trueromance

Alyssa Day, ATLANTIS REDEEMED, Setting: Atlantis and Yellowstone National Park
Subgenre: Paranormal Romance
Hero: Brennan, an Atlantean warrior who has lived without emotion for more than 2,000 years
Heroine: Tiernan Butler, a human investigative reporter who has the Gift of Truth Telling

One sentence summary:
When 2,000 years of lost emotion hit you all at once—do you fall in love or die?

Scene you like most and would never cut:
When Brennan first re-encounters Tiernan and the curse he has suffered under for so long shatters.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
Anything that makes her look, feel, or be helpless. She has a vested interest in bringing the truth to the public and achieving justice for her murdered best friend.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy:
Pure Atlantean silk, baby.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with:
The vampire leader, Devon. He has very interesting goals and the shocking twist at the end almost surprised even me! I’m going to write his book one day.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby:
Walking on the beach, far away from anybody who might be telling lies. Lies hurt her; they feel and sound discordant and screeching against her soul.

Your hero’s favorite hobby:
Can I say it involves Tiernan and nakedness? LOL. He also is having a great time learning to tell jokes now that he has emotion back and can recognize humor.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
The emotion. My editor said this is the most emotional novel I’ve ever written and I think she’s right. Something about Brennan’s almost childlike attempts to cope with 2,000 years’ of lost emotion swamping him all at once; then the way he and Tiernan fight for each other even when they are in so much pain—I admit I cried more than once writing this book.

Reviews: Wow! Everything from “spectacular” and “exemplary” to “a cocktail sauce of awesome.” I’m loving the reviews!

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
High priest Alaric. His path is so tortured, and everyone wants to know what happens with him and Quinn. There is a very emotional scene in Atlantis Redeemed between the two of them; Alaric is starting to crack around the edges a little bit.

What’s next:
Christophe’s book is next – and it’s a heist book! In ATLANTIS BETRAYED, out in September, he encounters a famous British cat burglar and boy, do the sparks fly! Then it’s the first of my new urban fantasy series, also for Berkley. I can’t wait!
For the first time ever, I’m stuck for a title for Denal’s upcoming book. If you can think of a wonderful title (must have Atlantis in it), I’ll put you in the acknowledgements for the book.

There must be prizes! One book to 3 random readers commenting on this blog! Please visit me online at http://www.alyssaday.com for excerpts, a free short story, video interviews, and more. Thank you so much!
Hugs,
Alyssa

REMINDER: Romcon is fastly descending upon us & we want you there — stop by Romconinc.com for details!

Happy Romance & congrats to our winners — note your name below & email SueG with your snail mail address, sgrimsha@bordersgroupinc.com:

Monday - Christy’s winners: Amanda; Lisa G; Maered

Tuesday - Danielle’s winners: Sarah 53121; Isabel; PatL

Wednesday - Kate’s winners: Cailla; Barbara Elness; Amber S; Anna Shah; Rebecca Ringler

Thursday - Sue’s winner: Angelique Richardson

Friday - Cara & Lauren’s winners: Deb; vickey r; Jane C; Kristin; Denise

***************

First week of March & have we got the line-up for you!

Sunday - Francis Ray!

Monday - Sophia Nash

Tuesday - Pamela Clare

Wednesday - Julie James

Thursday - Louisa Edwards - FREE short story!

Friday, Saturday & Sunday - Sheila Clover of Readers Entertainment/COS is covering Christine Feehan’s, Fan 2010 - on the spot, minute 2 minute updates — just like you’re there!

Hope to see you next week! Happy Romance!

46% off online TODAY, click here & save $12.88!

In this heartfelt and incisive new novel, Danielle Steel celebrates the virtues of unconventional beauty while exploring deeply resonant issues of weight, self-image, sisterhood, and family.

A chubby little girl with blond hair, blue eyes, and ordinary looks, Victoria Dawson has always felt out of place in her family, especially in body-conscious L.A. Her father, Jim, is tall and slender, and her mother, Christina, is a fine-boned, dark-haired beauty. Both are self-centered, outspoken, and disappointed by their daughter’s looks. When Victoria is six, she sees a photograph of Queen Victoria, and her father has always said she looks just like her. After the birth of Victoria’s perfect younger sister, Gracie, her father liked to refer to his firstborn as “our tester cake.” With Gracie, everyone agreed that Jim and Christina got it right.

While her parents and sister can eat anything and not gain an ounce, Victoria must watch everything she eats, as well as endure her father’s belittling comments about her body and see her academic achievements go unacknowledged. Ice cream and oversized helpings of all the wrong foods give her comfort, but only briefly. The one thing she knows is that she has to get away from home, and after college in Chicago, she moves to New York City.

