WeWriWa: Too H.O.T to Handle in the “House of Terriot”

Good things come in four, as in my four brothers from the House of Terriot . First introduced in PRINCE OF SHADOWS from my By Moonlight  series, I found the twelve princes of the House simply irresistible. So much so, I decided to give not only their rowdy king his own book, but four of his hunky siblings theirs as well in the House of Terriot four-book spin-off. So, while I’m incorporating Beta comments into my final edit of RISE BY MOONLIGHT , the last book in the By Moonlight series, here’s a scene from RbM after Charlotte encourages Max to ‘go play with his friends’ from the shapeshifter House of Terriot.

No surprise, they left little disturbed in their wake. Cleverly disguising their number by treading in one another’s footsteps, they moved fast and effortlessly through the tangled woods he’d run since childhood. 

Smart, never careless, dangerous opponents, useful friends.

Challenged by that knowledge, he followed at a brisk pace, spending more time studying the ground than his surroundings . . . just as they’d hoped, because somewhere along the path, the steps went from imprinted by many to just one, the slightly uneven impressions of a still recovering Cale.

So where were the others?

Just a whisper of air at his back had Max turning, coming nose-to-nose with Turow Terriot. Before he could react, Colin and Rico flanked him on either side, Kip dropping from an overhead branch to block him from continuing after their king. Their eyes gleamed in the deep morning shadows, their postures still, non-threatening, but forming an impassable barrier.

Had he just made a fatal mistake?

“Those who’ve found themselves in your position rarely live to tell it.”

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Has Max just come too close for comfort with that deadly choice?

Since I’m getting restless in my current isolation on this Mother’s Day in my birthday month not going to Ireland (pooh!), I’ve decided to give myself and my readers a gift to fill some of those empty hours by boxing the four brothers from different mothers H.o.T. books into a set. Just the distraction I needed, designing a strong, stunning cover worthy of these gorgeous guys with the brilliant help of my Virtual Assistant, Florence Price and my critique partner artist on speed dial, Patricia Lazarus of Lazarus Art. Be watching for a reveal and a date for pre-order in next week’s post.

Until then, Stay the Course, Stay Safe and thank your Mama!!


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