It’s here! My newest romantic suspense, AFTER THE DARK, is available now!

Excerpt:

“Jesus, Sam.” He dropped her hand. “Did I hurt you?”

Just seeing him hurt right then. She’d walked away from D.C. for a reason.  She sure hadn’t intended to be seeing Blake again anytime soon. Just looking into his eyes made her feel as if someone had ripped open her heart.

The way he’d stared at her…back in D.C. When he’d found her, half-naked, covered in blood… Samantha cleared her throat. “Why are you here?” she asked him again.

“Because I need you.”

Those words were rough. All rumbly. Her eyes raked over him. She didn’t think he meant that he needed her in a personal way. No, he had to mean—

“He’s back.”  A muscle flexed along Blake’s square jaw.  “He’s doing it again.”

For an instant, her heart stopped.  She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.  And then… “No!” A fierce denial. With that cry, her heart began to race in her chest. Her breath came in quick pants. Even though sweat covered her from the run, Samantha was suddenly freezing. “You’re wrong.”

“I wish that I was. Cameron Latham is hunting again. Playing his sick games. Doing his experiments.”

Her chill grew worse.

“And I need you to help me stop him.”

She shook her head. “You came to the wrong woman. I’m not FBI any longer.” Like he’d need that reminder.

“You’re the right woman. You exactly the woman I need.”

Her body was so tense her muscles ached.

“No one knows Cameron Latham like you do.”

Her cheeks burned. Yes, she knew him intimately.

“You can stop him, Samantha. You can build a new profile on him. You were in his head before and I know you can get right back there again.”

She looked away from Blake and grabbed for the handle of her car door. She yanked it open—

“Unless you don’t want to stop him.”

Her shoulders stiffened.

“Bass still thinks you let Cameron walk. He doesn’t believe that you wanted to put your lover behind bars.”

“Ex-lover.”  How many times had she said that? She glanced up at him, knowing that a glare would be on her face. “As I’ve said before, Cameron and I hadn’t been involved that way in a long time.” She climbed into the car. Her hands fisted around the steering wheel.

“Why not?”

His question was so low that she barely heard it.

And since she was already walking on the tight-rope of a whole give-him-hell attitude, she offered her former partner a grim smile. Why not? “Because of you, of course.  I met you and didn’t want to be with anyone else.”

His shock was plain to see.

Before he could ask any other questions—questions she didn’t want to answer—Samantha yanked the car door closed. She started the vehicle and headed out of the lot, leaving Blake behind.

She didn’t start shaking until she was nearly home, but then the trembles came, rocking her whole body.  He’s doing it again. She hoped that Blake was wrong. He had to be wrong.

Because if Cameron was hunting again, it would only be a matter of time before he came after her.

***

And…extra news! Harlequin has included the novella, THE GATHERING DUSK—a prequel to AFTER THE DARK in the back of this book. THE GATHERING DUSK was written as a bonus for readers so that they could see what happened to the characters before the events of AFTER THE DARK. I’m very glad that Harlequin has included this prequel novella for readers—some of my international readers were not able to get THE GATHERING DUSK before, so now you can get it with AFTER THE DARK (but just note…Harlequin put it behind AFTER THE DARK in the book). 

Release week is here!!! AFTER THE DARK officially releases tomorrow from Harlequin–and I will be having all kinds of giveaways and surprises for readers!

Let me go ahead and tell you a bit about the fun…

Tomorrow night (3/28), I will be having an awesome release party at the Social Butterfly Party Room on FB (https://www.facebook.com/groups/SBPRPartyRoom/). Some absolutely FANTASTIC authors will be joining me for the fun…here they are:

“Jesus, Sam.” He dropped her hand. “Did I hurt you?”

Just seeing him hurt right then. She’d walked away from D.C. for a reason.  She sure hadn’t intended to be seeing Blake again anytime soon. Just looking into his eyes made her feel as if someone had ripped open her heart.

The way he’d stared at her…back in D.C. When he’d found her, half-naked, covered in blood… Samantha cleared her throat. “Why are you here?” she asked him again.

“Because I need you.”

Those words were rough. All rumbly. Her eyes raked over him. She didn’t think he meant that he needed her in a personal way. No, he had to mean—

“He’s back.”  A muscle flexed along Blake’s square jaw.  “He’s doing it again.”

