tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119805342024-03-13T10:29:17.478-07:00Elisabeth NaughtonFollow me on the road to publication...Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.comBlogger536125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-44778600813582274242010-03-15T20:33:00.000-07:002010-03-15T20:44:21.616-07:00Winds of ChangeThis is my last blog post here because....<br /><br />MY BEAUTIFUL NEW WEBSITE IS LIVE!!!!<br /><br />Check it out at <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com">www.elisabethnaughton.com</a>. From now on I'll be blogging over there, so if you happen to have a link to this blog site on your own blog or webpage, please redirect it to<a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/blog/"> www.elisabethnaughton.com/blog/</a><br /><br />In addition, if you have a blog feed to this addy, please switch it over to the new address.<br /><br />My first post is already up on the new site...and I'm giving away first chapter booklets of <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/marked/">MARKED</a> to anyone who comments there TODAY. There are still a few hours left (I'm on west coast time!) so hop over and tell me what you think of the new site!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-78909206265944948662010-03-13T00:00:00.000-08:002010-03-13T00:00:06.284-08:00Excerpt!Happy Saturday! I'm still having some computer issues - grrrrrrrr - and didn't have time to work them out this week so my blogging was nil. Right now I'm on the netbook so I can post this fabulous Saturday Snippet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY3wRk8s6W0Biw50bD5y8hZ6-wSSF101oGcoEa-bVOWawxUfZxSwMyKvAQS5r9bAIvD6LFZxpHR_sLcj5v92vCUh-qH445K2Bmk0lavb12Ge12oeRbvrNJ6yPbsw98Cypf7yb/s1600-h/snippet+saturday.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY3wRk8s6W0Biw50bD5y8hZ6-wSSF101oGcoEa-bVOWawxUfZxSwMyKvAQS5r9bAIvD6LFZxpHR_sLcj5v92vCUh-qH445K2Bmk0lavb12Ge12oeRbvrNJ6yPbsw98Cypf7yb/s400/snippet+saturday.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447819370381218690" /></a><br />Today's topic is Black Moments. I admit, I'm a sucker a deep, dark, emotional black moment. I love them! The more emotional, the better!<br /><br />This one comes from my May release, MARKED. It's not THE black moment(that would give too much away!), but it's the lead-in to it. I hope you enjoy!<br /><br /><center>***</center><br /><strong>Excerpted from: MARKED<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYwlU3luG00H_Ma7g4XaCbh29AYCbigvzjQu8qchOUPWYYkDjFuiTUEQ7lVbbV9AMPWQIQNNLu_n4CYJkM2S2T1PdjuAx5iWQgaboGTsolQRhLhcXx_ns_aQjvcCZD4itRwEH/s1600-h/Marked+Final+400x600.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYwlU3luG00H_Ma7g4XaCbh29AYCbigvzjQu8qchOUPWYYkDjFuiTUEQ7lVbbV9AMPWQIQNNLu_n4CYJkM2S2T1PdjuAx5iWQgaboGTsolQRhLhcXx_ns_aQjvcCZD4itRwEH/s400/Marked+Final+400x600.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447819636345032994" /></a>ISBN: 978-0-505-52822-3<br />Release Date: April 27, 2010</strong><br /><br />Theron stared at the ceiling long after Acacia fell asleep. Gods, he liked this. Way too much. Her, here in his bed. Hidden away from the world. Warm and snug and his.<br /><br /><em>His</em>. There was a word. The irony was like a knife to the stomach.<br /><br />He rolled to his side so he could watch her sleep and knew they didn’t have long. The king had probably already called the rest of the Argonauts together. What he’d said in the king’s chambers—with Zander as a witness—would be considered treason. He fully expected one of his kin to come charging in at any moment and drag him away.<br /><br />He could hear their discussion now. Cerek the peacemaker would convince the rest not to take action until the morning. They’d come at first dawn. Play to Theron’s sense of honor. If that didn’t work, Gryphon would crack a joke about getting the king good, in a lame attempt to lighten the mood. Zander wouldn’t care one way or the other— so long as what happened to Theron didn’t affect him. And Demetrius . . . yeah, Demetrius would be pushing to have Theron hanged.<br /><br />Too late, Theron realized he’d never told his Argonauts how much he respected them. Though they served together, fought together, none of them were close. And as he looked down at Casey, sleeping on her stomach with both arms tucked under her, her face tipped his way and one of her legs intertwined with his, he realized he’d never even thought of his Argonauts as separate individuals before. To him, they’d always been nothing more than fighters in a war they’d all been trained for. But now?<br /><br />Now it was as if his eyes had been opened.<br /><br />He brushed a finger down Acacia’s cheek, watched her back rise and fall in deep sleep. Studied the way her lashes formed spiky crescent shapes on her pale cheeks. Her courage still awed him. Last night she’d been ready to take him on. There was no other female in the universe who would dare stand up to him when he was in one of his moods, but it hadn’t stopped her. She was fearless. And as selfless as he’d told the king. Everything he’d never wanted but now couldn’t imagine living without.<br /><br />He’d known she was his from the first taste. Long before he’d ever slid deep inside her. If he’d been more in tune with his humanity, he would have recognized it the first time he’d kissed her back in her small house. But he hadn’t. Because he’d needed her to unlock that side of him he’d always repressed.<br /><br />She was his curse. His soul mate. His life. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to keep her from dying.<br /><br />His finger ran down her shoulder, over her back until he found the sheet covering her gorgeous ass. He gripped the cotton and pulled it down, then eased up on an elbow and looked at her marking.<br /><br />Gods, it was fading. In a matter of days, it would be gone.<br /><br />His chest squeezed tight, and though he wanted nothing more than to slide back inside her and wake her from the inside out, he knew he couldn’t. Shouldn’t. She needed to save her strength, not use it up pleasuring him.<br /><br />One glance at the window told him the moon was setting and morning would be here soon. Careful, so as not to wake her, he pulled the covers up around her shoulders and headed for the shower. Her scent all over his body was distracting and arousing at the same time. As he lathered and rinsed under the hot spray, he told himself he was doing the right thing. The king had been correct on one count. Sometimes a great sacrifice is necessary.<br /><br />He cut the water, grabbed a towel and dried his hair. After toweling off his legs, he pulled on new jeans, lifted the terry to his shoulders and froze.<br /><br />Someone was outside on his porch.<br /><br /><em>Skata</em>, he’d been wrong. They’d come for him already.<br /><br />A deep male voice echoed through the closed doors. Followed by Acacia’s surprised and wary one.<br /><br />His heart rate jerked.<br /><br />No. He was wrong. They’d come for her.<br /><br /><center>***</center><br />Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.emmapetersen.com/blog/">Emma Petersen</a><br /><a href="http://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com">Ashley Ladd</a><br /><a href="http://www.lissamatthews.com">Lissa Matthews</a><br /><a href="http://www.tjmichaels.com/the-scoop/">TJ Micheals</a><br /><a href="http://mckennajeffries.com/blog/">McKenna Jeffries</a><br /><a href="http://elizagayle.net/blog">Eliza Gayle</a><br /><a href="http://maricarr.com/?page_id=11">Mari Carr</a><br /><a href="http://www.julianastone.com/blog/">Juliana Stone</a><br /><a href="http://www.laurendane.com/blog">Lauren Dane</a><br /><a href="http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog">Shelley Munro</a><br /><a href="http://taigecrenshaw.com/blog">Taige Crenshaw</a>Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-20645325678577437742010-03-05T22:38:00.000-08:002010-03-06T14:10:23.622-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjbK74NtBFKdIsq_fbpav6LwG9Qsb6VJLx3rpNK0sCqqroKNQqznJmOkpw_ESBsyAk5T-Hf8Waxy3swI45prEH02ld52NJtHarULw2ATEO2Ww3lhEKcvW43ykrwU8LHftbvHw/s1600-h/snippet+saturday.