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The First One Tease

Tuesday is Tease Day! Today we’re going to check out a little of The First OneBook 2 in The One Trilogy.

The One Trilogy is very near and dear to my heart. These characters have wormed their way into my heart, so that I think we may be visiting the small Georgia town of Burton more in the future.

In The Last One, we met Sam’s little sister Ali, who’s worked side-by-side with him to keep their family farm afloat. She and Meghan become friends, and Ali confides that the father of her little girl Bridget is not the guy she married suddenly seven years before; it was actually her high school boyfriend, Flynn Evans, who left town never knowing he was going to be a father. He broke Ali’s heart, and although Sam has no idea that Flynn is Bridget’s father, Ali confides in her brother that she never got over her very first boyfriend.

When Flynn returns to Burton in The First One, he’s in for quite a few surprises. It’s not smooth sailing by any means; both Ali and Flynn have years of hurt to overcome. But one day Flynn and Bridget surprise Ali with a picnic. . .

 

Flynn lay back on the blanket with groan. “I don’t think I can move again for at least a week. You’ll have to stand guard over me until I can get up.”

            I laughed. “You’re on your own, buddy. I happen to know the mosquitos’ve started coming out, and down here they bite like a son-of-a-bitch.”

  iphone6greyleft_579x1711          He feigned shock. “Why, Miss Reynolds, such language. And in front of your child.” He shook his head, tsk-tsking the whole time.

            “She can’t hear anything from down at the water, and she’s not paying any attention to us at all. She’s playing water sprite.”

            “Well, in that case. . .” Flynn reached for my hand and threaded his fingers through mine. “I’ve been waiting all evening to hold your hand.”

            I couldn’t help my smile. “Oh, really? Well, you’ve shown great restraint, then.”

            “I’d say so.” He tugged a little, throwing me off balance so that I landed on his chest, my boobs pressed against him and my hand pinned between us. “Now, this is even better.”

            “What’re you doing, Flynn?” I swallowed, wondering if he could feel my heart pounding against him.

            “I’m holding you. I’m enjoying feeling you against me. You might even say I’m canoodling with you. Isn’t that what people do on picnics, after they eat? They canoodle?”

            I shifted, bringing my head back just far enough that I could see him better. “I don’t know. Is that what’s traditional?”

            He rubbed his hand in slow circles, up and down my back. “I remember being on a picnic with you, at another spot on this very river. Just the two of us. And after we ate, I undressed you. And kissed you. And touched you here.” He slid his hand to cover one of my breasts. “And touched you here.” The same hand shimmied lower, to cup me between my legs. “And I made you come for the first time. Do you remember that?”

            My breath was coming in shallow gasps. “Of course I do.”

            Flynn lifted his head to whisper in my ear. “If we were alone right now, I’d do it again. I’d make you come, over and over, until all you could remember was my name and all you could feel were my fingers and my lips.”

            “Mommy? What’re you doing?”

            I jerked away from Flynn, trying to sit up, but he had a grip on my arm. “Mommy’s fine, honeybunch. She’s just canoodling with me.” He grinned, and I was pretty sure my whole body was about to burst into flames.

            “What’s canoodling?” Bridget crossed her arms over her chest, one eyebrow raised in skepticism.

            “It’s what two people—two grown-up people—do when they like each other very much. And I like your mother very much.”

            My daughter shifted her stare to me. “Do you like Daddy very much, too?”

            I licked my lips, and Flynn rubbed his hand on my hip. Like I needed another distraction. “I—yes, Bridget. I like your daddy very much.”

            She nodded. “Okay, I guess that’s all right. Is it time for cookies yet?”

            Flynn pushed himself to sit up, holding onto my hand all the while. “I think we can make that happen.” As he reached for the basket, he lowered his voice so that only I could hear him. “Funny, I was just wishing for the taste of something. . .sweet.”

            I swatted his arm. “Flynn Evans, you’re incorrigible.”

            Laughing, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “Oh, I try, sweetheart. I do try.”

 

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The Only One releases on April 7th, but you can preorder it here! Don’t wait. . .

Amazon/iBooks/BN

Mason Wallace left his hometown to live his dream: he had the perfect career, a gorgeous wife and a beautiful baby girl. He was on top of the world, until it all shattered with the sudden death of his wife. Now he’s back in Georgia, running his bar and trying to take care of his family. And he needs all the help he can get.

Rilla Grant’s never been farther than twenty miles from her family’s farm. Her overprotective father wants her to marry their church’s youth pastor and settle down into the life he’s chosen for her, but she’s not sure that’s what she wants anymore. Rilla’s chafing to make her own choices, and that includes starting her own PR business and maybe even moving off the farm, no matter how much her dad hates it.

When Mason asks Rilla to work on some promotion for his bar, she’s both excited and terrified. Excited, because it’s just the opportunity she’s wanted, and terrified because Mason, with his electric blue eyes and drool-worthy body, is the kind of guy who makes her knees weak and her heart pound. He’s the only one who’s ever tempted Rilla to defy her family, and when she does just that by moving in to help take care of his daughter, they’re both forced to make a decision that’ll change their lives forever.

