UPDATE: The winners are…PansyRose Parsons and Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

Before I wrote bounty hunters, I wrote about vampires…

Knight in Transition

A member of an elite police unit sworn to hunt vampires, Joe Garcia’s life is turned upside down when he’s transformed into one. On a quest for a cure, Joe’s search brings him to New Orleans in a last-ditch effort to recover his humanity.

Professor Lily Carlson, a renowned expert in vampire lore, has a condition of her own. Her sexual libido has been in hyper-drive for months. Her only defense is to hide behind her glasses and tweed suits and stay as far away from men as possible. However, she’s thrilled to discover vampires really do exist when Joe shows up on her balcony.

Although Joe deflects her attempts to make him a case study and confirm a few vampire statistics, he is drawn by her powerful allure. When werewolves join the chase and track her through New Orleans, Joe’s cop instincts tell him there’s a mystery to solve. Intent on protecting her, he must seek help from the last vampire on Earth he wants to ask.

While his hopes for deliverance from his fate dwindle, Lily’s life is forever altered by an unexpected inheritance.

Get your copies here!
Night Fall Series

How it begins…

The small sign in the café window read: Welcome Vampires and Sanguinarians! (No blood products provided—none permitted on premises! The Management).

Joe Garcia snorted. Every human in the place was a walking, breathing blood product — a portable soda fountain for the Fanged Ones.

He pushed through the glass door and tried to dampen the hope that rose in his chest, causing his heart to beat faster and his hands to sweat. Thusfar, he’d met only disappointment in his long search. This might be just another dead end-the last one he could afford before his cash ran out and his credit card was maxed.

Professor Carlson was his last hope.

Inside the cafe, enticing aromas assailed him. The smell of roasted coffee beans, which had been his life’s blood in another existence, was overlaid with the tangy scent of the real thing-the warm, viscous red stuff. The latter reminded him he hadn’t fed this evening, and hunger gnawed at his belly, making him edgy and irritable.

And something else enticed him. Something dark and sensual perfumed by a female musk with a tincture so unique it immediately sent a curl of heat to his groin.

He walked past the coffee bar without acknowledging the barrista’s greeting and wound his way through the tables, ignoring the human appetizers. His gaze was fixed on a menu board at the entrance of a roped-off area in the back, that read, “Vampire Survey Here”. An arrow pointed down to a table laden with a stack of pamphlets.

He brushed past the table, searching the back of the restaurant for his quarry.
“Sir, are you here ’bout da survey Professor Carlson is conductin’?”

Joe turned toward the voice flavored with a deep Louisianan accent. A pleasant-faced girl with black corkscrew curls all around her head sat at a table near the cordoned entrance.

He bit back the rude retort that immediately came to mind and answered, “Yes. I need to speak with her.”

“Well, you’ll have to complete a screenin’ survey first,” she said pleasantly but firmly, holding up a stapled document.

Joe sighed and accepted the papers. What the hell? Five more minutes wouldn’t kill him.

“Do you have a pencil?” she asked. When he shook his head, she gave him a superior smile and extended a short, sharpened pencil.

Joe didn’t like her attitude one bit, so he reached for her hand, running his fingers over her palm before taking it.

Her smile slipped and Joe could well imagine her thoughts. Another vampire wannabe was hitting on her. He smiled and let her see his teeth.

Her eyes narrowed and a single brow rose. She wasn’t impressed.

That actually gave Joe hope he was in the right place after all. His sharp fangs hadn’t fazed her.

“You can take a seat with the other guy,” she said, indicating the first booth along the back wall.

Joe walked over and slid across the vinyl seat opposite a young man dressed in black leather and sporting no less than five facial piercings. The piercings glittered like tinsel in the dim light and Joe wondered how the kid could stand leather in May-New Orleans was already sweltering, even at night.

Turning over the top page of his survey, Joe quickly scanned the questions. He hoped like hell they were only meant to screen out the weirdoes and pretenders. Otherwise, he was screwed.

He wet the tip of his pencil on his tongue and read the first question.

“Do you consider yourself a Vampire or a Sanguinarian?”

Since he had no clue what a Sanguinarian was, he checked, “Vampire.”

“If you checked ‘Vampire’, skip to question 6.”

Maybe this wouldn’t take so long after all.

In the middle of the page, he found 6. “How often do you have the urge to drink blood?”

He checked the block beside, “More than three times a day.” Three times a night would be more accurate.

“How often do you drink blood?”

“Once a day.”

“Do you drink your own blood?”

