Shoutout to KM Fawcett

I’m off to my local Liberty States Fiction Writers Holiday Party but before it’s time for the festivities, I want to shout out to my friend K.M. Fawcett who has a new release for the holidays! Check out the teaser below, and if it grabs you as it grabbed me, you can order the book at https://books2read.com/WildeChristmas.

As Lacey Wilde works to open her bed-and-breakfast in time for Christmas, she meets Marine veteran Dean Hunter — who claims her adopted military working dog is his! Can Dean and K-9 Remi protect Lacey from a mysterious threat? A suspenseful small-town romance to warm up the holidays.

P.S. – If you love stories set around the holidays, check out One Summer Night. Although the story starts on the Jersey Shore during the summer, it has many scenes in New York City during the Christmas season.

christmas story

Winner Winner and a Tempting Read

So excited that so many people shared their hometowns during the giveaway! It was so nice to learn about where you all live and see some of the lovely photos. Thank you! The winner of the giveaway is Capri Gay! Congrats!

And now I’m sharing a teaser and excerpt from Trapping a Terrorist, my 25th release for Harlequin. It’s a story with adventure, suspense, romance and tortured heroes. I hope you’ll enjoy this little look at it!

Teaser

An FBI agent puts everything on the line…

To keep a deadly threat at bay.

When FBI agent Miguel Peters and his father land squarely in the crosshairs of a bomber terrorizing Seattle, the last thing Miguel wants is to also entangle a lovely stranger in a terrorist’s web. Yet while Maisy Oliver might look innocent, her father’s one of the most notorious men in Washington State. Miguel knows Maisy will do anything to help him and his team catch a killer. But does that include confronting a past she’s worked far too long to forget?

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Discover more action-packed stories in the Behavioral Analysis Unit series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order:

Book 1: Profiling a Killer by Nichole Severn
Book 2: Decoding a Criminal by Barb Han
Book 3: Tracing a Kidnapper by Juno Rushdan
Book 4: Trapping a Terrorist by Caridad Piñeiro

Excerpt

As soon as they were through the door, he released her hand and they stepped apart, gazing at each other, obviously uncomfortable. He broke the tension with a flip of his hand in the direction of the Murphy bed.

“I’m going to be working and you’re probably sore. Maybe you should take the bed tonight so you’re more comfortable.”

She opened her mouth, as if to object, but then just nodded. Clasping her hands before her, she said, “Thanks. But there’s room for you as well.”

And there was the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the room again, and he might as well address it. Walking up to her, he cradled her cheek and stroked his thumb across her creamy skin. So smooth. So soft. His gut tightened at the thought of all that skin against his and she was more than he could resist.

Bending closer, he brought his lips to hers until only the space of a breath was between them. “This,” he said, whispered his lips across hers and shifted back barely an inch. “This is why that’s not a good idea.”

In answer, Maisy reached up and cupped the back of his head, keeping him close. “This,” she said, repeating his earlier action, her lips a butterfly kiss against his. “This is why we have to share that bed. Whatever happens, I don’t want to say that I ran from this. From us.”

A low groan escaped him, and he couldn’t fight it anymore. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close, her softness crushed to his hardness. Every inch of her fitting to him as if they were two pieces of a puzzle.

Over and over they kissed, until their breaths became one and almost ceased to exist as they strained toward each other.

But then something registered. Sound. Vibration.

“Damn,” he said and fumbled with the phone in his jacket pocket, dropping it with a thud.

That sound killed the desire as effectively as a cold bucket of water.

“SSA Peters,” he said, and mouthed an apology to her.

“We’ve broken through one of the shell companies and like you thought, it’s part of Rothwell Industries,” Dashiell advised.

“That’s great, Dash. We’re one step closer to Rothwell. I’m sure he’s the mastermind behind this,” Miguel said.

“I agree, Miguel. We’ll keep on working to break past the other shell. Hopefully it’ll lead to Rothwell also.”

“I don’t doubt that it will and if we can get Adams into custody, maybe he will flip on Rothwell. As for the licensed blaster, I think there’s one on our list that’s at Rothwell’s current construction site. If you can get an address for him, I’ll go with Madeline to interview him.”

“We’ll try to get it ASAP,” Dashiell said and ended the call.

