Hello and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in excerpts of ten sentences or fewer.

Okay, now I’m suffering from empty nest syndrome. I’ve been working on Wild for two years, and releasing my baby into the…well, wild…makes for a strange mix of relief and anxiety. Other than obsessively track sales, what’s a writer to do? Oh, yes, write.  The first draft of Snow is nearly done, and there’s a back log of projects that could keep me busy for a decade or so. But for now, I’ll take a few days to stare wistfully into the middle distance and wonder what people do who don’t have a cast of characters constantly chattering away in their heads, demanding to be brought to life.

Last week, Jacqui (in his cat form) got caught napping in Wyatt’s laundry basket. Now he has to figure out how to explain to Wyatt why he snuck out in the night…without his clothes.

***

Jacqui raced home as if his tail were on fire.

Not so bad. Had to happen.

Left my phone, my clothes, everything behind. How will I explain it?

Oh.

Jacqui tore up his street, cut through the gap between two buildings, and scrambled up the madrone tree behind his apartment. He was in the habit of leaving his bedroom window open, just in case, and now, the in case had occurred.

He squeezed in, jumped on the bed, shook himself.

What’s that smell?

That’s ten.  Here’s a bit more to follow up on Cat’s observation:

Gotta be fast. Wyatt’s gonna call or come over. He’s wondering where we are right now. He’ll see the phone on the kitchen counter. Shit, he’ll come over, make sure I’m alive.

Wait. Something’s off.

No time. Shift. Now.

***

Wild: Jacqui the Cat Mysteries #4 ~ Available Now!

Cat Shifter Jacqui Corleone has finally met his fated mate, but unlike in a romance novel, reality has other plans. For one thing, Wyatt doesn’t know Jacqui is a shifter. For another thing, the dog men are back, and along with their slobber and their bad breath they bring a new level of danger to Jacqui’s life, and to Wyatt’s. When Jacqui meets other cat shifters for the first time, he’s tantalized by a glimpse into their strange new world, but cats aren’t much nicer than dogs, and soon Jacqui must choose if he’s going to run again, or stand and fight against an enemy more powerful than he ever imagined.

Click Here to buy on Amazon.

Prowl, Book #1 in the series, is available for free until Midnight Saturday (8/29). Click here to dive into Jacqui!