Jayne Rylon's Blog, page 13

Healing Touch Pre-Order and Excerpt!

I know it’s been five years since my very first book, Dream Machine, was released.  Where did the time go?!  Well one character’s story just wouldn’t stop bugging me so Luke Malone is finally getting a book of his own!  It’s not necessary that you read Dream Machine to enjoy this book but Kurt and Becca do play a major role as does their invention.  The book will be out in just about two weeks on December 4th!  It’s up for pre-order now.  I also wanted to share an except with you.  You know it’s going to be a good one when it’s hard to find an excerpt that’s not too dirty for my web site!

Available now from Amazon

Available now from B&N

Available now from Samhain

Love can be a lifeline.

Play Doctor, Book 2

As thrilled as Luke Malone is for his best friends, Kurt and Becca, enough is enough. The couple welcomed him into their lives, and their bed. But lately, he’s feeling less like a participant in their happiness…and more like an intruder.

Yet when a beautiful woman comes to his sexual psychology practice, Luke is forced to turn her away. It’s not that he doesn’t want to help her, it’s that he wants her. Too much to stay impartial.

Brielle Norris would rather have a root canal than see a shrink. But she’s had enough of letting the scars from an abusive relationship rule her life. Knees knocking, she steps into the psychologist’s office—and runs right into a tall, handsome man whose gilded perfection makes her own quirky faults even more painfully obvious.

She never expected he’d hand her off to one of his colleagues—then take a personal support role in the unconventional treatment she needs to heal.

In tandem with Kurt and Becca, Luke strives to teach Brielle that not all relationships end in disaster. At least this one won’t—if he can keep her safe when her past rears its ugly head.

Product Warnings

Contains scenes of outside-the-box therapy involving a ménage a quatre. Closed course, professional drivers; do not attempt without…ahem…expert supervision.

Copyright © 2012 Jayne Rylon

All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Luke grumbled as he tried to read his scribbles off the crumpled list in his hand. He paused to decipher his doctor’s writing. It really had gotten illegible lately.

“Excuse me.” A soft voice distracted him from his squint.

He glanced up in time to see a woman hesitate as she approached from the opposite direction, a half-full basket dangling from her arm. Sure, he hadn’t left a big gap, but the pretty, slender lady could have easily slid by.

“Sorry,” he apologized, parking his grocery cart at the very edge of the aisle.

“You’re fine,” she murmured with a shy smile.

He stared as she took a deep breath then darted through the opening. Her long hair swished against the curve of her waist, which he’d bet he could nearly wrap his hands around.

Too bad she wasn’t on his menu for this evening.

Now you’re going to cooperate? He rolled his eyes at his hardening cock, which had an instant appetite for the demure brunette who disappeared around the corner. He resisted the urge to follow her.

Barely.

Nothing much piqued his interest these days.

Maybe deciding to try his hand at cooking would be another flop. He’d test-driven enough hobbies intended to shake him out of his funk—golf, woodworking, voyeurism and landscaping—to recognize another lemon looming on the horizon.

After all, what he really craved had nothing to do with the dozen or so items his housekeeper had dictated he purchase for his culinary experimentation. If only there was a store he could patronize to browse for a life partner…

Lately his house echoed, reminding him of his loneliness as he paced during sleepless nights. He’d thought those would vanish once he’d reached some of his goals. But now that he’d hit both career and financial milestones, the nest egg he’d amassed rotted in his bank account with no hope of being used for something worthwhile like a vacation house for two or retirement plans or a fancy wedding or a kid’s college education fund. Without someone to share his successes with, they seemed sort of…pointless.

Shaking himself from the gloomy thoughts, he focused on the scrap he’d torn from his notepad. What could he possibly need for his stir-fry that would start with a z?

Zucchini!

He nabbed a decent bottle of St-Emilion Bordeaux from the wine section on his way to the produce display at the front of the store. Didn’t it figure? A heart-shaped ass was presented to him as the woman he’d inadvertently trapped bent over to rummage through a crate of onions on the cracked linoleum.

If he hadn’t loved this place on entering, he did now.

Luke couldn’t say he’d ever shopped here before. The emphasis was certainly more on the product than the displays, something he found refreshing after the overly bright fluorescents of his usual megamart.

