Spotlight: Save Me by Cecy Robson

Publication Date: April 25, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Standalone

RT Book Reviews proclaims that the O’Brien Family series from award-winning author Cecy Robson “has the hottest brothers ever!” And in SAVE ME, it’s time for Seamus, the family’s most notorious bachelor, to find true love.

Three weddings. No date. What’s a hot stud to do when all the women on his speed dial are either serving dinner to their families or serving time?

Out of all the O’Briens, Seamus is the best-looking, most creative, and, did I mention, best-looking? Single at almost forty wasn’t a big deal until every sibling in his large and loud Irish family found “the one.” Now, he’s desperate for a wedding date, one he doesn’t have to worry will make out with the limo driver or rob the bride and groom blind.

Allie Mendes is the good daughter, who’s spent her life living in her perfect sister’s shadow. But when her sister steals the man Allie was supposed to marry, that shadow she’s lived in threatens to swallow her whole. Allie wants to believe a bright future awaits. But when she begs God to save her from this disastrous twist of fate, the last person she expects Him to send her is Seamus O’Brien.

Allie needs a stand-in boyfriend to avoid appearing as lonely as she feels. Seamus needs a decent woman without an ankle bracelet or a rap sheet as long as his muscular arms. The two make a deal to pose as each other’s perfect date. But weddings mean romance and a chance at forever neither had planned.

Excerpt

“Me little Finnie is right,” Ma says from the door, her Irish accent as thick as the day Grammie popped her out on a potato field.

“He’s the baby and already getting married. Promising me grandbabies like a good boy.”

He points at her and making a clicking sound. “You know I’ve got you, Ma.”

That did it. The moment Ma leaves, we’re throwing down.

Ma shakes her head like people do when all is lost and there’s nothing that can be done. “Look at you, Seamus. All strapping male with the strength and charm of an Irish prince.” She walks in, her steps slow and steady. It’s the same way she walked in when we were kids and we knew we were fucked.

“I just have one question,” she says, her voice light as it often is before she strikes. “Are you trying to kill your mother?”

Jesus. Here we go.

She holds her hand. “Oh, me handsome son. It’s a simple question really. Do you want me to die?”

“You want Ma to die?” Wren yells from the other room. She shuffles in with enough white fabric trailing behind her to sail across the Atlantic. Brenda’s other daughters, the not so slutty ones, charge after Wren, lifting the eighty feet of material high in the air.

Wren points an irate finger at me. “If you give Ma the big one, you’re going to really piss me off. You and me both know we never thought this shit was going to happen,” she adds, motioning to layers of dress.

Brenda’s daughters, Finnie, and Ma nod their heads in unison. My sister is beautiful. I can say that because it’s true, even though right now she looks like a Barbie doll shoved into a giant cupcake. Like me she has black hair, blue eyes, and light skin. If you cut us, we’d bleed Leprechauns that would dance a jig the moment their little feet hit the floor. We’re that Irish.

Wren’s problem is she has a mouth most sailors would run screaming from, and an attitude that’s even less polite. Let’s face it, none of us ever thought Wren would meet a man strong enough to tame her.

I’m happy for her and everything, but right now it sucks balls.

Wren was my safety-net because of her mouth. Finnie was too, because he was the youngest and always in trouble. As far as I was concerned, I had years, no, decades before I had to worry about settling down. But life can be a real bitch and here she is waving two giant middle fingers at me now that Finn and Wren are getting hitched.

“So what if I’m not married? So what if I haven’t popped out a few kids?” I hold out my arms. “Plenty of women have had the absolute pleasure of sampling the merchandise—”

I wince when Ma slaps me upside the head. She might be five feet nothing, but she has the agility of a cobra, and possibly the ability to fly. I’m almost 6’2. How the hell can she can reach me?

“And what happened to all these ‘ladies’ who sampled the merchandise?” Ma demands.

