V.L. Locey's Blog, page 90
June 26, 2014
Thursday Throwback Tune
Some of the most beautiful songs of the era were sung and written by this man. Today he`s known as Yusuf Islam, but for the millions of fans of his music, like me, he`ll always be Cat Stevens in our hearts. I still listen to him almost daily. There is something about his music that seems eternal, at least to me.
What`s your favorite Cat Stevens song?
What`s your favorite Cat Stevens song?
June 23, 2014
Tuesday Tales - Ride
Welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tales!
I have to tell you, last week I found myself in a bit of a pickle. We had wrapped up Laco Law. What I`m working on now, Final Shifts, book six for my Wildcat series, is chock full of juicy secrets I didn`t dare share at the risk of divulging something huge. Everything else in my files has been contracted (I am not complaining, mind you!) so I couldn`t share any of those tales, either.
I was pretty well stumped. What to do, what to do? I dug into my archives, hoping to locate something to share. Imagine my joy when I found this romance! It had been written nearly two years ago, and I had rather forgotten about it.
White Moon, Yellow Leaves, a M/F contemporary romance, started out as a four-part mini for the Thanksgiving holiday season. Well, that wasn`t quite enough, so I then penned a Christmas special. Nope. I still couldn`t leave this couple. So, I then added a much longer serialized story for them. We`ll start off with the first story, tidied up as well as I can tidy, and broken into excerpts of one thousand words or thereabout per week. I think it will be a lovely read for the Tuesday Tale family to enjoy. As always, all comments are greatly appreciated.
Make sure to check out all the Tuesday Tales author`s wonderful contributions.
White Moon, Yellow Leaves
“Mom, if great-uncle Hans is in heaven, and Aunt Jo-Jo misses him and wants to visit his spirit, does that mean that Mud Puppy Lake is heaven?”
I glanced over at the six year old on my right. He was looking at me with his father`s eyes: deep blue with flecks of gold framed by dark lashes. Those blue eyes were bubbling with curiosity. I opened my mouth to reply but Aunt Jo-Jo in the backseat chimed up to answer the lad’s question of the moment.
“Sometimes I think Mud Puppy Lake is heaven,” she said, peeling a chunk off a pecan nut-roll she had purchased at the church before we left Pittsburgh. Her dachshund, Leopold G. Poopbottom, ingested the snippet whole, his whip-like tail beating the backseat soundly. “But no, it`s just one lake out of a thousand. It is a special lake though.” She leaned back to continue eating her nut-roll. “Hans and I used to come up here every year, to get away from your great-grandmother.”
“Aunt Jo, can we not dig into grandma right off?” I asked, peeking into the rearview to catch the devil shining in the woman`s hazel eyes. She waved an age-spotted hand around her head to indicate that she would behave…for now. “Thanks. So, would you like to know how Mud Puppy Lake got its name?” I asked Rhett. He nodded vigorously.
“When I was about your age, I started coming up here with Aunt Jo and Uncle Hans for Thanksgiving and spring break. Great-grandma Helen gets a bit—”
“Asinine?” the backseat, nut-roll eater offered. Five seconds. That`s longer than usual for the firecracker in the back to be good.
“I would have said intense.” I gave my grandmother`s sister, one of five, a warning glower, which she promptly ignored. “Grandma Helen tends to get really involved in holidays. She likes everything to be perfect.”
“Like I said, asinine.” Jo-Jo spoke to her dog. Leopold yipped merrily. Rhett giggled at the bad word. I blew out a breath and drove through a spinning vortex of gold, scarlet, and bronze leaves dancing across the road. The ride upstate at this time of year was always breathtaking.
“Anyway,” I interrupted keeping a lookout for our little turn off road, “Back when I was a kid, we came up here twice a year, one week around Easter and then for a week in the fall. ‘The summer is for the fishing and fall is for the hunting’ Uncle Hans would tell me. The first summer I visited Uncle Hans and Aunt Jo he and I went fishing every morning. Well,” I glanced down at my boy. He was hanging onto every word. “While Uncle Hans was fishing, I was playing in the mud. Lakes have the best mud for modeling.”
“When we get there I`m gonna model mud too,” Rhett announced. Aunt Jo-Jo leaned forward to tap the horn at a trucker rolling past in the opposite direction. He tooted back. She cackled in glee. My ears turned red.
“Aunt Jo, this isn`t Clairton,” I cautioned as she guffawed and starting nibbling nut-roll again. “You can`t toot or wave your bare leg at every trucker that passes.”
“I can if I want to,” the woman who was creeping up on eighty-five replied. “That killjoy attitude is Helen coming out of you,” she warned, as if sounding like my grandmother was a reprehensible thing. Okay, sometimes it was, I admit it.
“Can I shake my leg at a trucker?” Rhett asked, nearly climbing out of his seat to watch the spinning leaves exploding off the front of the semi behind us.
“No, only old women who want to piss off their sisters do that,” I said. A very naughty chuckle came from the backseat. “So, back to the story?” I asked. Rhett nodded. “After a long time spent fishing Uncle Hans came back to me, showed me his two bass, and asked what I was making in the mud. I showed him my dogs. They were really terrible looking mud dogs.” I smiled in recollection, turning slowly onto the dirt road that would lead us back to one of many small, unnamed lakes in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.
The lane was littered with discarded oak, beech, and sumac leaves. Clouds more were fluttering down in the cold air, the trees along the dirt road growing barer with each gust of wind. The memories of Rhick and I coming here seven years ago engulfed me. My fingers tightened on the Cavalier`s steering wheel.
“Your mother`s dogs weren`t really nothing but red clay balls with sticks for legs, but she was proud as a beaver with a new dam over them,” Aunt Jo neatly stepped in. “Hans said when he told her he had never seen dogs of such kind she told him that they were special mud puppies found only at this lake. Right full of shit and vinegar she was! Hans decided that if the lake could make such fine mud puppies then it should be called such. And that is how Mud Puppy Lake got its name. Leopold, stop chewing on your ass! Here, have another bite of nut-roll.”
We rolled over a rise in a diversion ditch and the eastern shore of the lake came into view. I heard Rhett inhale in awe. Creeping along the road that circles the three mile wide lake, I too had to admit it was stunning, and I had been coming up here nearly yearly for as long as I could recall. The water lay in a semi-circle, clear as a diamond from the springs that fed it year round. Hunting camps and summer homes lined the shore. Some were quite up-market, others were kind of dingy, but the natural beauty of the state woods in fall made each look like a mansion.
“Do you see that one with the big bench by the water?” Jo-Jo asked, her scratchy voice rising in excitement. Rhett mumbled that he did. “That`s our cabin!”
“This place is awesome,” my son whispered. I knew he would be stunned. The child had never been out of Pittsburgh before. My wages at ‘Tomes a ‘Plenty’ book store didn`t leave much extra cash for vacations. The child support I got from Rhick went for clothes, food, and school supplies. I bet the new wife isn`t struggling to pay the electric bill. I winced at the bitter thought. Far be it for me, Dana Waters, to condemn the woman for being a twenty-year old Swedish model.
I refused to look down at my thirty-five year old, mother-of-one breasts. You`d think that a year would be long enough to get over being tossed aside for a svelte Swedish model. I needed more time I guess. Well, I needed something, although what that something was I didn`t know.
