Saturday, January 25, 2014

Flashback Friday Part 4


Good morning and welcome back for the fourth installment of my blog posts Flashback Friday! I really appreciate everyone who has supported the posts and am pleased a few have even found something to add to their to be read pile.

Today I wanted to tell you about three vampire genre books from my backlist.

To start is my favorite and the first MFM book that I ever wrote.



Magical Menage was a part of the Anthology Caught in the Middle (both in EBook format and print.) However the book was also released in its own EBook format and in audio. It is to this date still my only audio book.

As I said before it was one of my favorites to write. Not only in the vampire genre but out of anything I’ve ever written. I’ve looked backs several times and wished I’d saved the characters for their very own series. I think the world that I created could ave been told in several settings but that in no way takes away from Magical Menage. I just loved these characters so much!

Magical Menage Book Blurb:

Non-practising witch Madison Montgomery can't decide between the vampire and werewolf...is it possible to have them both?

Madison Montgomery craves and wants two very different men. Instead of choosing one, she avoids both.

Tired of waiting for her to make up her mind, Master Vampire Dante and the local wolf pack's Alpha Tom come up with an agreement of their own. If she won't choose one of them, she'll have both.

The pleasure she's given is more than she ever thought possible. One night will never be enough. If she thought it was hard to pick one of them as a lover, once she has them both, it is next to impossible to imagine being without both of them.

When Madison gets a visit from the past, Dante and Tom have to work together to keep her safe. Once that is accomplished, they just have to talk her into permanently accepting a threesome.

Magical Menage Excerpt:

For the residents of Grand Falls, Colorado, their town was a haven, a safe place to be themselves. A mixture of the supernatural world that can be found in one place. The sheriff was a werewolf, the town mayor was a vampire, and the fire chief a witch. All the creatures who call this place home had the protection of not only the town but of all of its residents.

Madison Montgomery watched as the first snowflakes of the year fell outside the door of her bookstore. She loved this time of year—when the end of fall came and the first days of winter were upon them.

The town sheriff drove by in his SUV, and Madison stepped away from the window. She’d been avoiding Sheriff Tom since last winter, when on New Year’s they’d shared a deep sensual kiss. It had heated her blood and body and left her aching for more. By the look on his face, he’d also been surprised by the kiss.

Normally this wouldn’t have a problem, but Madison had also shared a kiss with another man—Dante—and that had thrown her through a loop.

Dante was the Master Vampire to the others in the area. He was like a father to them, connected by the sharing of blood.

Madison’s best friend and business partner, Angie, was a shifter who was dating a vampire Chad. Madison had come to love Chad as a brother. It wasn’t the vampire thing throwing her off with Dante, or not all of it anyway. Madison couldn’t figure out how she could have such a strong reaction to two very different men.

The bell above the door sang out as Angie rushed inside. “Oh wow! It’s cold out there!” she exclaimed.

Madison laughed, stepping back behind the counter. “Well, it does have to be pretty cold for it to snow.”

“Ha! Ha! Comedian,” Angie said as she unwrapped the scarf from her neck. The small bite marks that covered her neck stood out as if screaming ‘taken’. Her red hair shone against her white sweater as she brushed snowflakes from it.

She and Angie had been best friends for years. After losing the last of her relatives in a tragic fire, Madison had come to think of Angie as family.

Madison’s power as a witch was pretty minor compared to others in the town, but she’d never had proper training. Her mother had married a mortal and moved away. After her mother’s death, when Madison was nine, her father had refused to let any magic take place in the house. She and her brother Matt had learned at an early age to hide their magic from him. Two years later, when they’d moved in with their grandparents back in Grand Falls, Madison hadn't been ready to go against her father’s wishes so soon after his death. Her brother, however, had jumped right in practicing spells with their grandmother.

Thinking about Matt brought back a sharp pain in her heart, and she quickly shook her head and thought about something else. “How’s the party planning going?”

Angie grinned and clapped her hands together. “It’s going to be great! Everyone in town is coming.”

Madison knew that. It was the reason she was dreading the party. Turning to the coffeepot, she poured them each a cup. “Sounds pretty big,” she commented.

“Well it’s not every day you turn a hundred.”

Madison smiled into her coffee. That was true. Chad would be turning one hundred, and Angie was throwing him a big party at the town centre. She’d been working on the preparations for months now.

“Dante’s going to stay with Chad until it’s time to bring him into town.”

At the mention of Dante’s name, Madison made sure not to have a reaction. Six months after the kisses, Madison had confided in Angie. Now, her best friend was convinced Madison needed to spend the night with Dante or Tom or both. Madison kept telling her friend she needed time to figure it out, but Angie was relentless in her pursuit to get Madison laid.

My thoughts on Magical Menage:

This is a book that I believe you will enjoy if you like the Were Chronicles series. Yes it is a MFM story but I believe even readers who only enjoy MF books will like this one. There is no interaction (sexually) between the males characters. So it is not MMF.

Madison is quirky and funny and I really love her. Add in two hot sexy men, one a vampire, and one a shifter. Oh yea! That is my cup of tea!
The second book I want to bring to your attention is Eternal. This is a stand alone vampire story.

