Windburn
Nightwing
Series, Book
Two
Juliette
Cross
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance/New
Adult
Publisher: Kensington
Publishing/Lyrical Press
Date of Publication: February 3,
2015
ISBN: 1616505699
ISBN13: 9781616505691
ASIN: B00PP2ZXBO
Number of pages: 91
Word Count: 35K
Cover Artist: Renee Rocco
Book Description:
In the Gladium Province, the
boundaries between humans and Morgons, the dragon-hybrid race, continue to blur
as a new generation surrenders to long-forbidden temptation…
Sorcha Linden does whatever she
wants whenever she wants, and no one can stop her. Least of all a man. After
all, they’re good for only one thing—warming her bed. But then she meets
Lorian, brother of Lucius Nightwing. Seductive and iron-willed, Lorian is
determined to melt her emotional defenses—and warm her rebellious heart.
The beast within Lorian longs to
cage Sorcha and mark her as his own. Forever. Yet the man within also longs to
protect her. When a stalker starts leaving Sorcha suggestive gifts with cryptic
messages bearing an ancient blood cult symbol, Lorian’s dragon side takes over.
With her life at stake, Sorcha can no longer deny the love they share. But when
evil tracks her into the night, will she be too late to claim it?
Available at Amazon BN Kobo Kensington
Excerpt
Throughout our
discussion, Lorian hadn’t said a word. He tapped his forefinger on the
glass-top table, an agitated movement. There seemed to be a consensus of
agreement, whether he liked it or not. Finally, he stood and spoke, but not
about the name.
“Ground-breaking
for the site is tomorrow at ten in the morning. I expect you all there as news
teams will be covering it. I expect everyone on time.” A malicious glare at me.
“Dismissed.”
Willow and Belka
gave each other a questioning look, obviously wondering how our first meeting
lasted all of ten minutes. Like soldiers, we fell out toward the door. Fast.
“Ms. Linden. I’d
like a word with you.” Hard, grating words.
I swiveled,
catching Fallon’s sympathetic smile as he passed. Marching back, I stood in
front of Lorian. He said not a word, hard gaze meeting mine, towering above me.
Knowing he wanted privacy, Willow closed the door behind her.
I waited, back
straight, chin set at a defiant angle. I only came to the top of his chest, but
it didn’t faze me in the least. I imagined what it would be like to be covered
by all of that hard muscle. His biceps and forearms flexed from tension. Rather
than frighten, I longed to trail my fingers up them to see if he would relax
under my touch.
“Ms. Linden, you
came highly recommended, but don’t think because your best friend is married to
my brother I will be lenient with you. I expect my employees to be on time,
every time. Not one minute late. Not two seconds late. Am I clear?”
I bristled.
“Crystal. Am I dismissed, Mr. Nightwing?”
Sharp eyes
narrowed.
Oh, yes. He caught
the slight dip, the edge of sarcasm and defiance leaking into my voice. Big boy
didn’t like that. A wonderful shiver rippled down my body.
“And another
thing.”
“Yes?”
“Be sure you take
a shower before you show up for work.”
“What?”
“I can smell a man
on you.” He leaned forward, fury lining his face in hard edges. “And I can
smell everything you did with him last night.” Steely, steely words. Oh, he was
so pissed.
I’d forgotten
about ultrasensitive Morgon senses. Oops. I opened my mouth to make a snarky
remark, but what could I say? He was right. And though it was none of his
business, I still didn’t want Lorian knowing I’d had sex last night. Oh, hell.
Nor did I want the rest of the damn team knowing. No wonder the men were
looking at me as if they knew a secret. I’d just broadcasted to the lot of them
my extracurricular activities. Heat flared in my chest as embarrassment swept
through me, a sensation I rarely experienced. My attempt to transform going-out
Sorcha into professional Sorcha this morning did no good, because they still
knew I’d recently stumbled from another man’s bed. A flush of heat crawled up
my neck.
“My private life
isn’t any of your damn business, but I’ll be more sensitive to your animal
senses in the future.”
“My animal—?” he
stammered. His eyes narrowed, jaw clamping shut.
“Why don’t you just
stop sniffing around me?” He didn’t retreat when I edged into his personal
space.
“Trust me. If I
could toss you out the door, I would.”
“No, you
wouldn’t.”
I tilted my chin
higher, a clear challenge to Lorian. I tucked a loose curl behind my ear. His
intense gaze followed my hand, lingering on my cheek before landing on my lips.
I moistened them. Lorian’s whole body jerked as if he’d been slapped. Wild eyes
captured mine.
“Be at the
building site at ten sharp. Don’t be late or you’ll regret it.”
I leaned over to
grab my portfolio and bag, my breasts nearly brushing his arm, but he moved
just in time.
Author Bio
Juliette calls lush, moss-laden
Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating
mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from
Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to
study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love
of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works.
From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the
Gothic romance--brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines,
and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set
in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
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Character Interview
Please welcome Sorcha Linden and Lorian Nightwing from Juliette Cross' Windburn to Diane’s Book Blog.
What is your name? Do
you have a nickname?
Sorcha: Sorcha. No nickname, though I’ve been called a nasty epithet a
time or two.
Lorian: Just Lorian.
Where were you born?
Where have you lived since then? Where do you currently call home?
Sorcha: I was born and raised in the Gladium Province. Home is currently
an apartment in the Warwick District where Morgons (human/dragon hybrids) are
residents as well as humans. I like this area, not as desegregated as the rest
of the city.
Lorian: I was born in Drakos, a Morgon-only province to the north until
my parents, my brother, Lucius, and I moved to the Gladium Province—a mixed
community.
What is on your
nightstand?
Sorcha: An empty wine glass. And a sketch pad I use for marketing and design ideas.
Sometimes they come to me right when I’m falling asleep.
Lorian: My comm device. I’m on call at all times in case Lucius or Nightwing Security needs me.
Who are the people you
are closest to?
Sorcha: My mom. And my girls, Jessen and Ella. I know no matter what the
world thinks of me, they’ll always have my back.
Lorian: My brother, Lucius, and my friend, Kol Moonring. But Kol doesn’t live here, preferring life outside the city. I miss the old days when we were in the Morgon Guard together.
What or who is the
greatest love of your life?
Sorcha: I’ve never ventured into that mystical realm. Men are wonderful
bedmates. I prefer to leave it at that.
Lorian: When I meet her, you’ll know. Everyone will know. Morgon men are incapable of staying away from their mates when soulfire begins to burn. As of yet, I haven’t felt a flicker of that flame.
What is your greatest
regret?
Sorcha: I don’t go there. No regrets. Life is too short to worry about
the past, just keep looking ahead.
Lorian: Not staying close to my mother when she was dying.
What is the quality
you most like in a man?
Sorcha: His hands, especially if he knows how to use them.
What is the quality
you most like in a woman?
Lorian: Intelligence and confidence.
What do you most value
in your friends?
Sorcha: Loyalty. Unshakable loyalty.
Lorian: Honesty.
What is your motto?
Sorcha: You
only live once, so work hard and play harder.
Lorian: Never
be ruled by fear, but only your own will.
Giveaway
I can't wait to read this one!!
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