From the Muse

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0 Comments Posted by Claire Ashgrove Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at 3:58 PM

Hi everyone! Today I'm very excited to bring to you one of the authors I write with at Roses of Prose, the fabulous Jerri Hines. She's going to talk about Romantic Suspense today, and show off her book, THE JUDAS KISS, available from Whiskey Creek Press.

Cathryn Blankenship has no desire for a season in London! Why on earth would her father want her to leave her home in Charles Town? Upon Cathryn’s steadfast refusal, Governor Blankenship is forced to assign a young lieutenant to watch over Cathryn on the journey and ensure his daughter’s appearance in London. Cathryn finds Lieutenant Jake Pennington the most aggravating, maddening man she has ever met...a man Cathryn soon admits she is in no hurry to see leave. But fate has other plans for her in a world she is ill prepared to enter. She descends into a place where love and betrayal go hand and hand, where greed and treachery are second nature, but moreover the threat her father believes he has sent her is awaiting her arrival. When fate tears her apart from her Lieutenant, Cathryn finds herself desolate and alone. Soon Cathryn makes fateful decisions that will eventually send her back to her home where she will have to fight for her life. And the only one that can save her is the one she believes deserted her.

The Historical Pull of Romantic Suspense

When I pick up a romance novel, I’m certain of one thing. Boy…I mean man meets woman; man wants woman; woman discovers the man is her knight in shining armor; they fall in love and live happily ever after. A happy ending. A celebration of their love. The formula has been used for years upon years. And when I’m in the mood for a light read, I greatly enjoy a good romance.

Although to be honest, I can’t write a simple romance. I’ve tried. Every time I try, the book takes a turn, a wide turn back to what I’m comfortable with- romantic suspense. I can’t help throwing my heroine into danger and more often than not in the past. Yes, I’m one of those historical romance suspense authors. I also follow a formula. Conflict. Conflict. Conflict.

Historical novels fascinate me. I’m drawn to the past. Maybe it’s the constraints society placed upon females during that period of time that pulls me to write a story. Although I have faith in the characters I create to overcome adversity, it is a challenge to weave a tale where the heroine can survive and conquer. History has a violent past. People were more likely to take matters into their own hands. In some cases, a woman caught in a situation had no where to turn. At times, society would spurn a victim. The unfairness of it all! And these women didn’t have advocates back in those days. But when I write, I remember that all the hardships my heroine must face will only magnify the love she will eventually find.

To me the suspense and tension adds to the romance making it more deeply fulfilling when you come to the happy ending. The question really becomes in any historical is how to make it fresh and original. What would make a reader pick my book up?

I believe I have opened up a door not many have taken when it comes to my Tides of Charleston series. I love the mystic of Charleston. Sweeping my characters back and forth from Charleston to Regency England adds a different dimension to the Regency romantic suspense genre. Charleston and England had close ties before the American Revolution. In the Tides of Charleston series, the books come from two different points of views. The first two, The Judas Kiss and The Promise center on a former Royal governor’s beloved daughter, Cathryn Blankenship, who stays loyal to the British crown. The last one, Another Night Falls, follows her bastard brother’s stance for the American cause.

Intrigue, love, betrayal…suspense.

The Judas Kiss is available now. The Promise is set to be released, May, 2012; Another Night Falls, September, 2012. If you like historical suspense with a touch of paranormal, I have Daughter of Deceit set to be released early February, 2012, under my pen name, Carrie James Haynes.

Well let's take a closer look at The Judas Kiss while you're here, Jerri!

~~@~~
EXCERPT
~~@~~

Cathryn stepped out. The night air felt refreshing in itself. She had needed air.

“It’s about time,” a voice said to her side. She turned quickly to find Jake, smiling, waiting in the shadows. Others walked by; Cathryn politely acknowledged all, but her eyes stayed upon Jake. Reggie sauntered over slowly.

“I can cover for a few minutes,” he whispered. “Don’t tarry.”

Jake took her hand and they walked down the stairs leading to the garden. Finding quickly a bench away from prying eyes, Jake pulled her down beside him. Her hand reached his and she held it.

“Oh, Jake, please take me away,” she pleaded.

“What is wrong, Cathryn? Your grandparents?”

“No, it’s just I can’t stay in this house. Oh, Jake, I have missed you. Why can you not take me away?”

