Thank You, Romance
Writers and Readers
Thanksgiving is about more than stuffing our faces with
scrumptious foods. This holiday also reminds us to consider what we're thankful
for and express our appreciation. In my personal life, I have a lot to be
thankful for—but as a writer, I owe a special thanks to my fellow romance
authors and to my readers. I've worked in a number of fields, most recently as
a librarian. I met plenty of great colleagues during my tenure at public and
corporate libraries, but ask any librarian and she'll tell you libraries are
hotbeds of intrigue, complete with backstabbing and soap-opera-worthy
interpersonal affairs.
Since stepping into the romance writing community, mainly
through my membership in Romance Writers of America, I've discovered a
completely different atmosphere. Romance writers support each other in amazing
ways. They share promotional opportunities, offer encouragement, and embrace
newcomers with open arms. This kind of community spirit is unlike any other
group I've encountered.
We can't forget about the readers, though! Romance readers
are devoted and when they love your book, they'll tell everyone they know about
it. My newsletter subscribers love it when I conduct a poll or survey to find
out what they like to read and what type of stories they'd like me to write.
Some fans have written reviews or rated my books on Goodreads, Amazon, and
other outlets. I'm so grateful for their feedback and support.
So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to send out a big
hug and thanks to all my fellow romance writers and my readers. A writer's life
can be solitary, sitting at the computer typing away all day. But you guys make
it all worthwhile.
Intuition (Psychic
Crossroads, Book 2)
Torn apart by their haunted pasts, Grace Powell and her
fiancé David Ransom are struggling to reclaim their passionate bond and build a
normal life — one without danger and paranormal powers. But David can't
renounce his obsession with hunting down Karl Tesler, who abducts and tortures
psychics. David endured Tesler's tactics himself, but despite what Grace
believes, he's not out for revenge.
Tesler covets her unprecedented abilities and her mysterious
connection to a source of limitless psychic power. David will do anything —
even abandon and lie to her — to protect Grace from Tesler.
With a psychic stalker on her trail, Grace charges into a
desperate mission to uncover the truth about David's obsession. But Tesler's
agents are closing in on her, and a terrifying new enemy is rising…
As events drive Grace and David toward a battle of epic
proportions, they must risk everything — their relationship, their lives, and
even their souls — to defeat an enemy who wields unspeakable psychic power.
"Anna Durand has
created a new approach to psychic abilities and it is refreshing and intriguing
all wrapped up in a twisting and turning plot that keeps a reader on the edge
of their seat. Intuition is a
page-turner and up-late reader!"—InD'Tale Magazine
Excerpt from Intuition
Grace rolled onto her side. Her nose bumped into David's
pillow. She drew in a long breath. The spiciness of his aftershave flooded her
senses, along with another scent—a subtle, masculine smell unique to David.
Indescribable. Delicious. Warmth suffused her, seeping into her heart and mind,
smoldering in parts of her that ached for him. She inhaled another draft of his
scent, her body responding as if he were there, caressing her. He may drive her
nuts at times, but…
Oh, the way he kissed. Her lips tingled from the memory of
it.
A chill whispered over her skin. Every hair on her body
stiffened. Her sixth sense burst out of its slumber, clanging alarm bells in
her psyche. Someone is here.
She bolted upright and whipped her head left and right.
Nobody there. She swung her legs off the bed and pushed up onto her feet,
nabbing her .357 Magnum revolver from the bedside table. A chill trickled down
her spine. Eyes watched. Invisible, ethereal, but real. She turned toward the
doorway. Nothing lurked there.
Why couldn't she pin down the source of the sensation? Her
paranormal radar was blanked out, as if overwhelmed by input.
Psychic energy crackled through her. Behind you. She whirled around, thrusting the gun up, clamped in
both hands, and confronted—
The lamp.
Hell. She'd let her unease blossom into paranoia. Nobody
hunted her anymore. Probably. Tesler wouldn't find her here.
Her cell phone buzzed. A text message had arrived.
David. She
snatched up the phone, tapping the screen until the message popped up. As she
scanned the words, a shiver rattled through her.
"Come to me," it said, "I can help you. 1325
Meroz Road."
She didn't recognize the phone number the message came from,
and no name was given. Oh sure, she'd rush right out to the address texted to
her by an anonymous whackjob.
The phone buzzed again. Another text message: "Your lip
is bleeding."
Her lip? She dabbed a finger on her mouth. It came away wet.
Blood stained her skin. How did the texter know she bit her lip? Her heart
pounded. Without moving, she searched the shadows for a figure, a camera,
something to explain this, though she knew she'd find nothing. A thick curtain
shielded the window. The person sending the messages could either see through
solid objects or had another means of viewing her. Extrasensory means.
The phone tumbled from her hand, clattering on the floor.
No, she was jumping to conclusions. An intruder must've
stolen into the house. With the revolver in hand, she sprinted out of the
bedroom, down the hallway, through the kitchen, and into the living room.
Vacant. All vacant. She rushed back to the bedroom and dug through the closet,
scoured the dresser, even dropped onto her belly to investigate the space under
the bed. No cameras. No stealthy intruders. Not a damn thing. Which left her
with one unthinkable possibility.
Maybe she should call the police.
What for? They couldn't help her with this kind of problem.
"You belong with me."
She jumped. Her head smacked into the bed frame. She
clutched the gun tighter. Where had the voice come from?
No, no, no, not again.
Nausea swelled in her stomach, bile rising high in her throat. The voice did
not originate in this room, or from outside. The source was much, much closer.
Someone rammed the words into her mind.
A psychic intruder just hacked her brain.
Intuition is available from
Anna Durand is an award-winning writer, a freelance librarian, and an audiobook addict. She specializes in sexy romances, both paranormal and contemporary, featuring spunky heroines and hunky heroes. As a member of Romance Writers of America, she volunteers for two of its chapters—as membership chair for Hearts Through History and social media chair for Outreach International. In her previous life as a librarian, she haunted the stacks of public libraries but never met any hot vampires hunting for magical books.
Beautiful post, Anna. Not only am I thankful for my readers, but for the tremendous support from the Roses at TWRP. They're the best! :)
ReplyDeleteMary, you are absolutely right. Roses are awesome!
DeleteI use what I call a "mind meld" (thanks to Mr. Spock of Star Trek for the term) but it is a positive thing in my writings. I can only imagine how disconcerting it would be were it as intrusive as it must seem in your excerpt! Very interesting and extremely well written!
ReplyDelete