Tala Ridge Hunt Pre-order

 

The Tala Ridge Hunt Pre-order is Live!

After a slight snafu in which I had to prove to Amazon that I was the author, the Tala Ridge Hunt pre-order is finally (!) available on Amazon. 

I appreciate that Amazon has my back and is actively trying to make sure no one else publishes my books to their site. This actually gives me some comfort, since I have neither the time nor the resources to scour the net to make sure my work isn't being pirated.

The pre-order delivers on March 19th. With over 18,000 words complete, I plan to finish early to give plenty of time for edits and possible rewrites. 

Here's a sneak peek from chapter 1:

Chapter 1

Terrell groaned. Vampire dust tastes like crap, he told his wolf. Ainle yawned, unconcerned with Terrell’s distress. Even two nights after the battle at the Tirsdagr, his mouth tasted like acetone smelled.

Moonlight filtered through the gauzy curtains over the windows, highlighting the sticks in Terrell Pace’s hands. He sat on the edge of his queen-sized bed and stared through the darkness at the sharpened drumsticks he held. He swiped his right forefinger across the wood, wiped away the remaining traces of vampire dust, and heaved a sigh. Two nights previous, before the king appointed his daughter Ophelia as his heir at the Tirsdagr ceremony, vampires attacked. Again. And again, sharpened pencils saved the day.

The Horde, once slaves to the vampires, fought with clusters of pencils, while Terrell used weapons more formidable, the drumsticks Buck, the Outcast Pack alpha, gifted him before he left for the ceremony. Others broke the wooden folding chairs for makeshift stakes.

Terrell tapped his knees with the drumsticks. Maybe he should have Dusty purchase a boatload of drumsticks and sharpen them. Just in case the vampires ever attacked the Tala Ridge Ranch. He blew out a loud breath, the rank taste of vampire dust still in his mouth. Setting the drumsticks on his bedside table, he kicked off his shoes and stretched out on top of his comforter. Tomorrow, he’d have Dusty or Joshua mount them on the wall in his office. Closing his eyes, he tried to avoid thinking about the problems he came home to.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen. Buck. For a moment, he considered letting it go to voice mail, then swiped the green phone icon. “Hey, Buck.”

“Hey. Took you longer to get back than you thought.”

“Yeah. We had to fly. The king was too busy to bring us home. Any problems while we were gone?”

“No. It’s been quiet. Sheriff Jameson wants to verify we’re having the barbeque for his deputies Saturday.”

“Might as well get it over with.” Terrell rolled to his side and stared at the drumsticks. “Thanks for the drumsticks. They came in handy.”

Buck snickered, his soft laugh coming over the speaker. “Don’t tell me you ran into more vampires.”

“Actually, I did. At least this time, I had a weapon that wouldn't break when I stabbed them.”

“Wait. Really? You fought vampires again?”

“They attacked during the ceremony. They almost killed the king, but he survived.” Terrell rolled to his back, pressed the speakerphone icon, and set the phone on his chest. He laced his fingers together, slid his hands behind his head, and stared through the dark at his ceiling. “I’m too tired to go into it right now, but I’ll fill you in after school tomorrow.”

Buck was silent for long moments, then sighed. “We didn’t have any excitement here. Oh, when you didn’t make it back Monday, I told Josh to get your assignments at school.”

“Yeah. He gave them to me.”

“Um, Terrell, Mom offered to help with the side dishes and the deserts for Saturday.”

“Sounds good. I’ll let Nettie know. She’s coordinating everything.” They chatted about the school assignments for a few minutes, then Buck hung up.

Terrell rolled to his feet and headed toward the bathroom for mouth wash. Maybe the next time he fought vampires, he’d remember to keep his mouth closed.

The next morning, Terrell used half a bottle of mouth wash. The taste of dead vampire wouldn’t go away and seemed to get worse overnight. His stomach roiled. Rinsing with clean water, he spat it into the sink, then washed the sink out. After dabbing his face with the blue hand towel hanging over the sink, he tossed the towel to the counter and walked into his room.

