My
newest book, Away to Me, is now live
on eXtasy Books! Here’s a few
juicy details about my little story, and a sneak peek!
Away
to Me
Book
1 of the Tri-Town Series – Bridgewater
Part
of the Noted
Special Collection at eXtasy Books
(Cover art by
the lovely and talented Martine Jardin)
Genre: Contemporary
Erotic Romance, set in a Small Town.
Tagline: Sometimes you
have to go back to move forward.
What would you do if you found out your late spouse wasn’t the
biological parent of your stepchild as they had led you to believe? Would you
let it go, in hopes the child wouldn’t go looking for their birth family, or
would you help them in their search?
This is the
dilemma Neil Falcon faced when he first discovered his late wife, Rita, wasn’t
the biological mother of his teenage stepdaughter, Rikki.
His decision to
look for her roots puts them on a path that leads them to a part of Neil’s
past, one he thought was locked away forever.
Kelsey Wagner is shocked to see the man she once adored appear on her
doorstep with claims that Rikki may be her biological child. After finding out
her daughter wants her to be a part of her life, she agrees.
Amidst the confusion of raising a teenage daughter, the old feelings
resurface. They know their daughter wants them to become a family, but can they
make it work?
Away
to Me
is about family, overcoming one’s troubled past, and finding that one special
person to love forever.
Excerpt from
Chapter Four:
Two weeks later, Rikki’s birthday weekend arrived, and
Kelsey was satisfied with everything. Rikki, Taffy and the four other girls
invited would be there after school and they were looking forward to a long
weekend of movies, gossip and fun.
However, the instant the girls walked into the house
with Punky, bedlam ensued. After the girls said hello to her and introduced
themselves, they made the mistake of not locking the dog in Rikki’s bedroom.
Excited to have so many admirers at once, Punky took
off like a bullet the instant he was off his leash and made a lunge for the
cats. Sammy and Casey hissed and zoomed off in different directions. The
corgi’s playful nature took over and the promise of a treat could not calm him.
The girls laughed and tried to catch him.
Kelsey slid down the wall to land on her rump and
watched the scene unfold with a grimace.
Insanity seemed to follow that corgi wherever he went.
I think he creates chaos out of boredom, or
because he likes it!
Finally, the girls rounded up the eager canine and
managed to sweet-talk him into Rikki’s room with treats and the promise of
belly rubs.
Kelsey thought the worst of the craziness was over
once Punky was distracted with food.
Unfortunately, she had forgotten how noisy teenage
girls could be when they were not absorbed in a movie or TV show. The blare
echoing out of the house was deafening, punctured by squeals and giggles, and
she wondered how any parent could survive a few hours of it without going deaf
or losing their mind.
She was right by the speaker for the doorbell when it
rang. She ran for it with a sigh and a prayer it was someone quiet, preferably
an adult with chocolate who would rescue her from the madness.
Kelsey opened the door and sagged against the wall
with relief when she saw Neil. “For a minute, I thought it was the cops,” she
explained as she moved back to let him inside.
He glanced toward the hallway with a wry grin and
cringed at the noise level coming from Rikki’s room. “Better you than me.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and swiped at his arm.
“If you didn’t want to get run over by a bunch of screaming girls, you should
have stayed away. What’s up?”
“I’m dropping off a few DVDs for the girls,” he
replied and held them up.
Kelsey noted the titles and grinned. “Do you want to
give them to her yourself? You’re welcome to come in and say hello.”
Please save me.
Neil groaned and held up his hands defensively. “Uh,
no, that’s fine. How are you holding up? Are you ready to rip out your hair
yet?”
She gave him a blank look.
“It was your idea to have the party at your place,” he
said.
She wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face,
preferably with one of his dirty socks. Better
yet, Punky’s favourite blanket. That thing is disgusting.
She grabbed a DVD case out of his hand and lightly
whapped him over the head with it. “You could have warned me about the noise
and insanity!”
He snickered. “Some things are best learned when
you’re in the middle of it.”
An evil grin spread across her face as a way of
revenge came to her. “Would you like a coffee?”
Neil glanced at the hallway again and raised an
eyebrow at her. “Rule one of having a sleepover is that if you’re a single
parent, no other adults are allowed, especially if you volunteered.”
Kelsey mockingly glared at him. “The next time she has
a sleepover, it’s at your place, and you’re on your own.”
His left eyelid twitched. “I was joking.”
She giggled. “I knew you were yanking my chain.”
“You can’t blame a guy for trying.”
Her smile softened. “Seriously, do you want a coffee?
I’ll make sure the girls don’t go nuts on you if you come in.”
“I can’t. I have the support group this evening.”
She nodded as she recalled it. It was Friday night and
the group for runaway teens. Neil had switched weeks with another leader so the
other man could take a family trip. “Some other time?”
Neil’s grin made her toes curl in her sneakers.
“Definitely.”
Their gazes locked and their smiles faded as he
hesitantly reached out to cup her cheek in his palm. His thumb brushed her
lower lip.
Kelsey trembled when she saw the tenderness on his
face. She leaned into the soft caress and shivered as she felt his breath, soft
and warm, graze her lips. She nuzzled her face against his, closed her eyes and
brushed her lower lip along his.
A loud bang ripped through the house. They pulled away
from each other with a jump.
Giggles and squeals echoed out of the hallway.
Neil awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets.
Kelsey took a step backwards and wrapped her arms
around her stomach.
Punky tore past them with a bra dangling from his
mouth, followed by Rikki, Taffy and the other four girls spending the night.
“What in the dickens is he doing now?” Kelsey called
after them with a sigh.
“Punky stole Carrie’s bra and we’re trying to get him
before he buries it in the snow!” Taffy yelled over her shoulder.
Kelsey blinked several times. With an apologetic smile
at Neil, she muttered, “I’d better help them before he eats it.”
Neil was trying to hold back a snicker. “Better you
than me.”
She gave him a filthy look, which softened when he
touched her cheek.
“I’ll let you get to it.” He leaned forward and placed
a soft kiss on her forehead. “Night, Kelsey.”
“Night,” she whispered as he left, and with a shrug,
jumped back into the fray.
* * * *
“Play with Me”,
Book 2 of the Tri-Town Series (Mahone Bay) is currently “Under Production”!
* * * *
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