Just Imagine

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Welcome to my blog! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and read what's on my mind. I've a vicious sense of humor, an apprecation for romance and a mad addiction to writing.

Friday, August 22, 2014

To Tame a Highland Earl by Tarah Scott.



Today it's my pleasure to feature Tarah Scott, author of To Tame a Highland Earl

TARAH SCOTT




Award winning author Tarah Scott cut her teeth on authors such as Georgette Heyer, Zane Grey, and Amanda Quick. Her favorite book is a Tale of Two Cities, with Gone With the Wind as a close second. She writes modern classical romance, and paranormal and romantic suspense. Tarah grew up in Texas and currently resides in Westchester County, New York with her daughter.


To Tame a Highland Earl

 A man torn between two worlds. Both need him...neither wants him.

Groomed for a life amongst the English aristocracy, Lord Erroll Rushton is unexpectedly thrust back into his father’s Scottish world when the Englishwoman he compromises refuses to marry him.

No gentleman breaks into a lady’s bedchamber...but then, no lady sleeps with a pistol under her pillow.

Miss Eve Crenshaw will marry for love or won’t marry at all. When London’s most notorious rakehell breaks into her bedchamber in the dead of night and compromises her beyond repair, Eve plans a daring escape that shocks even the Earl.  


To Tame a Highland Earl

My newest book, To Tame a Highland Earl: A MacLean Highlander Novel, is now available for preorder for the sale price of $2.99. 

Excerpt--

March 1807
Manchester, England

If ever a woman deserved to be shot, it was Miss Crenshaw. But dawn appointments weren’t meant for the weaker sex. Weaker sex. The lady was anything but weak, which is why Erroll intended to throttle her.

Erroll laid a shilling in the innkeeper’s palm. “You understand the need for discretion.”

“Indeed, I do, my lord,” the man replied. “Your betrothed’s reputation is safe with me.”

Erroll managed to maintain a bland expression as the innkeeper handed him the key to the lady’s room. So news of his impending nuptials had sped from Coventry to Manchester even quicker than he had—which meant London society would hear the news by morning light and the story would cross the border to Edinburgh just as quickly.

Which of the gossipmongers had he to thank for that? He was grateful to the heavenly powers that his mother had remained in Scotland and not accompanied his father to England this month. God help him if she got wind of this entanglement before he had a chance to extricate himself from the tenacious claw of the husband-hunting wench.

“A beautiful woman is hard to resist,” the innkeeper said.

“Indeed,” Erroll murmured, glad the man had interrupted the mental picture of his mother outfitting the deceitful huntress in her wedding dress. No bachelor’s mother was more determined to see her son wed than Erroll’s own dear mamma, and since his return from the navy, his father had put his considerable weight behind her efforts.

He whirled toward the stairs, climbed to the second floor and made a left down the hall. At the third door on the left, he stopped. Erroll had endured his father’s hour-long diatribe that ended with the command to marry the woman who had accused him of compromising her—a woman he’d never laid eyes on—before he finally broke away to discover his accuser had fled Coventry. The hard five hour ride to catch her before she reached her father’s estate would have been in vain if not for the fact a wheel on her carriage broke forty miles distance from Manchester. 

This experience would teach him to dally with the women outside of London. Had he satisfied himself with the eligible ladies in Town—if those females could be called ladies—he wouldn’t have gone to Coventry and attended the damn house party that had gotten him into trouble. The fact he’d spent a pleasurable hour with a lady in the hostess’ gardens had only served to put him in the very place his accuser said he’d been. Erroll felt sure the cunning creature was well aware he’d been in the gardens, and therefore claimed to be the object of his attentions.

Erroll quietly unlocked the door, slipped into the darkened room, then eased the door shut and slipped the key into his pocket. Faint moonlight filtered in through thin curtains and outlined the sleeping figure in the bed. Erroll crept forward until he reached the bed. He braced a knee against the side of the mattress, then placed a hand on each side of the woman and brought his face to within an inch of hers.

 She shifted in her sleep and lush breasts grazed his chest. He wondered how long it would be before she became aware a man was in her bed, then concluded that since she hadn’t awoken with a shriek she must be accustomed to having a man in her bed. He should ravish her as she’d said he had just for good measure. The thought froze at the pressure of a pistol jammed against his abdomen.

