Paranormal Romance Howloween Blog Hop - #Giveaway - #HopswithHeart

Update 11/3

And the Winners:

Blog Prize--e-book copy of Sea Panther: Mary Frances Roya

Grand Prize--$50 Amazon Gift Card: Janet Haselden
 

 

www.hopswithheart.blogspot.com

Welcome to the Paranormal Romance Howloween blog hop. I so enjoy this time of year. We keep a lit ceramic jack-o-lantern that I made years ago in the window for the month of October. On Halloween evening, we play spooky music through speakers to the front yard. Last year, I dressed as a witch to handout treats to the kids. I'll do the same this year. And my husband plans to join me, sporting the mask from V for Vendetta. Should be fun.

One of the kids who visited last year asked if I was dressed as a vampire. I guess my goth-look witch costume can also pass for a vampire. Do you like vampire stories? Shapeshifters? How about a Highlander transformed into a vampire / Florida panther shifter?


Can love mend a fractured soul?

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After evading arrest for Jacobite activities, Scottish nobleman Robert MacLachlan turns privateer. A Caribbean Voodoo priestess curses him to an eternal existence as a vampire shifter torn between the dual natures of a Florida panther and an immortal blood-thirsting man. For centuries, he seeks to reverse the black magic whilst maintaining his honor. Cruising the twenty-first century Atlantic, he becomes shorthanded to sail his 90-foot yacht, Sea Panther. The last thing he wants is a female crewmember and the call of her blood.

Although she swore never to sail again after her father died in a sailing accident, Kimberly Scot answers the captain's crew wanted ad to escape a hit man. She's lost everything, her fiancé, her job, and most of her money, along with money belonging to her ex-clients. A taste of Kimberly's blood convinces Robert she is the one woman who can claim the panther's heart. To break the curse, they travel back in time to where it all began—Jamaica 1715.

The simple act of returning the woman’s scarf had taken a dangerous turn when their fingers touched. Robert managed to control the vampire by sheer will alone. Nonetheless, the power surge coursing through his veins from the brief contact with the lass awakened the panther. He barely made it to the tall grass on the outskirts of town before being claimed by the transformation.

He chose not to fight the change. He welcomed it with every fiber of his being.

Heart raced. Blood throbbed at his temples and a tortured curse escaped his lips. He discarded his garments and clenched his teeth. Muscles ripped and tendons snapped and bones distorted to conform to the panther’s shape. Coarse golden fur tipped with a reddish tinge rippled over bare skin, making him quiver with urgency.

Nostrils flared, he sniffed the salty breeze. There would be precious few moments for his pleasure before the beast seized complete control.

He darted through the salt marsh, paws sinking into moist earth. His growl sounded out a soul-wrenching lament on the injustice of his life. Robert couldn’t shake the feminine image of the tall graceful woman with brown curls and haunted chocolate eyes. The desire to mate shook him to the core.

Far from the trappings of civilization, he slowed to a rhythmic lope. He hoped no one found the tracks. The headlines would be sensational.

Big Cats Return to South Jersey

Cougar Tracks Sighted in Cape May County

On closer inspection, a zoologist would recognize the smaller pawprints and attribute them to the Florida panther, Puma concolor coryi. Researchers would bombard the foundation with inquiries. His secret would be in jeopardy.

The panther reared its full power and forced away Robert’s human thoughts.

A raccoon moving through the reeds caught his keen gaze. He pounced on the prey. Yet on the fringes of consciousness remained the unquenched desire for his mate.

Sea Panther Giveaway

Here is your chance to receive a gift e-book copy of Sea Panther (Kindle or Nook). Just leave a comment below telling me about your favorite Halloween activity. I'll draw one name after the hop has ended. Good luck!

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Thanks for participating in the Paranormal Romance Halloween blog hop. Be sure to check out: Hops with Heart for future blog hops. Now, hop along to some of the other participating blogs...

Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

Today for Sneak Peek Sunday, unbeknownst to the captain, the first mate invites Kimberly to come aboard for the night and she has a nightmare...

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The animal growled. A blood curdling sound that raised the hairs on her arms. Canines bared, he leapt toward her. Lunged for her throat. She toppled backward; fell over the edge, screamed.

