Anya Bast

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

It’s a world where magick is real, and where Sarafina is given a chance to join a secret cabal that is bent on gaining absolute power. They could use a woman like her—a witch with an untapped gift for creating fire. But she isn’t about to get in league with the devil.

Rescued from her captors, Sarafina is introduced to a coven that is duty-bound to fight the forces of darkness. She’s pleased that her savior is the imposingly seductive Theo—until the trust between them goes up in flames. However, as the war between good and evil is waged, Sarafina and Theo realize they have no choice but to unite in the battle for supremacy—that’s getting hotter by the minute.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Borders

Want a shot at winning this book? Reply to the following question. Don’t forget to stop back tomorrow to see if you’ve won.

Theo and Sarafina are very different. In the beginning, their differences cause friction, but later on the jagged edges of those differences fit like puzzle pieces in their relationship, making them a strong and vibrant couple. Is there anyone in your life who is very different from you, yet who makes you stronger?

Excerpt from Witch Fury

The door burst inward, ripped from the hinges at the same time the uncontrolled blast of fire hit it. Sarafina screamed in surprise, stepped backward, tripped and fell on her ass.
For a hazy, confused moment she thought her magick had exploded the door. Then she focused past the smoke and saw the dark outline of a man–tall, muscular build, long dark hair, grim expression on his face.

The man glanced at her for the barest of moments. His long hair blew around his face from the force of the magickical battle behind him. His eyes were hard and dark. In his brutal expression lay control and power. Knowledge–deep and wide. Sarafina noticed all that about him in a second and it took her breath away.

What new nightmare was this man?

The newcomer turned and deflected an aggressive attack from Stefan. The room exploded into chaos. Two men barreled through the door after the intruder. Instead of using magick to defend himself, he punched one in the face, grabbed him by his shirt front and threw him into the second. Then he whirled to once again face Stefan.
The scent of white hot fire and dark, rich earth filled her nose as furniture slid across the floor and slammed into the walls. The floor itself rippled. It was like a battle of supernatural titans.

Sarafina clutched Grosset to her chest and crawled behind an overturned table, holding her trembling dog close and wishing like hell this was all some really strange dream fueled by her grief. Any second now she’d wake up and shake her head over it, tell herself she’d never eat cold enchiladas before bed again.

But this was no dream.

Shouting, cursing. Explosions. Fire crackling. Growing hotter and nearer until thick bursts of earth extinguished the flare-ups.

Silence.

Footsteps pounded through the rest of the house. Shouting in the distance. In the room where Sarafina and Grosset hid behind the overturned table there was no sound. Nothing.

Maybe the intruders–whoever they were–had forgotten about her. Maybe the hulking man in the doorway had gone away. Maybe this was her chance to get out of here.
Moving slowly, she peeked around the edge of the table and saw only a smoldering fire in a trashcan over in the corner of the room. Smoke wafted through the air. She inched out a little more, straining to hear any other sounds from inside the house. She didn’t know who the party crashers were and wanted to avoid them. With her luck they were worse than Stefan and his ilk.

Movement. The swirl of a long black duster.

The man was still there. Peeking out, she watched him circle the room, languid, lethal. His muscular body seemed tense with the desire to kill something, didn’t really matter what. The man turned toward her and she ducked back behind the table and closed her eyes, praying he’d pass her by.

“Warlock.”

A hand grasped her collar and lifted her straight up. Sarafina screamed and Grosset exploded in a flurry of Pomeranian rage. He snapped and growled at the man who’d trapped her in his big, sweaty, meaty hands–hands big enough to snap her neck in two seconds flat, she noted with unease.

“Tell your dog to chill.” The words came out gravelly, like they were forced from an infrequently used set of vocal cords. His grim expression grew even darker–his eyebrows coming together in the middle and the lines around his mouth deepening.

If she’d met this man on the street, she’d turn and walk the other way out of sheer instinct for self-preservation.

And she was currently caught in his powerful hands.