Copyright 2012 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week!
I have to tell you, last week I found myself in a bit of a pickle. We had wrapped up Laco Law. What I`m working on now, Final Shifts, book six for my Wildcat series, is chock full of juicy secrets I didn`t dare share at the risk of divulging something huge. Everything else in my files has been contracted (I am not complaining, mind you!) so I couldn`t share any of those tales, either.
I was pretty well stumped. What to do, what to do? I dug into my archives, hoping to locate something to share. Imagine my joy when I found this romance! It had been written nearly two years ago, and I had rather forgotten about it.
White Moon, Yellow Leaves, a M/F contemporary romance, started out as a four-part mini for the Thanksgiving holiday season. Well, that wasn`t quite enough, so I then penned a Christmas special. Nope. I still couldn`t leave this couple. So, I then added a much longer serialized story for them. We`ll start off with the first story, tidied up as well as I can tidy, and broken into excerpts of one thousand words or thereabout per week. I think it will be a lovely read for the Tuesday Tale family to enjoy. As always, all comments are greatly appreciated.
Make sure to check out all the Tuesday Tales author`s wonderful contributions.
White Moon, Yellow Leaves
“Mom, if great-uncle Hans is in heaven, and Aunt Jo-Jo misses him and wants to visit his spirit, does that mean that Mud Puppy Lake is heaven?”
I glanced over at the six year old on my right. He was looking at me with his father`s eyes: deep blue with flecks of gold framed by dark lashes. Those blue eyes were bubbling with curiosity. I opened my mouth to reply but Aunt Jo-Jo in the backseat chimed up to answer the lad’s question of the moment.
“Sometimes I think Mud Puppy Lake is heaven,” she said, peeling a chunk off a pecan nut-roll she had purchased at the church before we left Pittsburgh. Her dachshund, Leopold G. Poopbottom, ingested the snippet whole, his whip-like tail beating the backseat soundly. “But no, it`s just one lake out of a thousand. It is a special lake though.” She leaned back to continue eating her nut-roll. “Hans and I used to come up here every year, to get away from your great-grandmother.”
“Aunt Jo, can we not dig into grandma right off?” I asked, peeking into the rearview to catch the devil shining in the woman`s hazel eyes. She waved an age-spotted hand around her head to indicate that she would behave…for now. “Thanks. So, would you like to know how Mud Puppy Lake got its name?” I asked Rhett. He nodded vigorously.
“When I was about your age, I started coming up here with Aunt Jo and Uncle Hans for Thanksgiving and spring break. Great-grandma Helen gets a bit—”
“Asinine?” the backseat, nut-roll eater offered. Five seconds. That`s longer than usual for the firecracker in the back to be good.
“I would have said intense.” I gave my grandmother`s sister, one of five, a warning glower, which she promptly ignored. “Grandma Helen tends to get really involved in holidays. She likes everything to be perfect.”
“Like I said, asinine.” Jo-Jo spoke to her dog. Leopold yipped merrily. Rhett giggled at the bad word. I blew out a breath and drove through a spinning vortex of gold, scarlet, and bronze leaves dancing across the road. The ride upstate at this time of year was always breathtaking.
“Anyway,” I interrupted keeping a lookout for our little turn off road, “Back when I was a kid, we came up here twice a year, one week around Easter and then for a week in the fall. ‘The summer is for the fishing and fall is for the hunting’ Uncle Hans would tell me. The first summer I visited Uncle Hans and Aunt Jo he and I went fishing every morning. Well,” I glanced down at my boy. He was hanging onto every word. “While Uncle Hans was fishing, I was playing in the mud. Lakes have the best mud for modeling.”
“When we get there I`m gonna model mud too,” Rhett announced. Aunt Jo-Jo leaned forward to tap the horn at a trucker rolling past in the opposite direction. He tooted back. She cackled in glee. My ears turned red.
“Aunt Jo, this isn`t Clairton,” I cautioned as she guffawed and starting nibbling nut-roll again. “You can`t toot or wave your bare leg at every trucker that passes.”
“I can if I want to,” the woman who was creeping up on eighty-five replied. “That killjoy attitude is Helen coming out of you,” she warned, as if sounding like my grandmother was a reprehensible thing. Okay, sometimes it was, I admit it.
“Can I shake my leg at a trucker?” Rhett asked, nearly climbing out of his seat to watch the spinning leaves exploding off the front of the semi behind us.
“No, only old women who want to piss off their sisters do that,” I said. A very naughty chuckle came from the backseat. “So, back to the story?” I asked. Rhett nodded. “After a long time spent fishing Uncle Hans came back to me, showed me his two bass, and asked what I was making in the mud. I showed him my dogs. They were really terrible looking mud dogs.” I smiled in recollection, turning slowly onto the dirt road that would lead us back to one of many small, unnamed lakes in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.
The lane was littered with discarded oak, beech, and sumac leaves. Clouds more were fluttering down in the cold air, the trees along the dirt road growing barer with each gust of wind. The memories of Rhick and I coming here seven years ago engulfed me. My fingers tightened on the Cavalier`s steering wheel.
“Your mother`s dogs weren`t really nothing but red clay balls with sticks for legs, but she was proud as a beaver with a new dam over them,” Aunt Jo neatly stepped in. “Hans said when he told her he had never seen dogs of such kind she told him that they were special mud puppies found only at this lake. Right full of shit and vinegar she was! Hans decided that if the lake could make such fine mud puppies then it should be called such. And that is how Mud Puppy Lake got its name. Leopold, stop chewing on your ass! Here, have another bite of nut-roll.”
We rolled over a rise in a diversion ditch and the eastern shore of the lake came into view. I heard Rhett inhale in awe. Creeping along the road that circles the three mile wide lake, I too had to admit it was stunning, and I had been coming up here nearly yearly for as long as I could recall. The water lay in a semi-circle, clear as a diamond from the springs that fed it year round. Hunting camps and summer homes lined the shore. Some were quite up-market, others were kind of dingy, but the natural beauty of the state woods in fall made each look like a mansion.
“Do you see that one with the big bench by the water?” Jo-Jo asked, her scratchy voice rising in excitement. Rhett mumbled that he did. “That`s our cabin!”
“This place is awesome,” my son whispered. I knew he would be stunned. The child had never been out of Pittsburgh before. My wages at ‘Tomes a ‘Plenty’ book store didn`t leave much extra cash for vacations. The child support I got from Rhick went for clothes, food, and school supplies. I bet the new wife isn`t struggling to pay the electric bill. I winced at the bitter thought. Far be it for me, Dana Waters, to condemn the woman for being a twenty-year old Swedish model.
I refused to look down at my thirty-five year old, mother-of-one breasts. You`d think that a year would be long enough to get over being tossed aside for a svelte Swedish model. I needed more time I guess. Well, I needed something, although what that something was I didn`t know.
Copyright 2012 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week!
O Captain! My Captain! Teaser
Hang in there Wildcat fans. July 9th is right around the corner!
June 21, 2014
Jean Joachim Is Here! Free Book Giveaway!
I`m always thrilled to have Jean visit. She`s one of my favorite authors, the head of Tuesday Tales, and one of the funniest, kindest women I have had the pleasure of meeting. Please make her feel welcomed, and don`t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a free book!
