Jen A. Durand's Blog: Thoughts Best Kept Silent, page 2

Twisted Love

In the beginning,we enchanted each other.Intoxicated by the other's touch.Then the cracks started.And the mirrors shattered.We started down a path.To heartbreak.Jen A. Durand

Completed WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: SecretsJaguar Nights: LiesPearl Moon: BetrayalShadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The PlannerThe FixerThe Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s HeartClosing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of Love

True Match Arrangements:Billionaire’s Perfect Bride
Billionaire's Contracted Family
The Young and The PowerfulWitch’s Reflection

Loss ( Except From "Things We Left Unsaid")

Sometimes it felt as if there was no more air left in this world. As if she could not breathe because all of it had been sucked out of the room and there was nothing left for her. It took everything inside of her, not to shatter into a million pieces. To hide her pain from everyone.Taylor gathered her legs to her chest and gasped for precious breath. No one truly understood the way she felt. No one knew what if felt like to lose something she’d been sure was safe inside of her. Someone so precious. The pale buttercream walls, zoo themed accents, and empty wood carved crib. Her daughter’s nursery. The one she insisted they paint together and stocked full of everything a baby could need. How many times had she come in here just to make sure nothing was out of place? She wanted everything to be perfect for the day she got to bring their baby home.Ian tried not to look in the direction of this room. Swallowing hard, she laid her head on her jean covered knees. He wanted to pack everything up. Put the loss behind them and move on. But she couldn’t do it just yet. There was an ache that just would not fade. A sorrow she just could not release.Touching the dark green long sleeved onesie in her hand, she tried to imagine what Reese would have looked like in something so small. Imagine what her daughter would have looked like if she lived. If Taylor had done a better job of keeping her safe.Tears coursed across her nose as she heard a shuffle behind her. Ian must have come home early. She planned to leave the room before he came back. He didn’t like her coming in here. Didn’t like seeing her like this. His grief was more reserved.She’d only seen him cry twice. That night in the hospital and the day they buried her. She could feel the weight of his gaze before he turned and walked away. They weren’t in sync any more. She could feel it and didn’t know how to change it.Or if she had the energy to do more than she was already doing. He was supposed to be the one she could lean on. Instead he made her feel like her grief was taking to long. As if this was a wound that should have scabbed over already. She was trying.She made sure he woke up with her beside him. Smiled as she cooked him breakfast and sent him off to work. Laughed even when all she wanted to do was lay down on the floor of this nursery. This wasn’t healthy and she knew it. But it was what she needed and trying to pretend that it wasn’t… Took a lot out of her.Sniffling she wiped her face and sat up. Taylor wasn’t the same woman he’d married. The passion and strength that had guided her most of her life was nowhere in sight. She felt crumpled and fixing it was hard when all she could see is what they’d lost.Jen A. DurandCompleted WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: SecretsJaguar Nights: LiesPearl Moon: BetrayalShadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The PlannerThe FixerThe Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s HeartClosing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of Love

True Match Arrangements:Billionaire’s Perfect Bride
Billionaire's Contracted Family
The Young and The PowerfulWitch’s Reflection

Mother Nature

Her touch felt like the kiss of the richest velvet.Her breath was as sweet as chocolate.Her eyes?Her eyes were filled with intelligence and held the answers to all life’s questions.She was the past.The present.The future.
She was the beginning and the end.



Completed WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: SecretsJaguar Nights: LiesPearl Moon: BetrayalShadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The PlannerThe FixerThe Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s HeartClosing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of Love

True Match Arrangements:Billionaire’s Perfect Bride
Billionaire's Contracted Family
The Young and The PowerfulWitch’s Reflection

Remembering The Past (Excerpt From "Cold Sun")

