I’m off to San Francisco today, and you’re not likely to see me until next week’s Manly Monday, as I’m not taking my laptop with me. Gasp, I know. I am taking a portable word processor with me, so there will be writing…just no Internet.

So onto Whatever Wednesday… Yesterday, Warner Brothers FINALLY released the teaser trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The movie is out in the U.S. on November 21, and Harry has long been an obsession for me. I’m always thrilled to see a new HP movie. The trailer for this looks very interesting. View it here.

I’m SO looking forward to this. Harry is one of the reasons I chose to write about witches and wizards…though my world is not like JKR’s. And the Doomsday Brethren are much sexier. But I love the unexpectedness of magic. Let me know what you think of the trailer. Are you looking forward to this movie?

It’s hot…in more ways than one. In my neck of the woods (as they say down south), we’re expecting triple-digit heat for the next 7 days. I think today is supposed to be 107. *pant*

Because I’m already overheated, I’m going to post one of my favorite guys of all time from Manly Monday. I think he’s just about IT.

Are you hot now too?

The first advance reviews for TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS are beginning to com in. Besides Publisher’s Weekly’s stunning (to me) review, I’ve also heard from a few other sources. Here’s the round up:

Advance reviews:
“This orgasmic paranormal…will have Black’s fans panting for the next installment.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly

“Kudos!” Romantic Times Bookclub

“I have to tell you I loved it. With so many authors writing paranormal you’ve done a great job making sure your voice is heard.” ~ Ann Lorz Best Sellers Bookstore

“Shayla’s created a very interesting reality with standout characters whom I enjoyed getting to know. I certainly was kept up past bedtime by this one! I’ll look forward to the next book with pleasure.” ~ Merry Cutler, Romantic Times Bookseller of the year

“Brava, Ms. Black, for the start of what looks to be a phenomenal series!” Denise McClain ~ Book reviewer

“All I can say is WOW! This one had my emotions all over the place…got a little hot and bothered, cried some, laughed some and loved it from beginning to end.” ! RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Talk

“WOWOWOWOWOW! Black rocks: emotion, storylines and loveable, must have heroes! I sat and was engrossed. You created a memorable hero and I love the world building.” ~ Joy Harris, Joyfully Reviewed

I also got a new review for DANGEROUS BOYS AND THEIR TOY yesterday from Fallen Angels:

“Shayla Black is a queen of erotic writing. I wait with anticipation for her next stories and books.”

A queen? Me? LOL. RAH is getting a nice laugh out of that about now.

In other news, still preparing for my trip to the Romance Writers’ of America conference in San Francisco. I’ve been shopping and having my hair done, need a pedicure, etc. My schedule is jam packed with meetings, but I’m really looking forward to seeing industry contacts and friends.

I’ll be back next Sunday. I’ll try to leave blogs for RAH to publish while I’m gone, however.

The August newletter is ready and should be distributed on time. If you haven’t entered my contest to win an ARC of TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS, you’ve got a few days left.

Until next week…

It’s that day of the week where I feature a new or upcoming release from a friend or esteemed peer. Today, it’s from someone who’s both! Charlene Teglia has won a Romantic Times award for best erotic of the year and continues to write hot books for St. Martin’s Press. Her latest, WICKED HOT, has awesome reader feedback. I’ll be anxious to read this one for myself! Here’s a few tasty morsels:

Two immortal warriors attending to her every need…
The struggle between good and evil is about to get…Wicked Hot

Edana is a succubus—a breathtakingly beautiful demon who offers men their most decadent fantasy in exchange for their souls. No one can get close to her without being destroyed..until she meets Eli and Dal. Both men are Nephilim, immortal warriors who bind and banish demons. Edana’s mission is to arouse their lust and steal their souls before they can destroy her—she never expects to fall in love. Shared by two virile lovers and lost in a world of sensation, Edana begins to fall for one of the warriors, jeopardizing her mission. Only he has power to save her, but first she must give him power over her heart—and her destiny…

Wicked Hot
copyright 2008 Charlene Teglia
St. Martin’s Griffin, all rights reserved

Eli lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me as if it was a prelude to battle and a sensual declaration of war. His lips ravaged mine, payback for the brutal kiss I’d given him. I tilted my head back to offer him a better angle and opened my lips under the bruising pressure of his. He made a low, growling sound and sent his tongue probing in search of mine.

