A Witch’s Quandary – Sunday Snippet

Welcome to my Sunday Snippet.  This week we take a look at  A WITCH’S QUANDARY, the sixth book in A Demon’s Witch Series.  – A Broken Engagement leads to the discovery of stolen magic and malice with a little blackmail mixed in. Can they weather the storm and find a future together?

A little about the inspiration for the book: I spent 18 years as paralegal for law firms. A paralegal is basically a playwright for the attorney. Most depend on the paralegal to do research, write up the pleadings and motions synopsize the case.  Subsequently, when something goes wrong, guess who’s to blame? Not the person who has been working on his golf game, or schmoozing with higher ups to better his position in the law firm or political aspiration’s rather than over seeing the trial prep. You got it. So from that perspective I wrote a solicitor from Scotland that didn’t want to play the game, forced to make a choice that would negatively effect is personal life, but had magic on his side to boot.

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about

Let’s check out what A WITCH’S QUANDARY is all about:

Gale’s engagement is off because she refuses to leave her thriving business in Ireland to follow Dillon to Scotland. Her family and friends are on the emerald isle. Yet, when Dillon returns with the whole story and asks for her help, she must follow her heart.

Becoming a Solicitor, then partner in the family law firm was never Dillon’s dream. Now it’s his nightmare. Called to Scotland, his father demands he take his rightful place in the firm or be disowned and disinherited. Something is terribly amiss in the firm and family.

During Gale and Dillon’s investigation, they discover the enforcer for the Demon Overlord is also delving into rumors the firm is acting illegally. Magic has been stolen, someone is being blackmailed, and a member of the Witch’s council is corrupt. If Gale and Dillon want a life together in Ireland, they have to unearth secrets threatening to destroy the firm and family in Scotland.

How about a peek between the pages of A WITCH’S QUANDARY:

“This is an outrage. It’s my firm.” Bram bellowed slamming his fist down on the table. Sparks flew in all directions creating a red-hot spider web of power crackling across the tabletop. Everyone at the table scrambled back or stood.  Dillon caught the malevolent spark in his father’s eye a split-second after Gale. She had already brought her hands together, the room sizzled as she conjured a ball of fire and with a few words sent the witch fire and spell at him.

“What have you done?” Bram screeched as the fire and spell hit him center mass. “Witchfire too? Bitch.” He slid to the floor.

Iris ran to his side, tears spilling her cheeks, she wiped his sweat-soaked brow with a napkin. “You just couldn’t stop, could you?  What did you do? Make a deal with the devil? We should have put a stop to it. To you. But…” She helped him into a chair. “I’m afraid you’ve messed with the wrong witch, this time. Brought this on yourself. You did. But I won’t let you take this family—the firm—down with you.” Giving his shoulders a little shake, she gazed into his shocked eyes. “What have you done?”

Bram slowly shook his head and murmured, “It’s my firm.” He raised his gaze and glared at Gale pointing a bony finger at her. “You’ll pay for this.” Then turned his attention to Dillon. “I told you nothing good would come from aligning yourself with this witch. Her blood is not pure. Diluted by the Fae power of her…” He broke off.

Dillon stood at Gale’s back his hands steady and supportive on her shoulders as she said nothing for several beats. Eventually, she turned her emerald green eyes to him and held his gaze. “I couldn’t let him divide the family with that dark magic. I tempered my deadly witch fire with the spell.” She tore her gaze from Dillon’s, touching her fingertips to the scorched marks radiating across the table stopping an inch from the edge all around. “If he’d succeeded, there’d been no turning back. If the tendrils of that spell had left the table and reached one of you…” She shook her head.

Appearing to gather his wits about him faster than the rest of his family, Sturgen surveyed the scene, wiped his brow with a monogrammed handkerchief, and sucked in a breath. “The firm is no longer yours.” He squeezed Olivia to him, starting for the door. “We’ve had enough for one night. Let’s adjourn until a full audit of the cases and firm can be conducted.”

****

Gale leaned against Dillon, his strength and calm flowed into her. “I felt your father’s intentions. The intentions he was able to disguise from his family. He planned to destroy all of you.”

