As one of the #CMCon17 featured bloggers, I get to have a little fun with a few of the fabulous authors who will be hitting the beach for Coastal Magic 2017 by showcasing their many stories. We had so much fun with last year’s At the Beach feature, that we’re doing it again.
Today Heather Hildenbrand is taking us to the beach with Tara ad Cambria from her Dirty Blood series. The latest book, One Hour, features bonus content from the series; so if Tara and Cambria Go to the Beach gets your interest, make sure you check out the first book, Dirty Blood.
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Tara and Cambria Go to the Beach
Tara flopped down on the sand, sulking. Cambria had insisted she come on this vacation before she burnt herself out on all the work she’d been doing for the Werewolf and Hunter communities, but the sun was brutal and the heat index was through the roof this week. Tara would rather be home. Working. Or better yet, cuddled up with Wesley St. John. Somehow, she’d agreed to come here instead. She wondered idly if Cambria had used her gift of charm to convince Tara. She tossed that aside immediately. Cambria would never… Would she?
Tara bit her lip and tried to pretend the lumpy sand where she sat was comfortable. Cambria flopped down beside her and immediately went to work lathering tanning oil over her too pale arms and legs. Tara wondered if sprouting fur would help stave off the burn she could already feel prickling along her shoulders and neck. She sighed and Cambria shoved a bottle of water at her.
“What’s this for?” Tara asked.
“Hydrate,” Cambria ordered. “You’re always cranky when you’re dehydrated.”
“Stop knowing me so well,” Tara snapped, irritated by all of it. The heat. The sun. The interruption. She thought longingly of the forest she’d left behind back in Virginia and the long drive they’d made to get here to the coast in North Carolina. She’d rather be home, running on four paws with Wes. Or even George. Not baking. A human rotisserie.
But this was Cambria. Somehow, she always talked Tara into doing crazy things.
“Look, just give me a minute to lie here and soak all this up,” Cambria said.
“Then what?” Tara asked, hopeful as she eyed a covered beachfront restaurant across the sand. Even from here, she could see they had shade and cold drinks. Food wouldn’t hurt either.
Cambria leaned back, tilting her head back to the sun. “I don’t know. We’ll find something you can have fun with here.” Cambria’s lips twitched and she added, “I’ll throw a Frisbee and let you catch it with your teeth or something.”
“You did not just go there!” Tara shrieked and Cambria broke into a mad grin.
Tara reached for her friend but Cambria was too fast. She was up and sprinting for the water before Tara could get ahold of her. Tara leaped up and gave chase, glad for the cool waves hitting her knees as she waded into the foamy ocean.
Several yards away, Cambria laughed. The closer Tara got, the more her irritation leaked away and she finally found herself laughing too. She waded toward her friend shaking her head. If anyone could use insults to cheer her up, it was Cambria Hebert. She shouldn’t be surprised. Nothing about either of them was normal, why should their friendship be any different?
Tara drifted closer to Cambria who had forgotten all about the joke—and the danger—and floated on her back now, oblivious and relaxed. Tara crept closer, taking her time, like a wolf stalking its prey. She knew a thing or two about that by now. This was going to be so easy.
She waited until a large wave had passed under them both, floating along with the current. Closer. Closer.
When she reached Cambria, she jumped up and sank down like a whale over her unsuspecting friend. Cambria shrieked but the sound was cut off as they both submerged. Tara felt her shoulders shaking even under the water as laughter sent little bubbles to the surface. They both came up drenched and grinning.
“Oh, it’s on like donkey kong,” Cambria vowed.
And Tara’s eyes gleamed with the challenge. She’d never fought a Hunter in the water before. Suddenly, the beach didn’t seem nearly as boring. She was going to love vacation.
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Meet Heather Hildenbrand!
Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She’s only slightly socially awkward as a result.) She writes Young Adult & New Adult romance including the bestselling Dirty Blood & Imitation series’. She splits her time between coastal Virginia and the island of Guam and loves having a mobile career and laptop lifestyle of living in two places. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs. Heather is also a publishing and success coach dedicated to teaching fellow writers how to create their own Laptop Lifestyle. For more information visit www.findtimetowrite.com.
Contact Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Amazon | Instagram | Newsletter
Want to purchase Heather’s novels?
Dirty Blood
Dirty Blood Omnibus
One Hour
Imitation (Clone Chronicles #1)
Bitterroot
Across The Galaxy
Love, Magic, Adrenaline!
Whisper
A Risk Worth Taking (Grayson County Series #1)
Take Me To Your Reader
Don’t miss your chance to meet over 50 fabulous urban fantasy, paranormal, and romance authors at Coastal Magic next February! This super casual book-lover weekend happens on Daytona Beach, and gives everyone the chance to hang out with fellow readers and amazing storytellers.
REGISTRATION is now open! If you haven’t been to Coastal Magic yet, you’re missing out on a lot of fun. Be sure to keep up with all things Coastal Magic, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | RSVP at the Facebook Event.
