And because I’m all about the bribery (and gratitude!) we have a special deal that will probably only appeal to you if you already like us. If you post a graphic and come back here to leave us a link, we’ll enter you in our super special release week drawing! The prize includes an autographed copy of Crux, an autographed copy of Last Hope and a whole bunch of promotional goodies including magnets, bookmarks, character promo cards and more!

So I’ll just leave you with the links while I collapse into a little ball of release day squee!

First, a big banner…

<a href="http://www.moirarogers.com/crossroads/"><img src="http://www.moirarogers.com/images/crossroads/400-large1.jpg"></a>

Something a little smaller!

<a href="http://www.moirarogers.com/crossroads/"><img src="http://www.moirarogers.com/images/crossroads/400-small1.jpg"></a>

And another one!

<a href="http://www.moirarogers.com/crossroads/"><img src="http://www.moirarogers.com/images/crossroads/400-small2.jpg"></a>

Even smaller!

<a href="http://www.moirarogers.com/crossroads/"><img src="http://www.moirarogers.com/images/crossroads/400-smallest.jpg"></a>

Once more, animated!

<a href="http://www.moirarogers.com/crossroads/"><img src="http://www.moirarogers.com/images/crossroads/400-gif.gif"></a>

Remember, if you do post a link, come back and let us know! We’ll pick a winner at the end of February.

Head on over to KindleVixen.com for your chance to win!

This is Alec’s book, which we’re currently chugging away on.  Though we’ve been averaging pretty steady 1 a year releases for Southern Arcana, we are hoping to get a jump start on book 4 this spring too, so it’s a Southern Arcana party all over here!

We’re also knocking down our short story for the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2.  The heroine will be Zola, a lion shifter who’s only obliquely mentioned in book #2, though she plays a part in book #3.  It will have some familiar faces, though.

So yes, happiness abounds! Celebrate!

However, every once in a while everything lines up, and right now is one of those times.  A few months ago I was living Red Rock Pass. We had a June release, an October release, and we were writing the fourth book and planning our historical spin-off.  Everything was werewolves and witches and old laws and blood bonds and oh my GOD I’m sure our husbands don’t want to hear any more about Cindy’s insecurities or Adam’s twisty past.

We’re still finishing up the end of our historical novella, and Sanctuary Unbound edits are yet to come, but now I’ve shifted focus.  Crux is out in print.  Crossroads is going to be out in digital in under five weeks.  We’re working on the third book, Deadlock, and now everything is spring in New Orleans and psychic training and shapeshifter politics and if you thought they were tired of Cindy & Adam, you have no idea how much our husbands don’t want to hear any more about Alec and Carmen.  (Ooops, did I let it slip? I let it slip.  The heroine of book three is named Carmen Mendoza.  No, you won’t meet her in book two, but if you pay verrrrry close attention near the end, you’ll know why she’s trouble for a man who wants to stay out of shapeshifter high society.)

Southern Arcana is a comfortable world.  It’s the one we built over the lazy summer of 2007, after I’d somehow wrested a computer science degree from my college and was stunned by my sudden ability to read and write again.  No more nights spent sweating bullets because I had to build a perl interpreter if I wanted to pass Programming Languages! I could start reading new authors again, instead of rereading favorites and sneaking in new Anne Bishop, Kelley Armstrong and Patricia Briggs books when I was supposed to be studying for finals.

It doesn’t seem like it was really that long ago, except now it’s 2010, and we’ve spent two and a half years discussing everything from the most minor characters to ancient worldbuilding truths that our characters will never, ever know.  Writing these books is comfy, and awesome, and okay, maybe I’ve been dreading having to take on Alec as a hero since pretty much his inception (I was complaining to an author friend & critique partner about him yesterday, and she pretty much asked When has Alec not been a pain in the ass? Answer: never) but there’s something so fun about being back in this world.

So.  Here we are, reveling in the Southern Arcana.  We haven’t done a freebie story in this universe yet, and I’m thinking maybe we really should sometime.  So if any of you out there have read this far and are familiar with Crux, who would you like to read a quirky short story about?

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!

