How is everybody doing? I haven’t made a post for a while because the last few weeks were CRAZY for me! But I thought you might like an update on Sky and Rose. I finished the rough draft of Wolf’s Princess and sent it out to the beta readers around March 22. Then I began packing to move to a new apartment. That is a lot of work! Take it from me: if you don’t have to move, don’t! Packing, then moving all the stuff, then cleaning the old place, and then unpacking must be a version of hell. I was exhausted. Still am, really, but things will settle down now, I’m sure.

Anyway, I’ve gotten some of the comments back from the beta readers, and I’m expecting the rest in the next few days. So far readers seem to like it. They’ve pointed out a few things for me to work on, and I know I’ll have more soon. I LOVE when beta readers catch my mistakes and help me see where the story needs to be fixed! Makes me look good for my editor.  J  My goal is to do revisions right away and submit Wolf’s Princess to the publisher by April 14. I am having outpatient surgery on April 16. I’ve had it before, and it’s painful, but it’s just to get rid a bit of bone around my sinuses and cut the polyps out. Not pleasant, certainly, but not like a knee replacement. I should be up and around within 10 to 14 days, and probably sooner than that.  If the publisher accepts the manuscript without requesting major revisions, the book will probably be released around late July-mid-August. That is only a guess, however. It depends on their publishing schedule.

Okay, you’ve been so patient with me. Enjoy a few paragraphs of Rose’s story.

At five minutes to eleven o’clock, Rose was in the front hall ready to walk to the hospital to meet Sara. Stone joined her and together they left for the hospital. Rose noticed that he seemed relaxed.

“How are you and Sara getting along?”

He walked for half a block in silence. She didn’t think he was ignoring her, just considering how to answer. “I think we’re getting along fine,” he said cautiously.

“That’s good.” What she really wanted to know was whether or not Stone and Sara would remain married. It wasn’t something she could come straight out and ask, so she tried to come at it from an oblique angle. “What do you talk about? I mean, you do talk, don’t you?”

“Some. She tells me about her work in the hospital, and she asks about Amanda and Sand. Stuff like that.”

Oblique wasn’t getting her the answers she wanted. There were times when Stone was far too much like his cousin Tracker. “Do you talk about how you feel about each other?”

He slanted a glance down at her, then looked ahead again. “Not yet.”

Flushed with her success in putting Zoe and Tanya in their place, Rose was sure she could help Stone and Sara work out their relationship too. Aware of the Stone’s expressionless face, Rose decided to keep that to herself.

Good news! I finished the rough draft of Wolf’s Princess this weekend!!

    I have been hard at work now on revisions. It came out at over 123,000 words, so I’m going through to see what can be removed. Hopefully the beta readers will point out where else I am redundant and wordy. MY plan is to have it sent to them by Monday, and then concentrate on packing for the move. Wish me luck with that!

I said I wasn’t going to do any more Tuesday Teasers until after I settled in my new apartment but here is a little snip.

The sun had set while they were talking, and only a faint wash of light lit the room. He picked up the tray and put it outside their door.

“That should keep that blasted cat busy for the rest of the night,” he said, closing the door firmly.

Rose got into bed and pulled the sheet up to her chin. “Mitzi was a little heroine today.”

Sky got in beside her. “I hate to admit it, but she was.”

He didn’t sound like he hated to admit it, he sounded cheerful. She laid her head on his shoulder and draped her arm over his chest so she could trace the outline of his tattoo with her finger. “You adore Mitzi, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” He stilled her hand with his own. “I tolerate her, I adore you.”

Wolf’s Princess is not finished yet, but I am soooo close. The poor kitty’s sickness really derailed me. She seems to be fine now, but time will tell if the antibiotic (which I had horrible trouble getting into her) was effective. My goal is now to have it done on Saturday March 14, and hopefully have it sent out to the beta readers by March 23. After that I will be frantically cleaning and packing to move on Saturday March 28.

