Posted in my books, promo

Roxy’s Betrayal Cover Reveal Party

Join me at Bed and Books on Instagram and Facebook, Tuesday, January 26th,

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to get a glimpse of the bad sister, Roxy! I had a lot of fun writing a bad girl. Roxy is no one’s idea of a romantic hero. She was voted most likely to steal your boyfriend in high school. Roxanne Harrell doesn’t do anything that doesn’t benefit Roxanne until she meets the niece she didn’t know she even had. When her brother’s ex-fiance threatens sell her niece and friend to the highest bidder, has no choice but to do her bidding. Can she save her friends by betraying her family or will she end up destroying them all?

The Washington (NC) waterfront is mentioned often in both my book series. This is where the Pamlico and Tar Rivers meet.

On the new cover of White Gold, Dana is walking the waterfront after shopping with her sisters. It is where she strolls with Jake, agent sexy and where Rae Lynne walks with one of her dates before he is murdered.

When I was planning the cover for Roxy’s Betrayal I knew I wanted the waterfront and I found this photo I took while strolling the waterfront with my granddaughter. It is one of my favorites with the old warehouse and bridge.

In Roxy’s Betrayal I mention Bill’s Hot Dogs. Bill’s is a famous hot dog place here in Beaufort County but I have a confession to make. I had never eaten one of Bill’s dogs until after I married my husband. They are known for their white bean chili which is spicy and delicious.

excerpt from Roxy’s Betrayal

“So, is there any place you’d like to go before I take you home?”

“I thought your brother wanted you to take me straight home.”

“Remington likes to give orders, but he knows I won’t listen.” She gave him that 1000-watt smile. “So, what have you missed most while in lock-up?”

The buxom blonde wasn’t his normal type, not that he really had a type. Roxanne Harrell was definitely more than he would have asked for with her big personality, luscious figure and daring. She was tempting him more than was wise for someone in his position. He tamped down his desire. He wasn’t exactly a free man. What had he missed most since being locked up? “Sunshine,” he whispered.

“What’s that?”

“I’ve missed sunshine and fresh air.”

She turned down Water Street. Leaning across his lap, she rolled down his window. She turned her head and gave him a wink.

Heat pooled in his groin. He shoved his hands beneath his armpits to keep from holding her head to his lap. Sliding a little closer to the door, he put his head out the window like an old hound.

Slowing the truck, she cruised the waterfront. “Are you hungry? We could stop at Bill’s for a hotdog.”

Jorge licked his lips and nodded. He could smell the world-famous hot dogs from a block away, the peppery scent of the white chili tickled his nose and his mouth watered. He chuckled imagine himself as a dog with his tongue lulling out his mouth with his head hanging out the window.

She pulled into a parking lot and whipped the truck around cruising back to the town’s famous hot dog stand. “You want to go in or do you want me to order for us both?”

“Do you mind?” He was not up to dealing with people just yet.

“What do you want?”

“All the way.”

Giving him the once over she nodded. “Well of course, I should have known. How many, a dozen?”

He laughed. “I’m not quite man enough for a dozen but I’ll take half that.”

“Oh, I bet you could handle it.” She called in their order. “Do you want anything to drink, chips?”

He gave her his preferences and she made comments on all of them until he was ready to forget the food and find some place to sink his cock deep inside her. Shit! When was the last time a girl’s teasing comments had made him so freaking horny? Well, maybe when you haven’t had sex in forever it does something to your brain. He watched her walk down the sidewalk to the café. She had a heart-shaped ass, and long muscular legs that looked as if she could crush a man’s head between her thighs. Aw fuck, now the image of him dying between her thighs was forever imprinted on his brain. Remy should never have trusted a sex-starved jailbird to come within ten feet of his gorgeous sister. Jorge needed to remember she was his lawyer’s baby sister.

The smell of garlic, onions, spices and processed meat assaulted his senses. “Oh fuck me.”

“Gladly but why don’t we eat first. You’ll need your strength.”

Jorge stopped breathing.

She laughed. “Damn, I was just kidding but now I’m interested. How long has it been?”

“Unless you’re planning to do something about it, I suggest you stop baiting the bear or haven’t you learned yet, we bite.”

“Okay, I’ll quit teasing you but for the record, I was only half teasing.”

He growled.

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Roxy’s Betrayal is available for pre-order. The eBook goes live February 5th, it will be 99 cents through Sunday, February 7th then the price goes up! Don’t wait!

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Posted in backstory, my books, Thoughts

Criminals and Monsters

Not all Criminals are Monsters

In my Leeward Files novels, I have truly horrendous monsters: murderers, pedophiles, rapists, sex and drug traffickers, and extreme racists, but not all bad guys are truly monstrous. Sometimes, a good guy can be pushed into doing bad things, other times, a good person will do bad in the hope of something good coming from it. The old adage, “The end justifies the means.” In fiction, as in real life, we know that someone committing a crime, even for the “right” reason, is still guilty. Murdering the men who raped your daughter or wife might be justified but it’s still against the law.

What would cause you to commit murder? We are often quick to say I would kill for this or I would never kill for any reason, but I don’t believe we truly know what we are capable of until we are faced with it.

As I am finishing up the Leeward Files series and moving into the next series, The Heroes of Leeward, I am delving into why Todd, Devin and Phil were so evil. It has been documented that too often, children of abuse become abusers. These men were emotionally tortured and sexually molested as children. Todd went from a sadistic little boy to a serial rapist and murderer. Devin is more of a manipulator. He preys on those he sees as weaker but runs from confrontation. Phil believes he is a hero and wants to rid the world of the monsters, but he doesn’t have the honor and guidance to aid him. He believes the ends justifies the means, and it is more important to stop the bad guys that preserve the good.

Not all criminals are monsters, some are coerced into a life of crime, like Dana’s cousin in White Gold. Family is everything but what if you come from a family of monsters, does that make you a monster too? After his father dies, Robbie JR is raised by his angry, racist grandfather who blames him,( sins of the fathers and so on), for the disappearance of his rebellious daughter and her biracial daughter. The grandfather feels it is his duty to rid the world of the abomination who shares blood with him. His sadism and anger drive him to attempt murder.

In the real world we see crimes committed in the name of religion and morality. People too often hate and fear what they do not know, they lash out and try to conform it, or erase it. Centuries of wars fought in the name of religion or country has seen whole tribes wiped out. We may have evolved in some aspects but we have devolved in others. People still hate, are still consumed by vice and greed, no matter how much we preach love and compassion, there will always be those who refuse to live in peace. But thankfully there are those who overcome prejudices, fight the battle for equality, heroes who keep the world safe, and give us hope for the future. I believe in hope and happy endings. Wishing you all your own happy ever after.

Posted in my books, News

No Time to Fall in Love

Dana is the woman with a thousand jobs. If anyone wants something done in Leeward, North Carolina, she’s the one they call. From her work raising money for breast cancer research and education to her efforts on behalf of the local Fossil Museum. She is on the Chamber of Commerce and the local Junior Woman’s Auxiliary. Dana owns her own dating club, Cupid’s Zone, which is a combination online dating and real-life club. She substitutes at the local school, writes for the local paper and volunteers for everything from street cleanup to the Fossil Festival Beauty Pageant. She is a busy woman but something is missing.

Jake hasn’t been home for more than a change of clothes in months. He’s not even had dinner with his parents since the Father’s Day picnic his brother had planned. He’d talked to them on the phone but he knew, he was in for an earful when he finally showed up on their doorsteps.

Jake was a workaholic but he’d earned it honest. His parents had struggled to give he and his brother a decent life. They’d worked hard. Like people of color knew, in America, you could have the dream if you were willing to work for it. You just had to work twice as hard, to get half as much.

Jake knew how to work hard, what he didn’t know, was how to live. Could Dana be the one to teach him how to enjoy life? When Dana is threatened, Jake realizes just how much she means to him and will risk anything to keep her safe, even his precious job.