Last Chance for Early Bird Pricing!

Interested in picking up Wicked Temptation? This is the final day to grab it at the special early bird price! Tomorrow, July 15th, the price increases. Save money and enjoy an exciting action-adventure, second-chance romance!

The blurb: 

He’s always been a protector. She’s strong enough to fight on her own. This time, survival depends on each other.

Special Forces Sgt. Cal “Baggs” Baggnell walked away from Iona Desmond. Carving out his own heart hurt—but watching the woman he loves charge headfirst into danger hurt even more.

Iona loves Cal with her whole being, but she couldn’t change the core of who she is to fit his protective nature. He knew exactly who she was when they met—the need for adventure is in her DNA.

Now, their paths collide in Puerto Jardin, where Iona has talked her way into Cal’s op. And he’s been assigned to work with her.

Their bait: the Lost Treasure of Trujillo. Their target: arms dealer Jorge Torres. Their problem: Torres isn’t the only predator closing in.

With ruthless drug lords, rival treasure hunters, and a powerful Russian mob lieutenant obsessed with finding the billion-dollar fortune, Cal and Iona must put their past aside. The deeper they dig, the deadlier the game becomes.

As betrayals mount and enemies tighten their grip, survival depends on one thing: Trust. If they fail, they won’t just lose their second chance—they’ll lose everything.

 

Wicked Temptation is a stand-alone romance with a HEA. There are references to events that happened in earlier books, but it's not necessary to read them to enjoy this story.

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who works undercover for the Paladin League as a photojournalist. This story features a second-chance romance, identical twins, and a kick-butt heroine.

Wicked Tempation Is Out!

Wicked Temptation is officially released as of July 1!!!

This is Cal "Baggs" Baggnell and Iona Desmond's story. You met both of them in the last book when Io's identical twin sister came to Puerto Jardin to find her missing sister.

This is book 8 of the 10 book Paladin League series. I'm about to start writing book 9 for 2027 release.

Book Blurb: 

He’s always been a protector. She’s strong enough to fight on her own. This time, survival depends on each other.

Special Forces Sgt. Cal “Baggs” Baggnell walked away from Iona Desmond. Carving out his own heart hurt—but watching the woman he loves charge headfirst into danger hurt even more.

Iona loves Cal with her whole being, but she couldn’t change the core of who she is to fit his protective nature. He knew exactly who she was when they met—the need for adventure is in her DNA.

Now, their paths collide in Puerto Jardin, where Iona has talked her way into Cal’s op. And he’s been assigned to work with her.

Their bait: the Lost Treasure of Trujillo. Their target: arms dealer Jorge Torres. Their problem: Torres isn’t the only predator closing in.

With ruthless drug lords, rival treasure hunters, and a powerful Russian mob lieutenant obsessed with finding the billion-dollar fortune, Cal and Iona must put their past aside. The deeper they dig, the deadlier the game becomes.

As betrayals mount and enemies tighten their grip, survival depends on one thing: Trust. If they fail, they won’t just lose their second chance—they’ll lose everything.

 

Wicked Temptation is a stand-alone romance with a HEA. There are references to events that happened in earlier books, but it's not necessary to read them to enjoy this story.

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who works undercover for the Paladin League as a photojournalist. This story features a second-chance romance, identical twins, and a kick-butt heroine.

Wicked Temptation Countdown

One month until Wicked Temptation is released!

Actually, less than a month since release day is July 1st.

He’s always been a protector. She’s strong enough to fight on her own. This time, survival depends on each other.

Special Forces Sgt. Cal “Baggs” Baggnell walked away from Iona Desmond. Carving out his own heart hurt—but watching the woman he loves charge headfirst into danger hurt even more.

Iona loves Cal with her whole being, but she couldn’t change the core of who she is to fit his protective nature. He knew exactly who she was when they met—the need for adventure is in her DNA.

Now, their paths collide in Puerto Jardin, where Iona has talked her way into Cal’s op. And he’s been assigned to work with her.

