26 December 2019

The Evernight Weekly Writing Challenge - Week 52

My Wedding Disaster 

I don't know if I would've picked this to be the last Writing Challenge of the year, but here we have it and here's what I have to say.

I've had two weddings. The first one was elaborate with a big white dress and lots of people. The only thing that went wrong that time was it was outside and the wind whipped my veil into my dad's way and when he went to tug his hand free, it ripped the veil from my head band. Luckily, it had so many bobby-pins that it stayed intact during the ceremony. 

Not that big of a disaster. I should've said the groom, because the marriage was obviously a mistake. Only lasted four years.

My second wedding took place twenty-five years later. I wanted to make sure I had found my Mr. Right before I got married again. We didn't do a big wedding, just went to the justice of the peace and had a five minute ceremony. Mike and I wore matching Star Wars shirts. The only disaster I had was actually my own fault, and it wasn't a disaster but something I do feel guilty about. I didn't know where the place was where the ceremony was being held, so I took off trying to find it and left my mom to struggle on her own. She has to use a walker and can't walk very well, so she goes very slowly. It wasn't very nice of me, and the only defense I'll make was that I was running behind and afraid they would bump me and Mike from the line-up if we were late. Still kinda shitty of me, and I still feel guilty.

My mom forgave me, of course, and Mike & I were married on May the 4th (be with you). Took longer for all of us to pile into the elevator than the ceremony. But I wouldn't have had it any other way. 

22 December 2019

Holiday Interview with Elyzabeth M. Valey!


1)      How long did it take you to write Weekend Magic (A Christmas Realm Tale)?

It took me approximately two months.

     2)      What inspired your holiday theme?

The magic of Christmas! I love the holiday season and the idea that during this time anything can be possible. That’s why The Christmas Realm is a magical place where myth and fairytale become reality.

It all started two years ago when I wrote the first book in the series, The Beauty of Forever. I had this idea in which the magic of Christmas and Santa was also a business –a very big one- filled with paranormal creatures who worked for the Jolly Ol’man. With every book I’ve been exploring new areas of this world and I absolutely love it!

     3)      When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’m pretty sure it happened when I was around 8.

    4)      Do you have a writing quirk, or a habit when you write?

Not really.

     5)      What is your favorite holiday song? ….What is your least favorite?

My favorite holiday song is Mariah Carey’s All I want for Christmas is you. I can be found singing it at the top of my lungs at any given moment during the holiday season. LOL

My least favorite is Peace on Earth. I just can’t get into it.

     6)      What made this story special to you?

To be honest, I love everything about this story. In Weekend Magic, a new area of The Christmas Realm opened up to me. It’s a place of astounding beauty and at the same time, just like all of the Realm, it’s a part of Santa’s business. Karnon, the hero, is an elk shifter, and I admit I loved creating his character and exploring the forest with him. While writing the story I just felt all of it was permeated with magic.

     7)      How do you keep yourself motivated to finish your stories?

Usually, I’m in love with my characters and their story, so when I’m writing the idea of getting it out there and sharing with my readers a new setting or a new love story is what keeps me going.

     8)      Do you have any special holiday traditions you like to share?

Every Christmas I like to make what we call at home “Cuban eggnog”.  It’s really easy to make and absolutely delicious. It’s also incredibly sweet because it includes condensed milk. I have a huge sweet-tooth.

Buy Links  

Evernight Publishing  ~ Amazon.com ~ Bookstrand~ Amazon.uk~ Smashwords  ~ Nook ~ Kobo




Author Bio and social media links

Elyzabeth M. VaLey is a writer of sizzling, sexy romance who firmly believes in happy ever after.  From paranormal to contemporary, fantasy, or historical, she enjoys exploring her characters' darker side and writing stories about tortured heroes, strong heroines, and all that comes between them and their love.

When she's not writing, she can be found walking in the Spanish countryside with her black Lab and Golden Retriever mix, exploring castles, or enjoying some tapas with her friends. 


Follow her at:

Blog
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram (@elyvaley)
Goodreads
Pinterest 
Amazon
Bookbub








21 December 2019

New Paranormal Release from Elizabeth Monvey!

Hello Elizabeth! Happy birthday! Thank you for stopping by so we can chat about your new release! So tell me...

Q) Is your book part of a series?  If so, can you tell us about it?