“What would be the point?” he muttered, and checked “No.”

When he reached the question, “Do you drink blood during sexual encounters?”, he’d had enough.

He tossed the survey to the table and started to rise.

“She won’t see you unless you finish the survey,” Metal Boy said, without looking up from his form.

“She’ll see me.”

The young man’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “You’ll have to wait your turn. I was here first.”

Joe lifted his lips and showed him his fangs.

Metal Boy smirked and then lifted his lips, displaying a whole row of sharpened teeth.

Joe took a quick glance around the café to make sure no one was near, and then leaned over the table and shook his head. He let the change come over him, reveling for once in the wildness that surged in his veins as the bones in his forehead and brow shifted, and his skin stretched tightly.

The boy’s eyes widened until the whites symmetrically framed his irises. “I-I’ve just thought of somewhere else I need to be,” he said, and quickly scooted off the seat and ran for the exit.

Satisfied that vamping was good for at least scaring the shit out of punks, Joe took a deep breath and relaxed, feeling his face reform to his human mask. Then he headed back to the girl with the wild hair.

“I’ll see her now,” Joe said, not even trying to conceal his impatience.

“Have you finished dat survey?” she asked, her nose buried in her Cosmo magazine.

When he didn’t respond, she raised her eyes.

Something in his expression made her hesitate. “I’ll see if she’s free.”

Joe smiled grimly. “You do that.”

She was back in a moment. “Professor Carlson’ll see you now. You left your survey on the table, but I gave it to her.”

He followed her to the farthest corner of the café, toward another booth. A green lamp suspended over the table lent the corner a warm glow. When he drew alongside the green vinyl seat, the girl indicated he should sit and promptly left. Joe turned his gaze to the figure seated on the opposite bench.

His research had told him the professor was considered an expert in vampire lore. She’d written papers, magazine articles, and books, and even been consulted by more than one movie producer. When he’d typed “vampire expert” in the Internet search engine, her name had popped up everywhere.

All his research told him she might hold the answer, but it hadn’t said anything about how young or drinkable she was. Her hair was neither blonde nor brown, but the warm color of whiskey. Her eyes, hidden behind a pair of wire-framed glasses, glinted cognac. Her lips were a pale rosé.

The hunter within him woke.

Realizing he’d been staring, he cleared his throat. “You’re Professor Lily Carlson? The author of ‘Vampires: Myth and Reality’?”

Her gaze swept over him. An action so swift, he thought he might have imagined it. “And you are?” she asked, leaning over the table to extend her hand.

Joe froze. That indefinable scent was all over her. He had the urge to rub on her like a kitten in catnip. He eyed her small hand, afraid to touch it and feel the blood humming below the surface of her creamy, white skin. He was that close to jumping her. “I thought the survey was anonymous.”

“Oh, it is,” she replied quickly, withdrawing her hand. “You’re responding to the ad, then?” At his nod, she looked vaguely disappointed. “Well, I suppose I should review your answers. Please have a seat,” she said, waving him toward the bench seat opposite hers. “Thank you for taking the time to help me with my research.”

Bemused, Joe slid onto the seat. He knew he should get straight to the point, but he stalled. For just a few minutes, he wanted to be with a woman while she looked at him as if he was just like any other man. Well, perhaps like he was a man with a serious mental disorder. But at least, she wasn’t recoiling in horror or inspecting him like the Bearded Lady at a freak show.

Not that she was a great beauty, nor even as strong and fierce as his ex-partner Darcy. Dressed in a boring-beige suit, her whiskey-colored hair piled in a loose knot on top of her head, and her glasses sliding down her shiny nose, she looked like the schoolmarm she was. But while all the beige and brown should have made her look muddy, she glowed golden in the lamplight. And her scent—richly textured with something wild and animalistic—was extraordinary.

The woman opened his survey and glanced at his answers, then flipped the page. Her lips pursed for a moment, drawing his gaze to her full lower lip. “There are a few more questions I need answered. Do you mind if I learn a little more about you?” she asked, glancing up at him from beneath her gold-tipped lashes.

The surge of heat that centered in his groin was way out of proportion to her innocent question. Afraid he’d stutter over a tongue that suddenly felt too large for his mouth, he merely nodded.

“You understand the questions I’m about to ask you are part of a sociological study I’m conducting about our vampire subculture?”

Again, he nodded.

“All information you provide,” she recited as if from rote, “will be completely confidential. I hope you will answer me honestly,” she gave him a doubtful stare, “or to the best of your ability.”

