3/11/26 BookQW = Laugh

WINDS OF CHANGE

(Men of the Double K, Book 2)

She came to heal a child’s heart…but it’s the grieving father who needs her most.

This must be the Red River written about in so many dime novels, she thought, looking for any signs of the west along the banks of the endless river. As the train moved along the tracks across the river to the land, she sighed in both relief and disappointment. Relief that they would soon be traveling back on solid ground. Disappointment that she hadn’t seen any signs of cowboys and cattle trying to cross the river. She had hoped to see something of the west depicted in those popular novels.

“Well, a city girl could hope, couldn’t she,” she laughed as she settled back against the seat. Had she really expected to find the scenes she’d read about in novels? Her educated self laughed at her. Her romantic self was deeply disappointed. “Even so, at least one cowboy would have been nice.”

Unwrapping the other half of her sandwich, Mollie nibbled at the cold breakfast. She was still very travel-weary and more than ready to arrive at her destination where a new life would begin. She wasn’t clear as to who would be meeting her at the station. Surely, it would be the man whose daughter she was to care for. It couldn’t be anyone else unless he sent a ranch hand in his stead. Back home it may well have been a servant sent to meet her, but here in the unknown of the west, she couldn’t imagine there were many servants.

Thus the reason for her being here. Well, that and out of necessity of course.

She wiped away the threat of tears that she’d had to leave the Fitzgerald household in Boston. After almost fifteen years of living with the Fitzgeralds and caring for their daughter Annie, Mollie grew to consider them the only family she had ever known in her life. She had hoped they felt the same about her, but obviously, once Annie had passed, they were no longer in need of her services. Otherwise, she’d still be back in Boston where she belonged.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You were a mere companion to Annie, not her sister, Mollie scolded herself and dried her tears. Another family needs my help, and that’s all I’ll ever be. The orphan who would only have a family at arm’s length. And although it may not be ideal, it is better than what some of the orphaned children had been through these past years. For that I should be grateful.

     “Next stop: Fort Worth, Texas!”

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3/4/26 BookQW = OPEN

WINDS OF CHANGE (Men of the Double K, Book 2)

She came to heal a child’s heart…but it’s the grieving father who needs her most.

The sound of heavy boots echoed across the front porch.

“I think our day is about to begin, Beth. Are you ready?”

Beth squirmed in his arms, and Cord let her down on the floor before he opened the cabin door. Beau and Jessica stood on the other side of the door, their little boy Colin teetering at their side. Beth and Colin were a mere six months apart and had become the best of friends.

“Well, I didn’t expect the two of you this morning,” Cord noted, closing the door as the two toddlers discussed whatever it was little children talked about.

“Cyrus had to go to town this morning. Since Johnny is home from college for a few days, Suzanne decided to go with him to get a few things.” Jessica scooped up her niece, planting a motherly kiss on her cheek. “We get to come to your house today. Colin has all sorts of things planned that he hasn’t even told his mama and papa about. You’ll have such fun!”

“She is growing like a weed, Cord. Seems like she’s at least a couple of inches taller since the last time I saw her,” Jessica noted, returning Beth to the cabin floor next to Colin.

“You last saw her yesterday, Jess.” Beau laughed, shaking his head. “I am no expert, but I don’t think children grow that fast.”

“Ooh, Beau Kennedy! You just don’t understand,” Jess retorted, lovingly poking her husband in the arm.

Cord watched the playfulness of his brother and sister-in-law. A year ago he’d have been melancholy at the sight; now he just smiled, even though he knew in his heart he’d never have that kind of life again.

He wouldn’t risk the chance of reliving the pain of losing someone he’d given his heart to ever again in his life.

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2/25/26 BookQW = Admirable

A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER

Out of time, bound by honor—only love can break the curse and stop the darkness from rising.

“Thomas, thy protection of me is admirable but not needed,” the Black Knight rebutted under his arnet to his childhood friend and then turned to the queen. Her furor over Thomas’s refusal was evident and so would be her vengeance. He couldn’t allow Thomas to face her wrath. “I refuse Sir Thomas’s protection and challenge him to Joust a’ Plaisance.”

