Embrace of the Damned releases today!
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A damned Viking warrior.
Centuries ago Broder Calderson committed murder. As punishment, he was given over to the dominion of Loki, the Trickster God, made part of the Brotherhood of the Damned and condemned to an immortal life of battle against the Blight, blood-drinkers from Hel.
A mysterious woman he can’t resist.
One thousand years to the day he was damned, Loki allows him a woman as reward for his good service and repentance of his crimes. Once Broder sees Jessamine Hamilton, he is overcome with need. But Jessa is no ordinary woman, and the truth of who-and what-she is could have dangerous consequences.
A tormented man she can’t deny.
Though a future together is impossible, the warrior’s touch ignites an irresistible passion in Jessa. But every heated kiss pushes them closer to destruction. Forced to return to the brutality of his Viking past to protect her, will Broder surrender forever to his darkest impulses?
Review quote: “A tormented warrior and the woman who awakens his desires…. With vivid storytelling, [Bast] brings readers into the world of the Brotherhood of the Damned with its immortal warriors and blood-sucking demons. This novel grips you from the start.” — 4 stars, RT Book Reviews
Review quote: “Anya Bast has created a dark and thrilling world of demons and damned men. The romance is H.O.T. hot! Embrace of the Damned is completely engrossing; I didn’t want to put this book down.” Kristie ~ Dark Faerie Tales
CONTEST
Usually I do a big contest leading up to a new release, but my life has been way too crazy lately for me to pull that off. I’m running this shorter term contest instead. It’s really easy.
1.) Read the excerpt below and send the answer to the question BY EMAIL TO anyabastgiveaways(AT)yahoo.com. If you post the answer to the question here, I’ll delete the reply and you won’t be entered in the contest.
2.) For a second (third, fourth) chance to win the prizes, post this contest to Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or wherever and post the details here. You get a separate entry for each posting you do, so the more postings the better your chance of winning.
The prizes are as follows:
Grand prize ~ $100 GC to the book store of your choice
Prize two ~ Complete set of the Enchantment series, signed
Prize three ~ Complete set of the Elemental Witches series, signed.
~ Excerpt ~
Set up: Jessamine Hamilton has just escaped a demon attack in a parking garage, rescued by a leather clad man on a motorcycle. The problem is her rescuer seems more dangerous than the demon.
Just as she’d nearly reached the exit ramp, the rough sound of an engine reached her ears and a black motorcycle appeared in front of her car…and stopped, blocking her path.
Jessa slammed on the brakes, sliding on the pavement, hot rubber scenting the air and stopped the car a breath’s space from Biker Guy’s leg–he looked completely unworried.
Her breath shuddered out of her. She gripped the steering wheel and stared through the windshield at the man, taking stock. A chunk of her long hair had come free from her ponytail and lay over her face. It rose and fell with her panicked breaths.
He was tall and he was ripped. The roll of his muscles could be seen easily underneath his clothes. What was worse, and completely inappropriate, was how he made her respond–like a woman to a man. It was instant, primal and wholly unwelcome. This man made her whole body sit up and take notice.
Even so, he was definitely not someone she’d want to encounter in an empty parking garage late at night.
Biker Guy swung off the cycle, leaving the admittedly beautiful thing blocking her way, and stalked toward her, long worn leather coat trailing behind him like the wings of a fallen angel. He walked with anger set into his shoulders and with a hint of menace and easy arrogance in his swagger. That anger made his body seem like it would be hot to the touch, as if he identified so strongly with rage that it affected him physically.
She hoped his eyes didn’t bleed black. She’d have a heart attack and save everyone the trouble of having to kill her.
“You!” he bellowed through the window. She jumped at the commanding sound of his voice.
“I don’t know you,” she said in a shaky voice, glancing at him, then moving her gaze to fix on the cycle blocking her path. “Move your bike. I gotta go.”
“No.” He paused. “Roll down the window.” Absently, she noticed he spoke with an odd accent she couldn’t place.
