Release: May 17, 2009 - Amber Quill Press

Zeven Ways to Kill Your Lover

A Division 8 novella by L. Shannon

Finalist in the Brava Novella Contest!

http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/ZevenWays.html

BLURB

Zeven had a simple plan. Get the contract, kill the mark and protect werewolves from being exposed to the humans and hunted to extinction. But when the mark turns out to be the woman who stole and then broke his heart, everything changes. With Harley back in his sights, Zeven has a whole new plan—keep her from running, keep her alive and convince her to accept werewolves and be his mate.

To Harley, nothing about Zeven or his life is simple. And the possibility of a future for them together seems impossible, especially since the local clan of werewolves wants her dead and Zeven is all that stands between her and her escape from the Las Vegas territory. The stubborn homicidal shifter is determined to be heard out even if it costs them both everything.

But if there is a chance for them, Zeven and Harley will have to take on the whole rabid clan and settle a lot of history between them. But will he be able to forgive her for abandoning him ten years before? Or will she run again, unable to face the killer he’s become?

EXCERPT

Harley Lex knew she was in shock and was completely helpless against the biological response. Her breath came too fast, too shallow. Her heart raced. Her vision tunneled down to just the gruesome picture in her shaking hand. For a long second, she stared, gradually making sense of the image. It showed the brutalized remains of the two people she'd left behind to be killed the night before. Two friends from the hospital who'd been murdered in cold blood.

On the back were two words.

You're next.

Dizziness dragged her down. She fought back the panic attack. Later. I'll break down properly later. But at the moment that kind of weakness would just get her killed. One deep breath, then another. After a long sleepless night, debating if she should report the attack or not, then she'd found the picture and she'd ditched work, bolted out the door. She needed focus and motion, to pack and run.

At least this time she'd pack.

She grabbed her UCLA duffel bag and stuffed in jeans and T-shirts. What do I need? Where will I go? She had an aunt living in Michigan, but she couldn't risk endangering her. Where she ran to wasn't important. All that really mattered was getting her ass away from Vegas.

At the bottom of her closet she saw the black bag and grimaced. Damn thing would finally come in handy after sitting ignored for more than five years. She jerked it free. How many times had she settled somewhere new and carefully repacked her escape bag, just to feel safe? Now she felt damn lucky for the paranoia.

The two thousand in the bag would get her out of town and she'd worry about the rest later. All that mattered now was staying alive. She headed for the door, gripping both bags in one hand and opening the door with the other--

--and was slammed back into the wall with a crash.

Sunshine outlined a huge man, combining dark shadow and blinding light. Her heart thundered once before she was heaved off her feet, pinned to the wall and confronted by black wraparound sunglasses that reflected her own terrified face.

She clawed at the thick arms and kicked against the huge body. But the man's weight crushed her to the wall.

The pressure changed, loosened. The man's honey brown skin came back into focus.

"Oh, fuck." The voice was familiar, from a past she'd left behind. He slammed the door and threw the wraparounds across the room with a vicious snarl of fury.

She met the man's cold, pale gaze. Dear God, how did he find me? "Zeven?"

Her former lover fell on her once more, claiming her mouth, demanding the response that was too damn easy to give. She kissed him back, matching his passion, pouring her stress and emotion into the wild contact that she'd craved for so long.

Then Zeven ripped away from her lips. "What the fuck did you see?"

That brought Harley back to the moment, back to the stupidity which giving in to animal attraction would be. "Shit. I need to get out of here." She struggled, jerking in his grasp. Zeven showing up took her terrifying day straight into FUBAR range. Now it wasn't just the ones behind the threatening note. She had to escape Zeven and his homicidal family, too.

His hands tightened on her arms, holding her in place, when she should be running. The ravaged look in his eyes tore open a wound she'd thought was healed or at least scabbed over. Why was he here? Why now, after ten years?

For one second she imagined saying, Zeven, come with me. Then her survival instincts kicked in, and thumped her ass awake. "I've got to get out of here."

But Zeven, her long-lost lover, wasn't moving.

Almost visible memories passed between them. Memories she'd love to linger in, try to reclaim if only she had more time. If only being with him wasn't such a deadly mistake.

"They sent me to kill you." The growled words shattered the chemistry and memories.

The irony forced a choking sound from her suddenly dry throat. "No, it's not possible. It can't be your pack." It couldn't be the same werewolves... But same or different didn't make much difference. It must be her fate to be killed by werewolves. Zeven's pack hunted her for being human, knowing their secret, and loving Zeven. After five quiet years, she'd witnessed a werewolf bar fight and was back on the most wanted list. But why did it have to be Zeven?

The emotion drained from Zeven's expression, leaving him still and cold, a killer. Completely different from the man she'd known.

Oh shit. "Are you going to kill me?" Getting killed by werewolves would not be a surprise, but dying at Zeven's hands would be hell...for them both.