Their bait: the Lost Treasure of Trujillo. Their target: arms dealer Jorge Torres. Their problem: Torres isn’t the only predator closing in.

With ruthless drug lords, rival treasure hunters, and a powerful Russian mob lieutenant obsessed with finding the billion-dollar fortune, Cal and Iona must put their past aside. The deeper they dig, the deadlier the game becomes.

As betrayals mount and enemies tighten their grip, survival depends on one thing: Trust. If they fail, they won’t just lose their second chance—they’ll lose everything.

Wicked Temptation is a stand-alone romance with a HEA. There are references to events that happened in earlier books, but it's not necessary to read them to enjoy this story.

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who works undercover for the Paladin League as a photojournalist. This story features a second-chance romance, identical twins, and a kick-butt heroine. 

Journal Fails

Guess who hasn't touched her media journal?

It might possibly be the same person who hasn't filled in her reading journal. :-(

The Media Journal is easy. I haven't been consuming any podcasts. Mostly. I have listened to a couple of podcasts, but I didn't actually finish any of the episodes, so I couldn't mark them on the tracker.

The reading journal is another problem entirely.

What's the problem here? It's the reading challenges I'm involved in. One of them allows you to count the same book for multiple categories and I'm also trying to use these books to count for the other reading challenge I'm doing. Which leaves me wondering how many copies of the cover do I need to print?

Is it two? Three? More? Because I want a copy of the cover in my normal book section and a copy of the cover for each of the prompts in the reading challenge that it satisfies. And I'm tracking my reading challenges on StoryGraph and the big reading challenge is broken down into so many categories, which means I need to open multiple categories to figure out the cover situation and it just feels like too much.

So, yeah. Fail. 

Fiction Reading Journal, Take Two

I didn't think I was going to attempt my own book journal this year. 2025 was such a failure that I ended up throwing it away and that is not like me.

Then I ended up buying a book journal because there was a misprint and I was able to get a B5 size for around $12. But there are pages for reviewing books and I'm not writing that much.

My brain was back to no reading journal for 2026.

Until the two year-long reading challenges I planned to participate were released in December and I was like, I totally need a reading journal.

The picture of the reading journal cover page to the left is from 2025, BTW. It's the one I threw away. I couldn't share pictures of my 2026 reading journal because, well, I haven't made it yet.

I know! I need to get on it. Soon.

The issue? I create a lot of the things I use in my sticker making machine's software, and because I'm not good at this, it takes some time for me to get it done. I haven't felt like doing it, and the few times I thought, maybe I can do it today, it was gray and cloudy. The sticker cutter needs lots of light to read the registration marks and there are times even on sunny days that I need to hold my phone with its flashlight on to get the thing to cut.

This year, I'm going to make changes. For one thing, I'm going to do two books per page instead of one. That's where my journal got ugly, trying to decorate the rest of the page. But this will eliminate that. I will only have room for a book cover and a little room to write down information and a review. If I have stickers that will go with it, fine. Otherwise, the book cover is all the art I'll use.

No bingo boards this year. I hardly remembered I had them in 2025. Also, this book journal will not be limited to one year. If I don't fill it in 2026, I will use it in 2027. Because of this, I'm planning to add calendars and keep track of what I read by month.

I'm debating whether to put the book challenge icons/information in the same section with my review rather than a whole separate section. I need to decide before I start the book journal.

Hopefully, I don't mess everything up again this year. Stay Tuned. 

Draft is Done!

The first draft of Wicked Temptation is done!

The good news is that this is the earliest I've finished a draft for the Paladin League series since I began writing it. The bad news? It needs a lot more revision work done than the previous versions. Usually, I finish and send it to my editor immediately. Not this time.

So while I get to enjoy some time off for the holidays, I'll be attacking it again right after the New Year.

What are my first steps once I begin revising? 

First up will be a complete re-read from start to finish. I won't do much (if anything) to the manuscript while I do this. Instead, I'll have a notebook on the desk beside me and make notes.

