MY SECRET MATE by Melissa Keir

My friend Melissa Keir visits today. She's here to tell us about her newest release.

Thank you for visiting with me today. At the urging of a friend, I wrote my first paranormal romance, titled My Secret Mate. The story is about a dragon who protects a special healing water. Once the idea of the healing water came to me, I knew I had the perfect place.

Growing up, I lived across the street from an abandoned sandstone quarry. The Cleveland Quarries settled in South Amherst in 1847 where they began mining for sandstone to be used in various structures, such as Michigan’s Capitol Building, as well as local mills. The sandstone has been in the ground since the Lower Carboniferous Period when the continents were formed. My family worked for the company for most of their lives, providing me with a historical connection.

When a pit was played out, it returned to its natural state with trees, boulders and ponds. I played among the rocks, but was too frightened to swim in the pits. As they mined the stone, great holes formed which filled with water. They became some favorite swimming holes due to their cool temperatures. Some of the quarries are over 200 feet deep in places. However, rumors were told about some of the pits—lurking monsters, unlikely deaths— so healing water didn’t seem so far a stretch.

I invite your readers to visit my make-believe town and see what happens when a shifter finally finds his one true love.

EXCERPT:

“Come on, Macy. You want this. I know you’ve been dreaming of me.”

Gone was the handsome boy she’d dreamed of a future with. His face was twisted with power and anger, which chilled her. Would she be able to get away? Or would he end up taking from her what she’d never intended to give? Squeezing her eyes shut, she said a silent prayer and hoped for a miracle.

A deep growling sound at the edge of the boulder sent Mike scrambling. “What’s that?” He pointed at a menacing large black dog, only a foot away. With sharp teeth glistening and drool sliding down its muzzle, it appeared wild and crazed.

Deliberately, the animal approached the boulder. Growls turning into snapping teeth. Mike grabbed a stick and swung it at the canine.

Finally able to move, Macy wrapped her towel tight around her. She was relieved to see the black dog that had saved her that first night, lost in the woods. Moonlight had become her constant companion through the years. They’d played among these trails and pools and became close friends.

He had saved her once again.

Using the stick to keep the beast away, Mike reached down and grabbed his shoes, socks, and shirt. The canine lunged at him, and its teeth caught hold of a piece of the shirt. Mike pulled on the fabric, trying to get it free. Unable to get it to release, he tossed the stick and hit it on the back. Yet, the beast continued toward him.

Mike looked quickly toward the trail then focused his gaze on the approaching threat. “We’re through, Macy. You asked me up here and then played the virgin. Now your dog is trying to attack me.” He started off on the trail. “Don’t bother walking me to my car. I don’t want to ever see you again.”

“Just go,” she whispered as tears slid down her cheeks. Numb from the events, even wrapped up in the towel, she began to shake. With a whine, Moonlight curled up next to her and laid his head in her lap. She reached down and buried her fingers in his fur as she sat and wept.

When she finally stopped shaking, she brushed the tear tracks off her face and tugged her swimsuit and cover-up back into place. “Thank you, Moonlight, for saving me once again. You’ve been my closest friend these many years. Too bad you can’t be my boyfriend.”

The dog’s sandpaper tongue slid over her cheek. Her mother would ask questions about Mike. Unwilling to explain what happened, she wanted to forget about the whole event. Her face flamed when she thought about Monday morning and school. How will I face Mike and his buddies? What horrors will I endure? Tears filled her eyes once again. “If only you could come with me. Mike would never dare talk about this. He’d be too scared.”

Squeezing the bridge of her nose, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. I can’t hide here forever. She pulled the small cooler over and unwrapped one of the sandwiches she’d made. “Here.” Macy handed it to her four-legged companion. “For saving me.”

Unable to consider eating, Macy unwrapped the second sandwich and placed it in front of Moonlight. In companionable silence, she watched her one true friend eat.

My Secret Mate is available in the Daydreams and Night Desires box set.

Daydreams and Night Desires...drift into six tales of magic, mayhem, and love.

My Secret Mate by Melissa Keir

Fall for a Shifter Who Has Waited a Lifetime for his Mate….

As Sean shares his secret with Macy, can she learn to love a man who is something more, or will she give up on her own magical happy ending?

