Paperback links for A Leap of Faith series

Paperback link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/108879307X?

Paperback link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/108899041X?

The Leap of Faith series is now in KU!

Shadows in the Night is now in KU
link:

https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Night-Leap-Faith-Book-ebook/dp/B07VMHLGVF

When Chip Riley's beloved granny passes away, she leaves him all her money, her land, and a house that needs some tender love and care. She never mentioned the legacy comes with a Native American shifter who intends to claim Chip as his mate.

Jason Sky has lived since buffalo roamed the land. When his totem spirit, a black cougar, saves a little girl, he doesn’t realize that generations later, her grandson will become his mate, leaving him to take on a modern man with modern ideas. But that’s the least of his problems.

Garon, another shifter with a long-held hatred for Jason, plots to kidnap Chip and lure Jason to his death. Soon Chip finds himself in an untenable position between a rock and a hard place. A leap of faith may be the only way to save himself and the man he’s learned to love.

**Second Edition, Previously Published**

This book has been previously published. The cover may have changed, but the title, author, and story content have not changed from the first version originally published in 2013. If you have that version in your library, please do not purchase again. 

To Touch the Sky is also now in KU

link: 

https://www.amazon.com/Touch-Sky-Leap-Faith-Book-ebook/dp/B07VMJBJ68

He can run, but he can’t hide…

Centuries ago, Hawk made a terrible mistake which has haunted him since. Fear of responsibility and feelings of unworthiness leads him to denying the mate Wha-tay showed him in a vision. So now Hawk runs his bar, has casual sex, and never, ever dates men with blond hair and brown eyes. But then Simon walks into his bar, and the future he’s feared is about to end up in a brawl if Hawk doesn’t do something—fast.

Simon Carter has a smart mouth and a bulldog temperament. So when Hawk runs, Simon pursues the sexy man, only to be rejected. Just as Simon decides to give up, someone—or something—visits him to change his mind… and scares him to death. Now Simon is backpedaling, and Hawk is in pursuit.

Desperate to reassure Simon and keep him safe, Hawk is forced to reveal his secrets before he’s ready. Can Simon learn to accept things aren’t always as they seem? Is the connection between them strong enough to help Hawk overcome centuries of pain? The only way the two men will move beyond Hawk’s past is for both of them to take a leap of faith.

**Second Edition, Previously Published**

This book has been previously published. The cover may have changed, but the title, author, and story content have not changed from the first version originally published in 2015. If you have that version in your library, please do not purchase again. 

99 cent DreamReaders Weekend Reads - Check out the 4 that are marked down!

99 Cents eBoks for Weekend Reads

Until midnight ET Sunday, March 6, 2016

Trouble Comes in Threes

A snowstorm in the South—on New Year’s Eve—is a perfect recipe for a catastrophe. After two soul-crushing bad breaks, Kirk’s waiting for disaster number three to strike when, naturally, two stray cats arrive on his doorstep during the storm and decide to make themselves at home. Tenderhearted Kirk lets them stay even though there’s something decidedly odd about his overly friendly felines. Out of the punishing weather and full of tuna, Dolf and Tal are happy to be snug in Kirk’s house. But then their human goes outside for firewood and suffers a nasty fall that leaves him unconscious. Now the two cats have no choice but to reveal themselves. Kirk wakes up to find the two kitties are actually Dolf and Tal. They’re cat shifters—and his destined mates. Being part of a feline threesome is enough for Kirk to grapple with, but soon he learns they come from a clowder that doesn’t believe humans and shifters should mix. Kirk knew those two cats would be trouble. Little does he know the real trouble lies ahead.

Shadows in the Night

When Chip Riley's beloved granny passes away, she leaves him all her money, her land, and a house that needs some tender love and care. She never mentioned the legacy comes with a Native American shifter who intends to claim Chip as his mate. Jason Sky has lived since buffalo roamed the land. When his totem spirit, a black cougar, saves a little girl, he doesn’t realize that generations later, her grandson will become his mate, leaving him to take on a modern man with modern ideas. But that’s the least of his problems. Garon, another shifter with a long-held hatred for Jason, plots to kidnap Chip and lure Jason to his death. Soon Chip finds himself in an untenable position between a rock and a hard place. A leap of faith may be the only way to save himself and the man he’s learned to love.