Landing her dream job as a high school teacher, Victoria loves working with her students and wages war on her weight at the gym. Despite tension with her parents, Victoria remains close to her sister. And though they couldn’t be more different in looks, they love each other unconditionally. But regardless of her accomplishments, Victoria’s parents know just what to say to bring her down. She will always be her father’s “big girl,” and her mother’s constant disapproval is equally unkind.

When Grace announces her engagement to a man who is an exact replica of their narcissistic father, Victoria worries about her sister’s future happiness, and with no man of her own, she feels like a failure once again. As the wedding draws near, a chance encounter, an act of stunning betrayal, and a family confrontation lead to a turning point.

Behind Victoria is a lifetime of hurt and neglect she has tried to forget, and even ice cream can no longer dull the pain. Ahead is a challenge and a risk: to accept herself as she is, celebrate it, and claim the victories she has fought so hard for and deserves. Big girl or not, she is terrific and discovers that herself.

Although, Danielle was not able to comment today she is graciously offering 3 giveaways! Comment below & tell us what your favorite Danielle Steel book was & why.

Buy now at Borders! Read the first chapter, click here.

This is a continuation from a previous post the RJ’s did for us — there were so many good ideas we just had to break them down into 2 posts — read on . . . .

RJ Reviewer Chrissy has Print and eBooks on her “can’t wait to read” list…

1. INSIDE OUT by Lauren Dane – releases November 2010 – loved the first two books in the series and can’t wait to find out what happens next.

2. SWEET TEMPTATION by Maya Banks – releases April 2010 – loved the other books in the series.

3. THE HELLION AND THE HIGHLANDER by Lynsay Sands – releases February 23, 2010 and 4. TAMING THE HIGHLAND BRIDE by Lynsay Sands – releases January 26, 2010 – I’ve never read this author before but love Highland stories and these look like they’d be fun reads

And for ebooks (because you KNOW I can’t leave those out

SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER by Donna Alward (Samhain) – releases April 13, 2010

And

2 HOT TO HANDLE by Kelly Jamieson (Samhain) – releases February 2, 2010

When asked if whether she has noticed a trend in her wish-list-making this year, Chrissy commented…

The only trend I really notice in my reading is I’m reading a lot more fun, lighthearted reads. Mostly contemporaries but I throw in paranormals, historical, and whatever else interests me. LOL I’m a mood reader! Oh and let’s not forget…. An eye-catching cover will gravitate me towards a specific book too.

Are you an e-book reader? What are some of your fav’s?

RJ Reviewer Cindy has 4 authors and their 2010 books on her “must have” list!

1. Terri Brisbin- Storm of Pleasure Sept 10: I reviewed Storm of Passion and was mesmerized, I can’t wait for this one.

2. Deborah Cooke- Whisper Kiss Oct 10: Winter Kiss was so epic, I can’t wait for what comes next.

3. Erin McCarthy- Hot Finish Aug 10: This series is so hot, plus I love NASCAR. Plus Erin McCarthy is simply a joy to read.

4. Anything by Sarah McCarty and Beth Williamson.

Both write very hot, emotional and action packed historical romances. They’re both auto-buys and I’ve never been disappointed by either.

When asked if whether she has noticed a trend in her wish-list-making this year, Cindy commented…

Except for sci/fi futuristics, dragons or shifters, I find I am being let down more often by paranormal/fantasy romance.

RJ Reviewer Rosie Bindra is most looking forward to this year…

Larissa Ione’s Ecstasy Unveiled (Jan. 26, 2010) - I reviewed the first three books in this series and completely fell in love. I thought it brought something new and different to the paranormal genre and really stood out.

Patricia Brigg’s Silver Borne (March 30, 2010) - I reviewed the first book in the series and have been in love ever since. It’s one of the few series books that has managed to keep me completely engrossed to the point where I have to read the new book on the day it comes out. Mercy (the lead character) is just a kick-ass girl and I can’t get enough of her.

Kresley Cole’s Pleasure of a Dark Prince (Feb. 16, 2010) - I’ve never reviewed any books from this series but managed to snag a copy of the first book as a freebie and it was the best freebie ever. I love how Kresley combines all different creatures and myths and brings them into one series. I never get tired of her books because they all focus on different parts of the lore.

When asked if whether she has noticed a trend in her wish-list-making this year, Rosie commented…

Oh, as for the trend in my wish list, I’ve noticed I’m starting to lean towards the sci-fi romance books lately. Books like Patricia Brigg’s Mercy series or a new series I just discovered, Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series.

