Accidentally...Over? Read online

  Camaxtli—Goddess of the Hunt: Also known as Fate (until the end of this novel), Camaxtli holds a special position among the gods, since no one dares challenge her. When Fate has spoken, that’s the end of the conversation.

  Colel Cab—Mistress of Bees: Because really, where would we all be without the bees?

  Goddess of Forgetfulness: Um… Sorry. Still no official name for this infamous deity who spends her evenings DJing and is often referred to as “what’s-her-face.”

  Ixtab—Goddess of Happiness (ex–Goddess of Suicide): Ixtab’s once morbid frock used to make children scream. But since finding her soul mate, Antonio Acero, she’s now the epitome of all things happy.

  K’ak: The history books remember him as K’ak Tiliw Chan Yopaat, ruler of Copán in the 700s AD. King K’ak (pronounced as “cock.” Don’t you just love that name? Tee-hee-hee…) is one of Cimil’s favorite brothers. We’re not really sure what he does, but he can throw bolts of lightning.

  Kinich Ahau—ex–God of the Sun: Known by many other names, depending on the culture, Kinich likes to go by Nick these days. He’s also now a vampire—something he’s actually not so bummed about. He is mated to the love of his life, Penelope, the Ruler of the House of Gods.

  Máax—the One No One Speaks Of: His name literally means “Who?” Once known as the God of Truth, Máax was banished for repeatedly violating the ban on time travel. The gods stripped his powers, including the ability to take physical form, and banished him to the human realm. Turns out that he will play the role that decides the fate of humanity.

  Votan—God of Death and War: Also known as Odin, Wotan, Wodan, God of Drums (he has no idea how the hell he got that title; he hates the drums), and Lord of Multiplication (okay, he is pretty darn good at math so that one makes sense). These days, Votan goes by Guy Santiago (it’s a long story—read Book #1), but despite his deadly tendencies, he’s all heart. He’s now engaged to Emma Keane.

  Yum Cimil—Goddess of the Underworld: Also known as Ah-Puch by the Mayans, Mictlantecuhtli (try saying that one ten times) by the Aztec, Grim Reaper by the Europeans, Hades by the Greeks… you get the picture! Despite what people say, Cimil is actually a female, and adores a good bargain (especially garage sales) and the color pink. She’s also batshit crazy.

  Zac Cimi—Bacab of the North: What the heck is a Bacab? According to the gods’ folklore, the Bacabs are the four eldest and most powerful of the gods. Once thought to be the God of Love, we now know differently. Zac is the God of Temptation, and his tempting ways have landed him in very hot water. Because no matter how tempting your brother’s mate might be, trying to steal her is wrong.

  Not the Gods

  Andrus: Ex-Demilord (vampire who’s been given the gods’ light), now just a demigod after his maker, the vampire queen, died. According to Cimil, his son, who hasn’t been born yet, is destined to marry Helena and Niccolo’s daughter.

  Anne: Don’t want to spoil the surprise, but some of you on Facebook definitely guessed right!

  Antonio Acero: Our hunky playboy Spaniard who discovers his father was the last surviving incubus. Now a vampire, too, Antonio spends his day spreading happiness around the world with his mate, Ixtab. Oh, Antonio also eats dark energy for lunch. Yum!

  Ashli Rosewood: No spoilers here. So I’ll just say that she’s the final linchpin in our Accidental safari. Watch out, Máax, ’cause here she comes!

  Brutus: One of Gabrán’s elite Uchben warriors. He doesn’t speak much, but that’s because he and his team are telepathic. They are also immortal (a gift from the gods) and next in line to be Uchben chiefs.

  Emma Keane: A reluctant Payal (a descendant of a deity) who can split a man right down the middle with her bare hands. She is engaged to Votan (aka Guy Santiago) and her grandmother was once the ruler of the Maaskab. What a fun family!

  Father Xavier: Once a priest at the Vatican, Xavier is now the Uchben’s top scholar and historian. He has a thing for jogging suits, Tyra Banks, and Cimil.

  Gabrán: One of the Uchben chiefs and a very close friend of the gods. The chiefs have been given the gods’ light and are immortal—a perk of the job.

