Romantic Moments... When do you know it's Love?

 

When I started writing the Hooded Pleasures series it was important to me to find the moment when Twu Luv hit the couples, when the switch was thrown and they discovered their world had turned upside down; their carefully-laid plans tossed aside.

Sometimes it was in the most obvious of places... sometimes in the oddest.



From Strictly Business: Kate and Alex finding out their arrangement just won't do anymore...

He wasn’t sure what she’d say. Part of him knew it was against the rules, and she must have known it was against the rules, but he’d asked like a good little sub, and she’d given him permission, and oh God, she tastes so good and—

The kiss deepened as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her, pulled her off the chair to straddle his lap as they sat on the floor.

His hands tangled in her hair as he held her tight, devouring every inch of her mouth, stealing her breath away.

She was hot, burning up, her skin scorching his as he pressed against her, reached down and cupped her ass through that silk and lace. A moan escaped her lips, and he hesitated only a second before squeezing again, snaking his fingers through those fishnet stockings that had teased him for so long.

Alex’s head spun.

His fantasy woman had just given herself to him.

And Kate was one hell of a reality to have his hands on.


From Strictly Pleasure: When Oliver discovers there's more to Roni than he first thought...



“According to my father, this design came to my grandmother in a dream.” He led her closer. “She told my grandfather the next day, and he immediately put it into production, wiping everything else off the board. They were big believers in following their dreams.” He turned to look at her. “The experts said it wouldn’t fly, it wouldn’t appeal to people. They were wrong.”

Veronica sucked in her breath at the sight.

“I’ve never seen it lit up. It’s beautiful. I don’t come over at night,” she murmured as they headed toward the three story structure. “To be honest, I don’t come over at all.”

“Don’t like to read?” He looked at the glowing green lights, automatically checking for any burned-out bulbs.

“I don’t have the time,” she confessed as they came up to the large double doors. “I usually have an e-book on my phone and dig through until I need to get another one.”

“That’s too bad,” he murmured. “There’s nothing like curling up in bed with a good book.” He winked at her. “Until you want to turn the fantasy into reality.”
Her cheeks reddened, and he knew he’d sent her as far from the burned-out café as he could.

Let’s keep on going.

“Well”—he held the door open for her—“let’s get you re-acquainted with the ancient medium of paper.”

She hesitated, pausing before crossing the threshold.

For a second he thought she was about to bolt, run back to her café.

“Problem?” Oliver asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

I’m going to make you relax if I have to tie you to a chair.

That thought had him running the palm of his free hand against his side, rubbing out the itch threatening to travel south to his groin.


And from Strictly Yours: When Nate, a cop, decides he wants to protect and serve the love of his life - even if it costs him everything.

Nathan let out a slow sigh and watched Jen sleep in his arms. She curled closer, nuzzling into the side of his neck.

He didn’t need a psychology degree to figure out what was going on here.

Worrying about Tanner, rightly or wrongly, had shredded her to the point that she had fallen asleep on his couch with him, the security and safety he offered enough to push her into doing what she shouldn’t do. Another time and place would have her headed for the door, shouldering the pink backpack with a mischievous grin and wink.

But she was here.

With him.

He shifted his hips, his arousal from the session slowly waning and twisting into a slow burn. Usually he’d have raced to his bathroom within minutes of the door closing behind her but this…this was a totally different type of experience.

It was refreshing. It was—

Wonderful.

Her lips parted, and she exhaled, the light minty breeze drifting over his senses.

When he’d been married, he’d never felt this good.

This right.

This contented.

Problem was, he didn’t know what to do.

Wake her up from a much-needed sleep to help her out the door, or let her rest.

The cop side of his mind kicked in, pointing out it’d be unsafe to let her drive in such a dozy state. It would be wrong and dangerous.

The submissive part of his mind agreed and upped the ante, noting it was his job to keep her safe and letting her get some much-needed rest was obviously the right choice.

His entire mind knew he’d regret this, but it was well worth any punishment she’d deliver down the line.

*****

Sometimes it's not necessarily the sex, it's the slow burn that reminds us the most romantic moments can be in a touch, a glance... a shared love of books.

Have a lovely Valentine's Day!

Here Be News

New Releases

Lover in a Bottle

Rebecca Thomas is determined to have the perfect holiday on her own. She knows how to plan the perfect wedding, so planning her ideal holiday wasn’t hard. She goes to the Cook Islands to enjoy the sun, sand and surf and everything else Rarotonga has to offer. She never planned on having a holiday fling, but Ashur is hard to resist.

Ashur loves his job. Every woman who frees him from his bottle is unique, and they all want something different. For him it has become a game to seduce them and grant their most secret fantasies—but on his time frame. He makes the most of each moment he is out of the bottle. While he enjoys what does, he is afraid that his life has no meaning and that one day his bottle will be lost forever, and so will he. With Rebecca, he thinks he is ready to give up being a genie and try being mortal.

However, to convince Rebecca so set him free, she first has to believe in magic and genies.

Buy links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes

Other News

2015 SFR Galaxy Award Winners!

Congratulations to Here Be Magic authors:
Sheryl Nantus for In the Black (cited by three different judges!)

Sonya B Clark for Firewall  (with special mention also made of Trancehack in the award writeup)

Veronica Scott for Mission to Mahjundar

The SFR Galaxy Awards is an annual, multi-award event for science fiction romance books.

Our March Melange Gift Card Winners:
Sarah M
David L
Thanks to everyone who participated -  watch for the flash fiction, using the words Readers gave us! Coming in March...

Warrior Women - more than just Amazons...

When you think of women warriors it's natural to think of the Amazons - women who were vicious fighters and who, according to myth, cut off their left breast in order to be more efficient archers.

(BTW I've done archery and there's no real problem having breasts. Unless they're quite large and I'm somewhat lacking in that department. Besides, Katniss seems to do pretty darned well with two, right?)

ANYWAY...

It's easy to forget that we have some more recent examples of strong women kicking butt and taking names - I'm talking about the Night Witches during World War Two.

The Night Witches were squadrons made up of Russian female pilots who held the line against the German invasion of their homeland - flying old biplanes to bomb and harass the German military at night. They would cut their engines and drift in silently to drop their bombs, earning themselves the title of "Night Witches".

Now just imagine that for a second. This is World War TWO. And these women are flying 1920's ancient biplanes over enemy lines and dropping bombs. Aside from the chance of instant death from being shot down by superior firepower there was always the horrific danger of surviving and being captured by German troops who didn't have much respect for enemy troops and especially for women who silently killed at night.

And as far as lack of respect went - the Russian military wasn't impressed with the idea to start with. If they had more resources at the time the Night Witches might not have even been given a chance but the war was new and the Russians suffering from a lack of everything. Putting women up in biplanes in near-suicide missions was supposed to be a stop-gap trick, something to hold the Germans at bay.

