Secondary characters. God, we love them! We love them like we love chocolate, Dragon Age & peanut butter (though not in that order…or configuration.)  Even the most minor character in our books usually has a story all set up in our head, one we’re dying to tell when the time is right.

In the Southern Arcana series, we knew that Nicole Peyton would be the next heroine, but in Crux she spends her time as a secondary character, and she can be a fun one.  Especially when she’s getting giddy…or getting teased about that nagging crush that turns into such a pain for her in Crossroads.

So…a snippet from Crux!

* * *

Jackson rubbed his thumb over the warm surface of his mug and stared out the window over the sink. Dawn was breaking, the sun setting the clouds on fire as it rose above the horizon. It finally broke free of the trees and forced his gaze away.

Nick stood just inside the kitchen, one shoulder against the open doorframe. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know you’re worried.” She shoved her fingers through her hair and braced her hip against the wood. “Don’t be. It makes me nervous.”

“Can’t help it, Peyton.” Not for the first time, Jackson considered the risk Nick was taking, not only with her own life, but with her sister’s, as well. “Nicky—”

“Knock it off, Holt.” Her words might have been flippant, but her expression was serious, almost scared. “None of that ‘if we don’t make it out of this alive’ shit. I’ll hurt you.”

“He’ll snap out of it.” It was Alec’s voice, quiet behind them. “He always does when it’s time to get down to business.”

“He’d better.” Nick glanced at Alec and shot Jackson a stern look. “Mackenzie works for me. I hired her. I took her in. She’s my responsibility. And don’t get me wrong. I like her. I do. But I like my sister more. If Michelle is going to be in danger, you need to get straight, okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jackson said harshly. “Just because I care doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”

“No one thinks you are.” Alec crossed the kitchen. “We wouldn’t be going in there with you if we did. But it’s just us, Jackson, when it comes down to it. Everyone else’s priority is going to be Charles. It’s you and me going after your girl, and if you get my ass killed because you’re distracted, I’m coming back to haunt you.”

“And if he can’t manage it,” Nick added, “I’ll find someone who can make you think he’s haunting you.”

“I get it. My head will be in it, I promise.”

She continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “I’m not afraid of death, but it would be a crying shame if I bought the farm before I had the chance to bag your secretary’s hot cousin.” She grabbed another mug and filled it from the coffee carafe. “Just my personal feelings on the subject.”

Alec smirked. “Tell us something we don’t know. That’s pretty much the worst-kept secret in New Orleans.”

Nick favored them both with a wry look as she added cream and sugar to her mug. “Then help a girl out. I’ve dropped so many hints I’m starting to trip over them.”

Jackson pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. The banter felt normal, like everything might turn out all right. “Maybe he’s not interested in a tee-tiny loudmouth,” he offered helpfully.

Oddly, Alec’s reply was more earnest. “Derek likes you too much.” He ignored their startled looks as he poured himself a mug of coffee. “He wasn’t born a shifter, Nicole. He’s got a lot of odd instincts he didn’t have to deal with before, and he wasn’t ready to start anything that might end up serious.”

Jackson stared at his partner, open-mouthed. He hadn’t known Alec had spent that much time with Derek Gabriel, much less talked about such personal things with him. “When did you become a confidante to lovelorn werewolves everywhere?”

Alec stomped over to the table, glaring. “It was once. Kat was worried, so I promised her I’d help him out. It’s not like guys like him have a lot of people to go to for help.”

Nick was suspiciously quiet as she stared into her coffee. When she finally raised her head, her eyes were wide and bright. “Don’t you dare get me killed, Jackson Holt. I have things to do when we get home.”

“Let me guess,” Mahalia drawled as she walked in and headed for the refrigerator. “Derek Gabriel?”

Jackson raised his mug in salute. “Got it in one.”

She clucked her tongue. “You always have had it bad for that boy, Nicole.”

“See?” Alec took a sip of his coffee and grinned. “Worst-kept secret in New Orleans.”

Mahalia smiled at Nick’s flustered look. “Hell, Jacobson. Who do you think introduced them?”

“You couldn’t have locked them in a closet somewhere and saved the rest of us several years of sexual tension?”

Nick choked on a strangled noise, and Mahalia laughed. “You hush up, Alec. Everyone knows you’re just a soft old romantic at heart. Am I right, Jack?”

“You always are, May.”

Alec rose with his mug. “Fuck you, man. I’m going to go pack my shit. I’ve had about all the touchy-feely crap I can take for a morning.”

This time, the noise that escaped Nick was undoubtedly a laugh. “Be back in time for the group hug, Alec,” she called.

Jackson barely managed to avoid snorting coffee out his nose. “Oh, Christ. Now she’s giddy.”

