About fourteen years ago, I met Alexandra Riley, a woman who realized her entire life and identity was a lie. She discovers she’s not human but a half-breed werewolf, her father is a full-blooded werewolf, and she’s become a prize, sought after by male werewolves who want to mate her. Alexandra’s Legacy was the first werewolf book I ever wrote, and it began my love affair with these fascinating creatures.
Why do I love werewolves? They straddle a line between the human and wolf sides of their nature. They live by a different set of rules, are guided by primal instincts. They’re rough and tough and protective as hell toward those they consider theirs. It opens up so many possibilities for me as a writer. I’ve created several worlds for my werewolves, each different in terms of the lore surrounding them, but underlying all the books is the wildness of the wolf. No matter how many stories I write, they continue to surprise and delight me.
I went on to write 7 books in the Legacy series—Alexandra’s Legacy, Isaiah’s Haven, Legacy Found, Quinn’s Quest, Finding Chrissten, Damek’s Redemption, and Craig’s Heart. While it’s primarily a werewolf series, the final two books feature vampires.
From there, I continued to write paranormal series—Hades’ Carnival, Salvation Pack, Blood of the Drakon, Forgotten Brotherhood, Salvation Pack: The Next Generation, and more. I love my werewolves but have branched out and written about many other kinds of shifters.
When the original publisher of the Legacy series closed its doors, I was lucky enough to have another publisher republish the series. This gave this series—and others—a second chance. And now the publisher has issued new covers.
I’ve been blessed with amazing covers for my entire career, and this time is no exception. I love the vibrancy of these new ones and hope you do too.
And if you’ve never given the Legacy series a look, I hope these new covers will make pique your interest.
Alexandra’s Legacy
Legacy, Book 1
The truth could get her killed.
Alexandra Riley’s predictable world is turned upside down when she discovers she’s the half-breed daughter of a legendary alpha werewolf—a sought-after prize to some, an abomination to others. The tall, dark stranger who bursts into her father’s garage shatters any illusion that she can continue with her normal life.
From the second Joshua Striker, enforcer for the Wolf Creek pack, sees Alex, she becomes a distraction he can’t afford. He’s come to the city to bring Alex to the safety of the pack. That’s it. But who is going to keep her safe from him? Because the wolf inside him is demanding he claim her—now.
From city streets to the mountains of North Carolina, the pair must evade bounty hunters out to kill any werewolf they can, wolves who want to claim Alex, and purists bent on eradicating half breeds. And with all this going on, Alex still has learn what it means to be a wolf and deal with the overbearing male determined to keep her safe.
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
My sincere thanks to Delilah for allowing me to return to her wonderful blog and share an exciting update of Diana Cosby’s Romance Readers Help Build A Habitat For Humanity Home.
A bit of background. Romance readers are AMAZING, and SO is Habitat For Humanity, a charity that I love supporting and volunteering for. Several years ago, I thought, why not pair the two and help a deserving family receive a home? And, the Diana Cosby’s Romance Reader’s Help Build A Habitat For Humanity House fundraiser was born.
I contacted the Habitat For Humanity office in Grayson County, Texas, where I’ve had the honor of helping with several builds and spoke with Laurie Mealy, Executive Director. She embraced the project and was thrilled at the thought of pairing romance readers, who love stories where heroes and heroines overcome challenges to make their dreams come true, with making the dream of home ownership for a deserving family a reality.
Goal: Raise $55,000 for Grayson County, Texas, Habitat For Humanity to help build a Habitat For Humanity Home.
I kicked off the challenge by donating $200. As I write this, we’ve raised $27,542, and we’re now OVER ½ WAY TO OUR GOAL to raise $55,000!!! Romance readers are amazing, and I have complete faith that like stories they love, they will continue to join together to raise the remainder of the amount necessary to help give a deserving family a home.
How it works…
As readers send donations to Habitat for Humanity of Grayson County for the ‘Diana Cosby’s Readers Build A Habitat For Humanity House of Love,’ the total contributions are updated below the house graphic on the upper right side of their homepage near the top. Donations can be sent via PayPal by ‘clicking’ on the house, which takes you to the donation page, or by mailing a check or money order to:
Habitat for Humanity of Grayson County
901 N. Grand Avenue
P.O. Box 2725
Sherman, TX 75091
*Please note on your donation: ‘For Diana Cosby’s Romance Readers Build A Habitat For Humanity House.’