“Tell me a story,” Selah said as she laid her head in Talia’s lap.They were in the gardens. Beneath the sunlight and surrounded by flowers. Bryon was off somewhere on Business and Caden was off playing the messenger.Talia looked into her sister’s eyes with an easy smile, “What kind of story?”“Comedy?” Talia played with one of Selah’s curls as she continued, “Drama?”Selah rolled. “Are you done?”“Do you want me to search my mind for a fairy tale?”Selah shook her head. “Talk to me about them.”Their parents. She wanted a story about them. Selah usually avoided talking about them. Talia usually trotted them out when she was trying to teach Selah a lesson her parents taught her.“Something real,” Selah finished as she spun a grape between her fingers.Something real? Translation, something not weighed down by some allegorical less? Searching her mind she nodded and stretched her legs out jostling Selah. Selah shouldered the thigh closer to her and readjusted herself so she remained in Talia’s lap. This was reminiscent of so many of the picnics Talia used to have for her when Selah was younger. They would cuddle together reading, braiding each other’s hair. Talking about school. Or Talia’s latest commission. Their picnics times turned into movie nights, then Selah became a teenager and her friends took center stage in her life. Talia had missed this. “Okay. How about the first time I cast a spell?”Her coven felt that children were better about not abusing their powers when they learned at an older age. Training began in earnest around nine or ten. Before then, the youngest of the coven had their powers bound. An image rose to mind and Talia laughed.“I was ten.” Frowning she took a beat, “maybe Eleven…”“You were one or two. Mom was trying to teach me how to tap into my core. She wanted me to levitate an apple. But it was so boring.”“I know right,” Selah teased impishly.Talia ignored her sister’s response. The basics were always boring but they were necessary. Learning wasn’t always fun, but how could you expect to do anything complicated without the right foundation?“Patrice told me all I had to do was think of air.”“She said my instinctive ability would do the rest. What Patrice did not tell me that air and wind were two different things,” Talia smiled as the scene played out in her head. She did not think she had ever seen her mother quite so surprised.Selah chuckled in anticipation of how this story would end. Her eyes trained on her sister’s face. Talia did not talk about her parents often. Thinking about them felt like a stab to the heart most days. She had not been the best daughter to them.“I sent the apple flying across the room and hit dad right in the face. His nose ballooned and started bleeding in seconds.”Their father hadn’t even been angry. In fact Talia thought he sounded a little proud as he tried to explain where she went wrong. Their mother just laughed as she looked down at Talia with exasperation. A common look on her face, even then.Selah smiled. “You never told me that story.”“It does not show me in the best light.”“It is better.”“Mom used to say you were her second chance.”Talia sighed. Before her mother died, their relationship had been strained. She always expected more from Talia. Better from her. She always said Talia had the power to become the greatest witch of this century.Those days Talia had been struggling to find herself and figure out what she wanted. Her regressions had been horrifying experiences and she was not sure she wanted anything to do with Coven business. Talia wanted to travel and paint, not lead a group of witches.“All the mistakes she regretted with me, she was going to avoid with you.”Selah frowned. “When?”“Right before she died.”They had just fought because Talia felt as her parents had stopped listening to her. Every chance they got they seemed to force their plans for her, irrespective of what she wanted for herself. She was just expected to be the good little witchling and follow the flower strewn path they set for her.“I don’t think she meant it in a bad way. But it bothers me sometimes, when I look at you.” “In what way?”“Mom and Dad did not get me all the time. They thought I rebelled because that is what teenagers did. When really I think I just wanted to get as much living done as possible.”Selah looked up at Talia as if she were in deep in thought. The fact was Talia could feel herself becoming more like her parents. The way they invaded every part of her life and pushed their views off on her. Before Selah’s abduction she had thought it was the only way to honor them. Now she was trying a different tactic.“I could not talk to them.”Talia pulled a lock of Selah’s hair. “We talk. Sometimes I forget that I am the adult and I just want to be your sister. Then I remember that I am not just your sister. And I feel like I am the world’s worst parent.”Talia shrugged. “So I over compensate.”“You definitely do sometimes.”Talia poked her in the belly gently. “And you run away.”Selah sat up and crossed her legs. “I am supposed to run away. It is what kids do, Talia. I do it because I know I will always have a home to come back to.”Talia smiled wryly. “Somehow that is not comforting.”Selah picked up another grape and threw it at her. “You need to have a baby. Something small and helpless to focus on.”Talia’s eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed. “That is not happening.”“Imagine. A boy with sweet deep dimples and wide set eyes.”
Talia placed a hand on her cheek. “I have enough on my hands with you and the secrets I know you are keeping.”



