Serenity Snow's Blog, page 38

WIP Wednesday

This week I’m still working on Assassins Core 4. I’ve already started thinking about five. Part of the storyline created here will make up five or another book.

My plan is to move from Alexi and Tatiana to other women in the series or the Assassins Trilogy. Cattail, Sax, Devin, and maybe even Nikita. I’m thinking of giving Slate her own story too. These stories will be shorter, I hope, but who can know. I already have Devin and Cattail’s stories mapped out in my mind. It’s only a matter of which comes first.

I’m also working on the next Cozy Bend Romance book too. I’m just moving slow as I get a feel for the idea and the picture I want to create. I’m going for sexy obviously, fun, and romantic. Nothing too angsty.

Assassin’s Core 4 is a lot of action, romance. I’ll probably add more once I’ve finished the first draft. Tia is changing. Her change is connected to her emotions and magic. I think it’s necessary considering I’ll connect her to another story line. And I’m trying to decide whether to kill April off. I do know the relationship between the two won’t be the same.

Alexi is dealing with Ortiz and the two are pulled into a vendetta neither knew existed. It gets bad. I’m not done yet, I still have maybe ten thousand words left. When I start editing before sending it off to the publisher, I might end up adding more.

Also, both Cozy Bend books were accepted by Evernight. I have four books slated for release in the summer and fall. The third Assassins Core book and three Cozy Bend stories. 

I hope you’re all staying well and safe. 

Pages And Potions

Pages And Potions:

Pretty hot books in this giveaway. Grab yourself a few.

The Madam's Criminal Intent

The Madam's Criminal Intent:

I have six copies of The Madam’s Criminal Intent avaiable.

WiP Wednesday

Edits for Cozy Bend 6 finished and both books submitted. Now, I’m back to working on Assassins Core 4. I got a good laugh out of part of it as I finished going over the rereads before I dived back in. I like Alexi. She’s a bit laconic, dangerous and amours. She a lot jaguar though.
I’m also working on Cozy Bend 7. It’s the story of one of the characters from Cozy Bend 6. It’ll also cover the threads of an arc I started in 5. I won’t go into here.

Assassins Core 4. I’m about 1700 words in but I’m planning to make this one only around 50,000 words as opposed to the last one. I got a bit long winded. I am finally going back to Ortiz and I’m trying something new on the antagonist. I won’t say what in case I can’t pull it off. It might take a few tries to really things nailed just right.  However, I endeavor to improve.

This book also involves Ace a little more. She’s going to be working Ortiz with Alexi because Ace can’t stand what Ortiz is up to.

Here is a brief excerpt.

Alexi slipped into the reception area of her office to find her assistant Max behind his desk.
“Morning boss,” he said throwing her a look. “Got a message for ya.”
She stopped, looking down at the attractive dark-haired male whose brown eyes were like caramel. “From who?” she asked curiously.

“Guy called himself Roderigo Ruiz,” Max said. “He said his boss wants to arrange a playdate with you.”
“Ruiz?”
“Rottweiler shifter and Ortiz’s right-hand man.” He shrugged. “I came up against him a few times in the past. He’s tenacious, but nothing hard to handle.”
“And Ortiz?”

“I think he’s half wolf, but he can’t do a full shift,” he said. “That’s why he surrounds himself with those who can.”
She hadn’t known that. “So, Ortiz wants to meet or is he sending his emissary?”
“Ruiz said Ortiz wanted the meet at Baker’s Dixie Line.”
“Arrange it for—” She glanced at her watch. “Forty-five minutes from now. Tell Slate to get ready to roll and bring along a few friends.”
“I’ll call her first and then him,” he said.
“Good.”

“Your woman called down for you. She said she’s going for brunch with her cousin.”
“Fine,” Alexi said. “I’ll check up on her later. Make those calls, pretty boy.” She slipped into her office and dropped into her chair.
Alexi turned and attached the player to the tablet on her desk and downloaded the files onto it. She then opened one and looked at her device.

The files were of a location, names and pictures of girls. There was also a video included. Alexi opened the file.
It was a brief conversation between Ortiz and Austen Cooley, who was now dead. Ortiz would back Cooley in exchange for a share in the new club he and his brother had been planning to open.

Alexi had taken charge of both the unfinished club and the thriving one. She’d closed the one down for inventory and cleansing it of drugs, but she’d open it back up soon. As for the nearly finished one, she had no real use for it, but she might open it all the same.
​
It could be a money maker, but she was thinking of selling it.
Ortiz’s plan had been to aid Austen and his brother in gaining their freedom from Breakers as long as they allowed him to move drugs through their club as well as sex. He wanted to add a second floor for prostitution.
She smiled. Probably what he wanted to see her about. Well, fuck him. He’d gone after one of her girls. That couldn’t be allowed no matter what the girl’s connection to the agent was.