It did more than that. It terrified the German army and created a legend that stands to this day. Comic books and movies have been made about these brave women who risked death and worse than death to defend their homeland.

There's a wonderful article about the Night Witches at Mental Floss where you can learn more about this ground-breaking group of warrior women.

As for warrior women - when I created Sam Keller, the tough captain of the Bonnie Belle, I looked back to all the tough women who have fought over the years.

From Amazons to Night Witches, from today's bad-ass Marines to my beloved Royal Canadian Mounted Police there are plenty of women who have spilled their blood protecting their homes. Many wore uniforms but many never did, keeping their homes and families safe under dire circumstances while their men went off to war.

In my book they're all Wonder Women.

Releasing today! Launch yourself IN THE VOID!

IN THE VOID releases today, the sequel to the successful first book in the Tales from the Edge series, IN THE BLACK!

When you're preparing to be boarded by pirates you take every bit of help you can get - and if that includes a short teaching session by April Osano, the resident self-defense/BDSM expert, you take it.

Especially when Sean Harrison is the unfortunate target...

***

April strutted around a half-naked Sean as the courtesan studied his bare torso.

Studied the marks Catherine had left there only a few hours ago.

“Fighting dirty isn’t something women tend to do. We’re told to play nice, don’t hit below the belt and don’t pull hair.” April twisted her fingers in Sean’s short black hair and yanked his head back, hard.

His lips pulled back to expose his teeth but he stayed silent.

“I find pulling hair quite acceptable under certain circumstances.” She released him and continued her circling. “Your teachers didn’t allow you to think outside of the box where anything goes.”

Her hand flew to the inside of Sean’s right arm, just below the shoulder. “For example, pinching. A sharp pinch in the right place—” She twisted and snapped her fingers away. “Can distract even the most determined opponent.”

Catherine watched the purple welt rise.

Sean didn’t flinch, didn’t pull away.

“Fighting dirty tends to have you thinking about smacking a guy in the balls. A great target if you can get to it.”

April brought up her right knee and stopped less than an inch from Sean’s crotch.

He instinctively moved to cover with both hands.

She smiled and dropped her knee down. “Most men know that and protect the family jewels automatically.” April patted Sean’s cheek. “Understandable reaction. That’s the problem when you’re told to go for the balls—it’s more likely than not an attack will be thwarted.”

Sean exhaled slowly and returned his hands to his sides.

“But there’re other areas that can be attacked to inflict almost as much pain. When it comes to vital areas, both sexes have the same vulnerabilities. The arms, the legs, the nipples.” Her fingers landed on Sean’s left breast, pinching the delicate skin between her thumb and forefinger.

He rose up on his feet, grimacing, but he kept his eyes closed.

“Same for us, dear.” April looked at her directly. “Giving control, having control and using it. Knowing when to do what is important and not only in the middle of a fight.” She cocked her head to one side. “There are always going to be situations that are totally, utterly out of your control. How you react to them will decide your future.”

Sean whimpered.

“Enough.” Catherine found her voice. “Enough.”

****

Book two of Tales from the Edge

Catherine Rodgers doesn't like Mercy spaceships, or the courtesans who work on them--not after her husband left her for a Mercy woman. But after her luxurious transport ship gets blown up to prevent her from cracking the lid off a corporate scam that's left hundreds dead and a few people very rich, the only vessel around to save her is theBonnie Belle.

Sean Harrison has worked as one of the Belle's courtesans for years, bringing happiness to countless women along the space lanes. When he's asked to look after Catherine while the Belle brings her to safety, it should be just another job. Somehow it's anything but.

Sean is captivated by Catherine's sense of justice and responsibility. And Catherine finds a softer, more emotionally intelligent man in Sean than she expected. Drawn together in darkness under the threat of death, they find the beginning of something lasting. But with pirates after the Belle and a price on Catherine's head, that beginning might be all they get.

IN THE VOID is out NOW! Come on board and see if they can make your dreams come true!

Drop on by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, iBooks, Kobo and Carina Press to hop on board the Bonnie Belle for another fateful adventure!

Also on Goodreads!

Getting ready to go IN THE VOID!

When IN THE BLACK came out earlier this year readers were eager to come on board the Bonnie Belle and meet the courtesans, including the enigmatic Captain Samantha Keller and Marshal Daniel LeClair.

You haven't visited the Belle? Why not?

It's available NOW at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Carina Press!

Now it's time to see how far IN THE VOID someone would go for love...

(slight spoilers for IN THE BLACK, so be warned!)

*****

“Stimulation of the erogenous zones is essential.”

Sean Harrison groaned and turned the page.

“Make sure to maintain eye contact and inform your partner that they’re special.”

He put down the tablet and rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache starting.

Some people thought being a Guild courtesan was all about sex.

It was mostly true.

But whoever had written this paper on how to sexually satisfy women had to be either a eunuch or Sean’s girlfriend from the sixth grade, who’d thought kissing immediately led to pregnancy.

He swam over to the bathroom sink and pulled a moist cloth out of the dispenser. He looked in the mirror and spotted a few new wrinkles around his eyes.

It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.

And he was getting tired of stomping on the gas pedal.

Rubbing the hot fabric over his face helped push the pain away, not so much the annoyance.

He’d had to pay for this report as he had to pay for almost everything from the Guild. The rules and regulations dictated everything from exactly how much he could charge for his services to the cost of a hot shower. It was a constant juggling effort for the courtesans to coax tips from their customers to stay ahead and not end up chained to the Guild beyond their five-year contracts.

In exchange the Guild provided excellent training and let them travel the universe, visiting distant mining bases to bring civilized conversation to lonely men and women.

Along with great sex, of course.

Sean pushed the damp towel into the disposal chute and paddled back to the receiving area where the tablet still spun in zero gravity, waiting for his return.

“Crap,” he announced to the room. “Crappity crap crap.”

A knock came at the hatch.

“It’s open.” He never bothered to lock the door between landfalls.

Harry Lafayette bounced through the hatch and smacked his legs on the table as he flailed to stop himself.

“Hey.” He nodded to Sean. “You seen this new report? Man, if I had this in high school I would have scored big time with the ladies.”

Sean closed his eyes in an attempt to call up that inner peace April kept talking about.

Had he been this annoying on his first tour?

Had he ever been that young?

Sean resisted the urge to check the mirror again.

“It’s just a guidebook,” he said, trying to sound as kind as he could. “It’s put together by experts,” he paused, almost hearing the air quotes around the word experts, “who claim to know what women want. It’s not gospel.”

