For those of you who read Unleashed, you'll recognize the hero and heroine in Untouched. Dante and Kerry's story is definitely different from Samantha and Malcolm. Kerry has hidden a dark secret from everyone in her life, including her best friend, Samantha. When she touches another human being it causes excruciating pain and evokes mind-numbing visions.Except when she touches Samantha. When she touches her friend, there's no pain and all she sees is the image of a wolf. She doesn't know why it's different with Sam and not one to look a gift-wolf in the mouth, she doesn't dare question it.
As a result of her bizarre curse, she's learned to navigate daily life without even the briefest of human contact. As a plus size model, she lives almost every day in the public eye but even amid all of these admirers she feels isolated.
Until she meets Dante.
Dante Coltari, the owner of Inferno Securities and an Amoveo warrior from the Fox Clan, has finally found his mate. He realizes that like Samantha, Kerry is unaware of her Amoveo heritage. However, her gift of second-sight gives him hope that she'll be able accept who and what she is with ease. Too bad she thinks he's a big Neanderthal and makes no secret of her opinion.
Most of this book is set in New Orleans, which is one of my favorite cities. My husband and I have been there several times and we're going back in April for a book signing at The Hotel Monteleone. I'm so excited for that trip! The Monteleone is one of only three Literary Landmark Hotels in the USA and it's featured prominently in Untouched.
The first time we went to New Orleans was about ten years ago and we stayed at the Monteleone. We knew a hurricane was coming but decided to go ahead with our trip because the folks at the Monteleone assured us that we'd be perfectly safe at their gorgeous hotel.
They were right.
When we landed the airport was a ghost town and all of the screens had CANCELLED CANCELLED CANCELLED written all over them. Our flight was the last one permitted to land in New Orleans because of the hurricane that was bearing down hard and fast.
We arrived at the Monteleone in a deluge of rain. It was coming down in sheets and they were sandbagging the entrance of the hotel as we checked in. We got into our room, which was just gorgeous, and decided to run down to the CVS on the corner and pick up a few things.
By the time we got out of CVS, the water in the street was up to our knees. I have to admit...I was getting nervous. We had a great dinner in the hotel that night and went to bed hoping that New Orleans and the French Quarter wouldn't be under water when we woke up.
The next morning, the sun was out and the water was gone! However, Bourbon Street, and the rest of the quarter, was completely deserted. Everything was boarded up and I wondered if our trip would be a complete washout.
Nope.
By five o'clock that night, you'd never have known that there was a storm. The entire quarter was bustling and Bourbon Street was full of folks out to have a good time.
I've never seen anything like it.
Needless to say, we had an amazing time and have been back twice since. It's a gorgeous city with a rich, colorful tapestry of people and places. I can't wait to go back!
How about you? What's your favorite vacation spot?
Leave a comment anytime from January 11-January 18 and be entered to win a signed arc of Untouched! Let me know if you Tweeted & FB'd it and get an additional entry for each. For every day you tweet or FB it, you get additional entries!
I'll announce the winner on January 19th.
