Admittedly, I’m doing a lousy job of blogging these days, BUT I am getting a lot of work done. I’m finishing the last of the edits on “Fated” my free e-novella today.

They were meant to be together…but will magic tear them apart?

It’s a PERFECT tagline! The novella will be available on my Shayla site and via the Simon & Schuster site beginning next month. I don’t have the exact date, but I should very soon.

The novella will introduce you to some new Doomsday Brethren characters who will make appearances in SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW and POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT. You’ll catch up a bit with Marrok, Olivia, Bram, and the rest of the gang. And you’ll meet Mathias’s newest, nastiest partner in crime.

I don’t know if Pocket will use this cover, provided by the lovely and talented Nikki Duncan (thank you, Nikki!), but my fingers are crossed.

Want a tiny taste??? Here’s the first scene!

FATED
© Shelley Bradley LLC
August 2009

There’s a bloody unwelcome sight.

Ronan Wolvesey wandered into his usual haunt, The Witch’s Brew, with his twin brother, Raiden, close behind. The rowdy London pub always drew a noisy, unusual crowd: athletic types, businessmen, goth girls…and many of magickind’s unmated. A surprise, considering its owner was pure human.

It was that very human Ronan now watched, all swinging golden curls and enormous blue eyes, as Kari Keswick leaned over the bar, her brief blue t-shirt exposing a band of soft skin at her midriff. She spoke to another wizard, a big dark-haired one with gray eyes and the look of a predator. Tynan Someone-or-other, he’d been told.

Fighting a gust of wind, Ronan slammed the little pub’s door. Kari didn’t look his way. Instead, she gripped Tynan’s shoulder as she looked into his eyes and smiled softly.

Bloody hell! He feared this wretched feeling poisoning his blood was the emotion humans called jealousy. He’d rather swallow battery acid.

“Your eyes will burn holes in her if you stare any harder,” Raiden murmured.

“He’s been here too often this past month, talking to Kari.”

“Why do you care? It’s not as if you’ll spend tonight alone. In fact…” He looked away. “I see two splendid possibilities by the window. Come on.”

Raiden saw such possibilities every place they went, and rarely was he wrong. Ronan knew he would not spend the night alone…but he fantasized about spending it with Kari. If he approached her now, she would likely refuse him—just as she had for the past two years. Until now, he’d assumed Kari didn’t want to cross that human-wizard line. Given her present company and their coziness, it appeared her refusal was more personal.

“In a moment.” Ronan headed for the bar.

Raiden grabbed his arm. “She’s not for you. Forget her.”

Ronan refused to concede defeat. “Shove off.”

“She’s hardly the most beautiful female you’ve ever seen. Last week’s blonde was more stunning by half. What was her name?”

He had no idea, and that was the problem. He grew weary of waking up in a different bed, beside a different body every morning. At just ninety, he was young by magickind’s standards. He couldn’t live this way for another ten minutes, much less eight or nine centuries.

“There’s something about Kari,” Ronan confessed. “I’ve nearly gone mad trying to discern it.”

“The fact she said ‘no,’ a word you never hear?” Raiden shrugged. “Plenty of other lovelies. Pick one and move on.”

As if all women were interchangeable. For Raiden—and the rest of the Wolvesey clan—they were.

“Chat up the girls by the window, then. I want to pop over to the bar, say hello.”

Raiden rolled his eyes. “Be quick. Besides, she looks…busy.”

At that, Ronan turned back to Kari to find her laying her soft pink lips against the big wizard’s cheek. She looked so delicate and fair against his strong, sun-bronzed jaw. Then Tynan grabbed her hand and squeezed.

The sight ripped a hole in Ronan’s chest. He clenched his jaw so hard, it was a wonder he didn’t grind his teeth into powder.

Stalking across the bar, he yanked out a stool near Tynan’s. It screeched across the old stone floor. Still, Kari did not look his way.

To his left, the heat from the brick hearth flamed to ward off the coming winter’s chill. Heavy alternative rock played in the background as some wizards laughed at their attempts to play billiards without magic. Human females at the end of the bar toasted something with stout red wine. Ronan scarcely noticed any of it. As always, Kari drew him in utterly, her smile shining as brightly as her golden hair. Her otherworldly blue eyes seemed to take up half her sweet face. A glance at her bowled him over.

There was something…fresh about her. Almost pure. If he could figure it out exactly, maybe he could rid himself of this odd obsession.

“Kari?” he called.

She blinked several times, then tore her gaze from Tynan’s. The other wizard released her, giving her permission to greet him. Was she bedding the wanker? In love with him? The thought screamed across his brain like a battle cry.

“Ronan.” She sidled down to his end of the bar. “A scotch?”

“Double, no rocks.” He glanced down at Tynan. “New…friend?”

