Like the seasons where fall ebbs into winter and the ground lays dormant while it renews, so, too, does our creativity ebb and flow. Sometimes a story grabs us and we get it on paper faster than we ever thought possible. When we come out of the “fog” of writing and read what we wrote, we’re amazed and stunned by the words that had flowed from us. Sometimes we pull words like getting dandelions out of a yard, with much trouble and digging. And sometimes no matter what we do, the words won’t flow at all.

As writers, we need to be aware of the seasons of our creativity. I know myself, my writing ebbed over the last year. Writing was a chore, and one that if I could avoid that would be a great thing. Blog entries were okay, most of the time. Anything else was inconceivable. I’ve heard of authors who suddenly lose interest in the genre in which they write. And I have heard of authors who suddenly stop writing, blocked.

There are a few tips that authors can use to help them understand their seasons of creativity… Read more »

Capturing Bliss by Nicole Hurley-Moore
historical sensual novella (approx 17k)
Cover Art by Valerie Tibbs
ISBN# 978-0-9848970-9-4

In 12th-century England, love isn’t part of the marriage equation. But Lady Blissot de Woodville adores her younger sister too much to see her suffer such a fate. Instead, Bliss recklessly switches places with her sister—and marries a total stranger under false pretenses! Fortunately, she soon discovers she shares a rare passion and genuine love with her new husband, the ardent Lord William Reynard. Yet the happier Bliss becomes, the more her secret weighs heavily on her heart…because one desperate lie could destroy everything she’s come to cherish.

Purchase direct from Pink Petal Books

Woodville Manor, England ? 1139 AD

“Nay Bliss, it cannot work!”

Lady Blissot de Woodville turned from the casement and regarded her beautiful younger sister. “Aye, it will work.” She said with growing determination in her voice.

“It will work and I will see you safe and happy.”

“I cannot stand by and let you sacrifice yourself for my sake,” Ivetta said with a shake of her golden head. “I will do as our uncle and King wish and marry this so deemed hero from the north, and thereby proving our family’s allegiance to King

Stephen and his claim to the crown.”

“Ivetta, do you love Lord Adelard Bernier?”

“More than life.” The words slipped out of Ivetta’s mouth before she could restrain them. She took a steadying breath before she continued. “Tis true, I love him. He makes my heart beat faster when he is near. I long to be with him ? I long to be his wife. Yet I will not let these feelings outweigh my love for you and I will not sit by whilst you ruin your life.”

Bliss walked across the cool stone floor and sat down on the bed next to her sister.

She placed her arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “I am not ruining my life nor am I sacrificing myself. If I take your place and marry Lord William Reynard, I will be securing both our futures. This could be our chance at happiness.”

“You know nothing of this man. He may be a monster!”

“And he may not. He may be a good man and a gentle knight,” Bliss countered with a small smile. She sighed as ran her fingers through her own brown hair before she continued. “You will be happy and married to Adelard and I will be free of our uncle and his courtly intrigues and political ambitions. He will be no longer able to use either of us as pawns.”

Purchase direct from Pink Petal Books

The goal of Black March is to not purchase any media–no movies, no books, no cds, no digital music, no magazines–for the entire month of March as a way to punish those lobbying against SOPA, PIPA, and it’s related laws. And on the surface, it seems to make sense. Don’t put one more penny into the coffers of companies lobbying to reduce your right to free speech. I don’t think any of us disagree with that. But have you thought about…?

• The janitor working for a major media corporation who stands with us against SOPA who might lose his job because profits are down.
• Authors, Artists, Musicians, Filmmakers, who agree with us, but who happen to utilize one of the major media companies to distribute their work
• Small presses, small music labels, or small movie studios who are against SOPA and did not lobby for it

How are you going to support individuals like these, who stand with us? Because a boycott would reduce the money going to these big companies, but it would also have collateral damage that I don’t think anyone intends.

If you do go ahead with the boycott, think about this…

Make sure you DO support small and independent authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, etc who do support SOPA.

How do you do this?

Buy author direct! An author offering autographed copies thorugh his or her website? Buy there!

Buy publisher direct! Purchase directly from a small or midsize publisher directly through their website.

Buy indie direct! Get your music directly from the artist when you can.

Visit sites and consume your media/news/information from the sites which DID in one form or another support the boycott.

Make your voices heard, but also understand that the action you take, could also negatively impact your favorite author/artist/musician/actor/etc., too.

