Countdown to 2012 contest! Four…
And the countdown continues! Yesterday's winner was…Sue A. Remember, comment everyday for a chance to win one of the daily featured books and to have your name thrown in the hat for the grand prize (a $25 GC to Amazon and a signed book from me).
Four…
Black Jack is the book that Heat Wave built. As you may or may not know, I hang out at the Heat Wave yahoo group with over 200 fantastic readers and the ladies of International Heat. It's a hopping place and a lot of fun if you'd like to join. One day in Heat Wave, a challenge was thrown out. The gals said write a book about a pirate and a woman who slaps him and damn if it didn't spark something for me. Plus…this book gave me a chance to dabble in the first love–historical romance. It was fun to try my hand at the regency period again. Started there with June Girls, but it had been years since I'd tried to write it. Realized…I really do love it.
Chapter One
"Let go of me!"
"Take it easy, lass. Come peacefully and no one will be hurt."
"No one will be hurt because I'm not going anywhere with you."
Black Jack Carlysle tightened his grip on the young woman's arm. He wasn't accustomed to backtalk from any of his subordinates and he sure as hell wasn't going to listen to it from a mere female.
"I don't think you fully understand your position here. My men and I have taken over your ship. Now we're seizing our reward."
"Stealing is more like it. You haven't earned anything on our ship. You're a thief and a heathen and— Ouch! You're hurting my arm!"
"I may be all you say and more, my dear, but the fact remains, I am the captain of this ship and you are part of the spoils of war."
The haughty woman slapped him. Hard. "We'll see about that."
Jack was shocked momentarily. He heard a sharp gasp behind him and knew his men had witnessed her assault. He'd intended to take her below deck and lock her in the room next to his. He knew who she was. As daughter of the territorial governor, she'd fetch a fair price in ransom.
Her blow and fiery rage ignited his temper and his final destination changed as he pushed her toward the ladder that would take them to his cabin.
"You will pay for that, my lady. In my bedroom."
His threat pulled her up short and her struggling ceasing. "You can't be serious. Do you know who I am?"
He chuckled mirthlessly. "I think the question that should be asked is, do you know who I am?"
Her gaze narrowed, drawing his attention to light blue eyes surrounded by thick, long black lashes. Her cheeks were flushed a lovely pink due to anger and exertion. Her breathing had accelerated, each hastily inhaled breath thrusting her full breasts forward. She'd fill his hands nicely.
Black Jack is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.
Three Reasons Why holds a bit of a record for me. It was the book that sat on my computer the longest without being published. Why? Because the first incarnation of the story was rejected back in the spring of 2009. I actually submitted this book before Everything Nice (if you need a frame of reference). LOL. Truth be told, it should have been rejected. It sucked. And I always knew I would rewrite it, but (and I think any author will tell you this) it's hard to go back to a story that in your mind has been told and is finished. I basically had to forget the whole story and re-imagine it. It took time to do that. In the first version, Jill was a huge bitch with daddy issues and Wes came across as an unlikeable asshole. SO…they were scrapped and made over. Second time was a charm and I'm so much happier with this version of the story. I cried when I wrote it. Jill's issues broke my heart.
Prologue – Three Reasons Why
Christmas
"Are you all right?" Jill Harper asked when Wes began fidgeting in his chair. No doubt he was uncomfortable due to the injuries he'd sustained in his last DEA mission. Simply thinking of how badly Wes had been hurt sent a cold chill through her. She could have lost him. Then she pushed the thought away. Hell, he wasn't hers to lose.
"Yeah," Wes answered. "Just bored."
They were celebrating the holidays with Jill's sister Kate and Wes' best friend Rick. Unfortunately, the revelry had been curtailed for a little while—two hours' worth of a little while—when Kate and Rick escaped upstairs to open their last gifts in private. Jill was finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the sexual sounds emanating from the upstairs bedroom. She'd like to say she was annoyed, but actually she was uncomfortably hot.
Fuck. She was horny as hell.
Wes' fingers thumped against his cast absentmindedly. "How about you and me go rustle up some breakfast? I'm starving."
Jill jumped out of her chair, grateful for Wes' suggestion. She'd cook. That might help beat down her building arousal, even though, God knew, she should be used to the sizzling physical reaction she suffered whenever she was with Wes.
"Sounds good." She crossed the room and offered Wes a hand to help him up. With his broken leg and ribs, rising was still difficult. He grimaced as she approached and she knew he was tired of being helpless. Wes was an active, strong man. Relying on her help—as well as Kate's and Rick's—was rubbing against the grain. Hopefully, the healing would happen fast and life could go back to normal.
They'd been together way more than usual lately and it was throwing Jill for a loop. She'd always recognized the slight tug of attraction when it came to Wes Robson, but lately it didn't feel like a tug as much as a hurricane-force wind blowing at her back, shoving her none too gently toward the man.
Three Reasons Why is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Sony.
Today's books are pretty different as far as genres go. Black Jack is erotic BDSM/historical, while Three Reasons Why is a contemporary and a bit of a tear jerker. What is your favorite genre to read?
