Alonzo
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: ALONZO “Fort Collins Public Library, how can I help you?” “Yes. Hello. I have a question about a book.” “Yes, sir. That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to hear it.” “Well, it’s not a question about a book, per se. I’m looking for something specific. To read.” “Well, you’re talking to the right girl. I’m a book expert. I even have the pencil skirt, tight white blouse, severe ponytail, and dark-framed glasses to prove it.” “Hmmm. What’s your name? It’s just… I like to use a woman’s name when I talk books with them.” “Ohhh… Tara. I’m Tara. Do you… like women who talk books back to use your name as well?” “Hmmm. Intriguing question, Tara. I’ve never thought about it before. But yes. Yes. I’d like that. I’m Lonnie. A too-smart, button-down-shirt-wearing accountant who loves numbers and making things… balance.” “Balancing. I like that.” “You do?” “Mmm-hmmm.” “What kind of balancing are you picturing? Like… financial statements and checkbooks?” “Nnn-nooooo. More like… the kind of balance you need when a hot, sexy accountant is fucking you up against a wall.” “Oh.” “Sorry. My imagination is… well, wild. And I’m a bit bored at the moment. There’s absolutely no one else here in the library with me. I guess I’m just looking for a little fun while no one’s watching.” “Are you sure you’re a librarian?” “Positive. But I’d like to clarify one thing before we continue. I don’t mind people watching.” “Oh.” “Now tell me. What kind of specific book are you looking for? I’m excited at the prospect of pleasing you.” “This might sound a little weird, Tara.” “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve heard it all, Lonnie.” “It’s a very… odd trope I’m looking for.” “Trust me, Lonnie. I’m here to help. What trope are you looking for today?” “OK, so… it’s the one about the… well, let’s call him under-socialized—” “Got it. Our protagonist is a man who is maybe… an accountant?” “Exactly.” “Great. Keep going.” “And he meets this… other under-socialized person. Female. Maybe a…” “A librarian?” “Yes! Exactly. This accountant meets a librarian and they…” “Fuck?” “No.” “Have cam sex?” “Mmmm… not quite. But close.” “OK. I think I understand. But I need a little clarification, if you don’t mind.” “I don’t mind at all, Tara. How can I clarify?” “Well, this accountant. Can you give me a better description? Just so, you know, I can clearly envision this… book… in my head.” “Sure. He’s about six foot four.” “Oh, my.” “Yeah. He’s big.” “Big as in…?” “Tall. Yup.” “Oh.” “But he’s big in other ways too.” “Really?” “Yeah. Like… you know. Biiiig.” “Big as in… I can’t fit my hand around it?” “How big are your hands?” “Small to average.” “Then definitely not.” “I see. OK. Got it. He’s girthy.” “Exactly.” “What else?” “Well, his hair is light brown.” “Hmm. Eyes?” “Let’s go with hazel.” “Hazel green? Hazel blue? Or hazel brown?” “Hazel green-brown.” “Delicious.” “What?” “Oh. I’m eating pudding. And I just licked my spoon. It’s delicious.” “Pudding, huh?” “Mmmm. Pudding. OK. I have a better picture of our hero. But what of our heroine? This… librarian.” “Well… she’s a typical librarian. And you’re a librarian.” “That I am, Lonnie.” “Well, this librarian is on the small side.” “Small as in petite? Or small as in… not more than a mouthful?” “Petite.” “Oh. So she’s ample in all the right places. Like me.” “Like you, huh?” “Mmmm-hmm.” “And she wears… well, pencil skirts.” “Also like me.” “And a tight, white, button-down blouse that shows off her ample…” “Breasts?” “I was going to say ‘pocket protector.’” “Lonnie?” “Tara?” “You’re making this difficult.” “How so?” “I’m on my lunch break here.” “Oh, am I disturbing you?” “Not at all. I’m just waiting for you to get to the good parts.” “The part where they bond over books and numbers?” “No, the part where he talks dirty to her on the phone while she’s on her lunch break so she can come on her fingers and make him pretend to lick them.” I laugh. “It’s not funny. Come on!” “It’s roleplaying.” “I know. I’m done with it. I gave you the perfect in and all you had to do was say, ‘Yeah, the kind of balance when he fucks her against a wall’ and we’d be halfway home right now!” “Where’s the fun in that?” “You’re doing this on purpose! You know I only get thirty minutes for lunch today! It’s book club Monday and I’ve got every damn housewife in Fort Collins in here with her wine-stained book-of-the-month-club edition paperback acting like she’s all literate and shit.” I laugh again. “Lonnie. Phone-fuck me right now. Or I’m hanging up and never answering your pervy calls again.”
