Carina Press accepted my book!

Yay! April 2012 a new book of mine will be released at Carina Press. Right now, it’s untitled. I originally titled it, Painting Howahkan, but they’ve suggested a title change. I’ll let you know what that is later. This is Ana’s story. You might remember her as one of Daphne’s friends from Consent to the Cowboy.

I want to thank all the readers who questioned me if I was going to write Ana’s story. At the time I wrote Consent to the Cowboy, I had no plans to do so. Boy, am I glad I did. I love this story!

 

Here’s a little summary of the unnamed book. :-)

 

Small-town gal, Ana Reynold, lived life the way any twenty-four year old did in Podunk…one day at a time. She served beer at Chum’s Bar, tried to keep her beater car running, and dreamed of a better life. When her friend Daphne Norris introduced her to a wonderful woman named Sarah, Ana bartered for the first time in her life. She’d provide Sarah with a painting, if Sarah taught her how to cook in exchange. If things worked out the way she planned, she could advance into the cook position at Chum’s and work her way out of serving drinks. Maybe with the extra income she’d bring in, she could finally afford painting lessons.

Not many things will bring Howahkan/Kane off the Lakota reservation, but when his sister Sarah and her husband Darrell’s barn is destroyed by lightening, he leaves his home to help construct a new barn for his sister. At thirty years old, he knows it’s safer for a Lakota to keep to himself, raise horses, design saddles, and enjoy the freedom he finds in the land, and he’s at a point in his life where he wants to bring pride and worth to his people. He wasn’t expecting the young white woman serving food and drinks to the crew to capture his attention the way that she did.

Some days call for something a little special

I work. I do. I’m a full time writer.

One of the benefits of working at creating books is spending the day at home. Okay, sometimes I go shopping, run errands, and meet a friend for lunch, but the average day, no one is around to see me, except hubs, the kids, and the animals.

That got me to thinking about what I’m missing by working at home. A wardrobe was the first thing that popped into my head. I don’t have to slip into a dress and heels, instead I pull on cutoffs, a tank, and depending on what I’m doing at the moment, either barefoot, flipflops, sneakers, or boots are my chosen footwear. Makeup…a little liner, mascara for my too blonde to see ‘em lashes, and if I’m feeling the mood, lipstick.

Yesterday, I changed all that. I was dressing up for my job. After chores were done (sorry, but the animals like my cutoffs!), I showered and slipped on a sundress. And because it was raining, I added a half-cut sweater thingy to cover my shoulders. I put full makeup on, and heels. I was lookin’ good and feelin’ wonderful. I felt important.

I ate lunch on a plate, crossed my legs when I typed, and viewed pictures of people at RWA, and thought about how cool it would have been to go. The kids looked at me strangely, and questioned the reason why I dressed up.

“Where you going?”

“Who died?”

“Is it Saturday?”

“When did you get that dress?”

It was my little secret. I smiled and continued on with my day, waiting for hubs to walk through the door. When I finally heard hub’s truck pull up the driveway, I was in the middle of fixing dinner (I’m such a good wife, huh?), and I set up my pose. I went for the relaxed look; hair falling around my shoulders, and down my arms, while I leaned a hip against the kitchen counter.

I received the cocked eyebrow, the slow whistle, and eventually the crooked grin as he swept his gaze over the “go to work” me. I liked the attention.

What I realized last night as I was laying in bed is he never once questioned why I dressed up. Since he leaves for work at God-awful-hours, I finally got a chance to ask him this morning when he called, why he didn’t question my appearance yesterday while I was all fancy dressed. He said, “I don’t know. I like you in dresses, and I like you in cutoffs.”

He’s a keeper, isn’t he? 

Swag, prizes, and fun!

Head on over to Katie Lear’s Giant Promotions Giveaway at Jagged Edge, and follow her. That’s it! Lots of swag and prizes she’s giving away, including…a copy of Consent to the Cowboy by yours truly!

On June 30th, I’ll be over there helping her celebrate. She put me to the test, and asked me some very interesting questions. It’ll be fun. You won’t want to miss out!

Happy Anniversary, Carina Press!

A year ago, Carina Press – Harlequin’s Digital First Imprint, opened their doors for business. Personally, I can’t believe how fast the year has gone by! I still remember getting the phone call from Angela and hearing that I would be one of the launch authors with my book, Consent to the Cowboy.

Go on over and wish Carina Press a happy anniversary and you might win prizes! Check it out!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I’ve gotta busy weekend coming up with family and friends. I’m hoping the rain stops around here, and we can all enjoy a nice barbeque and dream about the summer. I’m so ready for sunshine!

My good friend, Gina Gordon, let me know that All Romance eBook store is having a 50% off sale (rebated at checkout) all day tomorrow and Sunday (5/28 – 5/29). A perfect time to stock up on your summer reading, and grab a couple…or 17 of my books!

Here’s the link to my books at All Romance, in case you’d like to check them out while you’re shopping.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Contest! Finding Eternal Peace is out!

 

Leave a comment telling me one item you’d want to take with you inside a cult, if you had to sneak inside the compound to save your sister (gun, knife, pencil, a red sweater, ect.), and I’ll throw everyone’s name into the hat tonight and pick one winner who’ll receive a free copy of Finding Eternal Peace.