Dressed in his favorite black jeans and a grey t-shirt, he slipped his feet into his sneakers and tied them while thinking about the assignments he hadn’t bothered to complete, yet. He grabbed his backpack and hurried downstairs to the kitchen. Nettie stood at the stove, preparing breakfast. With a nod at her, he sat at the head of the table. She smiled and turned back to her cast iron griddle.

Tig, the golden Labrador Nate brought to live with Dusty stretched out across the backdoor. With a wide yawn, he scrambled to his feet and walked to Terrell, his toenails clicking on the hardwood flooring. He nosed Terrell’s leg and whined. Absently scratching behind Tig’s ear, Terrell pulled his books out of his backpack. With his algebra book open, he worked on graphing quadratic equations. He looked up when the chair next to him was pulled away from the table with a loud screech.

Mattie plopped in the chair and leaned toward him. “What’cha doin’?”

Terrell scooted his chair away from her and frowned at her. “My homework. You need something?”

“Yep. Laney called yesterday. She wanted to know if I could go to Marianne Gleason’s house with her next week for a painting lesson. Can I go? You said I could take lessons.”

Without waiting for his answer, the girl scrambled up on her knees in the chair and leaned over his book, staring at the equations he worked with. “That looks hard.”

Clearing his throat, Terrell cast a frantic glance around the kitchen. Nettie stood at the stove, pouring batter onto the griddle. “Um, Nettie?”

“Yes, Alpha?” She turned with a smile that morphed into concern. “Mattie, go get your shoes on.”

Mattie dropped to her bottom, raised one foot over the edge of the table, and wiggled it. “Already got’em, Mom.”

Nettie’s eyes narrowed. “Are you supposed to have your feet on the table?”

“My feet aren’t on the table,” Mattie protested.

“Go get your books together. I’ll talk with Terrell and your dad about your painting lessons.”

“But…”

“Now, Mattie.”

Terrell sat, shoulders and back stiff until Mattie left the room. Blowing out a breath, he bowed his head. “Thanks, Nettie.”

When her hand landed on his shoulder and gave him a squeeze, he looked up at her. The compassion in her gaze eased his tight muscles. “You could give her command to stay away from you, Terrell.”

“I know I could, but…” He swallowed hard and tried to blink away the painful emotions burning his eyes. “I can’t bear to be around her, but I can’t bear to be away from her, either.”

“Have you thought about talking to Nate?”

“I did, but how can I watch over her and make sure she’s okay if I don’t remember?”

Nettie gave him a tight hug, then tousled his hair when she pulled back. “You’re a good alpha, Terrell. You’ll make a good mate for her, too.” 

"Yeah," he groused. "In ten years." He ignored her snicker.

The smell of burning pancakes filled the kitchen. She squealed and rushed back to the stove. Terrell ducked his head to hide his silent laughter.

Nettie was the only person in the pack who felt comfortable touching him so easily. The other women in the pack didn’t understand how she got away with treating the alpha like a child, but the other women never acted like they cared about him, either. Nettie was the closest thing he had to a mom. A smile on his lips, he focused on his homework, while Nettie threw the burned pancakes into Tig’s bowl, and poured more batter on the griddle. 

The golden Labrador attacked the pancakes like someone would take them away if he didn’t scarf them down. Terrell glanced at the Labrador. With the taste he couldn’t get rid of still lingering, he wasn’t sure he would be able to eat. Sighing, he shook his head, reread the problem, and started writing the equation in his notebook.

---

The chapter above is a first-draft, so it is subject to change, but I hope you enjoyed it. The Tirsdagr ceremony mentioned in the chapter occurred in Wolf's Guard, book 11 in the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack series. Events in later chapters of Tala Ridge Hunt will reference happenings in Wolf's Duty, the final book in the 12 book series. 

All the books in the series, and most of the companion novellas and short stories, are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. 

Take care and stay safe,

Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series

Tala Ridge Hunt Sneak Preview and Update

Tala Ridge Hunt Update

Tala Ridge Hunt Preview and Update

From my WIP, Tala Ridge Hunt:

“How’d you get away?”

