Sherry D. Ficklin's Blog, page 14
August 8, 2014
Cover Reveal~ Unspeakable
COVER REVEAL: UNSPEAKABLE by Michelle K. Pickett
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance (Realistic Fiction) YAm
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Release Date: February 10, 2015
“Breathe. No one will break me. I’m strong. Breathe. Just breathe.”On the outside, Willow appears to have it all. She’s beautiful, smart, from an influential family, and she dates the most popular guy in school—Jaden. But she would walk away from it all in a second. Willow is tormented by lies and suffocating guilt, not the hearts and flowers people believe her life is full of.She carries a dark secret. Plagued by nightmares and pain, the secret dominates her life. If she hadn’t walked away. If she had just… but she didn’t. And now she has to live with her choices. But when someone uncovers her family’s past, they use it against her, crushing her spirit little by little. She tells herself she just has to make it to graduation. Then she can leave Middleton, and her secret, far behind.
When Brody transfers to Cassidy High, he turns Willow’s life upside down. He shows her what it feels like to live again, really live. And suddenly, she isn’t satisfied with just surviving until graduation. She wants a normal life—with Brody—and he wants her. But the closer they become, the more it threatens to unravel the secret she’s worked so hard to hide.
Willow finds true love with Brody. Will she let his love save her, or walk away from him to keep her secret safe?
August 4, 2014
BIG FAT GIVEAWAY
What a way to say thank you to her fans!
Alexia Purdy has reached 5000 likes on Facebook and is having a MASSIVE Giveaway to celebrate!!
About Alexia
Hey! It’s Alexia Purdy, and it feels weird talking about myself in the first person, but here goes…
I currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada- Sin City! I love to spend every free moment writing, or playing with my four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been my dream, and I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. I love creating paranormal fantasy, poetry and love to read and devour books daily. I also enjoy watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food.
So there you have it in a nutshell. Thank you.
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Here are the authors, bloggers and #1 fans that are participating:
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July 29, 2014
New box sets from Clean Teen Publishing
THREE AMAZING COVER REVEALS AND THREE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS!
Clean Teen Publishing and Crimson Tree Publishing have both been growing by leaps and bounds. With so many amazing best-selling authors and award-winning books, they decided to create three new digital boxed sets to feed your reading addiction. These boxed sets will include multiple full-length novels, excerpts and sneak peeks at upcoming releases and more! Check out these stunning stories and make sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom! Three winners will be chosen for some amazing prize packs including a $10 Amazon gift card!
Nothing is as it seems in Worlds Between. There are places where hunger can’t be contained and telepathy is possible, where the afterlife brings about more adventure than the living can handle, and sometimes employers might just bite.
Worlds Between features six novels from bestselling authors. Dive into these paranormal worlds that will have you reaching for the safety of your covers and reading well into the night. Check out more about the included stories below:
Wicked Hunger by DelSheree Gladden
Born with an insatiable hunger for pain and suffering, Vanessa and Zander Roth struggle to hide the truth of who they really are. Keeping their secrets becomes even harder when Ivy Guerra arrives and stirs their hunger into a frenzy. Will their need to feed on others’ agony turn them into villains, or can they somehow find a way to become the heroes of their own dark story?
Haunting Zoe by Sherry D. Ficklin
Logan woke up with a big problem. He’s extremely dead. No one from his former life seems able to see or hear him, making his afterlife little more than a nightmare. That is, until his funeral, when the bitterly sarcastic Zoe, a friend from his childhood, calls him out at his own wake. Now his only chance at moving on means dealing with his sordid past—and the girl he never really got over.
The Mind’s Eye by K.C. Finn
A girl with a telepathic gift finds a boy clinging to his last hope during the war-torn climate of 1940s Europe. Kit Cavendish has psychic powers that allow her mind to travel to places her disabled body cannot follow, so when war breaks out across Europe, curiosity gets the better of her. The Mind’s Eye is a story of personal triumph and young love set against the harsh realities of life at war.
Reluctant Guardian by Melissa J. Cunningham
She’s dead, and would give anything to have her life back. He’s alive, but demons conspire against him. Can two lost souls save each other from destiny? Death is nothing like Alisa thought it would be. Rather than peaceful rest, she must become a guardian to Brecken, a dark and dangerous rebel, who hides a terrible secret. When feelings develop between them, everything spins out of control.
