We’re so pleased to welcome author Jenn Burke, who’s dropped in today to share an exclusive excerpt from her upcoming novel Not Dead Yet, book one in her brand new Not Dead Yet series. Enjoy!
About the Book
Title: Not Dead Yet
Author: Jenn Burke
Series: Not Dead Yet: Book One
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: February 4, 2019 (ebook only)
Length: 270 Pages
Subgenre: Paranormal, Mystery, Romance
Warnings: Depression, talk of suicide, murders, paranormal violence
Links: Harlequin | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books
Blurb: Dying isn’t what it used to be.
Wes Cooper was dead. Then he wasn’t—though he’s not exactly alive, either. As an immortal not-ghost, he can transition between this world and the otherplane, which makes him the perfect thief for hire. For seventy years he’s made a “living” returning items to their rightful owners, seeing his fair share of the bizarre in the process. But he’s never witnessed murder. Until now.
His latest mission brings him more than he bargained for: a very-dead actor who is definitely going to stay that way. It’s just Wes’s luck that his ex-boyfriend, Detective Hudson Rojas, is assigned to the case. Hudson broke Wes’s heart years ago—and could again, given he’s rocking a hot silver-fox look that shouldn’t be legal.
As they work together to track down the murderer before anyone else gets hurt, it becomes clear Wes and Hudson have unfinished business. And when a secret Hudson’s been keeping threatens more than just their happiness, it might mean the end of their not-life together—permanently.
The Excerpt
We met on a crappy gray, rainy day in November 1980. It was one of those days when you wanted to curl up and read, maybe listen to a new record on the stereo. Or, if you were a celebrity, you could hang out at an equally rich friend’s house and pretend you were in the Caribbean somewhere while you lounged around his indoor pool—as was the case at the party I’d infiltrated. Turn up the heat to a stupid level and add enough drugs, and you could pretty much create any fantasy you liked.
By the time I left the party—with the heirloom charm bracelet my client had hired me to retrieve from her “no-good nephew” in my inner pocket—I’d forgotten it was cold and rainy, but I hadn’t forgotten my pantry was empty of pretty much everything. So I darted into a grocery store, grabbed a basket, and promptly bumped into a cop.
Let’s be honest—I nearly shit myself. But he was smiling and chuckling as he apologized for the collision, and I realized this was nothing but a chance meeting.
His eyes were the first thing I noticed after taking in the uniform. They were a deep, rich brown. Later, I’d try to find the perfect description for them. Russet, maybe, or chestnut, with the barest hint of smile crinkles at the corners. They were so damned warm and welcoming, as though he’d seen me—really seen me, and not only the external trappings of slightly out-of-date bell bottoms, blond hair I’d let grow wild into a big halo of waves, and a tight orange polyester shirt with a few buttons opened to display my one chunky gold necklace.
He’d followed me around the store—not in a creepy stalker way, but in a laughing sort of “our baskets have matching ingredients” kind of way. It was utterly charming and clear he wasn’t disappointed to keep bumping into me. Behind his bushy eyebrows and mustache, he was so happy and friendly and nice, and I felt bubbly and excited in a way I’d nearly forgotten. Eventually I asked what he was making—spaghetti—and he asked me—chili—and somehow we decided that my chili sounded better than his spaghetti, and he joined me for dinner. Afterward, we kissed, and I remembered exactly what those bubbles in my gut meant—anticipation, attraction, desire. For the first time in nearly fifty years, I found myself wanting to have sex, and that need to connect with this man who’d enticed me so thoroughly with his warmth and joy of life only intensified the next few times we saw each other. After a month of spending Hudson’s days off together, we finally gave in to the mad attraction and made love on my couch, listening to Meat Loaf, of all things.
Me getting physical even that quickly was rare—as in, it had only happened once before. So the connection I’d felt with Hudson was special. Incredible. Startling. I thought I’d found forever.
Not so much.
About the Author
Jenn Burke has loved out-of-this-world romance since she first read about heroes and heroines kicking butt and falling in love as a preteen. Now that she’s an author, she couldn’t be happier to bring adventure, romance, and sexy times to her readers.
Jenn is the author of a number of paranormal and science fiction romance titles, including the critically acclaimed Chaos Station science fiction romance series (authored with Kelly Jensen) from Carina Press.
She’s been called a pocket-sized and puntastic Canadian on social media, and she’ll happily own that label. Jenn lives just outside of Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband and two kids, plus two dogs named after video game characters…because her geekiness knows no bounds.
Connect with Jenn: Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Tumblr | Newsletter Signup
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