Marcia Colette's Blog

So, I’m gearing up for ConCarolinas the weekend of June 1st through the 3rd.  It sort of crept up on me this go around because I’m still mentally on vacation.    Anyway, I’m looking forward to another fantastic convention.  ConCarolinas never disappoints.  More important, they make me feel like I’m at home.  Of course, if you check the programming lineup, don’t scratch your head too hard because I think it’s still in flux.  I mean that because I don’t do LARP-ing and they have me down for three sessions of it.  Go figure.  Although…    …they have me on Naughty Naughty, which should be tons of fun.  I’m also on a horror panel, which gave me a fangirl squeal because I LOVE horror!

Oh, and I will be selling and signing books. 

As for the other stuff that’s going on, I’m still on the fence about Moonlight and Magnolias, hosted by GRW.  I’m a little skeptical because I don’t know how they feel about traditionally-published-to-self-published authors.  Honestly, they’ll probably do like the rest of RWA and put them in a special corner of the room that has an old man passed out on the floor with a flask by his side.    So again, I’m still on the fence.

I’d love to attend DragonCon as a guest, but they make it clear it’s not about what you know, but rather who you know, if you want to sit on a panel.  I’d rather spend my time at conventions where I’m wanted and not where it’s more like an “in” crowd.  But that’s just me. I’m also considered weird because I actually like to mix and mingle with folks, rather than treat them like my minions.  But that rudeness is for another day. 

Tagged: ConCarolinas, Conferences/Conventions

So yes, I’m behind the hype.  Honestly, I don’t follow hype, so it took me forever and a millennium to finally get around to reading The Hunger Games.  Not only that, but the last hype I tried to follow after a long hiatus, I got screwed royally–Twilight–and vowed never to do it again.  I won’t say The Hunger Games has changed my attitude, but it has made me loosen up on my restrictions. 

Oh, and did I mention I had a coworker who harassed the hell out of me to read it? 

Yes, The Hunger Games was just that good.  Heck, it was the best damn story I had read in a long time and one I’d place right up there with Bitten by Kelly Armstrong.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not into dystopian stories YA or otherwise, and although, I absolutely loved this book, it’s not enough to change my mind.  For me, THG was more a sci-f than dystopian.

I’m not going to go into the details because there are enough reviews on the internet that you can get a summary, if you’re really looking for one.  However, I will say this: I loved learning about the different districts across Panem, including the silliness of the Capitol, and poor District Thirteen.  Before you say anything, I’ve already read the synopsis on Wikipedia, so I know what happens.  Oh, and did I mention how much I loved the mutations?  Totally cool!

So about Katniss.  First, I hate her name.  Second, I love her character.  Talk about a chick who actually has some sense.  Yeah, she makes mistakes, as done anyone.  Nobody’s perfect.  But what I liked about Katniss the most is her resourcefulness.  She’s smart enough to play the game like it should be played while hardly losing her morals in the process.  If anything, she was a better person because of it.

As for Peta, he got on my nerves a little bit, but I liked him enough to not count him out just yet.  Cinna–I have no idea why people thought he was gay.  Just because a guy can dress a girl to make heads turn doesn’t necessarily mean he’s gay.  I know a couple of  straight guys who enjoy shopping for their wives along with busting open a can of beer by the BBQ grill while they’re frying up steaks.  Anyway, I’m going off on a tangent.  Rue, absolutely adored her.  I think I even liked Fox Face.  I think if had to be a character in the book, I’m most likely be like Fox Face, where I’d try to survive without confronting anyone.  Of course, those of us who read the book know how she turned out. 

So does this mean I’ll go see the movie?  Probably after it comes out in DVD.  I have only been to a movie once, since my little one was born, which means it’ll be on DVD by the time I’m ready to go again.  I definiately want to pick up Catching Fire, but not at the hardcover prices people are asking for.  Sorry, but I don’t buy hardcover books.  The story won’t change from hardcover to soft cover or to e-book, so why pay $12.99 for it when I can get it at $5.99 on Kindle?  The reviews are mixed on Mockingjay, so I’ll have to see how book #2 turns out before I decide to buy that one, too.

