An alpha, an omega, and adorable piglet called Trixie.
What would possibly go wrong?
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Hi Everyone
This is a short post today.
1) Was hoping to give you a sneak peek of the new cover but don’t have it as yet.
2) Will be sending a NL Monday as I’m taking part in an mpreg freebie promo. Will also post on FB and twitter.
3) Chose my last pig pic for the Idriador Chronicles bundle out this coming week. OMG so many of those pigs have wet noses especially when you download the pic and see it magnified. Ewww! Haha
4) Ignore me if I moan about pig pics in future. Trying to find the dice pic I wanted for the new book took me hours! One tiny pic and I thought I’d go mad. It has to be the right number and colour and couldn’t show any other numbers!!!!!!
There are five pics on the new cover and I sourced four of them. I really admire designers who spend their time searching for suitable pics.
Here’s a snippet from my work-in-progress.
***
The crowds surged around a pair of middle-aged tourists arguing and gesturing at a map on their phone while the man stabbed a finger at the screen. Theo hesitated before approaching them. “Hi. May I help? What are you headed?”
The woman flashed a smile but as she caught his scent, it faded, and her eyes darted to her husband. Digging his nails into his palm, Theo stepped around them, but the woman grabbed his arm and gushed, “Thank you. We’re supposed to meet friends at an Indian restaurant.”
As the alpha leaned over the phone and pointed out how to reach their destination, the man put an arm round his wife’s waist and pulled her closer.
“Go around the corner and it’s on your left. Walk up the set of narrow stairs and it’s on the first floor, though you’d probably call it the second. I’ve eaten there and the food’s really good.”
“You’re American?”
“Mmmm.”
“Do you live here?”
“Uh huh.” Theo glanced at his watch. “Enjoy your dinner.” Shoving his hands in his pocket, the alpha strode off.
***
Not a shocker I know, but I seem to have messed up the linky thing this week. So here is the link to Jena Wade’s post.
What happens when you’re thrown together and there’s no escape?
Seb is a wealthy alpha who pursued his passion for working the land despite his family’s objections. Covered in tattoos, he favors short-term relationships over anything permanent.
But when Max, a Shakespeare-quoting backpacker, meets Seb in less than desirable circumstances, a misunderstanding has the omega accepting an offer that sends him hurtling in a new direction.
And then there’s Trixie, a tiny, pink piglet who has the run of Seb’s home and has captured his heart. She adores apples, riding on the alpha’s motorbike and plenty of snuggles. And it’s love at first sight when she meets Max.
Set against the backdrop of an unspoiled landscape and a lake that’s both serene and treacherous, Seb and Max’s relationship blossoms until a storm disrupts not only the surroundings, but also their future.
This is a 28,000-word, non-shifter, omegaverse novella, and it’s the first book in the Idriador series.
The Alpha’s Bond is now live at Amazon. It’s the third and final book in the Idriador Chronicles. Find out what happens to Seb, Max, baby Isla and Trixie.
The last scene is all Trixie.
That means no more pig pics, and I can get rid of that folder on my desktop. I’m so tired of looking at pigs!
The Historical Cover
If you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ll have heard me banging on about a pre-made cover I bought months ago.
It’s this one (this is a screenshot from the designer’s website and the title and author are placeholders).
I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I’ve been thinking. What about an alpha highwayman?
Imagine a dark and lonely country road late at night.
A carriage trundling along the narrow road as it returns its wealthy occupant home after he’s dined with friends.
A man in a flowing cape riding a black stallion gives chase.
The highwayman has to be dashing, right? And very sweaty after chasing the carriage.
Stand and deliver!
I have to start my new trilogy first, and then I’ll write this and put it wide.
Title? The Alpha Highwayman? That’s a yawn. Perhaps include the word ‘brigand’ instead? I love the way that word rolls off the tongue, but I’m not convinced it’d work in the title. I’ll give it some thought.
Part of a trilogy? Not sure.
Stand alone book? Maybe.
So many questions, so little time.
***
Here’s an audio file of me reading a scene from the previous book, The Alpha’s Word. This is just after Isla’s birth and Trixie is throwing a tantrum.
***
And finally, here’s a snippet from the new book, The Alpha’s Bond. [Note: I’ve removed a couple of sentences containing F-bombs. My characters are very sweary–and so am I–but I usually omit the swearing from my website.]
Oh, Seb. What have you done?
“You had one job!” Dray leaned toward Seb, his nostrils flaring and the tips of his ears a brilliant red, bellowing at screech level 10. “You were supposed to tell Adam that Max was in Roselake. One little sentence. How hard is that?”
“You weren’t here, and it’s not your family being threatened.”
“My life’s been on the line since I started this work.”
