To commemorate Halloween this year and things that go bump in the night, I've bundled my werewolf series! Wolfsbane, the complete series, is now available.
Here's a peak!
C.C. Ellis of Romance Divas Reviews
And Romance Junkies had this to say about LEADER OF THE PACK: 5 Ribbons!! Ms. Colgan wields a sense of magic into her words then weaves them into a believable tale.
Here's a short excerpt from ASPECT OF THE WOLF, part one of WOLFSBANE:
“Can’t get your broomstick up! You said that to him?” Charlotte Swanson’s infectious giggle reverberated long-distance. Emilie held the phone away from her ear while her cousin laughed.
“It just came out,” she replied. “This guy really brings out my wicked side.”
“So let’s talk about his broomstick. Give me details.”
Emilie rolled her eyes as she nestled her teakettle onto the front burner of her kitchen stove. “His broomstick didn’t enter the picture, Char. This is the guy who wanted to run me out of town, remember?”
“And he just shows up in your store, looking all hunky and hot?”
“I never said he looked hunky and hot.”
“So what does he look like?”
Emilie rummaged in her grandmother’s antique cookie jar for a chocolate chip ripple to go with her tea. She chewed thoughtfully before answering. “Tall.”
“Compared to you, every guy is tall.”
“Nicely tall. Hunky. Hot. Very intense eyes. Compelling…”
The thought still bothered her that one long look from Daniel Garrison had left her nearly tongue-tied and ready to agree to anything he asked. She pictured him the first time she’d seen him, with his three-piece suit and embossed leather briefcase, addressing the Mayor of Cypress Park at the monthly town meeting—“Chester Creek nearly destroyed this town,” he’d said. “Are we going to allow more of his ilk to run amok here?”
There. That image effectively drove away any warm fuzzies she’d begun to feel for the man who desperately wanted to save his brother.
“Buff?” Charl asked.
“Bodybuilder buff. But not—you know—scary about it. Anyway, that’s not the point. He doesn’t trust magick, and I can’t see how he can trust me.”
“Well, I can understand that, considering you promised not to tell anyone about his problem and you’re on the phone in less than eight hours, yakking to me about it.”
Emilie dangled a bag of oolong into her teacup. “Well, considering you’re a thousand miles away, and I need someone to give me some werewolf advice, I’m not going to let it bother me. I told him this wasn’t a one-person job. I want to call all the girls, but that would freak him out. Can you send me the book I need?”
“I’m wrapping it in plain brown paper as we speak, sweetie.”
“Thanks. I’m going to dig around in Grandma’s old trunks and see if I can find that wolfsbane amulet she had. Do you know what might have happened to it?”
“Ah…if it’s anywhere, it’s with her medicine stones. Be careful if you find it, though. That stuff will give you one hell of a rash.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“And watch out for this guy, too, Em.” Charlotte’s tone sobered, and Emilie braced for the lecture. Too many men had hurt Charlotte over the years for her not to take a moment to warn her cousin about the potential pitfalls of the slightest romantic entanglement. “Maybe he’s all dreamy-eyed now because he wants something from you, but leopards don’t change their spots. He wanted you out of town once. Don’t assume because he wants you to wax his broomstick that he’s gotten over his heebie-jeebies about people like us.”
Emilie’s head fell into her hand. “Char! I’m not going to—ohmyGOD, ‘wax his broomstick.’”
“So you say now. I mean hey—I’m all for mixing it up. You want to have sex with him, go ahead. But that’s all. Don’t let him get to you.”
“I’m absolutely not going to have sex with Daniel Garrison. I don’t even like him.”
“Famous last words.” Charlotte humpfed, and the teakettle whistled. “I’m heading to the post office right now. You’ll get the book tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Char. For everything.”
* * * *
Daniel marked his calendar on Monday morning, as he did every day. Usually he ticked off days until an important meeting with a client or days left for Christmas shopping, but now he ticked off days until the next full moon. He’d heard nothing from Emilie Swanson since Saturday—except for a message on his office machine, thanking him for arranging the plumber.
He told himself he was anxious to finish the hocus-pocus and return Vance to normal, but the truth itched at the back of his brain. He wanted to see Emilie again.
He thought about dropping by her shop today, just to see how things were going, maybe buy a candle or something. She’d probably think he was checking up on her.
He poured himself an industrial strength cup of coffee and stared at the calendar.
“You’re looking pensive this morning,” Vance said, startling him out of his reverie. His brother looked rather well for having woken up naked next to the lily pond three nights earlier.
Daniel poured another cup of java as Vance took a seat at the kitchen table. “Just keeping tabs on the witch.”
“The witch? That sounds ominous.” Vance smirked and waggled his eyebrows as he sipped the hot brew.
“It’s her job description, not a snide remark. We’ve got twenty-three days until you—”
“Shhh!” Vance gave his brother a severe look. “Beth is asleep upstairs.”
“I didn’t hear her come in last night.”
“We got in about 4:00 this morning. Spent the evening by the lake after we finished house-hunting.”
“Is she going to hang around today? We don’t know when Emilie will be coming by.”
“Don’t worry. Beth has plans this afternoon with her grandmother or something. She’ll be gone before noon, but I want to let her sleep in.”
“Too late for that, sweetie.” A head of flaxen-blond hair appeared around the kitchen doorway, followed by Bethany’s slim form wrapped in one of Vance’s gray sweatshirts.
She scrunched up her bare toes as she crossed the terra cotta tiles of the kitchen floor and grabbed a coffee cup from the rack. “What’s all the hush-hush about this morning? Don’t tiptoe around on my account.” She smiled up at Daniel and sidled past him.
Vance pushed back his chair so Bethany could snuggle on his lap. Their faces fused in a kiss that fogged up Vance’s wire-rimmed glasses.
“Morning, Beth,” Daniel said. “Sorry if we woke you.”
“It doesn’t matter what time I go to bed, Daniel. I can’t sleep past eight no matter what.”
Vance gave him a pointed glance over the top of Bethany’s rumpled curls. Point taken. Clam up about Emilie for now.
“Well, those of us who actually have to commute to work better get moving. Have a nice day, you two. Vance, I’ll check in later.”
“Bye, bro. Chill a little, okay? You work too hard.”
Daniel rolled his eyes. Bethany waved then wrapped herself around Vance again. Daniel left the house without a second glance from either of them.
As he walked across the lawn toward his car, he scooped up the morning paper. The headline of the Cypress Express immediately caught his eye—
DANGER LURKING IN OAK HAVEN PARK.
Late night jogger reports encounter with rabid dog.
A quick scan of the copy confirmed his fears. Someone had seen Vance in wolf form before Daniel reached him. The man hadn’t been injured, but the encounter scared him enough to go to the police. The final paragraph of the article assured residents that the mayor had authorized extra police patrols in the park.
Daniel sighed and climbed into his car, tossing the paper across the front seat. He thought of the windowless basement room where Vance had spent two of his three-night curse this month. The steel padlock had been torn from the hinges, bent with an otherworldly strength. If Daniel hadn’t found his grandfather’s grimoire and hastily fashioned the holding spell for the silver chain, Vance might have hurt someone. And if Emilie Swanson didn’t come up with a cure in twenty-three days or less, he’d have to consider more drastic measures to keep Vance safe during the next full moon.
He definitely needed to stop by Mystikal Excursions and check on her progress, whether she liked it or not.
* * *
You can find WOLFSBANE: UNLEASH THE WOLF at:
No comments:
Post a Comment