Tuesday Tease – Moonstruck: Secrets

moonstruck - secrets 680Yay! Cover reveal. And blurb! The Amazon version of MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS will be available hopefully today, tomorrow at the latest. While most of you have read BLOOD MOON and BAD MOON, there are additions to both of those stories, plus the story of what happens in the ten years between the two books. I got to explore Mac and Hannah’s relationship and her pregnancy. Knowing Hannah, y’all can guess what Mac was up against. I hope you’ll be curious enough to give it a try. Buy links once it’s live, probably tomorrow along with more snippets for #1lineWed, which is about exercise. Hrmmmm. I’ll have to think about that. In the meantime, blurb:

The existence of Wolves has remained a secret for over 200 years. Now, the members of Army Special SciOps Unit 69 are about to be exposed. When a covert operation behind enemy lines goes wrong, Sergeant Major Ian McIntire must trust Major Hannah Jackson to save his men—and his heart. She already knows most of his secrets but the one she doesn’t know about the moonstruck alpha werewolf may get them all killed. She has one chance to get the Wolves undercover and safe, but it may already be too late. Being pregnant with a baby Wolf is just one more secret she has to keep.

Ten years later, former Army sniper Michael Lightfoot’s life as a forest ranger fits his need to run wild when the moon is full—until two wild wolf pups are kidnapped, along with Dr. Liz Graham, the wildlife biologist who makes him want to howl. The last thing he expects when he rescues the feisty doctor is to be moonstruck. With her life in danger, he must reveal his secrets—and risk losing her—in order to save her from the shady corporation stalking the Wolves.

Warning: Secrets, lies, and betrayals are more personal under the full moon, but when a Wolf loves a woman, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Are you ready to find out the secrets?

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Monday Spring Forward

Jim Hunt Coffee Forecast Have I mentioned that I hate Daylight Savings Time? With eye-stabby, red-snarly hate? There is no reason for DST. Not anymore. Except it’s one more way the government can screw with us. I haven’t adjusted from the change last fall! How am I supposed to function with my system screwed up coming and going?

I’m still coughing. I haven’t been 100% since before Christmas and I’m sick and tired of being sick. By mid-afternoon, whatever energy I had is zapped and I just want to curl up in bed. Sucks. Big time.

My publishing schedule is off. Only, who does my self-pub covers, has been sick too so I can’t fuss at her. As soon as I have the cover for MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS, it will be submitted. Once I get the POD formatting and that cover gets done, it will be available in print at CreateSpace/Amazon, too. After taking an on-line class in February, I’m diving into the Nightriders MC series as my next project. Then HARD TARGET: DOUBLE CROSS is next in line. I need to write, write, write!

Being sick left me plenty of time to read. Totally loved the complete series reread of the In Death series. Damn but I love those books. Then I reread Anne Bishop’s first two Others books so I could follow on with VISIONS IN SILVER. I probably have to wait a year for the next book. This gives me a very big sad, but the good news is, there are at least two more books in the series. These books will go on my yearly reread list. The problem with reading favorite books/series is the book hangover I’m left with. I haven’t opened a new book in a couple of days. I look at all the books on my Kindle and in the paper TBR bookcase and nothing catches my eye. This sucks big time! *sigh* What have y’all read lately that you’d highly recommend?

The only other thing I’ve been doing is watching spring training baseball and college baseball/softball. Yay. These are my sports.

That’s about the sum of my life of late. What’s going on with y’all? *wanders off to refill coffee mug and start writing about biker wolves*

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Friday Sinema – A World Without Romance

I tumbled across this little video on the Harlequin author site when I was checking sales. It made me laugh. And it’s a perfect kick-off to the weekend. May you always have romance!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Mountain

universeWe have a saying in my family: Fun, Travel, and Adventure! Which actually means something quite different, having to do with a crude description of a biological act and a branch of the US military. Don’t ask me how this came about. It just did. In the ensuing 30+ years, FTA came to mean something a bit closer to definition rather than the euphemism. And that goes even further back–to my dad and family vacations when he would suddenly veer off our programmed path and we’d end up in some very odd (and occasionally quite unsavory) places. My mother didn’t have a deviation bone in her body, She was a Cancer. As far as she was concerned, you plotted a trip from point A to point B and you followed the directions religiously. My dad? Yeah…not so much. It led to some lively trips when I was growing up.