We circled, tested, and parried with our tongues, the actions more reminiscent of a duel than a kiss. Opponents feeling each other out, taking each other’s measure, gauging skill and style. Each searching for an opening in the other’s guard.

Eli ended the skirmish of lips and tongues and drew back, his forehead touching mine, our mouths the smallest space apart. A gap either of us could close easily. “You’re not an amateur.”

“Neither are you.” My voice was a little breathless and it wasn’t done for deliberate effect. Eli had made me work to keep up with him in the kiss, just like he had walking, and I hadn’t expected it.

“I didn’t have to hold back with you.” Eli stated this as if I shouldn’t have had to have it explained. It was like an echo of my conversation with Dal.

I thought about the implications of a being with enough sex drive to go through a hundred women not holding back and felt almost dizzy with sexual greed. Maybe the experience would be worth the risk. Almost immediately I wanted to smack myself. Worth risking eternal banishment? Lust makes everybody stupid.

On the other hand, Eli was treating me almost like an equal and that was…interesting. Unique in my experience. I had the funny sense that it was the closest thing I’d get to a compliment for him to spar with me on my field of battle. Like he thought I could give him a challenging fight.

“Do you really want me here, on this beach?” I asked Eli. “All those rocks under us, digging in and making things uncomfortable?”

“You wanted to come here,” Eli reminded me.

“Yeah, well, there’s historical precedent to temptation in the wilderness,” I said. “Also, I thought the beach would be softer. Sandy.”

“There’s sand when the tide’s further out.” Eli looked dead serious, but I had the distinct impression he was laughing at me inside.

Rolling around on the beach sounded sexy, but not if it included hitting my head on a rock. Of course, having my skin scoured off by sand probably wouldn’t be much more fun. A job was a job, though. I steeled myself for it. “Fine. Let’s do it, then. I get to be on top.”

“I’m not scraping my ass on these rocks for you.”

I bit back a laugh that turned to a gasp as we transitioned, from the beach below to the forested cliff above in a blink.

“This is more like it,” Eli said. “A soft bed of moss and ferns.”

I clutched at him and looked around. It was like being in a primeval forest, the trees were so ancient, tall and moss-covered. Soft, filtered light came from the canopy high above us, making our little spot seem dim and intimate. The roar of the surf below filled the air with a surging rhythm and the air had a tang of salt that mixed with the green scent of forest. A place out of time. Out of the modern world. A place that sat just on the cusp of two realms, the world of water and the world of woods.

“Yes,” I agreed. My voice sounded hushed to my own ears. “This is more like it.”

Eli lowered me to the forest floor. The moss under us felt surprisingly soft and springy. It beat being backed up against a nearby tree, especially since the ones I could see had a tendency to sprout shelf lichen all around their trunks. He arranged us side by side, facing each other. One of his large hands rested on my hip. The other arm went under me, making a sort of pillow for me. His long hair spilled over my shoulder, and somehow that felt more intimate than the kisses we’d exchanged.

Eli looked into my eyes, and I felt my breath stop. “Laying down, we’re the same height,” he said, his voice rasping with an edge of hunger that called to my own.

This book is in stores near you and online. Grab one and let me know what you think!

We have a lot of ground to cover, ’cause I’ve got a lot of whatever on my mind. 

First, O.M.G. Publisher’s Weekly reviewed Tempt Me With Darkness! Wow.

For those of you who don’t know, Publisher’s Weekly is a trade magazine for the publishing industry. They don’t review many genre novels, and I don’t know this personally, but I hear they aren’t always glowing in their reviews. But I got a great quote! “This orgasmic paranormal…will have Black’s fans panting for the next installment.” Yippee!

Some of y’all have questions you’ve sent and I’ve left in my inbox for just such an occasion. Just so you know that blog comments aren’t a big, black hole. LOL.

Back on June 18, Kim H asked: “What book of yours would you like to see turned into a movie and who would play the main characters?”

Answer: There’s a part of me that would love to see Wicked Ties made into a movie, but it would likely be made by someone in the San Fernando valley, if you catch my drift, so… I’ll dodge that and say Tempt Me With Darkness. The main characters… I think Gerard Butler would make a fine Marrok. Grab some of that hardware from the 300 set and we’re good to go. Olivia could be played by Liv Tyler. She’s the perfect look and has that quiet, mysterious thing going for her.

