Guest Post: Meet the Men of Rockfort Security by Rebecca York

If you tried to start a security agency and came to a bank for funding, you wouldn’t get far with the Rockfort Security model.

The three men who formed the agency—Jack Brandt, Shane Gallagher, and Max Lyon—met under very unlikely circumstances.  Jack left the Navy after a SEAL operation went bad, and he was the only man who came back alive—unable to cope with his survivor’s guilt.  Shane spent several years in the Army military police but couldn’t see himself staying in the service, especially after his wife cheated on him during a deployment.  And Max left the Baltimore Police Department after a bullet wound put him on desk duty.

All three were at a nightclub in Miami that was raided by the cops during a drug bust. They and a bunch of low-life patrons were thrown into a holding cell, where they were the only ones keeping the rowdy bunch from assaulting each other.

They worked well together, and after they were released, they went out for beers.  As they talked about the future, they came up with the idea of forming the Rockfort agency and picked Rockville, Maryland, conveniently located in the Washington-Baltimore corridor.

Their specialty is undercover work, and their pasts make each of them reckless.  In Bad Nights, Jack volunteered to infiltrate a militia organization bent on wreaking havoc in the nation’s capital.  When his cover was blown, he was beaten within an inch of his life but escaped and ended up naked and confused outside the vacation cabin of Morgan Rains.  Knowing he was putting her in danger, he tried to leave as soon as he was able.  But it was already too late, and he and Morgan were forced to run for their lives.

In Betrayed, Shane was also working undercover—as the chief of security at a high tech company—where he suspected Elena Reyes of stealing proprietary information.  When the real bad guys went after Elena, he risked his life to protect her and ended up getting shot.

And last but not least, in Private Affair, Max is hired by New York model, Olivia Winters, to help her nail a murderer taking out members of her high school ten-year reunion class.

Thinking he’s been suckered by a woman who is lying to him, he leaves Olivia unprotected—then must risk his life to save her when she’d kidnapped.

Each of these men puts duty before his own welfare.  And each of them ends up rewarded with a relationship that they never dared to hope for.

Book Information

Title: Private Affair
Author: Rebecca York
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Summary

Model Olivia Winters comes home to escape her job in New York City, and finds herself compelled to investigate the suspicious suicide of a former high school classmate. She enlists the help of private investigator Max Lyon, an ex-detective from a troubled family. Posing as husband and wife, the pair uncovers a grisly trail of murder, and the danger propels them into each other's arms.

With a murderer on the loose, Max and Olivia realize they're in too deep, too late. They're getting close to the truth—and to each other's secrets.

Buy Links

Amazon – http://amzn.to/125XJbM
Barnes and Noble – http://bit.ly/1wEZf1I
iBooks – http://bit.ly/1tZxiuA

Author Biography

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s writing has been compared to that of Dick Francis, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Maggie Shayne. Her award-winning books have been translated into twenty-two languages and optioned for film. A recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, she lives in Maryland near Washington, DC, which is often the setting of her romantic suspense novels.

Social Networking Links:

Website: http://rebeccayork.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8110.Rebecca_York

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-York/122426234846

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaYork43

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Q & A with Lori Foster

I am happy to share this interview with Lori Foster with my readers today. She is one of my go-to authors for romantics suspense. Her latest  - NO LIMITS - was released on September 1.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release, NO LIMITS?

This is Cannon’s story, a character that readers met in my last series, Love Undercover. From the second Cannon showed up on the page, I knew he’d get his own story. He’s that kind of guy, the guy who steps up and takes notice and gets a lot of notice in return.

In NO LIMITS, Cannon reunites with Yvette, another character from the previous series. They parted under strained circumstances, with Cannon just heading into professional MMA and Yvette young and traumatized from a horrific threat. Cannon saved her then, but he was noble because of her age and what she’d been through. Now she’s older, more independent, and he’s ready to make up for lost time.

2. Can you also fill us in on the prequel to the series, HARD KNOCKS?

HARD KNOCKS gives readers a peek into the MMA world and the fighters who will have novels in the Ultimate series. You get to see the inside of Cannon’s gym, the set-up and what the guys do for the neighborhood, as well as the close relationships they share. It’s a short romance featuring Gage and Harper, two fun, strong people with a few romantic quirks to work out. It’s short and sexy and gives readers a taste for how the novels will be more about fighters in a romance than about fighters fighting in the cage.