After Lawyer Guy and I got married, and FTA meant Army, travel was always an adventure. Once Only came along, it got even more interesting and little side trips the norm. Even though I was the navigator, there were times when getting lost seemed like just the right thing to do and we sure came across some fascinated sights when it happened. And yes, today’s little message from the Universe reminded me of all that.

Silver, do you know what’s a 1,000,000 times better than getting to the top the mountain?

Getting there, after having been lost.

Ohhh yeah,
The Universe

© http://www.tut.com ®

Let’s get lost, Silver!

The nice thing about getting lost? You don’t even have to leave home to do it, if you have a good book at hand. When’s the last time you got lost?

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Wednesday Words: More Cowgirl’s Secrets

Cowgirls Secret 680Happy Wednesday! Over on Twitter, the theme for #1lineWed is “taste or smell”. I was really tempted to default to the Moonstruck books because…Wolves! 😆 However, I’ll stick with cowgirls this week. Here are some snippets from the upcoming THE COWGIRL’S LITTLE SECRET.

In this first one, Jolie has agreed to let CJ spend the night with Cord at the Barron’s ranch. Cord, being all sneaky and shitstuff, set up a cook out and convinced Jolie to at least stay for dinner.

“I’m going home.”

His laughter surrounded her, so rich and warm it tasted like s’mores on her tongue and she wavered for a moment.

“Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay for the sleepover?”

“I am not sleeping with you, Cordell Barron. Not tonight. Not ever.”

Cord’s plan to win Jolie over with food seems to be working. shifty-eyes-ani2faster Of course, she has a few tricks up her sleeve, too!

She’d look up at odd moments to catch him watching her, something hot and sexy in his gaze, as if she was every bit as delicious as that steak as he was savoring. Jolie would get fascinated by his mouth, his lips, and she really wanted to taste them.

“Are you finished, Jolie?”

She jerked her gaze to his eyes—the ones twinkling even as his mouth curved up in that irritating grin of his. The waiter stood patiently, holding Cord’s plate.

“Oh. Yes. I am. Thank you.”

The man whisked her plate away and handed both sets of dishes off to a hovering busboy. “Will you be enjoying dessert tonight?”

Jolie knew what she’d like to have for dessert and by the way Cord was looking at her, he was imagining her covered in chocolate and whipped cream. Just to tease him, she ordered cheesecake.

Is anyone else getting hungry? Or thirsty?

He cupped her cheeks and kissed her, his tongue teasing the seam of her lips until her jaw relaxed and he could taste her mouth. Margarita and chocolate. Those were two tastes that shouldn’t work together, but in her mouth? Perfect. He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. “I’m going to make love to you, Jolie. It won’t be as good or as thorough as I’d wanted for our first time back together—”

We’ll save the scents for another day. How about y’all? Do you have any tastes you want to share from your WIPs or maybe from the book you’re currently reading?

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Tuesday Title: The Cowgirl’s Little Secret

Yes, I’m still alive. Mostly. 😆 Yes, I’m a year older. 😦 And to make things doubly sad, the cold snow kept any jonquils from blooming. For the first time since I can remember, I didn’t have a yellow flower to celebrate my birthday. Ah, well. In other news, guess what hits the bookstores on April Fool’s Day?!?! Yes, the release date makes me laugh. Yes, it’s Red Dirt Royalty Book #2. Yes, it’s reader favorite’s Cord Barron’s story. Here’s the cover reveal and blurb!

Cowgirls Secret 680She’s back at his ranch…with baby in tow!

When nurse Jolie Davis comes home, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she runs into Cord Barron–the Barrons own this town. In fact, it was their oil business rivalry with her father that caused her break up with Cord in the first place. But no amount of family meddling can deny the fact that she had his secret son. Now, four years later, as her ex is wheeled into the ER–while she’s on duty!–it’s time to come clean. Because it quickly becomes clear that Cord is determined to reclaim her…

You can preorder the book from these sellers: AMAZON KINDLE | AMAZON | B&N | iTunes |

Be sure to mark it as WANT TO READ on GOODREADS!

And just for fun, here’s the book’s Amazon rankings as of yesterday evening! Can I get a Woot!

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,810 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#25 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Series > Harlequin Desire
#37 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction > Western

Tomorrow’s #1lineWed prompt is taste or smell so I’m hoping to have a chance to dig through COWGIRL’S LITTLE SECRET for some snippets!

