Category: Teaser Tuesday

I love a slow build in a book and that’s just what happens in this scene in my K-9 romantic suspense DECOY TRAINING. The slow build leads to a huge explosion of the need between military veteran Shane and dog trainer Piper. In this scene, Shane has had a nightmare. It’s one that he’s had before only this time, something very important is different, confirming to him that the feelings that have been growing for Piper are both real and dangerous to what he wants for his life. You can read Decoy Training for free on Kindle Unlimited. 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.

The Calling is Reborn is a series of my heart. From the moment that Diana and Ryder popped into my brain, I knew their story would be special and I’ve loved combining their romance with intriguing suspense stories and a Scooby Gang of other characters as well as vampires from various cultures, like a chupacabra and Chiang Shi. If you loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files, I think you will love the stories in The Calling is Reborn. The various books have been critically acclaimed as Romantic Times Top Picks and finalists in several paranormal romance contests. You can now read the first three books for free on Kindle Unlimited. You can download them at https://amzn.to/3qslQlL.

I love being able to share with you some of the things I’ve learned on my various adventures, like in Aztec Gold. I was lucky to be able to visit Mexico a number of times for business and learn about Mexican culture that I included in this paranormal romance novella as well as The Fifth Kingdom which I will be re-releasing in August. I was able to visit many amazing places, like Teotihuacán where I was able to climb the Pyramid of the Sun and also see the Pyramid of the Moon and Avenue of the Dead. Another great visit was to the Archeological Museum in Mexico City where I got to see so many wonderful artifacts and treasures from the Aztecs. It’s what inspired me to write these exciting stories which incorporate Mexican culture. You can read Aztec Gold for free with Kindle Unlimited and it’s also available for purchase if you don’t have that service. You can find it and many other free reads at https://amzn.to/3IMgpo4.

Excerpt

The feel of old papers called to Cynthia Guerrera the way a lover’s skin might.

Even with the gloves she wore to protect the fragile documents from the oils on her fingers, she sensed the raspy texture of the heavy parchment beneath her fingertips. Smelled the mustiness that hinted at the fact that it had been some time since these papers had seen the light of day.

At first, she had been skeptical about the provenance of the documents. Missouri cornfields were not the place one expected to find a trunk filled with nearly five-hundred-year-old Spanish artifacts. But a Missouri cornfield was just where the trunk holding the papers, journal and maps had been discovered when a developer had begun excavations for a new strip mall.

Setting aside the missive—a letter from Coronado himself to one of his seconds in command—she turned her attention to the leather-bound journal of Juan Domingo Cordero, one of the conquistadors who had accompanied Coronado on his adventures. Gingerly opening the cover, she traced her fingers over the sprawling script. The first entries in the journal had provided her with the identity of the author and the date of the documents thanks to Cordero’s meticulous notations.

With that information, she had been able to check several other sources to confirm that Cordero had indeed been one of Coronado’s lieutenants. When Coronado had left Mexico City in 1540 in search of the fabled Cities of Gold, Cordero had been at his side for the first leg of the journey. Coronado had eventually separated from Cordero and his contingent, ordering them to search in one direction while he went in another.

Cordero’s entries in the journal carefully detailed their travels throughout the south-central portion of Mexico, before his band had turned northward until they crossed the Rio Grande. Eventually the group had drifted eastward and reached the Mississippi, hugging the fertile banks of the river until it landed them in the area that would become known as Missouri.

Tired of their journeys and with their group decimated by a number of incidents, the Spanish conquistadors had built a small settlement a short distance from the sluggish and fruitful waters of the Mississippi.

The notations in Cordero’s journal gradually diminished after the establishment of that settlement, with the conquistador’s adventures giving way to the routine of farming and family life. It seemed that Cordero had finally stopped writing at all.

Cynthia supposed that was when the conquistador had tucked the journals detailing his explorations into the small wood and leather trunk together with his other papers. The trunk in turn had been put in a cellar, and over time, the floods that often occurred in the area had covered Cordero’s home and the surrounding settlement with mud. Further flooding and natural events had added to the layers over the former community, hiding its existence from sight until the developer’s bulldozers had dug up the first hints of the earlier colonization and the trunk.

