Killing Time Sample & Premiere (shhh, it's early)

Yes, I know, I couldn't help myself. I heard back from a few readers who devoured the ARC and I decided to release it early! Below, you will find yet another sample from the novel and remember the Rafflecopter contest begins tomorrow so don't forget to check back Here to enter and win some very cool prizes! So, without further ado, here is another juicy sample from Killing Time:

An arm wrapped around my shoulders and I glanced at Gray. His face was a mask of pity but it wasn’t genuine. He’d never really loved anyone; I doubted he truly loved me but I made a nice piece of arm candy and I was intelligent so that was considered a nice bonus.

My voice cracked when I opened my mouth to ask a question but something about the way Mr. Krieger continued to stare at me felt incredibly disarming and not in a good way. I wanted to hate this man who must have been involved with my sister’s death but he was very good looking and possessed a certain je ne sais quoi…for a freak.

“I think it is time I took my fiancée home. It’s been a long night and no doubt this news has really affected her.” Gray handed a starched white business card to Mr. Krieger. “Have your attorney contact ours and we can go over setting up a time and date to have someone pick up Ms. DeMarche’s items she left for her sister, is that okay with you?”

Rory’s look of anguish—complete and genuine in his case which made my conflicted feelings about him soften though only slightly—changed. His face transformed into a mask of extremely controlled anger as one of his elegant dark eyebrows arched arrogantly.

“I’m afraid that isn’t possible. The moment I found out about Trésor, I called my real estate agent and placed the apartment on the market. I can’t live there anymore and my personal effects have already been moved from the residence. We have prospective clients coming by to see the place tomorrow so I would have to accompany Ms. Segler-DeMarche back there tonight. She can fetch her sister’s belongings and I will have my driver deliver her to your home,” he explained in a cold detached manner.

“Where are you staying?” I inquired though it was none of my business.

“The Waldorf Astoria as my family has a permanent suite there at their disposal.”

Naturally, I thought.

Gray leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I’m not comfortable with you going off with him. I’ve heard things about him from my brother and he isn’t to be trusted.”

“You heard the police,” I whispered back. “He wasn’t in the country when Trésor was murdered. Her stuff is all I have, goddamn it. I will be back before you know it.”

He smiled, his blue eyes glazed over as if he were thinking about other issues. “Hurry back.”

Gray kissed my cheek, stood and left the room without a word.

The large impersonal box known as O’Neill and Wozniak’s office seemed to close in around me and I suddenly felt claustrophobic and disoriented. My breathing had sped up slightly and I didn’t really like being here trapped with these three men, regardless whether two of them were NYPD Detectives or not.

O’Neill leaned over and gave me his business card. “If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call at that number. In the meantime, we will try to get this taken care of as quietly and discretely as possible. Your sister’s body will be returned to the family when the medical examiner has ruled out any issues of foul play.”

“I thought…you said it was a cut and dry suicide.”

“The inquiry was made by me,” Rory said out loud. I could hear a faint trace of a German accent beneath his impeccable English. “Trésor wasn’t suicidal and I still don’t buy she killed herself. She would have never done anything without my permission. She was committed to me.”

I laughed though it sounded inappropriate. “Did it ever occur to you perhaps suicide was the only way she thought she could get away from you?”

He smiled back but his expression matched his voice of pure ice. “I won’t try to explain a lifestyle to you that you will never understand living in your ultra vanilla world where everyone fucks with the lights out in missionary position…and the most adventurous sexual endeavor you’ve probably allowed yourself was giving your fiancé a blow job while you ran your finger up and down his perineum. For some of us, a life like that won’t do. Hell, it’s a fate worse than death.”

My face burned; I knew from the neck up, my crimson complexion acknowledged feelings of inadequacy and embarrassment, and I hated him at that particular moment.

He’d read me, read my fucking love life like an open book as if he had my journal open in front of him.

My sex life with Gray was basic and boring but in our own way, we were fond of one another and willing to make a life together though there wasn’t any real love there. We were a power couple in the making. I was an ambitious reporter with ties to a very old French family who could trace a partial amount of my lineage back to the aristocracy that wasn’t beheaded. Grayson, a man who came from one of the oldest American families in existence, had a bright future ahead of him and someone any woman would be proud to show off to her friends and family. They could trace their journey over on the Mayflower from Scotland on his father’s side and his mother was a mixture of French, German and Welsh, though both sides of the family had been in the country for over two hundred years.

