Monday, March 18, 2013

Release Day!

Hijacked, the 2nd novella in the Night series is now available!
 
Read the excerpt below!



The small blonde waitress placed a third beer on the table in front of him. Her breasts were at eye level, nipples looking tight as stones poked at the thin material of her top. The first time Kyle saw her behind the bar he knew she would be hard to forget. Lucky for him, she was his server.

"Two-fifty," she said, smiling. "Are you gonna drink those?" She pointed to the full bottles in front of him.

"Waiting for some friends. Check back with me in a few minutes." He handed her a five dollar bill. "Keep the change."

"Thanks." Her chest swelled, perfect mounds inches from his face. The light blue v-neck, lace top she wore was held up by thin straps. It was cut low, giving him a peek at what lie beneath. As she turned and sauntered to the bar, he couldn't help but stare.

She propped her elbows on the countertop and leaned over. Her round butt in the air had him practically salivating, and no matter how hard he tried, his eyes would only divert for a second before finding their way back to her.

He watched as the bartender handed her a shot and she tossed it back. As if she sensed him gawking, the waitress turned her head, propping her chin on her shoulder, and grinned.

Leaving the bar, she walked straight over to him, taking a seat in the chair next to his as though it were hers all along. "Why are you watching me?" she asked matter-of-factly, which made him cough in surprise. Was it that obvious? "You ordered at the bar first, right?"

"I…um," he stuttered and gave up on an explanation.

She smiled again, most likely at catching him off guard. He decided drinking the beer in front of him wouldn't be a bad idea and grabbed one of the bottles, chugged half, and sat it down. He eyed her with curiosity and pressed his sweating palms against his jeans.

Say something! "How long have you been here?"

She arched her left eyebrow. "You mean as in, tonight?"

"Working here, as in days, weeks, months, years."

"A few weeks." She crossed one leg over the other, hiking the already short, black skirt up her thigh, exposing more of her silky skin. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm on my break."

"And you chose to spend it with me?"

She shrugged her right shoulder and picked up a pack of cigarettes from the table he hadn't noticed her put there when she sat. She lit one, the flame from the lighter making it possible for him to notice her eyes had a green tint to them. "Your table is empty."

He playfully scoffed, amused at her excuse. There were at least six unoccupied tables in the room. "When does the band start?"

She looked down at her watch. Silver with rhinestones, it fit loose like a bracelet. "In about an hour. They start at ten. What's your name?"

He drank another quarter of the beer. "Kyle Phillips. You?"

"Sharon Blake." She reached up and pulled her long hair from the back of her neck and let it fall. "Is this your first time here? I've never seen you around. Are you from Pineville?"

Kyle cleared his throat. She was making observations, asking questions. He'd been divorced for three months, but this was his first time at a bar since meeting his ex-wife nine years ago, and he wasn't certain if he should explain his situation—a fresh divorcĂ©. He decided to go with direct answers. "I live about three miles outside of town. And no, I don't get out much."

"Huh." She tugged on the cigarette and then snuffed the rest of it out in an ashtray at the center of the table. "I'm trying to quit."

"Six years smoke free for me. It was one of the hardest things I've done."

She eyed him carefully. "Are you meeting someone?"

"A friend. He should be here any time." Kyle peeled his gaze from her and scanned the growing crowd through the dimly lit room, suddenly hoping his friend didn't show for a while. He gulped more beer. "How long are you on break?"

"I've got a few minutes." Her eyes moved over him and he wondered how evident it was that he wanted to taste her skin. "Why do you ask?"

"I thought I might get you something to drink. But then, if you work here—"

"My drinks are free." She laughed and reached for his stash of untouched beer. "Do you mind?" The waitress…Sharon…didn't wait for an answer before popping the top and taking a sip. "Kyle Phillips, I need your help."

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Monday, January 7, 2013

The First Night gets 5 Hearts
 
 
"Well written, first story to a new series.
I liked Gannon's strong alpha male type,
with a few issues to work out from his past."
~ Romance Book Scene
 
Gannon stood at the doorway of the bar and watched her drive away, everything he’d wanted for the last nine years. He wondered for the thousandth time why he hadn’t been able to bring himself to call her. He shook his head. It didn’t matter now. She’d said it. Two minutes ago, she’d said I don’t need this.
 
“It’s pretty obvious,” a woman’s voice said from behind him. Gannon turned around. Sharon. She reached past him and flicked the butt of a cigarette out of the open door.
 
“What’s obvious?” Gannon stepped outside and propped against the wall. Sharon followed.
 
“How you feel about her. I saw the way you looked at her on Friday when she walked up to the bar. At first I thought it was pure lust. I’ve heard the wild college stories about you from my brother.”
 
Gannon opened his mouth to defend himself, but Sharon held up a hand to stop him. He clamped his jaw shut and stared at a flickering streetlight that was threatening to go out. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to escape up the stairs to his apartment and close himself in, hoping everything about Kayla would fade away.



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The First Night


Can the last place she needs to be become the first night of her forever?

Music blared from the band, pounding in Kayla's ears and masking the nervous hammering in her chest. She tossed the apprehension from her head. The bartender was watching her again, and she was glad. After all, it had been a long time since anyone held her interest and he…well, he seemed to be matching her awareness. She was determined to talk to him, and with liquid courage having her back, she was in rare form. Feeling tenacious and certain, she licked her lips to make them shine and walked toward the faintly familiar man.

The closer she got to the bar, the more the courage escaped her. Never in her life had she approached a man she was attracted to. "Just go to the bar and order a drink," she said quietly to herself. "He won't bite."

Kayla grinned, took a deep breath, and settled on a bar stool. She didn't have to wait. The bartender met her as she sat. His gaze held hers for a second longer than she was comfortable with, and her breath hitched in her throat. She moved her stare to the shelves of bottles behind him. Without her asking, he placed a shot of tequila in front of her. She slowly traced the rim with her index finger, trying to think of something clever to say when he sat another shot on the worn mahogany bar top. "Thanks, but I can't handle two more. I'd like to be able to walk out of here."

He held the extra glass up to her eye level, leaning toward her, his eyes burning into hers. "This one is for me. I'd like you to be able to walk out of here too. Let's have a toast."

People around the bar repeatedly shouted out their orders, but the bartender didn't seem to hear them, or if he did, he didn't acknowledge them. Two other guys serving drinks took up the slack.

Kayla picked up the small glass of liquid meant for her and slowly batted her lashes. "A toast to what, exactly?"

She couldn't help but notice the black scribe tattoo on the inside of his upper arm and wondered what it said, but didn't allow her eyes to dwell as they followed his arm to his shoulder and to his neck. She imagined her tongue trailing across his skin and quickly flushed.

He smiled, and his eyes sparkled as he clinked his glass to hers. "To four-inch, platinum heels and jeans that make an ass like yours trigger heart attacks for all that may lay their eyes upon it."

Kayla laughed out loud. He had to be joking, how cheesy. "Well, I wouldn't say it has such an extreme effect on everyone. Does a line like that work on every female?" She licked her hand where he'd showed her earlier and grabbed the salt shaker.

He leaned in closer, inches from her, his gaze intense. "I couldn't be more serious. I've always—"

"Gannon!" one of the other bartenders interrupted. "We've got a fight!"

His eyes narrowed, and irritation spread across his face. He glanced at the anxious announcer behind him and back to Kayla. "Give me a few minutes?"

She watched him jump across the bar and disappear into the crowd. Shivers went across her skin as she noticed the muscles in his arms flex when he lifted himself over the counter. Forgetting about the salt, she tossed the shot back and helped herself to the one he'd left on the bar. As an afterthought, she bit into the lime. His name is Gannon.
 

Monday, December 17, 2012

Release Day Give Away!

Finally! It's here!
My debut novella The First Night has officially been released thanks to the wonderful people at Beachwalk Press!
Yes, I've been dancing around like a maniac since last night (well, once I got over the anxiety) and I can't wait to hear from readers!
Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a free give away!
 
Can the last place she needs to be become the first night of her forever?


She planned to meet her coworkers for drinks and be home in a few hours. Getting drunk and staying out all night was not an option. Not for Kayla Dobbs. Going to a bar was already pushing her limits. Between her full-time job and night classes, there was no time to spare for a social life, and certainly no time for a relationship. But when she meets Gannon, the sexy bartender whose hypnotic eyes seem to follow her every move, she wishes things could be different.

Although Kayla doesn't recognize him, Gannon knows exactly who she is—she was the one girl in high school he'd always wanted but had been afraid to pursue. He's changed a lot since high school though, and maybe now he has a chance at making that dream come true.

As she breaks free from her self-induced lifestyle of studying and work, Kayla realizes that no matter how concrete her life plan is, sometimes it only takes one night, one person, to alter it forever.

          Barnes & Noble   Amazon   Kobo   All Romance Ebooks   BookStrand   Beachwalk Press

Monday, December 3, 2012

Holiday Kisses Release Day!

I know you've all been waiting, and if you're anything like me, it's been an extremely anxious wait. Katrina's Christmas is my first published work and honestly,
I can't imagine being included with a better group of authors.
Holiday Kisses- A Beachwalk Press Anthology is FREE!
There are eleven short stories that are bound to leave you breathless.
How can you pass that up?

 
Click here to download: Holiday Kisses
Click here to download: Holiday Kisses
Click here to download: Holiday Kisses