WIP Wednesday

Finished edits for Cozy Bend 5 and submitted it this morning.  Now, I’m going to finish edits for Cozy Bend 6 which I’ve already started. I’ll submit that one next week. It’s longer than planned because after the first read through I saw a few places where I could expand on the story and did so.
I’ve been doing that with most of my books these days. I’m going to resume working on either Coyote Bound, Sensation 3 or Assassins core 4. I had a few problems with Assassins Core that prompted me to stop and take a look at it. I figured out what was giving me pause. I wanted to make the story focus on another member of the team and that’s just not going to happen that way. Also, I found another loose end from book 3 I had wanted to tie up too. So, I’m going back through my notes to see if I want to just change things so the book focuses on another character, Cattail, or just make the minor adjustments so the book once again makes Alexi and Tia the focus.
Until I can decide that I’ll probably work on Coyote Bound unless I continue having problems deciding on the opening. I have some pages from the last book that I cut and decided to use in Coyote Bound but I’m not sure how to start. And if I do go with Coyote Bound I’ll have to plan the next book which will focus on a different arc because 7 finishes this arc. I like that idea of going back to working with the coyotes for a while. I was thinking of doing a cross-over with the assassins.

Course if I can’t make anything gel, I’ll stick with Cozy Bend or write the next Law and Love book. I have some ideas that floating around in my head that are ready to go.

To read the rest of the post check my website: https://spiceofliferomance.weebly.com/wip-wed.html

What’s Up Monday

I hope everyone is doing well this week. With Covid-19 keeping some of us inside, it brings a bit of a challenge to those used to getting out and socializing with our friends face-to-face. I hope you’re staying safe and inside if you’re supposed to be inside. 

For those of you with kids, I hope you’re finding ways to cope with them underfoot all the time. I also hope you’re having fun helping them with their schooling. 

If you don’t have kids, now is a chance to relax and do a few things around the house you’ve been meaning to. I’m still working on my spring cleaning. I’m also reading more. Take care and stay safe.

Springtime Love

Today’s scene comes from the end of A Butterfly’s Fire. I took it because it really shows off some of the dangers of the ladybug shifters.

Felicia
held her hand over Somali’s chest. “The wand is around her neck and appears
embedded in her skin. We’ll have to take care in removing it.”

“I’m
just going to cut it off her,” he said. Derrick wished he was going to be
around to see the look on Peta’s face.

He’d
tied her to the table spread eagle style just as a precaution in case she woke
before they began. Her shirt had been cut open baring her golden-brown skin and
the silky scrap of fabric of her bra.

Felicia
put a hand on Somali’s stomach, and Somali made a soft sound they both ignored.
He had used a low dose sedative to keep her out just long enough to wake while
he was cutting her.

He
wanted her to feel the pain she’d put him through by not dying that night.
She’d made him wait for this, watch her grow for twenty years too many.

The
broad finger shook as it neared the glittering crystal. The titanium was what
made her so impervious and soon it would do the same for them.

“It’s
almost alive,” Felicia murmured. “This is amazing. It protects itself by
appearing to be nothing more than a tattoo.” Her fingers grazed the crystal,
and she gasped.

Somali’s
eyes opened, and the pupils glowed ruby red.

Somali
screamed, and Felicia ripped her hand away. “Let me free,” she cried. “Now,
Derrick, and I’ll give you the same favor you said you’d give me.”

“What’s
that little snot?” he sneered.

“I’ll
let you live,” she said coldly.

There
was none of the innocence in her face that had marked it all these years. Her
eyes were barely even human as they stared at him.

Across
the table, Felicia was gasping, her color coming back.  

“I’ve
done my homework, Somali,” he told her as he pulled the gun from the holster at
his back. He hadn’t expected this to go smoothly because hell, it never had.

“Derrick,
don’t engage her,” Felicia snapped and picked up the knife from the table.

Derrick
snorted. He’d been prepared to blow her brains out though he knew his window
would be short to get the stones from her.

The
guardian could survive even a gunshot as the body cocooned over and began to
heal. She’d become immortal in that time. So, he’d have to take the stones as
soon as he shot her.

“Peta
will be here soon,” Somali said. “Do you really think you’ll get out of here
with the wand?”

“Peta
won’t look here, little sister.” Felicia laughed at the fear in her eyes that
turned to surprise as she raised the knife next to her. “Oh, yeah. We have the
same father.”

