Maddy Barone's Blog, page 13

Teaser Tuesday 11/21/17: Strong Hearts

Happy Tuesday!

 

I’ve been pretty busy lately, but I decided you deserved a little snip from my current work in progress. It is entitled Strong Hearts and comes out in January. Here is a little conversation between the hero and heroine the morning after their first night together. The heroine is not a morning person. 

Happy Halloween!

However you celebrate this day, I hope you have a fun, safe, and fabulous time!

I know I’ve posted this every year at this time for several years now, but there may be some who haven’t read this little short scene. I wrote this for a fall themed blog hop. This takes place one year after Wolf’s Glory and features a sneak peek at the heroine of Victoria’s Cat as an infant. Enjoy!

 

Glory folded her arms, considering the exterior of the small house her mate had built for her. It was painted white, with a wide porch of natural wood on three sides, and a chimney made of native Black Hills stone climbing the fourth. A wisp of smoke rising from the chimney showed white in the sapphire blue of the late afternoon sky. Glory stepped back a few yards, looking at the postcard-perfect view of the house against the reds and golds of the autumn foliage. It was cute.

Glory didn’t do cute. How could she turn cute into scary? Halloween was only a few weeks away. Except for last year, she’d always gone all out decorating for her favorite holiday. Last year … Well, last year she’d been too busy to do anything for Halloween. Between surviving a plane crash, meeting and marrying a hunky werewolf, and finding out she’d gone forward to a time after Armageddon, she’d completely lost track of the days.

But this year would be different. Glory put her hands on her hips, strolling from one end of the house to the other, considering where the spider webs would look most effective.

“Sunshine.”

At the scolding sound of her hunky werewolf’s voice, Glory turned to see him walking toward her from his mother’s house a hundred yards away. Shadow was, as always, all but naked in just moccasins and a breechcloth. His hair, black and thick and heavy, hung down his back to his butt, leaving his broad, beautifully muscled chest bare. At six feet and six inches tall, he was the only man who made Glory feel petite. Hell, he was six inches taller than she was, and almost outweighed her. The fierce Lakota Wolf Clan warrior, who was a terrifying sight in battle, tenderly cradled a pink and blue bundle in one arm.

“Sunshine,” he scolded again. “You are supposed to be lying down, resting.”

“Quit being so bossy. I just wanted to think about how to decorate for Halloween.” She lifted her lips for his kiss and twitched the edge of the baby blanket aside to peek at their daughter’s face. “Hey, there, little Miss Vicki,” she cooed.

“Sh, she’s sleeping.” Shadow hooked his free arm around her waist and towed her up the steps of the porch into their house. “I thought you wanted to call her Victoria.”

“Well, yeah.” Glory watched him set the baby down in her cradle with as much care as if the afghan Lisa Madison had made was wrapped around nitroglycerin. “Victoria for my grandmother, Jillian for Jill, and Tara for your mom. But Victoria Jillian Tara Wolfe is a big mouthful for such a little thing.”

Not that Vicki had felt that little while she was being born. The books in Kearney’s library talked about the joy and beauty of childbirth. They were lucky she wasn’t allowed to burn them. Joy and beauty, her ass. Still, Glory didn’t remember the pain nearly as vividly she remembered the expression on Shadow’s face: terror and joy and awe, all mixed together, as he held the screaming scrap of humanity that was his daughter in his big hands. Glory wished cameras still existed. She never wanted to forget that sight or that moment in time.

“Hm … I wonder what she should be for Halloween? I think I could put together a little witch costume. Do you think we could get a pointy hat to stay on her head?”

“Sunshine, she’s only five weeks old.”

Glory reluctantly agreed. “She’s too young this year, but soon she’ll be going all around the neighborhood Trick or Treating, going to parties, playing with the boys …”

“PLAY—” Almost too late, Shadow remembered to keep his voice low. “Playing with boys?” he hissed, his eyes taking on that weird werewolf glow.

“Uh-huh. You know, Chase and Raven and Matt.”

His eyes went back to normal. “Oh, her cousins, you mean.”

Glory hid a grimace. Their daughter was going to have a hell of a time finding a boy brave enough to date her. That was years away, though, and Glory’s thoughts were on something in the present. She watched her mate put another log on the fire, admiring the way the muscles in his back bunched and smoothed as he moved. Her mate was mouthwateringly sexy. “For this year, I have the perfect costumes for us.”

He turned in a flare of hair, eyes wide in apprehension. “I don’t wear costumes,” he warned her.