Leslie Larsen, RJ Reviewer, responded about the Romance she’s looking forward to this year…

I noticed that Blood Promise by Rashelle Mead was reviewed this past year. It is a young adult romance novel and is apart of the Vampire Academy Series. I absolutely love these books. The fifth and last installment into this series is Spirit Bound. I can’t wait to read it! This young adult series has romance, adventure, magic, mystery, everything that I love!

What about you? Can you keep your list of Romance books that you’re looking forward to most limited to a top 10 for 2010? Or are you a ‘Junkie’ too and have a list to match ours? Share your lists and why you’re hungering for more books by your favorite authors with us and we’ll build TBR Mountain Ranges together!

Or better yet… let us know if we’ve sparked your interest in a ‘new to you’ author for 2010! Nothing we like better than sharing the love!

Tell us if you see a trend in your reading choices for 2010, because some of ours are changing even though we still have our favorites.

This is our month, isn’t it? February is Romance & Borders recognizes that by offering our customers a special Buy 4 Get the 5th FREE promotion! So come on in & stock up on some of these best sellers:

Pleasure of a Dark Prince, by Kresley Cole - on sale 2/16

First Drop of Crimson, by Jeaniene Frost

Embrace the Night Eternal by Joss Ware

to name a few. Stop by our stores & check out the selection & let our booksellers help you find that Valentine you’re looking for.

In celebration of the Holiday today, tell us of something special that happened to you one Valentines Day. While you comment below, please note if you’d like to do a post for Borders True Romance Blog & we’ll get you set up on our calender.

One thing that happened to me on Valentines — my date, at the time, & I were going to a concert & the artist was a punk, heavy metal sort, so we thought of, kind of, dressing the part . . . my date brought me black roses, & seriously I thought that was so special because he actually put some thought into the evening & went to the trouble to have them painted black!

Actually, I was so impressed with that, & many other things, that I married him!

Happy Romance!
SueG

BookMatchmaker has a GIVEAWAY TOO!

As an avid reader, whenever I see a movie trailer and somewhere in the scope of it, it says; “based on the novel by,” I have one second of elation - because I truly do want to see the movie versions of my favorite book - followed by a groan, because I remember this is Hollywood. Do they ever get it right?
I understand Hollywood is squeezing a 400 page novel into a two hour movie. I can be very forgiving; knowing not every aspect of the movie can be shown within the 120 minute time span. But that is not what usually happens.
As many of you may recall from previous blogs, I’m a huge Julie Garwood fan. Years ago Hallmark Hall of Fame made one of her romance novels, For the Roses, into a television movie. I was so excited; it was the first time I can recall having one of my favorite books turned into a movie! They should have said, get used to disappointment! I won’t even go into how many ways they changed the book in the wrong way! There are reasons this cliché rings true – the book is always better than the movie…
It makes me wonder if Hollywood feels the need to change storyline in order to appeal to the masses. (Killing off characters will make it more meaningful! NOT.) But then, I think did they not do their research? Did they not know the most basic of statistics for romance readers? I have to believe they have. Otherwise why would they want to make it? I then begin to wonder if Hollywood understands the romance readers’ version of love.

Romance author, Roxanne St. Claire’s recent tweets about the DVD release of Hollywood’s version of a romantic comedy say it all:

“Daughter on renting Love Happens tonight: “I’ve seen Jennifer Aniston fall in love so many times, I just don’t believe it anymore.”
…Whole story was *off* for me. Shame.
Kind of like “what not to write” for me, so I’d skip it unless you want some torture.”

Lifetime seems to have gotten Nora Roberts movies right –Montana Sky, Angels Fall, Blue Smoke, Carolina Moon, Sanctuary, Northern Lights, Midnight Bayou, High Noon and Tribute – were all considered highly successful. I tuned in, enjoyed them, but the books were better. To paraphrase Nora Roberts, they don’t ruin her books, her books are still there to read. With so many of Nora’s titles being made into movies, does Lifetime get close because it’s for women, by women – which is more in line with the romance novel industry? Or is the message here that in supporting the Nora Roberts movies, we, as readers, are supporting Nora’s books?

I saw the Twilight movie before reading the book and already knowing I was missing the best parts (because this is Hollywood!), started the book the very next day. Yet still knowing the New Moon movie was going to fall short of my love for the book – I went anyway! Which makes me wonder, is it better to see the movie first and then read the book?

As Valentine’s Day approaches and we’re seeing an overdose of romantic comedies and romantic dramas, will you be watching a movie or reading a romance novel?