This will be the last Tuesday Teaser until the 2nd Tuesday in April. I had a request for something from Sky’s point of view. I think I might have posted this already, or parts of it. I hope you’re still able to enjoy it. 🙂

The sun wasn’t up yet when Sky woke. His left arm tingled with the pins-and-needles feeling that came from having lain on it too long, but he didn’t move, because his mate was still sleeping cuddled against him. Her cheek pressed to the hollow of his throat. Did her right arm tingle from having slept on it? Her left arm was draped over him, and his right arm was over her. He smiled. They must have slept face-to-face in an embrace. Waking up with her like this was the most wonderful thing he could imagine. The only thing better would be if she wasn’t wearing the cotton gown and he weren’t wearing these curst shorts.

Her breath tickled his throat and his body responded. Carefully, he eased his hips away from her. He didn’t want to. His body was screaming at him to press closer. His mind knew better. Rose wasn’t willing to accept even his kisses yet. Anything more would have her storming across the hall to the other room and slamming the door shut in his face.

She drew in a breath, eyes still closed, before rolling away from him onto her back. Her movement slid her breast neatly into his palm. He froze, not even breathing, just as her eyes shot open. She looked down where his brown hand cupped her breast, and then stared, wide-eyed, in his direction. Was it light enough for her to see him? He didn’t think so. His own eyes felt wide. He should move his hand. He should apologize. He should get up and run for the shower before she noticed how his cock reacted to the feel of her warm flesh beneath the cotton.

He did none of those things. Without any conscious direction from his brain, his hand cupped her more firmly. When his thumb stroked back and forth over her nipple she gasped. His gaze finally left her eyes to stare at her parted lips the way he would stare at a cool stream after being stranded without water for three days.

“I want to kiss you,” he said in voice that sounded too raw to belong to him.

“I haven’t brushed my teeth.”

“I don’t care.”

Her eyes slanted down again to her chest where he still held her breast, and then came back toward his face. “Okay.”

The whisper was so low he almost didn’t hear it. Or maybe he just didn’t quite believe it. He lunged up on one elbow to stare down at her. She licked her lips and reached a hand to the back of his neck. The pressure she exerted was so slight he barely felt it, but he knew an invitation when he saw one. There was an almost imperceptible tremble in the fingers of the hand he lifted from her breast to smooth over her cheek to her chin.

Don’t attack her like a ravenous beast, he ordered himself. Be gentle.

He tried. Kissing someone gently was unknown territory for him. Kissing at all was unknown territory. Except for his mother, Rose was the only woman he’d ever kissed, and the few kisses he’d given Rose were not the same sort he’d given his mother. He brushed his lips lightly over hers, inwardly shivering at the feel of her breath against his lips. He did it again, lingering to touch his tongue to her bottom lip.

He braced himself, snatching at self-control with fierce desperation. One minute he was barely touching her, and the next his tongue was sliding along hers in her mouth. It took every ounce of his discipline, but he kept the kiss gentle. Her fingertips left trails of fire as she ran them up and down his back, pausing to stroke his hair at the nape of his neck, and then digging them into the muscles of his shoulders. Control frayed. She wasn’t just submitting to his kiss; she was participating. Hell, encouraging him! His blood was molten lava, most of it heading for his cock. He could feel the soft mounds of her breasts pressing against his chest. God, he wanted her. When he kissed along her jaw to her throat he could feel her blood pounding under her delicate skin. Her scent was laced with the musky tang of arousal. Just knowing she was aroused too made his restraint unravel. The damn blanket was twisted around their legs, keeping him from rubbing his cock against her. He needed to feel her. He loved caressing her face and arms, but he wanted to feel that place between her legs.