She looked expectantly at him, so he nodded again.

Her gaze returned to his survey, and she cleared her throat. “You…are a vampire?”

“Yes.” This was the first time he’d admitted that fact out loud, and he knew how ridiculous it sounded.

“So, are you a Psy or a Sang?”

“There’s more than one kind?” Joe asked.

“A Psychic vampire feeds on a human’s energy; a Sanguinarian is a blood-drinker.”

“I guess I’m a Sang.”

“You drink blood once a day?” she asked, her head still bent over the paper.

He shrugged, hoping she’d glance up at him again so he could see whether her eyes really were a warm, golden-brown. “More or less.”

She scribbled something in the margin of his survey. “Well, which is it?”

“Sometimes more.”

“Do you drink human blood?”

Joe wished she’d end this line of questioning, or he’d be drooling shortly. Her scent had every appetite revving into high gear. “Yes.”

She glanced up from the survey. “How long have you had the urge to drink blood?”

“Since I woke up, tonight.”

She blinked. “No, I meant…since ever.”

ALL THE NIGHT FALL BOOKS!

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Contest

Answer this for a chance to win your choice from among my many Night Fall titles!

What was the last paranormal story you read?

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.

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TSVJ61/
Entangled Publishing: https://entangledpublishing.com/books/alexandras-legacy
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alexandras-legacy-n-j-walters/1101126416
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/alexandras-legacy/id1257658160
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alexandra-s-legacy-2

And if you’d like to check out the entire series, click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V11M7Q/

About the Author

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.

Visit her at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: https://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

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.

*~*~*

Want to read more of Nicholas and Bailey’s story? Click the links below.
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4NynLW
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SNZ6PNQ/
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1133168
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolf-claims-his-pack-n-j-walters/1141017634
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wolf-claims-his-pack
Evernight Publishing: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/wolf-claims-his-pack-by-n-j-walters/

And if you’re interested in finding out more about the original SALVATION PACK series, go here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753H2PLQ/

About the Author

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.

Visit her at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: https://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

UPDATE: The winner is…ButtonsMom2003!
*~*~*

For those of you who don’t know it, I have a very sexy vampire-demon series. Originally, it was published by Avon, but I have the rights back to the first stories, so I’m revising, repurposing, and republishing them!

The first story, Dark Legacy, is already out. My favorite book in the series, Dark Seduction, will arrive April 19th! It features my second favorite hero of any I have written, Nicolas, and the heroine, Chessa, is full of sass and imperfections—and is perfect for Nic. This book is a full-length novel and has vampires, mages, demons, and some pretty scary scenes, along with some of the sexiest I’ve written.

Dark Seduction

For eight hundred years Nicolas Montfaucon has dedicated his life to preventing the rebirth of an immortal evil. But now a terrible storm has assaulted unsuspecting New Orleans—and the beast walks the earth once more. “The Devourer” has been awakened, and there is only one in the besieged city who can help Nicolas defeat the foul creature—a mysterious and beautiful enigma who haunts the handsome Revenant’s erotic waking dreams and enflames his passionate obsessions.

Chessa Tomas is not an ordinary policewoman. A vampire, she works only at night, patrolling a seamy and unseen underworld of roiling chaos. Though Nicolas is sensuality incarnate, Chessa wants no part of him or his kind—but she cannot close her eyes to the unholy malevolence that would consume their world. And Nicolas has uncovered the secret lust that rules her—a steaming, uncontrollable desire he intends to unleash, bending Chessa to his will by making her most forbidden fantasies real.

Pre-Order your copy here!
Read Chapter 1 here!

Contest

I’m a huge fan of paranormal and sci-fi movies and television series. Recently, I’ve binged through Star Trek: Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and I’m working on Farscape at the moment. This summer, I’m hoping to binge through all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the third time.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift certificate, answer this: Do you have any recommendations for me? Is there anything you’ve loved?

I have a new release! It’s sexy, features an ex-Army vampire, and it’s set in post-apocalyptical Texas! What more could you want? Oh right, did I tell you it’s sexy? And not terribly long if you’re looking for a quick afternoon read. Did I mention it’s FREE in KU Unlimited?

I hope you’ll give the story a read, and if you have time, review it. Readers trust other readers…

No Tender Mercy

Read an excerpt | Order your copy here!

Open Contests

1. We’re Dead Horse! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! (Contests–Multiple Prizes!) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. I love Saturday! Plus, a Puzzle-Contest and More Open Contests! — Win an Amazon gift card!

