Jean C. Joachim's Blog: Stories of Love and Passion, page 52

SCRAMBLER CONTEST!

Unscramble these ordinary, everyday words and be entered to win a copy of The Marriage List or it's sequel, The Love List!


Unscramble any 1 of these words
Aurnjay
Loywel
Noste
Rubn
 to win Marriage List

A bit about the book

Can happily ever after start with a list? Grey Andrews thinks so. After ten years of working, saving and investing, Grey finally achieved a level of wealth that allows him to do what he wants with his life. He needs a woman to share it with, but not any woman, the perfect woman. A woman who has the three essential qualities on his marriage list. But after three years of searching he isn’t any closer to finding her than he was when he started out.
 Carrie Tucker, an aspiring mystery writer and divorcée struggling to make it in the world of advertising, turned her focus from men to her career after dating too many creeps and losers. She’s finally earned her big break, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the first female creative director in a hot New York ad agency. So what if it means working nights and weekends? It’s not like she has a social life anyway.
Is the marriage list a failure or will a chance meeting at a fiction-writing conference prove the list to be the key to Grey’s happiness after all?
  Unscramble any 1 these words :BorecotPlurepFinkeShifto win Love List A bit about the book Can the swinging bachelor change his ways and become a devoted, selfless and faithful man overnight? Grey's marriage list brought them together. But when Carrie starts her own list, can Grey incorporate her ideas about love into his life? Family issues, jealousy and an icy lake threaten to destroy the happiness Carrie and Grey have found together. An argument, a holiday trip to visit family confronting an old fear test the lovers who have pledged their love and now must learn to make it stronger every day.
DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE  YOUR EMAIL ADDY IN YOUR COMMENT! ONE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM FOR EACH BOOK.
Or buy the books, $.99 for The Marriage List AMAZONBARNES & NOBLESMASHWORDS
The Love List is only $1.99AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE SMASHWORDSTO CHECK OUT ALL MY BOOKS CLICK HERE

TUEDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "OCEAN"

Here's a snippet from a WIP called "Too Late for Goodbye", a military romance. 
             “I want him back.”            “What?”            “You heard me. I want him back. I only gave him to you…temporarily. A loaner,” Ariel Bowers laughed at her own joke.            “Take a hike, Ariel. I’ve been writing to him for eight months…” Glory James, tossed her dark brown hair.            “Writing to him as me…for eight months. He’ll never know the difference.”            “Oh? I beg to differ. Sergeant Whitmore Carey is no dummy. Besides, you’ll never be able to copy my style.”            “Style?” Ariel, Glory’s older cousin, raised her eyebrows.            “Writing a letter about something besides shopping, shoes and the latest TV reality show. How blonde are you, Ariel?” Glory snorted.            “I'm a natural blonde...I’ll write to him about sex.” Ariel’s haughty look wasn’t lost on her cousin.            “Then he’ll surely know you’re not me!” Glory laughed. “Go ahead, take him. He’s more than an ocean away anyway…what the hell do I care?”            Ariel narrowed her eyes.            “Hmm. You’re in love with him aren’t you?”            The telltale blush on Glory’s cheeks made out-and-out denial a waste of time.            “Who has time to fall in love? I’m running a daycare center, Ariel. Uh…doing something with my life instead of simply throwing away my parents’ money on clothes. Unlike some people.”            “You are! I can see it in your eyes! I’ll bet he loves you back, too. But he thinks you’re me! Sweet!” CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO TUESDAY TALESFIND MORE ABOUT MY BOOKS HERE

July 4th Celebration - Everyone Wins!

Thank you for stopping by! Celebrate our independence with me and others authors on our Sweet Swap Blog Hop and win a FREE copy of my bestselling book, The Marriage List. Everyone who leaves a comment will win a copy and one lucky commenter will win his or her choice of any of my other books, in addition to The Marriage List. 

Step back into 1776 with me as we look at that turbulent time in history with pictures and quotes from some of our famous forefathers.



But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost is lost forever.
John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, 1775









We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
Benjamin Franklin, (attributed) at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.