I already have a partial list of plot threads I inadvertently dropped. (Oops!) I remembered the ones I wrote down as I neared the end of the book, but I didn't want to start revising anything this close to the finish line. Once I have the complete list, then it's decision time. Do I cut the plot thread entirely or do I do the necessary revisions to make it a legitimate plot thread?

My impressions of the story--without rereading it yet--is that my pacing is off. That's something I will definitely be monitoring as I re-read. Is the pacing really off or is that just in my head? The book came in super long, which might be coloring my perception. Is the book just longer than the others?

It might just be wordy. Seriously. I think "out loud" as I write, so there's usually a fair amount of cutting that gets done anyway because readers do not need to see me vomit all over the page. Like I blogged about before, just because the characters are sharing stuff, doesn't mean anyone except me needs to see/know it. 

Anyway, having the first draft done is a huge celebration moment for me and I'm going to enjoy the downtime without obsessing over revisions. January 2nd is early enough for the work to begin.

Reading Journal Joy: The Books That Surprised Me (In the Best Way)

This post contains affiliate links. There's no cost to you, but I will receive a small commission should you use my links to purchase something.

My reading journal is woefully out of date. While I like the 8 x 8 size square journal I'm using, it's also too much space for me. If I had time to hunt down decor that matched each book I read, that would fill all the open space, but I don't.

It already takes enough time to print the book covers for each book I'm reading. Decor is a bridge too far for my schedule.

And while I can't read as many books as I'd like, I thought I would share some of my favorite reads so far in 2025.

💖 Books That I Fell In Love With

Under Your Spell - Laura Wood 

The heroine is the daughter of a famous rock star, and things are not going well. She loses her job, her boyfriend dumps her, and—just to add insult to injury—he takes her cat. What’s a girl to do except call her sisters, break out the wine, and perform the childhood ritual known as the Breakup Spell?

What follows is a whirlwind of misadventures, including a one-night stand with the most famous musician on the planet and a job she definitely didn’t ask for: spending six weeks alone with that rock star. There's chemistry, banter, and an awesome romance.

From the moment the first sister showed up to console her, I was laughing. I also really liked how the heroine came to terms with her issues about her famous father enough to reach out and accept the love she and the hero had.

Let's Make a Scene - Laura Wood

Two five-star reads in a row made Laura Wood a new must-buy author for me.

I loved this book so much that I reread it immediately after finishing reading it for the first time. I wasn't ready to leave Cynthie and Jack's world that quickly.

Cynthie Taylor gets her acting break thirteen years earlier on a small British film starring alongside Jack Turner-Jones, the son of acting royalty. Yes, both his parents are famous actors. It's hate at first sight. Or nearly so. The chemistry between them is palpable, and while promoting the film, they pretend to be in love.

Fast forward to present day. Cynthie is now Hollywood royalty, and because of a lying jerk, is now public enemy number one. She's dropped from her next movie, but she has a chance to film the sequel to her first movie, alongside Jack. Oh, and throw in a let's-pretend-to-be-a-couple, something they both have reasons to agree to.

When I tell you I couldn't get enough of this couple, it's not an exaggeration. I could have kept reading them for pages and pages more. Just totally love this book from start to finish. 

The Blonde Identity - Ally Carter 

This book made me snort-laugh as I read. Humor is subjective, but I generally don't laugh out loud when I'm reading. I tend to simply smile at the funny parts. But Blonde Identity? It was a good thing I was reading at home and not out in public.

The heroine wakes up with amnesia, and when she sees footage of herself fighting off multiple men, assumes she must be a spy. It's the hero who tells her she's the identical twin sister of the super spy she thought she was. But the people chasing her sister don't believe she's not her twin. Good thing she has the hero (who really is a spy) to keep her safe.

Once this story got rolling, I couldn't read fast enough. So much fun and lots of little romance book references that I enjoyed.

Final Thoughts 

I’m pretty sure my 2025 book journal is going to remain half finished, and that’s okay. I’ve already got plans to switch to an A5 journal for 2026—less space to fill, but hopefully just enough room to jot down my thoughts. I’m not going to complain about this year’s journal, though. The important thing is that I discovered new books and authors I hadn’t read before, and they gave me hours of entertainment.

