Roxanne D. Howard's Blog, page 13
August 15, 2017
Book Signing Event in Salt Lake City in October
Hey, Everyone!
If you subscribe to my author Facebook, you would have seen my announcement about the upcoming signing in October, but for the people in the back or anyone who might have missed it, on Tuesday, October 10th from 7:00p.m – 9:00p.m., I will be taking part in the Local Author Signing Event at the King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, UT.
The King’s English Bookshop
1511 S 1500 E, 84105 Salt Lake City, United States
I’ll be showcasing paperbacks of At the Heart of the Stone, Chicks Dig the Accent, and Sonnet Coupled, and all the books will be on sale up to 40% off. That means ATHOTS will go from $16.70 (it’s a chunky novel) to only $10.00 for that day only if you show up. For anyone who subscribes to my newsletter and pops in to the event, be sure to mention the e-newsletter or Facebook, and I will throw in a free paperback from my back list!
I look forward to seeing everyone there, and if you’re in the area, please come by to say hello and buy a book! The King’s English has been around for a long time, and it’s a very charming literary bookshop in the heart of an urban hot spot to passersby in the Sugar House area. I frequently went there as a young adult to read poetry and fuss over their resident bookshop cat, and to have it come full circle where I’m now going there as a published author is a reward in and of itself. Eeek!
August 13, 2017
Sorcha Mowbray’s London Calling Cover Reveal @afterglowspress, @afterglowspub, #LondonCalling.
Cover Reveal Blitz: London Calling
Today I am sharing the cover for
LONDON CALLING:
Three Scintillating Victorian Steampunk Tales.
This anthology is a steampunk romance title from After Glows Publishing, and it will be releasing on October 17th. Check out the cover and the books for the anthology below.
LONDON CALLING:
Three Scintillating Victorian Steampunk Tales
by Sorcha Mowbray,
TL Reeve & Michele Ryan,
and Dena Garson
Coming October 17
Book Blurb:
Take a journey to Victorian London where an assassin meets her match, zombies invade, and top scientists go missing.
Four talented authors come together to bring you three BRAND NEW, full length Victorian steampunk novels of seduction, adventure, and mystery.
A look inside..
Seducing the Assassin (Book 1, The Ladies League) by Sorcha Mowbray
Josephine Stanton, Madame and assassin, has another assignment to eliminate an enemy of the Queen. Too bad John Griffin, The Earl of Melton, has no intention of dying. Neither of the pair expects the heat that steams them up between the sheets and ultimately sets New Victorian London on its ear.
Darkness Rises by TL Reeve and Michele Ryan
A zombie horde has invaded London, England. Jonah McRae and his band of ghoulish Dreadfuls are London’s only hope. However, when Annabelle Craig threatens his mission he doesn’t know whether to kill her or claim her as his. Can the hunter and the huntee team together to take down the horde? Or will London be lost forever?
Her Clockwork Heart By Dena Garson
During her search for her missing brother, Trixie is reunited with Nathaniel, the man she never stopped loving. Sensing that Trixie might be in danger, Nathaniel lends his skills as an investigator to her efforts. Their love is rekindled as they race across the country looking for clues to more than one mystery.
—————————-
AUTHOR BIOS:
Sorcha Mowbray is a mild mannered office worker by day…okay, so she is actually a mouthy, opinionated, take charge kind of gal who bosses everyone around; but she definitely works in an office. At night she writes romance so hot she sets the sheets on fire! Just ask her slightly singed husband.
She is a longtime lover of historical romance, having grown up reading Johanna Lindsey and Judith McNaught. Then she discovered Thea Devine and Susan Johnson. Holy cow! Heroes and heroines could do THAT? From there, things devolved into trying her hand at writing a little smexy. Needless to say, she liked it and she hopes you do too!
