Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Iva Valentino and her story Black Cats and Ballet Slippers



Today we have Gemma Mayfield here from Black Cats and Ballet Slippers. Great to have you here, Gemma! Can you please tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Gemma: Hi guys! Thanks for having me! Well, to start off with, I go to Middleton Middle School. My best friend Izzie and I do A LOT of dance. I love ballet! I wish I could dance everywhere I go. Now that I think about it, sometimes I do! Anyways, one thing that really stands out about me is that I’m SUPER tall. I’m taller than Trevor Davis, who I have a huge crush on. I also keep having bad hair days, which doesn’t help the situation. It’s hard to explain these things to my parents or my little sister. Only my cat, Mungo, seems to understand me. Or maybe he just doesn’t say stuff because he can’t talk.

What type of conflict are you up against in Black Cats and Ballet Slippers?

Gemma: Everyone who’s been to middle school knows that it’s pretty weird. I mean, boys are from Mars! They are so strange. But I think something REALLY weird is going on at Middleton. I think that my teacher, Ms. Pruett, is a witch! She’s been casting spells on people, including Trevor! I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt, and I think it’s up to me to figure out how to save our school.

Wow, that seems super scary! You do a really great job writing down all of your adventures in your diary. When did you get your first diary?

I just LOVE my diary! I used to think that diaries were for silly people. Izzie gave me my first diary for my birthday. Now I write in it all the time. If you don’t have a diary, you gotta get one! Just make sure that no one steals it from you when you’re in math class. If some of the stuff I wrote about got out… sheesh! Especially the stuff about Ms. Pruett and her witchy shenanigans. And then, of course, the List of Cutest Boys is in there, too. Now THAT would be embarrassing to pass around!

Do you have a goal that you have recently set for yourself?

Well, I’d really like to get along better with Demonica… er, Monica. She’s this girl at my school. She is pure EVIL, but I’m wondering if maybe I’m just not giving her a chance. Maybe she’s a nice person underneath it all! I think there’s truly a possibility for goodness in all of us. Argh. Who am I kidding? She really is a demon in disguise!

Okay, so here’s a fun question to wrap things up: Name five things right now that are in your backpack.

Yay! This is sort of a fun question. Let me take a quick look…

  1. A hair scrunchie. This is an absolute necessity! You never know when you are going to have a bad hair day and your hair looks like a broom. It’s best to just put it back in a ponytail.
  2. My math homework. I actually finished this in class yesterday. Math… so easy! But I don’t really like saying that out loud—it’s not good for the popularity status. Which I need to work on, by the way.
  3. An extra pair of ballet slippers. These could come in handy at any time.
  4. My Bubblegum Bliss lip gloss. It’s supposed to make your lips look more pouty. Unfortunately, Trevor never seems to notice.
  5. Aha! Mungo’s cat collar! Now how did THAT get in here? Weird.

Thanks again, Gemma, for visiting today. Hopefully Mungo will be happy to get his cat collar back. It’s been great getting to know a bit more about you!



Author Bio:

Iva Valentino lives in Arizona with her husband and their dog, Lupo. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Education. She loves living year-round in the warm desert.

Iva spent many years as a middle school teacher, where she enjoyed doing fun science experiments with her students. She currently works as a science editor at an educational publishing company. She loves travel, yoga, and photography. There is nothing that brings her more happiness than a good dance class!

You can visit Iva at the following sites:


Purchasing links for Black Cats and Ballet Slippers:




Sizzling PR Presents Being Grateful, Being Thankful by Sarah Butland


Blurb:

Gratitude is all around us and being verbally thankful and aware changes our lives tremendously for the better. Too often people complain about the little things or are silent when those little things don't cause problems.

Be Grateful: Appreciate Everything to Be Happy is an easy to read collection of aspects of your life important for you to consider and think about in a new light. With the Law of Attraction being so evident in the world and people continuously reading all the motivational books, it's easy to forget the true essence of this law and our own lives.

Be Grateful: Appreciate Everything to Be Happy brings that back, shifting your perspective so more good will appear in your life as you deserve.


                                                    Excerpt of Being Grateful:

Wherever you are in life, wherever you are right at this moment you have much to be thankful.

