Cronin's Key

  • It’s Good Morning Monday time again!

    Another quick one from me today! I was out most of the weekend and have been either super busy, or feeling like that damn bus mowed me down again. I know, these two things are related LOL. I feel like crap because I’m busy. I know I should take it easy, and I have been, but I need to slow down a bit more. I will have this coming weekend at home, which is nice, but then I’m away for the next two. Which is not nice. Well, it’s nice, but it’s busy! I have busy kids – which means I’m a busy mum. Argh! Such a vicious circle. 😉

    I managed some writing last week, which is the best feeling ever. Yanni’s Story is now at 48K, and maybe it’s half done, I’m not sure. I’m estimating maybe an August/Sept release, but in all honesty, I have no clue. Oh, the joys of self-publishing! LOL

    Yanni and Peter still haven’t even kissed yet! Boy, do they still have a long way to go… 😉


    Cronin’s Key was released on Audio last week, and the reviews have been AWESOME! I listened to it and Joel did a FAB job! I especially love how he portrayed Eiji 🙂

    You can find it at the following outlets:

    Audible

    iTunes

    Tantor


    I will have news later this week on the paperback on Red Dirt Heart Imago and Red Dirt Christmas! Stay tuned!

    Until then… <3

  • Cronin’s Key is now on Audio!!

    For my audio listeners, Cronin’s Key is now available!  *twirls* Narrated by the uber talented Joel Leslie, the first reviews have been STELLAR!

    You can find it at the following outlets:

    Audible

    iTunes

    Tantor

    <3

  • Good Morning Monday, and a Cronin’s Key Outtake!

    Something a bit special today instead of a normal weekly update. An outtake!

    Just how did Cronin know to leap into the police station the night he and Alec first met?

    I was talking on Facebook with some readers and was reminded that this was a scene I’d promised but never delivered. I had always intended to write it after Book 1 came out but forgot all about it. So I wrote it yesterday! It’s amazing how easy it is to write a quick outtake when it’s been in your head for three years. It hasn’t been edited, all mistakes are mine. And there will be some, so just nod and smile and ignore the eleventy billion commas, k? lol

    In Cronin’s Key, we see Alec and Cronin’s first meeting from Alec’s point of view. This is Cronin’s.

    CRONIN’S KEY OUTTTAKE

    FINDING HEART 

    How did Cronin know to leap into the police station the night he and Alec first met?

    Cronin stood at the huge glass wall overlooking New York City. He’d stood there for hours, not moving, barely breathing.

    Something was wrong.

    He’d leapt to London, Budapest, Amsterdam, Glasgow, all in the last few hours just to escape the unease he felt, but something kept drawing him back to New York.

    He couldn’t explain it. He felt wrong in his own skin. Nervous, anxious, excited, dread, longing. Like his soul ached for something he could not define.

    Through the protective glass of his penthouse apartment, he’d watched the sun draw a close to another lonely day as the insignificant humans scurried on the streets below like ants. His reflection stared back at him; wary, black eyes, his short ginger hair a perpetual mess, his dark coat with the collar upturned suited his mood.

    Tonight, when darkness shrouded his city, he didn’t feel the liberation like he normally did. Unlike most other vampires, Cronin could leap to anywhere in the world at any time he chose. He was rarely impeded by sunlight because he could simply chase night around the globe. Still, he lived by moonlight and normally he reveled in it.

    But not tonight.

    Something was wrong. There had been rumors of an unsettling of the Egyptian covens, and that was indeed cause for concern. But this was different. The agitation he felt in his bones was personal.

    He didn’t need to feed. He taken care of that in Budapest, and Amsterdam. Overfed, probably. But it didn’t quell the discomfort. It didn’t feel like anything would. In all his days, over a thousand years, he’d never felt like this before.

    Cronin took a deep breath through his nose and tried to center himself. Focus eluded him, the ability to find calm and patience was born from a long life, but tonight restlessness settled over him like a cold blanket.