The bare-chested man floated around the receiving room, the smallest of the three-room suite each courtesan occupied on the Bonnie Belle. “But the trainers said they’d tell us everything we needed, teach us what we needed to keep our customers happy.”

Sean smiled. “Some things only come via life experience.” He resisted the urge to rub the invisible wedding ring on his left hand. “The Guild is good but you’ll pick up things during your first tour that they can’t teach. Don't be afraid to ask for help from the rest of the crew.”

Harry chuckled. “You mean April, Kendra and Bianca, right? ’Cause I don’t think I’m going to get much from Jenny and Sam.”

Sean shrugged as he reached out for the tablet hovering between them. “Jenny’s the best mechanic out here. And Sam, well—she’s a damned good captain. This is my second tour and I’d have no one else in the cockpit.”

Harry nodded. “I’ll take your word for it. Any word on when we’re getting another courtesan?”

“No.” Sean tapped the screen and sent the report away. “We’re still running one short. You got Dane’s cabin and we’re still waiting for Halley’s replacement.”

“I’m sorry about all that.” Harry looked down. “I know you were buddies with them both.”

“Not so much buddies, but work associates.” Sean wasn’t sure how to explain it to the rookie. “You can be on the same ship for months, years and never be friends with anyone else. Halley—” He choked up, thinking of the dead courtesan.

They hadn’t been friends but they sure as hell hadn’t been enemies. If Sean had been the one to find her dead in her cabin with her throat cut—

“Dane Morris was an asshole,” Sean growled. “He killed one of our own and tried to kill the captain. He was no friend of mine.”

Harry nodded. “Understood.”

Sean released the tablet and rubbed his face with both hands. “I’m sorry. I’m a wee bit on edge.”

“No problem,” Harry replied. “I guess this gets boring to an old pro like yourself after a while.”

Old?

Sean was in the middle of composing an answer when the alarm went off.

“All personnel immediately report to the galley.” Belle’s calm voice was in contrast to the blaring siren. “Please report to the galley.”

Harry flailed in zero gravity until Sean got hold of his arm and helped him to the hatch.

“Is it bad?” Harry asked as they opened the door and swam out into the hall.

Sean wasn’t in a mood to sugarcoat his response. “Probably.”

Kendra drifted into the hall, her movements graceful even in weightlessness. She eyed the two men.

“Trouble.”

It wasn’t a question.

*****

IN THE VOID

Book two of Tales from the Edge

Catherine Rodgers doesn’t like Mercy spaceships, or the courtesans who work on them—not after her husband left her for a Mercy woman. But after her luxurious transport ship gets blown up to prevent her from cracking the lid off a corporate scam that’s left hundreds dead and a few people very rich, the only vessel around to save her is the Bonnie Belle.

Sean Harrison has worked as one of the Belle’s courtesans for years, bringing happiness to countless women along the space lanes. When he’s asked to look after Catherine while the Belle brings her to safety, it should be just another job. Somehow it’s anything but.

Sean is captivated by Catherine’s sense of justice and responsibility. And Catherine finds a softer, more emotionally intelligent man in Sean than she expected. Drawn together in darkness under the threat of death, they find the beginning of something lasting. But with pirates after the Belle and a price on Catherine’s head, that beginning might be all they get.

Coming out October 6th from Carina Press!

Pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble today!

Have you gone "In the Black" yet?

Yesterday was the big release of "In the Black", the first book in my new science fiction romance series "Tales from the Edge"! Here's your chance to visit a whole new world I like to say is "Firefly" meets "Best Little Whorehouse" in space!

But let's start with the short and sweet blurb...

When Sam Keller left the military, she ran to the far end of the galaxy. Now she captains the Bonnie Belle, a spaceship full of courtesans who bring a little pleasure to hard-up men on mining colonies. When one of her girls turns up dead, it's Sam's job to find out who killed her, fast.

Marshal Daniel LeClair is as tough as steel and quick on the draw. But when his vacation gets replaced by an assignment to help find the killer, he can't help angling for a little action with the saucy, hard-charging Sam. She's got brains, attitude and a body he wouldn't mind investigating.

Sam, six months lonely, might just indulge him. But the Guild that owns the Belle wants the case closed yesterday. With pressure coming from all quadrants, Sam and her marshal clash over false leads and who's on top. But when the killer threatens the Belle again, romance will have to wait. It's a captain's job to save her crew, no matter the cost.

But their first meeting isn't a walk in the park. Let me show you how Captain Samantha Keller and Marshal Daniel LeClair discover each other...

“You wanna go?” Sam whispered. “You wanna go?” Her pulse was racing. She felt a bead of sweat run down her back, pooling at the base of her spine.

This wasn't some kid fresh off the boat. This was an old-timer with impressive biceps straining the sleeves of his dirty jumpsuit. That was okay. She had energy
to spare. And it’d been a while since she’d gotten physical with anyone.

It wasn't sex, but it’d do for the moment.

“You feeling lucky?” she said, waiting for him to make the first move. She motioned him forward.

Something shot by her left ear.

She froze.

The miner watched her with widening eyes, rooted in place. A trickle of drool began rolling out of the left side of his mouth. His eyes rolled up showing only the whites.

He passed out. His arms rose in front of him, giving him a movie monster look. All he needed was to start roaring and goose-stepping forward.

Sam spotted the tiny dart in his chest, the small, dark green tufted needle almost invisible against the dirty oil-stained shirt.

“You seem to have an interesting effect on men.”

The low voice behind her brought Sam back around, automatically assuming a combat stance with her hands up, fingers balled into fists.

He stood there, two fingers on his right hand up to his forehead in a mocking salute. The other hand held the standard law-enforcement weapon of choice, the
P-112 pistol. Her mind went through the identification process. Official issue for the military or the Marshal Service, not something handed out to station security.

The lightweight weapon fired either tranqs or bullets, and she’d just seen the tranq side of it.

“He’ll be awake in an hour or so. United Nations Service Marshal Daniel LeClair at your service, ma’am.”

The leather jacket, dotted with UNS patches from various bases and a set of identification pips on the lapels, was snug on his broad shoulders, and tight jeans hung low on his hips. A white T-shirt finished off the informal uniform, matching his short white hair.

He smiled at her, a sheepish twist to his lips. The only thing missing to make the cowboy image complete would be a hat perched at a rakish angle on his head.

“Family trait. My father had a full head of white hair by the time he hit twenty,” he replied to the unasked question. “You must be Sam Keller.”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she snapped back.

He holstered his weapon and stepped toward her, his smile dissolving into a confused grin. “Helping.”

Sam punched the miner in the ribs, not hard enough to break them but enough to leave a reminder for when he woke up. “This is my ship and those people are under my protection. I don’t need your help to take out the trash. I can deal with these idiots.”

