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Archive for 'paranormal'
Wednesday, July 25th, 2018
I have something I need to admit. *looks around then leans in* I’m a people watcher. There, I said it again. I’m talking about this because I had a conversation the other day that somehow lead to my being a people watcher. Yep I’m a people watcher. In my conversation I explained what I meant and why. Simply, it’s this—sitting back and observing others as they interact, or anyway I can get it, makes my mind race with ideas. I like to observe them and build stories about them. Imagining all sorts of scenarios about what story will fit them. I get a lot of my ideas from my people watching. There is something that can spark an idea which will expand into so much more. 🙂
Recently, this happened to me as I was out doing errands. I was walking and, in front of me, I saw this couple. As I shopped, they were just ahead of me so I was in a great place to people watch. The more I saw them the more my ideas flowed. It ranged from a newly dating couple to a established one. Then something happened to fuel my thoughts. Suddenly, they stopped and their body language went from close to distant then angry. That’s another great tool of the imagination—reading body language. But that’s another conversation for another day. Curious about what was happening before me, I stopped. The couple was too far away for me to hear but seeing the way they were I was able to figure out they were having a fight. The man stormed off leaving the lady, and she looked sad. It was an intense moment. I felt bad for her and the man she had been with. No, I didn’t know what they had fought about, but the emotions from their interaction were there to see.
As I walked away, I was wondering and my mind was filling in what could have happened. I’m a people watcher.
Veils Rising
Veils Rising – Man with secrets.
A Zuri Maji on hunt for answers. Will they survive?
Universal Link for Amazon, Nook, iBooks and Kobo, etc: https://bit.ly/veilsrising
About the Author
Taige Crenshaw has been enthralled with the written word from time she picked up her first book. It wasn’t long before she started to make up her own tales of romance.
With interracial and multicultural novels set in today, in alternate dimensions, or in the future, she writes with adventure, fun sassy heroine’s, and sexy hero’s.
Always hard at work creating new and exciting places, Taige can be found curled up with a hot novel with exciting characters when she is not creating her own. Join her in the fun, frolic, interesting people and far reaches of the world in her novels.
You can find out more about Taige…
website: https://www.taigecrenshaw.com
blog: https://www.taigecrenshaw.com/blog
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaigeCrenshawAuthor
facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WordSlingerCafe
Or twitter: @ https://twitter.com/TaigeCrenshaw
NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and from Taige’s writing projects, giveaways, contests, reveals and more? Click on https://bit.ly/taigenews and signup today.
Tagged: fantasy, Guest Blogger, paranormal Posted in General | Comments Off on Taige Crenshaw: People Watching… | Link
Tuesday, July 17th, 2018
You’ll just have to pick up a copy of Gargoyle’s Embrace to see! Do you love mythology as much as I do? Greek, Norse, Egyptian… I could get lost for hours in books about mythical heroes! So, I wrote one. It’s very naughty! Consider yourself warned!
Gargoyle’s Embrace
Lust trapped them in darkness…only love can free them…
Petra Pedersen has lived as a recluse all her life thanks to a shameful power inherited from the father she will never know—the power to incite lust in men and women with just a touch. Exploring the garden of the mansion she’s just inherited, she comes across a fascinating stone gargoyle whose raw, passionate expression draws her to caress its powerful body. Her imagination follows her fluttering fingers. As she closes her eyes and gives herself up to the arousal, something shifts beneath her touch.
Long ago, failure to stop a demon battle trapped Octavius in a prison of stone. Freed by the woman’s incendiary touch, he doesn’t hesitate to unleash his pent-up rage and desire in a blistering fury. Yet once the haze of lust clears, he discovers he isn’t really free after all. They are both trapped in another realm where he must choose between his last chance for redemption or returning Petra home…
Warning: Sex with inanimate objects, lusty m/m/f ménages with gods… It’s all good when the reward is freedom.
Get your copy here!
And…what readers are saying about Cochise?
“This series of books [Montana Bounty Hunters] is one of the author’s finest.”
“Cochise (Book 4) was exciting, fast paced, scary, filled with plot twists…”
“Heart pounding action and a VERY satisfying read!”
A hunt deep in a national forest forges bonds between a bounty hunter and a woman desperate to find her sister…
Get your copy here!
