Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 1-60504-220-X
Length: Category
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, LTD

Buy It ♦ Extras

All he wants is silence. All she wants are answers.

Damien Kirk was once a world-renowned cellist, celebrated across five continents for his musical gift. Now he lives in self-imposed isolation on a small Caribbean island.

Biography writer Victoria Benedict is looking for a story…and she’s not the type to take no for an answer. Her appearance on his doorstep shatters his reclusive existence.

Determined to be rid of her, Damien demands a quid pro quo: a kiss for each answer to her interview questions. Her response is as arousing as it is unexpected. As Damien and Victoria escalate their sensual game of cat and mouse, Victoria discovers the passionate soul underneath Damien’s cold exterior…and a shocking story of secrets and betrayal.

Warning: This title contains the following: sex, scorching kisses, killer breakfasts, a hot tropical island and a happily ever after.

Excerpt

The storm had abated to a mere drizzle when Damien reappeared on the road. Victoria sighed with relief. Even though he was under an umbrella she could see that heightened color had infused his lean cheeks, and his quick strides as he approached warned her to tread carefully.

“Mr. Kirk—”

“Why are you still here?” he demanded.

“I need an interview.”

“Leave! Get out of here!”

A spark of anger kindled inside her. It was his fault that she was here in the first place. If he would have returned her phone calls, she wouldn’t have had to come all the way to Devil Falls to speak to him.

“Where do you suggest I go?”

He ground his teeth. “To. Your. Hotel.”

“There is no hotel on this island.” How could he not know that?

“Take the ferry then. Go back to America. You’re not welcome here!” he shouted.

“Mr. Kirk, please.” She pressed herself against the wet iron rods. “I need your help to write the book. Look, it’s an authorized biography, so you’ll have a say in what’s going to be between the covers. I won’t even have to bother you much. It’s almost done. I just need you to fill in some blanks.”

He looked at her, his eyes dark and mysterious under his umbrella. What she wouldn’t give to know what he was thinking.

“If you don’t cooperate, I’m going to write one anyway. An unauthorized version. Then I’ll get to write whatever I want. Without your input.”

Something flickered in his eyes and he smiled slightly, but she didn’t like the smile. It was different from the one she had seen so often in photographs, the pure and triumphant smile that had shone like the sun after his many brilliant concerts. This smile had an edge of cruelty to it.

“Feeble,” he said. “Your contract is for an authorized bio only, which my manager signed without my permission. I won’t let you write lies and speculation about me. I’ll have you sued for breach of contract.”

Victoria’s knuckles turned white on the bars. He’d called her bluff. She should’ve known better.

Time for Plan B.

Relaxing her hands, she shrugged.

“Then I’ll counter-sue.”

His eyes narrowed. “For what?”

“Breach of contract.”

“I didn’t sign any contract,” he said, enunciating the T’s very clearly. “My manager did. Without my permission. You can write her damn bio if you like.”

“But you still—”

“Goddamn it, I’ll fire her and sue her for gross negligence and breach of the contract she signed with me!”

Victoria bit her lower lip. She didn’t want Miranda to get in trouble over this. They’d been friends since college, and Miranda had contacted Victoria for the book even though she could easily have chosen a more famous and experienced writer.

Okay, Plan C.

“Well, it won’t matter. I’ll just sell an unauthorized bio to my editor. Trust me, with the public interest in you so high it’ll sell like hotcakes, especially when the media finds out why I couldn’t write the authorized version like I was supposed to.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Not at all.” She gave him a bland smile. “Just stating the facts.”

Damien looked at her in silence for a long time. It was his move, so she said nothing. The rain had stopped and the sun came out again. After a time she started counting the drops of water that condensed, hung, and then fell off the gates. Finally he said, “I don’t want you coming into the house. It’s not even mine.”

If he thought that would deter her, he was in for a shock. “Fine. We can do it here.”

“How long is it going to last?”

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“This interview. How long?”

“A week or so. No more than that.”

The ghost of a smile hovered at the corner of his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “So you intend to camp out here for a week?”

She raised her chin, staring him full in the face. “If I have to.”

“You’re insane.”

She nodded. “It comes with age and ugliness.”

Irritation mingled with something softer flickered in his eyes. Finally he sighed. “I’ll let you come in, but you have to leave tomorrow morning.”

