CONTEST and guest blog with Mary Hughes
Today, I’m turning my blog over to popular author Mary Hughes. She’s blogging about her awesome release The Bite of Silence and she’s hosting a great contest…more on that later.
For now, here’s Mary!!!
“Ring in the New Year with the explosively hot The Bite of Silence!” *
For a limited time, The Bite of Silence, a Five Angel/Recommended Read** is free for Kindle at Amazon and Nook at Barnes & Noble!
*Joyfully Reviewed **Fallen Angel Reviews
Thanks, Tina, for having me here today!
Ever been in Times Square on New Year’s Eve? Maybe you’ve watched it on television. Did you feel the excitement as the Ball descended at midnight, the crowd counting down the final seconds?
What if killers were let loose with the New Year?
I love exploring characters in the extremes of action. In crisis mode, I really get a sense of the stripped-down character, the pure essence of who they are. Even better, a crisis shows the essences of supporting characters. Do they give aid or harm? Do they help or get in the way?
That’s why I love Twyla Tafel and her perfect foil Greek vampire Nikos in The Bite of Silence.
The Bite of Silence
© 2009 Mary Hughes
Spartans do it with discipline.
Times Square on New Year’s Eve. A million partiers chanting the final seconds. This year, it’s a countdown to death.
My name is Twyla Tafel and I’ve uncovered an insane plot to unleash berserk vampires on those unsuspecting revelers. I have to stop it, armed only with my great admin skills, my useless art degree—and Nikos, a severely hot vampire who I’d love to photograph as a Spartan king roaring his muscular challenge at the Persians.
But Nikos has issues, if you know what I mean. Roadblocks in his psyche that say stop when all I want is go-go-go. See “severely hot”, above.
Although if I finally break through Nikos’s reserve, I may get more than I bargained for. He’s seriously big, seriously built, and more than just a tad dominant. Still, it’s time to push my limits and find out who I really am, so I’m willing to try…I think. I’m sure. I’m mostly sure. Until he starts stalking me with those sable bedroom eyes and long, sharp fangs?!
Material Safety Warning: Contains 50% high-voltage sex by volume. 10g seriously hot Greek vampire, 4g curvy, competent heroine, 7g explosive action and gritty language. Made on equipment used to process snarky comments. Some light bondage may occur during handling.
Excerpt (Twyla and Nikos in New York. Twyla has just discovered her cousin is in on the plot to unleash vampires in Times Square):
“I don’t know how I’ll act in a crisis, if I’ll be up to it. I can guess, but you yourself said that’s not knowing.”
Nikos released me, saying simply, “I have faith.”
I jumped to my feet, started pacing. “Take this crisis. What good am I? A compulsion device that works by sound waves. I don’t even have the potential to solve that puzzle. I couldn’t tell a whole note from an octave. What the hell is an octave anyway?”
“It’s from ‘say’ to ‘see’ in the first line of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’.”
I ran the song in my head. Felt the notes with my throat. “Ouch. That’s a leap.”
“Yes.”
“But see what I mean? Here’s a crisis and circumstances or fate or whatever has put one of the least appropriate people for the job in the hot seat. What if ‘circumstances’ never come together for me? What if I’m just a dud?”
“Twyla, love. We need to go back to my hotel.”
I stopped pacing. “Pity sex?”
He smiled. “No. I must retrieve my patrol blade. And I think you’ll help me figure this out, but only when your thoughts aren’t blocked.”
Wow, over a dozen words, a veritable novel for the reserved Nikos. “Blocked by what?”
“By a belief that everyone has more to contribute than you.” He guided me out. “A mistaken belief.”
I checked the shadows of the building for Klaus but saw nothing. As we slid into the limo, I said, “A Spartan general, out unarmed? You must feel naked.”
“I have my public blade.”
“Whatever that means.”
In his hotel room, seeing the xiphos and kopis laid side by side on his dresser, I was smacked in the face with exactly what that meant. Twelve extra inches of cold steel. I swallowed. “Guess you’re serious.”
Nikos pressed a button on the shorter one, the xiphos. The double-edged leaf-like blade retracted almost magically. He picked up the longer one, started to rub the edges with a stone. His muscles worked steadily as he honed the wickedly curved blade. “The only way to stop Klaus is to cut off his head.” He paused. “Twyla. You have the heart of a warrior. But I don’t want you to watch that.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not into overachievement.”
