[Book Spotlight] Lost Without You by Heather Thurmeier

It's no surprise that I love reality TV. Many of you have heard me babble about The Bachelor/Bachelorette or Amazing Race (among others) on Twitter. Well, today I have a very special guest -- Heather Thurmeier, the author of Lost Without You, the third book in her Reality TV series with Crimson Romance. I read her first two books in the series and LOVED them. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one! 

Zoe Oliver never wanted to be on another reality TV show… until Chip Cormack made an offer too good to refuse. He’s guaranteed her a payday this time and a chance to redeem herself in America’s eyes. But Zoe worries she won’t be able to focus as her desire for Chip grows and her strength to resist him weakens. 

When she learns she’ll be roughing it in the woods with Chip and without luxuries like indoor plumbing and electricity, she’s instantly on edge, feeling naked and terrified that her scars will be exposed and her secrets revealed. When Zoe’s past turns up on the show, she fears she’ll lose not only the life she’s sacrificed everything else to have, but also the affections of the only man she’s ever trusted with her heart.

When the Bad Girl Goes Good

  

What do you do when you’ve created a character that everyone loves to hate and suddenly you need your readers to simply love them?

In my case, this character is Zoe Oliver. We originally met Zoe in Falling for You. She was the blonde bombshell who seemed to have it all, the looks, the confidence, the men… the ability to make us hate her to the deepest depths of our souls. In Stuck on You, she took on a bigger role as the teammate to Paige. Suddenly, we started seeing little bits of Zoe that weren’t as grouchy as we expected them to be. A vulnerable glance here, a quivering breath there, a hint that there was something more to her than we thought. We still wanted to hate her, but she was making it more difficult. It’s hard to hate someone who has a soft side for the guy with the leg amputation.

But it wasn’t until now, in Lost Without You, that we really get to learn who Zoe is. Sure, she’s still a b*tch, but now she’s one with a reason. We just don’t know what it is right away. All we know is that as much as we want to hate her, it’s becoming more and more challenging to do so. Now instead of rooting for her to fail, we’re yearning for her to succeed.

Honestly, when I wrote Falling for You, Zoe’s entire purpose was to be the girl you hate. I wanted her to be that girl you recognize on reality TV shows as the one who will instigate the drama. She’s the pot stirrer. When I started thinking of the idea for the second book, I thought it would be so fun to have Paige and Cassidy be teammates on the show. But I quickly realized it would be hard to make conflict between best friends. So I became the pot stirrer and decided the worst thing that could happen to Paige in that moment was to get stuck with Zoe as her partner last minute. Now that I had Zoe as a bigger role in the book, I knew I had to figure out why she acted the way she did. I couldn’t let her go through another book so one-dimensionally. I had to make her real. So I started dropping hints and clues about who she was and what her history had done to shape her into the person she was now. Luckily, at the time of this discovery about Zoe, I was also in the middle of edits on Falling. I was able to sprinkle little hints and nuances about Zoe into that book so the reader would start picking up on the fact that Zoe wasn’t all she seemed to be.

By the time I wrote the third book, Lost Without You, I was itching to tell Zoe’s story. I’d figured out why she purposefully made us hate her and I couldn’t wait to tell her story. It was so much harder than I expected! Right from the beginning, her pain was evident. I actually had to pull back on her inner turmoil a bit so that it didn’t overshadow the actual point of the book, which is falling in love. As challenging as it was to try and find that balance of pain and happiness throughout the book, I felt emotionally satisfied by The End. After being with Zoe for three books, I hope readers are satisfied too!

Have you ever read a series where you’ve hated one of the characters only to find out that in the newest release you were suddenly supposed to like them? Did the author succeed? Did you go from hating a character to rooting for her in the end? I hope if you’ve read the entire reality TV romance series that your answer is yes!

Thank you so much for having me today!

~Heather Thurmeier

"Heather Thurmeier's hunky heroes and feisty heroines will have you laughing out loud, falling in love ... and coming back for more!" ~ Carly Phillips, NY Times Bestselling Author

"Heather Thurmeier writes sweet, funny romances that capture your heart!" --NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Probst

  

Website: http://heatherthurmeier.com

Facebook: HeatherThurmeierAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hthurmeier

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5211580.Heather_Thurmeier

Heather Thurmeier is a lover of strawberry margaritas, a hater of spiders and a reality TV junkie. She was born and raised in the Canadian prairies, but now lives in New York with her husband and kids where she’s become some kind of odd Canuck-Yankee hybrid. When she's not busy taking care of the kids and pets, Heather’s writing her next romance, which will probably be filled with sassy heroines, sexy heroes that make your heart pound, laugh out loud moments and always a happily ever after. You can find out more about Heather and her books by checking out her website at: http://heatherthurmeier.com.

