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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Warm up for Halloween with. . .


From Behind the Mask

Gracelyn came in the door. She danced across the wide foyer in her ballerina costume and dropped her purse on the table. It was well past midnight, but she felt vibrant and wonderful. Humming to herself, she wandered toward the sitting room, only to sense being watched. Stopping, she turned to the long staircase. Near the top stood her sister, Faith, her face scrunched up and eyes accusing. Gracelyn smiled. “I just had the dreamiest time . . .”

“With Grady! You were with Grady! How could you?”

Puzzled, Gracelyn leaned against the railing and looked up the stairs toward her. “Yes. How could I what?” She watched her sister stomp down several stairs and then saw the tears on her cheeks. “Faith, what is it?”

“You know how much I’ve wanted to be with him. I spend days at a time trying to find ways . . .”

She raised her eyebrows and held a hand to her throat. “I had no idea. I swear.”

“You liar!” She smacked a hand on the railing. “I am so tired of perfect little you! Every man falls over his feet to impress you while I have to work to get one to speak to me!”

Gracelyn put her hands on her hips, seriously not happy that her sister dramatics were once again at the forefront and ploughing all over her happy thoughts. “I’m sure you’re exaggerating. Just last week I sat and watched you talk to . . .”

“Tom? Of course he talked to me. He’s more hideous than I am . . .”

“You are not hideous, Faith. You’re sweet and . . .”

“Invisible whenever you’re around!”

She watched her sister stomp down a few more stairs and lean forward, her face hovering over hers. “Faith . . .”

“I’m putting a stop to it now. No more beautiful and precious Gracie.”

Frowning, Gracelyn backed up a few feet and scowled at her. “You’ll behave! We do not use magic on whims or out of spite.” She pointed to the kitchen. “Now drag your butt in there, we’ll have some tea and discuss . . .” She paused and looked at her sister mouth moving, her eyes were suddenly looking untamed. “Faith? What are you doing?”

Faith threw her head back and laughed. “From now on, the only time you’ll see beautiful Gracie is on Samhain from midnight start to midnight finish. The rest of the year, you’ll be a blur!” She trotted down the rest of the stairs and stopped a foot from her. “And from now on, no one is going to be at your beck and call. No one will remember you.” She laughed in an eerie way. “To break it, you’ll need to find the one that can truly see you and kiss him on sacred Hallows Eve, just before midnight.” Laughing loudly and venomously, she waltzed to the door and left, slamming it behind her.

Gracelyn stood there, for how long she had no idea. Finally shaking her head, she turned to go to the kitchen and fell to the floor at the bottom of the stairs.

Find out what happens to Gracelyn and the curse her own sister cast on her in Behind the Mask

The first story in 

A Haunting Halloween Weekend!


Several times today I'll have post over at The Long and Short of it and
Goddess Fish Promotions Party Pavilion - along with many other authors.

I will be giving away a copy of CURSES to one lucky commenter from my
posts later today.

GODDESS FISH PAVILION 

LASR



SEE YOU THERE!!!!


Jacqueline Paige
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Haunting Halloween blogs!

Halloween_2011_promo_banner.jpg
Tomorrow I'm joining forces with dozens of romance
authors that will be blogging at two locations.
Commenters and blog followers will be eligible to win
$150 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC!
There will also be numerous $5 & $15 GC's awarded 
several times during the weekend - along with author contests
on several posts.

Halloween_2011_Participant_button_copy.jpg

I will be giving away an e-copy of CURSES from one
commenter on both sites.

Here are the links so you can
join in the fun

Watch for my posts...

  Jacqueline Paige
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/

Friday, October 28, 2011

Guest Author Shadonna Richards

Today I have Shadonna Richards stopping by on her
tour for An Unexpected Bride.

