When Inspiration Strikes #IWSG #writing #writinginspiration #storyideas

    

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: When you are working on a story, what inspires you?

Inspiration comes from several sources. For me, I get a lot of inspiration from the dreams I have at night while I'm sleeping. Since I was a child, I've always had vivid dreams. My mother once suggested that I write my dreams into a notebook, and maybe one day I could make stories from them. I followed her advice. I've been keeping a dream journal since I was a teenager. It has become a source of many of my story ideas. For these, the dreams are so strong, the images so striking, that the dream haunts me for days afterward. Not in a bad way. But one that compels me to write it down and craft a story from it.

My paranormal romance, Into the Dark, was inspired by a dream I'd had about a woman captured by witches and thrown into a dark hole in the ground. She was not alone. Someone was with her. A man with shaggy brown hair and a long face. His clothes were badly torn and dirty. Not only dirt stained his clothes but also something that looked like blood.

From that dream, a 90,000-word story developed and is now available on Kindle Vella.

Another story I created from a dream was Loving Boone. This dream didn't play out as a story in my head like Into the Dark. Instead, it felt more symbolic. In my dream, my family was being attacked by a dozen or more large cats. It was scary. Then one of the cats morphed into a young man and begged us to stop fighting his family. From that image, the young shifter in my dream became Boone Evans. The idea of two families at war with each other unfolded, and soon I had developed a paranormal romance with cougar shifters.

Sometimes I'm inspired by listening to a piece of music that sparks an idea. Or perhaps an emotional scene from a movie. I once overheard a couple at the mall arguing with each other which created an idea for a line of dialogue in a story. 

Then there are times when inspiration strikes at the oddest moments. The idea for The Pirate's Lady hit me while I was driving to work one sunny day. For whatever reason, I had an image of a man and a woman sword-fighting on a beach at night pop into my head while I was driving along the highway. I was curious and kept playing the what if game until a story emerged. I couldn't get that image out of my head until I finished writing the story.

When all else fails, what truly inspires me is my desire to simply write stories. I love writing! I've been writing since I was a child. I'll never stop. Stories fascinate me! Intriguing characters, fantastic settings, spellbinding plots. I feel like this is what I'm meant to do in this life. So, that's what I'm doing. :) 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal, sci-fi and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

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Looking for a little escape? Check out these stories!

Loving Boone #Excerpt #ParanormalRomance #FathersDay

 

In honor of Father's Day, I'm posting an excerpt from my paranormal romance, Loving Boone. Both Boone and Beth-Ann's fathers play important roles in this story and are two of my favorite characters.

Beth-Ann's father, Geoffrey Miller, is a single dad. After his wife died, his grief led him to escape into the Tennessee mountains where he forged a life for himself and his daughter in the wilderness. Others followed and now he's the undeclared leader of a group of like-minded people seeking to live off the land.

Boone's father, Patrick Evans, a cougar shifter, is a single dad of two sons. His wife was murdered when his children were young and he's been doing his best to raise and protect them from the people who wish to do them harm. Before the story begins, he finds Geoffrey and negotiates a deal that gives him territory on the mountain where he can live peacefully and where his children can grow and learn to use their shifter abilities.

Both of these fathers have made sacrifices for their children. They haven't had it easy and they've both made mistakes along the way, but they continue to do what they think is best for themselves and their families. And they both have their own stories to tell which I'm currently working on. I gave a brief glimpse of Patrick's story in a recent limited-edition boxed set that is no longer available. However, he has more to tell of his story, so I'm adding to that before I re-release it. Check back for updates!

Happy Father's Day to all those who are dads or father-figures to kids who love and look up to you!

Loving Boone
The Cougar Shifters

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Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father’s cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn’t plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family’s life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?

Excerpt:

It began with a phone call.

"Beth-Ann, come home. Right away, honey."

"What? Dad, why?"

"It's started."

That was all it took for Beth-Ann Miller to leave her dorm room at campus one morning in early October to drive four hours of interstate and back roads to reach her Tennessee mountain home. The tone of her father's voice haunted her the entire trip. He explained nothing more. Hadn't told her what prompted his sudden phone call. Simply ordered her to come home. As much as she wanted to balk at his mysterious command, she wouldn't. Being the good daughter she was and knowing that her father wouldn't make such a demand if he didn't need to, she dropped everything and ran home.

As she reached the long dirt road that led to her father's cabin, a man dressed in camouflage and wearing hunting gear stepped out of the fall foliage to block her path. He angled a rifle toward her car. This surprised her for only one reason. Her father wouldn't post a sentry unless there was something seriously wrong.

When she stopped the car, the man walked cautiously toward her. As he neared, she recognized her father's neighbor and close friend, Henry Jenkins.

The moment he identified her, he lowered his weapon and jogged the rest of the way to her car.

She lowered the window as he approached. The crips autumn air invaded the warm atmosphere she created by blasting the heater in the car.

Henry rested his hand on the roof of the vehicle and leaned toward her with a welcoming smile.

"Hello, Beth-Ann. Your daddy's expecting you."

"What's going on, Henry?"

His face grew grim. "Trouble. I'll let your daddy tell you about it. Go on ahead but keep a lookout around you. We have men posted, but you never know if something might get by them."

Something.

The way he spoke the word like it was a bad taste in his mouth revealed more than he could've explained otherwise.

"Okay."

"It's good to see you, Beth-Ann. Despite the circumstances."

"Thanks, Henry. You, too."

As she pulled the car away, Henry stepped back. Glancing in the rear-view mirror revealed Henry with a walkie-talkie to his mouth.

"She's on the way..." His voice carried in the distance, but the noise of the dirt road muffled the rest. Assuming he reported to her father, she continued the long drive up the mountain for several minutes.

On any other day, the beautiful forest scenery with the falling colored leaves of reds, yellows, and oranges would've seemed peaceful and serene. Instead of enjoying the quiet beauty, Beth-Ann kept a keen eye on her surroundings, searching for sudden movements or anything that didn't belong.

When she reached the clearing near the summit of the mountain, she let out a sigh of relief. There were several cabins built at a discreet distance from one another. Each cabin had a tank used to collect rainwater for personal use and a solar-powered generator for electricity. Gardens, usually teeming with vegetables and fruit, filled the space between the cabins. There was an orchard near the back as well as a compost area and a large barn used to store farming equipment and other items.

Her father helped build this self-sustaining community with several other like-minded individuals and families who wanted to either go off grid or simply get away from the hustle and bustle of civilization like her father. Some people prepared for end times. Some people thought it smart not to rely on the technology that ran the world. Sometimes people stayed permanently. Sometimes people went back to civilization.

Beth-Ann parked her car among the jeeps and SUV's near the front of her father's cabin. There was no sign of anyone until she cut the engine. The door to the cabin opened and a man stepped out, carrying a rifle like Henry Jenkins.

With all the frowning men carrying weapons, her fears that the community was under lockdown seemed confirmed, but she didn't want to assume anything until she spoke face to face with her father.

"Miss Beth," Rhody Miller greeted from the cabin's porch. He stepped down as she opened the car door. Rhody swooped her into a one-armed bear hug the moment she stood. "I'm glad you're here."

"My dad called. I came as fast as I could," she said as he released her. "What is it, Rhody? What's going on? Where's Dad?"

"Hunting," Rhody said, but he turned his head so she couldn't see his eyes. It was a tell she remembered from her young cousin. He wasn't speaking the entire truth.

"Rhody?" She tilted her head to capture his gaze again. "What is it? What has everyone so spooked?"

Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes, taking her aback. Rhody wasn't the kind of guy to show such emotion, but his face twisted in untold pain.

"Rhody, tell me."

"Um..." He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, but was unsuccessful. "They're dead. Three of 'em. Dead. We've gone to war."

"Dead?" Beth-Ann gasped. "Who's dead?"

"Marty, Trent and Oliver Wycoski."

"Marty?" Beth-Ann repeated her cousin's name. "Your brother is dead?"

Rhody nodded as tears fell from his cheeks to splash on the dirt at their feet. It was odd that the tears sounded loud. They echoed in the silence of the forest.

Beth-Ann took a moment to breathe deeply, trying to comprehend Rhody's statement that his brother was dead. Marty was older than her by three years. Since she had no siblings of her own, her cousins became her playmates as a child. For quite some time, they had been inseparable.

Marty's face flashed before her eyes, a face similar to Rhody's. Blue eyes, a sharp nose and a mouth constantly turned into a smile. Marty was handsome and charming and funny, always able to get the people around him to laugh.

Thinking of that happy face now frozen in death made her stomach quiver in knots.

Beth-Ann blinked. Her gaze focused on the front of Rhody's flannel shirt.

"Is that blood?"

Rhody glanced at his chest. "Uh, yeah. It's Mr. Peterson's."

"What happened?"

"He's been shot."

Her questioning gaze flashed to his face.

"It was an accident. He got in the way while the cougars were attacking. I'm not sure who shot him. But he's okay."

"What do you mean the cougars were attacking?" As she spoke, a chill shivered down her back. "Rhody, where's my father?"

Amazon | Universal

The Cougar Shifters #ShifterRomance #pnr #paranormalromance

Loving Boone
The Cougar Shifters

Amazon | Universal | Bookbub | Goodreads

Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father’s cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn’t plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family’s life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?

Winter Tails
Saving Patrick
The Cougar Shifters

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Jo is searching for peace. She wants to start a new life, away from her abusive ex-husband. Patrick Evans has dealt with a traumatic past as a shifter and is ready to move on with his life. He’s searching for something, but he doesn’t know what.

When these two long-time friends find each other again during one full moon night, can they reconnect and possibly discover a love that was there all along?

Fall in love with these winter tails—and teeth and fur and claws, too!

Warm up on a cold winter’s day with this hot new collection featuring shifters of all kinds!

Fall in love with 20+ stories featuring wolves, bears, dragons, and more by New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors.

Join the pursuit through the ice and snow as these shifters negotiate cold winter streets, frozen forests, pack politics, and fated mates—all while embracing their inner animals!

FREE Books to YOU for My Birthday! Shifters and Aliens! #ParanormalRomance #PNR #SciFiRomance

It's my birthday! And I'm giving away FREE books! Seems a nice way to celebrate my 40+ rotations around the sun. I've always made a habit of giving rather than receiving gifts for my birthday. I'd love to share my birthday cake with you all (with the many, many fiery candles!), but technology doesn't allow such things. Yet! Wouldn't that be great? You get an email, open it up and somehow a piece of cake appears on a specially designed platform for digitally made food.

Okay, I'm daydreaming and getting off track here.

So, aside from sending you digital cake, I'll give you the next best thing! Digital books! Hey, maybe you can get a slice of cake from your nearest bakery and eat while you read my book! You'll hear no complaints from me!

So, here you go! I've got three books to giveaway. Loving Boone is only free for a limited time, so grab it quick! Night of the Full Moon will be available a while longer, so if you're reading this post a few days late, you can still grab this one. And In Love With an Alien is available free from all major retailers, not exactly a gift from me, but a gift from all the authors of Alien Embrace. 

I hope you enjoy them! If you do, I would love, love, love if you left a review! Seriously, I read and appreciate every single review. Often, these reviews are what keep me writing and publishing when times get rough since I love helping others escape the harsh reality of the real world for a bit. :)

Fighting for their lives and their love... 

Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?

Grab Your Copy!

Clara Boyer's strict no-dating-policemen policy gets tested one full moon night when a dog darts across the road and she crashes her car. As she's counting her lucky stars she's not injured, a menacing growl echoes from the dark forest. Stuck on a lonely road, she needs help and there's only one man she can call.

Officer Ethan Rakowski races to her rescue, but Clara discovers Ethan has been keeping dark, supernatural secrets. The animal she nearly hit isn't a stray dog, but something more sinister. If it's not destroyed, Clara may be its next victim.

How can a typical night after work go so wrong... or so right with the sexy cop who promises to keep her safe?

Grab Your Copy!

Laura Remington has given up on love and romance. She’s resigned herself to being single and a bridesmaid in her friend’s wedding. But when she meets the groom’s best friend, Dorien Thornfield, she discovers a man who is handsome, kind and friendly and her attraction to him is simply out of this world. But when her purse and a mysterious Cupid statue mysteriously disappears, she’s going to find out just why Dorien seems too good to be true.

This bonus collection from several of the authors of Alien Embrace includes short stories, prequels, sequels, sneak peeks and scenes from alien romances and other series.

If you love hot alpha aliens and steamy romances, this is the book for you!

Grab Your Copy!

If you like these books, why not try another?

Cover Wars ~ Loving Boone #pnr #shifterlove #bookcover

I'm excited to announce that my paranormal romance, Loving Boone, is up for Author Shout's Cover Wars this week! 

I would LOVE if you would take a moment and vote. As described in the rules, you can vote once a day, within a 24-hour period all week long.

I don't like to pick favorites among my books, since I really do love them all for different reasons, but Loving Boone holds a special place in my heart. 

The cover was designed by one of my great friends at Red Fist Fiction. And the story itself is one that means so much to me. It's sweet, passionate, powerful, dark but filled with hope.

Thanks for voting!

A little bit about Loving Boone:

Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?

VOTE HERE

Books Set in Pennsylvania #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: Books set in my city or state

I live in what is considered northeastern Pennsylvania. The home of Yuengling beer, Anthracite coal and Pottsville conglomerate. This is the birthplace of the infamous Molly Maguires, Jack Palance and The Dorsey Brothers. Muhammad Ali's training camp was just down the road from where I live as well as the site of numerous Indian massacres and historic battles. Philadelphia is only a 2 hour drive away, Hershey Park is practically in my backyard, and the Poconos are nice place for a day trip. 

There is a lot of history in this area of Pennsylvania and as such, there are plenty of books set here, too.

Probably one of the most famous books (at least in this area) is Gibbsville, Pa by John O'Hara. The author of Appointment in Samarra and BUtterfield 8 was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1905. I learned during my days of working at Waldenbooks (also in Pottsville) that John O'Hara's fictional town Gibbsville in his books was based off of the real-life Pottsville where he grew up. He included many of Pottsville's residents as fictional characters in his books. In fact, I was told about his stories by customers coming in to purchase his books. Apparently, many of our local residents would buy and read his books, just to see if they could identify the real-life inspirations for his characters!

Appointment in Samarra

One of the great novels of small-town American life, Appointment in Samarra is John O'Hara's crowning achievement. In December 1930, just before Christmas, the Gibbsville, Pennsylvania, social circuit is electrified with parties and dances. At the center of the social elite stand Julian and Caroline English. But in one rash moment born inside a highball glass, Julian breaks with polite society and begins a rapid descent toward self-destruction. 

Brimming with wealth and privilege, jealousy and infidelity, O'Hara's iconic first novel is an unflinching look at the dark side of the American dream - and a lasting testament to the keen social intelligence if a major American writer.

Another famous author born only fifteen minutes from my house was Conrad Richter. He grew up in the mining towns of this area listening to his family and neighbors relate tales of life and family history. These inspired him to write stories about the early American frontiers such as The Light in the Forest.

The Light in the Forest

When John Cameron Butler was a child, he was captured in a raid on the Pennyslvania frontier and adopted by the great warrior Cuyloga. Renamed True Son, he came to think of himself as fully Indian. But eleven years later his tribe, the Lenni Lenape, has signed a treaty with the white men and agreed to return their captives, including fifteen-year-old True Son. Now he must go back to the family he has forgotten, whose language is no longer his, and whose ways of dress and behavior are as strange to him as the ways of the forest are to them. A beautifully written, sensitively told story of a white boy brought up by Indians, The Light in the Forest is a beloved American classic.

There is a local legend about Regina Hartman, a young girl taken captive by Indians. While her mother and brother were away at a grist mill one day, the Indians attacked their home, killing her father and brother, and kidnapping Regina and her sister, Barbara. Barbara escaped three and a half years later, but Regina spent several years longer living as an Indian, eventually forgetting her native German language. Years later, when the Indians were forced to return their white captives, Regina's mother went to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, hoping to identify her daughter. But after so many years apart, she couldn't recognize any of the captives as her child. After a suggestion, Regina's mother began to sing a song she often sang to her children when they were small. After a moment, a young woman in the crowd gave a cry of recognition. She stepped out of the crowd of captives, shouting, "Mutter! Mutter!" and ran into her mother's open arms. Mother and daughter were finally reunited.

This story always brought tears to my eyes. It's been written about in several books, but I read I am Regina when I was a teenager. Regina Leininger, who is believed to be the real-life Regina Hartman of legend, is buried in Berks County, not far from where I live. 

I am Regina

The cabin door crashes open and in a few minutes Regina's life changes forever. Allegheny Indians murder her father and brother, burn their Pennsylvania home to the ground and take Regina captive. Only her mother, who is away from home, is safe. Torn from her family, Regina longs for the pasat, but she must begin a new life. She becomes Tskinnak, who learns to catch fish, dance the Indian dance, and speak the Indian tongue. As the years go by, her new people become her family... but she never stops wondering about her mother. Will they ever meet again?

Here are some other Indian captive books set in Pennsylvania...

This area is also well-known for the Molly Maguires. There are several books, movies and documentaries made about them. If you've never heard of the Molly Maguires, they were a secret group of Irish-American miners who were known for their violent conflicts. In the 1870s, twenty suspected Molly Maguire men were executed for the murder of sixteen men. The trial and execution took place in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. Legend has it, the Old Jail is haunted by spirits of the accused men and you can still see the handprint of one of them who claimed to be innocent up to his death. 

I would be a very bad friend if I did not include author Ash Krafton's books in this list. I worked in the same mall as Ms. Krafton back in our days of retail in Pottsville. Her urban fantasy series is set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Demimonde

Sophie Galen is an advice columnist whose work leaves her neck-deep in other people's problems. Thanks to her compassion, her gut instinct, and her magnetic charm, Sophie really knows how to attract little black clouds.

Marek Thurzo is no little black cloud; he's a maelstrom. Marek is Demivampire, a race with the potential to evolve into vampire. A warrior who's taken his share of spiritual damage, he hovers dangerously close to destruction.

He seeks salvation. She's driven to save him. But what if he can't be saved?

And because this is my blog, I might as well throw in my book, Loving Boone, to this list, too. Boone and Beth-Ann's story begins in Tennessee, but their journey takes them to Pennsylvania.

Loving Boone

Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area. He interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, Beth-Ann's childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?

That's a long list this week, but I hope you find something that entertains you!

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Happy Reading!

~Tricia

MFRW Book Hooks: Loving Boone #MFRWHooks #MFRWAuthor #ParanormalRomance

I'm joining the Marketing For Romance Writers Book Hooks this week! Today, I'm going to share an excerpt from my paranormal shifter romance, Loving Boone. This is the first book in the Cougar Shifters series.

Blurb:

Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help him find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?

Excerpt:

          Boone returned her stare, his green-eyed gaze boring fiercely into her heart, her father's rage reflected there. It wounded her to see him look at her with such fury.
          Although they hadn't parted on the best of terms when she left for college, she had done nothing to hurt his people. And she didn't believe her father would either.
          But Boone stared with such accusation, he didn't need to verbalize his thoughts.
          She was one of them.
          Beth-Ann parted her lips, trying to think of something appropriate to say. Nothing seemed right. What words could she say to fix this? To fix what happened between them.
          There was nothing.
          So, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.
          When she opened her eyes, he remained straining against his bonds and staring as if he wanted to cut her apart.
          But this was Boone.
          He'd never hurt her.
          She stepped forward. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her Uncle Travis about to protest, but she raised her hand to silence him. She stopped when she was an arm's length away from Boone.
          He kept his gaze fastened with hers, not even blinking as she approached.
          Beth-Ann gently pushed a few sweat-soaked strands of hair out of his face so she could view his injuries better.
          She gasped at the blood seeping from several cuts on his cheeks and around his eyes. Redness discolored his cheekbones from the impact of her father's fists and swelling was not far behind.
          His face was going to be one big bruise.
          Even as she stared, the flesh around his left eye was growing puffy.
          "You're going to need ice," she muttered, more to herself than to him.
          "I'm going to need that knife," he answered, nodding to the dagger still sunk into the floorboards.
          "Not here," she said with a shake of her head. Her father wouldn't kill him. It wasn't in his nature. "No one will hurt you here."
          "Not anymore?"
          She flinched.
          This wasn't the Boone she left behind. It was as if she gazed into a stranger's face expecting to see the boy she remembered. He might look the same, but his eyes had changed. His soul had changed. He'd been wounded in ways she couldn't comprehend.
          And, he had it right. Despite her beliefs, he'd been hurt by her father's hand. Geoffrey already inflicted injuries on him that might have killed a normal human.
          But Boone wasn't human, was he?
   

AMAZON

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Be sure to check out the other Book Hooks!

Happy Reading! 

~Tricia