Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt! The Search Is On!

Remember those frantic races door-to-door looking for oddities like wooden matchsticks, KoolAid packets, a golf tee, a shoelace, and a caffeine-free tea bag? Night Owl Reviews is rekindling the excitement with prizes galore during its Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt that introduces readers to authors and their books. No need to annoy the neighbors. This Hunt is done via your keyboard with a fill in the blank word search. Seek and Find and Enter to win fabulous prizes . . . by reading book blurbs. How fun is that?!

I’ll be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card. A host of other authors are offering everything from gift certificates to gift baskets, all valued at $25 or more! The greatest prize of all could be discovering a soon-to-be favorite new author and great summer read!

Head to Night Owl Reviews and let the Hunt begin . . .

And speaking of prizes, congratulations to Sharon Miller who won a gift card from my contest during the Fresh Fiction “Pack Your Beach Tote” event!

For MORE fun, check out the awesome Bewitching Book Tours June 2013 Magazine’s werewolf issue! I’ve got an article on “All in the Family: Running with the Pack” and an excerpt from PRINCE OF SHADOWS in its glossy pages!

Happy Summer and Happy Reading!!

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Let the Music Play: Character Soundtracks

I had a lot of fun in a recent post at Savvy Authors describing the reason for creating Playlists to accompany your books, along with a brief How-To from my virtual assistant, My Girl Friday at Rebel Yell Media Management, and my criteria for picking songs to include. I featured the playlist for Cale Terriot, the rowdy, tattooed, rock and roll hero of PRINCE OF SHADOWS, but not the one I had for the heroine. I’m all about equal opportunity so I wanted to give Kendra matching airtime with a little something extra – the reasons behind my selection of each song for both her and Cale.

So as you listen to the Playlists, read through my thoughts on bringing those tunes to the party.

Playlist for Kendra Terriot of PRINCE OF SHADOWS:

Because of You (Kelly Clarkson): is where my heroine comes from, a background where she witnessed her mother’s abuse and failure to address it, and now fears she’ll be subjected to a similar situation. The aching sentiments reflect her caution, lack or trust and isolation.
Behind These Hazel Eyes (Kelly Clarkson): picks up with Kendra in the present. She’s had a close relationship ripped away by betrayal and faces a return of those emotions that tear her apart.

These Dreams (Heart): I’ve loved this one since the ‘80s! Its haunting lyrics express Kendra’s romantic ideals, those “dreams in the mist.” That it laments about a world full of princes is a bonus with her ultimate freedom coming in the form of a kiss from one of them.

I Hate Myself for Loving You (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts): If ever there was an anthem for being caught in a toxic relationship, this is it. It’s playing in the book’s pivotal club scene where Kendra’s feelings of awakening sexuality focus on Cale, the one who hurt her and “took her heart and pride away.”

Broken Wings (Mr. Mister): Another of my ‘80’s favs. The fact that it starts with a crooning, “Baby” makes it Cale’s poignant plea for Kendra, the half that makes him whole, to give him a chance to make things right between them.

Bring Me Back to Life (Evanescence): Ami Lee’s angsty, raw and desperate vocals express Kendra need to break from her fears and experience not just sex, but emotion and love, and echo Cale’s plea that he’s been living a lie and for her to save him from them.

Fall For You (Secondhand Serenade): Cale’s wooing promise that she’s it for him, for her to open her heart and trust him, and Kendra’s struggle against her want to believe him.

Dog Days Are Over (Florence & the Machine): The driving beat pulses with Kendra’s rediscovery of freedom as she puts the past behind her, quits hiding from its pain so she can move forward.