    He stretched his neck to each side and let out a frustrated sigh. He thought of Eiji and Jodis, his two closest friends, and for a brief moment he considered leaping to where they were. Their presence alone was always a source of comfort. But what could he say? How could he explain how he felt when he himself did not know? He could roar and pull at his hair to relieve some of the pent up rage. Jodis would be concerned, and Eiji would probably laugh. But what would it accomplish?

    No, he would not concern them with this. He’d spent long enough alone to know that all things come to pass. Though something in the back of his mind told him this would not go away until he found the source.

    Annoyed with himself, he took out his phone and sent Eiji a quick text. Everything okay where you are?

    His reply was immediate. Yes of course, brother. Why do you ask?

    Cronin didn’t reply, and a minute later another text arrived with a more urgent tone. Cronin?

    He shook his head at himself and regretted texting at all. Letting out an angry snarl, he roared at the empty apartment. Then with no more than a thought, he was gone.

    * * *

    The nightclub Cronin found himself at was in the meatpacking district, owned and regularly frequented by vampires. The humans who stumbled in didn’t know that of course, and they never could. Vampires didn’t drink alcohol but the atmosphere and the music was a sense of normalcy to otherwise endless days. Mingling with an unsuspecting human menu didn’t hurt either.

    Cronin wasn’t in the mood. He leapt to the alley behind the building and stalked around to the front. It was after two in the morning and the place was thumping. The front doors were opened for him, both doormen bowed their heads. The other vampires in the nightclub all noticed him immediately and parted in an almost imperceptible path. The humans were blissfully ignorant to his presence, but with his vampire hearing Cronin heard his name in hushed whispers. He was, after all, a coven leader. He was their leader.

    Fury rolled off him in waves.

    Unexplainable, all-encompassing. This feeling was consuming him.

    The owner of the nightclub was quickly in front of him, head slightly bowed. Gregory was a century-old vampire from Belfast. “Cronin, may I be of assistance?”

    Cronin almost laughed. Instead, he shook his head. “Has there been any developments to the rumors with the Egyptians?”

    Gregory flinched and gave a small nod. “Just tonight, there were rumors of rogue seekers.”

    Cronin’s nostrils flared. “And no one thought to notify us?”

    Gregory looked apologetic, and for all intents and purposes, innocent. “They are but rumors, Cronin. If I thought for one moment―”

    “What was said?”

    Gregory looked around the crowd and nodded toward the end of the bar. Not that it mattered because all vampires in the room could hear their conversation, even over the music and noise of the crowd.

    “All I heard was someone thought they saw seekers. Not of this coven. Not American. That’s all I know.”

    “Don’t know what they’re after?”

    Gregory shook his head. “No.”

    The ache in Cronin’s chest squeezed tighter, the agitation made his hands shake.

    Gregory frowned but eyed Cronin warily. “It’s not the first time we’ve had foreign seekers in New York. What’s wrong, Cronin?”

    I don’t know. But something was very, very wrong. No, not wrong… misaligned.

    Before Cronin could question what warranted his word choice, two vampires walked into the bar unaware of Cronin’s presence. One was excitedly telling a story, “… no, it was a cop! Can you believe that? A cop chased down a fucking seeker!”

    Both Cronin and Gregory turned to face them and a hush fell over the vampires in the room. Something snapped in Cronin. Something else he couldn’t explain, but something in his blood was making him crazy. He was getting close to the source, he knew he was. He could feel it.

    He crossed the room in a flash and took the vampire by the throat and pinned him to the wall. The vampire tried to resist, until he saw who had hold of him.

    Cronin’s voice was fire and wrath. “What did you just say?”

    If it were possible for vampires to piss themselves, this one surely would have. He was young, experience curtailed by arrogance. His eyes were wide and everyone in the room was watching. “Word is a cop chased down a seeker.”

    “Where?”

    “Dunno. But the cop’s from the thirty-third. A detective. His name was Alec something. That’s all I know.”

    Alec something.

    Alec.

    And suddenly everything slotted into place. The pieces of the puzzle made sense.

    Cronin let the vampire slide down the wall. He scrambled to his feet and put some distance between himself and Cronin, but never turned his back on his leader. Out of fear or respect, Cronin didn’t care. He took out his phone and hit Eiji’s number.

    “Cronin?”

    “I need you.”

