I really love Valentine’s Day. I love hearts, flowers, and celebrating love. Now you might not think that’s true because my stories aren’t exactly all about romance. I put my teenage characters in mortal peril. Like a lot. They are chased by stalkers, serial killers and mob murderers. This is no hearts and flowers, does he like me or doesn’t he romance. My characters are usually too busy running for their lives. 

I do, however love a happy and romantic ending so I guess that’s where the romance comes in. I love bad boys that aren’t so bad, heroes that will sacrifice anything for the love of their lives and edge of your seat endings where you hope no one dies so they can live happily ever after.

So I was really excited when Nancy Lee and Donna asked me to be part of the Valentine’s Giveaway. I’m giving away the first three books of my Breathe series each in a different format.

The Breathe series centers around the Rourke family but each story has a different set of main characters.

Here are the blurbs:

Gone: The Breathe Prequel
Trane Braxton lives a double life. He can’t risk getting close to anyone until Daisy Rourke , his longtime crush, insinuates herself into his very dangerous world.

A short story that goes back to the beginning, to the events that started the Rourkes on their journey…

Breathe

Jasmine’s life wasn’t normal for a 16 year old girl.  It hadn’t been normal since the murder of her older sister, Daisy, two years ago. Her life had been changed forever. The monster that murdered Daisy was never caught.  That was the reason her family decided to move away from their hometown in Southern California, to start over.  Hopefully in a place where the last name Rourke wouldn’t bring on staring or judgment or morbid curiosity.

In Lafayette, Louisiana things are quite a bit different but in a good way.  Good manners, Cajun accents, and a whole lot of Southern Hospitality all make her think things are going in the right direction.  On top of that the most gorgeous boy she has ever met is interested in her. Her new friends are better than she could have hoped for, even if she is worried about what they might think when they find out who she is.  Life would be perfect if odd things didn’t keep happening.  Creepy phone calls, texts, and flowers in her locker start adding up quickly to something terrifying. Could the Monster have followed them to Lafayette? Was he coming after her this time?  Maybe she was just worrying unnecessarily…or not.

Shimmer

Chandler Raines and her “dad” are on the run. Never staying in one place for very long. It’s just not safe. When they arrive in Lafayette, Louisiana, Chandler quickly realizes this is the place she wants to call home. Friends, a cute boy, and competitive cheerleading have her taking dangerous risks to have the life she always wanted. Risks she promised she wouldn’t take.

When her lies catch up to her, a decision has to be made. Stay or run? Will the evil that’s chased them for the last four years catch up to them? When Chandler’s past comes screeching into the present she’ll have to sacrifice everything to keep what she loves safe. But will it be enough?

Elena’s page

What I remember most about Valentine’s Day growing up was, of course, the candy and the cards. Daddy never forgot to lavish us that day, because it was his birthday. Yep, on his birthday he always had to give away gifts. I thought that was a little unfair, but not enough not to get the candy.

Daddy arrived a 2 a.m. that morning in 1923 and Grandmother – who was like no other grandmother – called him one year (I think when he turned 50) at 2 a.m. as pay back for waking her that morning long ago. She always was the feisty one.

Momma always got the very fancy fold down cards that made a lovely romantic scene and chocolate covered Brazil nuts. Sis and I got the smaller heart shaped boxes and Sis gave me anything that had nuts in it because she didn’t like those. <Shakes head mournfully at her naiveté> But I did get more candy that way. We’d have a special dinner to celebrate (okay it wasn’t romantic for them, but I wasn’t thinking in those terms). One year we even had a coconut cake with the candy hearts on top as decoration along with the candles to be blown out.

Sis and I would look for Valentine/Birthday cards as we got older. There were usually two different ones put out by Hallmark, never a very wide selection. He’d get both of them and pretend to complain that he was being cheated out of either a Valentine or a Birthday card each year.

I still celebrate his birthday, taking cards and candy into work and leaving them for everyone in the suite. Happy ValenBirthtine Day everyone!

My latest release is The Melting, Book 3 – Cohesion , a sci-fi/paranormal romance.

Blurb-
It began in the north, in the ancient cold before the birth of man. Whether from the actions of man or the cycles of the planet, the primordial ice is melting and bringing back to the atmosphere a virus. One with no known cure for modern day humans.

