Milestones

Today is my birthday. It’s always a milestone to celebrate another year. I’m healthy and have a wonderful family, so life is good. I usually make it a weeklong event. Okay, sometimes a month-long one. It’s the simple things that make me happy. I’ll have a small cake, or a large cupcake, depending on my mood. I’ll buy a book, maybe visit a favorite store and treat myself to a small treasure. I’ll also look at the past year and see how I’ve changed and grown and contemplate the coming year.

 

I’ve recently celebrated another milestone. Twenty years ago, my first book was published by Ellora's Cave. Since then, I’ve had 122 books published with a variety of publishers—Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, Beyond the Page Publishing, The Naughty Literati, Entangled Publishing, Evernight Publishing, and a variety of indie anthologies. It’s been a wild journey, filled with huge ups and downs, but I wouldn’t have missed a moment of it. I’m looking forward to what the next year brings.

 

Tempting the Black Wolf is my latest release! This series may be finished, but there are new stories to tell…

 

 

Tempting the Black Wolf

Lone Wolf Legacy, Book 3

 

The wrath of the black wolf is unleashed…in this scorching finale of New York Times bestselling author N.J. Walters’s enticingly sexy Lone Wolf Legacy series

I am an immortal predator, driven to hunt and protect the wolf packs from danger—especially rogue wolves. This destiny is my blood, my bone. My will.

There are two other lone wolves—one gray, one white—but I am the strongest. The most powerful. And we all share an enemy, who set a trap for each of us: a woman with our coloring who will draw us into danger and make our wolves howl with need.

But I won’t give in to lust or passion.

I already know the face of the woman who is my supposed bait: a stunning and powerful mage named Onyx. We’ve been circling each other, wary, fueled by deeply intense attraction and fierce distrust.

But the enemy of my enemy is my ally…for now. It’s a brief truce, laced with raw, primal hunger.

Because when this is over—if we survive—we’ll have to go head-to-head one last time.

And I never lose. 

 

 

(Author Note: This book is told in third person point of view, even though the blurb is in first person.)

 

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDJCJJG7/

Entangled Publishing: https://www.entangledpublishing.com/books/tempting-the-black-wolf

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tempting-the-black-wolf-n-j-walters/1146192600

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tempting-the-black-wolf

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/tempting-the-black-wolf/id6642709646

 

 

 

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

           

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

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Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

 

STEAMY Ancient Ireland Medieval Read - On a Scale of 1 to 10 #hotromance #hothistorical #sexyhero #medievalromance

 

 REVIEWS

"This is the story of  Marcán of Clonascra, great warrior and close friend to Diarmuid, King of his clan [Book One - Curse of the Healer].  Marcán has been in love with Astrid, Diarmuid's sister for as long as he can remember. He had only acted as her protector and friend with hope in his heart that one day she'd return his affections."

"This story had many things going on throughout which kept me turning pages as fast as I could. It had love connections, family, clans connections. villains, turbulence, steamy scenes, big warriors, tense moments, super shocking ending and so much more."

 

"Wonderful page-turner of a romance. York dishes a perfect snapshot of clan life complete with the intrigue and rivalry. The brogue brings the time period to life, along with historical elements in clothing and the clan hierarchy."

 

 

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Marcán is my very favorite hero after Seumas from The Bruised Thistle. I'd love to know your feedback. Would anyone be interested in a free copy to read it for yourself? This is book two in the Warrior Kings series set in ancient Ireland. If you know Irish history, it's before the Normans invaded but after the Norsemen came to visit Dublin...and turned all the hair red! Genetics are a funny thing :)

Holiday next week! Turkey Day. There was one year that I had to work on Thanksgiving because I was a waitress, so we had our big dinner on Friday. Just to make it special we got lobsters instead of turkey.  Note to self: don't mess with tradition if you're not willing to change your tradition. Every year since we have both lobsters and turkey - yeesh!

Book Three of The Price of Talent Series is Here!

Hey all, AK Nevermore back with you with another new release! Split, book 3 in The Price of Talent Series is live.  If you're a fan of Spicy Dystopian Romance, then this is the series for you! 