Website | Facebook Profile | Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter | Goodreads
TL Reeve, a best selling, multi-published author with Cobblestone Press, Decadent Publishing, Evernight Publishing, and Loose-Id, was born out of a love of family and a bond that became unbreakable. Living in Alabama, TL misses Los Angeles, and will one day return to the beaches of Southern California. When not writing something hot and sexy, TL can be found curled up with a good book, or working on homework with a cute little pixie
Website | Facebook Profile | Facebook Page | Twitter | Newsletter |
Michele Ryan is an author with Decadent and After Glows Publishing. She embraced her creative passion and co-authored several books with fellow author TL Reeve. Michele has also published two solo novellas. Michele is a lifelong resident of the state of New Jersey, along with her husband and three children, whom she refers to as her hobbits. When Michele is not plotting or writing, she can be found either volunteering at her children’s school or reading.
Website | Facebook Profile | Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter | Goodreads
Dena Garson is an award winning author of contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi romance. She holds a BBA and a MBA in Business and works in the wacky world of quality and process improvement. Making up her own reality on paper is what keeps her sane.
She is the mother of two rowdy boys, two rambunctious cats (AKA the fuzzy jerks), and a loving Labrador. When she isn’t writing you can find her at her at the sewing machine or stringing beads. She is also a devoted Whovian and Dallas Cowboys fan.
Website | Blog | Facebook Profile | Facebook Page | Twitter | Pintrest | Goodreads | Newsletter
The post Sorcha Mowbray’s London Calling Cover Reveal @afterglowspress, @afterglowspub, #LondonCalling. appeared first on Roxanne D. Howard, Author.
August 5, 2017
Why Going to a High School Reunion is More Cathartic than Therapy
Unless you happen to be a trust fund kid with a very balanced home life and zero problems to worry about other than acne, the ages of 14-18 can be some of the most tumultuous and awkward years of your life. So why in the hell would anyone want to return to visit their past at a high school reunion?
I recently had the opportunity to go to my 20th high school reunion, and it was a big learning experience. One day when I was 16, there was an insouciant, good-looking, clueless guy in my theater class who wrote me a nasty note, telling me I was utterly hopeless. I have no idea what possessed him to do it; the guy couldn’t have known that just the evening prior, I had dealt with a lot of personal family drama no teenager should ever have to go through. But it was a very scarring emotional experience for me that became the catalyst for constantly proving myself as a young adult against doubts of inadequacy, which were foolish and misplaced
I will never forgot the way his words made me feel, but when I mustered up the courage to attend the 20th reunion, something pivotal happened. The same guy, now nearing 40, came up to where I was sitting with my husband, and without going over the top with an effusive apology, he showed me he’d changed. He was noticeably humble, complimentary about me being an author, and emotionally aware. It was plain to see he’d changed, and he appeared contrite. Does it excuse what he did twenty years ago? Not really, but the closure I got from that single pleasant conversation was more healing than seven sessions of counseling could ever be.
A gay friend of mine who’d been through a lot of teasing and bullying in high school also went, and I think it was a healing experience for him, as well. High school reunions give us the chance to celebrate who we were, to step back and realize what we’ve accomplished and how wonderful certain friendships were, give us gumption, and release us from emotional bondage.
Another thing it allows us to do is let go of the past. If you did something embarrassing in high school like swoon over that hot guy or girl you couldn’t stop thinking about to the point of ridiculousness, reunions give you an opportunity to hold your head high, show them what they missed out on, and walk away with your dignity.
If you’re debating whether or not to attend your high school reunion, to quote the old adage, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand tall and proud, and cleanse yourself of emotional junk in the basement.
Make sure you write a list of all the positive things you’ve done since your high school years, and treat yourself to a massage, man-pedi, facial, or spa day before attending. You deserve it!
The post Why Going to a High School Reunion is More Cathartic than Therapy appeared first on Roxanne D. Howard, Author.