He might have to start frequenting the place, which touted the freshest vegetables at lowest prices. After passing it a million times before—since it was on the street between Kurt’s office and his house—he’d decided to alter his routine, hoping to change his broader course. Something had to give. Soon.

The damned adorable clientele here had lifted his spirits already. He didn’t claim to be a perfect man. Or even a decent one. No, he slowed down to relish the view as long as possible as he approached.

As if she sensed his gaze, she made her selection then peeked over her shoulder. Maybe she always checked her back.

Something about the momentary flicker of fear in her wide, brown eyes tugged at him. He considered saying hello, starting a conversation, yet he guessed she’d bolt the instant a stranger approached. Especially a man who looked as hungry as he must.

Who’d hurt her? he wondered.

She nibbled on her glossy lower lip—a natural, pale pink.

Luke offered her a gentle smile. She ducked her head and zigzagged around a low-hanging, cheesy cardboard archway that had seen better days. The path took her the long way to the lettuce. He shook his head and resisted the urge to give chase.

At least four different types of zucchinis were nestled at the very end of the row of pallets. The store had clearly run out of space and stuck them in the narrow lane. The awkward configuration left him surrounded by vegetables on three sides while he dug through the offering as if he could tell by osmosis which he should add to his selections. It was such tight quarters he’d had to abandon his cart at the opening, winding through the admittedly colorful and fragrant vegetables to reach the bins.

“How the hell do you tell which one to pick?” he muttered to himself.

Or so he thought.

“The freshest ones still have a moist end on the stem. The skin should be a little prickly but shiny.” The woman he’d refused to stalk, despite the directive from his crotch, offered assistance in a melodious voice that made him think of candlelight and fancy silverware, instead of the basic white plates he’d eat off tonight.

She didn’t enter the narrow section, waiting on the wide swath of linoleum outside its boundaries while he floundered. Probably she just wanted him to get the hell out of her way again.

“Ah, thanks.” He smiled at her, using her criteria to select what he thought was a prime specimen. “What about this one?”

She shook her head. “Almost, but no. It’s too big. The ones that are about six inches long or less have better flavor. Don’t take one that’s too fat either.”

Luke almost swallowed his tongue. At least choking kept his crass remarks from rushing out before his better sense could filter them.

How old are you? Ten?

“Better?” He exchanged the vegetable for one that conformed to all of her rules.

This time she beamed at him, and the expression transformed her from appealing to exquisite. “Perfect. Would you mind handing me one too?”

He focused on discovering the ideal zucchini for her, shifting several layers until an exemplary summer squash appeared. Something about her encouraged him to apply himself for the first time in a while.

Who would have thought?

“Here. This one.” He held the best out to her. Not a single mark marred its skin, flawless like hers.

She blanched and froze.

“What? It’s not good?” He tipped his head.

“It’s great. Sorry, I just—can’t go in there.” She waved her hand between the enormous boxes of produce.

“Ah, no worries.” He didn’t pry. He’d never met someone who was lachanophobic but he knew rare and unusual things existed in this messed-up world. Maybe she was afraid of one of the other vegetables or the creepy crawly things that could easily be hiding in the cracks after stowing away on the organic haul. More likely, of being too close to a man, especially one as tall as he was. He tried to slouch, making himself as unimposing as possible.

“Here you go.” He slipped the zucchini into a plastic bag and handed it to her at arm’s length.

“Thank you.” She shot him a sad smile laced with something that looked like regret then bolted while he wrapped up his find the same way.

Happy reading,

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com

Powertools Prize Pack Winners

Thank you to everyone who played along and helped me celebrate the release of Powertools in print (Amazon, B&N)!

Our prize pack winners are:

Angel Isaac

Erika Spivey

Lori Vick

Misti Allen

Congratulations!!  Please email your snail mail address to me at contact@jaynerylon.com so that Mr. Rylon can send your goodies.