Wishing For It All by R.M. Duffy

What would you do if you were granted three wishes? After discovering a magical lamp and the beautiful genie Keara, Drew Preston thought he knew exactly what he wanted to make his life complete: the dream job, the dream woman, and the whole happily-ever-after life. But what if he made the wrong wishes? What if instead of the wishes, all he wanted was the genie?

Night Whispers by Mia Bishop

Rissa had life all figured out until the accident, but her world is turned upside down when she finds herself being hunted by a dragon in a magical land. With Griffe, her rescuer and guide by her side she finally feels safe and complete, but can she continue to trust him when she realizes he's hiding something from her?

An Evening in Crossroads by Kate Richards

Shifters have never been this vampire's cup of blood, but Mane Wolf shifter Roberto may change that in a club called Crossroads.

To Capture a Dragon by Lisa Kumar

When Lord Eacion, leader of the dragon fae, visits Anni Brownston’s village, he takes over her life for a day—and one glorious night. But when the next morning dawns, will Eacion’s rash actions and her own fears about her lame leg kill any future between them and consign her to a fate they will both abhor?

Chasing Unicorns by D. Lin Scott

As a female fairy, Fiona craves a mate but knows there is none left after the Great War wiped out all fae. Human Bryce Hollinsworth will do anything to save his grandfather, even if it means trusting another species. Can Fiona and Bryce overcome mutual distrust and fear to fall in love?

~~This set features strong language and sexual situations between males/females, males/males, vampires, fae, and shifters guaranteed to steam up your e-reader and make you believe in a happily ever after~~

Only $0.99 cents or free with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Daydreams-Night-Desires-Drift-Mayhem-ebook/dp/B07BNNZJJJ

About the Author

Melissa Keir has always wanted to be an author when she wasn’t hoping for a career as a racecar driver. Her love of books was instilled by her mother and grandparents who were avid readers. She’d often sneak books away from them so that she could fantasize about those strong alpha males and plucky heroines.

Melissa doesn’t believe in down time. She’s always keeping busy. Melissa is a wife and mother, an elementary school teacher, a movie reviewer with WHMI (a local radio station), owner of a publishing company as well as an author. Her home blends two families and is a lot like the Brady Bunch, without Alice- a large grocery bill, tons of dirty dishes and a mound of laundry. She loves to write stories that feature happy endings and is often seen plotting her next story.

She’d love to hear from you!

www.melissakeir.com

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Keir/e/B0078TCJX2/

http://www.facebook.com/melissaakeir

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelissaKeir

www.twitter/melissa_keir

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/melissa-keir

Other Books by Melissa Keir

Wilder Sisters Series:

Forever Love

Beach Desires

A Christmas Accident

Coming Home

Home is Where the Heart Is (combine print of Wilder Sisters’ Books)

**

The Cowboys of Whisper, Colorado

The Heartsong Cowboy

The Heartbroken Cowboy

Claiming the Cowboy’s Heart

A Pigskin Cowboy

Broken Dreams

Broken Vows

Redeeming Dreams

Bidding for the Cowboy’s Heart

**

Charming Chances:

Charming Chances (print of combined ebooks)

Second Time’s a Charm

Three’s a Crowd

**

Pigg Detective Agency:

Protecting His Wolfe

Protecting Her Pigg

**

Magical Matchmaker

Chalkboard Romance

One Night in Laguna

One Night Behind Bars

**

Crash and Burn

Redeeming Love

The House that Built Me

Wildly Drawn to Him

**

Love, Bake, Write (recipe book)

The Way to the Heart (recipe book)

We’d Rather Be Writing (recipe book)

Musings of a Madcap Mind (memoirs)

#IWSG - Down But Not Out

It's the 1st Wednesday of April. Happy Insecure Writers Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. And thanks to this month's awesome hosts:  Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan!

Since so many of you are doing the A to Z Challenge, my post is short. My writing was going well until last Thursday. I was feeling so good about not getting the flu, winter cold, etc. (like the rest of my family) when WHAM I got it. The coughing crud. Writing stopped . . . temporarily. I'm less than 10k words from the end of NUMBERS NEVER LIE. I'll get back to it, once I stop coughing up a lung.

Update after going to urgent care: it's not just the "crud." Turns out I have pneumonia. Hopefully the antibiotics will take care of it.

Here's my PSA: if you're coughing your head off, go to the doctor or urgent care. The flu (influenza) is back and pneumonia is no fun.

