ARC Review: Stolen by Shiloh Walker

Stolen

by Shiloh Walker

I'll be honest, this book scared me and creeped me out.  It's totally an edge of your seat, nail biting and heart pounding story.  I really love how Shiloh Walker approaches her romantic suspense.  It's not about ultra secret military men trying to save women from being kidnapped, it's not drug cartels or human trafficking.  Her books are truly suspenseful stories with amazingly crazy bad guys who should be in a mental institution not romaing the streets making people's lives miserable.  Just like any great suspense movie!

STOLEN was no different, except how I described it to someone else who asked me what this was about...Think of the worst case scenario an author can think that would happen to them.  Someone impersonating them and trying to take over their life.  Shay is an author but not one of her immediate friends know that.  Not even her ex boyfriend.  She kept a very small online persona (just her website) and didn't do any public appearances.  As a matter of fact, her readers thought she was a man.  But a woman starts showing up at bookstores pretending to be her, signing her books and handing out ARCs and bookmarks of her books, creating Facebook accounts and blogs.  And saying that Shay's boyfriend raped her.

Shay is now left to try to uncover still whole mess pretty much by herself.  With no one to trust, she has to start digging into her own past.

Of course there's the romance, Shay was damaged from her past and has never been able to handle relationships but once she lets Elliot in, they are so amazing together.  Elliot's love is a thing of beauty.  Strong and supportive.  Careful with her when she was most vulnerable.

There were just two minor things that made me give this a 4 instead of a 5 star rating.  The beginning of this book was just a tad confusing for me.  I felt that the strings were a little too loose when setting up the story although I was able to keep up and understand what was going on.  And then there's the discovery of the "bad guy".  With my previous experiences with Ms. Walker's writing, I couldn't pinpoint who the bad guy was.  This book was a bit more predictable.  From figuring out who it was, to figuring out who that person REALLY was. I had both of those figured out pretty early on as the story was unfolding.  That being said, it didn't take away from my enjoyment because this bad guy is still so screwed up it was so interesting to find all the little things out.

Like I said, creepy and edge of seat.  And I couldn't put this down.  One of those stories that you knwo could happen easily to anyone but you only want to read about.

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Blind Destiny by Shiloh Walker

3.5 Feathers

Blind Destiny

by Shiloh Walker

(Grimm's Circle # 7)

I really enjoy stories where the hero or heroine have some sort of a disability.  In this case, even though they are both grimm, or angels, Luc is blind.  The interesting thing about it is that his gift (as all grimms have one) is the ability to look into the minds of others.  He can actually use their eyes as well, which gives him an edge over any human in his condition.

Everyone thinks he's been nursing a broken heart because Perci, his princess, moved on and found love elsewhere.  Most of all, Sina.  She's a very old grimm and was Luc's trainer a long time ago.  And she's been in love with him ever since.  She's loved and wanted for so long.  Being forced now to work together on a case might be more than she can take.

Especially when they are sent to Greece to investigate a story of seven bloody sisters.  Little does anyone know this was the origin or Sina's grimm tale.  See Snow White was less about the seven dwarves and more about the seven wives that tormented one woman to the point that she took her own life.

And speaking of blood, I was so completely hooked with the first line in this book I just had to share.  

The woman stood alone in a courtyard of blood.

 In a way, I thought there should've been a little more focus on developing and exposing Sina's original story and her relation to the events and the house they were there to investigate.  There was a good amount of focus on Luc and Sina's relationship, but theirs was not as hot as the previous one I've read in the series.  Still they had great chemistry together.

Will is a character I'm curious to read more about, as well as Crow.  I think this is a perfect case of me liking the bad boys more than the good ones.  

*ARC provided by author

Purchase Links: Amazon

Covers to Covet

Altered

by Jennifer Rush

(Altered # 1)

A story that starts with a girl and a boy. A girl who loves a boy so much , she'll risk anything for him. And a boy who knows only one thing--- kill anyone who stands in his way.

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Available January 2, 2013

Wrecked

by Shiloh Walker

In the nineties, Abigale Applegate and Zach Barnes were the most beloved sitcom child stars in the world. Then they grew up and left Hollywood behind…

Whatever happened to Abigale Applegate?

She’s been wondering the same thing.

