So, I’ve been wanted to interview Max and Sarah ever since TEMPTED came out, and I finally got a chance to sit down with them at a brand new coffee shop in my town.  If you’ve read my earlier interviews, you know why I had to find a new coffee shop.  Max arrived early and we got started.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

ME:  Thank you so much for meeting me here!  I know how busy you are.  Where’s Sarah?

MAX:  Ah, Sarah’s on her own time schedule.  She had some stuff planned with the queen and said she’d be here on time.  But ‘on time’ for Sarah means about five to ten minutes late.

At this point I should probably tell you a bit about Max if you haven’t met him yet.  He’s huge with a very slight Russian accent.  A bodyguard to the king and then to Janie, Max is pretty formidable.  Brown eyes, dark hair, and he has that tough guy look that makes people not bump into his chair in a coffee shop.

ME:  Okay, that’s fine.  So, you finally found your mate, huh?

Max blushed.  I mean, he really blushed.  Suddenly he went from looking like a hot killer to a sweet guy.  I wanted to punch him in the arm or give him a noogy.  I think I’m in love.  (Yeah, I know he has a mate.  But give me a second for a fantasy here.)

MAX:  Yes.  Sarah was being chased by some Kurjans, and I went after her to help.  Well, there are a few more details involved there, but it’s Realm business and I can’t really talk about it.  Um, is it hot in here?

ME:  You know your story is in a book, right?

MAX:  Aren’t you funny?  There’s no book.

So Max doesn’t know about TEMPTED?  What’s up with that?  Then he stiffened and glanced toward the door.  A curvy brunette skirted several tables to find her way to us.  Max instantly held out a chair and she sat.  Max introduced me to Sarah.

ME:  Hi Sarah, thanks for coming.  Max says you’re always late.

SARAH:  (After elbowing Max in the gut).  Not true.  What did I miss?

ME:  Not much.  Max was just telling me about you running from Kurjans.

SARAH:  (After giving a huge shiver).  Yeah, I saw one, nobody believed me, and I was sent to an asylum.  I escaped, and well…everyone came looking for me.

ME:  I’ve heard the Kurjans are still a big threat and that they’ve upped their attempts to get to Janie Kayrs.

The air seemed to change around us.  Max lost the charming look, his eyes glinting.  Finally, I could see the Russian hunter Dage had trained to kill and defend.  No way did I want to give the guy a noogy now.  I shivered.

MAX:  The Kurjans won’t get Janie.  Ever.

SARAH:  We have excellent security…there’s no way the Kurjans will come close.  Max, stop scaring the nice reporter.  Though, those Kurjans are creepy.

She shivered again.  Max frowned and asked Sarah if she was cold.  She said kind of.  So Max offered to go tell the coffee shop people to turn up the heat.  (Keep in mind, it was about 70 degrees in there).  Sarah said no.  So Max scanned the entire shop, decided it was safe, and headed off to get both Sarah and me some warm coffee.

ME:  Wow.

SARAH:  Yeah, I know.  The war makes them all tense.  But underneath the big, bad, tough-guy killer exteriors, the vampires are nice guys.  Well, most of the time.  Well, sometimes.  Well, ALL the time with their mates.

ME:  That’s nice for their mates.  You’ve read Tempted.  What’s your favorite line from the novella?

SARAH:  That’s a great question!  Well, we’d just met and he saved me from several scary Kurjans.  Then he tracked me through the woods where it had been raining, and I was freezing when we found shelter.  And, don’t tell him, but I was kind of scared of him.  You should see him fight.  Well, here’s the line:

Two strides and he shoved her over.  “Don’t panic here, darlin’.  But we’re about to snuggle.” Quick movements had him under the blanket, turning her to spoon against him.

SARAH:  The idea of the big guy using the word ‘snuggle’ just threw me.  He was so dangerous and so sweet at the same time.

ME:  Okay, that is really sweet.  So how is life at Realm Headquarters?  You’re a teacher, right?