To Touch the Sky

Centuries ago, Hawk made a terrible mistake which has haunted him since. Fear of responsibility and feelings of unworthiness leads him to denying the mate Wha-tay showed him in a vision. So now Hawk runs his bar, has casual sex, and never, ever dates men with blond hair and brown eyes. But then Simon walks into his bar, and the future he’s feared is about to end up in a brawl if Hawk doesn’t do something—fast. Simon Carter has a smart mouth and a bulldog temperament. So when Hawk runs, Simon pursues the sexy man, only to be rejected. Just as Simon decides to give up, someone—or something—visits him to change his mind… and scares him to death. Now Simon is backpedaling, and Hawk is in pursuit. Desperate to reassure Simon and keep him safe, Hawk is forced to reveal his secrets before he’s ready. Can Simon learn to accept things aren’t always as they seem? Is the connection between them strong enough to help Hawk overcome centuries of pain? The only way the two men will move beyond Hawk’s past is for both of them to take a leap of faith.

Unbezahlbar

Funken sprühen, als Amor seinen Pfeil auf zwei Sterbliche in Las Vegas richtet: Randy Jones, ein ganz normaler junger Mann im Wochenendurlaub, schaut am Würfeltisch in Garretts Augen und es ist um ihn geschehen. All seinen Prinzipien zum Trotz lässt er sich auf ein leidenschaftliches, zweitägiges Abenteuer mit Garrett ein – und stellt erschüttert fest, dass er sich verliebt hat. Der zynische Milliardär Garrett Shiffler hat alles, was man sich mit Geld kaufen kann. Da ihn andere Menschen vor allem als Geldquelle betrachten, hat er den Glauben an Unschuld und Liebe schon vor langer Zeit verloren. Doch als Randy verschwindet und ihn mit unerwarteten Gefühlen zurücklässt, nimmt er sich vor, Randy für sich zu gewinnen – und diesmal muss er mit seinem Herzen anstatt seinem Bankkonto kämpfen. Währenddessen fragt sich Amor, was geschehen ist. Seine Pfeile verfehlen niemals ihr Ziel, es sei denn, das Schicksal selbst greift ein. Wenn Garrett Randy zurückgewinnen möchte, ist er auf sich allein gestellt, denn jetzt kann ihm selbst Amor nicht mehr helfen.

Shadows in the Night review

Sensual Reads gave Shadows in the Night a fantastic 4.5 star review. I am just tickled pink over it, lol. If you have time, check out the review! 

Elsie, the reviewer said: 

M.A. Church brings some refreshing ideas into shifter lore with Shadows in the Night. It made for some intriguing reading and great food for though. The plot unfolded gradually and masterfully, drawing in the reader page by page. The action and tension increased as the story progressed, leaving the read unsure how the plot will be fully revealed. Suspense, action and great heroes make Shadows in the Night an excellent book for those of us who love MM romance with shifter background.

Giveaway for Shadows in the Night at Reviews and Ramblings

Hey guys! There's a giveaway for Shadows in the Night since I'm attending GRL this October. Please stop by and enter, :) It's for today only. The reviewer is spotlighting a author a day, and lol, today is my day. :) Just click on the link and that'll take you there...

http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3860671.html

Winner of the Shadows print giveaway...

Guys, let me say first off I wish I could give every last one of you a copy. :) Thank you all.

And the winner is... MommaB. I'll be emailing you shortly. :)

 

And hang on to you hats, I have something coming early August to celebrate hitting the 300,000 view mark on my blog, lol. I also have a month packed full of guest blogs and a possible giveaway for a Wednesday Briefer. I'm just waiting for her to confirm the dates. :)

Busy, busy month lol. September I have Faded Love being released from Storm Moon. That's the story in the Carved in Flesh anthology. :) Then October will be here! And y'all know what happens in October, right? Hehehe, Book 1 in The Harvest series comes out. ;) If you're curious as to why I broke the series up... all together the story was close to 200,000 words. That's just too long for most publishers. So it had to be two books.

Also, I'll be in the Atlanta area the middle of October for GRL.

Love you guys!

~M

Giveaway for Shadows in the Night print copy

Grandparents, like heroes, are as necessary to a child’s growth as vitamins.

~Joyce Allston

 

Hey everyone! I’m doing a giveaway for a print copy of Shadows in the Night. Just leave me a email addy so I can find you lol! Contest ends the 21st and is open to US residents only.