General Horatio Gates


"The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, New Englanders are no more. I AM NOT A VIRGINIAN, BUT AN AMERICAN!"
Patrick Henry, n.d.










"The die is now cast; the colonies must either submit or triumph.... we must not retreat."
King George III, In a letter to Lord North, 1774



Revolutionary War Flag. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, No. 1, December 19, 1776 "All men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Thomas Jefferson, In the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776














Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.
Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 5, 1778


"The injuries we have received from the British nation were so unprovoked, and have been so great and so many, that they can never be forgotten."
George Washington, Letter to John Banister, 1778










 "The cement of this union is in the heart blood of every American."
Thomas Jefferson, Writings, n.d.









I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.
Nathan Hale, before being hanged by the British, September 22, 1776






Where liberty dwells, there is my country.
Benjamin Franklin, letter to Benjamin Vaughn, March 14, 1783





             


Can happily ever after start with a list? Grey Andrews thinks so. After ten years of working, saving and investing, Grey finally achieved a level of wealth that allows him to do what he wants with his life. He needs a woman to share it with, but not any woman, the perfect woman. A woman who has the three essential qualities on his marriage list. But after three years of searching he isn’t any closer to finding her than he was when he started out.
 Carrie Tucker, an aspiring mystery writer and divorcée struggling to make it in the world of advertising, turned her focus from men to her career after dating too many creeps and losers. She’s finally earned her big break, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the first female creative director in a hot New York ad agency. So what if it means working nights and weekends? It’s not like she has a social life anyway.
Is the marriage list a failure or will a chance meeting at a fiction-writing conference prove the list to be the key to Grey’s happiness after all?
LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDY AND PREFERRED FORMAT AND YOU'LL GET A FREE COPY OF MY BESTSELLER, "THE MARRIAGE LIST"!HOW ARE YOU CELEBRATING THIS IMPORTANT HOLIDAY?
HOP TO THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THIS HOP BY CLICKING ON THE LINKS BELOW:

Dawne Prochilo
Sherry Gloag
Kathleen Ball
Front Seat Romance
Michael Charton
Lizzie Black
Layla Hunter
To learn more about my books, go to my website, click here

TUESDAY TALES, PROMPT "MONEY"

Welcome! Thanks for stopping by. My story this week is from my new WIP, a military romance.

        “Get out of the car.”
        “What’d I say?”        “Get out.”         “Look, Perri, the kid’s been gone for five years already. When are you gonna let go?” Ike closed the door and leaned on the open window.            “Mike. His name was Mike,” Perri said as she peeled out, depressing the gas pedal almost to the floor. “asshole…”
 Perri slowed down when she crossed the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey. Putting on her turn signal, she forked right off the bridge onto the Palisades Parkway. The pretty brunette leaned back against the rich leather seat of her BMW and relaxed. This trip to Pine Grove was so familiar she could do it in her sleep. You’d be five today, Mikey. If you had lived. Five years since we scattered you in Cedar Lake. Perri took a shaky breath. SIDS took four-month-old Michael Jessup. Son of Perri and Sergeant Matthew Jessup, her husband, now her ex.     After an uneventful trip, Perri pulled into the driveway of the Pine Grove Guest House, facing Cedar Lake. She had a standing reservation for a week every year at this time. Lacy Ryan, owner of the guest house, held a plate of homemade cookies. Perri took one. “Rooms ready, Perri. Uneventful trip I spose.” “Yup. What’s all that lumber in old Doc Branford’s yard?”“Doc moved to Florida. Somebody bought the place. Fixin’ it up, too.” Lacy took the plate into the kitchen. “coffee’s still hot.”Perri felt a twinge in her gut. Doc Branford’s house was the house she and Matt stayed in on their honeymoon, such as it was. He was on leave from the Marines when they met. Every year she peered at the old place from next door, watching it get more and more rundown. She couldn’t bear to stay there. Too many memories…it’s where Mike was conceived. They stayed there, too, when they brought his ashes up. It’s where they had that brutal fight. Perri shook her head to get rid of the memory. “He wouldn’t have died if you had been here instead of in Afghanistan!”“You…you let my son die!”The shouting match echoed in her brain as if she was hearing it for the first time. Her stomach knotted as the words knifed through her gut. “You all right? Ya look kinda pale,” Lacy asked. She put her hand on Perri’s forearm as she guided her into the kitchen. “Do you know who bought Doc’s place?” Perri took a sip of her coffee.
 “Nope. Haven’t seen him yet.” Lacy fumbled with her cup, nearly dropping it.“Think I’ll take a look after I unpack.” Perri finished the coffee in the dainty cup.“Oh, I wouldn’t do that. I'd bet money he don't want you trespassing. It’s somebody’s property…he probably don’t like people snooping around.”Perri shot Lacy a quizzical look, but the older woman avoided her glance. 
                                               **** 