He just shook his head and slid the kopis sword into its sheath in a quick, practiced motion. Setting it next to the switchblade xiphos, he turned the full force of his attention on me. “Come to bed.”
“I thought you said no pity sex.”
“More an exercise in confidence building.”
“Oh, that. The mayor has us do yearly team-building exercises. I’d rather have—what are you doing?”
He glided toward the closet, shimmering into mist as he moved. His clothes dropped to the floor. He re-formed while still moving, misting out of his clothes as easily as a man shrugs off a robe. Casually, naturally, as if he did this every night.
Hmm. Maybe he did.
And what was revealed—frickin’ yum. Forget Michelangelo’s sculptures. No mere artist could capture the stunning glide of lithe muscle under skin, the contrast of jet hair against ochre flesh, the gleam of intent in sable bedroom eyes as he grabbed some ties out of the closet and flowed to the bed.
I trotted after him like a puppy.
Nikos snapped the hold-back loops off the canopy. The curtains fell over the bed like sultry saffron promises. With a final scorching look, he disappeared in a billow of yellow.
But I hesitated. What did he have in mind with the ties? He was, after all, a Spartan general who was a tad dominant.
On the other hand—naked male. I climbed in after him.
Write to me at mary@maryhughesbooks.com!
Or visit me at
Mary Hughes Website
Mary Hughes Blog
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CONTEST! Happy New Year! I’m giving away an ebook copy of one of the novels in my erotic, humorous vampire Biting Love series! Winner’s choice of
Bite My Fire
Biting Nixie
Biting Me Softly
Adults only, please. Comment by January 15, 2011 to enter. Winner chosen at random.
Related posts:
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Fan-freaking-tastic books!
Don’t enter me cause I have them already.
Just had to add in how much I lust them!
~~*Drea*~~
Thank you for the free read, Mary!
I’ve only read Biting Nixie, which I enjoyed.
Mary,
What a great interview! The Bite of Silence is next on my TBR pile…file…you know what I mean. I can’t wait to start reading it.
Renee
I wanted to drop in and say hello Mary. The Bite Of Silence sounds awesome. I like what you said about characters in crisis. I wish you the very best.
Please enter me in contest. I have never read any of your books but I do like reading about vampires and your books sound really good. Tore923@aol.com
Love the name of the book and the cover looks good. I’m going to have to check this book out.
Mary congrats on the newst title.
I love the cover… so hot.
Thanks.
Isabel
Cohete00@gmail.com
OOh I love vampire tales!
I will definitely go on download this to read.
Whoa, LOVE the cover! And thanks for the excerpt!
Hugs,
Kari Thomas
http://www.authorkari.com
Hey, Drea! Thanks for stopping by in the middle of your own release frenzy! Feb 21 and April 20, right?
Anne, you’re welcome! You read Nixie? Speaking of stripped-down characters, she’s a real one-of-a-kind
Thank you for your terrific comments!
Hi, Renee! Thanks for your great comments! I get you, my TBR pile would be the whole office if not for ebooks
Sarah, hi! Thanks for dropping by, your wonderful comments, and your kind good wishes!
Tina, thanks so much for having me here today! Hey, I just saw my publisher–the awesome Samhain Publishing–has a book of yours coming out February 1!
Delish excerpt, Mary! And yes, it’s fascinating to see how characters react under pressure; tells to tale, so to speak, just as crisis reveals what we’re like at heart, too…
That’s right, Mary – I’m very excited – it’s my first paranormal!!
Hi, Victoria! The Bite of Silence is free for another few days for Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook…if you don’t have an ereader there’s Kindle for PC and Nook for PC
Hello, Savannah! Thanks for your great comments! I love it when I can make a title do double or even triple duty.
Hi, Isabel! Thanks for your congrats. On the letter-sized picture you can see the droplets of water cascading down the model…(fans self
)
Sharita, hello! This is definitely the story for you, then–dominant sexy vampire and biting-hot love…
Kari, hi! Always great to see another Samhain author! Natalie Winters has done all my covers–she’s a truly awesome cover artist.