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Thursday Thoughts: Univeral Fear and Learning

universeSince the theme for #1lineWed was FEAR, I found it interesting I’d saved this tidbit from the Universe. Rather fitting, yes?

Look to what you’re afraid of, Silver, to learn where you can grow.

Enjoy,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

And then go there and you’ll see, Silver, that it was just another shade of me.

I’ve talked previously about my fears as a writer. I don’t often talk about my “real life” fears. One, I don’t have too many. Spiders, mice, snakes, small spaces, the dark, heights, water, et cetera et cetera et cetera. Nope. None of those worry me. While I’m not ready for it, death is high on the list, nor is pain or illness. Don’t want either of those, but if something happens, I’ll deal. I don’t sit around worrying about it.

Maybe it’s because I’m doing this intense reread of JD Robb’s In Death books but interestingly enough, I’m finding certain…similarities between Eve Dallas and myself. She blocked out her early childhood, unaware of who her biological parents were. I was adopted as a baby. We both suffer PTSD. We both had trouble…connecting with people in meaningful relationships. And at the root of both of our issues was the need to be loved, while not really sure how to love back. Eve is working through her issues. I already have, for the most part.

I don’t mean for this post to be a psychological probe, nor did I mean for it to garner <3<3<3 and ❀❀❀ in the comments. I bring it up because I've been thinking about a lot of things of late. April 19th is the 20th anniversary of the Murrah Bombing, And my dad has been gone almost 20 years, too. I've been thinking about being afraid. And growing up. The Universe and whatever power directs it. And does anyone ever really have the answer? I certainly don't. So I think about it, like now. *wanders off*

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Wednesday Words – I Was Afraid of That

full moon - tressebleue (bluebraid)Y’all, I’m doing the Muppet Flail, dog paddling my canoe up the creek, and other various and sundry things meaning I’m getting nowhere fast. 😆 But, it is Wednesday again and #1lineWed is all about FEAR. So, here’s some things the Wolves and Hannah are afraid of in the current WIP, MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS. Which should be out in digital format on Amazon by the end of the month and in print by mid-March. So, lets get scared, Wolf edition!

As Mac would say, “Yeah, that didn’t go the way I wanted it to…”

“I’m sorry, Hannah.” She stared at him, big blue eyes glazed with shock and pain, making him even more uncomfortable than he already was. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to work out some of the tension. He damn sure didn’t need the complications of a mating ritual in the middle of a compromised mission. A moonstruck Wolf in mating heat didn’t think very clearly. Had something to do with all the blood rushing from the brain to the balls. He reached out to touch her cheek, thankful she didn’t flinch. Still, her eyes held fear that tore at his heart.

And Hannah isn’t about to be left behind.

Hannah jutted her chin at him. “I will not be left hiding in this godforsaken place.” She swallowed hard remembering how she’d felt waking up the day before to find Mac gone. A small shiver skittered through her at the memory of her beating. Closing her eyes, the faces of the men she’d killed swam before her and her stomach roiled. Choking down the bile, she asked, “What happens if you don’t come back?” She waved her hand in the general direction of the other men. “If they don’t come back?” Her voice quivered and she hated that the sound revealed her fear. She planted her fists on her hips and glared not only at Mac but all the men, hoping to cover her terror with bravado.

The road to true love for Mac and Hannah is certainly not smooth…

Anger surged through him, as cold as liquid nitrogen and just as deadly. Buried deep inside, his intellect battered at the fury. Breathe, he reminded himself. He’d marked her once before in a rage, forgetting how delicate her skin was, how fragile she was beneath the tough exterior. His fingers locked around her arm but didn’t squeeze.

“You want to tell me who the hell put this bug up your ass?” He gritted the words out and something in his expression finally registered with her. For a heart-shattering moment, fear flashed in her eyes and nausea roiled in his gut. He dropped his hand, backed away, shoved his fists into his pockets. “Gawddammit, Hannah. Do you really believe I’d fucking hurt you? You’re carrying my pup. I’d cut off my hand before I hurt you.”

And there goes Hannah trying to assert herself again. *bwahahaha*

“I don’t have time for this.”

“Then make it.”

“Command Sergeant Major—”

“Don’t pull rank on me, Major.” He pushed off the wall, his gaze lasering in on her expression. He read her, his nostrils flaring at her scent—the ammonia stench of fear overlaid with the dusty odor of her exhaustion. “Hannah? What’s wrong?”

