Monday, May 28, 2012
Thank You
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Thursday, May 17, 2012
Love Is In Bloom With A Sweet Romance G*i*v*e*a*w*a*y Hop
Love in Bloom
Giveaway Hop
Featuring Lighthearted/Contemporary Young Adult Romance
& Sweet, Clean Adult Romance
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Portrait of a Book
May 18th to 23rd
My prize will be my sweet, paranormal e-book Kiss Me, I'm Irish to three entrants. Winners must be able to accept Kindle, Nook, or Smashwords versions.
Simply enter via the Rafflecopter below, then hop to the next blog!
Blogging Plus Anniversary Means A Cash Giveaway!
Blogaholic Social Network is celebrating their 1 year anniversary and we have teamed up with them to bring you the chance to win $400.00 Paypal cash! If you have not yet heard- Blogaholic Social Network is an online community where bloggers of all niche's connect and spread the word about their blogs while gaining resources, followers, blogging tips, and much more! You must be a member to win but joining fast, easy and best of all FREE! Join here!
This event is hosted by Blogaholic Social Network, The Organized Classroom Blog, Mompreneur Mogul, Swoon Media, Caffeinated OC Mommy, Terri's Little Haven, and Multi Testing Mommy.
You must be 18 to enter. A valid Paypal account is required. Open Worldwide. Void where prohibited.
This giveaway ends May 31st, 2012 11:59 pm
Verifying entries may take up to 2 days days. Please make sure all your entries are valid. Winner must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.
This event is also made possible by the following blogs: Like A Bump On A Blog, A Mothers Heritage, A Little of This and a Little of That, Fashion in the Forest, Keeping Up With The Rheinlanders, Giveaway Promote, Kids and Deals, Bella Bud, Shereen Travels Cheap, Mrs. Miner's Kindergarten Monkey Business, Addicted 2 savings 4 U, Stacy's Savings, One House Schoolroom, Insights by April, Mom Blogger Buzz, St. Augustine Qpon Posse, Mom to Bed by 8, Another Cookie, Please, Crossroad Reviews, Whole Lotta Mama, The STL Mark Mama, Oh My Gosh Beck, Mommies In Orbit, Lillys & Lollipops, Debt Free Spending, Children Teaching Mama, She Says, Bella Street, It's Just My Life, Nap Time Is My Time, Rockin Teacher Materials, The More The Merrier, The Mama Bird, Social Studies Momma, The Stress Free Spanish Teacher, Truly Simply Pink, The 3AM Teacher, The Mommy Times
Friday, May 4, 2012
A Little Free Irish Magic with Diane J Reed!
Love Irish fairy tales? Need a little Irish magic? Your luck has turned! Diane J. Reed's new book Twixt is FREE for Kindle! Read about it here and grab a copy quick! It's only free for 3 days.
Everyone in Ophir Creek, Idaho knows the wild legend of Corvine
O’Dannan, a mysterious Irish woman with “fairy powers” who came to town
during the gold rush to find her fortune, only to be betrayed by her
lover and meet a tragic end—
Fast forward to the twenty-first century, and her descendent Rose doesn’t have time for such nonsense! After a crash-and-burn marriage, she’s returned to her hometown to renovate her father’s gold-panning business and to start over. But everything changes on her 30th birthday when her friend talks her into doing a love spell. Unbeknownst to them, they conjure the spirit of the very same man who once tormented Rose’s ancestor. Why? Because Rose was Corvine O’Dannan in a past life—and her really bad habit of attracting Mr. Wrong still haunts her, and now jeopardizes her very life…
What Rose doesn’t realize is that along with this dark curse comes an extraordinary blessing—in the form of a soul guardian named Chance Murphy who’s been protecting her for centuries. But this time around, the evil spirit that plagues Rose has stolen Chance’s body. So the only way that Chance can reach her is late at night in her dreams, when he appears as a magical raven who escorts her to an enchanted island off the coast of Ireland. There, Chance becomes a man again, and he shows Rose how to heal her past through the fairies’ special brand of magic. But will Rose finally be able to forge a new future and make the man of her dreams become real? Only if she can once again believe…
