Destiny Blaine Official Website and Blog: Resplendence Publishing

Summer Pain is in deep. She is going undercover in an investigation bound to go haywire, but she takes the position and sets her sights high, only her objective isn’t the same as her handler’s. Soon, she lands in bed with the man who has haunted her dreams, and unfortunately her reality is much better than her fantasies, making the task of completing her professional assignment nearly impossible.

Tigger suspects Summer is guarding several personal secrets, but little does he know, she is also in place to potentially expose an undercover agent, one with close ties to Tigger and the Heroes and Rogues. When Logan Marcs’ cover is nearly blown, Summer is left with a choice. Does she stay in place and work with the Feds or does she choose love over the potential pain she could cause the man she wants to pursue?

Also available now at Resplendence Publishing, ARE, and Amazon

Sassy Road (Heroes and Rogues Series, Book One) by Destiny Blaine

Victory Rising (Heroes and Rogues Series, Book Two) by Destiny Blaine

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

NEW! Available now at third party retail sites and Resplendence Publishing

How far will a family go to hide embarrassing secrets? How deep will an intelligence agent dig in order to uncover them?

Audra McAllister is one tough broad leading a small team of modern day renegades determined to protect those they’re hired to guard. However, her extensive training never prepares her for Brance Willingham, a man from the past who is determined to win her hand, maybe even her love.

Safeguarding an affluent American family, Audra fears the enemy is living among them. Soon, her fellow agents discover they’re helping a high profile family conceal the truth behind an enormous political scandal. And they’re forced to make professional decisions with the potential to destroy them all.

Excerpt:

“Well ain’t this just grand?” Nathan Willingham grumbled the second he saw Audra McAllister standing on the veranda of his historic Franklin, Tennessee antebellum home. “The Confederation sent a damn woman to guard my family?”

Audra stiffened at the insult. She’d fully expected Senator Willingham’s sharp tongue and unpleasant greeting, but she’d never imagined how much the politician’s words would cut like a knife.

“In the early days, the Confederation protected its own. Now? Bah! Those in charge don’t give a damn about anything, unless of course, their families are the marks. Then? Oh well, then it’s a different story. Now you see why I’m glad that boy of mine left your schismatic group.”

Squaring her shoulders and standing as tall as her five-foot-four frame would allow, Audra said, “Senator Willingham, I’m Audra McAllister, the senior agent in charge. I’m here to reassure you. Our best and brightest agency experts are working on the current threat to you and your family.” She turned toward the men to her left. “This is Scott Swanson and Mark Reynolds. We’re honored to serve you, sir.”

Scott and Mark offered their hands. Both were ignored. Senator Willingham paced the length of his porch, chewing on the tip of an unlit cigar. “Thomas sent you out here with two agents, did he?”

“Yes, sir,” Audra replied, thinking the senator would be pissed off over limited manpower, and for good reason. Audra had argued with her senior advisory agent, Thomas Hadley, until she’d been blue in the face. For this particular assignment, they needed a large team of security intelligence agents, and when their orders came down, she was shocked over the lack of front-line support.

“Do you understand the magnitude of this threat, Miss McAllister?”

“Senator Willingham, I can relate to your concerns. You have successfully managed to irritate the situation between the US and the cartel controlling Mexican border towns. You are viewed as a terrible menace to the cartel, and enormous profits stand to be lost. Understandably, corrupt Mexican leaders want you eliminated. However, I must encourage you to look at the minimal assistance we have and help us develop a plan for keeping your family safe. If we work together, we’ll be better prepared when the threat arrives.”

“When the threat arrives?” Steam could’ve been swirling from the senator’s ears and it wouldn’t have made a difference. He clenched his fists, growled like an enraged bear, and his brows came together as if they were destined to touch. He looked angry, mean, and just plain scary. “Do you have any idea what my children have sustained, the kind of torture my son endured? My teenage daughters were almost kidnapped twice. Where were you then, Miss McAllister?”

Audra understood Senator Willingham’s anger and fear. She’d read the Willingham report, studied the senator’s family like a science, and realized if an attack came down again, her team would suffer more than minimal collateral damage. There would be bodies to count. A bleak end result could be unavoidable.

