• She was married this year.
• She is a teacher, though she’s never chaperoned a trip with an billionaire ex-boyfriend.
• Her grandma survived breast cancer back in a year when only nineteen people did, and she’s still alive today. With other family members also the victims of cancer, you can see the roots of Victoria’s hero’s backstory of cancer. Plus, it’s breast cancer awareness month. Take it seriously!

SETUP OF THE SCENE

EXCERPT

Payback time. Standing in his mother’s kitchen, Sean Collins smiled as he hung up the phone.

He hovered at the phone for a moment, then charged along the carpeted hallway to his bedroom. In a flash, he changed from his T-shirt and jeans into his black pin stripe king-of-the-business-world suit complete with black tie and shiny black shoes.

Finished dressing, Sean jittered at the door and listened to his son talking nonstop to his mother upstairs. His skin tingled and he closed his eyes. At least moving to his parents’ country estate where he had grown up on Cape Cod had been good for everyone.

Breakfast could wait. He grabbed the keys on the counter downstairs, and he called upstairs, “I’m leaving. I won’t be gone long.”

Last year, the school principal had fired him with bogus charges. Sean had sworn on every holy book that he’d been fired because his doctors had discovered cancer in a routine physical exam.

The sickness sucked. But he’d survived. And now he used his vast wealth to get what he wanted. No teacher should be treated so callously. He had taken the job at the time to prove to himself he had more choices than being the chief financial officer of his father’s corporation.

He set his jaw and walked outside to his car, where the smell of freshly cut grass hit his senses.

The moment he stepped outside and headed toward the garage, Sean stared at the vast forested area on the property for a moment and pressed his lips together. Trees made sense. Women never had. His luck with women had been bad from the start. His first girlfriend, Gigi Dumont, had left him for parts unknown, and then later his wife, now his ex, Jennifer, had also left. She’d played with a whole set of loose scruples. But Jennifer hadn’t hurt him, not like Gigi had. Sean rolled his shoulders. Why did everything in his life always seem to go back to Gigi leaving?

He fished out his keys from his pocket. And now Gigi had moved back into the house next door.

Sean opened the garage door. A quick click of a button and the gate lifted.

Last night he hadn’t slept. Today his shoulders were straight. This moment had nothing to do with women and everything to do with justice. His fingers traced the shiny finish of his brother Gerard’s Aston Martin. Without blinking, he opted to borrow the car. He’d be early and outshine everyone else. Gerard had offered to loan it to him specifically for today. Sean licked his lips and turned the key, igniting the engine, and took off.

A daydream flashed in his eyes. Principal Murray’s jaw dropped to the ground in shock the second Sean stepped inside the office with the papers.

Sean clutched the wheel. He intended to twist the knife even further. People like Mr. Murray gave businessmen around the world the reputation of cold, heartless automatons, especially when he claimed the firing had been over “job performance.” Every one of Sean’s students had passed the state assessments.

Now, Sean ran the finances for his parents, his father’s company, and his brothers. The support of his family to get him through cancer treatments had been phenomenal, but what if he hadn’t had that support? What if he’d had no money to pay for treatments? He’d be dead because the principal had fired him due to the insurance increases. Well, now Sean had a better solution.

He sped down the country road for the half-hour trip. During his horrible marriage to Jennifer, he’d worked as a teacher, and his students had achieved both academic and social successes. Jennifer had been the nightmare that drove Sean away from Collins Industries, Collins Enterprises, Collins Investments, and Collins Mutual, to list a few of his father’s multiple companies. Post divorce and cancer, Sean had made the decision to offer employees packages in cases of sickness. Anyone who worked for him would now receive a payoff equal to the job performance done over the years as part of a settlement. Money paid hospital bills.

Sean’s stomach clenched as he gazed at the sign for the Barnstable Charter High School parking lot. Sean parked Gerard’s fancy lawyer wheels that screamed “out to impress” right next to the about-to-be-sacked principal’s BMW sedan. The Aston Martin made the perfect goodbye gesture. Murray had been outclassed.

Sean leaned forward in his seat, refusing to feel guilty. He waited for the school bell to ring and watched students bounding outside.

Unlike most people, his family had money, and normally he wouldn’t like flaunting wealth. His Jeep Wrangler suited him just fine, but today he needed to look like the elite businessman he was. He stepped out a minute later, and in a fast walk, he strode down the halls. Sean winked the second he saw the school guard’s shocked face.

“You had cancer?” asked the older African American lady who coached the wrestling team.

“Yes, I did. I’m better now,” Sean said, smiling.

He inclined his head and passed the security desk then Sean turned right toward the principal’s office.

In his briefcase he carried the school board’s ruling and the proof of sale of the school to Collins Enterprises. Barnstable was a private school that followed school board law. The sale to his company had been finalized, but Sean had insisted on telling Murray in person. The minutes of the meeting would be posted at one that day. Victory waited for him, and justice tasted better than homemade chocolate chip cookies.

