Tag Archives: urban fantasy

Weekend Writing Warriors ~Addiction

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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 less.  Welcome also to day 1,577,344 of isolation for the greater good.  At first, being a writer and natural-born hermit, I barely noticed the difference. So I can’t go to the symphony or the ballet or meet my friends for a glass of wine or visit art galleries or….. So okay, after six weeks of only myself and four cats for company, I’m now ready to admit I NEED YOU ALL.  There. I said it. Grumpily.

On to the snippet.  I’ve started sharing from Wild: Jacqui the Cat Mysteries #4.  After a long delay and much writerly angst, I’m nearly ready to publish. Last week I shared from the opening scene, and this continues from there, in Jacqui’s POV.

***

What he really wanted to do was run away. He knew he should pack his meager belongings and flee from San Juan Island, change his name again, and find a deeper hole to hide in.

But he didn’t want to do that either.

He liked Friday Harbor. He’d settled in, made a few friends, established a successful business, and besides, he was sick of hiding.

And boyfriend.

And boyfriend. Wyatt, who right now sprawled across his king-sized bed alone, whistling softly through his nose in that annoying but also cute way of his. The man had become a habit. A dangerous, delicious, sexy addiction Jacqui couldn’t get enough of.

***

 

 

Wild: Jacqui the Cat Mysteries #4 Coming Soon! Blurb-in-progress-

Jacqui Corleone has finally met his fated mate (Newsflash: it’s Wyatt), but unlike a romance novel, reality has other plans. The dog men are back, and along with their slobber and their drool they bring a new level of danger to Jacqui’s life, and to Wyatt’s, as Jacqui meets other cat shifters for the first time and is tantalized by a glimpse into their strange new world.  Only 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. And that’s saying a lot.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ The Betwixt and Between

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Hello and welcome to another round of Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of diverse (and awesome) writers share excerpts of their work in snippets of ten sentences or less.  I’ve been sharing from my recently re-released urban fantasy/gay romance Death by Starlight. Our hero Zeke is having an altercation with Ysolde, the deposed queen of the svarta. I should explain that she’s attempting to hurl him through a portal into the realm of light. Zeke, being a dark elf (svarta) from the dark realm, will not be welcome there, to put it mildly.

***

“Too late! Let the guardians do what they will with you.” She released another torrent of fire. This time flames licked through Zeke’s shield and scorched his jacket. Time to stop resisting.

He sprang to his feet and ran toward the open doors. Better to enter upright and of his own free will than crouched and shoved. He stepped onto the stone terrace, briefly caught sight of Cleona and Dijeree on the sidewalk, their attention drawn toward the battle, and then he slipped into the familiar blackness of nowhere, the betwixt and between. For an instant, he thought he could redirect, end up anywhere except for where his enemy waited to kill him, but he thought of Ian, and that was enough to propel Zeke irresistibly into the realm of light.

***

Although pretty, the realm of light is not exactly hospitable, especially if you’re a dark elf.

And lo and behold, I have reached the end of the chapter. Hope you’ve enjoyed this little foray into the world of Ian and Zeke and my Edge of Night series. Next week I’ll return to Jacqui the Cat’s adventures, or possibly something completely different! So many stories…

 

Available on Amazon here. Currently a Kindle Unlimited book, so you can check it out and read for free!

***

In Betwixt and Between, Ian and Zeke fought a battle against the queen of the dark realm in order to be together. Now, when they think they might settle into as normal a life as elves living among humans might be able to expect, a new enemy threatens to tear them apart. While Zeke helps the shaman Alistair in his hunt for an elusive mermaid, Ian is called to confront a wicked nymph preying on tourists along Seattle’s waterfront. Zeke and Ian soon discover that the defeated Queen Ysolde has spread her evil into the sea realms, and danger lurks beneath every wave, but it is too late to stop an escalating series of confrontations that lead to disappearances, death and the possible end of light in this world.

