New Urban Fantasy Releases

While working on Rogue (which is still not finished), I realized there was too much that happened in the month-or-thereabouts gap between Rogue and Tough Choices. That meant I needed to write about what had happened in that gap, rather than trying to summarize it in the opening of Rogue. THEN, I realized the story that resulted wasn't quite finished and needed one more "scene", so to speak, which didn't fit into the first story. Thus came my two newest urban fantasy releases.




A Missing Child, Unexpected Complications, and a Father Behaving Suspiciously.

Private Investigator Max Johnson is contacted by the parents of a girl who has disappeared without a trace. Routine missing person case, or so he believes at first. It doesn't take long for him to realize there's more going on than the couple knows, or admits, and he's even more driven to find the promising young artist.

To complicate matters, Max is struggling in a way he can't begin to define or explain to himself, much less to his new wife, but he fears she might be the cause.




A Child with Much to Learn

As twelve-year-old Chelsea settles into the Campbell Wildlife Preserve werewolf pack, she has much to learn. Some lessons are harsher than others, for both daughter and mother.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Also released in May, Missing and Tough Love are now available in paperback as part of the Bridging the Gap anthology, which also includes the short stories Change and The Prisoner and the novelette Restoration.



Anthology of 5 short fiction stories previously published only in e-book

CHANGE, a short story
Pack alphas Ian and Sophia Campbell have been married less than a month, and already the responsibilities of leadership are distracting him from her. She's trying not to resent it but knows something has to give. Now he has no choice.

THE PRISONER, a short story
Michael Phillips was held prisoner by a werewolf alpha who encouraged his pack to abuse the new Turn. Now he's living in a cage in another alpha's basement. Not because Ian Campbell ordered it. Fear holds him there. A prison of his own making.

RESTORATION, a novelette
Though he'd known the risks when he joined the Marines to fight in Korea, Lance Corporal Max Johnson had never expected his life to end so soon. He certainly hadn't thought the end would come in enemy hands and a dark hole. Injured, half-frozen, and feverish with infection, he finds himself rescued by a familiar ally who makes him a very unusual offer.

MISSING, a novella
Private Investigator Max Johnson is contacted by the parents of a girl who has disappeared without a trace. Routine missing person case, or so he believes at first. It doesn't take long for him to realize there's more going on than the couple knows, or admits, and he's even more driven to find the promising young artist. To complicate matters, Max is struggling in a way he can't begin to define or explain to himself, much less to his new wife, but he fears she might be the cause.

TOUGH LOVE, a short story
As twelve-year-old Chelsea settles into the Campbell Wildlife Preserve werewolf pack, she has much to learn. Some lessons are harsher than others, for both daughter and mother.

New Release TODAY

The Christian Urban Fantasy novelette Restoration releases TODAY!

I'm finding, from time to time, that a character's back-story needs to be told in its own story. That's how Restoration came about. Those of you who have read any of my Campbell Wildlife Preserve stories have met Max Johnson. If you've read Protective Instincts (released in December) and Tough Choices (released February 1st), you know him even better, since he's one of the main characters in those two novels.




If you missed Protective Instincts and/or Tough Choices, check them out, too!

More e-Books Available

Last month, I announced that my books are slowly becoming available on other sites besides Amazon. More have become available this month. Follows is an updated list of books that are now available at Barnes & Noble, Nook, Apple, and other booksellers (or soon releasing):

Contemporary
Promises (long novel - prequel #1 to the Donovan Legacy series)
Beyond Hope (novella - prequel #2 to the Donovan Legacy series)
The Blind Date (short-short story - prequel to In God's Time)
In God's Time (long novel)
Truth (long novel - Donovan Legacy series book #1)
Defender (long novel - Donovan Legacy series book #2)
Healer (long novel - Donovan Legacy series book #3 - available now for pre-order, releases Nov. 25th)
Peace (long novel - Donovan Legacy series book #4 - available now for pre-order, releases Dec. 9th)

Fantasy
Curse of the Talmara (long novel)
Shadows (short novel - Otherworlder book 1)
Visions (short novel - Otherworlder book 2)
Specters (short novel - Otherworlder book 3 - available now for pre-order, releases Nov. 21st)
Destiny (short novel - Otherworlder book 4 - available now for pre-order, releases Dec. 5th)

Urban Fantasy
Wolf short story series (#1-4 have released, #5-9 will release Nov. 23rd, Nov. 30th, Dec. 7th, Dec. 14th, & Dec. 21st but are currently available for pre-order)

• Turned
• Family
• Dark Moon
• Mate
• Rescue
• Super Moon
• Invader
• Acceptance
• Thanksgiving Moon

Non-Fiction
Patchwork Baby Blanket (crochet pattern)
Authors Unchained

MORE COMING SOON

Pack of Trouble is OUT!