Jen A. DurandCompleted WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: SecretsJaguar Nights: LiesPearl Moon: BetrayalShadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The PlannerThe FixerThe Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s HeartClosing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of Love

True Match Arrangements:Billionaire’s Perfect Bride
Billionaire's Contracted Family
The Young and The PowerfulWitch’s Reflection

Dark History (Secrets, Lies, and Betrayal Novella)

There was a shift in the air when he arrived. Her teeth ached with need to sharpen, even as she kept still. She waited for him to speak. His appearance was not unexpected. There had been whispers of his return for months now. Lord Tenon Char had been released from his prison by calling in markers nearly as old as time itself.Playing with the stem of her blood filled wine glass, she sighed. Men had no business in positions of power. They thought with their cocks instead of their heads. It was all about their “manhood” and honor. All she cared about was survival.Honor was not capable of keeping one’s head firmly attached to the rest of their body. Intellect and a keen sense of where the wind would blow next. Her people trusted her to ensure they did not fall when enemies came knocking on their door.“You are still as beautiful as always.”Riela took a sip of blood before standing. He was as good as ever. She doubted her guards were aware of his presence though she would have them reprimanded anyway. Tenon was a threat they should be weary of. She’d have to call Talia and request stronger safe guards were placed on them. He should never have been able to get on her land without setting off the alarms put in place.There had been a time, long ago, when she would have burned the world just to see him. Tenon could have asked her to rip her heart out of her chest and she would have done it. He meant that much to her. Eventually a time came when she would have hid just at the mention of his name. When the sounds of his footsteps caused uncontrollable tremors and his laughter brought flashbacks of pain. He was the one who taught her sex and power were tools of a trade and nothing else.It was late. The only light in her room came from the fire she’d been sitting beside. Her thoughts on just how she should proceed weighed on her shoulders. The Council was gathering and this time she’d received an invitation to the exclusive meeting. Every leader had. Something was brewing and it had the animals rattling their cages.Her flawless chestnut brown skin glowed gold beneath the red and orange tinge of the light. She was not wearing clothes. She never did when she wasn’t in mixed company. The feel of it was just so constricting.They were born onto this world naked and exposed… And from that moment on others pushed clothes as if it were a necessary second skin. There was no part of her body, Tenon hadn’t seen or hurt once upon a time. To cover up now would cede some of her power over to him.“This is not a place you should be.”Tenon stepped of the ledge of her window and smiled at her words. He knew he wasn’t welcome, he just did not care. He did what he wanted to who he wanted and everyone else just had to live with the consequences.“I want to propose an alliance.”“That’s unfortunate.”“This is not a time to hold grudges.”Riela laughed and circled her chair, “I am not the one holding a grudge Tenon. I know where you have been. We all have.”A thousand years he’d spend in that isolated prison with his people. Locked away from the world he’d wanted to decimate and conquer for his own. Who knew the shifters were capable of pulling together such a concentrated amount of power?Instead of learning from the very mistakes that had led to his imprisonment. He would rush head first into another plot for revenge. Dragging his people down that dark path right along with him.“We were betrayed.”