Rachel Gerhart has been a survivor her whole life, now she’s been changed by the virus that destroyed civilization. She trying to keep her differences under wraps, but Sid Saylor knows her secret. He’s been changed as well. Can their new abilities help with the rebuilding of a human civilization?

Find all the Buy Links here!!

I’m giving away a couple of copies of The Melting, Book 1 – The Infection  and one of your choice from my backlist by going here –

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Donna’s Give away!

*Contests end Sunday Feb. 15

Those words never get old… The Melting, Book 3 – Cohesion is now available through Amazon and AllRomance.  Here’s a little snippet for your enjoyment…

   Buy links – AllRomance, Amazon, Barnes & Nobles

Cohesion –

David corralled Sid as he entered the big house that evening. “We haven’t had a decent talk since you got here. You doing okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

That stopped David in his tracks. “Grab your dinner. Let’s go to your place to eat.”

Trapped, that’s what Sid did, cursing himself for getting into this position. He let David in his house and motioned toward the table. David took a seat and waited until Sid was beside him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, really.”

“Uh, do you remember the term bullshit?”

“I have all my memories back, thank you.” The amnesia left by his bout with the virus had been too recent. Yes, it had happened to everyone who had recovered but Sid didn’t like to remember the helplessness of being at the mercy of the cattle baron who had taken him in as he recovered.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Crap.”

David waited, taking a drink of the cool tea they had brought.

“It’s nothing.”

“Is the house okay? We didn’t let something slide did we?”

“No. Everything’s great, and I’m very glad to be here.”

“Flashbacks to the ranch?” David asked.

“Nothing like that.”

“I hope you realize I’m not leaving until I find out what’s wrong.”

Sid glared up at him for an instant, then sank back in the chair. “How old is Rachel?”

That question caught David off guard, and he stared at his former pupil for a moment. “Eighteen, why?”

Sid’s eyes widened. “Eighteen?”

“Yeah, she had a birthday in January. Why?”

“I thought she was no more than sixteen.”

“She has a young face but . . . she’s not jail bait.” He said carefully and was rewarded with the color that flushed the blonde man’s face. “Shit, you’re attracted to her.”

“I . . . damn it,” Sid closed his eyes. “She was in my head. She’s the one that warned me about Samson. I guess I built up some sort of fantasy about her, and then I saw her.”

“And thought she was a kid.”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t you?”

“Well, chronologically she is young, but not experience-wise. I don’t mean that,” he said as Sid’s head came up. “She’s never lived in a loving home. She was in the foster system as far back as she can remember, and that life wasn’t a bed of roses. She’s wary of people and can be quite prickly at times. Ask Amanda.”

“You don’t think I’m some sort of pedophile?”

At that David chuckled. “No, a masochist maybe. She is an eighteen-year-old girl and those can be very dangerous creatures. And she doesn’t trust easily. She’s had no reason to. I think I understand her mood lately now.”

“Her mood?”

“Parallel to yours now that I think about it. You’ve not been avoiding me. You’ve been avoiding her. Nice hit to my ego.”

Sid finally smiled. “Sorry about that. The whole thing threw me. I didn’t want to have thoughts like that about a sixteen year old.”

“TMI bro,” David said. “Eat your dinner and then we’ll see.”

First – everyone is fine and home and doing great. I did discover that my Mama Bear is just as fierce with this one as the ones I carried. He was 7 pounds, 3 ounces, 20 inches long with light brown hair and dark eyes that we really couldn’t tell a color because he didn’t want to open them very much. He was smaller than either of mine, so literally the smallest baby I’ve ever “had”. 

We arrived about an hour after he did, looking like we’d been on the road for some time and I’m sure I looked like I could take on any of the damn truckers that had been in my way. The room was full with the other set of grandparents, a set of great grandparents, an uncle and a great aunt, but my precious DIL looked up at me and smiled and handed him to me.

Yes, love at first sight does exist.

We had a wonderful two days to bond and visit and just hold him. I’d forgotten how soft newborn’s skin is. I had to look to see that I was really touching him at times.

