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Showing posts with label PNR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PNR. Show all posts

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Guest: Jessica E. Subject #NewRelease DEMON ON JACKSON STREET #PNR @jsubject

 I'm so happy to have Jessica Subject here again. I've know Jess for years, yet we've never met in person. That's one of the wonderful things about the internet. We both participate in Weekend Writing Warriors, a weekly blog hop sharing snippets from our work, published or unpublished. So, I've read snippets from each of the Shifter Towers books and found them fascinating. Here's Jessica to tell you about the characters.




Thank you so much, Diane, for inviting me back on your blog! It’s always great to be here!

Earlier this week, the fifth book in my Shifter Towers series, DEMON ON JACKSON STREET, released. It is an MPreg MLM Paranormal Romance. And today, I thought I’d share one wish from each of the main characters throughout the series. This wish would be from a time period at the end of the fifth book.

BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN

TK: I wish that everyone had a mate as fabulous as mine.

Kish: I wish that our kids would stop fighting.

MINK OMEGA IN HIDING

Hansol: I wish for world peace.

Roan: I wish for equality between alphas and omegas, shifters and non-shifters.

PIKA OMEGA PLUS ONE

Milo: I wish news stories were submitted earlier, so I could get them edited sooner to spend more time with my family.

Yoni: I wish my brother and his family hadn’t moved away for a job. I miss them.

HIS OMEGA ON STAGE

Jun: I hope that Ash never gets tired of me, since we spend almost all of our time together. I want him to keep looking at me the way he did the evening of his first signing.

Ash: While my husband is being mushy, I’d wish to grant one wish to each and every one of my fans.

DEMON ON JACKSON STREET

Jet: My wish would be that humans in general were more like Toby. If they weren’t so greedy, there would be less souls for us demons to take. Though, I don’t do that anymore.

Toby: I just hope that my grandmother is at peace, and no longer in pain. And that she knows I’m really happy now.

So, if you had one wish, what would it be?

FYI, to celebrate the release of DEMON ON JACKSON STREET, the first book in the series, BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN, is on sale for 99¢ for a limited time. And the second book in the series, MINK OMEGA IN HIDING, is FREE from January 18 to January 22, 2021.

Bunny Omega: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PVF8YKV

Mink Omega: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V6LJP32




DEMON ON JACKSON STREET

 

Shifter Towers book five

 by Jessica E. Subject

 

Release date: January 18, 2021

 

Genres: Romance, Paranormal (demon), LGBTQ, MPreg

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68361-479-1

Published with Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

Cover artist: Fantasia Frog Designs

 # of words: 25,000

 

BLURB:

 Jet

Once upon a time there was a demon who was the best at convincing people to sell their souls. That was me. Is me. And now I have a new assignment, one Father told me would be difficult. I didn’t know what “difficult” meant until I met the young man, someone who has barely anything. Collecting his soul should be easy, right? There are so many things I can give him. Except, he doesn’t believe he deserves a better life. I have to find something he desires before the assignment is given to my brother. Because Crow uses the most villainous means to obtain souls. Lines I don’t cross. And I don’t want to see Toby hurt. There has to be another way.

 

Toby

I’m not like them. I can’t shift into a predator to defend myself, or even into a small rodent to run and hide. The wolf shifters know that every time they rough me up and steal my food. I always wish for a guardian angel to protect me from them. Then one day Jet appears, looking nothing like the angel I’d imagined. But I don’t know if I should trust him. He makes me feel things no other alpha ever has. Dangerous things. Not good when I have to stay focused on my grandmother. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have her around.

 

EBOOK BUY LINKS:

 Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Jackson-Street-Shifter-Romance-ebook/dp/B08RSDG1B6/

Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/b/demon-jackson-street

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Jackson-Street-Shifter-Romance/dp/168361481X/

 

GOODREADS:

 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56494727-demon-on-jackson-street

 

PG EXCERPT:

 My phone went off with a new notification. Father was the only being who knew my number, so it meant I had a new assignment. Another soul to take. Usually I got a couple nights off in between each one to enjoy my success, or find my own souls, but not this time. It must be an important assignment.

