Jean C. Joachim's Blog: Stories of Love and Passion, page 24

TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "GRAY"

Welcome! We have more of Buddy's story this week. I'm posting it here as I'm writing it in my new book. Well, not all of it. But some. Here we go. Thanks for coming. Head back to some awesome authors with the link at the bottom. 
*****  When he entered the woods and a comfortable lope, Buddy let out a breath. Escaping the news media camped on his doorstep, ready to pounce with personal questions about his relationship with Emerald was like escaping a cobra ready to strike. He shook his head. He’d be happy to oblige them if he had any answers. He didn’t know any more than they did where he and Emerald were going. The wide receiver cut his loop short and headed back home. The sky was turning gray, the sun blocked by clouds. He smelled rain in the air. Too dangerous to run in the rain. Buddy protected his career by being careful in his daily life. One broken ankle could sideline him for months and maybe wreck his career. As he rounded the last neck of woods, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He stopped to catch his breath, leaning his hands on his knees, perusing the street. All the news trucks and reporters were gone. It was quiet. Too quiet. With one deep inhale, he straightened up and headed for home, glancing from side to side to quell the unease inside.
   He closed and locked the door. Once he was in the house, Buddy blew out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He popped open a bottle of water and wandered over to the picture window in the living room. It looked out on the street. Then he heard them. Pop, pop, pop, gunshots and the shrieking of glass shattering.
Buddy hit the floor. A few shards rocketed toward him leaving small cuts on his arm. Blood trickled down in a thin stream. “I know she’s in there. Send her out. I don’t want to hurt anybody. I just want Emerald. I promise not to hurt her. But she’s mine.”

Buddy picked his head up slowly until only his eyes were above the sill. “She’s not here!” He shouted, then ducked.
“Liar! I saw the news trucks. I know she’s there. Send her out.”

Again, Buddy called out.“She left. She’s not here.”
A spray of bullets flew into the room, over his head. Buddy flattened himself on the floor. He fished his cell out of his pocket and dialed 911. They’d better get here before he comes through the window.
“Emerald! I’m here. Come on out, baby!”
Anger seized the footballer. One foot into my house and I’ll kill him with my bare hands. In the distance a siren wailed. Inching to the side of the window, Buddy took a chance and looked out. The lunatic on his front lawn put his rifle on his shoulder and sprinted for his car. 
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TUESDAY TALES - NEW YEAR

Welcome! Today's post continues with Buddy and Emmy's story to be published in the First and Ten series. 

*****

“Those assholes chased her away, didn’t they?” Buddy turned to Gert. “Guess so. She was mighty upset. They kept bugging her.”
“Emmy hates bad publicity.”
Gert patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Mr. Buddy. She loves you.”
He smiled. “Ya think so?”

Gert picked up her bag and hoisted it to her shoulder. “Damn right I do.”
He laughed and walked her to the front door.
Watching her fight her way past the reporters, Buddy sighed. It will always be like this for us, won’t it? Always be people prying into our lives. Will we ever have a life?
Buddy finished the last of his coffee and stepped away from the window. He placed his cup in the sink and changed his clothes. After stretching to loosen his muscles, he opened the door.

He jogged past the newsmen and women who chased after him for a few feet. Buddy stepped up his pace, leaving them in the dust. He focused on the changing leaves on his neighbors’ trees as he zipped past, heading for the trail in the woods. Once he was out of sight of the nosy news teams, he slowed. Stopping to catch his breath, he cleared his mind, preparing to think about the new plays Coach Bass and Griff had cooked up.
But thoughts of Emmy returned, crowding out football. He leaned on his knees, dropping his head. The feel of her skin made his fingertips tingle, the sound of her laughter echoed in his brain. He resumed his run. Getting into his stride, thoughts of the new play the Coach had named “panhandle” returned. I need to forget her. Focus on football. Who knows if we’ll be together when the new year comes? No time for love now. 

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STUFF YOUR KINDLE BLOG HOP

Welcome! I'm Jean Joachim. I write contemporary romance from the sets of Hollywood to Broadway stage to the football gridiron. My stories are set in small towns and the Big Apple.

Looking for books to fill up your Kindle? How about a series about the men and women of Hollywood? 



