ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE by Tamara Hughes

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Thanks Sylvia for letting me visit your blog again this week.

Hope you all had a good week-end. I spent mine surrounded by 6 years old at a birthday party. Still recovering

But I had time to pick a winner from Thursday’s post and today the winner is …..Cynthia Eden.

Congratulations Cynthia!!!!

This week, we are stepping back in time for a Victorian historical romance set in New York City, ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE and I am please to introduce you to writer Tamara Hughes, former computer programmer and now a stay-at-home mom living in Minnesota.

M-C: Tamara, of course the first thing I want to know is what did you do when you found out you were an American Title V finalist?

TAMARA: First I gaped at my computer screen for a minute. And then I jumped up, grabbed my cell phone, and called my critique partner, Barb, who is also a finalist. Pretty freaky really, that of all the entries submitted from around the world, two critique partners were chosen. Very cool, but very weird. Next I called my husband, who listened while I rattled on and on, talking faster than I ever have in my life. By the end of the day, I had called all of my family, emailed the rest of our critique group, and drank a couple glasses of champagne that my husband had surprised me with at dinner. All in all, a very good day.

M-C: Sounds like it and kind of fun that you and Barbara are in this together. So far how has the final changed your writing life?

TAMARA: I’m still plugging away at my work-in-progress, but I’ll admit it’s been slowed down with all of the preparation required for this contest. I continue to try to get up around 5:30am to write before the kids need to get ready for school, and that time is still devoted to my new novel.

M-C: Wow, you are very organized. Can you give us a glimpse of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE?

TAMARA: Imagine what you would do if you suspected your soul mate murdered your best friend. Christopher Black struggles with this dilemma. He meets Rebecca Bailey at the Vanderbilt masquerade ball and is captivated by her inner strength and vitality. She’s so different from the pretentious ladies of high society, and from the fiancée that broke his heart. He pursues Rebecca, convinced he’s found the woman of his dreams, and then he spies an emerald comb in her hair – a comb that links her to his friend’s murder.

Rebecca fears her secret will be discovered: she’s a housemaid impersonating an heiress to attract a wealthy suitor. She’s risking it all (her employment, her dignity, and her heart) to save her father, a gambler who owes hundreds of dollars to brutal men. When those men threaten her life, Christopher protects her despite the mounting evidence against her. He must let go of the past and learn to trust his instincts again. While Rebecca isn’t the killer he’s looking for, she is involved in the crime; she just doesn’t realize it yet.

M-C: You really do have all the elements of a great story there. Where did you get your ideas?

TAMARA: I’ve always enjoyed historical romances, particularly those with a Cinderella theme. The idea of someone rising up from despair and conquering whatever obstacles lay in their path is intriguing to me. Add to that my awe of Kathleen Woodiwiss books, where plots are complex and layered, and I couldn’t help myself but add a murder mystery into the mix.

M-C: It certainly sounds like a lot of fun. How would best characterize your writing style or tone?

TAMARA: To keep with the historical period, my writing style for this novel is more eloquent than the contemporary I’m currently working on. The tone is at times humorous, emotional, sexually tense, and suspenseful, with lots of conflict.

M-C: Humor in a historical is always fun. How does this translate in ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE?

TAMARA: The humor in this book comes out in many different ways. In particular, my heroine, Rebecca, is funny without really meaning to be. When she tries to mingle with high society, she finds she makes mistakes - lots of them. In fact, it seems she digs herself a deeper hole with everything she says and does. I also have a secondary character (Christopher’s friend and confidante) who likes to amuse himself anyway he can. He does and says outrageous things throughout the book, including dressing up as Cupid for a Greek God party. He may get a book of his own some day.

M-C: That would be fun. Do you have any idea how your writing turned so humoristic?

TAMARA: I find I really like to write humor. I was always a bit of a comedian as a kid. It’s the thrill of trying to get people to laugh and enjoy themselves.

M-C: Since your story is a historical, I assume the setting plays an important role.

TAMARA: The setting is New York City in 1883, and it plays a huge role. New York during this time period had class distinctions similar to London but with a twist. With the flood of immigrants into the city, the wealthy lived within blocks of the poor, and the mentality amongst the working class was starting to lean toward the idea that the rich were no better than them. Meanwhile, high society was divided into two camps – the aristocrats with rich bloodlines and the bouncers, those who became newly rich and were looked down upon. In 1883, even that was changing as more and more bouncers were becoming accepted into the fold. In the story, Rebecca, a working-class maid, attempts to enter high society and sees firsthand the odd interactions between all of these classes, and how they’re slowly changing.