Audra and her unit believed in their abilities, but the facts were hard to ignore. They were outnumbered. The Willinghams would need to take an active role in fighting their enemies. Agent Hadley had assured her she would have Brance Willingham’s support, but until she saw Brance, she had no way of knowing. He’d walked away from the Confederation once.

Still, a recurring thought made her believe Brance might work with them. The previous year, he had been held hostage in a desolate location where he was said to have tolerated some of the most heinous forms of torture.

Most men would’ve died, but the survival skills ingrained in Confederation agents sustained Brance during impossible interrogations. When a search and recovery team of Confederation specialists found him, he was near death and barely breathing. Some believed his survival was a miracle.

After Brance’s crisis, high-ranking company officials issued an internal statement reflecting their views on Brance Willingham’s situation and warned agents he was deadly, dangerous, and had gone rogue. While a kill order wasn’t placed on the former agent’s head, a warning came down. Brance Willingham had potentially used his formal training to work as a mercenary.

In other words, he was a problem. How much of one was the question. And no one knew.

“I deserve an explanation! My family will die at the hands of these immoral monsters!”

“We may not have strength in numbers, but—”

“I don’t have to tell you this is unacceptable!” Senator Willingham interrupted Audra. “Do you know what those terrorists will do to my children if they’re able to apprehend them again?” He stopped pacing and started glaring, his gaze working from one agent to the next. “Answer me!”

Audra started to tell Senator Willingham he should’ve thought of that before he provoked a war with the Mexican cartel. Former politicians lost their lives dabbling on the wrong side of the border. Willingham wasn’t naïve. He knew what was at risk when he started a personal campaign against notorious foreign enemies.

“Senator Willingham, my team is prepared. We’re excellent marksmen, skilled in weaponry typically reserved for the military, and—”

“Your team?” he asked, arching a brow. “You call a trio of agents a team?”

Fuck it. There was only one way to earn a nod of approval in this business, and Audra understood what was required. “Senator Willingham, with all due respect, we didn’t ask for this assignment, and my men damn sure didn’t cross that border and pick a fight with the bully. They didn’t punch him in the nose then sprint like hell, praying that they’d outrun the tyrants he’d send to settle old scores.”

“You’re acting as if you think this is somehow my fault!”

And the senator behaved like a spoiled child.

“Who would you blame, sir?” Noting the fury in Willingham’s eyes, Audra bristled, and the tough-talking superior agent came to the surface. “Senator, if you want to rant and rave, you’re welcome to do that. My men and I will still be here when you’re finished. We’re all you have. I suggest you find some measure of acceptance in that. We’ll protect your family. Let us do our jobs so one day soon you can return to yours.”

Senator Willingham wheeled around on his boot and stalked her. He narrowed his gaze and took a deep breath. For a moment, Audra felt as if she’d made headway, but her confidence disintegrated under his tough scrutiny. “Do you have a family, Miss McAllister?”

“We all have families, Senator Willingham.”

“I’m asking if you have children. Do you?”

“No, sir. I’ve never been married and do not have children.” For some reason, verbalizing that fact made her heart ache like never before. At twenty-eight, Audra’s marital status rarely bothered her, but thanks to the way Senator Willingham phrased his question, she became greatly disturbed.

“If you had children, perhaps you’d understand. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do to protect them. Do you hear what I’m saying, Agent McAllister?”

“Yes, sir.”

“If you were in my shoes, would you feel as if everything were in order to do that? Would you rest at ease if that damn organization—the one you represent—sent you a few good men, or women, to protect your family?”

“Sir, I don’t know how I’d feel if I were in your shoes. I clearly am not. What I do know is how I can respond from my pair of sneakers. I will not run. I won’t hide. I’ll fight for your family and so will my men. Now, if you would please show us around the property and let us familiarize ourselves with our surroundings, I’d really appreciate your help. We don’t have a moment to waste.”

“No family,” Willingham said quietly, as if he were just processing that one tidbit of information. “Then you have nothing to lose, do you, Miss McAllister?”

“Some believe that makes for the best agent, sir. You of all people should know that.”

“Unless you’re afraid,” the senator pointed out, glancing at the other two agents. “Are you frightened?”

