RELEASE DAY FOR BEAUTY SHOT!

Out Now!

The second novella in my continuing Hope Parish Novels series takes Deke West away from Suttontowne, a fish out of water in New York City! He has his sights set on Minnie Tattersall. What he didn't expect was the deep friendships he would make or the stir he'd cause by just being himself!

This cover was designed by me!

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Genre: New Adult

Release Date:  Now

Description:

Decon West arrives at Columbia University to start his freshman year. But New York City is like an alien planet to him and even though he’s a fish out of water, he takes it in stride. He expected to be homesick. He expected to find the city chaotic. What he hadn’t expected was that the girls would be so aggressive, throwing themselves at him. But, there’s only one woman he’s interested in tracking down and that’s Minnie Tattersall.

Minnie dodged the bullet and resisted the temptation of eighteen-year-old Deke West when she was visiting Suttontowne. Now she’s hard at work on the upcoming collection she and Verity Outlaw will be showing at Fashion Week. She also finds it hard work to get Deke off her mind, but easy to remember that he’s much too young for her. It isn’t until he shows up at the show, and accidentally lands on the runway modeling their clothes that things begin to heat up for them. It's clear to Minnie that Deke doesn’t much care that he’s taking the New York City fashion scene by storm. He's hell-bent on breaking down her barriers and having her. How will she resist?

RELEASE DAY FOR FETCHED!

Out Now!

This cover was designed by the fabulous Robin at Robin Ludwig Design

When I was writing Collared, Book #4 in the Going to the Dogs series, it was my intent to include Poe's wedding and the birth of her child. But as I progressed through the novel, the wedding scene was cutting too much into Harper and Caleb's romance. I wanted to start off with them. So, I removed the wedding and baby stuff. That's when it hit me, why not do Poe's continuing journey to her own self-discovery through the novella. I had conflict! I had a wonderful honeymoon destination. And, I had two characters I loved to write about - Poe and Jared. Writing this novella from their POV was also much better than getting it second-hand from Harper. So there you have it. As a result of conceptualizing this novella, I decided it would be a stellar idea to write all the weddings and honeymoons of all my dog park babes in the order they get married. So, you can go here to see what will be happening with the other three girls. Now, onto Poe and Jared.

 

 

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:

A companion novella to Hounded, Going to the Dogs, #3. Your reading enjoyment would be enhanced if you've already read Hounded.

Poe is getting married and she’s having Jared’s baby. She’s gotten her happily ever after, but everything happened so fast, she’s barely had time to take it all in. She’s worried about her ability to be a good mother. Will her doubts overshadow these joyous occasions—her marriage and honeymoon with her sexy cowboy?

But, she’ll have to catch her breath on the run. Before she can say Zombie Apocalypse, she’s off to Vegas where all her friends and family are assembling. They have to put a wedding together in a week. Can the dog park babes come to her rescue to get this hitching to come off without a hitch?

Ah, wait, The Terrible Two are involved.

Sneak Peek

Poe sat on the front porch of Jared’s pappy’s ranch, rocking back and forth as the sun peeked over the horizon. She sipped a cup of the coffee that Jared’s pap, Roy, had made before he went out to do his chores. The Terrible Two and Daisy had only raised their heads as she’d left the room. Lazy little rascals

She’d left the wonderful warmth of Jared’s body because she couldn’t sleep. Part excitement, part disbelief, and part anticipation had pushed her out of slumber.

She was pregnant.

Having a baby.

With child.

Knocked up.

Oh, God.

And!

She was getting married.

Hitched.

Tying the knot.

She rocked back and forth some more and told herself to shut the hell up.

She wanted to marry Jared. She was ecstatic to be cradling their child inside her body, so why did she have this terrible feeling of disquiet, why did the feeling persist, constantly knotted between her shoulder blades?

They would be leaving for Vegas early tomorrow morning. Jared’s pappy was going to drive with them, then fly back to Texas after the wedding. She grinned at the thought of getting married in Vegas, her insides bubbling with glee. She’d always wanted an unconventional Vegas wedding.

Harper, Brooke, and Callie would meet them in Vegas, and Poe’s mother was flying in with her brother Wilder and her sister Austen. Jared’s brother Nate was scheduled to arrive about the same time. Then there would be a number of other friends attending, most of her St. Mark’s colleagues and staff, were coming as well, including Mr. Leonard. He and the cute cockapoo that he’d adopted, Binky, were doing really well together. They were also expecting several people from the shelter where she volunteered—all coming in spite of the short notice. She hadn’t even started her director’s job at the new clinic yet, and wouldn’t until she got back to the city.