M-C: Rebecca looks like interesting heroine. Can you tell us more about her and how she relates to the hero?

TAMARA: Rebecca is a caring, sensible person who has spent the last ten years supporting her grieving father at the expense of her own happiness. Once she’s forced to take a chance and experience life, we see her true self shine through – she’s a quick thinking, feisty woman who can laugh at herself.

Christopher is the strong, reliable man she needs in her life – someone to care for her for a change. Her problems escalate when it seems like he might soon remember her from her job as a maid. She feels drawn to him, but knows she has to resist her desire to be with him if she wants to save her father.

M-C: Would you say Christopher is an alpha or beta type hero?

TAMARA: Christopher is both alpha and beta. He’s a self-made shipping magnate who used to captain his own ship. So, he’s a man who’s used to being in command. When a good friend is murdered, he’s determined to find the killer. He’s intelligent and extremely observant, which makes him curious about Rebecca from the start due to her odd behavior. When he discovers she’s involved in the crime, he’s torn between his loyalty to his friend and his growing attraction to Rebecca.

M-C: That dilemma certainly brings some interesting twists. What do you think readers will get out of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE? Is there a theme or a message that your story brings forward?

TAMARA: I think the theme of the story is “letting go.” For Rebecca, this means coming to the understanding that she isn’t the one who can change her father back into the man he once was – that’s a choice only he can make. She needs to stop sacrificing herself for him, and live her own life. For Christopher, it means forgiving the fiancée that didn’t love him enough to defy her aristocratic parents, and looking deep within himself to decide whether to trust Rebecca. As for what I hope readers will take away…I believe, at times, this story will get you thinking, make you laugh, and stick with you for a while after you put the book down.

M-C: Do you have any more projects in the works beside ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE?

TAMARA: I had planned to write another historical (a pirate tale), but a different type of story hit me up side the head, and I had to go with it. It’s an urban fantasy romance inspired by a variety of music, especially Evanescence songs. I thought this story would be much darker than anything I’ve ever written, but it turns out my heroine has a wry wit that pops up all over the place.

M-C: Evanescence is one of my favorite band. I’m looking forward to see how your new story turns out. Now which character will you interview on Thursday?

TAMARA: I chose to interview Rebecca because I wanted to highlight her personality. She’s a sensible, down-to-earth woman who is in an impossible situation that requires her to take risks she wouldn’t ordinarily take. She’s also imperfect in many ways, and that’s what I like so much about her. Sometimes she’s clumsy; she’s an incompetent liar; and when she tries to seduce Christopher, she makes a total fool of herself. Throughout the book, I find her quite funny in a naïve, endearing sort of way.

Well, everyone. I do love a good historical romance and this story is one I certainly don’t want to miss. Tamara has worked some great characters in a wonderful rich setting. I am looking forward to her interview of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE’s heroine, Rebecca, on Thursday.

Is you want to know more about Tamara and her writing, you can find her on the web at:

www,tamarahughes.com

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1477831876

See you all back on Thursday and don’t forget to leave a comment. First, we just love to hear from you and also you have a chance to win!!!!

Marie-Claude
www.mcbourque.com

DEAD PEOPLE

Edie Ramer and her Character, Cassie Taylor

Hi everyone!

This is Marie-Claude. Thank you so much for attending Edie’s interview on Monday. We had many wonderful comments and ….. a winner…….JOYE wins one of the wonderful prizes from Sylvia’s treasure chest!!!

Monday also marked the launch of the American Title V finalist group blog: LOVE CONQUERS. With posts nearly every day, I encourage you to visit at loveconquers.wordpress.com/ and bookmark the site.

Today Edie is interviewing Cassie Taylor, DEAD PEOPLE’s Ghost Whispering Heroine. So here to you Edie:

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For months Cassie Taylor from DEAD PEOPLE lived in my head and my heart. I felt her pain, her passion and her humor. I heard her voice in my head — and it wasn’t soft. The only thing soft about Cassie were parts of her body. I admired her grit. But once the book was written, we split up. She’s gone on, and so have I. Other characters have taken up residence in my mind. Now I feel nervous sitting at this table for two in a long white hall, as if I were waiting for an old friend or lover.

CT: Did you have to tell everyone about my extra pounds?

ER: Crap. I mean, darn. How do you know I said that?

CT: [sitting across from ER] A little ghost told me.

