Friday, January 27, 2012

What Did I Read in 2011?

This is a list of some of the books I read in 2011. The first are ones I posted reviews for on Amazon and BN that I read in the latter half of the year. Time writing and with family got in the way of me keeping up the list that makes up the rest of the books mentioned, but I wanted to put them all into one post and hope to try to figure out a better way to do this each year.

Now you go ahead and recommend some books to me!

Driving Me Nuts, PJ Jones   Unexpected Surprise

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book other than I knew it wasn’t going to be a parody like the author’s other works. As the plot unfolded, taking strange and twisted turns in a ‘borrowed’ Mustang convertible, I was drawn in by the quirky yet sympathetic characters until I was rooting for Ruckus and Apple with every page. Gotta love Fred, too, but Garth made me laugh out loud. The ending was so touching it brought tears to my eyes.

Fireweed  by Casey Clifford       Great follow up to Black Ribbon Affair

This second in Clifford’s Affair Series is another winner! (Black Ribbon Affair won a Virginia Romance Writers’ HOLT Medallion Award honoring outstanding literary talent.)  We meet up with Caitlin and Mike on a corporate retreat/fishing trip to Alaska that ends up ANYTHING but relaxing. The scenery is breathtaking and the is action non-stop—even explosive. It was fun seeing how this couple’s relationship progressed with their marriage, and I sincerely hope there are more adventures planned for these two. They make a great team!

Splintered Energy by Arlene Webb         Amazing imagination

We all know you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. Yet, that’s exactly why I bought this book—the cover completely captivated and intrigued me. Then I started reading and Arlene Webb’s amazing imagination and way cool characters took over. The moment I was done, I immediately downloaded the sequel, The R Word, and stared reading.

The R Word by Arlene Webb  Second in The Color Series as good as the first!

This book picked right up from Splintered Energy and kept me reading more than one evening way into the night. This continuing storyline is so unique, with equally exceptional characters that are layered and complex, I look forward to the next books in this series so I can spend more time with them and see if they can return ‘home.’ Funny thing is, though I really want them to, the thought makes me sad and I’m not quite sure what to hope for.  Guess I’d better keep reading as long as Webb’s still writing! Book 3 House Of Seven is on my Nook.

Smilodon by Alan Nayes             WOW!

I am a total sucker for a great cover. This one dug its fangs in, the blurb sunk them deeper, and the writing locked Smilodon’s jaws to hold my attention until I reached the high-octane ending. Again, WOW! Cougars are one of my favorite animals, and big cats in general are just plain awesome, but the thought of the big cat in this book loose in wilderness is downright chilling. Nayes’ descriptions brought the scenes alive in my head and raised the hair on the nape of my neck at times. Lastly, I’d like to request: Hollywood, make this a movie, please!

Atlantis, by Lisa Graves  Loved the book!

I started this book with an open mind since I don't read much YA. I'm really glad I did give it a try--I loved the paranormal idea behind the book and Graves does a great job putting the reader in Lilly's shoes. She has a way with her words and the first person point of view really works well. There was only one thing I wasn't too sure about at the end, but I found out the author is planning two more books in the series and sincerely hope my question is answered. Great job Lisa Graves! Book two in the series, Stonehenge is also waiting on my Nook.


July 2011
Tall Tales and Wedding Veils, by Jane Graves. Fun twist on the marriage of convenience, or 'got drunk and married in Vegas' story. Very heartwarming, funny read.

June 2011

Meddling With a Millionaire, by Cat Schield. Cat's debut book was a winner for me. Now I have to go to her website to download her free prequel novella, Her Secret Millionaire.

Golden North, by Ilona Fridl. Cute follow up to Silver Screen Heroes, set in Alaska in the 20's. Looking forward to book 3, Bronze Skies.

May 2011

Ghost Ship, by PJ Alderman. Follow up to Haunting Jordan that's just as good of a mystery and Alderman left me wanting the third book in the series just to get more Jase. Darn you, PJ, write faster!

Fool Me Twice, by Sandra Mrshall and Sandra Sooko.Two stories with an April Fool's theme. Marshall's is fun and cute, Sookoo's has a more serious tone but still gets the fun in. The two make for an enjoyable collaboration.

Mountain Ranger Recon, by Carol Ericson. Book 2 in the Brothers in Arms series and just as good as the first. I highly recommend this series. Did I mention I can't wait for Jack's book?

Navy Seal Security, by Carol Ericson. Great start to Carol's new Brothers in Arms series. Great hero & heroine, and she's got me totally intrigued by Jack, who'll be the hero of Book 4.

April 2011

Not Without You
, by Jean Barrett. I've been a fan of Jean's since joining WisRWA—he writes great Harlequin Intrigues with lots of action. This book delivers on action—it should what with spanning three wars—and gives the reader a wealth of emotion. I kept waiting for Kate and Efrem to get together, only to be kept guessing until the end. Great book that shows the enduring power of love.

Those Baby Blues, by Sheridon Smythe. This book was a "Treet" from start to finish! I may be a little partial to movie star heroes after writing my own in Lost in Italy (not published), but that doesn't take away from this fun, sexy, heart-warming book. Give it a try.

Montana Belle, by Linda Morris. I really enjoyed this western historical novella. Good to read in one evening, curled up with a warm cup of tea!

March 2011

Not Looking For Trouble, by Delia Deleest. Delia writes the 20's as if she lived them. (I know her personally and she's much younger than that!) She's paired up a sweet but strong heroine with a strong yet vulnerable man for a great romance—once they've worked through some issues.

Tempting Adam, by Jill James. Jill's debut novel is a fun, sexy read with a feisty heroine who reveals a heartwarming vulnerability at the end. And Adam is, among other things, hot! I'm really looking forward to Jill's next book.

Curses, by Cindy Spencer Pape. I bought this one awhile ago and am slowly working through the ebooks on my Nook. Cindy captured me right away with the paranormal element and kept me reading with her wonderful characters. A witch who thinks she's destined to be alone, and a werewolf who doesn't want to pass his paranormal genes on…they're the perfect pair to break the Curses in their lives.


February 2011

Haunting Jordan, by PJ Alderman. I loved PJ's A Killing Tide, and her new series is just as good! Fun and quirky, yet lots of mystery and suspense. I'll be picking up her next book in the Port Chatham series real soon.

Sparring Partners, by Leigh Morgan. I'm about half way in and so far so good! Leigh's got a way with words that makes it hard to put down my Nook. I'm looking forward to the rest of the book. March: Finished the book and enjoyed it all the way to the end. Great job, Leigh!


January 2011

Cattitude, by Edie Ramer…quite a twist on the 'body-switch' plot. I really enjoyed this fun read!

Beauty & the Geek, by Roni Adams…LOVED this book. Read it in one sitting. Louie's the hottest geek I've ever read about!

Stacey Joy Netzel

Love Romantic Suspense?

Just recently on Twitter (@StaceyJoyNetzel if you want to follow) I met up with @JustRomanticSuspense.  Seeing as I have a couple of books available in that genere (Lost In Italy, Trust In The Lawe, Shattered Trust, Shawdowed Trust), I had to check out the website:


Very Cool!  There are A LOT of RS authors out there and some very well know names! 

Allison Brennan, Angi Morgan, Barbara Freethy, Brenda Novak, Carla Neggers, Lori Foster, Debra Webb, Heather Graham, Rebecca York...and the list goes on.  There are also a number of not-so-well-known RS authors, but hopefully you'll browse and get to know us, too.

The site features guest blogs and giveaways by authors, new release information, Fun stuff, Book of the Day, and more.

Check it out!  And while you're at it, meet the website's creator, Maureen A Miller with a short bio from the website.

Maureen is known for writing blustery romantic suspense novels, but even she needs to warm up after awhile. ENDLESS NIGHT will take you to Maine's rugged coast in the middle of a nor'easter, while JUNGLE OF DECEIT will have you sweating in the rain forests of Guatemala. Whatever your geographical preference, chances are that Maureen will weave you a tale of romance and danger in one of them.

Endless Night

You can find all of Maureen's books at her Amazon Author Page.

I can see already I'm going to be adding to my TBR list on my Nook! Thank you Maureen for setting up this great site!

Happy Reading and check back to see what's up for Sunday Share.

Stacey Joy Netzel

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

How Internet-dependent are you?

New Year's Day.  9:09AM

We welcomed 2012 with a little bit of winter weather and some wind.  Not sure the cause, but suddenly the bathroom lights go out. I make my way into the kitchen and flick the light...nothing. I say, "Power's out." Downstairs, my 8yr old son says, "So that's what it was. That scared me. There was a pop and a flash down here."  Me: "You mean outside?"  Son: "No, behind the computer." Me: Yikes!

Since the power was out, there was nothing I could do at the moment, and I was honestly more concerned about heat if the outage lasted too long. Everything came back on about 1015AM, with some beeps here and there, the stove clock flashing 9:09, and that sudden loud humming of appliances that we never notice until a complete absense of power is suddenly restored.

So I head down to the computer and everything turns on just fine (Thank God!) except...

The DSL modem.

Crap. I have no internet. No lights at all on the modem.

A call to tech support confirmed somehow the modem was fried during the power outage despite being plugged into a surge protecter and everything else on that outlet being fine.  Apparently, the surge came from the dedicated DSL line, not the electrical cord.  That's when I found out that you can purchase surge protectors for the not only the electrical outlets, but the DSL line as well.  (It's on my list now!)

Long story shortend a little bit, due to the holiday and a phone company goof up on the order, my new modem didn't arrive until Jan. 5th.  That was 5 whole days without internet. At first I was silently panicking...What will I do until Thursday without internet??!!

No email. No checking my sales at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  No book promo. No Facebook. 

I took a deep breath and applied the advice I always give my hubby that frustrates him: "There's nothing you can do about it, freaking out won't get the internet working any sooner, so just deal with it."

So I started writing.  And every ten or fifteen minutes that first day I'd hear this muted little "ding" as if I'd received a new email.  And I'd click down on my InBox to see who sent a message only to remember I had no internet!  Then about ten minutes later, I'd click to go on Amazon to check my book stats. Crap. No internet! 

The second day, I didn't open any other applications other than my WIP (work in progress) and I was no longer hearing those phantom dings. I didn't worry about sales, or promo...I just wrote like crazy. It was quite freeing. By the time Thursday rolled around, I had written over 7000 words, which equals about 21 double-spaced pages.  In a normal week--the full 7 days--I get about 5000 words done.  By the end of that first week of January I finished 11,500 words.

Ironically, that 5 days of no internet was just what I needed to show me what I can do when I'm not distracted. It's also a good lesson to turn off the internet when I'm working on deadline and need to get the words on the page.

Also, as initially traumatic as it was to consider the better part of a week disconnected, I quickly realized it wasn't worth putting on make-up to take my hubby's laptop into town for free wi-fi.  As long as I know it's not indefinite, I'm now comfortable knowing I can survive without the internet. And, I suppose it wasn't complete cut off--I did borrow my son's 3G phone each night to check my sales numbers. :)

So how internet-dependent are you?  If you were cut-off, how would you deal with it?

Stacey Joy Netzel

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sunday Share: Fireweed by Casey Clifford + Giveaway

Today I'm thrilled to have Casey Clifford sharing an excerpt from FIREWEED and she's giving away a free ebook to one commentor!

The first book in Casey's Affair series--Black Ribbon Affair--was so good it kept me up till the early hours of the morning. I'm about 3/4ths of the way through Fireweed and it's just as good. I can't wait to see how it ends!

Here's a short note from Casey and then she was kind enough to answer a couple of my questions. Take it away, Casey!

This opportunity to share my recent book today came up a bit unexpectedly. But life is really all about being spontaneous and rolling with the opportunities, right? Anyway, I’m very excited to share a bit about the second book in what I call the Affair Series, a romantic mystery/suspense with continuing characters. I’ve envisioned this to be a lot like the old TB series Hart to Hart, if you can remember that.

For those of you who read the first book, Black Ribbon Affair, Fireweed has the main characters Caitlin and Mike now married and on a fishing trip in Alaska. In this book you get a chance to see them deal with a tough situation but in a setting they are totally unfamiliar with.
 
I love this series because it depicts a romantic married couple who are dealing with life and problems and it usually will have a secondary love plot in addition to the mystery/suspense. I’ll be checking in if you have any questions or comments.

What is it about the continuing characters that drew you to write another book in this series?

    First of all, my hubby fell in love with Caitlin and suggested I had to do another book. Then once Black Ribbon came out and I heard from readers, most of them wanted to know more about Caitlin and Mike. Since I really loved Hart to Hart, and I also love Eve and Roake as married couples in mystery suspense, I decided I’d continue on for at least one more book. I’m playing with ideas for the suspense plot for #3. And because readers also asked me about Rachel who’s Caitlin’s assistant in Black Ribbon, I’m playing around with doing a novella for her backstory with Caitlin in it for sure because I really liked Rachel.



You have a lot going on in Fireweed…how did you handle the details of the BioSynergy corporate world?

   Research. Plus I happened to know a person in the field that provide some insights. 



I swear, as I’m reading I feel like I’m the one wading into the river to catch the fish, or flying in the plane through the pass, or watching the mama bear and her cubs…or cringing at the bullet that wings by my ear! How did you research the Alaska aspect of the book?

     As I mention in my dedication page, I owe that to my oldest son who has made Alaska his home. He’s a guide and outfitter up there and hooked me up with several lodge managers to talk with. Since he’s also a pilot with a small plane such as I mention in the book, he took me up on flights few would get a chance to do. Believe me, so much of that comes from him as I listened to his stories of his adventures. The mom part of me could have gotten worried but the writer part of me rubbed her hands together and said, “Oh, this is gooood!”



Lucky you! Alaska is a dream vacation for me and the hubby someday. So, you're considering a third book for Mike and Caitlin...any hints of where that will take them?

  I’m playing around with maybe someplace in Europe right now.



Good choice! I know you’re busy at the computer these days…what else do you have planned for the next couple months.

   I want to get my next Woman’s Fiction book up as a digital book. It’s called Better Than Dessert and is book 1 for what I refer to as my Double Ds’ books. It’s a group of women friends  who’ve been best friends forever. Each book will have the main plot center around a crisis in one of the women’s lives and how they handle it as well as how this changes them and their friendship. I hope to have it available in early February. I’ve got book 2 finished in rough draft and then I’ll be working on revising and editing that. And of course, Mike and Caitlin will demand some times too. I also blog every Sunday. So these jobs will keep me busy.
Looking forward to the new books and I have to say, I love your blog! Very inspiring.

Without further ado, here's...

FIREWEED, by Casey Clifford
Genre: Romantic suspense/mystery
Heat: Sensual


From the tingling prickles nipping at her calves, Caitlin figured she had been jogging far beyond her usual six miles. During her early run, she encountered no problems. Not from the terrain. Not from any carnivorous animals. Her body was a different story. Succumbing to a severe muscle spasm, she slowed her pace, glanced at her watch, and promised herself a fifteen minute rest when she reached that far clump of willows and cottonwoods. As a small reward, she might even nosh on a power bar. She wasn't hungry, but an energy boost would only help her next miles. She glanced around her and behind her.

By her calculations, she had to be well past the half-way point.

Still no sign of Matt or Gus. Or anything else except the vast expanse of the lake, the brooding mountains encircling her and the lake, the chirps of shore birds, the squee of hunting eagles. The air contained no distinctive odors. Was this really what fresh air smelled like?

Her aloneness awed her. Humbled her. She could disappear in this land and probably never be found. Like Justin?

That wouldn't happen. Something deep inside her affirmed her trust in this land. It would give back Justin. It would somehow recognize the good man he had been. He deserved to be returned to his loved ones. This land and the spirits that roamed it would make that happen.

As tiny and powerless as she felt now in this huge land engulfing her, she didn't fear it. It understood the rightness of her mission, the love in her heart. She would succeed and bring help for those back at the lodge.

Five minutes later she reached the sheltering willows. She pulled a red bandana from her fanny pack and dipped it in the cold water of the stream running through the willows and emptying into the lake. The sound of silence encompassed her as she buried her face in the dripping rag and hummed off key Simon and Garfunkel's anthem.

Draping the moist bandana around her neck, she sat on a fallen log and slowly massaged her calves. First one aching muscle. Then the other. While she kneaded and rubbed, she watched a busy threesome of black and white magpies make a fluttering, two-footed landing not far from her. Their birdy chattiness shattered the stillness and eased her sense of aloneness.

She munched on her power bar; its calories would energize her for this last lap. Based on her pace and the time, she estimated she had completed a good two thirds of the distance to the cabin. She looked at the opaque blue sky above her. Daylight seemed duller.

She chewed on the last bit of her bar. What was Mike doing now? Were he and the others safe? Was he worried about her? And Beth? What was happening with her and Brian?

Mike was such a dear worrywart. Almost as bad as she was. She laughed out loud, sending the magpies flapping off toward the trees.

She glanced at her watch. Five more restful minutes, then back to pounding the trail. Oh, the stories she and Mike would tell her their families about their adventures on this trip. Unlike Justin who might not return at all–ever.

Then a vision of Beth floated behind her eyelids. The young teen, so destitute of mothering. Could Caitlin provide the structure and guidance Beth might need? From all Caitlin knew about teenage girls, they could be a handful with raging hormones, heightened emotions and changing their personalities faster than an Oscar hostess changed costumes. Could they mesh their needs, make this new family circle work, especially with her new responsibilities at BioSynergy?

But first things first. She needed to get help.

~*~

You can find Casey Clifford, her awesome blog, and the books in the Affair Series here:


Pick up your copy of Fireweed today!
    Amazon: http://amzn.to/uPWCi0
    B & N: http://bit.ly/zazuZZ

And if you want to check out Black Ribbon Affair first:
    Amazon: http://amzn.to/pCRWKE
    B & N: http://bit.ly/wikxrP

Who is Mary Jo Scheibl writing as Casey Clifford?

A short summary of my life might be as follows: "She’s been there, done that, and is still trying…”

She’s not perfect and wouldn’t want to be.  She was determined to finish college and graduate school to teach college level classes. She accomplished this while working and single-parenting 3 sons. She taught for 27 years and retired to pursue what she dreamed of doing since she was a child—write the stories that had been tumbling about in her head.

Today she writes women’s fiction and romantic suspense as Casey Clifford. Her first novel received the Holt Medallion for Literary Achievement for Best First Book of 2009. She also won the Write Touch Readers’ Award for the same book in the romantic suspense category. She blogs every Sunday and dabbles in photography.

She strives daily to be a wise woman and believes all her heroines have already gotten there.

Thank you so much for being here and sharing about your books, Casey! Don't forget to leave a comment with your contact email and Casey will draw a name and post the winner on Wednesday.

Good luck!

Stacey Joy Netzel

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Lyme Disease and Final sales numbers for Dragonfly Dreams in Dec 2011

Anyone who follows my blog knows that all my author profits for the month of December 2011 for my Christmas novella Dragonfly Dreams were donated to the White Family, who due to late diagnosis of Lyme Disease have some very hefty and on-going medical bills.

Here are the final sales numbers:

Amazon: 41

Barnes and Noble: 8

Smashwords:  1

Amazon UK:  1

All Romance eBooks:  1

That gives us a total of 52 books, for $104.00.  I also had a few people contact me saying they didn't get their purchase in before the Dec. 31st cut off, so I'm going to up the donation for a few more books.

I appreciate (as do they!) all the support offered during the sale and would like to thank everyone who bought a copy. Think about the gift you gave as you read the book.

Also, if you'd like to learn more about Lyme Disease for yourself, family, or friends who may be affected or know someone affected by this disease, here's a link to a very good movie called Under Our Skin.  I watched it to find out more of what my friends are going through, but in the end I'm very glad to have the extra knowledge for myself and my family since we're out in the northwoods of WI all the time. Knowledge is power and that's a good thing to have when it comes to your loved ones.

Wishing you a wonderful 2012 full of Dragonfly Dreams!



Stacey Joy Netzel

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Sunday Share: Blue Jeans and Stilettos + giveaway

Today I welcome fellow WisRWA member Jordyn Meryl and her co-authors C.Deanne Rowe and Maggie Rivers.  They're they creators of Blue Jeans and Stilettos, an anthology of three romance stories.  They also have a second book in the series: Mrs. Clause Wears Stilettos.

Jordyn, C.Deanne, and Maggie are not only sharing excerpts below, but one lucky commenter will win their choice of an ebook or autographed print copy.

Blue Jeans and Stilettos - Adult Romance

Jordyn Meryl-When Dreams Change-(Hot) Jessica’s dream was a small café’ in Italy.  But when her husband walked out the door, so did her dream.  But dreams changed when Alejandro walked in to be her bartender.

C. Deanne Rowe-It’s Better in the Dark-(Hotter) This birthday could change Sofie Edwards’ life forever as she finds hot desire in a mystery man that she has never seen.

Maggie Rivers-Take a Chance on Love-(Hottest) Jennifer Sinclair doesn’t want sex on her fantasy island vacation. Caleb Hollister wants Jennifer.  Who will win?






When Dreams Change

CHAPTER ONE

 “You stupid-cheating-mother-fucking-son-of-a-bitch!”

The heavy stoneware plate hurled from Jessica’s hand headed towards

her husband.

Sweat lingered over her eyebrows running in her sea green eyes.  So infuriated she didn’t even pause to wipe it away.

Charles, a middle-aged, non- athletic nerd, jutted to his right at the last second as it hit the wall behind his head shattering into pieces.

Raising his hands out in front of him to block her onslaught, his wire-rimmed glasses twisted on his nose. “Damn it, Jessica.  Buying the café was a mistake.  I just can’t stay here and work all the time. I feel stifled.” 

           Her words came at him in a blaze of pure rage. “What the hell do you mean, mistake

We sold everything we owned to get the money to buy this café.”

          “Well I just don’t think this business venture is going to work.”  Charles still had his arms up in a defensive block.

          Jessica grabbed two more plates, angrily releasing one. “What do you mean it’s not going to work?” Charles dodged the first plate.

Her tone of voice seethed with white fury. “What’s the real reason, Charles?”

The second one soared at high speed.  It nicked his forehead, just above his eye. Blood oozed from a cut.

          “Okay!  I want someone else.   Bambi and I want to have a life together.”  He held his hand over the wound.  “Enough!  I’m leaving.  It’s all yours honey.  Do whatever the hell you want.  I’m done, finished, out-of here.”

          With another plate in her hand, Jessica watched as Charles twisted around and did a hasty escape out of the door.  Blonde Bambi was waiting for him outside.   Dragging his little sex kitten behind him, Charles exited indubitably out of her life.



It’s Better in the Dark

CHAPTER ONE



IT’S BETTER IN THE DARK.   Spend an evening rediscovering your senses.  Let us give you a fantasy night to remember in a perfectly safe environment.

“This is it.  Lindsey, come here.  Hurry!”  Emma frantically waved her free hand in Lindsey’s direction trying not to spill the coffee occupying her other hand.  “I found the perfect birthday present for Sophie.”

“What?” Lindsey asked.  “What are you screaming about?”

“Look at this.”  Emma pointed to the advertisement on the bulletin board placed strategically on the wall by the door of the Morning Brew Coffee Shop.  “That’s perfect for Sophie.  You know how hard she is to buy for and she’s been complaining about her boring life lately.”

“Our Sophie?”  Lindsey patted her chest and laughed.  “So we are going to hire a male prostitute to spend an evening with our Sophie for her birthday.”  Lindsey laughed.  “Classy.  You know she’d never go for that.  You’ve had some crazy ideas Emma, but this one takes the cake.”

“Stop it,”  Emma said.  “It’s not a male prostitute.  That’s not what it says.”  Emma put her hand on her hips and let out a huff making Lindsey aware she was a little miffed she would think that of her.  “I wouldn’t think of doing that at all.  This sounds different.  I’m going to call and see what it’s about.”

“You do that Emma.”  Lindsey sipped her coffee.  “Just leave my name off if it’s something creepy.” 

“If my weird alarm goes off, I’ll make sure and tell you.”  Emma took one of the brochures and placed it in her purse as they headed for the door of the Morning Brew Coffee shop.  “It sounds like fun.”

Lindsey walked ahead, throwing Emma a look over her shoulder.  “If you are really serious, maybe someone here knows something about it.  After all, they let them leave flyers.”

“Good idea.  I’ll ask.”  Emma turned and headed back to the counter.  “Can you tell me anything about this business?”  She laid the brochure in front of the young girl running the register.

“Let me get Duncan.   Just a sec.”  The girl disappeared into the back room. 

She, Lindsey and Sophie had been coming to this coffee shop several times a week the past few years.  They knew just about everyone who worked there even the guy Sophie had a crush on, but she wasn’t sure who the young girl had gone to retrieve.   She and Lindsey were positive if Sophie became involved with the guy behind the counter she might have some fun but she would be paying for most of the dates.  So far they had been successful convincing her and Sophie had kept her distance. 

Sophie’s handsome attraction came walking through the doorway.  “I’m Duncan Tait.  Can I help you?” 



Take a Chance on Love

CHAPTER ONE



          Caleb Hollister sat behind his mahogany desk studying the four profiles lying in front of him.  Numbers one, two and three were a definite no.  They wanted sex in every shape, form and fashion imaginable.  He didn’t.

          “Let’s see what kind of sexual fantasy this last one can come up with,” he said aloud to himself as he opened the last folder.

          His gaze rushed over the form until he came to the section which would describe what this particular woman had in mind for a week of sexual indulgence limited only by her imagination.  She was paying for it and had the right to ask for any fantasy she wanted. 

Most of the women who came to the island were aggressive, jaded females so he had been totally unprepared when his partner, James, announced his marriage to one of the ladies he’d “serviced”.  But that was the difference between the two friends.  James enjoyed servicing the females who visited the island.  Caleb did not.  He managed the business.  He didn’t participate. 

James’ replacement wouldn’t arrive for another week and these four women expected their fantasy to come true.  Three would be taken care of with no problem.  It was the fourth one he was concerned about.  Now he would have to step up to the bed, so to speak.

          His gaze stopped on the first words. 

“Absolutely no sex.”

Caleb reread the sentence.  There had to be more to this woman’s fantasy.  He read on.

“I want romance.  I want to be talked to, to be held, to have a man be attentive to me, the person that I am.  I don’t want sex.  I want an intelligent conversation, somebody who’s funny and can make me laugh.  Under no circumstance is sex to be brought up.  If it is, then my money is to be refunded in total.”

This was definitely a stroke of pure luck.  A week of having some female companionship without having to perform some kinky sex act for some woman he had no feelings for was just fine with him.  He didn’t like having sex with females without emotion behind it.  That just wasn’t in him.  Never had been.  He wrote the names on the covers of the folders, putting his on the last one, and tossed them in his “out” basket for Nigel.



***



Bios-Three writers became friends. Together they created anthologies to tempt the senses, stir the imagination and leave you wanting more.





An autographed copy can be ordered at any of the websites.

Price $15.85 plus $3.00 shipping.

Or an e-copy at:


 ~*~

Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Jordyn (and C.Deanne & Maggie)! I wish you all the best of luck with your books!

Readers, remember, the ladies are giving away winner's choice of an ebook or print copy, so make sure to leave a comment and email address so Jordyn can contact the winner!

Stacey Joy Netzel