“I am a crack shot.” The feminine voice was steady—as was the hand holding the gun. “But even the worst shot in Great Britain couldn’t miss.” The gun dug deeper into his belly. “Move away.”

Erroll considered. Her calm response to his presence almost made him think she’d expected him. “If I’m to be shot, I should at least commit the crime for which I’m accused.” The click of the pistol’s hammer being pulled back was his answer. “I see you do not agree.” He straightened off the bed.

“Step back,” she ordered.

He retreated two paces.

“More.”

He moved back another two paces.

“I promise you, sir, my aim is as true at such short a distance as it was when you were an inch from my face. Back against the door.”

Erroll complied. A light click indicated she had released the hammer back into place. She rose, a small figure in the shadows, and picked up something from the night table. The clink of glass was followed by the scrape of a match on wood, then light flared and he got his first look at the woman who claimed he had ravished away her innocence. Dark brown eyes pinned him with a hard stare. Honey-brown hair tumbled down her shoulders. The top of her head was no higher than his chest.

The muff pistol remained pointed at him as her attention shifted to the lamp on the nightstand. She bent slightly and her full breasts strained against the nightgown as she lit the wick. His cock jerked and he couldn’t deny his good fortune in not having met her at Lady Baldwin’s party. He very well might have fallen prey to her charms and been guilty of her accusations.

She blew out the match and tossed it onto a metal tray, then took a step toward him. The lamplight illuminated the outline of her body through the nightgown. The curves he discerned were fuller than were fashionable and the kind he’d sought without success. His cock began to lift. He might end up shot after all.

“You are no common housebreaker,” she said. “Who are you?”

 Erroll’s mind snapped to attention. The wench didn’t recognize him. Fury doused his lust. He gave a mocking smile and bowed. “Lord Erroll Rushton, at your service.”

Shock registered on her face, then an answering fire appeared in her eyes. “I see we shall have to break you of the habit of entering a lady’s room uninvited.”

“You use the term lady too loosely.”

“That is the pot calling the kettle black.”

He nearly laughed.

“One would think a prospective groom could keep his cock in his pants with his wedding but two days hence,” she said.

“Three days,” Erroll corrected. That was how long it would take him to get the special license his father ordered him to procure. “Pray tell, what sort of lady carries a gun?” He didn’t ask what lady used the word ‘cock’ as easily as the word ‘groom?’ That was perhaps too obvious.

“The sort who knows what to expect of a man,” she replied.

“The very sort who understands a man might object to being forced into marriage?” he said.

She gave a derisive laugh. “You are a rakehell, sir.”

“I never denied being a rake, madam, but I am no liar.”

She wasn't what he’d expected. He’d been told this was to be her second season, but this woman was no debutante and, given the way she unabashedly stood before him in her nightclothes, he would wager she was no virgin.

“Surely, you’re a little old for this game?” he drawled.

Her brow knit, but he detected no shame. She was too collected. But a level head—along with a liberal dose of nerve—is exactly what it took to accuse a complete stranger of compromising her.

“Did you really think you could get away with it?” she asked.

The question startled him.

“Now who is the pot calling the kettle black?” he said. She shifted and Erroll could have sworn he discerned a dark patch between her legs. “A shame we met under these circumstances.” He flicked a glance at her breasts. “We could have been friends.”

Her mouth thinned. “By God, I really should shoot you.”

“Tut tut, love, not until the vows are said and I claim what is left of your virtue.”

She drew in a sharp breath.

“Your righteous anger is completely undone by the fact that you’re nearly naked.”

Her mouth twisted in a derisive smile. “Forgive me, my lord. Had I known you were coming, I would have dressed for the occasion.”

“You are impeccably dressed for the occasion.”

Did she have any idea how visible the contours of her body were with the lamplight behind her…or how her nipples pressed against her nightgown? She shifted, widening her stance slightly and his cock jerked harder. Oh yes, the witch knew.

“I should send you to hell this instant,” she said.

He lifted a brow. “The marriage vows will take care of that—had I any intentions of marrying.”

“My father will ensure that you do not escape this time.”

“That sounds as though you think I am getting what I deserve.”

“You do not deserve such a good and innocent wife.”

Erroll laughed. “Innocent? A woman who puts herself in such a position is no innocent.”

“How dare you?” she hissed.