Should we be supporting movies, which are adapted from books, for the simple reason Hollywood just might someday get it right? Or watch them in order to support the author? Have there been times when Hollywood got the book right? Which romance novels would make good movies? Which romance novels should they NEVER turn into movie, because they’d ruin it for sure?
But I think the more important question is – if a Hollywood producer could get it right, would you spend your money to see it? Or would you rather curl up and spend your money on another book instead?

Comment below & 3 winners will be randomly chosen to win a book from Harlequin, so you can skip the movie & curl up with a book instead!

Check out Jill’s Exclusive - click here

Strip Tease
She told herself not to stare, but he truly had the most
glorious physique. His back was all sleek, smooth, bronzed
flesh, sinew rippling as he moved— “Hey!” she said as his
pants dropped. He kicked free and kept walking, in nothing
but black knit boxers. “What are you doing?” she
squeaked, even as her gaze soaked up the fact that he had
a tan line, and that the waistband of his boxers had slipped
past it, revealing a tantalizing strip of paler, smooth, tight
skin. “We’re not doing this, Wade O’Riley. Do you hear
me? This is all pretend, remember?”
“I remember. The question is, do you?” He sent her a
cheeky grin over his shoulder.
Praise for Jill Shalvis and Her Romances
“Witty, fun, and sexy—the perfect romance!”
—New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster
“Humor, intrigue, and scintillating sex. Jill Shalvis is a
total original.”
—New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Forster
“Fast-paced and deliciously fun . . . Jill Shalvis sweeps you
away.” —USA Today bestselling author Cherry Adair
“A fun, sexy story of the redemptive powers of love . . .
Red-hot!” —New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross

Dear Reader,

There’s nothing more wildly sexy and appealing than a professional athlete, someone willing to put life and limb on the line for the win, someone so used to doing whatever it takes to save the game, that they don’t realize that they themselves need saving.

I love torturing my heroes with love. Not sure what that says about me, but there’s something about a watching a guy suffer before getting his happily ever after. Slow Heat begins with a big, bad sexy-as-hell major league baseball catcher for the Santa Barbara Heat. Wade O’Riley is a walk on the wild side, and doesn’t see a problem with that. Unfortunately for him, management does.

When the Powers-That-Be decide Wade needs a public make-over, they task the Heat’s publicist with pretending to be his girlfriend at a celebrity wedding. They figure this will ward off both women and trouble. Problem – putting Sam and Wade together any amount of time equals trouble all on its own. Trouble, and a crazy sexual heat neither can seem to resist to save their lives . . .

Wade doesn’t have a problem with what’s happening between them. He might be the Good Time Guy, but he knows a good thing when it hits him. Sam, however, isn’t as easy to convince. She’s known Wade for a long time, and has never seen him stick. Care. Open his heart.

And since hers has been open to him since that one long ago night they’d shared, she’s doubly cautious. But risking when it comes to love is what it’s all about, and before their story is over, each will have to risk far more than they bargained for, including their hearts and souls.

As always, I’d love to hear what you think. You can find me on the web, along with my daily blog about my own adventures at http://www.jillshalvis.com.

Oh, and be sure to look for Double Play, featuring Pace’s and Holly’s story, out now as well!

Happy Reading!
Jill Shalvis

Jill is giving away 10 FREE books - comment below - tell us why you deserve to win