One of my main characters is Jason, a Native American shifter—a black cougar. Here are a few facts about cougars:

~The cougar (Puma concolor)—also known as the puma, mountain lion, panther, or catamount—is native to the Americas. Its range extends from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes of South America and is the greatest of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.

~The cougar is an adaptable, generalist species and is found in most American habitat types.

~It’s also the second heaviest cat in the Western Hemisphere, after the jaguar.

~The cougar is solitary by nature and nocturnal; it’s closely related to smaller felines and is genetically closer to the domestic cat than true lions.

 

Now here’s the interesting part lol.

~There are no authenticated cases of truly melanistic (a development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or appendages and is the opposite of albinism) cougars. Melanistic cougars have never been photographed or shot in the wild and none has ever been bred. Unconfirmed sightings, known as the “North American black panther”, are currently attributed to errors in species identification by non-experts, and by the memetic (an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture) exaggeration of size.

In other words, according to the experts, there is no such thing as a black cougar. Huh. Guess someone should tell my black cougar shifter that, lol. ;) And someone may want to tell Jason he’s involved himself with a guy, Chip, who is a modern man with modern ideas. *grin* The fur is sure to fly when these two, from such different times, come together.

Oh, and let’s not forget there’s another shifter out there who has Chip in his sights and has murder on his mind. Time has brought with it an enemy that harbors a deep-seated hatred for Jason; an enemy who will use whatever means necessary to bring Jason to his knees… including Jason’s own mate.

When these two worlds collide, who will be the winner? Can the Native American shifter learn the ways of this new culture? But… can Chip accept there are beings out there that are… less than human? Will Jason be able to treat Chip as an equal? And lol, will Chip let Jason do anything else, for that matter? Can Jason accept a ‘white man’ as his mate?

As Chip is drawn farther and farther into a world he can’t escape from, one thing becomes clear to him. He’s going to have to learn to trust the man he’s coming to care for and take a leap of faith.

 

Blurb:

When Chip Riley's beloved granny passes away, she leaves him all her money, her land, and a house that needs some tender love and care. She never mentioned the legacy comes with a Native American shifter who intends to claim Chip as his mate.

Jason Sky has lived since buffalo roamed the land. When his totem spirit, a black cougar, saves a little girl, he doesn’t realize that generations later, her grandson will become his mate, leaving him to take on a modern man with modern ideas. But that’s the least of his problems.

Garon, another shifter with a long-held hatred for Jason, plots to kidnap Chip and lure Jason to his death. Soon Chip finds himself in an untenable position between a rock and a hard place. A leap of faith may be the only way to save himself and the man he’s learned to love.

Pages: 200

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3990

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3991

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-in-the-Night-ebook/dp/B00DW0GTGE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373660379&sr=8-2&keywords=shadows+in+the+night+by+m.a.+church

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shadowsinthenight-1230863-145.html

 

Excerpt:

A DULL strand of coppery red hair worked loose from the haphazard bun at the back of her neck, and with a sigh, Eva brushed it back behind her ear. It was early morning, but the heaviness of the air promised another scorcher.

“’Ranny! ’Ranny!”

A delighted smile lit Eva’s face as the precocious three-year-old came running around the corner of the house. He couldn’t quite pronounce the “G” sound, so instead of Granny he called her Ranny. The bright morning sun hit the little boy, and his light auburn hair once again reminded her of a living flame. He had inherited her red tresses and moss-green eyes.

“Over here, Chipper.”

Her grandson was her pride and joy… and more special than anyone knew. It was a shame his mother and father couldn’t see that, but her daughter didn’t care for anyone but herself. Their relationship was stilted, at best. Chip’s father was more concerned with making money than having anything to do with his son. Eva hated to admit it, but she didn’t have much use for either of her grandson’s parents. As a result of both parents neglecting Chip, the older the little boy became, the more time he ended up spending with her. Which, secretly, relieved her. Fate had big plans for the little guy; she had seen that firsthand in one of her visions.

“Go fish now?”

She had promised him last night they’d fish in the pond close to her house. It was just the two of them now; her husband Ed had died of a heart attack a year ago. The man had been in his late fifties, active, didn’t drink or smoke—and one morning had dropped dead of a heart attack. Eva grieved that Chip would never remember his grandfather.

“Yes, sweetie, we’ll go to the pond and fish for a while.”

Eva had the poles, a small tackle box, and a picnic basket ready to go. With any luck, they’d be having catfish for dinner. Of course, that depended on how soon the little bundle of energy dancing around her tired out.

