An excerpt from a new Changeling Press release!

 

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This spring, I’m hard at work on a brand-new series that features hot genetically engineered warriors doing battle with body-stealing aliens in present day America. I should be giving you a taste of that in a couple of months. 

In the meantime, Changeling Press is re-releasing my Arcane Talents series. Next up is Arcane Kiss:

https://youtu.be/_Whpi1M1CnQ

Kurt Briggs has a spirit link to a tiger Familiar that gives him superhuman abilities, but when his father is murdered, the military veteran becomes a target for terrorist sorcerers. Alone, Kurt finds he's no match for the witch and her shape-shifting polar bear. He turns to Arcanist Genevieve Reyes for help in fighting the killers' spells.

As Genevieve and Kurt hunt the terrorists, shared danger leads to shared desire. But they soon realize Kurt's passion for Gen weakens his control over his cat. The consequences could be deadly for them both. Genevieve is attracted to Kurt's animal sensuality, but she knows she may be in as much danger from his tiger as she is from the terrorists.

Even if Kurt and Gen manage to stop the terrorists, their evil sorcery may trigger a witch hunt that could mean the destruction of everyone with magical Talent -- including Kurt and Genevieve.

Here’s an excerpt:

And her aura brushed his again, making it thrum a deep, delicious note. She’d probably intended the kiss as a gesture of comfort, but despite his tearing pain, it somehow felt almost sensual.

In an instant, the pain twisted under the touch of her aura, transforming into something equally intimate. In the depths of his mind, heat leaped. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her narrow waist. His lips opened against hers, starved for the comfort she offered. Drinking in the taste of her, feeling the soft contours of her body.

That sweetness in the midst of this agony was as desperately welcome as an ice chip to a man burning in hell. Kurt focused on her, grateful for the distraction. But even more than that, there was the taste of her Arcanist magic, swirling all around them, making his skin tingle.

God, Kurt wanted her. Wanted to lose himself in her, to take shelter from the bitter agony of his father’s death, if only for a moment. So he kissed Genevieve with all his desperate hunger to forget it all: his sins, his father’s death. If only for this one moment. He kissed her, suckling the soft, damp velvet of her mouth, the taste of woman and magic.

By the time he lifted his head, both of them had begun to shake.

When Kurt glanced around, he saw they were standing in the simple illumination of the arena security lights. His tiger manifestation had vanished.

He was in control again.

Genevieve smiled up at him, though her face was wet with tears and her mouth trembled. “There. I knew you could do it.”

Before Kurt could reply, a new voice spoke up, sounding dry. “Anybody want to tell me what’s going on?”

Tensing, he instinctively drew her close as he looked toward the source of the voice. A dozen cops stood in the entrance of the arena enclosure. Every one of them had his gun drawn and pointed at them.

Oh, shit.

Here’s the buy link.

For my writer friends, I’ve also got a new class online writing class running May 6 on SavvyAuthors.com. Registration is $40 for premium members and $50 for basic members, with a $5 discount if you register before April 29.  

In this month-long online class, I discusses the importance of creating the perfect cast for the kind of romance you’re trying to write.

A memorable romance cast is more than the sum of its parts. To create an effective book, all the characters – protagonists, antagonists, and minor characters – must work together as a unit. And each must fit the kind of book you’re trying to write. Leatherface of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre does not belong in a Rom Com. Nor do you want minor characters to steal the book.

But how do you create a good cast for this book and the audience you’re aiming for?

I talk about how to design your heroic couple for each other, along with the minor characters and sidekicks who help make the protagonists three-dimensional. I’ll also talk antagonists and their henchmen, and how to use them to create tension and excitement.

Next, I’ll explore dialogue, humor, and arguments as the means to develop character and conflict.

The result will be a firm foundation for your book so you won’t be flailing in the dark, trying to figure out why the heck it isn’t working. Learn more here.

Thanks so much for welcoming me into your inbox!

Angela Knight