Thursday, April 30, 2015

RELEASE DAY~~FALL FOR ME (A LADDER COMPANY NOVEL) BY JC EMERY




Melanie Kincaid is a trust-fund baby with a knack for sassy comebacks and unnecessarily complicating her privileged life. So, of course she would have to fall in love with a man she can't have.

Jameson Hayes is a NYC firefighter for Manhattan’s oldest ladder company with big shoes to fill and a city to protect. He’s strong, sexy, and not looking for the complications Melanie brings. But he can't stay away from her either. The attraction between them is immediate and the pull between them is crazy powerful. But she's only home for the summer and long-distance relationships never work.


Unfortunately, Melanie’s beauty and smart mouth are a lethal combination and Jameson isn't the only Hayes who's interested. As if his brother isn't enough to compete with, now the city's most famous arsonist wants to claim her as his next prize. Jameson can't stand to watch Melanie get hurt and she can't seem to keep herself out of trouble.

Fall for Me is the first Ladder Company novel, a stand-alone companion series about New York's most elite firefighting family with hot alpha heroes, snarky heroines, and an arsonist hell-bent on destruction.






“Mom!” I move through the foyer and into the open great room— a large, open living/kitchen combo— where I leave my suitcase and kick off my flats before I hit the carpet. What the hell is she doing with gas? That stuff is toxic.

“Well?” Mom says, appearing at the edge of the hall on the other side of the kitchen. She has a hand towel around her neck and one of her many yoga-specific exercise outfits on. This one is a light blue and she’s barefoot. Monica Kincaid is dedicated to many things in life— her husband Christian, her daughters (the youngest, especially), and her charity projects— but yoga is the one out of all of it that I don’t understand. It puts her at peace, she says.

“Well?” I ask and drape the dress bag over the island counter top in the kitchen and move around to prop myself up on one of the bar stools. God, that gasoline smell is driving me mad.

“Are we planning a spring wedding yet or what?” Mom says with a grin. Her nose wrinkles, catching the scent of the gasoline, I’m sure. “Janet and I have been taking bets.”

“God, Mom,” I say and place my head in my hands.

“No really,” she says, “Tell me.”

“Nothing happened,” I say. Verbalizing it is even more disappointing than it probably should be. Apparently, Mom and Dad were also in on Jameson and Royal’s surprise trip. It took all of an hour after they landed for Janet Hayes to text me telling me she wishes she could have been there. It was sweet, but then she suggested she needed to leave me alone so I could spend as much time as possible with Jameson. And that we shouldn’t be disturbed. While the level of investment our mothers have in our has-yet-to-happen relationship is borderline creepy, the support is pretty awesome. It’s a rarity to find a woman as kind and loving as Janet Hayes is. Even if she doesn’t really know appropriate boundaries and likes to talk about when her sons were starting puberty… in all the gory details. I know more about Jameson’s solo activities when he was a kid more than I care to.

“You must be joking,” she says and heads to the fridge where she pulls out a single-serve cup of yogurt. “That man flew down to that god-awful place—,”



As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can't imagine a climate more beautiful.

JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.









COVER REVEAL, FINDING ME (HIS, #3) BY MARIAH DIETZ

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Title: Finding Me (His, #3)
Author: Mariah Dietz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2015
goodreads

Synopsis

I came here to escape. Leave the debris and avoid the inevitable truths.
Things are better. Worse. Different. I’m finding me, but in the process I fear I’m forgetting those I have left, and the ones who have left me. Maybe I’m losing who I was. Can I forget my past and move forward? Can I forget him?

