Books

THIS TURF WAR NEVER SLEEPS.

As a journalist, Cassidy DiRocco thought she had seen every depraved thing New York City’s underbelly had to offer. But while covering what appears to be a vicious animal attack, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed. Her exposé makes her the target of the handsome yet brutal Dominic Lysander, the Master Vampire of New York City, who has no problem silencing her to keep his coven’s secrets safe

But Dominic offers Cassidy another option: ally. He reveals she is a night blood, a being with powers of her own, including the ability to become a vampire. As the body count escalates, Cassidy is caught in the middle of a vampire rebellion. Dominic insists she can help him stop the coming war, but wary of his intentions, Cassidy enlists the help of the charming Ian Walker, a fellow night blood. As the battle between vampires takes over the city, Cassidy will have to tap into her newfound powers and decide where to place her trust…

Awards

The City Beneath (Night Blood, book 1) was a finalist in the “Cleveland Rocks” and “Fool For Love” contests.

TRUST NO ONE.

Cassidy DiRocco knows the dark side intimately—as a crime reporter in New York City, she sees it every day. But since she discovered that she’s a night blood, her power and potential has led the dark right to her doorway. With her brother missing and no one remembering he exists, she makes a deal with Dominic Lysander, the fascinating master vampire of New York, to find him.

Dominic needs the help of Bex, another master vampire, to keep peace in the city, so he sends Cassidy to a remote, woodsy town upstate to convince her—assuming she survives long enough. A series of vicious “animal attacks” after dark tells Cassidy there’s more to Bex and her coven than anyone’s saying. That goes double for fellow night blood Ian Walker, the tall, blond animal tracker who’s supposed to be her ally. Walker may be hot-blooded and hard-bodied, but he’s hiding something too. If Cassidy wants the truth, she’ll have to squeeze it out herself… every last drop.

THE LEVELING.

Last week, Cassidy DiRocco had some influence over the vampires that stalk the streets of New York City. She was never completely safe, but with her newfound abilities as a night blood and her honed instincts as a crime reporter, at least she had the necessary skills to survive.

Now, thanks to the injuries she sustained while saving her brother from a fate worse than death, she’s lost her night blood status just as another crime spree hits Brooklyn. Dozens of people are being slaughtered, and each victim bears the Damned’s signature mark; a missing heart.

Cassidy will need the help of all her allies to survive the coming war, including the mysterious and charismatic Dominic Lysander, Master Vampire of New York City. But as his rival’s army threatens his coven and his own powers weaken with the approaching Leveling, even Dominic’s defenses might not be enough protection. With nothing left to lose, Cassidy must find the power inside herself to save Dominic, his coven, their city, and survive.

ENJOYING THE BOOS THIS HALLOWEEN

In this “The Hangover” parody, Harper Reyes and Dennis Hunt – co-workers at a cyber-security company – wake up in bed together following a drunken Halloween Party in New Orleans. The only thing more difficult than attempting to puzzle together the mystery of their night is attempting to resist the chemistry between them. But maybe it’s finally time to stop resisting

“The Hackover” was released along with 10 other participating authors in Funk-N-Fiction book blog’s 2021 “Halloween Flash Fiction Blog Event!” Each short story was inspired by an image from a DeviantArt artist, so you’ll enjoy some artwork as well as some silly, sweet, or spooky fun.

THE HACKOVER

If the intensity of her hangover was equivalent to the level of merriment at last night’s post-conference Halloween party, Harper Reyes had obviously experienced the merriest night of her life. She hadn’t even opened her eyes yet, and her head was already protesting against waking up. Every hair follicle was tender. Her mouth was as fuzzy as her memories, and her stomach—no, better to focus on other pains rather than the current dangers posed by that organ. She inhaled deeply, swallowed, and waited until the churning settled before mustering the strength to open her eyes. Even so, she immediately regretted that decision.

Harper blinked at the blurry world around her—once, twice, and kept blinking—but the too-bright hotel room refused to focus. Which didn’t do any favors for her head or stomach even as she realized that inexplicably, she was wearing glasses in addition to the contacts she’d forgotten to take out last night.

She removed the glasses from her face and stared at the familiar black browline frames, perplexed. Why on Earth was she wearing Dennis’s glasses?

Something warm stirred under the sheets—someone, Harper realized as an arm snaked around her stomach—and she froze….