“And who do you work for exactly?”
“Your government.”
Max cringed as Seb tuned out Dray’s tongue-lashing. What a balls-up!
“And not only that, you actually gave him money to leave the country.” Dray’s clawed hands made a choking motion at the older alpha. “I could have turned this around. But you had to make sure he left! Did you drive him to the airport? Hold his hand until he got on the plane? Kiss him goodbye?”
“Shut it. I got rid of one big threat. That’s a win. You kept that sad sack of blubber around, milking him for information and feeding him false leads.”
Max’s stomach recoiled at the idea of anyone milking Adam for anything. That’s an image I can do without.
“But that fool stood between your loved ones and Mr. Sharpe.”
“It’s one down and one to go. Now we have to decide what to do if Max’s father arrives.”
Not if, but when, Seb.
“Shut up. I’m thinking. And there’s no we. You…” he poked Seb in the chest, “stay…” and prodded the older alpha a second time as the omega observed his mate’s hands balled into fists. “…away. I have to fathom a way out of this mess.”
The younger alpha paced the floor and tugged his hair while Seb shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to catch Max’s eye.
***
What happens when your world is turned upside down?
Seb juggles his newborn daughter, a pet piglet, and insomnia while searching for his missing mate. And despite the risks, he heads for Max’s childhood home.
As the alpha learns more about the omega’s former life from those who know him best, he can’t piece the puzzle together. But luck, bravado and ingenuity bring the mated pair face-to-face, and they celebrate their reunion with their daughter and extended family.
Foes become frenemies, though Seb’s inflated alpha ego almost destroys what he strives to protect.
Trixie relishes her role as big sister to Isla, but as the piglet grows up, the omega has trouble letting go of his first ‘baby’.
No one is who Max thinks they are as his father hides behind a mask and pulls the strings.
This is a 30,000-word, non-shifter, omegaverse novella, and it’s the third and final book in the Idriador series.
The Alpha’s Bond
I’d hoped to have the cover for this–or at least give you a peek–by now. It’s my fault because I haven’t decided what I want. I had chosen the pics, but the following day, I made a huge swerve in what I was writing and the book went in a different direction. I think I know where I’m going now and should be able to give instructions to the designer.
The problem is finding a suitable pic for Trixie! That piglet is always giving me grief!
Sorry, Trixie. I love you–really I do!
A snippet from The Alpha’s Bond
As usual, I’ve only skimmed over this, so please forgive any missing commas etc (commas are the bane of my existence).
Seb placed the piglet’s duffle bag on the scales. He crossed his fingers hoping she wasn’t too heavy.
“Wow! What do you feed her? She’s a big girl.”
The alpha fixed a fake smile on his face. “Yeah, she’s a little piggy.” Don’t say anything, Trixie. But instead of the pig complaining, Isla kicked her feet and sucked on Seb’s shirt.
The beta crinkled her nose. “I’d better let you go before your daughter’s sick again.” She stamped the pet passport without checking it. “Have a pleasant flight.”
Seb raced through the airport and took his seat next to the window in the third row. He tucked Trixie’s bag under the seat in front and slipped her some apple. “Go to sleep,” he whispered.
After the plane reached cruising altitude, and Isla snoozed, the alpha sipped a beer. We made it. But the alcohol combined with his lack of sleep, pressure at coping with a newborn, manhandling Trixie in public places, plus the strain of his mate being abducted left Seb feeling woozy. Perhaps the beer wasn’t a good idea.
The alpha pinched his nose and stared out the window. He’d never been to Idriador’s east coast though he’d seen many photos, and Max had waxed lyrical about its fierce beauty. But Seb wasn’t interested in the region’s rugged coastline and idyllic scenery.
A New Series
I had an idea for a new series, and I have the first scene written in my head. Once The Alpha’s Bond is published, I’ll give you a few hints. I’ve already found the pics for the cover.
See you next week!
Book 3 in the Roselake Trilogy. Find out what happens to Liam, Jake and Maisy in The Old Country.
Grab it now while the discount lasts.
Listen to me chatting about the following topics.
- Mail going into spam folders
- Cliffhangers
- Pronunciation of a name in The Alpha’s Word
This second audio clip is me reading the bar scene from The Alpha’s Vow. Trixie and Seb visit Max, and the alpha tries to impress his estranged mate.
The following quote from Maya Angelou describes Seb’s love for Max, particularly in the third and final book of the Idriador Chronicles.
Here’s the first sentence from the new book (it doesn’t have a title yet).
I hope I can brazen my way through this.
Yes, I’ve written much more than one sentence, but that’s all I’m sharing for the moment. The first scene involves Seb, Isla and Trixie getting on a plane (or trying to), and the very last scene is all Trixie!