I am so happy to have the rights back to ALL the books in the At the Shore series! My daughter and I decided to do something different with the box set and re-releases, namely some fun covers! What do you think? And as a way to say thank you, the box set of all three books will be on sale for 99 cents for a limited time or FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited! So don’t miss out on these stories featuring three Jersey Girls who are finding that Fate has brought them the possibility of unexpected happily-ever-afters. I think you’ll love these stories about enemies to lovers, second chances (and a secret baby), and friends to lovers. You can download the boxset at https://amzn.to/3vQaASW. You can order the print editions of the special covers at https://amzn.to/3SmU5Fx.
Tempting Teaser The Fifth Kingdom
I have a little excerpt from The Fifth Kingdom for you today! CIA Agent Bill and college professor Deanna have already survived an attack on their lives and in this scene they are getting past their earlier animosity and learning more about each other. Each revelation just heightens the attraction between them. I love the slow burn between them and how emotionally challenged they both are because of the abandonment they’ve suffered in their lives. You can download The Fifth Kingdom for FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited or download it for 99 cents until midnight EST January 6th! Pick up your copy at https://amzn.to/41ItuqK.
Teaser
“I thought I heard you moving around,” she said, one hand braced on the jamb. Her chestnut-colored hair was sleep-tousled. Her hazel-green eyes were slightly swollen. She had been crying. He forced himself not to look below her shoulders because although she wore a modest one-piece sleep shirt, there was no hiding the curvy body or amazing legs peeking from beneath the edge of the shirt.
Locking his gaze on hers to avoid the temptation, he said, “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
In a husky voice, she said, “I wasn’t sleeping.” After a deep inhalation and the space of a heartbeat, she blurted out, “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
Because he remembered one too many times curled up by himself on whatever had passed for his bed, he nodded and motioned to the empty space beside him. “It’s a big bed. Plus, it’ll make it easier for me to keep an eye on you.”
She smiled then and it reached her eyes. “Far be it for me to make your life more difficult,” she replied wryly.
“Now that’s a change,” he said with a chuckle and patted the mattress beside him. “It’s all yours.”
She walked over and slipped beneath the covers and for safety’s sake, he stayed above them. He reached over and shut off the light on the nightstand, plunging the room into semidarkness. Moonlight streamed in from the windows on the far side of the space, providing some illumination. Enough for him to see her face when they turned toward each other in bed.
She had grown serious in those scant few seconds it had taken him to turn off the light.
“How do you do it?” Her arms were wrapped across her body as if she would unravel if she didn’t somehow hold herself together.
“Do what?” he asked, needing further clarification.
“Act so confident and self-assured, like nothing in the world can rock your foundation?”
She’d chosen the right word to start her query. Act. It was what he did every day of his life, hiding the real him. The one that at times was still the scared little boy who wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball to protect himself. She had brought out that fearful side of him more than anyone else ever had. Part of it was that he identified with her. The other part…
It would possibly be too dangerous to acknowledge what that other part was, but he knew she wouldn’t be satisfied with a less-than-honest answer. “My life and the lives of those who depend on me demand that I be in control of everything around me.”
Deanna raised her hand and laid it on his chest. Beneath her palm his heartbeat picked up speed and the way his breath hitched for just a moment confirmed that his restraint was hard-won.
“For a long time, I thought I had things in order. Now I realize just how shallow a veneer that was,” she said.
“There’s no shame in that, Deanna,” he replied and covered her hand with his, his palm rough against the back of her hand. It was the hand of a man whose labors were difficult. The hoary moonlight allowed her to see the silvery line of the scar along the one knuckle. Another sign to add to the others that gave testament to the hard life he had lived up until now.
“For months after she left, I tried to be the perfect child, hoping she’d come back,” she said and rubbed her hand along the crisp hairs on his chest, finding the action somehow soothing.
“But she didn’t and yet you still kept on striving to do more.”
“I think I knew why I was doing it–to please her and yet to punish her by showing her what she was missing,” Deanna admitted, finally acknowledging the conflicting motivations that had been driving her for so long.
“But you still wonder if you couldn’t have done more. Been better. Been more than perfect, but you already were,” he said and raised their joined hands until his lips brushed across her knuckles.
The action sent a shiver through her. His action was filled with not only understanding, but with his own pain. She freed her hand and cradled the strong line of his jaw. Stroked her thumb across his beautiful lips.
“Your parents were fools.”