What Makes a Believable Heroine? & Upcoming Blog Hop

Hello my faithful readers! I have a few things you can look for this week:

I'm a guest blogger at Entranced Publishing today. Check out my article on What Makes a Believable Heroine? 

http://www.entrancedpublishing.com/what-makes-a-believeable-heroine/

Coming Soon - Heartbreaker Blog Hop 

Visit back between February 8 - 11. You'll have a sneak peek of Jake and Amanda's early years and a chance to win an Audible book from me, or three grand prizes:

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories Blog Tour & Giveaway

Today we are happy to kick off the Romantic Tales Bedtime Stories Blog Tour! Below you will find a description of the books, author bios and a guest blog from Tigris Eden, one of the authors. Don't forget to read all the way to the bottom for the giveaway!

Check out the fabulous, hot covers of the series!

Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories - Season One

Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories - Season 1 has a little of everything. From your everyday contemporary romance with Riley Ross’ The Getaway, to Ty Langston’s rockers-turned-werewolves in Crave, and Tigris Eden’s Sci-Fi/Paranormal, The Genesis Project, these three stories in these three different genres are guaranteed to have you turning the page.

“Each episode built on the one before, just like watching your favorite weekly television shows.

I highly recommend you pick up the Romantic Tales Bedtime Stories Episodes, you will be happy that you did!!”

4 Stars from Jenny Metcalf

Crave from Ty Langston

As a reporter for the Wakefield Post, Harper Erkstine has seen everything. From murders to robberies, all of her recent stories have ended with tragic consequences so great, that she began to question if she made the right career choice for herself. In the middle of working on a missing persons story that has rocked her town to the core, Harper decides as a favor to her friend and colleague to do a feature on local an up and coming rock band, called ‘Crave.’

The feature was a break from her routine, but Harper soon discovers that this band and its enigmatic lead singer, Cass St. Marie, may have ties to the missing persons case she’s working. Not only does she question why, but she also finds there is more to this band than just their music.

The Getaway from Riley Ross

Mike and Juliet have been dating for about four months. Juliet is madly in love with him but has never shared her feelings. Mike hasn’t said those three magical words so she doesn’t even know if they are on the same page when it comes to their relationship.

Mike takes Juliet on a two week vacation, so she can escape her family drama and stresses from her job. He has romantic surprises planned and there are several unexpected surprises for them both. How well do Mike and Juliet really know each other especially when an explosive secret from his past is revealed?

The Genesis Project from Tigris Eden

Biologically engineered in a lab, Genesis Blackmore has always been different. Her father has told her it’s due to her enhancements, the Federated Council sees her as a genetic mutation; and her fellow peers see her as the shiny new toy. Gen has had better days.

Xander Treegold sees something in Genesis that he can’t explain. Is it her oddity that captures him or her innocence? Xander’s never taken no for an answer when it comes to getting what he wants and at every opportunity that is given to him Xander seems to fail miserably. That is until he pulls Genesis into a dark alcove in the Great Hall where others are preparing for their journey back to New Earth for Luna.

Will Genesis succumb to his attentions or will she once again deny him the only thing he’s ever truly wanted…her.

Buy Links

Amazon Print Copy

Amazon Ebook copy

Excerpt: The Genesis Project from Tigris Eden

Gen watched with shock and curiosity as limbs connected, arms groped, and caresses were exchanged. Since going to the Academy she’d learned a few things. The tasting was a carnal act. Intimate. It was seductive. The sound of her heart pounding roared in her ears at a decibel that would hurt any normal Pars hearing. Vaggo told her not to go, and as confusion and something else she didn’t understand settled warmly over her skin, Gen found herself taking cautious steps back toward the door. She couldn’t handle something of this magnitude. It was too much for her self-preservation. What else could be happening to her? It festered deep beneath her skin, hot and dangerous.