 
 
Eternal Book Blurb:
Jo Black went in search of a vampire...and finding one is going to rock her world.

Immortal Nic Lucian has finally met his bond-mate only to have her try to kill him. As he tries to introduce her to his world and reunite her with her sister who is now an immortal, he gets a lesson in modern women and how stubborn they can be.

Jo's world had been turned upside down. The death of her sister introduced her to the world of vampire hunting. Now she learns the hard way that crosses, stakes, holy water, and sunlight don't work. And you better protect your heart and body, because when an immortal wants you, he gets you - one way or another.
Eternal Excerpt:
Jo Black pulled into the barely lit parking lot of the club Eternal. It was just shy of midnight, and she had already hit two other clubs. She was on a mission that had yet to be fulfilled. She knew she couldn’t go home until it was.

She’d spent weeks preparing for tonight—what she would wear, how she would talk, and how she’d get him to leave with her. Her whole life came down to this one night, and she had to be ready. She could not fail in this mission.

Slowly, she walked towards the front door. Her black knee-high boots crunched on the gravel, making more noise than she’d expected. She stopped and took in her surroundings. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she felt like she was being watched. She turned in a complete circle but saw no one and nothing moved. Shaking her head, she continued to the door.

She wore a short black skirt that didn’t come anywhere near her knees and red silk shirt that was cut low and tight, teasing with the flash of flesh when she moved. Her long brown hair was left loose, falling in silky strands down past the middle of her back. She would turn heads when she walked in, as she had when she’d entered the other two clubs earlier. But she knew what she wanted and would wait for him. Only he would do.

Opening the door, she blinked several times to adjust to the low light. The music wasn’t as loud as the other clubs she’d visited but it immediately caught her attention with its low tone and soft, inviting feel. It had a jazzy feel to it. She wasn’t sure what she was listening to, but she liked it. Someone cleared their throat to her left and she realised she had been staring into the club. The woman behind the stand smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Invitation please,” she said, holding out her hand.

Jo slid her hand down her leg to her boot and took out the black and silver invitation Roger had given her earlier that night. She handed it to the woman without saying a word. She wasn’t sure how Roger had gotten the invitation; she just hoped it worked and got her in.

The woman took her time, looking at the invitation, then at her. Nodding her head, she told Jo, “Go ahead.”

That was it. She was in.

This was one of the most exclusive clubs in town and Jo Black had just gotten through the door. A quick jolt of thrill went through her. This was it, she could feel it.

She nodded and smiled at the bouncer who stood next to the stand. She hadn’t noticed him before. He seemed to have shifted out of the shadows.

As he let her pass, she realised the club was far nicer than she expected. There were no strobe lights like there were in most clubs. This club was dark, very dark, with only a few lamps on the walls around the booths. She could see the outline of bodies sitting at tables or booths close to one another.

As she walked closer into the middle of the club, she watched the dance floor where people swayed slowly against one another. This wasn’t what she was used to. She swallowed hard, knowing that, if this was the place, she was way out of her league.

Ignoring the feeling of dread and fear that curled in her stomach, she headed to the bar. She took a seat on one of the empty bar stools and glanced around. There were only five other stools occupied, all men and all looking at her. She didn’t smile at them, didn’t bat her eyes, or give a flirty look. Roger had told her to sit. Sit and wait, and he would find her.

She had asked what to do if no one approached her, but Roger was convinced it would be less than an hour. She was afraid she wouldn’t recognise him and an innocent would get hurt, but Roger just waved that off.

“He’ll come to you, Jo. He won’t be able to resist,” Roger had told her. She wasn’t sure what that meant exactly but she had to trust that Roger knew what he was talking about. She had come this far and it was too late to back out now.

Jo jumped when the bartender suddenly appeared in front of her. The people who worked around here kept managing to surprise her as if they appeared from nowhere. Which played into everything she knew about the undead. She wondered if they did it on purpose.

He smiled, showing perfectly white, straight, even teeth, and she relaxed. “So sorry, chére, didn’t mean to give you a start. Name’s Logan and what can I get you?”

It took her a minute to put together everything he said through his thick southern accent, but once she did, it made her smile.

“Hello. May I have a glass of Chardonnay please?”

Smiling down at her, he winked. “Coming right up.”

Jo watched as he poured her drink. He was young, probably in his mid-twenties, with blond hair and blue eyes. His southern accent had been thick and sweet, and she liked him almost immediately but decided to be cautious. Roger had told her that the undead could put glamour on themselves and her, making her do their bidding. Somehow she knew deep down that Logan wasn’t one of the monsters. It was a feeling she had to trust. Most of her life, she had been able to read others well. Her sister had even joked that it was a gift. Jo shook her head to dissolve any thoughts of her sister. She couldn’t dwell on that. She had a job to do.
 
My thoughts on Eternal:
I like this book. Yes I know I wrote it so that is no surprise but to me it is a fun vampire story with mystery, romance, and a female character on a mission.
Finally I would like to introduce you to Vamps in the City. This also is a stand alone vampire story.

