All About the Writing

3 Things I Want to Know About Kayelle Allen

Here's me being nosy again! I invited Kayelle Allen, who is one of my favorite people, to talk about her latest release, The Last Vhalgenn--as well as some other fun things I wanted to know about. I think you'll enjoy what she has to say. So here goes!

1.  You write about sci fi fantasy worlds, and I'm intrigued to find out how you come up with the various unusual names for your characters. Have you ever decided that you misnamed somebody and had to change it later?

I try not to do normal names because societies undergo change and names are a product of the societies in which they are created. I have Luc Saint-Cyr, and Wulf Gabriel, but most of the others are quite unique. It also means I rarely have to worry about accidentally using a name for a real-life person. That said, I named Wulf's artist friend Anne Cain after my artist friend Anne Cain. I got her permission first, and she even graced my website with a mini art gallery for my character. But other names like Dessy, Izzorah, and Alitus are not likely to be found. Changing a name? No. I had an editor suggest I change Luc's name once. She thought it sounded too modern day. Trouble is, he'd been a character in three books by the time, so that was ignored. And anyway, that particular character is an immortal, and takes on names the way some people change coats. Luc Saint-Cyr fit his persona for the current world.

Once I decided on a name for her, Raik Ty Hellesbor, clan Ddumach of The Last Vhalgenn came to life. Her name is part of her, and defines her. The name "Ty" means "committed for service" and designates a service from birth. She was born into the Ddumach clan but committed to Hellesbor, in service to the King's house. In the sequel, Return of the Vhalgenn, the name "Loc" is used for the main character. It means "apprenticed" and will show the young hero is not yet on his own. Names are functional parts of a society, and I try to incorporate that concept wherever I can.

2.  How cool about naming a character after your artist friend! And I know exactly what you mean about characters coming to life once you have their name right. Okay, next question: If you and I were forced to fight for Tom Hiddleswoon's attention, would it involve arm wrestling, or rock/paper/scissors?

Oh, Donna. Really? You know I would totally share him with you. Because I would want someone to talk to about him and the experience and I could tell you ANYthing! And just think of the fun we'd have together.

3.  *gulps* Uh, sharing. Of course. Why didn't I think of that! (We'd definitely have fun together with TH. *takes a moment to swoon*) Which scene in The Last Vhalgenn was the first one you wrote?

