Piper Shelly's Blog, page 268

This & That

Hey folks,

I just thought I’d give you an update on what’s happening this summer. First off, I signed with a German literary agency that requested the German rights for PLAY WITH ME. So with any luck, TEAMWECHSEL will be traditionally published sometime in the future.

Next big day on my calendar is the release date of the German edition of RYAN HUNTER. June 30th … or maybe sooner, who knows? I’ll keep you updated on that one on my facebook site.

In less than a month, my son has to undergo a severe surgery, which needs to be planned, and I’ll also stay at the hospital with him for the entire time. This means I’ll take a break from writing for a while. But once I get back to my desk, I’m going to finish GABRIEL and TONY. Both books should come out in winter, if my plans work out.

Okay, and finally the really, REALLY big news. I’m going to Las Vegas in August!!

The review magazine, InD’Tale, is giving away the RONE Award, and PLAY WITH ME is a finalist. I don’t know if I’m going to win, probably not, but I’m going to be there Wednesday through Saturday and am looking forward to meeting TJ Mackay, the editor-in-cheef of InD’Tale. TJ reviewed and loved my book and she personally invited me to hang out with her and a few other members of InD’Tale; among them Jimmy Thomas, a romance cover model. There’ll be a costume ball, too, can you imagine? I’ll be the sparkling Cinderella in a candy pink ball dress, should you be on the lookout for me.

The entire Romance Novel Convention takes place in the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas from August 7th through August 11th.

It would be lovely to meet some of you there, too. I’m sure we all are going to have a blast! As for me, I can’t wait! I mean, OMG, look at that pool!! There’s a water slide running though a shark tank!! A. SHARK. TANK. Dammit!

Stay cool this summer!

Cheers and smiles!!

Piper

Summer Special!!

Here’s my special treat for you.

Hurry up! It’s only for a limited time.

Enjoy your summer with

PLAY WITH ME

“Tell me, Matthews,” he said as he dropped his arm to the pillow and tilted his head to my side. “Why do I have you in my bed, when I’m not allowed to touch you?”

RYAN HUNTER

If she gets her foot into this game with me, she won’t get out of it single.

&

LOVING YOUR LIES

After studying me for a couple of seconds, his expression softened even more. “You’re not going to get me into trouble.”

* * *

Smiles!! Piper

Tagged: books

What to do with Julian?

Even though half the female reading population might be gushing over Ryan Hunter right now (okay, me too, ) I’m yet again finding myself thinking about Julian. LOVING YOUR LIES was my debut novel, and the hero in there has always been the closest of them all to me. Something personal.

The book has been written, rewritten, edited, sent out, edited again, traditionally published, pulled down, revised, self-published, being read by thousands…and still, it doesn’t feel to me like the book is finished. I don’t know what’s the problem, really, only that I can’t just put it away and fully concentrate on something else. Julian is always lurking in the back of my mind…

Maybe it’s the title. I wanted to call this book JULIAN from the start, but I was told by a few people and also my editors that the name of my angel for the title wasn’t capturing enough. I disagree and wish I had trusted myself enough back then. Ah, that’s really a shame.

Then it’s the “floral” writing style. I love it. But my skills have developed since then and I just feel the need to “update” the style in the book somehow. Hm, maybe I’m going to revise after all. And then I should really start to translate it into German. But the book is not exactly short, over 400 pages, and I know I won’t be doing anything else for three months once I start. So yeah, see me procrastinating here? LOL

The thing is some agencies seem seriously interested in this book that is so dear to me. And I just don’t know what to do with it now.

How I met my Hunter…

Recently, I was talking to a fan, and we both agreed, that we wished we had a boyfriend like Ryan Hunter at High School. It was a simple comment, but it made me think, and finally I had to say that I did have my Hunter… Want to get the full story? Not in a book, of course, but I can tell you now.

I was seventeen when the ultimate romance happened to me. I lived in Vienna, went to school there and all, but every summer, I spent two months at my grandparents’ house in Upper Austria. (Beautiful place, very green and far away from any city bustle.)