  Gabriela: Emma Keane’s grandmother and one of the original Payals. She was brought over to the dark side but cured by Ixtab and no longer leads the Maaskab. Her fate will be determined by the gods at the end of Accidentally… Over?

  Helena Strauss: Once human, Helena is now a vampire and married to Niccolo DiConti. She has a half-vampire daughter, Matty, who is destined to marry Andrus’s son, according to Cimil.

  Jess: Just like Anne, I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but some of you on Facebook definitely guessed right!

  Julie Trudeau: Penelope’s mother. Julie is also an ex-angel turned vampire and mated to Viktor.

  Mitner: The very first Maaskab and the true creator of the vampire race.

  Niccolo DiConti: General of the Vampire Army. Now that the vampire queen is dead, the army remains loyal to him. He shares power with his wife Helena Strauss and has a half-vampire daughter, Matty—a wedding gift from Cimil.

  Nick (short for Niccole): (From Book #1, not to be confused with Kinich). Similar to Anne and Jess, I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but some of you on Facebook definitely guessed right!

  Penelope Trudeau: After inheriting her mate Kinich’s power of the sun, Penelope rules the House of the Gods alongside her man.

  Philippe: Roberto the Ancient One’s evil brother. He is killed by Kinich, thereby exterminating all evil vampires.

  Reyna: The dead vampire queen.

  Roberto (Narmer): Originally an Egyptian pharaoh, Narmer was one of the six Ancient Ones—the very first vampires. He eventually changed his name to Roberto and moved to Spain—something to do with one of Cimil’s little schemes. He now spends his days lovingly undoing Cimil’s treachery and taking her unicorn Minky for a ride.

  Sentin: One of Niccolo’s loyal vampire soldiers. Viktor turned him into a vampire after finding him in a ditch during World War II.

  Tommaso: Oh, boy. Where to start. Once an Uchben, Tommaso’s mind was poisoned with black jade. He tried to kill Emma, Votan’s mate, but redeemed himself by turning into a spy for the gods.

  Viktor: Niccolo’s right hand and BFF. He’s approximately one thousand years old and originally a Viking. He’s big. He’s blond. He’s mated to Penelope’s ex-angel mother. He’s also Helena’s maker.

  ALSO BY MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF

  Accidentally In Love With… A God?

  Accidentally Married to… A Vampire?

  Sun God Seeks… Surrogate?

  Accidentally… Evil? (novella)

  Vampires Need Not… Apply?

  Accidentally… Cimil? (novella)

  PRAISE FOR MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF’S

  ACCIDENTALLY YOURS SERIES

  “The story really made an impression and she definitely makes me want to continue on with her series… witty and catchy.”

  —BookMaven623.wordpress.com on

  Accidentally In Love With… A God?

  “Pamfiloff’s knack for deeply engaging and funny storytelling is on clear display… The intense, fiery attraction between the two main characters, along with their crackling yet comfortable banter, will leave readers riveted… One truly delicious tale, which you’ll savor with the turn of each page. 4½ stars, Top Pick!”

  —RT Book Reviews on

  Accidentally In Love With… A God?

  “Accidentally Married to… A Vampire? remains one of the funniest paranormal novels I’ve read in a long time.”

  —IndieBookSpot.com

  “It was fun, the pace was fast, there were laugh-out-loud funny lines, plenty of pop-culture references, and lots of very sexy moments. I am definitely going to be reading the author’s other books!”

  —SarahsBookshelves.blogspot.com on

  Accidentally Married to… A Vampire?

  “Hot sex, a big misunderstanding, and a shocker of an ending that made me want the next book in the series now
! I can’t wait to go back and read the other books in the series.”

  —Romancing-the-Book.com on Accidentally… Evil?

  “If you’re looking for a read that’s a little bit silly, a little bit sexy, and a whole lot of fun, you need to pick up Accidentally… Evil? I’m off to pick up the other three now. Damn, it was a funny one.”

  —HerdingCats-BurningSoup.blogspot.com

  “Strikes a balance between outrageous humor and a thoroughly satisfying love story with aplomb. 4½ stars.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Vampires Need Not… Apply?