Yes, I know.  I’m weird like that. 

Grade: A

 

 

Tagged: review

Wow.  I can’t believe it’s been more than a month since my last post.  I guess I can say I’ve been up to a lot of things, though writing is only recently one of them.  Actually, writing took a back seat for a while, but I’m back in the saddle again.  It’s really hard to write when you have a two-year old underneath you all of the time. 

Anyway, we finally got a new–used–van for traveling in comfort, though it’s not much comfort for me, since I’m the primary driver.  Baby girl can say a bunch of words now, one of them being the word “Damn”.  Honestly, I have no idea where she got it.  But what bugs me the most is that she might be saying the F-word, though I can’t quite make it out yet.  Oh, and we had a blast at the beach this past weekend, too.  Little Bit is still afraid of the waves that come crashing against the shore, but the sand?  Good lord.  That kid loves playing the sand and tracking it all back to our room.  Even today, she brings her beach toys to the car, thinking that we’re going to beach when we’re only going to the store.

As for my reading pleasure, I’m still trying to catch up on Lydia Dare books, though I have no idea which book I’m on right now, except for the one with the blue cover.    Also, I broke down and finally got around to reading The Hunger Games and all I can say is Holy S*** that’s a good book!  Ten times better than Twilight.  Ten times more sensible than Twilight, too.  All I can say is I’m going to get my hands on a copy of Catching Fire.  Of course, the cheapskate that I am, I’ll either wait until paperback or do ebook.  I don’t buy hard-copies of anything.  So now that I want to let The Hunger Games simmer for a while before I move on to the next book, I’m going to start a new one called Blood Red Road.  Thanks to Simon and Schuster for sending it to me, though I had a feeling the only reason why they sent it (with the Shapeshifter Romance blog reference) was because they thought I was the blog secretary or something.  Then again, they probably thought that my writing career wasn’t as import as the other bestselling bloggers, so therefore, I might have time to actually review a book.  Not!  Anyway, of all the books they had sent over the past year, this was the only one that somewhat intrigued me.  But before I forget, there is one book that I’ve been interested in getting called Starters by Lissa Price.  Unfortunately, it’ll be awhile because of that no-buy-hardcovers thing I have going on right now. 

So other than that and trying to carve out time for more writing, that’s what I’ve been up to.

Chow for now!

Tagged: Reading, vacation, writing

Yes, that's picture says it all.

You see, about a few weeks before my aunt (my grandmother's sister) was about to move from upstate NY to the Atlanta suburbs, she was diagnosed with lung cancer.  It scared our family because she was much loved and was in her eighties.  We worried about how she'd do with all of the chemo and radiation that faced her.   To be honest, I was hoping for the best while trying to prepare myself for the worst.  A part of me didn't want to see her after she moved down to Atlanta because I was worried that she wouldn't be the same woman who I remembered and proudly called my second grandmother.

Well, I wasn't too far off the mark.  Aunt Helen wasn't doing good and she spent most of her time feeling nauseous and having a hard time interacting with the family.  Still, it was a good Thanksgiving and I was glad I went.  Even more important, I  was glad she got to spend some time with Little Bit.

Thankfully, she'll be spending a lot more time with her great grandniece.  Aunt Helen is FREE and CLEAR of that rat-bastard called cancer!!!  I can't tell you how thrilled I am, let alone hold back the tears of joy.  I'm telling you, if you ever got a chance to meet my aunt, you'd love her.  She's the type of person that can get along with anyone and will have you rolling on the floor in laughter.  We're looking forward to spending a lot more years with my aunt because she's simply the best. 

I'm hoping next year that we'll be able to take her on a cruise to celebrate her first year of being cancer free.  If all goes well–and she leaves the cigarettes alone–we'll be somewhere in the tropics enjoying family and the precious gift of life.