Sometimes love isn’t the easy choice. Sometimes it’s the only one.

Sometimes Music is Best Served Cold

< voice of Sophia from the Golden Girls> Picture it: Florida, 2013. I’m on my way home from a quick trip north to NJ with my husband, and we’re cruising down 95 with the radio playing on the country station when a song comes on and he reaches over to turn it up.

“Have you heard this? It’s good.”

REVENGEThe unmistakable crackle of Miranda Lambert came over the speakers, and as I listened to the words, I began to smile. This song had sass. It had spunk. It had. . .sizzle. I kind of fell in love with it right there.

I added Mama’s Broken Heart to my playlist and listened to it regularly that summer. I’d just finished up The King Series that spring and written and released The Posse in July. I wanted to do something with this new genre called New Adult, because it was something I enjoyed. I wasn’t sure what yet. . .and then a line from Miranda’s song got stuck in my head.

Can’t get revenge and keep a spotless reputation
Sometimes revenge is a choice you gotta make.

Aha. There was a story there.

Julia emerged more slowly than many of my other characters. She was cautious, giving me bits and pieces of who she was and what happened between her and the infamous Liam. Some of her experience was actually based on my own high school life, with a little more drama added.

But whenever I’d get stuck and a little frustrated with her reticence, I’d just go for a drive and turn on the music. Helped me every time.

It was important to me that all of the Best Served Cold music was sung by women. This was a story of empowerment and strength and growth. I wanted that reflected in the songs.

So, without further ado. . .go check out the Best Served Cold playlist here. See what you think. And share your favorite revenge song.

Next week. . .a very special Ava and Liam playlist from Just Desserts.

 

If you haven’t read Best Served Cold, grab it NOW–it’s free for a very limited time (going back to regular price next week!). Best Served Cold - Tawdra Kandle

 

Julia worked for weeks planning the perfect surprise birthday party for her boyfriend, Liam, but that night, she was the one who got the biggest shock. He broke up with her in front of all their friends, humiliating her in the process.

Clearly revenge was in order.

The plan is simple. Make him jealous, win him back, and then crush his heart. Fair is fair. However, there is one little hiccup, and he has curly brown hair and dimples.

Jesse is everything she wants. With him, she could almost forget her bruised heart. Almost. Julia has one choice: let Liam walk away after everything he did, or lose a chance at love in pursuit of payback.

Five From Ava Branson

Welcome to Five From Friends Friday!

Each week, I’ll share with you five quick and quirky questions and answers

from some of my favorite author friends.

I think you’ll see some familiar faces in here, too.

 

Quickies from Ava Branson

Welcome to Ava Branson, author of the Blue Water Seduction books as well as three other erotic romances. I met Ava during a recent group promotion we did together, and I’m enjoying her book Rough Seas right now! Let’s see what she has to share with us today. . .

 

Q: You’re driving along, turn on the radio and it’s a country song. Do you turn it off or turn it up and sing along? 

A: If it were a rockin’, upbeat song, I’d sure as heck turn it up! As for singing along? I can’t think of anyone I dislike enough to do that to. It would be unkind, and I’m anything but unkind.

Q: You’re getting ready to leave for a full day of meetings and appointments. Suddenly, they’re all cancelled. What do you do with this free day?

A: Once upon a time, an unexpected free day would have meant a long, leisurely stop at Barnes and Noble followed by a mad dash home to curl up on the couch with my new treasures. Now (after deciding to write full-time) I’d shout the rafters down, do some odd, uncoordinated happy dance, change back into my yoga pants, and plop down at the keyboard, delighted to have bonus time with my characters.

Q: If you could bring one literary character to life to introduce to your best single friend. . .who would it be?

A: One literary character…hmm…just one???

Q: Disney World or Disneyland?

A: Disney World, good people! Native Floridian here

Q: What one food could you eat every day for the rest of your life?

A: What a tough question to ask an Italian, but if push came to shove – probably lobster. Honorable mentions would include pasta, good sausage and meatballs, pizza, nachos, smothered burritos, chocolate…and a collective shudder just ran through many a nutritionist.

 ***

avaHead shotAva Branson is a native Floridian, born and raised. She grew up in a boating family on the Atlantic coast and had sandbetween her toes from birth. A ten year span spent living in Colorado taught her a love and appreciation of the mountains, but the ocean called her back home and Florida is where she settled, raising two children and any number of cats.

 When she’s not writing (which is rare) she’s thinking of stories to write (which is always) and just hopes to be able to share a fraction of the countless romances she has dreamed up with readers.

Follow Ava here: Newsletter/Website/Email/Facebook /Twitter/Pinterest

 

Emmy Ryan. A young, beautiful doctoral candidate finds herself at crossroads, questioning the path of a life she’d once believedRough Seas large so certain and the impulsive decision that may change it forever.

Stavros Maragos. Head of his family’s vast corporate empire. Driven and intensely passionate about those he loves. But when he becomes the only family member left living, he erects an emotional wall to buffer the pain left behind.

One multi-million dollar mega-yacht in the Caribbean. One new crew member. A very rich owner. Two vastly different worlds collide with stunning force and raw need.

