Never Deal with Dragons

Coming 2013 from Carina Press

2012 Golden Heart Winning Manuscript

Read an excerpt here.

     Myrna Banks is a lowly assistant in the Tulsa branch of DRACIM , an organization created to provide a reliable liaison between humans and the new race of genetically spawned creatures colloquially dubbed “dragons”. Her job is to do anything necessary to keep humans from being eaten by angry dragons while damage claims are negotiated on their behalf. But her usual schedule of muck boots and pig buffets is interrupted by a visit from Trian Chobardan, an old flame who sneaked out of her bed two years ago with a fist full of classified documents and more than a little piece of her heart.

Myrna would love to show Trian the door – and the bottom of her foot – but he’s at DRACIM by the request of Lord Relobu, North America’s reigning dragon lord. Relobu needs a neutral party to preside over upcoming negotiations between himself and the Chinese dragon court. If the talks fail, war between the dragon nations is certain – an outcome that would be devastating for the human population caught in the middle.

When DRACIM top brass turn down the job, citing employee safety issues, Myrna decides she has no choice but to offer herself as token referee in the high stakes dragon showdown. But the players aren’t all what they seem and Myrna has to learn who she can trust before she loses not only her heart, but her life.

Dodging the Dragons

TBA from Carina Press

The second novel in the Dragons Trilogy, tentatively titled Dodging the Dragons will follow the adventures of Myrna’s close friend and marketing professional, Carol Jenski. Details to come after the release of NDWD. (I can’t be giving too much away, can I?)

Book #3 in the Dragon Trilogy

TBA from Carina Press

Yes, at this point your guess is as good as mine on this one. I have a general idea of the plot and characters, but just in case I (or my editor) change my mind, let’s just keep it at “there’s a third book”.

The Hunt for Home

2011 Where the Magic Begins Dark Paranormal Winner

Andrea Muhr, a rare Hunter-borne female, has a beast that shares her body and gives her power, but demands payment in pain, violence, and death. Without a second craft to balance the beast, she’s barely hanging on to the tattered remains of her sanity. Andrea has no alternative but suicide if she is to keep her beast from attacking indiscriminately, and makes a decision to complete one final mission for her King before seeking death.

But the assistance her king requires – travelling with the heir-apparent to retrieve an ancient device used to pass along the power of the throne –  might be more than she can handle.  Especially when she’s forced to use the very craft that threatens their safety.

This is a manuscript that I started well before Never Deal with Dragons. However, it is a more serious, epic fantasy story, and it’s in third person, which means it is like a billion times harder for me to write. Perhaps when I finish the Dragons above, I’ll find some time to do this story justice. But for now, it’s waiting patiently on my hard drive.

Flame Kissed

2010 GOTCHA Contest – Paranormal Finalist

Sara Jackson’s life gets interesting when she discovers an alien race, the Elementals, who claim her as one of their own. They’re telling her she was born with a gift allowing her to manipulate water in all its forms, but all she’s managed to do is overflow a few toilets.

Now, instead of landing the job needed to pay her rent, she’s been drafted into the Elemental version of the witness protection program by a man with dark eyes and an even darker disposition. Kailen says he’s helping her survive, but Sara’s not convinced – especially since tranq’d her without so much as a nice-to-meet-you.

But when she learns a rival faction has issued a kill order, she’s forced to admit sleepy is better than dead. Sara attempts to unravel her past and neutralize the threat on her life before she ends up murdered – or in love.

This was my very first attempt at a manuscript. I got about 3/4 of the way finished writing a first draft, and quit because the plot holes are so big you could drive a herd of elephants through them. At this point, I’ll simply say that Flame Kissed taught me that I’m a plotter, not a pantster!