UPDATE: The winner is…Chrissie Lege!
*~*~*

Are you feeling Christmassy yet? I know, I know. It’s only October, and where I live in Texas, the temps have fallen to a balmy mid-80s to low 90’s (F) most days. So, that’s our autumn weather. Even so, the stores are filled with Halloween and Fall décor of all kinds. They’re even showcasing some cold-weather gear, such as plush throws, knit hats, and gloves. And if that doesn’t start me thinking about the holidays, then the shelves full of Christmas stuff will!

Then again, maybe I’m more susceptible to thinking holiday thoughts because I wrote a Christmastime romance during the spring. It’s kind of an author woe that one must write holiday books months in advance, whether it’s a Valentine’s Day tale or any other holiday. Then we have to edit the book after our editor returns it. In addition, I followed that with a Thanksgiving-themed novel in my Sweetwater Springs series, then a Christmas novella in that same series. So, holiday themes all year for me.

You might ask, how does a girl from Texas write about snow and cold weather? Well, in between being born here and having returned here as an empty nester, I’ve lived in Colorado, northern Virginia, and Maryland. Believe me, this Texan has seen her share of the white stuff, howling winds, and the kind of cold that takes your breath. I’ve also done Christmas in Hawaii, but that’s a story best told when I have a Tropical Heat novella coming out.

For me, snow does have a magical quality about it while it’s coming down, especially if I can watch it from the safety of a warm house. And there’s something almost ethereal about a moonlit night making the snow appear to glow and sparkle. It definitely adds to the ambiance and holiday spirit in a Christmas book.

Writing holiday books also makes me think of gifting and in that spirit, I have a holiday short story that also contains sample chapters of other works I’ve written – for FREE. Check out HOME FOR CHRISTMAS when you have a minute. And while I’m feeling generous, I’ll give a $5 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter.

In my latest release, Fake Fiancé for Christmas, Lia and Ryan have both the snow aspect of the holidays, as they live in Denver, and a southern Christmas when they travel to the Atlanta area to celebrate the holiday with her family.

Fake Fiancé For Christmas

Faced with a broken engagement due to her guarded heart and her family expecting to meet her fiancé during the first Christmas without her Gran, Lia Taylor decides to take her friends’ advice. She’ll take a fake fiancé home for Christmas.

Ryan Barton grew up in foster homes, unaware he had a family until he met his grandmother at sixteen. Lia’s offer of a noisy family Christmas with a big elaborate meal sounds like heaven, even the part about pretending to be her fiancé.

As Lia and Ryan get to know each other and practice casual touching, hugs, and kisses, their feelings grow. They decide to try for a real relationship with the promise that when either of them withdraws due to old fears, the other will pull them back.

But what will save them when they both withdraw in fear? Are their recent feelings strong enough to save their new relationship or will they hide within the safety of their guarded hearts?

Links:
Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3BJQHGP/
GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=WxmHEAAAQBAJ
Others retailers: https://books2read.com/u/bQjJ16

About the Author

“Sizzling romance with heart and humor”

Carol is an award-winning author of Sweetwater Springs, a series of contemporary, small-town romances with serious sizzle and a generous dose of southern charm. Her personal second-chance-at-love story resulted in marriage to her high school sweetheart.

Carol has also written several standalone books not connected to any series. Her Tropical Heat novella characters find love and passion on islands and beaches. Writing as Annie Rayburn, she produces Crainesian mashup romances that are sci-fi, paranormal, erotic, contemporary, and alternate history.

Find Carol on the web:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolBurnside
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/carolburnside/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carol_burnside
Website: http://www.carolburnside.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/smDmf

A special shoutout to Delilah Devlin for hosting me on her blog today. Thanks so much! I appreciate it.

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
*~*~*

Guarding Harper

Up for preorder! Reserve your wolf.
https://desireeholt.com/books/guarding-harper/

Leave a comment, win a signed copy of Beck’s Six, the lead story in the “Athena” series.

