I said I’d do it, didn’t I? I said I’d be venturing into other genres, and I did it, true to my word! Here is my paranormal romance. Many of you have the introduction to my writing in the way of Erotica, but I’m so much more than that. I do have another Erotica novel planned, as well as other books for the Pleasure House Collection. But I had to do this paranormal romance, Destiny’s Last Chance, because it’s a story near and dear to my heart. Like most authors, there are always elements of their own truth that they incorporate into their stories, and my new book is no different, of course. It is a work of fiction, and so many of the events NEVER took place in real life. I had to step back and wonder, what if . . .?

I love ghost stories, and this one is such a novel. There are elements of the occult and metaphysical as well. And, yes, there are sex scenes, though they’re much more tamed down. My editor said he felt they were as erotic as my other novels. However, there’s no graphic language or detailed information–more implied, I should say. Everything was tastefully done. I had to work hard to keep up three different plotlines, trying desperately to weave them together, hold them up, and finally resolve them. That was a little tricky for me, because in my previous novels, I really didn’t have to do that. The stories simply were not written that way nor were they intended to have multiple plotlines.

But Destiny changed that for me. I needed it to make the “what if?” story interesting. I love this book, and I enjoyed every minute of writing it. It’s full of great characters, snappy dialogue and has a nice dose of suspense to it. As an opening teaser, here’s an excerpt:

“Like I’ve said before, choices, choices. One has to make them, like it or not.”

“I hear you, Irene.” Kit glanced up at her friend. “No doubt you told your friend that, too, right?”

“I think I’ve said things like that more than once to people. Maybe it’s me being egotistical, but I wish they would listen to me sometimes.”

Nodding, Kit stared out the window while Irene sat back to let their conversation digest. Kit wanted nothing more than to slip out into the night and dissolve in the air. Knowing her friend as well as she did, being sneaky or unkind was never Irene’s intention. For all her outspoken tendencies, this lady always kept loyalty and trust in the forefront. Lately, however, her inner knowing had left Kit more on edge, and the gentle confrontations kept her emotions on their toes. But there was a question that burned in Kit’s mind, and maybe Irene could help again. Since the shop didn’t seem to have many patrons tonight, this time seemed as good as any to get some answers.

Turning back to her friend, Kit blurted out, “I’ve been wondering about this, and since we’re on the subject of boyfriends and amorous co-workers, maybe your sixth sense can help me with this question.”

“Go on, I’m all ears.” Irene perked up.

“Sometimes I wonder if Steven really loves me or not. I want to know where he stands concerning us.”

“Fair enough, and I have just the thing that can help answer some of these questions.” Irene slipped her purse from the back of her chair and spent a few moments rustling through the contents until she pulled out a black velvet drawstring bag. “I always carry this with me. It’s not bulky like tarot cards, and it’s definitely smaller than a Ouija board.” She opened the bag and pulled out a pendulum. The clear quartz point dangled from the end of a silver chain.

Kit smiled. “You do come prepared, don’t you?”

“Always!” Irene grinned back. “But before we begin, I need to calibrate this thing just to make sure it’s working okay.” She dangled the point, holding the piece a few inches off the table.”

“You mean a pendulum can actually malfunction?” Kit grinned and shook her head. “I wouldn’t have imagined something like that breaking down.”

Irene gave her the look of a teacher lecturing before a group of students. “If the energy isn’t right, they can refuse to move, and you won’t get any answers during the current session. You’ll have to wait for another time and try again.”

“I see. I don’t want to wait until another time, so here’s to hoping we’re in luck, I guess.”

“I’m going to ask it a simple yes or no question. When it moves clockwise, that means yes, and when it moves counterclockwise, that means no.” Irene straightened up and focused her eyes on the pendulum. “Is Kit here with me tonight?” She repeated the question in a soft voice. Within seconds, the pendulum began moving. As Irene repeated the question some more, the point began swinging in a clockwise direction. “Stop . . . neutral . . . neutral . . . new question. Is snow green?” The pendulum slowly shuddered to a stop, and as Irene repeated the question, the pendulum began swinging in a counterclockwise direction.

Kit, stunned by what she saw, remained silent, not daring to break the mood by saying something silly.

Irene smiled up a Kit. “Terrific. Looks like we’re in business tonight. So what’s the question, my dear girl?”

Pushing her latte aside, Kit straightened up in her chair and leaned toward Irene. “I want to know if Steven truly loves me.”

“Very well, we’ll ask. She dangled the pendulum in front of her once again, holding the chain at the end. “Does Steven love Kit?” Within seconds, the quartz point began to swing a little, gathering momentum the more Irene asked the same question. The pendulum moved in a clear clockwise direction, thus answering the question in the affirmative.

Wide-eyed, Kit glanced from the pendulum to her friend. “Wow, that was something. And you think it’s accurate?”

“I’m the one holding this, and don’t forget I have a subconscious mind too. But you’re also providing energy, as you tap into the deeper, unseen wisdom you have.” Irene gazed directly at Kit. “You have your answer to this question. Do you have another one?”

“Yes, I do have one more. Is there a future between Steven and myself?”

Irene steadied the pendulum and asked the question. “Will Steven and Kit be together in the future?”

The coffee shop grew quieter than usual, with the clatter of dishes and coffee grinding coming to a halt. Remaining customers had dwindled down to around two, and they’d been sitting for a while with their eyes transfixed to computer screens. Kit and Irene remained on task, immersed in their own world, the one of seekers. After a few times of asking the same question, the pendulum began to shimmy. These movements turned into tiny convulsions on the end of the chain. Both ladies stared in amazed silence. In an unexpected turn of events, the quartz drop split in two parts, followed in rapid succession by the chain breaking. The pendulum fell to a heap of disconnected, useless parts on the table between the two ladies.

“Holy shit! What just happened?” Kit shrank back in her chair.

Irene sat blinking at the destroyed pendulum, shaking her head. “Oh, dear. I’m not sure what just happened. I’ve never had that sort of thing go down like this before.” She turned her eyes up to her friend. “That pendulum was not about to give us any answers, and quite frankly, I’m not sure why. Apparently the spirit world wants to keep that answer under wraps for right now.” She shifted in her seat. “This whole thing has me baffled, and a little nervous. Let’s talk about something else, like the gala.”

“Yes, let’s do that.” Kit moved to take another sip of her latte.

Irene picked up the broken pendulum and dropped the parts back in the black bag. “I am getting excited about this. Oh, and I’m already thinking about some of the auction items I want to bid on. What about you? Have you thought about something you’d like?”

“Mmm, yeah. I saw some fun stuff. I still haven’t gotten the rest of my outfit together . . .”

The two friends spent the remainder of their time making small talk. When they’d finished, Irene walked back to her car and drove home. Disturbed by the events she’d just experienced with Irene, Kit walked by Celestial Temptation Gallery, desperate to see Steven more than ever.