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A Little Posse Tease

Since we’re kicking off the Summer of Beach Lovin’, I thought we’d have a little Posse tease today. If you haven’t read this sizzling beach romance, grab it now, before the next book in the Crystal Cove series comes out in late June!

The Posse

The apartment over the restaurant was tiny. When she and Daniel had moved in after their wedding, it had been romantic and fun, finding used furniture, using mismatched dishes and pots and pans handed down from their families. Close quarters hadn’t been a problem. And even after Meggie was born, she had taken up so little space, and it had been handy to leave her sleeping upstairs while Jude worked in the restaurant, baby monitor hooked to her belt.

Since they’d moved, the apartment was more of a flophouse, Jude thought as she stripped off her shorts and T-shirt in the miniscule bathroom. It was a handy place to crash when the posse hung at the Tide and maybe had had a little too much to drink. The kids used it sporadically during their summers at home.

She’d considered selling the house and moving back here, right after Daniel died. The kids and her brother had talked her out of it, arguing that if she did that, she’d never get a break from work. They probably had a point.

Jude gave into the temptation of a quick shower, knowing her sister-in-law and friends were more than capable of running the show on their own for a few extra minutes. And it felt heavenly to let the water sluice over her, feel the grease and stress of the day slide down the drain.

Dressed again in a fresh shorts and a thin cotton tank top, she sprinted down the steps and ran smack into Logan.

She’d seen him that morning, of course, as she had opened up, but tonight he too was freshly showered, dressed in jeans and a white polo shirt that brought out a deep tan. His light brown hair was damp as it fell across his forehead.

He grabbed her arm to steady her. “Whoa, there. Where’s the fire?”

Jude felt that same disturbing skitter in her heartbeat that had been showing up whenever she saw him lately.

Logan, she reminded herself. This is just Logan, one of my best friends.

“The fire better be in my kitchen, under some burgers.” To prove to herself that she could, Jude tiptoed and kissed Logan’s cheek. “Glad you’re here. Ready to see my plan spring into action?”

Logan released her arm, frowning. Jude wondered if she’d upset him with the kiss.

“Seeing as neither of the necessary parties are here yet, I think I have a little while before show time.”

Now it was Jude’s brow that furrowed. “Matt’s not here yet? Or Sandra? Are you sure? I told them both five.” She scanned the room.  “It’s twenty after.”

Logan shrugged. “I heard there was traffic on the bridge. Maybe that hung up your friend.” His eyes lingered on Jude’s damp hair, wandered down her neck, making her acutely aware of the small rise of her breasts visible at the top of the tank.

She shook her head to clear it. “Did you get a drink yet? Sam’s supposed to be making one for me.” She didn’t wait for an answer but turned to head for the bar.

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Crystal Cove Cover Teasers!

This is going to be a summer of lovin’ . . . beach lovin’! And really, is there anything better?

I’m excited beyond the telling that the next two Crystal Cove books are coming out. Their release dates are June 29th and August 23rd.

AND The Posse, the book that started it all and made us everyone want to live in the Cove (or at least keep a summer house there!) will be included in a special beach-themed box set coming out June 28th. You heard it here first, folks. More info coming very soon, but here are some of the preorder links!

iBooks/Nook/Kobo

Last week, I revealed the gorgeous new cover for The Posse on my Facebook page. I’m including it here today . . . along with the brand-new, not-yet-seen-outside-the-Temptresses cover for The Plan. I adore these covers so freaking much–aren’t they amazing? (MUCHO love to Stephanie Nelson of Once Upon A Time covers!!)

So here’s The Posse‘s dreamy new look . . .

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And this is the cover for The Plan, releasing June 29th!

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Emmy Carter is a hard-working, no-nonsense woman. She’s focused only on supporting her family and growing her pie business. Working weekend nights at The RipTide is just something she does to help pay the bills. When it comes to men–or love–she’s not interested. Since the day her surfer-boy husband walked out the door to find bigger waves, Emmy’s been determined never to give another man power over her heart.

Cooper Davis agrees. He’s been married–and divorced–twice, and he’s got no desire to make it a trifecta. He has his carpentry business, which is his passion, and his teen-aged daughter to keep him busy. The posse, his best friends since boyhood, tease him about finding the right woman. But Cooper knows she doesn’t exist.

When Emmy and Cooper share a casual hook-up late one night, isn’t a big deal. It’s just a one-time thing. Until it isn’t. And although neither of them will admit to themselves or each other that they want more, each encounter only brings them closer to the happily-ever-after they never planned to have.

Like it or not. . .it’s all part of The Plan.

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The One Trilogy Tease

THE LTKTO3FINALAST ONE

“Hi.” Her voice was low, and one side of her mouth lifted in a smile.

“I see you girls got home. Finally.” I didn’t mean to say them, but the words came blasting out before I thought about it. Because she was Meghan, and she never did what I expect-

ed, she only lifted one eyebrow.
“I brought your sister home as promised, safe and sound.

I had one beer, hours ago, and my car didn’t break down.” She slid her foot between both of mine, her eyes still steady. “This is where you say, ‘Thank you, Meghan.’”

I let out a breath. “Yeah. Thanks. How drunk is she? Did she get groped?”

“Not by me.” Her smile grew, and she pivoted sideways and dropped onto my lap. Out of instinct, I caught her by the hips.

“What are you doing?”

“You brought up groping. It seemed like a good idea.” She leaned onto my chest and twined her arms around my neck. “You kissed me this morning. I know you said it was a mistake, and maybe you meant that. But right now, I don’t care. I want to kiss you.” She brought her lips to my jaw, nipping along the line until she reached my ear. “What do you think, Sam?”

