His voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear it. “I’ll be here, Ileni. When you do come back.

The assassin crouched atop one of the shorter, thicker pillars, his body a curve of taut muscles beneath nondescript gray clothes. He looked more like a weapon than a person.

I don’t want you to be the shifter.” Rokan’s voice was quiet, and her human sense of smell told her nothing about how he felt. “I haven’t wanted that for a long time. Since before I knew it was possible for you to not be the shifter.” A pause then – so quietly that even she could barely hear him, “Since before I knew I loved you.

What I enjoy most are those times when I get an idea and it just flows – the words coming so fast that I’m scribbling to keep up with my characters. I don’t have any writing must-haves; this is a good thing, since I’ve done a lot of my writing in random places like the playground or the subway.

Not all dangers are obvious.

A shivery, delicious Southern Gothic with feuding families, dark spirits, ancient curses and caught up in the middle, a young girl learning to live and love for the first time. Atmospheric and suspenseful, Compulsion will draw you in and hold you until the very last page.

It's not hard to kill," Ileni said softly, as if discovering it all over again. "Not if you hate someone. It's so very easy."But it shouldn't be.

Every person we assassinate dies to serve a greater purpose.""I'm sure they would be happy if they knew it," Ileni said sarcastically, but her voice sounded weak even to her. "If you would explain it to them, perhaps they would volunteer for your knives.

His dark eyes searched her face. "But you love me," he said finally.

Ileni."She didn't stop."You could stay."Almost, he managed to keep his voice expressionless. She stopped walking. He sat poised and powerful, both hands clenched at his sides."No," she said.