LeClair put up his hands and stopped. “Whoa there. I just figured—”

“You figured you’d save a damsel in distress.” Sam walked up to him and jabbed her index finger into his chest. “First lesson of working with me is that I’m as tough as you are, Marshal.” She eyed him. “Probably tougher. So don’t think I can’t handle myself or get the job done.”

LeClair grinned. “I think I’d like to see you handling yourself.”

The angry words fell away from Sam’s mind, leaving a black hole. She stared at the lawman, uncertain what she’d just heard.

He didn't look away, not giving an inch.

Two could play that game. Not bothering to be subtle, she mentally undressed him, exposing rock-hard abs and a body built for action. All-night action like one of the heroes in those detective novels she’d been devouring.

God, I've lost it. I’m getting hot for a damned cop.

******
Romantic Times Magazine gave "In the Black" four out of five stars and said it was "a fast-paced tale of murder & mystery in outer space"! Check out their review here!

If you're interested in seeing more of Captain Keller and Marshal LeClair pick up "In the Black" here at Amazon, B&N or Carina Press!

October? Eek!

 

Growing up I never made much of a fuss over Halloween, other than the obvious grab for goodies – being in Montreal, Canada made a difference as well. There was many a Halloween where my costume had to fit over a snowsuit, sort of dampening the thrill of being dressed up. Although I made a great bunny. Trust me on that.

As I got older I was never the popular girl that got invited to the parties so Halloween became a sort of "sit on the porch and give out treats" event.

Then I discovered horror films. Or, to be more precise, my younger sister discovered them and began watching them, renting them, waving them in my face for movie nights.

Eek!

I'm not talking about the old Hammer films, of which my hubby has copies of and adores – I'm talking about the slasher, gory flicks that dominated most of my youth. And while I could work in a hospital and go home to toss out a bloodstained shirt without even trying to save it I couldn't sit through a slasher movie for love or money.

And to this day it's like that. I just need to SEE a promo for "Walking Dead" to be tormented by nightmares and end up thrashing the poor hubby who ends up sleeping with his hands over his family jewels in case I knee him in the middle of a bad dream.

I can sit through the old Hammer films (usually on TCM!) during this month but I run from the room when other channels bring up the horror flicks such as Saw and all the gore. I know it's all special effects but it just hits me badly for some reason.

So, unlike most people, I cringe when I turn the calendar page and see October. To me it's a horrible month, a month when I scour the television listings like I'm searching for secret lottery numbers to make sure I avoid as much as possible.

So here's my question for you, dear reader… Is there any season/holiday you don't like and/or try to avoid? Is it Valentine's Day with the overinflated emphasis on LUV for you single guys and gals? Is it New Year's Eve with the screeching about resolutions that are going to be broken within the first week? What holiday sends you screeching from the room?

 

(and did I forget to mention my new book comes out at the end of the month!)

 

Battle Scars

Book four of Blood of the Pride

P.I. Rebecca Desjardin is surprised when two seemingly unrelated missing-teen cases land in her lap on the same day. Her cat-shifter instincts tell her there's more to the story, and when she uncovers a bitter feud between the two families, she suspects Romeo and Juliet runaways. She turns to her lover, Brandon Hanover, a man who knows the underground better than most.
Brandon is determined to help the woman he loves outwit ruthless enforcers and bring two missing kids to safety, but when a woman from his past resurfaces he finds himself caught between two worlds once again.
As the claws come out and the war between the shifter families turns deadly, the two will have to stand together or fall separately--and even that might not be enough to save them.

 

Something Old, Something New...

It's one of those fun times for authors when events collide in a glorious smash-up of events... so let me share them with you!

First, I'm pleased to announce the release on September 3rd of the print release of "Heroes Lost and Found", the third and last book in the "Blaze of Glory" trilogy!

Some will rise, others will fall…

Jo Tanis is still recovering from her near-death experience in Las Vegas when she receives a mysterious postcard from Harris Limox, who claims to have a promising lead on the whereabouts of the Controller. Over her boyfriend/guardian Hunter’s objections, she sets off to a sleepy Oregon town to ferret out the truth.

The Controller is more than just a disgruntled super. He’s a rogue Guardian who was presumed dead and is now armed with a slew of high-tech hardware that not only makes him physically superior to the supers—and therefore almost impossible to destroy—he’s got the ability to detonate the implants in the back of all supers’ necks.

In Oregon, Jo meets a surviving Alpha super, Kit Masters, whose wild plan to capture the Controller could put an entire town of innocents at risk. But instead of successfully talking her former idol out of his disastrous bid to regain former glory, Jo finds herself betrayed and trapped in her worst nightmare.

Fight her former teammates, or die.

And a cover reveal! For "Battle Scars", the fourth book in the "Blood of the Pride" series! Coming out October 28th but available for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes & Noble right now!

P.I. Rebecca Desjardin is surprised when two seemingly unrelated missing-teen cases land in her lap on the same day. Her cat-shifter instincts tell her there's more to the story, and when she uncovers a bitter feud between the two families, she suspects Romeo and Juliet runaways. She turns to her lover, Brandon Hanover, a man who knows the underground better than most.

Brandon is determined to help the woman he loves outwit ruthless enforcers and bring two missing kids to safety, but when a woman from his past resurfaces he finds himself caught between two worlds once again.

As the claws come out and the war between the shifter families turns deadly, the two will have to stand together or fall separately—and even that might not be enough to save them.

And I'm thrilled to announce that I've signed a two-book contract with Carina Press for a new series...  final title TBA but here's the blurb so far!

Tales of the Bonnie Belle

Sam Keller is a woman running from her past, landing as a captain on a Mercy ship—ferrying courtesans from stop to stop to indulge the sexual fantasies and needs of distant mining colonies. She thought she'd left the violence behind but when one of her crew is brutally murdered she has to find the killer before the Bonnie Belle loses enough money to be put out of commission. Marshal Daniel LeClair arrives on base to investigate and the sparks between the two fly both professionally and personally. As the pair weave through corruption and the sensual world of the professional courtesan they find themselves drawn together not only by a need for justice but also for survival in a world where Sam knows the shadows hold dangerous secrets.

This new series will be starting out in 2014 so it's going to be a heck of a finish to 2013 and a jump with both feet into the New Year! I hope some of you will come along for the ride and enjoy a good read with old and new friends!

I am pleased to announce...

... that I was lucky enough to win 3rd place in the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter's yearly Prism Awards for "Blood of the Pride"!

The finalists were:

Light Paranormal
Blood of the Pride	Sheryl Nantus	Alissa Davis	Carina Press
Cynful	Dana Marie Bell	Tera Kleinfelter	Samhain Publishing
Immortally Yours	Angie Fox	Monique Patterson	St. Martin's Press

It goes without saying that I was thrilled to be in the final three and happy as all get-out to win 3rd place! I can't think of better company to be in!

