filled Taren’s vision. His tongue felt thick from the lack of oxygen. The soldier who had held him put Taren back on his feet. Taren struggled to stay standing.

“He’s my apprentice! Leave ‘im be. Leave ‘im be.” Borstan struggled against his bonds. Taren saw the red marks where the soldiers had beaten the old man begin to blossom into purple.

The soldier who’d held him now looked Taren over, head to toe. “He’s yer pretty little slave, ye mean to say!” All four soldiers roared in laughter.

“He’s mine.” Borstan’s voice was less forceful this time. His eyes darted between Taren and the men, as if he were considering something.

“He’s a bit spare, but he’d be an extra pair of hands for Lord Grell,” said one of the other men. “No doubt he’ll grow.” In two big strides, Taren found himself thrown over one of the men’s shoulders like the sack of flour he resembled. Blood rushed to his face as he gulped air into his lungs.

“Aye,” Borstan agreed. Taren looked at his master with a dawning sense of horror. Surely Borstan wouldn’t let them take him away?

The leader strode back over to Borstan. “Yer debt is ten silver coins, Laxley. Ye willing to trade ‘im?”

“He’s worth more than ten,” Borstan replied.

“Master?” Taren looked to Borstan, but the old man would not meet his eyes.

“Fair recompense, I’d say. Will ye sell the lad, or not?” The leader made a fist and covered it with his other hand. “Or perhaps we should talk some more.”

Borstan’s eyes widened and he nodded quickly. He did not look at Taren. “Aye. Fair recompense.”

Cold terror clawed at Taren’s gut and he fought the powerful arms that held him fast. “No! No! You can’t sell me! I’ve worked hard for you. I’ve done all you’ve asked of me. Please, Borstan, no!”

The leader nodded to one of the other men, who untied the bloodied and beaten Borstan. A moment later, the soldiers walked out the doorway with Taren, who continued to fight to free himself. “Borstan, no! No! No! Borstan, please! I beg you! Don’t do this! Please, I beg you!”

Stealing the Wind, the first book in the Mermen of Ea Series is now available in audiobook format! The timing is perfect, since the final installment in the series, Running with the Wind , will be released on June 8th.

I love the narrator for the series, Michael Stellman. He really brings the characters to life, and I love the great accents he uses for some of the pirates, in particular. His voicing of Taren is perfect--vulnerable and naive. I'm enjoying listening to the complete recording. You can hear an excerpt by clicking here. You'll see a "Listen: Play Sample" link right below the book cover.

Just a reminder that you can pre-order the final book in the series at Dreamspinner Press and AllRomanceEbooks right now. I do promise a hard-won HEA, of course, since I don't write books without HEAs. But that's all I'll say! You can read excerpts from the first two books here on my website, or stay tuned for excerpts from the final book in the series!

The Running with the Wind blog tour starts on June 1st, so stay tuned. The grand prize is a December Diamonds mermen marriage ornament, and there are other fun prizes too! You can find the giveaway here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba94912/?

For those of you in Raleigh, North Carolina this weekend, I'll be manning a table with authors Venona Keyes and Jordan Hawk at Animazement. Feel free to stop by! We've got lots of great paperback books for a big discount off retail. Or just say hello and pick up some fun swag! Have a great weekend. -Shira

******

Blurb: Taren Laxley has never known anything but life as a slave. When a lusty pirate kidnaps him and holds him prisoner on his ship, Taren embraces the chance to realize his dream of a seagoing life. Not only does the pirate captain offer him freedom in exchange for three years of labor and sexual servitude, but the pleasures Taren finds when he joins the captain and first mate in bed far surpass his greatest fantasies.

 

When June 8th arrives, I'll be saying a sad goodbye to the characters of my Mermen of Ea Series. That's when Running with the Wind , the final installment, will be released by Dreamspinner Press. And man, has it been a great ride!

Many of you know that the series started out as a pirate romance, single novel, with a captor/captive vibe. But about three chapters into the original story, one of my characters, Taren Laxley, decided he was a merman shifter.

I've never been a huge shifter story fan, although I've read some I've enjoyed. So here I am with this character who won't stop telling me he's a merman and a shifter. And did I mention my husband and I had just gotten our open water scuba certification in the Caribbean? Or how we'd recently seen a huge school of dolphins from our sailboat at the North Carolina coast? I'm not a pushover, but I know when I've lost the battle....