Yes! It’s book 6 in my “My Boyfriend Is…” series, a series of short paranormal romances where each book features a different supernatural creature. I’ve written werewolves, vampires, aliens, ghosts, shifters, and in this one, an Incubus demon.

Q) What type of research did you do for your book?

This book features Wiccan practices so I wanted to stay true to that. I also read a lot about Incubus demons and the mythology around them to create a realistic story.



Q) Do you have a favorite book you’ve written?

There have been a few. I really liked the ghost story in My Ghostly Boyfriend because I felt it was pure love between the characters. I also liked the story of Carried Away because I tried hard to stay true to the Korean culture.



Q) Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

Most of my books are stand-alones, although I have written two series. One was the Divergent Species and the other is an ongoing project with Jacey Holbrand titles Project Mars. I prefer to write stand-alones, however. I like the completion of each book.



Q) What are your upcoming projects?

My plans for 2020 include two more Project Mars books with Jacey and two more books in the My Boyfriend Is…series.  






Blurb:

Emmett owns an occult store. He firmly believes in magic. His boyfriend, Jackson, does not.

Yet none of that matters because they are devoted to each other. Until one night, when Emmett becomes the unexpected target of a sexual demon…an Incubus. Suddenly Emmett can’t remember their passionate nights. He’s slowly being taken over. And Jackson struggles with the realization that magic might just be real after all.

Now Jackson has to step in to fight for his love before the demon completely consumes Emmett.



Excerpt:

He touched the cast iron rim and a bolt of electricity seized through his body. Shocked, he yanked away and cradled his hand. Surprised, he backed away. The thing had never conducted such a static charge before, and he’d bought the things years ago at an estate sale from a known practitioner of Wiccan magic. Suddenly, everything about it now creeped him out, so Emmett decided to leave it be and head home. Gathering his stuff, he headed toward the door when suddenly a fierce wind whipped out of nowhere to encircle him.

            Frightened, Emmett stumbled back and tried to bat at the air that sucked the oxygen from his lungs. He couldn’t breathe. The swirling winds tore through him, bringing him to his knees. And as quickly as it had started, it abruptly ended, leaving him gasping.

            “You are a good vessel.”

            The whispered words echoed all around and Emmett looked up to see a shadow approaching. Slowly, it took shape, coalescing into a tall, thin creature with horns protruding from the sides of its head. Fear sliced through him and Emmett tried crab-walking away from it. 

            I will keep you,” the thing seemed to hiss. It’s bright yellow eyes blazed with the heat of the sun. The thing solidified even more, turning into a man. With chiseled abs, a beautifully sculptured body with a large cock and balls.

            “W-what are you?” Emmett cried out.

            You will feed me,” it taunted, not answering his question. In fact, Emmett couldn’t see its mouth moving. “I will be you and you will be me.”

             It stopped at Emmett’s feet and the thin lips twisted into some semblance of a smile. In a flash, Emmett remembered all he’d forgotten in the night before, and he remembered seeing this…creature?...before. It had rushed at him, making him collapse and pass out. And through the night, all the sex with Jackson had been because of this demon.

            “Tell me what you are,” he whispered, horrified.

            “I am a nightmare, induced to lie upon the unknowing. I have existed as far back as Mesopotamia and Samaria, to beget with women a demon hybrid. I thrive upon the sex of humans, no matter if be male or female.”

            Emmett wracked his brain for such a creature, finally coming to one horrifying  conclusion. “You’re in Incubus?”



Buy Links:




20 December 2019

HOLIDAY INTERVIEW...with Harley Wylde!


    
1)      How long did it take you to write NAUGHTY OR NICE?

I originally started it about a year ago, then set it aside. I’ve worked on it off and on since then, but the big push to wrap up the last 18,000 words took about five days. I guess if I added up all the days I worked on it, it probably took me about a month, but some of those days were adjustments to what I’d written the time before. I write anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 words in a day on average so it doesn’t take me that long to finish a first draft.

     2)      What inspired your holiday theme?

I try to write a Christmas story each year, even if it’s not one that ends up being published, but this year was a little different. With all my MC series, I knew that I couldn’t write a sappy, happy Christmas tale. It needed a bit more edge than that. I had to think about what sort of Christmas, and family, the top Assassin of the world would have. The story came together pretty quick once I reached the halfway point. Everything just sort of fell into place.

