Here's a sneak peek into the first chapter of PHOENIX FALLING!
A sneak peek into the first chapter of PHOENIX FALLING….
Coming November 28th
Chapter One
Sun
The cacophony of music and laughter and humans on the hunt for their latest lay stirred the animal lurking restlessly within me. My phoenix was only a bird in the strictest sense—an integral part of my being, my alternate form, he was more mythical monster than modern-day member of the Aves class of vertebrates, with the flesh-rending talons and unstoppable strength to match. Not to mention the immortality. And what he wanted right now, more than anything, was to pick the meat from the bones of the nearest human body for daring to disturb his peace.
Only one thing saved them: the scent of the female we had come here to meet. Risk. Her essence mingled beneath the odor of human sweat and alcohol and sex, reaching my nose and my animal simultaneously. The creature stirred in my chest for a far different reason than anger. This was hunger of a different kind.
Need.
Lust.
My all-too human cock stiffened immediately. I’d had the same reaction to Risk before I’d ever met her, the first time I’d caught her scent in a bar very much like this one several months ago. She’d been a possible source for the intel my clan needed, intel that had led us to the discovery of the enemy compound located right on our doorstep. The Anigma contingent had been decimated, its remnants scattered, but I had no doubt that the threat was just beginning. And I needed Risk’s help to prevent the war I feared would be coming all too soon.
“Sun.” Risk leaned against a wall in the darkest corner of the club, head tilted back to meet my much taller gaze. Despite the lack of light, my phoenix saw every detail of her clearly. The thick blonde hair draping her shoulders, with its garish red and blue streaks. The silky-smooth skin gracing her body. And oh, that kick-ass body. Risk was high-octane sexual appeal wrapped in an athletic form prepared to take down any comer, and with my phoenix’s gifted sight, I couldn’t miss a single curve of a single muscle that came together to make that gorgeous physique.
My animal took it all in, staring from my eyes, breathing through my nose. I barely managed to suppress his avaricious growl as it rumbled up inside my chest. When it came to this woman, being both animal and man seriously sucked—there was zero possibility of ignoring her.
“Risk,” I murmured, her name like gravel in my tight throat. The female had gone to ground not long after our battle with Maddox’s Anigma soldiers, a fact I still found suspicious, but since she’d also dropped Cale, my fellow warrior and her former lover, around the same time, Cale had convinced me it was no more than fickle female hormones rearing their ugly head. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t be watching her closely. My phoenix would ensure that, if nothing else.
One feminine brow arched above a deep blue eye.
I quirked my own. “What?”
Risk straightened away from the wall. “I should be the one asking you that. You requested this meeting, not me.”
I had, hadn’t I? And I was standing here dazed over the female’s erotic draw rather than getting down to business. “Of course. Perhaps we could sit.”
She turned to lead the way. “Perhaps we could.”
A frown tugged at my mouth at the same time that a hint of uncertainty tugged at my brain. And wasn’t that a mind fuck in and of itself. The Archai prince unsure of himself around a human woman. My people survived because the strongest of us ruled, and as first in line for the throne of the largest Archai clan in the world, formality had been drilled into me for a thousand years. What did I care if Risk was amused by the precise way that I spoke? She had been drawn to Cale, after all, the playboy of the Archai warriors council. Her type definitely wasn’t tall, deadly, and decidedly stiff.
I had been weaned not just on formality but on command, and yet neither I nor my animal objected as Risk preceded me along the back wall of the club until she came upon an empty booth, raised on a dais to overlook the writhing figures on the dance floor. It was as private as things got in a place like this, but Risk insisted on setting the location of our meetups. Yet another thing I had no control over when it came to her.
The phoenix screeched his displeasure at the idea that we were not the ones in charge, particularly of her. I shook off his reaction and followed Risk into the booth.
The curved walls cut the chaos of our surroundings in half, insulating the two of us in a quasi-intimate atmosphere that did nothing for my current mood. I had never met Risk alone before; always Cale had accompanied me. Now, with Risk at the back of the circle, facing out toward the club, and me moving instinctively close to grant us a modicum of privacy, the draw of the female was impossible to ignore. I had never been close enough to feel the warmth radiating off her skin, to taste her with no more than a bending of my head toward her neck. I cursed under my breath at my body’s instant reaction and scooted back a few inches, bringing my knee up onto the seat to give myself more space.