“I think the one is back in prison,” Finnie offers. He frowns, giving it a lot of thought. “Larceny and Fraud. Right, Seamus?”

“It’s where most of the skanks he dated belong,” Wren agrees. “Remember Kenna O’Sullivan?” We all collectively cross ourselves, including Miss Brenda’s daughters. “They never did find the body.”

“Yeah. She was a nutcase.” My voice trails. I’m not doing myself any favors. Thank God Finn has my back.

“Hey, Shoshana Greenstone was nice. Oh, and her husband was pretty damn understanding when he found out you were banging her.”

“I didn’t know she was married!” I yell for the hundredth time. “I just, you know, thought she worked odd hours.”

Wren grins. “No, she just had trouble finding a babysitter for her kids.”

“What about the others?” Ma asks. “The girls have liked you since you were a wee boy.”

“I don’t know,” I answer truthfully, my annoyance making my voice sound gruff. “No one’s really ever done it for me.” I look at them. “You want them to do it for me, don’t ya?”

Wren places her hands on her hips. She may look like a lady, all soft and dainty in all that lace, but she’ll never exactly think or talk like one. “You mean besides in the backseat of your truck?” She nods. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

Ma leans in. I know what she’s going to say, even before she says it. “I was younger than you when I pushed out your baby brother onto the cold kitchen floor.”

Finn holds out his hand, looking a little green. “Ma, please don’t. Miss Brenda won’t like it if I puke on her stuff before I pay for it.”

“Then you better pay for it,” Wren says, knowing once more it’s time to tell the divine tale of Finn’s birth.

Shoot me.

The birth of a child is supposed to be a good thing, a beautiful thing, filled with miracles, stuffed animals, and balloons. Maybe for most families it is, under the right conditions. But my family doesn’t tend to do things the right way. I suppose it’s one of the many things that makes us “us.” Our hearts are usually in the right place. But the right way for birthing babies means a hospital and under sanitary conditions—not in a kitchen barely big enough for a refrigerator and stove.

I remember that day clearly. Ma was making shepherd’s pie, until she wasn’t. Her water broke like an extra-large water balloon thrown on the floor by a very pissed off toddler. She started screaming, then Angus started screaming, and Curran almost fainted. Five contractions later, Finnie was coming out and there wasn’t anything we could do to stop him.

Bastard. I missed my baseball game because of him.

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About the Author

Cecy Robson is an author of contemporary and new adult romance, young adult adventure, and award-winning urban fantasy. A double-nominated RITA® Finalist, Winner of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and published author of more than twenty titles, you can typically find Cecy on her laptop or stumbling blindly in search of caffeine.

Connect with Cecy online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Profile

Spotlight: Vow of Retribution by Emma Renshaw

Vow of Retribution

The Vow Series #1 by Emma Renshaw Publication Date: May 3, 2018 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

AVAILABLE NOW!

SYNOPSIS:

I want revenge. With scars like these, I knew I could never forget my past. With threats like these, I can’t escape, either. This time, I’m fighting back. I don’t just want my life back. I want vengeance for what was done to me. I didn’t plan to fall in love.

I want to save her. A girl like her isn’t easily forgotten. A girl like her doesn’t trust easily. I’ll fight for her—I’ll fight with her. Together, we can build a new life, free from the past. Together, we can rise. Even if we could lose everything by trying.

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ABOUT EMMA RENSHAW

Emma loves to write, just don’t ask her to write about herself. If she isn’t writing, you can find her lost in a book or trying to get her doggo to take a selfie with her. He usually refuses. At the end of the day, you can find Emma at the closest Mexican restaurant eating queso and sipping on a margarita. She lives in Texas with her husband and dog.

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Read an excerpt from The Code by Author Alison Clifford

NCIS Special Agent Ryan Gilmour finds himself back at the New London submarine base, the result of a posting swap with a friend. He settles in to wait for a chance to lead an investigation and for a woman who can capture his fickle heart.