With rough, impatient hands he tore the blanket away and tossed it aside. He paused to drink in the sight of her. The room wasn’t light, but with his wolf-born sight he could see every detail: The hem of her nightdress twisted up to her waist, the prim white cotton of her underpants hiding her secret place, her silky thighs not much darker than the underpants slightly parted, as if she were inviting him in. Holding his breath, he reached in awe to touch the cotton shielding her pussy. And let it out in a shocked, pained howl as razor-sharp claws sliced into his ankle.

“F*ck!” He saw twin beams of feline eyes glaring at him. “Damn cat!”

A sharp kick dislodged the creature. She leaped in an arc of bristling brown fur to the floor. The cat sounded like a full grown panther when she screamed defiance at him. When Rose shoved him off and scrambled over him to get out of bed, her knee landed like a sledgehammer in his groin. White hot agony shot through his entire body. His scream drowned the cat’s out. When Rose snapped the light on, he was curled around himself, dragging in breath through tightly clenched teeth.

“Poor Mitzi,” his mate crooned.

Poor Mitzi? Still huddled around his injury, he looked over his shoulder and saw his mate bent over the cursed cat. The sight of her nightgown riding up to show her long legs and generous ass did nothing to calm his temper. If it hadn’t been for the stupid cat, he would have had his hands exploring those curves.

He would kill it. As soon as he was capable of standing, he was going to grab that damn cat and wring its f*cking neck.

I’m working on the last two chapters of Wolf’s Princess this week! My goal is to have the rough draft complete by next Sunday night. That might or might not happen. My darling Dixie kitty  has been sick. Very sick. I honestly was afraid I would have to put her to sleep. But she’s home from the vet hospital now. Taking care of her is going to cut into my writing time this week. She has a number of medications that I have to somehow force into her at various times during the day. But I will write as much as I can after the day job and in between cat care. I am still hopeful for making my deadline. Think good thoughts for me and Dixie.

Here is a snip from Wolf’s Princess. Rose and some of the ladies who work at The Limit (Sky’s house) are  relaxing on their night off. Enjoy!

Rose was afraid the city of Omaha trembled the edge of violence. Not long before she boarded the plane in 2014 string of riots sparked by racial tensions had spread across America. She remembered watching news coverage and businesses burned, homes destroyed, and people caught in the middle. The same thing could happen here, and the thought terrified her.

“Sky will make sure things don’t get that bad.” Rose wasn’t sure if she were convincing anyone, even herself.

Ms. Mary gave her a pitying glance and changed the subject. “What are you working on, dear?”

Rose held up the two inches of sock she’d completed so far. “Just another sock for Sky.”

Tasha leaned over the back of her chair to grin at Rose. “Uh-huh,” she said. “And how are you and the Mr. doing?”

For some reason, Rose felt herself blushing. “Fine,” she mumbled.

Now all the girls at the table were looking at Rose. Their attention didn’t seem malicious but she wished they would go back to painting their nails.

“You know…” Tasha dragged the word out into several syllables. “We’ve all had a crush on Sky at one time or another. There’s not one of us who hasn’t invited him to join us in bed on our night off.”

Michelle giggled. “He’s so handsome.”

“Hot as an August afternoon,” Aimee agreed.

Camille licked one finger and shook it as if it were burned. “Steaming!”

From her spot beside the piano Cayla lifted her head from her book. “And he’s nice. Handsome is fine, but it doesn’t last.”

Tasha licked her lips. “Maybe, but a man who looks like Sky just gets better with age.”

Giggles erupted around the table.

Rose shifted in her chair, trying for a casual tone. “You’re right. Sky’s dad is past sixty years old, and he’s a handsome man.”

They laughed again. Tasha waved her hands to dry the polish. “So what’s he like in bed?”

The giggles died. Rose thought Camille and Berniece looked a little embarrassed, but also interested.

“Sky’s dad?” Rose said, making a production out of counting her stitches.

“Ha-ha,” said Tasha. “No, Sky! Come on, any guy who looks like that has to be good in bed. Is he?”

Rose clutched her knitting needles so tightly her palms hurt. She tried to find words to say, but they ran away.

