 Friday, June 27, 2008 Born of the Shadows by Cyndi Friberg  Proud and rebellious, Gideon is banished from the Light. His own words define his punishment, transforming bloodlust into literal hunger. Living by his sword, he wanders the land of mortals, embittered and alone.Naomi works in secret, illuminating manuscripts for the Knights of St. John. Gideon is drawn to her beauty and fascinated by her innocence. She stirs the shattered remnants of his nobility, intensifying the conflict already raging within him. Gideon is unlike anyone Naomi has ever encountered before. His passionate kisses and intoxicating caresses leave her restless and wanting. Still, she senses the bleak loneliness he tries so hard to deny. Responding to his seduction with tenderness, she is determined to help him rediscover the beauty in life. The battle lines are drawn. Gideon must seek redemption or Fall. Naomi must lead her Rebel Angel back into the light before the forces of darkness have their way. (This is the second half of the scene available on Cerridwen's website.) Enjoy! Cyndi Gideon stared down into the woman’s bright blue eyes and felt his fangs begin to lengthen. He quickly closed his mouth, unwilling to reveal his true nature. He was hungry, but it had been many long weeks since he’d touched a woman. He could not decide if he wanted to penetrate her throat with his fangs or feel her body close tightly around his shaft. Perhaps he’d do both. He wrapped his arms around her suddenly, molding her body to his. She instinctively arched and shoved against his chest, but this only pressed her lower body more intimately against him. Her eyes widened and the scent of fear exploded in his nose. “Be still,” he commanded her with his dark voice and the flash of his eyes. She went limp in his arms, her eyes drifting shut, and Gideon chuckled. He hadn’t meant the compulsion to be quite so powerful. Her head lolled back into the bend of his elbow, exposing her neck and ending his mental debate. He would feed first and then draw her back to awareness as he slowly seduced her senses. Burying his face in her throat, he inhaled her scent deeply. She smelled fresh and feminine, with faint traces of fear and--arousal. Gideon parted his lips and stroked his tongue along her jugular, feeling the rhythmic pounding, the power and life. Intoxicated by her scent, it took him a moment to recognize the subtle sweetness of her taste. Innocence. With careful restraint, he pricked her skin with his fangs and then quickly withdrew. He intentionally savored the rich complexity of her blood. His heart began to hammer as her nature was revealed. She was pure of heart. Selfless, devoted and true. Dark hunger slashed through Gideon and he groaned. The age-old battle within his spirit raged out of control, driving the breath from his body and the strength from his legs. He sank to his knees, his hold on the woman constant. The shriveled remnants of his goodness surged to life, reaching for her, crying out to her, but the evil in him was just as strong. He wanted her as he had never wanted anything or anyone. He threw back his head and roared. Anguish and fury saturated the sound. He longed to drown in her innocence, to gorge on her goodness until…until she was corrupted or dead? Unsteady and shaken, he sat down on the wood planked floor and pulled her into his lap, cradling her in his arms like a child. His hand trembled as he brushed the hair out of her face. She looked no different than other humans. But something about her held him back. His dark nature demanded that he use her to sate this raw, burning hunger, but he couldn’t seem to move. She shifted within his arms and slowly opened her eyes. Fear erupted again. He could smell its acrid stench, hear its relentless pounding, taste its bitterness--but it had never been repulsive before. “What happened?” she asked. “I frightened you. You fainted.” “I have never fainted.” Her voice sounded truculent as she sat up in his lap. She squirmed a bit and then went very still, her hand splayed in the center of his chest. Her long chestnut hair was tousled, a stray wisp curled against her cheek. She stared up at him with the biggest, bluest eyes he had ever seen, and Gideon knew he would not ravage her. Seduction, on the other hand, was still a very real possibility. “Then did you pretend to faint so I would take you in my arms?” Her eyes lit with indignation and Gideon smiled, his dark hunger controlled again, at least for the present. “Why would I need such a ploy?” “Because you’re not yet ready to admit that you want me, even to yourself.” She laughed and the hand resting against his chest began to push. “Are you always so arrogant?” He couldn’t bring himself to let her go. Her rounded bottom was doing cruel things to him, but he ached with the need to touch her. Taste her. “Kiss me, and I will release you.” If you still want to be released once my mouth is moving upon yours. Naomi felt like Eve in the Garden of Eden. “I shall scream and you will be forced to let me go.” “Forced by whom? This chamber is far from the domestic range. We are quite alone.” She didn’t move, could scarcely breathe. Brushing his warm fingers against her cheek, he tucked a curl behind her ear. “Let me taste your mouth. I only want a taste.”
