Author: Jackie May
(Nora Jacobs #2)
Publication date: May 21st 2018
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Synopsis:
One month after Nora’s violent induction to the dangerous supernatural side of Detroit, she’s finally settling into her new life as the underworld’s token human. All she wants to do is mind her own business, enjoy her new friends, and stay safe. But that’s easier said than done when she’s such an enigma to everyone around her.
Thanks to her unique psychic abilities, she’s garnered a reputation for being mysterious and powerful. When the alpha of a local werewolf pack asks her to help him figure out who is stealing from him, she can’t say no, even though getting involved in pack business could have deadly repercussions.
While tangled up in a heap of werewolf troubles, Nora can’t quite shake her old vampire problem, either. Henry is practically stalking her, Parker is breaking down the walls around her heart, and Nora’s blatant fear of the blood-sucking monsters is a delicious temptation for the natural predators.
Nora’s succubus friend, Cecile, believes throwing her a “coming out” party into underworld society is the best way to solve all of her problems, but Nora disagrees. If the vampires and werewolves don’t kill her, Cecile’s party planning definitely will.
This is book 2 in the Nora Jacobs series and should be read after book 1. It is a slow burn reverse harem series.
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Excerpt:
“Hey, sexy, how about you bring a shot of Angelfire and that pretty little ass over here.”
I pour a shot of the fey alcohol and bring it to the tactless man with a forced smile. As I take
the cash he lays out on the counter, he grabs my arm and pulls me close. “You know, I’ve
never had a human before—they’re not usually worth my time—but I’d make an exception
for you.”
the cash he lays out on the counter, he grabs my arm and pulls me close. “You know, I’ve
never had a human before—they’re not usually worth my time—but I’d make an exception
for you.”
I yank my arm back. “Not interested, thanks.”
I start to walk away, so he quickly downs his shot and asks for another. “What’s the matter?
Think you’re too good to bed an underworlder?”
Think you’re too good to bed an underworlder?”
I smirk as I fill his shot glass with another round of the light blue liquid. “Nope. Just too
good for cocky assholes.”
good for cocky assholes.”
I don’t have time to regret running my mouth off before the man has me by the throat and
is pulling me across the counter to his seething face. “I’ll show you manners, human. You’re
nothing but an insect in my world. A plaything. And now you’ll be mine. I’ll have you
begging for death for all eternity.”
is pulling me across the counter to his seething face. “I’ll show you manners, human. You’re
nothing but an insect in my world. A plaything. And now you’ll be mine. I’ll have you
begging for death for all eternity.”
His thoughts are scarier than his words. He plans to follow through on his threat. He knows
many fey in the winter court that keep human pets. He’s never seen the appeal, but now
he wants nothing more than to humiliate me and make me suffer. And maybe he’ll eat me
once he’s bored of the torture.
many fey in the winter court that keep human pets. He’s never seen the appeal, but now
he wants nothing more than to humiliate me and make me suffer. And maybe he’ll eat me
once he’s bored of the torture.
His grip is so strong I can’t breathe, but before I start to see spots in my vision, Wulf and
Nick rip me apart from the psychotic winter faerie. Wulf has me behind him, using his body
to physically shield me, while Nick has the faerie laid out on the bar by his throat. The man
is wailing in pain, and it takes me a moment to figure out it’s because Nick’s buried a
dagger in the man’s shoulder, hilt deep. Judging from the screams of pain, the dagger is
made of iron, which is poisonous to faeries. “What was that about begging for death
for all eternity?” Nick asks. “Is that how you like to play?”
Nick rip me apart from the psychotic winter faerie. Wulf has me behind him, using his body
to physically shield me, while Nick has the faerie laid out on the bar by his throat. The man
is wailing in pain, and it takes me a moment to figure out it’s because Nick’s buried a
dagger in the man’s shoulder, hilt deep. Judging from the screams of pain, the dagger is
made of iron, which is poisonous to faeries. “What was that about begging for death
for all eternity?” Nick asks. “Is that how you like to play?”
“But she’s human,” the faerie cries, as if that justifies his actions.
