Erin Nicholas Blog

Hotblooded Release Day!

2011-11-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

That's right! Hotblooded is out now! Get your copy and let me know what you think! :)

Here's a little peek inside!

Her mama always said the women in their family were hotblooded…

And it’s been causing Brooke Donovan trouble her whole life. But it wasn’t until her mother took on the most powerful man in Honey Creek, Texas, that Brooke truly realized the daughter of the town whore didn’t stand a chance. When she left, it was supposed to be for good. But now, thanks to her late husband’s deal with their hometown, she’s back in the last place on earth she wants to be. Temporarily. As soon as her debts are paid off, she’s outta here. Until in walks the one man who can make her rethink everything.

Dr. Jack Silver fixes things. So, when he learns his uncle is responsible for Brooke losing her husband, his sense of honor drives him across Texas to make amends. Instead of a broken woman, though, he finds a gorgeous, feisty physician’s assistant trying to survive in a town that wants her gone. She also has a mile-high fence built out of pride—and a clinic that’s at risk of going belly up. She may not want his money, but the clinic? He can fix that. He just never expects that in setting Brooke back on her feet, he’ll be swept right off his own.

Warning: Contains a hot-blooded woman, a man who really likes that about her, a town with a long memory, and a cappuccino machine that makes it all worthwhile.

“I didn’t—”

“But now you’re the big hero. Carla said that’s your thing. Well, I’m so glad you got to show off today and stroke your ego a bit. Those women were fawning all over you after Amanda was stabilized and her mother activated her gossip phone tree. You’ll probably have casseroles coming out of your ears tomorrow. But this is my medical practice, in my town. This isn’t about you, Jack.”

Dammit, he wanted to say he was sorry. He didn’t want casseroles or applause or thank yous from a town of strangers. He wanted to hear how he could help Brooke, what he could do for her, how he could be her hero. He wanted to hear that she was going to be okay. Dammit. If she would just shut up.

There was only one option.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she continued. “That maybe I deserve the way Amanda feels about me and that I—”

He stepped close, cupped the back of her head, pulled her forward and covered her still-moving mouth with his.

Brooke stiffened in surprise, but she did stop talking. In fact, it only took a second for her lips to shift gears and begin kissing him back. With enthusiasm.

She’d been thinking about this all day. Which pissed her off because even when she was mad at him, she wanted him. When he’d come barging into her office, when they’d been arguing about the cappuccino machine, even in the midst of him making her look bad, she’d wanted to kiss him.

There were clearly some things that were genetic after all. Wanting inappropriate good-looking men was evidently one of them.

She considered pulling back, but then Jack’s other hand cupped the side of her head and brought her in until her breasts pressed against his chest. He deepened the kiss, tipping his head to one side and opening his lips.

And there was no way in hell she was moving anywhere but closer.

She responded, following his lead, parting her lips, gripping his biceps and going up on tiptoe to get closer. He welcomed her body more fully against his, widening his stance to keep his balance as she pressed against him.

He traced her bottom lip with his tongue and she felt a surge of heat sweep through her. The hand against her cheek left her face and dropped to the curve of her right buttock, where he lifted her, bringing their pelvises even. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her right leg around his waist. She wasn’t sure who groaned first at the intimate contact. He turned and walked her back toward the truck until her back was against the driver-side door. Then he pressed more fully into her. She dug her fingers into his hair and met his tongue with hers.

The truck door was becoming slippery with the rain and Brooke could tell he was struggling to hold her where he wanted her. Finally, after she slid twice, he pulled back, took a gulp of air and let her slide gently to the ground.

She gazed up at him, dazed. Regretting the lack of contact already.

He grinned at her, then wiped some of the water away from her cheeks. “Now will you let me apologize?” he asked.

She licked her lips. “No. But you can do that again.”

He paused only two seconds before acting. He braced his hands on the side of the truck on either side her head, bent, and touched her lips once more.

More excerpts here and here!

Buy here or here or... anywhere e-books are sold! :)

Kat and Luke!

2011-11-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to tell you that I've signed a contract for a follow up book to Anything You Want!

Kat and Luke, major characters in AYW, now have their own story!

Everything You've Got will be out in the Spring from Samhain!

For now I can just tell you that it involves Kat and Luke finally admitting feelings for each other, Marc and Sabrina's RV and a pair of handcuffs! :)

Stay tuned!

Hotblooded!

2011-10-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

We're in countdown mode! 16 days until Hotblooded releases!!