An Unexpected Bride Tour Button.jpg


THE TOP 20 LOVE SONGS

Hi, everyone!
I’m Shadonna, author of An Unexpected Bride, a romantic comedy about Emma Wiggins who is about to marry her heart-stopping, gorgeous boss, CEO Evan Fletcher in seven days. Only he doesn’t know about it yet! Since An Unexpected Bride centers around the theme of dream weddings, I thought I’d compile a list some of the most romantic songs for weddings (in no particular order). Check this list out:

  1. At Last by Etta James
  2. When I Fall in Love by Nat King Cole
  3. The Power of Love by Celine Dion
  4. Can You Feel the Love Tonight? By Elton John
  5. Eternal Flame by The Bangles
  6. This I Promise You by ‘NSYNC
  7. You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker
  8. Here and Now by Luther Vandross
  9. All My Life by K-Ci & Jojo
  10. Have I Told You Lately? By Rod Stewart
  11. On Bended Knee by Boys II Men
  12. A Moment Like This by Kelly Clarkson
  13. Thank You (For Loving Me) Bon Jovi
  14. Everything I Do (I Do it For You) by Brian Adams
  15. We Belong Together by Mariah Carey
  16. My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion
  17. I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston
  18. Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley
  19. Always by Atlantic Starr
  20.  Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
Hope you enjoyed the list. I thought I’d leave you with a synopsis of An Unexpected Bride. Enjoy.

Desperate to fulfill her ailing grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down and get married, Emma Wiggins, a 30-year-old, career-focused executive tells him a little white lie on his deathbed that she is in fact engaged--to her boss, deliciously handsome and emotionally unavailable, Evan Fletcher.
The situation takes an unexpected turn when her grandfather's condition improves slightly and to her shock, he goes ahead and arranges a wedding ceremony at his hospital bedside before he passes on. Now, all Emma has to do is convince unsuspecting, commitment-phobic Evan to tie the knot with her in seven days. Can love blossom in the most unlikely situation?

AN UNEXPECTED BRIDE
By Shadonna Richards

Emma Wiggins is about to marry her heart-stopping, gorgeous boss, CEO Evan Fletcher, in seven days—too bad he doesn’t know it yet!


Desperate to fulfill her ailing grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down and get married, Emma Wiggins, a 30-year-old, career-focused executive tells him a little white lie on his deathbed that she is in fact engaged--to her boss, deliciously handsome and emotionally unavailable, Evan Fletcher.

The situation takes an unexpected turn when her grandfather's condition improves slightly and to her shock, he goes ahead and arranges a wedding ceremony at his hospital bedside before he passes on. Now, all Emma has to do is convince unsuspecting, commitment-phobic Evan to tie the knot with her in seven days.  

Can love blossom in the most unlikely situation?

Only .99 for the Kindle

REVIEWS

"I can feel her heart beating out of her chest. Great pacing...good descriptives…I look forward to buying this story one day soon." - Judge, TARA contest 2010

"Very sweet...great foreshadowing!" - Judge, TARA contest 2010





BIO

Shadonna Richards enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. She is the author of the non-fiction books, A Gift of Hope and Think and Be Happy: 365 Empowering Thoughts to Lift Your Spirit (an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller in Meditation). Winner of Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is a member of the Romance Writers of America. An Unexpected Bride is her first novel. She’s a proud mommy and wife and lives in Canada with her husband and son.

You can visit her at www.shadonnarichards.blogspot.com or join her on twitter at www.twitter.com/shadonna or send her an e-mail at Shadonna@ymail.com

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Spooky Swap!

A month ago I stumbled on the Author's Halloween Spooky Swap


Today I received mine from Midnyte Reader.

I love it! Especially the glow-in-the-dark PEZ dispenser!!

Thank you so much!!


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Interview, Review and giveaway

My stop on the tour today is over at
Rage, Sex and Teddy Bear's blog.


It was probably one of the most interesting interviews
I've done up until now.


Stop over and make sure you comment and enter the
giveaway!!


CLICK HERE


While I have you ....
Today is the last day for voting on You Gotta Read Cover
contest.
The link is listed to the right of this blog.  Vote for Dreams
#17 ....  I don't usually push for votes, but my son made this
cover and I love it!!





Jacqueline Paige
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/


http://ragesexandteddybears.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

From Russia With Blood by Michael J. Lee

Here is a book to be added to your TBR list!

MJL_FromRussiaWithBlood_2.jpg


From Russia with Blood
By Michael J Lee



400 year old vampire Ian Redd joined British Intelligence during the Cold War. But after the Berlin Wall came down they decided they no longer needed his services. He was retired, almost permanently. Ian escaped and has lived the quiet life in a small town until a professional hit team arrived at his doorstep. Who sent them? That’s a question that will lead Ian into the arms of a beautiful woman named Larissa Barton and into the most dangerous operation of his unlife.

