Shelli Stevens's Blog, page 22

I'm home!

Okay, well I actually came back yesterday. But really it's taken me this long to recover enough to blog. And I'm still not sure I'd say I'm fully recovered. Then again I also chaperoned a 60 first graders field trip today. So that knocked me back a peg or two.

Anyway! Onto blog stuff. First, I have to say I can officially share my cover for Command and Control, the second book in my Holding out for a Hero series! Drum roll… ta-da! I'm happy. I think it captures the romance, sensuality, and yet emotional struggles between Megan and Trevor.

And on that note, I also (just tonight) received a review for the first book, Going Down, in the Holding out for a Hero series. Here's a snippet:

"GOING DOWN is a quick read but at no expense to the quality of the story.  …I give GOING DOWN a strong recommendation and encourage anyone who hasn't read any of Shelli Stevens' work to give her a try." Laurie, Romance Junkies

Read the full review here.

And I'd tell you about the conference, but I'm doing that elsewhere So for the scoop on my Emerald City Writers' Conference experience, visit the Bradford Bunch!

Back from the Emerald City conference! Recap!

Okay, well I actually came back yesterday. But really it's taken me this long to recover enough to blog. And I'm still not sure I'd say I'm fully recovered. Then again I also chaperoned a 60 first graders field trip today. So that knocked me back a peg or two.

Anyway! Onto blog stuff. First, I have to say I can officially share my cover for Command and Control, the second book in my Holding out for a Hero series! Drum roll… ta-da! I'm happy. I think it captures the romance, sensuality, and yet emotional struggles between Megan and Trevor.

And on that note, I also (just tonight) received a review for the first book, Going Down, in the Holding out for a Hero series. Here's a snippet:

"GOING DOWN is a quick read but at no expense to the quality of the story.  …I give GOING DOWN a strong recommendation and encourage anyone who hasn't read any of Shelli Stevens' work to give her a try." Laurie, Romance Junkies

Read the full review here.

ECWC Stuff!

Now! Onto a recap of the Emerald City Writers Conference. As you saw in the blog post just a couple below this one, I had an awesome day cruising Puget Sound with industry folks! The rest of the conference was just as fabulous. This is the first conference–probably since my very first one–that I haven't been involved in some way. Or maybe there was one more year, but basically most of the past 8 years at ECWC were spent as a board member or being in a conference position. This year…I was able to attend with little to no responsibilities. Yes, I still helped out a tiny bit, but more just because I wanted to and habit. :P

But I had a great time! Socializing, networking, meeting new and old friends. One highlight was spending almost three hours talking shop and life with Lauren Dane one morning. And then there were the awesome dinners with friends, and the librarian event Thursday where I had the opportunity to not only speak with many fabulous librarians, but also with Barbara Vey from Publishers Weekly. I sang karaoke. I gave a workshop–and pulled it off pretty well, I hope, when my co-presenter was running late and I had to go it solo.

Anyway, I could ramble on and on, but how about I just show some pics? Overall it was a super positive experience!

Lots of agents & Editors

My friends & fellow authors who share Laura Bradford as an agent

Signing at the bookfair

Dinner at PF Changs with lots of fabulous authors!

Romance Divas!!

The Cherry Plotters (we're a monthly plotting group)

I have a bunch more pics on my Facebook page, you can check them out here.

Snippet Saturday ~ First Loves

Today's Snippet Saturday! I'm off at my conference, but I left a fun little snippet with a theme that I personally love. First loves! Check out my excerpt from Dangerous Grounds and then hop to the other blogs listed at the end of the blog!

Something's hot in Seattle, and it's not just the espresso.

The Seattle Steam series

Madison's needs are simple. All she wants are two things: Make Ooo La Latté the newest trend in espresso, and seduce the sexiest cop in Seattle. But things aren't going exactly as planned.

First, Gabe's a little hung up on the fact that she's his best friend's little sister, and he's determined to keep his hands off. Second, her shop gets robbed by the increasingly violent Espresso Bandit, and now she's the only one who can identify him.

Gabe whisks her into hiding for her own protection, but soon finds his heart is under assault by the luscious—and persistent—Madison. But no matter where they hide, danger follows.

On such dangerous grounds, the trick will be to live long enough to keep the flame alive.

Buy ebook

Buy print book

EXCERPT

"Sorry, Gabe. I haven't seen you in a while and am just discovering that being a cop has been good to you." Her gaze drifted down his body again. Tall, muscular, hard. "Very good to you."

He had to have noticed her sexual undertones, but he ignored them and took a drink of the soda in his hand instead.

