Friday, August 26, 2016

Summer Reading List- Final Installment and the last in a series

I can't believe I am saying this, but Monday I am back to work...The freedom to read and write as much as I want is now gone...

Before I end this series however, I'm leaving you with the final installment in my Defender's of Love series...Keegan James finally gets his girl...but not before she tries to arrest him...





He’s running away from a broken heart…


For Keegan James, his career meant everything. Until he let his heart get in the way of his good sense. Oh, she was thinking about the future too—with another man. So, he did what any jilted lover would do and left the FBI to move to the beach to join the Border Patrol. He bought an old farm in need of a ton of work—or a total tear down. Unfortunately for him, the entire property is under investigation by the DEA for drug trafficking and the agent on the case thinks he’s involved. What’s worse? She’s smart, sex and good with a gun.


Falling for those deep blue eyes could ruin her career…


Nikki Swenson has had to prove herself every step of the way to get where she is. After months of investigation, dedication, and surveillance, she’s about to break the biggest case of her career and possibly arrest the sexiest man she’d ever met. But things are not always as they seem. Will one tiny detail totally derail Nikki’s carefully constructed case?

Since it's the last week of summer, I figured I'd raise the temperature just a little bit with this week's excerpt...


    "I've got your towel," he called through the space between the door and the frame.
"Can you come in and put it on the counter for me please?"
Clearing his suddenly clogged throat, Keegan pushed the door open and stepped into the unexpectedly large bathroom. He intended to just toss the towel to the counter and hightail it out of there but the smooth glass of the shower, coated with steam, stopped him in his tracks. Despite the fogged over shower door, he could make out the definite outline of Nikki. She had her arms up over her head, massaging grapefruit smelling suds into her thick hair. The position accentuated the shadowy curve of her breasts and hips making his mouth go dry.
"Keegan? Can you leave it on the counter?" Nikki called, her back now to him.
"Yes," he croaked out over the lump that had formed in his throat.
Nikki jumped at the sound of his voice, dropping the bottle she held with a loud crash. "You scared me."
"Sorry. My brother always said my ability to sneak up on him was a mad ninja skill."
Nikki laughed. He watched as she leaned her
head back into the steady stream of water and worked her finger tips through the wet strands of thick, dark hair wishing those were his fingers.
"I guess it’s a skill that served you well in the FBI."
"I suppose." It used to drive Margot crazy that she never knew when he was approaching.
"I like surprises."
Damn. The way she said that made Keegan want to tear of his clothes and show her all of his secret talents. Why the hell not? His fingers went to the hem of his shirt when the water in the shower suddenly shut off. He was halfway out of it when Nikki cracked the shower door open, letting out a squeal when she saw him. Keegan froze.
"What are you doing?"
"Um, it was hot in here?"
Nikki smiled, a small knowing smile lacking the shock and annoyance he had expected. "Hand me the towel."
Keegan did as he was told, his eyes never leaving hers. The steam was beginning to dissipate enough that he could start to make out few details of the shadow that had been her body a few seconds ago. His self-control was dissipating at the same rate.
Nikki pulled the towel into the shower and
wrapped it around herself. He knew this because he watched every movement through the still opaque glass, his feet rooted to the tile beneath them. A memory of Margot doing the same thing passed through his mind but there was nothing sexy about it the way there was with Nikki. For the first time ever, he was beginning to think his entire relationship with Margot had been a mistake of epic proportions.
Yeah, but if he hadn’t been through the hell with his ex, he never would have quit the agency and most definitely wouldn't be standing there in Nikki's bathroom right then.
She pushed open the door, knocking him in the knee cap with the beveled edge. White hot pain shot through his leg in both directions dropping him to the tiles.
"Oh Keegan! I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" Nikki leaned over him, clutching the towel closed.
He looked up and straight down into the gaping towel between two smooth, creamy breasts and let out a groan.
"I did hurt you!"
Oh, she hurt him all right, just not in the way she thought. A certain other part throbbed a hell of a lot more than his knee did.
"I'm fine," he ground out between clenched teeth as he pulled himself upright using the
vanity.
Nikki used her free hand to help him. At least she thought she was helping. What really happened was his gut clenched with an overwhelming desire to feel her still damp skin pressed up against his. As he struggled to maintain his composure, Nikki turned him to face her, concern darkening her eyes.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
He shook his head. "No. No, I am not sure."
Without thinking through his actions, Keegan put his hands on Nikki's shoulders. Oh my God, her skin was softer than it looked. In one swift motion he backed her into the shower pressing her body against the slick tiles. Moving his hands to the wall on either side of her head, he crushed his lips to hers. No more dancing around each other. No more teasing and flirting. No more arguing and no more Margot
taunting him from the depths of his mind. He knew what she tasted like and he needed more. So much more. He was like an addict that carried his drug around to torture himself. That ended now. Being with Nikki all night, watching her fall into the icy water, feeling her cold, wet body shake so violently—it had shredded his soul in a way even his ex hadn’t
done. To hell with waiting until the case was over. She knew he wasn't involved and that was
enough for him.
Nikki quickly melded her body to his, her arms sliding up and around his neck as she parted her lips to his insistence. The only thing that held her towel closed was the pressure between them. Keegan was torn between not wanting to ever let her go and stepping away just to see what that piece of cotton hid from him.
He slid one hand slowly on the tile until his fingers touched her cheek. Trailing the now wet tips along her jawline, down her neck and on to her bare shoulder, Keegan moaned deep in his throat. Nikki responded by deepening the kiss and pressing herself more tightly against him. So much for letting the towel drop. He wouldn't break the contact between them now for all the money in the bank.
He let his fingers dance a little toward the top of her breast. This time the moan came from Nikki who lowered her hands from where they had been threaded in his hair to the waist of his jeans. She tugged his shirt out and slipped her hands up under the material. His skin burned at her touch setting every inch of him on fire. Grasping the towel she wore with both hands, he yanked it down between them, letting it fall to the shower floor.
Not breaking their kiss, Nikki started
frantically working the buttons on his shirt.
Keegan loved a woman who wasn't shy about what she wanted but he was as impatient as she was so he stepped back a little, reluctantly separating their lips so he could pull the offending clothing off letting it hang over the shower wall. In the process he caught a full glance of what had been hidden from him before and sucked in a breath.
"No talking," Nikki command as she pulled his lips back to hers. She didn’t wait for him to deepen it either, rather demanded entrance to his mouth which he readily gave her. Nikki's approach was refreshing and hot as hell.
His hands roamed everywhere they could reach, memorizing the contours of her hips, her waist and the firmness of her abdomen. He had just discovered the heaven that was her perfectly sized breasts when a loud voice boomed through the house.
"Nikki!"
"Oh, shit! It's Henry!" Nikki pushed him away reaching for her towel. "You have to get out of here."
"Your boss has a key to your house?" he asked with disbelief. "You sure there isn't
something—?"



