Write What You Know

Click on image to read excerpt

They say to write what you know. I don’t know who “they” are, but the advice seems sound. Since I’ve been a felony crimes prosecutor, worked the road as a police officer, and now write policy and procedure for the same police department, I decided to combine some of my passions into what is now Divergent Bloodline.

Cops are a rare breed. They witness not only the good people do for each other, but also respond to volatile, emotional situations often resulting in heartbreak. The stress officers work under on a daily basis is incredible. They form strong bonds with fellow cops to survive the mental and physical demands placed upon them. Your partner is more than a friend; your partner protects your back when you enter the building with guns drawn.

Although Divergent Bloodline is a work of fiction and focuses on the romance between a homicide suspect (who happens to be a vampire) and the detective assigned to the case, I tried to capture the special relationship officers share with each other. I hope you enjoy Divergent Bloodline as much as I loved writing it.

Half-Price Sale: My publisher, The Wild Rose Press, is offering the digital version of Divergent Bloodline for half price through their website only from Wednesday, December 9th through Saturday, December 12th.

Win an autographed paperback copy! – Enter the Goodreads giveaway for Divergent Bloodline. Giveaway ends Saturday, December 19th, 2015. Easy to enter and you might win!

.99 Cent Sale: To celebrate Divergent’s release, my high fantasy romance, Caller of Light, is available for .99 cents at all major outlets until Friday, December 18th.

Cover Reveal and Giveaway

I’m proud to announce the cover for my new paranormal romance, Divergent Bloodline!

Win an autographed paperback copy! – Enter the Goodreads giveaway. Giveaway ends Saturday, December 19th, 2015. Easy to enter and you might win!
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Blurb

While tracking down a killer, clues lead homicide detective, Viviane Taylor to suspect, Julian DeMatteo. From the get-go, DeMatteo unsettles and irritates her. He is a force she has never encountered, someone who excites her even though he is forbidden. Her instincts warn that he’s hiding something and she is determined to uncover those secrets.

As king of the vampires, Julian DeMatteo protects the immortal clans. So, when the beautiful, bullheaded cop embroils herself within his world, he must choose between the woman who reminds him of the humanity he has lost or his loyalty to his people.

As confusing emotions awaken inside her, Viviane can either accept her fate as the one chosen to save the immortal race or lose her soul to darkness. With Julian’s help, she fights an evil that would rip her apart in order to forge a new future with the homicide suspect who has stolen her heart.

Excerpt

Don’t push me away, Viviane,” he rasped in a hoarse gravel of sound. Except for the enticing tremor in her bottom lip, she stood like a statue, the curl of her eyelashes hiding her inquisitive, emerald eyes. Cupping her chin, he lifted her face and dropped his forehead onto hers.

Closing his eyes, his other senses sharpened on the woman quivering against him. Air whispered in and out of her lungs in ragged gasps. The soft brush of her hair teased his skin. The catch in her throat when his hand slid to the small of her back encouraged his slow acquisition of her.

He understood her wish to maintain a professional distance, but her body betrayed her as she leaned into him. With utmost care, his mouth grazed down her face, tasting the lush satin of her skin. Her breath caught. He stilled her halfhearted attempt to step away by pinning her at his side. Flattening his hand against her jaw to keep her from turning, his lips skirted across her cheek, angling toward her mouth. Her pulse skipped, and he smiled an instant before his lips touched hers. In an exquisite, painful burst, his heart exploded and light cascaded into the darkest corners of his soul.

No,” she gasped, planting her hands on his chest, but his desire to claim her was too strong. He slammed her against the wall with his body and kissed her with a roughness that required no less than total submission.

Focused. Strong. True.

 

Review — Into the Darkness by K.F. Breene

I love it when I pick up a book not having any expectations and it totally blows me away. INTO THE DARKNESS was one of those books … it blew my socks off! Wow! What a surprise read this turned out to be.

As an orphan, Sasha has grown up on the outside. She’s not popular or a great student, and to top it off, sees people that others can’t—invisible people she calls shadow men. Fortunately, she has her boyfriend who keeps her on track until her life changes one night when these shadow people turn out to be real!

It took me a few pages to get hooked, but once Sasha met the shadow men and their leader, Stefan, I couldn’t put INTO the DARKNESS down. The chemistry between Sasha and Stefan is intense and hot. Although they try to deny their feelings, especially Stefan, the attraction they have for each other is undeniable and builds quickly.

While I loved the romance between Sasha and Stefan, I also thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Breene’s dialogue. Dialogue can be hard to write in a way that’s not stilted or awkward, yet Ms. Breene’s wit and humor had me laughing aloud in places. The banter between Sasha and Charles is just too funny!

I believe Ms. Breene keeps INTO the DARKNESS as a free read, so it was easy for me to give it a try, and I’m glad I did. Great chemistry between the main characters and strong supporting characters, along with excellent world-building and a strong magical premise will keep me reading this series.

Focused. Strong. True.

(Click on the image to visit K.F.)

Into the Darkness — K.F. Breene

Review — Night Unbound by Dianne Duvall

With every book in this series, I become more of a fan! My fangirling can be a good thing or a bad thing. Why? Because I expect more from the author. The dialogue has to be crisper, the romance hotter, the world-building that much stronger. Thank goodness NIGHT UNBOUND did not disappoint. Gosh, I love these characters. Each has their own flare and style, each their own flaws and desires. Zach, what can I say! He’s one hell of an awesome alpha male! And Lisette? Well, she’s in a class all her own, and together, they’re one hot couple.