She could hear the sounds of her class mates, long sighs and breathy moans. Somewhere in the heated tangled mess of bodies was Xander, she was sure of it. Her insides wound into tiny knots, pulling imaginary strings inside tighter and tighter, until strangulation consumed those knots to death. The sound she made was desperate and lost. It escaped before she could force it back down. She was angry and hurt, she’d never had to deal with this type of emotion before; not when it came to other living things. In the lab, she’d experienced disappointment at something not coming out the way she expected, not with real living breathing things. Her specimens in the lab didn’t cause physical inability to breathe or pain so deep, it sawed through her rib cage and ripped into her heart.

As if she’d mentally willed him from the tangled limbs, he appeared. Xander walked straight through the throng of bodies, stepping over some and skirting others. He was wearing a sweater the same color as his long platinum hair and a pair of black pants; they were glossy, and she knew it was the gel leather that the elitist wore. The material was smoother than any animal’s flesh and molded to the skin that filled it. The pants showcased an enormous part of his body she didn’t want to look at, but couldn’t keep her eyes from dropping to.

Authors:

Ty Langston

As a child, multi-published author Ty Langston loved to read about dragons and knights so much that one day, her grandmother told her to “just write about them.”

So she did.

From that day forward, she never left home without her pen, a notebook, and some kind of music playing in the background. Her love of reading expanded from fantasy into science fiction, and eventually into paranormal romance and erotica.

She enjoys different works from George Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Stephen King, and Jackie Collins. But some of Ty’s favorite writers are from the world of TV and film: namely, Tudors creator Michael Hirst, and the late John Hughes.

Ty has a certificate in Broadcast Journalism along with a degree in Business Administration.

She is single and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Links:

Website: http://www.tylangston.com/

Blog: http://shellmusings.blogspot.com/?zx=8a218850b618ccfe

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4489440.Ty_Langston

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ty-Langston/167107416642591

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bedofroses2001

Riley Ross

To date I haven’t published anything yet but I love to write wrestling fan fiction, romance and light erotica. I will be married for fifteen years this month to my best friend and Prince Charming all rolled into one. I am mommy to two Siberian Huskies.

Links:

Website: http://authorrileyross.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6473909.Riley_Ross

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RileyRossRomance

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RileyRoss7

Tigris Eden

There is really not much to say... I love to write, read, and listen to music. My attempt at a music career sadly ended at the Apollo one warm night in May! LOL (Side note: I was not booed just outdone by two munchkins rapping to Biggy Smalls but they were good!)

Military brat extraordinaire; have traveled to a lot of interesting places.

The very first time I put pen to paper in story fashion, was in 6th grade. It was called The Case of the Missing Pepperoni.

It was a cute mystery where all the ingredients and shop appliances came to life when the store owner closed up for the evening.

Links:

Website: http://www.tigriseden.com/

Blog: http://www.tigrisedengardenofbooks.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5758136.Tigris_Eden

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTigris

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tigris_Eden

Guest Post from Tigris Eden:

Music is a big part of my writing. It sets the mood for many of my character's actions or attitude. So I wanted to share with you some of the songs that I currently have on my player. I find that I love a lot of soundtracks, but my tastes are very eclectic. So I hope you enjoy the music I've picked out for today's post. 

 I love everything Flo Rida his music is so up lifting. You spin my head right round 

 Chevelle is a fav band of mine. Red 

 Apocalyptica's I don't care is another really good song. 

Jaime Foxx there is just no words, love his stuff! Fall for your type 

Last but not least is FINK! I love this guy! Can't wait to see him in concert! Who Says 

 Hope you enjoyed my mini track list. I have literally tens of thousands of music in my track list. The last song Who Say's is actually a very big part of my upcoming Book Burned In Shadows book two in the Shadow Unit Series, release date is still to be determined as I've had some personal items come up that has put the release on hold, but its coming in 2013. Enslaved In Shadow's the Author's cut will be available Jan 29th 2013.

Thanks, Tigris! 

Giveaway:

Enter via the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win the following prizes:

1 winner will receive a signed copy by all the authors. (Us only) 

3 winners will recieve an ebook (open to everyone) 

1 winner will receive a 25$ Gift Card to Amazon/Barnes their choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And thank you for stopping by, readers!

Melinda

How to Pitch Your Book Online

Last Saturday I guest blogged at From Corsets to Bustiers, Christina McKnight's blog. If you haven't checked it out, follow the link below and read my story about Rejections to a Contract. 

I give advice on how to do an online pitch. I'm not an expert, but that is how I contracted my upcoming novel, Time Changes Everything with Entranced Publishing. There are live pitch challenges right now! See what I did and push yourself to get out there.

I love to read comments. Please let me know your experiences with online pitches or what you think about them. 

Alpha Male Gabfest

Do you love to read about Alpha Males? Who are your favorites? In honor of the Alpha Male Blog Hop, I've invited a group of wonderful authors to answer these questions. I hope you enjoy!

Why do I love Alpha Males?

Which book has your favorite Alpha Male?

After reading everyone's responses, go below to enter to win:

A $5 Amazon Gift Card

OR

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: An Awesome Swag Pack!

So, without further ado, please welcome my featured authors. 

Chantel Rhondeau, author of Always and Forever

Well, you've read my book, Melinda, so you know I don't 100% go for those macho, alpha males. I like a man with a softer side. I'd say a blend of alpha and beta - take charge when I need him to, but be kind and nurturing when I need that. However, my new WIP involves a very alpha male and I have to admit, as we peel back the layers and I get to know him better, he is a wonderful man. Hmmm... too many alphas in books to narrow it down without saying Eric Northman again from the Sookie Stackhouse books, but I've got the perfect one from a TV show. Have you ever watched Law and Order, Special Victims Unit? An actor who used to be on there, Christopher Meloni, played Detective Stabler. Not only was he very alpha, but very, very HOT! :-) Hotness always factors in with those alphas, doesn't it? I would recommend watching reruns of this show if you missed him!

Rachel Kall, author of Legally Undercover, a romantic suspense to be published by Entranced Publishing April 22, 2013

I think a true Alpha Male is the perfect combination of strength and smarts. The Alpha Male knows what he wants and is willing to fight for it. My favorite Alpha Males can be in found in books by Suzanne Brockmann, Roxanne St. Claire, and Catherine Mann all writers of wonderful romantic suspense. 

Rachelle Ayala, author of Broken Build and Michal's Window

An Alpha male is decisive with a take charge attitude and tough exterior. He doesn't like to talk about his feelings, but if you're the special woman who can squeeze into his heart, you'll find him loyal and utterly adorable. Just don't let anyone else catch on.

Dave Jewell of my latest book, Broken Build, is my favorite alpha male. A hard charging CEO who fires at will, he hides his brokenness with a playboy lifestyle... until Jen uncovers the dusty crib and baby toys.

Dariel Raye, author of Dark Sentinels: Sable

Two of my favorite alpha males are Nalini Singh's Noel and Galen, from "Angel's Flight." Both are men of few words, yet when they speak, they are intelligent, insightful, and direct. They are both powerful, protective men who are not intimidated by a strong woman; in fact, they support and encourage strength in the women they love, taking whatever steps they deem necessary to help them acknowledge and fulfill their dreams. These men make me feel safe, willing to risk their lives to protect me from harm. They show me I am loved instead of wasting time with flowery lip-service.  

Christina McKnight, author of Only in Her Dreams

Alpha males? Women still like alpha males? Well, I’m more of a beta male kinda girl! Five reasons I’m addicted to this type of man: 1. He’ll let his woman pay the tab every once in a while, 2. He’ll admit his mistakes and apologize, 3. He doesn’t need the approval of his ‘pack’, 4. He doesn’t bulldoze people to get his way, 5. He’s not afraid to admit when he’s fallen in love!  My advice…whether your beta man is in the flesh or among the pages of a good book, hold tight to him and never let him go!

ST Bende, author of Elsker, a mythology based novel to be published by Entranced Publishing May 20, 2013

I feel like choosing a single favorite Alpha Male is a Herculean task.  I suppose I could start there - Hercules.  Now that's an Alpha Male.  Even the Disney cartoon version was dreamy - strong, sensitive, powerful... a halfway decent singer.  And I'd be remiss if I mentioned a mythological Alpha without bringing up Thor.  Strong, powerful, most likely not all that sensitive (but who really cares when the guy wields the power of Mjolnir and harnesses the forces of thunder?), and probably really good looking, given his Nordic roots.  But I'm fairly certain the ultimate Alpha Male was James Bond himself.  Sometimes dark, sometimes brooding, always elegant, well dressed, refined, dignified, and able to handle any situation.  Doesn't every woman fancy a man who has it all under control?  And who among us wouldn't love to be a Bond Girl?  I wouldn't object to looking even a smidge like Ursula Andress in that white bikini, walking out of the Caribbean to meet James Bond.  Hey, this blog post is about fantasy, isn't it?  

Melinda Dozier, author of Time Changes Everything, to be published by Entranced Publishing June 3, 2013

Alpha males are attractive because they know what they want. There´s nothing sexier than a confident, fearless, bold man. When it comes to love, an Alpha is ahead of the game. He doesn´t ask for love, but he tells the herione he wants it. He needs it. He has got to have it, and he will do whatever it takes to get it.

Jake in Time Changes Everything is the perfect Alpha. He has all the qualities I mentioned above. Once he realizes he's ready to love Amanda, he goes for it. He only has to convince her to admit it, too. What are some of the ways he convinces Amanda to take the risk on love? Find out in June, 2013 when Time Changes Everything is published.
______________________________________________________________________________

Like what you heard? Please click on the author's name for their blog site or their book picture to buy their book!


But that's not all....Enter to win on the Alpha Male Blog Hop hosted by Carrie Ann's Blog Hops.

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!

And that's STILL not all... For a chance to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card, enter my own raffle below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember to comment below about your favorite Alpha Males (with your email) and link on to other blog hop participants at: http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/ for more chances to win!

Thanks for stopping by,

Melinda

Guest Blogger and Giveaway: Out of Bounds by Kris Pearson

WELCOME to Kris Pearson, our guest blogger today! 

The best part about being a romance author

It’s our friends – because we’re never on this writing journey on our own.

For starters, there are all the authors who have written great books to entertain and inspire me. Of course they’re friends. I’m always so pleased to discover a new Lisa Kleypas or Rachel Gibson. It’s at least as good as meeting with my flesh-and-blood buddies.

And speaking of them, my local writing group is a big part of my inspiration and motivation.  We share, we enthuse, we encourage, we critique.  Couldn’t do it without them. If you write, I hope you belong to a group? Author Diana Fraser is one of my locals – check out her Sheikh novels and Italian novels for Kindle on Amazon.com.

Online friends are special, too. Some of them I’ll never meet because they’re half a world away. I’m in New Zealand, way down in the South Pacific. They’re in Australia, all across North America, in Great Britain....anywhere English is spoken.

I sometimes meet up with the Aussies at our annual conference of Romance Writers of New Zealand. There’s the inspiring Kylie Griffin, author or Vengeance Born and Alliance Forged. And bubbly Dakota Harrison, who recently made her first two sales AND won the big Emerald Award in Australia.  Cathryn Hein’s wonderful rural romances are a joy – Promises and Heart of the Valley are beautiful reads.

Some more of my Downunder friends are Bronwen Evans with her racy Regencies – Invitation to Ruin and Invitation to Scandal.   Catherine Robinson – such a funny writer; see if you can grab The Sweet Second Life of Darrell Kinkaid, or just-released The Not-so-perfect Life of Mo Lawrence. Gracie O’Neil’s killer brain concocts twisty suspenses, including Touching Shadows and Shadow Seer. Faye Robertson (Serenity Woods) writes for Samhain, Lyrical Press and Entangled; her most recent book is Seven Sexy Sins. And the amazing Natalie Anderson is a Harlequin Mills & Boon writer beyond compare. Every one of them is now a better friend than the girls I grew up with.

The last friends I’ll mention are the characters in my books. When you’re writing a novel it’s amazing how close you get to these people. You live as the heroine. You fall in love with the hero. They take shape on the pages, and breathe and yearn and misbehave. It’s like having a whole extra life.

   *             *             *

I chose to write about friends because today’s excerpt from OUT OF BOUNDS features my heroine Jetta’s friends. They’re on their way to take her out for a surprise birthday treat. She and hero Anton have called a temporary truce, and things are simmering along nicely...

Jetta searched her addled brain for some sort of equilibrium. Her head felt full of unraveling knitting—as tangled as Gran’s sometimes used to get when old Pusscat found the wool bag and had a field-day.

This was hopeless. She smiled, despite her best efforts not to.

Anton didn’t deserve smiles. He’d frightened her half to death by bursting right in to her home that morning and saying he was going to demolish it. He hadn’t even knocked.

Then he’d pretended she should know all about it.

She’d been shocked out of her mind—terrified to be caught on her own. Even clutching the old spade hadn’t really made her feel safe.

And yet...? She’d somehow found the courage to come back here with him—and into his bedroom, no less.

Because that’s where the plans were, of course.

Yes, she’d panicked a little, but not too badly. Then visions of Anton had taken over from thoughts of Uncle Graham as they stood together at the drawing board, even if it was only for a few dreamy seconds.

Maybe it was okay now because there was the table between them, and she knew he couldn’t just reach across and grab her. Even so, it amazed her. He’d declared he’d be moving in to Gran’s house, although she was determined he wouldn’t be, and she still found him good company.

She took another sip of her wine and inspected him covertly. In the softening light of near-dusk, his skin looked a deeper gold.

His face was long, like his body. Dark hair sprang back from his smooth forehead, short around his ears and at his neckline. But it stood up a couple of inches on top of his head, thick and a little unruly, as though he often thrust his fingers back through it.

How would it feel, running my hands through it?

Her fingertips itched with anticipation, and she lowered her gaze a little.

Above his vivid blue eyes, his brows were strong and almost straight. As thick and dark as the hair on his head.

He was freshly shaved. She liked that he’d done that for her. Or had he? Maybe he always shaved when he showered? But somehow she knew he’d made an extra effort because of her birthday.

His shirt had a couple of buttons undone at the neck. A proper business shirt, not just a casual polo or tee. The spicy brown complimented his sun-gilded skin. He’d flipped the sleeves back a few turns, and the tendons moved in his forearm as he stabbed a morsel of smoked salmon. 

She flicked her eyes back up to his face. High cheekbones under those amazing eyes, and slightly hollowed cheeks. The words ‘lean and hungry’ sprang easily to mind.

He had a long, straight nose—no tell-tale bumps to indicate mishaps on the rugby field. She pictured him loping along on a cricket pitch, or arrowing down off a high diving board, sleek and controlled.

But his mouth was the treat she saved for last. Exactly as wide as his nose was long, she thought, unconsciously measuring and memorizing. Was the symmetry why he looked so good?

His top lip bowed sharply, but once again it was the sensuously full lower one that made her catch her breath. That sulky cushion of smooth flesh appeared to be the only soft thing about him, and all the more attractive for the contrast.

It was nothing like Uncle Graham’s thin mean mouth that he used to press against hers in a slimy slobber when her parents were out of the house.

She shivered and wrapped her arms across her breasts in an unconscious barrier.

“What’s wrong?” Anton’s tone cut sharply through her memories.

“What do you mean?”

“Your expression changed. You looked as though you’d seen something repulsive. And it was me you were looking straight at.”

“No,” she protested. “Just an old memory. Someone long gone.”

But he keeps coming back. Will I ever get rid of him?

“Sorry,” she added, trying to make amends.

“Another man?”

“That would be a flattering description of him,” she murmured. “I’d go as far as ‘male animal’ perhaps.”

“So why are you sitting here with me and thinking about someone else?” he pressed.

She could hardly say ‘because you’re wonderful compared to him’. Anton appeared arrogantly sure of himself without her pumping his self-esteem any higher. No—she needed to discourage him.

“Just a birthday memory. Nothing special.”

“But he didn’t treat you well? Not from that description?”

This was the last thing she needed. She glanced down at her food and chased an olive around the plate to avoid looking at him again. And then—salvation—someone banged loud and long on her front door. The sharp noise of the knocker carried in the still air.

“Visitors,” she said with relief, starting to rise.

“I’ll let them know them where you are.” Anton strode off toward the front of the property.

“She’s over here,” he called so someone unseen. A chuckle rose in Jetta’s throat at Hallie and Bren’s lively exclamations and giggles. Spying, of course.

Soon the two girls came tottering up his driveway, glamorous in high shoes and short skirts.

“We didnae mean to interrupt anything,” Bren protested, all innocence. All innocence and all eyes, Jetta saw, pleased Anton’s long lithe body and arresting face would easily pass inspection.

“Looking good in your birthday suit,” Bren threw in her direction once they were all in the shelter of the courtyard.

Jetta closed her eyes.

“I take it these two...ladies...are your old flat-mates?” Anton asked. She grinned at his deliciously insulting hesitation.

“The dark one is Hallie, and the redhead is Bren,” she managed over a giggle. “Yes—they’ve been my flat-mates for the last several years. They’re very old indeed.”

“The terrible trio,” Hallie said.

“But sadly no more,” Bren needled. “She’s left us to do her decorator thing and renovate her very own home.”

“Stop teasing him,” Jetta protested. “It’s not really his fault. Oh—Anton Haviland, Bren McKay and Hallie Dragos,” she added, remembering the old-fashioned courtesy Gran and Grandpa had drilled into her.

Anton pulled two more chairs up to the table and the girls sat. Hallie stole the olive Jetta had been pushing around her plate. Bren snagged Jetta’s champagne for a sip, and then glanced at the bottle. Anton took the hint, and went inside for more glasses.

“You’re right—he’s plenty hot,” Bren said, mercifully almost in a whisper.

“Have you come spying?”

“Us?” Hallie asked.

“Yes—you. I know what you’re like. Nosey as.”

“Noooo—we just thought we’d bring you a nice housewarming present and have a wee look at your Gran’s place now it’s all yours,” Bren soothed.

“Maybe not all mine. And where’s the present?” Jetta asked, eyeing their empty hands.

“On your front step.”

“Will it melt?”

Hallie giggled. “It’s not chocolate.”

“What’s not chocolate?” Anton asked as he returned. “Don’t you like chocolate?”

“Love it.”

He set the extra glasses down, and poured. Bren and Hallie raised their drinks in Jetta’s direction.

“Happy birthday Jetta,” they chorused.

“And may you be very happy with Anton,” Bren added with a small wicked smile.

“We’re not setting up house together! We can’t stand each other...”

“Aye, I can see that—sitting here having a private supper and drinking champers on such a nice evening.”

“For her birthday,” Anton said. “No-one else seems to have arranged a celebration.”

“Not easy with her Gran the way she was,” Hallie protested.

“And we have arranged a wee treat—we’ve come to take her to the movies,” Bren said. “You could come too, Anton?”

Hallie burst into renewed giggles.

“What?” Jetta demanded. “You’re up to something. I know that laugh.”

“No, it’s a genuine offer,” Bren said, feigning a hurt expression. “Girls’ Night Out. Special late double feature at the Embassy. ‘Dirty Dancing’ and ‘Sex in the City’—just the thing for a red-blooded man like Anton.”

Jetta tried to hide her grin. “He’ll pass on that,” she said. “But is this for real? What time?”

“Of course it’s for real,” Ben said. “We wouldn’t tempt you with the divine Patrick and then not deliver.”

“Nine-thirty,” Hallie added, “so there’s time for a look at your house first. And we can stay in town for a drink afterward, yeah?”

Jetta checked her watch. “Are we finished here?” she asked.

Empty glasses thudded down on the table-top in unison.

“Okay,” she agreed. “House inspection time.”

“I’ll come over in a minute and take some of that tape off,” Anton said, but the girls were already rising and chattering like a flock of colorful birds.

            He watched as they strolled off arm-in-arm—Bren in a small electric-blue and white dress, Hallie in a flirty gold skirt and violet blouse, and Jetta sandwiched between them in her slippery red top and snug fitting black leather trousers.

Not quite sex in the city. But certainly sex in the suburbs.

Question: What are Jetta’s two old flatmates’names?

Visit Kris at http://www.krispearson.com

Buy OUT OF BOUNDS at http://amzn.com/B008RH0LAC

Blurb

Jetta Rivers has inherited half a house. Big problem: she has to share it with co-owner Anton Haviland, and her past has left her terrified of men. Gorgeous Anton is a confident sexy architect, and he might be exactly who Jetta needs to put her crippling fear to rest. But can she allow him close enough? And would he even want to try? A midnight disaster leaves her no option when he drags her off to the only bed left in the now-damaged house. She’s appalled to find how much she craves the man who plans to smash her inheritance to pieces, and Anton’s equally shocked when his sharp-tempered housemate attempts to seduce him. WARNING: Contains one ambitious man with a tender heart and a body to die for. And one unlikely temptress with an ancient copy of The Joy of Sex.

GIVEAWAY

Kris is giving away a digital copy of one of her back list at each stop of her tour. Enter below on the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!
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At the end of the tour Kris will give away a grand prize, the grand prize will be a digital copy of all 4 of her books from her backlist. Winner will be selected from all of the commenters throughout the tour. So, make sure you click the link above to visit the other stops on the tour and comment below.