Miguel tossed the phone onto a nearby tabletop and it clattered noisily, making Maisy jump and take a step away from him.

“You need to get to work,” she said and smoothed her hand across his chest.

“I do. Why don’t you—”

The phone rang and vibrated noisily on the tabletop.

“Again?” Miguel muttered in frustration, swept up the phone and answered, “SSA Peters.”

“We’ve got the address for the blaster from his license application and his photo from his driver’s license,” Madeline said.

“Great. Meet me in the lobby. We’ll speak to him and see what he has to say,” Miguel directed.

Facing Maisy, he said, “I have to go.”

“I understand. I’ll be waiting up for you.”

The last bit of emptiness inside him disappeared at the thought of Maisy waiting for him at home. A home and not just a place to lay his head between investigations.

“That’ll be nice. I’ll make sure an agent is at the door while I’m gone,” he stated and rushed to the door, Maisy following.

At the door he faced her, bent and kissed her, a long, slow kiss filled with promise.

Caridad Romantic Suspense

Order Trapping a Terrorist

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3stMJSx
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3dmWs6L
Amazon Box Set: https://amzn.to/3lWYdvf
Apple: https://apple.co/3fp4NcL
BN E-book: http://bit.ly/BNTrap
BN Box Set: http://bit.ly/BNBoxSetTTrap
Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboTrap
Kobo Box Set: http://bit.ly/KobpBoxSetTrap
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/TrappingATerrorist

Video

#ManCandyMonday – Western Locale for COLD CASE REOPENED & Pre-Order

I’m so excited about my upcoming release from Harlequin Intrigue COLD CASE REOPENED. This story is packed with emotion and action as a young woman tries to find out what really happened to her twin sister on the night she disappeared six months earlier. The hero in the story is a sexy cowboy-type who will buck his boss and reopen the case in order to get to the truth. COLD CASE REOPENED is now available for pre-order and is also part of a box set. You can find out more and read a teaser and excerpt at https://www.caridad.com/suspense/cold-case-reopened/.

Here’s how I pictured the hero, white Stetson and all!

Original Image by kalhh from Pixabay

#TeaserTuesday – DEATH CALLS from The Calling is Reborn Vampire Novel Series

I am so excited to be sharing my re-release of DEATH CALLS with you today. This is #4 in The Calling is Reborn Vampire Novel series, but each book in the series stands alone. DEATH CALLS is one of my favs since it’s about sexy Southern vampire Ryder Latimer and FBI Agent Diana Reyes. After some time together, the darkness of Ryder’s vampire world is pulling them apart, especially when Diana is reunited with her former lover and wonders how it would be to have a normal human life.

This story received critical acclaim and was chosen as a Top Fantasy book by Catalina Magazine and Best Silhouette Nocture by the Cataromance website. Here’s a blurb and teaser for you!

 

Blurb

Darkness Calls to humans as well as vampires. . .

When FBI Agent Diana Reyes fell in love with Ryder Latimer, she knew that her life would never be the same. But her vampire lover brings passion into her life and Diana thought that and his love would be enough. Now she has her doubts if she can stay in his world. His darkness connects with something deep inside her, something that scares as much as it restores her life. But at times, she finds herself wishing for a “normal” life.

Ryder understands that his lover has fears about returning to the darkness that had once claimed her life.  He has fears of his own, namely losing her after a lifetime of being alone.  He doesn’t know what he would do without Diana in his life. When an FBI investigation pulls Diana into a dangerous and dark mission, Ryder is forced to make a choice: Can he let his lover go or will he bring her into his world forever, even if she will hate him for eternity?

Teaser

Warning this teaser is for MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!

“I don’t regret. . .us,” she whispered. Funny, but it was the truth despite her doubts. He was her damnation and her salvation.

“Let’s not talk about this now. The night is short and. . .I don’t want to spend it. . .”

Burying her head against his chest, she wrapped her arms around him. Her embrace shook loose something inside of him.

He needed to make it impossible for her to deny that this was real, no matter how many doubts both of them now seemed to be having.

It was sweet torture, the feel of her breasts skimming his chest. Her warmth slowly worked its way into the cold of his body. The heat of her passion drove the chill from his skin.

She tugged him toward her bed. “This is what you want, isn’t it?”

