Saturday, December 19, 2015
A Christmas Home
Genre: Paranormal, Rubenesque, May-December,
Shifters
Release Date: December 15, 2015
Blurb:
Ophelia Lambros thought her life was in order,
until she lost her fiance and job all in one day.
She couldn’t return the honeymoon trip she'd been
given so she takes the opportunity to find herself on the slopes of Wyoming on
the back of a snowmobile.
Jagger Morris was perfectly happy running his
repair shop in Shifter Falls, his home for years. As the Kodiak Bear Alpha, he
has a lot on his plate. When a new pack asks to join them, Jagger’s hackles
rise, but he doesn't know why.
When he meets his fated mate, Ophelia, she shares
a piece of herself that confirms his suspicious nature was spot on. As a seer,
she can see death coming their way. Can she make her new mate and his friends
understand the risk before time runs out?
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Excerpt:
Throwing the wrench down onto the tool pad,
Jagger scrubbed a hand down his face. There were days he loved being a
mechanic. Then there were days like today where he knew he should have listened
to his mother and gotten into something else. Not that he’d ever tell the
woman, even if he was still speaking to her. She already thought too highly of
her own opinions. Gods only knew where the woman was today, at least she wasn’t
in Shifter Falls giving him even more trouble so that was good.
He grabbed the bottle of water he’d been working
on and took a long haul while staring at the engine in question. He was missing
something, and it was really starting to piss him off that he couldn’t figure
it out.
For the last ten years, he’d been head mechanic
at the only automotive shop in Shifter Falls. They were the only one there
because they only hired the best and did the best work. Competitors didn’t
stand a hope in hell. There had been a few other places that had tried to start
up in the Falls. But they’d all shut down within a year because they hadn’t had
what it took to work in such a closely knit town. That and they’d been
outsiders, something that didn’t go over well with the very private residents who
ran the town.
Founded by a shifter pack more than two hundred
years prior, the town was home to six different types of shifters. Only through
harsh laws and firm hands at the helm of each pack did it work. Especially
considering the mix the Falls had running around.
There were plenty of humans living and working
there, too, but the majority of the population was other. Sometimes there were
problems. Sometimes there were all-out fights, but in the end they all knew
they had to live together so things had better damn well work out. Which they
usually did, eventually.
Moving to the open door of the bay he was working
in, he stared out at the falling snow. The weatherman had predicted another
couple of inches throughout the day, and more overnight. Great for all the
tourists currently running around Shifter Falls in search of as many wintertime
activities as they could find. It also had its perks for the business. It was
amazing how many out-of-state tourists had no idea how to handle driving in
snow.
He spotted a friend and lifted a hand in
greeting. Conroy Hayden was the owner of On The Plate, one of four restaurants
in Shifter Falls. The guy was a damn connoisseur when it came to flavors.
Likely why his restaurant had managed to get rave reviews in several travel and
food magazines. Since then people had come to Shifter Falls not only for the
events held but in the hopes to get a table in his restaurant.
“Con, good to see you. I have to admit I didn’t
think you’d actually get out during the lunch rush.”
The large redhead shrugged and shot him a smirk.
“Figured I should bring you something to eat or you’d forget. Again.”
Jagger spotted the bag then and felt his belly
rumble. He’d only had a piece of toast and several cups of coffee for breakfast
that morning. It was already one in the afternoon and he wasn’t exactly a small
guy. Waving Conroy into the bay, he followed behind the man, shooting the
troublesome engine a glare. He cleared off a spot on his work table before
grabbing a couple stools to set in front. He took one while Conroy unloaded the
bag, hitting Jagger with the scent of cooked meat and spices. His stomach let
out a hungry snarl that earned him a knowing look from his friend. Jagger held
his tongue, knowing anything he said would only provide Con with more ammo to
use against him at a later date.
He accepted the plate from his friend and
unwrapped it. A huge pile of roast beef he knew was slow cooked, mashed
potatoes, and seasonal greens from the greenhouse at the end of town. Con
handed him a little container which held gravy, utensils, and a napkin.
“Thanks,” he said. Cutting off a piece of the
beef, Jagger slowly chewed the perfectly cooked meat. It practically melted on
his tongue. “Damn this is good,” he practically moaned. Another bite he chewed
slowly. He knew better than to shove Con’s food down his throat as fast as
possible. The man would beat him silly. And Con was nearly as large as Jagger.
They’d both taken boxing as kids, but Jagger had plain meanness on his side.
Con was a good soul who wanted to help others, which was why he’d gotten into
feeding folks. He said the food was good for the soul and part of why On The
Plate did the soup kitchen for those who needed a helping hand.
After finishing the meal, Jagger wiped his mouth while
Con packed up the dishes. The secondary dish caught his attention. “What’s
that?”
“Dessert,” Con told him.
Accepting the dish, he pulled the top off and
inhaled the scent from the hot dessert. It was a crumble of some sort. Rhubarb,
for sure, definitely strawberries, but there was something else. He took a bite
and let out a moan of pleasure.
“I’m going to assume you like it.”
“Dude, this is spectacular. What all’s in here?”
“The usual, but I threw in some cranberries this
time for a more seasonal flavor. Gives it a different taste.”
He nodded, it did at that. Scraping out the last,
he licked off the spoon under Con’s knowing watch and passed it back. Another
wipe with his napkin before he tossed it into the garbage closest and leveled a
look at his friend. “I guess this wasn’t just your need to feed me, since you
usually dump and run. What’s going on?”
“Don’t know yet but figured I’d give you a
heads-up. The sheriff and a couple deputies were in for lunch today and we got
to talking. Apparently there are rumblings from the city council about another
pack wanting to set up shop here. They’re calling an emergency meeting tomorrow
night to discuss it with the alphas and their seconds. You’ll be getting the
call soon, but I wanted to let you know before you got it. I know how much you
hate surprises.”
That was an understatement. The last surprise
Jagger had gotten was his parents divorcing, his father leaving the Falls, and
his mother hooking up with the first of many younger males to keep her bed warm.
Since then he’d managed to avoid being surprised with the help of those he
called and considered to be true friends, like Conroy. Without them, he’d have
been caught with his pants down more than once. But they looked out for him,
and he helped look out for them in turn. They were more his family than his
parents ever had been.
“I’ll be ready, thanks.” Standing, he gave his
friend the quintessential man hug and walked him out of the bay. He stayed
there a moment longer to watch the comings and goings of the locals and
tourists before turning to face his current nemesis. One way or another he was
damn well going to get this thing running. Then he could take it over to the
hotel and return it to the tourist to which it belonged.
“All right, you giant hunk of metal, let’s get
down to business.”
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