In the office, the overqualified secretary, Mattie, dropped her pencil on the floor. Sean made eye contact with her and the older woman smiled back. Then he picked up the pencil in stride, and handed it back to her. She opened her mouth to speak, and he shook his head, placing his finger over his lips to silently request her silence.

She smiled her response and swiveled her chair back to her computer.

He had seen Mattie in action and understood the older woman had known how to treat people more than anyone else in the office.

Outside the principal’s door, Sean straightened his tie into perfect alignment. His heart rate sped up and his entire body became alert then he heard her voice.

Gigi, or should he say, Giovanna Dumont. Her quiet, sweet voice unmanned him, making his palms sweat. Why would she be here? And how could she still steal his breath away?

END OF EXCERPT

You can find Chaperoning Paris on Amazon.

Visit Victoria at these places on the web:

Website: http://victoriapinder.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoriapinder1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoriapinder

Victoria and I both welcome your questions and comments. Stop back each Saturday for a fresh new excerpt from a guest author!

SETUP OF THE SCENE

This scene is from Cupid’s Mistake, which is book two in the series bundle. Allison and Ben are members of a dating service, Cupid’s Cavalry, and are on their first date, although they’ve unknowingly seen each other once before, at Allison’s recent New Year’s Eve party.

EXCERPT

The woman came in like a whirlwind, rustling the thick green leaves of multiple potted and hanging plants near the front door of the restaurant. Chattering to the maître d’ and unwinding a long, bright scarf from around her neck with one hand, she texted speedily with the other, hardly looking at the screen.

That hair. Wild copper curls cascaded almost to her waist, shot through with strands of pure gold. He knew her instantly, even before she turned around.

Tall, slim, impossibly sexy in painted-on black jeans and high-heeled boots, she hustled toward his table, her head now bent over the cell phone in her hand, a slight frown marring her perfect complexion. She caught the edge of her full bottom lip between brilliantly white teeth, and he cursed the unwelcome bump in his pulse.

It was Sally’s neighbor from New Year’s Eve. The Princess.

Great.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Allison navigated the tables without looking up from her phone, sacrificing her usual flair for making an entrance in the interest of closing out her business for the day. She hated running behind.

“I’m so sorry I’m late—” double-damned Orange County traffic “—just give me one moment.”

Depositing her coat, scarf, and handbag on the chair next to the one she dropped herself into, and finishing up a strongly-worded text to the baker bitch, Allison tossed the phone into her bag, turned emphatically off. She didn’t want even a silent vibration interrupting what promised to be a pleasant lunch with a handsome man.

“Whew!” she said, giving her hair a quick fluff. “There.”

Turning on her most brilliant smile, she finally looked up. And found herself skewered by a pair of the most intensely green eyes she’d ever seen. Her breath stopped mid-inhale. The only thought in her head was, “Well, damn it, I’m not ready for you,” even as her heart sighed, “There you are,” as though the man sitting across from her was the critical missing piece in the puzzle of her life.

Which was just ridiculous. There was nothing missing from her life. Nothing. But. . .

Oh, boy.

The man had half-risen out of his seat, as though he’d intended to pull her chair out for her but hadn’t gotten the chance. Wow, he was huge. Had she read that in his profile? She dated a lot of tall men—she preferred them, since she was so tall herself—and it was hard to gauge his full height behind the table, but he might be one of the tallest she’d been out with in a while. Every inch of him radiated a dangerous sort of sophistication. He wasn’t Wall Street by any stretch, but he could probably chew up a suit or three for breakfast, then play a round of golf with the fourth.

A little snap of sexual heat sizzled across her pulse points. She resisted licking her lips.

He sat again, those incredible eyes narrowed and glued to hers. He didn’t look remotely happy to see her. Men were always happy to see her.

How odd.

“Miss. . . Kelly?” the man said, and she shivered. His voice rolled through her mind, rough and deep. The rumble slid inside her bloodstream like molten lava, igniting tiny flames atop every nerve ending it touched.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, Allison nodded, her field of vision widening slowly to take in the rest of him. And oh, what a vision. A weathered face of granite-hewn features carved by a master sculptor, a strong neck, and militarily-erect posture. Deep-set, boldly green eyes, and even deeper grooves alongside his wide, unsmiling mouth. Surely those grooves meant dimples, if he’d only smile. A hard, square chin, those lips. . . And a body designed for the spectacle of the Colosseum.

“Miss Kelly?”

Oh, my.

“A-Allison, please,” she stammered, willing her voice to work. “And you’re Benjamin.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Ben,” he said, the firm line of his mouth kicking up at the corner in a slight smile. “Ben Turner.”

Wow.

Overheated, she grabbed the glass of water at her place setting and sipped when she wanted to gulp it straight down and grab his, as well.

The man was enormous, all broad shoulders and bulging biceps outlined beneath his close-fitting black sweater. His chiseled features and deeply tanned skin spoke of many hours spent outdoors. Was he in construction? His name floated alone in the emptied space between her ears, the only concrete bit of information she could grasp.