Crux- Southern Arcana #1 Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn’t crack…until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire. New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn’t explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs. When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating. With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past-and her destiny. Buy in Print: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Amazon (UK), Powell’s, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, IndieBound Buy in Digital: My Bookstore & More, Fictionwise, All Romance Ebooks, Books on Board, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, OmniLit, Diesel eBooks

Secondary characters. God, we love them! We love them like we love chocolate, Dragon Age & peanut butter (though not in that order…or configuration.)  Even the most minor character in our books usually has a story all set up in our head, one we’re dying to tell when the time is right.

In the Southern Arcana series, we knew that Nicole Peyton would be the next heroine, but in Crux she spends her time as a secondary character, and she can be a fun one.  Especially when she’s getting giddy…or getting teased about that nagging crush that turns into such a pain for her in Crossroads.

So…a snippet from Crux!

* * *

Jackson rubbed his thumb over the warm surface of his mug and stared out the window over the sink. Dawn was breaking, the sun setting the clouds on fire as it rose above the horizon. It finally broke free of the trees and forced his gaze away.

Nick stood just inside the kitchen, one shoulder against the open doorframe. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know you’re worried.” She shoved her fingers through her hair and braced her hip against the wood. “Don’t be. It makes me nervous.”

“Can’t help it, Peyton.” Not for the first time, Jackson considered the risk Nick was taking, not only with her own life, but with her sister’s, as well. “Nicky—”

“Knock it off, Holt.” Her words might have been flippant, but her expression was serious, almost scared. “None of that ‘if we don’t make it out of this alive’ shit. I’ll hurt you.”

“He’ll snap out of it.” It was Alec’s voice, quiet behind them. “He always does when it’s time to get down to business.”

“He’d better.” Nick glanced at Alec and shot Jackson a stern look. “Mackenzie works for me. I hired her. I took her in. She’s my responsibility. And don’t get me wrong. I like her. I do. But I like my sister more. If Michelle is going to be in danger, you need to get straight, okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jackson said harshly. “Just because I care doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”

“No one thinks you are.” Alec crossed the kitchen. “We wouldn’t be going in there with you if we did. But it’s just us, Jackson, when it comes down to it. Everyone else’s priority is going to be Charles. It’s you and me going after your girl, and if you get my ass killed because you’re distracted, I’m coming back to haunt you.”

“And if he can’t manage it,” Nick added, “I’ll find someone who can make you think he’s haunting you.”

“I get it. My head will be in it, I promise.”

She continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “I’m not afraid of death, but it would be a crying shame if I bought the farm before I had the chance to bag your secretary’s hot cousin.” She grabbed another mug and filled it from the coffee carafe. “Just my personal feelings on the subject.”

Alec smirked. “Tell us something we don’t know. That’s pretty much the worst-kept secret in New Orleans.”

Nick favored them both with a wry look as she added cream and sugar to her mug. “Then help a girl out. I’ve dropped so many hints I’m starting to trip over them.”

Jackson pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. The banter felt normal, like everything might turn out all right. “Maybe he’s not interested in a tee-tiny loudmouth,” he offered helpfully.

Oddly, Alec’s reply was more earnest. “Derek likes you too much.” He ignored their startled looks as he poured himself a mug of coffee. “He wasn’t born a shifter, Nicole. He’s got a lot of odd instincts he didn’t have to deal with before, and he wasn’t ready to start anything that might end up serious.”

Jackson stared at his partner, open-mouthed. He hadn’t known Alec had spent that much time with Derek Gabriel, much less talked about such personal things with him. “When did you become a confidante to lovelorn werewolves everywhere?”

Alec stomped over to the table, glaring. “It was once. Kat was worried, so I promised her I’d help him out. It’s not like guys like him have a lot of people to go to for help.”

Nick was suspiciously quiet as she stared into her coffee. When she finally raised her head, her eyes were wide and bright. “Don’t you dare get me killed, Jackson Holt. I have things to do when we get home.”

“Let me guess,” Mahalia drawled as she walked in and headed for the refrigerator. “Derek Gabriel?”

Jackson raised his mug in salute. “Got it in one.”