Fast forward to the twenty-first century, and her descendent Rose doesn’t have time for such nonsense! After a crash-and-burn marriage, she’s returned to her hometown to renovate her father’s gold-panning business and to start over. But everything changes on her 30th birthday when her friend talks her into doing a love spell. Unbeknownst to them, they conjure the spirit of the very same man who once tormented Rose’s ancestor. Why? Because Rose was Corvine O’Dannan in a past life—and her really bad habit of attracting Mr. Wrong still haunts her, and now jeopardizes her very life…
What Rose doesn’t realize is that along with this dark curse comes an extraordinary blessing—in the form of a soul guardian named Chance Murphy who’s been protecting her for centuries. But this time around, the evil spirit that plagues Rose has stolen Chance’s body. So the only way that Chance can reach her is late at night in her dreams, when he appears as a magical raven who escorts her to an enchanted island off the coast of Ireland. There, Chance becomes a man again, and he shows Rose how to heal her past through the fairies’ special brand of magic. But will Rose finally be able to forge a new future and make the man of her dreams become real? Only if she can once again believe…
Twixt enjoys 16 five-star ratings on Amazon and gets high marks from The Midwest book Review. Read an excerpt of here:
Excerpt
from Twixt, Chapter 20: “Dancing with the Moon” (where Rose
encounters Chance, her shapeshifting soul guardian at night) by Diane
J. Reed
Rose
glanced around the room in the dark, wondering if the raven was
somewhere in shadows, or perhaps perched on the old trunk at the base
of her bed. She hadn’t seen him since he appeared to lead the line
of birds on her drive home. Cautiously, she tiptoed around her
apartment, not wanting to wake her sister, and she whispered his
name, checking behind kitchen curtains and peering around furniture
before stepping into her shop.
“Chance,”
Rose murmured, feeling a bit silly, “are you here?”
Nothing
but silence.
She
took a deep breath, and then from somewhere in the darkness, she
heard a familiar voice.
I’m
with you, Rose—
She
whipped around, but no one was there.
“Chance?”
she whispered eagerly.
In
a band of moonlight, she caught a glimpse of a shiny, black feather
on the floor. Stepping closer, she picked it up, only to spot
another, then another. Gathering the feathers in her hand, she
realized that they formed a line, like bread crumbs, leading to the
café table. When she walked to the table and glanced down, she saw
the pair of wings her daughter had crafted that morning, glittering
in the moonlight. They looked magical,
and she couldn’t help recalling those times she used to spend with
her mother and sister, searching for fairies at twilight. Soft,
rustling leaves, flickers of forest light, sparkles off creek water
when you least expected it—those had been the most enchanted
moments of her life, until she’d had her daughter Crystal. Rose
reached out a finger to touch the wing as if caressing a favorite
memory. She swore she saw it quiver—
Go
ahead—put them on, the voice urged. Tonight
we can fly.
Rose’s
cheeks flushed as her lips curled into a smile. She slipped the wings
on over her shoulders and scanned the room again, but she couldn’t
find the raven anywhere. Longingly, she stroked the feathers in her
hand.
“Where
are you?” she whispered.
Close
your eyes, the voice said. Believe—
Easing
her eyes shut, Rose tried as hard as she could to feel his presence.
She imagined the softness of the feathers as his windswept hair,
tinged with sand, which he was just waiting for her to caress with
her fingers. He would smell fresh, she thought, like seaside air,
with hints of wild roses and turf fire smoke. She inhaled deeply,
wishing she could breathe him in for safekeeping, when she felt the
feathers slip from her fingers . . .