    “We’re already on our way. Your text concerned us, brother. Please, tell me what’s wrong.”

    “I’ll explain everything. Right now, I have to go.” Cronin ended the call and took a breath to calm his nerves. He had a name, and a location. And he knew, like he knew his own name, that he had to find this Alec.

    Like the earth orbited the sun. Like a river ran to the sea. It was unchangeable.

    Fate.

    Cronin put his hand to his chest. My heart. His heart ached with longing, and he knew. He just knew.

    Like he was carving the directions into stone, Cronin thought of the police department’s thirty-third precinct. With a sigh that sounded like coming home, he closed his eyes and leapt.

    * * *

    Apparently police didn’t like an uninvited man appearing in their offices. But the moment Cronin landed, he saw him and he did not care for anything else in that moment but Alec. He was making his way out of an office at the far end of the long room. A dozen men stood and yelled. Yet all Cronin could see was him.

    He’d waited a thousand years for this. His fated one. His mate, stood staring right back at him. Something clicked into place in his soul, something incomplete was now whole. An eternal flame sparked in his chest, setting his heart afire. My heart, he thought over and over. Cronin could not believe his eyes. This beautiful man, this very human man, was here at last. “It is you. Finally.”

    Oblivious to the policemen who aimed their guns at him – they were insignificant, soundless, and the world moved in slow motion – Cronin could only stare at Alec and smile as they moved toward each other. “Will you come with me?”

    Alec’s answer was immediate. Perfect. “Yes.”

    “Put your arms around me and hold on.”

    Alec did as he was told, and his touch almost brought Cronin to his knees. It was a quickening: a visceral connecting of two souls. He was forever changed from this moment forth. Against all odds, he had found the missing piece of himself.

    M’cridhe.

    <3

    You can find the Cronin’s Key Series on Kindle Unlimited at Amazon

    Normal posts/scheduling next week. Thank you everyone for the well-wishes and get well soon messages. Much, much love.  Until next week…

  • Good Morning Monday! It’s the end of January already?

    good-morning-monday-2-with-frame

    Where the heck did this month go? Time sure does fly when you’re busy. And January was hellabusy for me. I’m thinking much of 2017 will be the same. Which is awesome, right? Being busy means more books!  Please note, if you look at the menu on this blog, there has been some changes. All book info/buy links, deleted scenes etc have been moved to my new official website and this blog will remain a simple blog for all my weekly updates.

    So, this week saw the French translation of Cronin’s Key II go live!

    croninskey2frenchnrwalker

    It’s in ebook and paperback format, and you can find it at:

    Amazon.com

    Amazon.fr

    iBooks (ebook only)

    Smashwords (ebook only)

    Payhip (ebook only)


    Click on cover to buy at Payhip.

    The paperback version of Perfect Catch is now also available. It’s 75 pages long and retails for USD$5.50.  It was the cheapest I could make it.

    You can buy the paperback versions at:

    Amazon

    B&N


    I could also have some very exciting news regarding audio very soon. I won’t say anything else just yet in case I jinx myself LOL but yay!

    Writing update:  I’ve had a rather slower-than-I’d-like week, but the sequel to Imago is at 10K words. It’s maybe a third or quarter way done. 🙂  I can’t wait for you all to meet Lawson and Jack. They are super sweet and lots of fun to write. And speaking of release dates, Imago is only three weeks away! *gulps*  Man, I’m so not prepared. I’d ultimately like to have the first draft of the sequel done before the first book comes out, which means I need to write 30-40K in three weeks…  If I put my head down, I should be able to do it. Even though I will have edits and formatting to do, and the formatting of another translation in the next week or so. BUT if I can’t meet the deadline, then I should be pretty close.

    My kids are still off school (it’s our six week summer break here) but first day back is tomorrow and I can’t wait. I miss my quiet house/workspace. But once they go back to school, I should be able to put my head down and get some words done. I’m just trying not to think of the sporting commitments that go hand in hand with school. LOL

    I’m also going to try to line up a live video Q&A in my Facebook Readers’ Group. I’ll put out a call for some questions you want to ask me and I’ll answer them live. Not sure when, but soon. 🙂

    Oh, and you might want to keep your eyes on Bayou Book Junkie site. I may or may not be February’s Author of the Month. 😉

    That’s all for now. Until next week…

    <3

  • Good Morning Monday! June already?