No, military! He was ex-military. And he liked to swim. That explained the shoulders.

Sharp cheekbones jutted high and smooth, paler than the upper half of his face, though they looked slightly sunburned. His hair was gorgeous. Silky and full, perfectly cut, it waved back from his face like a glossy pelt of many colors—chocolate, russet, bronze, gold, deep red. An urge to run her fingers through it swept across her skin, making her fingers tingle.

“H-how do you do?” she managed.

What the hell was wrong with her? She was the seductress, the man-magnet, the woman who snagged her selections from a never-ending parade of available men. They flocked to her. She graced them with her presence—or not—on her whim. Yet here she was, stammering like a schoolgirl, dangerously close to a blush, her wits scattered about her like a deck of cards flung into the air.

He’s just a man, Allison!

Testing herself, Allison held her hand across the table to shake, watching as his strong fingers engulfed hers in his massive paw. Hard calluses brushed the softness of her palm, so pale against his sun-darkened skin. The tingles turned to tremors, and she gasped. She couldn’t help it. Sensations swamped her. Her scalp felt ablaze, and trails of heat shot straight to her toes.

And elsewhere.

“It’s a pleasure,” he said, but that indefinable something still lurked in his eyes, making her doubt the sincerity of his words.

END OF EXCERPT

Uh oh. He thinks he doesn’t like her and she doesn’t remember meeting him? Or does she have an evil twin? You know you want to find out more, and Chantilly has this book available almost any place you could hope for, so follow your favorite link.

Purchase links:

Amazon US        Amazon UK         B&N

AllRomance        Smashwords       Apple

Kobo          Google Play       The Book Depository (print books)

Author links:

Website: http://chantillywhite.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FansofChantillyWhite

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChantillyWhite

Announce-only newsletter: http://chantillywhite.com/contact.html#newsletter

Chantilly and I welcome your comments and questions. Come back each Saturday for a new first meeting post.

The lead character in my new release, Eruption, has one best friend/college roommate. The two of them seem like opposites on the surface, but Violet likes Mia’s eccentricity, and Mia likes Violet’s normalcy and steadiness. They’ve both been burned by people they’ve trusted before, so they take nothing for granted with each other.

In this excerpt, we see Mia helping Violet get ready for her first date with a guy she’s been crushing on for a year.

EXCERPT

Mia and I dug through my wardrobe on Saturday, a day of perfect football weather. Chilly temps on the walk to cafeteria “brunch” morphed to blindingly sunny and warm by noon. Mia and I had totally different taste in everything, which meant I couldn’t pull off her ruffled mini skirt and black leather jacket look. She understood me, though, and we settled on a pair of skinny jeans, a yellow sleeveless top with black trim (school colors!), and my sporty flip-flops with floral straps. I slathered sunscreen on my shoulders and arms while Mia searched her collection of hair clips.

My brown hair rested a tad below my shoulders. I finger combed a sloppy part down the middle most days and usually had at least one side tucked behind my ear. I tried not to pull it up all the time ’cuz the bulk made the top of my head look too wide. Mom said my face was heart-shaped which I interpreted to mean my chin was too narrow for my forehead.

Mia twisted the front pieces of my hair back and secured it with a bobby pin so it didn’t blow into my lip-gloss if a breeze kicked up at the stadium. (I’d rejected a rhinestone clip and a daisy barrette.) “You sure you won’t wear some eyeliner?” she asked for the third time. “I could make your eyes look big as pool balls if you’d let me.”

“Just the look I’m going for,” I said, picturing one of those big-eyed puppies that adorned every greeting card a few years ago. “This is a football game, not the prom.” I already felt overdone with one coat of black/brown mascara.

“If one wants to be treated like an aristocrat, one must dress like an aristocrat,” she said in a voice like the Queen of England’s.

“I’m a Copperhead, not Princess Kate.”

“Whatever.” She sulked. “Ooh, ten ’til one. I’m outta here.”

“You don’t have to leave.” The panic I’d been fighting since daybreak changed my breathing to hitching gasps. Boone Ramer. Here. To get me. Soon. I thought I might puke up my ham and cheese omelet.

The best roomie ever grabbed my shoulders to show me my reflection in the mirror screwed into our dorm room wall. “You got this thing, sister. His Hotness obviously likes you, and you’ve been ready to have his babies for a year. Be you. Except lose the expression of terror.”

I nodded and smiled and practiced not looking like a deer in the headlights.

Mia grabbed her jingly neck lanyard and skipped through the open door.

END OF EXCERPT

These two will go through plenty together in this book—including Mia’s only half joking encouragement for Violet to jump Boon’s bones—and they’ll experience plenty more growing pains in the series.

Eruption 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 available for preorder, released on September 13, and will be on sale for 99 cents until September 27.

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MRHAIRO

I’m giving away some cute swag with the book cover and Yellowblown™ series logo charms made into necklaces, bracelets, and bookmarks. Sign up for my newsletter at www.jillhughey.com/contact for a chance to win one of your choice!