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjbK74NtBFKdIsq_fbpav6LwG9Qsb6VJLx3rpNK0sCqqroKNQqznJmOkpw_ESBsyAk5T-Hf8Waxy3swI45prEH02ld52NJtHarULw2ATEO2Ww3lhEKcvW43ykrwU8LHftbvHw/s400/snippet+saturday.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445406958838861538" /></a><br /><br />I'm back with Saturday snippets and today's topic is lost loves, which fits in perfectly with my August release, ENTWINED. So this is a piece from that.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><center>***</center><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSquZjIJakFrNv2kneHJbsP1hizWtnnoRm5PjsuSnwxt30cX-JaGWkh72CozD52hmidlK47o8bBmDvZeQC1Ob7wu9eRXrcOJul-My4qunxPo2TS7h8WsiwlYmsB1K34JXU1jm/s1600-h/Entwined+600x342.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSquZjIJakFrNv2kneHJbsP1hizWtnnoRm5PjsuSnwxt30cX-JaGWkh72CozD52hmidlK47o8bBmDvZeQC1Ob7wu9eRXrcOJul-My4qunxPo2TS7h8WsiwlYmsB1K34JXU1jm/s400/Entwined+600x342.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445408580434736514" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Excerpted from: ENTWINED<br />Eternal Guardians Book #2<br />Release Date: August 2010<br />ISBN: 978-0-505-52822-3</span><br /><br />“Where do you want me?”<br /><br />Callia turned away from the window without meeting Zander's eyes, dropped her arms and pointed toward the end of the king’s now-empty desk. “There. Sit.”<br /><br />He crossed the floor silently in bare feet and eased a hip onto the end of the king’s long desk. He tested the piece of furniture for stability, and when he was sure it wasn’t going to collapse under his weight, scooted back until his legs were hanging over the edge and his bare feet dangled inches above the floor.<br /><br />She didn’t say anything about the fact he wasn’t completely naked, and he wasn’t about to bring it up again. To distract himself, he stared down at his toes while she moved around the room. She pulled a small side table with her supplies next to her. Seconds later he felt her hand land on his back and couldn’t stop the way he arched in response. When she said, “Deep breath,” he forced himself to relax as she moved the stethoscope around, obviously listening to his lungs.<br /><br />The metal against his skin was cold, but her fingers were warm and silky—too warm and silky. His blood was already heating just from being this close to her, and every time she brushed his skin, it set off tremors deep in his body. He focused on his breathing—on the steady in and out—in an attempt to stay calm. When she moved around to stand in front of him, repeating the order, he averted his eyes from her face and focused on the fitted white sweater she wore instead.<br /><br />Her gasp brought his head up. “What happened to you?”<br /><br />“Nothing. I’m fine.”<br /><br />“That’s not nothing.” She focused on his shoulder as she looped the stethoscope around her neck, reached for her bag and came back with gauze and supplies.<br /><br />“Leave it,” he said before she could touch him. “It’s just a flesh wound.”<br /><br />She dabbed at the dried blood with a wad of gauze. “The muscle’s torn. You need this stitched closed before infection sets in.”<br /><br />“It’s already healing.”<br /><br />“I see that but—”<br /><br />He grabbed her wrist, stilling her motion. A jolt ran through him at the connection, but he ignored it. The last thing he needed was her hands on his body more than was already necessary. “I said leave it.”<br /><br />Her eyes slid from the wound to his face and held. And before he realized it, he was staring into eyes like a Caribbean sunset in the human world. Eyes he’d looked into countless times before as they’d made love. Eyes he’d dreamed about numerous times in the years since until he’d woken in a cold and aching sweat.<br /><br />Thoughts vanished from his mind. The connection they’d had from the first sparked deep in his chest, burned in the bottom of his soul. Tempted him to reach for her and find out if she felt it, too. He couldn’t be the only one who remembered, could he? She had to feel something when she saw him. When she stood this close. When she touched him. <br /><br />Thoughts, memories, feelings he’d kept buried for a long time pushed in as he stared into her gem-like eyes. A movie of their time together flickered in front of his face. And then when he got to the part where she betrayed him, that blaze went out. Leaving behind nothing but charred ash and ruins.<br /><br />It didn’t matter what she felt. Their past was over and done with. The Fates had screwed him in more ways than one. There wasn’t anything about her now that could change what had happened back then.<br /><br />He dropped her hand as quickly as he’d grabbed it. Then glanced back at her sweater. “Finish the exam.”<br /><br /><center>***</center><br />Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!<br /><br /><a href="http://leahbraemel.blogspot.com/">Leah Braemel</a><br /><a href="http://www.emmapetersen.com/blog/">Emma Petersen</a><br /><a href="http://www.tjmichaels.com/the-scoop/">TJ Micheals</a><br /><a href="http://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com">Ashley Ladd</a><br /><a href="http://www.lissamatthews.blogspot.com">Lissa Matthews</a><br /><a href="http://mckennajeffries.com/blog/">McKenna Jeffries</a><br /><a href="http://www.shellistevens.com/blog">Shelli Stevens</a><br /><a href="http://taigecrenshaw.com/blog">Taige Crenshaw</a><br /><a href="http://elizagayle.net/blog">Eliza Gayle</a><br /><a href="http://maricarr.com/?page_id=11">Mari Carr</a><br /><a href="http://vivianarend.com/blog/">ViviAna</a><br /><a href="http://www.julianastone.com/blog/">Juliana Stone</a><br /><a href="http://www.laurendane.com/blog">Lauren Dane</a><br /><a href="http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog">Shelley Munro</a>Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-63442916250685886622010-03-02T17:48:00.000-08:002010-03-02T18:05:53.771-08:00Back!Oy...it's been a while since I've been here. Sorry! I have a good excuse.<br /><br />Two weekends ago I went to an awesome weekend writers workshop and left my laptop at home. (And if you've never listened to Michael Hauge, and you're a writer, your really should find where he's speaking and go listen. The man is amazing.) My kids played on my laptop while I was gone and somehow downloaded a virus which has totally mucked up my system. After a week of trying to clean it up I have nearly everything working except for Google. And since blogger works off Google log-in info...yeah. I haven't been able to blog. Grrrrrrrrrr... Right now I'm on the netbook but hoping to get my regular laptop back up and running soon. (Oh please, oh please, oh please...)<br /><br />Aside from working on pulling my eyebrows out over the computer issue, I've been working on TEMPTED (Eternal Guardians book 3). The book is going good and I'm loving the characters.<br /><br />In other news, I got <a href="http://goodbadandunread.com/2010/03/02/wip-review-stolen-seduction-stolen-series-book-3-by-elisabeth-naughton/">an A+ review today on STOLEN SEDUCTION from The Good The Bad & the Unread</a>! I can't remember the last time I got an A+ on anything! My good friend (and fellow writer) Kristina McMorris has a way of keeping me firmly rooted in reality, however. When I told her about the review, she said, "...do you really think it's a healthy policy to award a PERFECT grade to any author? I mean, where does an author aspire to go from there? Basically, they're saying you just penned "The Sixth Sense" as one of your first books. And we all know what happened to THAT director since. All downhill from there." Ah, thank goodness for friends who know how to bring everything back into focus. LOL<br /><br />So let's see...in other news...I have a few ARCs of MARKED left and I'm thinking of running a newsletter contest. If you haven't signed up for my newsletter...