This is my last blog post here because....

MY BEAUTIFUL NEW WEBSITE IS LIVE!!!!

Check it out at www.elisabethnaughton.com. 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 www.elisabethnaughton.com/blog/

In addition, if you have a blog feed to this addy, please switch it over to the new address.

My first post is already up on the new site...and I'm giving away first chapter booklets of MARKED 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!

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.


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!

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!

***
Excerpted from: MARKED
ISBN: 978-0-505-52822-3
Release Date: April 27, 2010

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.

His. There was a word. The irony was like a knife to the stomach.

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.

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.

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?

Now it was as if his eyes had been opened.

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.

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.

She was his curse. His soul mate. His life. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to keep her from dying.

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.

Gods, it was fading. In a matter of days, it would be gone.

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.

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.

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.

Someone was outside on his porch.

Skata, he’d been wrong. They’d come for him already.

A deep male voice echoed through the closed doors. Followed by Acacia’s surprised and wary one.

His heart rate jerked.

No. He was wrong. They’d come for her.

***
Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!

Emma Petersen
Ashley Ladd
Lissa Matthews
TJ Micheals
McKenna Jeffries
Eliza Gayle
Mari Carr
Juliana Stone
Lauren Dane
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw

Oy...it's been a while since I've been here. Sorry! I have a good excuse.

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...)

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.

In other news, I got an A+ review today on STOLEN SEDUCTION from The Good The Bad & the Unread! 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

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...go do it soon!!! (The sign up form is on the bottom of the home page.) You just never know when I'm gonna start handing out ARCs!

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.)

Hope you're all well.

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.

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!!!

Wendy (#7)

and

Dawn (#29)

email me at elisabeth@elisabethnaughton.com with your snail mail addys and I'll get your book(s) in the mail!!

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!

Thanks to all who entered and spread the word about MARKED. Keep talking up the book and series, please!

This press release went out yesterday and I thought I'd share:

DorchesterPublishing

02/03/10 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dorchester Announces Its New Pledge

Publisher Promises Fulfilling Reader Experience & Guarantees Satisfaction

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.

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.

"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."

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.

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.

Additional information about the books selected for Dorchester's Publisher's Pledge program will be available on www.dorchesterpub.com in March 2010.

***
Sweet, huh? Anytime I'm compared to Sherrilyn Kenyon, I'll take it. ;)

In other news...BookBinge gave STOLEN SEDUCTION an awesome review yesterday. Take a peek here.

And today I'm hosting the RomCom Forum. The topic is Getting Your Romance Fix. Hop over and say hi! I'm giving away books!

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. See post below on how to enter.

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.

Here's all you have to do to enter:

See this lovely widget?

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 in the comment section of this post. That's it! (If you want a smaller version of the widget, GO HERE.)

I'll keep the contest open for a week and announce the winners on Friday, February 5th.

Good luck!!

I'm in two places at once today.

I'm over at The Ruby Slippered Sisterhood talking about my twisted mind (and giving away a book!) and I'm also at the Bradford Bunch talking about the upcoming release of MARKED (and part of what has me uber-excited). Join me at one or both places!

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.

Enjoy!

***
Excerpted from MARKED
April 27, 2010
Dorchester
ISBN: 978-0-505-52822-3

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
weather.”

“I—” Theron cleared his throat. “I’m looking for Acacia Simopolous.”

He didn’t even know he was looking for her? Wonderful. Her day was sooo getting better.

“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.”

He let out what sounded to her like a frustrated breath.

As if she cared.

“I’d like a few minutes to speak with you—”

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.”

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.”

“You remember that? I didn’t—”

“Trust me, buddy. I’d like nothing more than to forget I ever met you.”

“Acacia—”

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 . . .”

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.

She climbed down off the ladder quickly and pressed a hand to her chest.

“Meli.” He advanced on her.

“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.

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.

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.

“I asked you to leave. I’d appreciate it if you’d do at least one thing I asked.”

“Are you all right?”

Was she all right? What a joke. She wanted to scream, No, I’m not all right. I’m never going to be all right again, you idiot! 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.

“I’m fine,” she snapped, jerking her hand away before he could touch her. Why wasn’t he leaving?

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.”

