*****
Winters Saga Series
Author: Jami Brumfield
Publication Date: Apr 29, 2014
Publisher: Beau Coup Publishing
Genre: Young Adult/ Paranormal Romance
Lone Wolf Rising (Winters Saga Book 1)
Book 1 in the Winters Saga Series begins with Lone Wolf Rising
Revenge
has deadly consequences. Seventeen year old Rebecca Winters’ main goal
for ten years has been to graduate high school and take down the people
who killed her parents. When she stumbled upon a werewolf pack in the
middle of Phoenix, she knew she’d found a way to make her dream come
true. Instead of getting vengeance, an act of war has put her into a
position of power and forces her to put her thirst for family justice on
a temporary hold.
He is duty bound to protect her.
Lucian (Lucky) Lamont is a member of the Protectors, an elite
supernatural police force who works for the Authority. Their main goal
is to keep humans in the dark about the creatures who live among them.
Lucky is assigned to protect and manage Rebecca, despite her refusal of
help. His cover is simple; he poses as the dutiful ‘pretend’ boyfriend
in order to keep an eye on the new alpha wolf.
She is his mate.
Gabriel
Black thought taking his pack back from the witch who was chosen as the
new alpha would be simple. He thought wrong. His entire world was turned
upside down the moment he met Rebecca at the Authority Council
meeting…and he was hooked the moment he kissed her to prove she wasn’t
dating his best friend, Lucky.
It’s like being torn between two lovers.
Rebecca
is pulled in hundreds of different directions while she attempts to
find a way to survive the supernatural world, protect her family, and
discover who massacred her entire pack days before her first
transformation. She doesn’t have time for romance.
But the heart wants what the heart wants.
And the wolf gets what the wolf wants – or so her alpha believes. While
Rebecca manages to keep her head above water as she unlocks political
and family secrets which could destroy her, she loses sight of the most
important people in her life and one of them pays the ultimate price.
EXCERPT:
He maneuvered her back against the wall and moved in close.
"You need to be more careful if you plan to protect your family," he
whispered.
Her human half knew he was right. It was also one of those rare moments her
wolf agreed.
"It’s not like I ran home to show her,” she said. “She saw me limping and
grabbed my arm. She pulled up my sleeve and reacted. Besides, they should have
been healed by then. This cut," she held up her bandaged hand, "is
already gone."
"Like I told you, your healing focuses on the most life threatening wounds
first. Bruises are always the last to heal." His answer made logical
sense. He started to move away from her and she grabbed his waist, pulling him
back into their little corner. She wasn’t done talking to him. “They lasted for
hours. How was I to know?”
“You need to be more careful.”
He was beginning to sound like a broken record. In fact, everyone seemed to
have that same advice. How was she supposed to be more careful when she didn’t
understand anything? No one seemed to grasp this was new to her and she needed
time to understand everything. No one seemed to see that she was scared and was
constantly being backed into a corner, being forced to react, and left to
wonder if she made the right decision. She closed her eyes against the common
phrase she has heard so much lately and decided to change the subject.
"Are we going to talk about the kiss from last night?" Or the fact
that you punched Gabriel when he kissed me a few minutes ago? She kept that
last thought to herself but didn't release her grip on his waist. It made her
feel powerful as his golden amber eyes took on a darker hue. The urge to run
her fingers over his six pack abs and chest was overwhelming. If they weren't
in the school she would have. It would completely go against her decision to
stay away from Lucky and Gabriel in the romantic sense, and then there was
still the small matter that they were only using dating as a cover. But none of
that matter when she was this close to him.
He moved in closer, his lips inches from her ear. His warm breath invaded her
senses and sent electricity through her body. It took every ounce of will power
to remain still. The silence stretched on painfully.
"No."
And with that he took a step back and grabbed her hand. "What took you so
long in the restroom?" It appeared the conversation about the kiss or the
passionate moments they share was over, just like that.
Annoyance and frustration raked her body. She refused to let him see her hurt
ego or let him know he was rattling her.
‘He isn’t meant for you anyway,’ the alpha whispered in her mind.
‘That isn’t your decision.’ Rebecca shook her head to clear it, but keeping
things professional between them would definitely help the situation.
She went along with his change of subject, for now. "I ran into Sundae.
She seemed to be interested in the fact that I’m a werewolf."
"Oh?" Interest entered his face and eyes.
"Yes, she asked if I was happy." Rebecca shrugged.
"Hmm, that’s interesting. I wonder why?”
