Partners in more than stopping crime…

Brett Hunter had enough of his cousin’s detective agency and went into the police academy. Now he’s been partnered with Sam Taylor, a sexy blonde with cop’s eyes and enough sass to keep the headstrong Hunter in line.

But when they butt heads with a serial killer, will Brett be strong enough to keep Sam safe? Will their growing love be enough to see them through the problems of love in the workplace? Will they find the killer and foil his foul schemes?

Excerpt:

Samantha's eyes roamed at will over his mussed hair and the sexy stubble that covered his chin and cheeks. He wore only a pair of jeans, left unbuttoned, the top gaping open. His chest was bare; her fingers itched to touch his skin, to see if he was as warm and strong as he looked. She only looked up when he cleared his throat. Her eyes met his, confused blue to warm hazel.

"Kiss me," she breathed.

"What?" Those eyes grew wide with shock.

"Just do it," she growled, reaching up and letting her hand grasp the back of his neck, warm from sleep. She pulled him down, seeing his eyes flame, feeling his hands reach around her, sliding from her waist up her back.

Fire. It was all she could think when his lips captured hers. There was no softness; no butterfly touches or teasing caresses. He was all heat, his chest; his lips twisting hers open so that his tongue could explore her mouth. She moaned, her fingers slipping into his hair, trying to get closer.

Then she forced herself away, tearing out of his arms, her heart racing, her lungs desperately seeking air that seemed suddenly too thin. "Dammit!" she growled, pacing back and forth for a moment. "He's right." She looked up at Brett and felt a spurt of panic that grew to overwhelming fear. "Forget I was here," she said quickly, turning to flee down the cement walkway.

But Brett was quicker, reaching out one arm and wrapping it round her slender waist to drag her roughly back toward him. "No way," he growled. "You expect me to forget you showing up at my house at two a.m., waking me from a sound sleep and then demanding that I kiss you? Are you completely crazy, Sam? You're going to have to tell me what this is all about."

She tucked those feelings away when she thought she had finally found the “perfect” husband. However, soon after the birth of their twins, she began to see another side of Jeff that he’d kept hidden from her.

Surviving a turbulent marriage that almost kills her, Cassandra is finally convinced to file for divorce. She takes the twins and heads up north deep into the woods to a cabin where no one will find them... soon she discovers that they are being followed.

The Biker and the Ballerina by Andra Ashe
erotic contemporary romance novella

Dusty, tattoed but oh-so-hot biker Brody wasn’t exactly the Prince Charming rescuer ballerina Cara imagined, but stranded on a deserted road in the blistering heat, she can’t be picky.

Brody doesn’t let women on his bike, let alone into his life, but can’t ignore a damsel in distress and besides, petite Cara isn’t his type – though his body is telling him otherwise.

They both live their lives on the road, in different worlds, but fate and torrential rain conspire to bring them together for one erotic night – but will one be enough?

Excerpt

“Are you ok?”

Someone was shaking her. Cara struggled out of a hot, sweaty sleep.

There was a hand on her knee. A strong, tanned hand. With the claws of some sort of black reptile inked onto each finger, the body snaking its way up the arm. She pulled away, shuffling sideways on her behind to shake of the hand.

Then she saw the boots. Black, scuffed with a metal ring and studded strap around the ankle. Worn, dusty jeans. And beyond him, on the side of the road next to her car a hulking, black and chrome motor bike.

Oh God. The sudden, hard thump of her heart spurred her to action and she stood up, backing away with her eyes on her car and wondering if she could make it there before he caught her.

Sharp pain jabbed the sole of Cara’s foot as she stood on a stone and lost her balance. A tight grip on her arm steadied her against a body that was hard and, despite being dusty and hot, smelled fresh and tantalisingly masculine.

“If you’re going to do a runner, then it’s advisable to put your shoes back on,” a deep but soft voice said somewhere above her ear. He let go of her arm.

So why wasn’t she running, hell for leather, to her car?

Because something in the tone of his voice told her she wasn’t in danger. Cara stepped away so she could get a look at this contradiction of tattoos, leather and a voice as smooth as melted dark chocolate. But all she saw was the top of his head with its thick, dark hair.