“Good,” she purred. “I like you naked best. I thought I could be Little Red Riding Hood and you could be the Big Bad Wolf.” She let her fingers comb through his hair, smooth down his chest to the knot of the cord that held his breechcloth up. “But I don’t have a costume, so I guess we’ll just have to pretend. If I took off my clothes, could you pretend to take a red cloak off me?”

He swallowed hard. “Sunshine, is it too soon? It’s only been a few weeks.”

“Almost six weeks. Jill says everything has healed up just fine after the birth.” She succeeded in loosening his breechcloth. It dropped, showing that though his words were reluctant, his body wasn’t. She took him in her hand, loving the heat and the weight of him. “I’ve missed you, Big Guy.”

His teeth caught her earlobe. “I’ve missed you, Sunshine. I’ll go slow, I promise.”

“Go as fast as you want, but remember the baby’s sleeping. Don’t roar and howl at the end like you always do.”

“Me?” He let go of her ear to give her a wolfish grin. “Who is it that screams my name when she comes?”

She faked a scowl. “I’m not anywhere near as loud as you.”

Shadow lifted her lightly into his arms and shouldered his way into their bedroom. “We’ll see,” he threatened.

Glory surrendered to his hands and mouth. This was a contest she could live with. And if she lost, well, she could live with that too.

Twenty minutes after their bedroom door closed, a roar and a scream woke the baby. In the cradle her grandfather had carved for her, Victoria blinked startled blue eyes, shoved a tiny fist into her mouth and fell back asleep.

My Aspirin Desensitization Update

It has been two years since I was desensitized to aspirin at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MInnesota, USA. I’ve had several inquiries, both here on my blog and in emails, asking how I’m doing. The answer is I am doing good. Not great, like I-never-had-a-sinus-problem, not lousy, like why-did-I-even-bother.  But good is ten times better than I was before I went to the Mayo Clinic.

That’s an honest answer, but it doesn’t really tell you very much, does it? Let me begin with some background. I have had repeated sinus infections for about 30 years. Maybe only 25. I honestly can’t remember. It seems like my whole life I’ve had sinus trouble. Infections don’t respond well to antibiotics, but I’ve had a LOT of them. Over the years, I have become a connoisseur of antibiotics. In addition to the infections, I also have sinus polyps, which doesn’t help with the infections. Since the antibiotics don’t work, I’ve had multiple sinus surgeries. I might get a few months of relief after a surgery, but the polyps came back in only a few months each time. I also developed asthma. And aspirin or ibuprofen could literally send me to the Emergency Room. I spent years sleeping with a wet pillow and a dry mouth because I couldn’t breathe through my nose. I had NO sense of smell. And somehow, the loss of being able to smell my coffee in the morning was the worst thing of all. It was a nightmare way to live. You get the picture, right? Bottom line: Maddy was miserable.

Then my new ENT told me I had Sampters Triad, also called AERD (Aspirin Exasperated Respiratory Disease) and suggested Aspirin Desensitization. You can read about my actual procedure on an earlier post here.

So, what do I feel like today, 2 years after the procedure? For one thing, my head feels light. No pressure and pain or the weight of congestion.  I can always breathe through my nose. Seriously. Even during two sinus infections I’ve developed in the past two years, I could breathe through my nose. And did you catch that? Only TWO infections??!!! Right now I am suffering with allergies (it’s October, right?) and I feel a little crappy, but this is only a faint shadow of what I used to feel like EVERY SINGLE DAY. And I know it will go away in a few weeks.

I have some sense of smell.  It’s not a vivid as I would like, but this morning I smelled my coffee, even with a little congestion from the allergies. This might be partly because I get a kenalog shot in the spring and in the fall. I had one in May, and it is still working well enough for me to smell my coffee. I call that a win. People who have never lost their sense of smell may not truly understand how wonderful it is to come out of the shower and smell the coffee brewing in the kitchen.

AERD is the kind of thing that can make life difficult. And since it it pretty much invisible, sufferers don’t get much sympathy. People have told me things like, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Better to lose your sense of smell than your sight.” Which is completely true. I even joke about not having to smell the cast box. But imagine not smelling when the toaster catches fire.  Or the roses your husband gave you for your anniversary. Or the scent of your baby’s hair. It IS a loss, but unless you’ve experienced that loss, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.

I am still taking two aspirin a day. I used to use my albuterol inhaler every day, usually multiple times. Now it’s only when I’m going to exercise and occasionally if I start to feel out of breath. The budesonide rinses are out of my budget, so I just irrigate my nose several times a week (more at the moment with the allergies) and use Rhinocort before bed.

