Archive for the ‘Excerpts’ Category
Is there a time of day that’s sexier than the rest? Not for the characters I create. For them, any time is sexy time. If they have a modicum of privacy and a place to get reasonably horizontal, they do.
Personally, I feel decidedly UNsexy in the morning. Ever seen that Facebook meme that says “If he really loves you, he’ll let you sleep?” Yeah. That.
But My Sexy Saturday isn’t about me; it’s about my Eveready characters. Someone—namely me—makes sure their batteries are always fully charged. 😉
This week, I’m sharing another seven-line snippet from Beauty and the Ballplayer, which is being re-released Tuesday as part of Turquoise Morning Press’ Unforgettable Heroes II boxed set.
Salsa dancing on Heritage Square is a thing in Flagstaff—I know, because I went a couple of times. I had a blast, so when it came time for Meg and Matt to do something fun in Flagstaff, I picked Salsa on the Square. In this scene, they’ve been dancing long enough for Meg to call him on the “I’m not much of a dancer” line he’d fed her before the music began.
What can I say? I like my guys without an ego the size of Texas.
Happy reading!
***
As she suspected, Matt was a much better dancer than he’d let on. She was the one who had trouble getting the steps right while he moved as if he’d been born to a Latin beat.
“Two left feet, my ass,” she muttered after stumbling for what seemed like the thousandth time in five minutes.
Even as his eyebrows shot up, Matt tightened his grip on her waist to steady her. “You caught me.”
Unfazed by his sheepish expression, Meg giggled. “I didn’t think you’d be a bad dancer.”
“Just call it the curse of being a natural athlete. I’m good at everything I do.”
Whether he’d intended it or not, the comment conjured a distinct picture in her mind. It produced another shiver and her breath caught in her throat. “Everything?”
When he nodded, the shiver doubled in strength. Meg had no doubt he was telling the truth this time. Matt would be amazing at anything he tried—in or out of bed.
***
BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER is available on its own for $2.99, but it’s also part of Turquoise Morning Press’ new Unforgettable Heroes II boxed set, which is available for preorder now and releases Tuesday, Aug. 25. For the bargain price of 99 cents, 13 national bestselling and award-winning authors deliver romance fiction featuring incredible, unforgettable romance heroes. This set runs the gamut from contemporary to historical romance, sweet romance to erotic, suspense to paranormal, and includes baseball players, cowboys, Celtic warriors, and more….
Find it: AMAZON | IBOOKS | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | SMASHWORDS
Welcome to the My Sexy Saturday blog hop. Long time no see, eh?
I’ve been alternately working the day job (which takes up more energy than I’d like, even though I work 5 fewer hours a week than I did in Flagstaff), hiding out in my writing cave (halfway through a new Love & Baseball short!) and preparing for the release of Turquoise Morning Press’ UNFORGETTABLE HEROES II boxed set, of which BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER is a part.
This week’s theme is “My Sexy Boyfriend,” and I’m in luck—or maybe it’s you, the readers, who are in luck. Matt, BEAUTY’s hero, is outstanding boyfriend material.
Oh sure, he’s a tad hesitant to commit—and once he does, he battles an overbearing streak. Even with his flaws, he’s an improvement over Meg’s ex-boyfriend. (That one dumped her to join the professional poker circuit, before he had any idea she was pregnant. He wrote a terse goodbye note on the back of the receipt for her birth control prescription.)
Here’s an excerpt that showcases the difference between Matt and the ex. Enjoy!
***
“Meg wouldn’t have sent someone looking for me if everything was fine.”
Matt didn’t bother to hide his astonishment that Tim could speak more than two words at once. “She didn’t send me.”
“Then why are you here?”
Whoa. Five whole words this time. He’d have to work harder than that to break his last-sentence record of twelve. Matt took another moment to debate with himself before answering. “I thought you deserved to know.”
“Know what?”
The guy had a right to know he was about to be a father, no matter how despicable—or illiterate—he might be. Matt took a deep breath. “Meg’s pregnant.”
Tim dipped his head so the hat again hid his eyes, but Matt caught a glimmer of something he didn’t like before the shade fell. “Not mine.”
BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER is available on its own for $2.99, but it’s also part of Turquoise Morning Press’ new Unforgettable Heroes II boxed set, which is available for preorder now and releases Aug. 25. For the bargain price of 99 cents, 13 national bestselling and award-winning authors deliver romance fiction featuring incredible, unforgettable romance heroes. This set runs the gamut from contemporary to historical romance, sweet romance to erotic, suspense to paranormal, and includes baseball players, cowboys, Celtic warriors, and more….
