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!
Hi Everyone.
There’s no actual blog hop this weekend, but I’ve made a ten-minute audio recording of me talking about my writing process.
Listen and enjoy.
These are the books I mention in the recording.
Hopefully the bloghop will be back next Saturday.
Hi Everyone
Let me start with a little housekeeping.
For some reason, the Look Inside is not working for The Alpha’s Vow. I’ve gone back and forth on this with Amazon and they are dealing with it, but need more time to sort it out.
My big achievement his week was making an icon for myself! Don’t laugh. This is huge–for me!
If you follow me on FB or receive my NL, you’ll know I’m a tech-know-nothing.
Yes, I created a website, newsletter, social media accounts etc, but not without a lot of stress. Instead of zipping, dashing or driving around the Internet, I blunder.
I used my new wineglass icon to sign up for the Blog Hop this week, and I thought I had it centered, but it’s not! Most people would probably shrug (no, let’s face it, most people would not have goofed like this) and say, “I’ll get it sorted for next week.”
But it’s driving me crazy, so I have to write to the very nice lady at Linkz, send her my icon and beg her to center it.
The observant among you may be asking, “How does she know about the woman at Linkz?”
Ummm, that’s a really good question… one that I am not prepared to answer at this time!!!!!
Update: The amazing Maria at Linkz did what I asked. Thank you, Maria (again).
New Book
I should have had this finished by now. My aim is to publish every two weeks, but I’ve been project managing some house repairs. That means jumping up and down about 100 times a day sorting out problems, so it’s been hard to concentrate.
I’ll make a huge push this weekend to get it done.
I said on FB or in a NL that I had chosen Trixie’s pic for the next book–and I had. But then I started searching again ‘cos that’s what I do! I have a folder on my laptop titled ‘Pig Pics’. Once The Alpha’s Word has been published, I have to make a decision.
That reminds me, when I told the designer what I wanted on the cover of The Alpha’s Vow, I sent her the ‘goggles’ pic. I really wanted the piglet on the cover, but we weren’t sure if it would work. I said, “If it doesn’t look good, the pig gets the chop.”
Oops!
Sorry, Trixie. Glad it worked out!
Snippet from The Alpha’s Word
***
The alpha shrugged as he prepared dinner and cut up apple and carrot for Trixie. He sipped a glass of red wine while he cooked and handed his mate sparkling water with a splash of apple juice. “That’d be his mate, Jasper. My brother’s always joking about the fancy dress parties they attend. I can’t see the appeal myself. Why do they want to dress up? What’s the point?”
“I can see how some people would be into it.”
From the corner of his eye, Seb caught his mate grinning at him. “Am I amusing you? Am I such an old fuddy-duddy?”
“The answer to the first question is yes, and as to the second, no more than usual.” Max returned to the walk-in closet.
“You can take a pair of shoes if you want. Jasper owns plenty of sneakers. I’m sure he won’t notice. ”
***
Here’s a sneak peek at the cover of my next book.
Here’s Seb.
And Trixie’s back!!!!!!!!!
I have a confession.
I wasn’t planning on adding Trixie to the cover of Book 2. I didn’t think there would be space. But I’ve had a positive reaction to her not only on the cover, but also her involvement in the story.
So, she’s front and center.
There are plenty of cute piggy pics on the photo sites. But it took me hours to find the one for Book 1 and now this new one.
Originally, I wanted to use one with the piglet wearing a helmet (‘cos she rides with Seb and Max on the motorbike), but I couldn’t identify the source. And in the end, it was fine as that photo was a very different style to the one used in Book 1.
I hope you like Trixie with a flower in her hair.
Luckily, I’ve already sussed out one for the third and final book in the trilogy.
No more piglet photo hunts for me!
Here’s a snippet from the next book.
Warning! This is very rough. I just wrote it a few minutes ago, so apologies if it needs a lot of work.
***
Max rifled through the closet hoping to find something comfortable to wear while Seb rummaged in the fridge searching for things to make a meal. “There’s plenty to eat. Eggs and a packet of bacon.”
Both the alpha and the omega froze.
“Shit.”
“Seb, how could you?”
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“That’s so insensitive.”
“Forgive me if I’ve been a little preoccupied today.”
“We’re all on edge but…”
“Sorry.”
“You said the ‘B’ word,” Max hissed, ” So it’s not me who’s owed an apology.”
The pair glanced at Trixie huddled in the corner.
“My mistake. Sorry, little girl.”
Max scooped up the piglet and peppered her with kisses.
***
Check out the first book in the Roselake Series which starts with a St. Patrick’s Day Treasure Hunt.
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 comes face to face with 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.