Hey, Fedora! Great comments, thanks! Reaction to pressure tells the tale…I really like how you put that. Thanks for dropping by!
Well, Tina…I read the excerpt for your book The Yearning and thought, yowza! I’ve gotta share this!
Thanks, Mary – you’re too kind!
I just want to throw my two cents in-these are some of the most fun I have ever had reading. And they are hot too. Don’t enter me, as I have them all!! But had to drop in to say hi and congrats and when do we get more vampire hotness from Meiers Corners???
I picked up The Bite of Silence from Amazon back in December. It is in my TBR pile. I would love to have any of the books from the series. I am one of those readers who likes to read whole series in order.
I live just outside of NYC so many of my friends and coworkers have gone to times square to see the ball drop but I never have. Never seemed the great to me. Crowds, cold and no bathrooms, no thanks. But if there way a hot guy like Nikos there waiting, I might be convinced to change my mind.
Nice excerpt Mary. The book sounds great.
well the book sound great and would like to read it
Sounds like a fun book!
I love vamps. 
I find them yummy 
Kelly
kittykelly28 @ hotmail.com
Hey, Nancy! Thanks for your kind comments! Biting the Rainbow is written, and I have suggested some changes based on my new-new editor’s comments. Once I get feedback on that it’ll be a month to make the changes and then she’ll need to consider the manuscript…a while yet, but it’s coming!! And in the meantime I’m planning and working on the next two. Thanks for asking!
Hi, Jen! Thanks for downloading Silence! I understand about reading a whole series, in order–do you wait to start the first book until the last in the series is written? Right now I’m looking at a triple or quadruple trilogy (not counting Silence
)
I love this entire series. Obviously no need to enter me, as I have the books, but I wanted to say how much I obsess..er..enjoy these books.
Keep writing Mary! Your humor and great story-telling will always have me going back for more. Oh and the sexy vampires help too. ;p
Vampire stories are one of my favorites. Love the dialogue between the two characters. Definitely want to read more! Please count me in!
Tamsyn
tamsyn5@yahoo.com
I have read all of your books in less than a week. Can’t put them down!!! Irresistible reading!Even more irresistible vampires! I wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed your books and can’t wait until another one (or 10) is released! Keep up the excellent work!
Hi, Willa! Yes, when I did my research on the ball drop I was really surprised at what people will go through to be there. Thanks for your kind words!
Hello, Desiree! Thanks for stopping by, and your nice comments!
Hi, Kelly! Thank you for your fun comments!
Hey, Mrs! So good to see you! How are things at the awesome KindleSmut group on Goodreads? Thanks for your thrill…oh, um, kind words, which always keep me going
Hi, Tamsyn! Thanks for coming by, and your wonderful comments! Dialog between a really well-matched couple is fun to write too. I like to make the sparks fly!
Hey, Erica! Mmm, is that music playing? Oh, it’s your comments
Thank you so much!
Hello, All.
I enjoyed reading this post (what a great excerpt!) and I look forward in reading this series.
Thanks!
Mary,
I have never thought about it. I have done it both ways. I love having all of the books available to read back to back but it can be great to finish the book and then have time to anticipate the next. I think I prefer to start at the beginning and have the wait. It allows me time to perculate and reread.
Hi, Tracey! Thanks for stopping by, and your nice comments!
Jen–That’s good information! I like the anticipation too
Great excerpt Mary. Have this on my TRL.
Look forward to reading it.
Carol L
Lucky4750@aol.com
Hi, Carol! Thanks for your kind words!
I downloaded The Bite of Silence a little while back and have yet to get around to reading it. It sounds awesome and I’ll have to put it at the top of my list now.
-Jessica
jessangil at gmail dot com
Hi, Jessica! Thanks for downloading! The special got a really great response, I was so happy to be part of it. Thanks for reading!
Thank you to everyone who read my post! I especially appreciate your comments. Big thanks to the amazing Tina Donahue for having me here!
And the winner of a Biting Love ebook (chosen by random number) is–*Sharita Lira*! Sharita, please email me at mary@maryhughesbooks.com for your prize.
Thanks again, everyone!
Loved having you here, Mary – you’re always welcome!!