Oh, that’s right. She’d not only almost gone to bed with this guy. She’d almost gone to bed with him after meeting him at a strip club. Yeah. She got the gold star for brains this time around.

“I do,” she huffed. “Part time. Not that it’s any of your business anyway.”

What could only be described as pity crept into his eyes. Pity that fueled her temper. “I’d really hoped I was wrong.”

Wrong? Oh, now he was gonna get it. “Look, buddy. I’m not completely sure what the heck is going on here, but—”

His spine stiffened. “I have something very important I need to talk to you about, Acacia.”

The clip to his voice stopped the argument on her lips. “What could you possibly have to talk to me about?” she asked hesitantly.

“Your father.”

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.

“My father?” she asked in stunned disbelief. “My father’s dead.”

“No, he’s not. He’s very much alive. At least for the moment.”

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?”

“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.”

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.

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.

Lies.

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?”

A menacing chuckle came from the doorway. “A hero who’s about to die.”

***
Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!

McKenna Jeffries
Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
Mari Carr
Shelli Stevens

I heard from a reliable source (marketing guru at my pub house) that ARCs for MARKED went in the mail to me today. Which means...CONTEST!!!!

Stay tuned. I'm thinking I'll have something fun to give away by next week!

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.

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:


Book One - MARKED - releases in less than 100 days!

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!

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.

Today's Saturday Snippet is all about weapons. I decided to pull something from MARKED for this one. I hope you enjoy!

***
Excerpted from MARKED
Release Date: May 2010
Dorchester

The air chilled, and the hair on the back of Theron’s neck stood up before he could question the child in-depth. Destiny forgotten, he edged toward the opening of the loft that looked down over the burned village. Then cursed long and low.

“Marissa,” Acacia said in a forceful voice, “Did Theron put you up to this?”

Theron moved as quickly and quietly as he could across the floor and grasped Acacia by the arm, pulling her up to his side. “We have a problem,” he said quietly into her ear.

She looked over with irritated eyes. “What now?”

“Three daemons. They look to be on patrol.” Acacia’s face went ashen. “My guess is they watch this area for stragglers in the hopes they may lead them to the colony.”

“Oh, shit,” she whispered.

“Acacia,” he said brusquely as he she trembled against him. “Stay with me.” Wide violet eyes met his, but there was fear there—lots of it—as she obviously remembered their last run in with Atalanta’s henchmen.

Dammit, this was what he’d been afraid of the moment she’d set out on this stupid quest. “I can handle the daemons. But you have to get Marissa to safety.”

She glanced right and left. “All three? You can’t…back at the store—”

“I can,” he said quickly. “At the store I was worried about you. Trust me. I know what I’m doing. But only if we work together.”

“Oh, God.” When she sagged against him, he knew he was losing her.

He tightened his arm around her waist, while listening intently to what was happening outside. The daemons were moving closer. He was running out of time. “You have to pull it together right now because I want to hear all the other reasons you’re not really attracted to me.”

She looked up, swallowed hard. And as their eyes met the connection they’d shared from the first flared deep in his soul. He knew she felt it too. Just as he knew if something happened to her here, he would never be the same.

She nodded once, twice, and pulled her courage up like a suit of armor. “I…I’m not attracted to you.” But she gripped his shirt at the chest and didn’t make any move to let go.

“Liar,” he whispered, just before dipping his head and taking her mouth.

The kiss was fast, and not nearly as deep as he wanted. But they didn’t have time for anything more.

He pulled the spiked dagger knife from his ankle, unsnapped the holster and attached it to her calf. Then he opened the weapon that was shaped like a bowie knife with menacing spikes sticking out of the underside of the handle. “Take this. Hold it here.” He positioned her fingers. “If any get past me, this won’t do you any good unless they get close. Swing like this. Away from your body.” He moved her arm to show her what he meant. “The spikes tear up the flesh and the blade does the rest. It won’t kill a daemon, but a good solid hit will incapacitate one long enough for you to get away.”

“Theron, I—”

“We don’t have time.” He shoved a penlight into her pocket, then grabbed Marissa and pushed her toward Casey. “Wait until you see me out front, then take the back ladder and head for the mountain across the stream. Try to find a cave or shelter to hide in. I’ll find you after.”

