Aimee:
Thanks for dropping by, Ixchel and Finn. I thought it might be fun to
test your knowledge of each other in the Newlywed Game!
Ixchel: But we're...
Finn: Sounds like fun!
Ixchel: ...Not married. Okay, whatever.
Aimee: Thanks for being such good sports. You'll notice you each have a
notepad in front of you. I'm going to start with an easy question about
Finn. He'll write down his answer and then Ixchel has to guess what he
wrote. Finn, if you could be any animal, what would you be?
[They pause while Finn scribbles on the notepad.]
Ixchel: [rolling her eyes] This is an easy one. A jaguar of course.
Aimee: Finn? [She accepts the pad of paper out of his hand and takes a
look.] Oops! Not quite right. Looks like Finn would be...a dolphin!
Ixchel: But that makes no sense! You
are a were-jaguar.
Finn: She said, if I could be
any animal, which would I be. And I'd be a dolphin.
Ixchel: [sighing] Okay. Let's get this over with. I've got puppies in the waiting room that need their shots. What's next?
Aimee: Now we get to test Finn's knowledge. So I'll ask Ixchel --- what do you consider your greatest weakness?
[Finn scrunches his eyebrows together, obviously thinking hard as Ixchel scribbles for a long time on her pad of paper.]
Aimee: Okay, Finn, you're up. What's Ixchel's greatest failing?
Finn: So, first of all, this is one of those trick questions that men have a right not to answer.
Ixchel: Oh, come on. I'm not going to get mad at you.
Finn: [gazing into her eyes] But, see, it's not really a trick question. Because Aimee didn't ask what
I think is your greatest failing --- which, by the way, is nothing. She asked what
you think is your greatest failing. And you'd say...trust.
Aimee: Well, it seemed like Ixchel was writing a novel over there. So let's see if Finn was right.
[Ixchel grins as she flips the paper over. The edges are covered with doodles, but in the center she's boldly scrawled "TRUST."]
Aimee: Finn's on a roll! Okay, let's see if Ixchel can catch up as we ask Finn....what would prompt you to tell a lie?
[Now it's Finn's turn to look uncomfortable, but he quickly scribbles his answer.]
Aimee: Ixchel?
Ixchel: [reaching over and taking Finn's hand] You know, we can leave if you want to.
Finn: [taking a deep breath] No, I'm good. It's your chance to shine.
Ixchel: Okay, in that case, Finn would say --- fear.
Aimee:
Looks like you know him pretty well after all. Now, for our final
question. Ixchel...do you believe in love at first sight?
[Finn perks back up as they wait for Ixchel to decide. She taps the pen
against her lips, scrunches up her nose, then shrugs and writes.]
Aimee: [accepting the paper, then smiling knowingly] So, what do you think, Finn?
Finn: [sounding positive of the outcome] She doesn't, but I do.
[Ixchel's stiff spine melts a bit as she takes the paper back from the
interviewer and flips the pad over. It reads "I didn't used to...but
I've changed my mind."]
Aimee: Well, it looks like it's a tie, folks!
Finn: You could say that. Or you could say we
both won.
[Finn pulls Ixchel in for a kiss on the lips.]
Aimee: Ooookay. Let's keep this PG, kids. We'll try out another round after this commercial break.
Deep-voiced announcer: Want to learn more about Finn and Ixchel's
adventures facing down Mexican gods and falling in love? Check out Aimee
Easterling's
Jaguar at the Portal, available for a limited time in the 21-novel bundle
Happily Ever Alpha. When once upon a time isn't enough....
Excerpt
Ardent
The
ArcKnight Chronicles #1
By
Alexia Purdy
“My Lady, I
cannot leave you here alone. It’s not safe.”
I whipped my
eyes open and glared at him. “I told you I was
banished. You can stop with the formalities and get. I don’t have time
to waste on a pathetic royal guard. Especially a MarkTier. I'm okay on my own.”
“If you come
with me, I know a safe place where you can get out of the rain and get warm.”
I laughed.
It came out more hysterical than I intended, but I was not in a mood to keep it
together any longer. The fact that he offered me any shelter at all, most
likely his home, was gracious, yet the
knowledge that it was most likely on ArcKnight territory made the offer even
more bittersweet. I was banished not only from the royal ArcKnight palace but from lingering on any of the pack’s
territories, which included a substantial chunk of the city.
I was truly
alone now.
“You’d be
punished for harboring a non-citizen… a traitor like me. I can’t. You know I
can’t.”
