New Covers!

NEW COVERS!

Sometimes, an independent author just feels the urge to shake things up. So I got my first three books, Dracula's Secret, Dracula's Desires, and Dracula Unleashed, new covers and pretty formatting. 

Amazon.com

 

Halloween Giveaways, Dracula's Secret.

 

In keeping with the Halloween theme, let me introduce to you, Valerie Tate. She is the heroine of my Blood Wings trilogy; Dracula's Secret, Dracula's Desires, and Dracula Unleashed. This were my first three books ever published! They have been completely revised since then, with more adventure and thrills than before.

 

I created a giveaway for the first book, Dracula's Secret, just for my newsletter people.

It is HERE.
 

Again, like last week, if you don't mind a less than perfect hard copy, head on over to my website for for the scratch and dent sale. Use the coupon "Scratch and Dent" to get $3.00 off on Dracula's Secret.

 

 

SHE HUNGERS FOR HIS LIGHT

She calls herself Valerie Tate. One of the few vampires left on earth, as
beautiful as she is powerful, Valerie has resisted her craving for human blood
for years, just as she once hid her true gender. But the night she lays eyes on
the most enticing man she's ever seen, her appetite can no longer be denied.
He radiates goodness and light-and searing sexual energy. Valerie must have
him. Taste him. Consume him. For he is temptation-and he is her destiny . . .

HE BURNS FOR HER DARKNESS

Lance Soleil is a rugged war veteran who runs a homeless shelter in Portland.
At first gaze, he knows what Valerie is-and wants her even more. But when he
welcomes a pack of werewolves into his shelter, he attracts the attention of
Valerie's oldest rival-her bloodthirsty brother, Radu, who hopes to become the
first vampire President of the United States. Valerie knows Radu has a hidden
agenda, and with Lance's help she is determined to stop his unholy rise to
power. But first, she must risk their growing love by fully revealing herself-as
the one and only Dracula . . .

Buy Links:
My Web Site
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Apple Books

Behind the Character: Valerie Tate

 

Many years ago, I had a nightmare about the Napoleonic Wars (if you have ever studied the Napoleonic Wars, you will understand. They were dreadful). One part of this nightmare was amazing, though. A dark woman, one full of secrets and violence, came into the tent where the generals were planning the Peninsular Campaign (Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Spain). She gave the best tactical advice but the men dismissed her. She left the tent, returned in men's clothing, and they thought she was a genius.

I knew this woman was Vlad Tepes, the vampire Dracula. This dream stuck with me. I was fascinated by this idea. Naturally, I did a little research. There are very few primary resources about Vlad (see here, here, and here). Most of the literature talked about the alleged atrocities she committed. If I looked at these stories through a feminist lens, I could see how these fictions could be seen as acts of a furious woman (impaling, especially. How Freudian of her!).

This began the long process of writing the Blood Wings series. Who was she? Why would her family hid her born gender? How could that be done? What motivated her? Did she have secret dreams? What were her wounds?

The series took many drafts and lots of brainstorming. I had to learn what kind of lovers she had, who she thought she was. 

I have been honored to share this journey with you. With the final revision being released on May 6, 2021, I feel like Valerie Tate has finally found a place of happiness.

At long last!!

Kensington Press and I released the first edition of Dracula Unleashed, the third book in the Blood Wings Trilogy, in early 2013. I had to write the book in less than four months, while doing promo and edits on the first two books. As a result, I wasn't terribly thrilled with the results. I got my rights back to the trilogy and released Dracula's Secret in 2016, Dracula's Desires in 2017. And then....nothing. 

My well had run completely dry. I had no idea how to strip this book down past its bare bones and completely rebuild it. 

It took several books for me to get even an inkling of an idea for Valerie Tate's final adventure. It wasn't until I finished The Cafe of Hopes and Dreams that I realized what she needed. She needed sweetness, dreams, and her own hopes. At last, the words flowed. 

And now, the book is available for pre-order at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0934FVTBS?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_2&storeType=ebooks!!

After centuries as the Dracula of legend, disguised as a male, Valerie Tate's current incarnation is the last thing she expected: mother of a precocious half-angel, half-vampire, and wife to two men. But Valerie is more familiar with battlefields than domesticity. . .

Some overwhelmed mothers relax with a glass of wine. Valerie soothes her immortal soul with a refreshing blood and coke. How else can she deal with her toddler Minerva's psychic powers--not to mention her determination to throw knives. Thank goodness for Valerie's two loves, John Jante and Lance Soleil. Without them, the trauma of her dark past and her primal, urges for violence and power would overtake her. Yet in a world where humans and paranormals uncomfortably co-exist, Valerie's peace will be short-lived. . .

Someone is killing the world's best paranormal diplomats. And Valerie's vampire brother and nemesis, Radu, is at the center of the conflict. Now Valerie finds herself as vulnerable and as weak as she had been as a human....

