Twinkle (Sugandha) Varshney's Blog, page 51
June 6, 2018
Rescuing Broken by Gina Azzi
Title: Rescuing BrokenSeries: The Kane Brothers #1Author: Gina AzziGenre: Contemporary Military Romance
Release Date: June 6, 2018
Blurb
He thought he protected her future. But she never escaped her past.
I enlisted so Evie could have the future she deserved. She was smart and sweet and confident; I knew she would change the world. Until I returned seven years later to discover she’s never left. And she’s not the same girl I kissed good-bye.
Heartbroken over Jax, I went to my last high school party for closure. In one instant, my dreams evaporated and everything I thought I knew crumbled. Helpless to move forward, I watched the years pass.
Now he’s back. But I’m too broken for second chances. I’m too broken for him.
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Excerpt
I can't believe it's her. Even with her back to me, I can tell. I know the outline of her body, the way her dark hair falls around her shoulders, the delicate curve of her neck. Eons could pass, and still I would know her. My eyes narrow at her thin frame, note the way her shoulders poke through the fabric of her shirt. She turns toward me then and I realize her skin is two shades too pale and a heavy tiredness hugs are eyes. She’s my Maywood, but not. I feel bulldozed. As if the universe is playing a masterful trick on me. Is it really her? So much time and space are between us; we're different people than we once were, and still it's as if I'm transported back to high school, walking onto the football field. And instead of thinking about the next play, I'm trying to figure out how to approach and impress the beautiful girl that is so far out of my league, a ninety-yard Hail Mary couldn't bring her closer. Her gaze sweeps over me suddenly, her eyes meeting mine as I stand, my focus zeroed in on her.She freezes, her shoulders stiffening. "You sure about this, Jax?"I take another step, walking toward her. A flicker of uncertainty in her deep blue eyes has me pausing for just a second. Her face is impassive as she looks away. If it weren't for the clenching of her hands and her tight grip on the underside of the bar, I wouldn't think I affected her at all. But I know I do.I always have.
Author Bio
Gina Azzi loved every moment of college – especially her study abroad experiences, internships, and travel adventures! She draws from these experiences to create the storylines for her new adult and contemporary romance books. A passionate reader, frequent globetrotter, and aspiring baker, Gina resides in Canada with her family. Her new series, the Kane Brothers, releases in 2018.
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Bride to Keep by Alta Hensley & Maggie Ryan
Title: Bride to KeepAuthors: Alta Hensley & Maggie RyanGenre: Dark Romance Standalone
Cover Design: Jay AheerRelease Date: June 25, 2018
Blurb
Do you take these men? To honor and obey from this day forth…
Stolen away by dangerous men on a mission. Dark intentions I don’t understand yet cannot refuse. Commanded to comply, obey, and serve in every way.I am captured in a twisted world of not one man… — but four.With a pull stronger than anything I have ever known, I march down the aisle compelled to surrender to the darkness.
With these rings... I become their bride to keep.
*This is a standalone full-length dark reverse harem. Dirty taboo with not just one, but four. You may be afraid to walk down the aisle on this one.
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Alta Hensley
USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Hot, Dark and Dirty Romance.
She is also an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author. Being a multi-published author in the romance genre, Alta is known for her dark, gritty alpha heroes, sometimes sweet love stories, hot eroticism, and engaging tales of the constant struggle between dominance and submission.
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Maggie Ryan
USA Today and #1 International Best Selling and Multi-award Winning Author in Victorian/ Historical, Contemporary, Western, and Paranormal Romance.
Fantasy is a world that offers endless possibilities. I love to write stories that are always sweet, extra spicy, and a little taboo. My favorite characters are strong, stern alpha males and sassy, capable women who discover that life without a bit of fire isn’t worth living. I hope you will curl up in your favorite chair and take the journey with me. Happy Reading!
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The Stage by Jenna Galicki
Title: The StageA Radical Rock Stars Companion Novella Author: Jenna GalickiGenre: Adult Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: June 6, 2018
Blurb
Even rock stars get star-struck. Meeting heavy metal icon Brandon Bullet is a dream come true for Tommy Blade. When Immortal Angel decides to add Tommy’s rock star idol as a guest singer to their set at the Get Rocked Festival, sparks fly and egos collide.
Angel Garcia, Immortal Angel’s flashy frontman, isn’t happy about sharing the spotlight or Tommy’s attention. That all changes once Angel has a mind-blowing rehearsal with the charismatic lead singer of Bulletproof.
The sexual chemistry on stage between Angel and Brandon is something Tommy never counted on. Now he’s forced to watch his husband and his idol strut on stage together and share a connection that, up until now, only he and Angel shared. Now, the guest appearance by Tommy’s rock star idol just lost most of its appeal.
Commissioned to design custom-made rock and roll attire, even Angel and Tommy’s wife Jessi gets one-on-one time with Brandon Bullet.
Taking a back seat wasn’t on the agenda. Add Angel and Brandon’s secret rehearsals together, and Tommy is left in the shadows wondering exactly what’s going on between the two.
Like everything else in Tommy’s life, it all unfolds on stage.
Epilogue by Brandon Bullet of Bulletproof.