Excerpt

My eyes fly open and my mind feels alert. Normally nightmares wake me up like this, but this time, nothing is haunting me. I look around the dark living room, feeling my heart race, and then realize what woke me up. A loud train of curses followed by a whine and a scratching at the door makes my heart squeeze. I sit up slightly, my eyes and ears desperately seeking the night for the confirmation that I’m not dreaming. A scraping against the lock sends my heart rate to unhealthy levels as my eyes widen and my muscles tense. When I hear the key turn, I drop back to the couch, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to bury my face in my pillow, behind a wall of my hair as I try to make my breathing sound normal. I can tell when the door is opened by the click of Zeus’s nails against the hardwood floors growing closer to me. His voice is hushed as he calls out to Zeus, making my entire body pulse with familiarity and nerves. Zeus’s heavy breathing grows until he places his front paws on the couch in front of me and begins bathing me in heavy kisses. There’s no way to try and pretend I’m sleeping through this. I’ll drown first. Plus my need to see him is outweighing my fears. I sit up and wipe a hand down my face while searching the dark living room for him as Zeus pushes closer to me, whimpering with anticipation and what can only be described as unleashed excitement. Then he appears in front of the coffee table. It’s too dark to make out much of him, but every fiber of my being feels some sort of response, verifying that it’s him. Elation and fear, mixed with rage and jealousy, are topped with curiosity and pain. It’s a confounding and stifling overabundance of emotions that has my eyes staring wide at him, soaking up every last detail that I can manage in the dim light while Zeus works to climb higher on the couch, hovering over me. Max stares back at me and although it’s too dark to see the blueness of his eyes, I can see the fierceness in them. He looks pissed. No relief, no happiness like Zeus, just anger. “Zeus,” he calls again in a tone I’ve rarely heard. “It’s alright. He can stay.” Thankfully my voice barely comes out above a whisper because my emotions are shooting through me like vinegar when it meets baking soda—unsteady. He stares at me, and like a geyser, unspoken words flood my mind. “Hey, Max.” He must be just as shocked as I am that I was able to speak those words because as soon as his name leaves my lips, he turns and ascends the stairs without responding. His bedroom door slams and then silence rings in my ears. I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye and turn to see Landon in the hallway, running a hand over his jaw, wearing only a pair of gym shorts. His head turns from the stairs to me, and then he silently walks to the couch. “He’s …” “It’s okay,” I say when the rest of his words don’t seem to find their way out. “This is his house too.” “He’s not mad at you.” I turn to look at him in obvious disbelief. Anyone would have been able to see that Max was mad at me. His reaction wasn’t shocking exactly. Max lost one of his best friends, just like I had. There have been days that I have felt really angry over the whole situation too. Angry that I didn’t know how to communicate my feelings, and angry about the way he dealt with my insecurities. I still struggle with being angry over removing myself and moving to Delaware because I thought it would be the right decision for me. Kitty and I have discussed my tendency to run from awkward situations; she’s the one who provided me with the new term “remove myself from.” It sounds a lot better than fleeing, but I had fled, and I know it. I can give a hundred reasons why for each time too, rationalizing each situation until I’m nearly positive it was the right decision—but I can never make it to one hundred percent. That small bubble of resistance and doubt always prevents me from being able to allow the memories to finally be discarded, and then it begins spreading, eating the conviction one doubt at a time.

About The Author

Mariah

Mariah Dietz lives in Eastern Washington with her husband and two sons that are the axis of her crazy and wonderful world. Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent the majority of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created. She has a love for all things that include her sons, good coffee, books, travel, and dark chocolate. She also has a deep passion for the stories she writes, and hopes readers enjoy the journeys she takes them on, as much as she loves creating them.


His Series


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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

RELEASE BLITZ~~STEPSISTER DEVOTION: THE COMPLETE SERIES BY EVE CATES

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Title: StepSister Devotion: The Complete Series
Author: Eve Cates
Genre: Erotic Romance
Release Date: April 29, 2015
goodreads

