A year ago, I released Fireworks at Midnight, thinking I would leave the world of A Witch’s Night Out forever (I’d planned the series as a trilogy). Unfortunately, my characters had other plans. Since I’d sicced Madame Eve on her cat familiar, earth mage Shelley Dupree insisted I make things right. To be fair, I’d already given her a magical handicap, forced her under house arrest, and buried her in bills—taking away her feline companion did seem a cruel and unusual punishment.
It took me two months of
fictional time to even the scales with Feline
Valentine. Part of Decadent
Publishing’s 1Night Stand series, my interracial paranormal romance is set in Washington,
D.C., where magic-wielding folk try to live alongside us pesky humans. It’s my
first true “shifter” AND “foodie” romance (talk about ticking two boxes with
one book), and a quick read of the blurb should tell you what I mean.
To celebrate this unexpected
return to my favorite series, I’m giving away a $15 gift card. To enter, leave
a comment here and drop your details in the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom
of this post [or at my website: http://www.taraquan.com/felinevalentine].
Feline Valentine (A Witch’s Night Out) by Tara Quan
Under magical house arrest in
her great-grandmother’s suburban cottage, college graduate and reluctant earth
mage Shelley Dupree whiles away most mornings spying on the warlock next door.
Though erotic daydreams offer some distraction, she faces long working hours,
cash flow problems, and a repeat burglar. On Valentine’s Day, she sets a trap
for the mysterious intruder, intent on ending his crime streak once and for
all. But her scheming cat familiar foils her best-laid plans, and, with a
little help from Madame Eve’s 1-Night Stand service, she discovers a far more
dangerous species of magical feline.
After moving in next to a
ramshackle building on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., pastry chef Adrien
Chatdurois is plagued by repeat sexual fantasies starring the same curvy
brunette. In a state of constant arousal, he devotes his early mornings to
grueling exercise and spends the rest of his day handcrafting the city’s best
chocolates. When his younger brother stirs up trouble on the shop’s busiest
day, the frustrated shifter is forced to pay a surprise visit on his reclusive
neighbor. He soon learns not all witches are wart-covered hags, and one in
particular might prove the most delicious of desserts.
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy, Interracial/Multicultural
Check out the rest of the series
here!
[links as text, mirroring the ones embedded above]
Amazon http://mybook.to/felinevalentine
ARe https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-felinevalentine1nightstandseries-1970175-340.html
B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/feline-valentine-tara-quan/1123276403?ean=2940157991845
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/feline-valentine/id1075877674?uo=8&at=11lSmR
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/feline-valentine-1night-stand-series
GooglePlay https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Tara_Quan_Feline_Valentine_1Night_Stand_series?id=YyRoCwAAQBAJ
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28595535-feline-valentine
Series http://mybook.to/witchsnightout
Extras (for you to use, or not
use, as you see fit)
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About the Author
Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an
addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink.
Inspired by her travels, Tara enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha
males into exotic contemporary locales, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic
futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are
guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever
after. To receive updates about her new releases and get a free sexy read,
subscribe to her mailing list at www.taraquan.com/newsletter.
[Links as Text, mirroring the ones listed above]
Website http://www.taraquan.com/
FB https://www.facebook.com/taraquanauthor
Twitter https://twitter.com/LaylaTarar
Google+ https://plus.google.com/+TaraQuan
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/taraquan
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/taraquan/
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00B19HWJQ
Excerpt 3 (R-Rated) – 635 Words
“Stop hogging the binoculars.
It’s my turn to ogle the warlock next door.”
Ignoring the high-pitched whine,
Shelley Dupree zoomed in on a pair of sweat-slicked pecs. A prolonged spying
session on her new neighbor seemed the perfect cure for Valentine’s Day
doldrums. Though Dulcina, her best friend and cat familiar, could turn into an
absolute pest when thwarted, the reward for tuning out her incessant requests
superseded all risk. After all, Shelley needed to stock up on copious amounts
of drool-worthy imagery. How else was a single witch on house arrest supposed
to while away the most romantic night of the year?