Setup of scene:  Staid scientist Dana Newcombe isn’t often confused with her famous supermodel sister. But when Colton Wilder, one of model Nickie’s lovers comes to town, sparks fly and confusion ensues.

EXCERPT (rated PG, I promise!)

She was about to leave when the door bell chimed. Dana wondered why neither Nicole nor Max used their keys. Both her sister and her almost-fiancé had them. And who else could it be?

She opened her door. A dark-haired male in denim leaned on the jamb. She recognized him immediately.

Her heart stuttered.

Her stomach dropped.

Her palms sweated.

She overheated like an ancient Studebaker laboring up a mountain.

She wasn’t a coward, but she was tempted to slam the door before hiding in her darkest closet. The man at her door scared the starch out of her usually upright backbone. Why, she couldn’t define, and that bothered her all the more.

But for no reason she could pinpoint, Colton Wilder, Max’s younger brother, spooked her right down to the tips of her toes.

“Hey, Nick.” Colt straightened to his full six foot two. “Can I come in?”

Without waiting for permission, he sauntered past her, brushing the coat’s fur trim with his arm. The touch tingled through her as though he’d caressed her breasts, which lay directly beneath the fur.

He didn’t say “excuse me” either.

Maybe that was why he pissed her off, Dana thought. He was the rudest man she’d ever met. Like a predatory hawk, Colt liked to swoop in, take what or who he wanted then fly away again. He was so different from Max that Dana couldn’t fathom how they’d emerged from the same womb.

“Wha-what are you doing here?” she asked. She tried not to stare at his chest, clad in a snug turtleneck that outlined incredible pecs. The cobalt fabric accentuated his brilliant blue eyes.

“I flew into LaGuardia earlier today and called you in Manhattan. After I listened to your phone message, I decided to come rescue you from my brother and your sister. Last time we went out, you told me they bored you to tears.”

Dana’s mouth dropped open. Nick, that traitor, had called her boring? She’d get her.

Colton spread long arms along the back of the couch and eyed her. “Come on over here, Nickie, and say hello properly.” He patted his lap.

Torn between deception and truthfulness, Dana hesitated. For all his faults, Colt was a prime piece of manflesh. He wasn’t a mere boy toy—he was FAO Schwarz, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Santa’s workshop at Christmas rolled into one mouthwatering package.

He’d swooped in last summer and they’d double dated, with Dana and Max showing Boston to Nick and Colt, who’d indulged in a torrid affair lasting all of three weeks. Then he’d flown away in wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am style.

Nicole never discussed Colt, but that really wasn’t odd. She tended to be casual about her affairs, and Dana hadn’t pried, assuming that Nicole had set another notch into her lipstick case and moved on.

But Dana wouldn’t lie. “I’m not Nick.”

Colt laughed. “I love your sense of humor.” He stood. “Okay, if you’re not in the mood, we can go over to the Four Seasons and eat.”

“I’m not dressed for the Four Seasons. Why do you want to go there?”

“They burn a good steak. Why don’t you change your clothes?” Colt eyed her jeans and fisherman’s sweater. “I’m sure you brought more than that from New York.”

Nick had, of course. “What about you?”

“I won’t matter. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to seat the famous Nicole Newcombe whenever and wherever she pleases.”

Dana decided that getting confused with her sister might not be so bad. She figured she could do a credible Nickie imitation for one evening. Why not?

She went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit and stared into the mirror. The long, fur-trimmed coat looked jaunty, rakish and dashing, but her plain-Jane demeanor reminded her that she was Dana the scientist, not Nicole the cover model. No one in their right mind would label her jaunty, rakish or dashing.

How did Nickie do it? Dana wondered for the umpteenth time. Even after she applied Nick’s crimson lipstick and heavy mascara, Dana definitely felt like a pig in a poke. They shared the same DNA down to the ends of their platinum hair, had the same hazel eyes and six-foot height. Yet Nickie had a stellar career as a model while Dana dated staid, dull-as-dirt Max. Dana, an astronomer, studied the stars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in nearby Cambridge. Glamor girl Nickie danced with them in Manhattan’s trendiest clubs.

Dana immediately berated herself for her disloyalty to Max and her jealousy of Nick. It wasn’t Nicole’s fault that Dana had always felt insecure. Max wasn’t dull. There was nothing wrong with being known as Mr. Meticulous. He was steady, not staid. Reliable.

Like her father.

Dana shunted her mind from that icky thought. She stripped off her clothes then raided Nick’s suitcase for a long, spangled slink of a dress. Of cream and gold jersey, the gown was cut so low that Dana had to take off her bra rather than expose her underthings.

Examining her reflection, she saw the dreaded VPL—visible panty line—ridging the clingy knit.

She bit her lower lip. No undies in this freezing weather? Nick would skip them, she reminded herself. She yanked off her bikini panties, put on pantyhose then rearranged the gown.

Colt leaped to his feet. “That’s more like the Nickie I know and love.” He ran his tongue over his teeth.

“Love? A strange word coming from your mouth.”