Shaking, Acacia slid the knife into its holster, lifted a frightened Marissa into her arms and cradled the child against her chest. “But how will you know where we are?”

He crossed the floor and stopped at the edge of the shadows, just out of sight of the daemons below, and took one last look at her. “I’ll always find you, Acacia. That is a promise.”

“Theron—”

He didn’t wait for her response. Instead he stepped off that second floor and landed against the cold earth one story down. All three daemons turned his direction with surprised, glowing green eyes.

“Hello, boys,” he said, reaching for his parazonium strapped to the small of his back. “You look a little lost. Let me direct you back to hell.”

***

Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!

Anya Bast
Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Leah Braemel
Jaci Burton
Taige Crenshaw
Shelley Munro
Sasha White
Jody Wallace
TJ Michaels
Victoria Janssen

I know. Quite a hodge-podge of topics, eh?

First off, I'm guest blogging today over at Cynthia Eden's blog for her month of monsters, talking about monsters, what scares me and my new paranormal series - Eternal Guardians. Plus I'm giving away a free book.

So stop on over and leave me a comment to be entered into the drawing.


***
Secondly, I promised pictures of Hawaii, and no, I didn't forget. I've simply been overwhelmed with my deadline, so apologies for not getting these up sooner.


We had a fabulous time in Kauai. It was my first time to that particular island and I can totally see why people consider it paradise. Originally we were supposed to stay in a condo in Poipu (south, sunny side) but 10 days before our trip the rental agency called to inform me that the unit I'd rented had sold and they didn't have anything else available. You can imagine my shock - and stress. I scrambled at the last minute to find something that would work. Luckily, I did, and we ended up at the Waipouli Beach Resort in Kapa'a. (Located in the heart of the Coconut Coast, and now I know why.)


I hadn't wanted to be on the east side (due to the weather) but it turned out great. The resort was gorgeous, the pool was beautiful and the kids had a fabulous vacation. This was the first time any of them had been to Hawaii, so the fab pool and the great beach were a bonus. It did rain a few days in Kapa'a, but we were able to load up in the car and drive to the beaches in Poipu on those days and find some sun, so all in all it wasn't bad at all.


We didn't get to do a few things I wanted to do, like explore the northern beaches (the weather didn't cooperate) or sail the Napili Coast (the seas were a bit rough) or hike Waimea Canyon (we learned quickly on a hike to Secret Beach that the kids are not hikers in the least). But that was okay. We relaxed on the beach and hung out at the pool, and spending time with the kids was our goal for the trip, so we were happy.





***
And finally, now that I'm home my focus is trained on finishing the 2nd book in my Eternal Guardians series. It's due soon so I may be in and out. But don't forget to check back soon for deets on my upcoming contest. STOLEN SEDUCTION, the third Stolen book, releases December 29, 2009. It seems so far away, but really it's not. It's right around the corner!!

Hey all!

I'm back from vacation. Left sunny 85-90 degree weather and came home to rain, clouds and 50 degrees. Brrrrr!!! It's taking me a bit to get acclimated to the cold again!

I'll share more about my trip tomorrow, complete with pictures, but today I want to show you the new cover for MARKED (the first in my upcoming Eternal Guardians paranormal series)!!!! My editor sent me the final yesterday.

And here's the back cover blurb:

THERON – Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He’s the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn’t exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.

She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron’s duty to bring her in. But even as a 200-year-old descendent of Hercules, he wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.

As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

***
So...what do you think?

One of these days I'll post this on time...

Today's Saturday Snippet is first paragraphs. So for fun I'm pasting in the first paragraphs from all three STOLEN books and the opening of MARKED, my new paranormal series. And you know what I discovered? I have a tendency to start in the heroine's POV. Who knew?

Enjoy!

Excerpted from STOLEN FURY
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (January 2009)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 978-0-505-52793-6

The floor was still at least twenty feet below her.

Surrounded by utter blackness, Lisa Maxwell tipped her head so the cone light from her helmet could slide over the interior of the cave. Then wondered what the heck she’d gotten herself into.

***


Excerpted from STOLEN HEAT
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (August 2009)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 978-0-505-52794-3

All things considered, she looked pretty good for a six year-old corpse.