If you loved Defending Sophie and Beck’s Six, you’ll love Harper and her wolves.

Here is a taste of Guarding Harper:

Prologue

Gabe Walker regarded the five men gathered in Hank Patterson’s kitchen, along with Hank himself and Stone Jacobs, the Brotherhood Protectors leader who had reached out to them. They all had the same look of the hardened warrior, the take-no-prisoners attitude, which was good. They weren’t here for playtime. The work Stone had hinted at needed men like him and his teammates.

Gabe had gone into the military right out of college, after his parents passed away, and there was no longer a place for him on the Texas ranch where they’d worked. Disillusioned by the manner of the drawdown in Afghanistan, they’d all – he and his team – left Fort Drum, headquarters for the Tenth Mountain Division, not reupping in the Army. Since then they’d been putting their skills to use in a security and consulting service. Their motto for their First Brigade Combat Team was “Find a way or make one,” and they’d kept that in place.

When Stone and Hank had approached them, they’d been told a big plus was the fact they’d been working in the Adirondacks, which gave them plenty of experience in the mountains. His team had kept their motto as they created a place for themselves in civilian society. They were all hardened military men. No job was too tough for them.

Gabe was aware that Stone himself had made a major change when Hank Patterson reached out to him. Hank had built a vast security organization that took on the most challenging jobs and could operate where other agencies could not. Stone owed Hank big time for getting him out of a dangerous situation overseas before Hank left the military. He’d made sure the men knew why Brotherhood Protectors was so important to him. Folding his own one-man operation into Brotherhood Protectors seemed like the most productive thing to do. Especially when Hank told him he wanted this part of the organization based in Yellowstone. It was a win/win because Stone’s father owned a lodge in Yellowstone, and he was very familiar with both the territory and the turmoil going on in that area.

When he reached out to the men with his proposal, they’d all been interested. After all, new challenges were what they were  about. The more challenging the better. He’d told them when he approached them that the fact they’d all been working in the Adirondacks would make an easy transition for what he had in mind.

Gabe shifted his attention to the man leaning against the kitchen counter. The one outlier in their group. Alex “Ridge” Ridgely. He had been part of their team at Fort Drum and had the hardened, experienced persona they needed. He was slightly older than the others, but that was because he had enlisted later. The men on Gabe’s team had welcomed Ridge’s experience, and he was a steadying influence.

He also was dedicated to wildlife preservation, which meant this might be right up his alley. He’d at least been interested enough, after two meetings, to show up today and listen to the entire proposition. And the others were glad to see him at least entertaining the offer.

And now, here they were, waiting for the rest of the details that would shape their team.

“Anyone need a coffee refill before we get started?” Hank asked.

They all topped off the liquid in their mugs before taking their seats at the table again, all except Ridge who returned to his spot against the counter. Still reserving judgment, Gabe thought.

“You all know how Hank Patterson and I met,” Stone began. “He saved my ass in a big way when we were both still in the military, and I’ve owed him big time ever since then.”

“Not so,” Hank interrupted. “You’ve paid it back in spades.” He grinned. “But I’m happy to have you obligated to me.”

“I know we’ve explained Brotherhood Protectors to you,” Stone went on, “but just a little refresher here. Hank started it when a situation arose with Sadie, now his wife, and just grew from there. We handle kidnappings, illegal aliens, anything that comes up. No job is too challenging. “

“So you told us,” Justice Kane said. “But what specifically do you have in mind? I’m sure you don’t expect us to stand around taking target practice until a job comes along that we like.”

Stone grinned. “There won’t be much time for hanging around, trust me.”

“You said something when we first met about establishing us in Yellowstone, but you never went into the reason why.”

“Wolves,” Stone told them. “That dwindling species.”

“I understand it’s becoming a bigger and bigger problem.” Nate “Edge” Edgerton sat on one of the barstools, his black German shepherd, Pierce, lounged but alert at his feet.