The opening of the story, in the throne room. I originally wrote it as a male character returning, but decided to go with the more unusual aspect of a female warrior. The Vhalgenn is in love with him, and you can tell that in the way she sees him. He's lush, and sultry, and in command. But she can still take an apple right out of his hand and bite into it, and then hand it back as if it's no big deal. She's comfortable with him, despite the fact that he's exactly the man she wants and the king.

~~~~~~

Kayelle Allen is a multi-published, award-winning Science Fiction Romance author of unstoppable heroes, uncompromising love, and unforgettable passion.

Homeworld ~ Unstoppable Heroes Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

 

The Last Vhalgenn

Duty to king and country has shaped Raik's life since birth, but to protect them, she must perform a ritual that betrays all she holds sacred.

The Vhalgenn is a warrior, bedmate, soulmate, companion, and friend. Trusted by the king. Hated by the queen. To save the newborn prince, the Vhalgenn will risk her position, her honor, and death itself to honor the Old Ways. But when she takes the newborn prince to the queen's homeland for a ritual blessing, she discovers a betrayal so deep the kingdom -- and her heart -- might never recover.

This fantasy features a strong heroine, and was originally part of the 2008 EPIC eBook Award Finalist anthology A Time To... Volume 1 - The Best of The Lorelei Signal, from Wolfsinger Publications, which is now out of print. The strong female heroine possesses nobility, honor, and courage, and is a role model for women. The book is dedicated to all women warriors, whatever their battle, and is written by a female veteran. Available exclusively at Amazon.

Sign up for an email when the sequel, Return of the Vhalgenn, is available.

Excerpt

In this scene from The Last Vhalgenn, the heroine, Raik, has just bathed and eaten, and is alone with King Orix. They grew up together, but his new queen barred Raik from the palace. Raik is back to deliver news of a battle and while delighted to be with Orix, is nervous about his queen discovering them.

Orix set his fingers beneath my chin, and turned my face up to his. "You're more than pretty, Vhalgenn, you're magnificent. She's never once sat near the fire with me and talked."

It had been our nightly ritual. "Never?"

"Never." He brushed my hair back from my face. "I've learned to get along with her, Vhalgenn, but I never had to learn anything with you. We grew up with one another. You were my partner in everything I did. My lover, my sister, my sparring partner, my best friend. My everything."

I lifted my head to look up at him. As I did, his mouth came down on mine. A feverish chill coursed through me at his touch. I'd wanted his mouth from the moment I'd seen him on his throne. Orix could not help but be languid and sultry and hot. I felt desire emanating from him like heat from an oven with its door ajar. It scorched my face and I drew in a shallow breath, afraid of being burnt.

Resisting him was something I had never done, except in play. He thought I meant it that way now and made as if to pressure me, until he saw my eyes were brimming.

"Please, Orix. Don't." I pushed myself away from him. "I can't."

He frowned, confused. For him, life was simple. A need? Fulfill it. Thirsty? Drink. Hungry? Eat. Lusty? Love.

"Half the palace must know I'm here. Do you think your queen will let this go unnoticed? She'll have someone in here to check on me before the night's through and I won't be thrown out again, Orix. I couldn't bear it."

"Vhalgenn, I promise. She'll never know."

"No!" I moved away from him. "She's no fool. She's your queen and she's risking her life to have your child. The least you can do is be faithful."

The look of horror on his face tore out a piece of my heart. Then I realized he was looking past me.

His pregnant queen stood in the darkness, right outside the door.

~~~

Kayelle has a little freebie for everyone, an illustrated eBook called Behind the Scenes with The Last Vhalgenn. This is an inside look at the characters and setting in the story. When you click the link, this will either offer you a download, or open in a new window, depending on your settings. To read it, you need Adobe Reader, available free. 

Friday Friends: Elizabeth Smith

This is a Friday Friends intro that I've been so excited to write. I met Elizabeth, in person, many years ago. I like to say she's the reason I started to write in the first place. I had gone to my very first Romantic Times convention, by myself, not knowing anybody there, and I was a nervous wreck. Even worse, I felt like a complete fraud because everyone else seemed like writing pros and I was still in that "wish I could write something" stage. I forced myself to go to the first event, a cocktail party, but I only planned to stay for about 3 and a half minutes, and then I'd spend the rest of the conference in my hotel room. Just as I walked into the party, Elizabeth must have seen how terrified I was, because she came up to me and said in her sweet, calm, Southern-accented voice, "Are you new too?"

I ended up staying, and hanging out with Elizabeth and a few others who joined our group, and it was one of the best things I've ever experienced. As soon as I got home, I started writing up a storm. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I was excited to give it a try, since it was something I'd been wanting to do for such a long time. Elizabeth and I have been long-distance friends ever since, even when life got in the way and we weren't in contact for several years. Recently she found me on Facebook and we've gotten to reconnect, and it's been such a delight catching up. I'm also thrilled she's got her first indie book out.

So please, welcome the lovely and talented Elizabeth Smith to Friday Friends!

1.  Of all the characters you've created, which one is your favorite? (*waves arms* Hey, characters! Free snacks over here!) Why do you love them best?  This is like asking a parent which of their children they love the most. I love them all, but Joe Devlin, the hero in Nobody's Baby, my first published novel will always be special to me. But then there's Jack McConnell (A Bittersweet Bed) who practically shouted to me that besides being a great looking guy, he was also more complex than I first thought. How could I resist that combination?

2.    2.  I remember Joe! He definitely was swoony. But now I've got a soft spot for Jack, after reading your excerpt below. What's your go-to "writing avoidance" technique? (I'm fainting at the thought of running out of these!)  Well, at first it was email, then Facebook, which can always be justified as "marketing," but lately it's been cleaning house--which is really scary because I can ignore an awful lot of dust before I feel the need to do anything about it. 