If she noticed, Risk didn’t let on. This time when she arched a brow, I knew what she was thinking.
Time to talk.
“Your assistance with our previous problem proved to be invaluable, Risk.”
She raised her hand. “There’s no need to butter me up. I did a job, and I’m happy to do another one. For the right price.”
Agreed. But first, follow-up. “We’d like to know if you’ve seen any indications that the group we discussed previously has returned to Nashville.”
She tapped her red-tipped nails against the slick table. “Not as a group, no. Though there may be individuals out there—I’m not specifically hunting them anymore—I haven’t seen the kind of activity we tracked before.”
The word hunting on her full lips had certain parts of me throbbing harder than the bass line of the current song torturing everyone from the club’s speakers. I shifted in my seat. “Good.” I narrowed my eyes on her. “If you should happen to see—”
“You’d be the first to know, big boy. Again, for the right price.”
“You would be compensated generously, of course.”
“Of course.”
I’d carefully considered the next order of business. Not only could information about possible Archai females hidden in the wider human population be a priceless commodity, as seen by the fierceness with which the Anigma had sought such females out, but that same information held danger if outside forces ever learned of the person to have gained it. Risk had begun to earn our trust, but with something this important, our need to be sure was high.
Unfortunately I was running out of time. I still wasn’t a hundred percent certain of the female, but I had no choice. We desperately needed her eyes and ears.
“I want to enlist your help in finding a female.”
The slightest smile curled one side of her lips. “I think I told you the first time I met you, Sun, I wasn’t that type of girl.”
She had. I remembered wondering if I looked that hard up, that I’d need to hire a hooker to get some action, as Cale put it. The Risk back then had teased me, her smile suggestive, while she called Cale baby. The Risk sitting across from me now barely allowed her lips to curve. What had prompted the change in her?
I didn’t return her smile. “Wrong type of female.”
“What type of ‘female’ were you looking for?” Neon lights hanging over the dance floor glinted off the metallic hoop piercing her nose.
I studied her for another long moment before taking the plunge. “Not just any female. We have two criteria: specifically, you would need to look for someone whose mother died young, most likely committed suicide, and who were subsequently left to be raised in an orphanage or foster care.” There were hundreds of other possible scenarios, but we couldn’t track them all, not yet. Our first starting point was the lineages of the women who had already been discovered. Risk gave us a second avenue to make headway on a desperate—and with the Anigma threat ever looming, time-critical—mission.
“Why?”
The word brought me up short. “Why…?”
Risk tipped her head to drill me with that deep blue stare. “I might be mercenary, Sun, but I won’t put women in danger without a reason. Why do you want to find this ‘female’?”
“We have reason to believe someone who went missing from our…family…long ago may have given birth to a daughter that ended up in just such a situation. We’re looking for leads.”
It was the story we had decided to tell Risk to earn her help. When I considered how close it was to the truth, something deep inside my chest felt broken. We were missing not one female but possibly thousands, the offspring of psychs who had been separated from the Archai for hundreds of years. Those daughters carried the genes that made them capable of conversion, and every one was infinitely valuable. My clan had only recently discovered that such psychs were possibly hidden, unknown and unknowing, in the human world. Unfortunately our enemy had figured it out long before the Archai had.
How many females were being tortured right now, like the women we had rescued from my old friend turned Anigma general, Maddox, and his nightmare army? How long would it take to find them? How many wouldn’t survive long enough to be found?
Risk pushed the fall of her long blonde hair behind one ear. She was known in the underground as the best finder money could buy—you name it, and she could find it. I was praying that included people.
“I’m not buying your story.”
Smart woman. “You don’t have to.” She simply had to do as I requested.
Risk’s calculating brain made her dangerous but also effective. And yet it wasn’t her mind that made my animal stir inside me. Every time I looked at her, the creature that shared my body raised his head, eager to stare out of my rainbow-hued eyes at the gorgeous female.