When a vandal carves a Morse code message onto a building on the base, Ryan crosses paths with librarian Alex Ware. Her ability to avoid answering his questions leaves Ryan convinced she is hiding something. Determined to find out what it is he seeks her out, but his persistence only leads to conflict and frustration. 

As a second act of vandalism rapidly follows, and then a third, Ryan is given the lead in the investigation. The attacks become sinister, the trail of Morse code messages with each act taunting Ryan and his team, daring them to break the code before it’s too late. And at every turn is the elusive Alex Ware.

Will Ryan and his team find the key to solving the case? Will Alex let down her guard and tell Ryan her secret? 

Can they uncover who is behind The Code?

Excerpt

“What are you doing?”

Alex spun around to Ryan, standing close behind her.

“Look.” She pointed to the damage on the tree. “It’s the same with all three. Some,” she gritted her teeth against the swear word she wanted to say, “…idiot…has killed the trees.”

Alex watched as Ryan went from tree to tree, circling each one as she had done, before returning to her.

“I wonder,” he muttered. He left her again, walking a wide perimeter around the trees, looking at walls, the ground, everywhere. It took Alex a moment to realise what he searched for and she joined in the hunt.

“There,” Ryan said and strode over to a patch of grass by the building. He held his hand out as she followed. “Stay back.”

Alex stopped as Ryan crept close to the square of grass, crouching and tilting his head as he moved. She moved to the side and saw what had caught Ryan’s gaze. Shiny objects were embedded in the grass, reflecting the morning sunshine.

“Is it…?”

“Yes.”

“What does it say?”

He stood up and turned to look at her. “You don’t need to know.”

“I found the trees!”

“Yes, you did, but this is a whole different thing.” He came over to her. “Alex, please leave me to deal with this. I’ll come and see you later, okay?”

He didn’t wait for her answer, walking back towards the glimmering message and pulling out his cell phone. Alex glared at his back, but he ignored her as he talked into the phone. She glanced around and then crept across behind Ryan, squinting at the patch of grass, trying to make out the whole message.

Ryan spun around, catching her mid crouch.

“Alex!”

“Oh, okay,” she grumbled and stalked away towards the library. She didn’t glance back, didn’t stop until she reached the staff door and let herself in. Inside and with the door closed, she leaned back against it and shut her eyes to picture gleaming items in the grass; a pattern spelling out a word.

“Twenty-six,” she whispered.

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About the Author

Alison is the author of the White Rose series and the New London books, and is a member of the Australian Crime Writers Association. 

She has served in both the Australian Army Reserve and the Royal Australian Air Force, and now lives in Tasmania with her family. 

Alison is a self-confessed stationery junkie, loves forests, and drinks too much tea.

Connect: Facebook ~ Website 

Spotlight: Bridge of the Gods by C. J. Rose


Bridge of the Gods
A Generation Son Chronicle
by C.J. Rose
Genre: Fantasy

Luthor McAlester is a teenage boy living in San Diego, California. His father died when he was a child. Leaving him to become man of the house, living with his mother and younger sister. On his 18th birthday he discovers a power that has been held dormant until now. He is unsure what to do with it in the absence of this father’s guidance. His best friend Gwen, who claims to be oblivious, knows more than she is telling. Can Luther figure out how to use his power and help the Gods like they ask with just the help of his best friend? Or will the lack of guidance from his father prove to be more than young Luthor can handle?



The Generation Son Chronicles Official Companion Cookbook

Let your taste buds come along on a ride through some of the most classic to the old world recipes. These recipes follow the character of the Generation Son Chronicles series as well as some of the favorites from the people involved with the books.



C. J. Rose lives in Central Illinois. Originally from just south of Chicago, Rose is not married and has no children. The passion for writing took root in high school where she began writing song lyrics and poetry. On top of literature, Rose has a keen love for all things nerdy and sci-fi. On a quiet night, you can find her curled up with an episode or Doctor Who, Arrow, Firefly, and more. C. J. also belongs to a theatre organization located in her town. The devotion to musicals and theatre has led her to be a part of over 10 shows as an actress, and over 20 as a staff person. Lastly, because she wasn't busy enough, C. J. has her own bow company where she sells hair bows, bowties, scarves, lip balms, key fobs and more.