"I don’t know. Truthfully, I think she saw me looking at her in the quad.
She seemed to want to intimidate me more than actually carry on a conversation.
I got the distinct feeling she wanted me to understand she’s more dangerous
than she looks. She even called me a little wolf." Rebecca almost laughed
at the thought. "Which is funny considering she is much smaller and
obviously weaker than me.”
He stopped and set his intent amber eyes on her. "Be careful of the dream
weaver, Rebecca. She’s far more dangerous than she looks."
“I got that. My wolf warned me. Sundae did a pretty good job of creeping me
out, too.” She shivered.
“I’m serious, Rebecca.”
She wanted to laugh, but something in his look gave her pause. She didn’t want
Lucky to see that Sundae worried her. She was tired of feeling scared and
having to hide it to the world. "What? Okay, so they can give me
nightmares. So I’ll have some sleepless nights, no biggie."
"The myth that if you die in your sleep you die in reality is very true.
They are far better assassins than allies." Lucky spoke slowly to make
sure the words hit home. The fact that someone as strong and trained to battle
enemies could get unnerved by a small chick didn’t help matters. It only made
her feel more worried.
A shiver ran down her spine. Assassins, the word hit a chord deep inside. Lucky
hinted at it before Rebecca confronted Sundae about it in the bathroom, but
hearing him talk about this with such a grave expression on his face made it
more real. The idea was creepy but made logical sense in a weird, supernatural
way.
Rebecca shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. The random thoughts of
concern seemed to pile on top of each other. Before she chose to be a werewolf
the biggest problem she had was finding ways to avoid depression every night.
Now she had enemies she never knew existed, a fake boyfriend who was pretending
not to be a bodyguard, a family that hid the fact that they were powerful
witches, a group of rogue wolves who wanted to rejoin the pack, a pack that she
was now Alpha of, and not to mention she also had someone spying on her from
afar. The last thing she needed to worry about was a sleep assassin. "I’ll
be careful." She promised.
The mood had suddenly taken a solemn tone and she decided she needed to lighten
it with a fun change of subject. "So why did you punch Gabriel?"
"Why did he kiss you?" The intensity in the look he gave her made her
wonder if he thought she’d invited the kiss.
"I had nothing to do with his decision to kiss me." She put up three
fingers and said, "Scouts honor." The memory of the intense feelings
his kiss ignited inside her began bubbling up inside her and she had a sneaking
suspicion her wolf had something to do with the sudden flooding of feelings.
‘Traitor!’ Rebecca snapped in her mind. The wolf simply laughed playfully.
"But you enjoyed it, didn't you?"
“No!” She answered quickly, which got her raised eyebrows from Lucky.
‘Yes.’ The wolf smiled in her mind.
And there was the question Rebecca was dreading. She planned to make fun over
the punch not get on the topic of Gabriel’s kiss.
She shook her head. "It wasn't me that enjoyed it." She didn't know
how to explain this to him, but she knew she needed to try.
"Come on, Becca. I heard you." Betrayal played in his eyes as he
continued his path towards class.
"It’s my wolf. She’s attracted to him. Not me." Rebecca took his arm
and spun him towards her. "I know we’re using this 'fake' relationship as
a cover. I’m not stupid! But I can't change my attraction and desire for you.
And ever since that kiss last night all I can think about is doing this."
She reached up and pulled his head to hers, crushing her lips to his, desperate
to show him her need. His lips were like stone for a moment, but he lost all
resolve when her hands sank into his silky hair at the nape of his neck.
He deepened the kiss with a growl of frustration as his hand wound around her
waist and pulled her against him. She was thankful the halls were empty in that
moment, but if they weren't everything would have simply faded away. In that
moment it was only them, the rest of the world stood still. Their size
difference made it hard to get closer, so he lifted her up slightly and she
wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her against the wall. When his
tongue slipped into her mouth she felt the moan escape and his groan in
response only pulled her further into the kiss.
He pulled back and shook his head. "This can't keep happening."
His voice was raspy and breathless and hit her like a pail of water putting out
the flames of desire burning in her body. He set her down and took three steps
backward, putting a hand up when she took a step forward.
The gesture made her freeze.
"Why?" It was a single word question that held so much meaning.
"It’s not allowed. I’m a Nephilim and you’re a wolf, an alpha of all
things. The Authority frowns on mixed relationships, and I’m technically
engaged."
Rebecca took a deep breath as she digested his words. "Okay, we could
battle the Authority. My parents did it, didn't they? But engaged?" She
shook her head in confusion. "Who? How? Why? You never said
anything." Her head was spinning with this new information. Now, in a
strange way, she understood why he kept pushing her away.