Another thing she had to think about. How much did she want to work after the baby was born? Drawing a deep, shaky breath, Poe closed her eyes and leaned back, her insides trembling. And there was that ugly dread again.

She set her cup down with a snap and headed toward the barn. When she got there, she found Roy un-baling hay, getting it ready to spread around three freshly mucked stalls.

“Ahhh, looks to me like you got the same kinda timin’ as my son.” He gave her a wink.

Poe giggled. “I can help with spreading the hay.”

“Well, that’s sumpin’, then.”

She grabbed handfuls and started scattering it around the first stall.

“You fretting?”

“About what?”

“You’re usually snuggled up to my son ‘bout this time of mornin’ You tell me, little gal.”

“Kumquats are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, either forming the genus Fortunella, or placed within Citrus sensu lato.”

Roy didn’t bat an eye. He was as used to her spouting off random nonsense as Jared was.

“Sumpin’ tells me it ain’t kumquats that’s got your rope in a twist.”

She managed a wry smile that didn’t have a whole lot of energy behind it. “No flies on you, Pappy.”

“Life changes ain’t easy. ‘Specially when they’re unexpected and as serious as having a baby and pledgin’ yer life to someone, young lady. But I remember what it was like when my wife was pregnant with Jared,” he said, a soft, reminiscent smile tugging at his mouth. “It can be nerve-wracking, but you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet. The hard work is after they’re born. Then, before you know it, you got yerself two strappin’ boys and they’re making you prouder than a peacock.”

“Well, this is something I don’t see every day. Poe out here doing chores when she could be sleeping. I’d rather she had been. I like waking up to my snugglebug.”

Jared stood in the barn doorway resting one broad shoulder against the frame, his thumbs hooked in his pockets as he studied her, a glint of amusement in his wonderful moss-green eyes. Smelling freshly showered and shaved, his t-shirt stretched over his wide chest, his smooth throat and arms tanned from the sun, he drew the eye and the senses.

From deep inside an upwelling of love hit her so hard she almost staggered. He regarded her with those compelling eyes. Then he stepped toward her as if his Pappy wasn’t standing there watching, and Poe waited for him, feeling as if the magic between them was as wonderful and new as the day he first laid eyes on her. When he reached her, his eyes crinkled up at the corners, and he bent his head and kissed her mouth.

She pressed herself against him, suddenly feeling like weeping. Needing his strength, and at the same time overwhelmed by it.

He lingered over her mouth, and when he pulled away, he said, “Good morning, beautiful.”

She cupped his jaw and smiled. “Good morning. Where are The Two and Daisy?”

“Chasing butterflies again and being a general nuisance to the livestock,” he said rolling his eyes.

“I think they’re going to miss being here when we leave tomorrow.”

He nodded, and suddenly his gaze sharpened. “You okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, trying to dismiss that stupid, overbearing feeling. She was never morose. For her, Goth was a way of dressing, not a way of being. She smiled to alleviate his sudden tension.

He gave his pap a sidelong glance, but Roy had turned away and was heading for the third and final stall.

Jared bent down to grab a bale, his biceps bulging. He followed his pappy, flashing another grin over his shoulder. “I wanted to give you a proper wakeup call this morning,” he whispered.

She smiled and giggled. “You’re so bad.”

“No, darlin’. I’m good, and if you’d hung around this morning, you would have experienced all the goodness I had to offer.”

Poe glanced over at Jared’s father. “Well…” she said softly. “I’m feeling a bit tired…you know, with the pregnancy and all.”

He grinned from ear to ear.

“Git along then, cute lit’l doggie and I’ll…um…finish helping my pap and be there before you can say Old McDonald.”

She glanced down at his groin with an appreciative look on her face. “With the whole farm? I’m feeling the urge to moo right now.” Heat sizzled through her and she fanned herself. “I’m gittin’! And then I’ll be gettin’. Oooh, hurry up with the hay.”

Where to buy:

As of this post, Fetched is at the following retailers:

Amazon

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Smashwords

COVER REVEAL SQUEE!: BRAVE - THE 12 NA'S OF CHRISTMAS NOVELLA

Brave is proud to be a part of The 12 NA's of Christmas
12 New Adult Novellas. 12 Bestselling Authors.

