The narrators are finished with Savage Champion and I’ve listened to the whole thing, and approved it. They are great. It gives me chills listening to my characters come to life. I hope you will check it out soon. When I get the date for release of the audio, I’ll notify you.
Red Herrings & Dangling Strings
If you read enough of my books, you will know that I love red herrings . They are, of course, to keep you guessing who the true bad guy is or who will die next. I won’t go into detail here, for most people understand their purpose.
When it comes to the dangling strings, they can show up in another book of the same series or even other series entirely. They’re not really important, just something for fans to note.
One of my favorite dangling strings was in The Circle books. Though the first book a person is mentioned to have been moved out of a cell before the heroine was placed inside another. Then in the second book, they use a name of a known dangerous man no one alive has seen. Then in the final full novel, the man shows up as a secondary character. He was to have his own book, but HarperCollins/Avon didn’t want another Circle book. Even so, he shows up in a novella I self-published, but still as a secondary character.
Not only do people show up in different books or series, but places too. I created fictional Sand County, Alabama, because the law enforcement was known to be crooked in my books (Brothers of Mayhem series). I didn’t want the local authority to become upset with me if I used a real one.
Today, I added a countdown to my website. So 52 days and counting before Savage Champion is released into the world. As I have mentioned before, it’s a paranormal horror romance. If you have read my Circle books and enjoyed them, you won’t be bothered by the little bit of horror in my newest book. You have to remember, I am a romance writer. So most of my books (in my mind) are Romance, Suspense, and then everything else. The only books I’ve published without suspense (true suspense, not just wondering will they ever have a happy ending) are my hockey romance. That’s pure relationship. They were fun to write and very spicy.
Anyway, please pre-order Savage Champion. The price is only 99 cents. So you’re not endangering your life savings. HA! And be sure to tell your friends.
Spicy vs Erotica
Don’t read this section if naughty words bother you. Then again, why are you getting my newsletter? All of my books have these naughty words in them.
Have you ever wondered about the difference between spicy and erotica? You know that every author has their own answer, because what I think is hot and what someone else believes is hot can be totally poles apart. I’ve read adult books since I was twelve. Of course, I never understood the sex scenes until my older female cousin explained it to me at fourteen. That’s when we found “those books” beneath our fathers’ beds. (Long story for a day when I’ve had a margarita or two.) So here’s my explanation.
Spicy – A book that has sex scenes, but not necessarily many of them and not necessarily using actual body parts. Anywhere between a hard penis to a sword of manhood, you get the idea. I tell people all the time my books are spicy. They are, but I’ve never thought of them having a lot of sex scenes, though I will say my characters think about sex a lot. But don’t we all? What? You don’t. Really? *smirk*
Erotica – A book that has lots of sex scenes and mainly is about sex. Sure they can have plots, suspense, humor, true drama, but nearly every chapter they are thinking, doing, talking, or dreaming about sex (fucking, eating pussy, sucking cock, and the many ways of enhancing all of that). About the only time they will use euphemisms is in a historical setting. But it’s a romance, so it will have a happy ending with the couple (or more) together. Oddly, at least I thought it odd, HarperCollins considered my books erotica. That’s why even though the first one was published under the Impulse imprint, the other two were placed under the Red imprint. (Circle of Desire, Circle of Danger, and Circle of Deception.)
There you go. Like I said, I don’t think my books have a lot of sex scenes as one reviewer claimed. But of course, another reviewer for the same book said I had too few. People have to decide on their own.
Giveaway
Just a reminder, if you wish a copy of the short story, Kidnapped For A Day (part of The Circle series), email me at authorcarlaswafford @ gmail. com (no spaces) asking for it, and I’ll send it to you. Only for newsletter subscribers.
Be sure to tell your friends to join my newsletter if you think they will like my books, or the short story or the newsletters. I’m not picky. HA!
Finally, I finished the first round of edits to my newest book. Remember, the one that’s a paranormal thriller. Vampires are the main focus, but there are serial killers (who are not vampires), mafia, witches, pixies, and a hot as hell private detective.
Next? I have a choice of three (possibly four) projects planned for next year. I would like to think I can release two books (or more) next year, but that’s me being hopeful.
Three newsletters ago, I added an interview with my characters Jake and Angel from the Southern Crime Family novel, Jake. Since then I’ve been thinking about what readers would like to know about my characters in all of my books. So I thought you might be interested in some background information about each book spread across the next few newsletters.
