Guest post and giveaway with Lia Davis author of A Mating Dance

Lia interviews Blaine from A Mating Dance

Hi! It is so great to be here today. I’ve brought Blaine along for a little interview. *leans forward and whispers* I’ll try to get some yummy details about how his mated life is going.

Blaine: I heard that.

Lia: *blinks innocently* Whatever are you talking about?

Blaine: *one corner of his mouth twitches* My mated life is going well.

Lia: Care to share any details?

Blaine: No.

Lia: How does it feel to have two mates?

Blaine: Like it would to you if you had two of yours.

Lia: *shakes my head* This isn’t about me.

Blaine: Why does it have to be about me?

Lia: *takes a deep breath and counts* because you are the interviewee and I’m the interviewer.

Blaine: So, I out rank you in the Pack.

Lia: I see I’ll have to call Cam.

Blaine: *narrows his eyes* Why?

Lia: Because you are being difficult and she can always make you behave.

Blaine: *laughs* She doesn’t make me do anything.

*I raise my brows*

Next question.

Lia: How are the kids? Has Max warmed up to you yet?

Blaine: Little man told me he wanted to an enforcer just like Cam and me the other day.

Lia: Aww. He is too cute. What did you tell him?

Blaine: *nods* yes, he is. I told him that he would grow up to much more important to the Pack than an enforcer.

 Lia: What’s your favorite color?

Blaine: What kind of question is that?

Lia: it’s a fun question. Now, answer it.

Blaine: *growls softly* Blue.

Lia: See? That wasn’t hard. Coffee or tea?

Blaine: Coffee

Lia: Thanks for come with me and…not answering my questions.

Blaine: *smirks* Anytime. *leans in and whispers* My mates are very much a part of me and it feels great. *he kisses me on the cheek and stands*

Lia: Thanks.

*He nods and leaves the room.*

It was great to be here. Thanks so much for us over.

A Mating Dance, Ashwood Falls #2

By Lia Davis

Tagline:  She’d fought fate against one, but she’s no match for two.

Blurb:

Senior enforcer, Cameron Nickels has found her perfect mate. Blaine Andrews, leopard Pack Marshal, is strong, dominate, loyal, and passionate. He knows all her strengths and weaknesses—not to mention her pleasure points. Cam’s known Blaine most her life, but she’s always felt like something was missing and her jaguar refuses to fully accept him. Yet, she can’t walk away from him. When architect and sexy mountain lion shifter, Graham Griffin, comes to town to design the new den nursery and school, Cameron finds herself in a mating dance that throws her and her jaguar into flight mode while Blaine must decide if he cannot only share his mate, but welcome another.

After his lover walked out on him a year ago, Graham has no intentions of entering another relationship any time soon. But he realizes that the fates have other plans for him when he meets Blaine and Cameron. When his ex-lover’s children are chased into Ashwood territory by a group of rogues, he discovers the male he shared a life with had died freeing the kids from the Onyx Pack. Graham must work side-by-side with the two enforcers to uncover lies from the past while his heart opens to his true mates.

Warning: Contains one-hot headed leopard, a man who thought he’d lost it all, and a woman who is about to rub up against both in the best possible ways.

Other Ashwood Falls books:

Winter Eve (prequel)

A Tiger’s Claim (book 1)

Excerpt:

Cameron sat at Dani and Nevan’s dining table with Max balanced on one knee as she helped him cut his waffle, dip it into the syrup, and bring it to his mouth. When he dropped the fork and stuck his hand in the syrup, she squeaked and grabbed his wrist. Graham came over with a wet cloth to clean him up. Max grunted his frustration then gripped Cam’s hair with his sticky fingers, tangling his fingers around the strands. “Oh, Max.” Cameron stood, only to come nose-to nose with Graham.

Her skin heated and her heart skipped a few beats. His blue eyes darkened slightly, then a flash of bright blue told her that his puma wasn’t far from the surface.

Graham gripped Max’s hand and tried to unwrap her hair from his sticky fingers. Cameron laughed, trying to ignore the heat blooming between them. “You’re making it worse.”