When people ask me if I’m glad I did the aspirin desensitization, my answer is a resounding YES. My sinuses are not perfect. I still get a bit congested, and my sense of smell isn’t as strong as I’d like it to be. But just being able to breathe has made my life so much better. Breathing means better sleep, and better sleep means more energy, and more energy means I get to do more of the stuff I want. I’m not much of a drinker, but I can even enjoy a glass of red wine, which two years ago would have sent me into wheezing overdrive. So, yeah, I’m glad I did it.

Almost October!

October is coming soon! It is possibly my favorite month of the year. I know, I know, I always say September is my favorite. But September still has several days in the 90s, and by this time I am sick to death of summer. The change from summer to fall has started, but we’re not there yet.  And this September wasn’t a good one for me. I spent nearly all of it on Tylenol 3 due to the tooth abscess. I did very little writing. I was tired and crabby, and can you imagine how hard it is to write a sexy love scene when you have to hold an ice pack to your cheek? It does nothing for the mood, let me tell you.

A week ago, on September 21, I had a root canal. I’ve had a few root canals before, and they didn’t hurt much.  I remember being a little sore from holding my mouth open so wide for a long time, and a little bruised feeling from the shot. This one was the kind that gives root canals their bad name.  Holy moly, I hurt! Thursday, Friday and Saturday were terrible. Sunday was better. On Monday, I must have relapsed, because I hurt for all 10 hours I worked.  Tuesday was better, and Wednesday was good. Today I chomped on carrots, so I think I have officially recovered. I go back for the second part on October 4. The dentist said it would be painless. We’ll see.

Fun fact: President Todd is loosely based on my dentist. *ahem* My dentist is actually nothing like Todd. I just used the name.

October is going to be MY MONTH. I am going to write like it’s going out of style. I will do some sewing and knitting, and I’m going to spin. You will see some teasers and excerpts. We will have fun!

 

That is all.

Happy Birthday to MEEEEE!!!

 
My birthday is Friday, September 22nd. Yay!!  It’s my favorite day of the year, and might be even if it wasn’t my birthday. My mom says it was the hottest day of the year. I’m not sure if it was literally the hottest day (September weather is notoriously fickle. The high one day is 95, and the next day it might be 55) or if it only felt like it was the hottest day to a woman in labor. At any rate, by this time I feel like the end of hot weather is near, and that is a great thing. To celebrate, I have gathered all of my books which have been published in paperback, plus some swag, and some books from other authors that you may like. Why did I do that? So I can give it away, of course!
I will be sending out a newsletter on Wednesday or Thursday with a link for everyone to enter to win.  I have a tooth abscess, so my funnest birthday present will be a root canal on Thursday the 21st. I guess I sound a little sarcastic, but honestly, part of me is looking forward to it. Anything to get rid of this pain!!!  LOL
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What is Maddy Up To These Days?

Hello, long time no write. The summer is about over and I don’t even know how that happened. I mean, isn’t it August next month? No? Ack!!!!

I have started this blog post three different times, but I can’t seem to get the words I want out in the order I want. I give up. This is a somewhat rambling update on what I’ve been doing for the past few months.

STRONG HEARTS

About two years ago (maybe a little less?) Paige Tyler invited me to be a part of her Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World. I’ve never written a contemporary romance. I like fantasy and paranormal romance. But Paige is such a nice person, and I thought it would be fun to try something different. I wrote Brave Hearts, a story of Dusty Wolfe (an great uncle of Shadow and Taye) and Isabel Ybarra. The was a character in that story who was supposed to be hardly more than a name. But Brutus Gunnison ended up being so fun to write that I asked Paige if I could write his story too. She said sure.  Strong Hearts  was due to the editor on September 15. However, that is NOT happening. I have written most days this summer, but not enough words in a day to finish Brutus and Denise’s story on time. Paige has graciously agreed to allow me to be switched from October release to the January 2018 release.

DAUGHTERS OF THE WOLF CLAN:

I finished Victoria’s Cat and it was published in July. The next story in the series was supposed to be Patia and Ray. But the story I want to tell more is Colby and Gina’s story. I’m calling in Gina’s Wolf. But the series title is Daughters of the Wolf Clan.  So I spent time trying to decide if I should change the series title to Children of the Wolf Clan. But two books are already published with Daughters in the description and on the covers, so that could be messy. I could have a 1 book series call the Son of the Wolf Clan…  You see the conundrum. At the moment, when I try to think of a story for Ray and Patia I have a big blank. But I have a general outline for Colby and Gina. So I should write their story next. Right?