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Socks for an Otter
-- EXCERPT: As Louis balanced the cooler on a hip and tried to find the End Call button through his tears—caused by the biting wind, of course—he slammed into something. “Shit. Watch where you’re going, asshole. Am I invisible?” Or someone. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you through my—” Words failed Louis as the angry young man faced him, but his words didn’t fail him because of the rage directed his way. No, it was the man’s serious eyes, his innocent face hidden behind a mask of facial hair that reminded Louis of the first and only guy he’d kissed, the guy who changed how Louis defined his sexuality. “I’m seriously sorry. I was distracted.” He presented the cooler. “Here. Do you like blue crab? Have some. I have a whole cooler full and it needs to be eaten soon.” “Are you fucking kidding me?” “I’m not. Here. It’s worth a lot on the market. At least a couple hundred.” “You’re fucking with me now, right?” the guy said as he took a step closer. Louis took a step back. “I’m not into the illegal seafood trade. Do I look like I am?” “No.” Louis shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m flustered. Sorry for running into you. I was on the phone with my—” The guy held up his hand. “I get it. You’re distracted by your perfect life. You feel bad, so you’re offering me something of value. But you see, your precious blue crab is valueless to me right now. More than anything, I want cheese and soup and something that sticks to my ribs and gets me through this fucking storm. The few bites of meat I’d get from one of your pretty crabs wouldn’t cut it. What else you got in there? Roe? Escargot? Fucking oysters? ’Cause if I find a pearl, then maybe I can eat for more than a day or two.” “I’ll cook for you,” slipped out before Louis could stop himself. “Come back to my place. Eat as many as you want. I’ve got more at home. You can help me eat them. As many as you want.” Louis hoped the guy read the tears in his eyes as wind-inspired rather than what they really were: the realization of just how pathetic his life had become. Louis was so fucking lonely, he’d just begged a stranger to let him cook for him. All so he wouldn’t be alone. The guy spun on his heel and stalked away, tucking his chin deeper into his coat. With each step, the sole on his right shoe slapped. It was unglued and looked like it wouldn’t make it through the night. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Louis was that shoe.
GIVEAWAY!
An Unexpected Gift
by Krista Grayce
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Publication Date: November 25, 2019
Janie Nolan’s future had never been more uncertain, she was just learning to live with the loss of her mother from cancer, she suddenly finds herself jobless after an unexpected diagnosis with autism at the age of fifty-five. The thought of moving back to her childhood home in the idyllic town of Cape May, New Jersey to assess her future is a daunting proposal. It is in that sleepy shore town that she must reconnect with her abusive father. Now ailing, he has handed over control of the family business, a failing small theater, as a possible means for a fresh start. However, Janie is uncertain as to what his true motives might be.
Alec Ryan, a handsome, former intern of her father’s and now a successful Broadway producer and director arrives from New York carrying his own tumultuous past with plans to assist Janie in restoring the theater to its former glory. Along the way, Alec discovers qualities in Janie that prove she is more than just her diagnosis and resolves to help restore Janie as well, simultaneously putting his own demons to rest and learning to love again.
But when the small town gossip mill begins to buzz about Alec and a piece of jewelry left by her mother is revealed, Janie learns of a secret that may take things in another direction could change the course of her life forever.