Tagged: bounty hunter, contemporary romance, erotic romance, menage, paranormal Posted in About books..., New Release | Comments Off on What do the Ferryman, the Fates, and the King of the Underworld have in common? | Link
Sunday, June 24th, 2018
Meet Titus – the Soon to be Alpha of the Rock Prowler Pack when interviewed by one of his pack’s cubs.
“You want something, Sammy? An interview for your school magazine? Well… I suppose it couldn’t hurt.”
Sammy giggled and opened up his writing book. “So, T. what’s your nickname.”
Titus: “Never had one. Not unless T. counts. You started something the first time you called me that. Now the whole pack uses it.”
Sammy blushed. “It suits you. But I said Big T first, what with you being so big and all. Anyway. Where did you go to school?”
Titus:“I planned to head to earth and do some serious study”—he shook his head—“but things went so far south it never happened. Some witch kidnapped my true-mate and I spent almost a century trying to free her.” The wolf’s shoulders slumped as he stared into the distance. After a deep breath, he added. “Not that she wants anything to do with me or the pack. I guess you can say I graduated from the school of Hard Knocks.”
Too young to understand Titus’s pain, Sammy shook his head. “Girls suck.”
Titus:“Only when you’re a cub. Give it a few years and you might say different. My best dream was to bond with my true-mate but she wouldn’t even look at me. Now I don’t have any dreams left.”
Sammy carefully wrote Titus’s every word in his notebook. “What would you do if you became rich overnight.
Titus:(growls softly). “I can’t see my luck changing now. No, don’t write that bit down. Let’s just say I’m not hurting financially and I don’t need more money.”
Sammy broke off to sharpen his pencil. “And what’s your favorite food?”
Titus:Nothing tastes good anymore except whisky. No, don’t write that down either. Just put that I don’t have much appetite. I hunt and I eat whatever I can find. That’s it, Sammy. Interview over.”
Titus stood and beckoned a group of cubs over.“Time for your tracking lesson. Give me a two-minute head start, and if you find me, I’ll shout the lot of you an ice-cream.”
To Seduce an Omega
The Rock Prowler alpha condemns Viola for her inability to shift. Forced into poverty and isolation, she ekes out a meager existence as a healer. As the pack omega with a crippled knee, she’s forbidden to mate. Her first heat beckons, but no wolf will dare to bed her.
Titus, a wolf rejected by his true mate, overflows with violence and anger. The Lykae King sends him to take over the Rock Prowler pack. He condemns Viola for wanting payment before she treats her patients and threatens to bring in a new pack healer. With her crippled knee and no other income, she’d starve.
She-wolves from families who disagree with the alpha have vanished. When Titus investigates, the alpha’s allies imprison both him and Viola. To escape, he must seduce Viola—the she-wolf he insulted and reviled. If that’s not bad enough, she despises him for his seeming allegiance to the alpha. As he gets to know her, she steals his heart, but after all that’s happened, how can she accept him when even his fated mate refused him?
Buy links
Amazon USA https://amzn.to/2MFqbcR
Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2K0Z3TS
Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/2M89aXA
Amazon Australia https://amzn.to/2ytGFBS
Excerpt
“Heal her.” The stranger scowled and thrust the injured woman at Viola.
She blinked and stepped back so quickly she almost overbalanced. After taking a moment to stand up as straight as her crippled leg allowed, she donned her professional healer persona. “For a price. Cash. Up front.”
Viola lied, of course. Leaving anyone in pain was beyond her, but the man with the broad chest and gold-flecked eyes didn’t need to know that. Besides, unless she got hold of some cash soon, she might never eat meat again.
The low growl that rumbled from his throat and the way his eyes narrowed made her wish she’d stayed silent. He bared his fangs, and although she wanted to retreat, she stubbornly held her ground.
His lip curled. “Do it. I’m good for your fees. Just get a move on.”
His deep, angry rumble made her think of a volcano ready to erupt. And damn, when she stared up him, he looked as tall as the mountains that trapped her in Rock Prowler territory. Out here in the midst of the forest, miles from the nearest settlement, she should be wary. This stranger emanated strength, protection, and…flat-out fury. At her.
His jaw clamped as he shoved past her into the hut. She followed, mentally triaging her patient. Tansy’s clothes hung off her in tatters, and an arrow stuck out of her leg. Deep scratches, the sort only a murder thorn could inflict, covered her torso. The woman’s breathing came in fast, shallow pants. Her skin looked as though it had been touched with frost, and rivers of dried blood stained her leg.
