I host a lot of guests on this blog, but if I personally tell my readers that they need to read an author–I’m not kidding around. I’m telling you that now. Laura Kaye is one of my favorite romance authors and if you check out her books, I’m sure she’s going to be one of yours too! So here’s Laura, to take it away.

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Happy WEST OF WANT Preview & Prizes Event, everyone!

Today, April 10, was the original release date for Book 2 in my Hearts of the Anemoi series, West of Want. And then some really cool things happened: my publisher, Entangled Publishing, signed a huge deal with the nation’s biggest book distributor, which means for the first time ever, my books will be shelved in brick-and-mortar bookstores.

And then, West of Want received a very nice pre-sales estimate by the booksellers and Barnes and Nobles bought it for all their stores nationwide (and it got bought for airports, too—squee!).

The only bad news in this whole scenario was this: the release date got pushed back, by three LONG months! LOL So, I thought I’d celebrate the original release date with a preview of the book and a big contest, and give you a small taste to whet your appetite until the actual release date arrives.

“Laura Kaye’s captivating writing and vibrant world-building will have readers hooked on the gods of the Anemoi. WEST OF WANT is steamy, spellbinding, and a must-read for all romance fantasy fans.” ~Elisabeth Naughton, author of the Eternal Guardians series

Forty sites are celebrating with me today, and there are different posts at those different sites. To see the whole list of participants, click here. Now, without further ado, here’s the book blurb and one of four different never-before-seen excerpts from the book available for you to enjoy:

WEST OF WANT BLURB:

Betrayal is all he’s ever known, but in her, he’ll find a love strong enough to be trusted…

When Marcella Raines’ twin brother dies, she honors his request to be buried at sea, never expecting the violent storm that swamps her boat. Though she’s gravely injured–and still emotionally damaged from her recent divorce–Ella fights to survive.

Zephyros Martius is the Supreme God of the West Wind and Spring, but being the strongest Anemoi hasn’t protected him from betrayal and loss. Worse, he’s sure his brother Eurus is behind it. When Zeph’s heartbreak whips up a storm that shipwrecks a human, his guilt forces him to save her.

Ella is drawn to the vulnerability Zeph hides beneath his otherworldly masculinity and ancient blue eyes. And her honesty, empathy, and unique, calming influence leave Zeph wanting…everything. When Eurus threatens Ella, she and Zeph struggle to let go of the past, defend their future, and embrace what they most want–a love that can be trusted.

WEST OF WANT EXCERPT:

Restrained power made Zephyros’s hands tremble. At first, he’d wanted to help Ella because he owed it to her. Now, want bloomed into need. When he’d held her soft curves, the strength of her life force soaked into him. Seldom did he have any cause to interact with humans, let alone touch them, but the soft yellow aura that surrounded her body told him this woman was good, pure, true. A rare character, in his experience.

And then she’d said his name. Whispered it, really, but that didn’t keep him from fully enjoying the way her lips wrapped around the sound.

Silently, he summoned the ancient, elemental power, the one that flowed through him, that made him what he was. His palms warmed. Soft white light spilled from between his clasped hands.

Ella’s eyes cut to his glowing hands, went wide. “What? Don’t hurt…” She swallowed thickly. A tear leaked down her temple into her hair.

He met Ella’s barely focused gaze. “Fear not, I promise to hurt you no more.”

Her only answer was a shiver that racked her whole body.

Normally, a healing of this magnitude required sacrifice. It was how the gods worked. Quid pro quo, and all that. But, in this case, Ella’s case, that was hardly appropriate. After all, she wouldn’t need to be healed if he’d kept better control of himself.

Words in his native tongue spilled into the quiet of the room. He parted his hands, held them over her prone form, and let the healing energy cover her. The pale, white glow infused her aura, which absorbed the curative force, distributed small doses of it throughout her body.

Ella sucked in a breath.

“Be well, now,” Zeph whispered.

Pre-order West of Want on Amazon | B&N

So, what d’ya think? Want more Zephyros and Ella? Visit more participating sites to read all the excerpts, meet the characters, see the the West of Want romance trading cards, and enter to win! Thanks for reading! July 10 can’t get here soon enough for me! *grins*

~Laura Kaye

“Using ancient winter mythology as an allegory for grief, Kaye has written a sexy story that packs a powerful emotional punch. NORTH OF NEED is pure winter magic and Kaye’s sparkling talent warms the heart.” ~Stephanie Draven, author of the Mythica series about multi-award-winning Book 1 in the Anemoi series, North of Need

WEST OF WANT PREVIEW CONTEST!

A few sites participating in the West of Want Preview Celebration are offering a special, limited edition gift pack, and this is one of them! See the other participating sites for a chance at one of *seven* Amazon/B&N gift card prizes, but here, comment with your name and email address for a chance to win a West of Want gift bag with a bangle bracelet with an Anemoi compass rose charm, an Anemoi lip balm, a Laura Kaye pen, and an Anemoi series bookmark and romance trading cards! Open to international.

Site-Specific Contest:

One commenter from each participating blog site will win a West of Want bookmark and the romance trading cards for North of Need and West of Want. Simply join Stephanie Draven’s newsletter and comment to enter to win and be sure to leave your email address. These prizes will be announced soon after May 10. Open to international.