It was before my last year at High School, that I came to this place again, and my best friend and me spent the days outside – from the early morning till late at night. I had to suck in as much nature as I could to live from it later when I had to go back to the city, which I hated. However, one afternoon, we were just playing some lay-tennis in the street in front of my grandparents’ house, when this super sexy car drove by. It was a dark cherry with some really cool features. The guy had to slow down, because we were blocking the street, and the tennis ball rolled toward his front tire. I went to get it and that was when I looked at his face…and immediately fell in love.

I know that some of you don’t like instant love in a romance book, because you think it’s cliché. But if I ever use it, I do because I know how fast it can happen in real life. He looked every bit like Ryan Hunter, except his hair wasn’t black but blond.

So, when he was gone, I turned to my friend and with only one look she knew, it had gotten me bad. The cool thing was that she knew this guy. Not personally, but she’d heard her older sister talk about him and his car before. Apparently, he was nineteen, lived in this small town only some 500 meters away from my house…and he was a playboy.

Really, I thought. How would that work with me? I had just turned seventeen, had never been kissed, and was the shyest girl in all Austria.

Are you thinking now that we would have made a stunning match? I thought so, too, LOL. The only problem was I had no idea how to get close to him. I didn’t know any of his friends. I didn’t use to go out so I could have met him in a café, bar, club, whatever. And I had no sexy car that would have caught his attention. Heck, I didn’t even have a driving license back then, because in Austria, you have to be eighteen to get it.

So, as the silly chicks that my friend and I had been, we started hanging out somewhere close to his place in the town’s center. There was this one shop right underneath his apartment, and it had a cool ledge that you could sit on like on a bench. We did just that. We sat there for hours every weekend (I soon learned that he wasn’t home during the week because he just had to do this military service that every guy in Austria has to do for eight months at age 18+) trying to catch a glimpse at him when he came home or just randomly drove around, which he loved to do.

The good thing was I saw him quite often. The sad thing was I saw him with several girls. It was enough for me to turn tail and give up hope. I would never be brave enough and walk over to start an easy flirt with him which all those other chicks seemed to be totally cool with. I envied them for being so chilled around him. Like I said, I was a shy one. Too bad…

But then one day, and I even remember the date (August 15th, 1997), my friend and I were hanging out in front of my house, just chilling in the sun, when something happened, that I won’t forget for the rest of my life. This guy drove past my house again, quite slowly. He turned his head to my side, and one corner of his mouth tilted up. (Know now why all the heroes in my books do this time and time again? )

My heart did a somersault. Literally! I was totally stunned and couldn’t believe he really just did that. It was such a personal thing between him and me that I knew, with all the hanging out close to his place, I must have caught his attention. And it felt like an invitation. What for…? I didn’t know yet. But with all the excitement boiling in my chest, I just had to see him again. So my friend and I went to that shop and slumped down on the window sill like we’d used to do so often. It only took a few minutes until he showed up and parked across the street. I tried not to, but I couldn’t stop looking at him when he was talking to a friend for some minutes. Suddenly, that friend came over to us. I’d seen him before, because he was the boyfriend of someone I knew. His name was Jay, but I’d never talked to him before. He asked us if we’d be up to some cruising around with the two of them.

I cast an offended look at the blond guy again and thought, Seriously? You—playboy—are sending your friend to ask? It somehow hurt my pride, so I told his friend no. Not unless the blond would ask personally. Jay went back and passed on the message. What happened next was just so sexy that it still makes me smile when I think back to it today. The blond laughed, cut a glance to the sky, shook his head in disbelief, probably rolled his eyes, then he smiled, looked my way, and called across the street, “All right…come on!”

My friend was totally up for it, because while I was in love with him, she was in love with his car. Okay, I was in love with his car, too, but he came first. LOL

So with this lovely invitation, I couldn’t refuse any longer, and I was totally shaky, excited, nervous, and all, as we ambled across the street toward him. He was leaning against the hood of his car, with his arms folded over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankles. He slightly cocked is head. “Up for a ride?”