With her Hollywood dreams long gone, Abigale now has a nice, neat, uncomplicated life—until the day her perfect fiancé needs to talk. Dumped, a little more than shattered, and totally confused, Abigale turns to Zach, her best friend since forever, to help her pick up the pieces. He does it with a gift—a copy of Wreck This Journal. She can vent her frustrations, and sketch out a new plan. Zach just hopes he’s part of it. Because he’s been in love with Abigale his entire life.

When the journal falls into Zach’s hands, he discovers Abigale wants a new man. And fast. Nothing more than a hot distraction. Zach has a strategy, too. He’s going to be that man. It’s his last chance. Abigale might be out to shake up her life, but Zach’s out to reinvent it. Now, all he has to do is convince Abigale that life can go as planned.

Available April 2, 2013

Review: Candy Houses by Shiloh Walker

Candy Houses

by Shiloh Walker

(Grimm's Circle # 1)

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this series but my definite first attraction was the fact that this series is based on fairytales.  There aren't enough erotic books out there that play on this, so I was super excited.  I should've known that this being a Shiloh Walker book, I wasn't going to get flowery fairytales.  And I couldn't be more pleased.  The Grimm's Circle series is not your everyday fairytale, it's better.

CANDY HOUSES was dark and a bit gritty.  Definitely not your everyday fairy tale but it incorporated those elements beautifully.  I don't think I've read it done better.  Because see, the Grimm brothers got it all wrong.  Oh their stories have a base on the truth, but they got a few things incorrectly.  This story features Greta (Hansel & Gretel), who doesn't go by Gretel anymore because of her past and her psycho brother (yep Hans).  But see Greta is a grimm, sort of an angel warrior against evil demons.

Hundreds of years ago there was something between Greta and Rip (Van Winkle) and now they have to work together when a human has a demon book and has planned and attempted a summoning.  Things just get more complicated when they figure out she might be a grimm as well.

I think this book did a pretty good job at explaining the world of the grimms, although I think I needed just a bit more but I understand the limits of a novella.  I loved the grimms aspect of each having special powers, and their silver medallions, and that they have wings.  I also enjoyed that we go back in time to see Gretel's story.  But I really enjoyed the connection between Rip and Greta.  This book was heavy on the romance for what it lacked on the world explanations and I appreciate that.

I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series and to discover more about the grimms as I continue to read.  I am definitely intrigued by their boss Will and can't wait to see what Ms. Walker will do with another fairytale because this one... was a job well done!

*Review copy provided by author

Purchase Links: Amazon

Covers to Covet

Jennifer Estep has released the cover to book eight in her Elemental Assassin series, DEADLY STING. Again, this mass market paperback releases will have a step-back cover like WIDOW'S WEB. What do you think?

The cover is designed by artist Tony Mauro again. I really like the vault idea and all the red! DEADLY STING releases March 26, 2013.

Here's the book description. If you're worried about spoilers, please read at your own risk...

Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.  

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me — Gin Blanco, aka the Spider — it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’ priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.  

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

Another one I'm very much looking forward to is Jennifer Armentrout's OPAL. This would be book 3 in the awesome alien YA series. Check out the cover! What do you think?

I love that they are still using the same couple throughout the series, but at first glance I thought that Daemon was holding on to something else. It wasn't until a second later that I realized he was holding her up. The black on black confused me there for a second.

No one is like Daemon Black.  

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on. 

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love. 

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever. 

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

OPAL releases December 11, 2012.

 The Protected

by Shiloh Walker

No blurb yet but this book is part of Shiloh Walker's FBI Psychics series.  If you read the HOT IN HANDCUFFS anthology this year you got a taste for what that series is about.  I love this cover!

Available August 6, 2013

Covers to Covet

GOING UNDER

by Lauren Dane

(Bound by Magick # 3)

In the wake of the Magister’s rampage, chaos rules. Left reeling, the Others and the humans scramble to create a some sort of unity in the face of growing unrest and violence from anti-Other hate groups federation—and ruthless PR guru Molly Ryan is the witch who can do it. She grew up in the human world but there’s nothing left for her there. She’s lost her PR firm, her friends and she’s decided to put all her fight toward aiding the Others in this dark, new reality. If there’s anything left for her there, she’s going to fight for it. But Gage Garrity, one of the few Others who survived the massacre, fears that the crusade will expose Molly to greater dangers than ever before.