“He
was never my father,” Somali snipped.

“Now,”
Derrick snapped.

Felicia
drove the knife at her chest, and he aimed at Somali’s head and fired.

Serenity Snow (@SerenitySnow23) | Twitter

Serenity Snow (@SerenitySnow23) | Twitter:

still learning Twitter, but I thought I’d hope on there. 

Wip Wednesday

I’ve finished working on Cozy Bend 5 and I’m half way through Cozy Bend 6. I finally decided on a title for 5 and the title for six came to me after while I was researching an element of 6. 

So, I’m doing a read through of Cozy Bend 5 before I submit it. It’s a sequel to 4. Cozy Bend 5 isn’t related to that except in the fact that a few of the characters from 5 appear in 6.

Evernight accepted Assassins Core 3 and I’m excited about that. i know parts of that story might hit a little too hard, but the fact is the series is about assassins and women who live outside the law. I think going too soft would cheapen that dark side and profession. 

I don’t live that way and don’t want to, but I enjoy delving into that world as fantasy and adventure. I think conflict is necessary to a taut storyline and make that world believable. Having said that, there is romance in the story because it’s a romantic suspense story.

Here is a small snippet of Cozy Bend 6.

They reached her car, and she hit the
button to unlock the door and Brionna reached for her, stalling her steps.

“You’re supposed to open my door,” she
murmured. “Not just leave me to get in.”

Randi gave her a curious glance expecting
to see a laugh playing on those lips, but her stare was serious.

“I like a butch who opens doors for me,”
she said. “I guess I’m old fashion.”

“You’re too young to be old-fashion
sweetheart,” she drawled. “Your generation has no idea about chivalry.”

“Most of my generation didn’t grow up
watching Clark Gable and wanting a woman just like her.”

“Clark Gable? I’m surprised you didn’t say
James Dean.”

“He was cute, but he was a bad boy. Clark
Gable was a bad boy of a different kind like you. Now, open my door, mami.”

 “I
see you study Spanish too,” Randi said.

“I speak it fluently,” she replied. “I
spent a year in Spain and a semester in Mexico.”

Randi moved to open the door for her.
“Climb in my mamacita,” she
murmured. She spoke Spanish and French because she thought it would help in her
work as a lawyer.

Brionna
gave her slow look up and down. “That’s more like it.” She climbed in and
tugged the seatbelt over her chest as Randi rounded the car and climbed in.

“Why didn’t
you go home with her? In Clark Gable’s day a girl went home with the man who
brought her to the dance.”

“Shelia’s a
friend,” she said. “She used to be more, but that’s been over. She’s trying to
get me back only I’m not interested in a woman who wants to cat around like a
teen-aged boy.”

“I see,”
Randi said after clicking her seatbelt in place and started the car. Brionna
turned slightly towards her, keeping her knees together. “You’re wearing my
scarf.”

“I like the
way it smells.”

“Do you?”
She’d never had a woman tell her that or a man.

“It reminds
me of you pressed against me, tasting me,” Brionna said softly. “I get wet
every time I think about that.”

“It was one
kiss, and you’re too old to be having such silly fantasies.”

Brionna
laughed. “That’s a memory,” she said. “A fantasy is when I wonder what it would
be like to lay naked on your sheets or to have you fuck me against the wall in
your office.”

A shudder
ran through her. She liked age play to a degree especially when her playmate
pretended to be a just out of her teens. Add the right lingerie to that she
really got off.

“You’d like
that?” Randi asked. “Why?”

“The
element of risk combined with you making me hot for you,” she said.

“How would
you make that happen if you had the chance?”

Springtime Love

Today’s post is from A Butterfly’s Fire. This one contains an instance of the butterflies and ladybugs. I just saw a big monarch butterfly a few days ago. Spring is certainly coming to life around here.

She
squinted, but she couldn’t make out the intricate detail though she saw the eye
spots on the wings.

The
ladybug went on full alert, the bug in her tensing at the possible hint of
danger and the poison rose through her system while her nails turned to sharp
points.

Pushing
up the window, Peta screeched, sending the sound out in an arc of energy that
would carry directly to where the wings were.

If
she was wrong, she could abide being a fool, but she wouldn’t be happy if she
allowed a threat to get close to her mate. Her eyesight sharpened, her vision
as clear as night vision goggles. But why would anyone even be out there?

The
tree limb waved and wings fluttered as the butterfly fell from the tree. Her
nails became sharp little ovals, and she started to cut the screen when sound
behind her stopped her.

“What
is it?”