SARAH:  Yes.  Oh my goodness.  I love teaching there.  But I have to tell you, going from teaching a bunch of young kindergarteners to teaching humans and a bunch of young shifters is a huge leap.  The shifters will shift right in the middle of class.  I’m having so much fun!

Her eyes sparkled and her entire face lit up–and I could totally see why Max adored her.  Yeah, they belong together for sure.  Then Max returned and gave us both coffee, once again scanning the coffe shop for threats.

ME:  What are you looking for?

MAX:  Talen told me that trouble seems to follow you, and I’m looking for problems.

I started sputtering.  I mean, really sputtering.  The only trouble I’d ever had was caused by Talen causing problems.

SARAH:  Don’t worry, Izzy.  We all know that reporters have dangerous jobs.

Even the Realm women were in the dark?  Then I noticed the amusement in her eyes.  Oh.  Yeah, she got it.  So I shared a smile with her and nodded.

MAX:  We have to get going in a minute because Conn’s heading over to Ireland to fetch his mate, and I’d like to say goodbye.  Though I’m sure Conn will be home with her soon so we can keep her safe.

ME:  Isn’t she a witch?

SARAH:  Moira is a very powerful witch…and I don’t think she’s the type to be ‘fetched.’  Something tells me their meeting is going to have some powerful fireworks involved.

MAX:  (After shrugging).  Doesn’t matter, sweetheart.  Love always wins…you know that.

At this point Max got a call and said they had to go.  But that was all right with me…I’m heading out to pick up my copy of HUNTED.  I SO want to see those fireworks.  See you next time!

Happy Friday!  I’m so glad the weekend is here – well, almost.  I’ve been working hard on Consumed page proofs as well as finishing up book 5 (Kane’s story)…and suddenly, April is upon us.  Guess what happens this month? 

Yep.  Hunted releases.  So, to celebrate Hunted’s release and update everyone on where the heck I’ve been the last month, I’m giving away a copy of either Fated or Claimed over on the Brava blog today.  Now, you have to leave a comment on the Brava blog for a chance to win.  The contest is open world-wide, and I’ll leave it open all weekend.

So…head over there and say hi.  Thanks!  🙂

Hi there!  Welcome to the Naughty after Dark Blog Hop!  Click on the linky thingy above to jump back on the hop.

We’re supposed to give away something naughty, or slightly so, for the hop…so I’m giving away a signed copy of one of the Dark Protector stories (FATED, CLAIMED, OR HUNTED) because, hey, those vamps can get pretty naughty.  🙂

Now, to make things interesting and to give me a very brief break from the next book in the series, which is due on May 1st, I thought I’d show a very cool picture I found awhile back.  At some point, I’d like to write a scene about this one…but as it’s Valentine’s Day right now (although not by the time you’re reading this), I, uh, have a hot date with Big Tone.   🙂  But…isn’t this a cool picture?

I promise I’ll draft a quick scene about it sometime in the near future.  For now, just enjoy the hop and good luck with winning the prizes!  Please leave a comment below for a chance to win from me – did you have a nice Valentine’s Day?  Or…any big plans for the spring/summer?  Or…is it spring or summer where you are?  (Not here – it snowed today).  Thanks for popping by!  Click on the cute linky thing above to get back on the hop!

UPDATE:  CONGRATS to VIRGINIA for winning!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I write about love. Okay, I write about darkness, vampires, demons, and sexy situations. But love is in there, too! To celebrate love and the rest of it, I’m holding a contest for the next couple of days. The winner gets signed copies of all three books (Fated, Claimed, and Hunted).  Right now I only have ARCs of Hunted, so the winner can either take an ARC, or if you want a copy of the finished book, I’ll send that as soon as I get my promo copies.  There are different ways to enter the contest. You can do just one or all of them for more chances to win.

1) Leave a comment at the end of this blog for one entry into the contest.

