So… About a year and a half ago I decided to write a serial release about a married couple finding and exploring kink together. Finding themselves. Finding each other again for the first time which can be soooooo scary.

The journey of Zeke and Aslan was born with Aslan’s Stranger. Now 9 stories later I’ve written the last story which is Aslan’s Fear. I have loved this couple and everything they have learned and how they’ve grown and how incredibly brave they both have been to find exactly who they’re meant to be. And sharing it with their spouse has been soooo much harder to write than I expected it to be.

They aren’t starting with a clean slate and no expectations.

Instead they’ve had a decade to “BE” with each other and all which that entails.

And writing their happily ever after has been one of the most rewarding writing experiences I’ve ever had. I balled writing the last book. Balled every time I re-read it for editing. It’ll be up in just a little bit but before then here are all the books in my rainbow glory!!! Had that planned from the beginning too just because it makes me soooo happy to look at it!

Here’s links to all of them in case you need a bit of a dose of dirty today….or tomorrow….or the next day. 😛

These are stories in a serial release all featuring Aslan and Zeke. A married couple looking for more and finding it in the arms of each other. There will be nine stories total, with one being released every couple months. Short kinky stories meant to tantalize and excite you. May you fall in love with love and everything that word means to your fantasies…

Aslan’s Stranger
Zeke’s Pitstop
Aslan’s Desire
Zeke’s Surprise
Aslan’s Fetish
Zeke’s Meeting
Aslan’s Evening
Zeke’s Demons
Aslan’s Fear – Coming soon!!!

Giveaway

Let’s have a giveaway with an AWESOME bag of goodies for one lucky poster! Two print books and lots and lots of other swag and kinky goodies! Plus a cup and a coozie and a pretty purple BED bag to hold it all!

**GIVEAWAY – US ONLY** – Just look at all the awesomeness you could win!! So tell me why YOU read romance! Why do you like it? What draws you in? What gives you the shivers and brings you back for more??

I’ll pick a winner on Monday the 19^th!! Good Luck!! PS –It’s always great to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you! Hate not being able to give winners their goodies!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

About the Author

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – Newsletter – The Decadent Divas– Amazon Page
Facebook – Facebook Author Page – Twitter – Goodreads – Pinterest

Do you believe in second chances?

As a romance writer, I have to. Happily ever after is my stock-in-trade. As a woman, I want to believe in second chances. Life can be challenging at the best of times. With the stresses of modern life—careers, money, bills, children, family, illness—it’s no wonder that sometimes love isn’t enough to hold a relationship together.

But as a writer, I get the opportunity to rewrite history, to give a couple a second chance. What could be better than watching two people discover that the passion, the love between them hasn’t died, but is still there, waiting for the right spark to be rekindled.

There are times when two people are at different places in their lives, especially when they are younger, and their relationship doesn’t work out. They go their separate ways and live their lives, but fate has other plans. What happens when they are thrown together again, both parties older and wiser than they were when they were younger? Will they make the same mistakes or will they reach out and take a chance on their love?

That’s exactly what happens in my story “Roadside Assistance” when Esme Jenson’s car breaks down and the man who stops to help her is her ex, Vincent Durango.

This is just one of the short stories in Blue Collar: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, a wonderful new collection I’m thrilled to be a part of.

BLUE COLLAR

When it comes to love…Blue Collar is better!

It’s time to set aside those sexy billionaires and enjoy stories about the everyday, even sexier bad boys you meet in real life. They may have dirty hands and wear tool belts and jeans instead of Rolex watches, but they’re earthy alpha males unafraid to get down and dirty when face to face with a woman in need–whatever her need may be!

Just a few of the titillating stories inside…

In “Elevation” by Megan Mitcham, an always-in-control policewoman trapped in an elevator shaft gets a sexy rescue from the handsome repairman. A lonely woman drives a thousand miles to meet an oil field roughneck ready for a long night of laying pipe in Mia Hopkins’ “We Drill Deep While Others Sleep”. Jennifer Kacey shows the lengths to which an enterprising gal will go to get the owner of an oil change shop to check her fluids in “The Boss”. And those are just a few of the sexy stories inside this collection about the everyday hero next door.

