I have a handful of trusted early readers who aren’t afraid to tell me the truth and I thought that meant I was good at taking criticism. But you never realize how hard it is to take criticism until someone tells you your baby is ugly.

The book I just wrote apparently isn’t very good. And even though that was hard to hear, I think I was expecting that response. Because it doesn’t feel like the other Alexander books. The story is there but it doesn’t have the heart. The saddest part is that I know why it’s not working, it’s because my heart isn’t in it 🙁

So apologies to everyone who has been waiting for it but I won’t release it until it’s right. No matter what, I hope I’ll never release a book just for money if I know it isn’t the best it can be. The last time I had to completely push back a book was for GABE. I’m grateful I did it now because every single one of the books that came after that hit the USA TODAY bestsellers list. I know that wouldn’t have happened if I had just pushed out books that weren’t the best they could be.

This is the right move but it’s still hard and makes me feel pretty sucky. So I won’t be online for awhile because I don’t need to see negativity. I’m going to curl up in my writing cave and try to find the joy again. I think if I spend more time with my characters and stop worrying about all the outside stuff then I can get back to the state of mind I was in when I wrote the original Alexander books. Happy and excited to share the people in my head with the world.

Best,
Minx

So for those who haven’t been keeping up with me on social media, YUP, I’ve started writing paranormal again. I actually was published in paranormal first and after ten years of contemporary, I missed it. Thank you guys so much for supporting my new series! I know it’s unexpected coming from me but hey, sometimes a girl just needs to do something different 🙂

(P.S. Don’t worry, all my usual contemporary books are still in process. I’m not abandoning them!)

Anyway, here’s a quick excerpt from NATHAN’S HEART (Book 1 of the Brotherhood of Bandits series)

* * * * EXCERPT of Nathan’s Heart ©2016 Minx Malone

She chose a direction at random and started walking. Hopefully she’d hit a main road and could find someone willing to call the police on her behalf. Mimi probably hadn’t even realized she was missing yet. It was a scary thought, the idea that no one knew where she was. What was her life worth if she could be kidnapped and no one even noticed? It was like she was completely invisible, screaming at the top of her lungs but not making a sound.

Nate would notice, her stupid silly heart whispered.

Even if Nate seemed nice, the truth was there were way too many holes in his story. There was something going on with him and history had taught her that when a man was evasive, he was hiding something.

“Hey! Who are you?”

She spun around, her bare feet slipping slightly in the muddy grass. A man stood a few feet behind her glaring at her. He was good-looking and tall with dark blond hair. He was also pissed.

“I’m lost. I was just looking for the road.”

She thought that sounded like a completely plausible story but his face twisted in disbelief.

“Nice try. There are no roads anywhere near here. How the hell did you find us? Who sent you?”

Stunned by his angry manner, she turned and ran in the other direction. There was a strange crackling sound behind her and she glanced over her shoulder. Her mouth fell open but no sound came out.

In the field behind her, the man was gone and a huge gold dragon stood watching her. He flapped his wings and flew over her, landing in the field on the other side cutting off her only avenue of escape. Evie screamed as the force of the wind generated by his massive wings hit her like a wave.

She dropped to her knees and instinctively covered her head.

“Evie!”

Nate’s voice, colored with fear and anger, sounded behind her. Even though she was pretty sure he was a criminal who may or may not have kidnapped her, she didn’t want him to get eaten by a monster. She managed to stumble to her feet then and ran back toward him.

“Run, Nate!”

He was obviously either really brave or really stupid because he kept running in her direction. She looked back at the huge dragon now advancing slowly behind her, looking even scarier the closer he got. Evie whimpered when he roared, emitting a long stream of fire that came so close she felt the heat on her face. Running faster, she ducked as something whizzed over her head.

Confused, she looked around for Nate but he was gone. Maybe he’d taken her advice and run back to the house. When she finally reached the threshold of his door, she looked behind her and gaped.
There were now two dragons flying overhead. Streams of fire burst from both of them but then one of them flew away. The other circled in the air, flying lower and lower. Then the huge body shimmered and shrank into itself and Nate landed on his feet directly in front of her, completely nude. He blinked at her with gold-slitted eyes.

Evie fainted.

< BUY LINKS >

This is a bittersweet post for me. After three years of writing about the same overall cast of characters, I’m faced with writing THE END for these families for good.

LUKE is the last book in the Blue-Collar Billionaires series and I’m currently working on Bennett’s story which will wrap up The Alexanders. These boys and their dramas have been my life for so long and it’s not that easy to say goodbye. My babies are all grown up and don’t need me anymore!

But one of my dear writer friends suggested that instead of viewing it as an end, I think of it as my boys going off to college. I might not get to spend as much time with them now but nothing can take away the memories we’ve created. And I’ll still get to see them on holidays 🙂

Anyway, I hope that you guys will help me send them off in style. There was so much interest in signed print copies after my last signing that I decided to offer up an autographed set of the BCB series!

You can enter for the Signed Print Editions HERE

T-1 day until you guys can meet the final Marshall brother!

Best,

Minx Malone