Synopsis

Forbidden love between a stepbrother and a stepsister. Told from the male point of view. 18+ due to sex scenes and language.
She had me at the word ‘Run’. I first met my stepsister, Abigail Dorset at a wedding – my father had left my mom and married hers; I went there expecting to hate her. Instead, I found something much worse…I found my soul mate. It was in the form of a girl who looked just like Snow White, and just like in the fairy tale, there was a wicked stepmother who would do everything in her power to keep control over her daughter’s destiny. Being a Dorset meant you have to marry into the right gene pool and appear to be of the highest moral code. Abigail’s life was mapped out the day she was born. I was seen as bump in the road – a deviant boy who needed to be avoided at all costs. So my stepmother kept us apart…or so she thought… From the moment we met, Abigail and I knew there was something – some invisible force that makes two people want the one thing they can’t have. But we wanted it anyway. Over the years, we would fight and lie, sneak and hide – we’d hurt those around us in our need to be together in whatever way we could. But most of all, we’d hurt each other and we’d hurt ourselves, all in a bid to figure it out and find a way to finally be together because every day we spend apart feels like dying. A life with love is magical. Without it, living is torture.

Follow Sebastian Hawke and Abigail Dorset as they embark of a journey of love and devotion, kept secret, spanning years. Watch, as it drives them together and tears them apart before bringing them together again, older and wiser, ready to find a way – to do whatever it takes – because being apart from the one person you were born to love, isn’t an option.

Buy The Book

Excerpt

Standing on the edge of the pool, I roll my shoulders and twist at the waist, loosening up before leaning forward and diving. The cool wet surrounds my body as I jet through it, rising to the surface and dragging my body through the water, lap after lap up and down, quieting my mind that never seems to stop thinking, harassing me with the voices of doubt and negativity, all telling me I’m worthless and I don’t belong. They tell me I’m a deviant. And maybe I am... I’m not who they think I am. I’m not what they think I am. They don’t even know me. As I swim, I try not to think about my dad and his lack of caring – his lack of confidence in me. I try not to think of the life we had before he traded in happiness for material possessions. Faster and faster I swim, my arms and legs, churning through the water as my chest heaves with the effort. I focus on the ache of my body. The breath as I hold it in my chest. It’s always so much harder to be calm here. I don't know why he preferred this, even with all the stuff around; it's the loneliest place I’ve ever been to. And in the quiet, my mind wins. Reaching the end of another lap, I roll my body to change directions and rocket off the side of the pool, propelling myself under the water. Just as I'm about to rise to the surface, a vision appears beneath me. It all happens so fast that it takes a while before my brain catches up with what’s happening, and I swear I’m seeing things. But then a pair of lips press against mine, shocking me into reality as I’m faced with a set of amused blue eyes. I jerk backwards in surprise and plant my feet, standing up in the center of the pool. My chest heaves from exertion and surprise as I wipe my hand over my face and watch as Abi emerges from the water like the lady of the lake, so fucking stunning as she rises from the water, water pouring from her body, running between her round breasts that are covered with only the smallest pieces of blue fabric. My fucking cock twitches and the word ‘deviant’ flashes in my mind as I force myself to look away and keep my hands by my sides, when all I really want to do is grab her by that dark hair and kiss that giant smile on her face. "What are you doing here?" I ask immediately, using aggression to cover what I’m really thinking. “You’re never here at the same time as me.” She shrugs and pulls her long hair over her shoulder, wringing out the water. It runs down her breast and my eyes follow the stream. Did I just growl? "School's out, and I’m not doing summer courses when this is the last summer before college. I want to have a bit of fun for a change. But it’s nice to see you too. It's only been four years, brother." My brow furrows. "Don't kiss me then call me brother." She grins. "Why? It's not like I stuck the tongue in." She uses her hand to nudge me playfully in the chest and I catch her by the wrist, holding her hand against me as I look into her eyes while mine burn with a long held desire. “Because right now, I’m not feeling very brotherly toward you.” Her mouth drops open and she lets out a tiny gasp. It’s so fucking sexy that I immediately picture her doing that with my face buried between her thighs. My thumb slides up and down her wrist as her hand presses against my chest, able to feel the increasing rhythm of my heart and the rise and fall of my rapid breathing. Slowly, my eyes absorb the sight of her; taking in the changes of her face, her curves, her hair… I get that same tightening in my guts that I did when I first met her. Time hasn’t lessened my reaction to having her in front of me. But now that I'm older, I know exactly what it is. And I know it's not the way I should be feeling around my stepsister. Deviant… My eyes drop to her mouth and the most powerful urge to grab her and bite those plump lips of hers, assaults my mind, and I have to release her hand and look away to force it out of my mind or I’m going to lose control and do just that. It would be stupid. We’re out in the fucking open. What am I doing? “Just. Don’t,” I say, my frown returning as I step away. “You shouldn’t have come.”  
About The Author