<a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com">go do it soon</a>!!! (The sign up form is on the bottom of the home page.) You just never know when I'm gonna start handing out ARCs!<br /><br />Oh! And I almost forgot! Stay tuned because my new updated website is going to go live sometime this month! It's really really really really awesome (did I say really? Trust me. It's REALLY awesome.)<br /><br />Hope you're all well.Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-16293096218672869252010-02-19T10:02:00.001-08:002010-02-19T10:05:38.801-08:00TeaserAn excerpt for my August release, <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/entwined.html">ENTWINED</a>, is up on my website!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/entwined.html">Click here to read it!</a><br /><br />And here's the official back cover copy:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeoyVC0gDnpTNlYYnxVi-isTYWTC6UbHjwaqOcxdoVZFJ1azFFJwXDgqWrF8zLS3rdMNtn05AwLZU4i7op7t1rZ_s5aT7Z_-EIta7kNnyEYcqBFoJcSpTkuTLRbJ8cejvuEKD/s1600-h/Entwined200x322.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeoyVC0gDnpTNlYYnxVi-isTYWTC6UbHjwaqOcxdoVZFJ1azFFJwXDgqWrF8zLS3rdMNtn05AwLZU4i7op7t1rZ_s5aT7Z_-EIta7kNnyEYcqBFoJcSpTkuTLRbJ8cejvuEKD/s400/Entwined200x322.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440017072738642050" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;">ZANDER – The most feared of all the Eternal Guardians. It’s rumored he can’t be killed, and he always fights like he has nothing to lose. But as a descendant of the famed hero Achilles, he’s got to have a vulnerability...somewhere.</span><br /><br />Forces of daemons are gathering and have broken through the barriers of the Underworld. Now more than ever the Eternal Guardians are needed to protect both their own realm and the humans’. Zander can’t afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can’t fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he’s found his weakness, after all…Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-3482891409778654292010-02-18T12:58:00.000-08:002010-02-18T12:59:49.396-08:00TemptedI'm hard at work on book three in my Eternal Guardians Series - TEMPTED. And I gotta have a theme song. Or something I can listen to that puts me in the mood. So far, this is it:<br /><br /><center><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V1LegWs8xdc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V1LegWs8xdc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></center><br /><br />So powerful...Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-37522222332772284282010-02-16T17:26:00.000-08:002010-02-16T17:40:30.776-08:00Safe Sex?I love Twitter. You just learn all kinds of things.<br /><br />Today someone on Twitter posted this article from Mrs. Giggles about <a href="http://mrsgiggles00.livejournal.com/87696.html">Things That Should Be Banned From Romance Novels</a>. I'm not going to go through the whole list, but I will point out this part:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Safe sex - or why we protect ourselves during sex</span><br />If I see another author having her heroine tell the hero that it is okay if he sticks his pee-pee into her unchartered waters without a condom because she is on the Pill, I will scream. Please don't tell me that these authors honestly believe that safe sex is only to prevent pregnancy. Actually, I once had an angry email from an author that convinced me that this could indeed be the case for some authors, shudder. They genuinely believed that the Pill is a method of protection during sex. I'm going to say this in caps because I've been saying this for so long, I think it should be tattooed on the forehead of these authors: <br /><br />DO NOT MENTION CONDOMS OR SAFE SEX IF YOU HAVE NO INTENTION OF HAVING YOUR CHARACTERS HAVE SAFE SEX. DON'T INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE WITH THAT "OH, I'M ON THE PILL, SO THROW AWAY THAT JOHNNY AND COME ON IN!" NONSENSE. WHEN IT COMES TO SAFE SEX IN FICTION, IT'S ALL OR NOTHING - PROTECTION OR NONE AT ALL. </blockquote><br />Okay, so I get what she's saying. But. Let me ask this: name ONE romance novel you have read where the hero/heroine had safe (condom) sex and then later one or the other admitted they had an STD.<br /><br />I can't think of one!<br /><br />Let's get real. Safe sex in "Romance" novels is pretty much there to address the whole pregnancy issue. I can't think of a single romance novel I've read where the condom sex thing was really there to prevent one or the other from getting an STD. Romance novels are fiction. In a happily ever after fiction world, STDs don't exist. So this whole thing about the Pill vs condoms...doesn't even register for me.<br /><br />Would I want to read a romance where one or the other has an STD? Ah, no. Because that's not a happily ever after moment for me. "Here, I love you, honey, but I have AIDS. We'll have an HEA until I die." (Sounds like a Nicholas Sparks book...which we all know is NOT romance.) So um, yeah. In romance novels, I really don't have a problem with this. Obviously, because my characters have had condom sex and non condom sex. I think a conversation between the main characters addressing the issue is important, but so long as both characters are on the same page and no one's taking advantage of the situation, I'm good with it.<br /><br />Now one thing that DOES irritate me about the whole safe sex thing in romance novels is when the author makes a big deal about the characters having safe sex the first time they're together, then never mentions it again. I'm often left thinking, "Um, wait. Now they don't even think about it again? And no one's using a condom, and they aren't discussing if she can get pregnant. WTF???" If you're going to bring up the whole safe sex thing, then carry it through and <span style="font-style:italic;">at least</span> have them discuss it later. If you don't want to even mention it, I'm fine there too, just so long as the author is consistent. <br /><br />How about you? What's your take on the whole safe-sex issue in romance novels?Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-63649281290146814522010-02-11T12:30:00.003-08:002010-02-11T12:43:24.184-08:00In Big Time Cover LoveMy August 2010 release, Book 2 in the Eternal Guardians Series:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYg_lWN61niwH-9tmvPGVsKG4UHeFSXKuyxcpZH4v9HTnNsy-7CwSvXc2fJXJelk_7YP4UoG5_-eBy_prejUIpT6uITcfvmKLpDtWkeG1DxS0k_Wpqg5IyR-XxjOGFM6SYuEB/s1600-h/Entwined.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYg_lWN61niwH-9tmvPGVsKG4UHeFSXKuyxcpZH4v9HTnNsy-7CwSvXc2fJXJelk_7YP4UoG5_-eBy_prejUIpT6uITcfvmKLpDtWkeG1DxS0k_Wpqg5IyR-XxjOGFM6SYuEB/s400/Entwined.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437089181244288658" /></a><br />What do you think?Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-79873723672048781722010-02-08T19:03:00.000-08:002010-02-08T20:14:27.582-08:00Some Very Cool NewsI sold three more books in my Eternal Guardian Series! So release dates for the first five books in the series are as follows:<br /><br />MARKED - May 2010<br />ENTWINED - August 2010<br />TEMPTED - February 2011<br />Book 4 (untitled) - August 2011<br />Book 5 (untitled) - February 2012<br /><br />I'm thrilled I get to write more books in this series. I'm really enjoying it. Okay, off to do revisions on ENTWINED.Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-28030267781215023332010-02-07T12:56:00.001-08:002010-02-07T13:16:26.438-08:00MARKED Winner(s)!!Okay, so I lied. I said I'd post the ARC winner of MARKED yesterday but didn't. I had a crazy busy day, so apologies.<br /><br />BUT...because I'm feeling so generous (and got tons of work done yesterday), I decided to give away not one but TWO ARCs of MARKED!!!<br /><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wendy (#7)<br /><br />and<br /><br />Dawn (#29)</span></center><br /><br />email me at elisabeth@elisabethnaughton.com with your snail mail addys and I'll get your book(s) in the mail!!