I'd never read a story about a merman before. And honesty, that's probably a good thing, since I wanted to come up with my own take on mermen. So building on the idea of The Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Anderson, I imagined merfolk who could shift in and out of their merfoms and live on either land or under the water. And huge fantasy reader that I am, that led to thoughts of magic and an overarching mission along the lines of Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Ring trilogy.

So a single book became and epic three-novel series that follows Taren Laxley from slave to savior of his people. And as I envisioned that huge project, the first thing I said (other than, "Holy shit!") was, "I need help." That help came in the form of nearly a half a dozen beta readers who held my hand through the books and gave me their unvarnished criticism and valuable advice. I owe special thanks to Tali Spencer and Cody Kennedy, who went beyond the typical beta read and helped me work through some particularly challenging scenes.

Is there a future for my mermen beyond the Mermen of Ea Series? There is a story involving two secondary characters I hope to someday tell, but which would not have worked in the context of Taren's story. If that story is written, it will certainly include some of the other series characters. You'll also find a very short flash fiction story during the Running with the Wind Blog Tour featuring the two cabin boys, human and merman, from the Phantom and the Sea Witch.

Haven't read the first two books? Looking for the last one? I've got excerpts here on my website you can find by clicking on the "Books" tab, and I've got an excerpt from the last book below (spoiler warning on that one if you haven't read the other 2 series books) Here's the buylink for Running with the Wind: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6455! And you can find the complete series on Dreamspinner Press's website: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=914

Be sure to get yourself entered in the blog tour giveaway for a chance to win. There are 3 great prizes up for grabs, including this amazing ornament from December Diamonds. Not in the US? I've got some great alternative prizes, including a free download of the audiobook version of Stealing the Wind if you win the grand prize!

 

Here's the link to the Rafflecopter giveaway, which is open for entries until July 1st:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's the list of blogs participating in the tour and links:



1-Jun
Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings


1-Jun
Tara Lain


2-Jun
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words


3-Jun
My Fiction Nook


4-Jun
Amanda C. Stone


5-Jun
Carly’s Book Reviews


8-Jun
Bayou Book Junkie


9-Jun
Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews


10-Jun
Decadent Delights


11-Jun
MM Good Book Reviews


12-Jun
Inked Rainbow Reads


15-Jun
Divine Magazine


16-Jun
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves


17-Jun
BFD Book Blog


18-Jun
The Novel Approach


19-Jun
Because Two Men Are Better Than One


22-Jun
Kimi-Chan


22-Jun
Happily Ever Chapter


23-Jun
Prism Book Alliance


24-Jun
Cate Ashwood


25-Jun
Love Bytes


26-Jun
Molly Lolly





I can't wait to share this last series book with you! I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Read on down for an excerpt from the beginning of series, when we first meet a very young Taren Laxley. -Shira

Blurb: Sequel to Into the Wind

With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.

SPOILER WARNING: This excerpt contains spoilers for the first two series books!

Running with the Wind

Excerpt from Chapter One

Ian leaned over the railing as the morning sunlight warmed his shoulders. A few feet away, Taren wrapped a blanket around the shivering boy, who sat with his knees hugged to his chest. He tenderly ruffled the boy’s fiery red hair. The boy leaned into Taren’s touch and made a satisfied sound much like the purr of a cat.

Not a boy, Ian reminded himself. Bastian. An Anuki. The heavenly brethren of the Ea. A dragon shifter reborn from the ashes. True, this freckle-faced dragon child looked nothing like the full-fledged beast who’d nearly killed them the day before, but they knew little of the Anuki. Had it only been a day since Seria’s men had attacked them and they’d lost Rider to Seria’s bullet?

Ian met Taren’s gaze and his grief eased slightly. Taren smiled back, his warm brown eyes hooded with exhaustion and grief, his shoulder-length hair having dried in a tumble of waves. From where he sat on the deck, Bastian watched Odhrán, keenly interested. The sphere they’d discovered not long after the destruction of the Sea Witch—an egg, Ian now knew—had dissolved beneath the water. Bastian had been choking and spluttering when Odhrán had carried him aboard. Since then, Bastian had done little but watch Odhrán with rapt attention.

Like a baby bird watches its mother. Ian frowned at his folly. How easy it was to forget this pathetic creature had destroyed the Sea Witch and nearly killed them all. If Odhrán hadn’t killed the dragon Bastian had become, they’d all have died. And yet Bastian had been reborn.