“How dare I? I understand there were several suitors for the honorable Miss Crenshaw’s attentions at Lady Baldwin’s party. I wager none of them were as good a prospect as I, which is why you gambled that no one would notice if I was included on that list.”

He didn’t miss the way her fingers flexed on the gun.

“Everything I’ve heard about you is true,” she said. “You have no conscience.”

“In that we are alike. Should my father succeed in coercing me into marriage, I will make the worst sort of husband you can imagine. I will not settle down and sire an heir as he expects. Instead, I will send my wife to the family estate in Scotland while I go about my pleasures in London.”

“So the choice is desertion or ruination?”

“Be honest, the ruination was done long before you concocted this plan.”

“Plan?” she repeated. “I feel certain I can convince the magistrate of self-defense. After all, you broke into my room.”

“Think again.” Erroll reached into his pocket.

“Beware,” she said.

He slowly withdrew the key from his pocket and held it up. “The innkeeper was very obliging. He feels nothing should stand in the way of true love.”

She frowned, then comprehension cleared her expression. “I should have guessed. You think you can browbeat me into helping you avoid the marriage vows. You, sir, are the worst sort of knave.”

“So we do understand one another.”

“You are a fool,” she muttered.

He’d had enough. “You are the fool if you believe I will marry you.”

“Marry me? What—”

Erroll started toward her.

She took a faltering step backwards and he lunged. She gave a startled cry. He seized the hand holding the gun and shoved it upward in their tumble backwards. They landed on the bed, him on top of her. Her lush body yielded beneath his hard planes—his stiffening cock in particular. To his surprise, she didn’t struggle, but released the pistol. The weapon bounced off the mattress and struck the carpet with a thud.

“Is this how you described my having ravished you?” he demanded.

Shock registered on her face. He blew out a frustrated breath. He’d come ready to battle the vixen and she was already crumbling. Moisture appeared in her eyes. Ah, there it was. She was simply moving onto another tactic.

“Lies, pistols, tears, and…” He moved suggestively against her breasts and felt the rigid nipples beneath his shirt. “Your arsenal of weapons is impressive, madam.”

“I tell you, mamma, I heard a scream.”

A woman’s voice penetrated the door on the right wall. Erroll jerked his gaze in that direction as the door swung open. Two women stood in the doorway staring, one young—in her second season, he would guess—the other, the mamma the girl had addressed.

Erroll looked at the woman lying beneath him. “I thought that was a closet.”

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Happy reading!

Friday, August 15, 2014

Moonseed Trilogy. Borrowed Promises by Judith Ingram.



Today I’m thrilled to welcome over Judith Ingram, author of Borrowed Promises, Moonseed Trilogy, Book 2, a paranormal romance. So cozy in and read a fabulous interview!

Publisher: Vinspire Publishing, LLC 

Date of Publication: May 31, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9890632-4-1
ASIN: B00JD0H2ZE

Number of pages: 249 pages
Word Count: 73,300 (approx.)

Cover Artist: Elaina Lee/For the Muse Designs

Giveaway! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter after this post for a chance to win one of the following: 4 signed paperback copies of Borrowed Promises with bookmarks, 4 ebook copies (.pdf or .epub) of Borrowed Promises, 4 sets of Moonseed notecards; each set of six cards features scenes from the story, sketched by artist Amy Wong, 4 Amazon gift cards at $25 each or 4 coffee mugs featuring the book cover for Borrowed Promises along with tagline, "The past isn't always behind you…".

Book Description

On the night of the new spring moon, a near-fatal accident propelled Victoria Reeves-Ashton over a century back in time to awaken in the body of Katherine Kamarov. 

Now, after three months of pretending to be Katherine and laboring to repair relationships damaged by Katherine's brash and selfish personality, quiet and gentle Victoria finds that her heart is putting down roots in Katherine's world, in her family relationships, and especially in a deepening friendship with Katherine's winsome cousin Michael. 

Hidden letters reveal the story of other moonseed-time travelers like herself-and Victoria realizes that she and Katherine will likely be returned to their own times the following spring. Tension mounts when a rich and handsome suitor applies to marry her, and Victoria must choose whether to accept him for Katherine's sake or to follow her own heart. 

