For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 22 authors have allied for 1 cause: fundraising for research. Their gift to everyone who makes a donation? A romance anthology (ebook) titled Shades of Pink (volume 2), totaling almost 150.000 words / about 400 pages as a PDF.

During all of October, we’ll post teasers for the stories, interviews of the authors and blog posts. Find them all on Kallysten’s blog, along with a FAQ, and of course the link where you can donate and help this worthy cause.

The link: http://ow.ly/DxWQt

Have you placed your donations yet? The suggested donation is only $5! This ends November 15th so hurry and get those donations in to get yourself an amazing collection of short stories!

Here is a teaser from my short “Blood Lost: Book 2 in The Pink Rhinestone Tiara Series”:

Catriogwyn was deep in thought on the drive back to the house. She knew that she was going to have to fix the place up a bit, especially the backyard. It still looked very much the jungle she thought of when she had arrived three months ago. She wanted to make sure that the roses could be seen. They were too beautiful to be hidden under so much foliage.
She hadn’t bothered to do anything about the place yet, she hadn’t known where to start because the front of the house didn’t need as much work as she would have thought. Demetrio had told her that he was the one that kept the front of the house up for appearance’s sake after Prudence had died. He had apologized for not getting to the back of the house, but there hadn’t been enough time before the lawyers had contacted Catriogwyn about the reading of Prudence’s will.
Catriogwyn shrugged. She would have Demetrio help her with the backyard, making sure they could tame it a little.
I guess the yard would be a good place. Start on the outside and take inventory of the inside to see where the work is needed there, she thought as she rounded the corner.
She was feeling even more confused about the whole thing than she had been before she met with the lawyer. Demetrio was standing on the front porch when she pulled in to the overgrown driveway.
He helped her out of the car, “So, how did it go at the lawyer’s office?”
Catriogwyn sighed. “Mr. Kemp doesn’t know who drew up the paperwork. He says that he’s pretty sure that no one in his office did it. He certainly didn’t authorize anyone to do it. I don’t know, Demetrio,” she said worriedly. “I need to fix the place up before I can sell it.”
The genie looked at her with concern. “The lawyer didn’t know where the papers came from?”
She shook her head. Catriogwyn was beginning to think that she was going to need to call her job and quit before she would be able to be free of the property.
“I need to make a phone call,” she said as she moved to the porch.
Demetrio was hot on her heels. “Okay. I’ll make us some lunch. Are you going to be okay?”
Catriogwyn turned, smiling at her companion. “I’ll be fine. I have you, remember?”
Demetrio smiled, which is what she had intended. It was nice to have someone worrying about her. It was something Catriogwyn had never really had and it was taking some getting used to, but it was nice nonetheless.

© DJ Shaw

“Don’t you think I’m so sexy? I’m dr

“Don’t you think I’m so sexy? I’m dressed so fresh so clean.” It’s the new Hootsuite dashboard anthem: http://ow.ly/DaIFM

 