Doubt pricked at her. Was she way out of her league? He hadn't checked her out once. Madison crossed her arms, feeling a bit self-conscious. It wasn't like she was bad looking. She kept her long brown hair in a trendy cut, adding highlights to bring out the golden flecks in her hazel eyes. Her toned body was the result of several hours a week of spinning classes and strippercize.

She was twenty-five, Gabe six years older than she. It wasn't a tremendous age gap, but in her teen years it had meant that their social circles never crossed. She'd had a crush on him when he'd first moved up to Seattle, but the adoration had ended when he began sporting facial hair and listening to Nirvana.

"Well, I'd better get back inside. Nice to see you again, Maddie." Gabe stepped toward the door.

Tell him to stop, she ordered herself. Ask him out to dinner.

"Nobody calls me Maddie anymore." She winced. Okay, totally blew that one.

"Ah." He gave a humorless smile and opened the sliding glass door to the house. He sounded almost disappointed when he murmured, "You sure have grown up, haven't you?"

He had no idea. Madison darted forward in her Gucci heels, trying not to trip as she intercepted him at the door. She slammed her hand against the glass, blocking his escape.

"I don't know if Eric told you," she began with a sultry smile. "But I'm opening up my own espresso shop. The grand opening is Monday morning."

His eyes held the faintest flicker of surprise, "Really? Who would have guessed…Maddie Phillips, the newest coffee entrepreneur."

"Madison. I know, isn't it great?" She laughed. Her gaze dropped from Gabe's bemused eyes to the hard chest outlined through his Seahawks T-shirt. Swallowing hard as she felt a sudden pressure between her legs, she tore her gaze away and fumbled in her purse for a business card and pen.

She scrawled a hurried note on it and handed it to him. "Here's my card. I've written you a coupon for a free drink. I'll be getting things set up all weekend, so if you drop by I can make you a practice mocha."

"Ooo La Latté. Nice name." He glanced up from the card and started to hand it back to her. "I'm not big on coffee—"

"We also have tea," she interrupted, a little more forcefully than necessary. "And hot chocolate. In any case, it's a free beverage. How can you pass that up?"

He remained quiet for a moment and then nodded. "You're right, I can't. I'll see if I can drop by."

He tucked the card into the back pocket of his jeans. She had to fight the ridiculous urge to ask him to turn around so that she could get a view of his backside.

"I'm going to need a faithful customer base, so you'd better visit me often." She placed a hand on his arm and felt the bulge of his bicep. This man was built.

The image she'd had earlier of a man on top of her altered slightly. The man had a face now and it was Gabe's. Her nipples hardened and she swallowed with difficulty.

This time she didn't miss the flicker of sexual awareness in his gaze, and her pulse sped up.

"After all," she continued, her voice husky. "You've got to support your best friend's little sister."

His eyes narrowed and she knew she'd made a mistake. Great, Madison. She ground her teeth together. Remind him that you're Eric's little sister. That's sure to have him jumping your bones. Time to make an exit—get out of here so it's not so obvious. And leave him with a nice parting view, of course.

"I'm going to grab some of that crab quiche. So yummy! See you this weekend, Gabe." She slid past him, making sure her hip brushed his thigh as she opened the door and went back into the house.

Gabe watched as Madison stepped inside the house, her hips swinging provocatively. He fisted his hands, determined to not act out his primal desire to reach out and smack her ass. But, God, what a nice ass it was, even in those wide-leg pants that women wore nowadays. He shook his head and tried to stop the thoughts that were going where they pretty much shouldn't go.

No way was he getting into bed with Eric's little sister. No matter how nice her ass, or how voluptuous her breasts. Breasts that had been just about falling out of that satiny little top under her blazer.

Enough. Gabe shook his head. If you need to get laid there are plenty of willing women out there. Like Danica down at the station. His mind conjured up the image of the tall redhead and her enormous mouth that put a man's imagination to work. The secretary had made it clear that she'd like to try him on in the bedroom. But even if he had been interested—which he wasn't—she'd already slept with half the cops in his precinct.

His gaze drifted through the door and he spotted Maddie speaking to her dad. She glanced over at the patio. Even though he knew she couldn't see him past the reflection of the glass inside, she raised an eyebrow and her mouth curved into a slow smile.

Gabe's erection strained against his jeans and he cursed the unwanted reaction. She'd never shown any interest in him before, so why now? Well, maybe when she had been a kid. She'd followed him around for a few years after he'd first moved up here, but that had been an adolescent crush.

They hadn't seen each other in years. She'd gone on a trip to Europe after graduating high school, funded by mommy and daddy. It seemed she'd loved Italy so much that she'd decided to stay for a year and work at some café.

Eric had always adored his sister, and would brag about how Maddie knew what she wanted out of life and made sure she got it.