Slowly,
a feather traced her cheek before it curved along her jaw and
caressed her throat. Soft as a whisper, it glided along her collar
bone. Then the feather whisked down to the swell of her breast and
paused before she felt Chance’s lips press against hers. Gently, he
stroked her hair as he kissed her. Rose opened her eyes. Before her,
illuminated in the moonlight, was a tall man with dark, unruly hair
and a black overcoat. His brown eyes drank her in as though the very
sight of her nourished his soul—
Rose
was about to speak when he put the feather to her lips. He took her
by the hand and held her close, humming as he moved his hips,
imperceptibly at first, then with a little more fervor, so that
before she knew it they were waltzing. She allowed her head to fall
against his shoulder, wings bobbing as the two of them dipped and
swayed. Inside, however, she had to giggle—here she was, in her
white flannel nightgown and wool socks, dancing with a man who
clearly could use a few lessons! His movements were awkward at first,
like someone unaccustomed to wooing women, and his jerking strides
made her feel as if she were attached to a darting shadow. He’s so
different from Jake, she thought, whose smoothness used to work as
effortlessly on her as his smile. How many times had Jake waltzed her
through smoky bars or clanging casinos, purring lies that only made
her feel weaker by the second? Rose had lost track long ago. Instead,
Chance clutched her hand a little too hard, his wrist rigid as he
tried to overcome stumbling feet. He let out a small cough each time
he missed the rhythm, wincing as he ducked his rugged chin. Chewing
his lip, every motion in his body betrayed the lonely mountain man he
truly was, but his dark eyes told her he gave his heart for keeps.
Wouldn’t
have it any other way!
Rose smiled to herself as she rested her cheek against his chest. His
coat rustled with their rhythm, and in its swishes she could almost
hear the lapping waves of the sea. Soon, his gait became more
confident, and slowly she began to feel swept up in his motion, as if
she were floating on a tide. Is he really
here? she wondered, dusting off the sand from
his lapel. Or am I so desperate I’ve lost myself to dreams? Rose
reached up to touch his cheek for assurance, when she felt his large
hand grip hers. The determination in his grasp made her heart surge,
as though she had boarded a ship that had finally set its course for
home.
Chance
smoothed the hair from her forehead and cupped her face. “Look into
my eyes,” he said, halting their movement. “What do you see?”
Rose
wasn’t sure what he meant—was he asking her to predict their
future together? How could
she, when she didn’t know if he could survive the confrontation
tomorrow night at Samhain? She glanced into his eyes, shiny in the
moonlight. “You know I can’t see the future for myself,” she
admitted.
Running
his fingers through her hair, Chance twirled a strand like fine silk.
“But you can dream,” he insisted. He took her by the hand and
opened the front door to lead her to the porch. Above them, the
nearly ripe full moon washed the town square in silver, and splashes
of stars winked in the sky like fragile hopes. Chance slipped his
thick arm around her waist, careful not to disturb her wings. “At
least for one night,” he said, “dare to dream
with me.”
Rose
nodded, swallowing hard. For years she’d been reluctant to consider
her future, especially after her possibilities had been beaten down
by Jake. Day-to-day survival was the most she could hope for in
Nevada, where dreams withered like tender blossoms in the relentless
desert sun. But it wasn’t a life—it was merely an existence. Now,
she didn’t want to let that happen to her anymore, or to Crystal.
Positioning her feet squarely on the porch, she stared at Chance.
“This
is what I see,” she grasped his shoulders and looked into his eyes
with as much courage as she could muster. “I see love and light all
around us. And for the first time in my life, I’m not going
anywhere.”
Chance
smiled. “Of course you are!” he replied. He grabbed her by the
hand and leaped from the porch—
Suddenly,
the moon appeared closer,
so big that Rose felt as if it might swallow them, and Ophir Creek
steadily became a small cluster of lights as far away as the stars.
Rose gasped, realizing that the town had edged from their sight. She
studied Chance’s coat, flapping in the breeze, trying to detect
where he might have sprouted wings. But there were no bulging
feathers or wingtips in view, no mysterious modifications into a wild
bird—only a man beside her whose grin rivaled the stars. Stretching
out her hands, she felt the force of an unusually warm current
suspend them in flight. Had Chance somehow learned to influence the
clouds and winds, like her great-great grandmother? He shook his head
and laughed.