Chapter 1
Confucius say: “Baseball wrong—man with four balls cannot walk.”
~Author Unknown
She’d read somewhere that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, but Samantha McNead knew better than that—in certain men the stomach was aiming just a bit too high.
Wade O’Riley was one of them.
The best defensive catcher in major league baseball, he had women lining up to meet him wherever he went. And it wasn’t home cooking that they wanted to give him either.
Not that Wade seemed to mind. Nope, even with all the constraints that went with the new big, fat, multimillion dollar contract he’d just signed for Santa Barbara’s expansion team The Heat, the guy seemed oblivious to pressure. Laid-back and easygoing, he took everything as it came, with a grain of salt and a slow, knowing smile that let everyone in on the joke.
Because life was one big funny to Wade.
Sam appreciated that, she just didn’t live it the way he did. Didn’t know how. As the publicist for the Heat, as one of the few females in a man’s world, her life tended to be more work than fun lately. Hence her mission today.
The limo pulled up in front of Wade’s big, cottage-style beach house, perched on a bluff over the ocean. From the backseat she could see the waves froth and pitch.
Much like her stomach.
In the work aspect of her life, she was extremely comfortable. That was a given. She’d been raised by men: her father, her uncle, her brother, and her cousins were all tough, implacable, unforgiving alpha males. Failure had never been an option, which translated to being very good at whatever she tackled. Unfortunately for her more womanly parts, all she’d tackled lately was the job.
A job she loved with all her heart, but sometimes she yearned for more. Maybe one of these days a man would sweep her off her feet and then into bed, but it wouldn’t be today, and it wouldn’t be with the guy she’d been tasked with babysitting.
The Heat had played last night. It was the first week of April, and it’d been an exhibition game, a prelude to their season opener on Sunday. They’d played the Padres, and it’d turned out to be surprisingly down and dirty. Wade had hit a homer in the second inning, then been harshly walked in the third when the pitcher had hit him in the thigh with a throwaway pitch. The game had gone two extra innings, until past midnight, when the Heat had finally won on Wade’s double, so Sam expected him to be exhausted and probably sore as hell. Maybe she’d even have to pull him out of bed.
The thought brought concern, and a secret tingle to those womanly parts she’d been neglecting.
Nice to know they still worked.
As she reached for the limo door handle, Wade’s front door opened, and six feet of rugged, lean muscled male stepped out in Levi’s and an untucked blue and white striped button-down. A gust of wind molded his clothes against the body that tended to make Sam’s tongue stick to the roof of her mouth.
Wade stopped to slide on his sunglasses, the picture of a California surfer, all easygoing, laid-back charm.
He’d been a rock star in another life, Sam was convinced, and she purposely let out a breath and leaned back, reminding herself he was just a guy. A flawed guy at that, though certainly none of his flaws happened to be showing at the moment.
He moved across the lawn in an unhurried, sexy stride, all scruffy gorgeousness, and opened the limo door, letting in the chilly April afternoon air. With one hand on the roof, the other on the door, he bent down, peering in through his Prada sunglasses, merely arching a brow when he saw her.
Couldn’t blame him. They weren’t exactly on speaking terms.
His sun-kissed light brown hair was either styled messy today on purpose, or he hadn’t bothered with a comb. His face sported at least a day-old beard so she was going with the no comb theory. He should have looked sloppy and unkempt but nothing about him ever looked anything less than God’s gift. She’d seen him in uniform, in designer suits, in workout gear, in all sorts of things including absolutely nothing, and he always looked perfect.
Especially in the nothing.
“Hey,” he said in that low, slightly raspy voice of his, the one that never failed to immediately put her back up.
And/or turn her on.
“Hey yourself.” He hadn’t limped, and he sure as hell didn’t look exhausted. The opposite, she thought a little breathlessly as his deceptively lazy gaze raked her in from head to toe. Deceptively, because behind that beach bum front of his lay a sharp-as-hell wit.
Given their . . . tense relationship at the moment, she didn’t smile.
And though he usually smiled at anything female, neither did he.
“Are you okay after last night’s game?” she asked.
“Always. How about you, Princess?
She’d asked him a million times not to call her that. It drove her crazy, which was of course why he did it. “I’m fine. We need to talk.”
“Sorry,” he said with mock regret. “But we don’t talk. We fight. And I’m not in the mood.”
He hadn’t been “in the mood” since what she called The Mishap.
The Mishap Never To Be Talked About.
Except . . . except Wade got along with the entire world, and she had to admit it was disturbing that they didn’t. Couldn’t. But there was nothing to be done about that now.
Nothing.
She had a job to do. They had a job to do. “I realize you probably don’t want to go over the plan,” she said, feeling at a disadvantage sitting while Wade still stood. “But I really think we should.”
“I know the plan,” he said. “One of the corporations endorsing the Heat has a new, conservative CEO who has high family values, and is upset with our PR troubles—”
“Your PR troubles,” she corrected.
He let out a tight breath and bowed his head in agreement. “And you, the Skiper, the owners—hell everyone but me—believes that the world cares about one more ridiculous baseball scandal involving some woman claiming I’ve gotten her pregnant.”
“You can’t blame people for believing it; you do have a bit of a playboy reputation.”
“I never slept with Tia.”