Prolonged sexual frustration had
long since warped her brain, part of the reason she couldn’t tear her gaze from
the delicious male specimen on the other side of her crumbling wall. As she
watched the man execute a strict pull-up over his doorjamb, her lips tingled.
She imagined trailing them over his lightly tanned chest, pictured herself
tracing those rippling muscles with slow, sipping kisses.
Her tongue darted to wet the
corner of her mouth as she envisioned sliding her hands under the waistband of
his red workout shorts. She’d fuel his arousal with teasing strokes before
catching the fabric between her teeth and yanking the garment off.
His body lowered, filling her
magnified view with a visage stunning enough to choke off her next breath.
Thick fringes of sooty lashes framed dreamy, moss-green eyes. His pale skin
darkened to a rusty hue as he sped up the repetitions. Glistening with
perspiration, midnight curls clung to his sharp, slanting cheekbones. An
overlong forelock snaked down to graze his pronounced nasal bridge.
With his lips pursed and eyes
narrowed, the intense, menacing expression he wore added fodder to her
prolonged sexual fantasy. She could almost feel his coarse chest hair rasping
her chin and cheeks, taste salt as she explored the expanse of taut, supple
flesh. Her pulse raced, her erratic heartbeat a warm flurry over each
fingertip.
As if by magic, his waistband
slipped down his hips, sending his shorts pooling to his ankles before they
dropped to the floor. Entranced by the unexpected striptease, her attention
zeroed in on his penis. Even from afar, the warlock didn’t disappoint.
With a contented sigh, she
imagined tracing the ridge, swirling her tongue over the long, thick shaft
before taking the engorged tip into her mouth. While she contemplated the way
he might taste, deep grooves formed between his thick brows. His full, sensuous
lips flattened into a grim line.
She closed her eyes and ventured
deeper into the familiar daydream, a moan catching in her throat as his
erection slid back and forth over her flesh. Instead of the binocular’s cold
metal chilling her hands, the toned, flexing ass she’d always admired warmed
her palms and fingers. She took him deeper, until she could almost feel the
head brushing the back of her throat. A hoarse, masculine groan echoed between
her ears when she hollowed her cheeks and—
“Meow!” A quintet of sharp claws
swiped down her calf, the sudden pain shattering her erotic fantasy.
Spinning around, she nudged at
the brown, shorthaired cat with her toe. Her friend must really want attention
if she’d resorted to shifting into her hated feline form. A familiar stockpiled
more magic as animal than human, so the amount of time her companion spent
coughing up fur balls around the house directly correlated with the accuracy of
her premonitions.
For whatever reason, the witch
preferred to keep the future at bay.
“Damn it, Sweets.” She tapped
her foot on the diabolical cat’s head. “Scat. If you don’t stop bugging me,
I’ll tell your boyfriend you’ve been gawking at another man on a daily basis.”
Arching her spine in a sinuous
stretch, the feline stuck out her tongue.
Excerpt 4 (R-rated-ish + Extended) – 1,182 words
Since she’d removed the plastic
wrap but had forgotten to eat, Adrien reached over and brought a strawberry to
her lips. Shelley stared at him for a long moment. With a shrug and a grin, she
swirled her tongue along the chocolate before clamping her teeth over the
fruit. Biting off a chunk, she drew back and licked her lips clean.
Shifting his stance, he tried to
focus on anything but the blood rushing to his groin. He hadn’t thought his
jeans could get any tighter. He’d thought wrong.
The activity in the kitchen
screeched to an abrupt halt.
She studied him through lowered lashes.
“What? Is something wrong?”
Two could play this game. Caging
her between the counter and his body, he brushed his fingers over her upper arm
and along her neck. When she tilted her head to the side, he lowered his head
so his lips grazed her earlobe. Grinning when her breath caught, he reached
around her, his arm missing her breasts by a millimeter as he wiped her lower
lip with the pad of his thumb. “You missed a spot.”
Her skin darkened to the color
of milk chocolate. Though he couldn’t wait to find out how she tasted, he
mustered enough self-control to return to the task at hand. The sooner he fed
the witch, the sooner they’d shift to more delicious activities. “Keep eating.
I don’t need another tantrum on my hands.”
“Oonn ieet.”
As she polished off the
strawberries, he whisked a pair of eggs in a separate bowl before combining his
two mixtures. He placed a small container of butter in his palm. A few seconds
later, it softened and melted. Shifters generated far more body heat than
humans or elemental mages, which came in handy since his host’s microwave
seemed to have been rescued from a 1980s Dumpster.
Soft footsteps approached him
from behind. “Can I help?”
He turned, glanced at the empty
plate on the counter, and answered her sheepish grin with a smile of his own.
“Feeling guilty?”
“You’re not off the hook, or
anything.” Her cheeks darkened. “But my temper might have been a bit
more…explosive than usual. I’m sorry I punched you in the face, but you’re not
forgiven for acting like a horny asshole.”
“I kind of am horny thanks to—”
He managed to shut his mouth before allocating part of the blame to her vivid
sexual fantasies. “Erm…. Anyway…. All is forgiven. Blood sugar dips make
women’s moods go haywire. When paired with my lack of filter…let’s say there’s
a reason I learned how to cook.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I’m pretty
sure male moods are affected by hunger as well.”
“Yes, but we tend to prioritize
filling our stomachs over most other tasks.”
Finding an empty patch of
counter space, she seated herself and watched as he finished off the batter
with freshly grated orange zest. “Do you always say what you think?”
“Yup. It’s a hazard.” Covering
the bowl with plastic wrap, he placed it in her fridge to rest. “Then again,
there’s no point getting someone to dig a fake version of me.”
He turned in time to catch her
rolling her eyes. “You might want to give them some time to warm up.”
“Oh, stop pretending. You like
me. Admit it.”
She looked him up and down. “I
hate to break this to you, but while I might think you’re hot, your attitude
leaves much to be desired.”
He worked on the oranges and
lemons for the sauce. “What’s wrong with my attitude? Here I am, slaving away
to put food on the table—”
She snorted.
“What? It literally describes
what I’m doing. And what about the repairs I did before finding out what you
looked like? All my altruism has to count for something.” He floated a pan over
to the stove and started melting some sugar and butter. The distinct smell of caramel
soon filled the kitchen.
Rolling her shoulders, she
arched her back. The stretch puffed out her chest, and his physical reaction
almost made him lose control of his telekinesis. He’d never met a female so
unaware of the gorgeousness of her boobs. At this rate, he risked permanent
damage to a very important body part.
An idea hit him. With a slow
wave of his finger, he sent melted sugar into the air, allowing it to cool for
a moment before directing a slow stream toward the witch. When she opened her
mouth, he deliberately dripped the caramel over her chin and down her neck
before bracketing her body with his.
“What”—her voice turned
husky—“are you doing?”
“Snacking.” He ran the tip of
his tongue from the base of her throat, up the column of her neck. The sauce’s
smoky sweetness lingered as he followed the sticky path to her mouth.
When he caught her lower lip
between his teeth, her fingers trailed up his forearms to clench over the
sleeves of his shirt. He sucked, teased her with light nips until she sighed
and melted against his chest.
She tilted her head back, and he
took it as permission to devour. Hidden under layers of chocolate and
strawberry, he discovered his personal addiction. He pushed her further,
forcing her to meet him stroke for stroke.
“This is a bad idea,” she
murmured between sipping kisses. “Madame Eve isn’t any old dating service.”
“I don’t care.” He circled one
arm around her waist and pulled. Her thighs parted, the counter height
positioning her for his taking. He ground his tented fly between her spread
legs, relishing her soft moans as she hooked her ankles behind his back.
Lifting a hand to fondle her
breast, he pumped his hips. His quest for relief only aggravated his arousal.
He channeled his mounting frustration onto her neck, leaving hickeys as he
nibbled his way to her collarbones. Pulling down her hoodie’s zipper, he marked
the swells of silky skin then tugged at her neckline so he could explore.
When he lifted his head to
examine his handiwork, he found her flushed and panting. Each labored breath
lifted her plump breasts, their perfection marred by his dark brands. The rush
of possession brought an indescribable high, the cat in him recognizing what
neither human seemed ready to admit.