Once outside, she approached Doc’s property cautiously. There was a car in the driveway and some of the lumber she spied before was gone. She stepped over the short hedge separating Lacy Ryan’s place from Doc’s and tiptoed toward the front window. The curtain was open. She leaned forward, peering in, her hands shading her eyes. Strains of the 1812 Overture met her ears faintly over the sound of an electric drill. She spied the naked back of a tall man. His shoulders seemed to stretch from one wall of the living room to the other. In the middle of his back was a small tattoo. She bolted upright, pulling away from the window. How many men have a tattoo of a periwinkle flower in the middle of their backs! Matt!
CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO TUESDAY TALES TO GO TO MY WEBSITE, CLICK HERE.

FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY, THE MARRIAGE LIST!

Time for a look at The Marriage List, a New York Nights novel. Roll into Manhattan with me and get to know with Grey, before he meets up with Carrie. First a few pix of New York City, then the first chapter of The Marriage List, which is still only $.99, by the way.

Lincoln Center, where Grey and Carrie have an...uh...interesting encounter.







 The Dakota, apartment building where John Lennon lived and died. Only about six blocks from Carrie's place.





 Skyline of Manhattan.









 Sexy guy running...oops...how did that get in here? " *grins*, just an added treat.











 Oohh, hot firemen. You can see where my mind is going. So on to the first chapter.










                                  FIRST CHAPTER - CLICK HERE
Buy links
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "RED"

Today's tale comes from my WIP, "If I Loved You". 


“You signed Chaz Duncan?”Megan nodded.“Wow! That’s amazing! You’re awesome, Megan. How’d you do it?” 
 "Our brilliant plan plus a little charm.”“You’re my hero.” Andy beamed his admiration at her with a huge smile.“Time to get to work, Andy. We have to execute this plan. On Wednesday, I need to tell Chaz…er…Mr. Duncan exactly where we plan to put his money. So you’ve got a ton of research to do. Get your pad…let’s get started.”Right after Andy left, her cell phone rang. It was Chaz.“Are you strutting your stuff? Did old Harve give you a pat on the back?”“How did you know?” Megan sat back in her chair.“I’m a big fish. I’d expect as much.”“You are. Andy and I are going to start work on your investment plan as soon as I hang up.” Megan put her hand up to stop Andy from entering her office then lounged back again.“Who’s Andy?” Was that a hint of jealousy in his voice? She grinned.“He’s my assistant. Too young for me anyway.”“Oh. Good. Won’t keep you, then.”“Where are you today?” Meg rested her feet on the waste paper basket.“Over at PBS, shooting an American history series.”“Who are you playing?” She tapped a pencil on her desk.“Thomas Jefferson…with a red wig.”  “Oh my God!” Megan burst into laughter.“What’s so funny?”“Covering up that gorgeous brown hair with a red wig, I…”“Gorgeous, huh?” He snickered at the other end of the phone.Megan’s hand flew to her mouth. Shut up, Meg!“Well…yeah…it’s kinda nice, I guess. If you like brunettes.”Chaz laughed. “And you prefer blonds?”“I prefer…to end this conversation.” Meg sat up in her chair.“See you Wednesday at six.”  After she hung up the phone, Megan fanned herself with her hand. Andy entered the office.“You’re red as a beet. Was that a business call?” “Write down these stocks. I want you to get the p/e’s plus closing prices for every week for the past two years…make a graph. Let’s start with General Electric…”CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO TUESDAY TALES CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY WEBSITE

FUN FACTS ABOUT NEW YORK!