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Excerpt
Jessi froze the moment she spotted Tommy and Brandon at the other end of the room. She took hold of Angel’s arm with both hands, her jaw slightly open and her eyes glued on Tommy and Brandon. “What am I looking at?”Angel stiffened at her obvious attraction. “That’s Brandon Bullet.”“Why didn’t you tell me he was a mirror image of Tommy?”There was an obvious similarity. Both had long blond hair and piercing blue eyes, but Brandon was a few inches taller than Tommy, and his shoulders and chest were broader. And he had a scruffy jaw and wild wavy hair, whereas Tommy was mostly clean shaven and had soft flowing tresses. “They’re hardly mirror images. Tommy’s an Adonis. Brandon looks like James Hetfield from the eighties.” Considering how much Tommy loved Metallica, the comparison made Angel’s gut tighten.“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She smiled and her eyes flashed with playfulness. “There should be a law against this much sexiness in one room.”“You too?” Now Jessi was infatuated with Bulletproof’s lead singer, too. Is there no end to that man’s allure?“You’re included in the sexiness.” She looped her arm through Angel’s and started to lead them toward the two blond rock stars, but Angel didn’t budge. “What’s wrong?” she asked.Angel cupped her face in the palm of his hands. He looked deep into her eyes, hoping she’d understand what was in his heart, rather than force him to verbalize feelings he didn’t know how to put into words. She tilted her head slightly. “What are you worried about?”“It’s bad enough Tommy is overwhelmed by him. I don’t want you to be, too.” He kissed her with a possessive force that was unexpected. They were in a room full of gay men, yet he needed to claim her. Jessi’s knees buckled slightly, and she hung onto his wrists. When Angel pulled back, she exhaled a deep breath. “What was that for?”“Do I need a reason to kiss my wife?” “Never.” She displayed an inviting smile. “Do you want to kiss me again?”“I always want to kiss you again.” This time he only placed a small peck on her lips. Otherwise, God knows what they’d end up doing.
Author Bio
Jenna Galicki writes in multiple genres including m/m/f, m/f, and m/m. She is predominantly known for her Radical Rock Stars Series. The Prince of Punk Rock (Radical Rock Stars Book 1) was a finalist in the 2015 Bisexual Book Awards.
A native New Yorker, she now resides in Southern California. She's a Rottweiler enthusiast and an avid music buff. When she's not hunched over a computer, you can find her front row at a rock concert.
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Anywhere With You by Christina Elle
Title: Anywhere With YouAuthor: Christina ElleGenre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Uplifting Designs
Release Date: June 27, 2018
Blurb
You are cordially invited to... tick off the bride.
Teegan Michaels has attended six weddings for her sorority sisters dateless and she refuses to go to the last one alone. Not when she has a perfectly respectable—not to mention hot—NFL player ready to save her from humiliation. Who cares that he’s the bride’s ex-fiancé and only wants to go for revenge?
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Excerpt
She peeked a glance up at him, catching mostly only a broad shoulder because of his height. His long arms swung at his sides and his posture stern as he stared at the romantic beach scene in front of them. They were about thirty feet from the other guests when Wes slipped his hand into hers. She stiffened on contact and her brain shut down. Low, so only she could hear, he said, "We have to sell it, remember?"She nodded, not trusting herself to say anything while her heart did backhand springs in her rib cage. Holy crap. She was totally holding Wes Stevenson’s hand. And she totallysounded like a teenybopper thinking that. Be cool, Tee. Be cool. It was going to be tough though since her version of cool had never been anything close to his. Or anyone else's for that matter. Standing up straighter, she closed her hand around his, taking in the feel of skin against skin. The closer they got to the already filled area, the more erratic her heartbeat became. She was going to face Juliet, her family, and friends. And they were all going to chastise Teegan for bringing Wes. Damn. She wished she'd thought about that before this moment. She could've feigned sickness for the entire weekend. What was going around right now? Yellow fever? Malaria? She'd even take a good case of salmonella. Anything to get her out of seeing the judgment in everyone's eyes. The same judgment she saw at every other Delta Gam wedding she'd attended.With a date, without a date...it didn't matter. It followed Teegan anyway. The man in question didn't seem bothered by their impending fate. He stood tall and wore a confident smile. Zero nerves radiated off him.The Ice Box, they'd called him on the football field. Because he was always cool under pressure. Man, what she wouldn't give to have some of that superpower right now. He squeezed her hand, which made her look up at him. He lifted his chin, gesturing in front of them. She looked toward a receiving line that included the bride and groom. Juliet and the man she'd left Wes for. Excellent. Teegan couldn't wait to greet them both on this glorious, fantastic evening. Why, oh why, had she agreed to this? It would’ve been better not to attend at all, rather than bring Juliet’s ex to Juliet’s wedding. Oh, God. Her heart was beating at an unhealthy rate. She might faint. Hey, that wasn’t a bad idea. If she fainted—The hand attached to hers tightened. Wes. She was doing this for Wes. Just think about that. This had to be a million times worse for him.
Author Bio
Christina believes that laughter really is the best medicine, which is why in her stories she blends a healthy dose of hilarious hijinks with gritty suspense.
When she’s not writing fun contemporary romance or quirky romantic suspense, Christina can be found devouring books in every genre, watching Chris Hemsworth on TV, playing board games with her family, working out, checking out Chris Hemsworth on Facebook, napping, stalking Chris Hemsworth on Instagram, and shopping…for Chris Hemsworth’s latest DVD.
Christina lives near Baltimore with her husband and two sons, who give her an endless supply of humorous material to write about.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Maryland Romance Writers .