Graham drew his brows together, making him even more handsome. She let her gaze travel over the masculine lines of his face. His skin was tanned, as though he worked long hours in the sun. He had high cheekbones and an average size nose that was just right for him. When her gaze fell on his lips, she wondered what they would feel like against hers. His lips were slightly full, the bottom one begging for her to bite it. When his blue gaze met hers, a wash of desire rushed through her, heating her skin even more.

Good Lord, what the hell was wrong with her? She had a mate, or could have one if she’d get past her commitment issues. She damn sure didn’t need another.

The front door opened, drawing her attention to Blaine as he walked in and shut the door behind him. Cameron immediately met his glare with one of her own.

Damn possessive male.

She stepped away from Graham and went to the kitchen sink to wet her hair and untangle Max’s hands. A moment later Blaine was at her side, he pressed a kiss to her cheek and then took Max from her. Her heart lurched as the little guy started crying and kicking his feet.

Graham appeared and took the wailing child from Blaine, and Cameron swore she heard a growl come from one of them.

Drying the ends of her hair with a kitchen towel, Cam stepped between them, giving Blaine a narrow-eyed glare. “Are you done?”

His leopard flashed in his eyes, and he leaned in to growl, “Not with you.”

About the Author

Lia Davis is a mother to two young adults and two very special kitties, a wife to her soul mate, a paranormal romance author, graphic designer, and co-owner to Fated Desires Publishing, LLC. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers. But it’s her home and she loves it!

An accounting major, Lia has always been a dreamer with a very activity imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing and designing are stress relievers that allow her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs.

Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.

Author website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | G+

GIVEAWAY!

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Guest Post/Interview/Giveaway with Diane Rinella

Diane Rinella

Love’s Forbidden Flower

Website: www.dianerinellaauthor.com

Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjdT0zUuKYI

Goodreads profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6592108.Diane_Rinella

Free download of an omitted chapter (different genre) http://dianerinellaauthor.com/novels/forbiddenflowers_hunger/

(Make sure to scroll down and enter to win an ebook copy of Love's Forbidden Flower)

Let's get to know Diane

 What inspired you to write Love’s Forbidden Flower?

I watched The Buttercup Chain, a 60’s counter culture film. The two main characters are cousins, via identical twins, who were raised as brother and sister. A small part of the story is based on their obvious romantic connection. The woman is accepting of her emotions while the man is conflicted. Both the book and the film taunted you with the situation but never gave you enough of it to make the storyline satisfying. Upon doing research I discovered that there are so many biases toward the subject that I could not find a single book that really tackled it non-judgmentally. Yet the more I dug, the more common I found the real-life situation to be. There are definitely stories to be told, and I wanted to do so while making the reader forget about the relation and just see the unfairness of societies biases. Love’s Forbidden Flower is a dark human rights piece disguised as a witty romance novel.

Do you have a method for developing your ideas?

Yes, insomnia. I no longer stare at the ceiling in frustration. Instead, I let the voices in my head speak.  After awhile they become what is keeping me awake, and I get up and bring them closer to reality.

How would you describe your writing style?

Personal—in that the reader sees life the way the main character does. Writing in the third person makes me feel like I have a dissociative identity disorder. Since my attention span is horrific I like to keep things moving. Rarely is life all comedy or all tragedy, so you need both. Creating characters and situations that encourage a few chuckles provides a balance that helps the reader ride the emotional rollercoaster while avoiding monotony.

Tell us about your current WIP?

While Love’s Forbidden Flower can be viewed as a stand-alone novel there is more to be told. Time’s Forbidden Flower is drafted and will be released in 2013. I’ll let it slip and say that I am setting it up so that it could have an infinite number of sequels exclusively including new characters while retaining the old ones. (“Huh?” you say. Exactly!) I also have notes for a novel involving a dead rock star, a bored fangirl, a crime ring, and a Ouija board. I favor characters in transgressive relationships and situations, so there will be much more of that to come.

Back Cover copy 

The heart cares not what society forbids.

