But at long last, I think autumn is on the way. I hope this heat wave over the weekend is Mother Nature’s last hurrah for summer.
So what’s in the works?
Too Many Talents, the fourth book from Esperance, should be out soon. I know, I keep saying that, but we’ve had to go back for more rewrites. Me and beginnings just don’t seem to get along. I’m fine after the first chapter. For some reason, most of my ideas start somewhere around Chapter 3. Weird…
And hopefully by the end of the year, there will be another Sultonna Nadine book out. I’ve finished my last edit on Whiskey Jug Genie before the editor gets her hands on it. It isn’t as long as most of my novels and while it deals with magic, the romance is sort of low key.
Martin runs an apothecary shop in London. While on vacation in the southern USA, he finds an old whiskey jug to add to his collection of old bottles and jugs. What he doesn’t realize until he gets it home is that a genie is trapped inside. And once Bubba is released, things become…complicated.
So watch for Whiskey Jug Genie. And yes, Sultonna Nadineis the correct spelling of the name, no matter what Amazon says.
Last Wednesday my husband went in for a total hip replacement. While he’s been recovering nicely, things have been a bit on the chaotic side around here. Our daughter, who is a nurse, came up to give me a hand with all the medications and exercises, not to mention keeping the house managed.
So I’ve been absent for a little bit.
What’s been happening in your world?
If you need a break, I have three different “vacations spots” for you to choose from. The fares are pretty cheap and you don’t even have to leave home to visit.
This spot has the advantage of being a slower paced world with a lot to offer in the way of natural beauty. The people are friendly and you might catch a glimpse of some paranormal Talents among the locals. And watch the romances develop!
If you like life in the fast lane, this world might be for for you. Whatever you like to do, you can find it here, from casinos and night clubs to scenic mountains; from white or black sandy beaches to skiing resorts. Just be warned. The law enforcement there is tough on contraband and they have a whole department of shifters to help sniff it out. There may be some who are finding mates, so watch for the sparks!
For this spot we’ll travel across dimensions to a Pacific Northwest quite a bit different than the one you’re used to. Go back to a time where horses and carriages were the main means of transportation in a world where magic is just a part of every day life. And one of the wealthiest men in town is trying to sort out his love life. A weather-shaper and Master of the Fleet, Richard can command wind and water, but can he win his lady’s heart?
Don’t have time for a full length novel? Check out some of my shorter works at Vocal.Media!
I don’t know if you’ve ever been out West in the high desert of Wyoming. Or if you’ve ever experienced the full moon over the high desert.
If not, you have missed something truly magical. There is a particular feeling the area has once you get out away from any towns. The feeling that anything in the world could happen there in the shifting light.
Some people find it uncomfortable. Some find it downright spooky.
I love it, this mystical world. It almost makes me believe in the old stories of shape shifters and the fae.
As you know, I normally write novel length books. But every now and again, something shorter lodges in my brain. And that’s what happened with Moonlight and Shadows. It was an idea which came to me every night as I tried to sleep. And I knew I would have to write it before it would relent.
Meet DEA agent Shane Shadowstalker. He’s on his way to a meeting, or he would be if traffic would get a move on. Of course there is another option…
Come with me into the desert with Shane and watch the story unfold.
Moonlight and Shadows. A story in a real world place with other worldly undercurrents. A place I love and hope to visit again under the moonlight.
As most of you know, I usually write full length novels. But sometimes, I have an idea for a nice short story.
And that’s the case with Moonlight and Shadows.
If you’ve never been out at night, in the high desert around southwestern Wyoming, you simply can’t imagine the magical feel of the area. In the moonlight, everything appears as shades of gray in a world of shifting shadows. It seems that nearly anything could happen out there.
If you get far enough way from town, there is nothing and nobody except the wind in the sage brush and the moonlight casting shadows all around. You may see the occasional jack rabbit or hear the coyotes in the distance, but it is a different world out there. Some people find it intimidating or spooky. Some people hate the sound of the wind.
I’ve always found it a place of mystery and magic. But can you really trust your eyes in the moonlight?
So here is my little story for you. As you might expect, it is paranormal in nature. Meet our MC who is a DEA agent hoping to be on time for a meeting with an informant. And of course, everything is going wrong on this particular evening. But I don’t want to give it all away. And at some point, I may turn it into a full length novel. Who knows?
So go on over to Vocal.Media and click on Moonlight and Shadows. Of course, I would love it if you checked out a few of my other stories there as well.
Wishing you a wonderful, peaceful, and happy weekend.
Of course it is July, so it is to be expected. Doesn’t mean I like it any better, though. And the on again off again rain showers keep building the humidity higher.
But what’s hotter than the South in July?
A book sale!
And you’re in luck! Smashwords Summer/Winter sale is happening now through the end of the month. And all my books are included!
