{TEASER TUESDAY}: A Desperate Kiss

Only 1 week left until you can get your hot little hands on Everlasting Hope! So, just for you today, I'm sharing a scene that was quite unexpected, not just for the characters involved, but for me as well. I had toyed with the idea of letting his happen, but as I was writing, it just didn't feel natural. Then BAM! 

Read on and enjoy :-) 

FULL EXCERPT: 

I had no idea what possessed me to kiss Jax. Maybe loneliness. Maybe the lack of physical contact I’d had recently. Or maybe I did it because I was so certain that he’d push me away, tell me we couldn’t do this. I never in a million years expected him to kiss me back, but that’s exactly what he did.

He tangled his hand in my hair at the base of my neck, holding me in place as his other hand trailed down my arm and side until his fingers curled around the curve of my waist. I shivered at his touch, but I didn’t pull away. Neither did he.

His tongue flickered across my bottom lip, and I didn’t hesitate to part my lips and welcome his kiss. With a groan, he backed me up until I was pressed firmly against the car, and then he kissed me hard and deep. I snaked my arms around to the back of his neck and locked my fingers. I whimpered, and he kissed me even harder until I was certain I’d pass out from a lack of oxygen.

Then, he released me, and my body sagged. If not for the car at my back, I would’ve crumpled to the ground. Jax’s chest heaved with his hard breaths, and I focused on that rather than risking a look at his face. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see whatever emotion would be reflected in his eyes.

The only sound louder than the creatures in the bayou was my pounding heart. Why had I kissed him? Why had he kissed me back? What did any of this mean? I swallowed the lump in my throat and licked suddenly dry lips. Slowly, I released my hold on the back of his neck and let my trembling hands trail down his arms.

“Are we done here?” he asked, his voice raspy.

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{TEASER TUESDAY}: A Story of Hope

Everlasting Hope is set to release in exactly 3 weeks, and I couldn't be more excited for this book. I mean, I'm excited for every book I write and release, but this one is like the cherry on top of a sundae.

This book is Abby's story and how she's dealing after the events in Eternal Life. (Hint: she's not coping well.) At the core, this is a story about hope and not giving up, which is fitting for a lot of people, I think. Especially authors who are constantly told not to give up, to keep going and trying and persisting. It was fun to explore these same concepts in a different context. 

Abby's book really is the culmination of so many things. We get to see a lot more of Jax (YAY!) We meet some new and highly interesting characters (more YAY!) We reunite with some prior characters, and I think the reasons why will be surprising.  We learn that not all alliances are created equal, and you can't always trust those closest to you. 

Needless to say, there's a LOT going on in this book. So, who wants a teaser??

FULL EXCERPT:

“What’re you cooking?” I asked.

“Bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast.” He moved gracefully from the stove to the toaster. Even though he wasn’t exerting himself, his muscles still strained beneath his blue T-shirt.

No wonder Chloe had been torn between him and Trent. They were both gorgeous in their own ways, and they were good guys, too. Kind, compassionate, funny, loyal. They’d both move heaven and earth for those they loved. They were like Isach in that respect. God, I missed him so much.

Jax set a plate of food in front of me, and I inhaled deeply. My stomach rumbled. He planted his hands on the counter and shifted his weight forward as he studied me.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re not as gray as you were last night.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged, straightened, then crossed his arms over his chest. “You tell me.”

I rolled my eyes. I’d forgotten he could see a person’s aura and determine their emotions. Talk about annoying. Between him being able to do that and Whitney and Wyatt being able to read thoughts, I was walking on proverbial eggshells. Maybe moving in here wasn’t such a great idea.

I grabbed my fork and scooped eggs into my mouth. Swallowing, I said, “Everyone keeps telling me things will get easier with time. Maybe that’s finally happening.”

“Hmm.” Jax turned away from me, fixed himself a plate, then returned to sit beside me.

Head down, I focused on my food so I wouldn’t have to say anything, or risk him figuring out what I was trying to keep hidden.

“I don’t believe that, by the way,” he said.

“Believe what?” I glanced over at him, and he met my gaze. His eyes were full of compassion.

“That loss and grief gets easier with time. It doesn’t. We just get better at handling the pain.” He averted his gaze and shoved a slice of bacon into his mouth.

Momentarily stunned, all I could do was stare at him. What did he know about loss? I opened my mouth to ask him, then snapped it shut. Chloe had told me all about Hannah, how Jax had loved her and how tragically he’d lost her. He’d also lost Isach, too, though I wasn’t sure those two were quite as close as Isach and Trent had been.

“Morning.” Chloe walked into the kitchen. Her gaze landed on me and Jax, and her steps faltered. “What’s going on here?”

The corner of Jax’s mouth lifted in an arrogant smirk. “Someone’s jealous.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “I’m not jealous.”

“The aura doesn’t lie,” he said in a sing-song voice.