Cale Terriot’s Playlist from PRINCE OF SHADOWS:


Beautiful Disaster (Kelly Clarkson): Kendra’s observation of Cale as “damned as he seems” from suffering more damage than the soul should have to take. Her list is full of contrasts, unknown motives and uncertainties. She’s waited so long to have him but fears it will be a terrible mistake.
Lonely Boy (The Black Keys): Cale’s determination to wait for the love of his life by putting his heart and emotions on hold with a claim of “I don’t mind bleeding.”
Money Talks (AC/DC): As a Terriot, full of arrogance, wealth and privilege, Cale cynically realizes that money and power are what the females of his clan are after, but Kendra’s always wanted him in spite of it. A fun scene in the book with Cale dancing and pouring champagne over the heads of his grasping female entourage.
1st Regiment (Chrome Division): Reflects the Terriot motto of take what they want, want what they see, and hold what they have with the aggressive growl that others get out of their way or they’ll have “another reason for war.”
Music (Madonna): Kendra thinks this an odd inclusion in Cale’s personal playlist until he picks up its sexy, infectious beat to show off graceful and powerful MMA moves . . . and his hot bod. Madonna’s video reflects the Terriot’s love of flash and elitism, and even features a little fighting dust up.
Broken (Seether): From Cale and Kendra dance at the club. The raw ballad is all about Cale’s longing for his lost love and his desire to take her pain away.
Shot of Love (AC/DC): Full of Cale’s macho swagger as he stakes a proud and boastful claim upon his new mate in front of his family, and she doesn’t mind responding in kind to his bold, “I want you.”
Cat People (David Bowie): Cale’s patient and often animalistic struggle to become strong enough within his family’s brutal hierarchy to claim Kendra as his queen summed up with “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through,” overcoming weakness with necessary violence.
Broken, Beat and Scarred (Metallica): Fierce, hard rocking literal look at what Cale’s been willing to do to survive and protect those he loves by never staying down. Echoes his mantra of “What don’t kill you makes you strong.”
Ships In the Night (Mat Kearney): If movies have their love song, this is PRINCE OF SHADOWS’s. Full of petition and promise as Cale vows to be that heart that’s not walking away as he searches for a way to right his life and lead it with Kendra at his side.

Hope this has given you an up close and personal look inside PRINCE OF SHADOWS and its characters through the magic of music! Do you find Playlists a fun addition to a book’s content as a reader? As a writer are they something you’ve tried?

Happy listening. Happy reading.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do?

Oh, baby! Nothing does it for me like a Bad Boy! Give me the thug over a pretty face any day. Keep your Jude Laws and Ryan Goslings. I’ll take the intense and brutish Clive Owens, Jeremy Renners, Vin Diesels, and Jason Stathams!

There’s something about a tough guy being humbled by the powerful love of one woman that I can’t resist. My favorites are Kresley Cole’s ubber hot MacGrieves and J.D. Robb’s delicious Roarke. These are the kind of rough-edged, dangerous heroes I like to read and write about.

Cale Terriot, in my new dark paranormal release, PRINCE OF SHADOWS, is my ultimate bad boy. Born into a warrior clan of shape-shifters where one has to fight to survive as a prince in the House of Terriot, Cale is willing to do whatever it takes to attain his goal. It’s not the crown he’s after—it’s his childhood love whose family has been branded as traitors to their clan.

"Told in Gideon's unique manner, serving up tortured and spine tingling alpha male, PRINCE OF SHADOWS transcends the paranormal with a gripping love story. Cale and Kendra's mating will be a dance to remember. Another amazing addition to the Moonlight series. 5 Stars!" - Readaholics Anonymous

To help you grab onto a sexy, naughty boy hero like Cale, I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card as part of the Bad Boys of Romance Hop! Details are listed below. Make sure you follow the Hop to get your fill of hotties (if there’s such a thing!)

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To keep your motor running, here’s a look at PRINCE OF SHADOWS . . .