END EXCERPT

Zeven Ways to Kill Your Lover
Available now at Amber Quill Press!

http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/ZevenWays.html

Shannon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
L.Shannon ~ http://lshannon.net ~ Dark Paranormal Romance
Eagle Clan: Father of the Wolf - AVAILABLE IN PRINT NOW
Marked by Tears - 2/18/09 - Noble Romance
Games of Chance - 2/20/09 - Changeling Press
Nothing but Ash - 4/20/09 - Liquid Silver Books
Zeven Ways to Kill Your Lover - 5/17/09 - Amber Quill Press
FREE BOOK (Welcome Home) at http://www.lshannon.net/SCV.html

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Surprise Suprise! I have another book coming out!!  Yep, thats right, another kinky book. Actually this one is only a little kinky (teeny tiny bit kinky) but mostly it’s a fast paced action romance. The title is Acacia 1: Abducting Aeron and it will be coming out on April 18th with Changeling Press. You can find all the links on my website. www.lshannon.net

Acacia is a whole new series opening in 3008 on a colonized world way out on the back ass of the universe.Originally planned as the perfect integrated civilization the colony suffered through a devistating civil war between the three primary races; humans, vampires and werewolves. Werewolves were driven off the planet or kill and are now thought to be extinct. Vampires faired a little better and eventually agreed to a treat allowing them to build their own colony on Rahla’s moon Acacia. Athough this seems at first glance to be working for the humans and the vampires, they need each other to survive and many of the repressed humans on Rahla are on the verge of rebellion due to their strict social order.

Acacia 1: Abducting Aeron - Aeron is a vampire spy who spends more time on Rahla than on his new home on the Acacia moon colony. When his his cover is blown, he finds himself suddenly at the mercy of his human, planet side contacts and desperate to get back to the safety of Acacia.

Helia is drawn to Aeron despite her sister’s dire warnings. When he’s captured by the human catcher guards she goes in to rescue him, offering her protection, her blood and her body.

I had a great time writing this first Acacia story and can’t wait to see how you all like it. :)  That’s enought news for now. Have a great week!

Shannon

It took me 2 days to get pissed, but I am there now. I'm ticked off by the PTB at RWA and at myself. You see, I remember several months back seeing information about what they were considering and how to share my thoughts with them. It just so happened that at the time I was tied down with other responsibilities. I didn't send my opinion on the subject.

I am about to do my best on remedying that mistake.

The accepted changes stink. They are an insult to every writer trying to make it in the writing industry. Is that blunt enough for you, PTB? Changing the wording identifying vanity publishers so that it includes e-publishers is exclusionary and harmful to their honest businesses. I have no idea how you justify such a move.

I did hear one person attempt to defend the changes by saying that the new wording will help to protect newbie writers who don't know any better. Damn if that didn't make me see red. Essentially that person, one I like and respect, just called me (ME and every other e-published author!) a moron. Which is exactly what RWA is doing. That was the moment I got pissed.

Up until that moment I really thought there wouldn't be much of a change. After all, many NY publishers and published authors already look down on anything electronic, even though many are now also jumping on that same bandwagon. I figured that the wording was just a little nastiness and it wouldn't affect the real world in any touchable way. That was before this *friend* spoke up and spouted the nonsense out loud. The truth is that writers do look to their national organization for guidance and definitions of what is what in romance writing. And they should. This new wording, which at first might seem harmless and protecting, will tear the nation's romance writers into deeper factions, harming us all.

There is no US and THEM. We are all writers with the same primary goal in mind. We want to tell a story. Some of us want to make money off that story, some hope and dream of make lots of money off that story and some just want the story read and enjoyed. No matter which route an author chooses to take, we are all writers and not one of us is better than any other, no matter where we want to publish or where we succeed in publishing.

So I ask the powers that be at RWA to consider their next decision carefully. Consider how it will affect the greatest majority of your members. That's right, the greatest majority of your members will never see the NY times list. Most will be in the middle. Most will consider e-publishing. Most may already have considered e-publishing. Most may have e-published already. Most of your members, the very people you are supposed to support and encourage may have just taken a blow to the heart.

If you would like to add your voice to mine and others who have an opinion check out this poll - http://www.lshannon.net/RWA-poll.html And pass the word. Let's show RWA the numbers that matter. Let's show them that the writers are willing to speak up. Better yet, let's show them who they are supposed to speak for!

Shannon
www.lshannon.net
Author of dark paranormal romance
PUBLISHED through Cobblestone Press
President of RWA chapter 140
member of RWA (but not proud of that fact at the moment)

Hi everyone! I have a new book coming out on Friday! So I thought I'd share a little bit about the book.

Tascryn: Blood Reign

Wow. I totally don't have the hang of putting in blog entries on any kind of regular schedule...

My bad.

But here's my news anyhow. I have a new book out as of December 8, 2006.  Thats right, another one.  :)  This one is the second book in my Eagle Clan Series.  Once again we get to hang with the Valafrn werewolves and see what new problems they get into.  This book, Destiny is for Rath. Thats right, the tough guy from EC1: Father of the Wolf will meet his match in a petite exotic dancer named Destiny.  But as usual nothing is as easy as it seems. 

You can find Destiny at Cobblestone Press www.cobblestone-press.com

Don't miss out. Also available at Cobblestone are...

Eagle Clan 1: Father of the Wolf, Lynx Clan 1: Forgiven, Season of Blood, Vali's Curse, and coming January 19th- Blood Reign.

'nuff for now. Catch you all later.

Aeshlyn avayla!

Shannon

Well, I'm new to myspace so here I am trying out some of the features. You can actually find my primary blog at www.lshannon.blogspot.com   Though, I promise to try to post some here too. :D

Shannon