It was true, we didn’t have a wild and crazy time with one another and although we didn’t always have sex in missionary position, neither one of us could be called adventurous or “out there” when it came to matters of sex or the heart. We both played it safe and that was okay. We understood one another and that would hold a marriage together a lot longer than feelings of extreme love and warmth.

“You’re blushing, Ms. Segler-DeMarche,” Rory began as if we were the only two people in the room. “If you would like to pick up your sister’s belongings, we really should be on our way.”

I tried to smile but my face fell short.

I was tired, hungry as I hadn’t matched my food intake with my alcohol consumption and I only looked forward to a comfortable bed.

“Yes, I think that would be best.”

Now Available at Amazon, All Romance & Smashwords!

First excerpt from Killing Time

I have never been all that good at this so I will start a little count down. The book is to be released October fifteenth (officially) though it might premiere earlier and I will be the first to let you all know. I feel like my readers will be more invested if they actually met some of the characters.

Today, I introduce you to Tresor DeMarche, also known as the Laura Palmer (as in Twin Peaks) of Killing Time. It is her demise that causes everything to happen in the first place. Enjoy!

WARNING: This novel is not recommended for those under the age of eighteen.

She awoke and realized she’d been dreaming again of that last night where he had used her before placing her in the cage. The fifth day of her punishment regime. She spent her days, evenings and nights in the cage except for scheduled breaks when his stern housekeeper, Helga, would come to fetch her. She would be allowed to use the toilet, shower and then placed her back in the cage with her chastity belt and a small meal for sustenance. No one ever spoke to her and she was not allowed to speak as the ball gag was only taken out when she washed and then quickly put back into its rightful place.

This would be her last day as he’d never punished her for more than five days in a row. He would fetch her first thing the next morning and she would promise to be on her best behavior before he would fuck her long and leisurely. He would allow her to come after five days of orgasm denial and it would be the best feeling on earth.

The chastity belt was starting to get on her nerves as it had a device which had two objects inserted into each hole and she derived absolutely no pleasure from them. It was a mechanism surely designed by that bastard, Marquis de Sade himself, if there ever was one.

She grabbed her iPod, the one small pleasure he did allow her to have in the cage with her, and placed the earbuds inside her ears. She found the music of Thirty Seconds to Mars thrilling—they were her favorite band and Jared Leto was so hot. Her master reminded her of him with his dark hair and crystal blue eyes. They could be siblings as he bore a true resemblance to the sexy rock star. Plus, it seemed like Mr. Leto also wasn’t adverse to a bit of bondage and domination if the uncut video, “Hurricane”, revealed anything about his true personality.

She allowed herself to drift through This is War but by the time A Beautiful Lie began playing, she awoke again and felt the presence of someone at the cage door. She loved the album; it was her favorite and although her heart began to thump against her chest, she went back and forth between thinking about the album and what this person wanted to do to her.

The leather mask was ripped violently from her eyes and she stared at the blurred tall figure in black leather. She didn’t know if the person was a man or a woman as he or she was completely androgynous with their features covered by one of those hideous full-head leather masks. She instinctively knew it wasn’t her master or his brother but other than that, it could have been anyone.

Killing Time is considered a romantic suspense novel with contemporary romance elements. Although there is a lot of sex, bondage, submission, and domination, I do not consider this an erotica novel as this is, above all, a romance story though it is far from conventional.

I would love to hear from readers so please feel free to tell me what you think!

Beta Readers Needed!

I usually don't do this and I have heard from quite a few authors it is a bad idea but sometimes, I do what I want anyway! 

I need at least five serious beta readers who are avid readers and don't mind explicit sex, some violence, dubious consent, domination, submission, m/f/m or m/f. If I have to explain the last two to you then you probably wouldn't be a good fit. It would really help me if you love to read as much as I do and don't mind giving your opinion once you are finished.

You will be reading an ARC of a novel so that means there will be some spelling and/or grammatical errors though there shouldn't be many as they will be polished before the final product hits the shelves.

You are free to live anywhere in the world as long as you can read fluent English, we're good. The novel will be available in mobi, ePub and PDF only.

Please email me HERE for further instructions. SERIOUS readers only, please. Thank you and have a wonderful week!

The Theft of Darkness is Now Available!

Talk about a lot of hard work but I stayed on schedule and The Theft of Darkness has officially been released. This is the continuation of Julien and Martina's story and since Darkness Rising continues to be my biggest seller then I am assuming most people are interested in seeing where their relationship goes and the problems they encounter. 