These are men who’ve built their powerful muscles from hard work rather than inside any gym, and they sure know how to use their hard-earned skills to pleasure a woman…

BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/BBBABCAMZ
Nook: http://bit.ly/BBBABCNOOK
IBooks: http://bit.ly/BBBABCIBOOKS
Kobo: http://bit.ly/BBBABCKOBO
Googleplay: http://bit.ly/BBBABCGPLAY

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/awakeningdesires/info
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

Dark Flight, my July release, is set in a dark gritty world. I hesitate to call it a dark romance because that term often suggests non-consent and there is always consent in my stories between the romantic couple (or more). There might be some capture fantasy, as there is in Dark Flight, but everyone involved agrees with any sexy times.

The world of Dark Flight is quite violent, however. It is an outlaw planet filled with the baddies of the universe. My heroes have their own codes but, outside of the settlement, there aren’t many rules. Bad things happen. The hero of Dark Flight enters gladiator-style battles because he enjoys fighting. There’s slavery and killing and, of course, explosions. (I love blowing things up.)

Recently, some writing buddies and I were talking about whether or not there’s a place for romances with dark tones or themes in a world that seems to have become darker. During uncertain times, will readers continue to read dark toned romances?

I think the fact that these are romances with the expected romance endings will ensure a place remains for them. In my stories, there’s always hope. There’s love. There’s family and often babies. (I love babies too – grins).

That makes me feel better about the real world. If my couples (or more) can find love and happiness in their much darker world, we can definitely find it right here on Earth.

My stories are also set on futuristic ships and alien planets. There are fantastic creatures and unusual situations, gorgeous sunsets and unique customs. It’s nice to leave the real world for a while. It is escapism, a little bit of a vacation.

What do you think? Is there a place for dark toned romances in today’s world? Or do you find yourself looking for romances with lighter, humorous tones?

Dark Flight

His mission. His challenge. His forever.

Orol, the Refuge’s second-in-command, has been given what he believes is a simple mission—escort two human females to the settlement. The winged warrior arrives at the meeting site to find one of the females missing and the other aiming a gun at his head. To rescue the first, he must capture the second. Once he has Rhea in his talons, however, he realizes he never wants to let her go.

Her enemy. Her captor. Her everything.

Rhea doesn’t trust anyone. She certainly doesn’t follow commands issued by a gorgeous flying male with glittering eyes, a beautiful face, and a seductive touch. Orol is dominant, edged with darkness, and determined to find her sister. Rhea will do anything to prevent that, even if it means playing sensual games of submission with her powerful enemy, seducing him into forgetting everything except her.

Dark Flight is a STAND-ALONE SciFi Romance set in a gritty, dark world.

You Can Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Flight-Refuge-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07124941B/
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Flight-Refuge-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07124941B/
Apple/iBooks/iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dark-flight/id1242494643
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-flight-cynthia-sax/1126484675
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-flight-3
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/727350

About Cynthia Sax

USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes contemporary, SciFi and paranormal erotic romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of erotic romance top ten lists.

Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter and visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com

Website:  http://cynthiasax.com/
Newsletter:   http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Facebook:  facebook.com/cynthia.sax
Twitter:  @CynthiaSax
Blog:  http://tasteofcyn.com/

Even though it’s been years since I was a kid in school, it’s permanently ingrained in my brain that the words “summer” and “vacation” must go together. Sometimes that means traveling on an actual vacation, but it also means taking things a little slower and savoring a few guilty pleasures.

With a book deadline in mid-July, this year, that’s not as easy as I’d like. But with summer finally here, it seems like a perfect time to share a few of my summertime guilty pleasures and find out a few of yours.

1. Afternoon beach breaks– Back when my kids took swimming lessons at the lake in our community, a 4:00 p.m. class meant the water was much warmer than it was at 9:00 a.m. For me, it was the perfect way to wind down the day. Years later, I still find a late afternoon beach break a great way to decompress.
2. Carnival food– For my husband, summer isn’t complete without at least one funnel cake (also known as elephant ears in some parts of the country). For me, it’s cheese fries from the little ice cream place in our town, or a soft-serve chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream cone. There’s nothing natural in either one, and we won’t even discuss the calories, but both taste great on a summer night.
3. Staying up late– My internal clock runs a little later in the summertime, and I just naturally stay up later. Which leads to cravings for soft serve ice cream. And popcorn—made in a pot on top of the stove, not in the microwave.
4. Reading– As an author, I’ll argue that this should never be a guilty pleasure, but in the summer, I’m less apt to read books to learn something–whether it’s writing craft non-fiction, or a romance that reflects a hot trend, just to see what all the fuss is about. Nope. In the summer, give me escapist reads, comfort reads, and reads outside my genre. Preferably those I can take to the beach.
5. Binge-watching– Again, this is perfect for late nights, especially when it’s too hot to do anything but stay inside with the AC cranked. Past summer binges have included Lost, Breaking Bad and UnREAL, a series set behind the scenes of a Bachelor-style reality show.

