March Madness Week 3
This month, I’m participating in a March Madness Hop! There are lots of awesome authors participating and some really amazing prizes. Click on the banner above and it will take you to the blog homepage.
The contest runs from now until the end of March, so I’m filling in my own little 2013 bracket. Here’s the game…each Tuesday, I will pit two of my 2013 releases against each other, sharing blurbs, covers and excerpts. All you have to do is choose YOUR winner…select the book you think sounds the best based on what I’ve provided. If you’ve read the books and want to vote that way…that’s cool too. I will choose a winner from each week’s commenters at random and that person will win their choice of ebook from my backlist. That’s right! One prize a week. Four winners this month!
Week two’s winner is Twyla B.!
So…without further ado…here are the week 3 contestants…
Contestant 1 – Winter’s Thaw
Compass Girls, book 1
Sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan. Sometimes it’s better.
Sienna Compton has it all figured out. Her life’s goals are set and it is all systems go. At least, it was. Until her long-time boyfriend Josh threw a ringer into the master plan, requesting a “break” from their relationship. Now she’s left alone during the long, cold Wyoming winter, questioning what her heart has always believed to be true love.
Daniel Lennon is facing an uncertain future. When a tragic accident leaves him unable to pursue his career as a professional bull rider, he finds himself at Compass Ranch, working to help Sienna’s father, Seth, build his horse breeding business. One look at Sienna has Daniel envisioning things he never imagined wanting—a permanent home, love, marriage—and he’s willing to use all the red-hot tricks in his sexual arsenal to melt the ice surrounding Sienna’s broken heart.
When lust turns to genuine emotion, can Daniel convince Sienna to take a chance on something different and unexpected? Can he persuade her to consider a new path, one that will lead her directly to his arms…forever?
Product Warnings
Roping and riding, past and future, cold winter and fiery desire, lust and love all come together in this new Compass series. Saddle up and hang on. The Comptons are back!
Winter’s Thaw is available from Samhain, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Excerpt:
Daniel lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. He refused to look at his clock again. At last check—no more than five minutes earlier—it had been midnight. He’d ticked off every hour since he’d crawled into bed at nine and he was still no closer to finding sleep.
Eventually, sheer exhaustion was going to have to win out. God knew he couldn’t keep going at this rate. It had been a week since he’d kissed Sienna in the stable. He would have tried to steal more than a few heated kisses from her, but Sienna pulled away when they’d heard someone enter the stable.
Daniel shuddered to think how close Seth had come to catching them. Even though they were standing a proper distance away from each other when Seth approached, he still sensed his boss was suspicious. For one thing, Sienna’s face had been flushed, her gaze roaming everywhere to avoid her father’s questioning stare. She may as well have stamped the word guilty on her forehead.
Since then, Seth had kept a very close eye on where he was and who he was with. Not that Seth had needed to be on his guard. Sienna was doing a good enough job staying away from him without her father’s interference. He hadn’t caught more than a glimpse of her when she came home from work each day. She’d stopped eating dinner with the family and even eschewed riding her beloved mare, Maria.
According to Doug, Sienna was depressed over Josh. Daniel knew that reaction was natural, but it didn’t stop him from wishing she’d open her eyes and see him as a suitable replacement.
“Screw that,” he muttered. He didn’t intend to replace Josh. He wanted to erase him from Sienna’s thoughts forever. He wasn’t sure when his intentions had changed, but somewhere along the way, he’d stopped hoping to just get into Sienna’s pants. Lately, he’d been thinking it might be nice to find a way into her life, but that didn’t seem possible.
For one thing, she’d just gotten out of a relationship. There was no way she was ready to hop right back into one. And secondly, he’d heard her conversation with Josh. They hadn’t broken up—not officially. They’d just taken a timeout. Daniel didn’t think Sienna would let the idiot come back, but, well, dammit, he wasn’t sure.
He released an annoyed breath and forced his eyes shut. He’d never fall asleep at this rate. He tried to clear his mind of Sienna Compton completely.
A knock sounded on his door.
“What the hell?”
He listened again, wondering if he’d imagined it or if it was the cold winter wind knocking a branch against the trailer.
Another knock. Someone was definitely outside.
He rose and slipped on a pair of sweatpants. Opening the door slowly, he was surprised to find Sienna, wrapped in a coat and shivering.
“Sienna? Get in here. It’s freezing out there.”
She quickly climbed the three stairs, passing him as he closed the door.
“Is something wrong?” He couldn’t imagine there was anything—short of bad news—that would bring her to his trailer at this time of night.
She shook her head. “N-no. Everything’s fine.”
“Okay. That’s good.”