ER: Right. [shivers. The talking-to-dead-people thing creeps me out.] So how old were you when you first started talking to ghosts?

CT: How old were you when you first started breathing?

ER: Did it make your life hard when you were a child?

CT: I don’t blame dead people for my unhappy childhood. [She sits back, her eyes darkening.] I blame live people.

ER: Your father and stepmother?

CT: If the name fits … Remember the book I was writing about former cases?

ER: You didn’t write that book. I wrote that book. Well, excerpts of it.

CT: You honestly believe that? Puhlease. We both know it was me. There’s only one author name on my contract.

ER: You sold it? Was it reported in PM? [Cassie nods, her mouth curved in a self-satisfied smile.] What kind of deal? Nice? [I lean forward and speak in a hushed voice.] Major?

CT: [smirks] I’m not saying a word. Aren’t you supposed to ask me about the book you wrote?

ER: [glaring] I know what happens in DEAD PEOPLE. I wrote it, remember? It’s your life before or after the book I’m curious about. Tell me, what was your hardest ghost busting case?

CT: [glaring back] I don’t bust ghosts, I’m more like a ghost therapist. I help them leave earth. I’m so tired of people calling me that. I thought you’d know better.

ER: Sorry. [my voice small, because Cassie was right. Another character who knows more than I do. Since I make them up, I don’t understand how that happens.]

CT: [gestures dismissively] You asked about my hardest case. It was the one in DEAD PEOPLE. Someone killed the former owner of Luke’s house and tried to kill me. I naturally fell in lust with Luke and he with me.

ER: Why naturally?

CT: You’re interviewing me for the American Title V contest, right? The book will be excerpted in Romantic Times magazine, not Scientific Journal. It’s all about the romance, baby.

ER: [shaking head] You’ve changed. You’re more relaxed, less defensive.

CT: We did create a fabulous beginning of the rest of my life.

ER: You mean an ending.

CT: Ha! That’s what you writers like to think.

ER: [shuddering] That can’t be true. If all our characters came to life, there really would be vampires, werewolves, dragons, half-dressed lusty Vikings, sexy devils that can give you an orgasm with one look from their fiery eyes … [Cassie’s smile widens, and I swallow] If this is true, why haven’t I seen them? Where are these sexy devils … er, I mean we should know this so we can exorcise them. Or erase them. Put them back onto the pages.

CT: [standing] Sure, I believe you want to put them between the covers of a book and not the covers of your bed. [winks] Gotta go. I’ve been invited to a party. Everyone’s going to be there.

ER: Where? Who? The Vikings? The vamps? The sexy devils? The hunky firemen? Will they be at the party too? Don’t go. Take me with you.

CT: [striding away, laughing manically]

ER: [getting off my butt and running after Cassie] It is, after all, my duty as a citizen to make sure there aren’t dangerous sexy devils roaming the streets of America, causing lust and havoc. And it’s my duty as a writer to research. Especially those lusty Viking. Lots and lots of research.

——————————————————————

What a great heroine. This was great, definitely a little snarkiness there, LOL. Thank you so much for being with us this week Edie and good luck in the contest. You can keep up with Edie at www.edieramer.com

Next week we have Tamara Hugues, who will tell us all about her Victorian Historical Romance ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE.

Thanks to Sylvia for hosting us today and to all for visiting. Don’t forget to leave Edie a comment for another chance to win!

See you all next Monday!

Marie-Claude
www.mcbourque.com

DEAD PEOPLE by Edie Ramer

Hi everyone,
I am very excited to be launching a series of interviews with the very talented finalists of the American Title V contest, sponsored by Dorchester Publishing and Romantic Times. Thank you so much Sylvia for hosting this again on your blog.

It will be great fun to learn all about our finalists writing style and also, a new feature this year, to have each writer interview their own favorite character. I am very curious to see that part. Aren’t you?

The contest will work just like it did last year, where each rounds of voting will serve to eliminate contestants. This year, because there are only 8 finalists, the first two rounds (first line and characters) will eliminate only one contestant. There will be five rounds of online voting starting on Nov. 10^th and ending in April. The last standing finalist will win a publishing contract for their entry with Dorchester Publishing. This year the categories have been opened to feature all kinds of romance genre, including historical and romantic suspense.

The finalists went through a stressful summer preparing and submitting their partial then full manuscripts. You can read what went on behind the scene at Dorchester in the selection process. If I had known all that, I may not have been brave enough to enter!!!

Now, let me introduce you to our finalist Edie Ramer, author of light paranormal DEAD PEOPLE. Her short stories have been published in National magazines and she is also co-creator of an inspirational website for writers, www.writeattitude.net.