Mahalia shook her head. “You’re going to have a hard row to hoe if you set your cap for Derek Gabriel, Nicole. I hope you know that.”

Nick didn’t look concerned. “I don’t want to marry the guy, Mahalia. I just want to date him.”

“Mm-hmm.” The older woman’s eyes were shrewd. “Famous last words, baby girl.”

***

Check out these authors for more snippets: Vivian Arend, Ashley Ladd, Anya Bast, Jaci Burton, Kelly Maher, Lauren Dane, Leah Braemel, Mandy Roth, McKenna Jeffries, Sasha White, Taige Crenshaw, Shelli Stevens, Shelley Munro, Eliza Gayle, Victoria Janssen, Jody Wallace, Juliana Stone, TJ Michaels

Today’s snippet saturday theme is departures!  This is not so much a snippet as a very healthy excerpt, but hey!  I figured why not shake things up a little! This excerpt is from Savage Need, story #2 in our Temple of Luna series. 

* * *

Sanctuary.

To the east, Jarek could see the Temple of Luna, set up on its hill as if the priestesses who lived there needed to be just a bit closer to the Goddess they served.

As a healer, he’d always found the duality fitting. The House of Sanctuary and the Savage Temple, built on the same earth and serving the same purpose. But only the strong made the trip up the mountain to heal their souls.

The broken stayed with their feet firmly on the ground.

Having the Temple looming over him was its own brand of torture. Jarek tried. He went through his daily routine, met with the therapist who picked at his emotional scabs until they bled.

He even allowed himself to be manipulated. The healers attempted to draw him into complicated cases, prodding him to consult on patients who required little personal interaction. As deft as the attempts were, Jarek was no fool. They were rebuilding his confidence, one brick at a time.

Or so they thought. They had little way of knowing they were building on a foundation of sand. Something inside him had snapped, had shattered so completely he doubted anyone could find enough of the pieces to put him back together.

But he tried. He tried because every few days he’d glance up at the Temple, and the reminder was enough. Zahra’s duties as a priestess and the traditions of Sanctuary kept her away, but she’d made it clear during their last brief conversation that if he needed her, she’d come to him.

He needed her. He needed her with a intensity that terrified him, especially when he knew he had nothing to give in return. No brilliant career, no warrior strength…

And no money. No position. His status in their world had come from the sharpness of his mind and the skill of his hands, from the healing magic inside him that he could no longer bring himself to use. Without it he was nothing more than a lone wolf, the poor son of a farmer who had never been strong enough to fight with tooth and claw.

Jarek had promised himself he wouldn’t call for her. But they were sending him home in the morning, back to the quiet of his family’s territory, where no one needed his skills for anything more serious than accident or illness. A place to heal his soul.

A place where he’d never be good enough for her.

He was leaving, and he was too weak to go without seeing her one last time.

Her shoes made no sound on the stone path, but he heard the whisper of her robes even before he caught her scent on the breeze. “Good afternoon, Jarek.”

“Zahra.” He loved the way her name sounded. Hated that he might not get to speak it again after today. He turned and found himself smiling as he caught sight of her. “Thank you for coming.”

“You’re welcome.” She stopped in front of him, her hands on his arms in lieu of an embrace. Her smile was friendly, but something warmer burned in her eyes. “How have you been?”

“Better. Better every day.” He lifted a hand to cup her cheek because he couldn’t stop himself, and he didn’t care what rules he broke. It wouldn’t matter tomorrow. “But they don’t think my mind can heal here. They want me to go home for a while, and I didn’t want to leave without seeing you.”

Her smile didn’t waver, but her eyes darkened. “That should be very relaxing. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself.”

“It’s a farm, Zahra.” And the fact that she thought it would be relaxing emphasized the stark differences in their upbringing. “I imagine I’ll work very hard and be tired at the end of the day, but no one will need me to save them.”

“I suppose I don’t know much about farm life.” A bit of rueful self-consciousness crept into her smile, but she tensed as she spoke again. “Can I keep in touch? Write or call?”

He needed to tell her no. He needed to cut all ties, because the leading healer in their world might have had the slimmest of chances, but a poor farmer too scared to use his gifts had none. In a few short days she’d be as out of reach as Luna herself.

And his beast didn’t care. His beast had claimed, so he groaned and did the same. The fingers brushing her cheek dropped, slid around the back of her neck until he could fist his hand in her silky hair. He dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her, plying her lips with his tongue until she slid her arms around his neck and opened her mouth with a moan.

Zahra clung to him, kissing him desperately, her body pressed close to his. Finally, she dragged her lips to his ear with a soft cry. “One word,” she whispered. “Say it, and there will never be anyone else for me, no matter what happens.”