“Twixt
hearts are full of surprises,” he remarked mischievously, “when
the moon is right.” He tweaked her chin. “I thought you’d know
that by now—”
Gripping
her tightly around the waist, he steadied her beside him and tilted
her shoulders, so that they floated upright before an incandescent
moon. Chance’s face, though hard and weather-beaten at the edges,
radiated like an angel’s, and Rose slipped her hands to her cheeks,
wondering if they might emit heat from his reflected glow. He
chuckled and grasped her fingers, curling them into his. This time,
when he led her in the dance, his movements were as light and
graceful as the wispy clouds that collected at their feet like lace.
A soft breeze whisked Rose’s hair, and despite their altitude, she
felt safe in his arms—aloft, it seemed, by their own delight.
“Chance,”
she smiled, “are we hallucinating?”
“I
don’t know!” he replied, gazing at the moon. “Do we care?”
He
pressed his cheek against hers, gently spinning her among thread-like
clouds that were so sheer they were almost transparent. Rose giggled,
and for the life of her, she thought she could hear music. It was
soft at first, seeming to vibrate from her own chest. But as the
notes began to throb in her mind, she saw soft lights glitter all
around them. Their twinkles resembled stars, yet with fleeting
colors, like the reflections that danced off Crystal’s bracelet.
“They’re
here,” Chance
whispered proudly, “all around us. They’re attracted by our joy.”
“Who?”
He
hugged her close. “The good people.
See?” He pointed at the glimmering colors. “They’ve been
waiting for you—”
Mystified,
Rose watched a trickle of hues stream past them in a graceful swirl.
Flashes of red and blue and yellow reflected off Chance’s face,
making him look more alive than she’d ever seen him. No longer the
desolate man of the woods or a windswept island, he appeared as fresh
and illuminated as the moon. His dark eyes sparkled, yet even as they
swayed together in the gentle breeze, his expression slowly began to
stiffen and grow stern.
Chance
searched her face, studying her intently as if memorizing her
features—the curve of her chin with two freckles on the left; the
line of her lips, a bit full on the bottom; the mossy green eyes that
appeared liquid in moonlight. Sweeping his fingers along her brow, he
rested his palm on her cheek. “This could be our last
dance together,” he said, opening the front flaps of his coat to
snuggle her inside. He hugged her so close that Rose could feel her
ribs press against his broad chest. Greedily, he grasped her temples.
“I
love you, Rose,” he said, staring into her eyes. “Not just on an
enchanted island, or in the forest.” He paused and glanced at the
floating colors that still hovered around them, vibrating soft
melodies. “Or even among fairy lights and stars, but everywhere you
move and breathe. No matter what happens,” he promised, stroking
her cheek, “you have my heart.”
Then
he kissed her with such force that she imagined he might breathe her
in, and the white glow of their merged souls would melt into the
moon. From that moment forward, she thought, when people looked up at
night, they would see the silhouette of two ’twixt dancers who’d
finally found each
other, their bodies entwined for all time. Rose ran her fingers along
Chance’s face, hesitating over his long scar, wanting to etch his
features into her heart the way pictures had been drawn in her
great-great grandmother’s diary. As they kissed, she closed her
eyes and listened—listened to the very way he inhaled and
exhaled—hoping to hold the rhythm in her soul. Touching her hands
to his chest, she reveled in the rise and fall of his lungs beneath
his wool sweater—proof to her that he was real,
that everything around them was real!—when she felt his lips
release hers. He took a deep breath and burrowed his hand into his
coat pocket.
Chance
pulled out a small seashell and held it up to the colors that
undulated even more brightly in the night sky, as if swelled by their
kisses.
“Your
daughter gave you tokens from the island,” he said. “Seashells,
potatoes, her paintings. She told me they were her hopes. Little ways
of connecting with you, I guess. Well, I want to give you something,
too, Rose. Something more than feathers.” He slipped the seashell
into her palm and closed her fingers. “I want to give you back your
dreams—”
Rose
felt her eyes mist as he put his arm around her shoulder and glanced
down. Slowly, they descended to the tops of pine trees until she
could once again see the lights of Ophir Creek.
“I
dream of you and me and Crystal by the fireplace,” Chance said,
pointing to the Rainbow’s End CafĂ©. “With a pot of stew on the
stove, the three of us wrapped together in that dusty, old quilt.”