She opened her mouth to tell him she wasn’t leaving tomorrow but closed it without saying a word. Getting inside was the first step. Standing by Devil Falls’ gates and arguing with him wouldn’t solve her problems.

“What was that?” he asked.

Victoria frowned. “Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

Damien gave an irritated flick of his head and punched a few keys on a numeric pad on the other side of the gates. They unlocked with a buzz and he pulled them open. She righted her suitcase from where it had fallen and stepped inside before he could change his mind.

“Thank you.” A lie. She was anything but grateful.

Without responding, he relocked the gate and walked past her, folding his umbrella. “Follow me. And mind your step. I don’t want you to fall into the water.” He looked at her. “I don’t need another death on my conscience,” he added, his voice full of condescension and mockery.

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t anyone tell you?”

When she shook her head, he laughed and guided her toward the manor. Was someone supposed to tell her something? Some special local gossip about Damien?

And what did he mean by another death?

Like it? Buy it. For more excerpt, click here.

For bonus, check out my guest posts over at Naughty & Spice (for those of you who missed it) and Jennifer Shirk's blog.

Finally, the last week's winner is Sandie (Commenter #2)! Please contact me for your prize!

Re: NaNoWriMo — I wasn't going to do it, but…I signed up. Why? Because I'm incredibly excited about All the King's Women. (It's got a king with an inferiority complex, a harem full of Machiavellian women, a courtesan and a hot alpha hero.) I want to finish the first draft in November. Although I'm ultimately aiming the story to be about 100k long, the initial draft is going to end up somewhere between 75-85K.

Re: MySpace — I soooo wasn't going to make an account, but I succumbed. If you want to friend me, feel free.

Re: guest blogging — I blogged about breaking rules to promote Devil Falls w/a Angelle Trieste. Check it out here.

1. I'm not looking for critique partners anymore. If you're thinking about contacting me because you saw my wanted post, please don't. Thanks.

2. I'm going on a hiatus. No personal problems or crises here. It's just that I'm in the middle of working on my new project ideas, characters, etc. and I don't want to be distracted. This also means I won't be on IM or Twitter, for those of you who have my contact info there. I will, of course, be available via email. I will blog, but not as often as before.

3. If I have no idea who you are, I'm not going to approve your request to see my Twitter updates. It's not that I'm trying to be exclusive or elitist, but I just don't feel comfortable adding strangers I've never met in real life or online before, esp. because I tend to yap a lot about a lot of inconsequential stuff there.

To kick off the month of October and the release of my first contemporary romance from Samhain, I’m doing a four-post series on Devil Falls. There’s a chance to win a free copy of Devil Falls each week, so tune in. :)

Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 1-60504-220-X
Length: Category
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, LTD

Read It ♦ Buy It ♦ Extras

All he wants is silence. All she wants are answers.

Damien Kirk was once a world-renowned cellist, celebrated across five continents for his musical gift. Now he lives in self-imposed isolation on a small Caribbean island.

Biography writer Victoria Benedict is looking for a story…and she’s not the type to take no for an answer. Her appearance on his doorstep shatters his reclusive existence.

Determined to be rid of her, Damien demands a quid pro quo: a kiss for each answer to her interview questions. Her response is as arousing as it is unexpected. As Damien and Victoria escalate their sensual game of cat and mouse, Victoria discovers the passionate soul underneath Damien’s cold exterior…and a shocking story of secrets and betrayal.

Warning: This title contains the following: sex, scorching kisses, killer breakfasts, a hot tropical island and a happily ever after.

Interview with Damien Kirk Part 2

Two weeks ago, some of you submitted your questions for Damien. So here are his answers to the five randomly chosen ones:

Susan: Why is it do you suppose that men think the sharp, fierce, grouchy routine is going to scare very determined women away? Have you ever considered that it makes them want to see what is beneath the surface?

Damien [shrugs]: Because it works, of course. I think of it as a triage of sorts. Females approach me all the time; I need something to separate the women from the girls. And in Victoria's case, it worked like a charm.

Sandie: I’m with Victoria. What did Damien mean when he said “I don’t need another death on my conscience” ?

Damien: It does make one wonder, doesn't it? [Smiles nastily] Perhaps you should be careful. Some of the locals think I eat children.

Deidre: What purpose does you having dogs serve? Surely, someone as insufferable as you can take care of himself.