He was on his knees?

“Lift up,” he said, tapping her foot. Too stunned to reply, Cara lifted her foot only to lose balance and grabbed his shoulder to steady herself. When on stage she could hold a perfect arabesque, but now she couldn’t lift her foot six inches off the ground. Wow, his shoulder was broad and rock solid.

“Steady there.” He circled her ankle with his hand. With the other he slid one shoe on. “Other one.” Cara obliged and she slipped both her shoes back on. “There you go, Cinderella,” and he stood up.

She knew she was short. What ballerina wasn’t? But he was a Titan. His chest, his wide, muscled chest which strained against a tight black t-shirt, was at eye level. And so was the outline of tight nipples. Cara swallowed hard and looked up.

“Brody Hall.” Full, sexy lips smiled a slightly crooked smile. A smile that urged one in response and Cara obliged.

“Cara Daniels,” she said, stepping back to make a space between them, not only so she could see him better but so she could breathe. Since when did tattooed bikers have perfect bone structure and designer stubble that didn’t look passé?

The bike, the boots, and the tat had painted an image in her mind, a clichéd image, but clichéd bikers didn’t smell delicious or smile like a heart-breaker movie star. Or make her want to run her hands under the black t-shirt, over the hard planes of his chest to find those hard nipples.

“How long have you been out here alone?” the concern in his voice sounded genuine.

She looked over to where the sun was now beginning to sink towards the horizon. “A couple of hours I think. Car’s dead.”

“Well I didn’t figure you were just taking a siesta. Are you ok? You’re probably dehydrated. Wait here.” And he was striding back to the bike. Cara stared after him at his long, muscular legs encased in the body-hugging dark denim that moved like a second skin across an arse as tight and toned as any professional dancers.

She smiled. There any resemblance to the men shed had in her life over the past ten years ended. Dark ink shaded both his arms in what looked like a Celtic design, black against tanned skin, which disappeared under the short sleeves of his t-shirt. The cotton fabric stretched tight over tanned biceps and clung damply to broad shoulders and back as he reached into a cooler strapped to the back of his bike and drew out a bottle.

Brody walked back to her, dangling the bottle between his fingers, a prince riding to her rescue. But while ballet princes were clean-cut and generally not that much taller than her, this one was rugged and dusty with height that could have been intimidating, but instead created a strange sense of protection.

“Here.” He handed her the icy bottle. “Get some of that into you and then we should get out of here. Weather’s gonna change soon and you don’t want to get caught out here in a downpour.”

Surprised By Love (The Blackridges Book 2) by Rita Sawyer
sensual contemporary romantic comedy novel
Release Date: 06/06/2013

Jarrett Blackridge’s assistant Sasha Reylione is one of them most important people in his life. When she’s faced with a threat from her ex-fiancé Jarrett’s first instinct is to protect her. His anger forces him to evaluate his feelings for her and admit how strong they were. He’s going to do whatever he can to shield her. Even if that means marrying her. This wouldn’t be a bad thing, since they got along better than most married people he knew. Hopefully somewhere along the way she’d realize that he loved her.

When Sasha’s ex starts causing trouble her boss decides the best course of action is for them to get married. At first she’s stunned, but Jarrett is a very persuasive man. She’d spent almost two years seeing to most of his needs so she couldn’t see how different being married to him would be. Except for them having sex of course.

Excerpt

Cale pulled up in front of Jarrett’s house and cut the engine off, but made no move to get out of the car. Though Jarrett was relieved and happy to be home he didn’t move either. He sat there and stared at his sprawling split level ranch. The lawn needed to be mowed, but purple and white flowers caught his eye. Jarrett was damn sure they hadn’t been there when he left. He smiled wondering what other changes Sasha had made while he was gone.

As Jarrett reached for the door handle he glanced at Cale. “You’re not coming in?”

“Are you kidding me? We both know what’s going to happen when you go in there.” Jarrett would’ve smiled, except he didn’t want his brother to know he was kind of looking forward to the dressing down and arguing that would no doubt follow his sudden arrival home.