The latest story in the ongoing saga of the Campbell Wildlife Preserve werewolf pack is now available in paperback and in e-book for Kindle.

These books aren't a true series, but they follow a timeline. Thus, the events in this book follow the events that occur in Wolf, Alpha, and Lethal Attraction, as well as most of the events in the Baby Makes Three short story collection. See the Urban Fantasy page for more on those.

Two Hard Heads. Two Vulnerable Hearts.
 
Ian Campbell has already lost two women he loved and isn't prepared to put his heart at risk again. Besides, his life is complicated enough without adding a mate to the mix. As the alpha of a werewolf pack, his first responsibility is to those he leads and protects, a job he takes very seriously.
 
Executive Chef Sophia Ferguson came seeking answers to questions left in the wake of an attack she barely survived four years ago. She didn't expect sparks to fly with the local alpha. Over the use of a kitchen, no less. The last thing she wants is a domineering, territorial male telling her what to do. She'll get the information she needs and leave. End of problem.
 
Then an unexpected arrival throws a wrench into an already stressful situation, bringing a threat neither of them anticipated.

Long Time, No Post

I came to the site to update one of the book pages (I'd noticed a mistake and wanted to fix it before I forgot about it), and it hit me how long it's been since I did a blog post. Two months to the day, in fact. Yikes!

Anyway, February was very productive. I started two new stories - one urban fantasy with werewolf main characters (those are SO much fun!) and a novella that's part of the Mysterious Ways series. I also added a good chunk to From the Heavens, also part of the MW series. February also brought the publication of my latest short story series, Alpha - which is continuing to publish, one story per week, through part of this month. The Complete Collection is available in paperback already, done in February.

March ended up being way less productive as I battled the tail end of the winter blahs. I did manage to get the second book in the Otherworlder series (Visions) ready for publication and the third book (Specters) off to my first reader. For April, I've turned my attention to finishing the final book in that series (Destiny). I did the cover in March, but I'm not yet happy with it. When I am, I'll upload it to the medieval fantasy page of this site. Formatting for publication is a "limited brain function" exercise for me, so at least I was able to use the March "creative dead zone" constructively to some degree. *G*

I have Seasonal Affective Disorder, so March and September and I tend not to get along too well. March is definitely the worst. It feels "darkest before the dawn", and my energy, creative flow, and oomph go on vacation for that month without me. Thankfully, I've dealt with that long enough (all of my life) that I know better than to fight the flow. So aside from the writing-related tasks I mentioned above, I vegged in front of the TV and read books I knew I'd enjoy (which means, I re-read books I've already read that are my favorites). Plus, I got a mountain of crocheting done. Two shawls, about 30 dishcloths, 2 large doilies, and the start of a small doll. ... Yeah, I think that covers it. Not bad for about 3 weeks, eh?

Writing for me is like any other art form for many other "artists". It ebbs and flows. Sometimes the creative flow is strong and moves so fast I'm not sure I can keep up. Other times, it moves at an easy-to-follow but rapid pace. Still others, it stops altogether and my mind rests. Until I started tracking my daily writing, I had no idea how consistently this happened. I used to fight it, but I learned that only made things worse.

I'm not one of those writers who can FORCE myself to "write every day" without serious repercussions. When I do that, it makes writing hard, steals the fun from my work, and stifles creativity. If I hadn't been tracking my numbers so closely, I wouldn't have realized how badly doing that crushed my writing spirit. Once I realized what was happening, I stopped.

Now? I go with the flow. I have unproductive days and even weeks, but when it flows, it really goes. I hope to write 500,000 words this year. Totally doable, I've done it before. I'm already at about 110,000 at this point. Behind overall, I know, but I also know I can catch up very quickly when stories flow well.

All writers have hurdles that cut into writing time. Health issues, family, jobs, life's other distractions and demands. Life gets in the way in a variety of ways. We can either learn to work with them or make ourselves crazy trying to fight against them.

What kind of hurdles do you face? Have you learned to work with them, or are you fighting against them?

Memes and More Memes - Part 7g

Continuing on, this post is about the seventh book in the Wolf short story serial. Wolf: Invader releases tomorrow, Wednesday, December 10th. Two more stories are scheduled for each week until the last one goes live on December 24th. Until the series is complete, these short stories are available in Kindle only. Upon completion of the series, they will be compiled into a paperback version (the complete collection will be available in e-book format, too, but probably not until after the first of the year).

WOLF: Invader (December 10, 2014)

There's a new wolf in town, and she has a rather sizable chip on her shoulder. Tanya doesn't let that deter her from issuing a warning though. The she-wolf brings a new possible threat, even as another arises on the Preserve.

To purchase for Kindle, click here.

