A Confession: I Really Do Love Flying Cockroaches by Bonnie Vanak

Bonnie Vanak has written about some creepy critters in her paranormal romances for Silhouette Nocturne: werewolves, evil shapeshifters…even flying cockroaches! Bonnie tells us about the different species that appear in her new ebook, Broken Souls, and how her werewolf hero and heroine find love — despite the cockroaches!

by Bonnie Vanak, author of Broken Souls

I live in Florida. We have giant palmetto bugs. I mean, they’re disgusting. They fly into your hair. They’re big. Scurry away faster than, well, cockroaches, when you run after them with a can of Raid.

Recently, I read an article about how the hissing cockroach from Madagascar may soon infiltrate Florida. These bugs are up to five inches long. When they’re threatened, they hiss at you.

I chortled as I relayed the fact to my green-faced co-workers.

Then I confessed my little secret. I really do love flying cockroaches. Not in my home, or in my hair (not even on a bad hair day). But wow, they’re a perfect addition for one of my Nocturnes.

For my Nocturnes, I created a race of werewolves called the Draicon. Their enemies are the Morphs, former Draicon who turned evil when they killed a close relative for greater power. Morphs can shift into any life form, including snakes, scorpions, and cockroaches.

In Broken Souls, my Nocturne Bite, Katia, the heroine, remembers how her family home was infiltrated by Morphs shapeshifting into roaches to slide between the rags she and her father stuffed beneath the door to keep them out. In that particular battle, she fled, the important promise she made to her father lost in memory.

Except for those disgusting cockroaches. She remembers those.

She must recall what promise she made, and find her father to expunge her guilt for abandoning him as he was overwhelmed by Morphs (shapeshifting from those cockroaches). So Katia performs the very dangerous, and outlawed blood candle spell to call forth her father. She does this because Baylor, who loves her and brought her to his pack, wants to mate with her. He’s given her a deadline, yet she must discover first if her father is alive. Katia believes her first loyalty is to her own blood.

The problem is, she doesn’t know what she’s calling forth. If her father is alive, will he have turned into a Morph himself? Capable of turning himself into a flying cockroach?

Sure does raise interesting questions for a family reunion.

When I created the Draicon, I knew I wanted them to have destined mates. Yet I also wanted to explore the idea of what happens to Draicon who lose their destined mates.

Are these werewolves destined to live unhappily ever after?

Not in my world. This is why I wrote Baylor and Katia’s story in Broken Souls. They are two lost, broken souls whose destined mates are gone. Facing them is the important question: what is more important, loyalty to family or love for a possible mate?

Baylor was more a villainous type in The Empath, my first Nocturne. He was suspicious of Nicolas, Damian’s beta wolf, and gave him a hard time. In Broken Souls, he becomes a true hero determined to win the love, and Katia, the Draicon who also lost her destined mate.

Baylor is determined to protect Katia and remain loyal to the core to his pack. He nearly loses his life in a Morph fight to keep his people safe. But for Katia, he will do more. He will risk not only his life, but his carefully guarded heart.

Baylor and Katia are sorely tested in Broken Souls. Yet in the end, all works out well. Broken Souls is, after all, a romance. Despite the fact that their destined mates are gone, Katia and Baylor discover that they can find true happiness.

Even with those nasty cockroaches. Because not even a nasty flying roach can separate those determined to make their own destiny to share their lives, and their hearts.

Get a Nocturne Bite for 89 Cents!

by Amy Wilkins

All this week, eHarlequin’s eBook Store is having an Afternoon Delights sale offering a selection of our eBook-exclusive shorts — Nocturne Bites, Spice Briefs, and our new Harlequin Historical Undone line — for only 89 cents! This sale is only happening Nov. 3-7, between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. EST.

Click here to see which ebooks are on sale today!