"I’m promised to someone, have been since birth. If we both live to be
twenty-seven it’s expected that we marry and have kids." He tried to
explain, but had a helpless look on his face. "Besides, you’re an alpha.
You’ll be expected to marry a wolf in the pack and that wolf has already made
his first play for you."
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
My Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
In Lone Wolf Rising, we meet Rebecca Winters, a seventeen-year-old girl who decides to become a werewolf in order to avenge her parents' deaths. This decision proves to be more than she ever could imagine. Rebecca is introduced to the supernatural world, a world of deadly secrets, ancient wars, and impossible choices.
It must be very disturbing to wake up only to find another being sharing your mind. That's what happens to Rebecca. After shifting for the first time, she discovers the alpha werewolf which shares her mind. I had to keep reminding myself that Rebecca was a teenager dealing with grown-up issues, since she was prone to juvenile reactions. Her human half craved protection and reassurance, while her alpha wolf side craved independence and dominance. It makes my head spin.
The story starts out a bit slow but really picks up about halfway through when she finally starts investigating her parents' deaths. The love/hate/I-don't-know-what-this-is triangle also got old very quickly. To make matters more interesting, Rebecca's twin sister, Savannah, falls for the wolf Gabriel. This just can't end well...
I really enjoyed the supernatural creatures and the intrigue between them. Once we get past Rebecca's hormones, the story is rather interesting. In fact, the second half moves so quickly it's hard to keep up. It will be interesting to see where Ms. Brumfield takes the story after that rather traumatic ending.
Vampire Princess Rising (Winters Saga Book 2)
Savannah Winters went from homecoming queen to vampire princess in one
terrifying night. Now she must find a way to survive the dark world she
lives without letting the anger and depression overwhelm and destroy
her. Maintaining a balance between her supernatural identity and human
cover is more difficult then she could ever imagine. And her decision to
separate herself from her family only makes matters worse. How could
she forgive her sister, Rebecca for the role she played in her demise?
It’s a question Rebecca struggles with herself as she attempts to
rebuild the Arizona wolf pack after the massacre that left her a lone
wolf. How can she convince her dear sweet sister, Savannah to forgive
her?
While Rebecca and Savannah juggle the challenges of their new
identities, responsibilities, political alliances, and the men in their
lives Hunter becomes obsessed with unlocking the powers they have as
natural born witches and finding a cure to the viruses that changed his
sisters lives indefinitely.
More family secrets unravel and threaten to destroy the fragile
connection the Winters siblings share while more enemies come out of the
darkness to tear their new worlds apart.
EXCERPT:
Martina pushed Savannah through the door of another store.
They’d already gotten scarves of all different colors, jewelry, mostly silver
of course, some new designer jeans, slacks and skirts, and well-crafted
blouses. Savannah was beginning to feel like a mannequin as clothes were draped
on her body and colors were checked. Viktor and Celestia were sparing no
expense to make sure their investment was well dressed and looked the part.
Martina flew through the dress store, pulling items of different colors and
designs off the racks as Viktor smiled shyly at Savannah. It was the first time
he was not otherwise occupied with his phone and they were alone.
“You’re very pretty.” He smiled warmly.
“Really? Because after this whole experience I was beginning to think I wasn’t
good enough to be a princess,” she snapped coldly.
“Vampires are big on ritual and expectations. You’re perfect in my book.
However, as a royal you’re expected to be beyond perfect. Higher standards are
placed upon you.” He turned those unique violet eyes on her, eyes that reminded
her of her father. “Your life depends on acting the part, especially now that
we’re officially engaged.”
Savannah folded her arms at her chest. “I don’t consider us engaged,
officially.”
“Really? Why is that?”
This man was clueless. She exhaled a frustrated breath out and watched as her
bangs played in the uncommon breeze. “An engagement, in my book, consists of a
man getting down on one knee and asking. This…” she waved her hand in
impatience “…is all formality and protection. Where is the romance, the
tingles, the earth shattering kisses, the mind boggling make out sessions…?”
Savannah was so wrapped up in her wish list that she didn’t even notice Viktor
had gotten down on one knee until Martina dropped the items in her hands and
screamed.
“What are you doing? Get up!” Savannah looked around at everyone staring at
them. Vampires were not allowed to draw attention to themselves in public
settings.
