Shield Wolf: LIULF – Preview Excerpt

Liulf_CoverHere’s a PREVIEW excerpt from one of the ALL NEW stories included in the Scottish Shifter Box Set, to release September 18th.

From Liulf, New Scotia Pack 1, Mahdrah Ahlee by Victoria Danann

Liulf squatted on the castle parapet with his back to the sound of the ocean crashing against Girnigoe’s black craig cliffs. If he let himself think about the damp cold or the January wind that tried to penetrate flesh and bone, he’d start to shiver in a way that would rack his whole body. So he’d learned to focus on other things. Looking east, over the land he loved, he felt a sense of pride and history. And memory. In his slightly less than four hundred years, he’d covered every inch of pack territory in wolf form and much of it in biped form as well. He knew he was blessed with good things, but that didn’t fill the underlying emptiness that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. Lack of purpose maybe. There wasn’t much satisfaction in guarding a border without an aggressor.

That very day a wolf had said it was easy for Liulf to make reckless choices because he didn’t have a mate. Liulf had kept his face passive, but inside the words had stung. It wasn’t as if he could control destiny. What Lycan didn’t want to find his mate? Well, perhaps Conn would prefer to be a bachelor wolf forever.

It was true that Liulf could have settled for a bitch who was merely compatible, as most did. But he hadn’t because he knew there was more. There was mating that was, well, magical. He wouldn’t say so out loud because his brothers would never stop razzing him if he did. But he lived with a constant yearning that never subsided, spoken or not.

All the fucking in the world wouldn’t take the edge off his desire. And he should know. All he had to do was keep from cursing the Fates until they saw fit to gift him with the one. The one he knew was out there.

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WANT EVEN MORE BLACK SWAN AND SOON? If I reach my goal of 500 supporters, I will write a follow-up novella to Moonlight and make it free the first week it’s out. So support this thunderclap AND invite your friends!

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Black Swan Emotion Quotient? SURVEY SAYS…

My most emotional writing moments…

Perhaps it won’t surprise you that many of them conform to your most emotional reading moments.

There have been three times that I have cried so hard, when writing, that I couldn’t see the PC screen and had to take breaks to get through the scene. 1. Elora’s dolmen labor. 2. Kris Falcon getting a medal. 3. When Storm sees Rosie on a San Francisco street corner and says, “I missed it.”

The sexiest moments I ever wrote were both in My Familiar Stranger. 1. Elora: If you bite me, I will stake you. Baka: If I bite you, I’ll stake myself.  2. Ram tries to draw Elora back into the New Forest cottage. He rubs the collar of her sweater between his fingers and says, “Soft.”

There have been a few times that I have made myself laugh. Baka’s enjoyment of the alley scene wherein he blabs about Elora taking out a vamp with a toothpick. Another not mentioned here, at Derry when Kay has tried to cover up a blunder and tells his sister that his reference to Baka as a vampire is an inside joke. Baka says, “Indeed. Nothing says funny like vampire.”

This was the question as posed on author and fan page on Facebook.

What was your MOST emotional moment in the whole Knights of Black Swan series? (laughter, tears, shock, etc.)

Can’t tell you how much fun I had reading the responses. There were nearly seventy answers in all. Here are the results. I have included a smattering of comments. If yours isn’t here, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t great. We just got a lot.

THE TOP NINE RESPONSES…

9. Elora finding out she was pregnant. (Book 1)

Yvette Nakita Clark When ram and Elora find out they are pregnant! I mean come on a baby ram? That would make any woman cry!

8. Spaz on the intercom. (Book 5)

Teri Brittin laughter … Spaz over the PA system 🙂  I was rolling

7. Storm waiting at the wall for Litha. (Book 2)

Laurie Johnson When Storm goes everyday and sits at the wall waiting for Litha to return. Broke my heart to see this tough alpha going through all that emotional turmoil!

