Can I just say the success of this series supports my love of the good guy, especially the complex, tortured good guy? (Please refer back to my obsession last year with North and South. Richard Armitage. O.M.G. I even have fan fiction on Wattpad for that one.) I know that bad boys are somewhat the rage right now with their tats and their pasts completely devoid of love and understanding. But I like me a sexy nice guy.

I’m releasing one to you almost as we speak. In one week, Rhyolite Drifts: Yellowblown™ Book Two will be released with the continuing story of Violet and her slice of heaven, Boone, all on preorder for 99 cents. So grab yourself a handful of Hotness.

Sitting in the truck on the prairie, the night sky blocked by ash, was like sitting in a closed refrigerator, minus the threat of suffocation. Boone reclined in the passenger seat, gingerly exploring the cut and bruise over his eye. At least the lid wasn’t swollen shut anymore. Sneaking over the train trestle bridge with fifty-percent vision hadn’t been the wisest journey he’d ever made. Violet wouldn’t call him Dudley Do Right when she heard about that.

If.

Distance was supposed to break the bond. That’s what had happened with his high school girlfriend, and with Twyla. He’d gone on to the next phase of his life and they’d receded. He wasn’t so cold that he hadn’t worried about their hurt feelings, but he hadn’t been broken. He hadn’t shuddered with guilt in the daylight and woken at night filled with longing.

He’d been alone—solidly alone, without even a friendly conversation at a gas station—for a little more than two weeks and learned he wasn’t very good at it. Especially now, when time and distance weren’t working in his favor.

Leaving Violet hadn’t been a real choice. He’d had to go. He had to find his parents.

A girl he’d only been with a couple of months couldn’t tag along, even if she asked fervently enough to squeeze his heart. This wasn’t a trip to the county fair, after all.

But the damned bond wasn’t breaking the way it should. It wasn’t even weakening.

Rhyolite Drifts on Amazon

If you need to start at the beginning, Eruption is also on sale. You can find the purchase links here.

Make sure to visit other people on the hop by using the Click Here link below.

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Click here to find the other authors on the Book Hooks hop.

“I’m here to be with you and I intend to keep it that way. I’m not stepping aside for anybody or any reason, unless you tell me to.”

I nodded again, abrading my forehead on denim.

“And even then, I’m gonna put up a helluva fight for you.”

If Amazon did their job, Rhyolite Drifts should be available to preorder for 99 cents at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VGOQ9VS. To be ready for it, you need to get to know Hotness in Eruption: Yellowblown™ Book One.

Make sure to visit the other Hot For Friday bloggers today. You can find them by clicking the little blue frog.

SETUP OF OUR SCENE:

Jessica Quinn has gone out for her morning run. She passes Mack Ellsbury’s recently purchased house while he’s in the process of moving in some belongings.

EXCERPT:

Trying not to think about the ache or what to do about Sharon, Jessie pushed on. Maybe she’d started running again too soon. Tomorrow, she’d head over to the gym for a swim before opening the store.

“Hey, Jessie,” a familiar voice called out as she approached the Kerry house. “How’s it going?”

Jessie stopped, grateful for the distraction as Sean O’Brien came down the front steps on his way back to the moving truck. “Hi, Sean. I was going to call you this afternoon. The bathroom vanity you ordered came in yesterday.”

Sean stopped in front of her. “Excellent. If we finish up here early enough, I’ll pick it up. Otherwise I’ll get it tomorrow.” Sean uncapped the water he’d grabbed on his way over and took a long swallow. “I want the downstairs bathroom finished before Mia comes back for Ma’s wedding.”

“She won’t make it back until then?” She’d become friends with Sean’s girlfriend that summer when Mia had stayed at The Victorian Rose. Earlier that month Mia had returned to California to finish the movie she was starring in.

Sean shook his head. “Doubt it, but I’m flying out to California next weekend.”

“Need a break already, O’Brien?” Mack emerged from the house, a backwards baseball cap covering his dark hair. “I guess that’s what happens when you get old.”

For a moment, Jessie spiraled back fourteen years and her tongue went from being a useful organ to a giant bowtie just like it had every time Mack had tutored her in geometry during study hall. A senior, and one of the most popular guys in school, Mack was the number one crush of most of the girls in her freshman class—including her. Not that he ever noticed any of them. Why would he when every cheerleader in North Salem and Danvers were constantly throwing themselves at him?

“Hi, Mack. Congratulations on the new house,” Jessie said once the knot in her tongue loosened.

Mack’s forehead creased and his eyes searched her face. “Jessie?”

Jessie let Mack’s surprise go over her head. After all, he hadn’t seen her in a while.

Sure, he visited his family frequently with his daughter, but he didn’t make a habit of stopping in at the hardware store. In fact, before today, the last time they’d seen each other had been six months ago when he’d come in for the security videos. Back then, she’d still had long hair and glasses. Not to mention, she’d been wearing her favorite oversized cranberry sweater and a long skirt, a fact she shouldn’t remember but did because, well, this was Mack so he wouldn’t have noticed the weight she lost.

“It’s nice to see you. Your parents must be happy you’re moving back.”

“Yeah. Grace, too. She already has plans to spend every weekend at my parents’ house. They haven’t agreed yet, but she’s well on her way to convincing them.”

“She does adore your mom,” Jessica answered, thinking of all the times she’d seen Mrs. Ellsbury with her granddaughter.

“You’ve met Grace?” Mack asked with surprise.

“This is North Salem remember? Your mom brings Grace to my grandmother’s every Sunday for quilting club if she has her. And your dad comes in the store with her.”

Another look of surprise passed over Mack’s features. “I didn’t know that, but it makes sense.”

“She even started her own quilt. Your niece did, too. Your mom brings her over on Sundays sometimes, too.”

Jessie waved at another of Mack’s friends as he came down the front steps. “Hi, Tony.”

“Hey, Jessie.” Tony Bates smiled as he walked toward them. “Unless you  ladies want to finish alone, get your asses in gear. I’ve got things to do this afternoon.”

“I gotta go anyway.” Jessica took a step backward. “Will I see any of you at the block party tonight?” Once a month, starting in late spring, their community threw a block party on the Town Common, shutting the whole area down to traffic.

“Not me. Too much work at the house, but have fun,” Sean answered. “I’ll see you later.” With that, he went back to the moving truck.

“I might pop in. If I do, I expect you to save me a dance,” Tony said.

Jessie rolled her eyes. She never took anything Tony said seriously, especially not lately. Ever since she’d lost the weight and ditched the glasses, he’d been saying things like that, but she knew better than to get into any kind of relationship with Tony. While he was a good guy, he didn’t understand the concept of monogamy. He went from one woman to the next much like the way people changed their underwear.

“Bates, get your ass over here and help me with this,” Sean called from the truck.

Unable to contain her smile, Jessie glanced at the ground. Whenever Tony flirted with her, Sean went into his protective guardian role. Thanks to her close relationship with his sister, Charlie, Sean treated her a like a baby sister.

“I might take Grace if she’s not too tired. I think she’d like it.” Mack waved at a car that passed by the house.

“She loves it,” Jessie answered, looking back up.

“My parents?”

“And your sister.”

“I should’ve known.” Mack readjusted his baseball cap, a habit he’d had for as long as she could remember. And she could probably remember every time he’d done it. Yeah, she’d had a big-time unrequited crush. Apparently, that hadn’t faded too much because he was still the hottest guy she’d ever seen.

END OF EXCERPT

Ah, who doesn’t wonder about the one who let you get away? If you’d like to snap up a copy of Mack and Jessie’s story you can find them at the following links.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1zwK4Jt

iTunes: http://bit.ly/15zxywl

kobo http://bit.ly/1GBf9zE

BN http://bit.ly/1uM26X1

And for more about Christina…

www.christinatetreault.com

https://www.facebook.com/christinatetreaultauthor

https://twitter.com/cgricci

https://www.pinterest.com/cgricci/

Thanks for much for visiting today, Christina!

Here’s the snippet where Boone makes Violet weak in the knees…again:

I kissed the center of his chest. “You don’t want a helpless girl to go limp in your arms?”

“As long as it’s you, I’ll take it. You can go limp, grab me, lie down, stand up, do whatever you want as long as I’m the man you’re doing it with. Tell me how you want it and I’ll do it. Fast, slow, noisy, quiet, dirty, polite, outside, inside….”

He continued his list while I cracked up. “So, now you’re my sex slave?”

“Yes,” he answered without thought. “Absolutely yes. Or maybe we can take turns.”

As I said, this is from Rhylite Drifts: Yellowblown™ Book Two, which is in the editing phase now, and will soon be released, but get yourself some Hotness by reading Eruption!

For more swoon-worthy lines, click the froggy to find the other authors in this weeks hop. Thanks for visiting!

EXCERPT

He handled the large SUV easily, without the usual jerkiness of a guy trying to impress a girl with his mad driving skills. We drove through the depressing remains of an old steel town before he pulled in at a parking lot in a place called Duquesne. He came to my side of the SUV even though I already had the door open. I slid down out of the seat. His hand on my arm stopped me from reaching back in for my pack.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Before I get all sweaty and disgusting.” His kiss ignited sparks. I stepped in to press against him. A lift to my tiptoes brought me to the perfect height for my thighs to nestle against his. My arms slipped around his neck, all the encouragement he needed to deepen the kiss.

His hands drifted from my shoulder blades, down my back, to my hips. I squeaked against his mouth when he took a possessive grip on my behind.

He pulled away to look down at me with hooded eyes. “You look so hot in this little skirt. If you rode around campus there’d be a trail of guys jogging behind you.”

The unexpected compliment made me blush. Oh sure, the ex had tried to get in my pants, but he’d never told me I was hot. And men followed Mia, not me. “You look pretty good yourself,” I whispered. I ran my hands across his shoulders, muscular under the thin quick-dry fabric clinging to them. “And, for future reference, I don’t mind sweat. At least, not yours.”

His eyes smoldered. “That’s some good information right there.” He rocked my hips into tighter contact with his. His hands were strong and confident, a man’s hands, meant to make a woman pliable. That’s what they did to me, anyway.

Something in his expression urged me to initiate another kiss, this one searching and tender, like we’d each admitted something special to one another when we’d hardly said anything at all. I pressed against him, demanding more. He gave, one hand still cupping my ass while the other centered on my back. His firm hold, the way it told me exactly how he wanted me to stand, inflamed me, from the top of my tingling scalp to the bottom of my curling toes.

A car horn tooted merrily from the road. I dropped my face to his chest, his smell making me nuzzle the smooth cloth and wonder about the firm flesh I felt beneath. He slid his hand into my hair to cradle my head as he watched the vehicle drive away.

“Shoot,” I said into his shirt.

“Not a good spot,” he said gruffly. “Let’s take this ride.”

END OF EXCERPT

If you want to know more about Boone and Violet’s story, click here to visit Eruption’s page on this website.

I’m happy to report that book two in the series, Rhyolite Drifts, is with the editor. I’m waiting to see how extensive her comments are before I set a release date, but it will be soon!!!

Make sure to check out the other Hot Kisses by clicking the blue froggy button or by visiting the Book Boyfriends Cafe page.

EXCERPT

He panted in even, deliberate puffs by the time we reached the edge of campus, but he hadn’t given up. He’d stayed on my back wheel. I did a cool down loop on the local streets before guiding us to the dorm.

I stepped off my bike and reluctantly removed my helmet. My stubby ponytail was mostly intact, though much of the front section of my hair slipped from the skinny hairband. I did my best to tuck the errant strands behind my ears.

He arranged his own gear then looked at me with the green stare again, more intense than before. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

“I’m sure we freshman all look alike.” I extended my hand. “Violet Perch.”

“Boone Ramer.” He took my hand and, though our palms were hot and sweaty, he continued to hold it, lighting a fuse of attraction that sparked up my wrist and past my elbow. “Violet. Unusual name. I’ll remember it now.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of a curse,” I said as the heat passed my shoulder to go straight to my skort.

“I didn’t mean unusual bad. It’s nice. Feminine.” He released my hand while his eyes touched me, sliding down my pink jersey and along legs I knew weren’t particularly long but had hints of muscle definition.

I knew what I was. In our world of breast enhancements and thigh gaps, I didn’t have the right dimensions to attract a guy in Boone’s league, especially with my sports bra smashing my itty bitty titties down to nothing. Helmet hair, sweat stained armpits, padded bottoms, and black sturdy shoes completed the non-seductive, flat-chested ensemble. I was all in.

His face sharpened in a way that suggested he might like what he saw. My nostrils flared in immediate, misguided response. God, he was magnetic.

“You’re in good shape,” he said appreciatively. “I bonked on the last hill but you pulled me up.” He waggled his brows at me. “Couldn’t let you make me look bad.”

My face flushed beyond exercise-induced red. “You did good.” We wheeled our bikes toward the door and I’d almost worked up the courage to ask if he’d like to ride together again when a trilling voice called his name.

Twyla Blakelock, who’d ignored me at a rush party last week, bounced up to press her glossy lips against his mouth. Her nose wrinkled. “Ewww, you’re all sweaty,” she said.

What kind of moron touches him and says Ewww, I thought. You’re ewww, Twyla.

“Hey, I’ll see you later,” I said out loud, eternally grateful for the guy who came out the door at the right time to hold it for me.

END OF EXCERPT

Eruption probably isn’t as spicy as some of the books in this hop, and the payoff takes awhile due to an apocalyptic eruption of the Yellowstone caldera, but Boone and Violet are worth the wait. Especially Boone.

BLURB

I’m in the middle of the perfect college semester, hundreds of miles from Mom, with an awesome roomie and my freshman crush finally becoming a sophomore reality—Hotness! I’m figuring out calculus, I’ve got both hands on the handlebars and the wind of freedom in my hair. What on earth could slow my roll?

How about if the Yellowstone volcano erupts for the first time in 630,000 years, spewing a continuous load of ash (crap) all over North America? Think that’ll put a kink in my bicycle chain?

Make that kinks, plural, because here’s a scientific fact I’ll bet you didn’t know. Nothing ruins the perfect semester like a super caldera. Now that I’ve made you smarter today, maybe you can tell me how to keep my life cruising in the right direction—no to Mom, yes to roomie, double yes to Hotness!—during a global disaster?

My lame name is Violet and, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m not hanging from the side of a cinder cone on the last page of this trauma, but there’s definitely more to come. Unless, of course, humans become extinct and then there’s not. Duh.

Eruption: Yellowblown Book One is available at Amazon.

Make sure to visit all the other tension scenes on this Hot for Friday hop this week!

Or join the fun at http://www.bookboyfriendscafe.com/2015/02/hot-for-friday-hot-and-bothered.html

EXCERPT

I’d spent months forcing myself into mental placidity where Boone Ramer was concerned, the mantra “not into you” repeating like an endless ride through “It’s A Small World” at Disneyland. Now, unexpectedly, I climbed the rails right before the steepest drop of “Thunder Mountain.” Dark. Disoriented. Exhilarated.

“You’re not like most girls, are you?”

The confusing question spurred me to blurt my own, a thought barely formed in my mind, much less my mouth. “Do you want to go to the Valentine’s formal with me?”

His head shook “no” too quickly, automatically, as if I’d offered him a cube of disgusting, moldy cheese. “I can’t,” he added, in case I hadn’t gotten the unequivocal message.

I looked past him into the warmth of the library, wishing I could reverse the clock and return to “It’s A Small World.”

No such luck. The bottom of the roller coaster dropped, leaving me, well, screwed. In less than five minutes I’d gone from time-to-study-French-verbs to a fresh hell of obsession for Boone Ramer.

Not.

Into.

You.

“Okay,” I said as I ducked around him. “That’s embarrassing.”

“Violet, wait,” he said when I was halfway to the door.

END OF EXCERPT

BLURB

I’m in the middle of the perfect college semester, hundreds of miles from Mom, with an awesome roomie and my freshman crush finally becoming a sophomore reality—Hotness! I’m figuring out calculus, I’ve got both hands on the handlebars and the wind of freedom in my hair. What on earth could slow my roll?

How about if the Yellowstone volcano erupts for the first time in 630,000 years, spewing a continuous load of ash (crap) all over North America? Think that’ll put a kink in my bicycle chain?

Make that kinks, plural, because here’s a scientific fact I’ll bet you didn’t know. Nothing ruins the perfect semester like a super caldera. Now that I’ve made you smarter today, maybe you can tell me how to keep my life cruising in the right direction—no to Mom, yes to roomie, double yes to Hotness!—during a global disaster?

My lame name is Violet and, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m not hanging from the side of a cinder cone on the last page of this trauma, but there’s definitely more to come. Unless, of course, humans become extinct and then there’s not. Duh.

Eruption is book one in the Yellowblown™ Series and is available at Amazon.

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SETUP OF SCENE:

Jennifer’s character, Mia, has arranged to meet a potential manny in this excerpt, and she has an attack of the irresistible attraction kind.

EXCERPT:

A fun fact about Karen: “I worked in trade publishing for ten years and attended numerous trade shows. At one of the very first ones I went to, I realized that it would make a great setting for a murder mystery. The gossip and stories I heard about some of the things exhibitors and attendees were doing was astonishing.  Great material for a novelist!”

EXCERPT

Was that a flash of regret in Brandon’s eyes before he turned to face Vincelli? I hoped so.

END OF EXCERPT

You can find A Gift for Murder at the following vendors:

If you want to keep up with Karen’s activities, visit her website http://www.kmccullough.com
or her blog http://www.kmccullough.com/blog

For more information about the Market Center Mysteries go to http://www.marketcentermysteries.com

Karen and I welcome questions and comments, and I hope you stop back next week for a fresh new first meeting excerpt.