 I left the three humans to find pleasure with each other, gathered my clothes then left the room to find a shadow in the penthouse to use for travel.

 Back in my two-story log cabin on the edge of the human realm, I flopped on my couch and researched the next soul I was assigned to take. Oddly, I couldn’t find any information about him. He had no social media accounts, and there was no mention of him anywhere on the web. The message from Father said this mission would be my toughest so far, but I rolled my eyes. There were so many humans who would sell their first-born child for a better life. Selling their souls meant absolutely nothing to those humans. I was sure this next assignment would be no different from all of my previous ones.

 I sat down and closed my eyes. If I concentrated enough, I could get a glimpse of my next soul to take. And once I made contact, I’d be able to get into his mind. All the more reason I would not fail this mission. Once I figured out my target’s desires, I couldn’t lose.

 The vision was blurry at first, but when it cleared, I was back in Saramto. Though definitely not the part of town I’d just visited. The faces of everyone in the neighborhood looked bleak. Hopeless. I could offer them all so much. It was the territory my brother liked to claim his souls. And, looking at the desperation, I wondered why his claim count wasn’t so much higher than mine.

 I focused in more, trying to locate my target. And when I did, I gasped. He was a tall young man, but far too thin, with hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes. I wasn’t sure how he was still alive. He looked so frail as he spooned soup into an older woman’s mouth. She didn’t appear nearly as sickly as him even though the older woman seemed to be confined to her bed for some reason. What was wrong with this young man? And why was he my target? He looked like he was on the brink of death already. I wondered why his soul was so important. Why not let him finally find some happiness when he passed?

 I opened my eyes, confused. I needed answers, and the only way I would get them would be to go find this guy myself. Hopefully while he was still alive so I could up my soul count once again.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 


Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction and paranormal romances, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or a pop star tiger shifter, but also unsuspecting clones and feisty omegas. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to an alternate reality where shifters live among humans.


When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class, listen to BTS, and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two not-so-little children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

 

AUTHOR LINKS:

 

Website - https://jessicasubject.com

Newsletter - https://eepurl.com/eX1Zw

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jsubject

Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jessicaesubject/

BookBub Page - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-e-subject

Amazon Author Page - https://amazon.com/author/jessicasubject

Goodreads Page - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4959083.Jessica_E_Subject

Authorgraph - https://www.authorgraph.com/authors/jsubject



Friday, August 2, 2019

Guest: Jessica E. Subject ~ MINK OMEGA IN HIDING #PNR #LGBTQ @jsubject

I'm happy to welcome my friend, Jessica E. Subject, back to my blog and excited to share her newest release, Mink Omega in Hiding. [While this is a male-male romance, since my blog is PG, so is the excerpt.]

If you follow Weekend Writing Warriors (#WeWriWa), you should recognize the title. Jessica has been sharing snippets for several weeks now. BTW, I love WeWriWa. Besides sharing my own stories, I get to read snippets from other great authors.

When I invited Jessica, I asked her to tell us a little about Omegas. At first, I thought they were the opposite of Alphas but wasn't really sure. Turns out there's more to it. Here's Jessica to tell us.



Omega Shifters

Thank you so much, Diane, for inviting me back to your blog with my new release, Mink Omega in Hiding!

Shifters can be found in multiple televisions shows, movies, and books. They can be a human who takes the form of an animal, the most popular being a wolf. They could also be an alien or a mutant who can take the form of a human to blend in. I’ve seen and read about these types and many more.

In my Shifter Towers series, there are shifters and humans living side by side. Not just wolf shifter, but multiple types of animals, including predator and prey. They all live in harmony, most of the time, and the shifters spend the majority of their life in human form. In my world, there are rules regarding when and where they can shift into their animal form. And there are even drugs used to prevent them from shifting, used mainly by law enforcement.

Another aspect of this series is the alpha / beta / omega dynamics. This comes from the original shifter romances being mainly about wolves. It’s basic pack dynamics with the alpha male and female being the highest ranking wolves in the pack, the beta wolves next, and the omegas being the common wolves with no ranking. In fiction, I find this can vary somewhat.