3. How has your UFC obsession influenced the writing of NO LIMITS?

Well, I’ve gotten into the idea of picking silly fight names for the heroes. And from the fight names, I’ve come up with some “inspired” reasons for them. It also makes it easier to justify the guy being totally ripped – although not all fighters are. I’ve learned in actual fights the physical appearance can be deceiving. It’s more about heart and talent, training and speed, than how a guy looks. But naturally any hero I write about will be blessed with a six-pack and boulder shoulders.

4. What was it like getting inside the mind of a mixed martial arts fighter?

I’ve interviewed a few fighters over the years, chatted with others while getting promotional photos and during before and after “meet and greets” while at live events. Every single fighter I’ve met has been extremely nice, unassuming, dedicated to fans, and (though it sounds silly) very sweet. It took only a few questions to see how much they give to the sport they love, the discipline it takes to stay in training, and the confidence they gain from having extreme ability. Since I’ve never asked a fighter about his love life, that part of the story is pure imagination on my part. But then I only write good guys, and talented lovers.

5. What is your process for choosing names like Cannon Colter?

I’m a terrible cheat when it comes to names. More often than not I see a name on Facebook or Twitter that I like. I never, ever use a first and last name together, but I do pick and choose and mix and match. When I see a unique name, or a name that resonates with me, I grab it up. When I’m writing, I’m far less focused on names than I am on personality. Names for me are an afterthought, so stealing from my social media sites makes it easy.

6. What are Cannon and Yvette’s best physical traits?

Although Cannon is a fighter with a shredded bod, it’s more his smile and his eyes that get to Yvette. He has a very sincere smile, because he’s a very sincere guy. And when he looks at a person, it’s felt through and through.

For Yvette, she has long beautiful hair, but it’s more about the deceptive confidence she tries to exude that draws Cannon – that, and the way she looks at him like he’s a superhero. What guy could resist that?

7. What is the best scene (in your opinion) between Yvette and Cannon?

There’s a fun scene where Yvette is at the rec center (the gym) and the fighters start arguing. Cannon is irked, his buddies are irked, and Yvette thinks they might come to blows. She tries to put herself in the middle and sort of gets sandwiched between some pretty hot flesh. I smiled while writing it, so I hope readers smile when they read it.

The poor guys didn’t know what to think. They’re big, physical guys who don’t mind working out a few differences on the mat, but they’re also friends, and they’re fighters with a load of control often utilized in a fight. But with Yvette, they all want to be gentle – while struggling to figure her out.

8. What music did you listen to while writing NO LIMITS?

I have a long playlist of about 150 songs. Much of it is from KORN and Kid Rock and Marilyn Manson, but I’ve also really gotten into Disturbed, The Pretty Reckless, Papa Roach, Skillet and Puddle of Mud. Oh, and Cage the Elephant. I like loud, strong music that I can sing along with while I’m writing.

9. How is this series different from your previous works?

The Ultimate series is a different setting, different characters, different plots – and yet you still visit some of the characters from Love Undercover series since it remains in the same fictional city and state. In the last series the focus was on Rowdy’s bar and the police station. There are visits to the bar still, but much of the action takes place at Cannon’s rec center and in different houses owned by the characters.

The stories remain super-sexy, the guys remain alphas, the women remain smart and independent, and elements of suspense go throughout both series. But I hope each character has their own personality and for me, that’s where the differences should be most evident.

10. What character did you find yourself most drawn to, and why?

I love Armie Jacobson – and I’m pretty sure readers will too. He’s outrageous, too sexy, has effortless talent in the cage, and a wounded background that has influenced his life greatly. I love all the guys – Gage, Cannon, Denver, Stack... but Armie stands out.

11. Do you prefer writing about small town romance settings (like in NO LIMITS) or city settings?

I’m not sure I’ve ever written a large city setting. Smaller towns, always fictional, work best for me because I like the lack of anonymity in a small town. Everyone knows everyone, or has at least heard of everyone, and it can lead to some touching, and embarrassing, situations. I like the warmth of knowing your neighbors and caring about them. And I like the ease in creating the town.

12. Who would play Cannon and Yvette in a book-to-film adaptation?

Josh Duhamel, while a little too old, would make a fabulous Cannon! He’s big and gorgeous and built. I think he’d be perfect if NO LIMITS was ever made into a movie. For the heroine, Mila Kunis is beautiful and I can easily picture her as Yvette. They’d make a hot couple!

13. What are your five favorite verbs to use during a love scene?

Favorite verbs to use in a love scene... Only five, huh? Wow, that’s difficult. How about catch/caught, press, contract, nuzzle/nibble, lick/suck. I’m not sure I could write a full love scene without them.