Below, you will find the cover, blurb and the first chapter. Plus, as a bonus, I have included the first chapter of Killing Time (The Ties That Bind Trilogy) in the The Theft of Darkness e-book and will also feature it in the paperback as well. Enjoy and have a great week everyone. ;-)

All Romance
Amazon (Processing)
Barnes & Noble (Processing)
Kobo (Processing)
Smashwords

The Alpha…

Julien can’t believe he is living his happy ever after with Martina but he wished it felt that way. Between outside pressures and his new position as Alpha, he feels the pressure and all he really wants to do is take his beautiful mate and walk away from it all.

The Alpha’s Mate…

Martina is still in love with Julien but she can’t help feeling like a disappointment. After months of trying, she still isn’t pregnant and doesn’t feel like an adequate spouse. Is it possible to become the flawless life mate everyone expects the Alpha of the Gasquet Pack to have and will she ever measure up?

The Proposition…

King Sebastiaan offers Julien a chance to step out of his funk which involves a trip to Las Vegas. He and Martina soon realized they have been pulled into a cold war and in every battle, one has to choose a side…

WARNING: This is the sequel to Darkness Rising and the second half of Julien and Martina’s story. It includes more sexy times and the usual paranormal creatures including Lycans (werewolves), vampires and faeries with minimal gore or violence.

Chapter One

Julien and Jori sat across from one another.

As they were both considered guests in King Sebastiaan’s home, they were on their best behavior. Julien had no wish to fight with his older brother, not anymore, and though it pained for him to admit it, he was quite happy his brother finally had a Pack to call his own.

They were so alike yet so different. Julien possessed their mother’s dark hair and gorgeous features with their father’s crystal blue eyes. Tall, lean and ivory skinned, he looked more like a pretty boy model than a former Lycan fighter and champion in the ring. Jori was a man’s man and ruggedly handsome with his tanned skin, crystal blue eyes, brown hair and features from both parents. He also looked like the average Lycan though he was an Omega and the tattoo sleeve he wore only added to his menacing sex appeal most women—human, vampire or werewolf—found hard to resist.

Julien scowled and tried not to look annoyed but he couldn’t help himself.

It irked him the Sebastjori Pack was under direct influence of the King. Although Sebastiaan claimed he had nothing to do with the day-to-day operations of the Pack, Julien couldn’t help but feel that gave Jori an upper hand amongst the pack Alphas whether either one of them would admit it or not.

He calmed himself down and swigged from his bourbon and Coke.

“How’s that beautiful wife of yours?” Sebastiaan wondered with a lecherous smile on his face.

Jules’ crystal blue eyes immediately hardened though he managed for his voice to stay even tempered as he murmured, “She’s doing great though you know we don’t have wives or husbands in the Pack.”

Jori snickered. “It’s just a figure of speech, bro. Give it a rest already.”

“I don’t mean to be rude but what is this meeting about?” Julien inquired.

Sebastiaan stood and refreshed his drink before he sat down again. “Lots of changes are gonna happen this year, Jules. It’s another year, another month, the weather sucks and I just wanted to have a pow-wow with two of my fellow Alphas who I consider my ‘top dogs’ so to speak. Both the de Vries and the Garbou-Cahill Packs’ are still run by people who are old enough to be our grandparents but it isn’t up to me to infuse new blood in either pack. I would like the three of us to form a working relationship together. I could use more friends around my age.”

“You mean Andreas’ company is getting a bit boring?” Julien shot back before he finished off his bourbon and Coke.

“No, but he isn’t Lycan either and he doesn’t understand the dynamics of the Pack. I would think you could allow the drama and all the excessive bullshit we have between us to dissipate. I have always admired you, Jules. You were a fighter who actually recognized your own potential and rose to the top of the food chain in your own Pack. That is something to be proud of. You life mate is a beautiful woman whom you adore and hopefully soon, you’ll be tellin’ us some good news?”

He stared at Jori who continued to look at him with crystal blue eyes—his eyes—their father’s eyes, and he knew. His brother could read him like an open book; he and Martina had been trying for a child because there was absolutely no reason to wait but they hadn’t been lucky yet.

Maybe it was global warming or something in the water; Lycans weren’t supposed to suffer from these “mortal” problems. The women had a time of the month they went into heat and if a couple mated during that time, the female was supposed to become pregnant and that was that.

Julien knew Martina’s menstrual cycle like the back of his hand but she still hadn’t become pregnant. He knew she wasn’t taking anything because she wanted a baby as much as he did.