Lily nurtures a secret love for a flawless man—the one who is her soul mate. Donovan is gorgeous, charismatic, and delights in all of Lily’s talents and quirks. Their innate knowledge of each other is almost telepathic. Together they interlock like fine threads creating luxurious silk.

But society dictates this picture-perfect adoration is the ghastliest of all possibilities.

As Lily embarks on a quest for the romance the heavens intended, her suitor turns reluctant. Desperate to uncover why Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hiding decayed from a tender-hearted gentleman into a ferociously self-serving, cocky bastard, Lily is prepared for battle when it comes to the salvation of her soul mate. However, Donovan traps Lily in a mental game of chess, leaving her to question his sanity. When Lily’s revelations about Donovan’s destructive alter ego lead to an inconceivable truth, can she help Donovan survive fate’s cruel joke?

Impassioned, witty, and deeply moving, Love’s Forbidden Flower is filled with stunning controversies that will forever haunt your heart.

Love’s Forbidden Flower – Chapter 1

Also available at: http://dianerinellaauthor.com/loves-forbidden-flower-chapter-1/

Today, somewhere among the roses and petunias, my sanity squirted out of my brain and fertilized the backyard. Why couldn’t those heart-seizing moments be experienced with anyone else? Why did they have to be with the man who’s the ghastliest of all possibilities?

Obviously I hit my head and became delusional, or I have had so many Thanksgiving leftovers that I’ve slipped into a coma. Volunteering to play catch with Donovan to help keep his arm loose seemed valiant. But he chuckled before rolling his eyes and shaking his head in mock shame, cracking a joke about trying to teach me not to be such a klutz on the field. He’s right. I’m truly female when it comes to sports.

After suffering several minutes of desperation, utter humiliation, and ruthless teasing—I surrendered.

He looked to the sky, arms outstretched, shaking his head in disbelief before sauntering towards me, plotting how to finally teach me the basics of throwing a football. At this point everything still seemed normal.

After tossing me the ball he stood with his back facing me. Raising his right hand he said, “Hold the ball like this.”

Apparently I failed miserably.

“No. More like this,” he emphasized while making a gesture that reflected my grip precisely. He then gave me his snicker that could charm a nun out of her habit. “You’re such a sorry case.”

Strolling behind me, he put his left arm around my waist and pulled me close, twisting my hips as he went. It was nothing. We’ve done it a million times before.

“First, situate your body. Make sure you have a solid grip. Now pull back, like so.”

That’s when I clumsily bonked him in the face.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” I laughed. He had it coming for that klutz remark.

“Suuuure you are. Now stay in position.” Again he pulled me next to him, but this time placing his cheek against mine. Hesitation flowed over us as our bodies magnificently reacted to the sensuality of the touch. In his racing pulse, his breath, and every cell in his body it seemed that Donovan desired the luxury of exploring my mouth with his own. Thoughts of how he must taste wandered over me. Would he be sweet like the cookies I bake that he loves so much? Or creamy and delicious like an expensive piece of chocolate? The kind where even the tiniest morsel could satisfy a craving, yet would leave you desiring more for days to come.

Just as our cheeks glided together, as if to surrender to the intoxication, he gripped my hand tighter and yelled, “Now throw!” lunging into the toss, forcing me to follow along. It was incredibly beautiful—both the moment and the pass.

“I knew you could do it. You just needed the right touch,” Donovan yelled, running after the ball.

The “right touch?” How does that translate? Was he messing with me so I’d relax, or didn’t he realize what had transpired? Dear God, please let that interlude have been in my head.

He tossed me the ball. “Try it again.”

Resuming position, my mind tried to lift its cloudy haze. “One. Two,” I released the ball. “Three!” The lopsided pass was far better than I’d ever managed before.

Donovan grabbed the ball and tossed it back to me. “Oh, yes! Lily goes aggro! Almost perfect. Try it again.”

The next time it sailed right into his hands. His expression flipped from wide-eyed to a devious turn of the lips as he ran towards my end of the yard. My pride kicked in. There was no way I’d let him get away with this. In the spirit of the game I pounced on him, taking him down to the ground, his head almost landing in a rose bush.