….is Stephanie N. Congrats, Stephanie! Please drop me an email and I’ll forward your info to Elizabeth. anyabast(at)gmail.com

Don’t forget to enter for today’s prize–the first two books in Ava Gray’s SKIN series. And be sure to check back for tomorrow’s giveaway.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Uncovering the truth is her specialty

As a forensic accountant, Mia Sauter could usually tell when people had something to hide. She made her living exposing secrets while concealing her own. Then, in Vegas, she met a clever, ruthless man who called himself Addison Foster. One year later, she’s still haunted by his betrayal.

He’s a natural born liar

The truth of him had long ago been buried. Foster was only one name of many; he’d been so many men, he’d lost count. Reinvented as Thomas Strong and hell-bent on revenge, his mission is about to be compromised by the one woman capable of exposing him…

Reunited, they confront the explosive chemistry still crackling between them. But their chance meeting will have consequences, for a ruthless madman has his own deadly agenda. The question is—if they survive the fallout, will he choose love over vengeance?

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Borders

Want a chance to win the first two books in this series? Answer the following question. Don’t forget to stop back tomorrow to see if you’ve won.

Truth. Lies. Forgiveness. Are you very good at forgiving people or do you hold a grudge?

Excerpt from SKIN TIGHT, by Ava Gray

“Does that mean it’s over?”

If only he didn’t have a face like a broken plaster saint, rough and chipped but full of heart-breaking beauty. She could imagine him standing watch over a chapel by nights, all icy marble and immovable lines. Only the fierce argent of his eyes gave lie to the indifference of his pose, propped against her car.

“Yes.” Though she tried to make her voice sound firm and certain, she noticed a little waver in the middle of the word.

Unfortunately, so did he. “I promised you a ride in my G37.”

“Technically, you didn’t. You teased me with the prospect of one, as I recall.”

He studied her with nerve-wracking intensity. “How ungallant of me. Surely you must let me make it up to you?”

She’d never excelled at mating games. They made her feel stupid, a rare sensation, to be sure. In her professional life, Mia preferred facts and figures. In her personal life, she took her romance in the form of tragic poetry, where she could let someone else’s pain wash over her without risking her own heart. One such disaster had been enough.

“What do you want?” she burst out, losing patience with him.

He stilled, a sleek silhouette in the moonlight that turned his eyes to quicksilver. Mia had the feeling he would slip as readily through her hands, should she try to hold him. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

She took a deep, steadying breath. “Yes.”

“I want to take you home and strip you naked,” he said deliberately. “I want to tie you down, so you can’t get away and then I want to—”

“Enough,” she whispered, sick. “If you’re just going to make fun of me, forget it.”

His brows arched. “You don’t believe me?”

“I’m not the sort of woman who inspires sexual obsession.”

“And I’m not the sort of man who develops them,” he murmured. “But you have me dreaming about the taste of your skin nonetheless.”

She managed a laugh. “God, you’re such a liar. Just stop already. Whatever you want, you’re not seducing it out of me.”

He stepped into her space then. His hands framed her hips, drawing her up against him in a movement more intimate than a kiss. At first she felt only the warmth of him, and then the world flickered. It was as if he skimmed her few romantic entanglements and plucked a thread at random. For a few seconds, he was Mark Rigby, her college sweetheart, and deliciously aroused, eager as he’d been only in the early days of their relationship.

But this was too bittersweet a fantasy to hold her—the reality of Mark’s abandonment was too indelible for her to dive into a dream where he stayed. Once, she’d thought they were meant for each other. She’d scrawled their names in endless loops, believing the alliteration a sign. But his words still echoed in her head: Mia, I’m sorry. You’re just… I don’t know. You think too much. You have no spontaneity. When I look at you, I see our future scheduled to the last second and it scares the shit out of me. I like you, but you take away the magic. I need someone who doesn’t need to be in control all the time.

Someone like Valerie.

It wasn’t Mark’s fault. The lack lay in her. He was happily married with three kids, and a mortgage. He could commit, perfectly capable of loving someone. Just not her.

The truth could never been changed, no matter what weird ability this man carried. Since she knew what to do now, Mia thought her way past the illusion. She broke it carefully into pieces and cast it away. Within a few heartbeats, she saw his real face again and felt his arousal. That much was true, at least.

