Into the Paranormal World: Out for a jog, a cougar shifter stumbles across a discovery that will change his life.
A couple of years before, Virgil McBride’s life changed…for the better. He’d been working as a ranch hand at a cattle ranch in Texas while hiding the fact that he was a cougar shifter. Then his boss brought home a gargoyle mate. It didn’t take long for staff to transition, wheedling out those humans who weren’t trustworthy. Virgil loves his new freedoms, allowing him to shift and explore the ranch in animal form. While out running as a cougar, Virgil scents something amazing, and he realizes his mate is near. Searching out the source, he finds something he’s never seen before…and it isn’t the dilapidated hunting stand. Virgil meets Shaw, a wombat shifter. Even though he assures his mate that he would be welcome at the ranch, Shaw isn’t convinced. After learning why—the beta of Shaw’s wombat wisdom is claiming him as his mate—Virgil realizes he’s not going to be able to fulfill his wombat’s dreams on his own. Can Virgil win Shaw’s trust enough to get the help they need to free his mate and give them a future?
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“Hey, Virg! What are you up to this evening?”
Turning upon hearing the shout of Stanley Redfeather, Virgil McBride grinned at the Native American. He was also the ranch foreman, but he knew his friend wasn’t asking in a work capacity. Between the darkness beyond the window and the way Stanley was dressed for dancing, Virgil figured the man was heading toward the local honky-tonk and wanted a wingman.
So not happening tonight.
“Hi, Stan,” Virgil greeted, giving the handsome man an appreciative sweep with his gaze. “Goin’ out, I see.” Lifting his hands with a laugh, he winked. “See me in these comfortable sweats? I’m puttin’ on my flip-flops and takin’ a jog in the woods.”
Stanley groaned. “So you’re going to say no if I ask you to join me at The Rockin’ Station, aren’t you?”
Virgil nodded as he thought about the local dive bar, which had a decent-sized dance floor in the back. Their jukebox had a large assortment of tunes to fit just about everyone. Well, except rap or heavy metal, but those who enjoyed that kind of music probably wouldn’t be caught dead in the hick bar, anyway.
On Friday nights, such as the evening stretching before them, The Rockin’ Station also had a live band. Virgil knew Stanley swung both ways, same as himself, but if he were to try picking up a guy at the bar, they would probably have their asses handed to them—or at least, someone would give it a shot. That meant Stanley was going to try for a little lady-action.
I’m so not in the mood for human shenanigans.
Instead, Virgil wanted to indulge in something else that evening. “Sorry, man. I already have a date”—he winked—“with nature.”
Stanley nodded even as he sighed, his disappointment clear in his scent. “All right. Guess I’ll ask Walsh. Maybe he’ll be down for it.”
“Down for what?” Walsh asked, walking into the room. The dark-haired human grinned at Virgil. “You letting your kitty out for a walk?”
While Walsh’s tone sounded teasing, an interested gleam had entered his brown eyes.
“Yep,” Virgil confirmed. “Goin’ for a run.” He pointed at Stanley. Then he dropped his flip-flops on the floor and slipped into them before starting toward the front door. “Stanley’s lookin’ for a wingman.”
Walsh arched an eyebrow. “Really? Where ya goin, boss?”
As Virgil grabbed a jacket and slung it over his shoulders, Stanley answered, “There’s a live band at The Rockin’ Station on Fridays, and I’m going to look for a lady to dance with.” A low chuckled entered the foreman’s tone as he added, “And maybe a little more. You want to come?”
“Oh, sure,” Walsh replied, sounding pleased. Then he called, “And I still wanna see that someday, Virg!”
Virgil knew what Walsh was talking about. The human wanted to see him turn into his cat form. While Walsh had known about vampires for years due to an altercation with a rogue—he was part of the one percent of humans who couldn’t be compelled or mentally manipulated by a vampire’s trancing ability, so the memory couldn’t be deleted from his mind—he’d never met a shifter before being hired at Nicholas’s ranch.
Laughing, Virgil grabbed the door handle as he nodded. “You got it, buddy. Next time.” Then he strode outside.
“I’ll hold you to that!” Walsh called. Virgil waved as he allowed the screen door to close behind him, knowing the man returned his attention to Stanley when he heard Walsh say, “Give me fifteen minutes for a quick shower and shave, and I’ll be ready to go.”
