Annie Rayburn: Phantoms & Fantasies

I experienced Zeenie’s nightmare in a dream. The attack. The masked man. The ridiculous cat clock whose tail she watched swinging back and forth as she endured what no woman should. I felt her terror as she struggled against the drug, her panic, her desperate attempts to send pleas of help to her friends.

My heart thrummed in my ears as I jolted awake and slipped from the bed. Two a.m., but the scenes still burned in my mind. It wasn’t until I was halfway through recording the scene, my fingers flying across a keyboard, that I realized Zeenie was humanoid, yet not human. She’d been using telepathy and wasn’t even of Earth, yet she lived in Dallas, Texas and shared a world not unlike my own.

Aliens, paranormal phenomenon and alternate reality, oh my! What was I writing?

The more her world developed under my fingers, the more I realized this was nothing like I’d ever seen myself writing, and the tragic ordeal she’d experienced would have far-reaching consequences. For Zeenie, and for the man she eventually chose and claimed as her life mate. 

Turk. Alpha and sexy as hell, he’d have to love her and hunger for her like no other. He’d have to be emotionally strong to wait for her to recover enough to be ready again, all the while, yearning, dreaming of one day...

Phantoms & Fantasies:

After a devastating trauma, Zeenie attended a college mixer and experienced powerful Crainesian pheromones between herself and Turk. Unprepared for the life-mate call, she panicked and fled. Turk has waited and yearned for Zeenie for years while staying dialed in to her recovery. Finally, rumor says she’s ready to date again, and he’s determined to make her short list, even if it means resorting to a little trickery.

Zeenie’s plan is to ease back into the world of dating, not dive in heart first. Especially not with the hunk who’s supposedly bedded half the women in Dallas since she rejected him. On a blind date, he surprises her with patience and maturity when she fights against their pheromone bond, then shows tenderness and consideration when phantoms of her past arise.

As she learns more about Turk, Zeenie entertains heated fantasies of what could be and makes tentative forays into his sensual world. But her initial rejection broke with Crainesian custom and continues to cast a dark shadow on their future. Can she embrace her sexuality and summon enough courage to claim her man in true Crainesian style, or will their growing love be tainted forever?

“Phantoms and Fantasies is a magical story of love, passion, and healing that will have readers hanging on to every word.” –Tammy, Fallen Angels Reviews, 5 Angels, a Recommended Read!

“This was an breathtaking story. Ms. Rayburn has totally created a world that is both believable and sexy. I could see myself living next door to a Crainesian and am envious of the link the life mates have with each other. I read this story in one sitting, it was that good. I think the author has a definite keeper with this new world and I can't wait to read more.” – Tami Brothers, (Amazon 5-star review)

Annie Rayburn is the pseudonym of Carol Burnside, an award-winning author. Five of her novel length, contemporary romance manuscripts have placed in numerous RWA chapter contests and won five, including the prestigious Maggie Award for Excellence.

Writing as Annie Rayburn, she produces soft sci-fi and lite paranormal erotic romances which have been favorably received. Talk about cross-genre! While Carol/Annie enjoys the adoration she receives from her furbabies, what she really loves is hearing from her readers. Enjoy excerpts, review snippits, and more about her sexy Crainesian characters on her website  or connect with her via Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter / Goodreads / Pinterest or www.PetitFoursAndHotTamales.com.