“You were reckless,” Riela taunted.The Chars had been used as a lesson. Attempt to upset the balance between magic and mortals and be prepared to spend eternity buried where none would ever find you. She did not love being told what to do by the chattel, but she did know better than to try their hand.Besides, she and her coven own seventy percent of the blood distribution banks. Humans were a major source of her wealth. That and the plasma substitute her scientist had cooked up fifty years ago. Wiping them out and enslaving what was left would put a major dent in her profit margin.“This time there will be no council to stop me.”“Many things have changed since you were imprisoned but the council has not. Try what you attempted to do before and they won’t need a witch to bring you low. They will tear you and anyone who helps you apart.”And she would help them just to hear his screams of pain. She could not think of a man she hated more than Tenon. No amount of time would change it. He was a reminder of the weakness she had to burn away.The face of an angel surrounded by a halo of platinum curls, he looked so deceptively sweet. His surface hid his twisted nature. Though his eyes were finally starting to turn. She could see the perverse darkness in his gaze.“Not if I destroy them first.”The Council could be a thorn in her side. They were so protective of mortals. Always issuing threats when her people did what came natural to them. There was nothing like the feeling of terror mixed in with the blood. It was almost as much of an aphrodisiac as the taste of stated lust. But they also served a purpose. The Weres, the elves, every magical being on this earth needed to be kept in balance. Not for the sake of the mortals but for the sake of all magic. Allow one faction to gain too much power over the others and there would be all out war.“You could try.”“I will succeed.”Riela shrugged nonchalantly, her high firm breast trembling from the movement. “If you are so sure of yourself. Why are you here?”“It is only a matter of minimizing casualties. If we combined forces…”“If we combined forces, you would betray me the second the last of the council members bodies hit the floor.”“Is it a betrayal if you expect from me,” Tenon asked with a predatory smile.His platinum blond hair reflected silver as he took another step toward her. She did not step back. He would not intimidate her. She was stronger now. More than capable of protecting herself.“No one would join in an alliance with you, Tenon. You are a marked man.”“Do you bow to the dogs now?”She ignored the taunt.“Rejecting my offer is a mistake.” He said as he took another step closer. He thought he was intimidating her by closing the distance between them. Instead she closed the distance and smiled. “When the Council recaptures you, I will watch as they drown you in holy water.”Tenon scowled as she pointed toward the window he’d come in through. “See yourself out before I call my guards.”“If you are not my friend, you are my enemy.”Her fangs lengthened and her nail elongated at the obvious threat. “I am not the same woman you abused and you are not the powerful general you once were. Leave this place before I prove how weak you truly are.”Tenon looked stunned as she raised her hand and scrapped the side of his face with a single nail slowly. Blood slipped from the wound and down her finger. She’d questioned attending the summit before. Unsure why she’d trouble herself with the affairs of shifters and mortals. But he was planning something and Riela was curious to see it play out.He jerked away from her and lifted an arm as Riela slid her hand over his heart and tested the skin with her nails. “Before that blow lands I will have your beating heart in my hand. Leave Tenon. Before I finish you here and now.” He’d made a mistake coming into her home alone and now he knew it. He could see her threat was a real one. She was not the whimpering fool she’d been for him.
Tenon left and she stared at the blank space before her. Perhaps she could garner good will with the animals by informing them their prisoner had indeed escaped. It never hurt to have friends in low places.
Jen A. Durand
Completed WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: SecretsJaguar Nights: LiesPearl Moon: BetrayalShadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The PlannerThe FixerThe Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s HeartClosing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of Love

