Hello Friends!

Today is a day full of all the feels for me.

Five years ago, my debut book, FIRST SHIFT, released into the wilds. I became the author of a real, live book for the first time. Today, it is re-releasing in its second edition with updated interior, new cover, and a new publisher.

I’m immensely grateful for this opportunity, and I’m thankful for the whole journey of this book.

Many of you probably already know this, but for the new folks, I used to be a high school English teacher. I started teaching at the height of the Twilight craze. ALL of my students were reading the Twilight books, but when they were finished, there weren’t any other YA appropriate paranormal romance books. The only things available had all the body parts on the page, all the cursing, and all the toxicity. I wanted something better for my students, and that’s how the Wolves of Rock Falls came to be.

The books were picked up by The Wild Rose Press with five year contracts. Those contracts started to expire this year, and the rights have begun to return to me. They are being re-released as they revert with Quill & Flame Publishing House. :)

As I was reading the new galley of FIRST SHIFT (seriously, this was the first time I’d read this book since my original galley read before publication over five years ago!), I was struck with the relevance of the story. The messages in the story were things I wrote largely for my students—and I think they’re still important. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I still really like this story. A part of me wondered if I wouldn’t. ;) My favorite theme throughout this book is still that love is a choice. <3 It’s not just something you fall into. Real love takes work, commitment, and dedication. This is not advocating for abuse—that’s not real love. But the sort of love that transcends time and space…isn't just something that happens. It’s a choice.

The new edition has glorious page edges the original did not, too. ;)

Sam Wolfe always follows the rules. Positioned to take over as pack Alpha from his demanding father, Sam has consistently upheld and enforced pack law, until an accidental slip of his teeth puts his entire werewolf pack at risk and shoves the girl he’s not supposed to love into the crosshairs of a killer.

Megan Carmichael is preparing for college and dreams of opening a bakery. But Sam’s bite rips her world apart, thrusting her into a hidden realm of shadows, secrets, and danger. Forced into an awkward relationship with the only boy who can help her, Megan searches for a way to undo what’s been done—before time runs out—or the killer finds her.

When an enemy ambush plunges Sam into the role of Alpha, he and Megan must work together to find the threat, protect the pack, and maybe fall in love.

But they better do it before the next full moon.

For the first time, FIRST SHIFT is now available in ebook, paperback, AND in KU. If you’ve got friends who need some swoony, no spice werewolves in their lives, feel free to forward this email to them.

Since I’m emailing you today for exciting re-release info, I wanted to share two other things with you, too.

In keeping with all the werewolf things, on March 5, LOST SHIFT (which is essentially the fifth book in the Wolves of Rock Falls series) will be FREE! All the wolf books can be read in any order as they’ll all interconnected stand alones. The full story is probably best enjoyed read in order, but if you wanted to snag it, Thursday would be the day. ;) Also, the hardback of LOST SHIFT will only be available for a little longer. The hardback, full-color edition will be going out of print, leaving paperback, ebook, and availability in KU, as well as audio.

If you’d like a chance to win a delicious prize pack of “Just Kisses” books, audio books, and physical books (sorry, the physical book prize is only available in the US), you can enter HERE until March 14th! :D

And lastly, MURDER AT MISTLETHWAITE MANOR is currently .99. This is probably the last time it’ll be on sale until next winter. ;)

Thank you for being here. <3 Thank you for reading my stories.

I hope they bring you joy!

Cheers!

-AJ

AJ Factoid: You guys. My brother WROTE ME A SONG for FIRST SHIFT! You MUST give it a listen. It has ALL the feels, the vibes, hits all the high points, themes, and longing of the book. It’s amazing. <3

And because it’s Tuesday, even though it’s not technically THAT Tuesday, please find the next chapter of ORIGIN below. ;)

Chapter 4

A cold wind swept down from the treetops making me shiver in my borrowed clothes. The scent of rain and moistness crowded into my nose. Blast. Just want I needed—an early seasonal storm to blow me in, wetter than a kelpie, back to the castle. The nocturnal birds fell silent. Dread settled in my chest and I ran toward the grey unyielding walls in the distance.