“Aww, look at her blush.” Tasha blew on her nails. “That’s so cute. Come on. Spill it.”

Happy Tuesday! Is it Friday yet?

This is going to be a long week for me and I’m already exhausted. I feel like I’ve been sick forever. In early January I caught a cold that by the end of January turned into a sinus infection. Then I hurt my shoulder, a teeny tiny tear in my rotator cuff.  Then that sinus infection went down into my lungs. When I breathe I sound like I’m gargling, and then I cough non stop. Sheesh! Enough already!

Do you ever feel like that? Like it’s just one thing after another? But I think I’m on the mend now, and it hasn’t stopped me writing. In fact, the end of Wolf’s Princess is in sight. A few big scenes, a few little scenes, and an epilogue are all that is left. My goal for finishing the rough draft is March 8. I think I can do it!

Here is a little snip from Wolf’s Princess. This takes place in Carla’s room the evening of the day that Sky returned to the Den to talk to Rose. Enjoy!

Rose watched Little Feather’s tiny hands press against his mother’s breast as he nursed. What did it feel like to cradle a son or daughter to your breast and watch them suckle? She snapped her attention back to Carla at the next question.

“It would be nice for Sky to see his parents again. I’m sure he wants to. Does he plan to live here at the den or with the Clan?”

Rose opened her mouth, thought for a moment, and closed it. “I don’t know. It didn’t come up.”

“Maybe he’s waiting to see what you would prefer.” Carla lifted Little Feather to the other breast. “He is here to court you, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.” It had taken a bit of effort to get it out of him, but yes, he was here to court her. She tried to remember what he had said in that short time before supper. “He said no one would ever love me as well as he could.”

“That’s a nice start to a courtship,” Carla commented.

Rose shook her head. “Too nice.”

“Too nice?”

“Yeah. Slick. Glib. You know what I mean?” Rose saw Carla’s confusion. “Did you see the way he dresses? The way he acts?”

“He’s been in Omaha for nearly eight years.”

Rose cocked an eyebrow at the Lupa. “That’s not how I remember him. He used to be a hot head. Remember? He’s nothing like I imagined he would be.”

Carla’s smooth brow formed the crease that always appeared when she was thinking hard. “Well, the last time we saw him, he was only seventeen years old. Now he’s twenty-five. He’s matured in a city that everyone says is cosmopolitan.”

“Swanky,” Rose said, smiling at the memory of Sand’s disapproving description of Omaha. Her smile faded. “Sky came back only because Taye wrote to him and told him he was allowing me to be courted.”

“Does it matter why?” Carla lifted Little Feather to her shoulder to burp him. “He’s here now.”

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong, Rose? Don’t you want him to court you?”

Rose raised a hand as if to stroke the baby’s small head, let it fall. “I want that.” She nodded at Little Feather. “I want to hold my own baby in my arms. I want a family.”

The Lupa nodded. “I know. I’ve seen it in you for the past few years. Don’t you think you could have that with Sky?”

“Maybe. But I’m not sure I like him.”

“What do you have against him?”

Rose threw up her hands.  “I don’t know. He’s just so … smooth. I don’t trust him.”

Carla lifted startled eyes to stare at her. “You don’t think he would hurt you?”

“No.”

“Do you find him attractive?”

Rose ignored the heat that flooded her cheeks. “Oh, sure, he’s good looking.”

“That’s not quite the same thing. One thing all us mates have in common is the attraction we feel for our men.”

The heat multiplied. “He’s hot, okay? But he’s not the only hot guy around here.”

“Do you mean Jasper?” Carla laughed at her glare. “You know wolves are bigger gossips than most people think women are. I know all about your lunch with Jasper.”

“Of course you do.” Rose made a face. “I had a nice time this afternoon until Mr. City Slicker got off the train. I suppose I’ll need to cancel my Saturday night supper with Jasper.”

“Yeah, Taye will have one of the men tell him.”