Kindling Flames by Julie Wetzel
Fresh from college and with no real work experience, Victoria Westernly considers herself lucky to land the coveted position of personal assistant to Darien Ritter, the CEO and owner of a multibillion-dollar company. His busy schedule and eccentric ways are enough to keep her on her toes. But, all is not what it seems when she discovers the handsome man employing her just happens to be the most powerful vampire in the area.
And sneak peeks from Aftermath by Sandy Goldsworthy, Hidden Monster by Amanda Strong, The Awakener by Amanda Strong, The Eye of Tanub by M.E. Cunningham, Angus MacBain by Angela J. Townsend and River of Bones by Angela J. Towsend.
Love can be many things in Worlds Entwined. It’s a place where the fate of a kingdom can rest with an unlikely princess, the sea holds more than just dreams, and a heart can be mended amidst a tragedy. While fairytales are few and far away, Worlds Entwined will be sure to keep your blood pumping and your heart fluttering through to the very last page.
Worlds Entwined features five novels from bestselling authors. Dive into these romantic and light fantasy worlds that show love is cruel, painful, sweet, wonderful and inspiring. Worlds Entwined is sure to keep you reading well into the night. Check out more about the included stories below:
The Key by Jennifer Anne Davis
Prince Darmik’s kingdom is on the brink of upheaval and at the center is a girl who could be the key to its undoing. When given a choice, will he choose love or the kingdom he swore to protect? Rema’s an ordinary girl with an extraordinary past… All she wants is to be free. But it comes at a price. She is forced to accept the proposal of a cruel prince, even though she loves another… his brother.
Rumors by Erica Kiefer
Seventeen-year-old Allie Collins would rather hide behind rumors than face the truth—her life will never be the same as it was before the accident. As a star athlete grieving in the shadows, she hopes to find normalcy in boys and basketball. When her best friend sets her up with the popular Shane Moretti, Allie drags her feet, reluctant for added complications. Then she decides that dating Shane would be the perfect shield from last summer’s tragedy. However, what starts as a mere distraction proves much more complex. As Shane leads Allie into questionable situations, gossip continues to swirl.
Never Forgotten by Kelly Risser
Life tasks a drastic turn for Meara Quinn. Her mom’s cancer returned, and they are moving to her mom’s childhood home in Peggy’s Cove. Meara has never met her grandparents and doesn’t know much about her mom’s childhood. Dreams of her dad help her realize that all is not as it seems. With her new boyfriend, Evan, and his sister, Katie, she embarks on a journey to discover who—or what—she is.
Rising by Holly Kelly
Sara is a criminal with a death sentence hanging over her head, who is being stalked by the deadliest assassin in the sea—only she doesn’t know it. Xanthus’s job is simple. All he has to do is break into her apartment and slit her throat. If only she weren’t so beautiful… so innocent. Will he do his duty and slay her, or will the executioner become the protector, and the hunter become the hunted?
Finding Willow by Michelle Pickett
Finding Willow is the prequel to Unspeakable, which will be releasing in 2015. This touching romance between Brody and Willow explores one girl’s quiet strength to survive the unbearable weight of a family secret alone, and the love and resolve of a boy determined to help her.
And sneak peeks from Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin, Sweet Contradiction by Peggy Martinez, and Moonflower by Angela J. Townsend.
It’s a fight for life in Worlds Undone. The only way to live through these post-apocalyptic times is to stand up against authority, hone in on special gifts, and learn to control the elements. In these stories of survival against all odds, heroes will rise and the evil ones will fall; and amidst the darkness, they might just find hope and love.
Worlds Undone features five novels from bestselling authors. Dive into these dystopian and apocalyptic worlds that will keep you rooting for hope and reading well into the night. Check out more about the included stories below:
The Woodlands by Lauren Nicolle Taylor
In Russia, after a race war has decimated the planet, the Superiors who control the compounds of the Woodlands are obsessed with creating a ‘raceless’ race, convinced it is the only way to avoid war. Collecting troublemakers for use in their high-tech breeding program, they should have lifted the claw when it passed over sixteen-year-old Rosa’s head. She is strong. She is loved. She will fight.