Bastian glanced up at Taren, blinked several times, then shifted his gaze back to Odhrán, who spoke in hushed tones to one of his crew. The long blond braid down Odhrán’s back dripped onto the deck and left the back of his woolen jacket sodden. Despite the bright blue of his eyes and his youthful features, Odhrán appeared as exhausted as Ian felt.

“A moment of your time?” Ian said after the crewmember trotted off toward the stairs, leaving the four of them alone on the foredeck.

Odhrán nodded and followed Ian amidships, far enough away that Bastian wouldn’t hear.

“Do you think this is wise?” Ian asked with a quick glance back at Taren and Bastian.

“What would you have me do? Leave him to drown?” Odhrán, too, appeared weary. Ian knew he still regretted having killed the fully transformed Bastian.

“He couldn’t live without Rider.” Taren’s words echoed in Ian’s mind. Rider—Ian’s oldest friend—had taken a bullet in Ian’s stead. There’d been no time to grieve.

“No.” Ian sighed. “Rider would have wanted us to care for him.” Taren would never have forgiven him for suggesting they leave Bastian to drown, and they’d lost too much to even consider it.

Odhrán nodded curtly and turned his gaze eastward. Now calm in the wake of the storm, the water sparkled with sunlight. Nothing remained of the Sea Witch but a few bits of broken timbers floating restlessly on the waves. Later, all of the men now aboard the Chimera would gather on the deck to remember the Witch’s captain, but for just a moment, Ian could almost imagine Rider at the wheel of his beloved ship.

I’ll miss you, old friend. More than you’ll ever know.

Ian shrugged off his dark thoughts and walked back to Taren. “You should get some sleep.” He squeezed Taren’s shoulder. “Odhrán and I will not let Bastian out of our sight.”

Taren pressed his lips together and nodded. How tired Taren must be that he didn’t even argue!

“I’ll join you in a bit.” Ian pressed his lips to Taren’s warm cheek.

Taren retrieved the blanket that had fallen off Bastian’s shoulders and wrapped it around him again. Naked as Bastian was beneath, Ian caught a glimpse of the wings they’d seen when they’d discovered him on the ocean floor. No longer scaled as they’d been when they’d first pulled Bastian from the water, Bastian’s wings were now covered with feathers and shimmered red, yellow, orange, and fuchsia, iridescent in the sunlight.

“I’ll be back later,” Taren told Bastian with a barely repressed yawn. “I promise.”

Bastian’s eyes revealed little understanding. Had he forgotten everything of his former life? Perhaps he was still too overwhelmed from the shock of the past day’s events to fully comprehend his situation. He’d not uttered a word since they’d brought him aboard.

Taren kissed Ian—a fleeting kiss, but one Ian needed to reassure himself that all had not changed—before heading belowdecks to rest.

Ian met Odhrán at the bow. “He’s like a fledgling,” Ian said, inclining his head in Bastian’s direction, “watching you like a bird might his mother.”

Odhrán’s brow knitted. He’d clearly noticed it as well. “I’ve asked Garan to reinforce the enchantments on the ship’s masts and sails. There’s nothing more to be done.”

“Aye. But if Bastian threatens the ship—”

“Then I’ll be forced to subdue him. Not a prospect I relish, although in his current state, he appears far less powerful than before.” Odhrán studied Bastian once again. “For now, at least, he’s content to be in our company.”

“What do you know of the Anuki?”

“They’re much like the Ea in their ability to shift to human form. I met one centuries ago, but he was nothing like this. Not a child. But what happened with Bastian….”

“Reborn from the ashes.” Ian’s heart ached once again for the loss of Rider.

“My time with one of their kind was brief.” Odhrán stared past Ian as if remembering.

Ian didn’t press the issue. Later, perhaps, he’d ask Odhrán about that encounter. “And his memories of his life with Rider?”

Odhrán shook his head. “I don’t know. I suppose only time will tell.”

Ian clenched his jaw. The realization that Bastian might not remember anything of his love for Rider made Ian’s grief that much greater.

Today is release day for Running with the Wind , the final installment in the Mermen of Ea Series from Dreamspinner Press. Haven't started the series yet? The first book, Stealing the Wind , is 35% off at Dreamspinner Press through midnight tonight, June 8th!

