ARRC2015: launch of Tribal Law

A novel idea …

What if readers could suggest what THEY wanted to read in a story? What if we wrote THAT story?

From character names, descriptions, occupations and quirks, to genre, heat level and cover preference, ARRA readers had the opportunity to brainstorm a story with TWC Press authors—and the results will surprise you (or downright disturb you).

We received such great feedback from readers regarding what they wanted to see in a story, it was hard to fit it all in the one novel. In this blog I’ll share some of the tropes requested for this story, as well as introduce you to our cast of characters.

• Changelings, shapeshifters, werewolves, vampires? Check. Like a zillion times.
• Other weird creatures? Check.
• Blood sucking? Check.
• Fated/Pre-destined soulmates? Okay, maybe that one is in there, somewhere.
• Bad-ass hero? Actually, he’s got a great ass. Check.
• Sexy, feisty heroine? Check.
• Hot sex? Um, check. Checkity-check-check.
• Magic? Check.
• Teeth? Oh, yeah. Check, check and triple check.
• Warring brothers? Check.
• Scars? Check.
• Powerful villain? Check.
• Fear of oral sex? Um, no. That’s hard to make heroic or sexy.
• The virgin and the whore? Well, no virgins, learned that after my first novel and subsequent reviews, and she’s not a whore, she’s just really, really friendly.

Here are some of the supernatural characters featured in the ARRA Project.

The hero of our story, Ryder is charged for a murder he’s pretty sure he didn’t commit. Not intentionally, anyway. He’s used to wrestling with miscreants, those miscreatures that humanity view as an abomination, but for this situation he’ll have to let someone else call the shots … his lawyer.

 

Vassiliki Verity—the lawyer who reluctantly takes on Ryder’s case as part of a pro-bono stint for her firm. She’s got a secret—she can tell when someone is lying. Of course, calling someone a liar can have life-threatening consequences, so she’s learned to hide her gift. Which is difficult when she knows her client isn’t being completely honest with her.

Mathias—a sexy guardian wolf plagued by guilt after his friend (and Alpha Prime) is killed. He won’t rest until those responsible for his alpha’s death pay, and the man arrested for the murder looks like a good start.

 

Seraphina is Vassi’s executive assistant. Half-human, half-succubus, when she’s not holding down the fort for Vassi at work, she has … other interests. She’s loyal—but is quite capable of pushing her own agenda. And she’s very, very friendly.

As a witch, Dave likes a little mystery—and refuses to answer to anyone other than himself. He’s got his own code of ethics, but he decides where the line between right and wrong lies.

 

Melissa looks nothing like her brother, Dave, but they share a similar attitude. She doesn’t like miscreants—at all—and is more than happy to kill a few. She can also carry a grudge through several lifetimes.

Hunter, Ryder’s older brother. He’s aggressive, he’s impulsive, and will pursue his personal goals by whatever means necessary. A contradiction, Hunter is a healer, but with a talent for destruction and seemingly no conscience.

 

Vivianne is a Vampire Prime, unusual for a female, but she’s a strategic player who plays a game that can quickly turn vicious. She straddles the divide between legal and downright immoral, and is happy to annihilate her opposition. Which is why her brother prefers to run his own operation without her interference—but that’s a whole other story!

Tribal Law is now available for pre-order:

Amazon: digital and print
Smashwords

And rolling out to other bookstores soon.

Every cent of profit made from the sale of this book goes directly to the Australian Romance Readers Association and reader resources.

If you are attending ARRC2015 in Canberra be sure to come along to the launch of Tribal Law for more behind-the-scenes information and the chance to score a copy. The launch will take place on Saturday 7 March at 10.15 am.

Tribal Law

In a story inspired by readers, for readers, Shannon Curtis creates a world suggested by members of the Australian Romance Readers Association, bringing together passion, adventure, miscreants and magick in a unique paranormal romance—where a junior lawyer gets more than she bargained for, defending her darkly dangerous yet seductive client.

When a miscreant patient unexpectedly dies in his dental surgery, Ryder Galen knows two things: he didn’t murder the alpha wolf, and he’s dead meat unless he can prove his innocence—before the dead alpha’s pack kill him in retribution. Handing himself in to the Reform authorities should buy him some time to track down the real killer, with the help of his lawyer …

Half-blood vampire Vassiliki Verity has inherited a secret gift from her human side of the family—a truthseeking ability that enables her to tell when someone is lying to her. Not so good on the dating scene, but very effective in dealing with criminals. Her latest client, though, is an interesting mix of honesty and secrecy, and while she knows he’s lying, her conscience won’t allow her to throw him to the wolves. But how can she trust a man who can seduce her with his lies?