A DOZEN WAYS TO FALL IN LOVE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Come celebrate the holidays with these dozen unique romances, ranging from sweet to steamy and all ending with a happily-ever-after. This anthology of short stories, written by multi-award-winning authors, including New York Times best-selling author, Alyssa Day, will transport you from Labor Day and Halloween antics to Christmas and Valentine romantics. Its stories will whisk you away into contemporary, historical, and paranormal worlds where love prevails. So, savor the authors featured in this enchanting book and bet your heart on some romantic cheer while you enjoy these twelve ways to fall in love. Proceeds from this novel benefit First Coast Romance Writers, a non-profit chapter of Romance Writers of America that helps writers hone their craft and expand their knowledge of the publishing industry. A portion of the proceeds are also donated to Feed America.

Grave Promises (Witchy Business, 1)

Terra Grum is three impossible things: a witch, Ash Henderson’s former high school crush, and still under his skin. But she’s the only person who might actually believe that a ghost is haunting his house. Despite the tension and longing that lingers between them—feelings better laid to rest—Terra agrees to help exorcise Ash’s ghost. Only by working together can they hope to survive this Halloween night, but their own unfinished business is by far the more dangerous apparition.

GET YOUR SPOOK ON

If you’re in the mood for a fun Halloween short, “Mirror Justice” is another witchy romance in the “Grave Promises” universe! This spooky story was released along with 30 other participating authors in Funk-N-Fiction book blog’s 2020 “Halloween Flash Fiction Blog Event!” Each short story was inspired by an image from a DeviantArt artist, so you’ll enjoy some artwork as well as some silly, sweet, or spooky fun.

MIRROR JUSTICE (Witchy Business, 2)

Jon Grayson was a menace—to society, of course, but mostly, to Mona St. Clair’s peace of mind. The sentiment had no sooner blossomed in her thoughts than St. Clair himself cawed in chiding disagreement from his perch beside her. Their opinion of Gray was the only judgment she and her ancestral raven had so far ever disagreed upon in her five years of preparation to become Lady Justice. Despite her predecessor, Ziro St. Clair’s, insistence that she was too young, too inexperienced, too naïve—too female, more like—she was finally enjoying her first day in office, upholding her coven’s laws. Enjoying it, that was, until halfway through her third proceeding when she came to the unfortunate realization that she might have the flu. And then, the only worse conclusion to the day, besides potentially vomiting, collapsing from her dais, and passing out on her chambers’ marble floor, came to fruition: the fifth and final accused in need of judgment was none other than her childhood sweetheart, Jon Grayson, the prodigal warlock returned.

YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY IS BACK FOR VOLUME 2!

Looking for a Happily Ever After? How about fourteen of them?! Romancing the Holidays, Volume 2 is a collection of romantic short stories all with the happy ending you crave. Genres include: contemporary, historical, paranormal, romantic suspense and young adult. And what better time to find romance than during the holidays? Escape into these Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Three Kings Day and Valentine’s Day adventures, and swoon anew with each couple as they fall in love.

FATED BY FIRE (Witchy Business, 3)

When Marcus Kyle stops to assist a stranded driver change a flat tire, the last person he expects to face is Jenavieve St. Clair, the young witch whose unnervingly accurate visions consistently cast him as the harbinger of death and destruction for their covens. Crossing paths with her is unsettling, but perhaps fate has intervened on his behalf, granting him the opportunity to prove to her that he’s just a man, not the monster that her visions predict him to be. Jen would rather spend her All Hallows’ Eve with anyone except Marcus, but when his teasing charm and disarming smiles trigger a vision of him at a costume party, burning the house to the ground, she agrees to accompany him. As Jen attempts to circumvent his plans and Marcus strives to demonstrate his good intentions, they both discover that perhaps more than just a house fire is fated to spark this Halloween.

YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY IS BACK FOR VOLUME 3!

Celebrate a year’s worth of holidays in one book with a dozen happily ever after endings. The USA Today Best-Selling author team of Lia Davis & L.A. Boruff presents a Spring Equinox tale and, they are joined by other stories about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, President’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, May Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Genres in this book include contemporary, historical, and paranormal, all with a happily ever after.

‘Til Death Don’t Us Part (Witchy Business, 4)

Rachael Phin is desperate for an excitement-free Halloween. No more exorcisms gone wrong. No more crazies trying to perform animal-sacrifice séances. No more All Hallows’ Eve costume party house fires. To avoid disaster this year, Phin travels to her hometown of Cherry Creek, Pennsylvania, putting five states and nine hundred miles between herself and her witches’ coven. But when “Dan Dan, the D-man, Danny Squared” Daniels wedges back into her life like a splinter, it seems like disaster is determined to follow her.