She clucked her tongue. “You always have had it bad for that boy, Nicole.”

“See?” Alec took a sip of his coffee and grinned. “Worst-kept secret in New Orleans.”

Mahalia smiled at Nick’s flustered look. “Hell, Jacobson. Who do you think introduced them?”

“You couldn’t have locked them in a closet somewhere and saved the rest of us several years of sexual tension?”

Nick choked on a strangled noise, and Mahalia laughed. “You hush up, Alec. Everyone knows you’re just a soft old romantic at heart. Am I right, Jack?”

“You always are, May.”

Alec rose with his mug. “Fuck you, man. I’m going to go pack my shit. I’ve had about all the touchy-feely crap I can take for a morning.”

This time, the noise that escaped Nick was undoubtedly a laugh. “Be back in time for the group hug, Alec,” she called.

Jackson barely managed to avoid snorting coffee out his nose. “Oh, Christ. Now she’s giddy.”

Mahalia shook her head. “You’re going to have a hard row to hoe if you set your cap for Derek Gabriel, Nicole. I hope you know that.”

Nick didn’t look concerned. “I don’t want to marry the guy, Mahalia. I just want to date him.”

“Mm-hmm.” The older woman’s eyes were shrewd. “Famous last words, baby girl.”

***

Check out these authors for more snippets: Vivian Arend, Ashley Ladd, Anya Bast, Jaci Burton, Kelly Maher, Lauren Dane, Leah Braemel, Mandy Roth, McKenna Jeffries, Sasha White, Taige Crenshaw, Shelli Stevens, Shelley Munro, Eliza Gayle, Victoria Janssen, Jody Wallace, Juliana Stone, TJ Michaels

However, it would be so much more fun if people wanted to help us celebrate!  So I’m buying a few extra ebook copies of Crux and gathering up a handful of eARCS of Crossroads and I’m looking for some bloggers who might want to read them!  (I’m also in a contest with myself! To see! How many! Exclamation points I can use!!!!)

Cutting to the chase…here are the books in question:

“Crux” by Moira Rogers

Buy from MBaM!
Read An Excerpt Online
Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 978-1-60504-459-0
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: March 3, 2009
Cover art by Anne Cain

To find her destiny, she must trust him with her life…and her heart.

Southern Arcana, Book 1

Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn’t crack…until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.

New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn’t explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.

When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.

With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past—and her destiny.

Warning: This book contains devious schemes, epic battles, forbidden love between a shapeshifter and a spellcaster, nosy secondary characters, furniture-endangering sex and a woman fighting to choose her own destiny.

* * *

“Crossroads” by Moira Rogers

Read An Excerpt Online
Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 978-1-60504-705-8
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: February 9, 2010

He’s the last man she should ever want. She’s the last woman he can ever have.

Southern Arcana, Book 2

Coming from a family with psychic gifts, Derek Gabriel was aware of but separate from the dangers of the supernatural world, until a rogue wolf shifter stripped away his humanity. The change he barely survived didn’t drive him insane, but the cultural bias against him as an inferior transformed wolf might. And it doesn’t help that he’s fallen for the daughter of the most powerful wolf in the country.

Almost from the moment she was born, Nicole Peyton started planning her escape from the strict confines of elite shapeshifter society, an old-fashioned world where women are valued only for their bloodlines and bank accounts. In New Orleans she has a bar she loves, friends in decidedly low places, and a smoldering sensual tension with an incredibly attractive and deliciously unsuitable man.

Their forbidden longing erupts into unbridled need—until Nick’s sister burns into town with a strike team hard on her heels. Saving her means Nick has to play by the Conclave’s rules…and give up the man she is growing to love.

Unless Derek does something completely crazy—issue a challenge that could shake the foundations of their world.

Warning: This book contains forbidden lust, strip poker, instinct-driven sex in odd places, devious shapeshifters, and love and loss in a world of paranormal politics and supernatural schemes.

* * *

If you’re interested in a copy, either leave a comment (on our blog or livejournal) or, if you prefer, send an e-mail to bree@moirarogers.com and let me know!