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The Devil You Know
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE.Following a drunken night together, the vampire Michael “Vegas” Tremayne takes off with no explanation, leaving Deziree Davanzati to wonder if they’d made a terrible mistake. Rather than obsess about it, Dez spends most of her time at Onyx, the rock club she owns and operates for the supernatural citizens of New York City. All are welcome-werewolves, witches, and anyone else willing to play nice while under her roof and pay their tab at the end of the night.After two weeks of radio silence, Vegas returns with alarming news. For the first time in more than four centuries, there is reason to believe a pureblood demon is walking among them. They suspect someone from the the Council may be behind the creature’s return, but to what end?With the Sentinel Stone missing, they’re down to the wire and don’t know who to trust. Will Dez and Vegas stop the demon in time? Or will Hell itself be unleashed upon the world?About the BookThe Devil You Know
by Jena Gregoire
Series
Hellfire Series Book One
Genre
Adult
Urban Fantasy
Paranormal Romance
Publisher
Independent
Publication Date
June 5, 2018
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ExcerptAfter raining for the previous two days, the constant barrage of water had finally come to an end. Just in time to have to go to work, she thought while glancing in her car’s rearview mirror. The downside to living in New York City was the completely unpredictable northeast weather during the summer. The forecast could call for sunny, cloudless skies one day, and snow the next.The shrill sound of her cell phone ringing cut into the best part of her favorite song. Turning the radio down, she picked up her phone and answered. She touched the speakerphone button and waited. It was quiet for a moment and then the sound a familiar voice filled the interior of her fully-restored 1951 Mercury.“Did you miss me?” He offered no greeting or introduction.“Vegas. Nice to hear from you.” She was trying to sound aloof and nonchalant, “And where the fuck have you been?” and failed miserably.“I’m sorry. I had to leave town for a while,” he replied. “Had to take care of a few things and had to run out at the last minute. I didn’t want to wake you up, and I didn’t anticipate going this long without getting in touch with you. It’s a long story, and one I promise to explain later. What are you doing tonight?”No matter her level of irritation, the sound of his voice was perfectly disarming. Something along the lines of gravel wrapped in velvet, rugged and raspy but still silky smooth. Disgusted with herself, she rolled her eyes and then answered, “Onyx. To work, not for fun. Why? Are you going to come see me?” Her heart began to pound. She wanted to see him. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how much she missed him.“I’ll be there.” She could hear the smile in his voice and grinned in return. She pushed her gas pedal to the floor, suddenly wanting to be at Onyx more than ever.
Hellfire Celebration GiveawayTo celebrate the release of the Hellfire series, Jena Gregoire is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to three lucky winners!
GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open internationally. By entering, you are agreeing to sign up for Jena Gregoire’s weekly newsletter. Once the giveaway closes, all of the entries from the giveaway landing page and the Rafflecopter giveaway will be combined and the winners will be chosen at random. Three winners will each receive a $50 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR. Giveaway ends 7/1/2018 @ 11:00am EST. Pure Textuality PR will send the prizes to the winner via email. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
About Jena Gregoire
Bestselling author JENA GREGOIRE was born and raised in New Hampshire, USA, and despite her abhorrence for any season which dares to drop to a temperature below seventy degrees, she still currently resides there with her two children and several furbabies. Always a passionate reader, her love of urban fantasy books inevitably morphed into a love of writing them. She is currently working on two series – the Hellfire series and the Executioner series.Newsletter | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon
Outfoxing the Gaming Club
Biography, BusinessDate Published: May 2018
CLAIM INSANITY OR BE FIRED!
Ex-Casino Employee Spills All of the Unseen Corruption
Running Rampant in the Business!
Ideas flow freely through the work environment, and the good ones are scooped up and put into action. But what happens when your ideas are suddenly being claimed by someone else? What if you found out that your employer was hiding secrets from the public? A job is supposed to secure one's finances, but what if it was actually the cause of your financial troubles?
All of these questions - and more! - are addressed in Pascale Batieufaye's tell-all memoir, Outfoxing the Gaming Club: A Former Worker Reveals All. From the kitchen to guest services, Batieufaye exposes the corruption and exploitation present in one of the world's biggest casinos, Resort Casino, where he worked from 1996 to 2004
Through the book's pages, Batieufaye details how corporate executives undermine their employees and use their ideas as their own, as he found was done with his own ideas when he shared them with leadership at the gambling powerhouse. He also details the mistreatment of the Native Americans he witnessed, who built the very grounds that now contribute to their injustice.
"I have centered Outfoxing the Gaming Club on the emotional suffering I faced while working for my previous employer,"shares Batieufaye. "The book outlines guiding principles for those who have experienced maltreatment and anxiety in their own workplace. Readers will discover the crookedness that occurs right under the noses of the patrons, and unearth the oppression that the employees had to deal with on a daily basis."
An exposé for both gamblers and those opposed to it,this book details:
· How his own ideas were stolen from right under Batieufaye's feet
· The mistreatment of Native Americans involved with the company
· Corruption's role in the mental health of himself and other employees at the company
· Gambles employees took when attempting to contribute, knowing all too well they may not receive proper credit for those ideas
· The emotional suffering that workers had to deal with on a daily basis
· And so much more!