Saturday, August 20, 2016

Summer Reading List- Like a Little Mystery and Suspense?


Just because summer is almost at it's end doesn't mean you have give up those good summer reads! If you like gun fights, car chases, a dose of humor and some good old fashioned stolen kisses, check out Book 2 in the Defenders of Love Series. There are three books in the series but each one can be read as a stand alone. Watch out for Aunt Clara, she doesn't take anything from anyone!



                          Grab your copy here! $;99 summer sale or FREE in Kindle Unlimited!




All Katie McCoy wanted was a quiet Friday evening, a frozen pizza and a pair of comfy pajamas. Damn her stupid ex-fiance to hell for the armed men that stormed her apartment and dragged her off on a matter of “national security”. Wearing those comfy pajamas and nothing else, she wasn’t at all prepared for the interrogation that awaited her…or the man with the questions.
Kaiden James would like to get through one vacation without the job interfering. Just once… Called away from his cousin’s wedding and his best man duties, he is less than happy to have to deal with Homeland Security’s new domestic terrorism case. Until he gets a look at the pajama-clad suspect...
After several attempts on Katie’s life, it’s clear she’s no terrorist but a loose end the real suspects need to tie up…and fast. Can Kaiden solve the case and keep her safe without losing his heart in the process?

A little excerpt for your reading pleasure...