Stone nodded. “Park rangers eliminated the last wolves in Yellowstone National Park in the 1920s, but they were reintroduced in 1995. The project has been lauded as a conservation success story. The internationally acclaimed Yellowstone Wolf Project oversees research and monitoring of wolves in Yellowstone.”

“But exactly what does that have to do with us?” Wade Fielding asked.

“Good question. There seems to be all kinds of crap going on where wolves are concerned in Yellowstone. Despite the organization’s and individual efforts, it’s become more than local law enforcement or wildlife officers can handle. People are hunting wolves for sport, for profit, or because they interfere with their lifestyle. This is especially true of the ranchers who don’t want to work with the wildlife officers and licensed volunteers.”

“You mean they’re poaching?” Justice asked.

“Worse. In many instances, they draw them out of the areas fenced for them to roam freely then kill them. They can sell the pelts for high dollars on the black market. And that’s only part of it. Some ranchers are trapping them and letting them loose on a rival’s ranch, so they can attack the cattle and put the rancher out of business.”

“Shit.” Gabe Walker had been rocked back in his chair, listening carefully to what Stone had to say. He had a vague idea of what was happening with wolves in the area, but this, what Stone had just told them, turned his stomach.

“Indeed,” Hank agreed. “The project and the wildlife officers make a concerted effort to ensure the wolves stay inside the designated area for them.. But once they leave the park, they’re fair game. And there are plenty of assholes who take advantage of that fact.”

“I’m still curious as to what role we’re supposed to play,” Wade said.

“We have men releasing wolves from the park area to trap and kill. Moving them to other ranches to kill cattle. Using them as attack animals to achieve a purpose. And then there are those who just don’t like the wolves period and will do anything to get rid of them. We’ve had two civilians shot and killed during wolf incidents, and it can only get worse if someone doesn’t put a stop to it.”

“Shit.” Justice let out a slow whistle.

“And that’s not all,” Stone went on. “We have a well-run wolf sanctuary here that’s constantly under attack. Harper Young, who runs it, works her ass off but is constantly coming under fire. People want to shut her down, kill her wolves, destroy her property. You have no idea how vicious people can be when it comes to the preservation of wildlife.”

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UPDATE: The winner is…Rita Zani!
*~*~*

Okay, so it’s not Saturday, and this just feels weird. But we’ll roll with it.

I’m busy writing. I have a book to finish today or tomorrow. I’m hoping my hero and heroine will behave and let me finish. The dog is also a shameless scene-stealer.

But back to the contest!

Solve the puzzle and then tell me this…

What would you do if this knight stormed your castle, capturing it and you? Tell me a little about that first moment when you meet — for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! 

Open Contests

1. Saturday Puzzle Contest! — This contest ends soon! Win a FREE book!
2. Books need bookmarks, right? (Contest) — This contest ends soon! 3 winners! Win a FREE hand painted (by me!) bookmark!
3. A Memory Puzzle (Contest — and More Open Contests!) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Your Weekend Book Boyfriend — $0.99 Sale! (Contest + Excerpt) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Gabbi Black: How I wound up writing a BDSM trilogy (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…ButtonsMom2003!
*~*~*

I’m a huge Annabel Joseph fan. I read her Mephisto trilogy after having discovered her when I got my first e-reader. I found one of her books on sale, and I nabbed it. Then I read it, and my world expanded. Now, these books are hardcore total power exchanges. Complete submission. Yet, also very touching. The books struck a chord in me, and I wanted to explore further.

At that time, I was too scared to step out of my comfort zone. Instead of doing, I dove into reading. I read every Annabel book I could get a hold of. Then I did Joey W. Hill’s Nature of Desire series. Some Sierra Cartwright books. Some ménage books by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake. I learned. I sought. I envied.

One day – a very ordinary day – I had an image pop into my mind. A woman at a BDSM club. She was looking on at the goings-on with envy. My mind whirled. Who was she? Why was she there? And, most importantly, who was the man who would bring a smile to her face? Challenge laid before me, I sat down to write. I write by the seat of my pants (also known as a pantser), so I let the story take me where my imagination led it. Within a couple of weeks, I had Amber Eyes.