    Good Morning Monday pic

    Man, this year is just flying by. Can you believe it’s almost half over?  And, as always, it’s been another busy week for me. I know, I tell people I’m busy and I complain of being busy all the time, but jeez, just one hour to sit down and do nothing would be fab! LOL

    Anywho, so last week saw the French version of Cronin’s Key released! It made #3 in Fantasy, and  #33 in the whole Kindle store of France on release day, which is stellar!! You can find it on Amazon  and on Smashwords and on All Romance eBooks.  I’m hoping to have the paperback version ready soon!

    I have a few tweaks to make to Blood & Milk before ARCs go out this week. I’ve had some great feedback and it’s helped with the nerves a little. Everyone has loved it, and by all accounts thus far, I’ve done the culture of the Maasai justice – which is a huge relief for me. Though I’m sure I’ll be a nervous wreck on release day.  There will be a lot of opinions about this book, so there’s a good chance I’ll be avoiding the interwebs for about a week or three after release. LOL

    I’m *still* waiting on my WordPress upgrade (apparently Bluehost need to make security features or some <probably important> crap) and this can take a week or something. And I have made contact with a web designer who can hopefully make my site a whole lot prettier (and functional) than it is now.

    I’ll be sure to advise if there will be any down time.  🙂

    I have started my new WIP this week!  I wanted to be at 10K by Friday, but with translations and formatting on CK1,  pre-read feedback and tweaks on B&M, and other real life shenanigans, I’m only at 3K.  It’s the story of Henry, who is very recently single, after being told by his long term partner he is overweight. So he joins a gym, where he meets personal trainer, Reed.  And because I let the characters tell the story as I write (that is, I don’t plan or plot – I’m a total pantser) I had wondered if this story would be angsty, serious, comedy, long, short… I had no clue.

    Well, as it turns out, Henry is funny.  Even just a prologue and one chapter in, he’s already made me laugh out loud a few times, and want to hug him once.  Still no clue on the length of this story, but I’m aiming for 30-35K. After writing Blood & Milk which ended up 85K and research heavy, it’ll be nice to write something short and fun.

    For those wondering how my CrossFit challenge is going… I’m four weeks into a six week challenge (three sessions per week) and I can tell, even in those four weeks, my fitness has improved a lot. I did a fourth session this week so I could bring my daughter along, and she loved it. She said I did better than she was expecting me to LOL.  I have a long way to go before I’m at the level of those who do the full-on sessions. While I can do the WODs, though I do the beginner sets instead of the advanced. What I have learned from CrossFit: my body will hurt a lot, my knees are permanently bruised, and burpees fucking suck.  😀

    But, after the six week challenge is up, I fully intend to sign up for normal classes. 😀

    Just a reminder also, that Spencer Cohen Book Two’s exclusivity with Amazon will end June 14, when it will be released at all the other usual stores.

    I’m away for five days this coming week, so I doubt much, if any, writing will get done. And my time on social media will be very limited. I will be away from Thursday to the following Monday so there may not be a post next week, but I’ll try.  So on that note, stay safe my friends, and be kind.

    Until next week…

    <3

  • Cronin’s Key – French Translation? Oui!

    I’m very excited to announce the first Cronin’s Key book is now available in French!!

    And in less than 12 hours, it has reached Number 8 in Erotica, and Number 3 in Fantasy in Amazon France!

    You can find it on Amazon  and on Smashwords and on All Romance eBooks.  I will post the links to B&N and iBooks when I have them, and it will be available in paperback very soon!  🙂

    Cronin's Key French 200x300

    BLURB:

    L’inspecteur de la police de New York, Alec MacAidan a toujours été familier avec l’étrange. Après tout, sa vie n’est qu’une suite de phénomènes inexplicables. Mais quand un homme blessé lui laisse des indices cryptiques, puis est réduit en poussière devant lui, l’avis d’Alec sur le bizarre change pour toujours.