He came closer. “Now, darlin’. We said no regrets, remember?” He ran a hand across her bottom, sheathed in snug, cream-colored jersey.

Her flesh rippled. With shaky fingers, Dana wrapped Nicole’s spangled muffler around her neck and picked up her keys, ready to leave her home with Colt.

Forbidden, frightening, scary, exciting Colt.

“No regrets,” she said.

END OF EXCERPT

Ready to read more? You can find The Wilder Brother at these links

The Wilder Brother (paperback)       The Wilder Brother (ebook)

Visit with Suz deMello!

Suz’s Amazon Page      Suz’s Blog      Suz’s Website      Suz’s Facebook Page

We look forward to your questions and comments, so don’t be shy! Make sure to visit again next week, when it is time for J.Hughey to share the first meeting from her long-awaited New Adult release, Eruption.

SETUP OF THE SCENE:  Jon Dolan, all-that multi-platinum pop singer, links up visually with neo-mystery author Rebecca Tillman for the first time.

EXCERPT

In spring 2014, I introduced readers to Hunter Beckman and Rebecca Lange, two survivors of a tragic accident. Little did I know when I started their story that it would turn into a trilogy…..But it did.

And today, I’m pleased to unveil the cover for the second book in the Masterpiece Trilogy, which is A Masterpiece Unraveled.

BLURB

As love blossoms, twenty year old secrets threaten it all….

Becca and Hunter have always tried to make sense of a tragedy, but they never fully asked why. Why were they on the same plane? Where were they going, or coming from? Recent events force them to find out everything they can about the plane crash and the events that led them there.

Becca’s always been strong. She’s always found a safety net in Hunter, the man who saved her as a child and always stuck by her, giving her reason to go on when no one else gave her a chance. Now, she fights to keep her strength going, but her fears begin to get the better of her, and the facade she tries to hold up threatens to crack.

Hunter is learning to fight his demons and put them to rest, but he can’t help but worry about Becca and the future they’ve just begun to build. She’s become the withdrawn person he’d been for the past few years and he doesn’t know how to help, unless he finds the answers they both are desperate to know.

They’ve always battled every storm together, but a new storm could sweep in and blow the foundation right out from under them….

EXCERPT

“So,” Vince waved his hands at the chaos of packed and unpacked boxes. “You’re really moving.” His tone was flat.
“What’s left to keep me here?”
“I don’t-” Vince turned to Hunter, mouthing a silent plea of help.
Hunter held back a retort. “She asked what’s left to keep her here.”
“You have a job you love, don’t you? Friends? Family.”
A sound escaped from Becca’s throat. “I lost my job because I don’t have a voice, my friends understand why I’m going, and what family? My grandparents made it clear ages ago they never wanted me.”
Once again, Hunter interpreted.
“I can’t convince you to give me a chance?” Even though it came out as a question, Hunter could tell it was more of a statement.
Becca shot to her feet. “You don’t want me by your side for love! I don’t know what your motives are, but you don’t love me. What is it you want really? I’m tired of the lies from everyone.” She shot Hunter a frown at that statement, too. “If you loved me for me, you’d be able to understand what I’m telling you right now.”
“I do care for you.” Vince said after Hunter finished.
“There’s a difference between caring and love.” Hunter jumped in, immediately regretting it. He knew as well as Becca that Vince had ulterior motives. That much was obvious.
“I can’t talk about it.”
For the first time since he’d met the man, Hunter noticed how uncomfortable Vince got all of a sudden. He shifted his weight from side to side and fidgeted.
“Then I have nothing more to say to you. Enjoy your life, Vince.” Becca stumbled away to the bedroom, closing the door with an echoing thud.
“I don’t think I have to interpret what she just said for you to get the hint that Becca isn’t staying with you.” Hunter said, facing the man. He wasn’t even gloating. He just wanted Vince to either say what he wanted or get the hell out.

END OF EXCERPT

A Masterpiece Unraveled on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19402762-a-masterpiece-unraveled
WARNING:
This story is not a standalone, this is the second in a trilogy that follow the same characters. A Masterpiece Of Our Love should be read first. If you haven’t read the story that started it all, here is some information on A Masterpiece Of Our Love which is 99 cents for a short time.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18690120-a-masterpiece-of-our-love

Find Nikki on the web

www.nikkilynnbarrett.com

FaceBook
https://www.facebook.com/NikkiLynnBarrettauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6583655.Nikki_Lynn_Barrett

Thank you, Nikki, for sharing this beautiful, artistic cover. Best of luck with the new release.

Ava’s fun fact: I’m addicted to reality television, especially the ones with Gordon Ramsey.

Well, Ava, that is in direct contrast with me since I’ve never developed a taste for it, though I watched a season or two of American Idol. Now, on to your story!

Setup of scene:  Lucy has been sent to a private mental hospital called Newton Heights to deal with her depression and low self-esteem. There, during one of her therapy sessions, she meets a mysterious boy named Jayden. She is drawn to him, but he also puzzles her….