“You know the answer, Cathryn,” Jake uttered.

He reached over and gently caressed her cheek. His fingers touching her face were feather-light sending warmth through out her body. Leaning over her, he cradled her face in his hands before he kissed her. His lips pressed to hers, which he touched softly, coaxing her to respond in the same manner. Her breath caught while his tongue touched her lips, sliding deep into the cavity of her mouth.

And then his arms captured her. She lost herself in his arms. Every part of her body awakened with desire. They shared a deep, hard, openmouthed kiss that provoked something inside of her that yearned for more.

“I can’t do this anymore, Cathryn. I can’t hide my feelings when I’m around you.”

“Why then hide anything? I don’t care about what anyone thinks. I know what I feel, Jake,” she cried. “I’m miserable without you and have only survived this month with the thought of seeing you again. I don’t belong here, Jake. They haven’t paid attention to Father’s instructions. Why that detestable man just only informed me that he thinks we are to be married! I would never! They can’t make me marry that man.”

“Marry? I thought you said...Is something arranged, Cathryn?” Jake stuttered.

“Not by me or Father,” Cathryn said, startled by his reaction. “He just told me. I have no knowledge of such. I don’t believe him.”

“You are talking of Edmund.” Jake paused and pulled away. Cathryn grabbed his hand.

“What is wrong, Jake?”

He had no time to answer for in the next moment Reggie’s voice resounded through out the garden. “No, I haven’t seen her, Edmund. Are you certain she came this way?”
Jake grabbed Cathryn's hand and led her through a path toward a different entrance. Before he let go of her hand, he turned her to him, “I have to go, Cathryn. I’m sorry.”

“I can tell something is wrong, Jake,” she pleaded. “Don’t do this to me. I need you so. I love you. Don’t leave me like this. Don’t you know I won’t stop loving you even if you leave me? I can tell you think you are trying to be noble. There is no need. I will never be happy without you. What more can matter?”

“You are so innocent to the world, Cathryn,” he said, taking her in his arms once more. Her lips parted to meet his, sharing a different kind of kiss. He needed not to say the words. His kiss told all. Tears welled in her eyes for she felt his pain, hers.

“Please, don’t leave me, Jake,” she whispered as their lips parted.

“I do love you, Cathryn.” It was the last words he uttered, leaving her desolate in the garden.

~~@~~
YOU HAVE JUST READ AN EXCERPT FROM THE JUDAS KISS
~~@~~

You can find out more about Jerri here:

Jerri's Blog
Facebook - Novel Works
The Roses of Prose Blog

To purchase her books go to Amazon.com and Whiskey Creek Press

Thanks so much, Jerri for stopping by the blog today! Best of luck with the upcoming release, Daughter of Deceit!

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Fantasy Friday with Deep Devotion by MC Norris

1 Comment Posted by Claire Ashgrove Friday, September 19, 2014 at 12:03 PM

Good morning, everyone! I'm super excited to introduce a fellow author and friend, M.C. Norris. He's here talking about his upcoming release (available September 1 through Severed Press), which I highly recommend you check out. Jump on the series now--this is the first in four that Severed Press is putting out! So with further ado, let's get right to it!

Deep Devotion
M.C. Norris
Speculative Fiction

Rising from the depths, a mind-bending monster unleashes a wave of terror across the American heartland. Kate Browning, a Kansas City EMT confronts her paralyzing fear of water when she traces the source of a deadly parasitic affliction to the Gulf of Mexico. Cooperating with a marine biologist, she travels to Florida in an effort to save the life of one very special patient, but the source of the epidemic happens to be the nest of a terrifying monster, one that last rose from the depths to annihilate the lost continent of Atlantis. Leviathan, destroyer, devoted lifemate and parent, the abomination is not going to take the extermination of its brood well.

Pre-Order Now!

M.C. is pretty busy gearing up for this debut release. But he sent us a special guest. A sea monster. And if I make it through the interview alive I'm betting this will be pretty remarkable. Let's see how it goes...

Guest Interview

Claire: So, Deep Devotion is making some big waves on Amazon right now. Last check, thirty-seven rave reviews and 4.6 out of 5 stars for a debut novel in the first two weeks. M.C. Norris must be doing something right, and we’re going to get to the bottom of that, but first, I think the question that’s on everybody’s mind right now is why you? Why did author M.C. Norris send in his sea monster for this interview, with all the available human characters in his book?