She woke with her body covered in sweat.

Another growl echoed in the night. This one sounded like a tomcat yowling, though louder. More frightening.

Kimberly bolted up in the bed. With a shaky hand, she reached for the switch and turned on the reading light over the bunk.

The cabin door swung open.

The captain stood in the doorway. Gorgeous cinnamon eyes bore into her. His intimidating breadth and height pressed against the edges of the small portal made him appear larger. Dangerous.




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Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

Another Sneak Peek Sunday. What did the captain decide? ...

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He left. The door closed with a thud.

Kimberly breathed a sigh of relief. The room seemed less stifling without the captain’s overwhelming presence. She strolled to the window and peered out at the spotlighted winter garden. Cottony snow capped a collection of sculpted evergreens.

The old men at the Rusty Scupper had it right. The captain was a strange man. Like the actors in her favorite old movies, his speech and mannerisms imitated a bygone era. Was it an affectation or did it come naturally to him?

She savored the last taste of the cabernet. Raspberry and plum aromas with a hint of cassis flavor. In truth, the wine was excellent. As she placed the empty glass on a table, the door opened again. She tensed and swung around.

Colin stood in the doorway, a grin on his face. “So you’ve ensnared the captain.”

“He hired me if that’s what you mean.” She couldn’t help returning the Scotsman’s smile.




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Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

Now that the conventions on my schedule for 2014 are over, I can get back to a weekly Sneak Peek Sunday. Kimberly is still meeting with the captain, hoping he'll offer her a crewing job on Sea Panther...

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Kimberly held her breath. He had to hire her. He just had to. It would be the perfect opportunity to slip away. No one would think to look for her on a yacht sailing south this late in the season.

The captain sprang from his seat. With graceful catlike movements, he crossed the room to tower over her. She refused to be intimidated, and held her ground, allowing him to crowd her.

“Why do you want to crew for me?” he demanded with a sneer.

His rude manner got under her skin. Air left her lungs with a soft hiss.

One. Two. She silently counted to ten and swallowed her pride.

“I’m homeless. Crewing for you will give me a place to live.” She gazed into the most alluring eyes. Her stomach did a somersault. Idiot. She couldn’t believe she was attracted to the infuriating man.




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~Dawn Marie

Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

It's Sunday, time for a Sneak Peek. I'm sorry I missed the last couple of Sundays due to traveling, but here is a new sneak peek. Kimberly is still meeting with the captain, hoping he'll offer her a crewing job on Sea Panther...

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Captain MacLachlan arched an eyebrow. “Do you have a problem working with men?”

“Of course not.” She wouldn’t allow him to think her a sexist. “But I do wonder if they’ll have a problem working with me.”

“My crew will do as I order.”

“That doesn’t mean they’ll want to work with me.” Kimberly rose from the chair, unable to sit any longer. She’d been shocked at the pub to learn Sea Panther’s mysterious captain was the same man who owned the yacht. What a coincidence she’d met him on the street the other night. She flicked glances in his direction while she paced.

His penetrating stare tracked her every move. “It might ease your mind to know my sister will meet us in Annapolis and will sail with us until we reach Florida.”

A surprise and a relief. “Does that mean I have the job?”



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~Dawn Marie

Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

It's Sunday, time for a Sneak Peek. Kimberly is still meeting with the captain, hoping he'll offer her a crewing job on Sea Panther...

E-book available from Amazon,
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Kimberly struggled not to fidget under the scrutiny of her host.

Dressed in form-hugging black pants, a starched white tuxedo shirt open at the throat and stretched across a broad chest, and with the scar on a dangerously handsome face, Captain MacLachlan did look like a pirate. An eye-patch and sword, and a kerchief over his short spiked hair would complete the swashbuckler effect. Kimberly tried not to sigh at the image. She had to stop watching those classic old movies.

From his charming smile on their first meeting, she wouldn’t have expected him to be such an ill-tempered man. Tonight, however, his dark expression unnerved her. As did the odd sensation when they touched.

She rubbed her palm on her thigh—the palm still tingling from their handshake.

From the way the captain snatched his hand away, she would have thought him stung.