He held out
his hand. It glistened with water, for he was soaked
to the bone, just like me. The cold rain didn’t affect him at all. I was
the one shivering and on the verge of hypothermia, and yet he waited patiently.
“It’s beyond
the ArcKnight border. I promise.” His eyes gleamed in the momentary moonlight sneaking past the storm clouds above.
They were breathtaking and unusual. I’d never seen another shifter with eyes
like his.
It may be
beyond the ArcKnight stronghold, but they weren’t the only pack ruling the
city.
“But the
MarkTiers….”
“They have
no jurisdiction there either.”
Staring at
him in disbelief, I let my eyes linger on his for an eternal moment. His offer
brought more questions to my mind than anything else. Even so, there was
something there that held me in a trance and beckoned me to follow. Taken in by that hypnotizing cobalt sea, I reached
out, accepted his hand and let him lead me through the murky city paths I’d
never trodden, deeper into the unknown.
This place
was now my new home, and it was nothing
but strange and frightening.
But what
choice did I have?
~Lily & Ephrem - The ArcKnight Chronicles
BLACK IN WHITE (Quentin Black Mystery #1)
Guest Post
Sarah Mäkelä
The Witch Who Cried Wolf’s
Soundtrack
Hey everyone!
Music plays a big role in helping to spark my creativity while I
write. That was definitely true for The
Witch Who Cried Wolf. Here’s a sampling of the music I listened to while writing
the first installment in the Cry Wolf series:
Between Two Points (feat. Swan) by The Glitch Mob
Crave You (Adventure Club Remix) by Flight Facilities
Let Me Go by Kaskade
Run for Cover by Kito & Reija Lee
Walls by Crywolf
Oh Miah by Blackmill
Magnet (Infuze Remix) Killgore & Polina
Crystalised by The xx
Strange Behavior (feat. Tasha Baxter) by Feed Me
Too Late by Klaypex
Excerpt:
Creature of Habit, Angel Lawson
"I know
you have a secret."
My still
heart plummeted to my ancient stomach, igniting a feeling of absolute dread and
horror. These were the words of my
deepest fears. Miles had warned me—this is what Olivia was trying to tell me.
I’d gotten too close. My mouth became dry and I had to force myself to breathe
in order to appear normal.
I steadied
my voice. "A secret?"
The sound of
her metal spoon, tracing the edge of her cup, was the only noise in the room
until she said, "The signs were all there. I mean, they’re stereotypical
but stereotypes are for a reason, right?"
“I’m, uh,
not following.”
“Well,
you’re freakishly neat and tidy. Your closet alone should have sent up a red
flag.”
Okay. This
was true. I had an extreme case of obsessive compulsive disorder, but that was
hardly an identifiable trait of being a vampire. It was more of a personal
quirk exaggerated by the vampirism. I braced myself for more.
“Obviously
your body is like…killer.” Her heart beat like a hummingbird's wings and I
could almost feel the heat of nervousness rolling off her body. Only this silly
woman would be embarrassed as she destroyed my life. Abruptly she said, "I
mean, killer. I know a lot of men who would die for your physique."
She thought
I looked amazing. A smug grin crept across my face before I shook it off,
wondering for the millionth time what thoughts were running though her head. I
was aware women found me attractive, as it was one of the lures that made
humans such susceptible prey. To hear Amelia say those words brought about a
rush of feelings I wasn't used to, but was it really important to say right
now?
"Your
skin is flawless, unblemished. And your hair…it’s a work of art."
“My hair?”
I hated my
hair. Loathed it. It was the one thing that drove me absolutely insane post
transition, but that alone was nothing definitive. I mean, look at Miles. He
was bald. Forever.
She stepped
closer and peered at my neck and chest. “You man-scape, right?”
I shook my
head silently, afraid to speak. I had no idea what this 'man-scaping' thing was
but I knew I didn't have it.
"Huh,"
she considered and turned back to the counter, her long hair swaying a bit as
she took a sip of her tea. "You probably have more clothes than Kanye
West."
The uneasy knot
in my stomach quickly morphed into one of confusion. Kanye West? Who?
She
continued, rambling now. "Sometimes you speak like you've never been
around a woman, and you never have company, and the only time you did it was a
man. Who, coincidentally, was also unbelievably gorgeous."
What? I
literally was unable to follow her train of thought. What man was she talking
about? I searched my memory and came up with the only male visitor we'd had.
Elijah.
She stilled,
palms flat on the counter. When she spoke it was low and with conviction.
"Like I said, I know what you’re hiding, Grant.”
