Jess Dee's Blog, page 4
October 8, 2013
Rhythm of My Heart Launch Party Giveaway #8 – Jess Dee with a final thought…
THANK YOU FOR COMING
It’s that time in every party where we need to wind things down and say farewell.
Let me take this opportunity to say thank you to Selena, Mari, Sami, Lexxie, Leah and Nikki for joining me in celebrating my release.
And Good luck to all of them for their upcoming releases.
Also, thank you to you, the readers, for coming.
I figure the best way to end a party would be with a slow song to help wind things down. And what better song then the one that has become my kinda theme song for Rhythm Of My Heart, See Beneath Your Beautiful, by Labrinth and Emile Sande
Don’t forget, there’s still time to enter the contest to win the Kindle Fire. It’ll run for another week before a winner is selected.
The Kindle Fire giveaway will run through the Rhythm of My Heart blog tour. More information HERE. There are two chances during this launch party to sign up for the Kindle and then each day of the tour will represent another chance. Be sure to follow us all the way through for the ultimate chance of winning.
And last but not least…
Rhythm of My Heart is available now from Samhain, Kindle, Nook, Kobo or your favorite ebookstore.
Jess
The Speed Series
Book #1: See You in My Dreams
Every girl’s fantasy…one woman’s dream.
Speed Book 1
Sophie Butler is sure she’s about to lose her much-needed cleaning job. She’s not only walked in on a guest—a violation of her employer’s cardinal rule—but she can’t seem to tear her gaze away from his gorgeous, naked-as-the-day-he-was-born body.
If all that isn’t bad enough, her usually sensible judgment and behavior are clouded by a nagging sense of familiarity. She knows the man from somewhere, she just can’t quite place him.
Nathan Pace is certain he’s just lost his jealously guarded anonymity. But hold on…if she’s just another fan looking for a piece of his alter ego, rock star Jamie Speed, why is she blushing six shades of scarlet? And why is he instantly aroused? When he catches a glimpse of her eyes, he knows. She’s the woman who for ten years has haunted his dreams.
The attraction that flares between them is undeniable—and unstoppable. But getting close means risking Nathan’s secret identity. Just this once, he’d like a woman to fall for the real man, not the press’s version of a celebrity superstar.
Warning: This may be an erotic, contemporary romance, but it does contain a hint of fantasy. And when that fantasy involves erotic dreams about a gorgeous rock star, you know you’re gonna want the fantasy to become reality…
Book #2: Colors of Love
Their true colors are hidden…until one woman turns everything upside down.
Speed, Book 2
Seth Pace, guitarist of the rock band Speed, is a born dreamer, and nothing stands in his way of making those dreams a reality. Except when it comes to band manager Luke Struthers. He’s everything Seth wants in a partner, but even after five years of perfectly explosive sex, Luke refuses to commit.
After a childhood ravaged by abuse, Luke knows he’s a potential danger to anyone foolish enough to love him. Seth is safer without him, but Luke has no idea how to cut him loose painlessly. Until he spots Seth’s kind of woman—pretty, smart, friendly. The plan: seduce her into a sexy threesome, then leave the two alone to fall in love. Problem solved.
A night of excitement with the two hottest men on the planet? Yeah, baby! Yet Kaz’s inborn ability to read auras tells her something isn’t right. It’s obvious Seth and Luke are madly in love, but subtle clues in Luke’s aura signal he’s up to something. She’s not sure what, but if she doesn’t do something quick, the two men she’s quickly come to adore will wind up without the happily ever after they both deserve.
Warning: One man + one man + one woman = a whole lot of steamy two-way and three-way M/M & M/M/F sex, a hero or two to drool over, and a heroine who recognizes true love when she sees it.
Book #3: Rhythym of My Heart
He rocks every woman’s world, but his heart beats only for her.
Speed, Book 3
Makeup artist Eve Andrews is an expert at blending into the background. Landing a job with the rock band Speed is the opportunity of a lifetime, and thankfully as close to the spotlight as she’ll ever get again—until the band’s sinfully sexy drummer turns his dazzling eyes on her.
After a scandal shook his world, Zachary Pace, a.k.a. “Jonah Speed”, has given up the one-night stands and easy lays. One look at Eve, and he senses his self-imposed abstinence is about to come to a screeching halt—but he’s confused. His grandmother foretold his destiny lies with a beautiful redhead, not a tiny, brown-haired pixie.
Under the heat of Zachary’s intense focus, Eve’s resistance melts away, but not the façade that hides her terrible secret. And when she accidentally catches a glimpse of his heart’s desire—his fated redhead—her instincts tell her to let him go…before he gets too close. Before he sees the real woman behind her mask, and her heart is left in the dust of his almost-certain retreat.
Warning: This is a Speed book, so you know there’s gonna be a small element of fantasy to it. And a big element of romance. Oh, yeah, and whole lot of sex. Sex hot enough to make you throb to the rhythm of a very sensual beat…
Find out more and get buy links HERE
Now for the second chance to enter for the Kindle!!! Be sure to comment and fill out the rafflecopter below.
Rhythm of My Heart Launch Party Giveaway #7 – Nikki Lynn Barrett
Author Contact Links
@Stormgoddess925
Blurb
This is Book 2 in the Love and Music in Texas series. Baby Stetson kicks off the series.
Welcome back to Harmony’s Echo, Texas…..
Melody Roland is on the run from the one person she trusted completely. One who hid a dark past she could never have imagined. When a pregnant woman on the bus she’s fleeing on goes into labor, Melody rushes to her aide. Now she finds herself stranded in a tiny remote town just off the highway, with no way to her original destination.
She’s alone, on edge, and unsure who to trust. Her instincts scream to get far away and fast. But how and where?
Jameson Grant struggles through the roughest year of his life. Suffering from the loss of his father, one grief stricken night, he made a mistake. One which cost him the only woman he’s ever loved. Each lonely day he’s faced with the constant reminders of how quick things can change. Throwing himself into the one thing he has left, his music, helps dull the pain he fights to keep hidden. His last salvation begins to crumble as things spiral out of control and he has no choice but to face the ‘music’ of his past.
The last thing he needs or wants in his life is a woman with more trouble on her heels than the best of country music lyrics. But Melody sings a sirens call within him that can’t be ignored.
Jameson and Melody bond in ways stronger than either could have imagined, but one dangerous person from her past may threaten it all…
If she doesn’t flee before he can convince her to stay, and that some love songs last an eternity.
