Tag Archives: Contemporary

First Kiss Friday with Karysa Faire

21 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in 2020, First Kiss Friday, Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, ,

Hello, my lovelies, and welcome to another First Kiss Friday. Today it’s my pleasure to welcome my dear friend Karysa Faire to my blog. Karysa is debuting her first release Take Two. I’m so excited to share an excerpt with you. Happy reading and enjoy!

Excerpt:

Roger joined her, handing her a cup of coffee while he noisily sipped on his own. He sat down on the plush chair across from her, toeing off his shoes in turn.

Her eyes closed against the steam. The first sip was almost too hot as it went down her throat, warming her insides.

“Mmmm. I needed that. Thank you.” She opened her eyes and was surprised to see him staring at her chest. She quickly looked down to see if she’d become unbuttoned and said a little prayer of thanks that her bra wasn’t popping out of her blouse. “Uh, so—” Rachel cleared her throat.

Roger’s eyes flew up. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?” He gave her a crooked grin and didn’t look sorry at all for being caught.

“Thank you for the coffee.” Rachel smiled back and took another sip. She felt the caffeine begin to do its magic. “It’s better than I have at home.” She drank the rest quickly, enjoying the feeling.

“Refill, my lady?” Roger got up and refilled her cup as she held it. This time, he sat down beside Rachel. The couch dipped next to her and she almost fumbled her hold on the cup. A flutter went through her at the heat of his body next to hers. They’d been this close in the cab, but he’d still been dressed as Rohbert. Now, he was all Roger.

But he hadn’t kissed her before when she’d opened the door to the possibility. What the hell were you thinking, Rachel?

Not knowing what else to do, Rachel brought the coffee to her lips, took a gulp, then put it down on the table. She looked straight ahead, not at the man, her fantasy, sitting next to her.

She felt his hand lightly caress her shoulder and arm. He shifted and was even closer to her, overwhelming her senses. Rachel felt her hair get pushed back, tucked behind her ear, those magic fingers of his leaving hot trails on her skin.

“I’m uh…” She cleared her throat then tried to speak again. Her words were lost as his other hand reached for hers.

“You really don’t need to go home tonight,” he said, barely above a whisper.

She stood and faced him, needing to put at least an inch of distance between them so she could talk without being distracted. With him sitting on the couch and with her shoes off, she was only a few inches taller. She could almost look directly into those famous green eyes of his, the eyes that didn’t waver as they darkened. “I’m, I’m very confused,” Rachel stammered.

“Allow me to make it clear.” Roger locked his hands around both her wrists and pulled her toward him. Thrown off balance, she fell into his lap. His arm slipped over her hip and he angled her body to his chest.

She looked Roger Conrad in the eyes, his lashes darker so close up. She swallowed, not daring to follow this wish through.

“Hi there,” he said, moving toward her. He was so close his nose touched the side of hers.

“Hi,” she finally managed back. His breath was laced with fresh coffee and the remaining hint of alcohol, a smell she vaguely thought shouldn’t be arousing. But it was, he was, and the smell went straight to her core, imprinting itself in her memory forever.

What the hell. I’ll pretend I’m Isabella and he’s Rohbert. Rachel took the plunge and closed the space between them, giving him small, questing kisses. She ran the tip of her tongue over his lips, asking for entry to his mouth. He moaned and embraced her, circling her body with his long arms.

In a quick movement, Roger shifted their positions, Rachel’s back now on the couch. He pressed his lips urgently against hers, all tentativeness gone. She kissed him back with a need that stunned her.

Rachel heard herself whimper as Roger pulled her body closer to his. He ran his other hand over her clothes, down her waist and to her thigh, teasing the hem of her skirt upwards. His smell was intoxicating. Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked her leg over the back of his knee. As she grabbed his hair, he pulled back for a breath. “Didn’t you say you had to leave?” he teased.

“That wasn’t me talking.” She grinned and pulled him back down to her.

Take Two
By Karysa Faire
$3.99 or #FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Is their love real or fiction?

 Rachel is a teacher and a single mom who’s picked up the pieces of her life after a horrible marriage. She’d thought her ex-husband was the man of her dreams. He wasn’t. She’s moved on and written a historical romance novel, Swashbuckler, that’s been picked up by Hollywood.

Rodger is an actor who doesn’t trust women. He’s made bad choices in his past that have come to haunt him in the present, especially the choice that came packaged with blond hair, large tits, and a marriage that was doomed from the start. Rodger thought they were in love—turns out his wife was a social-climber more interested in his status than his heart. He doubts there is a woman alive who can love him for who he is, and not for his fame or for the fantasy he presents to the world.

Both Rachel and Rodger have been burned by love, trusting a reality that turned out only to be fantasy. Will their fear succeed at keeping them apart? Or will they break through the barriers and allow themselves to love once again? After all, sometimes reality is much sweeter than fantasy.

Buy Link or Free in Kindle Unlimited: Amazon US

About the Author:

Karysa Faire is a fiction writer and high school science teacher. Her best days are when something unexpected and new happens – whether that be in the classroom or during vacations when she goes on extended road trips to haunted ghost towns. Karysa writes a variety of romance genres including contemporary, historical, erotica, horror, and paranormal. She’s also been known to write a mean lab report. Karysa lives in the San Francisco Bay Area along with millions of other people, including her wonderful family.

 Website: https://www.karysafaire.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarysaFaireAuthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KarysaFaire

Join mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/i7i7l5

First Kiss Friday with guest Lyz Kelley

15 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by in 2019, First Kiss Friday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Today on my Frist Kiss Friday blog I’d like to introduce you to my new author friend, Lyz Kelley. Lyz and I recently met in Texas when we attended the Buns & Roses Fundraiser for Literacy. We hit it off so well, it was like we’ve known each other for years. Today Lyz is sharing an excerpt from her book Blinded. As an extra treat, she currently has her Elkridge Series box set up for only $0.99! What a great deal. Happy reading and enjoy, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

“Mara, you’re a genius. Sam’s hand is gripping something, and he’s pointing a finger.”

Before his mind engaged, Joey grabbed Mara and gave her a sound kiss on the lips. In that single beat of his heart, he instantly regretted the spontaneous act. He’d been thinking about kissing her for a lifetime, and the kiss he’d just given her seemed an eternity away from his fantasy. In his dreams, the connection was tender and satisfying.

He stopped and cupped her jaw. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate, especially here, in this place.  I wasn’t thinking, but I have to tell you, I’ve been waiting a long time to kiss you.” He took a step back. “It’s just this place. Sam. Wanting to spend time with you. It’s a lot to deal with all at once.”

“I’m sure coming back, dealing with your dad, and your own grief, it must be hard.”

“It seems so surreal. Sam’s gone. He’s really gone.”

Mara touched his chest, then slid her arm up to touch his face. “If I could take your pain away, I would.”

“You can’t.” The sting behind his eyes intensified.

“I know.”

He leaned in to capture her lips. The sweet kiss felt comfortable, like a soft summer breeze, even though the temperature hovered around freezing. When he lifted his head, he interpreted her facial expressions, and damn if he didn’t see disappointment.

“Mara?”

“I’m not breakable,” she whispered, then tugged him closer. “Kiss me like you mean it. Let me help ease your pain.”

Blinded (Book 1, Elkridge Series)
By Lyz Kelly
Box Set Special only $0.99!

She’s lost everything: her parents, her sister, her sight.
Now, someone’s stalking her.
 
She can feel him taunting her. He must be the one who killed the sheriff. She’s scared, but who can she trust?
 
She can trust Joey. He’s stable as a rock and too good looking to ignore. But she must guard her heart. Her first love is only here for his brother’s funeral.
 