2) Follow me on twitter and tweet the following for three entries into the contest:

Enter for a chance to win all 3 print books from Rebecca Zanetti’s Dark Protector series:  http://wp.me/pyBVu-Rc

3) Follow me on FaceBook (see facebook button to the side) and put this on your wall for three more chances to win:

Like vampires and sexy books? Rebecca Zanetti is having a contest this week and the winner will receive signed copies of the print books from the Dark Protector Series. Go here for details:  http://wp.me/pyBVu-Rc

So, that’s it. Enter any way that works for you. Don’t forget to leave a comment at the end of the post. Some people like a prompt question, which I’m happy to throw out there. Any plans for Valentine’s day? What about spring break? If you had an entire day all to yourself, what would you do? Any great traveling plans coming up? (You can answer one, all, or just say hi!)

UPDATE:  Random.org has spoken and the winner is:  Vamped Chik.  Congrats!

Welcome to the Book Boyfriend Blog Hop!  I will be giving away a signed book to one randomly drawn commenter on my blog.  The winner can choose Fated, Claimed, or an ARC of Hunted.  This contest is open internationally.  Leaving a comment on the blog gets you one entry, “liking” me on facebook gets you another entry, and following me on twitter gets you a third entry.  You can do just one or all three…totally up to you!  Good luck!

If you need to jump back on the blog, or go back to find all the links, just click on the hot guy to the left.  He’ll take you wherever you want to go.  🙂

So, TEMPTED will be available on March 27th, and I thought I’d post a new excerpt.  Here it is:

Biting back a sigh, Max stalked over uneven concrete and deep puddles. Maneuvering around to the rear of the paint-chipped building, he found his prey.

Two long legs led up to a heart-shaped ass trying to wiggle out a window.  He let her drop to the ground, waiting until she turned around.

“Please don’t run.”  His boots were made for kicking down doors, not running.

Sarah yelped, pressing back against the worn shingles, hand to her chest.

It was the worst self-defense move he’d ever seen.  “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Eyes the color of deep chocolate widened.  Dark circles marred the smooth skin over her delicate features.  Running had taken a toll.  Sandy-blond hair framed her classic face.  She stood much taller than Cara and Emma, the new mates of his friends and the only human females he’d been near in over a century. 

This woman, the one he hunted, she stood tall with legs long enough to give him pause.  Yet, even at about five foot eleven, she was several inches shorter than him. 

Something sizzled along his spine.  His body reacted to the gentle vibrations cascading off the woman.  Instinct honed his focus on her.  Special.  He should’ve known by his obsession with her picture.  The woman was a potential vampire mate.  Enhanced.  Maybe an empath?

He waited as she settled her stance.  Then went for a knee shot.

It was the worse side kick he’d ever seen.  Her worn tennis shoe bounced off his knee, causing no more hurt than a breeze.  She stumbled, and he reached out to steady her.  His hand easily wrapped around her bicep.  “Where the hell did you learn to fight?”

“The internet,” she gasped, trying to jerk away.

That explained it.  “The knee shot was a good move. You just didn’t aim the kick right.”  He was a big guy.  If she dropped him, she’d be able to run. 

“Should I try again?”  Fire lit her eyes while a small smile flirted with her pink lips.

The humor caught him off guard.  He matched her smile.  “You’ll just hurt your foot.”

My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop Hosted is by Reading Between the Wines Book Club & As the Pages Turn Giveaway.  The hop will run from 12:01 AM February 1st through to 11:59 PM February 5th, 2012.   Remember:  If you need to get back on the hop, click on the hot guy in the picture.

ALSO- I’m over at the Book Boost talking about my recent tumble down the stairs and giving away books – drop by and say hi.  CLICK HERE   AND:  now I’m at the Brava blog giving away books (yes, I’m almost out of books):  CLICK HERE.

So…leave a comment for a chance to win.  Feel free to just say hi.  Or, if you’d like to answer a question, go ahead and pick one of the following:  Have you ever climbed out a window?  How about in a window?  Any great plans for Valentine’s day?