Katherine Meyer checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror one last time and smoothed a few wild strands of hair back from her face. The black slacks and matching jacket were perfect, not one thing about them the slightest bit memorable. No one glancing her direction tonight would ever see anything other than the professional assistant she resembled, and that was precisely the way she wanted it. The less attention she drew, the safer everyone would be.

***


Excerpted from STOLEN SEDUCTION
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (January 2010)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 978-0-505-52795-0

“You’re trying to get my ass kicked, aren’t you?”

Hailey Roarke smiled at the moody male voice echoing in her ear as she peered into the darkness. “Define trying,” she said into the mike attached to her turtleneck.

***




Excerpted from MARKED
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (May 2010)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 0-505-52822-3

Some nights, a woman just wanted to bash her brain against a wall to keep from screaming. For Casey Simopolous, this was one of those nights.

“Yo, sistah. My tongue’s not getting any wetter over here by itself.” The blond frat-wannabe at the other end of her section threw his arms out wide with a could-you-be-more-stupid? look on his face. “We gonna get those drinks or what?” The two idiots seated next to him at the small circular table laughed and slapped him on the shoulder in a you-da-man move that made Casey grind her teeth together.

***
Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!

Kelly Maher
Jody Wallace
Shelli Stevens
Michelle Pillow
Lauren Dane
Leah Braemel
Jaci Burton
McKenna Jeffries
Moira Rogers
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Juliana Stone
Anya Bast
Lacey Savage
Shelley Munro
Sasha White
Ashley Ladd

Eek! It's Wednesday already? I swear the weeks are flying by.

Okay, so many things to talk about...

First of all, if you're in the area, stop by the 3rd Annual Rose City Romance Event this Friday, September 18th at 7pm. Here's the Powell's Blurb about the Event:

Rose City Romance Group Signing
Join us in supporting local romance authors at our third annual Rose City Romance event! Meet these talented women, ask questions, and get books autographed in a casual setting. Featured authors include:

* Cathy Lamb (Almost Home)
* Delilah Marvelle (Lord of Pleasure)
* Minnette Meador (Edge of Honor)
* Jenna Bayley-Burke (Her Cinderella Complex)
* Meljean Brook (Demon Bound)
* Jean Johnson (The Sons of Destiny Series)
* Margaret Mallory (Knight of Desire)
* Gina Robinson (Spy Candy)
* Elisabeth Naughton (Stolen Heat)
* Hanna Rhys-Barnes (Widow's Peak)
* Lisa Hendrix (Immortal Outlaw, Immortal Warrior)

Friday, September 18th @ 7pm Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd. (800) 878-7323

Secondly, my editor sent me the artwork for MARKED this morning, and though I can't share it yet (it's just artwork, no text) I CAN tease you and tell you that it is FABULOUS. I really, really love it. And can't wait to share it!! As soon as I can, I'll post it here. I did show it to my CP - who was instrumental in my writing the book in the first place, and she said, "Damn, girl. Who did you sleep with in the cover god pantheon?" I'm still chuckling over that one. Though I have to wonder myself. The cover gods have definitely blessed me.

And finally, last night after above CP and I were on IM brainstorming a scene in the WIP that had me tied up, I came across this video. I've seen it before - and you probably have too - but it's so funny I thought I'd post it here. I laughed so hard I cried. And don't we all need that once in a while? I hope you enjoy!

Birthday Greetings from Joe Cocker from Jared Pike on Vimeo.

I always have these great intentions of posting early, then real life inevitably gets in the way and I'm left scrambling. Such is my life...

Last night we went bowling with friends (which, btw, I suck at) then out to dinner. Got home too late for me to post, then got up too late and found myself scrambling to get to the football field in time to watch Gremlin #2's team. And now it's already after noon. *sigh*

BUT...at least I didn't forget.

Today's Saturday Snippet is all about world building. So I thought I'd try something new and give you a sneak peek at my upcoming Eternal Guardians Series and the first book - MARKED (May 2010). I hope you enjoy!

