It’s my Birthday and I’m Giving Away Presents!
On Sunday, September 22, I’ll be *mumble mumble* years old. To celebrate, I’m holding a quick contest and the winner will receive a fabulous prize!
Item: A coupon for a free download of the audiobook of Sleeping With the Wolf. Must be a member of www.Audible.com. You can do the sign up and immediately cancel if you like.
Item: An eARC of Wolf’s Oath, unedited, in either .docx or .pdf
format.
Connie’s Earrings
Item:
Chandelier earrings like the ones
Connie wears in Wolf’s Oath.
Item: A colorful, hand knit (by yours truly) asymmetric scarf. Winter is coming (in my neck of the woods anyway) and you need something bright and cheery like this to hold off the winter blues.
How to enter? Just leave a comment on this post before
7:00 pm central time on Sunday, September 22. I will draw a name at 7:30 and email the winner right away. Once I hear from the winner I’ll email the audiobook coupon and the eARC, and I expect to mail the package on Monday afternoon after work.
Contest Begins NOW! Read, Set, Comment! Good luck!
Wolf’s Oath Excerpt
I’m almost ready to send Wolf’s Oath off to the editor! I’m on track to have it published on October 22. To celebrate, here is a snip of that story:
Standing in the big room, Connie could hear the wind whistle outside. It was going to be a cold walk to her wedding. It was mid-morning, and the sun looked pale and weak to Connie as she donned several layers of winter gear. Faron and two of his men were by one of the stoves, where he was probably giving them orders. Connie and several of the women were a few feet away, close to the kitchen, and Des, Stag and two other men from Taye’s Pack were by the door. Connie snuck glances at Des. She was going to marry him. She still had trouble processing that fact. In a few hours she would be married to Des Wolfe. The hangover hadn’t ever fully materialized, so maybe she couldn’t blame Katie’s stash for the rash decision. What had she been thinking?
Kathy held out a hat. “It’s awfully cold out,” she said fretfully. “Do you want another scarf? Maybe another pair of socks?”
Connie was so bundled up she felt like an Abominable Snowwoman. There wasn’t enough winter outerwear for each of the women to have her own, but she and Sherry, whom Stag has persuaded to come to the den, had been urged to wear the warmest pieces. They would need them for the cold trek to the den.
Sammie took the hat and placed it at a jaunty angle over Connie’s pale blond hair. She leaned close and whispered, “Are you sure you want to marry him?”
Oh, yeah, now Connie remembered why she’d agree to marry Des. She didn’t have the heart to tell the younger woman that Des, standing only a few yards away, could probably hear their whispers clearly. “Yes,” she said firmly. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Sammie wavered. “Well, it’s just that, uh, you know. You said you didn’t want to marry anyone.”
Connie could have told the younger woman why she was marrying Des, but why make anyone feel bad? Instead she winked. “A girl has a right to change her mind, doesn’t she? And, have you looked at him?”
Sammie did, her expression doubtful. “Yeah, he’s good looking, if you like older guys… I mean, uh, if you’re old.” When Connie’s eyebrow flew up she fluttered her hands. “Sorry! But he’s got to be, like, thirty-five or forty.”
Kathy seemed to be having trouble keeping a straight face. “Ancient. But for an old man, he’s hawt.”
“Yeah.” Sammie winced. “I guess I’ll shut up now.”
“Good plan,” Connie said, but she smiled to let Sammie know she wasn’t angry.
She glanced at Des, who had his back to her. She liked the long legs in worn denim, the broad shoulders and narrow waist. The loose plaid wool jacket didn’t hide his shape. After years in the military, she was used to closely trimmed hair, but she even liked the thick black braids that hung smoothly down his back. She knew his eyes would be dark and serious as he spoke with Stag and his other friends. His features were strong and regular. Even his stoic, almost grim, expression couldn’t rob his high cheekbones and full mouth of their beauty. When he took a step closer to Stag, the worn denim cupping his firm round ass moved with him. His face was handsome, but his body was utterly gorgeous. As Kathy said, he was hot. Her sister would have called him lickable-licious. Connie always thought that was a ridiculous word for a grown woman to use. It was more suited to someone Sammie’s age. But looking at Des now, she decided lickable-licious was the perfect word to describe him.