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THE FIRST ONE

“How did I ever get lucky enough to deserve you?” Ali laid her head on the back of the seat. “What do you see in me? I’m not special.”

“You’re the most special. Ali, you’re beautiful, and not just on the outside. You’re nice to people, you’re funny, and . . .” I TKTO8finalshrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t describe it. I just know it.”

“I love you, Flynn.” She said it as though she couldn’t help it, as though the words surprised her as much as they did me. “I—I know that sounds weird, or maybe you’re not ready—”

“I love you, Ali.” I spoke before she could backtrack any- more. “I’ve loved you for a long time. It’s not weird. It just is.”

“When did you know?”

I hesitated. I wasn’t sure she’d want to hear this, to know the truth. But I’d promised to be honest and open with her always. “It was after your parents. After the accident.”

There was a brief flare of pain on her face, but she didn’t look away, so I went on. “You were hurting so much, and you were so sad. Crushed. I knew then that I never wanted to leave you. I wanted to do anything to make sure you never had to feel that way again, for the rest of your life. I never want to be away from you.” I sucked in a breath and for the first time, I spoke the words that would both define us and doom us. “I want you to come with me, Ali, when I leave Burton. This town, it’s just . . . too small. I’m getting out of here as soon as we graduate. I’m going to see the world. I’m going to travel as far as I can, for as long as I can. And I want you to come with me.”

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TKTO5FINAL

THE ONLY ONE

I opened the kitchen door, sniffing in appreciation. Meat- loaf. But although dinner was clearly underway, Rilla and Piper were nowhere to be seen. I was about to call their names when I heard music coming from down the hall.

Following the sound, I headed for my mother’s room, where the unmistakable lyrics and tune of Come on, Eileen were blasting. I glanced into the room and then did a double take.

Rilla was dancing. She had the music turned up loud, and she was swinging her hips in time with it. Those jeans that had been making me hot and bothered for quite a while clung to her ass as she shook it. And she was singing along.

I was a musician, and even more, I had the gift of recognizing musical talent. It had been my job in Nashville, and I was damned good at it. I’d heard the magic in Lu’s voice the first time we met. It had been a big part of falling in love with her.

Rilla didn’t have talent. She didn’t sing badly, but she was barely on key. She wasn’t going to win any talent contests, and she’d never be signing a recording contract. But all the same, the sound of her belting out those words, some of which she got horribly wrong, was one of the most beautiful sounds I’d ever heard.

She was singing with such joy and abandon. And she was dancing with the same freedom. My pretty girl had never looked more beautiful to me.

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It’s All Part of The Plan

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The Posse is a book and a story very special to me. It was my first adult book after The King Series, when I wasn’t sure I could actually handle writing for the adult market. I love Jude and Logan and the whole posse, and I love Crystal Cove.

Of course, you know The Posse was supposed to be a stand-alone, but then the rest of the posse didn’t find love in that book . . . at least Cooper didn’t. And then there was poor Emmy Carter, Jude’s weekend night manager, who was all by herself. And Abby, who came into town to run the bed and breakfast . . .

Clearly, there are more stories in the Cove.

So even though it’s not coming out for TWO more months–two!–today’s Teaser Tuesday is from The Plan. I want you to get ready to fall in love with Crystal Cove all over again.

***

I carried the fries to Cooper and hunted on the shelf under the bar for a bottle of barbecue sauce that I set down next to the plate. He cocked his head.

“You knew about the scotch. And now the barbecue sauce. How did you know that’s what I eat with my fries?”

I hoped my face wasn’t turning red. “I’m gifted at remembering customers’ preference. It’s part of the bartender code. I can’t tell you anything else, or again, I’d have to kill you.”

Cooper laughed. “Like with the pie crust recipe? You, Emmy Carter, are a woman of many secrets.”

Now I was certain I was blushing. “Yep, that’s me. Woman of mystery.”

He picked up one fry and dragged it through a puddle of barbecue sauce. “Tell me, woman of mystery, where are your kids tonight?”

My heart thudded against my ribcage, but I kept my voice cool. “They spend the weekends with my mom and dad. I dropped them off after school today, and I’ll pick them up Sunday morning when I wake up.”

Cooper nodded. “It’s great that you have your folks to help.”

“Yeah.” I couldn’t agree more. “I never would’ve made it this far without them. Well, and Jude and Daniel.”

“Bullshit, Em.” Cooper’s words were heated, but his tone was mild. “You pull your own weight. I’ve seen it. Yeah, you’ve had some people give you a hand, but you’d have made it even without that. You’re strong.”

I blinked back an unexpected rise of moisture in my eyes. I never cried. It was a weakness I couldn’t afford. “Maybe. But I’m glad I never had to test that theory yet.” I wiped the bar down, careful to keep my focus on the rag. “Why’d you want to know about the kids? Were you going to call child protective services on me if I’d left them at home to fend for themselves?”

“No.” Cooper spoke low, and I stopped moving so that I could hear him. “I wanted to know if your house was empty. And if maybe . . . you’d like some company after you finish here.”

THE PLAN

Coming June 29th

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The Only One Trailer

 

 

This teaser #Tuesday is brought to you by the extraordinarily beautiful trailer for The Only One, made by Olivia Hardin. I am totally and completely in love with these piece. . .the music, the images, the words. . .it’s all perfect.

If you haven’t read The One Trilogy yet, you’re missing out on some smokin’ hot couples, some sweet love and some funny characters, all living in the small town of Burton, Georgia. And you don’t want to miss all that.