Sunday, February 19, 2012

Blog Tour: Serena Zane

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.
It is with great pleasure that I feature:
Serena Zane!

The Christmas Present
By Serena Zane

When you have dreams to escape your own life, you might wish for anything. It’s Christmas Eve, and Detective Stephanie Wills wants nothing more than someone who will love her, in spite of her family.
As she makes her New Year’s Resolution list, Stephanie sets out with good intentions that all seem to fall apart Christmas Day when she is called into work. Not wanting to, she must contact her family for help. The Christmas present hanging suspended from a beam at 5th Street Art Gallery was left by a vampire.

Book Trailer : http://youtu.be/puEuX3W8tAo

Books to go Now: http://www.bookstogonow.com/thechristmaspresent.html
Amazon Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ASJQKQ
Amazon UK Ebook: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006ASJQKQ
Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1036585889?ean=2940013502369
Serenazane.com: http://www.serenazane.com
All Romance: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thechristmaspresent-667496-172.html
Sweettale Books: http://sweettalebooks.com/christmasbooks.html


Excerpt The Christmas Present
Preview
Chapter 1
      Large white flakes of snow floated down. Stephanie Wills stood on her back porch.  Her finger trailed a path along the cold metal of the old wrought iron railing.  It was Christmas Eve, and she was alone.  The spot where her engagement ring had rested was bare.
Who needs men anyway?  Stephanie raised the champagne glass to her lips. Not me. Nope.  It had been the same all her life.  One guy after another had left.  Her damn family always chased them off, and Daniel was no different.  She had waited this time, until she had a ring on her finger, and a wedding date set.  It hadn’t done any good.
Stephanie’s brother had let the cat out of the bag, crashing in on their nice family dinner, looking like he’d been beaten and dragged through the dirt for a few hundred yards.  She guessed that wasn’t far from the truth.  Daniel had been fine with that part. It was when her brother yelled to secure the house, and her mother handed him a stake that things really started to turn.
The night ended with Daniel walking stunned from her parents home, after an all-out battle against a group of vampires.  He’d asked for his ring back, and Stephanie was too proud to deny him.  After all, who wanted to have a family of vampire hunters as their in-laws? A tear slipped down her cheek.  She sniffed and wiped angrily at the tear, taking a gulp of champagne.  Stephanie was giving up on men.
Christmas lights twinkled at her merrily.  Perhaps she shouldn’t give up on men entirely, after all.  They were so much fun to have around, most of the time.  Maybe she could make a list; a New Year’s Resolution list.  The New Year was just around the corner.  People came up with lists all the time.  Why not one for relationships?  Knowing just what she would put at the top of her list, she wanted to get started.
Stephanie stumbled back into the house, glared at the Christmas tree in the corner of her living room, and made her way to the desk.  Placing her glass on the desktop, she yanked open a drawer, pulled out a notepad, and rummaged around for a pen that would write.  After several unsuccessful tries, she growled and marched over to her police jacket hanging from her coat rack.  Stephanie pulled out the pen she knew worked, smiled at it, and sat down to write her list.
At the top, she scrawled Resolutions.
1)      No settling for less, go only for eternal bliss – no more losers
2)      Stay away from my family and all things supernatural
3)      Lose 10 pounds
There. Stephanie racked her brain.  She couldn’t come up with anything else right now, and her head was spinning.  Glaring at her champagne glass, she pushed it back on her desk and stood up.
Maybe a good movie would take her mind off things? Wondering what was on the television she wandered over and pushed the power button on the remote.  It’s A Wonderful Life flared on the screen and Stephanie grimaced.  It was going to be all Christmas movies tonight.  She flipped through the channels rapidly, and decided there wasn’t anything on that was going to make her feel any better.  Powering off the TV, she leaned her head back on the arm of the couch.  Perhaps she should just go to sleep.
Stephanie closed her eyes, and tried not to think of her fiancĂ©, well, ex-fiancĂ©.  It didn’t help. Her head started to spin more. Restless, she popped her eyes open, and got up.  Perhaps a good book would help.  Her bookshelf called to her, and Stephanie pulled out her favorite.  If she couldn’t find a man in real life then Nicholas would just have to do.  Opening the first page, she began to read about the exploits of her favorite character, Nicholas Garreth.



Moonlight in a Pickup Truck
Serena Zane

Genre: Sweet Romance
Short Story
Introductory Price: .99

One more night…is it worth the risk to lose everything for a chance at love? Placing your heart on the line is hard to do, especially when there is doubt that the love is returned in the same way. Her best friend is leaving for the Navy and this is her last opportunity to reveal her true feeling, but will she have the courage?

Available now thru: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Bookstogonow.com
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00606B9PI
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/294001323874
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00606B9PI
http://www.bookstogonow.com/moonlightinapickutruck.html

Excerpt Moonlight in a Pickup Truck
How many times have I had dreams starring the man seated across from me in just such a scenario?  Imagining him running his fingers over my bare flesh, I shiver in anticipation, feeling somewhat silly knowing nothing was actually going to happen, my face heated.  God, I really need to stop reading those romance novels. 
            I turn looking out the window again, hoping he doesn’t see desire written over my blushing face.  The last thing I needed was the embarrassment of being turned down.  If he didn’t know, then there was no chance of rejection, and my self-esteem could remain intact.
He’d stopped talking.  The silence seemed to stretch between us, and the tension in the cab rose so every nerve ending in my body was on full alert. 
What now?  I’ll die if he stays quiet much longer.  There’s movement from behind me. 
His hand, oh God, his hand is turning my face towards him.  His strong fingers gripping my chin, drawing my face around, I kept my eyes closed.  My cheeks were still burning.  I didn’t want him to see.
Please, no.  I want to shrink under this seat right now.  My brain wanted me to turn into a puddle on the floor, but my body wanted him.  I wanted him more than anything at that moment in time.  Saying a silent prayer, I hoped against hope that he wouldn’t stop touching me.  
What’s his thumb doing? Stroking my cheek. I moaned, agonizing, please God, let him want me too. 
I open my eyes knowing he’s going to see how much I want him.  Taking a chance, I let the desire I felt for him burn through my gaze.
 Looking at me like he’s never seen me before, the blue in his eyes appears as banked embers of fire coming to life.  Passion flared in their depths.  He leaned forward in the seat and drew me towards his body, that wonderful, muscular body that I yearned to touch.
            The coarse seat cover under my thin skirt, scratches my leg as I move towards him.  My palms sweaty, they clutched the edges of my flask trying not to let it drop.  One of his hands moved and took it from me, placing it on the dashboard.  How I wish now I had taken up those exercise classes.  I wanted to be beautiful for him.  Everything’s faded from my vision except his eyes, those beautiful eyes.  That look made me feel as though I was the most beautiful thing he’d seen. 
            I’m drowning. 
Please Lord, say he wants me, I don’t think I can take it if he turns away now.  What will happen?  Can I just go on as before?  A friend?  No, I can't, not after tonight.  He’s going away.  I might never see him again.  My breath, that’s right breathe.  I’m too close to him, my head’s spinning.  Please, please kiss me; I can’t take this much longer.  He’s just staring, his thumb stroking my cheek, what’s he looking at?  Surely he can’t want me?  Can he?  I hope, no, I won’t hope.  It’ll crush me, if . . . He’s leaning closer.  I can’t breathe.  Please.