Eve

Eve Cates is a twenty-something author of contemporary erotic romance. She loves all things naughty, demanding men and difficult situations (pass the popcorn please). Her first series, StepSister Devotion, will be told in four parts, releasing via Kindle Unlimited. Eve has loved writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and penned a note to her imaginary friend 'Pok'. Accused of being a 'dreamer' as she grew, she's taken that notion and turned her daydreams into stories to delight and satisfy her readers. When she isn't writing, you'll find her at home with her husband, four children, and two dogs. Fan Page | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website | Newsletter

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COVER REVEAL~~PLAYING THE GAME, DEREK BACKHARD BY SHAWNTE BORRIS


Playing the Game, Derek Backhard by Shawnte Borris
Release date TBA 

Synopsis

Since being drafted by the NHL to play for his home team at age nineteen, Derek Backhard has had everything he's ever dreamed of - unrivaled MVP mentions, countless goals and assists, even being compared to the great one. Holding the power to control his future in the palm of his hands, nothing stood in his way.

Until the unthinkable happened, and everything about his life shifted. Past priorities fell away the moment he held baby Ryder in his arms mere moments after losing his close friend, and Ryder's father, Brad.

After weeks of watching Liz fall apart over the loss of her husband as she struggled to adjust to life as a single parent, Derek vows to give her and Ryder everything they deserve, creating a life he never knew he always wanted.

Rocked to her core by her changing feelings for him, Liz doesn’t know what to do with Derek or his offer. Uncertainty swirls within her as she leans on her lifelong friend during the hard times, but how much of his attention is real, and how much is pity?

Is she strong enough to let him in and let him take care of her, or will she force him away and back into the life she thinks he really wants?


Stalk Shawnte 

Book one The Game is available Now 


Synopsis

Kirsten Backhard is a highly respected senior negotiating executive who plays with some of the most powerful men in her field.

She is confident, sexy and hell on heels. She fights with a straight face, doesn’t back down easily and she has no scruples about using her ASSets to get the deal done her way.

Kirsten loves the thrill of toying with the game in a man’s world. She is in control of both her professional and personal life, until one heartbreaking night changes everything and for the first time she starts losing.

Can Kirsten negotiate the game of love as well as she does at work? Can she play a love-em and leave-em game as well as a man does?

Or did she already lose when her heart was dealt to the one man who broke it? 

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RELEASE BLITZ~~WHO I AM WITH YOU (UNEXPECTED HEROES, #2) BY MELODY ANNE


Title: Who I Am With You
Series: Unexpected Heroes #2
Author: Melody Anne
Publisher: Pocket Star
Publication Date: April 27, 2015

Summary

 A spinoff of Melody Anne’s New York Times bestselling Billionaire Bachelors series, this entrancing e-novella features motocross racer Taylor Winchester and little sister to Hawk, the hero of “Safe in His Arms” from the romance anthology Baby, It’s Cold Outside.


As a motocross rider, Taylor Winchester has made a career out of throwing herself headfirst into danger, as fiercely as any of the guys racing against her. But after a brutal crash, she takes a little forced R&R while her injuries heal. Her mom wishes she’d settle down, find love, maybe have a baby or two…but all Taylor wants is to get back on her bike. 

She heads to her brother Hawk’s cabin to get a little peace and quiet—but is shocked to discover she’s not the only inhabitant. Ex-military man Travis, her high school crush, has also borrowed the cabin, and the two of them are each too stubborn to let the other one win. Nothing left to do but share the cabin…which quickly leads to sharing a bed! As Taylor and Travis discover that the heat between them is far more than a fling, they both struggle with letting go of control. But if they learn to give a little, what they could win is worth more than any prize...