“Your clothes,” Adrien rasped.
“Take them off.”
“You first.” A split second before
Shelley surrendered to temporary insanity, the sharp crack of breaking glass
yanked her from the brink. Cursing her wayward hormones, she jumped off the
counter and headed for the back door.
With a rumbling curse, Adrien
grabbed her upper arm and swung her behind him, using his much larger body as a
shield against the harmless kitchen exit. “Stay inside. I’ll handle—”
“Oh please. It’s my house. All
you’ll do is stumble around the backyard half-blind. I’ve got this.”
Spinning on his heel, he gaped
at her. “You’re seriously pulling a women’s lib moment on me now?”
“Yup.” She pointed at the stove.
“Finish the dessert like a good househusband while I deal with the break-in.”
Alternative Guest Posts
Author Interview
When and why did you begin writing?
As a kid, I read a lot. I don’t
know when it started, but I remember at times wanting to change the ending, the
pairing, or specific scenes in certain books. That’s probably why I wrote
fanfiction in my teens, and I progressed to creating my own worlds after finishing
college.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My first manuscript, which will
forever dwell in the bowels of my laptop, was a vampire romance inspired by my
love of Nalini Singh’s style of writing. My first published book is a retelling
of Rapunzel, set in a post-apocalyptic zombie world, and it was inspired by a
creative submissions call.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Despite numerous failed attempts
to emulate my favorite authors, my sense of humor gets the better of me. My
stories tend to be funny, light-hearted, and a little tongue-in-cheek. Of
course, I’m a romance junkie and it shows.
What books have influenced your life most?
There are too many to count. I
think my path to becoming an (English-language) bookworm started with Enid
Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Although I adore Nalini Singh as
a reader, I think my writing style most closely approximates that of Julia
Quinn. I think I learned a ton of language tricks by reading all her books.
How did you come up with the title?
This one was easy. It’s a story
with a “big cat” shifter, and it’s set on Valentine’s Day. I was so stoked when
I looked up Feline Valentine on
Amazon and discovered it wasn’t taken yet.
On the subject of titles, what book are you here to plug?
Alas, I must end with a moment
of shameless self-promotion. The paranormal romance I’m here to plug is Feline Valentine. If you get a chance,
check out the sample read below or on my website (http://www.taraquan.com/felinevalentine).
Until the end of February, I have a giveaway going on for a $15 gift card.
What type of reader are you?
I have a confession: I’m a
romance reader.
Growing up, my parents wanted me
to express an interest in the classics. So I faked my way through works by
Charles Dickens, discovered I very much enjoyed anything by Jane Austen, and
realized I didn’t have the patience for Leo Tolstoy (no, not even Anna Karenina).
For the sake of dinnertime debates with my better half, I’ve braved Richard
Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker and skimmed Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel.
But a quick perusal of my past
Amazon.com purchases reveal the undisputable truth. My favorite authors are
Cherise Sinclair, Kresley Cole, and Nalini Singh. The books I read all fall
under the same genre.
So what makes me a romance
reader?
1. I can’t stand it when books don’t end in a
happily ever after. In fact, I almost always read the final pages of every book
first, just to make sure nothing bad happens. As much as I adored Erich Segal’s
Love Story, I will never re-read it.
The books on my shelf with worn pages and creased spines are ones with endings
that make me smile. Many of them also feature covers with lace-lined bodices
and handsome rogues.
2. I’m a sucker for a love
story. Don’t me wrong—I’ve strayed from the romance genre on several occasions.
The fantasy lands of George R.R. Martin’s The
Song of Ice and Fire and the sci-fi planets of Frank Herbert’s Dune both lured me to sample other types
of fiction, but even those stories contained characters who loved and made
sacrifices for love.
What can I say? I’m a hopeless
romantic. I like reading books about people who fall in love, who then live
happily ever after, and, who, upon occasion, have a bit of kinky sex along the
way.
To celebrate an unexpected
return to my favorite series, I’m giving away a $15 gift card. To enter, leave
a comment here and drop your details in the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom
of this post [or at my website: http://www.taraquan.com/felinevalentine].