Not that I allowed him to. A female like Risk—wild, independent, secretive—was not for me.
And yet I couldn’t deny that her appeal had never waned. She was earthy, the air around her practically vibrating with energy, both carnal and emotional. A female made for sex. And a female who used that sexual energy often if Cale’s stories were to be believed.
Definitely not for me.
We could have her for a time.
True. And I was tempted. So very tempted. My animal knew that. But…
“Do you have more specific parameters?” she was asking now.
“No.” There was no definitive way to know if a particular female was, in fact, Archai without a triggering bite. But we had to try, and it was too big a task to take on by ourselves alongside the other issues we were facing. How we would handle the possible psychs once we found them was a question we hadn’t answered yet.
Risk frowned, her fingernails continuing their tap dance on the table. The sound put me on edge. “Age? Description? Anything?” she asked.
Feeling the less said, the better, I kept my mouth shut and shook my head.
“Well”—Risk raised that imperious eyebrow once more—“that’s going to be a long-ass list.”
“I understand. If we could start locally and then expand outward?”
The tap dance stopped. Risk leaned toward me. “If I find any reason to believe you would use that list to harm them—and I will be looking—you won’t be getting it. Once I’m sure they will be safe…” Risk shrugged. “It’s your money.” She named her figure.
The price was fair. I didn’t hesitate. The Archai had no worries about money, given we’d been accumulating wealth and investments for millennia. Not to mention that I was, in fact, a prince. I gave the female a silent nod.
“Will do.” Risk began to slide her way around the opposite side of the booth. “I’ll have an answer for you by the end of this week.”
She paused at the opening, her stare on the dance floor. I waited.
She glanced back at me through the veil of her hair. “It was good to see you again, Sun.”
Surely not. And yet there was something almost…wistful in her tone. As if she truly had missed someone. Cale, more likely. Except she had been the one to break things off with the warrior, not the other way around. Why would she miss him?
That certain something underlying her words had me speaking without thought for the first time all night. “Risk, are you all right?”
I shouldn’t ask. Shouldn’t want to know. Shouldn’t care for anything more than having her body. And yet I was unable to hold the words back.
She seemed puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Why indeed. I gave her another nod.
She stood, preparing to leave.
“Risk…”
She hesitated, gaze still on her exit.
Whatever had been on the tip of my tongue, I swallowed it down. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
PHOENIX FALLING releases on November 28th! Don't forget to preorder your copy!
What are readers saying about 40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT?
What are readers saying about 40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT? Let’s see!
"Their story is funny, emotional and steamy. I have to mention that I fell in love with Carter's son Thad immediately. I am loving the silver foxes and can't wait for more Black Wolf's Bluff stories." - Linda, GR reviewer
"40 and (so over) Fixing It is the 3rd book in the series, a wonderfully emotional romance featuring a grumpy hero with a goey soft center; a sassy, strong-willed heroine yearning for family - and a heartbreakingly endearing little boy ready to open his heart to new people. Add in a possessive peacock, old friends and a charming little town, and you've got the perfect story to while away an evening. Just make sure you clear your calendar first, because you won't want to put this book down! The HEA had me tearing up and I can't wait to see what happens next in Black Wolf's Bluff." - Silke, GR reviewer
"A great second chance at love read with steam, some surprises, humour and amazing characters. I loved their banter and tension that didn’t include over the top drama…..handled everything with maturity and clarity, like true adults." -Di, GR reviewer
Grab your copy today!
Audiobook News!
DESIRE ME is here!
No, not in ebook. That's been around for a while. But audio... I don't know if any of us were ready for this.
Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter have continued their phenomenal work on the Southern Nights: Enigma series. They bring Saint and Rae to life in a way that has sent chills up my spine every time I listen. Not to mention making the “hot” in Enigma even hotter! If you love audiobooks, even if you haven't heard the rest of the Southern Nights series, you've got to grab this one.
How about a sample?
What are early listeners saying about DESIRE ME?