So if you’re on the hunt for a new author or book to fall in love with, these three titles come highly recommended by me.

Symbols, Ink, and Storylines

When Cal first made his appearance in the Paladin League series, I knew very little about him. He was the team’s new medic, and that was all I had.

Then I needed to describe him—and there it was. An amateur-looking tattoo on the inside of his left forearm. I didn’t plan it. It just showed up. I paused, curious, but I was focused on other characters and let it slip past.

Then came Lurch’s story. And again, that same tattoo was mentioned. When something gets called out twice, I have to believe something’s going on there. I wondered why he kept it. He could’ve had it removed. He could’ve buried it under something bigger, more polished. But he didn’t.

Information wasn’t forthcoming. Cal wasn’t ready to explain himself. But now I knew something was there—I just needed to unearth it.

As Cal took up more “screen time” in the series, the details began to surface. He got the tattoo on impulse, shortly after he enlisted. It wasn’t planned, wasn’t pretty. But it mattered. He keeps it as a reminder that impulsive actions have consequences.

Which, of course, started me asking questions. What impulsive actions are you talking about Cal?

The tattoo is a symbol of something. He gave me easy answers first, evaded any follow-up questions, and was cagey as hell. I learned about his relationship with his heroine that crashed and burned, but that felt like one of his easier answers. Not the root cause, especially since he got the tattoo more than a decade before he met her.

Now I'm working on his book. I needed that information in order to know him well enough to write him. I pressed a little harder.

I got the answer. It's something that changed him and changed the trajectory of his life.

The tattoo marks that moment for him. No one else knows what it means or why he's kept it. He only gives the easy answers if someone is brave enough to ask. His other tattoos are precise and done by skilled ink artists, but Cal still keeps the dagger.

Because it's his truth that he feels he needs to carry. You can get all the answers in July 2026 when Wicked Temptation is released.

Book Journal Blues

You guys! I was so close to throwing away my reading journal! It's ugly and the pages are sticking together and it's not updated and I don't even want to work in it because I'm so disappointed with it.

I haven't tossed it yet, but only because the idea of reprinting everything and setting up a new journal feels too overwhelming. I'm just not sure that it's worthwhile to do anything with the current journal. I already have ideas on how to do it better next year, but for this year? Now what?

I have some really nice pages in the beginning of the journal and I used a lot of my supplies to make them. I was thinking I could cut them out and reuse them, but then I realized they're double sided and I'd only be able to keep one side. Another reason why I didn't attack the journal.

Not only is the journal ugly and the adhesive is causing massive sticking issues, I also created another problem when I set it up. I used a craft knife to cut washi tape and accidentally sliced into the string holding the binding together. Now I have a whole signature of pages trying to separate from the book.

Something else that leaves me disappointed with the journal.

So what do I do? Do I just forget about using the journal for the rest of the year and keep this dilapidated thing? Do I throw it away and just not have a book journal for 2025 to keep? Do I remake the 2025 book journal and toss that mess away?

I just don't know.

Also, I am writing and the book journal takes time. Just setting up the 2026 journal will be busy enough. Remaking 2025, too? Gah!

So what would you do? Visit me on Facebook and offer some sage advice! 

I'm Confused

One more reading post this week. If you're a newsletter subscriber, you've already read this story.

I joined another reading challenge in July, one that started in January and goes for the full year, so I am scrambling to get caught up.

Also, some of the prompts have me going, Um, what do I read for this one? Luckily, StoryGraph lets me check what other people recorded for the prompt and that's how I ended up reading Nora Roberts' The Awakening.

Not only do I need a book that fits the prompt, but it also either needs to be on my eReader already, or the library has to have it. My library had the Nora book and I didn't have to wait to get the book. It was available! Yea!

I didn't realize this was the first book in a three book fantasy (with romantic elements) series. I'm really more of a romance girlie than fantasy. I'm not even a huge fan of most romantasy, although that has a large part to do with how dark most of the ones I tried were. I don't do dark anymore. I don't enjoy it. There is one series that's romantasy that I have absolutely loved, but it's humorous.

