Dead Sexy Entangled Tour - Anna DeStefano Guest Post and Giveaway

Embrace the things that go bump in your nightmares…

Thanks for having me over to play, Dolce. Scoot over, pass the popcorn, and let’s have a little fun!

Her Forgotten Betrayal, a launch book for Entangled’s Dead Sexy line, is full of spine-tingling moments, with my amnesiac heroine fighting for her life, her love and her memory, and ultimately facing her nightmares in order save the day. Oh, and most of the book is set at night, over a forty-eight-hour period, while Shaw Cassidy believes either her mind or her creepy house (or possibly the hero) is trying to kill her. So much gothic-y goodness…

But the nightmares in this story, the things you’ll find at first most terrifying, end up being the key to the solving the mystery. The more Shaw listens to and learns from her sleeping mind, the better she’ll be able to protect herself. And the symbols in her dreams never actually mean what she’s at first afraid they mean. Her instincts are trying to tell her things she needs to know, and they’re using the strongest emotions they can to reach her—exactly the way our dreams work in our own lives. Paying attention to how your dreams make you feel is the key. Emotion is the conduit between your sleeping and waking self.

Yes, I’m obsessed with dream theory. Have been for years. I blog about it weekly in my Dream Theories series, and have written two sci-fi/fantasy novels based on the stuff ;o) It was absolutely thrilling for me to be able to weave these tidbits of accuracy through a fun, fast-paced romantic suspense that most readers will love for a host of other reasons.

For me, and for others who’re fascinated by dreams, and for everyone who revels in cool things that go bump in the night, finding this kind of “creepy” in the midst of a contemporary romance is a blast. Because it’s an almost-real kind of creepy. Dare I say it, an optimistic kind of creepy?

That’s right.

Optimistic.

The underlying message of Her Forgotten Betrayal is to follow your dreams—even the scarier ones. Because your dreams are just that—yours. They’re your thoughts and your intuition and your memories.

And when your dreams go dark, it’s often your mind’s way of focusing you on the tough stuff you’re avoiding in your every day. In Shaw’s case, her mind’s completely shut down so she doesn’t have to face her worst fears. But those realities are bleeding through into her sleep and fighting their way back to her—so she’ll have everything she needs to beat her phantoms at their own game.

Our darkness is a very real part of us. And as you might have guessed, it’s typically a very real part of my writing, whether I’m penning home and family stories, suspense, or psychic thrillers. Because darker emotions are just as real as the breezier things we often prefer to spend our energy on. I’m all about the fun, and as a romance writer I’m all about the beauty of a happy ending. But isn’t the lighter stuff at its best when it’s the product of being real and honest and powerful? I think so.

Pay attention to the tough things that come your way, particularly in your dreams. Value them. Learn from them. You never know when your perfect ending is waiting just on the other side of the spooky thing you’re fighting so hard to avoid…

So, dreams and nightmares, fantasy and realism, lightness and spooky drama. Oh, and I forgot to mention a hunky FBI undercover operative and a sizzling, tense relationship that seems doomed from the start… Bwahahahahaha! Doesn’t Her Forgotten Betrayal sound like a blast?

Really, it’s a sweet romance about reunited love, second chances, coming home again, and fighting through to your perfect happily-ever-after ending. And nightmares ;o)

In the comments, it’s your turn (comment for your chance to win a digital copy of HFB!):

What’s the scariest nightmare image you can remember? I’d love to hear about your experiences. And maybe help you make sense out of what you’ve seen in your sleeping mind.

Or on the lighter side, share your happiest dream memory. Remembering any dream—having it touch your waking world—is a powerful thing. Tell us how a dream has affected you in a positive way. Because that’s the gravy my friends. That’s what this imagination thing all about!

***

Her Forgotten Betrayal

Remembering will save her life.

But will the truth destroy their love forever?

When the CEO of a global technology empire retreats to her ancestral mountain mansion to heal from a brutal shooting, she discovers the danger has just begun. Suffering from amnesia, Shaw Cassidy is at the mercy of nightmares that soon morph into something much more real…as well as a menacing stalker determined to toy with her sanity.