You likely hear the words “Thank you” as much as you say and hear the words “I'm sorry” in a day, but it's important to listen to it and say it with meaning. To truly be grateful is to appreciate where you are and where you've been, so that you can know where you will be going and as well as how to get there.

With the Law of Attraction being on everyone's mind, it seems the world still finds it challenging to think in the positive and be appreciative of where they are and what they have. If you struggle with this, or if you don't really, this book is for you.

Not every chapter may be relevant to you at the time you read it, I encourage you to read it. You may read the chapters in any order you choose; I do encourage you to read them all for greatest effect.

Why? Let's say, for instance, you don't currently have your drivers license, so at first you think it silly to be thankful for that. Take a moment and wonder if you would ever like to have your license. To have that independence and freedom to grab the keys and go when you're ready and not when you can afford a cab or at the whim of another driver. Reading this chapter now will send your intention to your future so it understands how wonderful you will feel when you have your license.

Life is about feeling- something science nor religion can ever truly explain. When you experience gratitude, even in just a small dose, your vibrations are on alert and you smile a little. Standing a little bit taller, you suddenly feel proud and good, no matter who you are, and in doing so reflect this genuine feeling back to others around you.

What would happen if everyone appreciated everything for their experience and what it had to teach them? Quite literally, the world is already filled with energy, so this would work to amplify that magnificence to eventually heal the world.

We all think we want more time in our day. Envy the younger generation for their ability to wake up playing and continue to play all day, if we'd let them. Many of us say we'd be able to play if only we didn't have to drain ourselves to pay the bills

This attitude stops now.

Author Bio:              


Sarah Butland was born in Ontario, the year was 1982. She was moved to New Brunswick for over 15 years and now resides at home in Nova Scotia, Canada. Butland has been married to her high school sweetheart and has a superstar son named William, and a cat named Russ who all make her house a home.
Butland started creating while still learning to walk and in years to follow was able to put a writing utensil to paper to document her creations before they were completely lost. Of course, her first manuscripts were in dire need of editing but she didn’t seem to mind nor did her readers.

The first “big break” for Butland came when she was still a teenager feeling like she was unlike every other teenager she knew. She heard from a poetry contest that her poem “Wrong Shell” would be published in their anthology; would she kindly send them thousands of dollars to continue on in the finals. Butland’s parents refused. So began the struggle of discovering which awards were actually earned not bought.
Limiting herself to contest submissions from then on, Sarah Butland realized her career of writing would be a difficult struggle no matter the talent she held inside or was forced out. Many stories, attempts at novels and thousands of ideas later, Butland created BananaBoy and the Adventures of Sammy was born with Sending You Sammyhttp://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=monezine-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0978123808, her first published children’s book. Then came Brain Tales – Volume Onehttp://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=monezine-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0981159206, a collection of short stories and finally Arm Farmhttp://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=monezine-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0981159214, her current literary pride and joy.

Butland’s next accomplishment planned to be winning the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award which would then be mentioned among her most joyous literary accomplishments. Unfortunately she didn’t win the 2011 award but is now working on new and greater things like Blood Day – The Novel (tentative title) to be released as soon as possible. Completing it through JANO – January Novel Writing Month is a challenge she accepted!

Social Links:
http://www.SarahButland.com

Buy Links:




Monday, September 29, 2014

G. B. Miller presents the brand new The Inner Siblings



"Hiya folks, my name is Jeannie Mitchell and I'm here with my symbiont twin Aissa, and today we're here to talk about our good friend G.B. Miller's reboot and relaunch of his debut novel, The Inner Sibling. Aissa, would you like to do the honors?

Certainly my dear. Our good friend G.B. originally wrote a very cool story about our fascinating life together back in 2012. However, as much as we enjoyed reading about our exploits, wants and desires, we felt something was just a little bit off with the visual part of the package. Ain't that right, my dear sister?"

"Absolutely my dear twin, absolutely! We approached G.B. and carefully told him of our concerns. While he truly appreciated our candor and in fact, started harboring those same concerns within a year of publication, he told us there wasn't anything he could do until the story came back to him. Now, we fast forward to 2014 and..."

"And, in the summer of that year, he reacquired the rights to our wonderful story. He told us in no uncertain terms that this was the answer to our prayers and he was going to take full advantage of that 2nd chance. So, with a little tweaking of the title, and a hotter cover picture that the both of us our ecstatic about, we can now present to you, the wonderful reboot of our story, The Inner Sibling!"