That’s right! You can get any of my books right now for only $0.99 each. It’s the perfect time to try one of my novels for the first time, or to finish out a series you started earlier.
So while you’re escaping from the heat, sipping sweet tea or lemonade, go over to Smashwords and check out the sale. There are literally thousands of books to choose from.
If you’re already a fan, drop me a note and tell me which one is your favorite!
No, I mean the other kind. We are in the middle of a heat wave down here in the South. It feels like we went from late April to late August all in about a week. We don’t usually have temperatures in the high 90’s until much later in the year.
But about that summer heat…
Yes, Too Many Talents will be coming out soon, and you know Jareth and Viviane… They are quite a couple, and when all that combined Talent meets in the bedroom, things can get a little crazy.
Which is the reason for Jareth’s special birthday present to his wife…
No, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
Stay cool and safe out there in the heat. And watch for Too Many Talents! I’ll let you know the release date as soon as I have one.
Need to catch up on the series? They are all available at Amazon or Smashwords!
If you’re like me, you like to read. And the fact that you are here says you do as well.
But sometimes, it’s easier to listen.
Did you know I have the first two books from the Esperance series available in audio? You can go over to Amazon and order them, or get them from Audible.
The reason I’m asking is that I’ve been considering narrating some of my own books. They won’t be as good as the first two, but I know a lot of people who love audio books. While I have no problem with narrating them in general, I can’t do the male voices properly, and I’m afraid it will be off-putting to those listening.
If you want an example of my narration, go over to my podcast of my blogs at Anchor.FM. Several of my posts have been made over into podcasts, and I hope to do a few more.
Drop me a line in the comments, or send me an email and give me your opinion.
Yes, Too Many Talents should be out later this month. Book 4 from the Esperance Series, it continues where Viviane, First Lady left off. It picks up just after Jareth and Viviane return from her brother’s trial in Clan Belfort.
Viviane’s training has not progressed well since returning from her brother’s trial. Her instructor and husband feel it’s because she’s resisting training due to an unfortunate incident in the court. But the more she resists, the more often her Talents get out of hand, causing episodes almost every day.
What will it take for her to finally step up and be the multi-talented First Lady she was born to be?
Back in Clan Belfort, her nephew, Connell, struggles with the concept of Talents. Why should he need these weird abilities to rule the clan when the time comes? And why must he leave his old friends behind and move to his grandfather’s home to train? But when old friends, jealous of his change of status, decide to harm his little friend, Nellie, his abilities take over and save her from harm.
Maybe this is his turning point. And maybe he should talk with his Aunt Viviane.
Watch for Too Many Talents, Esperance Book 4
Now, how about an excerpt?
From Clan Brannach:
“Viviane, Duncan is worried about you and has me worried, too.”
“Worried? Whatever for?” she asked.
“I know how you feel about your Talents, but hiding from them isn’t the answer. And neither is running away and pretending they don’t exist. Duncan and I feel the loss of control you are experiencing is coming from something besides the porting aspect of your Talents.”
“I don’t know what you mean, Jareth,” she answered sharply.
“Yes, you do, Viviane. Since we’ve been home you’ve been resisting your Talents, and fighting them, especially during training. They will win in the end. In the meantime your control will get worse and worse, until it is manifesting more unpredictably, even when you’re not working with it. With the strengths you have, you will hurt someone, while trying to deny your heritage.”
“But Jareth…”
“Your Talents have to be trained,” he stated emphatically. “There is no escape from it. You have to let go of your fears and put your entire will into your training. It’s the only way to gain control before you do irreparable harm.”
“I don’t want these Talents, Jareth! I never have! Why won’t they go away and leave me alone?”
In Clan Belfort…
At ten years old, he has been chosen to train as heir to the clan in Carl’s place, which requires him moving to his grandfather and first lord’s home, away from his friends, and for now, his family.
Why does he need Talents to rule the clan anyway? He doesn’t see the point in all this training and the headaches.
But when his old friends come down for the Gather, their jealousy makes them lash out in the one way they know will hurt Connell–by picking on his friend Nellie. As they restrain him and try to hurt her, his Talents come to the rescue, making him think about all those things he’d heard and now how they might apply in real life.
Here’s an excerpt from Belfort.
With a huge sigh, Connell took a deep breath, let it out, and dropped down into his mental working state. Focusing on the little box on the bench, he tried to reach out and nudge it to the end of the table. Instead of scooting to the end of the table, it rolled over twice and refused to budge another inch.
Coming back to his conscious level, he shrugged his shoulders in aggravation and looked up at Master Olivier.
“Well, at least you didn’t slam it into the wall. But why did you roll it instead of slide it?”
“I have no idea, sir.”
“Maybe we should work on something else for a while. Go get a drink of water, stretch out for a minute, and come back. We’ll work on your telepathy and see if we can narrow down your focus.”