Chloe huffed and shook her head, but I didn’t miss the almost smile she fought to hide. Only then did it hit me that Jax, in his own bizarre way, was mourning the loss of Chloe. He loved her, and she hadn’t chosen him. He’d lost the woman he loved. My heart softened toward him and what he was going through. I wondered what was worse—knowing the person you loved was dead and you’d never see them again, or seeing the person you loved every single day as they went about their life in love with someone else. 

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{Teaser Tuesday}: Eternal Promise

A promise of eternity ends in disaster...

“I didn’t even hear you come in,” I said, wiping my tears. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough,” he said, his voice deep and raw.

“What do you still need to ask me?” I asked, my voice shaky. The letter was clutched tightly in my hand, the paper crinkling in my fist.

A hint of a smile ghosted across his face, then disappeared. “The one thing I’ve never actually asked you before. I’ve begged, pleaded… hell, I even yelled at you about it once.” He shook his head and dragged his hand through his hair. “But I’ve never actually asked you. Not like I should have.”

I stared at him, my emotions too much of a jumbled mess to comprehend what he was trying to tell me, so I stood there silently, tears still trickling down my face.

He gently took my face into his hands, his thumbs stroking the tears off my cheeks. “I know all of this probably seems dramatic and unnecessary, but it’s important that I do this the right way.”

Ever so slowly, his lips brushed across mine. My mouth parted on a contented sigh, and my eyes fluttered closed. I leaned into his embrace, but he only grazed my lips again. Then once more.

“Will you change for me, Chloe? Will you become a vampire and spend eternity with me?” he whispered.

“Yes,” I said. And there was no hesitation. No fear. No weakness. Not this time.

ETERNAL PROMISE: The Cursed Series, Book 5

Coming January 12, 2021

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{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Choice -- 1 week until release

Only 1 week to go before ETERNAL CHOICE is out in the world! I can't believe it's so close already -- feels like the time has sped by. And I've admittedly been a little out of it leading up to this release, but here we are, so let's do this! 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

This second book in the Cursed Series is all about choices, specifically some really tough choices Chloe needs to make. Here's the biggest one of all...

I wasn’t sure I had an answer other than I wanted to know what it felt like to be bitten. If I decided to change, he’d have to bite me, and I needed to know I could handle it. And, whether out of selfishness or pure jealousy, I needed to know I was just as special as whoever else he’d bitten like that.

“Like I said. It never means anything, okay?” he said with an air of finality.

But I wasn’t going to give up so easily.

“See, that’s where you’re wrong.” I shifted so I was kneeling between his legs, facing him. “Every single time you touch me or kiss me, it means something, Trent. At least, it does to me.”

He took my face into his hands and peered into my eyes. “It means something to me, too, Chloe, which is why I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to cheapen what we have by getting you high from my bite.”

I disagreed, but I didn’t want our little disagreement to turn into a full blown fight. “Is that the only reason?” I asked.

He tilted his head, studying me through narrowed eyes. “Months ago, you wouldn’t even ask me how a person became a vampire, and now you can’t stop asking me about feeding and biting. What’s going on?”

“In case you forgot, I have a decision to make, and I’d like to have as much information as possible. Is that so terrible?” I asked.

“No,” he said, frowning. “But I thought your mind was made up.”

I shook my head. “It’s not.”

And the more time I spent with Trent, the more I fell in love with him, the farther away my human dreams got, because I didn’t want any of it if I didn’t have Trent by my side.

His head fell back against the chair, and he groaned. “You’re killing me, Chloe.”

“I’m killing you?” I snorted. “That’s kinda hard to do when you’re technically already dead.”

Forced to move to California with her father, the same man who abandoned her ten years ago, Chloe is once again starting over. Only this time, she has a perky new stepmom and an annoying baby brother. To make matters worse, the sea of snobby rich kids at her new prep school pretend she's invisible. As if all that wasn’t bad enough, she has this gnawing sensation that she’s forgetting something important.

And then Trent Halstead crashes back into her life, bringing with him everything she's forgotten and the devastating news that there’s a coven of witches after her, and no one knows why—until Chloe discovers the answer in a box of old family photos. Now, she's keeping a secret that could save Trent's life. There’s just one problem: his salvation will come at a cost. Her destruction. And that’s a price she’s not sure she’s willing to pay.

You can now Pre-Order ETERNAL CHOICE!

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{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Curse -- 1 week until release!

 

Only 1 week to go before ETERNAL CURSE is out in the world! I can't believe it's so close already -- feels like the time has sped by. But, know what that means? 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

For the final #TeaserTuesday, I'm sharing a scene between Trent and Chloe that I had a lot of fun writing. It's a moment that's both sexy and funny and is the first of several of these types of conversations between them. I wanted to really show how Chloe's thoughts and feelings surrounding sex and her virginity -- it's not something she takes lightly, and through the course of the first few books, she questions if she's ready to take this step with Trent... 