Now, together, with magick on their side, they’re on the road in a desperate struggle to unite a torn world. From state houses to television news to legislative conference rooms across the country, they’re fighting the good fight. And it’s bringing out a passion in both of them they never expected—one as volatile, intense, and all-consuming as their relentless battle for world unity. A battle that could be their undoing…

Available February 5, 2013

UK COVER 

STOLEN

by Shiloh Walker

This thrilling and super sexy novel from bestselling romantic suspense author Shiloh Walker will appeal to fans of Allison Brennan and Linda Howard.
 
Shay Morgan has stayed hidden for a long time. Living a reclusive life in Earth’s End, Alaska, she’s as far away as she can get from the trauma of her childhood and the man who hurt her long ago. But terror takes over Shay’s life yet again when an unknown stalker steals away the fragile peace she’s built for herself—targeting not only her but the one man who’s ever managed to get past the walls she’s built around herself.

Elliot Winter has lived through being falsely accused before—it ruined his military career. Now it’s happening all over again. And this time, his accuser is a twisted impostor who’s targeting his ex-girlfriend, Shay. Despite a fierce mutual attraction, Shay and Elliot broke up because Shay couldn’t let her guard down, couldn’t let Elliot in. But now they both need to trust each other to confront a psycho who seems to know all their secrets.

Available October 30, 2012

BALLROOM BLITZ

by Lorelei James

No blurb yet, but this from Lorelei's blog:

BALLROOM BLITZ is a novella not set in the Rough Riders world, or in the Blacktop Cowboys world, but is a loosely related follow up to WICKED GARDEN in the Three’s Company Anthology. Jayne Rylon, Jess Dee and I had such a blast doing that antho together we got the band back together for an encore in the Two To Tango Anthology.

Available October 2, 2012

Interview and Giveaway with J.C. Daniels

Maidens.... Shiloh Walker is back with a different name and a brand new attitude.   Her brand new series KIT COLBANA is kicking off with the hot off the press BLADE SONG, which released just a few days ago, and this is a must read book!  We had the chance to ask J.C. Daniels some questions, here's what she had to say.

I loved Blade Song please tell me you are making this in to series, and if so do you have a number of books in mind (fingers crossed for yes!)?

I don't plan like that...I lack the organizational gene. ;) I would like to make it into a series. Self-publishing, though, is a lot of work, so I need to see how BLADE SONG goes first. If things go well, yes...I do have a second book, and a third that I'm working on. After that? Who knows. But it all depends on how BLADE SONG does really.

What gave you the idea for Blade Song? Is everything planned out or do you plan as you go?

I don't generally plan out. The first few pages of this sat untouched on my laptop for a long time. I'd written a short story that is available for free on TOR.COM (A STROKE OF DUMB LUCK) that was about Kit and I'd wanted to write more about her and I even knew vaguely how the story should go, but the problem was Damon. He wasn't coming together in my head. And then at the beginning of the year, he was just suddenly... there. The story exploded in my head and I couldn't get it down out onto my computer fast enough.

Kit and Damon got quite... close in Blade Song and I loved watching the tough girl foreplay (stabbing, hitting, name calling, death threats etc) in the next book will their relationship be something you focus on?
Ah...I can't answer that. 
Blade Song has the feeling of the Kate Daniels series, if Kate and Kit ever got together, do you think they would be BFFs or would they have a badass girly show down (if they did, who do you think would win?!)?

I don't know if they'd get along... LOL. And I suspect Kate would take Kit down. But Kit would go down fighting. And I don't think it would be very girly...on either side. *G*
You are writing a different genre now. What are the challenges you encountered with BLADE SONG and urban fantasy that you haven't dealt with before in your writing?

Well, I've always written all over the romance map, so I'm used to trying different stuff. The main thing with BLADE SONG was just there wasn't going to be a nice, neat little bow at the end, but that wasn't the way the story wanted to go, anyway.

Tell us an author crush of yours that you'd go (or have gone) fangirl over.

I totally fan-girled over Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Nora Roberts. I think Nora thinks I'm a total freak at this point, because I honestly said, "Um, can I just stand here and stare at you for a minute?" But she was unbelievably gracious about it.