A bride of silence. Fully half the men in their world went to war until they were forty. Those fortunate–or unfortunate–enough to fall in love before their twentieth year had two choices: take a mate he’d spend the next twenty years separated from, or break all ties and let her find happiness with someone who could be there.

Ten years ago, he’d left Zahra behind. He’d let her go without saying a word, without planting false hopes that might prompt her to wait for a man who might never come home. She’d had men. He’d had women. They’d moved forward.

He knew in his heart neither of them had moved on.

Jarek drew in a deep breath and curled his arms more tightly around her. “Six months,” he whispered, already hating himself for his selfishness. “I can’t handle forevers, but…I need six months. Six months where I know you’re still mine.” Six months to become a man who dares ask a King for his cousin.

“Yes.” She didn’t argue or offer him more, though she trembled in his arms and he knew she wanted to. “Six months.”

“Trust me.” It was foolish to ask when he barely trusted himself.

Her lips feathered over his cheek. “I do.”

“And call me?”

“Every day.”

“Zahra.” He turned his head and caught her mouth again, kissing her hard enough to fall into her, to brand her taste in his memory.

She molded to him, her feminine softness the perfect counterpoint to the hard planes of his own body. He smelled the salt of the tears tracking down her face before he tasted them, and he groaned and pulled back. “Don’t cry.”

She nodded and bit her lip. “I have to go.”

And he had to let her. He smoothed the tears from her cheeks with his thumb and smiled. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“As soon as you’re settled.” She caught his hand and kissed his palm. “Goodbye, Jarek.”

If he didn’t let her go now, he’d forget how. So he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles in return, then released her. “Be safe, Zahra.”

She nodded and turned away. “You too.” Her shoes whispered over the path as she hurried off, leaving him wrapped in her scent and aching for her.

Six months. If he wanted to be worthy of a King’s cousin in that time, he had work to do.

* * *

Read more departures here: Vivian Arend, Ashley Ladd, Jody Wallace , Kelly Maher, Eliza Gayle, Lauren Dane, Taige Crenshaw, Shelley Munro, Savannah Foley, Moira Rogers

The Black Moment.  *shiver*  Just when you know it’s all gone so wrong it’ll never get back to right again.  Traditionally there is one moment that is that moment, but there are a lot of dark moments in longer books too, and Donna and I spent a lot of time this morning deciding if this black moment was too spoilery or that one made no sense without context.

In the end we thought this would be a fun black moment.  Maybe not the blackest that Crux has (I know it’s not! That book has a few!) but it’s a scene I’ve always rather liked because when even the bad guys are hopeless, you know you’re in trouble!

EXCERPT FROM CRUX

Common sense told her it would be easier to make excuses if she didn’t seem to be trying to escape. She waited until after dinner before wandering by one of the side doors and stopping to peer out the window at the woods beyond. Even though she hadn’t been outside, she’d been practicing every night until she was sure she could shift forms easily. If she could get to the edge of the woods—

Trying to act casual, she wrapped her fingers around the cold metal of the old-fashioned doorknob. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest with excitement when the knob turned easily under her hand, and the door pushed open. She took a deep breath and bolted.

Or tried to bolt. She hit the empty space of the doorframe and stopped. It was like falling face first onto a feather mattress—not painful, but she couldn’t move forward.

Confused, she pulled back and tried again, this time leading with her shoulder. Her shoulder struck the barrier, and she felt the shock through her body as she jerked to a stop. There was nothing there. The breeze from outside blew against her face, and she could smell the freshly cut grass, hear the birds in the trees. Freedom was so close she could taste it.

She just couldn’t get to it.

“That’s some crazy shit right there, isn’t it?” She whirled to find Eddie standing across the foyer, a bottle of beer dangling loosely from his fingers. Surprisingly, he wasn’t laughing at her.

Mackenzie opened her mouth to deliver the excuse she’d carefully crafted. I just wanted to go for a run, I just wanted a walk, I just—

But Eddie obviously didn’t care. She moved away from the open door and slumped wearily against the wall. “Crazy shit,” she agreed.

“The old man has these things we have to carry so we can leave.” He took a swig of beer and shook his head. “He keeps them locked away until he needs to send us out somewhere. Hope the fucking place doesn’t burn down.”

Eddie wasn’t just drinking. He was drunk. “So everyone’s trapped here?”

He scratched his head, barely stirring his almost militarily short brown hair. “Everyone except the boss. Though I kind of always got the feeling the barriers would drop if the bastard died.”