Quicker than I could process what was happening, Trent had me flat on my back, and he was now on top of me, his weight suspended on one arm while his free hand landed on my hip, almost like he was holding me in place.

My head spun, and I blinked several times to get my bearings. “You really need to stop doing that.”

A slow, sensual smile curved his lips. Then he kissed my neck. I shuddered involuntarily. My first instinct was to push him away and tell him to stop, but I didn’t. He wouldn’t hurt me; I knew that.

“How about this? Do I need to stop doing this, too?” He showered my neck with tiny, heated kisses.

“No,” I said breathlessly.

“Mmm. Good. How about this?” He slowly unzipped my hoodie, and I froze.

I only had a tank top underneath. But then he stopped tugging the zipper and kissed his way across my collarbone. And then his mouth ventured a tad lower. I moaned softly and arched into him.

No one had ever been allowed to kiss me like that, and I never wanted him to stop. God, what had gotten into me? How far was I going to let him go? Farther than I’d ever gone with anyone, obviously, but at what point would I say enough? Would I ever say it was enough?

“How do vampires even have sex?” I said aloud before I could stop myself.

Trent jerked his head up to look at me. “What?”

“Um, I, uh, I just mean in general. Can you do that?” I paused. “I mean, I know you can because you told me about Sean and Annmarie, but is it… different? Not that I want to have sex with you or anything.” My eyes widened with horror at my words. “I mean, I’m sure eventually I’ll want to do that, but not today. Not right now.” Flames of embarrassment burned my neck and cheeks. “Oh, God.” I covered my face with my hands, mostly so I’d shut up. “I’m sorry.”

And then Trent laughed.

I couldn’t believe he was laughing at me. I shrank into the mattress, praying it would swallow me whole.

“Chloe, honey.” He gently removed my hands from my face, but I couldn’t look at him. I was too mortified. Too bad for me, he wasn’t willing to let me get away with that. “Look at me.” Gently clutching my chin, he turned me to face him. “Whenever you’re ready for that”—his lips twitched as if he wanted to smile—“you let me know, okay?”

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{TEASER TUESDAY} Eternal Curse -- 2 weeks until release!

 

Only 2 weeks to go before ETERNAL CURSE is out in the world! Know what that means? 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

The entire Cursed Series is written from Chloe's single POV, but a while back, a friend and I were talking about books / authors who write from the female POV and then go back and write either the entire book or select scenes from the male POV. Personally, I'm such a sucker for that, and I decided I wanted to try it, so how hard it really was. (Hint: It's not super easy. lol) Anyway, I rewrote the first 3 chapters of Eternal Curse from Trent's POV. Here's a peek at one of the scenes...

All eyes shifted to me, and I stood a little straighter. If they wanted to watch me, I’d give them something to watch. I squared my shoulders and lifted my head, making each step purposeful. Graceful. Hearts raced. Breaths caught. Eyes widened as girls swooned over me. And I ignored all of them. Except one. 

Chloe’s gaze was glued to me, and an unexpected thrill shot through me. Her heart was racing faster than anyone else’s in the room. Fear and curiosity swirled around her. I had this inexplicable compulsion to talk to her. I needed to, because if I didn’t, I quite literally felt like I might die.  

I stopped in front of her desk and crossed my arms. “I was going to sit there.” 

God, I was a certified idiot. Of all the things I could’ve said, I chose that? This girl was making me crazy. 

“You were?” she asked. 

I nodded. “I sat at that desk for two other classes. It’s my seat.” 

Shut up! But I’d started this, so I needed to commit. At least she was talking to me, which was what I’d wanted. And in my defense, that desk was in the perfect spot—I could see the entire room, and it was positioned so the sun didn’t shine on my face. 

She stared at me for a moment, and then she swiped her bag onto the floor and studied the top of the desk. What is she doing? 

“I don’t see your name anywhere.” She stood and checked the chair, too. “Nope. No name.” She plopped back down and gave me the sweetest smile. 

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. She’d caught me off guard, and that was almost impossible to do. I admired the hell out of her for her courage, and her willingness to stand up for herself. Still, someone needed to tell her it wasn’t wise to a pick fight with a vampire. 

I could easily remove her from that seat, show her exactly who and what I was. That would definitely help end whatever fascination we seemed to have with one another. But I wanted her closer, not farther away. That thought made me scowl. 

Jax barged past me, his shoulder bumping mine—a clear warning to knock it off. But when did I ever listen to my brother? 

“Please move,” I said. 

“No,” she said. 

“All right. Fine.” I slid into the seat beside her and then moved the desk closer, scraping the metal legs across the floor in an obnoxious, grating noise. 

Everyone in the room had stopped to watch our exchange. I was tempted to shout at all of them to mind their own business, or take a page from Jax’s playbook and just kill all of them. That seemed a little extreme, so I did what I did best—I ignored them.  