     3)      When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always loved to write. Even the writing assignments in elementary school were fun for me. But I remember my mother and her mom telling me that writing was fine for a hobby, but I couldn’t make a living at it, so I never really considered it as a job. It wasn’t until I finished a romance novel in my 20s that my husband and best friend told me I should publish the book, so I went on the hunt for publishers and how that entire process worked. And here we are … 11 years later, I’m still writing and it’s my full-time job now.

     4)      Do you have a writing quirk, or a habit when you write?

I work better with background noise. Whether it’s a movie I like or a playlist on my Amazon Music Player. The movie or music doesn’t always have to fit the mood of the book. I tend to pick things that I know so well that I’m not tempted to stop and watch the movie, if I have one playing.

     5)      What is your favorite holiday song? ….What is your least favorite?

My favorite classic Christmas song is a toss-up between Silver Bells and O Holy Night, mostly because I love to sign both of them. My least favorite is probably O Christmas Tree.

     6)      What made this story special to you?

Naughty or Nice is about Casper VanHorne. He was first mentioned in Torch (Dixie Reapers MC book 2) and I knew right away that I would want to write his story at some point. He’s made a few appearances since then, and with each one, I grew more attached to him. Writing his story was a little bittersweet. It’s not the end of the road for him, and I’m sure he’ll stop pop in my other series from time to time, but there’s only one opportunity to write his book. I may, at some point in the future, write a short peek into what’s going on with him and his wife, but it still wouldn’t be the same.

     7)      Do you have any special holiday traditions you like to share?

We used to let the kids open one present on Christmas Eve night, then the rest had to wait for Christmas morning. However, my husband answers 911 calls and doesn’t have a set schedule, so he’s often working on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I don’t let the kids open anything if he’s not home, so we don’t really have a tradition anymore except squeezing in the holiday when and where we can. We do try to put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but again, it depends on his schedule since it’s something we do as a family.

     8)      Is there a charity you support you’d like to share with readers?

I have a few, actually. American Cancer Society is one I donate to multiple times per year, as my husband, mother, aunt, and two cousins have all battled cancer. My fingers are crossed my husband will be in remission when he goes to his next appointment.  I also donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Wounded Warrior Project, and my Amazon Smile account is set to donate to my local library system through Friends of the Tipton County Library.


American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/

Wounded Warrior Project: https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/



MORE ABOUT NAUGHTY OR NICE


My marriage is a sham. I’ve already loved and lost my one and only. Making Carmella Juarez my wife was the only way to save my daughter, but I never intended to stay married. A decade has passed, ten years that I’ve kept my distance, but now it’s time to set things right and free both of us.

I never counted on her being sick and nearly dying. Didn’t count on falling for her as I nursed her back to health. But it’s the Christmas season and what better time for miracles? My heart isn’t as cold and dead as I’d once thought. Carmella has brought me back to life, and now that I’ve had a taste of the tempting woman who wears my ring, I know that I can’t ever let her go.

Changeling Press: http://bit.ly/2Dbsi4A



ABOUT HARLEY WYLDE


Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil's Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series.


When Harley's writing, her motto is the hotter the better -- off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can't deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you've come to the right place. She doesn't shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve.


The times Harley isn't writing, she's thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She's also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980's, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990's to today, even though she'd much rather be reading or writing. 

You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you're there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!

You can also find Harley on BookBub: 
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/harley-wylde

Website: http://harleywylde.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HarleyW_Writer

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/harleywylde

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/harleywylde

Blog: http://harleywylde.wordpress.com






19 December 2019

The Evernight Weekly Writing Challenge - Week 51

My Fantasy Vacation


I've never been a beach girl. Sure, I've gone to the beach. I've splashed in the water. But I've never liked sand that much and I'm trying not to get wrinkles from the sun. I'm more of a mountains girl. I love the mountains, love exploring nature. Some of my favorite places are Mt. Zion and the Rockies. 

My fantasy vacation would be in a fully furnished log cabin in the mountains, just me and my husband. Hiking by day, or riding horses by day and cozy fireplace at night. Cool mountain air. Being able to take a breath and relax. Not worrying about work, or getting my son off to school...or traffic, or clock watching, or being surrounded by people. 

Just the sounds of birds and wind and nature all around. 

Sounds like heaven to me.

18 December 2019

HOLIDAY ROMANCE from Laura M. Baird!


1)      How long did it take you to write Rory’s Christmas Angel?

I originally wrote Rory’s Christmas Angel about two years ago, in about 3 months, and submitted to another publisher for a holiday call they put out. When it was denied, I revised and submitted to Evernight Publishing, and they accepted and published last year.