“I used a you-can’t-see-me tarp to hide. We all used hunter’s spray to keep them from smelling us.” Jeffers peeked up at the Major, then ducked his head when anger flashed in the Major’s eyes.

“You just left them behind? You didn’t try to help your comrades?”

“Sir, they were too well guarded. I couldn’t get close, so I watched so I could report when I got to base. The wolves disarmed everyone and put them into a giant tent. Some Marine general came and talked with each of them, then they made them change clothes and remove all jewelry. They put them on buses and took them away. I don’t know where. I couldn’t get close enough to hear what they said.”

“Wait. They took off the rings?”

“Yes, Sir, Major, Sir.”

The Major’s eyes narrowed, and he glared at the private. “How long did you watch?”

“Until they gave the all-clear and the women and children came out of hiding.”

“How many children?”

“I don’t know, Sir. They aged from babies to late teens, though. There were several sets of twins. The alpha seemed really fond of a set of female twins.” He shrugged. “Maybe seven or eight years old.”

“His spawn?”

Jeffers shook his head. “No, Sir, at least I don’t think so. A blonde woman came out of the house carrying a baby girl. He kissed the woman and took the baby from her arms, so I think that was his mate.”

Major Baskett seemed lost in thought. After several long moments, he huffed and turned to face the front of the bus. Gable sighed and looked out the window again. Kids. Yes, if the Huntsmen were right…if shifters killed and ate humans, the kids had to die, too, but…kids. He didn’t think he could kill kids. Even as a matter of duty. Maybe it wouldn’t come to that.

Update and Other News

I can't provide a date for publication, yet. I'm still trying to get settled into my new home, but I am able to work on the book sporadically. Unfortunately, I am unable to lift or move heavy items right now, so I'm somewhat dependent on when my family can help.

Hopefully, by next week I'll be back to writing full-time. I have so many stories I want to write!

To find the Tala Ridge Shifters Series page, click here.

Take care and stay safe,

Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series

Tala Ridge Alpha Available in Large Print Paperback!

Tala Ridge Alpha in Large Print!

Tala Ridge Alpha, the second book in new The Tala Ridge Shifters series, has published in large print paperback format.

Blurb

Wolf shifter children attend human public school for the first time. What could go wrong?

With the king’s tentative approval, Terrell, the youngest wolf shifter alpha in the world, sends the pack children to public school after Child Protection Services investigates the ranch for never registering their kids.

But Terrell’s concern over attending school with human students is overshadowed with worries for their safety when he finds other shifters attending the school.

Buck, the future alpha of the outcast pack, isn’t happy when outside wolves start attending his school.

Who are they?

How does their presence affect his pack?

When two teen-aged alphas collide, who wins? Who loses?

The Tala Ridge Shifters Series is a spin-off of the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series.

Two Chapter Preview:

Chapter 1

La Veta County Sheriff Cole Jameson absently picked up his coffee cup and sipped. Cold. Making a face, he set it down, the ceramic cup thumping on his ancient wooden desktop. Glancing at the door to the front office, he called, “Mitch, that new pot ready?”

Deputy Mitch Vaine leaned into the sheriff’s office and grinned. The deputy’s straight, even teeth, boyish good looks, and meticulously combed hair paid homage to his last name. “Almost, Boss!”

Cole shook his head when Mitch disappeared back into the front office and sighed before turning back to the BOLO he received from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, a warrant for a gang of three bank robbers headed south from Denver. So far, the perpetrators hit four banks. Two bank employees and one police officer sustained gunshot wounds in their last robbery.

The words on the BOLO faded as his mind wandered. Again. Since he escorted Micah Bird to the Tala Ridge Ranch for a CPS complaint, he’d found keeping his mind on his duties difficult at best.

Werewolves! In his county! And they’d been there for years. Even before the town was founded in 1886.

He heard the front door open and shut but left it to his deputies to see what whoever it was wanted. “Jameson! Where’s Jameson?”

He’d never forget that thunderous voice. He winced at the fury in Commander Terrence Bird’s roar, stood, and walked to the office door. Deputy Lincoln Stiles’ large form blocked Bird’s path to the office. “Sir, you need to calm down.”