Someone near the front of the room coughed the word “fight,” which caused a ripple of laughter. Except that guy—that guy I was going to kill. A slow rage built inside of me. Why did people insist on being jerks?

Jaw clenched, Chloe turned toward me. “Why are you telling everyone I punched you?”

Wait… she thought I was telling people? Well, that was interesting. Let’s see where this goes… “You did,” I said simply.

“It was an accident.” 

I knew that, but clearly, someone else in this school thought it was a bigger deal than it was. Chloe curled her hands into fists, her fingernails biting into her palms hard enough I could smell the blood rushing to the surface. Need and desire exploded in my gums, and I forced my fangs back. 

Her brown eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and desperation, and everything inside of me wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her it would be all right, that I’d never let anything or anyone harm her. But damn, she was incredibly sexy when she was angry. 

You can now Pre-Order ETERNAL CURSE!

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{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Curse -- 4 weeks until release!

 

Only 4 weeks to go before ETERNAL CURSE is out in the world! Know what that means? 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

Today, I'm going to share another excerpt from Eternal Curse. This is a scene from later in the book -- Chapter 30: Transformation-- and this is when Chloe learns how a human becomes a vampire...

He left my mouth and placed heated kisses along my jaw, and then his lips were on my neck. I held my breath, waiting for what he’d do next.

“It starts right here.” He puckered his lips against my heated, sensitive skin. “A single bite to puncture the carotid artery.”

My pulse raced, and he smiled against my neck. I didn’t see the humor of the situation. I was in a very vulnerable position, and he could end my life before I could even think about screaming for help.

“Relax, Chloe. I’m not going to hurt you.” He kissed my neck again. His hand landed on my hip, and he squeezed gently, almost like he was molding my body to fit his.

“What happens next?” I whispered, my voice raspy.

“For us, the bite is effortless. Smooth. It’s like sinking your teeth into butter.” He continued to tease my neck with tiny kisses. “But for you…” Pausing long enough to inhale, he continued. “It’s sharp and painful, like millions of bee stings. And even though you know it’s coming, you can’t really prepare for it.” His breath was warm against my neck, but I was chilled to my core. “Your body goes into shock, paralyzing you. You can’t move.” He dragged his lips to my throat, and I instinctively tilted my head back. “You can’t scream.”

He kissed the corner of my mouth, and when he didn’t kiss me fully, I pouted. He’d obviously used some of his vampire mojo on me because I wasn’t normally so needy. But currently, my body tingled with the desire to be closer to him, to have him shower me with kisses and attention. I wasn’t sure I liked feeling this way—it was too all-consuming.

“And then I drink until your heart slows.” He placed his hand over my heart.

Yeah, my heart wasn’t anywhere near slow right now. It was somewhere between a spooked racehorse and a runaway freight train.

“Just before your heart stops, you drink,” he said.

I stared at him wide-eyed. “Drink what?”

“Vampire blood is the essence of what we are. It gives us immortality, heightens our senses, heals our bodies. Keeps us warm.” He shifted so he was laying beside me on the couch. “The transformation is usually complete after a day or so, once our blood replaces your human blood.”

“That sounds… intense.” I adjusted onto my side so we were facing each other.

He draped his arm over me. “It’s quite intimate, actually.”

You can now Pre-Order ETERNAL CURSE!

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{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Curse -- 5 weeks until release!

 

Only 5 weeks to go before ETERNAL CURSE is out in the world! Know what that means? 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

Today, I'm going to share an excerpt from Eternal Curse. This is a scene from later in the book -- Chapter 14: Hallucinations -- and this was one of my favorites to write. As with all books in this subgenre, the unsuspecting human has to eventually learn about vampires, and I wanted to make sure that Chloe learned this fact about Trent in a unique way. Here's what I came up with...

I straightened, my stomach in knots, as Trent glanced back at me. His face was contorted into a gruesome mask of evil, and his normally blue eyes were puddles of black ink—lifeless and deranged. I cupped my hand over my mouth to stop from crying out. What was wrong with him? He smiled at me like I was the only person here, and then he bared fangs a second before he grabbed Abby and tore into her neck.

“No,” I screamed, eyes wide with terror.

Uncle Dean tightened his hold on me, and I struggled to free myself.

“No! Stop!” I screamed again.

Trent dropped Abby’s lifeless body to the ground, and then stalked toward me, his mouth dripping with her blood.

“Abby. No,” I gasped. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be real. I was having a nightmare or hallucinating. Abby wasn’t dead. She wasn’t.

“You’re next, Chloe.” Trent grinned, showing off his blood-covered fangs.

Limbs trembling and knees weak, I backed up. “No, no, no.” I sobbed.

Trent advanced on me, each of his steps matching two of mine. There was no way I could outrun him. I whipped my head around, looking for someone, anyone, to help me. But everyone was too immersed in the funeral. Didn’t they see what a monster Trent was? Didn’t they care he’d killed Abby? Why was no one paying attention?