“Ride horsey?”

“Oh, sweetie, remember? I told you that Horsey may or may not show up today.” Eva glanced at the tree line as the animal Chip called “horsey” moved toward them. “Although something told me he’d be here.” The large, black cat moved nearer with a grace that belied the strength and deadliness he possessed. Keen, humanlike intelligence showed in his eyes. Eva was unsurprised. She knew full well this animal was more than what he appeared. “Horsey!” Chip squealed and raced in the direction of the animal.

“Had a feeling you wouldn’t miss this.” Eva, a smile on her lips, shook her head as a happy rumble sounded from deep within the animal’s chest. He lowered himself to the ground so Chip could climb on his back. “Okay, come along you two. Daylight’s a-wasting.”

Eva followed the huge cat, her grandson babbling merrily to the animal about whatever hit his fertile mind. The trip to the pond was a short one, and soon they arrived. But even with the small child riding on his back and talking nonstop, the creature never lowered his guard. His ears twitched as he listened to the woodland creatures, alert for any signs of danger. Eva trusted his instincts—in fact, trusted him with her and her grandson’s lives. Without him, she wouldn’t be alive. The beast had proven his loyalty to her and her parents a long time ago, and a friendship had been born.

Eva found a shady spot by the pond and laid out an old sheet she’d brought. There she laid the picnic basket, along with a few towels. After she cast out her line, she turned to watch as the animal and Chip played by the bank.

“Go get it!” Chip hollered as he threw a small ball she had brought.

The creature chased after the ball, and Chip ran after the beast. They pursued each other, the animal allowing the small child to catch him. He was always careful to keep his claws retracted as they played. Giggles and an occasional yip drifted to her.

Chip made his way to her side after he grew tired of the game. “Ranny, go swim?”

“Sure, sweetie.” Eva reeled in her line and helped the little boy take off his shoes, socks, and shirt. The beast waited patiently as she readied Chip, then followed the youngster to the water. “Have fun, boys.”

The water wasn’t deep where they splashed and frolicked. Anytime Chip wandered too deep, the cat herded him back to shallower water. Eva giggled like a young girl when the beast splashed Chip with his paw.

Chip wiped the water from his eyes. “No fair!”

“Oh, you’ve done it now.” Eva chuckled.

The beast turned his head to look at her and a sound rumbled from it that sounded amazingly like a laugh. When he turned back to the little boy, his greenish-yellow eyes widened. Chip floated on his back, kicking furiously. A tidal wave of water crashed down on the animal. Soft, playful growls and shrieks of laughter could be heard echoing through the woods as the beast and the small human child mock-fought. With a gentle nudge of his head, the animal ushered Chip from the water.

“Think it’s rest time, Chipper. You hungry?”

“Uh-huh.”

Chip rubbed his eyes with his fists as Eva dried him off. To the side, the beast licked his coat dry. Eva laid out the sandwiches and poured a cup of juice for Chip. A bowl filled with fresh water sat near her grandson’s plate. Chip and the creature settled down on the sheet to eat lunch. The animal took breaks from slurping water from his bowl to eat bits and pieces of the sandwich Chip fed him. Soon the little boy was curled up next to the creature.

“I’m going to try to get a little fishing done,” Eva whispered as her grandson slipped off to sleep. Purring softly, the beast nodded his head. “I won’t be far.”

When Eva returned a short time later with her catch, she stopped and watched the huge, black animal and the little boy sleeping next to each other.

“I’m back.” Eva sat down next to the beast. A long black tail rested across Chip’s legs, and greenish-yellow eyes focused on Eva. “You know this can’t go on much longer, my friend. He’s smart for a child his age, and soon he’s going to ask questions about you.”

The creature rumbled in agreement.

“I know it’ll be hard for you. But another year—maybe two—and you’ll have to disappear from his life. The time isn’t right yet for you to make yourself known.”

The creature rumbled again, sadness in his eyes.

Eva ran her hand over the thick black coat. “I know, dear. But the time will come. You and I both know that. It will come, and he’s going to need you. Take care of him for me, okay?”

The beast nodded his head again. His time would come, but not for many years yet. The little boy had to grow into a man first.

Shadows in the Night release!

Grandparents, like heroes, are as necessary to a child’s growth as vitamins.