“She produced pictures of you and her on the beach by your house.”
He just looked at her.
“See,” she pointed out. “This is why we have to talk about it.”
“Look, I get what the powers-that-be want from me. From us. We pretend to be a couple in the eyes of the press so I look like a good boy, and our endorsements won’t be pulled. How hard can it be?”
“I don’t know,” she replied cautiously. “How hard?”
His eyes heated. And a matching heat seared through her belly at the inadvertent double entrendre. “You know what I mean, Wade. The plan—”
“The plan is that I have to behave. And you’re supposed to make me.” He paused. “Though I am looking forward to the make me part.”
Oh, God. “You know what? This isn’t going to work.” She was fun, dammit. Even lighthearted at times. Why the hell he made her sound so uptight and stuffy, she had no idea.
Wait. She did have an idea. An exact idea.
She’d slept him.
Once.
On the one single night in her entire life when she’d had too much to drink. Except there’d been no sleeping involved. To make matters worse, it’d been one of the most erotic, sensual nights of her life. “Listen, I realize we’ve had our differences, but—”
“Differences?” He laughed, then shook his head, still amused.
“Fine, so differences doesn’t quite cut it. We have to get a move on.” A friend of his was getting married. A close friend who just happened to be a big-time Hollywood producer, and Wade was one of the groomsmen. The wedding was an entire weekend extravaganza, where there was sure to be tons of press. If he attracted any of it—and just by being Wade, he most definitely would—he needed to attract good press.
By the end of the two-hour trip to the famed Orange County, specifically Laguna Beach, they needed to be in sync and looking like lovers. Willing to do her part, she practiced a smile on him, the smile that usually got her exactly what she wanted, which in this case was Wade’s cooperation. Thing was, he didn’t often feel the need to cooperate. “You getting in?”
He looked at her for a long beat, all big and built and completely inscrutable, during which time she held her breath. For as kick-back as he was, he was also tough as steel. He had to be. Catchers were known for their courage and toughness, having what was arguably the hardest position in baseball. And Wade was the best catcher behind the plate, period. He had to command the respect of all the players, make the calls on the field, have good sequences in those calls, and the ability to change it up and keep the hitters off balance. All of which meant he had to be smart, sharp, and strong in both mind and body.
Wade was all of those things and more, and clearly one of those things was decisive. He tossed his overnight bag into the limo and followed it in, dropping down next to her even though he could have had the opposite seat all to himself. Leaning back, he stretched out his long, long legs and looked around. “So. We have any food in here?”
“No. Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
He was always starving. Probably because he burned God knew how many calories a day between his five-mile runs, weight training, and the game itself. “We can stop and get something to go. Rosa’s?” she asked, naming the closest café. Look at that, she was getting the hang of taking care of him already.
“DQ is good.”
She’d never met a grown man with such a love for fast food before. But whatever he wanted, she’d get. It would make him happy, and a happy Wade was a hopefully compliant one. With a nod from her, the driver started the engine and they began their trek, heading through town toward Dairy Queen.
Santa Barbara was a colorful blend of the Spanish history of California and beach living. Wade was looking out the window, taking it in, giving her his profile as they turned onto Highway 1, heading south. The sparkling Pacific was on their right, the green, craggily Santa Ynez peaks on their left, both breathtaking.
They stopped at Dairy Queen and quickly got back on the road. Wade was quiet as he ate, watching as they left the affluent homes and ranches, heading into the outlying county and the less privileged areas. She knew he’d been underprivileged himself. Despite his many faults, he was surprisingly humble and quick to laugh at himself, and often joked he’d grown up so far from the proverbial train tracks that he hadn’t even been able to see the tracks.
And her?
Well, she’d grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth and everyone knew it. It was certainly all Wade knew about her, because it’d been the only thing she’d ever let him see. He had no idea that the two of them had a hell of a lot more in common that he’d ever guess.
He polished off two burgers and went to work on his fries. “So . . .” His green eyes were relaxed but assessing as they met hers. “When were you going to tell me they want us to do this boyfriend/girlfriend thing for a whole month?”
“You heard?” she asked in surprise. She’d been asked to talk him into it.
“I work with a bunch of women, Sam. They tell all.”
“You work with a group of professional athletes, male.”
“Who gossip more than a bunch of teenage girls after cheerleading practice. Pace heard it from Henry, who overheard Gage talking to you.”
Pace being Wade’s best friend and the Heat’s pitcher. Henry was their shortstop. Gage, their team manager. And yes, the supposedly professional clubhouse really was similar in nature to a high school locker room.
Sprawled out, relaxed, Wade watched her with a half smile, looking far too appealing. She took a careful breath. “A month shows stability. It’s more impressive than just a weekend wedding fling.”
“So you’re okay with being joined at the hip for a month?”
“If you are.”
He considered this. “Are there benefits?”
“No.”
He sighed. “So much for fun.”
“Hey, I’m fun.” He didn’t say a word, which burned. “I am! And I just realized, there are benefits.”
He cocked his head.
“Well . . . I can be a pretty convincing bitch when I want to be.”
“Noooo,” he said with feigned shock. “But how exactly is that a benefit?”