Trent reached for me. 

I shrieked. “No. Don’t. Don’t touch me!” I dropped to the ground and clutched fistfuls of my hair, rocking on my knees. Tears streamed down my face. “Please. Go away. Leave me alone.” My words were strangled by my sobs, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t draw a deep enough breath.

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{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Curse -- 6 weeks until release!

Only 6 weeks to go before ETERNAL CURSE is out in the world! Know what that means? 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

Today, I'm going to share some of the music that inspired not just Eternal Curse, but the entire series. 

I usually don't make playlists for books I'm writing as I tend to prefer quiet, but I've found with this series, I have a hard time writing without music. It's much easier to turn on my playlist, put in earbuds and ignore the world around me, especially lately with the quarantine and everyone being home all the time. 

Originally, this playlist was exactly one hour long, which made it great for a single writing session, but as the series progressed, I added more songs to it, and now it's 1 hour and 45 minutes long. You can listen to the entire playlist HERE!

For those that don't want to listen, here's a complete list of songs and artists:

• Ask Me How I Know by Garth Brooks
• Craving You by Thomas Rhett, featuring Maren Morris
• Truce by Twenty One Pilots
• Believer by Imagine Dragons
• Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
• Screen by Twenty One Pilots
• When They Call My Name by Black Veil Brides
• In The End by Black Veil Brides
• Wake Up by Black Veil Brides
• Vultures by Asking Alexandria
• Faithless by Black Veil Brides
• We Don't Have to Dance by Andy Black
• Paint It Black by Andy Black
• Ribcage by Andy Black
• Stay Alive by Andy Black featuring Matt Skiba
• Love Was Made to Break by Andy Black
• Girl Like You by Jason Aldean
• Lose My Mind by Brett Eldredge 
• Seein' Red by Dustin Lynch
• Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield
• Level of Concern by Twenty One Pilots
• Don't Let Me Go by Raign
• My Blood by Twenty One Pilots
• Natural by Imagine Dragons
• When It's All Over by Raign
• I Hope by Gabby Barrett
• The Other Side by Ruelle
• Monsters by Ruelle
• Fire Breather by Laurel
• Style by Taylor Swift

As you can see, I have a lot of Twenty One Pilots and Black Veil Brides on here, but overall, it's a tad eclectic. This playlist sets the tone for the series, but there's one song in particular that has a lot of meaning in Eternal Curse.

Craving You by Thomas Rhett, featuring Maren Morris

This song essentially sums up Trent's feelings toward Chloe, and it fits so well with something he says to her...

“What about your heightened senses? Does that ever make it hard to… kiss me?” My face flushed, and I kept my head even with his chest, refusing to look at him.

“Hard? Yes, but not in the way you think.” He put his finger under my chin and tilted my head, his gaze piercing. “Every time I touch you or kiss you, it’s like every nerve in my body is electrified, every feeling magnified. It’s like my very skin is alive with energy.” He smiled faintly. “I crave you, Chloe, and that’s the best feeling in the world.”

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Don't forget to add it to Goodreads, too! 

{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Curse -- 7 weeks until release!

Only 7 weeks to go before ETERNAL CURSE is out in the world! Know what that means? 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

Today, I'm going to introduce you to the hero, Trent Halstead...

Design courtesy of Laura Heritage
at P.S. Cover Design and Editing Services

Five Fun Facts About Trent:

1. He's a triplet. His two brothers are Jaxon (Jax) and Colton (Colt).
2. His mother died during childbirth. 
3. He never knew his biological father and was raised by the man who'd taken in his mother when she needed help--Sean Halstead.  
4. He moves around a lot, and he's tired of it.
5. He has a sense of humor but doesn't show it very often. 
   
   

You can now Pre-Order ETERNAL CURSE!

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{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Curse--8 weeks until release!

Only 8 weeks to go before ETERNAL CURSE is out in the world! Know what that means? 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

Today, I'm going to introduce you to the heroine, Chloe Madison...

Five Fun Facts About Chloe:

1. When Chloe is sad or overwhelmed, she'll hold her mother's urn and talk to her.
2. Chloe's favorite food is pizza with lots of cheese. Every Wednesday, she and her mom would eat pizza and watch scary movies.
3. Chloe and her mom would go to the beach and just lay in the sand, staring up at the clouds. It helps Chloe clear her mind and think. 
4. Chloe used to be on the swim team.
5. She loves animals, but she's never owned one. She and her mom would volunteer one day a week at the local animal shelter. 

You can now Pre-Order ETERNAL CURSE!

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{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Curse--9 weeks until release day!

That's right! ETERNAL CURSE releases in 9 weeks, and I am so excited  😊

To celebrate, every Tuesday from now until release day, I'll be sharing a "Teaser Tuesday" from the book--it could be anything from an excerpt to a fun fact to the music that inspired all six books. 