Tuesday Teaser 9/10/13: Wolf’s Princess
One more snip from Sky and Rose’s story. I have to get started on Wolf’s Vengeance, so this may be the last Wolf’s Princess snip for a while. Rose and Sky are standing in a corner of the whorehouse’s parlor with several women gathered by the fireplace ten yards away. Enjoy!
Rose watched Sky’s perfectly manicured hands curl into fists at his sides, noting the angry red scratch that cut over the back of one with a tiny prick of guilt. A low growling sound raised her fascinated gaze to the muscle bunching along his jaw as he clenched it. He certainly was handsome when he was enraged.
Probably because they had an audience only a few yards away, his voice was soft. “What kind of idiot do you think I am?”
She shouldn’t say it. Really, she shouldn’t say it. “Is that a rhetorical question?” she asked in her sweetest tone. “Because I’d be happy to tell you.”
She shouldn’t have said it, but honestly, it was too good an opportunity to miss. She watched outrage grow on his face and hurried to apologize. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that. Really. Um, what’s wrong? I mean, why are you upset?”
For a moment she thought he wouldn’t answer. “That damn cat of yours. He sheds on my desk chair. You put him on there on purpose.”
“No, I don’t. He just likes your office. It’s sunny and warm.”
“I’m going to kill him.”
Amusement swirled into protective fury. “You lay one finger on Ming and I’ll neuter you. What has he ever done to you?”
“Besides shred my hands, pee on my rug and yowl all night long? This!”
He turned and flipped the hem of his suit coat up to show her his rear end. It was a fine rear end, and Rose admired the way the tropical weight navy blue wool trousers fit until she noticed that the wool was liberally festooned with cream and grey cat hair. The little needle of guilt turned into a dagger, but she wouldn’t show it.
“You have a very nice ass,” she told him, “but do you need to show it off like that?”
He whirled back, eyes dark with fury. His hand clenched on her wrist with enough force to be almost painful. She glared pointedly at her wrist. He released her at once. Mollified, she said, “I really am sorry. He’s shedding a lot right now.”
“Keep him off my chair!”
“I said I was sorry. What do you want from me?”
Sky stepped so close she could feel his breath on her face. His scent flooded her nostrils in a knee-melting rush. “What do I want from you? Many things, most of which would make blush for a week, mate.”
Tuesday Teaser, 9/3/13: Wolf’s Princess
I’ve finished the rough draft of Wolf’s Oath and it’s with the beta readers right now. I will be working on Wolf’s Vengeance next, but of course Sky and Rose are demanding my attention. Here is a little snip of one of the turning points in the story. Sky has brought Rose to Omaha, but they’ve seen very little of each other.
Rose stared at Sky, not recognizing the impetuous boy whose wolf had claimed her in this slick, handsome stranger dressed in a city business suit. “I don’t know you,” she whispered. Loss and bewilderment made her eyes smart. “You dragged me away from home and brought me here so we could get to know each other, but it’s been a week and I’ve barely seen you, much less talked to you. I want to go home.”
He smoothed the lapel of his silk suit with that condescending expression she loathed. “The world doesn’t revolve around you, princess. I’m in the middle of some very delicate negotiations right now, and having to go and fetch you has put me seriously behind schedule. By next weekend I should have some time free for you.”
“Really.” Her lips felt stiff. “Next weekend? So generous of you to squeeze me into your schedule. You know what? Don’t bother. I’m going home. I repudiate your claim.”
Finally those cool, cobalt eyes sparked with honest emotion. “You want to see more of me? Fine. The only free time I have is at night. I’ll have Katelyn move your things to my room.”