  THE DISH

  Where Authors Give You the Inside Scoop

  From the desk of Marilyn Pappano

  Dear Reader,

  The first time Jessy Lawrence, the heroine of my newest novel, A LOVE TO CALL HER OWN, opened her mouth, I knew she was going to be one of my favorite Tallgrass characters. She’s mouthy, brassy, and bold, but underneath the sass, she’s keeping a secret or two that threatens her tenuous hold on herself. She loves her friends fiercely with the kind of loyalty I value. Oh, and she’s a redhead, too. I can always relate to another “ginger,” lol.

  I love characters with faults—like me. Characters who do stupid things, good things, bad things, unforgivable things. Characters whose lives haven’t been the easiest, but they still show up; they still do their best. They know too well it might not be good enough, but they try, and that’s what matters, right?

  Jessy is one of those characters in spades—estranged from her family, alone in the world except for the margarita girls, dealing with widowhood, guilt, low self-esteem, and addiction—but she meets her match in Dalton Smith.

  I was plotting the first book in the series, A Hero to Come Home To, when it occurred to me that there’s a lot of talk about the men who die in war and the wives they leave behind, but people seem not to notice that some of our casualties are women, who also leave behind spouses, fiancés, family whose lives are drastically altered. Seconds behind that thought, an image popped into my head of the margarita club gathered around their table at The Three Amigos, talking their girl talk, when a broad-shouldered, six-foot-plus, smokin’ handsome cowboy walked up, Stetson in hand, and quietly announced that his wife had died in the war.

  Now, when I started writing the first scene from Dalton’s point of view, I knew immediately that scene was never going to happen. Dalton has more grief than just the loss of a wife. He’s angry, bitter, has isolated himself, and damn sure isn’t going to ask anyone for help. He’s not just wounded but broken—my favorite kind of hero.

  It’s easy to write love stories for perfect characters, or for one who’s tortured when the other’s not. I tend to gravitate to the challenge of finding the happily-ever-after for two seriously broken people. They deserve love and happiness, but they have to work so hard for it. There are no simple solutions for these people. Jessy finds it hard to get out of bed in the morning; Dalton has reached rock bottom with no one in his life but his horses and cattle. It says a lot about them that they’re willing to work, to risk their hearts, to take those scary steps out of their grief and sorrow and guilt and back into their lives.

  Oh yeah, and I can’t forget to mention my other two favorite characters in A LOVE TO CALL HER OWN: Oz, the handsome Australian shepherd on the cover; and Oliver, a mistreated, distrusting dog of unknown breed. I love my puppers, both real and fictional, and hope you like them, too.

  Happy reading!

  MarilynPappano.net

  Twitter @MarilynPappano

  Facebook.com/MarilynPappanoFanPage

  From the desk of Kristen Ashley

  Dear Reader,

  In starting to write Lady Luck, the book where Chace Keaton was introduced, I was certain Chace was a bad guy. A dirty cop who was complicit in sending a man to jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

  Color me stunned when Chace showed up at Ty and Lexie’s in Lady Luck and a totally different character introduced himself to me.

  Now, I am often not the white hat–wearing guy type of girl. My boys have to have at least a bit of an edge (and usually way more than a bit).

  That’s not to say that I don’t get drawn in by the boy next door (quite literally, for instance, with Mitch Lawson of Law Man). It just always surprises me when I do.

  Therefore, it surprised me when Chace drew me in while he was in Lexie and Ty’s closet in Lady Luck. I knew in that instant that he had to have his own happily-ever-after. And when Faye Goodknight was introduced later in that book, I knew the path to that was going to be a doozy!

  Mentally rubbing my hands together with excitement, when I got down to writing BREATHE, I was certain that it was Chace who would sweep me away.

  And he did.

  But I adored writing Faye.

  I love writing about complex, flawed characters, watching them build strength from adversity. Or lean on the strength from adversity they’ve already built in their lives so they can get through dealing with falling in love with a badass, bossy alpha. The exploration of that is always a thing of beauty for me to be involved in.

  Faye, however, knew who she was and what she wanted from life. She had a good family. She lived where she wanted to be. She was shy, but that was her nature. She was no pushover. She had a backbone. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t thoughtful, sensitive, and loving. She had no issues, no hang-ups, or at least nothing major.

  And she was a geek girl.

