Jill Hughey http://www.jillhughey.com Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:16:35 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.32 Christmas Wishes on First Sight Saturday http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/11/christmas-wishes-on-first-sight-saturday.html http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/11/christmas-wishes-on-first-sight-saturday.html#comments Sat, 23 Nov 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/11/christmas-wishes-on-first-sight-saturday.html Every week on First Sight Saturday I welcome a guest author to share an excerpt of a first meeting between two characters. Today Patricia Kiyona brings us a portion of her sweet contemporary romance, Christmas Wishes. An interesting fact about Patricia: her grandparents came to America from Japan in the 1920s. Since they and their children were the only Japanese family in Michigan during WWII, they were not sent to the internment camps, but were allowed to stay in their home under the watchful eye of local federal agents.

I’d say that it a wonderful piece of family history! And look at how pretty Patricia’s cover is.

EXCERPT

Mitch Carson studied the nutrition labels on the boxes of cereal in front of him, wanting to choose wisely, but six-year-old Angie kept pulling on his arm.
“Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom.”
“There’s no bathroom here, sweetness. You’ve got to wait.”
“I can’t wait, Daddy. I need to go now.”
Mitch threw a box of cereal into the cart, hoping it wouldn’t taste too much like cardboard. He took Angie’s hand and headed toward the checkout lanes. “I’m sorry, honey, but I can’t go in the bathroom with you, and you’re not going in there alone. Besides, we’ll be home in just ten minutes.”
“Daddy, I can’t wait ten minutes.” She hopped up and down, her face strained with discomfort.
Mitch grimaced. Why did this always happen when they were out of the house? He was searching for the words to reassure her again when a gentle feminine voice spoke.
“The bathroom is right over here, behind the meat counter.”
Mitch looked up into a pair of wide green eyes. Exotic and enticing, yet capable and compassionate. The eyes were set in a small heart-shaped face and surrounded by a cloud of honey blonde hair. He closed his mouth before he embarrassed himself by drooling. And he tried very hard to keep his voice from squeaking as he answered.
“Thanks, but I can take her home.”
“Daddy, I need to go!” Angie continued her hopping, clearly uncomfortable.
“It’s a nice bathroom, and they keep it very clean,” the blonde told him. She disappeared into the doorway she’d indicated and then came right back. “No one’s using it now, so you can go in and help her if you want.”
“Daddy? Please?” Angie’s face was starting to turn red. “I can do it myself.”
Mitch swallowed. If the restroom was empty and he stood outside the door, nothing bad could happen to her, right? “Okay, sweetness. I’ll be right here.”
Angie dashed into the restroom, and the blonde started to take off.
“Uh, thanks for your help,” he called after her.
 The blonde curls tossed as she turned back to him with a grin. “No problem at all. I’m Sophie Gardner, by the way. Are you just passing through Zutphen, or are you new here?”
“New, I guess. We moved here in August. Mitch Carson.” He held out his hand.
She placed a tiny hand in his. “You’ve been here over two months and I haven’t met you until now? The small-town grapevine must be rusty. Welcome to Zutphen. You have an adorable daughter.”
“Thanks. I can’t argue with that.” He’d been welcomed by other residents, but for some reason, the words from this particular woman made him feel almost giddy with pleasure. He turned when the bathroom door opened, and Angie came out, much happier than when she’d gone in. Her gap-tooth grin made his heart swell with pride.
Strange, but his usual apprehension when his daughter was out of his sight hadn’t seemed so intense with this lady by his side. It would be so nice to share the parenting responsibilities with someone. No, he reminded himself, I’ve got to do this myself. At least, I’ve got to try.

The blonde — Sophie, she’d said her name was — went on her way, and he fought off the urge to call her back. In a town as small as Zutphen, he’d run into her again. 

END OF EXCERPT

To get your copy of Christmas Wishes, please visit one of the following links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Patricia Kiyono can be found at her website, blog, facebook, Amazon, and twitter @PatriciaKiyono.

