Cynthia Eden's launching her new 30 Days of Demons Contest today. Hop over to her blog for the deets. And FYI...I'll be there on Thurs. 6/4/09 talking about the demons in my new paranormal series, so stop on by and leave me a comment! There will be prizes!

Today's topic? First Kiss. Ooh la la. I love the first kiss from STOLEN FURY. But you know what I realized when I went looking for this excerpt? This isn't the FIRST first kiss, however it is the one that matters. The other was a quick peck, which, I can't give away. You have to read the book to know what that one's about.

***

He glanced up at the sound of her husky voice. Gone were the black jacket and ice-pick heels. Barefoot and wearing only the slim black skirt and tight-fitting camisole that accentuated her curvy figure, she walked back toward him. Arousal punched through his gut again, shutting down his brain in the process.

“My feet were killing me,” she said.

And she was killing him. His mouth went dry.

She accepted the wine he handed her. “Thank you. What should we drink to?”

A night of mindless sex.

His eyes followed the glass as she lifted it to her lips. For a split second he contemplated knocking it out of her hand, before reality kicked him in the stomach.

“How about to unexpected encounters?” he responded in a voice that was steadier than he’d anticipated.

“To unexpected encounters.” A smile tugged at the corners of her tantalizing mouth as she tapped her glass against his, then took a long swallow.

Hell, there went the marathon sex. Hiding his disappointment, he lifted his own wine and sipped.

Her glass lowered. “So, tell me. Do you make a habit out of stalking visiting professors?”

Only when they had something he really wanted. “No.”

“Hmm.” She sent him a disbelieving look before walking into the living area, where she sat on the plush couch with her wine. He followed and sank next to her. “Are you married, Mr. Garcia?”

He set his glass on the wrought-iron coffee table. “No. You?”

She shook her head and took another long sip. “Girlfriend?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Hmm,” she said again, her gaze traveling the length of his body before returning to settle on his eyes. She set her half-empty glass next to his. “And how about this? Are one-night stands your thing?”

“I don’t have a thing. Are they yours?”

With a smile, she shook her head and leaned forward, slipping the glasses from his face. She folded the stems and put them on the table.

“Now that we have all the nice little lies out of the way, why don’t you kiss me like you did before?”

The scent of gardenias wafted over him. “Not like before,” he whispered when she got close.

She slid one delicate hand across his chest, the gentle touch stirring the coals in his gut, making his skin tingle with anticipation. Eyes heavy with desire, she brushed her lips across his, and he drew in a breath at the slight contact, his senses kicking into high gear at the soft and supple feel of her mouth.

Paradise. It was the only thought he had, the only one he could focus on as her lips skimmed his. Her tongue licked at the corner of his mouth, coaxing him to open, and those smoldering embers burst to life at the feel of her silky wetness. A need to taste her rushed through him like a wave. His lips parted, searching. Then her wet and teasing tongue dipped inside his mouth, caressing his with soft, demanding strokes.

This definitely wasn’t what he’d anticipated. He was supposed to be the one doing the seducing, not the other way around. For a moment, he wondered if she was taking him for a ride.

Like he cared. Just the heat from her body was enough to make him forget his own name.

***
*Sigh* I love these two.

Next week I'll pick something from STOLEN HEAT. In the meantime, check out these other awesome first kiss snippets!

Lauren Dane
Cynthia Eden
Vivi Anna
SJ Day
Moira Rogers
Mandy Roth
Anya Bast
Viv Arend
Juliana Stone
Beth Williamson
Michelle Pillow
Jaci Burton
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Sasha White
Victoria Janssen
Shelli Stevens
Maggie Robinson
Maura Anderson
Shelley Munro
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Kelly Maher

It's quite ironic I was talking about the backstory for STOLEN HEAT yesterday. This review of HEAT just went up today, and I couldn't be more tickled at what the reviewer had to say not only about the book but about my characters and their "past relationship". (And the fact she launched a whole new feature on her blog with my book!) I forwarded the review link to my CP who emailed me and said, "I love the way she describes it in her own words, but they end up being just how you were thinking when you wrote it. Amazing." That's exactly how I feel!!