EXCERPT

The doctor’s voice faded into the background as my gaze rested on a tall man sitting on the other side of the circle. He stared at me rather intently, as if I was some puzzle he wanted to figure out. His round face was dotted with stubble that matched the caramel-colored layers on his head. I had seen him around the floor earlier this week, wearing the same clothes and joking with one of the orderlies. He had the same arrogant confidence I remembered, the same knowing smile. The plain, navy polo he wore was a tad too small and pulled tight against his lean chest. Some sort of preppy emblem stood out on the right side of the shirt, but I couldn’t make out what it stood for from so far away. Broad shoulders rolled into a ripped chest and flat abs. He draped his arm over the empty chair next to him, showing off his muscular arms. Traces of dark ink peeked out from underneath the sleeve of his shirt and stood out against his otherwise pale skin.

A tattoo. I fixed my gaze on the dark design and wondered what the hell it could be. I had seen many tattoos at college, but they were all worn by leather-clad bad asses, not polo-wearers. The ink seemed to war with his shirt and khakis, making him a curious enigma. I could clearly see this guy modeling for an LL Bean catalog one afternoon, and then be featured in some biker magazine the next.

He arched his perfectly formed brow and stared at me with the most beautiful and haunting emerald eyes I had ever seen. They seemed to slip right past the wall I had built around myself and see straight into my soul. He held my gaze and twisted his lips into a knowing smile. I suddenly felt an odd connection to him, like we were both the only sane people in the entire establishment. It was both comforting and terrifying. He had an honest-looking face, like he was the type of person I could trust, which only made me more unnerved.

“Lucy?”

I tore my gaze away from the stranger and looked up at the doctor through my hair.

“I asked if you had anything you’d want to share with the class…” The doctor flashed me another brilliant smile, but her voice sounded strained.

I shook my head and angled my body in the chair so I wouldn’t have to look at anyone else—especially him. The man was entirely too sexy for his own good…

With Violet’s perfect college semester underway, of course the Yellowstone caldera will erupt for the first time in 630,000 years.

Sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss the fireworks, plus you’ll earn the chance to win some really cool swag – a choice of one of these nifty items made with a Yellowblown and an Eruption charm. I’ll pick the winner based on signup order after August 19 using random.org.

So many interesting bloggers are sharing my big news. There is a list of them and links below.

Visit these blogs to learn more about Eruption.

The Velvet Lair                    Happily Ever After          Reviews by Crystal

Lynda Bailey                        Tina Donahue                A Passion for Romance

Writing Dreams                    The Whole Shebang      Melissa Keir

D’Ann Linden                       The Pink Fuzzy Slippers   Some Like It Hotter

Storm Goddess Book Reviews

Setup of the scene: Cowgirl and new part owner in the magnificent New Horizon Ranch in Mule Hollow, Texas, is trying to prove to herself that she is worthy of the amazing gift she’s been given as one of the partners. She understands why her partners were willed ownership–they are hard working young cowboys that had been working at the ranch for a while, but she’s only been there 2 years and came from a background of being an orphan abandoned on the steps of the Post Office when she was a baby. This gift is unbelievable to her and she is determined to live up to the faith and opportunity her ex-boss has given her. But she’s now having trouble loading a stubborn bull-Buford-and a hero is about to come to her rescue…

EXCERPT

For the first time in her life she’d been given a shot at something big—it didn’t matter that she didn’t deserve it—she was going to do her fair share to see that her former boss never looked down from heaven and regretted the faith he’d shown in giving her this opportunity. She’d already decided that any dream she’d had prior to the reading of that will was going on hold…there would be plenty of time for them later.

Buford snorted sending Maddie instantly on alert. He never did anything he didn’t want to do and Maddie knew the ornery bull could make mincemeat out of her if he chose.

He chose—one powerful kick sent the gate slamming into Maddie. A scream ripped from her as the bone crunching impact knocked her off her feet. Flying backwards like a rag doll she slammed into the pipe fence. The hit was immediately followed by the heavy, steel gate. Pain exploded everywhere, glazing everything as it seared through her, dazing her.

Got to stay on your feet.

The gate swung away from her and instinct had Maddie clawing, grasping for its rungs.

Stay off the ground or be trampled. 

Bufford kicked the gate again, this time, all Maddie’s breath whooshed from her, her lungs locked up—the impact so excruciating she hit the ground instantly.

Right in Buford’s pathway.

She landed face first in the dirt and her mouth filled with foul tasting grit. Fighting for breath she couldn’t help herself, she was helpless. A flashback to her childhood crowded her mind.

Wheezing, she willed herself to move. To breathe.

But, as she’d been unable to help herself all those years ago when she was a sickly abandoned baby, she was helpless now.

Suddenly, boots attached to denim-clad legs thudded to the ground between her and Buford.

“Yah,” yelled the cowboy, planting himself directly in the line of danger as the bull bolted from the trailer like a runaway tank.

Where the cowboy had come from, Maddie didn’t know, but from her position he looked like a gift dropped straight from heaven.