Comrade Bear
by Mary Winter
Nanook Warriors Book 4
erotic gay bear shifter romance

Trent had always been the outsider on the team. When one-by-one Bjorn, Kjell, Hans, and Mark found mates, Trent knew he’d always stand alone. The European military structure might be more tolerant towards homosexuality; he wondered if his commanding officer and team members would be. Then Vik brings Aleksander back to the team. The Russian is the one man who can prove to be Trent’s undoing. But betrayal and uncertainty run deep, and when Aleksander is asked to go undercover with a band of Russian shifters, Trent wonders if he can truly consider Aleksander is comrade, or if the man he’s always loved might become his enemy.

Purchase Direct From Pink Petal Books

Excerpt:

Driven by Louhi’s words and the need to get his thoughts on Trent and what the bear spirit had said sorted out, Aleksander shut himself in his room. He wasn’t afraid to be known as a gay man, that wasn’t the reason why he kept his relationships tucked away. Before Trent, he’d been content with superficial relationships, never scratching the surface to really get to know him. Aleksander stopped his pacing. He rested his hand on the desk and stared out the small window to the frozen tundra beyond the compound. Except Trent knew him. Trent worked for the same man, had probably done many of the same things. Straightening, Aleksander fisted his hand. He shook his head. The things he’d done, he knew Trent had never done anything like his work in the former Soviet Union.

He heaved a sigh and headed from his room to look for Trent. Vik’s briefing would be soon, and he wanted this settled before something bad could happen. For a moment, the thought of being killed on this mission—a very real possibility given his status with the Russian team at the moment—without reconciling with Trent punched him in the gut. He couldn’t allow that.

After checking in the dining area and the rec room, he finally found Trent in the workout room. He stood in the doorway, watching Trent run on the treadmill. Wearing only a small pair of blue shorts, the Canadian moved like a machine. Muscles in his legs and abs rippled with every stride. His powerful arms worked back and forth, accentuating the muscles in his neck. The time since they’d been lovers had certainly been kind to Trent, honed his features and made him even leaner.

Aleksander’s cock surged to life. He willed it to still, mentally telling himself he wasn’t here for that kind of exercise. Besides, his own pair of green shorts did little to hide his erection. Silently, he went to the treadmill besides Trent and stepped on. After setting his favorite program, a set of steep inclines, he began to run, keeping pace with Trent.

Neither man said anything. The steady thump-thump-thump of their shoes on the machine and their deep, but easy breathing, filled the room. The slightest tang of sweat filled Aleksander’s nose, and he turned to watch a stray drop trickle over one of Trent’s pecs and down over his abs. Damn, he wanted to follow that drop with his lips and tongue.

“The Spirit wasn’t asking us to do anything except put the past behind us. I’m willing to do that for the sake of the mission.” Aleksander spoke casually, as if Trent hadn’t run out on his duty and the meeting.

Trent slapped the red button in the middle of the control panel and the treadmill came to a halt. He turned and stared at Aleksander, bracing his hands on the side rails. Breathing hard, he swallowed, then grabbed a towel and mopped his face and arms. “Just for the mission? Seems if we reconcile then we have to do it. Put the past behind us, period. I can’t go there. Not yet.”

“What I said earlier was inexcusable. The fact that I was under orders and had to leave didn’t have anything to do with it. I was an asshole.” Aleksander turned off the treadmill. He looped the towel around his neck, and turned to face Trent. “If it’s an apology you want, then you’ll have one.”

Trent arched one dark brown eyebrow. “Because I want one? God, Aleks. You’re such an ass sometimes.”

“I just said that, didn’t I?” He shrugged.

Trent laughed. “Yes, you did.” He mopped off the machine with quick swipes of his towel. He jerked his head toward the benches along one wall where the free weights were. Without waiting for a reply, he went there, and Aleksander followed. Laughter, at least, was a start.

Trent sat, then picked up a weight and began doing curls. More to have something to do, Aleksander figured, for the Canadian didn’t seem to be putting much thought behind the movement, and he’d chosen a lighter weight. “What if reconcile meant more than just putting the past behind us? We don’t know what the Spirits want. They only seem to speak to Louhi. The times we’ve seen them…” He frowned. “Before then we’d apparently only seen the bad faction and they tried to kill us. I—” His voice grew rough and he fell silent.

“What if they do want us to get back together? Old flames never die, do they?”

