Sleeper is almost here, and today I’m revealing the cover!
First, a little look inside the story…
Makenna is a self-proclaimed freak with abilities she can’t control. She’s clawed her way through life, fighting to maintain her sanity. Her lonely existence has only fed the vicious animal within her, one she barely contains and doesn’t understand.
Rhys has prepared since birth to be alpha and king of an ancient race of wolves. Instead, he leads half a fractured clan against a depraved madman. But victory begins to slip through Rhys’s fingers. Only one thing can save them. A single requirement for him to claim the throne:
Bonding with his mate, the one warrior queen born to each generation, the incarnation of a primal warrior goddess who holds more power than any of them can imagine.
When Rhys finds Makenna, he believes the battle has shifted in his favor. He never imagined his heart would want her as much as his body. While Makenna is drawn to Rhys with terrifying intensity, his arrival triggers an acceleration in her abilities, the beast within her growing stronger than ever.
Will discovering the truth give Makenna the peace she craves, or will it ignite a savage escalation in the war, drenching their lives in blood?
And now what you’ve all been waiting for!
This thing is fire!
Ain’t it gorgeous?
I’ll post the Amazon link next week. (Sorry, no preorders) But it will be in Kindle Unlimited! You can also add it to your Goodreads shelf here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39903047-sleeper
Feel free to share! Thank you all so much for your support. I hope you love the new series as much as I do!
Because I just can’t seem to do a blog post without a song, how about Rhys and Kenna’s theme? Their chemistry is explosive. There’s nothing tame about their love, so this song is perfect. And don’t worry, there’s plenty of hard bangin’ tracks on the playlist. After all, it’s me. 😉
This is going to be a 2-parter. In keeping with my focus on short stories and novellas, I’m going to feature two of Amy’s new releases. The first is Reformation. If you notice there’s no hyperlink over the title. Why? Because Reformation is an exclusive thing. It’s free. All you have to do is sign up for Amy’s newsletter at amybrockmcnew.com.
But is it worth it? Um yes. Amy is known for her tagline “guts on the page” and the Reluctant Warrior Chronicles shows this but so does her blog. She’s also passionate about stopping human trafficking and helping those caught in its clutches. It’s Amy pouring herself into her writing. Gritty, real-world topics that aren’t all pretty. That aren’t all Jeep rides with windblown hair and endless bags of Oreos. The protagoists Liz and Ryland battle demons – real ichor bleeding demons that inflict real…
A friend had a harrowing experience this weekend. She shares it here, along with things you can do to take action. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it until we’ve won and the precious are free and no longer in danger: Human trafficking is not isolated to third world countries and far away places. It’s alive and well, right here in our cozy little neighborhoods. Be aware, learn the signs, don’t be afraid to stand up and say something. Your reaction could save a life, and a precious one’s innocence. #EndHumanTrafficking #SaySomething #DoSomething #NeverStopFighting
I tucked Chase into bed tonight, closing my eyes as I kissed his forehead. And I saw that man’s face again.
During a quick stop at a local Books a Million with my two boys, I was on the hunt for author Mary Weber’s new YA sci-fi story, Reclaiming Shiloh Snow–a story birthed from her heart for young people caught in human trafficking.
I had no idea how God would yank my eyes open about that very thing, minutes later.
Older son Cole asked to look at self-defense and martial arts books. Because he’s 5’10 and nearly fourteen, I didn’t hesitate letting him cross the main aisle. Chase wanted to check out Legos and Lego books. Since I’d only be a minute or two, I gave him permission to look at Legos while I quickly checked for the book.
The YA section is three aisles from the middle grade…
Two amazing friends of mine have co-written a romantic suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat!
Check out the latest from Elizabeth Princeton and Rachel Lynne!
Oh, and after you read the blurb, check out the trailer!
💥 It’s LIVE!!! 💥 On Amazon and KU!
💋 Are you tempted? 💋
~A girl who’s running from a dark past meets a handsome sheriff who tries his hardest to forget her.
As Hensley tries to create a fresh start, someone is watching and waiting for their opportunity to strike.
Jensen is intrigued by the gorgeous woman and wants to make her his, despite knowing he has a reputation to uphold. His determination to keep her safe may just put him in danger.
Can he resist temptation or will he allow it to pull him under the spell she’s cast on him.~
I’ve told you all about Michelle Dare’s latest release, Where I End, now it’s time to get personal with the author herself. She joins us today to show us a piece of her process and lay her guts on the page.
Michelle, thanks so much for letting me pick your brain! I won’t ask too many hard questions. Well, I’ll try. Okay, so I’m going for the throat! Hehe. This is Guts On The Page, after all! So let’s jump right in.