The only thing that seemed less likely than escaping was surviving a direct confrontation with Charles. Mackenzie closed her eyes and fought her desire to sink to the floor. “Why do you do it?” she asked in a low voice. “Why do you fight for him? Kill for him? Why do you stay trapped in this house?”

When Eddie answered, he was closer. She opened her eyes to find him sitting at the bottom of the staircase. “There’s good money in it. Besides,” he added with a bit of a sneer, “maybe if there are more cougars, you can give the wolves a run for their money. Damn sons of bitches run everything.”

“I thought you were a wolf.”

He rubbed his thumb absently over the bottle. “Not to hear them tell it.” He drained the rest of the bottle and gave her a flat look. “I was attacked. Changed. I used to be human, and now I’m nothing but a mutt.” For a moment he looked vulnerable, hurt. Then he just looked like he wished he had another beer.

Mackenzie sank to the floor, pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Isn’t there a better way to change things? If I have these…magical kids, what are they supposed to do? Run around ruining people’s lives, the way yours was ruined?”

Eddie shrugged. “It wouldn’t have to be that way, necessarily. Some people want to do it. Change, I mean.”

“So you’re not going to help me.” It wasn’t quite a question.

“I might be a simple idiot, but I don’t have a death wish.” He snorted. “Even if I wanted to help you, trying would just get us both killed.” His hazel eyes softened. “Look, would it be so bad? I mean, you’d be rich as fuck, and you’d have Marcus. It’s a hell of a lot more than most people get.”

If she hadn’t known better, she could have sworn Eddie was jealous of her.

Why is that so crazy? Lots of people wanted to be rich, and Marcus was attractive, if you appreciated tall, dark and handsome men. I guess there’s no reason Eddie can’t.

The brief glimpse of humanity didn’t change the fact that he’d killed people to get to her. She pushed down sympathy and rose to her feet again. “I’m not interested in being someone’s pet.”

“Suit yourself.” Eddie shrugged and stood, as well. “But the old bastard always gets what he wants, Mackenzie. One way or another.”

“So he told me.” The smile she gave him felt sick. “I guess I won’t have to worry about it, though. If he gets mad he’s just going to wipe my personality. I won’t even notice I’m being raped. Should make it easier for Marcus to get the job done.”

He definitely looked sick. “Crazy shit.” He swayed and started in the direction of the kitchen. “If you need me, I’ll be raiding the liquor cabinet.”

“Have fun with that,” she snapped, slumping against the barrier in the open door again. It was impenetrable as ever, and she fought the urge to cry in frustration.

So much for Plan A.

Mackenzie dragged in a breath and closed the door with growing desperation. Plan A was a bust, but she’d figured it might be. Now wasn’t the time to panic. She’d go upstairs to her room, sit down and come up with a Plan B.

At the rate things were going, maybe C, D and E, as well.

***

Check out more black moments: Vivian Arend, Ashley Ladd, Jaci Burton, Taige Crenshaw, Shelley Munro, TJ Michaels, Juliana Stone, Eliza Gayle, McKenna Jeffries, Savannah Foley, Elisabeth Naughton

Happy Halloween!  Today’s snippet theme is horror, so we’re gonna go for a three-for-one blow-out!  How about a paranormal snippet from a horrifying situation that happens to mention the King of Horror himself…Stephen King.

We try to be sparing with our pop culture references most of the time, but sometimes we just can’t help ourselves.  In the Red Rock Pass series, the epicenter of vampire activity is Bangor, Maine.  This can be pretty much entirely blamed on my grandmother telling me stories about logging at the turn of the century and the Devil’s Half-Acre, but it also made it very hard to resist a tiny little acknowledgment that Bangor’s got another reason to be Ground Zero for all things terrifying.

So here you go…one last snippet from Sanctuary’s Price, our new release from Samhain Publishing!

* * *

They were outnumbered already, and Sasha wanted to stop, to help. Instead, she ran inside the house.

A man grabbed her and slammed her into the nearest wall in a practiced, fluid movement. Then he stopped, a look of disbelief flitting across his face as his nostrils flared. “You’re not a wolf,” he growled.

“No, I’m not.” She closed her eyes and reached down for the dark magic she’d warned Dylan about, the part of herself she’d hoped to avoid. She wouldn’t get through this fight without violence, so she let go, unleashing some of the anger and fear inside her.

The man dropped his gun and staggered back, clutching his head. Adam strode past her, grasped the man’s head and twisted it with one sharp movement. Sasha heard a sharp crack, and Adam turned as his opponent slumped lifelessly to the floor. He lifted his face as his voice rose, loud enough to be heard over the angry snarls outside. “Prudence Goodman, I challenge you for blood rights to Bedagi Creek.”