Again, my sincere thanks to Delilah for allowing me to return to her blog, and another HUGE thanks to everyone for helping make an incredible difference in a deserving family’s life. For when they walk into a Habitat For Humanity house, it’s more thank mortar and wood, but a place they can call home.
*Photos used with permission of Habitat For Humanity Grayson County, TX.
Contest
***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my “Exciting UPDATE about Diana Cosby’s – Romance Reader’s Help Build A Habitat For Humanity House” blog on Delilah Devlin’s blogsite between 10 April 2022 – 17 April 2022. The winner will receive a signed copy of His Destiny.
About Diana Cosby
A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothersseries have been translated into five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.
After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothersseries and The Oath Trilogy, she released the bestselling The Forbidden Series.
Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.
It’s the beginning of Spring. April has new beginnings – we have hummingbirds migrating through and joining our native Anna’s hummingbirds at our feeder. This month we also have the A to Z Blogging Challenge. It’s Camp NaNoWriMo, Letter Writing Month, and Poetry Month. I suspect there are probably more, but those are just the handful we know of.
Are YOU ready for all of that?
I sure don’t think I am. I mean, we’re doing the A to Z Blog Challenge over on our group blog The Writer Zen Garden.
It really helps me to have others to play with, and who will write posts and come up with creative fun things to do.
I think it’s important to realize that it’s heavy to carry the load of all the stuff that’s going on in the world – war in Ukraine, the investigations in the U.S. Capital, the environmental crisis, and the pandemic. Wildfire season started early in Colorado last month. If you look for it, you can find all sorts of awful things.
On the other hand, we have the tools in our hands to help ourselves be resilient through it. There’s a new book by Emmanuel Acho called Illogical: Saying Yes to a Life Without Limits. In it, he has some terrific ideas (and I fully recommend you read it); one of them is about a young child whose mother brought her to a rap concert. The child was sleeping in her arms on the dance floor and wore yellow earmuffs that stopped the sound, allowing her to sleep. And the genius of it is that he translates that to our own lives: wear your earmuffs.
What “noise” is pressing in on you? Is it social media? News? Oscars drama? Maybe it’s something closer to home, like at work or family dysfunction. But we can put on our own earmuffs and drown out the loudness so that we can focus on our own stuff – creative writing, making, painting, singing, dancing… What’s your stuff?
And even more important, where are your earmuffs? Your earbuds, or noise-canceling earphones, or some other tool to listen to your favorite music or uplifting podcasts. If you want to try relaxing a bit, try binaural audio. And then settle in and play with your stuff.
Me, my stuff is writing novels, weaving, and designing lace. What about you?
The Salvation Pack came howling into my life more than a decade ago. I’d originally planned a five-book series but ended up writing nine. I fell in love with them so much, I didn’t want to let them go.
After the original series was done, readers kept writing and asking about the children of the pack. I couldn’t stop thinking about them either. Now, they’re all grown up and ready to find love. I’m thrilled to bring you the Salvation Pack: The Next Generation series.
WOLF CLAIMS HIS PACK is the third book. Nicholas LaForge is the son of the alpha of the Salvation Pack. Talk about having big shoes to fill. I always knew it would take a very special woman to capture his heart.
Wolf Claims His Pack
Wolf Claims His Pack Salvation Pack: The Next Generation, Book 3
Half-breed wolf and blacksmith, Bailey Smith’s life is complicated. She’s alpha of a small pack consisting of her teenage brother and three other kids. Her grandfather—a pure-blood wolf—wants her and her brother dead. And now a confrontation with two human males has brought Child Protective Services to her door. If that wasn’t enough, she’s caught the attention of an unknown, sexy-as-hell, male wolf.
Nicholas LaForge has found his mate and purpose. Being a full-blooded wolf is a strike against him, but she marries him to protect her kids. He’ll use whatever sneaky methods necessary—including sex—to convince her they belong together. First, he has to deal with the threats to his new pack. That’s the easy part. Winning her love and trust might be impossible.
Excerpt from Wolf Claims His Pack…
The hot guy from the parking lot was a wolf. And what a wolf. He was huge and deadly and dangerous, no matter how tame he tried to appear. Yeah, that wasn’t something he’d ever be able to pull off. It was like a police-trained German Shepherd trying to pretend to be a teacup poodle. Or a tiger attempting to masquerade as a kitten. Not going to happen.