He kissed her softly. “We’re warm and safe and happy. And in the
mornings, I’ll walk Crystal to school before I go to work. And on
weekends, I’ll teach her how to read tree rings and listen to the
wilderness.” He grinned slightly. “If she’s anything like you,
she’ll always have that touch of wildness in her.”
Chance
twirled her in air as they drifted over treetops. Her wings
fluttered, and he slowed her spin to a stop. “And at night, Rose,”
he said, running his hands over her temples, “I’ll wash your hair
in mountain rainwater, and unravel every silky strand before I kiss
your moist skin all over until you tremble. And then we’ll make
love, long and slow, under an alabaster moon, our bodies bathed in
starlight, and we’ll dream. We’ll dream and dream, and never stop
dreaming—”
Heaven!
Rose thought. He’s just described my idea of heaven. She arched her
back, feeling her wings shudder in the breeze. Above her, she could
still see colors dangling like painted stars, their music a gentle
hum in her ears.
Chance
glanced up at the twinkling hues as if he’d already begun to miss
them. He grasped Rose’s fingers and held them out to touch a
fleeting bit of yellow that appeared lost and was skittering past
their shoulders to join the others. When Rose made contact with the
sparkling color, a warm and invigorating feeling sped up her arm.
Surprised, she touched her finger to her lips—it tasted like her
lemon fairy icing. Another one passed, less hurried this time, as
though it might be curious. Rose extended her hand cautiously, when
the orange color dashed forward to meet her touch. Again, she brought
her finger to her lips and a taste filled her mouth. It was a complex
blend of spices with overtones of both sweet and nutty flavors, like
her mother’s Barmbrack cake—something she hadn’t savored in
ages! But there was more. Rose glanced at Chance in surprise as the
feeling surged up her arm and began to embrace her entire being. It
felt warm and full inside, like a hug from her mother on a late
afternoon, perhaps after a tea party in the forest. Or like having
her hair brushed by her sister in the bright sunshine. Or like doing
nothing at all, just lying in a heap with her loved ones on the
family quilt. Is this a trick of my mind? she wondered, watching the
orange color flitter away. Or had the fairies somehow recorded
every joy she’d ever known, somewhere in the annals of the
cosmos—all those little moments that she’d thought had been
extinguished under the harsh Nevada sun? Rose tried to read Chance’s
face for the answer as if peering into a page of her
great-grandmother’s diary.
“It’s
all here, Rose,” he
assured her, the colors reflecting across his cheeks like a
kaleidoscope. “Everything good and true you’ve ever known. All
you have to do is reach out and remember. We’ll always be with
you—”
Goose
bumps ran down Rose’s spine at his words. He cradled her elbow to
steady her and guided their feet to settle on the wood planks of the
porch. Glancing back at the moon, he lifted his chin as if it had
called his name. “Rose, I don’t know what will happen tomorrow
night,” he confessed. “I could return to my body, my mind a
scramble—or worse.”
He gazed down at his feet as though it might be the last time he
would see them. “But I do know this,” he continued, staring into
her eyes, “if I do everything in my power to return to the daylight
people, Crystal will too. She just needs someone to go before her, to
show her the way home.”
Tears
trickled down Rose’s cheeks, beyond her willpower to make them
stop. It wasn’t just the possibility of losing her lover at the
brink of a full moon, when she and Chance had barely started. She
glanced at the seashell resting in her palm, so similar to the one
her daughter had given her. More than anything, more than all the
handsome strangers, full moons and fairy lights that the world had to
offer, what she wanted most was to have her daughter back,
as sassy and whole as she’d been before. Rose knew Crystal had
shown signs of improvement, baby steps to test the waters, perhaps.
But nothing was certain, only that her heart lurched each time she
caught a glimpse of the girl she’d known. Closing her eyes, she
rubbed the seashell in her palm and prayed with all her heart that
her daughter might once again be hers. Not a twilight child, snared
between two worlds because of damage or fear. Rose pictured a child
of the sun, light glinting off her cheeks and curls—a bold child
who’d brag about her adventures when her mother smiled and asked
about her day. A child who wanted to be with her, a child who would
stay.