3.    3.  Eeek! Cleaning house? If you were able to go on a writing retreat (and bring all of us along, of course!), where would it be? (My suitcases are always packed. No, seriously. Don't mind me.) I don't have to think about this one--Venice. Bring your Italian for travelers phrase book.

4.    4. "Buono!" Just thought I'd start practicing. LOL What's the word you love to use (and overuse, so you have to take it out of your book during edits)? "That" and "Just."  I think "just" might be a Southern thing (as in "I just looove your shoes."), and after I delete all the unnessary "thats" I swear I won't do the same thing on the next manuscript.

5.    5.  I think "just" is such an important word. It helps with the cadence and sound of a sentence. (That's my story. . .) Name the first thing you'll do when you make a million dollars from your books. Travel around the world.

Buono! Sorry -- I didn't want to get rusty before the trip starts! Okay, here's a lightning round we'll call Tasty Ten, where we get to know you in a speed dating kind of way:

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Drafting or revising? Drafting--that's the exciting part of writing. I hate revising.

Twitter or Facebook? I'm barely able to post on Facebook, so Twitter is safe--for now.

Winter or Summer? Summer.

Morning or evening? Not a morning person.

Contemporary or historical? Both.

Pirate or cowboy? Pirate

Heels or flats? Heels

Abs or pecs? Abs

Biter or licker? (Hey! I'm talking ice cream cones here!) Biter

~~~~~~~~

Author Bio

Ignoring well-meaning advice to get a degree in something practical, Elizabeth Smith pursued her dream of becoming an artist. Starting out as a graphic artist, she progressed to package designer, and later advertising director and creative director. A career change led her to teaching. Most recently she taught high school (Spanish, not Art) and has decided that all the problems of the world can easily be solved by asking a teenager what they would do--something her two daughters tried to tell her many times. She is the author of four novels and lives in South Carolina with her husband, Don, where she continues to write stories of romance, mystery and suspense.

Social Media Links

www.facebook.com/ElizabethSmithBooks

Blurb

One night can change everything.  Now three years later, Cammie Richards has decided to put aside her delusions that NCIS agent Jack McConnell will come back to her and the two-year-old son he knows nothing about. But imagine Cammie's astonishment when Jack, with absolute confidence in his charm, saunters back into her life and into her heart. Ignoring her vow to forget about him, she is completely dazzled by his incredibly sexy smile and sky-blue eyes. Wanting them to have time to know one another, Cammie decides not to tell Jack that he's the father of her child. But it doesn't take long for Jack to realize that Cammie is looking for the promise of a future together. And that is more than Jack is prepared to give. Still haunted by tragedy, he's sworn not to become emotionally entangled--especially with a pretty single mother and a cute little kid that calls him "Dack."

Excerpt

     Just then, the salesman, a somber-looking man in his early sixties, approached. "May I help you?"

     "Yes, sir," said Jack, still reclining and still holding Cammie hostage. "We are going to buy one of these, but we haven't decided which one, have we, honey?"

     "Will you stop?" she hissed.

     "You see, I like a firm mattress. To me, sleeping on the floor feels good."

     "Then maybe that's what you should do," whispered Cammie through clenched teeth.

     "But my sweetie, here, she likes things soft and cuddly, don't you, darlin'?"

     Cammie rolled her eyes. "Jack, I'm warning you. I work in this mall, and at any moment someone could walk by that-- Oh, no!" Cammie turned and pressed her face against Jack's shoulder, burrowing into the mattress as far as she could.

     The salesman cleared his throat. "We have some other mattresses over here. Perhaps you and your wife would care to, uh, test these out?"

     "Oh, we're not married," explained Jack.

     "Will you be quiet?" pleaded Cammie in a muffled voice, then turned her face away again just as a tall, silver-haired woman in her mid-sixties glanced over at them across several rows of mattresses.