About the Author
Pascale Batieufaye attended Johnson & Wales University, where he studied travel and tourism. He is technically an animal rights activist and aspires to open an animal rehabilitation center for rescue animals. His principal occupation has been a part time school bus driver since the end of 2012, which allowed him to write five unpublished manuscripts in his spare time. Before that, Batieufaye ran a video store which closed up at the hype of Netflix’s driven internet power. He has also held some backbreaking jobs, such as courier driver (independent contractor) and Skycap/baggage handler, although nothing seems to take as much of a toll as his work with a major, corrupt casino corporation did, as detailed in his book Outfoxing the Gaming Club.
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June 5, 2018
Raging Falcon
Mystery, Thriller, SuspenseDate Published: Sept. 2016Publisher: Star Born Publishing LLC
He helped build an evil world.
He betrayed his only son.
But now in another life where nothing is what it seems and against great odds, he has a chance to make things right.
In the 21st century, wars are won in the mind rather than on battlefields.
One man - a sorcerer disguised as solder - will forever alter American history with black magic!
Major Stacey Truman Keogh is a specialist in psychological operations and a terrorist disguised in military uniform. Both ambitious and evil, he will do anything to further his interests whether sacrificing the operatives under his command, his family and even his only son. In the end, will he discover spiritual redemption and use his immense magical powers in the service of good? Can a grand technological miracle save the son he betrayed, so long ago?
About the Author
In just his first year as an independent author, Massachusetts native Stephen Perkins' thrilling, entertaining, imaginative, thought provoking and sometimes controversial novels Sorcerers' Dynasty, Raging Falcon, American Siren and Escape to Death have fast gained a loyal and rabid audience. While enjoying the books, be sure to check out Newsspellcom.org for a unique perspective on the news of the world one shall not surely discover anywhere else! Or, stop by on Twitter (Twitter.com@RAGEOFWORDS)
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June 4, 2018
The Witching Hour by Debra Elise, DJ Shaw, Grace White, Pepper McGraw, Kat Parrish, and A.B. Bloom
Embark on a spellbinding journey with this collection of paranormal short stories dedicated to magic-wielding masters of the mystical arts. Armed with ancient power, they need only whisper arcane incantations to bend reality to their every desire.THE WITCHING HOUR, the second action-packed anthology in the Summer of Supernaturals series featuring witches, warlocks, djinn, and more from six of today’s best urban fantasy and paranormal romance authors.About The BookThe Witching Hourby Debra Elise, DJ Shaw, Grace White, Pepper McGraw, Kat Parrish, and A.B. Bloom.
Series
Summer of Supernaturals #2
Genre
Adult
Urban Fantasy
Paranormal Fantasy
Paranormal Romance
Publisher
Pure Textuality PR
Publication Date
June 1, 2018
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The SUMMER OF SUPERNATURALS SeriesA 4-Part Anthology Series Dedicated to the World of the Supernatural!
SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS: A Shifter Anthology (May 1, 2018)THE WITCHING HOUR: A Spellcaster Anthology (June 1, 2018)INSATIABLE THIRST: A Vampire Anthology (July 1, 2018)LEGENDS OF THE VEIL: A Fae Anthology (August 1, 2018)
GIVEAWAYTo celebrate the SUMMER OF SUPERNATURALS anthology series, we’re giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to four lucky winners!
GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open internationally. Four winners will each receive a $50 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of PTPR and Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Book Bargains. Giveaway ends 8/31/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Pure Textuality PR will send the prizes to the winner via email. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
About THE WITCHING HOUR AuthorsDEBRA ELISE
Debra Elise lives with her husband and their two sons in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She is an Autism advocate, stay at home mom, full time writer, and is always on the lookout for inspiration in all its forms. She will release two more books in her Outlaws of Baseball series, MANAGING BLAKE and the final book in the series, LOVING NOEL, in 2018.She is also writing in the paranormal romance genre. Stay tuned for more book info on this project.Sharing what motivates her is a life passion (a close second to writing romance of course). A self-proclaimed extroverted introvert, when not writing or procrastinating, she enjoys hanging out with other author-type individuals and teasing her three ‘boys’ into displaying their killer smiles. Visit Debra at debraelise.comMost days find her carpooling, avoiding laundry and spending too much time on Facebook and Twitter, and Pinterest, and Instagram. She will soon be starting a self-help group for social media addicts-maybe.
DJ SHAW
Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1977, DJ Shaw was 17 before she was able to see most of the United States. When she was 17, she decided to join the fair, traveling with them to Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Once the fair arrived in Lake Charles, DJ had decided it was time to go home, that she had had enough of traveling with the fair. She much rather preferred to sit around writing, or even telling, the lives of the people who lived in her head. She had been good at story-telling from the time she was about ten, when she scared herself so bad with her story of the Boogey-man that she couldn’t move off her bed. Her siblings would come to her for their scare fix, because they knew she could come up with something on the spot.Having found what she loved to do at an early age, she continued to write down her stories and any poetry that came into her head. She had stacks upon stacks of notebooks filled with her work. Her love of horror movies made her stories that much more chilling.When she’s not writing, she’s listening to music, supporting her favorite adopted brother and his band “Traveler in Pain”, playing with her five children, spending time with her husband of seven years or watching horror movies in the middle of the night just for the scare factor.
GRACE WHITE
Grace White is the paranormal pseudonym of romance writer, L A Cotton.She resides in the UK with her family, and lives for binge watching series on her Firestick, losing herself in a good book, and reliving her younger days through trashy teenage movies … not necessarily in that order.