1.) Why do you write?
Because I love it and if I don’t, my characters will drive me crazy.
~Yeah, I know that feeling!
2.) What do you want people to take away from your books, first the fantasy, then the new adult?
I want them to be able to escape reality for a little bit and live in another world in my fantasy books. To feel what it’s like flying on the back of a dragon or being able to use magic. With my new adult books, I want to pull on the reader’s heartstrings and show them that even in the darkest hour love can survive.
~I hear you. And it’s great when you can combine all that in one genre.
3.) Where is your favorite place in the world? Favorite place to write?I love the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I would live there if I could. I don’t have a favorite place to write. It’s more of where I can keep an eye on the kids and dog while working.
~Ah, a chick after my own heart. Love that Salt Life on the beach!
4.) Do you listen to music when you write? If so, do you have playlists for your books? If not, what kind of music do you like to listen to?
No. If I do, I end up singing and dancing in my seat instead of writing. I listen to a little bit of everything.
~Yeah, when a song hits you just right, sometimes you just have to move!
5.) What or who was your inspiration for writing Where I End and Where I Am?
Cy from Where I End came to me in a dream and once he started talking, he didn’t stop until his story was told. After readers read Where I End they started asking for Parker’s story. Once he popped into my head, he never left. He’s such a different character from Cy but they each have powerful stories to tell.
~And we love them both! You tell their stories so well.
6.) And now a really tough question, which one do you love the most, Parker or Cy? Why?Bwahaha!
*Gasp* I don’t think I could pick a favorite. I love them equally. But I will say, even after Parker’s story was told, he never left my head. He talks to my other characters and jokes with them. He’s a lot of fun.
~He does seem like the type to have plenty to say.
7.) What drink do you have to have with you when you’re writing?
I don’t drink and normally don’t even have water near me. But I usually have a snack like chips or something.
8.) Do you prefer writing love scenes or fight scenes and why?
I enjoy writing fight scenes. The ones where the characters are arguing because they are packed full of emotion and I love writing down what’s going through their heads. The passion, the love, the hatred, whatever it is, the emotions are strong.
~Same here. A good fight runs the emotional gamut!
9.) Other than the people and fur babies in your life, what is one thing you cannot live without?
Lots! My SUV, phone, Kindle. Oh and chocolate! I have an obsession with Hershey Kisses and M&Ms.
~Oh, chocolate!
10.) Do you have any further plans for books with Cy and Parker?
I don’t have plans to give them more of their own books but one day may write Blair’s book. I have her story in my head but also have a long list of other books to write as well.
~Yay!
And now we end with the rapid fire questions. Clear your mind and say the first thing that pops into your head.
~Music: loud or soft? Loud
~Hot drink: tea or coffee?Coffee
~Favorite genre to read? YA
~Favorite musical artist or band?Maroon 5
~Peanut butter or jelly?Neither
~Gordon Ramsey or Bobby Flay?Ramsey
~Celebrity crush?Jeremy Renner
Thanks for joining us, Michelle! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
I’m so happy to be part of the release team for Michelle Dare’s Where I Am! I loved the first book, Where I End, and this one has got me just as excited. Now you can grab your own copy! So what are you waiting for? Go. Now!
Astoria
He was the man of my dreams, or so I thought. I wasn’t sure how I’d react when I saw him again. I planned on avoiding him, but our small hometown made that impossible. The years apart melted away when I saw him. Time hadn’t changed my feelings, after all. Jealousy flared anew. My heart, which I thought had healed, was back to being in a million pieces.
Now I’m right where I don’t want to be—in front of him with tears in my eyes.
Parker
Everything isn’t always as it seems. One moment could cause a ripple effect with unexpected consequences that last for years. Not a day had gone by that I didn’t think of her. When our paths crossed again, I knew I had to tell her the truth. Arguing was inevitable, but I’d rather fight for her than face another day without her. My heart always belonged to her.
Where I am is standing in front of her—asking for another chance.
Author Bio: Michelle Dare is a romance author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from new adult to fantasy. There aren’t enough hours in the day for her to write all of the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, she’s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach where she will never have to see snow or be cold again.
When the first book in this stand alone series, Where I End, came out, I devoured it. It’s real, raw, and confronts head on topics others won’t touch. It gutted me and I loved every minute of it. So when I got word that the next book, Where I am, was releasing on February 22, I knew I had to spread the news. Below is the reveal of the cover, the blurb, and all the info you need to pre-order and keep up with everything going on in Michelle’s writing world.
