I bet that heading got your attention. Everyone loves a free book. If you follow me on Facebook, you’ve seen my post about a giveaway to subscribers. The book is Jake: A Southern Crime Family Novel.
So you want to know how to win a copy. Send me an email to authorcarlaswafford @gmail.com (no spaces) and say Happy Holidays. And I will draw 8 names to win four paperbacks and four ebooks (one book per winner). Winners will be announced Christmas Day.
You may know that Jake has two brothers, Sen and Ethan. Their books were due out 2021 and 2022, but things happened that threw me off my schedule. So I’m hoping Sen will be out the end of next year and Ethan the following year if not sooner. Don’t worry, Jake’s book does not end on a cliff hanger. He solves his old man’s murder. But it does leave a couple questions unanswered. Sen’s and Ethan’s stories will happen in the same timeline as their older brother’s and will answer those questions. They have their own mysteries surrounding their father’s death and by the end of each they are solved.
He motioned his gun toward her, his face still in the shadows. “Strip.”
“What? Her whole body flushed with embarrassment and hunger.
“You heard me.”
“Is this how you get women in bed with you?”
Jake Whitfield and Angel Tally
Be sure to go and preorder Savage Champion. The ebook is ready for preorder. Only 99 cents from preorder to first week after published. Then the price will go up. If you prefer a paperback, it can be preordered in the next month or so, but it will be for $10.99.
“Then you understand this. I’ll not let him harm one hair on your head. Do you understand me? You’re mine.”
Ronan Michaels in Savage Champion
Just a little side story about my writing. Before my first book sold to HarperCollins, I had written 11 books. The first one they published was #10. They decided on the title Circle of Desire. I had called it Out of The Shadows. I was in the middle of writing the second book for them when my buying editor left the company. OH, NO! See, the editor who believed in you and your writing has left and you don’t have a cheerleader any more. Oh, well, after the third book, my new editor wanted a new series. I sent her a few ideas and we talked about them. She wanted something different. That’s the way the business goes. I’ll tell you another time about my experience with Random House.
Funny how much a writer can cringe when reading an old manuscript. At the same time, be appreciative of everything learned since the beginning. That’s the way I’m feeling after recently going through a few unpublished works. Plus this week, I re-read my first published hockey story, Crossing The Line, and must say, it was better than I remembered. Nothing like patting myself on the back. HA!
Never have I let a woman take my mind off a game until now.
~~ Roman Volkov
Some may say the male antagonist is such an asshole and the female is a wimp. NOT! The guy is one who is ambitious and blind to how he treats women. Well, maybe a little of an asshole. I think everyone knows a person like that. Then there’s the young woman who has grown up believing using her body is the only path for her to receive a comfortable living. Throughout the book, both characters grow so much. By the end, they discover various aspects of love make them better people.
Now time to tell you about my latest release, it will be coming out April 23, 2024. Yep, it’s that horror romance I’ve mentioned I’d been editing. I finished the first round, and presently, doing a second (this is when I add in stuff I think is needed to have the writing flow smoothly and include more of the five senses). Though I never thought of my writing to be gritty–reviewers have said it is–this one is pretty rough in the beginning. It’s a contemporary vampire story with suspense and the aforementioned horror, includes a small mix of elves, pixies, zombies, witches, and warlocks. The setting is Atlanta Birmingham. Here’s the blurb.
Tori Amherst
I died years ago.
In my savage new life, I revenge the helpless.
But a hunter came. A human. A former cop. Now a private eye.
His body, his blood, and his wounded soul is perfect.
Then I discover I’m not a champion, but a terror.
Ronan Michaels
I died in her arms.
But I woke to a new life full of hate
She hides truth. I hate secrets.
I crave her body, her blood, and her lost soul.
Then I discover the lies.
I will get my revenge and she will be mine.
And here’s the cover. The pre-order should show up on Amazon soon. Not sure how long before it appears on B&N, Kobo, Apple Books, etc. Be on the look out and be sure to pre-order. Just a heads up, the price on the ebook will start out at $0.99, but a week after it is released, it will go up to $4.99 or higher.
By the way, I offer chances for being a beta reader of my future books on a Facebook group called Carla’s Readers. Such a catchy, unique name, right? LOL! Maybe one day, I’ll run a contest for a new group name. Anyway, if you’re interested in joining, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/954031328070854/
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.”
Well, I’d been thinking of changing Jake’s cover for a while. When I came across this picture, I knew it was time. He looks so much like Jake as I described in the book. Excerpt below.
The last few mornings, waking in bed with Jake was nothing but a fantasy come true. Earlier, when she walked out of the en suite bathroom, the light behind her spotlighted the man sprawled over the mattress. Her heart almost stopped from the decadent view. The top sheet draped off the side revealed a muscular back, lean hips with taut buttocks perfect for squeezing. Powerful thighs any ball player would be proud of topped off long calves and feet. He groaned, and her gaze shot up. Her face warmed at the thought of being caught staring, but one eye partially covered by thick, blond-tipped strands remained closed. His hair stuck out in the way only men looked sexy. Brawny arms half hidden beneath the pillow he hugged reminded her of how he held her at night. Tight and shielded. The bristles on his jaw highlighted the overall impact of a dangerous man resting.
I considered having Jake’s paperback cover different (SFW) as I did the covers for Loving The Small-Town Preacher’s Son and Loving The Small-Town Hero, but I decided to stay with this one. Hard to give it up now I found the perfect one. Besides, the cover is already safe-for-work though you probably know the internals are naughty and spicy as we like.
Don’t worry, most likely my future ebook covers will have the sexy, shirtless guys on front. I only want to give those who are shy an option to buy a paperback with a safe-for-work cover.
Presently, I’m working on a paranormal thriller (a bit horror) romance. It will probably be published under another name, most likely Carla Reese, as it will be so different than my romantic suspense and hockey romances. Don’t worry. After the paranormal, I plan to finish up the Southern Crime Family Trilogy, and then another hockey romance. Geez, I have so many books planned. I just need to get organized.
Between November and December, I plan to do a few small giveaways through my newsletter and maybe even some special pricing on my books. You’ll be the first to hear about it.
Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook (carlaswaffordauthor), Tiktok (authorcarlaswafford), and Instagram (carlaswafford). I’m also on Goodreads, Pintrest, Tumblr, Snapchat, BookBub, Whatsapp, and maybe Radish next year.
Oh, don’t forget if you haven’t asked for your free copy of the short story Kidnapped For A Day, be sure to send me an email at authorcarlaswafford@gmail.com asking for a copy. For Subscribers only.
Carla Swafford, Author 