14. Can you tell us about the process behind the cover artwork?

Ooooh, I LOVE getting new covers, it’s so exciting. The way it works is that I give my editor an idea of what the characters look like. Usually this means emailing her my own character sheets – notes I keep on the characters to detail (and help me remember) height, eye and hair color, body type, etc... I usually include any and all info like the car he/she drives, job description, age and any other pertinent information that I might need to recall from book to book.

My editor also asks for a synopsis, but since they usually start working on covers long before I know what the story is about, it’s a guessing game on my end. I know there’ll be a hunk, a heroine, some suspense, hot sex, lots of emotion, and a happy ending. The how and why is often not clear to me at that point.

Then the publisher has a meeting with the art department and they brainstorm cover ideas and come up with a concept that I get to see.

The concept is just an idea. It’ll show a model, but not THE model. It’ll show a pose, but not THE pose. I see where the placement of my name and the title will appear, along with any quotes.

Once that’s approved, the art department does a photo shoot and from those images they choose the one they like best. I weigh in with pleas of chest hair. Chest hair is always my #1 requirement if they show the model with his shirt off. To be clear, this is for new novels, not novellas or re-issues. For those they generally use stock art. It’s all very fun and I can honestly say I’ve loved the artwork so far.

15. If you were stranded on a desert island with one of your many characters, who would you choose and why?

Since I’m an enormous wimp and not at all heroic, I’d love to have Trace with me, from Trace of Fever. He’s bossy and take-charge and lethal. He knows what he’s doing, how to protect and how to survive. Plus I think he was pretty sexy.

If it needs to be a character from my current Ultimate series, I’d say Denver – for many of the same reasons. He’s far more autocratic than Cannon or Armie or Stack. He’s big, brawny, and when necessary he can be lethal. I’d feel safer with a real bad ass if I had to be stranded.

16. What was the most difficult part of the process when writing NO LIMITS?

My heart broke for Yvette. She’s one of more damaged heroines I’ve ever written (although there have been a few) and she struggled so hard for her independence. More than anything she wants Cannon, but because he’s so brave and strong she doesn’t feel quite worthy, and the stigma of being seen as a victim really hit her hard. I image something like that would be very, very difficult to overcome.

17. Have you written an outline for the NO LIMITS series or do you make it up as you go?

I totally make it up as I go along. Or I should say my characters make it up. I never try to figure things out in advance because as sure as I do, the characters will have a different idea and they’ll rebel, making it difficult to write until I give them their way. Fighting it is futile. But since they’re seldom wrong, it works for us. (And yes, I’m nuts. I don’t fight that either.)

Usually the characters will give me enough clues along the way to keep the writing flow steady. For instance, while I was writing NO LIMITS, Denver stepped up and talked about Cherry and made it clear his book needed to be next. Now while I’m writing HARD KNOCKS (Denver’s story) Stack is giving me nudges, saying, “Me next, me next. And I’m going after Vanity... whether she or I know it yet or not.” So that’s how I know Stack’s story will be after Denver’s.

Armie has said he wants to wait, stew on things a while, come to grips with his future... so I’m letting him get used to the idea of what is to come.

18. What was your go-to snack while writing NO LIMITS?

Goldfish cheese crackers and pretzels. Occasionally I drink Mountain Dew when I need more caffeine but I usually snack with Lipton Citrus Green Tea as my drink.

I also love baby carrots. And far too often I cave to the call of the Pringles can.

19. What’s your favorite part of the book?

There’s a fight scene in the book. Not a sporting match, but an angry, defensive, you-dared-touch-what-is-mine kind of aggression filled with rage and loss of control and an awakening of strong emotion. Call me barbaric but I love writing scenes like that. I love getting down to the basics of how love can affect a person, whether it’s in sex or fighting off danger or just showing vulnerability awareness. It’s the real stuff people are made of.

20. What are you working on next?

I’m writing Denver’s story right now, titled HOLDING STRONG. It’s due out in spring 2015 and I’m loving Denver and Cherry together – and them as a couple with the rest of the fighters around. It’s a very fun dynamic.

After that I’ll do another benefit novella for June 2015. It’ll be part of the Buckhorn family and all proceeds from sales of the book will go to a charity. I’m not yet sure which of the Buckhorn clan will be featured, but I’m sure it’ll all come to me in plenty of time.

And then I’ll jump into Stack’s story. He should be ready by then – which means I’ll also be ready. Luckily the characters keep me writing. In fact, if there were more hours in the day, I’m not sure they’d ever let me stop!