Project ELE by Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels
With millions dying each day from a brutal heat wave, fifteen-year-old Willow relocates to a government shelter—where chaos, romance, and strange new powers await her. A must-read doomsday saga with nearly 100 five-star Amazon reviews!
Concealed in the Shadows by Gabrielle Arrowsmith
Sydney will escape with her sister if they’re denied the right to be together. Chip implants, the electric barrier, and the interest of two opposing forces amplify the danger. Can she trust the side she fights for? Can she receive unexpected love? When her sister’s life is jeopardized, she’ll have to weigh new love against the only one she has known. The cost could be deadly. How will she choose?
The Bionics by Alicia Michaels
All I wanted was to be a normal girl. But the nuclear war that laid waste to our country killed any hope I had. They took everything, including my humanity. I’m now half-human, half-machine, part of the freak show that is the Restoration Project. They hate what they created, fearing us for being strong. What they don’t know is—there’s a Resistance and The Bionics aren’t going down without a fight.
Wind Warrior by Jon Messenger
Xander’s simple life is turned upside down when he discovers he’s the newest Wind Warrior, a race of supernatural men and women who control the air. However, they’re not alone and as their time comes to an end, the Fire Warriors grow more and more eager to claim the planet as their own.
And sneak peeks from The Last Orphans by N.W. Harris, Wolves of the Northern Rift by Jon Messenger and Voodoo Moon by June Stevens.
ENTER TO WIN SOME AMAZING PRIZES:
First Place: $10 Amazon Gift Card and a CTP Prize Pack (Includes Readers choice of any 2 Digital CTP Books, Bookmarks and Swag.)
Second Place: Readers choice of any 2 digital CTP books and a SWAG Pack (bookmarks, bracelet, fun.)
Third Place: Readers choice of any CTP Digital Book.
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July 14, 2014
A writer’s brain
A good friend just shared a very interesting article with me about a study where scientists observed a writer’s brain while working on a work of fiction. (You can see it here.)
The results did not surprise me.
While, as expected the areas of the brain that control memory are active (as we draw on our own experiences to create plots, characters, environments) so were the areas of the brain that control speech.
Only they weren’t talking.
What was happening is probably the not uncommon phenomenon that many people liken to writer’s schizophrenia, they were hearing voices.
I say it all the time, my characters are talking to me. Its a real thing. I think most non-writers don’t understand and it really does sound quite crazy. But yes, I hear the characters narrating their stories in my head. With some books (Losing Logan, for example) that inner voice is so loud and clear, that I feel like little more than a secretary, typing the words as they are told to me.
Sometimes the voice is soft and we have to coax it out or tap into it to be able to really hear it. We call this ‘courting the muse’ or ‘looking for inspiration’. But the result is the same either way.
There is also another method of ‘inner narration’ and the study mentions it is more common in those with less experience writing, where the writer sees the story in his head like a movie. This happens to most of us in the outline or plotting stages of writing, but new writers tend to use this method throughout the process, as opposed to the more auditory process of more experienced writers. Why? I think when you are starting out you lean toward what you know, and for many of us the primary way we absorb stories is through visual media, movies, TV, even reading books. It is often only with time and experience that we can tune into our inner narrator in other ways.
That said, I’m curious how it works of other writers. How to you find and hone in on your stories? Are you audio or visual or is there something totally different that happens for you?
July 9, 2014
Making a Scene
I often have people (friends and strangers) approach me and ask me to look over their work. The biggest issues I see in novice writers are improper scene structure and scene overkill.
Let me explain.
What I mean by scene structure isn’t what you might think. It’s not about what is IN a scene, but how you break and connect scenes together. Many novice authors will begin a scene at the beginning and end it at the end. That only makes sense, right?
But the truth is, that isn’t the best way to hook your reader. I call it the drag and drop. You want to drag them into a scene, and drop them off a cliff at the end. Here’s how:
(FYI: A chapter should contain at least one ‘scene’, sometimes two or three. Too many ‘scenes’ in a chapter will bog it down, so don’t be afraid to split those babies up. No one is going to fault you for having 40 chapters instead of 35, I promise.)