“Go on, now,” he yelled then stomped and waved his arms—held his ground—Buford cut sharply to the right, away from Maddie.

Though her lungs still burned with the need for air, relief surged through her watching the cowboy herd the bull away from her and into the holding pen. Within moments he returned and dropped to his knees beside her.

“Here you go,” he drawled, easing her to her side. “Try to relax. The breathing will get easier. Come on, now go easy.”

She struggled to relax. He was right, after a few more inhales the breaths did come easier, though there was a sharp edge to each breath if she inhaled too deeply. “Thank. You,” she managed, giving him a weak smile.

He didn’t smile back, concern etched his rugged, handsome face. “Glad I was here. How are you feeling now?”

Maddie’s pulse fluttered, she was mesmerized by his penetrating indigo eyes. Flustered, she yanked her gaze off her gorgeous rescuer and rubbed her ribs, wincing. “Like I’ve been kicked by a two-thousand-pound bull.”

His soft chuckle sank over her like warm honey.

“You may have broken some ribs,” he said, kindly then demanded. “What were you doing out here by yourself in the first place?”

“Loading a bull,” she retorted, humiliated by the entire pitiful ordeal and the fact he’d witnessed it. This cowboy probably thought she was some greenhorn who didn’t know beans about bulls or cattle.

Needing more control she struggled to sit up without groaning. Honestly, she was feeling better—but who wouldn’t? Her cowboy rescuer would make any woman forget she’d been almost stomped to a pulp by a bull—even her.

And that those eyes of his were lethal weapons.

The guy was gorgeous—even oxygen deprived and in pain as she’d been she’d realized that immediately. Touchable dark hair curled from beneath his straw hat and enhanced his firm, chiseled jaw. His high cheekbones underlined those penetrating, strength filled, blue eyes.

He flashed an enticing crooked grin. “You’re one tough lady, Maddie Rose.”

Maddie got hung-up on that smile—suddenly thinking about long, slow kisses… There was an understandable delay in her fogged brain relaying the message that he knew her name.

And she’d never met him. She knew because she would have remembered him if she’d met him anytime in her entire life. And yet, she realized there was something slightly familiar about him.

“Have we met?” she asked, as dawning hit her dazed brain and she saw the resemblance. “Wait, you’re Cliff Masterson, Rafe’s twin brother. The bull rider.” Rafe was one of her ranch partners and a good friend.

“Some nights. Some nights I eat more dirt than you just did.” His expression was a mixture of humor and ire—one that made him look more like his brother than he had so far. Rafe had said they weren’t identical by a long shot. He’d been right.

They were both dark haired, good looking and with similar face shapes and body builds, but other than the occasional similarity of expressions a person would never mistake them for twins.

She relaxed, some. “Rafe said you were coming but I thought it wasn’t until next week.”

His left cheek twitched. “My plans changed.”

She’d caught the way his expression tightened and pain briefly dulled his eyes. “Oh—”

“How about we get you up to the house?” he asked and before she could answer or even nod he’d moved behind her and in an instant his strong arms slipped around her, gently lifting her up.

Momentarily all pain disappeared. His purely masculine scent wrapped around her, drawing her like a hummingbird to sugar water. She fought the overwhelming urge to lean into him.

“Lean on me,” he said, as if he could read her mind.

Ha! Like she needed any encouragement. Even the sharp pains shooting from her ribs overrode the initial shock of his touch, Maddie’s awareness of the man stunned her.

She didn’t let men get too close. Held them at bay and even though she got lonely and hoped one day she’d have the guts to change that…this kind of reaction had never been a problem.

Never happened.

She chalked it up to the fault of the ordeal she’d just gone through.

It didn’t matter anyway. Not right now. Finding the guts to knock down her emotional barriers. To risk her heart for her dream of falling in love and having the family she longed for—that dream was on hold for now.

She had other priorities. Like not flubbing up any more.  To prove to herself that she was deserving of this gift.

Needing a hero to ride to her rescue was not the way to do it.

END OF EXCERPT

Gotta love a cowboy savior! I know you’ll want to read more. You can find Her Mule Hollow Cowboy at the following sites.

Amazon link http://amzn.to/1icYBjM

Nook http://bit.ly/1heRo1D

Kobo Kobo – Search Results for eBooks and eMagazines

Also, don’t be shy about meeting up with Debra Clopton at http://debraclopton.com/ where you can sign up for her newsletter for contests and news.

Debra and I welcome your comments and questions. Come back each week for a first meeting excerpt from a different guest author.

Here is the setup of the first meeting scene:  Jade and Patrick have been lovers through time. This is their final reincarnation. They haven’t met yet in this life, but destiny has drawn them together once again. Their first meeting takes place in Rio De Janeiro at the beach. Patrick is searching for Jade without knowing it. She, however, realizes he’s looking for her.

EXCERPT

Jade regarded the young women who’d spoken to Patrick. The one on the right snatched his tee and pressed it to her nose. Her girlfriends reacted with surprise, dismay, jealousy, then all of them fell back to their towels, laughing loudly.