Sea Monster: I’m the perfect choice to illustrate a key point. Deep Devotion is different. It’s anything but formulaic. Norris outsmarts the genre at every turn.

Claire: What makes this book stand apart, defying the trappings of its own genre?

Sea Monster: Let me get inside your head a little bit—

Claire: Uh…personal space. Really. Tentacles or whatever you call them to yourself.

Sea Monster: Kind of an inside joke, there. If you’re expecting a bunch of military stuff, you’ll find none of that in Deep Devotion. Not a single military strike. Not one bullet fired. I’m going to scare the hell out of you, don’t get me wrong, but I’ll reel you in from a deeper level. My perspective is frightening, totally alien, but it’s not alienating. You’ll sympathize with me, and maybe I’ll make you wish you hadn’t.

Claire: Tell me a little bit about the human characters in this book.

Sea Monster: Deep Devotion is driven by some wonderfully flawed characters. There’s Kate, for starters. Hot mess. Kansas City EMT with a boatload of intimacy issues and debilitating phobias, all stemming from some childhood trauma. Had a little brother who drowned in a Kansas cow pond while she was supposed to be watching him. Kate blames me for that.

Claire: Kate’s from Kansas. It says here that you live on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. How can she blame you for her brother’s death? Did you really do it?

Sea Monster: Won’t say if I did, and I won’t say if I didn’t, but I will say that I’ve got one hell of a long reach. I’m an unlikely suspect in that drowning, but you can’t rule me out. I’m crafty. I snatch thousands of human lives right out of the heartland.

Claire: (Squirms a little) Are you—eating them?

Sea Monster: Come on. I’m a filter feeder. Pretty peaceful, really, unless you rub me the wrong way, and then I’ll show you my ugly face. Might decide to ruin your life, your marriage, take your loved ones away, drag them screaming right out of their world, and down into mine.

Claire: Okay, that’s a little dark. But how does a person clear out in the middle of the continental U.S. go about rubbing you in the wrong way?

Sea Monster: Mess with my family. And chances are, you already have. Like that person there, three miles to the left. Excuse me…gotta run.

Claire: Well, good thing he was called away. He? Hm. It? Anyway… I’m kinda glad he jetted off when he did. From the reviews, I’m pretty confident I have indeed messed with his family. I’ll just scoot on out of here as well. Before it comes back. But you can stay and read an excerpt while I run.

~~@~~
EXCERPT
~~@~~

“Children don’t drown where water should not exist, not in the wishing pools remembered in the hearts of deserts. No, it could not be. What happened to Jeffrey was no accident. His was a willful killing, and a cruel one. There stood a mimic in the moonlight, connected by deeper roots to something else, something down in a pond beneath a pond, a grotto, where it fanned its saffron gills and waited, just as it had haunted the seas of time’s beginning. It waited for a chance to lure young life to an early death. Because that’s what it was all about. That’s all that it did.”

If the dull knocking of an oil pumper was the heartbeat of the plains, then the southwesterly winds were the region’s breath, unbroken by anything but barbed wire. The winds hissed daily through the barrens, until sundown quelled the breeze to a profound silence so stifling that it made the ears ring. At that hour, formless things, blanched as the dust and dry grass that wrought them, emerged from seams in the wastelands to ply soundlessly through the bluestem while the heartbeat of the plains kept on knocking. From atop some Osage post, a meadowlark bid the sun farewell with its piercing apogee, and another day was done.

At the heart of this vast desert, situated in a common cow pasture, was a something of a dimple in the parched earth, an old landmark. Arrowheads were common, here. The Naturals learned of this place by following the dauber swallows from their colonies of mud nests, and soon enough, it became a place of slaughter. Here was a scar, where the earth itself had been scalped to the bone, so bare and so cracked that no plant grew. Most years, it remained as such. But on good years, against all odds, this slight depression in the plains became a pond.