Good luck to everyone who is doing A to Z. More power to you!

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

#WeWriWa - NUMBERS NEVER LIE: She's Mad At You

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here. 

Thanks for all your comments on last week's snippet from my work-in-progress, a romantic suspense, Numbers Never Lie. I'm in the home stretch for finishing this book. This week, I was laid low by a nasty cough, sore throat, and headache, so I didn't finish today as I planned.

Suggestions are always welcome on the blurb as well as the snippet. 

Today's snippet follows last week's. Drew is on a camping trip with his daughter, Ellen, and seven other girls, organized by Maggie. After telling Drew there are no toilets, Ellen stalks off to be with her friends.

“Hey, come back here, honey, I’m sure this is a little misunderstanding—c’mon, Ellen.” In the year since his wife died, he and Ellen had had a lot of misunderstandings.

“I think she’s mad at you.”

Drew turned toward the quiet voice behind him. There she was, leaning back against a tree, her knee bent and booted foot propped against the trunk—Maggie Sinclair, Director of Camp Hell. He knew Jack’s sister was an outdoor nut, but he didn’t think she was this bad. Pissing in the bushes, for God’s sake.

Maggie was a tall woman, only a few inches shorter than his own six feet, with the tan of a person who spent time outdoors and laugh crinkles around her eyes—still the roughneck tomboy he’d grown up with. Who else would want to spend a summer day backpacking on dusty trails through snagging underbrush instead of out on a perfectly manicured golf course where you only ventured into the rough to retrieve an errant ball?

 This is the tentative blurb:

A shocking secret brings danger to Jack Sinclair and his sister Maggie. 

As kids, they were the fearless threesome. As adults, Jack's an accountant; Drew, a lawyer; Maggie, a teacher and camping troop leader. Returning from a weekend camping trip, Maggie receives horrifying news. She refuses to believe her brother’s fatal car crash was an accident. If the police won’t investigate, she’ll do it herself. Convincing Drew Campbell to help is her only recourse.

Drew Campbell was too busy to return his best friend’s phone call. Too busy to attend a camping meeting important to his teen daughter. Too busy to stay in touch with Jack. Logic and reason indicate Jack’s accident was just that--an accident caused by fatigue and fog. Prodded by guilt, he’ll help Maggie even if he thinks she’s wrong.

A break-in at Jack’s condo convinces Maggie she’s right. Then her home is searched. What did Jack leave behind?

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. 

Happy Easter to all who celebrate. Since I'll be with my family on Sunday, I'll come around on Monday and Tuesday to read your snippets. 

#AmReading Should Be #AmWriting

My work-in-progress, NUMBERS NEVER LIE, a romantic suspense is coming along well. I'd tell you to look to the right to see my progress, but something screwy happened to my site. This morning, the widgets (with percentage of progress) were gone and those weird "things" in their place. If anyone knows how to fix this, please tell me.

As I started to say, I'm in the last 18% of my WIP. Not celebrating yet, but the end is near. In fact, I've already written the end (15 years ago), but it's quite sketchy. That's where the last 13,000 words come in. My plan is to have it finished by Sunday. Come back for next Monday where I'll announce that I finished . . . or not.

As the title of this post says, I've been reading instead of writing for the past several days. Why, when I'm so close to the end? Tomorrow is book group, and I hadn't read the book. Not because of procrastination, mind you. I was waiting for my turn to borrow the ebook from the library. On Friday, I checked, and there's still three people ahead of me. I broke down and bought the book, Same Kind of Different As Me.

I was in such a hurry to read the book, I didn't take time to note the authors. And because I like to read a book without prejudice, I didn't read reviews or even the blurb. I assumed the story was fiction (don't ask why). When I got to a particularly heart-wrenching segment, I thought, wow, this author must have gone through something similar to write so vividly. Duh. It wasn't fiction. It was a true story. I almost feel ridiculous admitting this. (That's what happens when I'm in a hurry.)

Same Kind of Different As Me (if you aren't familiar with the book or movie) is the story of two men and the woman who brought them together and bound them to each other. Ron Hall and Denver Moore were two men who should never have met, except for Ron's wife Deborah. Wealthy--really wealthy--the Texas Halls had everything they could ever want. Denver grew up an extremely poor Louisiana sharecropper, spent time in prison, and was homeless most of his life. The book reveals how those two men met and changed each other's lives.