 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/478450

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Jeanne Bannon presents her new romantic thriller, Nowhere to Run





Nowhere to Run — Blurb

What’s a girl to do when she falls in love with the man whose mission it is to bring her down?

With the murder of her only sister, Sara, just a few months past, Lily Valier—a woman of beauty and substance—tops the sheriff’s list of suspects in small town Maine, and for a very good reason. Dear old Dad had willed his fortune to Sara and only Sara, leaving Lily to fend for herself. However, with no murder weapon or witnesses, the evidence against Lily is only circumstantial.

Enter P.I. Aiden O’Rourke, black-haired and blue-eyed, charged with gaining Lily’s trust and learning her secrets, all to finally get the goods on her. Things move fast and feelings run deep, yet when Lily discovers the truth about Aiden, everything begins to come apart.

Aiden’s torn. Despite his feelings for her, Lily is the most logical suspect, with a great big fat motive. Except something’s not quite right. Aiden trusts his instincts and they’re screaming at him to have a look at a former suspect with far more to hide than first appeared. With little left to lose, Lily decides to stand her ground, and staying put has its consequences when the murder weapon finally turns up—and it’s Lily’s gun.

What happens to love, when trust is betrayed?


Excerpt

The ghosts of those we love never leave us. They live on in our hearts but break them too, Lily thought as she flipped the sign on the door of the Higgstown Diner from “Open” to “Closed.” Then she sank wearily onto a stool at the counter, finally at the end of the workday. Now she could let loose the heaviness weighing her down. Hot tears stung her eyes and she let them. It was OK. There was no one around to witness her breakdown. She rested her head in her hands and heaved with sobs.

“Sara, please talk to me. Give me a sign you’re still around,” Lily said to the air. “I miss you so much.” More tears washed down her cheeks. It had been three months since her sister’s death, and there was still no escaping Sara’s ghost. Even the chipped Arborite counter where she now sat, with the wonky red upholstered stool that swiveled just a little too much to the right, brought back memories. Lily could see her older sister as plainly as if she were standing in front of her now, black hair piled high in a bun and that blue eye shadow she was so fond of. Lily smiled through her tears.

Sara had been a whiz at the grill, whipping up orders faster than Lily ever could. God, how long had the diner been a part of their lives? More than twenty-five years, she guessed. They were just kids when their mother, Nancy, bought the place—Lily, seven, and Sara, twelve.

A creak came from the back of the diner. Lily lifted her head to listen. Another small groan of the floorboards. Could Sara be giving her a sign?

“Sara?” Lily slid off the stool.

A tall, dark figure loomed in the doorway.

Lily froze, her heart near exploding. “What do you want?” she choked out in a thin voice.

He stepped nearer. “Open the register.” His voice was a deep whisper.

A balaclava hid his face; the seams of a dark gray coat strained over a thickly muscled physique. He aimed the gun in his right hand at her chest.

Her feet seemed rooted to the floor.

“I said, open the register.”

The man moved close enough for Lily to catch his scent—a mix of sweat and cheap aftershave. He shoved her forward, snapping her from her stupor, and followed as she made her way behind the counter to the cash register.

A glowing red light caught her attention. She hadn’t turned off the coffee maker! In one quick movement, Lily grabbed the pot’s plastic handle and launched the scorching brew at the woolen knit of the intruder’s balaclava. The gun landed with a thud between his booted feet as he clawed at the steaming mask plastered to his face.

Now was her chance. Lily shouldered past him to the front door. Her fingers, thick and clumsy with panic, fumbled as she tried in vain to turn the two deadbolt locks. She ordered herself to calm down. Take a breath. C’mon, you can do this, she told herself, but her heart jackhammered in her chest, and her ears pulsed with the rush of blood behind them.

Suddenly, a face appeared on the other side of the glass front door of the diner, sending Lily backward, nearly tripping over her own feet.

The stranger on the other side of the door took her in. A look of confusion flickered across his face. Then, as if coming back to himself, he yelled, “Hurry. Unlock the door!” The cold night air whipped his dark hair wildly around his face. His pale blue eyes locked on hers.

Panic had hijacked her brain. She didn’t know what to do. He could be an accomplice.