Happy Reading,

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com

Oops… CONTEST For New Release Yesterday

I’m not going to lie… I forgot a release day.  Well, given the election yesterday and the word counts I’ve been laying down on Hot Rods #1, King Cobra, I hope you’ll forgive me for not mentioning that yesterday was release day for Powertools in PRINT!  To make up for my slip up I’m having a contest.  I’ll be giving away several prize packs including a Powertools t-shirt and maybe even some extra goodies!  To be entered share this page on Facebook or Twitter and tag me so I can see it   The contest will run through the end of the weekend.  The more people who play, the more prize packs I’ll have Mr. Rylon send out!

This book contains the first four installments in the Powertools series:  Kate’s Crew, Morgan’s Surprise, Kayla’s Gift and Devon’s Pair.  For everyone who’s emailed me over the past two years. It’s finally here!  Hooray.

Available now at Amazon

Available now at B&N

Available now at Samhain

Five men with power tools, what more can a girl want?

Kate’s Crew

Sultry summer has nothing on the five man crew renovating the house next door. How will Kate’s white-knight in a hardhat react when she whispers her secret desire to be ravaged by his crew?

Morgan’s Surprise

Morgan, may have made her own birthday cake this year but the sexy men helping to whip her fledgling bakery into shape will make sure she doesn’t eat it alone.

Kayla’s Gift

When a faulty truck engine and a blizzard trap Kayla and the crew in her secluded naturist resort, the guys are more than willing to play by the rules of her clothing-optional facility. With four of them to share body heat, no one will be left out in the cold.

Devon’s Pair

When James sees the way his bisexual boyfriend is checking out their new apprentice, he’s sure he’s about to lose the man of his dreams. Until sparks fly between the three of them and he realizes that his boyfriend’s girlfriend is becoming his girlfriend too.

Warning: Not for the faint of heart. You’ll find people enjoying each other in pairs, trios and more. Expect m/f, m/m, m/m/f, m/m/m/m/m/f, m/f/m/f/m/f/m/m/f and any other alphabet soup combo to be contained herein.

Happy reading!

Jayne Rylon

www.jaynerylon.com

Guest Blogger – Mari Carr

I want to give a big shout out and word of thanks to Jayne for opening up her blog to allow me to talk about a new book I have releasing on Tuesday, November 7 called Bachelor’s Bait. On my website (www.maricarr.com), I’m holding a weeklong “Cocktale” party to celebrate. There will be drink recipes, excerpts, and a contest! I hope you’ll stop by and check it out.

As part of the party fun, I’m telling “cocktales” about some of the crazy times I’ve spent with my friends. I’ve visited Jayne’s house several times over the past few years, but I think the first trip provided one of our most memorable moments. If you’ve ever read the joint author bio Jayne and I have included in our Compass series books, you’re probably be familiar with her claims that I tried to poison her with tequila.

Well, the story is true, but I will say—in my defense—I didn’t realize at the time she was allergic to alcohol! Heck, she didn’t even know she was. I’d created these shots that I called Dream Machines with a lick of salt and a shot of Patron Silver that are then chased with cotton candy. As Jayne is a cotton candy freak, I named the drink after one of her books and looked forward to sharing a shot with her.

Let’s just say…it ended with Jayne turning beat red and laughing maniacally for several minutes before passing out. It was her intense reaction to the drink that caused our friend Valerie Tibbs to INSIST Jayne talk to her doctor about it. It was then we discovered…yep…she’s allergic to alcohol. Oops.

The friends in Cocktales remind me a lot of my International Heat writing pals. You never know what chaos we’re going to cause. Bachelor’s Bait is number three in the series that is about a group of four friends who open a bookstore-slash-bar called Books and Brew together. Party Naked and Screwdriver, the first two books, are available now.

Bachelor’s Bait

Cocktales, Book Three

Sophia Kennedy is determined to chase her own success, rather than ride her father’s coattails. She’s devoted herself to Books and Brew, the business she owns with her three best friends. She doesn’t feel the need to explain herself to anyone, least of all the free-aid lawyer who’s determined to judge her as a society princess. She’d ignore him altogether…if it were up to her mind. But nooooo. Her body just has to have its say—and it’s using words like “gorgeous”, “hot” and “sexy”. Soon, annoyance turns to attraction, verbal sparring to physical satisfaction as the couple is drawn together by a common cause.