Today, I'm giving you a peek at the interior formatting for the paperback because I think it's just so gorgeous! Major shout-out to Laura Heritage of P.S. Cover Design and Author Services for all of her work on this book. She's brought my vision to life better than I ever imagined. 

Okay, ready....

Notice the subheading on chapter one? March 2017? Here's a fun fact:

I originally started writing this book back in 2014. It started out as a "me" project, something fun that I could write when I was blocked on other things or when I needed a fun escape. Then, as it does, life got in the way, and I was focusing on other writing projects, so this book got shelved for a few years. Finally, in 2017, I dug this book out of my files and dove back into it. 

As the series progresses, there are a lot of important dates and events, and when I'd worked all those out, it was back in 2017. Even though it's now 2020, I'd already had all my dates figured out, and I wasn't willing to rework them (because, well, math is hard, and it took me way longer than it probably should have to get everything lined up). So, the book is set in 2017 and moves forward from there. 

Don't forget to sign up for the book blitz, hosted by the lovely people over at Xpresso Book Tours: http://xpressobooktours.com/2020/07/07/blitz-sign-up-eternal-curse-by-kara-leigh-miller/ 

Add Eternal Curse to your Goodreads Shelf

{TEASER TUESDAY}: Wounded Heart by Colleen Hall

Teaser Tuesday is back!! I'll be sharing snippets from my own books--both published and works-in-progress, along with inviting other authors to stop by and share exclusive excerpts of their own books.

Today, I have the lovely Colleen Hall sharing an exclusive excerpt from her historical Christian romance, Wounded Heart!

And to make today even more awesome, the book is ON SALE for only $0.99. Grab your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Heart-Colleen-Hall-ebook/dp/B081QL76YR/

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Wild Wind came to a standstill a dozen feet from Shane and addressed him in the Cheyenne language. Shane lowered his rifle and replied. A rapid exchange followed. When the conversation concluded, Wild Wind raised one hand and motioned. Half a dozen Dog Soldiers rose from behind rocks and hillocks and converged on the warrior.
Shane pivoted and strode toward Della. She met him at the cleft between the two boulders at the entrance of the cul-de-sac. He brushed past her without a word. She followed him to his gelding’s flank, where he rummaged in one of his saddlebags.
“What are you doing? What are you and Wild Wind up to?” she demanded, fists propped on her hips.
“Wild Wind has challenged me to a fight.”
She caught her breath. She raised one hand and clenched his bicep. “What kind of fight?”
“Knife.”
“A knife fight. Why?”
“The winner gets you.”
Fear and fury boiled in a wild tumult. “The winner gets me! I’m not a prize that you men can fight over. Don’t I have a say in this? I won’t let you fight your own brother for me!”
Shane pulled his moccasins from his saddlebag and faced Della. She glared at him. He stared back at her, resolute and silent.
“I’ll talk to Wild Wind, then. If you won’t stop it, I’ll see that he does.” She spun and took one stride toward the exit before Shane grabbed her arm and whirled her back. She collided with his chest. He held her in an unyielding grip and dipped his head to bring his eyes level with hers.
“Stay out of it. Don’t shame him before his men.”
Della stared back with a determination that matched his and tried to jerk her arm free. Shane didn’t loosen his hold.
“You can’t stop this, Della. This is bigger than you.” With sudden gentleness, he loosened his hold on her arm. Sitting on a rock near the back of the cul-de-sac, he removed his boots and shoved his feet into his moccasins. Shane stood and moved to her side, so close she felt his body heat. “If it makes you feel better, we’ve agreed not to fight to the death. Only to disarm or incapacitate.” He strode out of the cul-de-sac, leaving Della to follow or not, as she chose.
Not wanting to see two men she cared about engage in combat yet unable to resist watching, Della drifted from the protection of the cul-de-sac. She eyed the combatants. The brothers were evenly matched. Both men were in their prime, equal in height and weight. They’d stripped down to their buckskin trousers and moccasins. Now, supple muscle rippled beneath smooth, gleaming skin.
One of the Dog Soldiers stepped forward and threw two knives down between the rivals. The lethal blades sank deep into the soil.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Della Hughes longs for adventure and for freedom from the strictness and austerity of 1870s Boston society. When her uncle and guardian, General Clint Logan, uses his fortune to purchase property in Colorado and set up a horse ranch selling remounts to the western army, Della decides she must accompany him and his family to the West. Along the journey, Della encounters more adventure than she bargained for.

Rustlers, Indians, and rattlesnakes add danger to the trek. A persistent cavalry captain who believes Della would make him the perfect wife and a Cheyenne chieftain’s son who tells her she’s brought sunshine to his heart complicate her life. And the handsome army scout who ramrods their wagon train guards a secret from his past that makes him believe he’s not worthy of loving Della. She must meet the challenges of the West and convince the man of her heart that love is worth risking everything to gain.

