Shady Lady

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“Riveting. . . . Full of well-drawn characters, a nearly tangible setting, and the threat of death around every corner, this spinechilling paranormal mystery is sure to keep readers turning pages—and glancing over their shoulders.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

 

“A well-paced plot with a satisfying amount of suspense. Aguirre mixes the supernatural with real-life details and makes this well-crafted story feel authentic.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“Fans of the first book, never fear; this is a good, solid follow-up that left me hungry for more.”

—Calico Reaction

 

“Reading
Hell Fire
is a completely sensory experience that would be half as immersive in the hands of a lesser writer.”

—All Things Urban Fantasy

 

“Sets a new bar for Ann Aguirre.”

—Fantasy Literature

 

“
Hell Fire
has a searing triangle romance, breathtaking paranormal elements, intimate adventure, mature point of view, and solid writing craft.”

—Lightworks

 

 

“Ann Aguirre proves herself yet again in this gritty, steamy, and altogether wonderful urban fantasy. Outstanding and delicious. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.”

—#1
New York Times
bestselling author Patricia Briggs

 

“An authentic Southwestern-flavored feast, filled with magic, revenge, and romance, spiced with memorable characters and page-turning action.
¡Muy caliente!
”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Rachel Caine

 

“Corine has a great narrative voice—snappy and full of interesting observations on everything around her. . . . [
Blue Diablo
is] fast-paced and entertaining.”

—Charles de Lint,
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

 

“The fast and furious pace combined with interesting characters, powerful antagonists, and the promise of romance make for a strong first entry in the series.”

—Monsters and Critics

 

“Ms. Aguirre plunges readers into a fast-paced tale where her human characters are enhanced by their extraordinary gifts.
Blue Diablo
delivers a strong start to the series with a well-defined heroine, intriguing paranormal elements, and an emotion-filled romance.”

—Darque Reviews

 

“Rising star Aguirre moves from outer space to the Southwest in this new first-person series. With murder, magic, and romance, this is an enticingly dangerous journey. Don’t miss out!”

—
Romantic Times

 

“The first Corine Solomon urban detective fantasy is a great tale filled with magic, paranormal powers, demons, and spirits bound to the necro. The heat between the lead couple is palpable. . . . This is an enthralling romantic urban fantasy.”

—
Midwest Book Review

CORINE SOLOMON NOVELS
Blue Diablo
Hell Fire

 

SIRANTHA JAX NOVELS
Grimspace
Wanderlust
Doubleblind
Killbox

ROC
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
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Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

 

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

First printing, April 2011

eISBN : 978-1-101-47768-7

Copyright © Ann Aguirre, 2011

All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

 

 

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For Sharon Shinn,
whose words made me sigh
and wish I could ever write so well.
She has since proven herself as gracious
and charming in person as one would imagine.
Thanks for everything.

Once more, I’m starting with Laura Bradford, who goes beyond the call. Thank you for the DMV,
District 9
, and the Toys “R” Us Bakugan mission. I hit the jackpot the day you said, “I don’t know if I can sell a science fiction novel, but I think I want the challenge.”

As always, I thank Anne Sowards. Her notes make every book better and I am so lucky to work with her, along with all the other talented people at Penguin.

Next, there’s Lauren Dane. She never fails to make me feel better when the chips are down, and she’s first to cheer me on when I score. Lauren is so talented and so smart, and I am so lucky I can run things by her while I’m working. My books wouldn’t be as good if I didn’t have her ear.

Here’s a shout to Bree and Donna. Both of you have been there, and I appreciate it more than words can say. I’d give either of you my seat in the lifeboat any day.

The incomparable Ivette takes meticulous care that everything in the book makes sense.

I also need to thank Stacia Kane. She convinced me to write what I wanted and not worry about convention. The book is better for her bravery and its daring.

Then there’s Laura Bickle. She gets my work from the ground up; thanks for being a sounding board during revisions.

Additionally, thanks to the fine staff at La Finca in Catemaco, who made my research trip a fabulous vacation, and thanks to the real “Ernesto,” who took us out in his
lancha
, showed us the sights, and did
not
suffer a dire fate.

Thank you to Teté, a New Age expert, and Estelle, a real-life
curandera
, for insights that enriched this book and brought Tia to life.

Finally, I thank my family. If they weren’t so awesome, I’d never be able to keep a schedule. My kids are fantastic, and I’m so proud of them. They’re smart, capable, kind, and a whole lot of fun. I’m lucky to have them.

Then, of course, there’s my husband. To give you an idea the kind of guy Andres is, when he comes home from a long day of work—and a longer commute—to find I’m cranky because my draft isn’t going well, oh, and I’ve been interrupted eleventy-four times by peddlers, he listens and then cooks dinner. I’d never ask it, but how cool is that? He also has an epic ability to plot logical consequences for the messes my characters find themselves in. Without him, this book wouldn’t be as good.

Many thanks to my fabulous proofreader. You know who you are.

As always, I must convey my utmost appreciation to my readers. You guys are the best. Please keep writing; that’s [email protected] I love hearing from you.

Lust sizzled through me. There were two of them, a matched pair. I knew a woman wasn’t supposed to want such things, but sometimes we had desires—dark desires—that couldn’t be denied. There was no doubt about it.

That was the sexiest set of salt and pepper shakers I’d ever seen.

Briefly, I imagined Chance’s reaction to my infatuation.
Corine
, he’d say,
why don’t you make love to them? You’re making me jealous, woman.
With some effort, I put him from my mind. My ex didn’t deserve to be the voice inside my head.

Instead I focused on the treasures I’d found outside my back door. Crafted of pure silver, they depicted lovers reaching toward each other, separated by whatever distance their owners dictated. I studied the artful lines and the graceful arches of the spines. These were classically inspired, likely a representation of Eros and Psyche. On closer inspection, I noted that the pepper flowed from holes in Psyche’s fingertips. I couldn’t believe where the salt came from.