August 3, 2017
New Release! Jeanne St. James’s Needing Him #newrelease #authorlove #jeannestjames #needinghim
Needing Him (An Obsessed Novella)
By Jeanne St. James
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance, Erotica
Available for only 99¢!
Buy link: www.books2read.com/NeedingHim
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35429696-needing-him
Blurb:
This is not just a love story, it’s an obsession…
Grace:
The same week every year he comes to my little resort in Maine for five days, then disappears. His darkness, his demons, intrigue me and I need to know his story.
I hope he shows up again this year, because I’m determined to talk to him, make him see me and not look through me like I don’t exist. Make him realize I’m not just some anonymous person who hands him a key.
No, this year will be different.
I haven’t gotten laid in a long time. So, tag, he’s it.
Nick:
For the past three years, I’ve come up to this remote area to forget, to bury my grief. But this year, I don’t need a trip to this run-down resort, this little cabin on the lake, to survive this week. However, there’s one thing I’ve left behind each year when I head back to reality…
Her.
I’ve found the right woman who’ll fill the emptiness deep inside of me, the hole that’s lurked there for years. I can’t get her out of my head. Funny thing is, I don’t even know her name. I never asked.
This year that’s going to change. And I hope she’s willing because I’m taking complete control.
Note: All books in the Obsessed series are standalone novellas. They are intended for audiences over 18 years of age since they include explicit sexual situations, including BDSM.
Excerpt:
Grace:
Every year he shows up. He comes for five days and then disappears. Same week, every year, for the past three years. Arrives on a Sunday night and leaves Friday morning.
He hardly says a word to me. He picks up the keys to his cabin with a couple grunts, then locks himself in for the duration. I don’t know if he sleeps, eats or what. All I know is I’m not to disturb him in any fashion. He made that perfectly clear in a surly manner the first year.
I’m just glad I have an occupant. He never quibbles about the price of the cabin, never asks me for anything. Never complains.
The best part is, he comes during the off season when it’s so slow I think I’ll become destitute. Be homeless and starve.
But, I watch him. He intrigues me and I want to know his story. Why this small town in Maine? Why this time of year?
Why?
And, last but not least, why is my tired little lakeside resort his choice? Yes, the area is beautiful, but it’s remote. Though, it’s not like he goes out hiking, or mountain biking, or even boating on the large lake.
Maybe that’s what he needs. Quiet. Peace.
Me? I get too much peace and quiet. This town bores me to death. Anyone with any ambition escapes as soon as they can.
Though, I can’t get myself to run away. I can’t even walk away.
This was my father’s resort. When he died, he left it to his only daughter. Hell, his only child. He took pride in this place, he built it with his own hands. So, of course, I take pride in it, too.
Even though it bores the fuck out of me.
And the dating scene?
Non-existent. If I’m lucky, I get laid when tourists come to moose watch in the summer. If I’m lucky, I get laid when the snowmobilers blow into town and take over the frozen lake and the nearby trails. If I’m lucky, I get laid when mountain bikers come and ride through the woods when the leaves are changing colors.
But, let’s just say, I haven’t been very lucky lately. Not in a long time. I swear I’ve converted back to a virgin, if that’s even possible.
Fortunately, I’m not uptight and can take care of my own needs. Though, that gets lonely and boring, too. Batteries and my vibrators have become my best friends.
Honestly, I really just need to get the fuck out of this town.
I sigh and look at my reservation book. Yes, book, because even the Internet sucks up here. And cell towers? Yeah, right. You may get a signal if you stand on your head and face North while singing Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Every cabin is still equipped with landline phones and the only television comes from a satellite dish, which only works when it isn’t cloudy, raining, snowing, or the birds aren’t chirping.
My heart races as I see his name written in my unreadable scribble. But, I know it’s him. I’ve reserved his regular cabin.
Not that any of the other cabins are booked since it’s the shoulder season. No one in their right mind is here. The leaves are now brown and falling, the lake too cold to swim in, but too warm for winter activities.
