No, I didn’t start out to write a novel of romantic-suspense featuring a heroine who is currently pursuing “the celibate lifestyle”. You can see where that sort of plot twist would be a bit tricky. But the more I got to know psychic PI Chloe Harper and her unusual paranormal talent, the more I knew that, if I’d been in Chloe’s situation, I’d have given up and gone celibate, too.

The thing is, Chloe is a Dreamlight Reader. She manipulates energy from the ultralight end of the spectrum – the part of the paranormal spectrum that generates our dreams. She is extremely sensitive to dream energy. She literally cannot sleep in the same bed with someone who is dreaming. She cannot even sleep in a bed in which someone else has slept because dreamlight soaks into the sheets and the mattress. There’s no detergent in the world that will remove it.

Chloe has a new client, a sexy and very powerful talent who is on the run from Arcane. Jack Winters is in a race against time. He needs Chloe to save him from becoming a Cerberus, Arcane slang for a homicidal madman. Recently Jack went out for a late night walk and killed a man so he’s getting a little desperate. But he is more than a little attracted to Chloe.

Chloe’s eccentricity has complicated her relationships from the start and this is what made her such a fascinating heroine to me. At first men think she’s the perfect date – she makes no demands for long-term commitment and she’s always gone by dawn. Then they change their minds because she becomes the one woman they cannot have. It bugs them.

In the excerpt below Chloe tries to explain the peculiar facts of her private life to Jack Winters.

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“I’m probably going to regret asking this,” he said, “but what is The Talk?”

“That’s when I explain about my commitment issues,” she said. “I make it clear that any relationship I enter into is likely to be short-term and that there are no strings attached. I make sure that the other person knows that he is free to dump me on a moment’s notice without feeling any guilt.” She frowned a little. “But for some reason I’m usually the one who ends up doing the dumping.”

“You’re a real romantic, aren’t you?” he said flatly.

“I can’t afford to be a romantic, Mr. Winters. Not with my talent.”

He shot her a quick, searching look. “What does your talent have to do with it?”


“It’s hard to explain,” she said. She leaned her head against the back of the seat, folded her arms and closed her eyes. “It doesn’t matter now, anyway.”

“Why not?”

“The serial monogamy thing got old. I moved into a new phase about a year ago. I admit that I toyed with the idea of going back to serial monogamy for a time with Fletcher but I finally realized it just wouldn’t work.”

“I really know I’m going to regret asking the next question, but I can’t help myself,” he said.

“What comes after serial monogamy?”

“Celibacy.”

He felt blindsided again. “Celibacy?”

“There’s a kind of freedom in the celibate lifestyle,” she said.


“Yeah? I hadn’t heard that.”


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FIRED UP is the first book in my new Dreamlight Trilogy. Meet the men of the Burning Lamp. Welcome to the dark side of Arcane.

I wish you all a happy New Year!

Sincerely,
Jayne