     Jack rolled away from Cammie and sat up on the side of the bed. Cammie quickly scooted toward him, hiding her face at the base of his spine. "Don't move," she instructed in a harsh whisper.

     "Awww, Cam, honey, you don't have to be embarrassed. I'm sure this nice man sells lots of mattresses to people like us."

     "There are no other people like us," she said. To add emphasis to her message, she balled up her fist and punched him.

     Just then the woman from across the aisle called out, "Cammie? Cammie Richards? Is that you?"

    Oh crap! Cammie moaned and scooted out from behind Jack, pushing her hair out of her face and attempting a weak smile as she swung her feet to the floor. "Hello, Mrs. Kingsley. What a surprise to see you here."

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo and other online retailers

I'm Back!

I hope I'm not jinxing things, but after several days of my blog being down, it looks like it is back up!

Also, I have had the rights reverted to me for I Do. . . or Die, and in the near future, I will be showing off the new cover. I'll also let you know when it is published again.

So, fingers crossed that the blog stays put, because I've got some fun guests coming up soon!

Newsletter Subscribers Assemble!

Oh, sorry about that. I just watched the Avengers movie last night, since I needed a Loki fix, and clearly I'm still under the influence.  (I'm also still cackling over The Hulk flopping Loki around on the asphalt like he was a rag doll. I love Loki, but dang, he deserved that one!)

Anywho, I wanted to remind you I have a print copy of the Strangers on a Train book to give away. This contains all five of the stories, in one volume. The lucky winner will be one random person who is subscribed to my newsletter.

What's that? You're not subscribed to my newsletter? Well, it's SO easy. I'll include the link below, or you can use the form on the upper right portion of the page. 

I'll pick the winner on Thursday, April 17th.

And who knows? There could be other goodies in the next newsletter that goes out later this month, so it'll be a win/win situation, no matter what.

I'll ship the book internationally--unless you live on the North Pole or Mars. So don't delay! Only a few days left.

Newsletter Signup

 

3 Things I Want to Know About Mae Clair

Mae Clair is one of my favorite people. She's SO nice, and friendly, and talk about supportive! She's definitely a writer's best friend. Each week Mae blogs about mythical creatures, and it's always fascinating, as well as informative. (Okay, a few of them are scary enough that I have to read them with my eyes closed. I'm chicken!) I also love all the adventure and mystery in her romance books. She's got a new one out, Solstice Island, that she's just self-published, and I can't wait to read it.

Please welcome Mae while I get all nosy and ask her a few things that are on my mind!

1. You write about some intriguing mythical creatures, in your books and on your blog. Which one do you REALLY want to see in real life?

Wow. Nothing like starting with the hardest question first! Hmm . . . there are so many critters and beings I’d love to chat with, so that’s a really tough one to answer. I’ve done the most research on the Mothman who haunted West Virginia in the mid-1960s, but I’m not sure I’d want to run into a seven foot winged humanoid with glowing red eyes if push came to shove. For some reason I always viewed the Loch Ness Monster as a kind of benevolent sea creature and would love to spy her from the banks of the lake. 

“Look, there’s Nessie!” Can you imagine me jumping up and down, pointing excitedly from the shore? From a nice safe distance, of course. She might not be as benevolent as I think!

2.  I can totally see you doing that. LOL And I'm sure you can see me cowering behind you, saying, "Are you sure we're far enough away?" So, do Daniel and Rylie, the hero and heroine of Solstice Island, love coffee as much as we do?

It was a drastic oversight on my part NOT to have them drinking coffee. Duh! :D I’m going to step out on a limb and say they love the stuff (I can do that, right? I’m the author.) In the novella, they drink beer and spring water. Oh . . . and some seawater, when a certain beastie decides to snack on their boat.

3.  Yes, you can do that! And I hope they don't gulp down TOO much seawater. Which scene was the first one you wrote?

