Helen Scott Taylor is in the House

It's an honor and pleasure to welcome Helen Scott Taylor to the blog today. Not only is she an amazing writer, but she's an incredible person.  Thank you Helen for coming by and I'll turn it over to you now.

I’m a real softie where animals are concerned and I love books that contain animals as characters or where pets figure in the plot. I especially love the concept of spirit animals or familiars where the animals have a spiritual or magical connection with the characters.


I have two Shih Tzu dogs and a burmilla cat, but I have to admit that my heart belongs to my cat (the bit of my heart that doesn’t belong to my husband and kids!). I indulged myself in the second book in my Magic Knot Fairies series, The Phoenix Charm, and gave my heroine a cat inspired by my own cat. My heroine Cordelia is a pisky witch and her cat Tamsy is her familiar. She rescued Tamsy, who was an abandoned kitten, and has been bonded to her ever since. She can sense Tamsy emotionally. In stressful or frightening situations, she and her cat anchor and calm each other. She doesn’t exactly take Tamsy’s advice—they don’t communicate in words—but she can sense her cat’s reactions to people and events to help her make decisions. Cordelia can also send her consciousness into her cat’s mind and see through her eyes.


I have a villain who is bonded to a dragon and can take on some of the dragon’s characteristics: he armors his torso with dragon-like scales when fighting and gains strength from the bond. He isn’t a shape shifter, but he has internalized the dragon’s aggressive nature.


The concept that our favorite animal reveals something about us often appears in myths and folk law. For me, the peculiar wisdom of animals gives a peek into a mysterious world that exists outside of our understanding. We think we know what goes on in their world, but we see everything through the lens of our human understanding and values. The rules of nature are both harsh and pure, a conflict that is elemental, but honest in its brutal demands. I find the duality of nature fascinating: the fact that to me my cat is a sweet-natured friend while to a mouse she’s a merciless killer. This conflict has an otherworldly quality that lends itself perfectly to the paranormal romance genre.


I guess taking this to its ultimate extreme is the melding of human and animal consciousness in a shape shifter, with the innate conflict of civilized man and wild animal embodied in one being.

What type of animals do you enjoy reading about? Do you like cute pets or dangerous shape-shifters?

To celebrate the release of The Phoenix Charm, I have a free fantasy romance short story on the Dorchester website called Jack’s Garden. (link http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/SpecialFeatures.cfm?Special_ID=2759)

To read book excerpts or for more information on my work go to here.

I have a novella linked to my Magic Knot Fairy world called The Feast of Beauty in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance coming out on Jan 26. This story is about the people of Lir the Irish Sea god.

The Feast of Beauty 


Kate’s grandmother’s dying wish is that she should return her pearl pendant to the tiny fishing village in Ireland where she was born. At the village’s Midsummer Feast of Beauty, the unearthly silver hair and emerald eyes of Esras, the wealthy local landowner, mesmerize Kate. But how can she trust her heart to a man who claims to be a sea fairy king?


The Phoenix Charm  

HE’S PURE TEMPTATION.


Cordelia has sworn she’ll abstain from looking into Michael’s future—particularly when the image in the gilded smoke of her divination mirror shows him half naked. Yet she can’t resist watching the sexy rascal slowly running his hand down his ribs, over his abdomen, flicking open the button on his jeans with a little flourish like a magician performing a trick.

SHE’S TRYING TO RESIST.

Respectable wise woman Cordelia restrains her secret water nymph sensuality with the Celtic symbols painted on her skin. But Michael’s powerful fairy glamour leaves her breathless, off balance, struggling for control. When Gwyn ap Nudd, the Welsh King of the Underworld, steals away Michael’s infant nephew, Cordelia must work with him to save the child. But how can she trust her instincts with Michael tempting her to explore the hidden elemental depths of her nature and insisting that she believe in the power of…The Phoenix Charm.

And here's the trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8JvYC2ljzE

Vicki here. I can't wait to read both books!! I love the covers and the hero's sound to die for. :)


Leave your questions and comments for Helen and someone is going to win The Phoenix Charm. Nice!


Vicki

Helen Scott Taylor Will Be Here On Wednesday!!

I am so excited to have Helen Scott Taylor with us this Wednesday that I had to give you a heads up.

Her second book The Phoenix Charm has just released. She'll be here sharing with us information on the book as well as other stuff (you gotta come back to find out, always a surprise).

And if you're like me and just can't wait to know a little more, then click here to read the excerpt.

Don't you just love the cover!!! 

xoxoxo,

Vicki

More To Come...

So are you having a great time with Karin Tabke in the house? I know we are!!!

People are asking questions (one of them this week will win a surprise) and Karin's been here answering them. You can leave your questions anytime during the week for the surprise drawing and to just get to know Karin better. :)

Speaking of getting to know her better, tomorrow she'll be here for an interview. And can I just say this might be the best interview yet.

Okay everyone, keep those comments and questions coming. The party is just beginning.

Hugs,
Vicki

Karin Tabke - Master of Craving - She's here!!

This week we have none other than the fabulous Karin Tabke in the land. Karin is not only an amazing author, but she has to be one of the sweetest people I know.

I first meet her at RT this past year, which was so cool, then in DC at RWA nationals, we got to hang out quite a bit. Let me tell you Karin knows how to have a great time and still be such a gracious person to those of us fan girls. Yep, I might be a writer, but I’m still a fan girl.

Karin will be here off and on this week to say hello and answer questions. Yay!!! And on Wednesday’s she’ll be here with an interview. Fun Stuff!

Enough of that (for now), let’s get on with this week’s contest.





Master of Craving is Book three in the Blood Sword Legacy series. And here’s just one of her awesome reviews.

"Tabke's alpha heroes and strong-willed women captivate. Her third Blood Sword Legacy novel is a powerful battle-of-wills love story that resonates with the atmosphere of the era and simmering passion, betrayals and politics that add depth to a stirring tale."

-- Romantic Times

Sounds great, right? It is.

Here’s the backcover blurb:

The Blood Sword LegacyEight knights bound by a brotherhood forged in hell claim their legacies the only way they can: by right of arms, by right of victory, by right of conquest.
Most of England has submitted to King William, but Wales refuses to yield. The King's trusted Blood Swords are unable to prevail, and while Stefan de Valrey is left unconscious on the battlefield, his sworn brothers are captured. Despite terribile injuries, Stefan vows to liberate them. Even rescuing a delicately beautiful -- and naked -- maiden from peril cannot deter him, for the silver-eyed Arianrhod is a Welsh princess, a hostage Stefan can exchange for his brothers...so long as Arian remains as pure as when he met her. But that is a constraint Stefan finds harder to honor with every passing day.

When the scowling knight slings her across his saddle, Arian knows she should fix all her thoughts on escape. But Arian has never before experienced the deep, soul-changing desire that Stefan arouses with merely a glance. Breaking their vows could set two kingdoms ablaze -- can they control the sweet, terrible burning between them?

Now that you’re dying to know more, you can go here for an excerpt.

Are you back? Dying to read the book? Have you read the first two? If so, please no spoilers. :)
Well then, leave those comments and questions all week to be entered.

In fact, there may just be a surprise for one the people who ask Karin a question. So bring ‘em on. But remember to play responsibly. Heehee.

Hugs,
Vicki