6 CREATION: Prologue to A Tale of Two Kingdoms. (Book 6)

Anna Salamatin Jaw dropping moment…”Creation” when I realized what the project really was and that Dr.Pierce had set up the misfit group of seven to fail!  It was a true.  W.T.F? Moment for me. I actually had to go back and read that whole thing again.

5. Sol’s death. (Book 5)

Anna-Marie Coomber My best part was how Rosie was born,  I laughed out loud at that.  My biggest sheck was when Sol died I cried my eyes out.

Ann Ellis I really thought the fighting scenes at the academy in “Gathering Storm” were funny, tense and sad. Also when everyone got the news that Sol was dead was a tear jerker for me.

4. The trainees being honored for heroism. (Book 5)

Terry McHone There were incredible highs and devastating lows, but when Elora decided to honor her trainees for their courage and their willingness to die for her and she asked Kris to say something… that was it. He could not find the words and for that moment I felt so bad for him, until all the trainees leapt out to surround him. There was that next gen of knights already formed, and i cried.

Mountain Crew Book 5, when the boys get recognition for what they did!

3. Elora leaving Storm for Ram. (Book 1)

Randy Abend When Elora kisses Storm at the airport and realizes she loves Ram and has to travel to Rammel and the finally meet at Rams home, and she questions herself, but Ram knows what to do. So awesome.

Lindsay Thompson I was so shocked when Elora left with Storm, at first and then realized it was Ram she was meant to be with.

The most emotional for me was when Elora told Ram she wasn’t picking him. I think I died inside! – Sarah, Assistant to Victoria

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Debera A. Smith OK, so this is really harder than I thought. There are so many that as soon as I think of one I thinks of others. I laughed hysterically ove the toothpick scene and Storm waiting by the wall for Litha tore at my heart. But, I think I am going with the whole story line from when Elora tells Storm she can’t go with him that she loves Ram. Through her making the long trip to him and her fear when she    finds the cottage empty. Right up and through the love scene when Ram finally arrives and has to convince her again to stay.I think I held my breath the first time I read it until they were finally in bed!! And with that story line I laughed and cried and even both at once. SO, that is it!!

2.  Storm missing Rosie’s childhood. (Book 5)

Shanna Rankin Mine was when Storm was in the different dimension and couldn’t get back. I balled my eyes out cause he was missing out on seeing Rosie grow up and all those special moments.

Nelta Baldwin Mathias In GS when Deliverance loses Storm and he misses out on Rosie’s growing up….all I could think about was how he had wanted to teach her to ride a bike….broke my heart..

Diane Nix When Litha realized how much of their child’s development that Storm would miss while he was in another dimension.  Not only is it hard to lose your mate, worse when you know your mate is out there, wanting to get back, and your child has to grow up without a parent.

1. Elora giving birth in the wolves’ dolmen den. (Book 3)

Gemma Hopgood  My most emotional moment was when Elora was Trying to defend herself against the assassins sent from her own dimension to kill her, whilst heavily pregnant. She was taken in by the wolves who looked after her and the coming baby as she laboured without Ram, battered & bleeding from the fight, emotionally and physically drained from the labour so far thinking that he would not be able to find her! Believing she and the baby would die. The moment he found her and their hands touched I was in floods of tears! Softy I know!!

Tara L Cribb Absolutely hands down when Elora is fighting the assasins and the Wolves defend her and she gives birth to Helm injured and hurt. I was ugly crying and could not stop reading.

Rose Holub I think my favorite part was in A Summoner’s Tale when Elora goes into labor.What she goes through & who she is with is one of the most moving parts of the whole series to me. I have a profound love of wolves so that part of the story (& what led up to it) is very moving for me.

Pam James When Elora was Having Helm with the wolves protecting her. I was crying so hard. Then the Black Swan Knights came to rescue her. So Very emotional! (in A Summoners Tale)

Kriss Mosconi It has to be Elora having the baby in the wolves den by herself. Hurt and in pain then going into labor. Talk about edge of your seat.

