It’s Release Day!

May 12, 2015 by Z.A. Maxfield

NOTE: This is Vigil, the second book of The Hours books, rebranded. If you’ve already read this and don’t need matching covers, much better flow, and a lot fewer dialogue tags, then you don’t need to buy this. This is the same basic book as Vigil.

If you haven’t read this, it’s an essential part of my vampire trilogy! I invite you now to step into my paranormal world…

He’ll give up everything for his immortal lover…except his humanity.

Deep, Book 2

Leave a note and slip away to Paris alone, Adin thought. It’ll prove to his vampire lover he doesn’t need 24/7 supervision, Adin thought. Instead, Adin lands in a surreal situation that isn’t going to endear him to Donte. At. All.

As he awaits an old foe, Ned Harwiche III, for a prearranged meeting, Adin is head butted, tossed into the back of a car…then gets the chance to acquire an artifact Harwiche had been bidding on.

Adin jumps at it, if only as payback for all the dirty tricks Harwiche has pulled over the years. To his horror, the “artifact” turns out to be an adolescent boy named Bran.

Sickened, Adin vows to help the boy out, but like Donte—like a lot of the world Adin never knew existed—Bran isn’t at all what he seems to be.

While Donte and Adin negotiate the meaning of the word “forever”, Bran is running out of time. Especially when tragedy and betrayal pit Adin’s long-cherished beliefs against Donte’s love.

This book has been previously published.

Product Warnings

Contains a gothed-up college professor armed with guyliner (which is a big problem when you’re up against a little monster) and an old vampire who doesn’t like his lover out of reach. Not that he can’t administer discipline from afar…

Available at Samhain Amazon Books a Million Kobo

Cover Reveal!

April 30, 2015 by Z.A. Maxfield

Did I mention I have a new book coming out in the My Cowboy Series in June? I’ve been rotating the new cover with all the others in my little widget, but I’m not sure I actually did a “cover reveal”. I have adored the cowboy themed covers Berkley has done for my books, and this is no exception. The colors are all so pretty, and of course, I love the cowboy themed silhouettes they use to tie the books together.

They capture the wide open sky and the beautiful ranch country sunrises and sunsets so well.

I believe I got the idea for this series when I was in New Mexico for GRL. I adored Albuquerque and Santa Fe. I’d been there before, but something about it really spoke to me, maybe because I was there with so many good friends…

I understood for the first time why New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment.

This new book, My Cowboy Promises, has moved to a fictional Texas town called Bitterroot. Lucho and Tripp from My Cowboy Homecoming–who we know got a seasonal job on a big spread in Texas–even make a brief cameo appearance!

Look for My Cowboy Promises to release on June 16th. You can pre-order at Amazon, Here.

All The Pretty Winners!

January 8, 2015 by Z.A. Maxfield

images-13 I’m sure everyone has realized this by now, but the holidays last longer at my house. My twins were born on January first, and my daughter was born on the fifth… So we start celebrating with everyone else around the end of October and party hearty until at least Epiphany, and then there’s the clean up. I’m legitimately brainless until around well… at least the seventh. Which is today.

But I have winners to announce, and I have prizes to award, and I have new things to talk about!

First. The Cowboys of Christmas Winner is waxapplelover! I have your email address, and I’m sending your Amazon gift card right now!

Next are the winners of the Progressive Dinner. Of course we’re all winners because we got all those awesome recipes. But for the three people who win their choice of $35.00 gift cards to either Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or All Romance Ebooks, (cross your fingers) here they are:

1. ardentereader

2. Mandy

3. Jen CW

The winner of the Grime Doesn’t Pay autographed print copy, direct from me to one lucky reader? Is: Saruby

Now that the winners are out of the way, I have NEWS!

