February 27, 2008 • Print This Post
In a little over two months (on April 29th), my first Brava release will hit stores shelves. I can’t wait to walk into my local Books-a-Million and see HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT on the shelves. I’m sure my ear-splitting screams of excitement will frighten the sales clerks. 
Oh, yeah, I’m counting down the days… 
Until then, I thought I’d post an excerpt of my story–and offer commenters a chance to win an ARC of HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT.
So, here’s my excerpt:
“How much do you know?”
Emily swallowed and tried to figure out just how much she should reveal.
His hold tightened around her.
He was the one sitting down, the one forced to look up at her, but Emily had the feeling she was the one in the vulnerable position. “I-I know you aren’t human.” Her voice came out softer, huskier than she’d intended.
She hoped Colin would leave it at that. Hoped he wouldn’t probe any deeper.
“Ah, baby, I already knew that.”
She tried to tug her hand free, but his grip was unbreakable.
“You’re the Monster Doctor, the one all the local ghouls go to see.” A faint trace of amusement underscored his words. But his eyes were watchful, intense, showing no echo of humor.
Her jaw clenched. “Let go of my hand.”
He smiled at her, and his fingers fell away from her wrist.
Emily immediately sprang across the room, putting several feet between them. Nice, protective space. “Look, if you aren’t here to discuss the case, then I want you to leave.” She turned her back on him, heading toward the front door.
“How do you do it?”
His words stopped her.
“How do you tell who is human and who isn’t?”
She heard the soft rustle of the sofa cushions as he rose.
“That’s a pretty interesting talent you’ve got there. And I’m just dying to know exactly how you do it.”
Emily cast a longing glance toward the front door. “I’m afraid you’re just going to have to live with your curiosity, Detective.” Because she sure as hell wasn’t going to reveal her innermost secrets to a stranger. Yep, letting the guy inside had been a definite mistake.
“Hmmm.” His breath blew against the nape of her neck. Emily jumped, startled to find him so close to her. The guy hadn’t made a sound when he’d crossed the room.
“I’d like to see your hair down,” he muttered, and his fingers brushed against the bun she’d yet to unwind.
She jerked away from him. “And I’d like to see you leave. Guess which one of us is about to get her wish?”
His hard lips curved into a smile, a smile with a hint of real warmth. “Tough lady, aren’t you?”
She’d had to be.
His smile slowly faded. “But trust me, I’m a hell of a lot tougher than you could ever dream of being.” And in a flash, he had her pinned against the wall. His strong, hard body pressed against her, his muscular thighs pushed between hers, shoving up her skirt, and his right hand locked around her wrists as he forced them against the wall over her head.
Her breath left her body in a startled gasp.
“Now let’s try this again,” he growled. “Just how much do you know about me?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Would you like to win the ARC? Just tell me your favorite Brava book (hey, if you want, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one–tell me your top 3, your top 5, your top 10–whatever you’d like!)…and I’ll be back on Saturday, March 1st, to pick one commenter to win! Good luck!
Tags: Hotter After Midnight
Posted by Cynthia Eden @ 6:00 am • Filed under: Cynthia Eden
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Hi Cynthia,
I’m still reading “Hotter After Midnight,” but it’s already on my list of top 10 Brava books. The others are “Satisfaction Guaranteed” by Lucy Monroe, “The Matchmaker” by Jamie Denton, “Come As You Are and “Intimate Danger” by Amy Fetzer, “Get A Clue” and “Smart and Sexy” by Jill Shalvis, “Behind Closed Doors” and “Standing in the Shadows” by Shannon McKenna and “Larger Than Life” by Alison Kent. I love Brava books, this list could get longer. Don’t enter me in the contest.
I adore Brava, like those Bad Boys with Lori Foster and Erin McCarthy, Jill Shalvis’ “Sexy” trilogy, Lucy Monroe’s stories, HelenKay Dimon’s books, oh there are too many to name, but Bravas are wonderful.
Cynthia,
congrats to your first Brava release.