When he’d stripped out of his shirt, she’d almost swallowed her tongue. He was about six-four. All of it tanned skin and ripped muscle. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. He didn’t have six-pack abs. He had an eight-pack.
Her cheeks were flushed. Her skin overly sensitized to the point the light breeze felt more like sandpaper against it.
Nicholas LaForge. The name was slightly exotic and suited him. His eyes were a deep golden brown that reminded her of a piece of precious amber she’d seen once in a museum. They were sharp and missed nothing. His shaggy brown hair fell to his shoulders, adding to his wild, untamed appearance. The multi-hued browns in his hair were reflected in his fur, with the addition of a few patches of black.
“You okay?” Emmett asked, concern deepening his voice.
“I’m fine.” Or she would be, as soon as she put Mr. Hot and Dangerous out of her mind. “We should go inside.” Standing outside, they were vulnerable. And their visitor was long gone.
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
Last summer I did some traveling to research the area where I set my forthcoming novel, Shattered Ice. This third book in the Melting Hearts series takes place near Aspen, Colorado. It’s a gorgeous area with majestic mountains and lush forests, and one I’d never been to. Road trip!
I’ve been a fan of car trips since I was a little kid and, like everyone else, I’ve been cooped up for far too long. But a road trip means packing up the writing companions I affectionately refer to as the Insane Pound Posse (IPP). Dora, the senior member by two weeks, is a sixty-pound German Shorthaired Pointer with the temperament of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. She’s the happiest dog I’ve ever known and greets each new day with leaps of joy.
Lulu—the younger, but significantly larger—is a ninety-pound red Doberman. Her idea of the best way to greet the day is to start her first nap. She likes to conserve her energy for barking at delivery drivers, dog walkers, and everything else that passes by. This requires loads of rest, preferably on a bed or couch, depending on how her royal highness is feeling that day.
I’ve become pretty skilled at road trips with the IPP, but we usually go to our favorite hotels where they know us. I had to find a place in Colorado that could accommodate one hundred and fifty pounds of spoiled-rotten canine.
Thank goodness for vacation rental sites like Vrbo and Airbnb.
I started searching, and quickly realized that rentals in Aspen are not like rentals anywhere else. We’re talking big huge dollars. I’m a little bitty writer. So I found a place in Carbondale, about 40 minutes west of Aspen, and it was still fabulous. It had a caviar view on a fish-and-chips budget. And the best part was that they allowed dogs. Perfect.
Still, my four-legged companions had to be on their best behavior—no scratching the furniture or breaking lamps. But unlike kids, dogs are completely impervious to threats. (Ask me how I know.)
So how was I going to manage the IPP in a tricked-out house with wood floors, floor to ceiling windows, and luxury linens?
The key to this, like most challenges, is to be prepared. With that in mind, the IPP and I put together this fabulous graphic should you decide to try a rental with your furry crew. FYI, they made me add the toys and the bowls. They still haven’t forgotten the time they had to use an unfamiliar water bowl.
“It was awful,” howls Lulu.
“But she remembered our blankets, and treats!” Dora is much more forgiving, although she still hates having her nails done on spa day before we go.
If you like reading books with dogs, check out Xmas Angel, the second book in the Melting Hearts series.
Shattered Ice, the third book in my series, will be released May 31, 2022, just in time for summer vacation reading. And, if you’d like to keep up with the occasional antics of the IPP, subscribe to my newsletter at jordynkross.com and get the free prequel to the series: Jack’s Frost.
Say the name Sojourner Truth and immediately I think of her iconic 1851 speech, “Ain’t I a Woman,” at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio (see below—it’s just 3 minutes long). But what never came to mind was the fact that she was the first Black woman to win a lawsuit against a white man. I didn’t know because her birth name is not as famous as her chosen name. When Sojourner Truth was born enslaved in Ulster County NY her name was Isabella Baumfree. By 1864 she was well-known for her abolitionist, suffrage, civil and women’s rights work. But it was in 1828 that she went to court to win the freedom of her five-year-old son, Peter, who had been illegally sold into slavery in Alabama.
In 1827 Baumfree ran away with her baby daughter, unfortunately having to leave her other three children behind. She found refuge with a nearby abolitionist family, the Van Wageners. They were able to buy her freedom from her enslaver by buying her services for $20. In 1828 New York State outlawed slavery but that didn’t mean the practice stopped. Her former master, John Dumont, had sold Peter to Southern slaveholder, Eleazar Gedney who then sold Peter to his brother Solomon.