Then the Mama Bear came out. A doctor, not his regular pediatrician, gave him the going home exam. Pompous old guy came into the room and said a lot of good things, poop turning green, peeing regularly, good ears, etc. then out of the blue the doctor says that he’s not uncurling fast enough and they want to do an ultrasound to find out if there’s a problem with his brain. Then the old fart turns and leaves the room. No explanation, no time for questions, he just walks out. Now my job is to work with words – yes, I have the luxury of editing and rewriting, but I also have the responsibility of crafting my words. So did he. There were 27,000,012 ways to say something like that to this young couple and that wasn’t any of them. I wanted to race down the hall and rip his throat out for being so damn careless and, yes pompous.

Like I said before, everything turned out fine and they’re home and happy, but the frozen looks on their faces are still with me. I unswaddled the baby and let him be free – something the hospital apparently doesn’t approve of – and he stretched and explored and opened his eyes the widest I’d seen them to check things out.

So kid, you’re got a terrific set of parents who adore you, but remember, you’ve also got an old bear who doesn’t mind making waves and who’ll always have your back. Just let me know.

A year ago today Dance Partner was published. This is a short story, originally planned for an anthology on the theme of “Love is Blind”. When I was invited to this venture, this story was just there in my head, as though it had been waiting for the invitation.

I must admit, it’s one of my personal favorites, and I fell in love with Jim before I could even get him down on paper.   I may just have to give a couple away!  Leave me a comment.

Jim is back home and existing, but nothing more. The irony of going to a dance club isn’t lost on him. The redhead moving around the floor is the last thing he needs in his life. So what if he can’t take his eyes off her.

It’s been a great day for Wendy, and dancing is her favorite way to celebrate. The hunk’s eyes are on her, but he doesn’t approach. Intrigued she approaches him and learns a lot more about herself than she planned.

Available through AllRomance, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks

Here’s a short excerpt –

Wendy Cauthern knew she was smokin’ hot in her new outfit. Her long red hair cascaded down her back and she was glad she’d rethought cutting it because more than one guy had been drawn to it this evening. It was a great night following a fantastic day.

Her presentation this morning had been spot-on perfect. Mr. Stanford from the fifth floor had even stopped by to tell her she’d done a good job.

Her eye caught a guy over to the side sitting alone at a small table. Damn, that was one fine specimen–large broad chest and shoulders, dark hair that spilled around his shoulders long enough to be pulled back into a ponytail. Eyes too dark to make out a color at this distance. Intense.

And he was staring at her.

Before she could even give him a come on signal, someone else captured her for a dance. She abandoned what remained of her drink and followed the guy onto the dance floor.

Wendy loved to dance. At one point she’d thought about doing it professionally but she needed a steadier income. At least her job didn’t stop her from enjoying herself on the weekends.

The guy she was dancing with was okay but he wasn’t good. She noted the hunk was watching her without attempting to disguise it. Hell. Why wasn’t he making a move? He made everyone else in the room seem almost a child by comparison yet he just sat there.

He was distracting her, and when the dance ended, she excused herself and headed his way. All of her stars were aligned tonight, giving her the courage she needed to approach him.

He continued to watch her walk his way with those dark eyes.

“Want to buy me a drink?”

“If you like.” Well, maybe her winning streak had ended and he wasn’t that interested. But his eyes hadn’t left her.

“May I?” She indicated to the chair across from his when he didn’t rise. He nodded and signaled the waiter.

“What would you like?”

“What are you having?”

“Coke.”

She blinked at that. Just a Coke? “A Cosmo, please.”

The waiter nodded then disappeared.

“Do you come here often?” She asked, finally getting a reaction that looked like something akin to a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“Never been here before. I guess you’re a regular.”

She shrugged. “I come sometimes. They have good music but you can still talk without screaming.”

The waiter was back with her drink then gone again. “I’m Wendy.”

“Jim.” This was getting awkward. Should she excuse herself and leave? She was definitely getting mixed signals.

She took another sip trying to make up her mind as to how to proceed. He was too delicious to just walk away but before she decided, they were joined by a man she’d seen here before. Hadn’t Cheryl dated him?

“I think it’s time we got out of here.”

She wanted to protest, but mister dark and brooding nodded.