Wulf growls at this, and his whole body begins to shake. I place a hand on his shoulder in
an attempt to calm him down. I’ve heard that werewolves like physical touch, and a gesture
to tell him I’m all right should help with his protective instincts. I’ve never seen a
werewolf shift, and I don’t really want to see one now while he’s pissed and I’m trapped
behind a bar with him. I want to say something soothing, but honestly, I’m too scared to get
any words out. That faerie has a dark, twisted mind.
an attempt to calm him down. I’ve heard that werewolves like physical touch, and a gesture
to tell him I’m all right should help with his protective instincts. I’ve never seen a
werewolf shift, and I don’t really want to see one now while he’s pissed and I’m trapped
behind a bar with him. I want to say something soothing, but honestly, I’m too scared to get
any words out. That faerie has a dark, twisted mind.
“She is an employee of this club and Terrance’s only clan,” Nick says.
The fey’s eyes pop wide open. “She’s his clan?”
“His first.” Nick nods. “And he’s especially fond of her. So I would advise you to leave her
alone. In fact, I bet you’re a dead man walking once Terrance figures out you’re the asshole
who put the bruises around her neck.”
alone. In fact, I bet you’re a dead man walking once Terrance figures out you’re the asshole
who put the bruises around her neck.”
Nick’s eyes do that thing they do when he gets really pissed. The pupils turn into vertical
slits. It’s freaky looking. He also emits some kind of power. I can’t really explain it. I
don’t know what kind of underworlder Nick is. It’s rude to ask, and he’s never offered
the information up. But it’s something totally badass that scares even the nastiest
underworlders. Mr. Creepy Fey Man is squirming under his grip, looking like he’s about
to piss himself. “I’m sorry,” he whines. “I didn’t know who she was. I’ll leave. Just let
me up before Terrance comes.”
slits. It’s freaky looking. He also emits some kind of power. I can’t really explain it. I
don’t know what kind of underworlder Nick is. It’s rude to ask, and he’s never offered
the information up. But it’s something totally badass that scares even the nastiest
underworlders. Mr. Creepy Fey Man is squirming under his grip, looking like he’s about
to piss himself. “I’m sorry,” he whines. “I didn’t know who she was. I’ll leave. Just let
me up before Terrance comes.”
“Maybe we should leave him pinned to the bar for a while,” Wulf says, making the fey’s
eyes go wide again. “That’ll send the message that Nora is off limits, which might
appease Terrance.”
eyes go wide again. “That’ll send the message that Nora is off limits, which might
appease Terrance.”
I can’t help the way my mouth falls open. “You’re not serious.”
Wulf gives me a grim look. “This man disrespected Terrance’s staff. That won’t go
unpunished—house rules.”
unpunished—house rules.”
“Terrance will kill him for touching you, unless we punish him first,” Nick adds, backing
up Wulf’s claims.
up Wulf’s claims.
They’re not kidding. They plan to keep this guy staked to the counter the way he is. The
underworld runs on a different set of rules. It’s brutal and dangerous. If I want to survive it,
I need to learn to stomach the darker side of it and trust those who have my well-being at
heart.
underworld runs on a different set of rules. It’s brutal and dangerous. If I want to survive it,
I need to learn to stomach the darker side of it and trust those who have my well-being at
heart.
“Okay,” I say, since both Wulf and Nick seem to be waiting for my approval. It’s not that
hard to agree, considering how evil the man’s thoughts were. “Let’s leave him for a while.”
hard to agree, considering how evil the man’s thoughts were. “Let’s leave him for a while.”
“Put a sign on him so everyone knows,” Nick says.
Wulf writes a note on a pad that says I touched the human girl. He puts it on the faerie’s
chest. “Hold this, and don’t drop it.”
chest. “Hold this, and don’t drop it.”