Stronger Together, Forced Apart

On an alternate earth, a cataclysm has altered a subset of the population. Talents are persecuted for their psychic and physical mutations, giving rise to two conflicting societies based upon maintaining genetic purity. And the Source, a shadowy corporate entity dependent upon the exploitation of captive Talents, is hunting them…

The city of Glynfyls is burning.

And Flynn Scot is powerless to stop it. Now that his status is in question, the Assembly is calling for his head. The only thing keeping it on his shoulders is the commons rioting with the demand he be made Overlord.

Fluctuating between extremes, Kara’s talent deficiency is becoming critical.

With her body failing and Flynn at the Assembly’s mercy, Kara Scot has no choice but to take his seat and fight for her House. But clearing Flynn’s name and battering herself against the tide of public censure threatens to drag her under.

So does the wave of Humanity Purists marching toward Glynfyls.

No Talent is safe outside the city. Refugees flock to the north fleeing extermination only to find a metropolis torn by prejudice and fear. Unless Flynn and Kara can find a way to survive the machinations of the Assembly, there will be nothing standing between them and annihilation. Because even if they survive the extremists, Titus’s army is following in their wake ready to harvest whatever is left.

Excerpt:

Glynfyls was burning.

Flynn stared out the window of the Assembly Hall, overlooking the eastern spokes of the city. Beyond the wavy glass, the rising sun was a crimson smear across the smoke-streaked horizon. Below, the clamor of an angry mob rioted through the streets.

They were pissed.

How the hell a cluster fuck of this magnitude had gotten kicked off last night—he scrubbed at his face. Shit. He knew exactly how.

His hand rose and talent the color of old blood flickered between his fingers, sparking off and singeing the carpet. He scuffed it out with his boot, jaw clenching. After the past few weeks of trying to play the goddamned part, he’d fucking split when he put Riegel down and, caught in a catch twenty-fucking-two, the entire city had seen him do it.

But if he hadn’t, the boost the Breaker was rigged with would’ve blown Glynfyls to shit. Flynn sighed. Instead of the city, everything he’d worked for had gone with Riegel into the hereafter. Christ, Julia and Lord Morris must be having a fucking field day with this. Both of them would be in chambers now, smug as shit, lambasting the room with big fat I-told-you-so’s…

God, he was gonna puke. Dual-Talents couldn’t hold office, and he’d used both a Shade’s talent to phaze away the blast, and a shit ton of Breaker ability, publicly. He’d saved the city only to hand it over to Julia, and she’d pass it right on to Titus.

His eyes closed, seeing it all play out. Legally, he was screwed. The Shades were gonna abjure him from his seat on the Assembly. Lords Klein and Ketsing, the Fixer and Binder Firsts that’d pledged their line’s fealty to him, would pull their support. Then Crandall would bury him. He’s gleefully drive the last nail into Flynn’s coffin by tying him to the Sons that’d been slaughtered out on the plateau.

And as for Phyllis and Markham? Neither one of them was gonna do a fucking thing. No, check that. Markham would mop the sweat from his brow when they came at Flynn with a rope to hang him. Couple of minutes swinging, then done deal, Flynn’d be in a box and they’d be back to business as usual.

Until Titus sent in his troops and Peacekeepers harvested the lot of them.

“I wish I was a fucking twist, then I wouldn’t have to pretend…”

Of all the wishes he’d ever made, it figured that would be the one granted. God had to love fucking with him.

Kara pushed up under his arm. “We can tell them it was me—”

“No. I won’t lie about it.” They’d gone over this. If Merchant couldn’t get him off, he’d cloak them at Meddleton until the baby was born, then head west. Disappear. He’d done it before, he could do it again. He kissed the top of Kara’s head, wrapping his arms around her.

“You should try and sleep.”

She laughed, the strain of the past twenty-four hours etched across her brow. Once the adrenaline from the bout last night at the Pony had faded, Riegel’s death had triggered a cascade of memories. Each one left her more brittle than the last, and that damned talent debilitation plaguing her pregnancy was back. Add to it being locked up in this goddamned conference room without any idea of what was going on other than one hell of a shit show…

Christ. What a fucking mess.

