Snippets

Snippet Saturday: Sept 19

Here’s another snippet from Negative Energy, my new release!

“See, it’s not so bad sitting by me, and this time it doesn’t appear like your shadow will be glaring at me. Boyfriend?”

“Cousin,” I corrected, already knowing that he was talking about Theodore.

“Really? Because he doesn’t act like a cousin to me.”

“Protective and always in my business, that doesn’t sound like a cousin to you?”

Jackson shrugged. “Put like that, I suppose he does. Is he the one who made you jump earlier?”

“No.” Not this again. “I like Theodore. He can be a bit much sometimes, but I like him. He’d never make me jump unless he meant to tease me.”

“This other person doesn’t mean to tease, then.”

“Not usually, and the teasing isn’t the fun form either. Okay-.”

“So, a bully,” Jackson cut me off, his voice low and harsh. “You’re being bullied.”

I covered my face. “If I tell you what’s going on will you leave me alone?”

“You mean will I stop being your friend?”

“I mean cut that friend crap out. You know we can’t be friends.”

“I know we can be friends,” he stated, more persistent than ever. “Why can’t we? Because our people say we can’t?”

“Are you always this stubborn?”

Jackson snickered beside me as the teacher, Mr. Henry, called out roll. “My mother would say yes, and I’d have to agree with her.” 

“Well stop being so stubborn and leave me alone.”

mybook.to/NegativeEnergy

Snippet Saturday: Sept 12

It’s release day for Negative Energy!!! Again, this is a standalone novel. Here’s the blurb, snippet to follow:

Shannon Dart’s magic is out of control. Rather, her flaring temper causes her magic to blow up the nearest object. With ninety days to learn control, and a bully set on making that impossible, Shannon is at her wits end. That is, until a wolf shifter appears in her first hour class after his pack moves to town. There’s something about this shifter that Shannon can’t put her finger on.

With Jackson’s help, Shannon is hopeful to learn control, especially when her magic responds to him. However, the rising tension between the magical coven and the wolf pack create problems for the two friends. If Jackson is the key to unlocking Shannon’s control, can they find a way to make it work while keeping their distance, or are they bound to fail?

Snippet:

Jackson’s grin grew wider as his steel eyes returned to me, their depths pulling me in. “My one goal today was to make a friend, and I chose you.”

“You chose me?” I stared openly. “You know what I am, right?”

He tapped his nose. “I smell that too. Which makes me wonder, what creature, or what person, makes someone like you so afraid?”

I ground my teeth together and stared back at the papers on my desk. “It’s no one.”

“Fine, if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll just have to figure it out for myself.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I chose you as my friend, and no one is going to cause the amount of fear I smelled and the spiked heart rate I heard from my new friend. Not without me stepping in.”

“First-.”

“Welcome to class everyone,” Mrs. Gulf called from the doorway as the second bell rang and she closed the door. 

She began instructing us about the packets on our desks when Jackson leaned closer. “I’m still listening. Talk low, I’ll hear it.”

I looked down at my paper like I was listening to the teacher, though I was only half aware of what she was saying. Covering my mouth so she couldn’t see my lips move, I spoke as softly as I could, not worried he’d hear me. “First, you don’t just choose a friend like that. The other person has a choice. Second, you can’t help me with my problem. No one can.”

Jackson leaned over toward me, pretending he was digging in his bag for something, likely a pencil. “We’ll see about that. And you do have a choice to be my friend, but you’ll find I’m completely irresistible.”

“And cocky.”

“Self-aware.”

mybook.to/NegativeEnergy

Snippet Saturday: Sept 5th

I haven’t done a Snippet Saturday in forever, so let’s start again! This snippet comes from next week’s release, Negative Energy. It’s a standalone in the First Blood world, and reading the original trilogy is not required to understand it. You really don’t want to miss this one.

When I turned around, I spotted a new face sitting at the desk next to my usual place. It wasn’t the shaved sides of his head with a short, spiky mohawk running down the center of his head that first caught my attention. Nor was it the wide, wolfie grin he aimed at me. Nope, it was those deep pools of steel gray eyes that made me come up short when I saw him.

“Hey.” His light, tenor voice shook me from whatever trance those eyes had put me under.

I jerked out of it. “Hi.” Ignoring him, and Theodore’s odd stare, I took my seat and opened the textbook, pretending to read it as two sets of eyes continued to be preoccupied with me.

“The name’s Jackson,” the new boy stated, extending a hand in my direction, which I caught sight of in my peripheral vision.

Turning, I met those gray eyes again and swallowed. “Shannon,” I stated without taking his hand.

The boy’s nose flared, giving him away. Wolf boy. His grin grew wider as my lips pressed into a thin line and worry crept up my spine.