Yes, I've slacked off.  I meant to give you guys a roundup of what went down at MystiCon, but for some reason, I got home and got busy.  Not only that, but I also got burned out.  Writing has become more like a chore because I just couldn't find time to do it, let alone find something to write about.  So you can imagine where my blog fell on my list of "writerly" priorities, if I was struggling with my "paying" other stories.

I guess you could say that I'm back and writing again.  Sort of.  I'm writing, which is all that matters.  I've also become a tablet whore during my getaway.  Amazon Apps are the devil and  Mahjong is a demon king.    I've learned to limit myself to an hour at most per day and the rest of my free time–if any–is dedicated toward writing.

The season finale of The Walking Dead was awesome!  I hate that we have to wait a couple of months to know what happens.  So, I went out to Wikipedia and looked up the comic for a better of idea of what's in store.  It hasn't diminished my love for the show because I already know it's not quite follow the comic.  Not exactly, anyway.

Oh, and remember that post I did on the Double Power (DoPO) tablet?  Well, I'm the proud owner of two of them now and thinking about buying one for a couple of members of my family.  The only problem is I'm also planning vacation to Virginia  Beach.  My family might have to wait until I'm in another giving mood.

Right now, I'm reading Angel Fall by Susan Ee, and all I can say is WOW!!  I'm not into dystopian stories too much, but this one is definitely worth the read.  I'm almost finished and about to jump back onto the Lydia Dare bandwagon again.  I was never really off it, but rather, taking a break.  I needed to drag out the storyline because I didn't want it to end so soon.  Although, there is a certain Kelley Armstrong books that's waiting on my Kindle App. 

 

My schedule at MystiCon 2012 is here!  I so can't wait until this convention because it's one of the funnest out there.    Even better, Sherrilyn Kenyon will be there.  Now if only I can remember to bring my books so she can sign them.  Anyway, without further ado, I present my schedule.  My pre-con comments are in blue.

Fri

9:00 PM

Dogwood 1

It's The End of the World (As We Know It)

"Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and  seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes! The dead  rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass  hysteria!" Join our panelists as they discuss the best ways to end the  world.

 This is a no-brainer for me, but I'll see what everyone else says.

Fri

11:00 PM

Restaurant

Paranormal Romance Readings

Readings by several of our paranormal romance authors.

 At 11pm?  I hate to say it, but 11pm is my bedtime.  I hate it when I don't get any sleep during a convention.  But…I'm also very forgiving. 

Sat

4:00 PM

Signing Table

Marcia Colette Signing

I'll be signing with the fabulous Jane Oliver.  Although, I doubt much pen action will occur because this is the only time Jana and I have time to catch up these days.  We'll probably spend more time talking up a storm.

Sat

5:00 PM

Dogwood 2

Far Out (or Way Far Out) Scientific Concepts You Need to Know  About

Are you interested in the cutting edge of scientific research?  We'll be discussing such things as Cold Fusion, Zero-Point Energy, Out of  Body Travel, Nanotechnology, Higher Consciousness, the Mayan Calendar, Exotic  Space Propulsion, Anti-Gravity, Parallel Universes, and more.

Great.  I have to do homework for this panel.  Yes, I LOVE new concepts along the sci-fi lines, but it's the research I hate.

Sat

10:00 PM

Boardroom 1

Romance vs. Erotica – How Much Is Too Much?

Back by popular demand. There can be a very fine line that  separates romantic fiction from erotica, and the audience's expectations for  each can be quite different. When does one become the other, and how far can  an author go?

I can't IMAGINE why this panel is back by popular demand.   I tend to get a little "too real" when the topic of what's off-limits comes up…and usually, the audience catches me saying stuff that make me thankful my mother isn't in the room.

Sun

9:00 AM

Boardroom 1

Care for a Chick-Lit?

Why is the main character in paranormal romances usually female?  Is the audience meant to be women only?

Chick-lit and paranormal romances?  I sure hope this panel isn't about Mary Janice Davidson because I don't have a clue her.  I've tried the Betsy books and couldn't get into them.

Tagged: Conferences/Conventions, MystiCon

No matter how bad the Underworld series gets, I will always be a loyal fan because these are one of the FEW movies that has gotten kick-ass heroine and urban fantasy right.  Although, Lt. Ripley of Aliens remains my most favorite kick-ass heroine today.