I guess I should start from the beginning. Circle of Desire was my debut book. It was actually the tenth book I wrote. I had finished eleven when I received “the email” from Avon Impulse (HarperCollins) wanting to publish it. The first book I had completed was a medieval romance. I still love knights, horses, and castles. Then I wrote a romantic suspense about a DEA agent who fell in love with the wrong guy. About the time I finished it, I fell in love with paranormal romances. Vampires, warlocks, and everything that went bump in the night. But after writing four paranormal romances without a successful interest, I decided to go back to romantic suspense and write a female assassin who was the main character. She wasn’t a good person, but she thought she was doing good. What a conundrum!
She squeezed the trigger. The jogger’s body continued straight ahead, propelled by the bullet’s trajectory, and he toppled off the edge of the pier and splashed into the water as his god-awful shoes tumbled across the boardwalk.
Circle of Desire
So I started it and realized I wanted the opening scene to be real as possible. At the time, my local writers group was having a couple come in and talk to us about guns. The husband was a former Special Forces guy, and they had a friend who had worked for a private military contractor (formerly called Blackwater). I asked him about the first scene in my book. He said it sounded feasible, but I needed to change two things. One I did, but then other I didn’t. What were they? One, the woman used a sniper rifle, and she took with her after the kill. He had said an assassin would leave the rifle. I wanted it used later in the book. So instead I had her break it down into several boxes and mail out separately to her Atlanta office. Two, he said the jogger wouldn’t fall in the water, but lie exactly in the spot he was shot. I needed him in the water. People would think he tripped and fell in. So they would be concerned in saving him, instead of looking for where the shot came from (silencer used). I asked the guy, if the target was jogging along a pier and about to turn back, would his body fall in then. He said it was possible. That was enough for me. It was fiction after all.
Giveaway
Three people will receive a ebook of their choice (only mine). Winners will be notified Thanksgiving Day (November 23). Click here and go to the bottom of the page. Use that form to email me. Be sure to let me know the title you’re interested in. It will be in Amazon’s format. [Updated December 1, 2023 – no one sent me an email. So none given out. I like to think everyone, who receives my newsletters, has all of my books.]
For the last year, I’ve been thinking of changing the covers on my Circle Series from an action/adventure look to a more romantic one. So I finally did. As a subscriber, you get first peek. Be sure to click on SHOW IMAGES (if they don’t show up) or you’ll miss out.
They should show up on Amazon, B&N, etc. over the next few days.
If you haven’t read the series, be sure to check them out. All are standalones, but for best reading experience, read in the following order: Circle of Desire, Circle of Danger, Circle of Deception, Circle of Dishonor, Circle of Defiance, and Kidnapped for a Day. Be sure to note the tropes and triggers shown below all of the covers. Thought you might find them of interest. And yes, Desire has the most. It’s a little dark.
Paperback cover for Novellas & Short Story
Circle of Desire (Novel)
TROPES & TRIGGERS: Female Assassin, Captor/Captive, Rivals, Redemption. Nonconsensual Sexual Contact, FMC kidnapped by MMC, Childhood Abuse, Enemies to Lovers/Rivals, Orphan, Forced Proximity.
Circle of Danger (Novel)
TROPES & TRIGGERS: Damsel in Distress, Trouble in Relationship, Fish Out of Water, Childhood Sweethearts, All Grown Up, Beauty and the Beast, Attempt at Change/Makeover, Alpha Male, Childhood Abuse, Hero Caged/Captive, PTSD.
Circle of Deception (Novel)
TROPES & TRIGGERS: Hero In Jeopardy, Second Chance, Forced Proximity, Fake Marriage, Undercover, Love Triangle, Return From The Dead, First Love, Hero Restrained.
TROPES & TRIGGERS: Mafia Daughter, Hired Protector, Treasure Map, Enemies to Lovers, Alpha Male.
Kidnapped For A Day (Short Story)
TROPES & TRIGGERS: Captives, Threat to Life. (It’s a short story. So not many tropes and I don’t believe any triggers.)
All of the novels will be available in Ebook and Paperback. The novellas will be available separately in Ebooks, combined in Paperback with the short story.
The short story is available in Ebook. If you’re a subscriber to my newsletter, you can receive it free, just email me at About Carla, form is at the bottom of the page and mention if you want it for your Amazon’s, Apple’s, or B&N’s app.
WHAT AM I DOING, BESIDES CHANGING BOOK COVERS?
I presently editing (taking me forever) my next book. It’s different from any of the others already published. Hopefully, you like vampires. Here’s a little excerpt (not professionally edited). The vampire, Tori, has tracked down a pedophile in effort to save one of his victims.