Not only was UnREAL a blast to watch, but it was also confirmed that  my book Turning It On, which is also set behind the scenes of a reality show, had the details right!

Want to see for yourself?  Win a digital copy of Turning It On by sharing one of your summertime guilty pleasures!

Turning It On

Go behind the scenes of a reality TV show, where what happens off-camera is even more outrageous than what happens on.

When book editor Hannah becomes a reluctant contestant on Last Fling, TVs sexiest reality show, she starts to question everything—including the man she’s loved half her life.  When her fickle fiance falls for a scheming starlet, Hannah enlists the show’s male stripper villain, Vlad the Bad, to help her win him back. But when the reality show villain is revealed to be a real-life hero, Hannah discovers that true love can blossom in the middle of the most unreal place of all.

Happy summer, and happy reading!  Elizabeth

About the author

Contemporary romance author Elizabeth Harmon loves to read and write romances with a dash of different. She is the author of the Red Hot Russians sports romance series. Her debut novel Pairing Off is a 2016 RITA® Award Finalist.

Website: http://www.romancewriter-girl.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethharmonauthor?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/romanzwrter_grl

Her latest book, Heating It Up: A Red Hot Russians Novella is an Antarctica-set small town romance and was released in Feb. 2017.

Lavender

When distilled, a few drops of lavender oil on a pillow aid sleep. Her lavender oil scented candles also sell well. Sometimes Viola uses it to make flavoring sachets, but it also sells well when distilled and marketed as an insect repellant.

Even the fiercest warriors love a rub down with lavender oil. It eases the pain from their aching muscles. Afterwards though, they’re not very keen on the girly smell.

Mint

Mint tea is almost everyone’s favorite. Just steep a few mint leaves in boiling water and strain. Not only is the infusion a natural decongestant, but it’s good for the digestion. Best of all, it tastes good.

Rosemary

An infusion of rosemary gives dark hair a wonderful shine. It improves the memory and helps combat muscle pain.

Saffron

Saffron helps asthma sufferers and loosens phlegm. It also boosts the body’s immune system.

Even Tempest, heroine of Claimed by the Vampire, Seduced by the Werewolf, grows these. Sadly, her magic isn’t the greatest and something always goes wrong. Like the time she summoned an ancient Spartan Vampire, or the time her demon death spell tickled her attackers. If her vampire and her werewolf hadn’t joined forces to defeat them, she’d have been real trouble. Such a shame they hate each other.

*~*~*

Claimed by the Vampire, Seduced by the Werewolf

After seven centuries, Elias, a former Spartan turned vampire, finds his eternal bride.

Seth, Elias’s werewolf half-brother, scents his mate.

Vampire and werewolf loathe each other. The only thing they agree on is that Tempest is their mate–and they’re not sharing.

A prophecy will force Tempest, a twenty-first-century witch, to choose between them. As the half-brothers vie to win her heart, they teach her about spanking, the way pain heightens pleasure, and the joy of multiple orgasms.

A vampire can’t survive without his fated bride. A werewolf dies if he loses his mate. Their future rests in Tempest’s hands. Which one will she choose?

• Note: While loosely linked to the Scattered Siblingsseries, this book may be read as a standalone story

Buy links
Loose id: https://app.bitly.com/BebnjNZnvC8/bitlinks/2pFyQ5Z
Amazon USA: http://amzn.to/2pLmmK4
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2pd1Hvt
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2qBMdl5
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/claimed-by-the-vampire-seduced-by-the-werewolf-kryssie-fortune/1126320331?ean=9781682523636

*~*~*

About Kryssie

Kryssie Fortune writes the sort of hot sexy books she loves to read. If she can sneak a dragon into her paranormal books she will. Her paranormal heroes are muscular werewolves, arrogant Fae, or BDSM loving dragons.

