K. Bromberg's Blog, page 16
July 19, 2017
A note to new authors . . .
It’s tough love time. Seriously. You need to get organized and realize it takes so much more than a great book to make it these days. If you’re confused on what to do, please feel free to keep reading.
The market is inundated with books right now. It’s not just affecting you as a new author trying to break through in this chaotic world, but it’s also affecting us ‘oldies’ who have been doing it for the last five – eight years.
I’m not posting this from a stance of ‘holier than thou’ but rather a ‘tough love’ one. I recently offered my Facebook page up to 180 new authors. I would do a party and give them each a post to showcase their release to my readers. A small hand that might not do anything but was worth helping them get some extra visibility. Like I said, this world is tough now and every little bit helps.
In the course of gathering their information, I realized that a majority of them didn’t know the following (please note: I am saying some, not all):
They didn’t know what I mean by ‘write me a post’ for Facebook
They didn’t know what give me your ‘links’ meant
Some emailed me upwards of ten times asking ‘is this what you mean’ or ‘what what is xyz’
I don’t mind answering questions for new authors. I never do. But there comes a fine line between asking questions and you being too lazy to figure it out yourself. As a new author, when a blog or fellow author or a reader offers to give you help, you need to be professional . I can’t stress this enough. This is a business. You may be the most talented author in the world, but if you don’t have a business sense and approach it as such, you are going to miss A LOT of opportunities. You need to come with your best foot forward on the first try because we (us as authors and our books) are all a dime a dozen these days. If you don’t have your shit together, a blogger might not want to wait for you to get it together and will move on to the next author waiting in line. Because believe me, there is a line.
Another thing (and this may just be a personal pet peeve): You are new, so that means you are in the stage of building relationships. And believe me, your relationship with other authors and bloggers is just as crucial to your success as your relationship with readers… so please, email me yourself. If you’re trying to create those relationships, don’t have your ‘PA’ make the initial/introductory email. To many, that says you think you’re too important to reach out and make the connections yourself. It tells the recipient that you just want ‘something’ (i.e. posting your links) from them for free. They want to get to know you, not your PA. You are the creator of your product and therefore your best sales tool. I’m not saying once there is initial contact, your PA can’t intervene, but for the introduction, being personable, being you, is what is going to get the best response from me or another blog/author. I get that we’re all busy and you might have a PA to help you market your first book . . . That’s perfectly okay and understandable, but remember, this is about building long-term relationships. And if you don’t take the time to talk with the author/blogger, their relationship is being built with your PA, not with you. So when your PA moves on to the next author or becomes an author themselves (which often happens), their loyalty and relationship is with the PA, since you didn’t invest the time…so guess who they move on with? Yep, your PA.
So I’ve said all that and you’re nodding your head agreeing that you don’t know some of these things, but you’re new, so how do you learn? Here’s a few pointers and suggestions:
-Act like this is a business. First and foremost. Be professional at all times.
-Study those authors you like or want to be like. Stalk their social media. See how they construct posts. Notice how often the author you are following posts.
-Notice their teasers are not pirated pictures with text slapped on them (because the last thing you want is to be sued by a photographer).
-Notice their interaction with their readers.
-Learn how to shorten links. This sounds somewhat silly, but no one likes seeing a three line URL link. The short links are more professional. And if the blogger/author wants to add their own affiliate links, they can do so if the links are long or short (See Bitly. Owly. Smarturl, etc. to shorten links).
-When you reach out to blogs or authors, you make sure you know their name, and don’t just cut and paste the same damn form letter 100 times without changing a thing. You act like you care to know them even if you really don’t. I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve gotten from new authors in this promotion I’m doing, where they have called me Katy, Kathy, Karen, and Kristen. . . I get it, I use my initial K. so it can happen. Personally, I’m not offended by it, but if you’re emailing a blogger to read an ARC (i.e. an advanced copy) and don’t know their name when their name is part of their blog title, I assure you they won’t give you the time of day. Research the blog beforehand and make sure you personalize your correspondence instead of using ‘Hey babe’ or “Hey chick!’
-Create relationships with other up and coming authors and/or bloggers. Band together and cross promo with them. Make them your tribe because they are the ones who are going to help push and promote you long term.