Ryan Ashton, the husband Victoria left behind, is baffled by the woman his wife has suddenly become. Unwilling to believe her story about an exchange in time, Ryan struggles to understand the stark transformation of his timid, remote wife into a sexually aggressive and captivating siren. Against his better judgment, he falls hard for this new woman who is a perplexing mixture of cruelty, sensuality, and tenderness, a woman who he suspects has the power to either break his heart or heal the aching loneliness he has lived with all his life.



Time to Interview!


How did you come up with the title?

My time travel romance trilogy, Moonseed, began as one long book. Its title came from a happy coincidence of the moon's mysterious power over the characters and the true name of a Chinese drug that also figures into the story's mystery. When I restructured the story into three volumes, the titles for each came directly from the content of each volume. In Book 1, Bridge to the Past, a real bridge has a reputation of being haunted and serves as the physical link between the present and the past, or between Victoria's world and Katherine's. Book 2, Borrowed Promises, follows the two women through a summer season of putting down roots and finding love in those borrowed lives they may have to give up when their year of exchange runs out. The possibility of being thrown back into their own times looms large in Book 3, Into the Mist, where the "mist" symbolizes the uncertain future and features significantly in the final scenes of the novel.

What made you choose the main setting for your book?

My book has two main settings, and both are nearby favorite spots for me. San Francisco is a beautiful, magical city with a romantic history. I loved doing research into old San Francisco as the backdrop for Victoria's excursion back in time. Sonoma County is the other setting, in the heart of California wine country, and who could resist falling in love with a setting like that? The story begins at Fort Ross, on the northern California coast, which I visited as a child and never forgot. The rich heritage of Russian and Spanish and Native American cultures adds depth and significance to the story as it plays out—especially in Book 3, Into the Mist, which is scheduled for release next year from Vinspire Publishing.

If you could spend an hour in real life with one of your characters, who would it be and why?

I would choose Ana, Katherine's Russian aunt. I would love to pick her brain about her home in old Russia that she left behind when she married Katherine's uncle and journeyed to California in the 1870s. My maternal grandmother also immigrated from Russia, and I've always been fascinated with Russian traditions, folk stories, and art. Listening to Ana's heavily accented English would be like sitting at my grandmother's feet, watching her hands busily crocheting doilies while she rocks to and fro in her chair and tells me stories, her head nodding rhythmically, her drop earrings swinging.

Tell us about your book cover and how it relates to your story.

I'm very excited about the cover of Borrowed Promises! It's beautiful and illustrates a significant, recurring dream in which Victoria encounters a deer in the forest. The cover also depicts the mysterious coin falling through time, which began Victoria's time travel adventure. Artist Elaina Lee perfectly captured the mood of the novel.

How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?

I've been writing ever since I could hold a pencil. In first grade I wrote a short story about a poodle, and it got published in the school newsletter. My first published work! I've always written poems, newsletter articles, short stories, and some technical manuals. I enjoy putting words together. My first published book was a Christian nonfiction book called A Devotional Walk with Forgiveness, released in 2011. The Moonseed trilogy is my first published novel. I also publish a weekly devotional about forgiveness on my inspirational blog at JudithIngram.com.

What genre/genres do you prefer to write? Are there other genres you'd like to write in the future?

I like to write what I like to read: romantic suspense, historical romance, women's fiction, some literary stuff. I have a serious temperament, so I like to read about things that matter and write about things that will help people—especially women—live better lives. My Christian faith is central to my life, and my writing reflects those values that matter most to me.

Do you prefer to write short stories, novellas, or novels? Why?

I like to write novels because I can get deep into the layers of my characters. My short stories always turn into something longer. I also like to read novels more than I like shorter pieces, for several reasons: I get to delve deep into a character's mind and motivations; I have time to think about the characters and the story and play out in my imagination what might happen next if I were writing the story; and I get to spend some time living in the characters' world before I have to leave it. (Leaving always hurts if I'm enjoying the story!)

Do you write books in a series? If so, share a bit about the series you currently have published or are coming soon.