Larissa Barton’s life has barely begun and it’s already gone off the tracks. She’s back in her hometown working as a barista. But things change when Ian Redd enters her life. Dark, mysterious and gorgeous, Ian is her only protection her from the people and creatures who suddenly want her dead. With Ian by her side Larissa plunges into a world of magic, werewolves, vampires, spies and assassins and discovers her own secret past.

"One part James Bond, one part Dracula, and a whole lot of action and adventure. From Russia with Blood kicks ass!" - Vivi Anna, award winning author of the Valorian Chronicles

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Random Sunday and a blog stop

I'm over at Donna's Blog today talking about
Characters that pick their own powers with a few
peaks at some excerpts from Dreams.


CLICK HERE to get there

and while I have your attention ...
The Dreams cover is up for favorite cover
over at Your Gotta Read and I'd love a vote
or two.  I put the link over to the right of
this blog.  Voting ends on the 26th.

Here is the random pic for Sunday.
I considered putting up one of my own
pics but when I was helping my daughter
look for information for a school assignment
I saw this old pic and it just suited how I
felt this past week working extra hours, solving
one issue after the other at the cafe all while keeping
up with my own book tour..

Maybe you'll recognize it and relate..

Jacqueline Paige
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Guest Author LK Rigel

Today I have the pleasure of having Author LK Rigel
here at my blog with a peak into her book Give Me : a fairy tale.



Give Me Button.jpg


Thanks for stopping by today, LK.



Thank you, Jacqueline, for hosting the Give Me, A Fairy Tale blog tour here at All Things Paranormal. This is the fourth scene of Piccadilly Woo, a story from the world of Give Me.

Piccadilly Woo – scene 4

Dan led Beverly to the fountain. Two couples stood up to make room, the people that had been making out in broad daylight. Two of them, a guy and a girl, wore corded chokers. Their partners looked quite upset at having their fun interrupted.
Normally, Beverly would suggest they get a room, but she felt the same way. First Dan, then Aubrey, and now Dan again – her body had responded to them both with bewildering heat.
The guy with the choker started to speak, but Dan stopped him with the same growl he’d used on Aubrey. “Be off.”
The two in chokers led their partners away but glanced back at Beverly with approving grins.
“What is it with those necklaces?” It was a relief to have Dan beside her and to feel the rush of desire when they sat down and his thigh touched hers. “Cissa said you came to London to play. Are you all in a club?”
“Cissa shouldn’t be talking.” He brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes and ran his fingers down her cheek. “She likes you.”
“You’re not like Aubrey,” Beverly said. “There’s kindness in you that he lacks.”
“Kindness.” Dan chuckled. He stared at her lips and traced them with a finger. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
She wanted him to kiss her. Dan was vital and young. Lord Dumnos’s opposite.  This was what she’d come to London to find out: Whatever happened, she could never marry without love. Without passion.
“Kindness isn’t a quality found in my people.” Dan dropped his hand and moved away, though his thigh still touched hers. “Aubrey is a special case. It’s not a good idea to let him play with someone from Tintagos.”
“Why?” Was that the only reason Dan had stepped between her and Aubrey, because she was from Tintagos?
“A long time ago, Aubrey loved a woman named Frona who lived near Tintagos. When she died, he lost any part of him that could be mistaken for kindness. My people rarely love, but I believe he truly loved her. We live secluded, but at this time of year we come out into the world to enjoy and experience others. Aubrey keeps trying to recreate the feelings Frona stirred in him. But he knows that even if love comes to us once, it never comes twice. If Idris would let Aubrey visit Tintagos, I don’t think he’d be so messed up.”
“Why? And who is Idris?”
“Idris is our leader. And Aubrey has a daughter in Tintagos.”
“What’s her name? I wonder if I know her.”
“Not likely. She’s called Elyse. She lives in the cottage at the edge of the woods.”
“Oh, yes! I always forget about that place until someone mentions it. According to legend, a wyrding woman lives there.”
“Just so.”
“Great gods.” Beverly’s heart pounded. “Are you telling me that you and your people are wyrders?”
Dan burst out laughing. It was a relief that the thought was so ridiculous to him. But of course it was ridiculous! She must still be a little high from the brownie.
The music stopped, and Cleopatra and the Romans packed up their instruments. Daylight was fading, and the neon signs came on.
“Did you come to London to play?” What Beverly really wanted to ask was Have you ever loved?
“No.” Dan laughed. “I came to make sure Cissa doesn’t get into too much trouble. And I came as a tourist, to see the Anteros, for example.” He pointed to the statue above the fountain. “And there’s a display I want to see at the V&A.”
“Anteros?” Beverly said. Isn’t that Eros, the god of desire?” Her face flushed at the word.
“Many think that,” Dan said, “or that it’s a cupid. Anteros is Eros’s twin. He’s the god of mature, selfless love.”
Not like the selfish desire that’s about to consume me this moment.
“This concept is unknown to my people,” Dan continued. “It fascinates me.”
“You keep saying my people like you’re from a foreign country,” Beverly said. “Cissa said you’re from Dumnos.”
“Cissa said a lot, it seems.” Dan stood up. “I’m going over to the V&A. They’re showing Bausiney’s Abundance.”
“The faerie cup? I can’t believe Lord Dumnos let them have it.”
“It’s the chance of a lifetime,” Dan said. “It’s never left Faeview since some idiot left it there on Halloween a hundred years ago. Do you want to go with me?”
“Sure.” Beverly still needed to get a place to stay the night, but she’d deal with that later. She accepted Dan’s outstretched hand and tried to control the longing that coursed through her at his touch.

