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Tori Cooper

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Book five has been released!

The fifth and final installment of the Tori Cooper Novels is now available on Amazon.com!  I’m very happy how the rest of the story unfolded, and hope you love and enjoy it as much as I do!

Click here to order your copy of ‘Changing of the Guard’ today!

With two paranormally gifted children, a guardian angel and a telepathic dog as her protectors, FBI Agent Tori Cooper rarely has an opportunity to use the words ‘boring’ or ‘normal’ in daily conversation.  It’s been three years since the shooting, and serial killer Alexander, aka Zander, Wells remains at large and at the top of the FBI’s most wanted list.   Agent Hunter’s team of highly trained agents has remained committed to Zander’s capture, with Tori leading the way as their psychic guide.

When Tori discovers the identity and location of the mysterious dark-haired woman and the Dalmatian believed to be connected to Zander, the team sets an elaborate trap to finally bring him out of hiding, and from under Lucifer’s protection.

As the plan begins to unfold, Tori receives unsettling news regarding her son, RJ, forcing her to reconsider her role on the team as well as her position with the FBI.  She’s put her blood, sweat, and tears into finding the man who put her in the crosshairs of his scope, and she’s made promises to the families of his victims that she won’t give up until Zander is in custody, dead or alive.  Her children are her priority, but she worries, will the team be able to catch Zander without her?

 

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She Talks to Angels, Including the Devil

A little devil on your shoulder coercing you into doing devilish things can be pretty annoying.  When he sneaks into your dreams, it’s even worse.  Unfortunately for Tori, being able to talk to angels includes all angels, even the fallen.

Some people would call Tori and Lucifer’s relationship dysfunctional.  She’s intrigued by him because he’s unlike anyone she’s ever known.  He’s arrogant, rude, ill-tempered, and finds immense pleasure getting in her face when she tries to ignore him.  Like a bug.

Tonight proves to be no different than any other night.  Luc wants to talk, but Tori is sleeping blissfully.  Too blissfully he decides.  What better way to get her attention than with the sound of hundreds of screeching cicadas?

(I told you he’s annoying.)

Children from the Light, Chapter 12 “…  The sound was so overpowering, it woke her abruptly, and she stared up at the vast open sky above her instead of what should have been her bedroom ceiling.

Sitting up, she looked around an open field, not recognizing where she was.  Then her gaze stopped on the elegantly dressed man in the Italian suit, smiling at her from an oddly placed leather wingback chair in the middle of the grass.

“Great.  I’m still asleep,” she thought to herself.

“Ah, Sleeping Beauty has woken,” Lucifer crooned, smoothly.  “Well, you know what I mean.”

Scowling at him with narrowed eyes, Tori replied, “Oh, it’s you.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s you creeping into my dreams.  It was only a matter of time until you showed up.”  Further annoyed by the overpowering sound of the insects, she shouted, “ENOUGH!”  Instantly, the sound ceased.

Nodding in approval, Lucifer applauded, “Impressive!  You’re becoming stronger in your abilities, even while sleeping.”  Hesitating for a moment, he glanced down at the obvious rounding in her stomach and added, “It makes me wonder if you’re doing it on your own or if you have a little help.”

Covering her stomach protectively with her hands, Tori glared at him and warned, “Don’t even think about it, Luc.  You do, and you’ll have to go through me in the process.”

Irritated by the casual use of his name, which she knew annoyed him; he raised his chin indignantly, then like a flash, gave her his most charming smile.  “Fear not, my Queen,” he crooned.  “I won’t harm your little princess. Or your little prince,” he added challengingly.

Startled, Tori drew in a sharp breath, revealing her surprise.

“What?  You didn’t think I’d heard the big news?” he laughed, heartedly.  “I’m still connected, my dear Tori.  The almighty God may have tossed me down here on earth like heavenly garbage, but that doesn’t mean I’m not aware of what’s going on!  All of the heavens are abuzz with the news of the prodigal Remiel son!  You’re quite the celebrity.  You’re like the latest and greatest Virgin Mary!”

Taken aback, Tori gasped and replied, “Shame on you!  That’s blasphemy, even for you.  You take that back!”

“Why should I?  It’s not like my soul is any danger,” Lucifer shrugged, straightening the crease on the leg of his dress pants.  “Besides, what are you going to do to me if I don’t, hmm?”

Tori blinked, realizing she had no answer for him.  Further realizing she was in control of her dream and not him, she simply glared at him and replied, “Goodbye Luc.” Instantly, the dream began to change, and she watched his face begin to dissolve.

“You can’t ignore me forever, Tori…,” he calmly replied, his voice fading until it was gone…”

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful readers!   I appreciate you all very much.