Absently, Viola wondered what the other woman been up to that involved tangling with a bush renowned for shredding skin. Not running from Mr. Fix-It here, I hope. Ignoring her concerns and her attraction to a newcomer with the short hair and bad attitude, she reached out to stroke Tansy’s hair. Rather than gather her supplies, Viola hardened her heart and met the stranger’s gaze.
With his torn ear and bent nose, Mr. Fix-It looked ready to tear out her throat. Her stomach clenched as though he’d punched her, and his disgusted look promised a reckoning once she’d tended Tansy’s wounds. Viola’s tender heart went out to the woman in his arms. Despite her bold words, she’d never let Tansy suffer, but she needed to bargain to survive.
As the pack’s omega wolf, she expected nothing from anyone—except insults, of course. Chin high, spine stiff, she kept her hands at her side. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have chased her into a murder thorn in the first place. Of course, I’ll help her once we’ve agreed on a price.”
The stranger’s furious growl cut to her heart, but unless she demanded her cash in advance, she’d starve.
About Kryssie Fortune
Kryssie’s imagination runs wild. She loves dragons, sensual Fae, and sensual vampires. Show her a dominant Lykae male and her toes curl. Feel free to visit her website or check out her blog. She can also be found on Facebook or Twitter.
Author links
Website: https://kryssiefortune.wixsite.com/kryssiefortune-books
Blog: https://kryssiefortune.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kryssie-Fortune-Author-Page-267100286738528/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KryssieFortune
Tagged: excerpt, Guest Blogger, paranormal, werewolf Posted in General | Comments Off on Kryssie Fortune: Meet Titus – the Soon to be Alpha of the Rock Prowler Pack! | Link
Saturday, June 16th, 2018
I’ve been writing for a while. I have numerous series, standalone titles, and short stories. If you’ve never read or barely read me, I can keep you busy for a while! 🙂
One of my first series, that’s still ongoing, is my Night Fall series. It’s near and dear to my heart. And there are 14 stories in the series, so far. The last title I released was Big Bad Wolf, which I adored. What wasn’t to love? A rugged, backwoods wolf with no love for vampires. A vampire with every reason to hate wolves… Of course, they had to fall in love. And there will be more stories. So, dive in. None of them are terribly long. You can consume them like candy. I dare you to give them a try…
Comment for a chance to win your choice of download from among the stories shown below! I’ll pick three winners!
Click on the covers to learn more about the stories!
Big Bad Wolf
Ginnie Martin is a badass. She was born that way one horror-filled night. Forged in blood—her own and her family’s. All were ravaged by savage beasts. Her vampire savior recruited her to fight with his small army against the creatures responsible for her devastating loss. But now, he’s asking too damn much. He wants her to open her home to new allies who, until only recently, were their fiercest foes. Wolves.
Calum Fletcher already bristles against providing muscle to a vampire force. Content living in his remote mountain cabin, he’s never been much for mixing with other wolves, much less making nice with vampires. He was already having a hard time dealing, but the woman letting him bunk in her home wears an even larger chip on her shoulder. Quickly, his new favorite sport is goading her into losing her temper—because everyone knows a vampire’s bloodlust leads to very sexy places…
Read an excerpt…
The moment Calum Fletcher stepped into The Cavern, his body quickened. The heavy thud of his heart pounded at his temples. His skin prickled. Above the scent of booze and sex, he noted the musty, metallic odor of blood, and his stomach churned. Every instinct shouted danger.
Striding past the brawny, dull bouncer at the door, he kept moving, needing to draw calm around him before his nature was revealed. Although the vampires had been warned of his pack’s arrival in Seattle, he preferred to cloak himself in humanskin, free of wolf scent. The better to study the enemies he’d now be aligning with in war.
Dance music beat against his body. Bright, strobing lights pierced his eyes. Turning from the dance floor, he moved toward the bar, ignoring the activities of the patrons—the feasting, the fucking. Everywhere, except at the bar, an orgy of bloodlust and sexual excess was in progress.
The blonde behind the bar gave him quick, assessing glance. Her green eyes narrowed. “Can I get you a drink?” she asked, all the while continuing to watch him as though she expected trouble.
“A beer.”
“No preference?”