“Only if I can sit in the front,” I answered.

That sexy half-smile played on his lips again. “Fine with me.”

I was just about to get into the passenger seat, when my friend suddenly protested with a sullen pout, “Hey, why do you get to sit in the front?”

Of course it would have meant a lot to her to sit in the front in the car of her dreams. But it meant more to me to sit right next to the guy of my dreams. But I couldn’t say that out loud, so I replied playfully, “Because I’m older than you.”

And then the blond stepped behind me, really close, and told my friend by drawling into my ear, “And because I don’t want her to sit in the back.”

You may imagine how that made me happy.

We cruised around for about an hour, getting to know each other just a little. I found out his name—which started with an H. And I just loved listening to his voice. It was the sexiest sound I’d ever heard.

When he stopped where he’d picked us up, we got out and talked for a while, but then it was getting close to five, and that was the time, when my Gran usually wanted me to come home for dinner. My grandparents were cool. I didn’t have to show up often, just for meal times, so my friend and I told the guys we had to go home.

“Will you come back later?” he asked me.

I smiled because he sounded every bit like he wanted me to. “Maybe.”

“You better do.”

“So? Why?”

He leaned in a little closer and purred in my ear, “Because I know where you live.”

That is the stuff that still makes the hair at the back if my neck stand on end. Sorry, guys, I didn’t intend to make this post so long. I’ll stop here. Just so much for closing, I met him again that same evening and it was really nice. But he was a playboy—don’t you forget that—and I decided I didn’t want to be just someone on his list of bad reputation. I made him wait one year and a half until I let him kiss me for the first time.

And just yesterday he told me in our bedroom that I was totally worth the wait…

You want to be an author?

Recently, I’m getting lots and lots of emails in which aspiring authors keep asking me how to write a book.

Today, I’ll throw out a few pieces of advice for all of you. But consider that whatever I tell you below, this is just my personal opinion. Different things might work for different people.

Okay? Let’s get started…

Writing 101 – block 1

THE TIME

First of all, make time to write.

You can’t write if things keep distracting you. Things like the TV, family, work you still have to do…and yes, even Facebook.

I have my own writing room in my house, and when I go there, I’m all to myself. My family knows that when my door is closed, it’s closed, and they better not disturb me unless it’s a serious emergency, like the house is burning down, or it’s Thursday night and time to watch The Vampire Diaries  ;-)

I happen to disappear into that room for entire days, because only if I have more than just an hour at a stretch, I can actually be productive.

Writing 101 – block 2

THE STORY LINE

Unless you’re a very skilled and talented writer who can make up pretty much anything from pretty much nothing, you will need to come up with the storyline before you start. Okay, I’ve been known to write the first chapter before I start thinking about a possible plot, but only to carve out the characters I want in a book and get to know them a little better. Only when I hear them talking in my mind I can work them into a good story. But when chapter one is finished, I take a sheet of paper and take notes. I jot down anything relevant about the main characters, then I think about the conflict in a book. And yes, there has to happen SOMETHING. Think about it as a cool movie. You have an opening hook, some getting to know the heroes and revealing what it’s all about, in the middle you start getting toward what’s there to be overcome, and then you need a cool showdown. You can’t write a book with zero conflict.

Writing 101 – block 3

WORD COUNT

I’ve been asked how many words you need to write a good book. Seriously, guys, cut that shit from your thoughts altogether.

If you have a story to tell, don’t think about the length. Just let it spill out of your fingers. Write and rewrite until you’re entirely happy. And only then – only at the very end – take a look at the word count and by it define which kind of book you created. Here are the standards

Under 7k    Short story

7k – 17k      Novelette

17k – 40k   Novella

Over 40k    Novel

If you want to shop you book later, you need to find out which agency or which publishing house is interested in which book length. For self-pub it doesn’t matter at all.

Writing 101 – block 4

INSPIRATION

Let me tell you one thing: Inspiration is a bitch. Why? Because it very often hits you at moments where you have no chance to take notes, and in 90% of all cases you’ll forget a brilliant idea before you’re able to open your ms.