“I can scare away all the crazy women that chase you around, thereby giving you a break. And in return, you can relax knowing you won’t have to take care of me like your usual fan-girl, clingy type who bores you within the span of one date.”
He arched a brow.
“Just calling ’em like I see ’em.”
He didn’t say anything to that as he finished his fries, then tossed all the trash into the bag and set it aside. He rubbed a hand over his jaw and said another entire boatload of nothing.
“It’s just a role, Wade. And it could have been worse. We could have lost the endorsement entirely, or they could have traded you.”
“They’re that desperate for good press?” He shook his head in disbelief.
“Hey, baseball isn’t exactly showing its best foot to the public lately. We need this. The Heat needs this.”
“And your father’s okay with it?” he asked carefully.
With good reason. Her father was one of the owners of the Heat. Her uncle owned their sister team, the South Carolina Charleston Bucks. The McNead brothers were famous for getting their way, or more accurately, infamous.
And they were baseball royalty.
Or had been until Samantha’s brother Jeremy—her PR equivalent at the Bucks—had stepped over the ethics line, the moral line, and several other lines as well, and brought the wrath of the press down on the McNeads. It hadn’t gone over well, and damage control was required. Gee, guess who was in charge of damage control? “Yes,” she said quietly. “My father thinks it’s a good idea.”
“So they’re willing to pimp out their princess when it suits them.”
Ouch. But the answer was yes, a McNead was expected to stick to the pack. She’d known that by the time she could talk in full sentences. “It’s just an illusion.”
“It’s an entire month.”
The reminder made her stomach quiver. An entire month of being his girlfriend. “We’re grown-ups.”
“Really?” His stark green gaze was more genuine curiosity than sarcasm. “Because we’ve not spent more than two minutes together without snarling at each other.”
God. So true.
“Well, except for the elevator,” he said.
Also true, and her stomach executed a double gainer with a twist as the memory flew back, hot and sexy, resurrected by nothing more than the sound of his voice and the sudden sleepy look in his eyes.
It’d happened last season. The Heat had just lost, bad. The press had been ruthless, and her father had been pissed at her for somehow not being Super Woman. She’d been in desperate need of some alone time.
What she’d gotten instead was stuck in an elevator on the way to her hotel room with Wade and a couple little bottles of airplane Scotch, and her pity party for one had turned into a naked party for two. The erotic, alcohol-tinged memories came to her in slow-mo and as always, always, sent her spinning between total and complete humiliation and an even more devastating aching hunger and desire.
If she could just erase from her memory banks the picture of Wade taking her straight to heaven in under five minutes she would, but the pictures in her brain only seemed to only strengthen with time instead of lessen. She darted a quick glance at their driver, who was currently sipping a seventy-two-ounce DQ soda and rocking his head to the radio as he beat the steering wheel like a drum. “I don’t want to discuss that night.”
Wade shrugged. No skin off his nose. Hell, he’d probably had lots of nights like that since. She concentrated on the view. Not a hardship. Santa Barbara wasn’t called the American Riviera for nothing, and she watched as they passed four-thousand-foot peaks covered in unique and beautiful chaparral and sandstone outcrops. “So we’re good?” she asked quietly.
Wade smiled. It was his professional smile, the one that could melt a woman’s panties at fifty paces and make men wish that they had half his athletic prowess, and it was a charmer. She knew its potency, braced herself for it, and still felt her panties begin to melt. “What the hell.” He stretched out even further, his leg sliding to hers. “We’re good. Girlfriend.”
“Fake girlfriend,” she corrected, shoving him over, telling herself she was absolutely not noticing the heat of him, the feel of his rock hard thigh . . .
He stretched some more, straightening his arms above him, briefly exposing a flash of washboard abs between the hem of his shirt and the waistband of his jeans. Jeans that were faded at all the stress points. He had some very fine stress points . . .
She saw more men in a day than the average woman dreamed of. Many of those men—if she was in the clubhouse before a game—in various stages of nakedness, leaving her utterly immune to tantalizing glimpses of male skin.
Which didn’t explain why her mouth went dry.
“Maybe we should kiss on it,” Wade suggested. “Seal the deal.”
Her tummy quivered, a fact she firmly ignored. “What? No!”
“Spoil sport.”
He’d probably have fallen over if she’d said yes, which she absolutely wouldn’t do. Even if he was the kiss master.
Which he was . . .
His leg was touching hers again. He was hogging the backseat, albeit unintentionally. He was a big guy and he needed space. He also smelled good. He looked good, too, which really didn’t seem fair at all. But he was here, not pitching a diva fit, and she owed him for that. “Thank you,” she said. “For agreeing to this.”
“You’re welcome.”
Well, that seemed surprisingly genuine, and she had to wonder if maybe she’d anticipated trouble with him simply because of their past. Maybe . . . maybe deep down he really was a good guy.
It was possible.
Maybe they could laugh about this, her having to keep up the pretense of being his lover, when they’d already done the deed.
That could possibly be fun. Maybe.
Sort of.
And maybe they could even become friends. It would be nice—
“You packing any Scotch today?” he asked, looking around the limo. “Should I be bracing myself for you to tear my clothes off again?”
With a sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes. She could safely check both fun and friends off the list.