    2)      What inspired your holiday theme?

An idea came to mind about a heroine aiding at an accident scene. I wrote in the holiday theme due to a publisher wanting holiday stories. I wanted a heartwarming, feel-good story, and the holidays bring about those moments and emotions.

    3)      When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

In my late twenties, I wanted to be able to write; in truth, I wanted to emulate some of my favorite authors. I wanted to make readers laugh and sigh and get angry and be rewarded with my stories. I started to pen several ideas, but it wasn’t until I was forty-eight that I said, “This is what I’m going to do!” And my first story was published when I turned fifty!

    4)    What is your favorite holiday song? ….What is your least favorite?

I can’t say that I truly have a favorite holiday song. I have several I enjoy, such as Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (it’s so upbeat and fun), and I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (again, fun and goofy), Baby it’s Cold Outside, Santa Baby. As you can see, I like the non-traditional, I guess you could say. My least favorite is Grandma got run over by a reindeer!

5)      What made this story special to you?

I enjoyed writing about a veteran (as I’m a veteran) and a widower, both with children, and how they’d mesh. I like adding the fun and innocence of the children’s POV.

     6)      How do you keep yourself motivated to finish your stories?

I’m motivated to see how the story ends! ;) Sometimes I know exactly how I want the story to end, and it actually turns out that way. Other times it takes a turn which surprises and delights me. I want to bring that, the surprises and emotions, to my readers.

     7)      Is there a charity you support you’d like to share with readers?

My husband and I are veterans and support organizations the help military and veterans. I support Soldiers’ Angels, which benefits deployed military, their families, as well as veterans.
https://soldiersangels.org/



Instinct kicks in as Frankie Chandler, former Navy nurse, now soon to be veterinarian, witnesses an accident and rushes to save a man’s life. When State Trooper Rory Sanders arrives on the scene, he’s awestruck at the sight of the gorgeous woman taking charge. 

Once the frenzy is over, both are reluctant to walk away from their mutual attraction. But they’ll each have to get beyond their hesitations, such as Rory telling himself it’s okay to let love in while raising his daughter after losing his wife, and Frankie who’s never had a serious relationship in her life because she’s been focused on school while also helping raise her nephew. Will the power of love win out and make their Christmas wishes come true?

Universal buy link: https://books2read.com/Rorys-Christmas-Angel

Website: https://www.laurambairdauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraMBairdauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LauraMBaird

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/LauraMBaird

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/laura-m-baird

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/laurambaird

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZv584LXPIXBBzK-ERaCtaQ?view_as=subscriber



BIO

Wife, mother, former U. S. Army sergeant, and dental hygienist, I can now add published author to the list. I’m slowly transitioning out of hygiene, hoping to make writing a full-time endeavor. After writing for many years, my publishing dreams came true (at the age of 50!) in August of 2017. Since then, I’ve had the fortune to work with four publishers, connect with fantastic people, and am constantly learning on my journey.

A voracious reader myself, I strive to write stories I can be proud of and enjoyed by many; ones that are not only sexy and fun, but thoughtful as well.

I grew up on the East Coast and now reside on the West Coast, having lived in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Idaho, and Washington State. Hubby and I hope to fill our passports with stamps from many destinations, Scotland and Fiji being at the top of the list. We’ve raised two sons who make us proud, one giving us a grandchild later this year. When not writing, I’m reading, doing house projects, and simply enjoying time with hubby; whether it’s watching college football, hockey, or a Netflix marathon.


17 December 2019

Preorder Lori Fayre's new book!


 Hello Lori!  Thank you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today!  It’s such a pleasure to chat with you.  So tell me…

Q) Do you have a favorite line in this book?

            At one point, the ship is caught in a storm and James is telling Alva that she should go back inside where it’s safe. Alva says, “It’s never safe for me, is it? Yet, somehow, I keep surviving.” I think that really speaks to her character. She is constantly being underestimated but always pulls through. She’s a very strong person and I just fell in love with her as I was writing.

Q) What type of research did you do for your book?

            I’ve always been fascinated with pirates, so I’ve read a lot about them over the years. For this book, I found that more reading helped, along with some hands-on research. I attended a renaissance fair where a group had set up a sort of museum to pirates. They had actual weaponry from the eighteenth century and there was a historian in charge who I got to ask questions to.

Q) What do you think is your strongest asset as a writer? …what is your weakest factor as a writer?