Patricia and I both welcome your comments and questions. Please come back next week for a fresh new excerpt from another visiting author.

]]> http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/11/christmas-wishes-on-first-sight-saturday.html/feed 8 Troy’s Fox on First Sight Saturday http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/10/troys-fox-on-first-sight-saturday.html http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/10/troys-fox-on-first-sight-saturday.html#comments Sat, 26 Oct 2013 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/10/troys-fox-on-first-sight-saturday.html I spent last Saturday with the lively Jane Wakely at a local Celebrate The Book event, and today she is visiting on First Sight Saturday with her new release, Troy’s Fox, a paranormal/shifter romance. We’ve all had one of those awkward first meetings but I’m glad I’ve never had anything quite this embarrassing happen to me in front of a guy.

Set-up:
Even though she’s a waitress, quiet and shy Autumn tries her best to stay out of everyone’s way. After an embarrassing incident at one of her tables, she runs in the kitchen to hide. When she returns to the dining room, she sees Troy for the first time!
Excerpt:
Determined to stop hiding like a baby, Autumn dried her eyes and walked back into the dining room. Though it seemed like she’d been gone forever, only a few minutes passed and a quick glance at her tables let her know everyone was fine.
There was a man seated at the counter reading a newspaper and she walked over to see if he needed help.
“Hi, what can I get you?”
Brown eyes she’d never seen before met hers and he smiled wide. The man sat up straight from his slouched position over the paper and Autumn noticed his size almost matched the mammoth, but not quite. His wide chest and shoulders were muscular without being too bulky and she could see the definition in his arms through his snug t-shirt.
His hair was the same distinct red as hers, but it was cut short on the sides and the longer top looked windblown. For some reason, he didn’t make her nervous like other men did, and she didn’t look away or hide from his intense stare.
“Hello, Vixen.”
His voice met her ears and seemed to race straight to her core. Goosebumps covered her arms and her cheeks heated at the thoughts racing through her mind. She’d been on her own for four years and she stopped thinking about boys long before that.
Love wasn’t real and lust wasn’t worth it.
Her thoughts made her anxious and Autumn backed away from the counter and collided with the new girl holding a bucket of dirty dishes. The fall to the floor didn’t hurt, but she was covered in leftover food waste and drinks along with dirty napkins and silverware from the bused tables. She could feel the redhead’s eyes on her, but she didn’t dare look at him. The thought of seeing him laugh at her like everyone else made her queasy.
Autumn kept her gaze on the floor and carefully got to her knees and stood.
Find TROY’S FOX:
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1fFa9vn  
All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/1hYOCe3  
About Jane:
Jane has been creating stories of love and romance for as long as she can remember. She’s a sucker for a happy ending and thinks the best thing about any movie or book is when the characters find someone to love.
Jane’s stories reflect her interest in all romance genres, and all levels of spice, but paranormal romance is her true passion. She loves creating worlds around sexy shifters and vamps—even if the shifter is a smelly skunk!
Jane writes sensual romance that will warm your heart, and a happy ever after is guaranteed!
Find Jane:
 Jane and I welcome any comments or questions, and I hope you will stop by every Saturday for a fresh new first meeting excerpt!

]]> http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/10/troys-fox-on-first-sight-saturday.html/feed 5 One Bad Day on First Sight Saturday http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/09/one-bad-day-on-first-sight-saturday.html http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/09/one-bad-day-on-first-sight-saturday.html#comments Sat, 07 Sep 2013 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/09/one-bad-day-on-first-sight-saturday.html Edie Hart visits today with her short contemporary romance One Bad Day. Any day that you have to wear a tacky costume is a bad day. Read on!

BOOK BLURB: Tessa is having one seriously bad day. After agreeing to dress as a cheesy mascot at a convention for her boss, her clothes get stolen, she gets chased through a sinister parking garage, and her apartment gets broken into and turned upside down.