You'll find the 2nd installment of the Mermen of Ea mini-fic over at Bayou Book Junkie today. The 1st installment is at Amanda C. Stone's blog. And, of course, the blog tour contest is ongoing at Rafflecopter. It's easy to enter (and you can enter daily) to win one of the cool nautical-themed prizes! Here's the link to the Rafflecopter giveaway (open for entries until July 1st):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can read an excerpt from Running with the Wind below (spoiler warning for books 1 and 2!). Please help me celebrate the completion of the Mermen of Ea Series! Oh, and happy reading! -Shira

Here's the list of blogs participating in the tour and links:



1-Jun
Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings


1-Jun
Tara Lain


2-Jun
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words


3-Jun
My Fiction Nook


4-Jun
Amanda C. Stone


5-Jun
Carly’s Book Reviews


8-Jun
Bayou Book Junkie


9-Jun
Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews


10-Jun
Decadent Delights


11-Jun
MM Good Book Reviews


12-Jun
Inked Rainbow Reads


15-Jun
Divine Magazine


16-Jun
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves


17-Jun
BFD Book Blog


18-Jun
The Novel Approach


19-Jun
Because Two Men Are Better Than One


22-Jun
Kimi-Chan


22-Jun
Happily Ever Chapter


23-Jun
Prism Book Alliance


24-Jun
Cate Ashwood


25-Jun
Love Bytes


26-Jun
Molly Lolly





Blurb: Sequel to Into the Wind

With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.

SPOILER WARNING: This excerpt contains spoilers for the first two series books!

Running with the Wind

Excerpt from Chapter One

Ian leaned over the railing as the morning sunlight warmed his shoulders. A few feet away, Taren wrapped a blanket around the shivering boy, who sat with his knees hugged to his chest. He tenderly ruffled the boy’s fiery red hair. The boy leaned into Taren’s touch and made a satisfied sound much like the purr of a cat.

Not a boy, Ian reminded himself. Bastian. An Anuki. The heavenly brethren of the Ea. A dragon shifter reborn from the ashes. True, this freckle-faced dragon child looked nothing like the full-fledged beast who’d nearly killed them the day before, but they knew little of the Anuki. Had it only been a day since Seria’s men had attacked them and they’d lost Rider to Seria’s bullet?

Ian met Taren’s gaze and his grief eased slightly. Taren smiled back, his warm brown eyes hooded with exhaustion and grief, his shoulder-length hair having dried in a tumble of waves. From where he sat on the deck, Bastian watched Odhrán, keenly interested. The sphere they’d discovered not long after the destruction of the Sea Witch—an egg, Ian now knew—had dissolved beneath the water. Bastian had been choking and spluttering when Odhrán had carried him aboard. Since then, Bastian had done little but watch Odhrán with rapt attention.

Like a baby bird watches its mother. Ian frowned at his folly. How easy it was to forget this pathetic creature had destroyed the Sea Witch and nearly killed them all. If Odhrán hadn’t killed the dragon Bastian had become, they’d all have died. And yet Bastian had been reborn.

Bastian glanced up at Taren, blinked several times, then shifted his gaze back to Odhrán, who spoke in hushed tones to one of his crew. The long blond braid down Odhrán’s back dripped onto the deck and left the back of his woolen jacket sodden. Despite the bright blue of his eyes and his youthful features, Odhrán appeared as exhausted as Ian felt.

“A moment of your time?” Ian said after the crewmember trotted off toward the stairs, leaving the four of them alone on the foredeck.

Odhrán nodded and followed Ian amidships, far enough away that Bastian wouldn’t hear.

“Do you think this is wise?” Ian asked with a quick glance back at Taren and Bastian.

“What would you have me do? Leave him to drown?” Odhrán, too, appeared weary. Ian knew he still regretted having killed the fully transformed Bastian.

“He couldn’t live without Rider.” Taren’s words echoed in Ian’s mind. Rider—Ian’s oldest friend—had taken a bullet in Ian’s stead. There’d been no time to grieve.

“No.” Ian sighed. “Rider would have wanted us to care for him.” Taren would never have forgiven him for suggesting they leave Bastian to drown, and they’d lost too much to even consider it.

Odhrán nodded curtly and turned his gaze eastward. Now calm in the wake of the storm, the water sparkled with sunlight. Nothing remained of the Sea Witch but a few bits of broken timbers floating restlessly on the waves. Later, all of the men now aboard the Chimera would gather on the deck to remember the Witch’s captain, but for just a moment, Ian could almost imagine Rider at the wheel of his beloved ship.

