Showing posts with label Irene Preston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Irene Preston. Show all posts

Saturday, February 10, 2018

The Great M/M Romance Valentines Giveaway!


Happy Valentines Day!!


I'm blowing the dust off the blog because I'm excited about this event and want to share it everywhere. There are 20 M/M new stories by some exceptional m/m romance authors, and they're all FREE! So click on over to the main page, because it doesn't get much better than FREE!

Here ==> M/M Romance Valentines Giveaway

I won't divulge how many (many!) of them I downloaded, but the thing I like is there really is something for everyone in this mix. Irene and I wrote a novella that's set in the same world as our other Hours of the Night books, but it features new characters and might well be the start of a spin-off series. Here's the cover and blurb for Haunted...


Noel Chandler had a good reason for leaving the L.A.P.D. for New Orleans, but when he walks into a burned out Garden District mansion, he discovers there are some things he can’t outrun. The spooks can find him anywhere.

As the resident historian for the cable show Haunts and Hoaxes, Professor Adam Morales keeps an open mind about the supernatural. Or that’s what he tells himself, until he meets a man who puts that principle to the test. Noel’s smart, sexy, and has killer cop instincts. One glance from his bedroom eyes has Adam ready to believe anything.

But is Noel haunted, crazy, or just another hoax?


Haunted will be available on Amazon for $1.99 (+ KU if that's your jam) starting 2/19/18, so grab it now while it's FREE! Thanks very much! and Happy Valentines Day!




Thursday, October 12, 2017

Nocturne! It's here....and here....and here....



Happy Release Day!



Irene and I are busy blogging and tweeting and generally sharing the news about book 2 in our Hours of the Night series. This page will evolve as reviews and guests posts happen, so keep an eye on it, m'kay?





Reviews








Guest Posts











Bayou Book Junkies

Joyfully Jay

J. Keswick




It's Mardi Gras, cher, but this year le bon temps kick off with murder…

For generations, the White Monks have treated the vampire Thaddeus Dupont as a weapon in their battle against demons. However, when a prominent matron drops dead at a party, Thaddeus and his lover Sarasija are asked to find her killer. Their investigation leads them to an old southern family with connections everywhere: Louisiana politics, big business, the Church, and an organization just as secret as the White Monks.

Meanwhile, an esoteric text containing spells for demon-summoning has disappeared, Thaddeus is losing control of le monstre, and Sara is troubled by disturbing dreams. These nightmares could be a side-effect of dating a vampire, or they could be a remnant of his brush with evil. As the nights wear on, Sara fears they are a manifestation of something darker – a secret that could destroy his relationship with Thaddeus.







“You said you were hungry.” Thad’s tone hinted at reproach. “There are no restaurants on this block and we have no need of” —a hint of red touched his cheeks as he scanned the items in front of them—“anything here.”

Sara smothered a grin. He had crashed hard after the funeral, woken up well after Thaddeus, and convinced the vampire to go out to eat. Thad had made it clear their current focus was Berta, not the Daemonum.  Feeding Sara, an entirely Thad-approved activity, provided the excuse for a little detour.

They were in the touristy voodoo shop in the French Quarter, not a place Thad would normally bless with his patronage but the only lead Sara could think of for tracking down Missy. Intent on killing time until the pale Goth chick at the counter finished with the other customers, he hadn’t paid any attention to the items in the display they were ostensibly browsing. He picked up one of the bottles Thad was scowling at.

“Are you kidding? This ointment promises to attract the object of your desire for hours of unbridled passion. Who wouldn’t want that?” He blinked at the vampire, trying to look innocent. “Where do you suppose we apply it?”

 He had meant to tease his boyfriend, who had an adorable prudish streak sometimes. Instead, he got the vampire.

Thad’s eyes turned stormy, then black. Sara felt himself falling into the abyss as the vampire’s emotions rushed through their bond. Lust. Fury. And threaded through all of it, à moi p—

The connection closed so abruptly Sara almost fell over from the psychic jolt.

“And who do you intend to attract with this vile potion?” Thaddeus looked calm, but his voice came out low and deep and still carried an echo of vampiric reverb.

Sara stared at him. “You, idiot.”

The vampire stared back, unappeased. “Then is it the hours or unbridled aspect you find lacking?”

Unbridled. Sara swallowed hard. Saturday morning had been pretty unbridled. And hot. And he did not need to think about that in public.