Here it
comes. Images of what would come flashed in my mind. Would she run screaming?
Would I have to kill her? In over a hundred years I'd never had a moment of
exposure like this.
“I want you
to know that I support you—no matter what.”
I waited for
a beat. I waited for the earth to stop. For the fear to sink in her eyes.
“Uh, what?”
EXCERPT FROM WOLF’S DESIRE BY
AMBRIELLE KIRK
Copyright © 2014 Ambrielle Kirk,
Amber Ella Monroe
A deep penetrating sensation hit
Aiden, capturing his next breath and forcing him to stumble back. Intense
hunger and wanting overtook him, and he almost dropped his bag. He shivered and
waves of conflicting feelings ran throughout him. He parted his mouth in shock.
His taste buds swelled, and his manhood stirred behind the zipper of his pants.
He’d never had this type of reaction
to any client. Yet, Keira was not just any client. There was a reason he
was good at his profession. His sense of smell and the ability to detect fear
and danger within milliseconds were his greatest assets. This same sense of
smell told him the woman inside was his mate.
Fuck.
There was no other explanation. Or
perhaps he’d completely lost it. Had he made a mistake by taking this job? He
should have turned this assignment down and remained retired. He was no use to
a client if his nose was playing tricks on him. But had his nose ever deceived
him?
This woman—Keira Ellis—was his
mate.
His wolf rejoiced, but this feral
need to take, ravish, and claim her confused his human side.
“Mr. Price?” Thomas opened the door a
little wider.
Aiden swallowed as more of the
woman’s scent slammed into him. He stepped over the threshold, ready to meet
the woman who inflamed his heart with desire.
Thomas nodded once and then began to
back away. “There are preparations to be made for dinner. Francine will be
around this evening to assist you with anything else you may need during your
stay.” With that, he left Aiden in the doorway.
Aiden scanned the room for Ms. Ellis,
but she wasn’t anywhere to be seen and he didn’t hear a sound. But Ms. Ellis
was in there, all right. He could smell the subtle fragrance of her perfume.
This was some sort of an office or
maybe just a library. Rows of bookcases lined the walls. A massive red oak desk
sat in the center of the room. The big black chair behind it was empty. There
was a leather-bound book open in the center of the desk and a fountain pen
lying beside it.
Aiden picked up his bags, not wanting
to leave his weapons in the hallway. Just as he took a step past the door, a
gust of fresh wind rolled in his direction and a strong, relaxing aura overtook
him. Aiden turned toward the breeze. A woman sat with a book in her hand in
front of an open bay window. A powerful energy rushed down his spine, and his
mouth became dry.
Ms. Ellis didn’t pay him any
attention. She was busy reading the book on her lap. She sat on a plump cushion
with her legs crossed; the curtains billowed around her. Her hair was wound in
a bun at her nape. When she bowed her head, Aiden admired the long gracefulness
of her neck. She looked extremely young—which wasn’t something Aiden expected.
The dress she wore clung to her ripe
breasts. Her arms, the color of warm melted caramel, were completely exposed.
The sole of one foot was bared to him. It was small, delicate, and looked baby
soft.
Another hot flash of feral need
spread through Aiden’s core. His nostrils flared as he identified the
mesmerizing scent. Besides another set of lavender in the vase poised on the
desk was the smell of something sweeter. Like a fruit. Peaches.
At that moment she chose to look up.
Gods, she was beautiful. Young and beautiful.
Delicate and exotic.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she
focused on him. Deep hazel eyes examined him from head to toe with precision.
Her plush lips parted as she observed him, and her eyebrows lifted momentarily,
hinting at a bit of surprise.
Why had he expected an older woman?
Maybe because Jamison Ellis was in his late fifties? Perhaps she was his
daughter and not his wife, but nothing in the files indicated the Ellises had
any children.
When she closed the book and placed
it on the sill beside her, he noticed her fingernails were painted a deep red.
He attempted to regain his composure
and met her at the bay window.
He dropped his duffle bags, and the
heavy weight hit the floor with a thud. “Aiden Price reporting for duty,
ma’am.”
A shy smile crossed her face. “Call
me Keira.”
He wanted Keira. He wanted her to
himself.
At his side. In his arms. On his
bed.
Without a doubt, the wolf knew the
connection between the pair. She was the one the animal craved to possess. She
would make both of them happy. Satisfied, not just temporarily, but
indefinitely. Now that the wolf inside him had identified his mate, he would
hunger for her, never really fulfilled unless she accepted his bite and the
bond that would make them whole.