“This one should,” Trent countered. He set down the weight. “Look, you might want to finish that conversation, but I really don’t want to. As far as this is concerned, I’m done. We’ll work together. We have to. Beyond that, there is nothing.”

He’d believe Trent if there weren’t the hint of pain in his voice. There was something all right, and he’d never been a man to back down from a challenge. “If you don’t want to finish the conversation, then let me. I meant what I said. I was wrong. Whether I was trying to say it then or now makes little difference. I was. You might think that nothing has changed, but I can see time has changed you. Is it so hard for you to believe it may have also changed me.” He stood, knowing when to beat a strategic retreat.

“Aleks.” Trent spoke so softly, he thought he didn’t hear him.

Purchase direct from Pink Petal Books.

You may notice some of your favorite websites going dark today. Wikipedia and Reddit are two of the biggest names, but others, like Google, will be hosting information. You may wonder why SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act is bad. And you may also wonder why the only industries listed as being affected are movies and radio.

First, no one is saying that piracy is good. Piracy costs content providers a lot of money on an annual basis. Piracy hurts not just the “big” guys like bands and authors who are household names. It also hurts the little people who work for these companies because a loss of revenue means potential loss of jobs. However, no one knows how much revenue is lost, and it is wrong to equate one illegal download with one sale. I know, let me pause while the chorus of SOPA supporters gasp and sputter. But the truth is, we honestly do not know how many people would actually buy the work if they could. Some probably would. (We know, for example, that readers/listeners/viewers in foreign countries may pirate because the work isn’t available for legal electronic sale in those countries. They’d buy it if they could.) Now, even if the percentage is a small number, even like ten, five, or even one percent, the loss of revenue is big.

Secondly, most of us agree that something needs to be done. The problem is that technology has evolved faster than the law and the means to deal with piracy.

Third, we live in a global society. As much as we would love to have all countries follow the same copyright laws, we are all individual people and individual countries with our own belief about rules and law and justice. It is true that the majority of pirate sites are hosted outside the US because other countries (like Russia, the Grand Cayman Islands, and others) don’t enforce international copyright law. But a one-size fits all approach is like using a 2×2 piece of gauze. It might be too much for a pin prick and not enough for a gaping wound.

And fourth, every industry is different. You know what bugs me the most about mentions of online piracy and SOPA in main media outlets? No one ever mentions books! It’s all movies and music, RIAA, MPAA, blah, blah blah…. I don’t say that to be dismissive. Music and movies deserve the same copyright protection as books do. However, what movies and music do have are umbrella organizations which do not splinter different genres, different parts of the creative process, and different groups into separate entities, all of whom contain less numbers than a larger group might, and who must fight twice as hard to get their voices heard. Agents have the AAR. Publishers have the Small Publishers Access Network (or other publishing groups). Authors have groups based on their genre, or Novelists, Inc. (NINC) or the Writer’s Guild. But, all of these various groups have their own barriers to entry. (RWA, for example, is one of the genre-based organizations that let anyone join. The others have sales or contractual bars which must be met.)

But I’m also digressing on the bottom line here, which is the reason why we sport the banner on our homepage and why websites are going dark today…

SOPA is not good legislation. It does, as I explained to my significant other during a very interesting discussion about it (Up with Chris Hays on MSNBC, Sunday 01/15/2012 link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/46004493#46004493), SOPA is like taking a sledge hammer and trying to hit a thumb tack. Yeah, you’re going to hit the thumb tack (you hope), but you’re also going to ruin your wall and possibly bloody your finger in the process.

Because really, SOPA is designed, and can only affect, US websites. Yeah, the guy from NBC (i.e. big, corporate conglomerate who is probably enmeshed in the old ways of doing business and not understanding that everything is changing) says it won’t. But US law can only affect what happens in the US. It’s like Vegas, but with more bickering and gridlock.

And if a court order (yay for more income to attorneys?) makes Google (for example) delist a piracy site, then guess what, Google is a US company and has data centers in the US, which makes its websites…wait for it… US websites!

The truth is the the technology to get around such blocks already exists and is being used in countries to get around the censorship put in place by opressive regimes.

The truth is, SOPA won’t stop piracy. As we authors are well aware, if someone wants to pirate, they will. The good news (?) of that is studies have shown that people are less likely to read a book or document they downloaded for free than one they paid for.

The truth is, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work here.

