In Seasinger, Shira Wen is a cultural anthropologist who’s done a little too much digging – and it’s made her a target of some very powerful supernatural creatures. On top of that, her new boss at the university is her ex, a lecherous jerk who nearly wrecked her career. Into all this chaos strides Kai Vance – a man with one hell of a secret. . .

A short walk down the hall put her in front of Robert’s door. She didn’t bother knocking.
“This is the last straw,” she fumed, slamming the spreadsheet down on the desk. “You can’t end the Young Anthro program just so you can have some extra PR money.”
“I can, and I did,” he replied smoothly. His smile didn’t falter. “Part of my job is keeping this department fiscally responsible. Your program, while laudable, requires resources that the department can’t afford to float.”
“We’ll have some more fundraisers,” Shira said in exasperation. “Car washes and bake sales! I can -”
“Again, it’s a matter of resources. Every minute you’re sitting at a bake sale table is time you could have spent working lesson plans, speaking at a school, attending a conference, or working at a dig site.”
“So…” she bit her lip, thinking. “I’ll limit our Anthro trips to our working sites.”
“Where you’ll be supervising teens instead of working,” Robert pointed out. “Shira, it’s already done. I’ve finalized the revised budget and it’s been approved. Maybe we can talk about a summer workshop for a few days duration, if we have the residual funding.”
“And you couldn’t have discussed this with me?” she fumed.
“There was nothing to discuss.” Robert got to his feet and walked around the desk, smiling in a very patronizing way. “I realize this club is your baby, but I know you’re better than this, Shira. You’re a scientist, and a good one. We need you doing more important things.”
“Such as?”
“I’m putting together a think tank. We’ll meet once a month as a group, but I plan on having some intensive one-on-ones so I can…get to know people better.” He reached out, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” Continue reading →