On July 20, Ro asked: “I’m curious as to how you guys (Maya Banks and I) got together even though your stories are similar and not connected.” (In reference to the duet anthology we recently sold together to Berkley HEAT.)

Answer: Back in May, Maya and I did a chat together on a review site’s loop. Someone brought up how cool it would be to have us in an anthology together. We’ve known each other for a while and seem to be mutual fans of one another’s work, so we started talking off list. She had an idea, which sort of fell in line with an idea I’d been toying with in the back of my head. The characters are not connected, but the themes are similar. Once we hammered that out, Berkley got on board, and there you go…

Last bit of whatever on my mind is always my work in progress (WIP), in this case, Seduce Me In Shadow. By turns, this book as been both easier and more frustrating than TMWD. The characters are completely different. The set-up is night and day. The hero and heroine’s relationship is nothing like Marrok and Olivia’s. And that’s all by design. But damn it, there are certain chapters that, just by a book’s structure, are somewhat transitional between big turning points. Chapter 7 is always like that for me. It is inevitably one of my least favorite chapters in any book, and this one is no exception. BTW, I’ll pull my hair out again when I hit 13. Just so dang frustrating. And I’ve been doing this long enough to tense in advance before reaching these points in a book, which is not a good thing. Thankfully, I’m beginning chapter 9 today and am heading for much smoother ground for a while. Oh, and my 3 advance readers so far have really liked what I’ve written, so that’s making me feel loads better. I’ve got another Doomsday Brethren to write by mid-January, so I’ve got to get a move on!

Last (and this is where I enlist your help), I want to write an interview with the characters who appear in Tempt Me With Darkness. If anyone has specific questions they’d like to know about Marrok or Olivia or any of the other guys mentioned here, drop them into comments. I’ll be putting together an interview with the cast and crew for another Whatever Wednesday.

Happy hump day!

On the run already this morning, so I don’t have a lot of time to say something witty. I’d need caffeine anyway… But I don’t have to worry about showing what razor wit I (don’t) have early in the morning. He can talk for me!

Hmm…seems he’s feeling a little shy. Well, maybe he’ll inspire the witty conversation…

Enjoy and have a great week!

For those of you who have been visiting me a while, you’ll recognize this blog topic. I’ve gotten too off schedule, so I’m going back to the old ways.

For those of you who are new visitors and have been thinking, does this chick ever update her blog regularly?, the answer is now yes. The schedule going forward (note to self: stick to this!):

Sunday Newsday – Weekly news
Manly Monday – Hunky man pics (just for you, Stephanie!)
Whatever Wednesday – As the topic implies, whatever the heck I want to blog about
Feature Friday – Featuring an excerpt and/or contest of a new or upcoming release of mine or some other great author

I may break in during the week if other fabulous topics occur to me, or if I have great news that I can’t hold until Sunday. Deal?

So, here’s the news from the last few weeks…

Clearly, I made it back from the beach in one piece–a plus! I’m plugging away on SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW, Doomsday Brethren book 2. It’s out October 2009. Doomsday Brethren 3, POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT, will be released back-to-back in November 2009. So I’m writing as fast as I can! SMIS is due 9/15, and I’m on page 150 so far. And it’s going well, I think. It’s fairly smooth and less difficult than TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS, probably because I know the world better now.

I sold an erotic novella to Berkley on Wednesday. It will be a 2-author anthology with Maya Banks! I don’t want to spill the details yet–not that I have many–but we’re really excited about the project, as is Berkley. I *think* we’re looking at a late 2010 or early 2011 release, because Maya and I are both under deadline for a while. We’ve agreed to turn in our novellas in December 2009 to accommodate our other schedules. Hence, the delay. But I think it’s going to be awesome, and we’re hoping for a GREAT cover. The concept…let’s just say this is something I’ve wanted to try for a while. I always like to stretch and try new things, so I’m looking very forward to this.

The print version of THE LADY AND THE DRAGON will have a new cover when it hits shelves on September 30. I’ve seen a draft of a cover, and I like it a great deal, but it’s not final yet. As soon as it is, you know I’ll share.

I’m starting to get some bookseller comments on the pending release of TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS. (36 days to go!) Here are a few snippets:

“It’s a fantastic start to your series! Loved it…” Lucy Abarcia – Ever After, Australia

“…A very interesting reality with standout characters whom I enjoyed getting to know. I was certainly kept up past bedtime by this one! I’ll look forward to the next book with pleasure.” Merry Cutler, Romantic Times bookseller of the year

And this from Romantic Times…
“Black vaults into the supernatural… Kudos!”