He shook his head, wanting to look away, but he was studying her as well. The blonde, uneven cut that barely reached to her chin looked wind-tousled. Her pale unpainted cheeks were as smooth as porcelain. Her mouth was bowed but held in a tight, firm line. Below, her figure was lean and muscled with only a slight flare of hips and a meager bosom.
And then he viewed her clothing—a black, form-fitting tank and faded blue jeans with ragged holes over both knees, stuffed into square-toed black boots. Harsh, dark. Echoing the look in the eyes.
Vampire, he concluded. Had she already guessed his true nature?
She placed the beer on a cardboard coaster in front of him. “Haven’t seen you here before,” she said, her voice soft, but with a hint of an edge.
“I’m from out of town.” Out of state, actually, but he didn’t elaborate.
“How did you find this place?”
He gave a shrug then met her gaze, locking with it. “I was walking along the docks. Heard the music.”
She frowned. “And once you came inside…?”
Her tone clued him she was angling to hear what he thought of what was going on. A human who ventured inside by accident should be shocked. So, she hadn’t made him.
He held still. Barely breathed. If she knew he wasn’t a willing “host,” someone who understood the rules of the blood exchange, what would she do? His curiosity was piqued by her deepening frown and downturned mouth. Was she considering giving him a “friendly” warning?
Calum broke with her gaze and glanced at the dance floor. Most pairs danced, bodies moving in a wild fervor. A few barely swayed while hosts’ necks bent and vamps’ mouths worked, teeth and tongues biting and licking. He barely repressed a shudder. Worse, his gums tingled. When he turned back, he didn’t bother hiding a frown.
She reached out a hand and cupped the back of his wrapped around the beer. “Are you curious?” she asked, her voice thicker than before and lisping.
Curious about her, yes. Which should have alarmed him. But she wasn’t flirting and wasn’t attempting to use her vampire’s tricks to seduce him. Her gaze was direct. A straightforward challenge.
And although he wasn’t there to play, he did have time to satisfy his curiosity. The rest of his pack would be arriving soon enough. He’d pushed ahead of the convoy while they’d stopped for a meal. He gave a slight nod.
Her chest rose, and she lifted a hand to signal to a waitress, who made her way behind the far end of the long wooden bar. Then the blonde lifted the hinged, vertical opening in the bar and stepped through to join him.
Standing next to him, she had to raise her head to meet his gaze, something that appeared to irritate her, because a frown dug a line between her brows. “Bring your beer.” She stepped past him, skirting the dance floor and moving toward a row of leather-upholstered booths at the opposite side of the room, lit only by candles set in decorative glass bowls.
He followed, beer in hand, then slid into the booth she indicated.
Rather than taking a seat opposite him, she slid in beside him and turned, raising one knee to the seat. Her gaze went to his beard then trailed over his chest and below, before slowly rising again to his face. “I’m Ginnie,” she said, her voice huskier than before.
He noted the sharpened tips of her corner canines, peeking from beneath her upper lip. “Calum,” he said, his own voice deepening. His breathing was coming faster, sitting this close to her, drinking in her sweet-almond scent, which should have acted like repellent. But almond blended with a slight hint of vanilla and her feminine musk, and now moisture gathered in his mouth. He wanted a taste.
His mouth twitched and, inside, he laughed at himself for his attraction. How long had passed since he’d fucked a woman? Now, he wished he’d come better prepared. Vampires were naturally sensual creatures. That was all this lust was. He was growing aroused because she was what she was, and he’d been without for far too long.
Tagged: excerpt, Night Fall, paranormal, urban fantasy, vampire, werewolf Posted in About books..., Contests! | 19 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: DeAnne Taylor - Debra Jones - Arlene Pettersen - Pamela - Pamela Chisholm -
Thursday, June 7th, 2018
UPDATE: The winner of is…Janelle Beaver!
*~*~*
I think all writers are inherently curious people, ones who love figuring out all the different ways to answer a simple question that starts off, “Hey, what if…”
An example of that in my own writing career stems from a lifelong interest of mine. Although I was an English major in college, I’ve always found geology fascinating.
I grew up in Missouri and live in the Pacific Northwest, both of which have interesting geological features and forces at work. Missouri is famous for its caves while Seattle has its Underground, leftover from when the city was rebuilt after a fire in the late1880s.
Both states also have fault lines that sometimes shiver and shake, making life interesting. Those same fault lines gave rise to the volcanoes scattered along the western side of North America. There are five in Washington State alone.
