Monday, May 10, 2021

The Witch and the Vampire #Excerpt #pnr #vampireromance #witchromance

Melora Merriweather is searching for a fellow witch to protect her from a scheming uncle with plans of marriage. When her carriage overturns on her journey, she is rescued by a mysterious man whom she learns is the very person she seeks. But, he's not the witch she thought he was...

Sebastian Collins should have left for London days ago. Now a snowstorm has trapped him with a woman who has come seeking protection, a woman who intrigues him like no other. And with each passing hour, his hunger for her grows...hunger for her kiss, her caress, and her blood.


Excerpt:

"You may have his books, any of them, but only if you grant your protection."

Protection? Sebastian clung to the mantel, the effort to keep himself from going to her, from embracing her, ravaging her... he licked his lips... from tasting her blood, was becoming increasingly difficult. He couldn't remember a full moon when he'd felt quite so weak. There had been challenging moments surely, but never a time when he feared his own loss of control. Not since the beginning, anyway.

"Protection from what?" He felt compelled to ask, even though he certainly knew her answer. But how could he protect her from himself? Even if she barred the door to her bedchamber, he knew of ways to get inside... to touch her. Taste her... He flinched.

Oh, God, control.

He must have control.

"There may be..." She hesitated, and he held his breath waiting for her to continue. "There may be men following me. I want you to assure me you will protect me. That you will not allow them to take me."

Fear.

He smelled it swirling in the air. It circled her like a flock of eager vultures about to descend on a roadside feast. His mouth watered. He placed the back of his hand against his mouth, feeling the sharpened length of his eyeteeth beginning to descend.

His breathing quickened, but it only brought more of her scent to his nostrils.

"And protection for my sister. They search for her, too. I need to know you will keep us safe."

She was vulnerable. Full of fear and uncertainty. Lack of food had weakened her, but her blood still surged strongly through her young, healthy veins.

How easy it would be to reach out to her, hold her and comfort her, stroke her hair and inhale her lavender scent, to nuzzle her neck, taste her skin...

His gut spasmed, nearly buckling his knees.

"Please, go," Sebastian said, panting, nearly bent over from the urge to attack her. He needed blood. What he wanted was her blood, but he was not so far gone as to give in to the beast within. Not yet. He would not kill another innocent. "Go, now."

"But..."

He could not let her see what he was about to do. He couldn't allow anyone to witness such degradation.

"Go back to your room. Lock the door... Please... leave me!" He shouted savagely.

He heard her confused scrambling feet, dashing to the doorway. He heard her heart thumping wildly, and he wondered if it was his appearance that frightened her or the desperation he heard in his own voice. At the sound of the door clicking shut, Sebastian stepped away from the fireplace and dropped to his knees. He unbuttoned his shirtsleeves, pushing the fabric up to reveal the naked flesh of his arm. He took great gulping breaths, attempting one last time to regain some manner of control over himself.

He could do this. He could fight this.

He glanced at his bare arm. The vein in his wrist throbbed violently. 

Thirst burned his tongue.

It took only a moment for his fangs to descend fully to pierce his own flesh.


https://books2read.com/TheWitchandtheVampire


The Merriweather Witches series:

The Witch and the Wolf (Book 1)

The Witch and the Vampire (Book 2)

The Witch's Thief (Book 3)

The Witch's Kiss (Book 4)

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Reading Reviews #IWSG #readers #bookreviews

 


The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: Has any of your readers ever responded to your writing in a way that you didn't expect? If so, did it surprise you? 
I don't like to admit this, but I'm such an insecure writer that any reader who responds with a positive review surprises me! I have such a bad case of imposter syndrome, I think with each book I publish readers will see what a horrible writer I am and call me out. With every 4 & 5 star review my books receive, I breathe a huge sigh of relief.

I was surprised by my first one-star review. Not because I received it, I had fully expected to find one with my debut book. That first one-star review arrived with my third book. 

I was surprised by my response to it. I had been fearful of the complete and utter devastation I would inevitably feel. I was afraid I would never want to publish my books ever again because of some scathing remark from some faceless reader.

Instead, I laughed.

Yes, I laughed at my first one-star review. And surprisingly still, I continue to laugh at the critical reviews I receive. Not because I'm some diva writer who laughs in the face of adversity, but because I am so much more critical of myself. These one-star reviews can never compare to the criticism I give to myself.

Sometimes, I agree with the reviewer. They make valid points that I did not see. Yes, maybe that character wasn't as heroic as I intended. Maybe that scene did not fit the storyline. Good point. Thank you for responding.

Good reviews are great for stroking a writer's ego, but sometimes the bad reviews give a writer more insight.

Another surprise I received from a reader was when they labeled my steamy romance as sweet and wholesome in a review.

But, my paranormal romance was filled with sex scenes, hot and sensual, definitely with the bedroom door held wide open. Not what I would ever classify as a sweet romance. When I think of sweet romance, that bedroom door is held firmly closed.

I was puzzled. It took me some time to figure that one out. That's when I started discovering other books labeled as steamy sweet. It's not exactly the sex scenes that are the issue here. 

The love shared between the characters is sweet, tender and wholesome. The romance where they fall in love is sweet.

But the characters also share sexy times, too!

Sweet and steamy!

Yes, I got it! That's totally what I write! It took a reader's review to make me look at my own writing in a new way.

Be safe! Stay healthy! And keep writing!

Tricia 


Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!