About Melody Anne 

Melody Anne is the author of the popular series, Billionaire Bachelors, and Baby for the Billionaire. She also has a Young Adult Series out; Midnight Fire and Midnight Moon - Rise of the Dark Angel. She's been writing for years and published in 2011. She hold a bachelors degree in business, so she loves to write about strong, powerful, businessmen.


When Melody isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and pets. She lives in a small town that she loves, and is involved in many community projects.


See Melody's Website at: www.melodyanne.com. She makes it a point to respond to all her fans. You can also join her on facebook at: www.facebook.com/authormelodyanne, or at twitter: @authmelodyanne.



RELEASE BLITZ~~TUCKED AWAY ( A HEARTS OF MONTANA NOVEL) BY JENNIE MARTS

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TUCKED AWAY By Jennie Marts A Hearts of Montana Novel

Sometimes you find what you need in the most unlikely places… Charlie Ryan’s cheating fiancé left her with a broken heart and even broker bank account. She’s hit rock bottom, but everything is about to change. Suddenly, she’s inherited a Montana farm named Tucked Away from a grandmother she never knew existed. A fresh start is just what she needs—and no men in her future this time, even if the local vet is as hot as a Montana summer. Zack Cooper is content with his simple life. Running his veterinary practice and raising his daughter are enough to keep him busy, and he doesn’t need a high-maintenance city girl like his ex who plans to sell her grandma’s ranch and split faster than a setting sun. So why can’t he stop thinking about Charlie and her hot-pink cowboy boots…and the way her eyes say she wants to stay while her lips tease him with plans of leaving? Just when both start to believe love might be worth the risk‪…one night will change everything.‬

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  Buy Links: Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * ARe * Kobo 

 Excerpt

 The corner of the heavy dog food bag caught the strap of her purse, and she stumbled forward, falling off the curb and waving her arms to catch her balance. The loud snap of her heel breaking was followed by a curse word worthy of a sailor, and her purse went flying. The dog food slid from his grasp. He reached to grab her as she pitched forward and fell into his arms. The heady scent of her perfume surrounded him as she looked up at him, her chest pressed against his. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.” “No, I’m sorry.” His mouth went dry, and he tried not to look down at the front of her shirt where her blouse gaped open and the lace edge of her bra peeked through. He held onto her a beat too long, then let go as she steadied herself. “You were just looking for some coffee, and I almost knocked you over with a bag of puppy chow.” She laughed. A light, easy sound. “I think breaking my heel and being mauled by a giant bag of dog food is right on par with the way the last couple of days have been going for me. I’m just glad you didn’t impale me with the toilet bowl brush.” She reached down to pick up the brush that had fallen near her feet. It lay amongst the scattered articles that had fallen from her purse. “Here, let me help you.” Embarrassed, he knelt to the ground and began collecting the oddest assortment of items: a fat wallet with receipts sticking out the sides, three tubes of lip gloss, a pink makeup bag, a collection of fancy bottles with French names printed on their shiny labels, more lip gloss, and a variety of feminine hygiene products. “What is all this stuff?” She was busy cramming things back into the enormous bag but stopped to give him a skeptical look. “Really?” “Well, I mean, I know what this stuff is.” He awkwardly handed her the items filling his hands. “But why do you have all this stuff in your purse?”  She blew her bangs out of her eyes. “It’s just stuff I need.” He handed her a balled up pair of gym shorts and a hot pink sports bra. “What could you possibly need this for?” “Those are my workout clothes.” She grabbed the garments from him and stuffed them in her purse. “In case I want to stop at the gym.” “What gym? The only 24-hour fitness you’re going to find around here is chores on a farm. They go from sun-up to sun-down.” He watched in awe as she stuffed more things into the leather bag. He couldn’t believe how much she fit in there. It was like an endless cavern of space. He heard her mumble something about one more thing she would have to get used to before she looked up at him and sighed. “I’m thinking about moving here. But this place is quite a change from where I’m from.” “I can imagine.” More stuff had fallen onto the curb, and he collected another five tubes of lip gloss. Geez, how much lip care could one woman need? He caught himself glancing at her lips, wondering if they were soft as they looked.      