And, the truth is, there are others who can explain this far better than I. *smiles*

For more information, please visit

http://americancensorship.org/

The Problem With SOPA (and how to stop it)

And the always informational and articulate boingboing.net (link: http://boingboing.net/2012/01/14/boing-boing-will-go-dark-on-ja.html)

Please act. Please contact your elected officials (and even those officials for whom you didn’t vote, but who represent your state anyway). And please, spread the word.

To quote Schoolhouse Rock: Knowledge is Power!

Her Secret Incantations
by Heather Avalon
erotic magickal contemporary romance
primary M/F relationships with F/F secondary relationships

Cambria has spent years hiding from her magical past. Now she must face her fears and unite with three magicians – Laura, a British stripper who had once been her lover, Xander, a darkly handsome druid, and Jordan, a reggae musician who plays an enchanted drum.
Together, this unlikely group must defeat a dangerous enemy, before that enemy destroys them.
Greater even than the magical power they share is their realization of its true source: the love that forges them into a family.

Purchase Direct From Pink Petal Books

Excerpt:

Breakfast at the Tavern reminded Laura of California. They offered things like yogurt parfait, avocado omelet, and tempeh. It was hard to feel sad or stressed as she sipped tea and watched the sunbeams playing on the aged, rustic floorboards.

Once their food arrived, Xander interrupted their polite small talk. “It seems we have a few things to discuss, both business and personal.”

Laura expected Cambria to say something snide, but she didn’t. She simply nodded.

“I will say this to both of you.” Xander continued. “I am very much interested in getting to know Cambria better. My intentions are romantic.”

He paused, as if waiting for a response, then continued. “I am very aware of the history that you two girls share, and I am also aware that I have never been Cambria’s favorite person. I am hoping we can all find some healing from the past. I also want you both to know how much I love and value you, Laura, as my priestess, my best friend, and sometimes, my lover. I also suspect, that if the two of you would let yourselves, there is still a lot of love and attraction between you.”

Laura felt tears stinging her eyes. She looked at Cam, who looked like she was ready to explode. Laura knew Cam couldn’t keep a serene demeanor forever. None the less, she was surprised when Cam spat words that might have been funny at another time.

“Wait just a minute, Alexander. Is this all just a way to manipulate yourself into bed with two hot girls?”

Xander smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t turn it down, but no. I just think the three of us have a complicated history, and many deep feelings between us. I think we need to put our cards on the table to make sure no one gets hurt.”

Laura found the courage to speak. “I agree with Xander.” She looked directly at Cambria. “Cam, I was so hurt when we stopped being friends. I was hurt when you and Ray chose each other and left me out. I was hurt that you never explained to me that your feelings for Ray were… well, were what they were. Now I am afraid the same thing is happening with Xander. I am afraid for myself, and I am afraid for the Council. The Council can’t stand another rift. And I, I don’t think I could stand to lose you again, Cam. And, Xander, you are such an integral part of my life now. I don’t think that I could lose you and keep myself. And, I have to admit, I am lonely. I want someone to want me the way that men always end up wanting Cambria. . .the way that I have always wanted Cambria.” There. She had said. . .everything.

She expected Xander to be the first to speak, but he wasn’t.

Cambria reached over and took Laura’s hand The gesture was more tender than Laura had thought Cam capable of. “Laura, no one is going to lose anyone. There has been far too much loss already. I am so sorry for the way I played things before. I was young, I was confused… I am not trying to make excuses, but I want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you, and in the process of doing so, I hurt myself as well. It is hard for me to acknowledge feelings, to make myself vulnerable, to make commitments. It is especially hard because I seem to have the ability to honestly love more than one person at the same time. I don’t know how to deal with that, so I have chosen to stay single since Ray died. I’m lonely, too, Laura. And I have missed you, so much.”

Laura had no time to react before Cam switched her gaze to Xander.

“Xander,” Cam began. “There was a time when I blamed all evil in the world on you. Now I can see two things clearly. One is that I probably judged you harshly. Two is that you really have grown and changed a lot. No doubt there is an energy between us. But if it is going to hurt Laura, you and I will not explore those possibilities.”

“I agree, Cam,” Xander said slowly. “I have always been a bit in love with both of you. I don’t want to hurt either of you. I will bow to your wisdom in this matter.”

“No,” said Laura. “It’s not that I don’t want the two of you to be together. It’s that… well, it’s that I want to be with you too.

Purchase direct from Pink Petal Books.

