It’s getting close. I don’t usually get all goony (my grandson’s description, which seems totally apropos) over the release of anthologies–for some reason, they usually seem to come out when I’m in the middle of writing the next book, and my attention is divided, but this particular anthology introduces a new series, and I’m really anxious to see what readers think of my whole concept. I mean, this is off the wall, even for me. 
Dream Catcher, the story in this one, will introduce you to Mac Dugan, Nils “Dink” Dinkemann, and Zianne. Mac and Dink are best friends forever, but Zianne? Well, to begin with, she’s not quite human. WAY not quite human. Not only is she not from Earth, she’s not from Mac’s same time…and then it gets complicated.
This first story takes place in 1992 and is the set up for the next two novels. The first one, Dream Bound, will come out in July and I’m working on the second one now, which will wrap up the story line. Since I gave you a taste of Dream Catcher last time I blogged, I’m going to give you a look at Dream Bound, so you’ll get an idea of what’s coming next.
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Dream Catchers Book 1–DREAM BOUND
The set-up: It’s 2012–twenty years after Dream Catcher takes place. Mac Dugan has brought together his “dream team,” a group of six young men and women with abilities even they aren’t aware of. The goal? To find his missing love and rescue the remnants of a dying race held captive aboard an alien star cruiser. This is the meeting where Mac introduces his new team members to each other, and explains just a bit of their purpose:
Sometimes a shared problem created its own camaraderie. “I finished my masters in computer science at Stanford the year I turned twenty.” Rodie sensed they wanted to know more. Was that why she felt a need to explain more than she would under normal circumstances?
But then, what was normal anymore?
“No one took me seriously. I didn’t know whether to blame my age, my gender or my indeterminate race.” She’d grown tired of explaining. No she wasn’t black. Wasn’t Asian. Wasn’t Hispanic. She was just a mutt. A perfectly happy mutt, if the idiots who needed a label would just leave her alone.
“Or all three.”
She glanced up at Morgan’s dry comment, unsure whether he was teasing or agreeing or just making fun. “Or all three,” she echoed. Screw him. She didn’t really care.
He stared at her a moment. One corner of his mouth was quirked up in what could have been either a smile or a smirk. He held her gaze a moment and then turned toward Mac Dugan. “So. Are you going to tell us why we’re here and the others aren’t?”
Mac had been quietly watching them. Intently, the way you might study a lab experiment, was Rodie’s first thought. The silent buzz in the room grew stronger.
Mac nodded toward Morgan. “I am. I’m guessing you’ve already figured out some of the main points in your favor. All of you are incredibly intelligent. Off the charts intelligent, if you want the truth. You’re all powerful type A personalities. Driven, creative, unafraid of trying new things. You’re all leaders, which could create a problem, except I’m the alpha wolf in this little pack and you will defer to me.”
“And why, may I ask, will we be doin’ that?” Finnegan’s question had a whole lot of Irish along with an obvious thread of steel running through it. Rodie sat back so she could better observe Dugan’s reaction.
“Because, Mr. O’Toole, this is my project and my money. My ideas.” Dugan grinned at all of them. Rodie almost laughed out loud at the feral, almost wolf-like look of the man.
“And because you signed a statement agreeing I was the one in charge and that all final decisions would rest with me when you filled out the original questionnaire. If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to leave.” He folded his hands on the table and his gaze slowly swept over each of them.
No one moved.
“You’ve also got creative minds and you’re physically healthy. That was important—no genetic health problems or weaknesses, no communicable diseases, venereal or otherwise. Your psychological profiles show no sign of major neuroses or other mental issues. Plus, the women have all agreed to implants for birth control, which you ladies will need to take care of by tomorrow. We have a clinic here on the main campus.” He shrugged at the surprised looks from the guys. “What do you expect? I’m not about to put six sexually active, extremely attractive young adults together for six months and risk unwanted pregnancies.”
He continued with his assessing gaze moving slowly over the six of them. “There’s another thing you all have in common. It’s probably the second most important ability.”
Now he focused on each of them in turn. Rodie held his gaze when he got to her. A shiver raced along her spine, a sense of knowing. Of some weird connection to the man, even though she’d never met him before.