<br /><br />If you didn't win, don't despair. Follow me on Twitter (if you aren't already) and pay attention because because I'll have more ARCs to giveaway there soon!<br /><br />Thanks to all who entered and spread the word about MARKED. Keep talking up the book and series, please!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-61211571612560444192010-02-04T09:28:00.000-08:002010-02-04T10:03:16.825-08:00Coolness All AroundThis press release went out yesterday and I thought I'd share:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">DorchesterPublishing</span><br /><br />02/03/10 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br /><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dorchester Announces Its New Pledge</span></center><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Publisher Promises Fulfilling Reader Experience & Guarantees Satisfaction<br /></span><br />New York, NY-Dorchester Publishing is proud to introduce its Publisher's Pledge program, a bold, new marketing initiative created to launch the careers of the next generation of genre superstars. A privately owned publisher of mass-market original fiction, Dorchester has a long, storied history of discovering the most exciting names in genre fiction, including Victoria Alexander, Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Katie MacAlister and Lynsay Sands. <br /><br />Next year marks the firm's 40th anniversary, which prompted the company to redouble its commitment to the discovery and nurturing of the needs of new authors, thus reinforcing its founding philosophy.<br /><br />"Publisher's Pledge is a reaffirmation of the business model Dorchester has always prided itself on," stated Brooke Borneman, Director of Sales and Marketing. "Our strength has been identifying emerging voices and trends in the industry rather than chasing bestsellers. Our intent is to reestablish ourselves in the market as the publisher authors and agents turn to first to introduce new talent. Dorchester has proven countless times-through our innovative marketing, tireless dedication and willingness to take chances-that we are uniquely qualified for this special and vital niche. This program represents our commitment-our pledge, if you will-to everyone in the book publishing community." <br /><br />Launching in April 2010, the Publisher's Pledge program will be supported by online and national print advertising; bookstore mailings; press release and ARC campaigns to media, reviewers, bloggers, retailers, libraries and consumers; lead features in bookseller, library and consumer e-newsletters; consumer contests and buzz campaigns through social networking sites; and a money-back guarantee for readers.<br /><br />The first Publisher's Pledge title will be Barbara Monajem's Sunrise in a Garden of Love & Evil (April 2010), an erotically charged urban fantasy in the same vein as Charlaine Harris. Additional titles include Elisabeth Naughton's Marked (May 2010), a darkly sensual paranormal romance inspired by Greek mythology that will appeal to fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon; Christie Craig's Shut Up and Kiss Me (June 2010), a delightfully quirky romantic mystery that will appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich; and Erin Kellison's back-to-back debuts Shadow Bound (July 2010) and Shadow Fall (August 2010), the first two releases in a riveting post-apocalyptic series that fuses dark fantasy, science fiction, horror and romantic suspense.<br /><br />Additional information about the books selected for Dorchester's Publisher's Pledge program will be available on www.dorchesterpub.com in March 2010.<br /><br /><center>***</center><br />Sweet, huh? Anytime I'm compared to Sherrilyn Kenyon, I'll take it. ;)<br /><br />In other news...<a href="http://thebookbinge.com/2010/02/review-stolen-sedution-by-elisabeth.html">BookBinge gave STOLEN SEDUCTION an awesome review yesterday</a>. Take a peek here.<br /><br />And <a href="http://www.romconinc.com/index.php">today I'm hosting the RomCom Forum</a>. The topic is Getting Your Romance Fix. Hop over and say hi! I'm giving away books!<br /><br />Also, the contest for an ARC of MARKED is still open through tomorrow. Winner announced on Saturday. Don't miss out on a chance to get a sneak peek at my new series. <a href="http://elisabethnaughton.blogspot.com/2010/01/who-wants-arc-of-marked.html">See post below on how to enter</a>.Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-89473549313492436382010-01-26T23:31:00.000-08:002010-01-26T23:49:59.057-08:00Who wants an ARC of MARKED????Today I received the BEST present: a gorgeous shipment of ARCs for MARKED! Since I'm in such a good mood, I thought I'd run a contest. So who wants an early read of book one in my new Eternal Guardians series? I've got two ARCs up for grabs.<br /><br />Here's all you have to do to enter:<br /><br />See this lovely widget?<br /><center><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNjQ1Nzc2MTY3ODEmcHQ9MTI2NDU3NzYyOTYyNSZwPTEyMDc*MSZkPUFRQ1FVLWZRSDBWUExRNGsmZz*xJm89Njg4/YjY5Njk4M2E4NDJjMmEyY2UzNTAzM2VkZjM3NWQmb2Y9MA==.gif" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="200" height="321" id="spo_AQCQU_2dfQH0VPLQ4k" data="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/AQCQU-fQH0VPLQ4k.swf?v=1263678885"><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="align" value="middle" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="movie" value="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/AQCQU-fQH0VPLQ4k.swf?v=1263678885" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" name="spo_AQCQU_2dfQH0VPLQ4k" src="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/AQCQU-fQH0VPLQ4k.swf?v=1263678885" width="200" height="321" wmode="transparent" align="middle" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" quality="best"></embed></object></center><br />Click the "share" link in the lower right hand corner. Post the widget on your blog, your website, your myspace page, your facebook page, etc. Every time you post it somewhere you're entered in the contest. Every time you post it to a static sidebar (on FB this is the "my stuff" box) you're entered 3 times. Post it, then come back here and give me the link <span style="font-style:italic;">in the comment section of this post</span>. That's it! (If you want a smaller version of the widget, <a href="http://seed.sproutbuilder.com/SQDgoPHNH8TTIJRX">GO HERE</a>.)<br /><br />I'll keep the contest open for a week and announce the winners on Friday, February 5th.<br /><br />Good luck!!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-57192478265537248112010-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:002010-01-24T23:08:34.944-08:00Here and There and EverywhereI'm in two places at once today. <br /><br />I'm over at <a href="http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/rss/index.php/category/blog/">The Ruby Slippered Sisterhood</a> talking about my twisted mind (and giving away a book!) and I'm also at <a href="http://www.thebradfordbunch.com">the Bradford Bunch</a> talking about the upcoming release of <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/marked.html">MARKED</a> (and part of what has me uber-excited). Join me at one or both places!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-53701431462737430682010-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:002010-01-23T00:00:05.099-08:00Saturday Snippets Returns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDq9UKrqzUy1rkz0WmUI-eyZ4WjSkc-Ga_cjBO0EPAyYXOkSc47nJi2CgBIKXbyHTRVbS4MtoH1GATNkix7p_Nxwtdu-2tqxnz5nYUqhvIJkUmgdmheQhWFIgKaYtSX4N_4ioW/s1600-h/snippet+saturday.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDq9UKrqzUy1rkz0WmUI-eyZ4WjSkc-Ga_cjBO0EPAyYXOkSc47nJi2CgBIKXbyHTRVbS4MtoH1GATNkix7p_Nxwtdu-2tqxnz5nYUqhvIJkUmgdmheQhWFIgKaYtSX4N_4ioW/s400/snippet+saturday.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429255744152207314" /></a>Now that my contest is done, I can get back to posting the Saturday Snippets! Today's topic is Mistaken Identity. And this excerpt comes from MARKED, book 1 in the Eternal Guardians Series - which releases April 27, 2010.