But I digress. Anyway, I read The Awakening and then I hit the ending and I was like OMG! I immediately checked out the next book in the series, which also was immediately available at my library. I devoured The Becoming, even staying up way too late to read. I started reading again the next morning, and as soon as I finished the second book, I went to check out the third (and final) book of the series.

And discovered my library didn't have it.

Did you hear my scream echoing through the world?

What kind of sadistic librarian buys the first two books in a three book series and doesn't buy the third (and final) book? That's just cruel!

I live near Atlanta and Georgia has a statewide library lending program, so I went on there looking for the final book. I found it, but the wait list is five weeks. FIVE WEEKS! I want to read it now!

So far, I've checked the Libby app like fifty gazillion times, hoping to get it early. I want to finish this series now, not next month.

And I got lucky. After one week, the hold became available. As I'm writing this, I'm 53% into The Choice by Nora Roberts.

I Stand Alone

I have a very unpopular opinion. After much trial and error, I've decided that I don't like audiobooks for fiction.

Nonfiction? Yes, I love audiobooks for nonfiction, but I find it frustrating in fiction.

I'm not sure why, exactly. Part of it might be how fast I read. I find it annoying to be held back by the speed the narrator can speak at.

Another reason I came up with is that I can skim or even skip things I'm either not interested in or don't want to read. For example, lots of description or something that gives me secondhand embarrassment for the hero or heroine (usually the heroine).

I thought I could listen while I was doing stuff around the house, but that's when I tend to listen to podcasts. Despite having audiobooks from the library with due dates, I still reach for my podcasts rather than listen to a story.

When I had a monthly audiobook subscription, about 95% of the books I picked up were nonfiction. In the beginning, I bought a few fiction series, but I almost always used my credit for nonfiction. It should have dawned on me before now that it meant something.

Anyway, I currently have an audiobook with 8 days remaining until the library takes it back and I have no desire to listen to it. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have the same reaction if I was reading the ebook. This isn't the only audiobook I've reacted to in this way. There have been books I loved and then listened to the audiobook and was like, no.

My theory on why I like nonfiction is that it's more like listening to a podcast or a lecture where I'm learning something, not trying to sink into the world of the story.

I know I'm in the minority, but it's just the way my brain works. Of course, if it's the only way to get the story I want to read, then I'll do it. My library sometimes gets the audiobook, but not the ebook. I just prefer to read myself. 

Final Day for Special Price!

Today (Monday, August 4th) is the final day to save money on Wicked Ambition!

I want to give my fans (and friends) an opportunity to save money on my books, so I always have the first two weeks (and the preorder) at a lower price. Tomorrow, the price increases, so if you haven't grabbed your copy of Oz and Ayla yet, this is the final chance to get the introductory price.

 

Ayla Desmond never takes risks, but when she senses her twin is in trouble, she boards a plane to Puerto Jardin—a country teetering on the edge of chaos. As a Public Relations specialist at the Paladin League, she’s used to spin, not bullets. But this mission plunges her into a deadly game where trust is scarce and danger is everywhere.
 
Special Forces Sgt. Oziah “Wizard” West is the king of one-night stands, but he hasn’t been able to forget the last woman he hooked up with, a mysterious blonde who slipped away from his hotel room. When he spots her in Puerto Jardin, he knows there’ll be trouble. Oz rushes to her side, determined to keep her safe.
 
Ayla wants nothing to do with Oz. He’s a mistake she’d rather forget, but circumstances force them together. Surrounded by mercenaries and stalked by an arms dealer who believes she holds the key to a hidden treasure, she has no choice but to rely on the enigmatic stranger who ignited her passion. As danger escalates, so do their feelings, and then a positive pregnancy test changes everything.
 
Now, Oz risks not only his heart but also his life to protect Ayla and their unborn child. Can they survive the treacherous game they’re caught in, or will their love become the ultimate casualty?

Wicked Ambition is a stand-alone romance with a HEA. There are references to events that happened in earlier books, but it's not necessary to read them to enjoy this story.