Can Emmy find her footing in Stavros’ world? And is Stavros’ need for Emmy powerful enough to destroy the emotional fortress he lives in?

The stakes are high in this scorching tale of lust and love. 

Rough Seas – Book One, Blue Water Seduction

Amazon/Nook

Life 101: You Gotta Live


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On my handy-dandy schedule of blog post topics for today is something serious and author/reader centric. It’s an important subject. . .and we’ll talk about it next week. Because today, I want to talk about the importance of life.

I love to write. Can you tell by how many books I publish? I hope so. Because it’s true; it’s my passion, and I’m grateful beyond the telling for the opportunity to do it. Matter of fact, sometimes I love it so much I forget to stop doing it.

That’s right, folks. I sit down here in my comfy computer chair (with or without cats) and sometimes I don’t get up for more hours than I care to tell you. And then I crawl into bed and get up the next morning and do it all over again.

I’m not complaining one bit. But I’ve been reminded of an essential truth recently: I cannot be the writer I want to be if I stop 11051623_10152888798094145_776859053_nliving. And life, as it turns out, mostly happens away from my computer and comfy chair.

I knew this a little. I’d have a twinge of reminder when I finished a book and looked around blinking at the world that had continued to spin without my knowledge or participation. When folding laundry and cleaning my closet were a treat I allowed myself after I’d met a certain writing goal, I knew things were bad.

Today in the midst of deadlines and craziness and interviews and emails and demands, I took a day and spent it with a dear friend who’s in town from Montreal for a short time. I only see Anne-Marie about once every two years. I treasure those times, and today, I ignored all the should-bes and did the wanna-dos. We stayed up late chatting last night. 11040073_10152888367409145_754633664_nGot up this morning and sat on the back porch, looking out over the lake. Went to the outlets and raided Vera Bradley. Drove to the beach, had a beer and burger, and then took a long walk along the water. Drove home, played cards as I made dinner, ate ice cream and then talked some more.

And I don’t regret it at all.

I may not have typed a single word today, but I promise, when I hit the keyboard later this week, what I write will be better. Richer. Stronger. Because a writer can’t write if she ignores life.

And that, darling reader, applies to all of us. Read, by all means. Enjoy your movie and your television. But then put down the book, turn off the TV and go spend some time talking to real people. Take a walk. Go to the grocery store and strike up a conversation. Grab coffee with a friend you haven’t seen in weeks. Talk to your family and really listen to what they say. Play a game. Laugh. Love.

Live.

I’m Reading Stupid Girl

So I’ve exhausted all the Kristan Higgins books until August (August! Do you know how long away that is?? Does she not care for my well-being??), Alice Clayton has nothing until the fall, and Nora’s next hardback isn’t out until April. What’s a girl to do? I was relegated to trolling the scrolls at the ‘Zon.

I came across a promising looking book called Stupid Girl by Cindy Miles. It was NA con rom, and those don’t usually let me down. I started it one morning, and the beginning pulled me in.

Now I have to admit, there’s nothing new here. It’s what I call formula NA: girl arrives at college hiding some horrible event from her past. There’s usually a death somewhere, whether it’s her high school boyfriend, her sibling, her parent, a random passer-by. . .whatever. We got the angst going, right? And then once at college, this girl, who usually is a virgin, or at least very inexperienced and often considers herself shy or plain or a geek, has a meet-cute with The Hottest Guy On Campus. Yes, he has a title that must be written in all caps. And this dude, who is a major player and sleeps with anything that moves, falls suddenly and deeply in love with our hometown sad girl.

Of course, she’s warned off him by her friends, by classmates, by his exes and by random passers-by (not dead ones. Usually.). But she doesn’t listen because she is In Love, and although she’s afraid of a) being hurt b) him finding out her angsty secret c) being made a fool of in front of entire school, she risks it all. But dang it if a, b and sometimes c don’t happen, and then we have more angst and will they end up together? Of course they will. This is con rom.

Don’t get me wrong. I happen to love me some good formula NA books. If done right, they grab you and stick in your mind for months. But they must include some crucial elements: strong, believable characters, a little humor so we don’t get too bogged down in the angsty-angst, and a story arc that makes us root for the Couple Least Likely To Succeed.

I’m happy to report that Stupid Girl covered most of those bases. I liked both Olivia and Brax. I liked that Olivia had a great passion–astronomy–which made her more than just a two-dimensional cutout girl. The story arc made sense, and there was enough of the funny to keep me from sobbing into my tea the whole book long.

On the negative side, some of the plot was a tad contrived, and there was a part near the end that felt too vague. I was hoping girlfriend would say, “Umm. . .what? Can you be a little more clear?” But she didn’t, and I was left having to trust that his explanation somehow made sense to her. Also, the side characters, which are so important in these books, felt a little flimsy. Olivia’s roommate was a tad stereotypical and there was not enough build-up to their relationship.

But overall, if you need a fast and fun NA, and you don’t mind a little pathos, try Stupid Girl. I may gamble on the next book in the series, too. Stay tuned.