Comrade Bear
by Mary Winter
Nanook Warriors Book 4
erotic gay bear shifter romance

Trent had always been the outsider on the team. When one-by-one Bjorn, Kjell, Hans, and Mark found mates, Trent knew he’d always stand alone. The European military structure might be more tolerant towards homosexuality; he wondered if his commanding officer and team members would be. Then Vik brings Aleksander back to the team. The Russian is the one man who can prove to be Trent’s undoing. But betrayal and uncertainty run deep, and when Aleksander is asked to go undercover with a band of Russian shifters, Trent wonders if he can truly consider Aleksander is comrade, or if the man he’s always loved might become his enemy.

Purchase Direct From Pink Petal Books

Excerpt:

Damn it, look at me. Out here, this close to the men, Aleksander knew he just couldn’t reach out and grab Trent, but that was exactly what he wanted to do. I’m going off on a mission and might never come back. If I’d told him how close I’d come to getting shot the last time… He silenced his thoughts.

Trent started walking, and he fell into step beside him. For several minutes neither one of them spoke, and Aleksander enjoyed the companionship between them.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. Reaching out, he grabbed Trent’s arm. “Wait.”

Trent stopped. He turned and the sadness in his eyes rocked Aleksander back on his heels. “You have to go back. We can’t do this right now.”

“Yes, we can. And we have to.” He puffed out a breath. It plumed in the chilly air, a little cloud that seemed to hover around them. “I don’t think you were truthful with Bjorn. I don’t think you are okay with this mission.”

Trent closed his eyes and appeared to count to three. “And if I’m not?” He unclenched his free hand then checked the GPS. “We’re soldiers, Aleks. We follow orders. It’s what we do.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts,” Trent barked at him. “Isn’t that what you told me? Of course, right after that you said that westerners didn’t know the depth of your feelings for the Motherland and what your people had gone through, but we’ll forget that right now. It’s ancient history. You were right about one thing. We’re soldiers. There’s no room for regrets in our lives. We do our mission to the best of our ability and try like hell to come home alive.”

“We do. But that doesn’t mean we have to like it.” Aleksander released Trent’s arm, then rested his hand on Trent’s shoulder. “I don’t know…”

“Don’t say it,” Trent ordered. “You’ll do what you have to do, and then you’ll get your hot ass back here. All right?”

“Yes, sir,” he replied with a cocky grin. Now that was the Trent he loved to play with. “If it makes any difference, I’m not okay with this mission either. But like you said, it’s orders. And it will take down the Corporation. I promise you.”

“I don’t care about the Corporation at the moment,” Trent admitted. “Go. We don’t want to do anything to make them suspicious.”

“I will.” He stepped forward. With a quick glance in either direction to check for the other men, he pressed a hard kiss against Trent’s lips. He pulled back, the slight tug of skin a sign that he’d hesitated a moment too long. He grinned. “I better go. Otherwise they might find two male polar bears fucking out here, and wouldn’t that make the scientists talk.”

“You’re worried about the scientists?” Trent glanced back at camp. “Stay safe.”

“For you.” Spinning on his heel, Aleksander took off at a jog and headed away from camp. The need to glance over his shoulder, to see if Trent was watching him, burned through him. Instead, he focused on the horizon, on the team of shifters he knew lay several kilometers away.

Purchase direct from Pink Petal Books.

Her Secret Incantations by Heather Avalon
a contemporary novel of pagan magick
primary relationships M/F with F/F secondary relationship
novel length (approx 45,000 words)
ISBN# 978-0-9848970-8-7
Cover Art by Valerie Tibbs

BUY DIRECTLY FROM PINK PETAL BOOKS

Cambria has spent years hiding from her magical past.  Now she must face her fears and unite with three magicians – Laura, a British stripper who had once been her lover, Xander, a darkly handsome druid, and Jordan, a reggae musician who plays an enchanted drum.

Together, this unlikely group must defeat a dangerous enemy, before that enemy destroys them.

EXCERPT:
Xander stood by the passenger door, a glass of champagne in his hand. She had to admit, he looked every bit as good as she did. He wore a good dark suit with a casual grace that was classy, without being pretentious. He had tied his long hair back in a silver hairclip. For a moment, neither spoke, each taking in the vision of the other. Then, he approached her. He took her arm and handed her the champagne.