ON SALE FOR ONLY $0.99!

BUY NOW!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Colleen Hall is a displaced New Englander who came South to attend college. There she met and married her husband, who is a Southerner. She never returned to New England and has lived in the Upstate of South Carolina ever since.

In her historical books she combined her love of writing with her love of history. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, horseback riding, reading, and browsing antique stores. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and family, two horses and two spoiled cats.

Follow Colleen on her website and Twitter. 

{TEASER TUESDAY}: Expecting Danger by Jennifer Pierce

Teaser Tuesday is back!! I'll be sharing snippets from my own books--both published and works-in-progress, along with inviting other authors to stop by and share exclusive excerpts of their own books.

Today, I have the lovely and ever funny Jennifer Pierce sharing an exclusive excerpt from her Christian romantic suspense, Expecting Danger!

And to make today even more awesome, the book is ON SALE for only $0.99. Grab your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Danger-Small-Town-Guardians-ebook/dp/B07KT5ZG8K/

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

She closed the door behind her and tiptoed down the hall to the front room. She opened the door, locked the doorknob, and closed it behind her. Thanks to Mrs. Hart and the fact that Jake left his laptop booted up, Kate had had an opportunity to locate the bus station and find the schedule and price list. Luck was on her side—a bus to California would be stopping at the station this morning at four o’clock to drop passengers off. She was going to be on that bus and out of Whitehaven before Jake even woke up.
Guilt gnawed at her for leaving the way she was, but it had to be done. She hiked her go bag up on her shoulder and marched toward the bus station. She came to a stoplight and looked around. She had studied the map online and had followed the street signs. The bus stop should be right ahead, but it wasn’t.
Frustration building, she knew she had taken the right roads. Maybe her judging of distance was off. Maybe the station was up a little farther. She’d keep walking, and it’d be right up the road.
Looking both ways before crossing the street, even in the middle of the night when Whitehaven seemed like a ghost town, she was cautious. There were no cars around. After a few minutes, the low rumble of an engine sounded behind her. A vehicle must have turned onto the road a couple of blocks back.
The rumble grew louder. She estimated it to be at the stoplight she’d stopped at a little bit ago. The vehicle was driving slowly. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed it was about twenty feet behind her and driving at a snail’s pace. Could it be Salt-and-Pepper? Had Kazakov’s men already made it to Whitehaven?
Her pace increased as fear propelled her forward. The engine got louder as the truck got closer. Then it was next to her. Fear clogged her throat, and she couldn’t breathe. What was she supposed to do? She’d never be able to outrun anyone. The truck kept pace with her, but she didn’t look at it. She didn’t want to see who it was. Her legs tingled, and her already-racing heart sped up. She heard the window roll down.
This was it. They were going to shoot her and leave her to die in the street. Perspiration rolled down her face as she frantically searched for a place to hide.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Kate has been on the run from the men who killed her husband and left her for dead—which isn’t easy considering she’s eight months pregnant—but now they’ve found her. Again. Still reeling from her late husband’s betrayal, the last thing Kate wants is the help of a handsome stranger.

Security expert, Jacob Jones, is still grieving the loss of his pregnant wife, and he’s not ready to move on. But when he thwarts an attempted abduction of the beautiful Kate, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. Despite her reluctance, he’s determined to do whatever it takes to save her, including giving up his own life.

Kate’s only option is to take a leap of faith and allow Jacob to help her. But can she trust him to keep her and her unborn baby alive? Or will he fail her like everyone else in her life?

ON SALE FOR ONLY $0.99!

BUY NOW!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Pierce currently lives in Arkansas 
with her husband and two children. 

Follow Jennifer on Twitter. 

{TEASER TUESDAY}: The Impossible by Joiya Morrison-Efemini

Teaser Tuesday is back!! I'll be sharing snippets from my own books--both published and works-in-progress, along with inviting other authors to stop by and share exclusive excerpts of their own books.

Today, I have the lovely Joiya Morrison-Efemini sharing an exclusive excerpt from her book, The Impossible!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Now,

Sofie’s skin was the color of a French baguette, and also 
the color of her Ma’s homemade bread, which her Ma 
called loafs, and so they gave her the nickname
Loafy.

They spoke it at first as teasing siblings, and then 
progressively, as witches, conjuring curses so vile that
if Sofie closed her eyes, her skin would actually sizzle 
like arrows, alight, arched
rained down upon her.

She was the lightest one in a place and a time when the 
color of one’s skin sent a message…
As if there has ever been a time when it didn’t.

She was impossibly light.
Ma and Pa were as dark and dry
and fine as the cocoa powder her Ma used to bake 
that rare chocolate something.

They were both long of leg and finger and neck; 
they sat and stood erect, even under the incredible strain 
of farm and family, and default.