I’m busy writing to “The End” of No Tender Mercy! There’s no pressure like release dates to get my fingers moving!

If some of you missed the first Texas Vampires story, Her Sanctuary, it’s a great time now to pick up your copy. Kate and Ty are featured in this story too, but it’s Diego’s turn to find the human of his dreams. 🙂

Here’s the info about Book #1:

Get your copy here!

Both are set in Post-Apocalypse Texas where werewolves and vampires are thriving during a nuclear winter. I had fun with book #1, describing ranch-life, cowboys on horses, trying to survive. This time, the gang is at Fort Davis, Texas. So—vampire soldiers protecting human refugees. Did I mention the stories are erotic romances? Yes, fun times. These stories are shorter (and cheaper) than my bounty hunters—a quick afternoon’s read!

No Tender Mercy

Pre-order your copy here!

Who says the apocalypse has to be the end of good times?

For Diego, the career his father had insisted was his destiny turned out to be the perfect preparation for the end of times. The Army made him a warrior—and then it turned him into a monster.

Excerpt from No Tender Mercy…

Diego Salazar strode through the Operations Building, needing to get outside, needing the night air to revive him. He felt edgy, bordering on reckless. Deadly emotions—for anyone around him, that was. Worse, he was bored.

He passed the Comms room but didn’t glance inside. Kate McKinnon was manning the radio, flipping through channels, trying to find other survivors, who’d been like her—needful of rescue and protection. She’d found her calling since arriving at the post; Diego didn’t feel the same sense of urgency about finding lost souls in the wilderness. Hadn’t he offered enough to mankind?

He kept moving, walking swiftly past the Ops conference room, where his best friend, Ty Bennett, was giving the nightly briefing to the roving patrol. Same ole-same ole: watch for breaks in the fences, report any signs of infiltration, make sure no vampires abused their hosts, blah-blah-blah. He pushed through the exit, stepped outside, and took a deep breath.

Instantly, he felt alive, alert. Freed by the darkness. His glance shot upward.

Moonlight glowed silver behind a black cloud, the only illumination in an otherwise dark sky. Although meager, the moonlight bathed his face, giving him calm as well as a surge of energy.

Diego stared at the sky, admiring the way the moon’s rays backlit the thinner wisps of cloud cover then disappeared completely behind the thick tufts of charcoal gray. Clouds that rarely held rain. He had always loved looking at the night sky. When he’d been younger, he’d owned a telescope and had spent many late nights searching for the objects on Messier’s list of astronomical objects, trying to tick them off because finding them all would’ve proven to himself that his future held more than his father had already decided. In this endless night, he missed seeing stars. Before the world had gone to shit, he’d taken for granted the glorious sight of the Milky Way stretched across the sky. What he wouldn’t give for a glimpse of that majesty…

Glimpses of a starry sky had been few and far between for years now.

Feeling tense again, Diego patted his jacket pockets, found his pack, and shook out a cigarette. Once it was lit, he took long drags off the cigarette, pulling until the glowing ring reached the filter. He didn’t like wasting a millimeter of a smoke because, soon, the stash he’d squirreled away over months of supply heists would be gone. Smoking was the one last guilty pleasure he allowed himself. A middle finger thrust straight into the air at life. Once upon a time, he’d denied himself this particular sin because he’d cared about his health. However, dying of cancer was no longer a concern—one good thing that had come of the decision he’d made in the final days before The Apocalypse had created an eternal night.

The career his father had insisted was his destiny as a Salazar had turned out to be the perfect preparation for the End of Times. The Army had made him a warrior—and then it had turned him into a monster so that he could fight other monsters.

He dropped the cigarette then ground it beneath the heel of his boot. He was sure Ty, the elected commander of this regiment, although they no longer used their military titles, would be looking for his sitrep soon. While no longer part of the U.S. Army, they had to maintain the same discipline and order. Without rules, they could easily devolve. Their altered natures already tempted them to push against the bounds of civilized behavior. More than one of their unit had been “put down” when they’d surrendered to their darker appetites.

When the keys to the fortress had been handed to them as the Army abandoned this western post, they’d made the decision to continue their mission. Partially to protect innocents trapped in this wasteland but mostly to give themselves a purpose, so they’d stay on the narrower path. They were the last outpost in the New Frontier. While the civilian populations had congregated for safety in the eastern cities, they’d remained to protect any last vestiges of human populations from the wolves and the human predators that roamed the West.