I started carrying a note pad around with me, and I even have one on my nightstand, because if there’s one thing for sure in this world, then that the best ideas come at night. And don’t even try to convince yourself that you’ll remember them the next morning, because you fucking won’t.

Writing 101 – block 5

WRITERS BLOCK

Shit happens. Deal with it.

Writing 101 – block 6

TO STUDY or NOT TO STUDY

Do you have to study to become a good writer? NO! I’m an Austrian lass with an educational background in financing such as working at a bank and currently in the accountant department of a market-leading company. My first language is German, but I’m writing my books in English. All I know about how to write I learned by reading tons of books in my favorite genre. I analyzed the writing style of those authors, took notes in the books, and marked what I liked especially. I figured out how important emotions and dialogue are, took one or two workshops online, and read more books. If you really love to do something, you don’t need to study it to be good at it. But never believe you can do anything without learning. Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open.

Writing 101 – block 7

CRITIQUE GROUPS

The most essential thing for me is my critique partner. She’s the one who’s reading everything I write and gives me honest feedback. But it’s not that simple. What you do now is find a critique group online or if you’re lucky even in your hometown. Make sure that the group is dedicated to the genre you’re writing. There’s nothing worse than having a since fiction writer critiquing your romance novel. Those groups very often have experienced writers who can help you get on with your skills. They take a look at your ms and point out what’s good, what’s wrong, what’s working, and what’s missing. BUT…be very careful. Everyone has a different style. It’s called an author’s voice. You need to find someone who likes your voice and can connect with your writing, or he/she will destroy your story with his/her own style. It happened to me at my early beginnings. I met a few people who thought they had to totally rewrite my book just so it matched their taste in the end. I was too young and inexperienced to realize what happened. It just changed my script to all their advices, and in the end it didn’t sound like ME anymore, but like someone whose writing I didn’t even like. This was a hard lesson I had to learn, because in the end, I had to cut all the crap out of my book again and start from zero, giving it back the soul of my own voice. After two years of learning in these groups, I settled in with one critique partner only. I love to edit her books, and she loves to read mine. We do a nice job for each other, but we never push our own style upon the other.

This lesson in a nutshell: You do need a critique group, but trust your own feeling when someone wants you to make changes. Take what you like and toss the rest.

Writing 101 – block 8

PUBLISHING HOUSE vs. INDIE PUB

I tried both. Currently I’m sticking with the latter.

Indie-publishing has a lot of advantages, such as, you’re your own master, it’s faster, you get higher royalties, and no one rants if you’re not meeting a deadline. However, the traditional way of publishing does have a good side, too. They do all the editing for you and your book will be in better shape when going into print. If they’re a good house, they’ll do some promotion for you. Your book will be available in bookstores and not only on E-retailers like Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords.

Make your own choice here.

Writing 101 – block 9

QUERY LETTERS

If you decide to try a publishing house, you can either contact them directly or go the way via a literary agency. In both cases you need to prepare your script to be read and judged. Write a capturing query letter. It is short and if it’s any good it reflects the voice of your hero or heroine. Whatever you do, read the submission guidelines carefully. You only get one chance to make an impression. Don’t fuck it up.

Writing 101 – block 10

HANG IN THERE

Whatever happens, however often your book is being rejected, whatever people think or say about your story, and no matter how many tears you’re going to shed until the end – Never. Give. Up.

Tagged: writing

What I want(ed)…

My very own wish list!

One rainy afternoon in fall, I sat down at the kitchen table and started writing a list of things I wanted. Little things and big things, some to get sooner, some to get later. In the end, I had filled 6 pages. Wow, what a fucking lot, LOL

Now, five years later, I can tick off almost everything on that list.