“It’s nice to meet you. I mean it.” Jackson shrugged and looked to the door as a strange female entered the room. The girl took one look at him, and then us, as she strode passed Jackson and took the seat behind him. Jackson ducked his head for a second before turning his attention back to me, the grin plastered back on his face. “So, what’s interesting to do here in town?”

“Nothing,” Theodore stated, voice hard and stern, not the usual tone for my cousin.

The tone didn’t faze Jackson, who stared at me. I shook my head. “Honestly, not much. Small town.”

“I see.” The first bell rang, cutting him off. “I guess I’ll just have to find something to do then.”

He winked at me. My cheeks heated as I turned away. It didn’t help that the girl behind Jackson snorted. The flush crept down my neck and I took a deep breath to steady my emotions, already feeling my power wanting to flare. It didn’t matter the emotion. As long as it was strong, my magic would react to it.

mybook.to/NegativeEnergy

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Snippet Saturday: Dec 14

Today’s snippet comes from First Christmas which is currently FREE until Dec 17th!

Free FC

Move out of the way, dragon. She is ours, Drake ordered the man at my back.

“No, she is mine. If you try to harm her, I will kill you.”

My ears pricked at the sound of my mate’s deep, husky voice. I fought a shiver from the lethal edge that chilled the threat in his words. It even caused the dragons on my side of the fight to take a step back. Whoever my mate was, he was not a dragon to be taken lightly, and he hadn’t even thrown a punch or shifted yet.

You should move on, dragon. She isn’t yours. We found her first. Now, step aside. I took notice that Drake’s words were less confident.

The dragon on my left took a step closer, heading toward me, but my mate swung his head around to face him, pulling his top lip back in a feral human snarl. “My mate is not yours. Now, leave before I tear you to pieces. This is your final warning.”

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#SnippetSaturday: Nov 8th

It’s Snippet Saturday again! That week rolled by pretty quick. Today’s snippet comes from the upcoming Christmas book, Snowbound Christmas. Here we have Flint meeting some of the North Pole’s occupants! Cider is one of my new faves.

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Cocoa House was on the corner of Mistletoe Lane and Christmas Crossing, and like the Bakery, it was bustling inside. A tiny elf with spiky black hair with red tips noticed us walk in and she squealed as she ran around the counter and straight for Lizzette.
“You’re back!” She threw herself into Lizzette’s arms and the two hugged one another for longer than was customary, so they had to be friends, if the excited greeting wasn’t enough to prove that. “Who’s this?”
“This is Flint, he’s the polar bear shifter we brought back with us from Alaska. He likes hugs too.” Lizzette winked at me before the elf threw herself into my arms for a tight squeeze that wasn’t nearly as long as Lizzette’s hug had been, but I didn’t expect it to be any longer considering we were strangers. “Flint, this is Cider, my best friend in Christmas Village. Actually, she’s my bestest friend in the whole of the North Pole.”
Cider stepped back and surveyed me, tapping her fingertip against bright red lips. “Polar bear, huh? I heard Santa was bringing one of them back. So, what, you’re on tour guide duty?” She arched a brow at Lizzette, who grinned and shook her head.
“No, Flint is a friend.”
I’d better end up being more than a friend by the end of this or I’d done something seriously wrong. My bear and I had taken quite a bit of time while shoveling to study our mate, and not in a friendly way. If Lizzette had noticed, she hadn’t said anything. Then again, would she have called me out if she had caught me staring?
Of course she wouldn’t. We weren’t supposed to be anything more than that publicly. This was depressing.
Cider studied me again, and I kept my gaze locked on hers until she nodded. “He’ll do. Okay, now boy, follow me.”
Turning to Lizzette, I gave her a questioning stare, but she shrugged and motioned me to follow her friend. Before I moved, I handed over our muffins, my stomach complaining about giving the food away. Then I followed Cider behind the counter, hesitating to do so until she crooked her finger at me.
“Take your coat off,” Cider ordered, and I did. She took it from me and tossed it into a back room before returning to where she’d left me and handed me a tray with four mugs of hot chocolate on it with four cookies on a center plate. “You see that table in the far corner, this goes to them. Hurry up before it grows cold.”
Uhhh….

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZZKVG4R

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#Snippet Saturday: Nov 2

First Blood is still free through tomorrow night, so of course today’s snipped comes from that book! It’s also perfect that it’s time for Daylight Savings in the USA so you have an extra hour to read tonight!

Lovely background image with an antique clock face

“Can I ask a personal question?” I asked Shannon, who turned in her seat to stare at me. The wind blew her hair around her face, so she tucked it behind her ear. From the driver’s seat, I could see Luella’s eyes flicker to keep tabs on the conversation.

“Sure, ask away.”

I looked between Shannon and Jackson. “What exactly is your relationship?”