The mayor is saying the sheriff’s death was an accident. Thankfully, her old high school crush has returned from the big city back to her small town. Will Joey, the high-profile detective, believe a poacher shot his brother or can she convince him there’s more to it?
 
She must convince him the mayor is lying. Her life depends on it. 
 

Elkridge Series Blurb. 

Suspense. Passion. Secrets

The small-town sheriff is dead and conspiracies are everywhere.

Join the community of Elkridge, Colorado in this complete romance series as each couple helps solve the mystery and finds their ever-lasting love.

Book Link: https://geni.us/ElkridgeSeries1_4

Bio:

Award-winning author Lyz Kelley mixes a little bit of heart, healing, humanity, happiness, hope, and honor in all her books that are written especially for you.

She’s a total disaster in the kitchen, a compulsive neat freak, a tea snob, and adores writing about and falling in love with everyday heroes. You can also find Lyz on Facebook and Instagram for news, contests, giveaways, and more exciting stuff!

If you want to interact with Lyz, connect with her in her Facebook reader group, Everyday Heroes Unite.

Links: 

Reader Group: https://geni.us/EverydayHeroesUnite
Email: Lyz@LyzKelley.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LyzKelley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyzkelley/

First Kiss Friday with guest R.L. Merrill

15 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by in 2019, First Kiss Friday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

Welcome to another First Kiss Friday. Today’s guest is my dear friend R.L. Merrill who will be giving you some info on her trilogy and, of course, an excerpt. Take it away, Ro!

Thank you, Sherry, for having me on your blog today. We’re going to go back in time a little…This week is the 4th birthday of my novel Teacher. The characters in this trilogy have been so near and dear to me, as well as my readers, that I was tickled to bring them back in my new series from Dreamspinner Press, the Forces of Nature Series. In the first book, Hurricane Reese, Jesse is mentioned in the epilogue as the choreographer for Reese and Toby’s new musical, and then in book two, Typhoon Toby, Jesse and Danny end up playing peace-and-matchmakers. Today, however, I’m taking you back to book one and this adorable couple’s first kiss. It happens quite late in the book due to a series of complications: Jesse is Danny’s home instructor. He hires her to help him earn his high school diploma as he recovers from vocal cord surgery which could have potentially destroyed his music career. For two-thirds of the book, he can’t speak, forcing them to use texts, notes, and whispers in order to communicate. It’s enough because these two fall madly in love despite some pretty heavy obstacles. They’ve had a couple of falling outs by this point and in this scene, she’s coming over to work with him but she’s no longer able or willing to hide her feelings for him.

Excerpt:

I made myself get in the car and drive, telling myself I could do this a hundred times before pulling up at his curb. I got out slowly and trudged up the driveway. Nora opened the door and squealed.

“Jesse! You were beautiful last night! Connie and I saw the show! I am so proud of you. You got skills, baby!” She hugged me and it brought a faint smile to my lips.

“I’m glad you guys got to see the show. Weren’t the kids great?”

She stopped smiling and said, “Yeah, the show was fantastic.”

She frowned. “You ok?”

I choked back a sob and looked back at my car. “Nora, I don’t think I can do this today. Can you please tell Danny that I’ll come tomorrow? I can’t—”

Danny flung the door open, took one look at me then picked me up and carried me inside. I tucked my head into his shoulder and cried my heart out. He brought me into the library and sat me on the couch, kneeling next to me on the floor.

“I’m sorry, Danny, but I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep coming over here and pretending I am just doing a job with you. I promise I’ll find a replacement to get you through the rest of your credits and I’ll pay you back the money. I just can’t do this anymore. I quit.”

Danny took my hands in his and whispered, “Good.”

Startled, I looked up at him. “What do you mean, ‘good’?”

A smile formed on his lips. He cleared his throat and spoke in a deep, raspy voice, “Good. I’m glad you won’t pretend anymore.”

I pulled my hands from his frantically and put them over his mouth. “What are you doing?! You’re not supposed to be talking!”

He took my hands in his again and held them to his chest. That deliciously deep voice said, “The doctor cleared me Friday. I’ve been waiting to have you alone to tell you.”

My eyes locked on his and his smile just about knocked me out. I reached out and touched his throat and giggled. “It’s not how I thought you’d sound,” I whispered and he took my hands in his again.

“Jesse, I wanted to wait until I could speak to tell you…I love you. I love you so goddamned much that I don’t want to stop saying it. I want you to quit. I don’t want you to be my teacher anymore. I want you to be mine.”

My hand clutched my chest to keep my heart from falling out on the floor. It was pounding so hard I thought I would burst. “But what about your diploma? You have to finish!”

“I will finish, but not with you as my teacher. You’re mean anyway.”

I gasped at him in shock and moved to smack him, but he grabbed my hand, placing it on his chest over his heart.

“Didn’t you hear the first part? I love you, Jesse! I’ve loved you since that first weekend when you fell into my arms in that very doorway. Or maybe it was that night you didn’t back off when I challenged you at the restaurant. I haven’t decided but the point is, I fucking love you.”

I smirked, sniffled, and took a deep breath. “Well, since you put it that way, I fucking love you too, Danny Black.”

He exhaled a relieved breath and pressed his forehead against mine. It felt so good to tell him, to remove the weight from my chest. Instantly I felt like I could breathe better.

“I am so goddamn glad you said that. I’m going to kiss you now. I’ve waited too goddamned long to kiss you.”

And then his lips were on me, his mouth was on me, and his hands were everywhere. I grasped the sides of his face and kissed him back with the same intensity. He tasted so good and he was so insistent that we were almost fighting each other trying to get closer. We pulled back laughing and he kissed me gently on the lips.

“Wow,” was all I could say. I’d had dreams about kissing Danny, but they didn’t compare to the real thing. His desire for me was barely contained. I could feel his muscles tensing under my hands as I ran them over his shoulders and back.

“Danny, are you sure about this?”

“We’ll figure it out. I’m not stopping my work.” His eyes were serious and I was relieved he wasn’t giving up on his goal. I figured we should make a plan.

“I think we should go see my boss tomorrow and tell her what’s going on. We’ll take her all you’ve done so she can evaluate it and maybe she can help us find another teacher to oversee your grades. I’ll still help you, but I won’t sign off on your grades.”

His eyes searched mine, thinking about what I proposed. “I like it. Now we need to go tell the Warden because I’m not taking my hands off of you for the foreseeable future.”

Teacher by R.L. Merrill

Thank you for joining me today. If you’d like to check out Teacher – The Hollywood Rock ‘n’ Romance Trilogy, you can find links as well as all kinds of info about my books on my website at www.rlmerrillauthor.com. You can also sign up for my newsletter-y thingie to keep up with my shenanigans and tomfoolery. Huge thanks to Sherry for being a gracious hostess. Stay Tuned for more Rock ‘n’ Romance…

www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor

www.twitter.com/rlmerrillauthor

www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor

 

First Kiss Friday with NN Light

22 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by in 2019, First Kiss Friday

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, ,

Please welcome NN Light to another First Kiss Friday who will be sharing the first kiss scene from Planting the Seeds of Love. Happy reading and enjoy, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Sally put her palm on her forehead, feeling feverish.

“Yeah, I think so.” She looked at him. “Did I read that figure right? Five million dollars?”

Jack exhaled.

“Yes.” He paused and searched her face. “It’s a lot of money, more money than I ever thought I’d hear, let alone be offered.”

Sally looked off into the distance, daydreaming.

“That kind of money could set us up for life.” She refocused on his face. “I mean, we’d never have to work a day in our lives.”

Jack sat down beside her. He closed his eyes while tilting his head back.

“It’s a very generous offer, that’s for sure.”

Sally grabbed his hand and stared into his dreamy eyes.