The Black Moment.  *shiver*  Just when you know it’s all gone so wrong it’ll never get back to right again.  Traditionally there is one moment that is that moment, but there are a lot of dark moments in longer books too, and Donna and I spent a lot of time this morning deciding if this black moment was too spoilery or that one made no sense without context.

In the end we thought this would be a fun black moment.  Maybe not the blackest that Crux has (I know it’s not! That book has a few!) but it’s a scene I’ve always rather liked because when even the bad guys are hopeless, you know you’re in trouble!

EXCERPT FROM CRUX

Common sense told her it would be easier to make excuses if she didn’t seem to be trying to escape. She waited until after dinner before wandering by one of the side doors and stopping to peer out the window at the woods beyond. Even though she hadn’t been outside, she’d been practicing every night until she was sure she could shift forms easily. If she could get to the edge of the woods—

Trying to act casual, she wrapped her fingers around the cold metal of the old-fashioned doorknob. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest with excitement when the knob turned easily under her hand, and the door pushed open. She took a deep breath and bolted.

Or tried to bolt. She hit the empty space of the doorframe and stopped. It was like falling face first onto a feather mattress—not painful, but she couldn’t move forward.

Confused, she pulled back and tried again, this time leading with her shoulder. Her shoulder struck the barrier, and she felt the shock through her body as she jerked to a stop. There was nothing there. The breeze from outside blew against her face, and she could smell the freshly cut grass, hear the birds in the trees. Freedom was so close she could taste it.

She just couldn’t get to it.

“That’s some crazy shit right there, isn’t it?” She whirled to find Eddie standing across the foyer, a bottle of beer dangling loosely from his fingers. Surprisingly, he wasn’t laughing at her.

Mackenzie opened her mouth to deliver the excuse she’d carefully crafted. I just wanted to go for a run, I just wanted a walk, I just—

But Eddie obviously didn’t care. She moved away from the open door and slumped wearily against the wall. “Crazy shit,” she agreed.

“The old man has these things we have to carry so we can leave.” He took a swig of beer and shook his head. “He keeps them locked away until he needs to send us out somewhere. Hope the fucking place doesn’t burn down.”

Eddie wasn’t just drinking. He was drunk. “So everyone’s trapped here?”

He scratched his head, barely stirring his almost militarily short brown hair. “Everyone except the boss. Though I kind of always got the feeling the barriers would drop if the bastard died.”

The only thing that seemed less likely than escaping was surviving a direct confrontation with Charles. Mackenzie closed her eyes and fought her desire to sink to the floor. “Why do you do it?” she asked in a low voice. “Why do you fight for him? Kill for him? Why do you stay trapped in this house?”

When Eddie answered, he was closer. She opened her eyes to find him sitting at the bottom of the staircase. “There’s good money in it. Besides,” he added with a bit of a sneer, “maybe if there are more cougars, you can give the wolves a run for their money. Damn sons of bitches run everything.”

“I thought you were a wolf.”

He rubbed his thumb absently over the bottle. “Not to hear them tell it.” He drained the rest of the bottle and gave her a flat look. “I was attacked. Changed. I used to be human, and now I’m nothing but a mutt.” For a moment he looked vulnerable, hurt. Then he just looked like he wished he had another beer.

Mackenzie sank to the floor, pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Isn’t there a better way to change things? If I have these…magical kids, what are they supposed to do? Run around ruining people’s lives, the way yours was ruined?”

Eddie shrugged. “It wouldn’t have to be that way, necessarily. Some people want to do it. Change, I mean.”

“So you’re not going to help me.” It wasn’t quite a question.

“I might be a simple idiot, but I don’t have a death wish.” He snorted. “Even if I wanted to help you, trying would just get us both killed.” His hazel eyes softened. “Look, would it be so bad? I mean, you’d be rich as fuck, and you’d have Marcus. It’s a hell of a lot more than most people get.”

If she hadn’t known better, she could have sworn Eddie was jealous of her.

Why is that so crazy? Lots of people wanted to be rich, and Marcus was attractive, if you appreciated tall, dark and handsome men. I guess there’s no reason Eddie can’t.

