First Page Friday ~ Karen M COX

My guest today is Karen M Cox and she's brought with her today a unique variation of our favourite Pride & Prejudice couple, Elizabeth and Darcy. This adventure is set in a more modern time - towards the end of the official cold war era before the Eastern Wall was torn down. Emotions ran high. Spies lurked in dark corners and sometime on your very own street. Loads of intrigue and I'm sure Ms. Cox has captured it all in her delightful mystery, UNDECEIVED.

Blurb:

“...if I endeavor to undeceive people as to the rest of his conduct, who will believe me?”

-Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 40

Elizabeth Bennet, a rookie counterintelligence officer, lands an intriguing first assignment—investigating the CIA's legendary William Darcy, who is suspected of being a double agent.

Darcy’s charmed existence seems at an end as he fights for his career and struggles against his love for the young woman he doesn’t know is watching his every move.

Elizabeth’s confidence dissolves as nothing is like she planned—and the more she discovers about Darcy, the more she finds herself in an ever-tightening web of danger.

Unexpected twists abound in this suspenseful Cold War era romance inspired by Jane Austen’s classic tale.


First Page:

Prologue

East Berlin, GDR

October 1982

His vision began to darken. He heard shouts again, a man’s, no… there was a female voice in the mix, but he lacked the brainpower to muster a care for who it was. Was it English he heard? Or was his mind, so inured to translating, automatically interpreting the German? He was tired, so tired, but if he could only rest a while, he could recruit some strength and get…where? Ah yes, West Berlin.

The voices grew even as his consciousness faded. His mouth tried to form words like “over here” or “help me.” But nothing came out except more blood—from his side, from his shoulder, from his hand. There were pinpricks behind his eyelids again, moving faster like a giant kaleidoscope, and the world continued to melt away. He felt movement when he slumped out of the pantry door and cursed when someone pushed him back up to a sitting position.

“Come on. Wake up, old chap! We’re getting you out of here. Stay with me. My car is right outside.”

“USBER. Hurry.” His speech slurred as if he’d been on a three-day drunk.

“Yes, straight across the border.”

His lips twitched. “Fitz?”

“I’m here. You’re going to be fine. Hang on.”

William Darcy forced his eyes open, but it wasn’t Fitz he saw in front of him.

“You arrogant bastard,” she said in a clipped tone. “What don’t you understand about ‘stay put’? We’ve been looking for you for flipping ever! You’re damn lucky Fitz remembered the location of this safe house.”

“Hi, little cutie. What are you doing here?” His head lolled about on his shoulders.

“I’m saving your overconfident, egotistical hide.”

“Aww, honey, don’t nag. Hey, how you gonna get us out of this one? How good is your German?” He grinned, inwardly laughing at the asinine situation in which he’d found himself.

“You know it’s damn good, danke. And I’m going to get us out of here ’cause, unlike you, I’ve got my ducks in a row,” she quipped then gasped as she drew back her hand, covered in his blood. “Holy shit!” She stared at her blood-soaked fingers. Apparently, he’d bled through his last attempt at a bandage. She heaved him toward her and ran her hands over his torso, assessing the damage as he groaned again.

“Fitz”—she spoke with a forced calm—“find something to check this. We’ve got to get him out of here. And there had better be a medical team waiting as soon as we get across the border.”

Fitz disappeared and returned with a couple of musty towels, one of which she slipped under Darcy’s armpit and tied firmly.

“Good god, woman!” he said through gritted teeth.

“I have to stop the bleeding.”

“If you put a tourniquet on there, I’m liable to lose my damn arm!”

“Stop being such a baby. It’s not that tight.”

“Is…too.” He was losing the burst of alertness fostered by the hope of rescue and the pain in his shoulder.

She tried to pull his shirt up to see, but it was stuck to the side wound. Looking at it, she sat back, horrified.

“Bad?” he whispered.

“Not so bad.”

“Liar,” he murmured. Over her shoulder, she spoke in a low voice. “We have to go—now.”

What a fabulous kick start! Yet another book to add to my virtually teetering TBR pile. Thank you Karen for stopping by. I can't wait to read the rest and try and solve the mystery.