For an instant, her heart stopped.  She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.  And then… “No!” A fierce denial. With that cry, her heart began to race in her chest. Her breath came in quick pants. Even though sweat covered her from the run, Samantha was suddenly freezing. “You’re wrong.”

“I wish that I was. Cameron Latham is hunting again. Playing his sick games. Doing his experiments.”

Her chill grew worse.

“And I need you to help me stop him.”

She shook her head. “You came to the wrong woman. I’m not FBI any longer.” Like he’d need that reminder.

“You’re the right woman. You exactly the woman I need.”

Her body was so tense her muscles ached.

“No one knows Cameron Latham like you do.”

Her cheeks burned. Yes, she knew him intimately.

“You can stop him, Samantha. You can build a new profile on him. You were in his head before and I know you can get right back there again.”

She looked away from Blake and grabbed for the handle of her car door. She yanked it open—

“Unless you don’t want to stop him.”

Her shoulders stiffened.

“Bass still thinks you let Cameron walk. He doesn’t believe that you wanted to put your lover behind bars.”

“Ex-lover.”  How many times had she said that? She glanced up at him, knowing that a glare would be on her face. “As I’ve said before, Cameron and I hadn’t been involved that way in a long time.” She climbed into the car. Her hands fisted around the steering wheel.

“Why not?”

His question was so low that she barely heard it.

And since she was already walking on the tight-rope of a whole give-him-hell attitude, she offered her former partner a grim smile. Why not? “Because of you, of course.  I met you and didn’t want to be with anyone else.”

His shock was plain to see.

Before he could ask any other questions—questions she didn’t want to answer—Samantha yanked the car door closed. She started the vehicle and headed out of the lot, leaving Blake behind.

She didn’t start shaking until she was nearly home, but then the trembles came, rocking her whole body.  He’s doing it again. She hoped that Blake was wrong. He had to be wrong.

Because if Cameron was hunting again, it would only be a matter of time before he came after her.

***

ONLY 3 MORE DAYS! AFTER THE DARK will be available on 3/28/17! 

AFTER THE DARK will be available in less than a week! I’m so excited for readers to have the chance to read this story.  If you’re on GoodReads, be sure to enter the AFTER THE DARK ARC giveaway–Harlequin has 40 Advanced Reader Copies of the book up for grabs:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

After the Dark

by Cynthia Eden

Giveaway ends March 25, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

I’ve got special news for readers…a free book!!

For a limited time, THE GATHERING DUSK is free at all major ebook retailers.

Don’t miss the heart-pounding prequel novella to bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s new Killer Instinct series!

When untried FBI profiler Samantha Dark is face-to-face with a killer, there’s no room for fear. Her best weapon is her instincts. Those same dark impulses that allow her to get inside the mind of a murderer, to locate victims—or to pull the trigger before she’s next. She can’t afford to have those instincts clouded by anything…especially her far-too-sexy new partner.

Former SEAL Blake Gamble plays everything by the book. Except, of course, when it comes to the increasingly simmering attraction between them. But when a vengeful serial killer targets them both, Samantha once again reaches into the sinister, shadowed part of herself. Even as she begins to fear that the only way to catch this killer is to become one…

Look for After the Dark, the first in the Killer Instinct series, from HQN Books!

***

I am very excited to launch my new “Killer Instinct” series with HQN.  For the Killer Instinct titles, the main characters will all have deep, intimate connections to serial killers. The killers could be their family members, their friends, or even their lovers. Just what happens to a person who is so closely tied to a killer? You can find out in the books…

Books in the “Killer Instinct” series published by HQN:

THE GATHERING DUSK – Prequel novella
AFTER THE DARK – Book 1 (Coming on March 28th!)
BEFORE THE DAWN – Book 2
INTO THE NIGHT – Book 3

In addition, there are two Harlequin Intrigue novels that are set in the same Killer Instinct “world” for readers:

ABDUCTION – Available in February of 2017
HUNTED – Available in June/July of 2017

***

THE GATHERING DUSK is a prequel novella for the “Killer Instinct” series…it’s a bonus to show readers the characters in an earlier phase…before savage life events come along and change who they are.  People aren’t always good or bad, and you can see that truth in this novella.  You’ll meet FBI agents Samantha Dark and her partner Blake Gamble, and you can get to know them before the release of their full-length novel, AFTER THE DARK.

I hope you enjoy the free novella!