Literary Life: Re-releasing Dracula's Desires

Back in 2012, Kensington Publishing and I released the second book in the Blood Wings series, Dracula's Desires. This book continued the adventures of the real Vlad Dracula in present day.

I got my rights back for all three books and now I am re-releasing all of them! I've already put out Book One: Dracula's Secret (oh, and what a secret it is!).

And now, it is time to reveal the new cover for Dracula's Desires!

Isn't it gorgeous! I plan to release this book in June (just in time for sexy and brave summer reading).

And just for a tease, here are the first few paragraphs of Dracula's Desires:

Dracula's Desires by Linda Mercury

John Janté’s life hung by a thread.

Valerie Tate smelled his blood hanging in the air. If those idiot Fallen Angels let him die, she’d empty Hell itself in vengeance.

She gunned her black 1966 Shelby Mustang to the limit, burying the tachometer in the red. The tires howled as the car fishtailed against the gravel-laden highway cutting through the Swiss Alps. Cursing, she spun the steering wheel against the skid and roared between two honking tourist buses.

“Lucifer’s wormy teeth, I spit at thee ,” she damned the slow-moving vehicles.

The heavily forested mountains and charming villages blurred until the view out her window seemed an unending wall of green and stone. Lake Geneva was nothing but a long blue line below her. The powerful engine propelled her through the hairpin turns faster than a vampire could run. Her smaller weapons duffel sat on the passenger seat, an innocent black bag filled with high-powered destruction.

---

Buy here.

Welcome to my Literary Lair.

Hi, I'm Linda Mercury and I write very sexy paranormal romances!

Dracula's Secret is my first book and the first in the Blood Wings trilogy. The second and third books, Dracula's Desires and Dracula Unleashed, are currently being re-edited and will be released in 2017.

As you may guess, it's about Dracula. :)

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble

 

 Curse of the Spider Woman is a stand-alone novel that blends Ancient Greek Mythology with the action-adventure tension of a James Bond movie.

With consensual sex, that is.

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble

 Vamping It Up is an erotic coming of age novel with a very special breed of vampire.

Read about Holly getting her mojo back here at

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble.com 

 The Little Sexy Workbook is for all the people who want to have a joyous, uninhibited sex life. If you want to be able to communicate fearlessly with your lover, this is the book for you!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble.com

Hello, and awesome to meet you! 

Quotes and Snippets: Dracula's Desires

 John Jante’s life hung by a thread.

Valerie could smell his blood hanging in the air. If those idiot Fallen Angels let him die, she’d empty hell itself in vengeance.

She gunned her black 1966 Shelby Mustang to the limit, burying the tachometer in the red. The tires howled as the car fishtailed against the gravel-laden highway cutting through the Swiss Alps. Cursing, she spun the steering wheel against the skid and roared between two honking tourist buses.

“Lucifer’s wormy teeth, I spit at thee.” She damned the slow moving vehicles.

The heavily forested mountains and charming villages blurred until the view out her window seemed an unending wall of green and stone. Lake Geneva was nothing but a long deep blue line below her. The powerful engine propelled her through the hairpin turns faster than a vampire could run. Her smaller weapons duffel sat on the passenger seat, an innocent black bag filled with high-powered destruction.

The Blood Wings Trilogy:
Dracula's Secret, Book One. At Amazon. At Barnes and Noble.
Check out a chapter!

Dracula's Desires, Book Two. At Amazon. At Barnes and Noble.
Check out a chapter!

Dracula Unleashed, Book Three. At Amazon. At Barnes and Noble.
Check out a Chapter!

Quotes and Snippets: Dracula's Desires.

Here are a couple of my secondary characters from Dracula's Desires, Anthony and Glenath.

Anthony O’Neill, one of the four vampires left on earth, hero of the French Resistance, recent instrument in the downfall of a Presidential hopeful, and currently on his honeymoon, found his wife stoned out her mind in an Amsterdam coffee shop.

The establishment was nice enough, at least, instead of one of those tiny ones that used cracked red plastic banquet chairs for seating. Glenath Tempesta, the love of his life, and her flowing skirts were draped over a worn velvet sofa.

“Have some of the space cake. I haven’t had anything this good since the ‘60s,” she giggled.

Her long wild grey hair framed her sensual face and heavy grey smoke framed her luscious reclined body. Young skinny males buzzed around her, each vying for his darling’s attention. Even in her sixties, his Glenath turned men’s heads with her sensuality and earthy style.


Buying and testing links:
Dracula's Secret, Book One. At Amazon. At Barnes and Noble.
Check out a chapter!

Dracula's Desires, Book Two. At Amazon. At Barnes and Noble.
Check out a chapter!

Dracula Unleashed, Book Three. At Amazon. At Barnes and Noble.
Check out a Chapter!