True Match Arrangements:Billionaire’s Perfect Bride
Billionaire's Contracted Family
The Young and The PowerfulWitch’s Reflection

Where Do I See Myself In Five Years...

Someone asked me that question during a mock interview and it floored me a little. Not because I do not think about my future or what I want in that future. But because the way I think of it is not in the way a prospective employer or business partner. In the same way I do not think of success in terms of awards or accolades.I do things, not in the hopes that they will be well received, but in the hopes I never regret not doing it. People say it is better to say sorry, than to ask for permission and be denied. Stepping into this world of adulthood it is becoming more and more apparent that nothing in life happens according to plan.In some ways I guess I believe in fate. Not in the sense that people have no control over their future, but in the sense that there are things people have to go through. There is hurt people have to feel and lessons people have to learn.
I live a relatively tame life. I personally think that I am a boring person. Individually. My family as a whole has its moments. But me on a daily basis is the normal grind of a girl trying to carve out a life of success for herself. Maybe it's because I write female leads with such dramatic, comedic, and amazing sex lives that my life just pales in comparison?
I work, hang with friends or family, cook, write, respond to emails. Occusionaply on my off hours I do legal research for family members who believe I live off of prayers and plates of rice. (Though I shouldn't complain too much because they do feed me and prayers are always appreciated.) My present is full, crazy, stressful, busy, and happy for the most part. My future will hopefully be the same way.When I think of the future it is not in set markers. I think about it in the sense of personal success. I approach work with the mindset that my hard work may not always be rewarded, but at least I know I did the best that I could.
In five years, I want to be stronger, wiser, and smarter than I am today. I want to be surrounded in a eco system of love. I want to own a house. Run a financially solid business. Excel in my professional field and be the kind of person I have always wanted to be.I hope to be independent and happy in whatever position I am in because I know I have dreams and the tools to reach them. Now try saying all of that to a prospective employer and not feeling like you have talked to much. Hence why that is a question I am constantly searching for the canned answer for. The future a fluid thing with all sorts of ripples and waves. I have no clue where I will be or the people who will be beside me. But I do know in five or ten years I will be successful...
Because in my mind I am successful here and now. Just by being able to be myself, learn, change, mold my future, and reach for what I want without asking permission, but occasionally tossing apologies over my shoulder.