Here's the blurb... AND, it's available for pre-order here!

Her mama always said the women in their family were hotblooded…

And it’s been causing Brooke Donovan trouble her whole life. But it wasn’t until her mother took on the most powerful man in Honey Creek, Texas, that Brooke truly realized the daughter of the town whore didn’t stand a chance. When she left, it was supposed to be for good. But now, thanks to her late husband’s deal with their hometown, she’s back in the last place on earth she wants to be. Temporarily. As soon as her debts are paid off, she’s outta here. Until in walks the one man who can make her rethink everything.

Dr. Jack Silver fixes things. So, when he learns his uncle is responsible for Brooke losing her husband, his sense of honor drives him across Texas to make amends. Instead of a broken woman, though, he finds a gorgeous, feisty physician’s assistant trying to survive in a town that wants her gone. She also has mile-high fence built out of pride—and a clinic that’s at risk for going belly up. She may not want his money, but the clinic? He can fix that. He just never expects that in setting Brooke back on her feet, he’ll be swept right off his own.

Product warnings: Contains a hotblooded woman, a man who really likes that about her, a town with a long memory, and a cappuccino machine that makes it all worthwhile.

Hotblooded COVER!

2011-09-21T19:00:00.001-07:00

The Hotblooded cover is official!! Coming November 8th!

Good Directions-- short story

2011-09-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm part of a group author blog called Truly, Madly, Deeply where each author contributes an original short story as a part of a theme. For instance, our first theme was songs. So, we each wrote a story that was inspired by one of our favorite songs. Our next theme is stories fairy tales! :) I'm working on that one.

But, now you can check out my short story, Good Directions, right here :)

I'm a huge country music fan so I knew that was the genre I'd go to when I needed a song for my short story. This song came to mind quickly. Good Directions, by Billy Currington, is definitely a twangy, fun country song that's been a favorite since I first heard it. I love the sweet story it told— a love-at-first-sight romance. I've always been fascinated by the idea of love at first sight and the will of the heart to act on that. So, Gabby and Cooper's story was born! And a quick thank you to all my readers who helped me name the hero and heroine! Hope you enjoy!

And, unfortunately, there’s no “official” video on YouTube (what’s up with that???) but there are a couple of fun fan videos you might want to check out. You can definitely listen to the song in a number of places! http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=billy+currington+good+directions&aq=4&oq=billy+currington

Good Directions

Sometimes it takes getting lost to find where you're really supposed to be...

Gabriella Shaw squinted up at the metal pole that should have held a street sign. The hawk that perched on top looked back at her. He didn’t seem concerned that she had absolutely no idea where she was.

A unique spa experience, her ass.

She was not only as far from spa country as she could get—there were corn rows and cows as far as she could see—but she was about to be minus one best friend if this spa turned out to be bogus. Kari Morgan, her BFF since college, to be exact. They’d known each other through job changes, boyfriend changes and hairstyle changes.

But eight years was enough. She could change best friends. Sure, no problem.

“Hi, you need some help?”

Gabby looked over at the blue pick up that had pulled up next to her. The older man grinned at her.

“Maybe. I’m looking for the Blakefield Country Spa.”

The man blinked twice. “Uh, what?”

Gabby frowned. She was having a hard time believing there was a spa here, but Kari wouldn’t have made that up. She was pretty sure.

In the next moment she realized that yes, Kari would have made it up. Her friend was serious about Gabby getting away and relaxing. She would have made up a spa to get Gabby to agree to the trip.

“You’ve never heard of the Blakefield Spa?” she asked the old man.

“The only Blakefield anything I’ve heard of is the Blakefield Dairy.”

A dairy? Like milk and stuff? “Where’s that?” she asked, not sure she cared.

“Four miles east then two miles south.”

She looked down at the paper Kari had given her. Damn.

“Is that east?” she asked, pointing to her right.

“Yep.” The man tipped his cap back and peered at her more closely. “You sure you want to go to the dairy?”

If he thought she looked like she’d never stepped foot on an actual dairy, he’d be right. Just like she’d never set foot on a farm, period. Or a gravel road. Or in the state of Nebraska.

“I’m not sure I want to,” she admitted. “But I think I’m supposed to.”

“Well, then take a right,” the man said with a chuckle. “Or take a left and go three miles and you’ll end up back on the highway.”

Tempting. Very tempting. But she turned right with a sigh.

Ten minutes later she found the huge sign that read Blakefield Dairy.