Your scene should always open with action. That doesn’t mean it has to open with somebody being shot at (though that would be pretty freaking cool), but by ‘action’ I mean some kind of movement that will interest a reader. If your character wakes up, puts on her slippers, goes and has breakfast, reads the paper, blah blah blah. Readers do not care about that crap. We want to get into the MEAT of the story as quickly as possible. So don’t bog yourself down with a bunch of scene setting, character description, or backstory right off the bat. You can weave those things in later. The reader will give you a wide window at the opening of a book in particular, where you can run with it now, and explain why we are running later. So for the love of Pete, run with it.
I have read books where I don’t know what the MC looks like for 3 chapters. That’s fine. You don’t have to give me a full life story in the first page, or the first chapter. Sprinkle it in like salt into a stew. A little here, stir. A little more, stir. Until you get it just right by the end. If you just dump all the salt in at once, you can end up with a stew no one can stomach.
A book is no different.
There are three things I look for in the opening of a scene (ESPECIALLY the first scene).
1) A reason to care. Give me a reason to keep reading. Either make me really like the MC right away or throw me into a mystery I want to solve, or show me a world that fascinates me. Is your MC running from someone? Who? Why? Will he make it? I want to know. (Don’t tell me right away, let me wonder for a while and build that suspense.)
2) Movement. Get the plot moving right away. If I get bored in the first ten pages, I may put it down and never pick it up again. If the opening of a scene bores me, I will close the book and go to sleep. You run the same risk either way. Don’t give your reader and excuse to put the book down. EVERY scene should be driving the plot forward. If it’s not, get rid of it.
3) Direction. Show me where the scene is heading. Now that can be a red herring and you may take me off in a totally unexpected direction two paragraphs later. That’s cool. But if you open with something that points to the fact that your neighbor is a werewolf, I will follow you down that path until you either confirm it or change it. But give me a direction to be looking.
Ending a scene or chapter is just as tricky. As a writer, your natural inclination is to end a chapter when the scene is over, right? Wrong.
I know, mind=blown, right?
If your scene ends with your character crawling into bed after the epic fight and falling asleep, guess what the reader does? Yep. They close the book and go to sleep too. But, if you end the chapter at the climax of the fight, or even later, when your hero is tucked into bed only to be awakened by someone standing over him, END IT THERE. Make the reader NEED to find out what happens next. basically, if you are going to drop your character off a cliff, end with him going over, not landing at the bottom. Put that in beginning of the NEXT scene or chapter. Now you’ve done two things, you’ve ended the scene on a cliffhanger, and started the next scene with action. See how well that works? Now, even if your character lands on a big soft mattress and walks away to begin another adventure, you have the reader hooked. They will keep reading until the next big cliff drop. That’s how you get those great “I couldn’t put this book down!” reviews.
Now Scene Overkill is an entirely different beast. Scene overkill happens when you have a scene where not much happens and it slows down the pace, giving me a great place to stop reading. To avoid this, look at your scene closely. Does something important happen? Do we get any vital information about the plot or the character? No? Then cut it out. You don’t need it.
Is there a really funny joke you want to tell or a memory the reader should see? Great. Put it in somewhere else. Each scene should have either something vital to the story or a climax of some kind. If you are writing a YA novel, don’t make me read through school days where nothing interesting happens. You can tell me that a few days pass and THEN when he goes to school, it’s full of zombies. That’s cool.
Also, be very careful with using too much info dumping. Yes, sometimes there is information you need to have made known to the reader. THE BEST way to do that is usually have a secondary character bring it up in some way. But if you break in the action of the story to give me a three paragraph flashback to a character’s dead sibling, I get bored. Much better to introduce that in another way. Have a friend ask about a family photo or have your MC cuddle a bunny that still smells like them. Give me a quick explanation and trust me enough to be able to figure the rest out. This is part of that SHOW DON’T TELL rule that we writers are always talking about. Yes, you can SHOW us backstory. But don’t make that backstory a scene unto itself. It’s just boring.
So that’s my helpful rant for the day. I wish someone had told me this crap when I started writing, because looking back at my early books,, I really could have used some tough love, you know? But we write and we grow and we keep writing and keep growing.
Until next time, happy reading!