“We could retire and do the things we’ve always wanted to do. I could open my own little cafe. You could travel.”

“You mean, your cafe in the city?” Jack’s tone was like a bucket of cold water, causing Sally to sputter.

“I-I-I don’t have to have it in the city.” She turned away, letting go of his hand.

He swore under his breath.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”

Anger rose up in Sally’s chest.

“Why do you do that? Why do you insist on bringing up the city at a time like this?” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s like you’re trying to drive a wedge between you and me.”

His eyes flashed and without warning, Jack pulled her into his embrace.

“Because,” he briskly spoke. “You belong to Trevor and not me. Yet this is all I think about.”

His lips kissed her with pent-up passion and need. She responded with the same intensity, tongues dancing, and her body on top of his, his desire for her evident. She moaned, giving into him. All thought fled from her mind except one.

You have to choose, city or country.

 Jack shifted and pain shot up her arm. She screamed in his mouth and pulled away.

“Ow!” Tears sprang to her eyes.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Jack cradled her body, gentle so her injured hand didn’t twist.

She shook her head, her cheeks warm from the blush.

“No, it’s just my hand.” She peered at him through her lashes. “I’m… oh Jack, I’m so confused…”

Jack put a finger up to her lips.

“It’s okay, it’s my own fault.” He stared into her eyes for a long time. “I kissed you, remember?” He dropped his finger from her lips and ran his fingers through his hair.

Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella
by N. N. Light

Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, New Adult Romance

Blurb:

The day her grandfather died, Sally’s life changed forever.

Twenty-Two-year-old Sally Rayton returns to the family farm she deserted four years ago to bury her grandfather. Her plan: to settle her grandfather’s estate and return to her life in the city with her boyfriend, Trevor Mattson.

Her childhood friend, Jack Smith, has other ideas.

Jack convinces Sally to transform the farm into a brewery and fulfill her grandfather’s dream while keeping the Rayton Farm in the family. Sally works side-by-side with Jack while Trevor is hundreds of miles away in the city. The more time she spends with Jack, the stronger her feelings are for him. Sally’s torn between her new feelings for her best friend, Jack and her boyfriend, Trevor.

When Trevor shows up to propose to Sally right before Christmas and finds her in Jack’s embrace, she’s unsure which man she loves. Will it be her best friend and farmer, Jack, or will it be rich, successful Trevor? City or Country… only Sally’s heart knows what’s right and true.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/plantingseeds

Amazon https://books2read.com/u/4781Qa?store=amazon 

​Walmart https://www.walmart.com/ip/Planting-the-Seeds-of-Love-A-Novella-eBook/545712189

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940155029793 

Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1321493388

Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?fcmedia=Book&query=9781386472568

24 Symbols https://www.24symbols.com/book/x/x/x?id=2490898

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39979296-planting-the-seeds-of-love​

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/planting-the-seeds-of-love-a-novella-by-n-n-light

Author Bio: N. N. Light is the award-winning husband-wife writing team, commonly known as Mr. N and Mrs. N. Mrs. N. has been creating stories ever since she was little. Her grandfather remembers when she was two years old, she would stand at the top of the stairs and tell him a story filled with emotion (and in a language foreign to him) with her hands on her hips. Let’s just say she was a born storyteller.

They’re blissfully happy and love all things chocolate, books, music, movies, art, sports, trains, history, cooking and baking. Their mantra is to spread the Light.

Most of the time you can find them on Twitter or getting new ideas on how to spread the Light on Pinterest. They’re a proud member of ASMSG and Independent Author Network.

In addition to being authors, they’re also book promoters/reviewers, social media marketers/influencers and the owners of N. N. Light Author Promotions. They both love books, have ever since they were young. Matching up books and readers is something that gives them great pleasure.

They’d love to connect with you either via email or via these various social media sites:

Website: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/

Newsletter: ow.ly/jWec308TabL 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/nnlight

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NNP_W_Light

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/n_n_light/

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-n-light

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nnlight

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/n-n-light/90/1a7/902

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/nnlight

Independent Author Network: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/n-n-light.html

First Kiss Friday with Meant to Be…Kissed

23 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by in 2018, First Kiss Friday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

Welcome to First Kiss Friday. Today I have a box set treat for you, my lovelies and a couple of sales. Check it out and happy reading!

Meant to Be Press announces the release of Meant to Be…KISSED (Love Notes Book 2). This is the second collection of sweet of stories from Meant to Be Press authors. This heartwarming collection is themed around winter kisses. The two primary stories are historical romances, with a bonus contemporary flash fiction piece from Meant to Be Press’s newest author, M. M. Genet.

There are several stories in Meant to Be…Kissed, so you get more than one first kiss!

“The Grand Gesture” by Lela Bay, takes a public humiliation and turns it into an act of heroism. Rosamund Windham, daughter to the duke, literally drops herself into a pool of filth to save an innocent and in the process befriends the girl’s brother.

From “The Grand Gesture” by Lela Bay in Meant to Be…KISSED

Rosamund inhaled, examining his face for any spark of malice and finding none. He’d really come out of gratitude. “Your sister is a treasure. I am glad to know her better. Take care of her.”

“Naturally.”

He stepped toward the doorway, and Rosamund pressed a hand to his sleeve. She pointed above their heads.

“Mistletoe.”

The tall, striking fellow with the cocky half-smile blinked in surprise and colored. “Yes, I see.”

He bent down and delivered a peck on her cheek.

“I see you take after your maiden aunt.”

He laughed aloud, “Insults. Now I recognize you.”

She laughed too.

He reached for her shoulders and drew her close, lowering his mouth to hers with slow intensity. She gave herself over to the warm press of his lips, finding it too brief.

He drew back, releasing her.

He bowed and stepped away.

She pressed a hand to her lips. “Sparks.

“Miss Montague’s Winter Kiss” by Emmy Z. Madrigal turns sadness into hope. Grayson is a man who has lost everything, but Cecelia saves his life and rekindles his belief in love. Broken ice and traumatic losses give way to the start of something new, if only the hero can give up past hurts.

From “Miss Montague’s Winter Kiss” by Emmy Z. Madrigal in Meant to Be…Kissed

“Miss Montague?” Mr. Nash called.

Miss Montague turned from her friends in the parlor to face him. She blushed and her eyes grew big, as if she’d been caught doing something bad.

“Might I have a word?”

“Of course, Mr. Nash.”

He took her arm and led her onto the porch where they’d been that afternoon. The memory of her lips on his cheek brought heavier thoughts then he wished to explore at that moment.

“Miss Montague, I wanted to thank you again for helping me on the cliff and for your discretion.”

“You need not be uneasy.” Miss Montague’s expression relaxed into a smile and she placed a hand on his forearm. “I was simply repaying a favor and I…” She looked into his eyes, her face lit by the moonlight, her dark curls blowing back in the slight breeze. “I’ve come to care what happens to you.”

The emotion in his chest could not be withheld. In that instant, he loved her with all of his being. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything and so he did what any man with nothing left to lose would do. He took her in his arms and kissed her well. She gasped at first and drew back, but then she touched her lips again to his and melted into his embrace. His sense of propriety would not allow him to hold her there long, but he tasted her lips as long as he dared. When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes, trying to gauge her feelings.

Fun stuff!

Meant to Be Press is celebrating the release with sales and raffles!

November 20-25th: For five days only, Tempo of Temptations by Lela Bay and Lord Harrington’s Lost Doe by Emmy Z. Madrigal will be on sale for $0.99 each!