I wasn’t finished. I had so much fun that I wanted to write another book. Except I hadn’t envisioned a trilogy and so hadn’t set up the next couple. Now, I have a bible of stories – everything I’ve ever thought up that could be a book. It’s a massive beast with almost seventy-five stories. I scoured it and found a story that fit perfectly into the world I’d created. A damaged heroine, a well-meaning but arrogant hero – I sat down to write and, again, within weeks I had Beautiful Eyes.

This time, though, I did a bit of planning. I had a security guard who had now played a pivotal role in the first two books. I started wondering about her story. She had to know what went on in the condo. And since both my previous couples had moved from the condo and out of the city, there had to be a new owner. What was his story? And why would the security guard and the entrepreneur get together? And, finally, where did BDSM fit in? Another few weeks and I had Innocent Eyes.

I wanted to get the books published traditionally — with a publisher — and so I started to shop them around. Let me be honest – I didn’t know what I didn’t know and these books were raw — they needed a lot of work. Eventually, after a number of rejections, I hired a freelance editor to whip them into shape. When I ventured back out, I had better luck and found an editor at The Wild Rose Press. She snagged my manuscript because it intrigued her. To my everlasting gratitude, she decided to take a chance on Amber Eyes. We’ve worked together to get all three books to market. My cover artist did a fantastic job, and the books are now out in the world.

One last note. I found the courage to venture into the BDSM scene in Vancouver, Canada. I started by going to munches. I found a mentor. I attended conferences. I found the courage to put myself out there. This all happened while I was working with my freelance editor. I’ll admit I went back to add scenes and layers to existing story to enhance the books. In other words, some of this is taken from real life — from my own experience. I’m not going to say which parts, and for the sake of peace and harmony in my life, please don’t tell my parents.

I hope you take a chance and pick up these books. They’re dark erotic BDSM books. I put my characters through hell and make them work really hard for their happy ending — but that’s what I give them. Each book ends on a solid happily ever after. But that wasn’t good enough for me. I am launching a new series under the pen name Gabbi Powell in the new year. Several of these characters are going to make cameos and some of the secondary characters in these books are going to get their own stories. I love world building — where the characters come to life for me, and I want to tell their truths. Share their joys. Give them happily ever afters. And some of those secondary characters appear in my gay romance books written under the pen name Gabbi Grey. Every book I write can be read as a stand-alone. But if you venture into my books, there are almost always more places to poke. More places and characters to discover.

Now my gift to you! For a chance to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card, let me know, scorching, spicy, or sweet? Do you have a preferred heat level? I’ve written all three, but I’m intrigued to know where your desires fall on the spectrum. Leave a comment for a chance to win.

Thank you, Delilah for hosting me and letting me share my story.

In Their Eyes Trilogy

Amber Eyes (Book 1)

She needs a firm hand.

He needs a challenge.

School principal Gage Clayton is still grieving the death of his wife and submissive, yet he can’t ignore his Dominant needs. As he enters Club Kink, he’s inexplicably drawn to a newly released sub with an intriguing proposition and the most captivating amber eyes. But she has disturbing baggage and her expectations prove quite a challenge, one that would necessitate a commitment he’s not ready for.

Rielle Reid needs a Dom while she waits for her former Master to return. When she invites a handsome stranger to her home dungeon for a night of play, she’s surprised at his gentle dominance—and her response to it. But in the light of day, his demand for equal footing confounds her. After living four years as a twenty-four/seven slave, she has no concept of how to be anything other than property.

Gage must find a way to master Rielle to free them both from the shackles of the past.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3Ln9PX
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CZL6XBX
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amber-eyes-gabbi-black/1137343876
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Black_Amber_Eyes?id=g-33DwAAQBAJ
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/amber-eyes-11
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/amber-eyes/id1526064524?