First Page Friday - Sue BARR

Hello dear readers. This week I stole the spotlight for my own contemporary romance, Fiance for Hire, a quick novella I had a blast writing.

Book Blurb:

Never tell a bold faced lie - unless you can follow through with flawless precision....

Kristen Wainwright was dumped in the most humiliating way possible and to add insult to injury, her ex-boyfriend has taken up with the office mean queen, Janine. Unable to tolerate the snide comments and subtle insults Kristen, in a moment of weakness, tells Janine that 'yes, she's coming to the Christmas gala' and 'yes, she's bringing someone' - her new fiancé. Now all she has to do is find one.

How hard can that be?

First Page:

Dear Diary:

 Jeremy made reservations at La Crème, the place where our very first date took place four years ago. For months he’s been dropping hints about how he has to ‘look to his future’ and ‘get that promotion’. He’s going to propose, I know it in my bones. It’s only logical. What shows more willingness for responsibility than marriage, a white picket fence, and kids?

 I can barely stand it.

 I closed the diary and hugged it to my chest. Unable to contain my excitement I jumped off the bed and ran to my closet. Only the very best would do as it wasn’t every day a girl became engaged. Clothes were raked back and forth across the rail, my despair mounting as outfit after outfit was discarded. Too frilly, too young, too drab, too homespun.

I had nothing to wear.

“Good gravy, Kristen. Are you purging your closet?” Grandma Joy paused in the doorway to my room. “I can barely see your bed.”

“No Grams. I’m trying to find something to wear Friday night.”

“After four years, I think he’s seen everything.” Grams said with a shake of her head and dropped fresh linen at the end of my bed. “What’s wrong with that nice dress you wore to Ruthie’s wedding?”

“Grams,” I rolled my eyes and pushed aside a beige top, followed by a brown sweater and shuddered. What was I thinking when I bought these blah, boring clothes? “That was over two years ago and this night is special. I need something with a wow factor of ten.”

“I don’t know why you think you have to change who you are for that boy…” Grams let the sentence hang, her displeasure evident by her tone of voice. “You looked beautiful in that dress.”

I cast a glance over my shoulder and noted Grams stood with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed in frustration.

“Thanks, Grams, but I think you’re biased.” As always, my heart tugged at her words. Grams raised me from the time I was born. My mom and dad died in a car accident when I was only a few months old.

“Well, it’s the truth,” she said as she walked out of my room. “He should be thankful for what he already has in you. Don’t be too long, dinner is in ten minutes.”

“I’ll be right down,” I promised and continued shoving clothes back and forth.

My imagination reached a fever pitch and as I ate I practiced my new name, Kristen Elaine Wainwright-Danvers. Hmmm…maybe I wouldn’t hyphenate it. Kristen Elaine Danvers had a nice flow.

Hello, have you met my husband, Jeremy Danvers? And he would say with pride, this is my wife, Kristen.

Visions of intertwined initials on the wedding train filled my head - J & K. I’d have day lilies in my bouquet, the bridesmaids would wear something in soft pink and Jeremy and his groomsmen would be handsome in deep blue tuxes. We’d dance our first dance while friends blew bubbles around us. Everything would look magical in our wedding videos.

Oh dear... we all know how that's going to turn out. Good thing for me, otherwise there would have been NO story! This all came about because of one line that kept running through my head. "I have a fabulous idea." Funny how one tiny phrase bears fruit in the form of a fun, romantic comedy.

Have a wonderful weekend, until then, 

First Page Friday ~ Sue BARR

Man of Her Dreams is the second contemporary novel I self-published after I exited the traditional publishing world and launched my own career.

Blurb:

Making it in a mans' world as a home renovation expert is tough, but Lindsay Swanson is up for the job, leaving no time for family and friends, let alone any kind of social life.

Jared Kane moved to Ravenwood for some much needed peace and quiet to finish his next book, which is hard to do when he's hired his sexy neighbor to renovate his kitchen.

Things start to heat up between the two neighbors until Lindsay overhears Jared talking about her notebook. A notebook wherein she and her BFF - after one too many bad dates and one too many glasses of wine - concocted a checklist of the perfect guy.

Is Jared the real deal, or has he been molding himself into the man of her dreams to sneak past her defenses?