Their happiness touched Jade. She wanted the same for herself and Patrick. Turning to the sea, she spotted him. His strong, solid strokes took him farther from shore and her.

Jade followed for a few feet then stopped, warning herself against joining Patrick, telling him she was the woman he’d searched for when he’d moved down the beach. Her confession might flood him with too many painful memories, which would make her seduction that much more difficult.

When he saw her again, she needed him to recall a warm summer day in 1510, moments after he’d finished his swim. He’d stood in a shallow part of the stream then, the water reaching just above his knees. Beads of moisture dripped from his eyebrows, stubble, and long dark lashes. Sun drizzled through thick stands of cork and olive trees, dappling his broad shoulders with flecks of golden light. With his head lowered, he’d scooped water then flung it beneath his arms.

Secretly, she’d watched him, as she had for weeks, ever since he’d arrived at her papá’s castle to tutor her younger brothers.

His tall, strong body had intrigued her from the start, along with his educated voice, sculpted features, and bearing with his charges.

Unlike her papá’s other servants, he didn’t defer to her brothers, indulging their every whim. With a firm but fair hand, he’d schooled them in advanced mathematics, Latin, Greek, science, horsemanship, and other physical pursuits. At those times, he’d worn only a linen shirt and hose as he ran and played with them. Grinning broadly, he’d ruffled her brothers’ dark hair when they performed to his satisfaction.

She began to imagine his smile directed at her, his touch belonging to no one else.

At night, she dreamt of him. During the day, she couldn’t think of anything else, consumed with everything he did. Where he slept, what he ate, how he enjoyed his few moments of freedom from her brothers and her papá’s demands.

Clearly, he enjoyed bathing in the stream, rather than the iron tub in the castle. As though he preferred to be outdoors because it allowed him to be alone. Or so he thought.

Water poured through his fingers as he finally sensed her. His hand remained suspended in air as he forgot to bring it to his chest.

Slowly, as though uncertain at what he might see, he’d lifted his face and stared at the hem of her yellow gown. The insistent breeze had pulled the linen away from her legs and around the tree trunk where she’d been hiding.

A warning registered in her mind, telling her to yank the garment back, then turn and run, not stopping until she reached the chapel. There, god would expect her to feel badly for what she’d witnessed.

Carnal desire proved more powerful and compelling than eternal damnation, trapping her where she stood. With her palms on the stout ancient tree, she leaned to the left, knowing he’d see her face, not caring if he did. All she could do was drink in his powerful male form.

Flushed with embarrassment, fevered with need, she stared.

When she finally glanced up, she forgot to breathe. In his dark eyes, she saw desire to match her own. The promise of what life should be, not what her papá had planned for her with the count. A man she could barely stand.

Trembling with excitement, she stepped from behind the trunk and faced him.

Beneath his lust, she saw how bewildered he was. He had no idea who she might be or where she belonged. Although he’d lived at her papá’s castle for weeks, there was no reason for her father to have introduced them. He was a mere tutor, she even less. A female relegated to the shadows, ordered to be quiet and meek until her nuptials.

Undeniable need drew her closer to him, a sense of destiny singing in her blood. Dizzy at the thought of finally brushing her lips over his, she told him her Christian name and then her family’s.

Confusion flooded his face that she was the daughter of his patrón—his benefactor.

Beneath his surprise was a man’s uncivilized passion. She stopped at the edge of the stream, not caring how the mud dirtied her pattens or the hem of her gown. She told him about the abandoned hut on her papá’s estate where they could go to be free of prying eyes.

He stared at her, unease finally draining him of lust. “Go,” he ordered her in Castilian.

Headstrong, she murmured, “No.” She regarded his strong body. She wanted to experience his male aroma and taste his skin.

Heat snaked through her, leaving her deliciously weak.

He frowned at her boldness. “Go. Now,” he ordered her, using the firm voice he had with her brothers when they disobeyed. “Never come here again.”

Jade smiled at the memory, even as grief pressed in on her. She had returned, of course. So had he, irresistibly drawn to each other as they were now.

Reaching the surf, Patrick walked the last few feet to dry sand. Water sparkled on his hair, shoulders, pecs, and abs, his muscles taut, his birthmark obvious. Stopping, he searched the crowd once more.

It’s time, she thought. More than a hundred years in the making.

His attention inched toward her, driven by their shared histories and his enduring love.

Jade’s belly fluttered with expectation at what might happen. Her heart beat painfully as he studied one woman after the other, frustration tightening his features.

Advancing another step, he halted suddenly, his eyes at last reaching hers.

END OF EXCERPT

The idea of lovers through time is so intriguing. I’m sure you want to read more of This Time When We Touch, so click this link to find your copy!

This Time When We Touch Buy Link

To find out more about Tina Donahue, visit the following places:

Facebook   Email   Website   Blog    Twitter     Triberr

Tina and I welcome comments or questions. Return to the blog — normally on Saturdays — for a fresh first meeting excerpt from a guest author.