So as a special gift to you, mark your calendars and get ready.  The release date for book four in the Tori Cooper Novels, Children from the Light, will be March 1, 2016!

I pray you and your families have a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year!

Children From The Light Front Cover PNG

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Cooking Therapy Time, Baking Ben’s Favorite Bread

We’ve all learned that Ben loves to eat. Fortunately for him, he fell in love with a woman who loves to cook. A true match made in foodie heaven!

Like Tori, I don’t always cook just to prepare a meal; often times it’s a way of working through an issue going on in my life, or when I’m stuck in the middle of a chapter and I know where I want the story to go next, but I just can’t seem to find the words to get it there.  Yes, even I get writers block from time to time! That’s when cooking time becomes ‘therapy time’.

Cooking for hours in the kitchen allows me to forget about what’s going on in my head, and instead, create something that comes from my heart. Then being able to share that creation with others, very much like writing my books, gives me the sense of fulfillment I need to remember that I know who I am deep down inside, regardless of all the ‘noise’ from the outside world.

So for those of you, who sometimes find yourselves in similar situations, try a little cooking therapy and see if it helps put your head back in alignment with your heart.

Here’s the second recipe tied to my post from June 28th from Guardians of the Chosen, Chapter 12.

Tori’s Tomato Ciabatta with Olives and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:
5 Tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
2 Yellow onions, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
½ Cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
½ Cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
3 Packages active dry yeast
1 Teaspoon sugar
1 ¾ Cups, warm water
2 ½ Cups all purpose flour
¾ Cup semolina flour
Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:
1) In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat until lightly caramelized, about 8 minutes.

2) Add the tomato paste and crushed red pepper, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.

3) Stir in the olives and tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

4) In a bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar and water; let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

5) Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the 2 ½ cups of flour and semolina, until the dough comes together; it will be very wet.

6) Stir in the cooled olive/tomato mixture and cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.
7) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

8) Scrape the dough out onto a well-floured surface and shape into 2 rough loaves, about 14 x 3 ½ inches each.

9) Transfer loaves to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 25 – 30 minutes, until loaves are lightly browned and have risen.

10) Remove bread from oven and allow to cool before slicing.

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True Love

Or, for those of us who are also fans of the movie, The Princess Bride, ‘Twu Wuv’.

I realize the following question is going to totally date me, but remember when a guy making a mixed tape for a girl was considered a romantic gesture?  Fortunately, our darling Ben is old school.  He loves Tori, heart and soul, and isn’t shy about how he shows it!

Play List My Angel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guardians of the Chosen, Chapter 11 “…Hoping he had enough time before she woke up, he snuck her iPod off the dresser, crept into the living room and plugged the device into a cable attached to his laptop.  Working quickly, he created a new playlist on her directory and transferred several carefully selected songs over to the list.

The timing couldn’t have worked out better as he had just enough time to eject the device, place it on the table in front of him and grab a section of the newspaper, as he heard her open the door to her bedroom.

He looked up from the newspaper, casually, and smiled as she strode into the living room wearing a jogging suit and sneakers.  “Perfect!” he chuckled, inwardly.  “Good morning!  Where are you off to looking so sporty and beautiful?”

“Good morning!” she replied, smiling back while pulling her long auburn hair up into a high pony-tail and securing it with an elastic band.  “Thank goodness the rain has finally stopped!  Have you seen the sky today?  It’s absolutely beautiful!  I thought I would go for a walk.  Hey, have you seen my iPod?  I can’t seem to find it…oh, there it is – never mind!  Geez!  I’m starting to leave my stuff everywhere, aren’t I?”

She walked over to the coffee table, next to where Ben was sitting, picked the device up and clipped it onto her waistband.  While she un-tangled the headphone wires from each other she added, “Do you want to come with me?”

Ben grinned secretively, shook his head and said, “Thanks, you go ahead.  When I’m done with the paper, I have some email I need to catch up on.  Go, have fun!”

Tori shrugged and replied, “Your loss!  See you later!”

“Later,” he agreed, chuckling out loud as the door closed behind her.

Tori paused on the landing long enough to stretch out her calves and hamstrings against the stair railing, then descended to the ground and headed out of the parking lot in the direction of a farm road a few blocks away.

The familiar sounds of birds chirping in the sky above and her shoes crunching the loose gravel against the pavement, made her quicken her pace as she anticipated the road ahead.

While she walked, she placed the ear-buds from her headphones into her ears and unclipped her iPod from her waistband, powering up the device.  Scrolling through her playlists, she looked for the usual list of songs and was surprised to see a new playlist she hadn’t seen before named ‘My Angel.’  Curious, and immediately suspicious of Ben and his typical prankish behavior, she selected the playlist and waited for the first song to play…”