And in other really exciting news...I'm in the process of putting together my big BIG launch contest for STOLEN HEAT! Lots and lots of free stuff...books, goodies, gift cards to some of your favorite places...you do NOT want to miss this! There will be some kind of prize EVERY DAY for a month! It all starts Wednesday, July 15th, so be sure to spread the word and check back often for updates!

Seems the topic of the day is backstory. Debbie's talking about it over at my chapter blog. Caroline Jewel's talking about it on Kristin Nelson's blog. Michelle Rowan FB'd she was having trouble weaving it in without info dumping on her readers. Backstory is such a tricky thing to work with. Esp. when other writers wave the "you may not use flashbacks, it's lazy writing" card in our faces.

I'm a rule-breaker. I don't put much stock in what the rules say we "should" or "shouldn't" do. I think you have to write the story the best way you can, and if that includes more or less backstory, you do what you have to do.

Case in point...STOLEN HEAT. It's a reunion story. For some reason I have a lot more trouble weaving backstory into books with reunion stories. And HEAT was no exception. In fact, it was the hardest book I've ever written because the backstory between Kat and Pete was the crux for the entire present suspense plot of the book. How on earth could I make that clear to the reader?

I did the best I could. I followed "the rules" and didn't use flashbacks. And I wanted to pull my hair out every time I sat at the computer. Finally, finished, I sent the book to my agent. Who read it and called me and said, "The plot is good. I like the action and suspense. But I don't care about these characters at all."

Talk about a major blow. I put the book away for a few weeks and moped. And then I dove back in and did a major rewrite. The result was a book that combined both past and present in a way I'd never done before. I sent it to my agent and gnawed on my fingernails while she read it. And when she called me the second time, I was sure it was going to be bad (worse!) news. I wasn't at all prepared to hear her say, "I can't believe the transformation in this book. You nailed it."

So what was the magic solution? I gave the readers glimpses into the past. I showed (instead of told) the love affair and what went wrong between them. And knowing all that made the current suspense plot, six years later, that much more exciting and frightening. It worked for THIS book. That doesn't mean it will work for every book. Each book is different and requires the writer to know how best to tell the story. Figuring what that way is is the hardest part of writing.

So when it comes to backstory...I say forget the rules and write the book the way it needs to be written.

I'm currently writing another reunion story. This time the current suspense plot is not directly tied to what happened between the main characters in the past, so I don't think I'll write it the same way I did HEAT. But I reserve the right to change my mind as I get deeper into the book.

What's your take on backstory?

This one from Night Owl Romance:

...Stolen Heat is an awesome combination of deadly suspense, edgy action and a wonderful romance with characters that you’ll laugh, cry and yell with. I had a great time reading it and I’m definitely looking forward to more of Ms. Naughton’s books.
--Wendy, NOR Reviewer

To read the full review go to Night Owl Romance Stolen Heat Review.

This one's too good NOT to post.

From Daniel Boucher's review of STOLEN FURY at The Novel Blog:

I believe when it comes to romance, most people have a preconceived notion of helpless, bored women who lie around waiting to be saved by some steel-jawed handsome hero that can do no wrong. I was one of these types. I wasn’t prepared for what Elisabeth gives the reader with her lead heroine, Lisa Maxwell. Lisa is a strong woman, smart, beautiful, and not afraid of her own sexuality. I also wasn’t prepared for the great plot and an enticing storyline that kept me turning the pages...

...Elisabeth has an amazing ability to write great scenes of tension, both sexual and suspenseful in nature. (I wasn’t kidding about the blushing) By the end she helped me realize two things: The first is strong women are HOT and the second is a different outlook on romance novels. If you’re looking for a fun read that will excite on different levels, then I highly recommend STOLEN FURY.

To read the full review, go to The Novel Blog.

Starting May 23, Saturdays here and all over the blogosphere will be filled with fabulous excerpts from your favorite authors and those you may not have read yet but will discover!

Each Saturday we’ll have a theme, and participating authors will post blog excerpts on that theme. We’ll all be linking each other at the end of the excerpt so you can follow along pretty easily.

Since today is launch day, the theme is: Defining Moments.

***
Book: STOLEN FURY
Available: Now!
Copyright2009ElisabethNaughton

She was toast.

She sure felt like it, anyway.