Jarrett opened the door, got out and walked to the trunk and retrieved his bags. “I’ll come by tomorrow and look over that new surround sound for you.”

“Asshole, you were listening.” Jarrett could have told his baby brother that he was always listening, but he just shrugged his shoulders instead.

He walked to the house and lifted his hand in a semi-wave as Cale drove off. Jarrett opened the door and stepped inside. With his elbow he shoved the door closed and let his bags drop to the floor. He stood there looking around his living room. As usual not a thing was out of place. His brown leather couch and matching chair sat across from his huge flat screen TV. All of it was top of the line, yet it all meant nothing to him. The only thing that made him smile was knowing Sasha had programmed the special cable box she’d had installed to record all the shows he enjoyed.

Hell, there were shows on there he had never heard of and wouldn’t even know existed if she hadn’t put them on there. Jarrett didn’t watch much TV, but late at night when his big empty house started to feel like it might swallow him up, he’d flick it on to fill the void. Lately it had been happening more and more often, which was starting to concern him. He wanted to blame it on all the travel. The problem with that theory was he used to enjoy traveling. He’d cut this last trip two days short, because being away from home was starting to wear on him.

Sasha was going to give him hell for not warning her. She hated when he made adjustments to his schedule, which she managed with scary perfection. Her attention to detail had been one of the main reasons he’d hired her, other than the fact that he’d known she’d really needed the job. Finding out that she had the ability to keep him in line and on time was the excuse he used to keep her around.

In truth Jarrett was starting to think he’d never be able to replace her. Not that he thought she was going anywhere. She loved her little house, though he figured Lulu could use more room inside and out.

Still if he pissed her off too much the idea might strike her, and then he’d be sorry. On the other hand he figured Sasha needed a little chaos in her overly organized life, other than Lulu. Lulu may give her moments, like when she dug up and ate the flowers Sasha planted all around her yard when she wasn’t rolling in them. Nothing they’d tried curbed her quirky tendency toward flowers. After a bout of tummy troubles that sent Sasha into a tizzy he had helped her rip out anything that could hurt her and replaced them with varieties the vet had assured were harmless. Jarrett didn’t really think Sasha wanted her to stop, because then she’d have no reason to keep planting.

Still his yard was much bigger and fenced in so he insisted Sasha bring Lulu to work with her every day. Sasha hadn’t even put up a token protest. Of course back then Lulu had been a ten week old bundle of energy, so it would have been similar to leaving her baby at home. He wouldn’t have made her do that. And he enjoyed playing with Lulu so he was benefitting from her bringing her along. Still when Lulu was in trouble she couldn’t argue back and the transformation that came over Sasha from sweet looking girl next door to fierce little vixen was a sight to see. It was one of the reasons he kept having her bring Lulu to the office with her.

The smell of coffee wafted down the hall and penetrated through his thoughts. It lured him toward the kitchen. As he grabbed a mug from the cabinet Jarrett noted this room looked a little more inviting. It might have something to do with the flowers on the table and counter courtesy of Sasha’s garden. He knew she brought fresh ones every few days, even when he was away.

Jarrett took his coffee and headed for his office, which was a huge room he’d had added on to the back of the house. It had its own entrance and driveway for clients. He stepped in and Lulu lifted her massive head and let out a loud woof that resonated through the room. She got to her feet and trotted over to him. With her size, even though at a year old she’d still be considered by most to be a puppy, it only took her a few seconds to reach him. There was just enough time for him to safely put down his cup. Someone had missed him. He crouched down and rubbed the fawn-colored Bull Mastiff’s massive head. Jarrett gave her a good scratch behind her ears the way she liked.

“Have you been a good girl?” She barked again and nudged him hard enough that it would have knocked him on his ass if he hadn’t been ready for it. “Where’s mommy?”

Lulu turned and ran to the door. Jarrett got up and followed. Sure enough Sasha was out there. She stood next to a plain gray sedan talking to a guy he’d never seen before. His first thought was that he hoped she was just giving the guy directions. The odds he was a client were slim, because she never had anyone there without him present, there was no reason for it. Then he wondered ruefully if the man could be a boyfriend?