So with that being said, I think Underworld: Awakening is my favorite of the whole series. 

First off, I like that they brought the world into a world that more familiar to me.  I've always had a hard time with where they filmed because I couldn't relate to the setting.  Perhaps that's also why it's taken me so long to get into historical romances and why they have to be exceptional for me to really get into them.  But not to go too far off on that tangent, let me bring it back to my point.

Second, I liked Eve.  OMG, I loved Eve.  Such a nice spin on things by introducing her.

Third, no Speedman, Speakman, or whatever his name is.  Honestly, I never thought much of him other than he looked greasy and smelly.  But that's just me.  I think it was that nasty looking wet hair of his that made him look more like a wet dog.  Sorry, ladies, but I like my guys clean.  Not necessarily clean-cut, but they have to at least look like they put a comb through their hair and took a shower.  Since he was–I think–in the movie for about a total of five minutes, I was especially thrilled.

Fourth, Stephen Rea.  This guy can act the hell out of role no matter what he's given.  I really didn't want him to be the bad guy, but got over that really fast when his sliminess grew on me. 

Fifth, the black guy didn't die.  Oh, yes, I went there!    I so hope they keep Detective Sebastian in the next installment because being who he is, I think, adds that sweet touch of vulnerability that we need to see.  He's a reminder that this is a dangerous world, so that we don't become numb to the kick-assed-ness that everyone else seems to have.   The best way to survive it is to be careful and smart about the friends you make.

Six, David.  Now he's a cute guy who'd make a nice complement to Selene.

Seven–saving the best for last–Selene.  She just gets better and better.

It was the a very fast 90 minutes that they should have extended to at least 2 hours.  Oh, and I saw this in 3-D only because I had a free movie pass.  Otherwise, I'd NEVER pay for a 3-D movie.  To me, it does nothing for the plot to justify the extra cash.  But that's not what won't push me into the A range.  I just feel like the movie was a little rushed because they had spent so much money in the special effects that they couldn't afford to make it longer.  So, I'm giving this movie a strong B+.

Have you seen any good movies lately?

 

Tagged: review, urban fantasy

Well, I had just the most fantastic time this past Wednesday night.    Yes, I’m talking about my reading at Lady Jane’s Salon.  The night started off with some food, which was delicious.  I had the chili at the Hibernian Restaurant and Pub, since I had a lousy ham sandwich before I left my house.  After some good conversation with 2/3 of the directors–Claudia Dain was sick–Get well, girl!–people started coming in around 7pm with their gently used romance books.  Seriously, I could’ve given them a couple storage boxes full.

My reading buddies for the night were the lovely Becky Moore (a.k.a. Dolly Dozier on my left) and Catherine Gayle (on my right).  Both women have books you NEED to check out.  I’m slowly getting into historical romance, and I swear every time I turn around, there’s something I need to read.  Catherine’ Twice a Rake was definitely it.  And though I’m not into straight contemporary stories to so much, I’ll be purchasing a copy of Becky’s Guardian Angel.

Anyway, just when I thought the night of fun, laughter, and good times couldn’t get better, it did.  You see, remember that write-up I did on Musa Publishing?  Well, I had no idea that Elspeth McClanahan from Musa would be in the audience and she liked my reading of Hazardous Environment.  I was so excited and surprised, but more important than that, I thanked her and the rest of the Musa staff for trying to do the right thing.  I even told Elspeth (a.k.a. Dominique Eastwick) that I had done a write-up on my blog about them and sent her the link to read it.  Of course, at the time, I didn’t have a dog in the AMP and Musa fight, but I know where I’m burying my bones and that’s in Musa’s corner.    They’re holding their own and that’s a good thing.  It was also refreshing to talk business with Elspeth because we both know that the publishing world is changing and authors are changing with it.  The hardest part of this business doesn’t change whether you’re with a publisher or indie.  Marketing and promo sucks and trying to stand out among the crowd is like hitting up against a brick wall.  But, I think I can speak for Elspeth by saying getting one good book in the hands of a one reader makes it all worth while.

