When Love Intrudes (When the Mission Ends) (20 page)

This book surprised me on so many levels. When I began writing it, it was supposed to be a 25,000 word novella, but it was the first book I ever wrote without an outline. So of course, the story took over and became a 60,000 word novel. But I’m okay with that because I love where the story went.

The other surprise was just how many new characters showed up here. And let me assure you, a LOT of them are going to get their own books. The main characters that you will see again…very soon, are Trevor and Jamie from Snowcroft. Did you notice that I left their story with lots of questions? There’s a reason for that. Their story will be releasing in February, 2014 as the first book in a new m/m romantic suspense series set in the Village of Snowcroft. That book will be called Snowcroft Lost. Other characters who were introduced here who will get stories in that series are Rand, Hudson, and eventually Nathan (after he’s had a few years to get a little bit older.)All of the books in that series will be m/m romantic suspense.

There were two other characters who jumped out in this book who I hope to someday write stories for because they were such rich characters with a definite story to tell:

*Zach Nelson from Z Investigations

*Dr. Felicia Parks…the vet who saved Sam

I love my job! Thank you to all of you who support me!

 
Smiles,

 
Christi

As an avid reader my entire life, I’ve always dreamed of writing books that brought to others the kind of joy I feel when I read.  But…I never did anything about it besides jot down a few ideas and sparse scenes.

When I turned 41, I decided it was time to go after my dream and started writing. Within four months, I’d written over 150,000 words and haven’t stopped since. I’ve found my passion by writing about sexy, alpha heroes and smart, tough heroines falling in love and finding their passion. I’m truly living the dream and loving every minute of it.

My tagline is…

Passion and adventure on the road to Happily Ever After.
I have to admit, I am loving this adventure!

You can find me at:
www.Christi-Snow.com

Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to find out about my latest releases.

A new paranormal dystopian romantic suspense novel from Christi Snow.

Through the Veil

Book #1 of a new 7 novel series

58 years ago a gorge opened up from Mobile, AL to Quebec City, Canada to split the United States into the Western States (WS) and the Eastern States (ES).

40 years later a fog rolled in on the WS that they called the Veil. Within twelve hours it formed an impenetrable wall between the two sides.

It’s been 18 years since anyone has known what’s happening on the other side of the Veil.

Now, Lori, an Other, in a desperate attempt at escape from the ES’s torture and experimentation, has crossed the Veil and found a world beyond belief.

Marcus is a Warrior, but when Lori collapses at his feet wounded and exhausted, he knows he has to protect her. But seeing that she’s the first person he’s seen in 18 years without wings, he’s worried about what her appearance means for his people and the world they’ve created since the Veil fell.

Two new societies: one built on a respect for the natural order of nature and the world, the other built on mistrust and corruption. Can they learn to co-exist once again?

(Sneak Peek)

by Christi Snow

Crouched behind the rock, gasping for air, Lori surveyed the bridge below. No one had been on that bridge for eighteen years and she wasn’t positive it would support her. Holding the bullet wound on her side to stem the flow of blood, she glanced behind her, ignoring the pain sizzling along every nerve ending along that side of her waist. She hadn’t heard her pursuers for several hours, but that didn’t mean they weren’t nearby.

A bead of sweat rolled down her spine as she glanced down at the bridge again. It had been built a little over fifty years ago after the gorge had suddenly appeared splitting the country in half. A mile deep and a quarter mile wide, the gorge spanned from Mobile, Alabama up to Quebec City, Canada, literally splitting the country in half.

The split occurred fifty-eight years ago, but that fissure was nothing compared to when the Veil moved in forty years later. The Veil was the fog that encased the Western side of the gorge. From the moment it moved in, everything changed. The fissure was a shock, but the Veil was debilitating. When the fog moved in, an invisible barrier occurred down the middle of the gorge, splitting the country into two. No one could get past it and suddenly there was no contact from one side to the other.

On the Eastern Side, where Lori lived, people died by the hundreds of thousands and no one knew why. They had no idea what happened on the Western Side. The fog moved in and never left. They couldn’t even see that side of the gorge anymore, just rolling fog and mist.

The only reason Lori even knew about this bridge was because her family came here on vacation a year before the Veil moved in. She was nine years old at the time and it was a fabulous vacation. The riskiness of climbing this bridge so far above the ground was the highlight of her trip back then. Now it was her nightmare. But she didn’t have a choice. If she stayed on this side of the gorge, they would kill her.

Gritting her teeth, Lori stood and approached the bridge. It was simply a foot bridge made of wood and rope, suspended across the gorge. The irony of the situation didn’t pass by her. The only reason they pursued her was because of her ability to manipulate space. She was counting on that ability to save her life now and get her through the impenetrable Veil.

She’d spent the last six years of her life as a lab rat. Death was preferable to continuing that way. With the blood oozing from her side, she realized that was a very good possibility. Manipulating space took huge amounts of energy, energy that was already flagging as she bled all over the ground.

She let go of her side and sucked in a breath to focus her concentration. Grasping the rough ropes she took her first step onto the bridge. It shifted slightly under her weight with a creaking sound which reverberated through the quiet of the forest. It was as if nature held its breath to see if she would survive this. The swaying bridge took more effort from the muscles of her core so she could maintain her balance. She hissed at the added pain and fought off the black spots encroaching on her vision.

Glancing behind her, she didn’t see any movement save the leaves rustling on the trees. Looking forward again she tried to peer through the thick fog. She had about fifty feet of bridge before she hit the wall of fog. Slowly, she shuffled her feet across the rough wood, stepping gingerly to avoid falling through the rotted boards. The further out she moved, the more the bridge swayed over the huge expanse. She couldn’t look down. Her breath came out in gasps as she moved further and further across.

Finally she reached the Veil. She reached forward and could feel the invisible barrier. It was like a huge wall. She closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer this would work.

“She’s on the bridge!”

Lori swung around and saw men pouring out of the forest behind her. Damn. This was her final chance. She closed her eyes and faced the Veil again. Using every ounce of energy she could pour into it, she focused on creating a hole big enough so she could crawl through it. Finally, she felt the energy move and the wall shifted. She scrambled through the hole she created.

Once through, she let go of the energy to seal the wall back up and not a moment too soon, as the wall reverberated under the hail of bullets striking it. She couldn’t see or hear the men on the other side anymore. The fog enveloped her. She held onto the rope supports and felt her way across the rest of the bridge on wobbly knees.

She’d made it through. It would really suck to fall off the bridge now.

When she felt the solid ground of the other side, she collapsed in exhaustion and relief. She lay there gasping and tried to find energy to stand, but manipulating the Veil had taken everything she had. The darkness was slipping into her consciousness when strong arms lifted her up.

The fog still surrounded them, but that didn’t keep her from seeing the gorgeous face of the man holding her against his naked chest or the dark purple wings at his back.