Lisa flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling in Shane’s extra bedroom. She’d slept all of about two hours last night. Partly because she’d still been anxious over the accident, partly because she’d spent way too much time fantasizing about the sexy Puerto Rican asleep on the couch on the other side of the door.

What the hell was she doing? She was in way over her head with this guy. She’d almost jumped him last night. Probably would have, if he hadn’t shuffled her off to bed like a recalcitrant two-year-old.

Thank God one of them had been thinking clearly, because it sure as hell hadn’t been her. As soon as he’d touched her she’d almost gone off like a firecracker, every muscle in her body enticed and overly aware. And when he’d stood there in Shane’s kitchen looking at her like she was the only thing in the world he wanted, she’d very nearly tackled him to the floor and taken complete advantage of him.

She ran a hand over her face, her cheeks burning at the memory. Too bad his look had had little to do with her and everything to do with the near-death experience they’d both lived through. Any woman would have had the same effect on him. Hell, any man would have had the same effect on her, right? Almost being torched would juice anybody.

What if I hadn’t left?

Groaning, Lisa tossed an arm over her eyes. Why did he have to ask that? It was the one question she’d intentionally been avoiding in her own idiotic thoughts, and now it was all she could think about. She didn’t want to wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t left her that night. She knew damn well where it would have gone, and she sure as hell didn’t want to ponder how amazing it would have been.

She dropped her arm, focused on a spot on the ceiling. Okay, so she could admit he heated her blood. She was a healthy, mature woman, right? And the guy was hot. She’d thought that even before he’d hustled her. She wouldn’t be a woman if she didn’t feel some sort of attraction toward him.

The difference here was she wasn’t going to do anything about it. Thinking about sex and having sex were two very different things.

Thief, liar, jerk. That’s all he was. She needed to remember those simple facts and get over it.

He was a thief…one who’d saved her ass last night when he could easily have turned the other way.

A liar…who’d nursed her wounds.

A jerk…who’d obviously been as aroused as she and hadn’t taken advantage of the situation when he clearly could have.

Craaaaap.

She blew out a calming breath, closed her eyes and tried to steady the odd thump in her chest. She wasn’t going to start thinking of him as heroic. The guy didn’t have a noble bone in his body. He’d only saved her skin because, with Doug’s research gone, she was still his best chance at finding Tisiphone. He sure as shit hadn’t saved her because he’d felt anything for her. That thought was just too stupid to entertain.

If she kept it all in perspective, she could beat him at his own game and stay safely out of his bed. He was the last person on earth she could afford to get tangled up with. The events of last night had confirmed that fact loud and clear.

Frustrated with herself, she sat up and raked fingers through her hair. Her gaze drifted across the room, landed on the backpack in the corner. She rose, pushed up the sleeves of Shane’s gray Northwestern sweatshirt and pulled Doug’s journal from her pack.

She’d slipped it from the boxes before leaving her parents’ house. She hadn’t wanted Rafe to see it. Not yet. Not ever, if she could help it. Security, she reminded herself. The journal just might be her get-out-of-jail-free card if things got sticky.

The leather cover was worn and scratched. She ran her fingers over the spine, remembering the hours Doug had spent holed up in his office writing in the damn thing.

Another good reason not to get involved with a colleague. Or a treasure hunter.
Their hearts were always focused on something else—the next big score, the next great discovery. She’d definitely learned her lesson with Dr. Douglas Stone. A woman had to be kicked in the teeth only once to get it.

She sat on the end of the bed, laid the journal on her lap and stared at the cover.

For the love of God, quit being such a wuss.

On a deep breath, she flipped it open. Even fifteen years later, Doug’s slanted handwriting made her chest tighten with emotions she thought she’d dealt with long ago. Forcing back the memories, she paged through the book with all the objectivity of a scorned wife.

Page after page of Greek lettering and symbols filled the journal. Long passages from Homer’s Iliad were hand copied, words and letters underlined in no apparent pattern. He’d spent his whole life working on this stupid diary, and now years later, it was all that was left of him.

Her fingers paused when she came across a Polaroid tucked between two pages. A startled laugh slipped from her lips. She covered her mouth with her hand and stared at the photo of herself.

