Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 9
August 24, 2014
10 Fact About Lola Karns, Author of Bad Traveler ($10 #Giveaway)
Please welcome Lola Karns, who is dishing up (foodie romance…see what I did there?) 10 facts about herself as she introduces her new book…and a $10 giveaway!
Ten Facts about Lola Karns
I am a bad traveler. The only thing worse than flying is traveling by boat or car, but I love seeing new places.
When I was four, I decided I wanted to go to Australia because it looked lonely.
In high school, I went to Australia for a summer as part of a 4-H youth exchange program. I stayed on farms and sheered a sheep.
I rarely make brownies – too dangerous.
My baking powder biscuits won a blue ribbon at the Illinois State Fair, but nowadays, I usually make buttermilk biscuits.
I have lived in seven states, but only one west of the Mississippi.
My favorite of high-heeled shoes are a black Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
Two of my cats are feline nudists, aka Sphynx cats. The other has fur.
My curls are natural. The color isn’t.
The best part of my morning routine – reading a few chapters of a book while drinking my first cup of coffee.
Bad TravelerRecipes are a way of life for Gwen Jones. Take one single mother, her infant daughter and a business plan for a small town bakery. Combine with an eventful cross-country flight, chance encounter with her college crush and a dash of motion sickness. Stir in a few nuts, or family members, and large quantities of chocolate. Will this recipe be an oven oops, or as delicious as her alma matter’s newest coach?
Having survived an attack in Afghanistan that cost him a leg and a wife, Kyle Collins developed a strategy to find meaning in life. He may be an assistant basketball coach but he refuses to sit on the sidelines. When the runs into the woman whose lips are as unforgettable as her brownies, Kyle decides to spice up Gwen’s recipes.
When a secret ingredient is thrown into the mix, can their recipe for a happily-ever-after rise to the occasion, or will it end up a hot mess?
Find it @ Amazon | Decadent Pub | Website
Excerpt
“Or we could go to my shop, drink some coffee or have cookies and milk. I have my keys.”
“Perfect.” His heart thumped as he put the car in gear. No one would bother them. They would be alone in a cozy space she’d created. The absence of students left the streets virtually empty. Her gloved hand covered his for the five-minute drive. After a few turns, they parked behind the store and entered through the kitchen.
“What will you have? Unfortunately, I have tons of inventory left from today.” She opened the back side of the display counter, revealing about a dozen or so of six different types of cookies. “I swore I wouldn’t sell day-old cookies, but I may bundle up some at a discount rate tomorrow since there are so many.” The touch of sadness in her voice made him want to whip out his wallet and buy them all up.
“I’ll take an oatmeal raisin, a chocolate chip, and…. Are those ginger snaps?”
“Actually, those are molasses cookies. They are spicy like a ginger snap, but different.” She stacked an assortment of cookies on a plate. “It’s my nana’s recipe. See what you think. Coffee?”
“Don’t make coffee on my account. I’m too wired already. I’d rather have milk.”
“Me, too.” She poured milk into a couple of mugs and started toward the corner table, which featured a plush, secondhand love seat. He followed with the cookies. A rapping on the window drew their attention to a couple outside. Gwen pointed to the Closed sign, but the couple persisted.
He walked to the door. “We’re closed.”
She rushed to his side, adding, “We’ll be open Tuesday at seven a.m. We hope to open in the evenings starting in late January.”
The couple walked away.
“I could have made a sale, but….” She sounded frustrated and tired.
“I think we should stay in the kitchen. I doubt people will bother us if we have lights on back there.”
A spark returned to her eyes. “If we sit on the floor behind the counter, no one will know we we’re here. They’ll think someone left the lights on by accident.”
Sitting side-by-side on the floor, backs against the counter, they set the plate of cookies between them along with their mugs of milk, handy for dunking. He picked up the firm molasses cookie with large pieces of sugar that stuck to his fingers. The crisp outside yielded to a softness that melted in his mouth. Sweet with a hint of saltiness to make it interesting, just like Gwen. Tonight, he’d see if she would melt in his arms, and his mouth. It was his night.
Find it @ Amazon | Decadent Pub | Website
About the AuthorHaving worked as a bartender, shipping clerk, concierge, document translator, European history doctoral candidate, and more as she moved through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey, Georgia, and Virginia, Lola decided she needed a more portable career. Writing fit the bill.
Lola currently resides in Minnesota with her husband, two children, two hairless cats and a fluffy ex-stray cat. When not writing, she enjoys baking, reading and drinking coffee.
Media links:
Website/blog – www.lolakarns.com
Twitter – @lolakarns
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LolaKarns
Goodreads -https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451976.Lola_Karns
Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LolaKarns/about/p/pub
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/lolakarns/
Giveaway
Rafflecopter for a $10.00 gift card to the winner’s choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble runs Aug 22nd through Sept 4th 2014 – click here to enter.
August 20, 2014
99c Sale: The Honeymoon Prize by Melissa McClone ($25 #Giveaway)
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Melissa will award a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
NOTE: This book is on sale for only $0.99 during the tour. Why not grab yourself a copy today?
He needs a wife…
Single bodyguard Nick Calhoun has been given an ultimatum by his boss–find a wife or lose his cushy, high-paying job. Clients’ wives are hitting on him and putting Nick, and his boss, in hot water. But monogamy? He’s never been a white picket fence kind of guy, and he’s not about to embrace the happily married lifestyle now. He needs a wife who doesn’t care about his steamy, extra-curricular love life…and he knows just the woman to fit the bill.
She needs a home…
Adalaide Sinclair spent years caring for her ill grandmother. Upon Grammy’s death, she’s stunned to find herself evicted from the only home she’s ever known and labeled a thief by her inheritance-hungry family. Addie needs to find a place to live and a job–fast. So when her childhood friend, Nick, proposes a no-sex marriage of convenience, she puts her dreams of true love and happily-ever-after on hold. Finding Prince Charming can wait a little longer, right?
But will their friendship survive the honeymoon?
When Nick and Addie unexpectedly win a dream honeymoon, they decide to go their separate ways during the ten-day vacation. Too bad a camera crew is waiting for them at the tropical paradise. Acting like a head-over-heels bride and groom for reality TV wreaks havoc on their no-sex agreement…and blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Will Nick and Addie remain married in name only, or will a romantic honeymoon for show turn them into true newlyweds?