“Hello, Keira.” Everything about her
was beautiful. Even her name was mesmerizing. His soul warmed, and he couldn’t
keep his eyes off her. Whatever he’d learned during his training over fifteen
years ago about containing strong emotions toward a client was now only a
distant memory. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting, but I was told to report at 1500
hours sharp.”
“I was only reading.” She picked up
the paperback book she had set down and waved it in front of him before putting
it back.
Aiden noted on the cover a knight in
full armor embracing a scantily dressed woman. She was into romance novels and
happily ever afters. Interesting. “Forgive me, but this assignment was
impromptu. I’d like to perform a physical inspection of the property and
surrounding areas.”
Keira squinted up at him in confusion.
Her gaze traveled once again from his head to his toe, and then lingered on the
bags near his feet before trailing back up. She pursed her lips before saying,
“That leather bag looks heavy. What do you have in it?”
“Weapons.”
Her lips parted slightly in shock.
“Do you think you’ll need them?”
“The report says you’re a moderately
high-risk client. They’re for your protection.”
She frowned and wrinkled her brow.
Aiden moved closer. He longed to
touch her; he wanted to console her. “Don’t worry. I’m highly skilled and
effective at what I do. I’m the man who will keep you safe.”
The delicate veins shifted on her
neck as she swallowed.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
She didn’t seem to show the same
instant bond he did, but then again she was human. His mate was human? Was it a
mistake? Maybe the smell of her perfume clouded his wolf’s judgment.
He was here to protect Keira Ellis,
not take her to bed. He had rules. One of them was: never fuck a client.
This feeling would fade…perhaps. And
if it didn’t, he’d worry about that later.
There was something else he
registered in her scent.
Keira Ellis was afraid. Along with
the aura of ripe peaches, the air was also tinged with an abundance of fear and
apprehension. Aiden felt sorry for her. He’d lost many he loved over the years,
but nothing could have been as terrible as losing a spouse to a killer.
“According to Thomas, there is a room
where I’ll be staying. I’d like to drop off my bags and tour of the property,
if you don’t mind.” Aiden looked over her shoulders at yet another pot of
lavender sitting against the bay window. “After that, I won’t inconvenience you
anymore.”
She nodded and dropped her gaze to
the floor. “I’ll have Thomas show you. He knows this property very well.” She
picked up her book again.
He’d been dismissed for a romance
novel hero. Very interesting.
Aiden grimaced. “You misunderstand.
You hired me as your bodyguard. Twenty-four seven. Except during times calling
for privacy. The terms of the contract require me to be in your presence or not
less than a room away, depending on the situation and the security at the
present time. Were you not made aware of these arrangements or did you not
request them?”
“It’s just I’ve never had a
bodyguard.” Her voice sounded strained and troubled, and tears pooled in her
eyes. “Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. If someone killed me
tomorrow, no one would care.”
“I would care,” Aiden said without
hesitation. “And I won’t let that happen.”
Excerpt of
Beast by Kim Faulks
My arms and legs still
felt heavy, but fear made me move. I slid from the bed, keeping one eye on my
captor. My feet hit the wooden floor. The room was small and dirty. Thin strips
of peeling paint hung from the ceiling overhead. I stumbled to the window.
The derelict room was
made colder by the crowding trees and bleak winter sky. White wisps of fog
lingered, forcing me to squint to see towering trunks which hemmed me in.
Behind me, Mark kept talking in soothing tones that reminded me of my
therapist. I gripped the chipped window frame and pushed my body against the
glass, straining to see as far left as I could. A waving green ocean of pine
needles was all I could see. I wrenched my head to the right. There had to be a
way out somehow.
Mark's droning voice
dragged me into the room. I couldn't take anymore. I couldn't stand the noise.
"Shut up. Why can't you just shut up?"
I wasn't that girl who
cried, or played dumb, leaving others to pave their way in this world. I was
the loner, the soldier. I was the survivor. But as the green sea wavered
outside the window, I realized I was none of those things now.
I was a captive.
I squeezed my eyes closed
and tried to think. Midnight Mountain Range was the last thing I remember. I
could be further east, or south. Think, dammit.
How long had I been out?
My breath fogged the
dirty window as hopelessness circled like a predator. "If you let me go, I
won't say anything. I won't go to the police. I won't say a word to anyone, I
swear."
The beating of my heart
was too fast. Still I waited for an answer. Please. Please let me go. I
left the wintery view and turned back to my cage, to the dust covered floor and
the stained, striped mattress.