Gabe had agreed with that theory, although taking a somewhat different point of view on how she got it. The girl was flat-out spoiled. Her first car had been a Lexus. When she'd wanted a dog, her parents had one bred for her from a Best in Show winner. And, according to Eric, her prom dress had cost more than some wedding dresses. The fact that she'd gone back to school to get an MBA surprised him, but everything up to that point, and even after, still remained the same.

And now she was back in Seattle. He hadn't even seen her in about six years. Six years ago she'd just been Eric's little sister. Six years ago she hadn't had those breasts. Now she looked and acted like every man's wet dream.

He shook his head. No way was he going to her espresso shop this weekend. It was clear she was offering more than just coffee. He might as well tear up the card now.

The sliding door opened and Eric stepped out.

"What's going on?" Eric came to stand next to him on the balcony. "I saw you catching up with Madison."

"Yeah." Gabe forced a smile. Were his thoughts written all over his face? The dirty ones running rampant in his head about Maddie? The ones Eric would probably be happy to knock him out over if he knew about them? "I guess she doesn't like to be called Maddie anymore."

Eric laughed and took a swig of his beer. "No, she doesn't. My little sister has grown into a sophisticated lady."

Hmm, and it seemed the sophisticated lady was trying to seduce a cop. Wouldn't be the first time. But it couldn't happen with Maddie. No matter how fuckable she looked, she was still Eric's little sister. He could fantasize all he wanted, but the erection stopped there.

Lauren Dane

Shelli Stevens

Shelley Munro

Lissa Matthews

HelenKay Dimon

Vivian Arend

Taige Crenshaw

McKenna Jeffries

Mari Carr

Ashley Ladd

Off to ECWC & pics of Seattle cruise!

Well, I'm heading out to the Emerald City Writers' Conference today! But before I go, I wanted to share some pics from yesterday! I had the most fantastic, blessed opportunity to join authors and an editor/agent on a cruise around Puget Sound on a fabulous GSRWA member's boat.

Wonderfully fantastic time and a gorgeous day!

Book Signing and other good stuff

First, I have to do a little squee because I just returned from the post office where I sent off my Harlequin contract for my book Negligee Behavior to come out with Carina Press! It looks like it'll be a late spring release I've been told!

And on another good news front, I think I'm FINALLY over the cold from hell. Absolutely horrible viral thing going around. Thought for a bit there I had strep throat! Yikes! But I've rounded that corner.

Okay, now as promised, here's the details for the book signing this upcoming Saturday in Bellevue, WA! There'll be a ton of fantastic authors and it's always a lot of fun. Hope to see you there if you're in the area!

We made a difference through social media!

Yesterday was Social Good Day (the bottom line: can social media be used to make the world a better place?). Well Limecello from the Good, Bad, and Unread blog wanted to prove social media could make the world a better place, and decided she would donate $10 to the (RED) campaign if 10 people commented on her blog. But that's when things got a little crazy. In a good way crazy. Authors started offering donations as well if more comments were left. By the time I got involved, the donations...

Blogging on a Thursday

Yes. Blogging on a Thursday IS my attempt at a really clever blog title. Or not.

So it's been a bit of a week. I think it was last week I was oh so proud of myself for finally emptying my desktop trash can on my Macbook. I hadn't done it since I bought the computer two years ago. But then a few days ago I realized there are repercussions. I lost about 2/3 of my Itunes playlist, because at some point I must've put something in the garbage. Goodbye, gone, see ya later! But the good news is I...

Bring on fall

So summer's pretty much gone here. Waking up to foggy mornings with a chill in the air. I kind of like it. Love this time of year. Makes me think of pumpkin patches and cinnamon spices. I wish I was on board the Pumpkin Spice Latte train, but I'm kind of a coffee purist. Just give me black coffee. Cold or hot. Still, love the smell of them. Oddly.

I also like wearing boots, sweaters and scarves. And then in a few weeks, is the Emerald City Writers' Conference (which happens every fall!). I'll ...

Three days off too many

So we're coming off a three day weekend (here in the States anyway). Now my kid just started back in school last Wednesday. So it seemed kind of cruel to give me a taste of three days of freedom, and then send her home for three days again I mean I was really digging my extra gym/writing/whatever time.

Not that I don't love my kid lots, because I do. She's actually pretty fabulous. And we have fun doing things together like hiking, exploring the city, shopping, etc. And just look at how she ...

Snippet Saturday ~ World Building

Welcome to another Snippet Saturday! Today's theme is World Building. When I write, I like to show my characters having fun. Doing something outside the norm. Here's a fun little scene that shows my futuristic world in Need Me (my Kensington release that come out over the summer!). After you read my snippet, be sure to check out the others!

Nika has trained her body into a deadly weapon—the better to take what she wants from any world, especially the well-protected planet Belton. But the m...