The Shifter Towers stories are MPreg, meaning only omega males can get pregnant. There are females, but they are unable to get pregnant. (It’s an alternate world.) So, alpha males—while some may relate to dominance—in my stories, it means they are the ones who can get the omega pregnant. I don’t have any specifically beta characters in my story, but from the fiction I’ve read, they can neither get pregnant, nor get anyone else pregnant.

It may seem a bit confusing, but I found the dynamics were easy to pick up on by reading other MPreg stories before sitting down to write my own.

I decided to write an MPreg after reading fiction by some authors I know, and reading some fan fiction as well. I enjoyed the dynamics, but wanted to put my own spin on it, as I usually do when I find fiction that captivates me. I’ve written about alien shifters before, and even a couple paranormal creatures, so it wasn’t completely new. But, overall, it really is still all about the romance between the main characters. And with any MPreg story, a baby by the end of the book. My alphas are not the dominant, I-can-have-whatever-I-want type. And my omegas are very independent, or trying to be. But when they find their true mate, they can easily slip into their alpha and omega roles. I’m already writing the third book in this series, and fleshing out the idea for a fourth one into an actual plot. With this series, the possibilities are endless.


MINK OMEGA IN HIDING


Shifter Towers book two

by Jessica E. Subject

Release date: July 29, 2019

Genres: Romance, Paranormal (shifter), LGBTQ, MPreg

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68361-348-0

Published with Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Cover artist: Fantasia Frog Designs

# of words: 35,000

BLURB:

Roan is looking for a way out...
As a mink shifter omega, I never thought I’d escape the soul-crushing, gang-ruled world I lived in. But, one night on my way home from working at the strip club, the opportunity arose. I needed to find a place to hide, somewhere I could go where no one from this life would ever find me. Someplace I could start over. With my parents deceased, I only had one person from my past I could ask for help. But would he want to see me again?

Hansol has everything in his life, except his mate…
After two years of running a successful fitness center with celebrities as my personal clients and friends, one would think I had everything I’ve ever wanted. But I don’t. The one thing I still desire is to have my mate by my side. Something my sun bear keeps reminding me of every day. Sure, I’ve had plenty of omegas and other alphas in my bed, but no one I want to wake up with each morning. That person left my life years ago with no explanation and no goodbye.

Will they find their way back to each other?
Then Roan shows up on my doorstep, soaking wet, and with no belongings. Of course, I take him in. But I don’t know how long I have until he leaves again. Can I trust him this time? Can I finally claim him as my mate? Or am I holding onto false hope? Because I know there is something he is keeping from me.

Mink Omega in Hiding is a super sweet with knotty heat shifter M/M mpreg romance featuring a mink shifter escaping horrific abuse, a reconnection with an alpha friend from the past who stands between him and danger, and the discovery of what really could happen between them. It is the second book in the popular Shifter Towers series and can be read as a standalone.

EBOOK BUY LINKS:

Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/mink-omega

GOODREADS:


PG EXCERPT:

Tonight, I took the route a little farther than normal to avoid the pouring rain. I wasn’t in the mood to enjoy the wet, blurred scenery. It would only dampen my mood even more. TK had gotten me thinking about my lack of a mate, about the person I’d thought would be in my life forever who’d disappeared without a trace. I hadn’t grown attached to anyone after him, too afraid they’d eventually leave me as well. A lonely life, but I kept myself busy so I hadn’t thought about it too much. Not until tonight.

When I reached my exit, I pressed the button on my remote then waited for the gate to open before driving the final two blocks to my bungalow. It wasn’t a large house. A two bedroom, the second of which I used for an office and workout room. And in a fairly quiet neighborhood where neighbors still waved in passing and kept an eye on each other’s homes. They all knew the night I had the rogue photographer, and one had even phoned the police.

Yet no one seemed to have noticed the bundle of clothes curled up on my porch. I parked in my driveway and wondered if I should even step out of my car. What did the person want? Were they there specifically for me or just looking for a dry place? I was a strong guy and could take most people down on my own, but I had no defense against a gun. Should I risk it?

I cautiously got out of the car and walked to the porch steps. “Um, can I help you?”