A lot! Here’s just a sample from Twitter users:
“This is so good — one helluva ride!”
“Only a few chapters in and I'm hooked! Amazing work from Stella Hunter & Jason Clarke.”
“Have plenty of water with this one.”
“I love Ella Sheridan’s writing. She has some of the best romantic suspense books in the biz.”
“More Stella and Jason? Yes please!”
Don’t wait! Grab your copy at your fave audiobook retailer:
I recently spent a week with my critique partner, Gina L Maxwell, talking writing and actually writing at her home with her fantastic clowder of kitties and her super-affectionate boxer, Nova, who couldn't seem to stay out of my lap.
But I didn't just spend the week cuddling Nova. I also spent it working on the very next Silver Foxes of Black Wolf’s Bluff book, now titled 40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT. Erin and Carter are sparking off each other like you would not believe. I hope to have this book finished by the end of this month and out to you in June. Then it's time to dig into some serious progress on PHOENIX FALLING. I'm also right now in the process of working out the next story arc for Assassins and Nix's team backstory.
One of the most frequently asked questions I get about Assassins is whether or not Levi and Abby’s storyline will continue. I'm happy to say that you won't lose the original brothers in the continuing arc. Much in the vein of J. R. Ward and similar authors, I intend to include storylines from the brothers as well as the ongoing stories about the new team in each new novel. Will we see Levi and Abby get married? Have that baby they didn't realize they wanted until it was no longer a possibility? Well, you'll have to read to find out the details, but I can assure you there will be details. (insert evil author laughter here)
Lastly, I have something exciting to share!
I’ve joined forces with Romance Devoured and thirteen other Bestselling Romance Authors to bring you an amazing giveaway! The best part? EVERYONE WINS!
Everyone who enters will automatically receive all 14 books free! And one lucky winner will also get a $25 Amazon gift card. How cool is that? Almost like a gift from your favorite romance hero!
But it won't last forever, so RUN, don't walk!
Click here to enter -> https://promos.romancedevoured.com/lnk/scg-ella-sheridan
That's all the news for now. Keep an eye out for next month's newsletter and release information for FIXING IT. Sneak peeks of PHOENIX FALLING. Details about the next hero and heroine in Assassins (and maybe even a book title if it will finally come to me!). There's so much to look forward to this year. In the meantime, happy reading!
~ Ella
The Silver Foxes Are Here!
The brand-new series I promised is now LIVE! The Silver Foxes of Black Wolf’s Bluff is an over-forty, later in life romance series featuring heroes and heroines forty and above. Book 1 releases today!
40 AND (TIRED OF) FAKING IT
Welcome to Black Wolf’s Bluff, where turning forty doesn’t mean your life is over. It might just mean the spark that can light up everything is right around the corner.
She’s turning forty.
Lily Easton’s series of lackluster boyfriends ended three years ago with the ex from hell—self-absorbed, thoughtless, and seriously bad in bed. After she dumped him, he told everyone in their small town she was the horrible lover. Being made the dating-pool pariah allowed her to focus on her goal of becoming the first female mayor of Black Wolf’s Bluff, but with that accomplished, the arrival of Lily’s fortieth birthday is a stark reminder of everything she’s still lacking: love, commitment, and some seriously intense orgasms.
He's here to do a job.
John David Lane walked away from Black Wolf’s Bluff thirty years ago, determined to find his own success and leave behind the family who hated him. Now he’s back, but not to stay. He plans to turn the family estate he has inherited into a high-end resort, the kind that would completely transform this backwoods town. To succeed, he’ll need the help of the “lady mayor,” but he didn’t count on the desire for something far more personal with Lily than political negotiations.
Dive into an all-new small-town romance that proves falling in love isn’t impossible after forty — and neither are seriously intense orgasms!
You can grab your copy of 40 AND (TIRED OF) FAKING IT right now at the retailers below!
Right now you can even get the sale price of $2.99, good through June 1st.
And keep an eye out for book 2, coming later this summer!
What's Coming Up Next?
Something new! 😉
I've started a new series with the New Year. I'm not quite ready to announce what, but it's something completely new. Sometimes writers just need a break, something to play with and create without looking to past books, and that's what I'm doing with this series.