Quotes and snippets: Dracula's Desires

A teaser from my second book, Dracula's Desires.

Chapter One
What in Hell was a Fallen Angel doing in Geneva, Switzerland?

That caustic brimstone stench could warn a city of half-dead humans with nose colds busily shoveling manure, let alone a solitary vampire minding her own business. Valerie Tate set aside her ancient manuscript about vampires and looked out her cheap hotel room’s filthy window to take stock of the newcomer.

Aching from yesterday’s long drive from Amsterdam to Geneva, she put her hands on the small of her back and stretched, counterbalancing the weight of her six months pregnant stomach.

She wasn’t interested in being a mother, but her curiosity demanded that she see what happened. Right now, an emissary from Lucifer was happening.

Dracula's Desires now available in paperback!!

Pardon me as I engage in shameless self promotion - Dracula's Desires, Book Two of the Blood Wings series is now out as a paperback!

Links:
Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble


And don't forget that Book One, Dracula's Secret, is also available in paperback, too!




Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

A love letter to you.

I'm a big fan of Alexandra Franzen (over here).  She wrote this challenge on her website:

The premise: what if instead of writing a traditional “sales page” about your latest product, service, event, project, workshop or offering … you simply wrote your customer a Love Letter?

And this was what came out. :)

I want to live in a world where women are not shamed for what they read, what they watch, and their sexual choices.

I'm so tired of women's tastes being diminished and belittled.

I want you to have books that highlight women asking for what they want, and then being encouraged and supported by her relationships instead of struggling to be heard.

So I've created a series of sexually explicit, adventurous books filled with strong thoughtful men and powerful women.

Right now, I want to you click on the link to read a sample chapter of each book!

Dracula's Secret
Dracula's Desire
Dracula Unleashed

It all begins NOW.

With all my love,

Linda Mercury

Book Tour, Day Seven

The countdown is on - the book tour is nearing its end. Don't you want to know how the first chapter goes? *wink*

Today, my next excerpt is up at

Rachel Brimble Romance Blog.

This is Rachel. Doesn't she look like an awesome writer? :)

Virtual Book Tour, week two

We are on the downhill side of my book tour! Come see the next part of my new(ish) book, Dracula's Desires.

Comment over at My Paranormal Book Review to win this hand painted fan. It's perfect for keeping your cool when you read my books. *wink*

Chapter One of Dracula's Desires

 What in hell was a Fallen Angel doing in Geneva, Switzerland?

That caustic brimstone stench could warn a city of half-dead humans with nose colds busily shoveling manure, let alone a solitary vampire minding her own business. Valerie Tate set aside her ancient manuscript about vampires and looked out her cheap hotel room’s filthy window to take stock of the newcomer.

Aching from yesterday’s long drive from Amsterdam to Geneva, she put her hands on the small of her back and stretched, counterbalancing the weight of her six-months’-pregnant stomach.

She wasn’t interested in being a mother, but her curiosity demanded that she see what happened. Right now, an emissary from Lucifer was happening.

The Fallen appeared as a handsome young man. His sleek swimmer’s build combined with pale skin, and cornflower blue eyes gave him an innocent, wistful air. If he’d been human, she would have contemplated the taste of his blood. Unfortunately, his aura was a sickeningly depressing shade of beige. He had no passion, no flavor. He was a follower.

Valerie preferred fiery men. A man like Lance Soliel, whose aura crackled with ardor, whose hot mouth and hotter intellect had captured her dead and frozen heart.

Her eyes stung with tears. Lance’s angelic blood and her subsequent pregnancy had weakened her. Not physically—she was still as strong as ever. In fact, Lance’s painful gifts had increased her powers. But it had humanized her as well. Now she wept. Wept! A six-hundred-year-old vampire crying at the slightest provocation? She had executed her own wife without a single moan. Now, she whined like a hungry puppy when she remembered how Lance left her behind. That was nothing compared to her past.

 She drew back her arm to punch the thin wall by the window, sick of her fragility. As her fist arrowed to shatter the cut-rate plaster, she regained her self-control. Her knuckles lightly tapped the faded gray of the wall.

Stop it. Six months of her pathetically weak will letting her think of what she no longer had. That was then. This was now.

Lance wasn’t worth any more of her time. There was a Fallen Angel to watch. She had to stay focused.

In addition to his dull aura, his overly neat, shiny Italian suit and highly fashionable skinny tie betrayed his vanity. The high-end narrow jacket emphasized his sensual build. Honesty forced her to admit that the Angelic Host didn’t exactly have what could be called fashion sense. All that gleaming white could get old for the flamboyant sort.

His lack of originality told Valerie that this was not one of the Fallen who had chosen to ride the Wheel to redemption. He had remained loyal to Lucifer. In short, Lucifer’s cannon fodder. His slow ramble toward her dilapidated room did not reveal any danger. He might be insipid, but he also might be good for a laugh.