Now, I’m off to start reading my copy of Shifting Hearts. 

By the way…I’ll be heading off to the next reading on February 29th where Lady Jane’s will be hosting Eboni McKenna, Mari Freeman, and Ava Stone.  I.  Can’t.  Wait. 

Tagged: lady jane's salon, publishing, Reading

Well, I had just the most fantastic time this past Wednesday night.    Yes, I'm talking about my reading at Lady Jane's Salon.  The night started off with some food, which was delicious.  I had the chili at the Hibernian Restaurant and Pub, since I had a lousy ham sandwich before I left my house.  After some good conversation with 2/3 of the directors–Claudia Dain was sick–Get well, girl!–people started coming in around 7pm with their gently used romance books.  Seriously, I could've given them a couple storage boxes full.

My reading buddies for the night were the lovely Becky Moore (a.k.a. Dolly Dozier on my left) and Catherine Gayle (on my right).  Both women have books you NEED to check out.  I'm slowly getting into historical romance, and I swear every time I turn around, there's something I need to read.  Catherine' Twice a Rake was definitely it.  And though I'm not into straight contemporary stories to so much, I'll be purchasing a copy of Becky's Guardian Angel.

Anyway, just when I thought the night of fun, laughter, and good times couldn't get better, it did.  You see, remember that write-up I did on Musa Publishing?  Well, I had no idea that Elspeth McClanahan from Musa would be in the audience and she liked my reading of Hazardous Environment.  I was so excited and surprised, but more important than that, I thanked her and the rest of the Musa staff for trying to do the right thing.  I even told Elspeth (a.k.a. Dominique Eastwick) that I had done a write-up on my blog about them and sent her the link to read it.  Of course, at the time, I didn't have a dog in the AMP and Musa fight, but I know where I'm burying my bones and that's in Musa's corner.    They're holding their own and that's a good thing.  It was also refreshing to talk business with Elspeth because we both know that the publishing world is changing and authors are changing with it.  The hardest part of this business doesn't change whether you're with a publisher or indie.  Marketing and promo sucks and trying to stand out among the crowd is like hitting up against a brick wall.  But, I think I can speak for Elspeth by saying getting one good book in the hands of a one reader makes it all worth while.

Now, I'm off to start reading my copy of Shifting Hearts. 

By the way…I'll be heading off to the next reading on February 29th where Lady Jane's will be hosting Eboni McKenna, Mari Freeman, and Ava Stone.  I.  Can't.  Wait. 

Tagged: lady jane's salon, publishing, Reading

I'm thrilled to announce that Hazardous Environment is finally out.  Woohooooooooooo! You can always go to Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.  It's still processing at B&N, but for all of you Nook lovers, it should be up soon.

And don't forget.  Tonight, I'll be reading an excerpt from HE tonight at Lady Jane's Salon RDU.  So definitely come out if you get a chance because I won't be reading alone. 

In the mean time, here is an excerpt…

***

Donna Tucker's bewilderment turned to rage. She fisted the thermometer, ready to sling it across the room, if it didn't break in her grip first. Dammit, why isn't anything working?

She tore away from Eloisa Grazer's bedside and stormed back to the desk, where her herbs lay and jars collected. Ever since the fever had struck the werecheetah down, Donna had pretty much set up a vigil at her bedside. Donna had brought everything from her hovel in the woods to Eloisa's small home on Tomlinson Drive in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nothing worked. Not a damn thing. Never had she felt so inadequate in all her life.

What was she missing? There had to be something. The root woman used everything from catnip to hyssop combined with licorice root and thyme. She even created a grape poultice for the blisters creeping across Eloisa's skin. Infusing her remedies with a touch of earth's spirit for an extra boost did nothing.

Donna slammed her fists on the wood surface. Lightning flashed across the windows from behind the closed curtains. Thunder rumbled so close by that she could've sworn it upturned the wheat fields down the road.

