Flambé rose slowly, but without hesitation, although she seemed a little wobbly, and crossed to his side. He slid his arm around her, pulling her beneath his shoulder so she could fit snugly into the window frame with him. He could have easily moved over to give her room, but he wanted to see her reaction to his proprietary claim on her. She seemed to accept him, just the way her leopard accepted his close proximity. The man coming toward the house was still a distance away and was striding boldly up the walkway, two men on either side of him. He acted as if he owned the property, and no one would ever think to oppose him. “He has more men with him. They’re hidden from view in the shrubbery on either side of the house. I’ve counted at least six, but most likely there are more.” Sevastyan was matter-of-fact. Calm. He kept his arm around her. A little shudder went through her body and she took an involuntary step back as if to get away from the window. At the same time, she tried to tug on his waist to take him with her. Her little leopard pushed…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? Try As I Smite 2–What is it about?  In a paranormal retelling of A Christmas Carol, two people usually at odds with each other have to learn from the past, present, and future in order to stop a demon uprising. Sometimes it pays to have a little devil in you. . .  3–What word best describes your heroine?  In charge 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He’s incredibly powerful, but hasn’t been corrupted by it. His intentions, even when he’s being an ass, are about using his power, both as a mage and as a leader, to help. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Each other, oddly, given how against each other they start out. Delilah turns to her mother (which may or may not be a mistake) but her relationship with both parents is a little…unusual. Alasdair’s only family is his sister. He calls on the Convens Syndicate of magical leaders, of whom she is a part. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  The book is set primarily in the northern California mountains near Yosemite which is gorgeous and one of my…

Confession time: I’m a big ol’ scaredy-cat. I’ve been to one haunted house in my life and never want to go again, and I’ve been known to sleep with the lights on after seeing a trailer for a scary movie.  But I love Halloween. Weird, right?  I have been known to dip my toe in what I’m calling “spooky” reads, though. They aren’t really scary per se, but they definitely have an atmosphere. My #romancelandia pal, BandHerBooks, and I like to say we’re “pastel goths,” which I think just means we like skulls and cozy sweaters and idolize Morticia Addams, but that’s a topic for another blog post.  I gravitate toward spooky reads around this year especially, but my supernatural-lite obsession lasts year-round–does my skull soap dispenser stay in the powder room even if it’s weeks past October 31st? Yep. Do I wear all black pretty much every day? You bet. Will this lovely typewriter with a “heartwarming” message have permanent residence in my office? MOST DEFINITELY!  Here are a few spooky reads for the rest of the pastel goths out there–enjoy them at Halloween or whenever you want to do your best Lydia Deetz impression. . . *** THE…

I love fall, though in coastal Texas the fall isn’t as grand as it is in other areas of the States. Still, I photograph leaves that have turned wherever I can find them. And when I went to Omaha in October, I was able to photograph fall colors too. Even in Central Texas at the zoo, the colorful leaves reflected in the water in November. I can pull up pictures I’ve taken in Scotland in September and Minnesota in the fall too and enjoy them when I can’t see them here. I love the fall colors. They make me feel good when the heat can still hang around for quite a while where I live, and I’m looking so forward to getting some cool-downs at least at night and in the mornings. When we lived in Oklahoma, we used to drive along the Talimena National Scenic Byway in fall where the leaves were gorgeous. But when I lived in New Jersey, after having lived in Texas and Florida, I was astounded by the brilliance of the autumn foliage. I love to decorate with fall leaves and fall items–like a sign that says, “Fall in Love.” It has fall leaves on…

One of the most asked questions any author gets is, “Where do your ideas come from?” My answer is always the same–everywhere. I’ve gotten ideas from magazine articles and television shows, snippets of overheard conversation, ideas that pop into my head just before I go to sleep at night–some authors dream their plots, but I’ve never been that lucky–and music. All I can share are my experiences, but I’ve found that something I see or hear sparks my imagination. For example, I did an online quiz once: Which Carnival Ride Are You? I could have answered without taking the quiz, but I did it and got the answer I’d anticipated–a carousel. Not exactly adventurous. But it got me thinking about the carved animals on these rides. Not all of them are pretty horses. Then I started asking the “what if” questions. What if they were wild and exotic animals? What if they were really trapped immortal warriors, placed there by a curse meant to protect them? And what if there was a way for them to escape? Those questions became the foundation of my Hade’s Carnival series featuring a curse, the devil himself, immortal shapeshifting warriors, betrayal, and redemption. Not…