She’d been about twenty-three then. Her hair was long, down past her shoulders, red and unruly, as it had been throughout her youth. In the picture she was covered in dirt, black smudges across her white tank top, dust smeared on her cheeks. But her lips were smiling, her eyes gleaming.

Ecuador.

The first dig she’d been on with Doug. The first time he’d looked at her as anything other than one of his grunts.

Man, she’d been blinded by lust, enamored of a man who’d been more emotionally closed off even than she was now. She could see it on the face of the naïve upstart staring back at her. Oh, yeah, she’d played hard to get back then. She shook her head and frowned at the memory. She’d fallen into bed with him the second he’d crooked his little finger at her, not caring one iota about the repercussions or consequences or how it would change her life.

Schmuck. What the hell were you thinking?

She wanted to scream it at the photo, pretend the words could make a difference, that somehow the girl she used to be would wise up and listen.

How many people had told her she was making a monumental mistake? Too many to count. And had she listened?

Hell, no.

As Shane was known to point out anytime the opportunity arose, she was bullheaded to the extreme. Well, that had come back to bite her in the ass several times over, hadn’t it?

A thousand what ifs and I should haves ran through Lisa’s mind as she stared at a woman she barely remembered. None made up for her genuine stupidity. None changed the past.

Resigned, she tucked the photo back inside, closed the journal and replaced it in the pack.

Later. She’d read it in depth later. Right now she needed coffee.

She found sports shorts in a drawer, pulled them on and rolled her eyes. Why couldn’t she have had a twin sister? One with a gentle disposition, some sort of fashion sense and clothes she could actually borrow?

Dreading seeing Shane that morning because she knew exactly what he would say, she managed to find a way to keep the shorts from slipping to her knees by rolling the waistband down a few times. She brushed her teeth with a new toothbrush she found in the bathroom drawer, thanked the stars above for Shane’s practicality, fingercombed her hair and checked her reflection.

She looked like she hadn’t slept in a week. A good-sized bruise had formed near her temple. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, and her arm hurt like a bitch.

Screw it. She didn’t care what she looked like. She wasn’t out to impress anyone anyway. She had more urgent issues, like what the hell they were going to do, now that Doug’s research had gone up in flames. His journal would only be helpful once they determined the right island. And at this point, it could be anywhere.

She headed for the kitchen. Her brain was fuzz without her morning shot of espresso. If it hadn’t been for the damn caffeine withdrawal, she’d have gone back to bed and slept for the next twelve hours.

Voices echoed from the front of the apartment, Shane’s distrusting tone followed by Rafe’s deep one. Fabulous. Male posturing. Just what she needed. There was so much freakin’ testosterone in the apartment, she could feel it clogging the air.

She rolled her shoulder as she moved down the hall. If they’d drained the coffee already, heads were gonna roll.

The both looked up when she stepped into the kitchen. Shane sat at the table, his eyes scrutinizing her face. Rafe stood quietly near the counter.

“Good morning,” she mumbled, avoiding Shane’s probing eyes as she skirted the table toward the coffee pot.

Her brother lifted his mug to his lips. “Hook up an IV, Lis. ’Cause we’re gonna have words.”

Suddenly, that burning vehicle didn’t look so bad right about now. She opened the cupboard, avoiding Rafe as much as she could while she searched for a cup. Too many thoughts from last night were racing through her mind, too many other what-ifs.

Holy cow, did the guy just pump out heat or something? It felt like it was nine thousand degrees in the kitchen, and he wasn’t even close to her.

A full mug of steaming coffee slid down the counter toward her. Startled, she glanced up, her fingers pausing on the cupboard door.

And her breath nearly stopped when she looked into Rafe’s smoldering, I-still-want-you eyes. A shadow of beard covered his jaw. His dark hair was tousled from sleep, his lips full and tempting. And that lazy half smile screamed of the thousand different ways he could make her beg for more.

Well, shit.

Spread some butter on her and call her done. She was still toast.

Burnt toast, from the looks of it.
***

Want to read more excerpts from some amazing authors? Follow the links below:

Lauren Dane
Cynthia Eden
Vivi Anna
SJ Day
Moira Rogers
Leah Braemel
Mandy Roth
Anya Bast
Viv Arend
Juliana Stone
Savannah Foley
Beth Williamson
Michelle Pillow
Jaci Burton
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Sasha White

Check it out & let me know what you think:

I have New Book Excitement.