By the end of the day’s session, Connell had a tremendous headache, and he was aggravated and frustrated with his progress. What was he missing? Master Olivier told him it would all come together soon, but what if it didn’t? His whole family and clan were counting on him, and he couldn’t even move a box from one end of the table to the other.
Watch for Too Many Talents! I’ll keep you posted!
To get the first three books in the series, go to Amazon or Smashwords!
This particular story began with a dream. But the dream didn’t begin with the opening scene of the book. I wouldn’t have paid any attention to it, except it kept recurring for several nights. In order to make it go away, I wrote it down.
The next few nights, I dreamed a different scene from the story. Again, it wasn’t the beginning of the book, nor did it follow the scene I’d already written.
So, I decided to sit down and try to figure out how those involved in the story would get to the point of my dreams. And how did they connect?
Sitting down in front of my computer, I let my mind drift off into a daydream and began to write. After I had the beginnings of the story, the rest flowed pretty easily. Of course, there was a lot of editing to do, but at least I stopped dreaming it.
The original story became two books, Jareth, First Lord, and Viviane, First Lady. My editor noticed that i seemed to have one ending, took a breath, and launched back into the story. She felt it would work better if we stopped at the first break and continued in the second book.
Morgan was a character in my first book who touched my heart. I decided she needed a story of her own and spent several days wondering where I should start. And since I write romance, who would be her love interest?
Enter James Ferguson, whose family has Talents related to wood and the forest. His nickname for Morgan is Pixie, since she is much smaller than her is. Because of his abilities, she calls him her Green Man, which is how we arrived at the title.
Book 4 will be coming out soon–Too Many Talents. This one continues the story from Viviane, First Lady and brings in the story line from Clan Belfort and the new heir–her nephew, Connell.
Do you like paranormal romance? With a little fantasy?
How would you feel about psychically gifted rulers? Or regular joes like blacksmiths and lumberjacks with abilities related to their work?
Then you’ve come to the right world.
Jareth, First Lord–Book 1 introduces the ruler of Clan Brannach. One of the most talented of the current first lords, he seems to be able call on and control enough energy to do anything he desires. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include winning his lady’s heart.
He met her in her father’s clan, without knowing of her ruling family ties, and took her as part of the spoils in a dispute settlement. Hoping to win her as his first lady, he moves her into the family manor to get accustomed to being a part of the ruling house.
But she has had enough of ruling houses. As the youngest of five siblings, she married to escape her family, though she grew to love her husband. When he died, her family insisted she move back home. With other options disappearing, she asked for a sign. And what she got was Jareth.
But she wanted no part of the first lady bit.
Viviane, First Lady — Book 2 This book continues the story of Jareth and Viviane. In Book 2, she must gain control over psychic abilities which have suddenly developed, which nobody can explain. But with all the various Talents she now possesses, she is beginning to cause problems when emotions run a little too high. With her brother’s trial for treason rapidly approaching, can she win enough control over her Talents and emotions to withstand the rigors of the trial?
But if her training is frustrating and the headaches a royal pain, at least her nights with the first lord are sizzling, as their combined Talents add to their pleasure.
Morgan–The Pixie and the Green Man–Book 3 Morgan was a minor character in Book 1. From Viviane’s original clan of Belfort, she came from an abusive background. So when Jareth came to town with demands, she was a volunteer in the choosing, welcoming a change of clans and hoping for a change in her life.
But mere months after resettling, she is attacked and nearly raped in her new clan. Fortunately, two young men came to her rescue and got her help. One of them was the tall, sandy-haired James, with those adorable dimples.
In that first moment after seeing Moran, muddy and sobbing thought she was, he fell in love with this petite young woman with hair of midnight and eyes the color of the sea. Biding his time, he waited until she’d had some time to recover before asking her out. But as fearful as she was, it took some time for her to agree to as much as a cup of tea across the square.
James had some trouble of his own. His family had a way with wood as part of their talent. They could shape wood, read what flaws there might be in the lumber it would produce, and understand the forest better than anyone else. And this scared a lot of people. One of those people had been a girlfriend of his, who ran out in front of a carriage when he showed her a little of his talent.
Dare he pursue a relationship with Morgan?
And can she open her heart again and accept his love?
Too Many Talents–Book 4 This book is still in editing, but will be out this year. Continuing the story of Jareth and Viviane, we also meet the next heir to Clan Belfort–Connell, a little boy of ten and a half (almost eleven). Viviane’s brother Carl was to have been heir to the house, until he betrayed his first lord and clan. And at ten years old, Connell is getting a late start on his training.
He also doesn’t understand the need for Talents, until some jealous friends harm a little girl who adores him. And then his Talents come out to play to save her from further injury.
Between Viviane’s mishaps in training and Connell’s, it makes for a lively time for a while on this magical, romantic world–Esperance.
If you haven’t read the books in the Esperance Series, you can find them at Amazonor at Smashwords. And as soon as Too Many Talents is out, I’ll let you know!