I’m one of those annoying linear writers who always starts with scene one, connects it to scene two and so on. Solstice Island was a little different in that it wasn’t originally called Solstice Island. I’m not even sure what it was called! More than likely, it didn’t have a title at the time. 

The opening prologue was the beginning of longer novel I intended to write. Instead of Daniel’s parents being on the boat it was a college kid and his girlfriend having an amorous night while tying one on. That got scrapped, but I liked some of the “creature” scenes I’d written, so I kept those and modified the rest to fit my shorter novella.

I love when pieces of a story can be used for a different one. I've done that a couple times, although at first it feels like I've got a FrankenWIP. Hey, maybe that's a monster you can blog about!

Anywho, thanks for stopping by today, Mae. It was great to have you, as always, and I'm looking forward to more great stories from you!

~~ Bio ~~

Mae Clair has been chasing myth, monsters and folklore through research and reading since she was a kid. As an adult, she stumbled onto the field of cryptozoology and realized there were others like her who loved speculating about weird and wonderful creatures. 

Her blog, From the Pen of Mae Clair, features a weekly post each Monday where she examines a different myth or urban legend. In 2013, she journeyed to West Virginia to learn more about the legendary Mothman, a creature who will factor into an upcoming novel.

As a writer, she pens tales of romantic mystery flavored with a twist of myth or folklore. Married to her high school sweetheart, Mae lives in Pennsylvania. Her passions include cats, history and exploring old graveyards.  Look for Mae on her website at MaeClair.net.

~~ Social media links ~~

Website and Blog ~ Twitter ~ Google+ ~ Facebook  

Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Solstice Island

Can an ancient leviathan work magic between a practical man and an idealistic woman?

Rylie Carswell is an amateur cryptozoologist in search of a mythical creature, the Sea Goliath. In order to reach Solstice Island, a location the ancient leviathan is rumored to haunt, she’s forced to hire charter boat captain, Daniel Decatur.

Initially, Daniel wants nothing to do with the trip or the fool woman waving double payment in his face. Convinced she’s yet another loony treasure hunter looking for gold on the remote island, he reluctantly agrees. An embittered neighbor wants to have his charter license yanked, so the extra cash will help him stay afloat.

It doesn’t take long for Daniel to realize Rylie is after the same beast his parents were tracking when they mysteriously vanished ten years earlier. He’s avoided all links to cryptozoology ever since, but the smart and sexy cryptid hunter has him second-guessing his oath and wondering what he’s signed on for.

Warning:  A family legacy, glowing plankton and rough waters.

~~ Excerpt ~~

“I’m busy too,” Rylie snapped. “If you don’t want double your usual fee, I’ll find someone who does.”

That stopped him. It was still early in the season. Double would get him off to a good start before the Memorial Day customers kicked in. He could use the upfront cash. Business stood to be less this year thanks to Gus Claremont’s vindictive slander.

Recalling last season’s accident sent a phantom twinge of pain through the deep scar on his back. Best not to think of that now. 

Grimacing, Daniel shoved the wretched memories aside. He hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his faded jeans and turned to face the woman on his deck. She stood with her arms crossed, her expression sour. The sunglasses were perched on top of her head now, revealing eyes the color of honey, smoldering with agitation.

“Well?” She didn’t stamp her foot but tapped it restlessly. He had to admit she was cute, despite looking indignant and quarrelsome. Maybe he’d misjudged her. She appeared to have backbone even sporting those oversized Gucci sunglasses.

He shrugged, not wanting to come off as eager. “What are we fishing for?”

“Does it matter?”

 “I have to allow for rigging and bait.”

 “You won’t need either.”

He frowned. “Look, lady, I’m not a tour boat. If you’re in the market for a sunbathing cruise, Keel Beach isn’t the place.”

“I’m not interested in a tan. I need you to take me to these coordinates.” She pulled a creased slip of paper from her pocket and thrust it at him. “Can you do it or not?”