~Joyce Allston

 

Hey everyone! My latest book called Shadows in the Night from Dreamspinner has been released. This will be released in the usual eBook formats and also in print. Plus, the first twenty print books will have a page signed by me. :)

I also plan to do a giveaway for a print copy on the 19th through the 21st, so be on the lookout for that! There are giveaways for the eBook running on The Armchair Reader (7/11), Jollyful Jay Review (7/12) and Tali Spencer's blog (7/16) too. :)

One of my main characters is Jason, a Native American shifter—a black cougar. Here are a few facts about cougars:

~The cougar (Puma concolor)—also known as the puma, mountain lion, panther, or catamount—is native to the Americas. Its range extends from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes of South America and is the greatest of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.

~The cougar is an adaptable, generalist species and is found in most American habitat types.

~It’s also the second heaviest cat in the Western Hemisphere, after the jaguar.

~The cougar is solitary by nature and nocturnal; it’s closely related to smaller felines and is genetically closer to the domestic cat than true lions.

 

Now here’s the interesting part lol.

~There are no authenticated cases of truly melanistic (a development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or appendages and is the opposite of albinism) cougars. Melanistic cougars have never been photographed or shot in the wild and none has ever been bred.

Unconfirmed sightings, known as the “North American black panther”, are currently attributed to errors in species identification by non-experts, and by the memetic (an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture) exaggeration of size. 

In other words, according to the experts, there is no such thing as a black cougar. Huh. Guess someone should tell my black cougar shifter that, lol. ;) And someone may want to tell Jason he’s involved himself with a guy, Chip, who is a modern man with modern ideas. *grin* The fur is sure to fly when these two, from such different times, come together.

Oh, and let’s not forget there’s another shifter out there who has Chip in his sights and has murder on his mind.

 

Blurb:

When Chip Riley's beloved granny passes away, she leaves him all her money, her land, and a house that needs some tender love and care. She never mentioned the legacy comes with a Native American shifter who intends to claim Chip as his mate.

Jason Sky has lived since buffalo roamed the land. When his totem spirit, a black cougar, saves a little girl, he doesn’t realize that generations later, her grandson will become his mate, leaving him to take on a modern man with modern ideas. But that’s the least of his problems.

Garon, another shifter with a long-held hatred for Jason, plots to kidnap Chip and lure Jason to his death. Soon Chip finds himself in an untenable position between a rock and a hard place. A leap of faith may be the only way to save himself and the man he’s learned to love.

Pages: 200

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3990

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3991

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-in-the-Night-ebook/dp/B00DW0GTGE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373660379&sr=8-2&keywords=shadows+in+the+night+by+m.a.+church

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shadowsinthenight-1230863-145.html

 

 

Excerpt:

A DULL strand of coppery red hair worked loose from the haphazard bun at the back of her neck, and with a sigh, Eva brushed it back behind her ear. It was early morning, but the heaviness of the air promised another scorcher.

“’Ranny! ’Ranny!”

A delighted smile lit Eva’s face as the precocious three-year-old came running around the corner of the house. He couldn’t quite pronounce the “G” sound, so instead of Granny he called her Ranny. The bright morning sun hit the little boy, and his light auburn hair once again reminded her of a living flame. He had inherited her red tresses and moss-green eyes.

“Over here, Chipper.”

Her grandson was her pride and joy… and more special than anyone knew. It was a shame his mother and father couldn’t see that, but her daughter didn’t care for anyone but herself. Their relationship was stilted, at best. Chip’s father was more concerned with making money than having anything to do with his son. Eva hated to admit it, but she didn’t have much use for either of her grandson’s parents. As a result of both parents neglecting Chip, the older the little boy became, the more time he ended up spending with her. Which, secretly, relieved her. Fate had big plans for the little guy; she had seen that firsthand in one of her visions.

“Go fish now?”

She had promised him last night they’d fish in the pond close to her house. It was just the two of them now; her husband Ed had died of a heart attack a year ago. The man had been in his late fifties, active, didn’t drink or smoke—and one morning had dropped dead of a heart attack. Eva grieved that Chip would never remember his grandfather.

“Yes, sweetie, we’ll go to the pond and fish for a while.”

Eva had the poles, a small tackle box, and a picnic basket ready to go. With any luck, they’d be having catfish for dinner. Of course, that depended on how soon the little bundle of energy dancing around her tired out.

“Ride horsey?”