*~*
Leave a comment and one lucky person will win their choice of any of these books.
Series Blurb
Brought together by their pugs, four single women form The Manhattan Dinner Club, which meets once a week for a meal. They share more than food, opening their lives to each other, seeking advice and support. On the menu: Men, work, laughter, tears and always wiggly, lovable pugs. Join Rory, Bess, Brooke and Miranda as they wind their way through the maze of life to their happy endings.
Meet Rory Sampson and Hack Roberts in RESCUE MY HEART
Sexy snippet from RESCUE MY HEART
She opened his shirt then began working on his belt.He took a big slug of his drink as he stared at her body. “You’re naked under there, aren’t you?” She nodded. “You know that drives me crazy.”“That’s why I do it.” Rory grinned up at him.“You’re a vixen,” he said, burying his nose in her neck. His free hand settled on her waist, moving her flush up against him. He was already getting hard. That stoked Rory’s fire. Bruce inched her short dress up until he could slip his palm underneath the flimsy material and cup her rear end. “You have the firmest butt of any girl I’ve known.”“All that dog-walking you hate has benefits.”
Meet Bess Cooper and Whitfield Bass in SEDUCING HIS HEART
He’d started down the hall when a heavenly aroma assaulted his nose. Chocolate? Fresh coffee? His stomach rumbled. Yum. A vision of spreading warm chocolate with his fingers on certain parts of Bess’s body then licking it off made his groin twitch. I’ll bet she knows everything there is to know about sweets. And I know lots of ways to consume them she probably hasn’t even tried.
Meet Brooke Felson and Preston Carpenter in SHINE YOUR LOVE ON ME
“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it.” She turned her back to him.Pres rested a hand on her shoulder. “Any time you want to, I’m here.”She faced him, her eyes full.He eased her into his shoulder and rubbed her back. “It’ll be okay. Whatever happens,” he whispered.She rested her head against him and snaked her arms around his waist. He kissed her hair. The touch of his lips snapped her to attention. She pushed away from him.“I shouldn’t be doing that.”“I won’t tell.” He grinned.
Meet Miranda Bradford and Penn Roberts in TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE
(Coming 7/28/14)
Manhattan Dinner Club
*~*
Leave a comment and one lucky person will win their choice of any of these books.
Series Blurb
Brought together by their pugs, four single women form The Manhattan Dinner Club, which meets once a week for a meal. They share more than food, opening their lives to each other, seeking advice and support. On the menu: Men, work, laughter, tears and always wiggly, lovable pugs. Join Rory, Bess, Brooke and Miranda as they wind their way through the maze of life to their happy endings.
Meet Rory Sampson and Hack Roberts in RESCUE MY HEART
Sexy snippet from RESCUE MY HEART
She opened his shirt then began working on his belt.He took a big slug of his drink as he stared at her body. “You’re naked under there, aren’t you?” She nodded. “You know that drives me crazy.”“That’s why I do it.” Rory grinned up at him.“You’re a vixen,” he said, burying his nose in her neck. His free hand settled on her waist, moving her flush up against him. He was already getting hard. That stoked Rory’s fire. Bruce inched her short dress up until he could slip his palm underneath the flimsy material and cup her rear end. “You have the firmest butt of any girl I’ve known.”“All that dog-walking you hate has benefits.”
Meet Bess Cooper and Whitfield Bass in SEDUCING HIS HEART
He’d started down the hall when a heavenly aroma assaulted his nose. Chocolate? Fresh coffee? His stomach rumbled. Yum. A vision of spreading warm chocolate with his fingers on certain parts of Bess’s body then licking it off made his groin twitch. I’ll bet she knows everything there is to know about sweets. And I know lots of ways to consume them she probably hasn’t even tried.
Meet Brooke Felson and Preston Carpenter in SHINE YOUR LOVE ON ME
“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it.” She turned her back to him.Pres rested a hand on her shoulder. “Any time you want to, I’m here.”She faced him, her eyes full.He eased her into his shoulder and rubbed her back. “It’ll be okay. Whatever happens,” he whispered.She rested her head against him and snaked her arms around his waist. He kissed her hair. The touch of his lips snapped her to attention. She pushed away from him.“I shouldn’t be doing that.”“I won’t tell.” He grinned.
Meet Miranda Bradford and Penn Roberts in TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE
(Coming 7/28/14)
Manhattan Dinner Club
June 20, 2014
Jeanine McAdam`s Pays a Visit! Free Book Giveaway!
Today I`m happy to have fellow New York Ranger fan, and all around lovely lady, Jeanine McAdam here. She`s going to give us some info on her upcoming hockey romance, as well as chat about a few of her favorite guys that wear the blueshirts of the Rangers. Take it away, Jeanine! *Note: Neither Jeanine or I own the images of the New York Rangers used in this post. **~*A big thank you to V.L. for hosting me on her blog. I`m a lover of hockey too and this summer I plan to finish up the first book in my new hockey trilogy!! I haven't selected a title yet but here`s a blurb:Nurse Gabriella Guerrera is of Dominican descent and lives in Washington Heights with her close-knit, overly protective Latino family. Canadian Benjamin McKenna is a forward for the New York Rangers and the highest scorer on the team. His demanding fashion model girlfriend expects nothing less than a super star on her arm. All that changes when Ben is checked into the boards and suffers a debilitating injury. Gabby cares for Ben and as the hockey player heals he gets dropped by his girlfriend, discovers that cultural clashes can be interesting in an arousing sort of way and learns to respect a very determined girl from the Heights.A few of my favorite hockey players:Brian Boyle is big. He is 6'7, weighs 244 pounds. Comes from an Irish Catholic family of eleven or it may even be thirteen. Leave a comment below with the correct number. And, Brian becomes a free agent July 1st. Hopefully he’ll end up back with the Rangers.
Mats Zuccarello is 5'7, (note a foot smaller than Brian Boyle) weighs 180 pounds and is fast. He's a little guy from Norway who zooms around the ice. Mats is also in contract negotiations this summer.
A new favorite Chris Kreider. He’s an American. Grew up in Massachusetts and like Brian Boyle he went to Boston College. Did a terrific job for the Rangers during the playoffs.
Even though I'm moving on to hockey players there are always the bull riders to swoon over too. I'm giving away an ebook copy of THE BULL RIDER AND THE BARE BOYCOTTER the first book in my 'Skirts and Spurs' trilogy. Leave your email address below.
Find me
Mats Zuccarello is 5'7, (note a foot smaller than Brian Boyle) weighs 180 pounds and is fast. He's a little guy from Norway who zooms around the ice. Mats is also in contract negotiations this summer.
A new favorite Chris Kreider. He’s an American. Grew up in Massachusetts and like Brian Boyle he went to Boston College. Did a terrific job for the Rangers during the playoffs.
Even though I'm moving on to hockey players there are always the bull riders to swoon over too. I'm giving away an ebook copy of THE BULL RIDER AND THE BARE BOYCOTTER the first book in my 'Skirts and Spurs' trilogy. Leave your email address below.
Find me
June 19, 2014
Summer Lovin` Blog Hop! Free Book Giveaway!
Hi and welcome to my little corner of the internet! My name is V.L. Locey. I`m a multigenre erotic romance author and I am tickled to be part of the Summer Lovin` Blog Hop!