Queen Isabel thought for a moment before coolly signaling for the Chief Marshall to approach her. A wicked smile crossed her lips as she whispered into his ear. A look of dismay soon turned to pleasure as the Chief Marshall faced the Black Knight and Sir Thomas.

“These are the queen’s terms of the challenge set forth. If the Black Knight loses, he will remove the coat of arms signifying his alliance with Heartsease and be banished from these lands for all time. If he should be the victor, then Sir Thomas will be stripped of knighthood and work the land as his father before him. In addition, the Black Knight shall do the queen’s bidding day and night as Queen Isabel so chooses.”

A hush fell over the list as all in attendance waited for the Black Knight’s answer to the cruel request. If he accepted this challenge and lost, he’d be forced to leave his homeland forever. This was the place of his birth and the birth of his beloved Catherine. His victory would bring shame upon Thomas and his family and devastate them, and he’d be at Isabel’s mercy for the rest of his days. Either way, he was doomed. The queen left him without a true choice.

The Black Knight backed his black steed, turned, and then trotted around the list toward William, his young squire. Passing along the rail, he paused long enough to take up the lace-and-purple-ribboned offering from Catherine, the beautiful daughter of Heartsease’s dressmaker. He leaned in toward the raven-haired, blue-eyed young woman, his heart already hers. She smiled and tied the token around his lance, making him her champion.

“How can I help but not fail, Catherine,” he whispered to the lovely but plainly dressed maiden.

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2/18/26 BookQW = PAIN

A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER

(a time-travel romance)

Out of time, bound by honor—only love can break the curse and stop the darkness from rising.

 Gathering himself, he repositioned the lance and charged toward Thomas again. As they met in the middle of the tilt, Reynold lowered his weapon at the last moment and felt the jolt of Thomas’s lance hit him squarely in the chest, causing him to teeter in the saddle. The cheers of the crowd echoed inside his arnet, vibrating in his ears.

One more pass, and it would be over.

Ignoring Will’s questioning look, Reynold spurred Abraxas around and charged his lifelong friend for what he prayed would be the last time. When the two passed, Thomas lifted his lance, missing Reynold by inches. Knowing in that instant Thomas was no fool, Reynold fell sideways, allowing Abraxas to drag him to the west end of the list.

The pain shooting through his body was nothing compared to the satisfaction of knowing Thomas would continue his life as a knight. His plan may not have worked to perfection, but his honor to Thomas was held intact. Reynold would find a new life—a lonely one but a life nonetheless.

“Whoa! Whoa!”

The words came through the blackness trying to take claim to his mind. Abraxas suddenly halted, and Reynold felt himself lifted off the ground. Someone took his foot from the stirrup and pulled the arnet from his head.

Focusing, he gazed into the eyes of his raven-haired love. He had indeed found his place, at last, in Catherine’s arms.

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2/11/26 BookQW = Unbelievable

KNIGHT TO REMEMBER

Out of time, bound by honor—only love can break the curse and stop the darkness from rising. 

He’d followed his heart last night, also. He’d only wanted to hold Lady Courtney, to feel her body next to his. It didn’t matter whether they did a love dance or not; he just wanted his arms wrapped around her. Could he trust his heart, or would he lose it again in a game of chance?

He’d take the chance. No matter the outcome, Lady Courtney was a woman with more than mere beauty. She stood up against her enemies, even if she didn’t fully recognize them. She was a woman who dared to believe in the unbelievable. A woman who, against her better judgment, trusted him when no one else seemed to. She was a woman every man wanted, and if he laid there watching her a moment longer, he’d have to pull her down to him and love her like he should have done last night—fully and completely.

“Thou wilt rub the color from those pages if thou continuest in that manner.” Reynold pulled the blanket off and then moved to get up off the bed. It wasn’t his regular bed of straw, but it was more comfortable than a few hard bales of hay would have been.

Courtney stood, toppling over the chair. “No, don’t get—” she cried out, covering her eyes.

Am I that disgusting that she can’t bear to look at me? Was it not her body that kept me warm during the night?

Laughing, Reynold stood, pulling his britches up around his waist. “That brew hath a pleasing aroma. May I have a cup?”