He made his reservation for this year before he left last year.
I hope he shows. Even at the deep discounted rate I’ve given him for coming at this time of year, every penny counts.
That’s not the only reason I hope he comes. No, this year I’m determined to talk to him, make him see me, and not look completely through me like I don’t exist. Make him realize I’m not just some anonymous person who hands him a key and makes him sign a receipt.
No, this year it’s going to be different.
I haven’t gotten laid in a long time.
So, tag. He’s it.
About the Author:
JEANNE ST. JAMES is a bestselling erotic romance author who loves an Alpha male (or two). She was only thirteen when she started writing since it gave her an escape from teenage angst! Her first paid published piece was an erotic story in Playgirl magazine. Her first erotic romance novel, Banged Up, was published in 2009. She is happily owned by farting French bulldogs. She writes M/F, M/M, and M/M/F ménages. Want to read a sample of her work? Download a sampler book here: BookHip.com/MTQQKK
To keep up with her busy release schedule check her website at www.jeannestjames.com or sign up for her newsletter: http://www.jeannestjames.com/newslettersignup
Author Links:
Website: http://www.jeannestjames.com
Blog: http://jeannestjames.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneStJamesAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeannestjames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneStJames
Amazon Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/JeanneStJames
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JeanneStJames
Newsletter: http://www.jeannestjames.com/newslettersignup
Review & Book Crew: https://www.facebook.com/groups/JeannesReviewCrew/
The post New Release! Jeanne St. James’s Needing Him #newrelease #authorlove #jeannestjames #needinghim appeared first on Roxanne D. Howard, Author.
July 19, 2017
ATHOTS Paperback Goodreads Giveaway!
Hi there At the Heart of the Stone fans! As you’ve probably gathered by now, ATHOTS has come out in glorious, gorgeous paperback!
Because it’s priced at $15.90 (hey, it’s a super long, steamy book
July 12, 2017
Ruth A. Casie’s Happily Ever After
I am beyond pleased to have Ruth A. Casie spotlighting her new novel, Happily Ever After, and the drop dead gorgeous cover art for it today. I have to say, guys, I am in LOVE with this cover. I mean, wow! Check out the excerpt and blurb below, this book looks fantastic!
Happily Ever After by Ruth A. Casie
Back Cover Copy:
From a fall from literary stardom to becoming the heroine in her own romance story, Beth Holmes has turned around her career and her love life. She owes it all to one very special person.
Jarred Watson has loved Beth since he read her first novel and suspected the heroine was the embodiment of the author. But the road to romance was fraught with pitfalls. He almost lost everything because of a conniving agent and a little white lie that got out of hand. At the eleventh hour, with honesty and hard work, their book sales are off the charts and a movie deal is in negotiations.
Interfering families and changed plans take their toll. Will they go their separate ways or will Holmes and Watson continue their literary collaboration and personal partnership in order to find their own happily ever after?
Excerpt:
“Interesting.” He chuckled. “Men are not known for their empathy.” He brought his chair closer to hers. “Like stress,” he said. “Under stress, men exhibit the “fight or flight” response.”
Beth nodded. She hadn’t considered the differences in gender reactions in that context. “Women don’t think fight or flight, at least not initially. Under stress they work to protect the group. It has to do with protecting the young and seeing to the family unit. They also think very differently about sex.”
A sly smile brightened his face. She wanted to slam her hand over her mouth.
“We do?” He dropped his voice to a low raspy whisper and sent chills, the good kind, up her back and to other places.
“For a woman, sex starts in their head, not necessarily between her legs.” Shit. Her face was so hot she was going to go up in flames. Jeez, that’s what her heroine Jo Dee would say, definitely not Beth Alexander.
“Oh really?” If she thought his soft, male mellow voice or his smoldering stare couldn’t get any sexier, she got that totally wrong.
“I’m a romance writer. I write about relationships and emotions,” she replied.