But what about all your favorite series, you ask? Don't worry! I'll be getting back to those soon enough. My plan is to focus on the next ASSASSINS books this year, see how far we can go with those, and then we will be moving forward with a brand-new spinoff series for SOUTHERN NIGHTS just like I promised (can anyone say Luka?!?!?!). I also have plans for a special release that's been a passion project of mine for a while, unlike anything else I've written. We'll see how that "super secret" project comes along this year!
How about you? What are you doing this New Year? Something brand-new? Something familiar and fun? Tell me all about it, or drop into ELLA'S ESCAPE ROOM this week and let's chat!
SURPRISE! New Audiobook News!
DENY ME Is Now Available In Audio
It seems like the surprises just keep rolling in! Not only did we have the surprise release of SOUTHERN NIGHTS ENIGMA: THE BEGINNING -- you've got your copy, right? No? Then click HERE* -- but I got a huge surprise last week when Audible unexpectedly released DENY ME in audiobook with no warning. WOW! I'm so excited to get this audio release to you a bit earlier than expected. 🙂
You don't want to miss the fabulous narrator team, Stella Hunter and Jason Clarke, as they bring King and Charlotte to life. Jason even brings his yummy growl to bear! Be sure and grab your copy quick. *
A Special Announcement!
I've been thinking for a while about a box set for SOUTHERN NIGHTS: ENIGMA. Except that's usually three books, and this series is awkward in that it has five... And I had another bonus idea... Plus I have a bonus short that comes after DECEIVE ME...
So... I decided to do a collection! SOUTHERN NIGHTS ENIGMA: THE BEGINNING contains books one and two, the Halloween short, SURPRISE ME, and a brand-new, never-before-seen epilogue for COME FOR ME that tells Elliot's origin story with the team. I'm so excited to share this with you!
When private security gets risky, always have a team at your back.
See how the hard-hitting security specialists of Team Enigma began in this brand-new anthology that includes Come For Me and Deceive Me, as well as two additional bonus shorts. Don’t miss the extras, including a brand-new, never-before-seen epilogue sharing the story of how the lone-warrior Elliot became a member of Team Enigma!
AVAILABLE NOW!*
Teaser Tuesday
The bonus story to If Only’s Only for the Moment, 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗬, is coming to my newsletter on NOVEMBER 15TH! Have you signed up yet? You can only read Nick and Grace if you’re on my list, so sign up here: https://www.subscribepage.com/n9q8y6 . And in the meantime, here’s a refresher on the beginning of their story!
Nick & Grace: The Beginning
Nick held his breath as he walked through the door of the mansion, every sense straining, wanting, needing to see the woman he’d traveled across the world just to meet. His job was to protect his friend and client, Isaac Anschau, from harm, but that wasn’t why he’d dropped to his knees and given thanks when Isaac told him they were visiting Australia. No, it had all been about Grace.
His Grace.
“What in the world happened to you?”
Nick’s gut tightened at the lyrical voice even though it wasn’t directed at him. He knew that voice, had heard it hundreds of times over the phone, had replayed the memories in his dreams. His Grace.
But it was Isaac who gathered Grace’s petite frame into his arms, blocking Nick from getting a proper look. “How you doing, Grace?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Nick recognized the stubborn tone too. When she wanted something, Grace could be as stubborn as a dog with a bone. That was exactly how she’d gotten her lifelong friend back to his home country when he’d refused to visit for five years.
“Later, okay?” Isaac answered, releasing Grace. Still blocking Nick’s view.
Move the fuck out of the way, boss.
Isaac did, shifting to the side to introduce his girlfriend, Kennedy O’Connell. And giving Nick his first glimpse of Grace in person. He’d known from pictures that she was petite, maybe a handful of inches over five feet. Much, much smaller than his six-four. But he hadn’t realized how delicate she would be, like a fairy. Or, with the mischief sparkling in those eyes as she bantered with Isaac, a wood nymph. Something with wings.
How would she fit in his arms? Beneath him? He broke out in a sweat just thinking about it.