Cynthia picked up the report that had arrived that morning. The assorted laboratory tests she had requested absolutely confirmed the age of the documents.

With that endorsement came proof of one thing, while serious doubt remained about a series of entries in the journals—unusual and unbelievable tales.

When I set out to write Brickell Avenue Ambush, I knew the heroes were going to be very different from the kick-ass, take no names heroes of Lost in Little Havana. Ricky and Mariela are ordinary people pulled into an extraordinary situation where they will be forced to not only fight for their own lives, but possibly also save the lives of dozens of other people. The book is also kind of a second-chance-at-love story, but not in the traditional way. Mariela has only recently escaped an abusive relationship and has to learn to trust men again when Ricky comes into her life. I loved exploring how Ricky and Mariela navigate their growing attraction in light of Mariela’s past. This Teaser Tuesday I’m sharing an excerpt from one of their first encounters in the book. You can download Brickell Avenue Ambush at https://amzn.to/3C9ld3f.

Excerpt

“YOU’RE A GOOD daughter. A good person,” Ricky said, sensing that she had some doubt about her dream of bringing her family back together again.

Her lips twisted up in a half smile and she did a little laugh. “Jorge didn’t think so.”

“Jorge is an ass,” he said and brushed a whisper-soft kiss across her cheek and then down to lightly trace the edges of her lips.

It was a kiss of promise, of invite. He wanted her to accept him and what might be possible between them.

She leaned into him, opening herself to him. Her lips on his, tentative at first, but growing more mobile, more intense, as they kept on kissing until he needed her closer. Needed to feel her, her heartbeat against his, racing as his was.

He leaned back onto the arm of the sofa, urged her to come with him, and she crawled into his lap, her center over him. Over the growing hardness at the feel of her against him.

Breaking apart from her only long enough to say her name, almost as a prayer, he cradled her back in his hands as they kissed over and over.

He opened his mouth and accepted the slide of her tongue, tasting her, a mix of the Scotch and sweetness. Mariela’s sweetness, he thought with a groan as she shook in his arms.

He didn’t want to misread the signals so he shifted away the slightest bit, and husked, “We can stop whenever you want.”

“I don’t want to stop,” she said and stroked her hand across his cheek before tunneling her fingers into his hair and urging him into the kiss again.

It’s time for a teaser from Lost in Little Havana. After surviving a drive-by shooting, police officers Trey and Roni have have gone back to the penthouse in the South Beach Security offices. Emotions are running hight and Trey is tired of fighting his feelings for his baby sister’s best friend and the woman who is now his partner in an investigation. I loved this friends-to-lovers story and how Trey and Roni explore the changes and challenges in their relationship. You can find out more about Lost in Little Havana and the rest of the books in the South Beach Security series at https://amzn.to/3KOTutt.

Excerpt

The adrenaline was wearing off as they returned to the penthouse.

Trey’s hand shook as he reached out to take Roni’s uninjured arm and applied gentle pressure to urge her to face him.

She did, her muscles trembling beneath his hand as she finally released her grasp on the control she’d exerted at the crime scene. Lifting her gaze, she met his and the invitation there was clear.

He might have lost her tonight. Might have died himself. He wasn’t going to refuse her. He wasn’t going to hold back.

He hauled her close and kissed her, meeting her mouth over and over again as she strained against him.

He moaned, needing her more than he needed breath. Needing to make love to her to remind both of them that they were very much alive. That it was time they stopped denying what they felt for each other.

Still kissing, arms wrapped around each other, he backed her up until they were lying on the large couch in the middle of the room. Her body all soft womanly curves against his, but he worried he was too heavy on her. Shifting slowly, he let her be on top and in control because he had to know she wanted this as much as he did.

She slipped over his hips, her dress hiked up almost to her waist, and cradled his erection at her center. She leaned her arms on his chest, mindful of his injured shoulder. “I want this,” she said as if reading his mind and with no hesitation, she reached down and whipped the dress up and over her head.