Mark shot Audra a quick glance and said, “We have an excellent unit in place, sir. You asked if Audra had something to lose. Maybe she doesn’t, but I do. I’m not willing to die here, Senator. With all due respect, this is your war. You brought your enemies to small town America and backed away, fully expecting someone else to pick up their weapons and defend a cause that didn’t concern you.”

Mark paused. He rubbed his jaw in thoughtful consideration. “Senator, you stirred up the kind of trouble most wouldn’t dream of antagonizing. Then, you expected the Confederation to come in and sweep up your mess. Well here we are with dustpan and broom. When you have company, we’ll clean house. That’s what we’re paid to do. We pick up after egotistical politicians that care more about their political agendas than the safety of their fellow countrymen and families.”

Senator Willingham walked over to Mark and stood directly in front of him. They were about the same size—over six-foot-three and about two hundred and thirty pounds of hard flesh—and if expressions counted for something, they both looked mean as the devil with their cold eyes, set jaws, and overall stance.

Willingham had about twenty years on Mark, who was in his mid-thirties, but that didn’t seem to matter. Willingham wasn’t intimidated, and Mark never backed down from a good fight. Like Audra, he loathed their reasons for being there.

“Do you have a motive for disrespecting me in my own home?”

“No, sir,” Mark replied. “I’m only pointing out the facts. Don’t stir the kettle over a hot stove then call for the head chef when the damn thing starts to boil. You got what you asked for, Senator. I hate that for your family, and that’s why I’m here.

“I want to protect the innocent—your wife, your son and daughters, and your neighbors who aren’t exempt from the danger looming—but make no mistake, you’ll be required to fight, too. You’ll need to look over your shoulder, pick up a gun, and know damn well how to use the weapons we place in your hand. When the time comes, we may need backup, and when it’s not there—and rest assured, it won’t be—then your family’s preparedness will be the only leverage we’ll have.”

Watching the blood rush out of the senator’s face, Audra quickly said, “Senator Willingham, Agent Reynolds and Agent Swanson will fight for your family, but what Agent Reynolds is trying to say is that we want to cover our bases and make sure your family members are taught to protect themselves so they’re never entirely vulnerable again. We’ll do our best to—”

“What if your best isn’t good enough?” Senator Willingham bellowed. “Have you ever thought about that? What if your best is one second shy of pulling the trigger when an intruder enters my home? What if you’re three steps behind the men who take my daughters the next time or—”

“That won’t happen,” Mark told him confidently.

Scott Swanson grunted. A man of few words, Scott was the man on the team who mattered. A former SEAL, Scott didn’t care if he lived or died, and often that was his greatest strength.

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/m8/392-201-108-403-4--guarded-secrets-by-destiny-blaine.html

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

New Release Today, November 16, 2011

How far will a family go to hide embarrassing secrets? How deep will an intelligence agent dig in order to uncover them?

Safeguarding an affluent American family, Audra fears the enemy is living among them. Soon, her fellow agents discover they’re helping a high profile family conceal the truth behind an enormous political scandal. And they’re forced to make professional decisions with the potential to destroy them all.

Excerpt:

“Well ain’t this just grand?” Nathan Willingham grumbled the second he saw Audra McAllister standing on the veranda of his historic Franklin, Tennessee antebellum home. “The Confederation sent a damn woman to guard my family?”

Audra stiffened at the insult. She’d fully expected Senator Willingham’s sharp tongue and unpleasant greeting, but she’d never imagined how much the politician’s words would cut like a knife.

“In the early days, the Confederation protected its own. Now? Bah! Those in charge don’t give a damn about anything, unless of course, their families are the marks. Then? Oh well, then it’s a different story. Now you see why I’m glad that boy of mine left your schismatic group.”

Squaring her shoulders and standing as tall as her five-foot-four frame would allow, Audra said, “Senator Willingham, I’m Audra McAllister, the senior agent in charge. I’m here to reassure you. Our best and brightest agency experts are working on the current threat to you and your family.” She turned toward the men to her left. “This is Scott Swanson and Mark Reynolds. We’re honored to serve you, sir.”

Scott and Mark offered their hands. Both were ignored. Senator Willingham paced the length of his porch, chewing on the tip of an unlit cigar. “Thomas sent you out here with two agents, did he?”