Summer days, its surface mirrored the sparkling blue skies. Buzzing things and crackling hoppers patrolled its muddy banks, all fringed with smartweed, green tangles and pink starbursts that writhed through the pocks left by wallowing cattle. It shimmered when the breeze tousled its glassy surface. Rings expanded, as tadpoles rose to kiss the sky, and descended, waggling, back down into their cool abysms. Whirligig beetles gyrated in their endless promenades. By day, the cow pond was a peaceful place, a crucible of life and flashing minnows that came from God knew where. But by the light of a dying sun, another presence within the pool seemed to awaken. Kate encountered it, not long after Jeffrey drowned.

Surrounded on all sides by pasture, where anthills tented the aggregate shells of a bygone seascape, Kate nested in the oasis in a snarl of smartweed at an hour when the lonely pond flattened black as a shark’s eye, and the stars burned coldly in the gulfs of space. This was Jeffery’s Place. In the weeks following his drowning, she came here with false hopes to commune with some lingering vestige of all she’d lost to this place. This was her vigil. Her penance. Her fault that her little brother drowned.

But she should not have come here, at this hour. Kate was just a child, naïve to the world’s evils, exposed in her openness to a sign, to some form of contact from the other side, and perhaps that is why Kate attracted the attention of a thing that she’d otherwise have not.

It rose in its funereal suit of oily mud, and glistened in the starlight. If this was her Jeffrey, then it was not but the husk of that sweet child, its eyes so dulled to a sinful complacence, its lips curled into a larval smile. Jeffrey was gone, but Kate could not turn away from the mirage of him. Because she understood in that moment that she was being visited by the very thing responsible. Children don’t drown where water should not exist, not in the wishing pools remembered in the hearts of deserts. No, it could not be. What happened to Jeffrey was no accident. His was a willful killing, and a cruel one. There stood a mimic in the moonlight, connected by deeper roots to something else, something down in a pond beneath a pond, a grotto, where it fanned its saffron gills and waited, just as it had haunted the seas of time’s beginning. It waited for a chance to lure young life to an early death, because that’s all that it did.

The nymph hooked its greasy finger, and it beckoned to her. It wanted to show her things, would only she hear its siren’s song and follow this bait into the pond, as three-year-old Jeffrey had done. If she would take its slick fingers into her own, then together, they would go down, down, into the world of drowned children, down to the places where the tadpoles lay torpid in the mud, and deeper still, to the pond beneath the pond, to the dark sanctuary where older things waited. There, in the pit of pits, lived her personal demon. It could not ease Kate’s burden, but it could certainly give her what she deserved.

~~~@~~~
YOU HAVE JUST READ AN EXCERPT FROM
DEEP DEVOTION
~~~@~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M.C. Norris is an active member of the Horror Writers’ Association, with nineteen published short stories, and three published novels to his credit: Krengel & the Krampusz (Severed Press, TBR 2014), Deep Devotion (Severed Press, TBR 2014), and The Dread Owba Coo-Coo (Severed Press, TBR 2014). The nineteen published short stories of M.C. Norris appear in a variety of magazines and anthologies, including: Withersin, Wrong World DVD, Brainharvest Magazine, Pseudopod, Dead Bait, and Malicious Deviance. Mike also won 5th in Chizine/Leisure Books 13th Annual Short Story Contest.

Keep in Touch: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Blog

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Happy Release Day! Immortal Sacrifice -- The Saga Continues!

2 Comments Posted by Claire Ashgrove Friday, January 24, 2014 at 10:40 AM

Good morning, everyone! Let's see, it was last winter when Immortal Trust came out, and it's well past time for another installment. You've been waiting patiently--and not so patiently for some--but here it is!

IMMORTAL SACRIFICE
The Curse of the Templars, Book IV

In the wake of an Italian mobster’s death, the archangels charge Immortal Templar Knight Caradoc of Asterleigh with protecting a necklace that contains Christ’s tears. He vows to bring the relic home, never imagining he’ll have to battle Isabelle Speranza, the only woman he’s ever loved and whom he left in a futile attempt to protect her heart. Discovering she’s his fated seraph changes everything. For the dark lord Azazel is hunting the Templar mates.

Isabelle lost her heart to Caradoc in a whirlwind affair abroad, only to be abandoned in the middle of the night. When she encounters Caradoc in Sicily three years later, her buried anger fuels desire that won’t be denied. Yet a dark shadow threatens their reunion. Azazel has discovered her greatest weakness, and her dreams promise unspeakable horrors if she fails to procure the sacred necklace.

