My name is Izzy and I interview book characters.  Many people say I’m a character, myself.  *Snort*.  That’s nice of them.  I’m hoping Rebecca lets me interview a bunch of her characters–I can’t wait to be in the same room with all of the Kayrs brothers.  MEOW.

So, I tried interviewing the king once before, and his brothers showed up to cause havoc.  Talen is particularly tiresome when it comes to interviews…who knows why.  But Dage agreed to meet me again and this time we met at a very quaint coffee shop that’s off the grid.  The coffee is spectacular and there’s free WiFi, so even if our meeting got cut short, I was happy.  For those of you who haven’t met Dage yet, he’s about six and a half feet tall, packed hard, with black hair and incredible silver eyes.  Frankly, it shows he trusts us that he’s not hiding the odd color.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

ME:  So.  Thank you for trying this again.  I’m sorry about last time.

DAGE:  That certainly wasn’t your fault.  Sometimes my brothers are a handful.

If that wasn’t the understatement of the millennium, I don’t know what was.  But I nodded and gave him my most professional smile.  He smiled back…not fooled a bit.

ME:  So, I wanted to talk to you about Max’s mission – I believe he left the other day.

DAGE:  Interesting.  Why do you believe that?

Okay.  Vampires can be kind of scary and this one scarier than most.  Even though his tone stayed calm and no expression crossed his face, an odd tension made the air around us kind of heavy.  The king probably didn’t like his information getting out.

ME:  My sources are pretty good.  And this interview won’t run until Max has finished his mission (but about a month before TEMPTED, Max’s story, comes out—don’t tell the king), so there’s no reason not to talk about it.

DAGE:  Hmmm.  Okay.  We’ll discuss Max and then we’ll discuss your sources in my organization.  Basically, there’s a woman named Sarah Pringle who has created a blog and website about the Kurjans.  They’re after her, and we need to get to her before they do. 

(The Kurjans are the bad guys–pasty faced bad vampires afraid of the sun.  Unlike the good vampires).

ME:  You’re going to let her keep the website up?

DAGE:  No.  Jase already took it down and posted information about her writing a good book.  The website has been taken care of.  Now we just need to get her records from the insane asylum because I’m sure she told them all about the Kurjans.  We can’t have that information out there.

A bit of concern had me sitting back in my chair.  What exactly were the vampires going to do to poor possibly-crazy Sarah Pringle?

ME:  I find it odd you sent Max.  I mean, he’s Janie’s bodyguard now.  What did he used to be?

DAGE:  Max has always been part of the family…serving as my bodyguard as well as one of my best hunters.  The guy is a Russian bloodhound when it comes to hunting.

ME:  Ah…okay.

To be honest, I’ve met Max.  The guy isn’t just a hunter. 

ME:  But why Max?  Many of your people are scouts, including Conn.  Why send Max?

DAGE:  Let’s just say I think Max is the right guy for the job.

A really cute twinkle entered the king’s eye at this point and for a second, I could just stare.  Then I shook it off and got back to business, reminding myself that I was a professional and the guy had a mate.  I mean, really.

ME:  Are you matchmaking, king?

DAGE:  I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.

At this point, a barista sauntered up to give the king a free muffin.  I mean, seriously.  It’s a coffee shop.  You order at the counter and take your own food to your table.  Okay, I’m not just irritated that she didn’t bring me a muffin.  I’m irritated on Emma’s behalf.  Dage politely thanked the woman, keeping his attention on me.  She returned to the counter, her butt swaying the whole time.

ME:  I bet that happens a lot to you.

DAGE:  What happens to me?

Man, guys are clueless.  Even immortal deadly ones.

ME:  Forget it.  So, I have to know, does Max get a happy ending?

The peace was too good to last.  I should’ve started with the main question.  Guess who showed up?  NOPE!  It wasn’t Talen.  Jase, the youngest brother, hustled inside, his brown hair ruffled and eyes flashing.

DAGE:  What’s happened?

JASE:  Something’s going on with the witches…Conn is leaving now.  We have to go.

Darn it.  My source in the Realm hadn’t reported anything about the witches.  I mean, we all knew Conn was heading to Ireland to collect his witch soon (and I fully expect she’s not going to allow any sort of collection), but I hadn’t known it would be this quickly.

DAGE:  Izzy, I appreciate your time, but I need to get going.

The darn barista, who had somehow lost a couple buttons on her shirt, hustled over, her gaze on Jase.  So, yeah.  The guy is seriously hot.  But I mean, come on.

ME:  I’d like to talk about Conn and his mission to Ireland.

Dage flashed a smile as he stood to join Jase. 

DAGE:  I’ll arrange for an interview with Conn when he gets back.  You’ll enjoy meeting him.  And we’ll discuss your sources in the Realm next time.