“It may not be the perfect romance…but you will teach me what I need to do.” He
pulled out a ring box from the breast pocket of his elegant sports jacket and
held it out. “Savannah Ariel Matthews Winters you intrigue me immensely and I
cannot wait to spend forever getting to know you better. Would you do me the
honor of becoming my bride?”
Her heart fluttered. It wasn’t the speech she imagined, but it wasn’t bad. She
looked around, camera phones were rolling. Oh hell! She tried to hide the eye
roll. They were on stage now. Appearances were of the utmost importance. “Yes.”
She had no choice but to say it.
“What was that?” he asked with a grin on his face. He heard her, he was a
vampire.
“Yes, I will marry you,” she said louder so everyone could hear.
The grin that broke out across his face was brilliant. He stood up and wrapped
his arms around her waist, lifted her up into an embrace, and spun them around.
“That was the first and only time I will ever do that,” he whispered against
her ear. “Now we are officially engaged.” The smile didn’t leave his face when
he put her down.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss” was the chant that broke out from the crowd that had
gathered to witness her fake proposal.
He turned those eyes back onto hers. “I’m going to kiss you now.” It wasn’t a
request, it was a statement. He moved closer, placing his hands on her slender
hips tentatively. Then with a jerk he pulled her against him, weaving a spell
around her senses. He moved his lips close to hers, so close but not touching.
One hand moved up her spine to her neck. Tingles shot a trail up and a blush crept
onto her cheeks as his body gave away his desire to claim her. “May I kiss you
now?” His fingers tangled into the hair at the nape of her neck and lifted her
lips toward his, still not touching.
She was so wrapped up in the spell he was weaving that she almost missed his
question.
“Savannah, I won’t kiss you until you give me permission.”
He had somehow managed to turn a business arrangement into something more in a
matter of minutes. His lips brushed so close to her skin she felt herself light
up without a touch. His other hand raised up and gently tucked a loose strand
of her hair behind her ear, then caressed her cheek. “May I?”
“Yes.” Her word came out breathlessly, but he heard her. The smirk that spread
across his lips was unsettling but she gave little thought to it when his lips
touched hers. Gentle at first and then he deepened the kiss and possessed her
mouth with his. She was vaguely aware of the cheers in the background as he
continued to assault her senses with a mixture of tenderness and
possessiveness. As far as earth shattering kisses goes, he got a gold star.
Interview with Rebecca Elizabeth Winters, Lone Wolf Rising
Ever wonder what the characters from your favorite books do
in between the scenes playing out on the pages of the book? They play around in the imagination of the
author and fans. Jami M Brumfield
decided to sit down with the characters from Lone Wolf Rising and find out what
is important to them. This interview is
with Rebecca Elizabeth Matthews Winters.
“Okay, let’s get this over with.” Rebecca entered the room with an impatient
glare. “I have quite a few more things
to do on my task list today.” She stood
with her hands crossed over her chest.
Jami looked up from her desk and couldn’t help but grin a
little at Rebecca’s irritation. “Well, I
know you’re busy. Please have a seat.”
Rebecca stayed in her position across the room, glancing
around, most likely searching for escape points. “I’d rather stand thank you.”
Jami picked up her notebook and pen and stood up, putting
her on the same level as the dangerous teen in her office. “Okay,” she made her way over to Rebecca’s
side of the room and sat down on the comfy couch only a few feet from
Rebecca. “Let’s get started.” She poised her pen on the notebook and asked,
“so lets start with asking what it is like being a werewolf.”
Rebecca rubbed her hand and Jami noticed the faint outline
of a tattoo on her hand. It disappeared
as fast as she noticed it. Rebecca
narrowed her sapphire blue eyes, “you know what happens if you reveal our
secret to the humans right?”
“Yes, and I will remind you this interview is simply a
follow up written for the fans of Lone Wolf Rising.” Jami leaned forward and whispered, “they
already know your secret.”
Rebecca breathed a sigh and sat down next to Jami on the
couch. “Good because I’m not sure if you
noticed but I have a lot of pressures on me at the moment and becoming a
traitor of the supernatural world is not something I can add to my plate.”
Jami just sat there silently with a grin and a nod. Silence is golden in interviews, or was that
sales? She wasn’t sure but decided to go
with it.
“Being a werewolf is okay, I guess. I mean you have the painful transformation
once or twice a month, but it gets easier.”
Rebecca smiled. “Or at least you
fool yourself into believing it gets better.”
Rebecca examined her unpainted, torn fingernails. “The hard part is having your wolf constantly
second guessing everything you do. It is
like a war zone in my head sometimes.”