Just a week ago, they’d left the safety of their post to rescue stragglers to the south from a ranch near Tierney, Texas. Kate, a few of her ranch hands, and three families had accepted their offer of shelter. Kate was now Ty’s woman. She’d brought horses and a breeding pair of cattle to begin a new herd inside the fence. How they’d feed the animals was still to be determined. The sky remained filled with dark clouds, and the grass within the fort’s boundaries was sparse and withered. At least, the rabbits the mess unit bred in cages had vegetable scraps from the indoor greenhouse they kept lit in a helicopter hangar, powered by the wind. No humans would die from lack of food here. In addition to the rabbits and vegetables they grew, they had a storage warehouse full of old rations. The hope was that the skies would clear enough to let sunshine pierce the gray clouds, so that, one day, life could return to a semblance of normal for the humans. Then they could grow gardens and raise livestock in greater abundance to survive until civilization returned.

The thought neither Ty nor Diego ignored was that sunshine would likely spell the end of the vampires when humans no longer needed their protection.

The vampires outside the post’s fences weren’t winning any popularity contests. As feral as the wolves, their indiscriminate killing kept the humans inside from fully trusting the soldiers, even those who had remained human and understood why some of their brothers had been turned; they were all treated with suspicion by the refugees.

For now, the turned soldiers and the humans shared a symbiotic relationship. The living fed the vampires. The vampires provided their superior senses, speed, and strength to keep the humans alive.

Which reminded him that he needed to eat. His stomach felt hollow, which made his mood dark. Until he was replenished, he’d snap out of irritation at the slightest provocation. He strode toward the mess hall. A room to the side of the cafeteria was kept for feedings. Human guards supervised the vampires’ meals to ensure the safety of those who volunteered their blood.

He wondered who’d be available. Ty was fortunate to have his own blood whore, although Diego would never call her that in front of him. Kate provided some of his friend’s needs, but Ty still needed other donors so he didn’t sap her strength.

The families that had come from Sanctuary Ranch had been leery of the arrangement, at first, and since Ty had promised that no one would be forced to provide for them, they’d been slow to volunteer.

Until they’d learned from the human soldiers that there was pleasure in giving. At first, the males had volunteered, “sacrificing” for their families. Then one husband had brought his wife, and they’d shared the pleasure. Now, all three families donated regularly. Only the children were left completely off-limits. A rule that was strictly enforced. If a vampire were to drink from a child, the penalty was death.

The door to the “blood mess” was open, and light from a gas lantern beckoned. When he stepped inside, he found a lone female sitting in an armchair, a book opened on her lap. She glanced up as he entered, and a pretty blush crept up from her neck to fill her cheeks.

She was a plain woman—full hips, small breasts, hair neither blond nor brown. Late thirties, he’d have guessed, but knowing the hardships she’d faced to survive, she could be younger.

Already, her heart thudded loudly.

The guard was asleep with his head thrown back and his mouth open. Diego would make sure his squad leader handled that problem, but for now, he liked that they wouldn’t have a witness.

“Melissa, isn’t it?” he asked softly.

She nodded, glanced quickly at the still sleeping guard then back at Diego. Was she afraid?

When she tilted her head toward the doorway, he understood. She wanted a little something more in return for her “gift.”

His mouth stretched into a smile, and he held out his hand to help her up from her chair. The moment her warm fingers slid across his skin he started getting hard.

She’d showered. Her hair and body smelled like strawberries. Her blond-brown hair gleamed in the golden light, but he led her through the doorway into the darkened cafeteria.

“I haven’t seen you here before,” he said.

“It’s my first time,” she whispered.

He chuckled to put her at ease. “A virgin?”

“Hardly, but…yes.”

“I’ll be gentle.”

Her fingers pressed against his, and her pulse sped. “You don’t have to be.”

Diego grinned in the dark.

Sometimes, he enjoyed being the apex predator. Who said The Apocalypse couldn’t be fun?

For those who haven’t tried audio, it is one of the fastest growing segments of literary options, ideal for busy people who still want to enjoy a good book, so you really should. I’ve been blessed with several great narrators, with books in a variety of genres – although I consider myself primarily an epic fantasy writer – finding the right narrator has had it’s ups and downs.

I use ACX/Audible because it gives you the option to do a royalty share, a combination of share and pay up front or paying the narrator their stated fee. I do a royalty share because it gives the narrator and me a stake in the success or failure.