Katie glanced around the small, dark room where she sat with one wrist handcuffed to a steel table. The only furniture in the room—a table and a couple of metal chairs—were bolted to the floor. All of her attempts to slip out of the handcuffs had been futile. The more she struggled the tighter they seemed to get, chafing the skin around her wrist until the flesh felt raw.
Dropping her head to her free arm resting on the table, Katie sighed deeply. Twenty four hours ago she had been jogging down the boardwalk enjoying a stunning Virginia Beach sunset.  A hot shower, some worn flannel pajamas, and a frozen pizza had been her big plans for the night. Until armed men dressed all in black came crashing through her front door and dragged her away to God knows where for God knows why.
Actually, she had a pretty good idea as to why. But she wasn't about to say, not without a lot of
prodding. That lousy no good ex of hers had stirred up more than one mess in her life and she wanted nothing more to do with him. Ever.
The echo of footsteps in the hallway caught her attention. When they stopped outside the door, Katie braced herself. The way this night had gone so far, who knew what was about to happen. Not that she could do much with one wrist handcuffed to the table. She eyed the single incandescent bulb that hung over her head, the only other item in the room aside from the table and two chairs. Nothing to defend her one-armed self with.
Muted voices passed through the small space beyond the heavy door but strain as she might, Katie couldn't make out any words.
Katie refused to give into the panic that was building. She needed a clear head to figure how to get out of this mess. The bad guys had guns. All she had were her wits. If she could keep them about her, that is. Which didn't seem likely as the panic grew when the sound of a key in the lock echoed through the small room.
The heavy door swung open. Fully expecting
another black clad, automatic rifle bearing commando like the ones that had dragged her from her apartment, Katie's jaw dropped when a tall, broad frame wearing a tuxedo filled the space. His form almost completely blocked out any light from the hallway. Katie sucked in a breath.
"Good evening, Ms. McCoy." Tuxedo man stepped through the door, not making eye contact as he studied the file in his hand.
He didn't have to introduce himself. She knew exactly who he was. Oh crap. Would he remember her?
"I'd shake your hand or curtsy or something if I weren't attached to this stupid table." Katie scowled for effect but he still wasn't looking at her. Instead, he chuckled as he settled himself in a chair opposite hers, stretching his long legs underneath the table.
"Don't worry, Miss. Despite the fact that I missed a delicious prime rib dinner this evening I will not bite you." That explained the tux.
"You mean you don't always dress that way for an interrogation? Don't I feel special now?" she snapped, unable or unwilling to bite back the sarcasm as she sat as far back in her chair as she could.
Finally he looked at her. She saw the quick gleam of recognition before it disappeared.
He knew who she was.
"See anything you like?" Katie grumbled, resisting the urge to squirm under his blue gaze.
"What's your name?" the man asked casually, although Katie knew casual had nothing to do with it.
"You know my name. You just used it. Stop trying to butter me up and get down to business. I'm sure you know everything about me. I mean, I doubt those commandos of yours kidnap random women for fun on a Friday night. Or maybe they do?" She noticed the man watching her with the slightest hint of a smile.
"Are you always so defensive?" He eyed her again, as if seeing straight into her soul.
Her blood started to percolate a little in her veins under the intensity of his scrutiny. Aggravation, that's all. What other explanation could there be for the sudden rise in her internal temperature.
"McCoy. My name is Katie McCoy. And only when I have been kidnapped by a bunch of Special Forces wanna-be's. That tends to ruffle my feathers a bit, Mr…?" Two could play his game.
"James. Agent James."
"Your mother not like you much?"
He eyed her questioningly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She named you 'Agent', so she must not have liked you very much."
The man chuckled and she almost smiled in return until she went to push a stray hair behind her ear and realized handcuffs still held her to the steel table.
"It's Kaiden, Ms. McCoy. Agent Kaiden James."
"Agent of what agency?"
"Well, aren't you full of questions tonight?" He winked at her as he leaned back in his chair.
Katie scowled at him across the small space. "I always have a lot of questions when I am dragged from my home in my pajamas in the middle of the night."
Agent Kaiden James looked at his watch. The same military style, digital type Nathan used to wear. Katie scowled again. The memory of her ex-fiancé was not what she needed to be thinking about.
"It's barely nine in the evening, Ms. McCoy. I would hardly call it the middle of the night. Do you always dress for bed at dinner time?"
"I wasn't exactly expecting any company," she shot back.
"No, I suppose you weren't." He fiddled with his watch again, eyes narrowing as he studied the illuminated face. She didn't remember him being so pensive the last time they had met. Of course he had been under the influence of some strong narcotics. When would he admit that he knew her?
"Why am I here, Agent James?"
"Please, call me Kaiden."
"Fine, Kaiden, why am I here?'
"Do you really expect me to believe that you have no idea why you are here?"
"Yes, I do. Apparently making a frozen pizza is a capital offense in this part of the world. You still haven't even told me what agency you represent, Agent James."
"I'm with Homeland Security. My specialty is domestic terrorism."
He thinks I'm a terrorist? Seriously? Katie started laughing.
"There is nothing to laugh about, Ms. McCoy. You are in some serious trouble here."
"You think I am a terrorist? Please. Did you have a few drinks at that wedding?"
"Sadly, no. I didn't have the opportunity. Which means I am completely sober as we have this conversation." His words were serious but his voice held a hint of humor.
"Do you remember me, Agent James?" Do you remember a certain sponge bath perhaps?
 He shrugged. "Should I?" He acted nonchalant but she could tell he knew exactly who she was. Well, if he wanted to play hard to get, she could too.
 "It must have been another Mr. James who… well, I must have been mistaken anyway." She offered up a smile meant to be both a little sexy and a little bit shy.
Katie watched as Kaiden sifted through some papers in his file without acknowledging her. She tapped a finger against the metal table as she watched him intently. Oh, he definitely knew exactly who she was.
"Do you want to tell me why I am here or what?"
He looked at her pajamas with a half-smile.
"Pajama party?"
"You are overdressed for the occasion, Agent James."
"Perhaps a hospital gown would have been more appropriate?"
He did remember her. Katie couldn't help but smile. Despite the circumstances—she eyeballed the cuff on her wrist—seeing Kaiden James again was the best thing to have happened to her in months.