Kryssie likes her contemporary heroes ex-military and dominant. Her heroines are kick ass females who can hold their own against whatever life – or Kryssie – throws at them.

Kryssie’s pet hates are unhappy endings, and a series that end on a cliff hanger.
Her books are all stand-alone even when part of series. Plot always comes before sex, but when her heroines and heroes get together, the sex is explosive and explicit. One review called it downright sensual.

Media Links
Website: http://kryssiefortune.wixsite.com/kryssie
Blog: http://kryssiefortune.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KryssieFortune
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KryssiesFortune
Pinterest:  http://bit.ly/1OGFnjc
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kxqabJ
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2hA0ZVO

*~*~*

Excerpt from Claimed by the Vampire, Seduced by the Werewolf

Accepting his offer of coffee had been stupid. She knew that now. Eyes closed, she tried to picture Elias. Major fail. Her confused emotions showed Seth cradling her in his arms. She shouldn’t lust after him, not with Elias waiting for her at home.

Seth’s delicious scent—all fast-flowing rivers overlaid with the scent of ripening corn—pulled her in like a lure. His solid muscles made her want to run her hand down his torso. She loved his dimpled smile and kept stealing glances at his tempting lips. Part of her wanted to taste him right back. Damn it, I’m not a sleep-around kind of girl. With Seth, her wicked intentions punched a hole in her good-girl persona.

Determined to resist him, she shoved at his shoulder. Undeterred, he lowered his head toward hers. She ran her tongue over her lips and puckered up for him. Surely one kiss—one tiny taste—won’t hurt. Leaning toward him, she buried her hands in his curls and tugged him closer. He smiled as he moved in for his kiss, a butterfly caress that whetted her appetite and made her greedy for more. Kissing Seth seemed sensual and abandoned, a taste of forbidden fruit she couldn’t resist. Didn’t want to, really. One gentle sweep of his tongue over the seam of her lips, and she opened for him, inviting him into the damp heat of her mouth. Another moan escaped her, soft, low, and desperate. She needed him inside her, screwing her hard.

Pulling back, he cupped her cheek and gazed down at her face. His intensity, his need, and his determination to claim her showed in his eyes. She’d never felt so alive—and excluding last night—so desperate for sex.

As if in slow motion, he lowered his lips back to hers, plundering her mouth for kisses the way a pirate did treasure, and slid one arm beneath her thighs. He rose to his feet and sat her, legs open, on the table. She supported herself by putting her hands behind her as her legs dangled over the edge.

Seth shoved her skirt up her thighs, stood between her legs, and untied the bow on her blouse. The unadulterated joy in his gaze made her think of a little boy unwrapping a long-awaited Christmas present.

Thank the Goddess I’m wearing my raciest bra and panties. Her pulse rate rocketed as Seth kissed his way down her neck and ran his tongue over her breasts. It felt raspy and rough over her skin.

A needy shiver ran down her spine as he slid her blouse from her shoulders and unfastened her bra. She sat with her skirt pulled over her thighs and her torso bared for Seth’s delight. Forgetting everything except the deliciously sinful man who held her with reverent intent, she curled her arms around his neck. He’d protected her in the parking garage, comforted her, and now his lips dominated her into sweet submission. Head spinning, she clutched at his shoulders. Her pussy filled with her intimate juices, and her nipples stood like scarlet beads atop her generous breasts.

“More,” she gasped. “I need more. Make it hurt.”

Summer’s here and things get busy and sometimes with vacation and spending time with family… things can get away from us. So I’m on vacation in beautiful Mt. Tremblant with my husband, sons, and a couple of friends, and I realize that the blog post I was to do for Delilah’s blog is this week, NOT next week. Oops!

Well, you’re probably as busy as I am, so I figure you’ll be happy with short, right? So here’s an excerpt from Heat, which came out yesterday. Enjoy!

HEAT

With passion so blazing hot, you don’t want to put this fire out…

When Rikki’s first love dies in the line of duty she vows to keep her heart guarded and never give it away again.

After moving to a new town for a fresh start, she is given the opportunity to show off her photography skills and shoot a sexy fireman calendar. Although taking the job might bring up painful memories, she knows this is her best chance at fulfilling her dreams of becoming a professional photographer.