MORE ABOUT GIVE ME 
A young witch with a good heart. Two lovers in mortal danger. A spell that ends in disaster. 

Lilith Evergreen lives in the California desert, an ordinary woman until her fiancé returns from London with a ring he bought from a street vendor. When Lilith puts it on she dreams of a green land that's anything but desert, a tree at cliff's edge, a ruined castle, and a handsome prince. 

Then she discovers that it's all real. 

When Lilith visits the ruins of Tintagos Castle, she discovers a world of magic and love - and its dark side when she's entangled in the remnants of an ancient spell gone bad. From the moment Lilith sees Cade Bausiney, she's overwhelmed with desire for him. Cade is drawn to Lilith too - but their feelings might only be sparked by dark and dangerous magic.

Lilith and Cade must break the old spell or be forever possessed by spirits who've waited a millennium to consummate their love.


About LK

LK Rigel lives in California with her television-watching cat, Coleridge. (His favorite show is Castle, but he was enthralled by Game of Thrones.) Rigel wrote songs for the 90's band The Elements, scored the independent science fantasy karate movie Lucid Dreams, and was a reporter for the Sacramento Rock 'N Roll News. Her work has appeared in Literary Mama and Tattoo Highway.

Rigel writes the postapocapunk "Apocalypto" series about the end of the world and the new reality in which the gods return to save humanity from itself - and end up fighting with each other.

Her short story "Slurp" about an author with muse problems on Halloween is included in DEADLY TREATS, Anne Frasier's Halloween anthology published by Nodin Press.

Her latest book, GIVE ME, is an adult fairy tale about possession.


website: http://www.lkrigel.com/ 
Amazon page http://www.amazon.com/LK-Rigel/e/B0043WEB06/ 

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Excerpt Thursday - This Ring

It's Thursday and I'm actually aware that it is!

More excerpts have also been added to my website.

With the release of Curses  I thought 
it would be appropriate to put excerpts up for
the second story in Curses


This Ring



All in all it had been a long tedious road to this point with no turns what so ever—until this morning when she had looked right at him with both disbelief and dismay on her face.  It may not have been a positive cosmic vibe but it was a hell of a lot more than he’d had in all the years he had been waiting and wandering.
Before he was filled with that woe feeling that plagued him daily, after all spending an eternity with no one but yourself got to you after a few years, he turned back to study her.  This hadn’t been a huge past time of his, most of the time when there were people around he wandered the other way.  After all they represented the one thing he wasn’t – there.  With her though it was different, she was somehow different than all the others.  What was it about her?
There wasn’t anything in particular that stood out about her.  She seemed to be an average height and build.  He pinned her age somewhere close to thirty that much about women hadn’t changed that he couldn’t guess an age range and be pretty close to right.  Her hair was a mousy brown, for lack of a better way to describe it, and she had it all chopped up like scissors had randomly been placed wherever and cut—he liked it, it was original.  Of course he didn’t know what the current in thing was, so it may not be all that original.  He wasn’t close enough to see her eyes, but thinking about when they were huge and staring in his direction, he was fairly certain they were brown.  So she was very much average across the scales—but what was it about her that just kept him sitting here on this rock, not that he felt his body against it, watching her.
There were choices here, at least a few.  He could sit here and continue doing what he was doing until night came, bringing morning closer.  That would get a few bits past boring if she went back inside again and didn’t return.  The second option was to go wander around the lake and pass the time with more speed than he was doing now.  Grinning, he shook his head—because making time go faster had worked out so well for him in the last decade, or two.