About ten years ago, I got to thinking about the geology I found so interesting and how I could incorporate it into a paranormal romance. Answering that particular “Hey, what if?” gave rise to my Paladin series. I decided there was an energy barrier that separated our world from another one. That barrier collapsed whenever an earthquake or a volcano decided to act up. If that happened, the people from the other world would come streaming across in a murderous rage. The Paladins are the warriors who stand the line to defend against the invasion. Their headquarters are located in the caves in Missouri and in the Seattle Underground.
Just to make it more interesting, the Paladins have some very special abilities. They’re stronger and have more highly developed senses than normal humans. They heal faster and can even come back from death—but only some many times. And where did they get these gifts? From those very same aliens they’ve been fighting for centuries.
The Paladins have a lot of the characteristics I love in a paranormal hero. They’re bigger than life, have secrets they must protect, and a willingness to sacrifice themselves to save everyone else. I always say the women who love them have to find some way to convince them that it’s just as important that these guys be willing to live for the people they love as they are to die for them.
What other characteristics do you look for in a great romantic hero? Do you prefer a three-piece suit, jeans and a T-shirt, or a uniform?
Leave a comment for a chance to win an Amazon gift card.
Alexis Morgan
In Darkness Transformed
The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Paladin series returns with this sexy, original title featuring a man discovering the paranormal world of the paladins.
Dying hurts…but not as much as living.
Eli is lucky to survive the helicopter crash that killed the rest of the passengers. But when he notices his wounds healing before his eyes, it seems like his survival may have come from more than luck.
Safara knows what Eli does not—Eli is a paladin, a mortal enemy of someone like Safara, someone from Kalithia.
Still, after Eli saves Safara’s life, and Safara introduces Eli to a whole new world, they just can’t seem to treat each as enemies.
Get your copy here!
Amz: a.co/4UvqCQC | BN: bit.ly/2DGOmWC | iB: apple.co/2n42b7g | Kobo: bit.ly/2DGEiwI
About the Author
USA Today Best-selling author Alexis Morgan has always loved reading and now spends her days imagining worlds filled with strong alpha heroes and gutsy heroines. She is the author of over forty-five novels, novellas, and short stories that span a variety of genres: American West historicals; paranormal romances, fantasy romances, and contemporary romances. She is excited to say that next year will see the release of her first cozy mysteries series.
Tagged: Guest Blogger, paranormal Posted in Contests!, General | 13 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Mary Preston - Alexis Morgan - ButtonsMom2003 - Delilah - Becky Ward -
Tuesday, June 5th, 2018
Return to the “utterly addictive” (RT Book Reviews), “fast‐paced and humorous” (Publishers Weekly) world of New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall’s Immortal Guardians.
He awakens encapsulated in dirt with no knowledge of how he came to be there. Riddled with injuries, he can remember neither his past nor who he is. Nor can he remember what he is. But surely no mortal man could survive being buried deep beneath the earth. All he knows with certainty is that the soothing voice and presence of the woman moving around above enables him to endure the agony of his wounds. And he will do whatever it takes to be with her.
When Susan first sees the old two-story house for sale, such warmth and longing fill her that—against all reason—she makes an offer. It will take years of hard work and money she frankly doesn’t have to fix up the place. So she can’t explain why she bought it. She also can’t explain what compels her to spend hours one night, digging in the basement until she unearths a man. A man who still lives and breathes despite having been buried alive. A man whose intense brown eyes glow amber with pain, declaring him far more than ordinary. Susan knows she should keep her distance. He has no memory and possesses gifts that would make most fear him. But as the two work together to unravel the mystery of his past, she finds herself drawn in by his teasing nature and tender touch. So much so that she loses her heart to him even as they find themselves hunted by unknown enemies who are ruthless in their quest to capture them?
Pre-order your copy here!
About the Author
Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA TodayBestselling Author of the Immortal Guardiansparanormal romance series and The Gifted Ones series. Reviewers have called her books “fast-paced and humorous” (Publishers Weekly), “utterly addictive” (RT Book Reviews), “extraordinary” (Long and Short Reviews), and “wonderfully imaginative” (The Romance Reviews). Dianne’s books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews.
Dianne’s books have all appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and/or Amazon Bestseller lists. The first book in Dianne’s new series The Gifted Ones, A Sorceress of His Own, is a prequel of sorts to Darkness Dawns. A USA Today bestseller, A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that was awarded the AudioFile Earphones Award and was an Audie Finalist. The second book in the series, Rendezvous With Yesterday, is a time travel romance that won the GraveTells Readers’ Choice Award for Best Historical Romance.