    Cronin est un vampire ancestral, qui a passé ces derniers mille ans à attendre Alec. On lui a dit que son destiné serait un homme armé d’un bouclier, mais il ne s’attendait pas à ce qu’il soit humain, et encore moins que ce bouclier soit un insigne de police.

    Les deux hommes, tenaces avec de fortes volontés, en sont encore à apprendre comment faire face à l’attirance liée au fait d’être destinés l’un à l’autre, quand le Destin les jette en plein mystère.

    La rumeur se propage rapidement, provoquant des troubles en Égypte. Des clans de vampires fuient après la nouvelle qu’un vampire aurait des dons pas comme les autres, s’acharnant à déclencher la colère de la Mort.

    Alec et Cronin sont plongés dans un monde étrange qu’Alec n’aurait jamais pu imaginer. Ce qu’il a appris à l’école sur les anciens pharaons et sur les dieux égyptiens était très loin de la vérité. Au lieu de ça, il découvre de première main que l’Histoire n’est pas toujours ce qu’elle semble être.

    <3

  • Good Morning Monday! An outtake and a Kindle Unlimited Update.

    Good Morning Monday pic

    Wow, these Mondays are coming around fast! Another busy week has gone by, and an even busier week ahead for me, but I remind myself that busy is productive… and exhausting and enough to drive me crazy LOL but here I am!

    First, to celebrate getting the rights back to, and the re-release of Starting Point, I have added an outtake to my blog. You can read it HERE or find it in the Menu under Outtakes 🙂

    Now for the Kindle Unlimited update. I have had quite a few readers contact me in the last few weeks asking if any of my older books will ever be added to KU. To be honest, I hadn’t thought of it, I don’t know why.  About a year ago, I added my Blind Faith books to KU, given they were first released in 2012, and found them being read/borrowed/bought with a vengeance – which was fab! I can’t deny they found me new readers.  So after these readers asked me about putting some other books on KU, I decided to add my Cronin’s Key trilogy to KU.  They’ve been a little stagnant on other sites for a while, so here’s hoping they’ll find their way onto some Kindles they might not have otherwise.

    I’m still debating adding my Red Dirt Heart Series to KU. Given it was released two years ago (OMG can you believe that?) it makes sense to broaden their readership.  If I do add them to KU, I’ll have to do it soon – the ninety day cycle will end a month or so before I leave for the US, so I’ll be suuuuper busy with other things then and won’t really have the time to worry about re-adding books back to all other platforms.

    At this point, Cronin’s Key will only be doing one cycle (90 days) on KU then will go back to other sites. This will depend on their success of course. If the KU market makes it viable for them to stay for a second cycle, then they will.

    So, as of right now and for the next three months, the only place you can find the Cronin’s Key trilogy, is Amazon.

    That being said, I’ve nominated my Spencer Cohen series to NOT do another cycle on KU. So, as their 90 day KU cycles expires, they’ll be added to all other platforms.  Spencer One is June 14 (or thereabouts) Spencer Two is July 19, and Spencer Three is August 21.

    And now for some translation news!  Cronin’s Key 1 will be out in French later this month!   And, Red Dirt Heart will be out in Italian later this month also!! *twirls* Red Dirt Heart will also be out in French later this year! I will post links when I have them 🙂

    Until next week…  <3

  • Review for Cronin’s Key III

    Woohoo! I have a lovely review for Cronin’s Key III from Crystal’s Many Reviewers.

    cronins picture 3I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first two. This book is heartbreaking yet satisfying. The use of historical sites, myths, and supernatural lore mixed in with action, intrigue and romance really had me wrapped up in the entire read. What draws me to Walker’s writing is her ability to perfectly balance humor, tender moments and action in a mesmerizing and engrossing story, Read the rest here

     

    Buylinks: Amazon  | Smashwords | ARe | B&N | iBooks | Goodreads

    History isn’t always what it seems…

    Twelve months after his change, Alec MacAidan is still getting used to his many vampire talents. While most vampires would give anything to have more than one supernatural power, Alec craves nothing more than peace and time alone with Cronin. But when Alec meets entities from outside this realm, he’s left powerless in their presence.