Follow my tour to find out more or possibly win a copy of either Dreams or Curses


Stop by tomorrow when I'm at Lisa's World Of Books

And on Saturday I have LK Rigel here at the blog with her book Give Me: a fairy tale

Jacqueline Paige
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

First stop

My month long book tour starts today!

The first stop is over at Roxanne's Realm

For the rest of the tour and you can find
the entire list over at Bewitching Book 
Tours.

http://bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com/2011/10/now-on-tour-dreams-and-curses-by.html

Follow along, there will be draws.  A form is posted at each stop and with each comment made along the way you'll get more chances.


Jacqueline Paige
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/

Monday, October 17, 2011

Interview with Author Trish McCallan

Today I have the pleasure of having Author Trish McCallan
here for an interview on while on tour for her paranormal
romantic suspense book Forged in Fire.

Trish will be giving away an e-copy today, so be sure
to leave a comment and be entered in the draw.


1. Who is Trish McCallan, really? 
Trish McCallan is an animal lover, and rescuer of both people and pets. She is a die-hard optimist, who believes in miracles. Not only does she see the glass as half full, but she’s sure there is a pitcher full of goodness just around the corner and that any moment the   pitcher is going to fill the glass to the brim. Any moment now. . . waiting . . .waiting.  It will be here any second now . . . .

2. Where did you get your inspiration from for Forged in Fire? 
The inspiration for Forged in Fire came from a dream. I’d come down with a nasty cold, and dosed myself up with cough meds which produced a vivid, hallucinatory dream. Originally, the second scene in the book (the one in Beth’s POV) used to be the opening sequence. And the entire scene took place in my dream. At first I tried to shrug the dream off, but it wouldn’t let go. I dreamed it repeatedly, night after night, until I finally gave in and wrote the scene out. From there the story and characters sprang to life and took control.

3.  Do you ever have problems with writers block?  If so how do you get through it? 
I went through an extremely ugly stint of writers block several years ago. I’m still not sure what caused it, but it froze me up good. I couldn’t produce anything for months. I have no idea why it suddenly eased up. I actually quit writing for a while, and then suddenly one day I sat down and finished the book. I’ve never had another case of it, thank God. I have found, though, that writing is much easier if I write every day. It lubricates the mind, so the words flow easier.

4. If you could only use five words to describe Forged in Fire to grab my attention, what would they be?  
A sexy alpha hero brotherhood!

5. While working on a story, do you directly onto the computer or are there notebooks and plot ideas jotted down in various places? 
I compose directly into the computer. I can’t stand to use a notepad and paper, it’s too slow and I can’t backspace and start over. *bg

6.  What do you do when you’re not writing/editing or thinking about writing/ editing? 
I love reading, and watching television and movies. But I also love walking and try to walk every morning and evening. I’ve also grown to love working in my yard, which has been a big shock since I used to detest it with a passion. I guess the fact that I own the house now, so all the improvements are benefitting me makes a big difference. But I love planting trees, shrubs and flowers. You can see the difference almost instantly. There is something so satisfying about that instant gratification, and watching your vision come to life. lol

7.  If you had one piece of advice for all those writers sitting out there procrastinating about making that first submission, what would it be? 
Don’t think about it, just take a deep breath and hit send, or drop the material in the mail. Then immediately begin a new project, the new project will take your mind off the submission. Plus, it will feel like you have other irons in the fire, this way if the piece out on sub comes back with a rejection, it’s easier to shrug the sting off.