PEPPER MCGRAW
Pepper McGraw wishes she were a shifter, but since she wasn’t lucky enough to be born that way, she chooses to write about them instead. She’s an advocate of animal rescue and supports local shelters and Trap-Neuter-Release programs for feral cats. She has had the supreme honor of winning occasional head butts and meows from the local ferals in her neighborhood and even of convincing a few to come inside and adopt her as their own.
A.B. BLOOM
A book hoarder and coffee addict by heart Anna Bloom loves to write extraordinary stories about real love. Based south of London with her husband, three children and a dog with a beard, Anna likes to connect with readers, fan girl over her favourite authors and binge watch Supernatural while drinking lots of wine.
KAT PARRISH
Kat Parrish is a former reporter who prefers making things up! An Army brat, her motto is “Have passport, will travel.” She has lived in seven states and two foreign countries and would love to celebrate her 100th birthday with a trip into space. She lives in the Pacific Northwest near a haunted cemetery.
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June 2, 2018
THE BRIDE WORE LEATHER by Suzanne Jenkins
THE BRIDE WORE LEATHERA Bittersweets: Oscar and Lisa Sequelby Suzanne JenkinsGenre: Contemporary Romance
Lisa stood on her toes to reach Oscar’s lips. Muscle memory clicked in, remembering what the others lips felt like, how perfectly their mouths fit together, the line of their bodies melding. They were getting a second chance. The only thing they didn’t know is what total intimacy would be like, because Oscar had been too afraid. But he wasn’t afraid now.
“Do you want me to say something?” Ed asked.
“Say what? What happened?” Louie asked. “I just talked to her an hour ago.”
Deciding to rip the bandage off the wound in one fell swoop, Ed chose to tell the truth.
“She’s still in love with Oscar,” he said. Martha gasped, breaking down in tears. “She’s left with him.”
“You can’t tell this crowd,” she cried. “It’ll be a mob scene out of Frankenstein without the torches and pitchforks.”
“I’m leaving,” Louie said, pale. “Tell them whatever you want.”
He ran out of the side door, leaving the job to Ed. Louie’s mother and father followed him out of the building, first telling Ed the reception would go on, to please let the crowd know.
“Come with me, Mother,” he said gently, offering Martha his arm, knowing what this was costing her.
Holding her head up was so hard as the tears came. She wanted to run out the side door and go home to bed. They climbed the steps to the pulpit together. The priest offered the microphone.
“Stop that infernal playing,” Martha cried to the organist and the music abruptly stopped, the last notes echoing throughout the vast space.
Handing Martha his handkerchief, Ed focused on her needs for a moment to get composed, his arm around her shoulder, patting her. Finally, the stood as a couple united at the pulpit, looking out over the congregation. He didn’t recognize one soul, only seeing a bunch of grim looking strangers in dress-up clothes. The heat up at the pulpit was exponentially worse than down in the pews and he’d make sure the trustees knew that something needed to be done about the antiquated air conditioning at the next meeting.
“Ed, spit it out,” Martha hissed, elbowing him, not applying the same gentleness he was showing her.
“Friends and family, as you can probably tell, we’re not having a wedding here today,” he said, rubbing his side where his wife had jabbed him. “Lisa has changed her mind and I agree now is the time to do it.
“We are going to continue on with the reception at two because it’s bought and paid for. By that time, I hope to have all the gifts over to Blakemore Farm where they will be returned to you. Thank you to the Blakemore family.
“Please give these young people your love and compassion at this difficult time.”
He helped Martha move to the stairs as she howled an audible sob. Their other girls circled around them, friends and family giving them room as they moved to the side door leading to the parking lot.
“I’m so sorry!” a voice called out.
“No one died,” Ed yelled. “Keep it in perspective.”
“What now?” daughter Mary asked.
“Let’s get your mother home and get out of these clothes. I’m all for blowing the diet today. How’s pizza sound?”
“Perfect,” Mary said. “We’ll see you at home.”
***
While the Penn family quickly made their way back home, their youngest daughter, Lisa was on the back of Oscar Butler’s motorcycle, holding the train of her wedding dress out of the way of the mechanism of the bike, an arm around Oscar, feeling freer and more alive than she had in weeks. Two blocks from the church, Oscar came to a stop and got off the bike. He had to kiss Lisa. They held on to each other, crying through the kiss, murmuring apologies.
“Lisa, I love you so much,” Oscar sobbed, holding her face. “I’m so sorry I drove you away.”
“No! It’s my fault,” she cried. “I’ll try to make it up to you.”
“What should be do?” he asked.
“Let’s just be together,” she said.
“Do you want to go to my place?”
When she nodded, he drove to the apartment above his motorcycle repair shop.
They’d come so close to getting married themselves months earlier, but due to a series of misunderstandings and miscommunication, Lisa broke up with Oscar, breaking his heart. Her mother had introduced her to Dr. Louis Blakemore, who’d fallen in love with her immediately, to Lisa’s family’s delight. They’d never cared for Oscar, referring to him as a dumb grease monkey behind Lisa’s back.
After Oscar had rescued Lisa in her wedding dress at the church, they’d retrieved her honeymoon suitcase, filled with beachwear.
“Where were you going for your honeymoon?” Oscar asked, holding up a bikini top.
He sat on his bed while she looked through her suitcase for something to wear, eager to get out of the expensive wedding dress.
“Bermuda,” Lisa answered, pointing to the zipper at the back of the dress. “I’m so relieved I don’t have to get on a plane.”