She couldn't let Eloisa die. The old woman was one of the elders, a matriarch of the Charlotte Coalition. Many held her in the highest esteem, even those from the adversarial Triangle Coalition. Eloisa helped solidify peace between the two factions to ensure their futures, since werecheetahs were an extremely rare breed. With the amount of bad blood between the two clans, there was a lot riding on Donna…especially since she was affiliated with Triangle clan and on "loan".

Loan my ass. I'm nobody's property. Donna tried hard to concentrate on her patient and not cat-shifter politics. Unfortunately, it touched too close to her personal life. Her parents acted like she was property, trying to decide her future and all. Well, she sure showed them.

Showed them what a failure she was.

Things would have to change. Donna wasn't a commodity to be traded. She certainly couldn't afford to be at their beck and call either. As much as she liked the werecheetahs, they weren't, and would never be, her only clients.

The bedroom door swung open, slamming against the wall. Another woman rushed in carrying a sack of herbs…and Donna's last hope.

"Did you have trouble finding her home?" She snatched the cloth bag from Jodi, a friend of Eloisa's daughter.

She shoved the drenched hood off her head and began peeling off the raincoat that hardly did any good at keeping the water at bay. "A little, but at least everything is there. I reached Rio, too. He's on his way, but it might be a while because I-40 has three pileups on it between here and Raleigh."

Another streak of lightning caught her attention. "Thanks. Now, get out."

Jodi nodded once before closing the door behind and leaving the root woman to her duties.

Donna meant nothing by her rudeness, and thankfully, Jodi understood. The root woman worked better without an audience. Plus, she had arrived from her Uncle JoJo's funeral in Lexington, Kentucky, that afternoon. Before that, she spent the past month running from one state to another, treating patients who lacked health care, didn't trust health care, or couldn't seek health care due to their preternatural affiliations. Her job was nonstop, and the tension riding on her nerves was proof. Now she was paying for it because she had exhausted all her knowledge to the point that she had to ask another root woman for advice. For a woman with her experience and natural talents, that was unheard of.

It had been three days since Eloisa broke her leg in the woods while on a nightly run. The combination of earth magic and roots should've drawn out the infection and made her fever subside by now. If anything, they were having the same effect as baby aspirin. If the fresh roots from her friend Moira didn't work, nothing would. Moments like this made her wonder if going to medical school might have helped Eloisa.

Can't think about that right now. Need to focus. Need to use what I've got.

Donna separated seeds from pods and ground dried leaves into a fine powder. She soaked things like Hypericum, calendula, and echinacea in alcohol and sprinkled them over a potion steaming on a hot plate. She knew the ingredients and the incantations by heart, so there was no need to look anything up in a book that would slow her down.

When she finished, she had something that looked more like a flattened version of Jesus's thorn crown. In the center was a series of mixtures that would work together to help soothe Eloisa's pain…she hoped. She wrapped the poultice with a rag she soaked in red wine and vinegar and placed it on the open wound. Had it not been for Rio, that bone would still be sticking through the skin.

Her hand lingered on top of the poultice. A gasp slipped from her mouth, choking off what should've been a prayer. Her throat tightened and a tremble worked into her bottom lip. Eloisa couldn't die. Not on her watch. Not while the stench of sickness and antiseptic corroded her nostrils.

Donna hated sick people. In her ideal world, nobody would be sick, let alone on her deathbed. Especially Eloisa, when more than thirty people who loved her like a mother were waiting one room over to hear some news. News that she, their matriarch, would survive. Important or not, she meant something different to the root woman. This was her patient, who lived and breathed and had purpose beyond being a werecheetah.

A tear broke away, slipping down her cheek. She wiped it away. Not on her watch, dammit. Not on hers. Carefully, she tied the ends of the wrap together around her leg and rechecked the makeshift splint that held her fragile bones in place.

Donna slumped into a nearby chair and waited—again—hoping and praying it worked this time. Hoping that it would be enough. If only Gaia can wait a little longer. She knows me enough to know that I'd never break my promises.