I was extremely fortunate to be invited to participate in this collection of Christmas novellas by some of the best voices in New Adult Contemporary Romance!

There are 12 novellas for you to devour and you'll want them all. Yup, you're going to need a much bigger stocking this Christmas.

I am immensely proud of this book. It's not your typical romance. It's tense, gripping, and heartbreaking. There's a lot of darkness here, but the message is that love is the biggest, most potent healing force on the planet.

I was blown away by the talent of Sarah Hansen when she presented me with this beautiful cover! Thank you, Sarah for your creative moxie. So without further ado, here is Brave.

This cover was designed by the fabulous Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations

Please take a moment to add Brave to your Goodreads Shelf

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date:  November 1, 2013

Description:

In the season of hope, in the season of giving…

How far would you go for your friend?

Alissa Thompson has been the good girl her whole life. Her uninterested parents don’t understand her hopes and dreams. But this Christmas when her steadfast childhood friend Charlie needs her more than ever, she can’t back down. Crossing the line means being braver than she has ever been in her life. It means changing and growing and taking a stand.

Dakota Gray was brave in the face of debilitating fear. But he lost himself in that blood soaked day and has shunned everything he once knew. Now shattered and broken, he hides out in isolation, his wounds beyond healing. His heart closed, his emotions buried, he’s a man on the edge of self-destructing. Little does he know that courage would be found in another searching for the strength to be brave.

Now snowbound in the Colorado Rockies one week before Christmas, Alissa thought this was about her journey and her friend, about setting him free. But from the moment she meets Dakota, she learns about what real bravery is all about. What real love is all about. But is the season enough, her courage enough, her love enough to heal this hero’s brave heart and in the end set herself free?

Here are all the other covers! Now where is that huge stocking I just bought!

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS JUST GOT HOTTER!

See them all here!

EXCERPT:

 

I turned to reach for my shirt. She was about 20 yards away, too far to shout and be heard above the wind. Her long white blonde hair rippled like the flutter of angels wings against the backdrop of winter white. Distracted by her and why she was here, I dropped my axe. Trudging through the new powder, she trailed a backpack, slogging slowly towards the cliff through the fresh snow. Anger boiled through me and my shackled demons laughed.

Not a woman. Not here. I couldn’t bear it

If I lost my numbness, my equilibrium, it was open season on me.

Even this glimpse of her disturbed my peace, and I desperately needed my peace. Heavy snow obscured my vision and, with a shot to my heart, I realized I couldn’t see the horizon.

The blizzard was already here. The snow blanketed everything. It had blindsided me. The monster was here.

I quickly headed toward the cliff, cutting our distance in half. Why was she on my property, and what did she want? Didn’t she realize that this was private land!?

I was just about to call out. I had almost made it to her when I heard her piercing scream. She must have gone over the cliff! And I was too far away to help.

I stopped dead. That scream echoed in my head, mingling with the screams, shouts, and gunfire that came boiling out from behind the locked door in my mind. I looked around and the snow vanished. I was surrounded by people running, screaming and dying, their blood flowing like water. A voiceless panic hung at the back of my throat. My head hurt. I could hear my own pulse in my ears. The dread in me escalated suddenly to cold-sweat terror. I clenched my teeth against a moan of fear and dropped to my knees. I would have prayed if I could have uttered a word past my frozen lips.

The man from my nightmares was there, his flattened, broken nose, the scar that ran from the corner of his mouth. I knew his pockmarked face as well as I knew my own face in the mirror. As vividly as the endless nights of beatings and torture at his cruel hands. I was chained and I couldn’t move. The manacle cut into my wrist as I fought to get free. I couldn’t get to her. She was too far away. My head ached from the butt of the rifle that drove me to my knees. I couldn’t get to her, save her…I promised…Elsa! Death breathing on the back of my neck, it was so close. I covered my ears, but it did no good, the screams were trapped inside my head. I could still hear them, see her face, see what they were doing to her. The horror and the helplessness crashed into me. Stop it! Stop it! I can’t bear it.

My skin was burning with cold as I came to awareness lying in the snow in a fetal position. The fury and the terror ebbed away like that fading scream. The woman! The cliff. My training kicked in and I staggered to my feet and ran.

God, please don’t let her be dead at the bottom.