She wore her false bravado face. Funny how he could recognize it so easily. Funny how he wanted to drive the fear from her until she truly welcomed him into her bed. Invited him into her heart.

“Can you deny it’s what you want, as well?” he said.

She couldn’t lie to herself. She needed more of him. She always needed more even if she refused to give a name to that desire. Even as she wondered if it was a result of some vampire head game, much as Foley had suggested.

Ask me to touch you, he said.

Why?

His demanding reply came swiftly. Because I need you to want me as much as I want you.

“Dios, Ryder. I need you.”

Slowly, way too slowly, he lowered his hand until it rested on top of the nest of curls between her legs. She pressed her hips up, urging him on. He breached the edge of her panties and unerringly found her center.

Beneath his fingers, Ryder experienced the pull of her. The scent of her arousal perfumed the air, so strong that the vampire within begged for a taste. He had lost the battle last time. He wouldn’t allow it to happen tonight. If the animal came. . .she might hate him—or herself—for surrendering to the demon.

He dropped a trail of kisses along her body. She opened her legs, knowing his intent and welcoming it. He slipped between her legs, brought his mouth to her sensitive nub.

Her hips arched in acceptance.

Her wetness—slick against him—and the smell of her. . .the heat. . .He groaned and she held his head to her.

He lost the battle.

The change surged over him. It was almost too much. The smell of their sexual musk. Her racing pulse reverberating in his ears. Her nether lips, wet and flush with blood. The demon imagined feeding there, at her most private of places.

He gasped at the roiling passion making his loins ache and looked up at her with his vampire face. Fangs exposed. Eyes glowing. Skin flushed and warm.

Order

You can order DEATH CALLS at the following retailers and don’t forget that I have special 99 cent pricing on the first books in the series!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/35jx651
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2LTEhcl
Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/BN_DeathCalls
Kobo: bit.ly/Kobo_Death_Calls
Scribd: bit.ly/Scribd_Death_Calls

#ThrowbackThursday – A Trip to Miami

An old joke, but funny. What’s a Cuban girl’s favorite whine? I want to go to Miami!

Lately I’ve been working on a lot of Works-In-Progress that are set in Miami and with winter still with us in the Northeast, I’m dreaming of warm nights and the beach. Plus it will let me do research on all the different locations in my WIPs. Being able to go there will really help up the authenticity in the stories. So here’s hoping one of them sells! For now, a snapshot from one of our earlier trips to Miami!

#TeaserTuesday – Sneak Peek at Desire Calls a Vampire Romance Novella

Today I’m offering up a sneak peek at Desire Calls, one of the novellas in The Calling is Reborn Vampire Novels. This novella features Stacia and Blake, two characters that you meet in the earlier books in the series. I love these two characters because they are so over the top! I’m also glad I was able to finally give them their happily-ever-afters. Enjoy the sneak peek! You can purchase the full novella for only 99 cents for a limited time or get it for free in The Calling is Reborn Box Set Volume 1 for only 2.99!


Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Gyu96j
Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1451916740
B&N: http://bit.ly/2TJNKnQ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/desire-calls
Playster: http://bit.ly/2TzBnLi
Scribd: http://bit.ly/2TJPFsV

The Calling is Reborn Volume 1
Contains Darkness Calls, Danger Calls, Temptation Calls and a free bonus novella Desire Calls
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EaYkPm
Apple Books: Coming Soon!
B&N: http://bit.ly/2N8Jxrj
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2N5T1nq
Playster: http://bit.ly/2N75EyC
Scribd: http://bit.ly/2N7FTOC

Teaser

Welsh vampire Blake has given up on any chance of love.

From the moment Blake Richards runs into sexy college coed Meghan Thomas, he imagines that it’s possible for him to actually fall in love once again. But when he loses control during their lovemaking, he has to decide between letting Meghan die or turning her. Blake turns her earning her eternal hatred and losing his chance for love. Until he runs into vampire elder Stacia and her power and humanity call to him in unexpected ways and make him believe that love just might be possible with the beautiful immortal.

Vampire elder Stacia hasn’t felt the pull of love in centuries.

Hidden from humans and feared by her own kind due to her immense age and powers, Stacia has few friends and even fewer lovers. The other elders urge her to give up on eternal love, but something inside Stacia says that if she does she will lose the very last bit of the humanity in her heart. But after a chance encounter with Blake, his spirit and strength intrigue her and she imagines that finally she may have found the man worthy enough to be her eternal companion.