Yes, my Moonseed trilogy is being released in series. Books 1 & 2 are available now: Bridge to the Past and Borrowed Promises. Book 3, Into the Mist, will be released next year. Aside from being released in three volumes, the story itself reads like two parallel stories: Two young women awaken in each other's lives and pursue a parallel existence over the same twelve months but a hundred years apart. Victoria and Katherine are about as different, physically and temperamentally, as two women could get. Yet they both suffer the anguish of a painful past and of not valuing themselves. Being thrust into each other's lives by a quirk of fate unexpectedly releases them to pursue love and discover hidden resources within themselves. Most women can identify with these issues, but we don't have the luxury of time travel to help us discover our true selves. I'm hoping that readers will find hope and encouragement through the story as well as a satisfying read.

Excerpt


I bit my lip, wanting to avoid any subject that could ruin the easy camaraderie of our afternoons together. Michael had been friendly and funny, teasing me gently, treating me with the easy affection of an older brother. Once or twice I'd caught him watching me with a fierce intentness that made my heart skip. But then he'd grin or offer a quip that made us both laugh, and the uncomfortable moment would pass.

I enjoyed the lightness of our friendship, grateful for the reprieve. In the rose garden at Summerwood and later on the trip to San Francisco, I had felt the slow but persistent budding of a new feeling that both thrilled and frightened me. The lightest touch of Michael's hand pricked up hairs along my skin like electricity; his boyish grin twisted a slow, sweet pain deep into my body. His clean, male scent in close proximity could stun me with unexpected waves of need, often forcing me to look away so he wouldn't see the flame in my eyes.
I couldn't allow Michael to guess where my heart was taking me—because of Raymond.

Although many things were unclear to me, one fact seemed certain—Katherine must marry Raymond Delacroix and have at least one child with him. If I gave in to my new feelings for Michael, and if I were cruel enough to let him see them, then I risked both hurting him and ruining Katherine's chances with Raymond when she came back to her own time.

And Katherine would come back. I was convinced of it, all my desperate wishes to the contrary. She would marry Raymond, give birth to Elise, and secure a future that would eventually lead to her daughter painting a picture of Katherine and me at the bridge over Two Trees Creek. By the same token, I would return to life as a lingerie model and a cold marriage with Ryan Ashton. Ryan.

"What?" Michael's voice made me jump and turn my head.

"What?"

"You said 'Ryan' again."

"I did?"

Michael had removed his glasses, and he blinked at me from only a foot away. God, he has beautiful eyes, I thought. Soft gray-green depths that held me breathless, fighting a slow, aching pull to be in his arms.

"He's…nobody," I said.

Michael was studying me, his eyes so solemn and searching that I couldn't look away. He didn't speak, but in that moment my heart yearned toward him, and he saw it. His expression changed. His gaze moved slowly from my eyes to my mouth.

I turned my face away and shut my eyes over a sudden sting of tears.

"Kat?" he said softly.

His voice held a new, cautious note of intimacy. A moment later his thumb brushed my wet cheek, and the tenderness of his touch wrenched a low cry from me. I pushed his hand away and struggled to sit upright.

"Don't touch me!" Pain made my voice sharp. "You can't touch me, Michael!"

But his hand was already under my elbow, helping me to sit. He pushed a handkerchief into my hand.
"Here. Take it." He sounded bewildered and hurt. "Seems you'd rather do the job yourself."

He watched me wipe my eyes and blow my nose with his handkerchief. I couldn't look at him, and after a moment he reached for his glasses and slipped them on.

In a tight voice he asked, "Do you still want to visit Union Square?"

I pressed the soggy handkerchief to my lips and nodded.

Michael pushed himself to his feet and thrust out a hand to help me up. We folded the blanket between us, careful not to touch each other's fingers, and he picked up the hamper. As we crossed the grass in uneasy silence, a fresh roll of tears made me reach into my handbag for a clean handkerchief. A flash of copper tumbled into the grass.

I stopped quickly, but Michael was quicker. He scooped up the coin, examined it briefly, and gave it back to me.

"You still carrying that thing around?"

I looked up at him, my handkerchief arrested halfway to my face. "My coin? What do you know about my coin?"

He squinted at me and frowned. "You're kidding, right? I was with you when you paid a nickel for that worthless thing at the county fair. You said it was good luck, and you carried it around in your pocket for years." He stopped at my look. "What is it?"

"Michael, are you certain this is the same coin?"

I handed it back to him. His gaze lingered on my face, puzzled, before he examined the coin. He weighed it briefly on his palm, flipped it over, and gave it back to me.