He swallowed again and tried to suppress the memory of Thad’s hands spreading him open, his tongue…

“We’re good,” he croaked. “You’re right. We don’t need any of this stuff.”

Thad gave him a predatory smile that did nothing to cool down the heat between them until Sara caught the tiniest flash of fang. Thaddeus?

Okay. Important note to self. No taunting the vampire in public. Thad looked one step away from pouncing on him and dragging him off to…not helping.

Sara tried to think about something, anything else. 






Today Nocturne's still $2.99, but it'll be jumping up to the regular price of $4.99 soon!



Vespers & Bonfire are still only 0.99, 
but they'll be regular price soon!!

Vespers


Bonfire

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | More Stores




We're running a giveaway for the month of October. Enter for the chance to win a $25 gift card!!



And if you want to keep up on all things Hours of the Nights, join us over at After Hours with Liv and Irene, our Facebook readers group!






Tuesday, September 26, 2017

The Cover Can Be Revealed!




This has been a long time coming! Irene and I have been sitting on the cover of Nocturne for close to six months now, and we're both so excited to have it out in the wild! I love how it's distinct from Vespers, but still has the same feel. Our cover artist, Kanaxa, really did an amazing job!

But you know what they say....a picture's worth more than any words I could come up with. Scroll down so you can see for yourself!



Isn't it pretty? 

Now keep scrolling, because there are buy links and giveaways and a screamin' sale price on Vespers and Bonfire. I haven't been blogging much lately - too busy writing! - so thank you for visiting. If you were a fan of the earlier books in The Hours of the Night, I hope you enjoy the newest installment in the series. 




It's Mardi Gras, cher, but this year le bon temps kick off with murder…


For generations, the White Monks have treated the vampire Thaddeus Dupont as a weapon in their battle against demons. However, when a prominent matron drops dead at a party, Thaddeus and his lover Sarasija are asked to find her killer. Their investigation leads them to an old southern family with connections everywhere: Louisiana politics, big business, the Church, and an organization just as secret as the White Monks.

Meanwhile, an esoteric text containing spells for demon-summoning has disappeared, Thaddeus is losing control of le monstre, and Sara is troubled by disturbing dreams. These nightmares could be a side-effect of dating a vampire, or they could be a remnant of his brush with evil. As the nights wear on, Sara fears they are a manifestation of something darker – a secret that could destroy his relationship with Thaddeus.



Sale price $2.99

Regular price $4.99

Amazon | BandN | iBooks | Kobo | More Stores






“You said you were hungry.” Thad’s tone hinted at reproach. “There are no restaurants on this block and we have no need of” —a hint of red touched his cheeks as he scanned the items in front of them—“anything here.”


Sara smothered a grin. He had crashed hard after the funeral, woken up well after Thaddeus, and convinced the vampire to go out to eat. Thad had made it clear their current focus was Berta, not the Daemonum.  Feeding Sara, an entirely Thad-approved activity, provided the excuse for a little detour. 


They were in the touristy voodoo shop in the French Quarter, not a place Thad would normally bless with his patronage but the only lead Sara could think of for tracking down Missy. Intent on killing time until the pale Goth chick at the counter finished with the other customers, he hadn’t paid any attention to the items in the display they were ostensibly browsing. He picked up one of the bottles Thad was scowling at.


“Are you kidding? This ointment promises to attract the object of your desire for hours of unbridled passion. Who wouldn’t want that?” He blinked at the vampire, trying to look innocent. “Where do you suppose we apply it?”


 He had meant to tease his boyfriend, who had an adorable prudish streak sometimes. Instead, he got the vampire.


Thad’s eyes turned stormy, then black. Sara felt himself falling into the abyss as the vampire’s emotions rushed through their bond. Lust. Fury. And threaded through all of it, à moi p—


The connection closed so abruptly Sara almost fell over from the psychic jolt.


“And who do you intend to attract with this vile potion?” Thaddeus looked calm, but his voice came out low and deep and still carried an echo of vampiric reverb.


Sara stared at him. “You, idiot.”


The vampire stared back, unappeased. “Then is it the hours or unbridled aspect you find lacking?”


Unbridled. Sara swallowed hard. Saturday morning had been pretty unbridled. And hot. And he did not need to think about that in public.