“I see your brother has already made yours for the night.” She looked just over his shoulder at his brother with a sarcastic twist of her pretty pink lips. “I hope you’re in the mood for a brunette tonight. It appears she’s yours by default. Raiden always takes the redheads.” Then she looked at her watch and whistled. “Quick work. That’s a record, even for him.”

Ronan grimaced. He didn’t like coming here to find women, but his twin insisted nowhere else was more expedient or target-rich.

“I don’t care who Raiden’s found. He can have them both. I came for you,” he confessed.

Kari reached behind her for a glass on the shelf. “We’ve been over this. I won’t spend the night with you.”

“Why? It’s not because I’m a wizard.” He glanced at Tynan. “Clearly.”

“Don’t ask me again. Please.” She slammed the glass on the well-worn bar between them.

Ronan grabbed her hands. They were soft and fragile, and at a mere touch, desire burned him alive, eating at his composure. “You’re like a fever to me. I need to touch you.”

“That line work for you often?”

Kari thought the admission he’d had to choke out was a ploy? He scowled. “It’s not a bloody line.”

She shook her head, blonde curls brushing breasts he’d dreamed about touching, and extracted her hands. “Like any fever, you’ll recover from it.” Kari then withdrew a bottle of scotch, filled the glass, then shoved it his way. “Six pounds.”

With a sigh, Ronan shoved his money across the bar. “I simply want to talk to you.”

“No, you want to shag me. And then forget me as you have every woman you’ve ever met here and shagged for the past two years. The notches on your bedpost are long, as is the line. I have neither the time nor inclination.”

With that, she turned away and headed to the other end of the bar.

Bugger!

Raiden motioned him over, and Ronan went, pasting on a smile. He glanced at the brunette. Pretty enough. Nice mouth. Small hands. Maybe he could close his eyes and pretend she was Kari. It would hardly be the first time. But now that he knew wizards weren’t off limits, he vowed someday—soon—that he would have Kari for a night.

#

I’m also finishing up the galley pages (which is the last stage before the book publishes) for POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT. Very excited that in just a few months, readers will have these next two titles in their hands. I think the world really takes off, the story and characters grow. There’s SO much going on in the realm of the Doomsday Brethren! I’ll be starting book 4, which is currently untitled, in the next two weeks.

Lastly, I’m working on a novella for my fall 2010 duet anthology with Maya Banks, FOURPLAY. My story is called “Her Fantasy Men”. Thought this would be a breeze, but I’m working really hard to keep this about the characters and emotion. Plus, anytime you have four people in a relationship, it’s dang complicated!

On a personal note, I’ll be visiting my parents soon, spending a few days with them at their cabin in the mountains. The cooler temperatures will be a relief! And it’s gorgeous up there… Plus, the long car ride will give me a lot of time to be productive.

Happy hump day, everyone!

Hi! I’m back from DC. Voice is still coming and going. Bad allergies, lack of sleep and lots of talking will generally kill vocal ability for me, but it was fun to sound like Demi Moore for a while.

I had a very productive time at the RWA conference and saw a lot of people I both needed and wanted to. RWA’s annual charity booksigning for literacy made over $60k, and I came home with a suitcase full of books, some of which I’ll be sharing with you in the near future.

While there, I also received an email with the first “official” review of SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW from the Paranormal Romance Writers. Here’s a snippet: “Ms. Black blends magic, mystery and romance into a suspenseful tale. Her masterful storytelling comes through on every page.” I’m super excited about this review and this book!

Also while in DC, I FINALLY got to do a bit of sightseeing. I’m sharing just a few of my pics with you. Hope you enjoy!

These are pictures of the WWII memorial. I happened to be there around the time of my grandfather’s birthday. He’s a WWII vet and now suffers from dementia. But he still remembers his time in the service as a paratrooper proudly. I couldn’t be with him on his birthday, but I wanted to send him pictures of a place devoted to people who had served, as he had, because he will never see it in person.

President Lincoln looked so regal, stately. Despite the hot day the crowds, I can honestly say I caught my breath and just stared in awe. He’s magnificant.

Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, you can look across the Mall and take pictures of the Washington Monument like this. Just amazing!

That’s about it for me. I hope you all have a happy Monday!

I’m headed to the RWA conference in the morning. I have lots of friends to see, meetings to attend, sessions to pop into. I’m also going to get in a lot of sightseeing, since the last time I was in DC, it rained, so we never left the hotel except to see a very dirty McDonalds. I’m sincerely hoping for more this time.

The 5 winners of the 3 chapter sneak peek of SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW are:

Amy
Kristin
Susan
Dana
Lisa F.

The winner of BOUND AND DETERMINED and the tote is Armenia Fox.

The winner of Beth Kery’s eBook is Caffey.

I think that catches me up on prizes. I’ll be back on Sunday with stories to tell! Have a great week, all!