"Please, Belle. The
story is important."
I swiped my eyes with my
thumb, feeling the slick tears glide away. I couldn't breathe in this damn
dress. I couldn't think. I yanked the material and reached for the collar.
"You look so
beautiful standing there, you know? Your scowl matches your dress. The moon and
the night, that's what you remind me of. Haunting, filled with mystery. He's
going to fall in love with you, I just know he will."
"He?"
Mark never answered. Mark.
If that even was his name. His full red lips were those of an angel, or a
seductive devil. He reached to pat the filthy mattress. "Belle. The
story."
I glanced toward the
door, eying the pitted knob.
"Don't bother. It's
locked. There's no way out of here. Even if you did get out, we're surrounded
by the forest. Please, don't run, Belle. Don't make me set the dogs free."
Excerpt- 4 Fire
Excerpt of
Beast by Kim Faulks
My arms and legs still
felt heavy, but fear made me move. I slid from the bed, keeping one eye on my
captor. My feet hit the wooden floor. The room was small and dirty. Thin strips
of peeling paint hung from the ceiling overhead. I stumbled to the window.
The derelict room was
made colder by the crowding trees and bleak winter sky. White wisps of fog
lingered, forcing me to squint to see towering trunks which hemmed me in.
Behind me, Mark kept talking in soothing tones that reminded me of my
therapist. I gripped the chipped window frame and pushed my body against the
glass, straining to see as far left as I could. A waving green ocean of pine
needles was all I could see. I wrenched my head to the right. There had to be a
way out somehow.
Mark's droning voice
dragged me into the room. I couldn't take anymore. I couldn't stand the noise.
"Shut up. Why can't you just shut up?"
I wasn't that girl who
cried, or played dumb, leaving others to pave their way in this world. I was
the loner, the soldier. I was the survivor. But as the green sea wavered
outside the window, I realized I was none of those things now.
I was a captive.
I squeezed my eyes closed
and tried to think. Midnight Mountain Range was the last thing I remember. I
could be further east, or south. Think, dammit.
How long had I been out?
My breath fogged the
dirty window as hopelessness circled like a predator. "If you let me go, I
won't say anything. I won't go to the police. I won't say a word to anyone, I
swear."
The beating of my heart
was too fast. Still I waited for an answer. Please. Please let me go. I
left the wintery view and turned back to my cage, to the dust covered floor and
the stained, striped mattress.
"Please, Belle. The
story is important."
I swiped my eyes with my
thumb, feeling the slick tears glide away. I couldn't breathe in this damn
dress. I couldn't think. I yanked the material and reached for the collar.
"You look so
beautiful standing there, you know? Your scowl matches your dress. The moon and
the night, that's what you remind me of. Haunting, filled with mystery. He's
going to fall in love with you, I just know he will."
"He?"
Mark never answered. Mark.
If that even was his name. His full red lips were those of an angel, or a
seductive devil. He reached to pat the filthy mattress. "Belle. The
story."
I glanced toward the
door, eying the pitted knob.
"Don't bother. It's
locked. There's no way out of here. Even if you did get out, we're surrounded
by the forest. Please, don't run, Belle. Don't make me set the dogs free."
Beyond PNR
Growing up, I
wasn't a romance reader. I didn't find the genre until I was in my twenties,
but when I did, I fell hard. I grew up with speculative fiction. Dark
fantasy, science fiction, horror, those were what sustained me. I never thought
I'd ever grow up to write them, even once I started writing contemporary
romances. However, when the concept for Inkubus came to me, I couldn't
resist playing.
For
inspiration, I found myself remembering my favorite works of dark fantasy,
rather than some of the newer PNRs I'd scooped up once I started reading
romance. Neal Gaiman's Sandman, Mike Carey's Lucifer graphic
novels, Hellblazer, as well as many others, they all had a timelessness
to their brooding leads that resonated with me. I loved the sweeping stories,
and the fusion of worlds. I loved the cross-genre touches: the macabre body
horror of Noema's conception and birth, the spoken-word mythology laid out
alongside modern LA, and the doomed claustrophobia to Mazikeen and Lucifer's
love. I loved Sandman's sweeping sadness, and Hellblazer's noir
edges. John Constantine is one of the bleakest characters I've ever read, and
watching him sabotage the momentary bits of happiness he manages to find in
romance only etches the hunger deeper to see him finally be able to grow
past his own flaws to be able to love himself, and someone else. It still
niggles in my mind that I have yet to read an arc that's done that for him.