The person glanced up at me, and I gasped, locking onto the most beautiful pair of eyes I’d ever seen. Eyes belonging to a person I would never forget. “Roan?”

He didn’t stand as I drew closer, only continued to stare with big, sad eyes. And he still had his naturally pouty bottom lip. What had happened to him since I’d last seen him? And why did he suddenly show up on my porch? Was I dreaming? Had I fallen asleep at the wheel? I pinched the top of my hand then let go at the pain. Nope. Not a dream.

I waved, but he looked away, hiding his head in his arms. “Um, it’s good to see you again.” Not wanting to spook him, I unlocked the door then held it open. “Would you like to come in?”

Was that a smart thing to ask? I hadn’t seen him in years, didn’t know what he’d been involved in, why he’d disappeared without even a simple goodbye. My heart was beyond happy to see him, but my mind had so many doubts. And I couldn’t trust my bear at all. It recognized its mate and only wanted one thing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class, listen to BTS, and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:



Friday, April 12, 2019

GUEST: Jessica E. Subject #NewRelease #shifter #Giveaway @jsubject

It's my pleasure to welcome my friend from Canada, Jessica E. Subject. Jess has posted snippets from her new release on Weekend Writing Warrior (#WeWriWa). I've read some shifter stories but never a shifter who turned into a bunny. Don't laugh. Okay, I admit. I think bunnies are cute. I'd better not give anymore away. Here's Jessica to tell you about Bunny Omega on the Run.





Two Truths and a Lie



Thank you so much to Diane for having me back as a guest! I’m super excited about my new release, Bunny Omega on the Run, a story about a sexy tiger alpha and a cute bunny omega. For this post, I decided to try something I’ve never done before. I’m going to tell you two truths and a lie about my story. It’s up to you to decide which one is the lie. I’m curious to see who gets it and who doesn’t.

1. The two cities mentioned in the story are Saramto, where the story is set, and Torago. These cities don’t exist that I’m aware of, and I created them by combining words.

Saramto = Saram (Korean for person) + (Toron)to
Torago = Tor(onto) + (Chic)ago

2. I named TK, the alpha hero of the story, using those initials for his stage name, as they mean to kum, a printer’s expression meaning there is more material to come. He is always writing new music, so there is always more music (material) to come.

3. This story is about a tiger shifter and a bunny shifter. While I’ve always loved tigers, I’ve also had several rabbits as pets. Their names were Eric, Matthew, Jenna, Sebastian, and Hop.

Okay, so which one is the lie?


BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN


Shifter Towers #1

by Jessica E. Subject

Release date: March 29, 2019

Genres: Romance, Paranormal (shifter), LGBTQ, MPreg

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68361-321-3
Print ISBN: 978-1-68361-324-4

Published with Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Cover artist: Fantasia Frog Designs

# of words: 46,500
pages: 227 (print)

BLURB:

As a pop star, I never expected to find true love. 

Not in a world where everything is temporary and often fake. But then he ran into me. Not once, but twice. My tiger instantly recognized him as my mate. Now, I just have to convince Kish that what we have is real.

The oldest of ten kids, I saw what my mother went through after my father left. After that, I started taking blockers so I would never go into heat, never have kids. Because love was for the weak. And I was doing just fine on my own.

Then I met TK. Literally smacked right into him. But no matter how much I wanted it to be true, I refused to believe that he could love a bunny shifter from the wrong part of town.

Bunny Omega on the Run is a super sweet with knotty heat MM mpreg shifter popstar romance. It is book 1 of the Shifter Towers series but can be read as a standalone.

AUTHOR ENDORSEMENT:

A triumphant and heartfelt first foray into mpreg by one of our favorite authors Lorelei M. Hart


PG EXCERPT:

I eyed the barrel of the 9mm pointed at my face. Clutching my hands behind me, I tried to hide the excessive shaking throughout my body. “It’s okay. You can pay me later. I’ll...I’ll just be going.” Anything to get away from there alive.

The lanky, bald man in the black suit clicked the safety off. “There won’t be another time.”

Without waiting for a shot to be fired, I spun around and bolted down the street. I had no time to shift. I simply ran. Over fences. Through yards. Down one alley after another. I didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. My mom and siblings depended on me. I couldn’t help them if I was dead.