The FBI suspects her of illegally selling top-secret research, and has sent an agent to find evidence of her treason. She doesn’t realize the man who sweeps in from the cold claiming to be her protector, and her former love, is keeping dangerous secrets from her. She begins to trust Cole Marinos, unaware that he is about to repeat the most painful betrayal of her past–a past she doesn’t remember…a past that may kill her.

“DeStefano crafts a tense and touching suspense about forgotten pasts and reunited lovers.” ~~Caridad Pineiro, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author

***

Best-selling, award-winning author Anna DeStefano wants to you stop, look, and keep digging, until you find the soul of your own fantasies. No matter how moody the setting or impossible the dilemma, Anna’s characters and stories challenge you to hope and dream for your own exciting future, the way her strong heroines and hunky heroes do. Her Forgotten Betrayal has its own Pinterest page (http://pinterest.com/annadestefano/her-forgotten-betrayal/). Scoot over for all the fun details and updates. Then join Anna’s blog each week for posts on The Soul Of The Matter, Dream Theories, Things My Teenager Says, How We Write, Waterfall Challenges, and more. And to keep up with all her 2012 releases, friend her of Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

 http://www.annawrites.com/
https://www.facebook.com/anna.destefano.7
https://twitter.com/#!/AnnaDeStefano
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/her-forgotten-betrayal/

Dead Sexy Entangled Tour - Mallory Kane Guest Post

With a mother who was a librarian and a father who was a master storyteller, I naturally was reading from the time I was three years old and sat in my mother's lap, making her sound out words for me. I wasn't much older when I wrote my first story. However, it did take me a little longer to get published. My first e-book (WAY before e-readers) was published in 1995 and my first print book appeared on the shelves in 2001. I had a successful career as a pharmacist between 1972 and 1997, when I retired. At that time I began writing full time.

My first book for Entangled Publishing is a launch book for Entangled's Dead Sexy imprint called No Hero. Here's a bit about the book.

Teenagers are being murdered in New Orleans. Not just any teens, teens from Detective Devereux Gautier's Johnson Center for Homeless Teens. Dev is determined to catch the killer before any more kids are killed, but he has no leads. Then Reghan Connor shows up, telling him she knows who the killer is. He'd be more inclined to believe her if she hadn't exposed the past he'd worked for 20 years to hide on her TV news show. But when another teen is murdered, Dev begins to realize that Connor may have the key to catching the killer. But she nearly destroyed his career and his life once. If he works with her on this case, what will stop her from doing it again?

Writers and readers often ask me whether I'm a plotter or a pantser (writing by the seat of my pants.)

Years ago I, like a lot of other writers, considered myself a pantser. But once I'd sold my first book to Harlequin Intrigue in 2000, I realized that I no longer had the luxury of writing a book by the seat of my pants. If I wanted to write 3 or 4 books a year, I was going to have to make some sort of plan. I worried about plotting a book out before I started writing it. I was afraid I'd lose the magic that happened when I let the book take its own path. But in fact, I don't feel like I'm missing out on magic at all. Whether plotting or pantsing, there's still plenty of magic.

My advice for anyone who wants to write for publication is never ever ever ever ever give up. Ever. If you truly want to see your book in print, you may have to go through a lot of rejections. Don't let them get you down.

My biggest fan was always my daddy. Every day of my life he let me know that I could do anything I put my mind to, and he treated me as if I could do anything. He taught by example, excelling at everything he did in life, from being an All-American basketball player, a winning and respected basketball coach, a decorated war hero and a beloved husband and father. He was always my biggest fan. When I published my first book, he told me that if he could write, he'd never do anything else.

I love the opportunity to talk to readers and writers. Readers, because without you, we writers would be putting all of our efforts under the bed to gather dust. Writers, because there's nothing a writer loves to do more than talking to other writers about writing, reading and avoiding writing. We like to remind ourselves that each one of us is unique, just like all the rest of us.  :)

Thanks so much for inviting me to be a guest today.

Keep on reading,

mallory@mallorykane.com
 http://www.mallorykane.com
http://www.facebook.com/mallorykane
https://twitter.com/#!/mallorykane
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/no-hero/

Dead Sexy Entangled Tour - Anna DeStefano Guest Post and Giveaway