Among many things that I enjoy like a good hockey game, reading, and of course writing smoking hot M/F and M/M romance tales, I love musicals. Yep. I do. I admit it. And if you`re a fan of musicals like I am, perhaps the first thing that popped into your mind upon hearing the theme of this hop was this classic tune from Grease.
Ah, Olivia and John. What a mismatched pair, and yet, we knew they would make it work out. Sometimes those summer flings don`t last, but sometimes they do. Have you ever had a summer fling? I`d love to hear about your summer romance, if you`d like to share. Just leave your recollection about steamy summer nights in the comment section below. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing for a free digital copy of Pink Pucks & Power Plays, the first book in my To Love a Wildcat erotic hockey romance series. How about a peek at the toasty cover as well as a blurb?
Blurb:
Viviana Land just can`t seem to say no her younger sister. Somehow, the curvaceous society page reporter gets lassoed into serving as her niece's Busy Bee scout leader. One overheated engine later, Viviana and her girls find themselves in the Green Hills Ice Rink. Enter Alain Lessard, the charmingly handsome defenseman for the Philadelphia Wildcats, who is donating his summer to coaching the youth league.
When our intrepid reporter is given the opportunity to write the break-out story of her career, Viviana leaps at the chance. Thinking it would be easy to flirt and tease some juicy tidbits out of Alain, Viviana soon finds herself falling for the sensual, younger, kind-hearted man. Will she put aside her virtual pen for a chance to stay at her new paramour`s side? Or will Viviana finally get away from those mundane bakery opening articles by using the man she may possibly be falling in love with?
I don`t know about you, but curling up with a hockey player to watch a summer sunset sounds just about perfect to me! If you agree, make sure you leave a comment. And please include your contact information. I cannot contact you to tell you if you win without it. Any commenter who does not leave an email address will be passed over. I know that sounds harsh, but I just don`t have the time to track down people on the web. So, if you want that chance to get your hands on some sizzling hot hockey goodness, make sure you add your contact info!
Thanks for dropping by! Please visit all the participating authors, enter in the Rafflecopter, and have a wonderful, sexy summer!
V.L. Locey
Romance Blog Hops
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Among many things that I enjoy like a good hockey game, reading, and of course writing smoking hot M/F and M/M romance tales, I love musicals. Yep. I do. I admit it. And if you`re a fan of musicals like I am, perhaps the first thing that popped into your mind upon hearing the theme of this hop was this classic tune from Grease.
Ah, Olivia and John. What a mismatched pair, and yet, we knew they would make it work out. Sometimes those summer flings don`t last, but sometimes they do. Have you ever had a summer fling? I`d love to hear about your summer romance, if you`d like to share. Just leave your recollection about steamy summer nights in the comment section below. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing for a free digital copy of Pink Pucks & Power Plays, the first book in my To Love a Wildcat erotic hockey romance series. How about a peek at the toasty cover as well as a blurb?
Blurb:
Viviana Land just can`t seem to say no her younger sister. Somehow, the curvaceous society page reporter gets lassoed into serving as her niece's Busy Bee scout leader. One overheated engine later, Viviana and her girls find themselves in the Green Hills Ice Rink. Enter Alain Lessard, the charmingly handsome defenseman for the Philadelphia Wildcats, who is donating his summer to coaching the youth league.
When our intrepid reporter is given the opportunity to write the break-out story of her career, Viviana leaps at the chance. Thinking it would be easy to flirt and tease some juicy tidbits out of Alain, Viviana soon finds herself falling for the sensual, younger, kind-hearted man. Will she put aside her virtual pen for a chance to stay at her new paramour`s side? Or will Viviana finally get away from those mundane bakery opening articles by using the man she may possibly be falling in love with?
I don`t know about you, but curling up with a hockey player to watch a summer sunset sounds just about perfect to me! If you agree, make sure you leave a comment. And please include your contact information. I cannot contact you to tell you if you win without it. Any commenter who does not leave an email address will be passed over. I know that sounds harsh, but I just don`t have the time to track down people on the web. So, if you want that chance to get your hands on some sizzling hot hockey goodness, make sure you add your contact info!
Thanks for dropping by! Please visit all the participating authors, enter in the Rafflecopter, and have a wonderful, sexy summer!
V.L. Locey
Romance Blog Hops
a Rafflecopter giveaway
June 18, 2014
Throwback Thursday Tune
This is my favorite song by this man. And that`s saying something as I adore most of his work. I never tire of hearing his lyrics or voice.
June 17, 2014
Say Hi To Susan Eileen Walker
Please welcome new friend, and Sweet Cravings Publishing author, Susan Eileen Walker to our little corner of the interweb. She`s here to discuss her new release, The Magic of Dragonfly.
Cover Blurb
Unhappy with her life, Bay Alexander decides it is time for a change. She declares the next year to be “The Year of the Dragonfly,” a nickname her great-grandmother had given her with plans to make her dreams come true.
When she receives word her grandmother has died, Bay inherits a new set of goals and dreams. With the help of her best friend, her grandmother’s backdoor neighbor, and some new friends, Bay works to fulfill the terms of Fanny’s will in order to hold onto the Bay House and the Dragonfly Day Spa.
Can Bay make her dreams come true while working to fulfill her grandmother’s last wishes? Will her “Year of the Dragonfly” be yet another impossible dream? Can she help the townspeople of Larksboro reflect the beauty trapped in their souls using the magical secrets Greega left her along with the spa?
Author’s Biography
Susan Eileen Walker was born in Maryland, a state her family never lived in. At the age of five, she fell in love with books and knew she was meant to be a writer so she could share her daydreams and stories with the world.
Susan lives in eastern North Carolina with her seventy pound mixed breed furbaby, Honey, who is a combination protector, personal trainer, and alarm clock.
CONTACT:
Contact person: Susan Eileen Walker
Phone: 252-675-8144
E-mail Address: sewalker101@hotmail.com
Website address: www.sweetcravingspublishing.com
Magic, Friendship, and Hair Care Highlighted in Author’s New Work
New Bern, North Carolina – After a seven year hiatus, New Bern author Susan Eileen Walker has a new book on the market. The Magic of Dragonfly will be released from Sweet Cravings Publishing (www.sweetcravingspublishing.com) on June 6th in e-book form and later this fall as a paperback.
The Magic of Dragonfly is a G/PG rated mainstream women’s fiction set in a small town in eastern North Carolina where Bay Alexander learns that sometimes it takes good friends, and a little magic, to make your dreams come true.
Unhappy with her life, Bay Alexander decides it is time for a change. She declares the next year to be “The Year of the Dragonfly,” a nickname her great-grandmother had given her with plans to make her dreams come true.
When she receives word her grandmother has died, Bay inherits a new set of goals and dreams. With the help of her best friend, her grandmother’s backdoor neighbor, and some new friends, Bay works to fulfill the terms of Fanny’s will in order to hold onto the Bay House and the Dragonfly Day Spa.
Can Bay make her dreams come true while working to fulfill her grandmother’s last wishes? Will her “Year of the Dragonfly” be yet another impossible dream? Can she help the townspeople of Larksboro reflect the beauty trapped in their souls using the magical secrets Greega left her along with the spa?