Jackson snorted. “I’m leaving this one to you, Shan.” With that, he turned away from me to curl his body into as much of a ball as he could with the seat belt restraining him. I wasn’t sure how long it would take him to fall asleep, but once he stopped moving, he didn’t move again.

“Well, it’s complicated,” Shannon giggled, answering my question once Jackson was asleep. “We’ve known each other since high school, and he’s been at my side ever since. We were seniors in college when he bonded himself to me as my familiar. Now he can belong to no one else. Me, I’m still free as a bird, but I can’t do that to him. He’s my best friend, and maybe someday more than that. Until then, he’s bound to protect me and assist with my needs.”

“Gotcha.”

“Speaking of men,” Luella crooned. “What about you and Raven? He sure has mellowed out since you drank his blood.”

“Maybe to you,” I grumbled, remembering Raven’s less than stellar mood this morning, “but to me he’s still the same old Raven.”

“Uh huh. That’s why he can’t keep his eyes off you whenever you aren’t looking.”

He did what?

“He likes my eye color.” My floundering retort only served to give Luella another case of the giggles. Even Shannon snickered.

“I hate to say it, Koda, but Luella has a point. He may have been grumpy this morning, but Raven was more mellow this morning than he has been in the years I’ve known him. What happened between you two yesterday?”

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QDBC837

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QDBC837

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#Freebook Alert!!

Happy Halloween!!

If you know me at all, you know I don’t love Halloween like most people do. I’d rather skip over it and move straight to Christmas. I’m not sure if it’s just because I love Christmas so much or if it’s because I really don’t care for dressing up. Either way, it’s not my favorite. However, I was determined to do something to celebrate this holiday, so I decided a sale was in order, and not just any sale, but a FREE BOOK!!

Free Graphic

Deciding which book wasn’t difficult. First Blood is still relatively new and it has a plethora of paranormal and supernatural creatures within its pages. It’s also a newly completed series, which is even better!

There’s no shortage of Shifters, Vamlure, Vampires, Werewolves, Ghouls, Undead, Skeletons, and much more that you don’t want to miss, especially at Halloween!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QDBC837

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QDBC837

Snippet:

I didn’t ask any more questions as I climbed in behind the wheel and began adjusting the seat and mirrors. Raven took the copilot chair before reaching across me to press the garage door opener which hung on the sun visor above my head. While the door opened, I finished settling in. Once finished, I took a deep, settling breath and turned the key with a shaky hand. My heartbeat raced as the engine turned over.
“Where are we going?”
“Follow these directions.” Raven set his phone inside a clip that attached to the dashboard. The GPS was all set to go, and linked with the car’s Bluetooth, as a woman’s voice directed me to turn right when I crept the SUV toward the gated driveway exit.
“So, what are we looking at boss?” Avery laughed from the first row of seats. “It must be something fun for you to wake us up at one in the morning to go hunting.”
Raven turned in his seat to pin Lee in his stare. “Boy, what do you know about ghouls?”
My heart leapt. We’d studied ghouls this year, and never during our lessons did I ever think I’d come into contact with one. They weren’t few in number, but they tended to stay better hidden than other supernatural creatures. Like vampires and werewolves, ghouls weren’t picky about what species they killed, making them a threat to everyone, and actually landing them on the Threat list of categories. If a ghoul had been spotted, it was going on a killing spree.
Lee floundered for a response. He’d never been good at pop quizzes or tests, which was why I’d worried about him during the Interview. Either his fighting skills had been impressive or he’d finally had a good test day.
“Hurry up,” Raven barked. “Tell me what you know.”
“I’m sorry. I’m trying.”
Jackson chuckled from the last row of seats. “Need to phone a friend?”
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Snippet Saturday: August 10

And it’s release day for Zero Tolerance, so of course today’s snippet must come from that book! This book excites me more than most. It’s my favorite book baby thus far. It is a standalone, even though it’s listed as Book 4. It can be read 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in the First Blood series. It can even be read as its own book and you wouldn’t even have to bother reading the other books because it’s a standalone. Anyway, it’s live today and here’s the snippet!!

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The gym wasn’t large, much like Pike had told us, but it was big enough for the two of us. Avery scooted into the room before me and headed straight for a mat where he stood on one side and glared at me, his version of bossing me around and ordering me to spar with him. I didn’t have a weapon, so this could be interesting.

My eyes stung as the room’s lights brightened when they sensed our movement, and I wished I’d remembered to grab my sunglasses. Avery noticed the moisture in my eyes and grinned. I was doomed.

We both readied ourselves, him ready to pounce while I raised my hands in a defensive stance. I’d never faced off with a shifter before yesterday, so I had no idea if this was right or if I needed to handle him another way. I was about to find out.