M-C: Edie, what is the first thing you did when you found out that you were an American Title V finalist?

EDIE: I emailed my three CPs who were with me through the writing. When I ripped the original DEAD PEOPLE apart, gutted half of it and rewrote, they critiqued it a second time. They supported me all the way. They’re still supporting me.

M-C: And how has the final changed things for you in your life and your writing?

EDIE: In general, my busy life has gotten busier. The PR, the American Title V group blog we’re setting up, the Facebook site, etc., all interrupt my writing. But they’re good interruptions! I’m also helping coordinate a Margie Lawson workshop in Milwaukee on Nov. 1^st. . It’s another interruption that’s good.

This is what every published writer I know goes through. They’re writing one book and they get edits on the previous book and have to write a proposal for the next one. So I consider this practice for being published.

M-C: Now, can you tell us a little about DEAD PEOPLE?

EDIE: When Cassie Taylor talks, ghosts listen. She wants to heal their souls so they can leave earth. Brooding songwriter Luke Rivers wants to give his newly found daughter a normal home, but he discovers his new house in small town Wisconsin is haunted by a ghost with an attitude. His ghost whisperer has an attitude too – even before someone tries to kill her. So why does he have the hots for her? And why does she lust after him? He wants conventional. She wants acceptance. No wonder she thinks men are hard and DEAD PEOPLE are easy.

M-C: This looks like such a fun read. Where did you get this idea?

EDIE: I don’t remember what sparked the story premise, but I can talk about a unique aspect of the book. In a previous book, I had a songwriter heroine and had fun writing verses for her. That gave me the idea to begin every other chapter with one or more verses from songs Luke wrote. To give Cassie equal time, I started the even chapters with excerpts from a book about her ghost whispering experiences.

M-C: That is certainly unique. What series of words would choose to best characterize your writing style?

EDIE: Witty, quirky, snarky, dark and light, optimistic, tension, illuminating, insightful. Love.

M-C: Snarky really? How does snarky shows up in DEAD PEOPLE?

EDIE: Cassie’s snarkiness is her defense to keep people from seeing the hurt inside her. Luke likes it. He has his own wounds and her snarky tongue amuses him. It’s a change from being sucked up to by people who want to use him. And when Cassie is with his daughter, he sees her gentle, loving side.

M-C: Do you have any idea how your writing became a little snarky?

EDIE: Not every character I write is snarky, but they’re all damaged in some way, and none of them complain or whine. They just lift their chins and go on with their lives the best they can.

I’m sure I get that from my mother, who was a widow with five young children. I never remember her complaining. I know I’ve handed that down to my son. He has a saying: “It’s all good.” That’s a real optimist!

M-C: You told me the setting of DEAD PEOPLE is important, how so?

EDIE: In DEAD PEOPLE the house is a character. It was part of the Underground Railroad during the pre-Civil War days. It has two turrets and a secret room. It gives my story Gothic undertones. I had fun with that and the Underground Railroad angle was part of the story.

M-C: And would you say the story is character-driven or plot-driven?

EDIE: Characters first. Always. I like a good plot and worked hard on creating tension, but when I think of DEAD PEOPLE, I think of the hero, heroine, the daughter, the ghost, the heroine’s best friend – a good looking cop killed in the 1950s – and of course the villain. I care for all of them. Well, except the villain. My characters came alive to me, whispering in my ear. The hero singing in my ear. They’re very individual and I think it shows in their voices.

M-C: How did you balance the romance with the paranormal elements?

EDIE: Because Cassie is trying to clear Luke’s house of the ghost, the suspense/paranormal elements bring them together instead of separating them. And the danger brings them even closer together. It takes them to a higher level of caring. As the tension escalates, so do their emotions.

M-C: Can you tell us more about Luke? What kind of hero is he?

EDIE: Usually my heroes are an alpha/beta mix, but Luke is alpha with very little beta. His mother was part of the hippie culture, and he was raised without structure. As a songwriter, he was thrust into the same lifestyle, but with more money, more drugs and more sex. His ex-wife cheated on him and let him think his daughter was his former friend’s. Only the need to give his daughter a normal home made him hire Cassie. The first time Cassie meets him, she thinks:

“He may as well wear a sign that shouted, THIS WOMAN IS A FAKE. She used to wonder why people like this man called her, begging her to come, paying her a wad of money. By now she knew.

They were desperate.”