Secondary characters were great, as always. Although I must admit that I missed Sheldon since he didn’t play as large a role. He’s just so dang funny that I always love what comes out of his mouth! Dialogue is one of Ms. Duvall’s strong points and it always shows with Sheldon. But even without Sheldon, there were some very funny, laugh out loud, scenes.

My parting comment, Seth needs a woman! It’s time, Seth. You need to let go and find someone!

Great work, Ms. Duvall. Now, hurry up and finish the next one!

Focused. Strong. True.

(Click on the Image to visit Dianne)

Night Unbound — Dianne Duvall

Review — Until the Sun Falls from the Sky by Kristen Ashley

After reading this book, I can proudly say that I’m no longer a Kristen Ashley virgin! Yay! And I must ask myself why it took me so long to join the party? At least now I understand why KA fans are so loyal … Ms. Ashley writes one hell of a book. Her deep POV style kept me well engaged with the characters, and combined with fantastic world-building, I couldn’t stop reading.

I’m going to confess that I have a passion for vampires and Lucien is a great one! He’s strong, arrogant, and hopelessly devoted to his mate, Leah. Even with his faults, I fell in love with him. And any blunders he made along the way, he more than made up for at the end.

Leah also is a strong, hard-headed, and determined heroine who gives Lucien a run for his money and proves she’s not only a worthy mate, but his equal. Great, great read! Now off to read WITH EVERYTHING I AM, the second in the series.

Focused. Strong. True.

(Click on the image to visit Kristen)

Until the Sun Falls from the Sky — Kristen Ashley

Review — Captured by Erica Stevens

I bought CAPTURED on a whim because one, the blurb sounded interesting, and two, it was a freebie on Amazon. I decided to read a little bit before going to bed, and before I knew it, I’d read the last page! What a great surprise this book turned out to be! CAPTURED is targeted for a younger audience so it was a little sweeter than I’m used to, but that didn’t prevent me from really enjoying the characters. Aria has gone through a lot in her young seventeen years. She is captured and Braith, the eldest brother in the vampire ruling family, buys her as a blood slave. Braith is utterly fascinated by Aria. And when you discover why, you can’t blame him! He also happens to be a hot, alpha male who is totally devoted to keeping Aria for himself.

This doesn’t have the typical HEA ending for a romance and you’re left with a cliffhanger. But the writing is strong, the characters well developed, the world-building interesting, and there’s enough sexual tension to satisfy. Truly, a wonderful read that I enjoyed very much!

Focused. Strong. True.

(Click on the image to visit Erica)

Captured — Erica Stevens

Review — Chained by Night by Larissa Ione

Wow! I really enjoyed the first book in the series, BOUND by NIGHT, but I loved this one! Hunter is one hot alpha male and Aylin is a remarkable, strong heroine with spunk and sass. I was rooting for them from the beginning. Ms. Ione’s take on the vampire genre is intriguing and unique, her world-building fantastic, and her characters have depth and … well, character! Great read!

Focused. Strong. True.

(Click on the image to visit Ione)

Chained by Night — Larissa Ione

The Warlord Wants Forever (IAD #1) by Kresley Cole

First time I’ve read her work…where the hell have I been?

This was a very interesting read and one I totally didn’t expect. Wroth is a vampire who cannot have sex because he hasn’t been “blooded” by his true mate. Myst is a Valkyrie. Valkyrie and vampires are enemies. Ruh-roh! Wroth captures Myst during a battle. She escapes, but not before “blooding” him. Now Wroth considers Myst his true mate and stops at nothing to have her.

I must admit, I felt sorry for poor Wroth. He’s finally able to have sex, yet his true mate skips out on him. His dedication at finding her is admirable although she left him in a very compromising and uncomfortable position.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like Myst since she didn’t appeal to me at first. But through Ms. Cole’s writing, I came to accept and enjoy her. She’s a fighter, strong and independent, yet alone and in need of someone to love. Wroth is loyal to a fault, dedicated, strong and wanting to find the person who’ll complete him. Together, after much fighting and misunderstanding, they find their way to each other.

Loved the world building, secondary characters, and Ms. Cole’s writing style. I’ll be visiting Ms. Cole’s work again.

Focused. Strong. True.

(Click on the image to visit Kresley)

The Warlord Wants Forever — Kresley Cole

Review — Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

Ohhh, my goodness! I really enjoyed this one! Judd is my kind of Psy! I love how he protects Brenna even when his growing love for her is killing him. And Brenna? Well, way to go, girl! She survived hell, stayed sane, and got herself one hot, fantastic man who only has eyes for her. Brenna and Judd are just another example of two people who love each other enough to find a way to be together.

The whole Psy-Changeling world fascinates me and I’m so looking forward to reading more in this amazing series.

Focused. Strong. True.

(Click on the image to visit Nalini).

Caressed by Ice — Nalini Singh

Review — Darkness Rises by Dianne Duvall

I loved the chemistry between Etienne and Krysta and really found myself rooting for them. We also get to read about past couples as they contribute to the overall story without detracting from the main characters or slowing down the action. And can I just say that I laugh during any scene where Sheldon opens his mouth! He’s one funny dude!

I whipped through these books in record time and now I’m stuck waiting on the next one in the series. I have so many questions and want to know more about Zach and his fascination with Lisette.

What an enjoyable and intriguing read. So come on, Ms. Duvall, give us Immortal Guardian fans the next one!

Focused. Strong. True.

(Click on the image to visit Dianne)

Darkness Rises — Dianne Duvall
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