“This is a heart project,” Ms. Walker said, “and I hope my readers, both young and old, will identify with Bay as she struggles with lost dreams, lost family, and a magical inheritance she never knew about.”
In addition to working on her next novel, Ms. Walker keeps busy attending writer’s conferences, knitting hats for a variety of charities, and playing with Honey, her shelter rescued furbaby.
For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Ms. Walker at sewalker101@hotmail.com or visit her website at www.susaneileenwalker.com.
Contact information
Susan Eileen Walker
1700 Greenbrier Court
New Bern, NC 28562
Phone: 252-675-8144
Email: sewalker101@hotmail.com
Website:
www.susaneileenwalker.com
Excerpt from The Magic of Dragonfly
“Happy birthday to me,” she whispered hoarsely just before the tears blinded her and overflowed. She began to cry in earnest as she mourned the passage of her youth.
Yet another Friday night without a date but this one also marked her fortieth birthday.
Someone should have thrown me a party, she thought with a second of bitterness.
But all your friends are married and busy with their own lives, her sensible side argued. Besides, do you really want someone to witness your misery as you mark the passage of another year of dissatisfaction with life?
Kyle, her eighteen and a half-year-old son, was in his second week of Air Force boot camp. Though he had called the night before, neither of them had mentioned her birthday in the too-short five-minute call. There were other things to talk about and Bay did not want him to feel guilty for forgetting. He needed to focus on getting through the weeks ahead and moving forward with his military career, just as it should be.
Nick, her ex-husband and the last person she wanted to hear from, had called her at work that afternoon. Since she had been up to her elbows in Mrs. Jennings’ hair color at Shelly’s Spa where she worked, she ignored the call. Later, she had to listen to the long and rambling message on her voicemail. It ended with an assumptive plan that she would not only be free but willing to take his latest girlfriend’s dog to the vet on Monday since she would be off and everyone else he knew had to work.
Their divorce had been finalized more than two years before but he still called to ask favors on a fairly regular basis. It was as if he could not understand that she was no longer obligated to pick up his laundry, take his car to get the oil changed, or whatever other errand he had forgotten to do himself. She had taken care of the mundane details of daily living during their twenty-one-year marriage and he did not see why things had to change now that they were divorced. Bay deleted the message without responding. Hopefully he would get the message that he and his latest chica needed to learn how to pick up their own slack without depending on her.
Brian Warren, the man she had been involved with for the past few months had not called but then she had not expected him to. They had talked a few days ago and sometimes they would go weeks between phone calls or visits.
Over the last month Bay had begun to think it was time to kick his ass to the curb and find a man who would value her for more than just sex but kept talking herself out of taking the steps needed to severe the few ties between them. Something in her heart and soul continued to hope that he would figure out she was more than a warm, willing body he could call on for a good time whenever he was horny and had a free hour.
Problem was, Bay could not do confrontation. She had never been able to face down anyone about anything so Brian continued to think she was okay with their current arrangement. In reality, she hated it. But then, she hated a lot about her life.
Nick and Brian were not the only ones who treated her badly. Everyone in her life had taken advantage of her at one time or another, in one way or another, without her uttering a word of complaint. At least not to them. Sweetums, on the other hand, heard all of them.
Her mother had raised her to be a giver, a nurturer, and a caretaker. She had been trained since birth to put everyone else’s needs ahead of her own. She ate her anger with a side of macaroni and cheese or a chocolate bar and washed it down with a Pepsi instead of standing up for herself and saying no. She hated hurting others almost as much as she hated how her life was turning out. Instead, she had learned to live in a pale gray sort of misery, most days having a hard time finding anything in her world to smile about.
Picking up her fork, she scooped up some of the bright blue frosting from around the base of the little cake. Licking the tines, her nose wrinkled at the too-sweet electric blue taste.
The soft clink of a metal chain drew her attention from the cake to the dog patiently sitting on the floor next to her chair. Sweetums, her three-year-old spaniel, terrier, something else mixed breed, waited patiently for his part of her cake.
“You know, boy, I’ve been waiting all my life to start living for me and no one else.”
The dog cocked his head as if contemplating her words though he continued to watch her without blinking. Then he licked his lips as drool dripped from the side of his mouth, making a small puddle on the linoleum floor between his front paws.
She poured the last of the bottle of wine into her glass. “For forty years I’ve worked hard to please everyone around me, hoping someone would love me for my efforts. First, my parents and then Nick and Kyle, and now Brian and my customers at the shop. Where has all that pleasing others gotten me? I’m spending my fortieth birthday talking to a dog, drinking wine to numb my emotional pain, and eating about a zillion calories I don’t need.”
Sweetums lifted his head and made a whining noise deep in his throat that clearly meant, “Gimme. Cake. Now.”
“I look back on my life and I don’t like what I see. Did you know that?” she asked as she cut into the cake with the side of her fork and ate a bite herself instead of giving in to his demands.
The next bite she lifted from the fork and held between thumb and forefinger before lowering it so the dog could take it politely from her fingertips. After swallowing it whole, Sweetums enthusiastically licked her fingers clean of any residual frosting then began the wait for his next piece.
“Yep, I’ve always lived my life to please others. It is long past time I start living how I want, not how the rest of the world thinks I should. Don’t you agree?”
Cover Blurb
Unhappy with her life, Bay Alexander decides it is time for a change. She declares the next year to be “The Year of the Dragonfly,” a nickname her great-grandmother had given her with plans to make her dreams come true.
When she receives word her grandmother has died, Bay inherits a new set of goals and dreams. With the help of her best friend, her grandmother’s backdoor neighbor, and some new friends, Bay works to fulfill the terms of Fanny’s will in order to hold onto the Bay House and the Dragonfly Day Spa.
Can Bay make her dreams come true while working to fulfill her grandmother’s last wishes? Will her “Year of the Dragonfly” be yet another impossible dream? Can she help the townspeople of Larksboro reflect the beauty trapped in their souls using the magical secrets Greega left her along with the spa?
Author’s Biography
Susan Eileen Walker was born in Maryland, a state her family never lived in. At the age of five, she fell in love with books and knew she was meant to be a writer so she could share her daydreams and stories with the world.
Susan lives in eastern North Carolina with her seventy pound mixed breed furbaby, Honey, who is a combination protector, personal trainer, and alarm clock.
CONTACT:
Contact person: Susan Eileen Walker
Phone: 252-675-8144
E-mail Address: sewalker101@hotmail.com
Website address: www.sweetcravingspublishing.com
Magic, Friendship, and Hair Care Highlighted in Author’s New Work
New Bern, North Carolina – After a seven year hiatus, New Bern author Susan Eileen Walker has a new book on the market. The Magic of Dragonfly will be released from Sweet Cravings Publishing (www.sweetcravingspublishing.com) on June 6th in e-book form and later this fall as a paperback.
The Magic of Dragonfly is a G/PG rated mainstream women’s fiction set in a small town in eastern North Carolina where Bay Alexander learns that sometimes it takes good friends, and a little magic, to make your dreams come true.
Unhappy with her life, Bay Alexander decides it is time for a change. She declares the next year to be “The Year of the Dragonfly,” a nickname her great-grandmother had given her with plans to make her dreams come true.