"Of course I'm certain." He pointed his finger at the familiar nick in the rim. "There's where the wagon wheel ran over it, and you were so furious because you thought the magic was ruined." He screwed up his eyes against the sun and studied me. "What's the matter with you, Kat? You're looking at me like I've got two heads."

I shook my head in dazed wonder, suspended once again in that universe where Katherine's world and mine overlapped and where it made perfect sense that her lucky coin should have somehow come to me—twice.

About the Author



Judith Ingram weaves together her love of romance and her training as a counselor to create stories and characters for her novels. She also writes Christian nonfiction books and enjoys speaking to groups on a variety of inspirational topics. She lives with her husband in the San Francisco East Bay and makes frequent trips to California's beautiful Sonoma County, where most of her fiction characters reside. She confesses a love for chocolate, cheesecake, romantic suspense novels, and all things feline.

Visit Judith Ingram




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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Passion. Undying Love. Emerald Fire by Valerie Twombly.



Today it’s my pleasure to welcome over Valerie Twombly, author of Emerald Fire, Demon Heat, Book 2, a Paranormal Erotica. So sit back, relax and check out a great interview!

Publisher: Resplendence
Date of Publication: 7/2/14 

ISBN: 978-1-60735-787-2
ASIN: B00LHCCQRA

Number of pages: 103
Word Count: 30K

Cover Artist: Les Byerley

Giveaway! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter after this post for a chance to win 1 prize pack open to US shipping-containing: 1 ebook copy of Amazon Heat, Demon Heat #1, Signed copy of Eternal Flame, Guardians #1, Book Swag and a $10 Amazon card.

Description


Ever since Brock lost his mate and son in a tragic murder, he’s been unable to move on. When urged to go back home and bury his past, he never expected to meet Sarah. The demon is strong, sexy, and kind-hearted. Everything a man could want in a woman.

Sarah has longed to discover the mate who completes her and finds herself wondering about the demon who left the house next door shrouded in magic. After he appears in her camera lens, it’s an instant attraction and doesn’t take long to realize he belongs to her.

When Elias steps into the picture, Sarah must fight the urges he stirs inside her. She can’t believe fate has given her two mates. Now she is faced with a decision. Choose the one who promises nights of passion and undying love, or the other who can only offer her his broken heart.

Available at Amazon  Resplendence and ARe

Interview time!


What inspired you to write this book?

The fans actually. I had several asking for Brock’s story and it was time.

How did you come up with the title?

The setting and combined that with the skyline and of course the fire between the characters.

What made you choose the main setting for your book?

I’ve been to Emerald Isle a couple of times and loved it. I thought it would be fun to have the beach as a backdrop.

Tell us a little bit about the conflict in your story. 

Our hero, Brock has had a huge loss in his life and it’s time to get over it except he can’t. In walks our heroine, Sarah who has been searching for her mate. Add Elias and now Sarah has to choose between two potential mates. One who can’t let go of his past and the other who promises her love.

If you had to sell your book based on one run of dialogue (start quote to end quote), which would it be?

“Darlin’, I was thinking of laying you out on top of this bar and having you for dessert.”

Tell us about your book cover and how it relates to your story.

I love this cover. The artist we have at Resplendence always to an exceptional job. Being that the backdrop is the beach it fits perfect.

Are you currently working on another story? If so, we’d love some details. 

I have a novella that will be out this Sept about a Jinn who is cursed to earth with no powers. It’s called Spanish Nights, A Jinn’s Seduction. Here’s a little blurb for you.

After a bitter divorce from her cheating husband, Makayla searches for her muse in the remote hills of Spain. When she flings open the door of her villa, she finds it in the form of intense blue eyes and a killer body attached to a thick Spanish accent. 

Armand has lost everything. His magic and his freedom are taken when an evil curse is placed on the Jinn, bounding him to earth. With only his immortality and ability for seduction, he sets his sights on the dark haired newcomer in town. 

What begins as desire in the steamy nights of Spain, quickly leads to something more meaningful. However, when evil emerges from the shadows, Makayla learns she must choose between her mortality and Armand’s freedom.

How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?

I’ve only been writing for 2 years and my first novel, Eternal Flame was published last Oct.

Do you prefer to write short stories, novellas or novels? Why?

I actually prefer novellas as I can get them out quicker. My Guardians series, those are novels.

Do you write books in series? If so, share a bit about the series you currently have published or are coming soon. 