And she knew. Just like that, as clear as glass, she knew what trait they shared. “You tested us for psychic awareness, didn’t you?” She almost laughed as Dugan’s smile grew. “I bet we all scored really high on the extrasensory perception part of that questionnaire.”
“You were just in my head, weren’t you? Telling me that we tested off the charts for ESP.” Cameron’s sulky attitude was gone. He laughed, staring open-mouthed at Dugan. “You just used telepathy with me.”
Everyone at the table was grinning, including Rodie. She almost snorted when Cameron’s head jerked one way and then the other, catching everyone’s amazed expressions. Then he narrowed his gaze on Dugan again. “You talked to all of us. You were in our heads at the same time. How?”
Mac Dugan leaned back in his chair and grinned right along with them. “The same way you’re all going to be able to communicate with each other. Each of you have strong telepathic abilities. You merely lack the training.”
“How does this fit in with the telescopic array you’ve built, assuming this entire process has to do with the array?” Rodie could still feel the mental touch of Mac Dugan’s words in her mind. It was a disturbingly intimate sensation. Maybe she wasn’t dealing with the assault or the boyfriend incident as well as she’d thought, but those things happened weeks ago. Why was she thinking of them now? “ESP and big satellite dishes? I don’t get it.”
“First of all, yes, this is all about the array. As I said, telepathic ability is the second most important trait you share. The first is more personal.” Once again his gaze caught each of them independently, and the corner of his lips tilted slightly. “You are all, to one extent or another, sexually active and sexually very creative, very free about your sexuality. Mr. Black lives openly as a bisexual. He’s had a number of short-term relationships with both sexes over the years. Kiera, you’ve been married, briefly. You’re now divorced, but you said you identify as lesbian, maybe bi. You, Mr. O’Toole, wrote on your application that you consider yourself entirely heterosexual. You also identify yourself, and confirmed it a few moments ago, as a sexual predator.” Dugan chuckled. “Pretty ballsy statement, if you’re serious. Point being, you all have robust sex lives and according to the tests we’ve run and the forms you’ve filled out, amazingly detailed sexual fantasies. With the telepathy, you have the ability to project those fantasies.”
Lizzie snorted. She covered her mouth with her hand and glanced at Rodie and Kiera. “And with the array, we have the ability to project those fantasies into space.” Laughing harder, she snapped her fingers. “Now that should bring any horny aliens in the universe racing our way. Wicked amazing!”
Laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath, Rodie glanced at Lizzie and started giggling again. This was so not what she’d expected, and it was obvious she wasn’t alone. All of them were grinning and cracking wise.
All except Morgan. She caught the frown, sensed his anger as he settled his chair back on all four legs and slapped his palms down on the table. A little shiver raced across her spine. Damn but the man was sexy. Even more so when he was pissed off.
“You are fucking kidding me.” He glared at all of them, growling in that deep, sexy voice of his. “You’ve pulled all of us together based on our ability to broadcast sexual fantasies? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Actually, Morgan, it’s not. Hear me out.” Mac Dugan shoved his chair back and stood up.
Rodie sensed the alpha wolf had just raised his hackles and growled. The laughter stopped. Every single one of them sat straighter in their chairs and paid attention. Rodie took a quick glance around as another shiver snapped across her spine. Even Morgan appeared to have backed off.
The easy smile was gone from MacArthur Dugan’s face. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and his gaze flicked from one to the next. And then, in a few terse words, he changed everything Rodie had ever thought about space and life on other worlds—and the power of the human mind.
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So, there ya have it. I’m already working on the second book in the series, but I do hope you’ll take a chance on the NightShift anthology. Besides–it’s not just my story in that thing–I’ve read the whole collection, and Crystal Jordan and Lynn LaFleur have written fantastic shifter stories that I know you’ll love. Leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to win a copy of NightShift. And in case you’re wondering if I really do give away a lot of books, I added up what I’ve mailed out so far this month, and it’s already at almost forty books to newsletter and blog contest winners–so your chances are damned good! 
Enjoy!
