Thursday, November 29, 2018

INTERVIEW WITH GAIL Z. MARTIN (SONS of DARKNESS)





Today we are sitting down with Gail Z. Martin to talk about her novel  Sons of Darkness

SC: Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.

GZM: Travis Dominick is an ex-priest who runs a halfway house in a rough section of Pittsburgh. He used to be part of the Sinistram, a secret organization of demon-fighting priests, but Travis left the Sinistram when he left the priesthood, and now fights demons on his own. Brent Lawson lost his parents and his twin brother, Danny, to a demon attack, and he’s been fighting  monsters ever since. The two men originally are wary of one another, then realize they need to team up to fight a big supernatural threat.

SC: Do you believe in the paranormal and if so, do you have an experience you can share?

GZM: I believe that there are things we don’t completely understand, and that some energies may remain behind after death. I haven’t personally seen a ghost or had a personal paranormal experience, but many of my friends, whom I deem very credible, have had very persuasive experiences with the supernatural. That’s the long answer. The short answer is, yes.

SC: What titles are you working on now that you can tell us about?

GZM: Sons of Darkness is the first in the new Night Vigil series, so there will be another book next year. I’m working on two new series projects with my husband and frequent co-author, Larry N. Martin. Wasteland Marshals (think Boondock Saints meets The Walking Dead) and the Joe Mack/Cauldron series, which is part of the Secret Council universe. Both new series are with Falstaff Books and will be out in early 2019!

SC: Thanks for stopping by this busy time of year!


Sons of Darkness
The Night Vigil
Book One
Gail Z. Martin



Genre: dark urban fantasy


Publisher: SOL Publishing

Date of Publication: October, 2018

ISBN: TBD
ASIN: TBD

Number of pages: 278
Word Count: 84,000

Cover Artist: Lindsey Lewellen

Tagline: A demon-hunting ex-priest teams up with a former FBI agent to solve a series of supernaturally-instigated deaths and disappearances.

Book Description:

Demon-hunting former priest Travis Dominick works with the misfit psychics of the Night Vigil to fight supernatural creatures and malicious paranormal activity. 

When a series of disappearances, suicides and vengeful spirits cause havoc and death along a remote interstate highway, Travis teams up with former special ops soldier and monster-hunter Brent Lawson to end the problem with extreme prejudice.

