This story releases on November 26th, at all media outlets. I’m posting the cover today because it was the day of the Connecticut Romance Writers of America meeting and it’s because of CTRWA member Jamie Schmidt that I wrote the story last summer, after she challenged us all to write a novella in 30 days. It helped that I knew the characters well.
It’s a stand alone story but the characters first appeared in the novella Luminous.
The Phoenix Institute, Book 3.5
As Christmas approaches in crumbling Charlton City, Detective Aloysius James and his partner, Noir, are at a crossroads. Figuring out how to reconcile their careers with their relationship is harder than catching the bad guys.
Now that Noir has learned to control her invisibility and is making a name for herself among the city’s artist collective, Al senses there’s something she’s keeping from him. And he doesn’t know how long they can remain partners. Or even lovers.
Noir isn’t sure how Al would take it if he knew how deeply he has touched her artistic soul, or how he could react if he saw the secret drawings that have helped heal the wounds of her past.
When a murder lands them on opposite sides—Al ready to arrest a suspect Noir insists in innocent—they’re going to need to unwrap all the ghosts of their pasts to make this Christmas the first of many. Or it could be their last.
Warning: Contains explicit, desperate make-up sex. Also, pie.
Note: Yes, the hero is African-American, though the cover makes it look more like he has a tan. 🙂