As Ysolde plots revenge and a mysterious prince seeks to win Ian for himself, the ancient war between light and dark sweeps Ian and Zeke into its maelstrom of hate, testing their trust of each other to the utmost.

***

I’ve had some inquiries if my books are available in formats other than Kindle. At this time, only Gryffon Hall is out there on B&N, Apple, etc. One reason is because I’m re-releasing all my Loose ID titles and am just flat out overwhelmed. The other reason is that I’m experimenting with Kindle Unlimited to see how that goes., which means if you have a Kindle you can read the books for free! When the KDP select term is up, I’ll distribute the books to other retailers. If you’d like to know when that happens, you can sign up for my nifty newsletter here!

***

Weekend Writing Warriors is a blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in excerpts of ten sentences or less.  Click the link to check out the other writers participating today.  It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book!

***

Thanks to Robin Ludwig Design, Inc. for the fabulous cover!

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Bring Him Back

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Hello and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where readers and writers come together to share in the magic of storytelling, one ten-sentence snippet at a time.  I’ve been sharing from my freshly re-released urban fantasy romance, Death by Starlight.  In last week’s snippet, Zeke, while on the trail of his lover Ian, instead found Ysolde, the ousted evil queen of the dark elves.  Ysolde has offered Zeke information about Ian in exchange for his cooperation.  Zeke speaks first.

***

“How can I possibly trust you when I know you want nothing more than to see me and Ian dead?”

“You’re wrong. I respect you, Stormshadow. I thought your dallying with Evernight was merely a weakness of the mind and heart, but you saw what the rest of us took longer to see. He is a catalyst for the melding of dark and light powers, a resource to be exploited rather than a mutant to be despised.”

“You tried to kill him at the market place.”

“He’s too dangerous to be running free. Bring him back to the svarta, where he belongs. This will benefit all our people.”

Zeke knew Ysolde wouldn’t tolerate Ian benefiting anyone but herself. She’d enslaved Zeke and wanted to do so again with Ian as the lure.

***

Available on Amazon here. Currently a Kindle Unlimited book, so you can check it out and read for free!

***

In Betwixt and Between, Ian and Zeke fought a battle against the queen of the dark realm in order to be together. Now, when they think they might settle into as normal a life as elves living among humans might be able to expect, a new enemy threatens to tear them apart. While Zeke helps the shaman Alistair in his hunt for an elusive mermaid, Ian is called to confront a wicked nymph preying on tourists along Seattle’s waterfront. Zeke and Ian soon discover that the defeated Queen Ysolde has spread her evil into the sea realms, and danger lurks beneath every wave, but it is too late to stop an escalating series of confrontations that lead to disappearances, death and the possible end of light in this world.

As Ysolde plots revenge and a mysterious prince seeks to win Ian for himself, the ancient war between light and dark sweeps Ian and Zeke into its maelstrom of hate, testing their trust of each other to the utmost.

***

I’ve had some inquiries if my books are available in formats other than Kindle. At this time, only Gryffon Hall is out there on B&N, Apple, etc. One reason is because I’m re-releasing all my Loose ID titles and am just flat out overwhelmed. The other reason is that I’m experimenting with Kindle Unlimited to see how that goes., which means if you have a Kindle you can read the books for free! When the KDP select term is up, I’ll distribute the books to other retailers. If you’d like to know when that happens, you can sign up for my nifty newsletter here!

***

Weekend Writing Warriors is a blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in excerpts of ten sentences or less.  Click the link to check out the other writers participating today.  It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book!

***

Thanks to Robin Ludwig Design, Inc. for the fabulous cover!

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Throne of Thorns

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Hi everyone!  I’m switching gears here on Weekend Writing Warriors this week. I’ve just re-released Book 1 in my Edge of Night series, Betwixt and Between, and Book 2, Death by Starlight, is set to publish this Tuesday, July 10 (available for preorder here).  Death by Starlight has a shiny new cover that I’d like to share with you, so I thought I’d share a snippet or two as well, in order to celebrate and, uh, entice you to buy several copies 🙂

Death by Starlight is a gay urban fantasy set in Seattle (which you might guess from the cover). Zeke Stormshadow is a svarta, a dark elf, and in this scene, the ousted Queen of the Svarta, Ysolde, makes an unwelcome reappearance in his life.

