Top 5 Sundays #42 - Favorite Books Featuring Travel in Some Way!

Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. Unfortunately, when you're a character in a book - especially a book where magic is the norm and fangs commonplace - chances are good that getting away from it all is just going to land you in a whole different kind of trouble and mayhem.

So, without further ado, I present this week's Top 5 - my favourite books featuring travel in some way!

#5 - Michelle Rowen's Blood Bath & Beyond

After having spent all five books of the original series in Toronto, vampire fledgling Sarah Dearly and her boyfriend Thierry kick off the start of their new mystery spin-off series (or would this be a sequel series? O_o) by taking this couple on the road and relocating to the dazzling city life of Las Vegas where, naturally, their bad luck follows.

#4 - Jennifer Estep's By a Thread

After tying up the first major arc of the series, Gin decides to do what every heroine dreams of doing and heads to the seaside for a well-deserved vacation with her boyfriend, sister, and stepbrother. Lucky for Gin, she ends up in a town where her sister's best friend is dating her ex and a power-crazy vampire is up to no good. Definitely one of those instances of good intentions going horribly off track.

#3 -  Ilona Andews' Magic Rises

Yes, this book is still a month and then some away from release but, people, let's think about this for a moment: after five books of Kate and Curran staying within the city limits of a magic-eaten Atlanta, this book will have them setting sail and crossing the ocean to Europe. Are you thinking about it? Yup. Exactly. Need more be said?

#2 - Nalini Singh's Archangel's Kiss

So, while Elena and Raphael are based in New York City, they're both no strangers to travel. This book, however, is the first time they head off somewhere within the timeline of the main story. It starts off in the tropic-like Refuge of the angels - where Elena's period of rest and healing is marred by a would-be assassin stalking the halls - and then takes a trip to the Forbidden City - where you get zombie servants and, say it with me now, a would-be assassin stalking the halls.

#1 - Kresley Cole's A Hunger Like No Other

It begins with Emmaline being taken hostage of a half-crazed Lachlain who has only just gotten free from two centuries of torture. A forced road trip to Scotland ensues, with the narrative taking side-trips to New Orleans every now and then to check in with Emmaline's family, and, after a teleport and some epic battle scenes in Eastern Europe and a near-death experience and a marriage in New Orleans, a Scottish happily ever after ties everything up. Talk about your continent jumping...

Top 5 Sundays #31 - Books/Series You Have Read More Than Once!

There are always books you go back to, books where the characters are like old friends, the world a familiar safe haven, and the events a well worn path. Books in and of themselves are escapes, but these books are more than just escapes - they're like visits to your favourite vacations spots, where every scene is a different sort of salve for whatever your mood might require.

So, without further ado, here are Calliope's Domain's Top 5 (although, believe me when I say there are more - many, many, many more!) Books/Series I Have Read More Than Once! Enjoy.

#5 - Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop

Three books that chronicle the life of a world's saviour as she grows from childhood to womanhood through the eyes of the family that loves her. It has angst, pain, tragedy, suffering, light, happiness, love, devotion - it runs the gamut back and forth over and over again yet somehow still finds it way to a happy ending. What's not to love about that?

#4 - Betsy Taylor, Vampire Queen series by Maryjanice Davidson

These books are hilarious. Betsy is a self-centered, shoe-obsessed, foul-mouthed, tried-and-true dumb blonde who, after an unfortunate run-in with a Aztec and a series of unfortunate events, finds herself the vampire queen of the dead. Somehow, in between all the sarcasm and comic relief, there's an actual story that unfolds that dances the line between the dramatic and the wacky.

#3 - Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

I love Kate's journey. In the beginning, she's a tough and miserable loner. As the books progress, however, she became more open, more caring and dedicated to the people in her life; heck, she even fell in love. And each step along that path is another nugget of emotional drama as comforting and familiar as a warm blanket on a cold day.

#2 - Guild Hunters series by Nalini Singh

Alright, so the first books were a little rocky but once Elena finds some closure on her past in the second book, the subsequent stories have been phenomenal. Not to mention the depth and intricacies involved in the emotional development going on in these pages. Oh, but, honestly, who am I kidding? These are books about strong, powerful men - men so powerful, so intimidating that they not only top the charts, they blow it into a whole new scale. And these books give you a front row seat as these scary-as-sin-and-twice-as-hot heroes finds themselves vulnerable to the love of the right woman. Cue the dreamy sigh here.