As danger stalks her, Isabelle reveals an unbelievable secret. To save them both, Caradoc must accept her truths, even if it means turning from everything he’s sworn to uphold.

Purchase Now! Amazon | Print | Kobo | All Romance E-books
Barnes and Noble / Nook Coming Soon!

EXCERPT:

Bliss rocketed through her body, lighting her up from the inside out. This was what she’d wanted, what she’d craved, for nearly three years. Caradoc holding her, kissing her, telling her all the words he’d once whispered with just the touch of his tongue.

Apologies flowed between them, words she no longer cared about and yet somehow inherently understood. Urgency replaced the gentleness of his mouth. The slow, sensual stroke of his tongue became demanding. Possessive.

Isabelle surrendered with a muffled cry, and they came together with startling ferocity. He hauled her close, eroding every last bit of her rational thought with the press of his strong, hard body. Heat filtered through their clothing, warming her skin and warding away the lingering chill in her veins.

Too long she’d known this only in memory. Too long she’d relied on distant sensations to nurse her soul-deep yearning. But now it was real. Caradoc was here. Kissing her as if nothing had changed between them and they were once more locked away in a cottage in England, lovers who couldn’t get enough of one another.

The slide of his hand along the length of her spine stirred her heartbeat into an erratic rhythm. Each staccato pulse shot zings of ecstasy to every nerve ending she possessed until they all stood on end and her body trembled with sensory overload. His powerful arms surrounded her. His mouth dominated. His broad chest offered shelter from every catastrophe she could imagine.

She couldn’t get enough. Hungered for every bit of raw emotion that Caradoc had once exposed her to. Craved the feel of his skin sliding against hers, the sensation of taking him into her body and knowing him only as a lover could. She squirmed against the building ache within her womb and gave in to a soft moan.

The sound, however, jolted her back to reality, and the harsh realism sent her crashing through ecstasy to land in a bruised heap on the cold hard truth. This wasn’t the man who made her believe in dreams and fairytales. This was the man who’d sworn his love then left her to wake up confused and alone.

Isabelle shoved out of his embrace. “I’m not doing this,” she rasped. Not in a hundred years. Make that a hundred centuries.

She straightened her skirt then bent over to pick up her purse that had landed on the floor some time earlier. Slinging it over her shoulder, she bolted for the door.

“Isabelle, wait!” Caradoc caught up with her in four determined strides. His fingers wrapped around her wrist. “I did not mean for that to happen.”

“Of course not!” She gave her arm a fierce jerk at the same time she opened the door. “You didn’t mean it before, why should you now?”

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Labels: 5-Star Review , angels , Claire Ashgrove , demons , Immortal Sacrifice , Paranormal , Paranormal Romance , paranormal romance series , romance novel , The Curse of the Templar

New Release - EXPLOSIVE - Black Opals 3

0 Comments Posted by Claire Ashgrove Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 9:21 AM

Hi everyone! It's Release Day!!

Please give a warm welcome to EXPLOSIVE, the third book in the Black Opal series, by my alter-ego, Tori St. Claire. You can give it a try for only $2.99!

KINDLE version will be live today - Amazon has fixed my account.

For now: Buy Paperback
Buy Digital: Nook | Kobo | All Romance eBooks

A man on the hunt...

Jayce Honeycutt never imagined returning to his hometown for a wedding would find him confronting the woman he intended to marry. Nor did he anticipate the passion they once knew would burn as hot and bright as ever. Only now Alyssa’s involved with Jayce’s former best friend, and Jayce can’t bring himself to interfere. When he learns Alyssa may be in danger, however, everything changes. As the threats against her life escalate, Jayce will stop at nothing to unveil the secrets she’s hiding. Even if it means risking his heart all over again.

A woman on the run…

Ten years ago, a brutal attack forced Alyssa Martin into a world of solitary darkness. She threw herself into her career, but now her work has led her back into the nightmare of her past and thrust her into a deadly game. When her roommate employs Jayce for her protection, memories compound. She’s never forgotten their shared desire, and her body still craves his masterful touch. Yet Jayce is determined to break down her protective walls, and confiding in him is more frightening than the shadows stalking her. But someone else is determined to control her. To survive, Alyssa must trust in Jayce and bare herself completely.