–YOU put the leg work in and don’t expect an email asking an author/blogger you’ve never communicated with before to post the links for you. We’re asked daily to do that.
-This is YOUR DREAM. You are the one who is going to make it for yourself. Not someone else.
-Communication is key. Think before you hit send. Make sure your emails and messages are well thought out so that you don’t have to send ten more to explain each subsequent one. Just like you, we are all crazy busy…and so trying to piece together ten emails and what you mean from one to the next is not always our priority. A blog gets a hundred emails a day asking about reviews and ARCS. They like all the information in one place. Not ten emails. Believe me, they favor authors who make their lives easier, not harder.
-No one owes you anything. Just like no one owes me anything. I don’t care if you’ve been doing this ten years, ten months, or ten days – no one owes us anything. Not a sale. Not a page read. Not a review. Is that what you’re striving for? Of course. But at the end of the day, no one owes it to you. Regardless if you are a new or ‘old’ author, entitlement in any form is ugly and a major turn off.
-A simple THANK YOU goes a long way. Sure you’re busting your butt and are tired as hell, but when someone helps you, a simple thank you is appreciated. It’s sad that they are so few and far between these days that it gets noticed when you give one, but it does. It truly does.
-Treat readers with respect. Treat bloggers with respect. Treat reviews –both good and bad – with respect. Treat other authors with respect. I can’t stress this enough.
-If you don’t succeed, try again. Lame? Yes. But I’ve failed a hundred times doing this job of mine. You need to learn from it. Move on. Better yourself and your writing with the knowledge you gain.
-Mistakes happen. I’ve published a book with errors in it before. We all have. To err is human and you will NEVER catch all the mistakes… but heed this warning: It is not your editor’s fault. It is not your proofer’s fault. It is not your beta’s fault. There is nothing uglier than an author going on social media blaming others for something wrong with their book. Remember what I said before – be professional at all times.
-Don’t ask other authors about lists (i.e. NYT, USA Today, etc) . I get emails all the time from new authors who haven’t even published their first book, asking me how many sales they need to hit the lists. So . . . if you’re publishing to hit a list, then your writing for the wrong reasons. Yes, it’s easy for me to say when I have hit the lists . . . but they were never even a thought when I first published Driven. I would have laughed at anyone who had even mentioned the possibility because it wasn’t even on my radar. So please, don’t publish to hit a list. Publish because you love to write, you love what you’ve written, and you want others to fall in love with it as well.
Is this the holy grail of what to do? Hell, no. Do I know everything? Absolutely not. I’m still learning every day. I’m still listening to my tribe and learning from them. I’m still putting the time in to watch trends, adjust, change, and reinvent. That’s how this industry works – but I know it is not a measure of my success. Have my last books been as successful as the Driven Trilogy? No. And they probably never will be. The times have changed. The market has more choices for readers. The competition is more abundant. But that doesn’t mean you stop trying. If this is your dream, you learn every day, with every chat you have, with every post you read, with every new thing you write.
I’m far from perfect. I struggled at the beginning and still do in some aspects right along with you. I knew no one when I started, but I knew how to hustle and work hard and studied other authors. I didn’t copy them but rather took in the things they did and reinvented them to work for me. And yes, a little luck meeting opportunity at the perfect time helped as well.
So read this, take what you want from it, or completely ignore it and forge your own path… but after trying to organize this party for new authors, I realized how many people were struggling with knowing what to do or where to go after typing THE END.
So congrats, your book has been written. The easy part is over. Now the hard part begins.
I wish you luck!
K.
(aka Kristy. It’s Kristy. Not Karen. or Kathy. or Kristen.
June 29, 2017
The Catch is live!
Amazon ✦ iBooks ✦ B&N ✦ Kobo ✦ Audible
Advanced praise for THE CATCH:
“Fans of K. Bromberg, prepared to be DAZZLED like you’ve never been DAZZLED before. . . When K. Bromberg writes, I read. Plain and simple. She is an incredible story-teller with SO MUCH to say.” – Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads
“I had forgotten how gripping K. Bromberg books can be. . . .Scout and Easton have certainly left an indelible mark on my heart.” – Bookgasms Book Blog
“…one of the best books Kristy has written.” – White Hot Reads
Release Party
Playlists
June 1, 2017
THE CATCH Cover Reveal
Click to enlarge
The Catch
Book #2 in The Player Duet
After an unexpected twist of fate, All-Star catcher Easton Wylder is left questioning the loyalty of everyone around him.