And then... I accosted Susan Elizabeth Phillips... I'm actually just going to paste the story from my blog, because it's been a few years but...well. It was kinda funny. This was from RWA when it was in Washington DC

One of the authors I got to meet was Jayne Ann Krentz-love her books. She was one of the authors I discovered right after I found Nora Roberts. I introduced myself to JAK and she tells me she enjoys my books. At this point, I’m somewhere in the vicinity of the clouds-the cirrus ones…you know, those really wispy ones that are like almost in the stratosphere? That’s where I was.

When I get back to my room, I tell my mom. One of my fave authors has read my books. o_O Can we say ‘googly-eyed?’ I’m talking a mile a minute while I grab my stuff for the parties. A few minutes later, we hit the door and head down the hall. At the same time, one of my neighbors also heads out. My friend is talking to the lady…she looks very familiar, I can’t figure out why, and naturally my friend isn’t exactly catching my ‘subtle’ signals. So finally, I ask outloud… “Who is this?” while I’m rudely pointing at the lady.

The lady smiles, as friendly as can be, and says…. “Oh, I’m Jayne Ann Krentz.”

I blink, and then say… “No, I just met her.”
And my friend is rolling her eyes, looking at me and going, “You are such a dork. This is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.”

I die. Then I accost Susan Elizabeth Phillips. In the hallway. I grab her and hug her and squeal, “Oh, I love your books!” (I’m not a hugger…I am not normally a squealer, either)
Turns out that SEP heard me telling my mom about me meeting Jayne Ann Krentz. My friend thinks I’m strange and weird and rude, but apparently SEP thought it was funny. Made her laugh… that’s not a bad thing, right?

If you could meet one author you've never met, who would it be?

Lynn Viehl!!!

What book do you wish you had written?

Eh, just the ones I write. I'm happy with those. I couldn't tell the story somebody else writes and it have the same effect, so why try?

Who is your favorite UF heroine?
 
Oh, that's hard. A toss-up between Chess Putnam, Kate Daniels and Cat.

Kit Colbana—half breed, assassin, thief, jack of all trades—has a new job: track down the missing ward of one of the local alpha shapeshifters. It should be a piece of cake.

So why is she so nervous? It probably has something to do with the insanity that happens when you deal with shifters—especially sexy ones who come bearing promises of easy jobs and easier money.

Or maybe it’s all the other missing kids that Kit discovers while working the case, or the way her gut keeps screaming she’s gotten in over her head. Or maybe it’s because if she fails—she’s dead.

If she can stay just one step ahead, she should be okay. Maybe she’ll even live long to collect her fee…

READ OUR REVIEW

Find out more about J.C. Daniels and Blade Song by visiting
http://jcdanielsblog.wordpress.com/

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About the Author:

J.C. Daniels exploded in being in May of 2012.  She’s the pen name of author Shiloh Walker and was created basically because Shiloh writes like a hyperactive bunny and an intervention was necessary.  J.C. is the intervention.  The name… J.C. Daniels is a play off of the three people who pretty much run Shiloh’s life.

Twitter | GoodReads | Website

The tour giveaway consists of a beautiful pair of blade earrings

An RT Swag Bag!

The bag contains swag from RT, a couple of samplers, as well as a T-shirt and cap from Ellora’s Cave, The Vampire Shrink from Lynda Hilburn, The Wolf Gift from Anne Rice and Cowgirls Don’t Cry by Lorelei James.

The books and bag were picked up for giveaways at RT.

You'll also get a copy of The Second Book of Grimm and Locked in Silence, from Shiloh Walker's Grimm Series.

For disclaimer/contest info, please go here.

Entering means you’ve read/agreed to the disclaimer and rules.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight Feature on FRAGILE by Shiloh Walker

Available in trade paperback and digitally. Releasing in mass market summer 2012

Sometimes the last thing you want is exactly what you need…
BATTLE SCARRED

Six years after trading in his combat gear for hospital scrubs, Luke Rafferty still hasn’t found what he’s been searching for: a normal life. At his job, Luke is faced with things just as heartbreaking as those on the battlefield, none more so than the abused children brought in by a pretty red-headed social worker.

