Newsletter: Author Carla Swafford – Trudging Along

So many manuscripts, so many stories to write. I’m presently working on editing another paranormal romance, and then I have three more books (one is romantic suspense, and two are contemporary romances: one with an asshole billionaire and the other I’m co-writing with my friend Betty Bolte) to finish this year. We’ll see if I can get it all done. Eeek!


Be sure to pre-order Savage Champion before April 23, 2024. Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo Books, Only 99 cents.

***Excerpt (unedited): Tori helps Ronan experience “Death Sleep” as a vampire for the first time.***

“What’s happening? My legs and arms feel so heavy.” Ronan’s puzzled tone was expected. I’d felt the same way when the first death-sleep came over me. 

He stumbled toward the bed, an angry look came over his face.

“What have you done to me?”

“Shh. Do you not feel it? The sun is just moments away from peeking between the trees. When you’re first reincarnated, a fledgling has difficulty staying awake beyond sunrise.” 

I helped him into bed, and he stretched on his back across the mattress. 

His unwarranted anger was so typical of a male vampire. Aggressive and territorial, the young vampire was unpredictable, but I hopefully waylaid the worst by providing an outlet for  his aggression.

“Isn’t it bothering you?”

“The longer you’re a vampire, the longer you can withstand the lure of the death sleep. Rarely, can a new vampire stay awake through dawn and never to high noon.” 

I watched him fight the sleep like a child, though nothing about the way he looked was childish. The black cotton shirt, unbuttoned to mid-chest, and black jeans along with his dark hair and olive skin, the combination gave him a dangerous air. Heated desire taunted me. Temptation to touch him while he slept almost overtook me. He would resent that. It would be too much like taking advantage of him during a weakness. 

His eyelids were at half mast. The beautiful depth glistening in the bedroom’s lights as he tried to keep me in his sight. He slowly closed them and snapped them back open, then they closed again. 

I lifted his large, rough hand to my lips and pressed a kiss to the back.

“Relax. I’ll watch over you until it’s time for me to join you. Guards surround the place and the house is secure. Wolfric wouldn’t have reached the ripe old age of a millennium if he was careless.” 

Immediately, his hand fell limp and his body sank further into the mattress. His chest no longer rose and fell with his breathing, and I knew his heartbeat would be near to nonexistent. I brushed the back of my fingers against his cheek, his skin was cold to the touch. Like death.

Wolfric was too wary to have vampires sleep in his bed when death sleep overtook him, if he did. I really had no idea. Only once, had I been near another vampire during death sleep. It had been when I traveled to Atlanta on Wolfric’s orders. 

There, the large vampire colony had consisted of artists and musicians. Though during that period, I’d spent most of my time recuperating from my wounds and controlling my urge to kill every deviant in a twenty-mile area, I’d allowed a tall blond male vampire to slip under my guard. 

The slightly older vampire had never met an instrument he couldn’t play and my body had been no exception. He’d been the only vampire I ever made love to or slept with before Ronan. After the Atlanta experience, I spent my sexual desires on my servants. Less of a distraction and I didn’t have to pretend softer feelings to achieve satisfaction.

Looking down at the man beside me, a softening around my heart eased the ache I endured for so long. I loved him, but how long would it take before he decided I was wrong to change him. 

Tired and no longer feeling the brew, I pressed my body to his and kissed him on the cheek. His shoulder was perfect for my head to rest on. 


I will be at the Capital City Author Event with many, many others. Please come by and say hi! Per Michelle Rls Sewell, founder and organizer, visit downtown Montgomery, AL, rich in history and southern hospitality, to meet some of your favorite authors of various genres. The Capital City Author Event will host over 80 authors/vendors, including many locally from Alabama, on May 17-18, 2024, Friday and Saturday.

LINK FOR MORE INFO: https://CCAE2024.eventbrite.com


Hope you stayed warm and read a lot like I did.

Hugs.

Carla

Romance in Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly magazine had an interesting article this week. They announced the on-line version will have a “roundup” (reviews) of the latest romance novels. I was so proud that in the short article they hadn’t said the two words I hate (initials are B. R.). Then I pulled up the column on-line. There were those hated words. Oh, well, hopefully they won’t use them again. Anyway, I’m just glad they are giving all of our hard work some recognition. Be sure to check it out.

http://ew.com/books/2017/10/06/romancing-the-tome-novels-ew-reviews-september-2017/

Danger cover2

And by the way, CIRCLE OF DANGER is only 99 cents.  Not sure how long HarperCollins will price it that low, but be sure to go and buy it now. Links below.