Okay, it was kind of a threat.  Then, well…the coffee chick made a move.  Not a kill ya type of move.  But an almost genuine trip to basically land in Jase’s arms.  They got all tangled up, and he ended up just picking her up.  The woman beamed.  Then she pouted really pretty when he put her down with a smile and whispered something in her ear.  The Kayrs men left.  I took a look at the flushed waitress.

ME:  What did he say?

NEARLY TOPLESS WAITRESS:  He said he’d be back next week. 

Excellent.  So will I. 

Hi all!  First, let me say congratulations to Lacy McMurphy for winning the first ARC of Hunted by sending a picture of her with a copy of Claimed.  I’ll mail it right out!

Second…here’s another chance to win an ARC of Hunted.  All you have to do is leave a comment on the blog…and you’re in the contest!  It’s open world-wide. 

I know some people like a good prompt when leaving a comment, so here are a couple:–feel free to answer one, answer several, or just say ‘hi.’  All you have to do is leave a comment, and ‘hi’ works.   Why do you want to read Hunted?  Why do you think people like vampire stories?  What’s your favorite tv show right now?  (mine is Justified).  We’re snowed in…how about you?

The Pacific NW is engulfed in a snow storm.  A very fluffy, persistent, kind of cool…snow storm.  When I arrived at work, I remembered to lift my windshield wipers.  Okay, I saw a bunch of other windshield wipers lifted…and then I remembered.  The thought occurred to me that those of you living in tropical places…you might not know to lift your wipers so they don’t freeze.  Now you know.

I worked all day and then came back out to see my car under tons of snow.  And you know what?  While I remembered to lift the wipers…I forgot to bring a snow scraper.  So today I used a file folder and a big ruler.  Hey, it worked.

Got home…and Big Tone had already let the puppies out.  They wanted back in…NOW.  The smaller one can be quite persistent when she wants.  (Also…tune in early next week because I’ll be giving away ARC’s of HUNTED.  Shhhh.  Don’t tell anyone.)

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.  ~~Phillis Diller

Yes, the August Calendar is on my fridge right now. 

                              And my Christmas Tree is still up. 

And the laundry room looks like a herd of goats just passed through it. 

But hey…my book is done. 

And…for the record…my house is usually pretty organized and clean.  But the last couple of weeks have been crazy meeting the deadline.  I have no explanation for the August calendar.  None. 

I asked my friend and fellow Darker Temptations blogger to drop by and talk about her new releases today.  Katie Reus writes sexy romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Currently she writes for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and in early 2012 the first book in her paranormal series will release from NAL/Signet Eclipse.  Being amazing and so generous, Katie has offered to give away copies of her books to commenters here!  (See below).  So…..here’s Katie!

Thank you so much Rebecca for having me here today!

Romantic suspense and paranormal romance are two of my favorite genres. This month and next, I have a release in both. I grew up reading contemporary romance but once I discovered romantic suspense I was officially hooked and devoured everything I could find. There’s just something exciting about running from bad guys, dodging bullets and hunting a serial killer while trying to stay alive. Add in paranormal elements and I’m in freaking heaven. Of course this is only exciting in fiction. I wouldn’t want to deal with what most of my heroines do.

In His Secret Past, my recent release from Carina Press, my heroine has to make a decision that wars with what her heart wants but she makes a tough choice for the sake of her child. And in Alpha Instinct, my upcoming release from Signet Eclipse, my heroine also has to make a decision she doesn’t want to for the sake of her pack/family. The choices they make change their lives in a big way.

Years ago I made a decision that changed my life. At the time I didn’t know it but this choice changed everything in the best way. After switching majors and colleges I was floundering and unsure what career direction I wanted to take or even where I wanted to go to school. For someone who’d once had every detail of college and life planned out, this was a scary thing. Instead of wasting time taking classes I might not even need, I decided to take a break. To make a long story short, my sister lived in another state (for school) and thought it would be a good idea if moved up to live with her so I took the plunge. Not long after settling in, I met my now husband. It’s possible we would have met later, but considering his military career at the time I don’t know how or where. Almost immediately after we met we were engaged and then not long after that, he was sent overseas for five months so for over half our engagement we were separated. And through the first part of our marriage he traveled about half of it and since I had no plans to travel to war zones, I honestly don’t know that we would have ever connected.

Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I hadn’t made that choice to move but the truth is, I don’t want to even imagine. When writing books, I love to ask the what-if question of my characters. Sometimes even innocuous decisions can change the course of our lives and the consequences can be good or bad. And more often than not, we don’t realize the effects until later.