When she receives word her grandmother has died, Bay inherits a new set of goals and dreams. With the help of her best friend, her grandmother’s backdoor neighbor, and some new friends, Bay works to fulfill the terms of Fanny’s will in order to hold onto the Bay House and the Dragonfly Day Spa.
Can Bay make her dreams come true while working to fulfill her grandmother’s last wishes? Will her “Year of the Dragonfly” be yet another impossible dream? Can she help the townspeople of Larksboro reflect the beauty trapped in their souls using the magical secrets Greega left her along with the spa?
“This is a heart project,” Ms. Walker said, “and I hope my readers, both young and old, will identify with Bay as she struggles with lost dreams, lost family, and a magical inheritance she never knew about.”
In addition to working on her next novel, Ms. Walker keeps busy attending writer’s conferences, knitting hats for a variety of charities, and playing with Honey, her shelter rescued furbaby.
For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Ms. Walker at sewalker101@hotmail.com or visit her website at www.susaneileenwalker.com.
Contact information
Susan Eileen Walker
1700 Greenbrier Court
New Bern, NC 28562
Phone: 252-675-8144
Email: sewalker101@hotmail.com
Website:
www.susaneileenwalker.com
Excerpt from The Magic of Dragonfly
“Happy birthday to me,” she whispered hoarsely just before the tears blinded her and overflowed. She began to cry in earnest as she mourned the passage of her youth.
Yet another Friday night without a date but this one also marked her fortieth birthday.
Someone should have thrown me a party, she thought with a second of bitterness.
But all your friends are married and busy with their own lives, her sensible side argued. Besides, do you really want someone to witness your misery as you mark the passage of another year of dissatisfaction with life?
Kyle, her eighteen and a half-year-old son, was in his second week of Air Force boot camp. Though he had called the night before, neither of them had mentioned her birthday in the too-short five-minute call. There were other things to talk about and Bay did not want him to feel guilty for forgetting. He needed to focus on getting through the weeks ahead and moving forward with his military career, just as it should be.
Nick, her ex-husband and the last person she wanted to hear from, had called her at work that afternoon. Since she had been up to her elbows in Mrs. Jennings’ hair color at Shelly’s Spa where she worked, she ignored the call. Later, she had to listen to the long and rambling message on her voicemail. It ended with an assumptive plan that she would not only be free but willing to take his latest girlfriend’s dog to the vet on Monday since she would be off and everyone else he knew had to work.
Their divorce had been finalized more than two years before but he still called to ask favors on a fairly regular basis. It was as if he could not understand that she was no longer obligated to pick up his laundry, take his car to get the oil changed, or whatever other errand he had forgotten to do himself. She had taken care of the mundane details of daily living during their twenty-one-year marriage and he did not see why things had to change now that they were divorced. Bay deleted the message without responding. Hopefully he would get the message that he and his latest chica needed to learn how to pick up their own slack without depending on her.
Brian Warren, the man she had been involved with for the past few months had not called but then she had not expected him to. They had talked a few days ago and sometimes they would go weeks between phone calls or visits.
Over the last month Bay had begun to think it was time to kick his ass to the curb and find a man who would value her for more than just sex but kept talking herself out of taking the steps needed to severe the few ties between them. Something in her heart and soul continued to hope that he would figure out she was more than a warm, willing body he could call on for a good time whenever he was horny and had a free hour.
Problem was, Bay could not do confrontation. She had never been able to face down anyone about anything so Brian continued to think she was okay with their current arrangement. In reality, she hated it. But then, she hated a lot about her life.
Nick and Brian were not the only ones who treated her badly. Everyone in her life had taken advantage of her at one time or another, in one way or another, without her uttering a word of complaint. At least not to them. Sweetums, on the other hand, heard all of them.
Her mother had raised her to be a giver, a nurturer, and a caretaker. She had been trained since birth to put everyone else’s needs ahead of her own. She ate her anger with a side of macaroni and cheese or a chocolate bar and washed it down with a Pepsi instead of standing up for herself and saying no. She hated hurting others almost as much as she hated how her life was turning out. Instead, she had learned to live in a pale gray sort of misery, most days having a hard time finding anything in her world to smile about.
Picking up her fork, she scooped up some of the bright blue frosting from around the base of the little cake. Licking the tines, her nose wrinkled at the too-sweet electric blue taste.
The soft clink of a metal chain drew her attention from the cake to the dog patiently sitting on the floor next to her chair. Sweetums, her three-year-old spaniel, terrier, something else mixed breed, waited patiently for his part of her cake.
“You know, boy, I’ve been waiting all my life to start living for me and no one else.”
The dog cocked his head as if contemplating her words though he continued to watch her without blinking. Then he licked his lips as drool dripped from the side of his mouth, making a small puddle on the linoleum floor between his front paws.
She poured the last of the bottle of wine into her glass. “For forty years I’ve worked hard to please everyone around me, hoping someone would love me for my efforts. First, my parents and then Nick and Kyle, and now Brian and my customers at the shop. Where has all that pleasing others gotten me? I’m spending my fortieth birthday talking to a dog, drinking wine to numb my emotional pain, and eating about a zillion calories I don’t need.”
Sweetums lifted his head and made a whining noise deep in his throat that clearly meant, “Gimme. Cake. Now.”
“I look back on my life and I don’t like what I see. Did you know that?” she asked as she cut into the cake with the side of her fork and ate a bite herself instead of giving in to his demands.
The next bite she lifted from the fork and held between thumb and forefinger before lowering it so the dog could take it politely from her fingertips. After swallowing it whole, Sweetums enthusiastically licked her fingers clean of any residual frosting then began the wait for his next piece.
“Yep, I’ve always lived my life to please others. It is long past time I start living how I want, not how the rest of the world thinks I should. Don’t you agree?”
June 16, 2014
Tuesday Tales - Father
Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week I`ll be sharing excerpts from my 2013 NaNoWriMo novel, Laco Law – The Gnarled Oak. Laco Law is an M/M historical western romance, set in the fictional county of Laco, Texas in 1867.
This week our word prompt 'Father’. In this excerpt we see where things stand at the end of the story with Clayton, Zeke, and the Price family.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romance novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
Zeke exhaled then began to speak. He stopped when a fancy surrey turned the corner onto Main Street. It was a quality conveyance, nearly as well-made as Peony Rose`s buggy, but less flashy. I stood up as I recognized Charley, Mrs. Price`s Chinese butler, steering the matched bays with style. The black and red buggy arrived in front of the jail. Zeke slowly got to his feet, eyeing the proceedings carefully behind damp curls that hung past his chin. Mrs. Price leaned forward in the rear seat. She was done up fine in a bright blue dress, bonnet, a thin silky blanket of deep blue over her useless legs, and matching parasol even though the surrey had a fringed roof. She surely did spend her father`s money well.
“Good afternoon, Sheriff!” she called, her smile wide and white. I stepped out into the sun, removing my hat quickly. Charlie sat stiffly looking forward, his black suit looking dapper, even if the collar seemed a tad tight. “Please, do inform your deputy he has no need to seek the shadows in my presence. Call him up so that he may be introduced to me properly.”
I turned to look at Zeke over my shoulder. He seemed less than comfortable but did as Mrs. Price asked.
She offered him her tiny gloved hand. He looked up and down the street. Several citizens had stopped to gawk at the proceedings. Zeke shook the petite hand then stepped back from the surrey.