As the children of slaves were born slaves, they were their owners’ property just as their parents were. However, in 1818 a state law had been passed that freed anyone born after July 4, 1799. Some sources cite Peter’s birth year as 1818, others as 1821. So having been born well after 1799, Peter was covered by this statute. Sources I found stated that he would have had to work as an indentured servant until he reached his twenties. Thus, Dumont had the right to sell his services but not sell him into slavery. That happened when Eleazar Gedney sold Peter to Solomon who made him his slave. With the help of the Van Wageners, Baumfree’s case went to the Albany Supreme Court. She won, and her son was set free. She was also awarded $500 in damages.
What I appreciate about commemoration months like Women’s History Month is the awareness and inspiration I receive from learning how people prevailed despite the odds and the circumstances of their times being against them.
For a chance at winning a $10 gift card, share in the comments about someone or some event that you can cite where the odds and the circumstances were against them, but justice was done in the end.
One Breath Away
Michal Scott
Sentenced to hand for a crime she didn’t commit, former slave Mary Hamilton was exonerated at literally the last gasp. She returns to Safe Haven, broken and resigned to live alone. Never having been courted, cuddled or spooned, Mary now fears any kind of physical intimacy when arousal forces her to relive the asphyxiation of her hanging. But then the handsome stranger who saved her shows up, stealing her breath from across the room and promising so much more.
Wealthy freeborn-Black Eban Thurman followed Mary to Safe Haven, believing a relationship with Mary was foretold by the stars. He must marry her to reclaim his family farm. But first he must help her heal, and to do that means revealing his own predilection for edgier sex.
Then just as Eban begins to win Mary’s trust, an enemy from the past threatens to keep them one breath away from love…
Excerpt from One Breath Away…
Home at last, she’d see if meeting Eban meant this night would be good.
Since her ordeal, her sex rivaled the Chihuahuan Desert in dryness. Yet Eban’s gaze had summoned the fragrant flow that even now moistened her core. Could it be her body had finally healed? She swayed, dizzy with expectation.
The squeak of the indoor pump provided no distraction from the lingering tingle where Eban’s fingers had rested against her spine, where his lips had kissed her hand. She focused on her task to temper her excitement.
Fill the bucket. Lift the bucket. Carry the bucket. Empty the bucket. Fill the bucket. Lift the bucket. Carry the bucket. Empty the bucket.
The pans she filled slowly simmered then steamed on her small, pot-bellied stove.
Her heart seized as she fingered the simple gingham curtains covering Harvest Home’s windows. Harvest Home’s humble kitchen contrasted sharply with the trappings that had graced Mary’s Manor, her Weston restaurant expansion.
She’d looked up the word manor and decided her place would imitate that kind of luxury as much as possible. Brocaded drapes and white, linen tablecloths had dressed up the Manor’s supper room. Slipcovers made from the same linen covered the cushioned chairs. White, bone china and delicate silverware completed the picture of elegant dining she hoped to draw.
A Franklin stove, indoor pump, double sink, polished counter tops and spacious storage cupboards made the Manor’s kitchen a dream made true. Nothing lacked for the grand opening. Picturing couples enjoying themselves in her simple but elegant setting had become her favorite pastime.
Then Judah Little and his lies thwarted her plans. Thwarted. A good word. A true word.
“But not for long,” she whispered. “That dream will come true just as this dream might come true tonight.”
I’m one of the volunteer staff and an attending author for LLS. This is an annual event that takes place on the waterfront of downtown Savannah, GA. The reader & author convention usually happens in either July or August. This year, it is happening from July 20th-24th.
Something to know about reader conventions versus a book signing: A convention is a multi-day event with activities, panels, outings, and more.
A signing is a one-day event with one or many authors for a designated time to sell and sign books.
Every event is different, so please do not make assumptions about this one based on other events, or about others based on this one.
Here, I am giving some answers to the FAQs for LLS and I hope to see you there!
What do I get with the $200 registration? Actually, the registration only covers the cost of the three meals provided at the event. Authors, Industry, and vendors sponsor the welcome bags, the badges, the snacks, the games, any SWAG at panels, and everything else.