“Oh, sweetie, remember? I told you that Horsey may or may not show up today.” Eva glanced at the tree line as the animal Chip called “horsey” moved toward them. “Although something told me he’d be here.” The large, black cat moved nearer with a grace that belied the strength and deadliness he possessed. Keen, humanlike intelligence showed in his eyes. Eva was unsurprised. She knew full well this animal was more than what he appeared. “Horsey!” Chip squealed and raced in the direction of the animal.

“Had a feeling you wouldn’t miss this.” Eva, a smile on her lips, shook her head as a happy rumble sounded from deep within the animal’s chest. He lowered himself to the ground so Chip could climb on his back. “Okay, come along you two. Daylight’s a-wasting.”

Eva followed the huge cat, her grandson babbling merrily to the animal about whatever hit his fertile mind. The trip to the pond was a short one, and soon they arrived. But even with the small child riding on his back and talking nonstop, the creature never lowered his guard. His ears twitched as he listened to the woodland creatures, alert for any signs of danger. Eva trusted his instincts—in fact, trusted him with her and her grandson’s lives. Without him, she wouldn’t be alive. The beast had proven his loyalty to her and her parents a long time ago, and a friendship had been born.

Eva found a shady spot by the pond and laid out an old sheet she’d brought. There she laid the picnic basket, along with a few towels. After she cast out her line, she turned to watch as the animal and Chip played by the bank.

“Go get it!” Chip hollered as he threw a small ball she had brought.

The creature chased after the ball, and Chip ran after the beast. They pursued each other, the animal allowing the small child to catch him. He was always careful to keep his claws retracted as they played. Giggles and an occasional yip drifted to her.

Chip made his way to her side after he grew tired of the game. “Ranny, go swim?”

“Sure, sweetie.” Eva reeled in her line and helped the little boy take off his shoes, socks, and shirt. The beast waited patiently as she readied Chip, then followed the youngster to the water. “Have fun, boys.”

The water wasn’t deep where they splashed and frolicked. Anytime Chip wandered too deep, the cat herded him back to shallower water. Eva giggled like a young girl when the beast splashed Chip with his paw.

Chip wiped the water from his eyes. “No fair!”

“Oh, you’ve done it now.” Eva chuckled.

The beast turned his head to look at her and a sound rumbled from it that sounded amazingly like a laugh. When he turned back to the little boy, his greenish-yellow eyes widened. Chip floated on his back, kicking furiously. A tidal wave of water crashed down on the animal. Soft, playful growls and shrieks of laughter could be heard echoing through the woods as the beast and the small human child mock-fought. With a gentle nudge of his head, the animal ushered Chip from the water.

“Think it’s rest time, Chipper. You hungry?”

“Uh-huh.”

Chip rubbed his eyes with his fists as Eva dried him off. To the side, the beast licked his coat dry. Eva laid out the sandwiches and poured a cup of juice for Chip. A bowl filled with fresh water sat near her grandson’s plate. Chip and the creature settled down on the sheet to eat lunch. The animal took breaks from slurping water from his bowl to eat bits and pieces of the sandwich Chip fed him. Soon the little boy was curled up next to the creature.

“I’m going to try to get a little fishing done,” Eva whispered as her grandson slipped off to sleep. Purring softly, the beast nodded his head. “I won’t be far.”

When Eva returned a short time later with her catch, she stopped and watched the huge, black animal and the little boy sleeping next to each other.

“I’m back.” Eva sat down next to the beast. A long black tail rested across Chip’s legs, and greenish-yellow eyes focused on Eva. “You know this can’t go on much longer, my friend. He’s smart for a child his age, and soon he’s going to ask questions about you.”

The creature rumbled in agreement.

“I know it’ll be hard for you. But another year—maybe two—and you’ll have to disappear from his life. The time isn’t right yet for you to make yourself known.”

The creature rumbled again, sadness in his eyes.

Eva ran her hand over the thick black coat. “I know, dear. But the time will come. You and I both know that. It will come, and he’s going to need you. Take care of him for me, okay?”

The beast nodded his head again. His time would come, but not for many years yet. The little boy had to grow into a man first.

Cover reveal for Shadows in the Night!

Man, do I love that cover! The CA is LC Chase. She also did the Be My Alien cover. Shadows will be released in print when it's released as an ebook with Dreamspinner. I recieved the galley this moring and the release date on that said July. Don't have anything more, but when it hits the Coming Soon page I'll blog about it.

There will also be twenty print books that have my authgraph. I got the vellum sheets for that yesterday. How cool is that lol? Never signed something like vellum before lol, so that's new!