HEARTBROKEN
For Devon Manning, being a social worker is a rewarding job, but also a constant reminder of her own troubled youth. Devon takes everything one day at a time—unable to form a relationship with anyone except the children she rescues.

A DESIRE TO HEAL…

When Luke meets Devon, he thinks he might have found what he’s been looking for, but in order to get the life he wants, Luke has to break through Devon’s emotional barriers and make her realize that his healing touch might be just the complication her life needs…

Excerpt:

Luke just shrugged. “Hey, you ought to hear some of the foreign-body stories I could tell you. And being in a college town? It’s even worse.”

Her brow creased. Leery, she repeated, “Foreign bodies?”

He grinned. “You probably don’t want to know. People can do very, very bizarre things—and they don’t even have the excuse of being a kid.”

Now that, Devon understood. She’d had to go to many a home to speak with parents when their kids got hurt doing the normal kid thing. Kids did get hurt, and sometimes, kids hurt themselves in a purely innocent manner, but so often it made neighbors or teachers concerned. As unpleasant as it was, and as much as parents hated it, Devon would rather make those visits than visit the hospital because nobody reported the abuse.

That sobering thought had the smile on her face dying. A hand touched her lightly on the shoulder, a quick, innocuous touch. She looked at Luke to find him studying her. “Where did you go?”

Devon shrugged. “Just thinking. Kids—it’s amazing what they can do. One minute they have you laughing, then you’re ready to pull your hair out and scream, and then you just want to cry.”

“I think you could use a few more of the laughing minutes.”

He lifted his hand, and Devon watched, mesmerized, as he caught a flyaway curl. Her hair was a thick, nearly unmanageable mass of curls. Usually she had it gelled and pulled back into some kind of submission, but at the end of the day the first thing she did was let it out of the twists, clips, and knots she used during the day. Loose, it hung halfway down her back. When it was wet, she could sit on it.

“I don’t suppose you’d take your hair down, would you?” Luke asked, a little out of the blue.

She blinked, tipped back her head to see his face a little better. “Take it down?”

“Yeah.” He continued to rub the curl back and forth between his fi ngers as he lifted his gaze to hers. His eyes were heavy- lidded, giving him a sleepy, sexy look that had her wanting to lean in and kiss him…

Find out more about the book or to buy it, click here 

Review: Declan and Tori by Shiloh Walker

Declan and Tori

by Shiloh Walker

(The Hunters # 1)

A couple of things worth mentioning before I get into the review...

a) I loooooove Shiloh Walker, but I admit I've started reading her more current work first.
b) This book was originally published in 2003 under Ellora's Cave.  I bought it last year when it was re-released with this beautiful cover, because I'm a cover whore.
c) It's been sitting on my Kindle app for a long time!

When making the decision to start reading a series that already has so many books, in fact this one is officially done, it can be intimidating.  But it is encouraging at least for me to know that the stories are relatively short.

I started this book expecting a great story with a little bit of heat.  And I got a lot more than I bargained for!  From almost the very beginning Ms. Walker was burning up the pages with Declan and Tori!  I had to stop to fan myself.  I could easily classify this book as an Erotic Paranormal Romance, and it's definitely one of the hotter books I've personally read to date by Ms. Walker.

The plot was great as well.  Tori, a human, has the bad luck of coming face to face with a vampire rogue who turns her against her will.  She's going through the change and adjusting to her new self and new urges and seeks the help of the only man she felt safe with before, but that also she wanted to stay away, Declan.  Turns out Declan is a werewolf, who has known for a while that Tori was his mate, and he is fully prepared to help her in whatever way necessary but also he decided now he gets to keep her forever.  And of course he has to protect her from her maker.

As I mentioned before this book is heavy on the romance and the sex, not so much on the world building.  Although there is some, I still have a lot of unanswered questions about the world.  I think for a short story and what I wanted to read, this book was perfect though.

Of course I have to mention Eli.  He's the older vampire Declan takes Tori to in order to learn more about how to be a vampire and to help her, in more ways than one.  I loved his character and I'm actually really excited that I get to read his story!

Something worth mentioning, that I wasn't too cool with reading and I almost took a star away from the rating.  There is a scene where Tori has sex with Declan while he is...not a wolf, but shifted.  Fur, claws, the tongue....yeah.  I always run the other way when this happens in a shifter book and I didn't care much for that scene in this book.