8. I have to tell you, Forged in Fire has been added to my TBR pile- are there any future releases we should be on the lookout for? 
I hope you like Forged in Fire! I’m writing the second book in the series, Forged in Ice, right now. This is going to be Cosky’s story and opens a few months after Forged in Fire ends. I’m hoping to have revisions and final edits done on it by spring of 2012, at which point I’ll  publish it. But I will also be publishing Yesterday’s Child in early December. YC is a paranormal romantic mystery. It’s a darker, more emotional book than the Forged Series. It deals with grief and letting go of the past and grabbing those second chances.

9. What is your favourite scene in Forged in Fire? Why that one? 
Oh this is a hard one. I have several scenes I really loved in Forged in Fire, and one scene that really worried me. Lol But I guess my favourite scene would be the one that takes place at the shooting booth at the fair. I just laughed through that whole scene. I loved the interaction between the guys, as well as the guys and the kids. But the funniest part about the whole scene to me was how willing they were to plunk down a good chunk of money to win those prizes, yet the prizes are cheap beyond belief. *bg

Thanks so much for taking the time to be here today, Trish! 
Thank you for having me! J

And now for the details about this book - the cover grabbed my attention and then the blurb and excerpt hooked me for good!


Beth Brown doesn’t believe in premonitions until she dreams a sexy stranger is gunned down during the brutal hijacking of a commercial airliner. When events in her dream start coming true, she heads to the flight’s departure gate. To her shock, she recognizes the man she’d watched die the night before.

Lieutenant Commander Zane Winters comes from a bloodline of elite warriors with psychic abilities. When Zane and two of his platoon buddies arrive at Sea-Tac Airport, he has a vision of his teammates’ corpses. Then she arrives—a leggy blonde who sets off a different kind of alarm.

As Beth teams up with Zane, they discover the hijacking is the first step in a secret cartel’s deadly global agenda and that key personnel within the FBI are compromised. To survive the forces mobilizing against them, Beth will need to open herself to a psychic connection with the sexy SEAL who claims to be her soul mate.

"Forged In Fire is a smoking hot adventure with an irresistible alpha hero. Danger, action, suspense, and a steamy romance make a story that's impossible to put down!" ~Patti O'Shea, National Bestselling Author of Through a Crimson Veil