New Author Barbara J. Hancock Makes Her Nocturne Bite Debut

Barbara J. Hancock makes her publishing debut this month with Wilderness, a new ebook novella from Nocturne Bites. Barbara tells us about her story and something she shares with her heroine: conquering fear…

by Barbara J. Hancock, author of Wilderness

Tess Haverty examined the silver bindings that twined once, twice and again around his bare, muscular torso. Considering her plans, it was lame to mentally go down the list of how well he was bound . . . arms to chest (check) . . . wrist to wrist (check) . . . ankles to floorboard (check). She chalked it up to nerves mixed with a hearty dose of survival instinct. She had known this would be dangerous, but somehow knowing and seeing were two very different things.

We’ve all had defining moments in our lives when we had to decide to act or to hide. As the daughter of an alcoholic, I know a little something about fear. For years, I cringed through each day, never knowing if the next moment or the next was going to bring catastrophe in the form of drunken anger or public humiliation. My father quit drinking when I was a teenager.

My cringing didn’t stop.

When you’ve been conditioned to be afraid of each coming moment and what it might bring, it’s hard to break free of that fear.

In Wilderness, Tess Haverty is an uncertain Psychic because she feels as if her powers aren’t reliable. She lost her parents in a car accident she didn’t foresee soon enough to save them. She lost her sister to government authorities who have targeted Psychics and other Supernaturals for research. Tess must face down her fears as she steps forward into a dangerous future no less intimidating because her dreams give her glimpses into it.

Knowing what has to be done and actually doing it are two very different things.

There are probably few people who knew I was afraid as a teen. I was quick to laugh. My smile was the perfect camouflage. A defining moment in my life came when I held my baby son in my arms for the first time and timid was no longer an option. I owed him action. I owed him a fresh new life, free of fear. Sometimes it’s not about knowing what the future will bring, it’s about being not only prepared, but eager to face it, come what may.

Wilderness is a story about a woman embracing her power for the first time. It’s also the story about a man who inspires even as he represents the biggest challenge of all! Colin Masterson is powerful, dangerous and wild. He’s been captured and he’s on his way to a government research lab.

With a deep breath, she dropped to one knee. This was the do-or-die moment. Tess knew the truck was only about fifteen minutes from its destination. It was time to act. She just wished she didn’t have a sudden twist in her gut that redefined the moment as do and die.

Can you imagine the moment? Can you imagine cutting those chains?

Tess has to face her fear of failure. She has to brave the dangers of freeing a werewolf and, not only that, she has to embrace the untamed unknown he represents. This is her call to adventure, the call of the wild, and, for Tess, letting fear control her isn’t an option anymore.

I’d like to think I would be brave enough to cut Colin Masterson’s chains. (Especially because I know what lies ahead for Tess in reward for her bravery!) I know I am much braver than I used to be. My smile is real and those cringing days are behind me…for the most part.

Whether we could or couldn’t bring ourselves to free a sexy dangerous werewolf, going along with Tess as she does has truly been one of the wildest rides of my life. I hope you’ll enjoy sharing her adventure as much as I did.

But, I do wonder, would you be able to cut those chains?

Note from Amy: To celebrate her new book, Barbara is running a contest on her website http://www.barbarajhancock.com to win a beautiful silver bracelet! Visit her giveaway page for details on how to enter.

The Story Behind the Story

Ever wonder how authors find their great ideas? Author Vivi Anna answers that very question by revealing the unlikely inspiration behind her series the Valorian Chronicles, continued this month in Veiled Truth (Silhouette Nocturne) and Mahina’s Storm (Nocturne Bites)…

by Vivi Anna, author of Veiled Truth and  Mahina’s Storm

As a writer I always get the question, “How do you come up with your ideas?” I get ideas from everything around me. Music, movies, something someone says, something I read in the newspaper, weird dreams. And sometimes, I get them while watching TV.

That’s how the idea for the Valorian Chronicles came to be.

