Jean C. Joachim's Blog: Stories of Love and Passion, page 27

TUESDAY TALES - BLOOM

Welcome! This week Tuesday Tales word prompt is "bloom". I'm taking you back to Griff Montgomery's story in the First & Ten series. Seems as if Griff has found a woman he wants who doesn't want him. So he's asking his sister, who moved to San Francisco, for help.
*****“I’ve met someone,” Griff said into the phone to his sister, Kathy.“Fantastic! Who is she?”
“She’s not exactly interested in me. In fact, she’s barely speaking to me.”“What did you do?” The irritation in her voice was palpable.
“Nothing. She said pro football guys are man-whores.”“That’s kinda true, isn’t it?”
“Maybe. At one time. Okay, it was. Back in the day. But not now.”“You’ll have to prove it.”
“How the hell do I do that? Become a monk?”Kathy laughed. “Like that’s even possible.”
“Looking for some suggestions here.”“You’ve got to build her trust. Be nice to her.” 
“I am.”“Without expecting something back. Trust doesn’t happen in five minutes after one good deed. You’ve got to sew the seeds.”“Sew the seeds? Have you become a writer?”
“Do you want my advice or do you want to smart-mouth me?”“Okay, okay. Sew the seeds.”
“Then shine on them, surround them with warmth. And they’ll bloom.”“You’ve taken up gardening?”
“I’m hanging up, asshole.”“No, no. Wait, Kathy. I’m sorry.”
“Kill her with kindness with no expectations.”“And love will bloom?”
“Love, eh? You’re interested in love?”Griff realized he’d admitted too much. “Thanks for the help. Gotta go.” He hung up his cell and sank down on a bench in the park. He wiped off the sweat on his face from running and sat back.
 He’d never hung around long enough to let anything bloom with the women he’d bedded. The closest he came was the chick in Los Angeles. Because of the time difference, the team always arrived early. He’d spend two nights with Angela instead of one. He found her talk of celebrities and clothes totally boring, and always left, glad to return home. His sister, a stay-at-home-mom was more interesting than sexy Angela who could give a good blow job, but never read a newspaper. Sew the seeds. Where do I start? He opened his phone as he headed back.
“Lauren, how would you like Kathy’s season box seats? Yeah. Two. You can bring your brother, too. What? How much? Nothing. A gift. You’re welcome.”He placed the phone in the back pocket of his shorts and grinned. Seed one, sown. He broke into a loping gait and ran home. BACK TO TUESDAY TALES MY WEBSITE

TUESDAY TALES - PICTURE PROMPT

Welcome! This week's picture prompt continues the story of Pete "Coach Bass" Sebastian, head coach for the Connecticut Kings. 
***** Pete Sebastian worked late more nights than not. Viewing tapes of his players and other teams, some over and over again. He had no reason to go home. It was late on Thursday, ten days before training camp. He rubbed the back of his neck and stepped outside to get some air. He was surprised to find Jo Parker there, staring up at the moon until he startled her.
“Sorry. Didn’t expect to find you here,” he said, standing beside her.
“Writing releases. Seems days are nothing but phone calls.”  He smiled down at her beautiful face, kissed by the moonlight. Her hair glowed. Jo moistened her lips, drawing his gaze. The Coach’s body reacted. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. The gentle touch was quick, but delicious. Heat flooded his face. What are you doing?“I didn’t mean to take advantage.
Sorry.” He shifted his weight, and looked down.
Jo stayed close. “No offense taken. Seemed kind of right, with that gorgeous moon and the warm night.”“I know you’re Devon Drake’s girl.”“Girl?” She laughed. “I’m nobody’s girl.”“Oh? Damn...I mean. I hope I didn’t insult you by calling you a girl.” He raised his eyebrows. “Nope. Not at all. I expect that from guys like you.”“Guys like me?”“Yep, chauvinists, athletes, all the same, isn’t it?”Pete straightened up. “I’m no chauvinist. I have two daughters.”She cocked her head. “Really?”They stood in awkward silence for a moment. Jo cleared her throat.“I don’t belong to anyone. I play the field. I have no intention of settling down,” Jo said.  Pete narrowed his eyes.  “You sure about that?”“You gonna change my mind?” She shot him a skeptical look.“I just might surprise you,” he chuckled. Jo slipped her hand in his. “Might be fun if you tried.”
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SECRET CRAVINGS BACKLIST BLOG HOP!