Please
god, Rose prayed silently, please—please—help me to be worthy of
my angel—
A
raven called from a tree limb overhead, its voice thick and resonant.
Soon, a group of birds descended on the grass in the town square.
They assembled in a circle and began to chortle like members of a
midnight council. Chance glanced at them and nodded.
“Rose,”
he said in a solemn tone, as if he’d been praying as well,
“Laurel’s told you the truth, as much as she could handle,
anyway. She’s right—you don’t need thunder and fireworks to do
a soul exchange. But you do
need the help of the good people. Believe,
Rose—believe enough for you and me and Crystal, and our future—”
He
stared up at the last of the flickering colors that hovered in the
sky like northern lights. “And ask you’re your sister about the
fairy ring. There’s something she’s not telling you . . .”
Grab your copy at Amazon and enjoy a little Irish magic. There can never be enough!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Bid For Books and Help Find A Cure For Diabetes!
Romance author Brenda Novak's annual auction for diabetes research is up and running with everything from art to loaded Kindles and Nooks up for bid.
My books are on two e-readers up for auction.
For Kindle fans, bid on a Kindle Touch loaded with time-travel and sci-fi books, including my 6 book set Apocalypse Babes: The Complete Series. Bid HERE.
For Nook fans who also love paranormal romance and suspense, get a Nook loaded with seven books, including Kiss me, I'm Irish.
With seven books and an Irish title--you might just get lucky! Bid HERE.
Feed your need for books while helping researchers find a cure for diabetes. You rock!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Tell A Story Blog Hop With Have Novel, Will Edit
Allison Merritt and her Have Novel, Will Edit blog is sponsoring a fun blog hop that features flash fiction or short stories.
Allison will choose one winner from all the contributing blogs. The winner gets book money to spend in the form of a e-gift certificate. Woot!
In addition I'll be choosing one random commenter to win my 6 book series Apocalypse Babes. Below is an imagining of the Seffy and her friends at a Christmas party. Kinda scary, and filled with clues revealed in the series.
So stay for a spell, then hop onto the next blog. The winner will be chosen and contacted on 4/30. Don't forget to leave a comment with your email!
The
Apocalypse Babes Christmas Party Before Things Went To Hell
by
Bella Street
Introducing
characters from the Apocalypse Babes series
“This was a
terrible idea.”
Seffy regarded her
red-headed and cynical friend, Addison. “You may be right.”
Gareth, her
long-time crush, slung an arm over her shoulder and scanned the
assembled group. “Is it me or do all the Christmas lights actually
make everyone look sinister?”
“It's just you,”
Lani said firmly. She tucked a lock of dark hair over her shoulder
and sent them a stern look from her wide blue eyes. “It's Christmas
time—which means you guys have to be nice.”
Addison peered into
her empty glass. “Might be easier of I had more booze.”
Gareth grinned at
her, his dark eyes twinkling. “I'll go get you a refill.”
Seffy tried not to
sigh as their tall, dark, and yummy bestie left for the bar. She
should've drained her glass if she knew he was handing out
those dreamy smiles to just anyone.
“I mean,
seriously, who invited these people?” Addison said, interrupting
her reverie.
“Addy,” Lani
scolded. “They might be able to hear you. And the people at this
party seem...”
“Felonious?”
“I was going to
say interesting.”
That was Lani,
always seeing the best in people and situations. But Seffy doubted
even her upbeat attitude could do much with the motley crowd milling
about. It certainly wasn't a jovial affair. In fact many of the
party-goers nursed their drinks while flashing sullen looks over the
rims of their glasses. A few couples whispered in corners, and the
kitchy music reminded her of a 80s rollerskate disco tune.
“What about him?”
Addison said in a low voice. “He looks like an evil henchman.”
Lani peeked over
her shoulder at bald man with cool green eyes and a dark goatee. “I
think he's kind of cute.”
“Lani!” Seffy
and Addison hissed in union.
“Well, he is!”
Seffy shook her
head. “What do you suppose those two girls are plotting?”
“I know, right?”