The dusty gravel cracked and rolled under his feet. His suit rubbed against itself, the expensive fabric shushing in a pleasing fashion. He was making sure she knew he was there. If he’d been coming to kill her, he would have materialized in her room and destroyed her as she lay resting.

As the Fallen neared her door, his innately chaotic nature tugged at her already-sensitive nipples. Paranormal beings had been created to keep the Fallen company. Perhaps this one came to provide solace for her heartbroken state, one lost creature to another. She wouldn’t love him, but at least they would understand each other.

Besides, she had heard the best way to get over someone was to get under someone else. She doubted it, though. Since the 1400s, Valerie had bared herself to only two lovers: her wife, Ilona, and then Lance. Each of them had destroyed her, freezing her emotions with devastating regret and fear.

Sadly, she set aside any thoughts of a distracting seduction.

As he neared her door, he reached inside his suit jacket. Like a magician pulling a chainsaw from a top hat, the former angel drew a pistol the size of Valerie’s forearm.

Valerie raised an eyebrow. Or he could be the universe’s stupidest assassin.

She assessed her situation.

     Him: Older, meaner, with the advantage of calling high-powered backup.

     Her: Pregnant, tired, hungry, pissed-off, and trapped in a small enclosed space.

     The odds were bad.

     Just the way she liked it.

    

     “You do love me!” the fetus crowed, making its voice known for the first time. Obviously, angel blood bred true. What other being would worry if its mother loved it?

“Shut it, kid. I’ve got a moron to take care of.”

Valerie could attack the would-be killer, disarm him, hurt him in ways not even Lucifer could imagine. She could dig her hungry fangs into his neck and feed on his immortal blood. Her claws could rip his brain out of his skull. He was stupid, slow, and careless. Even as ungainly as she was now, she would completely dominate him in hand to hand, until his limbs were scattered from the North Sea to the Mediterranean.

“Stop wasting time,” the growth inside growled. “Kill him and get us out of here.”

Valerie spared an approving thought toward her uterus. Perhaps this child was a Dracul as well as an angel.

Reaching into the back waistband of her pants, she drew her much more practical firearm.

Her spine tall with family pride, Valerie Tate shot the world’s dimmest Fallen Angel right in the head.

 To buy:

Dracula's Secret, Blood Wings #1
Dracula's Desires, Blood Wings #2
Dracula Unleashed, Blood Wings #3, to be released March 21, 2013

Virtual book tour - halfway mark!

Here are the links to my book tour stops for the last two days!

Thursday's Blog:
Realmantic Moments

Friday's Blog:
Black Velvet Seductions

Be sure to follow along to be able to read the first two chapters of Dracula's Desire. :)

Virtual book tour

Part of being an e-published author is the difficulty in doing a traditional book tour. Instead, I will do a virtual book tour.




In this tour, you'll be able to read the first three chapters of Dracula's Desires (here) in daily installments over the next two weeks.

I am also giving away one of my handpainted fans as part of this tour.

Ready?

Get Set...

Click here! 

The Ultimate Muse

Happy Birthday, Bram Stoker!

Thank you for a wonderful book that has inspired so many. My passionate Valerie would not exist without you.

Dracula's Secret available here

Dracula's Desires available here

Countdown to Halloween: First Awesome Giveaway!

EDIT: My friends have wisely pointed out that my ego is getting in the way of the fun! Instead of demanding that you prove you read my book, I will randomly give away the necklace to someone who Tweets or shares on Facebook about this giveaway. Yay!

For the next week, I am going to randomly give away marvelous jewelry that my characters,  John Jante, Valerie Tate, and Lance Soliel, think are funny and marvelous.

Don't you want him?

In honor of the most famous Halloween spook of all, Vlad Dracula, I am giving away this dark and dangerous dragon necklace.

Why a dragon?

Because Dracul means Dragon.

Because my heroine, Valerie Tate, wears a coat embroidered with a dragon.

All you have to do is share the news about this contest!

Dracula's Secret for sale here.
Dracula's Desires for sale here.

Dracula's Secret is on sale!

If you've been waiting to pick up Dracula's Secret, now is the time. It is only $1.99 over at Amazon. 

Buy it here!

As always, you can buy Dracula's Desires, Book Two of the Blood Wings series, here. 

Taste the Desire, Part Five

Chapter One, continued.

As he neared her door, he reached inside his suit jacket. Like a magician pulling a chainsaw from a top hat, the former angel drew a pistol the size of Valerie’s forearm.

Valerie raised an eyebrow. Or he could be the universe’s stupidest assassin.

She assessed her situation.

     Him: Older, meaner, with the advantage of calling high-powered backup.

     Her: Pregnant, tired, hungry, pissed-off, and trapped in a small enclosed space.

     The odds were bad.

     Just the way she liked it.