Wednesday 5 September 2012

Welcome Caridad Pineiro!


Today, I'm thrilled to welcome the amazing Caridad Pineiro to the party! She has a brilliant excerpt lined up for us, but first, here she is on the subject of her fascinating kick-ass heroines... Welcome, Caridad!


I was the kind of girl who preferred playing with G.I. Joes to Barbies.  I just loved the thought of action and being able to save the day.

Small wonder that when I turned my hand to writing, the one thing that would be a common thread through all my books was strong powerful women.  Women who were able to save themselves and oftentimes, the hero as well, but in a variety of different ways.

Sometimes it’s physically, like in THE CLAIMED where Victoria helps watch Christopher’s back as he battles his Shadow Hunter clan in order to forge a new and better way of life for his people
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Sometimes it’s emotionally as my strong-willed heroine and her equally determined hero find a way to become equal partners in a committed relationship.  That’s what happened in THE LOST, as Bobbie Carrera not only finds a new role in life after coming back wounded from Iraq, but also finds a man who needs love, family and an identity he never had before.

But what I love the most is when I get a mix of both of those in storyline, like in THE CALLING vampire novel series, which will be REBORN in February 2013 with BORN TO SERVE.  In this series of my heart, I have a kick ass heroine, FBI Agent Diana Reyes, who saves the vampire hero, Ryder Latimer, from certain death and from a lonely and loveless existence.  In turn, Diana is saved as well, both physically and emotionally from entering into a partnership with her sometimes over-protective vampire lover.

That battle between the need for the heroine to protect others and her reluctance to be protected is one that I love to explore and is at the heart of the kick-ass heroine.  The barriers that these kick-ass heroines put up around themselves to appear strong are the kind that I love to break down to explore them and to hopefully allow them to grow.  I love that moment of discovery when they realize that true strength comes from within and can be achieved even in a moment of weakness.

I love challenging my kick ass heroines that way, as well as physically.  I just love a good fight scene and lots of action and adventure.  And I love the calm after the storm and the peaceful and loving moments that happen when death has been overcome and it’s time to celebrate life.

Now that I’ve told you what I love about kick-ass heroines, what do you love (or hate) about them?


THE CLAIMED
Available May 2012 
ISBN 0446584606
GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING 
The second book in the exciting new SIN HUNTERS paranormal romance series 


RT Book Reviews - 4 Stars: "Second in the Sin Hunters series, The Claimed will not disappoint fans new or old. The Light Hunters and Shadow Hunters are mortal enemies and this paranormal Romeo and Juliet romance with an edge will keep readers intrigued. Just like her characters, Pineiro's books are smart, sensual and irresistible."

Alternative Worlds: "The second Sin Hunters romantic urban fantasy is a terrific tale of forbidden love between beloved enemies. The cast is fully developed whether they are Victoria's BFFs or clan members, but especially the protagonists. Fast-paced, Caridad Pineiro provides a wonderful west side of the Hudson paranormal romance."

Single Titles.com - "The love story in THE CLAIMED is enchantingly romantic, while the paranormal aspects are particularly creative .... Caridad Pineiro masterfully creates innovative paranormal worlds. The supernatural characters in the Sin Hunters series are extremely distinctive in their inherited skills, and how they use their natural abilities is cleverly shown in THE CLAIMED ... THE CLAIMED is imaginative paranormal at its best, where the characters are genuine with affecting emotions."

Paranormal Romance Guild - 5 Stars - "Ms. Pineiro the story has everything you could want in a love story and More. We have lovers, villains, treachery, pain, bloodshed and perhaps towards the end another love story in the making???? ... .You have left me breathless!" 


Victoria Johnson loves her life. She's her own boss in a quaint beachside town, and has great friends who keep her grounded. If only they knew who she really is: an heiress to an ancient race who possesses astonishing superhuman powers. It's Victoria's duty to restore her clan of Light Hunters to their former glory by choosing the perfect mate. In Christopher Sombrosa, she just may have found him. Strong, smart, and successful, Christopher exudes a powerful energy. Their connection is sensual, irresistible ­and forbidden.