First Page:

Lindsay Swanson turned into the Food Mart parking lot and pulled to a stop near the entrance. Waves of heat shimmered from the hood of the truck, making the near empty parking lot look like a Saharan mirage. Sweat trickled down the side of her temple and she swiped it away before twisting her hair into a Ravenwood Hooligan’s ball cap.

She climbed out of the truck and a fluttering movement caught her eye. With a sigh she peeled a rogue piece of drywall tape off her tee-shirt. When you owned your own renovation business, things got messy.

Through the front window she spotted one of the cashiers working a check-out line and groaned. Just her luck, Carla would be working today. Now everyone in town would know how pathetic her life was. She could hear her now. Poor Lindsay, she only bought a loaf of bread.  No one to cook for...

For a brief moment, she considered hopping back into her truck and driving to her parent’s farm for a home cooked meal. Mom wouldn’t mind an extra body at the table, but Lindsay wasn’t up for the subtle guilt that would be sprinkled throughout the meal.

Over a savory pot roast, Mom would say, ‘A few grandchildren would be nice while we can enjoy them – without assistance from a walker.’ Or, ‘When are you going to find a nice young man?’ Lindsay would always remind her that she had a business to run. Finding a man and having a family wasn’t a top priority right now.

First Page Friday ~ Sue BARR

This was the first manuscript I ever sold in 2010. In 2014 I received my publishing rights back for ATP and seven other publications. In 2015 I re-published According to Plan under my own name (after taking out the naughty bits...). Today, I'm sharing the first page from Tank and Shelby's story.

Blurb:

Shelby Stewart's been hired for the biggest case of her career. Locate missing socialite Harrison Grant. To complicate matters, her estranged husband lands on her doorstep. He's also on the hunt for Harrison, albeit for a completely different reason. Harry is the prime suspect in the grisly murder of a call girl in L.A.

Agent Jake Steele, aka Tank, is deep undercover as a P.I., and sometimes there's collateral damage in his line of work. His marriage to Shelby is one of them. With her life in danger, he lets her think he left for another woman. When this case is over, he means to win back the heart and trust of Shelby, the only woman he's ever loved.

However, there's another person who has their eye on Shelby and will stop at nothing to possess her.

From an attempted kidnapping to an explosion with deadly consequences, this is not your average missing person's case.

First Page:

A hint of rain lingered in the air without breaking the stifling heat. Seated in my office, which I’m sure was a broom closet in a former life, sweat threatened to trickle down the inside of my bra. I hated being cooped up on days like this and longed to be outside. At least if I was on the job, I could duck into a coffee shop for some air-conditioned relief, but long overdue paperwork threatened to topple off my desk. Despairing this day would never end, freedom arrived with the ringing of my desk phone. I pounced on it like a cat with a new toy.

“Stewart Agencies. This is Shelby.”

“Our son is missing,” a deep, modulated voice said with no preamble.

 I found that odd, but with the angst that rides alongside a missing family member the man obviously did not want to waste precious time. I grabbed a note pad and asked, “How old is your son, Mr...?

“Grant. Raymond Grant. Harrison is thirty.”

I fell against the back of my chair, admittedly stunned by the caller’s identity. Raymond Thurston Grant was one of our state’s more influential political insider, a behind the scenes kind of guy. It was rumored he even had the ear of the President. Harrison, the spoiled chubby little cherub, was his only son. How could he be missing? My take on Harrison was that he wouldn’t stray far from the family home, or more specifically, the family money. Plus, mommy’s apron strings only stretched so far. Still….

“How long has he been missing?”

“I don’t have time for small talk, Miss Stewart. Be at our home in forty-five minutes.”

Before I could reply, Mr. Grant hung up.

 There you go. I hope you enjoyed this vignette.

Review ~ Man of Her Dreams

Man of Her Dreams, one of my three contemporary novels, received a lovely review I had to share.

REVIEW: I love contemporary books, and there's something about small town romance that really attracts me to them. This book was one such story. I liked it right from the beginning!

Jared Kane really was the perfect man - he owned a Ducati (sexy!), he had a fit body (waggles eyebrows), and he was a normal guy. I wouldn't know how to explain the last one, but he was a great guy. I'd totally want a guy like him in my life (please).