HI! Just to tell you a bit about myself. I have lived in Seattle, WA most of my life however I was raised in New York and spent summers in Cape May, NJ. Most of my work is set on the beaches and beach towns of the Jersey Shore. I wrote my first novel when I was thirteen years old and continued to write poetry and short stories for the following years. I have had articles and papers published as well as photographs that were published in a book entitled "Rock and Roll Memorabilia II".
I hold an AA degree in Business Management. I never obtained a degree in Literary Arts or Writing per se but I feel I come by my writing talent organically as William Shakespeare is my 1st cousin 12 times removed.
"An Unexpected Gift" is my debut novel. Like Janie, the main character in the novel, I was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism at the age of forty-eight however I am proud to share this diagnosis with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emily Dickenson as well as many others. I see my autism as a gift from God. It has given me a high intellect and innate talent that I use as a tool to enlighten the rest of the world to the plight of adults with autism.
Like many people on the spectrum, I never married or had children which is sadly my greatest regret. I currently live with my wonderful sister Kendra and my three cats Tyler, Tabitha and Teddy in Spokane, WA. I am planning to move back to the New Jersey Shore as soon as possible.
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Far Reaching Consequences
BONUS! -- EXCERPT: The rubber soles of Phoebe’s taupe-colored work boots squeaked against the golden cinnamon hardwood floor. Daisy’s paws clicked as she trotted beside her. Phoebe would have to trim Daisy’s nails again. The plantation itself was in sad disarray after decades of neglect. In some ways, the plantation was strangely like her life—or at least the way it had been, until she made the commitment to fix it. For the last thirty years, this place had stood vacant and unloved. The previous owners had been unable to sell the property and unable to invest in her upkeep. This grand old lady had become a dilapidated ruin of a bygone era. Phoebe hoped to fix this place up, just like she had her life. She believed, with a bit of elbow grease, she would be able to turn the plantation back into a showpiece—one for which people would pay for the experience of staying there. New Orleans and the surrounding area was a pre-eminent tourist destination that Phoebe planned to capitalize on. She eventually wanted her own airport shuttle for guests. But that was getting ahead of herself. The first step was a complete renovation. It was only recently that Phoebe had been able to actualize her dream of owning Riverland to renovate it into a fully operational bed and breakfast. She’d used the inheritance her late grandpa, Ralph Mackenzie, had bequeathed her in his will a year ago. The tidy sum he’d left her had been enough to buy this place outright, along with the small acreage surrounding the old plantation, with money left over for the needed renovations. Financially, it would be tight at first until she started having paying guests. That was why she waited tables at the strip joint Bayou Sin on Bourbon Street in the meantime. Not because she loved wearing skintight clothes with men trying to grope her, but it helped supplement her income. This plantation was infused with all her hope for the future, one that belonged to her and her alone. As she reached what had once been a grand entrance, with its heavy, double oak doors the same warm cinnamon as the floors, she drew the right-side door open, a greeting on her lips as she spread them in a fake smile like the one she wore serving drinks. Daisy’s whole body vibrated, her attention directed at the man on the opposite side of the door. The initial punch of fear disintegrated as she studied him and memories dulled by time and distance surfaced. He was tall, a good six two, and built like a professional baseball player with broad shoulders and a head full of dark chestnut hair that was a few weeks past needing a trim. His button-down ivory dress shirt was rolled up to his elbows, leaving his tanned, brawny forearms bare. The shirt was tucked into a pair of well-worn blue jeans with a brown leather tool belt slung around his lean waist. But it was the man’s eyes, artic blue, making her think of frost and snow, in the tan, slightly weathered face that caused a bell of recognition to sound through her and made her lips curl into a genuine smile. “Graham? Graham Layton, is that really you? You’re the contractor Dante recommended?” Joy filtered into her voice as she stared at the blast from her past. It had been almost nineteen years since the night of the winter formal in high school. The night she had always considered one of the best of her life.