#1 - The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning

To quote Belle, this book has it all - far-off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince (if you're flexible with the definition that is) in disguise - and enough drama to keep a drama vampire like myself sated for a decade! Mac is the perfect narrator; she starts off naive and ignorant and over the course of the subsequent books not only grows in both physical and mental strength, but knowledge too. Through Mac readers are introduced to a world that gets darker, larger and weirder with every page. And Barrons and V'lane don't hurt either!

Top 5 Sundays #20 - Favourite Love Scenes!

Love is a many coloured and splendid thing - with more forms to it than Morph of Treasure Planet fame. It's why when the possible Top 5 theme poll was posted last week, I asked Lar to clarify if she meant the physical or the emotional side of love - they can make the difference when narrowing down top scenes, the difference between what makes you shiver and what makes you cry.

So, without further ado, I present my  Top 5 Favourite Love Scenes!

#5 - Kate and Curran - Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews 

In the middle of this book, Kate gives Curran an explanation for why she wants his ex-girlfriend to have permission to marry her almost-boyfriend; it essence, because she wants them to have the sort of happiness she can't hope to have for herself. She goes on to give a brief outline of the current state of her life, in particular mentioning that when she drags herself home after her battles it's to an empty house with the lights off with no one there waiting for her to make coffee and tell her they're happy she survived. At book's end, not only is Curran waiting for her in her kitchen with the coffee brewing, he also tells her he's glad she survived and, when asked to leave, quotes a line from The Princess Bride, Kate's favourite book, "As you wish." Say it with me now, people: Awwww!

“He put the book down. “As you wish.” He rose and walked past me. I lowered my sword, expecting him to pass, but suddenly he stepped in dangerously close. “Welcome home. I’m glad you made it. There is coffee in the kitchen for you.”

My mouth gaped open.

He inhaled my scent, bent close, about to kiss me…

I just stood there like an idiot.

Curran smirked and whispered in my ear instead. “Psych.”

And just like that, he was out the door and gone. “Oh boy.” 

#4 - Sascha and Lucas - Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Sascha is a powerful psychic whose stifled empathic gifts mark her for death among her own kind. Lucas is the alpha of a clan of leopard shifters being targeted by a serial killer. Boy and girl meet. Boy likes girl, girl in denial about feelings towards boy, psychic girl subconsciously draws boy into shared dreams while both are asleep. The sweetest moment, however, comes on the night of the anniversary of Lucas' parents' deaths. Unlike other dreams, this one has a PJ-clad Sascha seeking comfort from the emotionally raw Lucas. 

“Sometimes I remember that I can't always protect those I love." Under his fingers, her hair was soft and silky.

She didn't try to tell him that he wasn't God, that he couldn't protect everyone. He knew that.

But knowing and believing were two different things. What she did say succeeded in stopping his heart. "I wish you'd love me."

"Why?"

Because then maybe you could protect me, too" Haunting sorrow whispered through her tone.”

 #3 - Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Alright, I admit that initially Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy did not hit it off. Even remotely. And Mr. Darcy's first try at a marriage proposal? "Disaster" is too small a word. But then, even knowing of Lizzie's disdain for him, he nonetheless goes on to salvage the Bennett family name from disgrace when younger sister Lydia runs off with the devilish Mr. Wickham  and talks his friend, Mr. Bingley, into returning to older sister Jane and proposing as he ought to have in the first place.

Elizabeth: Mr. Darcy, I can go no longer without thanking you for your kindness to my poor sister. Ever since I have known of it I have been most anxious to tell you how grateful I am, for my family and myself. You must not blame my aunt for telling me, Lydia betrayed it first and then I couldn't rest until I knew everything. I know what trouble and what mortification it must have cost you. Please let me say this, please allow me to thank you on behalf of all my family since they don't know to whom they are indebted.

Mr. Darcy:     If you will thank me, let it be for yourself alone. Your family owes me nothing. Much as I respect them I believe I thought only of you. You are too generous to trifle with me, if your feelings are what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.