M-C: What a great hero. Now I really want to read this. Would you say a happily-ever-after ending is important in your writing?

EDIE: It’s important. Although I don’t need a happily ever after ending, I need to end a story with hope. DEAD PEOPLE has a HEA, but a subplot ends on a sad note. If you watched LOVE ACTUALLY, which has multiple stories, there were a couple endings that weren’t HEA. I think the poignancy made the movie better than if every story had a Disney ending.

M-C: How do you think people will feel as they read DEAD PEOPLE?

EDIE: Readers will smile and chuckle at times, but I don’t intentionally write humorous. It comes from my characters’ thoughts and comments. Mostly readers will care about these damaged people who find the one person who can heal their wounds. This includes Luke’s 11-year-old daughter who has her own wounds that Cassie helps heal. Even the ghost’s wounds are healed by Cassie, Luke and the daughter.

I notice I keep talking about “healing,” so that must be the theme in my book. I have a theme when I start a book, but I don’t think about it when I write or when it’s done. I think about the characters, and I hope that’s what stays with the reader too.

There are books that I close reluctantly when I reach The End, because I don’t want to let go of the characters just yet. I sit and think about them and feel a warm glow inside me. That’s what I want the reader to get out of my story. That warm glow.

M-C: That is wonderful theme, Edie. Do you have any more projects in the works beside your AT entry?

EDIE: My last book, SATURDAYS AT THE KARMA CAFÉ, is women’s fiction, told through the voices of four women, aged 25 – 61, brought together by a weight loss group and the wishes they make together. A nerdy dotcom owner wants a baby but not a husband. A widowed teacher nearing retirement wants to be as free as the wind while her family wants to tie her down. A seemingly confident businesswoman wants to keep her family from finding out the secrets she’d thought safely buried. Their young waitress wants to regain the courage taken from her in an act of violence. A hunky gardener, a Harley-riding neighbor and an alpha neighbor add complications.

My WIP is a return to paranormal romance. It has the women friends’ angle (although in this case they’re family), but with one heroine/hero. My plan is to sell it and write sequels for the other characters. I’m enjoying combining the strong friends/relationship angle with paranormal and the romance. I think it’s the best thing I’ve written. My goal is to write every book better than the last, and for the last couple years I feel I’ve achieved that goal.

M-C: Thank you so much for taking the time to tell us all about your writing. It was neat to get a glimpse of DEAD PEOPLE. Now for Thursday, you chose to interview Cassie. Why her?

EDIE: Both she and Luke are damaged, but in many ways her life is harder. Since she was a child, she was treated as a freak by her father and stepmother. She talks to dead people. Isn’t it hard enough for a normal person to have a social life? Imagine what your life would be like if you saw dead people. The one person she thought loved her turned out to be using her. Her best friend is a ghost.

Both she and Luke are interesting, but she’s more interesting. I hope people will come back on Thursday and find out why.

Well everyone, I certainly look forward to Edie’s upcoming interview with DEAD PEOPLE’s heroine. And thanks to all for visiting today. If you want to learn more about Edie and her writing you can find her at:

www.edieramer.com

www.magicalmusings.com

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=747112424

See you all on Thursday and don’t forget to comment to get a chance to win some wonderful prices!!!!

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hey all,

Don’t forget! There are lots of great prizes available for those of you who comment on the ATV interviews and prepare to vote for your favorites!

Hugs,
Sylvia

P.S. I’m over at Murder She Writes today!

IT’S BBBAAACCCKKK…

Some of you might remember the series of posts I featured last year with the Romantic Times American Title IV Finalists.

I’m a huge believer in publisher-sponsored contests, since the Brava Novella Contest (and the awesome Kate Duffy) changed my life. So we’re doing it again with the American Title V finalists!

Marie-Claude Bourque will be interviewing the other AT finalists and I’ll be posting their interviews here every Monday (author Q&A) and Thursday (character Q&A) starting October 20th! I’ve also gathered together some prizes from author friends. Read the interview posts and comment for your chance to win!

THE SCHEDULE –

• DEAD PEOPLE - Edie Ramer: Oct 20 / Oct 23
• ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE - Tamara Hughes: Oct 27 / Oct 30
• IN A LOVER’S SILENCE - Qaey Williams: Nov 3 / Nov 6
• THE SERPENT’S TOOTH - Jessica Darago: Nov 10 / Nov 13
• HOW TO TAME A HARPY - Michelle Lauren: Nov 17 / Nov 20
• TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER - Barbara Longley: Nov 24 / Nov 27
• NEVER COMING HOME - Evonne Wareham: Dec 1 / Dec 4
• ANCIENT WHISPERS - Marie-Claude Bourque: Dec. 8 / Dec 11

THE PRIZES –
This list is a work in progress, so check back often to see the updates!!