Purchase Links: Amazon

Interview and Giveaway with Shiloh Walker

SHILOH WALKER

Burning Up July is coming to an end (almost) and we are not slowing down!  We have here today one of our all time favorite authors, Ms. Shiloh Walker.  Not only is she an extremely talented author, but I had the chance to meet her and she is so much fun and extremely sweet in person as well.  Please help us give her a warm welcome to UTC!

HOT IN HANDCUFFS is an anthology with Shayla Black, Sylvia Day and yourself. I would say your story is the one that goes a bit deeper than the others. What can you tell us about this story and about the FBI Psychics series?

It's a government-run organization of psychics, basically.  The books are all pretty much standalone, although you do see some of the characters reappear from time to time.  The series started with THE MISSING, and the next one is THE DEPARTED.  It's a bit of romantic suspense, a bit of paranormal, a bit of angst...basically everything I love in a romance.  :)

You recently released the last book in your Hunters series? Are you sad to see this series go? What are some of the challenges when a series goes on for so many books?

Yes, I'm a little down about it.  I wanted to reboot the series and flip it on its head, but sales were dwindling and you can only carry a series for so long when the sales aren't there.   A lot of readers don't always want to get invested in a very long series and sometimes it's complicated to know where to start--I know that because I'm definitely a reader, too, so I've been there.  In the end, though, a writer just has to do the best you can.  I did get to write Toronto's book, which I always wanted to do, so that's a good way to end it, I guess.

STOLEN will be coming out later this year. Even though the covers are very similar in theme to your Ash Trilogy, this book is not related. Will this be the beginning of another series? What can you tell us about this much anticipated book?

No...it's not another series.  It's completely standalone.  Hmmm...well, it's kinda complicated, although I can you that the inspiration for the idea came from something that I saw happen on twitter.  And for anybody who has read FRAGILE?  Um, well, I finally wrote a heroine who is even more screwed up than Devon.

This has been a great year for releases! You also released the 6th book in your Grimm's Circle series, GRIMM TIDINGS. For someone who hasn't read this series, what is it about?

In short?  Bastardized fairy tales.  I really twist them up, and for somebody who hasn't read any of them?  You can generally read any of them on their own, with the exception of the bridge story--I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU.  That was written a companion piece for books two and three.  GRIMM TIDINGS is actually a very good book to start with...and I kinda love Jacob.

What's one key element you have to keep in mind when writing a great BAD GUY?

Don't make him a cardboard cutout.  He has to be every bit as real and deep as the hero and heroine.  If he's not believable, then the hero and heroine don't have as much to overcome.
Since readers have been in an erotic romance craze, which book of your (and other authors) would you recommend they try?

Oh...my.  Well, if they are looking for BDSM, I'd recommend Joey Hill.  Lauren Hill is another awesome writer.  Naturally, I'd also point you to my fellow anthology mates, Shayla and Sylvia.  Of mine?  Depends on how kinky you want to get.  I have everything from hotter romance, like TEMPT ME, to threesomes like VOYEUR and PLAYING FOR KEEPS (be warned, both of them are tear-jerkers) and then there are my earlier HUNTER books which are...um, really hot.  The kinkiest thing I've got out there is BEG ME, but it is not a story for everybody...it involved a woman who has rape fantasies and actually was married to a guy who happily met her every fantasy, but then he died.  Not long after, she was assaulted.  A few years later, she decides she wants to take her life back--all of it, including her sexuality. 

You dabble in several other genres. Which genre is the most easiest to get into? Which one would you say is the most difficult? Is there a genre you would like to try in the future?
Romantic suspense and paranormal have always been the easiest for me.  I'd love to do more urban fantasy...my first UF title is coming out on 8/1 and I'd say that's been the hardest.  I tried going the traditional route with that book, but it didn't work out, so I decided to go solo on it.  In the future?  I don't know.  I'm easily distracted so there are number of ideas that catch my attention.

Deadlines have passed and you've got a few days to relax. What would we find you doing?

After the way my summer has gone?  SLEEPING... LOL

You're going to a conference and are asked to make up your own panel. What authors will be there with you and what will you talk about?