                In my opinion, my strongest asset is that I am a hardcore plotter, which means I don’t have to deal with writer’s block often. I’m also an underwriter, which is a huge weakness I’m trying very hard to overcome.

Q) Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

            I tend to do stand alone books, but I always like to allude to others. It’s like a little Easter egg for readers. While they’re not expressly set in the same universe, if two books are set in the same time period or similar setting, I might make a little mention here or there.


Blurb


Alva Grace Eastman is a young woman desperate to start a new life. But her plans are hindered when her ship is overrun by pirates and she is taken as a prisoner aboard The Diablo. With the notorious Captain Elijah Maverick as her captor, Alva doesn’t have much hope of escape, but that doesn’t stop her from trying. What does change her mind is when the dashing pirate captain saves her life…twice.


Now willing to give him a chance, Alva discovers that there’s more to Elijah Maverick than the reckless, carefree pirate she thinks he is. Not only is he a kind and compassionate person with an extreme distaste for the oppression of innocents, but he is also a man torn. Elijah is plagued with nightmares from his past, consumed with a quest for revenge and desperate for human comfort, which he believes he’s found with Alva. But he’s not the only one keeping secrets.


Alva’s dark past soon catches up with her, exposing her own misdeeds and need to protect the innocent. Together, Alva and Elijah face many forces that seek to tear them apart. From the Royal Navy to an obsessed plantation owner, the pair must fight for their lives, their love and their freedom.


Preorders available December 17
General release on January 28

https://www.totallybound.com/book/the-devils-maverick



                  Bio

Lori Fayre was born and raised in a small South Georgia town. Her debut novel, “The Devil’s Maverick”, was a novel nearly six years in the making. An obsessive consumer of historical romance, Lori knew it was the genre she wanted to write. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, drawing, or binging Hulu with her husband and Yorkie.


Social Media
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LoriFayre
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LoriFayreBooks/
Blog: www.lorifayre.blogspot.com

16 December 2019

Holiday Q & A with Emily Carrington!


Hello & Happy Holiday!  Thank you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today!  It’s such a pleasure to chat with you.  So tell me…

Q) Is your book part of a series?  If so, can you tell us about it?

My Two Front Fangs is Book 6 in the A Pack of His Own series, following the antics of a pack of werewolves who live near Buffalo, New York.

Q) How do you select the names of your characters?

Oo! This is fun. Usually I roll a mental die and the first letter to occur to me is often the first letter of their surname. Then I try to figure out a first name that sounds good with the surname.

Q) What was the hardest (or easiest) scene to write?

The hardest scene is always the last scene, not because it’s not all there for me to write already but because I dread the end of a trilogy or even a sextet like A Pack of His Own. I guess there could always be more books, but saying goodbye to characters I love is always difficult.

Q) Do you have a favorite line in this book?

“All I want for Solstice is my two front fangs… so I can bite you on the ass.”

Q) What type of research did you do for your book?

This is one of my favorite parts of writing fantasy: I only have to do research in my own books. I hate research actually. That’s why I didn’t become an English professor like I was planning ten years ago.

Q) Do you write in a linear fashion or do you jump from scene to scene and then go back and “fill in the blanks”?

My outlines are very linear. Here’s what one looks like:

Chapter, scene, POV

Setting:

Goal:

Motivation:

Conflict:

Q) Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I absolutely do both. My newest ARC reader had read the first book in A Pack of His Own but not the interveneing books. I asked her to just read Book 6 and see if it stood alone. When she told me it did, I was thrilled. Although the SearchLight universe is a bunch of interconnected storiesI want any book to be a stand-alone. The exception ispicking up a book out of the trilogy “Wolf Schooled” because, in the first book, a dramatic event happens that needs to be understood to fully understand the second two books.

Q) What are your upcoming projects?

Oo! Favorite subject. I’ve just finished rewriting, for the tenth time, a novel I started in high school. It’s called “The Prince and the Painter” and it’s about two men who survive being stalked, attacked, and injured. It’s an HEA romance, but it is very dark.

My other project is still in the outline stage. It’s the third book in a contemporary romance about two gay men in a small town, one who’s blind and one who was molested by a pillar of the community when he was young. The first two stories take place when the men, Mike and Aidan, are twenty. The third installment, Heartwood 3: Yew and Thorn, takes place ten years later after they’ve been married for a decade and have started their own family.