Excerpt

This excerpt is for Mature Audiences only due to sexual and graphic contest

Chapter 1

The piazza always provided a fine selection for dining, Stacia thought as she sat on the railing along the edge of the Bernini fountain in Rome’s Piazza Navona. She gazed at the choices available in various spots around the square. French. German. Italian, of course.

Her stomach rumbled with hunger. It had been a day since she had eaten. Placing a hand over her belly, she rose and sashayed toward her first pick, but as she neared the Frenchman, she realized he was beyond lubricated. The stench of cheap wine clung to his shirt and oozed from his pores.

Shaking her head, she thought of the oft-repeated adage all those television chefs used — If it’s not good enough to drink, it’s not good enough for cooking — or in her case, for eating. That cheap stuff just left a bad aftertaste in your mouth along with a wickedly nasty buzz.

She preferred something cleaner on her palate tonight.

Which definitely had her bypassing the Aryan god she had noticed just a short distance away from the Frenchman. Germans were always a trifle heavy in her belly, although the broad set of his shoulders and well-muscled chest made her reconsider. She loved her men big and strong and so she lingered by the front of the outdoor cafe where he was seated. Even made eye contact with him for a moment.

Amazing crystal blue eyes, twinkling with interest. That much was clear.

Stacia smiled back, thinking that maybe he might be worth a nibble. Maybe they might actually even click, finally providing her with true pleasure after nearly two thousand years of undead life.

Mr. Tall, Blonde and Brawny rose from his chair, seemingly intent on making a move in her direction, but suddenly an equally tall, blonde and muscled woman joined him. Seeing that his attention was on Stacia, his companion began a harangue loud enough to make heads turn. The man plopped down into his chair like a dog with its tail tucked between his legs.

No spirit. That was so not good, Stacia thought and moved onward, still in search of something to satisfy her hunger.

She needed a man who could not only take a lickin’, but gave as good as he got. And not just when he was in a fight. It had been a good long while since any man had really satisfied her in bed, one of the downsides of having lived so long. Of being a vampire elder.

Even her own kind avoided her at times, aware that with her age came vast power, but also vast hunger. For blood. For sex. For control over lesser vamps. She didn’t want to admit that in her case, she still hungered for love. For real passion and desire.

Things she hadn’t felt in way too long.

Some of the other elders might say that she was foolish to yearn for such things. That she should let go of the last little bit of humanity within her that prompted such desires. Then and only then could she truly relish the immense vampire power that her age provided.

Stubbornly, though, Stacia refused to relinquish that last trace of humanity. Of want for something more than an eternal existence filled with only . . .

A fine looking American caught her eye as he laughed at the antics of his rowdy friends in front of one bar. He was as big and blonde as the whipped Aryan she had bypassed earlier, but as his gaze met hers, she saw steel there. Luscious grey eyes were framed by a sheath of shaggy sunbleached hair.

Stacia circled Mr. Surfer Dude, making eye contact and clearly letting the young man know that this might just be his lucky night.

It worked without her even using a bit of her vampire power. A flirtatious smile and her feminine wiles had been enough.

He approached, leaned down from his greater height and in awfully accented Italian, asked, “Parla Inglese?”

“Do we need to talk?” she said with a sexy wink and inclined her head in the direction of a nearby alley.

The young man smiled broadly and after a quick glance back at his friends, who hooted and carried on at his “score”, he took hold of her hand and followed her.

Stacia led him farther and farther back into the narrow alley, although not so far that he would think anything was amiss. Just far enough that he would think a strong shout could still be heard out in the piazza. Not that she would give him the opportunity to call out.

Toward the middle of the alley, the night closed in around them, with only the dimmest light from the full moon above. Clothed in darkness, the young man surprised her by becoming the aggressor, grabbing her forcefully and pinning her to the jagged brick wall.

“Like it rough, do you?” she said, but he didn’t answer since with quick hands he had already undone the laces on her leather vest and was gazing down at her breasts as they spilled free.

When he bent to suck at them, she moaned, thinking that he was exceptionally gifted with his mouth. Between her legs, the throb of human desire rose up, aching for fulfillment.