While out with her new roommates, Rikki meets Simon and Carter and feels an instant spark of attraction… to both equally gorgeous and tempting men. This is the same intense feeling she had the first time she fell in love. But how can she feel that way about two men?

When she arrives at the firehouse to shoot the calendar, she is surprised to find that Simon and Carter are firefighters so she immediately pulls back on their growing flirtation. But Simon and Carter are men who know what they want, and they want Riki. As the chemistry between them ignites Rikki finds it hard to resist falling prey to her steamiest fantasies.

Now she has to choose between keeping her heart safe… or taking a chance on love… and possibly losing everything.

Buy Link:
https://books2read.com/u/mdKVdX

* * *

Excerpt:

“From the two gentlemen at the bar. They said to say welcome to Muldone.”

Rikki’s gaze shot to the bar, and the man she’d been gazing at before smiled and nodded. Then she glanced at the man next to him and—

It was like a punch to the gut. That same intense feeling as she’d had when she’d seen the first man. That this was the man she was meant to be with.

This guy had the same type of physique as the first. Tall, muscular. Very strong. His hair was a soft brown, and wavy. She imagined it would feel soft to the touch. And his eyes seemed very warm.

His gaze shifted from his friend’s to hers  for the first time and—Wham! Instant electricity.

Oh, God, how could she have the same feeling—this very special and intense intuitive feeling—for two men?

Of course, she couldn’t. She was just reading things wrong.

The two men stood up and started to walk her way. Her heart fluttered, then started pounding faster as they approached the table.

“Hello. My name is Simon,” the first man said. “And this is my friend, Carter.”

“Hi,” Carter said.

Simon held out his hand and she shook it. At the first touch, sparks flared through her body, playing havoc with her senses. Then she shook Carter’s hand, and had the same wild reaction.

“Hi, uh . . . I’m Rikki.”

“May we join you?” Carter asked.

Ordinarily, she would make some excuse to send them away, but she was too befuddled and found herself nodding.

“I . . . uh . . . thanks for the drink.”

Simon smiled. “Our pleasure.”

“How did you know I just moved to town?”

Carter laughed. “Rhonda on the bar knows her clientele. She told us.”

Rikki nodded and took a sip of the icy drink, and the sweet flavor of peaches exploded on her tongue.

“It’s delicious.”

“So did your party break up,” Simon asked, “or will the others be coming back?”

“I’m not really sure. I’m not used to coming to places like this, but I think they might have moved on.” She could see Tina sitting at another table, and Mel leaning in close to the woman he was talking to at her table.

“So the guy just ditched you?” Simon asked.

She shrugged. “He’s not my boyfriend or anything. In fact, I barely know him. We just live together.”

At Simon’s arched eyebrow, she added, “He’s my new roommate. All three of them are. But I just met them when I moved in a few days ago.”

“Well, since they’ve moved on, do you want to go somewhere quieter where we can talk?” Carter asked.

Anxiety quivered through her. These guys were definitely moving faster than she liked.

“Don’t look so panicky,” Carter said. “I just mean we could move to a booth on the back wall. With the overhang, it’s quieter and we won’t have to fight with the music to hear each other.”

“Oh.” She glanced to the wall and saw a few booths were open. “That would be okay.”

She stood up and grabbed her purse and her gift from Anna. Simon picked up her drink and he and Carter followed her to one of the booths. As soon as she sat down, she noticed the difference in noise level.

“You’re right, this is better,” she said.

The two men sat across from her in the rectangular booth.

“I’ll just let my friends know where I am.” She grabbed her phone and texted Tina.

Way to go, Tina texted back with a winky face.

“So where did you move here from?” Carter asked.

“I was in Ashton. That’s the small town in Ohio where I grew up. But I got laid off from work and so I decided to start again someplace new.”

“And you came here because of the great scenery?” Simon asked.

“It is a beautiful spot. I hadn’t realized how pretty it was here or how much of a tourist destination  it is. I came here because a close friend from college lives here and I thought it would be fun if we lived in the same place again.”

“Friends are important.” Carter’s smile caused his eyes to twinkle.

“You two are good friends I take it,” she observed.

“That’s the truth,” Simon said.

“Yeah. We share everything.”

The glitter in Carter’s eyes sent a shiver of excitement through her. As if he’d just told her that he and Simon both wanted to be with her. To kiss her . . . undress her . . . make love to her. Together.