Other books in the series...also currently on sale:



Friday, July 15, 2016

Summer Reading List


Two struggling souls seek peace and end up finding each other...


                                                                 Find your copy on Amazon
                                                  Also available on Barnes and Noble for Nook
                                                                              And iTunes
Layla Evans was a damned good defense attorney with the fancy car and beach condo to prove it. But, sometimes success comes at too steep a price and she’s done with it all. She’s sold her soul to the devil for the last time. Escape comes in the form of an unexpected inheritance. She leaves her expensive, tailored lifestyle and turns in her high heels for a pair of cowboy boots. The move is a major but with any luck her demons will stay behind with her old life.
Ben Callahan knew a thing or two about demons. His have haunted him day and night since leaving his Special Forces unit a few years ago. It was the sole reason he sought out the solitude of the mountains. With nothing more than a cabin, a fishing pole and a few acres, he was finally able to sleep a little at night. Until he gets a new neighbor that rocks his carefully constructed world with all the force of an IED.
When Layla’s past catches up to her, Ben finds old instincts kicking in. His need to protect the woman he is falling for becomes stronger than his desire to protect his heart. Can he get to Layla in time to save her and also heal his battered soul?

A little excerpt:

Without another word, Ben followed her directions and headed to the bedroom. All the way there, Layla alternated between anger and gratitude. She was flipping hot that another human being had inflicted such physical pain on Ben and down-right pissed off that someone he loved had in essence treated him worse than his torturers. On the other hand, if those things hadn’t happened she wouldn’t be in the arms of a man she was pretty sure she was close to falling in love with.
He placed her carefully on top of the colorful patchwork quilt Layla had found in a closet when she took the house over from her deceased father. After replacing the mattress, box spring and sheets, the handmade piece made her feel homey and comfortable. It almost seemed sinful to have it present for what she was about to do with Ben who was stretching out on the bed on top of her.
She didn't have a problem with that at all.
Ben adjusted the pillows behind her head. Layla couldn't stop trying to touch him. She was as hungry for the contact between them as a man starved for food but he stayed just out of reach of her embrace.
"Ben!" There was frustration in her cry. She needed him and she needed him right now.
"Shh…" He held a finger to his lips as he ran his hand along the bottom of her shirt, slipping just inside. The muscles in her abdomen trembled under his fingertips. With that hand he slowly inched her shirt up exposing her stomach. Layla shivered. Ben continued to pull the top up until the bottoms of her breasts peeked out. She heard him suck in a breath and then release it slowly. "Are you sure…?"
"Oh, yes," Layla replied before he could even finish his question.
Sitting up and pulling her with him, he yanked the tee shirt up over her head and then pushed her gently back against the pillows. "It's been a while—I might be a little out of practice." The pink tinge of embarrassment in the russet skin of his face just made her smile.
"Just like riding a bike, I promise."
As she contemplating pushing him over and climbing on top of him, Ben leaned in and took her lips. The kiss was tentative at first, not like his usual passionate go broke or go home approach. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him back down on top of her, opening her lips and granting him the access he hadn't yet asked for. To hell with it, the guy had no idea what he wanted. She would just have to show him.
The feel of his hard chest against her softer one was glorious in all the ways one could imagine. So many nights of sleeping alone, the other side of the bed cold and empty, could be coming to an end. Layla hadn't been alone as long as Ben but she had been lonely for a lifetime. She needed this as much as he did, if not more.  Trailing kisses from her lips to the line of her jaw and down her neck, Ben let out a little moan that Layla echoed. His touch sent sparks shooting over every last one of her nerves. Her entire body was electrically charged and ready to spontaneously combust if he didn't do something soon to relieve the agony.
"Ben, please." She reached for the button on his jeans as his mouth moved a little lower on her chest. He stiffened for a second and Layla was certain he was about to flee like a startled deer but he slowly relaxed.