“Yes, sir,” Audra replied, thinking the senator would be pissed off over limited manpower, and for good reason. Audra had argued with her senior advisory agent, Thomas Hadley, until she’d been blue in the face. For this particular assignment, they needed a large team of security intelligence agents, and when their orders came down, she was shocked over the lack of front-line support.

“Do you understand the magnitude of this threat, Miss McAllister?”

“Senator Willingham, I can relate to your concerns. You have successfully managed to irritate the situation between the US and the cartel controlling Mexican border towns. You are viewed as a terrible menace to the cartel, and enormous profits stand to be lost. Understandably, corrupt Mexican leaders want you eliminated. However, I must encourage you to look at the minimal assistance we have and help us develop a plan for keeping your family safe. If we work together, we’ll be better prepared when the threat arrives.”

“When the threat arrives?” Steam could’ve been swirling from the senator’s ears and it wouldn’t have made a difference. He clenched his fists, growled like an enraged bear, and his brows came together as if they were destined to touch. He looked angry, mean, and just plain scary. “Do you have any idea what my children have sustained, the kind of torture my son endured? My teenage daughters were almost kidnapped twice. Where were you then, Miss McAllister?”

Audra understood Senator Willingham’s anger and fear. She’d read the Willingham report, studied the senator’s family like a science, and realized if an attack came down again, her team would suffer more than minimal collateral damage. There would be bodies to count. A bleak end result could be unavoidable.

Audra and her unit believed in their abilities, but the facts were hard to ignore. They were outnumbered. The Willinghams would need to take an active role in fighting their enemies. Agent Hadley had assured her she would have Brance Willingham’s support, but until she saw Brance, she had no way of knowing. He’d walked away from the Confederation once.

Still, a recurring thought made her believe Brance might work with them. The previous year, he had been held hostage in a desolate location where he was said to have tolerated some of the most heinous forms of torture.

Most men would’ve died, but the survival skills ingrained in Confederation agents sustained Brance during impossible interrogations. When a search and recovery team of Confederation specialists found him, he was near death and barely breathing. Some believed his survival was a miracle.

After Brance’s crisis, high-ranking company officials issued an internal statement reflecting their views on Brance Willingham’s situation and warned agents he was deadly, dangerous, and had gone rogue. While a kill order wasn’t placed on the former agent’s head, a warning came down. Brance Willingham had potentially used his formal training to work as a mercenary.

In other words, he was a problem. How much of one was the question. And no one knew.

“I deserve an explanation! My family will die at the hands of these immoral monsters!”

“We may not have strength in numbers, but—”

“I don’t have to tell you this is unacceptable!” Senator Willingham interrupted Audra. “Do you know what those terrorists will do to my children if they’re able to apprehend them again?” He stopped pacing and started glaring, his gaze working from one agent to the next. “Answer me!”

Audra started to tell Senator Willingham he should’ve thought of that before he provoked a war with the Mexican cartel. Former politicians lost their lives dabbling on the wrong side of the border. Willingham wasn’t naïve. He knew what was at risk when he started a personal campaign against notorious foreign enemies.

“Senator Willingham, my team is prepared. We’re excellent marksmen, skilled in weaponry typically reserved for the military, and—”

“Your team?” he asked, arching a brow. “You call a trio of agents a team?”

Fuck it. There was only one way to earn a nod of approval in this business, and Audra understood what was required. “Senator Willingham, with all due respect, we didn’t ask for this assignment, and my men damn sure didn’t cross that border and pick a fight with the bully. They didn’t punch him in the nose then sprint like hell, praying that they’d outrun the tyrants he’d send to settle old scores.”

“You’re acting as if you think this is somehow my fault!”

And the senator behaved like a spoiled child.

“Who would you blame, sir?” Noting the fury in Willingham’s eyes, Audra bristled, and the tough-talking superior agent came to the surface. “Senator, if you want to rant and rave, you’re welcome to do that. My men and I will still be here when you’re finished. We’re all you have. I suggest you find some measure of acceptance in that. We’ll protect your family. Let us do our jobs so one day soon you can return to yours.”