A member of the Shadow Hunter clan, Christopher has defied his own father to lead his people away from affliction and violence. Yet he cannot ignore his duty to carry on his ancient bloodline. Stunningly beautiful and brimming with an erotic life force, Victoria is everything Christopher ever hoped for in a mate ... but as a Light Hunter, she's his mortal enemy. Together, they could unite their warring tribes. But murderous factions on both sides don't want peace-and they'll stop at nothing to keep light and darkness apart forever ...



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Victoria tugged on Christopher’s hand as they stepped into the early summer air, drawing him away from the auditorium and over to a nearby gazebo where they could have a private discussion. Where their hands touched, there was no denying the flow of power, passing between the two of them in a perfect and untainted circuit.

Once they were within the protection of the gazebo, she dropped his hand and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to contain her energy and restore some kind of balance.

“I don’t understand,” she began, still unsure of what he had mentioned earlier. “Why does your father want Adam?”

“Salvatore told him Adam had great power and my father is all about the power,” he responded, no hint of evasion in his voice.

“Speaking of power, how is it possible that our life forces are so similar? You’re a Shadow,” she said, pacing back and forth in the small space.

Christopher dragged shaky hands through the thick locks of his dark wavy hair and blew out a long breath. “I don’t know, why, except . . . my affinity is water.”

“As is mine,” she confessed, imagining that was one reason for the synchronicity of their energies.

“We were once the same people. Before the pox and contamination. We are not all that different,” he urged.

Victoria could not accept such a bald-faced statement. There was very little that was similar between the warlike Shadows and her people.

“Why does your father want Adam?” she pressed yet again.

He shrugged those impossibly broad shoulders, and beneath the fabric of his dress shirt, powerful muscles rippled with the action. “Why else? He wants to suck him dry of every bit of energy.”

“And you don’t?” Victoria immediately challenged, standing directly before him, but in a defensive stance, legs slightly apart and her hands at her sides, where, if need be, she could release an energy blast to protect herself.

He mimicked her posture, but there was something almost relaxed about him. Especially as he approached until he stood barely an inch from her and the thrum of his power became one with hers, creating that circuit once more without even touching her. The energy was so in tune with hers, an almost audible tone sang in the silence of the night.

“If I wanted to take you, don’t you think I would have already?” It was impossible to miss the double entendre behind his words.

“Do you think I am that easy?” she asked, and took hold of his hands, releasing a wave of energy from deep within that had him shaking beside her with want. But her display backfired as the power surged back through the circuit between them and into her.

She stifled a moan as desire slammed into her. When she attempted to break away, he held her fast with a gentle grip. As their gazes connected, the slow rise of fluorescent light in his eyes mimicked the revelation of his real life energy.

His dark, nearly black eyes grew a startling shade of teal, and his aura, unlike the muddied energies of other Shadow Hunters, was a clear crystalline sapphire. It was as pure as her life force, which awoke in response, acknowledging the similarity of their vitality, making it impossible to tamp down the need that weakened her physically and stole her resolve with each passing second. But as he drew near, leaving not a millimeter of space between their bodies, she realized she was not alone in her insanity.

Christopher raised his hand and, with his index finger, traced the line of her cheek, leaving a trail of warmth and excited energy everywhere he touched. Then he dipped that finger lower, along the edges of her lips, before an almost playful swipe across her chin.

But then he went farther, skipping down the long line of her neck to the swell of her breasts, exposed by the scoop neck of the gauzy summer blouse she wore. In response, her nipples tightened, and as he circled the tight peak with just that one finger, her insides clenched and she could no longer just stand there.

She slipped her hand between them and to his rock-hard midsection. Running the back of her hand all across those lean muscles, she moved farther up to a spot directly above his heart. With one blast there she could take him down, but instead she splayed her palm across that spot and experienced the surge of his energy, sympathetic and strong.

He moaned and his erection jumped against her belly, yanking a pleased smile to her face before she shifted her hand over and covered the swell of his chest. The hard button of his nipple pressed against the palm of her hand and she mimicked his actions, tweaking that tight bud.

Over and over they touched, caught up in something bigger than themselves. In something almost primordial, as the true essence of their beings, unique and yet similar, stirred the Equinox tucked deep inside both of them.