Even the woman who shares his bed, Scout Dalton.
But if Easton thought being uprooted to the last place he expected was the only challenge life had to throw at him, he was dead wrong.
With an ailing shoulder and his career in limbo, his decision to make an unexpected change leads him to question everything – Scout’s love, family loyalties, and whether he can conquer the one obstacle he’s never been able to overcome. The secret he’s never shared with anyone.
He may be a man pushed to his limits, but he’s hell-bent on proving his worth no matter the cost.
THE CATCH will release on June 29th. You can preorder it on the following platforms:
Amazon ✦ iBooks ✦ B&N ✦ Kobo
May 5, 2017
Movie news!
EEEP! I have HUGE NEWS!
It’s official!
I’m so excited to announce that DRIVEN, FUELED, and CRASHED—have been optioned for film by the company Passionflix. They want to bring Colton and Rylee to life in three movies!!!
You can watch my official announcement ^^^ or on YouTube.
Are you excited? I am too. So I’ll give you a minute to jump around with me in excitement and then I’ll give the details.
Are you calm yet? Me neither but I’ll get started.
A few months ago I was approached by the ladies at Passionflix about bringing Colton and Rylee to film. I was apprehensive at first—Could they do the story justice? Would readers be upset if ‘their Colton’ wasn’t cast? Then there is the whole ‘books are better than movies’ thing . . . but after speaking with the founders and watching their work with Alessandra Torre on Hollywood Dirt, I decided to take the leap and do it.
The great news is I’ll be as hands on as possible. Do you think I’d actually just hand my books over and wash my hands of them? Heck no. The other good news is that they want you to be involved as possible as well! Not only do they want your input on who to cast, but they also want YOU to be in the movie (keep reading below to find out how)! Pretty cool, right?
So now I’m sure you want the details… so here they are…
WHEN: Driven is slated to start filming at the latter part of this year with a proposed release date of May 2018
WHAT: What is Passionflix? Think a Netflix for romance. The company Passionflix is turning the books you love into movies and series. Launching in September, passionflix.com is an online streaming platform, (like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu,) where you’ll be able to see your favorite romance novels brought to life.
HOW: How will you watch the movie? You will have to subscribe to the service for a monthly fee. You can do so HERE.
Right now, there are two options to subscribe. Founding Member or Preorder a subscription
FOUNDING MEMBER: When you become a Founding Member at the discounted price of $100, you’ll get:
A 2 year subscription with a 30% savings.
An invitation for a walk-on role in the DRIVEN!!!!!! movie
Exclusive voting privileges and behind the scenes sneak peeks
Discounts on Passionflix merchandise
Take advantage of the site a month early and have your voice heard in the future of Passionflix
Be the first to know, via a private Founders club, about Passionflix projects, options, casting and news.
PREORDER a subscription at a discounted yearly rate for the first year at $3.99. (The regular monthly price is $5.99
THE FUN STUFF:
If you are a Founding Member, you get a walk-on role in one of the Driven movies!
If you are overseas and are unable to access the Passionflix platform, the movies will be available on iTunes for purchase.
We want your input! Tell us who you’d cast as Colton, Rylee, Haddie, and Becks!
I know in my excitement, I’ve missed a ton of things, but to stay up to date on all Driven Movie things… here are some links you might want to check out:
The Driven Movies Facebook Page
A Newsletter Dedicated to the Movies
How to subscribe to Passionflix
JOIN ME FOR A LIVE CHAT
I’m also going to have a LIVE CHAT next Friday, May 12th at 1 pm EST on my Facebook Page (HERE) to talk all things Driven, writing, and whatever else you’d like to throw at me, if you’d like to ask a question for me to answer, you can enter it HERE.
Are you excited? I can’t wait to take this journey with you!
EEEP! I have HUGE NEWS!
It’s official!
I’m so excited to...
EEEP! I have HUGE NEWS!
It’s official!
I’m so excited to announce that DRIVEN, FUELED, and CRASHED—have been optioned for film by the company Passionflix. They want to bring Colton and Rylee to life in three movies!!!
