I published my debut paranormal romance novella Dream Hunter on December 30, 2014. It's been an incredible 6 months for me!
Publishing my first book was an absolute dream come true. I imagine most authors start off feeling the same way. With a persistent voice in their head nagging them to write. With a desire to write a book. With a dream of publishing it someday.
I am so thankful I had the opportunity 6 months ago to publish my book. I owe my deepest gratitude to all those who made my dream possible: my husband and my family; my writing critique group; and my editors at
Just Ink Press.
Dreams can come true...
Cynthia’s dreams are so
real, they are actually coming true – complete with the prerequisite dream guy.
But things are not as they seem.
Who said dreams are
sweet?
Chicago businesswoman
Cynthia Courtland is completely focused on her career when a sensual,
reoccurring dream disrupts her orderly life. Then a threat against her
workplace forces her to take time off. She is lost with nowhere to go--only her
empty apartment.
Work is Gabe’s life too;
he takes it very seriously and will do whatever it takes to succeed. He's been
watching over Cynthia for a long time and he has her best interests at heart,
but can he protect her from the danger she is blind to? When Cynthia insists on
investigating the threat so she can get back to work, it makes Gabe's job all
the more difficult.
When things settle, will
there be more for them than a life filled with work? Will she give her dreams a
chance to come true?
Excerpt:
The air in her lungs rushed to escape and time stood still.
She was aware of only him. Beyond her control, her head tilted and her whole
body leaned toward him; her inner core pulsed and buzzed. He drew her in like a
magnet, a moth to flame; she was helpless to resist his siren call. He emulated
danger, looked like evil incarnate—black and dangerous, seductive and
forbidden—and she wanted
him.
When he grabbed her harshly by both shoulders, she snapped
out of her lust-induced trance. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.
“We must get out of here.” His words were calm, but his eyes
stared right through her.
Cynthia opened her mouth to object.
“There is no time,” he announced as he tugged on her arm.
“Let go of me!” She tried to pull away. “I don’t know you.”
Holding her arm still, he stared into her eyes without saying
a word.
Okay, he seems a little familiar. She gulped. “How do I know you?”
Giving her a penetrating look, he replied, “You know me.
Quit wasting time.”
She opened her mouth to protest again.
“We must leave now.”
Should I go with him? She tilted her head and looked up at
him. His gaze was strong and steady and made her feel safe. This is not the time to be indecisive.
She thought about the threat at work and shivered despite the heat.
You will be safe with me. There is no
time. We must leave now.
His voice entered her thoughts like a caress in her mind and didn’t alarm her.
He was right. There was no time to analyze her options and
run through various scenarios. For all she knew, every scenario without him
could mean danger for her. Her body wanted to follow him, she admitted with
reluctance, even if her mind resisted. Yes, she would go, she decided, even as
she felt herself following him down the street.
Power resonated from his muscular build. He kept a hand in a
firm but gentle hold on her elbow as they hurried down the sidewalk. Unmindful
of their destination, Cynthia had ample time to study her new “friend.” He
towered over her by at least a foot, wearing a black leather jacket despite the
warm day, and dark jeans that showcased his narrow waist. Every beefy inch of
him screamed passion and strength—his tight clothing doing nothing to disguise the sinewy
muscles rippling in his legs as he moved—but she wasn’t frightened of him. She
hesitated for a minute. Should I be
afraid? No, she decided. She felt eerily calm, like all her life had been
leading her up to this moment in time, and she was exactly where she was
supposed to be. The reason she let a perfect stranger lead her to
God-knew-where.
She shifted her thick hair over her
shoulder as sweat soaked at the base of her neck. The day’s temperature had yet
to peak, but it was already warm enough to be uncomfortable and practically
running in office attire didn’t help matters.
“I need a moment,” she said.
They made an abrupt stop. The man
offered her an unopened bottle of water. After casting an assessing look at him
she accepted the bottle, and took a long, welcome drink.
“Thank you.”
The man dismissed her thanks with a
casual shrug.
Cynthia shot him a questioning look.
“Later,” he replied in a brisk voice.
“We need to go.”
“Where?”
“We need to go,” he repeated, ignoring
her question.
They had covered several blocks and, as
they moved further from her office, the sights became less familiar and a
tremor of fear shook through her body. Where
did this guy come from? Why does he think I know him? Because I do know him.
The realization hit her hard in the stomach. It’s him.
“I need—”
“We need to keep going,” he insisted
without further explanation.
“No!” She planted her hands on her hips
and her feet in the firmest stance she could manage as she wobbled on the
uneven sidewalk. Then she looked down at her feet and a strange sense of déjà
vu washed over her as she stared at the cobblestone path. Her mouth gaped, her
breathing quickened. With dread she looked up at the buildings on the street.
Her vision blurred. Everything around her spun and faded away as she collapsed
into strong arms. She had a vague awareness of him lifting her. As he adjusted
his hold, she bounced against his solid chest. She must be dreaming. That was
the only explanation that made sense. Nothing like this ever happened in her
boring, ordinary life. It’s just a dream.
Swallowing her disappointment, she glanced up at the determined expression on
his face. He carried her effortlessly, like she weighed nothing. When she
rested her head on his chest, she could feel his heart beating steadily. She
ran her hand lightly across his defined bicep. Wow. He wasn’t real, but she might as well make the most of it;
from experience she knew her dream wouldn’t last forever.
Have you read Dream Hunter? Available now... Smarturl.it/dhu