EXCERPT

CHAPTER ONE

Of all the god-awful methods of torture Jayce Honeycutt could envision, weddings ranked at the top of his list. That was saying a lot, considering he’d spent the last ten years of his life disarming bombs for the CIA’s specialized, undocumented team of Black Opals. He’d done his fair share of making threats on US security go away as well, sometimes using those very same methods of torture on subjects that held critical information. But hands-down, a wedding beat every documented and undocumented coercion tactic he knew.

After the last fiasco, when Alexei Nikanova—one of the most esteemed Black Opals, no less—married a virtual terrorist, Jayce had his fill. No more weddings. No more people losing their goddamn minds and throwing away perfectly good careers in the name of the two-faced bitch called love.

That is, until his older sister Jasmine called a month ago. Now he was back in Boulder, Colorado, the last place on earth he wanted to be, not only attending, but participating, in a damn wedding.

He slammed his pickup into third and skidded around the corner. He’d endured the family dinner with the in-laws he’d never see again. Suffered enough polite handshakes, false hugs, and sugary sweet smiles to last a lifetime. Now he couldn’t get to the bar fast enough. One beer to take the edge off. Another to clear his head—around five he might just forget how Boulder had changed his life and how he’d once been dumb enough to buy into the fantasy of weddings and lifelong nuptials. True, he’d never made it to the altar. No, Alyssa hadn’t let it get that far before she vanished, she and their unborn child.

Grinding his teeth against the unwanted rise of memories, Jayce eased up on the accelerator. Just as revisiting the past would bring up trouble, so would getting a ticket. Kevin Clark, director of the Black Opals, would make him eat this one. The three in London had pushed his boss a bit too far. Not to mention Jayce’s attitude about Alexei’s wife. Clark had all but forced Jayce to accept Jasmine’s request to escort her down the aisle. Not that he would have refused. This gave him the opportunity to be near his younger sister, Jordan, at a time she needed company the most.

A bright orange neon sign announced that Jayce had reached his destination and welcomed visitors to the Rocky Mountain Taproom. He nosed into a parking space, killed the engine, and jumped out of the car. Pocketing his keys, he entered a world of sultry blues and even more sultry lights. For the most part, the bar was dead, as he’d expected on a Wednesday night. A few men gathered around the pool table. Near the bar, three ladies laughed over the sound of a crooning sax. They looked his way as he grabbed a barstool. One shyly lifted a manicured hand to wave.

Jayce nodded at the brunette. Cute, but he wasn’t looking for a piece of tail. Not tonight. In another hour he was supposed to meet Jordan. She’d said she wanted to talk. About what made Jayce’s stomach twist into knots. He didn’t want to confront those memories either. All they did was remind him how he’d failed the one person he was closest to. How he’d been so caught up in his own disaster he couldn’t bring himself to help his sister fight the bastard who raped her and subsequently convinced the entire town she’d brought it on herself.

Still, he owed it to Jordan to be there for her. With Jasmine’s wedding approaching, the date of the disaster so near, he couldn’t tolerate the idea of leaving Jordan alone right now.

“What’ll it be, handsome?” The bartender propped her elbows on a polished brass rail, bending forward until Jayce couldn’t help but notice her nipples were about to escape the low-cut tank top.

“Coors Light, bottle.”

Her mouth curved up in an approving grin, and she tapped stubby nails on the polished wood. “Hometown boy at heart.”

Jayce chuckled. “Yeah, something like that.”

As she fished a frosty bottle from the cooler, she cocked her head to study him. “Hey, don’t I know you? Class of 2000. Jayce…Harcourt?”

“Honeycutt.” For the life of him, he couldn’t begin to produce her name. He supposed that shouldn’t surprise him; he’d blocked most of that year out.

She set his bottle down and extended her hand. “Marcie Lauflin. We had Accounting I together.”

Accounting. Jayce bit back a grimace. No wonder he didn’t recognize a thing about Marcie. Alyssa had been in Accounting I. He couldn’t recall a single lesson—he’d singularly attended class so they could spend time together. It was the only way they could be together without worry of getting caught.

He slid his hand into Marcie’s and gave it a shake. “It’s a pleasure. I see Boulder hasn’t changed much.”

“Nah, it never does.” She grinned. “You know how it is. What brings you back to town?”

“Wedding. My sister’s.”