Their togetherness which had come so easily hadn’t always been smooth sailing since they’d mated. They loved one another very much but so many outside influences affected their pairing, and neither had any control over this unfortunate bit.

Between Odette and her prying into Martina’s family history to the strain his relationships had taken with his siblings, half the time he didn’t know whether he was coming or going.

Jolie had been kicked unceremoniously out of the Gasquet Pack after it emerged her life mate was a vampire with a quarter Lycan heritage. It wasn’t enough and Mémé Odette would not be overruled in her decision. He was Alpha of the Pack yet he couldn’t stop his own sister from being tossed out on her own.

This betrayal stung and hurt him deeply. He slipped into a dark depression that lasted months yet Martina was always there for him and it was only through her unwavering support and strength he’d made it through the horrific incident.

Months later, he received a visit from Jimmy and his life mate, Mórríghan, who was also a vampire. Although the information was supposed to be classified, his brother had told him Jolie and her soon-to-be life mate were a member of the Sebastjori Pack therefore he had nothing to feel guilty about. He remembered the conversation as if it had occurred the day before.

“What do you mean soon-to-be?” he’d bellowed. “I was told they were already life mates.”

“They aren’t…not yet anyway. It’s true they have partaken of one another’s blood but the IVC is demanding she be turned before they will grant their request to officially become life mates,” Jimmy had explained in a morose tone. “Everything is different when they are involved, Jules. Just be glad your life mate didn’t turn out to be a vampire.”

“And what about you? Do you have to become a blood sucker as well? My baby sister has to be turned into one of those things? I fucking hate vampires to the depths of my soul and here you are telling me it’s the only way? She can’t find anyone else to be with?”

“Even if she did, would Mémé Odette reverse her decision? I think not, especially after what you did to that son of a bitch step-father of yours. He won’t hear of it and he is going to do everything in his power to make sure she doesn’t get back into your Pack. Plus, once you enter the Sebastjori Pack, there is no leaving unless it’s in a body bag.”

Julien had been quiet for a moment. “What about you? Do you have to…well, you know—”

“No, I don’t have to be turned. Mórríghan has nothing to do with the IVC so they have no dominion over her decisions.”

He had to let go of the past but why was he suddenly so convinced the past wasn’t quite done with him?

“Earth to Jules, you hear, bro?”

Julien looked up with bright blue eyes. “Yeah, sorry, I was just thinkin’ ‘bout…Jolie. How is she?”

Jori’s expression changed to a slight grimace. “Those fuckin’ assholes won’t let her go and now I just think they’re yankin’ our dick cuz they can and it is startin’ to piss me off. There is nothin’ she had to do for them that should take almost a year of ‘covert work’. At this point, they are holdin’ her love for Sasha over her head and she has no choice. If she comes back alone then it proves to them their union isn’t very strong.”

He stood and refreshed his bourbon and Coke. It would be his last one as he still had to drive home and the last issue he needed was to be caught drunk driving by New Orleans PD or worse, a John Q. Law from the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Department.

“Is there any way they can get around all this horseshit?” Julien inquired as he strode back to the sofa.

“Yeah, they could run away together and have a price on both their heads if that is what they want to do but Jolie has never been a coward. She wouldn’t do that and neither will Sasha.”

“Maybe they should.”

“Why? Is that what you would have done?” Sebastiaan inquired in a distasteful manner.

“Hell fuckin’ yeah. I was ready to bolt that night if they didn’t let me mate with Martina. Fuck the Pack. We could have gone to Europe. I have enough money from all the fights not to mention the accounts in the Caymans and Switzerland. No way would anyone keep me from my woman. What can I say? I’m a coward just like our father is. Standing in the face of defeat ain’t my style.” Julien swigged from his bourbon and Coke.

“Unfortunately, I am in no position to advise them to do that. They are part of my Pack and if the IVC decides to hunt them down then they are in essence starting a war with the Sebastjori Pack. That would simply mean too many lives at risk and in harm’s way, and…I can’t justify that under any circumstances.”

Julien chuckled then. “Yeah, I figured you’d say some bureaucratic bullshit like that because she ain’t never been a sister to you like she was to me. I sometimes forget we didn’t grow up in the same household. You’ll risk your neck for Jimmy but he’s a man and he can take care of himself. But you won’t raise a finger when your little sister’s life is at stake.