He nodded against her chest and she felt a shudder run through him before he spoke. "Do you want me to close the shutters and pull the drapes?"
"Now why would I want you to do that?" Layla slid her hands up his abdomen until she held his face in her hands. Avoiding her gaze, Ben kept his eyes focused on the place where her heart beat. Just having him stare at her like that, so focused, stepped up the rise and fall of her chest.\
 "Look at me, Ben." He did as she asked. "I am not Lauren. I am not repulsed by you. Can't you see that by now? Everything—and I mean everything— about you turns me on. Now, stop holding back on me, would you? I want the lights on and the windows open. If it will make you believe me, we can go out back in the middle of the pasture and do this."
"I'm sorry." He shook his head vigorously, tossing a lock of thick, dark hair onto his forehead. She reached up and pushed it away as he laughed. "Damn it! Why do I keep saying that? I feel like a teenaged boy getting it on for the first time!"
"Don't apologize any more. There is nothing to be sorry about. I want you, you want me and it's Lauren's loss."
He seemed to consider what she said for a moment before jumping up off the bed. Afraid he was leaving, she started to speak until she realized he was pulling off his boots and dropping his jeans to the floor.
"That's so much better." Layla grinned, feeling giddy. "Now get back over here."
Ben did as he was told but instead of stretching out over her again, he hooked his fingers in the waist of her borrowed sweat pants and yanked them down. Layla giggled. "Now I’m the one that feels like the teenager. Did you lock the door?"
Ben laughed, a relaxed sound that just added to the excitement of the building anticipation. "Nope. Let your folks walk in. I don't care."
"My folks? You're ridiculous!" She squealed as he dropped down on top of her again. His hands went everywhere his mouth wasn't. Her body was hot all over, muscles pulled so tight she thought they might snap as Ben continued exploring parts of her that had been dormant for much too long. When his fingers trailed their way along the top of her pink lace panties, Layla's pulse pounded so loudly in her ears she thought she might go deaf from it.
The pounding got louder. And louder. Ben stopped the assault his tongue and lips were waging on her and sat up. "Did you hear that?"
"What?" She gasped, reaching for him again.
"Someone's knocking on the door."
"They will go away eventually." Her voice was hoarse with need as she tried again to reach for Ben at the same time he rose from the bed.
"Wait here." The undertone to Ben's voice unnerved her. The pounding had grown more insistent. Ben pulled on his jeans, settling them over his hips but not bothering to button them.
"What's wrong?" she asked, grabbing her shirt and pants and scrambling back into them.
"I don't know. Were you expecting any visitors?"
"I don’t know anyone and I haven't called the insurance company yet."
Grabbing a gun off the bureau she hadn't realized he’d been carrying, he held a finger to his lips telling her to be quiet. "Stay out of sight and be quiet."
She thought about arguing with him that he wasn't her father or her boss but something in Ben's eyes told her do as he asked. Ben made his way down the hall toward the front door. Layla trailed behind, quiet as a mouse despite the fear setting up camp in her insides. No one knew Ben was there. What if it was the same person that had burned her barn down and painted the cows?
Why would a criminal knock on the door?
The thought made sense but then why was Ben holding a gun, ready to shoot whoever it was that kept pounding on the door?
She watched from the corner of the hallway as Ben looked through the peep hole. Her heart raced and her body shook just a little. Ben was all business. Standing behind the door, he grasped the handle and yanked the door open pointing his gun at the chest of whoever was there.
"Who the hell are you?" Ben demanded.
"Who the hell are you?"
She heard a click as Ben readied his weapon.  His voice was low and deadly. "I asked you first."
"Whoa, man! Put the gun down!"
It couldn't be.                          
She stuck her head around the corner and yelled. "Ben, no!"




Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Summer Reading List- Romantic Suspense

I can't believe we are already half way through July. This summer has been moving way too fast. I am not ready to even think about going back to work in the fall and it seems like it's just around the corner. There's still plenty of time to get some writing done and definitely time to read! This week I am posting excerpts from one of my romantic suspense series. Plenty of car chases, gun fights and oh, chemistry of course.