Inside the limo, Cam began to wonder if Xander’s champagne was as enchanted as her incense had been. She found herself feeling lighter and more carefree than she had in years. Conversation flowed along with the champagne. Almost against her will, Cambria realized she was beyond challenging Xander, and even beyond flirting with him. She was actually talking with him as a peer, maybe even as a friend.

The Tavern was just as she had remembered it. Only the staff had changed. For this Cambria was grateful. She didn’t want anyone to remember her and ask about Ray. Of course, the food, and the atmosphere, were exquisite, but Cambria barely noticed. As the evening wore on, Cambria was becoming more sure that the most delicious thing on the menu would be Xander himself. So captivated by this new Xander, she began to forget her reasons for hating him in the first place. When he said something witty, her laughter was spontaneous and genuine. When he took her hand and led her to the dance floor, she felt a spark of energy leap from his hand to hers. Gone were her schemes of captivating him and leaving him cold, it was she who was captivated.

Cambria hadn’t feel that kind of tug on her heart in years; this week she had felt it twice. She had felt it at Sloane’s with Laura, and now, tonight, with Xander. Cam couldn’t help thinking this wasn’t coincidence; perhaps Laura’s interruption of her quiet life would serve a destiny beyond the business of the Council. What that destiny might be was unclear. All Cam knew was that, for the first time in a long time, she felt truly alive.

In the limo on the way back to the festival site, they kissed sweetly for the first time. Cam felt a burning emptiness inside her, and for a moment wanted nothing more than for him to fully take her right there in the limousine. Instead, she pulled away from him and looked him directly in the eyes.

“Will you take me to your place tonight, Alexander?” She asked. His answer surprised her.

“No, Cam, I won’t.” he said softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

“I wanted tonight to be a beginning, not an end. I do want you, maybe more than I’ve ever wanted anyone before. But that’s why I want to wait. I think there could be something real here between us. I feel it. I know you feel it too.”

Cam looked down, afraid of the intensity of his words and of the fire in his eyes. Afraid, too, that she did feel it, and didn’t have a clue what that might mean.

Xander went on, his sonorous voice was almost hypnotizing. “Our agreement was dinner and nothing more. I want to honor that agreement. I want you to know how much I have enjoyed our time together, and how much I hope that you will consent to let me take you out again as soon as our council business will allow.”

At the mention of the Council, Cam stared hard at him, angry for a moment. Xander caught her expression and understood.

“No, Cam, I am not wooing you romantically in order to win your support for the Council. But the council business is as much of a reality as what we have between us. I would like to keep those two things separate.

Cam nodded.

Xander continued. “I want to take you out again, and again. I want us to get to know each other. Then, and only then, will I ask you to welcome me to your bed. If you consent, you will make me a happy man. If you don’t, you can rest assured that you will always have my friendship, and my respect.”

With that, he kissed her on the cheek as the limo pulled up to her camper.

Cam was too impressed to be very disappointed. Well played. She stood in the night air, hand on the camper door, reluctant to go inside and let the evening end. She watched the limo’s red tail lights light up the trees as it pulled away.

Comrade Bear by Mary Winter
Nanook Warriors Book 4
erotic gay bear shifter romance
novel length (approx 55,000 words)
ISBN# 978-0-9848970-7-0
Cover Art by Valerie Tibbs

Trent had always been the outsider on the team. When one-by-one Bjorn, Kjell, Hans, and Mark found mates, Trent knew he’d always stand alone. The European military structure might be more tolerant towards homosexuality; he wondered if his commanding officer and team members would be. Then Vik brings Aleksander back to the team. The Russian is the one man who can prove to be Trent’s undoing. But betrayal and uncertainty run deep, and when Aleksander is asked to go undercover with a band of Russian shifters, Trent wonders if he can truly consider Aleksander is comrade, or if the man he’s always loved might become his enemy.

BUY NOW

Excerpt:

Trent cast a sidelong glance at his teammate across the counter. Aleksander piled cold cuts and cheese on two slices of crusty bread, then doused the mixture with spicy mustard. Trent glanced at his own, nearly identical sandwich and decided to pass on the mustard.

Damn it! Yet one more thing that we share: our taste in sandwiches. We’re also the only two sane guys in this outpost, never mind that he turned traitor against his country not once, but twice.

That still bugged Trent.