Not a spa.

She was definitely telling Kari she could shop, lunch and get pedicures with someone else from now on.

As soon as she got her favorite shoes back.

~~~~~~~~~~

People fell into two categories in Cooper Reed’s life—the ones who just walked into his house without knocking, and the people who never visited him. The latter group was mostly made of people he didn’t know, so that made sense. The bottom line was that no one knocked on Copper Reed’s front door, so he was startled to hear the sound.

“It’s open!” he hollered from where he was perched on a ladder in his kitchen. Of course someone would show up when he was painting the most pain-in-the-ass spot in the whole house. That little strip of wall between the high kitchen window and the ceiling was also above the sink so he was stretching, reaching and angling his arm in an unnatural position to reach it without falling on his ass and breaking something.

“Um, hello?”

The husky female voice would have been enough to have him spinning around even if he wasn’t on a ladder. Above the ground as he was, the voice was dangerous.

He gripped the ladder and glanced over his shoulder.

Her three-inch white heels were covered in the soft brown dirt of his driveway. He assumed she’d sunk in with the first step. No one wore heels around here. He couldn’t spare time or energy worrying about her shoes though. There were way too many other things about her to notice.

Like the fact she had lightly tanned skin and that her long legs disappeared under a short skirt which then curved into very nice hips. The pink silky tank top she wore hugged perfect breasts. The low neckline showed off the graceful length of her throat and he suddenly wanted to know if she dabbed perfume in that little depression at the base.

Her straight, dark hair hung just past her chin, her lips were a shiny perfect match for her top and as she pressed them together he wanted to find out how they felt under his.

The reaction shocked him.

He knew beautiful women. Liked them. Kissed them. But he never reacted so fast to any of them.

She looked amazing, completely out of place in his one-hundred-year-old kitchen… and very familiar.

“Gabby?”

She was staring at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open. “Cooper?”

The ladder definitely wobbled then.

“What the hell?” He tried to turn, but the shift made the ladder tilt and he knew he was taking his life into his hands. He shoved the brush into the can of paint and descended the rungs, coming face to face with the woman who’d been haunting his dreams for two years.

“What are you doing here?” they both asked at the same time.

He was amazed. She looked gorgeous and just as he’d imagined her—too covered up, but he’d memorized her naked curves long ago and could conjure those images without effort.

She also looked pissed.

“Is this a joke?” she asked, planting a hand on her hip. “This isn’t funny. I drove ten hours to get here.”

“That’s… great.” He was a dairy farmer. He milked cows for a living. He had a simple life in a small Midwestern town. But he wasn’t stupid.

Gabriella Shaw had been the hottest night of his life. Of. His. Life. And she was now standing in his kitchen. Pissed or not, she was here. And he wasn’t about to just let her go.

He reached out and took her hand. “God, it’s good to see you girl.”

“I think you should know I’m going to murder your favorite cousin,” she said, but she let him take her hand.

Kari was his favorite cousin without question. The other nine were all boys and they’d never done anything so nice as introducing him to Gabby, Kari’s college roommate. Which was how he’d met her two years ago at their joint graduation party. And how he’d ended up with Gabby in his bed for that one amazing night.

“Why? What did she do?” he asked, tugging gently and bringing her closer.

“Sent me here.”

“That’s…” Strange. Amazing. Great. Weird.

“Weird, right?” she asked.

He grinned. “Amazing.” Which was a much better word.

“And weird.”

“I haven’t seen you in two years.” He could tell from the flicker of awareness in her eyes that she recalled the last time they’d seen each other as easily as he did. It was also the first time they’d ever seen each other. And they’d seen everything.

They’d left the graduation party together and headed straight for his hotel room. They hadn’t emerged for nearly twenty-four hours. He’d awakened—alone—just in time to head for the airport home to Nebraska.

They hadn’t seen each other since.

She also hadn’t returned phone calls, e-mails, texts and she’d even declined his friend request on Facebook.

Needless to say, having her appear in his kitchen after all this time was a shock.

But a very pleasant one.

“I know.” She sighed. “It’s been a long time.” She tipped her head to the side. “You’re surprised to see me.”

“Shocked, actually. But happy.” He squeezed her hand. “Please tell me that you’ve been thinking of me.”

Gabby’s eyes widened and she licked her lips. “I, um… thought this was a spa.”

He tried to ignore her lips as he processed her words. But her lips—and his memories—made it very difficult. Which was possibly why what she said didn’t make any sense.