Tuesday Teaser, 2 Days Late-Wolf’s Oath
Between the overtime at the day job and having two releases this week, It’s been a crazy! I totally missed doing my Tuesday Teaser. I thought about just skipping it this week, but I am THIS close to having the rough draft of Wolf’s Oath finished. So here is a snippet for you.
Ice gleamed smooth and slick on the moonlit road and stung the pads of his paws, but Des, trailed by Hawk on his right and Red Wing his left, didn’t stop running. Dawn was only a few hours away, and they could have stayed at the den, but they all wanted their mates. Heartsick, weary, and wounded, Des needed Connie like a starving man needed food. He needed to burrow his face into the warmth of her neck and release his grief into her keeping. He needed the touch of her hands on his body, her lips on his brow. Not for sex, but to fill the hole grief had torn in his heart.
They stopped in front of the gate at the Plane Women’s House and changed back to their man shapes. It would have been quicker to leap over the fence, but the guards from Kearney might have been alarmed and shot them. So they waited, naked in the wind, for the guard to open the gate for them.
Once inside, the three of them nodded at each other, eyes dark with the weary pain of grief, and parted to seek the solace their mates could give them. Hawk and Red Wing didn’t know which room their mates were in, so they used their noses to search out their scents. Des remembered very well which door led to Connie’s apartment. He turned the knob and ghosted through the empty communal area to the door that opened to her private room.
She was a tightly curled ball under the layers of bedding, only a few disheveled locks of pale hair showing on the pillow. He stood above her and inhaled her precious scent. It was laden with the saltiness of tears and faintly soured by fear. His hand trembled when he reached to touch her hair.
“Connie,” he whispered, his voice the merest thread of sound, perhaps too low for human ears to hear, but she woke with a start.
“Des?”
He took her searching hand in the dark and lifted it to his cheek, and then his lips.
“Yes, love.”
“Oh, God, you’re back!” She struggled to uncurl from the bedclothes and sit up. “Are you okay? Is everyone else okay?”
The grief, lifted momentarily by the sweet scent of her concern, sank back into his heart like a stone in a pond and stole his voice.
“Des?” she said again. Her groping hand brushed over the bullet hole in his shoulder. He jerked in a breath through his teeth. “Des! Are you hurt? Where’s that damned candle?”
He glanced around the room, dark to her human eyes, and found the candle on the ledge beside the door. He left her long enough to light it and carry it back to the small bedside table.
Ellie’s Wolf Available Now!
Yes, book 5 in my After the Crash series is available now!
I present the newest addition to my series, After the Crash. In a post-apocalyptic world where women are rare commodities and sold to the highest bidder, one wolf is determined only he will have the woman who is his destined mate. Danger lurks around every corner and passion ignites the pages in Ellie’s Wolf, Book 5 of this sizzling series.
In a post-apocalyptic world where women are rare and valuable, Ellie Overdahl is a widow far from home at the mercy of strangers. Sold to be a prize in a Bride Fight, she manages to send word to her cousin Taye, begging for rescue.
For six years, Quill Wolfe has mourned the loss of the woman his wolf chose to be his mate. When word comes that Ellie is widowed and about to be forced into an unwanted marriage, he races to enter the Bride Fight. He has waited long enough to claim his mate, and no fighter is good enough to keep him from her.
But claiming Ellie is only the beginning. It’s not only the journey home that is dangerous and uncertain.
It’s available
From the Publisher, in any format you choose: http://www.lsbooks.com/ellies-wolf-p822.php
From Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Ellies-Wolf-After-Crash-ebook/dp/B00ES1OTJ0
From Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ellies-Wolf-After-Crash-ebook/dp/B00ES1OTJ0
From All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ellie039swolf-1271374-340.html
Coming soon to Kobo, Barnes & Noble, the iBookstore, Sony and more.
Tuesday Teaser 8/13/13: Wolf’s Oath
Here is a snip from Wolf’s Oath. Connie told Des that she finds him attractive, but she doesn’t know him well enough to sleep with him. They’ve spent the evening talking and she’s wavering in that decision. They are in his room at the den. It’s night, and without a wood burning stove in the room, it’s cold.