After what felt like forever, my thighs burned and chest ached. I had to stop. Or at least slow down. But I didn’t know if I was still being pursued. I dared a glance behind me. No one. Thank fuck! It was time to slow down. Shift and find a place to hide.

Smack!

I slammed into something hard. Someone hard. Liquid terror filled my veins. Somehow the guy in the suit had outsmarted me. I was dead. Gone. No chance to say goodbye to my family. My knees gave out, and I crumpled toward the ground. But strong arms caught me, lifted me back up. Did the man want to stare in my face when he killed me?

“Whoa, whoa. It’s okay, little omega. I won’t hurt you.” The man pulled me closer. Tight into his broad chest.

And that’s when I smelled the wild, rugged scent. A predator. Not the human who had been chasing me, but a tiger. I was in the arms of one of the most dangerous types of shifters in the world. But when I dared a glance up into his eyes, I only saw a concerned alpha. One whom I instantly recognized. TK. The pop star dominating all of the music charts. I’d had no idea he wasn’t human.

Filled with a new fear, I slowly backed away. Being anywhere near the star, I’d have more than one man with a gun after me. If he didn’t take me out, someone else would.

But TK didn’t let go so easily. He cupped my elbows, keeping me steady. “What were you running from?”

I didn’t answer. Behind TK, men in black suits—not cheap knockoffs like my pursuer had
worn, but actual designer brands—eyed me, waiting for me to do something stupid.

Needing to prove I offered no harm, I shifted. In my shifted form, there was no way I could harm their charge.

I expected to fall to the ground and hop away. But TK didn’t let go of me. He held my scruff. “Oh my! You are the most gorgeous bunny I have ever seen. Just as beautiful as when you were in your human form.” He released his grip and stroked behind my shoulders. Then in between my ears. “You are just adorable with one ear up and one ear down.”

EBOOK BUY LINKS:

Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/bunny-omega

PRINT BUY LINK:


GOODREADS:


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class, listen to BTS, and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:




BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN RELEASE CONTEST*


Enter to WIN a print copy of Alien Next Door: The Complete Series and Cosmic Desires by Jessica E. Subject. Plus, Map of the Soul: Persona, the next album from BTS, the boy band that has a permanent place on Jessica's writing and life playlist.

*Contest is international except where prohibited by law. Must be 18 or older to enter. No substitutions will be made. Contest ends April 15, 2019. Prizes will come directly from the author and are not sponsored by anyone else. Good luck!
  

WHERE TO ENTER:






Thursday, August 24, 2017

Meet Author Diana Rubino @DianaLRubino

My guest today is author Diana Rubino. I met Diana through that fabulous group Authors Helping Authors.


Welcome, Diana, please tell us about yourself.

My passion for history and travel has taken me to every locale of my books, and short stories, set in Medieval and Renaissance England, Egypt, the Mediterranean, colonial Virginia, New England, and New York. My urban fantasy romance, FAKIN’ IT, won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. I live on Cape Cod with my husband Chris

Where can readers find you?








Let's learn a little about your writing. How long does it take you to write a book?

Since I write historicals, the research can take up to a year or longer. When I’m writing, I set a daily goal of 2500 words, about 10 pages.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I bicycle, golf, play my piano and devour books of any genre. My husband and I have a home on Cape Cod that we try to get to as much as possible.

What do you enjoy most about life?

Having something to look forward to—even something simple, like going to the beach on the weekend.

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?

I use Donald Maass's THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK, which has many probing questions about characters and the story. I then write a detailed outline, which I don't always follow when writing. My daily goal is 2500 words a day.
I do everything in Word on my computer, but sometimes I write in longhand; it helps me connect to the characters more closely.

Are your stories driven by plot or character?

Character, in the genres I write in…the characters are who drive the plot; they make the plot what it is. The plot happens because of who they are and what they do to make things happen.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

I always ask readers what era they’re interested in—medieval, Renaissance (Tudors), or what part of American history. Then I recommend whatever book is set in that era—Richard IIIs time, Henry VIIIs time, colonial, Civil War, early 20th century…and I do have one about vampires on an Italian cruise ship if anyone wants to go there!