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br />***<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWZlwITQsIBZEyKmKLfsDu0vsm2mjfs08aCXKnMMHgSLKtraBncWqR7j8GYc9YJ6HE5bmBtdd-KobF0wWEWkwTVs0uW8R8GRQGvIdt6bBhTGIuLlUX5q8oneercW1dUBgTYFf/s1600-h/Marked+250x403.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWZlwITQsIBZEyKmKLfsDu0vsm2mjfs08aCXKnMMHgSLKtraBncWqR7j8GYc9YJ6HE5bmBtdd-KobF0wWEWkwTVs0uW8R8GRQGvIdt6bBhTGIuLlUX5q8oneercW1dUBgTYFf/s400/Marked+250x403.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429259463596780450" /></a>Excerpted from <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/marked.html">MARKED</a><br />April 27, 2010<br />Dorchester<br />ISBN: 978-0-505-52822-3<br /><br />She should have been shocked to see him again, but Casey was too numb to feel anything other than irritation at the interruption. “We’re closed early due to the<br />weather.”<br /><br />“I—” Theron cleared his throat. “I’m looking for Acacia Simopolous.”<br /><br />He didn’t even know he was looking for her? Wonderful. Her day was sooo getting better.<br /><br />“You found her.” She refocused on her task and shoved a book on the shelf harder than it needed. “And for the record, the only person allowed to call me Acacia is my grandmother, who, thanks for reminding me, is dead. Now, if that takes care of the reason you’re here, you can head right back out the way you came in.”<br /><br />He let out what sounded to her like a frustrated breath.<br /><br />As if she cared.<br /><br />“I’d like a few minutes to speak with you—”<br /><br />She turned to flick a withering look his direction from above. “My friends call me Casey. Since you are neither a friend nor relative, you can call me Ms. Simopolous. Assuming, that is, you can remember my frickin’ name.”<br /><br />When he continued to stare up at her with a befuddled expression, her last shred of patience broke. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. What the hell are you doing here, Theron? You made it perfectly clear the other night you didn’t want to have anything to do with me.”<br /><br />“You remember that? I didn’t—”<br /><br />“Trust me, buddy. I’d like nothing more than to forget I ever met you.”<br /><br />“Acacia—”<br /><br />She waved a hand and continued to roll right over him as the pressure in her chest intensified and every one of her worries hit full force like a Mack truck. “So there’s really no reason for you to be here now, is there? Just turn around and go, because I don’t want you to . . . be . . . here right . . .”<br /><br />Oh, God. She was gonna lose it. The pressure built until it felt like a ten-ton bomb was sitting on her chest. Tears pushed at her eyes. She would not cry in front of this man. She wouldn’t give him a single reason to think it was about the way he’d treated her, because it wasn’t. It was about everything else. Everything Jill had just told her.<br /><br />She climbed down off the ladder quickly and pressed a hand to her chest.<br /><br />“<span style="font-style:italic;">Meli</span>.” He advanced on her.<br /><br />“Don’t!” She held up a hand to block him. There must have been enough panic in her voice to get through, because he stopped two steps away. She focused on taking several breaths, on clearing her head, and when she felt calmer, she opened her eyes and looked up.<br /><br />His skin had healed so well, there were no remnants of the accident he’d been in. He was, she noticed now, just as rugged and dangerous and sexy as he’d seemed that night in XScream. The stubble on his jaw, the dark, silky hair brushed back from his face, the strong square chin and those deep-set black eyes. But he also looked tired. Worn. As if he carried the weight of something mighty heavy on his shoulders.<br /><br />Well, that made two of them. And she didn’t have the time or energy to worry about what the hell was up with him.<br /><br />“I asked you to leave. I’d appreciate it if you’d do at least one thing I asked.”<br /><br />“Are you all right?”<br /><br />Was she all right? What a joke. She wanted to scream, <span style="font-style:italic;">No, I’m not all right. I’m never going to be all right again, you idiot!</span> But she knew it was useless and childish, and she had just enough self- respect left to keep from making a fool out of herself in front of him. She’d already done enough of that the other night, when she’d nearly gone to bed with a complete stranger.<br /><br />“I’m fine,” she snapped, jerking her hand away before he could touch her. Why wasn’t he leaving?<br /><br />He glanced around the store as if taking it all in. “How do you . . . ?” He gestured to the stacks of books. “I thought you worked at that club.”<br /><br />Oh, that’s right. She’d not only <span style="font-style:italic;">almost</span> gone to bed with this guy. She’d almost gone to bed with him <span style="font-style:italic;">after</span> meeting him at a strip club. Yeah. She got the gold star for brains this time around.<br /><br />“I do,” she huffed. “Part time. Not that it’s any of your business anyway.”<br /><br />What could only be described as pity crept into his eyes. Pity that fueled her temper. “I’d really hoped I was wrong.”<br /><br />Wrong? Oh, now he was gonna get it. “Look, buddy. I’m not completely sure what the heck is going on here, but—”<br /><br />His spine stiffened. “I have something very important I need to talk to you about, Acacia.”<br /><br />The clip to his voice stopped the argument on her lips. “What could you possibly have to talk to me about?” she asked hesitantly.<br /><br />“Your father.”<br /><br />Okay, she’d been wrong. Seeing him again wasn’t the biggest shock of her life. This virtual stranger had just dropped the f-bomb on her.<br /><br />“My father?” she asked in stunned disbelief. “My father’s dead.”<br /><br />“No, he’s not. He’s very much alive. At least for the moment.”<br /><br />Casey eased back against the shelf and steadied her hand on a stack of books. Paperback novels pressed into her spine, but she barely felt them. For the first time since Jill had told her of the test results and the extra battery of tests they wanted to run, she wasn’t thinking of herself. “Wh-Where is he?”<br /><br />“Far away. But he’s asked for you. He’s a man of great importance where I come from. There isn’t much time left.” Theron held out his hand. “If you come with me, I’ll take you to him.”<br /><br />Casey looked from his strong hand up to his intense, midnight eyes and back again. He could take her to her father. To the man who’d known her mother. To the man who should have been the one to raise her and love her and take care of her. To the one who could put together the broken pieces of her family and answer all her questions about who she really was.<br /><br />Slowly she extended her hand. Warmth and electricity zipped along her skin even before their palms met. She looked up, surprised, and that’s when she saw it. Just a flicker behind his hard eyes. A window into his thoughts. And what she saw there chilled her.<br /><br />Lies.<br /><br />She jerked her hand back before he could touch her, and closed her fingers into a fist. “Before I agree to anything, I want to know what’s going on. Who are you?”<br /><br />A menacing chuckle came from the doorway. “A hero who’s about to die.”<br /><br /><center>***</center><br />Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!<br /><br /><a href="http://mckennajeffries.com/blog"> McKenna Jeffries</a><br /><a href="http://vivarend.blogspot.com/">Vivian Arend</a><br /><a href="http://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com/">Ashley Ladd</a><br /><a href="http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog">Shelley Munro</a><br /><a href="http://taigecrenshaw.com/blog">Taige Crenshaw</a><br /><a href="http://maricarr.com/?page_id=11">Mari Carr</a><br /><a href="http://www.shellistevens.com/blog/">Shelli Stevens</a>Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-25791552826991277392010-01-21T09:31:00.000-08:002010-01-21T10:35:29.143-08:00Regurgitated Plot?