If I can have anybody?  I want Lynn Viehl, Nora Roberts and Mercedes Lackey.  They've inspired me for so long...I'd love to talk about just...inspiration.  How books can shape a young writer's career long before she even realizes she might have one.

We're asking participating authors to share their favorite cocktail drink recipes with our readers so they can cool off this summer. Do you have a recipe you'd like to share?   

THE CHOCOLATE CHERRY!
This is my contribution to society. I'm calling it a chocolate cherry and it's a drink I think I kinda made up at #RT2012. I had Triple Sec, Pinnacle Cookie Dough Vodka and Cranberry Juice...(there were other things, but these seemed to be the things that would go together). And they went WELL. Take 1 part of the vodka... MUST BE THE COOKIE DOUGH vodka, 1 part triple sec and 2 parts cranberry juice. mix, serve over ice in a shrek cup. Ok...the shrek cup is optional.

I even have a picture!
http://pinterest.com/pin/70439181642208857/


EXCERPT

The beach.

Mica would find him at the beach.

Even though she wanted to pretend she’d find anybody else at the beach, Colby Mathis was the one she’d find at the beach. She knew it in her gut. In her bones. In her heart. As she climbed out of her car, she wished she’d remembered to get that haircut she’d been putting off. Wished she’d thought to put on makeup. Wished she’d put on something other than the serviceable jacket and trousers she wore. Wished she’d look halfway…well, nice when she saw him again.
And even as she wished all of those things, she wanted to kick herself. She was here about murder. How she looked shouldn’t matter at all.

“Okay,” she muttered to herself as she studied the beach. “Where to now?”

The beach was a pretty damn vague destination. He could be anywhere. Yet she found herself heading up the coast—not aimlessly, either. Almost like she was being pulled that way. The longer she walked, the more excited she got, too. The faster her heart raced, the hotter she felt. And it had nothing to do with the June sunshine beating down overhead.
Her breath hitched in her throat as she neared a bend and she knew.

He was there.

And then she rounded it and she saw a figure standing on the edge of the beach.

“Oh, hell.”

The dread he’d been feeling all day had finally eased up a little.

Colby wanted to think he’d managed to avoid whatever in the hell was out there trying to call him. But while the dread was gone…other things weren’t. His heart continued to race, like he was out running in a fucking marathon. His mind was crowded with whispers. You can’t outrun it, you can’t outrun it, you can’t, you can’t you can’t—

He would have done damn near anything to stifle those damned voices. Anything.

And then, abruptly, everything went silent.

Like the calm before the storm.

Even before he turned his head and saw her, he knew. Some part of him did, at least. He didn’t even know if he could claim it was any sort of psychic knowledge. Certain things, people didn’t need true psychic skill to know—just instinct—and this was probably every bit as much as instinct as anything else. The instinct that trouble was coming his way.

Trouble…five feet, nine inches of trouble and most of it was leg. Black hair was pulled back in a braid so tight, he wouldn’t have known it was curly. Except he had spent many, many hours with his hands fisted in those curls. She hated them…he’d always loved them. Her eyes, a deep, strange shade of blue-violet, so much darker than his own eyes, were hidden by sunglasses and he could only imagine the derision he’d see there. And it would be there.

He knew it just by the sight of the slight sneer on her pretty face.

Mica Greer never had much cared for psychics. Strange, considering she was one. Or maybe not so strange, he supposed. Denial wasn’t just a river in Egypt and all that.

Mica’s gift, like his own, had been unstable. Unlike him, she hadn’t learned to stabilize it through practice alone. She’d needed a partner, and she’d turned out to make a damn good anchor. For a while, the two of them had worked together in training. Her gift had grown, bloomed…as had some crazy thing between them.

Then she’d decided she didn’t want all the ‘crazy shit’ in her life.

She pulled out. Not just out of the unit, but out of the FBI, altogether.

And from him—

Don’t go there, he thought. Blowing out a breath, he shifted his attention back to the ocean, trying to reach for some inner peace. It wasn’t going to come, though, and he knew it. If she was here, on top of the insane coming at him, then it was for a reason.

I can always pretend she’s here because after all this time, she realizes she’s still in love with me.
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About the Author:

Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more…ah…serious works of fiction. She loves reading and writing just about every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels.

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