Cover Reveal- Parallel Triangles
Parallel Triangles Release date: April 28th 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Formats: Paper, e-book
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20656543-parallel-triangles
Book Blurb:
How does a cruise change your life?
By sailing through the Bermuda Triangle.
Carly Carmichael has one goal in life–to perform on Broadway. She refuses to have a Plan B because she’s never needed one–until now. When Carly’s parents send her on a cruise as a graduation present, she takes her best friend and their boyfriends along with her. Once the ship sails into the Bermuda Triangle, Carly finds herself unable to sing or walk, much less perform. And things just go downhill from there. Hoping for help from the ship’s doctor, she ends up with more questions than answers about the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle and why her life is now unrecognizable. If Carly can’t get her real life back on track, she may end up spending the next sixty years trapped in a life the Triangle chooses for her.
Author Bio:
Kimberly Ann Miller received Bachelor’s degrees from Georgian Court University and Rutgers University and a Master’s degree from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She’s an avid reader and particularly enjoys true crime and young adult novels. She grew up in New Jersey and currently lives in Monmouth County with her husband and three cats. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel to sunny islands where she snorkels by day and stargazes by night. She always takes her Nook.
July 8, 2014
Queen of Someday on Amazon
You can find it here.
ALSO, I’ve been hard at work and it looks like (barring anything odd like a zombie apocalypse)book two, Queen of Tomorrow will be releasing before Christmas! That means there will be less than a 2 month wait between the release of book 1 and book 2 in the series. How stinking cool is that?
In the mean time, you can find it available for early review over on Netgalley (for you bloggers/reviewers) and you can always keep up to date with all the goings on (like the EPIC book trailer that’s soon to hit the cyberwaves)over on the Stolen Empire Facebook page here!
I can’t wait to hear what you all think of Queen of Someday. I’m so excited about my first foray into historical romance!
June 28, 2014
Cover Reveal: Just As You Are by June Stevens
We are excited to share the cover for June Stevens’ upcoming New Adult Novel, Just As You Are. Just As You Are is the #3 book in the Oak Hollow series and the first in the new adult series Oak Hollow College. The two series’ will overlap with common characters and settings, but the Oak Hollow College series will consist exclusively of New Adult novels.
JUST AS YOU ARE BY JUNE STEVENS
OAK HOLLOW #3 and OAK HOLLOW COLLEGE #1
When you’ve gone through your whole life being told you aren’t good enough, you learn to accept love with conditions…and never expect anything better…
The not-so-shy fat girl…
Layla Harper has no problem with who she is. She’ll never be a beauty queen, but she doesn’t care. She does have a problem with guys who think she is easy because she’s fat. And drop-your-panties-sexy Alden Cortland just became her #1 problem.
All Layla wants to do is keep her head down, get her computer science degree, and get as far away from Tennessee and her past as she can. She certainly has no intentions of getting mixed up with another smooth talking rich boy, no matter how much he tells her she is sexy.
The rich boy with a secret…
Alden is the disgrace of his family. Which is why he has been sent to a small college in the backwoods of Tennessee, out of the media spotlight, out of mind. He is completely focused on getting his degree and taking off to start his career on the other side of the camera. Until he lays eyes on Layla Harper.
She has no clue how beautiful she is, but he is determined to help her find out. Unfortunately she won’t give him the time of day. He wants to prove to her he isn’t the kind of guy she thinks he is…or does he? Getting close to Layla means letting her in on his darkest secret. And that would mean losing her.
Pre-Order on All Romance Ebooks
DJ Westerfield Writing As June Stevens
DJ Westerfield is a wife, step-mom, sister, auntie, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, friend, and Mommy to three adorable and mischievous four-legged babies.
She writes non-fiction, blogs, and co-hosts an internet radio show as DJ Westerfield and uses the pseudonym June Stevens to write fiction in a variety of genres including contemporary romance, romantic suspense, romantic fantasy, paranormal romance, urban fantasy. You can find out more about her and WHY she uses both of her names on her website.
AUTHOR LINKS
June 24, 2014
Official Cover Reveal for Queen of Someday
We are so pleased to finally share this gorgeous and much awaited cover for Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin.