Well… a few weeks ago I was forcibly stuck by a brilliant idea for a new series.

THE GRYPHON LORDS

Over a thousand years ago, there was an ancient race of shapeshifters who wielded magic and controlled weather. The primitive humans called them a variety of names like Dragon, Gryphon, etc, and sometimes worshipped them as gods. Because there were far more males and females, the males were fighting to claim a mate. So many of them died in these battles that the elders commanded some of the young males to be sent to sleep in out of the way places on the Earth. When these males wake in a post-apocalyptic world, they find so sign of their people. The humans can’t hurt them, but they fear the gryphons. On four days a year the humans leave offerings for them on a hilltop. Sometimes it is a cow or some other valuable food. Sometimes it is a man who has been convicted of a crime. In the first book, The Storm King, it is a young woman. Naturally, since this is a romance, the gryphon lord doesn’t eat her. He shifts to a human shape to court her.

I am having a hard time trying to decide what to write after I finish Strong Hearts. Gina’s Wolf? Poor Colby. He’s currently wandering around Nebraska and Iowa in a daze of lost memory while his mate is in desperate need of rescue. Or The Storm King? The woman, a young american named Ashley Quinn, is fascinated, but she wishes he wouldn’t make it rain and thunder every time he’s pissed off.

That is what I’ve been doing this summer. Writing, day dreaming, knitting, and hoping for fall. Not winter, although that will come soon enough. I hope to begin the Tuesday Teasers (or either Gina’s Wolf or The Storm King!) by October 10.

 

See you then!

 

 

Victoria’s Cat Is Out!

 

     Victoria Wolfe, the only daughter of the Alpha of the Lakota Wolf Clan, has a mind of her own. Her father might put his foot down, but when she wants something, she gets it. And she wants Marty Madison. His calm steady nature calls to her volatile spirit. The fact that he turns into a mountain lion at will doesn’t matter to her at all.
     Marty Madison has never seen a woman as beautiful as Victoria. Her lush figure and pretty face appeal to him, but what entices him most is her self-assurance. No demure young miss, she faces the world with a steely core of inner strength. Too bad her father objects to him being a mountain cat.
     They thought the only obstacle to their marital happiness was her father. They were wrong. An evil empire is rising in the east, one which threatens not only them, but the homes and lives of everyone they love. Marty will need all of his steady calm to survive. Victoria will need all her steely inner strength to hold on. In a world under threat, can their love triumph over adversity?

 

Buy it NOW at these e-tailers
Amazon.com
Amazon UK
Amazon AU
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
Kobo

 

Tuesday Teaser 7/4/17: Victoria’s Cat the LAST Part

First of all, to my American readers, Happy Fourth of July! I hope you’ve had a terrific day full of good food and good times. Weather here is hot and humid (93 with 52% humidity is probably a beautiful day for some of you, but I’m sitting in front of the AC with a fan!) so typical 4th of July weather.
I started writing Strong Hearts, the story of how Brutus and Denise fell in love, while I’m waiting for the Victoria’s Cat edits to come back. I’m taking a break from writing today though, to sit and watch TV and knit. The perfect day off for me!
Yes, we’ve come to the end of Victoria’s Cat.  This isn’t the end of the story arc, however. There are more cats and wolves to fall in love and fight for their happily ever afters. There are villains to kill and mates to be saved. Colby must be found. Will Ray recover? What will happen to Patia? I hope to start writing Colby and Gina’s story in February. Since I’m writing Strong Hearts to be part of a Kindle World, I can’t post teasers on my blog. So hopefully starting in February you’ll see the Tuesday Teasers start up again.
Meanwhile, here is the last part of Victoria’s Cat. Do you think this ties up enough loose ends to satisfy you, yet leave enough hanging to make you want to read Colby’s story? Let me know what you think!

Twenty minutes later, she was dead asleep against him. Marty breathed in the scent of her hair. All the pain and weariness and anguish were nothing compared to the feel of his mate beside him. He placed his hand gently over her thigh, rejoicing in her presence. His mate was returned to him, safe and well, and that was worth running two hundred miles with bullet holes.