#2 - Clay and Elena - Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

When it comes to Elena and Clay, to say they had a rocky start is putting things a tad mildly. It was a happy enough beginning...until werewolf Clay bit human Elena with neither explanation or permission first. Ten years later, boy is still working on earning forgiveness but has remained completely loyal in the meanwhile, despite girl having moved on, living in Toronto with her new boyfriend. Luckily for Clay, things turn out alright for him. Most romantic part (of many, mind you, as quote shows): Clay giving Elena Christmas, not just once but every year since, and ensuring she had her sparklers on the firework holidays. For a psychopathic lunatic, Clayton Danvers sure does have his romantic side!

“I called. Why wasn't anyone here?"

"We were here." Clay said. "Around, anyway. You should have left a message."

"I did. Two hours ago."

"Well that explains it. I've been out, by the gate all day, waiting for you, and you know Jer never checks the machine."

I didn't know how Clay had known I was coming back today when I hadn't left a message. Nor did I question why he'd spent the entire day waiting at the gate. Clay's behavior couldn't be measured by human standard's of normalcy... or by any standards of normalcy at all.

#1 - Will and April - Definitely, Maybe directed/written by Adam Brooks

This is a movie (starring Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Rachel Weisz, and Elizabeth Banks) about a father telling his daughter the story of how he met her mother - and the two other great loves of his life - with the names changed to hide which of the three is in fact the mother. This is a movie about a man who, even after missing his chance to be with the woman he loves, nonetheless searches high and low for years to find the specific copy of Jane Eyre in which her long dead father wrote her a message. Once the book is found, he keeps it because it is the only piece of her he has left. What can be more romantic than that?

Will Hayes (practicing his proposal): Will you... um... marry me?

April (playing part of Will's girlfriend, Emily): No. What do you mean, Will you, um, marry me? I haven't seen you in weeks! You don't look happy or excited about the prospect of our marriage! You're asking me to give up my - my freedom, my joie de vivre for an institution that fails as often as it succeeds? And why should I marry you anyway? I mean, why do you wanna marry me? Besides some bourgeois desire to fulfill an ideal that society embeds in us from an early age to promote a consumer capitalist agenda?

Will Hayes: Oh! Oh, my God.

April: You should've got on your knee.

Will Hayes: Just shut up! Here - I wanna marry you because you're the first person I wanna look at when I wake up in the morning, and the only one I wanna kiss goodnight. Because the first time that I saw these hands, I couldn't imagine not being able to hold them. But mainly, when you love someone as much as I love you, getting married is the only thing left to do. So, will you, um, marry me?

April: Definitely. Maybe.

And there you have it; this week's Top 5. Until next week, my pretties, adieu!

Top 5 Sundays #16 - Best Book Couples!

Good evening, ladies and germs, and welcome to yet another (and on time) edition of Top 5 Sundays presented by Calliope's Domain. This week's post was written way back on Wednesday night - I'll be going out of town again this weekend and I'll be damned if I have a third tardiness strike with this feature. The consequence here is that it's entirely possible that between now and Sunday the other possible topic - The Next TBR Books To Be Read! - may have pulled ahead and won the role of official Top 5 theme. It's a risk but, hey, it's also a compromise - possibly erroneous topic in exchange for timely posting.

Ah, the things I do for my readers.

So, without further ado, I present my Top 5 Best Book Couples!

#5 - Betsy Taylor & Eric Sinclair from MaryJanice Davidson's Betsy Taylor, Undead series

This couple began as the very definition of a love/hate relationship. Specifically, he loved her and she hated him. As the series progressed, however, so Sinclair began to grow on Betsy (like mold, she claims) and by the sixth book vows are said, rings exchanged, brides kissed and knots tied. What I love most, however, is the obvious devotion and love between these two despite how impossible it seems for either one of them to feel that deeply outside themselves.

#4 - Sarah Dearly & Thierry de Bennicoeur from Michelle Rowen's Immortality Bites series

She is a goofy, trouble-attracting, tenacious fledgling vampire. He is a stoic, secretive, virtually expressionless master vampire. These two could not be any more opposite each other. Heck, day and night, white and black, fire and water all have more in common than these two. But irregardless, these two work as a couple; they just click.

#3 - Gin Blanco and Owen Grayson from Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series

Gin's first try at love left her badly burned but her second try seems to be the keeper. Gin is a ruthless assassin with our strict code of ethics. Owen is a businessman who knows that sometimes a little dirt and blood is necessary to get a job done. The understanding and acceptance between these two are beautiful and endearing elements of this romance that really serve to put it on the map and draw readers back again and again to see how it develops and grows with time.