Marc Garrett has no time for a relationship. And he certainly doesn’t want a rich society fixture, though the damning evidence below his belt suggests otherwise. The more he comes to know his hardworking princess, the more he wants her, again and again. Marc’s falling hard, but after holding Sophie’s wealth against her, how will she react when she learns of his own rather prosperous roots?

Excerpt:

“Charlotte?” Sophie was annoyed to find the coat-check room unattended. She’d been an idiot to trust Charlotte to keep an eye on it. The woman was too flighty to take the task seriously. She was a regular at the bookstore and when Sophie had foolishly mentioned her problem finding volunteers to help work the event, Charlotte had stepped forward. Sophie had accepted the offer, ignoring the voice telling her Charlotte only wanted to help so she could ogle the cream of society’s crop in a glitzy setting.

Now she was staring at an unprotected room full of expensive shawls and jackets.

“Shit,” she muttered. “Can anyone say liability?” She stepped behind the check-in counter and into the room, intent on finding the extra flyers. Then she’d track down her “volunteer” and read her the riot act for leaving her post unattended.

Spotting the box in a corner, she crossed the small space and bent to retrieve it.

A wolf whistle sounded from the doorway.

Sophie rose quickly but the damage was done. Clearly she’d given someone an eyeful of her ass wrapped in its tight skirt.

Marc leaned against the doorframe, looking far too pleased with the view she’d offered.

“Wow. Sexist much?”

He gave her a seductive grin. She wished her body would stop responding to him so forcefully. Her stomach clenched, her pussy dampened and she was grateful for the box in her hands or Marc would see them trembling.

He was unapologetic. “When I see something beautiful, I feel the need to appreciate it.”

“And being the classy guy you are, you thought you’d whistle at me like a construction worker.”

“I thought you might prefer that response over the first idea that popped into my head.”

“Which was?”

“Stroking my hands over that gorgeous ass you just displayed for me.”

The battle between Sophie’s head and body flared. Her ass cheeks clenched, longing for that caress. Her less visceral side offered a reply. “Then you made the right call because I would have kneed you in the balls. Hard.”

He nodded. “That’s what I thought. Hence my whistle from all the way over here.”

His tone was light and friendly, making it impossible to take offense at his comments. The closet wasn’t that large but his assessment was correct. Several feet protected his balls from her knee.

Sophie subtly pressed her legs together and tried to force air into her lungs. Apparently the space between them wasn’t that safe after all. She flushed as her body heated at their proximity—and semi-privacy.

The observant man’s dark-blue eyes narrowed.

He must be hell on juries. He notices far too much.

He stepped into the room. She tried to hide her shock when he closed the closet door behind him. The darkness was cut by a mellow glow provided by the low-watt fixture hanging in the center of the ceiling, and instantly she was reminded of nights spent beside a dying fire in her family’s large living room. She was a sucker for a fireplace.

Marc’s deep voice cut through the silence. “Maybe I was wrong.”

Her eyes tried to adjust to the dim lighting as he continued to move closer. “About what?” Her throat tightened, making her words sound thick and far too loud in the small room.

Marc didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took the box of flyers out of her hands, setting it on the floor. “You know I’m going to start coming by the bar, right? I feel the need to become a regular.”

“Why? You get some sick pleasure out of annoying me?”

He shook his head, his voice laced with humor. “No. That’s just a bonus.”

The answer was completely unsatisfactory, even though Sophie liked the idea of him stopping by. Despite her better judgment, she wanted to see him more too. “Then why?” she repeated.

“Because I’ll want to do this again.”

He leaned forward and kissed her.

Bachelor’s Bait is available for presale at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Romanticon Recap 2012

Wow!  I have to say a big thank you to everyone at Ellora’s Cave who made this year’s Romanticon the best ever.  I’m so impressed with the event and how it grows and evolves each year.  For readers, this is a purely fun-focused weekend where it’s all about you.  Get ready to sign up as soon as registration opens for 2013 as I have a feeling tickets will be flying out the door.  I’ll be first in line!