Grace directed Isaac to his bedroom so he could get out of his wet clothes. “Just don’t linger.”
Nick couldn’t help it; a snort escaped. “If Ken is going with him, the lingering is guaranteed.”
At the sound of his voice, Grace leaned a bit to see around Isaac, her gaze colliding with Nick’s—and kicking every last bit of breath out of his lungs.
A pink flush crept up her cheeks. “Nick.”
He grinned. “In the flesh. Finally.”
And the wait, as much as it had itched under his skin for far too long, had definitely been worth it. Grace was a fucking dream standing before him, just like he’d known she would be. Years he’d dreamed about her, imagining what it would be like to be in the same room, to see her, hold her. Right now, this moment—his dreams hadn’t even come close.
He was vaguely aware of Isaac and Kennedy heading upstairs. Very vaguely. Every ounce of attention was centered on the woman in front of him, the shy awareness in her eyes, the way she gripped her hands in front of her as if she was holding herself back. He didn’t want her to hold back. He opened his arms. “Come here, angel.”
The next moment he was pulling her against him—and oh God, did she feel good. When she whispered his name, he knew she felt it too.
Her body molded to his perfectly, and he gave himself a moment to revel in the feel of her in his arms. When things south started to revel a bit too much, he stepped back. They had time. He had time to give her, to prove he was who she needed. By the time he got on a plane to escort Isaac back to the States, she would be his and they’d be planning the future.
“Show me to my room?” he asked. If his voice was a little rough, well, he couldn’t help it. Grace did that to him.
Grace stared up at him a moment, emotion swirling in her eyes. “Aren’t you going to kiss me, Nick?”
A jolt shot through him, half surprise, half lust. “What?”
The ring of Grace’s laughter sent a flutter through his chest, right where she laid her palm. Warmth seeped into him at her touch.
“I know you, Nick. We may not have met in person, but I know you. Being all chivalrous and ‘give her some time.’” She shook her head, the scent of sun and coconut rising from her hair to fill his senses. “Stop protecting me. I’ve waited too long for this moment.”
Nick closed his eye tight. How could he have ever believed that Grace would let him ease her into anything? A chuckle escaped as he opened his eyes to stare down into her gorgeous blue gaze. “You never do anything halfway, do you?”
“Me?” Grace moved closer, her body brushing his again, setting his senses on fire. “I should bloody well hope not.”
Spearing his fingers into the silky fall of her hair, he cradled her head, tilting it at just the right angle. Grace went up on her toes, anticipation lighting her eyes and quickening her breath. And as Nick lowered his head, his lips meeting hers, he knew without a doubt, just as he’d known everything else when it came to Grace, that this would be the last first kiss he would ever have.
*
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𝐄𝐋𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐈𝐗 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄!
🔥 🔥 🔥
𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦: 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘨𝘰𝘻𝘪 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘹–𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘢 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘦’𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵.
𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘌𝘭𝘪 𝘈𝘨𝘰𝘻𝘪 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰.
🔥 🔥 🔥
You don’t want to miss this pivotal story in the ASSASSINS universe!
AVAILABLE NOW!
The Assassin's Duet is Here!!!
For a limited time you can get the first two books in the Assassin's series together in a duet! It also includes a BONUS SCENE from Assassin's Mark NOT found in the original story!
ASSASSIN’S MARK
I knew the minute I saw him that Levi Agozi was too perfect to be real. I didn't care. He came to me, asked for me, and, dazzled by his dark good looks and the bad-boy aura surrounding him, I gave in. Willingly.
My father is set to become the next governor of Georgia, and he'll use me to get there if he has to. He'll hand me over, virginity and all, to the man with the biggest bank account and political pull.
I wanted something more.
I wanted Levi. And I had him—until I woke up, disoriented and confused, at his mercy. He’s a bad boy, all right. A sexy, deadly assassin. And I'm the pawn torn between him and my father, two powerful men intent on destroying each other.
I might not understand their war, but I do understand one thing: no matter who wins, I lose.