This isn't my first tilt at the Prism Awards, to be honest - in 2011 "Blaze of Glory" and "Wild Cards and Iron Horses" both finaled as well but I'm still looking for that elusive glass pyramid for my cabinet - maybe next year...

 

My thanks to everyone at FF&P, RWA and those who took on the job of judging so many great entries and making the contest work - and for those of you looking for some fantastic reading, please check out all of the fine authors and their works!

Special guests answer: “Why I love paranormal”

When writing my post for Paranormal Week, I thought long and hard about all of the topics I could explore. I knew my fellow contributors here were already posting some discussion-worthy reads. After a lot of thought, my journalism background kicked in and I decided to simply reach out and explore why people love this genre so much and…well, invite others to help me pay tribute to all things paranormal. I’m thrilled by the responses I got from the authors, editors, agents and book bloggers who all responded to my request to know, “Why do you love the paranormal genre?” Seriously, I'm still fangirling over some of them (I mean, Maggie Shayne, Nalini Singh AND Christine Feehan!!!).

But, eh hmm, since this is my post, I’ll start.

Why do I love the paranormal genre so much? On “The X-Files,” Fox Mulder always had a poster in his office that said “I want to believe.” I loved that poster. I actually have a replica of that poster somewhere in storage. Like Mulder, I want to believe because I love the possibilities of the unknown. The unknown can be mysterious, sexy, awe-inspiring, and sometimes, romantic. Paranormal books and movies take me out of the known and into the unknown, allowing me to believe, even for only a short while. And that's a magical thing.

I could go on and on about my love for this genre, but that’s it, in a nutshell. Besides, I love the responses I got so much, I don’t want to take any more time away from them!

Many thanks to those who contributed! I also have give a special hug and thank you to fellow HBM contributor Eleri Stone, who helped me gather a couple of these. Without further ado, here they are:

 ***

Gina Bernal, freelance editor for Carina Press: 

"What I love most about paranormal romance—especially editing it—is how limitless the genre feels. For every ‘oh, another same-old fill-in-a-supernatural-creature story’ submission there's also the ‘wow, this new world is amazing’ manuscript. I am always impressed by paranormal writers' imaginations."

 ***

Kerri Buckley, full-time editor for Carina Press:

"For me as a reader, summer is the season for paranormal. I’ve traced this back and decided it stems from school breaks spent lounging lakeside with my summer sisters, tearing through Diana Gabaldon paperbacks and munching on potato chips as we moved from sun to shade and back again. The afternoons are much shorter now (and there are babies everywhere, meaning we stick to the shade), but we still do this, calling out must-read titles and smudging screens as we pass around digi sample chapters. And though it’s never been laid down as law, our choices still tend toward the fantastic—it’s how I was introduced to Karen Marie Moning, Nalini Singh, Gena Showalter. It’s the most organic, most delicious book club I’ve ever been a part of.

As an editor, the genre as a whole continues to surprise and impress me. It’s the ultimate in writerly acrobatics! I’m constantly in awe of authors who begin not just from the zero of a blank page but from what’s essentially negative fifty, mentally hammering out millions of tiny world-building details before they can even begin. Any guesses which titles I’ll be recommending this summer? :P"

 ***

Best-selling author Christine Feehan:

“I love everything about the paranormal world. I love the amazing imaginations of all the various writers and screenwriters. I love to immerse myself in those worlds and I always find myself marveling at what the human mind can come up with. I think, for me, reading is going on a fantastic adventure. I grew up reading fantasy and sci-fi and loved them. I love the action-thriller books and movies as well. Paranormal encompasses all of those things. If you add in a romance, even a small one, I'm very happy and satisfied.

There is so much scope in paranormal. You don't have to worry about being politically correct, you can simply allow your imagination to soar. You can take on any subject and make it work within the realms you've created. I always read with an open mind, willing to go on the adventure the author has for me. I want to be in their world and wrap myself in it. I want to be scared and happy and see new things. For me, paranormal will always be my first love!”

 ***

Author Natasha Hoar:

"Paranormal fiction (written and on-screen) can swing from the goriest of horror, to the the subtlest insinuation of a ghostly presence. It taps into legends and myths that have kept us quivering in fear of the unknown for hundreds of years, many times putting a deliciously modern twist on these stories. At its core, though, paranormal fiction is a tremendously human genre. Which sounds absurd, seeing as it's chock full of demons, vampires, ghosts, and let's not forget, hunters (hello, Winchesters!). However, if written correctly, the monster isn't the beating heart of the story - it's the otherworldly manifestation (symbolic or literal), or trigger of the fears and desires of a hero that somehow bears a close emotional resemblance to some part of ourselves. So much so, that we can't help but be forced to face that monster along with him. (Or her, as is the case.) Sometimes this is an uncomfortable journey to take. Most times, though, it can be both enlightening, and invigorating.

I know, I know - plenty of other genres can take you through the same mental and emotional shakedown without the blood and rock salt. What I love about paranormal, though, is that it takes me outside of 'reality' just enough that I suspend belief far faster than when I read/watch other genres, allowing my emotional walls drop just a little more than they usually do, which in turn kick starts my creative juices. And did I mention the Winchesters? It's a win-win, any way you look at it."

 ***

Laurie from the book blog Bitten by Paranormal Romance: 

“Paranormal Romance is one of the fastest growing romance sub-genres out there for a reason. These stories take you out of your real-life problems and suck you into a story that is not only hot but a story with fantastic world-built plots.With thousands of authors publishing in this sub-genre since the 1990’s, I don’t see it slowing down one bit in the near future.

I have always loved vampires and things that go bump in the night. So, you know I was happy with the arrival of PNR during the 1990’s. When I founded my blog in 2009 I couldn't think of a better tribute than to name it Bitten by Paranormal Romance.”

 ***

Lori from the book blog Romancing the Dark Side: 

"I’m addicted to paranormal romances, so much that I rarely venture out of this genre (but I do enjoy a good Urban Fantasy in between my PNR!). Coming up with just five reasons for my love of PNR was tough but I think I covered the important stuff! So, without further ado, here they are, in no particular order:

• Alpha Heroes: From vampire to demon, the PNR hero is a strong and brooding swoon-worthy male.
• HEAs: A happy ending is usually in store for the main couple, even if it takes a couple of books!
• Sexual Tension: Always makes for an interesting romance between the couple(s).
• Forbidden Romances: Vampire and Werewolf, Demon and Angel…I love when two paranormals fall for their “enemy.”
• The World: Anything goes in a supernatural world, creating tons of action and twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat while reading!"