Why do I have to stay at the hotel? Hotel space is very expensive. To have enough space to provide a variety of activities, we have to hit a certain number of rooms per night. Staying at the hotel ensures we get the convention space to do all the things. Without the rooms, we would have to charge enough to cover the cost of that space for the 3 days of the event. Bring a roommate to cover half the cost and enjoy the waterfront!
On a side note, the event is action packed with things to do. Many authors and attendees who live in the area say they are glad they are at the hotel because they would be exhausted trying to get home and back.
Where does all the money go? All of the money for registration goes to the hotel for the meals. The staff, even the coordinator, are all volunteers. We only earn money on what we sell at the book signing on Saturday.
The staff for this event pay the same registration as the authors (if authors) and readers (if industry or vendor) because it covers the cost of the meals. Author registration also covers the cost of the signing table. All authors and staff also have to stay at the hotel.
What about the charity baskets? Yes, we do have baskets that are donated by authors and readers and the money from that event goes straight to the Jasper County Rescue Mission, an animal charity the event coordinator volunteers at.
What can I expect as a reader? The welcome event has a welcome bag where authors from all over send books and promotional goodies just for you!
Every meal table is dressed by an attending author so you will get the items they provide as promotion and fun at that meal.
You will meet a lot of indie authors ready to connect with you beyond the books. I love this event and attend every year because the readers and other authors are not just people at an event, they are my convention family.
What if no one wants to come to the event with me? Totally fine to come alone. The quiet and shy will find kindreds here.
What genres are sold?
The authors write in a variety of genres but the primary one is romance. All subgenres of romance are at this event and even some subgenres of subgenres!
Who is attending?
The list of authors for this year is posted on the Facebook page.
How do I register?
Here is the link to the Eventbrite Tickets. They are non-refundable, so be sure you check it out and ask any questions before making your purchase. You will buy the reader ticket. You will see other tickets on there. Remember, I said all the money goes straight to the hotel? So authors pay their sponsorships. You do not have to buy a ticket to those events (like the hot cocoa bar). It is included in the cost of your reader ticket.
I’m an author, I want to go, what do I do? Author registration is closed for 2022. As you can imagine it takes a lot of planning to pull this off on volunteer hours and author-driven efforts. I encourage you to come as a reader, especially in your first year. Why? 1. You get a feel for the event from that perspective. 2. You can plan what you will do for your tables next year, decide what things you might sponsor (karaoke, snacks, etc.), and network with readers so they know who you are when you come back toting books in 2023. 3. Because you will also have a blast and if you come as an author the next year, it will be fun, but not like the readers. Not relaxing where everyone is trying to make it a great time for you. You will be on a team making it a great time for readers. It is a LOT of work. In addition, you can still put stuff in the welcome bags. You just can’t have a seat at the book signing on Saturday.
I’m an author, can I send promotion stuff? Yes! We love to fill those welcome bags with goodies from attending and non-attending authors. Readers love SWAG. We only ask that you not send just paper unless it is for a freebie with a qr code. Readers will trash paper and we don’t want you wasting that money. Pens, pencils, clips, buttons, and all the rest are welcome. Contact the event page on Facebook for mailing address. You can also send print books that will be placed on the welcome tables. We ask a minimum qty of 10, but if you just re-covered a collection and have books with the old covers on them to use as promotion items, send them.
This is a little bit about Literary Love Savannah. There are so many great events out there for readers to attend. Check in with your favorite authors and see where they are going to be. Remember that a convention is not the same as a book signing. A signing takes place on a set date for a set time. A convention is a multi-day event with a book signing attached to it.
I think it’s important to realize that it’s heavy to carry the load of all the stuff that’s going on in the world – war in Ukraine, the investigations in the U.S. Capital, the environmental crisis, and the pandemic. Wildfire season started early in Colorado last month. If you look for it, you can find all sorts of awful things.
I’ve been a fan of car trips since I was a little kid and, like everyone else, I’ve been cooped up for far too long. But a road trip means packing up the writing companions I affectionately refer to as the Insane Pound Posse (IPP). Dora, the senior member by two weeks, is a sixty-pound German Shorthaired Pointer with the temperament of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. She’s the happiest dog I’ve ever known and greets each new day with leaps of joy.
I started searching, and quickly realized that rentals in Aspen are not like rentals anywhere else. We’re talking big huge dollars. I’m a little bitty writer. So I found a place in Carbondale, about 40 minutes west of Aspen, and it was still fabulous. It had a caviar view on a fish-and-chips budget. And the best part was that they allowed dogs. Perfect.