                                              Grab your copy here!



Someone wants NYPD detective Angelina Ferrara dead…again.

Following her heart instead of her mind landed her in Witness Protection. Can she trust it and handsome detective Logan James to keep her alive this time?

As far as the world knows, NYPD detective Angelina Ferrara died in a violent firefight on Chelsea piers over a year ago. Living in the witness protection program as history teacher Lucy Taylor was supposed to save her life but being alive and living were two very different things. Until she meets detective Logan James when he goes undercover in the same private school where she works. Something about the handsome man with the gorgeous blue eyes piques her interest. There’s no doubt he has secrets… but then so does she.  When the Ricci crime family discovers she’s still alive, can she trust the same heart that landed her in the witness protection program in the first place to let Logan to help her survive it?




A little excerpt...
"I so cannot do this again." Lucy groaned loudly and pulled her pillow over her head as the bright Virginia sunshine filled her bedroom. There was no smog, no skyscrapers, no anything to filter the light and give her a chance to ease into being awake.

A distant rooster crowed its early greeting to the sun. Five thirty in the morning, every freaking morning. If she stayed in this godforsaken town for a hundred years she would never get used to it. She missed horns blaring and tires squealing against heavy brakes that used to serve as her alarm clock back home in New York City. The whole chickens in the yard, cows grazing alongside the highway, thing didn't really work for her.

Teaching Catholic school wasn't so great either. Why the powers that be in witness protection felt a New York City cop would make a good Catholic school history teacher, she couldn't begin to fathom. In fact, she hated teaching almost as much as she hated chickens. The only thing she had in common with her students was being Catholic.

Yet here she was, all dressed up in her ridiculous teacher clothes, with her fake blue eyes, and disturbing straight blonde hair, trying to live a life she despised and be thankful for it.

"At least you are still alive, girl," she whispered to the sad reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Yeah, right. She might be alive, but living was another idea all together.

"If I could at least carry a gun..." Lucy said to no one in particular. Not carrying her trusty sidearm made her feel as naked as a jaybird, but there was no getting around it. Part of the terms of the contract stipulated she could do nothing reminiscent of her old life, including the concealed carry of her favorite type of accessory.

"Here we go again," she muttered, sliding behind the wheel of her little car.

The drive to St. Mary's took less than ten minutes. The parking lot looked exactly the way it did when she drove away the previous June, full of expensive SUVs and shiny convertibles that all made her aged sedan look much older than its nine years. The only noticeable change was a deep blue Jeep Wrangler—as about as out of place as a football team would be in the all-girls school—sat in the space where Lucy usually parked. Not a good way to start her morning when she was already so tense.

"Hey, Ms. Taylor!" a voice called to her from across the lot.

"Good morning, Sarah!" she called back a lot less cheerfully than she had intended. Her former student waved and walked on.

Another year was about to begin. Oh, how she missed her old life. Lucy was not born to be a teacher, not by any stretch of the imagination. But, it was a job. It kept her from going insane from the loneliness that had been a constant part of her life since she fled the city over a year ago and left her friends and family to believe she was dead.

"I'm so sorry, Mom," she whispered for the hundredth time since it had all gone down.

As she trudged her way to room 210, Lucy forced thoughts of death and funerals from her mind, replacing them with good memories of her life in the city. Such as the smell of roasted cashews and sauerkraut covered hotdogs from street vendors, taxis honking, New Yorkers telling each other to go to hell on every corner. Dark alleys hosting a multitude of crimes that beckoned to her like crack to an addict. No text books, no lesson plans, no parent conferences.

"Umpf!" Lost in recollection, Lucy slammed into a solid mass. As the man turned around, she came face to face with the bluest pair of eyes she had ever seen. A quirky smile lifted one corner of his lip as he reached out to steady her. His light touch on her forearm sent a shocking shiver down her spine. No one had elicited any sort of response from her feminine side since...well, in a long, long time.

"Excuse me, Miss. I'm sorry to get in your way. I...umm...I am a little lost. I guess my eyes were focused on room numbers instead of where I was walking."

Lucy couldn't help but smile back, despite her best effort not to.

"Oh...are you new here?"

"Yes, ma'am." The handsome stranger stuck out his hand. "Name's Logan Smith. I'm teaching World History."

Lucy eyed the man, instantly suspicious. Of course, lately she had become instantly suspicious of everyone. Lucy accepted his outstretched hand.

