Here is a sweet sample from "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights" a sweet contemporary romance"
“It’s about time you hooked up with a good lookin’ babe,” Al
said, giving her the once over.
“Okay, Al. Okay. We’re not hooking up. Drums, man, drums,” Mike said.
Mike saw Sunny smile behind her hand. He was relieved the flirting from the band didn’t bother her. He wanted to show her how great they played.
“What do you want to hear, Sunny?” Mike asked, tuning up
his guitar.
“Do you guys do any Neil Diamond?” she asked.
They all laughed.
“If you can sing it, we can play it,” Al said.
They started with “Song Sung Blue”. Mike sang while they all
played. Then they went through two more songs.
“Sunny’s got a pretty good voice. Can you do ‘Hello Again’
with me?” Mike asked her.
She nodded and got up on the stage, standing next to Mike.
Trixie settled herself on a small rug and went to sleep while Sunny
sang with Mike and the band. The next thing he knew, it was nine
o’clock.
“How about coming over for pasta?” she asked.
“All of us?” Al responded.
“Absolutely!”
The band sang a cappella, harmonizing, while Sunny cooked.
At eleven, Jack, Al and Doobie piled into their cars and drove
off. Mike lingered, sitting on the steps to the deck, petting Trixie.
Sunny walked out with two mugs of coffee and sat down next to him, handing him one.
“I don’t know when I’ve had so much fun. Thanks,” she said,
looking up at the half moon shining above.
“Me, too. You have a great voice. Draws, paints and sings. A
Renaissance woman,” he said, smiling into her eyes.
“You guys are amazing. I can’t sing a cappella like that.”
“Have you tried? Don’t know till you try,” he said, watching
the moonbeams catch the glow of her hair.
“No, I haven’t. There are so many things I haven’t tried yet…”
she sighed.
“Here’s one you can take off the list,” he said, leaning over
and kissing her.
CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO SWEET SATURDAY SAMPLES.
Get "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights" ONLY $3.99! at:
Amazon
Nook
Astraea Press (all formats)
A little bit about the book:
Caroline “Sunny” Davis has it all, a rich husband, career as a well-known artist and a big, beautiful house, she has everything except happiness. Fleeing from a philandering husband, she returns to her family’s cabin in the woods. Looking to reconnect with happier times while she sorts out her life, Sunny is surprised to meet up with someone she hasn’t seen in twenty years.
Mike Foster, her friend, her protector from childhood is more handsome and devastating than ever. Tempted almost beyond endurance, can she resist him…if it’s for his own good? This story about rekindled friendship will warm your heart.
FREE NOVELLA, "MOONLIGHT AND ROSES", PREQUEL TO "SUNNY DAYS, MOONLIT NIGHTS"
Click HERE to get to the FREE download on Smashwords.
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Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Moonlight and Roses - FREE NOVELLA!
Here is a taste of my newest work, "Moonlight and Roses", the prequel to "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights". This novella is available from Smashwords for free! See the link below.
Chapter One
"A dance in Central Park for single people…how romantic," Linda Davis said, clasping her hands together in front of her bosom.
"Ma..."
"You’re not getting any younger and I want to be a grandma."
"I’m only 27, I'm not over the hill, yet," Caroline responded.
"Check it out, sweetheart. Go, dance in the moonlight. Find a rich man, make me happy."
"Ma..."
"You’re not getting any younger and I want to be a grandma."
"I’m only 27, I'm not over the hill, yet," Caroline responded.
"Check it out, sweetheart. Go, dance in the moonlight. Find a rich man, make me happy."
Saturday night, Caroline Davis slipped into the new print sundress her mother made for her.
“I picked this fabric because the cornflower blue in those little flowers matches your eyes exactly.”
“You’re right. The match is uncanny.”
“I like white on blondes, too, it sets off your hair, sweetheart,” Linda put in.
. Caroline had always been proud of her curvy figure, long slim legs and bright smile. Her father said she was a work of art.
She entered Central Park with a sigh and headed for the Sheep Meadow which was aglow with twinkly lights and live music. A warm breeze brushed her cheek on her way across the uneven lawn where she stumbled over a rock and caught her heel twice in the tall grass. She took a glass of wine off a table covered with a white cloth and wandered through the growing crowd, looking, in vain, for a familiar face among the men and women mingling under the gaze of the full moon.
She entered Central Park with a sigh and headed for the Sheep Meadow which was aglow with twinkly lights and live music. A warm breeze brushed her cheek on her way across the uneven lawn where she stumbled over a rock and caught her heel twice in the tall grass. She took a glass of wine off a table covered with a white cloth and wandered through the growing crowd, looking, in vain, for a familiar face among the men and women mingling under the gaze of the full moon.