I’m leaving for San Francisco to the Romance Writers of America national convention on the 30th. I’ve been shopping. Need to have someone work on the claws and my hair before I go, so they see a slick professional, not the she-beast who crawled from the deadline cave.

On a personal note, I saw Mamma Mia last night and enjoyed it very much. Not exactly like the Broadway show, which I’ve had the privilege of seeing a few times. The big stars aren’t the best singers, but it’s infectious fun!

I think that’s it this week. Hope you all are doing well. If you have something great to share, please let me know!

In case you’re already a Shelley Bradley/Shayla Black subscriber and you think that you’re automatically entered for this drawing…nope. I’m throwing a twist in this month. But we’ll get back to that.

A friend reminded me the other day that I have been very remiss about a couple of things. Namely posting excerpts for TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS and announcing my ARC contest winner. My only explanation is that the next book in the series, SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW, is taking over my psyche!

So without further ado…

“Your social skills haven’t grown during the last fifteen centuries. You can’t just accuse me of stabbing you in the back. I’m not Morganna.”

“Honesty from her is something I neither needed nor wasted my breath asking for. You…” Marrok swallowed, pain shadowing his face. He buried his fists in her hair and stared at her with stark blue eyes. “Do not betray me. You will rip out my heart.”

His voice was a whisper, his words a plea. And they melted Olivia like butter.

He was telling her that she, a woman who had never been wanted, could bring this fierce warrior to his knees. Did she dare believe it? How often had she fantasized about being wanted, having someone who would touch her freely, with affection? Marrok knew it. He could be feigning all this emotion to keep her close until he discovered how to open the diary and end his curse. When he’d met her, he hadn’t been hoping for a wife.

When he’d mated with her, it hadn’t been for love.

But when he touched her, she swore that nothing—no one—mattered as much to him.

Tears pricked her eyes as Olivia grabbed the hard line of his jaw and looked into his icy-hot eyes. “I know what rejection feels like. Why would I purposely hurt you?”

“Mayhap you resent your abduction, our mating. Or because you can.”

He’d given her power over him…but all she wanted was his touch, his affection. Marrok pressed against her, chest, belly, hips, thighs, as close as he could without being inside her. Then his lips followed, consuming hers in one greedy stroke.

She should stop him, sort out this tangle of thoughts, hopes, and desires before jumping into the fire. But her nipples burned into his chest, and he pulled her deeper into the kiss. Everything inside her incinerated. Letting him go was impossible.

Panting, he pulled back and drilled her with a hot stare. Without words, Olivia knew he wanted to be deep inside her. That look siphoned off her anger and inhibitions. She forgot everything but the moment as he pressed passionate kisses to her neck, his hands drifting to her breasts. His cock pushed between her legs as if begging for entry.

She burned up, itchy and hot, smoldering inside for something only he could give her. Leaning into him, Olivia opened herself to him—her kiss, her need, her heart. He took them, hungry and unrelenting. The contrast of his soft lips and rough stubble mesmerized her.

“Mine,” he growled against her mouth, challenging her to deny it.

“For now.”

“Forever.”

He sounded so determined. Marrok was looking to break his curse and die. Did it really matter to him? Did she?

He kissed her like she did, now at her mouth again, sliding deep. His callused palms burned her breasts, pinched her tight nipples. The pleasure-pain made her gasp. As Marrok unsnapped her jeans and shoved them down her legs and off, he took sensitive nipples in his mouth, one after the other, back and forth. Until she trembled. Arched. Gushed.

Olivia couldn’t believe she stood completely naked in Bram’s hallway, her back against the wall, panting for Marrok to make love to her. Worse, she didn’t want it to stop.

Marrok nipped at her breast with his teeth, then licked softly. As he repeated the process on her other, he shoved his sweat pants past his hips.

“Open for me.”

The need to feel him deep rose hard and fast. Olivia complied, and he kissed his way down until he kneeled between her spread feet. When he latched on to her wet folds with his mouth, tongue toying with her, she cried out, grabbing the dark silk of his hair as his lips spread desire all through her.

He lapped at her, and her need soared. As she whimpered his name, he nibbled at her thigh, rose to kiss her belly, suckle a breast, breathe against her lips. “Release all your need unto me.”