November 19-30th enter to win free Meant to Be Press ebooks. Prizes include the Meant to Be…MINE anthology, Tempo of Temptations by Lela Bay, Lord Harrington’s Lost Doe by Emmy Z. Madrigal, and The Harpist by M. M. Genet and Michele Roger.

https://kingsumo.com/g/d3ynaw/meant-to-be-press-romance-ebook-raffle

Learn more at http://meanttobepress.wordpress.com

About Meant to Be…KISSED

Love sweet romance? Meant to Be…KISSED is a collection of short stories to sample Meant to Be Press romance authors.

“The Grand Gesture” by Lela Bay, takes a public humiliation and turns it into an act of heroism. Rosamund Windham, daughter to the duke, literally drops herself into a pool of filth to save an innocent and in the process befriends the girl’s brother. His sister quotes him as saying, “You can’t just throw two people together and expect sparks. It takes the right sorts, like flint and steel. They may not look like they go together until they hit up against each other. Then, sparks.”

“Miss Montague’s Winter Kiss” by Emmy Z. Madrigal turns sadness into hope. Grayson is a man who has lost everything, but Cecelia saves his life and rekindles his belief in love. Broken ice and traumatic losses give way to the start of something new, if only the hero can give up past hurts. As Emmy writes, “It was more of a feeling that, if the flame between them was fanned, they could be happy for the rest of their lives. He’d endured so much grief, she longed to bring him joy.”

Finally, as a bonus, check out the contemporary romance flash fiction from Meant to Be Press’s newest author M. M. Genet, “A Year and a Day.” Behold of the promise of the future.

Like the seasons, love has many variations, so let these stories inspire you to discard what holds you back and welcome new opportunities.

Buy Link

Meant to Be…KISSED is available as an ebook on Amazon. Read it for free through Kindle Unlimited, and remember to enter the raffle for other Meant to Be Press romances!

First Kiss Friday with Beth Barany & a giveaway!

16 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by in 2018, First Kiss Friday

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

It’s First Kiss Friday, my lovelies! Please welcome my friend and fellow San Francisco Area of Romance Writers of America chapter member Beth Barany. Beth is sharing an excerpt from A Cupcake Christmas. Be sure to read all the way to the end about her giveaway. Happy reading and enjoy!


Excerpt:

“Kate took his hand and let Florian bring her to standing. She wasn’t surprised by the sparks that flowed from him into her, she welcomed them, in fact. He still hadn’t answered her question.

“Shall we stroll?” He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, in an old-fashioned charming way. They were shoulder to shoulder.

“To the van?” She shivered at their closeness.

“If you like.” He gazed into her eyes.

“I like.” If her voice sounded husky, she didn’t mind.

Florian grinned. She could swear his eyes twinkled but maybe it was the light of the restaurant or of the sky. Dusk was falling. Low sunlight reflected off the fog hovering above them. Kate walked back with him, arm in arm, to her van parked behind the kitchen a block away. There they stood in the cold foggy night.

He smiled down at her. “Still want me to come by to practice the magic show?”

She never really paid attention to their height difference. Maybe because she was a few inches taller in her work shoes and hadn’t noticed. Now, she was in her flats and the top of her head came to just above his nose, which had a light dusting of freckles to go with his shock of red, wavy hair.

“Yes, I’d feel better about Saturday.” She stared at his lips.

“Did you want to go over the schedule too?”

She nodded and leaned closer to him. “I should.”

“But what do you want to do?” he said softly and stepped closer to her.

Somewhere a horn honked. She blinked and gazed into his sparkling green eyes. “I want—” You, I want you to stay, she wanted to say.

He searched her eyes, waiting.

“To have a—” She shook her head. No, she didn’t want a fling. But she wanted him, something more meaningful.

He leaned a little closer. “A cupcake nightcap? I know, a wine cupcake.”

“I like how you think.” She laughed and kissed him on the lips. Just a brief kiss. He was delicious—sweet and alluring.

He leaned in to deepen the kiss, but she pulled away. “Come on. Let’s walk to my place. It’s not far.” She stepped toward the street.

But Florian didn’t follow. He chuckled. “You’re a bit of a tease.”

“I don’t mean to be,” she said quietly, turned toward him, and held out her hand.

He took her hand. “I know.” He cleared his throat. “You keep the van here overnight?”

“It’s safe. There are cameras in the lot.”

“Will they catch us doing this?” Florian leaned in to land a kiss on her lips. Her insides warmed. She kissed him back. He tasted sweeter than the chocolate shake they’d shared for desert.

She laughed. “I think the cameras have had enough of a show. Let’s go.”

It took twice as long to walk the fifteen minutes to her apartment. They had to stop every few minutes for more kisses. She felt warm all over, as if she were enveloped in the softest comforter.

They made it up the two flights of stairs without stopping too many times. When she opened the door to her apartment, she felt breathless with the kissing and how he made her laugh with his suggestions for ridiculous cupcake recipes, each one more silly than the next, and jokes about putting on a show for the whole neighborhood.

They stumbled into her front hallway of her one-bedroom apartment. She shut the door behind them and then pulled Florian toward her. “I want to kiss you without walking,” she said into his neck. She inhaled his wonderful scent of man and cinnamon. She was burning up and couldn’t wriggle out of her coat fast enough. He helped her, and then leaned in for a long, deep kiss that had her sighing and reaching to slip off his coat. She caressed his strong back muscles under his shirt and sighed some more.

When they finally came up for air, he asked, “Don’t you want to practice for the party?”

“I want to practice a much more ancient art.” She nuzzled his neck and smoothed her hands on his chest, his strong chest, and over his strong muscular arms. He kept himself in good shape. Must be all that lifting and stirring. Too bad he still had his shirt on.

“You sure, Kate?”

“I want you, Florian. I want to be with you.” She pulled back to look in his eyes. “I trust you. I know you’re ready for the kid’s party. I was just stressing out.”

He gazed into her eyes. She thought she saw a flicker of doubt or worry, but she couldn’t be sure, because then she saw nothing but adoration. He smiled. “I want you, too, Kate. Very much.”

She kissed him and pulled him toward her bedroom. “Let’s get practicing.” She hadn’t asked him to stay and he hadn’t reminded her he was leaving. At least they had now.

ABOUT A CUPCAKE CHRISTMAS (A CHRISTMAS ELF STORY) (TOUCHSTONE SERIES #5)

What if you risked losing your baking legacy by cooking up a love truly special?

Florian MacMillian needs a final job to complete his baking resume—preferably a job where he’s unlikely to blow things up with his unruly magic—before returning to the North Pole and taking his rightful place as Master Baker to all the elves.

Kate Delore desperately needs help in her fast-growing cupcake business. Florian is a perfect fit, so she brings him on as baker. For a short time, Florian is happily up to his elbows in batter, and Kate’s business is booming.

But when things heat up between them, Florian wonders if he should risk his legacy to cook up something truly special.

MORE ABOUT A CUPCAKE CHRISTMAS

For a longer excerpt, go here: http://author.bethbarany.com/books/a-cupcake-christmas-a-christmas-elf-story-romance/excerpt-a-cupcake-christmas/

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ReDzDj (ebook) http://amzn.to/1kDKb07 (print)

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-cupcake-christmas-beth-barany/1123174352?ean=2940157906924

iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-cupcake-christmas/id1036098226?mt=11&uo=8

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-cupcake-christmas

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/603017

ABOUT BETH BARANY

Award winning author, Beth Barany writes in several genres including young adult adventure fantasy, paranormal romance, and soon science fiction mysteries. Inspired by living abroad in France and Quebec, she loves creating magical tales of romance, mystery, and adventure that empower women and girls to be the heroes of their own lives.

For fun, Beth enjoys walking her neighborhood, gardening on her patio, and watching movies and traveling with her husband, author Ezra Barany. They live in Oakland, California with a piano and over 1,000 books.