Excerpt 1 from Sons of Darkness: A Night Vigil Novel By Gail Z. Martin

The abandoned warehouse squatted next to a rusting railway spur, the faded paint of its sign almost unreadable against the old brick walls. Too sturdy to knock down, too expensive to gentrify, the decaying building smelled of mold and dust, rats…and blood.
Travis Dominick moved silently through the shadows, intent on his prey. Moonlight and the distant glow of streetlights filtered through the dirty windows and skylights, giving barely enough illumination for him to make his way.
He knew his quarry had gone to ground here. The ghosts told him so, and the vision that woke him in a cold sweat showed him where to look. Travis blended in with the darkness, with raven-dark hair and black clothing that let him melt into the shadows.
There. He saw the creature’s matted brown coat as it eased around one of the pillars supporting the roof. In its beast form, the monster was the size of a large wolf, or even a mastiff. But that’s where the likeness to any normal canine ended. The nachzehrer was a vampire-shifter, a plague-carrier, and it had murdered—and eaten—an entire family. Travis had come to put an end to its killing spree.
He pulled a silver knife from the bandolier across his chest and hurled it. It flew silently, and sunk hilt-deep into the creature’s hindquarters. The beast gave a howl, not from the injury—which Travis knew wouldn’t be lethal—but from the shift the silver forced.
Sinew and slick muscle glistened as the dirty pelt stripped away into bloody ribbons, and the body reshaped itself when bones broke and knit with a disturbing snap and crunch. The monster hunched, no longer on all fours but not yet standing upright.
A burst of gunfire cut into the creature and pockmarked the pillar behind it. Fast shots from an automatic weapon. The beast bellowed, bloodied but not seriously hurt.
Then the bullets weren’t silver. Fuck. There’s a newbie out there who thinks he’s Van Helsing.
Travis peered out from where he’d retreated with his back to one of the pillars. The creature shook off the last gory remnants of its fur. In the half-light, Travis could make out the thing that had once been human, before it brought plague to its family and stripped their bones clean with the knife-sharp teeth of its changed form.
More shots tore into the monster’s head and body, but the creature did not collapse, needing more than steel to slay it. Then, with a burst of speed, it leaped into the shadows, intent on bringing down its assailant.
“Shit,” Travis muttered, taking off at a run. I could have done this the easy way, but no…some Buffy wanna-be has to fuck it all up.
Travis held a coiled silver whip in his left hand, and a Glock with silver bullets in his right. Silver and steel knives of varying sizes filled the bandolier and hung from sheathes strapped to his belt. He had come prepared to destroy the monster. Now, he had to save the idiot who had gone looking for trouble—and found it.
The creature moved fast, leaping for its attacker with its teeth bared and its sharp claws out. A man cursed, and the beast yowled in pain. Travis closed in on the scene, to find a powerfully built blond man going after the monster with a K-bar in each hand. Every time Travis moved to line up a shot with the Glock, the combatants pivoted, putting the man squarely in his sights. As annoyed as he was at the interloper, Travis couldn’t justify shooting him.
The beast stood half a head taller than its opponent, but whoever the dipshit was who had blundered into Travis’s hunt, the guy knew how to fight. Travis might have answered to a different authority for his own training, but he’d learned from some of the best, and he recognized the close-quarters moves as elite military, maybe special ops. So perhaps the fight was not as uneven as he had first suspected.
Travis circled, looking for an opening, figuring he and the mystery man could double-team the creature.
“Stay back! I’ve got this!” The blond man growled, slashing with the knife in his right hand and thrusting with the blade in his left.
Unless those knives were edged with blessed silver, Travis knew the other man could harry the creature all day without ever bringing it down.
“Get out of the way, and I’ll finish it,” Travis called back. He lashed out with the silver whip, flaying open a deep gash in the monster’s back. The beast jerked and turned, recognizing a second threat, but shifted its stance before Travis could get off a shot with the Glock, putting the man between them.
“I told you, I’ve got—” The reply broke off as the creature put on a press of speed, swiping its powerful clawed hand across the man’s shoulder and tossing him effortlessly through the air. The stranger hit one of the support pillars hard, but he staggered to his feet, ready for another round.
“Of all the stupid, asinine, fucking idiots,” Travis muttered as he tried to flank the creature, but although the beast remained intent on its injured quarry, it was clever enough not to expose its back to Travis.
The stranger didn’t wait for the beast to attack again. He came at the creature with kicks and punches in a flurry of expertly trained movement that would have had a human opponent down in seconds. The two long knives sank deep into the monster’s body, and the thing howled in fury and pain. It lunged, and claws tore into the fighter’s shoulder as the beast opened its maw and bared its fangs, lowering its head toward the struggling man’s throat.
Intent on fresh blood, the creature made a mistake. Travis dodged into position. He didn’t dare shoot into the back of the beast for fear the bullets went through and hit the man. But three side shots would do nicely—head, chest, and hip.
The monster roared and tossed the man aside. This time, he did not get up. Travis faced the beast, putting a silver bullet between the creature’s eyes and through its heart. It fell to its knees, covered in its own blood and that of its would-be attacker, and leveled a baleful glare.
Angry red blisters criss-crossed the monster’s pale skin as the blessed silver worked its poison, fighting against the unholy energies that animated the beast. Travis reached for a flask on his belt and sloshed a measure of salted holy water into the creature’s ravaged face.
Travis raised a hand in blessing. “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let there be extinguished in you all power of the devil,” he intoned, making the sign of the cross. “Through this holy unction may the Lord pardon thee whatever sins or faults thou hast committed.”

The nachzeher that had once been a man named Rick Kohrs collapsed in a bloody heap on the floor.


About the Author:

Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the Assassins of Landria. Newest titles include Tangled Web, Vengeance, The Dark Road, and Assassin’s Honor. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance. Books include Witchbane and Badlands.




Twitter: @GailZMartin



Newsletter signup http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, November 19, 2018

SPOTLIGHT: MOSTLY INNOCENT by J.M. Jinks





Mostly Innocent
A Powers That Be Novel
Book One
J.M. Jinks

Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Champagne Books

Date of Publication: 10/22/2018

Word Count: 58K

ASIN: B07JMCGNM6

Tagline: If you can’t beat them, seduce them

Book Description:

Meet Layla James, your typical smart-and snarky chick--except for the whole succubus thing. After nearly a millennium on Earth, Layla’s settled down in a boring life in Palm Springs until a smoking-hot hunter comes to arrest her for murder. But Layla knows the rules—she'd never kill someone and incite the wrath of The Powers That Be.