She quickly undid his jeans, reached past the loose folds of denim to the boxer shorts below.

How she loved this new fashion that made it so easy to free him. To stroke the rather magnificent length of him.

He bit down on one nipple as she caressed him, dragging a gasp from her.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, although he was already lifting the almost non-existent hem of her black leather miniskirt to cup her bare buttocks and urge her upward.

With a surge, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. Drove down, crying out as the long thick length of him penetrated her. He was deliciously big, much like the rest of him.

His own groan was from the gut as she leaned back against the brick wall and he pounded into her, all finesse forgotten as he strove for release. As he looked down and watched the play of his hips against hers, as if fascinated by that sight. His blonde curls brushing the naked skin between her legs.

Stacia considered the emotions flitting across his face. Passion rose, dilating his eyes into shards of slate grey. Almost charcoal grey she realized as he met her gaze before dipping his head down again to suck on her breasts.

Inside her, heat built. Desire awakened the demon that hungered for so much. She threw her head back, allowed the beast to emerge so that it could experience it all. The dark of the night, enveloping them in its secrecy. The strength of his youth, bringing her closer and closer to completion. The musky smells of their lovemaking, pushing her over the edge.

She called out her physical completion and laid her face against his. Bent her head and kissed the crook of his neck. His skin was damp. Salty. His blood surged, singing through his veins as his heart beat quickened while he strove for his completion.

Sweet, sweet blood. Pulsing beneath her lips.

In a heartbeat, she loosed the beast, her fangs bursting forth and piercing the fragile skin of his neck.

He called out then in a strangled cry laced with pain, but also with the acknowledgement of passion like no other he had ever experienced — the passion borne from a vampire’s kiss.

Blood spilled onto her lips from her fangs as she drank, experiencing the surge of strength and lust that came from feeding. From his sweet, young blood bringing the rush of life to her undead body.

He tasted like the ocean and sun. Salty. So tasty that Stacia could have kept on going until she drained him dry, only he had done well by her tonight, satisfying one hunger while leaving another unfulfilled.

The young man’s knees weakened from the loss of blood and Stacia hopped off him. With her greater vampire strength, she gently eased him to the uneven pavement of the alley.

He was rather handsome, she thought, gazing down at him as he stared up at her, disoriented. The bite mark at his neck was already healing and come the morning, he would remember nothing. Feel no worse off than if he had a bad hangover.

And she would feel . . .

Still alone, she thought, hurrying from the alley as if by doing so, she could escape the bleakness of her existence.

Once out in the piazza, she realized that it was time to move on. She would not find satisfaction here.

New York would be good this time of year, it occurred to her as she strolled through the square. Lots of fine dining there and the wanna-bes at the Blood Bank were always good for a laugh.

Imagine, wanting to be human again, she thought. What good was that? she asked herself, ignoring the little voice in her head which reminded that with all that humanity came . . .

Love.

Indie-Publishing 101 #WriteWed

As I mentioned the other day, I’m so excited to have gotten back rights to over a dozen books that I had written from Harlequin. Many of them are paranormals including quite a number of books in THE CALLING vampire suspense series. Since this is a series of my heart it’s a big woo hoo. My goal is to re-release them over the course of the next several months, but that will take planning and some thought on how to position them since THE CALLING has always been a unique series. A little bit vampire, a little bit suspense. A little historical with the vampire backgrounds and a little multicultural with Chupacabras, Chiang shis and a Latino FBI Agent and her Scooby Gang.

That kind of planning and the self-publishing avenues available to authors is what I will be chatting about at this year’s Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference. I’m so looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned over the last several years of releasing my own books and hopefully offering aspiring authors useful information about how to move their careers forward. For more info on the conference, which also has a wonderful readers’ track, please visit www.lsfwriters.com.

The one word that keeps on coming back to me as being imperative is “planning.” We just had an awesome planning workshop at our monthly meeting this month and I know many of the attendees came away with good ideas on not only planning, but using technology to help them be more effective writers.

Right now I’m in the planning phases since I have to write a new book for a traditional contract and somehow work in new projects for the future as well as the indie publishing for the books which have reverted to me.

2019 is promising to be an interesting year and I’m looking forward to sharing all that happens with you!