Some people believe strongly in sharing their religious beliefs. For me, religion is a private thing, so I'm uncomfortable around evangelizers. Too often, those people spout the Bible, but their actions say just the opposite. Not Deborah Hall. One day, she decided that they should volunteer at a homeless shelter one day a week, where they became known as Mr. & Mrs. Tuesday. These do-gooders were regarded with suspicions, like the people who only came on holidays then disappeared the rest of the year. Over nine years, the Halls influenced many people by their example of doing God's work. The one person they had the most influence over was Denver Moore. At sixty, he'd seen a lot of trouble, some of his own making. More suspicious than most, he resisted their caring, assuming they were talk only. How the three became friends, family even, is a powerful story.

Book groups have always "forced" me to read outside my comfort zone. I love fiction. I write fiction. But book groups have introduced me to new authors, new genres. I've never found true stories, especially triumph over adversity, of particular interest. I wouldn't have chosen Same Kind of Different As Me to read. I'm glad I did. There should be a lively discussion tomorrow night. I'll add a comment about that.

#WeWriWa - NUMBERS NEVER LIE Sweaty and Dirty

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here. 

Thanks for all your comments on last week's snippet from my work-in-progress, a romantic suspense, Numbers Never Lie.

Suggestions are very welcome on the blurb as well as the snippet. 

Today's snippet immediately follows last week's. Drew is on a camping trip with his daughter and seven other girls, organized by Maggie. He pulled his daughter aside to ask where the bathrooms are. Her disgust with him not listening to her ends last week's snippet.

 She didn’t believe him? What happened to the adulation for him that used to be in her eyes? The “Dad is perfect” look.

As he’d done several times in the past three hours, he took out his handkerchief, looked at it in disgust, and tried to find a clean spot. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. It was hot and sticky, more like August in Michigan than June. Drew intensely disliked sweating. Clean sweat—in a gym—was all right. Not this . . . dirt. More than sweaty, he hated being dirty.

This is the tentative blurb:

A shocking secret brings danger to Jack Sinclair and his sister Maggie. 

As kids, they were the fearless threesome. As adults, Jack's an accountant; Drew, a lawyer; Maggie, a teacher and camping troop leader. Returning from a weekend camping trip, Maggie receives horrifying news. She refuses to believe her brother’s fatal car crash was an accident. If the police won’t investigate, she’ll do it herself. Convincing Drew Campbell to help is her only recourse.

Drew Campbell was too busy to return his best friend’s phone call. Too busy to attend a camping meeting important to his teen daughter. Too busy to stay in touch with Jack. Logic and reason indicate Jack’s accident was just that--an accident caused by fatigue and fog. Prodded by guilt, he’ll help Maggie even if he thinks she’s wrong.

A break-in at Jack’s condo convinces Maggie she’s right. Then her home is searched. What did Jack leave behind?

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. 

Monday Morning Musing

Good Morning!

I've shared character sketches from four characters in my work-in-progress Numbers Never Lie. That's all for now. The story is really coming together quickly as the end approaches. (See my progress on the widget to the right.) I mentioned before that I started this story back in 2003, updated technology, and did quite a bit of editing. I'm a better writer now than 15 years ago. (I should be!) Having versions of the story saved on 3.25 floppies presented a challenge. Gathering together the best of what I'd written before and changing the focus became easier as I plunged into this romantic suspense. Yesterday, I found two scenes that I knew I'd written. Halleluia. 

My goal is to finish the first draft by April 1st (no joke). Since I periodically go back and edit as I write, much of the draft is in good shape. Then I plan to get it to my editor by mid-April. If I stay on target, the book should be released by Mother's Day. That's my plan. Hopefully, I make my deadlines.

Life has a way of smacking you down when you get too full of yourself. Or as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans." Isn't that the truth? I'm sure there will surprises between now and Mother's Day.

Spring has come to Michigan. Finally. Winter will give us another taste as it fades away. The ducks and geese have returned to the pond behind our house. So has the muskrat. Apparently, he (or she) decided to make the bank in front of our house its home. Hubs has tried nearly everything to make it find another home, even to the extent of pouring cement into the holes. Muskrat just made more. Smart critter. He doesn't bother us, except for the possibility of breaking a leg by stepping into a hole while mowing near the water.