Jarrett doubted it. He knew plenty of guys who were interested in Sasha, but she’d quickly shot them all down. Maybe something had changed while he was gone this past week. As he got closer to the window, Jarrett ruled out the possibility. Sasha had her back to him, be he knew from the way she moved her hand between her and the guy she was pissed off. Jarrett wished he could hear what she was saying. Lulu moved to the door and glanced back at him letting out a low growl. Hell if she thought Sasha needed back up, he wasn’t going to second guess her instincts.

He stepped outside in time to hear the guy say, “I’m sorry ma’am, all I do is serve the papers. I don’t know anything. I suggest calling the lawyer or calling your own.”

“Well, I don’t have an attorney,” she quipped angrily.

“Ma’am I suggest you get one and quickly.” The guy didn’t sound mean or cross, he sounded practical.

“Why the hell do you need a lawyer?” Jarrett asked as he approached them.

Sasha gasped and the guy took a step toward his car. Okay so he may have been a bit harsh, but Sasha was his... employee and no one was going to mess with her without his knowing everything so he could help her.

“Damn it.” She growled and pointed the piece of paper in her hand at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I got home a little early.” He gave her a negligent shrug. “Now one of you needs to tell me what’s going on here.”

“Sorry,” the guy said as he opened the door. “I was only authorized to speak to Miss Reylione.”

Jarrett and Sasha stood there and watched him drive away. Actually Jarrett watched Sasha jam her hands on her hips and glare at the guy as he tore out of there. Once the process server was out of sight, she turned and stomped her way back to the house. Jarrett followed ready to dig a little deeper and find out what the heck was going on. He wasn’t quick enough, or maybe he was lucky he wasn’t hot on her heels, because she slammed the door in his face. As if that would stop him!

He yanked the door open. “That wasn’t very ladylike.”

She didn’t respond as she took her seat behind her desk. Jarrett watched as she crushed the paper her fist before she shoved it in the drawer. Her little growl made him smile. Lulu let out a little whine as she dropped herself at Jarrett’s feet. With a snap and point Sasha ordered Lulu back to her big pillow bed next to the small couch across the room. The dog gave him a pitiful look, but she obeyed.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Sasha didn’t even look at him as she started typing on her keyboard.

Catch A Fallen Star (Her Hollywood Hero Book 2) by Shayna York

erotic contemporary short story
release date 05/30/2013

Gavin MacKenzie, a sexy Hollywood action hero can’t believe the incidents and accidents plaguing his latest movie. He thinks he has hit rock bottom, but sexy erotica author Allure Swift has a secret plan to raise his spirits and rock his world.

Excerpt

Gavin MacKenzie limped wearily across the dusty film set parking lot, despair and pain etched deeply on his handsome face. Add in the bone-numbing exhaustion of yet another brutal day of filming, as well as problems on set, and all he could do was move slowly toward his oversized, grey pick-up truck. His filthy clothes were torn and covered with blood from several deep cuts, the result of a serious fall during today’s stunt.

One of Hollywood’s hottest action stars, Gavin always insisted on performing all of his hard-core, challenging stunts—no stunt doubles for him. He had an excellent track record. Today’s accident was unusual and all the more surprising since both Gavin and the stunt coordinator had double checked the harness and clips yesterday evening before locking up for the night. The lock was still in place this morning, but the instant Gavin’s heavily muscled body pulled against the clips, they instantly gave way. Gavin had slid off the hood of the speeding car into a rocky ditch alongside the road.

Just thinking about the botched stunt made him wince. His body wasn’t the only thing to take a beating; his ego was badly bruised. He fought to keep his focus on figuring out what had gone wrong.

One clip could fail, but for all of them to give out at once...just wasn’t possible. Gavin didn’t understand it; nothing was going right on this project. Missing props and broken rigging were commonplace. The fact that so many stunts had gone wrong was weird. Expertly-timed explosions fired early or fizzled out, catching seasoned professionals off-guard. Scaffolding, booms, and lighting supports collapsed, wouldn’t work properly, or simply disappeared from the guarded set.