Find it: AMAZON | IBOOKS | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | SMASHWORDS
Happy Saturday! I try not to get political here—not because I have no opinions about what’s going on in the world but because I write to entertain readers, not preach my worldview. No doubt, readers could care less how I feel about gun control, Confederate flag-waving—or any flag-waving, for that matter—and same-sex unions.
However, I can’t let the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage go unremarked. Love is love. Period. And on Friday, love won.
Thanks, SCOTUS, for joining the new millennium. I’m proud that, in the words of President Obama, the court’s ruling has “made our union is a little more perfect.”
“This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts,” Obama said. “When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.”
In honor of the court’s decision, I’m sharing a snippet from BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER for My Sexy Saturday this week. Matt Thatcher, the hero of BEAUTY, has a brother who happens to be gay. (He’s also a stylist, which a few judges dinged me for when BEAUTY was making the contest rounds. Too stereotypical, they said…but in my mind, at least, Stan is a well-rounded guy. If I didn’t convey that…well, that’s on me.)
In this scene, it’s the morning after Matt and Meg have sex for the first time. Matt, in the heat of the moment, told her it didn’t matter that she was pregnant…but now he’s having second thoughts. In a panic, he calls his brother Stan, who already knew Meg’s secret because she’d told him in the stylist’s chair. Stan, ever a straight-shooter, wastes no time laying into Matt: “Oh God. Tell me you didn’t feed her some line so you could sleep with her.”
Happy reading!
***
Stan’s reaction stunned him into silence. That’s exactly what he’d done, even if he hadn’t been conscious of it at the time. When he rediscovered his voice, he asked, “Why would that be so terrible?”
“That girl needs a man with staying power you have yet to demonstrate.”
Stan’s accusation hit him with the power of a 105 mph fastball, and Matt sank to the floor again. His butt hit the carpet with a soft “thunk.” His brother was right. These days, his relationships lasted no longer than Greg’s.
“Please tell me you’re still in the same room with her. Meg’ll feel abandoned all over again if you’re not there when she wakes up.”
Odd that Stan was more concerned about Meg than his own flesh and blood. “Are you forgetting who you’re related to? I’m your brother.”
Stan’s silence spoke volumes. Wondering how he managed to convey such strong disapproval without saying a word, Matt sighed. “I’m in the hallway outside the room. Does that count?”
“Barely.” Stan sniffed. “I suggest you get back in there, pronto.”
BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER is available now at Turquoise Morning Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, Smashwords, Kobo and iTunes.
And in August, it will be re-released as part of Turquoise Morning Press’ UNFORGETTABLE HEROES boxed set — a collection of 14 books from New York Times, USA Today and national bestselling authors. Preorder now and get BEAUTY and 13 other titles for just 99 cents on Aug. 25: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
Dare I say this week’s My Sexy Saturday theme is right up my alley?
This week’s theme is A Good Ole Sexy Time and think about things like the Dukes of Hazzard or maybe Nashville or the Appalachian Mountains. This week is about…well…normal people. You know, the boys next door, the good ole boys, the boys of summer and everything in between. There is nothing more sexy than a man at the beach or getting done with his chores or doing his best at any task.
Fun—and I have just the snippet.
In this scene from BLIND DATE BRIDE, Kari is grappling with her new reality. She and Damien, her faux husband of less than a week, have ceded the spare room she was planning to sleep in to the camera crew that will be taping their every move for a new series they’ve agreed to. Thus she finds herself reluctantly sharing his bed.
Damien is about the most normal guy I’ve ever had the pleasure of having in my head. (His buddy Cody is a close second.) He’s a veterinarian, a one-time band geek (trumpet), retired Casanova (he went a little crazy in college when he started running and playing tennis and grew into his gangly body) and armchair psychologist.
Enjoy!
***
“Stop looking at me like you’re on a diet and I’m a hot fudge sundae!” she snapped at him.
Damien rolled his eyes. “You think you’re that irresistible, huh?”
“Well,” Kari began. More concerned with her own response to the look he was giving her, she hadn’t considered how conceited the complaint would make her sound.
“Because I have news for you, sweetheart, I can resist. No problem.”
She stood and sat on the edge of Damien’s bed opposite him, but not before scowling at him. “You don’t have to be such a jerk about it.”
He glowered right back. “Why shouldn’t I be? You’re basically saying you don’t trust me to keep my hands to myself, right?”
“Uh—”
“Because I’ve never had to force my attentions on an unwilling woman before, and I don’t intend to start anytime soon. So until you decide you want my hands on you, you have nothing to worry about.”
Find BLIND DATE BRIDE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo, and in print at CreateSpace or Amazon.
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