A medical examiner who can see and hear the dead, an American Civil War veteran on the trail of her stolen stallion, a detective whose broken heart won't allow him to believe in ghosts, or a wounded Confederate Captain who's just trying to deliver new breeding stock to his family's horse ranch in Texas...find the paranormal, suspense and western romance you're looking for..because every passion needs a little peril.

My Latest Books

Coming Soon 

WAIT UNTIL MOONRISE - paranormal romance

Unseen. Unheard. Untouched. Welshman Nicholas Pierce is cursed to endure a lonely eternity surrounded by the living residents of Beaumarith Castle. But two hundred-plus years into his hellish existence, Bria Leighton arrives…and she can see him! Can he convince her that he’s real—not a ghost-and that she is the one true love who can save him…before the sorceress who cursed him destroys Bria, too?

Available Now

ONSLAUGHT - action/suspense

Sorrow’s Point, Texas is under attack. Robberies, drug trafficking, a suspicious fire…for local cop Joshua Dawson, the only thing missing in this assault on his coastal hometown is a hurricane. But it is September—the month for vicious storms—so he’s not betting against one.

Ronnie Clarke never broke a law in her life…until the day she kidnapped two month-old Danny. But it was the only way to save the baby from the nut-case cult that wants to sell him to the head of a Mexican drug cartel. So she hides with him in quiet little Sorrow's Point.

 But Sorrow's Point isn't as quiet as she hoped. The bad guys are closing in. Joshua Dawson is asking too many questions about her and Danny…personal questions that she would love to answer. But he’s a cop and she’s a kidnapper. So, to protect Danny from the evil pursuing him, she must withhold the truth from this man who insists on always doing the right thing. Joshua, however, is determined to uncover her secrets.

And that September storm, like the attraction brewing between them, is building on the horizon.

Available now in ebook at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and smashwords.com.

Border Heat - action/thriller

Looking for a weekend read that will make your toes sizzle? Wildfire, drug runners, the President’s kidnapped daughter and a sexy Secret Service agent…for Game Warden Shannon Walker, the Texas border has never been hotter.

BORDER HEAT is the name of my new thriller. You'll find action, adventure and a touch of romance--but nothing mushy, guys, so don't think this book is only for women! After all, fistfights, gun battles and daring rescues mix well with a kiss or two. So grab your Kindle, Nook or other reading device and download BORDER HEAT today.

Available now in ebook at amazon.com,  barnesandnoble.com and smashwords.com.

New Book Coming!

Wait Until Moonrise -- the book of my heart -- is in the review stage on Amazon. It should go live tonight or tomorrow...I'm sooooo excited!

Writing for Love...or Money?

In addition to writing novels and novellas, each month I also write ten to twenty non-fiction articles on various topics. This month, for example, I’m writing about heirloom diamond rings, how a new mattress can help fight allergy symptoms, and which wrist watches best complement summer fashions. Such articles keep me busy, supplement my income, and keep me up-to-date on fashion trends and home furnishing improvements. Plus they test my willpower when it comes to fine chocolates. But do such articles help me add detail to my fiction writing or does writing them use up valuable time that I want to devote to my storytelling tasks? 

Click http://terithackston.blogspot.com/ for the rest of today's blog.

Rev's Angel

Phobias and American Heroes

Facing your greatest fear can be one of the most difficult things you ever do. But courage is often found when you have to face a fear in order to save someone else. The recent storms in our country provide proof of this....

Click http://terithackston.blogspot.com/  for the rest of today's blog.

Fascinating Americana

March 5, 1770 - We lost the first hero of the American Revolution iin the Boston Massacre. Crispus Attucks was an African-American sailor who was the first to fall when British soldiers who were guarding the Boston Customs House fired into a crowd of of civilians. The civilians were clearly antagonizing the soldiers, pelting them with snowballs...but snowballs against armed, professional solders wasn't exactly a fair fight.

What about you? Is there a true hero in your family line? Share his or her story as well as your family and American pride.