I don’t watch TV often. There are a few shows that are must-see every week for me. Right now, its Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, America’s Next Top Model (yeah, I don’t know how that happened, but I’m hooked and have watched the past 4 seasons) and the new one True Blood. But once upon a time, I used to be addicted to CSI. The Vegas one. Why, the Vegas one, you may ask? Well, it’s all because of Gil Grissom. I love me some Gil. Intelligent, quick-thinking, quirky, handsome Gil.

So, one night, while I’m watching Gil do something extraordinary in his strange little way, I had an epiphany. I asked myself, what if Gil was a vampire? And after that question popped into my mind, everything came at me in a rush. It was like I was watching it on TV. You know, like if Jerry Bruckheimer ever wanted to make a really cool CSI show with vampires, lycans and witches, and he could, you know, call it CSI: Necropolis, for lack of a better name. (Are you listening Jerry???)

Anyway, I wondered what kind of crimes Gil would solve if he were a vampire. Who would he work with? What would the lab be like? So, the chief investigator Caine Valorian was born from that. And with him came the rest of the team: Jace Jericho, lycan; Lyra Magice, witch; Captain Mahina Garner, lycan; Laal Bask, vampire; Kellen Falcon, vampire; Gwen McKinley, witch. From there, I thought about all the cool people I could pair them up with.

And of course, I had to set this fascinating world somewhere, so I chose to create my own Otherworldly city called Necropolis. It’s a secret city of Otherworlders located south of San Antonio, Texas, down I35. I’ve had emails from readers in the area, telling me they could actually feel like they could drive down I35 and see where Necropolis would be. That’s way cool!

Once I had the world and the characters created, I started on a plot. And the book Blood Secrets was born. This book was Caine’s story. Then came Dark Lies, which was Jace’s story. And now the third book in the series is out October 1, Veiled Truth. This is Lyra’s story. And I’m hoping it’s as thrilling and fun to read as it was to write.

And that’s my story. And I’m sticking to it.

You can check out my world at http://www.valorianchronicles.com

Introducing Anna Leonard: Laura Anne Gilman’s Alter-Ego

Luna author Laura Anne Gilman enters the word of paranormal romance with not one but TWO new releases this month under the name Anna Leonard! Laura discusses the similarities and differences between her new reads: The Night Serpent from Nocturne Bites and the ebook exclusive short Dreamcatcher from Nocturne Bites…

by Anna Leonard, aka Laura Anne Gilman, author of The Night Serpent and Dreamcatcher

This month my alter-ego “Anna Leonard” gets a grand launch, with THE NIGHT SERPENT and the e-novella DREAMCATCHER both hitting the shelves (virtual and otherwise).

Although I wrote these at different times, their dual debut got me to thinking about how the stories are very different – and what they have in common. Both are paranormal romances, yes, but their heroines are quite distinct in personality and in the risks – physical and emotional – that they face. What the two heroines share is something I didn’t even realize until well after I’d handed the manuscripts in to my editor. They were both written with specific women in mind, women who have shown me the true meaning of courage. Not physical courage, although there’s that, but internal courage.

THE NIGHT SERPENT is in many ways the classic girl-kicks-ass, gets-hot-guy adventure we all love: In order to defeat a power-mad killer, Lily has to use her smarts and her skills to save herself (with a little help from a hot, smart FBI agent, naturally). The only problem is that she helped create the threat by her own foolish actions a lifetime ago. In order to stop him, she has to own that mistake; accept it, learn from it, and then let it go, and move on.

Anyone past the age of twenty has at least one serious regret. By the time you reach your 40’s, the road is littered with them and mostly you shrug and move on. But sometimes you can’t. Writing Lily, I realized that I was channeling two very specific—and very different – women: B., and P., whom I met while researching another project. What they had done in their past was less important than the fact that both of them had, independently, decided that they were not going to pretend it hadn’t happened. They faced their actions, took stock of who they had been and who they wanted to be, and made changes. The kind of strength it takes to face that kind of internal scrutiny, and come out stronger? Facing a killer is easy, by comparison!