“If she was in my Pack, I would fly to Vegas and demand her to come back home. If that means slaughtering a few IVC members then so be it. I can’t stand those fucks anyway so I would gladly kill a few just to make an example and prove how serious I am about the current situation. They will never respect you, Jori. You’re a fuckin’ Omega and you’re stronger than me but underneath all that muscle is nothing but a scared little boy who can’t forget his Daddy didn’t love him. You’re fuckin’ pathetic, man.”

Jori’s eyes turned into some kind of animal’s—a panther or perhaps a tiger; Sebastiaan stood suddenly. “Listen, I think you should go home to that lovely mate of yours. I don’t need you two dukin’ it out in my house. I got a lot of valuables ‘round here I’d like to keep in their present condition.”

He swallowed the rest of his drink and set the crystal glass down on the cherry wood bar. “With pleasure. Remember what I said, Jori. You’re nothing but a coward and to think my sister has you as a Pack master. Poor thing…she never had a chance.”

Julien walked out and climbed into his Ford F-150 and took off down the road. He knew he was wrong but maybe he could spur his brother into action. If he could, he would happily save Jolie but she was no longer his concern.

The tears came despite the forceful swipes at his eyes. He loved her so much and to think those fucking bloodsuckers were holding her against her will. It made him sick to his stomach to think about her predicament.

It was only with determination he made it home in one piece. Martina lay in bed already asleep. He stripped down to nothing and joined her moments later. It took no more than a few minutes before sleep claimed him and he happily accepted the blessed escape.

The Muse is Dead...Long live The Muse!

I have been gone for so long, I am wondering if I was missed. Sigh, I have a very good reason. I have been holed up in my (writing) bunker and to say I am busy at the moment is an understatement. I am writing two novellas right now (The Theft of Darkness and Troubled Hart, which is book 1.5 in The Hart Family Saga as it acts as a bridge to Book 2, Change of Hart) and a full length novel, Killing Time, the first book in The Ties That Bind Trilogy.

I have bad news for my paranormal/Urban Fantasy fans. I will continue with The Supernaturals but after book eight, the series will conclude for an indeterminate amount of time. I will also continue with The Hart Family Saga but The Vamp Saga will be put on hold indefinitely after the fourth book, Immortal Dawn, comes out. I might delay Immortal Dawn until next year depending upon how my writing schedule works out. As it is, Queen of the Immortals will come out either October or November, depending upon how I arrange my book schedule for the rest of the year.

I am trying to listen to my readers and I am being given clear signals of what people want to read from me and what they don't. I will continue to put out books in the DeGeneration series but they won't be very often and will probably amount to maybe two novels per year as opposed to any quicker as I will focus on projects that people are interested in reading.

Now, back to why I have been holed up in my writing bunker. Killing Time is writing itself and I have a feeling it will do very well. No, it isn't mommy porn (I'm a mother too but that isn't exactly what I want to write). My characters are grown men and women (both in their early thirties), they suffer from no deep childhood trauma and they are consenting adults who are not fooled, beguiled or tricked into anything they don't want to do.

Thanks again for supporting me and doing what you do best. This novel is very close to my heart and it is truly a novel I believe will do well. I credit Annabel Joseph and Kitty Thomas much more than I would ever credit EL James because there is a whole world of very interesting and fascinating BDSM that has been out there a lot longer than Fifty Shades. I believe people will either love it or hate it but either way, at least they won't be bored. Enjoy your weekend and talk to you soon!

Without further ado, here is the cover reveal and the blurb:

A Murder Mystery…

Aurelie Segler-DeMarche is a smart, independent woman who works for a top rated news network, engaged to a wealthy blue blood and living a life most women would dream of when she learns her sister, catalogue and runway model Trésor DeMarche, has been murdered under mysterious circumstances. The police are quick to rule the death a suicide but she knows there is more to the story than meets the eye—she is a journalist after all.

Wrapped in a Love Affair…

Trésor’s lover, Rory Krieger, is dangerous for all the right reasons: he’s wealthy, successful, drop-dead gorgeous and owns some of the most exclusive BDSM clubs in the country. Aurelie is shocked to find out her sister was part of this sub-culture to begin with but she realizes in order to solve a mystery, she is going to have to infiltrate a closed community where strangers aren’t trusted and reality is an altered state of mind.

Of Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism…

Aurelie quickly finds out not only is she no match for the multifaceted and intelligent Rory, his life and Trésor’s was a lot more complicated than she can begin to comprehend. An indecent proposal leads to more than a night of passion, intrigue and raises more questions than answers. What happens when the unimaginable occurs and there is no where to go but deeper before the truth is revealed?