He grabbed his sandwich and shoved away from the counter. Deep inside him, his bear twitched, hungry for food and for a run. They’d been holed up in here since the last raid on the Russian Corporation. Vik, the general who ran this EU Special Forces unit, had told them to stay low while he dug up some information. Apparently that’s what Louhi was doing, too. Though watching the Shami woman leave the building wearing little more than a light jacket to shake her rattle kind of wierded him out. If it couldn’t be seen or touched, then as far as Trent was concerned, it didn’t really exist. And the Bear spirits with whom she spoke could barely be seen, and definitely not touched.

He glanced out the window and wondered if she were out there now, probably with her mates, the twins Marc and Hans Svetter.

“I think Louhi is in the lab talking to Sigrid,” Aleksander said. He sat down across from Trent and bit into his sandwich.

“Okay,” Trent said, not quite comfortable with the easy way Aleksander seemed to be able to read his thoughts. Of course, he had good reason, but still—Trent reached for his plate, then grabbed his glass of water instead. Taking a big drink, he stared at his teammate. “So why are you here?”

“I was hungry?” Aleksander arched an eyebrow. “Or do you mean here, on Vik’s team.”

“You know damn well what I mean.” Trent picked up his sandwich.

“And you damn well know the reason why.” Alexander pushed away from the table. Grabbing his now-empty plate, he turned toward the sink. “I was going to talk to you about Louhi’s work, about this crazy Bear Clan shit, but if you’re going to snarl, then go back to hibernation.”

“Can’t hibernate around here. We have work to do.”

“Yes, we do.” Dishes clanked in the sink. A moment later the dishwasher racks rattled, then the door thumped closed. Aleksander stomped back to the table. Pulling out the chair, he straddled it, resting his arms on the thin back. He glared at Trent. “I don’t think you like this any more than I do. We’re in the military. Fighting is what we do, and we fight with guns, with weapons we can hold and feel. And, we fight with our bears if we have to. This spiritual stuff…” Aleksander shrugged. “I do what I’m told. That’s it.”

“You take orders from higher ranking officers,” Trent corrected. “But yeah, that about sums it up. Vik’s gathering intelligence. I’m sure he’ll have work for us to do soon.”

“And until then, the twins guard Louhi. Cameron takes care of Sigrid in the lab. And we sit around.” Aleksander curled his fingers into a fist and lifted it, then must have thought better because he slowly rested his hand on the table. “Something will happen.”

“You’re Russian,” Trent countered. “You always think something will happen, none if it good.”

A smile quirked the corners of Aleksander’s mouth. Humor twinkled in his blue eyes and for a moment, Trent saw a glimpse of something other than the dour Russian soldier. “It never is good.” Aleksander quickly sobered.

Trent bit back a remark. “Even if we don’t believe in the Bear Clan and the Night Demons, we’ve seen them both. And they’re a part of this battle whether we like it or not.” He modulated his voice, hid that little niggle of doubt that maybe it was true, maybe they were part of some special group of people once lost from the shamans like Louhi. Shaking his head he pushed back his chair. “That means we take those orders and we fight to the best of our ability.”

“You think I don’t?”

“I didn’t say that.” Trent caught and held the challenging gaze Aleksander threw at him. “Didn’t say that all. We simply do our jobs until Vik tells us otherwise. It’s what we do.” This time, Trent smiled.

“It’s what we do. Until something happens.” Aleksander chuckled.

Trent joined in, caught up in the moment of camaraderie between two team members. He’d worked for Vik long enough to know how things went. Lots of waiting with little spurts of action in between. Presumably Aleksander had had those same experiences, though Trent didn’t know exactly how long he’d worked for Vik. Aleksander had never said.

Silence grew between them. Trent glanced at the clock, too early to check in for briefing. Somewhat at loose ends, he decided to sit and see where the conversation went.

“Will you—?”

“Don’t you—?”

They both spoke at the same time.

A memory, harsh and fleeting, crossed Trent’s mind and he shoved it away before it could spark another. “Will you hear from any of the team you were working with before?”

Aleksander shook his head. “If they found me, they’d kill me. I’m a traitor to them. If Vik’s right, then only the small group knew who I was and most of them are dead. If I have to go back, hopefully my cover won’t be blown.”

“They wouldn’t send you back, would they?” Trent furrowed his brow. Vik never sent them directly into hell, only around the edges, as the old man often said. To send one of their team back knowing he could be killed at any moment seemed a bit brutal, even for this mission.

“I go where I’m needed.” Aleksander stood. “Want a beer?”

“But we’re on duty.” The words slipped from Trent’s lips before he could remind himself of the Europeans’ different attitudes toward spirits.

