Congrats to Kim Linger Brooks, winner of last week’s drawing for a copy of Medium Well, the first book in the Ramos Family trilogy. Once again, leave a comment on the blog and you’ll be entered for next week’s drawing.

As I’ve said before, my heroine in Medium Rare, Rose Ramos, is a medium. Which means she sees and hears some things others don’t. In Rose’s case, it also means she has a few experiences that are a little off the beaten path—like being pursued by hell hounds on the San Antonio River Walk. Now I’ve just returned from San Antonio, and I’m here to tell you the River Walk is not a good place to be pursued by anything, particularly things that threaten to remove parts of your person, painfully. But Rose’s adventure takes place on the King William District end of the river, where it’s a little less crowded. Fortunately for all concerned, Rose’s race with the hounds ends well. Here’s a bit of an excerpt.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of paws galloping along the driveway, monstrous claws clicking on the asphalt. She fumbled for the key she kept in the old mailbox at the door, jamming it into the lock and twisting for all she was worth.

Close behind her, something yipped as she shoved the front door open, half falling through, trying to shove it closed with her shoulder. A large heavy projectile struck her chest with the force of a missile, blowing the door wide and throwing her down full-length just inside. She looked up into an immense mouth full of yellowing fangs. Threads of drool hung a few inches from her face.

She tried to twist away, pulling as far back as she could beneath the dog’s weight. Dread clenched her stomach as she closed her eyes. “Ohgodohgodohgod.”

“Rose!” Skag’s voice echoed through the hall. “That’s a hellhound. Stay absolutely still! Do not move!”

She couldn’t have moved if her life depended on it, which, of course, it probably did. The dog’s huge paws still held her shoulders flat against the floor. Its breath blew hot against her cheeks, smelling of old meat and open graves. She struggled to breathe under its weight, tensing for the moment it would clamp its teeth on her throat. She heard the faint creak of its jaws as they opened wider.

And then something large, damp, and utterly disgusting swiped across her cheeks.

She peeked through her lashes up into the dog’s face. Glowing orange eyes stared back as the animal prepared to lick her again.