RESULTS:

A. Gathering Storm is the most emotional book. Four out of the top nine answers came from events in Book 5.

B. When reporting emotion, you chose crying over laughter or surprise. Seven out of the top nine answers referred to tear spillage.

C. The #1 event received TWICE as many votes as #2. In other words, it won by a landslide.

In a class by itself.

1375256_669885726368817_563616439_nTHE FAMOUS

TOOTHPICK SCENE…

I admit to being clueless the first time a fan asked for a photo with me and a toothpick. LOL – Victoria

Cheryl Lewis Fennimore I think the toothpick scene has to be my all time favorite.  I wanted to stand up and cheer “Hell Yeah Elora; give ’em wood for me too!”

Eleanor Allen-Jenkins Laughter – Bakka’s uncontrollable laughter & taking notes when Elora killed a vampire with a toothpick!

Karin Vaughan Sedor I agree with Eleanor Allen-Jenkins as to the toothpick scene. I could just see them all standing there while Baka explained the whole event. That made me laugh so hard bout peed my pants.
 

p.s. Somebody always has to be different…

Fawn Phillips I think we all agree that these books have such a wide array of emotions that you feel as you read them. For me tho, one silly little part really stuck with me in Moonlight. A scene that had me rereading and laughing just because: “As to whether or not I’m here willingly…” She cocked her hip, put her hand there, and used a bored monotone to say, “Help. I’ve been kidnapped by a werewolf and there’s no escape.”

Rebecca Stigers The fight at Jefferson Unit when the Z team ignored Elora made me so mad I wanted to kick them and then I got happy when the young Vamp’s locked them in the pen that Blackie use to stay in! Now that made it all better!

Patricia Smith How about when Ram needed a paper bag to breathe in when Elora met Baka for the first time! ….snickers…Big bad man of B Team! Lol That was classic!!

Shannon Cutrer Armstrong When Storm proposes to Litha at Kay and Kindra’s wedding and he wants to get married right now!  I was was crying tears of joy.

Bobbi Kinion A Tale of Two Kingdoms when Duff and Aelsong are forced to stay away from each other and then finally being able to be with each other only to be ripped apart again just because of a war between their kind was so heart wrenching.

Mich Burr I was an emotional wreck whilst reading what happens to baka and how he was changed and the things he did 🙁
 

Tina Talkington When I realized I was reading a ‘romance’ novel….and actually enjoying it…getting into the characters and breathlessly waiting for the next chapter.

 

Black Swan – A Return to Romance – Monday, Feb. 10th

Black Swan is getting a new look. Yes, indeed. Some of the covers of your favorite books in the series have gotten a facelift. This week I will present one a day ending Friday – Valentine’s Day – with a cover reveal and announcement regarding the next book. Starting today, Monday, with MOONLIGHT.

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Victoria’s unique take on Red Riding Hood.

 

“Oh, yeah.”

Three Winners – 2013 REVIEWERS' CHOICE AWARDS

2013PRG1st place High ResREVIEWERS’ CHOICE AWARDS were announced last night. I’m so proud to say that all three nominations won.

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2013 WINNER – Best Paranormal Romance SeriesBLACK SWAN

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2013 WINNER – Best Paranormal
Romance Novel
(General) – A
SUMMONER’S TALE

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2013 WINNER – Best Paranormal Romance Novel (Vampires & Shifters) MOONLIGHT

To everyone who voted, and especially those who campaigned by sharing, thank you more than I can say.

 

WHAT A THRILL !!! 

Black Swan Collected Tales, Books 1-6 Release

The Order of the Black Swan is a serial saga including My Familiar Stranger, The Witch’s Dream, A Summoner’s Tale, Moonlight, Gathering Storm, and NEVER BEFORE RELEASED Book 6, A Tale of Two Kingdoms.