Jessa took a deep breath and tried her mojo–funneling all of it she possibly could at the man. She didn’t know exactly how it worked, why she could do it, or, really how she was even able to do it, but if she concentrated hard enough, she could make people bend to her will. Sort of like a Jedi mind trick–this is not the woman you’re interested in. Move away from the vehicle.
The man lifted his brows. “Roll down the window,” he repeated, slower this time, as if she was an idiot.
Damn it! Why wasn’t it working?
When she remained still and unresponsive, completely freaked out and unmoving, he tapped the glass. With effort, she peeled her fingers off the steering wheel and rolled down her window a crack. She glanced up at him. God, he was beautiful. Sculpted, strong jaw, full lips that compelled a girl to want suck on them, deep, oddly expressive brown eyes. Despite all that physical yumminess, he didn’t look friendly. At all. He looked heartless.
“Uh, thanks…for your help. I appreciate it.” She looked at his motorcycle. “Really. I have to go now. Can you move that, please?”
“Why was he targeting you?” The man’s voice was deep and rough, like he didn’t use it very much–like honey and gravel.
“Who? That guy back there? Listen, I’m still processing all that, okay? I have no idea who or what he was, let alone what he wanted to do with me.” She set her jaw. Savior or not, gorgeous or not, this man was starting to piss her off. “Look, buddy, I’m all out of pepper spray, but I’m sitting in a car and I’m not afraid to use it.” She looked meaningfully at the shiny, expensive Harley blocking her path.
His gaze traveled over her, catching on the painful, damaged sections of her skin. “You need healing.”
“Yeah. I’ll go the hos–”
He reached out and pulled her car door off the hinges, then threw it aside like it weighed nothing.
“No. Just no.” Jessa shook her head and scrambled into the passenger side. “No, okay? No.” She opened the passenger side door and prepared to run.
But he was there, blocking her path. “You don’t understand. Where there is one of those things, there are more. You are in danger.”
The man radiated a palpable aura of menace as he loomed over her. She gave him an up and down sweep of her gaze. He still had ice in his hair. “Clearly.”
“You’re not in danger from me.”
“And my father was the Easter Bunny.”
He grabbed her wrist and she yelped. Right below her wrist was one of the light gray expanses of skin. The area had the imprint of Fanged Thing’s fingers on it, like she’d been marked with frostbite by his skin touching hers.
The man laid his hand over the injury and it warmed immediately. When he lifted his fingers, her skin was back to its regular peachy tan color.
Jessa took a step back, her eyes wide. “I didn’t just see that. I didn’t–”
He grabbed her other arm.
“Stop doing that!” By the time she’d uttered the sentence, her other arm was healed. Then he pressed his fingers onto the few places where Fanged Thing’s saliva had dripped on her.
“Anywhere else?” he growled at her.
She shook her head, blinking rapidly with nervousness.
“You’re healed.”
“Thank you.” She tried to step away, but he held her fast. “Uh, you can let me go now.”
He stared at her as though he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Tipping his head to the side, he examined her with thorough interest. A strange, intense light had entered his eyes and she took a step backward.
There was something about this man that told her to back off–apart from the outward signs, the cycle, the leather, the scowl. There was something inside him that screamed danger, cross to the other side of the street no matter how heart-stoppingly gorgeous he was.
She had the urge to rip her arm away from him, but she stood her ground. He was so close to her that his breath stirred the fine hairs around her face. The heat of him rolled off and she absorbed it into her own skin. Despite the threat he emanated, her body started a slow, sexual burn. She tried to ignore it, push it away. Now was the not the time and this was definitely not the man.
And man, oh man. He was every inch a man.
The lines of his face were hard and cold, set in an almost cruel expression. This was a man who was both brutal and beautiful. But even though his expression was harsh, his brown eyes were filled with heat and emotion. It softened him.
As he stood staring at her, his eyes clouded, becoming distant, and a muscle worked in his jaw. As though he might be warring with himself over something. She’d never known brown eyes could look that hot. It made her whole body tighten with sexual awareness. Worse, his gaze probably mirrored her own.
Well, hell.