Marcie wrinkled her nose, echoing Jayce’s very poignant sentiment. “Ew.”

“Yeah tell me about it. Not exactly my cup of tea. But…family…” Lifting his beer, he offered Marcie a mock toast, then downed a hearty mouthful. The cold coated his throat and soothed the tightness in his gut.

“You ran with Brice McTavish, didn’t you?”

Wow. Talk about a name from the past. Though Jayce had cut Brice off along with everyone else in Boulder, they’d been tight as teens. Both of them just barely getting by, one foot in the grave, the other barreling on ahead, hoping they’d manage to graduate by the skin of their teeth. Neither wanted to be held back again. “Is McTavish still around?” It might be nice to revisit that particular person from his past. Have a few laughs while he was in town, a few beers, a few minutes of disbelief that they were still alive.

“He’s still here. He’s some big name attorney now. Criminal law. Folks tend to look the other way when he’s around, ‘bout like they did back then.” She laughed again and swept a white cloth over the immaculate bar. “He’s a regular here on Wednesdays. I’m surprised he’s not in yet.”

“Really?” The night was looking up. Beating McTavish at a game of pool would improve Jayce’s mood ten-fold.

“Yep. He must be hung up at the office.” With a frown on her overly-painted face, Marcie rose on her toes and looked over Jayce’s head at the front door. “Wait. He’s coming inside now. Hey, Brice!”

Jayce cringed as her brittle voice thundered over the music. Damn, no wonder she was tending bar. She could break up a fight with just a yell. No one would want to stick around long enough to hear it twice.

“Evening, Marcie,” Brice called in amicable return. “Got a Jim and Seven for me?”

“Got something better. Look who’s in town.” Marcie thrust a plump arm under Jayce’s nose. “Jayce Honeycutt.”

“Jayce?” Brice’s grin doubled in size as he slid onto the stool beside Jayce’s and thrust out his hand. “I’ll be damned. Never thought I’d see you around here again.” As Jayce fitted his hand in Brice’s and gave it a firm squeeze, his childhood best friend enveloped him in a brotherly hug. “It’s good to see you, man.”

“Good to see you too, McTavish.” That was the one, the only, truthful thing he’d said all night. He took Brice in quickly, observing he’d evidently bettered his life. Crisp lines defined a custom-tailored, dark grey, Italian suit. Beneath the stylish coat, white silk opened at the collar. His brown hair was cut short, no longer clinging to his shoulders or falling in his eyes. And he’d shaved. Something McTavish avoided in high school like most men avoided low-rate whores.

“So where you been?” McTavish asked as Marcie passed him his drink.

Jayce took another pull from his beer before issuing his concocted excuse. “I’ve been working security.”

“Security?” McTavish gestured at Jayce’s own imported black suit. “Didn’t know installations could dress a man like that.”

Chuckling, Jayce shook his head. “Not installations. Consultations. Custom designs for the wealthy.”

McTavish let out a long low whistle. “Nice.”

“Marcie says you’re an attorney now?”

“Yeah, gotta pay the bills somehow. After the first year of partying at CSU, I realized rent didn’t come free. Got my act together. Managed to graduate. Opened my own practice about four years ago.”

“Like it?”

“Love it.”

McTavish darted a jerky glance at his watch, then smoothed his free hand down his pants leg. Too many years of being trained to notice insignificant actions alerted Jayce to the absent gestures. Nervous. Hiding something. But what? And why?

Jayce didn’t have long to wait to discover the answer. As he swigged another drink, the men surrounding the pool table all did an about-face toward the door. He turned, curious what, or rather who, captured their immediate attention. At the sight of silken hair the color of rich chocolate, a waist so tiny it would make Scarlet O’Hara cry, and a smile that could silence an angel chorus, Jayce’s heart slammed to a halt.

Alyssa Martin. Holy fuck, he hadn’t prepared for her on any level. Let alone the way she sidled up to McTavish and planted an affectionate kiss on his mouth.

“Hey, babe. Who’s your—” Turning toward Jayce, her words abruptly stopped. Recognition flashed behind even richer brown eyes. In a heartbeat’s passing, her delicate face washed white. “Jayce,” she exhaled.