A rest from promo today. Enjoy some fun facts and pix of New York, city and state. Happy Monday!

The oldest cattle ranch in the US was started in 1747 at Montauk on Long Island. 

(This is supposed to be a pic of a cattle ranch, but thought you wouldn't mind if I just had the cowboys. You don't, do you?)

 The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is the only school in the world offering a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing.




 New York City has 722 miles of subway track. 













 Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic Parks combined.  The only mountain range to have a chair named after it! LOL. (That's from me.)




For beer lovers! The first public brewery in America was established by Peter Minuit at the Market (Marckvelt) field in lower Manhattan. 



 
   Niagara Reservation became the first state park in the United States.




 
New York was the first state to require license plates on cars. 





 New York State is home to 58 species of wild orchids.










Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. played against each other in Rochester vs. Pawtucket Red Sox in the longest game in baseball history. The game went a total of 33 innings. 
 The Big Apple is a term coined by musicians meaning to play the big time. 














FROM THE BIG APPLE TO YOU, HAVE A GREAT DAY!

For info about my books, click here to go to my website. 

Spring Solstice Blog Hop

 Welcome to my blog. Thanks for coming! Summer Solstice Blog Hop means pix of spring and summer in Central Park, New York City and a bit about my books. I'm  having an "EVERYONE WINS" giveaway! All commenters will receive a copy of  Champagne for Christmas. Think cool thoughts!! Plus 5 commenters will be selected to choose any book from all my books as their prize in addition to Champagne for Christmas. Leave a comment to be entered for the grand prize, too!  Don't forget your email addy!!
Spring roses on 77th Street in Manhattan.


Can Callie Richards turn her life of tragedy and heartache around on the campus of Kensington State University? Braving the school on her own, Callie meets the handsome dean, Mac Caldwell. As she and Mac draw closer and she makes new friends, a deadly campus drug ring sets their sights on her with heart-breaking results.  An emotional story, this is not a cookie-cutter romance. You’ll laugh and cry as Callie struggles to make a new life, find love and find her satisfying, happy ending.


Cherry trees in Central Park, New York City











Can an Army expert sharp shooter, killer and womanizer kick PTSD by running away? Danny retreats to a small town to teach English at the local college. He struggles to overcome his post-traumatic stress syndrome and make a new life when his drunken, abusive father is released from prison and seeks him out. Struggling to leave his horrific past behind, Danny attempts to forge a new path that includes love, success, friends and having his own family but dark forces and emotional obstacles block his way. The Book of Danny is a poignant story of love, loss and ultimate triumph that will touch your heart.
A perfect rose growing in front of an apartment building on my block. New York City










 Can a handsome, charming, womanizing professor win the heart of a temporarily blind ballerina? Love comes to the university as Peter Caldwell, dashing Art History professor and accomplished pianist meets Lara Stewart, ballerina.  Peter can’t seduce with her with his devastating good looks because Lara can’t see. Obsessed with the one woman he can’t have, Peter has to learn how to love. Sam Caldwell joins Peter, Mac, Callie and his grandchildren. Witty and attractive, Sam isn’t looking for a woman but finds love isn’t only for the young but the young at heart as well. Small town secrets feed a blackmailer and blackmail on campus is paid with sexual favors. Blind Love is a roller coaster ride of twists and turns. This full length novel is three parts love and passion mixed with one part intrigue, stirred up with a twist of mystery and heated up to three flames.
More foliage from Central Park