He swallowed again and tried to suppress the memory of Thad’s hands spreading him open, his tongue…


“We’re good,” he croaked. “You’re right. We don’t need any of this stuff.”


Thad gave him a predatory smile that did nothing to cool down the heat between them until Sara caught the tiniest flash of fang. Thaddeus?


Okay. Important note to self. No taunting the vampire in public. Thad looked one step away from pouncing on him and dragging him off to…not helping.


Sara tried to think about something, anything else. 









The celebration goes on! Irene and I put both Vespers and Bonfire on sale. 

Sale!!




Sale Price $0.99!

Regular price $3.99

Amazon | BandN | iBooks | Kobo | More Stores

~*~


Sale Price $0.99!!

Regular price $2.99

Amazon | BandN | iBooks | Kobo | More Stores


To stay in the loop for all things HotN, join our Facebook group!

After Hours with Liv & Irene. 

(Click the link to join!)

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Nocturne Preorder!!



Our cover reveal's not until 9/25/17, over on The Novel Approach Reviews, but the buy links are up and running. It's time to spread the word!





It's Mardi Gras, cher, but this year le bon temps kick off with murder…
For generations, the White Monks have treated the vampire Thaddeus Dupont as a weapon in their battle against demons. However, when a prominent matron drops dead at a party, Thaddeus and his lover Sarasija are asked to find her killer. Their investigation leads them to an old southern family with connections everywhere: Louisiana politics, big business, the Church, and an organization just as secret as the White Monks. 

Meanwhile, an esoteric text containing spells for demon-summoning has disappeared, Thaddeus is losing control of le monstre, and Sara is troubled by disturbing dreams. These nightmares could be a side-effect of dating a vampire, or they could be a remnant of his brush with evil. As the nights wear on, Sara fears they are a manifestation of something darker – a secret that could destroy his relationship with Thaddeus. 







Nocturne will be $2.99 from now till the release day 10/12/17.

$2.99

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Kobo     iTunes     More Stores

I'll update the links as more stores come on-line.


Also, Vespers and Bonfire will be on sale for $0.99 starting 9/25/17.

$0.99


Vespers                    Bonfire

Click the links to find all the ebook sellers carrying the first books in the Hours of the Night.


~*~

One of the hardest parts of writing this book was keeping the cover art a secret. I can't wait to share the post when the cover reveal goes live! In the meantime, mark your calendars....

Also, if you're the Facebook-group-joining type, Irene and I started a new group for people who've read and enjoyed our Hours of the Night series. It's called After Hours with Liv & Irene, and you can find it here...


Best, 
Liv







Thursday, June 15, 2017

Book Release: Aqua Follies!






Aqua Follies releases today, and I couldn't be happier. This has been a labor of love, and I'm so excited to get it into the hands of readers!

To celebrate, I thought I'd make a post that focuses on the real Aqua Follies, a variety show on water that was part of Seattle's Seafair celebration from 1950 until about 1962. The Aqua Follies had water ballet and dancers, a live band, clowns, divers, and guest performers who regularly sold out the 5000+ seats of the Green Lake aqua theater. 

From the 1962 Seattle Times

Seafair lasts a couple of weeks, from late July into early August, and culminates with hydroplane races out on Lake Washington. Over the years Seattle residents have done just about everything to celebrate. Recently I was nosing around Amazon and found a Seafair Cook Book put together by the women of St Andrews on the Lake Episcopal Church in 1951. According to my friend, historian Paula Becker (who pointed me at the Aqua Follies in the first place), the original St Andrews was sacrificed to the construction of Interstate 5, but the congregation lives on in a new church about 10 blocks north of the original.


Notice they've got Mount Rainier on the cover and not the Space Needle -
because the Space Needle wasn't built till 1962.
The recipes are pretty amazing. Many require the use of gelatin, and more than a few call for a handful of this or a little of that. Scanning the index, I saw a section of "cocktail" recipes and got all excited (because '50s + cocktails!), but they turned out to need shrimp and avocado, not bourbon. Oh well. There's a separate chapter for recipes contributed by men, one for holiday recipes, one for historic, and one for foreign recipes. Fun stuff!


You could bring Seafair Cream Puffs to your next party!


Or maybe you'd prefer Raisin Delight or Mystery Pudding? 