And Emma, the heroine of “Dreamcatcher?” The original premise was the legend of the incubus, who gives sexual pleasure…at a high price. Emma isn’t a damsel in distress by nature, so when she’s suddenly thrown into a situation where her physical and mental strength are useless against an enemy who is taking over her dreams and leaving her exhausted and unable to function, she’s left floundering. She has to learn that sometimes the only way to win a battle… is to let the enemy in. It sounds easy – but it’s not.

Here, I knew from the start that I was writing it specifically FOR someone: my friends J. and S. and K., women who battle, daily, with the fact that their bodies aren’t capable of things we take for granted. They have Fibromyalgia, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or severe Lyme disease – conditions that make daily life a daily challenge, 24/7. Yet, they take weakness, and find inside it an amazing strength.

And there’s the tie between my Nocturne heroines: not just courage but lion(ess)heartedness. The kind of courage that allows you to look and not flinch away from the truth, no matter how ugly or unpleasant or difficult it might be to accept, that gives you the strength to get done what must be done.

And by doing so, in my books, they win (and, in Emma’s case, save) the hot, smart, caring guy, too! That’s the kind of reward courage should always have….

A Sexy Sea-Inspired Short from Nancy Holder

Author Nancy Holder continues to fill us in on the inspiration behind her series The Gifted. This time, Nancy tells us about her new Nocturne Bite, Son of the Sea…

by Nancy Holder, author of Son of the Sea

I love writing about my Gifted families so much that I jumped at the chance to write a Nocturne Bite, titled Son of the Sea. Erik, Guardian of the North Sea and a merman, must protect a beautiful Greek-American named Nia from death as they race to seize the magical Jar of Naxos. Erik has cut himself off from all loving contact, after his human fiancée drowned herself a hundred years before.

As the daughter of a Navy doctor, I have lived near the sea almost all of my life. While working on Son of the Sea, I remembered the hours I spent pretending to be a mermaid in my parents’ black-bottom pool here in San Diego. I still remember the lull of the waves and the cries of the seagulls during my year on a houseboat in San Diego Bay.

I created a play list of sea sounds and songs to listen to while I wrote Son of the Sea. I included two versions of Smetana’s theme from Die Moldau, When I saw the cover image for Son of the Sea at Comic-con, I immediately heard that piece, and returned to Erik’s domain beneath the cold, tumultuous North Sea. I can’t wait to go back there again.

Son of the Shadows and Son of the Sea are my first two stories for Nocturne. I hope to write many, many more…and to chat about them at Comicon next year.

Author Karen Whiddon’s Sexy Shapeshifters

Karen Whiddon continues her popular series The Pack in not one but two stories this month: Mate of the Wolf, available now from Nocturne Bites, and Dance of the Wolf from Silhouette Nocturne (on sale early at eHarlequin.com). Here Karen talks about what readers can expect from her latest sexy paranormal short…

by Karen Whiddon, author of Mate of the Wolf

Wow – I can’t believe it’s July already. And now my Nocturne Bite MATE OF THE WOLF is out! You can expect a page-turning, sexy read in this short story. And this time, I’ve added a Vampire to the mix! My Pack characters often fall in love with humans, but never with a Vamp, so this book takes the story of the Pack in a new and completely different direction.

Writing this book was so much fun! The shorter format, combined with a hot male Vampire inspired me to sit down and write non-stop. I wrote the entire book over a three or four day period, intense writing – and I loved it! I love the story, the characters, the heat, the premise, everything! While it was challenging to show character development in a short story, I love stretching my writing wings. I started thinking of other paranormal beings and how they might mix in my Pack world.