Happy Boxing Day and Fury Calls
Happy Boxing Day! It’s not a holiday we celebrate in the U.S., but in the United Kingdom it’s part of the Christmas celebrations! Many people exchange gifts or take advantage of Boxing Day sales. The holiday takes its name from the practice of employers giving small gifts to their employees or servants as a way to say thanks for all their hard work during the year. in The Calling is Reborn series, Blake Williams (one of my fav characters of all time!) is Welsh and he would have celebrated Boxing Day with his family. Blake came from a very impoverished family and sacrificed a great deal for them. When you first meet him he’s hard and sarcastic but he comes into his own in Fury Calls. Word of warning: This is a very dark fantasy with violent scenes, but I love how it showcases Blake’s growth, his love for Meghan, and his loyalty to his friends. You can find Fury Calls at https://amzn.to/48sdz1N.
Behind the Scenes Aztec Gold and The Fifth Kingdom
I was very lucky to be able to visit Mexico numerous times while I was working. Even though I had business things to deal with, I always made a point to spend any free time learning about Mexican culture. I was also lucky to have a fabulous client who shared so much of their history, foods, and culture with me.
I used what I learned to craft two of my stories — Aztec Gold and The Fifth Kingdom.
In Aztec Gold I worked in various aspects of Mexica culture, things like the games they played, food they ate, and the Aztec gods. The villain in the story is a demon demigoddess Eztli Etalpalli, Blood Wing. In the story, the demigoddess is descended from Izpapalotl, the Clawed Butterfly.
The research for The Fifth Kingdom took me to Chapultepec Park and the nearby National Museum of Anthropology. I was like a kid in a candy shop as I strolled around, looking at so many fascinating items but the highlight was when I got to stand right in front of the sun stone!
The sun stone, or should I say a copy of it made of black obsidian, plays a major part in the romantic suspense plot in The Fifth Kingdom. The sun stone is probably the most famous piece of Mexica culture. Scholars believe that the four segments of the stone’s artfully carved surface represent the four eras of their history. Each era was ended by some calamity, but the Earth and humans came again for the next era. The Aztecs believed that when the last kingdom arrived – The Fifth Kingdom – all life on Earth would cease and not be resurrected. It’s possible the Aztecs believed that the arrival of the Conquistadors signaled the beginning of the Fifth Kingdom.
I took lots of photos as I strolled around Chapultepec Park, much like the heroine’s mom in The Fifth Kingdom. I also took photos in the museum, including one of the sun stone, and I’m sharing those with you today!
Sink Your Teeth Into These Tasty Bites
The Calling is Reborn is a series of my heart and I hope it’ll become part of your heart as well. What’s not to love about a sexy vampire, a kick-ass FBI Agent, crazy scientists, alpha heroes, chupacabras, action, suspense, and so much more! Today I have a free read for you from Darkness Calls, the first book in the series. Snag your copy today! The first three books are free on Kindle Unlimited.
In this scene, FBI Agent Diana Reyes is undercover in a bar where she suspects a serial killer is stalking his victims. She’s headed out of the club to investigate an alley when she runs into a possible suspect: sexy club owner Ryder Latimer.
Free Read
She exited through the door into the chill of the alley. It had rained while she was inside. The dark stone walls and cobblestones glistened with wet, and water had puddled in various spots. The sky was dark with heavy clouds that obscured a half moon.
Goose bumps erupted on her skin from the sudden change in temperature. She rubbed at her arms and glanced at the back section of the blind alley. The shadows were strong, and unlike the area leading to the street, there were no lights.
With the lack of moonlight, it would be easy for someone to hide there, waiting. And yet, with no way out, they’d have to take the victims past the bouncer at the open door or the crowd at the far end of the alley. Unless the alley had a back way out.
She took a step toward the darkness, keeping the wall of the building behind her so as not to be surprised. She had gone deep into the alley, but had not yet reached the end when the eerie sensation from before returned. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled, as did those on her arms. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, a colder, deeper silhouette took shape a few feet in front of her.
It was a man. She squinted, but it was too dark to see his face even though he stood close. Too close for her to pull out her weapon. It was a true Mexican standoff, the two of them considering each other in the dim light, neither one speaking. In her ear, the running comments of various agents crackled and she tried not to let them distract her.
A few feet away, a small spot of moonlight appeared as the wind drove the clouds away. If the man across from her would only move that short distance, it might give her the answers she needed. “Step into the light,” she said, striving for a tone of authority despite the situation, hoping David and the others would hear.
The seconds of silence stretched out after her command and then came his short bark of a laugh. “And why would I want to do that?” he asked, his low voice gravelly, as if it had been a long time since he had used it. There was a trace of an accent. Southern, she thought. Louisiana, she confirmed as he issued his own determined instructions.