Elijah Daines is a hunter,  maintaining the balance of good and evil in the mortal realm, his power stronger than any hunter she's ever encountered. Plus, he's a seriously sexy distraction. Too bad he's accused her of a crime she didn't commit. 

As the killer continues a murder spree that not only frames Layla but threatens to expose the existence of supernatural creatures to humans, Layla and Elijah team up to investigate. Hopefully, they can fight off their  escalating attractions for each other long enough to exonerate her and stop the murder madness.

 
Excerpt:
He approached the counter. I, or maybe my succubus, decided on a whim I would not be intimidated by his power. I wasn’t sure where my sudden courage came from. He had to have felt my succubus signature. We weren’t a violent race when we controlled our urges. I’m Queen of Control over here. I’m sure he knows I won’t, hurt him. Right?
 But why was he here? Something must have been wrong.
As I walked toward him, I got a better look. His dark hair was in slight disarray and his bright blue eyes scoured my face. He towered over me in every sense of the word.
He and Jolene should go back-to-back so I can get an accurate measure of his height.
I shook away my thoughts of him—it was obvious he came here on a mission. Greek god or not, he was still a hunter, and I—I was a product of evil, aka something he hunts.
“Succubus,” he growled. The one little word was filled with eons of unabashed hatred. The word vibrated through me. All hopes of him wanting a new bathroom paint color vanished. No, this visit wasn’t going to be pleasant, not at all.
Perhaps I could seduce him. Hell, he could do me right on the floor of aisle nine next to the light fixtures, if it kept him from killing me. I bit my lip. But…hunters weren’t typically susceptible to succubi charms. A failed attempt of Aprhodisia could earn more problems.

I released a breath. Some buried deep natural instinct rolled through me again. With that feeling, I decided to stand my ground. I looked him in the eyes, stood up straighter, and replied, “Hunter?”

About the Author:



J.M. Jinks was born and raised in Southern California. She lives with her husband, two dogs, and two cats in her hometown. J.M. has a Bachelor’s in French and a Master’s of Education. She is a teacher by day and a writer by night. J.M. and her husband welcomed a baby boy in May 2018.



J.M. has always had a love of reading that progressed into writing. Mostly Innocent is her first completed manuscript.







Wednesday, November 14, 2018

RELEASE DAY! CIRCLE OF FLAMES by Jane S. Morrissey




Circle of Flames
Quytel Series
Book Two
Jane S. Morrissey

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Fiction

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing, New York



Date of Publication: November 14, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-68291-764-0

Number of pages: 339
Word Count: 92,974

Cover Artist: Melody Pond, Soul Mate Publishing

Tagline: Bending time and space to battle evil

Book Description:

Sent back to his homeland to investigate the disappearance of psychic children, Darius Curilian must face the haunting truths of his past. In a remote village, Darius and his team arrive too late to stop a kidnapping but discover a beautiful stranger who could hold the key to finding the missing children.

A self-defined loner, Emma Williams has always been different. Fire breathes in her soul and has set her apart from everyone her whole life. When she stumbles upon a child in danger, she falls into Darius’s unwilling arms and is pulled into the dark world of the Quytel as they fight for their lives.



Excerpt:

For her safety and ours, Darius reminded himself.
“Scotch?” Emma emerged from the kitchen with two tumblers half full of amber liquid. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink after the last couple of days.”
She’d changed into a comfortable looking pair of cotton drawstring pants and a spaghetti-strap tank, leaving a tempting part of her flat belly revealed. Padding into the room on bare feet, her dark, silk-red hair brushed her jawline and fell to her shoulders. His cock hardened.
He stood and crossed the narrow room, taking the glass she offered him. “Thank you.”
“Cheers.” She raised her glass and sat on the loveseat, tucking her feet under her. “So what now?”
“I should leave.” He didn’t move, feeling the weight of Sita’s vial in his pocket. He took a long drink of the scotch and savored the smoke on his tongue.
“Will I see you again?” Those lapis-lazuli eyes met his. They reminded him of Egyptian jewels watching, waiting, her pale skin illuminated by the soft, yellow glow filling the room.

“I’d like that.” He chased the implication of his statement with another swallow of scotch burning his throat. Just because he wouldn’t ever see her again didn’t mean he wouldn’t want to. He was dead certain one night with her would do nothing to quench his hunger.

About the Author:

Jane Morrissey is a paranormal romance writer who loves romance, magic, and writing. Her paranormal romantic mysteries will keep you reading late into the night. Jane spends her time writing, enjoying the glorious California Coast near her home and spending as much time as she can with family and friends.










a Rafflecopter giveaway


GUARDIANS by LINDSAY CHAMBERLIN




Today we're welcoming Lindsay Chamberlin, author of GUARDIANS.


SC:  Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.
LC: There are two main characters in Guardians, Riley and Reymend. Riley is a college freshman, beginning her first year of school in a new town far from home where she was taunted and called a freak. In her mind, they had every right to call her a psycho. She could never explain what happened to her when a shadows would find her and throw her into a blackout fit that resembled a seizure but was accompanied by a language spouting from her lips no one had ever heard before. Leaving her hometown to start over somewhere new was her hope at a chance to find happiness in her lonely world, but she soon finds, the shadows will follow her no matter where she runs.

Reymend is an immortal teen, a Guardian Charged with Riley’s safety. He fights against the darkness of Midnight’s demons to protect mortals placed in his care. He’s fought as a Guardian for centuries and followed every rule, but the moment Riley steps into his life, everything he thought he knew about the Guardianship is seen in a different light. He knows he has to keep her safe from the shadows that stalk her, but he never imagines the very world he is a part of could turn on him, too.

SC: It sounds like Reymend has his work cut out for him. Do you believe in the paranormal and if so, do you have an experience you can share?

LC: I do believe in the paranormal, but I try not to dwell on it. Paranormal Activity absolutely ruined me for sleeping with the nights off for years! Give me a paranormal romance, and I’m happy!

I do believe there are things we can’t see, beings that may be watching over people or toying with people. In my case, an experience I have frequently is seeing a paperclip on the ground. How is that paranormal? Well, let me explain. My husband’s grandmother and I were close before she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. During one of the screens for brain damage/disorders, the doctor asked her to remember three words: pen, paperclip, and bulldozer. He proceeded to ask her a few questions then asked her what those three words were. The only one she could remember was paperclip. I’m sure there is an argument against what I consider an experience with the paranormal, but the idea comforts me that whenever I see a paperclip, Oma is checking in. 

SC: That's a lovely story, thanks for sharing it.  What titles are you working on now that you can tell us about?

LC: Guardians is part of the Touched by Light series which is currently scheduled for two more novels. The second novel is well underway with the third looming. These three books will follow Riley and Reymend, but I have begun discussing the possibility of branching the series beyond them and continuing with new characters. That is still in the works, so for now, enjoy Riley and Reymend’s story in this first installment of the Touched by Light series titled Guardians.

SC: Thanks so much for popping in. Let's take a look at your novel now.

Guardians
Touched by Light
Book One
Lindsay Chamberlin

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Date of Publication: 10/31/18

ISBN: 978-1728711669
ASIN: B07JC4W5JR

Number of pages: 252
Word Count: 65,000

Cover Artist: Jake Clark

Tagline: You can save her. Follow your Light.

Book Description:

Riley had spent her entire life terrified of the shadows and darkness that followed her everywhere she went. They ruined her chances at a normal childhood and tormented her throughout her teenage years, labeling her the freak in her hometown, but now was her chance to start over. After receiving her acceptance letter from Bradford University, a chance at a new life and new friends in a town far away from home filled Riley with such hope for the future, but never had she dreamed of meeting the most gorgeous guy on campus. Not only was he attractive, but the shadows were chased away whenever he was near. Riley hoped she could hold on to him, but how could she hope for so much when she had only ever had so little?

Reymend may look like just another student at Bradford University, but his world was greater than any mortal could understand. He was blessed by the Light, trained to be a Guardian, a warrior against the shadows of Midnight that plagued Touched souls in the never ending battle of Light and darkness. It was his duty to protect those souls, and his next Charge was Riley. She didn’t understand the shadows that followed her relentlessly, but one day, she was going to be stronger than any Guardian in the history of the Light, if the darkness didn’t claim her first.


Amazon      iTunes


Excerpt:

Riley shook her head, scolding herself. She had made herself promise the entire four-hour drive to Bradford that she wouldn’t dwell in the past.
Not today.
The past was gone, and today was about beginnings.
Riley glued another smile to her face and continued loading the cart.
Today was going to be a happy day. No matter what.
Then Riley felt it.
A dark, swirling sensation weighed down on her chest as goose-bumps rose on her skin despite the ninety degree weather. Her breath felt labored, and her hands shook the cart handle. She closed her eyes as they stung with tears and her stomach dropped into her pelvis.
No! Not here!
Riley’s head felt heavy as she slumped against her car, trying her hardest to open her eyes again, but they wouldn’t cooperate. She felt something grab hold of her body like a vice squeezing her mid. She clamped her eyes shut, placing her hands over her face, determined to block it all from her mind.
Please, no!
She had hoped she had left all this behind in Alexandria.
How could it have followed her here?
She hadn’t even done anything to trigger it!
A deep voice full of malice rumbled in her ear a language she had never been able to understand, but the message was still clear. The voice grew louder with each of her staggered breaths. The hold around her middle became crushing. She gasped for air, begged for the episode to end, but the voice and the strength of its hold on her, only grew.
A bright light began to shine through her eyelids as warm hands grasped her shoulders, spreading their fever through her frigid veins.
“Are you alright?” The silky voice said as random shapes were drawn on her skin.
The darkness, the gravelly voice, the pain, all receded as the light grew stronger, and the warmth enveloped her in serene silence. Her breathing calmed, and her eyes slowly opened. The sun blinded her for a moment with sudden flashes of light before her eyes readjusted, but then dark hair, blue eyes, and a beautifully white smile met her stare.
“Hey, you OK?” the guy with the amazing smile asked again.
As Riley’s eyes focused, she could make out the dimples on his cheeks, the stubble on his chin and jawline, and the warm honey tone of his skin. The guy was gorgeous, and he was touching her.
“Do you need to sit down?” Concern washed over his features.
Riley shook her head, but with one jerky movement, thought better of it. She always felt like she was going to get sick after an episode as colors continued to zoom in and out of her peripherals.
“N-no,” Riley stammered, trying to ground herself again. “No, I’m fine. I just need a second.”
The guy’s smile was back in place as he released his hold and leaned against the car behind him. “You sure? You don’t look so good.”
Riley’s head began to clear, and her stomach returned to its rightful position. She stood straight and took a deep, lung filling breath. The memory of the voice and strange language was already disappearing, leaving only the distinct feeling of pain behind, but that was how they all ended. Even though this episode had felt stronger than it ever had before, it went away a lot faster than the usual.
Maybe that was a good sign. Maybe this move was what she needed after all.
“I’m fine,” Riley responded, trying to convince him or herself, she wasn’t sure.
The gorgeous guy quirked his eyebrow at her, clearly not convinced, but Riley could only concentrate on how striking his features were.
Riley tried again, straightening her spine. “Seriously, I’m OK. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Riley looked up to him, following the sound of his voice as her eyes traveled higher and higher. She was just now realizing how tall and muscular he was. Definitely near the six foot mark. She stared up at him as his brighter than the summer sky eyes searched her face.
“I promise,” Riley said, trying to smile as warmly back.
The guy’s smile stretched wider as his dimples dipped deep into his cheeks, and he held out his hand. “I’m Reymend, but everyone just calls me Rey.”
“Riley,” she responded, taking his hand in hers.
A pulse shot through her body as hot and strong as electricity. A whirlwind of images flashed through her mind stronger than before, bright colors and assorted shapes, but they were all too abstract to understand before they disappeared, and Riley was staring back at Rey.

About the Author:

Lindsay Chamberlin is an author who is self-publishing her works. She grew up in Northern Virginia and has been writing since she was a teenager. She would constantly write in a journal, including her day to day life and random thoughts that she found noteworthy.

When she graduated from high school with English Honors and Math Honors, she knew her life would go in one of two ways. She would either become a writer or work in finance.

Finance won. Lindsay continued her education, receiving a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and found a stable job to provide for her growing family. Her husband and daughter are her heart, and she would do anything to provide the best life possible for them.

But writing is what keeps her soul alive! Until recently, she did not think her dream of being a published author would ever come true, but thanks to self publishing, she is finally able to get her work out to the public in hopes that they will enjoy her short stories, novels, and select poems.

Her wish for her readers is that they will find themselves within her novels, living out every scene with the characters as if they were there with them.
Books are meant for our silent escape into another world that would normally exist only in our dreams. Please, enjoy!






a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, November 9, 2018

RELEASE DAY! LOBOS by VICTORIA DANANN and TERESA GABELMAN




LOBOS
Big Bend Wolves
Book One
Victoria Danann and Teresa Gabelman

Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: dba 7th House, Imprint of Andromeda LLC     

Date of Publication: 11/09/18

Number of pages: 218
Word Count: 39k

Cover Artist: Victoria Danann

Tagline: Sometimes running away takes you straight to the thing you’re running from.

Book Description:

The Three Rivers Pack has been deeply embedded in Kerrville commerce and society for generations. They own businesses and hold government offices, including that of sheriff. But the influx of retirees and well-to-do building second homes in the Hill Country has squeezed the shifters for room to run.

The only answer is relocation to a less populated locale and that will require making a deal with the pack that holds that territory. The alliance struck by the two alphas is blood seal, a political mating between the Lobos alpha’s daughter and the Three Rivers alpha’s son. It’s the perfect solution that benefits both tribes. Except nobody asked Fleet Ryder and Dani Alvarez if they’re willing. And they aren’t.

Amazon 

Listen to the PODCAST


Excerpt:

The light was on in the kitchen, which meant Marva was up. When he stepped through the kitchen door not wearing a stitch of clothing, she looked him up and down with a half-smirk and the same lusty interest she’d shown as a teenager. John Ryder thought of himself as being a lucky man to have a mate who loved and craved his body like they were newlyweds, after thirty years together. He returned her smirk with a knowing smile, pulled her in close and kissed her long and deep. When he pulled back, she sighed. He loved that sigh.
“I know that look,” she said.
He kept her tight against his naked body, but pulled his head back to make eye contact. “What look is that?”
“The one that says you’ve made up your mind about something important.”
  He broke away and grabbed the clothes he’d left on the bench by the back door. As he began dressing, he said, “Yeah.”
The pensive tone told her everything she needed to know. “And you’re not happy about it.”
She waited patiently while he finished dressing. She’d been with him long enough to know the difference between John, her mate, and John, the alpha.
At the moment he was seeing the world through the filter of pack alpha. He’d speak when he was ready and wouldn’t be rushed.
“Can I have some of that coffee?” he said.
She turned, poured and handed him a mug. “You want breakfast here or are you gonna eat at the café?”
“Café.” He leaned back against the kitchen counter and took a sip before saying, “We have to go.”
“Go?” Marva stopped what she was doing and turned with a question firmly registered in the crease between her brows. “Go where?”
When his pale gray eyes met hers, she recognized the gravity of the moment.
“I mean we have to move,” he said quietly.
Marva sat down heavily at the kitchen table trying to keep her shock from adding to the burden her mate was clearly carrying with stoic pride. “You mean the whole pack.” It wasn’t a question, but a verbal clarification.
Nodding, feeling much older than his years, he simply said, “Yeah.”

It might have come as a surprise to Marva. It would be a surprise to everybody in the pack. And not the good kind. But truthfully, John had been mulling over the problem for years. As alpha, survival of the pack was his responsibility. With an eye on the encroaching population, he knew there was only one way it could end. Move. Or be exposed as shifters with the vast shit chasm that promised.
Since the latter was just not an option, they were going to have to prepare for a whole-pack migration. Several lucrative business enterprises and a lot real estate was about to go up on the market in Kerrville. But first, pack members had to be told. And he wasn’t expecting even the most adventurous of them to be happy about it. The final decision was his and making it meant that he owned the outcome as well.