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ASSASSIN’S PREY
I killed my first man at the age of twelve. I've been killing ever since. I thought it was all I lived for…until Abby. Until the woman I'd kidnapped became the woman I couldn't walk away from.
She owns a piece of me I wouldn't take back, but the rest? The only way to protect her is to hold back the parts inside me that are too ugly to ever reveal. I'll keep her safe, even from me.
And it works. We have the nights, and I hunt my way through the days. Alone.
Until an attack reveals a threat we didn't see coming. One that could take away the dream I didn't realize I had.
Everything. With her.
I'm on the hunt of my life. My prey might run, but in this fight—for her, for us—they don't stand a chance.
Deny Me is coming soon!!
The ASSASSINS series has taken over the whole summer! I hope you’ve loved the series as much as I have. We’re up to book 4, but don’t despair—there will definitely be more! Eli’s story will be coming this December, with more books in the planning stage beyond that, I promise. ASSASSINS will continue for a long time to come!
So what’s next, then? SOUTHERN NIGHTS: ENIGMA, of course! We get a glimpse of King Moncrief and his heroine in ASSASSIN’S HEART, and I plan to release their story, DENY ME, in October. That’s right, I plan to cross over Enigma and Assassins in coming books! So, Deny Me in October, and Eli’s book (title to be determined) in December.
Stop thinking about 2020! (I know you’re thinking it; I can feel it. That schedule isn’t ready yet, LOL!)
DENY ME is up for preorder! Head over and grab your copy!
DENY ME
Assassin's Heart!
In case you haven’t heard, I’ve been releasing a few books lately.😉 ASSASSIN’S PREY released just yesterday, and the next installment in the series will be out AUGUST 26TH!
♦ ASSASSIN’S HEART ♦
My brother believes he made me a killer. The truth is, I’ve always been different. I can smile while sliding a knife between your ribs—and not feel a moment of regret.
Until Leah.
A man like me shouldn’t have a family. But the minute I opened my eyes from a coma and saw her, I knew I’d forever be tied to her. A nurse who nurtures life. A mother.
I’ve stalked her for two years, unable to stop but refusing to give in to the need to have her. To love her. Until the night her daughter is taken. I’ll light up the world to get Leah’s child back to her.
And then I’ll walk away for good. Not because it’s the right thing to do, but because I know how she’ll look at me after seeing who I truly am.
She’ll see the murderer inside me. And God help me, but she’ll be right.
🍾 🍾 ASSASSIN’S MARK is here! 🍾 🍾
I’ve waited a long time for today. Release day is overwhelming, but with a book—and a series—like this, it is…indescribable. Really, there are no words.
ASSASSIN’S MARK was written at a time when I was struggling so much. It changed how I wrote, how I viewed my writing, how I viewed my world, more than I can even describe. I hope you love Levi and his brothers as much as I do, and follow them for many books to come. It’ll be an adventure you won’t forget!
ASSASSIN’S MARK
I knew the minute I saw him that Levi Agozi was too perfect to be real. I didn't care. He came to me, asked for me, and, dazzled by his dark good looks and the bad-boy aura surrounding him, I gave in. Willingly. My father is set to become the next governor of Virginia, and he'll use me to get there if he has to. He'll hand me over, virginity and all, to the man with the biggest bank account and political pull. I wanted something more. I wanted Levi. And I had him—until I woke up, disoriented and confused, at his mercy. He’s a bad boy, all right. A sexy, deadly assassin. And I'm the pawn torn between him and my father, two powerful men intent on destroying each other. I might not understand their war, but I do understand one thing: no matter who wins, I lose.⠀ ⠀ ⠀
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*TAKE THE RISK TODAY!*
The Assassin
If you’ve been waiting, THE ASSASSIN is finally here as a complete e-book—and it’s FREE! Read it now before ASSASSIN’S MARK arrives. Take the risk…⠀
The Assassin⠀⠀
I’m a cold-blooded killer with no room in my heart for anyone but the brothers I raised on the streets. In the world I’ve created, there’s only one rule:⠀⠀
Don’t harm the innocent.⠀⠀
And I’m about to break it. With her.⠀
COVER REVEAL!