The brief glimpse of humanity didn’t change the fact that he’d killed people to get to her. She pushed down sympathy and rose to her feet again. “I’m not interested in being someone’s pet.”

“Suit yourself.” Eddie shrugged and stood, as well. “But the old bastard always gets what he wants, Mackenzie. One way or another.”

“So he told me.” The smile she gave him felt sick. “I guess I won’t have to worry about it, though. If he gets mad he’s just going to wipe my personality. I won’t even notice I’m being raped. Should make it easier for Marcus to get the job done.”

He definitely looked sick. “Crazy shit.” He swayed and started in the direction of the kitchen. “If you need me, I’ll be raiding the liquor cabinet.”

“Have fun with that,” she snapped, slumping against the barrier in the open door again. It was impenetrable as ever, and she fought the urge to cry in frustration.

So much for Plan A.

Mackenzie dragged in a breath and closed the door with growing desperation. Plan A was a bust, but she’d figured it might be. Now wasn’t the time to panic. She’d go upstairs to her room, sit down and come up with a Plan B.

At the rate things were going, maybe C, D and E, as well.

***

Check out more black moments: Vivian Arend, Ashley Ladd, Jaci Burton, Taige Crenshaw, Shelley Munro, TJ Michaels, Juliana Stone, Eliza Gayle, McKenna Jeffries, Savannah Foley, Elisabeth Naughton

So hey, we have four books on both sites right now.  If you haven’t checked out Red Rock Pass or Southern Arcana, this is just a good excuse, right? 

ARe | OmniLit	ARe | OmniLit	ARe | OmniLit	ARe | OmniLit

We’re back to the dark side today!  The theme is a shining moment for the bad guy…and I am going to interpret that as when they are 5 seconds from victory.  Because, you know, that’s pretty shining. 

An Excerpt from Crux

* * *

He nodded toward the dresser. “The amulet?”

“Yeah, I dropped it next to the TV.” She kicked off her pants and underwear, tugged on the shorts, and tried not to imagine what she’d look like if she changed before she managed to get out of her clothing. A cougar in cute pajamas. Charles can laugh himself to death.

Jackson raised an eyebrow as he snagged the talisman from the scarred surface of the TV stand. “Good thing it’s warm out.” He sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. “This’ll only take a minute.”

“Mmm.” She folded her clothes haphazardly and shoved them into her bag. “Don’t get distracted by how naked I am under my teeny-tiny shorts.”

“I’ll try,” he murmured absently, already intent on his task. After several seconds, his fingers clenched around the wooden disk. A shudder wracked him, and he almost slid off the end of the bed.

“Jackson?” Mackenzie closed her fingers around his shoulder. His entire body had gone stiff, and his muscles trembled under her hand. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

His eyes shot open. “No.” He grunted and grabbed his head as magic slashed tangibly through the room, stealing her breath. “He’s—”

The door flew open, flew outward as if someone had torn it from its frame. Mackenzie stared in shock as it landed in the parking lot with a deafening crash.

Dust billowed up from the dirty sidewalk, and Charles waved a hand as he stepped through the open doorway. A small smile, devoid of any real feeling, curled his lips as he looked at Jackson. “The backlash from a location spell can be painful if your target happens to be standing outside.”

Jackson’s eyes locked on hers as he reached for his ankle. “Now, Kenzie.”

There wasn’t time to take off the clothes. Mackenzie closed her eyes, reached for the power inside her—

—and found herself blocked.

Her eyes flew open when Charles laughed again. “Not right now, dear.” He flicked his fingers in an absent gesture, and a solid wave of power slammed into her so hard it knocked the wind out of her. She barely realized her feet had left the ground, not until the solid bulk of the wall crashed against her back. Pain arced through her as her head cracked into the aged wallpaper, and the last thing she saw before blackness overtook her was Charles’s tiny, chilling smile.

***

Ready for more shining moments from the dark side? Hop around and check’m out! Cynthia Eden, , Shelley Munro, Moira Rogers , TJ Michaels, Jody Wallace , Eliza Gayle, Kelly Maher , Taige Crenshaw, Mandy Roth, McKenna Jeffries, SJ Day