REMEMBER TO READ IT SOON!  If you’ve been following my blog for long, you know how I feel about LARGE to-be-read piles (ebook or paperback). TBR piles kill authors’ careers.

~~~

In a follow-up to Carla Swafford’s sexy Circle of Desire, the agents of The Circle—a top-secret group of assassins—are back and on the hunt for a dangerous drug lord capable of bringing women to the brink of pleasure . . . and devastation.

Marie Beltane, a lowly data entry specialist for The Circle, resents being treated like a little girl and wants to help by proving she’s worthy of being a full-fledged operative. Disobeying Arthur Ryker’s orders to stay out of the way, she accepts a simple fact-finding assignment—only to have everything go horribly wrong. Now she’s been injected with the drug responsible for the deaths of four local women, a drug that puts her sex drive into overdrive.

Ryker wants nothing more than to keep Marie safe from the world. He’s already killed to protect her from one madman, and he may have to do it again. While on a search for an antidote to her mysterious drug, he falls into a trap and must fight a new evil. Now he must become the monster he’s always feared to save the woman he’s always loved.

Amazon

iBooks

Barnes and Noble

Kobo Books

Google Play

Books a Million

On Sale!

Hidden Heat is on sale for 99 cents for a limited time. Sexy undercover cop infiltrates a motorcycle gang and meets former MC president’s daughter with a smart-mouth. Hot sex and danger. Be sure to check it out and buy!

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FACEBOOK LINK

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Kobo Books

 

Let’s Celebrate With Giveaways

giveawayToday, I’m celebrating five years and seven books in publishing. On Tuesday, October 18, 2011, is when it all began, and I want to thank those who have and will read my books.

I’m giving away swag (cups, pens, jar openers -the red circle, book marks, etc.), and books, and gift cards.

How do you obtain such wonderful stuff? By telling me ONE of the following. Yep, you only have to answer one, but feel free to answer more.

1) What do you like about outlaw MC books?

2) What do you like about mercenary/spy/assassin books (similar to my Circle series)?

3) What other kind of book do you enjoy reading?

Be sure to leave me your email address. It will be used for the giveaway only.

Be aware that FULL HEAT, the second standalone book in the Brothers of Mayhem series, is on sale for 0.99 cents for a limited time.

AMAZON            BARNES AND NOBLE          KOBO          BOOKS A MILLION

And CIRCLE OF DESIRE is on sale for $1.99.

If you want to know about future books, giveaways, and sales, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. Click here and fill out the form.

NAKED HEAT is due to come out the end of February 2017.

Below are the books that make up The Circle series.

Winners will be announce after 9 p.m. tonight!

A Real Deal

My book, HIDDEN HEAT, is on sale for 99 cents. Presently, it’s on sale at Amazon and Kobo. Probably by Wednesday, it will be on sale at B&N and elsewhere. Remember that it only comes in e-format.

Hidden Heat_Swafford

Here’s a small excerpt.

Her gaze moved over the hood of the car and skidded to a stop on the man leaning against the bar’s outside wall facing the car. He inhaled on a cigarette and continued to watch her. Thorn. That was what Stonewall called him.

His eyes squinted against the bright sun. No sign of embarrassment in being caught staring, he remained there, one foot flat against the brick and a thumb hooked on a belt loop, taking another long draw. Silver rings on long fingers glistened in the sun. How long had he been there?

With a flick of his finger, the cigarette stub sailed over the hood to the asphalt parking lot.

Please go away.

The Contest Continues for the iPad Mini

New Jack Drago adIf you haven’t caught the news here or on Facebook, I’ve decided to give more people time to read CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE (novella – in other words, short story) and answer the questions for a chance to win the iPad Mini. The contest has been extended to June 30. If you’ve already read it, click here and answer the questions. They give you three possible answers. They’re not easy, and a couple are trick questions. BUT, if you read the book, you won’t have a problem.

CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE is only $2.99.  And during the contest, I’ve made CIRCLE OF DISHONOR free during this time. So double bonus!

Here’s a little tidbit from CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE. (No answers given away.)

He lightly squeezed the woman in his arms. Who was he kidding? He was up shit creek without a paddle when Kat learned the truth. So, he’d keep her safe and when it was over, leave. Same old, same old. Chances were she wouldn’t want anything to do with him when she found out he still worked for The Circle, and they had set her up.

[June 30, 2015: Congratulations to Jenn Williams. She was one of the few to answer all the questions correctly. The iPad Mini will be mailed this week!  Please keep reading!  Thanks! Carla]

The Contest For iPad Mini Continues

Jack Drago is a renaissance man. A man’s man when needed but a pushover for women. He’s been used by his lovers, but still loves and respect women. Tattoos all over, head shaved, piercings in all kinds of places, Jack was everything Katerina needed. She knew he was a bad boy who grew up to be the type of bad man to get the job done, in and out of bed.

Be sure to read CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE before answering questions for a chance to win an iPad Mini.  You can purchase it anywhere books are sold. Then click here to answer the questions.

And The Contest Begins With A Free Book!

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000039_00009]Want to win an iPad Mini on May 31? Starting today, click on the link below and answer all of the questions correctly. At the end, it will ask for your email address. One entry per household. Must be in the U.S. (Sorry international fans.) One winner will be announced on May 31.

Click here to answer the questions.

The questions will be based on events in CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000039_00009]

Click here to purchase CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE.

And a thank you for coming by, CIRCLE OF DISHONOR is free wherever books are sold (except Amazon – I couldn’t get them to drop to zero).

 

 

The Circle Series at $1.99 each!

ImageSurprise!  All of my books are priced at $1.99 in e-format. SO you have no excuse not to buy it. That’s pretty darn cheap for a full length novel . . . make that a full length GREAT novel.  LOL!

Amazon

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Barnes & Noble

Kobo

All Romance Ebooks

iBookstore

And many more…

CIRCLE OF DANGER Now Only 99 Cents!

Oh, yeah.  Believe it or not, but Avon has marked down CIRCLE OF DANGER, a full length romantic suspense novel, down to 99 cents.  Click here and then go to bottom of page for links to your favorite bookseller.

In fact, over at All Romance Ebooks, they marked it down to 0.49 with a rebate.  I don’t know about the rebate, but I’m sure they’ll tell you about it.

So if you haven’t purchased the second book to The Circle series, this is a great opportunity!

Enjoy the heat!