***
Excerpted from MARKED
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (May 2010)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 0-505-52822-3

Theron turned at the base of the grand staircase and headed for the king’s suite of rooms on the fourth floor of the castle. Enormous Grecian columns flanked the massive hallway. Plush furnishings, gilded mirrors, statuary and fresh flowers atop pedestals and marble tables filled the space around him as he moved. Wealth dripped from every trinket, from the velvet curtains at the enormous windows to the gold dusted doors he passed along his way.

The place so totally wasn’t him. His shoulders tightened with every step he took. How could the king or Isadora stand it? How in Hades would he manage living in this mausoleum? He could barely walk down the hall without feeling the overwhelming need to run for the nearest open door to freedom.

Just as he reached the end of the hall, the king’s door opened and Callia stepped out with her trusty bag in tow. He waited until she turned and saw him before speaking. “Callia.”

“Theron.” She tossed her dark hair over her shoulder and gave him the once-over. “I see the rumors about you were true. I smell lavender. Is there anything you’d like me to look at?”

Always the same Callia. Direct and to the point. There’d been a time—when he’d been young and foolish—when he’d been entranced by her startling beauty just like every other pubescent Argolēan, but that had quickly faded. There’d never been a love match between himself and Callia. He liked the gynaika he bedded to have a beating heart.

“No. I’m well enough.” Thanks to Casey.

He quickly pushed thoughts of the human out of his mind. “Tell me about Isadora. Her health concerns me.”

A worried look crossed Callia’s normally confident face. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder toward the king’s doorway then motioned for Theron to join her across the hallway, out of earshot.

“Yes,” she said when they reached the staggering windows overlooking the stone courtyard below. “Theron, I’m not sure how to tell you this but, there’s no other way to say it. Isadora’s dying.”

Her words should have elicited a reaction, but instead all Theron felt was…nothing.
No, that wasn’t entirely true. A tiny part of him was relieved. And that emotion angered him more than the misery he knew he should be feeling.

“You’re sure of this?” he asked. “How? She looks—”

“I’ve consulted every medical book I have, poured through the historical annals looking for something—anything—that’s remotely similar. None of the traditional healing methods have worked. Something is broken inside her, only I can’t figure out what. It’s like…”

“What?”

She frowned. “You’ll think I’m crazy.”

“Nothing could be crazier than knowing our kingdom is about to lose both its king and its heir. Don’t hold back from me, Callia. What?”

She let out a breath. “It’s almost like she’s losing that part of herself which is inherently Argolēan. Her immune system—which is normally strong—is the weakest I’ve ever seen. It’s almost like her human half is taking over.”

Theron glanced around the posh room but saw none of it. “Have you told anyone else this?

“No. You’re the only one. I mentioned her fading health to the king, but I don’t want to put more stress on him than is necessary. He hasn’t seen her since she was returned to the kingdom. I’m afraid her situation could push him over the edge.”

Theron glanced toward the cathedral window and the view of Tiyrns down the hill below. A bird flew over the parapet, swooped low into the courtyard and landed on the fountain’s edge. He followed the flap of its wings as the timeline he’d been ticking off in his mind jumped to light speed. He’d spent precious hours with Casey when he’d been needed here.

“How long?” he asked. “How long do you think she has left?”

“I’m not sure,” Callia said softly at his side. “Could be days. Weeks. Possibly longer. But one thing’s certain, Theron. She’s not strong enough to produce the heir the king so desperately wants from your union. A pregnancy would seal her death warrant.”

No, he’d been wrong. He did feel something. A shred of impending loss for Isadora. And a low, searing ache at the bottom of his heart for their race. This changed everything.

His gaze snapped to Callia. “This goes no farther. The Council cannot be told.”

“You’re the only one. As her future mate, it’s your burden to bring this to the Council of Elders when you see fit.”

He nodded, though it was a duty he didn’t particularly look forward to. He was a fighter, a soldier who commanded an elite band of guardians against those who would destroy their world if they could. He cared little of politics and status and the bickerings of the Council. If Isadora died without producing an heir—even if he did marry her—the Council would never allow him to become king. And the direction of the Argonauts would shift forever.

He looked toward the king’s bedroom door.

“Try not to stay longer than necessary,” Callia said. “He’s frail. And he needs his rest. If you have any other questions regarding the princess, come find me.”