Oh, God, the thought of being with one of these big, muscular men was enough to steal her breath away. But the thought of being with both of them . . .

Of course, she was just being silly. Because of the weirdness of her intuitive feeling that she was meant to be with Simon. And with Carter. She was misinterpreting things. They probably shared an apartment and maybe a car and . . . whatever else guys shared on a regular basis.

Not women.

Not her.

Remember the mention of free books?

You can get free stories by signing up for my mailing list.  This gives you a chance to sample my writing to see if you enjoy it. If it’s not your style, you can unsubscribe anytime. No worries! 🙂

Sign up here: OpalCarew.com/ReaderGroup

Also, you can get a free anthology of 7 sizzling stories called Summer Nights. Perfect for your summertime reading!

Get it here: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/AbcL2

About Opal

As a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of erotic contemporary romance, Opal Carew writes about passion, love, and taking risks.  Her heroines follow their hearts and push past the fear that stops them from realizing their dreams… to the excitement and love of happily-ever-after. Her books have won several awards, including The National Readers’ Choice Award, The Golden Leaf Award (twice), The Golden Quill (3 times), CRA Award of Excellence, and Silken Sands.

Website: OpalCarew.com
New Releases: OpalCarew.com/ReaderGroup
Facebook: OpalCarewRomanceAuthor
Twitter: @opalcarew
Instagram: opal.carew
Pinterest: opalcarew
Amazon author page: bit.ly/OpalCarewAmzBlog: bit.ly/OpalsBlog
Goodreads:  bit.ly/OC_Goodreads

Click on cover to learn more!

Hi! Thank you, Delilah Devlin, for having me here today. This anthology, A COWBOY TO KEEP, Contemporary Western Romance Collection, has been a fun project. It is a privilege to work with this group of talented authors and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them and their work. I think readers will love this collection of contemporary western romances.

I always fall in love with my characters, even the bad guys, but my heroine, Dinah Marie Horne, has been a fun one for me. She entered the stage in the first book I wrote, CODE OF HONOR, Texas Code Series, as a supporting character for Maggie Benning. They had gone to college together and quickly became friends.

She was fun, brash, and quirky, sweet, funny, and loyal, and always threw herself into a situation one hundred percent. I went down the western historical trail for a while leaving Dinah to wait in the wings, non-too patiently I might add, for her own story.

Dinah’s story is finally here. We find her facing the consequences of her most recent attempts to walk her own path and questioning, as we all do from time to time, did she make the right decision? Did she already find her ‘happy ever after’ in Ben Hammond and lose it? Will she be able to get it back?

THE LEGEND OF BAD MOON RISING

Dinah Horne left for Dallas, Texas, to make her mark. When her money runs out, she returns to her hometown and the man she can’t forget. Sheriff Ben Hammond is finally over the woman who shattered his heart, and he plans to rebuild his life with the Hard Luck Ranch. Under a rising moon, will Ben and Dinah surrender to the passion still burning hot between them?

EXCERPT:

Dinah Horne sat in a booth, in the darkened corner of the Bigger Jigger, her butt, literally and figuratively, frozen to the worn, red vinyl, seat. In the last few days, she and Maggie had discussed the situation with Ben Hammond, ad nauseam. Should she move back to McTiernan? Would he accept her living here again? Could they even reside in the same county?

She’d known her leaving last year had hurt him badly. But she’d needed to follow her dream of owning and running her own business. Hadn’t she? Well, she’d done it, all right. She’d even gone the extra yardage by telling him she couldn’t spend her life simply being Mrs. Sheriff Hammond. She was destined for greater things.

And, how’s that working out for you, Sister Sue? Her mother’s voice reverberated inside her head. Less than a year and she was back in McTiernan, tail between her legs, imposing on the kindness of friends. Pathetic.

She watched Maggie hug Ben, give her an almost imperceptible nod, and leave.

How much longer would he wait for the new realtor to show up? Not long, she surmised, if he was still in the habit of having one beer before heading home for the day. Slowly, she exited the booth and made her way toward the bar. She approached Ben just as Harry set a Styrofoam box on the counter. Ben paid his bill, picked up the white carton, and fished his keys out of his pocket.

Without fanfare, Dinah slid her card onto the lid of his dinner box.

