DESIGNATED SURVIVORS – SNIPPET 2

UNEDITED – Getting started on book 2 of our new post-apoc series! And guess what? It should be out by late June! 

Designated SurvivorsElias reckoned that Liza had finished doing what she could for Marisol. The flow of blood from her wound was staunched and Liza had remarked that while serious, the wound was a “through-and-through,” which meant that the bullet had only pierced the flesh. Marisol lay across an old door that had been found in the remnants of a nearby hunter’s shed. Elias watched her lie there, shivering, her flesh puckered and bluish in tone.

“She gonna be okay?”

Liza looked over at him, her face dark with worry.

“Did what I could. I stabilized her. She’s young so that’s good and the wound wasn’t very deep. Thank God it missed her vitals.”

Elias nodded as Liza moved in close to him.

“Are you from inside that wall?”

Elias tipped his head. “Yep. What about you? I haven’t seen you guys in New Chicago before.”

Liza caught a look from Jessup and shook her head.

“No, we’re not from there.”

“So why are you here then?” Elias asked. “I mean, what were you guys doing out there in the grasslands?”

“Scavenging supplies mostly,” she offered.

Jessup looked over, “And we’re done. We got what we came for and we’re ready to push off.” (more…)

HOUNDS OF LIGHT – SNIPPET 4

Unedited (This is book 2, grab Hounds of God here. This contains SPOILERS if you haven’t read book 1)

Hounds of LightChapter 4

“I can’t continue working with a damned vampire!” Katherine stood in front of Mauro, hands on the desk. He sat in the chair opposite her, looking up at her with curiosity.

“You two were quite the team leading up to the downfall of Aldrick,” he said. “And you see the value of having him here.”

She closed her eyes, trying to ignore his calmness. It pissed her off that she was losing her temper while he was able to sit there and talk rationally with her.

“He’s a murderer,” she finally said. “It’s not just a matter of practicality, it’s a matter of right and wrong.”

“The world isn’t often as black and white as you’d have it.” Mauro stood and went to the window, looking out at the night sky where a sliver of moon was visible. “There are some who would’ve thought twice before accepting your friend, Danny. Heck, even I have a tarnished past from my days before all this.”

“We’re not talking about you,” she said, but he’d piqued her interest, so she waited.

He looked at her with a smile. “I wasn’t always a golden werewolf, nor a priest. We have many others to introduce you to, when the time is right. Maybe then you’ll hear my story.”

“Great, not only do you refuse to listen to reason, but you’re a tease.”

He laughed. “Perhaps, but the point remains that we need Matthew. His nickname, Hunter, now spreads fear among the Dark World, and—”

“Excuse me, dark what?”

“Just a term.” He folded his hands and assessed her. “There are those that would follow the path of light, and those that chose another path. I, and others in my group, call this second group the Dark World.” (more…)

HOUNDS OF LIGHT – SNIPPET 3

UNEDITED (This is book 2, grab Hounds of God here. This contains SPOILERS if you haven’t read book 1)

Hounds of Light

Chapter 3

The werewolf groaned, and Katherine lowered him to a sitting position against the gate, where he transformed back into a human. His clothes were tattered, the look in his eyes terrified.

“Who was he?” Katherine asked the werewolf, but then her enhanced hearing picked up the sound of police sirens approaching. “Damn, cops must’ve heard the shots.”

The man tried to use the distraction to swing at Katherine, but Triston stepped in this time with a well-placed kick that sent him sprawling on the cement, next to his dead buddy.

“Take us where you were going,” Katherine said. “That, or join your friend here.”

“So die now, or die when they kill me for betrayal?” the man asked.

“Yes, that sounds about right.” Triston stepped up beside Katherine and shrugged. “Seems like an easy choice. At least if you wait, you’ll have a fighting chance of survival, here… not so much.”

“Come on,” the man said, with a grudging look at him. “It’s not far.”