About the Author

  jennie

 Jennie Marts loves to make readers laugh as she weaves stories filled with love, friendship and intrigue. She writes for Entangled Publishing and is the Kindle Bestselling author of the Page Turners series, which includes the romantic comedies: Another Saturday Night & I Ain't Got No Body, Easy Like Sunday Mourning, Just Another Maniac Monday and the two newest Between the Pages Novellas-A Cowboy for Christmas and A Halloween Hookup. Jennie is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two sons, and two dogs whose antics often find a way into her books. She is addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos and believes you can't have too many books, shoes or friends.


CHARACTER TOUR~~FRAGRANCE FREE BY L.B. DUNBAR







Fragrance Free
by L.B. Dunbar
Character Tour


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Synopsis

Change your destiny.
As the third child in the Carter family, I always felt a little on the outside of the Carter charm. I worked hard and played harder, but I was getting tired of the same old scene. I was more than Jess Carter’s little sister, I wanted to be me. Pam Carter.




It was time for a change and I wanted to be set free.
I knew it needed to happen. After years of one night stands and too brief sexual encounters, an accident brought Fate to me. To resist his charm was my penance for years of misbehavior. The temptation to give in to my desire haunted me for almost two years, until an uncontrollable situation started the twisted path to test my resolve further.



What would it take to claim my independence and be a new, improved woman?

I worked for Jacob Vincent, horror novelist extraordinaire, as his personal assistant, but I was adamant that the relationship remain professional. Jacob had dark demons and I couldn’t bring him into the light…or could I? Life was springing forth for me; changes were coming. I knew it was time to be set free from who I had been and who I was to start fresh with who I wanted to be. I just didn’t know where to start to change my destiny.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Return to Elk Rapids for the third sensation in the Sensations Collection, Fragrance Free. A standalone contemporary New Adult romance, this novel continues the stories of the Carter and Scott families. Read Sound Advice (Sensations Collection 1) to meet Jess Carter and Emily Post and find out how it all began over some good advice and a broken radio, or Taste Test (Sensations Collection 2) to meet Ethan Scott and Ella Vincentia where the challenge is delicious in more ways than one.



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Jacob Vincent and Pam Carter Interview


Jacob grunts at me. I know he hates to talk about himself and I’m making him answer this interview for The Horror Times, a periodical that highlights mystery, suspense, and all things horrific in writing. As his personal assistant, I make it my mission to keep him on track. It’s what he hired me for at first, but now, things are different.

Jacob, sitting at his desk: Why do I have to do this again? (He swivels back and forth in his chair as I pace in front of the large desk, holding my ipad in one hand and type with the other).

Pam: It’s good publicity. Your novels are doing well and with the upcoming movie, people are curious about you.

Jacob, letting his head fall back: Fine, Lilac. Ask away.

I have to smile when he calls me by my nickname. He gave it to me, and he uses it when he wants something from me. I wasn’t ready to give him what he wanted at the moment. We have work to do.

Pam: First question, can you tell me who or what inspired you to write?

Jacob: Stephen King.

Exasperated, I sigh: Not your standard answer. Something more truthful. More you.

His dark hair falls over his forehead and my hand twitches to brush it back. I can’t touch him yet, or this interview won’t get done.

Jacob, blowing out a breath: Fine. My father inspired me. Not that he was a positive force, or supportive, but because he was a less than encouraging parent who ruled by the fist. Monsters were a daily reality for me.

I stopped pacing. He was more honest than I expected. I blinked at him before I asked another question, but he was looking at the high ceiling of his study. We were back in Michigan for this interview after a long weekend in New York visiting his niece, Ella, and her boyfriend, Ethan Scott.

Pam: Anything or anybody else inspire you?

Jacob leaned forward, the chair stilled and he rested his elbows on his knees.

