Dark of the Night Release!

Guess what day it is!!! That’s right. It’s release day for Dark Of The Night!!! If you love enemies to lovers, vampire romances, witches, and lots of angst and snark, then this is going to be your next favorite book. First, here’s the blurb, and then I’ll tell you a little more about this book.

Henley Stark is no angel, but she is a survivor.

Disowned by her witch coven as a teenager, Henley was driven to Amos, a vampire loan shark. There’s little Henley hasn’t done to keep a roof over her head and food in her stomach as Amos trained her for his purposes. It all comes to a head when Amos assigns Henley and Alex, her newly found mate, to a job that can only lead to death.

Going up against the greatest threat the vampires have ever known, it’s clear one or both of them will not survive the encounter. However, as Alex begins to soften toward her, Henley must decide if giving them a chance is worth the effort, especially when she’ll likely be dead soon anyway.

Can Henley find her worth and true love before the mission ultimately claims her life?

For readers who enjoy books by K.F. Breene, Heather Hildebrand, Jaymin Eve, and Karen Lynch.

Now for the fun part. If you don’t know who Melanie Gilbert is, you should. 😉 I may be biased, but she’s an amazing author…and she’s my sister. Melanie started writing a year or two after I published my first book, and I’ve loved watching her books grow and become stronger. Actually, she’s been pushing me for about a year or so to write a book with her, and I finally relented (it wasn’t on this book). I’ve enjoyed writing with her. It actually goes faster than when we write individually.

Our writing style together is quite different than most I’ve heard of. Instead of writing one point of view each, or writing 3k words at a time, we write one paragraph at a time. This works especially well at the beginning of the story. Toward the middle, our sections can grow to several paragraphs, but that’s when we know exactly what’s about to happen and it all needs to be written together. Since we’ve been doing random projects together for about a year, and our writing voices are so similar anyway, it’s hard to tell who wrote what. Even for us this is true sometimes.

At the end of last year, Melanie moved to Madison for her husband’s new job, and she actually lives quite close to me. It’s been great to go over after work and write this together in the same room. It helped planning out certain parts easier. Now, you may notice the “certain parts” for planning. For the most part, we pantsed this book. What does that mean? We had no plan on what was coming next. It was one big surprise! Some parts had to be planned because we needed a blurb and title right away (why we were short on time was a huge fiasco, but we have to say our cover designer is the awesomest!). Melanie is a plotter and I’m a panster. Part of our writing over snippets of stories before this was practice in how we could mix both of our writing styles together, and I have to say, we succeeded with Henley’s book.

Overall, this has been a great experience, and the early reviews couldn’t be more positive. More than one person sat down and read it in one sitting into the wee hours of the morning- like 2-3am. We can’t wait to see what you think! Let us know by leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Bookbub!

Indie Monday: Sept 23

Today’s spotlight book just released so it’s brand spankin’ new! It’s book 1 in the Broken Court series, and don’t you just love that cover??? Another added to the TBR pile (I must read faster). Check it out below!

Dark Fae Cursed (Broken Court Book 1) by [Heather Renee]

The fae king once tried to break me, but now… I’m coming for him.

After being exiled from the only home I’d ever known, I swore to never return. Instead, opting to start a new life offering my services to supernaturals who’d rather not get their hands dirty.

When a distractingly handsome and alluring fae shows up asking for my help, my initial reaction is to refuse. There’s a darkness in him that beckons me, and in my experience, any type of connection is a weakness I can’t afford.

However, after I discover the identity of his enemy, I find myself pulled into his battle, hoping to slay a few of my own demons in the process.

As something sinister attempts to take control, I’ll have to decide whether to continue doing things my way… Or chance the risk and let others fight beside me.

The only thing I know for sure is that the fae king’s biggest mistake was thinking he broke me, and my biggest victory will be proving him wrong.

http://smarturl.it/DarkFaeCursed

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: 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!!

heather9

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

Snippet Saturday: April 27

Phoenix Ebook FinalI’ve been failing at remembering to do this on the certain Saturday’s I had listed…so, I’m going to be doing them on whatever Saturday I remember! Or post ahead and schedule when I remember during the week.

This week’s snippet comes from Phoenix Awakened, my newest release! Be on the lookout for snippets of my upcoming pre-order as well.

 

Snippet:

Stepping out of the bathroom, I found Phoenix standing in a nice pair of khakis with a long sleeved button up under a cardigan. In my head, dinner was casual, so I’d changed back into my jeans and shirt from this morning. Embarrassed by my misunderstanding, I stuttered over a plausible excuse for the way I looked while trying to think if I actually packed clothes that would be suitable to match his.