Beautiful Eyes (Book 2)
$0.99 cents for a limited time!

She needs redemption

He needs to demand it of her.

Entrepreneur Smith MacLean is obsessed with Alessandra Soriano, a woman he met briefly who disappeared six months ago. After a shocking reunion at Club Kink, he insists she stay with him. He means to find out where she’s been.

Alessandra walked away from her life after making a mistake that cost everything. Her self-imposed penance is living in poverty and doing questionable things with questionable people. Now she’s in Smith’s luxurious condo, under his hand, and obeying his rules.

He has thirty days to convince her to come back from limbo. She has thirty days to convince him she needs to be forgotten. Unless the flames of lust consume them first.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3n57Lx
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09C16GHCJ/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beautiful-eyes-gabbi-black/1139975555
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/beautiful-eyes/id1580299905
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Black_Beautiful_Eyes?id=BlVBEAAAQBAJ
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/beautiful-eyes-4

Innocent Eyes Synopsis (Book 3)
Pre-release price $3.99, regular $5.99

She’s a diligent student.

He’s a masterful teacher.

Hardworking university student Tarah Peters has observed tycoon Sebastian Merrick from her security guard post for weeks. Under his gaze, she experiences desire for the first time in her life, and his unexpected proposition both daunts and intrigues her.

Sebastian doesn’t proposition women, but feels compelled to offer Tarah a place to live and money for her schooling while he introduces her to his darkly erotic world. Her naïveté calls to him, but he must maintain an emotional distance while showing her the meaning of submission.

Tarah yearns for Sebastian to admit he wants more than just a Dominant/submissive relationship, that their enthrallment is mutual. Can she convince him this might be more than just an affair?

Universal link: https://books2read.com/InnocentEyes
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BB3F6CSB
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/innocent-eyes-gabbi-black/1142024873
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/innocent-eyes/id6443282114

About the Author

Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre. From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned early in the morning in her home in beautiful British Columbia while her trusty ChinPoo dog keeps her company. She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey.

Website:  http://gabbiblack.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbi
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2763198834
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbiblack/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiAuthor

UPDATE: The winner is…Colleen C.!
*~*~*

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know who your weekend book boyfriend will be!

If you haven’t already chosen your boyfriend, here’s a suggestion. 🙂
(This book is available for only $0.99 for a limited time only!)

Sometimes a hero and heroine chatter in a writer’s ear. I’ve had several over the course of my career who won’t go away once their story is written. Emmy from vampire series was talkative for many years and insisted on being included in nearly every story in that series. Lacey Jones from my original Montana Bounty Hunters series is my latest muse. When we first meet her in Dagger, we’re sure she seems flighty and vain, but as you get to know her, there’s more to this ditzy blonde than meets the eye.

For the next few days, I’ve dropped the price of Dagger because I want you to meet Lacey. I think you’ll love her! It’s a $3 savings, so be sure to get your copy now! As well, I have the first book, Reaper, available for the permanent sale price of $0.99!

In the meantime, enjoy an excerpt from Dagger…

Daniel “Dagger” Renfrew had been a lot of things—an Army Ranger, until he’d mouthed off one too many times to his CO and decided mustering out was better for his long-term aspirations than spending time in Leavenworth; a Seattle beat cop, until he’d gotten bored spending his nights sitting in a squad car in front of corner gas stations; a PI, until he’d informed the wife of the man who’d hired him that hubby was looking for the goods to violate their pre-nup, so she better sue for divorce first; and now, a bounty hunter, which, so far, suited his ADD proclivities. And, in his job, he didn’t look for the easy takedowns. He liked lying in mud or snow with his binoculars trained on a window, hoping for a glimpse of the dirtbag whose mugshot he carried in his hip pocket. If they were badasses—all the better. Dagger preferred when assholes tried to run, because then he’d have an excuse to mix it up, get physical, and blow off steam in an all-out brawl—when the situation warranted, of course.