Members of the crew and cast alike had been coming down with food poisoning, severe allergic reactions, and various illnesses since day one. Several people had cut themselves, fallen, or sprained limbs, and two crew members had actually broken bones.

The incredible string of incidents, accidents, and injuries on the movie set had resulted in several members of the cast and crew quitting. Others talked about the movie being cursed or the set being haunted. Gavin refused to hear any of their speculations. This project was special to him, and he had bankrolled a substantial portion of the costs to have it made his way.

After his fall, Gavin dutifully took himself to the first aid trailer and had the film medics check him out, bandage his cuts, and clear him to continue filming. His pent-up frustration finally boiled over when the director decided to call it quits for the day. Gavin’s angry shouts drew attention from the cast and crew. They stared in amazement as the normally easy-going star lost it, cursing in language strong enough to make a trucker blush. Several chairs and a table got tossed about in his fit of rage. His temper finally ran itself out and he stormed off. The director had enough sense to let his star go.

Now Gavin ducked his head, embarrassed as he thought about his reaction. He had overreacted dramatically; it was definitely not one of his shining moments. He could admit that this movie was exacting a huge price from him, both physically and emotionally. The studio executives were just waiting for a chance to shut this project down, and the near-death experience of their star action hero would certainly be reason enough for them to do just that.

Frustrated, Gavin snarled when he heard his name shouted from behind him. After a few more weary steps, he came to a reluctant stop and let a frantic production assistant catch up. As the young man worked to regain his breath, Gavin took the chance to look around the parking lot. Cast and crew flowed around them, heading to their cars and quickly escaping the parking lot, eager to leave the disaster-plagued set.

“Director’s decision,” the assistant panted, looking everywhere but at Gavin. “Tomorrow and the next day are days off for everyone. With all of the um...incidents, he thinks a couple of days of down time would do people a lot of good.” He consulted his smart phone. “And just a quick reminder...you have a massage scheduled in an hour and a half in your suite. Daphne and Joachim are there getting everything ready.” His message delivered, he turned tail and fled back toward the production trailer.

Taking a deep breath, Gavin resumed hobbling toward his truck. The two-day, forced delay made him clench his teeth, but he knew the time off was essential for morale, whatever was left. They couldn’t afford to lose anyone else.

Dragging his aching body into the driver’s seat, Gavin had to admit the time off would do him some good as well. And so would the scheduled massage. Daphne and Joachim Largo were a sports and massage therapy wonder team and close personal friends. The husband and wife traveled with Gavin when he was filming to keep him in top shape. They knew each of his muscles and which areas tensed up when injured or under extreme stress. He smiled slightly as he began to look forward to the massage. He knew he needed some release.

The thought of release brought Allure Swift to mind and his smile grew. Since their night of passion in Las Vegas, the sexy auburn-haired writer had kept in regular contact with Gavin, and their conversations were something he had come to cherish. She’d teased and turned him on that first night, their game of erotic tension culminating in the best sex of his life. He desperately wanted to see her again, but their schedules never seemed to match up.

Borderland Beauty by Samantha Holt
The Borderland Legacy Book 2
historical sensual romance novel
Release Date: 05/23/2013

Lord Dominic is in need of a wife. With the reivers, the wild and dangerous criminals that haunt the borderlands, breathing down his neck and his brother now married, he needs a strong woman by his side. So when he finds out about an old marriage contract between him and his neighbour’s daughter, he vows to give the mysterious woman a chance. Upon meeting the beautiful, feisty maiden, he vows to make her his wife.

Lucy Montgomery wants nothing to do with the arrogant lord. She doesn’t understand his interest in her. Surely a man like Dominic could never fall for a woman like her? Hurt by the past, she refuses to believe that she is anything more than a game to him. If only she didn’t find him quite so charming.

Can Dominic persuade Lucy that she is more than just another woman to him? And with the reivers growing bolder, are there worse dangers than Lucy saying ‘Nay’?