“Darlin’, if you have a lick of sense, you’ll turn right around and head back into the club.”
He surprised her with his tone of concern. She couldn’t take that statement at face value as the others may have done, turning their backs on this man and then finding themselves . . .
It was likely David would be here within minutes. His instructions were to keep her in sight, and he had known where she was heading. But she couldn’t wait for her partner. If this was the man, a delay might prove fatal and she had no intention of ending her life in an alley that stank of stale urine.
“Step into the light where I can see you and I’ll go,” she said calmly, not trusting that he would listen. Preparing for what she would do if he didn’t.
“Do you think — ”
“You’re a fool?” she finished for him.
He expelled a harsh breath and challenged, “I’m not the fool who’s running around with a killer loose.” Despite his comment, there was resignation in his voice, as if he, too, recognized that there was little either of them could do. She wasn’t surprised therefore when he said, “On three, we both move where we can see each another.”
“On three.” She counted down. As promised, she took the few steps to her right, mirroring his movement.
As they both reached the safety of the light, she detected a note of surprise in his features before he carefully schooled them. He had a severe yet handsome face. His eyes were a flat, unholy black against the dark of the night. They were intense, unblinking. Soulless, she thought for a moment, but then abruptly, as her gaze finally met his, there was a moment of connection. Within her, there was a sudden strange sense of . . . recognition. She berated herself silently for letting her imagination get the better of her.
“Satisfied?” he asked, his voice still husky. He stood mere feet away, a commanding presence. Tall and strong-bodied, he was dressed all in black, like most of the crowd inside. Only, on him, it was more than just a color. It was an aura of dangerous energy that made her take a step back.
“Who are you?” she pressed, aware that they were still the only ones in the alley. She listened to the chatter on the wire. Nothing to indicate help was on the way.
Before Diana could register his intentions, he closed the distance between them and grabbed hold of her wrist, yanking her to him.
Years of training took over. An elbow to his face had him rocking backward and she followed with a jab that straightened him, leaving him totally vulnerable for a full-force roundhouse kick. She connected to the side of his head with a thick thud, and he tumbled to the rough cobblestones. Before she could react, he was on his feet and moving toward her once more.
Diana struck out with a quick chopping motion. He blocked her blow forcefully and thrust her away, which sent her flying into the brick wall.
Her head hit hard and stars danced across her vision. She fought off the dazing blow and pressed her hands against the rough surface of the wall, struggling to find purchase so she wouldn’t fall to the ground. The chatter had ceased in her ear, which meant the wire had stopped working, not that it had been doing much good up to this point.
As her assailant neared again, David finally called out, “Hold your position or I’ll fire.”
Exciting News: Sink Your Teeth into this 99 Cent Vampire Suspense Novel
I’m thrilled to unveil an offer that’s bound to make your heart race and your pulse quicken! Darkness Calls is a gripping blend of heart-pounding romance and spine-chilling suspense. And did I mention a sexy Southern vampire? Even better, it’s now available for the very special price of just 99 cents and free on Kindle Unlimited. You can download Darkness Calls at https://amzn.to/3PjLvXW.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
His was a life filled only with empty dreams, if one could call those fleeting thoughts in a vampire’s sleepless nights dreams. His existence was without end and ruled by a loneliness that made each day harder to bear than the one before.
High above the crowd, Ryder Latimer smelled the sting of the alcohol as the humans drank and spilled it in copious amounts in their search for oblivion or nirvana. Acrid smoke from cigarettes floated high into the air, and in that hazy cloud were the underlying tones of sweat. Sweat laced with lust, he thought, sniffing the air and detecting the pheromone the humans exuded as they played their pitiful mating rituals.
Scents, he had discovered, were important to a vampire. Musks and other aromas literally brought out the beast in him. He normally avoided the smells, but it was tough to do in a crowd as large as this.
This far up, the sounds of the band and the crowd were garbled. Indistinct. A low buzz, like static, and a heavy thumping vibration from the bass of the music. An insistent lub-dub lub-dub, like the beat of a heart.
Ryder closed his eyes, placed his hands on the metal railing of the catwalk and the vibrations traveled up his arms. He took a deep breath, absorbing the smells. Soaking everything up as if by doing so he could restore a small part of the life he had lost when a strange turn of events during the Civil War had condemned him to this solitary life. It was a fleeting moment, the human scents and sounds racing through him, enervating him as he stood near the ceiling of the club.
In no time, however, Ryder was back to normal, watching like a disinterested deity, bored by the repetition of the activity below. Every night the same scene was replayed. Until tonight.
