Denise Agnew Eats 'em Alive – Maneater Goes to E-book

I’m pleased to have Denise Agnew as guest author here today, marking the relaunch of her book, Maneater, which first appeared in paperback (I know, it’s backwards) in the Winter Warriors anthology, but is now being released as a stand-alone ebook title.

Denise is offering up one of her backlist titles as a gift to a commentor, so make her feel welcome.

_______

Whom do you think are sexier?  Werewolves or vampires?  Why?

Very good question. I have a werewolf trilogy that I’m working on, but have to admit that vampires are sexier on the whole to me. Probably because the shapeshifter thing has never appealed to me as much. I tend not to read them.

[Yey!!]

1. Eric or Bill?  (Extra credit if you explain why)

Eric seems a tad too feminine in some ways to appeal to me. Bill has an old-fashioned honor that is hard to ignore. He’s conflicted and that always appeals to me a little in a vampire. Eric was only conflicted after he started having genuine feelings for Sookie. I think that freaks out Eric. Of course he’s a lot older than Bill, so he’s had more time to become jaded.

What is the most unsexy thing you see on the streets, these days, as far as fashions and trends go?  (male or female)

I have to admit I don’t like eyeshadow, eyeliner or fingernail polish on men. Men with long nails. That doesn’t appeal to the primal female part of me. I also have to admit that a guy who is just completely covered all over by tats isn’t sexy to me. One or two tats looks fine, I think. Men with nipple rings or multiple pierces in their ears, eyebrows, nose, or with a tongue piercing isn’t sexy to me personally. If a guy had one ear piercing or something, that could be sexy. Just doesn’t do it for me if they are riddled with it. I don’t judge whether they are a good or nice person by what they wear, it just doesn’t scream “sexy” to my libido. Oh, and a sure fire “not sexy” to me is baggy pants. It’s a generational thing I guess, but if a guy has saggy ass pants and I can see the top of his underwear, total buzz kill. :)

Your most favourite, pulse-pausing hero in film or in novels?  What did he do that stopped your pulse?

Oh man, that’s a tough one. Umm…there’s been a few movies like that. Shoot. :)  I might have to mention several. Mel Gibson in Braveheart had some wonderful scenes with Sophie Marceau that was very pulse-pounding. Loved Daniel Day-Lewis in Last Of The Mohicans, especially when told Madeleine Stowe something like, “I will find you. No matter how long or how far, I will find you.” Several scenes in Batman Returns and The Dark Knight with Christian Bale. Liked his character in Reign of Fire. Loved Gerard Butler in P.S. I Love You when he was singing to his wife. Loved the scene in the same movie when Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilary Swank were flirting in the bar, and later before they hoped into bed together. That was funny, too. Loved the scene in Dog Soldiers when Kevin McKidd said in his great Scottish accent that he was afraid of two things, “Spiders. And spider women.” Um, there are a LOT more but those are a few off the top of my head. I’ll probably think of some later on and say, “Damn, I should have mentioned those.”

Why do you think vampires are so sexy?

Depends on the vampire. Some of them aren’t sexy to me. I think the overall allure, though, is in the danger. Women have a primal part of them that is attracted to the alpha male, and there isn’t much that’s more alpha than a vampire. The mystery, the idea of giving blood to sustain another person. There’s an erotic element in all this that isn’t always easy to define. Everyone wants to just surrender to something at some point. Vampires sort of take that will away from you. As humans we don’t always like to take responsibility, and if a vampire takes that will away, you can’t blame yourself for “giving in.” There are probably a ton of Freudian things we could come up with to explain why some women find vampires sexy. I know quite a few women who don’t find them sexy at all. They’re just as likely to scream, “Yuck.”

Your favourite paranormal romance author?

I have several favorites. :) Christina Skye, in her Draycott Abbey series, really has a way with inducing a magical voice in her story. Patricia Simpson, Barbara Michaels, and when Linda Howard was doing paranormal, I liked her work in that area. I loved Nancy Gideon’s vampire novels when she was writing them.

Your favourite urban fantasy author?

Ouch. Well, I have to admit that I’m not in to urban fantasy. Just haven’t been able to find it that interesting.