 

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Buy Here

 

Blurb

The only way to save her sister from a cult… was to sign up.

Megan O’Donnell had already lost her parents–she wasn’t going to lose her sister too. Allison had taken their parents’ death hard, but Megan thought her sister was finally starting to live again. She had no clue the reason behind Allison’s newfound happiness was Lord Stephen, leader of the Eternal Peace cult. When Allison runs off and joins Lord Stephen’s commune, there’s only one thing Megan can do. She joins too.

After watching his sister fall for the charms of Lord Stephen, Private Detective Joe Sherrill goes undercover to bring an end to the man’s deadly charade. For Eternal Peace is anything but, and his sister’s suicide has convinced Joe that what’s going on isn’t so peaceful. He never expected to find someone else in the commune who wasn’t drinking the Kool-Aid, someone as gorgeous as the fiery redhead, Megan O’Donnell. If he can convince her to go undercover as his sex partner, he’ll be one step closer to getting what he needs to close the place down… until Lord Stephen decides Megan’s just what he needs as well…

 

Excerpt

Lord Stephen pulled her face around and captured her lips. She moaned, not in pleasure, but in revulsion. Her hands came up to push him away, but the instant they encountered his bare skin, she yanked them back.

Groaning at the way his tongue invaded her mouth, making it impossible to breathe, she writhed against him. If she could wiggle her way out of his embrace, maybe she could explain that she needed more time.

“Oh, yeah, you want me.” He lowered his other hand to her ass and humped against her stomach. “Move that body.” He gazed down at her breasts and licked his lips. “I’ll make you my special fuck girl.” He groaned. “You’ll find eternal peace with me.”

An ear-splitting alarm sounded overhead. She screamed. Lord Stephen gave another groan, this time in frustration, and dropped his hands. She wrapped her arms around her waist. What the hell was that noise?

“Stay here.” He pulled his arms through the sleeves of his robe, gazed down at his now-flaccid cock, and shook his head. “This disappoints me.” Walking toward the door, he spoke over his shoulder. “I’ll come back, and you can make me hard again. I have a special feeling for you, Megan. You do the right things, and I might make you one of my women.”

Unable to decide what to do, she stood in the room staring at the wall. If she left, she’d never get a chance to talk to her sister. If she stayed, there was no way she could avoid having sex with him. The pervert got off on intimidating women.

Needing time to come to her senses and gather her courage, she turned and stepped toward the exit. The door swung open and banged against the wall. She gasped and backed up.

“Come on.” A man she’d never seen before motioned for her to follow him.

She covered her breasts, frowning. “Wh…who are you?”

He raised an eyebrow. “The answer to your prayers, sweetheart.” He glanced over his shoulder in each direction. “Unless you want to stay in here and fuck Lord Dickhead, you better get your ass over here and follow me.”

She scooped her robe off the floor and ran toward the door. Pulling the robe on, she plastered herself against his side and peered down the length of the hallway. Whoever he was, she agreed with his assessment of Lord Stephen.

Finally, someone in this hellhole didn’t see everything in rainbows and moonbeams. His eyes even appeared clear and alert. He could possibly be the only sane person, besides her, in this joint.

“Not a word out of your mouth. We walk out of here without making eye contact with anyone else.” He lifted her chin. “If anyone stops us, bury your face in my chest or my neck, but do not look at them, understood?”

She nodded. The more long-term residents had free rein to explore their sexuality out in the open. She understood what he wanted her to do. They must act as if they couldn’t keep their hands off each other if they ran into anyone.

He slipped her hand into his and led her down the hallway. She struggled to keep up with his long strides. Out of her peripheral vision, she studied the way he moved.

Confident and determined, he strolled down the hallway, knowing precisely where they were headed. She figured out right away that he was guiding her to the other side of the commune where those that lived in meaningful relationships dwelled.

He stepped in front of her and wrapped her in his arms. She planted her face into the curve of his neck and closed her eyes. If Lord Stephen found her, she didn’t want to see him coming.

His lips found her ear. “Hang tight. Run your hands around me and over my ass.”

She inhaled swiftly.

He chuckled. “You’ve got to act like my woman if we’re going to pull this off, Red.”

The use of her nickname threw her into action. She let her hands roam over his back. Hard, tight muscles constricted underneath his robe. She forgot about not knowing this man for more than five minutes, and explored his backside.

The warmth of his breath on her ear relaxed her nerves. She molded herself to his body and let her hands drop to the top of his ass. Oh. My. God. An actual ass a woman could sink her fingers into and hold on.

“OK. Coast is clear.” He stepped back, gazed down at her, frowning, then shook his head and pulled her down the hallway.

Other people were rushing in the opposite direction. Meg turned and gazed over her shoulder. Where were they all going in such a hurry?

The alarm continued to ring all over the compound. She’d found herself so enthralled with the man who’d come to her rescue, she’d blocked out the sound.

“What’s going on?” She tugged on his hand. “Where’s everyone going?”

“Fire.” He pulled her through the doorway into the couples’ only area, where she’d never been allowed to enter before.

“What?” She stopped and nearly had her shoulder pulled out of its socket. “Wait. We can’t run. My sister—”

He picked her up, tossed her over his shoulder, and ran.