You can watch my official announcement ^^^ or on YouTube.
Are you excited? I am too. So I’ll give you a minute to jump around with me in excitement and then I’ll give the details.
Are you calm yet? Me neither but I’ll get started.
A few months ago I was approached by the ladies at Passionflix about bringing Colton and Rylee to film. I was apprehensive at first—Could they do the story justice? Would readers be upset if ‘their Colton’ wasn’t cast? Then there is the whole ‘books are better than movies’ thing . . . but after speaking with the founders and watching their work with Alessandra Torre on Hollywood Dirt, I decided to take the leap and do it.
The great news is I’ll be as hands on as possible. Do you think I’d actually just hand my books over and wash my hands of them? Heck no. The other good news is that they want you to be involved as possible as well! Not only do they want your input on who to cast, but they also want YOU to be in the movie (keep reading below to find out how)! Pretty cool, right?
So now I’m sure you want the details… so here they are…
WHEN: Driven is slated to start filming at the latter part of this year with a proposed release date of May 2018
WHAT: What is Passionflix? Think a Netflix for romance. The company Passionflix is turning the books you love into movies and series. Launching in September, passionflix.com is an online streaming platform, (like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu,) where you’ll be able to see your favorite romance novels brought to life.
HOW: How will you watch the movie? You will have to subscribe to the service for a monthly fee. You can do so HERE.
Right now, there are two options to subscribe. Founding Member or Preorder a subscription
FOUNDING MEMBER: When you become a Founding Member at the discounted price of $100, you’ll get:
A 2 year subscription with a 30% savings.
An invitation for a walk-on role in the DRIVEN!!!!!! movie
Exclusive voting privileges and behind the scenes sneak peeks
Discounts on Passionflix merchandise
Take advantage of the site a month early and have your voice heard in the future of Passionflix
Be the first to know, via a private Founders club, about Passionflix projects, options, casting and news.
PREORDER a subscription at a discounted yearly rate for the first year at $3.99. (The regular monthly price is $5.99
THE FUN STUFF:
If you are a Founding Member, you get a walk-on role in one of the Driven movies!
If you are overseas and are unable to access the Passionflix platform, the movies will be available on iTunes for purchase.
We want your input! Tell us who you’d cast as Colton, Rylee, Haddie, and Becks!
I know in my excitement, I’ve missed a ton of things, but to stay up to date on all Driven Movie things… here are some links you might want to check out:
The Driven Movies Facebook Page
A Newsletter Dedicated to the Movies
How to subscribe to Passionflix
JOIN ME FOR A LIVE CHAT
I’m also going to have a LIVE CHAT next Friday, May 12th at 1 pm EST on my Facebook Page (HERE) to talk all things Driven, writing, and whatever else you’d like to throw at me, if you’d like to ask a question for me to answer, you can enter it HERE.
Are you excited? I can’t wait to take this journey with you!
April 25, 2017
USB Drives
Look at these GREAT USB drives from USB Memory Direct!
I’ll be using these flash drives in giveaways over the next few months and you never know, there might be an excerpt in there from a new project, a special scene…. or nothing at all.
Which one will you win?
USB Memory Drives provided by
April 16, 2017
The Player is LIVE EARLY on Amazon
Happy Easter! Guess what, the Easter Bunny came for you today too because Amazon pushed The Player through in just minutes and it is now LIVE and ready for you to read.AMAZON LINK HERE
For those of you who read on other platforms, they are set to go live in less than 24 hours at 12:01 am on the 17th. You can still preorder here :
iBooks – Nook – Kobo – Audible (pending) – Paperback
February 28, 2017
Sweet Rivalry is LIVE
AMAZON
I’m so excited for you to meet Harper and Ryder in this all new standalone novella that I’ve written in conjunction with the 1,001 Dark Nights series. Things to know about SWEET RIVALRY.
It’s a standalone
It’s a novella
Yes, it has Ryder, Harper’s brother, from Sweet Cheeks in it, but there is no need to have read Sweet Cheeks to read this book.
Its price is $2.99
It is an Amazon Exclusive novel for the first 90 days. That means you can read it on any device (which means a large portion of devices) that runs the Kindle App. Sweet Rivalry will then release on all platforms starting May 30th.