When it comes to her writing, it was an itch that needed to be scratched. While working on a cookbook, and reading her typical fantasy fiction novel, the idea came to her. She took the love of all the books she has read and turned then into a novel of her own. Published by Burning Horse Media in 2014, Generation Son: Bridge of the Gods was born. Selling over 100 copies in the first month. In 2015, Rose finished penning the second novel in the series; To Rescue a King. Being new to the game, Rose has struggled to do most of it on her own. One thing she vows, is to never give up.

The focus of the novel series is to not only bring her fantasy and ideas to life, but take those stories and make them a fun learning experience for the younger generation.




Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!


Giveaway 2

Anniversary Month Games

Week 1:
Scavenger Hunt- Game starts May 1st and the deadline is May 5th at midnight. The first one to email all the correct items to generationsonbog@yahoo.com will win the first surprise.
Rules-Find the following famous authors and the last book published before death (Show your source. Wikipedia does not count)
·         Louisa May Alcott
·         James Fenimore Cooper
·         Charles Dickens
·         Nathaniel Hawthorne
·         Washington Irving
·         Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
·         Sir Walter Scott
·         William Shakespeare
·         Robert Louis Stevenson
·         Alfred, Lord Tennyson
·         Mark Twain
·         John Greenleaf Whittier

Week 2:
The Word Challenge- Game starts May 6th and the deadline is May 12th at midnight. The first one to email all the correct items to generationsonbog@yahoo.com will win the next surprise.
Rules-Purchase the digital copy of Book 1-Bridge of the Gods on Amazon. http://amzn.to/2jR5rFj (You must send a screen shot of your receipt) Tell me what page the phrase “Quite fascinating for someone so small is she not?”

Week 3:
Scavenger Hunt- You must take a screenshot of each item and send in together. Game starts May 13th and the deadline is May 19th at midnight. The first one to email all the correct items to generationsonbog@yahoo.com will win the next surprise.
Rules:
Go to my blog. http://bit.ly/2D1msW4 -Find the Easter Special Edition Author of the Month.
Sign up for the newsletter. Tell me what the recipe is for the May Newsletter.
Like the Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/GenerationSon/ -Find the picture of the three Goddesses of Springtime Growth.
Follow me on Twitter. @generationson - Tell me what event I was at on April 21st 2018.
Follow me on Instagram. Find the picture of 2 little girls holding book 1. https://www.instagram.com/generationson/

Week 4:
The Recipe Challenge- Game starts May 20th and the deadline is May 26th at midnight. The first one to email all the correct items to generationsonbog@yahoo.com will win their recipe in the cookbook’s next edition.
Rules-Purchase the Ultimate Companion Cookbook (digital) on Amazon. http://amzn.to/2zJSvHj (You must send a screen shot of your receipt) Tell me what page the recipe for Hestia’s Fire Pit Stew is on, then send me your favorite recipe.









Spotlight: Love Me Only by Susan James Pierce & Justice K Chambers

Love Me Only
Justice K Chambers & Susan James Pierce
(Love Me Only Duet, #1)
Publication date: May 7th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Bridesmaids meets Sleeping with the Enemy.

A haunting past. A specific set of rules. One man determined to break them.

Chase Anniston has a haunting past full of drug abuse and heartbreak, and now as a recovered heroin addict, she’s focused on keeping her life and career on track. The way she does it? She’s formed a set of rules to keep her safe from the two things she deems trouble – men and drugs:

Never give into your cravings.

Never fall in love.

Never date your boss’ clients.

And these rules have kept her out of trouble for years… until Jared came along.