Can happily ever after start with a list? Grey Andrews thinks so. After ten years of working, saving and investing, Grey finally achieved a level of wealth that allows him to do what he wants with his life. He needs a woman to share it with, but not any woman, the perfect woman. A woman who has the three essential qualities on his marriage list. But after three years of searching he isn’t any closer to finding her than he was when he started out.
 Carrie Tucker, an aspiring mystery writer and divorcée struggling to make it in the world of advertising, turned her focus from men to her career after dating too many creeps and losers. She’s finally earned her big break, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the first female creative director in a hot New York ad agency. So what if it means working nights and weekends? It’s not like she has a social life anyway.
Is the marriage list a failure or will a chance meeting at a fiction-writing conference prove the list to be the key to Grey’s happiness after all?
Daffodils in Central Park










   Can the swinging bachelor change his ways and become a devoted, selfless and faithful man overnight? Grey's marriage list brought them together. But when Carrie starts her own list, can Grey incorporate her ideas about love into his life? Family issues, jealousy and an icy lake threaten to destroy the happiness Carrie and Grey have found together. An argument, a holiday trip to visit family and confronting an old fear test the lovers who have pledged their love and now must learn to make it stronger every day.  Weeping Willow in Central Park.




















Can a woman run away, back to her past? Do you have someone in you’d like to reconnect with?  Caroline Davis White wasn't looking for Mickey, now Mike Foster, her childhood crush, she was fleeing her philandering husband, seeking peace and quiet, time to reflect on changing her life. But there was Mike, saving her from a mishap...again, bigger than life and even more handsome. 

A well-known artist, Sunny thought she could escape, disappear back to the cabin where she spent her summers as a child. But she was wrong. Her husband refused to let her go. There hadn't been a divorce in Brad White's family...ever! And he wasn't about to break that tradition now.  Could Caroline shake him loose and what about Mike? Where did he fit into her life?  Flowers at Tricia's house.










How could anything bad happen to a young woman, fresh from graduate school, who strikes out on a new path rather than return to take a job with her father’s firm? April McKenna sets off for an escapade that ends in tragedy. Injured and alone she is taken in by a friend of her mother’s who lives in a small town in the Catskill Mountains in New York. During her recovery, April resolves to carve out an exotic life of travel and adventure. But she didn’t count on a sexy fireman upsetting her plans. Gavin Dailey has dated practically every woman in the county, but when he meets April, he knows he’s finally found the one he wants.  Only a stubborn man like Gavin wouldn’t let April’s resistance to his charm and his small town change his plans. Determined to win her, he pulls out all the stops until he encounters one stumbling block he didn’t count on. Only a near-tragedy resurrected from the past gives April the tenacity she needs to make the right decision for her life in April’s Kiss in the Moonlight.  Lilac tree in Central Park.























 Can a craving for mint chip ice cream and a passion for the theater turn a summer romance into everlasting love? Clint is a high school English teacher and a budding playwright. Nina is a former actress, now a beautiful and wealthy widow...who is more than a little lonely. A chance meeting over mint chip ice cream brings them together. Their love of the theater joins their minds while love blossoms despite a gap in their ages. But ultimately, the theater may present the one hurdle they can’t clear. Take the journey with Nina and Clint through their discovery of each other, their joy and the ultimate compromise they must make to live their dream of footlights, fame and love.  Belvedere Castle in Central Park.
Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered for the big prize! 
Click HERE to hop back to the blog hop! To find out more about my books, go to my WEBSITE.  All of my books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The Now and Forever books can be found at Secret Cravings website. The Moonlight Books and "The List" books are also on Smashwords