“So I saved the day for more than one reason,” Oscar said, teasing her as he unzipped her wedding dress. “I’m going to call Brenda and Larry right now while you change. You don’t have to get on a plane to get to the Jersey shore.”
Brenda and Larry were friends who had a beach house at the shore, and he’d beg them to hand over the keys for a long weekend. They were thrilled to let Oscar and Lisa use the house, cheering that the couple had reconciled.
Lisa stepped out of the beautiful dress, laying it across Oscar’s bed. Waves of hot shame and regret flowed over her body at the realization of what she’d doneruining lives in her wake. She couldn’t imagine what was taking place at the church, trusting her father to have made the best decision. Now if she could only make up to Oscar the betrayal, hurt and shame.
Unhooking garters, she rolled stockings down her legs and was in that position when Oscar returned from making the call. “They said the house is ours,” Oscar said, standing in his bedroom doorway after she’d gotten out of the wedding dress, Lisa in a lacy bra and panties.
“That dress is really something,” he said, pointing to it.
“My mother wanted it,” she said. “It’s not my style.”
Either was Louie Blakemore. Lisa studied Oscar’s face, saw the yearning and his eyes, and reached for him. They came together, Lisa standing on her toes to reach Oscar’s lips. As they kissed, muscle memory clicked in, remembering what the others lips felt like, how perfectly their mouths fit together, the line of their bodies melding. The only thing they didn’t know is what total intimacy was like, because Oscar had been too afraid. But he wasn’t afraid now.
“I want you,” he whispered. “I’ve thought of you every minute of everyday.”
“I want you, too,” Lisa replied. “I’ve never stopped wanting you.”
They kissed again, Oscar’s hands running over her body, touching her in places he’s never allowed himself to touch before.
“I wish we could stay here this weekend, but I’m afraid we’ll be bothered by all our nosey friends.”
“I guess we should probably get on the road then,” Lisa whispered. “Where do we have to go to get the key?”
“They live in Society Hill. We’ll swing by their brownstone on the way out of town. I’m taking the Walt Whitman Bridge, the quickest way to their shore house. All I want to do is get there and get you in bed.” Running his hands over her strong back, memorizing the lines of her body made him thing of the mistakes he’d made when they were first together. He’d wanted everything to be perfect between them, including not having sex until they were married. And in planning it, he made one slip-up and that was not including Lisa’s wishes in the strategy.
Filled with regret, he concentrated on not crying again. They’d both been with other people during their break up. How would they overcome that?
Holding her tight, he whispered in her ear. “Can you forgive me?”
“Oscar, of course, there’s nothing to forgive. Can you forgive me?”
“It’s the same thing for me, Lisa, there’s nothing to forgive. I’m scared we won’t be able to overcome what happened. If your father hadn’t warned me, this would be a much different outcome.”
“So that’s how you knew. You’re timing was perfect,” she said. “Five minutes later and I would have been walking down the aisle.”
“That wouldn’t have stopped me,” he said. “We have a lot to talk about. Let’s go.”
He led her to the truck and opened the door for her, throwing their bags in the back of the cab. They were flying by the proverbial seat of their pants. Sometime soon, Lisa was going to have to talk to Louie who she felt horrible about humiliating. Her goal right then was not to let guilt about Louie interfere with reconciliation with Oscar.
Her mother, Martha would survive, but Lisa realized the damage to the relationship due to the embarrassment she’d caused her might make the rift irreparable. If Martha said one more unkind thing to say about Oscar, it would mark the end of their relationship.
Oscar slid onto the bench seat next to Lisa, and reached for her hand, pulling her next to him.
“This weekend is ours,” Oscar said, determined to stop obsessing. “We’ll deal with anything unpleasant on Tuesday.”
“How’d you know I’m worrying?”
“I’m doing it too. I can see the wheels turning,” he said. “We’re human, Lisa. You did what you thought would make everyone happy, me included. The hard part is going to be not letting what happened in the past ruin our weekend and ultimately, our future. We have to work at staying in the moment.” He chuckled, looking over at her staring at him. “I read that in a book.”
“I thought so,” she said, laughing. “It sort of sounds like something Terry might say.”
“Right, Terry,” he said, frowning. “Do you mind if we run up to the house and tell her? She’ll be hurt if she hears this from Brenda.”
Terry Kovac was currently Oscar’s landlady, but also through a complicated series of relationships, one of his closest friends. She was devastated when Oscar and Lisa broke up.
“It’s probably too late,” Lisa said. “But sure, let’s go.”
They got out of the truck and held hands walking up to the house. Terry heard the truck door close and waited for them, holding one year old Elizabeth.
“Oskie,” Elizabeth squeaked, pointing.
Terry held the door for them, eyes bright with excitment, and Elizabeth reached out for Oscar who took her in his arms, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m so happy,” Terry said, hugging Lisa. “I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through, but so happy you’re back together again.”
“I guess Brenda called?” Oscar asked, smiling.
“She sent me a text while you were talking to Larry,” Terry replied. “You know we have no secrets around the eight of us.”
“Nine,” Oscar said, bouncing Elizabeth on his hip. “We’ll be back Monday after lunch.”
“You should stay longer,” Terry said. “They can’t use it until next weekend anyway.”
“I’ve got unfinished business to take care of,” Lisa replied.“And I want to marry Lisa right away,” Oscar said, smiling down at a beaming Lisa. “Can we still do it here?”
