I LOVE a prologue – that tease that grabs you by the imagination and pulls you into the story, sometimes kicking and screaming, the way the beginning of this intro does in BOUND BY MOONLIGHT. . .

Bound by Moonlight (By Moonlight - Book 4)

Length: 370 Pages

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POLICE DETECTIVE CHARLOTTE CAISSIE AND HER SHAPE-SHIFTING PARAMOUR MAX SAVOIE THOUGHT THE PAST WAS BEHIND THEM. BUT IN NANCY GIDEON’S IRRESISTIBLE NEW ROMANCE, THEY DISCOVER IT MAY NEVER LET THEM GO. . . .

THEY SWORE THEY’D BE TOGETHER FOREVER.

Detective Charlotte Caissie is suddenly sharing drawer space and making local news with her shape-shifter lover, Max Savoie. He’s determined to be accepted by her peers—so how can she ask him to return to his criminal roots to help her solve a complex case?

BUT THOSE THEY TRUST THE MOST . . .

Working undercover with her partner to find the serial killer who’s kidnapped a colleague’s daughter, Cee Cee is caught between her job and her fiercely possessive lover. And when she calls on Max’s preternatural talents to aid his hated enemy, she crosses a line that strains their relationship to its limit.

. . . WILL DO ANYTHING TO TEAR THEM APART.

With his secret spreading, Max is forced to protect his family and his clan. The only certainty is his love for his human mate . . . unless the loyalties that define them divide them forever.

The Excerpt

She paced in front of the clinic, her feet pinched by her new boots, then tried the door again. Cupping her hands by her eyes to lessen the glare, she peered inside. No lights were on, just the familiar soft fluorescent glow. Damn, where was the doc? If she didn’t hurry she’d miss her bus, and she couldn’t afford a cab.
Maybe she could call. Just this once. They’d come get her. She was sure of it.
. . . and a bit more . . .
She straightened and glanced about her gritty surroundings. It looked like a scene from one of those end of the world movies. Not a creature stirring. Just steam roiling out of the alleyways, swirls of white over oppressive gray, as if the streets had been bled dry of all color and life. In the grainy light, she could see her reflection through the grating over the window, seeing what others saw: A cold, frightened little girl with teased auburn hair, hiding behind heavy makeup and garish clothes. Alone.
Or was she?

Just like in your favorite scary movie, you just KNOW something bad is coming (even without the nerve-plucking music to put you on edge!). The set up is everything. The incident that incites the drama-to-come tells you the tone of the tale, so it needs to play upon the reader’s emotions and, in this case, fears. Admit it, you’ve watched those scary movies and found yourself internally yelling at the screen, “Run, fool! Don’t open that door!” But they always do, don’t they? And that set up of bad things to come is the hook that yanks you into Chapter One.

This particular scene is one that still makes me shiver, because I’ve been there . . . almost. I’d taken a train to Chicago to visit my college roommate – my first trip out of the state alone. I took a wrong turn out of Central Station and found myself on deserted Sunday morning street dragging luggage in a neighborhood you don’t want to visit. And then a group of about six young men came up behind me. Observing my obvious out-of-placeness and isolation (pre-cellphone!), any number of things might have happened . . . and yes, in those few seconds I imaged them all. But realizing I was lost, they stopped and friendly as can be, gave me directions back to where I’d missed my turn to the El station, wished me a nice trip and walked on. Whew!

Worst case scenarios are a writer’s best friend . . . as long as they just play out safely in the imagination.

Where’s your imagination taking us this weekend?

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