An unholy shriek cut through my troubled thoughts, and my blood iced. Tripping over a root as I whirled, I righted myself and reached for the string across my chest. Whipping my bow out from under my heavy black braid, I yanked an arrow from my quiver. With fear knocking my heart against my breastbone, I sprinted. But not before the first of the unicorn-riding goblins broke the cover of the trees.

The twisted, grotesque goblins were little malformed lumps on the backs of their wicked mounts as they crashed through the underbrush a hundred yards behind me. So dark they seemed to suck the remaining light around them into swirling shadow, the unicorn’s deadly hooves tore through the top layer of soil. With golden horns threaded through with black veins of evil, they charged.

I’d never make it back to the keep before they gnashed me to pieces.

Biting my lip to keep my whimper in, I changed trajectory and ran to the base of a thick tree and swung myself into it with ease. Climbing up as high as I dared, I crouched, arrow nocked, praying they’d somehow pass beneath me, oblivious to my presence.

My belly clenched. I should never have left the keep. If I had stayed my tongue and not been sent away in humiliation, I could be on the ramparts now, shooting down any goblin or unicorn who dared get too close. But in my rashness, I was here, alone in the woods, nearly defenseless but for my finite number of arrows, and at the mercy of a horde of monsters should they look up.

Just when I thought I might have avoided detection, a big, mottled goblin caught sight of me up in the tree.

“Heeeya!” he heeled his mount back around. The unicorn champed at his bit, frothing lining his black lips. Fighting to keep my calm, I loosed an arrow straight through the goblin’s throat. It felled him at once, but the loud gurgling he made as he crashed to the ground and the loud keening of his unicorn as it ran in the opposite direction drew the notice of another stinking goblin.

I had to get down from the tree. If one knew I was here, the rest soon would, too. I only had fourteen arrows left. My only chance was to scale down and run as if my life depended upon it.

Because it did.

Taking the path of least resistance, I folded in on myself and dropped from the tree, praying I didn’t break anything upon landing.

I crashed onto the ground, feet and ankles stinging, but nothing broken. I didn’t take time to examine anything further but ran for all I was worth. The goblin let out an evil cackle, and I knew he gave chase. He was herding me away from the keep.

Shutting my terror away into a corner of my brain, I dashed through the trees, zig zagging, and doing my best to make it as difficult as possible for the goblin to catch me. If I could lead him far enough away from the others, I could kill him without drawing the attention of the rest of the horde. That way I’d give myself enough time to hide until they left at dawn. Goblins hated the light. Couldn’t abide it.

Bashing my knee as I careened through the darkening forest, I knew I would need to make my stand soon, or all the light would be gone under the clouds roiling over the sky. With their ability to melt into the shadows, I’d lose sight of my pursuers, and meet a grisly end.

The harsh gallop still thundered behind me. A tiny edge of the moon peeked out, illuminating the lip of a gorge. I was out of time.

Nocking my arrow as I planted my feet and spun on my heel to meet my attackers, I took one steadying breath, my heart thundering in my ears, and strained my eyes to see the goblin in the dark.

Catching a glimpse, I let my arrow fly.

There was a wet thud and a grunt, but no crash.

Shoving my panic down, I loosed another arrow into the blackness. A sharp shriek blasted into the forest. I shot again. Another!

With a whoosh like a specter, the goblin and his unicorn charged straight for me. The goblin’s arm was extended, golden scimitar leveled at my head.

I had no time to fire another arrow. Tossing my bow up and catching the end, I swung it like a club, putting my full weight and strength behind it. It struck the goblin’s chest as I ducked from his massive blade.

It grunted, pained, as sticky black blood spattered the front of my shirt. Three things then happened at once, so quickly I couldn’t process them at the time. The unicorn lost its footing on the scree beside the edge of the gorge and slipped, unable to right itself. My blow knocked the goblin sideways, throwing additional weight to the side where the unicorn faltered. For one moment, I thought I was safe, that they’d descend over the edge into the gully, then a sharp jerk like a thousand bone needles stabbing into the back of my skull yanked me off my feet.

I floated. Then dashed against the rocks and weeds as the goblin clutched my braid and the three of us tumbled over the edge of the gully.