However, he hadn’t had a job like that in a while. So, in his off-hours, he looked for cheap thrills—sweet-talking easy women out of their clothes or taking repo jobs from the local car dealership.

This morning, he was “reacquiring” a 2014 silver Nissan Altima with a fluffy steering wheel and pom-poms hanging from the rear-view mirror. After verifying the make and model, he strolled as nonchalantly as a man in black tactical pants and boots and a black GORE-TEX jacket could toward the vehicle parked in a condo driveway. Once past the driveway, he ducked low, out of sight of the bay windows in the front of the unit, and sidled up to the Nissan, close enough he could dart up, clear snow from the front windshield, and read the VIN number etched into the corner of the dashboard. After checking with the VIN in the cryptic text message from the dealership’s finance department, he ducked again and reached into his pocket for the key fob he’d picked up from Stuey Higginbotham, who’d called him about the job. He pressed the button, wincing when he accidently hit it twice, beeping the car alarm loud enough a dog in the distance began barking.

So now, stealth was out the door. Dagger cussed, hoping the woman who owned the car didn’t have a boyfriend with a shotgun beside the bed. He straightened, opened the car door, and shoved a small suitcase from the front seat to the passenger side and slid quickly into the car. Not a good move, because the woman who drove the car was obviously short, and his knees banged the dash as he felt for the sliding button to move back the seat and lower it. Seconds ticked by, and he riveted his gaze on the condo’s front door.

A curtain shifted in the window next to the door. A woman’s face, framed by something, maybe a towel, peered through the glass.

“Sorry, sweetheart.” He grinned and punched the ignition.

The door slammed open.

He pushed the gear shift into reverse, but not before he noted she wore a bathrobe that parted as she ran down the front steps, exposing well-toned legs clothed in skin-tight black leggings. Brown and cream polka dots spotted her face in a pattern. Her large blue eyes delivered a glacier glare.

Something about her…

His eyes narrowed, and his foot remained on the brake a second too long.

She slapped the hood of the car then came up beside the driver’s side window, her hands clapping against the glass. “No, you don’t, you bastard. That’s my car!”

He took a second. The towel around her head masked her long blonde hair. The creamy polka dots distracted from her lovely cheekbones and stubborn chin, but those eyes and those legs…? He hit the button to lower the window. He knew the moment she recognized him.

Her jaw sagged. “Dag? What the hell are you doing in my car?”

“Not your car anymore, Cupcake.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t call me that. And what do you mean it’s not my car?”

“It’s the dealership’s. Or the finance company’s. Don’t care which.”

“But it’s my car, Dag. You can’t take my car.” Her eyes widened.

Dag saw the shimmer of tears. But he knew that tactic. Knew how often she’d gotten out of speeding tickets and detention hall throughout high school, just flashing those big baby blues and adding a chin wobble that made most men turn to mush.

The wobble started.

At the sight, he nearly groaned. “Take it up with Stuey at Higginbotham Used Cars.”

Her hands fisted on her hips. “And just how the hell am I supposed to get there?”

He shrugged. “Not my problem.” He broke from her glare and adjusted the rearview mirror, any excuse to avoid looking at the woman who’d been the Prom Queen to his Prom King. Back then, they’d had the world at their feet.

She clutched the edge of his window in a white-knuckled grip. “Stop, you can’t leave without me. I have to talk to Stuey. Give me a minute to change.”

“No can do. I have to drop off the car then head to the day job.”

Her eyebrows rose. “This is your side gig?”

Giving a shrug, he let his foot off the brake, and the car inched backward. “Have to go, Lace.”

Her hands curled into fists, and she ran around the front of the car, circling to the passenger-side door.

Afraid he’d run over her pretty heeled boots, he stopped. She tugged on the door handle, but he stared through the glass, schooling his expression, careful not to give her a clue what he was thinking. Certainly not the fact he was enjoying the heck out of seeing her this rattled.

Again, she tried the handle, and then slapped the glass. “Let me inside!”