Damien: Would that insufferability conferred some type of protection; I might cultivate the quality. Alas, mere insufferability is not enough to dissuade the more obtuse of the paparazzi. Ludwig and Amadeus, however, function quite nicely in that capacity. Also, they are excellent companions. They're loyal and obedient creatures.

Beth R: Can you explain your side of the scandal? What happened?

Damien: To which scandal do you refer? There have been so many…

Tami: Where is your favorite place to have sex and what position?

Damien: To a true artist, any venue can be an inspiration for the Venusian arts. As for positions, if you must know I prefer “The Cello”, female front, with a straight-backed and sturdy chair.

Feel free to comment. One lucky commenter will get a copy of Devil Falls on October 28.

Finally, the last week's winner is Deidre (Commenter #1)! Please contact me for your prize!

Andrew Lahde is a hedge fund manager, in case any one's wondering. His letter really resonated with me.

October 17, 2008

Today I write not to gloat. Given the pain that nearly everyone is experiencing, that would be entirely inappropriate. Nor am I writing to make further predictions, as most of my forecasts in previous letters have unfolded or are in the process of unfolding. Instead, I am writing to say goodbye.

Recently, on the front page of Section C of the Wall Street Journal, a hedge fund manager who was also closing up shop (a $300 million fund), was quoted as saying, “What I have learned about the hedge fund business is that I hate it.” I could not agree more with that statement. I was in this game for the money. The low hanging fruit, i.e. idiots whose parents paid for prep school, Yale, and then the Harvard MBA, was there for the taking. These people who were (often) truly not worthy of the education they received (or supposedly received) rose to the top of companies such as AIG, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and all levels of our government. All of this behavior supporting the Aristocracy only ended up making it easier for me to find people stupid enough to take the other side of my trades. God bless America.

There are far too many people for me to sincerely thank for my success. However, I do not want to sound like a Hollywood actor accepting an award. The money was reward enough. Furthermore, the endless list of those deserving thanks know who they are.

I will no longer manage money for other people or institutions. I have enough of my own wealth to manage. Some people, who think they have arrived at a reasonable estimate of my net worth, might be surprised that I would call it quits with such a small war chest. That is fine; I am content with my rewards. Moreover, I will let others try to amass nine, ten or eleven figure net worths. Meanwhile, their lives suck. Appointments back to back, booked solid for the next three months, they lookforward to their two week vacation in January during which they will likely be glued to their Blackberries or other such devices. What is the point? They will all be forgotten in fifty years anyway. Steve Balmer, Steven Cohen, and Larry Ellison will all be forgotten. I do not understand the legacy thing. Nearly everyone will be forgotten. Give up on leaving your mark. Throw the Blackberry away and enjoy life.

So this is it. With all due respect, I am dropping out. Please do not expect any type of reply to emails or voicemails within normal time frames or at all. Andy Springer and his company will be handling the dissolution of the fund. And don’t worry about my employees, they were always employed by Mr. Springer’s company and only one (who has been well-rewarded) will lose his job.

I have no interest in any deals in which anyone would like me to participate. I truly do not have a strong opinion about any market right now, other than to say that things will continue to get worse for some time, probably years. I am content sitting on the sidelines and waiting. After all, sitting and waiting is how we made money from the subprime debacle. I now have time to repair my health, which was destroyed by the stress I layered onto myself over the past two years, as well as my entire life – where I had to compete for spaces in universities and graduate schools, jobs and assets under management – with those who had all the advantages (rich parents) that I did not. May meritocracy be part of a new form of government, which needs to be established.

On the issue of the U.S. Government, I would like to make a modest proposal. First, I point out the obvious flaws, whereby legislation was repeatedly brought forth to Congress over the past eight years, which would have reigned in the predatory lending practices of now mostly defunct institutions. These institutions regularly filled the coffers of both parties in return for voting down all of this legislation designed to protect the common citizen. This is an outrage, yet no one seems to know or care about it. Since Thomas Jefferson and Adam Smith passed, I would argue that there has been a dearth of worthy philosophers in this country, at least ones focused on improving government. Capitalism worked for two hundred years, but times change, and systems become corrupt. George Soros, a man of staggering wealth, has stated that he would like to be remembered as a philosopher. My suggestion is that this great man start and sponsor a forum for great minds to come together to create a new system of government that truly represents the common man’s interest, while at the same time creating rewards great enough to attract the best and brightest minds to serve in government roles without having to rely on corruption to further their interests or lifestyles. This forum could be similar to the one used to create the operating system, Linux, which competes with Microsoft’s near monopoly. I believe there is an answer, but for now the system is clearly broken.