She rubbed her palm against his chest, fascinated by the unyielding shape beneath the soft material. Why was she still sitting here? He wasn’t really restraining her. This man was the personification of her darkest fantasies, the illusive, mysterious something that other people whispered about. He was potent, powerful and yet incomprehensible. His mouth covered hers, driving all rational thought from her mind. She felt the heated slide of his lips, and she trembled. She felt the sensual glide of his tongue, and she groaned. His mouth moved over and against hers, his tongue touched and tasted. She found his sleek hair and sank her fingers into the cool strands. His fingers were in her hair, too. She felt his hand close into a fist, carefully controlling her. He tilted her head, and his mouth fit more tightly over hers, guiding her lips farther apart. She accepted the bold thrust of his tongue with a little gasp. Overwhelmed and intoxicated, she felt completely out of control. He was taking too much, moving too fast. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, could only yield to his passion. Fear found its way through the haze as he deepened the kiss. He was aggressive now, demanding, his mouth plundering the depths of hers. Naomi shoved against his chest and tore her mouth away. “More, Naomi, give me more,” he growled. His arms tightened, dragging her flush against his chest. Naomi turned her face away as his words registered. “You called me Naomi.” “Is there some other name you would prefer?” His mouth moved to the underside of her jaw. She felt the moist heat of his lips slide along her throat. Shoving hard against his chest, she tried to think, to understand what he was doing to her. He had demanded her name, but she hadn’t told him. Scrambling off his lap, she scurried to the other side of the chamber. “How do you know my name?” For a moment, he sat there staring at her over his shoulder, but in one fluid motion, he gained his feet, and stalked toward her. “You told me your name.” She felt compelled to look at him, to stare into his eyes, but she quickly averted her gaze. “Nay, sir, I did not.” He stood directly across the table from her. It was no real protection. He could easily shove it aside. Labels: Born of the Shadows, Cyndi, Friberg, Rebel Angels 
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 So, back to my original question, a Rebel Angel is an angelic being who resisted the temptation to follow Lucifer’s example, but was left discontent and, well rebellious after the battle. Each angel is cursed by their own words and sent on a unique quest for redemption. Born of the Shadows kicks off a trilogy with one of the most unusual vampire stories you will ever read.  Rebel Angels 1: Born of the Shadows Proud and rebellious, Gideon is banished from the Light. His own words define his punishment, transforming bloodlust into literal hunger. Living by his sword, he wanders the land of mortals, embittered and alone.Naomi works in secret, illuminating manuscripts for the Knights of St. John. Gideon is drawn to her beauty and fascinated by her innocence. She stirs the shattered remnants of his nobility, intensifying the conflict already raging within him. Gideon is unlike anyone Naomi has ever encountered before. His passionate kisses and intoxicating caresses leave her restless and wanting. Still, she senses the bleak loneliness he tries so hard to deny. Responding to his seduction with tenderness, she is determined to help him rediscover the beauty in life. The battle lines are drawn. Gideon must seek redemption or Fall. Naomi must lead her Rebel Angel back into the light before the forces of darkness destroy them both. Born of the Shadow, available Tomorrow at Cerridwen Press! Cyndi Friberg (aka Aubrey Ross) ANNOUNCEMENTS LOOP
Tuesday, June 24, 2008  Despite the fact that I have been VERY remiss in blogging as of late, I don't have much to blog about today-other than the fact that I can't wait to finish up edits on my third After Sundown book, ILLUMINATION. This gargoyle tale is near and dear to my heart and I hope it's my best Sundown book ever. Gargoyles, witches, warlocks, vampires, faeries and elves. What more could a girl want? Well, this girl anyway. ;-) I hope by the time I'm due for my next blog I'll have more to share with you on this project. Until then, I hope you're having a great summer! Best. Eden Robins www.edenrobins.com Dark, Dangerous and Decadent Happily-Ever-Afters
Belated Acknowledgments Once the manuscript was accepted, the editing process took precedence, and due to the idiosyncrasies of the forms we send in to the publisher, there is no separation of "Dedication" and "Acknowledgments." Somehow, I never submitted the second half of my intended intro page. The dedication is there, but my thanks to everyone who helped bring the book from a vague idea to the page never made it. I offer my humble and profuse apologies, as well as prolific thanks to the following, without whose help I'd never have finished the book. Mark Hussey, Darrell McCaskill, Michael Kispert and Thomas Stroup of the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Your advice and company gave me those bits of realism I needed. Apologies for things I adjusted for the sake of the story. Major Thomas Fuller, US Army for the XY help. Wally and the gang at Crimescenewriters for answering questions about anything and everything. The Novel Alchemy group for their keen eyes. CJ Lyons, MD, for her medical assistance. My ever-patient crit partners, Dara Edmondson and Julie Salvo, and all the support from the ladies of CFRW. Helen Woodall, my editor, and to cover artist Croco. And, of course, to Dan who helps with absolutely everything. Labels: Acknowledgments, Hidden Fire