* Shayla Black - a prize pack that includes a signed copy of TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS

* Karin Tabke - to be announced

* Debra Webb - autographed copy of NAMELESS

* Toni McGee Causey - to be announced

* Sasha White - a prize pack that includes a signed copy of SEXY DEVIL and some promo swag for its sequel, PRIMAL MALE

* Cathryn Fox - a copy of THE HOTLINE and swag for SUN STROKED

* Allison Brennan - autographed trilogy: SPEAK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL, FEAR NO EVIL

* S.J. Day - two MARKED series coffee mugs

* Jennifer Lyon - autographed copies of SUN, SAND, SEX and EXTREMELY HOT

* Roxanne St. Claire - an autographed set of the 2008 Bullet Catcher trilogy - FIRST YOU RUN, THEN YOU HIDE and NOW YOU DIE

* Mary Wine - autographed copy of LET ME LOVE YOU

* Mackenzie McKade - to be announced

* Lauren Dane - a signed copy of READING BETWEEN THE LINES

* Beth Williamson — a signed copy of LEATHER & LACE

* Shiloh Walker - a signed copy of THROUGH THE VEIL and a handmade bookmark

Thanks to all these phenomenal authors for their generous donations!!

Are you excited?! Ready to meet some up-and-coming authors, learn about their awesome stories, VOTE, and possibly win one of these great prizes? MARK YOUR CALENDARS! You won’t want to miss a post!

… the 2007 Brava Novella Contest?

You can check out the winning entries here:
www.bravaauthors.com/novella-contest/

I need to finish sending out the latest prizes from the 20+ days of Christmas contest, then see if I still have more books left. I’m running low on promotional items from the conferences, but I think I might have a couple more books remaining. If so, I’ll do a couple more giveaways until they’re all gone.

In the meantime, I’ve been asked to blog about HEAT OF THE NIGHT and I’m wondering if there’s anything in particular I should blog about. Do you have any questions that I should address?

I saw I AM LEGEND a few days ago. Loved it! Has anyone else seen it? Did you like it, too? It takes a lot of skill to pull off a movie entirely by yourself. I thought Will Smith was pitch-perfect!

Today I’m touring awesome gal and kick ass writer Gena Showalter’s latest release: SAVOR ME SLOWLY. But what about the contest?, you might ask. You can enter to win a prize from me here!

SAVOR ME SLOWLY
by Gena Showalter
(Pocket) December 26, 2007

Mishka Le’Ace was created to be an undercover operative . . . literally. Her beautiful body has been mechanically augmented to give her superhuman strength — strength she’s going to need. Her latest mission sends her to rescue Alien Investigation and Removal agent Jaxon Tremain from torture and death. With him, she discovers a passion unlike any other. A passion she was forbidden to know. . .

From the moment they meet in a darkened cell, Jaxon craves her touch. But the machine half of Le’Ace forces her to do things she doesn’t always want to do. Even betray him . . . and ultimately destroy him. Now Jaxon must battle the man controlling Le’Ace and even Le’Ace herself to at last claim the woman he’s come to love.

ABOUT GENA SHOWALTER:
Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27. Three years later, at the ripe old age of 30, she had sold an amazing total of 15 books in a multitude of genres: paranormal romance, contemporary chick lit/romance hybrid, young adult and urban fantasy. Her books provide something for every fan of fiction. For more information about Gena and her novels, you can visit her website at www.genashowalter.com and her blog at www.genashowalter.blogspot.com

REVIEWS:

In versatile Showalter’s new futuristic novel, the world teeters on the edge of disaster unless a tough band of human and alien allies can stop it. Danger spiced with sizzling sensuality are definitely hallmarks of Showalter’s style. Kicking butt and taking names is what these protagonists do best which cranks up the action quotient for this intense new book!
– Romantic Times

One of the premiere authors of paranormal romance.”
– New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole

SAVOR ME SLOWLY is the third and strongest installment in Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress series. As riveting as the previous two books were this one is better.
– Fresh Fiction

The characters in this book are flawlessly drawn. . . Science fiction at its best! So if you’ve never picked up a story by this talented author, now is the time to start.
– Two Lips Reviews — 5 lips, their highest rating!

Website: www.genashowalter.com