She saw the instant he realized. Mia gazed squarely into his eyes, her gaze roving over his features. I see you. She didn’t say it aloud, but she might as well have. A shudder worked through him. He skimmed his hands up to the indent of her waist, where his fingers splayed wide. Mia let him tilt her body, pressing her back against the car door.

“When I touch you, I stop caring about anything else. There’s only you, looking up at me. Don’t dismiss that. Don’t take it from me because… it’s never happened before. It can go no further, or everything is lost, but just for this moment, let me pretend it can.”

“I never liked playing make-believe,” she said unsteadily, fighting the urge to rock against him. “It’s better to accept things as they are.”

Mia imagined the picture they presented to anyone glancing out the window: his body pinning her against the car, and hers, yielding. The idea of anyone witnessing this moment sent a rush of furtive desire cascading through her veins. Tiny pinpricks of heat gathered at the lee of her legs, urging her to move.

“Who did this to you?” he whispered tenderly. “What made you afraid of dreams?”

Life, she wanted to say, but the answer sounded too sad to speak aloud. It seemed too close to self-pity; she loathed how easily he found her vulnerabilities. She stared up at him, sad and shaken, more naked than if he had stripped her and tied her to his bed.

Somehow he read the truth in her face, and his mouth curved into a melancholy smile. “No wonder my curse cannot keep you. I should take you home with me, for who could match a man without a heart better than the woman who cannot dream?”

….MinnChica, who wrote, “My husband definitely brings out the best in me. He is always pushing me to be better, do greater things, and for that he rocks. I wouldn’t have it any other way!!”

Congrats! Please email me at anyabast(at)gmail.com w/ your mailing address and I’ll get the book out to you ASAP.

Don’t forget to enter for today’s double prize of copies of MARKED and ENTWINED by Elizabeth Naughton. Tomorrow Ava Gray will be giving away the first two books in her Skin series, so be sure and stop by.

This contest is now closed.

ZANDER — The most feared of all the Eternal Guardians. It’s rumored he can’t be killed, and he always fights like he has nothing to lose. But as a descendant of the famed hero Achilles, he’s got to have a vulnerability… somewhere.

Forces of daemons are gathering and have broken through the barriers of the Underworld. Now more than ever the Eternal Guardians are needed to protect both their own realm and the humans’. Zander can’t afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can’t fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he’s found his weakness, after all…

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Borders

Want a shot at winning this book and also a copy of MARKED? Reply to the following question. Don’t forget to check back tomorrow to see if you’ve won!

Like Achilles, Zander’s weakness might be his downfall. How about you? What are a few of your weaknesses?

By the way, Marked (book one in this series) is currently a free download at B&N!!

Excerpted from ENTWINED
ISBN: 9780505528230
Book 2 – Eternal Guardians
Available Now

“Where do you want me?”

Callia turned away from the window without meeting his eyes, dropped her
arms and pointed toward the end of the king’s now-empty desk. “There. Sit.”

Zander crossed the floor silently in bare feet and eased a hip onto the end
of the king’s long desk. He tested the piece of furniture for stability, and
when he was sure it wasn’t going to collapse under his weight, scooted back
until his legs were hanging over the edge and his bare feet dangled inches
above the floor.

She didn’t say anything about the fact he wasn’t completely naked, and he
wasn’t about to bring it up again. To distract himself, he stared down at
his toes while she moved around the room. She pulled a small side table with
her supplies next to her. Seconds later he felt her hand land on his back
and couldn’t stop the way he arched in response. When she said, “Deep
breath,” he forced himself to relax as she moved the stethoscope around,
obviously listening to his lungs.

The metal against his skin was cold, but her fingers were warm and silky-too
warm and silky. His blood was already heating just from being this close to
her, and every time she brushed his skin, it set off tremors deep in his
body. He focused on his breathing-on the steady in and out-in an attempt to
stay calm. When she moved around to stand in front of him, repeating the
order, he averted his eyes from her face and focused on the fitted white
sweater she wore instead.

Her gasp brought his head up. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“That’s not nothing.” She focused on his shoulder as she looped the
stethoscope around her neck, reached for her bag and came back with gauze
and supplies.

