Tempting The Fire Release Day!!!
July 27th, 2010
Shockwaves shoot through the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO) when horrific video surfaces from the Brazilian rain forest. A team of Navy SEALs has been nearly wiped out by something sinister and superhuman. Now ACRO agents Sela Kahne and Marlena West head to the world’s most unforgiving jungle in pursuit of a mythical monstrosity with a taste for human blood. And the only path that will take them to the creature runs through two men, each hiding his own dark secret.
Sela is an expert on cryptozoology with a sideline skill that could prove invaluable: when she makes love to a man, she engulfs his innermost thoughts. Teamed with Marlena, Sela makes contact with the lone SEAL survivor, Chance McCormack. Meanwhile Logan Mills, the man who rescued Chance, leads his private company on a hunt that has nothing to do with saving lives. Soon, Sela will put her supernatural charms to work on Logan, determined to extract information about the creature they are seeking. But in this sweat-drenched realm of danger and deception, Logan is more than just a passive target. He has the power to lead a highly-trained seducer into a jungle without any rules, without any limits—and no end to the heat.
Yay! Tempting The Fire has finally released! It's been a year between Croft releases, so it's nice to see this book hit the shelves. I love, love, love this cover — probably my favorite so far.
Now, if you haven't read any of the Croft books, I have to say…I don't recommend starting with this one. It's the fifth in a series of six, so by this point, we're setting up the big finale, so you might be a little lost. I definitely recommend starting with Riding The Storm (book 1) or Unleashing The Storm (book 2.)
Romantic Times magazine gave it 4 stars and says, "A mythical creature, a couple of truly hot guys and sizzling sex make this ACRO (Agency for Covert Rare Operatives) entry a spicy and fabulously entertaining tale. Even the subplot has richly drawn characters and a smartly developed plot." Awesome! 
And for a great reader review of Tempting The Fire, click here
Hope you enjoy!
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In other news, I apologize for being so scarce, but want to thank everyone for their support and prayers and positive thoughts. They worked! Things have improved, and though I'm still on the west coast to stay with my parents and help out, we're staying upbeat (and busy.)
I hope to be online more in the coming weeks, though this week is full of deadline hell and doctor appointments. I think once I get home (around mid-August, probably) things should settle down. And with any luck, I'll have some back cover copy and new book covers to show you! 
Hope all is well with everyone, and happy reading!
Hugs!
Larissa
Going on Hiatus
July 8th, 2010
Hi everyone,
I've been really bad about blogging lately because of deadlines and family medical issues. Things have deteriorated to the point that I have to make an emergency trip home. My father-in-law is coming to stay with my son, and I'm flying out to Oregon.
I don't know when I'll be able to get back online, but my family could really use your prayers right now. It's been a hellish couple of weeks, but it just hit another level.
Thanks in advance, and take care…
hugs,
Larissa
Today’s Post…
June 30th, 2010
is over at Authors After Dark, where I'm talking about my new Kindle, which will be here tomorrow. I'm so excited!
In other news, our fence is up! It looks awesome, so I'm thrilled. And we've finalized plans and gotten the estimate for finishing our basement, so that will get going sometime in the next two weeks or so.
We also have a nest of baby bunnies in our front yard, which has been cool. Fun to watch the mama rabbit come at dusk to feed and care for them. Of course, it's also made me a nervous wreck that someone is going to trample them if they step into our flower bed for some reason. I was like a hawk while the fence guys were here, because they needed to use the outdoor faucet just feet away from the nest. Eek. Yeah, I'm a worry wart.
So anyway, now I'm finishing up with the deadline for the 6th ACRO book and catching up on stuff that's gotten backed up over the last couple of days due to a major medical issue in the family. Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes, by the way — it helped.
Okay, off to work! Hope you're all having a great week!
Sin Undone Book Video!
June 28th, 2010
Just a quick post to show off my newest shiny, courtesy of Lea. I love it! She did a great job.
Hope you enjoy!
Winners Announced!!!
June 20th, 2010
OMG, you all are SO great! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the awesome discussion group questions! You came up with some really thought-provoking discussion points that I never in a million years would have come up with. YOU ROCK!!!!