“I want to see Jameson, right now!”

Tucking his thumbs in his holster belt, Cole tilted his head and narrowed his gaze at his former CO. Dressed in fatigues, combat boots, and a heavy jacket and black cap dusted with snow, all the SEAL commander needed to be combat-ready were his weapons.

Realizing the commander knew he and Micah were dating, Cole sighed. “Commander.”

Bird’s sharp eyes speared him. If looks could kill, the sheriff would be a pile of broken bones and goo. Refusing to be cowed by the man’s obvious anger, he jerked his head toward his office. Cole sighed. “Why don’t we take this somewhere more private?”

Lips pressed tight, shoulders bunched, Bird slapped aside the short gate separating the front office desks from the waiting area and walked past Deputy Stiles, brushing the man’s shoulder. Cole raised an eyebrow. There weren’t many men as big as Commander Bird, but Stiles matched him inch for inch, with one or two to spare. The dispatcher and the rest of Cole’s deputies watched wide-eyed. His former CO stopped a foot in front of Jameson, hands on his hips. Cole met his gaze, then jerked his head toward his office door.

“Have a seat, Commander. I’ll get us some coffee.”

Wordless, Bird shoved past him and walked to the visitor’s chair. Now that the commander wasn’t glaring at him, Cole took a quiet, deep breath, then blew it out. He glanced at Vaine. “Coffee ready, yet?”

“No, Sir. It’ll be another five minutes or so.”

Cole nodded. “Bring us two cups, black, when it’s done. Otherwise, y’all get busy.”

Ignoring the scamper to find something to do, he turned his back on his deputies, took another deep breath, and blew it out. Closing the door behind him, he walked to his desk and sat. “Morning, Commander.”

Bird leaned forward, askew elbows resting on the arms of his old-fashioned wooden chair. “What the blazes do you think you’re doing, Jameson?”

“You spoke with Micah?”

“Nah, Mom told me. Said you’ve been keeping company with Micah since before Christmas.”

“Yeah, well, that’s true.” Jameson fixed Bird in a level stare. “I won’t hurt her, Sir. I’m serious about our relationship.”

Bird tensed. “If you’re just...”

“I’m not.” Cole opened his top desk drawer and pulled out a small box. “If she’ll have me, I plan to marry her.”

Taking a deep breath, Bird visibly forced himself to relax. He glanced at the midnight blue ring box, then raised his gaze to his Navy friend. “Tell me.”

“I accompanied her to a CPS visitation before Christmas. She was pretty shook up by everything that happened. Afterwards, we had a meal and started talking. We had coffee the next day, and since then we’ve met for coffee or a meal almost every day.”

Cole shrugged. “I know it’s quick, but I love her, Terry. I’ll never purposely do anything to hurt her.”

Bird sighed away some of his anger. “I wanted her to find a safe guy, you know. Someone not likely to leave in the morning and die before coming home. Not a soldier.” He glared at Cole. “And not a cop!”

“I know.” Cole fisted his coffee cup and stared at the cold coffee. “I didn’t plan it, Terry, it just happened.”

“Because she got upset about that CPS visit? What happened?”

Cole hesitated. The pack alpha had decided the command to keep them secret placed on him years ago in Oregon was good enough. He thought he could talk about the local pack, but he wasn’t sure he should. Chewing the right corner of his bottom lip, he glanced out the only window in his office. 

“You know I can’t talk about that, Terry.”

“Yeah. That’s what Micah said. But she’s hiding something from me, Cole. Something that scares her. What is it?”

Rubbing an itch above his left eye, Cole opened his mouth, then snapped it shut when a sharp tap sounded on the door. “Sheriff? Coffee got done quicker than I expected.”

“Hold that thought.” Cole stood and walked to the door, opened it, then took both cups from his deputy. “Shut the door, Vaine.”

With a nod, the deputy pulled the door shut. Cole carried the coffee to the desk and set a cup in front of Micah’s brother. “Here you go. Black and strong enough to float horseshoes, since Deputy Vaine made it.”

The commander’s large hand lifted the cup. He sipped, then winced and nodded. “I think you could walk on that.”