As Virgil stepped off the porch and sauntered across the yard, heading toward the tree line, he thought about the many changes that had taken place over the last few years. When he’d been hired on as a hand to work the cattle over six years before, he’d had to keep his nature hidden. No one on the place had known about the existence of the paranormal.
Then, almost three years before, the ranch’s owner—Baltus Lindson—had insisted on taking his eldest son—Nicholas—on a business trip. While Baltus had owned the place, Virgil had rarely seen him. He was fine with that, too, since his scent bothered his cat.
The smell of greed, manipulation, and expensive cologne was not a good mix…on anyone.
Virgil had known Nicholas quite a bit better, although his scent confused him a little, too. The human worked beside them on the ranch, handling the running of the place. He’d also been engaged to a woman named Sandra, but he’d never had her scent on him.
Nicholas’s return from that fateful trip revealed everything to Virgil…and outed him as a shifter at the same time. The man had stumbled across gargoyles and had been the mate of one. In fact, not just any gargoyle, either—Nicholas was mated to a gargoyle elder—the rulers of their kind.
With Elder Bodb’s arrival, who’d been introduced as a rancher from Montana who was studying Texas practices to see how he could improve his own ranch, Virgil had been certain the wedding to Sandra would be called off. It hadn’t been. While Virgil had been surprised, it wasn’t his mating, and he wasn’t close enough to Nicholas to be asked for advice on how to work through personal issues.
What Virgil found even odder was that Sandra had moved into the ranch house…with another woman, Maggie.
Virgil had wondered what was going on, but it wasn’t his place to ask. Instead, he’d been more concerned about the arrival of more gargoyles and a couple of vampires. Worried about losing his job, he’d steered clear of the ranch house and the whole lot of them, taking his meals in the bunkhouse.
~
Come Find Me!
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In the land of Zanalia, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of war. When two of the realm’s fiercest foes go head-to-head over the sacred ritual, sparks unexpectedly fly, igniting an explosion of love, lust, and ultimately, broken traditions.
In a world filled with warriors, Valentine’s Day means war for the creatures of Zanalia. Mina, queen of the disciplinarian tribe, is responsible for spearheading attacks on the land’s worst enemies.
Spike, Mina’s biggest adversary and the son of king Theo, no longer believes in provoking battles on this love-filled holiday. He secretly encourages the Zanalians to put away their weapons and spend time with their loved ones instead. The absurd suggestion goes against the territory’s oldest tradition and is rejected by many, to the point that Spike receives death threats. His father grows worried for his son and orders Mina to stage his kidnapping, then provide him with personal, around-the-clock protection.
Mina is infuriated by the mission as she’s being forced to protect a disloyal traitor. She vows to make Spike’s time with her as torturous as possible until she unwittingly finds pleasure in the pain she inflicts upon him, while he seemingly relishes her harsh punishments. Emotions run high between the pair, and Mina realizes that Spike’s wish to spread love this Valentine’s Day just may come true after all.
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Excerpt ~
Mina held her head high, a huge smile spread across her smooth pale green face. She marched down the long stone hallway toward King Theo’s lair, proud of the way her spiked bronze teeth glistened while her wavy white hair blew in the wind. Mina was feeling better than ever as she prepared to give the leader of Zanalia a full report on her final week as the realm’s queen of the disciplinarian tribe.
On the way to his domain, she high-fived several of Theo’s soldiers, who cheered loudly while clapping their scaly webbed hands. Mina and her tribal warriors had just successfully completed one of their most difficult missions to date. The job was a personal one for Theo that involved his wayward brother, Horace, who’d defected from their sphere in pursuit of love in enemy territory.
Theo had warned Horace to stay away from the land of Raynalium, whose hate-filled creatures despised the superior Zanalians. Ignoring his brother's advice, Horace ended up being captured and tortured by the Raynali army. It was Mina and her disciplinarian tribe who snuck into the dangerous realm under the cover of night, attacking their entire militia and rescuing Horace from the slimy, menacing wilderness where he’d been held.
The successful mission wasn’t the only reason Mina was in such a good mood. After ten long grueling years of hard work and unwavering dedication, she had decided to retire from her post as queen of the disciplinarian tribe. Mina knew it would be difficult for Theo to let her go, considering he had no better warrior serving him. Along with her stunning, slightly human-like appearance, beguiling personality, witty intelligence, and innate sixth sense, Mina knew she possessed the strongest will to conquer that Theo had ever witnessed. But as a family man, she was sure he’d understand her desire to hang up her spears, settle down, and explore what other opportunities the galaxy had to offer.