Tonight’s teaser is from my WIP “Entitled” (working title). Hope you enjoy 😉

This investigation had been going on too long. They had no real suspects and the killer was getting bolder in his actions. Kaylea was getting frustrated and her colleagues were getting the brunt of it. In this job of hers, it was dog eat dog and she had to prove that she was good enough to play with the big boys. Catching this killer would be just the proof she needed, but he wasn’t making it easy.
Sure his actions were getting bolder but his methods were all over the map. He didn’t appear to have any MO, Motive of Opportunity, which was slowing down the process of catching him. Four kills so far, that the state of New Mexico knew of anyway. It was time to do some serious digging.
Back in The Academy she’d learned that every serial killer had an MO, a type, a special weapon and vehicle of choice. She was almost ready to throw that knowledge out the window with this case because it didn’t seem to be a s black and white. She really wanted to catch this guy before he killed again but knew, deep down, that it was pretty fucking unlikely. She’d been pulled in after the third kill and she’d hoped she would have learned something about him, his motives and the way his mind worked. Now, she was just hoping that she caught him before too many more died.
“All right, everyone, let’s allow the ME to do their jobs so that we can get some information to go on. Not much else we can do here,” Kaylea said on a sigh as she moved to her Navy Blue Sedan.
She got behind the wheel and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headrest of the seat. Her mind was going a hundred miles a minute and she knew that if she didn’t get back to the precinct and talk with the local police chief soon, it would be much tougher to get what she needed from him. It was time to lay down some ground rules and get some cooperation going on both fronts. She needed all of the files that the APD — Albuquerque Police Department — had on this case. She needed to get more information.
She watched as the ME — Medical Examiner — took the body’s temperature and looked over the wounds, wondering what the body would be able to tell them. She stuck the key in the ignition and turned the engine over. She decided it was best to go on to the local precinct and start the inevitable argument with the police chief. She was sure she’d have a fight on her hands about getting the files she needed.

© DJ Shaw

 

“Things in the Mirror” is currently being revised but I thought I would whet your appetite for the re-release of this little ditty but giving you a bit of a taste 😉 Bon apetite

I made it to my bedroom and stupidly flicked the light switch, hoping against hope that it would turn on. I moved slowly through the room towards my night stand and my charging phone. Right before I reached my destination, I tripped over the tennis shoes that I had left lying in front of the bed. I landed hard on my hands and knees, pulling the phone down with me. I checked the charge, decided it would be enough and called my husband at work.
“Hey, honey, I’m just wrapping things up here and then I’m heading home. Everything okay?” Terry asked by way of greeting.
“Everything’s fine, but the stupid lights went out again. You know how much I hate being alone in the dark. How soon do you think you’ll be home?” I replied.
He answered me with an Irish accent, “Faster than a will o’ the wisp tricks an unsuspecting human.”
I laughed softly, which had been his intention, “Okay, then I’ll sit tight until you get home.” I heard him give a long suffering sigh as I pulled the phone away from my ear to hang up and he said, “You can always go down to the basement and check the breaker box yourself, dear.” The condescending tone could be heard before the phone was even placed back to my ear. “I know, but I’d rather wait until you get home to get it done,” I told him sheepishly. It always made me feel childish when Terry used that tone while talking to me about my fears of the dark and mirrors. Maybe they were but I didn’t have any good memories of either. Especially if they were combined.
The rumors of our home being haunted certainly didn’t help matters. Strange incidents had been reported by former home owners and neighbors. Things like the lights going out for no reason. Terry didn’t believe in supernatural or paranormal anything, but I had done an in-depth search before we settled into the place. The only strange things to have happened since we moved in six months before were the lights. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. Everything was brand new, from the breaker box all the way down to the wires. Terry had installed it all himself after the first incident.

© DJ Shaw

 

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 22 authors have allied for 1 cause: fundraising for research. Their gift to everyone who makes a donation? A romance anthology (ebook) titled Shades of Pink (volume 2), totaling almost 150.000 words / about 400 pages as a PDF.

The suggested donation is $5. Funds are raised via Stayclassy.org and all proceeds go directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Readers can also donate to the charity organization of their choice (with a focus on breast cancer) and email their receipt to receive their copy of the anthology in either PDF, ePub or mobi (kindle).

http://ow.ly/D0lHu

Here is a teaser from my contribution, “Blood Lost” Book 2 in The Pink Rhinestone Tiara Series:

Catriogwyn followed Mr. Kemp into his office, taking a seat in front of his desk as he settled himself behind it, “I would like to sell my Great-Aunt’s house. I’ve started the process but I don’t have enough experience in this field to even begin to understand the paperwork. I was wondering if you, or perhaps someone you can refer me to, can help me through this process.”
Mr. Kemp stippled his fingers, nodding while she had been talking. She was never one for small talk so she had just gotten down to business. She figured the sooner she got the house sold, the sooner she could return to her quiet life back in Chicago. She had no idea that her life wouldn’t be quiet again.
Mr. Kemp cleared his throat before he spoke, “I can certainly help you sell the property, Ms. Stacey. But first I have to ask you if you’re absolutely certain that this is something you want to do.”
Even though she knew the question was coming she still groaned softly. “I have a life in Chicago, Mr. Kemp, with a job. I’ve been here for three months with nothing really to show for it. There isn’t a place in this town that will hire me for the kind of work I do. Unless you know of a place? I like this town and the house but I have to return to my life at some point.”
Mr. Kemp nodded. “I understand. What is it that you do for work again? I don’t remember if you ever told me that. I’m pretty sure I can help you find a job here if that is the only reason you want to sell the property. I know your Great-Aunt had said that you can do whatever you wanted with the place, but I was under the impression when she drew up her will that she had hoped you would decide to stay here.”
Catriogwyn wasn’t sure what to say to that. If Prudence had wanted her to stay, she was sure it would have been in the will. Wouldn’t it? Maybe she just hadn’t read between the lines as much as she’d thought she had? The only excuse she had was that she had been in shock after discovering that Prudence had known what she was.
“I’m not so sure about that, Mr. Kemp,” was all she said.
Catriogwyn pulled the escrow paperwork out of her bag, placing it on the desk between the two of them. She didn’t say another word while Mr. Kemp picked it up and started looking it over.
He cleared his throat. “I see what you mean by not being able to make any sense of this. It seems that the person who drew these up didn’t really know what they were doing either. What we need to do is work on an asking price and whether you’re going to fix the place up before you sell, not that the place needs that much sprucing. And that’s just to start any proceedings.”
She looked at the paperwork in the lawyer’s hands and then at the lawyer himself, What does he mean ‘the person who drew these up’?
She understood why those items would be important but she couldn’t figure out what he was talking about where the paperwork was concerned.

© DJ Shaw

 

 

Tonight’s teaser is from a short story that is in the anthology “Light in the Darkness” available for purchase now. My story is among some amazing stories from some pretty awesome authors. Make sure you get yourself a copy 🙂

All proceeds from this anthology will be donated to Literacy for Incarcerated Teens, a non-profit organization based in New York.

http://ow.ly/AeXkR

Here is the teaser from “Embracing the Gift”, my YA short story:

The next morning Callie woke feeling refreshed and energized. She was ready to tackle anything. She didn’t know that things were about to take a strange turn, that her ability to tackle anything was about to be tested. She dressed quickly and made her way down stairs to join her family for breakfast.
“You look lovely, dear.”
She was greeted by her mother who had glanced her way briefly before returning her attention to the meal she was cooking on the stove.
“Thanks, mom. What’s for breakfast?” She asked as she took her seat at the kitchen table.
She smiled at her younger sister as her mom began plating the morning meal. Her sister was two years younger and always eager to hang out with her. It got Callie’s nerves sometimes but she loved her sibling. Their older brother had already moved out of the house, leaving the two of them alone with their mom. Their dad was a truck driver and hardly ever home so it was just the three of them. Callie helped out as best she could around the house between school and her part-time job at the food court in the mall.
“What are your plans today, Callie?” Elisa asked as their mother set a plate down in front of her.
Callie smiled knowingly as she regarded her sister. On the one hand she wanted to go to the costume shop by herself but on the other having a second opinion might prove to be helpful. Like it or not, her younger sibling was a great judge of fashion and would be able to tell her if the costume was too much.
Having made her decision her smile widened as she answered, “I’m going shopping for a Halloween costume to wear to Jessica Hughes’ Halloween party.”
Her sister was practically bouncing out of her chair as if ready to take off that moment to the store.
Anticipating her sister’s question she said, “Would you like to come with me?”
Nearly bursting with excitement Elsa popped up from her seat, ran around the table and gave her sister a fierce hug, “Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes! Can we leave now?”