***

“I can tell you who it is you seek, Stormshadow.” The voice came loud and sharp from a dark corner behind him. Zeke turned swiftly, Alistair’s dagger in his hand.

Ysolde emerged from the shadow spell she’d cast around herself. Her skin was still as white as bleached bone, her lips burgundy, black hair cascading down her back, but she appeared smaller than when she’d sat on her throne of thorns and ruled from the roots of the great tree. Now she looked like any other svarta royal after a sleepless century or two. Her silver-blue eyes still cut into him, seeking weaknesses to exploit.

“And what is the price for this knowledge, Ysolde?” he asked.

Ysolde held her hands out, palms up, in a gesture that didn’t match the carnivorous glint in her eyes. “I seek a truce with you and your clan.”

***

So shiny.

In Betwixt and Between, Ian and Zeke fought a battle against the queen of the dark realm in order to be together. Now, when they think they might settle into as normal a life as elves living among humans might be able to expect, a new enemy threatens to tear them apart. While Zeke helps the shaman Alistair in his hunt for an elusive mermaid, Ian is called to confront a wicked nymph preying on tourists along Seattle’s waterfront. Zeke and Ian soon discover that the defeated Queen Ysolde has spread her evil into the sea realms, and danger lurks beneath every wave, but it is too late to stop an escalating series of confrontations that lead to disappearances, death and the possible end of light in this world.

As Ysolde plots revenge and a mysterious prince seeks to win Ian for himself, the ancient war between light and dark sweeps Ian and Zeke into its maelstrom of hate, testing their trust of each other to the utmost.

***

I’ve had some inquiries if my books are available in formats other than Kindle. At this time, only Gryffon Hall is out there on B&N, Apple, etc. One reason is because I’m re-releasing all my Loose ID titles and am just flat out overwhelmed. The other reason is that I’m experimenting with Kindle Unlimited to see how that goes., which means if you have a Kindle you can read the books for free! When the KDP select term is up, I’ll distribute the books to other retailers. If you’d like to know when that happens, you can sign up for my nifty newsletter here!

***

Weekend Writing Warriors is a blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in excerpts of ten sentences or less.  Click the link to check out the other writers participating today.  It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book!

***

Thanks to Robin Ludwig Design, Inc. for the fabulous cover!

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Afraid of the Sea

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Greetings and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors. As I write this, smoke has devoured the sun again, so I guess it’s going to be another good weekend for hunkering down and reading everyone’s snippets! (Always look on the bright side, I say, even if it is feeling a little end-of-the-world-ish around here).

At last! I have arrived at the end of the chapter. I’ve been sharing from Death by Starlight, specifically a scene where Zeke the dark elf and Alistair the incompetent shaman go out on the Salish Sea in search of Mellosa the mermaid. They find her, but all is not wine and roses for the besotted Alistair, and things aren’t looking too good for Zeke, either. I must beg your forgiveness for some creative editing in order to fit the last few lines of the chapter into this snippet.

***

“Let go of me!” Alistair shouted, jerking to free himself.

“You’ll drown, you idiot!”

“It’s a test! How can I be afraid of the sea if I hope to be with her?”

“You’re mad!” Zeke held Alistair tighter and hoped a quickly devised buoyancy spell would be strong enough to hold both of them.

Mellosa breached again—this time, she brought her tail down square in the middle of what now seemed like a tiny craft. Fiberglass shattered, wood splintered, and water quickly flooded the boat.

Alistair slipped out of Zeke’s grasp as they both tumbled into the sea and Mellosa’s infernal tail smacked Zeke in the chest, knocking what was left of the air out of his lungs. He took a big choking swallow of saltwater before he bobbed to the surface alone, thinking Ian will never forgive me, as another waved crashed over his head and webbed fingers tugged at his ankles, testing the buoyancy spell to its limits.