    Zoan are half-lycan, half-dragon creatures that have slipped through time and reality, seemingly undetected by man and vampire. Or have they? They bear an uncanny resemblance to gargoyles, leaving Alec’s view on all things weird to get a whole lot weirder.

    This new quest leads Alec, Cronin, and their band of friends to Paris, Rome, and Moscow, where they learn that gargoyles aren’t simply statues on walls. In the underground pits beneath churches all over the world, Alec discovers the Key’s true destiny. Facing the Zoan might take every talent he has. And he may need help from the dead to get them all out alive.

     

  • Rainbow Award Finalist!

    I have two books in the Rainbow Award finals! I was really excited to see Cronin’s Key and Red Dirt Heart 4 on the final list!

    Rainbow Award_finalist

    Cronin’s Key

    CroninsKeyNRWalker1500

    BUY LINKS : Amazon | All Romance eBooks
    BLURB:

    NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec’s view on weird is changed forever.

    Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last thousand years waiting for Alec. He’d been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn’t expect him to be human, and he certainly didn’t expect that shield to be a police badge.

    Both men, strong-willed and stubborn, are still learning how to cope with the push and pull of being fated, when fate throws them another curveball.

    Rumors have spread quickly of turmoil in Egypt. Covens are fleeing with news of a vampire who has a talent like no other, hell-bent on unleashing the wrath of Death.

    Alec and Cronin are thrown into a world of weird Alec cannot imagine. What he learned in school of ancient pharaohs and Egyptian gods was far from the truth. Instead, he finds out firsthand that history isn’t always what it seems.

    Red Dirt Heart 4

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    BUY LINKS: Amazon | All Romance eBooks | B&N
    BLURB:

    Moving from a Texas ranch to an Australian Outback station was a life changing decision for Travis Craig. Though it wasn’t really a decision at all. Something in his bones told him to go, though he had no clue as to why.
    Until he met Sutton Station’s owner, Charlie.
    Loving Charlie shouldn’t have been easy. The man was stubborn, and riddled with crippling self-doubt. No, it shouldn’t have been easy at all. Yet somehow, falling in love with Charlie was the easiest thing in the world.
    Loving him was easy. Living with him, teaching him how to love in return and, more importantly, how to love himself, was not.
    But Travis knew all along it’d be worth it. He knew the man with the red dirt heart was destined to be his. Just like he knew the red dirt that surrounded him was where he was supposed to be.
    In the final instalment of the Red Dirt Series, we see Charlie through Travis’ eyes. We see how much he’s grown and how much he loves. We go back to Texas with them, and we see Charlie get everything he truly thought he never deserved.
    Red Dirt Heart 4 is Travis’ story.
    And this is the story of not just one red dirt heart, but two.

  • Cronin’s Key ~ Rainbow Awards Honorable Mentions

    I’m so very honoured that Cronin’s Key has been given “one or more additional honorable mentions” and rated a score above 36 out of a possible 40 points in the Rainbow Awards!! This is an incredible compliment and I’m truly grateful.

    The lovely review, at Elisa’s Reviews and Ramblings can be found HERE

    Rainbow Awards Honorable mention Rainbow Awards Honorable mention 1

    Cronin’s Key is the first in a paranormal/fantasy trilogy, where New York cop Alec MacAidan discovers history isn’t always what it seems.

    cronins picture 1

    BLURB:

    NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec’s view on weird is changed forever.

    Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last thousand years waiting for Alec. He’d been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn’t expect him to be human, and he certainly didn’t expect that shield to be a police badge.

    Both men, strong-willed and stubborn, are still learning how to cope with the push and pull of being fated, when fate throws them another curveball.

    Rumors have spread quickly of turmoil in Egypt. Covens are fleeing with news of a vampire who has a talent like no other, hell-bent on unleashing the wrath of Death.

    Alec and Cronin are thrown into a world of weird Alec cannot imagine. What he learned in school of ancient pharaohs and Egyptian gods was far from the truth. Instead, he finds out firsthand that history isn’t always what it seems.

    BUY LINKS:

    Amazon

    Barnes and Noble

    All Romance eBooks

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