© DJ Shaw

I apologize for being a little late with my nightly teaser on this third night but here it is!

This teaser is from my WIP titled “The Undying Demon”. I hope to have this WIP finished by the end of the year so that we can have a 2015 release.

Without further ado, your teaser from “The Undying Demon”:

Dani knew that she should have just gone home after work, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She had had a long day at work and needed to unwind before she hit her house to take care of her cat, Cricket. She entered the bar, letting her eyes adjust to the dim lighting before she moved further from the door. As she stepped into the main club from the semi-lit hallway, she found that her eyes needed to adjust some more. The club itself was damn near dark, with only the occasional strobe by the DJ booth.

After her eyes adjusted, she moved towards the bar to order that long awaited drink. She made her way around writhing bodies and screaming people to her destination. Once she arrived, she ordered herself a Jack and Coke, wishing that she could just order the Jack and make the bartender leave the bottle. Taking her drink with her, she moved to a table hidden in the shadows as far away from the dance floor as she could get. She scanned the bar, looking for the thing that had killed her best friend. She knew she was hunting, had been for the last three months, but she wanted this thing. She needed to exact some revenge, not to mention she was working on a book and needed some research into evil.

As she watched the people grinding on the dance floor, her mind wandered back to that night, three months ago, when she found Angie’s body. The image superimposed itself over the couple she had been watching, the position Angie had been in when Dani had found her. She knew it was dangerous to let her mind wander in this moment but she couldn’t stop herself. As she shook herself, bringing her mind back into the present and the task on hand, the smell of raw hamburger was in her nose.

© DJ Shaw

Night two of teasers from WIPs and work coming out.

This teaser is from “Blood Lust” coming December 31st, 2014! Hope you enjoy!

It was shortly after Freya had married Aidan that she tried to discuss the situation with Catriogwyn. She’d told her sister that after her first time with Aidan he’d seemed sluggish. She wasn’t sure if that was normal. But Catriogwyn seemed uncomfortable talking about sex, much less her older sister having it, so she’d let the subject drop.
Catriogwyn continued thinking about how many times her sister had tried to talk to her about how Aidan had seemed drained of energy after they would have sex, but she felt extremely energetic and full of life. That one phrase kept turning around in her mind while she wandered aimlessly through the woods. The small sounds that had been accompanying her on her walk had gone quiet. That’s when she stepped into a clearing and saw the man standing there. He was mostly hidden in the shadow of the trees, on the edge of the clearing, so she couldn’t see him really well. From the shadow all she could tell was that he was tall, around six foot eight though he was hunched slightly, and wiry. What made him stand out was his height and leanness.
Catriowgyn hadn’t seen anyone, male or female, that tall or skinny before. She stopped in the center of the clearing where the moonlight could shine down on her. Her skirts made a swooshing noise as she came to a standstill. They stood there, staring at each other, for what seemed like hours. Then, the man spoke.
“You are a lovely vision, standing in the moonlight as you are.”
His voice was gravelly, as if he hadn’t spoken in a very long time. She jumped slightly at the sound of it, but recovered quickly, replying, “Why, thank you, kind sir. I must admit that you startled me some. Can you come join me under this wonderful moonlight so that I may see you better?”

© DJ Shaw

Get your e-book copies of “Light in the

Get your e-book copies of “Light in the Darkness” today! Full of amazing stories from some great authors, there’s sure to be something for you!<3

All proceeds from this anthology will be donated to Literacy for Incarcerated Teens, a non-profit organization based in New York.

http://ow.ly/AeXkR

Shades of Pink Charity Anthology As you

Shades of Pink Charity Anthology
As you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last year, the first Shades of Pink event raised over $10.000 through more than 1300 donations
Where: Kallysten’s blog
Here you’ll find links to teasers for the stories, interviews of the authors and blog posts during all of October, a FAQ, and of course the link where you can donate and help this worthy cause.
http://ow.ly/COhDK