“Ah, yeah.” She pivoted twice, as if she wasn’t sure what she needed or where she was. Reynold couldn’t help but smile at her obvious dismay over a half-naked man in her shop. The rush of pink on her cheeks only made her more alluring and beautiful in his eyes.

She finally collected herself and poured the delicious brew, setting the cup on the table in front of him. “Thou hast read more of our life together?”

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2/4/26 BookQW = BACK

A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER

Out of time, bound by honor—only love can break the curse and stop the darkness from rising. 

“Black Knight, pledge thy loyalty and love to me and no other!” Queen Isabel Trenowyth demanded.

“I cannot, Your Grace,” the Black Knight replied, ignoring her haughty tone while holding back his jet-black Andalusian from prancing too close to the queen and her court. “My heart belongs to another.”

“Another? Thou wearest the colors of this kingdom. My kingdom.” Isabel snorted, her proud face suffused with rage. “Thy heart canst belong to no other in this time or in any other time.”

“Thou speakest the truth. I wear the black and gold colors of Heartsease as a knight by my own pledge, sworn to protect the castle walls and its people, nothing more, Your Grace. I cannot give my heart to one who on a whim hast so many knights on bended knee.” The Black Knight backed his snorting stallion a little farther from the anger of Queen Isabel. He’d vowed to protect Heartsease and its lands for longer than the queen’s reign; he’d never promised to be her lover.

“Of course, there are other willing knights of Heartsease who would give me the pleasure I request. It is what thou hast refused me all these years which I seek. I have offered thee everything, and now thee shall have nothing.” Isabel waved him off like a finished piece of meat. “The tournament shall continue.”

A sneer marred her otherwise beautiful face. “Ruin him, Sir Thomas!” Queen Isabel commanded of the Black Knight’s opponent.

Sir Thomas backed his gray mount away from Queen Isabel until he reined in solidly beside the Black Knight. The line had been drawn, and the Black Knight knew Isabel would not take lightly a refusal from two of her knights.

 

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1/28/26 BookQW = YELLOW

THIRTEEN REFLECTIONS

(A Friday the 13^th Story Collection #7)

Some mirrors don’t just reflect the world.

They trap souls.

And once you look in... something else might be looking back.

This must be how the deceased got in, she thought, walking down the cracked cement steps. As the late afternoon sun lit the darkness she carefully entered. She felt her way along the wall until her hand touched a light switch. A yellow glow fell upon long forgotten trunks and furniture when she flipped the light on.

Cari wove her way around the dusty heirlooms to the stairway on the other side of the musty cellar. Creeping slowly up the stairs, she wasn’t sure where she’d find herself once she reached the door at the top. Or what waited for her on the other side.

Hand on the doorknob, Cari closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and quickly pushed open the door. If there was something, or someone, on the other side they’d get a head full of wood.

To her relief, she stepped into a narrow hall. Walking through the passage, Cari continued across the hall into a room she guessed had been the library. The vast shelves now empty must have held volumes of books at one time. Other than the bookcase, the room was empty except for a threadbare rug in the center of the scuffed wooden floor.

Continuing to survey the room, Cari marveled at the elegance. Even though the room was empty, she felt she’d stepped back in time. Into a time called the Gilded Age when the wealthy had and did everything in excess.

Wandering into the front room she presumed had been the parlor at one time, she noticed the vast hand-carved fireplace. It was the center point of the room with its dark wood and mantel framing the lighter marble of the now unused firebox. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the warmth of the fire and see the furniture placed carefully in the room.

The pocket doors leading to the foyer were pushed partially open. In her heart, Cari wanted to linger longer in the parlor, as something about the room felt oddly familiar. Yet a sense of sadness overwhelmed her, making her feel as if something tragic lay in wait.

Don’t be afraid.

“Hello?” Cari peered around the doors into the foyer. There was no way she’d just heard a voice. She was alone in the house; she was sure of it.

“Listen,” she called out. “Whoever you are, you don’t scare me. I’ve faced far worse spirits than you in the past.”

She stood just inside the foyer waiting for a response.

