Crimson Moon - New Release Date

I just got word -- Crimson Moon will release on June 25th at The Wild Rose Press, two-months sooner than projected. Of all my stories, I'm most nervous (and excited) about this one. Crimson Moon is the first thing I ever wrote and finished, so it's very special to me. I've included the blurb and a excerpt below.

Crimson Moon Blurb:

Trueblood vampires. Those set apart from common’s by right of blood. Graced with extraordinary abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition - they are the most powerful and feared among their kind. The secret lies within, a legacy evolving from the truest form of magic, and their living bloodlines are the key.

An average routine morning is exactly what twenty-year old Emma Johnson hopes to avoid when she visits Joe’s Café for a steaming cup of coffee and freshly made donuts. She’s jaded by her small town, the community that has ostracized her, and the empty house that symbolizes what her life has become; a hollow shell. Yet things are not entirely as they appear, and Emma is about to discover she isn’t the normal girl she once believed.

After she is rescued from a horde of demonic bloodthirsty creatures by Caleb, the most captivating person she has ever met, she struggles to accept the unimaginable truth he imparts. That he has been dispatched by the Father she has never known, a powerful vampire from the house of DeViard, to see her safely home. For Caleb is also unique, a werewolf procured to protect the invaluable royal bloodlines from harm.

Soon, the undeniable connection Emma and Caleb share evolves beyond mere attraction into something more substantial. But their time together is short lived, forced to an end when she is sent to the trueblood vampires that claim her as one of their own.

Crimson Moon Excerpt:

“Emma.” Caleb placed his hand on my leg and I turned to him, biting back a gasp. He had silently moved across the distance and was right beside me. The incredible woodsy scent that clung to his jacket was so much better, so much sweeter, radiating from the direct source. The thought, wolf, entered my mind.

“Yeah,” I croaked, causing him to chuckle softly.

“We’re almost there, and I think I should prepare you before we arrive.” He kept his hand on my leg and my body was keenly aware of his touch and nearness. It created the oddest sensation, nearly an electricity. I could feel each and every one of his fingers individually across my jeans.

“Okay?” I managed to keep my voice even, breathing the word in a soft exhale.

The warmth of his breath caressed my face and my eyelids fluttered. His eyes met my own, moving down my nose until they rested on my lips. Shyness caused me to avert my face. My gaze flickered down, eyes freezing on his chest. My heart was racing erratically, somersaulting over and over, excited and very much alive. His nearness swamped me, the mere touch of his hand on my leg so distracting, I couldn’t think clearly.

“You always do that,” he whispered thickly.

I felt his knuckle nudge my chin, forcing my eyes upward. I looked into his face but he wasn’t smiling anymore. His expression changed to something that made my breath cling in my throat. Our eyes locked–green hazel clashing with the darkest blue. I raised my hand until it touched his, unaware I had even moved.

Derek cleared his throat, breaking the spell. I shook my head, leaning back and blinking, slightly disoriented and extremely embarrassed. I did not react to men–much less strange men–like this. A disappointed rumble emitted from Caleb but he allowed space between us.

“This place isn’t exactly where I’d hoped to take you.” Caleb’s voice was a seductive caress that made my skin prickle and thrum. My eyes fluttered and my heart pounded.

As if sensing my reaction he smiled slightly, lifting the corners of his lips. “When we go inside, keep the jacket on, don’t take it off. My scent will mark you. It’s best we keep together inside. We couldn’t tell anyone we were coming, just Sam and his people know.”

“So.” My voice came out raspy and hoarse. “You want me to act like we’re a couple?”

“Do you think that would be too hard?”