Bio
Jeanne Bannon has worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years, first as a freelance journalist, then as an in-house editor for LexisNexis Canada. She currently works as a freelance editor and writer and is represented by Karen Thomas of the Serendipity Literary Agency.

Jeanne’s debut novel, Invisible, is a young adult paranormal romance, published by Solstice Publishing and has recently been optioned for film. Invisible is an Amazon bestseller both domestically and internationally and continues to receive wonderful reviews.

On October 3rd, 2014, Nowhere to Run, Jeanne’s latest novel, is set to be released by Etopia Press. Nowhere to Run tells the story of Lily Valier, a woman of substance and beauty, and her dilemma when she falls in love with a man whose mission it is to bring her down.

Currently, Jeanne is finishing up work on her third novel, Dark Angel, a paranormal thriller. 

When not reading or writing, Jeanne enjoys spending time with her daughters, Nina and Sara and her husband, David. She’s also the proud mother of two fur babies, a cuddly and affectionate Boston Terrier named Lila and Spencer, a rambunctious tabby, who can be a very bad boy.

Links:


Twitter: @JeanneBannon





Thursday, September 25, 2014

Cindy Flores Martinez and her story, The Lonely Shopkeeper





The Lonely Shopkeeper



Synopsis

Judy Hughes is too busy for love. Running her own business in the small town where she grew up occupies all of her time. When she meets Graham, who is visiting from Scotland, it's love at first sight. He's Stuart and Annie Ferguson's son, the owners of Ferguson's Market. She resists her attraction to him since he isn't here to stay. What will happen when they fall in love?


Excerpt

She turned, and a rush of surprise and embarrassment raced through her. Graham from Ferguson's Market stood across from her dressed in a black coat and black lace-up boots. She had first seen him working at the market a week and a half ago. Every time she went there during her lunch breaks, she admired him from afar. Although she had longed to talk to him, they had only exchanged a few hellos. His emerald green eyes and wavy auburn hair looked even more attractive close up. "Good evening," she said, responding with a slight stammer.

"How are you? I'm Graham." He held out his hand.

His strong Scottish accent nearly melted Judy the way it did every time she heard him speak at the market. As she shook his hand, the feeling of his warm, soft skin and firm grip made her heart flutter. Even though she was thirty years old, she still felt flustered around men she was attracted to. "I'm Judy. Judy Hughes," she said.

"It's good to meet you, Judy Hughes. I mean, we've met before, but, well, you know what I mean." His sheepish smile lit up the night.

"Yes. I know exactly what you mean." Judy grinned and swept her hair behind her ear, feeling self-conscious by his stare.


Bio

My name is Cindy Flores Martinez. I was born and raised in a suburb of Los Angeles. I have an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Screenwriting. I have been a screenwriting instructor, screenplay consultant, script reader, and screenplay collaborator. My debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, which was inspired by my own Polish ancestry, started out as a screenplay and movie project. I spent years shopping it around Hollywood, New York, and other parts of the world and had two well-known actors, one of them Academy Award nominated, interested in portraying the lead character’s parents. After not finding the success I wanted, I officially canceled my film production company in November of 2009 and embarked on the journey of turning my screenplay into a novel.


Links




Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Elixir Bound Book Blitz Tour





ELIXIR BOUND
YA fantasy
by Katie L. Carroll



Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker as companions, she feels alone.

It is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.





Ebook on sale for $.99 until September 27:

Signed paperback giveaway on Goodreads until September 28: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15821579-elixir-bound



About the Author:
Katie L. Carroll began writing at a very sad time in her life after her 16-year-old sister, Kylene, unexpectedly passed away. Since then writing has taken her to many wonderful places, real and imagined. She wrote ELIXIR BOUND and the forthcoming ELIXIR SAVED so Kylene could live on in the pages of a book. Katie is also the author of the picture app THE BEDTIME KNIGHT and an editor for MuseItUp Publishing. She lives not too far from the beach in a small Connecticut city with her husband and son. For more about Katie, visit her website at www.katielcarroll.com and follow her on Twitter (@KatieLCarroll) or Tumblr.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Sizzling PR presents Fat Girl by Leigh Carron