It's no big secret to anyone who knows how I work that I'm not a big fan of writing the opening scene. Sometimes the opening comes to me - bam! - and I know immediately how a book will start (as was the case with STOLEN FURY). Other times I seem to rewrite an opening 100 times or more before I find the one that works (as I did with STOLEN HEAT). (July 28, 2009) This time around, working on the 2nd paranormal (working title: DECEIVED), it's been one of those - bam! - in-your-face openings that has stuck with me, and off I went. I'm now in chapter four, past the "set-up" hurdle, and loving the book. I love the characters, I love the plot, I love where this is going. I love that I have that "this is totally going to work" feeling. Sure, I'll probably go back and revise some of that opening (I always do), but so far? *big grin* New Book Excitement.

I also have New Book Excitement for my CP. Yesterday I didn't get to write. I know, I know, if you're following me on Twitter or FB, you know that contradicts with my 100 day challenge, but don't worry, I'll make up the words today. Yesterday I was too busy critting my CPs new book, which she has a request for. And, oh my gosh, I LOVE THIS BOOK! Every time I sit to read a chapter (and my CP can't send them fast enough), I get that shiver feeling. You know the one...when you're reading something you KNOW is going sell. This book is amazing, and I can't wait to tell her, "I told you so," when it finally does sell.

And along those same "New Book Excitement" lines, one of my beta readers called yesterday to tell me she finished STOLEN SEDUCTION (January, 2010) and absolutely loved it. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I love all my heroes, but *sigh* there's something special about Shane. Maybe it's because I wanted to kill him so many times while writing that book, maybe it's because he was the first character I really didn't "get", and maybe it's because I was so blown over by his character arc. I have no idea why he's the one hero I still think about long after the book is over, but he is.

My beta reader had some great things to say about the book, and one constructive comment I am so SO happy she shared. It deals with one tiny section of a scene in the end of the book - or, rather, a tiny section I cut because I was already over on word count. But after listening to her, I'm pretty convinced that section needs to be there, and it's kinda nice to know my first instinct was correct. So...I'm probably going to add it back in and worry about cutting elsewhere later (...have I mentioned what a magician my editor is at editing my long-windedness?).

So yeah. New Book Excitement. All around.

How about you? Reading or writing anything right now that has you excited?

Now, doesn't that just sound like the perfect gift for you or your mother?

My editor's been in the giving mood lately. She had so much fun with the Easter egg hunt on her blog, she decided to do it again. This time she's giving away $50 in free books from Dorchester, including 3 June releases that haven't even hit the shelves yet.

To play and enter, go to Romantic Reads Mother's Day Giveaway.

First Review for STOLEN HEAT

Just got this in my inbox:

Six years ago Katherine Meyer knew exactly where her life was going. She was finishing up her time in Cairo, and getting ready to write her dissertation for her doctorate in Egyptology; then Pete came into her life.

Anger, pain, and betrayal all vie for attention within Peter Kauffman's brain, but his heart can only grasp onto one fact: Kat is alive, unbelievably and blessedly alive. Her death in a car bombing in Cairo six years ago was the most crushing time in his life, but it was also the catalyst to clean up his act once and for all.

The years have only succeeded in making Pete more attractive, but no matter how much Kat would love to throw her arms around him and never let go, she keeps her distance. His involvement with the stolen artifacts in Cairo six years ago broke something within her that may never be repaired, and her mistrust splintered their fledgling relationship. Pete cannot begin to wrap his mind around Kat's
reappearance when all hell breaks loose around them. He should despise this woman who blew his heart to smithereens with her fake death, he really should, but in getting to the truth, he may find there is more than one person to blame.

Stolen Heat sets a pulse-pounding pace, whipping you up with a maelstrom of flying bullets and blistering kisses. The emotions are extreme, and the characters unrelenting in this action-packed and sensual romance. Pete and Kat whirl around each other like they are caught up in a tornado, flying apart and getting sucked back in with explosive results. Ms. Naughton hooks you with characters way too human to be perfect, and plot lines that are delivered with laser-like precision.

--Lototy, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Rating: 5 Cups