Excerpt
Jameson set the bag on the table and followed the sound. Not only was she playing the guitar, but she was singing, too. She sat on the stool in the middle of the garage, wearing a white half sleeved shirt that showed enough skin to drive him crazy. She had her legs crossed and her hands gracefully strummed the strings.
She was beautiful. She seemed at ease, her eyelids half shut as she played her heart out with
the song. Jameson made sure to stay out of sight. She hadn’t caught on that he was there yet, and if he made her aware of his presence, she might stop. He wanted to hear more. Good God, her hands on his guitar, he wanted those hands back on him.
She finished the song. Jameson had to catch his breath before popping in, clapping and grinning. She practically jumped from the stool and she put that guitar down quick. “That was beautiful. I didn’t realize you played!”
“Oh! Jameson, you startled me. I’m sorry, I had no idea you were home already. I couldn’t help but pick up the guitar..I just, I felt compelled.” She was blabbering and apologizing for nothing. Jameson crossed the room, closing the distance between them and gathered her in his arms.
“Melody, why would you apologize? You keep doing that, and I can’t understand why.” Jameson kissed her forehead, then threaded his fingers through her hair. She looked up at him with wide eyes. “I’m not mad at you, angel. I loved what you were playing.” He dipped his head and took her lips again, nibbling on the bottom one. When he pulled away, he smiled. “ Not to mention how hot it was to watch your hands move on my guitar. It made me think of a not to distant morning when your hands were doing something else.”
That got her to laugh as she leaned against him. “You crack me up, you know. Thank you for the beautiful flowers and the card.”
“You’re welcome. I just wanted to let you know how much I was thinking about you. I can’t stop. You’re in my head. I’ve got Melody in my head. Hey, that’s a good song title.
The Melody in My Head.”
She blushed and ducked away, but Jameson pulled her closer to him. “I love it when you blush. It’s sexy.”
“You are determined to get me all flustered, aren’t you?” She questioned with a smile.
Jameson shrugged, playing coy. “It’s working quite well, I’d say. My master plan to woo and seduce you is playing out just fine.”
She raised a brow at him. “Oh, is that what it’s all about?” Melody backed out of his arms and wagged a finger at him. “I should have known. You want me for my skills. I think I’ll be taking them and going now…” She slowly backed away, watching him with a mischievous grin as her eyes lit up.
Jameson caught her at the door, pinning her to the wall. “ You didn’t get very far, did you?” He lowered his head, ready to devour her again. He teased her neck with kisses until she moaned. “Looks like I won this round.”
“You’re evil.”
See more at Harlie’s Books
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Guest Post
I thought, since I’m writing a series based on musicians and singers, I’d share with you all who I picture…or “hear” when I think of my character’s singing voices.
Avery Callimer:
Avery is the lead singer of the Baby Stetson band. When I think of her singing, I hear a powerful voice, one that can really belt out a tune…so I think of Martina McBride. Martina has the kind of voice that just makes me stop and listen. She can hit some amazing notes and I get goosebumps hearing her.
But not only do I think of Martina, I also think of a mix. Avery has the powerful voice like Martina, but she also has a southern twang like Jennifer Nettles (from Sugarland)
Jameson Grant:
I don’t keep it a secret that when I picture lead guitarist and singer, Jameson on guitar, I think of Keith Urban..:) but we’re talking about Jameson’s singing voice, and for that, I hear Billy Currington. He has this sexy voice that just rolls over my skin in waves of goosebumps.
Melody Roland:
Melody has always been a closet singer. It isn’t until she lands in Harmony’s Echo and sings with Jameson that she starts to come out of her shell. When I think of Melody singing, well she’s a bit of a toss up. I think of the woman that plays Scarlett on Nashville. A pretty voice, unexpected, but has a unique sound. But I also hear a little bit of newcomer Sarah Darling.
Giveaway Information
Nikki will give away one ecopy of Baby Stetson, Love and Music in Texas Book One to one random commenter. Just fill out the rafflecopter and comment below to enter.
Rhythm of My Heart Launch Party Giveaway #6 – Leah Braemel
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Blurb
Thanks to her cheating ex-husband and her thieving brother, all horse breeder Nikki Kimball has left is a bruised heart, an over-drawn bank account and an empty home. When sex-on-legs Dillon Barnett and his brooding foster-brother Brett Anderson start showing more than just neighborly attention, Nikki is intrigued…and a little gun-shy.
Dillon and Brett have a history; back in high school, the two friends fought a bitter battle over Nikki. Now, ten years later, Brett still longs to be the man in Nikki’s life, but he’s determined to stand back and let Dillon win Nikki’s heart.
Society says Nikki must choose between the two men she loves. Is Nikki strong enough to break all the rules in order to find happiness?
Excerpt
Nikki wanted to blame the jetting water for the way her clit tingled, or for the full heavy feeling of her breasts. She wanted to blame the steam rising around her for the way her body tightened, squeezing the air from her lungs. But she knew it had nothing to do with the hot tub. The heat spearing through her came from thinking about being sandwiched between the two men. Her breasts ached from her fantasy of seeing Dillon’s dark head bent over one breast with Brett’s golden head over the other, of them touching every part of her body. Of Dillon in her pussy, and Brett…oh, Brett filling her mouth as she kneeled in front of him, or stretching her ass as he reamed her from behind.
“What do you say, Nik?” Dillon asked.
She jumped, realizing she’d been so lost in her fantasy that he’d closed the distance between them.
What did she say? Yes. Hell, yes!
“Brett—” She broke off her question. How lame would it be to ask if he’d still respect her in the morning?
When he turned to look at her, the emotion in his eyes, the longing, shocked her. His gaze dropped, lingering on her throat, her breasts, lower. Each spot his eyes stopped at burned like he’d branded her. He took equally long on his path back up her body, but instead of meeting her gaze, he looked past her. To Dillon.
She cleared her throat, her voice barely a whisper, but her plea came through as loud as if she’d shouted. “It couldn’t hurt just once. Could it?”
Water cascaded off him as he surged to stand in front of her. With another glance at Dillon, he cupped her face and brushed his lips across hers, his thumb caressing her jaw.
Her eyes fluttered closed as his lips sealed around hers, his tongue tickling the seam of her lips. So gentle, yet the hand holding her in place was so strong. Calloused in places Dillon’s weren’t. She relaxed her jaw and let him deepen the kiss. The hard length of his erection pressed into the soft flesh of her belly. All too soon he broke the kiss, though he didn’t release her.