“Sorry, I forgot my clothes out here and wasn’t going to come out here in a towel, no matter how much you’d enjoy it.” I dug through my suitcase, hands shaking as Phoenix took my shoulders and turned me to face him.

“You look beautiful. I don’t mind if you wear that.”

“I look like a slob. Let me change and I’ll be right out.”

“May I kiss you?”

The question popped out of his mouth so fast I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right, but the nonwavering expression that held mine told me for a fact I’d heard correctly. If this was his way of distracting me, he was succeeding. My gaze flew to his lips, remembering our last, and first, kiss.

“I don’t know if that would be a great idea,” I murmured, trying to make my feet back up, but that was useless since a bed stood right behind me. Then again, sidestepping away would be better. There wasn’t a bed in that direction.

Phoenix’s shoulders slumped. “One little kiss.”

“You’re very pushy, you know that don’t you?”

“I do, yes, but persistence is everything.”

Closing my eyes, I sighed. He was persistent, that was for sure, and that was how he was going to win me over. Patience and persistence. And his gentleness and kindness.

Warm lips brushed mine as stiff bristles rubbed against the sensitive skin around my mouth. Unlike last time, there was no burning desire or unbridled passion behind the kiss, only a gentle sweetness that was Phoenix. After a few seconds, he leaned back and I opened my eyes.

“I didn’t say yes.”

“But you didn’t say no.” He grinned. “Next time I’ll wait for an answer.”

mybook.to/PhoenixAwakened

#TeaserTuesday with a twist!

Hello there beautiful Tuesday! Monday was way too long, so it’s good to have you back with us once again. Time to show off what a friend and I have been working on!

We’ve all seen movie trailers, or at least I hope we have. Unknown to some people is that book trailers are now becoming a thing. I’ve created a few of them, but this is the first time I’ve teamed up with my friend, Sharon Drury, to do it. She is the amazing musical talent behind this video. The song is original, and totally all her doing. I sent the video to her, she created the amazing music to go with it. You should check out more of her work at: www.northcountrystudios.com.

This trailer is for my upcoming release, which is on pre-order right now, and for only $.99! Phoenix Awakened is a New Adult Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy. See below for the summary. If you love dragons, elementals, and one hot Phoenix, this is your read. You can view snippets of this books (and others) on my Snippet Saturday posts!

Fire Dragons, the most powerful dragon race on Earth.

Until the war left them as shadows of the race they once were.

Little more than slaves to the water dragons, they’re kept in line through destitute conditions and tracking devices. Sparks has known both lives, the prosperous and the starving, so when the opportunity arises for a little indulgence, she jumps at the chance, setting into motion a chain of events from which there is no turning back. With her fire power and dragon acting out, Sparks has no choice but to attempt escape, or face the consequences of her actions.

On the run, Sparks’s countdown begins. If she can’t remove the tracker, she’s dead. So when a gorgeous stranger shows up offering his help in exchange for hers, she has little choice but to accept. It isn’t long before Sparks discovers that Phoenix may be more than he seems, and that their lives are tied together in ways neither expected. Time is of the essence, but will they have enough to save both Sparks and her people from the water dragons?

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NMNCF34

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NMNCF34

Snippet Saturday: March 2

Today’s Snippet is from Phoenix Awakened, my upcoming release! Available for pre-order. Releasing April 13th.

The closer the car came, the more the headlights blinded me. When the car pulled up beside me, I was able to make out the outline of a large jeep, which likely had four-wheel drive and could navigate in this slush better than my bald-tired car. Instead of rolling the driver’s window down like I thought would happen, the driver opened the door and hopped out. Since my eyesight was still clear, I was able to make out his ginger colored hair that I assumed had once been styled so the longer hair on top was slicked back, but at the moment, a long day of mussing with it had the strands falling out of place to cover the shorter trimmed sides. A thick, short beard helped shield his face from the wind, and a thick coat that hugged his body shielded a manly torso.
Phoenix Teaser 6However, it was his height that stalled my footsteps as he approached, and I tried to keep my anxiety in check. This man was well over six feet tall, rivalling a male dragon. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe they would come from the other direction, and maybe they wouldn’t want to end me quickly, but take their time beating me to a pulp.
It took the man until he was on top of me to notice my tense stance and wary glare. When he did, he stepped closer and reached out to me, like I was a deer ready to flee. I retreated as he stepped closer, but he was well within range of my senses.
Taking a deep breath, I scented the air for the scent of dragon. None reached me. Human, then. Still, that didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat. At this point, everyone was considered a threat to my existence.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he murmured in a rough baritone voice, stepping closer.
Sure he didn’t. I moved into a defensive position, keeping my hands in front of my face just like my father taught me. If he came any closer, I’d kick him in the family jewels, which I learned from my mother. My parents had both made sure I knew how to protect myself. Since he was human, I’d have to be gentler so I wouldn’t permanently damage him since dragons were far stronger than his kind. That didn’t mean I’d have to take it easy on him, though. I’d bring him to the ground without hesitation and remorse. Then I would run.