Daniel unfolded the paper, mentally gauging the location. Something cold and ugly crawled through his gut. “This is Solstice Island.”

~~ Available for purchase at Amazon ~~ 

My 15 Minutes at Romance University

I'm a guest today at Romance University, where I discuss an editing technique that has proven SO useful to me recently. It just requires 15 minutes of your time. So stop by and you'll see what I'm talking about!

Also, don't forget that I've got a giveaway for my newsletter subscribers. I'm giving away ONE print copy of the Strangers on a Train book, which contains all five stories.

You have until April 17th to sign up for the newsletter, but why wait? Just add your name to the list in that little box in the right-hand corner!

BACK ON TRACK Giveaway!

Today is release day for the German translation of Back on Track, which is titled Ticket ins Unbekannte. Each of the five stories were released separately, one per week, and since mine is the last of them to be released, I like to think of it as the caboose.

Today is also the one year (and a day) anniversary of the original e-book being published. So naturally I thought, "What better time for a giveaway?"

I have a print copy of the Strangers on a Train book to give away. This contains all five of the stories, in one volume. The lucky winner will be one random person who is subscribed to my newsletter.

What's that? You're not subscribed to my newsletter? Well, it's SO easy. I'll include the link below, or you can use the form on the upper right portion of the page. If Facebook lets you see my page, you can use the form right underneath the banner with all the book covers.

I'll pick the winner two weeks from today, on April 17th.

And who knows? There could be other goodies in the next newsletter that goes out later this month, so it'll be a win/win situation, no matter what.

I'll ship the book internationally--unless you live in Antarctica or something. You know how I feel about cold and snow and perpetual winter. *shivers*

Newsletter Signup

 

3 Things I Want to Know About A.S. Fenichel

My guest today is A. S. Fenichel, and she's got a new release, Joshua's Mistake, to tell you about. But before we get to that, I got all nosy and asked her a few questions that were on my mind. Please welcome A. S. to the blog!

Hi Donna! I’m so happy to be here. Thank you very much for having me on your blog.

1. I'm thrilled to have you here! First off, your last name is so distinctive. Where did it come from? And how is it pronounced?

Ha! My last name is my own. It’s the one I was born with, my maiden name. It’s Austrian but may have been changed at Ellis Island and no one in my family knows what it might have been prior to coming to America in the early 1890’s. It is pronounced "Fen-i-shell". 

2. *murmurs it with a French accent* Oh, next question. You've shared great recipes on your blog. If you invited your hero and heroine, Joshua and Tessa, over for dinner, what would you make for them? (Yeah, I'll be there too, so you have even numbers at the table.)

Thank you! My husband and I love to cook. In fact we spent half of our Italian honeymoon at a cooking class in Tuscany. So the food would likely be Italian. Most people don’t mind our penchant for Italian and Mediterranean cooking. ;)  Hope you like it too. 

Menu

For the appetizer: Mussels steamed in white wine and garlic and served with a nice chardonnay. Crusty bread for dipping!

The pasta course: Penne with a simple red sauce. 

The entre: Thick steak grilled and then finished in a balsamic sauce. Served with Chianti 

Rosemary peas made with butter.

Roasted scalloped potatoes dripping with three kinds of cheese

For dessert: my homemade tiramisu. (You will die for this sweet pleasure.)  

What time can I expect you?

3. I'm ringing your doorbell right now! What was the first scene you wrote in this book?

I almost always write from the beginning. I started Joshua’s mistake with Joshua arriving at the safe house at the New Jersey Shore where Tessa is being held by the FBI. He has been called in to do a mind probe, a very dangerous and invasive form of interrogation. However, what should have been a violent encounter, changes both of their lives. 

A mind probe? Sounds intriguing. Thanks so much for giving us the inside scoop! And now here's more info about Joshua's Mistake -- I can't wait to read it.