Enjoy an excerpt:
Time to focus on the present—a paradise full of beaches and sun and fruity drinks with
paper umbrellas. She could swim and sail and participate in the forty-seven other activities the resort offered or read one of the novels she’d brought.
“What are you thinking?” Nick asked.
“That I deserve this lovely island.” She raised her chin, buoyed by a resolve she hadn’t felt in . . . years. “I’m going to make the most of the next ten days. Let my hair down and dance in the sand. Who knows when I’ll get to do something like this again?”
Nick’s eyes darkened, turning serious. Something rare for him. He started to speak then
stopped himself.
“Your turn,” she said. “What are you thinking?”
“This is only our first vacation. You’re not going to have to wait another nine years for another one, okay?”
The raw emotion in his voice sounded nothing like the Nick she knew, but the determination behind each word warmed her heart. “Okay.”
The plane landed and motored across the water toward a long wooden dock that led to a pristine curved strip of white sand beach. Two paddleboards lay by the shore’s edge. Palm fronds blew in the wind.
Her breath caught in her throat. “It’s like a postcard.”
“Only better. This is real life. The island is ours for the next week and a half.” Nick motioned to the people on the dock. “Looks like we have a welcoming committee. Show off your pearly whites. I see cameras.”
With a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, Melissa McClone worked for a major airline where she traveled the globe and met her husband. But analyzing jet engine performance couldn’t compete with her love of writing happily ever afters. Her first full-time writing endeavor was her first sale when she was pregnant with her first child! Since then, she has published over thirty romance novels with Harlequin and Tule Publishing Group. She’s also been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award. When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her driving her minivan to/from her children’s swim practices and other activities. She also sends care packages to deployed service members and fosters cats through a local no-kill animal shelter. Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three school-aged children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds and cats who think they rule the house. They do!
Website: http://www.melissamcclone.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaMcCloneBooks
Twitter: @melissamcclone
Enter to win a $25 gift card! Click here to enter via Rafflecopter.
August 19, 2014
Lady Beauchamp’s Proposal by Amy Rose Bennett ($25 #Giveaway)
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour. Click on the banner to visit other stops on this tour.
A runaway countess finds love when she least expects it…but she can’t hide from her past forever.
Elizabeth, Lady Beauchamp, fears for her life. When she discovers her dissolute and long-estranged husband has syphilis—and he wants to beget an heir no matter the cost—she flees to a remote part of Scotland to begin a new life as the widowed governess, Mrs. Beth Eliott at Eilean Tor Castle.
When Mrs. Eliott unexpectedly arrives on his doorstep, the reclusive and recently widowed Marquess of Rothsburgh is both irritated and intrigued. No longer in need of a governess—his young daughter now resides with his sister’s family in Edinburgh—he proposes the beautiful widow fill a position of a different kind…
Torn between staying true to her marriage vows and her wanton attraction to the devilishly handsome marquess, Elizabeth struggles against the temptation to become his mistress. But living a lie is not easy when you have fallen in love. And secrets always have a way of coming out…
Enjoy an excerpt:
Set-up: Elizabeth, Lady Beauchamp—after leaving her husband and now in disguise as the widowed governess, Mrs. Eliott—arrives at Eilean Tor Castle, where she hopes to gain employment within the household of James Huntly, the Marquess of Rothsburgh.
At last, she heard the unmistakable sound of bolts being pulled back, and then the door was thrown wide. A bright lantern was thrust toward her face, blinding her. She raised a hand to her eyes in a futile attempt to shield them and squinted upwards. An extremely tall man was holding the lantern aloft; she could discern little else about him as the intense light in her eyes obscured her vision.
“What do you want, woman?” The man’s voice was a low growl.
Elizabeth drew a deep breath and summoned her most imperious voice. She had come so far and she would not be cowed by an obnoxious servant. “I seek an audience with Lord Rothsburgh. Is your master at home?”
“What the deuce for?”
She immediately bristled at the insolence in the man’s tone. “I’d have a care to mind your tongue, sir. And lower that lantern. You’re hurting my eyes.”
The light was immediately lowered, and Elizabeth was able to see a little more of the man who seemed to be filling up the whole doorway. He must have been at least six foot four, with black hair that fell across one eye. She also noted that he was informally dressed in a loose, white cambric shirt that was open at the neck, black breeches and boots. The marquess obviously had low standards when it came to fitting out his staff in proper livery.
“Well, aren’t you going to invite me in?” she demanded.
The man—she assumed he was some sort of sloppy butler or footman—let out a snort of laughter. “What on earth for?”
She scowled and drew herself up, raising her chin. She would not be laughed at by the hired help. “I understand there is a vacancy for a governess. I’ve come to offer my services to Lord Rothsburgh.”
“Have you indeed?” There was still an annoying undercurrent of laughter in the man’s voice. Nevertheless, he stepped aside and made a grand sweeping gesture with his free hand. “Then by all means, come in.”
Elizabeth picked up her skirts and started to step forward when the toe of her boot caught on an unevenly laid flagstone on the threshold. With an unlady-like squeal she pitched forward toward the floor—until she was deftly caught about the waist by the vulgar butler. With a gasp of half-shock, half-embarrassment she found her midriff was bent across his muscular forearm, whilst her side was crushed roughly against his wide chest. One of her hands had involuntarily fisted into the linen sleeve of his shirt where underneath she could detect the bulk of a sizeable, iron-hard bicep.
The scent of the man flooded her senses; warm male, whisky and the tantalizing scent of exotically rich soap; it reminded her of sandalwood, leather and a spicy note she couldn’t quite place—perhaps it was cloves. She took all of this in within the instant that she was suspended above the floor before the man righted her. She took a step away, her cheeks flaming. “I’m so sorry, sir. How clumsy of me. And I’ve made you all wet…Mr.…”
The man’s arm lingered across her waist. Perhaps he thought she would fall again. She noticed he had dark eyes; his gaze travelled over her face, studying her. She must look a sight.
“James,” he said, his eyes holding hers. In the dim light she couldn’t work out if they were dark brown or black.