There was no response, just a clicking of what sounded like shoe heels on hardwood. Then a delicate-looking brunette with dark, curly hair leaned over the second-floor railing and smiled down at them. “What could you possibly want with them, Adam?” Her voice was light, clear and sweet. “Last I heard, you were eating deer and bunnies out in the woods.”

Adam laughed, a harsh, rumbling noise with an edge of menace. “What brings you to the woods, darling? Can’t get anyone to believe you’re Stephen King’s muse anymore?”

Prudence yawned. “That joke was only funny twenty years ago.” She looked past him to where Sasha still stood against the wall. “You’re new. Witch, right? Have you come for the wolf?”

She looked absolutely, utterly normal, and Sasha shivered. “I came for my friend.”

Claws scrabbled on the threshold behind them. Adam spun, placing his body between Sasha and the door, but the attacking wolf only made it halfway into the room before the reddish wolf she recognized as Dylan pounced onto his back. Power spiraled out as Dylan snarled and snapped.

Prudence sucked in a laugh and clapped her hands. “Not a moon wolf, but I bet he’d taste like one. Adam, you cad, what have you been doing out in that hovel of yours?”

Before Adam could answer, Brynn screamed. Pain, not rage, and Dylan’s head snapped up. He leapt toward the door but skittered to a stop a few feet away from Sasha, obviously torn between conflicting instincts.

Adam caught Sasha’s gaze. “Do what you have to do,” he told her, his voice deadly serious. He spun without waiting for a response and sprinted out the door.

“Nice.” Prudence’s heels clicked again as she walked slowly down the stairs. “He went off to fight the wolves and left you here.” Her eyes gleamed as she studied Sasha intently. “So why are you special?”

I can do this. Sasha repeated the words silently even as Dylan growled menacingly. Maritza had taught her everything she needed to know, and all she had to do was believe in herself the way—

The way Dylan believed in her. The way everyone in Red Rock believed in her, even if they were scared to death of what she could do.

She had to speak to call the spell she needed, and Prudence’s steps sped with Sasha’s whispered words. “What are you doing?” the vampire asked, still more curious than anything else.

The spell took hold, readying the magic inside her, and Sasha released a soft, pained breath. “You don’t look so scary. I bet you get that a lot. So do I.”

Dylan edged in front of Sasha with a low rumble of warning. He paced one step toward Prudence, and the wolf whimpering in the corner staggered to his feet and lunged at Sasha.

Everything happened at once. Dylan spun and barreled into the attacker with an angry snarl. The wolf tumbled back to the floor as Dylan lifted his head and let out a furious howl of challenge. Magic thundered through the room, a crash sounded from upstairs, and the wolf on the floor rolled onto his back in obvious surrender.

Cold, slim fingers closed around Sasha’s shoulders and jerked her back. Prudence’s soft laughter tickled the side of her neck. “You don’t have to be scary to be powerful, my dear.”

Sasha barely had time to breathe the words Maritza had taught her, a witch’s last line of defense, before the woman’s teeth sank into her skin. Sharp pain bloomed, and she thrashed instinctively, though she knew the iron strength in Prudence’s hands wouldn’t give.

* * *

Check out more horror snippets: Anya Bast, Eliza Gayle, Juliana Stone, Michelle Pillow, Lauren Dane, Moira Rogers , TJ Michaels, Jody Wallace, Ashley Ladd, Kelly Maher, Shelli Stevens, Shelley Munro, Mandy Roth, Mark Henry, Savannah Foley

Happy snippet saturday! Not only do we have a contest, here’s one last pre-release peek at Sanctuary’s Price, which comes out the day after the day after tomorrow! (SOON!) Today’s theme is emotions, or rather…getting emotional. I love that theme.

* * *

“That one.” Her legs were shaking, so she eased a box out of the way and sat on the corner of the desk. “I never got the chance to tell you why kissing you is a bad idea.”

Dylan froze with the book still held aloft, and a brittle wariness filled his eyes. “I don’t think kissing me is ever a bad idea, but I could be biased.”

Her stomach twisted at his expression. She wanted to change the subject, run, or maybe even kiss him anyway, but she needed to be honest with him. “I’m not staying in Red Rock, Dylan. As soon as I’m square with everyone, I’ll be leaving.”

“Square with everyone?” He set the book on the table and watched her. “Jesus Christ, Sasha. Do you think you owe someone in this town something?”

“Yes.” She rubbed her arms to dispel her goose bumps. “Gavin and Sam. Keith. A-and you.”

Pain flashed in his eyes. “You saved Brynn and Keith. We owe you.”