Happy Thursday! The entire first chapter of SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW is now available HERE for your reading pleasure! I’m so excited to finally start sharing some of these next two Doomsday Brethren titles with you all. I’ve heard from many of you that 13 months between titles seems like forever, and I agree. Working my butt off to bring you stories in the series as fast as I possibly can.

In the meantime, please read the excerpt and and leave a comment here. I’ll give 5 winners a three-chapter sneak peek of the book. I’m going to have a round up of prizes for several of the recent blog contests on Sunday or Monday, so comment quickly!

As an FYI, I’m also putting the finishing touches on my FREE Doomsday Brethren eBook, Fated, which will be out in August.

Can’t wait to hear what y’all think!

It’s finally here!! I’m so excited to share STRIP SEARCH (and this beautiful cover) with everyone! Mark remains one of my favorite heroes, sexy, tortured, Viking in Vegas that he is. Shh, don’t tell RAH (romance author husband), but I put a lot of him into Mark. Nicki, for me, was a heroine I understood and could relate to. Strong enough to know what she wanted…but a little unsure if the man she was investing her heart in was one who would invest back. Throw in a chaotic strip club, a visiting, virginal sister, a mafia problem, and an overbearing family–and this woman has a lot on her plate.

Personally speaking, this book came at a somewhat scary place in my writing life. Every book I’d published prior to STRIP SEARCH, I’d critiqued with the same three ladies. Every word I’d written for the previous 15 years had been under their scrutiny (which was considerable, trust me). This book represented the first time I brached out on my own. I did have a friend or two read it after completion, but it was nail-biting to put together a whole book before getting any feedback. Yet I also found it freeing. So this book remains deeply personal to me–the leap of faith, the closing my eyes and just jumping.

I hope you’ll pick up a copy and enjoy!

STRIP SEARCH
Berkley HEAT
ISBN-10: 0425229254
ISBN-13: 978-0425229255
Genre: Sexy Contemporary Romance

Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders

Read an Excerpt

The best way to go undercover is take it all off….

A sexy CPA goes undercover as a male stripper in the mobster’s Vegas club to nail a Mafia kingpin. The perk? The club’s owner. Sure she’s got some unsavory connections, but how can anyone with those legs be all bad?

She’s got a head for business, but is out of practice in the pleasure department. If anyone can strip her of her inhibitions it’s the new guy who’s stirring her wildest g-string fantasies. But besides the sizzling sexual chemistry they have in common, they both have secrets. They learn quickly that, with the mob closing in, what gets exposed is as irresistible as it is dangerous.

If you see the book out and about and/or can take a picture of it on a shelf OR have a great story about reading the book, share!!! I’ll give a signed copy of BOUND AND DETERMINED and a handy Shayla Black/SJ Day tote to a lucky winner. If you’re sending a picture or story, please send to shayla @ shayla black dot com (without spaces). Can’t wait to hear from you!

I’m very excited to feature a book by a great author, Beth Kery. This cover is smoking how and it sounds fab. Now that I’m back from the beach (pics coming soon), I can’t wait to get my hands on this one! Both this one and my own STRIP SEARCH release tomorrow.

SWEET RESTRAINT
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: July 7, 2009
Format: Trade Paperback
Read Excerpt
Buy: Amazon

This time, he’ll never let her go…
Chicago Special Agent Shane Dominic was in love with Laura Vasquez until the day she left him and married another man. Thirteen years may have passed, but Laura’s never disappeared from his fantasies, or destroyed his desire to learn the truth about why she left him. When her husband, the criminal mastermind behind an international ring of thieves, is murdered, Shane knows this is his one last, desperate chance to learn Laura’s secrets. And he’s not above using their scorching hot passion for one another and a little domination to do it.

One look at Shane, and Laura’s own memories come back to haunt her. Her feelings run deep, but she’d never divulge her secrets—a desperate vow that’s compromised when Shane stuns her by taking her as his captive to a secluded cabin. Here, she will finally belong to him, be subjected to his every torturously erotic whim, and be forced to trust him with a shocking truth she’s hidden for so long—one that will expose them to a danger closing in on the both of them.

Comment here, and I’ll randomly select someone to win one of Beth’s eBooks.

As of this morning, DELICIOUS is availble for pre-order on Amazon. This makes the whole process feel much more real, and I’m thrilled that it’s finally finished, has a gorgeous cover AND is now one step closer to readers’ hands.

I’ve also done some site updates and put up July’s contest. July’s newsletter will hopefully be coming your way in the next few days.

STRIP SEARCH releases in 6 days and I’m excited to celebrate with a chat at Writerspace on July 12 at 9pm Eastern. See you there!

Hope you’re enjoying the summer! I’m back to work, finishing the last of the copyedits for POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT. Have I mentioned that I love this book? One of my favorites ever…