Lastly, while I still have an audience, I would like to bring attention to an alternative food and energy source. You won’t see it included in BP’s, “Feel good. We are working on sustainable solutions,” television commercials, nor is it mentioned in ADM’s similar commercials. But hemp has been used for at least 5,000 years for cloth and food, as well as just about everything that is produced from petroleum products. Hemp is not marijuana and vice versa. Hemp is the male plant and it grows like a weed, hence the slang term. The original American flag was made of hemp fiber and our Constitution was printed on paper made of hemp. It was used as recently as World War II by the U.S. Government, and then promptly made illegal after the war was won. At a time when rhetoric is flying about becoming more self-sufficient in terms of energy, why is it illegal to grow this plant in this country? Ah, the female. The evil female plant – marijuana. It gets you high, it makes you laugh, it does not produce a hangover. Unlike alcohol, it does not result in bar fights or wife beating. So, why is this innocuous plant illegal? Is it a gateway drug? No, that would be alcohol, which is so heavily advertised in this country. My only conclusion as to why it is illegal, is that Corporate America, which owns Congress, would rather sell you Paxil, Zoloft, Xanax and other addictive drugs, than allow you to grow a plant in your home without some of the profits going into their coffers. This policy is ludicrous. It has surely contributed to our dependency on foreign energy sources. Our policies have other countries literally laughing at our stupidity, most notably Canada, as well as several European nations (both Eastern and Western). You would not know this by paying attention to U.S. media sources though, as they tend not to elaborate on who is laughing at the United States this week. Please people, let’s stop the rhetoric and start thinking about how we can truly become self-sufficient.

With that I say goodbye and good luck.

All the best,

Andrew Lahde

…check out this post by Andrew Wheeler. Some of the most interesting parts include:

By the way: that's what it's called when your book isn't picked up by a particular bookseller. Your book is “a skip,” and they have “skipped” you.

…bookstores are businesses, not public conveniences. No store has the responsibility to carry every book published — although, to be honest, that's a straw-man argument, since no one is asking for that. (They're just wishing that their books, the books they like, and the books by their friends be spared the chopping block.) I market books for a living, so I can tell you an unpleasant truth: the order for any book, from any account, starts at zero. The publisher's sales rep walks in the door with tipsheets and covers, past sales figures and promotional plans, to convince that bookseller's buyer to buy that book. In many categories — SFF is still one of them — the chain buyers say “yes” the overwhelming majority of the time. But not all the time. Sometimes, that buyer is not convinced, and the order stays at zero.

I should also point out that chainstore buyers have budgets; they don't have an infinite amount of money to play with. They have to buy books for all of the stores in the chain, in their category, given the money they have available — this is called “open to buy,” and varies depending on recent sales, returns, and what else is publishing that month. Like any other budget, I'm sure buyers start with the most important things — the big books that month — and work their way down the list. If the money runs out before they hit the bottom, that's it.

Let's talk specifics. Frost's Lord Tophet was skipped because his previous book (the one Lord Tophet is the second half of), Shadowbridge, didn't sell well enough.

…

Frost points out that Shadowbridge “received glowing reviews and went back to print twice in its first six months.” But neither of those things, sadly, mean anything on their own. Lots of books are glowingly reviewed and don't sell — ask the literary writers selling 1,500 copies of their first novels — and reprinting twice in six months can just mean that the first printing was tiny. What I can say: Shadowbridge sold less than 2,500 copies, as a $14.00 trade paperback, across all reporting sales outlets (which include Borders, B&N, Amazon, and others), since the beginning of this year. Of those, almost 2000 were sold at the “Retailer” level, which includes Borders, B&N, and other brick-and-mortar stores. If those were sold evenly between B&N and Borders superstores, and nowhere else, each superstore sold a little over a copy and a half.

Pat Cadigan all but called for a boycott of Borders in her post. Even allowing for the effect of anger, and the tendency of blog posts to be overly extreme and rabble-rousing, I can't see that this would be a good idea. Even if it had a noticeable effect — and that's a big “if” — getting SFF readers to move their business away from Borders is exceptionally unlikely to get Borders to start stocking SFF in more depth. Rather the reverse, actually. If Cadigan wants Borders to cut back on SFF, she has an excellent plan. If not, not.