As the holidays approach, Luis and Charlie are looking forward to spending time together. But after Charlie’s mother commits suicide, a whole host of problems arise to threaten Charlie and Luis’s marriage. Can the healing promise of Christmas save them?



“All I want for Solstice is my two front fangs… so I can bite you on the ass.”
Luis was singing under his breath but some of the other trackers probably heard him. Ethan would; he was a werewolf. Wind Child might; he was an elemental and who knew what kind of powers he did or didn’t have? Garrett didn’t have sharp ears, although his eyes were keen as a hawk’s so maybe he saw Luis’s mouth moving and could read his lips. As for Pierce, he probably missed everything, human that he was.
Except it was Pierce who said, “Whatever you’re muttering over there, Delgado, keep it to yourself, would you?”
“If you can’t tell what it is, why does it bother you?”
“Because everyone else is snickering and I hate being left out of the joke.”
“I’ll share,” Pierce’s tracker partner, Garrett, said. “Although it’s nothing to write home about, just kindergarten humor.” And he repeated Luis’s song, his voice rich and melodious.
Under the cover of Garrett’s singing, Ethan muttered, “I thought you’d be singing ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas.’”
“Only if I actually knew my Life Dancer was going to be home. ‘Home in my dreams’ is not my idea of a happy ending to all this waiting.” His beloved, Charlie, alpha above all alphas, had been gone more often than he was home lately. “Putting out fires” was how Charlie said it.
In addition to playing negotiator/firefighter, Charlie had been seeking… well, permission wasn’t the right word. Neither was approval. He wanted to practice shifting from human to wolf. Being a half werewolf, he’d been under the impression, as all the wolves in North America were, that only full-blooded werewolves could change to four-legged guise. And then the research came down: half wolves weren’t subject to the call of the moon, required to change when that heavenly orb was full, but they could still change at will.
With practice.
The alphas below Charlie, although they had no true say over what he did or didn’t do, had kicked up a mighty stink about their leader risking his life. Because while the change was possible, no one knew exactly how dangerous it would be.
Luis was confident that Charlie would be okay. Wasn’t shifting only dangerous for pups who weren’t strong enough because of their age or constitution?
His cell phone buzzed. Luis tended to keep it in the top drawer of his desk because the buzzing seemed loud to his psychic vampire ears. Now he drew it out and glanced at the screen casually, most of his attention still on Ethan, who was looking at him sympathetically.
 Tilthos Charles: Be there in ten minutes. Meet you upstairs.
Luis almost dropped the phone.
“What is it?” asked Pierce, the nosy bastard.
Luis saw by Ethan’s face that he didn’t need to ask; Luis’s tracker partner was sharp, particularly when it came to reading those closest to him.
Luis got up, set his cell on the desk, and headed for the door.
“Trouble?” Pierce asked, getting to his feet.
“Doesn’t look like it,” Garrett said. “Let him go.”
Luis started for the stairs at a brisk walk. One did not run in SearchLight headquarters, even if said headquarters was small and considered a “backwater” by the rest of the organization.
He grinned. His Life Dancer was here, in this building, or very nearly.
Luis strode out of the stairwell and into the antechamber of the director’s office. He smiled at the secretary, the mother of one of the Tilthos Pack’s members. He addressed her in Spanish, his native language and hers. “Good morning,” he said in his mother tongue. “How are you this morning?”
She smiled. She’d been treating him like a son since moving to the United States to be closer to her daughter. “Good morning, Luis, my son. Do you need to see Agent Shalling?”
“Nope. Tilthos Charles is back.” He was careful to call his Charlie “Tilthos Charles” whenever he spoke of him, and his cell phone said his mate’s title and full name. Nicknames were  verboten among the werewolves. The only reason Charlie was “Charlie” to Luis was because he’d been cursed with the nickname when he was young, as a sign of disrespect, and he’d claimed it as a name of power. He was Charlie to himself and always would be. And he was Charlie to his nearest and dearest, at least the wolves who could get over themselves and their sense of propriety enough to recognize that calling him Charlie wasn’t a slur. At least not in their alpha’s mind.
“He’s not here yet,” Luis was told.
He nodded. “I know. I just wanted to be waiting when he finally arrives.”
The door to the director’s office opened and Agent Andrea Shalling stepped out. As always when she saw Luis, she looked as if she’d been sucking on a lemon. “What is the purpose of all this noise?”