What are you currently reading?

Just finished an old Anne Stuart that I hadn’t read in years, A Dark and Stormy Night. My Kindle is loaded up with books.

What will you be reading next?

I have Lori Foster’s Bodyguard, which I might read next. But I’m also excited to read Dean Koontz’s Breathless.

Tell us about your book.

My December 14 release is Maneater, which used to be a part of the Winter Warriors anthology. Readers can still get the anthology, but on today they’ll be able to get the single novella in ebook if they prefer. It’s the first story in my Special Investigations Agency, which is at Ellora’s Cave.

When Destiny Tremayne and fellow agent Mac Tudor are assigned to investigate mysterious disappearances at a strange lab high in the Colorado Mountains, they clash at every turn. Destiny thinks Mac is a throwback. Mac thinks Destiny hates any man who has balls. When they realize something monstrous stalks the secluded high-mountain lab, they’ll face a terrifying enemy and a blazing sexual inferno they may not survive.

I’d really classify this as an erotic romance with paranormal, suspense, and action/adventure elements. It’s also a bit tongue-in-cheek, and there are some things that happen that I made over-the-top. Destiny and Mac show up in later books in the series, too.

Excerpt

Destiny’s eyes widened when he stepped out of the bathroom a few moments later with nothing on but a white towel riding low on his hips.

Well, there it is. I wanted to know what he looked like totally naked. And he is almost naked.

Her mouth went dry. Water glistened in his hair. Moisture clung to his neck and the hair that spread over his muscled pecs and narrowed into a line spreading out again once it reached his stomach. She wanted to feel the texture and trace it with her fingers.

Fingers, hell. She wanted to lick it.

She desired those incredible arms wrapped around her again.

Her gaze dropped.

His towel covered his groin, thank God, but his powerful legs were revealed from the knees down.

When Destiny realized she gaped at him, she snapped her mouth shut.

He stood in the bathroom doorway. “Are you afraid of letting a man close?”

Dazed by the sight of him, she could barely form a coherent sentence. “What?”

She half expected Mac to smile, but instead he crossed his arms and stood there like some pagan, ancient god ready to take vengeance.

Please let it be sexual torture.

A stirring ran through her belly, the deep, undeniable tickle of arousal.

“Do you really hate men?” His question sounded almost pained.

She swallowed and took her time answering. “Now is not the time for psychoanalysis. I have a job to do and so do you. We don’t have to get to know each other more than we do now.”

“I want to know you.” His words stood out, framed by the extraordinary passion in his voice. “I want to know more about your mind and not just every inch of your body.” His gaze slid over her figure again, and it did nothing to lower the out-of-control feeling building strength inside her. “I like people who show me who they really are.”

“Because you’re afraid of what you don’t know?”

To her surprise, he nodded. “Maybe that’s the deep, dark reason. My life is an open book. There isn’t anything secret about why I do things.”

“I know. I’ve heard all about your perfect family life. Three older sisters, one younger brother, mother and father still blissfully in love with each other. Money, education, and all the opportunities in the world.”

“You sound resentful.”

“My life was a bit screwed up, but I don’t blame my problems on anyone.” When he settled next to her on the bed, Destiny almost slid across the coverlet to escape.

Practice acting like a wife, Destiny. A wife wouldn’t skitter away because her half naked husband sat next to her. Just take a deep breath.

“Tell me more about the real you.” His voice went soft and deep, tantalizing her.

She sighed and pulled her ponytail free. She scrubbed one hand through her hair. “Where do I start? You want my whole life story?”

“Yeah.”

She chuckled. “You don’t ask for much.”

“Nothing I don’t ask of myself.”

His revelation made her stare at him. With that incredible dark gaze never leaving her face, he made her feel protected and apprehensive all in one moment.

You know you’re in deep doo-doo if a man can make you feel protected when he’s only wearing a towel.

___________

To buy Maneater from Ellora’s Cave, click here.

To jump to Denise’s website, click here….Connect with her on MySpace…Twitter…Danger Zone Authors…The Bradford Bunch….Facebook.

Don’t forget to leave Denise a comment!

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