Amy Rose Bennett has always wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. An avid reader with a particular love for historical romance, it seemed only natural to write stories in her favorite genre. She has a passion for creating emotion-packed—and sometimes a little racy—stories set in the Georgian and Regency periods. Of course, her strong-willed heroines and rakish heroes always find their happily ever after.
As an unpublished author, Amy has been a finalist in contests in both Romance Writers of Australia and Romance Writers of America. In 2013 and 2014, she has achieved a place in the top three of Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Award, and her debut Regency romance novel—‘Lady Beauchamp’s Proposal’—was the winning entry in the historical section of two Romance Writers of America Chapter Contests in 2013—the Chicago North Fire and Ice Contest and the San Francisco Heart to Heart Contest.
Amy is happily married to her own Alpha male hero, has two beautiful daughters, a rather loopy Rhodesian Ridgeback and a Devonshire Rex cat with attitude. She is a Speech Pathologist, but is currently devoting her time to her one other true calling—writing romance.
Contact information:
Author Website: http://amyrosebennett.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyrosebennett.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyRoseBennett
Buy Links:
Amazon Australian store: http://www.amazon.com.au/Lady-Beauchamps-Proposal-Rose-Bennett-ebook/dp/B00MMVK13G/ref=zg_bs_2537591051_21
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/466689
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lady-beauchamps-proposal-amy-rose-bennett/1120113778?ean=2940150334076
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/lady-beauchamps-proposal
All Romance EBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ladybeauchamp039sproposal-1592868-340.html
Secret Cravings Publishing Store: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=10&products_id=925
Enter to win a $25 Amazon GC! A Rafflecopter Giveaway
New from Melissa MacKinnon: Return to Me (#historical fantasy) #review
YOU GUYS. This book is only 99 cents and it’s a full length novel of over 300 pages. Even if you can’t start reading it today, grab it before the price goes up. This is an AMAZING book. (My review follows the blurb but if you catch the first buy link out of here, that’s totally okay, LOL.)
Return to MeArchaean bounty hunter Marek Coinnich isn’t particularly fond of Engels. In fact, he prefers them dead. But to save his injured brother, he must enter the manor of an Engel enemy. Marek finds himself enthralled by the slave girl nursing his brother back to health. When his enchantment with her lands them in a compromising position, he refuses to let the young beauty pay for the misunderstanding with her life.
Brynn of Galhaven prefers to keep to the shadows. When she is ruined by an outsider, she barely escapes with her life and finds herself left alone in an unforgiving land. Through her struggles to survive, Brynn discovers a world she never imagined and never forgets the enemy Archaean who stole her heart.
Marek can’t deny his desire for Brynn, but these are wartimes, and she is the enemy. And though love knows no prejudice, the world in which he lives isn’t nearly as forgiving.
*** Historical Romance with strong Fantasy elements.***
RELEASE DATE AUGUST 19TH
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS | ESKAPE PRESS
SMASHWORDS | BOOKS-A-MILLION | KOBO
BOOKSTRAND | ITUNES | GOOGLE PLAY | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS
My Review
Oh, my heart. Debut author Melissa MacKinnon takes readers on a breathtaking journey where passion and danger posi-freaking-lutely explode. Yep, I said it. They ‘SPLODE! Brynn and Marek can’t even exchange glances without sparks flying, so when they get close you can count on your e-reader getting a little too hot to handle. MacKinnon’s voice is unfailing, and her ability to convey these characters will have you so invested in the story that when you hit the end you’re going to have a big sad when you blink your way back to reality and realize they’re not real. Only…they ARE real. They MUST be, for they stay with you long after the book ends, and not just the main characters, but the secondaries as well. Marek’s brothers-in-arms are perhaps the best deadpan humorists in all of historical fiction, with unparalleled comedic timing and flawless delivery. And when you’re not laughing or shaking your head at their antics, you’ll be positively swooning at the heat between the leads. Every bit of it is organic. It simmers and builds until you just can’t breathe for the want of that moment when the characters give in, and then ERMAGERD. Amazing. *fans self* This is a long book, taking place in three parts, but it flies. To read it is to become immersed in this world that, while at times bitterly heartbreaking, is one from which you just cannot bear to walk away. And that is perhaps the greatest legacy of this author’s debut: once you’ve read it, you’ve truly experienced it. So get in there. Be prepared to be glued to it until the very end (grab a tissue – you’re going to need it) and to carry this heartfelt story with you long after you close the last page. With a book this good, you couldn’t hope for a happier ending than that.
Excerpt
“Oh, now you want this?” He squeezed the wet fabric in his fingers.
“Not if you’re going to throw it at me.” She pouted, tasting the blood with the tip of her tongue.
“Here, have at it.” Marek handed her the cloth and the water bladder. “When you need my help, I’ll be waiting for your thanks.” Busying himself with the torch, Marek let her be.
The process was slow. Every inch of her ached. What she wouldn’t give for a bath — a proper one. When she was sure she had scrubbed her face thoroughly, Brynn set to work on her arms and legs. Mud resided in every cranny, making her tattered clothing seem like rags themselves.
“Would you care for help now?” he asked, watching her struggle.
“I’m fine.”
“’Tis all right to ask for help.”
“I said I’m fine,” she replied, peeling a section of matted hair from her shoulder. Brynn winced and sucked in a breath through her teeth, trying not to cry out while he was near. “Might I have a bit of privacy, warrior?”
“My name is Marek,” he corrected, “and do not worry — you haven’t anything I have not seen before. I’ve been cleaning those wounds of yours for days now.”
Brynn’s cheeks flushed, and she directed her attention elsewhere, ignoring his shameless stare. She focused on her wounds, keeping her distance.
Near the curtain, Marek unbuckled his belt to remove his tunic. He pulled the fabric over his hand and then down his arms. He stood bare-chested. Brynn averted her eyes.
Marek let out a rumbling laugh. “You are welcome to look, love.”
“I fear the gods will not forgive me if I do,” she whispered.
About the AuthorMelissa grew up surrounded by dragons, fearsome creatures, and damsels in distress from the wonderful world of make believe. She soon found her ideas on paper, littering her desk with world maps and character biographies. Study hall was used not for homework but for writing. Although she pursued a career in theater, the written word never left her. Melissa now leads a full life with her husband and children (five amazingly adorable clones to be exact), though she still finds time to write in her “spare time.” She sports a Military Wife badge of honor and is lucky enough to have her own knight in camo armor.