 

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who is a fish-out-of-water, but will do whatever it takes to save her sister. This romantic suspense story features a one-night stand, an unexpected pregnancy, and a second chance romance.

 

Wicked Obsession Is On Sale!

Wicked Obsession is on sale!

If you've been hesitant to pick up a copy or if you read this book while it was in Kindle Unlimited and want your own copy, now is your chance! Wicked Obsession is available for $.99 for a very limited time.

This is the book that kicked off The Paladin League series.

Blue-Blooded Woman

As an ambassador's daughter, Langley Canfield has lived all over the world, but she's never fit in—not abroad and not at home. She thought she found a man who loved her for who she is, but when it becomes obvious that she's the only one with deep feelings, Langley breaks up with him and heads across the country for a friend's wedding.

Blue-Collar Guy

Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski knew that he'd never be able to hold on to Langley Canfield, that she was completely out of his league, but it still stuns him when she ends things between them. He's trying to get her out of his head when her father arrives and tells Ryder there's a death threat directed at her. Without hesitation, Ryder hops on a plane and flies out to protect Langley. She might not want him anymore, but he's not letting anyone hurt her.

The sale ends Sunday. Wicked Obsession is available at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Grab your copy today and save! (Universal link. Will allow you to select your store of choice.)

Final Week of Special Pricing

Six more days to get Wicked Ambition at special pricing! On August 4th, the price increases.

Ayla Desmond never takes risks, but when she senses her twin is in trouble, she boards a plane to Puerto Jardin—a country teetering on the edge of chaos. As a Public Relations specialist at the Paladin League, she’s used to spin, not bullets. But this mission plunges her into a deadly game where trust is scarce and danger is everywhere.
 
Special Forces Sgt. Oziah “Wizard” West is the king of one-night stands, but he hasn’t been able to forget the last woman he hooked up with, a mysterious blonde who slipped away from his hotel room. When he spots her in Puerto Jardin, he knows there’ll be trouble. Oz rushes to her side, determined to keep her safe.
 
Ayla wants nothing to do with Oz. He’s a mistake she’d rather forget, but circumstances force them together. Surrounded by mercenaries and stalked by an arms dealer who believes she holds the key to a hidden treasure, she has no choice but to rely on the enigmatic stranger who ignited her passion. As danger escalates, so do their feelings, and then a positive pregnancy test changes everything.
 
Now, Oz risks not only his heart but also his life to protect Ayla and their unborn child. Can they survive the treacherous game they’re caught in, or will their love become the ultimate casualty?

Wicked Ambition is a stand-alone romance with a HEA. There are references to events that happened in earlier books, but it's not necessary to read them to enjoy this story.

 

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who is a fish-out-of-water, but will do whatever it takes to save her sister. This romantic suspense story features a one-night stand, an unexpected pregnancy, and a second chance romance.

Wicked Ambition in Four Days!

Four days! FOUR days until Wicked Ambition is released!

Official release day is Monday, July 21st.

Wicked Ambition is Oz and Ayla's story and it will be at special fan pricing for the first two weeks of release. After that, the price increases, so grab it on pre-order or grab it as soon as it comes out, and save some money.

The Blurb:

Ayla Desmond never takes risks, but when she senses her twin is in trouble, she boards a plane to Puerto Jardin—a country teetering on the edge of chaos. As a Public Relations specialist at the Paladin League, she’s used to spin, not bullets. But this mission plunges her into a deadly game where trust is scarce and danger is everywhere.
 
Special Forces Sgt. Oziah “Wizard” West is the king of one-night stands, but he hasn’t been able to forget the last woman he hooked up with, a mysterious blonde who slipped away from his hotel room. When he spots her in Puerto Jardin, he knows there’ll be trouble. Oz rushes to her side, determined to keep her safe.
 
Ayla wants nothing to do with Oz. He’s a mistake she’d rather forget, but circumstances force them together. Surrounded by mercenaries and stalked by an arms dealer who believes she holds the key to a hidden treasure, she has no choice but to rely on the enigmatic stranger who ignited her passion. As danger escalates, so do their feelings, and then a positive pregnancy test changes everything.
 
Now, Oz risks not only his heart but also his life to protect Ayla and their unborn child. Can they survive the treacherous game they’re caught in, or will their love become the ultimate casualty?


Wicked Ambition (like every book in the Paladin League series) is a stand-alone romance with a HEA. There are references to events that happened in earlier books, but it's not necessary to read them to enjoy this story.

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who is a fish-out-of-water, but will do whatever it takes to save her sister. This romantic suspense story features a one-night stand, an unexpected pregnancy, and a second chance romance.

Reloaded the Kanban Board

Those of you who've been following this blog for a while, know my love for my kanban board. It's how I keep track of things writing related. Some of it is about things like updating a book's back matter, but I do better with that in my planner.

What works really well on my kanban board is a Post-it Note for each chapter I plan to write. I've loaded the board for my next book.

Wicked Temptation

Cal and Io's book. You've met Baggs in the Lost Treasure arc of the Paladin League. Io is the twin sister of the heroine from Wicked Ambition. No preorder up yet. I will share a link with you when it goes up.

Here's what I have right now for the blurb:

He'll risk it all to protect her. She’ll risk everything for love.

Special Forces Sgt. Cal “Baggs” Baggnell has spent years putting duty above desire. But when Iona Desmond’s life is on the line, no mission—not even bringing down arms dealer Jorge Torres—can stop him from keeping her safe. Their breakup doesn’t matter. She’s the one woman he’ll risk everything for.

Iona Desmond isn’t a stranger to danger, but teaming up with Cal, the man who broke her heart, is a whole new level of torment. Working side by side with the man she never stopped loving will test her resolve—and reopen wounds that have barely started to heal. But with ruthless mobsters, rival treasure hunters, and an arms dealer closing in, she’ll have to trust Cal to keep her alive.

Their target: Viktor Petrova, the cunning lieutenant of a powerful Russian mob boss. His obsession with finding the billion-dollar Treasure of Trujillo has made him a deadly threat—not just to Iona and her twin, but to everyone caught in his path.

As Cal and Iona dive deeper into the hunt, they uncover a dangerous clue to the hidden treasure map—a clue that could alter the course of their mission. But Petrova isn’t the only one with lethal ambitions. Betrayals within his own ranks threaten to unravel everything…for everyone.

Amid chaos and danger, Cal and Iona must navigate a world where loyalty is fleeting, motives are murky, and passion might be the only thing they can trust. With their rekindled love as their strongest weapon, they must fight to overcome their past—and the ruthless man determined to destroy their future.

Cover Reveal!

If you are a subscriber to my newsletter, you got the cover reveal last month. If you'd like to subscribe and get the latest news first, go to the Coming Next page on my website and scroll down to the sign-up form.

The next book in the Paladin League series is coming out in July, which means I needed the cover for Book 8 in the series to put in the back of Wicked Ambition. Wicked Temptation will be released in 2026. When I have a preorder available, I'll share the link on the blog.

Now, without any further delay, here is the cover for Wicked Temptation!

Trusting Instincts

While I was writing Wicked Intention, I had Archer use Zo's full name every time he spoke it.

As I was editing, I kept coming back to those few scenes over and over. Zo liked the abbreviated version of her name rather than the full thing. Why did I have Archer using Zofia all the time?

On one pass or another, I changed some of the Zofia references to Zo before the book was published.

Now as I'm writing Wicked Ambition, which is the seventh book in the Paladin League series, it's clear that Archer uses full names for all the women working for him.

It's Zofia, Catriona, Marianna, Francesca, and Iona and not Zo, Cat, Mari, Frankie, and Io.

Zo might prefer Zo, but Archer doesn't care. All the instances I changed from Zofia to Zo were wrong. I should have left them alone because I was right the first time.

This year, I've set the goal of updating the pages at the back of my books. I'm starting with the Paladin League series. And while I'm updating the back matter, I also went into Wicked Intention and changed every time Archer said Zo back to Zofia.

I didn't trust my instincts while I was editing the book, but now I know better. 

Oz Time

At least, it's sort of Oz time. I'm still caught up in release week for Wicked Suspicion, Lurch and Nyx's story.

But I loaded the Post-it Notes on my kanban board for Oz's book, so when it's time to write, I'll be ready to go. First, it's figuring out the story. I only have broad strokes of what the story is at this point. (The pale blue ones on the left are for Oz.)

Here's the cover copy showing what I have at this point:

Ayla Desmond never takes risks, but when she senses her twin is in trouble, she boards a plane to Puerto Jardin—a country teetering on the edge of chaos. As a Public Relations specialist at the Paladin League, she’s used to spin, not bullets. But this mission plunges her into a deadly game where trust is scarce and danger is everywhere.

Special Forces Sgt. Oziah “Wizard” West is the king of one-night stands, but he hasn’t been able to forget the last woman he hooked up with, a mysterious blonde who slipped away from his hotel room. When he spots her in Puerto Jardin, he knows there’ll be trouble. Oz rushes to her side, determined to keep her safe.

Ayla wants nothing to do with Oz. He’s a mistake she’d rather forget, but circumstances force them together. Surrounded by mercenaries and stalked by an arms dealer who believes she holds the key to a hidden treasure, she has no choice but to rely on the enigmatic stranger who ignited her passion. As danger escalates, so do their feelings, and then a positive pregnancy test changes everything.

Now, Oz risks not only his heart but also his life to protect Ayla and their unborn child. Can they survive the treacherous game they’re caught in, or will their love become the ultimate casualty?

Wicked Ambition is a stand-alone romance with a HEA. There are references to events that happened in earlier books, but it's not necessary to read them to enjoy this story.

Indulge in a protective Special Forces hero and a heroine who is a fish-out-of-water, but will do whatever it takes to save her sister. This romantic suspense story features a one-night stand, an unexpected pregnancy, and a second chance romance.

I am feeling pretty excited to get going. I'm sure it won't be long before Oz and Ayla are frustrating me the way Case and Nyx did, but they're being good right now.

Wicked Suspicion is Available!

Wicked Suspicion is officially released! Go forth and grab your copy!

If you've been reading The Paladin League series, you met Lurch in the first book. He's appeared in every story since then to some degree or another. He met his heroine at the end of Deck and Frankie's book. Now you can see Case and Nyx as a couple!

Nyx is no ordinary woman--as Case will discover. Her father was the chief warrant officer for an Army Special Forces team while she was growing up. Her brother is in Army Special Forces, and is Case's best friend. She has more skill than he realizes, but she also knows she's out of her depth and Lurch gets to call the shots to get them out of this situation.

Here's the back cover copy for Wicked Suspicion: 

In the treacherous world of covert operations, Special Forces Sgt. Case “Lurch” Lundquist thrives on danger. Undercover as a gunrunner, he dances on the razor’s edge, avoiding rebel forces who hunt him relentlessly. But when his mission jeopardizes a woman’s life, he breaks the rules to protect her.

Nyx Templeton is no damsel in distress—usually. But this time, she’s out of her depth. She doesn’t trust the rugged mercenary who steps in, until she recognizes him from a picture she saw years earlier. He’s her brother’s best friend. She remains quiet, knowing one wrong word could cost him everything.

Case battles to stay focused, but Nyx is a distraction. When she boldly asks him to cash in her V-card, he can’t resist. It’s not just a yes—it’s a hell, yes!

But in the high-stakes game of arms dealing, every edge counts. Nyx unwittingly becomes a pawn, and Case must navigate a deadly web of betrayal to keep her safe. As shadows close in, their love becomes the ultimate weapon—one that could save them both or destroy everything they hold dear.

Wicked Suspicion is a gripping romantic suspense novel that combines heart-pounding action with sizzling chemistry. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as Case and Nyx fight for survival and love in a world where danger lurks around every corner.

All my books are written so that they can be read as stand alone stories even if they are part of a series.