More about Beth’s fiction and to get a free time travel romance, go here: http://author.bethbarany.com/free-romance-story/.

CONNECT WITH BETH BARANY

Twitter: https://twitter.com/beth_barany

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bethbarany/

GIVEAWAY

Post your favorite silly cupcake recipe in the comments and Beth will pick one lucky winner at random to win an e-book edition of A Cupcake Christmas.

First Kiss Friday with Jennifer Skully & a giveaway!

28 Friday Sep 2018

Posted by in 2018, First Kiss Friday

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

,

It’s First Kiss Friday and a pleasure to welcome my friend Jennifer Skully to my blog. Read on and be sure to find out how to enter her giveaway. Take it away, Jennifer!

Thanks so much, Sherry, for having me on First Kiss Friday! It’s an honor to be here today. And I always love reading all those fabulous first kisses your author friends share!

Today I’m going to give you a little taste of one of my Jennifer Skully books. I also write very sexy romance as Jasmine Haynes, but Jennifer is funnier and a little more lighthearted. Although I do love writing a good funny mystery, too! And It Must Be Magic is one of them, Book 3 in the Mystery of Love series.

Lili Goodweather is one of my favorite characters. She makes me laugh. Because she’s a bit of a crazy cat lady. And she talks to animals (like a cat whisperer). And she has a snarky cat named Einstein who takes after my very own cat Wrigley. And because of the town she lives in, Hideaway Creek (which is a mixture of the 3 little mountain towns that I live near) where she frequents her favorite coffee house, The Coffee Stain, along with all the funny characters living in Hideaway Creek. But when she talks with Erika, the little girl who lives next door, and Erika’s cat Fluffy just happens to tell Lili he witnessed a murder, everything goes haywire. Especially since she has to confront Erika’s dad, Tanner Rutland, who, of course, won’t even consider the possibility that Lili can talk to animals and that there might be a body out in the woods because a cat said there was…

Maybe now you get the picture about why Lili makes me laugh. And the ways in which she’ll turn Tanner’s life upside down.

So let me give you their first kiss! And if you read all the way to the bottom, you’ll find out how to enter my giveaway!

It Must Be Magic (Mystery of Love, Book 3)

By Jennifer Skully

Lili hugged the porch column tighter, as if she were dying to say something else, but couldn’t get the words out. Tanner wouldn’t have believed it if he wasn’t witnessing it. Even she claimed she spoke before she thought.

“Spit it out, Lili.”

She sighed. “Has Erika ever talked about having a new mom?”

He took a step backward and almost lost his footing down the first stair. “No.”

“Oh. Well. Okay.”

That definitely wasn’t all Lili wanted to say on the subject. He just as definitely didn’t want to hear it. Yet he felt compelled to go on. “We’re fine the way we are.”

“I’m sure you are.” Oh no she wasn’t sure because she whispered, “It’s that word.”

“What word?”

“Fine. It’s…” She let go of the column to swirl her hand in the air. “So average. Like when someone you’ve met once and haven’t seen in a year politely asks how you’ve been and you say, ‘Fine, thanks.’ It’s totally meaningless.”

“It’s a perfectly fine word.”

She cocked her head at his sharp tone. “I’m not trying to offend you.”

“I’m not offended.” Actually, Lili made him feel a pang of guilt. He was fine, but had he ever stopped to ask Erika? Not that he’d marry just to provide her with a new mother, but he had assumed she was as fine with their family situation as he was. “I’ve never thought about it before.” Hell if that didn’t stink of being a bad father.

“I’m sorry. I won’t say another word about it.” Lili zipped her lip. “It’s none of my business anyway. It’s not like I have kids or know the least little thing about how to raise them. Feel free to tell me to stop babbling. I told you I did that when I get nervous.”

Actually, she babbled most of the time, but that wasn’t what had Tanner’s gaze riveted to her pretty face. “I’m making you nervous right now?” He took back that step he’d put between them.

“Yes.”

A one-word answer wasn’t like the Lili he’d come to know. And semi-appreciate. “Why?”

She had wide, beautiful eyes even in the dim porch lighting.

“Because…” She bit her lip, something that at this moment he found extremely enticing.

He took one more step, closer, very close. “Spit it out, Lili,” he whispered. “I won’t bite.” Well, only under certain circumstances. And he’d make sure she liked it.

“Okay, here’s the thing.”

He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. Having known her all of twenty-four hours, he’d already learned she prefaced an unpalatable notion with those same words.

“I know you told me I couldn’t tell Erika or Roscoe about Fluffy seeing the murder—” She held up her palm as if she had her other hand on a bible. “—and I swear I didn’t. But I did go over to visit.” She took a deep breath, then rushed on. “To see how Fluffy was doing, but I didn’t talk to him. I was hoping he’d be better, but he wasn’t.”

Did she think he was such an ogre that he’d get angry because she’d gone to his house for a visit? Tanner mentally shrugged. Hell, he had issued a lot of edicts, so no wonder she thought he was the ogre.

“It’s fine, Lili—” Then he stopped himself. She didn’t like that word. “It doesn’t bother me that you went over to my house and I appreciate your concern for Fluffy and thank you for not saying anything about a murder to Erika.”

“I asked Einstein to talk to him. You didn’t specifically say Einstein couldn’t talk to Fluffy, only that I couldn’t.”

He almost put his face in his hands to stifle the laughter, but Lili seemed so concerned. As if she thought she’d committed some cardinal sin. “What did Fluffy and Einstein talk about?”

She huffed out a great puff of air and turned to look at the lump lying by the bike tires. Tanner had thought it was a pillow, but now he noticed the green stare trained right on him.

“Not a thing. Einstein doesn’t make friends well.”

“Then how does Einstein get along with Wanetta’s cats?”

“They let her be the leader.”

A womanly attribute. Tanner had the sense not to say that.

Lili peeled herself away from the porch pillar, leaned close enough for him to smell something sweet and heady, something all woman, something he wanted, and put her hand on his upper arm.

“I need to help Fluffy.” She looked up at him with an earnest gaze, her lips parted, her eyes deep in shadow.

On someone else, it might have been beguiling, manipulative even, but with Lili, it was simply sincere.

“You want me to help you find that body,” he said for her.

“Yes.” She highlighted the word with a nod, her dark hair falling like a curtain over one shoulder.

What did she get out of claiming Fluffy saw a murder? What emotional need did it fill for her? Despite his speech about not being 100 percent sure she couldn’t talk to animals, he hung onto that 99 percent certainty. That meant she had to get some emotional charge out of the claim.

What the hell did it matter? If he gave in and went with her, they wouldn’t find a body. Then she would have to give up this nonsense. “I’ll take you.”

She simply stared at him. Her breath puffed in the open collar of his shirt and right down beneath his belt buckle.

Lili could never remain speechless for long. “You’re kidding, right? I mean, you’ll pack up and move away during the night, or you’ll call the men in white with the straitjacket.”

“I won’t move away. And I don’t think they use straitjackets anymore. When I say I’m going to do something, I do it.”

She smiled. It almost stopped his heart. Then she threw her arms around his neck, stepping on his shoe as she went up on her tiptoes to hug him. Her hair caressed his face. Her small, firm breasts pressed to his chest. She was plastered against him yet he wanted her closer. Slipping his arms around her waist, he made sure she couldn’t let go.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She kissed his ear, his cheek, warm moist kisses that weakened his knees.

His brain short-circuited, and his body went into overdrive. He pulled back, grabbed her face in his hands, and took her lips openmouthed. She responded with a low sound, a moan not much louder than a hitch of breath, but it was enough to make him want to push her down on the wooden porch. She let him take her with hungry kisses, her tongue in his mouth, his in hers, a tender nip of her lip, then a soul-deep mating. Over and over until she was once again plastered to him, and the hard ridge of his erection burned against her belly. She tasted of cherry soda and sizzled like champagne. She melted into him and turned him inside out.