“Of course! We’re ready when you are. My husband will be thrilled.”
“Where is Alex anyway?” Oscar asked.
“He’s in a race today. They don’t allow strollers, so the Queen and I are here alone.”
“Right, I forgot. Tell him our news when he gets home,” Oscar said, handing Elizabeth back. Thank you for everything.”
Terry leaned forward and kissed Oscar on the cheek again. Lisa couldn’t help but notice that Oscar and Terry had gotten awfully cozy since the last time she saw them interact.
Oscar would tell Lisa about the support Terry and Alex had given him after she left, making sure he ate, that he was rarely alone when the crushing pain of losing her made him consider taking his own life.
But not today. Today and the weekend were about love. Oscar glanced over at Lisa from time to time while they were saying goodbye, letting her presence sink in. He truly didn’t think this day would ever come.
They got back in the truck, holding hands while he drove into Center City to stop by Brenda and Larry’s brownstone. The familiar cityscape brought Lisa so much joy, and now that she was sharing it with Oscar, she couldn’t imagine ever thinking she’d be content in a marriage to a man she didn’t love.
“You know I didn’t love him, don’t you?” she asked.
“I hoped you didn’t. What did you plan on doing that could keep you in a relationship with him?”
Cringing, Lisa knew she had to be honest with Oscar and that the repercussions might ruin the weekend.
“I thought we were going to let the past stay in the past,” she answered.
Oscar laughed. “That’s true, but we do sort of owe each other some information. If it pops up later, it might be harder to deal with.”
“Did you love that woman you were involved with?”
Lisa had heard from Larry, who was a physician at the same hospital where Lisa worked as a nurse, that Oscar was in a serious relationship with the receptionist at the law office where his wife, Brenda and Terry both practiced.
“Ah, you’re avoiding the topic,” he answered. “No, I didn’t love her. I liked her, but I couldn’t love her because I was in love with you.”
“I like that answer,” Lisa said, putting her head on his shoulder. “It was the same with me. I planned on throwing my energy into restoring the house we bought. It’s my dream house, but when I was there working on it, it made me miserable because it wasn’t yours, too. I’ll be content to live in my row house with you.”
“Lisa, we can get a bigger house. It just won’t be right away. I’ll save money and when we have enough, we’ll buy one, okay? Don’t give up your dream.”
“Okay, I won’t. It was a stupid reason to marry him. My mother loved him. She’s probably in bed, moaning right now.”
“Yes, Martha is not my fan,” Oscar said, grimacing.
“Unless she crawls to us on her knees, we never have to see her again.”
“You’ve got to have a relationship with your mother,” Oscar said. “She won’t bother me.”
“We’ll see,” Lisa said. “It’s possible she won’t speak to me and that’s fine. I don’t want to think about her.”
Arriving at Brenda and Larry’s house on Pine Street in Society Hill, as Oscar expected, there was no place to park on the street.
“I’ll hop out,” Lisa said.
Oscar double parked and Lisa got out of the truck. Brenda and Larry heard the truck and ran to the door, Brenda meeting her on the sidewalk.
“I’m so happy,” Brenda shouted, grabbing her in a hug. “I was so sad to have to let you go.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Lisa said, hugging her back. “Thank you for the house this weekend.”
A car pulled up behind Oscar’s truck.
“You’d better go. We’ll all get together soon,” Brenda said, letting go of Lisa who ran back to the truck, waving and smiling at the waiting car.
Brenda went back into the house. “Well, they’re back together,” she said. “I dread work on Monday.”
“Why?” Larry asked.
“Well, because his former girlfriend, Corinne is our receptionist, that’s why. I wonder if he told her yet.”
When Oscar made the decision he was going to go to the church to get Lisa on Saturday, he had called Corinne right away. Although his friends knew that Lisa was getting married, no one had the heart to tell Oscar about the wedding, thinking it wouldn’t help the situation.
But Lisa’s father, Ed Penn had had a heart-to-heart with Lisa days before the wedding and found out that she was still in love with Oscar. Ed decided to do an intervention, as he called it. Going straight to Oscar’s motorcycle repair garage on Friday, Ed confronted him, telling him that Lisa loved with him, and that the wedding was at noon the next day.
Stewing about it for hours, Oscar finally remembered Corinne. “I was getting worried,” she said when he called. “You’re usually down here by now on a Friday night.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not coming. I wasn’t sure until just now.”
“What happened?” she asked, but her heart sunk, Brenda having told her about Oscar’s old girlfriend getting married that weekend.
They were having coffee and Brenda decided to tell her about Lisa’s engagement because secretly, she wanted Corinne to tell Oscar, hoping he’d do something about it, confront Lisa, or at least contact her.
“Oscar’s old girlfriend is getting married,” Brenda had said. “I’m just warning you because I’m sure he’s going to be upset when he finds out.”
“Gee thanks, Brenda. I had myself convinced he was over her.”
“I’m sure he is,” Brenda had replied. “But it’s a process, you know? Once he hears, he’ll deal with the news. I just wanted you to know.”
But Corinne never said a word to Oscar about it. He seemed fine, until that Friday. When he didn’t show up, and then the call, she knew they were through.
“Corinne, I’m going to try to get Lisa back. I still love her. You’ve been great. We had some great times, too. I’m not getting over her like I should be. If it doesn’t work out, I’m still not sure you and I would have any kind of future together, and I’ve strung you along long enough.”