Callia stepped around him, leaving him alone in the deserted grand hall. When she disappeared from sight, he rubbed a hand over his face, and fleetingly thought of Casey. Staying with her would have been a helluva lot easier and way more pleasurable than coming back to all this.

The king’s nurse rose from behind a large desk when he stepped into the outer sitting room. Theron waited while she checked to see if the king was up for a visitor.

When she returned, her lips were drawn down in a disapproving frown and lines creased the skin between her eyes. It was a look he’d seen often from her over the last few weeks. Not that he cared.

“Not long,” she said. “He needs his rest.”

He rapped on the bedroom door and waited. And told himself somehow he’d find a way to save Isadora. It was his duty, not only as the leader of the Argonauts, but as her future husband as well.

“Come in, son,” a weak voice called from the other side of the door. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

***
Now check out these other awesome excerpts!

Michelle Pillow
Kelly Maher
Mark Henry
Jody Wallace
Jaci Burton
Ashley Ladd
Moira Rogers
Taige Crenshaw
Lauren Dane
Victoria Janssen
Vivian Arend
TJ Michaels
Juliana Stone
Anya Bast
Lacey Savage
Eliza Gayle

Over the weekend I rented Jason & The Argonauts. It's an older movie - ca. 2000 - about Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece. As I'm in the middle of my own Argonaut series right now, I'm heavily immersed in Greek mythology, so I was really looking forward to watching this movie.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I'd hoped. It was long (over three hours) and dry, and the romance between Jason & Medea left me yawning. But it was an interesting portrayal of the quest and for research reasons, I'm glad I watched it.

Now, what I'm REALLY looking forward to is the new Clash of the Titans movie, which releases March 2010. Here's a brief synopsis:

In Clash of the Titans, the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world.

Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.

This sounds like my kind of movie. And I'm pumped because it comes out just two months before the launch of my new Eternal Guardians series and the first book, MARKED. Hopefully it will have people talking about Greek mythology and pining for more.

What movies are you looking forward to?

This is my favorite week of the year. Back-to-school week. One Gremlin started school today, the other two go back tomorrow. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love my Gremlins dearly, but after an entire summer at home with me, they are more than ready to get back to school and I am more than ready for them to go. This summer especially has been a rough one since I was so sick and didn't really start to feel human again until August. The poor Gremlins have had a loooong boring summer filled with too many of mom's doctor appts and forced "rest and recovery". In fact, as I was telling the DH last night, I don't even really feel like we HAD a summer.

To close out the summer we spent the holiday weekend with friends at their cabin in the woods. The Gremlins got to go fishing and swimming and just had a great time. I relaxed sans my laptop and enjoyed my last weekend of freedom. From here on out I'm on a tight schedule as I work to finish my 2nd paranormal book which is due in early December.

So before I take off for the day and dive back into writing, I thought I'd share some great emails I got this weekend. This came from a reader and really made my day:

"Wow. What a ride [STOLEN FURY] was for me. For years I have read Nora Roberts, Kathleen Woodwiss, Anne Stuart and had about given up finding something of great quality romance to read anymore. By accident, I bought Stolen Fury for a beach read and I am blown away. Only now to find out there are two more. I am in heaven. Thank you so much. I [am] now one of your biggest fans. Will be sharing this book with several people."

This one is from Christine, in a comment she left on the blog here. I'm highlighting it because the post is down a ways and it was such a great comment, I thought it needed to be repeated:

"LOVE the back cover art that Leah made for MARKED. It looks fantastic!

Even better is that amazing book quote from Angie Fox! Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of the first paranormal romance authors that I fell in love with and Patricia Briggs is my favorite UF author (I just LOVE her Mercy Thompson series)---so Angie's describing something I'd absolutely love, I'm sure! Can't wait for May!"

Thanks so much, Christine. I'm so happy to hear you're looking forward to the Eternal Guardians Series. (BTW, I forwarded your comment to Angie and she was thrilled it resonated with you!)

And finally, this one came from Daniel Boucher, (www.thenovelblog.com) who wrote an article about me and my books that will be printed in the October edition of the Toronto Main Street Magazine. He wrote about his low expectations regarding romance, and how he felt after he read STOLEN FURY:

"When I finished, I can honestly say that I was taken aback by what I'd read. All my preconceived notions of what romance novels were about (I was thinking trashy) had been tossed out the window. Instead of "trash" what I read was a fast-paced-page-turner that held my attention throughout, with sex scenes that made even a grown man like me blush. The tension Elisabeth created with both the action and love scenes were hypnotizing to say the least."