"Lucy Taylor. I teach U.S. History. What room were you looking for?"

"Oooohhhh, Ms. Taylor! Who's the hottie?" The same girl from the parking lot called out, openly eyeing the school's newest instructor. Lucy flushed a deep crimson. They were standing in the middle of the main hallway practically holding hands. Quickly letting go of Mr. Smith's hand, she shoved her own into the pocket of her corduroy skirt. It irritated her that she missed simple human contact way more than she should.

"Don't you have a class to get to, Sarah?" Lucy used her sternest teacher voice to redirect the young lady. Sarah was all smiles as she waved to the new teacher. Lucy could see why, Mr. Smith was definitely nice to look at, a fact that was going to cause some unrest in the all female population. "The bell is about to ring, you know."

"Yes, Ms. Taylor." The girl scurried off giggling, her plaid skirt flipping around her legs as she moved. Lucy turned back to Logan. The man was definitely way too handsome for his own good. His students were never going to take him seriously. Why did she even care anyway?

Because that man is fine with a capital F, and you have been alone and lonely for way too long.

Lucy pushed thoughts of how handsome Mr. Smith was out of her mind and focused on the task at hand.

"Now, Mr. Smith, which room were you looking for?"

He checked the crumpled piece of paper in his hand. "Um, looks like room 212."

"Oh, that's easy. I can take you there. It's the room right next to mine. Follow me."

Damn! He's right next door.

The new teacher unnerved her, and she didn't need anything throwing her off her game. Suddenly very self-conscious, Lucy took off down the hall and through the throng of girls eagerly greeting each after a summer of camps and vacations. Without looking back even once to see if Logan Smith followed her, Lucy stopped short in front of her classroom.

"Your room is right there." She pointed to the open door about ten feet away from her own.

Logan flashed her a smile that lit a playful light in his eyes. That little shiver traveled the length of her spine once again. What the heck? Since when did the smile of a good-looking guy have any effect on her at all? Nothing had penetrated her shell since Salvatore.

"Thank you. I feel as lost as I did my freshman year of high school! Of course, back in those days I didn't have a pretty escort to show me around, so maybe this time around won't be quite so bad." He winked and then chuckled when Lucy blushed.

She averted her eyes, not accustomed to having conversations anymore with anyone, especially flirty, handsome men. In five minutes she would have thirty expectant teenagers waiting to see if she could teach them a thing or two. She didn't have time to wonder where Mr. Smith had come from or why he was stirring feelings deep inside her that she was absolutely certain she had locked away a long time ago.

"Well, everyone gets the jitters on the first day. You'll be fine. Let me know if you need anything." Lucy disappeared inside her room. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away. Her abrupt departure was on the rude side, but she was a little rusty on the personal interaction front. Mostly, she just talked to her students, and occasionally the television. She hadn't made a single friend in all the months since leaving New York.

She had no desire to get comfortable in this place and certainly didn't intend to die in the mountains of Virginia, no matter what the feds had to say about it. Lucy sighed heavily and dropped her bag on her desk. The mess that was her life would never be resolved. Not as long as a single member of the Ricci family was alive.

The shrill bell announcing the beginning of her school day filled the classroom and made her jump in her seat. Everything had her jumpy anymore. She had to give away her cat after she almost shot the poor feline in the middle of the night just for jumping off the windowsill. It had probably been a year since she last slept through the night.

"Good morning, Ms. Taylor. Did you have a good summer?" A young lady with big green eyes and tight ginger colored curls stood over her. Lucy looked up from her desk.

"Hello, Hailey. It was just fine. Thank you for asking. How was yours?"

"Umm, it was okay."

"Just okay?"

"Spent most of it watching my two little brothers. Not much fun in that."

Lucy smiled, memories of her own large family filling her with warmth and then a hint of sadness. "Little brothers aren't so bad, really. Some day when you are all grown, they will be your best friends."

"I guess. Whatever." Hailey shrugged and headed to an empty desk in the front row. She was a good student, somewhat shy and reserved but friendly. She reminded Lucy of herself at that age. Lucy had two brothers also, but they were older than her. Another twinge of nostalgia stung in her chest before she pushed all memories of her former life into the deep dark spot in her brain where she had forced them over a year ago. This was her life now. She'd done the right thing, and she could live with that.

For now.
                                     Start this new series today!