First and foremost, we’re changing the format of the blog just a bit. In the past, we’ve offered one commenter a $5.00 Amazon gift card each week, but that only covered the Sunday Brunch blog. The problem with this is I’m a scatterbrain, and my assistant William could get confused PLUS only Sunday Brunch commenters had the chance to win. So from now on, we’ll award ONE lucky commenter a month a $20.00 Amazon gift certificate. This means we’ll be taking every comment I get on every bog post, and at the end of the month I’ll choose ONE winner. So comment away, each and every comment you leave from now on has an an opportunity to win!

And last but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST! I can’t tell you how many people have asked me about The Hours Series: Notturno, Vigil, and Matins.

My agent and I had a long talk about those books last year and it turns out, she had a new vision for them. I took a leap of faith and agreed to change the titles and place them with Samhain Publishing and a new editor, Tera Cuskaden.

As much as I loved the titles, as much as everyone enjoyed the books, I was a rank beginner when I wrote those. They needed a serious “re-vamp” if you will. (There’s no fine here for really bad puns, is there?)

We’ve retitled the books: they’re now The Deep Series and the first book, Deep Desire, is coming out ON FEBRUARY THIRD!!! Following that will be Deep Deception (the Vigil re-release) in May, and at the end of the year, the-long awaited final book in the series, Deep Deliverance (originally titled Matins) will be out in December.

And YES. Deep Desire is the same book you knew as Notturno, but it has been re-edited. For those of you who loved it, who own it, who read it and still re-read it, it’s the same story, so you don’t need to purchase it again. For those who haven’t had a chance to read this series yet, this will be the perfect time to try it. It’s a ZAM book all the way, even though it ventures into paranormal territory. If you love hot men, paranormal hostage situations, humor, and happily-ever-after this is the book for you! Deep Desire is available for pre-order at Samhain, here:

https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5360/deep-desire

So what do you say we get this month’s comments started! Is anyone excited about the new year, the new books, and the new contests?

You know I love hearing from you. Give me a shout out! Whatcha doing out there?

It’s De-ZAM-Ber

December 1, 2014 by Z.A. Maxfield

Wham. Bam. Thank you, ZAM!

Yes. I have not one, but TWO new releases in December. One is Hell On Wheels, which released December first:

Some diversions are life-changing.

Nash is the reliable one in the Holly family, the guy everyone counts on to keep things going. His genius twin brother is off at university, so Nash runs the family’s auto repair business and cares for his partially-paralyzed little sister while his crackpot father invents. His life seems mapped out for the foreseeable future, however much that might chafe.

So when Wolf’s Landing actor Spencer Kepler-Constantine lands in his life, Nash is ready for a diversion. Spencer is in the middle of a very painful, very public divorce and isn’t ready for a relationship—not that Nash wants one. But they both need a friend, especially one with benefits.

As they grow closer, Nash starts to see his family in a whole new light. Do they really need him so badly? Or does he simply need to be needed? Then Spencer’s ex reappears with a grand romantic gesture, and Nash has to figure out what he wants—and how to get it—before Spencer’s gone for good.

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Hook up with the Blog Tour for Hell On Wheels for news and giveaways! [button link=”http://riptidepublishing.com/events/tours/hell-wheels-blog-tour-za-maxfield” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Blog Tour[/button]

My Cowboy Homecoming releases December second:

Love can heal the deepest wounds…

A sense of duty brings a soldier home…but a passionate cowboy makes him want to stay.

After his brother’s tragic death, Tripp has to leave the army and return to New Mexico to take care of his mother while his father is in prison for arson. Seeking work at the J-Bar Ranch, Tripp is immediately drawn to injured cowboy Lucho Reyes, whose foot was accidentally crushed by a rescue horse. But will the sins of the father interfere with the desires of the son? Tripp’s father may be responsible for the death of Lucho’s grandfather.