“I’m not explaining this very well.” Nerves always made her clumsy, even in her speech. “It’s the old tradition, the one Maritza was teaching me. Keith saved my life, and I did the same for him. That’s the way it goes. But if my debts are left open, if they’re not repaid, like with you…” She struggled for words that would make him understand. “It doesn’t matter if you expect it, or even if you want it. Until we’re even, my life is yours.”

“Why do you think you owe me, Sasha?” The words were compassionate. “Because of the spell? I did that to help Gavin and Sam as much as to keep you safe. It’s nothing.”

She blinked at him, confused. “You killed Alan Matthews. You kept him from dragging me back to Helena, from—from doing the things he said he was going to do to me. And I know you didn’t do it for me, but that doesn’t matter.”

Dylan moved around the table, every movement so careful he had to be trying not to startle her. He lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks. “You do not owe anyone for saving you from Alan Matthews. You were supposed to be safe here. You were supposed to be protected. He came here to hurt us, and you suffered for it. We owe you.”

His words relieved her of her debt, but Sasha had a hard time concentrating on them. His hands were warm on her skin, and he was so close… She laid her palm on his chest, and her own body responded to the strong, fast beating of his heart. “Dylan.”

“Shh.” His thumb swept over her lips. “Don’t go to Maine to pay off a debt. It could be dangerous, and you don’t need more danger. You deserve to be safe for a while.”

She couldn’t breathe, and her body throbbed. “Are you going?”

“If that’s what Gavin needs me to do.” His mouth was so close she could feel his breath. “He’s my alpha now.”

“Then quit trying to talk me out of it. I’m going too.” Sasha pulled him closer, her hands shaking. She didn’t mean to speak, but the words tumbled out anyway. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing today.” His thumb drifted down to her chin, and he tilted her head back. “Can I kiss you? Even if it’s a bad idea?”

* * *

Don’t stop now! More emotions await: Jaci Burton, Eliza Gayle, Michelle Pillow, Mandy Roth, Juliana Stone, Lacey Savage, McKenna Jeffries, Taige Crenshaw, Vivian Arend, Sasha White, Ashley Ladd, Victoria Janssen, Shelli Stevens, Shelley Munro, TJ Michaels, Lauren Dane, Beth Kery, Leah Braemel

Michelle Pillow
Mandy Roth
Anya Bast
Lacey Savage
Jaci Burton
McKenna Jeffries
TJ Michaels
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Jody Wallace
Ashley Ladd
Shelli Stevens
Shelley Munro

Today’s theme is characters in daaaaanger! [insert dramatic music here] Characters are often in danger in our books, which I suppose could be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view.  But it’s not just the heroes & heroines who get themselves in danger–a lot of times, they’re the ones doing the saving.  Like in this snippet from Sanctuary’s Price where our heroine has a big job ahead of her.

# # #

Snippet from Sanctuary’s Price
On Sale Oct 27th, 2009

In spite of her fear, Sasha stepped forward and touched the raised welts on Justine’s arm. The bites were infected and hot. “What could a group of vampires want to know so badly?”

“Not a group. One vampire.” Sam returned her gaze to Justine, and power twisted dizzily around the room as the alpha reached down and cupped Justine’s cheek with a whispered word. The power soothed the woman momentarily, and her struggles reduced to soft whimpers. “She’s been in and out of consciousness. I can’t keep her calm,” Sam whispered. “This is the fourth time I’ve had to quiet her. I want you to bind her to me so it isn’t so difficult.”

If Sam hadn’t spent the last few weeks telling her over and over to trust herself, Sasha would have stayed put. Instead, she moved to the end of the desk and laid her hands over Justine’s chest. “Step back.”

Joe let go of the woman’s shoulders, but Sam barely edged out of the way. Sasha waited until Sam let go before bending her head and calling forth the magic that slept inside her.

The calming spell was simple, one of the first an apprentice could master during her training, and she whispered the words confidently now. She felt it begin, the swathe of comforting, quieting magic that would grow and envelop Justine.

The spell complete, Sasha straightened and shook her head. “You can’t bind yourself to this woman. She’s dying.”

Sam’s jaw tightened. “I can give her more time. Maybe enough time for someone to find a way to save her.”

Sasha glanced at Gavin. “It’s dangerous. If the bond isn’t broken before—”

“I’ll do it,” Gavin interrupted. “I’m stronger.”

“Barely!” Sam took a deep breath and moderated her tone. “You may be a little stronger, but you’re the alpha and we’re at war. You’re not expendable.”

“Damn it, Sammie, neither are you!”

The woman on the desk didn’t react to the surge of power in the room, but the other wolves did. Sasha caught Dylan’s gaze, and she could feel his tension clear across the room. “Isn’t there someone else?”