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykjxJ8FAO-4E568ob2jWBPRQ0KSezIeh8UnmYfYB8iufffYjKB5Trd4JZy4duNkbsQTugsDr4rHyUamR5kp0gxKQyVJEjI8X563eRe97oB_fy7BpE2W7E0E7CZpxNrVKJmkVP/s1600-h/avatar-movie-poster.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykjxJ8FAO-4E568ob2jWBPRQ0KSezIeh8UnmYfYB8iufffYjKB5Trd4JZy4duNkbsQTugsDr4rHyUamR5kp0gxKQyVJEjI8X563eRe97oB_fy7BpE2W7E0E7CZpxNrVKJmkVP/s400/avatar-movie-poster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429247479687365778" /></a>On Monday I went to see <span style="font-style:italic;">Avatar</span>. I didn't see it in 3-d because 1) I'm cheap and 2) we took the kids and they never leave their glasses on (hence why I'm too cheap to pay for a 3-d movie for them). Maybe I missed something spectacular by only seeing it in 2-d -- I don't know -- but I do know this...I wasn't overly impressed.<br /><br />My biases will show here. I had a hard time getting past the blue skin and the way the female lead hissed like a cat. And I had a REALLY hard time when the hero, human in an avatar body, started hissing like a cat. Huh? Hello...he's still human! I also thought the gung-ho military commander was over-the-top sterotypical (in a bad way) and that his motivations were really (and I mean really) weak. The movie was also way too long and way too predictable. But those were all minor annoyances compared to what really bugged me. No, what really bothered me was that I've watched this movie before. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.carrielofty.com">Carrie Lofty</a> sent me this <a href="http://iamhilarious.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/pocahontas-avatar-750x730.jpg">short synopsis of the movie</a>. I walked out of the theater thinking it reminded me too much of <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Dance With Wolves</span></span>. But Carrie hit it spot on...this movie WAS <span style="font-style:italic;">Pocahontas</span>, just done up with special effects.<br /><br />Okay, I'm a writer. I realize that plots are reworked all the time. I know when you take a story down to its most basic elements, there are really only seven original plots:<br /><br />Overcoming the monster<br />Rags to riches<br />The quest<br />Voyage and return<br />Comedy<br />Tragedy<br />Rebirth<br /><br />I also know that all stories--books and movies--are simply variations on these seven original plots. But, come on. James Cameron, the movie god, couldn't give us anything more original than <span style="font-style:italic;">Pocahontas</span>?<br /><br />My dislikes aside, I guess in a way the success of this movie is really a plus for writers like me. If <span style="font-style:italic;">Avatar</span> were a book, it would be shelved in sci-fi romance. It has all the elements of a single title romance: happy ending, bad guy gets it in the end, world is saved, hero finds true love, heroine teaches hero about what's most important in life. Those are the things *I* write about, and they're the things my fellow romance writers write about. I have a feeling if you asked James Cameron if <span style="font-style:italic;">Avatar</span> is a romance, he'd probably say no, it's a sci-fi thriller. But you and I know the truth. And the next time someone bashes romance around me, I'll ask them if they enjoyed <span style="font-style:italic;">Avatar</span>. Fodder for the romance genre is one thing I have to thank James Cameron for.Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-79778447651121930242010-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:002010-01-20T00:00:00.249-08:00ARCs!!I heard from a reliable source (marketing guru at my pub house) that ARCs for <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/marked.html">MARKED</a> went in the mail to me today. Which means...CONTEST!!!!<br /><br />Stay tuned. I'm thinking I'll have something fun to give away by next week!<br /><br />And since I'm teasing...I saw a sneak peek at my new website redesign yesterday and oh my gosh...it's full of AWESOMENESS. I can't wait to share it. It's scheduled to go live in early March. But just let me say...very very cool.Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-11119305123650631342010-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:002010-01-19T00:00:01.668-08:00New Widget!You may have already seen the smaller version of this on my sidebar, but I'm super excited about this new countdown widget for my Eternal Guardians series:<br /><br /><center><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNjM1OTgwNTcyNjYmcHQ9MTI2Mzc1NjA1NjE3MSZwPTEyMDc*MSZkPWRBQnRpTnNBSDJhTXFicDcmZz*xJm89M2JiZGM5MWM5ZTAwNDI4NGIxODE1ZDg5ZjgxNjhjYzQmb2Y9MA==.gif" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="240" height="421" id="spo_dABtiNsAH2aMqbp7" data="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/dABtiNsAH2aMqbp7.swf?v=1263598046"><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="align" value="middle" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="movie" value="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/dABtiNsAH2aMqbp7.swf?v=1263598046" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" name="spo_dABtiNsAH2aMqbp7" src="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/dABtiNsAH2aMqbp7.swf?v=1263598046" width="240" height="421" wmode="transparent" align="middle" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" quality="best"></embed></object></center><br />Book One - MARKED - releases in less than 100 days!<br /><br />If you want to add either of the widgets to your own blog, just click the share button at the bottom of the widget. And to learn more about the book and series, click "Excerpt" (I have the page up on my website). You can also pre-order your copy now from Amazon by clicking the pre-order button!<br /><br />Okay, since we're chatting about the new book, now's the time for your input. I'm gearing up for the release of the new series and I'd like to know...what kind of contest would you like to see in April? More daily giveaways like I've done with the last two contests? More guest bloggers? Do you like to hear about other authors books or would you prefer a topic post instead? Now's your time to let me know what you think.Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-30497499527629302082010-01-18T19:21:00.001-08:002010-01-18T19:28:00.039-08:00STOLEN SEDUCTION Contest Winners!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-4p4zNSJVvFv5B6uRpsSwGoSmkIdQsrt4CCprJN1Lv1W10uU76XAKXj0HaKaX8Ih3kIG-ZNRAEg1VBqQZBropWqkaj0dbKeSuip-0TdaUn7O7h9AQOaRiKdec-bSuHMhKp7H/s1600-h/STOLEN+SEDUCTION+200x322.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-4p4zNSJVvFv5B6uRpsSwGoSmkIdQsrt4CCprJN1Lv1W10uU76XAKXj0HaKaX8Ih3kIG-ZNRAEg1VBqQZBropWqkaj0dbKeSuip-0TdaUn7O7h9AQOaRiKdec-bSuHMhKp7H/s400/STOLEN+SEDUCTION+200x322.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428286782805945586" /></a><br />Okay, here it is. The winners you've been waiting for!!<br /><br /><center>2nd place winner of all three Stolen books: <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/stolen_series.html">STOLEN FURY, STOLEN HEAT & STOLEN SEDUCTION</a> is...<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Carrie Divine!<br /></span><br />and the 1st place winner of the $100 Amazon gift card is...<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mary Fechter!</center></span><br /><br />Ladies, I've sent you both an email. Congratulations and thank you SO much for passing the word about <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/stolen_seduction.html">STOLEN SEDUCTION</a>!<br /><br />Big thanks to everyone who participated in my contests and shared the news about my release. Check back soon for details on the release contest I have planned for <a href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/marked.html">MARKED</a> in April!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-15784108753097323802010-01-17T23:00:00.000-08:002010-01-17T23:51:12.052-08:00Winners!Thank you SO much to everyone who entered my contests for the release of STOLEN SEDUCTION. Here are the last two 30 Days of Treasure Hunting Winners!