 Here's the series starter. It's' free.

 Fresh-faced quarterback Mark thinks he’s scored a touchdown after winning actress Penny Thatcher’s affection. But a public revelation soon threatens his chances…. Is love the one game he can’t win? A charming will-they-won’t-they romance.Find it HERE
  Here's a bit about the first book in the series. 


Does love always mean total truth? Successfully shunning the limelight was one way for Megan Davis to keep her family secret. A successful financial advisor, Meg was shocked when she was selected to launch a celebrity division for her investment firm.
Gorgeous, magnetic movie star, Chaz Duncan, wary of women who wanted to bask in his fame or sell his secrets to the media, valued privacy above all else. Would he continue his high profile but lonely existence to keep his secret safe? Jealousy, deceit and scandal threaten two careers and the quest for true love and trust in this roller-coaster-ride contemporary romance. Leave your name and email address in a comment and I'll pick one person to win a signed, paperback copy of IF I LOVED YOU on Monday morning. (US only, ebook for those living abroad)  ******    Sign up for my newsletter HERE 

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CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE HOP! THANK YOU FOR COMING. 

Welcome! I'm Jean Joachim. I write contemporary romance f...

Welcome! I'm Jean Joachim. I write contemporary romance from the sets of Hollywood to Broadway stage to the football gridiron. My stories are set in small towns and the Big Apple.

Looking for books to fill up your Kindle? How about a series about the men and women of Hollywood? 



 Here's the series starter. It's' free.

 Fresh-faced quarterback Mark thinks he’s scored a touchdown after winning actress Penny Thatcher’s affection. But a public revelation soon threatens his chances…. Is love the one game he can’t win? A charming will-they-won’t-they romance.Find it HERE
  Here's a bit about the first book in the series. 


Does love always mean total truth? Successfully shunning the limelight was one way for Megan Davis to keep her family secret. A successful financial advisor, Meg was shocked when she was selected to launch a celebrity division for her investment firm.
Gorgeous, magnetic movie star, Chaz Duncan, wary of women who wanted to bask in his fame or sell his secrets to the media, valued privacy above all else. Would he continue his high profile but lonely existence to keep his secret safe? Jealousy, deceit and scandal threaten two careers and the quest for true love and trust in this roller-coaster-ride contemporary romance. Leave your name and email address in a comment and I'll pick one person to win a signed, paperback copy of IF I LOVED YOU on Monday morning. (US only, ebook for those living abroad)  ******    Sign up for my newsletter HERE 

My website HERE

LICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE HOP! THANK YOU FOR COMING. 

A TOUCH OF CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK CITY

Welcome to NYC at Christmas. Let's start with the Museum of Natural History and their origami Christmas tree. All the animal
ornaments are made from folded paper - origami. 



Let's head downtown to Lord & Taylor's, where they have festive windows of holiday scenes with moving figures, music and a charming story. 
Here are a few scenes from those windows.









 It looks real, but it's only a department store window.



















Another scene from Lord & Taylor's



















Charming, isn't it?

















One more. Now let's head down to Rockefeller Center and take a look at a few life-sized angels.



















Beautiful.



















Now a bit from my book about Christmas in New York City, Champagne for Christmas.



Nina closed her eyes and ran her hands up his pecs and over his shoulders. When he lifted his head, her lips closed over his. As she pushed her breasts up against his chest, he bore down on her, his tongue stroking hers, his big hands trapping her small ones, pushing them above her head and into the pillowy softness. Nina felt desire rise in her body, coursing through her veins, landing in her core, pooling between her legs.
“I love you.” His words were raspy and breathy.
Clint shifted his weight to his side, freeing up his hand to glide down Nina’s body. He started at her shoulder, stopped to squeeze her breast gently, then continued down her hip to her thigh. Nina opened her legs. He moved his hand to her inner thigh then up into her slick heat and closed his eyes.
“Oh, God,” she moaned, almost paralyzed by the need * in her. She slid her hand down his hip and closed her fingers around him.
His eyes popped open. “Oh, baby!” He eased two fingertips into her in response.
She gasped, her hips instinctively arching toward him, wanting more. He pumped in and out of her slowly, making her body rise and fall with him. Her hand tightened on him, moving along with his rhythm.
“Ready?” he whispered.“God,” she muttered, her eyes closed.
 ******************   
Champagne for Christmas is ON SALE for $.99 until January. What people are saying:
“Ms. Joachim`s holiday book is a joy to read from beginning to end. I was instantly swept up and into the story. Many a time I could imagine myself standing on the streets of New York and seeing what had been so wonderfully described…” V.L.

 “This is a wonderful, feel good story.” Amazon review
About the book: Can a craving for mint chip ice cream and a passion for the theater keep a summer romance hot through an icy winter? Champagne for Christmas is a story with a happy ending you’ll never see coming.
Also available in print! Buy it here:   Amazon Amazon, U.K.

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Thank you for coming. I hope your town puts on a beautiful show for the holidays. 

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   **************Here's a bit about  the book. Can a craving for mint chip ice cream and a passion for the theater keep a summer romance hot through a freezing winter? Clint is a high school English teacher and a budding playwright. Nina, a former actress, is now a beautiful and wealthy widow.    A chance meeting brings them together. Their passion for the stage joins their minds while love blossoms, despite their age gap. The theater, that once united them, may be the one hurdle they can’t clear. It's a steamy romance in the glorious and glitzy Big Apple at Christmas with a happy ending you’ll never see coming. 
Stand under the mistletoe with me and receive a delicious kiss from one of my sexy elves.
A wintry excerpt from the prologue. 

Wrapped in a luxurious mink coat and nothing else, Nina Wells stood, alone, on the terrace of her lavish New York City apartment, watching snowflakes fall. Even the Christmas lights, blinking at her from Fifth Avenue across the park, didn’t melt the frost surrounding her heart. The wind gathered strength, whipping tiny, icy bits into her face, stinging like a million needles. The blowing sent the chill factor plummeting to zero. With a little shiver, she flipped up the collar to cover her bare neck.

Will I ever see Clint again? Probably not. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. I’m too old for him, anyway. How stupid to fall for a younger man. I should’ve known better. She blew out a breath then returned to the warmth her tony place.
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TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "DANCE"

Back to Buddy Carruthers' story in the First & Ten series this week. The word prompt is "dance". Thank you so much for coming. Click on Tuesday Tales at the end of this post to go back to the wonderful writers on the Tuesday Tales blog. 

******  In the locker room, under a hot shower, Buddy thought back to the first time he and Emmy made love. They had been friends in college, hanging out, studying and eating together for weeks with nothing but a few steamy kisses, until the Spring Dance.
He’d attended all the dances in high school, even though he wasn’t much of a dancer. His best friend and quarterback for the Kensington State team, Mark Davis, had kidded Buddy about getting a date. It didn’t take him but a second to decide to ask Emmy. Buddy had seen the beauty and sweetness of the shy girl, hiding behind her guitar.  As he toweled off, he pictured her in a teal blue, shiny dress. It had hugged her curvy figure like a second skin. Once she had shed her baggy jeans and big shirts, she had been the most gorgeous girl on campus. He had wanted her.  They had danced mostly slow dances as neither one had liked dancing fast. She smelled of spring blossoms and shampoo. Buddy had wished everyone else would vanish, evaporate somehow, so they could be alone with the music.    It was warm for April. Buddy had taken Emmy out to eat, then they ended up at the old, deserted barn on the outskirts of town. Emmy had expressed interest in exploring the dusty, smelly structure.     Buddy had picked her up as if she weighed nothing and carried her across the soggy ground. The moon had shone through a hole in the roof. He put her down on some hay and joined her. As he put his car in gear, he remembered how soft her skin was. She was willing, almost anxious to give herself to him. He relished the idea of being her first. They had taken their time undressing, their shyness covered by shadows. He had been gentle and had tried to take his time, but the sight of her moon-kissed, naked body had stoked his passion beyond his endurance.    Stopped at a red light, the memory of his second try in that old barn, his amazing self-control and the pleasure he had received at satisfying her brought warmth to his heart. Tonight he was going to make love to her that same way. He could hardly wait to rekindle those old fires, still smoldering deep inside.     He turned into his street and raised his eyebrows at the sight of news vans blocking his driveway. Buddy maneuvered his way through the scraggly crowd. He evaded their questions, hammering him from all sides.   After murmuring “no comment” a dozen times, he pushed his way into the house and shoved the door closed. Silence greeted him.    “Gert! Gert! Are you here?”   A soft scuffling of feet greeted him. She appeared from the kitchen.   “What the hell? Where’s Emmy?” He dropped his keys on the front hall table.   “Gone, Mr. Carruthers. Gone.” She shook her head. 
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TUESDAY TALES PICTURE PROMPT

Picture prompt week! We have a snippet from a new story, still forming, that will be book 5 in The Manhattan Dinner Club series. This is Kate's  untitled story. Thank you for stopping by.

***** Kate looked out the window, watching fluffy flakes falling steadily. Pulling a blanket tighter around her shoulders, she returned to her chair by the fire. Her pug, Lulu, curled into a ball on a cushion next to the blaze. Kate opened her cell and dialed. “I’m stranded, Terry. The furnace isn’t working and I think my car battery died. Motor won’t turn over.”
“What do you want me to do? It’s Thanksgiving. I’ve got plans.
We’re not married anymore. You wanted that old wreck, Kate. Deal with it.”
“But it’s freezing up here. Snowing, too.”
“Throw another log on the fire and figure it out. I’m not coming up there to rescue you. Those days are over.”

He hung up. Tears pricked at her eyes.
Terry had always taken care of the things like the furnace. Kate had no idea what to do and it was Thanksgiving. She had tried one or two repair numbers, but went to right voicemail.
No one was fixing furnaces. They were gathering with their family and friends in cozy, warm houses while she froze alone. She braved the cold to haul in several more logs, then plopped down, cross-legged to warm herself in front of the fire. Her cell rang.
“Hey, lady, I was wondering if you wanted to catch brunch with me this morning.”
“Jeff?” Kate blew out a breath as she explained she wasn’t in the city. She recounted her plight before wishing him a happy holiday and hanging up. She prepared a bowl of cereal and piled up all the blankets she could find. Kate and her pug huddled together. Warmed by the flames, they dozed.
Two hours later, there was a loud knock. She yawned and padded across the room. Surprise mixed with relief when she opened the door.
“Jeff?”
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TUESDAY TALES - READ BUDDY'S CONTINUING STORY

Welcome back! Today's word prompt is "raid." We return to the First & Ten series and Buddy Carruther's story. 
******

Buddy couldn’t sleep. He padded downstairs to the kitchen. His raid on the refrigerator didn’t turn up much. A bottle of champagne, six pack of beer and some old cheese. He found two, chocolate-covered ice cream bars in the freezer. They had been there a long time. He didn’t care. He put the kettle on for a cup of chamomile tea and unwrapped a frozen treat.  He straddled a chair and watched the kettle while he chomped on the pop. A glance at the clock told him it was three. It was dark outside, the house was still.
The question rolling through his mind, keeping him from sleeping was about Emmy. How can I make her quit singing and marry me? After seeing her again, the dim, but persistent feelings for her in his heart blossomed in full color, pushing out all other women. The man, who was content to be a love-‘em-and-leave-‘em kinda guy, had disappeared.  Visions of Sunday mornings with Emmy, reading the paper, brunch, and making love filled his head.
“How do you tame a wild woman who’s got the world at her feet?” He said to no one. Buddy shook his head. In the dead silence, a scratching at his door reverberated like a Velociraptor trying to break in. Buddy went to the back door and peered out. A whine and another scratch drew his attention.
He opened the door to find a rail-thin pug dog, sitting on his back step, raising its huge eyes to Buddy’s. He stepped back and let the scruffy, dirty dog in.
“Look at you. You need a bath.” He picked up the small canine under the belly and hauled it into the bathroom.
After a bath, Buddy boiled up eggs for the starving pooch. The dog gobbled down two then curled up at the wide receiver’s feet.
“Just what I need, a dog. Damn. I can’t take care of you. But you can stay tonight.”
Now, if he could find a way to have Emmy scratching at his door, life would be perfect.
He shook his head.
“Yeah. Good luck with that.” The dog barked. RETURN TO TUESDAY TALES Check out my books HERE