Jared Bryan is a country music star who used to be more notorious for partying and womanizing than his music, and he’s now a client at the PR firm where Chase works. A chance run-in with her at a bachelorette getaway in Vegas leaves him both intrigued and perplexed. Chase is like no other woman he’s met before. She’s beautiful. She’s feisty. And she’s not easily impressed. Chase might be everything he’s ever wanted, but he’s also the last thing she needs. He’s hell bent on winning her over anyway.

Love Me Only is Book One of the Love Me Only Duet, a Romantic Suspense series. Intended for readers 18 and over.

This book may contain substance and domestic abuse triggers for some.

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Request a review copy here!

EXCERPT:

You know the moment you can feel someone standing behind you? Like you can sense their energy? Multiply that by about a thousand, and that’s what this feels like.

I turn to see who’s in my personal space, expecting it to be some drunk idiot, but it’s not.

Holy crap.

It’s a guy who looks exactly like Jared Bryan… the playboy country singer Stella represents – fair skin, eyes so blue they can’t be real. I’ve never met him in person; he’s never come to the Atlanta office. But I’ve seen numerous pictures, and this guy’s dark hair is a little longer than Jared’s. And he seems… taller than I imagined Jared to be. Leaner. Not skinny, but lean in a cut way. In a really tasty way.

He could quite possibly be a hotter version of the singer himself. And apparently he knows it.

He smirks at me as I study him.

I shake my head. Get it together.

“Jared Bryan,” he says, extending his hand for a shake.

I laugh. “Right.” What a douchebag. Going around pretending to be him.

He cocks his gorgeous head. Gives me a ‘you don’t believe me?’ look.

“Okay, Jared,” I say, mocking him, and then shoo him away with my free hand. “Go use this one-man sideshow on someone else.” I’m not buying it. Last I heard, the real Jared was in Nashville working on his latest album. “Like a girl who’s drunk and incredibly desperate.”

He just stands there, still smirking. Like he’s waiting on me to cave.

When I turn back to the railing and scan over the crowd for my friends, I hope he’ll get the hint. But of course he doesn’t.

I take a long sip of my cranberry juice, wishing it had a shot of something strong in it, and suck in a piece of ice.

He moves to stand beside me, abs pressed against the railing. “Full house, huh?” he says.

I ignore him, crunching on the ice.

“Oh my God, look…” a girl says below. “It’s Jared Bryan!” He waves.

She whips out her phone and takes pictures.

I turn my head away, shielding my face with my hand as much as I can. I don’t want to be seen next to Fake Jared on social media.

Girls flood over to the bouncer to try and get up the stairs.

I’m too amused at this point to be irritated. I can’t help but smile smugly at him. “You’re eating this up, aren’t you?” He studies me, almost a little too intensely, his smile widening. God, he’s got a killer smile, and I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t make my lady parts melt. He’s good, I’ll give him that. He’s even wearing Jared’s signature leather jacket.

“I’m not sure how to answer,” he finally says.

“Oh, cut the crap,” I chuckle. “You’re a Jared impersonator looking to get laid.”

He shrugs, looks back over the crowd. “Maybe, maybe not,” he teases.

“Is it safe to look now?” I ask.

“Yeah, she’s stumbled off to the bar. You’re good.”

When I face the crowd again, he says, “Not a drinker?” I look into my cranberry juice, back to him. “Nope. I prefer to be the sober one. It’s more entertaining.”

As if to prove my point, a guy below attempts to break dance and ends up smacking his head on the floor and passing out. “Like so,” I say, gesturing toward the break-dancer wannabe.

Jared leans against the rail with a small laugh. “Where’s your drink?” I ask. “The real Jared Bryan is a partier, you know.”

He gives me an odd look.

“But you have the playboy part down.”

“Playboy?” he repeats.

“Yeah.” I motion to myself. “Like how you’re trying to pick me up at the moment.”

“You think I’m hitting on you, huh? Maybe I’m just being nice to the lonely sober girl.”

I bark a laugh, but part of me scrambles to think back over this short encounter to see if I misread things.

