P.I.- I Love You, by Joanne Jaytanie #RB4U

Washington State, specifically the Puget Sound, is where I call home. I’m a transplant from central state New York, by way of Oklahoma and California. 

Because of my love of the Puget Sound, most of my books take place in Washington. My novella, P.I.–I Love You, Miss Demeanor, P.I. Series, Book One, is a prime example. 

Blurb ~

Rivers don’t let rocks hold them back.

River Nightingale has decided to blow past the rocky men in her life. She’s played by the rules for too long—especially when it came to her career as a cop. She was the top closer of cases for years, but promotions in her small town cop shop went to her less productive male counterparts. River decides it’s time to change careers. She leaves her small town to purchase a Seattle private detective agency and become her own boss.

Homicide Detective Gage Hamlin takes pride in his job; he closes cases and fosters justice. All that changed the day River Nightingale sauntered into his office. River has him questioning his pride, his cases, and his aversion to private detectives, especially beautiful private detectives.

River’s client thinks Gage got it wrong, and River is forced to prove Gage missed a murder. Will River and Gage find a way to play nice, or will River be forced to leave Gage behind?

Excerpt~

River walked into the precinct on Fourth Street. The building buzzed with activity. She wondered why people weren’t falling all over one another, given how fast they moved. Yes, she knew cop shops—she’d spent her last ten years living in one—but the little cop shop in Bear Creek, Montana was only slightly larger than this lunch room she peeked into as she passed by. When she asked for directions to the detectives’ bullpen, the sergeant at the front desk looked her up and down, rolled his eyes, then pointed behind him and went back to a pile of paperwork. 

She walked slowly by each door, reading the nameplates as she passed, until she came to the door of Homicide Detective Gage Hamlin. The office walls were glass giving her a clear view of the man studying his computer. His disheveled coffee-colored hair brushed the collar of his button-down royal blue shirt. He looked over the top of his computer screen, his sapphire-colored eyes locking on hers. River smiled and gave a cursory knock on the half-opened door.

  

“Detective Hamlin?” River asked.

“Yeah, last time I checked. Do we have an appointment?” Detective Hamlin asked as he grabbed his phone, and scrolled through, looking for an answer.

“No—no appointment. However, if you’re not too busy, I wonder if we could chat for a few minutes?”

Detective Hamlin smiled, rose to his feet, walked around his desk, and pulled the door open wider. He gestured for her to enter.  

“Sure, I have a few minutes. How can I help you, Miss—?” He grabbed the pile of files and loose papers out of the closest chair and dumped them into the next one over.

“My name is River Nightingale. I’m a private detective, and I’ve been hired by the Baxter family to investigate their parents’ death.”

River watched as his sparkling eyes and dazzling smile faded from his chiseled features. This reaction would take her a while to get used to.

“I see,” Detective Hamlin said, tight-lipped. “I’ve no idea why they would hire you. I worked the case and closed it.”

“That’s the point, Detective Hamlin. The Baxters don’t agree with your conclusion and asked me to review your findings.”

“Wait one damn minute. Despite how many open cases are assigned to me, I’m a professional. My work is careful and thorough. On what grounds do they find my work inadequate? And you—you don’t even know what kind of hoops I have to jump through. You’re just another ambulance chaser, a clueless private dick.” 

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I do know what kind of hoops you jump through. I recently left my position as an officer.”

“What? Couldn’t handle the hard work?” He scoffed.

“I thrive on hard work. I worked hard for ten years and closed more cases than all my colleagues combined. What I do have a problem with is being passed over for promotions while some yahoo, with half the closed cases and experience, gets the job. And why? Merely because he has a dick and I don’t.”

He made a grunting sound, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. River stared at him, daring him to make his next nasty comment. 

Until next month…

Joanne

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Year of the Cat free on #kindleunlimited by Janice Seagraves

I seem to write cats into my stories a lot here lately.

This is one of my favorites.

Jared is one of my favorite characters. He was fun to write, and I enjoyed the interaction between him and Morgan.

Jared's story started off in three segments and remained that way for years. I had Jared and Morgan very firmly in my mind. I just had to connect the pieces and I did.

The original story was only five thousand words or so long and published as Werecat Love. I enjoyed writing the story so much that I added a bigger section to their story and changed the title to Year of the Cat.

  

I just had to write a longer story about their love.

Photo by Janice Seagraves

Egyptian godess Bast or Bastet as she was later called.

In Year of the Cat, I tell a story about a werecat, Jarred. When things get rough, and they do, he prays to Bast. 

 Blurb: Morgan isn’t expecting romance when she accompanies her friend for a week of skiing, but when she meets Jared all bets are off.
Haunted by the loss of his parents, werecat Jared Catterick earns his keep working for the Catclaw Clan. Jared has secrets that he doesn’t mind sharing with a special lady, and he hopes Morgan is that special someone. When his past and present collide it’s worse than he imagined, and he’s forced to fight for his life.

Excerpt: 

A hard-feline shape landed on his back with claws digging in.

Jared rolled and got it off. Facing Tiger, he knew he confronted a hardened warrior with a big round face full of scars from former battles. “Ouch, you bastard.”

With his lip curled in scorn, Tiger snarled. “Time to die, kitty, and join your extinct clan.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell ya.”

Tiger paused. “Go on, then. Say your last words.”

“Everyone has a right to be ugly, but you’re abusing the privilege.” Jared rushed him. If he got him mad enough the brute would get sloppy. His only thought was living to see Morgan again.

Meeting in the middle, they slashed with their claws. They broke apart and circled each other, tails twitching, clashing again and again.

“I never liked you,” Tiger spat. “Even as a wee lad you had a smart mouth. I only withheld my claws ‘cos of Auntie.” He howled and dashed toward him.

“Come ahead, ye auld bastard!” Jared fell on his back and shoved him with his feet, an un-catlike maneuver, but he wanted this to end.

A thunk indicated the unorthodox tactic had landed Tiger on something hard under the snow. Tiger didn’t move.

Eerily glowing eyes in the forest surrounded him. He wasn’t alone. The rest of the glaring had arrived unnoticed during the fight. Thankfully they didn’t charge him, but with their champion lying at his feet, it might have given them pause.

He arched his back. “Come and have a go if you think you’re tough enough.”

Nothing. No sound or movement.

He didn’t want to turn his back on the glaring, but he had to leave. He had to be out of the territory by sunrise or they’d chase him down and kill him no matter where he went. There was less snow under the thick tree branches. It made sprinting easier for him, but also for those who gave chase. He hooked his claws into the roots of the trees adding more speed to his flight. Great Goddess, Bast, give me strength to live another day.

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 https://www.amazon.com/Year-Cat-Janice-Seagraves-ebook/dp/B0748CP9JH/

Still free on #kindleunlimited