Silence stretched. Kimberly couldn’t stand the suspense. “Will there be other women onboard?” She burst out with the question that worried her most.

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Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

It's Sunday, time for a Sneak Peek. Kimberly has gone to meet with the captain...

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He hesitated before shaking her hand. Would her touch produce the same effect as on their last meeting? He tightened control on the vampire and the panther, and grasped the slender hand.

Zap.

Her eyes widened. He yanked his arm away and extinguished the unwanted flame of lust hardening his loins. This woman meant trouble.

“Sit,” he barked.

Though her hands trembled, she did as directed. He trembled too. Needing time to rein in the chaotic emotions, he poured wine into two goblets from the bottle on the wet bar. He handed her one, careful not to make physical contact again. “I own this establishment. The wine is excellent.”

“Thank you,” she said and accepted the glass.

He grunted. God, he was being rude.



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Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

Another Sunday, another Sneak Peek. Kimberly has gone to meet with the captain...

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Before he could wrap his mind around the why of his first mate’s actions, a knock sounded at the door. “Enter,” he yelled and continued to stare at the garden through the private dining room’s paned windows. He was acting rude, but he wanted to assert control over the battling beasts before facing the woman who managed to wheedle Colin into giving a recommendation.

The sound of a feminine throat clearing stiffened his spine, and he whirled around to face the woman. Oxygen left him in a rush. There stood the lass who haunted his dreams for the past night and day—since he saw her on the street and returned the damn scarf. The simple touch of their fingers had produced sparks. Remnants of the intense jolt of power that released the panther from tight restraints continued to surge through his blood.

He needed to be wary of this dangerous woman. He couldn’t hire her—have her near him, night after night, for the entire duration of a cruise. Too great would be temptation.

Robert studied her tall, slim form. She appeared elegant even though casually dressed. Soft chocolate eyes peered from a sculpted ivory face framed by shoulder-length curly brown hair. His gaze fed on lush lips that begged for passionate kisses.

When a pink tongue darted out and moistened those lips, every muscle in his body clenched. Fire raced through his veins. He was lost.

He couldn’t allow it. He strengthened his resolve. “Please, have a seat,” he reluctantly offered.



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Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

It's that time, again, for Sneak Peek Sunday. Before we get started, welcome to A Summer For Love Blog Hop visitors. Please click the below link to jump directly to the hop post:

A Summer For Love Blog Hop

Continuing from last week: Colin, Sea Panther's first mate, has offered to set up a meeting with the captain and left the bar...

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“Aren’t you afraid to crew for the Panther? He’s a hard man.” The other bar patron dressed in a black wool fisherman sweater finally spoke.

Kimberly didn’t understand the urge to jump to the captain’s defense. She’d never met the man. Didn’t know his name. “If you know a reason I shouldn’t crew on Sea Panther, I wish you would tell me what it is.”

“Well, there’s rumors is all,” Tinker said.

These men thought she should be afraid. Why? “Please, tell me more.”

“Captain MacLachlan’s a reclusive billionaire,” Mackey said.

“Some say he’s,” the man in the sweater looked around the barroom wide-eyed as if fearing the walls hid listening ears, “a pirate.”



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Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday: Sea Panther

Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday. Continuing from last week: Colin, Sea Panther's first mate, has offered to set up a meeting with the captain and left the bar...

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“Colin is okay, but the captain is strange,” the patron who’d started to speak earlier said.

An uneasy sensation settled in her chest. “What do you mean?”

“He’s never seen other than at night…and there are rumors.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“Dark tales.”

Kimberly bit her bottom lip, and Mackey scowled at the man. “Do shush, Tinker. Don’t be scaring the lady.”




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Sneak Peek Sunday (#SPeekSunday): Sea Panther

Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday. Colin, Sea Panther's first mate, has offered to set up a meeting with the captain...

E-book available from Amazon,
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He chugged the remainder of his beer and tossed a ten-dollar bill on the bar. “Take care, Mackey.” He inclined his head to her. “Good day, Miss Scot.” Before walking out the door, he called back, “Be there at ten. Don’t be late, the captain hates tardiness.”

He chuckled and pushed out the door.