Queen of Someday (Stolen Empire Book 1)
Release Day: October 7, 2014
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Genre- YA Historical Fiction
Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophia will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.
Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.
Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.
In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?
Sherry D. Ficklin
Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.
She is the author of The Gods of Fate Trilogy now available from Dragonfly Publishing. Her previously self-published novel After Burn: Military Brats has been acquired by Harlequin and will be released in 2014 with a second book in that series to follow. Her YA steampunk novel, EXTRACTED: The Lost Imperials book 1, co-written with Tyler H. Jolley is now available everywhere books are sold and her newest YA novel, Losing Logan, is now available from Clean Teen Publishing.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AuthorSherry
PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/authorsherry/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4153170.Sherry_D_Ficklin
A Note From The Author:
The true story of Catherine the Great is one fraught with betrayal, intrigue, and romance. While a good deal of my story is drawn from actual people and events, I have been very liberal in the rearrangement of dates, events, and places. Whenever possible I took my cues from her own words, intermixing my own thoughts and ideas. My thought upon the creation of the book was simple. I looked at the woman she was when she claimed the crown and then wondered, how did an innocent girl from Germany become such a force of nature? Most people aren’t born cold or ambitious, but have circumstances that forge them into those people. And that was the story I wanted to tell in this book. I wanted to see the events in her early life that would have changed her into the person she became, and not knowing the truth of that story, I simply made something up. That is what we, as writers, do best.
If you are curious about the real history behind Catherine, I suggest heading to your local library and doing a bit of research. This is not meant to be a historically accurate representation, but a flight of fancy, one that I hope you, dear reader, will enjoy as much as I have.
June 3, 2014
Happy Book Birthday: Romancing Lorelei by June Stevens
ROMANCING LORELEI BY JUNE STEVENSOAK HOLLOW SERIES #2
ISBN: 9781310267628
Romancing Lorelei is a STAND ALONE novella in the Oak Hollow Series.
She doesn’t believe in love…He fell in love at first sight.
The moment he laid eyes on her, Kaden McAllister knew there was something special about Lorelei. After spending one incredible night with her, he knew he wanted her in his life. But the next morning she was gone, without even giving him her last name. When he finally finds her can he convince her there can be much more between them than sex?
Lorelei isn’t interested in falling in love with anyone, ever. Yet, she can’t deny that something deeper lurks beneath the intense sexual attraction that sizzles between her and Kaden, She agrees to get to know him, but can she put her past behind her and open herself up to the possibilities of love?
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About June Stevens/DJ Westerfield
DJ Westerfield is a wife, step-mom, sister, auntie, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, friend, and Mommy to four adorable and mischievous four-legged babies.
She writes non-fiction, blogs, and co-hosts an internet radio show as DJ Westerfield. She also works as a consultant for independent authors and creates crafts and jewelry she sells on her online store, Hydeaway Cottage.
DJ uses the pseudonym June Stevens to write fiction in a variety of genres including contemporary romance, romantic suspense, romantic fantasy, paranormal romance, urban fantasy. You can find out more about her and WHY she uses both of her names on her website.
AUTHOR LINKS
EXCERPT
“Kaden, we don’t have a relationship. We’ve had sex and I’ve met your family. That’s all.”
“Exactly. The two biggest relationship hurdles and we’ve already passed them and we are still talking. Neither of us has run away screaming, yet. I think we are making great progress.”
Lorelei shook her head, her lips twitching into a smile. “You’re a nutcase.”
“Probably. Yet, here you are, still in my truck.” He reached out and took her chin between his fingers and turned her face so that they were eye to eye. His silly grin had melted and his eyes were intense and unreadable. “Lorelei, I know we’ve gone about all of this a little backwards, and maybe we don’t have a relationship yet, but I would like for us to develop one.”
“Kaden…”
“Let me finish,” he cut her off, leaning in just a bit closer. His and slid from her chin to clasp her hand between them. “You are beautiful and sexy and since the first moment I saw you I’ve been fascinated. That night between us, that wasn’t like me either. I was so incredibly hot for you I couldn’t think straight. I thought that if I could have you then I could get you out of my head. So I arranged with Kath and Jack to use their tent. But that all too brief night was more than I imagined possible, and then you were gone the next morning without a word. You have haunted me every moment of every day since.”