Now Tripp must balance caring for his mother, repairing his father’s damages, and trying to win the heart of a man who has every reason to hate him and his family…

[button link=”http://www.amazon.com/My-Cowboy-Homecoming-Z-A-Maxfield-ebook/dp/B00H87S3G6″ color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Buy From Amazon[/button] [button link=”http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-cowboy-homecoming-za-maxfield/1119617890?ean=9780698175020″ color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Buy From B&N[/button]

Stay tuned for news about the “Twelve Cowboys Of Christmas” blog tour, beginning on December 12th! And OH, my gosh, please leave me comments, tell me how your holiday season is going, tell me what you think of the books, tell me how you’re getting through the busy shopping days, and I’ll gift one lucky commenter with a $5.00 gift certificate to Amazon.

Don’t forget! Leaving reviews on Amazon, B&N, ARE and other sites helps put my books into the public eye and also lets your fellow readers know what to expect. Whether you adored the book or it wasn’t your cup of tea, please leave reviews.

Road Trip!

July 31, 2014 by Z.A. Maxfield

Five GREAT reasons to drive across the country (even though you’re supposed to be promoting a new book release.)

1. The USA is HUGE. Face it. Despite any plans you make–despite the number of times you take off with the intention of seeing every little thing, peeking into every corner, and finding out what’s around every river bend–you will probably not be able to do it.

At least driving affords one the opportunity to at least look around while you’re on the interstate. For my trip to San Antonio with my daughter Zoe, we drove onout to Texas the I-10 and for the trip back we took the I-40. The southwest is amazing. The colors are vibrant, the land varied and breathtaking. The way the Texas countryside changes from the stark desert to the prairie to the juniper forests and lush green of the hill country is spectacular. I’d love to have traveled lighter and stayed on the road way longer. We had a metric fuckton of clothes and shoes and toiletries–all the subterfuge I need to look good for a conference–or I’d have maybe kept going on the I-10 all the way to Tampa…

2. Inspiration. Every road trip brings inspiration! A lot of my interviews include the question “What inspires you to write?” What DOESN’T inspire me to write? I can’t see a Pinon tree, or drive over a bridge, or past a saguaro, or see or a line of highly graffitied, half-buried Cadillacs without wanting to write something.

If you add people you’ve got an infinite number of stories. A weathered but handsome cowboy leans against the fender of his truck with a knowing smile on his face. A young woman dances in a roadhouse, breathless from exertion and anticipation and some sweetly seething chemistry that’s building between her body and the cocky cowboy she’s dancing with, a couple my age walks along holding hands in a kind of daze–maybe it’s the first time they’ve been alone in twenty years because the final kid has gone off to college and they have to relearn each other all over again. A gaggle of kids takes pictures of geese on the River Walk. They’re wondering if they can get away with one of those little boats. They’re wondering if there’s a treasure they can dig up, or ghosts they can chase. I can hardly contain myself. Life is fantastic!

Everywhere you look, the wide blue sky arches over somebody’s story. The real problem is deciding which story to write. It’s amazing how engaged my muse is when I’m driving and I can’t really do anything about it.

3. Food. Barbecue is food group. Each region has it’s own style, it’s preferred meat. In Texas, beef is king. Brisket is meltingly tender and there’s not enough time in the day, or room in my stomach, to try it all. In fact, I looked at a LOT of barbecue I wanted to try but I didn’t allow myself to really indulge this time because of the heat and the Unpleasant Truths lately presented by my aging body. (My doctor would be so proud).

To this food-related category, I’d like to add a little note about salsa. Salsa is a vegetable. Or a fruit. It’s mostly made of things I can feel virtuous eating, even if I need a corn chip to transport it to my mouth. Salsa is practically a HEALTH FOOD. And I was in the southwest. LUCKY ME!

In California, at least where I’m from, salsa is composed of tomatoes, onions, jalapeños or some other variety of pepper, cilantro, limes, and salt. Depending on the ratios used and the way it’s diced up, you can either make a pico de gallo type chunky salsa, or a regulation, dip your chips, kind of puree…

But oh, my god, each place where we stopped to eat from Arizona to New Mexico to Texas had a different kind of salsa. Some involved cooked tomatoes, some green chiles or chipotles instead of jalapeños. Some came to the table hot (WTF?), some seemed to be creamy, and some didn’t have tomatoes at all. Some salsas were so spicy they blew the roof off my mouth (thank you Track One in El Paso! Delicious!) and some tasted like tomato soup and made me long for a grilled cheese sandwich.

I’d add my beloved Bloody Marys here to this category, what’s better than salsa you can drink. I take mine without alcohol thank you, but with some big, pimiento-stuffed green olives speared on a little saber, please!

Keep on keeping on, Salsa Makers. Space is vast and the universe infinite. There is room for all of us in the quest for the perfect condiment.

4. Camaraderie. Doing anything with my daughter is amazing. I always enjoy spending time with my kids, but taking my recently graduated lit major daughter to a romance writers convention where she got to see what I do for a living (and meet some of the people who make it possible) was very exciting. She took a picture of Jayne Ann Krentz over my shoulder (because I was signing across from her) and posted it to social media. Of course I was a starstruck, babbling idiot. My daughter was like…where do I recognize that name from…?

5. Working it! I got a new picture taken for my author bio, and I unveil it here. What was mostly a whim because of a chance meeting with Marti Corn, a photographer taking appointments for pictures of the attendees, which turned into an absolutely fabulous morning of me trying not to feel stiff as a board while I sat for a photo shoot in the Menger Hotel (a haunted, and hauntingly beautiful place). Everyone should have a Marti to take their picture. Click here for her website.

She made me look (and feel) so pretty. She took a whole bunch of pictures, and in the end, we settled on five that I wanted to keep. This one, which I’ll be using for my official portrait, and a couple just for fun, including a fun barefoot shot I had her make for my hubby…

And YES!

There is a new ZAM book out! You can find out everything you need to know about Home The Hard Way by following along the Blog Tour. Follow along for a chance to win! CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS!

Warning: This ain’t your usual ZAM book.

Friday is for Fugitives!

May 8, 2014 by Z.A. Maxfield

I recently had the opportunity to re-release Fugitive Color, the 2010 novella with a new cover, and TA-DAH in audiobook format!

It’s quite cool to think my readers could be anywhere, roaring down lone country roads while listening to my book. *shivers*

To start things off with a GREAT BIG WIN, I’m offering a free ebook and audiobook to ONE lucky reader. All you have to do is comment below. I’ll be heading out to Romantic Times Booklovers Convention on Monday, so you have until Mother’s Day Sunday (May 11) at Midnight EST to comment for the opportunity to win. Let me know what you’re thinking: What’s your favorite audiobook so far? How do you feel when you’re listening to sex scenes at a stoplight? Do you ever pull over to rewind parts you missed? Or like me, do you ever find yourself driving down the street so engrossed in the story you feel like “Cloak and Dagger Books” will be just down the next street on the right hand side or Jack Reacher is going to roar by at top speed in someone’s “borrowed” Bentley?

Fugitive Color remains unchanged from the earlier version, so if you already have it, consider picking up the companion audio book.

Here’s the blurb for Fugitive Color.

Max Lancaster’s neighbor — his muse the young ballerina Elena– has gone missing. Between secrets from his past and the fact that he’s altering his work in his sleep, he’s worried that he’s lost his mind.

By the time forensic artist Sumner Ellison arrives as part of the investigation even Max can see himself in the role of person of interest. Sumner Ellison doesn’t believe that Max killed Elena, yet he isn’t certain Max is entirely sane.

Sumner offers Max oblivion in bed and unflinching honesty. Max takes what Sumner offers, losing himself in the younger man’s body while hiding his heart from Sumner’s love.

When doubt pulls them apart, it takes the power of Max’s passion and the purity of Sumner’s faith to create a love that won’t fade away over time.

Lisent to a sample at the Audible Website!

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