“I know. I felt him…hmm…something evil. Only my reaction was a second too late. I’m glad yours wasn’t. How long will he be spellbound? That is what you did. Right?”

“Aye. Among other things. Indefinitely… I hope. He’s got a lot of power that isn’t his. I’ve no way to bind what I don’t know.”

Thank you for stopping by to check out my Sunday Snippet A Witch’s Quandary. Please join us next week when I’ll have another  Sunday snippet for you. 

 

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Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic – Sunday Snippet

Welcome to a Sunday Snippet of the award-winning Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate and enjoy the snippet from Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic.  Second book in the Raven’s Hollow Series.

Spring has sprung in the  Northern Hemisphere. This book will bring spring to your world. Take you traveling through time, and perhaps help you solve the mystery.

First, let’s take a peek at what Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic is about.

Spring is in full bloom in Raven’s Hollow, a small town in the Colorado Rockies with a population of unique townspeople. Blaze, a dragon shifter, and Wynter, a witch, are neck-deep in wedding preparations, when Wynter’s mother, Jade, goes missing after opening her new antique store, and attending the Simon estate sale where she procured an ancient jelly bean machine. Frantic with worry, Blaze and Wynter track her last movements via the store’s ancient, grainy, security footage. What it reveals is nothing short of shocking. As deputy sheriff, it’s Blaze’s responsibility to find his soon-to-be mother-in-law. But at what cost?

Check out the series book trailer.

Book Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdUGZl7qipE

A snippet from between the pages of Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic:

“Does it work?” He dropped in a penny and twisted the handle. A couple jelly beans rolled out. “Is that all?” He jiggled the handle. It turned another quarter turn and gears whirred.  The glass globe sparkled, etchings of the countries around the world appeared as it tilted and slid to the side. On the opposite side a control panel slid out revealing a panel filled with tokens in the center. The group gasped and silence ensued for several beats.

“What the heck?” flew out of Wynter’s mouth as she clutched at her chest. With her other hand, she reached out to touch the machine only to have her hand slapped away with a pair of black gloves Blaze had pulled out of his pocket.

“No one else touch this—or anything in here.” He slipped on the protective gloves and removed one of the tokens holding it up to the light. “It’s inscribed in Latin around the outside.  My Latin may be rusty, but rursus in tempore means a turn in time.” He picked up another token and read the inscription. “Fatum suum aspicientis moderatur – Beholder controls its destiny.” Carefully, he returned the tokens to their slots turning his attention to the control panel. “Look here…”

Wynter pointed at the panel. “There’s a slot for one token in the control panel. You don’t suppose this is a—

Buy Links:

Universal Link : https://books2read.com/u/bOPR5E

Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P

Thanks for joining me for the Sunday Snippet. I hope you enjoyed a little peek into Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. See you next week for another Sunday Snippet! 

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An Angel’s Wylder Assignment – Sunday Snippet

Yippee!! Sunday Snippets presents a award winning  An Angel’s Wylder Assignment my paranormal romance/mystery. WooHoo! It takes a Warrior Angel and Native American Shifter to save the past and create their future.  Join the #adventure, grab your copy today!

Pull up a chair and get comfy, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about An Angel’s Wylder Assignment, part of the award winning A Demon’s Witch’ Series.  All books can be read as stand alone.

What inspired An Angle’s Wylder Assignment.  I guess you’d say I decided to try something different. What a Wyld Ride.

Have you ever started a project only to discover it’s not going to be anything like you envisioned? Such is the constant situation of a writer who writes by the seat of her pants. The characters involved in the story take over and run with the plot, character arc, and anything else within their grasp.

Because I can’t plot my way out of a paper bag, and I’ve tried, I endure the escapades of my characters. Nine times out of ten, I end up with an imaginative and well-written book. Such is the case of, An Angel’s Wylder Assignment, part of The Wild Rose Press multi-author Wyld West series. My first attempt at a paranormal western, time travel, historical. There was a lot of research involved. How do they heat the house back in 1878?  What do they cook on? You should grab a copy and see if I pulled it off. LOL

Creating a fictional community with other authors is fun if a little daunting. So many individuals’ points of view and writing technics melded into one world. Sharing characters in the many storylines and making it all cohesive can be challenging but fun for all. Readers get to engage with characters they already know and love, then discover new characters added to the mix in a town or community familiar to them.