Available at      Amazon     B&N     Smashwords 




Excerpt: Chapter One


Lieutenant Commander Zane Winters shifted uneasily against the grungy white wall across from gate C18’s ticket counter. He felt naked without his Glock. Exposed. An itchy, irritating prickle of vulnerability tightened his skin and cramped his muscles. Which was fucking ridiculous. They were on leave, for Christ’s sake, booked on a civilian flight. Yeah, he and Cosky and Rawls had to check their weapons with their luggage, but so what? They weren’t going wheels-up, facing deployment to some godforsaken foreign jungle or burning swath of sand.
“Did they have to pick Hawaii? We have the same blue sky and warm weather in Coronado. And without the tourists.”
Zane barely heard Cosky’s disgusted mutter through the drone of excited voices surrounding them. With a grunt, he massaged the back of his neck and surveyed the growing crowd. More passengers were arriving by the minute. Shit, there were already too many people to keep an eye on. Too many jackets and pockets and purses. Too many places to conceal a weapon.
A stacked brunette across the gate area caught his gaze and offered a sultry smile. Zane turned away.
“Jesus.” Rawls’ lazy grin was a slash of white in his sun-bronzed face. “You two need to get off base more often. You’re as hinky as a pair of hounds during tick season. Those are civilians y’all are glaring at, not a room full of tangos.” Bright blue eyes zeroed in on the brunette across the room. “What you need is some of that. Sun, sand and sex. All the fixin’s for a memorable vacation.”
Cosky shot his teammate a derisive glance. “When did you become so fond of sand and sun? Sure as hell not last month, judging by your nonstop bitching.”
Rawls flipped him the finger. “It’s that third “s”, Cos. Makes all the difference. You should try it sometime, but without that blow-up Barbie you keep stashed beneath your bunk.”
Shrill laughter erupted across the room. Zane tracked the sound, skimming an abandoned stroller and clusters of luggage. When the brunette tried to catch his eye again, he swore beneath his breath. Shifting against the wall, he gave her his back.
“See? This is why I like hanging with you, skipper,” Rawls drawled, a grin twitching the edges of his mouth. “You attract the little darlin’s over, and when you turn that cold shoulder on ‘em, they start buzzin’ round Cosky and me.”
“Leave me out of it,” Cosky said. “Unlike you, I don’t need to surf Zane’s wake for a hookup.”
“A hookup?” Rawls shook his head and smirked. “Is that any way to talk about your hand?” Bracing his elbows against the wall behind them, he tilted his head and studied Zane’s face. “Seriously, skipper, you should take her up on that offer. It’s not like—” He broke off to scan Zane’s face more intently. Suddenly he frowned. “You’re shittin’ me. That’s some prime real estate over there, and you don’t have any interest in her? None at all? That just ain’t… natural.”
Hell, Rawls was right. She was prime time. A real looker. Long, thick mahogany hair. A tight, curvy ass. Stacked across the chest. Enough flare through the hips to hold onto. She was the kind of woman who’d give wet dreams to any straight male between puberty and death.
Which must mean he was dead. Because he was way past puberty, yet he didn’t feel even a twitch of interest. No chills. No thrills. No goose bumps.
She could be his great-grandmother, for all the attraction he felt.
Every year the numbness dug a little deeper, spread a little further. He’d been warned about this particular side effect of the family gift—or curse, depending on who was talking. But knowing about it, and living with it, were completely different animals.
“Let’s hope that woman of yours shows up ASAP. Much more of this drought and you won’t remember what to do with her.” With a flash of white teeth, Rawls reached over to punch Zane’s shoulder.
The moment Rawls’ fist made contact, every muscle in Zane’s body clenched. He froze, his breath locked in his throat. His vision blurred.
Click.
It was a subtle sound. A switch flipping inside his head. An image flashed through his mind. Quick. Brutal. Ugly.
Rawls sprawled across a bank of narrow seats. His blue t-shirt splotched with black. Blood dripping from limp fingers. A fixed stare glazing his blue eyes.
The vision vanished.
“Son of a bitch.” Sheer disgust vibrated in Cosky’s gritty voice. “We’re on stand-down. This is a civilian flight. Regardless of that all-too-familiar look on your face, we cannot be in any goddamn danger.”
But he didn’t dislodge the hand Zane clamped around his bicep.
This time Zane was expecting the vision. He tensed anyway, his body contracting into one giant charley horse.
Click.
He strained to capture as many details as possible as the new vision flashed through his mind.
Gray eyes locked and empty, already filming with the unmistakable haze of death. Black hair saturated with blood. Hands clenched. He was splayed across a narrow aisle, dark blue upholstered seats rising on either side of his head.
When the image vanished, he released Cosky’s arm and wrestled air back into his lungs.
“Tell me this is a joke,” Cosky demanded.
Zane shook his head and gripped the back of his neck with both hands.
“What did you see?” Rawls finally asked.
Zane drew a shallow breath. “You dead. Cosky dead.”
“From boredom?” Cosky asked dryly, one black-as-sin eyebrow arching. “We are going to a wedding.” A quick glance at Zane’s face, and a glint of steel darkened his gray eyes. “Where’s this going down?”
“On the bird.” Zane frowned. “Couldn’t tell whether she was in flight. Didn’t get a good enough look.”
Cosky turned to study the boisterous crowd. “When do you ever?”