This novella is not a starter for another book. It gives you a complete story as is. Will I write more on Harper and Ryder? I’m not sure, but for now I’m pleased with where their story has ended.
Why are you still reading this when you can be reading about the sexy, hot Ryder Rogers and the equally sexy, hot Harper Denton?
February 24, 2017
Slow Burn Bonus Scene – Happy Publishversary
I have to admit that this story meant so much to me to write. I know it was a hot-button topic for some of you, while others thanked me for being so open about Haddie’s fight and how similar her feelings mirrored in your own situations.
So on this 2 year publishversary – I thought it would be special to revisit them. If you’d bought the paperback version of SLOW BURN, then you’ve read this already, and my apologies…but if you’d only read the e-book, then here is the beginning chapter of Slow Burn, told through Becks’s eyes.
I hope you enjoy, and thank you for reading!
SLOW BURN – Alternative POV
CHAPTER ONE – Beckett
The bass of the club’s music hits hard as I scan the nearly naked women surrounding us—every single one of them ripe for the picking. A bat of fake lashes. An accidental lean over the bar, tits on display, and painted lips offer- ing up what is literally and figuratively on the table.
So why am I not finding some hot piece, offering to take her up to our room? Shit, I could use a little release after the stress of a long week.
It’s Wood’s fault. That’s my go-to answer. It’s always his fault. And hell if I’ll tell my best friend he was right when he said, “She’s got a hot friend.”
Hot friend, my ass. Haddie Montgomery’s more like molten fucking lava.
I sweep my eyes across the crowded dance floor and try to move past her, but it’s no goddamn use. Don’t kid your- self, Daniels. You’ve been looking at her all night. I toss back the rest of my drink, but my damn eyes remain fixed as she throws her arms up in the air and swivels her hips. Those long, shapely legs move to the beat, and hell if I can’t get the thought of them and those sexy-as-fuck heels wrapped around me somehow, someway, out of my damn head.
I avert my gaze, try to distract myself with one of the many easy targets in the club, but no one else calls to every part of me like Haddie does. And of course my eyes shift back to the floor just in time to see her dress sneak up some. Every toned inch of those thighs is on display as she grinds her hips to the beat. I groan. And I don’t even care that I do, because hell if a sane, red-blooded American male would look away from that perfection.
“Hey,” I hear to my right as Colton’s hand, which is hold- ing my fresh drink, bumps against my arm.
“Thanks,” I say, forcing myself to pull my eyes from the sight of her and focus on the man who’s like a second brother to me. But when I meet his eyes, they’re studying me, amusement mixed with confusion. Here we go again. I hate when Colton gets this damn look. “What? What the fuck is that look for?”
“Seriously? You have the two-point-five look on your face, dude,” he says, taking a sip of his beer and shaking his head as if he’s ashamed.
“Two point five?” I sputter, completely shocked that he of all people would say that after the revelation he dropped on me earlier. The one where he admitted that he, the man who’s the king of condoms, is sliding skin on skin with his girlfriend, Rylee. Taking that giant leap of trust for the first time ever to bareback with a woman. The confession still staggers me even after more than a few cocktails.
And he’s accusing me of the two-point-five look? I don’t think he has any room to throw stones in the fucking glass house he built. “Two point five?” I repeat. “This coming from the barebacking cowboy himself? Whatever. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Have another.”
“Which one is she?” he asks, slinging an arm over my shoulder and pointing toward the dance floor.
“No one,” I say, trying to deflect him. “Just a whole lot of flesh on display, and fuck if it’s not something to look at while I get nice and drunk. I’ve got an asshole for a boss, so this buzz,” I say with a laugh when he tightens his arm around my neck in a headlock for my dig at him, “and that woman over there are—”
“Hot damn!” he says, catching my slip of the tongue. And hell if I wouldn’t want to be slipping my tongue into her, but shit if I didn’t just give ammunition to the king of antagonization to start making his own digs in retaliation. He slaps my back harder than necessary. “I knew just by the sappy-ass look on your face you were looking at some woman on the floor, imagining wedded bliss, and the two- point-five kids you’re going to have with her.”
“Shut up, dude. You are so far from—”
“So which one is she?” he goads, and I know he’s only just getting started. He’ll keep at it until I give him some- thing to be smug about.