I’ll miss you, old friend. More than you’ll ever know.

Ian shrugged off his dark thoughts and walked back to Taren. “You should get some sleep.” He squeezed Taren’s shoulder. “Odhrán and I will not let Bastian out of our sight.”

Taren pressed his lips together and nodded. How tired Taren must be that he didn’t even argue!

“I’ll join you in a bit.” Ian pressed his lips to Taren’s warm cheek.

Taren retrieved the blanket that had fallen off Bastian’s shoulders and wrapped it around him again. Naked as Bastian was beneath, Ian caught a glimpse of the wings they’d seen when they’d discovered him on the ocean floor. No longer scaled as they’d been when they’d first pulled Bastian from the water, Bastian’s wings were now covered with feathers and shimmered red, yellow, orange, and fuchsia, iridescent in the sunlight.

“I’ll be back later,” Taren told Bastian with a barely repressed yawn. “I promise.”

Bastian’s eyes revealed little understanding. Had he forgotten everything of his former life? Perhaps he was still too overwhelmed from the shock of the past day’s events to fully comprehend his situation. He’d not uttered a word since they’d brought him aboard.

Taren kissed Ian—a fleeting kiss, but one Ian needed to reassure himself that all had not changed—before heading belowdecks to rest.

Ian met Odhrán at the bow. “He’s like a fledgling,” Ian said, inclining his head in Bastian’s direction, “watching you like a bird might his mother.”

Odhrán’s brow knitted. He’d clearly noticed it as well. “I’ve asked Garan to reinforce the enchantments on the ship’s masts and sails. There’s nothing more to be done.”

“Aye. But if Bastian threatens the ship—”

“Then I’ll be forced to subdue him. Not a prospect I relish, although in his current state, he appears far less powerful than before.” Odhrán studied Bastian once again. “For now, at least, he’s content to be in our company.”

“What do you know of the Anuki?”

“They’re much like the Ea in their ability to shift to human form. I met one centuries ago, but he was nothing like this. Not a child. But what happened with Bastian….”

“Reborn from the ashes.” Ian’s heart ached once again for the loss of Rider.

“My time with one of their kind was brief.” Odhrán stared past Ian as if remembering.

Ian didn’t press the issue. Later, perhaps, he’d ask Odhrán about that encounter. “And his memories of his life with Rider?”

Odhrán shook his head. “I don’t know. I suppose only time will tell.”

Ian clenched his jaw. The realization that Bastian might not remember anything of his love for Rider made Ian’s grief that much greater.

The entire Mermen of Ea Series is 30% through June 14th at Dreamspinner Press! That's both ebooks and paperbacks, by the way, in case you prefer your beach read to be a "real" book! And if you've read the entire series and still crave a little more, I've posted the entire cabin boy free ficlet, Wind and Water , here on my website!

I'm so excited to share the complete saga of my mermen, and I'm thrilled to see all the wonderful reviews for the series and this last book!

 

Today is the first stop on the First Comes Marriage book tour! This Friday, January 15th, is release day. You can preorder your individual copy from Dreamspinner Press or you can sign up for the subscription service and receive 2 Dreamspun Desires category romance novels monthly in ebook or paperback for a significant discount over the individual book price.

Grand prize for the book tour giveaway is a gift certificate for a dozen red roses for your sweetheart. First prize is a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift code. You can enter the giveaway at any of the tour stops by commenting, tweeting, etc.

First Comes Marriage, takes a few of the classic romance tropes and turns them on their head. Marriage of convenience? Check. Billionaire playboy? Conniving stepgrandmother? Check.

Jesse Donovan, the billionaire heir to his grandfather’s boat building business, must get married or he’ll lose control of his company under the terms of his grandfather’s will. Chris Valentine is a struggling novelist working as a barista in New York City. When handsome, charming Jesse proposes, Chris thinks it’s a joke! Chris finally gives in and marries Jesse. But the more time they spend together, the more Chris comes to genuinely care for New York’s most eligible “straight” bachelor. But this marriage is just business, isn’t it?