A soft knock announced Mrs. McGrath with supper. He didn’t move. Victoria didn’t stir. After a few moments, he heard the clink of dishes as something settled on the floor outside the door. A tray, he guessed. Later, he told himself. You can wake Vic up later. For now, he just wanted to savor having his mate cuddled up beside him. She snorted a delicate, lady-like snore. He silently chuckled. He loved her. He must, because even her snores were precious to him. He turned his head and brushed a kiss over her hair.

“I love you,” he whispered, as sleep pulled him under.

 

*    *    *    *

One week later the train, which had been retrieved from where the Kansas-Missouri troops had abandoned it, pulled into the Kearney station. Victoria stared out the window.

“I think every single person in Kearney is here. And more than half the Clan,” she added. Torn between joy at seeing her family, and terror at seeing her family, she swallowed. “Oh, no. There’s dad.”

Marty leaned over to look at the window. “Is he really angry, or does he always look like that?”

“Well, he does look like that a lot.” It wasn’t quite a lie. “Oh, look, there’s mom.”

There were twelve of her cousins on the car with them, all of them waving madly at friends and family on the platform. Victoria waited for them to disembark first. They didn’t. She waved at them. “Go ahead,” she ordered them. “Get off the train and be sure it’s safe like you always do.”

Eagle flashed her a wolfish smile, all bright teeth. “Oh, with dad and the rest of the Clan out there, it’s safe. We’ll wait until you’re done getting hugged by mom and dad. We’ll just stay here where it’s calm and watch.”

Marty stood up, favoring his hip only slightly. “Better go face the music, Vic.”

He stepped off the train first, and turned to steady her. Silence fell as a path opened between them and her parents. She saw other members of the Clan standing a short distance away, silently watching their Alpha. Her father, Wolf’s Shadow, Alpha of the Lakota Wolf Clan, jabbed a finger at Marty.

“You,” he bellowed. “You are the man who married my daughter even though I ordered you to stay away from her.”

“Yes,” Marty began, but her father cut him off with an outthrust arm.

“She was stolen from you!”

“Yes,” Marty tried again.

Her father glowered and raised his already considerable volume. “You ran for two hundred miles with four bullets in you to bring her help!”

“Actually, only two bullets were in me,” Marty said quickly, probably trying to squeeze his words out before her father cut him off again. “It was—”

“Brave!” her father boomed. “It was a brave thing to do. Worthy of a wolf warrior.” He stepped forward and enveloped Marty in a tight embrace.

“Dad.” Victoria rushed forward. “He’s still hurt.”

Her father opened his arms and turned to face his Clan. He put an arm over Marty’s shoulders with a huge grin. “This is my son,” he roared.

The Clan erupted in howls and cheers. Jaw sagging, Victoria stared at her father. “Mom?”

Her mother came and hugged her. “Your father hates to be wrong,” she remarked, “but when he is, he’s a big enough man to admit it. Oh, Vic, you’ve had a hell of a time, haven’t you?”

“It’s been pretty awful,” Victoria agreed. “And it’s not over.” She looked through the crowd to Aunt Carla, Colby’s mom, and her daughter Patia. “No sign of Cole yet?”

Her mom shook her head. “No. But his body hasn’t been found, so we know he’s alive.”

Lisa Madison, her new sister-in-law, stood by Carla and Patia. Eddie had said he and Lisa would head back to Omaha to be with their son in the hospital. Marty would be the acting mayor while they were gone. Victoria shook her head. “And Ray is still in a coma. But the doctors are hopeful. He could come out of it.”

“I hope so. Even in the Times Before, doctors couldn’t save everyone. People think that the world back then was full of miracles, but people died all the time of illness.” Her mom gave her shoulders a squeeze and let her go. “You’ve had a miracle of your own.”

“Marty,” Victoria agreed.

“Have you two had sex?”

“Mom!”

Her mom was unruffled. After nearly three decades with a clan of wolf warriors, she was generally unruffled. “Just wondering. He was badly hurt.”

“Not that badly.” Victoria spoiled her primness by giggling. “We’ve managed to enjoy ourselves a few times in the last couple of days.”

“My hope of grandchildren is restored.” Her mom chuckled. “We better go rescue your husband before your father kills him in gratitude for saving you.”

An hour later, exhausted by the Clan’s exuberant welcome, Marty plopped down beside her in backyard of the Plane Women’s House. The couch had been carried out especially for them. The celebration had been put on hold so the leaders of Kearney and the Packs could meet. The space was smaller than where most councils took place, and there were more people present, but they made it work.