The variety of activities was great.  They ranged from games like Red Hot Pictionary–hosted by Mari Carr, Anne Rainey, Valerie Tibbs and myself–to faux cover shoots where you get to pose with cover models, sexy Zumba classes (definitely not hosted by me but by experts Cavemen Nick and Ace), Lap Dancing 101, fun themed banquets every night, lots of interesting conversations in the bar and hanging out in our rooms in our PJs.  The bookfair was also amazing.  It was packed!  Most of the authors had brand new in print books to sign, including me.  Watching It All contains Picture Perfect as well as a story by JK Coi.  It was available first at Romanticon and will officially release on November 19th!

There are too many highlights to list but here are some photos from the event.  Maybe they’ll help depict how fantastic Romanticon 2012 really was.

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com

4.5 Star and Top Pick for Where There’s Smoke

Where There’s Smoke received an amazing 4.5 star, Top Pick, review from Terri at Night Owl Romance. This is my favorite part: “For such a short story, the complexity of the plot was awesome and the romance mixed in with a mystery was terrific. The sexual scenes were caring and giving. (I said it could almost be called sweet!) But, don’t think that means that this isn’t a real adult romance because the sex is described in detail. A wonderful story with great characters makes this story worth reading at least once, if not two or three times.”

You can read the entire review on their site.

Available now from Samhain Publishing

Available now from Amazon

Available now from Barnes & Noble

Available now from KOBO

Happy Reading!

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com

4.5 Stars for Where There’s Smoke

LOVE this review from Guilty Pleasures for Where There’s Smoke. They gave it a 4.5 star and the “True Gem” designation.

My favorite part:  “This book is a little different from Jayne’s normal erotic genre, but I enjoyed it just the same. In addition to an outstanding love story this novella has some sultry sex and a little mystery to boot. I love that she stepped outside her normal style and feel that this book will appeal to readers who prefer more mainstream romance. However, I feel Jayne’s fan base will enjoy reading this book and find it just intriguing as her other works!”

Read the whole thing here!  I hope the rest of you who choose to read it enjoy it as much.

Available now from Samhain Publishing

Available now from Amazon

Available now from Barnes & Noble

Available now from KOBO

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com

Where There’s Smoke Reader Feedback

A fantastic fan sent me this note about Where There’s Smoke and made my day.  Lynda M said she didn’t mind if I shared with you all   Honestly, it’s emails like these that keep me motivated.  Thank you to everyone who’s let me know they’ve enjoyed one of my books.

Good grief, woman!  Where There’s Smoke is amazing.   I read a ton and it’s rare that I reach out and email authors, but I just wanted to let you know how very much I enjoyed reading your book today.  I purchased and started it over lunch and then grumbled about having to go back to work.  I worked late and just finished it right now and want nothing more that to turn around and read it all over again.  And I seriously think I will.  Love the characters. Love the characters together.  It’s perfection!

Available now from Amazon

Available now from Samhain

Available soon from B&N

Available now from KOBO

Available now from ARe

I hope you agree!  Happy reading,

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com

Twas the Night Before Release Day (Excerpt!)

Okay, no twas about it.  It IS the night before release day.  Well, I guess really there are about five more hours before Where There’s Smoke hits ebook readers everywhere (I hope)    So I wanted to give you a taste of Logan and Kyana’s story.  Here’s a sneak peek excerpt from my novella in the Two to Tango collection, which also includes stories by Jess Dee and Lorelei James.

Enjoy!

Available now from Amazon

Available now from Samhain

Available soon from B&N and other retailers

From Where There’s Smoke, copyright 2012 Jayne Rylon:

Logan crashed onto the beat-up leather recliner in his shitty apartment. Sure, it was barely after dawn, but it wasn’t early by his standards. Usually he raced the first rays of sunrise to a construction site. This morning was really the end of a long, long night and a terrible day.

His buzz had faded hours ago, somewhere around the time he’d realized he couldn’t get it up with the slightly skanky blonde who’d promised to suck all his woes right out of him in some even sketchier alley. Probably the one behind the bar he’d attempted to drown his sorrows in. What the hell was wrong with him?

It wasn’t every day a guy got canned, he supposed.