It was clear from his expression that he didn’t know. “Keith’s not completely healed yet, and Cindy—” His tiny hesitation made her remember the doctor was his lover. He wouldn’t want to put her in danger. He cleared his throat. “She’s busy trying to keep Abby sane since she won’t bind herself to anyone else. And Joe’s got his hands full with Brynn.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sam said, her quiet voice cutting through their conversation. She spoke to Sasha, but her gaze stayed locked on her husband. “Gavin knows there’s no one else, but he doesn’t deal well with me putting myself in harm’s way. So I’ll compromise. One week. If we can’t find a way in one week, I’ll let her go.”

Justine might have a week left, if she could draw on Sam’s strength, but it could take months of research to find some esoteric spell or therapy to help her.

Still, Sam was willing to risk it. Sasha closed her eyes. “This will hurt.” With those words, she drew Sam’s energy toward and into herself, shuddering when the full force of it hit her.

It was intoxicating, this magic, but it felt foreign in her body, and it wasn’t hers to keep. She murmured the incantation and laid her hands on Justine’s head.

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Want to read more tales of danger?  Check out the other blogs: Anya Bast, Jaci Burton, Eliza Gayle, Michelle Pillow, Mandy Roth, Juliana Stone, Lacey Savage, McKenna Jeffries, Moira Rogers , Taige Crenshaw, Vivian Arend, Kelly Maher, Sasha White, Ashley Ladd, Victoria Janssen, Shelli Stevens, Shelley Munro, TJ Michaels, Lauren Dane

Today it’s all about the talking.  Donna and I love the talking, sometimes more than is 100% good for us. We talk, our characters talk…it’s rumored we talk to our characters.  (C’mon, not in a crazy way.  Just in a slightly unbalanced way.)  This little snippet that follows is a two-for-one deal! Not only is there some tense wicked talking, but you get a little bit of Vampire Lumberjack action.  (I promised Karin she’d see some! )

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Sasha avoided Dylan’s gaze. “How powerful is this vampire?” she asked Adam.

He scrubbed his hand over the side of his face. “Honestly, I don’t know. She was formidable when I knew her, but not scary enough to take over the damn city. But if she’s been collecting strong wolves like Emily from nearby packs as food, she could be strong.”

“We have to assume the worst, past and present.” If they stood a chance of fighting Lawrence, his flunkies and a vampire, they’d need Ethan healthy and strong. “We can’t face them right now. We have to wait, at least a day or two.”

“No we don’t.” It was Emily, and she had Ethan braced against her. “Ethan’s going to challenge Lawrence. Tonight.”

It was foolish. Impossible. “You almost died a few hours ago, Ethan,” Sasha argued. “You’re not strong enough.”

Dylan wasn’t watching Emily and Ethan. He was watching Adam. “It’s not a myth, is it? The vampire from Austria in the 1600s. The one who could take power from one wolf and give it to another.”

“No. It’s not a myth.”

“And you can do it.”

Adam still had his eyes closed. “Yeah. I can.”

Having someone else around who knew how relocate power between wolves was the sort of thing that could make the difference between victory and defeat back in Red Rock. She was only one person, one witch with limited training and resources, but if she had help… “Is it hard for you? The transfer, I mean. What’s the process?”

“A blood bond.” He opened his eyes and glanced at Emily. “Take him back into my room. We’ll do it there.”

Emily nodded and turned them both around. When they were gone, Adam looked at Sasha. “Not all vampires can do it, but it’s not difficult if you’re strong enough. I drink from Emily, and I can take her power. But wolves and vampires…our magic isn’t very compatible. Life and death. Some vampires are crazy enough to take a wolf’s power and try to use it, but it eats us up inside eventually. Unless we give it to someone else.”

Sasha stepped closer and took a deep breath. “But you don’t keep the bond in place.” Having the vampire feed off them for too long had almost killed Justine and Sam.

Adam shook his head. “Can’t have more than one blood bond at the same time, so I break the first one after I have the power I need. Then I do it again. Only this time, I give the power.”

She didn’t know him well enough to ask these questions, but it didn’t matter. She had to. “Can anything go wrong?”

“Plenty, in theory.” Adam rose to his feet easily, but the look in his eyes was dark. “In practice? For me? Not much. I’m good at it.”

“That sounds ominous.”

“It should.” He moved past her toward the bedroom but paused with his hand braced on the doorframe. His fingers tightened around the wood until his knuckles turned white, and he glanced over his shoulder at her. “As a general rule, I wouldn’t trust anyone who’s good at it. You’ll live longer.”