Completed WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: SecretsJaguar Nights: LiesPearl Moon: BetrayalShadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The PlannerThe FixerThe Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s HeartClosing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of Love

True Match Arrangements:Billionaire’s Perfect Bride
Billionaire's Contracted Family
The Young and The PowerfulWitch’s Reflection

Quiet

There are times when I feel unloved.When those around me seem like figments of my imagination.Their thoughts foreign and filled with indifference.
During those unloving moments,my thoughts race,my heart sinks,I wish for just a moments peace.
During those unloving moments,my skin feels dark and covered with rashes.My lips cracked and bleeding.
There are times when I feel unloved.When the silence and the dark mingle together.I try to love myself but sometimes things are just so quiet.Jen A. Durand
Completed WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: SecretsJaguar Nights: LiesPearl Moon: BetrayalShadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The PlannerThe FixerThe Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s HeartClosing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of Love

True Match Arrangements:Billionaire’s Perfect Bride
Billionaire's Contracted Family
The Young and The PowerfulWitch’s Reflection

The Proposal – (Wintr's Homecoming Novella)

It is not what he says, but the way that he says it.
We are not perfect. I am not perfect. But he makes me feel faultless.
      Jinx slowly lifted the zipper of her skirt and tucked her silk yellow blouse in. It was date night and Dominic was taking her somewhere special. She smiled as she bent foreword to take in her reflection. She had gathered her curls into a high pineapple bun and purposely curled her bangs to frame her face. The “V” of her shirt showcased her breasts without reveling too much.      Breathing deeply Jinx began to hum beneath her breath. Loving someone as much as she loved him should have sent her running. It had in the beginning. But the time he invested in building the trust between them eased the worst of her fears.      A year ago she had been a happy single. Dominic had been a part of a past she never wanted to remember. His reappearance sparked a change. Love and adventure rushed in to shake things up, and wake her from the quiet cycle of life she had been stuck in.      “You look beautiful.”      The deep rumble of his voice spread warmth through her. She picked up her pearl earrings and turned towards him, a smile spread across her lips. Dominic wore a fitted black Karl Lagerfeld suit. Her mouth watered at the sight of those cleans lines and the way the arms molded to his biceps. She was a lucky girl.      “You are looking pretty handsome yourself.”      Dominic’s grey eyes glinted as he approached her, a satisfied smirk on his lips. Jinx slipped on her earrings as she met him halfway. His hand slipped onto the small of her back as he bent his head forward to kiss her lips. Jinx fell into his embrace with an eagerness she used to resent.      Dominic had burrowed so deeply under her skin she could not explain where he began and she ended. When he pulled back she placed her hands on his neck and caressed the line of his jaw softly.      “I love you with everything I have.”      Dominic pushed at the collar of her blouse to revel their mated mark. “I love you with everything we have.”****      Dominic placed his hand onto Jinx’s knee as they crossed the bridge out of the city. She leaned back and turned to face him. It had been a crazy year. So many things had changed. They had been tested and every near miss brought them closer together. Their connection was so much more then he ever thought it would be.      Jinx had no idea what he was planning. He wanted it that way. Otherwise she would find an excuse to avoid it. She did not like sudden changes. He had to ease her into things. Streetlights flicked over her truffle brown skin. Highlighting her high cheekbones and almond shaped eyes. She bit plump cashmere brown lips and placed her hand over his.      This was his future, and present.****      Dominic drove through the gates of a manor. Jinx frowned as she looked around. They were forty minutes out of the city. She thought they were going to dinner at an out of the way restaurant. Instead he had brought her here. Trees lined the graveled road they drove down.       “Where are we?”      Dominic said nothing as he pulled into a circular drive and stopped the car. He got out and Jinx's mind started racing as she looked out of her window. Dominic pulled her door open. Even in the dark Jinx could see the elaborate design of the manor. It had tall archways and columns.      Jinx faltered at the sight of hundreds of lit candles and strewn rose petals. A table with an emerald green tablecloth and covered plates sat at the entrance of the home. Her breath caught in her throat as Dominic stepped in front of her and lowered himself onto a single knee.Her brain stopped functioning. This wasn’t happening. They agreed a wedding was unnecessary. The thought of the ceremony sent her into a panic. They were already pretty much stuck with each other. No one was going anywhere. But to take that final step seemed too much for her to deal with. As irrational as that was.      He pulled a dark blue box out of his pocket and held it up. Jinx’s hands clenched as she fought the urge to reach out and touch it. Her heartbeat pumped hard. This was not happening. She was home. Sleeping. Dreaming.            “You are opinionated. Stubborn. And often more then I can handle.”      Jinx chuckled even as she stared down at the tiny object in his hand. It wasn’t a ring. He is messing with her. He had to be.      “But I love you. I love our life together and want to continue the future we are building,” Dominic continued as he opened the ring box to revel an amber set gold ring.      Jinx knees weakened and she pitched forward slightly. Dominic pulled the ring out and took her left hand in his. This was happening. He was proposing and Jinx could not move. She did not know where to go.      “You used to be afraid I would leave first. I used to be terrified something would happen to send running further then ever before. I am sure you are looking for the nearest exit even now.”      “Then why are you doing this,” Jinx exclaimed finally able to say something.      “Because allowing fear to guide us will only cause regret. We deserve better,” Dominic slipped the ring onto her finger then turned her hand palm up to pressed a kiss there.      “Marry me.”      “That is not a question.”      Dominic stood up and stepped closer to her. His hands settled onto her waist as he looked down at her. Love radiated off of him. Jinx placed her hand over his heart as she stared into his grey eyes.      “I am not asking you. I have learned by now that giving you an option in these matters usually ends in you getting your way.”Jinx smiled wryly and looked at the ring. At its very center was a dragonfly stuck in mid flight. Its wings fully spread. The ring fit her. It was not too big or ordinary.      “I am not the best with orders either.”      “You follow them more often then you don’t,” Dominic replied as he slid a hand up the side of her rib cage then slipped it under her chin.      He tilted her face up and bent forwards to kiss the tip of her nose then pressed his forehead to hers. “Marry me. Marry me and I promise the years we have together will be filled with more good things then bad.”
Jen A. DurandAuthor of The Secrets, Lies, and Betrayal Series and The Virgins Club, www.Durandpublishing.net
Completed WorksSecrets, Lies, and Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: Secrets Jaguar Nights: Lies Pearl Moon: Betrayal Shadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The Planner The Fixer 
Lipstick Diaries:She Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad Boy
Confident Meets Cold