Melissa enjoys reading everything from sexy, sword-toting heroes to spit-out-your coffee funny romantic comedies. Her passion lies within the ancient walls of fantasy and historical fiction, where anything is possible.
Website | Blog | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter
August 18, 2014
NEW from Sarah Ballance: The Marriage Agenda (Entangled Indulgence) – 99c for a Limited Time!
“I flat out loved this book…sexy and oh, so hot!” – Karen via GR
“This was a fantastic read from start to finish.” – Kirsten via GR
“Funny, engaging, emotional, snarky, political, sweet and HAWT!!!! I THROUGHLY ENJOYED IT!!!” – Sheryl via GR
THE MARRIAGE AGENDA is just 99 cents for a limited time. Regularly $3.99 from Entangled Indulgence. Choose your buy links below or see them all and read the first TWO chapters for free at Entangled Publishing!
The Marriage Agenda
There’s a scandal brewing in Washington…
Knox Hamilton wants his father’s recently vacated Senate seat, but the only way his conservative constituents are going to vote for Knox is if he loses his playboy reputation. Which means Knox needs a wife. There’s only one woman with whom he’s willing to share his life, but after the way he broke things off with her, will she give him another chance?
Chloe Lochlan’s job is on the line. If she doesn’t grab a big headline, she’ll be ousted from her gig at the major newspaper where she works as a reporter. Knox’s offer of marriage chills her to the bone. He already crushed her heart once and she has no intention of letting it happen again. But being with him gives her the kind of access to top tier social events rarely granted to media, access that could land her the story of a lifetime. When the truth she uncovers threatens to destroy the man she still loves, will she bury the story…or his career?
Find it @ Entangled Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play | ARe | Goodreads
Title: THE MARRIAGE AGENDA
Author: Sarah Ballance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: August 18, 2014
ISBN 13: 9781633750524
Available format(s): ebook
Excerpt
Chapter One
Chloe Lochlan swallowed in an attempt to chase away the nervousness bundled in her throat. It was useless. Somewhere in the crowd, a man waited for her. Not just any man, but the man—at least as long as Chloe was inclined to believe her best friend’s forward opinions on the well-worn topic of Chloe’s love life, or lack thereof.
Of course, if she’d learned to dodge Lila Powell’s bright ideas, Chloe would be on her sofa with a spoon and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Instead, she stood with her feet uncomfortably crammed into heels no sane woman should wear, four inches taller and uselessly scanning the clientele at Off the Record, an upscale hotel bar that doubled as Washington, DC’s premier place to see and be seen.
Blind date. If only she could have said no, she would have avoided the whole awkward situation, but Lila knew Chloe too well. A blind date gave Chloe absolutely nothing to reject—it was impossible to find flaw with someone she’d yet to meet. But truthfully, her serial incompatibility with just about every man she’d ever encountered had less to do with failings of the opposite sex than with her admittedly one-track drive to be a kick-ass investigative reporter. Chloe had always harbored an ambitious streak, but a year ago, a devastating breakup narrowed her focus to a laser-like precision. Her job wouldn’t break her heart.
But Lila wouldn’t hear of excuses. A night with a carton of ice cream was no comparison to a man, as far as she was concerned, but Chloe had stocked her freezer anyway. She’d endure the date, all the while thinking of the threesome with Ben and Jerry waiting for her at home. A couple of hours wouldn’t kill her, right?
Maybe not, but she was beginning to think they might come close. As she stood alone in the bar, second thoughts closed in. No one had approached claiming to be her date. Had he taken one look at her and left? Patience—and nerve—waning, Chloe scoured the room, hoping for a sign she should leave. And she found one. A big one.
Watching her intently from a corner table was her ex-everything. And in spite of a strict never-again policy for all things Knox Hamilton, her body melted in traitorous anticipation. His trademark bedroom-tousled hair, the same luscious brown hue as those smoldering eyes, did little to kill the energy coursing through her at the speed of orgasm. Her knees weakened, further threatening her unsteady perch on the stilts a salesclerk had tried to pass off as a wardrobe staple.
Chloe stared at Knox, an uneasy feeling crawling through her chest.
All her synapses fired “flee,” but her GPS was off. Her attempt at escape landed her at the corner of his table, where she nearly collided with a waiter setting something in front of Knox that was suspiciously akin to Chloe’s favorite drink, a strawberry daiquiri. Though the drink beverage seemed to confirm her suspicions, she eyed the glass with a touch of misplaced jealousy. It wouldn’t surprise her if he had a date. Well-known and filthy rich, up-and-coming politico Knox Hamilton had everything, including his pick of eligible women.
“Chloe.” He drawled her name, adding a seductive syllable or two. “You look amazing.”
Her mouth watered at the sound of his voice. “Hi.” Her voice squeaked with a less-than-dexterous reply.
He grinned. “It’s been too long. Have a seat.”
She eyed the daiquiri. “Actually, I have a date. As do you, it seems.”
His gaze met hers over the deep amber mouth of his beer bottle. “I ordered that drink for you.” The words simmered with the husky promise of the bedroom, slipping from his lips with an odd amount of reckless, deliberate ease.
Entranced, she caught herself staring at his mouth.
He leaned back in his chair, giving her a good, long look at the way his torso shaped his neatly buttoned and pressed shirt. “Will you join me?”
He had no right to look so good. She swallowed, getting a full taste of memories she’d sooner forget. “My date—”
“—is one unlucky bastard tonight. That is, of course, if you’ll sit.”
If she was smart, she’d give Knox a view of her amazing legs and phenomenal ass as she teetered out of the bar on those damned stripper heels. But curiosity would make a dead cat out of her yet. She pushed back the logic screaming at her not to risk involvement—a year ago, he’d made it clear the two of them had no future, and she had no interest in being a serial plaything to a confirmed bachelor—and assessed the offered chair. It appeared benign enough, and a reprieve from those shoes would be heaven. Sitting across the table from him didn’t have to mean anything, and a free daiquiri made for good incentive as far as she was concerned.