Senator Willingham wheeled around on his boot and stalked her. He narrowed his gaze and took a deep breath. For a moment, Audra felt as if she’d made headway, but her confidence disintegrated under his tough scrutiny. “Do you have a family, Miss McAllister?”

“We all have families, Senator Willingham.”

“I’m asking if you have children. Do you?”

“No, sir. I’ve never been married and do not have children.” For some reason, verbalizing that fact made her heart ache like never before. At twenty-eight, Audra’s marital status rarely bothered her, but thanks to the way Senator Willingham phrased his question, she became greatly disturbed.

“If you had children, perhaps you’d understand. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do to protect them. Do you hear what I’m saying, Agent McAllister?”

“Yes, sir.”

“If you were in my shoes, would you feel as if everything were in order to do that? Would you rest at ease if that damn organization—the one you represent—sent you a few good men, or women, to protect your family?”

“Sir, I don’t know how I’d feel if I were in your shoes. I clearly am not. What I do know is how I can respond from my pair of sneakers. I will not run. I won’t hide. I’ll fight for your family and so will my men. Now, if you would please show us around the property and let us familiarize ourselves with our surroundings, I’d really appreciate your help. We don’t have a moment to waste.”

“No family,” Willingham said quietly, as if he were just processing that one tidbit of information. “Then you have nothing to lose, do you, Miss McAllister?”

“Some believe that makes for the best agent, sir. You of all people should know that.”

“Unless you’re afraid,” the senator pointed out, glancing at the other two agents. “Are you frightened?”

Mark shot Audra a quick glance and said, “We have an excellent unit in place, sir. You asked if Audra had something to lose. Maybe she doesn’t, but I do. I’m not willing to die here, Senator. With all due respect, this is your war. You brought your enemies to small town America and backed away, fully expecting someone else to pick up their weapons and defend a cause that didn’t concern you.”

Mark paused. He rubbed his jaw in thoughtful consideration. “Senator, you stirred up the kind of trouble most wouldn’t dream of antagonizing. Then, you expected the Confederation to come in and sweep up your mess. Well here, we are with dustpan and broom. When you have company, we’ll clean house. That’s what we’re paid to do. We pick up after egotistical politicians that care more about their political agendas than the safety of their fellow countrymen and families.”

Senator Willingham walked over to Mark and stood directly in front of him. They were about the same size—over six-foot-three and about two hundred and thirty pounds of hard flesh—and if expressions counted for something, they both looked mean as the devil with their cold eyes, set jaws, and overall stance.

Willingham had about twenty years on Mark, who was in his mid-thirties, but that didn’t seem to matter. Willingham wasn’t intimidated, and Mark never backed down from a good fight. Like Audra, he loathed their reasons for being there.

“Do you have a motive for disrespecting me in my own home?”

“No, sir,” Mark replied. “I’m only pointing out the facts. Don’t stir the kettle over a hot stove then call for the head chef when the damn thing starts to boil. You got what you asked for, Senator. I hate that for your family, and that’s why I’m here.

“I want to protect the innocent—your wife, your son and daughters, and your neighbors who aren’t exempt from the danger looming—but make no mistake, you’ll be required to fight, too. You’ll need to look over your shoulder, pick up a gun, and know damn well how to use the weapons we place in your hand. When the time comes, we may need backup, and when it’s not there—and rest assured, it won’t be—then your family’s preparedness will be the only leverage we’ll have.”

Watching the blood rush out of the senator’s face, Audra quickly said, “Senator Willingham, Agent Reynolds and Agent Swanson will fight for your family, but what Agent Reynolds is trying to say is that we want to cover our bases and make sure your family members are taught to protect themselves so they’re never entirely vulnerable again. We’ll do our best to—”

“What if your best isn’t good enough?” Senator Willingham bellowed. “Have you ever thought about that? What if your best is one second shy of pulling the trigger when an intruder enters my home? What if you’re three steps behind the men who take my daughters the next time or—”

“That won’t happen,” Mark told him confidently.

Scott Swanson grunted. A man of few words, Scott was the man on the team who mattered. A former SEAL, Scott didn’t care if he lived or died, and often that was his greatest strength.

Buy Now from Resplendence Publishing

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Welcome Cindy Spencer Pape!