While MATE OF THE WOLF is completely separate from DANCE OF THE WOLF (My Nocturne out in August), I am constantly seeking new ways to test my Pack people, to expand their world. My hero in DANCE, Shapeshifter Dr. Jared Gies, is a recovering drug addict. My heroine owns a male strip club. Talk about stretching their boundaries!

Since I have many more Pack stories to tell, I’d like to know what you, the readers, think? Do you like the idea of intermingling shapeshifters with other paranormal beings? Do you think Vampires have been done to death <G>? Let me know, as I need to develop a couple more Nocturne proposals.

I hope you enjoy reading Mate of the Wolf as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Karen

 

 

Writing Opportunity Update: Tips on Writing Nocturne Bites

By Jenny B, Digital Content Manager

Still working on that Nocturne Bites submission?  Check out this eHarlequin.com article, chock full of tips on what to do and what not to do when writing a paranormal romance short story! 

(Or, refresh your memory by reviewing the writing guidelines, or these tips from the editor herself!)

Best of luck with your writing endeavours!

Author Lisa Renee Jones’s Demon-Hunter Cowboys!

Demon-hunters + Cowboys = hot paranormal romance! Lisa Renee Jones, author of the Knights of White miniseries from Silhouette Nocturne, shares the inspiration behind her latest title, Return of the Beast (Silhouette Nocturne Bites)…

By Lisa Renee Jones, author of Return of the Beast and Beast of Darkness

When my editor called me about writing a Nocturne Bite, I was in a UHAUL moving from Texas to New York. Leaving Texas behind was an emotional roller coaster, and during the drive, I was replaying in my head all the things I was going to miss about my home state. So it was easy to say, I wanted this Nocturne Bite to be ALL TEXAS, and it seemed only appropriate that my Nocturne Bite feature a REAL COWBOY — I have learned they don’t have many of them in New York! I am amazed at how cowboy-deficient this state is! Boy, am I glad I have my Texas memories to cling to!

And from those memories came Return of the Beast, my June Nocturne Bite. Return of the Beast features a hero nicknamed “Ryder,” a name he was given for his ability to tame even the wildest of horses. Ryder works as the horse trainer at the Brownsville, Texas, horse ranch that The Knights of White use as a cover for their Demon-hunting operation. Something inside Ryder tells him to go home, back to Round Rock, Texas, where he first became a Knight of White, to the place he himself was attacked by a Demon. It is here that he finds the Demons are again preying on innocents, and one of those innocents is a woman who will change his life. Ryder is about to be tamed — if he dares allow such a thing!

Of course, the entire Knights of White series is based upon the Texas Legend of Matamoros Monsters, aka Demons. You can find that legend at http://www.theknightsofwhite.com/the-legend/. Texas is at the heart of the Knights of White, and that will never change, because much of my heart is still in Texas as well. In fact, my July Nocturne, Beast of Darkness, takes place in the haunted Texas town called “Nowhere.” The hero is a three-hundred-year-old, Harley-loving, bad boy, with roots in England, but who now calls Texas home.

Beast of Darkness is a wild ride, complete with ghosts, Demons, magic, and a whole lot of action-packed danger. Add a really hot romance, and it is perhaps my favorite Nocturne to date that I have written. That said, the fun thing about writing a Nocturne Bite, from a writer’s perspective, was the chance to do something a little different and focus more on the romance and characterizations and let those things drive the story. I really had fun writing Return of the Beast, and I hope readers will enjoy it, too!

As for the future of The Knights of White – Book 4 is CAPTIVE BY THE BEAST. The hero, Rinehart, travels to a secret military island to save a group of humans with XMEN-type gifts that the Beasts hope to clone for their own use. This story will leave you with a slight cliffhanger related to the characters in the next book BEAST OF FIRE. BEAST OF FIRE will give away major secrets regarding Marisol and Rock’s story, and yes, they will FINALLY get their story in book 6 – tentatively titled HEALED BY THE BEAST!

I really hope you enjoy Return of the Beast, and I can’t believe it but Beast of Darkness will go live on the Harlequin page June 1 as well!