“Leave it,” he said before she could touch him. “It’s just a flesh wound.”

She dabbed at the dried blood with a wad of gauze. “The muscle’s torn. You
need this stitched closed before infection sets in.”

“It’s already healing.”

“I see that but-”

He grabbed her wrist, stilling her motion. A jolt ran through him at the
contact, but he ignored it. The last thing he needed was her hands on his
body more than was already necessary. “I said leave it.”

Her eyes slid from the wound to his face and held. And before he realized
it, he was staring into eyes like a Caribbean sunset in the human world.
Eyes he’d looked into countless times before as they’d made love. Eyes he’d
dreamed about numerous times in the years since until he’d woken in a cold
and aching sweat.

Thoughts vanished from his mind. The connection they’d had from the first
sparked deep in his chest, burned in the bottom of his soul. Tempted him to
reach for her and find out if she felt it, too. He couldn’t be the only one
who remembered, could he? She had to feel something when she saw him. When
she stood this close. When she touched him.

Thoughts, memories, feelings he’d kept buried for a long time pushed in as
he stared into her gem-like eyes. A movie of their time together flickered
in front of his face. And then when he got to the part where she betrayed
him, that blaze went out. Leaving behind nothing but charred ash and ruins.

It didn’t matter what she felt. Their past was over and done with. The Fates
had screwed him in more ways than one. There wasn’t anything about her now
that could change what had happened back then.

He dropped her hand as quickly as he’d grabbed it. Then glanced back at her
sweater. “Finish the exam.”

….is Robyn S., who said, “For me, I’m like everyone else. I love reading. I can’t go a day without reading. If I’m not reading and I’m not working, I love to write. Of course I have passion for friends and family.”

Congrats, Robyn!! Please drop me an email at anyabast (at) gmail.com with your mailing address and I’ll get it out to you.

Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win WICKED ENCHANTMENT today! Tomorrow Elizabeth Naughton is offering two of her awesome novels to one lucky winner, so make sure you come by to enter for that giveaway too.

This Contest is Now Closed.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Borders

When you’re a half incubus, your reputation precedes you…

All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about the half incubus who is known to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors abound of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms.

So when the Summer Queen of the fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, she is understandably on guard. She’s fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before. In addition, Gabriel might be more than he seems and his true mission is far from innocent.

This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life…

“Wicked Enchantment will draw the reader in from the very start and I absolutely can’t wait to read the next installment
in this great new series.” —The Book Lush

“I love Anya Bast’s books. Her imagination is incredible and her ability to share the worlds she develops is out of
this world . . . This book was excellent.” —Night Owl Reviews

To enter for a chance at an autographed copy of this novel, reply with your answer to the following question. Don’t forget to check back tomorrow to see if you’ve won!

Through Aislinn’s love, Gabriel finds out he’s a noble and good man willing to give up everything for her. She brings out the best in him. Who in your life brings out the best in you?

Excerpt from Wicked Enchantment

“It’s inside you, just like the power of the Wild Hunt is inside me,” he said, staring hard at her as though his gaze alone could instill the belief into her head. “Can’t you feel them talking to you sometimes? Murmuring in your head? Can’t you sense the lost ones out there calling for you—for anyone—to pay attention to them? I may not be a necromancer. I may only be Lord of the Wild Hunt, but I can hear them. I can sense them. You must able to feel them too.”

He spoke with such passion. Clearly he loved being Lord of the Wild Hunt. She never would have guessed he loved anything more than women and sex. He put on the façade of jaded courtier so well that he’d never given her a hint of the man who lay beneath the shallow pretense. There was much more to Gabriel than what he displayed.

And that made him even more deadly attractive to her.

Remember how arrogant he is. Remember his self-centeredness. Remember that he lied to you in the Rose.

Remember he risked his life to save you.

She cleared her throat and schooled her expression—not to mention the beating of her heart. “I can feel them.”

“Good. That’s the seed. It’s already planted and, I’m sure, already budding. Now all we have to do is follow the stem and make it blossom.”