What is An Angel’s Wylder Assignment is all about.

Warrior Angel Killian Dugan’s annual trip to the family castle in Scotland is shattered by the arrival of Legion Commander North. Killian’s skills are needed for an urgent time travel assignment. A rogue demon has escaped back in time. He must discover the why and where and stop the demon before it can damage the past and change the future.

Killian’s girlfriend Chinoah Grace, a Native American shapeshifter is included in the mission which takes them to the wild west town of Wylder, Wyoming in the year 1878. She will have her hands full fitting in and making friends.

Nothing is as it seems.  They encounter visions, spirit quests, and a mysterious shaman.  On top of it all, blending in as a blacksmith is more physically difficult than he imagined. But not as challenging as keeping his hands off his undercover wife. Will they complete their assignment or run out of time?

Sneak peek between the pages of An Angel’s Wylder Assignment: 

Inside the family castle in Scotland, Killian put aside his warrior angel duties and relaxed in front of a roaring fire with Chinoah, a Native American wolf shifter.

He idly swirled wine in a cut crystal glass, watching the flames glint off the burgundy liquid. It was his duty to take care of the property while his cousin, Tavish, and his family were on holiday before the highland’s harsh winter weather set in.

This year he’d be staying through the holidays, though Chinoah didn’t know it yet.

Who says a battle-ready warrior angel couldn’t handle both duty and family. Bollocks to that.  His best friend, Caden, did it. Well, kinda. Legion Commander Nathanial North balanced both just fine.

He slipped an arm around Chinoah. She cuddled into him as he pulled the patchwork quilt Jalen, Tavish’s wife, had made and given them to celebrate their hard-won relationship status of dating. One step at a time, Chinoah had requested.

The brass door knocker echoed through the castle announcing visitors.

With a raised brow, he peered at Chinoah. “Expecting guests, are we?”

“Not as far as I know.” She got to her feet and padded across the stone floor.

“Wait.” Grumbling, he pushed up from the cozy warm couch, slipped his socked feet back into his boots, and clomped toward her. “Best let me answer the door since we don’t know who’s waiting on the other side.”

She slowed her pace to allow him to catch up with her. “This castle is huge. By the time we get to the door, the visitors may be gone.” She giggled.

“Way to keep in shape.” Chuckling, he kissed her. “Apparently, my cousin made the original great hall into their family living space.”

“God help us if we’re in the bed-chamber when someone comes calling.” She snickered. “We’d have to sprint down the balcony hallway, across the split staircase, and through the great hall. By then, the visitors would have decided no one was home.”

“Which could have been Tavish’s plan.” He smiled at the thought. “Besides, I didn’t hear you complain last evening when you thundered through the castle for a couple of hours on four paws.”

“That was different. My wolf needed the exercise, and you didn’t want me to go outside.” Her lips formed a pout that he found irresistible.

“Didn’t want to spring you from a trap.” He turned his attention out the window where the snow swirled in the howling wind. “Besides, who in bloody hell would be calling at this time of night and in this weather?”

She raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Only one group of individuals I know.”

“Oh, no. I’m on leave. They didn’t know where I was going. Besides, they wouldn’t expect me to be here.” The ancient wooden door groaned then made a squeeing sound when Killian yanked it open. “What in tarnation are you doing here?”

Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click  here.

Check back next week for another Sunday Snippet paranormal adventure/romance/mystery!

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Security Force of Two – Sale – Sunday Snippet

Welcome back to Sunday Snippet!  This week we celebrate the one year anniversary of  Security Force of Two, a paranormal mystery with a touch of romance.  Take a peek, you’ll be glad you did! The book is on sale for $2.99 for a limited time. Join the #adventure,grab a copy today!