Sofie often said that she always knew she could never be 
like the rest of them – 
working fields, enveloped by the scorch of Georgia’s heat,
hands and feet 
callused, 
scabbed,
bloodied, 
and scarred.
Bodies rail thin, burnt, and weary from slaving 
without ceasing.

Yet, ending up in more debt each year, paying for 
scraps for a lifetime, and never owning anything but
your name. Even that stolen long ago and replaced.

She could see, even as the smallest child that her people 
worked the land the white folks owned, and the white 
folks took all the money, rationing it out to her kin in 
portions so small they were forced onto their knees, but 
just enough to make them stay there, begging for more.

She would never beg white folks for anything…
It’s a poor dog that don’t even have his own bone!

And because she believed it so exhaustively, she made 
her Ma believe it too, 
and her Pa had no opinion; he didn’t ever 
seem to have an opinion when it came to Sofie.
She never did work like them, thus, more curses conjured.

Even after she reached six - the age when all the other children 
were sent to the fields - she stayed in the house with her Ma.

She asked her Ma question after question,
And Ma, who had spent most of her life being talked at,
took a liking to being talked to.
Up to a point.
And a wooden spoon taught
Sofie when to shut up.

In a household where no one could read, 
Sofie trained herself by memorizing the Lord’s prayer.
And having the preacher show her where it was in the Bible exactly
she matched words on packaging around the house
to what people called the items inside them.

At ten she started doing the cooking alone
Instinct turned her Ma’s once bland meals, meant to 
sustain, into feasts that filled and made them all flourish, 
despite themselves. 

She cleaned, and their stubborn little house with more inhabitants than walls, 
which had never held tidy,
reluctantly obeyed her.

Items previously left askew idled in their places; the
once steady stream of tracked-in red clay and rusty mud;
Dust,
Kitchen grime,
Roaches…
All 
reversed in their tracks.

Her Ma, 
whose autobiography was thought complete, 
was relieved to live out the rest of her life in direct 
contrast to how she’d written it. 
Now she could be found out in her garden, 
or sitting on the old rocker Pa had made her, 
feet up on the battered trunk that doubled as a whiskey table, 
mending some item of clothing and 
yelling to Sofie every now and then to 
see to some chore that Sofie had already seen to 
two chores ago.

Her Ma loved all of her children in the way of all 
life-guarding mothers back then
raising cream and brown and black children.
She hurled harsh words and 
painful insults at them in continuous waves, 
intending to smooth them like ocean rocks, to buff them so slick 
that the hatred hailed down at them 
from the world they lived in
would slip right off and not impale them.

She needed to pressure wash any defiance off them;
any audacity that might push back against the unjust 
wickedness, 
and get them maimed, or killed.

Occasionally, between the tides, a painful gentleness 
broke through unannounced and unwelcomed; 
she struggled against it, thinking that it would harm them.
She had no notion that it actually resuscitated them;
preserved them against those brutal, relentless waves.
Gave them hope.
A bright light of promise just beyond the dark.
Perhaps. Possibly. Just maybe.
Within reach?

Their Ma was hard and impartial enough that the 
siblings concentrated on blending into their duties.
They were always safe in the camouflage of hard work. 
Not one had the energy to maintain rivalry. 
Except against Sofie, who was drenched by a steady 
flow of envy from all of them. 
Sofie, thrown overboard,
yet maintained her buoyancy.

In an attempt to stitch the gash that separated her 
children, Sofie’s Ma often remarked to herself, but 
loud enough for all to hear, of Sofie’s virtues. 
Her siblings preferred to see her as…
lazy, 
pampered, 
favored,
(whispered) Illegitimate.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Does God put discouragers in our path to create discomfort? Can the disquiet of not belonging be of Him, to spur us into forging ahead to places unknown? Can He use the illiterate to build empires? Can He restore broken hearts and enable forgiveness for the most crushing of transgressions? What could happen if we believed God was in the midst of it all? Once upon a time, a simple girl and a simple boy fell in love. This was back in the time when marriage did not succumb to suffering or unkindness. It survived pride and envy. It was not expected to be perfect. It bore and believed and hoped and endured. The girl  opened herself up to the boy and he propelled into her love. And they bound to one another and multiplied. They fled from a world of hate and settled someplace safer. But evil found them. And they fell. They forget for just an instant, about love. They couldn’t feel it, so they thought it was dead. They mistakenly understood it to be buried under the hate they’d tried to escape. It was still there. Merely disguised in pain and fear. The girl and the boy limped through life, defenseless. But He whispered… This is their story…  

BUY NOW!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joiya Morrison-Efemini is a Christian wife and mother of four fantastic kiddos. She is the author of two other publications, a lyrical collection of short stories entitled THE NOTES THEY PLAYED (2017), and a Young Adult novel entitled PETRIFIED FLOWERS (June, 2020). She lives in Marietta, Georgia.

Follow Joiya on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads.