From the coming paranormal book

It's always challenging to find an excerpt that is interesting but doesn't tell too much of the story-- but without some of the story, the excerpt isn't doing its job. This one is from the first book in the Hemstreet Witches Series. It ended up the general length I had hoped (under 58,000 words) is a contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, western, suspense, romance... I probably need to get a few less tags there.

Here's a sneak peek at its probable cover. I say probable because sometimes there are subtle changes when we live with them awhile.

I am already starting to line up the next book in the series. They are a lot more western than I had expected but I should have expected it. They are set in Tucson but also out into the desert and at a ranch which has come down through their family. Some of the books may have more city in them, but the next one will have even less and travel north for some of its story to the Verde Valley. 

Here's a clip from The Enchantress' Secret which will likely go to beta readers within a week and if that goes well (this is out of their normal romance genre reading), I could see it out by the end of May... and me well into writing the next one. Nick is a painter and Denali a witch. John Cordova is a Yaqui who has drifted away from his family.

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   John took a big swallow of his wine. “Guess I did.” He looked at her. “You’re a witch too. I knew that first time I saw you but the real deal, a good witch, one born to it, ain’t you?”

   She nodded. “As was my grandmother and great grandmother. It is on both sides for my sister and me as the one side has the Yaqui shaman magic.”

   He smiled. “Powerful combination. Dangerous in the wrong hands.”

   “We understand that. Do you do magic, John?”

   He shook his head. “Not since… No.”

   “But you did once.”

   He looked uneasy. “Maybe but no more.”

   “But if there was a storm coming, you might again if the need arose.”

   The old man looked at her and then shook his head. “Don’t want to.”

   “I understand that. It’s a lot of responsibility but sometimes, it has to be done for good.”

   He sucked in a breath. “I’ll leave you two.” He looked back at Denali. “Glad he’s got you until he’s ready to understand all that he faces.” With that he was gone.

   Nick took another long draw on his cigarette. “Strange,” he said as he looked at her through the smoke.

   She smiled. “He’s a good witness as to the problem with Cynthia. I am afraid that if she kept photos of you, they will show up in her home. She may have talked to her girlfriends and who knows what she told them.”

   “I see the writing on the wall. I’m being set up.”

   “It seems that way.”

   “You think by someone who used the women or created their motivations?”

   That was pretty insightful but she supposed she should have expected it from someone who had been a SEAL and used to espionage and attacks. “It could have been either. I hope my family will know more tonight.”

   “Me too as I don’t relish being in a prison cell for things I didn’t do. I think I can safely say with the publicity my art career will be in the toilet.”

   “If the publicity gets out.”

   “It’s pretty salacious to not. Nothing about this is good.”

   “Well there is one thing.”

   “And?” He was looking in a bleak mood and she couldn’t blame him.

   “You have a good friend in John Cordova. He has adopted you it seems.”

   “And you. You adopted me too.”

   She smiled at that. “Oh no, my motives aren’t any purer than Cynthia’s.”

   He grinned. “You though have had encouragement. Do you need more?”

   “Oh no, I just am thinking you need to stop sleeping alone at night.” She laughed.

   “Ah, my alibi... the witch.”

   She laughed. “You might prefer to say the Hemstreet heiress.” With that, she moved across the room and sat back on his lap. “Shall we take off from where we were?”

From Dark of the Moon and Diablo Canyon

 covers-- first for the combined novel and second the novella in which this scene happens

The second paranormal that I wrote started out as a novella and grew into three novellas. In it, three spirit guides got a point of view-- actually fun to write. Eventually the three novellas also became available as one novel. The novellas remained without the spice and the novel went behind closed doors for the whole relationship. Each novella stands alone but the first one is probably the hardest to read as it's very unconventional since it came directly out of one of my dreams. 

The issues I ran into when writing Diablo Canyon are arising again with my first in what will be five short novels. In it, I haven't yet given a spirit its point of view but am thinking about it. If I do, it'll be the demonic side probably but it's still undecided as other than when the human and spirit side interact, I don't need the other point of view. I might write two versions when the rough draft is finished just to see how it goes.

The following from Dark of the Moon is a fairly long excerpt. I had the first part of it earlier as an excerpt as I much enjoy this scene but it's a tad long to have both in the same blog. Pace made a great hero since he could see and talk to the other side, as he is doing in this scene. I've known a few humans who claim they also can. Who knows. I consider life mystery and when I am writing a paranormal, mystery is what I feel most.

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“How much do the three of you know about the Damons and Cole’s stepbrothers?”

“Are they the reason Cole wanted someone like you?” Justus asked as he considered what he had heard and put together.

“Ostensibly.” He took a long draw on his cigarette. “I am not sure he knows all the reasons, and I sure as hell don’t. There is though something more here; isn’t there?” He looked toward the south, toward from where the negative energy was coming. “It isn’t just about human interactions.”

“The words you use make you seem pretty educated for a hired gun,” Remus said watching for the reaction.

Pace’s smile was cold. “I am not hired to use a gun.”

“Like unless it comes up, huh?” Remus said aware he’d irked the man.

“It’s never why I am hired.” He didn’t deny the need had occasionally arisen. He looked to Remus as though he was a man who could use one if required. Remus decided he should placate him. “Didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Like hell, you didn’t. You wanted me to get mad, and then you’d learn more. Well I told you what I know. What do you know?”

“Spirit guides aren’t told everything either,” Justus answered. “We get pieces, but if the humans close us out, we are left watching like anyone would. We wait for a chance to be helpful.”

Pace snorted. “At least, anyone who can be invisible and pry into the thinking of others without their knowing.” He took another long drag on the cigarette blowing out the smoke.

“That makes us sound bad,” Justus said in an aggrieved tone. “We are here to help. You know that.”

“If you’re such great helps, Justus, what do you know about the bear that’s been picking off Farrell cattle?”

“Bear? Nothing about a bear.”

Remus looked around nervously. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember he wasn’t flesh and blood. He had nothing to fear from a bear.

“Unless it’s a spirit bear.”

“You may not read human minds, but you’re all too good on ours,” Remus protested.

“I suggest the three of you head back to Myra or whoever you are supposed to be helping. I have a place to go and don’t need help,” Pace said as he finished his cigarette and snubbed it out on his saddle’s pommel before putting it in his shirt pocket.

“Hold it,” Racine protested. “I’d like to know something about you before I go.”

“Shoot… figuratively speaking, of course.” Pace grinned for the first time and Racine saw that devastating smile of white teeth against tanned skin. My God, even as a spirit she could appreciate that level of masculine beauty.

“Why don’t you have a guide?”

“You not too advanced in your work, I take it.”

“That is not true and was insulting.”

“I’d then expect you to know that humans don’t need guides all the time depending on their level of enlightenment. I actually do have one, but he’s got other things to do. He’ll be around if I need him.”

“I think you will need him,” Justus said.

“Then he’ll be here.”

“Mind telling us his name in case we run across him.”

Pace laughed as he brought his leg down and put his boot into the stirrup. “You won’t wonder if you see him. He looks like an old cowpuncher most of the time.” With that he spurred his horse lightly and took off toward the south.

“I hope he’s not going into the canyon,” Racine said.

“He didn’t invite us along,” Justus reminded her. “And we do all have other places to be.” He jerked his head to the north reminding her of her own charge.

“All right but that talk of a spirit bear scared me. What is a spirit bear anyway?”

“I suppose we should find out,” Remus said with a thoughtful expression as he considered where he might do that.

“You really think there might be one around? No one ever told me anything about something like that potentially here. Of course, there’s a lot nobody tells me,” she finished with a rather fetching pout, Remus did think.

“Welcome to the club, as humans say. I will find out,” Justus said as he, Remus disappeared toward Bozeman, and Racine headed for Myra.

 

relationship between sisters

From Round the Bend, Where Dreams Go, Going Home, comes the fourth book, Love Waits, bringing back to the family the youngest of three sisters. This is a strong family, staking their claims on love and healthy living, as they protect their land from those who would take it. This scene shows some of  the relationship between the sisters, Amy, Loraine, and Belle. I like writing family in my books. If they aren't blood kin, they are chosen and become as bonded as if by ancestry.

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Loraine came in with Jesse in her arms. “This was a long night.”

“I appreciate your taking a turn with Rand,” Belle said as Loraine settled Jesse into a crib, handing him a rattle and a carved animal, which seemed to fascinate him if his cooing sounds were any indication.

“Since it appears he’s going to be one of the family,” Loraine said, “it’s important to get him healthy again.” She smiled at Belle’s look of uncertainty. “That is if you want him to be in the family.”

“That’s not decided.”

“Oh that sounded like our Arabelle,” Amy said as she entered catching the tail end of the conversation. “Never make things easy.”

Another time Belle might have felt annoyed, but this time she had to agree. “What can I do to help with breakfast?” she asked rather than spit back a sharp response.

“Gathering the eggs would help,” Loraine said as she looked in the cupboard. “I think scrambled eggs might be good for Rand this morning.”

“Where is the hen coop?” She liked that idea. Getting out of the house would be good for her nerves.

“I’ll show you.” Amy pulled on boots and a jacket and handed Belle a basket.

The coop had been built sturdily, which was essential, given all the varmints in the region. It had an equally impressive wire cage around the outside. “Matt dug the wire deep,” Amy said as she showed her the door in the back. Inside they could access the egg boxes from a room that stored grain in tight barrels. One hen, unwilling to give up her egg, had to be pushed off. The rooster looked at them suspiciously.

“There are two dozen laying hens, half a dozen pullets, and four hens that Mama is saving for stewing. If more of us end up living here and as the children grow, we will need more.”

“This is an impressive yield.” She had two dozen full sized and one tiny one in her basket.

“When men work hard, they eat heartily. This place takes a lot to keep eight men fed as well as children growing up so fast.”

“I can imagine. Well,” she laughed. “I can’t but will take your word for it.”

“We process a lot of vegetables and now have several fruit trees beginning to produce. Mostly though we have bought the fruit from a farm down in Kimberly, beyond Monument.”

“When I was in Canyon City, I studied the map to get an idea of where I’d have to go if I had to leave fast. I have a general idea of the country here.”

“You have been quite the adventurer.”

Belle looked over and saw only a smile on Amy’s face. “There was a time you wanted adventure,” Belle said as they put the feed out for the hens and then secured the door to head back to the kitchen.

“And I have lived one.” Amy’s smile widened. “It wasn’t what I expected. I married this man, who had been my friend since as far back as I could remember. I adore him and find every moment with him exciting even in the mundane ones. It’s about getting to know more about him through the stages of life, having children together—it’s been an adventure such as I never dreamed.”

“It’s what most women want, I guess.” Belle sighed as they stepped up on the porch.

Amy reached out to stop her. “Everyone has to find their own adventure, Belle. Maybe this place isn’t it for you. Maybe it’s not Rand. Don’t let anyone push you into what isn’t right for you.”

Belle looked at her with surprise. “I thought you’d be the one most wanting me to marry Rand. Haven’t you always said I was selfish?”

Amy laughed. “Did I say that? Well, maybe, baby sister, I am just as feisty as you are, and we butt heads. Might that be the case?”

Belle smiled and felt a sense of relief. “I would love it if we could be friends.”

“We are sisters. Isn’t that enough for you?” Amy giggled.

“Sisters you don’t have a choice about. Friends though, those you choose. I always felt a little apart from you and Loraine, being so much younger, but now it doesn’t seem there is that difference.”