Softly, Jacob replied: My brother. (His head was bent forward and I crossed around the desk to stand near him. He still held a lot of guilt from what his brother had done in the past and we’d talked about how it wasn’t his fault).

My tone warned him: Jacob.

He looked up at me, shaking his head: Don’t psycho-analyze me, Pam? (When he used my name in that tone, I knew he was getting upset. He was moody, and some days I had to just roll with it. Other days, I fought back.

Pam: I’m not psycho-analyzing you. I’m just reminding you it’s not your fault.

He warned me again, this time with my nickname: Lilac, please. I’m not one of your students. Just ask the questions.

My life had changed because of Jacob. One of those things was a return to school to become a high school counselor. While Jacob loved that I was doing what I wanted, he didn’t like it when I turned my new skills on him. Unfortunately, I believed if someone had used those strategies when he was young, he might not hold all this guilt inside. He also might not be the brilliant writer that he is, either.

Moving on. Pam: Your characters are deep and labelled demented at times. How could you come up with such evil?

Jacob, as he leans back in his chair: Drugs. Alcohol. Evil family members. It wasn’t hard.

It was my turn to sigh. Drugs and alcohol was how I met Jacob. He’d been in an accident and I was the EMT to respond. It was one of many jobs I held. For some reason, he called to me, figuratively, and I did something I’d never done before, I followed up on a patient. That night began the two year relationship of my working for Jacob. Now things were different.

Pam: Can’t tell kids to take drugs and alcohol, Mr. Vincent. That wouldn’t be responsible.

Jacob reached for me as I stood at the edge of his desk and pulled me towards him. I wobbled a bit before I settled to stand between his knees. His hands were on the back of my thighs.

Jacob: When have you ever known me to be responsible? (He tried to use a sinister voice, but it didn’t work. I laughed.)

Pam: Many times. With Ella. With Jacob. With me. With us. (My voice quieted on the last words).

Jacob smiled slowly: Us. (He kissed my stomach and then his hands traveled up to my hips. He stood and lifted me to sit on the leather pad in the middle of his desk. He now stood between my knees).

I continued my interview, even though his hands were smoothing up and down my thighs. A burning sensation trailed behind his touch and I was ready to give in, but not yet.

Pam: It’s often said you are a recluse. What do you have to say to that?

Jacob: I’m a private man. (He leans forward and runs his nose under my jaw. Moaning softly, he whispers.) You smell delicious.

My head tilts to allow him better access and then I cough a little to remind him we need to finish.

Pam: That doesn’t exactly answer the question.

Jacob, pulling back to look me in the eyes: If you want me to mention Ella and how I brought her here to protect her, I’m not going to comment.

That wasn’t what I intended, nor did I think the interviewer wanted that answer. Jacob would never reveal publicly that he thought it best to hide his niece in my small home town in order to help her heal from the horrors of her senior year. I adored Ella and I wouldn’t want to share her situation either.

Interrupting my thoughts, Jacob kissed the other side of my neck: Let’s talk about you.

I giggle as removes the ipad from my hands, then rubs his hands around my neck and under my hair.

Pam: The interviews not about me.

Jacob: Well, the interview is about me, and you are a part of me now. (He kisses me tenderly before making it more aggressive. We can go from zero to one-hundred in minutes and I knew we had to stop or we’d be reenacting a scene from our past on this desk again.)

Pushing Jacob back: What about me, then?

Jacob: What made you fall in love with me? (He was serious but his tone was playful.)

Pam: That won’t be in the interview.

Jacob: Humor me.

Pam: I felt like you were a lost soul. Despite being highly attracted to you…

Jacob interrupting: Highly attracted?

Pam: Yes. (I squeak as Jacob pulls me to the edge of the desk. He’s lined us up even though we aren’t touching. Yet.) I felt like you had secrets deep inside.

Jacob: Deep inside? (He narrows his eyes at me. It’s a trait often reserved for when he wants to make something known he’s serious.)