He couldn’t speak. For the first time in his life, he couldn’t produce a single word. Dozens rallied in his head. Questions she’d never answered—where had she gone, where did he screw up? What happened to our baby? Nothing worked its way past his dry-as-sand throat.

She blew out a breath that fanned the loose tendrils around her face and restored a bit of color to her fair cheeks. “You look…good.”

So did she. Fucking hot as hell. Slimming pencil skirt in khaki, a flirty summer blouse that accented her toned arms—she was every bit as beautiful as she’d been when he’d fallen head over heels for her. More so now that she’d filled out. Her breasts were full and pert, her hips narrow and defined. Her waist still so small he could fit his hands around it and touch his fingertips if he squeezed just a little. And her hair… God, her hair. She hadn’t cut it. Ten years, and it was still as long and glorious as he remembered. He’d bet his soul it would still slide like satin between his fingertips.

Old longing pitched his stomach in a violent circle, and Jayce struggled to put words in order. He had to say something. Something other than a demand for answers. He forced a smile he hoped was casual. “Hey, you.”

His stomach lurched again as Alyssa perched herself on Brice’s knee. Though he hadn’t seen her in a decade, though he had every right to want to strangle Alyssa Martin, the sight of her with Brice was like someone rammed a boot in Jayce’s gut. A steel-toed one that cracked a rib. Christ, the burn was agonizing.

His Alyssa, the woman he’d done everything he could to provide a life for, was with his best friend. Former best friend. Perched on his lap in a way that couldn’t be mistaken as anything but intimate.

The irrational need to put a bullet in McTavish’s forehead possessed Jayce. He turned away and stared at his beer, the malt flavor now as bitter as rotten hops. As a covert operative, he should have anticipated Alyssa might be in Boulder. But last he’d heard, she’d left the city. Her parents gloated when they informed him she’d gone to her aunt’s in New Mexico. It was the only bit of information they’d ever volunteered.

If they’d liked him better, if his family came from the same wealth as hers…

He clenched a hand around the cold glass and choked the timeless questions down.

“Jayce?”

Alyssa’s voice reached him distantly, pulling him out of thoughts he had no business entertaining. The faint touch of her hand on his shoulder seared like coals. He forced himself not to flinch.

“Should I…go, Jayce?”

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~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Labels: Black Opals , CIA , Contemporary , Contemporary Romance , Erotic Romance , erotic romantic suspense , Excerpt , new fiction , New Release , paranormal romance series , romantic suspense , spy novel , Suspense

Tori St. Claire EXPLOSIVE - Don't miss the giveaway!

2 Comments Posted by Claire Ashgrove Monday, September 16, 2013 at 9:15 PM

Hey all!

For those of you who haven't heard, EXPLOSIVE, the 3rd Black Opal book, releases tomorrow!!

There's a few important things you should know:

a. Amazon KDP has broken my account. They are trying to fix it, but...it simply won't be available on Kindle until they do. With the sheer number of folks who've signed aboard to help get the word out, I was in a position to have to keep moving forward with the release, and while I'm not responsible for their glitch, I do apologize to Kindle users.

b. It will be available, however, on Barnes and Noble for Nook, Kobo, and All Romance eBooks, as well as CreateSpace for the print copy.

c. It will release at $2.99 and stay on sale through October 1.

d. I have a giveaway going on through Goodreads -- enter to win a signed print copy!!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Explosive

by Tori St. Claire

Giveaway ends September 20, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Labels: Black Opals , Contemporary Romance , Erotic Romance , erotic romantic suspense , Explosive , New Release , romantic suspense , Tori St.Claire

EXPLOSIVE - Tori St. Claire Cover Reveal, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway!

0 Comments Posted by Claire Ashgrove Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 12:34 PM

Yay! It's finally here -- the smokin' hot cover for Explosive.

Explosive continues the Black Opals saga with Jayce, who you met in Lie to Me as Sandman. (For those of you who might be leaping into the darkly seductive world of undercover operatives, don't worry, all Black Opals books stand alone.)

So, I'm going to show the cover here, but to be entered for the giveaway or read the exclusive two-part excerpt, you're going to have to hop over to Scorching Book Reviews and Love to Read for Fun. They've split the excerpt in two parts. Be sure to stop at each to get a glimpse of Jayce and Alyssa.

EXPLOSIVE

Black Opals, Book III
Tori St.Claire