He gaze moved from her to Dillon. “Does this bother you? Watching me kissing Nikki?”
“Nope. It makes me as horny as hell watching you two. Whodathunkit?” Dillon pressed his body against her, his hand sliding around her side to cup her breast, his erection nudging the small of her back. The crisp mat of his chest hair tickling her shoulders, he was a pillar, supporting her as her legs trembled beneath their onslaught. Her hips rotated, grinding against Brett’s erection in front and Dillon’s behind. Both men groaned in succession.
“Inside.” Dillon pulled away first. “Upstairs. Now.”
Nikki sucked in a breath at his command. Fantasies were one thing, reality totally different. She couldn’t even picture the mechanics of making love to two men at the same time. She gave up and decided they’d figure it out upstairs. With a shrug, she relaxed and let herself ogle Dillon’s tight behind when he climbed out of the hot tub. The man had the best frickin’ ass of anyone she’d ever seen. She loved clutching it as he pumped into her, feeling the play of muscles beneath her fingers.
Dillon grabbed the towels they’d placed there earlier, handing one to Nikki. Before she could take it, Brett reached around and snagged it, snapping it open and wrapping it around her. Her body heated, turned to liquid when he tucked the end into her cleavage, his palm grazing her breast, drawing her nipple into a tight bead. She pressed her thighs together against the ache starting deep inside as she imagined what she was about to do.
Dillon toweled himself off then tossed his to Brett. As Brett dried himself, Dillon opened the door and led Nikki into the house. The air conditioned air had goosebumps forming on her skin. He smiled and flicked one of her nipples poking against the terrycloth. After Brett’s earlier contact, that simple touch had her shaking.
He must have seen it as his eyes burned into her, and his voice grated in need. “Let’s get you upstairs and dried off.”
Completely unselfconscious of his nudity, he strolled ahead of them and bounded up the stairs.
As Dillon disappeared down the upstairs hall, Nikki realized Brett was hanging back. Her tongue hit the floor when she saw him standing there, his towel slung low over his hips. He has no idea how hot he looks, does he?
He held out his hand, waiting for Nikki to place her palm in his. “Nik? Are you okay with this? Just because Dillon suggested it doesn’t mean you have to…” He tilted his head to one side in question. “It’s not too late to back out, you know.”
“I want to try this, for all of us to be together like this, even if it’s just for tonight. But I need to know if you’re okay with this. If it’ll make things difficult, more awkward being around us—me—tomorrow.” She felt the blush rising up her neck. “I guess what I’m saying is, will you still respect me in the morning?”
“Baby, I’ll always respect you.” Her bones melted when he cupped her behind, pressing his erection into her belly. Snuggling closer, she kissed him until he broke off with a groan. “If we keep this up, I’m going to come before we begin.”
As they reached the top of the stairs, she hesitated. “Brett? What about you? Do you want to do this? I mean, isn’t it sort of weird for you to be naked around Dillon? Two guys in the same bed at the same time?”
There was such a long pause, she wondered if he might change his mind and walk away. “I don’t think I can back out now, Nik.”
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Guest Post
I’ve always loved friends-to-lovers stories, and when I started writing Texas Tangle, I set it up that Dillon would hook up with his neighbor Nikki. But then as I was writing I discovered that Dillon wasn’t the only one who had a thing for Nikki, Dillon’s friend Brett did too. So naturally my mind started wandering, and thought “Hey, Dillon’s a real laid back type of guy, and he’s one who would do anything for his friends so…” Next thing I knew my novella of them having a short threesome became a full length book about how the two of them tell Nikki she has to choose between them. Initially.
But hey, how do you choose between two hot guys? What criteria do you use? It was an interesting journey watching the guys struggle with how they’d let Nikki choose, and watching Nikki make her decision. Or rather not make a decision. 
Giveaway Information
Leah will give away one digital copy in the winner’s choice of format — epub or mobi. Comment and fill out the rafflecopter below to enter.
Rhythm of My Heart Launch Party Giveaway #5 – Lexxie Couper
Author Contact Links
Blurb
He never missed a beat…until she taught him a whole new rhythm.
Heart of Fame, Book 4
Back when he was playing drums for rock star Nick Blackthorne, it was easy for Noah Holden to focus on the sticks in his hand. Now that the band is getting back together, he’s excited—and worried. His ADHD has made every minute of his post-Blackthorne life a chaotic mess.
His apprehension is blown away when a bar waitress makes him a proposition—and not the kind this king of drums is used to.
When Pepper Kerrigan overhears the band talking reunion, she pushes her self-doubt aside, calls on her encyclopedic music knowledge and challenges Noah Holden to a trivia contest. Her prize should she win? An audition. His? A kiss. Their smoking sexual chemistry guarantees victory—for them both.
With Pepper, Noah is finally able to control his stormy creative energy. But when his wild past catches up with him, he faces the fight of his life to keep from losing his smoky-voiced angel. The one woman who keeps his mind—and his heart—staying on rhythm.
Product Warnings
There’s a thrumming primitive sexual energy in every rock drummer’s body just waiting to be released.
Excerpt
Noah forced himself not to fidget. Or blink. If he blinked, maybe the goddess in hot pants would disappear in a puff of taunting smoke, leaving him wondering if she’d ever really been there.
Christ, her eyes were stunning. Bluer than he’d first thought, and flecked with deep-emerald green. And her skin. So flawless and creamy. The urge to lean forward and trace the tip of his tongue over the high curve of her cheek was damn near impossible to deny. As was the desire to snare the straight weight of her sable ponytail in his fist and pull her toward him. Her lips were made to be kissed. He could see that. Soft and full and devoid of lipstick or gloss. Just naturally beautiful and perfect.
His heart punched hard in his chest, pounding out a beat he’d hadn’t heard in his life for a very long time.
A beat he could move to.
She’s not a groupie, Holden. She’s your waitress.
The thought grounded him. They’d been in the bar for well over an hour, and she hadn’t come anywhere near them. If she wanted to sleep with him, surely she would have made her move before now.
“What proposition?” he asked, fighting to keep his voice detached. He reached for a peanut. He hated peanuts, but at least it gave him something to do with his hands.
What? Instead of burying them in her hair? Or smoothing them over her—
The goddess shifted a little, her butt barely perched on the edge of the chair Jax had so recently occupied. Her tongue slipped over her top lip in a quick little swipe. Her eyes closed for a split second.
An overwhelming sense of dismay hit Noah at the loss of their mesmerizing intensity on his face. He liked her looking at him. A lot.