 

Here’s what I jotted down that day:

 

I want to…

 

- finish writing my book (check)

- publish it (check)

- make a living with writing at the age of 35 (check – and I’m only 32 now )

- go on a journey once every year (check)

- have privacy (check)

- live in a house without any neighbors somewhere close to a lake (due, but I’m working on that one)

- go to California again (due)

- go to England (check 3 times)

- have an English pen pal (check and lost him again)

- make a name with my books (check)

- see one of my books as a movie one day (due)

- touch a dolphin (oh check! )

- have lots of money, a dog, and two horses (check for the money, the rest didn’t come)

- be on an old pirate ship (due)

- be able to say, “Hey Mom, I’m coming over for a cup of coffee” (they live 200 miles away, but I even did that once, so check)

- try on wedding dresses (check)

- not get married until he really wants it, too (I’m married now )

- have more time (check)

- have long hair (check and cut again)

- spend more time with my friends (check)

- have the sixth sense (sometimes I think I do)

- be a little more disciplined (I swear I’m working on it! Tomorrow)

- lose weight (check)

- be athletic (check)

- have really cool clothes (check)

- there to be more in this world (it is for me)

- be connected to earth (due)

- talk to angels (check)

- get answers from angels (check)

- see my son grow up healthy (he’s going to have a brain surgery this summer, which might stop his seizures eventually)

- be healthy (I’m feeling okay, that’s good enough for now)

- be able to be happy about small things (check)

- pass my book-keeping exam (check)

- get respect (check)

- trust and be trusted (check)

- be able to eat without getting fat (do you know how this works? I don’t)

- have a good and strong relationship (check)

- have an open and trustworthy relationship (check)

- not feel lonely when I have some time for myself at last (check)

- be egoistical and enjoy it (check)

- be understood without needing to say much (check)

- explode when I can’t put my thoughts into words (I never exploded in the past, but one can never know what’s happening in the future)

- get new shoes (check)

- have my very own and nice place to write (check)

- make someone happy (check)

- have beautiful fingernails (check)

- be home more (check)

- have a cake (check)

- live in a different time (well, that’s working only in my books)

- be a princess (sigh…)

- get inspired (check)

- dream of flying (check)

- have talent (I think I do have a bit of it, right?)

- be brave (check)

- be beautiful for him (check)

- be mysterious (don’t know)

- meet Orlando Bloom and Harrison Ford (due)

- be able to do something that no one else can do (check)

- not panic when I have to drive a car (due)

- not panic when I’m ride a horse (check)

- hug a tree (check)

- meet the right people (check)

- deeper friendships (check)

- be someone who people can tell tales about (check)

- have warm feet (due)

- have someone to talk to with the same interests as me (check)

- have a wedding by the sea (can’t even say due, ‘cause I’m married and it didn’t happen in the Caribbean)

- have a whole damn lot of imagination (check)

Closing, I have to say I really love how my life turned out. Then again, I never gave up, no matter what others thought about it.

 

Happy looooong weekend, everyone!

Piper

RONE?

How weird…but I do want to get it!!

Hi all!

Last week I received a cool email from an e-magazine called InD’tale that reviewed PLAY WITH ME in January. Now they tell me, because my novella got a fabulous 5* review, it’s running for the RONE Award. How cool is that?! If only I knew what a RONE Award is. LOL

However, it sounded like a really great thing, and the winner goes to Las Vegas. Hey, I do want to go to Las Vegas. And heck, I want this RONE Award. But I’ll only get it if you all help me with it. There’s a vote going on at this site for exactly one week. And it started on Friday.

RONE Award

There’s a rub…you can’t just vote, you have to register first. They promise no spam, no subscription, just filling in your email addy and hitting the activation link, so the vote is legal and registered. I won’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to do that, because normally I don’t do things where I have to register first either…unless my favorite author asks me to.

So, would you? For me? Pretty pleeeaaaase?

PLAY WITH ME is listed with the novellas/short stories. I’d really like to get that RONE thing, because the name is just cool. I’ll have to name one of my future characters that, ha ha.

Thanks for your help and voting.

Happy weekend!

Piper

Meet RYAN HUNTER

Four months ago, I shouted: IT’S OUT! IT’S OUT!! OMG, IT’S FINALLY OUT!!!