Gray, an off-duty police officer, can’t resist the sexy legs he sees in costume at a hotel convention. When he catches sight of her running for her life through a dark car lot, he’s determined to find out what her story is and ends up promising to keep Tessa safe…even if that means taking her home with him.

EXCERPT

Gray stepped outside of the hotel ballroom hoping the air would be cooler out there. He hated stuffy gatherings. Hell, he hated weddings. How two people could think they’d love each other forever was beyond him. Gray didn’t do love. Which was why he was stag at a co-worker’s wedding. He’d originally planned to invite Monique, but several months back she’d become demanding and talked about moving into his place with hearts and flowers in her eyes. So he’d ended it. Deep down, he’d known that she didn’t really want him. She wanted any warm body that would take care of her. She had slowly been trying to mold him into some GQ tycoon, telling him what to wear, how to act, and even going as far as telling him what he needed to do career-wise.
A loud crash on the other side of the hall caught Gray’s attention. In the open ballroom across the way he saw legs. Glorious legs in strappy high heels. The beautiful legs were tangled on the floor and attached to an ass that was just as gorgeous. After taking a closer look, Gray realized that above the amazing ass was an enormous, white light bulb-shaped head with blue googly eyes. It had blonde hair and wore a glittery purple hat. The tangled-up legs and heels were flailing around in a pile of what looked like empty light bulb boxes. Several gentlemen nearby were quick to help Legs get her feet beneath her. From their smiles and laughter he could tell that they were all quite happy to be of assistance. Gray didn’t blame them.
He watched Legs find her balance in those high heels, and with a little wiggle and tug of her skirt she went on her way.


END OF EXCERPT

Here are links to the places you can find One Bad Day.

Book Links:


To follow Edie Hart, visit these sites.

]]> http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/09/one-bad-day-on-first-sight-saturday.html/feed 4 Give and Take on First Sight Saturday http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/02/give-and-take-on-first-sight-saturday.html http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/02/give-and-take-on-first-sight-saturday.html#comments Sat, 02 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/02/give-and-take-on-first-sight-saturday.html Every week on First Sight Saturday, I invite one author to share an excerpt of a first meeting between two characters.

Today, I welcome Alisa Anderson with the second book in her Give and Receive series.  This erotic romance novella, called Give and Take, will be released this month.  The first book in the series, Give and Receive, is available now if you want to get primed!

Set up:
Lena is at the office with her business partner and good friend Reese when Reese finally gets to meet Ty, Lena’s best friend.
 Two of the most important people in Lena’s life, and two of the biggest epic forces of nature, finally collide.