“Great job, queen!” Jewel screamed, jumping up and down as Mina reached the end of the hallway.
“Thank you!”
Mina laughed at her friend’s excitement. She and Jewel had been extremely close for years, having met during their first day of training at the disciplinary camp. Jewel was a petite, adorable little blue creature whose pointy ears resembled those of an elf, while her fluffy gold wings could have been plucked from a fairy. Her endearing appearance was her best weapon, because while she seemed delicate and unassuming, Jewel possessed the strength of ten soldiers. Mina had nicknamed her casualty, because if anyone ever crossed her, that was exactly what they’d become.
Jewel grabbed Mina’s shoulder and whispered in her ear. “You have no idea how sad I am that you’re leaving your post as our queen.”
“Oh, come on. It’s not like I won’t be around anymore. You’ll still see me all the time. And guess what? I’m going to recommend to Theo that he choose you as my successor. Your entire existence is about to change in the most wonderful way. Buckle up, sister. You’re in for an amazing ride.”
Jewel’s tiny face fell as she dropped her head and sighed deeply. “Yeah, a ride I’m absolutely terrified to take. I can’t even fathom the thought of going out on these missions without you. Plus I’ll never be capable of filling your shoes, Mina.”
“No one expects you to,” she replied, running her fingers along the edges of Jewel’s wings affectionately. “Just be yourself, my little ruthless casualty. I bet you’ll end up being better than I ever was.”
“I seriously doubt that, but thanks for the reassurance.” Jewel punched a secret code into the glass slate that opened the door to Theo’s lair.
Mina quickly embraced Jewel and then stood in the threshold.
“Permission to enter, sir?”
“Yes, please. Have a seat, my dear,” he said, slowly stroking his long gray beard while gazing at several monitors.
Mina sat down across from Theo and wiggled in her seat, excited to discuss Horace’s successful rescue as well as the terms of her retirement.
“You have no idea how delighted I am to see you,” he told her. “If I may be perfectly honest, I was unsure as to whether you and the rest of the tribe would return from Raynalium safely, let alone recover Horace from that savage jungle.”
“Well, I am quite pleased that we were able to fulfill all of the above,” Mina replied, proudly bowing her head. “I knew that rescuing your brother was a top priority and our most important mission thus far. There is no way we would have let you down. Or him.”
“That is so wonderful to hear, Mina. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I do hope Horace learned his lesson. My guess is he will never defect from the land of Zanalia and enter into enemy territory ever again.”
“I would certainly hope not, sir,” she said, then took a deep breath. Just when she opened her mouth to mention stepping down from her post, Theo reached down inside of his desk drawer and pulled out a large black box.
“As for your payment,” he said, “you will be compensated handsomely.”
Theo pulled several semiprecious stones from the box and slid them across the desk. Mina gasped and covered her mouth while gazing at the glimmering stones.
“Your monetary funds have already been transferred into your account. Because of this mission’s level of difficulty, please consider these stones an added bonus.”
She reached out and ran her fingertips across the minerals’ cool surfaces.
“Theo,” Mina breathed, “these are absolutely stunning. They’re also too much. How can I thank you for such splendid gifts?”
“By not retiring just yet.”
She froze, hoping she’d misheard him.
“I’m sorry, sir. Could you please repeat that?”
~
Come Find Me!
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A hardworking female cattle rancher and a wealthy company man from the city search for diamonds and find one another.
Cattle rancher Emily Williams lives and works in a small Colorado town and loves it. Though she came out west to search for diamonds in a fabled lost mine, she has found more success in her pastures.
Then Carson Murphy arrives in town, sent by his mining company. Tall, strong, and sure, he becomes a beacon of hope for the townsfolk—their best chance to locate the lost diamonds.
Many have searched for the mine, but none have succeeded. Emily has little faith but joins Murphy anyway. The glittering allure of wealth proves too powerful to resist, and the straightforward Murphy attracts her just as much, if not more.
Hardworking, determined, and eternally hopeful, Emily, Murphy, and the town persevere through life on the frontier. They search the lonely hillsides for the answer to their burning question—will they ever find where the treasure lies?