~~~~~~

Accused of treason and the murder of her Psychic Special Forces team, Tessa is in the custody of the FBI. She’s shocked and terrified when the most powerful Psi Agent in the world shows up to probe her mind and discover her guilt or innocence.

Joshua never expected to find a victim of one of his probes attractive, but he can’t seem to leave her behind when all hell breaks loose. Saving the stunning blonde means being drawn into a psychic war that will definitely end his career—and likely both of their lives.

The rhythm of their psychic auras hums to perfection and neither can fight the bond, but it’s all ripped away by a madman with a grudge. Tessa falls into a coma, and Joshua will have to risk his heart and soul to pull her back from the brink.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

~~~Excerpt~~~

Joshua got up from the farm table. “I’ll be back in a little while. Peggy, can you show Tessa where she can rest?”

Peggy smiled warmly. “Of course. You’ll be wanting a shower too. If you give me those clothes, I’ll get them in the washing machine and have them clean when you wake up.”

“You’re very kind, Mrs. Flack.”

She waved a bony hand in dismissal. “You just call me Peggy. Everyone does.”

Tessa had said all the right things to Peggy. She had been polite and controlled her emotions. Inside, she was just short of full on panic. He was leaving her. Who could blame him? Tessa didn’t want to alarm the Flacks so she remained silent, yet practically screamed in her mind, “Where the hell are you going? Are you leaving me here?”

Part of her wanted him to hear and another part of her understood why he would want to get as far away from her as possible. Just because she could feel his emotions didn’t mean he would sense hers. He was undoubtedly very practiced at closing off his mind. If he was really a level ten psychic, he would have to just to stay sane.

He’d likely get killed if he stayed with her. At least he’d gotten her to a place where she could try to catch a few hours of sleep and then she’d be on the run. Probably for the rest of her life, however long that might be.

From the way his head spun around, she might as well have spoken out loud. His eyes widened and then he stalked toward her. He was visceral and terrifying. His body language said he wanted her and he might take her right there in the kitchen.

Tessa held her ground in the center of the old linoleum floor. She didn’t know if she wanted to move closer or run away. Everything about Joshua made her at once, curious, aroused and afraid.

Bill cleared his throat and walked out the door with his shotgun in his hand.

Peggy said, “Well, um…I’ll just wait for you in the next room, Tessa dear.”

Joshua didn’t stop until he was standing with only a sliver of light between them. She had to crane her neck to look up at him. His mouth came within a centimeter of hers, but he never touched her.

“I’m not leaving you.”

Her heart pounded in her chest and her stomach clenched painfully. “I can take care of myself.”

One side of his mouth lifted. His right hand came up and calloused fingers slid across her cheekbone. He was powerful. He could kill her. If his psi rating was true, he could likely kill her without touching her, but he could just as easily snap her neck. She could defend herself, but what would be the point. This was Joshua Lakeland. Eventually he would win.

Those same fingers continued until they were threaded through her hair and he forced her to look him in the eye. “I know you can, Tessa. I’m not leaving because I don’t want to leave you. I can’t explain why, but we’re in this together. You’re going to have to learn to trust me.”

She had to force air into her lungs. “I’ve already taken several leaps of faith. You just said you were leaving. If you want to go, then go.”

He shook his head, but didn’t release her. “I’m going to get rid of the car. I don’t want to get picked up by the local police because we made a rookie mistake and kept a stolen car too long.”

“Oh.” She could feel her cheeks flushing.

His left hand came up and cupped her other cheek. He ran a thumb along her bottom lip. She wanted to be impervious to his attention, but her body trembled at his touch.

His mouth drew closer. His breath mingled with hers as her lips separated partially in shock at what was about to happen and partially in need of his kiss. Those deep blue eyes locked with hers and she couldn’t blink or look away. He scanned her face to her lips, closed his eyes and stepped away.

Tessa’s instinct told her she should throw her arms around his neck and take the kiss he’d nearly given. Her cautious nature kept her feet planted in the spot on the linoleum.

Only the sound of heavy breathing filled the kitchen for several ticks of the clock.

“I’ll be back in a little while. You’d better get some rest.” Joshua walked out the kitchen door into the yard.

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~~~About the Author~~~

A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back. 

A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story.

Multi-published in erotic, contemporary and historical romance, A.S. is the author of the Mayan Destiny series, Christmas Bliss and many more. With several books currently contracted to multiple publishers, A.S. will be brining you her brand of romance for many years to come. 

Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the East Texas with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history, and puttering in her garden.

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