Zane scrubbed his palms down his face and forced back a surge of frustration. The flashes never lasted long. No more than two or three seconds. Just enough to warn, without giving details. Just enough to raise guards, but not enough to mitigate the danger.
“Which bird? Over or back?” Cosky braced his hands on his hips and studied Zane’s face. “Either fits the three-day window for those flashes of yours.”
“Today.” Zane nodded toward Rawls’ blue-clad chest. “Same clothes.”
Cosky grunted. “I don’t suppose you saw who killed us?”
“When have these damn things ever been that accommodating?”
“Fuck.” With a disgusted shake of his head, Cosky dropped his chin and scowled at the worn carpet. “What about the wounds?”
“Lots of blood. Could be a gun. Or a knife.”
“A crash?” Rawls broke in quietly.
“Doubtful. Neither of you were burned. We’re looking at some kind of weapon.”
Cosky frowned. “It would be easier to smuggle a blade through security, but few people are good enough to take us on with a knife. Chances are it’s a gun.”
Zane pushed away from the wall. “Whatever’s going to happen is bad enough to take the three of us out.” The flashes never centered on him, but if Cosky and Rawls were in danger, he was as well. “We need to get hold of Mac.”
As the OIC of SEAL Team 7, Commander Jace Mackenzie had the pull to get the plane grounded and the passengers searched.
“Question.” Cosky’s attention zeroed in on Zane’s face. “What are we going to tell him? We don’t know what’s going to happen, who’s behind it, or what kind of weapons will be used. If Mac gets this bird grounded, only to have nothing show during the search, the backlash is gonna be a bitch.”
“What are you suggesting?” Zane cocked an eyebrow. “That we skip the wedding, keep our mouths shut and let events play out?”
“Don’t be an ass. I’m saying it would be handy to have some solid intel to pass on for a change. Why can’t you ever pick up more information if you touch us again?”
Zane shrugged. Just because he suffered through the visions didn’t mean he understood their properties. “We’ve got some time before boarding. Maybe one of the passengers will jump out at us.”
A wave of heat suddenly rolled through him. It started at his scalp and flowed down—a tide of molten fire that left chills in its wake. A tingling, numbing sensation followed, as though he’d been hit with a high-voltage electrical shock.
“What’s wrong?” Cosky’s question came from a distance. Muted and warped.
Zane turned, searching for… something. The gate area spun in slow motion. That strange, electrical tingling raised the hair on his arms and down the back of his neck.
He found her in the mouth of the waiting room. She was blond, slender. Perfect. Her cream-colored slacks and ivory blouse glowed beneath the harsh fluorescent lights, as though she stood squarely in a spotlight—lit up to catch his attention.
Her chin lifted, their eyes connected and that strange, pulsating current shot straight to his cock. Electrified him. His libido, numb for years, reared up and howled. He took one long step toward her.
Cosky grabbed his arm and hauled him back. “Goddamn it, Zane. What’s wrong?”
Zane shook his head, tried to clear the fog from his mind. The tug toward her was incredibly strong, like she was a magnet and his bones were metal. He took another step forward, his body vibrating at some strange frequency.
Cosky’s hand tightened with brutal force around his forearm, piercing the primal urge to claim her.
Zane froze and drew a shaky breath. His muscles were rigid. A vicious ache had seized his groin. His skin must have shrunk at least three sizes.
Holy shit.
It had to be her.
After all these years of searching, of waiting… this had to be her.
To go from nada to nuclear in the blink of an eye… yeah. He drew a slow, burning breath, grappling to drag his body back under control. This had to be her.
From listening to his brothers’ stories about meeting their mates, he’d expected a strong reaction, but nothing like this whirlpool of hunger.
And he hadn’t even touched her yet.
“Who is she?” Cosky demanded. “Did you see her in one of your flashes?”
The question snapped the world back into focus. The memory of those damn visions flooded his brain.
He watched, frozen, while she headed toward one of the plastic benches strewn throughout the waiting room. She was apparently booked on his flight.
A marked flight.
His chest seized. His skin started to crawl. Christ, he couldn’t breathe.
Of all the bad timing.
He’d finally found her. His soul mate. At a time when he couldn’t afford the distraction. When the slightest mistake could get her killed.

About the Author:

Trish McCallan has been writing for as long as she can remember.

In grade school she wrote children’s stories, illustrating them with crayons and binding the sheets together with pencil-punched holes and red yarn.  She used to sell these masterpieces at her lemonade stand for a nickel a book. Surprisingly, people actually bought them. Like, all of them. Every night she would have to write a new batch for her basket.

As she got older her interest changed to boys and horses. The focus of her literary masterpieces followed this shift. Her first full length novel was written in seventh grade by pencil in a notebook and featured a girl, a horse and a boy. At the end of the book the teenage heroine rode off into the sunset . . . with the horse.

These days she sticks to romantic suspense with hot alpha heroes and roller-coaster plots. Since she is a fan of all things bizarre, paranormal elements always seem to find a way into her fiction. Her current release, Forged in Fire, was the result of a Black Dagger Brotherhood reading binge, a cold, a bottle of NyQuil and a vivid dream. 

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