With his eyes hotly following her every move, she eased into the chair and waited for the dull ache of his rejection to return. But joining Knox at a table made for two didn’t fill her with quite the degree of heartbreak she’d expected. Of course, their split hadn’t been due to anything unholy—he hadn’t philandered, pillaged, or otherwise found himself aligned with the wrong end of a horse. To the contrary, he’d been a perfect everything, right until the moment he’d left her. Things had gotten too serious between them, he’d said, and he wasn’t interested in being tied down.
Chloe hadn’t exactly been aisle-bound herself, but the dismissal had come as a blow nonetheless. When he’d spoken those words, she had managed to stay on her feet until the door to her apartment had closed behind him. Only afterward had she fallen apart. Once her eyes were no longer swollen to slivers, she’d put all of her efforts into finding a reason to hate him—wife, girlfriend, a dog he didn’t walk—but to no avail. Knox Hamilton was a great guy…he just didn’t want her.
The best relationship of her life—one with the only man she’d ever loved—had been merely a means for him to scratch an itch.
Chloe admitted to no one she’d yet to get over Knox. Still, her refusal to dip a stiletto in the dating pool ever since was evidence enough for Lila, who had heard the whole sordid tale over an all-night binge of hiccup-laden sobs. As far as finest moments went, that evening didn’t make the list. Chloe had given up trying to figure out what had gone wrong. A year later, the most painful piece of the whole puzzle was the failure of her judgment. A reporter with horrible instincts…no wonder she’d thrown herself into her work, trying to prove otherwise.
Acutely aware of Knox’s gaze on her, Chloe toyed with the straw poking from her drink.
“Your date. Is it serious?” He sounded outwardly detached, but Chloe sensed a little more under the surface—almost as if he wanted to play it casual but couldn’t quite keep his voice there.
She probably was reading too much into it—wanting it too hard. Playing his game, she said, “I don’t know yet.” She hoped the edge she’d managed in her voice would morph itself into a wall—one that would protect her from where this would likely go. “These days I’m more interested in furthering my career.”
He smiled, a bit too secretively for Chloe’s taste and scoured his jaw with his palm. “Seems we have that in common, then.”
Of course they did. Chloe squirmed. Her admission, however vague, hadn’t bothered her—she was rather proud of being a woman who didn’t wither without a man in her bed—but something told her his eyes saw too much. They searched her, appraising. Beneath fabric suddenly far too thin, her nipples peaked as if magnetically drawn to him. And why shouldn’t they be? The things that man could do with his tongue were lethal. If Chloe wasn’t so determined to hold on to a shred of her self-respect, she’d probably reach for him, too.
She settled for her daiquiri, and what was supposed to be a ladylike sip morphed into a gulp of liquid courage. The resultant brain freeze made her skull throb but did nothing to settle her libido.
Neither did Knox’s lopsided grin. “How long have you known this date you don’t want?”
“It’s a blind date. We’ve…never met.” It would have been a humiliating admission if she hadn’t been so proud of her ambition and in no hurry to resurrect her disaster of a love life. Knox could think what he wanted.
“How will you know who he is?”
She twirled her straw. “He’s supposed to approach me. My friend Lila texted him a photo. She wanted to surprise me.”
“And if he sees you with me, do you suppose he’ll give up and leave?”
She laughed. “Is that your ego talking?”
“Maybe it’s just the way I’m looking at you.”
She took another sip of her drink, measuring her words. “How do you know how you’re looking at me?”
He leaned close. “I want you, Chloe.”
She froze, her hand clamped on the daiquiri glass. “For what?”
He laughed, stirring the air between them. Somehow, the entire bar and everyone in it seemed to disappear, leaving just her, Knox, and a really bad idea. One on which he elaborated. “I want to apologize. Explain. Grovel for forgiveness. Come upstairs? We’ll talk about it in private.”
“Forget it, Knox. You can grovel right here.” In public.Where it’s safe. He’d left her so she wouldn’t distract him from his political aspirations, and there he was, trying to get personal. Playing her… But to what end? Was this some kind of joke? She glanced around. Oddly enough, despite the fact that he and his family ranked right up there with the Kennedys, he wasn’t drawing attention. At least not outwardly, though the more closely she looked, the more she noticed a growing number of sideways glances from other patrons. Fortunately the Off the Record clientele wasn’t easily impressed. Politicians were a dime a dozen inside the beltway, and rubbernecking wasn’t generally a sport of the elite. It was more of a pastime for the uncouth, a grand specimen of which seemed headed in their direction.
Eyes like saucers, the guy went straight to Knox. “Mr. Hamilton…it’s an honor. I’m Jeff Lenox.”
Knox stood and extended his hand, which Jeff shook eagerly…and extensively. But where Chloe would have yanked back her appendage and hit the guy with her purse, Knox merely endured for way too long before he finally extricated himself and clapped the guy on the upper arm. Not hard enough.
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Mr. Lenox. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Actually, we haven’t. I’m here to meet—” He paused and extracted a cell phone from his pocket. He looked from the image to Chloe and back again.
Oh, God no.
“Her! You must be Chloe.” He grinned like the proverbial idiot.
Oh, yes. Lila was a dead woman. Jeff was attractive enough, but the way he swayed at Knox’s feet reminded her a little too much of a Twihard fangirl. Sure, Knox was impressive…but he wasn’t spittleimpressive. Well, maybe a little. But Jeff was supposed to be her date, and he was gawking at the wrong person.
Knox caught her eye. Lifted a brow. She could only smile pleasantly.
“What business are you in?” he asked Jeff.
“I’m a software systems analyst.”
Knox smiled widely, as if Jeff had said something mildly earth-shattering. “This must be my lucky day, Mr. Lenox. How about you come by my office next week? I might have something on which I could use your opinion.”
Chloe blinked. Knox was just making time for all the little people that night. First a lowly reporter, then a computer geek. Next, he’d probably save a puppy from a burning building.
Jeff looked to Chloe, as if he needed her permission to date them both. But he didn’t wait for it. A split second later, he’d turned back to Knox.
Knox poured on a killer grin and still somehow managed to look sheepish. “Before you answer, I’m afraid I have to admit there is a caveat. It turns out I’m going to have to borrow Ms. Lochlan for the evening. I know she hoped to consult with you—”
“No, no. Of course! I understand.”
Chloe narrowed her eyes. Had she just been dumped…for Knox? Damn the legendary Hamilton charm.