Okay, so…because there were so many entries, I added extra prizes. Including another ARC and more totes. And with the totes will come some extra little goodies.
Last time I selected winners, I made my son do it, since he was grounded and I had hundreds of entries. Since I wasn't feeling particularly cruel this time around, I used Randomizer.org to select the winners. They are…
~Winners of the Sin Undone ARCs
Pamela (Spazp), Comment #2
Raonaid Luckwell Comment #71
~Winners of totebags & goodies are:
Billy-Jo Stead, comment #38
Yadira, comment #42
Theresa Navarro, comment #51
Tanya, comment #65
Joanna Kuang, comment #82
~Winner of choice of backlist book or tote:
Charlotte, comment #60
Winners, please email me using the contact link above with your physical mailing address. Charlotte, please let me know which of the four Demonica books you'd like, or if you'd prefer a tote.
Thanks again, everyone! I seriously have the best readers anywhere!!!!
Wanna Win A Sin Undone ARC?
June 14th, 2010
Hi everyone!
Well, I need your help. I've been asked to provide book club discussion points for a reader's guide for Ecstasy Unveiled and Sin Undone. Very cool! Problem is, I have no idea what to ask, so that's where you come in.
I know you probably haven't read Sin Undone yet, so it's hard to come up with discussion questions to provide for a reader's group to discuss after they've read the book, but I'm still open to anything you can come up with. (These aren't questions TO ME — they are discussion points for readers who discuss the book in groups amongst themselves during and after they've read the books.)
If you haven't read either book, simply say so in the comments instead of posting a reader's group discussion question. For you, I'll include a special prize category.
Now, onto the prizes: I'm giving away an ARC of Sin Undone, plus a tote bag I had designed to match! One winner will get the ARC and tote, and two other winners will get a tote. One winner who hasn't read Ecstasy Unveiled and says so in the comments or puts the Demonica widget on the right side of this page on their webpage/blog will get their choice of a signed book or a tote bag.
So…all you have to do to be eligible to win one of the first three prizes is leave a comment with a discussion question that would be good for a reader's group that is reading Ecstasy Unveiled or Sin Undone. (Or, for the fourth prize, say you haven't read the books or post the widget to the right on your blog.)
An example of a discussion question is this, from The Stormchasers, by Jenna Blum: Charles and Karena have very different views about how Charles should manage his bipolarity: Karena insisting Charles seek medical help, Charles insisting on holistic and alternative measures. Whom do you tend to side with on this issue, Charles or Karena? Why?
Remember, the questions are for people who have already read the books in their readers' groups, so they know what happened. The purpose of the questions is to get people to discuss how they feel about the events in the books.
Okay, so have at it! I'll announce winners next weekend, so BE SURE to check back to see if you're a winner. I tend to forget to hunt people down.
Happy questioning!
Updated to add: Apologies for all the updates on the post (if you have a feed, you're getting a MILLION changes to the post! I just wanted to clarify some of my confusing points and fix a couple of dumb mistakes I made!)
*NOTE: COMMENTS ARE TURNED OFF…CONTEST IS OVER*
New Covers and Lori Foster’s Event!
June 11th, 2010
Hi everyone!
I was supposed to post yesterday, but got busy with last-day-of-school stuff, so I'm a little late.
Anyway, the Lori Foster event was awesome! Getting up at 4:45 AM to drive down to Ohio was not awesome, but the trip was great. I picked up Barbara Vey and Amy Knupp in Milwaukee, and we (well, I) had fun on the drive. Amy and I were like freaking Lucy and Ethel, so it was a good thing we had Barbara with us, even though I'm pretty sure we scared her to death (the way Amy's driving scared me.) Ahem.
Here's a bit of her account of the trip, plus pics! (I don't have pics because my husband had our only camera on HIS trip.)
And here's some of Barbara's blog account of the trip! 
So we got to Cincinnati alive (miracle) and then the weekend went really fast. I met so many awesome people…readers, authors…industry folks. It was great! Oh, and I won a raffle basket! It had beach stuff in it for a picnic, and since we have beaches all around us, I'm sure I'll get some use out of it this summer.
The hotel was nice — the staff was all super friendly. It was quite awesome, really.