Cole grinned. “Boy’s talented when it comes to coffee.”

Bird snickered, then his face settled back into a tight expression. “Just tell me if there’s something I need to be worried about, Cole.”

The automatic denial refused to leave Cole’s lips. He sighed and moved aside the first, cold cup of coffee to make room for the second hot one. “Terry, I can’t tell you anything, but I promise I’ll do everything in my  power to make sure she stays safe.”

“Meaning there’s something to worry about.”

Cole studied Terry’s worried eyes. “You remember Nate Rollins? Lieutenant-Colonel, Marines, Brighton’s Elite Unit?”

Bird blinked. “Sure. What about him?”

“He says everything is cool. He’ll keep everything safe.”

“Marines are involved in one of Micah’s cases?”

“No.” Cole tried a different direction. “You ever meet Captain Waylon Rickles?”

All expressions left Terry’s face. “I did. What’s he have to do with this?”

“You ever see him...” Cole grimaced at the pain erupting in his head. Pain warning him to stop talking. Aware of his former CO’s tense consideration, Cole sighed. “Never mind.”

“You know.”

“What?”

“You know about Rickles.”

Cole’s gaze snapped to Terry. “Rickles is a...” He couldn’t force out the word.

Soundlessly, Bird mouthed, “Shifter.”

Face pale, Cole stood and swayed for a moment. Walking to the door, he turned and glanced at Terry. “I’ll be right back.”

Closing the door behind him, he marched across the outer office, ignoring Stiles’ heavy frown and the questioning looks from the other officers. Stepping out on the sidewalk, he pulled the door shut, then walked to the alley. With shaking fingers, he pressed the Tala Ridge Ranch button on his cell.

“Tala Ridge Ranch, Dusty speaking.”

“This is Sheriff Jameson. I need to see Nate and Terrell right away.”

Chapter 2

The alpha of the Tala Ridge Wolf Pack, twelve-year-old Terrell Pace, thirteen next week, he reminded everyone, tossed a baseball to his beta, Josh Tatlow. Mind busy considering the ramifications of King Nathaniel being called back to the ranch, he almost missed Josh’s return throw. His lightweight denim jacket more than enough to keep him warm, he took a deep, snow- and pine-scented breath and tossed the ball back to Josh. Most of his pack was still indoors, kids enjoying the warmth of the fireplace while playing games or reading, and the women preparing a communal meal for the evening.

The men and teens worked in the fields, feeding cows and horses, or chopping wood for the fireplace. Terrell found himself in the unenviable position of having nothing to do. Every time he decided to do something productive, one of the adults swooped in to do it for him. Ainle whined in the back of his mind, sympathetic but not knowing what to do to change things. “Ugh!”

“What’s wrong?” When Terrell didn’t throw the ball and didn’t answer, Josh walked to him. “Want to talk about it?”

“They won’t let me do anything!”

Surprise flashed on Josh’s face. “Like what?”

“Anything! Chores!”

Josh laughed and sauntered over to an old stump. Wiping the snow off, he sat and studied his alpha. 

“You know you’re like the king of your kingdom, right?”

Terrell dropped his glove and ball next to his boot and kicked a snowdrift. Shoulders hunched, he shoved his hands in his front jeans pockets. “So?”

“Well, it was before my time here, but I’ve heard talk. What would have happened if your father started doing something and someone didn’t jump to take it over?”

Understanding washed over Terrell and he looked up. “They were punished for making him do it.”

“So…”

Sighing, Terrell gazed down the dirt road that led to the ranch gate. “So, they still don’t know me well enough to know if I’ll do the same thing.”

“Right.” Scooping up a handful of snow, Josh molded it into a ball, then tossed it into the air. “And since Nate gave you your dad’s power, you’re more powerful than any wolf here, including Dusty.”

Terrell huffed. He wasn’t at all sure he was more powerful than Dusty, his regent. Nate assigned Dusty as pack regent and guardian to Terrell until he reached eighteen. It hadn’t taken Terrell long to realize that power wasn’t everything. Courage, skill, and cunning played a huge role in almost every aspect of pack governance. Abilities Terrell hoped to learn from his guardian, someday.