“Good, then. I’ll leave your name with my admin.” Knox handed over a business card he’d extracted smoothly from his pocket. “I look forward to meeting with you.”
One more enthusiastic handshake, a nod for Chloe, and Jeff quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Knox turned that killer grin on her. “You’re welcome,” he said.
“He wasn’t so bad.”
“He wasn’t your type. Now, about our trip upstairs.”
“Why did you tell him I wanted to consult with him?”
“I want to talk to you. Give me the chance, and I’ll explain.”
“Do it here.”
He drained his beer and chased it with a long, lingering look at her. “It’s a private conversation.”
“If it’s the same lame excuse you used when you left me, I can guarantee most of the people in this room have either used it or heard it. If it’s all the same to you—”
“It’s not all the same to me,” he said, his words quiet but firm. “Unless you want the recap to make tomorrow’s news.”
Chloe sighed and looked to the ceiling, as if doing so gave her a glimpse into the hotel rooms overhead. Bad, bad idea. But he was right. Everything Knox did made headlines, and the last thing she needed was to have their personal conversation end up on the society page—she’d never be taken seriously as a reporter if her name was mired in tabloid gossip. Besides, he promised an apology and an explanation—something, she expected, more than the old it’s-not-you-it’s-meline. At least it had better be, because if they took this upstairs, they’d be sorely lacking witnesses.
She threw back the rest of her daiquiri. “I guess I owe you one.”
“Damn straight.” He tossed a fifty on the table. The move sealed their unspoken agreement.
She was screwed.
Read the next chapter for free @ Entangled Publishing!
Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play | ARe | Goodreads
About Sarah BallanceSarah Ballance is a multi-published author of contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense. She’s been married to her own romantic hero for what he calls a “long, long time” (and no, he’ll never hear the end of saying that). Together they have six children … and clearly too much time on their hands. She currently writes for Entangled and has upcoming releases from both Entangled and Samhain Publishing.
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August 14, 2014
3rd Annual Chesapeake Romance Writers’ “Finish the Damn Book!” Contest
Low entry fees and a $50 prize and statuette for each category winner…enter your writing today! Entries accepted through September 30.
Originally posted on Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless.:
Chesapeake Romance Writers
For those of you who don’t know, I’m a member of the Chesapeake Romance Writers, my local chapter of Romance Writers of America. Two years ago we inaugurated an annual writing contest in memory of our long-time member Judi McCoy, author of fourteen romances and the very popular “Dogwalker” romantic mystery series.
Judi was a driving force in our chapter, a mentor to new writers, a great
critique partner, and an avid dog lover. Her beloved bichon frise, Rudy, was a rescue dog and Judy supported the Tidewater Bichon Frise Rescue organization where she adopted him.
To honor the memory of Judi and Rudy, Chesapeake Romance Writers is once again holding our “Finish the Damn Book!” Contest. That was one of Judi’s favorite pieces of advice to all of us writers and we thought it an apropos title for this contest. If you’ve finished a book, at least 55K in…
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August 12, 2014
#FREE Everywhere: To Tempt an Angel (Book1 Douglas Series) by Patricia Grasso (#Giveaway)
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Patricia will be awarding a free eBook from Lachesis Publishing to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
NOTE: this book is FREE everywhere! Buy links are at the end of this post — why not download your own copy today?
Angelica Douglas has no idea that she’s the Countess of Melrose. What she does know is that she needs to support her family as a card shark, while finding a way to seek revenge on the men who ruined her father and sent her family spiralling down into poverty.
Robert Campbell, Marquess of Argyll, heir to the Duke of Inverary, has no idea who Angelica truly is. He just wants to watch over her and make her his mistress.
Angelica thinks Robert is simply a dashing rogue who is far too dangerous for her peace of mind. Robert thinks Angelica is an angel except when she’s being a pain in the behind.
When Robert finds out that his own father may have been one of the men who ruined Angelica’s family, he vows to keep a careful eye on her. When Angelica finds out that Robert’s father may have been one of the men responsible, she vows to stay as far away from Robert as possible. But when danger threatens, both Robert and Angelica must face the truth and let fate take the upper hand.
Enjoy an excerpt:
“Why are you walking, angel?”
Startled by the voice, Angelica whirled around to see Robert on horseback. Her heart beat faster at the sight of him. Had she conjured the man up by thinking of him? Such happenings were possible.
“I beg your pardon?” she said.
“I asked why you were walking instead of riding,” Robert replied.
“I forgot my wings at home,” Angelica told him.
“Would you care for a ride?”
Angelica smiled politely and refused, saying, “I never travel with strangers.”
“We aren’t strangers.” Robert gave her a boyish grin and added, “You’ve just stolen—I mean, won—a small fortune from me. The least you can do is allow me to escort you home.”
Angelica wanted desperately to ride with him. She wanted to keep company with a gentleman and live a normal life. Sacred sevens, she wanted her old life back
Duty defeated desire.
“Making your acquaintance has been a pleasure,” Angelica said, turning away.
“Several people saw you pocket that money,” Robert reminded her.
Angelica saw the sense in what he was saying. Yet, she suffered the uncanny feeling that accepting his offer would change her life forever. Would that be a bad thing? She certainly wasn’t happy with her present life.
“I live on the far side of Primrose Hill,” Angelica said, turning toward him with a smile lighting her face.
Robert dismounted in order to help her up. The sound of a galloping horse broke the silence around them, and they turned in time to see a man on horseback aim a pistol at them.
Robert dove for the ground as the shot rang out and took Angelica with him. She heard their attacker’s horse galloping away.
Robert lay on top of her and stared into her eyes. Caught by his dark gaze, Angelica felt her cheeks heating with an embarrassed blush.
“The danger has passed,” she managed to whisper, feeling the warmth of his body seeping through her light clothing.
Robert seemed in no hurry to release her. “You’ve lost your crown of flowers,” he said.
I’m a dog person. Who lives with 10 cats. Get the picture?
My first brush with the romance genre happened in my high school junior year. I discovered Gone With the Wind and hid it behind my American history book to read during class. (The Civil War is American history.) The ambiguous ending left me dissatisfied, though. Rhett and Scarlet needed a happily-ever-after. Believing in happily-ever-afters positively screams romantic-at-heart.