The pack was gathered in the barn on the Ryder property. Everybody had brought pot luck. They’d tried to enjoy the food and the company, but there was an undercurrent of anxiety because every adult pack member could read the mood of the alpha well enough to know something was up.
When the alpha finally stood and announced his intention to move them, the responding silence was suffocating. No one wanted to argue, but no one wanted to agree either.
At length, one of the elders cleared his throat and said, “Where are we going, John?”
“I can’t say for certain yet, Emmett. But I’ve been considering options for a long time. The biggest issue is that there’s no such thing as a desirable place that isn’t already occupied by a pack.” There were murmurs as people whispered to each other their fears about what that might mean. John held up his hand. “I know. We’ve had a good stay here. Most of us are connected to families who’ve been here since before Texas was a Republic. Most of us have never lived any place else.
“So I’m not saying it’s going to be easy.” It hadn’t escaped the pack’s notice that he hadn’t answered the question. “But I’m thinking Big Bend. Out around Alpine.”
The emotional current that ran through the pack was mixed. Some were fearful about the prospect of packing up and leaving everything for parts unknown. But mixed with that was an undercurrent of excitement. 
When things settled down, John went on. “Alpine is a small town, I grant you, but there are opportunities there just like there are opportunities everywhere. We’ll make it work just like we always have.” With a small smile he shook his head just a little. “It’s wild out there. You’ll be free in ways you’ve never been free here.”
“Doesn’t that territory belong to the Lobos Pack?” Beverly Mossgreen spoke up.
John’s head swiveled toward her and he stared for a couple of seconds. It wasn’t an official correction, but it was enough unwanted attention from the alpha to make her uncomfortable.
“Yes. Lobos. But I have a plan.” John noticed that both his betas, who happened to be cousins of his, stood opposite each other, off to the sides, leaning against the walls with muscled arms crossed in front of chests. The pose looked casual, leisurely, but would be read by the pack as absolute support for whatever the alpha had to say. “A peaceful transition.”
“What is it?” A female elder sounded anxious and he couldn’t blame her.
A move like the one he was proposing would be hard on any of them, but especially so on those who were older. His face softened for a second as he regarded her. “Don’t worry, Evelyn. Everything will turn out fine.”
He looked over the pack. “In the old days, we would have had to kill the alpha and any loyalists who resisted a takeover. But that was the old days. We’ve made a lot of changes. James owns the auto parts store. Raleigh is a real estate broker. My own mate bakes fucking cookies!”
“I do not bake fucking cookies!” Marva spoke up. “I run a bakery.”
The laughter that rippled through the room helped to ease some of the tension.
“Right.” John smiled her way. “Right,” he repeated. “I bet people in Alpine like cookies just as much as people in Kerrville.”
“I don’t just bake cookies,” she grumbled.
He gave her a look that said, ‘First, I’m teasing you. Second, right now I’m speaking as the alpha. Not as your mate. Take it up with me later. In bed.’
She got the message and ducked her chin slightly in deference. He continued.
“Point is I think it’s time for the old ways to move aside for better ideas. We’re going to try for a bloodless coup.” He glanced at his betas. “Rake, James, and I are going to head on out there and have a talk with the Lobos alpha and his top people. We’ll offer a ‘buy in’ for a piece of their territory around Alpine. I don’t know much about their finances, but I’m guessing that these days it’s hard for even shifters to turn down cash.
“That’s the first part of our offer. Folding money appeals to the two-legged half of our nature. The second part is a little trickier because cash is useless in wolf form. That’s why we need a deal sealed with blood.” He cleared his throat. “The Lobos alpha has a daughter. Mating age. We’re going to arrange an alliance.”
The alpha paused and looked over the gathering, faces almost as familiar as his own in the mirror. He spotted his son in his usual spot, in a far back corner with his friends. The gathering followed John’s line of sight and turned to look at Fleet at the back of the room.
Fleet had been softly chuckling at a joke, only half listening to his dad, when he realized that everyone in the pack had turned to look at him. His world turned serious in a heartbeat and he stood taller, pale gray eyes identical to his father’s, going straight to lock the alpha’s gaze. 
“Our son, Fleet.” John nodded toward Marva even though everyone there knew full well that she was Fleet’s mother. “And Lobos’ daughter.”
A range of emotion flashed across Fleet’s features. Confusion. Shock. Anger. And again, confusion, finally resolving in disbelief. He couldn’t possibly have heard right. Could he?
If he was human, he’d tell his father to fuck off. But Fleet Ryder wasn’t human. He was a wolf shifter with two choices; obey the alpha or leave the pack. Since the latter wasn’t really a choice, that left once course of action. He couldn’t disobey. He couldn’t challenge openly. He couldn’t object in any overt way.
So he did the next best thing. He threw his father a hateful look, turned and left. Four young shifter males filed out behind him, partly because they were compelled on a subliminal level. Fleet was oozing alpha traits and the next generation were already paying homage to that.



About the Authors:

Victoria Danann and Teresa Gabelman are both award winning New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon #1 bestselling authors.