TUESDAY TALES - PROMPT, MY CITY - NEW YORK CITY.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I have a new WIP begun some time ago that I've just started revising this week. Here is the opening scene from a brand-new work-in-progress titled, To Love or Not to Love. The city I chose for my prompt this week is New York City. One minute he was running on the bridle path in Central Park, the next he was flying through the air! Penn Robinson landed flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him for a second. He looked up into a pair of soulful brown eyes belonging to a handsome Golden Retriever. Buddy! Was it Buddy, his beloved golden, who died seven years ago?He reached up to touch the dog he didn’t believe was real when he heard a voice.“Are you hurt? Should I call 911?”Penn switched his gaze from the dog, who had now begun to lick his face, to the most beautiful pair of green eyes, framed in black lashes he had ever seen. Her face with a peaches-n-cream complexion was framed with long hair as dark as midnight.“Lucky didn’t mean to knock you over. See, he’s sorry.” The dog continued to lick him. “Are you okay? Can you talk?”Penn pushed himself into a sitting position.“I’ll live. Is this your dog?” He petted Lucky’s back.  “I’m his dogwalker.”“Some dogwalker…can’t keep control of your dog.” His eyes moved from Lucky to the stunning woman crouched before him. His gaze roamed over her luscious figure with curves in all the right places. “You’re okay?” Her brows knitted.“No thanks to Lucky, here…or you, for that matter.”“You’re right. I’m sorry. When he sees a squirrel, he bolts. My fault all the way. I’m Miranda Bradford.” She stood up then extended her hand.Penn used it to pull himself up. “Penn Robinson.”“What can I do to make it up to you?” Miranda picked up the dog’s leash.It was a gorgeous day in Central Park in New York City, warm, with clear blue skies and sunshine so bright it coated all the flowers and leaves with brilliance. It was a day like every other day in early June in New York City. Penn looked at his watch. “Have breakfast with me at the boathouse.”“I can’t…Lucky here.”“We’ll eat outside. He’s allowed to sit with us.”“Glad to see your injury isn’t fatal. It hasn’t killed your appetite.” She tried to hide a smile.She wore black bicycle shorts topped by a low-cut turquoise tank top. The outfit molded her figure perfectly, leaving little to his imagination – which kicked into overdrive anyway. “My stomach…and my appetite…have remained unharmed. Will you join me?”So has my appetite for beautiful young women.“Guess so. If you’re a serial killer, Lucky’ll protect me.”“How? By licking me to death?” Penn continued to pet the retriever as they moved toward the lake. A smile played with his lips.What do you think about my new story? Would love your feedback. Please feel free to leave a comment. CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO TUESDAY TALESFOR MORE ABOUT MY BOOKS CLICK HERE FOR MY WEBSITE.

FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL BLOG!

