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DUNMORE RISING

Book IV of my Demons of Dunmore series releases today.

Love is mightier than the sword…

Sir Graham Dunmore is looking forward to competing in his first summer tournament—until he gets saddled with babysitting a prince in disguise, three fairy-godmothers he would much rather see fly back to where they came from, and a woman for a squire. Gone for years, Jiliana is now back in Westmyre, older, colder, with a lethal fighting skill that leaves him both impressed and intrigued.

Jili doesn’t recognize this sleek, well-trained man as the awkward friend from her youth. But seeing Graham again brings back painful memories of a brutal past. One that forces her to live a life of tight control, lest one slip unleash a deadly monster capable of hurting everyone in her path.

Yet as Graham patiently teaches her the arts of love, Jili has a glimmer of hope that she can finally control the killer that lurks inside her—until a ninja assassin begins to stalk the tournament.

With a heavy heart, she realizes Graham is going to need every skill she possesses to protect the prince—the very skills that could tear them apart forever.

Warning: This title contains cranky fairies, a gorgeous hero, and a heroine who just about kicks his ass…plus really sizzling sex told in naughty language.

Check it out, at Samhain Publishing , and enjoy this exclusive excerpt!

After seeing Graham settled as best she could, Jiliana walked to a nearby field and faced the rising sun, letting her breath slow and her mind still. It would be a glorious day, she thought, watching the light sneak up to chase away the dark. She frowned, the peace she sought so desperately vanishing along with the twinkling of the stars.

The sight of the youth’s mutilated body refused to be pushed away. It had been a far from pleasant death for one so very young. Not that she hadn’t seen more than her share of death, in all its many guises. The masters taught that wisdom came from acceptance, but she often wondered if acceptance was just another word for apathy. A way to excuse one’s actions and pretend it was necessary as she had done on more than one occasion. Could you be so detached from life you lost sight of its greater meaning?

The voice of her teacher whispered in amusement. “One must learn to accept the unacceptable. Change cannot be avoided or refused. Only in this truth can one hope to find freedom.”

She stood, shaking her doubts aside. She would find no peace today.

Better to work the body than let the mind take over. She assumed the proper stance and began the first movement, resting her weight on her back leg while bending the other and touching the point of her toe on the ground.

“What are you doing?” She jumped at Graham’s husky voice, her frustration rising as her calmness was again disrupted.

“It’s called a kata.” She glowered up at him, refusing to be pacified by how adorable he looked. His hair stuck out in all directions and he yawned, scratching his armpits.
Graham circled a finger in the air. “Show me.”

To her utter chagrin, Jiliana became suddenly shy under the scrutiny of his sharp blue eyes. But if he truly wanted to learn, she was obligated to teach him. This was how it had always been.

She assumed her earlier position. “Each posture is a strike or blow, performed slowly with the utmost precision and concentration.” She shifted her weight to her front leg, sweeping her arms across her body as she turned to face the other direction. She brought her hands up and clawed her fingers. “Tiger.”

Graham copied her, surprising her again with the grace of his movements.
“Very good,” she told him, taking a large step forward to crouch close to the ground. Her fingers touched into a pointed strike. “Snake.”

Graham said nothing as he mimicked her once more. Jiliana stood, her hands held high with the fingers pointing down. “Crane.”

For long moments they moved silently together; teacher and student, master and squire. Her earlier restlessness calmed as the joy of the kata took over. Graham proved a quick study, and when they had finished, he looked at her with a new appreciation.

“Do you do this every day?”

“Yes.”

“And you will teach me?”

She placed her palms together and gave him an assessing look. “Once the training has begun, you must be willing to follow it through to the end. The student and master both have obligations.”

He nodded, moving close to caress her cheek. His grin could have made the devil blush. “Shall we consider it an even trade?” She felt her skin prickle when he ran his tongue across his teeth and pulled her hard against him. The mood between them grew heavy with lush and sinful needs.