#2 - Elena and Raphael from Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series

Raphael is a scary powerful archangel; the sort of powerful that would have given Zeus himself nightmares.  Elena is a fledgling angel and vampire hunter born and trained to be an efficient tracker and slayer. Both are severely damaged by the events of their pasts and both bear scars incapable of fully healing for one reason or another. Together they're like a hurricane in love with a tornado; sure there's a power discrepancy, but at the end of the day the danger they represent can't be underestimated and as a team they're unbeatable.

#1 - Kate Daniels and Curran Lennart from Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series

Here we have the daughter of an ancient sometimes god and a lion-shifter ruling over fifteen hundred shapeshifters. Both have questionable sanity and a predilection for violence. And they're together. Their world should be very, very, very afraid. I mean, this is the guy who fought his way through an army of monsters to reclaim his mate and the woman who willingly and knowingly impaled herself on a magical sword to save his life. And at the same time this is the guy who quotes The Princess Bride to her regularly and the girl who, after a long day of monster managing, cooks pie just because she knows he likes it. In a word, these guys are simply adorable.

And - ta dah! - that's all folks! Until next week...

Top 5 Sundays #15 - Worst Fictional Dads

Okay, okay - it goes without saying but, once again, I'm late getting my Top 5 post out. To be fair though I usually write up this post much earlier in the week, as soon as it's clear what way the poll over at this feature's originating blog, Larissa's Bookish Life, is going to go in fact. Unfortunately, this week's poll was tied right up until the last minute and so I went away for the weekend without being able to post this week's Top 5 in a timely manner.

But now I'm back, the tie is broken, the topic is clear and I'm all set to go! So, without further ado, Calliope's Domain presents this week Top 5 list featuring the worst daddies the fictional world has to offer!


#5 - The Tulpa, Joanna's father, Signs of the Zodiac series

Once upon a time, he was a mental construct. Fast forward and he's a big bad who could give Darth Vader a run for his money. And Joanna Archer is his bouncing baby girl all grown up. Since learning of her existence (as his daughter, that is - he dispatched one of his minions to rape her at the tender age of sixteen not knowing of their familial connection), he's alternated between wanting her to join him on the dark side and trying to kill her and, really, he has no preference which way the results go so long as she's removed as an interference to his master plans. Can you say "fatherly affection"?

#4 - Daniel Beckstrom, Allie's father, in Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom series

When he was alive, he had no qualms about using his magic and power to manipulate his family - namely his wife du jour  and daughter, Allison - into being more manageable, more in line with what he wanted them to be. When Allie realized what he was doing to her, she turned her back on him and his plans for her and struck out on her own, happy to be ignored by Daddy Dearest for years to come. Then he died - killed, to be precise - and took up residence in his daughter's head. I'll admit that he's has some kick ass knowledge to impart and has proved useful at times but when you get right down to it he's still using his daughter as a time share to escape death.

#3 - Jeffrey, Elena's father, in Nalini Singh's Guild Hunters series

Jeffrey wasn't always such an ass, it's true, but following the brutal murders of his wife and two eldest daughters, he shut up his softer emotions and became a man driven solely by his ambition and greed who sees his remaining daughters (from his first marriage at least) as assets to be exploited. First time he's introduced in the books, for instance, is when he summons Elena to his presence to demand she use her newly established acquaintance with an archangel to further his own business interests and, when she refuses, berates her for her lack of family loyalty, never mind that he'd all but disinherited Elena before that moment.

#2 - Max, Cat's father, in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series

Alright, so the question of whether or not daddy dearest raped Cat's mother has gotten a little murky since the first book but even if Max was innocent in that instance he's more than made up for it since. To date he's hired multiple hit men to try and kill his daughter and when they all failed took a turn at capturing and torturing her himself. Fortunately, like many a villain targeting an urban fantasy heroine, Max made the grave error (See what I did there? Ha!) of forgetting about the love interest.

#1 - Roland, Kate's father, in Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series

Roland is a powerful, ancient man responsible for the creature of vampires and whose very blood is a weapon all its own; he's also a horrible father. Throughout history he's fathered numerous children and without fail every single one of them has tried to kill him, necessitating a bit of preemptive action on Roland's part. Fast forward a century and ten and Roland has a bit of a memory lapse and caves in to his latest concubine's desire to have his child. By the time he remembers why it was he was against having any more children, his concubine is already pregnant. So he tries to kill her and things just go downhill rather spectacularly from there...

And there you have it! Tune in next week for yet  another Top 5 list - hopefully on time! Kiss, kiss!

Top 5 Sundays #14 - Super Powers You'd Love to Have for a Day

Confession time: when I was little, my sister and I would spend a great deal of time playing in imaginary worlds, a great number of which we'd borrow from television, movies, and books. We were MIB agents. We were X-Men. We were monster hunters. We were witches. The list goes on. My point, however, is that I've had quite a bit of experience wishing for super powers of one kind or another. Needless to say, therefore, that my biggest problem with this week's Top 5 was narrowing it down to only five; especially five I would want to borrow for just one day!

But enough of my blathering. Without further ado, I give you Calliope's Domain's Top 5 Super Powers You'd Love to Have for a Day!

#5 - Trance's shields and orbs - Kelly Meding's Metawars series

Once upon a time, Theresa West could instill thoughts and emotions into another person's mind through eye contact. Then super powers the world over disappeared. Fast forward fifteen years and without warning super powers return. Suddenly, Theresa's powers get one hell of an upgrade; in lieu of her former trance-like powers, she finds herself able to create protective force fields and conjure explosive energy orbs to her hand. Sure, it took some time to get a handle on these new powers, but, dang, do they prove useful, especially for a superhero!

#4 - Mercy's coyote shifting - Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series

Unlike her werewolf friends who take fifteen minutes of painful contortion to shift shape, Mercy's shift to coyote form is painless and instantaneous. Not to mention that once shifted, coyote Mercy has the speed and agility going on that even the wolves can't compete with. Plus, plus, and, and this lovely power also comes complete with a bunch of frills - like immunity to certain magics and the ability to chat with the dead - that even Mercy is just beginning to discover. Heck, even the vamps want to give her a wide berth - at least since killing her isn't an option. What's not to love about that?

#3 - Kate's power words - Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series

 With one word (mind you, not the same word), Kate can slice and dice undead giants, destroy indestructible swords, and bring whole armies to their knees. Admittedly, acquiring said words isn't exactly a cakewalk and using them can be more than a little draining...but there's something to be said for a one word take down that goes literal on the take down part.

#2 - Charley's Reaper abilities - Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson Series

She sees dead people. She's a portal to Heaven. She has more gifts she's only just beginning to discover and understand. She's like the Melinda Gordon (Ghost Whisperer) meets Dawn Summers  (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) with the son of Satan as her very own personal bodyguard. It's one hell of a package deal - pun intended.

#1 - Elena's Hunter Born/Angel Made gifts - Nalini Singh's Guild Hunters series

She can fly, which all on its own is awesome enough. Add to that her accelerated healing, heightened senses and strong psychic shields and Elena is practically the Jean Grey of her world; uniquely powerful but with the compassion necessary to keep her on the side of angels...in more ways than one.

And, as Porky says, th-th-th-that's all, folks!

Top 5 Sundays #2 - Favourite Book Quotes

So, in my continuing efforts to be more diligent on the blog, I'm happy to present my second Top 5 Sundays post, this time focusing on my favourite book quotes. The hard part here was narrowing it down to just five - I have a special place in my heart for quotes, didn't you know? - but I managed in the end, LOL. Oh, and apparently I was in a declaration-of-love frame of mind. Huh. Hadn't noticed during the hunt but...eh, oh well.

So, without further adieu, I give you Calliope's Domain's Top 5 Favourite Book Quotes.

#1 - from Anne Rice, Tale of the Body Thief

 “So we reach into the raging chaos, and we pluck some small glittering thing and we cling to it, and we tell ourselves it has meaning, and that the world is good, and we are not evil, and we will all go home in the end.” 

 #2 - from Laurell K. Hamilton's A Lick of Frost

“I will love you always. When this red hair is white, I will still love you. When the smooth softness of youth is replaced by the delicate softness of age, I will still want to touch your skin. When your face is full of the lines of every smile you have ever smiled, of every surprise I have seen flash through your eyes, when every tear you have ever cried has left its mark upon your face, I will treasure you all the more, because I was there to see it all. I will share your life with you, Meredith, and I will love you until the last breath leaves your body or mine.” 