Choosing a narrator, for me, is a matter of matching the audition and voice to a given project, finding if your styles mesh, and the narrator’s interest in the project. Two of my narrators give me different voices for different characters, and another changes the timbre of voice. Make certain you discuss expectations – not just for time, but how it will be delivered. One narrator recorded several chapters, didn’t post them for my review, and had to go back to clearly delineate what character was speaking. Communication is important, in both directions. One gives me his ‘raw’ version – mistakes, flubs, pronunciation errors or questions – and sometimes he’s really funny. And, periodically he sends me his ‘blooper’ reel which is a riot.

It wasn’t a new experience for me, many of my books are in audio, but hearing another interpretation of what I’ve written has been a fascinating experience. In at least one case, the voice for a favorite character is now the narrator’s interpretation, another caught the characters’ accents perfectly (and his voice is like melted butter, smooth, warm, and rich).

Both Director’s Cut and Fire Season are in production for the audio versions so I can’t attach the retail samples yet, but they are both out in print.

Fire Season
A Paranormal Reverse Harem

Excerpt from Fire Season…

The wildfire consuming the forest had a voice all its own. Each did, Ari had found. He listened to the hungry, angry roar, the crack of tree limbs giving way, the small explosions as burls within the trees’ boles burst. The sound surrounded him, spoke to him. Ari kept half an eye on the rapidly spreading inferno. The canopy of leaves and pine needles above him and his people was still intact but in the near distance he could see licks of flame swirling around trunks, reaching higher. The tops of other trees burned like torches. Another ignited even as he watched.

The heat of the blaze, the parched air, baked him within his gear. He could barely breathe, despite his air bottle.

On this part of the mountain the rough, uneven terrain worked against them, kept them from using the tanker and trucks – the vehicles were too far away, the hoses couldn’t reach – so they were fighting the fire hand to hand.

His team worked hard and steadily, cutting some trees, digging up turf, shoveling the debris and dirt and tossing them aside. All they could do was hope to create a firebreak wide and long enough to stop the flames from advancing. At least to hold for long enough to allow them to fight the blaze itself. Even as he worked alongside his people, he kept an eye on them. He anchored one end of the line, Jase the other. Every one of them knew their job but, focused on the task at hand, even as experienced as they were, they relied on him to keep the line straight and true so they didn’t need to shift their attention from what they were doing.

Nor were they alone. Just beyond Jase was a team from the local firehouse doing the same thing – cutting a firebreak. Other teams from the local department’s two firehouses were scattered over the mountain, using their equipment where the land allowed.

Like him, that team leader worked hard, wielding a chainsaw like a sword, shouting instructions he couldn’t hear over the blaze to her people and department over the radio, keeping everyone apprised.

Something about that one, their stance, the way they carried themselves, and their short stature told him the leader was a woman, rare among firefighters.

The way her people responded to her instructions and orders, swiftly and without argument, told Ari she was good at what she did and respected.

Not for a moment did he allow his attention to wander for more than the second needed for that brief appraisal. It was too dangerous.

Ari sensed the wind shift even as the leader of the other team went stiff and looked up. The roar changed, hungry for fresh fuel as the fire turned. She saw it even as he did. Embers blew above them, past them. The fire, hungry for fuel, hungry for air, and powered by the strengthening breeze, leaped from one tree to another…toward them.

“Out, out, RUN! The wind shifted. GO! GO! GO!” Ari shouted, and he could hear an echo of his words as he signaled to Jase at the end of their line. The other team leader had her radio keyed even as she shouted and gestured to her people.

Amidst the raging blaze, the sound of one tree falling into another to topple against a second was hardly noticeable. The movement wasn’t.

Branches showered from above, some ablaze, falling even as Jase echoed Ari’s words, then turned to run and so didn’t see the danger. Like Ari, the other team leader was doing a headcount, making sure all her people were on the move, no one left behind.

A large falling branch sent Jase sprawling, and knocked his helmet, mask, and air bottle askew.

Even as a second branch, larger than the first, cracked, ready to fall, Ari was moving. As fast as he was, he knew he wasn’t fast enough to reach Jase in time.

The other team leader, closer, with her own people already on the run, did see and didn’t hesitate. She threw herself over Jase and turned turtle, tucking her chin in close to Jase’s vulnerable neck so her helmet and air tank would take the impact as she tried to cover as much of Jase as she could.

When the branch struck, Ari winced. At the very least, she would have cracked or broken ribs, if not worse, and Jase as well. As long as luck was on their side.

The fire was closing. They didn’t have much time or else find themselves trapped by the flames. It was no small branch, and they had to move it quickly, both for the sake of the two pinned beneath it and their own.