So next time you're planning a trip to Seattle, make it during Seafair. There's the hydros and the Blue Angels, a Milk Carton Derby and pirates. PIRATES! It's a lot of fun, and the weather almost always cooperates. And if you don't have time for an actual vacation, check out Aqua Follies. You can have a vacation-by-kindle! (Make sure you get to the end of this post to enter the giveaway Irene Preston and I are running to celebrate Aqua Follies' release!)





The 1950s. Postwar exuberance. Conformity. Rock and roll.
 Homophobia.
 

Russell tells himself he’ll marry Susie because it’s the right thing to do. His summer job coaching her water ballet team will give him plenty of opportunity to give her a ring. But on the team’s trip to the annual Aqua Follies, the joyful glide of a trumpet player’s solo hits Russell like a torpedo, blowing apart his carefully constructed plans.

From the orchestra pit, Skip watches Poseidon’s younger brother stalk along the pool deck. It never hurts to smile at a man, because sometimes good things can come of it. Once the last note has been played, Skip gives it a shot.

The tenuous connection forged by a simple smile leads to events that dismantle both their lives. Has the damage been done, or can they pick up the pieces together?



 Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | More Stores






Saturday, November 19, 2016

#MySexySaturday - My Sexy Holidays!



Another week, another My Sexy Saturday post! This time the theme is My Sexy Holidays! And though it might be overkill, I'm going to post another teaser from my newly released holiday novella, Bonfire. My co-writer Irene and I have had a great time this release week, and we hope you enjoy this snippet...


Here, we're in Sara's point of view. He and the vampire Thaddeus are out for dinner after shopping for a Christmas tree....

Pinky’s was surprisingly busy for a winter night. A lot of their business came from people who had vacation camps along the Amite. According to Bren, the winter months were slow. It was Friday night, though. The bar, at least, looked hopping with local customers. Sara noticed several faces he had seen in the store before, and Chase sat at the end of the bar nursing a drink. When Bren finally broke away and came to the table, Sara gave her his order and waved her off. “Take care of your other customers. Come talk to me when you get a minute.”

“Might not get a chance. We’ve got a band tonight. I can probably get a few words in if you want to come up to the bar. Otherwise, text me after we close.”

After she left, Sara turned back to his companion. They had never dined out together, he realized. He had always assumed dining in public would be awkward when only one person could eat. Sitting across from him, Thad looked totally relaxed. Not awkward at all.

“Christmas tree shopping and dinner.” Sara grinned across the table. “Thank you, Thaddeus. It’s a proper date.”

A tinge of pink flitted across Thad’s cheekbones, a sign he was both embarrassed and pleased.
Sara decided he had been wrong. Getting Thad out in public was totally worth delaying their tree plans for a few hours. Maybe they could even stay for some of the music. He looked into Thad’s beautiful, stormy-gray eyes and felt his heart expand. He was just an ordinary guy. How had he wound up sitting across from the cutest vampire in the world? Thad’s blush deepened a little, and Sara wished he dared touch his hand on the table. Back in Seattle with any of his past boyfriends, he wouldn’t have hesitated. Thaddeus would be uncomfortable with the gesture, though, just as he had been uncomfortable when Sara had pressed too close to him at the Christmas tree lot.

He searched around for some conversation instead. He didn’t want to think about the lights right now. He wanted to appreciate this moment with Thaddeus.





Silent night, holy hell.

Thaddeus and Sarasija are spending the holidays on the bayou, and while the vampire's idea of Christmas cheer doesn't quite match his assistant's, they're working on a compromise. Before they can get the tree trimmed, they're interrupted by the appearance of the feu follet. The ghostly lights appear in the swamp at random and lead even the locals astray.

When the townsfolk link the phenomenon to the return of their most reclusive neighbor, suspicion falls on Thaddeus. These lights aren't bringing glad tidings, and if Thad and Sara can't find their source, the feu follet might herald a holiday tragedy for the whole town.

This holiday novella can be enjoyed alone or as book 1.5 of the Hours of the Night Series. Bonfiretakes place the December after the events in Vespers.







And don't forget to check out our Giveaway!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks very much for stopping by this week. Make sure you check out the other Sexy Holiday posts from the list below, and have a great Thanksgiving!!






Readers, please visit us at our new Author Central where we’ll be sharing even more from our authors besides Saturday’s snippets. We’d love to have each and every one of you there as we’re starting new things this month with fun and prizes along the way.