When I have a link for the full article, I'll post it here, but in the meantime...isn't that a great quote? I just love it. Hearing from readers (and reviewers) has been a real high for me, and not something I thought I'd get so excited about. But it's very very cool when people contact you to tell you how much they love your characters, their world, and your books. So keep the comments coming! They definitely inspire me.

Okay...gotta get to work now. I've left my hero in a cold forest tracking the bad guys. How about the rest of you...are you loving this week as much as I am?

If you've ever been interested in learning how editors come up with back cover copy for books, head over to Romantic Reads today and check out the process. Editor Leah Hultenschmidt is taking readers through her process, and I have to admit, it's very interesting. On top of that, she's using my upcoming paranormal release - MARKED - (May, 2010) as her example. And I just LOVE what she came up with for the end result.

And if that weren't awesome enough...I just received a FABULOUS cover quote for MARKED:

"Treat yourself to the dark sensuality of Sherrilyn Kenyon and the intensity of Patricia Briggs. You won’t be able to put this book down. Naughton’s foray into paranormals is deep, dark and sexy as hell."
--New York Times Bestselling Author Angie Fox

Isn't that great??? I have a huge grin on my face today.

By the way, these are the postcards I had created to promo MARKED this summer at RWA. Since I obviously didn't make it to Washington DC for the conference, these didn't get out. There are elements to this I like, but this is in no way related to the cover of the book. It is, however, something I might be leaning toward as I think about my website redesign. (Haven't decided quite what I want yet, though.) As for the cover of MARKED, I can't wait to see what my publisher comes up with. It'll probably be another month or so before I get to see the cover art, but as soon as I can, I'll share it here.

Now back to work on the galleys for STOLEN SEDUCTION!

Official Slacker

Yup, that's me. Big ol' blog slacker. Sorry to be so MIA. In my defense I've been busy. Not like the rest of the world isn't busy, too, but...ya know how it goes. LOL

So what have I been up to? Let's see...Page proofs for STOLEN HEAT are done and out the door. Woohoo! I've been immersed in those the last week.

Revisions on MARKED are done, and the ms is off to an awesome NYT Bestselling author who agreed to read and blurb it for me. I hope she likes it. (*Says Elisabeth while she chews her fingernails down to the quick.*)

I got news that STOLEN SEDUCTION will definitely be a January 2010 release, so I'm pretty pumped about that. I absolutely love this book. And as much as I love all my heroes, there's just something special about Shane. (It's that whole love/hate relationship thing he and I have going.) The art department is already hard at work on the cover, and I can't wait to see what they come up with. The cover should be the same style as the first two books.

Oh! And I think I can announce this (gosh, I hope so since I'm doing it anyway...). The first paranormal is going to keep it's original title. Book one is going to be called MARKED. And the series is going to be called 'Eternal Guardians'.

And before I forget...I'm running a new contest. I put the details in my newsletter and will get them up on my website hopefully this weekend, but here it is in the meantime:

In the Mood for Some Hidden Treasure?
Enter my Newsletter Contest to Win Your Very Own Treasure Box!
For every person you refer to me who signs up for my newsletter, you'll be entered into a drawing for a box of buried treasure. The goodies will be GOOD (and fun), so start spreading the news(letter) and enter. The rules are simple. Just sent the info about my newsletter to your friends. Then email me at elisabeth (at) elisabethnaughton (dot) com separately with the names of the people you referred. For each person from your list that signs up, your name will go in the drawing for the treasure box. It's THAT easy. A winner will be picked at random in mid-May.

So...aside from all that book stuff, I have nothing else exciting to report except that Nickelback tickets go on sale tomorrow morning, so you can be guaranteed I'll be on the phone trying to get some good seats. Anyone out there Nickelback fans? My Gremlins know most of their (tame) songs, but I had to put a 'hands off' sticker on their new Dark Horse CD. Definitely rated R, this one. (And I love it!) I'm thinking it's a good Eternal Guardians soundtrack.