“I’d like to sing for you.”
Her statement slapped into him like a cold fist.
He blinked. Had he misheard her? “Sorry? You want to what?”
She swallowed. Hesitation clouded her brilliant eyes. Her hands cupped her elbows. “S-sing for you. For…for the band. I’d like to audition for—”
The wind left Noah in a gush. He frowned, a prickling sense of disappointment washing over him. She didn’t want to sleep with him. She really wasn’t a groupie. Or a waitress hoping to score a famous tumble in the sack. She wanted to—
“Come again?” He leant forward. Perhaps he’d heard her wrong? He was known to mishear things. It came from not really keeping his attention on anything for long.
Huh, your attention has been on her from the second you saw her, Holden. You didn’t mishear.
The woman straightened her spine. She lifted her chin. Flattened her palms on her thighs. “Audition for lead singer.”
Noah stared at her. For the life of him, he didn’t know what to—
The woman jolted to her feet. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” She trailed away, her soft New York accent turning the last word to a murmured drawl. Before Noah could utter a sound, she turned and hurried from the table.
But she stopped two tables from his.
Her shoulders stiffened. Her hands balled into fists, opened, balled again.
Noah watched her shake her head, his gaze tracking the swishing wave of her long ponytail. His gut tightened. His throat did the same. It wasn’t until she swung back to face him that he gushed out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.
She reached his table in three long strides, her intense blue eyes fixed on his face. She stood beside him, full breasts straining against the snug white cotton of her T-shirt as she placed her hands on the tabletop and bent toward him. “I’ll make you a deal,” she said, the words quick, her voice husky. “I read in an article in Rolling Stone that you have an amazing knowledge of music trivia. If I beat you in a music-trivia challenge, you let me sing for the band. Just that. All I want is the chance to…” She faltered, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, and then shook her head a little and drilled him with her stare again. “All I want is the chance to let you hear me sing. If I beat you at music trivia, you convince the rest of the band to let me audition.”
If I beat you.
Her words whispered through Noah’s whirling head. He couldn’t tear his gaze from hers. He should be telling her no, right now. He should be brushing her off, maybe even leave the bar to emphasize the point. He should be pissed she’d been eavesdropping. Instead, he studied her face—even more arresting and beautiful this close—as her words echoed through his mind.
If I beat you.
“And if I beat you?” The question left him on a murmured taunt.
The woman facing him down did the unexpected. She laughed.
Noah’s heart beat faster in his chest. His gut knotted. Christ, her laugh was wonderful. Rhythmical. It at once melted away the tension in her body and flooded Noah’s body with heat. Tight, thick heat threading its eager way to his groin.
Her laugh made him horny. He’d thought her arse hot in her shorts, but her laugh…
“If I beat you?” he prodded, leaning closer to her. “What happens then?”
She licked her top lip with the tip of her tongue. “I…”
Noah reached up and traced his finger over her bottom lip. “I get to kiss you.” The bar disappeared. Nothing existed except the woman and her challenge. “I win, I get to kiss you. For as long as I like.”
The woman’s breath escaped her in a soft gasp. She pulled away from him—just enough to cause his finger to slip from her lip. If it wasn’t for the fact her pupils were dilated, Noah would think he’d offended her.
But he knew exactly what dilated pupils meant when a woman was with him—arousal. His gorgeous, conflicted waitress was turned on. Now all he needed was for her to—
“Agreed.” She held his stare, her shoulders straight. “I’m off work in twenty minutes. I’m going to bring you another scotch, on me, while you wait.”
Noah cocked an eyebrow. “Wait?” He’d never had a woman tell him he had to wait for her before. Even Heather had leapt at his every command on the rare occasion he gave them. Right up until she’d walked out with Maxie the mutt, that was. He’d told her to come back. To give him another chance. She hadn’t. “You want me to wait for you?”
His waitress nodded. “It’ll be worth it. Promise.”
“The kiss? You better believe it.”
She laughed, and once again Noah’s groin reacted to the rich, lyrical sound.
“I will be back. Don’t leave.”
He shook his head. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere. Promise.”
The corners of her lips curled in a smile Noah could only call shy. Shy? How was that possible after the challenge she’d just laid down? Especially given the desire equal to his own he saw in her eyes.
Such a conflict. It was hypnotic. Sublime.
She turned and walked away from the table without a word. Noah could tell the subtle sway of her hips wasn’t an affectation designed to garner attention but her natural movement. Damn, he could watch her hips move like that all day. He couldn’t wait to smooth his hands over those hips and hold her to his body as he kissed her.
“Hey,” he called out, his pulse pounding faster when she threw him a quick look over her shoulder. “What’s your name?”
She lowered her lashes. A faint pink painted her cheeks. “Pepper.”
Book Buy Links
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Guest Post
When I was researching Steady Beat, I spent quite a lot of time Googling rock drummers, and y’know what I came to realise?
Rock drummers are wild and sexy. Big time. With their sweaty hair, scultped muscles and manic power, they just ooze sex appeal.
There’s a thrumming, primitive, sexual energy in every rock drummer’s body, just waiting to be released, surging to the fore with every pounding strike of his sticks on the taut skin of his drums. Now imagine that raw energy in bed. With you…
Cause I did. Often. Hee hee hee.
What rock star have you imagined in bed with you? 
Giveaway Information
Lexxie is offering two (2) ebooks of the winner’s choice from her backlist. Just comment and fill out the rafflecopter to enter.
Rhythm of My Heart Launch Party Giveaway #4 – Sami Lee
Author Contact Links
Blurb
Champion surfer Ty Butler is living the dream—a great career, a globe-trotting lifestyle, and his pick of women. Then a visit to his hometown forces him to face Summer Campbell.
A decade on, she still gives him an adrenaline rush to beat the biggest waves. She’s also as unavailable as ever, or so he thinks. When the truth comes out, Ty decides it’s time to lay old ghosts to rest—and lay Summer flat out in bed.
Ten years ago Summer committed the ultimate sin by falling for her sister’s boyfriend. She rejected Ty’s love out of duty, even marrying another man in an attempt to move on. An attempt that failed. She never forgot Ty—or the havoc loving him wreaked in her life.
Her body wants to finish what they started long ago. Her head tells her she can indulge in a wicked affair with no regrets. But when the pro-surfing tour inevitably calls him away, her heart could crumble like a sandcastle beneath his feet.
Warning: Book contains hot sex with a hot surfer. Might warm your heart and heat up a few other parts, as well. Might even inspire you to chuck it all in and chase the endless summer.