He stared at his feet, his too-short jeans leaving too much sock showing. Receiving his father’s alpha power, then facing vampires in the attack on the King’s pack had forced early puberty on Terrell. The challenge battle to keep his position and title intensified his growth spurt. In the past two weeks, he’d grown at least four inches in height. The growth spurt had him tripping over his own feet at times. And his bones ached most of the time. He’d be glad when the growing stopped for a while. His feet were shod in Dusty’s extra, too-long shoes because his own no longer fit, and unlike his jeans, he couldn’t just pull them up higher.  He didn’t recognize himself in the mirror either, his face longer and narrower than he remembered it being. Even his shoulders were wider, enough that he had to wear some of Dusty’s shirts.

He looked older than his years, too. Samantha and Larissa, the only two teen girls on the ranch started following him around, whispering and giggling. He sighed. His fated mate already found, their whispers and giggles did little more than annoy him. And since he couldn’t tell anyone yet about her, there was little he could do to dissuade them. But when school started, the giggles and whispers would be more about his unfitting clothing than the new maturity he showed.

“Know what? I’m going to have Nettie or Dusty take me shopping for new clothes tomorrow. Want to come?”

“Sure. It’s my job to go where you go.” When Terrell rolled his eyes and huffed, Josh laughed. 

“Anyway, I need some new clothes, too. Gramma said I don’t have enough for school.”

“Hmm. She’s probably right. I don’t think any of the kids have enough. Maybe we all should go and get some new clothes.” The young alpha pushed his hair off his forehead. “And maybe haircuts, too.”

Thunder rolled through the mountains and blue lightning flashed, washing out the late December sunlight shining down on the ranch yard. When it cleared, a white, twenty-six-passenger StarCraft Allstar bus sat in the driveway. The door opened and Nate, King of all Werekind, stepped out, followed by Magnus, the king's guard. “Hey, Terrell. I brought the bus you asked for.”

“Hi, Nate.” Terrell walked around the bus, examining it. He climbed the steps and surveyed the individual seats, each with a seatbelt buckled across the seat. “It’s a bit big, isn’t it? We only have sixteen kids.”

From outside the bus, Nate answered. “Choices were fifteen passengers or twenty-six passengers, so I got this one.”

Terrell turned, jumped over the steps and out the door, then scratched his cheek and winced. “I’m not sure when I can pay you for it, Sire.”

Nate clapped a hand on Terrell’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Consider it a gift. After all, you’re going to be our test case for sending the kids to human schools.”

Heat suffused Terrell’s face and he ducked his head. “Thank you, Sire.”

“None of that. Where’s Dusty?”

Behind them, the door on the main lodge opened. “Hey, Nate! Wow! That’s a bus.”

“For the kids. When Ms. Bird mentioned the school didn’t have the funds to send a bus to the ranch, Terrell requested a bus.” Nate raised an eyebrow. “I’ll assume someone here has the proper license to drive it.”

“Someone will have a license before school starts in January,” inserted Terrell.

“Good enough.” Nate flashed him a grin before looking at Dusty. “You said the sheriff needs to see me?”

The silver-burn scars on his neck mostly covered by a turtleneck sweater, Dusty shrugged and nodded. “Yeah. He’s bringing someone to the ranch. He wouldn’t tell me what he wants, but he insisted you be here.”

Nettie, Dusty’s mate, told Terrell that Dusty received the silver-burn scars on his neck and wrists when an evil alpha kept him in silver chains because Dusty wouldn’t tell him how to find Nate, the boy who grew to become their king. As far as Terrell was concerned, the scars were a testament to Dusty’s unwavering courage and loyalty. His musings were cut short by Josh’s comment.

“Looks like they’re here.”

Terrell followed Josh’s pointing finger to see a La Veta County Sheriff’s car driving toward them.

---

In Other News

In the next book, Tala Ridge Storm, Alpha Terrell and Alpha Buck must work together to save a bus full of children. So far, I have nearly 3,000 words written. Back to work!

Take care,

Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series