He was the man of my dreams, or so I thought. I wasn’t sure how I’d react when I saw him again. I planned on avoiding him, but our small hometown made that impossible. The years apart melted away when I saw him. Time hadn’t changed my feelings, after all. Jealousy flared anew. My heart, which I thought had healed, was back to being in a million pieces.
Now I’m right where I don’t want to be—in front of him with tears in my eyes.
Parker
Everything isn’t always as it seems. One moment could cause a ripple effect with unexpected consequences that last for years. Not a day had gone by that I didn’t think of her. When our paths crossed again, I knew I had to tell her the truth. Arguing was inevitable, but I’d rather fight for her than face another day without her. My heart always belonged to her.
Where I am is standing in front of her—asking for another chance.
Author Bio: Michelle Dare is a romance author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from new adult to fantasy. There aren’t enough hours in the day for her to write all of the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, she’s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach where she will never have to see snow or be cold again.
I haven’t posted a blog in a while, so I figured it was time and you guys were due a treat. How about a sneak peek at a scene from Resilience, book 3 of TRWC, coming in June?
Thought you might like that.
Be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart. But really, when is any of my writing? 😉
It’s a scene with the demon Tiriana, whom you met at the end of Reconciliation, and Lucifer’s first appearance in the series.
This is uncut and unedited.
🔥🔥🔥
Tiriana slithered between the tables, breathing in the smoky air, letting the pulse of the music, the movement of gyrating bodies, and the living darkness soak into her system.
Chambré du Diablé. This was her domain. Here, she was queen.
She surveyed the dancers on their perches, half dressed and writhing. Some demon. Some human. All under her command.
The bartenders gave her small waves and chin lifts as they went about their duties behind the immaculate bar. The forty foot long installation was actually an aquatic tank, full of eels and predatory fish. Red lights cast a haunting glow throughout the water, making it look as though the creatures were swimming from the bowels of Hell.
She advance toward the VIP area, sashaying through the booths, giving passing greetings to the dignitaries there. Each customer gave her a warm welcome. Most a little too eager to get close to her, to win her favor. As were her employees.
Ah, it was good to be queen.
She wound her way up the curved staircase to her office.
She paused before opening the door. The sensation of spiders crawling over her skin was her first indication of his presence.
She both loved and hated the experience.
His power reached out and grabbed her by the throat, squeezing with the most delightful pain. A heated, liquid lust roared through her veins. Oh, he was in quite the mood. That could either bode very well for her, or mean her bloody end.
Letting her own power center her, she pulled back her shoulders, lifted her chin, and opened the door.
The object of her centuries-long obsession sprawled in the plush leather chair behind her desk, sucking all of the oxygen and light from the room. She had to admit, she loved this latest mortal form he’d chosen.
Tall, extremely well-built, with just a hint of animal contained in immaculately tailored clothes. And blonde. As always. His golden locks had been the envy of many for ages. Beautiful. That was the only way to describe him. Absolute perfection. So legendary, the Father had had his epic beauty written about in His precious Book.
Lucifer. The morning star. The apple of the Father’s eye.
But as with all of the fallen, it was only an illusion. What lay beneath the mortal meat sacks they’d chosen was now ruined. Regardless, they could still enjoy what they had while they had it.
“Tiriana.” His smooth, low voice reached out with a velvet touch. Velvet with spikes.
He rose from the chair in one fluid, controlled movement. As he crossed the room to meet her in front of the wall of glass, he slid the fedora from his head and tossed it. It landed perfectly on the hat rack in the corner.
His eyes sparked as he took her measure. “You are looking quite exquisite this evening.” He ran his fingers down her arm, catching her hand in his. With a small flourish, he pressed his lips to her skin. “You never disappoint.” The expectation in his eyes impaled her.
He was telling her in no uncertain terms what he demanded. Perfection. If she failed, there would be literal Hell to pay. For her, it would be worse than the others.
The volatile waves rolling from him told her his mood could go either way, depending on her response. Well then, she’d have to see to it that his temperament swayed in her favor.
“You flatter me, sire.” Tiriana didn’t bat her eyelashes, didn’t blush. No, she leaned in to kiss his cheek, then met his gaze with equal intensity. “I will not fail you.”
“Oh, of that I have no doubt.” One hand gripped her hip with barely contained power. The other traced the lace that tied her bustier. “I do love this contraption.” He ran his finger to the top, tugged hard, and then led her across the room. “First, business. Tell me, what news of your current assignment? Have you found a weakness in the human warriors?” He settled into a chair, pulling her onto his lap.
“Of course. It’s my specialty. Well, one of them.” She ran her fingernail along his jaw, tilting her head to lick a path behind it. Getting him in a better mood wasn’t a hardship. “They are ripe for what I have in mind. How Markus and Kade managed to screw it up, I’ll never understand. I, on the other hand, will prevail.” She nipped at his neck.
