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Monday, May 5, 2025

Out with the old, in with the dazzling!

Swapping a book cover isn’t something I take lightly — especially when the original had a touch of iconic flair. But let’s be honest: when that “icon” status mostly benefits a different best-selling book with a similar vibe... well, it might be time for a little reinvention.

Sure, I could bore you with marketing jargon or drone on about visual trends and product placement. Yawn. But here’s the simple truth: Bellocaro doesn’t need borrowed shine. It’s got its own glow-up coming.

Does the old cover nod to that other famous book? Of course. Was it a copy? Not even close. 


Plenty of indie authors (and a few from the Big 5) embraced that Twilight-esque look — dark backgrounds, grayscale drama, symbolic objects floating in space. It worked for a while. It still works in some cases (Tracy Wolff’s Crave series, anyone?).

But readers today have a sharp eye and an even sharper instinct: if something looks like a knockoff, they’ll scroll right past it — even if the story inside is anything but.

 

And Bellocaro?

It’s not riding coattails. It’s kicking down doors.

So yes, I’ve given it a brand-new cover — one that’s bold, fresh, and completely its own. Besides, I was running out of space on the old one to place award badges.

 

Go ahead, take a peek. I think you’ll agree: this new look isn’t just different. It’s spectacular.

  


Friday, May 31, 2024

Bellocaro Promo Ending Soon


Today is the final day of the special promotion for my novel Bellocaro and I wanted to give a shout out to eBookDailyDeals  for helping to spread the word!   

https://ebookdaily.com/free-kindle-ebooks/2024-05-30/B08L2M3QD2

Find out why my novel has received so many awards, grab your copy today!






Saturday, May 25, 2024

Bellocaro on Kindle Unlimited

 

Bellocaro is now a part of the Kindle Unlimited family on Amazon.com with free unlimited reading for all members.  If you’ve been wondering why this riveting, humorous vampire thriller is racking up awards, now is your chance to read it. Download your copy today!


 



Saturday, March 16, 2024

Delayed Confession is now available!

 






In March of 1990, Tom Cruise was in Florence, South Carolina filming a little racing movie called Days of Thunder. He had also just received his first Oscar nomination for playing the starring role of Ron Kovic in Born on the 4th of July.

NBC’s Today Show contacted a local news station in Columbia, South Carolina and rented its satellite truck to conduct an interview with Tom Cruise about the nomination and his reaction to it at a hotel in Florence.

Little did Tom know that innocuous action triggered an underhanded plot directed at the movie icon. But I was there, on that crew. What happened next, after decades of secrecy, is detailed in this novel, Delayed Confession, and it’s all true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent and the truly stupid.








Delayed Confession is available in Kindle and Paperback formats on Amazon!


Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Attention All Audible Listeners!

For a limited time, Audible members will have the opportunity to listen to Bellocaro for free!




Now on Audible, Bellocaro transports fans of romance stories like 'Twilight' or 'A Shade of Vampire' to a mysterious new world.

Fleeing the school jock who thinks she should be his, Skye Moon encounters a strange boy in the woods. After meeting the captivating Thatcher Blue, she is dragged into a nightmare, targeted by a vampire who wants to kill her.

Will Thatcher save her? 

Or like his visions have predicted- kill her? 


Friday, July 21, 2023

Fangenstein Is On Sale!

 

Fangenstein - book 3 in the Bellocaro Saga is out today and if you're a Kindle Unlimited fan, you can read it free for a short time! Get it here:

https://www.amazon.com/Fangenstein-Book-3-Bellocaro-Saga-ebook/dp/B0CBSSZS87




Wednesday, June 21, 2023

From the upcoming third novel in the Bellocaro Saga... Fangenstein


Exclusive excerpt:

Thatcher was meeting with Eleanor, Blair was mediating their chat. Alton, Wes and Chase Blue were hunting for Brighton. And me? I was stuck at home, wondering how this all was going to work itself out and where would my place be once the dust had settled.

“Man, I hate waiting, especially when the stakes were so high,” I mumbled to myself lifting the lid to the trashcan in the backyard. Releasing the knotted drawstring, I dropped the full plastic bag inside. After cleaning up the house, I’d turned my attention to removing the old food from the refrigerator. It made sense to throw out the food that Mom liked, especially if I didn’t. It wasn’t like she’d want it when she returned home.