A rough hand landed on Donna's shoulder. She woke with such a start that she nearly choked on her own breaths. Her hand touched the back of Ronan's . Though grateful it was him and not the thing haunting her nightmare, she pulled away and eased her shoulder from his soft grip.

She tried hard not to stare at his chiseled face with the dark, rugged shadow that dotted his chin and thinned out toward his cheeks. She wasn't sure if he purposely shaved it like that or his genes were just that accurate. Either way, she liked it. But there was no way in hell she'd admit that. Donna never mixed business with pleasure because it led to nothing but problems. Her southeast chapter of root women, Women Gathered, had plenty of stories to share, including a few of her own. That was why they all adopted the stance of never dating their clientele, if they wished to remain members of group. For now, the Women Gathered were her only true family.

Ronan was one of the first faces she met when she arrived at Eloisa's house. Donna got the feeling he was there to make sure she didn't poison all the female werecheetahs who were more concerned over their beloved mediator than they were about politics. Nonetheless, he was always in the shadows with his piercing blue eyes, crossed toned arms, and slightly muscled chest. Donna hated that his light-brown, overgrown hair always fell in front of his handsome face.

And just like before, he wasn't smiling. A scowl muted his attractiveness.

Something was wrong, though Donna gave it little thought beyond that. Her mind went somewhere else. She pushed away the blanket that someone had laid over her and stood, her attention landing on an empty bed. "Where's Eloisa? Is she okay?"

Ronan retrieved it from the floor, his grip tightening to knuckle whiteness. "She's dead."

Donna's knees wobbled. Her breath left her in heaves. Normally, she wouldn't have taken a death this hard, but given where she was and whom she worked for, this was not a good spot to be in. But those thoughts only lasted a few seconds before her thoughts turned to Eloisa's family and friends. If she were a real doctor, she might have saved her. Damn.

"Your physician's assistant from your coalition thinks she died while you were asleep."

Donna snapped back to her senses. Her fingertips gently touched the bed where the female cheetah was not that long ago. Her eyes blurred, but she blinked it away. She'd keep her emotions to herself, since that was the professional thing to do. "Have your people buried her yet?"

He nodded. "Yes. No thanks to you."

God, that hurt. But she deserved it. They asked her to come and help, and she let them down. Dammit, Eloisa shouldn't have died because of a broken leg. Granted it was a compound fracture, but her herbs should've stopped the infection. Not turned it into something hideous. Something else was going on.

Uneasiness crept across her shoulders. His pinpoint glare bothered her. If he had planned to throw some more accusations at her, why wasn't he doing it?

Donna didn't have time for games. She glanced at the digital clock that read six in the morning. "I should go, then. But I'd like to pay my respects to her first. And to her family."

"You're not going anywhere near her."

"Ronan—"

"I know the story. Something's wrong with your herbs or whatever mystic magic you're using. Whatever. Jodi told us all about it."

Knowing where this was going pissed her off. "I did not kill your matriarch. What good would her death do me? I have no cat in your fight. In fact, I thought the war was over."

"Oh, trust me, witch. Not all of us are easy with this arrangement, but we do as we're told by our leader. But make no mistake. A treaty won't keep our two coalitions from going to war, if you give us reason enough."

Oh, great. Now he treated her like she was a member of the Triangle Coalition. "In case you've forgotten, cat, I'm a root woman. Not a shapeshifter."

"You came as a recommendation from them. We know nothing about you, and the first time you help us, you kill our own instead. What the hell am I supposed to think? You're a fucking—"

"You're going to want to check that temper." Rio stepped into the room with Sloan, the leader of the Charlotte Coalition. He motioned for his friend Donna to come to him while keeping his glower on Ronan. "I checked her herbs. They're sound. Though I don't know what kind of magic she infuses them with, I know that killing anyone in her job is bad business."

Ronan eyeballed him. "So is that it? Keeping someone alive is just business to you?"

Sloan shook his head as he stepped between both men. "I'm more than willing to give her the benefit of the doubt because I know Dante enough that he wouldn't risk war over something like this. He certainly wouldn't serve up his only two sources of keeping his coalition healthy."