He was looking at her lips again. He was also making birds and bees references. Her gaze found his lips. This was not going to work.

“Turn off the charm,” she whispered, gripping the arm rests.

“What?”

“Turn off whatever magick you use on women to make them sexually attracted to you.”

His luscious lips curved in a cocky smile. Yes, there was the arrogance. “That’s not how it works, Aislinn, and you know it. You’re just looking for things to blame your feelings on.”

He dipped his head before she could respond and caught her lips against his. She jerked back, but he followed her, pressing her head back against the cushion and slanting his mouth over hers with a groan in his throat. That groan made her think of naked bodies and silky skin, made her think of twisted sheets and fusing bodies. It made her wonder what it would be like if he kneed her thighs apart and slid inside her. To what heights could a man like Gabriel take her in bed? A man like him for whom sex was like breathing and with whom erotic promise was almost certainly fulfilled?

“Give it up. Stop fighting so hard,” he whispered against her lips. “Give it up to me. Just give me, Aislinn.” He nipped her lower lip and she shuddered with lust.

“Gabriel.” She’d meant his name to come out strong and clear, meant for it to act as a warning and make him stop. Because she wasn’t sure she could make him stop—wasn’t sure she wanted him to stop. His name came out breathy instead.

He yanked her up in one smooth movement, flush against him. The breath hissed out of her and she knew she was well and truly lost to him. One more kiss and she’d be his. He dropped his head and rubbed his mouth over hers as though savoring the taste of her lips.

It sealed the deal.

Her nipples stabbed through the material of her sweater and her breathing began to come quicker. She’d come so close to death in the dungeons of the Black Tower and now she tasted life—vibrant and erotic—on Gabriel’s lips. He could make her feel flush with blood and vitality and chase away the death that had clung to her for the last week.

She went up on her toes and pushed her mouth against his, spearing her tongue into the hot recesses of his mouth. Pulling back a little she murmured, “Yes,” against his lips.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Even the most powerful hands need a delicate touch…

Emmaline Gallagher is a master of wielding personal glamour. As a free fae who lives among humans, she must hide her true self at all times as she works undercover within the powerful Phaendir—for if certain factions within the Phaendir gain control, the fae will be wiped from existence. Now, an object of fae power lies within a locked ancient box. And there is only one fae who can forge the key.

Known as “the Blacksmith” Aeric O’Malley can create or destroy almost anything with his forging skills. Emmaline has come to him in need, but he and Emmaline have a past—and he has spent centuries wanting to take revenge on her for her transgressions. But now that he has her within his grasp, something about her keeps him from exacting his vengeance—or is it merely her glamour blinding him?

Trapped by fate, Emmaline must hope that she can reach Aeric’s furious heart before it’s too late….

RT gave CRUEL ENCHANTMENT a 4 1/2 stars SCORCHER review, “Bast’s unique voice rings loud and clear in her latest Dark Magick offering. She has a knack for creating believable worlds, then populating those worlds with thoroughly enjoyable characters.” — Annette Elton

Romance Junkies gives Cruel Enchantment Five Blue Ribbons and says, “Oh my goodness!!! After reading CRUEL ENCHANTMENT, words cannot express the emotional roller coaster I feel like I’ve just ridden…. It was intense and never wavered… I cannot wait for DARK ENCHANTMENT.” – Ann

Want a chance to win the LAST ARC of this book? Reply to the following question to enter. Don’t forget to check back tomorrow to see if you’ve won!

Aeric has intense passion for Emmaline. Even though he tries his best not to be attracted to her, his emotion rules all and he can’t resist her. What things, activities (or people) do you have an intense passion for in your life?

Excerpt from CRUEL ENCHANTMENT

He moved closer and her whole body stiffened. “So we’ve established that you killed Aileen and you’re lying about the circumstances to save your pretty ass. We’ve also established that I’m unable to kill you. The only question that remains is how I should make you pay.”

His gaze raked her up and down and his body reacted. His too big clothing hid her curves, but he’d had enough of a tantalizing glimpse of them during her shower to let his imagination run wild.