He picked up the Packard Realty card, read the generic front, and said, “Hey, I was about to leave. I thought you weren’t going to make our appointment.” He half-swiveled on the stool, stretching out his hand. “I’m Ben, and you are, Ms?”

The look in his eyes told her most of what she needed to know. “Hi, Ben.”

He stared at her, and looked again at the card. He flipped it over to see her name scrawled across the back. Handing it to her he said, “We’re not doing this. I’ll call Tristi tomorrow.”

“Ben, you can’t just run away from me.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I’ve heard it works for others. I think I’ll give it a try.”

“That’s not fair, Ben.”

He set the container down with enough force that his thumb pushed through the lid. He grabbed her by the upper arm and marched her back to the booth she’d vacated mere minutes before.

“Fair? You want to talk fair?” He pushed her into the booth and slid in next to her, effectively blocking her escape. “You up and leave with only a note taped to my gun safe. You were afraid of losing yourself? What the hell does that mean?”

“Ben, I should go.” While she knew in her heart, he wouldn’t hurt her, she did her best not push him too far. The floodgates were threatening to overflow, and she absolutely would not cry in front of him. “This was a mistake.”

“You have no idea how huge.” With that, he got up and walked straight out the front door without so much as a glance over his shoulder.

***

Ben walked into the sheriff’s office, sat in his chair, and realized, as his stomach growled, he’d left his double cheeseburger with grilled onions and fries at the Bigger Jigger. Damn. He’d been really looking forward to that most perfect combination of meat, bun, and cheese with a liberal dose of jalapeños. His mouth watered at the thought, but there was no way he was going back to pick it up. He’d starve first.

His gaze drifted over to his only other option. Unhappily, he got up and slid a dollar bill into the vending machine slot, and retrieved a bag of chips. He ate one, grimaced at the remainder of the contents, and tossed them into the trash can beside his desk.

He dropped into his chair and scrubbed his hands over his face. What was the matter with him tonight? His reaction and resulting actions toward Dinah had been, while marginally understandable, completely unacceptable. He’d convinced himself, over the past few months, he was over her, and never again would she affect him. Tonight, however, had proved how wrong he’d been. Seeing her out of the blue like that had flummoxed him almost as much as seeing her that first time in Maggie’s living room last summer. Their break-up had hit him hard, and he’d promised never again to let a woman get that close. Evidently, he hadn’t moved as far along as he’d thought.

In an effort to, finally, put his relationship with Dinah Horne to bed — an unfortunate turn of phrase indeed — he started the computer and began composing an email to Tristi Packard, owner of Packard Realty. He’d call her in the morning with his concerns, but for now . . . this was a way for him to organize his thoughts.

The front door opened and closed, breaking his concentration, and when he looked up, Dinah stood inside, with her back against the glass closure.

“Hi, Ben.” She crossed the room and set a slightly worse-for-wear white box, with a hole in the lid, onto the desk in front of him. “You forgot your dinner.”

“You didn’t have to go out of your way.”

“I was driving by anyway, and promised Harry I’d drop it off. Sorry it’s gone cold.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He managed a measure of control to avoid a repeat of his actions at the bar. He cleared his throat. “You can go now.”

She pulled up a chair and sat down. “We need to talk, Ben.”

“No, we don’t. You chose to leave, you don’t get to come back.”

“Seriously? Childish much?”

Ben stared at the blank computer screen, wishing she’d leave, yet hoping she’d stay. Quite the impossible conundrum. He waited a few beats longer until the screen went dark, and then forged ahead.

“You bleached your hair. Why?”

“There’s so much competition in Dallas real estate, that when I got my license, I thought I needed something to help me stand out in the crowd. So, I got a makeover.” She smoothed her shoulder-length hair and pressed her gloss-covered lips together into an exaggerated pout. “What do you think?”

“Doesn’t matter what I think.”

“Of course, it does, Ben. Always did.”

About the Author

Carra Copelin is an award winning and Amazon Best Selling Author in contemporary and historical romances but, unlike so many other authors, didn’t write from childhood or read long into the night beneath the covers with a flashlight. She found romance novels as an adult. After reading about a million, she discovered numerous people residing in her head, all looking for a way onto the printed page.

She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and she regularly contributes to romance blog, Smart Girls Read Romance. She is a member of The Daughters of the American Revolution and The Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Carra and her hero live in North Central Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex where they enjoy family and their three beautiful grandchildren.

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