"Oh for Pete's sake." Lindsay stomped over to Jared, grabbed the towel out of her bag and sat beside him, glaring at everyone around the circle. "Grow a pair. You'd think I was a child."
"Tough crowd." He bumped her shoulder and said in a low voice, "You like my kisses."
"That's all you got out of this?"
"Well, yeah. That one kind of stood out."

Lindsay was the kind of woman I would admire. She was strong, independent, but also a relatable woman. She was a puddle of nerves around Jared, which was just so adorable. 

Besides the chemistry between Jared and Lindsay, I loved the supporting characters. Lindsay's friendship with Tina was something I wish I had as well, and Lindsay's relationship with her family was something I envied. Anyway, they were all amazing. Lindsay's other brother was funny because he liked to eat...A LOT!

"Get your mind out of the gutter, geez. Ever since you became pregnant, you've become a walking, talking hormone."

One thing that I did like about this story was the purity ring. I wouldn't go into detail, but that was quite the twist and I did enjoy that. 

There was so many aspect of this book that I enjoyed, but if I reveal any more, then you wouldn't want to read the book. So, just take my word for it and trust me that this book was such a joy to read. I honestly just wanted to read it and forget about everything else.

"Oh sugar. The ball has some heat."  

The link for the complete review can be found HERE

To purchase this book, visit my page HERE

FIRST KISS FRIDAY

For fun, I thought I'd share the first kiss between my characters Shelby Stewart-Steele and her estranged husband, Jake Steele (aka Tank) from ACCORDING TO PLAN. Now, what you don't know is that he left her high and dry with nary a word for almost a year. Is she mad at him? Yup. Does she still love him? Yup. Is she mad that she still love him? You betcha.

Shelby has seen that Jake is coming into her place of business and decides to hightail it out the rear of the building. As we find out throughout the book, not everything she does goes ACCORDING TO PLAN.

I blew out the rear door and had gone almost three steps when strong hands grabbed and twirled me around. I kicked and wriggled until he put me down. About to have an adult conversation - oh heck, I was going to yell at him - he bent down and rocked his lips over mine. Anything I might have said, or thought melted with the liquid fire spreading through my limbs. I ached to sink into his familiar embrace until my brain finally kicked in gear and I pushed against his chest. I may as well have shoved a brick wall.

"Get off me."

"Is that anyway to say hello to your husband?" With one arm around my waist, he dipped his head and attempted to steal another kiss.

I executed a quick side step taught to me by my dad and twisted out of his arms and his lips met nothing but air. I took a small step back and ignored the rapid tattoo of my heart. Tank had a way of making me forget things, like breathing.

Oh no - do you hate him? Well, before you dig in your heels and get all mad... here's the blurb.

Jake Steele, aka Tank, walked away from his wife Shelby and their business without explanation. One year later, Shelby's hired for the biggest case of her career, locate missing socialite, Harrison Grant. To complicate matters further, Tank lands on her doorstep. He's also on the hunt for Harrison, albeit for a completely different reason. Harry is the prime suspect in the grisly murder of a call girl in L.A.

Agent Jake Steele is deep undercover as a P.I., and sometimes there's collateral damage in his line of work. His marriage to Shelby is one of them. With her life in danger, he had to let her think he left for another woman. When this case is over, Tank means to win back the heart and trust of Shelby, the only woman he's ever loved.

But, there's another person who has their eye on Shelby and will stop at nothing to possess her. From an attempted kidnapping to an explosion with deadly consequences, this is not your average missing person's case.

FIRST KISS FRIDAY

Several of my writer friends post cute snippets from their stories featuring the first kiss between the hero and heroine. Although my blog lately has been dedicated to Regency Romance, I thought I'd share the first kiss between Lindsay and Jared, found between the pages of 'MAN OF HER DREAMS'.

 Lindsay's been hired by Jared to renovate his kitchen. He never expected her to renovate his heart and life as well.

Enjoy.

      A week later, Lindsay had a rough plan drawn up for Jared’s renovation. Held down on the counter with soup cans on each corner to stop the edges from rolling back up, they both studied the design outline.