* * *

Enjoy more chatter and witty banter here: Kelly Maher, Jody Wallace, Shelli Stevens, Michelle Pillow, Lauren Dane, Leah Braemel, Jaci Burton, Elisabeth Naughton, McKenna Jeffries, Moira Rogers , Taige Crenshaw, Vivian Arend, Juliana Stone, Anya Bast, Lacey Savage, Shelley Munro, Sasha White, Ashley Ladd, Victoria Janssen, Eliza Gayle

First paragraphs! They could be a joy or a torment, but you sort of need them. I dare say it’s impossible not to have one. But why stop at one! Today I will give you four first paragraphs, one for each of the three Red Rock Pass books. (I was going to include the first paragraph of #4 too until I decided it was a baaaad paragraph to be floating about on it’s own, since it manages to be both spoilery and deceptive at the same time. Hmmm… tricky, huh?)

Anyway, enjoy three paragraphs! The third one makes me laugh because Bobby the ire-filled Battlestar Galactica fan has actually gotten a chance to be a little bit heroic in book four. Good on him!

First Paragraph of Cry Sanctuary

Keith’s alpha rocked back in his chair and watched the harried-looking man and his young daughter walk out the back door of the bar. Then he cast a weary glance at Keith. “It’s different now. Since you left, I mean. Shit like this happens all the time.”

First Paragraph of Sanctuary Lost

Dead leaves crunched under Brynn’s feet, slippery enough that she slid several steps with a muffled curse before catching her balance. Branches snatched at her clothing and tangled in her hair, but she didn’t stop running. She deserved every stinging scratch, every bump and bruise, even the trembling pain in her legs and the burning of her lungs. She deserved them all, for running.

First Paragraph of Sanctuary’s Price

By the time he managed to set fire to the damp wood in the dusty old fireplace, Dylan had resorted to giving himself half-hearted pep talks. “Could be worse. You could be dead. Could be back in Helena. Could be stuck listening to Bobby bitch about how they fucked up the Battlestar Galactica finale.”

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Ooooh, kickin’ ass and takin’ names.  I do so love a good ass kickin’, though I have to admit, I don’t always love writing the ass kickings in question.  This one is extra fun because it’s Dylan, my favorite (don’t tell on me) of the heroes from the Red Rock Pass series thus far.  He’s not Mr. Alpha Man, but I like him just fine as Mr. But That Doesn’t Mean You Can Mess With Me Man.  (It’s a long title, we just shorten it to ‘dude’ or ‘hey mister’ most of the time.)

Sanctuary’s Price

Copyright© 2009 Moria Rogers
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

They made it to the end of the street before Brynn froze. Her head whipped to the side and both of her bags hit the sidewalk. “Dylan. Dylan’s…” A growl rumbled up from somewhere in her chest, and she shot off down the side street without another word.

“What?” Panic washed over Sasha in a cold wave, and she followed Brynn at a run. “What’s going—”

Then she heard it, the dull sounds of fists hitting flesh and pained grunts and growls. She rounded the corner of the building and stumbled when she saw three men in a circle around Dylan.

Dylan looked a little worse for the wear, but he wasn’t the only one. As Sasha watched he ducked another punch that was almost too fast to see and sent the attacker barreling into one of his companions. The third grazed Dylan’s shoulder with his fist a second before Brynn let out an enraged snarl and jumped on his back.

“No—” Dylan’s gaze snapped to Brynn and then past her to land on Sasha. He met her eyes, and grim determination disappeared in a rush of concern that sent his power surging toward her.

Oh God, run.

The thought echoed through her head, but it wasn’t hers. One of the men punched Dylan in the back, and a sudden flash of pain startled Sasha. Feeling what he felt meant at least part of the spell she’d done in Red Rock was still active.

She and Dylan were still linked.

A second man grabbed Dylan’s shirt and drew back his fist. Sasha closed her eyes against the sight, clenched her fists and let the gathering magic inside her explode.

She felt when it suffused Dylan. A low snarl rumbled out of his chest, and Sasha opened her eyes just in time to see Dylan slide out of the path of the punch, moving fast even for a werewolf. His hand closed on his attacker’s arm and he pivoted and jerked back hard enough to send the man stumbling into the wall behind them.

Brynn hit the wall a second later with a pained grunt. The man who had shoved her there glanced around and, obviously judging him to be the greater threat, advanced on Dylan.

It gave Brynn time to gasp in a breath. “Dylan, there’s another one—grocery store—”

The man advancing on Dylan spun and rushed Brynn. Dylan lunged and grabbed the back of his shirt, and Sasha could feel his confusion trembling through the magic stretched out between them.

“Stop,” she urged quietly. “The one in the store is a woman, and she was scared to see us. That’s all they are, all of them. Scared.”

Dylan swept the man’s feet out from under him and dropped him to the ground. “Stay,” he commanded, his voice low.

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