 
Vamps in the City Book Blurb:
One moment in time will bring two people together and change the destiny of a city.

Vampires are running wild and it is Grant’s job to keep his own kind in check. The warrior of choice, Grant quietly works with his team to keep the streets safe while his heart breaks over his own past. When Grant is about ready to give up the search for his missing sister, he runs into a woman who will make him question everything he thought he knew and sets off events that will rock the city he calls home.

Paige has been on the run too long and is at the end of her rope when she meets the handsome and intriguing Grant. Surrendering to her passion for the vampire is one thing, giving him her heart… that’s another story. Especially when she’s not sure whether Grant wants her for himself or for the connection to his sister.

Miscommunication, betrayal, and pure evil work to keep these two soul mates apart. Will they have a chance to learn that love can conquer all? Or is it already too late?
Vamps in the city Excerpt:
Paige sensed the moment she was no longer alone. She could also sense that the person coming up the street was not human. Paige kept her head down and her hands buried deep in the coat pockets. If she could sense him, he would be able to sense her.

She kept her steps the same. She didn’t speed up nor slow down, and neither did he. She clutched the dagger she kept in her pocket—it wouldn’t kill him but it would help give her time to get away. She could stab him and, while he was temporarily stunned, turn and run like Hell.

As he reached for her, Paige ducked her head and swept her foot out. This one was faster than the rest and managed to avoid her effort to trip him. He was also faster than she, because in the next instant, her arm was twisted painfully behind her back and she was slammed face-first into a brick building.

He used his legs to imprison Paige’s lower body while one hand held her arm in place. When she felt his other hand feeling down her leg, no doubt searching for weapons, she used her free elbow to try to strike a blow, but he immediately blocked it. He tightened his grip on her arm, and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out.

“Stand still,” he demanded in a low voice.

He pocketed both her daggers from her jacket. And the long retractable knife from her boot.

Damn it. Those things were expensive. She had to get them back.

Paige found herself being turned around and pushed back into the wall by her shoulders. He started at her feet and took his time until he’d gazed at every inch of her. Paige hated the feelings he raised—the helplessness, the certainty he would take what he wanted just like all the others.

“Who are you?”

She didn’t answer but brought her knee up violently. He easily blocked it with his leg. It had been a stupid attempt, but she wouldn’t quietly give in—she would fight like she always did.

He shook her hard once before slamming her into the wall again.

Paige’s head snapped back and she bit her tongue.

Fuck! She so didn’t need this shit tonight.

She started to taste copper, and knew that if she could smell the blood, he certainly could. She had just a few minutes before he went into blood lust.

He smiled and Paige was shocked to see how handsome he was. She gave him the same thorough once-over he had just given her.

Handsome wasn’t the right word. Ruggedly beautiful fit him better. He stood over six feet tall to her average five six. He had dark hair and dark eyes, but it was his face… He was gorgeous. Strong jaw with just enough stubble to be sexy, his nose perfect, and his lips…full and plump. Just begging to be taken. Paige was sure he used his looks to his advantage in luring his prey.

But Paige wasn’t on the menu tonight. No pretty face would get her to let her guard down. Well, at least never again.

She may only be half as strong as the weakest vampire, but she had street smarts. She’d learnt to make it on her own and had for years now. This man…no, this monster would not end her.

There was no way to beat him. And now she was bleeding. It was already healing, but the damage had been done. She had to use her strong will and every dirty trick she knew if she wanted to get out alive.

As he leaned into her, Paige readied her hands to defend herself. Once again proving he was faster and more skilled than she, he didn’t give her a chance to do more. Paige found her arms up over her head as he pressed into her, holding both wrists in one hand. The warm, hard body that pressed into hers made her come instantly alive. She had known to expect the reaction but it still hit hard. Paige became light-headed and her knees went weak as he rubbed against her and nuzzled her neck.

“Young. Young and strong blood. Smells so sweet,” he murmured into her ear and she shivered. And it wasn’t all from fear.

He ran his mouth from her temple down her cheek, nipped her ear, and travelled down her jaw line.

Paige gasped out a breath, trying to fight the emotions he was bringing alive inside. It was a natural attraction she had to fight every day. But it had never been as hard as it was now.
My thoughts on Vamps in the city
This is the first book that I wrote over 30,000 words. It moved me from short stories to Novellas.
Vamps in the City was one of the first books I wrote although it wasn’t published until later. I like the unique twist of the vampires and the compound in which they reside.
Both the main characters are stubborn and have their own views of the world. Paige is not fully a vampire and hates what she is.
So there you have the three books I hope you will give some thought to.
Thank you for stopping by! Don’t forget that if you comment on this post or any of the social media posts mentioning these Flashback Friday blogs you will be entered into the drawing to win a $10.00 gift card from Amazon!
Happy Friday to all of you and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Crissy Smith
Paranormal Romance on the ‘WILD’ side…
Author of the Were Chronicles
 
 

1 comment:

Vanessa N. said...

More books to add to my wishlist. Great excerpts. Thanks for the giveaway.

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