“And sex,” he added. Was he extending an invitation? She wasn’t a loose woman, but she was more than tempted to say yes. And that was her notion, not Jo Dee’s.
Purchase Links:
Amazon/Kindle: http://a.co/8DGxCzf
iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/happily-ever-after/id1231892165?mt=11
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/happily-ever-after-69
Ruth’s Bio
RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author of historical swashbuckling action-adventure time-travel romance about strong women and the men who deserve them, endearing flaws and all. Ruth also writes contemporary romance with enough action to keep you turning pages. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, three empty bedrooms and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and international bank product and marketing manager vice president, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing romance. She hopes her stories become your favorite adventures. For more information, please visit www.RuthACasie.com or visit her on Facebook, @RuthACasie, Twitter, @RuthACasie, or Pinterest RuthACasie
Ruth’s Links:
Personal Blog: http://www.ruthacasie.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RuthACasie
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/RuthACasie/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/13GwuQ1
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ruth-a-casie
Tweet
He was the cause of her fall from literary stardom until he became her salvation @Amreading (add a short link to your blog)
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July 2, 2017
New #Giveaway for a huge 7-book #Romance bundle!
Hey y’all,
Happy 4th of July!
Aside from the current awesome giveaway going on right now with Romance Writer’s Behaving Badly, there’s another giveaway just started with Passion and Pentagrams for a 7-book giveaway bundle! Be sure to enter and share the giveaway to get the word out! We have the following books in a large giveaway bundle that will go to one lucky reader by the end of the month, so be sure to enter.
June 30, 2017
Mystics of V’nairia Series by J.C. Ritchie #AuthorLove #Bookbuzz #newrelease
I’d like to welcome J.C. Ritchie to the blog to celebrate the release of his series, Mystics of V’Nairia. For all of you sci-fi/fantasy/adventure lovers out there, this series looks awesome! Check it out.
The Fated Swords, Mystics of V’nairia Book One:
Blurb: V’nairia, a kingdom where human and mystics alike lived in harmony until one man bent on the extermination of the mystic race takes his seat as The Supreme Judge, making him the most powerful man in the kingdom.
Zander, once an orphaned boy has just graduated from the V’nairian Militia Academy and joins the extermination squad led by his best friend Vallus. The two boys are given the cursed swords Ebony and Ivory by Vallus’ father as a gift. Together with their friend Kerra they seem to live completely normal lives until an ancient evil turns their world upside down and they are fighting for the survival of all of V’nairia.
The tale of the fated swords is about to unfold…
The Crusader King, Mystics of V’nairia Book 2:
Blurb: Two Years have passed since Zander and Vallus defeated Diaboro, the Demon King and saved the kingdom of V’nairia. Now a new threat emerges from the Foreignlands with an army large enough to bring V’nairia to its knees. The Crusader King, a man bent on conquering V’nairia with power bestowed upon him by God searches for the “Key” to immortality.
Zander; Vallus, Heiro, and Ashe race to find the mysterious item known as “The Key” before it falls into the hands of The Crusader King and use it to defeat him and his armies before the kingdom falls to ruin. Just how far are they willing to go to defeat God’s champion?
Bio: J.C. Ritchie was born in the city of Norton, VA. He lives in Sevierville, Tennessee and spends most of his days reading, writing, and playing massive amounts of video games. His influences are Brent Weeks, Mark Lawrence, George R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling, and J.R.R. Tolkien. He is the author of the Mystics of V’nairia Series.
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100018157363305
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcritchienovels/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jcritchienovels
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J.C.-Ritchie/e/B00NE3W19S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1498831943&sr=1-2
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14194056.J_C_Ritchie
The post Mystics of V’nairia Series by J.C. Ritchie #AuthorLove #Bookbuzz #newrelease appeared first on Roxanne D. Howard, Author.