In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-winning screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.
When she isn’t writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she creates in her books.
Tagged: Guest Blogger, paranormal Posted in General | Comments Off on Dianne Duvall: Awaken the Darkness | Link
Tuesday, May 29th, 2018
A year ago, Bravo Team WOLF faced the challenge of discovery when Corporal Kaitlyn Amador was assigned to their unit. The wolves serving as a special unit of Force Recon Marines come from different packs as part of a negotiated agreement between the U.S. packs and the U.S. government. Bravo Team WOLF serves their country and the packs maintain their autonomy and secrecy. Kaitlyn’s presence threatens that agreement, but Captain Jax Raymond’s interest in her is an even greater threat to his peace of mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwSKMCe5NP0
Now, Sergeant Carlos “Cage” Castillo faces a new challenge when he leads a small contingent of the team to rescue a kidnapped child in Costa Rica. It’s just another day at the office until he accidentally bites aid worker Bianca Devlin who invested herself in saving the kid, too.
What happens in the jungle doesn’t stay there, and now Cage must stick close to Bianca in case his bite turns her—falling in love wasn’t in the mission statement, nor was turning her life upside down.
Wolves
When you’re writing wolves you know a lot about the characters before you start:
- They’re loyal.
- They’re tough.
- They want to protect.
- They are fierce and passionate.
- Dominance games aren’t always played through physical action
These wolves come from different packs, different backgrounds—so much, that while they have a lot in common, they have different socio-cultures that come into play. Serving together, however, has also given them bonds of brotherhood. Immersing myself in that world is always a thrill.
Marines
These guys will go the distance to serve their country, their packs, and each other. What makes them a team is their loyalty, toughness, fierce protectiveness and their innate desire to serve. It also gives the term hard-headed a whole new meaning. Every single one of them volunteered. They train together. They work together. And they balance their differences with a common goal—getting the job done.
Cage kicks this book off with a lot to prove—to himself. Bianca is a woman who grew up in the service of others, and she thrives on saving people. Sure, they seem like a match made in wolf heaven, but what if being a wolf isn’t what she wants? And what if all the secrets Cage is keeping costs him more than he knew he could want?
All of this and more comes into play in Bitten Under Fire, releasing on May 28. May is Military Appreciation Month, and Monday the 28this Memorial Day. While Bravo Team WOLF is a work of fiction, it’s also a love story to those who serve in all walks of life.
Contest
In honor of all of these, I’m giving away an e-copy of When Danger Bites, book 1 of Bravo Team WOLF. Just tell me what your favorite part of wolf or military stories are…what do love about these kind of heroes? C’mon, take a walk on the wolf side and discover Bravo Team WOLF today!
Here’s a sneak peek at Bitten Under Fire:
Cage gave up on even the pretense of sleep and rolled out of the too-soft bed at four a.m. His body clock, still tuned to East Coast time and training, told him he should be out with the team. He could be on a run with the guys, alternating their training between wolf and human forms. Hell, if he timed it right, he could be out in the hill country and running free for the sheer joy of it. Instead, he stood in a dark bedroom, on a hilly suburban street near Austin, staring broodingly at the house across the street.
Bracing one hand against the window edge, he debated the next step. Spending time with Bianca was not a hardship; in fact, he’d half forgotten his purpose over dinner the night before. Watching her eat the ice cream aroused him and left him lusting hard. So much so, he’d been sure his erection would have a permanent zipper imprint.
His wolf didn’t help, not one bit. In fact, the beast settled in her presence and wanted to take root. The animal hated leaving. Between her tantalizing scent and absent-minded licking of her lips, Cage had to admit he found it difficult to bid her good night and walk out her front door.
Once outside, he’d noticed her windows were still open, upstairs and down. She hadn’t turned on any external lights, and he was pretty sure if he navigated his way over the back wall and leapt onto the deck, he’d find her French doors still wide open.
They’d eaten on her deck. She seemed more comfortable outdoors than in. He could get inside, maybe even steal a kiss before telling her to lock up for her own safety.
I’m not here to seduce her.Having to repeat the mantra after a sleepless night didn’t improve his mood. Bianca had accepted his reasoning for being across the street, but her suspicions filled him with pride. She wasn’t the type to just take a story at face value. Then again, he hadn’t been 100 percent honest with her.