Naming Characters –

Being True to Their Natures

When choosing a name for a character in a book, it’s important to choose one that conveys some of the characteristics of the person. After all, what reader will believe in a macho private detective whose name is Sandy Smith? And a heroine name Lucretia Cranston might not come across as the sweet little miss the author intends the name to represent.

A hero with a strong sense of right and wrong deserves a strong name such as Justin Rickman, while a heroine who is a Deputy U.S. Marshal deserves a name that is also strong and yet feminine—Miriam Case would be an excellent choice.

Of course, unless the writer intends to be humorous or ironic, care must be taken not to go overboard. Naming the Old West sheriff of a grim western John Law might be a little obvious. A paranormal romance starring a heroine witch named Trixie Spellcaster might have readers rolling their eyes instead of getting into the serious story.

Recently I was faced with coming up with a name for a new character—but this character was actually a new member of our family. You see, last week someone in our neighborhood sent out an email alert that she had found a small black dog. The next day she sent another email reporting that the little guy had escaped. A day later another neighbor found the pup only to have him escape from her backyard the following afternoon. All this time, no one came forward to claim the little wanderer.

Driving home from work early Friday afternoon, I caught sight of the dog wandering the neighborhood. Recognizing him from photos the first neighbor had posted with her email, I pulled over and opened my car door. The little fellow jumped right into the car and proceeded to shower me with puppy kisses. To say I fell in love at first sight was an understatement.

But I did the right thing and sent out an email alert then also posted pictures of the shaggy rambler on nearby street corners. For a couple of days, I kept a close eye on him, only to have him slip under the backyard gate when my back was turned. My son managed to find him pretty quickly, but it was obvious what we needed to call this master of escape.

Houdini hasn’t been claimed by his original owner yet and I’m actually hoping he won’t be. He’s settled in quite happily with our family and is readily responding to his new name. We do, however, have to accompany him on his trips to the backyard to make sure he doesn’t try any of his tricks again until we have a chance to deal with the gate—or fatten him up a bit.

This naming exercise was a no brainer. While naming characters in a story might not be as easy, it should be as simple. Consider the characteristics of the hero, heroine, or secondary character and choose names that reflect their natures. And have fun with it.

Find Out Why You're So Dang Proud!

This morning, my DH and I went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science—a favorite place since we were kids. Did ya'll know it is the 4th most visited museum in the country? Anyway, today started an exhibit on Texas--fitting that it would start today, which is the 175th anniversary of the fall of the Alamo.

There were so many great artifacts, beginning with Apache baskets, Lakota women's clothing, and artifacts from La Belle, which was one of La Salle's ships that was salvaged in Matagorda Bay in the 1990's. La Salle, as most Texans should know, was the first Frenchman to land in Texas. He came ashore near what would become Indianola, Texas, near the site of my family’s longtime farm.

The exhibit included items from the Alamo, including Davy Crockett's violin and Jim Bowie's knife, plus there was an original broadside of William Travis' Victory or Death letter from the Alamo. A broadside, we learned, is a printing of a document--usually from a newspaper office—that is distributed to the public. Three hundred copies were run of Travis' letter within a couple of days of it being delivered to Sam Houston, and those copies were sent out all over Texas, calling for volunteers to help the Alamo defenders.

There were rifles and handguns (including an original Colt 45 Revolver), plus swords from various historic figures. Documents on display included numerous land deeds that were signed by Stephen F. Austin (the Father of Texas) and enlistment forms for many men who volunteered for the Texas army. We saw a walking cane and other items that belonged to Sam Houston (general of the Army of the Republic of Texas as well as a president of the Republic). There were also Spanish and Mexican coins and paper money issued by the Republic of Texas, plus loads of other things that detail Texas history from its early days through the oil boom at the beginning of the 20^th century.

This great historical exhibit will be at the museum until sometime in September. Anyone who is a patriotic Texan will appreciate seeing these things and learning more about our great land. For more information, go to the museum’s website at http://www.hmns.org/.