Rose winced when she imagined how the message would be delivered. “I should write a note to him. I’d like to explain in person, but I don’t suppose I can.”

Little Feather was sleeping, a small milk bubble trembling on his lower lip. Carla smiled down at her son before looking back up at Rose. “Sky wouldn’t like that much. Are you going to let him court you?”

“Yeah.” Rose heaved a sigh. “I guess I owe him that much. But if don’t like him, I’m not accepting his mate claim. That’s final.”

It’s mid February! Wolf’s Princess is still not done, but I’m really moving forward on it now. I have three main scenes left to write, or about 12,000 words. It is at 91,200 right now, so that will put us over 100,000 words.. I am considering a short-ish epilogue too. I have hopes the rough draft will be complete by March 8. It’s sad that I hurt my shoulder shoveling snow. (The one and only day I had to go out is the one and only day this year we had snow!) It slowed me down in my writing. You wouldn’t think typing would hurt a shoulder, but it does!

Anyway, here is a snip of what I wrote Sunday. It should be interesting to those of you who want to know what happens with Sara and Stone. 🙂

Even taking her time, Rose finished the dishes in less than an hour. She was wiping down the sink when the mudroom door opened and Stone came in. Rose blinked at the beaming smile on his face. She had rarely seen that open, happy smile since he had come back from Kansas two years ago. It chased away all signs of grimness, leaving him a handsome young man of twenty-one.

“Rose!” He came to her with a bounce in his step, oozing excitement. “She said yes! She agreed to my mate claim, and the marriage is going to stand.”

“You forgave her? You love her?”

His eyelids swept down and then up, showing a sheen of moisture. “Yeah, I love her. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been so hurt. But we’ve talked about it, and we’re going to put it away and never talk about it again.”

“That’s good, Stone. I’m so happy for you. Have you…” Rose cleared her throat. “Are you going to spend the night at her uncle’s house? Or will you wait to, um.” Doggone it, she was blushing!

Now his smile shaded into knowing male satisfaction. “Tonight.” His caramel-colored eyes glowed. “Tonight,” he repeated, “we’re going to… Tonight is our wedding night. But where can we go? I don’t want her walking through the streets tonight, even with me for her escort. Whichever way the vote goes, things could get rowdy.”

Rose smiled. “I know exactly where you should spend tonight. Come with me, and I’ll show you.”

She led him up the steep, narrow staircase to the third floor. “This is the room Ms. Mary used. I think it will work just fine for your wedding night.”

She opened the door to the pink room and flicked on the light. Stone sent a quick glance around the pretty, feminine room, but his gaze settled on the bed for a long moment. He turned to her and gripped her hands. “It’s perfect,” he said, squeezing her hands.

“I’m happy for you, Stone,” she said again. “You’re a special man, and I believe Sara truly loves you. I’ll take some time and clean up in here.”

He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them with brotherly affection. “Thank you, Rose. You’re the best.”

The day passed slowly for Rose. She finished tidying the kitchen, and then changed the sheets on the bed in the pink room and tidied it. She stood in the doorway when she was finished, looking around the room. It was pretty, a more appropriate place for a wedding night than the boring gray room across the hall where she and Sky had lost their virginity. She smiled a little. She didn’t care what the room looked like as long as Sky was in it.

She stilled, staring blankly at the wall. As long as Sky was in it. Did she care for him? Yes, of course, she cared for him. Did she love him? She wasn’t sure it was love. Did he love her? She’d seen what true love looked like. It was Taye, face white with terror, when Carla’s labor went too long with Little Feather. It was Tracker sitting side by side in the firelight with Tami, telling her without words he would always be there for her. It was bossy Shadow, sitting patiently while his wife laughed at their  daughter braiding his hair into ridiculous loops. It was the pride on Quill’s face when he watched Ellie play with their children.

She closed the door on the room, and on her thoughts, and went downstairs to see if Katelyn needed help with lunch.