Then the man reached out, snagged her sweater with one big hand and pulled her flush up against his chest. His body heat rolled off him and enveloped her, making her heart rate speed up.
A huge, strong hand grasped the nape of her neck, the other hand going to the small of her back. She made a small noise in her throat, but it wasn’t of fear–not exactly… not totally. She should have been frightened, should have been fighting him, but there something inside her that thrilled at this man’s touch. She didn’t want to get away, even though that desire made no sense at all.
Pulling her head to the side, he exposed the column of her neck, then slowly lowered his mouth to it. His tongue flicked out, tasting her skin. Goose flesh erupted all over her body and a shiver traveled up her spine.
This was wrong. This was so, so very wrong. She knew that, so why was her body reacting this way to him? He was a forbidding stranger and–
He gently bit her throat, almost as if he wanted to mark her, and she moaned, closing her eyes.
She should have been worried that fangs would suddenly erupt in his mouth. She should have been having post traumatic mental explosions of blood and flesh tearing –of icy, frostbite-giving skin and freezing saliva. Yet all she could think of was bare skin, tangled limbs, a bed….
What kind of magick did this man possess?
Kissing her skin, he murmured words in a foreign language that sounded tender, almost like endearments. His hand traveled up to cup the back of her head, his fingers raking through her long hair. He made a noise in the recesses of his throat, his body tensing, as though holding himself back from tearing her clothes off her. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to resist his impulse.
Question: What’s wrong with Jessa’s skin and what does Broder do to it?
Remember to EMAIL the answer to me at anyabastgiveaways(at)Yahoo.com. Don’t post the answer here. The only thing you post here are the details about where you pimped out this contest in order to get additional entries. Thanks so much. 🙂
This contest is, as always, void where prohibited and you must be 18 years or older to enter.
THIS CONTEST WILL END ON TUESDAY, MAY 8TH. Good luck!!!
Hi Anya,
Sent and email!
AND……
I have posted this contest on my blog (which has been out of service for a while, trying to get back into it).
http://debsluvtoread.blogspot.com/
posted on my facebook…
https://www.facebook.com/MammyThomas
re-tweeted – wasn’t easy…twitter was being a twit…
https://twitter.com/#!/anyabast/status/197349829385523201
Love the excerpt. Really want to read the book now!
Deb
by Debra T May 1st, 2012 at 10:33 ammammy4423(at)yahoo.com
I pimped you out on twitter and mentioned you on it. https://twitter.com/#!/ParaRomance01
by Amanda Pizzolanti May 1st, 2012 at 10:34 amhttps://twitter.com/#!/froglady3
by Christina Maness May 1st, 2012 at 10:50 amalso shared on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=736790624
Oh I liked that excerpt… 😀
by Colleen May 1st, 2012 at 10:56 amI posted a link on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/nicole.jarboepaxson and emailed a yahoo group I belong to (writterswarren) where a bunch of paranormal fans hang out.
by Nicole Jarboe-Paxson May 1st, 2012 at 10:57 amI do not facebook or twitter, but I sent an e-mail off to a few of my friends about your contest! Happy Release Day! 😀
by Colleen May 1st, 2012 at 11:01 amGreat excerpt, i’m really interested
by miki May 1st, 2012 at 12:20 pmHey there. From the excerpt it sounds really good! I don’t do Twitter but I have posted on Goodreads, my facebook page and my blog. Happy release day!
Megan
by Megan May 1st, 2012 at 12:52 pmI also posted it on my goodreads account
by Christina Maness May 1st, 2012 at 4:10 pmhttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000507053127
by ruth cardoza May 1st, 2012 at 4:50 pmi posted it on my facebook, and set it to highlight. thanks your a wonderful author
Adding Embrace of the Damned to my wish list. Sounds hot.
Tweeted about the contest:
https://twitter.com/#!/drainbamagedgyz/status/197494730467192834
by Kathryn Merkel May 1st, 2012 at 6:18 pmHi! Thanks for the giveaway! I posted about the giveaway on my
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pinto.erica/posts/211021522347976
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LiLGlamDoll/status/197497696569925632
by Erica P. May 1st, 2012 at 6:30 pmGreat excerpt. I have to read this!
Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/dg_molly/status/197498230240575491
by Molly Frenzel May 1st, 2012 at 6:33 pmI posted a link on my FB page: Mjb Booklover.
MJB
by MJB May 1st, 2012 at 7:02 pmmsmjb65 AT gmail DOT com
Posted to Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/msmjb65/status/197506981370662912
MJB
by MJB May 1st, 2012 at 7:05 pmmsmjb65 AT gmail DOT com
I just posted this to my Facebook page. Thanks!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1399813293
by Norma Storms May 1st, 2012 at 7:23 pmI posted on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/AquarianDncr/status/197520085043249152) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AquarianDancer/posts/349855325077878).
by Karin Anderson May 1st, 2012 at 7:58 pmGreat excerpt!
I hope we don’t have to be super specific about our answer to the question because I was sort of having a hard time putting my answer into intelligent words.
I’ll be back with another comment shortly that lists where I’m post about this contest!
by Gabrielle J. May 1st, 2012 at 8:58 pmHello I’m back!
I’ve just posted on my facbook page about this contest. Congrats on the new release Anya!
Here’s my facebook link,
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1083582566 😀
by Gabrielle J. May 1st, 2012 at 9:04 pmPosted on facebook http://www.facebook.com/donna.antonio and on my blog
http://inmho-read.blogspot.com/2012/05/anya-bast-contest.html
I don’t tweet so I guess this will have to do.
by Donna May 2nd, 2012 at 4:07 amtweeet
https://twitter.com/#!/caitymack17/status/197773550940196864
by Cathy MacDonald May 2nd, 2012 at 12:46 pmIt’s me again! I got permission from a group that I’m apart of on goodreads so I’ve posted info about the contest on the group page on the goodreads site!
Here’s the link!
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/883349
kakuchouakisame_19@yahoo.com
by Gabrielle J. May 2nd, 2012 at 1:13 pmPosted on my Facebook…
by Asheleigh Wheeler May 2nd, 2012 at 3:35 pmfacebook.com/asheleigh.71
Congratulations on the new release.
I tweeted the link here:
https://twitter.com/GeishasMom73/statuses/197865924412448770
by StacieD May 2nd, 2012 at 6:53 pmCongratulations on your new release!! And thank you for the chance to win! 😀
Re-posted your contest at my comp blog at: http://contests-freebies.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/win-fab-books-at-anya-bast.html
Twitted at: https://twitter.com/#!/cherrymischivus/status/198011443638050816
Shared at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherrymischievous/posts/256888877743466
by Cherry Mischievous May 3rd, 2012 at 4:33 amI tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/Pamk258/status/198253499576889345
by Pamk May 3rd, 2012 at 8:32 pmI tweeted about the contest.
by CrystalGB May 4th, 2012 at 5:59 amhttps://twitter.com/#!/CrystalGB/status/198396118650978304
I have sent my email and now I pimping out the contest! Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/JenB97879697/status/198435733361541120
jepebATverizonDOTnet
by Jen B. May 4th, 2012 at 8:37 amI must be dumb. I can’t figure out how to get a link to post here to show that I posted a comment on Facebook about the contest. Ugh! Well, I did post about it and I hope a lot of my friends check it out. So there.
by Jen B. May 4th, 2012 at 8:45 amjepebATverizonDOTnet
Thanks for the awesome excerpt! If I was committed to reading it before, I am now 🙂
Thanks, also, for the very generous giveaway! WOW!
by erinf1 May 4th, 2012 at 4:36 pmHere are the places I posted:
https://www.facebook.com/anyabast#!/books4me/posts/146233708841543
https://twitter.com/#!/BooksForMe2/status/198563429622095872
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104012575123100589195/posts/aTQNBKCMXvs#104012575123100589195/posts/aTQNBKCMXvs
Barrie
by Barrie May 4th, 2012 at 5:11 pmI emailed the question and answer to your Yahoo email address and also posted the contest to my Facebook wall at:
Loved the excerpt and the grand prize. I hope to WIN! :o)
Sincerely,
by Shani Schulman May 4th, 2012 at 6:27 pmShani Schulman 😀
also posted on:
http://www.myspace.com/dlsmilad
https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=584925454
http://dinasthoughtblog.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/dlscapy/status/198577525788655616
http://www.goodreads.com/event/list_user
congrats and thank you,
by Dina May 4th, 2012 at 6:28 pmDina
Hummmmmmmmmmmm….My Facebook link didn’t post.