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"He-ll-oo sexy shifter romance - why haven't I met you before?!? Pure unadulterated romance with a sizzling Romeo and Juliet plotline. I mightily enjoyed this book. You don't usually see the hot alpha stud as the more romantic one in a paranormal romance pair. What a smorgasbord of shifter hotness. This story is a winner." - The Urban Book Thief

And here’s a listen to what makes a bad boy like my strutty, tattooed prince rock and roll …

Speaking of music to make the heart beat faster, I’m over at Savvy Authors talking about creating playlists, so plug in your headset and follow me. Next week I’ll be breaking it down on how I picked Cale’s soundtrack, and because women deserve equal billing, I’ll have one up for Kendra, too.

Happy reading and happy listening!

Bad Boys of Romance Giveaway Hop Grand Prize Rafflecopter

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Follow and Hop Along!

Sneak Peek Sunday

I had SO much fun at my first Sneak Peek last Sunday that I’m back for MORE – MORE excerpts, MORE new and new-to-me authors, MORE book friends, and MORE great reading opportunities. I hope you enjoy this new tease from PRINCE OF SHADOWS, the latest release in my “By Moonlight” dark paranormal shape-shifter series. And then promise me you’ll hop along the Sneak Peek links to devour other tasty samples. No calories, only delicious temptation!

Sneak Peek from PRINCE OF SHADOWS:

“Open your eyes, princess.”

Her lashes fluttered, and the harsh beauty of his features filled her vision like an erotic dream.

“I wanted you to know who was kissing you this time.”

She went flat-footed. With a quick wrenching twist, she escaped his grasp and fled the room.

When Cale emerged from the bathroom draped in a towel, Kendra skirted the big bed, keeping a wary distance. Her wet clothes lay on the tiles by the soaking tub. She’d found among all those filmy confections in the closet the one thing that didn’t scream “Do me, hot stuff.” Conservative black leggings and an oversize sweatshirt didn’t make him want her any less. But tonight, he looked no further than keeping her in the same room with him. As he reached into the closet, Cale heard her gasp as the towel dropped, and he smiled at the sound of her panicked scramble from the bedroom. In time, she’d realize she couldn’t outrun him, outwait him, or outsmart him.

She was going to be his queen.

PRINCE OF SHADOWS  by Nancy Gideon

A Pocket Star e-Exclusive

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Others Controlled Her Fate

A gentle female held hostage in a deadly play for power, Kendra Terriot’s only means of survival for herself and her family is to play to a careful courtship game. The one she chooses from her clan’s dangerous heirs will inherit the coveted crown, keeping her their prisoner forever . . . unless she can retain her virtue until rescue arrives.

The Past Destroyed His Dreams

Favored son of their brutal Shifter leader, the only calm in Cale Terriot’s violent world is a childhood love for his delicate distant cousin whom he’s pledged to make his queen. With Kendra at his side, he knows he can become the kind of ruler his clan needs, but first he must learn how to become the kind of mate she desires.

A Choice Would Determine Their Future

In a treacherous race for control, where weakness means death, Cale must prove he’s not the beast his beauty fears and still protect her, especially once her unrequited love returns to free her. The only way to win her respect could mean surrendering his throne. The only way to win her heart could mean letting her go . . . even if she no longer wants to be saved.

“An enthralling story with intrigue, betrayal, love, power, sacrifice, and loyalty that sheds new light on shape shifters. The world is truly magnificent! Be prepared to get sucked in!” – Faerietale Books

“A fantastic paranormal romance. The world building was utterly flawless set in a cutthroat royal arena where secrets and betrayal are rampant. Add in the prince most skilled in navigating the games, a woman who is unprepared to face all the danger, and sprinkle a heap of romance and we have this spectacular book. Loved it!” – Imagine a World

Prince of Shadows Blitz

Bewitching Book Tours is helping me celebrate Release Day for PRINCE OF SHADOWS with this fabulous Book Blitz! Meet Cale and Kendra, get the Down Low on the “By Moonlight” series, enjoy tantalizing excerpts, read reviews, and find out surprising things about me and my writing career in unique interviews. Follow along the links below as they go live to join in the fun.