I sighed: And then when you took care of me. When I was sick. I learned that you were really sweet despite the moodiness.

Jacob, pulling back a bit as he nudged his hips forward: You think I’m moody?

Pam: You know I do. (I laughed.)

Jacob: Let’s go back to those other words. Highly. Deep. Inside. (He leans forward and he knows he’s tempting me. I’m so attracted to Jacob it scares me, but he’s just as drawn to me. He was constantly touching me before anything happened, and now it’s endless.)

Pam: I’d rather hear other words. Love, perhaps? (Jacob’s hands return to my hips and he kisses me on the shoulder).

Jacob: I love you, Lilac. Is that what you want to hear?

Pam: That will do, Mr. Vincent.

Jacob: You know it’s still kind-of hot that you call me that even though you don’t have to anymore. Actually you never had to be so formal with me.

I did have to be that formal, though. It was a way to protect myself. I had to keep our relationship professional. Jacob was too much of a temptation for me in the past and I was tired of being tempted and disappointed by men.

Jacob: When do I get to call you Mrs. Vincent?

I sigh and turn my head to look out the floor to ceiling glass window that holds the most glorious view of Lake Michigan, but he uses his fingers to force me to look at him.

Jacob: Lilac?

Pam: Soon. We have Jess and Emily’s wedding first.

His fingers intertwine with mine and he glances down at my hand. He raises it to kiss my knuckles, then set our hands back on my thigh.

Jacob: I’m a very patient man.

I laugh hard: You are not.

His caramel colored eyes darken and his mouth crooks up on one side: I’ve been known to take my time. (His eyes narrow to emphasize his point. He has learned to take things slow, but he knows I wouldn’t complain if it’s fast either).

Jacob: I think it’s time to end this interview?

Jacob had a way of asking a question that was more a suggestion. He was kissing me again.

Still touching his lips: Want me to set you free, huh?

Jacob: I want to set you free. Free of these clothes.

He was a jokester when things got too serious for him and the interview had been more serious than he cared to share.

Pam: Alright, Mr. Vincent. You’re free.

Jacob: Not yet. (And I heard the clink of his belt unbuckle and the unzip of his jeans). I want to set you free, too, Lilac. (His mouth was against mine again, his tone more serious).

Pam: You already do, Jacob. You already do.





Sound Advice (Book One)
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Taste Test (Book Two)
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Touch Screen (Book Four)
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About L.B. Dunbar


I’d like to say I was always a writer. I’d also like to say that I wrote every day of my life since a child. That I took the teaching advice I give my former students because writing every day improves your writing. I’d like to say I have my ten-thousand hours that makes me a proficient writer. But I can’t say any of those things. I did dream of writing the “Great American Novel” until one day a friend said: Why does it have to be great? Why can’t it just be good and tell a story?


As a teenager, I wrote your typical love-angst poetry that did occasionally win me an award and honor me with addressing my senior high school class at our Baccalaureate Mass. I didn't keep a journal because I was too afraid my mom would find it in the mattress where I kept my copy of Judy Blume’s Forever that I wasn't allowed to read as a twelve year old.


I can say that books have been my life. I’m a reader. I loved to read the day I discovered “The Three Bears” as a first grader, and ever since then, the written word has been my friend. Books were an escape for me. An adventure to the unknown. A love affair I’d never know. I could be lost for hours in a book.


So why writing now? I had a story to tell. It haunted me from the moment I decided if I just wrote it down it would go away. But it didn't. Three years after writing the first draft, a sign (yes, I believe in them) told me to fix up that draft and work the process to have it published. That’s what I did. But one story let to another, and another, and another. Then a new idea came into my head and a new story line was created. 


I was accused (that’s the correct word) of having an overactive imagination as a child, as if that was a bad thing. I've also been accused of having the personality of a Jack Russell terrier, full of energy, unable to relax, and always one step ahead. What can I say other than I have stories to tell and I think you’ll like them. If you don’t, that’s okay. We all have our book boyfriends. We all have our favorites. Whatever you do, though, take time for yourself and read a book.

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