Excerpt:
“This is beginning to get a little complicated, don’t you think? Do you really want to lose him as a friend?” Reese paused and repeated her last question. “Well. Do you?”
Lena looked at Reese and frowned. “God, Reese. You are so annoying, sometimes.”
“You know me, always encouraging and uplifting,” Reese said sweetly.
“You and your damn conscience, always interfering in the good stuff. And if you must know, I don’t plan on it happening again.”
Reese snorted. “Uh huh.”
“Yeah. Whatever.” Lena broke off a piece of scone from the desk and dipped it into Reese’s coffee. Reese looked in her coffee mug at the crumbs floating around and glared at Lena.
“So anyway,” Lena continued, ignoring Reese’s frown. “You should have seen him the next morning. He looked all pitiful and shit. I felt kinda sorry for the poor kid.”
“Pitiful, huh? You mean, kind of like he lost his best friend?”
“Well, yeah I guess…” Lena ate her piece of scone and chewed thoughtfully. “You think that was because of me?”
“You know, I like when you aim high and reach for the big fat clue right in front of you.” Reese laughed and popped a piece of scone into her mouth.
Lena grinned. “And I like it when you kiss my ass.”
Reese cackled and started to say something, but paused as she looked towards the door. Suddenly, she busied herself with something on the computer screen. Lena turned around and saw Tyler standing in the doorway.
Reese coughed delicately. “How are you, Ty?”
“I’m doing all right. It’s Reese, isn’t it?”
“The one and only.” Reese smirked at Lena and got up from her chair. She walked over to him and held out her hand. “Don’t believe anything she says about me.” She winked at him. “I’m really much worse.”
Tyler grinned and didn’t try to hide it as he assessed her from head to toe.
He liked what he saw. Especially Reese’s full, voluptuous chest, which he always had a weakness for. He cleared his throat and brought his gaze up to finally look at her face as he shook her hand firmly, not releasing it. He gave her a cocky grin.
“I’ll try to keep that in mind, sweetheart.”
But Reese was not to be outdone.
Rather than be offended at his sizing her up like a piece of meat, she yanked him a little closer to her so he could get a complete view of the treasures underneath her blouse. Then she eyed his crotch and replied, “Make sure you don’t, sweetheart. Because I eat little boys like you for breakfast.”
Lena couldn’t believe it, but Tyler flushed and yanked his hand away. Reese had actually flustered him. She laughed out loud.
“Reese, play nice with Ty. He doesn’t know you’re only teasing. Now we don’t want to scare him away, do we? Then he won’t come over to play, ever again.”
“Oh nooooooo, we don’t want that.” Reese cooed, settling back in her chair to blot her lips and apply more rum raisin lipstick. “Not when there are so many things…” Reese deliberately eyed Tyler’s crotch again, and licked her lips. “To play with.”
Tyler was horrified as he felt himself turning red once more. How was he letting some woman, he just met, show him up? He felt like some horny teenager.
Not cool. He tried to compose himself.
“Can I talk to you please?” Tyler looked at Lena. “Alone?”
Lena then looked at Reese. Reese smiled sweetly and said “Come back and see me sometime, Mr. Malone. I’m harmless. I swear. And besides.” Reese winked at Lena. “I hear we have a lot in common.” She snickered and turned her back to them.
Lena gasped, and pulled Tyler out of the room, shooting Reese a dirty look, all the while trying not to laugh.
“What did she-” Tyler began, but Lena cut him off. “Uhhhh…Tyler let’s hurry this up. I need to run some errands.”
Lena closed the door behind her and she heard Reese, still laughing.

Coming February 2013…In the meantime, read the novella where it all begins!


You can read a First Sight Saturday excerpt from Book One in this series, Give and Receive, on my blog by clicking here.


 Alisa’s Facebook              Alisa’s web page            Alisa’s Twitter

]]> http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/02/give-and-take-on-first-sight-saturday.html/feed 0 A Love Song in Wyoming on First Sight Saturday http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/01/a-love-song-in-wyoming-on-first-sight.html http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/01/a-love-song-in-wyoming-on-first-sight.html#comments Sat, 05 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/01/a-love-song-in-wyoming-on-first-sight-saturday.html Today I welcome E. Ayers with her sweet contemporary romance, A Love Song in Wyoming.  Wyoming is my favorite state in the U.S.A. and I love music so I am really happy to share this first meeting between her characters!

The Setup:  Johnny Rockthorne is one of the top country/western vocalists. He spends most of his time on the road doing concerts, and the rest of the time he’s home with his parents. His career is a family business. His mom runs it, and his big sis (Lucy) is his road manager. Her husband (Ed) handles his stage. Now he wants a place to call his own, far from fans, where he can relax, and write. Wyoming looks like the perfect spot.

Excerpt:  “What was this place?” Johnny asked, as he looked at all the bedrooms with hotel-like locks on the doors.