I'm thrilled to welcome Author Cindy Spencer Pape to my blog today. Cindy, as many of you know, is one of my all-time favorite authors. Today, she'll stop in to tell us more about her latest book release, Wrong Side of Town. Make sure you leave your comments and questions!

I was so pleased to have the opportunity to interview Cindy. She’s one-of-a-kind and shares some behind the scenes as well as good advice for the aspiring writer.

1) How long have you been writing? What or who would you credit with inspiring your writing?

I’ve been writing seriously since about 1999, published since late 2006. As far as inspiration, it’s hard to say. I think it’s something I always had in the back of my mind and “someday” turned into, “let’s give it a try” when I had a job that required me sitting in my office, but not always with anything to do unless people came in. So in between, I wrote.

2) Tell us about your first book publication. What was the title? What was the book about? Who published the novel/novella? Is it still available for sale?

I had three books I’d subbed and had been rejected. I finally decided to try subbing to e-publishers and sent each one to a different house. So basically I sold three books in a 3-4 month span in 2006. The first one sold was Curses, to Triskelion publishing (came out March 2007). It’s a paranormal romance set in Michigan ’s UP, and it’s now up for sale with Wild Rose Press after Triskelion folded. The first one published was The Cowboy’s Christmas Bride, which came out in Nov. 2006, a contemporary western romance.

3) Goals often change and influences do as well. Who or what influences your writing now?

Everything I see or hear around me is liable to filter its way into my writing. Music, scenery, snippets of overheard conversation… My influences are too many to name. My goals remain the same, but I think I have a better handle on them now. I want to write books that will make people smile, and get them out there so readers can find them. Paying the bills along the way would be a nice bonus.

4) As a reader, what genre do you read most? As a writer, what genre do you enjoy writing most?

Probably paranormal romance, but historical and romantic suspense are close behind. I truly just love romance, which also explains why I can’t just write one kind. I’m currently having a lot of fun with the steampunk/gaslamp fantasy setting, though. That may end up being a favorite, possibly because it combines so many others.

5) Which Cindy Spencer Pape book was the easiest to write and why?

Easiest? Argh. They’re all work! Actually, Steam & Sorcery flew pretty easily. So did Crazy for the Cowboy, and Eagle’s Redemption.

6) Which Cindy Spencer Pape book was the most difficult to write and why?

The hardest for me always seems to be book 3 in any series. No idea why, but #3 always kills me, even if that isn’t the final book.

7) Tell us about the ideal setting. What setting have you created that you enjoy most? Why is it ideal?

Again, I’m leaning toward my steampunk world, which combines Victorian social structure with futuristic technology, plus vampyres and werewolves. It’s just cool, and dark, and different. I’ve also set up a Michigan college town that attracts unusual beings in my Geek Love series, one of my first. That one remains a favorite.

8) Do any of your heroes or heroines have a common thread? Tell us about them.

I think all my heroes are smart and strong-willed, and usually in good shape. They have to have a sense of humor. They’re not all alphas, and they range from college professor to cop, but they all have a little something that makes me love them. My heroines all have to be smart and gutsy—even if they don’t know it themselves. And none of them, heroes or heroines can be perfect. They have to have flaws. Perfect people scare the crap out of me!

9) What is your latest book release?

A contemporary romance from Resplendence Publishing called Wrong Side of Town. It’s got a hot ex-military sheriff’s deputy and a feisty librarian, and a handful of goth teenagers in a small Texas town. I had a lot of fun with this one!

10) Tell us about your upcoming books or recent contracts you're excited about.

I’ve got the final Urban Arcana book, Motor City Mage coming out from Carina Press on March 12. That one will be hard to say goodbye to. I’m hoping to have a steampunk novella out from them next summer, but that isn’t final yet. Beyond that, I’ve got a bunch of stuff in the works, but nothing contracted at this point—which is kind of scary!

11) The book industry is forever changing. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I really wish I knew the answer to that. Hopefully, my readership will continue to grow, and my books will be available in whatever formats the readers want to buy—whether that’s e-books, audio, or print.

12) You’re multi-published. Why have you chosen to submit to your current publishers? What makes your publishers stand out in a crowd?