I look back out to the floor with him scrutinizing my every damn move—trying to figure out which woman has caught the eye of a picky son of a bitch like me. And when I look, a part of me is relieved that Haddie and her best friend, Colton’s date, Rylee, are no longer on the dance floor . . . and then another part of me is pissed because I sure as hell was enjoying the show.
“Hot blonde, red dress, two o’clock?” Colton asks, draw- ing my eyes to the woman on the floor, shaking her shit like she should be on a pole. She’s definitely hot, all the right curves in all the right places, but nah, not my thing. Owning your sexuality is one thing, but putting it on display? I’ll pass.
I look over at Colton and roll my eyes. “Seriously?”
“With those moves?” he says, eyes flicking back out to her. “Damn.”
“Dude, I’m all for moves like that in bed,” I say, causing him to snort out that laugh of his that makes me smile, re- gardless of the mood I’m in, “but if I want to screw a man- nequin, I’ll go to Macy’s. Besides, isn’t eating out of plastic hazardous to your health? BPA or some shit like that?”
He throws his head back and laughs while I take a long drink of my Merit Rum and Coke. And of course I feel bad for talking shit about the unsuspecting woman.
“BPA sounds like an STD to me, but fuck, dude, live on the wild side.” He bumps my shoulder with his. “One taste won’t kill you.”
“This coming from Mr. Discriminating himself? I assure you, it most definitely is not all the same.”
“Yeah, you got me there.” He shivers in mock disgust, and I can’t help but laugh. He looks back out toward the dance area and nods his chin toward where Red Dress is still bumping and grinding. “Not even just for the night?”
“Nah, you know me. Not my thing.”
I hear their laughter float over the music before I see them, grateful for the interruption. I lean my elbow on the railing and turn to watch them walk up, pretending not to care. Colton turns too when he hears Rylee, so I’m able to watch their approach without him noticing. I take in Haddie’s more than handful-sized tits, which bounce a bit with that walk of hers. The combination of blond hair against her tanned skin begs me to run my eyes down the length of her svelte figure. When my gaze makes its way back up, her mouth is spread wide in a grin, and fuck if I don’t want something else spread wide on her with me in between them. I get lost in the thought, and when I refocus, she is staring right back at me, lips pursed, eyes curious.
“Yes?” Those chocolate-colored eyes of hers hold mine. Tempt me. Dare me. Question me.
“Sorry.” I shake my head, a sheepish smile in place. “I was just thinking.” Smooth, Becks. Brilliant response to why you were staring at her like you want to eat her for dinner. Shit, might as well be breakfast since I’m sure it’d be an all- night affair, with her body sure as hell being the main course.
“Thinking?” She asks as she reaches out and takes my drink from my hand and tips it up to me, silently asking if it’s okay. I nod my head, and she lifts it to her lips, taking a sip before handing it back to me. “Thanks. Don’t you know, Country, that you’re in a club, in Vegas of all places, so thinking’s not allowed?” She sidles up next to me, her body brushing against mine and snapping my every nerve to attention.
“Country?” Where the hell did that nickname come from?
“Yeah,” she says with a smirk before shaking her head to get her hair out of her face. “Laid-back. Polite. Good guy. Slow and steady wins the race.” She raises her eyebrows, challenging me to argue with her assessment.
And fuck if she’s not right, so why am I sensing that Country is a bad thing for her? And why the hell do I care? “Nothing’s wrong with slow and steady,” I tell her, enjoying how she angles her head to the side and just watches me. “A man shouldn’t be faulted for drawing things out just to make sure the endgame is that much sweeter.”
And I feel like I’ve scored a touchdown when I see her eyes widen, take note of the quick intake of breath. Inter- esting. Playing field seems to be wide-open. Good thing I’m a patient man because this woman most definitely does not sit on the sidelines.
“Sweet is good,” she leans in and says in my ear, her words a whisper, “but some girls like a little spice added in.” She leans back and flashes me a smart-ass grin, tossing the ball back in my court. Goddamn if it’s not hot that her comebacks are as witty as her tits are perfect.
“City, I assure you I have talents that can’t be put on a résumé.” I take a drink and raise an eyebrow, failing miser- ably to hide my smirk. “Besides, it’s not the sugar or the spice that matters but rather the man who’s mixing it.”