First, I’d like to share the inspiration for SECURITY FORCE OF TWO, the first book in my MOUNTAIN TOWN MYSTERY Series. All books in the series can be read as a standalone.

A few years ago, I attended a writing conference.  I had lunch with an individual from a publishing house.  She was a hoot and talked about her father who was the chief of police for a small town. Growing up in that small town she knew everybody’s business more than most, being the chief’s daughter. Nothing really bad ever happened in her town.

Our conversation got me to thinking, which is always a dangerous thing.  LOL What if the police chief of thirty-five years retired? What if his replacement succumbed to an untimely death in that tiny town that never saw much crime, let alone a violent murder?  What if the retired police chief’s daughter left the CIA for a quiet life only to become mixed up in the investigation? The what-ifs went on and on. I made notes and stored them on my computer.

As it turned out, when I arrived home from the conference, an email awaited me. The book, my debut novel, A Demon’s Witch, I was pitching at that conference was contracted by another house, The Wild Rose Press, which has since published eighteen of my books and counting. In my excitement, the file was completely forgotten.

Years later, I came across the file and reviewed it. SECURITY FORCE OF TWO was born. I keep thinking, someday I should drop the individual an email and let her know our conversation inspired my new release.  Then again, maybe not. LOL

Now let’s see what my new release, SECURITY FORCE OF TWO is all about.

Miacoh Zane, a Special Forces veteran, returns to Aspen Ridge, Colorado a small town nestled in the Rocky Mountains, to settle his beloved grandmother’s estate. But the town holds painful memories and family secrets he wants to leave behind for good.

Candle Bearclaw, a gifted computer analyst/programmer with talents she’s buried when recruited out of college by the CIA. After fifteen years, she abruptly resigns her position with the agency. She returns to her sleepy hometown only to discover her childhood crush has also returned and a violent crime has been committed.

Due to their covert operations experience, Candle and Miacoh are thrown together to assist Homeland Security, FBI, and her father, former chief of police, with a murder investigation. As they search for the perpetrators, will their secrets be revealed as the investigation takes an unusual twist that could blow the case wide open.

How about a sneak peek between the pages of  SECURITY FORCE OF TWO?

When she drove up the circle driveway, a chill shot up her spine, then a strange feeling came over her, almost like someone was watching. Reaching under the seat of her SUV, she pulled out her handgun, checked the weapon to make sure it was loaded, chambered a round, and tucked it in the back waistband of her jeans, covering it with her shirt and jacket. She backed out then drove the entire driveway more slowly, checking the perimeter. Nothing. The cell phone hadn’t chirped to alert her of a breach, but she checked her outside surveillance cameras, then the ones inside her home anyway. Again nothing. She shrugged off the feeling and stepped out of her SUV. Gun drawn, she flicked off the safety and turned on the laser. It didn’t hurt to be safe rather than sorry.

Peeking in the window, she saw the alarm keypad was still set and secure. Then she walked around the house, entered through the back door, closed and relocked it, deactivated the alarm. Nothing was out of place. Part of her wished she’d brought Terrabyte along. Though still young, the pups tracking ability was well-developed. Terra would know if someone were in or around the cabin since they left. Back to the wall, she moved carefully through each room, nothing. When she was sure the house was clear, she sat down at the computer, laying the gun next to it. Warning windows were popped up everywhere on the screen. Someone had tried to hack into her system but hadn’t gotten very far. Closing out the windows one at a time until she found a message planted just under the first layer of security. That is what must have set off the warnings. Her throat went dry as she read the message. “Poking around where you don’t belong is dangerous business. Carl’s death was unfortunate but an accident. Leave it be or pay the consequences.”

Fingers posed over the keyboard. She started to X out of the message but stopped. If this was a disintegrating message, she would have no proof it ever existed. Taking out her cell phone, she took a picture of the screen. The handle on the front door jiggled. She grabbed her gun and jumped up, making her way to the front bay window.

Buy Link https://books2read.com/u/bMN2X5

I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Snippet.  Join me next Sunday for another exciting Sunday Snippet!

 

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