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Guest Post
Ty Butler was such a fun character to write. Roguish, honest, funny and brazen, he is a world champion surfer with a gorgeous Aussie accent to boot. I can totally understand who my heroine Summer could never get him out of her head. But can she reconcile the safe life she’s built with the nomadic existence that Ty lives to finally make them a couple? I hope you take the time to find out
Cheers, Sami
Giveaway Information
I’m giving away a copy of the first book in which Ty Butler appeared. It’s called Moonlight Mirage and it’s set on an idyllic tropical resort that has a way of casting erotic spells on its visitors. For more info about that book, visit here
Just comment below and fill out the rafflecopter below.
Rhythm of My Heart Launch Party Giveaway #3 – Mari Carr
Author Contact Links
You can visit Mari’s website at www.maricarr.com. She is also on Facebook and Twitter.
Blurb
Some things never change. Others never stay the same. Thank God.
Second Chances, Book 3
Laura Sanders thought post-divorce life would be simple. What a rude awakening to realize that after too many years as a wife and mother, she’s stuck in a rut so deep she’s forgotten how to have fun.
Determined that this year will be different, she sets a New Year’s goal to rediscover the woman she used to be—the one who loved to dance, to laugh, to kiss.
When Bryan Sinclair spots his best friend from high school in the Blue Moon bar, he wonders how the hell he failed to notice her beauty and vitality all those years ago. Laura’s confession that she plans to experience lost opportunities tempts him into joining her on the journey.
Together they make up for lost time, in and out of the bedroom. But there’s one area in which Laura has no plans to change the status quo—her heart. And Bryan has his work cut out convincing her to take another chance. On him. On forever.
Product Warnings
This story contains sex at Rocky Horror, sex at a Jimmy Buffett concert, sex on the stairs, sex on the dining-room table, sex on the dance floor, and even sex in a bed.
Excerpt
“Hey, Laura.” Kevin was back, grasping her hand and pulling her toward the dance floor. “Dance with me.”
She tried to retrieve her hand, shaking her head, but Kevin was tenacious. She glanced behind him, hoping to signal Georgie for help dissuading the man, but her friend had spotted Nick.
Cue yet another World War. Tonight was about to implode. Quickly.
Kevin spun her, resuming his earlier dancing position. This time there was no mistaking what he was packing in his pants as he tightened his arm around her waist, grinding closer.
She tried to push his hand away, struggling to break free of his grip. While she knew he didn’t mean her any harm, she was more than uncomfortable with his inappropriate rubbing and touching.
“I really need to—”
“Laura? Laura Riley?”
Laura looked up at the sound of her maiden name and spotted salvation in blue jeans, a button-down shirt, and a beloved, familiar face she’d never dreamed of seeing again. “Bryan? Oh my God. What the hell are you doing here?”
Bryan Sinclair had been Laura’s best friend for four years. An Army brat, Bryan and his family had been stationed at the base near Harrisburg when she and Bryan were in seventh grade. One of the saddest days of Laura’s life had been the day Bryan told her his dad was being transferred. They were halfway through their junior year in high school and Laura had felt his absence in her life profoundly. They’d tried to stay in touch, writing letters and calling occasionally, but eventually, they simply lost touch.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Bryan smiled at Kevin. “Mind if I cut in?”
Kevin loosened his grip, but didn’t move away. Laura suspected the alcohol was dimming his senses and slowing his response time. “Uh…”
Laura used Kevin’s distraction to step away from the young man. “Thanks for the dance, Kevin.” She grabbed Bryan’s hand, leading him away from the dance floor and toward the bar.
As soon as they found a quiet corner, Bryan hugged her tightly. Laura returned the embrace. “You saved me, stranger.”
Bryan chuckled. “Yeah. It didn’t look like you were enjoying the mauling. Damn, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
She laughed. “I’m so glad to see you. I have to admit you’re probably the last person on earth I expected to run into tonight.”
“I’m here for the band.”
She laughed. “Wow. Really? How many years has it been?”
Bryan shrugged. “I haven’t seen you since we were sixteen, so what’s that make it? Twenty-seven years?”
Laura winced. “Talk about making me feel old. I was just thinking about you the other day.”
“Oh yeah?”
She nodded. “One of my girlfriends talked me into joining Facebook. I wound up getting out an old yearbook and started plugging in names trying to find people from school. Your name was the first one I typed in.”
“I’m not on Facebook.”
She grinned. “I noticed.”
“I’ll correct that oversight as soon as I get home tonight.”
Laura marveled at how at ease she was with Bryan even after all the years apart. Despite the years that had passed, she could still see the boy he’d been in his face and hear it in his voice. While they’d never been anything more than friends, Laura had felt closer to Bryan than anyone. There was nothing they hadn’t talked about when they were younger, nothing they wouldn’t try together. Shortly after Bryan moved, Laura’s ex-husband, Mason, asked her out for a date. Sometimes Laura wondered what Bryan would have thought about Mason’s invitation. Would he have encouraged her to go out with Mason or told her to steer clear?
They say hindsight is twenty-twenty. That was certainly true for Laura. Mason had come along at a time when she was lonely, missing her best friend, and she’d hopped at the chance to go out with the hottest, richest guy in high school. She wasn’t so sure her answer would have been the same if Bryan had still been around.
“Are you seriously here for the band?”
Bryan nodded, pointing to the stage. “The blonde on the keyboard is my daughter, Trina. She’s a sophomore at the Conservatory.”
“That’s your daughter? She’s incredible. My girlfriends and I were talking earlier about how talented she is.”
Bryan lit up. It was clear he adored his daughter. “She’s pretty amazing.”
“Are you just in town visiting her?”
Bryan shook his head. “No. My company offered me a transfer here a few months ago. Trina had already done her freshman year at the Conservatory and I’d missed the hell out of her. I asked her what she would think of her old man moving closer. She told me to go for it.”
“What’s your wife do?”
“My wife passed away five years ago.”
Laura reached out to touch his hand. “Oh Bryan. I’m so sorry. That must’ve been terrible for you.”
Bryan nodded. “For a while there, I was pretty much living day to day. But it’s true what they say. Time heals all wounds. I miss the hell out of her, but I’ve accepted she’s gone and I’ve figured out a way to move forward. So now it’s just Trina and me. I’m renting an apartment in town and she’s living in a dorm on campus. That was the deal. I could follow her to college, but I had to keep my distance.”