The door opened and Merchant hustled in, looking grim. His suit was rumpled and his grey-streaked hair awry. A servant came in after him and set a coffee service and two plates of eggs on the conference table. Flynn’s stomach growled. Damn, he could go for—Kara turned to his chest, pale with nausea. Goddamn it, he needed to get her home.

“Take it away, please.”

The woman looked at him in surprise, then wet her lips, glancing at Merchant. She pulled a scrap of paper from the napkin, holding it out with trembling fingers, and flashed her colors. Thin rings of fuchsia pulsed around her irises. It was the signal Flynn and Dorian had agreed upon for when the Finder had turned something up on Crandall.

Flynn took it from her, and she bobbed a curtsy, fist to heart. Vassal to Overlord. He snorted, like that was gonna fucking happen—his temper spiked at the contents of the note, and it smoldered where he gripped it. Damn it—His anger was too close. Too easy to pull from. All this time, is that what that constant simmering rage had been? Talent just waiting to come out?

“I suggest you cloak this conversation.” Merchant frowned, tossing a newspaper onto the table. “They’re attempting to charge you with inciting the commons.”

Flynn’s jaw dropped, note forgotten. That’s not—His halos flared verdigris, cloaking them. “But they all saw—”

“A great deal of talent being used. As evidenced by that front page still and multiple reels. You haven’t developed concentric halos. By definition, a twist evidences a dual-halo, and without a second ring around your irises, you cannot be considered as such. Additionally, without confirmation from the Breaker line as to whom was doing what, any and all charges are unsubstantiated, and will be treated as libel and or slander. Now, I suggest we focus on the matter at hand.” He snapped open his briefcase.

“The matter at—are you serious?” He—there was no way—how was this not about him splitting? Was Merchant seriously getting him off on semantics? Shit, Cal had said he was good, but no one could be that good.

Get Split Here:

https://amazon.com/dp/B0D7MWDZ4H

Want more? Download the Breeder, the series prequel, for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/91ffk852qo

And Destroyer, Flynn's origin story for free here:

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/982bgzz15j

and get your copy of Breaker here: https://books2read.com/BreakerOne

You can find out more about my books on my website, https://aknevermore.com/ or see what I'm up to on my sadly neglected socials:

Facebook    Twitter

Instagram   Tiktok

YouTube    Goodreads

BookBub     

AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time. 

AK pays the bills writing a copious amount of copy, along with a column on SFF. She belongs to numerous industry organizations, volunteers for far too many committees, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

Writing a Book Versus Readers Reading a Book

Have you ever noticed that what you write is not necessarily what readers read?

I find reviews very revealing. In For the Love of Jazmin, I thought I was writing about a strong man, a protector who would do anything for his wife, even if it meant going against his beliefs. Readers focused on the man's wife, telling me they were impressed by her strength, her perseverance, her search for a way to escape the evil drug lord and save her husband. Jazmin was seen as the strong character who didn't give up and kept her head up.

Throughout the story, I was told, she fought a silent but effective battle against her captor and won in the end.

Here's a look into the book...

 

A loving couple are kidnapped by a schizophrenic criminal who is out to play off one against the other. What must they give up to get free?

Nine years ago, Jazmin brought a Colombian drug lord to justice. His son, Raoul, finds out where she lives and kidnaps her husband, Ethan, knowing she won't refuse his invitation. As Jazmin enters Raoul's lair, she doesn't know if she can save her husband and herself, or if they will both die trying to escape the schizophrenic criminal who is determined to play one off against the other.

 

Excerpt

Raoul had refrained from showing Ethan around before, and the guests were eager to follow him down into the dungeon. Due to the mass of people standing around Raoul and talking to him, he couldn’t keep her from going to Ethan’s cell quick enough and she pretended to not have heard his command.

Jazmin held fast to the bars. “He’s much better prepared,” she told Ethan, who was already dressed to fight. The gloves hung outside the cell door. “He’ll go for you full blazes. A second knock out would ruin much of Joaquin’s reputation, so he didn’t come with second class this time.”

“You look beautiful.” He smiled at her lopsidedly while he bandaged his hands. “Hey, don’t worry too much about me. If he comes full force at me I’ll greet him the same way. I only have to think about this morning to be mad with rage.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“So tomorrow night then?”