This excerpt depicts a special father-and-son moment between Sam Caldwell and his two sons, Mac and Peter from my newest book, Now and Forever 3, Blind Love. Sam is about to tell his sons how and when he lost his virginity.
“Come on, Dad. Confess. This story sounds too good to pass up,” Peter urged.“So, you all want to hear a juicy story, do you? I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.” Sam smiled. The men took their drinks and sat down to listen to Sam. Sam leaned against the arm of the sofa, cradling a glass of tonic.“Okay, okay. I was eighteen and green as they come. I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, with a sister and two brothers. My parents worked hard but they didn’t have much money. My father was a postal worker and my mother taught school. We had food and all, but there was no money for college. So I took myself off to the recruiting station and joined the army.”“Get to the good part, Dad,” Peter urged.“I’m getting there. Don’t rush me. I had a girlfriend, Linda, in high school. I kept trying to get her to sleep with me, but she refused. After two years of begging that got me nowhere, I washed my hands of her when I went to war. She cried and said she’d bake me cookies. Cookies!Hah! She still wouldn’t give me what I wanted…which was a good roll in the hay. She had a body…well, it was unbelievable…but you’ll just have to use your imagination,” Sam said, color creeping into his cheeks.“When I got to basic training camp in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, I was a tall, skinny, horny kid who didn’t know much about anything, especially women. But several nights a week, I tagged along to a bar with a bunch of guys who went into Pine Bluff looking for a good time. For the first few nights, I got drunk and sick because I wasn’t used to liquor. After a while, I understood my limits. 
“The guys kept getting…finding women. But not me. So they were going to make me a cause célèbre, if you get my drift. The next Friday night, we went to The Sunrise Bar, one of the favorites with the guys because the woman who ran the place, Jeannie, was the widow of a Viet Nam vet. So the guys figured drinking there was like keeping it in the family. Jeannie was a pretty brunette who kept the guys in line by not falling for their crap. They teased her and she teased them back. But no one got to first base with Jeannie.“That Friday, they all kept an eye out for a girl for me at The Sunrise. None of the girls there were interested in a tall, skinny kid who didn’t know what he was doing when they could go off with one of the experienced guys who had muscles and smooth talk. So it was another lonely night for me,” Sam said, pausing to take a sip of his tonic.“The next night, I got to The Sunrise earlier than the rest. Jeannie was setting up. She was upset, but refused to talk about it. But I was persistent. Jeannie had always been nice to me and I wanted to help her out if I could. She finally opened up. She had a son, a boy of nine, who was having trouble in school with math. I was a whiz at math, always have been. So I agreed to sit with him and help him for an hour. Jeannie took me upstairs to the apartment they had above the bar. Jeannie’s son, Tommy, was up there, sullen and uncooperative until he saw me in my uniform. He sat up straight at attention. I guess I reminded him of his dad.“I spent an hour with him. Jeannie was grateful and gave me a couple of free drinks. Before long, it became a regular thing. Every night I showed up an hour early and went to work with Tommy, then I’d go downstairs and get drunk for free. It seemed like a good arrangement.”  “When did you get laid and with who, Dad?” Peter asked, impatiently.“I’m getting there, Pete. Just hold on. So one night, I stayed until closing. I had missed my ride back to the base and was swearing because I’d have to walk. Jeannie said she’d drive me.Tommy was asleep and Arnie, her helper, had cleaned up already. I met her upstairs where she was tucking in the blankets around Tommy.“Jeannie turned and looked at me in the moonlight coming in the window. ‘You’re a good man, Sam,’ she said to me. The moonlight was shining on her dark hair and for the first time, I noticed how beautiful she was. She just stood there, looking at me. She knew I was a virgin because the guys weren’t shy about teasing me about it in front of her, or anyone else. She stepped up close and put her arms around me, pulling me right up against her. I can still remember the smell of her perfume when she kissed me.”  “It gets very lonely here, sometimes,” she whispered in my ear. I didn’t really know what she meant, because I was so incredibly stupid and naïve. Then she took my hand and led me into her bedroom, which she kept locked to keep the GIs out. It was a small, simple but beautiful room, very feminine with heart-shaped pillows, a collection of fancy dolls sitting on a bookshelf and pink walls. Jeannie took off her blouse and skirt and pulled me down on the bed with her. I began to get the idea my ship had come in and I was going to learn all about love from someone who actually knew a lot more about it than I did. I was right too. I was in Pine Bluff for only three more weeks, but every night I went to The Sunrise, tutored Tommy and spent several hours learning about love from Jeannie in that back bedroom.“The guys kept teasing me because they hadn’t figured out what was going on. After all, what would a beautiful, worldly woman like Jeannie want with a skinny inexperienced kid like me? I let them think what they wanted. What Jeannie and I had together was special, so I kept it to myself.
“I was sorry to leave her, not only because I’d miss the sex, but because I was going overseas and I was scared to death. Jeannie refused to say goodbye. She shut down, realizing she had gotten attached to someone else who’d be going to Viet Nam and maybe not coming back. I think it was more than she could handle.“I liked and respected Jeannie, maybe even loved her, and it hurt when she refused to see me off. I never forgot the things she taught me about how to make love to a woman. I’m not goinginto any of that here, so before you ask the answer is no. She was some woman,” Sam said,sighing at the memory of her body and her sweet soul.“What a story, Dad,” Peter said.The men all agreed Sam had had the most meaningful first experience of anyone. It sure beat a too-quick first time in the backseat of a car leaving a young woman frustrated. Sam felt closerto his sons, man to man, after sharing his story.“Are you sure you won’t share any of what you learned from Jeannie with us?” Peter prompted.“Peter, I doubt you or Mac need to learn anything from me about how to make love to a woman. You both seem to be doing very…no…extremely well on your own. You both could probably teach me something.” Sam shook his head and laughed.
Happy Father's Day! To buy Now and Forever 3, Blind Love go to: sECRET CRAVINGS PUBLISHINGAMAZONBARNES & NOBLE ALLROMANCE EBOOKSBOOKSTRAND For more info about my books click here for my website.