The man grips the message and holds it against his chest where everyone who gets close
can read it. But he’s squirming, swearing, sweating, and hollering about the pain. I have
no doubt it hurts. Nick has no sympathy for him. “Shut your mouth,” he says, touching
the dagger’s hilt and twisting it ever so slightly, causing the faerie to scream in real
agony. “This is a tender mercy. Stop whining, or I’ll put this dagger through your heart
to shut you up.”
can read it. But he’s squirming, swearing, sweating, and hollering about the pain. I have
no doubt it hurts. Nick has no sympathy for him. “Shut your mouth,” he says, touching
the dagger’s hilt and twisting it ever so slightly, causing the faerie to scream in real
agony. “This is a tender mercy. Stop whining, or I’ll put this dagger through your heart
to shut you up.”
I’m not surprised when the faerie shuts his mouth and keeps his discomfort to mild
whimpers from then on. If Nick had looked at me the same way he looked at that guy
just now, I’d find a way to forget about the pain, too.
whimpers from then on. If Nick had looked at me the same way he looked at that guy
just now, I’d find a way to forget about the pain, too.
AUTHOR BIO:
Jackie May is a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. Josh and Kelly live in Phoenix, Arizona with their four children and their cat, Mr. Darcy. Jackie May is their only daughter. (And she keeps asking for her cut of the profits since we’re using her name.)
Author links:
Author Interview:
So you are a husband and wife writing duo. Why the penname Jackie May? Why not use both of your
names?
Mainly because Kelly is already an established young adult writer under her name. (Kelly Oram). She was going to need a penname for this anyway, and we figured having one name for both of us was simply easier. (And it looked nicer on the cover, lol.) Jackie May is the name of our only daughter. We “borrowed” it from her, which she thinks is kind of cool, but she also keeps asking for her portion of the profits. We told her we’d negotiate when she starts paying her own living expenses.
How do you like writing together?
It’s both a blessing and a curse. We love being able to work together on something we’re both so passionate about. It’s great to be able to discuss everything together and bounce ideas off each other. And we love being able to both work from home together and have the same schedule. It can be difficult to navigate our creative differences, though, and there are plenty of those. It’s not like we can just hang up the phone or turn off the chat when we’re annoying each other. The tricky part is to work through those creative differences without it turning into a fight that affects our family.
What was your inspiration behind the Nora Jacobs series?
We’re both big fantasy geeks. When we decided write together, we knew we needed to pick a genre that we both liked. When we settled on urban fantasy, we both agreed we liked the classic “case of the week” structure. The Nora Jacobs books are inspired by some of our favorite urban fantasy series. Think the earlier books in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton, The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, and The Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill.
Why did you choose to set the books in Detroit?
What better place to set a dark and dangerous underworld full of monsters than the beat-up, rundown, dangerous city of Detroit? Kelly spent her teenage years in a suburb of Detroit so she has some personal ties to it, and it definitely lives up to it’s reputation. She’s got a couple of scary stories about getting lost in Detroit and literally knows more than one person who has been shot while in the city. We found it a fitting stomping ground for our supernatural creatures.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
READ! Anything and everything you can get your hands on. The more you read, the better your writing will be. Also, WRITE! Practice makes perfect. Chances are, that first draft of that first book you write will not be publishable. That doesn’t make you a bad writer. It makes you normal. Between the two of us, we completed dozens of novels before either of us had one we felt was good enough to be published. Writing is just like anything else. It takes time, patience, hard work, and a lot of practice.
What are you working on next?
We have a novella releasing in August as part of the Realms and Rebels Anthology. (Pre-order links on our website, www.jackiemayauthor.com) It’s 26 New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors coming together to bring you 22 reverse harem novellas filled with magic, danger, mystery, adventure and romance. We were thrilled to be invited to participate in the anthology with so many amazing authors.
Then, this fall we’re releasing the first book in a companion series to the Nora Jacobs books. The Shayne Davies series is set in the same world as Nora Jacobs and has a lot of character crossover. The first book in the Shayne Davies series, The Devil to Pay, will be released before the third Nora Jacobs book because it comes next chronologically. Nora 3 will release after that. So many books! There’s lots to look forward to from us, so make sure to join our new release mailing list and our facebook group to keep updated with us.
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Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1998618627079074/
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