“If I can get Raoul’s keys, yes. Please, Ethan, don’t bet your life on this. It’s just a chance, not a guarantee. If he stays away from me the whole day I can’t do anything.”

“But you’ve got a plan?”

“It’s a hazard game.” She lowered her gaze, weighed down by what he expected of her. “I’ll try everything, Ethan. But up to the moment when I open your cell it’s all... vague.”

“I’ll be here.”

Jazmin’s throat was too constricted to speak. His trust as well as his need to be finally freed broke her heart. She nodded and turned away when Pascual and Sosimo came to bring out the fighter.

Raoul suddenly grabbed her arm. “How dare you stand here? I ordered you at my side! Now come and pretend you like to be with me, or this’ll be a bad night for your pet!”

She saw Adrián standing near the row of chairs, looking at her intently, hands in his pants’ pockets. Raoul guided her through the aisle and smiled the whole time as if he already knew the outcome, not to mention that he was showing off his beautiful girlfriend all the time. Jazmin made an effort to lighten up her expression. She had gone a long way to alter Ethan’s fate.

She wouldn’t falter on the last hurdle.

****

 

Pawliday Love! And New Books!

 The holidays, fur babies, and romance come together in this anthology to

benefit the fur babies and their families in Florida and North Carolina this fall. Join romance authors of all subgenres as we celebrate how we can come together to help out these communities devastated by the recent natural disasters.

I don't have a release in November, but I'm part of a charity anthology releasing December 15 - Pawliday Love. Proceeds are gong to animals and families impacted by the hurricanes in NC and FL. All the authors are contributing a short story. Mine will feature characters from Winter Falls, Asher and Tess, as well as reference to Northern Rescue for a new spin off series I'm planning.

Did you know Northern Rescue is available in Large Print? 

And! Whew, three new preorders.

 Stormy Affair -- Coming January 16

When scandal fades and passion ignites.

In a sun-soaked tropical paradise, Vance is ready to trade his Michelin-starred life for something more fulfilling. Opening Beach Bum—a vibrant seaside café on the sandy shore—he’s not just serving up delectable treats; he’s craving the taste of freedom. Tired of the corporate grind, he seeks a no-strings-attached connection, but what he finds is anything but ordinary.

Fresh from a broken engagement and the suffocating expectations of her old life, Lara takes a spontaneous flight south, landing in Vance's beachside haven. The warm sun and salty air beckon her to let go of her past. Drawn to Vance’s magnetic charm, she soon discovers their relationship ignites a passion she never knew existed.

As their fiery connection deepens, Lara grapples with the thrill of surrendering to Vance's dominance. But when Troy—a mysterious figure from Vance's past—enters their world, everything shifts. What begins as a steamy fling evolves into a tantalizing love triangle that tests boundaries and desires under the tropical sun.

After The Hurt -- Coming February 7

After the Hurt features a resilient fighter going round for tantalizing round with the one that got away—a headstrong woman bent on seduction.

Pepper Chapman refuses to throw in the towel. Nine months ago, she made the biggest mistake of her life. Blinded by grief after her mom’s death, Pepper abandoned the man she loves. Now she wants a second chance at everything she gave up: strong hands driving her to ecstasy . . . a deep voice whispering naughty promises in her ear . . . the future they’d planned since they were teenagers… and his love. So Pepper comes home looking for forgiveness, ready for a new beginning—if he’s willing to give her a shot.

Retired MMA star Tank Sherman may be used to low blows, but Pepper’s emotional sucker punch left him reeling. Trying to ignore the pain and forget the pleasure of her body beneath his, Tank is prepared to ring the final bell on their relationship. Then Pepper shows up out of the blue, radiating a sensuality he’s tried hard to forget. But Tank won’t let himself get hurt again, and that means resisting the heat that still burns between them. Because if he takes Pepper back, he knows he’ll never be able to let her go again.

Originally published with Random House, Loveswept.

Spring Break with a Treasure Hunter

Spring Break shenanigans with a bit of danger and a whole lot of passion.

Official cover and blurb to come

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKVBWT4F