Then Marrok lifted her, wrapped her thighs around his hips, and thrust deep. At the sudden intrusion, pleasure shot past any pain, ripping through her. She opened her mouth to scream, and Marrok covered it, driving her higher with his hungry demands.

His kiss claimed her, never-ending. He swallowed all her cries, as if he refused to share them with anyone. Her body devoured every inch of his erection and squeezed, craving more. The ache inside skyrocketed, burning hot, threatening to incinerate her. Blood rushed to her swollen clit. Olivia convulsed as pleasure climbed, spiked, and overtook her.

He opened his eyes. Hard, bright, rapacious. A sizzling blue that threatened her sanity—her soul.

“Again,” he demanded.

The warrior in him compelled her surrender; he’d settle for nothing less than a proverbial white flag. But with one relentless thrust after another into her weeping core, the tightening tension and the perfect friction only strengthened their bond. It expanded outward, filling everything inside her, cocooning and disintegrating her at once.

“Feel me,” he whispered. “Tell me who you belong to.”

“No one.”

“Wrong! You belong to me.”

His determined growl resounded with passion and filled an empty place in her heart. Did she dare believe him?

“Say it,” he demanded. “Tell me.”

Inside her, he swelled, eased back, then pressed inside her again with a molasses-slow stroke that had her clawing his back.

“You!” Pleasure ripped the word from her.

“Only me. There will be no other.”

“Never!” She threw her head back to the wall.

With her neck exposed, Marrok planted his lips just beneath her ear.

“Come for me, love. Give everything to me.”

If you’d like the chance to win an ARC in advance, hop over to my contest page. If you’re not a subscriber to my fun, free monthly newsletter, it’s a single email to your inbox somewhere between the 1st and the 5th of every month. I never use the list for anything else or share names with anyone. In case you think “I never win”, New subscribers are eligible for this contest, which greatly increases your chances of me pulling your name from the hat. If you’re an existing subscriber, you can play too. Just convince a friend or fellow reader to subscribe to my newsletter in July and/or place the TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS book widget on your site/MySpace/Facebook/blog or other reader fan site and email me the link and you’re entered. If you’re tech unsavvy, like me, click on my paranormal page, then click on Widget Menu. Choose grab this widget and place the code wherever you wish. That’s it–or so I’ve been told. Don’t forget to email me! This contest is all about spreading the Doomsday Brethren love! Let’s tell everyone about this big band of brash warrior wizards.

If you’ll do your part, I might be persuaded to part with more excerpts over the next 5 weeks, deal?

Last, from my June 11 blog contest for an ARC, the winner is…June 12′s poster, Stephanie. Please drop me a contact page to claim your ARC. I’ll mail it ASAP!

Writing with 9 people under 1 roof = So Not Happening.

I’m at the beach on the Carolina coast with my hubby and munchkin, my sister-in-law, her hubby and 4 kids.

As the picture suggests, it’s lovely. This is one of RAH (Romance Author Husband’s) family traditions. It’s always nice to see the family and how much the kids have grown since last year. But for the writing process…not so helpful. To say that it’s loud and chaotic and that we spend a lot of time cooking and cleaning is an understatement. For a few hours each day, I try to find a quiet place to hide and work. It’s not long before RAH comes looking for me, or one of the kids is upset about something, or the brood needs to be fed or it’s time to trek down to the beach (which doesn’t work well for long periods when you have very fair skin). But I’m doing my best.

On the bright side, I’ve continued working on SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW as much as possible. I’m beyond page 110 and feeling good about what I’ve got so far. This book is different than the last. The vibe, the conflicts, the magical rules that come into play. I’m getting deeper into the overall story and continuing to peel back the layers of magickind. It’s really cool to see so much of what’s in my head finally making it into my computer.

I’ll be heading home later this week. I’m going to try to get to page 125 by Sunday. Everyone cross your fingers for me. I’m not used to quite this much chaos. Hmm… I hear my iPod calling my name!

As of this morning, TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS has a new book video for your viewing pleasure. At just over a minute, with very dramatic music and lots of rippling abs, I think it’s well worth watching. Take a peek here. Love to know what you think!

I’m off for a few days. Will be at the beach with my in-laws, etc. I’m going to keep up with my deadline, catch up on a little reading, and generally sleep a whole lot more. For everyone in the U.S., have a happy and safe 4th!