I do. Emerald Fire is actually the second book in the Demon Heat series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I expect one more in that one and then it will be complete. My Guardians series has two books right now. Eternal Flame and Fatal Desire. Those really should be read in order. Book 3 is scheduled for Jan 2015. That series could have as many as six to eight books with possible spin offs.

A Jinn’s Seduction will contain Spanish Nights as book one and I plan two more for that one and then will make it box set.

Excerpt


Sarah stood outside the house and watched while Brock unraveled the magic woven around it. The demon fidgeted and paced, and on more than one occasion, she worried he would run from her. She hoped, once inside, he would be able to find peace. Something in her gut told her his jitters were not all due to the opening of old wounds. She realized she actually made him nervous. When she’d caught him admiring her assets, she’d been anything but angry. His roving eyes had sent moisture between her thighs and a longing that nearly had her shoving him to the floor to sate her desire. Hot, inviting, he made her mouth water. She wondered if he tasted anything like the spicy cinnamon scent she inhaled every time she got near him and decided she needed to find out. Would it be in poor taste to seduce him when he was at his weakest? For some reason, she didn’t care, and that was really out of character for her.

“Sarah?”

She looked up and met his dark, brown eyes, noting a twinkle of mischief in them.

“Find something you like?” he chuckled.

Shit. She’d been caught staring at his ass. Well, it wasn’t her fault he filled out a pair of jeans like nobody’s business. Not to mention he was standing two steps up from her which put the muscular perfection right at eye level. She curled her lips upward. “As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, I did.” There, let him chew on that! She hoped he’d take it as a hint of her interest.

He tipped back his head in laughter. “Well, I guess I deserve that after I gawked at you.”

He pushed the door open, his features immediately schooled. Her heart ached for him and longed to see the sexy smile again. Her new goal was to get him through this and help him move on. She wanted to get to know the real Brock. The one who wasn’t in pain. “I’ll go first just to make sure it’s safe.” He slipped past the threshold and disappeared. Sarah remained on the first step, waiting for him to give her the all clear. Minutes later, he stuck his head out, his face ashen. “You can come in.”

She made her way up the remaining steps and through the doorway, not sure what she would find inside and half expecting her senses to be assaulted. She took in a deep breath and found the air to be crisp and clean. She must have had a puzzled look on her face.

“The spell kept everything out so there’s no mildew or mold,” he stated matter of fact.

She glanced around the spacious kitchen and felt as if she’d stepped back in time. The white porcelain refrigerator and gas range with its side storage compartment were state of the art for the period when the house had been previously occupied. Everything glistened as if freshly cleaned, waiting for the museum patrons to walk through the time capsule. She noticed Brock no longer stood next to her so she moved across the linoleum floor to the beige carpeted living room. She found him standing in the center, staring down at the floor.

“Brock?” She walked up and stood next to him. He didn’t respond and almost seemed to be mesmerized except that his hands balled into fists then released, only to repeat the process. Her heart fractured. Clearly, this was where he had found his mate. She reached out to touch him but hesitated unsure how he would respond. “Brock, maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I think we should leave.”

He lifted his head and glanced around the room. “No. I need to face my ghosts. I guess I wasn’t expecting it to be this difficult.” He ran his fingers through his short, blond hair. “Hell, I’m not really sure what I was expecting.”

It was heartbreaking to see him so vulnerable. This time, she didn’t stop herself from placing a hand on his arm.

“Is this where…?” She couldn’t finish the question without her voice giving away her emotions.

About the Author


As a child, Valerie would often get into trouble for peeking at her mother’s favorite TV show, Dark Shadows. She can still hear her mother saying “It will give you nightmares.” She was right of course, but that did not stop Valerie from watching. As an adult, her love of the fanged creatures never waned. She would watch any vampire movie she could find.

Being a true romantic, Valerie was thrilled when she discovered the genre of paranormal romance. Her first read was one of Lara Adrian’s, Midnight Breed Series and from there she was hooked.

Today, Valerie has decided to take her darker, sensual side and put it to paper. When she is not busy creating a world full of steamy, hot men and strong, seductive women, she juggles her time between a full-time job, hubby and her two German shepherd dogs, in Northern IL.

Valerie is a member of Romance Writers of America and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Romance Writers. 

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