The Prince’s Heart Things Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesLasting Kind Of LoveTwins For ChristmasClosing The Deal

First Impressions (Excerpt from "Stuck Between Two Millionaires")

5

Ari dropped to her knees and crawled under the desk to check the wires of the server located there. Her boss had submitted multiple complaints about a loud noise. She was more of a programmer than a technician.Kyle, the world’s biggest coward and the only supervisor over her, insisted she be the one to go. Everyone else was afraid of Mr. Devon Montgomery. He was well known for having a wicked temper and a forthright personality. She was the sacrificial lamb.Mr. Montgomery was tall, dark, and handsome. Smooth umber skin, muscular build, and rich. He made even the gay males in the secretarial pool drool when he walked by. When they weren’t trying to avoid looking bored or incompetent. Biting her lip, she used a screwdriver to pull off one of the protective wall casings. She had already turned on the server and hadn’t noticed any excessive noise. It wasn’t as if she did not have anything better to do. Her morning had been light, she’d spent most of it trying to decide whether she should take a break from seeing Grant for a while.This weekend had been fun and normal for them, but it also threw her heart for a loop. They’d fallen into a routine and while her mind understood she was not the one for him. Her heart was starting to write checks it could not afford. Especially now that she had Sofia.Seeing him cradle the puppy to his chest brought up unwanted images of other little things he would look hot cradling. Ari knew being “Friends with Benefits” with her best friend was dangerous. But her best friend was also a reasonably well-endowed stud who loved her and would do everything in his power not to shatter her heart. Purposely… Of course his breaking her heart was inevitableif she let herself imagine something moresignificantthenfriendship.*                *                *Devon walked into his office to find the unexpected, but definitely welcome, sight of a wiggling round ass in a skirt beneath the side of his desk facing the door. His day was looking up, Devon thought with a smirk before clearing his throat.He heard a slight gasp before the wiggling increased and the most purposely frumpy person he had ever seen reveled herself. Her glasses were huge. Her suit was fitted, but was an unflattering shade of navy and at least three years old.Her hair was pulled back into a low bun, but there were slender tendrils of curls framing her round face. She nervously brushed at her skirt before clearing her throat.“Mr. Montgomery.”“What were you doing?” “I was sent to look into your complaints about the server. I was checking into the wiring.”Devon nodded. “And?”She smiled. “Nothing so far. I could replace the server, but the requisition would take a few days.”The buzzing from the server was annoying, but being disconnected from the network for a few days was not in the cards for him. Eyeing the girl he walked over to his desk and dropped the file in his hand.She stood to the side waiting for him to dismiss her. Devon unbuttoned his black blazer and shrugged it off. He could take pity on her and send her away. He had things to do. Clients to call. But she looked did not look as scared of him as most of his employees did. It was intriguing.“What’s your name?”“Ari Carter.”Ms. Carter… She nervously pulled on her sleeves and took a step back. He smirked. His brother, Fin, always accused Devon of focusing to hard on work. Not looking for the fun in life. Maybe, he was right.“How long have you worked here?”“Two years.”Devon took a seat and eyed the chair across from him. The look of horror on her face was comical. It was obvious she wanted to bolt for the door. She wouldn’t do it though. No one was that brave.At thirty years old, Devon was the CEO of this company because he had a reputation for making money and cuts. He was well aware of the fact most of his employees lived in fear of getting on his bad side and losing their jobs.Ari sat down and tucked her legs together. A tense smile on her lips as she looked at him attentively.“What do you do for the company?”“I am a full time programmer and a part time tech. At least when it comes to you.”“Just me?”“You have managed to put the fear of impromptu firing in minds of most of the IT department.”“Except you?”“I’m good at my job.” Ari remarked with a dispassionate shrug.Devon smiled at the bold statement. “Good to know.”The smirk she gave him brightened her entire face. Though she tried to hide it, she was beautiful. Ari toyed with the edge of her glasses.“I should get back to my work. If you have any more problems with the server. I will put in the forms to replace it.”“Okay.”Giving him another tense smile, she stood up. “Have a good day.”“How about making it a good night as well?”She looked surprised by the offer. Devon stood and circled the desk to look down at her. He had a feeling Ms. Carter, all cleaned up, would be a heart stopper.“Let’s have dinner.”“Does thiscountas sexualharassment?” Ari asked with amischievous look in her eyes.“Maybe inappropriate behavior.”“HR is going to hate having to process those papers.”Devon respected her lack of fear and knew she was enjoying this as much as he did. Taking a step back he offered her a smiled.“They love me up there.”“I don’t mix business and pleasure.”Devon chuckled. “At least you think it would be pleasurable.”“Well, I think that speaks more of my own self confidence than yours.”
Surprised, Devon laughed in a short bark. Ari turned and walked out of his office. He’d been looking for a new distraction and she was just what he needed.Completed WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: Secrets Jaguar Nights: Lies Pearl Moon: Betrayal Shadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The Planner The Fixer The Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s Heart Closing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of LoveBillionaire’s Perfect Bride
The Young and The Powerful
Witch’s Reflection