Not that he hadn’t seen that train barreling down on him from a mile away. Still, he’d tried his damnedest to save his spot on the renovation crew by working his ass off. Demonstrating superior skills and reliability hadn’t been the Hail Mary he’d hoped. Hell, he’d even skipped out on Rose’s funeral so he wouldn’t have to call off. What a waste. He’d left a pathetic message on Kyana’s voicemail, offering condolences he should have given in person. No wonder she hadn’t called his lame ass back.

Not now, nor ten years ago when he’d walked out on her and Ben like the chickenshit eighteen-year-old he’d been.

It was about time he got his priorities in order. As soon as he could believe this had really happened. Grief, fury and shock sweated from his skin along with the vile stench left behind by a 40 of King Cobra—the most buzz he could buy for his last twenty, drinking like a hobo. Might as well have duct-taped the bottle to his palm. At least then he wouldn’t have knocked it over, spilling some. He really could have used those last six or seven shots. Maybe they would have granted him oblivion.

Logan tipped his head onto the comfortable cushion, which had dented to perfectly contour his form years ago. He tried not to think of the shit he’d lost in his life, like the gorgeous young lady he’d admired and wanted so desperately. Her delicate Asian features, refined manners, unwavering loyalty to her mongrel best friend, and her all-American sass had practically brought him to his knees. Just another thing he’d never really had a chance at holding on to.

What a loser.

Doubly so because the simple thought of her—and the sultry all-woman voice that had transfixed him on her voicemail—had blood rushing to his dick. If it had been her smooshed up against him in that cesspool tonight, there’d have been no performance issues to stand in the way of a mind-numbing good time. Yeah, right. Kyana would never stoop so low as to join him in a dive like that. He didn’t blame her either.

“Son of a bitch!” He thumped his fist on the tattered arm of his chair, refusing to give in to the temptation to take matters into his own hands while visions of the polished, perfect girl next door danced through his mind. He’d grown out of that phase back in high school. Okay, he had occasional relapses, but it hadn’t been until Ben told Logan she’d moved home—during one of their twice-weekly calls—that he’d regressed to his former obsession.

Ben would be awake in an hour or so. Maybe Logan would call and see what was going on in the old neighborhood. He’d crash-landed there when his mom hooked up with a new guy and didn’t have room or patience to take a rebellious teen along to her new picket-fence life. He didn’t really blame her.

Better yet, maybe he should pay his great-uncle a visit. It was about time Logan did something useful. Something decent for someone who deserved his loyalty.

He still couldn’t believe he’d been played so bad. A total sucker. How hadn’t he realized what was up?

To distract himself for a while, he snatched the remote off the side table, which he’d rescued on junk day and restored, before flipping on the TV. Channel surfing his basic cable didn’t yield much of interest.

Infomercial, infomercial, infomercial…

News.

It might do him some good to remember there were entire nations of people out there who had it a hell of a lot worse than he did. Fucked up? Yes. But it did make him feel better about the state of his existence. If he could find an old Jerry Springer rerun he’d really be looking fine.

Flames transfixed him as they wrapped around the edges of a window to grasp at the shutter outside. Wow, it would seriously blow to have your pad burn down. Especially if you had a home instead of merely a place you stayed, which is how he felt lately. The fire hypnotized him as it licked at the walls of an older Victorian that looked not that different than the one he’d spent his adolescent summers in. Ben’s house had been home. The real kind. For a while.

Maybe Logan could try for that again.

He leaned forward in his chair as a fireman flew off the deck at the rear of the building with a woman cradled in his arms. Raven hair and pale skin wrapped in something that might once have been pretty blue silk were revealed with each cycle of the flashing emergency lights.

Logan’s head tilted as he examined the injured woman. He must have been more fucked up than he realized to imagine the damsel in distress looked a hell of a lot like Kyana. Not that he’d studied her photographs in Ben and Rose’s houses on his infrequent visits or anything.

Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself those lies. One day you might believe them, buddy.

Shit, he’d even snapped his own copies with his cell phone. The woman he’d spied posing in designer suits or in endless graduation cap and gowns in photos on Rose’s vintage mantel didn’t seem like the sort who’d doll herself up in gorgeous yet frivolous finery. He scrubbed his eyes with the bruised and cut knuckles of one hand after he realized he hadn’t blinked for a solid thirty seconds.