He had never tasted anything like her, never touched anything as soft, never wanted anything as badly.

He was on her front porch. Next door to his front porch. With gaps between the hedge that anyone—his daughter—could see through.

As much as he wanted to take more, Tanner pulled back.

His lips clamored for another taste. Hell, he simply vibrated all over with want of her.

She slid down his body until her feet were back on the porch and opened her eyes. “Wow.”

That was putting it mildly. He’d have repeated the word, if he were capable of speech. She kept her arms looped around his neck, supporting herself against him as if her legs wouldn’t hold her. He wasn’t sure his could hold him for much longer.

“That was a very fine kiss,” she murmured.

He laughed, though it came out sounding a bit strangled. It was a damn sight more than fine, and he was truly beginning to understand her earlier analogy.

“I think I might dream about it, tonight,” she said with a little smile and her eyelids at half-mast.

He would be dreaming about far more than just that kiss.

Sliding her arms down his chest, she put her hands flat against him and pushed away until she touched him with nothing but the tips of her fingers.

“Cat got your tongue?” she said.

No. Lili did.

It Must Be Magic (Mystery of Love, Book 3)

Everyone believes in carpe diem… don’t they?

For flower shop clerk Lili Goodweather, that’s what life is all about–savoring the precious moments and all the beauty the world has to offer. So it breaks her heart when 12-year-old Erika Rutland can no longer see the magic in everyday moments.

No, not everyone believes in carpe diem… or telepathic communication with animals.

A firm believer in all things practical, widower Tanner Rutland doesn’t want his daughter’s mind filled with Lili’s fanciful tales—especially her claims that she can communicate with cats. And worse, that his daughter’s cat Fluffy has witnessed a murder. When Lili asks him to help search for the dead body that just absolutely has to be out in the redwoods—she claims—he’s forced to confront whether Lili is just plain crazy or her gift with animals is real.

But after that first delicious kiss, he starts to think he’s the one who’s gone completely crazy. Because suddenly there’s something about Lili that Tanner just can’t resist.

Can this single-minded career man give up everything he believes for a little touch of magic?

Here’s where you can find It Must Be Magic

Kindle:  https://amzn.to/2NvpItk

iBooks:  https://apple.co/2JJCYbz

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/2JKFJJB

Nook:  http://bit.ly/2mxPxNZ

Google Play:  http://bit.ly/2LE2CAj

Leave a comment on the blog to enter into my giveaway for an ebook version of the first two books in the Mystery of Love series, Drop Dead Gorgeous and Sheer Dynamite!

Bio

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Skully is a lover of contemporary romance, bringing you poignant tales peopled with hilarious characters that will make you laugh and make you cry. Look for Jennifer’s series written with Bella Andre, starting with Breathless in Love, The Maverick Billionaires Book 1. Writing as Jasmine Haynes, Jennifer authors classy, sensual romance tales about real issues such as growing older, facing divorce, starting over. Her books have passion and heart and humor and happy endings, even if they aren’t always traditional. She also writes gritty, paranormal mysteries in the Max Starr series. Having penned stories since the moment she learned to write, Jennifer now lives in the Redwoods of Northern California with her husband and their adorable nuisance of a cat who totally runs the household. Join her newsletter for updates on contests, new releases, and freebies.

Contact

Newsletter signup: http://bit.ly/SkullyNews

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Bookbub

First Kiss Friday with guest Christine Harvey & a Giveaway!

04 Friday May 2018

Posted by in 2018, First Kiss Friday

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

,

It’s First Kiss Friday and today I’d like to introduce you to a fellow San Francisco Area of Romance Writers of America author, Christine Harvey. Today Christine will be sharing an excerpt from her novel In Concert. Be sure to leave her a comment to be in the running for an eBook copy of her book. Happy reading, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

(After a day with cameras following him everywhere, all Luke wants to do
is escape with the date he set up earlier, and forget about the reality TV producer who’s constantly on his mind. But he has just found out Victoria and her crew are setting up to film that date.)

Luke stared at Victoria. He couldn’t believe she’d heard him dirty-talking Isabelle and planned to film their hookup like it was no never mind. “Call them off,” he said.

She looked up from her notebook. “I beg your pardon?”

“Call them off. There’s no date.”

“It sounded pretty definite to me.”

“And it felt pretty private to me.”

Victoria closed the notebook with a thump and tossed it on the table next to her. “You have no privacy, Mr. Tyler. It’s in your contract. I realize you’ve been reluctant to do this from the start, and I’ve tried to be patient, but it’s wearing thin.” She put her hands on her hips. “You’re on a reality show about your life, and the lives of your band mates. The audience won’t just want to see you practicing and playing at Tony’s Tavern. They’ll want to know what you eat for breakfast, what you wear, who you date, and everything in between. You’ve agreed to be filmed during all of these occasions, and you’re just going to have to suck it up and let it happen.”

Luke pointed in the direction of the door and the van outside. “You ever have those things turned on you? You know what it’s like?”

“I would imagine it’s intrusive at first, and fine eventually.” She reached for her bag and added, “Now, can we continue to the next segment?”

“That segment’s been canceled,” he said and turned for the stairs.

“Where are you going?” she called after him.

“To cancel my date.”

“You can’t do that.” She sounded irritated, and a touch anxious.

He turned at the base of the stairs. “You need to film it before you’ll believe it’s true?”

Her lips compressed and she dropped her bag on the table next to the notebook. She hobbled closer in her cast with a pained expression on her face; it took some of the fire out of him. He’d rather she could charge right over and at least keep the disagreement equal; he could tell she liked to pace, to move when she was thinking. Or angry. He liked that about her. He liked too much about her. Except for her damn cameras.

Before she could say anything, he said, “Would those cameras follow you if you were my date?”

She stopped in front of him, her head jerking back. “What? Why?”

“Because whenever I’m around you, all I can think of doing is throwing you over my shoulder, carrying you upstairs, pushing you against a wall, and screwing you senseless,” he said.

Her big eyes got bigger and he could see she’d lost her composure, but his speech had just made its way to his body, and his body took over. He stepped forward, took her face in his hands, tilted it up, and kissed her.

She held herself rigid at first, her mouth hard, but he ran his tongue along the seam and she gasped, her lips opening and softening under his. He pushed his hands into her hair, dislodging the clip and feeling the thick strands surrounding him, brushing against his skin, and he slipped his arms around her and pulled her up tight. Grabbing his belt loops, she moaned, and he darted his tongue in, brushing it against hers, tasting her, wanting more.

She pressed closer, her breasts crushed against his chest and he slid down, imagining her naked body sliding across his, kissing a path down his chest, her hair caressing his hips, her hands touching, grabbing, stroking. He groaned, kissing her harder, and wrapped his arms tighter to lift her up, get her as close as possible, bring her upstairs and—

“Victoria, we’re ready to—whoopsy,” said the sister from the doorway.

Victoria pulled away from him with a sharp inhalation, pushing her hands against his chest until he lowered her to the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“I reckon I’m kissing you.”

“Well, that’s obvious.” She brushed her hair back from her face and wouldn’t meet his gaze. “What I’d like to know is what you’re about. I mean…you…you’re…”

“I’m about frustrated to high heaven being attracted to you and not touching you, so I thought I’d see what that might be like.”

“Oh.” She stared at him, face flushed a pretty pink.

“And on my side, it was pretty damn nice. For both of us.” He leaned close. “Would you disagree?”

Blurb

What happens when you mix a reality TV producer who won’t take “no” for
an answer with a country western singer with a different goal in mind?