Laura admired Bryan’s strength, his courage. There was a sadness in his eyes when he spoke about his wife that told her he hadn’t had an easy go of it these last few years. “My kids wouldn’t have let me move to their college towns, period, but considering they were twins and they attended universities on opposite sides of the state, it’s pretty safe to say that set-up wouldn’t have worked anyway.”
“Attended?”
“They graduated a year ago. I’m very pleased to say my children are both presently employed in their chosen professions and have started paying their debt to society. Kevin is a medical technician at a hospital near Roslyn and Katie teaches kindergarten here in town.”
Bryan gestured toward the bar. “The band is finishing up this set and then they’re going to take a break. I promised to bring Trina a glass of water. You have a few minutes to hang out? I’d love to introduce you to her.”
“Sure.” Laura followed Bryan to the bar, waiting as the bartender made Bryan a gin and tonic and poured Trina a glass of water.
“You sure you don’t want something?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Better not. I’ve already overindulged on lemon shooters.”
Bryan feigned a wince. “Ouch. Tomorrow could be painful.”
“Sadly, I’m aware of that. I’m hoping to curtail some of the agony with Advil and water tonight before bed.”
“So what about you?” Bryan asked as they dodged dancers, working their way toward the stage. “What are you up to these days?”
“I’m a secretary in a high school.”
“And your husband?”
Laura paused. That question still took her unaware as she wondered if people would judge her harshly for giving up on a twenty-three-year marriage. “I’m divorced.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
Laura shrugged. “It’s okay. I initiated the split.”
“I see. Are you happy?”
Laura didn’t know how to reply. When she’d finally gotten up the nerve to ask Mason for a divorce, happiness had been her goal. She’d spent years in a relationship with a man who had no capacity for joy. Laura suspected he was bipolar—or perhaps suffering from depression—but Mason insisted he was fine, refused to go to the doctor and blamed her for his inherent unhappiness. For years, his misery took its toll. She’d left Mason because she wanted to be happy again. But was she?
Bryan interrupted her thoughts. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was a hard question.”
“Let’s just say I’m searching for my happiness.”
“Is that why you’re here tonight? Forgive me for saying it, but this doesn’t seem like it would be your normal environment.”
Laura laughed. “It’s not. At all. My friends dragged me along. And yeah, I think this is part of my quest to rediscover the Laura I used to be. The one who laughed and danced and enjoyed life.”
Bryan studied her face. “Is it working?”
Laura’s face hurt from smiling. She was tipsy, relaxed and she’d laughed more tonight than in the entire previous year. Running into Bryan after so many years apart was the cherry on top of an excellent evening. “Yeah. It is.”
“Good.”
The band announced they were taking a short break. Trina walked over to join them. “Hey, Dad. Thanks,” she said as Bryan handed her the glass of water. “What did you think of that set?”
“Best one of the night.”
Trina beamed at her father’s praise. “Wait ’til you hear the last set.”
Bryan turned toward her. “Trina, I’d like you to meet my best friend from high school. This is Laura Riley.”
“Sanders.” Laura corrected him softly. She was still torn over whether or not to take her maiden name back. With her kids grown and out of school, she couldn’t think of a reason not to, but given Katie’s unhappiness over the divorce, Laura hadn’t wanted to add yet another upset to an injury that wasn’t healing very fast.
“Sanders,” Bryan corrected.
“You’re an incredible musician, Trina. Your music has blown me away. My daughter would absolutely love that song you played a little bit earlier. Was it called ‘Soul’?”
“’My Soul’,” Trina said. “I wrote that.”
“No way! That was my favorite song of the night.”
Trina smiled. “We’re getting ready to cut our first CD in a couple weeks and I wasn’t sure if I should push for that song to be included. Now I think I will.”
“I’d buy your CD for that song.”
“Wow. Thanks, Ms. Sanders.”
“Call me Laura.”
Someone called Trina’s name and she turned toward the stage. “I have to get back up there. We’re trying to figure out which song to finish with.” Trina gave Bryan a quick kiss on the cheek. “Nice to meet you, Laura.”
“You too.”
While the band was on a break, a canned recording of dance music blared through the speakers. Will Smith’s “Switch”came on.
“Oh my God, I love this song.”
Bryan grinned and pointed to the dance floor. “Should we show these young kids how it’s done?”
Laura raised her hand to refuse. “Hell no. I’ve been told my dancing is out of style.”
“Screw ’em.” Bryan took her hand, dragging her into the throng of bodies. He grasped her waist, pulling her close. They began to move in time to the music, their gazes connected. Laura laughed when he spun her, mimicking the other dancers around them with the same bumping and grinding moves. Funny how the same too-close contact with the man-child Kevin had squicked her out, but with Bryan it was awakening all sorts of dirty desires.
Laura let the alcohol, the music, the flashing lights and the heat take over as she moved sinuously against Bryan. Her libido kicked in with a vengeance, taking her unaware. His hands on her waist reminded her of a time when sex was exciting, fun, something she looked forward to. How long had it been since she felt this way?
She twisted, wrapping her arms around Bryan’s shoulders, laughing when he placed a firm hand on her lower back and pushed her into a dip that was so sexual and hot, Laura couldn’t believe they weren’t setting off the smoke detectors.
“You look beautiful, Laura. How the hell did I miss this in high school? If I hadn’t been such a blind fool, I’d have been on you like white on rice.”
She rolled her eyes, grinning at his compliment. “We became friends when both of us were in the awkward middle school stage. Somehow I don’t think we ever managed to overlook that. You look incredible too, by the way.”
He was sexy as sin. She wondered how he’d respond if she ran her hand along his chest, maybe letting it drift even lower until she found his cock. Would he enjoy such an inappropriate touch? Would he accept an invitation to come back to her place for more?
Shit. She was starting to sound like Josie who’d developed a must-have-sex-soon obsession lately. Time to rein in the hormones.
Laura hadn’t lied about their geeky looks in school. She’d gone through a very unattractive Dorothy Hamill hairstyle phase, complete with braces, while Bryan had sported a crew cut and thick glasses. Neither of them had managed to outgrow that unattractiveness until sophomore year. By then, the friendship was solid, and neither of them was interested in messing with the status quo.
She was tempted now. Holy crap, was she tempted.
Bryan’s hands slid along her waist, finding the tiny bit of skin revealed by her lifted arms. Was she imagining the sensual stroke of his fingers?
Wishful thinking?
