Tag Archives: paranormal romance

Weekend Writing Warriors~ Ordinary

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Greetings and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide range of genres share from their work in excerpts of ten sentences or fewer, with maybe a bit more to round out the scene.

My last excerpt ended on a downer note. Jacqui found out from Reggie that cat shifters don’t tolerate cross-breeds and kill them at birth. Jacqui, being part Caracal, part-domestic, is in mortal danger. Plus, his people are jerks. I’ve skipped ahead a bit to get Jacqui back to his usual brand of crazy trouble. I might share one more scene from Wild before I switch to my next release, coming soon!

***

Overcome with emotion, Reggie opened his arms wide and lurched toward Jacqui, declaring, “I’m so glad we met!”

Jacqui braced himself and accepted the hug. He expected to be squeezed and throttled, but Reggie folded around him gently and rested his chin on Jacqui’s shoulder. He was about three inches taller, and gangly like a teenager, but hard, his arms quivering with repressed strength. 

Jacqui patted him politely on his bare back.

Reggie murmured in his ear, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Jacqui bristled and pushed him away.

“I thought you said you weren’t tracking me.”

“I wasn’t!” Reggie rolled his eyes.

That’s ten. Here’s a bit more to get us to Jacqui’s next challenge.

“I meant, in theory. I was looking for someone like you.”

“Oh.” Jacqui continued to scrutinize him with suspicion.

What the hell is going on here? What does this nude cat man want from us?

Footsteps on the stairs outside forestalled this line of questioning. The footsteps ended, followed by a knock. A certain rat-a-tat-tat.

Wyatt!

Jacqui hiss-whispered, “It’s Wyatt! Hide.”

Reggie smirked and said loudly, “What? You let your ord boss you around?”

“‘Ord’?” Jacqui asked before he could stop himself.

“Ordinary. Guess you’ve been out of touch for a long time, huh? Do you want me to shift? Be your new pet?”

“Yes. No. Wait. Stop.” He knew Wyatt would have heard Reggie’s voice, if not the words. He seized a bolt of fabric from his worktable, unwound it, and threw it over Reggie’s shoulder, then wrapped it around him like a toga. “You’re a client. Shut up and behave or I’ll claw your scrawny ass to ribbons.”

***

***

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 decide 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.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Crashing

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

Last week, Jacqui found out something terrible about cat shifters. They don’t tolerate crossbreeds, and put them down at birth. Jacqui is half caracal, half domestic, so here he is, dealing with the fallout of that information:

***

Like a crashing line of dominoes, several monumental thoughts hit him—one by one.

One—his mother had abandoned him for good reason. He was a reject. He should have been put down. She’d left him with regular humans to save his life, and maybe hers. So risky a choice, and yet so necessary. He’d always believed she cared about him, wanted him to survive, because her last words to him, seared deep into the marrow of his subconscious, were, “Never let them see you shift.” Now he could see why, if she really had cared about him, she would’ve dumped him on the stoop of a church.

But then, Domino Number Two hit; a thought that had never occurred to him. His tribe didn’t want him.

That’s ten, but I’ve finished out the rest of Jacqui’s thoughts below:

Or more accurately, he didn’t have a tribe. He’d always imagined that when he found his people, they would welcome him back with loving arms, rejoice in his homecoming as if he were a lost prince, or at least a lost brother, or second cousin.

But there would be no welcome. No homecoming. They hated him. Wanted him dead.

Domino Number Three—there were a lot of cat people out there somewhere, and they weren’t nice.

***

***

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 decide 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.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Jacqui’s People

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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.

I don’t know about you guys, but I could use some light-hearted fiction to take my mind off things. All the things.  That’s one reason I love Jacqui. He always makes me smile and laugh at my own jokes.  I hope he makes you smile too.

In this scene from Wild: Jacqui the Cat Mysteries #4, Jacqui isn’t feeling too light-hearted. He’s discovered an intruder in his apartment, and is about to have his world up-ended.  You can read last week’s snippet here, if you like.

***

“Reggie. We met last night.” The grin became stiff and the man’s nervousness seeped through his initial bravado. Man-boy. Young. Early twenties. Lanky but muscular. Big, almost buggy brown eyes. A close-cut, amateurish hair cut that might have been self-inflicted with garden shears. Toothy smile.

That’s ten. A lot of short sentences there so I’ll finish out the moment:

Cute as all get out. Rough boy manner. Rough like that mangy stray—

Cat!

Jacqui couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t stop clutching the scissors like a mad man.

“You okay, dude?” the man asked.

Cat man. Cat shifter. One of his people. Jacqui’s people. Here in the flesh. All the flesh.

Nude cat shifter man in my place!

***

 

***

 

I’m doing the book tour thing, featuring the entire Jacqui the Cat Mysteries line up. You can click here to read up on all the books and enter a giveaway for an Amazon gift card!

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 decide 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.

 

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Just a Cat

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

Maybe you fellow writers out there can help me with this: Wild received a four-star rating on Amazon, and the accompanying review was “Gaaaaaaahhhh!”  I’m thinking that must mean the reader was so engrossed in the book they hated for it to end. Yeah, I think that’s the interpretation I’m going with. Do you concur?

And on to the snippet. I’m sharing from my new release, Wild: Jacqui the Cat Mysteries #4. I’ve skipped ahead a little bit from last week. Jacqui shifted back to human form, threw on some clothes and . . . .

***

He dashed down the narrow spiral staircase from his loft to the living area. It was a small studio with an open floor plan, which made it hard to miss anything out of place.

Like that smell.

Jacqui forced himself to stop moving and pay attention. Once he did, his scalp prickled and his nostrils flared. He sniffed and detected the sharp aroma of a stranger.

A cat!

It’s just a cat.

Just a cat?

That stray—he snuck in here last night and peed on our stuff!

That’s ten. Here’s a tidbit more.

No, human, focus. He’s still here.

Jacqui focused. Took a deeper breath. Cat was correct.

As usual.

***

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.

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ On Fire

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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!

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ A Threat

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

I’m sharing from Wild: Jacqui the Cat Mysteries #4, to be released August 27th! I’ve jumped ahead to Chapter 2. After his encounter with the strange stray, Jacqui allowed himself to accidentally on purpose fall asleep as Cat in Wyatt’s laundry basket. Wyatt’s relationship with Jacqui in his cat form is rather fraught. You can probably guess by the fact that Wyatt calls him Satan. A few people have told me Wyatt seems a little mean, but you have to remember, Jacqui is half-Caracal, so he’s big, as well as being a typical stray cat with attitude to spare.

***

A click woke him up. Bright lights flooded his hidey-hole. Jacqui lifted his head from beneath a towel, ears spiked and on full rotation.

“Holy fucking—?” Wyatt said. He stood in the doorway, hand still on the light switch, looking rumpled in baggy pajama pants, brown hair sideways, delicious chest exposed, adorable.

But also over six feet tall, looming, angry, a threat.

Jacqui sprang out of the basket and jumped to the top of the dryer. His claws skittered on the slick surface and he nearly slid off the far edge.

“Satan! Where the hell did you come from?” Wyatt demanded.

That’s ten. Here’s a few more to “complete” the thought.

Jacqui did not reply. He shot out of the gap in the window and landed in the shrub with paws desperately grasping for purchase. He half-fell, half-climbed to the ground and took off in a shot.

“And stay out!” Wyatt shouted after him, and slammed the window shut.

***

***

Wild: Jacqui the Cat Mysteries #4 ~ Available for pre-order Now! Release date August 27th.

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.

Clicker Here to pre-order on Amazon.