Luis, cognizant of his role as Charlie’s mate and yet his lesser status as a tracker rather than a member of the leadership, asked, “Will you speak with me privately, Agent Shalling?”
She sighed. “All right.” She walked back into the director’s, into Charlie’s, office.
Luis followed. When the door was closed, he approached her and, keeping his voice low, said, “Calling another language ‘noise’ is disrespectful.”
She flushed. “I wasn’t calling Spanish noise but your quite loud voice, Agent Delgado.”
Luis could have cheerfully decked her. Instead, he announced, “Tilthos Charles will be here momentarily.”
Her eyes widened for the briefest instant. Then she said, her voice casual, “I wonder why he didn’t text or call me.”
Luis hid a smirk.
There was the muffled sound of tapping, like hard-soled shoes on tile and conversation outside the door and then the knob turned.
Charlie, looking both tired and exultant, walked in. In his left hand was a briefcase. In his right was his white cane. He smiled at Andrea and walked to Luis. In front of God and everybody, he kissed Luis.
And kissed him.
And kissed him. His tongue was in Luis’s mouth and his arms were around Luis’s waist, drawing him close. He made a very small, contented noise before drawing back.
“I missed you,” he murmured, resting his forehead against Luis’s. “Three weeks is just too damn long.”
Luis grunted his agreement.
Charlie stepped back. “How are things going, Agent Shalling?”
She began laying out all the minutiae of running an office. Luis tuned out and concentrated on the hand Charlie had laid at the small of his back. That touch was possessive and Luis loved it.
Luis heard Charlie’s voice in his mind then and he almost purred with pleasure.  I should be home for the next month. Barring emergencies. I’ve settled everything I could.
Charlie spoke after Agent Shalling was finished. “It sounds like you have everything well in hand. I’ll be back in a few minutes to read over the reports you have for me.” Then he guided Luis, with gentle pressure, out of the office, through the antechamber, and to the stairwell.
The look in Charlie’s eyes spoke of long-delayed sex. Luis groaned but felt compelled to say, “We can’t hope for privacy here.”
Charlie dropped his cane; it clacked on the cement floor. “Even the semblance of privacy is helpful right now.” And he pushed Luis back against the wall and claimed his mouth.
Luis’s knees were like water and he braced himself against the painted drywall. He gave back as good as he got, so happy to see Charlie and touch him that he felt like a low electrical current was running through him, making his nerves jump. The hair stood up on the back of his neck and he was stiff below the waist.
Charlie rubbed his crotch against Luis’s, grinding their covered members together.
“I want you so badly,” the alpha wolf whispered. Then he drew back and sighed. “But I can’t have you all to myself until we’re home.”
Luis, heady with pleasure, reached down and rubbed a thumb over Charlie’s obvious erection.
Charlie smirked. Then he untucked his shirt and covered his groin with the fabric. “Enough for now.”
“You started it.” Luis pouted for a moment, mostly to make Charlie laugh.
His Life Dancer, what the werewolves called his mate, did laugh. Then he said, “I have other news. The rest of the alphas have come to a consensus. I have their go-ahead to attempt a shifting.”
Luis could see the excitement in Charlie’s dark brown eyes. His skin, several shades darker brown than Luis’s own Hispanic-born complexion, was flushed with the same.
“At first, they wanted some other half werewolf to try,” Charlie went on. “But I was able to convince them.” He shook his head and a rueful expression played across his features. “Just because I’m visually impaired, they thought I would be weaker. Damn werewolves and their prejudices against people, especially other wolves, with disabilities.”
Luis touched his Life Dancer’s cheek. “But you convinced them.”
“I did.” Charlie crouched, felt about for a moment, and came up with his cane’s grip securely in his hand. “We have another couple of hours here, but then I want to take you home and make passionate love to you.”
Luis kissed him again. “I want you right now, and I don’t want to be separated, even by a single floor, for another two hours. But I’ll manage.”
Charlie closed his eyes for a moment and Luis felt the brush of his thoughts again.  I’ll make it as quick as I can.  With the telepathic words came an image, fuzzy because of Charlie’s visual impairment, of the two of them laying in bed, naked, together.
Luis captured and sharpened the picture. He showed Charlie his, Luis’s, lips, closing around the dark werewolf’s cock.
Charlie groaned very quietly. Then he said, his voice husky, “Back to work. Much as I don’t want to.”
They parted, Charlie going back toward his office on the third floor and Luis going down the stairs, back to Tracker Central.

Emily Carrington
“A moment in darkness…an eternity with a lover.”