He pulled her closer, their faces only inches apart. Heat coursed through her. Sure, the room was warm from so many gyrating bodies in a small space, but she didn’t think it was the exercise or crowd that was leaving her so hot and bothered.
She ran her fingers through Bryan’s shaggy salt and pepper hair. He’d lost the crew cut and embraced the waves he’d cursed during their younger years. His face had matured, as he’d shed the clean-cut boy-next-door look. His jaw was rough with a five o’clock shadow and there were laugh lines around his eyes that gave his face character. In a word, he was handsome.
And she was completely attracted to him.
She wasn’t sure where those feelings were coming from. She’d sworn with her divorce that she was finished with men. Laura had had enough male moodiness and so-so sex to last her a lifetime. She’d declared good riddance and hadn’t questioned that decision.
Until now. Her sex drive had reemerged, screaming out loud and clear that it wasn’t finished yet.
Bryan’s hand slipped beneath her blouse, touching her bare back, using his strength to guide them in the dance.
It was sex to music, just as Georgie said. Laura pressed her hips closer, unsurprised to feel Bryan’s hard cock. He studied her face, then winked.
Her smile grew. “You always were a shameless flirt.”
“And you were always ready to take a walk on the wild side.”
Laura turned her face away, staring at the dancers without seeing them. She couldn’t remember being that person, but as Bryan’s hands roamed over her skin, she wanted to escape the bonds of practicality. She longed to be uninhibited, carefree…wild.
“Hey, Laura!”
Laura caught sight of Kristen approaching her, shoving her way through the crowd.
“We’re getting ready to go. Georgie overindulged on the shots and I’m afraid it’s not going to end well. Jason and Nick offered to drive us home. Okay?”
Laura stepped away from Bryan. “Sure. Give me a minute?”
Kristen took a long look at Bryan, then gave her a surprised, but approving, smile. “I’ll give you two if you make sure to get his phone number.”
Bryan chuckled at Kristen’s matchmaking as she walked away. “Exchanging phone numbers sounds like a good idea to me.”
Bryan led Laura back to where her friends were waiting. Georgie was definitely past the point of no return as Nick held her up. Kristen and Jason were settling the tab. “Looks like we better roll. Will you really join Facebook? There are quite a few of our friends from school on there and…” She paused, wondering if she was being too forward.
“And?” he prompted.
“I can send you my phone number through a private message.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll join. Might be fun to see what some of the gang is up to. And I’d like to see you again. Catch up.”
“Laura?” Kristen said. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” Laura pointed her finger, making a circle around her face. “I’ll Facebook you.”
He laughed at her silly gesture, then put his pinky and thumb to his mouth and ear, mimicking a phone. “I’ll call you.”
Book Buy Links
Available for preorder at Amazon, Samhain, and Barnes and Noble
Giveaway Information
Mari is offering an ebook copy of Full Moon to one random commenter. Just comment and fill out the rafflecopter to enter.
Rhythm of My Heart Launch Party Giveaway #2 – Selena Illyria
Author Contact Links
http://www.selenaillyria.com/blog
http://www.twitter.com/Selena_Illyria
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Selena-Illyria/100175079107
Blurb
Tiger shifter Louisa thought she’d ring in the New Year all alone little did she knew that three, sexy, younger dragon shifters plan on making sure she celebrates things right. Add a little steam, some dragon shifters with a dirty mind and some creative use of furniture and you’ve got the perfect party for four.
Excerpt
“So do we bring the champagne with us or use some of the good stuff at the bar?” Tor tucked a strand of dark blond hair behind his ear. He eyed the liquor cabinet with interest. Getting her drunk would defeat the purpose of tonight. Fun as it was, he wanted her clear-minded and sober. Besides, there were other ways to get a person drunk. He grinned at the idea of getting her intoxicated on them.
“Bring a bottle and the rum. And whipped cream,” Brent called out from the hallway. Fletch rushed off to take care of some last minute things while Tor headed to the wet bar.
Tor took down the bottles and added them to his bag of things. They’d already decided they would grab some food for later on the way to Dragon’s Lair. Once everything was packed, he called out to the other men. “Move your asses. I’m not wasting any more time waiting for Louisa.”
Time to bind you to me, sweetness. And if we’re lucky, you’ll belong to all of us. No more flirting and innuendo. He just hoped that the confidence that empowered him held out. If she did turn them down he wasn’t sure his dragon wouldn’t demand that they kidnap her, bring her back here, and force her to admit she wanted them all. Nothing would get a tiger’s back up more than force and action. She’d be more inclined to beat the shit out of them, leave them bloody, and never speak to them again than fuck them all night long. Not only would they have lost a chance with her, but also their jobs. There would be no way they could work with her and not try again. At least he wouldn’t. Fletch and Brent wouldn’t want to show their faces in front of her again, despite this being a small beach town. There weren’t many places a dragon could go and feel comfortable. They had mountains to the east and the beach to the south and forested land to the north and west. This was home, and it wouldn’t be anymore if Louisa turned them down.
Buy Link:
Giveaway Information
Selena will give away a copy of Dragons at Midnight the first book in the series to one random commenter. Just comment and fill out the rafflecopter to enter.
Rhythm of My Heart Launch Party Giveaway #1
Welcome to the Rhythm Of My Heart Launch Party
Can you believe that after all this time, Rhythm Of My Heart finally releases?
I know it’s been over a year since Colors Of Love, book two in Speed series released, and I have had heaps of queries from readers wanting to know when Zachary Pace (AKA Jonah Speed) will get his book.
The answer is TODAY!
And I’m thrilled to be celebrating the release with a host of other authors who’ll be posting here soon.
Please help me welcome:
Selina Illyria
Mari Carr
Sami Lee
Lexxie Coupler
Leah Braemel
Nikki Lynn Barrett
So, what’s all the fuss about? Oh, just this little book that happens to be my most favorite of all the books I’ve written:
Rhythm Of My Heart : The Blurb
He rocks every woman’s world, but his heart beats only for her.
Speed, Book 3
Makeup artist Eve Andrews is an expert at blending into the background. Landing a job with the rock band Speed is the opportunity of a lifetime, and thankfully as close to the spotlight as she’ll ever get again—until the band’s sinfully sexy drummer turns his dazzling eyes on her.
After a scandal shook his world, Zachary Pace, a.k.a. “Jonah Speed”, has given up the one-night stands and easy lays. One look at Eve, and he senses his self-imposed abstinence is about to come to a screeching halt—but he’s confused. His grandmother foretold his destiny lies with a beautiful redhead, not a tiny, brown-haired pixie.