Excerpt

Northumbria, England 1368

“Thornewall?” Lucy stared at her mother. “We’re to go to Thornewall for Christmas?”

Her mother eyed her with a look of bemusement as she hauled out a gown from the wooden chest that occupied one corner of her chambers. “Aye, this will do nicely.”

“You know I loathe large gatherings, Mother. And Thornewall of all places...”

“Aye, my dear, I know you do. Though Lord only knows why. A girl of your...age should welcome the chance to meet fine men and there is no place better to do it than in Thornewall.”

Slapping her comb down on the table in front of her, she turned from her mother. Lucy contemplated herself in the mirror. What her mother meant was that it was time she found herself a husband. At one and twenty, she was turning into an old maid. She tilted her face, eyeing her complexion. It was pale and smooth, thankfully having lost the pallor that she used to be afflicted with as a young maiden, and it had not aged. Ack, not that it had made any difference. No man wanted her. No man ever had.

Her mother’s chattering cut in through her thoughts as she uttered a name she knew all too well, “...and Lord Dominic is, of course, a most handsome lord. You would do well to catch his eye, Lucy.”

Swiveling on her chair, she fixed her mother with a cold stare. “Lord Dominic is an arrogant blackguard. I would do well to steer clear of him. Anyway, ‘tis unlikely he would pay any attention to me.”

Her mother flung the gown she was holding across the enormous canopied bed and pressed her hands onto Lucy’s shoulders, urging her to face the mirror.

“You, my love, are a fine beauty. Lord Dominic, or any other man for that matter, would do well to have you for his wife.”

Her mother ran her hands through her fair hair as Lucy scowled at herself. Her mother had the blessing of dark, silky hair that did exactly as it should. Unfortunately for Lucy, she had inherited her father’s looks...and build. Her fair hair hung perfectly straight and would never curl, instead falling all the way past her bottom. It was not as mousy as it once was, for which she supposed she should be grateful. Years of horse riding and hawking in the sun had picked out pale highlights that at least added some interest to it.

“Well, Mother, I assure you, there is no chance of me ever becoming his wife. Men like Lord Dominic do not look at women like me and I would not wish it so. I would sooner die an old maid than marry a man of such repute.”

Gasping, her mother clutched her hands to her chest. “Die an old maid? Lucy, you taunt your mother so. ‘Tis most unkind. Anyway, I am sure you shall be an old maid no longer by the end of the Christmas celebrations.” Her mother’s grey eyes sparkled and Lucy’s stomach dropped. What was she planning?

“Mother...?”

“I just mean that you are bound to catch a man’s eye, that’s all, especially now that you are not so bu—so...so curvy.”

Lucy snorted. So buxom, she meant. She cast her eyes over her mother’s silk gown. She was as slender as a reed. Flicking a glance down at her own generous bosom, she heaved a sigh. Aye, she had at least slimmed out as she had aged. As a young girl, she had been as plump as they come. The weight had gradually dropped off as she became an active rider, but now she had a tiny waist and huge breasts that refused to be confined. To add to it, her hips still flared out and her bottom made any gown stick out whether she wanted it to or not.

Meeting her mother’s worried gaze, she offered her a small smile. “I have no need of a husband. Father is rich enough and Edward will inherit. I have no obligations to fulfill.”

“Aye, my love.” Her hands came back on her hair, smoothing across it. “Edward will return with his wife soon and they shall no doubt bring forth some children, but I wish not for you to marry for duty, I wish for you to marry for love. ‘Tis a fine, fine thing.”

Lucy rolled her eyes at her mother’s wistful tone. It was all well enough for her mother, who had happened to fall in love with the man her father had chosen for her, but she knew well enough few other people had been as lucky.

“‘Tis a fine thing, indeed, but I’ll not find love this Christmas. And I’ll certainly not find love with Lord Dominic.”

Blown Away by Rose Wulf
Elemental Series Book 2
paranormal romance novel
Release Date: 05/16/2013

Madison Price is new to town, trying to build a life for herself as the Head Chef at Earl’s Diner. Needing to move into a second new home before she was ever fully settled was just a small setback – a positive one, if her gorgeous new landlord was any indication. But she and Nate came from entirely different worlds, so she resolved to keep her distance.