Here’s wishing you many an exciting summer read!

~Lisa Renee Jones

 

Writing Opportunity Update: Tips From the Editor!

Interested in writing for Nocturne Bites? Thinking of submitting your story? Read this first! Associate Senior Editor Ann Leslie Tuttle shares her list of the most common writing problems and reasons that submissions don’t make the cut.

By Ann Leslie Tuttle, Associate Senior Editor, Silhouette Nocturne and Silhouette Nocturne Bites

Nocturne Bites provides us with a wonderful opportunity to showcase exciting new talent while building our existing Nocturne series authors. I’m constantly scouring our electronic slush pile for that great voice and story to present to our readers. And I want to thank all of you who have submitted to Nocturne Bites.

While it’s been exciting to see such an enthusiastic response to the line, it’s also been disappointing to have to pass on so many projects by obviously talented writers. Fortunately, Michele Hauf‘s Racing the Moon (available May 1st) will soon provide an example of exactly what editorial we’re seeking–and I might add set a high standard in the process. But it’s our hope that this brief overview of some of the most common writing problems I’ve seen in the Bites we’ve passed on will better acquaint potential writers with our acquisition needs.

Tone. These are dark romances about characters realizing their love while they face and overcome larger-than-life situations. It’s high drama and, as the conflict escalates, so do the emotional tension and sensuality. Unfortunately, some of the recent submissions I’ve rejected have been too light in tone and more reminiscent of paranormal chick lit by bestselling writers like Mary Janice Davidson. Last Wolf Watching by Rhyannon Byrd or Scions: Insurrection by Patrice Michelle–both of which are available in Nocturne this month–are great examples of the type of editorial we’re seeking.

Plotting. Just as the word “bites” implies, these are short paranormal romances for the busy reader. But they still need to pack the full flavor of a Nocturne. Within the space of 10,000 to 15,000 words, writers face what seems to me a daunting challenge of setting up a special world, introducing readers to their protagonists, and outlining both the emotional and external conflicts. By the novella’s conclusion, the skilled writer has tied up all the loose ends and made sure there is sufficient basis for the protagonists to realize their love. And she’s certainly won my admiration in the process! Reunion romances can work well since the protagonists have a past. And for paranormals, the sense that the heroine is the hero’s destined mate and/or the strength of the attraction they feel can make the declaration of love at the end highly believable.

Characterization. The Nocturne Bites hero reminds me of a Medieval warrior. He’s pure Alpha and, although he can be demanding, arrogant and mysterious, he’s commanding, worthy of respect and impossible to resist. The Bites heroine is strong but she possesses a certain vulnerability. And, although she may have special powers that actually make her more powerful than the hero, it’s the hero who helps her recognize and accept her abilities. Both characters should be well developed and sympathetic to readers.

Sensuality. These romances can be highly sensual, but the story should not be all about their lovemaking and short on actual plotting and character development.

Pacing. Because these stories are action-packed and mission oriented, there is not much room for much extensive scene setting, introspection or interaction with secondary characters. The opening will ideally hurl the reader right into the heart of the story and take her on a whirlwind ride until she reaches the breathtaking conclusion in which the protagonists confess their love and the threat they are facing is overcome. It’s important that the writing not become episodic as the author tries to make too many leaps to move the story forward.

Point of View. Lastly, these novellas should provide both the hero and heroine’s POV. However, you might watch that it doesn’t become too formulaic with each chapter ping-ponging between the hero and heroine’s POV. And, just to make an obvious point, their POV should ring true to their character and his/her experiences.

Since the large volume of submissions we’ve received has not permitted me to personalize our rejection letters, I hope this overview will enable you to tailor your novella to meet our needs. I’m constantly looking through our submissions and hope that I will soon be working with some of you. In the meantime, I wish you all the best with your writing careers!

 -Ann Leslie Tuttle