Dante Sabanne is mysterious and powerful, magical, compelling, a true master of the erotic arts and…too sexy for his coat. What??? you ask. Seriously, Jean? Seriously…it was a coat that started all of it, this whole hot, hot, hot, magical, mysterious and moody tale of a brand-new detective out to prove herself…and the expert witness who mesmerizes her, who takes Jace Carroll, a woman who could be another Beckett (Castle rocks, right? Though I only started watching it this fall–love it!) cop to the bone, tough, indomitable, fiercely independent and willing to lean on no one– And turns her every which way but loose. Fascinates her, seduces her, deceives her…brings her to the brink of betraying everything she ever believed in and beyond… Coats, Jean…you were talking about coats. Yes, I was. And still am. This book is unlike any I’ve ever written, a scorching tale of suspense, passion and magic centering on a traveling nightclub that’s more about sex than dancing, a cult steeped in…okay, sex (do we sense a theme here?)…a blood feud, a magical amulet, a bastard heir and the brother who will stop at nothing to destroy him…and the detective whose first case, the simple death…

People have asked me, on many occasions, if I could shapeshift into any animal from the Amoveo clans…which one would I choose? That’s a tough question because it’s kind of like asking which one of your kids is your favorite. In fact, the Amoveo have ten animal clans because I simply couldn’t limit them to one animal because there are too many cool creatures out there to limit it to just one. However, if you held a gun to my head and made me pick one… the honest answer is that it would depend on what heroine I’m writing at the moment. When I was writing UNLEASHED, the Wolf clan was my personal favorite, and that’s why Samantha is a member of the Gray Wolf clan. The truth is that the wolves will probably always be my favorite…well…wolves will be in the top three consistently. Wolves have gotten such a bad rap throughout history and were hunted to the brink of extinction, until not that long ago. They were thought of as murderous thieves, who would swoop in and steal your children in the dead of night. I’ve watched several documentaries about wolves over the years and it’s amazing how…

My brother is extremely proud of the fact that I’m a published author.  Yet, whenever I see him, he inevitably asks me the same question: “So, when are you going to write a real book?”  Nowadays, I just smile my beleaguered-little-sister-smile and move on, but the first couple of times, I took the bait.  “What’s a real book?” I asked him.  “You know, he answered.  “Like John Grisham.” Huh.  John Grisham.  Now, I’ve never personally read John Grisham, but I know he’s extremely successful.  He’s also a former attorney who writes legal thrillers, right?  In other words, commercial fiction that’s thrilling.  I, too, am a former attorney who writes thrilling commercial fiction.  So what’s the huge difference? Two words.  Romance and sex.  My debut paranormal romantic suspense series, the Para-Ops series, is about the FBI’s first special ops team comprised of humans and Otherborn, creatures that include a vampire, werebeast, wraith and mage.  In CHOSEN BY BLOOD, the first book, the team parachutes into North Korea via spy plane to find a stolen antidote.  In CHOSEN BY FATE, the second book, the team travels to Los Angeles to investigate sexual assaults within the feline community.  There’s lots of intrigue, twists…

Dark Age Dawning #2 September 2011 On Sale: September 6, 2011 Featuring: Rosa Cortez; Chris Welsh 336 pages ISBN: 0425242994 EAN: 9780425242995 Trade Size $15.00  Add to Wish List Science Fiction, Romance Paranormal Buy at Amazon.com Staff favorite Midnight by Ellen Connor The change was only the beginning Their desire destroys her defenses. Their love gives him a reason to live. Three years of wandering the post-apocalyptic wasteland has stripped Dr. Chris Welsh of humanity and hope. He’s a dangerous man now, full of dark energy and yen for violence. A harrowing loss drove him from his home, and he hasn’t stopped moving since. Grim and sardonic, he never found anything worth sticking around for–until now. Rosa Cortez runs Valle de Bravo, a haven of civilization amid the chaos of the Change. Soldiers take their orders directly from her–the iron hand within a velvet glove. The last thing she needs is a feral loner upsetting the town’s tentative balance. However, for the good of her people, she lets the sexy doctor stay. He evokes a delicious new longing, but she won’t submit to any man. Tension rises as bloodthirsty raiders strike again and again, bent on possessing Valle and its…