When he refocused, he saw it—the ugly-ass birdbath he and Kyana had built Ben one sweltering August afternoon as kids when her family had been on a round-the-world tour and his mom had been on the prowl for a step up. The broken flower pots they’d recycled made unlevel, garish yard art better suited to Logan’s mom’s trailer park than Ben’s neat and trim community. Despite that, his great-uncle had refused to get rid of the junk.

No! It can’t be. He stabbed the volume button on his remote, disengaging the mute feature.

“The cause of the fire is still unknown but the resident was the only occupant at the time of the blaze. His neighbor spotted the fire, called emergency crews, then rushed inside to haul the elderly man from the flames.” In the background, a burly fireman toted Kyana’s rag doll form as though she weighed nothing at all. Tall and willowy, she probably didn’t. The graininess of the image made it hard to tell much, but the tattered nightgown and soot stains covering her sent ice through Logan’s veins.

“Neighbors tell us this isn’t the first tragedy to strike Oak Avenue this year. The death of a longtime resident next door just a few months ago has some wondering if bad luck really does come in threes. And, if so, who will suffer it next?” The reporter paused while footage cut away from Kyana being loaded onto a gurney outside an ambulance.

“Go back! Go back!” he shouted at the TV. He had to make sure she was okay. And where was Ben? They’d said Ky had pulled him from the burning house, but was he all right?

Batty as ever, Myrtle Jansen entertained the reporter with old wives’ tales and superstitions that portended more dire times to come. Logan shook his head and instead studied the rest of the crowd. He didn’t recognize the man and woman huddled together in the background. They must be new to the area. Daryl Thick loomed still and watchful on the fringes of the frame. His assessing stare on Myrtle and the newscaster put Logan on instant alert.

“More on this story as it becomes available. Back to you, Tom…”

“What? That’s it?” Logan didn’t know when he’d launched to his feet. He paced the kitchen as he dug his cell from the back pocket of his jeans. Snagging his keys out of the bowl by the door, he jogged from his apartment.

Ring after ring grated on his nerves until he realized, of course, there’d be no answer at Ben’s place. He used his thumb to search the contact list of his basic, un-smart phone for the number he’d only found the balls to dial once. After Rose’s funeral. Kyana.

Instead of infuriating chimes, a beeping busy signal greeted him. “Damn it!”

He punched the steering wheel then jammed a key in the ignition of his pickup truck. At least there wouldn’t be traffic at this time of day, and he’d gotten gas just a day or two ago. If he pushed it, he could make the drive in an hour.

It was the longest fifty-three minutes of his life.

Available now from Amazon

Available now from Samhain

Happy Reading,

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com

Where There’s Smoke – Out Tuesday

I’m thrilled to say Where There’s Smoke will be out on Tuesday.  It’s a standalone book that will be available individually in ebook Tuesday and together in a Two To Tango print anthology next year along with books by Jess Dee and Lorelei James.  I really love the way this one came out, and I hope you enjoy it too.

Available now from Amazon

Available now from Samhain

Available soon from B&N and other retailers

A little more about the book:

When old flames unite, the heat is on!

A Two to Tango Story

Kyana Brady never intended to return to small-town life in upstate New York, but reality doesn’t give a damn about plans. She dropped everything to care for her dying aunt. Now that Rose is gone, Kyana realizes something else has changed—her priorities. Her high-paid, higher-stress law career no longer holds any appeal.

While debating her future, an insomnia-driven stroll turns into a desperate dash to save Rose’s elderly friend, Benjamin, from his burning house. And he’s always believed one good turn deserves another. So the old man rewards Kyana’s bravery with a little meddling in her love life.

After Ben’s great-nephew Logan witnesses his childhood friend’s bravery on the news, he rushes home to help his uncle rebuild. But before his hammer hits the first nail, sparks are flying. The heat between him and Kyana melts old affection into a completely new—and combustible—relationship.

Before they have a chance to discover how hot their love will burn, another disaster threatens to separate them forever. After all, they say bad luck comes in threes…

Warning: A love affair that’s been ten years in the making is sure to be hot enough to scorch. And everyone knows, where there’s smoke there’s fire.

Happy reading!

Jayne

www.jaynerylon.com