Once upon a time a girl lost everything familiar. She escaped death by being forced into an experiment that left her in another world where modern day knights, elves, vampires, werewolves, witches, demons and fae became her allies, friends and family. She discovered a place where adventure intersects fairytales, where honor is more than an ideal, and she learned that love can find you in the strangest places, when you’re least expecting it, even when you’re far, far from home. This is the story of Elora Laiken’s strange and wonderful journey. It is also the story of those whose lives she touches along the way.

If you love romance, paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, contemporary, this series is right for you. 17+

ISBN: 978-1-933320-94-6

533,000 word

 iTunes     SMASHWORDS    KOBO      B&N 

 On Amazon the set is available as Black Swan Collected Tales, 1-3 and 4-6.

Lovely Letters

Friends of Black Swan, Mark and JoBeth Harris, shared the series with a friend. What a nice surprise to have that friend post this comment on Facebook.

As most of you know I am an avid reader…I love my books and that is how I relax.  I read psychological thrillers, mysteries, espionage some horror and some fantasy/scifi…I am a *huge*snob when it comes to ‘romance’ books…hate them…look down my nose at them…etc.  Which is why I’m writing this little note to everyone…. Mark Harris and JoBeth Sexton-Harris recommended a series of books by… Victoria Danann..they are considered ‘paranormal romance’…so being the snob that I am…I figured I wouldn’t like them but I’d give it a try since none of my regular authors had anything new out….

WOW…was I surprised….

while there is romance in them and would not be recommended for under 17…these are some of the best books I’ve read…I started the first one about a week ago…and am starting the 4th in the series now…the characters are well written, there is mystery, twists, turns…I’ve become ‘friends’ with the characters…can ‘see’ the places described in my head….it is a great series…It’s called The Order of the Black Swan series…well worth the time…the characters are wonderful…I love discovering new authors….thanks Mark and Beth!!!!
Thank you, Tina Talkington.

highlight book title to see on Amazon

PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FANTASY

Not Too Late 1. Midlife Magic

Not Too Late 2. Midlife Blues

Not Too Late. 3. Midlife Mojo

Not Too Late 4. Midlife at Midnight

Not Too Late 5. Midlife at Midsummer

Not Too Late 6. Trials of Tregeagle

Not Too Late 7.  Hallow Hill at Halloween – Part One 

Not Too Late 8. Hallow Hill at Halloween – Part Two

KNIGHTS OF BLACK SWAN PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Knights of Black Swan 1. My Familiar Stranger

Knights of Black Swan 2. The Witch’s Dream

Knights of Black Swan 3. A Summoner’s Tale

Knights of Black Swan 4. Moonlight

Knights of Black Swan 5. Gathering Storm

Knights of Black Swan 6. A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Knights of Black Swan 7. Solomon’s Sieve

Knights of Black Swan 8. Vampire Hunter

***Be sure to pause the series and read  Exiled 1. CARNAL before going on to Journey Man.

Knights of Black Swan 9. Journey Man

Knights of Black Swan 10. Falcon

Knights of Black Swan 11. Jax

Knights of Black Swan 12. Trespass

Knights of Black Swan 13. Irish War Cry

Knights of Black Swan 14.  Deliverance

Knights of Black Swan 15. Black Dog

Knights of Black Swan 16. The Music Demon

Order of the Black Swan Novels

Black Swan Novel Prince of Demons

WITCHES & WARLOCKS

Witches of Wimberley 1-3

Warlock Coven 1.QUEST

THE HYBRIDS

Exiled 1. CARNAL

Exiled 2. CRAVE

Exiled 3. CHARMING

THE WEREWOLVES

New Scotia Pack 1, Shield Wolf

New Scotia Pack 2. Wolf Lover

New Scotia Pack 3. Fire Wolf

Hotblooded 1. Stalk

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

SSMC Austin, TX, Book 1. Two Princes

SSMC Austin, TX, Book 2. The Biker’s Brother

SSMC Austin, TX, Book 3. Nomad

SSMC Austin, TX, Book 4. Devil’s Marker

SSMC Austin, TX, Book 5. Roadhouse

CDMC Lafayette, LA Book 1. Batiste