Have you ever made a decision that changed your life but you didn’t actually realize the change until later? Or did you make one you knew would change things, but the end result still surprised you? Leave a comment about today’s blog and be entered to win a digital copy of His Secret Past and a print copy of Alpha Instinct (US only for Alpha). Don’t forget to leave your email address so I have a way to contact you!

Purchase info: His Secret Past is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Carina Press & all other major online retailers. Alpha Instinct is also available at Amazon, B&N, the Book Depository and all major retailers.

Another CONTEST alert: To celebrate the release of His Secret Past and Alpha Instinct, I’m having 7 weeks of contests with weekly prizes (books, books, books! from me and some really fab authors) and a grand prize of an Amazon Kindle. For more details on how to enter, please visit my website contest page.

A little about me: I’ve been reading romance since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash at a young age and the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, facebook or find me on twitter @katiereus.

Thanks again for having me!

The warrior in Conn roared to life, overtaking any rational thought.  He shot his arm up to grab her wrist and force the blade from his throat.  “Let go of the knife, Moira.”  Soft skin covered toned muscle under his hand.  He could tighten his hold and make her drop the weapon, but that’s not how this was going down.

“No.”  She took advantage of his movement and dug her heel into his thigh, clapping his ear with her free hand.

Pain exploded in his skull.  His temper howled.  Clutching his fingers into her hair, he jerked her head back.  The white column of her throat stretched.  She yelped in protest.  He lowered his head, his fangs elongating completely.  His lips enclosed her skin.

He struck.

Her entire body went rigid.  The knife clattered to the floor. 

He drank.  Honey and spice exploded across his taste buds followed by a punch of raw power.  His mind swirled.  Arousal, lust, fire whipped through him until the need to get inside her pushed all other thoughts away.  Quick swipes of his tongue sealed the wound and then his mouth was on hers, delving deep. 

She moaned low in her throat, pulling him toward her.  He released her arm, encircling her waist and tugging her forward.  Better.  Now he wanted her naked.  Heat cascaded from the woman.  His tongue tangled with hers, the little whimpers gasping from her boiling his lust even higher.

The boom of a gun being fired jerked him away.  He jumped around, using his body as a shield.  Kell stood in the entryway, calmly placing a Beretta in his waist.  Plaster dropped from the ceiling marred by a large bullet hole. 

Conn snarled.

Kell held both hands out.  At six and a half feet with midnight dark eyes and hair, the witch took a placating stance that had to be unfamiliar.  He wiped plaster off his shoulder.  “I know it’s deadly to mess with a vamp and his mate, but we really have to go.” 

The whirr of a helicopter startled Conn.  He hadn’t heard it arrive.  Not good.  “Where?”

“We’ve been summoned by the Council,” Kell said.  “Now.”

Moira leapt off the counter to land next to Conn.  “We’re already late.”

He grabbed her arm.  “I’m going with you or you don’t go.”  He needed answers.  If the stubborn witches in the room wouldn’t provide them, he’d go to the top.

“While he can’t see the Council,” Kell dropped his gaze to his cousin, “we could use his help.  At least until Daire and Adam return.”

Conn stilled.  “Daire and Adam?”  Kell and his two brothers served as the chief enforcers for the Nine.  Something huge must be going down if they all had been summoned at once.  Suspicion tightened his shoulders.  “Why are you with Moira, Kell?”  Conn’s voice dropped to an octave that should’ve warned his friend.  He’d assumed Kell was with Moira to await him, performing his duty as liaison and enforcer.  Perhaps Kell provided protection for Moira.  If his mate needed protection, someone should’ve called him.

Kell cut his gaze to Moira.  “I believe that’s a conversation between you and the Seventh, Kayrs.”

“Don’t call me that.”  Moira stiffened.  “You’ve no right to be pissed, Kell.”

Kell stepped forward, his eyes blazing.  “No right to be pissed?  Are you kidding?”  He swept his hand toward Conn.  “There’s a good chance I’m going to end up in a fist fight with one of my best friends because you’ve refused to get your life in order.  And now it might be too late to fix our world.”

One step had Conn in front of Moira.  “Don’t yell at her.”  A brawl was guaranteed at this point.  Though the first punch came from the brat behind him.  Two fisted and right to his kidneys.

“That’s it.”  Conn swirled around and ducked, tossing his witch over his shoulder.  She bellowed in surprise.  He pivoted, heading for the exit.  “Since I’m under strict orders from my king not to piss off the council, we’ll go meet with them now.  You can explain what the hell’s going on during the flight.”  He strode through the door and into the sun, not caring whether or not Kell followed.  Moira struggled, smashing her hands into his back.  “Then, mate, we’re going home.” 

Rage burned in his gut.  Moira’s family had power and knew how to wield it.  The second he forced her from Ireland, they’d declare war.

So be it.