“A dude ranch. Do you intend to use it as commercial property?” The agent pulled at the corner of his generous mustache.
“Private residence.” The view out the windows caught his attention. Fields stretched almost forever until they met some distant snow capped mountains that blended into the bright sky. Beautiful.
He opened a door and walked onto a tiered deck. A pool and hot tub came into view, along with a fire pit and a massive outdoor grilling area, all of it hidden from the panorama within the house. He stepped down, turned, and looked at the cabin. Made from logs and stones, it was a man’s retreat. Bold, spacious, and everything he could ever want.
He turned to the landscape before him. The agent had called it a reservoir, but to him it was a pond. The image of whiling away a lazy warm afternoon in the water appealed to him. Maybe he’d get one of those pool chairs that floated.
A small stream fed the pond like a bright shimmering ribbon in the sunlight. Beyond the stream, a barn and house could be seen in the far distance. His mind swirled with words, and a tune began to form. He wanted paper and pen so he wouldn’t lose the song.
He stepped back inside and found Lucy. “I need to write.”
Lucy rolled her eyes, rummaged through her purse, and produced a small notepad. “I love that kitchen. You gotta get this place.”
“Thanks.” He took the paper and pen, and went outside. Songs were flowing through his mind like Niagara Falls. He couldn’t scribble fast enough as he sat on one deck and put his feet on the lower one.
An odd cadence caught his attention. He saw a steer and then another. The noise grew louder. A herd of cattle moved into view from the side of the yard. Then he heard what sounded like a motorcycle. He watched as the backyard filled with a sea of black animals. A hot pink motorcycle seemed to be pushing them along. The rider dressed in matching pink pants, jacket, and helmet pulled to stop as soon as the last bovine crossed the stream. The rider turned, headed for the cabin, and stopped short of the decking.
Stepping off, the motorcyclist removed the helmet, and shiny black hair spilled across her shoulders and down her back. She smiled and called, “Hi, Uncle Cody in there?”
Johnny nodded.
The young woman ran up the tiered decks with lightning speed and paused for a moment to offer her hand. “Hi, I’m Angie Clovis.” Her bright smile faded as her mouth formed an O. “Oh, my gosh, you’re Johnny Rockthorne. You buying this place?”
“Maybe.”
“Sorry, cutting across this property saves me a bunch of time.” She smiled and stepped around him. “Hey. Uncle Cody!”
Johnny turned and watched her greet the real estate agent with a hearty hug. A moment later, she scooted across the decks to her motorcycle.
“Bye,” she called. “If you buy it, we’ll be neighbors.”
She put her helmet on and rode off towards the distant house.
The image of her chiseled features, vibrant blue eyes, and straight black hair remained in his mind.
He stuck the pen and notepad in his shirt pocket and went to find the young woman’s uncle. The man appeared engaged in dialog with Lucy and Ed.
“Excuse me.” Johnny smiled at the trio. “What must I do to buy this place?”
END OF EXCERPT
Looks like Johnny is a decisive man and Angie knows how to get the attention of more than cattle.  Here is where you can get your own copy of  A Love Song in Wyoming on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  This book is a great bargain at $0.99!
To visit more with Elizabeth you can find her on Facebook, at http://www.ayersbooks.com, or follow her on Twitter.

]]> http://www.jillhughey.com/2013/01/a-love-song-in-wyoming-on-first-sight.html/feed 8 TV Tycoons on First Sight Saturday http://www.jillhughey.com/2012/12/tv-tycoons-on-first-sight-saturday.html http://www.jillhughey.com/2012/12/tv-tycoons-on-first-sight-saturday.html#comments Sat, 29 Dec 2012 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.jillhughey.com/2012/12/tv-tycoons-on-first-sight-saturday.html
Today on First Sight Saturday I welcome Meg Bellamy with her contemporary romantic comedy novella set in reality TV, TV Tycoons, which is a prequel to TV Bride.



SET UP:

The Leopard’s Lair is a reality TV show where new entrepreneurs present ideas and compete for successful, rich people to invest in their businesses.
Jillann Ryan has to win the top prize on The Leopard’s Lair. Without that money, she can kiss her chance to go to medical school good-bye. Or worse, her brother Derek will go bankrupt.
       Zach Vincenzo eats, sleeps and dreams business. He needs to win The Leopard’s Lair to keep his growing company out of the red.