No. That’s what guys like him are so good at – I’m playing hard to get. Or as far as he knows, I don’t want him to get me at all. And he’s playing it off like I might be conceited to save him from feeling rejected. “I’m sober but I’m not lonely. I’m here with my girlfriends.”

“And where are they?” he asks, almost taunts. Like I’m making them up to not seem like a loser. Irritation swells inside, and I scan the dancefloor for them. I’ve only known this guy five minutes and I’m not sure if I want to push him over the railing or take him up on a one night stand. Fake Jared would obviously be game.

Truth be known, I’ve thought of Jared several times over the years when I slept with other guys. This might be as close as I’ll ever get to the real thing. At the very least, though, he distracted me from my heroin craving.

“There,” I say, pointing at them a little too eagerly. Why do I feel like I have something to prove to this guy? The three of them are dancing in a circle while holding their drinks, and apparently, Shea had a wardrobe makeover in the bathroom. She unbuttoned her blouse enough to show some cleavage and has tucked the bottom of it up under her bra. A Hildie creation, I have no doubt. But I can’t deny it looks better than before. Who knew Shea had a killer body?

“The blonde, the redhead, and the strawberry blonde?”

“Yep.”

“Why aren’t you down there with them, then?” I sip my cranberry juice. “Not really my scene.” I say it sharply, hoping he’ll feel the sting of it. This is obviously his scene as well.

“Let me guess,” he says, straightening and rubbing his stubbled jawline. His eyes roam over the tattoos on my arm. Over my little black dress and messy bun. I subtly bend my arms more so he won’t see the injection scars. “Art galleries and poetry readings?” I shake my head, though the poetry part is pretty accurate. Not that I would tell him.

I smile pointedly and throw his previous answer back in his face, “Maybe, maybe not.

” He tosses his head back in laughter, and when he looks back at me, there’s a flash of something in his eyes – familiarity. Respect. Intrigue. I’m throwing his game right back at him and he’s not used to it. And though I can see he likes it, I can also tell he’s not sure if he can crack me. He’s like every other egotistical man – how much should he try with me before he gets too far into rejection territory? Am I worth the risk?


Author Bio:

Multiple Award Nominated and Bestselling Author Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Paranormal, Sci-fi, and Romantic Suspense novels.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Justice K. Chambers is from the suburbs of Atlanta, GA and is a stay at home mother of two. Her passions include reading and writing poetry, and taking care of her farm animals.

Website / Facebook


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Spotlight: Flowers On The Wall by Mary J. Williams

Flowers On The Wall
Mary J. Williams
(Hart of Rock and Roll, #1)
Publication date: August 31st 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Ryder is the most romantic rocker ever!!!~~Amazon Review

From the bestselling HART OF ROCK AND ROLL series. An epic STANDALONE story about, redemption, love, friendship… and music. Because every great romance needs some HART.

Ryder Hart. Rock God. Brother. Protector. Wounded Soul.

Quinn Abernathy. Photographer. Daughter. Healer of Souls.

Ryder Hart came up the hard way. From his childhood, to scratching his way to the top of the charts. Every moment was a struggle. Now that he’s at the top, nothing will take him down. Not even a secret so dark it invades his dreams and haunts his waking hours.

Quinn Abernathy’s hunger for success is no less than Ryder’s. If she wants to succeed in the highly competitive world of photography, she can’t let anything, or anyone, get in her way. Until Ryder. He makes her long for more than she ever thought possible.

Music is Ryder’s life. There isn’t room for a woman like Quinn Abernathy.
A woman who asks for nothing, but wants it all.

Grab this standalone novel now.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

THE KNOCK ON the dressing room door was firm and decisive. Whoever it was seemed to know what they wanted. He sighed. Pushy or tentative—it seemed someone always wanted something. All he wanted was a hot shower and a few blissfully uninterrupted hours of sleep. He should have gone straight to the hotel instead of collapsing on the sofa. After all these years, he knew better.