Nate Hawke was immediately smitten with his new renter. There was really only one problem: his family was still being targeted by an unknown, lightning powered enemy. Getting close to her would only endanger her; or so he thought before his enemy went ahead and burned Earl’s Diner to the ground anyway.

Now the chemistry between them is pulling them together, and Madison finds her biggest hang up has nothing to do with the fact that her new boyfriend can fly. She’s afraid they’re incompatible, and she’s more afraid that he won’t live long enough to prove her wrong.

Excerpt

Madison dipped one hand into her purse as she stared through her windshield, green eyes scanning the darkened area between her parked car and her equally-dark apartment. This is completely ridiculous, she noted silently. But still she held her breath, her hand now wrapped securely around a slim bottle of pepper spray.

It had been less than a week since she had come home from work late one night to discover that her apartment had been broken into. Her living room window had been shattered; her television, DVD player, and two pieces of jewelry stolen – along with her apparently-poorly-hidden stash of cash that she kept on hand for emergencies. The police had yet to find the responsible party, and though she had had her window replaced and locks changed the following morning, she no longer felt safe when she came home at night.

But, at the moment, she could see no signs of activity – good or bad – so she released a breath and quickly climbed from her car. In less than a minute she had locked her Mazda and reached her front door.

Again, she paused. Her keys were poised before the lock, but she closed her eyes and leaned slightly toward the door, listening.

Nothing.

Okay, she told herself, moment of truth.

Sticking the key into the lock, Madison quickly entered her apartment, and once again she immediately locked the door behind herself. Then she took a moment, frozen in her tiny entry, and let her eyes sweep the portion of the apartment that she could see. Nothing in the living room seemed out of place, so she dropped her keys back into her purse and carefully made her way down the hall. Her kitchen was just as she’d left it – except for the freshly-brewed pot of coffee, which she was expecting – so she continued on. Her bathroom door was still open and the room was untouched. And then she was standing in the entry to her bedroom, and she finally allowed the relief to settle. Her bedroom was just as it should be.

Sighing heavily, Madison dropped her pepper spray into her purse as she moved into her room. “I really need to find a new place,” she mumbled, not for the first time in the past several days, as she reached up and tugged her dark, auburn hair from the messy bun it had been stuck in. She hated the idea of moving already, as she had only been living in the apartment for roughly a month, but she knew her sense of unease would plague her so long as she remained.

As she gathered a change of clothes, preparing to take a shower and wash away the seemingly-permanent smell of a small, crowded kitchen, she reflected on her situation.

Madison had moved to Darien in the beginning of April (less than a month and a half prior) in order to take over as the Head Chef at Earl’s Diner. She had acquired the position through the sheer luck of having one of the owners be an old friend of her mother’s, but that was all right with her – she thoroughly enjoyed her job. Unfortunately, her new job seemed to be the only part of her new life that was going right. She had had to live with her new bosses for nearly a week before finding this apartment, and she had agreed to take it before it was ready just so that she could have a place of her own. And then, the previous Sunday, she’d been robbed.

I almost wish I’d just been a little more patient, maybe I would’ve ended up somewhere safer. But it was too late to regret her rushed decision. At least I have tomorrow off, she reminded herself as she nudged the bathroom door shut behind her. I can spend it apartment-hunting again. That was exactly how she’d spent the second half of her Monday, as Monday was the other day she had off, but she hadn’t made any progress. She could only hope that Thursday would be different.

A Sunset Finish by Melinda Moore
paranormal romance novella
Release Date: 06/13/2013

Stephanie Minagawa travels to Albuquerque as a last resort for her music career, only to have her violin split apart in the arid air. When she takes it to a repair shop on the pueblo, she enters a world of spirits and yearning. Her body is taken over by the ghost of the craftsman’s dead wife, and she must decide between the quiet death she’s longed for, or claiming a new life of music and love.