Saturday, June 21, 2008  Romance Reviews Today posted my first review for Hidden Fire. I'm more than pleased, because her closing words showed that the book was exactly what I intended. A nice getaway read. Romance Reviews Today Read the full review here Labels: Beach Reads, Hidden Fire, Reviews, Romace Reviews Today
Thursday, June 19, 2008 During summer, I have to change my focus a little when it comes to my writing career. I use this time to catch up on things that have been sorely neglected that I can do without too much thinking involved - like my poor out of date website that needs a fresh new look, or the picture books that I promised the kids but have put off illustrating because I was busy writing something else. I don't have to concentrate a lot when illustrating so I can talk to them and be creative at the same time. I do have some new books under contract and I'm dying to tell everyone but I can't until the signed contracts are back in my possession. I hope I'll be able to tell you soon! Just check here and on my website for details. I hope you're having a great summer! Smiles, Melissa Alvarez/Ariana Dupre http://melissaa.com, http://apsychichaven.com Talgorian Prophecy available now. Labels: ariana dupre, Beneath A Christmas Moon, melissa alvarez, night visions, paranormal romantic suspense, psychic fiction, talgorian prophecy
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Okay, maybe a lot of you may have seen worksheets to fill out about your characters; if you're familiar with the website Ninth Moon (that's www.ninthmoon.com), owner Laron Glover offers useful things for the writer, including charts and cards (and the site's worth a look, so I urge you to do so). But Alexis offered a worksheet that called for way more detail than I have ever imagined I would need for one of my books, and I realized that was my failing. I should need that much detail. I realized that at the end of the book, after the many drafts, most of the time I had detail like that -- but it would never occur to me to put it all into a sheet for easy reference. Like, that would make way too much SENSE. Her books are great; if you're not familiar with them, check them out at her website at www.alexismorgan.com. Yasmine Galenorn (www.galenorn.com) is another writer I know who's organized like that (and her books, too, are great -- the next one in her Sisters of the Moon series comes out in a couple of weeks, and I look forward to it). She too keeps thick notebooks filled with details about her books, but at least she doesn't use charts (okay, I'm not actually afraid of charts, but seeing charts at work everyday, and seeing them used in this way, creates a weird dissonance). And I mention all of this because I have to ask: Am I the only one who uses Post-Its to track details? Yasmine and Alexis both have multibook series with many characters to keep track of, so for them to be super-organized makes not only sense, but really, it makes financial sense. To make deadlines, to be ... yes! efficient, that much organization is the only way to keep on top of things. This comes to mind not just because of Morgan's talk, but because upstairs in my office, I have two characters with green hair and gold hair in the work I'm polishing to submit to Cerridwen. And I realized last night that each HAD THE WRONG HAIR. Crap, I'm going to have to get organized. Darn it.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008  One of the most nebulous topics to deal with when talking about books or writing is the idea of theme. Most stories have one or more of them. Sometimes it’s easy to say what it is, sometimes it isn’t.The American Heritage Dictionary describes theme as “An implicit or recurrent idea; a motif: a theme of powerlessness that runs through the diary; a party with a tropical island theme.” Some people describe it as what a book is “really about,” but even that’s not entirely accurate. Yes it’s true that Moby Dick is a story about a whale. It’s also true that it’s a story about one man’s obsession, about a man’s battle against forces of nature far larger and more powerful than himself. Sometimes a book can have more than one theme. Other books have no real theme at all, but those tend to feel shallow and unengaging. Most of us want our books to have a depth beyond simply telling a story. Even if they’re meant mostly as entertainment, we want them to have depth and a feeling of reality. Theme helps engender that. Does a writer start with the theme when he or she sits down to tell a story? Maybe some do. I don’t. Notice I said, ‘sits down to tell a story’. For me that’s what it’s all about. Telling a good story, an entertaining story, one that will leave a reader saying, “Wow, that was fun,” when they finish it. I generally start off a story knowing my main characters’ goals, motivations and conflicts, the basic ‘What does he want?’, ‘Why does he want it?’ and “Why can’t he have it.” I don't even think about theme. When I started writing my