That was when I release PLAY WITH ME. Now I’m shouting again, for a different reason. Today I’m happy to give you RYAN HUNTER. The guy grew on me in a heartbeat, and I know some of you fell for him, too.

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Come, celebrate his early release with me!

Right now I’m having a cup of coffee and a piece of delicious cream cake, but tonight I’ll be out partying with a friend. I’d like to party with all of you in a little while…once you got the chance to read Ryan’s book. So how about Sunday on facebook? Just drop by and leave a comment. Tell me how you liked the book, what you would have changed, or which was your favorite scene. I’ll be around all day and answering any questions.

See you soon!

Piper

May!! I correct myself…

Hey folks,

Some of you are waiting for RYAN HUNTER‘s release in July. Well, I don’t know how to really tell you, but I think July isn’t working. I just can’t wait that long. So, yeah, I think May is a good month to realease a cool romance, eh? How about May 3rd?

And just to get you into the right mood, here’s a little excerpt. Enjoy!

There were close to three hundred people in this house. Looking for her might turn out as a problem. But then there was no need to. The little hairs at the back of my neck bristled when she emerged from the mass, glancing around like a shy little doe.

Her super short, black pants took a millisecond to make my eyes go wide and my mouth water. A moment after her gaze met mine, I turned toward her fully and only leaned with one shoulder against the wall. She fumbled with the hem of her gray tank top as she glanced to one side and back at me. From years of charming girls, I knew what I was doing. Since she had my direct attention now, she had no other choice than come over and say hello. I took another swig as I watched my plan work out.

Near enough to grant me a close-up of the pendant on her necklace dipping into the valley between her breasts, she stopped and lifted a greeting hand instead of speaking.

I cocked my head and gave her the lightest smile I could manage. “Hi.”

“You have a nice place. So full of—”

Testosterone?

“—people.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Hm, was that the right thing to say? I pushed away from the wall and leaned in a little closer, because I hated to shout over the music. Okay, the music wasn’t as loud back here, so it might not only have been that, but I really liked to breathe in the sweet scent if her shampoo. Her hair tickled my cheek when I lowered my head even more to speak into her ear. “It was about time that Mitchell brought you here. He kept you away from this place long enough.”

Her nose brushed the underside of my jaw, giving me a really good feeling in my stomach. “Do you know where he is?”

Sorry, baby, but I can’t tell you that. Looking down, I only saw her perfect, apple-shaped boobs and a waist that begged to be hugged against mine. The bottle of beer in my hand gave me a chance to hold onto something as I fought against the urge to grab what I already had determined as mine. “Nope,” I answered her question then washed away the bitter aftertaste of the lie with a swig of Corona.

Liza had her own bottle of beer and drank when I did, but she looked like it was the nastiest stuff one could have given her. I wondered if she’d gotten it from Tony, but I was pretty sure he made a point at keeping this girl sober.

Our fridge was stocked with things that tasted better than Corona, and I didn’t like the thought of her getting tipsy at my party, anyway. At least no one had given her a glass of the strawberry wine cooler. That stuff would have knocked her out of her shoes.

With her wrist in my hand, I pulled her away from the hall and into the kitchen to trade her beer for a soda. Touching her actually felt so good that I couldn’t bring myself to let go of her immediately, so I put my bottle on the counter and worked one-handed to pop a can of Sprite for her. Replacing the bottle with the can, I made an effort to gently close her fingers around it.

“You shouldn’t drink beer,” I told her and hoped I didn’t sound like her dad or something. “Especially not in this place.”

Thankfully, she wasn’t pissed at my parenting her. In fact, she looked happy about the new drink and sipped from it while I still held her discarded bottle. I leaned my butt against the counter and crossed my legs at the ankles. “You did really well today,” I offered as an ice breaker for an easier chat.

She swallowed the hook, but she knew I was being polite and not very honest. “I was lousy. And you know it. I still don’t get why you chose me to play in your team.”

