I’m a wife, mother to a beautiful, rambunctious toddler, and an author.

My writing journey started in 2012 when I began writing my first book, Demon King’s Desire, Elemental Sisters I, which was published in 2013. Since then, I’ve written several others and published four books: two additional books from the Elemental Sisters Series: Burdened By Desire and Heavenly Desire; the first installment of the Fated Immortals Series: Awaiting Fate; and Running Wild, Hell Ryders MC 1.

What can I say? I love series.

Next to be published, Fate Forgotten, the second installment of the Fated Immortal Series, though like my all my others, it can standalone.

Let’s Get To Know J.L. Sheppard

Q: If you could go back in time before you published your first book, what advice would you give yourself about publishing?

A: Be patient.

Q: What fictional character would you punch if the face if you thought you could get away with it without going to jail?

A: Voldemort.

Q: Pick a super-power and tell us what you’d do with it.

A: Since watching the Incredibles, I have to say I’d love to be ElastiGirl. Being able to bend every which way, like she does, would be awesome.

Q: What’s your favorite AND least favorite thing about being a writer/author?

A: Favorite thing about being an author/writer is writing.
Least favorite: getting bad reviews.

About Fate Forgotten by J.L. Sheppard

Blurb

Valerie Matlock’s life revolves around her coven. Young and naïve, she knows little about the immortal war brewing until the night her coven is attacked. In the blink of an eye, the family she loves is gone. Devastated, she lays eyes on the angry demon warrior, Jacob Rhodes. A Guardian, he means her no harm, but she fears him as deeply as she craves him. She has to stay away. She just doesn’t know if she can.

The pain of Jacob’s losses have hardened him. He lives for revenge and uses anger like a shield, keeping everyone at arm’s length. He can’t risk losing more. Tragedy strikes, again, and he’s left caring for his four-year-old niece, Annie. The bright girl deserves better than him. But he can’t give her up, not ever. When he sets his eyes on his fated mate, the powerful witch, Valerie, his life gets twice as complicated. Will she accept him, a demon she fears and his adopted child?

Exclusive Excerpt

She took a big gulp of wine. “I know.”
“Know? About Annie?”
Her eyes cast downward avoiding his gaze, she nodded.
“Ashley told you?”
Meeting his gaze, she hesitated. “Yeah. You’re not mad at her, right? She didn’t mean to…I think—”
He shook his head. “Not mad. I wanted to tell you, but I knew you’d come—”
She stilled. “And you didn’t want me here?”
He quirked a brow. “Was my greeting too subtle? I can work on that if you like.”
She flushed, then took another large gulp of wine.
“I wanted to tell you. I knew you’d come, and I didn’t want to force you to be in such close proximity to me because of the circumstances.”
She exhaled.
Then it occurred to him. Why had she come? He assumed she had a change of heart, but now he wasn’t so sure. Had she come because she knew he could lose Annie and wanted to spend time with her or because she wanted to spend time with them both? Learning the truth about Annie wouldn’t have changed her opinion of him, and she had been clear. She wanted their relationship to remain professional. He assumed she came for him, but had she? If she hadn’t, why had she let him kiss her? Pity?
He tensed.
“What are you thinking?”
He took a deep pull of his beer, then met her gaze. “Why’d you come, Val?”
She looked away for a brief moment, then met his stare and admitted, “I wanted to apologize again about the other night. I also wanted to apologize about the day we…um…kissed, and I found out about Annie, and everyone kept telling me you needed a friend, that I should come and—”
“I see; my friends talked you into coming. You did so, out of pity.”
The anguish of saying it aloud crushed him, but his tone didn’t convey the truth. He took another swig of beer. It didn’t dull it. He needed something stronger.
She set the glass of wine on the table. “No, that’s not true—”
“Did you let me kiss you out of pity, too?”
Her eyes widened and watered.
Seeing that was worse than being shot with copper, worse than being stabbed.
She was his. She should want him, need for him. If she didn’t, admitted it, and it pained her, he shouldn’t feel it in his soul.
Setting his beer on the table, he turned fully to her, grabbed the back of her neck with one hand, snaked his other around her waist, and pressed her into his embrace. As he did so, he buried his face in her neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“What?”
Pulling away just enough to meet her gaze, he cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry. Tell me what I said that upset you.”
Scanning his face, her lips millimeters from his. She bit the side of her lip. “Every time I think I’ve gotten you figured out, I realize I’ve got it all wrong.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing.
She stared unblinking into his gaze. Her hand trailed down his chest, then she whispered, “Your eyes are red again.”
He bet they were. “Your hands are teasing my demon.”
Her fear heightened. She drew away, quickly. His arm around her waist tightened. An impulse, but he recognized even if he wanted to, right then, he couldn’t let her go.
“He…he doesn’t like me?”
She couldn’t be more wrong. A smile spread across his lips. “He likes you a little too much.”
Her brows drew together, now looking worried. “Can he hurt me?”
He shook his head. “He can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you, too.”
Her breath hitched. She swallowed, then hesitantly laid her hand on his chest again. “It’s true?”

Favorite Quote

My favorite quote from Fate Forgotten is:

“Enchanting.
His lips on hers, more magical than all the power she held inside her, than all the power in the world.”

Fate Forgotten J.L. Sheppard
08/26/2016 – The Wild Rose Press
GoodReads || Amazon || Barnes & Noble

Weekly Feature: Fate Forgotten by J.L. Sheppard was first published on Fiction Vixen Books and Beauty