Jess Macallan's Guest Post

Thanks so much for having me at Inside of a Dog today! I’m celebrating the release of the second book in my Set in Stone series, STONE COLD REVENGE, and I’m thrilled to share it with readers.


Sharing books is something I take seriously. I've discovered some of my favorite authors through the recommendations of friends. I also share books with my grandma and aunt, many of which get passed around to my grandma’s bridge friends. (For the record, my grandma obtained the 50 Shades of Gray trilogy from someone else—it was a little different than the historicals and romantic suspense I usually send her way *winks*). I suppose you could say I’m the family librarian.


The book sharing I enjoy most is at my children’s elementary school library. I've been volunteering there a few days a week for the past two years. I love reading to the kids and helping them find a new series or author they loved. I remember how magical books were as a child, and in this era of video games and the mind-blowing special effects in movies, books have stiff competition for kids’ attention and time. Thankfully, there’s an endless supply of talented YA/MG authors to keep them entertained. I've even had a few teachers sneak in after classes are done to get a list of new authors to try on their weekends.


I can’t recall what turned me on to reading at a young age, but it’s a lifelong habit I hope to foster in my kids. The fact that they can’t escape the stacks of books and overflowing shelves in our house also helps. Now I just need to convince my husband there’s more than one good reason for my book obsession.


My reading tastes have changed and expanded as I've gotten older, and there are few genres I don’t read. Thanks to my writer/reader friends, I have enough book recommendations to last for years. There’s something amazing about bonding with people over books. Stories hold characters and worlds and ideas we can all relate to. I even use books to support, inspire, and cheer friends up when needed.

What books have you shared with the people in your life recently? I've gifted The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, and suggested Maria Snyder’s Study and Glass series to a few friends. Helping someone find a story that gives them that much needed escape between the pages is priceless. I hope you’ll read and share Stone Cold Revenge with your friends.

Thanks again for having me on the blog today! I love to chat with readers, and hope you’ll connect with me on | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | JessMacallan |

About Jess Macallan

Jess lives in the Inland Northwest with her husband and three children. She thrives on creative chaos. Curiosity drives her to try new things as often as possible. When not writing or chasing trouble, she teaches yoga, writing classes, reads, experiments with new recipes, and gardens. The only things she takes seriously are chocolate, tea and world domination. But mostly chocolate.

I want to thank Jess for taking the time to stop by and share with my readers. You can see my review of Stone Cold Revenge tomorrow. You can check here for my review of Stone Cold Seduction.

Alpha Heroes - Guest Post by Bella Andre

Please enjoy this guest post by Bella Andre, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the contemporary romance series, The Sullivans. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards!

Alpha Heroes & Happily Ever Afters: The Perfect Combo

A guest post by Bella Andre

Alpha heroes are my favorite kind of hero: sexy, rugged, independent and take-charge. Yum!

Take Chase Sullivan, the hero of THE LOOK OF LOVE, the first book in my best-selling Sullivan series. He's a jet-setting photographer, a mind-blowing lover, and is surrounded by gorgeous models all day long. But it isn't until he meets Chloe Peterson on the side of a road during a rainstorm in the Napa Valley wine country that he falls in love.

One of my favorite things about an alpha hero falling in love is that all those alpha traits - his single-minded determination, his focus - are then devoted entirely to the woman of his dreams. Chloe's been burned by men before, but Chase is determined to show her that he's worth trusting. What follows is his relentlessly sexy pursuit of Chloe, because now that Chase has found love, he won't accept anything less.

Each of the Sullivan heroes is an alpha in his own way. Marcus (FROM THIS MOMENT ON) is the de-facto family patriarch. He looks after the rest of his family and takes care of them. Gabe (CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE) is a take-charge firefighter. He rushes into danger to save lives - what's not to love? Zach (IF YOU WERE MINE) is a handy, self-sufficient mechanic and businessman. In addition to being wealthy and successful, he's useful with a wrench.

What's hot is when those alpha traits are turned towards pursuing - and catching - the women of their dreams.

The Sullivans are on tour with Novel Publicity. Follow along for your chance to win amazing prizes. We've got special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards. WOW!

You'll also get introduced to this amazing contemporary romance series via excerpts as well as interviews with and guest posts from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Bella Andre. You'll definitely want to learn more about the family that has captured the world's heart.

All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!