He didn’t answer when the pounding got louder. With a sigh, he slung an arm over his eyes and hoped against hope that whoever it was would take the hint and go away.

“Mr. Hart?”

Shit. Hadn’t he locked the door? He heard the doorknob turn. Nope. He definitely hadn’t locked the door.

“Mr. Hart? Ryder? Do you mind if I come in?”

Ryder didn’t bother to look. She had a nice voice. A little husky. But his interest was zero. Neither his brain nor his dick was in the mood.

“Sorry, sweetheart. I don’t fuck groupies. Try two doors down. I hear the opening act isn’t picky.”

“They might not be, but I am. Don’t worry, Mr. Hart, your virtue is safe. I’m not looking for bragging rights. My name is Quinn Abernathy. We have an appointment.”

“I don’t think so, honey.”

“It’s Quinn. Not sweetheart. Not honey. If you can’t remember my name, I occasionally answer to hey, you. But keep the sugary platitudes for your adoring fans.”

Interesting. In spite of himself, Ryder raised his arm enough to get a look at the lady with the acid tongue. Well, shit. He had hoped she would look like somebody’s aunt. Instead, Quinn Abernathy was a knock-out. He felt a stir of interest. But not enough to do more than roll over so his back was to her. It was meant to end the conversation.

“I spoke with your manager, Mr. Hart. He—”

“Jesus H. Christ.” Ryder whipped around. “I don’t give a fuck. My head is pounding. My knee has swollen up to twice its normal size, and I need something to eat besides the crap they put out in my dressing room. Whatever you want, can it wait until morning?”

“Sure.” Concerned, Quinn’s blue eyes lowered. “What happened to your knee?”

“Old war injury.”

It wasn’t far from the truth. Ryder’s entire childhood had been lived in a war zone. He survived because he learned how to avoid the ever-present landmines. One time, when he was ten, he wasn’t fast enough. The result had been a baseball bat to his knee. It had healed. But now and then—like tonight—it flared up.

Ryder didn’t know what the lovely Quinn thought of his explanation. She had a mighty fine poker face.

“I won’t keep you. Get some ice on that knee. And I would recommend a steak. The hotel where you’re staying serves a mean ribeye.”

“How do you know?”

“I had one for dinner.”

“Wait.” All of sudden, Ryder wasn’t as anxious for her to leave. “Are you staying at the St. Regis?”

Quinn nodded.

“What floor?”

Shaking her head, her lips curved. Nice lips tinged with a touch of red gloss. Ryder wondered about the flavor.

“Not yours.” Halfway out the door, Quinn paused. “I’m a photographer, Mr. Hart.” She patted the bag that hung over her shoulder. “Not a groupie.”

“I don’t have sex with groupies.”

“I remember.” Quinn laughed. “I’m not immune, Mr. Hart. And maybe—somewhere down the line—we’ll see what we see. But for the time being, let’s keep this professional.”

“I didn’t proposition you.” Ryder wasn’t used to women setting boundaries. That was his prerogative.

“You were going to.” With that closing shot, Quinn shut the door.

Refusing to let her have the last word, Ryder hurriedly limped across the room.

“Hey, you,” he called out. Quinn was already at the end of the hallway, but she heard him. To his delight, she stopped. Slowly, she turned toward him. In the glow of the harsh fluorescent lighting, Ryder could see that she tried not to smile.

“You bellowed?”

“Why do I need a photographer?”

“Because I’m the best.”

Ryder loved a woman with confidence. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”


Author Bio:

Want to know how to motivate yourself to write a book?
Have your favorite football team lose the Super Bowl.
On the last play.
With an interception.
The next day I was so depressed I tuned out all media. No TV, no internet, no newspapers--nothing. And I started to write. I'm still writing.
As you can see, a little motivation can do wonders.
Football will play a big part in a series of books due out next year. And since I'm writing the ending? No interceptions. Guaranteed.

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