Hot shot reality TV producer Victoria Clausen loves only one thing:
creating hit shows. Luke Tyler’s two main goals in life are getting out
of the shadow of his famous father and being a successful country music
star in his own right. When Victoria convinces him that his band would
make a great subject for a reality series, Luke reluctantly agrees. The
cameras are everywhere as filming begins, and both of their lives change
in unexpected ways when Luke explores a new goal, and Victoria learns
real life is more desirable.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZTJONDW

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1122163212

iBooks:
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/in-concert-thats-entertainment/id1008546285?mt=11

Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/in-concert-that-s-entertainment-book-two

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/551302?ref=MeadowViewPress

Bio:

Christine Harvey has been a writer all her life: from a children’s book
at the age of eleven to novels in many genres. Both she and her
characters know that a pair of colorful cowboy boots can change your
life. Christine lives in California with her husband and far too many books.

Sign up for her newsletter at www.christineharvey.net and get updates on
new releases, giveaways, and special content, including an exclusive
deleted scene from /Take Two/, the first book in the That’s
Entertainment series. (The books can be read in any order)

Website: www.christineharvey.net

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Christine-Harvey-Author-240904929405251/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CHarveyAuthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/charveyauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14029852.Christine_Harvey

First Kiss Friday with Lizzi Tremayne & a Giveaway!

13 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in 2018, First Kiss Friday

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

It’s First Kiss Friday and today’s guest is fellow Bluestocking Belle, Lizzie Tremayne. Lizzi is sharing the first kiss scene from her Contemporary novel, Once Upon a Vet School. Be sure to leave her a comment to be in the running for her giveaway. Happy reading, my lovelies, and take it away Lizzi!

Hello! Thanks for coming by today, and thank you, Sherry, for having me here!

Once Upon a Vet School #7: Lena Takes a Foal.

Did you ever want to become a veterinarian? Didn’t quite get there?

Now you can live it with Once Upon a Vet School—tales of a girl who dreamed of becoming a vet… her life on the way and beyond.

Once Upon a Vet School is a new series of contemporary veterinary fiction. Share Lena’s escapades, and that of some of her classmates, from the time they decide to become veterinarians, through their education and practice time in the USA, to their careers, Lena’s as a rural equine and sometimes zoo-dentistry veterinarian in New Zealand.

In my excerpt, life had been going from bad to worse for my heroine, Lena, and she’d finally spilled the beans to Kit, her veterinary school resident… who was also something more.

He was about to become something more, anyway!

I’m giving away a digital copy of Once Upon a Vet School #7: Lena Takes a Foal, Book Seven of The Once Upon a Vet School series.

We pick up our story as Kit is holding Lena close, her tears flowing…

Excerpt:

I stared at him, then slapped my jaw shut.

“I can’t believe you’d do that. Not you,” I argued.

“I may not have abandoned her for another woman, but I abandoned her nonetheless… for my practice, my clients, my patients. I was there for them… always… but never for her.” He swallowed hard, his jaw locked tight. I took a deep breath and held it, then let it out slowly. “So, with nothing left, I came back… back to the place I loved the most, where horses were king and caring for them could be my life… without hurting anyone else… or letting anyone in that could hurt me. It was easier just not to feel…” He stopped and looked down at me. “And then you come along.”

“Me?”

“You. You with those sea green eyes…”

“Same as yours,” I whispered.

“Same as mine,” he agreed. “I tried to leave you alone, stay away… but…” He closed his eyes for a moment.

“Me too.”

“And so, you see, I find I want someone to care again… and I want to care about someone… you, specifically. I fought it, damned if I didn’t try to keep you away, keep you at arm’s length, but you kept coming back for more… your desire to help horses… it was like a drug to me.”

I swallowed hard. I wanted it so much, but…

But what?

My memory of why I shouldn’t get involved with anyone was fading fast.

“I’d always wanted to do a surgery residency here…” Kit hesitated, “and now I’m here and almost done, it’s not nearly enough. I want to stay, permanently, to teach… get on a tenure track, become a professor.”

“You’ll be the best they’ve ever had.” He let out his breath in a snort.

“Hardly,” he gave me a soft smile, “but I’d like to think I could at least make a difference to a lot of horses and students.”

“You already do that,” I said, and leaned harder against his solid chest. “And you’re easy to talk to.”

“And you understand how I feel about horses.”

I tried to look away, but his eyes drew me back.

“But we can’t…” It came out on a sob, wrenched from me, unwillingly. “I’m a student, you’re faculty.”

“There are no written rules on that, by the way,” he said, with a twist of his lips. “I checked.”

“But it couldn’t help your chances with the faculty — it would be ‘frowned upon’…and the way I see it, you’ll need every point in your favor — plenty of people want tenure here.”

“And, as others would say, and maybe they’re right, I’m too old and you’re too young,” he said, with a wistful smile.

“That’s not true, actually,” I said. “You’re over ten years younger than my last fiancé.”

He blinked.

“Seriously?”

I nodded.

“And…” I whispered, “the third argument, I don’t want to get hurt anymore.”

“That makes two of us.”

“You’ll never get that professorship, though, if you hang around with students, much less sleep with them,” I said flatly, and turned my head away. “I don’t want to wreck your chances.”

“I’m beginning to think it doesn’t matter… as much as this…” Kit turned my chin toward him with the side of his finger, then lowered his lips to mine.

I could have fallen into his warm lips, his touch… and I let it happen. I returned his kiss with all the feeling I’d kept hidden for so long.

“So…” I said, panting a bit, when he finally let me breathe again.

“What are we going to do about it, you mean?”

“Yes,” I said. My firm tone came out as more of a breathy whisper.

“Well, first, we’re going to get you over this fear of foaling.”

I gulped and the chill started up in my guts again.

“Hold on, there. It’ll be okay. Just hold on. Again, you were how old? And had how much veterinary training?”

“Fifteen, no training.”

“Think about this, with your head and not your emotions. Is that reasonable?”

“Y — no,” I said, and the tears began to fall again. “But my heart, it just…locks up and I can’t breathe, or think.”

“We’ll fix all that. Deal? I help you do that and you help me fix my heart and learn to trust again?” He was silent for a moment. “Maybe you can start learning to trust again too, eh?”

“That’s a big ask, with my history, but — ”

“— deal?” he cut in.

“Deal.”

I turned my face up to his and we kissed again. He leaned back against the wall, holding me tightly in his arms.

The warmth, the closeness, the safety.

I wanted it to go on forever.

But nothing lasts — I stopped myself.

Why not? Why not you?

That blasted little voice again.

I focused on Kit’s eyes. For the first time ever, no vagueness — or had it been avoidance? — showed in their depths. His green eyes were nearly black, intense, close before me.

I froze as a flash of green — a figure in surgical scrubs — showed, silhouetted, in the doorway behind Kit’s head.

About the story:

 She needs help… he needs to stay away…

Lena’s got a problem–one that might prevent her from graduating. When her horse flips over and lands on her, it has to be the dashing resident, Kit, who finds her. Luckily, she’s sworn off relationships after her last debacle and sea-green eyes and rugged good looks are the last things on her mind. Besides, to a veterinary school faculty, relationships between residents and students are like oil and water; they just don’t mix.

Buy Links:

Digital: Free on Kindle Unlimited or buy from Amazon here: https://lizzitremayne.com/OnceUponVet7  

Paperback: from Amazon here: https://lizzitremayne.com/OnceUponVet7

Paperback: for New Zealanders, buy direct from the author: https://www.fishpond.co.nz/q/Lizzi+Tremayne

Be the first to know about new releases, special offers, and news by signing up for Lizzi Tremayne’s Newsletter and get a copy of her Lizzi Tremayne Sampler for free! It’s here: https://lizzitremayne.com/signupsampler/

Author Bio:

Lizzi writes about the Old West, Russia, and Colonial New Zealand, as well as veterinary fiction and non-fiction—all with a horsey flair. She’s also one of the newest members of the Bluestocking Belles!

She grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand.

Lizzi has two wonderful, grown-up boys, a new grandbaby, and an awesome partner in this sea of green. When she’s not writing, she’s swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her hobby farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She’s multiply published and awarded in fiction, special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

Sign up for Lizzi Tremayne’s Newsletter and get a copy of her Lizzi Tremayne Sampler for free. Be the first to know about new releases, special offers, and news here:  https://lizzitremayne.com/signupsampler/

Connect with Lizzi:

Lizzi’s Website :   http://www.lizzitremayne.com
Facebook:   www.facebook.com/lizzitremayneauthor

 

First Kiss Friday with guest Jasmine Haynes

30 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in 2018, First Kiss Friday

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , ,

It’s another First Kiss Friday and not only do I have the pleasure to welcome back my friend Jasmine Haynes but we also get to help celebrate her newest book baby. Today’s excerpt from Any Way She Wants It is the latest book in Jasmine’s West Coast Series. I’ve already grabbed my copy and we hope you’ll do the same. Get out your fan… lets turn up the heat and give a warm welcome to Jasmine!

Thank you, Sherry, you know how much I love your First Kiss Friday blog! And it’s a pleasure to be here with you again!

So Tricia and David in Any Way She Wants It have a history from way back when she was sixteen. And now they’re working at the same company over twenty years later. Tricia is divorced and David is a widower, and sparks about to fly! And the title comes from that fabulous old Journey song, Any Way You Want It, which happens to still be one of my favorites!

Excerpt:

“Just let it go, Tricia.” He wanted to beg, but he was afraid he’d start begging for something else entirely.

Why had she come back into his life to torment him? Wasn’t his wife’s death enough? There was only so much guilt a man could take before it crushed him.

Her eyes went soft, and she shook her head at him gently as if he were a poor misguided fool. “I haven’t let it go for over twenty years, David. I don’t know why you think I’m going to now. Unless you give me a really good reason.” She rose, picked up her papers, stuffed them in a folder, and headed for the door.

He felt sliced right down the middle, ecstatic that she intended to let it alone for now, and aching that she was leaving him. He pushed back from the table, that hair-brained part of him wanting to rush after her. But he didn’t stand. His fears and his guilt kept him bolted to the chair.

But she turned, setting her file on the bookcase by the side of the door, her hand on the door knob as she stood outlined in the frame. “Do you remember what you told me that night?”

He swallowed, barely restraining himself from running his finger around his collar as if his tie were too tight. “Uh…not really.” Most of what he remembered was physical, sensory, tactile, her mouth, her scent, her skin, her tears.

“You told me to demand what I wanted. Never to let a man get away with pleasing himself and not me.”

Yes, that he remembered. He’d wanted her to demand her pleasure. Because men could be selfish or clueless or just plain stupid. But he didn’t answer her aloud.

She closed the door. The lock clicked, the sound like a shout in the quiet office.

“I’ve decided to demand what I want. From you. Right now.” She advanced on him.

He couldn’t have moved if the fire alarm started screeching or an earthquake shook down the office walls. There was her black skirt, her slightly sheer blouse, and those mind-blowing red shoes. He could barely breathe. She leaned down, hands on the armrests of his chair, her scent spellbinding him.

“I want that night all over again,” she whispered. “Maybe I’ll be satisfied if I can have it just once more. Maybe I can get you out of my system.

If he gave in, he would never get her out of his system. He’d be lost. He’d be—

She hiked her skirt and climbed on top of him, fitting her slim legs down the sides of the armrests, along his thighs. Her heat surrounded him. He should have pushed her off, forced himself to surface above the beguiling aroma of woman and sex, above his needs and desires. But he couldn’t move.

Then she cupped his face in her palms. “Kiss me. Like you did back then. Tell me what you told me then.”

He couldn’t resist her, succumbing to what he’d dreamed about for so long. He didn’t even put up a token battle, dropping his voice to match her whisper, replaying the night. “You’re so damn beautiful. Don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re not good enough.” He wiped the tears from beneath her eyes as if she were crying. She’d always compared herself to his sister Judy, and always failed to measure up. In her mind, Judy was the pretty one, the popular one. The two of them had gone to some neighborhood party, and Tricia had overheard a boy say he could only kiss her if she put a bag over her head. Her self-confidence had been decimated.

She was nothing like that fragile girl now.

But that night, after the party, afraid she’d wake Judy—Tricia was always at their house—she’d come to the living room to hide her tears.

She’d found him sitting in the dark, watching TV with the sound off.

“Kiss me, David,” she begged him now, just as she had then. “Show me I’m pretty enough to be kissed.”

He gave in completely. To her and to his own dreams.

Jesus, she tasted better than memory, like hot, sexy, sensuous, experienced woman, so different and yet so much the same. Hands on her hips, he pulled her tight, her hot center riding him.

He was gone in two seconds flat. Lost. And he devoured her, taking her tongue, diving deep, fulfilling twenty-two years of fantasy. He kissed her until he was lightheaded with need, his hands all over her, thighs, breasts, tangling in her hair.

“You didn’t kiss me like that, David.”

He wasn’t sure how he’d let go long enough for her to pull back and whisper those beguiling words to him.

“It was different,” was his only excuse. And she was different, not the young girl who’d never had her first real kiss. Back then, he’d wanted only to show her that there would be so many more kisses for her in the future.

“Do you want me?” And she completely seduced him with the question.

Any Way She Wants It Blurb

He was engaged to be married.
She was his sister’s best friend and his dirty little secret.
Twenty years later, it’s all about to explode.

David Farris has been a widower for almost a year. He should have been able to handle Tricia Connelly walking back into his life. After all, it’s been over twenty years. But now that she’s here, she’s the embodiment of his greatest desire…and his worst guilt. Keeping everything between them strictly business is the only way to preserve his sanity.

Tricia wants nothing more than to make David totally crazy with need for her. When she realizes they’ll be working side-by-side, day in and day out, her heart clamors for this second chance to make the one man she’s always wanted fall for her. But David can’t let go of the past.

Her only choice is to seduce him with steamy kisses and delicious caresses to show him how perfect they could be for each other.

Can David forgive his past sins? Or will he sacrifice their future?

Learn all about the West Coast Series on my website! And read more excerpts!

Revenge, Book 1, Jessica and Clay
Submitting to the Boss, Book 2, Holt and Ruby
The Boss’s Daughter, Book 3, Ward and Cassandra
The Other Man, Book 4, Spence and Zoe
Pleasing Mr. Sutton, Book 5, Rance and Monica
Any Way She Wants It, Book 6, David and Tricia

Bio

NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jasmine Haynes loves giving readers sexy, classy stories about real issues like growing older, facing divorce, starting over. Her books have passion, heart, humor, and happy endings, even if they aren’t always traditional. She also writes gritty, paranormal mysteries in the Max Starr series. As Jennifer Skully, she writes laugh-out-loud romantic comedies laced with a heavy dose of mystery. Look for Jennifer’s new series written with Bella Andre, starting with Breathless in Love, The Maverick Billionaires Book 1. Having penned stories since the moment she learned to write, Jasmine now lives in the Redwoods of Northern California with her husband and their adorable nuisance of a cat who totally runs the household. Join her newsletter for updates on contests, new releases, and freebies by going to www/jasminehaynes.com.

Contact

Newsletter signup: http://bit.ly/SkullyNews

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Bookbub