The last person Dantavius Daniels expects to see while attending his brother’s zombie corn maze wedding is Rachael “Bullseye” Phin. A bossy, straight-laced, rule follower, the only thing more on target than Phin’s ability to throw an axe is her disapproving sneer, an expression unerringly aimed at him. Sparking the temper beneath her aloof exterior is his pleasure, so when the bride-to-be’s flower Pomeranian goes missing, Dan seizes the opportunity to pair up with Phin to find Gigi before the couple says, “I do.”

LOVE IS A RIPTIDE…

To help you get into the Holiday spirit, I released another Witchy Business short story! I was once again featured (along with 15 other participating authors) in Funk-N-Fiction book blog’s annual “Halloween Flash Fiction Blog Event!” Each short story was inspired by an image from a DeviantArt artist, so you’ll enjoy some artwork as well as some silly, sweet, or spooky fun. My contribution to this online event was Head Over Undertow (Witchy Business, story 5).

HEAD OVER UNDERTOW (Witchy Business, 5)

Encouraging her coven to host their All Hallows’ Eve celebration at the river docks probably wasn’t the wisest decision for a woman who couldn’t swim, but Peyton St. Peters looked adorable in her sailor-style romper, if she did say so herself. She’d purchased the outfit, with its smart brass buttons and flirty peplum, specifically for this occasion—or more accurately, to seduce Walter Reece at this occasion. She’d even worn her navy and white striped bikini underneath in case the opportunity to disrobe presented itself. Who’s to say there wouldn’t be a hot tub on the docks tonight? There’d never been one on the docks before, but stranger things had happened. They were witches, after all, and she’d take advantage of any excuse, real or fabricated, to display her assets to their best advantage.

After twenty years firmly locked in the friendzone as his best friend’s little sister, Peyton needed every advantage she could get.

YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY IS BACK FOR VOLUME 4!

Romancing the Tropics is the fourth installment in First Coast Romance Writers’ anthology series. This compilation of short stories features a variety of romance genes—historical, contemporary and paranormal–and promises to sweep readers away to enchanting tropical locales where love, action, adventure, humor, and warmth combine in classic tales that prove it’s never too late for love. Romancing the Tropics releases on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, and will be available online in ebook and paperback formats.

SPELLED FOR SURVIVOR (Witchy Business, 6)

Melody’s contribution to this year’s anthology is Spelled for Survivor, a sweet, action/adventure paranormal romance and the sixth installment in her Witchy Business short story series. The hero of Spelled for Survivor, Parker Peters, will do anything to win the reality TV contest Castaway Casanova and its fifty-thousand-dollar grand prize, even use his magic to help him survive each episode’s challenge. Or so he thinks until he meets Stevie Dynamite, his co-star and fellow final contestant, in person. With the fate of his expanding business on the line, will Parker stay true to his goal even if winning Castaway Casanova means betraying Stevie? Or will the magic he finds between them be more valuable than anything money could buy?

Purchase your copy of Romancing the Tropics by clicking on the button below!

YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY IS BACK FOR VOLUME 5!

Second chances, friends to lovers, and forbidden romance spark in this collection of steamy short stories. Brimming with magic and mystery, these five forced-proximity romances range from sensual to spicy, the perfect companion to keep your heart toasty in sweater weather. Hunker down by the hearth, pour a glass of cider, and fall into Autumn’s warm embrace by reading…

Nannette Laurent doesn’t mind seeing dead people; it’s the living people she can’t trust. When Colton Maine invites her to a pre-game party in his family’s cemetery before their coven’s All Hallows’ Eve celebration, she doesn’t need her Gran’s perpetual warnings of doom and gloom to know he has an ulterior motive. But finally communing with the spirits of the oldest and darkest bloodline in their coven is an opportunity for power that Nannette can’t resist, no matter the risk to her person … or her heart.

GHOSTLY INTENTIONS (Witchy Business, 7)

Colton has been a disappointment to his family his entire life. Unlike his splendidly evil sisters, he’s never successfully cursed anyone. He can’t conjure a natural disaster, let alone a thunderstorm, and he gave up on the poisons and venoms chapters of his late grandmother’s grimoire years ago. But when his sisters’ latest spell backfires, Colton is their family’s last remaining hope to reach beyond the physical plane and retrieve the cure from the most powerful witch in their family: Memaw Maine. Too bad Colton hasn’t conducted a successful séance in … ever. With Nannette’s help, he might stand a chance of saving his sisters—assuming that while in such close proximity to Nannette, he’s capable of concentrating on anything besides getting closer.

SWEET ENOUGH TO EAT.