 ***

Literary Agent Sara Megibow: 

 "Paranormal romance, to me, is like a sexy hot pink and black lace dress. Or like chocolate ice cream laced with peanut butter, dark fudge and pretzels. Or, like a rainbow shining out of a tornado. To me it's monsters and romance. I love monsters and I love romance, so the more you mix 'em, the more I'll read 'em."

 ***

Author Sheryl Nantus: 

“I love the paranormal because it makes everything in the mundane world possess the possibility of being magical and wonderful. From the stranger sitting beside you on the bus to the dark tunnel you travel through every day to work to the odd neighbor who insists you keep dropping in for a cuppa tea - these could all lead to the paranormal in the blink of an eye! That stranger could be a shape shifter looking for a mate, the tunnel a secret opening to a hidden world under your sleepy town and that neighbor - what if she's the guardian of a secret artifact, too powerful to be left unguarded and she's looking for a replacement? That's why I love the paranormal. The ability to make everything just that bit more strange..”

***

Best-selling author Maggie Shayne: 

“I’ve loved stories of supernatural things since I was a tiny little thing. I remember back in the good old days of my early childhood, when step-dad would bring home boxes of comic books he’d bought somewhere. My two sisters and brother and I would go through them, staking our claims. I always chose the horror comics. Creature from the Black Lagoon. Dracula. Everything “paranormal” went into my pile. The younger kids could have all the Archie and Super-Hero comics they wanted. But the monsters belonged to me.

Later I would relish Monster Movie Matinee on our local TV station every Sunday afternoon. They’d show a campy old classic from days gone by, and I devoured every one of them. The show had the best intro, creepy music and fog shrouding a miniature replica haunted house, then it would cut to a creepy vampire and his sidekick, introducing the movie. I found a clip of that intro on youtube. You have to love this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ItzNNZkE4o

In all the horror flicks I adored from age 2 until today, I had one big issue. The monster never got the girl. Dracula lost his Mina to wimpy Jonathon Harker. What woman in her right mind would have traded the dark, mysterious, cloaked vampire for an ordinary mortal? And the mummy, came back from the dead for his love, only to have her torn from his arms in the end. The wolfman was cursed to destroy his own love. And on and on. King Kong was a love story. So was The Gill Monster.

All my life I longed to right those wrongs. To re-write those stories and end them the way they should be ended: I wanted the monster to get the girl.

That’s what I do in paranormal romance. That’s why I read the genre, why I write it, and why I love it, and always will."

Maggie wants to give 2 lucky commenters a free copy of book one of The Portal Series, MARK OF THE WITCH, in print or ebook form. Leave a comment below to enter to win!

***

Best-selling author Nalini Singh:  

"As a writer, I love the paranormal genre because it gives me such a broad canvas to play on. As long as I stay true to the rules of my world(s), I can go wherever my imagination takes me - whether that's a New York where angels fly above the streets, or a world where telepaths are real. There is such wild freedom in it.

As a reader, I love the paranormal genre for the same reason - it takes me to incredible, wonderful worlds and places, each new book an adventure."

 ***

Stephanie from the book blog Paranormal Haven: 

"Paranormal is my genre of choice for a couple reasons. First, it allows me to escape my normal, everyday life. I understand the appeal of contemporary books but I need some fur, fang, and 'wholly crap, is that a weredolphin pirate?!?' with my romance. Second, I'm never quite sure what I'm going to get. Yea, the it might be another vampire or shapeshifter book but each author puts their own twist on things and unless I've read that author before, I don't know what that twist is going to be. The possibilities are endless and I'm doing my best to discover as many as possible :-) "

 ***

Author Regan Summers: 

“By nature, readers are an inquisitive bunch. An author presents a “what if” scenario and the reader grabs on and settles in for the ride. Authors are what-iffers too, but we have the added benefit and challenge of creating the scenarios. I’ve always been a lover of speculative fiction. Humans in space. Creatures that used to be human or sometimes are. Characters who want to alter the future of humankind or fight to keep it on course.

Paranormal fiction – whether romance or not – challenges me on all sorts of levels, as a writer. But the marriage of the familiar with the new and unknown is always delightful. My Night Runner series started after reading hundreds of contemporary fantasy stories. Why would vampires not spend the majority of their time near the poles in winter where they’d have more security from the sun and freedom of movement? And, being in Alaska, I wondered why the stories that were set here rarely felt like it. What if, I wondered…”

***

Thank you again to everyone who offered a comment! So, tell us in the comments below—why do YOU love paranormal? Plus, Maggie Shayne will give 2 lucky commenters a free copy of book one of her The Portal Series, MARK OF THE WITCH, in print or ebook form. Leave a comment below to enter to win!

But wait, there's more!

One of the best things about writing a series is letting the characters grow and expand, show the reader more of what makes them tick. While the first book is usually all about the action the second and continuing stories allow the author to show more of what the characters are all about, what makes them either so lovable or loathsome.

In "Blood of the Pride" I introduced you to Rebecca Desjardin, a cat shifter who can't shift—outcast and shunned by her family until they need her help. With a foot in both the Felis and human worlds she helped find a rogue male and at the same time found love in a curious journalist named Brandon Hanover who not only figures out what she is but loves her for it.

"Claws Bared", book two, was released this past January and sent Reb down to a small town in Pennsylvania to help figure out who killed a popular male stripper. During that adventure she and Brandon figured out where they were going with their relationship and moved to the next level.

Now with "Family Pride", releasing June 3^rd from Carina Press, the intrepid cat shifter finds herself in dangerous new territory—dealing with Brandon's family. It's one thing to meet the parents and find them wanting someone better for their son, another to be forced into working for them in order to save your own.

Here's a short excerpt from "Family Pride"!

***

"My parents want to meet you."

I dropped the thick ceramic mug in the sink. It bounced once before landing in the inch-deep soapy water. The clanging sound bounced around my skull, settling behind my left eye and throbbing.

"Your parents are dead." I turned and leaned against the counter. "Are we attending a séance?"

Bran bit his lower lip. He hadn't bothered to put a shirt on, choosing to pad around my house barefoot in a pair of jeans that fit perfectly in all the right places. We'd finally dragged ourselves out of bed for lunch, ordering in pizza because we had run out of groceries.

His dark eyes met mine, apologetic and pleading.

"They're not, ah, dead. They're sort of alive."

I picked up the mug and contemplated how much strength it would take to smash it. "Your parents are zombies?"

"My parents are alive and well and very much human."

I weighed the mug in my palm, letting him watch my fingers curl around the cool clay. "You lied to me. Four months ago you lied to my face."

"Maybe." Bran put out his hand, pointing at the mug. "Please put that down."

I glared at him.

"Okay, I lied. A bit." His hand didn't move, still outstretched toward the mug. "I told you my parents were dead but that was right after we'd met and we were on opposite sides of the case." Bran smiled. "And I didn't know how good we could be together."

I didn't blink.

"Cut me a break, Reb. You've got your own family secrets." He shifted to one side with a grin, showing off his newest scratches on one shoulder. "And I can make you purr."

Damned redhead had a point. We'd both kept things from each other back then. I hadn't exactly been forthcoming about the fact that I wasn't human, but when Bran had come face-to-face with my Felis heritage I hadn't lied and denied.

I still didn't have to like it. "Who are they and why did you lie?"

He didn't move. My gaze traveled over his bare chest, resting on the fresh scars across his midsection courtesy of our latest work trip to Penscotta, Pennsylvania. He'd fought another Felis for his life and, in his own way, for me.

The least I could do was hear him out before throwing the mother of all temper tantrums.

"My father is Michael Hanover." Bran paused. "Of Hanover Investments."

I nearly dropped the mug.

"Hanover Investments. As in, they make more money in ten minutes than I'll ever see in my lifetime?" I croaked. I'd flipped through a few business articles over the past few years when I was supposed to be reading a paper and instead using it for surveillance. The business section guarantees you won't be distracted by the articles.

"Yeah. Them." He sounded almost apologetic. "It's a family business. Three generations."

"You're related to those Hanovers?"

"Michael and Bernadette Hanover are my parents." He reached out and took the mug from my numb fingers. "The reason I lied was because it'd become an instinctive reaction to explain away my wealth. Easier to say trust fund than explain my dysfunctional relationship with my parents." He shook his head, a sad smile on his lips. "You'd be surprised how many gold diggers are out there looking to snag a rich man. Or his son."

I tried to get my breathing under control. "Those Hanovers."

"We'd just met," Bran repeated. He placed the mug out of my reach and returned to stand in front of me, both hands up. "And I used the same line I use with everyone to explain my wealth. It was automatic."

***

While I don't think many of us lied to our prospective mates about our family being dead, I think we can all relate to Reb's shell shock at finding out who the Hanovers are—and when she finds out how dangerous they are it'll force her to make decisions that will change her life and her relationship with both families and Brandon forever.

I hope you'll come along for the latest book in the series and get to know Brandon and Rebecca better—after all, there's still plenty of mysteries for them to find and solve!

On another note I'll be appearing from June 12^th to the 16^th at the Origins Game Fair as part of the Library track – if you're in the Columbus, Ohio area and looking for a great way to spend a day or five, please check out the schedule! I'll be there discussing superheroes and romance writing along with many great authors such as Timothy Zahn and Michael Stackpole and there'll be plenty of great books for sale along with some faboo gaming opportunities.

If you're in the area it'd be great to see you!

 

Inspiration – where do you get yours?

Inspiration – where do you get yours?

Recently the Wookie and I went out for International Tabletop Day, a wonderful event held by local gaming stores and encouraged by the likes of Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day – a chance to try out and enjoy games that you might not usually try and hopefully buy. We went down to Morgantown to a faboo gaming store, the Four Horsemen in Morgantown Mall. If you're in the area, I highly recommend them for all your gaming and comic needs!

Anyway we found two new games – Smallworld and the X-Wing Miniature game. Both very different from each other but I came away from the day re-invigorated and ready to leap back into my current work-in-progress with plenty of ideas of how to make the story better.

Now I hear you saying – what? How can playing a fantasy game along the lines of Risk and a shoot-em-up dogfighting game help encourage the muse?

As most writers will say – it's the story, stupid. Not only was I playing these games and making up stories in my mind about this and that I was watching others play Warhammer and WarMachine and Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon and… well, you get the idea. So many stories waiting to be told and so many different universes all colliding in one store and in my wee widdle mind.

So we came back with more games for our already over-stuffed game room, myself with a heedful of new ideas and thoughts and the thrill of finding new games to play. The next time you find yourself searching for inspiration consider digging out that old copy of Scrabble or better yet, get thee hence to your local game store and check out all the wonderful games waiting to suck you into their reality.

Good luck and keep on having fun!

Brawling in Love

With Valentine's Day upon us it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking all couples are destined to constantly swoon and coo over each other like turtle doves on meds. But having been married for over a decade and with the same man for over twenty years I can tell you there's a whole lot of brawling that comes with the sweet loving. But it's the fighting that makes the loving better, in my opinion – if you can agree to disagree with the one you love it makes for a better, more interesting life. So in keeping with the holiday here are some of my favorite battling couples!

Eve Dallas and Roarke from J.D. Robb's "In Death" series. If' you've read any of this long, wonderful series you'll find that mixed in with the hot passionate love scenes are just as many fights, some of them physical – let's face it, having a cop marry a less-than-squeaky-clean man with a mysterious (read: criminal) past isn't going to go perfect all the time. Add in a dash of BDSM (in my opinion) and this couple is going to still be madly in love and brawling well into their senior years.

Han Solo and Leia Organa (Star Wars). Yes, yes – we've all seen the movies multiple times over. But you have to love the verbal jousting going between these two in the most dangerous of situations where the stress is high and obviously so is the attraction and love. The whole "I love you… I know" exchange is priceless and if you don't giggle during the touchback in the two movies… well, I don't know you.

Richard Castle and Kate Beckett (Castle). I know it's not exactly paranormal (unless you believe crime writers can just hop along with the cops for months and months…) but this couple still makes my day every time I see them verbally joust. And who doesn't love Nathan Fillion, our favorite Browncoat?

These couples are all deeply in love – and don't mind getting into brawls, physical and mental, when they disagree. But it's the making up that's got me loving these people and makes them, for me, characters I can relate to and enjoy.

So let me toss this out to you – what couples do you enjoy seeing (or reading) getting into fights and arguing before a passionate make-up session?

New Year, New Book!

It's a brand new year and it's time to sweep out the cobwebs and get ready for a great time both reading and writing some fantastic fiction!

I'm pleased to announce that now that the "Blaze of Glory" superhero romance series is ended that I've been busy working not only on a sequel to "Blood of the Pride" but also to MORE books in the series!

Let's start off with an excerpt to "Claws Bared", book 2 coming out January 21^st from Carina Press…

...

I hadn't ordered any airline tickets.

I looked inside the open envelope with a mixture of surprise, dismay and confusion.

The bike courier let out a loud cough, covering his mouth with a gloved hand. I paused for a second, trying to figure out what he wanted. I'd already signed his clipboard and accepted delivery, expecting to find a court subpoena--I was used to having to testify on the stand both for and against my clients. Being a private investigator meant doing almost as much court time as investigating--the movies tend to leave that less glamorous part out.

Airline tickets weren't even on my radar.