As she faced South, the breath-taking skyline of New York City dark against the light sky turning pink and purple as sunset arrived demanded her attention. No matter how long she lived there, her artist’s eye would see no two identical skyline scenes; tall gray, black and silver buildings in varying heights outlined against the ever-changing sky. Finding a man as interesting as this City would be a challenge.
She had agreed to return to New York City to live with her mother, leaving behind her college and graduate school friends in Willow Falls, New York. She missed her friends, but her mother, recovering from a bout with cancer, needed her. But now, Linda was pressuring her to find a man and Caroline wanted to make her mom happy.
If she was honest with herself, Caroline had to admit she was lonely, too. Her college boyfriend left her behind when he went to medical school where he met and married another medical student. She scanned the faces at the dance again, hoping to find someone she knew. A tall dark-haired man with brown eyes, perhaps the right man to alleviate her lonelinessapproached her and introduced himself as Cary before he asked her to dance. As the fast song became a slow one, he drew her into his arms, holding her close.
It felt good to be held by him. Caroline closed her eyes and let the warm summer breeze and the woodsy scent of his aftershave wash over her. After the music stopped, the band took a break. Cary plucked two glasses of wine from a waiter’s tray and took Caroline's hand, leading her into a shadowy area of the park. He sat down on the thick grass and gently tugged her down next to him then handed her the wine.
Before she knew what he wanted, he was kissing her. At first, the kiss was nice, but then it got too passionate, too urgent. Caroline pulled away.
"Come back, beautiful thing," he murmured, reaching for her.
Caroline moved out of his grasp and shook her head. "I hardly know you."
"What better way to get acquainted?"
"You're kidding, right?"
His eyes glittered in the moonlight and Caroline began to feel conscious of his eyes on her body, she sifted her weight from foot to foot..
"Why do you think guys come to these crummy things?"
"To meet someone?"
"To get laid," he said.
Caroline got up, brushed off her skirt and tucked her purse under her arm. "Smooth…real smooth."
"Honest, at least."
"Goodnight."
“I knew you weren’t going to put out,” he called after her, pulling up a tuft of grass.
She related her story to her mother as soon as she closed the front door behind her.
"Come back, beautiful thing," he murmured, reaching for her.
Caroline moved out of his grasp and shook her head. "I hardly know you."
"What better way to get acquainted?"
"You're kidding, right?"
His eyes glittered in the moonlight and Caroline began to feel conscious of his eyes on her body, she sifted her weight from foot to foot..
"Why do you think guys come to these crummy things?"
"To meet someone?"
"To get laid," he said.
Caroline got up, brushed off her skirt and tucked her purse under her arm. "Smooth…real smooth."
"Honest, at least."
"Goodnight."
“I knew you weren’t going to put out,” he called after her, pulling up a tuft of grass.
She related her story to her mother as soon as she closed the front door behind her.
"We'll have to find a better place. Some place where the guys have a little class."
"Meaning they still want to get laid but don't tell you in the first five minutes?" Caroline replied.
"Cynic," her mother chided.
"Meaning they still want to get laid but don't tell you in the first five minutes?" Caroline replied.
"Cynic," her mother chided.
Get "Moonlight and Roses" for FREE! Click HERE!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
TUESDAY TALES
This short story was written to the word prompt "museum". Due to a request, it will be continued next week on Tuesday Tales again.
SEXY NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
SEXY NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Liza poured coffee into a cup and put it on the window sill, behind the curtain to cool. Professor Rick Banks liked his coffee black, so she didn’t add milk. Desperate feelings called for desperate measures. Liza, a graduate student in ornithology, won this coveted internship at the Washington Museum of Natural History over fifty other candidates. Some of her jealous classmates said it was because of her light blue eyes and voluptuous figure. She insisted it was because of her high grade point average and her experience working with birds.
After six months working shoulder-to-shoulder with handsome, thirty-something Dr. Rick Banks she knew her breast size and blue eyes went unnoticed. Squirreled away in the warren of tiny rooms where specimens were prepared for exhibitions, Dr. Banks, divorced for two years, was completely wrapped up in his work. He never noticed her, except when he needed help with an exhibit. When looking for a pair of hands to hold a taxidermied bird’s wings, get coffee, file or return a bird specimen to its proper storage place, Liza was his choice. But outside of work, he never noticed her. She never saw him take a peek at her chest or look into her eyes.
He was a brilliant ornithologist, about six feet tall with broad shoulders, dark brown hair and light brown eyes. Liza got flustered around him and Sadie Carpenter, secretary to the curator of the department, noticed her looking at Rick with desire in her eyes. Sadie kidded her about him but let it be when she saw Liza was serious. This wasn’t some schoolgirl crush, this was love.