Oh, wow, that’s a tough one. I’ve been with Ellora’s Cave and Wild Rose Press from the very beginning of my career. I subbed to EC (their Cerridwen Press imprint) because at the time they were the big dogs in e-publishing, and I’ve been very happy there. Wild Rose was looking for Christmas stories that first year they opened, so I landed there with Cowboy’s Christmas Bride, and am still a big fan of that company. Total-E-Bound and Resplendence Publishing I got into through anthologies. In each case I was invited by a friend to contribute to an anthology, and I have a hard time saying no. My one little short story with Resplendence did so well, that I decided to try publishing a full-length novel there, which is why today’s release is with them. And finally, when Carina opened up, it seemed like a wonderful new venture—an e-publisher with the backing of Harlequin Enterprises. I submitted Motor City Fae the day they opened their doors, and was one of their launch-day authors several months later. So far the experience there has been good, though unfortunately they don’t yet offer print.

13) If you could give a new writer one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t give up! I almost did and it scares me, how close I came to quitting. Always send out one more submission, then write one more book!

Destiny, thanks so much for having me visit today. I hope everyone will also stop by my blog when Destiny chats with me later this week.
I’m offering one free download of Wrong Side of Town to one random commenter, so leave a note below to be entered.

Cindy
www.cindyspencerpape.com

Now for a sneak preview inside WRONG SIDE OF TOWN

Blurb:

Zach Shannon is back in town, and tiny Hawthorne , Texas will never be the same. When the local military hero comes home and starts working for his father, the sheriff, one of his first cases is a string of minor fires that everyone seems to blame on a handful of teens from the wrong side of town. Even worse, Zach is rapidly falling for Laney Burroughs, a quiet librarian whose Goth nephew is the suspected ringleader. Their attraction deepens but both have too many responsibilities and too much baggage to make it easy, especially with Zach’s wealthy family, Laney’s nephew, and the entire town looking on.

Excerpt: (PG)

“Wow! Who do you know who drives a Corvette?” Parker’s newly developed baritone caught Laney by surprise as she finished loading the last few dishes into her apartment-sized dishwasher. Even after two years, the appliance was still her pride and joy—a luxury this little bungalow had never seen before she’d taken over the financial reins. It was a small step, but she hated doing dishes and she was proud to be able to fix up the place, little by little, all on her own.

“Nobody.” She dried her hands and flipped on the machine before walking out to the living room to see what her nephew was talking about. She squinted into the setting sun at whatever was reflecting the red orb right into her window.

Damn, there was a shiny silver sports car in her driveway. Laney swallowed hard when the car door opened and Zach Shannon stepped out. Even in jeans and a blue-striped dress shirt, he still looked every inch a cop.

“Oh, crap, which one of us is in trouble this time?” Parker skittered off the couch and up the stairs. “I swear, Aunt Laney, I didn’t do anything.”

Was Parker in trouble again? Laney bit her lip as she moved to open the door a heartbeat before Zach’s fist could land on it. He stopped mid-swing, managing not to hit Laney instead, and her insides melted when he smiled.

“Nice place. Hope you don’t mind I looked up your address in the county tax database.”

Did she? No, she was too shocked to be offended.

“Is something wrong?” Automatically she stepped back from the door to motion him inside. Her mother might have been “trash” according to some people in town, but she had taught her daughters proper manners. “What can I do for you, Deputy?” She cast frantic eyes around her crowded living room, to make sure it wasn’t too much of a mess. The small space wasn’t anywhere near as shabby as she remembered it from her own high school days, but it was also nothing like what Zach must be used to. She didn’t even have time to worry about her own appearance—ratty shorts, a T-shirt featuring the library’s owl mascot, and her long hair bundled back in an untidy bun on the back of her head.

He gave her a rueful grin. “Well, to start with, you can call me Zach. I’m not here in any sort of official capacity.”

She let herself relax for a moment and smiled back. “Well, in that case, Zach, can I get you something cold to drink? I have iced tea or lemonade. Or there’s the house special—my nephew Parker prefers a half and half mix. It’s surprisingly un-disgusting.”

“Just tea sounds great. It’s shaping up to be a hot summer already, and June’s barely started.”