We stare at each other for a moment in a silent standoff, as we try to figure out what the other is saying. Is there in- terest here? Would it be worth it? Damn, who cares? Be- cause she most definitely would be one helluva wild ride.
A slow, knowing smirk curls up one corner of her mouth.
The music changes and becomes more seductive as she shakes her head ever so subtly. “City?” she asks, and then runs her tongue over her top lip as her eyes taunt me.
My mind goes blank as I focus on her mouth. Shit, I need to play this safe. For all I know, this is just how she is with everyone, a little flirty and a whole lot of fun. After all, it can’t get more complicated than going after the best friend of my best friend’s girl.
I look out at the floor again, bodies grinding, connec- tions being made even if only for the night, before I look back at Haddie, her eyebrows raised and her body so on fire that my dick begs to fly full staff. It’s probably just me. And the alcohol. And the influence of the club around me.
It’s probably nothing.
But then again, damn.
Just damn.
I can’t resist. If I can’t reach out and touch, I might as
well leave a mark with my words. Let her think about how a laid back country boy might not be such a bad thing after all. “Yeah, City,” I repeat. “Classy, nonstop, and always wanting to be in the thick of it all.” I take a drink, my eyes locked on hers while she watches, contemplating what I’ve said.
“The thick of it, huh?” She takes my drink from my hand again and smirks as she sucks ever so slowly from the straw. And once again, my eyes are drawn to those lip-glossed lips of hers and notice how they are drawing on my straw. So that’s why they put straws in men’s drinks. I have a whole new appreciation for those annoying little fuckers now. I watch her tongue play with it momentarily and realize that part of the reason she’s so damn sexy is because she’s not
purposely trying to be.
Something catches her eye, and I follow her head as she
turns to watch Colton lead Rylee up the stairs toward the mezzanine. At least I don’t have to worry about him stick- ing his nose in where it doesn’t belong now. When I look back toward Haddie, she’s moved toward me, her face closer to mine. I can smell the scent of the alcohol from my drink on her breath, and hell if I can understand why that makes me want her that much more.
“Yep. Always wanting to be in the middle of the action,” I say, lifting the straw out of my drink and taking a sip.
Haddie twists her lips until the smirk breaks its way through. “Action’s always good. Being in the middle of it’s even better.” She arches an eyebrow at me as I try to figure out what her next words are going to be but remain silent. It’s time to let her wonder what I’m thinking for a change. I hold her gaze, the swirling lights overhead changing color and reflecting in her blond hair. “And I think I’m wanting some right now.”
I force a swallow, those taunting yet innocent words of hers causing a visceral reaction that I try to ignore. “What kind of action are you looking for?” There. Let her figure out if I’m flirting or if that’s just how I am, because I can’t tell shit with her. And fuck, I can always figure everyone out. So what’s so different about her?
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she turns and looks over her shoulder. “You coming?”
And fuck . . . there are so many ways my mind answers that question that I groan. I swallow over the ache that our flirting and her damn, fine ass in perfect view creates. “You know what they say?”
“What?” she asks, stopping momentarily, “Every good man’s place is behind a woman?”
I chuckle. That most definitely was not where I was going with this conversation, but there she goes again, wanting me to take the bait. “The only reason for a man to be behind a woman is because he’s checking out her very fine ass.” And hell if that’s not the truth right now.
She licks her lips and I have a hard time looking away from her tongue as it darts out and then back in. “Haven’t had any complaints so far, Country,” she says with a shake of her head, her hair swaying all the way down her back. “And . . . uh . . . there are many more places I’d prefer a man to be,” she says with a wink before turning and walking into the crowd, without even checking to see if I’m following.
Yeah, on top of you. Or under. Or . . . Shit, my mind reels with the possibilities.
She may think I’m slow and steady but hell if I’m stupid.
Time to dance.
December 13, 2016
KristyMas is Coming
KristyMas starts tomorrow.
12 Days
1 BIG bag of prizes.
Details:
It’s that time of year again and this year I’m doing the (12) days of KristyMas to thank my readers. For the next (12) days (starting Wednesday, 12/14) I will have a the posts on my social media pages:
