Frost + Steam = Winter Wonders Collection ❄

Nov 02, 2022 3:01 pm

November has arrived, and that means it's time for me to reveal my "secret project!" Not only that, I've just made it past the halfway point in my WIP, Gift of Fire, and one of the side characters dropped a bomb that upended everything Gabi believed about herself! 😱

Things are crazy in the realm of Teuton witches right now. And pretty much the only autumn colors I've been able to admire are the ones between my house and the collection of grocery stores I visit each week. But when you're working hard to craft a successful author business, sometimes fun and games have to take a back seat for a while.

Have you gotten out into the wide world lately? Got any nature photos to share? How about some Halloween pictures? 🎃 Send them all my way!

❄ Wintry PNR Tales Just For You! ❄

You might remember that I had to take a quick break from Gift of Fire a couple weeks ago to throw together a "secret project." And guess what? It's a fresh new Teutonic PNR story available for FREE in a BookFunnel anthology! 🙌

Laura Greenwood has put together a winter & holiday-themed anthology, and you can find my short story in there along with stories by fourteen other authors. Some of them are familiar & beloved—like Laura herself, Delta James, C.D. Gorri, and Demelza Carlton—while others are newbies joining forces with the indie greats to reach readers near and far.

So what sort of stories can be found in the Winter Wonders anthology? I took a quick run through the file a few days ago. Along with a rousing, fiery tale about a fiesty (and familiar) Teuton witch, I've found stories about wolf shifters, dragons, vampires, other magic-users, and even the mafia! There's a romance in there for everyone, without question. 💗

So which Teuton witch (LOL, that phrase is a mouthful!) can you find in my short story? If you've read Veiled Magic, the short story I offer for free to everyone who joins my newsletter, then you've met the leading female already. Verena Scheele—or Vreni, as her friends call her—learned about Teutonic magic in her high school years alongside her good friend, Swanie. You might recall that her mystical blood was not quite strong enough to allow her to summon the fire that lurked within her spirit . . . until she met a handsome young man named Stefan.

Read on for a snippet of Vreni & Stefan's unexpectedly fiery Christmas!

Winter Flame Snippet

Vreni observed her female peer’s body language as their group made their way to the formal dining room. Alyssa’s ice-tinted brown eyes took note of every trapping in the Scheele mansion, her expression appearing mildly dissatisfied. Her bleached blond hair was pulled back from her face, a jeweled tiara poised atop her head as though she imagined herself a princess. Vreni judged her heels to be at least eight centimeters high, though she stood the same height as Vreni did in her boots. That implied Alyssa attempted to compensate for her short stature.

She moved her body in ways that drew the eye to her curves. Realization dawned upon Vreni just before they reached the dining room, out of which drifted the scent of hearty soup. What if this father and daughter were the ones who planned to meet the local priests in order to find her a mate? Teuton billionaires from Las Vegas. Stefan had said the man was rumored to be powerful, and Vreni could still sense his fire invisibly probing the air in a hallway absent of flames.

Her earlier seed of anxiety erupted into a cactus of worry as Vreni recognized the truth. Alyssa was here to find a husband, but most Teutons in München were not billionaires. Alan specifically chose to stay with Vreni’s parents, not at Swanie’s mansion or with any of the other wealthy Teutons in the city. And billionaires usually preferred to match with those of similar status. Had they heard about Vreni’s beloved priest, Stefan?

No matter how established their relationship, it was highly probable that Alan and Alyssa viewed Vreni as an unworthy consort for a Teuton priest. An aspiring fire witch who could not yet invoke a single flame. What if they hoped to lure Stefan away from her?

Impossible. Of course such a prospect was impossible. Stefan loved her dearly, had told her that very morning that he had no desire to forsake her. Vreni ordered herself to believe it as she sat down with her parents and guests, a bowl of steaming lobster bisque awaiting her at her place. She ate in silence for a few minutes while her father talked investments with Alan, who apparently owned a sizeable hotel and casino on the Vegas strip.

Alyssa sat across the table from Vreni and spent an exorbitant amount of time fashioning ice cubes out of thin air—from the mystic power of her blood and spirit. She deposited them into her glass of champagne one by one. That was an American trait, a preference for cold drinks. American Teutons seemed like an oxymoron to Vreni. But this was her chance to learn all she could about Alan’s daughter, to find out whether her assumptions held weight or not.

“I never knew there’s a Teuton community in Las Vegas.” Vreni spoke in English this time, studying Alyssa’s heavily painted face. Eyebrows obviously fake.

The young woman’s ice-flecked eyes widened at Vreni as if she found her an oddity. “Most Teutons here in the old world are ignorant of our existence,” she replied in English, mockery evident in her tone. “We’ve created a comfortable empire for ourselves in the city of sin.”

“Oh?” Her terminology prompted Vreni to think of demons and other foul entities. But Alyssa likely referenced the greed and lust common in Las Vegas, not the dark history of the Teuton people.

Alan gave a hearty laugh through a bite of soup. “Lys, my pet, don’t scare our hosts. There’s been a small Teuton community in Las Vegas since the first of us arrived to help build the Hoover Dam. We’ve kept our magic vibrant by having large families and performing lots of blood-transfers.”

Vreni shot a glance at her mother, who winced delicately when Alan mentioned one of the deadliest Teuton rituals—the only way to transform an everyday human into a magic-wielding Teuton instantly. Vreni’s mother had lost a childhood friend to that ritual. While Vreni occasionally longed to attempt it herself so she could finally seize her fire, she never wanted to terrify her mother that way. So instead she had settled into the long haul with Stefan—gradually strengthening her otherworldly blood through elemental sex.

“And now you’re both here to foster contacts with München’s industrialists and Teutons,” her father said, offering the tycoon an approving nod. “Splendid decision on your part, especially with the city dressed up for the holidays. But have you had trouble adjusting to the wintry climate, I wonder?”

Alan laughed again and assured her father that his fire could keep him comfortable even on the glaciers of Antarctica. Alyssa wrinkled her nose, obviously chagrined by her affable father, then swallowed a spoonful of bisque. Vreni worked on her own soup while keeping an eye on her peer. The woman seemed like a spoiled brat, and Vreni got the distinct impression that she was not as young as she tried to appear.

“So when did the two of you arrive?” Vreni asked, deciding to make polite conversation.

“Yesterday morning. Then we found out you wouldn’t be here until today. Why didn’t your boyfriend come home with you?” Alyssa’s gaze ran down Vreni’s sweater, her expression appraising.

Vreni’s insides tightened. She had been correct; Alyssa was interested in Stefan. Her icy regard incited Vreni to toss her politeness out the window. “I don’t keep him on a leash. He’ll be back when he wants to be. I’ve heard talk that while your father’s here for business purposes, you’re on the hunt for a Teuton mate.”

“And I’m the most eligible maiden on this side of the Atlantic.” Alyssa took up the new subject without hesitation. Doubtless she had waited for this moment since Vreni first entered the lounge. “My blood status is ninety-four percent Teutonic, and I’m guaranteed a lifelong income. Give me the names of all the rich Teuton bachelors you know. I’ve got less than a week before we move on to Nürnberg, and I plan on checking out every single one of them.”

✨ Download Winter Wonders ✨

Welp, now that you know poor Vreni has to face the dreaded specter of competition in my short story, how about a quick look at a snow-coated landscape in Bavaria, her German homeland? Vreni and Stefan hide out in a place like this later on in the story, when Alan and Alyssa start their hunt for eligible Teuton mates. Will Vreni achieve her happily-ever-after with the man of her dreams, or will her new rival steal him away?

Photo courtesy of Alte.Romantiksau Fotografie on Facebook.

✨ November Promo Dump ✨

In an effort to keep all of you readers "click happy," I've decided that from now on, I'll share one big batch of promos at the start of each month for you to browse and enjoy! Then after that, I'll share one (or none!) each week. That means you'll see all of these twice, but if you prefer to load up your e-reader with new books at the start of each month, now's your moment to shine. 🌟

Of note: Michelle Bailey's romance book fair includes a giveaway at the bottom (which I've entered, as usual). And the pink witchy-looking collection is packed with freebies to download from BookFunnel.