PAF: Story by Cassi Carver + giveaway!

Our storyteller today is Cassi Carver, author of the steamy urban fantasy SLAYER'S KISS. She's stopped by to tell us a real-life prank story...that happened to her!

Read on to find out what happened and make sure to stick around for the giveaway because Cassi is offering up five (!!) e-copies of SLAYER'S KISS.

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My April Fool’s Day Hero

Hi, I’m Cassi Carver, author of the recently released spicy urban fantasy, Slayer’s Kiss. I’m so excited to be visiting with you today—even if it is to talk about one of my more awkward high school memories.

Oh…high school. I can’t say I was a big fan of the four longest years of my life, but if you don’t count blond jokes and airhead jibes, at least I wasn’t picked on…much. Not until that one fateful day in early April…a day that usually passes without anything more harmful than a “kick me” note on your back. But this is what happened to me…

It was mile day in my PE class and I’d forgotten my gym clothes, so I sported the jeans and pink hoodie I’d worn to school. Everything was going fine—well, as fine as it could be when my legs were burning and my lungs wheezing as I loped along at a less-than-awe-inspiring pace.

First of all, I should tell you that I was different back then in two ways—I was sweeter and more trusting, and, well…I could still run a mile. So when I passed the weight room and a young gentleman called me over to the window, I went without hesitation. After all, I knew this guy from some class or the other and I was curious what he wanted. The screen-less window of the weight room was covered in iron bars, and when the young man leaned towards me to tell me something, I listened carefully.

“No, come closer,” he said. And I did.

I leaned in to hear this important thing he had to say…when all of the sudden, he grabbed my hoodie strings and pulled them tight. Imagine the hood closing around my face like a tight sack with the opening reduced to the size of a quarter. But that wasn’t the worst thing. He knotted the strings to the iron bars!

With mile runners pounding along behind me and weight-wielding jocks laughing raucously somewhere in front of me, I considered my options. If I would have been wearing a T-shirt underneath, I could have simply wiggled out of the sweater…but the only thing under my hoodie was my old white bra. Freeing myself that way would leave me standing there half naked in front of two dozen sweaty boys.

As the weight room reverberated with the sounds of laughter from all sides, I fumbled unsuccessfully with the knots on the bars and realized that I was truly stuck.

I was mortified. My cheeks were on fire—not that anyone could see them with the fabric pulled tight over my head. But even as I panicked, my pride wouldn’t let me call out for help as I continued to pick at the knots with clumsy fingers. Around me I heard voices, a mix of guffaws and people asking who was stuck to the bars, and all I could think was why would anyone want to do this to me?

And then—perhaps seconds later, but it felt like an 8-day week—I heard the most blessed sound. From somewhere on the other side of the weight room came the booming voice of our resident shot put and discus champion—a big guy nobody wanted to mess with. And unbeknownst to the unlucky punk who’d fastened my head to the bars, he’d targeted that burly track and field champ’s very own girlfriend! Usually a gentle giant, my guy’s voice was low and hard when I heard him coming my way. Three words, “Let her go,” was all it took to have the bully scrambling to untie the knots.

When my portal opened, I looked up through the bars to see my champion staring down at me in all his alpha glory as the other weight room folks quieted and backed away. I was nice back then and quick to forgive, so nobody’s face got pounded that day, but a seed was planted in my heart that grew for years to come. Perhaps that’s why, even to this day, I love to read about alpha males who will defend a heroine at any cost—and heroines who think ahead and come equipped to get themselves out of any scrape.

It may have been an April Fool’s Day joke, but in the end, when that bully was cowering in the face of my defender—the joke was on him.

I’d love to give away FIVE digital copies of my spicy urban fantasy, Slayer’s Kiss! All you have to do is comment. So what do you think? Was it just a harmless bit of April Fool’s fun—or should I have opened a can of UF whoop-ass on that guy?

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Here's the low-down on SLAYER'S KISS:

Kara Reed is a supernatural failure. But where her magic falls short, her fists get the job done. The criminal element doesn’t stand a chance once she hits San Diego’s dark streets.

When two smoking-hot tenants move in next door, she thinks her love life might finally be heating up. Just being near Gavin and Julian is enough to make her want to offer her body on a platter.

Gavin and Julian know it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out. They’re fallen angels sent to watch over the king’s daughter, one of the last females of her kind. Trouble is, she doesn’t seem to think she needs watching—unless they’re watching her shimmy out of her clothes.

No matter how tempting her guardians, Kara’s not about to let anything stop her from tracking down a sadistic killer who carves into his victims and leaves them for dead. Even when she realizes her target may be the very scourge of heaven from which her angels swore to protect her…

Stéphanie's thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon

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Cassi is generously offering five (5) e-copies of SLAYER'S KISS to our lucky readers!

To enter the giveaway, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

Open internationally

Ends Sunday, April 15, 2012
(like all of our Paranormal April Fools’ giveaways)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Cassi lives in sunny Southern California with two dogs, four kids, and a hubby who gives great massages. She gest to the Gaslamp for research (okay, happy hour) as often as possible. She's never saved the world, but she keeps sexy boots on hand just in case the opportunity arises.

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Posted by jenn at 07:30

 Angel, Cassi Carver, giveaway, Guest Post, Paranormal April Fools'  44 People left their mark

Born and raised in the Toronto area, Jenn moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, eight years ago for school. She's still in school (thankfully on another degree!), now trapped in her dissertation. When she's not dissertating, which happens more often than it should, Jenn spends her time reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, travelling, and enjoying the local music scene. Her latest addictions: yoga and Almond Crunch cereal.