June 29, 2017
Ava Vixion’s Avenging the Night – League of Guardians Series #boroughspubgrp #avavixion
Giving some #authorlove today for my fellow author, Ava Vixion! Check out Ava’s newly released League of Guardian Series with Boroughs Publishing – it looks awesome!
AVENGING THE NIGHT
Millennia have passed, and the angel Amitiel still grieves her mate’s death—until she meets the mysterious Kayd, who protects her with a ferocity she has known before.
NO MERE MORTAL…
Leader of the Guardians, the Angel protectors of Earth, Amitiel is a fierce and dangerous warrior who revels in slaying any Demon that crosses her path. But her heart is hard and empty, and has been for millennia since her precious mate was killed in battle. Out of the shadows, a being appears who seems part Demon, part Angel, but who is wholly her protector. And he is very good at his job.
SHALL POSSESS HER
Kayd has suffered unspeakable torture and had his memories erased, but when he sees the beautiful Angel with midnight hair, one thing is clear: He must protect her—and if he’s lucky, love her. Battles await, and memories. And at the end is a betrayal deeper than he ever thought possible. Then wholeness and love.
LINKS:
Website: https://www.AvaVixion.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ava.Vixion
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AvaVixion
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avavixion
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AvaVixion
Amazon: https://goo.gl/hluHNa
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/avavixion
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ava-vixion
Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/avavixion
Tumblr: https:www.avavixion.tumblr.com
Flickr: https:www.flickr.com/avavixion
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AvaVixion
The post Ava Vixion’s Avenging the Night – League of Guardians Series #boroughspubgrp #avavixion appeared first on Roxanne D. Howard, Author.
June 26, 2017
Helen of Troy, Illinois by Annie Sereno #boroughspubgrp #anniesereno
Blog Tour
Title: Helen of Troy, Illinois
Author: Annie Sereno
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Release Date: May 2, 2o17
Helen of Troy, Illinois, is back home in the heartland to wage a war—with nothing to lose but her heart.
ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR
With a bank account on life support and a resume of dead-end jobs (one involving a Chuck E. Cheese costume), Helen Hubler left Manhattan for Troy, Illinois, to sell her family property. The only interested buyer is the smoking hot veterinarian next door—the same man who destroyed the career of her recently deceased college boyfriend whose last request she refused. Guilt bolsters her resolve to resist Dr. Gordon Ruckman’s offer…and to wage a little war in the bargain. Her messy life might be payback for the original Helen of Troy’s crime, but this is one battle she’ll win. Even if his plan to build a wildlife rescue center is the best idea ever. Even if she’s caught between a rock and a—considering the white-hot chemistry between them—very hard place. And even if her heart, like the original Troy, has a way inside for a determined hero.
Boroughs|Amazon|Createspace|B&N|Kobo|Smashwords
“What do you want on your hero?” the server asked.
“One of everything,” she and the man with the sexy voice replied at the same time.
Helen’s mouth watered as she watched the server heap the Delphi Deluxe with olives and onions. Indulgence was her problem, right up there with expensive taste and what her bank called rampant depletion of funds. An impossible combination, like wanting a man with Louis’s maturity and stability and Perry’s sensitivity and social conscience. One of everything.
Resolution number two. Decide once and for all if she was going to become Mrs. Mendes.
Or not.
“I see we both like a hearty lunch.”
We. She and the man with the voice, the hot guy with the swoony scent. The Tiffany box slipped from Helen’s fingers as she looked up into a pair of penetrating hazel eyes set above high cheekbones and a classically perfect nose. Gold and auburn strands streaked his chestnut hair as thick and heavy as a horse’s tail.
He pointed to her handbag. “Looking for something?”
“Just some loose change. And my wits. Also loose,” she said, pulling her wallet from the handbag.
Two deep dimples curved in the craggy folds of his handsome face when he smiled. A luscious lip smile.
Crap. How could she think long, hard, and deep about Louis when she was struck witless in a cloud of pheromones?