“Hm. You’d better.” He traced a hand up her spine. Abruptly, he fisted her hair and pulled, past the point of pain, forcing her to look him in the eye. The move was a sharp contrast to his previous gentleness. “You also had better not be plotting to overthrow me, as they did.” He tightened his hold, drawing a growl from her, knowing she loved it. “You’ve been my closest companion since the fall, even before. My greatest supporter.” He abruptly leaned forward and bit her throat, sinking deep, until she felt sticky warmth run down her chest. He raised his head, the black life source of her veins decorating his chin. “Do not fail me now.”
His eyes flashed full demon. The first demon. Full of fire so deep, so vicious, it couldn’t fully be contained in his mortal form. The center, black depths deeper than the pit. Her blood boiled as his skin steamed. Sweat dotted her brow and ran between her shoulder blades. The flame licked through her body, igniting a hunger beyond lust.
There he was. Her Lucifer. The one she loved and hated with equal ferocity.
Tiriana’s eyes narrowed in brutal desire. “Yes, my lord.”
He crushed her to him, taking her mouth in a savage, bruising kiss. Before she’d registered the movement, he’d slammed her against the glass wall. The force shook the room and sent pain shooting down her spine. She smiled.
“Soon, you’ll be too busy screaming to smile.” His voice was like broken glass, guttural and raw.
“I’m counting on it.”
***
As a bonus, here’s a song from the playlist. Enjoy!
For the last #FightFriday of 2017, I’m going back to the beginning.
As I was cleaning out the closet in my office today, I ran across the very first, VERY rough draft of #Rebirth.
The first printing of the first book I ever wrote.
The one that began a completely different way than how it starts now.
A stack of papers containing scary things that make me cringe.
The start of my publishing journey.
The awakening of my true passion.
The fruition of childhood dreams.
All marked with red.
Complete with a smear of my blood.
Talk about #GutsOnThePage.
That marked up, cringe-worthy, bloody manuscript is now a real, double award-winning novel. And there are 3 other books in the series. So far.
It wasn’t easy getting to this point. I fought, I bled, I clawed, I cried, I yelled, I nearly wore holes in the heavy bag. But now, I’m living my dream. I may not be an NYT best seller yet, but I might just get there. Someday. If I don’t, that’s ok too.
Because I will spread my guts on the page until I have nothing left to give. Whether anyone reads it or not, I’m doing what I love. I’m giving all of myself in what I write. And in doing that, I’ve discovered the true me. I am who I am, past and warts and craziness and all, and I fought to be here. I fought to be her.
And you know what? I won.
I rose above my past, used it to make me better, and used it in a story that so many now love. I couldn’t be happier about that.
But I hope aside from just seeing it as an engaging tale, they see the truth behind it. The truth that sometimes, it takes a long hard struggle to get where you want to be. To become who you were meant to be.
The strongest blades are, after all, forged in the hottest fires.
So the challenge I leave you with going into the new year:
Fight on.
Fight for what you love and fight for yourself. Even when no one else will.
You have the power within you to rise above anything or anyone that comes against you.
Don’t let anything stop you, and don’t let anyone talk you out of it.
Because you’re worth it.
Because in the bloody, horrific throes of battle, you will find your true self, your true strength.
Sorry for the radio silence recently. Short explanation is I’ve been super busy/lazy. 🙂 But I got the idea for this post at lunch the other day, so I figured I’d continue with the series that started with my Princess Bride posts. Using Firefly/90% of all the best Wash quotes. 🙂
Haven’t seen the Princess Bride posts yet? Check out Part 1, and Part 2.
Onward!
When your characters decide they want to do something else-
When you get too excited handing out character deaths-
When procrastination hits you hard-
Sometimes going back and reading your writing is like-
Sometimes worldbuilding is hard…
When the plot bunnies spiral out of control-
We all want that giant royalty check, but…
Trying to explain your brilliant story idea to someone. But words…
Reminiscing about that plot twist that readers hate you for-
Photo: from amybrockmcnew.com 
![61id0H0MzeL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_[1]](https://amymmcnew.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/61id0h0mzel-_sx324_bo1204203200_1.jpg?w=580)
His eyes flashed full demon. The first demon. Full of fire so deep, so vicious, it couldn’t fully be contained in his mortal form. The center, black depths deeper than the pit. Her blood boiled as his skin steamed. Sweat dotted her brow and ran between her shoulder blades. The flame licked through her body, igniting a hunger beyond lust.
Amy Brock McNew ~Author~ 