The very last thing he should be doing right now was remember the way her body looked behind that frosted glass. It was almost worse than having her naked. The image behind the shower door hinted at lush breasts—an overflowing handful—a narrow waist that flared into a generous, curvy bottom, and shapely legs.

He wanted to find out for sure, using his hands and maybe his tongue, too.

He’d brutally suppressed the urge before, tamping down the attraction he felt for her because it wasn’t right. Now, in the violent wake of what Emmaline had told him and his subsequent confusion over whether or not it was true—all that want came rushing back at him. It didn’t matter that it was horribly misplaced.

And damned if he could remember why he shouldn’t give in to it.

* * * * *

He was looking at her without anger in his eyes for once.

Okay, maybe there was a little anger in his eyes, but she had the feeling that the anger—for whatever mystical and unbelievable reason—wasn’t directed at her, but at himself. And anger wasn’t the only thing in his expression right now; there was hunger, too.

And that was all for her.

Her heart thudded so fast and so hard she thought it might break her ribs. What the hell? His behavior had changed so quickly she practically had whiplash.

“Aeric?” she whispered. She wasn’t even aware his name had slipped past her lips until it was out there. She didn’t know what to do with this sudden turn of events . . . although her body sure seemed to know. Her mind was awhirl with confusion, but the rest of her was quite aware that the man she’d wanted and fantasized about for so long was inches away from her . . . and seemed to actually want her back.

“Fuck,” he growled, bracing his hand on the wall right near her ear and moving closer to her. “This is not a good thing.”

“No.” She licked her lips—a nervous habit she’d had since she was a kid, no matter what guise she used. “This is not a good thing for either of us.”

His mouth almost brushed hers when he spoke. Her body flared to life, singing to almost painful arousal. Her nipples leapt to hard little points and she ached between her thighs. This man seemed to either terrify her, piss her off, or plunge her straight into animalistic heat.

His voice was a low growl, laced with anger. “I should chain you to my bed in charmed iron and take my revenge that way.”

She closed her eyes, her breath shuddering out of her. “I wouldn’t object.”

His eyes narrowed like a hunter’s sighting prey—and, boy, was she ever. Wounded, limping prey at that. She had no chance. “Don’t you have any shame?” he asked in a low, harsh voice.

“Not where you’re concerned. I never have.”

He eased her against him and dropped his mouth to her throat. Goose bumps erupted all over her skin. He nipped her flesh and then licked the small hurt. As though he wanted to punish her, but couldn’t make himself do it…..

Twenty Days of Enchantment

(This post will remain sticky until September 7th. Scroll past this for the daily book giveaways.)

Preorder from Amazon

Preorder from Barnes & Noble

Preorder from Borders

From August 16th to September 7th I’ll be giving away a book every day (except Sundays) here on my blog. Check back every day for your chance to win. The contests for the daily giveaways and the grand prizes are open to international entrants. These giveaways are void where prohibited. There will be books from Elizabeth Naughton, Ann Aguirre, Beth Kery, Lauren Dane and Cynthia Eden (just to name a few).

Scroll past this post for the daily book giveaways. Today’s book of the day is an ARC of CRUEL ENCHANTMENT, the only one I’ll be giving away. (Already given away!)

The Grand Prize – $75 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble.

Runner-Up Prize – A big box of books, bath goodies, chocolate and other surprises.

To enter, read the excerpt on my web site, find the answer to the following question and SEND THE ANSWER VIA EMAIL to anyabast (at) yahoo.com using TWENTY DAYS OF ENCHANTMENT as the subject line. What did Emmaline do to Aeric and how does she feel about entering Piefferburg after all these years? What is she afraid of?

Want TWO shots at the grand prize?

You can double your shot at winning if you spread the word about this contest. If you have a blog, LJ, facebook, ect, or you’re on Twitter, post about the contest and provide a link to this blog. If you don’t have a blog and don’t do social media, please just tell a friend and direct them here. Reply to this blog telling me how you did it and you have your second entry.

WINNERS MUST CHECK BACK TO SEE IF THEY’VE WON AND CONTACT ME TO COLLECT PRIZES — ANYABAST(AT)GMAIL.COM!

Good luck!!