 

Phoenix Awakened:

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NMNCF34

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NMNCF34

Snippet Saturday: Feb 16

I can’t believe it’s already time for another Snippet Saturday! This week I had the chance to do a cover reveal for my upcoming release, Phoenix Awakened. Today’s snippet comes from the opening scene of that book. If you like it, the book is only $.99 on pre-order!

Phoenix Ebook Final

The keys clattered against the scarred and beat up desk where I tossed them the moment I strode through the apartment door. It had been yet another hellish day on the job and already tomorrow didn’t look much better. Sure, my promotion, if that’s what it could be called, now limited how many times a day I was yelled at, cussed at, and smacked around, but that didn’t mean it never happened. It meant it happened less often.
Kurt, my new boss, was better than most. He didn’t yank my ponytail until I was in tears or slap me. Nope, he gave me a pay cut. A large one. All because I’d lost some minorly important paperwork. I still wasn’t certain that the lady who I’d replaced hadn’t lost it, but I hadn’t found it yet either, so my argument was null and void. Not that I would argue with Kurt. None of us did.
With my thoughts on Kurt and my new, almost nonexistent budget, I flipped off the light I’d turned on when entering my apartment and settled for dinner in the dark. Thankfully my shifter eyesight made searching through cupboards for a valid excuse for a meal possible. However, it didn’t help fill the near empty shelves. There wasn’t much left to eat or in the bank.
“Looks like another night of dry cereal,” I grumbled to the darkness, setting a bowl on the counter as I weighed the almost empty box in my hand. Too light. Much too light.
Pouring half of what remained in the box into the bowl, I scowled at it before tucking the flaps closed and setting the container aside. All it took was three short steps to cross the studio apartment to sit on my rickety twin size bed. The metal frame screeched when I sat my weight on it and every spring in the mattress pushed against me.
The first chomp of cereal made me cringe. It wasn’t nearly as delicious as it would be with milk, and that was out of the question since I’d run out a week ago and couldn’t afford anymore yet. If I could consult the dragon within me, she’d tell me to bite into a juicy steak, but that was beyond hopeful. It would take a serious miracle.
A hard knock alerted me to company. My sharp hearing should have warned me I had a visitor, but I was too focused on my misery to pay attention. People died that way, and I refused to be one of them.
Setting the bowl aside, I reached under my mattress for the knife I hid there. Yes, I could shift into one of my two dragon forms, but that was illegal and I’d rather have blood on the carpet than have to fix walls or go to prison. It was cheaper to clean the floor and the landlord would be none the wiser. Well, once I hid the body anyway.
Step after cautious step, I moved toward the door, keeping the blade ready. I’d stupidly only locked the door’s handle instead of the deadbolt and chain. Not that those would stop a determined dragon, but at least it would show I did my best to keep the intruder out.

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NMNCF34

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NMNCF34

 

 

Valentine’s Day present to myself: A cover reveal!

Last November, I participated in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, along with many other authors. The goal: write a 50k word novel in the month of November. Well, mine reached 50k by halfway through the month, so I decided to see if I could pull off 100k since my novel wasn’t even close to being finished. If you were keeping up with me, you know that I reached my goal and finished the novel, writing over 104k words in one month. It was crazy!

Well, I’m happy to report that this book is now available for  pre-order, for a special pre-order price of $.99! It releases April 13th, and I can’t wait! But for now: the cover reveal!

Phoenix Ebook Final

Fire Dragons, the most powerful dragon race on Earth.

Until the war left them as shadows of the race they once were.

Little more than slaves to the water dragons, they’re kept in line through destitute conditions and tracking devices. Sparks has known both lives, the prosperous and the starving, so when the opportunity arises for a little indulgence, she jumps at the chance, setting into motion a chain of events from which there is no turning back. With her fire power and dragon acting out, Sparks has no choice but to attempt escape, or face the consequences of her actions.

On the run, Sparks’s countdown begins. If she can’t remove the tracker, she’s dead. So when a gorgeous stranger shows up offering his help in exchange for hers, she has little choice but to accept. It isn’t long before Sparks discovers that Phoenix may be more than he seems, and that their lives are tied together in ways neither expected. Time is of the essence, but will they have enough to save both Sparks and her people from the water dragons?

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NMNCF34

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NMNCF34