Do you think blogging is like dancing? This is tough stuff! We want our readers to be engaged & enjoy our posts . . . so how does one accomplish this???? Guest Bloggers & that means YOU!

What Makes a Good Blogger?????

1. Can you be personal?

2. Convey a personality in your post?

3. Be passionate about your post?

4. Post pictures?

5. Stay focused?

You’re hired!
No kidding . . . we’re looking for readers who’d like to chat with other readers . . . now is the time! Comment below & tell us what you’d like to post about & why you would be a great guest blogger & you may win the chance to post with us on BTRB.

Winners will be chosen & posted next week. . . now is your chance!

Happy Romance,
SueG

It’s five short days until the release of McKettricks of Texas: Tate – the first book in my new Texas McKettricks series.

McKettricks of Texas: Tate on sale 1/26 at Borders!

The anticipation is killing me!

I started writing this book last summer, and I knew immediately it was something special. With all my years of writing, the experience of writing it was remarkable—I’d never seen quite the same phenomenon before.

Some books are easy. Some books are difficult. But Tate didn’t fall into either category. The story flowed so fast, it was as if it was being downloaded from my brain. But, trust me, it had its challenges—if only because just when I think I have them figured out, those McKettrick boys surprise me!

In the end, all I could do was be there to watch their antics unfold and write them down. The process was exhausting . . . but so magical.

As I got to know Tate, the eldest of the three Texas McKettrick brothers, I had to admit I liked what I saw. This corporate cowboy comes to realize that it’s time to get back to the basics of life. He suspects that returning to his McKettrick roots in Blue River, Texas, could be the key to happiness for him and his twin daughters . . . and maybe to finding a love that will last with his high school sweetheart.

I do hope you’ll take this cowboy home—and that you will also take a moment to visit www.TakeACowboyHome.com, where we have a more than few surprises in store for you . . .

In the meantime, did you have one particular high school sweetheart? Did you marry him? Do you wish you had? Why is first love so special? And how does it color all the loves that follow?

Randomly chosen commenters below will get a free book from Harlequin Publishing. Good Luck!

Adios!

Linda

Check out Linda’s hot hero trailer here http://takeacowboyhome.com/takeacowboyhome/#

Lessons in French, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Feb 2010

If You Ruled the Romance Genre…

Not long ago, I issued a little challenge to my followers on Twitter to tell me what would constitute their ideal romance novel, from cover to title to story. Borders has been generous enough to give me more room than 140 characters, so I’m expanding the challenge.

Let’s go for the whole holiday cookie. If you ruled the romance genre…

Would you change it? Make some tweaks? Start over from scratch, or leave well enough alone?

What if you could wave your wand and make all the books in the romance genre suit your taste? All the cover art would be appealing to you, the stories what you hope for, the characters just what you like best.

I thought it was only fair that I go first.

And it’s harder than I thought! Hmmm, every book on the romance aisle is mine to command…

Ok–start with covers. I would have subtle covers. Hints of desire, teasing suggestions. Intriguing glimpses of characters. I think of runway shows–the sense that there is more to the model than you see, because the moment of view is so short. The covers would have a depth of color in them, colors in layers, beautiful colors.

The stories could go anywhere, be set any place or time, but in my romance genre, none of the heroines or heroes would be snarky. They would have flaws, sometimes serious flaws. Many of them would be witty and fun, even with their flaws. Like best friends, imperfect but appealing.

In my romance genre, the love scenes would convince me that desire is real. They might or might not be explicit, or hot, but they would be about desire.

Many of the books in my romance genre would be some twist on the commonplace, creating different worlds for me to explore, whether fantasy or a different time and place.

There would be a choice, from the sort of story that grabs me by the toenails and drags me through it, to a slow but fascinating build-up, to the kind of story that makes me laugh. I’m happy with giggles, too. I might prefer giggles, come to think of it. They often turn into laughs. (One reason I wrote Lessons in French.)

The titles would all be remarkable and intriguing, and they might be long.

I’m a writer, so I love words, and the way they go together. In my romance genre, the words would surprise and please me with how perfectly they say what they mean.

In my romance genre, horses would be more than cars with legs. All dogs would live forever.

If you ruled the Romance Genre, what would it look like? Love to hear your comments below . . .