Some of that's the nature of comics, but the rest is that I don't know that the
writers who've been privileged to contribute to his story actually view that as
such a substantial part of his character as I read it as. To me, it's the
perfect encapsulation of his flaws and strengths as a person, and that he never
develops in that way is frustrating. Suffice to say, he's one of my most
emotionally resonant book boyfriends. I'm getting off-topic, though.
The romances
often ended badly, but that didn't change how central they often seemed to the
stories. So when it came time to try my hand at writing fantasy, I wrote what I
wanted to read- bleak, gritty, sweeping love stories with dangerous, tormented
entities, and the most sweeping mythology I could conceive of, as well as a
hefty dose of horror. But all with a happy ending and a sauna's worth of steam.
It was a stretch and a challenge, but a rewarding one, being able to put a
little bit of what I love back out into the world.
At the time
that I wrote this, I had three full novels finished in the Inkubus series, plus
a number of novellas, and a mostly-finished fourth novel. Not all are published
yet; some will be available in the next few months. And I'm in the progress of
writing more. However, the deeper I get into it, building the world between
stories, even as my leads find their happily ever afters, the more addicting it
gets. There's a supernatural war coming, and I'm in awe of my characters'
resilience to find love in the midst of it.
Hi. My name is Amy Lee Burgess and I love
to write paranormal romance novels. I’m
very excited to have my gargoyle shifter novel, Heart of Stone, in the Happily Ever Alpha box set. Heart
of Stone was truly a “heart” novel for me to write. I submerged myself in
Deanna and Brendan’s world for months while writing this novel.
All along, I had definite actors in mind
for all the main characters. I think Heart
of Stone would make an awesome movie, and if I could cast the film, here is
how it would go.
Deanna
Richmond – Dee is all about speed. She loves to
race bikes and cars, but most especially she loves to fly in her gargoyle form.
She typically wears her hair in a long braid to keep it out of her face and her
outfit of choice is always jeans and a t-shirt. She doesn’t much like dressing
up. She’s always felt a little behind in assimilating and interpreting human
emotions. Until she meets her mate, Brendan, that is. He helps her understand
what it means to be human.
I loved the Bond movie Casino Royale and
was very struck by the actor who played Vesper – Eva Green. I thought she’d make a perfect Deanna.
Brendan
O’Malley – Brendan couldn’t wait to fledge into his
human form so he could become a sculptor. He loves working in stone – he’s a
gargoyle after all! He’s a romantic soul
and very lonely until he meets his fated mate, Deanna. Then she shows him what
it means to be his gargoyle self, and he shows her what it means to be human.
He’ll do anything to stay by her side, including putting his life on the line.
My biggest celebrity crush has to be Stuart
Townsend. EEK! So, of course, I pictured
Brendan as Stuart. Have you ever seen him in a beard like this?
Hector –
Hector is Dee’s mentor on Stone Mountain. He teaches her the basics of being a
gargoyle shifter and acts as a surrogate father to his charges. Dee’s father was absent most of her life, so
Dee became very close to Hector, and when’s she in doubt she always thinks:
What would Hector do in this situation? For some reason I pictured Hector as
youngish Christopher Walken. I told one of my friends this and she said, “What? You’ve got Christopher Walken teaching your heroine how to be human? Boy, is SHE screwed!”
Every time I think about this, I can’t stop
laughing. So, picture this guy teaching you how to be human!
The beauty of reading is that if you think
I’ve miscast the roles, you can award them to anyone you please! I hope you enjoy reading Heart of Stone as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Excerpt - Hounded
Excerpt 1:
Van smiled to himself when he
heard Dulcie’s light footsteps approach.
She had to know that the real
reason he came in all the time was to see her.
From their first meeting when
he’d stormed in, feeling angry and defensive before he’d even opened his mouth,
the mere sight of Dulcie had soothed him. Her soft dark hair, her sweet smile,
the gentle curves of her body, they all seemed to have been created to absorb
his hard angles.
And she was funny.
The world of shifters could be
sexy, intense, scary… But there wasn’t a lot of light-heartedness in Van’s
past.
Dulcie’s first dry comment didn’t
even land on him because he wasn’t expecting it.
But the goofy grin that followed
filled him with surprised delight. He didn’t laugh, but it made his chest
lighten.
And then, looking down in
embarrassment at the joke she thought had failed, she’d taken a sip of her
drink.
Her pouty lips parted. The tip of
her tongue sucked the straw into her mouth, her eyes closed in ecstasy.
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