Memes and More Memes - Part 7f

Continuing on, this post is about the sixth book in the Wolf short story serial. Wolf: Super Moon releases tomorrow, Wednesday, December 3rd. Three more stories are scheduled for each week until the last one goes live on December 24th. Until the series is complete, these short stories are available in Kindle only. Upon completion of the series, they will be compiled into a paperback version (the complete collection will be available in e-book format, too, but probably not until after the first of the year).

WOLF: Super Moon (December 3, 2014)

Life should've settled down by now. At least, Tanya thinks so. The enemy no longer lingers on the periphery. If only she was truly free of him. Still dominated in her thoughts and emotions, she wants only to be free of him and free to love Colin as he deserves. The coming full moon brings a promise - to either repair damage wrought or complete the destruction.

To purchase for Kindle, click here.

Memes and More Memes - Part 7e

Continuing on, this post is about the fifth book in the Wolf short story serial. Wolf: Rescue releases November 26th. More releases are planned each week until the last one is scheduled for December 24th. Until the series is complete, these short stories are available in Kindle only. Upon completion of the series, they will be compiled into a paperback version.

WOLF: Rescue (November 26, 2014)

More women missing, this time a child taken, too. Tanya must face what's been done to her. Even if the pack can find them, does she have the knowledge to help them survive? Will she crumble when she comes face-to-face with a man straight out of her nightmares?

To order the Kindle version, click here.

Photo by "marykbaird" of morguefile.com

Photo by "Natureworks" of morguefile.com

Memes and More Memes - Part 7d

Continuing on, this post is about the fourth book in the Wolf short story serial. Wolf: Mate released November 19th. More releases are planned each week until the last one is scheduled for December 24th. Until the series is complete, these short stories are available in Kindle only. Upon completion of the series, they will be compiled into a paperback version.

WOLF: Mate (November 19, 2014)

Just when Tanya believes she's found safety and acceptance in a pack, fights break out all around her, and her well-being is threatened.

To order the Kindle version, click here.

Memes and More Memes - Part 7c

Continuing on, this post is about the third book in the Wolf short story serial. Wolf: Dark Moon released November 12th. More releases are planned each week until the last one is scheduled for December 24th. Until the series is complete, these short stories are available in Kindle only. Upon completion of the series, they will be compiled into a paperback version.

WOLF: Dark Moon (November 12, 2014)

Rejected by frightened parents, Tanya has turned to the wolf and the forest for solace. A beast belongs in the woods, after all. Colin won’t leave her alone though, hovering close to watch over her. Further support comes from unexpected fronts....

To purchase for Kindle, click here.

Photo by "vlntn" of DPC

Photo by "iceman0" of morguefile.com

Photo by "pippalou" of morguefile.com

Memes and More Memes - Part 7b

Continuing where Part 7a picked up, this post is about the second book in the short story serial, Wolf. Wolf: Family released November 5th. More releases are planned each week until the last one is scheduled for December 24th. Until the series is complete, these short stories are available in Kindle only. Upon completion of the series, they will be compiled into a paperback version.

 WOLF: Family (coming November 5, 2014)

Tanya Sikes desires justice for the women who’ve died and closure for their frightened families. She’s still uncertain why God let her survive. Her family grieves, wondering what has become of her. She wants to reassure them, but how can she face them, knowing what she’s become? What will she tell them?

Will they abandon her when they find out the truth?

To purchase for Kindle, click here.

Photo by "frank11" of DPC

Photo by "taliesin" of morguefile.com

Photo by "Bacho Foto" of DPC

Photo by "taukast" of morguefile.com

Memes and More Memes - Part 7a

Part 7 was originally intended to be about my newest Contemporary Christian Romance that's coming out this winter, but I had something new come up that's releasing before that.  So Healer will be here for Part 8.  For now, it's Wolf, my new short story serial. #1 and #2 released on October 30th and November 5th, respectively. More releases are planned each week until the last one is scheduled for December 24th. Until the series is complete, these short stories are available in Kindle only. Upon completion of the series, they will be compiled into a paperback version.

Since Wolf is a series of short stories, each a story in its own right but together telling a more broad story, I'll break the memes into sections - each short story in the series will have a meme post of its own. Thus this one is 7a - Wolf: Turned.

Wolf: Turned (released October 29, 2014)

College student Tanya Sikes never believed in monsters. Though life has thrown her some difficult personal curve balls on occasion, she’s lived a sheltered life as far as the evil in the world at large. Nothing could’ve prepared her for being kidnapped or to meet the man who would rescue her from captivity too late to keep her from becoming one of the monsters.

Why has God forsaken her?

To purchase for Kindle, click here.

Photo by "Eky Chan" of DPC

Photo by "dhester" of morguefile.com

Photo by "shocky" of DPC

Photo by "jures" of DPC