Avery made the first move, diving at my legs instead of my face like I’d expected. I didn’t have a chance to jump out of the way, and he threw me backward, my body flying away from the mat so I landed hard on the room’s tile floor. Whoever decided to put tile in a gym instead of carpet needed their head examined.

A slow clapping announced we had company as Avery gave my face a quick lick with his rough, long tongue. I pushed him away as he chuffed a laugh, not wanting to know who’d seen me take flight, but also too curious not to know. My eyes landed on a woman who was far slender than most I’d met already who were more burly than slender, well, except for Jezzelle. This woman was much shorter, but also had a gleam in her eyes that warned she wasn’t someone I’d want to mess with.

(Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited)

mybook.to/ZeroTolerance1

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Snippet Saturday: August 3rd

It’s been a while since I posted here, but life has been crazy! So, I’m finally back, and here’s a new snippet! This is from Zero Tolerance, the prequel to the First Blood trilogy. The fun part about this prequel is that it can be read completely outside the series as a standalone novel. It wraps up the story completely. If you’ve read the series, this book gives you more insight as to past events. For most effective reading order in the series, read this before Third House.

zero tolerancekindleAvery and I set our bags down against the wall near the door and headed toward the mat. While I stopped at the mat’s edge, he continued walking onto it until he faced the gorilla shifter, who gave him a wicked grin. Both took defensive stances, and I held my breath.

“Give me all you’ve got, and don’t worry about hurting me,” Smith warned. “I can take it.”

I was positive he could, but I wasn’t so sure about Avery. Without warning, my friend shifted and dove at Smith like he’d done to me yesterday morning, only Smith shifted just as fast, grabbed Avery right before his teeth could latch on, picked him up, and tossed him across the mat. Okay, tossed wasn’t the right word. Chucked was more like it.

The snow leopard hit the ground hard, stunned, and took too long to recover, giving Smith the upper hand, allowing Avery to be chucked to the other side of the mat. That blow sparked something in Avery I hadn’t seen yet, and he stood, turning bared teeth toward Smith. For the next ten minutes, the two exchanged blows. Avery was a much better fighter than I’d given him credit for during our Interview. I was likely our weakest link that day and he’d been making up my slack.

When he was satisfied, Smith shifted to his human self, a very naked human self, and ordered Avery to stand down. Both shifters’ clothes had shredded upon shifting, which was another good reason for Avery to bring a second set. He limped over to his bag, but Smith stopped him halfway to it.

“Don’t bother, kid. You’ll be shifting again. In fact, I want you to work with Fennel and Cage for the next hour. Bobcats, don’t kill him. We need him alive and learning.”

The two cats were already shifted and now eyed the bigger cat approaching them. I would’ve guessed that Avery could take them since they were smaller, but the wicked grins they gave him didn’t bode well for Avery’s future. Neither did the wicked grin cast my way from Smith.

“Now, you’re the one who interests me,” he drawled. “I’ve never fought beside or against your kind, but I’ve heard stories.”

I shrugged. “Sometimes stories are just that.”

“We’ll see. On the mat.”

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Snippet Saturday: June 8

One week until release of First Blood! Okay, I’m a bit biased, but Raven is one of my all-time favorite male leads, just saying. Hope you enjoy him too!

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By the time I’d set my suitcase on the bed, I was exhausted and ready to call it a day. Staring at the clothes and items inside made my already tired muscles and brain feel fried. It was time to hit the sack. There was no doubt in my mind Raven started his day early, which meant I was likely to join him. He’d probably want to torture me more before breakfast.

“Pajamas. Of course I’d forget pajamas,” I moaned, throwing a pair of jeans onto the bed as I rifled through the suitcase to find my sleep clothes. Yes, I’d packed comfortable clothes and sweats, but I was pretty sure I’d need all of those for training. There was no way I would risk running out of clean workout clothes so I could sleep in them, and I wasn’t going to bed in my birthday suit, especially with Raven living down here with me. Jeans and a hoodie it was going to be until I could find a way to purchase something more comfortable.

Raven cleared his throat, and I turned to find him standing in my open doorway. Apparently closed doors didn’t mean much down here. “Don’t you know how to knock?” I almost shrieked. “I could’ve been half naked.”

He shrugged. “I heard you say you forgot something to sleep in. Will this work?”

I eyed the clothes he held up and narrowed my gaze at him. “You just so happened to hear me or were you eavesdropping?”

“I was walking past your room, and I have excellent hearing. You will too when you finally mature. Now, do you want these or not?”

“What is it?” I held out my hands and he handed over a large t-shirt and a pair of workout shorts that would be way too big on me around the waist. But they were better than nothing. “Yeah, these will work. Thank you.”

“Get some sleep, and be up by five. Training starts no later than six.” With that, he was gone, closing the door behind him. Of course there was no lock on the door handle. Privacy appeared to be a thing of the past.

mybook.to/FirstBlood1