She pushed fingers through her short cap of blond hair as she looked away. “Nothing.”

Oh but there is! There’s a lot wrong, as y’all will find out when the book releases. In the meantime, is there any fear in what you’re writing today? Share! And yes, I will try to be more sociable and reply to comments from Monday and today.

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Monday Brrrr

At least I don’t live in Boston. We got some sleet, a dusting of snow, and frigid temps overnight. Makes me want to go back to bed under the covers but it’s not Boston! Of course, Saturday was 74, Sunday was 35, and today’s windchill is around zero. Did I mention, BRRRRR!

Harlequn book dateValentine’s Day was pretty low key for use. Our “present” to each was to hire a guy to rake the leaves in our yard. We’d each down a couple dozen bags through the fall and winter but there was still a bunch. Like 168 bags full. Yes, you read that right.

And speaking of Valentine’s Day, Harlequin sponsored the Blind Date With A Book promo. I printed out the “invitations”, wrapped up six of my books just like in the pic and dropped them off at my local Starbucks, Panera Bread, and BJ’s Alehouse, where Lawyer Guy and I had dinner. It was fun. I forgot to tweet and facebook pictures of it but, ah well. Six people got to take a free book home to read. Hopefully, they enjoyed it.

I’m still on my In Death reading marathon. OBSESSION IN DEATH came out last Tuesday but I haven’t read it yet. I have six more books and two novellas to go to catch back up to “current” times in the series. I finished TREACHERY IN DEATH yesterday and started NEW YORK TO DALLAS. This time through the whole series, I’ve been trying to make notes on Goodreads as to the major events–both personal (between Dallas and Roarke) and professional for Dallas. There’s the button from NAKED IN DEATH. Summerset’s realization of Eve’s past in IMMORTAL IN DEATH. DIVIDED IN DEATH, when Roarke discovers the truth behind the truth of Eve’s childhood and he puts her needs above his own need for revenge. INNOCENT IN DEATH when Roarke truly hurts Eve for the first time, when his old flame comes to town and plays him. (This is the book where Eve and Summerset actually stand together so Yay!) CONSPIRACY IN DEATH when Dallas loses her badge–and her identity. So many good books! But the two hardest for me to read, and therefore two of my favorites, are TREACHERY IN DEATH involving bad cops and NEW YORK TO DALLAS where the full extent of Eve’s PTSD comes out. Wow. Just…wow.

On the writing side of things, I’m about to rap up MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS and get it off to my editor. I still have almost two weeks to get it out more or less on schedule.

That’s it for me. What about y’all? Do anything fun? Read anything awesome? FYI, As soon as I’m through the IN DEATH books, I am all over Ashlynn Pearce’s FUEL and B.E. Sanderson’s DYING EMBERS! Just sayin’… 😀

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Friday Freak Out

Yeah…this is probably what B.E. is doing right about now–freaking out. Not only is Friday the 13th (and a very fitting day for the excitement!), B.E.’s debut suspense novel releases today. I was lucky. I got to beta read DYING EMBERS. I chortled over the car-b-que, the “old flames,” and enjoyed the hell out of the twisty-turns at the end of the book. NO SPOILERS! You have to read it for yourself. This is a damn fine book. And yes, I bought a copy and plan to reread it because…hello! Beta read. That’s like even before an ARC. I know there have been a few changes, though probably small. I still want to enjoy the story and the characters all over again.

If I were doing a high concept of this book, it would be: “Criminal Minds” takes a road trip with “The Mentalist” to find a whacked-out serial killer. It’s psychological police procedural at it’s best. Here’s the blurb:

Good girls don’t play with fire.

But Emma Sweet is tired of being a good girl. When she catches her husband cheating, she hits on the perfect plan to pay back all the men who ever broke her heart. Revenge isn’t as simple as seducing her old lovers and tossing a match, but watching them burn is deliciously satisfying.

The one time in her life Agent Jace Douglas wasn’t a good girl, she lost her family. Now she would rather run far and fast when it comes to fire. Too bad for her, she can’t walk away from a case where fire is the killer’s signature. Jace needs to face her fears and catch this murderer before the flames of her past—and the smoldering heat she feels for Detective Ben Yancy—reduce her life, her career and her self-control to ash.

Now go forth and get your copy! It’s available now for KINDLE and will be available in print soon!

Congrats, B.E. You done good, kiddo!

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