GIVEAWAY! The After Wife
-- EXCERPT: IN THIS SCENE, THE MAIN CHARACTER, ABBY, IS AT THE PUB FOR DINNER. IT’S HER FIRST NIGHT IN TOWN, AND SHE’S JUST BEEN TOLD THAT THE PUB OWNERS, PETER AND NETTIE, WILL INTRODUCE HER TO A LOCAL CONTRACTOR, LIAM WRIGHT, WHO CAN HELP HER FIX UP HER DELAPITATED COTTAGE. ABBY SUSPECTS THEY’RE ALSO TRYING TO SET THEM UP ON A DATE… Why do I not drink more often? I’m almost through my second pint and I honestly can’t remember feeling so good. I don’t even care how out of place I am. Instead, I happily devour a slice of homemade lemon meringue pie. Dinner service has ended, and most of the guests have filed out, replaced by several locals bearing instruments. A new feeling takes over the restaurant. It’s an easy, relaxed vibe full of inside jokes and laughter as they rearrange the tables into a large horseshoe. I rush to finish my dessert, hoping to make my exit before I attract the attention of every snoopy musician in the village. Peter gives me a nod. “Liam’s just come in now.” I turn and see a man standing at the entrance. He looks to be in his early forties. Medium height, with the sturdy build of a fisherman or maybe a miner in days gone by. He has shaggy sandy-brown hair and thick stubble that’s somewhere between needing a shave and needing another couple of months to grow. His eyes, though. There’s something about them that makes me stare a moment too long. They’re the shade of ice blue usually reserved for wolves. He looks straight at Nettie and Peter, and my gaze follows his. They are standing side by side with matching hopeful grins. They look at me, then back at him, and when I glance in his direction again, I’m met with a look of dread. It doesn’t take me more than a second to figure out he thinks he’s about to be set up and he’s absolutely horrified at the thought of having any of his parts touch any of my parts. And here I am gawking at him like a moron. Blue sweater vest woman walks by and touches my arm. “You’ve got a bit of a mustache, love.” She hurries off in the direction of the ladies’ room while I dab my upper lip with a napkin, confirming that I did, in fact, have a frothy white beer mustache. Well, that’s that, then. The Millhouse boys it is. “Liam! Come over and meet Abby!” Peter calls. No. Please don’t. I swivel my stool to face the bar, and in my overly enthusiastic effort, I swing it too far and bang my left knee on the wood bracket. The force of it causes my body to jar and jerk back to my right and I plant my left hand in what’s left of my pie. I’m a regular Princess Di this evening, all elegance and grace. Check, please. Nettie gives me a concerned look. “You all right, love?” “I’m fine. I just remembered I have to make a phone call. Can you put this on my room?” I smile too brightly as I slide off the stool and start for the side door as fast as my legs can carry me. “Well, come back when you’re done so you don’t miss the music!” Nettie calls. “And you still need to meet Liam!” Peter yells. “I most certainly will!” Not.
GIVEAWAY!
Title: Emerging Temptation
Genre: BWWM Romance
Publication Date: January 14th, 2020
Hosted by: Lady Amberâs PR
Blurb:
Emerging Temptation is a limited edition collection of new, sexy BWWM romances that will set your soul on fire. Be prepared to be captivated by the sizzling tales of heroic first responders for hours on end.
These heroes will prove themselves worthy of your attention, and affection. From scorching hot firefighters to dashing police officers, there is something for everyone.
Watch out! You might find yourself needing to be resuscitated.
The stories in the compilation are exclusive and can't be found anywhere else. Don't wait, this box set will only be available for a limited time before it is gone forever!
Note: This collection contains material for mature readers (18+ and older) only.
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RijLDw
Universal: https://books2read.com/u/bQRZpP
Peyton Banks
Donna R Mercer
Reana Malori
Theresa Hodge
ML Preston
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
Sade Rena
Posey Parks
Sedona Venez
Erin St. Charles
Yolanda Olson
Kiarra M. Taylor
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RijLDw
Universal: https://books2read.com/u/bQRZpP
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