EXCERPT:

Zach Vincenzo couldn’t wait to get on the sound stage to present his pitch. The Leopards had to go for it, had to see his was the most brilliant idea to come down the pike in ages. Overextended because he’d expanded too quickly, he needed an infusion of cash to tide him over until he got his balance back. Six months should do it. Just this once, he was willing to put up with having an investor involved — for a short time. Zach would break speed records to pay back the investment with interest and regain his total independence.
The moment the emcee completed his introduction, Zach strode out and looked the Leopards straight in the eye. “My business, Beauty and Health, which brings salon services to patients, has proven to be a natural money maker in hospitals.” He expected people to be impressed by his brilliant concept, so he was almost thrown when they gazed back, less than overwhelmed. Luckily, he had an innate ability to regroup and change direction. He’d wow them.
“Didn’t anybody screen these people?” Carl bellowed. “Two in a row with the same idea.”
What? Someone stole my idea? Zach would have to check into that. But first things first. He needed to focus. No bump in the road would throw him off course. “I’m already established with services in seven hospitals, and I have my eye on five more for immediate expansion.” He took a deep breath. “I did a careful search when I began. There was no competition, no one else in the field. Who’s popped up so suddenly?”
Ted Miscavage, the head Leopard, frowned. “The producers asked me to help with this segment. We don’t usually have two people with similar ideas on the same program. At first, when you both applied, they were going to choose one. Then they consulted with me and we decided to try something different.”
“What do you mean?” Carl growled.
“Thinking outside the box, it’s what successful entrepreneurs do.”
Nothing about this presentation was going the way Zach expected. He didn’t like to be thrown a curve ball when he’d prepared for a straightforward pitch.
Ted rose and called to someone offstage, “Send out the other hospital beauty person.” He turned back to Zach. “Time for the two of you to meet.”
What? He had competition here on the show? What the heck? Zach’s surprise grew when his competitor turned out to be a drop-dead gorgeous blonde whose smile outshone the studio wattage. Under any other circumstances, he’d ask her out on a date.
Ted lumbered across the sound stage, clamped a hand on Zach’s shoulder and on the woman’s and introduced him to Ms. Couldn’t Possibly Be Competition, Jillann something.
“Are the cameras still rolling?” Zach snapped.
“Yes. We figure what’s happening now is an original twist, and that will make our show unique.” Ted bared his teeth in what might have been a smile.
Zach bit back frustration and held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Ms. –“
“Ryan. Jillann Ryan.” She spoke softly but had a strong grip.
Zach looked into intelligent, clear blue eyes that flashed a hint of steel. Beautiful and bright. Definitely nobody’s pushover. He stood even straighter and marshaled his forces. Challenges wreaked havoc on schedules. How big a threat to his future stood before him right now?
At first, Jillann thought being called back on stage signaled good news. Her heartbeat had sped up. Seeing the tall, dark-haired hunk with the smoldering gray eyes hadn’t clued her to start worrying, despite his frown.
“Zach Vincenzo.” He peered at her.
Should his name mean something? Nothing sprang to mind. Why was he narrowing his eyes while all the Leopards stared and Carl smirked? “What’s going on?” No sense playing guessing games.
Ted Miscavage started to explain, but Roberta popped out of her chair. “Let me do this.”
Jillann’s stomach flip-flopped as her inner pessimist took over. She braced herself. If she failed here today, she’d have to postpone med school. Again. No way would she let Derek go under. Since their brother Nick wouldn’t be able to save the day on his own — Jillann needed to focus.
 ” — never happened before.” Roberta rattled on, “First of all, your ideas have our attention. Because they’re so similar, we’ve decided to do something unprecedented. We’ll give you a week to decide how to combine your ideas to come up with something that will blow us away. You’re both strong candidates. We want to see what you two working together bring back.”
Zach glared at Jillann before turning to the Leopards. “I don’t work with partners.”

END OF EXCERPT

Sounds like Zach is going to get an attitude adjustment under the glare of reality TV lights!



Thank you for sharing an excerpt on First Sight Saturday, Meg.


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