Starting in about April or May, one of the big questions in writers groups was, “How do we write about the pandemic?” or, “Should we write about the pandemic?” This was mostly posed in the romance writers’ groups, where people were wondering how sexy it would be to portray mask play, and is it too soon? You know somebody has decided it’s not, and hilarious complications will ensue due to ear strap tighteners. From the start of all this, I like many other authors felt the compulsion to address my own feelings about quarantine, social distancing, and the limitations we embrace to protect ourselves and others. For me, these emotions are magnified because as a mental health professional, I’m attempting to help others through them and the grief of losing jobs, regularity, and, most tragically, family members while dealing with my own struggles. I can’t imagine how tough it must be for our frontline medical workers, some of whom I’m lucky to count as friends. In fact, the first Fae Files book is dedicated to them. When I wrote that inscription back in March, I, like many of us, thought that this pandemic situation would be over by now. Surely…

S: Summer E: Evie A: Alpha S: Sweetgrass O: Opening up to N: Nature * O: Orrrroooo! F: Forever Wolf * T: Tenderness H: Home E: Endures * W: Wildness O: Our L: Love is F: Fierce — Read on for an exclusive excerpt from SEASON OF THE WOLF: Pups spend their first years wild. Then comes the dreaded Year of First Shoes when they have to begin to learn how to be in skin. The First Shoes are supposed to wait for the adult wolves to come before they get into the water, but they are too anxious. . . Something splashes, followed by excited yips and yells made by children who aren’t used to the form until one of the older ones calls out: “Tasha felled!” Leonora starts to run, hampered by sandals. I run, too, hampered by the jostling of injured ribs, but Constantine races past me, wolf-fast on two legs. The children huddle to the side of the dock as his feet pound down the dock and he launches himself far out into the water, cutting through it like an otter. At the edge of the dock, I lie down, my arms in the water where…

We asked one of our reviewers, Jessica Nathan and HUGE J.R.Ward fan, to give us an in-depth, extended review of Ward’s latest release, THE JACKAL, a new book set in the beloved Black Dagger Brotherhood world. Have you read this one yet? Let us know what you think!  *** OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! J.R. Ward has done it again with THE JACKAL! Fans and devoted readers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, do not be confused by the premise of Rhage having a half-brother. We were first introduced to blood slaves with Zsadist, and had whispers of the ongoing atrocities in The Beast, and hidden sects of vampire cruelty involving blood and sex slaves and forced labor camps abounded in The Savior and Prisoner of Night. Like the Black Dagger Legacy books,THE JACKAL is the start of something new, yet familiar in Caldwell. Set within the Black Dagger world, the Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp series introduces readers to the Jackal, a vampire from Rhage’s past, with stunning Bahama blue eyes. The Jackal has lived 100 years in the underground prison when he encounters Nyx, a heroine after my own heart. Nyx is no damsel in distress; she…

Story is in everything, and I have often found myself most drawn to those that ask the big questions and explore the human condition. Those questions with a splash of imagination in finding ways to answer them, or even to ask them, are what provide the most inspiration for me when it comes to writing. As a mental health therapist, I have a front-row seat to the human condition, the common struggles, insecurities, pain, traumas, fears, and transitions so many of us face. I am constantly working with people through their anxieties, secret shames, failures, and rejections, and I find that at the root of so many of these struggles is the human need for belonging. For love. For acceptance. One day I was brainstorming story concepts and a question came to mind for me: Is there a love out there that is so big and unconditional that it could redeem even the most heinous of acts? From there I reimagined the concept of the Fountain of Youth. What if there was a Fountain out there that healed of all ailments and granted immortality. Would we drink? But what if there was a cost? You get to live forever, be…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? Pirate’s Persuasion 2–What is it about? An immortal pirate is haunted by the loss of his nephew 200 years ago, but when the ghost of his nephew communicates with a local medium, Drake and Heather discover there is more than a ghost bringing them together. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Unique 4–What makes your hero irresistible? His loyalty and honor 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Agent Bale at Dept. 13 and One-Eyed Bob the immortal pirate cook  6–What do you love about the setting of your book? It takes place in modern-day Savannah Georgia. It’s such a gorgeous, haunted city with so many stories! I love it there! 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Pantser 8–What is an ideal writing day for you? As long as I have my playlist and headphones I can write anywhere. 9–Do you listen to music while you write, need total silence, or do you have the TV on? Playlist for every book. 10– How do you approach research? I usually do most of my research at the…