About Laura Kaye:

Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is a bestselling and award-winning author paranormal and contemporary romance. Hearts in Darkness is the EPIC eBook Award Winner for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Buy Laura’s Books

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It’s never wise to write to a trend simply because it’s a trend. However, if you already have an interest in writing something that’s just starting to be popular, it’s often a wise idea to jump on that bandwagon before everyone else does. To that end I keep my eye out for trends.

I never suspected that Regency Romance would be the enduring historical love affair of the romance genre until everyone else in the world already knew it. I did predict the rise of Steampunk before it happened; it just wasn’t something I felt that I was well-suited to write.

However, I think my own interests and a trend may be on a collision course at last. After a modest but thrilling bidding war, I recently accepted an offer from Berkley Books to publish my new collection of 1920s erotic romance novellas. The anchor story, WHEN I’M BAD I’M BETTER, is based loosely on silent screen siren Clara Bow and a fictional bdsm love affair with a dashing American aviator. I expect the collection to release from Berkley Sensation in January 2013–which, for traditional publishing–is downright speedy! The first novella in the collection may be released digitally in anticipation of the release of the collection. (And yes, I’m dancing a jig over here!)

I wrote about my crazy serendipitous writing discovery here. So, now I’m going to make another prediction and we’ll see how it bears out. I’m going to predict the rise of early 20th century romances. In specific, the Roaring Twenties. Why? Well, here’s a list.

1. Money. These have been hard economic times–so having plenty is a potent fantasy. The Roaring Twenties were a time of plenty. Folks were realizing the American dream, making money hand over fist, and using that money to experience all the joys that life had to offer.
2. Sex. The twenties were sexy. Let’s face it. Dancing. Drinking. Music. Excess. Sexploration. Flouting authority. The decade has it all wrapped up in a feather boa and the slang of the era was almost all sexual innuendo.
3. Gender Roles. In the 1920s women had just got the vote and were starting to come into their own. There’s a certain tension in all the literature about how women should behave as liberated human beings as well as mothers and keepers of family values. That tension hasn’t ever gone away and there’s a certain appeal to a more genteel era when men may have been less ambivalent about their own roles.
4. Fashion. There’s a certain elegance to clothing in the early 20th century that we haven’t recaptured. From the lovely Edwardian dresses to the wild glitter of the flappers, it’s pretty–and it’s over the top. These have been hard economic times for the world; thinking back to a time of elegance and glamour is a pretty fantasy.
5. Politics. There is a certain cyclical nature to history. I’m pretty sure that Margaret Sanger suspected that we’d still be talking about birth control almost 100 years after she was arrested for advocating family planning, but I admit, I’m a little stunned that it’s a hot topic again in 2012. It seems like almost everything that was a matter of political debate in the 1920s is back again with the exception of Prohibition.
6. Collective Consciousness. I’ve argued before that things get into the minds of lots of people at the same time. You can see the evidence of it in media. First, take the surprise success of Oscar Winner, “The Artist” about silent films in the 1920s. It’s the first silent film to have won the prize since the very first prize went to Clara Bow’s WINGS. Then consider that the smash-success, DOWNTON ABBEY will return for its third season set firmly in the 1920s. We can expect all manner of beautiful sets and inspiring costuming. That new season will air within weeks of the re-make of THE GREAT GATSBY, starring Leo DiCaprio. Last, but not least, there’s HBO’s marvelous BOARDWALK EMPIRE, set during Prohibition. It will return this coming fall and, in combination with Gatsby, should create a snowball effect. Anyone else have any other 1920s trends they’ve spotted in media?

The Irish have lots of paranormal legends and myths that would make lovely stories. Unfortunately, I don’t write about any of them.

However, in honor of St. Patrick, who helped rid the Isle of snakes, I’m offering up a free digital copy of Midnight Medusa, the very first installment of my Mythica Series.

GRASS

How you can win?

1. Like my Facebook Page and post below that you’ve done so.
2. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can still win by playing the game above and listing the first non-repeating thought that comes to mind when you hear the word green.
3. While you’re here, why not pick up a free copy of The Knife’s Edge, my historical fantasy erotic romance.

Legalese: Contest open to U.S. residents only because I can’t ship foodstuff outside the country. Contest open only to those over 18+. Winner will be chosen at random from qualifying entries sometime shortly after St. Patrick’s day. Contest may be cancelled by host for any reason and sponsor will not be responsible for technical glitches, unavailability of chocolate potatoes, delays in choosing a winner or other similar problems. Contest void where prohibited.

There are two reasons I love February. The first is because it’s my birthday month (but no, I’m not going to tell you how old I am). The second reason I love February is that it’s a month that celebrates romantic love, and that kind of love comes with sexy overtones.

So, I’d like to give away some naughty things. Like my books. And what do you have to do to win one? Well, you need to bring me the finest chocolate in the land…ok, fine. I’ll just settle for the following:

1. I’m giving away a free digital copy of Dark Sins & Desert Sands, a paranormal romance about a modern-day minotaur and the sexy sphinx whose mind and body he must unlock… just like my FB page and say that you’ve done so in the comments below.
2. While you’re here, why not grab a free copy of my historical erotica fantasy, The Knife’s Edge?
3. In exchange for an honest review on Amazon/B&N/Goodreads, I’ll send you an ARC of my super-hot new paranormal erotica novella, The Fever & The Fury. If you want to review it, just say so in the comments!

Please don’t forget to visit the rest of the hop!