Excerpt

The desert sun blazed as if it wanted to leech the moisture out of every yucca, cactus, and adobe brick to create a sand painting for its living room. Standing before the pueblo-style instrument repair shop, Stephanie considered offering herself to the sun as part of the picture. The arid air had already rendered her violin mute at her first rehearsal with the New Mexico Symphony, and becoming a sand painting would be a more artistic end than the bottle of sleeping pills back at her apartment–or slicing her wrist open. She looked down at the bandage that covered the half-finished yin-yang she had pricked into her skin last night in her despair.

The door to the shop opened from the inside, and a ray of sunset-hued light shot out accompanied by the strains of an unusual quartet of instruments: a violin, drum, flute, and guitar.

An older Hispanic woman stepped out of the shop, patting her eyes with a handkerchief. “Stephanie! I’m so glad you brought your violin here. “It was Marie, her stand partner who had recommended the shop, though Stephanie didn’t notice until the door closed on the strange lights and sound.

“What was that?” she asked.

Marie put her handkerchief in a large, black purse that matched her shoes and pantsuit. “What was what?”

“The pink lights and music. Are they doing a show in there?” Stephanie walked past Marie, whose jaw dropped.

“You hear them?” she whispered.

Stephanie pulled open the door and blinked against the glare. As her eyes adjusted she saw, several yards in, a violin, guitar, Native American drum, and Native American flute on top of a glass case, glowing and playing music of their own accord. A bittersweet melody in a minor key slipped into her ears and filled her vision as if the song painted the sunset. As the notes flowed, parts of the color darkened into orange shapes of people dancing. The silhouettes popped into relief; feathers in their hair swung up and down with their heads, and pine needles flapped in time around their arms. Gourds rattled and a distant-sounding chorus chanted.

“What do you see?” whispered Marie in Stephanie’s ear.

Behind the glowing instruments stood a woman who looked real and a woman consisting of coral smoke–beautiful like a Monet painting. The smoky woman expanded as if surprised when Stephanie looked at her, and then she beckoned to Stephanie, holding her hands above the violin like she wished Stephanie to take it.

“Stephanie,” said Marie in a louder voice, “do you see something?”

“She wants me to play it.”

“Play what?”

“That ghostly woman wants me to play the violin.” The part of Stephanie’s brain that would question everything happening was blocked. The milieu before her was an invitation to a world of melancholy and beauty, and the glowing violin was her ticket. It never occurred to her to ask the price. The real woman behind the counter looked startled, but grabbed the violin and held it out to Stephanie.

Stephanie took a step forward, but Marie put a hand on her arm. “I don’t think you should,” she said and then in a louder voice said, “Leticia, put them away!”

The sunset woman smiled and motioned to Stephanie again. She urged Leticia to hold the violin out further. Stephanie inched forward, suddenly hesitant to accept what must be a divine gift from a divine person. The sunset woman nodded and motioned faster. Stephanie pulled her arm away from Marie and marched towards the violin. Marie yelled out, “Leticia, what are you doing? Ray! Ray!”

The sunset woman glowered at Marie and changed into formless vapors that disappeared into the f holes of the violin. New voices were yelling now, sounding dissonant to the music, but Stephanie ignored them. As she reached out to take the violin still being proffered by Leticia, the chanting crescendoed, and she heard a calling as if from another world. There was something familiar or comforting about it. Before she could peg the emotion or touch the violin, a hand encircled her wrist. Through the orange glow, she saw Marie and a man gather up the instruments, along with a protesting Leticia, and carry them away to another room. When they shut the door, the melody and glow ceased; the dancers vanished.

The store sound system played Native American flutes in a new age pagan style. Fluorescent lights flooded her vision, and an air conditioner cooled her while blowing the scents of rosin and varnish up her nose.

“Are you here to buy an instrument, or do you need yours fixed?” asked the man who still held her wrist. She didn’t understand the question and stood with her mouth hanging open. His hair was as black as her own but much longer and hung in a single plait down his back. He wore an Iron Maiden t-shirt covered in sawdust with a ghoul leering at her. Nothing about him made sense, but he sighed and repeated the question, as if he knew he didn’t make sense.

Stephanie jerked her hand away. “Where’d they go?”