Yeah, why? I gave a nonchalant shrug and drank from her discarded bottle. Jeez, I just had my mouth on the same spot where her lips had touched before. It might be childish, but I enjoyed that moment like nothing else before. Then I drawled, “I don’t know. Maybe I just want you there.” My teasing added a spark to her shiny apple eyes. I liked how I could give her a coating of goose-bumps with just this tiny bit of truth. “Do a little endurance training every day, and you’ll be a capable player.”

“I guess I’m lacking motivation to do that. I’m like a lame duck at running.”

Is that so? Hm, what could we do about that? “What you need is a personal trainer.”

The pretty girl in front of me laughed and took a short step back, studying me with disbelieving eyes. “You want the job?”

That was why I suggested it. But I played my cool role to perfection. “Sure, why not? If you promise to show some enthusiasm, I promise to be there.”

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes a little. I couldn’t blame her for not trusting me just yet. We were only getting acquainted with each other. Liza wasn’t someone you rushed into your bed. She was a gem that you enjoyed marveling at. If you were lucky you got the chance to touch her delicate surface. A treasure that I’d go any to length to make my own.

Eventually, she said, “Okay, deal.”

Deal? That was a fucking yes to a date. I felt like an idiot from one of Susan Miller’s romance books when my heart actually did some sort of back-flip in my chest. I struggled to stay cool, but I managed to keep my pleasure under control and just nodded. “We’ll start Monday morning.”

She didn’t look so happy any more. Hopefully, she didn’t regret her decision already. Anyway, I wouldn’t let her go back on her word, and I made that clear by trapping her gaze with a hot, determined look. If she got her foot into this game with me, she wouldn’t get out of it single. I wanted her aware of whom she was dealing with, because I’d never felt as true to the name Bay Shark as I did in this moment.

“Hey, Ryan! We’re starting a game of pool. Are you in?”

Fuck you, Justin! I wanted to strangle my friend for ruining this moment for me. I glared over Liza’s shoulder at my friend, and he sure knew right then that he’d come at the entirely wrong moment.

“Sorry, man,” he mouthed and grimaced.

Exhaling a sigh, I pushed away from the counter. The spell was over, I might as well go play pool with my friends now. But I was going to do sports with Liza on Monday. I had been waiting years for that chance, so what was one more day? “There in a sec,” I told Justin.

When he was gone and I looked at Liza’s beautiful face again, I wondered what that sweet mouth of hers would taste like. I stroked her cheek with the neck of my bottle. And there it was, dammit. The first dreamy look in her eyes that was only for me.

“Enjoy the night,” I said in quite a soft way. “And whatever you do, stay away from the strawberries.”

It was time to go, or I would do something stupid that was way too early in my plans of seducing Liza. So I headed for the door, leaving her a little stunned. But when I stepped past her, I couldn’t resist stroking the back of her hand with my own.

PLAY WITH ME when RYAN HUNTER comes out!

Hey folks!

Here is my tentative release date for Ryan’s book!

July 1st, RYAN HUNTER – this girl is mine, will go online!!!

I hope you all are looking forward to this day as much as I am.

And then I have a BIG SURPRISE for you: Two lucky readers will each win one part of this beautiful puzzle necklace in light silver and dark silver with any name or initial of your choice engraved into it. I’ll be giving them away on Ryan Hunter’s birthday, which coincidentally is the day of release.

Now for the crux of the competition – you didn’t really think there wouldn’t be rules, right?

This will only take place if PLAY WITH ME got more than 500 reviews on Goodreads by Ryan Hunter’s birthday. Ryan’s quite excited by the idea and he encourages all of you to take part.

This means you should recommend the book to AAAALLLLL your friends on Goodreads and Facebook. (There’s this wonderful recommend button on Goodreads that allows you to do that with only one click—use it ) and encourage everyone to write a review—it doesn’t matter if it’s a 5* or a 1*. Any review is good. Then leave a comment here or on the facebook link, telling me that you want to join the giveaway.

Reposting this will help you and me, because the more people recommend the book, the bigger the chance that PLAY WITH ME cracks the 500!

Is everybody ready? All right, starting in 3…2…1…

Good luck, my friends!