“I can imagine.”
“Can you? Really?”
“Sure. You think I
couldn’t hear you when I created your story?”
Jami asked.
“Yeah? Sorry, not the
same thing. I didn’t constantly tell you
everything you did was wrong.”
Jami laughed uncomfortably, “I’m sure she has calmed down a
little.”
Rebecca’s sapphire eyes turned violet. “You have no idea.”
“Rebecca this was our interview, not the wolf’s.” Jami said pointedly, trying to get things
back on track.
“She likes to be called Siren.” Rebecca’s eyes converted back to sapphire and
Jami released the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Rebecca’s temper
could flare that fast and she knew all too well what could happen when she got
upset. The girl was crazy strong and if pushed too far; fangs, claws and hair
would make an appearance. Jami didn’t want that mess in her office.
“Siren, got it!” Jami
wrote down a quick note for book two.
She cleared her throat, “so you’ve discussed the downsides to being a
werewolf, are there any good sides?”
“I used to think the super human strength, enhanced senses,
and speed were great benefits but they did little to help me keep my family
safe so now, I don’t know.”
“What about being an alpha?
That has to have some perks.”
“If you can call the added responsibility, the political
games, and the idea of offering someone a bite that could kill them or give
them a new life perks, then sure.”
“What about the handsome suitors you have falling over each
other to win your heart?”
“Lucky is engaged to someone else and Gabe wants a
commitment for life. So if you think
having those two gorgeous men falling over me is a perk then you are sadly
mistaken. In fact, I feel terribly
guilty for the problems I bring to their lives.” The silver circle tattoo on Rebecca’s neck
seemed to sparkle.
“It’s not all that bad, Becca.” Jami put the pen and paper down.
“Oh no? You did a
great job of creating a page turner for the readers but that means my life has
been turned upside down for the majority of the book. It would be nice to have something good
happen once and a while.” She crossed
her arms over her chest again.
“You have forgotten your desire for to avenge your parents’
death.” Jami started ticking off good
points with her fingers. “You have
realigned the rogue wolves and given them a home. You have the undying love of your mate. Your family now knows a secret that has been
kept from them for ten years. You
protected your brother from drugs.”
“And what about my sister?”
Jami couldn’t respond to that question. It was a horrible thing that happened to
Savvy but it was necessary.
Rebecca jumped up from the couch and placed her hands on her
hips. “Did you have to let my sister
face that ordeal?”
Jami simply shook her head.
“Things happen for a reason.”
“This interview is over.”
She started heading towards the door.
“Oh and thanks for all the wonderful things you gave us.” She said sarcastically as she slammed the
door behind her and disappeared.
Jami stared around her empty room. “Well you think you’ve seen challenges so
far? Wait until book two.”
Jami M Brumfield
has a passion for the paranormal, supernatural, and mythological worlds
for most of her life. She believes there is a kernel of truth in every
story and loves playing detective to discover what that hidden truth is.
She has written most of her life. She started with poems and short
stories, then graduated to journalism working for online websites like
examiner.com. It was only a natural progression that her love of writing
and her passion for the unknown would combine. The Winters Saga is the
product of that union.
Book one in the Winters Saga
"Lone Wolf Rising" focuses on teen witch Rebecca who in a series of
unnatural events finds herself a teen wolf and alpha of the Arizona
pack. She is suddenly thrust into a world where danger lurks around
every corner and love becomes a liability. Her thirst for vengeance
begins to destroy her family and someone she loves pays the ultimate
prices.
Book two in the Winters Saga "Vampire Princess
Rising" continues the story that began in Lone Wolf Rising only the
focal character is Rebecca's sister Savannah. She went from homecoming
queen to vampire princess in one terrible night and her life... undead
life will never be the same. Family secrets continue to unravel for the
Winters siblings and danger continues to build as a supernatural war
starts to brew on the streets of Phoenix with the Winters in the middle
of it.
Book three in the Winters Saga "Fire Master
Rising" is well underway and promises to take your breath away as the
focal point of this tale will be Hunter and his fire producing adopted
daughter Freya join the battle against good and evil. Loyalties will be
tested, alliances will burn and others will be created, and life will
never be the same for the Winters family. Jami is hoping for a late June
or early July release date for this book.
She is also working on a New Adult Paranormal Romance series and book one in this series will be released in the summer of 2014.
By day Jami works with hypnotherapy and coaching clients and in her nights
she focuses on creating new urban fantasy and paranormal romantic
thrill rides for your enjoyment.
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