Shadows is my first print book. Yes, Carved in Flesh is out in print, but that's an anthology. Shasowns is all mine lol. This is the book that I'll be taking to GRL in October.

~M

Dreamspinner Spins Me A Dream

OMG, I have wonderful news! I signed the contract Sunday night with DsP for Shadows in the Night. The release date is July/August. Guys, this will be put out in eBook *and* in print… OMG, in print! *Squeeeee* I can’t tell you how excited I am about this, lol. I screamed so loud when I got the email I scared Kitty-Kitty and the hubby.

This is one of the books I wanted to take to GRL this October, and I hope The Harvest: Taken (book 1) will be the other. I’m giddy, lol. This is something I can actually hold in my hand!

So, as of now I have something come from DsP May/June, June/July, and now July/August. What’s below isn’t the blurb or the excerpt DsP will probably use, but this way you guys will get a feel for the story.

I have to say, this week is looking to be a very good week, lol. ;) Don't forget Perfect will be released by DsP on the 23rd. I'll do a giveaway for that. Plus, the 25th is my birthday, so I'm making this release a birthday bash kinda thing, lol.

 

Shadows in the Night

Can love and trust take root in soil strewn with half-truths and secrets? As a young child, Chip Riley is ignored and neglected by his wealthy parents. Summers and vacations are spent with his granny, Eva, in a small picturesque town. But there are things he’s not told—like his granny’s gift of sight and the secrets that revolve around the Native American culture…which are withheld from him by the one person he trusts most—his granny. Time marches on and his Granny passes away, leaving Chip her money, home, land… and an Native American shifter that intends to claim Chip as his mate.

Jason Sky has lived since the land was free and buffalo roamed the land. Part of the Original Children of Wha-tay, Jason has watched as some of The Children left the Original Tribe and spread out across the land, thus starting many of the Indian Nations there are today. Little does Jason know that one act of faith, done long ago, will bring him to his mate—a modern man with modern ideas.


But Jason isn’t the only one that has taken note of Jason’s good fortune. There is another that has taken notice, another shifter from Jason’s past that harbors a deep hate.


Chip finds myth is reality, history isn’t what’s been taught in school, and a man who loves him more than life itself.

~~~

 

“Dammit, I should’ve stopped by the grocery store while I was in town.”

There was plenty to eat in the kitchen, but none of the things he liked… fast and easy. Taking a quick shower he dressed and, grabbing his keys, walked outside. The late evening sky reminded Chip of a healing bruise—dark angry blues, violent purples, and sickly greens. Clearly it was going to storm tonight, and from the looks of the sky, it was going to be bad.

“Lord, let me get back before this breaks loose.” Chip backed up, and as he turned his truck around, his lights flashed across an animal at the edge of the woods. Eyes stared at him, then disappeared.

“Huh, wonder what that was? Deer, maybe?” He drove down the gravel driveway to the main road, eyes searching. Last thing he needed was to hit a damn animal.

* * * *

A silhouette moved closer to the house. Greenish-yellow eyes tracked the taillights of the truck until they were gone from sight. A nimble leap, and the creature padded across the front porch. His sensitive nose picked up the new scent of the human male.

Hmm, from the looks of the work he’s done, he plans on staying. Good.

The creature huffed fondly. The young boy had grown into a man and had a lithe, graceful body. His hair, no longer the bright red it had once been, had darkened through the years. A bolt of lightning raced across the evening sky, catching his attention. He glanced up at the darkening skies and frowned.

 Hope he hurries. This storm’s going to be bad.

He nosed around a bit more, taking note of the outside improvements Chip had done. The front of the house looked good, but one thing was missing. With a twitch of his tail, he backed up to the pillar on the front porch and marked his territory, loudly proclaiming his intent.

This human was his.

 

Background on Shadows

Hey everyone! I thought I'd share what I see in my head while I'm working on Shadows in the Night!  

This is my idea of Jason Sky. I had him nailed down almost from the beginning for some reason. I guess he just spoke to me, lol.

This guy kinda reminds me of Chip. The hair is supposed to be a deep auburn- not sure it shows that way on here. The eyes are the wrong color though; Chips are green. But you get the idea: boyish and sweet-looking.  ;)

 

 Here's what the house and land reminds me of:

Hope ya'll enjoyed quick trip through my head when I try to set up a place for a story, LOL! Hehe, you may never be the same again!!!!

See you guys Friday. ;)

~M