• Guest blog at Urban Fantasy Investigations
• Interview with Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
• Character Interview and review at Total Eclipse Reviews
• Interview and review with Imagine a World
• Spotlight and review at Penny For Them... 
• Interview and review with Wolf Majick Reviews
• Review at Books Books and More Books 
• Spotlight and review at Faerie Tale Books
• Spotlight and review from Hide The Matches 
• Spotlight and review with Celestial Reviews
• Review from Pick Your Poison Book reviews 
• Interview with Pembroke Sinclair

Spotlights With . . .

• Hywela Lyn 
• Deb Sanders
• 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!
• Musings of Mistress of the Dark Path
• Shut Up & Read
• Literal Hotties Book Reviews
• Romancing the Book
• Provocative Pages
• Cover Reveals
• Escape Into a Book
• Book Liaison
• Frankie Blooding's Bookshelf

A BIG thank you to Roxanne Rhoads and all the wonderful sites who participated in this special book launch!

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Happy Holiday - Release Day, and Birthday to me!!

I’m taking time out from my family party (Hey, we know how to rock a grill!) to send up release day fireworks for PRINCE OF SHADOWS, the 8th book in my “By Moonlight” dark paranormal shape-shifter series that hits the e-verse today!!

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Sneak Peek Sunday!

I’m so excited to participate in my first Sneak Peek Sunday! I love sharing and I love meeting new authors and sampling their works.

I’ve attached a sniblet from my brand new (as in available tomorrow in the e-verse!) release, PRINCE OF SHADOWS, Book 8 in my “By Moonlight” dark paranormal Shape-shifter series with Pocket. After you read it, please continue on through the Sneak Peek link to savor more tidbits from other authors.

ENJOY!

Meet Cale, Prince of the House of Terriot . . .

Cale Terriot. Le sigh . . . I confess. I always fall in love with my heroes. I figure if I don’t, how can my reader? But after spending weeks with Cale, my rowdy, tattooed, rock and roll prince, I was more than ready to run off with him for a lengthy affair (providing he’d agree to some fairly extensive therapy to deal with his family issues!). He was so much fun to develop on the pages of PRINCE OF SHADOWS with his strutty pride, designer suits and diamond stud earring (pitbulls with rhinestone collars is how Silas MacCreedy describes him and his brothers). But all that flash could be stripped away in an instant to lay bare a fiercely loyal and dangerous protective Shifter male in Back to Butt-kicking Business black whose only goal is to claim the heart of his childhood love. It’s no secret. I adore a thuggish, action-oriented underdog who fights for what he wants with driven intensity, a touch of unpredictable savagery, a spark of humor, and drop dead sexiness. That’s my prince in spades.

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s a little something to tempt you ...

Meet Kendra Terriot from PRINCE OF SHADOWS

I like my heroines to be strong and independent so it’s hard for me to write about a fragile, helpless female. When Kendra Terriot, the cousin of Silas and Brigit MacCreedy, was introduced in HUNTER OF SHADOWS as the vulnerable victim of a traumatic childhood event who carried an unrequited torch for Silas, I didn’t see heroine material. It wasn’t until she risked returning to the feudal stronghold of the Terriot clan to bargain for her cousins’ safety that I saw the spark of the courage she would need to face off against the tyrannical Terriot leader and his arrogant sons.

In The Name of Love Character Quiz

I love a space adventure. Just in time to gear up for the newest Star Trek reboot, it’s “Beam me up, Diane!”

Even though I’m not ready for that final frontier for the SWITCHED series with book 3, SWITCHED RESOLUTION, I’ll admit it was a great ride while it lasted. Strap in and blast off on another bumpy ride to true love with Diane Burton’s latest star-crossed lovers, Scott and Veronese. As you enjoy their witty repartee during this interview, savor a taste of the author’s voice that makes her writing such a sassy, interactive pleasure to read.

So get on board for some out-of-this-world techie fun . . . and no, you don’t have to be a geek to sign on for the trip . . .