All About the Writing

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . . or Die #19

Ah, Six Sentence Sunday. I'm so sad to see you go. As my farewell gift, here's one of my favorite snippets, from Shelby, my commitment-phobe heroine. She's professed her love to Ryan, but this is how she reacts to the next step:

“Shelby, will you marry me?”

My heart thudded, in slow motion, while a combination of fear, and excitement, and dread swirled inside of me.

I could feel my forehead break out in a sweat, and then the room began to oscillate. I squeezed Ryan’s hands, to keep from slipping off my chair.

“Put your head between your knees,” Ryan said calmly, helping me with the task since I was about as useless as a girl could get right then.

“I wish your face was here instead of mine,” I said in a muffled voice.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by. I'm planning to continue some form of Sunday excerpts, and I'm hopeful that others are too.

Also, tomorrow I'll have a character interview with Ryan, at the Mrs. Condit Reads Books blog. It was really fun to do, and it's your chance to hear Ryan's thoughts about everything!

Six Sentence Sunday: Back On Track #3

Here's another snippet from my upcoming Samhain novella, Back on Track.

In this scene, Allie and Matt are having lunch on the Napa wine train. Earlier, she told him she used to date Matt Kearns, the famous baseball pitcher, who just happens to be, well, him. Matt is intrigued by Allie, so he plays along, not knowing that she knows who he really is. . .

The food was incredible, the sort of gourmet experience Allie rarely indulged in, since she usually ate takeout in her office while working into the wee hours. And sitting across from the most handsome man she’d ever met, chatting about the luscious scenery while drinking glasses of Napa’s finest—well, that was definitely another plus to the whole dating thing.

She’d never think of an amuse-bouche the same way again.

Matt set down his fork. “I want to hear more about you and Matt Kearns.”

“I’m starting to think you’ve got a crush on him,” she said as innocently as she could.

Thanks again for stopping by. It's hard to believe we're almost to the end of Six Sentence Sunday. It's been so much fun!

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Six Sentence Sunday: Back on Track #2

Six Sentence Sunday: Back on Track #2

Even though I'm in denial about the end of Six Sentence Sunday -- just four weeks left! -- I've decided to share some sentences from my upcoming Samhain novella, Back on Track. I posted one snippet last summer, and if you'd like to read it again, it's here.

My hero and heroine meet on the Napa Wine Train, and Allie pretends she doesn't know Matt is a world-famous baseball pitcher. In fact, she tells him she used to date the world-famous baseball pitcher, which is news to him, since this is the first time they've met. But Matt goes along, trying to get Allie to spill info about what it was like dating the superstar:

“I’m trying to figure out what was wrong with the man if he let you get away.”

“Everyone always thinks he’s the one who ended things. But he’s not--I did.”

“I knew it. I’ll bet he’s a selfish blowhard, the kind that’s always talking about himself.”

“In the third person,” she said primly.

As always, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments, and it's wonderful to read all the snippets you post each week. 

Oh, and I have to share some news: Lord Midnight received a Top Pick award from Risque Reviews this week. I Do. . .or Die received the same honor a few weeks back, so if you see me grinning constantly, that is why!

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . .or Die #18

It's the last Six Sentence Sunday in 2012! This has been so much fun, and I'm really glad I've gotten to "know" all of you these past few months.

Here's another snippet from I Do. . . or Die, where Shelby, the commitment-phobe bridesmaid, is having lunch with her best friend Alexa, who is on her 4th husband. They're discussing Shelby's feelings for Ryan, although she's not quite ready to admit they're long-lasting feelings:

If there was ever a time for carbs slathered with creamy fat-laden butter, this was it. My hands were shaking a little, probably from carb deficiency, but most likely from all this marriage-related craziness surrounding me: first my parents, then Alexa settling down for good. It looked like I would be next—

I nearly stabbed myself with the butter knife.

Accidentally of course. It had gotten way too slippery from the stick of butter I’d been applying to my bread. 

Thanks again for your comments--they help keep me motivated when the muse thinks of flitting away!

And if you haven't had a chance to vote for the Sizzling Read of the Year, voting ends on Monday, December 31st. Lord Midnight is one of the ten books there, and it's in some amazing company.

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . . or Die #17

Hi Sixies! Hope you're having a great holiday season. Here's another snippet from I Do. . .or Die, where commitment-phobe Shelby tries to figure out her changing feelings for her sexy bodyguard, Ryan, and what to do about it:

I needed a distraction, because I was still rattled by the tender kiss Ryan and I had shared the day before. I preferred passion--it had a beginning, a middle, and if done correctly, a spectacular end.

Love-type emotions were too hard to handle. In my experience, they had a beginning, and an end. There wasn’t usually a middle, and if there was, it was only there to speed you to The End.

So instead of thinking how Ryan’s tenderness had practically made my skeleton dissolve, I planned to resort to my old standby: lust. 

Thanks, as always, for stopping by. Hope Santa brings everyone lots of great presents!

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . .or Die #16

Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate the release of I Do. . .or Die this week. It's been a lot of fun. I've got another snippet for you, right after Shelby and Ryan have done their best to stay away from each other, but without much success:

   So much for hoping this "leaving each other alone" thing would be easy. I had barely agreed to the hands-off agreement before I had subdued Ryan with a full-body assault, right there in the hospital elevator.

   Silly me thought it would relieve some of the tension. Like I was some kind of pressure cooker with a wonky safety valve needing adjustment. Turns out I was more like a teakettle. Get me next to a heat source like Ryan again and I'd be letting off steam that could fill fourteen saunas.

  Instead of defusing the sexually charged atmosphere, I had actually made things worse. 

Thanks again to everyone for stopping by and saying such nice things about my book! I hope you have a great Six Sentence Sunday.

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . .or Die #15

Tomorrow is release day for I Do. . .or Die! I might have to repeat that, just a few hundred times, so that notion will actually sink into my brain. But I promise to do it silently. While I'm squeeing inside my head, here's a snippet for you to read, another one where Shelby and Ryan are bantering back and forth:

I narrowed my eyes, trying to convince Ryan he should be worried about me seeking revenge on him. Not that it was true--unless “revenge” included pinning him down and smothering him with kisses until he threatened to arrest me.

I couldn’t look away from his mouth, wondering what he would taste like, and wondering if I would go crazy before I ever got a chance to find out.

“Oh, man,” he murmured, “I really shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Doing what?”

Ryan put his lips on mine.

Thanks again for stopping by. I've really enjoyed sharing these snippets with you. In fact, I've mentioned the Sixies in the Dedication! Hope you have a great Six Sentence Sunday.

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . .or Die #14

Eeek! December already! Although, I have to admit, this is one December I'm actually looking forward to, since I Do. . .or Die will be releasing in 8 short days.

It's already received a wonderful review, from Lexxie at Risque Reviews, who gave it 4.5 stars, which earns it a Top Pick designation. (Pardon me for a moment while I let loose a few million squees! Okay, I'm back to normal now.)

Anyway, for today's snippet. It's the aftermath of the shooting in Ryan's front yard, and his house is a hotbed of activity, with tons of police checking things out. Shelby is being seen to by a handsome young officer:

“Are you feeling okay, ma’am?”

I grimaced. “I was until you called me ma’am.”

The skin around his eyes crinkled in a way that probably melted lots of female hearts in this town, and I would have been one of them if my heart wasn’t already distracted by another pair of sexy eyes.

“Can I get you some water?”

“Only if it’s got whiskey in it too,” I said.

Thanks for coming by, and for your comments, which are like little mini-reviews that buoy my writing spirits. I'm really looking forward to everyone's Six Sentence Sunday snippets. I got a little behind last week, so I apologize. I'll be doubling up today! 

Also, Lord Midnight is one of the books in the running for Sizzling Read of the Year. There are also books by fellow Sixies Karen Bynum and Laura Kaye, so make sure you go vote!

P.S. Stop by tomorrow for a cover reveal of my Strangers on a Train novella from Samhain. There will be fun and prizes!

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Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . .or Die #13

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . .or Die #12

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . .or Die #13

As you can see, I have a cover for I Do. . .or Die. I love the wedding theme, and the pics of the hero and heroine, and I definitely like the turquoise and hot pink letters. It's a fun cover and I'm completely thrilled.

In last week's snippet, Shelby helped "subdue" an assassin by hitting his prone form with a dried-out evergreen branch. In this next part, Ryan is getting ready to pat the guy down, and he gives Shelby his gun to hold:

Ryan handed the gun to me, butt end first, and I grasped it between my thumb and forefinger. He started to show me the proper way to hold it, but the bad guy on the ground decided to use the opportunity to try to wriggle away.

“Stop, or I’ll blow you to smithereens!”

Both my hands were on the gun now, my arms outstretched toward him, my legs spread out in what I just knew was a sexy Bond girl pose. I was all business right then, and he knew it, since he stopped immediately.

Of course, Ryan had his foot parked on the guy’s back, so that probably made a big difference too.

In addition to the excitement of seeing the cover for the first time, it was exhilarating to view the pre-order links on Amazon and iTunes. But wait, there's more! There's also the very first review, on Goodreads (4.5 stars!). Thanks for letting me share all the good news with you. You sixies are the best!

Oh, one last thing: Summer Lovin' is finally free on Amazon, so if you want a Kindle copy, it's available now.

Have a great Six Sentence Sunday! I'm looking forward to reading all of your snippets this week.

Six Sentence Sunday: I Do. . .or Die #12

Sometimes it seems unreal that I Do. . .or Die will be releasing in less than a month, on December 10th. I'm getting really excited about it, and I'm glad I get to share some of it with you each Sunday.

Shelby, the commitment-shy bridesmaid, has had to dodge bullets on several occasions--the first time at a wedding. This time it looks like Detective Nichols has apprehended the shooter, and Shelby is ready to punish the guy:

“I can’t believe what you’ve put me through!”

I wanted to hit the assassin with something, but I’d flown out of the house without grabbing any hitting implements. I glanced wildly around the yard, knowing there had to be something I could use. I pounced on the first branch I saw, and came back to the shooter laying prostrate on the ground.

I gave him a good whack, but it was an old evergreen branch that felt lighter than day-old cotton candy, so all I really managed was to spray the guy with a bunch of desiccated pine needles.

At least he’d smell really fresh while sitting in jail tonight.

I'm sorry I didn't get to read more Six Sentence Sunday snippets last week. I had to work 11 hours last Sunday, so I didn't have a chance to go to everyone's blogs after work like I usually do. I plan to double up this week though, because I don't want to miss all these great stories!

Oh, for those of you who would like a FREE copy of my contemporary novella, Summer Lovin', it is available right now on iTunes and Kobo and Amazon UK for the great price of FREE!