And you asked a really hard question, because there are so many great Brava books, like:
Karen Kelley’s Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind
Lucy Monroe’s Mercenary Trilogy
Diane Whiteside’s Devil Series
Dianne Castell’s O’Fallon Series
this are only a few, because there are so many great books
Well, that’s just too hard because I always enjoy the “Bad Boys” books! They’re my favorites.
Love “Get a Clue” by Jill Shalvis, HelenKay Dimon’s books, and Alison Kent’s books. I know there are more, but I can’t remember all the titles right now.
Hi, Jane!! Oh, I am so glad that you’re enjoying Hotter After Midnight! And you named so many books on my keeper shelf.
Stacy, I sure do love those Bad Boys books, too! HelenKay Dimon, Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Jill Shalvis, Lucy Munroe–they are such wonderful authors. I really enjoy reading all of the different romance subgenres in Brava–contemporary, historical, suspense–always something to fit my mood!
Hi, Danny! Thank you for the congrats! LOL at the “hard question”–it’s one I couldn’t answer b/c I really have too many favs, so I thought I’d see what others enjoyed. As I’m typing this, I’m trying to remember the first Brava that I ever read, but there are so many titles I can’t remember. Hmmm…I think it may have been All Through the Night with Suzanne Forster, Thea Devine, Lori Foster, and Shannon McKenna. I loved that one!
brownone, I have the same problem! I’ve got an addiction to the Bad Boys books…and I’m very excited b/c I’m going to be in one later this year! Everlasting Bad Boys will be released in September (Noelle Mack and Shelly Laurenston will also be in the anthology).
Hi, Liza! Ah, you and Stacy listed some of the same wonderful authors. I think those ladies are very talented!
Congrats on the Brava release Cynthia!
This is a hard question for me because Brava is like, my favorite imprint!! So I am going to name some of my favorite Brava authors instead. Those would be:
Jill Shalvis
Donna Kauffman
Lucy Monroe
HK Dimon
Alison Kent
Diane Whiteside
And all the Bad Boys books!!
Love the Bad Boy books. They are my favorites.
Congrats on the release.
Lucy Monroe’s Ready, Willing & Able.
Jill Shalvis’ Smart & Sexy, Strong & Sexy.
Katherine Garbera’s Sex With A Stranger.
There is no way to choose favorite Brava’s because all of them have been great. Some fav authors are Lori Foster, Shannon McKenna, Dianne Castell, and Lucy Monroe. All of their books are on my keeper shelves!
I do not have a favorite Brava book. I like them all.
Ooh, favorite Brava’s. Hmm, Lucy Monroe’s Ready, Willing and Able. Jill Shalvis, well anything by Jill Shalvis! *G* Karen Kelley and those sexy aliens….. Jeez! There are just too many good books to choose! *G*
COngratulations on your First Release!
Thank you for the congrats, Angie-la! And that is one great list of authors!
Hi, Cherie! Another Bad Boys fan!
Thank you, Stacy S! That’s a great top 3.
Lisa and Estella–glad to hear you enjoy the Bravas! I have so many keeper books that came from the Brava line.
Hey, Brandy! Another great listing of authors! And thank you for the congrats!
Have so many, it’s hard to know which ones to list. Some of my recent favorites:
The Mane Event-Shelly Laurenston
Edge of Midnight-Shannon McKenna
Perfect Weapon-Amy Fetzer
The SG-5 series by Alison Kent
Strong and Sexy by Jill Shalvis
A Passion for Him by Sylvia Day
Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy-HelenKay Dimas
OH.. wow. .favor Brava books. Someone mentioned the Bad Boy anthologies. They were the first books from Brava I remember purchasing.
Authors who I enjoy who write for Brava:
Lori Foster
Janelle Denison
Jill Shalvis
Lucy Monroe
Suzanne Forster
To name a few.
Oh, I like him. heh.
I love this cover.
Any bravas by Lori Foster, HelenKay Dimon, Jill Shalvis, Donna Kauffman, Janelle Denison and Erin McCarthy. Am sure I am forgetting lots of authors - but these favs come to the top of my head. I especially loved Kauffman’s Bad Boys in Kilts.