  The inspiration for her came from my nieces, both incredibly intelligent, funny, caring and, beautiful—and both total geek girls. I loved the idea of diving into that (being a bit of a geek girl myself), this concept that is considered stereotypically “on the fringe” but is actually an enormous sect of society that is quite proud of their geekdom. And when I published BREATHE, the geek girls came out of the woodwork, loving seeing one of their own land her hot guy.

  But also, it was a pleasure seeing Chace, the one who had major issues and hang-ups, find himself sorted out by his geek girl. I loved watching Faye surprise him, hold up the mirror so he could truly see himself, and take the lead into guiding them both into the happily-ever-after they deserved.

  This was one of those books of mine where I could have kept writing forever. Just the antics of the kitties Chace gives to his Faye would be worth a chapter!

  But alas, I had to let them go.

  Luckily, I get to revisit them whenever I want and let fly the warm thoughts I have of the simple, yet extraordinary lives led by a small-town cop and the librarian wife he adores.

  From the desk of Sandra Hill

  Dear Reader,

  Many of you have been begging for a new Tante Lulu story.

  When I first started writing my Cajun contemporary books back in 2003, I never expected Tante Lulu would touch so many people’s hearts and funny bones. Over the years, readers have fallen in love with the wacky old lady (I like to say, Grandma Moses with cleavage). So many of you have said you have a family member just like her; still more have said they wish they did.

  Family… that’s what my Cajun/Tante Lulu books are all about. And community… the generosity and unconditional love of friends and neighbors. In these turbulent times, isn’t that just what we all want?

  You should know that SNOW ON THE BAYOU is the ninth book in my Cajun series, which includes: The Love Potion; Tall, Dark, and Cajun; The Cajun Cowboy; The Red Hot Cajun; Pink Jinx; Pearl Jinx; Wild Jinx; and So Into You. And there are still more Cajun tales to come, I think. Daniel and Aaron LeDeux, and the newly introduced Simone LeDeux. What do you think?

  For more information on these and others of my books, visit my website at www.sandrahill.net or my Facebook page at Sandra Hill Author.

  As always, I wish you smiles in your reading.

  From the desk of Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

  Dearest Humans,

  It’s the end of the world. You’re an invisible, seventy-thousand-year-old virgin. The Universe wants to snub out the one person you’d like to hook up with. Dis
cuss.

  And while you do so, I’d like to take a moment to thank each of you for taking this Accidental journey with me and my insane deities. We’ve been to Mayan cenotes, pirate ships, jungle battles, cursed pyramids, vampire showdowns, a snappy leather-daddy bar in San Antonio, New York City, Santa Cruz, Giza, Sedona, and we’ve even been to a beautiful Spanish vineyard with an incubus. Ah. So many fun places with so many fascinating, misunderstood, wacky gods and other immortals. And let’s not forget Minky the unicorn, too!

  It has truly been a pleasure putting you through the twisty curves, and I hope you enjoy this final piece of the puzzle as Máax, our invisible, bad-boy deity extraordinaire, is taught one final lesson by one very resilient woman who refuses to allow the Universe to dictate her fate.

  Because ultimately we make our own way in this world, Hungry Hungry Hippos playoffs included.

  Happy reading!

  P.S.: Hope you like the surprise ending.

  From the desk of Karina Halle

  Dear Reader,

  Morally ambiguous. Duplicitous. Dangerous.

  Those words describe not only the cast of characters in my romantic suspense novel SINS & NEEDLES, book one in the Artists Trilogy, but especially the heroine, Ms. Ellie Watt. Though sinfully sexy and utterly suspenseful, it is Ellie’s devious nature and con artist profession that makes SINS & NEEDLES one unique and wild ride.

  When I first came up with the idea for SINS & NEEDLES, I wanted to write a book that not only touched on some personal issues of mine (physical scarring, bullying, justification), but dealt with a character little seen in modern literature—the antiheroine. Everywhere you look in books these days you see the bad boy, the criminal, the tattooed heartbreaker and ruthless killer. There are always men in these arguably more interesting roles. Where were all the bad girls? Sure, you could read about women in dubious professions, femme fatales, and cold-hearted killers. But when were they ever the main character? When were they ever a heroine you could also sympathize with?