He had discovered in this morning’s paper that there was some killing going on in that mob of humans. The murderer had struck last week and then a few nights ago. Maybe he would hunt another soon, Ryder thought, glancing down and wondering who might be the next one to be taken.
Who might become another trophy for the psycho stalking his club. The papers hadn’t mentioned The Lair, but Ryder had no doubt it was here that the hunt was on.
Ryder had sensed something different in the last few weeks, that unique smell of blood lust that had made him wonder if another of his kind had come to feed. A club like this would be an excellent place to select a victim and then cull them from the herd.
He looked down once more and he saw her, standing at the edge of the crowd, searching for someone.
It wasn’t possible, he thought as he hurried along the catwalk, keeping the apparition in sight. For nearly a century she’d been in his dreams. Or maybe it was better to describe them as his restless nocturnal musings.
Regardless, Ryder had stopped questioning why the spirit came to him. Sometimes she arrived at times of unrest, the visions she brought portents of things to come. At other times, when the monotony and uncertainty of his existence made him question why to go on, she’d come to soothe his soul and give him the peace he was unable to find elsewhere.
But tonight, she was no longer just an apparition – or was his loneliness deluding him?
He struggled to get a glimpse of her face, but even with his vampire night sight, he still couldn’t be certain his imagination wasn’t getting the best of him.
After all, for more than a century he had been virtually alone with only a human keeper and his apparition to comfort him. Maybe that was why his mind and eyes were playing games with him tonight. It was just a trick, Ryder told himself, and yet he stood, poised on the edge of the catwalk. Watching. Waiting. Hoping.
Action, Romance, and Puppers!
Action, romance, and puppers! What could be better? How about a free read of my K-9 romantic suspense DECOY TRAINING on Kindle Unlimited. Today’s teaser is a slow build that leads to a huge explosion of the need between military veteran Shane and dog trainer Piper. You can also read several other books and novellas for free on Kindle Unlimited! Take a moment to check them out at https://amzn.to/3X0UvTT.
WARNING: Only for mature audiences!
Excerpt
PIPER BLOCKED HIS arm and took hold of his hand as he sat up in bed, bare-chested. His scars, both emotional and physical, revealed to her.
“You were having a nightmare,” she said and smoothed her hand across his chest. His skin was damp and chilled from the night air.
“I’m okay,” he said, but when his gaze focused and settled on her, he cupped her cheek, almost as if to confirm she was really there.
“You’re okay. Everything is okay,” she said, trying to reassure him.
Shane rubbed his head, as if trying to dispel the last remnants of the nightmare. He looked away for the briefest moment before settling his gaze on her once more.
“It was different this time,” he said and ran his thumb along her chin and the slight dimple there.
She squinted, trying to figure it out, but couldn’t. “How was it different?”
“You were in my nightmare,” he said, shocking her.
She laid a hand on her chest and squeaked out, “Me. I was in it?”
“You, Piper. You were there, trapped. I was trying to reach you, but I couldn’t,” he said.
“I’m here, Shane,” she said.
“You are,” he said and wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close. As he lay down, he took her with him, and she ended up lying along his length.
His body was so hard beneath hers, calling to the woman who hadn’t experienced emotions like this since her husband’s death. But as she inched up to meet his lips with hers, she knew it was about more than physical longing. Shane had breached the walls of her heart and she could no longer deny what she was feeling.
She kissed him, moving her mouth along his. Taking in his breath as if she needed it to breathe. Dipping her tongue in to taste him because she wanted to know everything about this strong and caring man.
As he cupped her breast through the thin fabric of her nightshirt, her nipple beaded against his palm. Her breast heavy with need, she covered his hand and pressed it to her, moaned when he tweaked her hard nipple with his fingers.
*
HIS BREATH EXPLODED from his chest at the sound of her needy moan and the feel of her breast against his palm, beneath his fingers. The softness of her belly cradled his erection and he wanted nothing more than to strip off her thin cotton nightshirt and make love to her, but not like this.
Not when their emotions were running high from the danger threatening Piper’s life and his. He had no doubt that if the intruder needed to get to Piper, he’d kill Shane to do it.
“Shane?” Piper asked and leaned a hand on his chest to look at him in the dim light of the room.
“I… I care for you, Piper. I really do, but things are too unsettled now. We’re both not thinking straight.”
Her eyes widened at his words, and she scrambled off him, but stood by the bed for a halting second. “I care for you, too.”
Then she burst from the room, Chipper barking and hopping up and down as she chased after Piper.
