Let's get lost in Italy, Vietnam and 'Wuthering Heights'
Today's featured authors: Tanith Davenport, author of Tamar Rising; Raven McAllan, author of Secrets Remembered; and Scarlet Blackwell, author of Nine One One. They're sharing favorite vacation destinations and keeper books.
Tanith Davenport, author of Tamar Rising
Three of my favorite vacation destinations:
• Amalfi, Italy. Possibly the most beautiful place I've ever visited. Stunning coastal scenery, close to Pompeii and Vesuvius — two of the most remarkable sights I've ever seen — and offering absolutely delicious pasta, mozzarella and lemon tiramisu.
• New York City. I'd like to come back here for six months and really see all of it. I could spend an entire day splitting my time between Times Square and the top of the Empire State Building.
• Vilamoura, Portugal. My honeymoon destination, with an amazing marina and the best vinho verde in the world. You can't beat Portugal for wine.
About Tamar Rising:
With him behind her, spirits will rise…
Tamar Steele's star is on the rise. Her relationship with boyfriend Jason Bray is blossoming, as is her bond with her spirit guide, the ghost of Jason's brother Matt, who has been training her in mediumship. And, newly installed as the medium for her crew of paranormal investigators, she is already receiving press attention, which brings her to the notice of Scare Seekers—a paranormal entertainment show keen to film an episode with Tamar's team.
But when teammate Hana is violently possessed, filming is thrown into disarray. The dark spirit seems to disappear at first, but when a frenzied Hana attacks Tamar on the drive home, Tamar realizes that her mediumistic abilities may not be strong enough to fight the demon.
Until one day Tamar discovers her powers are increased by having sex on haunted ground and finds that maybe she and Jason can save Hana, their team's reputation, and themselves…
Find out more at tanithdavenport.blogspot.co.uk.
Raven McAllan, author of Secrets Remembered
Three of my favorite holiday destinations, and it was so hard to choose … (If I didn't live here, I'd say Scotland.)
• Simitai, The Great Wall of China. The nearest you'll get to your own personal heaven. You can hear the silence. I admit to losing my bottle at one point and coming down several yards on my bum. Then a man appeared in flip flops and began to sweep the dirt.
• Halong Bay, Vietnam. Majestic and spiritual. Just snuggling with hubby in the moonlight, listening to someone singing from a boat across an inlet is a night to remember. Going into the floating village school and listening to the children say hello to me, in English and Vietnamese, was fantastic.
• Shaldon, Devon, England. A tiny village at the mouth of the River Teign, where there is so much to do — if you want to — and places to sit and dream and watch the world go by if you don't.
About Secrets Remembered:
This is book three in the Diomhair series, see the full series listing here
What comes first—your happiness or your job?
Ailsa McLagan is sent undercover to investigate possible shady dealings at the private BDSM club Diomhair. The last thing she expects is to be confronted by one of the Masters there. Not only does he make her want to sink to her knees, but he seems to see straight through her disguise, too.
Aidan is instantly attracted to the clueless sub he stumbles upon. Even though he knows she is hiding her true identity, he can't help but push her to discover her limits, and introduce her to the delights of subbing to him.
Scared by the intensity of her reaction, Ailsa runs and all seems lost.
When the truth is revealed, can they work towards a true Dom/sub relationship, even though theirs started on a lie?
Find out more at www.ravenmcallan.com.
Scarlet Blackwell, author of Nine One One
Three books on my keeper shelves:
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I've read this book maybe five times or more. I guess I'm attracted to the anti-hero Heathcliff and I shamelessly admit he's the role model for all my heroes. Dark, dangerous and delicious. No one can say they've truly read romance until they've read this book.
• A Taste of Blood Wine by Freda Warrington. This is the first book in a vampire trilogy. I've read vampire books from an early age starting with Dracula, and this is my favourite by far. It's a lavish, Gothic fantasy romance. The descriptions of the Crystal Ring that the vampires use to travel and the use of colour imagery throughout the book are just astonishing. A masterpiece.
• The Devil's Lieutenant by Maria Fagyas. A gem I bought for 20p from a charity shop and is now no longer in print. It concerns the poisoning of colleagues by an army officer and his cat-and-mouse game with the detective cross-examining him. The setting is Vienna on the verge of the First World War. The emotional, complex relationship between the two protagonists is breathtaking.
About Nine One One:
Damon can't forget 9/11 and all the precious things he lost…
It's ten years after the horror of 9/11. Former NYPD cop Damon Summerfield was there. He lost his firefighter partner, Justin, in the collapse of the twin towers and fled to Canada to attempt to rebuild his shattered life. Now he is back in New York for Christmas with his family for the first time since his loss.
Still deep in mourning with no end in sight, he visits Justin's favourite bar near ground zero and there meets Simon, a firefighter with the FDNY and fellow survivor of 9/11. Simon is smitten by him from the start, and despite feeling the same way, Damon can't bear to give them a chance, not when he thinks Simon's job will tear them apart someday too…
Find out more at www.scarletblackwell.com.