January 23, 2019 · 4:35 am

#WinterWonderland #L&SR #WednesdayBlogChallenge

So this week’s topic is FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IN THE WINTER. Timely, no?

I could be really perky and positive here and tell you I love to ski, ice skate, snow board. Or that I go for long, long walks during the most brutal of winter days, fully invigorated and stimulated by the frigid air whipping around my face. That curling is my sport of preference, or animal tracking in the woods is a fun family activity.

I could tell you all those things…but it would all be lies.

I’m not going to mince words here: I absolutely hate winter.

I hate the cold.

I hate that I have to wear 947 layers just to go from the car to the inside of the grocery store.

I hate snow, ice, wind. In no order, and all together!

I hate wearing hats and gloves. Boots and snow tires. Using shovels and snowblowers.

Get the picture?

Yeah. I hate winter.

And because I do I spend as much time as possible indoors, hibernating, reading, and drinking hot drinks.

So, my favorite thing to do in the winter? Well, a picture is worth ten million words, so….

And since reading by the fire truly is one of my favorite pastimes during the long, long, ridiculously long winter months, here’s one of my new favorites that just also happens to be one of mine:

Find it here :  amazon //wild rose press // b&n // kobo // apple // google play // books-a-million

Now, since this is a blog challenge, I wonder if I’m the only one who despises winter. Click here to find out: L&SRWednesdayBlogChallenge

In the winter you can find me inside, here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

 

 

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January 21, 2019 · 12:10 am

Moving forward…making changes

I ended 2018 exhausted.

How’s that for an opening line, eh?

But it’s true. From November 4th until December 12th I had three brand new books released and was so wrapped up in promoting them, doing book tours, and fulfilling all my blog obligations to myself and other authors, that I had no time to truly enjoy the releases as I’d done with past  ones. The circumstances that led to 3 books at one time ( plus my inclusion in a Holiday Anthology) was a perfect storm of creativity, publisher time schedules, and the season-specific stories I wrote.

That this all came to fruition around the busiest time – typically – of the year for me was another factor in my fatigue- both mental and physical. I can probably even add spiritual. By the time January 1 rolled around I wanted a redo on the previous month.

 

Well, since I don’t have a time machine, we all know that wasn’t gonna happen.

With 2019, I decided to switch things up a little bit for me, career-wise. I currently have no books on the publishing schedule for 2019. I know that’s gonna change at least once, as soon as I finish book 2 in my bridal series, but that’s it. And that’s horrible. The reason I’ve got nothing going into production is because I spread myself too thin and too wide in 2018. I blogged 5-6 times per week, plus did numerous blog tours for all my books. In addition  I attended 5 conferences and all the travel that went along with them and amped up my Netgalley reviews. The daily social media promotion that went along with all those books – because you gotta sell ’em – also wore me down. In the long run, all of that etched away at my personal writing time.

Before 2018 I used to write a minimum of 1000 words every morning before I did the adulting stuff that needed tending to like laundry, exercise, etc. I stopped doing that in 2018 and started letting life and business and other things intrude on that writing goal. Not anymore.

With the New Year comes a new attitude and desire to get myself back to doing what I love more than anything: write.

Simply, write.

So. Now, there have been a few changes made:

  1. I’m only blogging 2-3 times per week MAX! Promise
  2. I’m cutting down on my netgalley “asks” and trying to get just one book per week read and reviewed.
  3. I’ve gone back to that 1000 word minimum before I leave the house.
  4. I write all my blogs on Sunday now ( just like I am right now) so all I have to do is schedule them and let them fly.
  5. I’m attending 2 conference this year instead of 5 – RWA in NYC in July and Fall In Love in New England in October.

I’m not abandoning my writing sistahs in all this. If they have a new book releasing or a sale going on, I will continue to promote them because I fully believe our strength lies in our commitment to one another, so no worries there.

But, I’m taking Peggy writing time seriously. Like, wicked seriously.

 

Find your bliss today, peeps, and let your beauty shine.

And you know I’m always here, so no worries on that front, either:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

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January 20, 2019 · 12:10 am

#SundaySnippet week 3, 1.20.19

SO today I’m giving you  a little something from my 3rd book in the MacQuire Women series, FIRST IMPRESSIONS. I have to admit, this is my favorite book in the series. I know you’re not supposed to have a favorite – it’s like your kids: you love them all equally, but in truth, this book was a joy for me to write. Pat Cleary was the first fully formed male character that ever came into my mind. I didn’t need to think about him at all – one day he just stood in front of me, fully formed. Love that. Anyway. Here’s a little scene between him and the woman he’s rapidly losing his heart to, Clarissa Rogers.

“Clarissa? Follow my voice to the treatment rooms,” Pat called.

She found him standing at an exam table, a wide box on top of it. His white lab coat stretched taut against his substantial shoulders, giving her a full view of their width along with his trim waist. The coat grazed the back of his knees. His back was to her and he appeared to be holding something in his hands, close to his chest. He was speaking softly, the soothing timbre in his voice reminding her of how he’d sounded when he’d spoken with her after Teeny died: gentle, calm, reassuring. The sound of his deep voice shot a bullet of desire straight to her core.

“Are you all alone here?” she asked, as she came into the spacious workroom.

“My evening staff went to get something to eat. They’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He turned to her and she saw what was cradled in his hands.

“Oh.” She all but flew across the room.

His grin was so boyish, so rakish, she physically had to tear her gaze from his face back to the tiny kitten resting in his arms.

“Cute, isn’t she?” Pat held her up by the scruff of her neck to show Clarissa. “She and her sibs were brought in this afternoon by one of my clients.”

“Why?” Clarissa’s fingertips longed to hold the little darling.

As if reading her mind, Pat said, “Here, take her.” He placed the squirming little bundle gently into her outstretched hands. Immediately, Clarissa pulled the kitten to her chest and began stroking its chin. A motorboat of purring churned from within the tiny creature, bringing an instant smile to both humans in the room.

“To answer your question,” Pat said, watching them, “he was out driving and saw a box on the side of the road. When he stopped, he found eight of them, four males, four females, abandoned. The mother was nowhere in sight. He knows we board and foster strays until homes can be found, so he brought them to me.”

“How could someone leave them on the side of the road?” Clarissa asked, her fingers never stopping their gentle caresses of the kitten’s neck. “They could have been hit by a car. Or worse.”

Pat shrugged. “Happens all the time. A cat has a litter and the owners can’t, or won’t, take care of them. It’s the reason we foster. And why I asked you to come down here.”

When she looked back to him, she could see a question in his eyes. “Pat?”

“Hear me out,” he said, putting his hands on her upper arms. Like a bolt of lightning striking, his touch zoomed all the way through her. “The kittens are too young right now to adopt. We need to get them hydrated, nourished and neutered. My guess is they’re about three weeks old. Four, tops. Without a mother to socialize them, they need extra care here first. Then they’ll need to be acclimated. This is where I’m hoping you’ll come in.” He removed his hands and stroked a finger down the cat’s neck.

“What do you mean?”

“When they’re ready to go, I’m hoping you’ll take this one to foster. You don’t need to adopt her, and I’m not asking you to. But we’ve found when animals are placed in good homes during developing periods, they adapt better when they’re adopted out. I can’t think of a better person to socialize and foster a kitten then you, Clarissa.”

Touched more than she could ever have thought to be by a statement with such thoughtfulness, Clarissa found herself tightening her hold on the kitten and loosening the grip on her heart.

Without a thought to what it would entail by having a new kitten in her life, the time consumption, the routine kitten messes she’d need to clean, Clarissa followed her heart and said, “Yes.”

Pat’s smile widened. “I was really hoping you’d agree.”

“How can I not?” She pulled the kitten to face level and planted a sweet kiss to its nose. Striking gray-blue eyes, peered at her from barely-opened lids. A tiny yowl burst from her and morphed into a wide, mouth- broadening yawn. The kitten shook its head back and forth a few times, its entire body going with the motion and then stretched its front and back paws wide. Clarissa laughed, looked up at Pat and her heart stopped. His pupils had dilated to the point where she could barely make out the ripe color in the irises. His mouth was slightly parted, and she could see his chest rising underneath his lab coat. With his fingers still scratching at the kitten’s neck, he bent his head toward her.

Every nerve in her body went on high alert. She knew he was going to kiss her and all she could think was: Yes, please.

With the kitten buffering their bodies, Pat brought his head down, stopping for the merest of moments to gaze across her face. She didn’t know what he was looking for, but whatever it was, must have pleased him because he put his lips to hers. It was the briefest of touches, his mouth sliding along hers in a gentle caress. His breath, moist and warm, drifted over her as he let it out. Neither closed their eyes, as if not to miss a moment of the encounter. On a whisper, he said her name. His hands rose up her arms, wound around her neck and rested on either side of her face. Cupping her cheeks, he rubbed her mouth with the pad of his thumb. Clarissa’s tongue grazed across it and his breath whistled out between his lips. In the next second his mouth came back to hers and took it again. This time there was no hesitation.

His fingers gently turned her head. With a tiny tug on her chin he swiped at her bottom lip with his tongue, waiting for her response. She needed no further request. Her own lips parted, and when his tongue entered her mouth she tilted her head backward giving him free access.

He tasted like nothing she’d ever tasted before. Spicy. Bold. Vibrant. His tongue pulled hers into his mouth as he expertly twined it with his own. If she hadn’t been leaning up against him, Clarissa knew she would have dropped to her knees from the jolt pounding through her at his touch.

His lips pressed against hers, the tantalizing way his fingers rubbed across her cheeks, the sound of his breathing as it grew more rapid and coarse when he deepened the kiss, was almost too much for her to wrap her analytical mind around.

So she didn’t. She simply kissed him back.

Intrigued? Here’s where you can get a copy – and a hint: the ebooks are on sale right now! So what are you waiting for? Hee hee

Amazon // WIld Rose Press // B&N // Kobo // google play //walmart // books-a-million

and find me here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

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January 18, 2019 · 4:56 am

#1stLineFriday

I’m trying something a little new each week on Fridays, #1stLineFriday. Each week I’ll post the first line from one of my books. Today’s line is from my first book in my new bridal series A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN, DEARLY BELOVED.

“9-1-1! Colleen, I’ve got a 9-1-1 in the Bawl Room!”

For those of you who grew up Catholic, especially from the 50’s to the 80’s, you’re gonna know exactly where this 911 is originating from in a church!

Get your copy here:

amazon //wild rose press // b&n // kobo // apple // google play // books-a-million

and find ME, here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

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January 16, 2019 · 12:00 am

Rags to Riches; #L&SR #WednesdayBlogChallenge

 

Today’s topic – WHAT I WOULD DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS – is a timely one for me( And probably the rest of America, especially those effected by the Government shutdown).

I’d like to be humble and say I’d donate all of the million dollar windfall to varying charities; adopt a few families in need; give to my church so they can build a new, badly needed, kitchen. I’d like to be truthful and say I’d invest some of it so it could grow and I could help even more people.

That’s what I’d LIKE to say, but…

Let’s go on the premise that my church is set, the government is back to work, and charities are bursting from  holiday donations. Then, there really is only one thing I’d like to do with the money, and it’s a very frivolous thing, but don’t judge me. Please.

Let me explain…

My darling daughter recently got engaged. She’s an only child, the love of my husband’s and my own heart, and she’s truly one of the best people we’ve ever known. I’d like to take some credit for that, but I can’t because she is her own person and has been since she came from my womb! Any way. She recently got engaged to a man who loves her as much as we do and of course, as loving parents, we want to give her the wedding of her dreams. Well, the wedding of her dreams is estimated to be $ 375,000.00 all in, as she says. The venue is the major cost.

It’s Ellis Island.

For those of you who don’t know what that is, or have forgotten your American history, once upon a time every immigrant who came to these shores had to stop at Ellis Island in NYC to be officially documented. People from every nation passed through it’s doors, were examined by doctors, and then documented as visitors to this country. Many people were denied entry due to diseases they contracted and then carried from spending long ocean voyages  in cramped cargo ships, packed in like rats– all for the chance to be a free American. People were quarantined; families were torn apart; original names were changed to sound “more American” by the ones doing the documenting and registration.

Ellis Island is located in  New York Harbor.

It’s the location of the NYC/Hudson River 4th of July fireworks spectacular every year.

It’s also been declared a national Monument. So, in order to have a wedding (or really any event) there, permits must be obtained from the States of NY, New Jersey, and probably the National Government, too. Assuming those are granted, since the venue is a museum and on an island, not your typical hotel wedding site, everything has to be brought in for the reception.

And I mean everything.

Flowers, linens, chairs, tables, glassewear, food, people. And how are they brought in, you ask? Via a ferry from Manhattan Harbor. Do you have any idea how much it costs to rent a ferryboat? Yeah, I don’t either but I’m assuming it’s not a couple hundred bucks and a nice thank you to the ferryman!

The wedding planners that my daughter spoke with gave independent values to having her wedding there and they estimated that the cost would be that ridiculous $375,000.00 mark. There’s no way her father and I can afford that. I’m a little romance writer, happy if I actually get any amount of a royalty check every three months. My husband is entering retirement age and we’ve been planning for our own future so we aren’t left destitute and on the streets when the time comes ( exaggerating, folks, but you know what this economy and the stock market are like right now!)

But, if I had a million dollars…..

Hee Hee.

And talking about weddings ( shameless plug segue), my newest book DEARLY BELOVED is about a – wait for it –  wedding planner. Timely, no?

Available here: Amazon // Wild Rose Press // B&N // Kobo // Apple // Google Play // Books-a-million

See what other authors are saying they would do with a sudden cash influx on Long and Short’s Wednesday Blogging Challenge.

 

And you’re always able to find me if you need me, here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

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Filed under A Match Made in Heaven, author promotion, Contemporary Romance, Dearly Beloved, Long and SHort Reviews, research, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women, Uncategorized, WIld Rose Press AUthor

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January 15, 2019 · 2:13 pm

#Top10Finisher! Love this.

Just found this!!! so Stoked. Here’s the link: P&E

CHRISTMAS & CANNOLIS finished #6. YOWZA!!!!!

What a nice way to finish up a busy Tuesday, no?

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January 14, 2019 · 12:01 am

Presenting, Author Lily Bly

I’m so excited! I’ve got a brand new Wild Rose Press sistah to introduce you to today, and while she may be  new to me, she’s certainly not new to the writing world! Lily Bly   has a brand new book out TODAY! And I’m so thrilled she decided to stop by for  a while and chat about writing, her life, and her new release,  ENTICING THE BOSS ( PASSIONS’S PRICE BOOK 1)

So go grab a cup of the beverage of your choice, settle down, and read about this wonderful writer.

 Lily, The Writer

What drives you to write? I love that I’m creating something new. The thrills and spills of the process drive me to keep writing. Starting with a blank page, creating characters, and telling their stories are all challenging and nerve-wracking highlights of the process, yet they’re extremely fulfilling, too.

What genre(s) of Romance do your write, and why? I write erotic contemporary and historical romance. I’m also working on an erotic paranormal. I’ve always liked the suspense element of a romantic buildup, no matter the heat-level, but I’ve never been good at ‘sweet.’ It always feels incomplete to me. I write erotic romance because I want to tell my characters’ complete experiences. (And come on, who doesn’t love some hot-n-heavy sex every now and then?)

What genre(s) of Romance do you read, and why? I read all genres of romance for a couple of reasons. One, I just love the HEA, and two, I can learn about writing from everything I read. I enjoy trying to blend genres, and in order to do that, I need to read a variety.

What’s your writing schedule? Do you write everyday? I try to write every single day. With two kids and all the responsibilities raising a family brings, I end up juggling my schedule pretty often. I shoot for writing between breakfast and lunch and then again at night after the kids have gone to bed. I’m NOT a morning person, so sometimes, I’ll stay up late working. Unfortunately, my husband and both kids are usually up early. Ugh. More coffee, please. 

Give us a glimpse of the surroundings where you write. Separate room? In the kitchen? At the dining room table? I lost my home office spaces to each of my kids after they were born, so I now have a spot blocked off in our living room where I have most of my tech set up. I tend to move around, though. Sometimes I’ll use my desktop, sometimes my laptop or tablet in another part of the house or outside when the weather is nice. Occasionally just a notebook and pen in a comfy chair at the library are all I need.

Are you the kind of writer who needs total quiet to compose, or are you able to filter out the typical sounds of the day and use your tunnel-vision? ’m not too good at filtering out the sounds of a busy house. (The Stewie Griffin “Mom, mom, mommy, mama…” is no joke, folks.) My husband is a godsend though. He knows when I need some extra time alone to write, and he’ll take care of the kids for a while.

Do you listen to music while you write, and if so, what kind? If not, why not? I always listen to music when I write. I build playlists specific for each of my WIPs. The music included really runs the gamut. I will listen to anything—pop, rock, rap, classical, country, alternative, folk. You name it. I was raised on country though. I love streaming Amazon music stations, Spotify playlists, and satellite radio.

How did you come up with the plotline/idea for your new release? I have always been a fan of unrequited-love situations with HEAs. I guess I think the emotional suffering by one of the characters makes the final relationship that much sweeter. I also have a soft spot for office romances, so I decided to combine the two. 

Which comes first for you – character or plot? And why? It’s kind of a mix. I’ll see a character in a situation and everything will spin off that, such as love interest, supporting characters, and the overall plot. I don’t have an answer as to ‘why.’ Ideas just always come to me in good and bad situations and tempers. I think it’s because I’ve always been a voracious reader.

What 3 words describe you, the writer? Dedicated – Impatient – Odd ( Peggy here: lovelovelove those descriptions!)

 

Lily, the Gal

  • Tell us one unusual thing about yourself – not related to writing! I am hugely prone to motion sickness and always have been.
  • Who was your first love and what age were you? Haha. Well, I was pretty shy as a kid. I didn’t talk to many boys, but I watched lots of old, classic movies while I was growing up. In middle school, I fell in love with the actor Jimmy Stewart. The first film I saw him in was The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Shortly after that, I watched It’s A Wonderful Life and my heart was lost. 😉 have since moved on, but I still heave a big ol’ sigh when he says “Hey, Mary” in front of the hydrangea bushes.
  • If you could relive one day, which one would it be? Think GROUNDHOG DAY, the movie for this one – you’ll have to live it over and over and….I would choose the day my daughter was born. (I know you’re probably like, did she read the question? …live it over and over and… 🙂 but yes, I did.) Six-and-a-half years earlier, I had had a horrendous experience when my son was born. It took me years to deal with. When I had my daughter, it was soooo different. So amazing. It really was the greatest experience of my life, and later that day, everyone important in our lives came to visit us. So, I’d gladly relive it.
  • Do you like a guy in boxers, briefs, or commando? Boxers, preferably with funny sayings on them
  • If you had to give up one necessary-can’t-live-without-it beauty item, what would it be? Hair dye
  • What three words describe you, the person? Introverted – Unsure – Loved
  • If you could sing a song with Jimmy Fallon, what would it be? “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”
  • If you could hang out with any literary character from any book penned at any time line, who would it be, why, and what would you do together? Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. I’ve been through enough struggles in my life that I think we’re two of a kind. I’d spend my time trying to change the course of his doomed obsession with selfish Catherine.

Bonus round

I love the Actor’s Studio show on Bravo, so this is my version of it:

 

Favorite sound Legato D note on a cello

Least favorite sound grinding teeth

Best song ever written “Ring Them Bells” by Bob Dylan

Worst song ever written “Yellow Submarine” by Lennon and McCartney 

Favorite actor and actress Seth MacFarlane and Meryl Streep

Who would you want to be for 1 day and why? ( It can be anyone living or dead) Queen Elizabeth I because I’d like to know how she felt. We know how she acted, what she accomplished, who she interacted with. History tells us all of that, but I want to know how she felt about all of it—and any secrets she kept to herself.

What turns you on? Music

What turns you off? Tight pants

Give me the worst 5 words ever heard on a first date ( here’s mine: “Is that your real hair?”) “My parole officer won’t mind.” ( Peggy here: I’m stealing this line for a book!)

What’s your version of a perfect day? Writing without interruption in front of a toasty fireplace during a blizzard

 

ENTICING THE BOSS

Jean Price has loved her boss for the last six years. Unfortunately, he’s been engaged to her treacherous stepsister. When the wedding is called off and a project puts Jean in close proximity with the sexy CEO, she jumps at the opportunity to show him how she truly feels. It’s time to start enticing the boss.

David Shep is finally seeing his father’s protégé for the stunning woman she truly is—in the office and in his bed. But when her support is conspicuously absent when he needs her most, he can’t help but wonder if he can trust her with his heart.

EXCEPT:

The smell of the scattered coffee grounds and the dawn sunlight streaming through the slats of the window blinds made me feel reckless. Seeking more of that sizzle, I eased a chair away from the table.

“These coffee grounds don’t want to come off my nylons.” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure he was looking. Then I placed a foot on the chair, edged my pinstripe pencil skirt up, rolled a thigh-high nylon down, over my knee, and eased it down over my calf. I swept my bare leg down from the chair and wadded up the nylon, tossing it into the nearby garbage can. I glanced at David, who stood rigidly next to the vacuum, gripping the power cord with white knuckles. I was pleased to see the sizzle he felt beginning to manifest against his khakis.

I pointed the toes of my other foot on the chair, flexing my calf, and took more time with the next nylon, raising my skirt a bit higher than was necessary.

“There,” I said with a sigh, tossing the second nylon into the trash. “That’s better. Back to work.”

buy links for Enticing the Boss (Book 1 of the Passion’s Price series):

(other links can be found at www.PassionsPrice.com as they become available)

TWRP // Amazon // B&N // iTunes //

 

A little more about Lily…..

 

Lily Bly lives in North Dakota and looks forward to winter. She prefers Marvel over DC, acoustic over electric, and tea over coffee. She thinks that love–whether sweet, sappy, or tough–is the stuff of life and likes her reading and writing to be chock-full of it. Before finally taking the plunge to write full time, she worked in various industries including funeral service, law enforcement, veterinary service, and retail health food. She writes heroines who can hold their own and heroes dying to hold them.

Spotify playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/user/dca4r1dtd1g48k9f8dwskt6du/playlist/5GrN1AentAls1ypbJVr1yi?si=g4ey1OSJQAqpRP4GRziYPQ

You can find Lily Bly here:

Twitter // Instagram // Facebook // Website

Peggy again – Lily thanks sososos much for stopping by in such a great day as your BOOK RELEASE DAY! I loved getting to know you and thanks for all the great insights into your life. Wishing you much success and many sales ~Peg

 

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January 13, 2019 · 12:30 am

#SundaySnippet 1.13.19

Continuing with the old school theme, here’s a little something from my second book, THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME from The WIld Rose Press.

This scene is a long one, but it shows how much the relationship between these 2 friends is strong and loving.

Blurb:

Symphony pianist Moira Cleary comes home after four years of touring, exhausted, sick, and spiritually broken. Emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of someone she trusted has left her gaunt, anxious, and at a crossroads both professionally and personally.

Moira’s best friend, veterinarian Quentin Stapleton, wants nothing more than to help Moira get well. Can his natural healing skills make it possible for her to open her heart again? And can he convince her she’s meant to stay home now with the family that loves her – and with him – forever?

She couldn’t read the expression in his eyes as he nodded, and turned to go.
Moira felt an intense overwhelming emptiness engulf her when he left. She started to open the front door but stopped when Quentin abruptly turned back and started up the porch steps again.

“I forgot something,” he told her.

“What?”

When he came up the last step and crossed to her, he said, “this,” and without another word pulled her into his arms.

Her first and last coherent thought was her best friend was going to kiss her goodnight. After a heartbeat, she forgot the best friend part and knew down to her toes friendship had nothing to do with this.

His lips slid across her mouth, soft and gentle, testing, tasting. Moira’s mind went blank as she succumbed to the sensation of them, hot and hard, pressing against hers in a kiss like none he’d ever given her before. Slowly, he traced her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, silently asking her to open for him. When she did, he entered her mouth and began to explore, each movement becoming more demanding, more insistent. Moira fell against him, fisting his jacket lapels to steady herself. When she felt his heartbeat pounding under her hands, she grew lightheaded with need. Quentin framed her face with his fingertips, softly tugging down on her chin, changing the angle of the kiss.

She’d been kissed before, but never, never with such all consuming need and longing. She heard a deep moan and was shocked to realize the sound had escaped from her. One of Quentin’s hands left her face to slide down her back. When he pushed against her backside and molded her body to his, Moira’s stomach jumped. This time, though, it wasn’t with the painful contractions she’d come to expect, but with a heart- stopping craving.

A craving for him.

She unfurled her hands from his jacket and, without thought, wound them upwards, weaving them over his shirt collar and up through his hair. She grabbed onto the ends, pulled his head down closer, and held on fast.

All aspect of time was lost. Nothing mattered but the delicious feel of his strong hands caressing her back and the taste of him as his tongue mated with hers.

This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a dream.

But no dream had ever made her want like this, feel like this. When he skimmed his lips across her jaw and down her throat, stopping to take her lobe into his mouth, Moira knew this wasn’t a dream. That same feeling she’d had when she looked at him in the movie steeped through her again, tickling her stomach muscles. With a jolt, she realized the sensation was desire. Pure and simple.

Quentin pulled back and stared down into her face. With a heavy sigh, he laid his forehead against hers, a small grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long. So damn long.”

“Q—?”

He traced one finger lazily down her jaw and across the lips he’d just caressed, silencing her. “Remember when your cousin Tiffany got married in the backyard here?”

Confused, Moira nodded. She licked her lips, running her tongue across his caressing finger. The hiss that blew from him made her thighs shake.

Quentin rubbed her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “When the Reverend told Cole ‘you may now kiss your bride,’ and he swooped her off the ground, spun her around, and kissed her silly? Remember what you said?”

Moira tried to conjure the scene. “I think I said it was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen.”

He nodded. “The exact quote was ‘I hope someone kisses me like that some day.’”

Her grin was quick at the memory. “Pat snorted and said I’d better be satisfied with licks from the horses and Rob Roy because no guy was ever going to kiss me like that.”

“He wasn’t known for tact back then,” he said, rubbing a hand down her back as he held her next to him in the soft lamplight from the porch. The soothing, rhythmic smoothing of his hand made every nerve on Moira’s body stand at attention.

“Later on that day, behind the barn, remember what happened then?”

Because she did, she couldn’t stop the heat from spreading up her face like wildfire. When she merely nodded, he traced a kiss across the area he’d just caressed, and said, “You wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed like that and since I was your best friend, you thought I should be the one to do it, because you—quote—felt safe with me—unquote.”

“What was I? Eleven?” she said, finally finding her voice, and unnerved to hear it whining.

“Thirteen. We both were, and I was more than willing to do it. Almost broke my heart in two when you said afterward, ‘I don’t see what all the fuss is about.’”

His lips twitched at the corners when he said it, and Moira felt the warmth of her blush intensify.

“Q—”

“Hush.” He kissed her forehead. “Ever since that day, all I’ve wanted is a second chance. Now,” he pulled her body closer, wrapped both arms around her small waist, his hand resting just above the dent in her spine. “We’re both a little older, a little more mature. Some of us are much more experienced—”

“And conceited.”

“Experienced,” he said, the laugh in his voice quiet and seductive, “and things can be so much better.”

 

Intrigued? You can find a copy – where most of them are on sale even as I post this – here:

Buy Links:

Amazon // WRP // B&N // Walmart // Apple // Google Play // Kobo // Books-a-million

and as always, you can find me here if you need me:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

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January 11, 2019 · 6:05 am

The final day!

Since this tour started in December 2018 and finishes up today, sometimes I felt like a touring aging rock star: tired and praying for the last city on the tour to come up so I could get home and sleep! Well, today’s the final day of my GODDESSFISH Tour and, yes, I’m tired, but I’m a little sad, too!

I’ve got 2 stops today. One is over on Wendy Zwaduk’s blog and the other is at LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS  where I discuss the hardest part – to me – of writing!

Thanks for being such great tour supporters, peeps! And remember the rafflecopter. Today’s the last day to sign up for a chance at an Amazon GC!

Be well and see ya soon ~ Peg

and as always, if you need me after the tour ends, I’ll be here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

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January 10, 2019 · 4:06 am

Just 2 stops left!!!

 

Just today and tomorrow left peeps, in my Goddess Fish Blog tour for CHRISTMAS AND CANNOLIS. 

Today, I’m over at IT’S RAINING BOOKS, so stop  by and show me some love. And remember: tomorrow is the last stop of the tour, so you need to sign up for my rafflecopter by then – you gotta be in it to win it!

And if you’re trying to find me during the day, I’m typically here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

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