Long, hard, and deep.
Double crap.
“Hot sauce,” he told the server.
I’m being seduced by a man ordering a sandwich.
Helen licked away the imagined burn of hot sauce on her lips. She had to get her mind around another idea fast. Two of her greatest pleasures, sex and subs, were combining for the first time in a most intriguing way.
“That’ll be five dollars and forty-four cents,” the server told her.
After paying him, Helen put the wallet back in her handbag, squashing a container of Strawberry Fields Tic-Tacs, a Kiss Me Coral tube of lipstick, an unfinished New York Times crossword puzzle—and the letter from her father announcing he was getting remarried.
Helen glanced up again at the guy who was soon to sink his teeth into a Hercules with one of everything on it. This time she noticed a jagged white scar on the right side of his face, curving from his temple to below his cheekbone like a comma. The touch of sadness in his eyes was certainly familiar. If she had learned anything by now, it was that life was a pain in the rear for everybody. Even sexy hunks who oozed confidence from every pore.
Breaking the news of her dad’s remarriage was the latest pain in her rear. She had no idea what to expect when her mom read the letter. Her worst fear was that, even though Lena had been divorced for ten years, she’d get sappy and sentimental and decide not to sell their property after all. But Helen needed cold, hard cash here and now. And if Lena needed a cold, hard reminder that Zach Hubler was a screw-up, she had no problem whatsoever giving it to her.
She reached across the counter to take the sandwich from the server.
“Hope you enjoy it,” Hercules said when she brushed against his arm.
“You too.”
She read the sign on the cookie tray above the cash register. C’mon. One won’t hurt you.
The hell it wouldn’t.
“Good-bye,” she murmured.
As she snapped her handbag shut, a tampon in the top pocket popped out and landed on the floor. It rolled a few inches and stopped neatly, mortifyingly, between the hunk’s muddy boots.
Damn.
He stepped away as if he hadn’t seen a thing. She snatched it off the floor, upending a row of potato chip bags.
Double damn.
Smiling, he bent down to help her put them back on the counter—along with the canister of straws she’d upended. Forget about her swath of destruction. If they clunked heads, she was getting the frick out of there.
“See ya,” he called out when she finally made it to the door.
I sure as hell hope not.
Helen waved a hand over her shoulder. Eye contact was out of the question. As was any other kind of contact.
She made it back to the car without dropping anything else—small comfort since her dignity had already rolled away like the errant tampon. As had her cool in the humidity of this last day of May.
From the rearview window, Helen watched Hercules saunter to his truck, fold those long legs inside it, and drive away. She turned the key in the ignition and Elvis’s voice blasted from the speakers. All shook up, he sang.
Elvis who, if rumor was correct, had died eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich, buck-naked on his bathroom floor.
Death by sandwich—or embarrassment. Take your pick.
To Annie, every story is a love story, even Moby Dick. Why else would Captain Ahab chase that pesky whale all over creation? And the relationship between Huck and Tom in Huckleberry Finn has bromance written all over it. So naturally she writes romance novels. Her heroines and heroes never behave exactly as she wants them to, being spirited, independent folk. And they talk back. When they should be listening. To her. But if they make their fetching way into readers’ hearts, well, then, she’s perfectly fine with that.
When she’s not wrestling her daydreams into prose—in which she uses words like fetching with wild abandon—Annie wields a palette, spade, and mandolin (the kitchen utensil, not the instrument) with less-than-wild abandon. The pen is mightier than the sword, but she’s scared to death of an empty canvas, rampant zucchini, and her food processor.
In possession of (too) many academic degrees, a well-worn passport, and stacks of Change of Address forms tracking her moves from one end of the United States to the other, Annie now resides in the Midwest with her husband, a gazillion photos of her two sons who’ve recently flown the nest, darn them, and an alarming number of books, swimming goggles, and shoes. Annie loves to hear from her readers. You can find her here:
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