“Des, I’m cold.”
His brows puckered. “I’ve kept you up too late talking in this cold room. Scoot under the covers. I’ll tuck you in.”
She ran her gaze over his wide shoulders to his burnished brown skin stretching smoothly over taut pectoral muscles. His nipples were the color of dark rosewood. She wanted to lick them. “I’d be warmer if you were under the covers with me.”
He froze. “I don’t think I can. Not without touching you, and if I touch you I’ll want more.”
“That’s good. I want more too.”
Somehow he went even more still and spoke in a hushed voice. “If we start, I won’t be able to stop at a kiss.”
Now she knew another thing about him: he was principled. He’d promised to not take anything from her she did willingly give. “I don’t want you to stop. I want everything. You, kissing me. You, touching me everywhere. You, moving inside me.”
His nostrils flared when he inhaled deeply. “Don’t tease.”
“I’m not teasing.” She braced herself against the cold air in the room and ripped the T-shirt over her head. “Des, I’m cold,” she said again.
Her nipples furled into tight points, partly because of the cold air, but mostly because Des was staring at them. He murmured something she didn’t catch, maybe in Lakota, but she understood awe and greed well enough. Then she was flat on her back and he was under the covers lying over her.
Would you like to Win an ARC of Ellie’s Wolf?
It’s two weeks until the release of Ellie’s Wolf. Actually, 15 days. (yes, I am keeping track!) But maybe you’re anxious to read it and hate to have to wait. If so, you might have a chance to get it early. I’ll be having a contest in my newsletter this week, and on the evening of Saturday August 17 I’ll draw two winners and send them an Advanced Reader’s copy of Ellie’s Wolf.
I have to say I’m pretty attached to Quill and Ellie. He is everything a wolf warrior of the clan should be: strong, possessive and ready to crawl over broken glass to protect his mate. Ellie is sweet, gentle and demure–at least as long as no one threatens the men in her life. I hope readers will love them as much as I do.
How do you enter to win? On Wednesday I’ll send out a newsletter with an entry form. Just fill it out and send it back before 5pm central time on Saturday 8/17, and cross your fingers. I will be notifying the winners immediately via email. If I don’t hear back before 7pm central time on Sunday 8/18 I will draw another name.
Not subscribed to my newsletter? You can do that by filling out the form on the right. I send out a newsletter about once a month, or when I have news to share. Your name and email addy are private. No one else will see them and you can unsubscribe any time.
Good luck!
Tuesday Teaser 8/6/13 Ellie’s Wolf
Ellie’s Wolf will be released in three weeks! Here is a snip to whet your appetite. Ellie and her friends Sara and Mel are in their tent getting ready for bed. Ellie has just returned from a long romantic walk with Quill.
Sara couldn’t seem to keep her curiosity in check. “How far did you go? Did you like it?”
“Sara!” Ellie couldn’t believe the teenager would ask something so personal. Yes, she could. “Nothing happened. We’re waiting until we can be married by a minister or priest.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Mel blew out the lamp. “My uncle is an ordained Methodist minister. He could marry you tomorrow if you like.”
A whisper of desire flared back to life between Ellie’s thighs. Under the blanket she pressed them together.
A voice just outside their tent said, “Did you say your uncle can marry people?”
Ellie identified the voice as Stone’s. Sara growled. “Can’t you let me get even fifty feet away from you?”
“No. And answer the question.”
“Yes,” Mel said. “My uncle can marry people.”
There was silence for a few moments. Then a dozen wolves lifted their voices in a joyful chorus of howls that sent a shiver down Ellie’s spine. Tomorrow she would marry Quill Wolfe, and tomorrow night she wouldn’t be sharing a tent with Sara and Mel.
Ellie’s Wolf Cover Reveal!
Yum, yum, YUM! Isn’t this absolutely scrumptious?
Cover art by Lyn Taylor.
After the Crash Book 5: Ellie’s Wolf, releasing from www.LSBooks.com on August 26, 2013!