I can’t say I have a favorite Brava book. I seem to like most of them that I read.
Hi Cynthia, definitely looking forward to reading your book. Okay, some favorite Bravas I read recently:
A Passion for Him - Sylvia Day (my favorite of all her books)
Alison Kent’s SG-5 Series
Donna Kauffman’s sexy Scots
Shelly Laurenston (been a fan since her first story).
And, of course, those Bad Boys.
I have The Matchmaker by Jamie Denton in the TBR now.
Well if I was just picking one I have to say Jill Shalvis. But I have read enjoyed almost all the authors mentioned above
One of my all time fav is Shelly Laurenston. Others I like are Karen Kelley, Rosemary Laurey, Lori Foster and I love that you are going to have book out from there. Just wish it was sooner lol. And I love the fact that they are nice big books most of them.
Sounds great! I’m reading Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind right now. It’s good!
I’ve been excited about this one Cynthia and too yours coming up in an Anthology too! I’d love to be in the contest!
Its hard thinking of one Favorite! I’m looking forward to Lucy Monroe’s new one, so the one that went with THE REAL DEAL was so good! It was one I was just thinking about because the new one is the friend’s story (I think).
Gosh, makes me want to check up more of them coming out!
I love Brava novels. Some of my favorites have been:
Alison Kent’s SG-5 series
Catherine Garbera’s Body Heat
Karen Kelley’s Southern Comfort, Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind, Cosmic Sex
Donna Kauffman’s The Black Sheep and the Princess, The Great Scot
Wow, Cindy! That’s a great excerpt! I’ve got it on my list now and will look for it in two months. I’m sure it will be my favorite Brava book.:mrgreen:
Hi ! I am all new to this. I haven’t read any of the books yet, but I plan on digging in. I use to read all the time before I started my family and now that my children are older, I am finding the time to pick up the love I once had. From the comments that have been sent in, it gave me some great recommendations of where to start. I would be so grateful if I was chosen to receive this book. Thank you for the opportunity.
Brava novels are my favorites!
Jill Shalvis - Get a Clue, Smart and Sexy, Strong and Sexy, Her Sexiest Mistake and Shadow Hawk
Donna Kauffman - The Black Sheep and the Princess, The Black Sheep & The Hidden Beauty, The Great Scot and The Big Bad Wolf Tells All
Jamie Denton - The Matchmaker
Congrats Cynthia. Great Excerpt can’t wait to read this one! I’ve pretty much loved every Brava I’ve ever read! I was trying to remember the first one I read. I just actually re-read All Through the Night and when I read your post, it hit me, that’s the first one I did read. Love it, and of course all the Bad Boys, too many to list!
Hello, I just received an ARC of When He Was Bad from you in the mail yesterday! I’m looking forward to the read.
It’s so hard to pick just one! But I love Janelle Denison’s WILDE books.
Some of my favorites are “The Royal Pain” by MaryJanice Davidson, “Gabriel’s Woman” by Robin Schone, “Bad Boys Online” by Erin McCarthy and the anthology “How To Be A Wicked Woman”.
Hmm… I think the Bad Boys anthologies were my first Bravas, too! And other favorites are Alison Kent’s SG-5 series and HelenKay Dimon’s titles. I love your excerpt–can’t wait to read the whole story! Congrats on your upcoming release! I’m sure time will fly!
Hi, everyone! Thank you all for the comments–and for the many listed Brava reads.
Time to announce the ARC winner! And the winner is…Brandy! Congratulations, Brandy! Please send me an email at cynthia@cynthiaeden.com to claim your prize.
And thank you all, again, for the great comments!
Have a great Saturday!
Shannon McKenna and Lori Foster are my favs.
“Jill Shalvus” “Get A Clue was a hoot. Just love it.
Jill Shalvus get a clue was a hoot. Just love it.
Big congrats Brandy!
SQUEEE! Thank you!