So I stayed up too late, ate too much, drank too much (well, not really on that last part…I was actually really good!) and then we had to drive home. Again, it was a good drive — Amy didn't almost kill us, which is a plus.
We did encounter a really bad accident, and then we stopped at KFC and encountered a disturbing situation in which a man was transporting a ragtag pack of mixed-breed dogs on a makeshift trailer in rusty, too-small cages. He told someone he was taking them to sell. Um…there are only two reasons you'd sell that many mixed-breed dogs, and that's either to a medical researcher or as dogfighting bait. I'm just sick that there was really nothing we could do. I still regret not doing something. 
Anyway, so I'm home and recovered, and I want to say that if anyone has the chance to go to the event next year, it's totally worth it. The low cost as well as reasonable hotel rates makes it a bargain!
Now…the covers!
Stephanie and I got the German versions of Riding The Storm and Unleashing The Storm! I can't wait to get the copies — the covers are gorgeous. Riding The Storm is the one with the woman, and the one with the man is Unleashing.
Looking forward to seeing what they do with Seduced By The Storm! 
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And now, one other announcement — check back on Monday, because I'm going to be asking you some questions…because I need some help. And one person who helps me out will win a tote bag AND…an ARC of Sin Undone!
So be sure to check back!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Welcome Zoe Winters!
June 9th, 2010
Hi everyone!
I'm back from Lori Foster's! I'll share more about that tomorrow, because today I wanted to introduce you to an author I've known for years now — I remember when she got her first cover…it was so cool!
So anyway, here's Zoe Winters!
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I'm a recovering snob. In the eighth grade my literature teacher really supported my dream to be a writer. She told me about how she had a friend who was a romance author and loved it. At the time I thought: “Romance novels aren't real books.” Oh, GOD please please let me have just thought it, and not said it. Even back then I didn't have that button/filter in my brain that said, “Don't say that out loud!”
Even if I didn't say it, I probably got that snotty look on my face. And of course as irony would have it, I write romance. I love romance now. I discovered the genre in a roundabout way. Buffy reruns were on… (really, I'm going somewhere with this) and I couldn't find the remote to change the channel.
Yep, I was a snob about that too. But the show was so funny and tongue-in-cheek, and ultimately really smart. When I realized the name Buffy the Vampire Slayer was goofy on purpose, I was sold for life on the show. When I'd watched the DVDs until I was sick of them, I started reading Buffy fanfic. I know; it's a sickness. Don't judge me.
Eventually I got tired of it. I wanted something sort of the same, but different. In BTVS I found something that resonated strongly with me and how I think. Half the crap Buffy says I swear to you I could have said myself (if I hung out in cemeteries). This led me to discovering paranormal romance.
Before that I'd spent several years experimenting with all sorts of genres as a writer, but I never found the thing I was so passionate about and moved by that I could manage to stick it out through a million revisions. I love paranormals because I love the fantasy aspects. We get enough “real life” in real life. I want stuff that can't really happen but would be neat if it could.
And I really like bad boys. I've said this other places before, but to me it doesn't get any badder than “You could become my dinner, or you could become my lover. And if you're lucky, you could become both.” Paranormals have this in spades. They also tend toward snarky heroines, and banter is one of my favorite things about the romance genre in general.
I also used to be a snob about e-books. Those weren't real books. Nope. Nope. It's gotta be paper. Of course now I publish in ebook (print coming soon) and I have a Kindle, which I love. I love my Kindle so much I want to find a state where it's legal to marry it. Reading in E is now my preferred reading experience. Though I still want to own a book I love in print. I just like having it and being able to look at it, but I actually read it on my Kindle.
Blood Lust is the first book in my Preternaturals Series. While most of the books will be novels, Blood Lust is a novella anthology.
Here are the blurbs for the novellas that make up Blood Lust:
Kept:
As a cat therian (shifter), Greta’s blood is already sought after to enhance spells and potions, but due to a quirk of her birth, her blood is potent enough to kill for. When her tribe plans to sacrifice her, Greta must ally herself with Dayne, the dangerous local sorcerer, and the only person strong enough to protect her.