Friday, July 8, 2016

Sweet Love in a Small Town For Anyone Who's Ever Loved a Soldier

Looking for a sweet love story for the weekend? Join Jennie Marshall as she navigates loss and love in a small town... Free in Kindle Unlimited. $.99 summer sale...



Jennie Marshall has some hard choices to make.
Does she leave the small town life she resents or stay in the old house she’d been raised in and care for her grieving mother? Staying means no college and giving up all her dreams. It also means keeping the farm going, taking on a job she’d never wanted, and facing the reality of Trisha and Michael getting married and starting a family. Leaving would mean Momma losing the home John Marshall had built for them before he died.
So, of course, she does what a good, responsible daughter should do—gives up her own dreams, determined to carry out her father’s. When the stress of her life becomes almost intolerable, relief in the form of Grayson Jennings arrives. He’s sweet, handsome, and totally in love with her. But Jennie, being as stubborn a Marshall as her father, refuses to see what’s right there in front of her until it’s too late.
It takes yet another tragedy to prove that everything she never knew she wanted was right there Down the Dirt Road.
                                                    Get your copy here!
A little excerpt...
Jennie picked up the box and went to her room where sat on her bed, the bundle of letters in her lap. There were exactly sixty two of them- every single one had a date written in the upper left corner, the earliest one dating back to October when Grayson was in boot camp. All this time she had waited, thinking what a fool she had been believing he would actually write to her.  Why hadn’t he sent even one?

And now he was missing in action and she might not ever get the chance to ask him. She turned the stack over in her lap again, studying his handwriting on the front of the top envelope. Much neater than Michael’s but still very masculine.

She really wanted to open one and read it but where to start?

Flipping the pile back over, she pulled the very first one- dated 18 October- out from the stack and opened it, careful not to tear the envelope. A part of her felt like she was invading someone’s privacy, reading secret thoughts in a diary meant only for the writer. But, they were addressed to her. Grayson had written them for her.

Never mind that he had never actually sent them to her.

The first letter was written in black ink on lined notebook paper, the ragged edges from the spiral meticulously removed.

18 October 2001

Dearest Jennie,

I know you thought I would never write and honestly, as I sit here in my bunk I wonder if I should. Do you really want to hear from me or am I just setting us both up for heartache? You have gone through so much with the death of your father, I have no right to volunteer for war and then expect you to sit at home and wait for me when there is no guarantee I will even make it him. Of course, if I could survive the first three weeks of boot camp, I suppose I can make it through even the worst enemy prison camp. That was supposed to be a joke. Not very funny was it?

There is something I would like to say Jennie. I am very glad that you came to find me that day I left. The memory of holding you, kissing you even as brief as it was, has helped me through many a lonely night and long day in the field. I don’t know why you came for me, I like to think it is because you are as head over heels in love with me as I have been with you for so many years but I am smart enough to know that’s not it. I guess it really doesn’t matter why, just that you did and now I find I have a reason to make it home alive when all is said and done.

Yours Always,

Private Grayson Jennings, United States Army



A single tear drop fell, landing right beside the words yours always, the image of a tiny heart taking shape as the salty water saturated the paper. Her own heart was aching. How could such a letter possibly be meant for her? She grabbed up the envelope, checked the name and address again, just to be sure it really had been for her.

How would she have felt receiving that letter when Grayson was alive and well, knowing he was waiting for her response in an Army barracks somewhere? What would she have said to him as he poured out his heart and soul to her, naming her as his reason for living?

Grabbing a pen and a notebook from her desk, she sat down and pulled out a fresh piece of paper.

Dear Grayson,

I am so glad to finally hear from you. I was beginning to think that I had dreamt our last meeting, so quick that it was. I only wish you had written sooner.

I am a grown woman, about to turn twenty one and no one can make my decisions for me. If I choose to wait for you while you fight the war for our freedom than it is my choice and you have nothing to feel guilty for. I don’t really know why I went after you that day, I only know that I couldn’t bear the thought of you being halfway around the world without my having told you how sorry I was for being pigheaded and stubborn. Did I just describe the same thing twice? That’s how strongly I feel about it! I look forward to the day when I will see you once again, alive and well on my front porch in your cop uniform, your gun slung low on your hip and crooked smile meant only for me.

Until then,

Jennie



Reading back over what she had written, Jennie decided that for every one of Grayson’s letters she would write a reply. If she were to be privileged to his private thoughts and feelings then he should be able to share hers. He could read the whole stack when he was found—alive—and sent home with a purple heart and an honorable discharge. Yes, that was what she would do. For every letter he wrote to her she would write a reply.