<br /><br /><center>Winner of Vonna Harper's TAMING THE COUGAR:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#9 - Terri C!</span><br /><br />Winner of the Moody Muse's Starbucks Gift Card:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#5 - Fallon Hadley!</span></center><br /><br />And stay tuned because I'll be announcing the BIG GRAND PRIZE winner of the $100 Amazon gift card sometime tomorrow!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-82092311434726871502010-01-17T00:00:00.000-08:002010-01-17T00:00:04.266-08:0030 Days of Treasure Hunting! - Bonus Day! - The Moody Muses!Today is the LAST day to enter for the $100 Amazon Gift Card. If you haven't entered yet...do it NOW!!! Grand prize winner will be announced tomorrow!<br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/images/stolen_seduction_contest_widget(3).jpg" alt="stolen seduction" width="400" height="521" border="0" usemap="#Map" /><br /><map name="Map" id="Map"><area shape="rect" coords="200,274,259,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/share_image3.html" alt="share image" /><br /><area shape="rect" coords="263,275,328,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/stolen_seduction_contest.html" alt="enter today" /><br /><area shape="rect" coords="332,276,390,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/stolen_seduction.html" alt="go to book" /><br /></map></center>My very last guest isn't an author, but a group of authors who make up <a href="http://www.moodymuses.com/">The Moody Muses</a>.<br /><br />The Moody Muses are four romance writers: Barbara Wallace, Cathryn Parry, Katy Cooper and Becca Wilder. They created the blog to help other writers cope with the ups and downs of writing life. Because let’s face it, Writing Isn’t Easy. Every day visitors are treated to insights – sometimes personal, sometimes positive but always thoughtful – about writing, the writing process and being a writer in general. By sharing their thoughts and experiences, the Muses hope other writers will realize they aren’t alone in fighting their own inner critics and battles, and that we’re all in this crazy creative world together.<br /><br />The Moody Muses are donating a Starbucks Gift Card to one lucky commenter. Simply answer this question: What's the Moody Muse 2010 Challenge?Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-9510668016529153072010-01-16T22:00:00.000-08:002010-01-16T22:00:00.693-08:00Demonica Winner!<center>The winner of the first three Demonica books by Larissa Ione is:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#21 - Barbara E.</span></center><br /><br />Congrats, Barbara! Email me at elisabeth@elisabethnaughton.com with your info and I'll get the books in the mail to you!!<br /><br />And don't forget Larissa's 4th Demonica book - ECSTASY UNVEILED - releases on January 26th!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-35123160343041733842010-01-16T09:26:00.001-08:002010-01-16T09:32:51.964-08:0030 Days of Treasure Hunting! - DAY 30 - Vonna Harper!Two days left to enter...<br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/images/stolen_seduction_contest_widget(3).jpg" alt="stolen seduction" width="400" height="521" border="0" usemap="#Map" /><br /><map name="Map" id="Map"><area shape="rect" coords="200,274,259,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/share_image3.html" alt="share image" /><br /><area shape="rect" coords="263,275,328,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/stolen_seduction_contest.html" alt="enter today" /><br /><area shape="rect" coords="332,276,390,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/stolen_seduction.html" alt="go to book" /><br /></map></center>My guest today is author <a href="http://www.vonnaharper.com">Vonna Harper!</a>!<br /><br />Rumors that Vonna was born with a pencil behind her ear are exaggerated. Her mother would have remembered. She does recall being in about the third grade and staring fixated at a box of stationary. She had no interest in writing letters, just wanted to fill the white space. Her earliest success with pencil and paper featured comic books with the Lone Ranger's horse Silver as the hero. <br /><br />Long story short, Vonna has been writing for so long she no longer (if she ever did) has any other marketable skill beyond rudimentary gardening and dog walking. One of the early erotica writers, she writes for both print and epublishers and fully embraces new publishing technology as long as she can keep her old workhorse of a computer.<br /><br />Known for her capture/BDSM stories, Vonna wants to make it clear that her real life is nowhere near that exciting, unfortunately. But she dreams of being carted away by Tarzan as long as he's a believer in deodorant. <br /><br />Vonna's latest release is WINTER OF THE BEAST:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFT54xHOlINRWu4499tjgISqTPJB9WgQD3LGo1XB3wWEwq264-qJkHMk56H-ZeUeHQkAtQvaLen9IHej7xETzhNdeFH51NChju-kOv0MgDgGuA6vDvBL4FYft-RUcmPtix2_3/s1600-h/9781419926853.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 327px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFT54xHOlINRWu4499tjgISqTPJB9WgQD3LGo1XB3wWEwq264-qJkHMk56H-ZeUeHQkAtQvaLen9IHej7xETzhNdeFH51NChju-kOv0MgDgGuA6vDvBL4FYft-RUcmPtix2_3/s400/9781419926853.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427391213791335394" /></a>Dio of the Puma clan is a skilled warrior and hunter. What he doesn’t feel prepared for is his new role as ruler of a clan with few women. Does he have the necessary leadership and compassion or will his need for sex dominate? Only the massive, mysterious Beast knows.<br /><br />When her cruel husband casts her out, Tawia can no longer call herself a Falcon. Her future a frightening unknown, she heads into the wilderness as winter approaches. The Beast watches.<br /><br />Captured by the enemy warrior, Tawia fights her body’s demands. Trust is as incomprehensible to her as the relationship between Dio and the great puma. But neither man nor beast are willing to set her free.<br /><br />Today Vonna is giving away a signed copy of her Aphrodesia release, TAMING THE COUGAR, to one lucky commenter. Just answer this question: What's the name of my one Samhain book?Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-13192208129696844512010-01-15T22:00:00.000-08:002010-01-15T22:00:02.151-08:00Winners!Here's this past week's winners!<br /><br /><center>Winner of Jess Granger's BEYOND THE RAIN:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#4 - Chelsea B.</span><br /><br />Winner of Maureen McGowan's MAMMOTH BOOK OF TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#6 - Kara </span><br /><br />Winner of Susan Lyons SEX ON THE BEACH:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#10 - Mimi Barbour<br /></span><br />Winner of CL Wilson's QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#7 - Katherine Lockhart</span><br /><br />Winner of Angie Fox's A TALE OF TWO DEMON SLAYERS:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#14 - Jacabur1<br /></span><br />Winner of Anna Campbell's book - choice of CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, UNTOUCHED, TEMPT THE DEVIL or CAPTIVE OF SIN. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#39 - Christine M.<br /></span></center><br /><br />Congrats to all the winners! Email me at elisabeth@elisabethnaughton.com with your email and snail mail addys so I can forward your info to the respective authors!<br /><br />And don't forget I've extended the contests through Sunday so you have TWO MORE DAYS to enter for that $100 Amazon Gift Card!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-63638173109957232572010-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:002010-01-15T00:00:07.718-08:0030 Days of Treasure Hunting! - DAY 29 - NY Times Bestseller Larissa Ione!Three days left to enter...