My favorite mysteries have always had elements of romance, going all the way back to the first Agatha Christie novels I read as a teenager. Obviously the solving of the puzzle–who committed the murder and why–should always be at the forefront of a good mystery novel, but that said . . . I love romantic subplots! A BAD DAY’S WORK HOT, SHOT, AND BOTHERED There’s nothing more fun than characters falling in love. For the first book in my Lilly Hawkins mystery series, A BAD DAY’S WORK, I put my main character through the grueling experience of being chased by villains, becoming a fugitive from the police, and solving a murder. The story unfolds in twenty-four hours and Lilly’s life is temporarily ruined. On the positive side, Lilly’s very bad day leads to several realizations about her life, the people in it, and the mistakes she’s been making. It also enables her to lower her guard and fall in love. For the second book in the series, HOT, SHOT, AND BOTHERED, my biggest challenge was making an existing relationship as much fun as characters meeting for the first time. This is no small task. I’m sure any reader of genre…

Are you ready for a little “Black Magic?” Avon Books and Fresh Fiction bring you a special ‘little black magic’ contest. All you need to do is share your best (or scariest) Halloween costume picture, story or comment on why Cat and Bones are so sizzly. The prize, well, it’s full of magic including scary plush cats, some LED fangs to light up your Halloween festivities, bones candy to rattle your teeth, plus assorted hard candies (for safety and allergy sake, we’re all moms here) and to top it off a print copy of ONE GRAVE AT A TIME. Plus a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate to finish off your own black magic shopping! So, now’s the time to dig out the photos of your costumes past, stories of Halloween’s past or let us know what your plans are for THIS year and you’ll be entered to win this fabulous ‘black magic’ contest. Don’t miss the $1.99 ebook of Jeaniene Frost’s HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE (the first in the Cat and Bones Night Huntress series) It’s a limited special release with bonus material you won’t want to miss. Including deleted scenes (how yummy is that?), excerpts and more I can’t tell…

June 2009 On Sale: June 2, 2009 Featuring: Connor; Risa; Lev 352 pages ISBN: 1416912053 EAN: 9781416912057 Paperback (reprint) $8.99  Add to Wish List Young Adult, Young Adult Paranormal Buy at Amazon.com A world we hope never arrives. Winner of numerous awards for a reason. Should be read by all. Unwind by Neal Shusterman Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives. The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child “unwound,” whereby all of the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn’t technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive. Previous Picks

Since the turn of the twentieth century, people have been enthralled with the romance of Africa. From the striking beauty of the land to the wild and beautiful beasts roaming the vast territory, the Dark Continent has held mystery and allure. When a long-legged blonde tomboy popped into my head, she whispered how she longed to be part of a profession typically reserved for men. When I took a closer look at her heart’s desires, I found where she truly belonged–in Africa. Elle Bekker’s goal to become a professional hunter–or P.H.–is one few women have striven for, which is what makes her different. She’s strong-willed and has enough heart to guide hunters on their dream hunts for big game. But she’s also a bit stubborn. To become certified in her field, she must take the elusive Cape buffalo. In Africa, this animal is known as ‘black death’ or ‘the widowmaker.’ Buffaloes claim over 200 lives per year in Africa–one of the top animals that kill. With two thousand pounds of pure volatility behind them, it’s no wonder they take so many lives. I’ve never been to Africa, but through the stories of Robert Ruark and Peter Hathaway Capstick, I caught…

July 2011 On Sale: June 21, 2011 560 pages ISBN: 0062059882 EAN: 9780062059888 Hardcover $26.99  Add to Wish List Fantasy Buy at Amazon.com A sort of dystopian world called America… American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition by Neil Gaiman First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic—an intellectual and artistic benchmark from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman. Now discover the mystery and magic of American Gods in this tenth anniversary edition. Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece by the one, the only, Neil Gaiman. A storm is coming . . . Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on…

Find a spot under a tree or spread out a blanket and enjoy the cool weather while you read some new romantic suspense. Lots of great stories to choose from this month. BLOOD TRAILS, book 3 in Sharon Sala’s The Searchers series, is the conclusion to the trilogy featuring three sisters looking for the truth about their pasts. Holly Slade has discovered that her biological father was likely a serial killer known as “The Hunter,” and that her mother gave up Holly to save her life. But The Hunter was never caught—and Holly’s mother simply vanished. Holly leaves home to uncover the truth, leaving behind Bud Tate, family friend, ranch foreman, and the man Holly has secretly loved for years. Holly hasn’t been gone long when the danger leads Bud to follow her in order to protect woman he has secretly loved for years. This book was a great conclusion to an exciting series. Since Bud and Holly have known each other for years, the romantic element is fairly light. The strength of the story is the suspense and danger that builds as Holly conducts her investigation. I’ve just started reading Christy Reece’s Last Chance Rescue series (I’m on book…