He led them down the rest of the street, then around a curve in the road and to a large, brown house. It had stairs leading up to a patio, but when Katherine started walking up the stairs, the man said, “No, there.”

He pointed to the side of the stairs near the rear, where there was a door. He opened it for them and motioned to the stairs. “They expected me to return with you anyway.” (more…)

CLAIMED BY HONOR – SNIPPET 4

UNEDITED – More of this post-apoc vampire story

unnamed-5

Valerie paced before her window, shoulders tight with worry, as she watched Diego and Cammie walk off. Sandra stood rigid, arms crossed protectively in front of her, looking like someone had kicked her puppy. Ella had reported in with her brother Peterson, and his cop partner, Wallace.

“I want the city walls up at all times,” Valerie commanded. “Day and night, got that?”

Ella nodded, but held up a hand of caution. “Just… what exactly should we tell the people of the city?”

Valerie looked at the former Enforcer, now wearing a cop uniform like her brother, and smiled. One who asks questions and thinks about repercussions, she liked that.

“Excuse my lack of knowledge about how the city works.” Valerie paced and then stopped. She looked out to the west, where she could see the edges of the city. Or, at least where the working city met what she’d begun to term the dead city. That’s where the walls went up, only at nights, until now. “What is it we currently tell the citizens of Old Manhattan?”

Ella shared a look with Wallace that said she wasn’t sure, so Wallace stepped up.

“Mostly we blame it on the wackos and nomads.” He had a way of glancing at Ella every once in awhile and did that now with a nervous smile. “Mostly we just enforce it, don’t really bother with what they know, because honestly… we didn’t know.”

“I had a hint of an idea,” Ella said. “I mean, I knew about the Weres and the hunting, so put two and two together.

“And she didn’t tell you any of this?” Valerie asked Wallace. “In spite of your… situation?”

He blushed, giving it away—she’d guessed right. Those looks were the type lovers shared. (more…)

HOUNDS OF GOD – SNIPPET 4

UNEDITED (Preorder $0.99)

Hounds of God - Werewolf snippetBabur took off without a moment’s hesitation.

If Danny followed him, this whole I’ll distract them business would be a waste. But what other direction did he have? The only way was up.

He scaled the nearest building by climbing up a car and leaping to a small patio. From there it was an easy chicken wing up, followed by another patio until he could reach the roof of this two-story building.

The next building over was too far away for a jump, but that hadn’t been Danny’s plan to begin with.

Instead, he ran to the front and lowered himself to hang over the awning, then dropped, slid down the red and white stripes, and grabbed hold at the last minute to swing himself back and nearly collide with the waitress from before as she stepped out to see what the commotion was.

He held a finger to his lips and then took off before the soldiers could realize he was now behind them.

The rendezvous point—he had to make sure Babur and Kat had met up. But when he rounded the next corner, the flash of a silver pistol stopped him cold. A young man in an old suit exited a beat up car, not even bothering to hide his side-arm, a pistol meant for killing werewolves.

Hunter. (more…)

HOUNDS OF GOD – SNIPPET 3

UNEDITED (Preorder $0.99)

Hounds of GodChapter 3

Danny ignored the burning in his leg, pushing on through the woods. The bullet had merely grazed him, tearing a line in his pants and drawing a sliver of blood. Nothing worth whining over.

The soldiers or whatever they were—Gregor’s men, most likely—were drawing close, he could tell by the flutter of a bird one moment, a not-so-distant curse the next. They might have been wearing special operations gear, but they certainly weren’t military trained, that much was clear.

Still, if they caught him or Kat, who knows what would happen.

At a clearing, Danny side-stepped and changed direction. If he continued straight, they wouldn’t even have to track him, but just keep running. This way, he’d be able to test his theory about them being untrained.

He found a rocky ledge and darted around to a slope that led him up, then at the top threw himself flat on the ground and watched, waiting.

Sure enough, a couple of soldiers kept on moving the direction he’d been heading.

One stopped, then sniffed the air.

Not a good sign. (more…)