Victoria sensed the tendrils of his energy seeking hers, wrapping around the core of her Hunter vitality for a more lasting binding, but she retreated, stumbling away from him, thanks to the force necessary to break the connection and the weakness in her knees.

He would have reached for her again, but she whipped her hand up to stay his motion. He jerked to a halt, his eyes glittering in the night, the sapphire of his aura and silver-blue threads in its field gleaming as bright and clean as a newly minted coin.

“This is not possible,” she said, fearful of what had almost happened. That she had nearly started to bond with a Shadow, because if she had not pulled away, she would have made love to him right there in that gazebo.

“I didn’t think it possible either—for Light and Shadow to share so common an affinity. But I don’t have much time to wait. Unlike you, whose Equinox has only just awakened, I have been delaying mine for some time.”

When she had asked her parents to choose her own mate, she had never imagined that it would be the call of a Shadow that would tempt her. Shaking her head, she laid her hand over her stomach to stop the flutters in her midsection, needing calm before she returned to the hall and faced her family and the other Light Hunters gathered there.

She wasn’t sure what she should do about Christopher. The presence of his people here was a danger to her clan, but so far they had done nothing to cause concern.

But he was a definite danger to her on many levels, and her attraction to him was . . . insane. Until she knew more about him, she needed distance, and she started by taking another step back from him.
#####

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Copyright 2012 Caridad Pineiro Scordato All Rights Reserved
For more information, please visit www.caridad.com


Today Caridad is giving away a collection of her Nocturne Cravings e-novellas, namely, NOCTURNAL WHISPERS, THE VAMPIRE’S CONSORT and AMAZON AWAKENING. To enter the drawing, answer her question above: Now that I’ve told you what I love about kick-ass heroines, what do you love (or hate) about them? The contest will close at midnight tonight and the winner will be announed tomorrow on this thread.


23 comments:

  1. Thanks for letting me visit, Marie! I really appreciate it!

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    1. My pleasure, Caridad! We're all delighted you could join the party today - thanks for coming!

      Marie

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  2. You've got to love a heroine who doesn't need a man to save her and might not think that she even wants a man in her life, but in time realizes that life is better with someone watching your back. With a partner to share the load.

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  3. Caridad, I'm with you on liking lots of action in my books. Your vampire series sounds like it has loads of action and a great love story. My two favorite things!

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  4. Thank you guys for coming by! I'm glad we have a love of kick-ass heroines in common as well as stories with action and of course, the romance. I really enjoy being able to let the heroine develop and learn to trust and love. It makes for a great story.

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  5. Nice excerpt. I like that they're smart and brave.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  6. Thanks for the great excerpt. I love a heroine that can take care of herself, who can make her own decisions, and who's not afraid to fight for what or who she wants. I can't stand a heroine who is whiny.

    e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

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  7. I love smart and independent women who can handle themselves. Just stopped by to say hello.

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  8. Thank you all for coming by! One of my favorite kick-ass heroines is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What about you? Do you have any personal favorites?

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    1. With you on Buffy, Caridad! Inspirational ass-kicker :)

      Marie

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  9. I have always wanted to be a strong, kick-ass woman but was not physically suited for that role. I tend to be more of a supportive type. I love those strong women and admire them so much. I guess my first experience with this type of woman was Selene in Underworld. I admire Caridad's heroines for their strength.
    Don't enter me in the give-away as I already have these books. Good luck everyone.

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  10. HI Caridad. BTW if you haven't read these books and Caridad's others you MUST right now. She's an excellent author and her characters well let's just say you'll be in love in moments from starting the first word!

    now for Caridad's question:

    I love that they know when to step back. When to let the man, or the expert at weapons or computers or whatever take care of things and when to push them aside and handle it themselves. Most don't run into a burning building just because they "have to prove they can do it" and then wonder why the got burned. But at the same time they aren't "manly" if that makes sense.

    I hate when a heroine who is supposed to be strong uses underhanded ways to trick men or do stupid things then want to blame the hero "it's your fault you told me to stay and I just couldn't" even though throughout the book she's shown sense and known when she was in over her head. Those moments just drive me nuts.