ASSASSIN’S MARK will be here in *one month*!!! I’ve waited so long to reveal this cover, y’all! I’m totally in love, and I hope you will be too. <3 Be sure to preorder your copy today so ASSASSIN’S MARK shows up on your e-reader ASAP on June 24th!
ASSASSIN’S MARK
I knew the minute I saw him that Levi Agozi was too perfect to be real. I didn't care. He came to me, asked for me, and, dazzled by his dark good looks and the bad-boy aura surrounding him, I gave in. Willingly.
My father is set to become the next governor of Virginia, and he'll use me to get there if he has to. He'll hand me over, virginity and all, to the man with the biggest bank account and political pull.
I wanted something more.
I wanted Levi. And I had him—until I woke up, disoriented and confused, at his mercy. He’s a bad boy, all right. A sexy, deadly assassin. And I'm the pawn torn between him and my father, two powerful men intent on destroying each other.
I might not understand their war, but I do understand one thing: no matter who wins, I lose.
The damp night air felt heavy with suspicion—mine. My brothers would tell me I was crazy, but I knew what my senses were saying. They’d been honed over years on the streets to keep all three of us safe, and right now they were screaming.
Something wasn’t right.
“Where the hell is this guy?”
The words came out a low growl, but I had no doubt Remi and Eli heard them through the communication device in my ear. It was Eli who answered.
“On his way here, maybe? It’s not even a quarter till, Levi. Not everyone’s got a stick up their ass like you.”
I shot a bird toward the window of the office two buildings down where my youngest brother was working his magic with the surveillance equipment. In our business, you better have a stick up your ass when it came to details or you were dead. Easing deeper into the shadows of the overhang I stood under, I scanned the street once more. “I’m telling you, something’s not right. I don’t like it.”
“When do you ever like anything?” Remi asked. He waited on a second-story balcony directly across the street, hidden behind a brick column, his favorite Remington 700 pointed in my general direction. Watching my back—and giving me a hard time. My relationship with my brothers in a nutshell.
“Never,” Eli said in my ear, proving my point.
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😈 😈OCTOBER MONTHLY CONTEST 😈 😈
It’s that time of year again—the time when those of us in the South pray desperately for cooler weather and envy those of you in northern climates. And the time when, even as adults, we get to PLAY! I can’t think of any time more playful than HALLOWEEN.
We’re going to have some fun with the spooky and scary this month. Comment below about the scariest movie you’ve ever seen! Title, pictures, or (double entries) a movie trailer. I’ll go first. 😊
* * * I’ll choose a winner on Friday, October 26thfor a little “Trick or Treat” package I’ve put together—fun October decorations, candy, a “spooky” black book light, and a signed paperback copy of Gena Showalter’s BURNING DAWN. * * *
(Likes and shares with your romance-loving friends appreciated but not required!)
Smart Heroines
The heroine of the book I’m working on now, CAPTURE ME, is a little different than the other heroines in the Southern Nights series. She’s not a kick-ass warrior like Elliot or a sassy fighter like Maddie. She’s a computer nerd.
That’s right. A geek.
A cute geek, but still…Lyse is way out of her depth when it comes to her Irish mercenary. 😉
So what was my inspiration for this quieter heroine? Honestly, my family. My husband is both a scientist and engineer, and my son is into electronics and computer science. They have smarts I can only dream of, and so does Lyse. I wanted to take the typical “male nerd” character and turn it on its head. And make her sexy in her own way.
You’ll have to tell me how I did the final week of November when CAPTURE ME releases. In the meantime, how do you feel about geek characters?
Schedules
I’ve struggled for years to come up with a consistent routine. Working at home means there’s not a lot of rigid structure, and having two jobs means there’s a lot to juggle. Recently, though, I got some advice that has made a tremendous difference in my day:
First things first.
For me, a positive life means putting the most important things first in my day. When it comes to my work, the highest priority for me is writing, so after the family leaves in the morning, guess what I do?
Sit down and write.
When your schedule is hectic or chaotic, what’s your priority, the first thing you want to focus on in your day?