Inspiration

        I have always loved to read and write. It was my way of relieving stress and experiencing adventure. I lived vicariously through the characters written down on paper. It started with Goodnight Moon, A Chair for My Mother, Oh The Places You’ll Go, and Anansi. Eventually that grew into Sarah Desson books and The First Part Last. Then I started reading series like Christen Feehan and The more I read, the more I wanted to write. To express my reality through words on a page and to draw in readers. There has been many nonstarters and incomplete stories. But they have all expressed a view uniquely special because they all reflect pieces of me. The more I read. The more I learned. The more adventures I went on. Eventually I was struck by the lack of diversity in the romantic and paranormal stories I loved. I come from an ethnically diverse background and wanted to read stories, which paid homage to that.
        The Secrets, Lies, and Betrayal Series and The Virgins Club especially reflects my wishes in many ways. My stories explore a range of themes and my characters make mistakes. They are not cookie cutter; they do not fit into a box or familiar stereotypes. Jinx Wintr (Wintr’s Homecoming) is an overbearing, slightly abrasive, wine drinker with a heart of gold. She is willing to go to hell and back for those she loves. Anaya Jalloh (Jaguar Nights) is a strong independent woman, mother, and leader. She places a lot on faith on fate and the strength of love. Livia Penton (Pearl Moon) has had her life turned upside down and a parasite growing in her belly by the month. She learns that life punches do not have the ability to knock her out. Gleela Joseph (Shadowy Lights) has never known true acceptance among her own kind. She has spent her life living down and scorning her mother. Eventually she comes to appreciate her mother’s ability to thumb her nose at disapproval. These women come in different shapes, colors, ethnic background, and experiences. Their stories are interconnected but can stand-alone. I am constantly rereading these stories and thinking of ways to drive the series forward and explore more of the wonder that comes for expressing a new culture.        Wintr’s Homecoming was the first story I birthed and released into the world. A romantic comedy it deals with the fears and hang-ups of a commitment phobe. There is a slight reverse because the person running away for the bonds of endless love is the woman. She is smart independent with a haunted past and a lot of buried hurt. Jinx wants love but she hates the idea of risking it all for love. Dominic has lived a long life thinking his time would never come. His soul mate did not exist. In the end she comes to him in the form of an old friend grown up into a sensual woman. This is an interracial romance but that does not dominate the story. It is the story of a dominant woman meeting her match in the form of a dominant wolf.        Jaguar Nights is book two in the series and is inspired by the part “Lies” play in the destruction of a relationship. In book one, Wintr’s Homecoming, the reader met Micah. King of the Were-Jaguars. He does not play a major part in book one but small hints are given about his temperament and his marriage. In Jaguar Nights, the reader meets his wife Anaya. She is Queen of the Were-Jaguars by birth. A matriarchal society. Anaya was raised to lead her people with strength and dignity. Micah wanted nothing to do with their tribe and had spent his youth dreaming of a life outside of their small village. Anaya loves Micah as much as she hates the way their relationship. Now they both have to heal old scars in order to continue into a future together.        Pearl Moon is book three. Livia Penton is featured by some degree in the other two books. She is the pregnant ex-girlfriend of the King of Dragons. Hurt by her ex-boyfriend’s disappearing act after her pregnancy announcement. Livia is trying to figure out how to be more then just the party girl she was used to. She was just beginning to get comfortable with the thought of being a single parent when Seiji Kuang, the father of her baby, drops in looking like he had been through a warzone. He is saying all of the things she wanted him to say weeks ago. Doing the things she dreamed he would do. It would have been easy to forget he could not be trusted.        Shadowy Lights is book four. Gleela “Glee” Joseph deals with the part fear plays in a relationship. Glee has loved one man for as long as she can remember. She had been by his side and shared his bed. Yet there is a distance between them. Prince Andris Portè will is the only heir to the throne. All expect him to marry someone of pure blood. Definitely not the half-breed Glee. While she came from the right home, few were willing to overlook the fact her mother was not an Elf but a Nymph. They judged her based off of her mother’s indiscretions and wanted her as far from Andris as possible. Glee let their judgment create doubt and fear. It dominated her actions until finally it pushed Andris away. Now Glee needs to face her fears or lose her chance to be with the only man in her heart.        The Virgins Club was inspired by a phone call with a friend. We were talking about the part sex plays in a relationship and whether a committed relationship can venture anywhere without it. The Fixer (Book One) and The Planner (Book Two) are short reads but take a shallow look at romance where love is not found in the sheets but in the foundation these couples built between themselves. It was fun to write these stories and create these characters whom do not look at virginity as something to be ashamed of, but as something that can be navigated in the hopes that a health relationship can be had.        My inspiration comes from my observations. I watch people, movies, and television. I listen to my friends, and family. I apply the magic of the written word to come up with this unique storyline. These characters sometimes even amaze me. There are times when I am rereading while editing and am struck with the way the scene went. Sometimes it is not you writing and guiding, but your characters taking control. They will come out at the strangest times and will veer off the path you, as the writer, thought you were going to take.


Jen A. DurandCompleted WorksSecrets, Lies, & Betrayal Series:Wintr’s Homecoming: SecretsJaguar Nights: LiesPearl Moon: BetrayalShadowy Lights: FearCold Sun: Obsession
The Virgins Club:The PlannerThe FixerThe Dreamer
Lipstick Diaries:Shy Meets BoldWicked Meets Bad BoyConfident Meets Bold
Solo Romances:The Prince’s HeartClosing The DealThings We Left UnsaidStuck Between Two MillionairesTwins For ChristmasLasting Kind Of LoveBillionaire’s Perfect Bride
The Young and The PowerfulWitch’s Reflection