Let’s try this again: https://www.facebook.com/HvnlyAngel#!/HvnlyAngel
by Shani Schulman May 4th, 2012 at 6:29 pmJen, I just copy and paste it in the comment area and that works for me. 😉
by Dina May 4th, 2012 at 7:34 pmSent my email!
Shared on FB: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sallans/posts/224365557673945
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/DianeSallans/status/198618263410847744
fingers crossed!
sallans d at yahoo dot com 😀 😀
by Diane Sallans May 4th, 2012 at 8:43 pmEmailed and tweeted:
by infinitieh May 4th, 2012 at 11:27 pmhttps://twitter.com/#!/infinitieh/status/198659353446850561
Facebook’d it… https://www.facebook.com/DiannaYClark
I bought the book last night…cannot wait to read it!!! Love your books!
by Dianna Fryer May 5th, 2012 at 4:27 amShared on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TamaraNBudd
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/#!/TamaraBudd/status/198759516433694720
Of course emailed my answer to you. Congrats on the new release, I will definitely be picking it up!
by Tamara Budd May 5th, 2012 at 6:13 amThanks for the giveaway
i shared on tweeter :
https://twitter.com/#!/Eli_Yanti/status/198772789715546114
by eli yanti May 5th, 2012 at 6:56 ami sent my answer to you and i posted about it on my facebook account
by melissa cahall May 5th, 2012 at 7:46 amEmailed my answer and shared the contest by:
https://www.facebook.com/june.manning74/posts/326971550706674
https://twitter.com/#!/JuneAnnM/status/198872487436632064
Congrats on the release and thank you for the giveaway! 😀
by June M. May 5th, 2012 at 1:41 pmHi Anya!! Sent my email and I pimped ya out at facebook, twitter, and goodreads and also forwarded your newsletter to 2 friends if that counts. Thanks for the awesome giveaway. The book is a sure winner 🙂
by Betty Lewis May 5th, 2012 at 2:07 pmSent in my contest email and posted on facebook, google+ and twitter.
https://twitter.com/#!/meingee/status/198937653310275585
https://www.facebook.com/gabriellemlee
https://plus.google.com/107821925982845005415/posts
Gabrielle
by Gabrielle May 5th, 2012 at 5:58 pmmeingee@yahoo.com
Posted on Facebook:
http://www.Facebook.com/Marie.B.Rice
Posted on Blog:
potwnews.blogspot.com
Posted on Twitter:
by Marie Rice May 5th, 2012 at 7:31 pmhttps://twitter.com/#!/MariePOTW
retweeted:
https://twitter.com/#!/wolfmaidenjmb
Announced on my goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4079332-michelle-the-romance-novel-junkie
Shared on my faebook account too:
http://www.facebook.com/jessica.biggers
Thanks for the chance to win!
by jess biggers May 5th, 2012 at 9:54 pmCan’t wait to get started reading this all new and original sounding series. Read all the other series and just love them all.
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/elaing8/status/199205510577266688
pinned it too
http://pinterest.com/pin/52002570667554482/
Thanks for the awesome giveaway.
by Elaine G May 6th, 2012 at 11:37 amI emailed the answer and shared the giveaway on my Facebook profile https://www.facebook.com/tanyacontois
by tanya May 6th, 2012 at 1:04 pmShared on Facebook
by LaRonda Atchison May 6th, 2012 at 1:24 pmI spread the word on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stella.exlibris.1/posts/137951793003397
Thank you and congratulations! 😀
by Stella (Ex Libris) May 6th, 2012 at 3:36 pmand on Twitter as well: https://twitter.com/#!/Stella_ExLibris/status/199266165942525953
by Stella (Ex Libris) May 6th, 2012 at 3:37 pmPosted on Twitter! I can’t wait to read it!!