 #3 -  from Ilona Andrews' Magic Slays

“If I fought for them and was crippled, they would all say nice things, and then they would replace me and forget I was ever there. You would stay with me. You would take care of me, because you love me. I love you too, Kate. If you ever became hurt, I would not leave you. I’ll be there. Wherever you want‘there’to be.” 

 #4 - from Nalini Singh's Archangel's Consort

“For the first time in forever, he was stunned to silence. Not by her words, but by the tenderness in her hands, the worry in her eyes. He was an archangel. He’d been wounded far, far worse and shrugged it off. But then, there had been no woman with skin kissed by the sunset and eyes of storm gray to tear into him for daring to get himself hurt.” 

#5 -  from Jennifer Estep's Tangled Threads

“What was wrong with giving Gin a key?" he rumbled. "It's not like I could keep her out of the house, even if I wanted to. I thought a key would make things easier, make her feel like she was really welcome here. This is the first time that I've dated an assassin. I don't want to piss her off”

And there you have it - my Top 5. Hopefully this will pop up again next week. Until then...over and out, mes amours! 

RELEASE: Nalini Singh's Play of Passion

In his position as Tracker for the SnowDancer pack, Drew Kincaid must rein in rogue changelings who've lost control of their animal halves- even if it means killing those who've gone too far. But nothing in his life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage-to win the heart of a woman who makes his body ignite...and who threatens to enslave his wolf.

This is the NINTH book in Nalini's Psy-Changeling series - the awesome story of a future world filled with psychics, shapeshifters and humans that's just reached its breaking point. You might remember Nalini from her interview on this blog a few months back. She is truly an amazing writer and her work is always worth the read so what are you waiting for? Get your butt out there and scoop it up - you won't regret it.

Also, as an extra perk, Bitten by Books is holding a contest that looks more than tempting. Check it out.

INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Nalini Singh

This week we're lucky enough to have an interview with author Nalini Singh to share. Ms. Singh is the author of a whole slew of books including a bunch of Silhouette Desire romances and not one but two hit series. The first, the Psy-Changeling series, deals with a futuristic world where mundane humans living along side shapeshifters are lorded over by those with psychic abilities and essentially chronicles the events surrounding the fall of its world order. The second series, the Guild Hunter series, is rather new, the first book having come out just last year, and tells of the Hunters who track down renegade vampires trying to escape their angel master's service (I know, I know - that doesn't make much sense, but trust me - you have to read the to understand fully.) Oh, and did I mention book two in this series is due for release TOMORROW? And Archangel's Kiss looks to be one hell of a ride, so don't miss out! And now enough of my jabber! That's not why you're here, is it? No? Didn't think so.

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Nalini Singh break into the publishing world?

There's both a long version and a short version of this story. I'll go with the short version today. The summer I turned 18, I decided I wanted to write a romance novel, and since I'd been voraciously reading Mills & Book novels at the time, I decided it would be a M&B. I completed the manuscript over that summer. I'm so proud of that - though it was smartly rejected (and in hindsight, I can definitely understand why), the fact that I had written an entire book gave me such huge confidence.

After that, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I kept on writing and submitting and writing and submitting...until I caught the interest of an editorial assistant at Silhouette Desire. A couple more submissions and a revision letter later, she bought my first book!

In case you think this all happened very quickly - nope. Took years of persistence, but it was so worth it.

(2) You currently have two series on the go: Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunters. The Psy-Changeling series deals with a futuristic world where shapeshifters oppose the emotionless humans with psychic abilities who essentially rule the world. At this point, there are seven books released with an eighth due out in July. Do you have a definite idea of where this series is going? Tied to this, “it depends on my publisher” aside, have you an idea how long the series will be?

The Psy/Changeling series has a very definite story arc and has had from the start. I tend not to think in terms of number of books, but more in terms of the storyline. I think we're coming very close to the end of the first arc and this will start to become apparent in BONDS OF JUSTICE.

Once that arc is complete, the second will start. And the second one is much more open-ended. I would like to do some "tangent" books in that arc - i.e. books that might not necessarily have fit the first arc, that perhaps explore different parts of the world.

(3) The first book of this series, Slave to Sensation, introduce Sascha, a Cardinal (naturally powerful) psy with apparently defunct abilities, and Lucas, the alpha of the local leopard-shifter clan. Since then these characters have continued to appear with more frequency than any other coupling. Why?