I hope you’ll find these stories as appealing as I have. I’ll leave you with a taste of First Comes Marriage. Hope you enjoy it. -Shira

Excerpt from Chapter Six:

Now, standing in the conference room of Windview Enterprises’ corporate headquarters near South Ferry in Manhattan, one of the matching platinum bands Jesse had bought for them in his pants pocket, Chris wondered if he’d wake up from the dream. The floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over Wall Street and the East River through the forest of high-rise buildings.

“Do you, Jesse Chase Donovan, take Christopher James Valentine to be your husband, in love and in friendship, until you are parted by death?” the judge asked.

“I do.” As Jesse slipped the ring on Chris’s finger, he met Chris’s gaze with such intensity that for an instant, Chris could almost forget the entire ceremony was a ruse to ensure the future of Windview remained firmly in Jesse’s control. Damn the man for being so attractive. Damn him for being a nice guy, because that was the worst part of it. And the part that had you agreeing.

“And do you, Christopher James Valentine, take Jesse Chase Donovan to be your husband, in love and in friendship, until you are parted by death?”

Chris swallowed hard and prayed he didn’t look as incredibly nervous as he felt. “I do.” His hand shook as he took Jesse’s hand and put the ring on his finger.

“Congratulations, Chris and Jesse,” the judge said.

Chris caught Val’s eye for a split second, and he half expected her to urge him to kiss Jesse. But it was Jesse who took charge and blindsided Chris with a kiss.

It started sweetly enough, just Jesse’s lips against his, but instead of releasing Chris, Jesse pulled him tighter against him and pressed his tongue into his mouth. Jesse tasted fucking amazing. Chris didn’t hesitate—their tongues tangled and danced. This close, Jesse smelled good and felt even better. Chris was barely aware of slipping his hands around Jesse’s back before resting them on lean hips. He didn’t think twice as his body and Jesse’s responded in kind.

Someone giggled—Chris recognized Val’s voice—and Jesse pulled abruptly away. Their eyes met for a split second, and Chris thought he saw a mixture of desire and surprise in Jesse’s deep blue eyes. The next thing Chris knew, Val had thrown her arms around him and only his racing heart and tingling lips told him he hadn’t imagined the entire thing.

“Oh, Chris,” Val cooed. “You really did it!”

“Yeah” was the only response Chris could manage. He was still thinking about Jesse’s mouth.

“I guess I was wrong about him being straight,” she whispered mischievously.

Chris was thrilled when Terry grabbed him in a bear hug, because he had no idea how to respond to Val’s comment. He also wasn’t sure if he should be pissed off with Jesse for the show. He supposed if this was going to work, Jesse needed to make the marriage look real. Still, how difficult would it have been to warn Chris that he had that up his sleeve?

You can purchase First Comes Marriage at Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7302

You can subscribe to the Dreamspun Desires line at Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7224&cPath=1583

 

 

 

Today is release day for First Comes Marriage ! The book is now available for download from Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers.

The First Comes Marriage Book Tour is wrapping up its first week with an exclusive post at My Fiction Nook, where you can enter to win a gift certificate for a dozen red roses for you or your sweetheart. First prize is a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift code.

Today, you can also enter a special giveaway contest over at the Dreamspinner Press Blog. I've got a special post for Dreamspinner Press readers.

First Comes Marriage is a modern take on the classic "category" romances I used to read as a kid. You remember those Harlequin and Mills & Boon stories that used to ship, 4 to a box, every month? First Comes Marriage takes a few of the classic romance tropes and turns them on their head. Marriage of convenience? Check. Billionaire playboy? Check. Conniving stepgrandmother? Check. Two sexy men? Check. Slow burn? Check. HEA? Check.

Jesse Donovan, the billionaire heir to his grandfather’s boat building business, must get married or he’ll lose control of his company under the terms of his grandfather’s will. Chris Valentine is a struggling novelist working as a barista in New York City. When handsome, charming Jesse proposes, Chris thinks it’s a joke! Chris finally gives in and marries Jesse. But the more time they spend together, the more Chris comes to genuinely care for New York’s most eligible “straight” bachelor. But this marriage is just business, isn’t it?

If you love sweet, sexy stories with a happily-ever-after that will leave a smile on your face, you'll enjoy the Dreamspun Desires line of gay romances from Dreamspinner Press. I love them so much, I have a subscription to the line. I’ll leave you with a taste of First Comes Marriage. Hope you enjoy it. -Shira

Excerpt from Chapter One:

 

You can purchase First Comes Marriage at Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7302

You can subscribe to the Dreamspun Desires line at Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7224&cPath=1583