most recent published story, the novella, “Vampire’s Christmas Carol” in the BENEATH A CHRISTMAS MOON anthology, I knew that my hero was a vampire who wanted to die as a human because he’d seen the kinds of monsters vampires were. But that meant he had to struggle against the almost unbearable hunger for blood as well as the machinations of the creature who turned him. I knew my heroine was stranded on a deserted road on an icy, snowy Christmas Eve. At first, all she wanted to do was get home to be with her family for Chistmas, then she just wanted to survive the night trapped in a house with a hungry vampire. I had no idea the story even had a theme until it was almost two-thirds written. I still remember the moment it hit me. My story was about heroism. Not the kind of heroism that makes people jump out of airplanes into battlezones or face down criminals with superior firepower. The kind of heroism that quietly endures the unendurable because the alternative is unthinkable. Heroism that knows the right thing to do and is determined to do it whatever the cost. The realization of that theme caused me to rework the ending just a little bit, to give both my hero and heroine ways to prove that they each had what it takes to earn those titles. For me, theme grows out of story, not the other way around. Labels: Authors, Beneath A Christmas Moon, Theme, writing
Sunday, June 15, 2008 Frustrating. One is a romantic suspense loosely based on a person I knew in the 70s. It's called I Know You're Out There Somewhere and it involves a stalker with a 30-year mission. Yes, a lot of it is imagination, but believe me, it wasn't much of a leap to imagine this story. The other two books are the next in my History Patrol series. Endurance is a 1st person book (male POV) about a man who is infected with an immortality virus and who's stuck in the 21st century. The other book, Temperance, is about a Patrol couple who are sent to the Midwest during the Great Depression where they encounter John Dillinger ... and their fate. But geez, I can't TALK about those books -- I don't have release dates. I've got cover art for one, but ... geez, I can't TALK about them! Let's keep our fingers crossed that by the next time I post (next month), I know their fates! J L Labels: J L Wilson, publishing delays, publishing woes
Thursday, June 12, 2008 I was one of those geeky kids who really loved studying American history. I’ve always been in awe of the incredibly strong and resilient frontier women who had to be just as ready as the men to work the fields, provide for their family, and protect their land – sometimes by force. Hence was born my first heroine, Liberty MacRae, daughter of an American militiaman who is killed in an ambush then maligned as a spy, leaving Liberty to protect her remaining family and their farm, and to restore honor to the family name. In addition to being a skilled healer and a crack shot, Liberty is also a seer who can predict impending death and feel ghosts. Sebastian Cole, the hero of the story, is a British soldier with a mission of his own – to avenge the deaths of his loved ones who were victims of the same British commander who killed Liberty’s father. When I was writing Sebastian’s story, I couldn’t understand why he kept saying things like 'I’m a hard man to kill' and 'You can’t kill a man who’s already dead'. I thought he was being melodramatic until I realized…he’s actually dead. Okay, not undead, like a vampire or zombie (ew). Sebastian is a Fated One, a man who died before his time was sent back by the spirits to live out his destiny. When Liberty and Sebastian join forces to stop the British commander and his underling - a serial killer with his own agenda (where better for a serial killer to hide than in an army at war?) - it will be a fight to the death. But who will live and who will die? And can Liberty and Sebastian defeat destiny itself to be together? I hope you’ll check out Taste of Liberty in July. In the meantime, stop by my website at http://www.nancyhunterbooks.com/ to read some excerpts and to learn how to become eligible for drawings for Native American/Colonial themed prizes. Labels: Characters, contest, historical romance, paranormal romance, Taste of Liberty, website
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008  What's in a Name? has been selected as a finalist in the Single Title Romantic Mystery/Suspense Category of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery Suspense. This is a well-respected contest sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter of Romance Writers of America. There are a lot of familiar names among the finalists, and I'm delighted to be one of them. The Single Title category finalists. "Overkill" by Linda Castillo Editor- Cindy Hwang, Berkley "Into the Dark" by Cindy Gerard Editor- Monique Patterson, St. Martin's Press "Dead Giveaway" by Brenda Novak Editor- Paula Eykelhof, Mira "What's in a Name?" by Terry Odell Editor- Helen Woodall, Cerridwen Press "Head On" by Colleen Thompson Editor- Alicia Condon, Dorchester In addition to personal gratification, I think it proves that small publishing houses can hang with the big NY players. The winner is announced at the RWA National Conference at the Kiss of Death's annual Death by Chocolate party. What could be better than that!
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