WILD WAVES EXCERPT - CHAPTER 4

WARNING: This excerpt is still pretty tame, but is just a bit more explicit than my usual ones so please read with caution.

          Vanessa woke early thanks to her sister Olivia…again. She didn’t really mind because the sooner she got through sightseeing and breakfast, the sooner she could spend time with Thomas. One thing that did annoy her though was that she'd called the shower first but her sister had rushed in and locked the door. So now she was going to have to sit there on her bed hoping like hell she wouldn't have to pee until Olivia had decided to stop dominating the bathroom. But with the water running at full blast, she didn’t count on it.
           When there was a light tapping on the door, she put her short satin robe on over the matching nightie, and opened it. Thomas greeted her with a smile.
           “Good morning, Red.”
            She stepped out and pulled the door most of the way closed. “Good morning, Tommy, feeling better today?”
            “Yes, much better. Thanks to you, I’m the happiest man on earth.”
            “I haven’t done anything,” she noted, confused.
            “You greeted me wearing that,” he informed her pointing at her skimpy attire. “That’s definitely enough to make a man happy all day.”
             “How happy would you feel if I greeted you with this,” she asked, pulling him close for a kiss.
             “This happy,” he groaned, taking her hand to place it near his zipper.
             “Hmm, seems you’re pretty damn happy,” she murmured, running her hand up and down the hard length beneath his jeans.
              His hands immediately slipped inside her robe and caressed her breasts through the thin fabric of the nightie. “Seems you’re pretty damn happy to see me too,” he whispered right before he captured her mouth in another kiss.
              “Come on man, stop groping my sister in public, let’s go!” Jackson said walking up behind them. “The gym waits for no man.”
               Thomas sighed. “Great timing as always Jack,” he muttered. “Okay, I’ll see you later, Red.”
               “Bye, Tommy.”
               Jackson put his arm around his baby sister. “You know sis, if you didn’t walk around half naked you wouldn’t have strange looking men groping you in public.”
               “You know Jack, at least I have someone who wants to grope me. Do you?”
               “Ouch baby sister, that hurt,” he pouted, feigning a look of heartbreak and holding his chest.
               “Come on dude, the gym waits for no man, or his Court Jester,” Thomas joked, pulling his friend away.
                 As the two men walked toward the stairs, Vanessa could hear Thomas ribbing her brother.
                “She got you man,” he laughed. “Before you know it you’ll be a born again virgin. And who were you calling strange looking. Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
                 Vanessa chuckled and went back into her cabin. It was just like old times. Jack would tease her and Tommy would, in a roundabout way, take her side and make sure her brother was teased too. It hit her suddenly that just maybe that’s how she had first started to love him.

WILD WAVES EXCERPT - CHAPTER 3 (and a bonus from book 5!!! )

          For the third time that day she ran smack dab into Thomas. This time though it was right into his side. Her room was two doors down from his and as he backed out she was once again not paying attention.
           “Whatever has your mind preoccupied must be something big,” he laughed.
           “You could say that,” she teased, letting her eyes roam over his body and settle at his groin. “Big is one way to describe it.” She laughed when she saw him briefly duck his head in embarrassment. Just a small glimpse of the old Thomas, the shy geek she’d first fallen in love with. She was happy to see he was still there inside the grown up, gorgeous, confidant man he’d become. When she grabbed his hand, she gave it a reassuring squeeze. Neither of them let go all the way to deck nine.
           “I need to stretch my hip. Go ahead and get in. I’ll be there in a few.” Thomas took her cover-up from her and laid it next to his t-shirt on a deck chair. He watched her as she walked to the edge of the pool and lowered herself in. His mind raced and his body ached with what he wanted to do to her.
           Vanessa sighed as she let the water envelop her. It was the perfect temperature. She could spend all summer in the water if she had time. When she was a kid that’s exactly what she’d done.                    
           Swimming deftly to the middle of the pool, she just stood there enjoying the feeling of the water lapping at her chest. There were a lot of people sitting around the pool, but there weren’t many people actually in it. She was enjoying the quiet, the gentleness of the water when she suddenly felt ripples around her. Before she could even turn to see what was causing it, she felt a big strong hand on each side of her butt.
           She automatically spiraled back in time to when Thomas, in all of his teenaged awkwardness had initiated their pool house tryst in the same way. The feeling of his hands on her, separated from her skin by only a thin strip of fabric, had turned her on more than anything else ever had. And now, five years later, it had the same effect on her.
           “We need to stop meeting like this,” she heard the deep, sexy voice from behind her. “Nothing good ever comes from it.”
           “Speak for yourself,” she mumbled. “I remember a lot of good.”
            His hands left her butt and traveled around to her stomach. He dipped one inside her bikini bottom while the other held her waist.
           “I still owe you,” he whispered. “Would this form of payment be okay?”

BONUS FROM BOOK 5 - DECEPTION IN DENALI!!!  Many of you love Jackson so I thought I would give you a very rough sneak peek!!! :)

"Good night son," Jack whispered to the sleeping little boy. "I love you." He was closing the bedroom door when he heard a noise coming from the living room. There was no mistaking that someone was in the house. There was no mistaking who it was.

"Mama there's been a strange care outside all day. Who are you letting around my son?"

Jackson opened a blackout curtain and stepped out of the shadows. "His father," he thundered.

Deborah was framed in the doorway, her long blond hair replaced by a shorter more practical cut for a woman on the run. There were a thousand emotions crossing her face. "Mama, I'll have to take him back now. How could you?"

"You won't take him anywhere Deb. It's time to end this. Now." Jackson seethed.

"Stay out of it Jack, this isn't your business."

"He's my son. It is my business. This all ends now damn it!"

Deborah turned and fled. Jackson hesitated for only a moment until he realized Angela had come up behind him and could take care of Maryann. He ran out the door just as Deborah was starting to drive off. He slipped into his rental car and headed after her.

WILD WAVES EXCERPT - CHAPTER 2

           The gym was on deck nine and instead of taking the elevator, she jogged up three floors. The strain on her muscles felt good, so good in fact that she wasn't paying attention and ran into a hard body that didn’t budge an inch. She bounced back as strong arms reached out to steady her. “What are you doing here, Red?” Thomas asked with an annoyed smirk on his face.
           “I’m going to exercise,” she informed him. “What are you doing here?’
           “Self-guided physical therapy,” he stated. “And since when does 'the princess' exercise?”
           “Did you look at my body last night?” she asked him quietly, returning his annoyed smirk. “You should remember that ‘the princess’ wasn't born with all this.”
           Thomas sighed. “I remember that you’ve always been gorgeous, exercise or not, and I definitely looked at that body last night. And I kept seeing it over and over again until I woke up this morning.”
           “You dreamed about me?” she whispered, stepping closer to him, running a finger back and forth across his chest. “Come exercise with me and I guarantee you'll see my body all night long again tonight.

            Thomas groaned. “Yeah, it my nightmares maybe,” he mumbled.
            Vanessa grabbed his hand and pulled him into the gym. “Entertain me while I exercise and I'll help you with your therapy.”
            He rolled his eyes. “How about you do your thing and I do mine?"
            “What would the fun be in that?” she pouted.
            Thomas sighed, resigned to his fate and followed her to the bank of exercise bikes. “Well look at this, two bikes side by side. I can get some therapy time in while keeping you entertained.”
            Vanessa turned her special smile on him. The one she knew, through years of experience, would make him quiver. "Well damn, I was going to have you stand in front of me and do all sorts of obscene looking stretches so I could get my fill.” She ran her hand up his thigh.
           “Jesus Nessa, were you always such a damn tease?” he asked, starting to pedal. “Never mind, don't answer that. Just get on your bike.”
           She removed her hand from his thigh. “Killjoy,” she mumbled.
           Thomas watched her swing one long, perfect leg over the bike. He couldn't help but wish, for a moment, that he was that particular piece of exercise equipment.
           “What? You actually like what you see?” she asked when she noticed him watching her every move.
           “Never said I didn’t like what I saw,” Thomas mumbled, concentrating on the rhythm he'd established.
           “I'll show you more,” she teased. “Anytime you want.”
           Thomas abruptly stopped pedaling. “I think I'm going to finish my therapy over there,” he informed her, pointing across the gym. “Much safer that way.” He winked at her and walked away.
           Vanessa kept riding the bike and her eyes never left Thomas until he moved to another machine out of her line of sight. Just as the pedals came to a stop beneath her feet, she felt something brush up against her side. She knew immediately who it was, and felt her whole body shiver in anticipation.
           “You sure seem to like riding that bike,” Thomas whispered in her ear. "Wouldn't you rather be riding me?”
            Vanessa moaned and dropped her head forward to rest on the bike's handlebars.
            “Meet me in the shower in my cabin. If you can figure out how to get in.”

REVIEW OF JACK WHO BY LISA GILLIS

REVIEW: When I first 'picked up' Jack Who?, I expected to enjoy it. But boy oh boy I didn't know how much I would enjoy it. To start out, who doesn't love a story about a sexy rock star! Within my first reading session, I squealed aloud like a teenager, got goosebumps, and felt tears in my eyes. I love it when a books starts out like that! Also within the first reading session I fell madly in love with Jack and Marissa and just when I thought I knew what would happen the author surprised me.  I love it when that happens!

Truthfully I think this story is one that every teenaged girl dreams about. Falling in love with a rock star!!! Okay, I'm not 100 % sure other girls feel this way, but I know I sure did! I wanted to grow up to be a rock star's lover. And you know, I got to live that dream through this book.  Great writing, awesome character development and a tremendous story come together in a book that I will never forget. And as I get older and want to experience some nostalgia I can go back and read Jack Who and relive my teen years. Coming next from me??? I will be reading the second book in the series, a continuation of Jack and Marissa's story as they move to the next step of their relationship!  I will have that review here soon! Go grab yourself a copy of the book today!!! You can buy it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EVDFBR4

ABOUT JACK WHO?

So, how would you like to read an excerpt from this awesome read?  

Just a few weeks ago, she had learned to hate tattoos, but now as her eyes ran over the ink decorating both arms, she saw not hurtful memories, only beautiful art.

Relaxing into the sweet spell that seemed to settle around them, she whispered, “So, the best cure for stage fright...is this?” She tilted the bottle for an extra sensuous sip.

Dark eyes welded with hers conveying instinctive and primal understanding, male to female.

Well, maybe not the best-best..." His voice deepened a few decibels, and the husky whisper was possibly the most sensual sound ever to reach her ears.

“What's the best?” Her inquiry rode more on a breath than a whisper.

Struggling for casualness she couldn't feel, she tipped the bottle for another sip and wanted so much more than that swallow. Not for a favor, or because he was famous. Simply because an intimate connection with him became something she needed– even if it only came down to her knees on the cool tiles of the floor.

Jack had more in mind. His bottle clinked as, reaching behind her, he deposited it on the granite counter top. Next, he used one long tan finger to hook a strand of her hair, pulling it over her shoulder.

Automatically, her body leaned into his as he closed the two steps between their toes. The anticipation when his head dipped sent the blood roaring through her veins.

If you want to connect with Lisa Gillis here are the links where you can find her!

www.facebook.com/JackWho

www.facebook.com/lisathedramaqueen

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3001574.Lisa_Gillis

REVIEW OF "UNDER THE SUN" BY JUDE OUVRARD

REVIEW -

I met this author through facebook and her excitement over her first novella was catching! I could not wait to read it and I was lucky enough to get a copy not too long after it debuted. I must tell you, I was not disappointed. Under The Sun is a beautiful story about falling in love and healing. Jude Ouvrard brings these characters to life in the perfect way. I'm often worried about character development in shorter works but this is done perfectly because you also have the joy of falling in love with the minor characters peppered throughout. Under the Sun is a powerful, emotional, sweet and sexy read you won't want to miss. I can hardly wait to read more by this author. And guess what? You won't have to wait long. 

AUTHOR BIO - Jude was born and raised in a small village named Lacolle. She now lives in Montreal, Canada. She is the proud mother of a beautiful four year old son, and has spent the last twelve years with her partner, Cedric. French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English.

Besides working full time for a Title Insurance Company and being a mother, Jude has a passion for books, both reading and writing them.

Her first novella, Under the Sun was published at the end of July 2013. It is part of a Beach Read called Heat Wave. Her second novella, Wonderland, will be out in October and its part of a Fall anthology. Both will be published with Renaissance Romance publishing.

She is currently working on a novel called Body, Ink, and Soul. She is hoping to publish by November or December 2013.



How about an excerpt from this wonderful novella?  Here you go! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

EXCERPT - It might have been my imagination, but when our eyes met, I felt something stirring inside me. I stared at her, wondering what had just happened, and I could still feel the tingling warmth on my skin. There was something between us, but I didn’t know quite what. Everything felt right, like we were supposed to be together.

Tracey looked away, breaking our connection. “Do you need help with anything?”

“Nope. Everything's ready.” Even though I could have stared at her all night, I didn’t want to ruin the evening. So I turned my attention to our dinner and got the bruschetta and the garlic bread on the table.

“Mmm, it looks delicious, chef.” Tracey laughed. She had quite the spirit, and unlike so many women, she didn’t appear to be complicated.

When I placed the shrimp Alfredo linguini on the table, Tracey literally licked her lips. “I think I might join you for dinner every night. It smells so good.”

“I would love that,” I replied. “The company would be nice.”

Tracy was unsettling to me, causing me to lose tact and intelligence.

For the most part, we ate in silence. Often I found myself just staring at her, like she was going to run away if I wasn’t watching her. I’d remembered her features from the first time I saw her, but she seemed different now, almost serene and calm. The first time I’d met her, I had seen the love and devotion for Mrs. Howard in her eyes, but now they were tired and sad. Regardless of how beautiful I thought she looked tonight, I wanted to be able to change that for her, to bring happiness to her eyes.

The first time I’d seen Tracey, her blond hair had been a lot shorter, too. It had reached just below her ears, but now, it hung down to the middle of her back. She’d been wearing yoga pants with a Hello Kitty T-shirt. At the time, I thought it was adorable, young and fun, but tonight she looked more mature and sexy. She was perfect.

“Earlier, you mentioned that you're here for the summer.” It was the best way I could think to start a conversation.

“Yeah. I needed some time away from home. The past few years have been rough. What about you?”

Rough? What did Tracey mean? But instead of pushing her to clarify, I heard myself rambling out an answer to her question. “I'm here for the summer, too, but I might have to leave on a few business trips.”

“Oh, that’s great. I took a couple months off work. Believe me, I needed it.”

“Do you mind me asking why?”

“Oh, sure. I can't just give you little pieces here and there and not tell you everything. I spent the last few years taking care of my grandmother. She passed away recently. Beth had Alzheimer’s, and by the end, she was so lost inside herself. She could remember the house where she grew up in Salt Lake City, but she couldn't remember who I was. It's a terrible disease. She lost all her knowledge and independence. Even simple things like going to the bathroom or changing her clothes were a challenge.

“Sometimes, Beth thought I was her sister Amanda. And there were days when she thought I was her caregiver. Those days were the worst; she didn't want help, and she thought she was doing just fine, so I had to deal with her constant mood swings and irritability. Oh, and the language that came out of her mouth? Well, let’s just say that my grandmother wouldn’t have used those words.

WILD WAVES EXCERPT - CHAPTER 1

Thomas heard the Mannon's before he saw them as he and Abigail stepped onto the ship. He hung back and let the long unseen daughter reunite with her family. And of course there was no avoiding setting eyes on the love of his life and the bane of his existence. As Vanessa waited her turn to hug Abigail, Thomas took in the sight of her from behind a luggage rack. She looked more beautiful than ever. Her wavy red hair hung down past her waist now and her big green eyes were as bright as ever. And damn, her soft, perfect curves were a bit more rounded with maturity. She was his vision of absolute perfection. The only thing different now was the subtly sad look that briefly swept across her face once in awhile as she looked around her. He couldn't help but wonder if it was because of his impending presence on her family's vacation. He suddenly couldn't stand the thought of disrupting her reunion with Abigail, so he quickly slipped away.

**********

             Vanessa took her seat and watched as Olivia and Mari greeted and fussed over their longtime friend. She knew she should say something, but the words just wouldn't come, not even a hello or a how are you old friend. Maybe it was the near glare Thomas was throwing her way. Or maybe it wasn't a glare, maybe he was just appraising her harshly as his eyes moved over her.  Something about her obviously didn't make him happy anymore, but she fondly remembered a time when everything about her had pleased him.
           Vanessa watched as he kept his eyes on her from across the table, and as he leaned toward Abigail and rested his hand on her arm. "Haven't seen you since we boarded Abby. Is the most beautiful Mannon sister enjoying the cruise so far?" Then his eyes shifted back to Vanessa and he winked. How dare he!
            Abigail leaned close to him to whisper in his ear."Using me to make her jealous, well played."
            Thomas grinned and caught Vanessa's eye. He winked again.
            She was fuming and trying not to let it show. There was no way there was something going on between Abby and Thomas. Was there?  No, there couldn't be, Abigail had brought her own man with her. He was supposedly only her personal assistant, but there was no mistaking how they looked at each other. So what the hell kind of game was Thomas Playing?
            Vanessa's attention was momentarily taken off of her former crush when Mari's soon to be ex Graham, his seven year old daughter Sarah, and his mother Eleanor unexpectedly arrived at the table. As soon as everyone had calmed down, her eyes automatically settled on Thomas again. If he was going to play a game with her, then she was going to make sure she won it. "So Tommy, I see The Marines hasn't changed you at all. Is that a pimple on your cheek," she teased.
           "Think you need glasses Red, that's a battle scar." he returned.
           Vanessa looked at him and smirked. "Having sex with a teenage girl in the pool house isn't war Paulson. She was probably clawing at your face to get you off of her." She swore she heard her mother laugh snort but didn't dare look her way. It was mortifying to think that Charlotte might know exactly what they had done in the pool house five years previously.
           "Nah, this was from the real war Vanessa," he said running his finger along the scar. "The girl you were referring to," he lowered his voice, "well you know, she just laid there like a dead..."
           Jackson choked on his soup, interrupting the sparring between his sister and best friend. Thomas smacked him on the back until he caught his breath. "You okay man?"
          "Yeah, didn't really appreciate the visual of my sister dude!"
          "You two are disgusting!" Vanessa seethed, looking around to see if anyone else had heard. She breathed a sigh of relief, noticing everyone was otherwise occupied. That is until her mother turned to her and winked. Oh God, how mortifying! Was there anything Charlotte Mannon didn't know?