Give a warm welcome to Nicole Morgan

Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

For years I have written erotic contemporary romance, which almost always have a back story of suspense. Those are the types of books I would read, the kinds of books which I love. The old saying of ‘we stick with what we know’ becomes a part of us as authors. Our comfort zone may widen a bit over the years though out the course of new books we read and write, but very rarely does one take that giant leap completely out of their comfort zone.

Let’s face it we all know it can be scary wandering into the unknown. Never being a fan of fear myself, I rarely venture out into unfamiliar territory. That was until this year. In January of 2012 I faced that fear and left my comfy world of erotic contemporary romance and took a walk on the wild side, so to speak. I began my very first paranormal romance. While it has some erotic content to it, it’s not as steamy some of my others and focuses more on the tale I’m telling.

Paranormal romance has so many sub genres to it I wanted it to be completely different from anything the readers have come across before. So in my story you won’t find Vampires, Werewolves or Shape-Shifters. Instead you will find an entirely new kind of species, one that isn’t much different than you or I. Or…are they?

The Nexus is scheduled for release in August 2012 with Siren Bookstrand, Inc. and will be the first book in The Paladin Series. Below is a sneak peek at this upcoming release and please stop by my website and blog for news on my current releases, works in progress and to keep up to date on upcoming releases.

Blurb:

Xavier has lived his life abiding by the Laws of the Assention. Being a Paladin it was his duty to do the right thing and put others before himself, but he couldn’t ignore the void he felt in his life and craved to find something more.

Rachel Folley was engaged to a man who had changed in the past months. She’s unhappy and worried her pending nuptials are a mistake. Anxiety kept her up at night as thoughts of her future nagged her.

A chance encounter with Xavier, a mysterious stranger changes her life. Sparks fly as the two are drawn to one another, unable to deny themselves the desire to be together. They fall in love, despite the obstacles in their way. As the days pass they learn there is more than meets the eye to their new found love.

Despite their happiness, evil surrounds them. There are some that will stop at nothing to keep them apart for their own agenda. As secrets are revealed and plots are unveiled they are faced with a battle not only for their love, but for sheer survival.

Unedited Excerpt:

Xavier thundered down the road at dangerous speeds. His anger fueling his need to defy the laws of man and nature, tempting fate. He was enraged by Dominick’s flippant attitude over their argument. For thirty two years he had obeyed the laws of the assent drilled into him since he was a young child. Never once had he questioned the reasons why the Paladin’s lived their life in secrecy, shut out from any possibility of living a life amongst the humans. Never until tonight.

“Damn you, Dominick.”

The combination of harsh winter wind and his bike’s motor swallowed his words making them disappear into the night. He bitterly laughed as he thought that Dominick had probably stolen them before they could be heard.  God forbid anyone question the mighty laws of the assent, he thought sarcastically.

Breathing in the crisp night air he could smell the pine trees from the forest. Smell had always been the strongest of his senses, a fact which was sometimes a curse more than a blessing. Inhaling deeply, he took in the aroma allowing it to fill his mind and calm his annoyance. The icy cold wind beating against his skin felt good. It made him feel alive. Damn he hated how trapped he felt in his existence.

The vibration of the 110” motor rocketed through his body, jolting his senses into awareness. He never felt as free as he did when he was on his bike. It was something that infuriated Dominick and the elders. He would be foolish to deny that he didn’t get a certain amount of satisfaction from knowing that, but when he was on his Harley with no one ordering him what to do next, he was allowed to be one with the world around him, it awakened his soul like nothing he’d ever experienced before. 

This was what he wanted, what he needed.  To hell with what the Paladin’s believed.  He was tired of living within the confines of the community just for the sake of abiding by an agreement set in place hundreds of years before he was even born. An agreement that he wanted no part of. All of the Paladin’s were all merely existing in this world. It had become monotonous and boring.  There had to be something more out there. Surely there must or he wouldn’t be craving to fill an emptiness he couldn’t define.

Thank you, Dawn for having me as a guest in your wonderful little Nook and allowing me to share a peek into my very first paranormal romance The Nexus. For all of my current releases please see my author page at Siren HERE. I can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.