Fat Girl by Leigh Carron Genre: 
Romance (Contemporary, Steamy, Adult Content)

lc-fg-cover-front-large  


 
About Fat Girl: Years after fleeing small-town Springvale, Illinois, Deanna Chase has picked up the pieces of her shattered heart and built a new life for herself as a child advocacy lawyer. Her food addiction is quasi under control, her secrets are buried, and she has even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body. Until…
Micah Peters—the very sexy and now famous man she fled— walks through her office door and sends Dee reeling. His demand that she help a young boy caught in a custody battle will reunite her with the past she left behind. 
Torn between duty and self-preservation, Dee isn’t easy to convince. But when obligation wins, the former lovers get more than they bargained for—a searing passion that burns hotter than ever and startling revelations about what really happened the fateful night she left.
Will the truth set Dee free to love again? Or will past hurts and lingering insecurities destine her to walk away from her heart again, this time for good?
Fat Girl is the first book in this provocative two-part series about love and self-acceptance.


Excerpt  
My friend, Jordyn had said there are two kinds of men: the gentle surf and the tidal wave. I knew exactly what she meant. The gentle surf is safe and steady. It lazily rocks boats on breezy days and placidly laps against the shore on cool nights. It’s relaxing, comforting, and lulls you to sleep.
There’s nothing steady or relaxing about a tidal wave. There is no easy float, no predictable crest. It’s wild and exhilarating. It rips through your resistance, crashes up against your heart, and leaves you breathless.
Yet it can also crush you under its power, and you won’t even see the destruction coming until you’re drowning in it.
Micah Peters was my tidal wave.




Fat Girl is the first book in this provocative two-part series about love and self-acceptance.

Now available at Amazon.com/Kobo/Smashwords

Praise for Fat Girl
An addictive, steamy read.” —Wynne Channing, best-selling author
This is one of those books that sucks you in and keeps your interest until the very end.” —Jodie's W.I.N.E. List
This was a refreshing, real story that had me captivated from the first page. Dee and Mick were wonderful characters full of real flaws, real strengths and real passion.” — Beth S
A brilliantly written, steamy, sexy, thought-provokingly wonderful novel.” — Olivia P
A MUST READ!!!” — Christine K


About Me: An American living in Canada. Chocolate snob. Recovering yo-yo dieter. Devoted mom and wife, blessed with a brilliantly witty daughter and unintentionally humorous husband. My wacky family feed my creativity and fuel my passion. Most nights, you will find me either curled up with a great book or, more often, sitting at my computer, tapping out the countless visions in my head.
To me, there is nothing better in a narrative than perfectly flawed but strong characters and intense romance that is sexy, deep, and sensual. Mm…I liken such stories to a box of Godiva. Decadent and delicious! You can’t stop at just one. In fact, I’m now hard at work on my next novel—A Naked Beauty, the conclusion to Fat Girl.

Stay Connected at:
Twitter:@LeighCarron


Giveaway: An ecopy of Fat Girl at each stop, and four tour prizes: 1) A signed paperback copy of Fat Girl , bookmark, and $20 Visa gift card, 2) a $15 Amazon gift card, 3) $10 Body Shop gift card, and 4) $10 Starbucks gift card.



 a Rafflecopter giveaway


  Presentation1

Why I Used the “F Word” in my Book Title - FAT!
It has the power to hurt. To influence. To shame. We associate the word with being unhealthy…unattractive…unlovable…unwanted. Undesirable. I remember the first time I was called fat. I also remember the feeling. Mortified. I was only nine, walking home from school in my blue shorts and striped t-shirt, fighting the tears, refusing to let the group of boys see how impacted I was by their name calling. Sticks and stones is nice in theory, but it doesn’t really work. Words can and do hurt.

Over the years, the term fat stuck to me like a leech, sucking out my self-esteem. It wasn’t just the boys; it was the way I came to see myself. It’s the way many women who don’t fit the “ideal” see themselves, too.

Fat Girl was born as a catharsis of sorts. Finally getting to a better place where on a good day I like who I am, I needed to tell Dee’s story. And I needed to keep it real. Dee is successful in her professional life, but her personal life is weighed down (pun intended) by that fat girl who lives inside her. It’s the relentless voice that says she’s not good enough, not skinny enough, not perfect enough.

So while Fat Girl is a sexy romance about former lovers, it’s also about Dee’s journey toward self-acceptance. There is no one size that makes us beautiful, lovable or desirable. We are all deserving. All worthwhile.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Angela Quarles and her book, Must Love Breeches!