So tonight, Thursday, their standard late night, was the night Liza was going to make her play. She had a plan all mapped out, a way to get her shirt off, legitimately, in front of him. If her lacy pink bra barely containing her breasts wasn’t enough to get a rise from Dr. Banks, nothing would. She wore a light tan shirt she didn’t particularly like, not caring about the stain she was about to inflict on it.
“Liza, have we got any coffee left?” Dr. Banks called out to her.
She looked at her watch, right on time, seven thirty every night he called for the last cup of coffee in the pot. And every night she brought it to him. But tonight would be different.
“Got it, Dr. Banks,” she called, taking the cooled cup from the window sill.
She combed her short blonde hair behind her ears, replenished her pink lipstick, tucked in her shirt, smoothed her skirt and picked up the cup.
Rick Banks was deep in thought when Liza entered at the other end of the room. He looked up at the click, click, click of her heels on the floor and smiled.
“Coffee coming up!” she announced.
“Thanks,” he said and returned his attention to the specimen he was readying for a special exhibition.
As she got close, her heart started to beat faster and faster. She had to time it perfectly. Rick stood up and turned toward her, his hand rising to receive the cup. She scuffed her high heel on the floor and it caught just a little bit. She lurched forward, right into his arms, his hand underneath the cup tilted it outward instead of inward as she planned, spilling coffee all over him. Her eyes got wide, she was supposed to spill the coffee on herself, not him! Fortunately, it wasn’t too hot as it spilled down the front of his shirt.
“Oh my God, Dr. Banks, I’m so sorry,” Liza babbled.
His hands clamped hard on her arms, steadying her as the dark liquid seeped into his shirt.
“It’s not hot. No problem,” he said.
He released her when she righted the cup. She reached for paper towels and began to dry off his chest.
“You’d better take off your shirt,” she said.
“You think so?” he asked, beginning to work the buttons.
He slipped the drenched shirt off his shoulders revealing a solid chest covered lightly in soft brown hair.
“You’re wet. The coffee went right through the shirt,” she said, mopping his chest.
She tried to control her breathing as her hands worked the paper towel over his chest. He pulled her in close to him as his mouth came down on hers. Liza opened her mouth in surprise and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside. As his arms pulled her closer, she softened against him and put her hands on his shoulders. He pulled his tongue back and his lips sucked at hers. A small moan escaped her throat and her hands got lost in his wavy hair.
His mouth traveled to her neck, leaving small kisses and tiny bites as he moved down to her shoulder and back.
“I…I…” she stammered.
When her mouth opened, he launched another assault with his tongue, teasing and caressing hers until she was whimpering. Pulling his mouth away, he muttered.
“You want more?”
She nodded and closed her eyes as his tongue penetrated her mouth again with more force and urgency. His hand cradled her breast massaging it and seeking her peak as his other hand unfastened her buttons, revealing her lacy bra. He smiled as his eyes took in the sexy sight of her breasts spilling out the top of her bra. His free hand released her bra in the back and she lowered her arms to allow it and her blouse to slide to the floor. He gasped as he feasted his eyes on her naked breasts, so round and firm with perfect nipples.
“Wow,” he muttered, lowering his head to capture her peak, sucking and licking.
Liza groaned as her head slid back giving him more access to her chest.
“Good night, Rick. Don’t forget the lights!” Sadie called in from the hall as she passed the room without looking in.
Her voice acted like a bucket of cold water as Liza jumped back from Dr. Banks and snatched her bra from the floor while covering her chest with one arm. Flushed with sexual excitement, he stood bewildered while Liza threw on her blouse. He held his shirt over his crotch to cover his erection.
“What were we thinking?” Liza said, blushing as she tried to look away from him.
“I was thinking I couldn’t go one more day without touching you, kissing you,” he said.
Liza stopped her shaking hands from fussing with her blouse and her gaze met his.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“You wanted to touch me. To kiss me.”
“Still do.”
“I want…also,” she stuttered.
“I thought so since you didn’t fight me off and call security,” he said, chuckling.
She blushed and her gaze fell to the floor.
Rick Banks stepped up to her and pulled her into his arms.
“No reason to be embarrassed. You’ve fulfilled my wildest dreams.”
“Your dreams? My dreams.”
“Your dreams, too? How great is that?” he said
“Where do we go from here?” she asked, placing her hands on his bare chest, feeling her heart beat speed up along with his.
“My place is closest.”
She moved out of his arms and nodded her head.
“This isn’t a one-night stand, Liza. I’ve…I’ve wanted you for some time.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Didn’t think you’d like a stuffy professor like me. Never saw any signs you were interested.”
“Are you kidding? I never saw any signs you were interested.”