“There, now the locals will see you as less of a threat, and more of a gentleman,” she said, dismissing my deputy with the ease of the beautiful and wealthy. “I was just heading to Pester Falls to catch the train. What a pity it hasn`t made it here yet.”
“Yes Ma`am, it is a pity. So,” I said wishing my hair weren`t flattened to my rather round head, “You`re travelling? Going down to Galveston to spend time with Mr. Price?” I asked as casually as possible. I had not forgotten my meeting with the man that owned Laco County and all who resided within it, my deputy and me excluded, of course. Brooks Price may indeed pay our stipends, but little does he know our wages are then turned over to the nuns in San Antonio who took in all those abused boys. I will keep him in the dark as long as I wear this star.
“No, Sheriff. Mister Price is far too busy to be frittering his time away with me. I`m off to meet my brother in Philadelphia,” she said then opened her lacy white fan to cool her face. “He has recently returned east after a rash of health problems caused him to leave his ranch outside San Antonio. If only Oscar could learn to control that speech impediment of his. Then he could find a suitable wife. Imagine, a man of almost fifty still unwed!”
I put one foot on the red spoke of the surreys front wheel. “What manner of speech impediment does your brother have, Mrs. Price? If I`m not being too forward in asking?”
“Sheriff, a man as finely cut as you can never be too forward.” Mrs. Price eyed me then fanned with more speed. “Oscar has been cursed with a heavy lisp since childhood. I do hope you and your exotic deputy will keep my husband`s town safe while I`m gone. Charlie, let`s move on. Price Railways are always punctual.”
“I`ll do my best, Ma`am,” I said as I removed my foot. Charlie looked down at me, smiled briefly, then clicked the horses into motion. They rode off briskly, leaving me to ponder upon things.
“So the lisper might be her brother,” Zeke said. I grunted in reply, my mind trying to neaten all the tidbits.
“Might be, yes,” I replied after a moment while walking back under the porch to enjoy the shade. I retook my seat, my eyes fascinated by the cloud of dust Mrs. Price`s fancy surrey had kicked up. It was so thick one could barely see Miss Sarah sweeping off the porch of the feed store across the way.
“You got no proof,” Zeke said, dropping down beside me on the hard wooden bench. His knee rested against mine. My body reacted instantly to his proximity.
“Not yet. Sometimes you just got to let the dust settle a bit.”
“That what we`re doing now? Letting the dust settle?” he asked, pawing around inside his pristine green shirt for his newly purchased bag of tobacco. I nodded then lowered my Stetson over my forehead. Paw-Paw Moore always said only stupid men rode into a foggy swamp all het-up.
“Yep,” I said then waved at Miss Sarah.
The End
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
And that ends Laco Law! I hope you enjoyed reading excerpts from my first western as much as I enjoyed writing, and sharing, them. I`m not quite sure what next week will bring. It will be a surprise for all of us by the sounds. Thanks so much for coming by. See you next week with something new!
This week our word prompt 'Father’. In this excerpt we see where things stand at the end of the story with Clayton, Zeke, and the Price family.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romance novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
Zeke exhaled then began to speak. He stopped when a fancy surrey turned the corner onto Main Street. It was a quality conveyance, nearly as well-made as Peony Rose`s buggy, but less flashy. I stood up as I recognized Charley, Mrs. Price`s Chinese butler, steering the matched bays with style. The black and red buggy arrived in front of the jail. Zeke slowly got to his feet, eyeing the proceedings carefully behind damp curls that hung past his chin. Mrs. Price leaned forward in the rear seat. She was done up fine in a bright blue dress, bonnet, a thin silky blanket of deep blue over her useless legs, and matching parasol even though the surrey had a fringed roof. She surely did spend her father`s money well.
“Good afternoon, Sheriff!” she called, her smile wide and white. I stepped out into the sun, removing my hat quickly. Charlie sat stiffly looking forward, his black suit looking dapper, even if the collar seemed a tad tight. “Please, do inform your deputy he has no need to seek the shadows in my presence. Call him up so that he may be introduced to me properly.”
I turned to look at Zeke over my shoulder. He seemed less than comfortable but did as Mrs. Price asked.
She offered him her tiny gloved hand. He looked up and down the street. Several citizens had stopped to gawk at the proceedings. Zeke shook the petite hand then stepped back from the surrey.
“There, now the locals will see you as less of a threat, and more of a gentleman,” she said, dismissing my deputy with the ease of the beautiful and wealthy. “I was just heading to Pester Falls to catch the train. What a pity it hasn`t made it here yet.”
“Yes Ma`am, it is a pity. So,” I said wishing my hair weren`t flattened to my rather round head, “You`re travelling? Going down to Galveston to spend time with Mr. Price?” I asked as casually as possible. I had not forgotten my meeting with the man that owned Laco County and all who resided within it, my deputy and me excluded, of course. Brooks Price may indeed pay our stipends, but little does he know our wages are then turned over to the nuns in San Antonio who took in all those abused boys. I will keep him in the dark as long as I wear this star.
“No, Sheriff. Mister Price is far too busy to be frittering his time away with me. I`m off to meet my brother in Philadelphia,” she said then opened her lacy white fan to cool her face. “He has recently returned east after a rash of health problems caused him to leave his ranch outside San Antonio. If only Oscar could learn to control that speech impediment of his. Then he could find a suitable wife. Imagine, a man of almost fifty still unwed!”
I put one foot on the red spoke of the surreys front wheel. “What manner of speech impediment does your brother have, Mrs. Price? If I`m not being too forward in asking?”
“Sheriff, a man as finely cut as you can never be too forward.” Mrs. Price eyed me then fanned with more speed. “Oscar has been cursed with a heavy lisp since childhood. I do hope you and your exotic deputy will keep my husband`s town safe while I`m gone. Charlie, let`s move on. Price Railways are always punctual.”
“I`ll do my best, Ma`am,” I said as I removed my foot. Charlie looked down at me, smiled briefly, then clicked the horses into motion. They rode off briskly, leaving me to ponder upon things.
“So the lisper might be her brother,” Zeke said. I grunted in reply, my mind trying to neaten all the tidbits.
“Might be, yes,” I replied after a moment while walking back under the porch to enjoy the shade. I retook my seat, my eyes fascinated by the cloud of dust Mrs. Price`s fancy surrey had kicked up. It was so thick one could barely see Miss Sarah sweeping off the porch of the feed store across the way.
“You got no proof,” Zeke said, dropping down beside me on the hard wooden bench. His knee rested against mine. My body reacted instantly to his proximity.
“Not yet. Sometimes you just got to let the dust settle a bit.”
“That what we`re doing now? Letting the dust settle?” he asked, pawing around inside his pristine green shirt for his newly purchased bag of tobacco. I nodded then lowered my Stetson over my forehead. Paw-Paw Moore always said only stupid men rode into a foggy swamp all het-up.
“Yep,” I said then waved at Miss Sarah.
The End
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
And that ends Laco Law! I hope you enjoyed reading excerpts from my first western as much as I enjoyed writing, and sharing, them. I`m not quite sure what next week will bring. It will be a surprise for all of us by the sounds. Thanks so much for coming by. See you next week with something new!