Welcome! My Now and Forever series is the backlist I'm showcasing It's an "everyone wins day" because the first book in the series, NOW AND FOREVER 1, A LOVE STORY, is up for FREE DOWNLOAD! (scroll down for links)
Here are a few sexy snippets:

As she was about to look away, he turned toward her and their eyes met again. This time he smiled warmly at her.  She blushed, looked away and left quickly mortified for him to see her showing an interest.

   He knew he shouldn’t stare at her chest and he tried, but when she came into his office wearing a low-cut blouse and bent over to put papers on his desk, he was mesmerized. He looked away before she noticed, he thought, but sometimes it was a close call. Still he felt she had a painful secret. While her beauty drew him, her quiet pain made him cautious.  
A bit about the book   Callie Richards was no stranger to heartache. Her parents were killed when she was sixteen. Left with her older sister, she fell into a romance with good-looking, Kyle Maine. They became engaged and Callie’s future was set until he was killed in Iraq. Two years later, she pulls herself together to get her Master’s degree at Kensington State University. Broke, and alone, she restarts her life on her own.
   Mac Caldwell, Dean of Students at Kensington State, has made plenty of mistakes. But his toddler son, Jason, wasn’t one of them. Divorced, alone, and unhappy, Mac is surprised when shy Callie Richards turns up as the new office assistant. Drawn to her sweetness, but cautious, he befriends her. Drugs on campus threaten her life as love creeps into her heart. Can their relationship survive a conniving ex-wife and a drug ring bent on revenge?  Download it free here, now: Amazon Barnes & Noble All Romance eBooks iTunes Smashwords LEAVE A COMMENT & YOUR EMAIL AND I'LL DRAW 2 WINNERS WHO CAN HAVE THEIR CHOICE OF ANY 1 OF THE OTHER eBOOKS IN THE SERIES:Now and Forever 2, The Book of DannyNow and Forever 3, Blind LoveNow and Forever 4, The Renovated Heart (winner, 2012 Best Book of the Year -Love Romance Cafe)Now and Forever 5, Love's JourneyThank you for coming, now... Back to the hop HERE
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TUESDAY TALES -SUMMER

Welcome! This week the word prompt is "summer". We're back with Pete "Coach Bass" Sebastian from First & Ten --my new football romance series. 
******** Restless on the warm summer night, Pete Sebastian wandered in to The Savage Beast. Saturday night was karaoke night at the bar. He knew Jo Parker had a date with Devon Drake and that they were headed there. His temper burned when he thought about Drake beating his time with the hot, new P.R. woman. He slipped into a seat in a dark corner in the back, ordered a beer, and checked his watch. 
Right on time. Why’s he always late for practice? Pete tried to separate his personal feelings about Jo from his professional attitude toward Devon Drake, an excellent running back and necessary to the team. Don’t piss him off, but don’t let him make time with her, either.Pete took his time looking her over, unseen from his out-of-the-way spot. Her golden hair was freed from the bun she had worn at the office. It fell loose and free around her shoulders, the ends curling a little. His fingers itched to comb through the silken strands. She had shed her severe business suit for a soft, dark pink dress with a frilly ruffle at the sexy neckline. Her laugh carried across the room and her thousand-watt smile was trained on the young football player. Stop drooling. You’re over forty. Get a grip.
Pete cringed. The first singer was terrible. Then Devon took the mic and did This Guy’s In Love with You. He sang it to Jo, staring at her with lusty eyes. The back of Pete’s neck began to burn. At ten o’clock, the couple stumbled out of the bar, arm-in-arm. Anger and jealousy bubbled up in Pete’s chest when he imagined their next destination –Drake’s bedroom. Pete headed home. Tomorrow it’s my turn. Look out, Drake. The master is about to make his play.On Sunday, Pete dressed in his best casual clothes and slapped on Seduction, aftershave recommended by his daughter. He got behind the wheel of his car. Jo was ready when he rang her bell. She wore a tailored dress and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Pete stuffed his disappointment down. What did you expect, asshole? The same sexy, low cut dress? The Maitre d’ showed them to a quiet table near a big window facing the ocean. Pete tipped him handsomely. While he was perusing the menu, Jo opened her bag. He put it down, ready to suggest the lobster, when she pulled out a small pad and a pen. “What exactly is this meeting about?” She asked, picking up the pen.
******** Thank you for coming.  RETURN TO TUESDAY TALES MY WEBSITE  

TUESDAY TALES -WORD PROMPT SEA

Welcome to Tuesday Tales. This week's word is "sea". I'm continuing Pete "Coach Bass" Sebastian's story. He's head coach of the football team, The Connecticut Kings. This will be a story in my upcoming First & Ten series of football romances.
COACH BASS
Coach Bass was in a foul mood all day, after witnessing Dev Drake moving in on Jo Parker. While muttering to himself about what a lowlife Drake was, the Coach shuffled papers around on his desk, couldn’t concentrate and left early.

Whenever Pete Sebastian was overwhelmed by being Head Coach for the Connecticut Kings and raising twin daughters on his own, he went to the beach. He thanked God he owned a house three blocks from the sea.
Running on the beach helped Pete work out his problems. The fresh, salty, ocean air cleared his head. Away from the demands of his kids, his players and the team owner, the Coach could think.
He stretched his leg muscles, then took off at a moderate pace. 
Need to do distance today. Not gonna solve this problem with a sprint. After fifteen minutes, tension slowly drained out of his body. He smiled. One roll in the hay with Jo Parker would have done the same thing.
The few dates he’d had over the years hadn’t led to much. He couldn’t commit to a woman because he worried about taking time away from his girls. Now that they were in college, a new freedom washed over him. Time to get active in the bedroom again. After another forty minutes, he had made up his mind what to do and returned home.
The next day, he dressed with care and went to the office early. When Jo arrived, he sauntered over, attempting to appear nonchalant. After a little meaningless chitchat, he made his play.
“You’re new in town, aren’t you?”
“I am. It’s very charming here. I love tNew England.”
“There’s a terrific restaurant, Kerry’s Catch, down by the water.
How about joining me for dinner there on Saturday?”
“Saturday?” She bit her lip and consulted her phone. “Hmm. Can’t Saturday. Dev Drake is taking me to The Savage Beast for karaoke night.”
“Sunday then?” Pete shifted his weight.Jo skimmed her finger over the screen. “Sunday’s wide open.”“Great. Pick you up at six?”
Jo scribbled her address on a piece of paper and handed it to him with a smile. “Six works for me.”
Pete stuffed the paper in his pocket, grinned back at her and returned to his office. Fuck you, Drake. This old quarterback isn’t going down without a fight.

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FAVORITE PICTURES!

HERE ARE SOME FAVORITE PICTURES FOR A SLEEPY, SUMMER SATURDAY. ENJOY!




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TUESDAY TALES - RIDE

 Welcome! Today I'm posting another snippet from my WIP in my football series, First & Ten. This is the Pete Sebastian, Coach Bass, story. Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales.

                                        COACH BASS  
Pete shaved with care, thinking about the stats he got from Carl about Jo Parker. Age: 33, single, never married, B.A. degree, magna cum laude. That she was beautiful, curvy and classy he could figure out for himself. So, I’m a little older than she is. So what? Ten years. Today –that’s nothing. He smiled as the razor glided through the thick coating of cream on his face. Words from his daughter, Mikki –the fashionista—echoed in his head. Dad, gotta dress better or you’ll never get a date. He’d let her pick out clothes and show him how to put together the best suit, shirt and tie combination. With his light brown hair and hazel eyes, Mikki would have chosen green, his best color.
He shrugged the shirt over his broad shoulders and picked a dark gold tie from the rack. He pulled on khaki pants pressed to knife-sharp creases. A forest green wool jacket completed the outfit. He looked in the full length mirror as he combed his thick hair. Never cared what I wore to work. But now there’s a goddess in the office next to me.
Mikki would approve. He smiled as he plucked his keys from the ceramic bowl filled with loose change. He entered the front office section of the stadium, whistling. Blood rushed through his veins.
Coach Bass was feeling sexy. Jo’s office was around the next bend.
Feminine laughter greeted his ears, making his grin wider. But the smile melted into a frown when his eyes beheld the scene before him. Jo, at her desk, a pen in her mouth, gazed up, laughing with Devon Drake, running back and womanizer.  Pete followed Dev’s gaze, which rested on Jo’s cleavage.          

Shit! He’s gonna take her for a ride. Coach Bass scowled at the young player as he flirted with Jo. Fuck. Twenty-four hours and I’m already too late.  BACK TO TUESDAY TALES TO MY WEBSITE

SUMMER VACATIONS AT FIRE ISLAND! COME HOP WITH ME! #MFRWave #MFRWauthor

Welcome to the Summer Vacation Blog Hop!! Summer vacation memories...
    In my single days, I spent many summers on the beach at Fire Island, New York. Young men and women rented houses and lived together on weekends all summer long. 
  You didn't need much clothing, just a couple of bathing suits, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt or two. Oh, and flip-flops!

   There's nothing on Fire Island -- no roads, no cars, hardly any stores, maybe a couple of restaurants and bars. 
That's it. Some towns had only a small store. You had to take a water taxi to get from town to town.  The island was beautiful, with glorious sunsets, clear clean water, bright sun and cloudless, blue skies. The ocean was on one side and the bay on the other. I had my first shower in the sunshine in an outdoor shower! And, no, I'm not going to tell you if I was in there alone.
The main drag is a wood path. The houses sit on sand. The front lawn is sand and the trees are scrub pines. The atmosphere is laid back. We played cards, drank cocktails, and cooked together.  We went to the nude beach and made love with whoever we wanted. It was a free era, a long time ago.
I adored my time there. I made friends and broke out of my shell. 

I've put aside my privacy rule and written about Fire Island in my book, LOVE'S LAST CHANCE, from my series, Hollywood Hearts.
Please leave a comment and your EMAIL ADDRESS for a chance to win a copy, or any other copy of one of my books. Please say "yes" if you'd like to receive my new newsletter. 
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TUESDAY TALES - FATHER

Welcome! This week I'm exploring another character from my new series, First & Ten. Meet Pete Sebastian, a/k/a, Coach Bass.
****** Pete Sebastian looked forward to Father’s Day. His twin daughters, Emily and Mikki, were Daddy’s little girls from the minute they were born. They cooked up something special for him every year, always taking him by surprise. After his wife left the girls with him to “find herself”, he had to become the disciplinarian and the nurturer. Neither role suited him naturally, but he learned and adjusted, priding himself on a job pretty well done for a man starting at square one. Hell, coaching a football team was a piece of cake compared to raising two girls on his own.
Now they were in college and his job at home wasn’t quite so full time. He wondered if he could find another woman, a better one. Pete turned forty-three and had no idea where to begin when it came to dating. 
He knew what he wanted. This time he’d choose I.Q. over bra size. No more flighty, self-absorbed women, no matter how willing. No sir. Had to be an intelligent woman. But pretty.
Sexy wouldn’t hurt. Did he remember how to make love to a woman? Yes, it had been that long because his daughters came first and that didn’t leave much time for a sex life.Pete watched his men spruce up in the locker room for dates. He envied them the beautiful women on their arms. Carl Woodley, owner of the Connecticut Kings, patted him on the shoulder.
“Now the girls are out of the house, when are you gonna get a woman?”
“Not many women looking for an old man like me.”
“You’re not old. Hell, even I’m not old at sixty-six!”
At five o’clock, the administration offices cleared out. He’d been hoping Carl might hire some bright young woman in the front office, but no such luck. A new P.R. guy, Joe-something was due to start soon.
Plucking his jacket off the hook, Pete resigned himself to another night at The Savage for a couple of brews and a burger.  Totally preoccupied, he walked out of his office and smacked into someone coming down the hall at a good clip. He looked up with tired eyes.Huge, startled, green eyes blinked.“Excuse me. I’m so sorry,” she stammered. “I’m looking for Mr. Woodley.”
“Carl? Just missed him.” Pete’s gaze flew down the slim, female body wearing a dark gray suit and a blue shirt. He noticed lovely curves and had to stop staring before he began to blush.
“Can I help you?”
“You are?” She straightened, pulling her jacket down, revealing a little cleavage. Pete’s gaze went straight to her chest.
“Uh, um. Pete Sebastian, Coach of the Kings,” he said, feeling like a schoolboy with his first boner.
“Josephine Parker. Please call me, Jo,” she smiled and extended her hand. The room got several thousand watts brighter. Pete took her small, soft fingers in his and didn’t want to let go. “I’m the new P.R. Director.”
“So you’re Joe? Well, well, what a surprise.” 
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BEST OF...EVERYDAY HEROES

EVERYDAY HEROES Although we sometimes berate men for not communicating more, most men share their love by doing, not talking. Today I honor those men, the ones who help for the sake of helping...the men who do small unselfish acts everyday. 

Today is your day guys as I dedicate this blog to my everyday heroes, men I know and don't know who have touched my life in positive ways...you know who you are:
1) To the two gentlemen who stopped, briefly, to pick me up, one guy on each arm, when I slipped and fell at the bottom of the wet subway stairs on a rainy day.
2) To the man who stopped in the parking lot of Peck's grocery store in Narrowsburg. The second I put my hands under the hood of my car, he was there, asking me what was wrong and if I needed help. Then he proceeded to show me where to put in the wiper fluid, unscrewed the cap to the little tank and left before I even made eye contact!
3)  To all the men on the streets of New York who have stopped to pick up whatever I dropped before I even bent my knees. Klutz that I am, that number is huge. 4)  To my friend in the community who came down to the lake because I told him I was going there to swim by myself and he felt it was unsafe.
5)  To all the men on airplanes who, when seeing me with a large carry-on bag, stood up and put it in the overhead rack for me without even being asked. And also, to those who took it down for me when we landed.
6)  To the thousands upon thousands of men who have held doors open for me, allowing me to pass through first.
7)  To the two young men on line in the grocery store who offered their frequent buyer cards to me so I could get the discounts, too. 
8)  To the man who took the dead mouse out of my mousetrap and disposed of it for me. Yucky! 
9)  To all the young men in high school and college who politely took "no" for an answer and either still continued to date me or became my friend.
10) To all the men who got up to give me a seat on the bus or subway when I was pregnant.
11) To my male writer friends in NRW who encourage me every day and still flirt with me.
12) To the men I met on countless vacations who danced with me, bought me a drink at the bar and didn't hit on me.
13) To the man who came to the emergency room with me on a first date, waited forever and held my hand while I got a tetanus shot. 
14)  To my writing partner, Ben, who encourages me every day, never tells me my ideas are dumb or gives me a hard time about my typos or lack of punctuation…and listens, patiently, to me rant about life.
15) To the man who took two hours out of his day to show me how to do my website for the price of a bagel.16) To the two men who took my pictures and designed book covers for me just because they are my friends.
17) To the man who walked me home after dark when I ducked into a bar because someone was following me...and took "no" for an answer with charm and grace. 
18) To the man who drove me through a blinding snowstorm and back so I could bring a stray cat with an infected paw to the vet.
19) To Doug, our guest, who surprised me with a Tiramisu cake just because I had admired it in the bakery window. 

20) To the man who jumped into a Facebook group to defend me when several people attacked my opinion.
21) To all the men who let me go first...from the checkout counter at the grocery store to the bread counter at Zabar's... simply because I'm a woman. 
22) To the unknown young man who gave me a lift 60 blocks up Madison Avenue to Mt. Sinai Hospital when the subway wasn't running and my father was in surgery.
23) To the men in IRM who are never stingy with hugs or encouragement.
24) To DH who sometimes fixes things beforeI ask.

To all you everyday heroes, thank you. Thank you for all you've done and continue to do quietly without fanfare...and for the shy smile you give me when I acknowledge your help. Love you all!

Who are the everyday heroes in your life?To find out about my books, visit my  WEBSITE