If you loved Person of Interest and Bodyguard, you just might like Biscayne Bay Breach. Picture this…Sicily…Oh wait, that’s Sophia from Golden Girls! LOL! But picture a computer program that can predict crimes, including the possible death of every – yes EVERY – member of the South Beach Security Gonzalez family. Add a second chance at love romance between tech millionaire John Wilson and beautiful, smart, and sassy baby sister Mia Gonzalez and you’ve got an action-packed and very romantic suspense! Biscayne Bay Breach is available in print, e-book, and audiobook! Here’s a teaser for you from the villain’s point of view. You can find out more about this book and the SBS series at https://amzn.to/408wOZK.

Teaser

CLACK, CLACK, CLACK went the fake shutter on his digital camera.

He zoomed in with the telephoto lens to get a better look at the man who had been sitting with Trey Gonzalez, and as he zoomed in, he sucked in a sharp breath.

“John Wilson,” he murmured. He recognized the man from some news reports on a recent charity event Wilson’s new software company had sponsored.

Interesting, he thought, wondering what the tech multimillionaire had to do with Trey. As far as he knew, it was Mia who had been hanging out with the man. Maybe that’s what this little meeting had been about: what Wilson’s intentions were toward Mia.

The Gonzalez family was a little old-fashioned that way. They stuck together. Protected their own.

Too bad they hadn’t cared at all about what had happened to his family. How his family had suffered over the years while the Gonzalez family had achieved the American Dream.

He intended to make sure that they’d pay for that suffering when the time was right, and his gut told him that would be soon.

He’d been patient after the last attack, waiting for them to let down their guard. It had dropped…a little. That was obvious from what he’d seen of today’s lunch meeting.

Trey had done his best to hide in that back corner and not be seen with John Wilson, but he didn’t know who he was dealing with. Trey and his family had underestimated the danger for months now, but soon he would give them what they deserved: the same kind of pain and loss he and his family had endured for over sixty years.

Soon, he thought, and snapped off a few more photos.

I love Ricky Gonzalez from Brickell Avenue Ambush. He’s an everyman who has to rise to the occasion when he meets Mariela Hernandez, a woman who was emotionally and physically abused by her ex-husband. Mariela has stumbled across a plan by her ex that may endanger the lives of hundreds and when she is attacked, South Beach Security steps in to help protect her and stop her ex from carrying out his plan. It’s an exciting and action-packed story, but also a very tender romance as Ricky deals with Mariela’s fears about relationships given her past. Today’s excerpt is from the first attack in the book, when Ricky has to find his inner hero in order to protect Mariela. You can find out more about Brickell Avenue Ambush and the rest of the books in this romantic suspense series at https://amzn.to/408wOZK.

Excerpt

MARIELA STRUGGLED AGAINST the masked man who had assaulted her as soon as she had closed the door.
He had an arm wrapped around her waist and his gloved hand covered her mouth, muffling her screams and cutting off her air until black circles danced in her vision.

At the crash of someone breaking down the front door, the man reacted, loosening his grip slightly, and she bit down hard on his hand. The leather kept her from breaking skin, but her vicious bite made the man yelp and loosen his hold enough that she could elbow him in the stomach.

He let out a rough “Oomph” at the blow and released her. She rushed toward the front door and hopefully safety, but the man was on her again, tackling her to the ground. The weight of his body drove the air from her lungs, but a second later that weight lifted off her.

Rolling onto her side, she saw Ricky Gonzalez tossing the masked man away from her. The man stumbled back, but then regained his footing and whirled to attack again.

Ricky faced him, standing between her and her attacker. Protecting her with his body.

The man rushed at Ricky, throwing punch after punch as he tried to reach Mariela. The blows landed with sickening thuds against Ricky’s face, arms and occasionally his midsection.

Ricky took the brunt of the violence, defending against the wild, almost haymaker punches of her attacker. But when their assailant paused,

Ricky fought back with almost surgical precision, landing a sharp blow to the man’s face that snapped the man’s head back. The man reeled from the jab, but then struck out again.

Mariela screamed, “I’m calling the police.”