June 15, 2014
Sweet & Spicy Author Sandra Nachlinger Drops By
Please welcome the lovely Sandra Nachlinger to our little corner of the interweb. Sandra may write sweet romance but it`s never staid, as you`ll see in her excerpt from her new release, Bluebonnets for Elly.
I read all kinds of romance – western, erotic, sensual, spicy, contemporary, historical, sweet. Sweet? Maybe you’re thinking: All they do is hold hands, gaze soulfully into each other’s eyes, and sigh. Right? Not on your life! There’s plenty of foolin’ around between my hero and heroine, and things can get pretty steamy. We don’t follow Elly and Derek into the bedroom, but instead your imagination fills in the details.
Here’s an excerpt from BLUEBONNETS FROM ELLY, my sweet romance from Sweet Cravings Publishing. Let me know if this lights your fire. Foreplay is fun, isn’t it?
Excerpt:With vivid memories of their time at the lake in his mind, he drew her closer, kissing her eyelids, lips, ears. Slowly, he trailed kisses down the length of her neck, stopping to nip and nibble along the way. Her sharp intake of breath told him of her growing desire. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him near. Her breath warmed his neck. He lowered his head and put his lips to the fabric of her blouse, nuzzling her nipples through the cloth. When she arched even closer, he unbuttoned her blouse and released the front clasp of her bra. Her breath came in short gasps as he pushed the cups aside and held her breasts in his hands.Beautiful.Turned on by her response, he stroked her breasts, forcing himself to go slowly when all he wanted to do was take her—right here, right now. He lowered his head and licked her nipples, bringing from her a sharp intake of breath. As he teased each one, he felt a corresponding response of his own. Damn, I want her but…is this a good idea? She’s Mrs. Macauley’s granddaughter, and she needs to know about…He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “Elly? I should tell you—”She interrupted him with a deep kiss that made him reel. “That you’ve made mistakes? You mentioned that before.” “Yes, but there’s more and—”She kissed him once again, her breasts crushed against his chest, reached for the buttons on his shirt, and murmured with her lips on his. “Tell me some other time.”As he watched, mesmerized, she unfastened his shirt and pulled it from his jeans, then pushed him back against the couch and stroked his nipples with her fingertips until he groaned. With a smile she stood, stripped off her blouse and bra, and stepped out of her sandals. Her bright pink toenails glowed like rose petals on the hardwood floor.
Blurb: Reeling from betrayal by her fiancé, Elly Macauley leaves the skyscrapers of Dallas for Shannon Ridge, Texas, volunteering to help her grandmother recover from a broken ankle. She hopes her time in the small town will be the perfect opportunity for both she and Granny to recover from their wounds. Landscaper Derek White maintains the grounds of Sunset Acres and looks after the senior citizens as if they were his own grandparents. But the disappearance of his wife eight years earlier has put his life and aspirations on hold. After one kiss from Elly, he wonders if it’s time to take another chance on love. But how can he explain an ex-wife who ran away? And is he sure he’s a free man? When Derek’s past threatens and Elly’s ex-fiancé reappears, she must decide—give her former love a second chance or gamble on a man whose history may stop their future before it gets started.
More by this author :I.O.U. SEX - co-written by Sandra Nachlinger and Sandra AllenThree women, lifelong friends, search for their high school boyfriends, years after graduation.Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/I-O-U-Sex-ebook/dp/B004CFAPA4/
Buy links: Sweet Cravings Publishing - http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=213
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Bluebonnets-Elly-Sandra-Nachlinger-ebook/dp/B00I86E3F6/
Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bluebonnets-for-elly-sandra-nachlinger/1118893079?ean=2940045749961
Other Links: Blog/website: http://SandraNachlinger.blogspot.comF... https://www.facebook.com/sandy.nachli... Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Nachling... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://twitter.com/SandyNachlingerEmail contact: sannach@gmail.com
I read all kinds of romance – western, erotic, sensual, spicy, contemporary, historical, sweet. Sweet? Maybe you’re thinking: All they do is hold hands, gaze soulfully into each other’s eyes, and sigh. Right? Not on your life! There’s plenty of foolin’ around between my hero and heroine, and things can get pretty steamy. We don’t follow Elly and Derek into the bedroom, but instead your imagination fills in the details.
Here’s an excerpt from BLUEBONNETS FROM ELLY, my sweet romance from Sweet Cravings Publishing. Let me know if this lights your fire. Foreplay is fun, isn’t it?
Excerpt:With vivid memories of their time at the lake in his mind, he drew her closer, kissing her eyelids, lips, ears. Slowly, he trailed kisses down the length of her neck, stopping to nip and nibble along the way. Her sharp intake of breath told him of her growing desire. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him near. Her breath warmed his neck. He lowered his head and put his lips to the fabric of her blouse, nuzzling her nipples through the cloth. When she arched even closer, he unbuttoned her blouse and released the front clasp of her bra. Her breath came in short gasps as he pushed the cups aside and held her breasts in his hands.Beautiful.Turned on by her response, he stroked her breasts, forcing himself to go slowly when all he wanted to do was take her—right here, right now. He lowered his head and licked her nipples, bringing from her a sharp intake of breath. As he teased each one, he felt a corresponding response of his own. Damn, I want her but…is this a good idea? She’s Mrs. Macauley’s granddaughter, and she needs to know about…He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “Elly? I should tell you—”She interrupted him with a deep kiss that made him reel. “That you’ve made mistakes? You mentioned that before.” “Yes, but there’s more and—”She kissed him once again, her breasts crushed against his chest, reached for the buttons on his shirt, and murmured with her lips on his. “Tell me some other time.”As he watched, mesmerized, she unfastened his shirt and pulled it from his jeans, then pushed him back against the couch and stroked his nipples with her fingertips until he groaned. With a smile she stood, stripped off her blouse and bra, and stepped out of her sandals. Her bright pink toenails glowed like rose petals on the hardwood floor.
Blurb: Reeling from betrayal by her fiancé, Elly Macauley leaves the skyscrapers of Dallas for Shannon Ridge, Texas, volunteering to help her grandmother recover from a broken ankle. She hopes her time in the small town will be the perfect opportunity for both she and Granny to recover from their wounds. Landscaper Derek White maintains the grounds of Sunset Acres and looks after the senior citizens as if they were his own grandparents. But the disappearance of his wife eight years earlier has put his life and aspirations on hold. After one kiss from Elly, he wonders if it’s time to take another chance on love. But how can he explain an ex-wife who ran away? And is he sure he’s a free man? When Derek’s past threatens and Elly’s ex-fiancé reappears, she must decide—give her former love a second chance or gamble on a man whose history may stop their future before it gets started.
More by this author :I.O.U. SEX - co-written by Sandra Nachlinger and Sandra AllenThree women, lifelong friends, search for their high school boyfriends, years after graduation.Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/I-O-U-Sex-ebook/dp/B004CFAPA4/
Buy links: Sweet Cravings Publishing - http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=213
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Bluebonnets-Elly-Sandra-Nachlinger-ebook/dp/B00I86E3F6/
Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bluebonnets-for-elly-sandra-nachlinger/1118893079?ean=2940045749961
Other Links: Blog/website: http://SandraNachlinger.blogspot.comF... https://www.facebook.com/sandy.nachli... Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Nachling... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://twitter.com/SandyNachlingerEmail contact: sannach@gmail.com
