Dolphine Alert!

I am making progress on the third and final book in my Shifting Tides series and hope to have most of the editing done before the month is out. Whew. In the meanwhile, I thought you might like a sneak peak preview from Soul of The Sea, book three in the Shifting Tides trilogy.

Soul of The Sea

Gavin and Garde are twin botos, Brazilian shape-shifters that according to myth and legend (and in the guise of human desire), can claim your soul and take you to the Encanté, an enchanted underwater world.

Jill Kohlson is a half-Formorian foundling looking for answers. To hide her true nature, she uses a magical earth amulet given to her by the Witch Queen. But the secret cost is only revealed when she tries to return to the sea.

Several characters from the first two books will make cameo appearances and readers who have followed the series may recall Jill as the shapeshifting shark friend of Terri Fletcher, the heroine from Beneath A Midnight Sea.

Sneak Preview: Soul of The Sea

© 2009, Cassandra Curtis

Dear Neptune! The man was too beautiful. Long waves of honey dark hair, gathered by a strip of rope, hung past his shoulders. Seashells suspended from a few braided strands. He carried the scent of ocean breezes and warm tropical nights spent in a haze of sexual delight. Her mouth watered and her stomach clenched. Mmm…she was hungry for a taste.

She admired his rippled abs and strong back as he bent to retrieve a large conch shell from a bag and move it to a bottom shelf in the gift shop. With his tanned chest and arms bare, Jill could see the telltale mark of his clan tattooed on the inside of his bicep.

A stylized tribal tattoo, waves within a circle.  The fluted tail fin of a Dolphine boto in the center. They were supposed to be extinct. Nothing left of them but myth and legend…Brazilian shape-shifters that, in the guise of human desire, could claim your soul and take you to the Encanté, an enchanted underwater world. Twins. She remembered now. The Dolphine race had always calved twins. Yet here stood one of them. So where was this one’s brother? She warned herself to be on guard. Many pretty things came from the Amazon, and the prettiest were often deadly.

Could he sense the sea magic in her? She fingered the earth amulet around her neck. Well, she’d wanted to test it to make sure it worked before she put her plan in motion. What better way than to wear it in the presence of a male Dolphine?

When he straightened, their eyes locked for a brief minute. Her heart pounded in equal amounts excitement and no little amount of fear. Dolphines and their common, non-magical distant cousins, dolphins, were known as fierce fighters and enemies of all sharks.

Deep set eyes the color of midnight blue lapis drifted over her figure, lingering on her breasts. Did she pass inspection? She glanced down…difficult to tell since he wore board shorts. A whisper of sound escaped his lips. She looked up, and realized she’d been caught staring at his potential assets as well. Heat flushed her cheeks, but did not stop her arousal or her determination.

“Is the owner here?” The question tumbled from her lips, her breath caught on the flash of pearl white teeth as he smiled.

“No. I will have to do. Garde Botoa,” he introduced as he took her hand. But instead of shaking it, he pulled her closer and kissed her on each cheek.

The contact of their joined hands tingled. Desire hit her full force, leaving her legs shaky and her nipples tight. In her mind, she could hear his soft accent, his gentle words of enchantment. He meant to bespell her with passionsong!

A normal human would never recognize the seductive call for what it was—imposed lust, carnal fire. His will dominant over her own, and none the wiser.

Except she wasn’t your average woman. Or even completely human. She was more, and the knowledge brought a smile to her face…because he didn’t know! The amulet had worked!