He coughed again and wriggled his fingers. I caught on before he had to explain his chronic illness.

I dug in my pocket and found enough spare change to not embarrass myself. Handing it to the courier, I turned my attention back to the envelope.

The young man stuffed the coins into his pocket and threw me a jaunty salute before sprinting off through my small yard. He yanked his bike away from the rose bushes lining the front and jumped back out into traffic, the tires leaping in the air like some warped rearing horse.

I grimaced at the sound of screaming brakes coming from around the corner. Not hearing anyone calling for an ambulance, I closed the door and headed for my work desk. Running your business out of your home had certain advantages--like not having to worry about getting fully dressed for work. I wriggled my bare toes and sat down.

The drab brown envelope from a local travel agency held tickets from Toronto, Ontario to Pittsburgh, PA. Open return, one person in my name. Leaving that evening. I sat down at my desk and scowled at the elderly white cat sprawled over the file folders.

"This is your doing, isn't it? Revenge because I wouldn't let you be a little piglet and get sick on that tuna."

Jazz turned her steady gaze on me for another few seconds before licking her paws.

I turned my attention to the envelope. Standard brown envelope with nothing inside other than the travel agency's business card. No mention of who had sent it or who had paid for it.

I had a pretty good idea.

I lifted the envelope to my nose and inhaled. Human scent, nothing out of the ordinary. Multiple humans including my stinky messenger and a woman who wore way too much perfume.

The phone rang.

I snatched up the receiver, blowing away a wayward tuft of white cat fur. Jazz gave a short trill of approval.

"Reb." I clenched my fist at the low voice purring my name. "Glad to see you're home."

"Hi, Jess. Yes, just in time to receive this envelope." I tapped the thick folder on the varnished desktop. "I assume you've got something to do with this."

"Maybe."

"So why shouldn't I drop this into my shredder?" I snapped, harsher than I'd intended.

I was missing Bran something awful.

Jazz dropped from the desk and trotted out of the room, picking up on my mood.

"Reb, is that any way to talk to a Board member?" The snarl in her voice sent phantom pains over my back, where the scars were. I resisted the urge to sit up straight in my chair.

"Is that any way to talk to an outcast? I do you one favor and suddenly I'm on your mailing list? I'm not part of the Pride and I don't have to answer to you." I kept my voice steady despite the butterflies in my stomach. "You declared me outcast twenty years ago and threw me into foster care, banished me from the family. I haven't forgotten that."

Or forgiven. The scars throbbed, reminders of the thrashing I'd gotten at Jess's claws in a final test of my ability to Change.

I'd failed. Spectacularly.

.....

I'm also happy to say that "Family Pride", the third in the series, will be available in June with a fourth book tentatively scheduled for September this year!

I hope you'll come along for more adventures with a shifter who can't shift and the man who loves her…

 

 

 

 

A NaNoWriMo Success Story!

It's a good time, I think, with November drawing to a close and thousands of NaNoWriMo authors gasping over their keyboards to give them a bit of inspiration. I've written on my blog other thoughts on the month-long exercise in insanity and how to get the most you can out of it with or without finishing the 50K run.

Here's another one.

"Blood of the Pride" started off as a NaNo project a few years ago, a second try at winning the contest after doing so the previous year with "Blaze of Glory". That book was still in edits and I wanted to do something different, something away from the superhero romance. The first sentence came to me...

"I smelled the blood before I had a chance to look for it, the tangy, dense scent landing on the back of my tongue."

Right then I knew this was going to be a detective novel of a different sort, of a cat shifter who couldn't shift and was outcast from her people. Rebecca Desjardin talked her way through the book and I pulled it off, finishing the first draft before the end of the month.

And, as you can see... it sold.

In fact, it sold so well to Carina Press that not only is there an audiobook out for "Blood of the Pride" but it's also been included in the Direct-To-Consumer for Harlequin's February 2013 paranormal shipment to their subscribers. So it's going to print.

And then there's this:

Yep. A sequel.

The second in four books under contract with Carina Press. "Claws Bared" comes out in January 2013 in ebook and in audiobook format. The third and fourth books are due in June and September. I'm hoping for them to also go to print.

This was a NaNoWriMo project. This is a project I worked on long after the month was over and edited to death before submitting it.

This is a NaNo success story as far as I'm concerned.

And if it could happen to me it could happen to you.

You may feel overwhelmed with the words on the page. You might feel like you're floundering and just can't get up; wallowing in the speed writing.

It's okay. It's okay NOT to finish by the end of the month. But you have to finish.

And then, if you want, edit edit edit to death.

Because you CAN sell a NaNo novel.

I did.

And you can too.

Now get back to that keyboard!

A walk on Toronto's wild side!

I've always loved Sherlock Holmes – the original books, not so much the movies. My husband is the opposite; he started off being a huge fan of the older Holmes movies with Rathbone and just within the past few years sat down and read the original books. Needless to say we both adore the new incarnation with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law where Watson is returned to his proper place as an active and competent assistant and not just a comedy relief buffoon, as so many movies portray them.

When I set out to write "Blood of the Pride" it started first and foremost as a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) exercise – to write fifty thousand words in thirty days. I knew I wanted to write some sort of mystery but didn't want to just create another detective. I needed a character who had her own quirks and abilities that would make her unique among others, much like Holmes's deductive skills.

Thus Rebecca Desjardin was born. A woman with the skills of her shifter race, the Felis, but without the ability to Change. A misfit in two worlds, Felis and human.

A private investigator working out of her small house in Toronto, Canada, she uses her innate skills to work a variety of cases – adultery, insurance fraud, industrial theft. But suddenly a murdered Felis calls her back to her old family.

I love to write about Toronto – it's my hometown and even after living in the U.S. for a decade I can still see the streets and stores I used to frequent. I suspect a lot of them have changed or disappeared entirely but in my mind they're all still there from the hot dog carts on Bay Street grilling onions at the crack of dawn to draw in the lunch time crowd to the Silver Snail on Queen Street West, the best comic book store in the city. 

But setting a mystery in Canada presents problems that Holmes would enjoy. Personal handguns are rare and well-documented so I couldn't have Reb carry a pistol. While Canada is a lot like the United States in many ways there are the little things that distinguish one country from the other – and it was a joy to write them into the story. There's a Brown Betty for tea, Tim Horton's coffee and Timbits and a healthy love of all things Canadian, eh?

I hope you'll come along for the ride as Rebecca rediscovers the ups and downs of her extended family along with the rush of a new love as she deals with Brandon Hanover, a reporter who could provide all the answers she needs – or be her worst enemy. It may not be Holmes and Watson but I can promise you one heck of a chase scene!

"Blood of the Pride" releases on February 13^th from Carina Press!