To Win the Prizes:

1. Purchase any of the Sullivan ebooks by Bella Andre for just $4.99 (optional)
2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
3. Visit today’s featured social media event (that's where the HUGE prizes are)

About The Sullivans: In this sexy, emotional and funny contemporary romance series, each member of the Sullivan family will eventually find true love...usually where he or she least expects it.

Get the eBooks via Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, the iBookStore, or the Kobo Store.

Audiobooks are also available for the first five in the series (with more coming soon). Plus, keep an eye out for paperback editions coming from Harlequin Romance starting Summer 2013.

About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo.

Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine "Red Hot Reads" twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her "One of the top digital writers in America" and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

• Sign up for Bella's newsletter at www.eepurl.com/eXj22
• Visit Bella's website at www.BellaAndre.com
• Follow Bella on twitter at www.twitter.com/bellaandre
• Join Bella on Faceboook at www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans

Jess Macallan Guest Post & Giveaway

I am pleased to be a site on Jess Macallan's blog tour for her new book Stone Cold Seduction. I really enjoyed this urban fantasy novel and look forward to books two and three in November and January.

Check out what Jess has to say about a writer's family and then enter the giveaway for an ebook copy of her story.

A Writer’s Family

I’m excited to be at Inside of a Dog today. Thanks for having me! I’m celebrating my upcoming  release STONE COLD SEDUCTION with Entangled Publishing. I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my characters, my inspiration, and my story line. I love talking about those things, but I also need to give credit to the other important people in my life: my family.

I see a lot of blogs discussing how writers manage to write and juggle family time, so I won’t bore you with another one. But have you ever wondered how families juggle life with a writer? Creative types aren’t all that easy to live with. A lot of focus is given to our support systems or lack thereof. I’m lucky to have a husband and kids who are supportive and understanding. Very understanding. Let me give you a few examples:

One day I was desperately trying to finish edits, and dinner time was closing in. I had the brilliant idea to let my kids do what we now call Snack-y Dinner. Their eyes lit up, because it was essentially a free-for-all. I let them raid the cupboard and the fridge (within reason), and load up their plates with their favorite snacks. I finished my edits, and the kids were fed. Success! Or rather it would have been if I’d only done it a few times. You know you’ve relied on Snack-y Dinner too often when your kids request baked chicken and lots of veggies instead of more snacks. Ahem.

My poor husband asks a week in advance if I can pencil in time to sit and watch our favoritenshow together on his days off. However, he has a better chance of getting a response if he asks via Facebook or Twitter because, well, I don’t hear much of anything while I’m typing. Have I mentioned he’s very understanding?

My parents and grandparents are afraid to call because I’m usually writing like mad during our normal chat times. I have a sneaking suspicion they can hear me clicking away on the keyboard while they update me on their lives. It’s not that I don’t care, or don’t want to talk. But when inspiration strikes, you learn to take advantage of it. And…er…I might possibly suffer from creative tunnel vision.

A few years ago, I could multi-task with the best of them. I’ve since discovered writing and multi-tasking don’t make good bedfellows. When I’m writing, I’m consumed with the story. And by consumed, I mean completely oblivious to anything and everything around me. There are only a few things that can pull me out of my creative flow. Kids screaming bloody murder, my husband offering to cook dinner, and the need for a piece of chocolate. Everything else is off my radar.

Fortunately, my obliviousness paid off. STONE COLD SEDUCTION is the first in the Set in Stone trilogy and I’m thrilled to share it with the world. Plus, I promised my family I’d take an entire month off when my writing, editing and blogging are done. *girns* Hey, I’m never above bribery.

If you’re a creative type, are your loved ones understanding of your quirky habits?

Thanks again for having me on Inside of a Dog today. I love chatting with readers at www.JessMacallan.com | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads  (Check out her blog too.)

Happy Reading!

****************

Would you like a copy of Stone Cold Seduction? Here is the product description:

When a regular night of Robin Hood-ery results in the manifestation of some, um, unusual paranormal abilities, perfume-maker Elleodora Fredricks realizes the normal world she lives in isn't quite... normal. And neither is she, thanks to her father, king of the shadow elves. Not only is he evil incarnate and the reason Elle moonlights as a burglar someone has to take care of all his victims he s stolen her memories.

And only reading her fate can fix that.

Good thing she s got a trio of hotties willing to help her find said fate, but only if she gives them something in return. Saving her oracle BFF's fiance, falling in love with the gargoyle, and making up for breaking the phoenix s heart ought to be a piece of cake for the princess of the shadow elves.

If only the king didn't want his daughter dead...