I’m thrilled to participated in another annual Halloween Flash Fiction Event with Funk-N-Fiction! I look forward to this online event every year, and I hope you do, too. It offers an entire week of fun, flirty and FREE Halloween-themed short stories, all inspired by a DeviantArt artist. This year, my story is titled Pumpkin & Spice (Witchy Business, 8) and features two witches, a suspicious cat, a rumbustious ferret, and thirteen pumpkins. Best of all, this Halloween-themed, opposites attract romance is FREE. Simply hop over to the Funk-N-Fiction blog to enjoy this story as well as many other fun Halloween-themed romances every day throughout the week leading up to Halloween. The romantic shenanigans of my Witchy Business characters always bring me joy. I hope they bring a smile to your face, too. Yin the cat and Lemon the ferret are especially hilarious in this story, and (in my opinion) are the underrated heroines of this story. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN & SPICE (Witchy Business, 8)

When Isrid volunteered to carve pumpkins with Garth for their coven’s haunted house-themed Halloween party, she didn’t consider how her intricate jack-o-lantern designs would challenge him. A relentless perfectionist, Garth refuses to quit until the job is finished, and at the rate he’s carving, he’ll be staying the night. A tantalizing proposition, considering his nerdy smarts are wrapped in a delicious, candy-coated shell of brawny muscle. If Isrid can redirect his unwavering focus from holiday decor to her, maybe they’ll discover that pumpkin isn’t the only spice to enjoy on Halloween.

BEING GOOD HAS NEVER LOOKED SO BADASS.

I’m thrilled to participate in another annual Halloween Flash Fiction Event with Funk-N-Fiction! Simply visit the Funk-N-Fiction blog to enjoy this story as well as many other fun Halloween-themed romances every day throughout the week leading up to Halloween.

Brewing Tricks Before Treats (Witchy Business, 9)

Petra Maine is accustomed to life doling more tricks than treats, but when a dangerous warlock enters her brewery on All Hallows’ Eve with a tempting request—nearly as tempting as the man himself—it might be an opportunity too sweet to refuse. 

As the Harbinger for the East Thornton Coven Counsel, Gerard Zeith is tasked with investigating Petra’s Pots & Potions. If Petra willingly sells him a poison brewed with death magic, he’ll finally have evidence to clinch his case against the Maine family and bring Petra to justice. 

But Gerard isn’t Petra’s only patron with underhanded motives. When Petra is attacked by a dissatisfied customer, Gerard’s loyalties are tested. If they can put aside their differences and work together, Petra and Gerard might discover the most intoxicating magic brewing in Petra’s Pots & Potions this Halloween. 

BEING BAD NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD

Wicked Possessions, Witchy Business 10, is featured as part of the 2026 annual Halloween Flash Fiction Event with Funk-N-Fiction! A stand alone short story, this fun, sassy romance is the perfect way to treat yourself this Halloween.

WICKED POSSESSIONS (Witchy Business, 10)

When the Clifton Heights Coven gathers for All Hallows’ Eve, they typically endure more tricks than treats, and this year is no exception. Vienna Joann Maine was pleased to host her coven’s horror movie production at her family’s abandoned warehouse when she was cast as the lead actress. After a misfortunate bout of laryngitis, however, she’s reduced to playing Harriet the Possessed—the monster.  

A horror movie set might not seem like the most romantic setting, but Kenneth Carmine Daniels won’t let anything so trivial as blood spatter, demonic possession, or director’s critiques prevent him from achieving his ultimate goal for participating in this production. After a lifetime of reigning his true feelings, Kenneth intends to finally ask Vienna, his long-time crush, out on a date.

Vienna and Kenneth have vastly different aspirations for filming a horror flick, but together, they discover something even more thrilling than movie magic this Halloween. 

BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP… IN THE EYES OF THE WRONG BEHOLDER.

Looking for a Happily Ever After? How about six of them?! I’m thrilled to participate in Holiday Wishes, an anthology that features authors Leah Miles, Sara J. Walker, Gloria Zahler Ferguson, Lia Davis, Vanessa Victoria Kilmer, and me! Available everywhere books are sold.

THE WITCH’S MEOW (Witchy Business, 11)

Shelly Adair has many talents, but accurately wielding her family’s powerful magic isn’t one of them. When she accidentally transforms her cat into a lookalike of her childhood crush, she’s officially hit rock bottom—until the object of her desire drops in for a surprise visit. 

Julian Kincaid will never forgive himself for the injuries that Shelly endured on his movie set. He’s hopeful that some good company and even better chocolate will lift her spirits, but Shelly’s broken nose is the least of her wounds that need healing.

When worlds collide this Halloween night, Shelly and Julian must survive a few tricks before savoring the most delicious of treats … plus, some really tasty candy.