On the other hand, I love murder and mayhem as much as happily-ever-after. My usual television fare is fiction and nonfiction crime shows, not love stories. Which accounts for the mysteries I sneaked into my historical romances. Now I’m trying my hand at writing a humorous mystery, sans historical and sans emphasis on the love interest. I even prepared for my mystery-in-progress by attending the local NRA’s Pistol School. Shooting pistols is great fun. I adore the .22 semiautomatics.
After graduating from high school without distinction, I earned both Bachelor and Master degrees at a state college. Again, without distinction. I held several part-time jobs during my college days: file clerk in an insurance company, long-distance telephone operator, kimono-wearing waitress in a Japanese restaurant.
And then I began my teaching career, eighteen years in the eighth grade and thirteen years at the high school. Weary with the same old routine, I decided I needed a creative outlet. So I decided to write a romance novel but only managed to talk about writing one. After five years of listening to me, a friend said to stop talking and start writing.
So I did.
I made every mistake known to man. Blunder would be a more appropriate word, but I did learn using the trial and error method. As well as studying the works of authors I admired.
After five years of writing for nothing but love, I sold my first novel. Since then, I’ve sold eighteen novels and won several awards— National Readers’ Choice Award New England Readers’ Choice Award, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice and KISS Awards, B. Dalton and Bookrak Awards for best-selling author. My novels have been translated into fifteen languages and sold in twenty countries.
If I had my life over, would I become a writer? Nope. I would enjoy being a Victoria Secret model. Perhaps in my next incarnation I won’t be too old, too short, or too unphotogenic.
https://www.facebook.com/patricia.grasso.902
BN http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-tempt-an-angel-patricia-grasso/1005102935?ean=9781927555071
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August 11, 2014
Luck of the Draw by Cheri Allan $25 #Giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Cheri will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner and a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to another randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post.
If only life had a refresh button…
Kate Mitchell never planned to be a 31 year-old widowed single mom, but when her soon-to-be-EX husband up and dies, her dreams of finishing college and starting over are thrown in the air like a game of 52 pick-up. When she’s given a leave of absence from work and told to “quit or recommit,” Kate retreats to idyllic Sugar Falls, New Hampshire, to figure out whether she can discover her passion and pay the bills. Cue the fresh air, summer sunshine and one sexy local contractor.
Tall, dark, and handy…
Volunteer fireman and all-around hunky guy in a toolbelt, Jim Pearson has sworn off complicated women with messy baggage. They cling to his nice-guy stability and skills with a power saw just long enough to straighten out their lives and move on… but then he meets the cute single mom staying at Grams’ lake house for the summer.
While a sizzling attraction draws them together, Jim’s distrust of complicated women and Kate’s incredibly complicated life threaten to pull them apart. But forces beyond their control–match-making grandmothers, the lazy backdrop of summer, and their own reckoning with the past–conspire to make them risk it all… and bet on love.
Now enjoy and excerpt:
“I don’t mind you standing there,” he added as he pushed aside the curtain and stepped from the tub, scrubbing his hair with the towel. “But you are somewhat to blame for this.”
“I am?” she squeaked. Heavens, he was good-looking all wet and frumpled. His water-soaked T-shirt was plastered to his chest. Kate’s tongue became the Sahara.
“Mmm hmm,” he nodded. Now he was finger-combing his hair, a crooked grin making his face boyishly appealing as he dropped the towel on his toolbox. “I was thinking about you, you see—”
“You were?” Kate backed up against the sink, the small bathroom feeling suddenly much smaller. Dangerously small. As small as the pocket in her lungs still capable of holding air. “What were you thinking?”
He paused, his eyes dancing. “I’m thinking I ought to keep that to myself.”
“Why?”
“I don’t think we know each other well enough for me to tell you that.”
Suddenly the flannel of her robe felt very hot on her skin. Kate sucked air through her nose and stared at his lips, that crooked smile teasing her, beckoning her.
“I want to know,” she said, her voice barely a whisper…
Cheri Allan lives in a charming fixer-upper in rural New Hampshire with her husband, two children, one dog, four cats and an excessive amount of optimism. She’s a firm believer in do-it-yourself, new beginnings and happily-ever-afters, so after years of wearing suits, she’s grateful to finally put her English degree to good use writing romance. When not writing, you might find her whizzing down the slopes of a nearby mountain or inadvertently killing perennials in her garden.
Cheri loves to hear from readers! E-mail her at cheri@cheriallan.com, friend her at facebook.com/cheriallanauthor, or visit her website and blog at www.cheriallan.com. Luck of the Draw, Book 1 in the ‘Betting on Romance’ series is available now from Amazon and Smashwords.
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448863
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheri-Allan-Books/143131549193624
https://twitter.com/CheriAllan
Enter to win a $25 Amazon or BN GC or other prizes! A Rafflecopter Giveaway
August 10, 2014
The Irresistible Miss Peppiwell by Stacy Reid #review (Entangled Scandalous)
This book was INSANELY good. Before I tell you how good, let me just say it’s totally okay with me if you leave my blog RIGHT NOW to go to the buy links. Two reasons. (You’re still here? Mkay). First, the book is only 99 cents for a limited time. Second, because it is THAT DARN GOOD. Because…
My Review
OH EM GEE. Ms. Reid just shot to the top of my auto-buy list. Phillipa Pippiwell may be the ice queen, but all that cold turns to blistering HAWT steam when the delicious Anthony Thornton gets his hands in all the right places. The writing here is exquisite–and I don’t mean overwritten, but with each word beautifully placed on the page. The plot is fresh and original, with definite twists on the usual scenarios of the era making for a truly exciting read. I found I held my breath more than once. I tensed. I happy-sighed. And yes, I swooned. The big moment at the end was amazeballs and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so I’ll just say my breath caught and I wanted to yell at a bunch of parlor-dwellers and my heart broke…THEN THE THING HAPPENED and I’m pretty sure a bug flew in my eye or something because I *may have cried* and ERMAGERD was it ever beautiful. I’m hooked, Ms. Reid. Freaking HOOKED. Amazing work.
ARC received in trade for an honest review…then I bought the book anyway. So there.