~~Working title is THE CHAMPION~~
Tree limbs swayed eerily in the windy night. The frantic rustling of leaves drowned the roar of traffic on the nearby interstate.
I strolled across a moonlit backyard, easily springing over a four-foot fence without hesitation. A Doberman charged from beneath a porch and lunged at me, barking nonstop. I grabbed him by the scruff and stared into his eyes. Trembling, he whimpered, and his back legs curled up as he dangled above the ground. Once I released my hold, he yipped all the way back, crawling under the porch to hide. A corner of my lips lifted and I shook my head. Funny how animals sensed how dangerous I was without me even hurting them.
After so many years, I’m still amazed by my powers and abilities. Reading emotions and past events helped in tracking my prey. A light touch on a passerby’s arm and I could picture each pedestrians’ direction he’d seen moments earlier. But it was also a danger in itself to me, for people’s cruel thoughts were often near the surface. The monsters would often replay the worst of their crimes when faced with death. The scenes stayed in my mind for months, years, nearly driving me crazy. Blocking them was best for my sanity. The easiest way to do so was to wear gloves, soft leather did the trick.
I reached the address after jumping a couple more fences. The house was like so many others in the poor section of larger cities, long strips of peeling paint floated off in the light breeze, black bars on the windows gave a menacing appearance, and a corner section of the rusty metal fencing laying on the ground. The backyard was rock and red clay with patches of knee-high weeds. The lack of grass was concerning. How many bodies had he buried?
A kitchen light shone like a small square on the backyard. I gingerly walked around it. Being spotted from a neighbor’s house was the last thing I needed.
There was no sound from inside, not even a TV or electronic device to betray the inhabitants. Two large overgrown bushes hid the back door from the neighbors and the few cars passing on the street. It was locked, not a surprise considering the vicinity and time of night.
With my preternatural strength, it was easy to slowly push the knob until the latch bolt or other parts broke with little sound, allowing me to open the door.
The malodor slapped me in the face. The hint of blood teased my fangs to drop despite the ammonia stink. I squeezed my eyes shut for a couple seconds, shaking my head to regain control.
He was already at work.
I stepped inside. I had no problem crossing the threshold without his permission. Thank goodness most humans were ignorant of spells that prevented a vampire from entering a private residence.
Thick vinyl muffled my well-placed footsteps across the kitchen floor. I stopped at a doorway that lead to a short staircase. Next to it was a long hallway. Uncertain of the direction to take, a soft cry in the depths of the house helped me make the decision.
With blurring speed, I ran down the hallway and burst opened a thin door. If I had been human, my stomach would have emptied. A young boy, naked, bleeding from numerous cuts and bruises, lay curled in a fetal position at the feet of a well-dressed man.
That always surprised me, no matter how many of these deviants I punished. They always appeared so damn normal. Even while working on their perversions, they had the same look in their eyes. Manic excitement. Their version of lust.
“Who in the hell are you?” The man wiped the back of his hand across his lips as if in anticipation of performing his sadistic art on me next.
“I’m the angel of death,” I answered coldly. My sneer big enough to reveal the sharp canines.
“Well, little girl, you’ve played Halloween at the wrong house.”
I’ve been working SLOWLY on the next Southern Crime Family novel. Sen’s story. But for some reason I couldn’t concentrate on it like I should. So I decided to do sometime I’ve put off for TWO years! Yes. Count them. One, two whole frigging years. Crazy. I had previously replaced the ebook covers for The Circle Organization books, but hadn’t taken care of the paperbacks. Same design, but I needed to include the spine and back copy.
Then they really needed to be reformatted (the inners). That takes time. Plus I wanted to added excerpts for the other books. As in Circle of Desire to have Danger and Deception excerpts in the back and so on.
Doesn’t sound like much trouble, but that includes updating the lists of books. I do have a total of 11 books out. Of course, there are two that are still with RandomHouse. I haven’t decided when to ask for the rights back. I had gotten the rights from HarperCollins to The Circle books two years ago (thus the new covers), but I’ve been putting off the RH ones. Maybe because I hope to write for them again one day? *shrug*
Beyond the 11 for sale, I have 10 books written that are not published. One day soon (hopefully), I plan to rewrite most of them. Not counting, I have another hockey romance and a suspense book I plan to write. Then I might even try my hand at historical (1910s). Goodness, I need to get myself back into forward gear and get to writing.
And I also have plans to release The Circle in a bundle hopefully in the next month or so.
Moving on. As I like to include these on my website, here are copies of my latest ads. By the way, I’m on TikTok. Be sure to follow me! See. I doing a lot of stuff.
Carla Swafford, Author 