Addison said with a snicker. “We got a Miley and Mary-Kate who look
like they're planning to destroy someone's childhood.”
“At least that
guy is kind of cute,” Seffy said, motioning discreetly to a tall
man with dark hair and Jim Caviezel eyes.
“Yeah. Too bad
that little chick he's with has her claws in him—literally.”
A petite woman held
onto the man's arm with a grip as possessive as her bitchy
expression.
“You two are
terrible,” Lani said, looking at the other guests. “Now there's
someone who looks...fascinating.”
Addison's eyebrows
rose. “The guy in the Coke bottle glasses and plaid pants? Okay,
Lani, you've lost total credibility with me.”
“Who's lost
credibility?” Gareth said as he returned, handing Addison a
refilled Cosmo.
“The xippie to
your left,” Addison snarked.
Lani rolled her
eyes. “I'm just opposed to close-mindedness—especially at a
party! This is the time to mingle, meet new people, find new
opportunities.”
“I might be in
agreement with you there,” Gareth said, an odd note in his voice.
Seffy looked over
to see a tall, blonde woman striding into the room, her restless gaze
roaming the crowd—and coming to a stop on Gareth. A slow smile
lifted the woman's glossy lips.
What little was
left of Seffy's Christmas spirit shriveled up and died. Now she knew
how Skipper felt whenever Barbie was around.
Next to her,
Addison snorted.
My
thoughts exactly.
“Looks like the
boy has been marked,” Addison said in an undertone.
Seffy took a drink
of her Pink Lady cocktail to hide her discomfiture. Now, if her hand
would just stop shaking.
“Maybe all is not
lost,” Addison said near her ear. “Looks like you might have been
marked, too.” She made a discreet motion with her head.
Seffy allowed her
gaze to nonchalantly drift across the room. Then she saw him. A bit
taller than average, lean, with the makings of a hottie if he did
something with that shaggy, dirty blond hair and rude smirk.
The smirk deepened
when he caught her glance. He lifted his shot glass. “Scotch
whiskey, single malt.”
Seffy raised a
bemused brow. Good for you,
dude.
But when he pushed
away from the wall and made his way over, she stiffened.
Automatically her eyes sought out Gareth's soothing presence, but his
attention was elsewhere, damn him.
Suddenly Seffy
wanted to go home. She didn't like this party. She was perfectly
happy with her small group of friends. And for some reason, the man
who was now heading her way threatened to upset the careful balance
of her do-over life.
Lani beamed and
introduced herself as he came abreast of their group. Addison mumbled
her name without making eye contact. Gareth was too busy with the
blonde to notice.
As Seffy marshaled
her nerve to at least be civil to the newcomer, Lani whispered in her
ear. “Geez, just say hello. It's not the end of the world.”
But as Seffy raised
her gaze and met the gray eyes of the man in front of her, she was
pretty sure it damn well was.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Shawn Maravel's New Book Cover Reveal For Shifting Gears!
Is this not worth a peek?? Omigoodness, I LOVE this cover!
Shifting Gears is romance author Shawn Maravel's latest offering in the Rider series and is a follow up to The Wanderer.
Wesley Pierce, a Virginia State Trooper, is in search of the
perfect log cabin to settle down in. After losing his brother and doing his
best to care for the family he left behind he decides, a year after Nathan’s
death, that he’s finally ready to move forward.
Olivia Michaels, a realtor in search of her own dream home
and a way out of her parents’ attic, takes on a client who can help get her
that much closer to affording her freedom. Little does she know that it isn’t
the perfect home that she finds but through Wesley Pierce she manages to find
herself. And maybe, if she’s capable of taking the leap, she might even manage
to find love.
***
This novel, not unlike its predecessor in the Rider series,
The Wanderer, is not a story about life altering suspense and mystery or a love
that seemed impossible from the very start. Instead, this story is of love in
its purest form. In life it isn’t mystery and excitement that drive our hearts
but trepidation and the moment in which we all decide to jump unguarded into
the arms of another.
Get The Wanderer here, now just $2.99 for Kindle. You'll want to be ready for Shifting Gears, coming soon!
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