“When in Rome…or rather, Norway,” Aleksander suggested.

Immortal Death
by Laurel O’Donnell
sensual paranormal romance novel

Jade Smith’s supernaturally fast ability to heal has made her a freak. After years of fearful reactions from others, she stays hidden in the shadows of life. The one thing that keeps her sane is her writing–and her wonderful Demetrius, an imaginary character she created in her online stories. But when Demetrius suddenly appears in her apartment, her life changes forever.

Demetrius Mercer is a fighter vampire for the de Nouviant family who spends his days hunting a rival vampire family for killing his beloved Rosaline. When he learns Jade Smith knows his life story and is publishing it on the Internet for all to see, he must uncover who she is and how she knows so much about his past–before she exposes him and endangers his entire family.

Will Jade’s abilities be enough to heal Demetrius’s scarred soul, or will he spend eternity alone in anguish?

Purchase Direct From Pink Petal Books

Excerpt:

Jade heard his confession to Chip, Demetrius was sure that was why she had fled. He shook his head. He only said the words to protect her. Chip would have gone to Council immediately if he thought Demetrius had feelings for a mortal. Council would take her blood and very possibly her life.

He was supposed to be in hiding! If his family found him hunting Jade, he would be locked away like a prisoner. But he was a fighter. He should be out battling Malachite, not cowering in some secret hiding place. That’s what his family needed him to do. That’s what he wanted to do. He didn’t want to be chasing after Jade, either. He hadn’t asked for any of this. He should be furious with Jade for writing that story, for revealing his past for all the world to see. But he knew no matter how much he wanted to be angry with her, he was more concerned with her safety than anything else.

He flipped open his cell phone.

The voice on the other end answered before he could pose the question. “Nothing within the five minutes since you called last time,” Luther growled. “Stop calling me. I told you I’d get in touch when there was something to tell you.” The phone disconnected.

Demetrius grit his teeth. Where could she have gone?

He pulled off his sunglasses as soon as the sun set and scanned the street again. Not a single damned clue to indicate where Jade had gone. Just then, a shadowy figure moved around a corner half a block away. It moved too quickly to be human. Demetrius followed…and stopped as soon as he turned onto the vacant street.

Bastian stood before him.

Demetrius snarled, his fangs lengthened. He rushed toward him, but Bastian took off, rounding the opposite corner.

Demetrius followed, racing like the wind through the streets. Bastian dashed around a boarded up two story building. Demetrius trailed him like a shadow, bursting past the barren building. He wasn’t about to let his brother get away. Not this time. He needed a good fight.

Bastian shot up the stairs and into the open door of one of the decrepit buildings.

Demetrius trailed him. His mind registered that this could be a trap, but he didn’t care. He wanted to fight. He wanted to teach his brother not to come within two cities of him. He followed his brother up a set of dilapidated stairs and into a room on the second floor…and stopped short. His fangs vanished immediately.

Jade stood near a window. She turned to him. Her large blue eyes like the sea on a clear day. Her brown hair waved about her shoulders with her movement. Was he dreaming? His heart pounded in his chest. “Jade,” he gasped, relief and anxiety mixing inside him.

She opened her mouth slightly at the sight of him, as if she were inhaling.

“I told you I’d get you back to him,” Bastian said easily to Jade, then shifted his gaze to Demetrius. “You’d better get out of here while you have the chance.” He stood against the wall to Demetrius’s right.

Demetrius snapped his head toward Bastian. “You’ve had her all this time? You’ve known where she was? You laid your tainted hands on her?” He moved menacingly towards Bastian.

“No,” Jade cried, stepping forward to intercept him.

She was too slow. Demetrius lunged at his brother, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulled him close to his face.

“I brought you to her, you damn fool,” Bastian growled.

Before anyone could say another word, two things happened. Demetrius scented another presence, a scent so powerfully sweet it could only be Malachite, and Bastian looked at Jade in horror.

Bastian broke free of Demetrius’s hold and shot toward Jade. He managed to wrap his hands around her and spin her away, just as another vampire appeared in the spot she had stood in.

Demetrius’s knees bent and his fangs lengthened. He hissed at the newcomer, dressed in black, his dark hair cut short against his head, his eyes glowed red, his fangs lengthened and menacing. A Malachite. A powerful Malachite. Oh, he was in trouble. Two Malachites and Jade to defend.

Purchase direct from Pink Petal Books.