What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

My mission is to make readers forget their troubles for a while, escape into another time and place, and maybe get a few laughs along the way.

What two authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?

I read all of John Grisham’s books and for nonfiction, Ron Chernow writes the best biographies.

Tell us about your latest release.

My latest release is a time travel romance, DARK BREW.


          This story took 11 years from start to finish. In 2004, I read an article by Pamela Butler in the Richard III Society's magazine The Ricardian, about Alice Kyteler, who was accused of witchcraft in 1324. She then vanished into history. I couldn't resist writing a book about her.

Accused of her husband’s murder, druid Kylah McKinley travels back through time to her past life in 1324 Ireland and brings the true killer to justice.

Two months of hell change Kylah’s life forever. On her many past life regressions, she returns to 14th century Ireland as Alice Kyteler, a druid moneylender falsely accused of murdering her husband. Kylah’s life mirrors Alice’s in one tragic event after another—she finds her husband sprawled on the floor, cold, blue, with no pulse. Evidence points to her, and police arrest her for his murder. Kylah and Alice shared another twist of fate—they fell in love with the man who believed in them. As Kylah prepares for her trial and fights to maintain her innocence, she must learn from her past or forever be doomed to repeat it.


Excerpt:

Kylah shut Ted’s den door. She couldn’t bear to look at the spot where he gasped his last breath. His presence, an imposing force, lingered. So did his scent, a blend of tobacco, pine aftershave and manly sweat. Each reminder ripped into her heart like a knife. Especially now with the funeral looming ahead, the eulogies, the mournful organ hymns, the tolling bells . . .
These ceremonies should bring closure, but they’d only prolong the agony of her grief. She wanted to remember him alive for a while longer, wishing she could delay these morbid customs until the hurt subsided.
Throughout the house, his essence echoed his personality: the wine stain on the carpet, the heap of dirty shirts, shorts and socks piled up in the laundry room, the spattered stove, his fingerprints on the microwave. But she couldn’t bring herself to clean any of it up. Painful as these remnants were, they offered a strange comfort. He still lived here.
“I’ll find that murderer, Teddy,” she promised him over and over, wandering from room to empty room, traces of him lurking in every corner. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure justice is served. Another past life regression isn’t enough anymore. I know what I have to do now. And I promise, it will never, ever happen again—in any future life.”
She inhaled deeply and breathed him in. “Go take a shower, Teddy.” She chuckled through her tears as the doorbell rang. She cringed, breaking out in cold sweat when she saw the black sedan at the curb.
“Not again.” No sense in hiding, so she let the detectives in.
“Mrs. McKinley, we need your permission to do a search and take some of your husband’s possessions from the house,” Nolan said.
“What for?” She met his steely stare. “I looked everywhere and found nothing.”
“Mrs. McKinley, the cupboard door was open, four jars of herbs are missing, and the autopsy showed he died of herb poisoning. Those herbs,” Nolan added for emphasis, as if it had slipped her feeble mind. “Foxglove, mandrake, hemlock—and an as-yet unidentified one,” he read from a notebook. “The M.E. determined it was a lethal dose.”
Sherlock Holmes got nothin’ on him, she thought. 
“Where’s this cupboard, ma’am?” Egan spoke up.
“Right there.” She pointed, its door gaping exactly the way she’d found it that night. Nolan went over to it and peered inside.
“Ma’am, it would be better if you left the house for a half hour or so. Please leave a number where you can be reached,” Egan ordered.
Nolan glanced down the hall. “Where is your bedroom?”
What could they want in the bedroom? “It’s at the top of the stairs on the right. But we didn’t sleep together,” she offered, as if that would faze them. It didn’t.
After giving him her cell number, she got into her car and drove to the beach.
An hour later, she let herself back in and looked around. They’d taken the computer, her case of CDs, her thumb drive, her remaining herb jars, Ted’s notebooks, and left her alone with one horrible fact: This was now a homicide case and she was the prime suspect.

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 Thanks for coming, Diana. It's a pleasure getting to know you better. Best wishes on your latest release.