MUST LOVE BREECHES



Blurb
She's finally met the man of her dreams. There's only one problem: he lives in a different century.

"A fresh, charming new voice" – New York Times bestselling author Tessa Dare

HOW FAR WOULD YOU TRAVEL FOR LOVE?

A mysterious artifact zaps Isabelle Rochon to pre-Victorian England, but before she understands the card case’s significance a thief steals it. Now she must find the artifact, navigate the pitfalls of a stiffly polite London, keep her time-traveling origins a secret, and resist her growing attraction to Lord Montagu, the Vicious Viscount so hot, he curls her toes.

To Lord Montagu nothing makes more sense than keeping his distance from the strange but lovely Colonial. However, when his scheme for revenge reaches a stalemate, he convinces Isabelle to masquerade as his fiancée. What he did not bargain on is being drawn to her intellectually as well as physically.

Lord Montagu’s now constant presence overthrows her equilibrium and her common sense. Isabelle thought all she wanted was to return home, but as passion flares between them, she must decide when her true home—as well as her heart—lies.



Excerpt

A reenactment ball was the perfect setting for romance. Or not.
Isabelle Rochon fidgeted in her oddly-shaped-but-oh-so-accurate ball gown, surrounded by women who’d sacrificed historical authenticity for sex appeal. Red carpet ball gowns in the nineteenth century, really? Once again she was like the dorky kid participating in dress-up day at school when everyone else had magically decided it was lame.
“Gah. I feel like a green robot with strange battle armor.” Isabelle pointed to her dark green dress, the shoulders flaring out almost to a point, exaggerating their width. “What were the fashionistas in 1834 thinking?”
“I have no bloody idea.” Jocelyn squeezed the poof of fabric at her shoulder. “These huge-ass sleeves are ridiculous.”
“Ah, screw it, we’re having fun, right? I’m not going to self-sabotage the ball. Not after all the time I spent obsessing over my costume.”
“And obsessing over the etiquette rules.”
“That too.” Besides, how fun was it to learn Jocelyn shared her obsession with guys in period clothes and bodice-ripper romances?
Isabelle eyed a guy strolling past in tight-fitting, buff-colored pantaloons. She pitched her voice to be heard over the string quartet. “Hmm. How about the clothes on that daring derriere?”
Jocelyn sucked on her olive and plopped the empty stir stick into her martini. “Oh, yes. Definitely a breech-ripper.”
Isabelle choked on her Bellini, the champagne fizz tickling her throat and nose. This was the first opportunity they’d had to socialize outside work, so she treated this moment delicately, afraid to puncture the mood. No need to point out he sported pantaloons, not breeches.
She should ease up on the drink, though. She didn’t want to get plastered at the Thirty-fourth Annual Prancing Through History Reenactment Ball. Especially since her new colleagues would be around. And her boss. She needed to impress him.
“Look lively,” Jocelyn said, her voice low, with a dollop of teasing. “Here comes the office hottie.”
She’d been cultivating a mild crush on Andrew since starting her new job at the British Museum six months ago. The whole situation was perfect. A guy in the same field would respect her interests, wouldn’t expect her to give up her profession for a relationship. He was safe. If it worked out, great, if not, no biggie. She was happy, finally, with how her life was working out.
She’d pictured him in period clothing before, looking resplendent.
He did.
“Hi, Andrew.” Her voice came out a little too high. Jeez, could she sound any more like a lovesick fool? She always did this around gorgeous men—went ga-ga as if she couldn’t rub two brain cells together. She gazed around the Duke of Chelmsford’s newly renovated ballroom and pretended as if her breath hadn’t quickened and her body hadn’t heated at the sight of Andrew.
“Hello, Isabelle. Jocelyn.” Andrew nodded. His smile felt like a gift for her alone.
Her pulse throbbed. He’d sought her out. Play it cool. Say something witty. “So, uh, having fun yet?” Having fun yet?
Something, or someone, in the crowd hogged his attention. She followed his gaze until she found it. Or rather him. Their boss at the bar.
Andrew faced her and the remnants of calculation on his hot-as-heck features disappeared behind his over-bright grin.
He leaned closer.
The artificial tang of his cologne drifted her way. She wrinkled her nose.
“Well done on the Whittaker exhibit. Finding that journal was a bit of a coup. It’ll be a fine addition to the exhibit, once it’s built.”
He’d noticed. She’d worked damn hard. “Thank you.” Why couldn’t Brits find her Southern accent as sexy as she found theirs?
“Glad you came across the pond to work with us. That find should put you in the running for the promotion.”
Good. The promotion would mean she could stay in London. Well, it would make staying easier. No matter what, she was determined to remain.
“Of course, you’ll have to beat me out.”
Cold clarity hit her stomach like accidentally gulping a glass of iced gin instead of iced water, jolting her from her usual foray into Incoherent Land around attractive guys. “You’re applying too?” Of course he was.
“Without a doubt. Career changer and all. I’m a shoo-in. Sure you still want to apply?”
Could she scrub the smug look off his face? She settled for the less satisfactory, but more controlled, “Yes.”
Now catching her boss’s attention was more important than ever. Besides wanting to escape into another era, she’d also hoped her costume would impress him. She glanced at the wet bar. Drat. Where had her boss gone?
Andrew slipped his hand around her elbow, pulling her closer. “How about we ditch this party and grab a pint? You and me.” He ignored Jocelyn, who stared back and forth between them.
It all made sense—his sudden interest after dismissing her for months, the calculation she’d caught when he’d turned back—he thought he’d intimidate and charm her into giving up the position.
She yanked her arm free, saying, “Fat chance, you smarmy horndog,” which cut through the room because, of course, the music had just ended.
Jocelyn snorted her drink, eyes watering, and coughed, fighting to catch her breath. For a moment, her coughing was the only sound punctuating the silence.
The curious eyes of the onlookers made Isabelle feel as if a huge moat had sprung up around her. The moat of Beware, All Ye Who Enter—Idiot in the Center. If one of those eyes were her boss…
Andrew trotted out his grin, the one that used to make her insides hum. “Thought we had a connection. No?” He backed away, hands up, eyes locked with hers in a you’re-such-a-fool stare, his heels snapping on the marble floor with each backward step. “Cheers, then, babe. May the best man win.” He nodded and sauntered off.
Jocelyn, bless her, completely ignored the Moat of Embarrassment and stepped to Isabelle’s side. “How had we never noticed what an ass he was?”
“Probably because we were too busy drooling?”
“There is that.”
“Seriously, I should just go pound my head against the nearest vertical object and repeat one hundred times, ‘When will I learn?’”
“Just be careful not to poke out your eye with those lethal shoulder sleeves.”
“Ha.” But Jocelyn’s dry humor softened Isabelle’s mood. “Can’t believe he expects me to just roll over. I have to get the promotion, I need the security. No way am I going to sacrifice my dream to be with a guy, I don’t care how hot he is.”
Never again would she let a jerk encased in good-looking skin influence her life. Been there. Done that. Have the gold-stitched Fool’s cap.