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Excerpt ~
Diamante Hills, Colorado, 1882
WHOOO-EE! Drink that rotgut, drink that red nose,
Whenever you get to town;
Drink it straight and swig it mighty,
Till the world goes round and round!
The loud, drunken men of Diamante Hills made the walls of the saloon resound with their song. They filled every available seat of the barroom. Many stood or leaned at the bar that spanned the back wall. Some stood around the piano to the left of the bar beside the back staircase. Others sat on the steps, lounging and laughing. But most relaxed at the tables that filled the rest of the large room. The tables were simple wooden circles and the chairs unadorned. All were speckled with stains from years of use. As they moved to the music, one man on the stairs sloshed some beer out of his mug, adding another dark puddle to the mosaic on the floor.
Emily Williams didn’t sing along, but she did raise her mug along with everyone else and cheered at the song’s end.
“Drink up, ya ugly bastards!” someone shouted from the bar.
“Hey!” Laura protested.
The men in the saloon erupted in laughter.
Laura’s eyes were smiling, but her face was stern. “Who’re you calling ugly?”
Abram Holt bowed low from his place at the bar. “Terrible sorry, milady. What I meant to say was ugly bastards and beautiful angels.”
The men cheered again. A few whooped and whistled.
Emily raised her beer once more. “I’ll drink to that!”
She and Laura led the room in a long, frothy draught. She brought her empty glass down hard upon the table while Laura took another moment to drain her beer.
“You ladies need a refill?” Sam asked from behind the bar.
Emily shook her head. “No thanks, barkeep. I might be the only one in this establishment that remembers, but we’ve got a cattle drive at the crack of dawn tomorrow.”
“What do you think we’re celebrating for?” one of the men shouted. Raucous laughter and cheering followed. When these men drank, they’d cheer for a rock.
Emily shrugged. “Just remember, if you aren’t there, we leave without you. There’s a substantial bonus for any man that goes on the drive.”
“Yes, ma’am, boss,” Holt cried, raising his mug. The inevitable cheering momentarily drowned out the sound of someone starting a new song on the piano. Soon the entire saloon was singing along.
Emily went to Sam and handed him a few coins.
“You don’t owe near this much, Emily,” he reprimanded.
She shrugged. “It’ll cover the mess, then. Take care, Sam.”
“Night, Miss Emily.” He nodded at her. “Miss Laura.”
Laura winked at Sam, and he looked away. Emily and Laura turned and headed for the door, weaseling their way between tables, chairs, and bodies.
Emily slipped her hand through the crook of Laura’s arm. As they passed through the door and into the cool, quiet night, she asked, “Why on earth do you torment that poor man?”
Laura tossed her hair and laughed. “Because I’m young and I’m pretty and I like to be noticed. There’s no harm in it, Emi. He’s the most faithful husband there is. His wife has him wrapped around her little finger.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “If that woman were any less good-natured, she would have come after you by now.”
“Ah, but I choose my targets wisely. Never pick a fight you know you can’t win.”
“Or bat your eyelashes out of.”
“Most likely that,” Laura agreed.
Emily regarded her friend. Laura was a little high on herself, but she certainly wasn’t wrong. She was a gorgeous woman of twenty-six with long, thick, soft blonde hair that fell to the center of her back. She wore it up during the day, but on nights like this she preferred it long and wild, as did the men. She was devoted to her beau, Daniel Watson, but she liked to keep her admirers on their toes.
Laura had no lack of smarts, despite what most assumed, and shared many little tidbits of wisdom she’d picked up during her hard life. She ran the Diamante Hills equivalent of a brothel, though, in truth, it wasn’t nearly so barbaric as that. She simply ran a boardinghouse for the young single women of the town, who she called her ducklings, and turned a blind eye when they made their rent by not-so-savory means.
After all, who was Laura to judge the world’s oldest profession? She’d made her fortune selling herself.
Laura had arrived in Diamante just two years before Emily. Back then, Diamante Hills had been a small muddy collection of three or four buildings surrounded by a legion of tents. A legend had resurfaced of diamonds being found in a hidden cave years ago by the Spanish. The most desperate and gullible miners had slowly trickled into town to try to find it. They had nowhere else to go, left bereft after the Colorado Gold Rush faded away.
~
Come Find Me!
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