    Your heroines always seem to know when to go and when to stay put. When to prove they are strong and when to sit back and let someone else handle a situation. That's not to say they don't do stupid things but it's believable things for them vs just something to add another touch of danger that has us readers going "why would you do that". Kinda how in movies the actress ALWAYS runs away from the killer in high heels, and when one breaks has to stop and sob instead of just kicking the dang things off and running for her life buy shoes tomorrow when you are STILL ALIVE to do so. ROFL.

    I hope that rambling makes sense. Your heroines are the smart ones I love:) now how many did I confuse?

    hugs,
    WendyK

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  11. Well, growing up I wanted to be Han Solo instead of Princess Leia lol. I like heroines who are smart and go out and do things (even if they have to correct themselves later) instead of waiting for someone to tell them what to do.

    Thanks!

    rinib2 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  12. Got to love all the qualities you guys have mentioned! I think today's heroines have so much more scope, they're great fun to write as well as to read :).

    So, Caridad, what's next for you? What book's coming out next and what are you working on just now?

    Marie

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  13. Kick-ass heroines - got to love them for their determination to get involved and do something about problems. What I hate is more tailored to the individual heroine. The thing that irks me most is stupidity. Some just insist on doing things that make it harder on them.

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  14. Ugh, something just ate my comment!!

    I was just saying that I also hate when heroines do something stupid just to seem tough. That makes no sense.

    As for what's next, the return of THE CALLING/REBORN in October with KISSED BY A VAMPIRE, a romantic suspense, THE PRINCE'S GAMBLE in November.

    Besides the new books in THE CALLING/REBORN in 2013, I plan on releasing THE SHATTERED, the next book in the SIN HUNTER series in summer 2013.

    Thank you all for visiting and for the kind comments about my work.

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  15. I loved the Lost. Havent had a chance to get the Claimed yet, but really looking forward to it.

    I think they are great because they are strong, self reliant characters. They know how to take care of themselves and those they care about. But they also have a softer side where they can compromise and let others handle things as well. Not always willingly but it can be done. They will do anything for those they care about and will stop at nothing to take care of the problem.

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  16. I have always loved Kick-Ass Heorines because, they are always just as strong or stronger than the male lead character. My absolute favorite is when the man and woman are matched for power and that makes their relationship equally balanced. I also love that they are willing to die for the ones they love, it's always refreshing to see this trait in the female characters. I think it us a little over used in male characters but I guess that is true for someone you love, you are willing to risk everything for them.

    I have also always love the Kick-Ass heorines because they aren't afraid to speak their minds. Another reason is they don't just sit around and let their relationship fall apart because of some stupid comment or action, usually anyway.

    This has to do with what i just said, I really hate it when the apparently strong female character becomes weak in the end or in the middle of the book because something bad happened. I mean the character has been strong thoughout the book and it was set up so the reader would believe she could handle anything but then when she turns into a blubbering little girl with they fight it's just pathetic. I mean some tears are good but sometimes tears are just inapropriate.

    Thank you so very much for the chance to win!
    Alicia
    orangepeacock313@

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  17. I do like very strong women characters in books. I'm not really into the shrinking violet type. I mean it's okay for the female lead to lean on a man, but I don't want to see her totally dependent on one. I like strong male characters to but I like it when they allow a woman to be a take charge person too.

    seriousreader at live dot com

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  18. I like strong heroines who also know when it's smarter to join forces with some help :) What turns me off is a character too proud or independent to accept assistance, and then gets into situations where s/he is in over her or his head. That just seems stupid to me, and well, nothing I dislike more than a character who doesn't use his or her brains :) On the other hand, I also love characters who stand up and do their share--no wimpy hand-wringers, please!

    f dot chen at comcast dot net

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  19. Yes, a kick-ass heroine is NOT too stupid to live! She has to be smart as well as know her own limitations, in my view... although it must be said everyone makes the odd mistake :).

    Loved all your thoughts today! Back in a few minutes with Caridad's winner!

    Marie

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  20. Ok, Caridad's winner of the Nocturne e-novellas is...

    LINDA HENDERSON!

    Congratulations, Linda! And you've left your email address, so you don;t need to do anything else!

    Just remains to say a HUGE thank you to Caridad for sharing her books and her time with us. Great to have you at the party, Caridad!

    Marie

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