There was no easy way to say, “I might have just changed your life forever…by the way, how do you feel about becoming an animal?” The wolf didn’t give a damn about Cage’s reasons for why they were there. The wolf liked Bianca, enjoyed her scent, and her husky voice. So do I.
Movement by her front door attracted his attention, and he let the wolf peek out. The shift of his eyes was a controlled move, and it allowed his night vision to expand. Bianca exited her place wearing a pair of denim shorts with frayed hems, an open button-down shirt over a tank top, and her feet were encased in pair of sneakers. She paused to lock the door, a bit of a struggle with her splinted wrist.
Hair swept back into a ponytail, she looked fresh and bright—if one discounted the bruise on her cheek or the scrapes visible on her forearms and long legs. Where the hell was she going at four in the morning?
Leaving, she moved slowly and deliberately down the steps, favoring her right leg. Her feet had been scratched, bruised, and damaged. Even last evening when she sat on her deck, bare feet stretched out to rest on the rail, he’d seen the angry marks on them.
As she reached the sidewalk, she paused, hands on her hips, and looked left then right. Her gaze swept back and forth, and it was then he realized her lips were moving. Even with his superior night vision, he couldn’t read what she said. Finally, she turned toward the uphill rise on her right and began walking.
At four in the morning.
In a city she didn’t know.
In a neighborhood she’d just moved to.
Cage growled then hurried to throw on shorts, a T-shirt, and running shoes. In less than three minutes, he’d dressed, descended the stairs, and let himself out of the front. Jogging, he followed her scent easily. Even at her limping walk, she’d made it to the end of the block and continued around the curve.
He’d almost caught up to her when it occurred to him that running at her in the dark might not be the wisest course. Slowing, he opened his mouth to warn her he was there, when she spun and slammed a taser into his side. The voltage sent a cascade through his nervous system. One minute he was standing, the next he lay on the ground staring at her dumbly.
“Oh, shit!” Bianca cursed, then turned off the flickering taser. Kneeling, she grimaced and touched his arm. “Are you okay?”
“No,” he said, slowly, not sure he trusted his voice. His wolf felt as stunned as he was. The shocks rioting along his nerve endings zapped him in lessening increments. Tingles spread throughout his limbs. His tongue seemed permanently rooted to the roof of his mouth. “No.”
The weight of her hand on his arm riveted him, helping to ground out the solid scrambling she’d sent through his system. Wolves were hardy beings, and they could take a solid beating. Most minor injuries they could heal in a short time. More serious wounds—bullet wounds, knife stabs, even claw rips—they could heal by shifting.
Electricity ripping through them? That hurt on multiple levels, and not even a wolf could recover from the stunning effect swiftly. Maybe it had something to do with the disconnect he felt with his wolf right now. The animal seemed dazed and distant.
“Cage?”
He’d almost forgotten Bianca was there; her fingers traced over his arm.
“I’m really sorry, I just heard someone coming at me, and it’s dark and…”
And she took his ass out with a taser.
Who Heather Long?
USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime.
From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family.
She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.
Heather is best known for her 18-book paranormal romance series Wolves of Willow Bend, which begins:
Prequel: Wolf at Law
1: Wolf Bite
2: Caged Wolf
3: Wolf Claim
3.5: Wolf Next Door
4: Rogue Wolf
5: Bayou Wolf
6: Untamed Wolf
Heather’s other fantasy romance series include the paranormal westerns Fevered Hearts starting with Marshal of Hel Dorado, Black Hill Wolves which start with What a Wolf Wants, Witches of Mane Street, Mongrels, and the forthcoming Bravo Team WOLF series.
Her contemporary romance series include: Always a Marine, Going Royal, Elite Warriors, The Love Thieves, beginning with Catch Me and Lone Star Leathernecks, beginning with Semper Fi Cowboy.
Heather is well-represented in fantasy wither her superhero series Boomers, a sci-fi western called Space Cowboy Survival Guide, an urban fantasy series called the Chance Monroe Adventures, and a stand-alone ghost novel titled Haunt Me.
Contact Details:
Website: https://www.heatherlong.net
Email:heather@heatherlong.net
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heather-long
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Heather-Long/e/B002BMBCUC/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HVLong
Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/iKxQ5
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