What I’m working on at the moment changes almost daily. I took two weeks vacation from the day job, and I’m writing full time while that lasts, so the projects are cranking out quickly. Here’s a quick round up, and some flash excerpts for each.
Since Blood Stone was launched I have re-edited and repackaged a range of old and out of print books.
First out the gate was Eva’s Last Dance. This was first released in 2010 under the Teal Ceagh pen name. It has been polished and given a great new cover and re-released under my real name.
He made her put on the coat and Eva let him. She knew that Ryan was well aware that if it came to a show of strength, she could overpower him with one hand, but physical strength didn’t seem to count when he was standing over her as he did, his dark gaze pinning her down, making her feel weak and submissive.
The coat came down to below her knees and covered her hands and forced Ryan to do up the buttons for her. He laughed as he fastened them. “You look very sweet,” he said.
“I could scrag you before your next heartbeat,” she warned him.
“I know,” he agreed, still smiling. “Doesn’t stop you from being a heartbreaker.”
Her heart did a little, funny jump and her stomach fluttered. Ryan thought her a heartbreaker? She often fended off human males, interested in her blonde-and-blue-eyed classic looks, hungry to bed her. But Ryan’s casual comment had more impact upon her than all of those lust-driven men’s endearments and poetry, money and importuning. And he knew what she was too.
Next up was Forbidden. This is the first book in the newly christened Scandalous Sirens series, co-written by Julia Templeton and me. Finally, Forbidden has a decent cover. 🙂 This will be a full series, too. Julia has agreed that I can finish the series off. So for those of you familiar with the characters, Rhys Davies will get his story.
While Rufus called for another decanter, swearing at the lack of foresight of the footman, Vaughn dared to glance at Elisa once more and he recognized fear in her eyes. She shook her head a little, her lips opening as if she breathed a warning. She understood what was happening then.
Vaughn smiled at her reassuringly, pretending a confidence he did not wholly feel.
Her hand came to her mouth as if she was distressed and she looked away. After a moment she looked back as if drawn, perhaps reluctantly.
Vaughn struggled to hide the shock her glance sent through him, for he had understood that searing gaze with perfect clarity.
Elisa wanted him, too.
Not yet at the point of release, but burning a hole on my desk, are two more projects.
Dead Again always had a brilliant cover that I loved. It’s got another great cover for its re-release and will finally be issued in paperback. Dead Again will be issued this week.
Sometime later—it felt like late in the afternoon—when Jack lifted the green shelter enough to check the rain, she stiffened, her heart thumping. Quickly, she held up her hand as he tried to lower the plastic.
“Wait,” she said. “Lift it again and look at me.”
He lifted the plastic again and stared at her, smiling a little. “Dirt or worse?”
She shook her head. “Your eyes. One of them is smaller than the other. That means something.” Something bad.
“The irises?” he said sharply. “One’s smaller than the other?”
She nodded, feeling all the spit in her mouth suddenly dry up. When she saw him swallow, her heart began to race. She could almost feel the caution flood his body as he considered alternatives.
“Which one?” he asked quietly.
“The right.”
“What happens when I turn toward the light more?” He turned his chin square to the daylight, what little there was.
“Nothing.” She bit her lip. “It’s head injury, right? Did you hit your head?” Then she remembered his probing hands at the back of his head that morning.
He was quiet for a long moment, considering. “I’ve had a bastard of a headache since yesterday,” he said at last. “And there’s a spot on the back of my head. I can’t touch it because it hurts too much when I do.”
“Concussion,” she guessed.
He licked his lips. “Only, how bad?”
“Your vision is fine?”
“So far.”
She could feel panic bubbling up and tried to push it away. “You’ll let me know if the headache gets worse?”
“Of course.”
The easy assurance made her suspicious. “Jack, I’m completely dependent upon you. If you’re…if you…”
“I told you, don’t worry. I’ll get you out of this.”
She tried to catch his eyes, to let the steadiness of his frank gaze reassure her but he wouldn’t look at her.
Fear, which had been pushed back inside a mental corral for the last day, driven back by Jack’s competence, came surging through the open gate.
It wasn’t just her own fears now, either. Joining their forces was the unidentified fear that Jack held, that he wouldn’t share with her. Anonymous, it hovered in the background, huge and nameless, its form and limitations unknown, not even guessable.
If Jack… If something happened to Jack, she’d be left alone to deal with these demons he wouldn’t speak of.
And the other project is the second book in the Scandalous Sirens series, Dangerous Beauty. The cover for that one is gorgeous, too. Dar Albert has been working overtime for me the last week or so — literally. She has spent a couple of sleepless night building covers. This one was inspired.
Seth allowed Natasha to lead him to her mother, who was staring at him with that down-the-nose expression only the privileged could manage.
“Mother, may I introduce to you Seth Harrow, captain of the Artemis. Mr. Harrow, this is my mother, Lady Munroe.”
Seth bowed his head in the short nod one gave to a peer of the realm, even though technically, Caroline was only the wife of the peer. It was a way of flattering her.
But when he straightened, her expression had not changed an inch. Her eyes coolly assessed him from toe to top, lingering for a moment on his earring.
“A sea captain? How…jolly,” she intoned. Despite his absolutely correct attire, and his court manners, he had failed to pass muster.
A few short hours ago, he would have cheerfully shrugged off the rejection and gone on his way, undeterred. Now, the woman’s disdain burned in his gut and heart. He would have acceptance from these people for Natasha’s sake!
And he found it ironic that if that black night in Ireland, fifteen years ago, had played out a little differently, then Lady Munroe and every other mother in the land would be doing the bowing and shoving their eligible daughters at him with all the haste respectability allowed.
Dangerous Beauty will also be available within the week.
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