Under the heat of Zachary’s intense focus, Eve’s resistance melts away, but not the façade that hides her terrible secret. And when she accidentally catches a glimpse of his heart’s desire—his fated redhead—her instincts tell her to let him go…before he gets too close. Before he sees the real woman behind her mask, and her heart is left in the dust of his almost-certain retreat.
Product Warnings
This is a Speed book, so you know there’s gonna be a small element of fantasy to it. And a big element of romance. Oh, yeah, and whole lot of sex. Sex hot enough to make you throb to the rhythm of a very sensual beat…
Buy Links:
Samhain Publishing:
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/rhythm-heart-p-73047.html
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Rhythm-My-Heart-Speed-ebook/dp/B00DUB24NW/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rhythm-of-my-heart-jess-dee/1116010906?ean=9781619218048
Author Contact:
Website: http://www.jessdee.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jess.dee.921
Blog: http://jessdee.wordpress.com
Twitter: @jessdeewriter
HeatWave Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Heat_Wave_Readers/
International Heat: http://intlheat.com
Down Under Divas http://downunderdivas.wordpress.com
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you enjoy the launch party today and get a chance to check out what the other authors have in store for you. For this post I am offering a chance for you to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD. Just comment below and fill out the rafflecopter.
October 7, 2013
Rhythm Of My Heart Launch Party
IT’S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE!
Check back on Oct 8th, from 9am (Chicago time) for your chance to win a Kindle Fire.
Jess
September 16, 2013
Sunset on Summer Blog Hop
It’s cool to be participating in the Sunset on Summer Blog Hop.
Simply by reading the posts of bloggers participating, you could win your choice of a Kindle Fire 7″ HD or Nook HD (US Only Winners Choice) or if you are one of the awesome international posters you get Paypal Cash instead!! There are other prizes to be had as well. Each stop on the hop is going to have their own giveaway too. There are all the details you’re looking for further along in the post.
So back to the whole summer sunset thing…
See, I’m delighted to say that for me it’s just the opposite. The sun is just rising on summer in Australia.
Yep, the air outside gets a little warmer every day, the chill of winter has left and another flower blossoms each morning. Spring is here and summer is on its way.
Which means the streets will soon be permanently scented with sun creams, hats and caps will be permanent fixtures on kids heads around the country, and Sydneysiders will be headed to the beach in their droves.
Personally, I can’t wait. There is very little that depresses me more than cold days and long nights. And when that sun sets in the sky at 5pm and darkness descends before the day should be over, I can cry. Which is why I’m celebrating every minute of sunshine here, and loving how each day it gets darker just a little later.
Soon while be eating dinner while it’s still light outside, and we can take the dog for his walk after we’ve eaten instead of before. There’s a weight that seems to have lifted from everyone’s chest. Yep, the silent, grim weight of winter has gone.
I’m feeling happy people. I’m excited. Spring is here and summer’s on it’s way, and the world is full of of promise.
Okay, so excited am I, I think it’s only fair to share the joy.
How about a little contest?
Just leave a comment below about your favorite season, which it is and why.
I’ll pick two winners to each win a choice of an ebook from my backlist. So please, when you comment, make sure and leave your email address to, so I can contact you.
Good luck!
I’m gonna leave you with a little excerpt from my latest release. It’s set right about this time of year, when the days are warm, but the mornings still a little chilly, and our heroine, Sarah, is seeking out her hero, surf instructor, Charlie – in the ocean at Bondi beach, very early one spring morning.
MORE THAN LOVERS: An excerpt:
She edged her way in until water swirled around her knees. Her nipples beaded into sharp points and goose bumps covered her flesh. But the cold was less intimidating than the waves forming up ahead. Cold she could deal with. Ten footers and massive breakers she couldn’t.
She laughed at her foolishness. The waves were probably no bigger today than usual. It was just peeking at them from around the surfboard she now clutched to her chest that made them appear insurmountable.
She scanned the hordes of surfers in the water, trying to pick out that one familiar, beautiful face. But with the rising sun forming a golden halo behind them, she couldn’t make out more than human shapes on boards. Hopefully the shapes would become clearer the closer she got to them.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she plopped the board on the water and waded in deeper.
Now or never.
She grabbed the front of the board with both hands and dived on top of it.
The water hit her like a deluge of melting ice, the cold so astonishing she let go of the board, lost her balance and tumbled over it sideways, landing unceremoniously in the shallow water.
The chill took her breath.
She jumped up, spluttering, just in time for a wave to knock her back, and over she went again.
Less than a minute in the water, just a couple of meters from shore, and already she was fumbling and stumbling like an idiot.
Surfing was so not her thing.
She felt like a grade-A klutz. Even though she’d swum in the ocean a million times before, she’d never done it at dawn, never when she was this cold and never with a surfboard attached to her ankle.
Then there was the whole coordination business. How the heck did Charlie go from lying to standing in one fluid movement? It seemed, in a word, impossible. Surely the fifteen years spent determining the human genome had been less complicated than mastering one wave?
She longed for the safety of her lab, for the warmth of her white coat and for the encouraging comments from her colleagues. All she got was a mouthful of salty water.
At least she could swim, she consoled herself. Which made drowning only a very small possibility—especially if she had the board to hold on to.
With renewed determination, and a cause worth fighting for, Sarah found her feet, jumping up to avoid disaster as another wave tumbled around her on its way to the beach.
Before the next breaker could knock her over, she steadied the board and slid onto it, using more finesse than she had before. This time, much to her surprise and delight, she managed to stay afloat.
Sarah sized up each wave as it approached. She cut through a couple, paddling as hard as she could, and crested others, gliding harmlessly over them.
Her heart beat like the devil, and she didn’t dare take her gaze off the approaching surf. Her only saving grace was her body’s ability to acclimatize to the cold. Now instead of frostbite setting in, she imagined there were only a few icicles hanging from her fingers, nose and toes. But at least her heart still pumped, and her arms and legs worked.
Breathing twice as hard as usual, she crested a wave, eluding its fury as it broke behind her.
A cloud must have shadowed the sun, letting Sarah make out more than sunlit silhouettes in the distance. She could now see colors and faces as well. And though she didn’t spot Charlie, she clearly saw three people wearing his Bondi Surf rash shirts over their wetsuits.
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More Than Lovers is available now at Amazon, B&N and Samhain.
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Hop Contest: To enter the hop contest click the link below.
Don’t forget this is a hop! Click the link below to check out the other blogs.
