Jean C. Joachim's Blog: Stories of Love and Passion, page 43

FREE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE BOOKS!

 One way to get to know my writing without spending a dime is to download one of my free novella prequels. I have published two prequels to two of my series. Here's a little bit about each and where you can find them.
NOW AND FOREVER SERIES(Spicy Contemporary Romance)
 
Heat Level - 3 flames out of 5 Callie Richards led the life of a typical teenager until tragedy turned her world upside down. Rootless and lonely, she wanders into the life of Kyle Maine, a handsome young man three years her senior, who befriends her.
Over time, their friendship grows into love. Through the years, their devotion continues unabated through challenges and good times as she attends college and he raises his younger brother then Kyle makes an unexpected choice. This emotional and sensuous story of true love is the prequel to Now and Forever 1, a Love Story.  Note: This is a novella, a short book, not a full-length novel.Where to find this book:AMAZON                                            SMASHWORDS BARNES & NOBLE                            SONY SECRET CRAVINGS (PDF) MOONLIGHT SERIES  (Sweet contemporary romance)
Heat Level - 1flame out of 5  This sweet contemporary romance novella is the prequel to "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights". It tells the story of Caroline Davis, who gets her Masters Degree then returns to New York City to live with her mother. Linda Davis knows her health will not last and is determined to make sure her daughter has a secure future. Caroline has her own ideas.
Although mother and daughter clash from time to time, they are devoted to each other. Caroline is a beautiful woman and an accomplished artist who plays along with her mother's plan half-heartedly until she meets Bradley Riordan White, the man who turns her world upside down. Note: This is a novella, a short book, not a full-length novel.Where to find this book for free AMAZON                                  BARNES & NOBLE                SONY                                         KOBO          SMASHWORDS                       

TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT - SPIDER

Welcome! Here's another chapter in the continuing story, FINDING LOVE IN SANTA'S THRIFT SHOP. It's a little longer than my usual. Please leave a comment. I love your feedback.  Thanks for coming. Click on the link below to get back to Tuesday Tales other fabulous writers.


Giselle locked the front door to the shop and headed for her car. Will Benson has some nerve thinking he knows how I feel about marriage! Preoccupied, she lost her footing on the icy path to the car. Down she went, slipping over the tiny ridge and careening down the hill. As the hill was steep, she picked up speed, heading smack dab for a pine tree.
 Frantically groping for a hold on the ice, twigs embedded in the ice and pieces of stone-hard snow tore up her gloves and her hands.  Raising her foot to cushion the impact, instead her leg collapsed, slamming her knee into the trunk then her head. She saw stars.
Blood spurted from a big rip in her pants. She lay back against the ice, groggy.
 ****
 Muriel Benson put down her cell phone. “No answer.” She checked her watch. “Not like Giselle to be late.”
“Who?” Will asked idly, drinking a beer and staring into the fireplace at his folk’s house.
“Giselle. Do me a favor. Drive over there and check on her, will ya?”
“You invited her here for Christmas dinner?” He shot up out of his chair.
“It’s Christmas, Will. The poor girl is all alone.”
“Whose fault is that?” He shot back.
“You need some lessons in charity, son,” his father piped up from behind his newspaper. “Thought we raised you different.”
“Can I come, Dad?” Bobby put down his Spiderman toy.
“All right, all right. Come on squirt,” Will ruffled Bobby’s hair and picked up the car keys.
They drove by Giselle’s house but it was dark and her car wasn’t there. Will headed for the shop. He pulled in next to her car and tried the front door but it was locked.
As he was figuring out how to get around back without killing himself on the slick path, Bobby hollered out. “There she is!”
     He pointed to the bottom or the hill. Will squinted in the pale moonlight, saw someone on the ground and heard a weak cry. Grabbing Bobby’s hand, he secured his son in the car, then drove closer to her.     “Stay here, Bobby,” he commanded, punching the flashers button on the dashboard . “Giselle! Giselle is that you?” He called through cupped hands. The body tried to stand up but couldn’t. He rushed over, dumped her over his shoulder and carried her to the car.
     “She’s almost frozen,” he murmured, throwing the car in gear. Bobby started to cry.
     “Is she gonna die?”
     “Don’t think so, buddy.” Will carried her into the house and laid her down on his bed. He stripped off her boots and jacket.         “Oh my God! What happened?” Muriel asked, as she placed a blanket around the shivering girl’s shoulders.
     “Found her at the bottom of a hill.” Will gently removed the torn gloves from her bloody hands. She stared at him, pale and frightened.
     “You’ll be okay. I’m going to fix you up.” He turned to his mother. “First aid stuff. Hurry.”
      Tears streamed down Giselle’s face. Will placed her in his lap and held her tight, stroking her hair.  “You’re safe now, I’m here,” he whispered. CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO TUESDAY TALES CLICK HERE FOR MY WEBSITE

New review today: Escape from Planet Earth and Safe Haven...

New review today: Escape from Planet Earth and Safe Haven. 

 ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH (Running time:  1 hour 29 minutes)
RATED PG       Animated with the voices of: Rob Corddry, Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker
I get tired of clichéd characters, even in kids movies. Here we have the brawny but dense younger brother and the brainy but scrawny older brother. Brawny is a daredevil on planet Baab, where everyone is a pleasant shade of blue while Brainy pulls the strings behind Brawny’s daring acts. The brothers don’t get along. They are jealous and competitive with each other.
            Scrawny, brainy brother is married and has a son, who worships his uncle. Brawny saves a bunch of babies and is idolized by everyone on his planet. At this point, except for some scary critters at the beginning who want to eat the babies (this is a kids movie?), it’s fairly mild.
            Brawny brother is sent to the DARK planet, Earth. There we meet an evil general who wants to make a machine that will destroy all the other planets in the solar system because his father was squished by a flying saucer in Roswell when he was a kid. This is a kid’s movie?
            On Earth, the evil general has imprisoned, by freezing, creatures from outer space. This gets a little kinky when the general woos the woman running the show on Baab to manipulate her. This is a kid’s movie?
            Brawny and Brainy save the day and each other. The little kid saves the day on Baab, bringing his parents home and the brothers declare their love for each other. All ends happily. There is violence and plenty of adult humor along with references that I enjoyed but I the kids didn’t get it. The violence is all sci fi with no blood. Escape from Planet Earth should be fine for kids nine and up who aren’t sensitive. Send the kids with Grandma.   SAFE HAVEN (Spoiler alert) (Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes)
RATED PG-13          Starring Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel  Another NicholasSparks books makes it to the big screen. The movie opens with Katie
(Hough) fleeing herhome and escaping on a bus. She gets off at a rest stop,because thetiny town on the coast of one of the Carolinas is charming. Sheneeds to hide and this looks like the perfect place.
Alex (Duhamel) is the attractive man running a small general store in the town. He’s a widower with two kids. The love story buildsslowly, beautifully. The cinematography is gorgeous. But always inthe back of your mind is what she’s running away from. I don’twant to spoil the story but there is an alcoholic, abusive husband inthe picture. There are scenes of him hitting her and knocking her tothe ground. He’s a frightening character.
        There is one love scene that doesn’t show much skin and is very tender. The movie builds their relationship through his children and the town folk -- in a non-sexual way. There are several surprises at the end, which I won’t ruin here. There is violence against a woman, some bad language and a sexual scene. Safe Haven is best for kids 13 and up. See it with them if you can. I loved it. CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MY BOOKS.   

UNSCRAMBLE THE NAMES, BOOK GIVEAWAY

Love to unscramble words? Try these. The words are character names from my two newest books. Unscramble any one name, leave it in a comment with your email and be entered to win your choice of either book. I'll draw a winner on Sunday evening at 8pm Eastern time. Scroll down for a peek at the cover for my book, RED CARPET ROMANCE, coming out in March. Have fun!
 Scrambled names:    WERD,  DYMIN,  TYFISH,  LARIP,        RIBNA,  ULO  Can attending a wedding and a funeral on the same day change your life? Mindy Winslow’s life was altered forever when she met gorgeous lawyer, Drew Armstrong, and found out about her inheritance from her mentor, Lou. Embraced by the townsfolk at the wedding of her college roommate, Mindy sought to make her goal a reality in tiny Pine Grove, New York. But the exposure of a promise made then broken secretly, destroyed her dream. Will she be forced to face “I told you so” from her father or will love find a way to resurrect hope from the ashes?   Scrambled names:  ZACH,  GANME,  NYNEP, KRAM, LEBIRLE, NAFYFIT Does love always mean total truth? Successfully shunning the limelight, Megan Davis kept her family secret safe. Disrespectful of tabloid superstars, Meg was shocked when selected to launch a celebrity division in her investment firm. Gorgeous, magnetic movie star, Chaz Duncan valued privacy above all else. Drawn to Megan for more than financial advice, will he share a secret or continue his high profile but lonely existence? Jealousy, deceit and scandal threaten two careers and the quest for true love and trust in this roller-coaster-ride contemporary romance.        
Why is gorgeous, rich movie star, Quinn Roberts, sharing his space with a baby he calls “Junior”, if it isn’t his own? Susanna Barnes, his beautiful live-in nanny, can’t figure him out and Quinn refuses to comment. Though wildly attracted to him, his distance from the adorable child puts Susanna off. Daughter of “Coach Joe”, famous college basketball coach and an assistant art curator at a well-known art museum, Susanna lost it all at the hands of a drunk driver. Her dad was killed and her job given away while she recovered in the hospital.
Forced to find another job, she relies on her experience with her sister’s two kids to show Quinn she can take charge. Their overwhelming mutual heat melts his guarded heart and her reserve until a slip of the tongue shatters his dreams. Will she unravel the mystery of Junior’s birth and will they regain lost trust?   COMING FIRST WEEK OF MARCH   CHECK OUT MY BOOKS HERE

NEW FEATURE - MOVIE CHOICES FOR KIDS

Once a week, I'll be running my movie review column called, MOVIE CHOICES FOR KIDS , here on my blog. The column is written to help parents make good movies choices for their children. Feel free to comment. This is the kick-off column. Please remember this is not an opinion for adults.
WARM BODIES (Running time:  1 hours 37  minutes)
RATED PG-13     Starring Nicholas Hoult, Theresa Palmer, Robert Corddry, John Malkovich
I was not expecting to like this movie. In fact I was expecting to hate it. Boy was I surprised! So much for accurate movie trailers. A zombie romance, what could that be about? The story was much broader than that. The story begins in an apocalyptic world where a virus infected people, killing them and turning them into zombies and then some into “bonies” skeletons that run around eating living people. Zombies kill people and eat their brains, which was pretty disgusting and a bloody, horrific, scary part of the movie.
One zombie, a guy about twenty years old (Hoult) who doesn’t know who he was or is gets an inkling that living humans have it better and he’d love to rejoin the living, who are barricaded behind a huge iron wall. This is a poignant part of the story where our zombie friend ponders what it would be like to have memories, dreams, be able to sleep, feel hot and cold and love.
A party of young human military personnel venture out of their safe place to find a pharmacy and bring back medicine. All but two are killed, one being Julie (Palmer). Our zombie, named “R”, has eaten Julie’s boyfriend’s brains. I know, yuck! And has his memories. So he knows Julie and falls for her. He saves her and takes her to an abandoned airplane where they get to know each other quietly. Slowly, R begins to come back to life, which is the underlying theme of the movie – that zombies can be warmed back to life by human acceptance, support and love. I like that theme and smiled to find it in this movie, which I thought would be simply silly.
Warm Bodies is a sci fi thriller with a moral and plenty of humor. There are quite a few scary parts and the “bonies” can give you nightmares. There’s bloody violence, zombies eating brains (pretty disgusting), the “f” word mumbled once, but otherwise no bad language, no sex, one simple kiss. This film is best for kids who don’t scare easily and are not prone to nightmares. Most likely fine for children 13 and up and adults will get a kick out of it, too. Check out my books HERE

TUESDAY TALES - PICTURE PROMPT

Today's post is part of the continuing story, FINDING LOVE IN SANTA'S THRIFT SHOP. Will has shown anger and indifference to Giselle. She's still in love with him and doesn't understand his coldness. Has his son, Bobby, managed to softened his heart?   THE RED BOX
 Christmas Day was the quietest day of the year in Pine Grove.  Giselle arose early. Her small house seemed more lonely than usual. Time to close up shop. She forced some cereal down though she had no appetite.  She planned to return to the city by the end of the week.  
Pulling on her boots, she sighed as she zipped up her down jacket and headed for the car. Santa’s Thrift Shop was the only shop open. She pulled down boxes to store the holiday decorations. Sell them. Not doing this next year. Too painful being in the same town with Will. While putting a box up in the back, she heard the familiar tinkle of the bell on the front door.  She raised an eyebrow as she climbed down the stepladder.
“I told you she’s not here,” a deep voice said as she came around the corner.
Bobby Benson stood in the front of the store, snow clinging to his boots, his cheeks red from the cold.
“She ishere, Daddy. Told ya.” Bobby carefully removed his mittens and stuffed them in his pockets.
“The store is closed today, sweetie.” Giselle tried to avoid Will’s glare. Bobby took a small red box from his father’s hand and stepped forward. “This is for you.”
Giselle moved closer. “You shouldn’t have…I…” Will shrugged and nodded. She opened the box slowly. Inside was a lollypop ring.
“Will you marry me, Giselle?” The little boy asked.
“I didn’t know about this,” Will said.
“Bobby, you’re too young to get married,” she said, gently, tearing up.
“Daddy’s not too young. Marry her, Daddy.” Giselle glanced at Will’s hard face before casting her gaze to the floor.   
“She doesn’t want to, Bobby.”
“Who says?” She muttered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. RETURN TO TUESDAY TALES MY WEBSITE

WHO IS LEFT-HANDED? QUIZ AND GIVEAWAY

LEFTIES  -- GOOD OR EVIL? WEIRD OR CREATIVE?
 Yes, I admit it, I'm left-handed. When I was a kid, I looked up the word sinister, which comes from the French "sinistre" or LEFT-HANDED! That's right, the definition of sinister in French isn't evil, it's left-handed! In school, left-handers dealt with modern desks created for right-handed students. We were taught to bat rightie, golf rightie and play tennis rightie. Wasn't being leftie ever going to be good? Not according to myth. Did you know?
1. In India and Indonesia, eating with the left hand is considered impolite.
 2. Chinese characters prove extremely difficult to write with the left hand. 
3.Getting out of bed with the left foot first means that you will have a bad day and be bad tempered . i.e. getting out of bed the wrong side. 4. An itchy right palm means that you will receive money. An itchy left palm means you will have to give money.
Getting out of bed with the left foot first means that you will have a bad day and be bad tempered . i.e. getting out of bed the wrong side. - See more at: http://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/l... out of bed with the left foot first means that you will have a bad day and be bad tempered . i.e. getting out of bed the wrong side. - See more at: http://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/l... out of bed with the left foot first means that you will have a bad day and be bad tempered . i.e. getting out of bed the wrong side. - See more at: http://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/l... out of bed with the left foot first means that you will have a bad day and be bad tempered . i.e. getting out of bed the wrong side. - See more at: http://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/l... QUIZ! Lots of famous people are left-handed. Which one  in each of these trios is left-handed?
1)  Presidents: Herbert Hoover, John Adams or Millard Fillmore?
2) Novelists: W.H. Auden, Lewis Carroll or Mary Shelley?   
3) Actors: Joaquin Phoenix, Dan Ackroyd or Paul Rudd?
4) Actresses: Bette Midler, Kate Blanchett or Goldie Hawn?
5) Comedians: Howie Mandel, Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld?
Leave one "guess" in a comment and I'll pick two people at random to choose from either of my two newest releases:
IF I LOVED YOU
Does love always mean total truth? Successfully shunning the limelight was one way for Megan Davis to keep her family secret. The press intruded on her life when her twin brother, Mark, became the star quarterback for the Delaware Demons. Disrespectful of tabloid superstars, financial advisor, Meg, was shocked when she was tapped to launch a celebrity division in the prestigious investment firm, Dillon & Weed. The biggest surprise: the charisma of her first client.             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 attractive Megan Davis, his new financial advisor charm the truth from him or 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.    
UNDER THE MIDNIGHT MOON
Can attending a wedding and a funeral on the same day change your life? Mindy Winslow’s life was altered forever when she met gorgeous lawyer, Drew Armstrong, and found out about her inheritance from her mentor, Lou. Embraced by the townsfolk at the wedding of her college roommate, Mindy sought to make her goal a reality in tiny Pine Grove, New York. But the exposure of a promise made then broken secretly, destroyed her dream. Will she be forced to face “I told you so” from her father or will love find a way to resurrect hope from the ashes?
A few more who are left-handed: Harry Truman, Bill Clinton, Diane Keaton, Matthew Broderick, Greta Garbo, H.G. Wells, Betty Grable, Cary Grant, Peter Graves, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert DeNiro, Peter Fonda, to name a few. 
MY WEBSITE
  

MEET KENZIE MICHAEL'S HERO, BRIAN, FROM HER BRAND NEW BOOK, CLASS REUNION!

We're very lucky that Brian Vellinger, hero of CLASS
REUNION stopped by today to talk to us. Come on in Brian.
Coffee'shere, also a few bagels. Take your pick. Okay, let me
ask you a few questions while you're eating. LOVE your
cover, Bri!   1.     Are you upset your name is not in the title?

No; this didn’t need to be titled ‘How Brian Realized What A Schmuck He’d Been or even ‘Brian Finally Sees Natalie For The Woman She Is’..

2.     Is your love interest the way you pictured her? Or would you have preferred someone with a different hair color.

It’s funny; I always favored the short, bouncy blonde cheerleader types.  And Natalie is tall; she was in the band; and we rubbed each other the wrong way all through school.  So it came as a shock when she showed up and I realized she wasn’t that skinny pest of of debate team partner.  Wow…I don’t know what was in the Boise, ID water, but boy does she ever look great!

3.     Do you have any annoying habits your author did not share with us in your book?

(pinches bridge of nose)  Kenzie really didn’t put in how much time I actually spend on the golf course.  Or the amount of beer I tend to consume on those outings with Brent and Mitch.

4.     Do you have siblings? Are you close to them?
Two sisters; I’m in the middle.  Yeah, we’re pretty close.  Both are married and have kids, so I love my role as ‘Uncle Brian’
  5.     Any hobbies we might be interested in knowing about?
 Other than golf?  I’m a sports nut.  Love watching football, basketball, and baseball.  Favorite teams are my Colts, LA Lakers, and the Cubs.
6.     Are you happy with the profession your author chose for you or would you rather be working at something totally different and why?
 No, Kenzie hit it dead on.  I’ve always been good with numbers, and Kenzie’s grandfather and one of her uncles were bankers.  And I own a Credit Union, which means I get to make my own decisions on which loans to approve, even if their credit score isn’t spectacular. 
7.     Are you planning to make an appearance in a sequel? If not are you unhappy about that?
I don’t know if I’m in Off The Clock or not.  I’ll have to ask Kenzie.

8.     Now for a personal question. Is there enough  sex in the book for you? Would you have liked more?

That is a personal question.  I would have to say I’m happy with the way my sex life was depicted, although some details could have been left out.
 9.     Is you’re hero/heroine a good kisser?
Surprisingly, yes!  If I’d known she was that good of a kisser, I might have kissed her long before now.


10.  How many re-writes did you have to live through?

Only a few scenes had to be rewritten, and I was disappointed the entire ‘prologue’ was taken out. But it’s also my understanding if there’s a prologue, then there needs to be an epilogue, which our story didn’t have.  So I get that.

11.  Did your author listen to you when you tried to redirect her/him?

I’ll say this much; Kenzie takes great dictation!  I could use her for a secretary, if she existed in my world.
12.  Did your story end too soon?

Nah.  I like the way it ended!

13.  Did you get enough time in the story or do you feel shortchanged?

No, Kenzie did a great job of giving both Nat and I equal time in each chapter.

14.  Who was your favorite supporting character?
Hands down, my best friend Brent.  I enjoyed my time with Stacia, pre-Natalie, but Nat opened my eyes to the fact I was missing out on something valuable.  After my ex-wife dumped me, and then someone I picked up at the 10th reunion robbed me blind, I swore off relationships.  But Nat changed all that.

15.  Do you want your story to become a series with you as a recurring character?

Not really.  I mean, if Kenz wants to write us into Off The Clock, then I’ll be thrilled.   Especially if she’s pregnant by then.  But really, I think we’re past the child-rearing age.  We really haven’t talked about that.  Hell, we aren’t even married!
A bit about the book
After being burned pretty badly by two different women in his past, Brian Vellinger has sworn off romance. Commitment-shy for the past fifteen years, he is stunned by his sudden attraction to a woman he's not seen since the last day of their senior year. 
Natalie Collier thinks she's successfully put Brian Vellinger out of her mind. After harboring a secret crush all through high school and into college, she is both alarmed and thrilled when Brian makes his intentions known at their 25th class reunion. But will she succeed in softening his casual, 'sex only' policy, or will she end up just another notch on his belt?And I'm hosting a week-long contest on my blog:  Want a chance at free books?  Tell me your best/worst/fondest memory of any reunion, be it class or family, and don't forget to leave your contact info, as well as what format you'd like.  There will be a GRAND PRIZE drawing at midnight on Friday.Comment here or on my  BLOG  Thanks for having me today Jean!  I’ll tell you something:  I read your Dating List and Marriage List books on Natalie’s Kindle, and they’re really good!  It’s always good to see things from the female perspective.  And I understand you have a little squirrel problem at your summer home?  Brent and Mitch will gladly take care of them for you.  Just say the word; I’ll send ‘em your way. Thanks so much for stopping by Brian and for reading my books. Please do send your friends my way for squirrel eradication! Here's how folks can order your book. TO ORDER IN EVERY FORMAT & FOR MORE INFO, CLICK HERE  

TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "SILVER"

Welcome! Thanks for stopping by. This week I'm continuing my story from the WIP of the last couple of weeks. This scene is a conversation between Will and his mom:
FINDING LOVE IN SANTA'S THRIFT SHOP Pine Grove, New York             December 15  Muriel Benson stomped the snow off her short boots in the foyer of her tidy home. “Will! Get in here and help me, will ya?” She dropped three shopping bags weighing down her tired arms and toed off her boots. Will appeared from the kitchen, a gingerbread cookie sticking out of his mouth.“Is the tree up?” He nodded while he struggled to balance the bags and carry them into the living room. “What the hell have you got in these? Anvils?”“Yeah, they’re heavy.” She plopped her chubby frame onto the sofa and stared at the tree.“You and Bobby did a great job.” Will deposited the bags by the closet and joined his mom. “Thanks.”“New angel this year. Silver.” She handed the shimmery, delicate ornament to her son.He arose and walked over to the tree. Muriel took a package out of her purse and joined him. She pulled out ornament after ornament, silvery blue, gold, red and placed them on the tree. He moved a few around to make the tree more balanced.“It’s Christmas. When are you going to stop torturing Giselle.”“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He avoided her stare. “Bull. Torturing yourself as well.” She hung a red ornament in a bare spot.“Ma, stay out of this.”“I didn’t raise you to be so unforgiving. What’s the matter with you?” She continued, oblivious to his words.“Ma…I’m warning you. Don’t go there.”“This is my house. I’ll go wherever the hell I want! For the first time, I can honestly say I’m ashamed of you.” She stopped.Will turned his gaze to the floor. “You’ve never said that to me before,” he said in a low voice.“You’ve never behaved this badly before.”“You know what she did.”“Took a job over you. Broke your heart ‘cause you couldn’t wait. What if it had been medical school? Would you have dumped her then?”“Med school is only four years. She’s been gone five.”“Don’t split hairs!” Her eyes bored into her son.“Probably not. But it wasn’t med school.”“Now you don’t have peace. She doesn’t have peace. It’s a damn shame.”“What did she have to come back here for, anyway?” Anger rose in his voice.“Her mother died! She had to sell the house and stuff.”  “But she didn’t have to buy another one.  She coulda let the lawyer handle it and stayed in New York. Did she say something to you?” He turned his sharp, gray eyes on her.“She’s got too much class for that. Did it ever occur to you she mighta come back for you?” She took another ornament out of the bag.His wide-eyed stare told her it hadn’t.“Maybe she did. Maybe she stayed for you. Try and patch things up.” She placed a star on the tree.“That’s isn’t happening, Ma.” “For a boy who did well in school, you’re dumb as a post sometimes.”“Stay out, Ma!” He raised his voice.“Go ahead. Be miserable. And stupid. You’ve never loved anyone else. You don’t have to admit it.  But I know the truth. And underneath that stubborn hide, you do, too.” She turned and walked out of the room.  RETURN TO TUESDAY TALES MY WEBSITE

MEG'S MEATLOAF

I use food in almost all my books. IF I LOVED YOU is no exception. I'm posting Megan Davis' recipe for meatloaf, the dish that won Chaz Duncan's heart. Food and guys, go together, don't they? (Scroll down for pic of my image of Chaz Duncan)
  MEGAN'S MEATLOAF

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef (or half and half beef and ground turkey)
1 medium onion
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 large can of peeled tomatoes
1 medium can of tomato sauce (or homemade)
1 can LeSoeur Peas (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Chop up the onion in a food processor or blender In a large bowl, mix the ground meat and onion with your hands until nicely blended. Add bread crumbs and mix again.
Form meat into a loaf with your hands in a baking pan, a lasagna pan is a good size. Bake until the meat is brown inside. From 30 to 45 minutes. This will vary with how wide or narrow your meatloaf is. Pour off fat. Then empty the contents of the peeled tomatoes can over the meatloaf. Do the same with the tomato sauce. Add peas, if you want. Cook until the sauce is hot, another 10 minutes. Serve with baled potatoes, which can be cooked on the rack while the meatloaf is cooking.
CHAZ DUNCAN  Bit about the book 
Does love always mean total truth? Successfully shunning the limelight was one way for Megan Davis to keep her family secret. The press intruded on her life when her twin brother, Mark, became the star quarterback for the Delaware Demons. Disrespectful of tabloid superstars, financial advisor, Meg, was shocked when she was tapped to launch a celebrity division in the prestigious investment firm, Dillon & Weed. The biggest surprise: the charisma of her first client.             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 attractive Megan Davis, his new financial advisor charm the truth from him or 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.    
 A snippet
Megan took a big swig from her water bottle before she picked up the papers on her desk. “I’ve prepared some questions to help me understand your needs, Mr….ah, Chaz.”
“My needs? You don’t really mean needs, do you?” He chuckled while his gaze raked her body.
“I mean your financial needs…ah, maybe goals is a better word.”
Buy Links
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BOOKSTRAND
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