Great, now he was talking about the weather. She motioned him toward the sofa—an inexpensive but decent piece covered in terracotta cotton. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.” As he did, she disappeared into the kitchen.

Tray. I have to have a tray around here somewhere. A jolt of memory struck moments before she started hyperventilating, and she pulled an old tin tray from atop the refrigerator, then rinsed the dust off under the sink. She even found two tall glasses that matched—a feat in itself. She carried the tea into the living room. Whew, I didn’t spill a drop. Sometime while she was in the kitchen, Parker had come back downstairs and started peppering Zach with questions about the car.

“Well, I know it’s traditional for a Texas boy to get a truck, but after spending the last twenty years driving big ol’ Humvees and such, I just wanted something fun.” He glanced out the window, beaming at the shiny sports car.

“Well, good for you.” Laney set the tray down on the coffee table then sank into the old bentwood rocker next to the couch.

Zach helped himself to a glass and added a generous spoonful of sugar, while she squeezed a lemon wedge into hers. “I like your house. It’s warm and colorful—sort of like its owner.”

“Thanks.” Laney was sure her skin turned as red as the sofa. With lots of plants in bright pottery containers and throw pillows matching the colorful Navajo blanket draped across the back of the couch, her home did look warm and inviting—at least, she’d hoped so. But her? She was just plain old Laney the librarian.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Nominations for Love Romance Cafe's Best of Awards 2010

I’m so excited to share some news with you today. My books have been nominated in various categories for Love Romance Cafe’s Best of Awards for 2010. I’m honored to have been nominated. If you haven’t voted, would you please consider supporting my books? Below, you’ll find the books nominated. To vote, click on the LRC banner listed below each book.

Thank you for your consideration. I really appreciate you.

Destiny Blaine

Best Romantic Thriller

Breakfast by the Sea by Destiny Blaine (Siren)

Two Books Nominated for Best Vampire Book

Waking up the Arguably Dead by Destiny Blaine—Passion in Print

Winning Virgin Devotion by Destiny Blaine—Siren Publishing

Best Contemporary

Breakfast by the Sea by Destiny Blaine (Siren)

Two Nominations for Best Book Cover

Cowboys for Christmas by Destiny Blaine (Aspen Mountain Press)

Bewitching Bite by Destiny Blaine (Resplendence Publishing)

Best GBLTQ Book

I Kissed a Boy by Addison Avery (Aspen Mountain Press)

Best Book All Around

Cowboy Boots and Unfinished Business by Natalie Acres--Siren Publishing

Best BDSM Book

Cowboy Boots and Unfinished Business by Natalie Acres--Siren Publishing

Best Paranormal AuthorDestiny Blaine

If you’re voting in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll, please consider the following two nominations as well:

Sexy is Never Ignored, a Sports Wives title was nominated for Best Book Ever at P&E

I received a nomination here as well:

http://critters.org/bestpoll/erot_book.shtml

Thank you again for your support. You’re appreciated more than you know. I’m looking forward to spending time with you in 2011.

Destiny Blaine

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Bewitching Bite Release Date--Expanded Format

Now Available!

A Blending Bloodlines Tale

A descendant of The Blood Countess, Matilda is transformed during the blending of bloodlines and becomes a supernatural creature empowered by a damning legacy. Intrigued by the future she reluctantly embraces, the spunky young witch completes the bonding and blending of bloodlines with a vampire who isn’t quite ready to reveal his precise place in her future.

Armand is a Russian vampire in search of a blender, a mate destined for him because of peculiar mutual ties to the past. The knowledge Armand has about Erzsebet Bathory, a distant relative of the one chosen for him, is frightening. Armand quickly discovers that there is only one way the dead will stay buried: he must bond with a witch, and empower her with the blood of the one vampire Erzsebet Bathory wanted, but couldn’t have.

*Publisher's Note: This is an updated version of a previously released title.

http://tinyurl.com/29gup7x

Destiny Blaine Official Website and Blog

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Friday, April 19, 2013

Destiny Blaine's Series and SingleTitles by Publisher

Destiny Blaine's Series and Single Titles by Publisher

eXtasy Books

Passion in Print Press

Resplendence Publishing

Siren-BookStrand

Destiny Blaine Productions

Devine Destinies

Series and Single Titles by Publisher