“We agreed to take out this wall.” She waved in the direction of the wall separating the kitchen from the living room. “I’ll lay an ‘I’ beam to support the second floor, or if you like, I can put some type of decorative column for load bearing.”

“I like the idea of columns, but whatever you think is best for this space.” He speculated what kind of shampoo she used. Something with citrus, he was sure of it.

“What kind of cabinets do you want?”

“Hmmmm?” A little bit of floral, or was that her perfume?

“Cabinets. What type of wood do you want?”

The look on her face made him wonder how many times she’d asked the question while he’d day dreamed about her hair, her body.... Pierre was right. He was acting like a ravenous wolf, but in her denim shirt, figure-hugging blue jeans and steel toed boots, she looked almost good enough to eat.

Just a taste. He only wanted a taste of her sweet lips.

A hint of pink began to slide up her neck from beneath the collar of her shirt and he realized he’d been staring at her mouth.

Pull it together Kane. She isn’t Red Riding Hood, but her lips would probably taste like...

“Honey.”

“Did you just call me ‘honey’?” The pink darkened and her cheeks began to take on a rosy hue.

“Maple. I’d like honey maple for the cabinets.”

Inside his head he cringed. He hated honey maple, preferring a richer wood color. Now he’d have to live with the yellow toned wood forever. All because his hormones were taking a walk through the enchanted forest.

Her eyebrows raised a notch and she said, “Maple is great for kitchens, but a honey tone wouldn’t match the décor of the rest of your house.”

“You’re right. Let’s scrap that suggestion.”

That was close.

She scribbled in her notebook and then set it down. Immediately, he recognized the coil bound book and remembered the checklist. ‘As creative in the bedroom as he is in the kitchen’, came to mind and given where his mind had just been that was a dangerous path to tread.

“I thought we’d go with a dark cappuccino for lower cabinets, and a soft cream for the uppers. That would keep the room bright, yet elegant,” she said, making a small notation on the design.

He ran an experienced eye over the plans and mentally envisioned what she suggested. He liked the concept for his new kitchen, without honey maple cabinets. She had talent and DeVane would be a fool not to hire her for his development, although he didn’t like the idea of that randy Irishman anywhere near her.

“What about the island? Do you have any suggestions for that?” He brought his mind back to the task at hand, which was renovating his kitchen. Not worrying about DeVane. Not fantasizing about kissing his new contractor. And especially not about fulfilling a few items on her checklist.

“Keep the base dark, with a light counter to contrast and two squared columns, here and here.” She pointed out where she’d outlined where the columns would be placed. “If this were my kitchen, I’d have granite counter tops.”

“I like the idea of this whole space being opened up.” He shifted the plans so he could look at them closer. “I could place some under counter bar stools at the island for when friends come over.”

“That’s the whole idea. While you’re busy in the kitchen, you can still visit and not miss all the fun.” She turned to face him, her eyes bright with enthusiasm.

“By the time this renovation is completed, I might have someone in my life. Maybe a wife and the little woman would do that for me so I can stay out of the kitchen. Remember. I’m the barbeque guy.”

A look of fake horror broke out on her face at his sexist remark. He loved the fact she had a sense of humor.

“Ha! If you’re a good husband, you’d help your wife in the kitchen.” She poked him on the shoulder. “It takes two to make a marriage work—” Abruptly, she broke off in an awkward silence.

He had an instant vision of him and Lindsay, working side by side, making sure their guests were having fun. He waited for the kernel of panic to set in whenever he thought about his future being tied up with one person, but it never came.

She started to back away and without hesitation he reached for her. Her eyes had an endearing edge of vulnerability to them and his heart squeezed. Oh yeah, this one was definitely trouble.

~~~~~

He invaded her space, closing the distance between them, lifting his hand and taking her chin in his fingers. “Trouble”, was the only word she heard before his mouth claimed hers. The kiss rocketed through her body all the way down to her toes.

She curled her fingers into his shirt, intending to push him away, but somehow, they spread open and moved up to his broad shoulders. He pulled her close and changing the angle of his mouth, deepened the kiss. His fingers tangled in her hair and she heard moaning.

Her moans. When had she ever moaned while being kissed?

Never, but then she’d never been kissed like this before. Slowly he pulled back and touched his forehead to hers while they both caught their breath.

“I’ve wanted to do that for days,” he said, his voice as gravelly as a dirt road.

“Only days?” she murmured and looked up. She’d wanted him to kiss her for weeks.

“I lied.” His eyes glittered darkly. “It’s been months.”

He swooped in for another hot kiss. When his hands began to roam across her body, touching her in places that ached for more and turned her blood into molten lava, for one teensy moment she considered letting go.

“Wait,” she mumbled against his lips, pushing gently away from him.

Friday with Friends ~ Jenna Victoria

Who is Jenna Victoria, Author?

Her family's claim to fame is a maternal grandfather who co-created Twinkies, Snowballs and Hostess cupcakes (with the white swirl) for Intercontinental Baking Company, circa 1950's. Since one of those involves chocolate, it's all good.

Jenna writes books for readers who enjoy sweet compelling romances, and also for those who look for her "fiction that feeds your faith" titles - happily-ever-after romance and romantic suspense stories with a Christian worldview.

About the Book:

From Homeless to Heartache, Bookkeeper Mollie Wright knows about living on the streets, and her purchase of sweet Lilac Cottage is a dream come true. She is determined to stay and fight when a legal error puts her ownership at risk.

 Attorney Sean Grady never wanted his great-aunts to sell their cottage in Westchester County, New York, so when a paperwork snafu puts the deal on hold, he moves swiftly to evict the pretty, feisty squatter. Mollie finds unexpected allies in Grady Cove neighbors and a member of Sean's own family but knows the clock is ticking.

Will a theft and her past secrets force a showdown to heartache, or will Mollie and Sean discover home is where your heart is?

BUY LINKS:  Book | Audiobook

Thanks for visiting my blog. Take care, and remember to hug someone you love today.

Tidbit Tuesday

My first book ever published was According to Plan, a contemporary romantic suspense. Heavy on the romance, light on the suspense. I thought I'd share a brief snippet where I exercised my descriptive narrative muscle. I hope you enjoy.

BUY LINK



Tidbit Tuesday - June 13

Not only is it Tidbit Tuesday, but it's also my baby's 33rd birthday. Not much of a baby, standing at 6'3", but he'll always be my baby.

I share this tidbit from MAN OF HER DREAMS available on AMAZON

Friday 56 #1

Welcome to Friday 56, where you go to page fifty-six of either a work in progress, or one of your published works and share a scene or the whole darn page, like I did with this scene from Man of Her Dreams:

Yeah, she'd want the white picket fence and all the trimmings. She may not realize it, but she was a future PTA mom and would be good at it.

He opened the door and threw his keys into a bowl on the table. His cell phone vibrated and he glanced at the call display. Briefly he toyed with the idea of not answering, but Daran usually didn't call this late.

"Hey, Daran, what's up?"

"First off, the pages look great."

Unease coiled down his back when a long pause followed. "Why do I feel like the axe is about to fall?"

"How soon can you be in New York?"

"What do you mean, how soon?"

"Like tomorrow morning? Say five a.m."

"What?" He visualized Daran pacing the floor.

"I've snagged you a slot on Good Morning America and they're going to feature 'Nowhere to Hide', but it's a last-minute cancellation, and you have to be here for tomorrow morning.

They spent the next few minutes discussing itinerary and Daran forwarded him details for his boarding pass. Not only had Daran gotten him on Good Morning America, but he'd also arranged appearances on two or three talk shows while in New York. In frustration he realized he'd be gone about four day.

He should have kissed her.

Making it in a man’s world as a home renovation expert is tough, but Lindsay Swanson’s up for the job, leaving no time for family and friends, let alone any kind of social life.

Jared Kane moved to Ravenwood for some much needed peace and quiet to finish his next book, which is hard to do when he’s hired his sexy neighbor to renovate his kitchen.

Then Lindsay overhears Jared talking about her notebook. A notebook wherein she and her BFF – after one too many bad dates and one too many glasses wine – concocted a checklist of the perfect guy. Is Jared the real deal, or has he been molding himself into the man of her dreams to get past her defenses?

CHRISTMAS NOVELLA

Looking for a lighthearted holiday romance?

Blurb:

Never tell a bold faced lie - unless you can follow through with flawless precision...

Kristen Wainwright has been dumped in the most humiliating way possible - only at the most posh restaurant in all Ravenwood, La Crème, and to add insult to injury, her ex has taken up with the office mean queen, Janine Fehr.

Unable to tolerate the snide comments and subtle insults, Kristen, in a moment of weakness tells Janine that 'yes, she's coming to the annual Christmas gala', and 'yes, she's bringing a special someone - her new fiancé'. Now all she has to do is find one.

How hard can that be?

Available HERE

Excerpt: 

“You what?”

“I know. I couldn’t help myself.”

I sat, curled up on the couch in my Team USA sweatpants, the phone tucked between my ear and shoulder. On the other end was Stephanie, my best friend since middle school.

“She said she couldn’t help herself.” Stephanie relayed our conversation to Bryce, her husband. I heard him in the background, commenting how it would bite me in the derriere. She spoke into the phone again. “Bryce said—”

“I heard what he said. What am I going to do? I’ve got three weeks to find a fiancé.”

Stanley rolled over onto his back, inviting me to scratch his chest. I quit worrying my thumbnail and petted him. Soft purring vibrated against my thigh. Too bad Stanley wasn’t a guy. He’d be the perfect date. He adored me, hung on my every word and didn’t expect me to have sex with him.

The idea hit me faster than I could blink and I sat up straight. Stanley scrambled off the couch at my sudden movement.

“I have a fabulous idea.”

“Oh, I don’t like this. Last time you had a fabulous idea, I wore a cast for six weeks. I still can’t straighten my arm completely.”

“That was years ago,” I said, brushing aside her concern. “This one will work. Do you have any exceptionally handsome men friends, willing to be my fiancé?”

“Now I know you’re crazy.”

“Hear me out. They’d only have to pretend for a couple of weeks. Show up to a few office functions, maybe a movie or two and then we’ll have a mutual parting of ways.”

As I said the words I became more and more convinced this would work. This idea was freaking brilliant. 

#1LineWed - May 5

Today is #1LineWed on Twitter. RWA's Kiss of Death chapter posts a theme on their twitter feed (@RWAKissofDeath) and then you post a line from your current work in progress based on the theme. Here are the rules:

All writers from ALL genres are welcome to share their writing by posting lines from a Work In Progress.

"1 Line is whatever fits in 1 Tweet"

#1LineWed is about writing, not advertising please

NO BUY LINKS

Theme for May 11 is:

OPENING LINES

My opening line for GRETCHEN'S SONG is:

Keeping secrets was bad.

Keeping secrets from family and friends was a recipe for disaster...

WEEKEND WRITING WARRIORS #10

Welcome to my Weekend Writing Warrior post. This week I'm sharing from my newest #WIP - Gretchen's Song ~ Welcome to Ravenwood ~ Book Three

In this scene, Sheriff Rafe Crawford has staked out the Tipsy Seagull. His interest is fully engaged when Gretchen Swanson exits the pub and behaves in a manner that makes him think she's had WAY too much to drink. When she stumbles against her car and drops the keys he almost hops out of his truck to lend a hand - until he notices her taking a quick glance around. Almost as though she expects someone to be watching.
After the parking lot is empty (all other patrons have exited) she finally starts her car and begins to back out. He pulls in behind, blocking her exit and approaches the driver's side window. They engage in conversation and he realizes she hasn't had anything to drink. There is not even a hint of alcohol on her breath. So, he asks her what the act was all about.

This selection has been modified slightly to meet the 10 line requirement. Enjoy.

“I’m the D.D.”

His eyes narrowed. “In case you forgot, you didn’t drive anybody anywhere.”

“Not D.D. as in designated driver, D.D. as in designated decoy.”

"The what?" He pushed back his hat and for a brief moment she treasured his look of disbelief. Rafe Crawford was a hard man to catch unaware.

"Designated Decoy." She waited while that thought tumbled around his razor sharp mind and mentally began a countdown to when he’d figure it out.

One…Two…Thr—



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#SnippetSunday

It's been so long since I've done a snippet, I almost forgot how.