I think this is because they are the "anchor" couple for the pack, being the alpha pair. Not only that, Sascha is intimately connected to the Council through her mother, so she and Lucas just naturally end up being in more scenes.

I love seeing previous couples appear, but I'm very conscious that they must be integral to the plot of the current book and with each book, this balance is different.

(4) Where did you get the idea for the Psy-Changeling series, in particular the Psy?

I've always been fascinated by psychic abilities and one day, I had the thought, "What if it wasn't a gift to have such abilities? What if it caused the most vicious insanity, the kind that led to murder? What then?" And that's how the Psy race first took shape.

(5) And how about the inspiration for your second series, Guild Hunter? It is completely different and deals with the relationship between angels, the vampires they create and the humans that hunt down runaway vampires; what sort of influences affected this series? In particular, where did you get the idea for the interdependent relationship going on? For the Cadre of Ten and its members?

I get asked this question a lot and it's a difficult one to answer. I just saw an image in my mind one day of an archangel in a Tower. Who was he? Why was he there? And that's how it began. After that, I sat down and started writing and the story just poured out of me.

(6) The second book in this series, Archangel’s Kiss, is due out tomorrow. What can you tell us about this book? About how Elena and Raphael, the primary coupling, develop?

This book explores the next step in their relationship. Yes, they're together, but there is a huge power imbalance between them. AK explores what that means, and we get to see how an archangel and a hunter might just be able to navigate eternity...together.

(7) One of the great things about this series is that it begins having several of its characters already in committed relationships, or at least with the base-work already in place: Sarah and Deacon, Ashwini and Janvier, Ransom and his librarian. What made you decide to do it this way?

It just worked out that way, and I think it's very natural. Most single women Elena's age have some friends who are as single, while others are in short-term relationships, and still others who are in stable long-term relationships.

(8) The series so far has dealt with the relationship between Elena, the Hunter, and Raphael, the angel, but the series isn’t called the Elena and Raphael series, so what are your plans for the series in terms of narrative/POV?

When I started, I intended to write one book. Just one. The end. Yes, what was I thinking?! LOL. So this series is a work in progress. Right now, I'm working on book 3, and it looks like Elena and Raphael will be in the starring roles again.

However, I have a feeling that book 4 may shift the narrative focus to another one of the characters - it depends on how the story develops, but that's what's shaping up at present.

This series is flexible in that sense - there is room for another character (or characters) to become the focus, while remaining in the same world.

(9) Last year you released a short story in e-book format – any chance of that ever being made available in print?

That's up to the publisher, and I'd certainly hope it will one day come out in print. This will likely depend on the overall level of interest in the series.

(10) And speaking of short stories, you have contributions coming up in Burning Up, a mass-market anthology with Angela Knight, Meljean Brook, and Virginia Kantra in August and a yet unnamed anthology to be released in 2011 with Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook and Sharon Shinn – anything you can say about these works?

The novella in BURNING UP is "Whisper of Sin," a Psy/Changeling story featuring Ria, Lucas's administrative assistant, and her wicked, wicked leopard hero. It's set slightly back into the past, so you get to see some of the characters when they were younger.

The 2011 anthology will have an angel theme, so I'll be writing a Guild Hunter novella for that.

(11) Is it more difficult to write short stories compared to novels?

I think it depends on the writer. For me personally, I love writing novellas. I enjoy the shorter, tighter focus. It gives me a chance to exercise different writing muscles from my full-length works. I think it probably helps that I got my start writing category romances - it really taught me to write tight and make every word count.

(12) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing? I love to read, and I travel a lot. I want to see every inch of the world!
b. Could you please describe your dream day? Me on a tropical island with a really good book, delicious food, and a gorgeous man-servant? *grin*
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes? Now this one, I'll have to spend time pondering. Because you know, with a genie, you have to make exactly the right wish, or else...*

Ok, now hold on to your hats, boils and ghouls because this week's interview comes with an extra special treat: guest Nalini Singh has graciously offered a prize to one lucky commenter to be chosen at random next Monday! And what is this prize you might ask? A copy of the anthology Must Love Hellhounds which also features stories from authors Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook, and Charlaine Harris. I know, totally squeel-of-joy worthy, yes? So, head to the comments, make with the gushing and check back next Monday to see if you've won!

Oh, and you can check out Ms. Singh online at her site here.