https://twitter.com/#!/LilMar68/status/199321833974153216
by Lil May 6th, 2012 at 7:19 pmI have posted about the contest once on my fb page, i will do it again later to keep letting people know about it and recieve more entries myself, Thankws for the oportunities!
by Lisa Baugh May 7th, 2012 at 7:45 amPosted to FB and Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/fedora.chen
https://twitter.com/#!/flchen1/status/199517636873289728
by Fedora May 7th, 2012 at 8:16 amhttps://twitter.com/#!/ladyredhusker/status/199523950462648321 – Tweeted
Shared on Facebook-
by Lora Patten May 7th, 2012 at 8:43 amhttps://www.facebook.com/lora.patten.9
Shared the contest on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/EmBamaEm
by Bama May 7th, 2012 at 8:55 amI posted your contest on my Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=703148056
and my Twitter page
https://twitter.com/#!/mboston3
by Melanie Boston May 7th, 2012 at 10:50 amFinished reading the book on Friday. Can’t wait for the next one. Posted about the contest on my Facebook page, and invited everyone else to join the giveaway. Hope I win. Broder is taken, but you can send Erik or one of the other guys over here anytime.
by Marcia Lancaster May 7th, 2012 at 12:49 pmhttps://twitter.com/#!/AdilaMammadova/status/199591408296931328
I don’t know how to show the link to my Facebook or Myspace posts. Here are the pages.
http://www.facebook.com/adila.mammadova
http://www.myspace.com/396035777
by Adila Mammadova May 7th, 2012 at 1:16 pmTweet: https://twitter.com/#!/Sparima/status/199637134729158657
by Spav May 7th, 2012 at 4:10 pmShared on FB:
http://www.facebook.com/Hi.chan
And Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/ChatSilvestre
With all my thanks
by Hi-chan May 7th, 2012 at 4:23 pmPosted on my face book page
https://www.facebook.com/GhostsSiNner/posts/407251555976226
by Beverly Gordon May 7th, 2012 at 4:32 pmposted on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/Bainesgoddess/status/199643137503797248
ty for the chances
by Beverly Gordon May 7th, 2012 at 4:34 pmCongratulations on the newest release, Anya!
by Limecello May 8th, 2012 at 1:32 amCongrats!! Sounds like a great book! 🙂 I sent an email to ya! 🙂
by Shadow May 8th, 2012 at 5:49 amPosted on facebook 5/6: https://www.facebook.com/shadow.kohler/posts/403829206305467
Tweeted 5/6: https://twitter.com/#!/LuvToRead09/status/199222272647634945
Reposted on facebook 5/8: https://www.facebook.com/shadow.kohler/posts/222755897836785
Retweeted 5/8: https://twitter.com/#!/LuvToRead09/status/199843069942710273
I just posted one last time on facebook about the contest good luck everyone!
Congrats on the new release Ms. Bast!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1083582566
by Gabrielle J. May 8th, 2012 at 11:30 amPosted once again on fb, here is the link to see my timeline:
by Lisa Baugh May 8th, 2012 at 2:00 pmhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/lisa.baugh.10
Posted on my twitter account as well:
by Lisa Baugh May 8th, 2012 at 2:07 pmhttps://twitter.com/#!/Ignathia
Also posted on myspace:
by Lisa Baugh May 8th, 2012 at 2:21 pmhttp://www.myspace.com/home
Sent you my answer via email just now.
Posted to twitter here…. https://twitter.com/#!/jone402/status/199994853352935424
Posted to FB here…. https://www.facebook.com/scarfprincess/posts/429708977041211
by Jody F May 8th, 2012 at 3:53 pmTweet https://twitter.com/#!/rmgm/status/200032335851294721
by Melissa May 8th, 2012 at 6:20 pmFB post https://www.facebook.com/#!/mel.maringer/posts/300536746695837
by Melissa May 8th, 2012 at 6:24 pm