Entangled Publishing is letting me give away one ebook edition. This contest is open internationally. Fill out the form below for your chance to read this exciting and entertaining title. You can check out this link to Entangled Publishing to read the first two chapters too.

Fill out this form to win a copy.

Enter by midnight on Friday, Sept. 9. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and notified on Saturday, Sept. 10. Good luck.

Ask Stan (Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis)

I recently read and loved Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis. You can see my review here. This book was quality urban fantasy with a terrific main character.


I am pleased to let Stan Markowski answer questions today (courtesy of Justin Gustainis.)

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Dear Sergeant Stan

An Advice Column on Matters Supernatural

By

Detective Sgt. Stanley Markowski

Occult Crimes Unit

Scranton Police Department

Dear Sgt. Stan: I’m in kind of a quandary.  There’s this really hot girl where I work, and I was thinking of asking her out.  But everybody in the office says she’s a witch.  Should I stay away? 

Signed, Uncertain.

Dear Uncertain:

You’re smart to be careful when dealing with the supernatural.  But even if the lady in question is a witch (and are you sure the people you work with didn’t describe her using a word that begins with a different letter?  I’m just saying.), it doesn’t have to be a barrier to romance.

The most important question is: what kind of a witch is she – white or black?  I’m not talking about race here.  I mean, what kind of magic does she practice?  White magic gets its power from the Earth, from nature, and, some witches say, from a Goddess.  Black magic gets its mojo from Satan, pure and simple.  This is important, because followers of the right-hand path (as white witches are sometimes called) can’t use magic to hurt you.  A white magic spellbook, for example, doesn’t contain any curses – although I once heard some when a white witch I know dropped the book on her foot.  It’s pretty heavy.

On the other hand, followers of the left-hand path use black magic is used to hurt people – that’s why it exists. 

Is dating a “black” witch dangerous?  Does a vampire ever turn down a Bloody Mary?

So, you need to find out what kind of witch this lady is, before you try playing “hide the salamander” with her.  How do you do that?

You could always come right out and ask her.  But that gets complicated, because a white witch will tell you the truth, but a black witch may lie (all the better to work her evil ways on you later).  Then you’re in the middle of one of those puzzles that always make my head hurt: “Gnomes and trolls look almost exactly alike.  But gnomes always tell the truth, while trolls always lie.  So how do you ….”  I hate those things.

A better way might be to ask some casual questions, and pay close attention to the answers.  Try a few of these:

“So, been to any good black masses lately?”

“A buddy of mine wants to have his boss turned into a toad.  Know anybody who could help him with that?”

“I think Satan got a pretty bad rap from the Bible, don’t you?”

“A coven in my neighborhood is planning to sacrifice an infant under the next full moon, which is tomorrow night.  I don’t have a date yet – wanna go?”

The answers to questions like that should give you a pretty good idea what kind of magic the young lady practices.  If it’s white, then go; if it’s black, just say “No.”

A word of advice if you do end up on a date with a white witch: don’t make stupid jokes about pointy hats, cauldrons, or black cats.  She’s heard them all a million times.  And, whatever you do, don’t tell her this one: “Why doesn’t Griselda wear any underwear on Halloween?  To get a better grip on her broom.”  Just because she can’t turn you into a toad doesn’t mean she won’t throw a drink in your face.

In the soup over a supe?  Sgt Stan answers your supernatural questions every Wednesday – just write to him care of this website.

Justin Gustainis is the author of two recent novels.  In Hard Spell, Detective Sgt. Stan Markowski fights supernatural evil in an “alternate” Scranton, PA.  You can read the first fifty pages for free at the Angry Robot Books website, here:  http://angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/justin-gustainis/hard-spell-justin-gustainis/

Justin’s other book is Sympathy for the Devil, third in the “Morris Chastain Occult Investigations” series.  In this one, occult investigator Quincey Morris and his partner, “white” witch Libby Chastain, try to stop demon-possessed Presidential candidate Howard Stark before he can win the White House and then destroy the world.  You can read excerpts by using the “Search Inside the Book” feature on the book’s Amazon page, which is here.

Justin is sponsoring a huge “Easter Egg” contest in conjunction with the book’s release (First Prize: a $50 Amazon gift card and you get a character named after you in the next Morris/Chastain book.  Details are on Justin’s website: www.justingustainis.com.

And while you’re on the web, be aware that there a site that appears to be a campaign page for a creepy guy named Howard Stark, who says he’s running for President.  But Howard is a fictional character, so this dude can’t really be … nah!  You probably should stay away from this website, www.starkforamerica.com.  The content is too disturbing.