“Just my imagination, the effects of the legend nothing more,” she proclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief. She wasn’t sure what she’d have done if she’d come face to face with a person—alive or otherwise.

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1/21/26 BookQW = EARTH

SIMPLY TO DIE FOR

where danger and secrets lurk around every corner

There was always a catch. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.

Clar’s endless need to baby Levi, like he was totally incapable of doing so himself drove him crazy. Levi was a grown man, not a lost boy. Jimmy thought about a few of the scrapes Levi had been in. Well, maybe he was lost. What did she expect him to do? Fight law enforcement and find out who in the hell laid Levi up in a state of who knew what? To find out why a few of her candy wrappers were left at the scene? Figure out why the sicko wanted to lure Clar back to LA? Well, he wasn’t going to do it. Clar and her posse could go in on their own and find the damn killer. He wanted no part of it…not anymore.

He’d disappear from the face of the earth just like his dad had. No word. No trace. No way for anyone to contact him. Go to work one day to never return. After all, the killer wasn’t after Jimmy. No, the killer’s target was Clar—plain and simple.

Jimmy sped past cars and landscape, his mind shaking off the painful image of his dad. The Chicago PD brass came to his house with some story about his dad going down in the line of duty. His mother cried for days until they laid Sean O’Brien in a six-foot hole as the family and the Chicago PD paid homage. Jimmy didn’t buy the hero story back then any more than he did today. His dad deserted them, that’s all he knew—all he remembered. He’d always sworn he’d never take the same easy route. So, what the hell was he doing running away?

Suddenly a vision of Clar, laying in a pool of blood, pink candy wrappers strewn over her violated body flashed through Jimmy’s horrified mind. His shoulders tightened like an overwound clock. The muscles in his thighs twitched. His stomach convulsed. Good gawd, what the hell was he doing running away again, leaving her alone and vulnerable at a time like this?

       “Fuck, not on my watch, you bastard!” Heart racing, Jimmy gripped the wheel then swerved into the far-right lane traffic, horns blasting one after the other. He sped up the nearest off ramp, over the bridge, then down the on ramp and headed north back on the 110. The rush hour traffic increased as he continued to weave in and out of vehicles; the drivers giving him the finger, and brakes squealing and horns honking like crazy. He didn’t give a damn. 

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01/14/26 BookQW = Room

SIMPLY TO DIE FOR

where danger and secrets lurk around every corner

Jimmy waited for the sound of stomping boots to fade away. The implications were clear—if he didn’t deal with this, she and Jacki would.

He partially closed the door, shutting out the possibility of being overheard. When it came to keeping things confidential, he knew that anyone could be lurking in the hallway waiting for a juicy tidbit of information…including Clar and Jacki. “Okay, level with me, Clint, what do you know about this anyway? Why would a former undercover agent Texas Ranger be in the room of a beaten-up porn star?”

“Jimmy, you know the deal. My ass would be hung out to dry by the people who hired me if I told you. I never know who it is that needs my services. I get called, do the job, and get paid. Done deal.”

“Bullshit, this is personal.” Jimmy knew rules got broken every day.

“Yeah, I could see that,” Clint said, looking at the door.

Jimmy stood firm knowing he was showing more of his cards than he should. “So.”

“Maybe you should back away from her. Okay, but don’t shoot the messenger.” Clint widened his stance going into full cop mode. “This goes deep, way deep. There’s information that can’t get into the hands of the press, and that includes you. There’s an investigation going on and we won’t know anything until Andres comes out of the coma.”

“Fair enough, for now.” Jimmy paced, tapping the notebook with a pen. “When did Cameron show up? What’s his connection with LAPD?” Clint knew more and Jimmy wanted that information. Starting with Cameron could be a good move.

“I know what you’re doing, Jimmy. Let’s cut to the chase. Cameron has been investigating the death of that young porn star who was strung up and murdered during a BDSM filming. He’s been here for about six months. Just showed up, took up residence, and has been throwing his weight around.” Clint stepped over to the door, pulled it open the rest of the way, and looked down the hall. “Just so you know, someone in Jackson Wolfe’s camp hired me.”

“Holy shit.”

 

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