I sucked in a breath, appreciating the fresh scent of the warm afternoon, and exhaled. Now, I had nothing left to do with my day. Bummer.

Why did Mom have to be so pigheaded about Thatcher? Why couldn’t she just forgive me and get over it? It occurred to me at that moment that I wasn’t a very high-minded sort of girl that perhaps I’d thought myself to be. There were times, like right now, when I could be quite mean-spirited and selfish.

My bout of self-reflection was interrupted by the sound of movement in the trees at the edge of the yard.  I turned to study them. The branches didn’t seem to be moving. Had Alton returned? Had he found Brighton? It didn’t make sense that he would hesitate to enter the yard.

I moved forward toward the line of trees. “Alton? You there?” I called.

There was no response.

Was it Thatcher? I thought with a tentative burst of joy that ricocheted inside me. Had he slipped away to see me despite Mom’s demand that he not? My footsteps quickened.

Suddenly I was aware of a presence behind me. Someone had stepped out from the trees to my left and gotten between me and the house. I whirled around expecting to see the beautiful face of the vampire that I loved. But the afternoon sun was sinking low in the sky, and I couldn’t see the face of the man who stood there but I knew it wasn’t Thatcher.

The black silhouette of a man wasn’t as tall or thin as my vampire boyfriend. I caught movement at the corner of my eye, the branches of an arborvitae tree swayed back into place, revealing the exact spot where the man must have been hiding.

“Who are you?” I demanded. “What are you doing in my yard?” The fine hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end, and that burst of inner joy was replaced with a rapidly accelerating heartbeat. I tried not to show my fear.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle ya Miss,” the man drawled in a southern accent, glancing around the yard. “I’m looking for my son’s dog. He’s actually just a puppy really.” The faceless man shook his head in dismay, taking a step toward the deck at the back of the house. “The boy left the back gate open, and the dog got out. My son’s beside himself.”

I inhaled through my nose again and exhaled, urging my fluctuating pulse to settle down. My heartbeat was loud enough that I could hear it in my ears.

The man seemed harmless enough. He turned his back on me, clearly looking around the house as if the missing puppy might be holed up under the deck. 

I rather doubted that. I certainly would have heard a dog scratching around under there and said so. “I haven’t seen him.”

The black form swung his head back in my direction. “Didn’t mean to intrude… perhaps somebody else in the house might have spotted him?” he asked with a hopeful note in his voice.

“No, it’s just me,” I explained. “And I’ve been here all day. He’s not here.” I realized my mistake as soon as I’d spoken, I shouldn’t have confirmed that I was alone. Alarm bells were ringing loudly in my head. I looked around for an escape. Behind the trees was a tall fence, which I doubted I could climb over before the stranger caught up to me, even if I managed to get to it.

The stranger began moving toward me, I blinked, trying to get a better look at him. My eyes were watering against the brightness of the sun.

He drew closer and I could make out details about his appearance. He was taller than me but definitely not that tall, maybe 5-foot-10, if I had to guess and chunky around the middle. Dark hair fell across his narrow forehead, reaching down to hazel eyes which peered out over a broad nose. And there was a pungent aroma about him; dried sweat mingled with something else that I couldn’t quite place.

I tried not to wrinkle my nose.

His full lips pulled in momentarily and then relaxed.

He was close enough now that I noticed the tell-tell bite mark on the side of his neck where a pair of fangs had pierced the skin. But the bead of sweat trailing down the side of his face suggested that he was still human. A vampire had fed on the man, not enough to kill or turn him. I found that fact slightly reassuring. The odds against me successfully evading a vampire alone were slim, but a human man, even one who had me cornered in the backyard, seemed considerably higher.

“Stop right there!” I commanded, putting on a bold expression. “You better not come any closer.”

It worked, he stopped moving. His mouth opened briefly in uncertainty, as the hazel eyes glanced around the immediate area, confirming that we were indeed alone. Did he expect someone to suddenly materialize in the yard?  I pondered in irritation.

The man was so close, he could have reached out one of his long arms and grabbed mine. One side of his mouth twisted down, seeing no rescuers imminent, his attention returned to me.

“Don’t think you can order me around,” he drawled with more swagger. Gone was any trace of his earlier attempt to appear courteous. “You’ll be coming with me and make no fuss about it.”