Claimed:
For a vampire, Anthony isn’t a picky eater, but he’s drawn to Charlee’s blood more than any other. Like a fine wine saved for a special occasion, he’s denied himself this pleasure. But one night, high from the potent magical blood of another, he claims his prize and loses control. Ashamed of almost killing the one woman who means anything to him, he wipes her memory of the event. When Charlee awakens with complete amnesia, Anthony is the only one who can clean up the mess he’s made.
Mated:
Because of the vampiric blood that has run through her veins since birth, Jane has been a target for vampires who resent a human being “kindred.” She’s forced to disguise herself as a vampire groupie to appease them and safeguard her life. When she’s abruptly given to Cole, the leader of the werewolf pack, to satisfy a gambling debt, she discovers the blood running through her veins has a far greater impact on her destiny than she ever imagined.
I'm releasing the book in print very soon, but for now each of the three novellas are available in ebook for 99 cents each at:
and
You can also read the first novella of the Blood Lust series, Kept, for free here:
http://zoewinters.wordpress.com/kept
Thanks for giving me a try!
My Websites and Twitter:
http://www.theriantype.com (fictional company featured in the book)
Until Next Week…
June 4th, 2010
Well, Eternal Rider is handed in to my editor, my hair is freshly colored dark brown, blond, and bright pink, and I'm off to the Lori Foster weekend in Cincinnati! If you happen to be in the area on Saturday, there's a huge, public booksigning, and I'd love to meet you!
***updated to add…we made it! And Barbara Vey of Publisher's Weekly blogged about our road trip. It was definitely an adventure! Here's the link!
Take care, have a great weekend, and read lots!
Hugs,
Larissa
Worth The Splurge
May 26th, 2010
I love shoes. What woman doesn't? Okay, I'll admit, shoes were never a big deal to me in the past — shove on a pair of serviceable sneakers, and I was good to go.
But then something happened. No, I'm not sure what. Just…one day I decided I liked shoes. The problem is that I tend to be a bit of a miser. So I would buy shoes, but heaven forbid they cost more than $30. And even then, I was like, ugh…I want to pay 14.99 or less.
The problem is that cheap shoes, while they might look great, are not usually comfortable (yes, there are exceptions — I have a fairly comfy pair of sandals and flip-flops, but the rest, not so much.) So I have twenty pairs of shoes that look great, but OMG, after an hour of wearing them, I want to die. So I've spent hundreds over the years on shoes that I can't even really wear.
The thing I finally learned is that it is SO worth it to spend the money on good, comfortable shoes. No, spending $300 on a pair of shoes doesn't guarantee that they'll be comfortable. There's only one thing worse than uncomfortable cheap shoes, and that's uncomfortable expensive shoes.
But I've found a few brands that never fail me, and that are worth spending over $100 for — UGG, Born, and Clarks. I have a pair of Clarks ankle boots that feel like freaking tennis shoes. Seriously, I can walk in those things for 12 hours straight. Worth every cent of the $130 I paid. No more carrying around Band-Aids to cover blisters, rubs, and sore spots. No more buying adhesive cushions and crap to put on the inside of shoes to make them less torturous on my sensitive feet. I actually SAVE money by spending more for good shoes.
I just got these Born sandals that are amazingly comfy as well. And adorable! Man, I love shoes (weird, since I only put them on about once a week…I live in sweats and slipper socks.)
I'm dying to try these — and these — and these.
I've also discovered that it's worth it to pay a little more for fabulous service. I could get shoes cheaper at online retailers through Amazon or elsewhere, but NO ONE beats Zappos service. Buying shoes online can be a gamble, because of fit, style, etc., and then there's the hassle of returns. But not with Zappos. Not sure about the size? Order one, and if it's not quite right, they'll have another size to you right away so you can decide. Or order both sizes and return one. They are awesome about that, which is good, because buying shoes is always a pain for me, since about half the time I need a size 8, and the rest of the time I need an 8 1/2. Every once in a while, I even can go with a 7 1/2.
Yep, I sound like a commercial, but I'm just very impressed with how great they are. I can order my shoes and have them on my doorstep the next day…free. LOVE them.
So is there anything that you always splurge on? That's worth it to you to spend the extra money on rather than go cheaper and possibly not be happy or have to keep buying because they break/wear out?
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