Kimberly exhaled sharply and glanced at the bartender. He stared as if mesmerized by a favorite reality show on TV. She smiled. Now that the course was set, she wanted a drink. Needed one, actually. As the mate said, it must be after five somewhere in the world.

“A glass of red wine, please.” She swiveled from side to side on the barstool.

“Right away, miss, but you should have let Colin buy the drink. His captain is swimming in money.”

She leaned forward. Now she’d get the real poop.



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Sneak Peek Sunday #SPeekSunday SEA PANTHER

Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday. Continuing from last week...

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Mackey tilted his head toward Kimberly. “This lady here is interested in crewing for the Panther.”

The redheaded man glanced at her. One side of his mouth quirked up, and he shook his head a couple of times. Then he measured her with a stare and gestured to the barstool next to him. “Join me, lass.”

Another man with a Scottish burr. Were Scotsmen taking over South Jersey? Kimberly hid nervous amusement behind a cough then shored up her courage and slid onto the stool next to the big man. Either she had impeccable timing or fate had taken an interest.

“Care for a drink?” he asked.

“No thanks, too early for me.”

“Suit yourself, though I’m sure it’s happy hour somewhere.” He grabbed the refilled beer mug from Mackey and took a long swallow. Setting the mug on the bar, he spun on the stool to face her. “Colin MacEwen.”


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Sneak Peek Sunday (#SPeekSunday): Sea Panther

Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday. Continuing from last week...

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Trade paperback available
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The scruffy guy seated on the closest stool rubbed his gray beard. “You want to crew for the Panther? You’re a brave girl.”

“Isn’t that wise?”

The bartender shot the patron a scathing glare, and the man stared down into his beer mug. The door creaked open with a burst of cold air; everyone glanced in that direction. A tall, brawny man with red hair and ruddy complexion sauntered in and approached the bar. The bartender handed him a foamy mug, which he downed in two gulps. Then he sat on a stool at the end of the bar and pushed the empty mug toward the bartender. “Another, Mackey.”

Mackey laughed. “Have a bad day, Colin?”

“Aye, you might say that. Worked up a heavy thirst.”

“Well, your day is about to improve.”

I'm very excited. Sea Panther received 4.5 / 5 and is a reviewer top pick at Night Owl Reviews: "Spine tingling tension from several different subplots keeps the reader shivering in anticipation..." Click HERE to read full review.



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~Dawn Marie

Sneak Peek Sunday (#SPeekSunday): Sea Panther

Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday. Continuing from last week...

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Trade paperback available
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The dank smells of stale beer and perspiration and moldy wood, mixed with a hint of urine, assaulted Kimberly as she entered the decrepit bar. Her eyes required a few seconds to adjust to the dimness.

Three salty old men stared at her from bar stools twisted in her direction. The other stood behind the bar, drying a streaked glass with a stained linen towel.

She swallowed, suppressing an urge to run out the door. Lead took up residence in her legs as she walked across the sticky plank floor to the bar. The bartender smiled, showing tobacco-stained teeth. Kimberly fiddled with the tattered index card in her hand.

“Can I help you, miss?” The bartender dropped a cardboard coaster in front of her.

“I’m interested in the crew position on Sea Panther.”

Three sets of eyes widened. Not a good sign.


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Sneak Peek Sunday (#SPeekSunday): Sea Panther

Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday. Kimberly has gone to the address mentioned in an ad for a crew position on the 90-ft yacht—Sea Panther...

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The sign over the door hung from one hook. There were two, fifty-dollar pickups parked in the gravel lot. Not exactly encouraging.

A chill breeze tickled her cheeks, and she shoved her hands into deep coat pockets. The sun sat high in the cloudless sky. If there was a better time to get this over with, she didn’t know it. The last thing she wanted was to be here after dark.

Kimberly stiffened her spine and marched to the door, the crunch of frozen gravel overloud, then pulled the index card out of the pocket and stared at the masculine penned block letters. Rusty Scupper.

This is the place. Layers of chipped black paint and battered hinges. Looked as if the door had been kicked in dozens of times. The owner of the B&B had hinted this section of town had a seedy reputation. Guess he got that right.

Maybe it would be better not—

Get a grip, Kimberly. You can do this. She grabbed the grimy knob and twisted.


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~Dawn Marie