Maybe she saw that he wasn’t giving an inch. Again, she ran—this time to the back of the car. She spread her arms wide and leaned over the trunk, her tiny frame so short only the top of her face appeared in the rear window.

Exasperated now, Dagger glanced around the quiet street. Doors were opening.

A large man in a grimy wifebeater and jockey shorts strode out of his door, wearing a dark scowl. Read the rest of this entry »

This one’s coming out on October 18th! Have you pre-ordered your copy?

Pre-Order Here!

I looked for a scene that would best show you both Hannah’s and Edge’s personalities. Hannah’s a stubborn, independent thing and Edge is the exact same. Here there are discussing the fact she needs protection, with her brother-in-law Billy in on the conversation. BTW, Pierce is his dog. I love writing these two! ~DD

“I don’t need protection,” Hannah said, shaking her head before he even finished.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Billy said. “Hell, I better call Rebecca and let her know to stay close to home until I get there.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and stepped away to place the call.

“This is ridiculous. I have an alarm system for my studio. My apartment’s in the back. I’ll be fine.”

Edge frowned. “If these men decide on taking revenge, they’ll play for keeps, Hannah. I don’t like the idea of having to shadow you either but—”

He stopped mid-sentence because her eyebrows shot up, and her mouth pursed as though he’d offended her.

“What I mean,” he amended, “is I’m in the same boat as you. Hell, so is Pierce. We have to lay low while my team sets up surveillance to make sure they won’t harm any one of us.”

“I can’t have you hovering over me. My studio isn’t huge. My apartment is small—one damn bathroom, a tiny kitchenette, and a bed.”

“Then come stay at the lodge. There’s plenty of room, and no one in their right mind will come after you when you’re surrounded by ex-Special Forces.”

“I’m not staying at the lodge. At least at my place, I can get some work done.”

Good Lord, she was going to argue about every damn little thing. “Fine. I’ll take the couch.”

Her gaze ran from his head down to his feet then back up again. “My couch is a loveseat.”

He gritted his teeth and smiled. “Then I’ll roll out my sleeping bag on the floor.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

He couldn’t help it. Her voice was rough with aggravation, and her eyebrows were arrowed downward in the center. She was cute as hell when she was mad. He smiled.

Hannah gave him a hard glare and huffed. Then she threw up her hands and marched over to her brother-in-law who was still on the phone, presumably with his wife.

An argument ensued. Hannah’s hands gestured wildly; her face turned red. Billy, for his part, kept his cool, blinking once when she pointed her finger at his chest and tapped him. He pulled the phone from his ear, passed it to Hannah, then walked away. He headed straight for Edge.

“Women,” was all he said.

Edge grunted. “Your wife as stubborn as that one?” Edge asked, jerking his chin toward Hannah.

“It runs in the family.”

For some reason, Edge looked forward to meeting the mother and the sister. He cleared his throat. “You putting your wife on lockdown, too?”

“I’ll try, same as you.” Then he grinned, and the smile wrinkled the corners of his eyes. “I’m gonna call Sandy, their mom, to make sure she heads over there and sits on Rebecca until I get there.”

“Think she’ll be on your side?”

“She’s a mama bear. The stubborn’ll work in my favor.”

Edge chuckled. “And I thought I was going to have a nice quiet weekend.”

“Yeah, and now that you’ve met a Mackey woman, you can kiss all that goodbye.”

UPDATE: The winner is…Courtney Kinder!
*~*~*

I used to be a traveler. In fact, it was my top thing to do. It’s why I joined the military in the first place. The captain who lured me into ROTC in college promised me I’d see Europe, and sure enough, I spent my first assignment there and was lucky enough to spend my last one on active duty there as well. While I was in Germany, I took advantage of the rails and boats and picked off many, many countries on my bucket list. I love road trips here in America, too—but COVID and kids have kept me homebound for a while.

When life gets a little less complicated, I’m going to take some trips. The pictures in the puzzle are some of the places I’d love to go.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, and tell me where you’d like to go (even fantastical places)!

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