Every molecule of oxygen in the car seemed evaporate. Lorelei’s chest tightened and her throat closed, and even if she could have spoken her brain was too fogged to put together a coherent sentence. No one had ever said anything like this to her. Ever. She didn’t know if she should laugh in his face or melt into a puddle at his feet. Before she could decide, he went on.
“You don’t want me to think you sleep with just anyone, but I need you to know that I don’t think that. And more than that, I need you to know that I don’t just want sex from you. As a matter of fact, I don’t want to have sex with you again. Well, not for a little while at least. That’s why I didn’t go any further than I did earlier today. It’s true that I find you so incredibly sexy it’s hard to think straight sometimes, but, there is more to what I feel than that. You are funny and sweet and your smile breaks my heart. I don’t know even a millionth of what there is to know about you, but I do know that I want to know it all.”
There was a long pause where there was no sound in the truck except for their breaths. Then Lorelei pulled her hand from his and took a deep breath. “I still think you may have me confused for another type of girl. I know I said I’m not casual about sex, but I’m not quite that serious about it either. What I meant was I am usually very picky about who I sleep with. I usually go on a minimum of three dates to make sure we are on the same wavelength. But I don’t require a serious relationship to have a sexual one.”
Kaden’s eyebrows furrowed quizzically. “So, what you are saying is that you’ll have sex with me, but you won’t date me?”
Yes, that is exactly what she was saying. Wasn’t it? She wasn’t really sure of anything. She definitely wanted to get him in bed again, she couldn’t deny that. But, she had also had a lot of fund with Kaden and his family tonight. “I’m not really the “know everything about you” type of girl. Before tonight I’ve never met the family of anyone I’ve dated. It’s just not who I am.”
“You know, there’s a first time for everything. And how can you really know you’re not that kind of girl if you’ve never tried it?” He didn’t give her time to respond. He grabbed her hand again, lacing their fingers together, and went on. “Lorelei, I just want to date you, not skin you and eat you for breakfast. It’s not that scary. We go to the movies, dancing, out to eat, you know the things people normally do when they are getting to know each other. Let me romance you a little. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“I could detest you.”
“Or you could really like me, even fall in love with me,” he grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her.
Yeah, that was actually the worst thing that could happen. The last thing she needed was to fall in love and get her heart ripped out. Yet, he was so cute when he was trying to be endearing. And so sexy. Even with the word “love” in the air, which would normally be a splash of cold water to her libido, sitting so near him had every one of her nerve ends tingling.
She let out a huff of air. “Okay. I’ll date you. But I’m not making any promises, and I definitely don’t want you to make any.”
Kaden didn’t respond with words. Instead he slid his to the back of her neck and pulled her to him. When his lips met hers something hot and needy exploded inside her. She leaned into him, letting him deepen the kiss. For a long moment they explored each other through taste and touch. When he finally pulled back she was weak and breathless. That kiss had certainly felt like a promise, she just didn’t know of what.
“Will you come in?” she asked hopefully, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“No. I meant it. No sex for a while. I want to get to know you without sex muddling things up.” He straightened in his seat and slumped back, groaning. “I can’t open your door for you. If I get out of this truck, I won’t get back in until morning.”
Lorelei flashed him a sexy grin. “That would be okay.”
“Stop trying to seduce me, you sultry siren,” he laughed, leaning over to drop a chaste kiss on her forehead. “Go on. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Lorelei laughed and slid out of the truck, then walked around to his door. When he rolled down his window to see what she wanted she said, “I just wanted to tell you I had a good time tonight.” Then she reached up and slid her hand to the back of his neck like he had done to her a few moments ago and pulled him down into a hot, searing kiss. When she pulled away she had to put her hand on the truck for a moment to steady herself. “Sweet dreams,” she called over her shoulder as she walked to the door, letting her hips sway just a little more than usual.
She heard him say “Siren” and smiled to herself knowing he was affected by the kiss as she was. She just hoped he couldn’t see the way her hand shook as she fumbled with the lock. Finally she got the damn thing to work and let herself in, closing the door behind her. Once she’d reset the alarm, she slumped against the door replaying his words in her head and wondering what she’d gotten herself into.