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Tuesday, May 4, 2021

The Witch and the Wolf #Excerpt #pnr #paranormalromance

For the next few weeks, I'll be adding excerpts to my blog for readers to enjoy. The Merriweather Witches is a series that combines two of my favorite genres, historical and paranormal romance. This series follows a family of witches in Regency-era England as they discover romance and love, as well as some otherworldly complications to their lives. The Witch and the Wolf is the first book in the series. It's a novella-sized romance and remains one of my most favorite stories.

Lord Jeremy North's curse is to become a werewolf during every full moon, turning into a bloodthirsty monster that kills with no remorse. When he finds a woman nearly frozen upon his doorstep, his sense of honor compels him to help her, even at the risk he might kill her himself.

Lillian Merriweather hadn't planned to get caught in a blizzard while traveling the English countryside. Nor had she planned on finding refuge in a house full of secrets. But Lillian has secrets of her own. And what she's running from is not far behind...

Excerpt:

"You have need to remove those clothes," he said, hesitantly.

Lillian watched him warily as he took another step toward the door. "If you can manage to undress yourself, I'll fetch you something you can wear." Without another word, he disappeared.

She stared after him, wondering why he had not summoned a maid to assist her. She looked at her hands which remained numb. It would be impossible for her to unbutton anything with her fingers motionless from the cold.

Shivering, she knew she needed to make the attempt. If he refused to send anyone to help her, which Lillian considered rude, then she would just have to resort to helping herself. In normal circumstances, she would be quite capable. Circumstances being what they were, however...

She let the blanket fall from her shoulders as she fumbled with the buttons on the front of her frock. Good thing they were in the front, for if they had been in the back as some of her other dresses, it would have been an impossibility to disrobe. Though, try as she might, her fingers refused the simple commands she gave them. It seemed an inordinate amount of time before she saw a shadow fall across her lap.

Lillian looked up to see him watching her. He had changed his robe into breeches and a hastily buttoned shirt. His feet, though, were bare.

"Forgive my dishabille," he said. "It is not often we receive visitors at these hours."

"I cannot expect you would," she said, smiling regretfully. She lifted her hands to him by way of explanation. "I am having a bit of difficulty. I'm afraid my hands are quite useless at the moment."

He stared intensely and she felt she had inconvenienced him in some way.

"If you might send a maid to assist me..."

"There is none."

"What?"

"We have no maid at the moment, miss. In fact, there is no one at present save Amery and myself." He grimaced as he spoke, and she realized the quandary she had placed upon them.

"Oh," she muttered, truly at a loss for words of any kind. How unusual that he should be derelict of staff. She had noticed no neglect. The rooms she had occupied seemed well tended, and she could not imagine he and the man named Amery would do all the housework themselves.

He seemed to read her thoughts because he continued, "Once a month, I give my staff a paid holiday, and they return to their families or visit friends in the village. Amery is the only one who remains here to assist me. So you see, we are quite uncertain as to what to do with you."

Lillian nodded her understanding, looking again at the dreaded buttons that now appeared as steel manacles.

“You cannot remain in those wet clothes,” he added as an unnecessary reminder.

Her breath caught in her throat as the only possibility for their situation tumbled into her head. She glanced speculatively at him to see if he had come upon the same conclusion.

“You will catch your death of cold if we wait for your hands to thaw,” he added, as if he needed to convince himself. His face and tone became serious as he continued, “I offer you my assistance. I promise I am a gentleman above reproach. What occurs here will stay within this room and no further. No one ever need know how I helped you. Do you understand?”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

Then Lillian gave a solemn nod, casting her gaze to the floor. She felt beyond compromised, but what did that matter in her situation? In fact, it might improve her situation if she dealt with her problems in the correct manner. Her current dilemma needed to be seen to at once. The snow had crept through her cloak and soaked her dress. It clung cold and uncomfortable around her every curve. She knew, as did he, the thing must be removed.

He moved forward, closing the gap between them until he stood directly before her. Keeping her gaze lowered did nothing to benefit her. She saw his feet first, and she shivered. Other than her father, she had never seen a man’s bare feet before. She would have never considered such appendages appealing, but she had to admit she felt her breath hitch in her throat as she watched those strong, masculine feet step closer to her.

Then his hands filled her vision. Large hands, the backs, of which, lightly sprinkled with dark hair. He reached toward her chest, and she inhaled sharply as he began unclasping the buttons.

She shut her eyes at the sight of the man, a stranger no less, undressing her. Her body tensed, and Lillian held her breath determined not to notice his every movement. Tried to ignore the touch of his knuckles brushing against her breasts. However innocent his actions may be, she could not stop her nipples from tightening nor could she stop the sudden yearning that his hands might wander farther.

Her face flamed at her secret thoughts. Her body warmed, hotter than any fire. It felt as if her blood might boil at her sudden wanton wishes. She felt his breath on her face and inhaled softly, breathing in that intoxicating mixture of tobacco, brandy and pine.

She began to tremble but could not determine whether the cold affected her or his present actions.

"I find that I have never had the need of introductions with a lady while I disrobed her," he said, his voice soft and slightly amused. "Might I take the opportunity now? I am Lord Jeremy North."

https://books2read.com/TheWitchandtheWolf


The Merriweather Witches series:

The Witch and the Wolf (Book 1)

The Witch and the Vampire (Book 2)

The Witch's Thief (Book 3)

The Witch's Kiss (Book 4)