Today I'm sharing from Gretchen's Song, Book Two ~ Welcome to Ravenwood.

She fell in love with Rafe Crawford at the age of thirteen.

Blocked from entering the school by a group of boys who demanded a kiss as payment to enter, she’d clutched her books and stood there mute. When Joey Campbell grabbed her arm, she squeezed her eyes shut, opening them to the sound of shouts and skin meeting skin.

The first thing she saw was Rafe standing over Joey, his knuckles reddening. She didn’t know if the color was from a punch, or from the copious amounts of blood spurting from Joey’s nose. Already topping out over six feet, the eighteen year old looked like an avenging angel as he glowered down at Joey.

“Stay away from Gretchen,” he snarled. “Touch her again, and I won’t stop at your face.”

From that moment on, her tender heart was his – and he never knew. The very next week, following his graduation, he joined the army with her eldest brother, Morgan and was shipped off to Afghanistan.

Tidbit Tuesday

I have two stories running around in my head, and I'm torn as to which one I'll focus my attention on.
I'd like some help. Below will be the book blurb. Let me know which one YOU think I should continue.

Here goes:

JENNA'S JOURNEY

After tragedy strikes at the heart of Jenna McLachlan, she flees her memories and takes a sabbatical to Scotland. After a year, she finally returns home to Ravenwood. Ready for life, but not love, Jenna won’t open her heart to anyone. There’s only heartache and sorrow waiting for her there, and she doesn’t think she could survive that again.

Ian McEwan, Ravenwood’s newest vet, is too busy for life and love, but he’s hit with both head on when he rescues a young woman by the side of the road. It doesn’t take long for him to find out that although Jenna likes his company, she won’t let anyone come close to loving her.

Is Ian patient enough to win Jenna’s scarred heart, and is he willing to share her with the painful memories she’s worn like a security blanket all these years?

GRETCHEN'S SONG

Always the good twin, Gretchen Swanson lives in the shadow of her vibrant sister, Leah. But she has a secret. She writes chart toppling songs for rising country star Laney Richards. With her new found wealth she bought a reliable car, a cute bungalow and quietly invested the remaining money.

Her other secret is that she's in love with the Rafe Crawford, but he's not available. She believes he's still in love with her twin, even though they haven't dated since Rafe graduated high school and left for Chicago.

After ten years as a detective in Chicago, Rafe Crawford returned home to Ravenwood as their new sheriff. Within months of his homecoming, there's a string of break-ins with no leads and he's beyond frustrated. Then he notices that Gretchen Swanson seems to have come into money. With her new car and house, he wonders how she can afford this as she only works part-time at the vet clinic and volunteers the rest of her time with Seniors and church activities.

He makes the decision to keep his eye on her, which isn't difficult because she's always held his attention. She's the reason he broke it off with Leah and left town, but now he's back and needs to get to the bottom of this mystery.

So there you have it. Both are delicious but I'm torn. I love them both.

Help!

Sunday Snippet

Welcome. For those of you who are Canadian, like me, Happy Thanksgiving. May we be truly thankful for everything we have, big and small.

Onto my snippet from my WIP ~ Man of Her Dreams.

Lindsay overheard a conversation and knows that Jared read a page from her notebook. The page that had a detailed list of the perfect man. The list had been created after one too many bad dates, and one too many glasses of wine shared with her BFF. The two of them decided they needed to write down what Lindsay was looking for in her ideal man.

Embarrassed, furious, hurt, (did I mention furious?), she's now trying to avoid him and he's trying to figure out why she's giving him the cold shoulder. **this had been modified to fit the 10 line limit

"Will you look at the time?" She glanced down at her bare wrist. By this time she'd reached her truck and hopped into the driver's seat. She closed the door and fumbled with her keys.

"What's the rush?" He placed both hands on the roof of the truck and leaned in through the open window into her space. He thought he heard her cuss as she shoved the key into the ignition, put the truck into gear and finally looked at him.

"The notebook you found was hers."

He had no choice, other than hanging on the side of the truck like a love sick fool, but to stand aside and watch as she backed up, gunned the motor and sped down the normally quiet street.

About to walk back to his house he stopped and swiveled to face the now deserted street, his eyes narrowing as he muttered, "How did she know I found the notebook?

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