 Book Info


Must Love Breeches
Time Travel Romance
Release Date: Sep 3 2014
Length: Novel (98,000 words)
Ebook Price: $4.99 (Pre-order price $3.99)
ISBN: 978-0-9905400-0-7
Content advisory: Adult language, explicit sex

Book Links

Amazon (universal): http://bit.ly/MustLoveBreeches
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/MLBGR
Must Love Breeches board on Pinterest:
http://bit.ly/1qCPKcy
Official Book Page: http://bit.ly/MLBBook



Bio 

Angela is a geek girl romance writer. What makes her romances geeky? Whether it's fan girling over Ada Lovelace by having her as a secondary character in Must Love Breeches, or outright geek references with geek types in her romantic comedy with paranormal elements, Beer and Groping in Las Vegas, or going all Southern steampunk in Steam Me Up, Rawley, she likes to have fun with her romances and hopes her readers do too.

Angela works at an independent bookstore and lives in an historic house in the beautiful and quirky town of Mobile, AL. When she's not writing, she enjoys the usual stuff like gardening, reading, hanging out, eating, drinking, chasing squirrels out of the walls and creating the occasional knitted scarf. She's had a varied career, including website programming and directing a small local history museum, and has discovered that writing allows her to explore all her interests.

She has a B.A. in Anthropology and International Studies with a minor in German from Emory University, and a Masters in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. She was an exchange student to Finland in high school and studied abroad in Vienna one summer in college.


Author Links

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