“What the hell? Where did you learn to do that?”

“A woman has her ways,” I said playfully. What was I thinking? Clearly I wasn’t.

His eyes were magnetizing with their composition of deep and complicated blues like the waves of the ocean. Their depth intensified by his fair complexion and layered obsidian hair, reminiscent of the feathers of a raven. My breathing ceased as his eyes drew me in, transfixed.

“Hey, Lil. I’m kind of pinned here.”

At least that’s what I think he said. That pesky haze still cluttered my brain like murky pea soup. He must have raised himself because his hand caressed my face like a whisper while those incredible eyes drew closer. “Hey, you all right?”

My head rattled away the clouds. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“We’d better call it quits before one of us breaks the other.”

As if nothing extraordinary happened, he aided me to my feet, and we went inside, wordlessly.

The remainder of the evening we desperately tried to act unconcernedly, but it was obvious something was amiss. Our usual dinner banter was strained, causing Mom to pretend hopefully that we might turn into normal siblings, the ones who often don’t get along. But that will never happen; we’re too connected. Our mutual cognizance only fazes others. To us it’s a simple skill we possess, like writing in cursive. How have I never noticed how freakishly unconventional it is?

But dinner was middling. It was after that things got abominable. Or rather, I made an uncouth fool of myself.

“Hey, thanks a lot. You almost got me in massive trouble.” Donovan appeared slightly indignant, albeit a little uncomfortable as he slipped into my room, leaning casually against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

“What?” I asked, dropping my pencil onto my math book while mocking his characteristic eye roll. “Okay, how?”

“You had to tell Dad you tackled me.” Donovan plopped onto the foot of my bed so heavily my book bounced, sending my pencil flying onto the floor. Attempting to look scornful, I lowered and pinched my brows, then motioned for him to pick it up.

“I did, fair and square. Did he really give you a bad time over that?” I swiped the pencil from his hand while hoping Dad was kind, yet knowing the truth. He’s always far too hard on Donovan and expects him to be the quintessential manly son at all times. Also, I should have known better. At 5’11” Donovan’s got a good 7” on me, so of course Dad was upset. No excuses, even when it comes to his sister.

“Just a little. He did that voice again. The one where he’s all, ‘I am trying to sound like I’m kidding, but I also want you to know that I am serious.’ I think he’s afraid I’m going soft right before the big game and I’ll disappoint him.”

It was then the stupidest thing I’ll ever utter sprang from my mouth. “That’s silly, Donovan. I bet you’ll never go soft, and if you don’t watch your moves, the next time I pin you I may do more than damage your ego.”

My insides clamped. Maybe he heard it the way I hope I intended it; but his eyes sparkled as he absorbed my words. Since this afternoon his phenomenal eyes have become my obsession.

As he exited the room, flirtatiously singing, “Goodnight, Lilyanna,” his grin said it all. He knew exactly how I feared I meant it. I might as well have written it on the bathroom mirror and taped his toothbrush next to it. I’m seriously screwed!

It’s nonsensical. There’ll be no enchanted moment where one of us discovers the other was adopted or abandoned by aliens. Though my thoughts should sicken me, all I want is to sneak into his room like I did when I was little, put my head on his shoulder, and have him tell me it’s just a vile dream. But this is reality, and nothing about the radiant glow burning inside me since being captured by his eyes feels nefarious.

But how illogical is it really? Aren’t you supposed to fall for your best friend? The one who listens to you with undivided attention no matter how ridiculous you’re being? The person who will instinctively drop everything to put his arms around you when you’re hurt, even if you’ve yet to utter a word? Donovan is all those things and countless more.

I’ve got to stop reading Mom’s romance novels. They’re making me delusional.

Enjoying San Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in Diane’s 150-year old Victorian home augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun’s crowning hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n’ roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence her idiosyncratic writing.

Diane is giving away one ebook copy of Love's forbidden Flower to one person that comments below along with their email address. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on Sunday February 10, 2013. Good luck!