***

Edge of Night 2: Death by Starlight

In Betwixt and Between, Ian and Zeke fought a battle against the queen of the dark realm in order to be together. Now, when they think they might settle into as normal a life as elves living among humans might be able to expect, a new enemy threatens to tear them apart. While Zeke helps the shaman Alistair in his hunt for an elusive mermaid, Ian is called to confront a wicked nymph preying on tourists along Seattle’s waterfront. Zeke and Ian soon discover that the defeated Queen Ysolde has spread her evil into the sea realms, and danger lurks beneath every wave, but it is too late to stop an escalating series of confrontations that lead to disappearances, death and the possible end of light in this world.

As Ysolde plots revenge and a mysterious prince seeks to win Ian for himself, the ancient war between light and dark sweeps Ian and Zeke into its maelstrom of hate, testing their trust of each other to the utmost.

***

Currently on sale for $3.74 at  Loose ID

Books2Read (nifty link that will show you all the places you can purchase the ebook)

Betwixt and Between: Edge of Night Book 1 is available at these retailers:  Amazon   Kobo   Barnes & Noble  Books2Read

***

This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight to ten sentences from a published work or perhaps their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book. Click here or use the address: http://www.wewriwa.com

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ The Day I Die

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Greetings and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors! The rains came this week, washing away the smoke and bringing back the soggy, gray Pacific Northwest that I love. Fires are still raging, but what a relief it’s been to get a good dousing, which conveniently leads to my new snippet from Death By Starlight, in which Alistair and Zeke near the end of their successful but possibly deadly mermaid hunt.

***

Alistair put both hands on his heart. Summoning an impressive amount of magic, the shaman stood and appeared to grow younger and taller. “I want to be with you in the sea. I want to explore the wonders of your world. I want to be your devoted companion and love you until the day I die.”

“That last bit can be arranged!” Mellosa laughed, a guttural, soppy noise. Rising again, she tipped the boat, and when she released it, sent it rocking wildly side to side. Zeke grabbed at Alistair to stop him from going headfirst into the drink. Mellosa dove under the waves, and her massive tail lifted out of the water, then crashed down beside them, sending a huge wave curling over them. Drenched, Zeke was glad he’d thought to protect them from the frigid chill of the water but realized he’d made no plan on how to return to land if Mellosa swamped the boat.

***

Edge of Night 2: Death by Starlight

In Betwixt and Between, Ian and Zeke fought a battle against the queen of the dark realm in order to be together. Now, when they think they might settle into as normal a life as elves living among humans might be able to expect, a new enemy threatens to tear them apart. While Zeke helps the shaman Alistair in his hunt for an elusive mermaid, Ian is called to confront a wicked nymph preying on tourists along Seattle’s waterfront. Zeke and Ian soon discover that the defeated Queen Ysolde has spread her evil into the sea realms, and danger lurks beneath every wave, but it is too late to stop an escalating series of confrontations that lead to disappearances, death and the possible end of light in this world.

As Ysolde plots revenge and a mysterious prince seeks to win Ian for himself, the ancient war between light and dark sweeps Ian and Zeke into its maelstrom of hate, testing their trust of each other to the utmost.

***

“I love this author’s imagination and skill, from the magical, emotional, and erotic nuances of the romantic pair, the details of the underground world of the svarta, the remote and glacial world of the liosa, and the characters that support or thwart them. Highly recommended!” ~ Velvet Panic

Amazon

Currently on sale for $3.74 at  Loose ID

Books2Read (nifty link that will show you all the places you can purchase the ebook)

Betwixt and Between: Edge of Night Book 1 is available at these retailers:  Amazon   Kobo   Barnes & Noble  Books2Read

***

This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight to ten sentences from a published work or perhaps their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book. Click here or use the address: http://www.wewriwa.com