We went to a Pinewood Derby race on Saturday. Oldest grandson's Cub Scout Pack sponsored the event. He asked Hubs to help with making the car. My husband has always been patient with kids (with me, too, LOL). And he has the tools for the kids to use. BTW, they let siblings race their cars, too, after the Cub Scouts finish their race, so oldest granddaughter built a car and raced it, too. I was impressed with the layout. It sure was different from when Son participated with a wood track and the adults eyeballing the winner. A metal track with an electronic gadget that recorded the outcome of each heat (4 cars raced in a heat), a huge screen that showed the outcome. Each car raced in four heats. Neither of the grandkids' cars won. As a result, he and his sister decided to start working on their cars during Christmas break. Instead of trying to do everything in 3 weekends. Good planning.

A week ago, we attended oldest granddaughter's 5th grade orchestra concert. Since the kids have only been playing their instruments for 6 months, I expected to hear a lot of squeaks and out of tune notes. (Both our kids played band instruments, so we've been to concerts before.) The kids did well, much better than I expected. Short pieces. Their teacher explained their progress from two or three lines of music to a full page. Granddaughter plays the violin. Her cousin, Toddler Girl, came, too. She announced she's going to play piano. That's exciting. We went to a lot of piano recitals, too, featuring her daddy and her aunt. 

The twins are growing like proverbial weeds. Eight and five pounds at birth, they're now 12 and 18 pounds. The linebacker and the quarterback. More importantly (to me) than physical growth is their engaging with others. The smiles and coos are delightful. The linebacker even "talks" to us. Sure wish we knew what he's saying. The little one is very active, arm and leg movements and grins. Melts my heart when he smiles. He babbles, too. Love it.

With Spring here, Hubs is raring to get outside and work in the garden. I'm enjoying the sunshine. Looking forward to a good week of writing. Not looking forward to getting ready for taxes. 

On Wednesday, my monthly column on Family Life at Pandora's Box Gazette is on Reading.

On Saturday, starting at 9am EDT, I'm participating in a "get to know the contributors chat" with other Pandora contributors and readers. If you have time, I'd love if you stopped by. 
https://www.pandorasboxjt.com/forum/meet-the-authors

Of course, on the weekend, I'll post another snippet here from Numbers Never Lie with the Weekend Writing Warriors.

Have a great week!

#WeWriWa - NUMBERS NEVER LIE: No Toilets?

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here. 

Thanks for all your comments on last week's snippet. I'm glad you like the new title for my work-in-progress, a romantic suspense, Numbers Never Lie.

Suggestions are very welcome on the blurb as well as the snippet. Please excuse the rogue commas.

Today's snippet immediately follows last week's, which ended chapter 1; this is the beginning of chapter two.

“What do you mean no toilets?” Drew Campbell stopped on the dusty forest path, hooked his sunglasses on the placket of his golf shirt, and stared at his daughter.

“Dad-dy,” Was Ellen only fourteen? She did exasperation better than his administrative assistant, “I told you we were camping.”

Not for a moment would Drew reveal that camping was not what he remembered her saying a week ago—she said she wanted him to come along on an outing with her little group of friends, and he figured a hike, picnic lunch, then home for supper.

He got a big surprise when he opened the hatch of the Navigator and found five backpacks—five backpacks with bedrolls—and he’d transported four girls. It didn’t take a law degree to figure out who the fifth backpack was for. He was in deep shit, but what could he say in front of Ellen and her friends?

“Of course, sweetie, I knew we were camping,” he lied.

“Yeah, right, Dad.”

Here's the tentative blurb:

A shocking secret brings danger to Jack Sinclair and his sister Maggie. 

As kids, they were the fearless threesome. As adults, Jack's an accountant; Drew, a lawyer; Maggie, a teacher and camping troop leader. Returning from a weekend camping trip, Maggie receives horrifying news. She refuses to believe her brother’s fatal car crash was an accident. If the police won’t investigate, she’ll do it herself. Convincing Drew Campbell to help is her only recourse.

Drew Campbell was too busy to return his best friend’s phone call. Too busy to attend a camping meeting important to his teen daughter. Too busy to stay in touch with Jack. Logic and reason indicate Jack’s accident was just that--an accident caused by fatigue and fog. Prodded by guilt, he’ll help Maggie even if he thinks she’s wrong.

A break-in at Jack’s condo convinces Maggie she’s right. Then her home is searched. What did Jack leave behind?

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors.