Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors

Welcome to Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors, your chance to sample the work of a talented group of authors. When you finish here, you can find more snippets at:

http://www.wewriwa.com
http://www.https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnippetSunday/

Blurb:
Susan English can’t stand Robin Lanford! She’s so full of herself she irritates everyone on the faculty of Fairfield High. When Robin bets Susan fifty dollars that she can’t get a date with Kurt Deveraux, the head football coach, Susan jumps at the chance to put the little heifer in her place. She had no idea that teaching Robin a lesson would irrevocably change her life, strain treasured friendships, and throw two families into chaos.

We know that Susan won her bet with Robin when Kurt asked her to go to a party with him. At the party they drank too much tequila and ended up staying the night with their host. There's only one bed. Susan speaks first.

Excerpt:

“You’d better hurry when you get undressed; It’s cold in here.”

He turned his back to her and removed his shirt, shoes, and jeans, a process Susan watched with interest. “Golly, you’ve got great shoulders! I no...no...noticed it when we danced together.”

Kurt slid into the bed beside her. “You’re shivering.”

“I’m freezin’. The room doesn’t have any heat.” 

“Scoot close to me and get warm,” he urged. 

If you're interested in the book, you can get it at Amazon at http://amzn.to/1NDgnrg.

Saturday Sample: Fortuna

As promised last week, today I'll begin to post some excerpts from Fortuna. As you see on the cover, the book is 'A merry tale of life, love, and confusion in a small town.' The book is a romantic comedy that's at least partly based in events that happened to either me or some of my family members. I guess we'll start at the beginning. So here's a blurb and then an excerpt.

Blurb:
Aimee Sherwood never dreamed that following her fiancé into the witness protection pro-gram would land her in a haunted house in a town that’s downright creepy. She’d have laughed if she had been told the guy who lives down the road might be her soul mate, not the man whose ring she’s wearing. Life in West Virginia is nothing like life in Los Angeles, but between bean ball battles with Marilyn Monroe, remodeling a crumbling farmhouse, and starting a new online business, life in the country is anything but boring.

Excerpt:

Chapter One
The dressing room door opened with what sounded like the opening salvo of the Civil War in the silent room. Aimee Sherwood jumped and banged her knee on the table in front of her. “Ouch, that hurt!” She shoved her blonde hair away from her heart-shaped face and glared at the man who stood in the doorway.

From his seat on the massage table, her fiancé, Rocky Stone, and yeah, wasn’t that just a great old stage name, patted her arm. “Don’t worry, hon. It’ll soon be over.”

“I told you, don’t call me hon!”

Rocky’s manager, Rich Stewart, shut the door behind him and strolled over to them. “What’s wrong with the two of you? Rocky, you look as nervous as a man at a baby shower.” He guffawed, showing nicotine-stained teeth to Aimee. 

Want to read it? It's available athttp://amzn.to/23yoW2d

Fashionista Friday

Evening Summer Concert by gemique featuring David Jones

WithChic multi color top
$19 - withchic.com

Highwaist pants
$39 - pieces.com

Colorblock flat
warehouse-london.com

Nancy Gonzalez yellow hand bag
neimanmarcus.com

Gucci jewellery
gucci.com

Rosena sammi jewelry
gilt.com

Eklexic gold filled cuff bracelet
tradesy.com

Fernando Jorge pink tourmaline jewelry
$1,580 - net-a-porter.com

Mac cosmetics eyeshadow
belk.com

Nars cosmetic
narscosmetics.com

David Jones lipstick
$35 - davidjones.com.au

Christian dior fragrance
$59 - harrods.com

Bath body product
lushusa.com

Chanel nail lacquer
$30 - nordstrom.com

A Gentleman and a Rogue

A Gentleman and a Rogue

by Stephanie Burkhart

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GENRE: Steampunk romance

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BLURB:

Lady Keira Russell is destined to bring compressed natural gas to Britain. Her inner courage and mental toughness rarely falter – except when Prince Edmund Windsor is involved.

Edmund of Wales is from the future. His last jaunt through history muffed up the time line. Now, he's here to set it straight and win Keira's heart.

For Keira, if it isn't one obstacle, it's another. Queen Victoria has sponsored a competition to find a cleaner fuel source than coal. Keira's father is trying to build a windmill and the Ridgecrofts are working with gasoline. Then there's Edmund, whose sensual kisses and heated stares distract her down to her bones.

Keira has a choice: trust Edmund's notorious mischief-making or put her faith in Queen Victoria to make the right decision, but if Keira makes the wrong choice, the future of Great Britain will be changed forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

The song ended and Edmund grabbed her hand, tugging her toward the nearest hallway. At first, she wanted to protest; call out for her father and defy Edmund's wishes, but then reason kicked in. She wanted -- no, needed -- answers. And, she had plenty of questions.

They entered the main wing, and passed two rooms before Edmund opened a door and dragged her inside. Books littered the shelves. The library. A beam of light from a full moon shined through the window, casting Edmund's features in sharp, contrasting shadows. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms. His eyes narrowed, giving his expression a dark, hard edge. He looked like a devil in this moment. She steeled her shoulders, ready to do battle with him.

Silence grew between them as they both set their postures. Damn Edmund. She wanted to kiss the devil senseless. Thankfully, she still had her wits.

"What are you doing with Jonas Byron?" Edmund's voice was cold and exact.

"Dancing." She surprised herself with the ease of her retort.

"Looked more like flirting to me."

"Jealous?"

A muscle twitched in his jaw. "No."

"You are a horrible liar."

"Keira, you can't trust him."

She placed her hands on her hips. "Curious, you're the second man tonight to tell me that."

"Grayson has your best interests at heart. You need to listen to him."

"He's been missing for four years." She paused, glaring at him. "Like you have. And I thought you weren't coming back."

"I'm here now, and I'm not leaving you again."

She tilted her head and laughed. Oh, yes, he'd leave her again, and she had no intention of letting her heart get broken.

Edmund lunged forward, placed his hands on her waist, and pulled her against the length of his hard, muscled body, trapping her arms between them so her hands rested on his chest. His emerald eyes flamed with desire. Her heart turned over in response. His unique scent, spice and currants, weakened her resolve. As her memories flooded through her mind, her lips ached for his.

"God, Keira, don't test me like this."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD.  She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire.  After serving 11 years in the US Army she currently calls Castaic, California her home. Stephanie was married in Denmark in 1991 and has two young sons. She adores chocolate, is addicted to coffee and enjoys early morning walks.  She's also an assistant den leader for her son's Cub Scout den and is a Boy Scout mom. She writes paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance and has two children's books published with 4RV Publishing.

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

BUY LINKS FOR A GENTLEMAN AND A ROGUE:

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-366/The-Windsor-Diaries-Book/Detail.bok

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewindsordiariesbookthreeagentlemanandarogue-996194-141.html

BARNES & NOBLE (NOOK)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-windsor-diaries-book-two-stephanie-burkhart/1113777499

AMAZON (KINDLE:)

http://amzn.com/B00A5CF24C

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Stephanie will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Use the link below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beyond the Book

Welcome to Beyond the Book. For the last few weeks we've spent time learning about my romantic comedy Fortuna, but today we're going to focus on The Captain and the Cheerleader. Our cheerleader is Susan English. Susan was the head cheerleader when she was in high school, but at present she teaches at Fairfield High.

Everyone has seen cheerleaders before, but maybe there's a little more to it than you imagine. One of the most obvious things is that cheerleading build teamwork. Without teamwork cheerleaders couldn't do those complicated routines.

Cheerleaders also have to be fit. Think about their complicated routines. People couldn't do them if they were wheezing puffing.

Cheerleading may also lead to a good work ethic. Cheerleaders don't just show up on game day and cheer. They practice all throughout the year. Some squads go to summer camp to train and learn new routines.

Some squads practice hard and go to national cheerleading championships. This certainly fosters a sense of pride and achievement in the team.

Lastly, lifelong friendships may be formed by members on a squad, and I'm sure the memories they make will still be fresh long after their days as a cheerleader are over.

Next week we'll learn more about the characters.

Buy link: http://amzn.to/1NDgnrg

Night Magic

Night Magic Book 1, Moonlight & Jasmine Series

by Kathleen Ann Gallagher

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Contemporary Paranormal Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Krista Winter is in need of legal counsel. Several years ago she was forced to flee her life as a teacher in New Jersey after being shunned for practicing witchcraft, and her past is about to catch up with her.

Jon Bartolo is a dedicated attorney. His days are spent helping his clients with their struggles, and his nights are spent in agony, lost in a world between life and death. His mother, who died three years ago, lurks in his house, suffering from a curse for eternity, without a final resting place.

A smoldering fire ignites between Jon and Krista almost immediately, however, he’s sure his secret would frighten any woman away. An afternoon escape brings them closer, but doubts linger between the love-struck couple.

Burning questions about how to fuse their futures together with so much of their past still clouding the future becomes a heavy burden that they’re both trying to bear on their own. It will take a touch of magic if there’s any hope in sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

She smiled, wishing she wasn’t so nervous. Before she realized what was happening, he stood and headed toward her. Was Jon about to make a move? If so, she wasn’t resisting. He planted himself in front of her and took hold of her hands to help her stand. With a smooth sway of his hips, he slowly slipped his hand around her back. Tunnel vision altered all perception of reality, and she closed her eyes as he gently pulled her up against his chest. Jon’s touch aroused her mercilessly. There wasn’t time to react. Her panties moistened and her nipples tingled. The tiny stubble on his face gave her skin a slight burn, and it unleashed her wild spirit. She dug her fingers into his back. A sense of belonging came as a surprise. Jon cradled her in his arms, and she surrendered to his advances. His passionate touch filled her spirit with longing. It didn’t matter if they were strangers. When their lips touched, it felt right. A quiet echo and a brightness filled the room as if the goddess of love hovered over and shined light upon them. The connection was solid, and it practically knocked her off her feet. Steadying herself, Krista stared into his eyes with her heart racing. As Jon moved in again and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, he caressed her back, and she surrendered mercifully to his touch. Each passion-filled kiss felt as if he was a long lost lover who had reappeared and claimed her heart’s desire. There was no telling what might happen next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kathleen writes contemporary and paranormal romance in her home in New Jersey, where she lives with her husband and their two fur babies, Luc and Chaz. She spent years working as a registered nurse in an emergency room. She is also active in Community Theater. She has three children and three lovable grandsons. Her favorite romantic getaway is Cape May, New Jersey. You might find Kathleen on a beach down the Jersey Shore, wearing a straw hat and sipping on an iced tea as she plots her next romance novel.

You can find Kathleen at the following places:

Website: www.kathleenanngallagher.weebly.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Kathleenwrites

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorKathleenAnnGallagher

Buy Links:

DISCOUNTED RELEASE PRICE OF 99 CENTS - OFFER VALID ONLY FOR A LIMITED TIME*

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Magic-Kathleen-Ann-Gallagher-ebook/dp/B01I8B76Z4/ref=sr_1_1#nav-subnav

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Kathleen will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Use the link below to enter.

Please use this rafflecopter code on your post:

a Rafflecopter giveaway