Eagle, Hawk, Victoria, Renee, and Eddie Madison took turns explaining what had happened when the President of Kansas-Missouri tried to take over Omaha. Everyone listened in polite silence. There was very little discussion. Wolf’s Shadow stood with a grim face to speak.

“The man who calls himself President Todd sent his killers to murder innocent people, including my new son and his blood kin. He is responsible for my daughter being shot. Colby of Taye’s Pack, blood of our blood and bone of our bone, was wounded to the point of death. Colby’s mate has been taken by this man.” He raised a hand, fingers spread, and slowly clenched it into a fist.  “He has promised to bring war against our people.” He paused to look around the gathering. “If he wants war, we’ll give him war.”

Approving murmurs rose to a shout.

“That day will come.” The alpha turned to look down at Victoria and Marty. “But not today. Today we celebrate.”

“My,” Marty murmured into her hair a little later. “Your family likes a party. Was that the Chicken Dance?”

She swayed with him in time to a soft ballad crooned by Aunt Carla. “I think that’s what it’s called. Look. Isn’t it sweet, watching Hawk and Renee dance?”

“It’s sweeter dancing with you.” He put his mouth against her throat and touched his tongue there. “It was only a few months ago that your dad would have killed me for dancing with you like this.”

They were pressed together from breast to knee. It made her think of other activities they could be doing. “I like dancing with you like this, but it’s been a long day. Are you tired?”

“A little,” he admitted, turning them in a lazy half circle. “Not too tired, though. It’s only a fifteen minute walk to my house in the compound. I have a bed there.”

Victoria looked over his shoulder to see who was watching. “I don’t think anyone would notice if we slipped away.”

They made their way stealthily to the edge of the party and made a break for it. They came to the gate in the wall of the mayor’s compound, laughing and panting. The guard there smiled as he opened the gate for them. Marty waved as they passed through. He didn’t speak until they were several yards away. “Did anyone notice our escape?” he asked.

“Just my mom,” she said, and snorted a laugh. “And she won’t tell. She wants grandchildren.”

He hurried her down the street and behind the white mansion Eddie and Lisa Madison lived in. There was a small house there that he led her to. “This is a small house,” he said apologetically.

“It’s cute,” she said politely. “It’s big enough for the two of us.”

He opened the door. “For now, it’s just two of us. Our house will be built before any children come.”

He tugged her down a hall to a bedroom. Not that she needed any urging. She followed his tugging with enthusiasm.

“I’ve heard that the Lakota have special conditions about sons-in-law and mothers-in-law.” He kissed her, a gentle slide of lips over her jaw. “I bet one of them is that the son-in-law must obey his wife’s mother. So if my mother-in-law wants grandchildren it is my duty to make some for her, right?”

His lips hovered tauntingly right over her mouth. “Uh, right. You better get on that.”

He kissed her deeply, then paused to look down at her seriously. “I don’t know what will happen with Todd. We’ve gotten away this time, but it’s not over.”

The memory of Major Ellis’ threats tried to intrude but she pushed it away. “No, it’s not. We still need to find Colby. Gina Summer is still with Todd. And Ray is still out.”

“He’s going to be okay.” Conviction rang in his voice. “Part of me wants to go to Omaha with Lisa and Eddie, but the rest of me knows I need to stay here. Someone needs to mind the store while Eddie’s away. The most important thing is we’re together.”

“We’ll keep each other safe,” she agreed. She laced her fingers behind his neck to bring his lips closer. “Now, can we get on with the grandchildren project?”

He laughed and got on with it.

THE END

Tuesday Teaser 6/27/17 Victoria’s Cat Part 24

Good news! Victoria’s Cat is off to the editor!
Depending on how extensive the edits are, the book will be ready to release on July 11 as planned. I will bust my butt to make sure they are done in time for the promised release date.
Usually when I finish a book, I feel like it is a good story.  Not every time. There have been a couple that I wasn’t happy with, and there have some that I was okay with, and then there are a couple that I thought were outstanding. I think Victoria and Marty’s story is outstanding. Is that wrong to say? I kind of love Marty. He’s quiet and laid back. And loud mouthed Victoria is perfect for him. They are pretty awesome together.
This isn’t quite the end of the book. I’ll have one more teaser on the 4th of July. Wait until you see what Wolf’s Shadow does to Marty!  

Tuesday Teaser 6/20/17 Victoria’s Cat Part 23

Update on Victoria’s Cat. The rough draft is Done!
I want to break out the champagne and chocolate. But actually, I have a date with my vacuum cleaner and duster.