She didn’t bother to explain more. Instead, she shrugged off her coat. Underneath she was dressed in a little slip of a nightgown. He hadn’t realized until that moment that her legs were bare. She’d walked all the way over here in a bit of silk and slippers. Obviously she was paying for the decision, given her uncontrollable shivering.
“Jesus, Sienna. What the hell are you wearing? Or not wearing? You’ll be lucky if you don’t get frostbite.”
She rubbed her hands together, blowing on them for heat. “This was a lot s-sexier when my cousins and I p-planned it from the warmth of my bedroom.”
“Sexy?” Her words hit him like a sledgehammer to the forehead. “Did you come over here to sleep with me?”
Her cheeks were red from the cold, but even so, her blush enhanced the color. “If you h-have to ask, then it’s s-safe to say I’m not doing s-so well.”
He laughed. He couldn’t help it. She was here because she wanted to have sex with him? He’d never been offered such a delectable frozen treat. Unfortunately, she mistook his response.
She reached for her coat, intent on putting it back on. “This was a mistake.”
“Oh, hell no. No mistake.” He pulled the coat away from her and tossed it onto his couch. Then he tugged her into his embrace, trying to infuse her trembling form with some of his own body heat. He rubbed her back lightly.
“You’re warm,” she murmured against his chest.
“And your hands are like ice cubes.”
“Sorry.” She tried to step away, but he stopped her, gripping her wrists. He placed her palms on his chest, holding them there.
“Don’t pull away. Let me warm you up.”
They stared at each other for a few hushed moments, as Daniel allowed his gaze to travel over her silky nightie.
“Say something,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “No. You first. Ask me, Sienna. Ask me to touch you, to take you. I promised I wouldn’t do that until—”
“Touch me,” she interrupted.
Daniel didn’t wait for her to say more.
VERSUS
Contestant 2 – Behind the Scenes
Part One: Behind the Scenes
Ready or not! Here they come! Three red hot short stories–all taking place on the Scoundrels stage. And they’re a steal at only .99 cents. The first installment, Behind the Scenes, is available now at Smashwords, Amazon and Barnes and Noble with Under the Lights and Over the Threshold coming later in 2013. Revisit Jack, Emma, Shea and Travis from Black Jack and White Knight!
Fantasy…Reality…Action!
Becca Preston, bartender at Scoundrels, learned very early in life that men—especially actors—were not to be trusted. Daughter of one of Hollywood’s hottest leading men, Becca spent most of her life dealing with her father’s other role—king of infidelity. As a result, Becca has one hard and fast rule. Don’t date actors.
When Parker Banks met Bec, he was a struggling actor who worked as a waiter at Scoundrels to make ends meet. Though he wanted to move them out of the “just friends” realm, Becca refused, claiming actors untrustworthy.
After catching a break on the Scoundrels stage, Parker’s acting career skyrockets. However, while he’s achieving all his goals professionally, there’s still one dream he hasn’t realized. Claiming Becca’s heart.
This short story is part one of a trilogy of stories about Becca and Parker’s romance and it is connected to the Scoundrels series available now at Ellora’s Cave. Approximate word count is 6K words
Excerpt:
“What are you doing here?”
He stood directly in front of her. Close enough that she could smell the light scent of his shampoo and detect the slightest trace of peppermint on his breath. “Acting.”
His answer was too pat, too simple. “Isn’t this sort of taking a huge step backwards, Hollywood?”
He shook his head. “No. When Emma described the role to me, I had to have the part, had to claim opening night.”
“You might come to regret that request. Angie broke her ankle. I’m filling in.”
His smile grew and realization dawned hard.
“Angie didn’t fall, did she?”
Parker shrugged as Becca struggled to take a deep breath. What were he and Emma up? What were they trying to achieve?
“I see. I think Emma should find another—”
Parker grasped her face in his hands, tugging her closer. “You’re not going anywhere, but on that stage, Bec.”
Her lungs seized at the thought of acting out her private fantasy with the man who actually starred in them night after night.
He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “I’ve missed you.”
She couldn’t help it. She scoffed. “Yeah. Every time I turn around, the tabloids are proclaiming how lonely you are with the current Miss Drop Dead Gorgeous Blonde. I imagine it’s been pretty rough for you.”
Parker didn’t take offense at her snide comment. “I see you’re still a smart ass. Nice to know that hasn’t changed.”
“I’m not doing this.”
Parker stroked her cheek, the touch an incredible blend of comfort and seduction. Becca’s nipples tightened and her stomach clenched. Then he pushed her back against the closed dressing room door. “You’re wrong. You are.”
SO…place your bets in the comments section. Simply say contestant 1 or contestant 2. If you want to explain your vote, that’s fun too. I will announce this week’s winner on March 26, along with the final pair of contestants.