“I am. Very,” he said, putting an arm around her, tucking his stained shirt under his other arm and moving them toward the door.
“In fact I can hardly wait to get you home,” he whispered in her ear.
Liza smiled at him, as a shiver shot up her spine. She turned out the light and shut the door behind them.
TO RETURN TO TUESDAY TALES, CLICK HERE
TO RETURN TO TUESDAY TALES, CLICK HERE
Monday, August 15, 2011
Movie Trivia Monday - Contest
A little fun for a Monday with a movie trivia quiz. How do you stack up? Leave a comment and be entered to win your choice of either of my two contemporary romance books listed below:
(don't forget to add your email to the comment)
Movie Quiz
1. What classical actor played Quasimoto in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"?\
2. In what movie does John Cusack spend his time hunting for a specific book?
3. In what movie does Edward Norton do a lot of magic tricks?
4. What animated kid's movie has Robin Williams cracking jokes?
5. Which kid's movie has the voice of Sally Field?
6. Which classic movie has the title character saving orphans from a fire? (the black and white version, not the remake)
7. What movie has the famous line, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."?
8. In what movie do two dogs share a bowl of spaghetti?
9. Which famous monster is in the title of an Abbott and Costello movie?
10. Name the movie where Leslie Nielsen dresses up as a bride to fool the bad guys?
SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN FOR THE ANSWERS
A little about my books:
Now and Forever 1, a Love Story
Amazon
(See 4.5 Star review on amazon.com)
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Secret Cravings Publishing
A little bit about the book:
Working and studying at Kensington State University, Callie meets Mac Caldwell, the handsome dean. Together they fight a deadly campus drug ring with heart-breaking results. This is an emotional story, not a cookie-cutter romance, that will make you laugh and cry as Callie struggles to make a new life, find love and her happy ending.
Get "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights" at:
Amazon
Nook
Astraea Press (all formats)
A little bit about the book:
Caroline “Sunny” Davis has it all, a rich husband, career as a well-known artist and a big, beautiful house, she has everything except happiness. Fleeing from a philandering husband, she returns to her family’s cabin in the woods. Looking to reconnect with happier times while she sorts out her life, Sunny is surprised to meet up with someone she hasn’t seen in twenty years.
Mike Foster, her friend, her protector from childhood is more handsome and devastating than ever. Tempted almost beyond endurance, can she resist him…if it’s for his own good? This story about rekindled friendship will warm your heart.
ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ
1. Charles Laughton
2. Serendipity
3. The Illusionist
4.Aladdin
5. Homeward Bound
6. Might Joe Young
7. Gone With the Wind
8. Lady and the Tramp
9. Frankenstein
10. Mr. Magoo
(don't forget to add your email to the comment)
Movie Quiz
1. What classical actor played Quasimoto in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"?\
2. In what movie does John Cusack spend his time hunting for a specific book?
3. In what movie does Edward Norton do a lot of magic tricks?
4. What animated kid's movie has Robin Williams cracking jokes?
5. Which kid's movie has the voice of Sally Field?
6. Which classic movie has the title character saving orphans from a fire? (the black and white version, not the remake)
7. What movie has the famous line, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."?
8. In what movie do two dogs share a bowl of spaghetti?
9. Which famous monster is in the title of an Abbott and Costello movie?
10. Name the movie where Leslie Nielsen dresses up as a bride to fool the bad guys?
SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN FOR THE ANSWERS
A little about my books:
Now and Forever 1, a Love Story
Amazon
(See 4.5 Star review on amazon.com)
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Secret Cravings Publishing
A little bit about the book:
Callie Richards was no stranger to heartache. Her parents were killed when she was sixteen. Left with her older sister, she fell into a romance with good-looking, Kyle Maine. They became engaged and Callie’s future was set until he was killed in Iraq. Two years later, she pulls herself together to get her Master’s degree and restart her life on her own.
Get "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights" at:
Amazon
Nook
Astraea Press (all formats)
A little bit about the book:
Caroline “Sunny” Davis has it all, a rich husband, career as a well-known artist and a big, beautiful house, she has everything except happiness. Fleeing from a philandering husband, she returns to her family’s cabin in the woods. Looking to reconnect with happier times while she sorts out her life, Sunny is surprised to meet up with someone she hasn’t seen in twenty years.
Mike Foster, her friend, her protector from childhood is more handsome and devastating than ever. Tempted almost beyond endurance, can she resist him…if it’s for his own good? This story about rekindled friendship will warm your heart.
ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ
1. Charles Laughton
2. Serendipity
3. The Illusionist
4.Aladdin
5. Homeward Bound
6. Might Joe Young
7. Gone With the Wind
8. Lady and the Tramp
9. Frankenstein
10. Mr. Magoo
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