"So?"

"So that means I'm going to return the goodwill."

"Off Eloisa's back. Son of a bitch. I hope the women buried her face-down, because she should be turning over in the right direction by now."

Sloan snatched up his subordinate so fast that Donna gasped and ducked behind Rio for extra cover. Her hand went to her throat just like her heart. She wanted out of this crazy place. People functioning on high emotions after an upheaval like the one they had just suffered was not a good place to be.

"Do not disrespect our dead." Sloan jerked the man again. "Do I make myself clear?"

Ronan's gaze went sideways, avoiding his leader's glare. "Yeah. I got it."

"Good." He released the insolent werecheetah. Shoulders heaving, he turned his hot focus on Donna. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that this was not due to incompetence. But don't mistake that for forgiveness."

"I won't." She slipped by Rio and began collecting her things in the cardboard box she arrived with the previous afternoon. "I'll take my leave and you'll never see me again."

Rio placed his hand on her box, getting her attention. "I've known Donna for a long time, and she's not inept. She's damn good at what she does, and she'll prove it."

"What for?" Ronan asked. "Eloisa's dead. Whatever she does now won't bring her back, and I doubt anyone will want to risk sores or lesions to find out."

"Sores?" Donna pushed past Rio and stared between the two Charlotte Coalition members. "There are others with blisters?"

Sloan shot his subordinate a quick glance before addressing her. "Only Jodi. She noticed one similar to Eloisa's this morning. But she's fine."

No, she isn't. The lesions didn't start on Eloisa until after she applied the initial herbs she had borrowed from her friend. They continued with the second batch, and now it sounded like they might have infected anyone who touched them. If Jodi touched the herbs, then her days could be numbered just like Eloisa's. Damn.

Donna went back to the box and packed up her things. "I need to visit my friend Moira. She had given me all of the herbs I requested because I didn't have time to run back to my hovel to get mine."

Sloan shook his head in confusion. "Then how did Jodi—"

"She must have touched the herbs. Moira didn't infuse the first batch because it's better if people doing the healing use their powers. I had her infuse the second batch because I thought my powers weren't working."

"But what does that have to do with—"

"Don't you see? It's the herbs, not the power. Something's wrong with them, and if Moira hasn't realized it yet, she will. The hard way."

"But you're not sick." Ronan looked her up and down, eyes creeping across her body like she was a coin-operated dancer in an adult toy store.

Annoyed, Donna shook her head. "Maybe it's because of who or what I am—I don't know. But I know Eloisa won't be the only one who's dead if I don't get to Moira first."

"Do it." Rio went to the chair and pulled her tattered shawl off the back to hand to her. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on Jodi."

"Rio, no," she said in a low voice. As much as she tried to keep her emotions out of it, there was no way she could hide the worry in her eyes.

They'd use him as collateral if she didn't turn up something. Hell, they just might kill him out of retribution. Dammit, he had a family. A beautiful cub daughter and a half-cub son. Not to mention his amazing human wife.

Half-smiling, he placed his hands on her shoulders and met her gaze. "I'll be fine. Besides, if what you say is true, then Jodi is going to need someone to watch over her."

"And if you're worried about going alone," Sloan said, "then Ronan will go with you."

Thanks. I've just gone from worried to terrified. Donna couldn't think of a worse person to be paired with than the guy who'd offer her up as a sacrifice the first chance he got. After all, accidents have been known to happen.

"What?" Outrage flooded Ronan's face with redness. "I'm not going anywhere with her."

"Like the hell you're not." Sloan closed the distance between him and his coalition brother. "This is the least you can do instead of making light of Eloisa's burial. And since you're so hot for justice, this might be your only chance to make sure you're pointing guilt at the right person."

More like at the first person he saw. Donna didn't like this blood-hunt arrangement. All that hotheaded jackass would do was make matters worse in a potentially tense situation. Not only that, but if he crossed Moira the wrong way, the Charlotte Coalition would be burying a second person.

 

Tagged: Hazardous Environment, lady jane's salon