<br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/images/stolen_seduction_contest_widget(3).jpg" alt="stolen seduction" width="400" height="521" border="0" usemap="#Map" /><br /><map name="Map" id="Map"><area shape="rect" coords="200,274,259,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/share_image3.html" alt="share image" /><br /><area shape="rect" coords="263,275,328,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/stolen_seduction_contest.html" alt="enter today" /><br /><area shape="rect" coords="332,276,390,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/stolen_seduction.html" alt="go to book" /><br /></map></center>My guest today is New York Times bestselling author <a href="http://www.larissaione.com">Larissa Ione!</a>!<br /><br />Larissa Ione is the <span style="font-style:italic;">USA Today</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">New York Times</span> bestselling author of the Demonica series. She also writes sexy contemporary romance stories for Samhain and Red Sage. Her alter ego, Sydney Croft (pen name with romantic suspense author Stephanie Tyler), writes erotic paranormal action-adventure.<br /><br />An Air Force veteran, she has been a meteorologist, EMT, and professional dog trainer. She is now lucky enough to write full time while living a nomadic lifestyle with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, son, and an extremely high-maintenance cat.<br /><br />When not writing, she can be found reading, playing RPG's on the computer, and watching re-runs of Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural.<br /> <br />Larissa's upcoming release (January 26th!) is ECSTACY UNVEILED:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmyIZpTNPtHxf_f0IFCLZt4m9c7-pqW73WsXNpCpk0GEtoZLlMlPfw1XlDBBFlLbGEV9CXyNR4dLG8Pwezi_1xF0RBSkRHc-kDq2LY-_kpgybfY1Kt27gWXOGtaMTyQh-COdU/s1600-h/ecstacy+unveiled.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmyIZpTNPtHxf_f0IFCLZt4m9c7-pqW73WsXNpCpk0GEtoZLlMlPfw1XlDBBFlLbGEV9CXyNR4dLG8Pwezi_1xF0RBSkRHc-kDq2LY-_kpgybfY1Kt27gWXOGtaMTyQh-COdU/s400/ecstacy+unveiled.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425647464435654178" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">A Demon Enslaved…</span><br /><br />Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master’s assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister’s life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he’ll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">An Angel Tempted…</span><br /><br />Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She’s determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary—even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.<br /><br />Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again—hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.<br /><br />As a special treat, one lucky commenter today will win THE FIRST THREE DEMONICA BOOKS: PLEASURE UNBOUND, DESIRE UNCHAINED, and PASSION UNLEASHED. All you have to do is enter this question: Who is Larissa Ione's secret alter ego? (Hint: she shares her secret identity with author Stephanie Tyler).Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11980534.post-85997789760259965182010-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:002010-01-14T00:00:04.296-08:0030 Days of Treasure Hunting! - DAY 28 - Anna CampbellFour days left to enter...<br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/images/stolen_seduction_contest_widget(3).jpg" alt="stolen seduction" width="400" height="521" border="0" usemap="#Map" /><br /><map name="Map" id="Map"><area shape="rect" coords="200,274,259,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/share_image3.html" alt="share image" /><br /><area shape="rect" coords="263,275,328,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/stolen_seduction_contest.html" alt="enter today" /><br /><area shape="rect" coords="332,276,390,362" href="http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/books/stolen_seduction.html" alt="go to book" /><br /></map></center>My guest today is author <a href="http://www.annacampbell.com">Anna Campbell!</a>!<br /><br />Anna Campbell lives near the sea on the east coast of Australia. She writes Regency historicals for Avon and her most recent release is CAPTIVE OF SIN, chosen as one of the best 100 books of 2009 by Publishers Weekly. Anna has won numerous awards for her passionate, emotional books and was a double RITA finalist in 2008. Her third Regency noir TEMPT THE DEVIL has just been nominated in the Romantic Times 2009 Reviewers Choice Awards. Make sure you look for MY RECKLESS SURRENDER in June 2010! <br /><br />Anna's recent release is CAPTIVE OF SIN:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfhmRv39Wy9pmSKb3ffn_BSLWnOKIusv0BE-6scCZAlqt6Ac90Ye7ZAZxll45AhaSUbsZFJ0rX1SgL2gTS8vqR0yyePGN5eO-B-d_52RoTh72OUyF2Akbn39_VSe08GhPLWxg/s1600-h/captive+of+sin+mm+c.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfhmRv39Wy9pmSKb3ffn_BSLWnOKIusv0BE-6scCZAlqt6Ac90Ye7ZAZxll45AhaSUbsZFJ0rX1SgL2gTS8vqR0yyePGN5eO-B-d_52RoTh72OUyF2Akbn39_VSe08GhPLWxg/s400/captive+of+sin+mm+c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426382224715313058" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">He pledged his honor to keep her safe . . . </span><span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Returning home after tragedy, Sir Gideon Trevithick discovers a defiant beauty in danger. He’s dismayed to discover she’s heiress Charis Weston—and he can only protect her from her violent stepbrothers by wedding her himself! Now Gideon must hide his dark secrets from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.<br /><br />Anna is giving away the choice of one book from her backlist: either CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, UNTOUCHED, TEMPT THE DEVIL or CAPTIVE OF SIN. Simply answer this question: What is the name of the hero in her June 2010 release, MY RECKLESS SURRENDER?<br /><br />Welcome, Anna!<br /><br /><center>***</center><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lights, Camera, Action…Romance?</span></center><br />Firstly, congratulations, Elisabeth, on the release of the third in your Stolen trilogy (hmm, that doesn’t sound quite right!), STOLEN SEDUCTION! I’ve been seeing so much buzz about these books around Bloglandia. You must be delighted. And thank you for inviting me to blog today and play in your great contest. Wow, what a wonderful selection of prizes! <br /><br />I’m here to talk about CAPTIVE OF SIN which was a November release in the U.S. and has just come out in the Land Downunder in a gorgeous trade paperback edition that has me drooling. Actually a bit like the stolen trilogy comment, that doesn’t sound quite right! <br /><br />CAPTIVE OF SIN is a classic marriage of convenience story. I’d never written one before although it’s a theme I always enjoy in romances – how could a girl brought up on Harlequin Mills and Boon say anything else? There are more marriage of convenience stories in Harlequins than there are conveniences in a toilet shop! I love how a MOC story forces the couple together, usually under one roof (plenty of opportunity for passion and conflict and mayhem). In a historical, given the difficulty of obtaining a divorce, they really did have to work out their problems or be stuck with that other person forever. How delicious! <br /><br />The lovely folk at Avon Australia have put together a video of me talking about CAPTIVE OF SIN that they’re featuring on their site SCARLET PAGES and also on YouTube. My talented friend Amanda Bell played director and also interviewer, and her budgie got in on the act, if you listen closely. Check it out:<br /><br /><center><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CPH0XfzPAcg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CPH0XfzPAcg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></center><br />So what book makes you drool? Leave a comment to go into the draw to win your choice from my four books! Good luck!Elisabeth Naughtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00310370376567468626noreply@blogger.com51