Breathing into the phone, Corinne’s emotions ran the gamut. “I don’t feel strung along.”
She waited, but he didn’t respond. “So I guess this is you saying, “Fuck off, Corinne.”
“Sort of,” he replied. “I’m sorry.”
“Fuck off, Oscar,” she said, and hung up.
He didn’t think of Corinne again. On Saturday morning, he got up early, shaved and showered, and waited, drinking coffee and watching the clock. At eleven thirty, he went around to the church and hung out in the parking lot of a small convenience store on Germantown Avenue. It was going to be a nice day for July, the sun bright but not too hot yet. At eleven fifty, he got a text from Ed Penn that he was getting ready to walk Lisa into the church. It was now or never. Oscar started up the bike, pulling in front of the driveway just as Lisa and her father left the parking lot of the church.
Watching her, the shock on her face, and then the joy, kissing Ed and running toward Oscar, he sputtered, laughing and crying at the same time. Lisa threw herself at him. They clung to each other.
“We’d better get away from the church,” she said, and Oscar helped her get on the motorcycle, pulling her dress around so she could hold onto it.
They waved goodbye to Ed before Oscar took off the few blocks toward her row house. Later, Lisa said she knew as they rode down the street that people were moved in some way by the girl in the wedding dress on the back of a bike. She wondered what they were thinking – if it was obvious she was running away from something, or toward it perhaps she and Oscar were headed to their own wedding.
Glancing out the window above his bed, she saw the leafy green tree tops of the woods behind the barn.
“I wish we never had to leave,” she said. “I’d hang out right here.”
But he didn’t want to stay in town. The danger of their friends and family converging with all their questions and advice was a scary threat, so they headed to the shore. Traffic was heavy, the usual shore traffic on a Saturday afternoon. They had the windows down in his truck, and the closer they got to the beach, the stronger the smell of the sea. In her white T-shirt and hair blowing in the wind, she looked like an angel to Oscar.
“Thank you so much,” she said reaching for his hand. “This is perfect. This is exactly what I wanted.”
He took her hand to his lips and kissed it, his facial hair tickling her, familiar and comforting. “We’ll stop at the next store we see and get provisions so we don’t need to leave again. I have no idea what they keep in supply.”
They wandered through the freezing cold air conditioning of the grocery store, hand in hand, putting whatever looked appetizing into their basket. Lingering at the deli counter, they ordered a pound of enough cheese and lunchmeat to last a week. They’d exist on sandwiches and chips and ice cream. Oscar food.
Lisa was in awe. “They have beachfront? Jeesh, must be nice.” Immediately sorry she said it, she was relieved that Oscar didn’t take it wrong, forgetting for a minute that with Oscar, she could say most anything and be herself. It was with Louie that she had to be careful.
“This is when having rich friends come in handy. I know Larry and Brenda worked their asses off. But we can’t all be doctors and lawyers.”
“You are so right,” she said. “It’s not over the top, either. It’s just a nice beach house with a fabulous location.”
They put the groceries away and then Oscar locked the front door. Taking Lisa by the hand, he led her to the back of the house to the bedroom he’s used when he took Corinne there, although he wouldn’t tell Lisa that. After placing their bags on the floor, he turned to her, and kissed her, pulling her shirt up.
“What are you doing?” she asked, giddy with excitement.
“I’m undressing you,” he said. “I think we’ve waited long enough.”
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Terry & Alex ✯ Brenda & Larry ✯ Oscar & Lisa
Suzanne Jenkins Bio Suzanne writes page-turning contemporary romance, mystery, and women's fiction with passionately gripping characters that stay with readers long after they turn the last page. The Detroit Detective Stories, beginning with The Greeks of Beaubien Street are a reflection of American fantasy with historical reality. Pam of Babylon books consistently rank in the Top 100 Best Sellers in American Drama with over 500,000 downloads. A retired operating room nurse, Jenkins lives in Southern California.
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Daisy Bold & Beautiful
Middle-Grade FantasyDate Published: April 2018Publisher: Fresh Ink Group
How difficult is it for new middle-schooler D.J. to be honest with her friends? Could the Greek Goddess of Spring possibly find a way to help?
D.J. and her dad moved far from the small town and only home she ever knew. Now she’s starting middle school in the city with kids she’s never met. She tries to make friends, but they all appear to be slaves to screen time. D.J. just likes to garden, nurturing plants, watching them grow and thrive. It seems she’ll never find a way to fit in, but then she awakens in a gorgeous garden where she meets Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She must be dreaming; her new friend can’t possibly be real—and what could she know about getting along with gamers? D.J. really needs some ideas, or she might never find her own place in a complicated world.
Excerpt
With her big book of myths resting on her chest, D.J.’s eyes were soon drooping shut, and she fought to open them back up. Then they sprang open when she realized she wasn’t in her bed. She was lying on a smooth stone bench in the middle of the most spectacular garden she had ever seen. She sat up with a start and slowly absorbed the majesty that surrounded her. The brilliance brought tears to her eyes.
About the Author
Ellie Collins wrote this debut novel when she was turning eleven and just beginning sixth grade. She wrote amid a very busy extracurricular schedule, including a spot on both a gymnastics team and a trampoline and tumbling team, as well as taking weekly piano lessons. She's an avid gamer who loves hanging out with friends. Her love of Greek mythology inspires her writing.
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