The Irresistible Miss Peppiwell
With a longing for adventure, the last thing Phillipa Peppiwell wants is to marry. After a painful betrayal by a man she trusted, she is wary when she unwittingly catches the attention of roguishly handsome – and sinfully tempting – Lord Anthony Thornton. Forbidden desires she secretly yearns for threaten to crumble her icy facade and reveal a past scandal best kept buried.
Dissatisfied with his empty life, Lord Anthony seeks a deep and lasting connection… and finds himself intrigued by the Ice Maiden of the haute monde. Undaunted by Phillipa’s aloof nature and her distaste for the idea of matrimony, he sets out to thaw the bewitching beauty by enticing her with adventures of the most sensual type. But he, too, hides a scandalous secret… and if it’s discovered it could rip them apart.
Title: The Irresistible Miss Peppiwell
Author: Stacy Reid
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 231 pages
Release Date: August 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-63375-049-4
Imprint: Scandalous
August 8, 2014
HAWTHORNE is #Free 8/8 and 8/9!
My bestselling ghost story romance is FREE Friday and Saturday only!
“This is a marvelous ghost story. The mystery, the suspense, the eeriness – all collaborate to weave a spell-binding tale . . . The story seamlessly flows to a shocking ending that is utterly brilliant.”
– Coffee Time Romance
“When I finished it, honestly, all I could do was sit there – a little awestruck.”
— Kick Back & Review
***Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars by 71 Amazon reviewers!***
Hawthorne
After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it takes ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home. She seeks peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she finds is an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she can right.Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett has never forgotten about Emma Grace. In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents reveals a truth that can cost him everything. What he finds gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?Find it @ Amazon | Goodreads
Title: HAWTHORNE
Author: Sarah Ballance
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Release Date: February 11, 2014
ISBN 13: 978-0-9889995-1-0
Available format(s): ebook
Hawthorne | Excerpt
Chapter One
The car slowed to a stop and a decade’s worth of memories tumbled onto the sun-blanched asphalt.Hawthorne Manor.The hand-painted sign hadn’t changed in years. Despite the thick stew of humid air filling the Louisiana landscape, the wood display remained inexplicably unaffected. There it sat—every meticulously scripted letter as crisp and clean as the stark white walls of the manor it lauded, oblivious to the passage of time.Emma Hawthorne tensed in the seat of the Mustang convertible and stared at her past. Uncertainty churned into unease, the effects of which sent terror flailing in her gut. Anywhere else, the view would have been gorgeous. The drive, lined on both sides with live oak laden with Spanish moss, was the South personified. At the end, Hawthorne Manor held court. Pristine, proud, the boastful antebellum home beamed, lording over its acreage.But it harbored the unspeakable. No amount of time could erase what happened to her on the other side of the expanse of green lawn. Nothing could change what she’d seen there. Some might say she was crazy — that she’d imagined or invented the whole ordeal — but her scars were all the proof she needed. Whether the shadows lurking behind the façade of the picturesque plantation were real or born of an overactive imagination, there was no way she was going back into that house.Especially not for a dead woman.Sparing a glance in the rearview mirror, Emma steeled herself against a trembling in her hands that threatened to overtake her body. She released a pent-up breath, her heart settling into a less acrobatic rhythm at the thought of leaving. She didn’t have to stay here.Let the South win this one. She was going home.A split second later, something caught her eye. She blinked, trying to see through the swaying canopy of leaves and moss, certain a figure stood atop the widow’s walk straddling the roofline of the house. But no one—Something brushed the car, rocking it. Swallowing panic, Emma tried to tear her focus from Hawthorne Manor, but fear kept her from looking anywhere else. Time and distance hadn’t done her any favors; she was a fool for coming anywhere near this place, much less with the ragtop down.The car rocked harder. The something refused to be ignored.Panic tightened her throat. Fighting it — fighting the remnants of her past that beckoned and taunted from the walls of the manor home — Emma forced herself to look away from the house, toward the intrusion over her left shoulder.The first thing she saw was an aged set of gnarled fingers resting on the door, blue automotive paint showing through an ugly translucence.The second was the face — withered, centurion, and expressionless. Haunting.Familiar.Her.Emma screamed.***It couldn’t be her.Noah Garrett tore down the drive, slapping through a muggy afternoon haze comprised of mosquitoes and humidity. He couldn’t know that scream, but he felt the connection the moment the sound of her fear pierced the thick air.Emma Grace.The one reason he allowed himself to stagnate on the old plantation, long after life and reason moved on without him. Long after she had.A blue Mustang sat at the end of the driveway. He wondered if it could be hers — even as he knew it impossible — but she was nowhere in sight.He slowed to a trot. The sprint left him drenched with sweat and not entirely disappointed his imagination had gotten away from him. His decade-old longing for another chance to see Emma Grace had never included himself as a dripping mess. He wiped the moisture from his brow, fast concluding the car must belong to a tourist. They often parked at the end of the drive and took pictures of the condescending mansion most thought beautiful. He assumed the intrusion seemed small to their frequent guests, but the constant ding of the hidden bell announcing a visitor could drive a man to the edge.As if losing Emma Grace hadn’t already accomplished that.Noah closed in on the convertible, giving the nearby grounds a cursory look. The lawn was meticulous, the beds overflowing with sprays of purple garden phlox which trailed around the bend in the road and disappeared. A riot of white and rust-red irises backed the smaller purple flowers, their leaves deep green and glossy. Overhead, Spanish moss swayed only occasionally atop a maze of live oak, more likely a result of a passing swarm of insects than an actual air current. The land was still. If there were tourists snapping photos of the historic plantation — or doing anything else — he didn’t see them. Butsomeone had been there. The car was certainly real, even if that too-familiar scream had been a figment of his imagination.Wasn’t it always?Resigned to another night alone with his memories, Noah pivoted.And found himself nose to nose with Emma Grace.Astounded, he opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to reach for her, but his arms refused the notion; they hung uselessly by his sides, the effort futile. His mouth wasn’t much on cooperation, either. Finally, he found his tongue. “Em—”Her expression cut him off. Green eyes wide, skin pale, her small frame shaking, she spoke. “I saw her, Noah. She’s back.” The words, nearly soundless, seemed to catch in the thick air. Lingering. Threatening.And ripping the heart from his chest.Find it @ Amazon