“A what?”

She waved her hand as if to wave the words away. “Forget it. She just—she told me that this was where she came a couple months ago when everything was going so wrong for her. She came back like a new woman, energized, happy, relaxed. She decided I needed the same treatment.”

Cooper felt a number of emotions shoot through his chest. Again, the amazement that Gabriella Shaw was actually standing before him. There was also the heat—the heat he’d felt the first moment he’d seen her, the first time he touched her, kissed her, made love to her. The heat that he’d never felt with anyone else.

And then there was the confusion about what she said. Kari had visited two months ago, stayed with him for a week and partied her ass off. She’d shown up on his doorstep without notice, crashed in his guest room, and had a great time blowing off some steam. Then she’d packed up, kissed him on the cheek and said she was going to pay him back somehow for helping her get her sanity back.

“Well, I can certainly help you with that prescription,” he told Gabby. “Kari slept late, ate a big breakfast, did some work around the place until it was time to go to town, then danced and drank until the bar closed and spent the rest of the night wearing out her old boyfriend, Travis. And yeah, she looked a lot happier and more relaxed when she left than when she’d arrived.”

Gabby’s eyes were huge by the time he was done. “She just slept, drank and had a bunch of sex?” she asked. “That bitch.”

Cooper chuckled. “It worked.”

“I could have done all of that in Chicago.”

He didn’t like the sounds of that at all. He moved in close and said huskily, “Not like you can here.”

“Better beer here?” she asked with a shaky smile.

His grin was slow and sexy. “Something like that.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“You sent me here to get laid?” Gabby hissed into the phone once she was shut in Cooper’s bathroom.
Cooper’s bathroom. She still couldn’t believe it.

Kari laughed. “Well not specifically, but if that happens too, great.”

“Cooper said that’s what you did when you were here.”

“I did,” Kari admitted. “And I needed it. But I just wanted you to get away.”

“By sending me to essentially live with the only one-night stand I’ve ever had?”

“By sending you to stay for a few days with a guy I know and trust to take care of you while you let loose a little bit.”

“You told me this was a spa”

“Spas are for relaxing and rejuvenating. This trip will do that for you.”

“What about the shopping?”

“This weekend is the Potterbury County Fair. There will be shopping and dining unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Have fun.” And she hung up.

“Bitch,” Gabby muttered to the dial tone.

Gabby took a moment to just breathe deep. And be amazed and overwhelmed by the fact that she was in Cooper Reed’s house.

All she had to do was close her eyes and she could recreate everything from their one night together. Sights, scents, sounds… it was all right there in her memory.

And this certainly wasn’t the first time she’d relived it since it happened.

Oh, boy. She turned to the vanity and ran some cool water, dabbing it against the hot skin of the back of her neck, her throat and forehead. This was going to be interesting.

She could leave, of course.

She’d have to put up with Kari calling her a chicken—assuming she decided to speak to Kari again after this—but she could live through that. Worse than Kari’s opinion going south was her fear that she would be disappointed in herself for running. She deserved some fun, no doubt about it. She could really use some good, hot, dirty loving. She didn’t want to shy away from it, miss out, regret it later. But she was wary of it being with Cooper.

No, spending a few days with Cooper, drinking, dancing and getting dirty with him, didn’t sound scary.
But it was.
Cooper Reed was a threat—to her heart, to her life. Not her physical, heart-beating, breathing-in-and-out life but the life that she’d established, worked for, fought for, wanted in Chicago.

She was a damned good lawyer. She’d been proving herself. She was doing well.

Okay, this last case—this last loss—wasn’t great, but she’d bounce back.

At least that’s what she’d promised the partners.

Anyway, her life, her career, was in Chicago. She’d known the moment she met Cooper that he wasn’t the Chicago kind of guy. She hadn’t known or asked—very much on purpose—what he did or where he lived, but she could tell he wasn’t big city material.

So, even though he was sweet, smart, funny, charming, and sexy as hell, she’d known from the beginning that he was just a one-night stand. Of course, she never had one-night stands. Hadn’t before Cooper and hadn’t since. In fact, she’d only had sex twice since Cooper and neither time had been spectacular—or lasting. But with Cooper, it was like she couldn’t help it.

It had been her and Kari’s graduation party. There had been drinking and dancing. But she’d known before even one glass of wine that if he asked her to go home with him, she would.

And he’d definitely asked.

“Well, I’m here to stay for a few days,” she said, emerging from the bathroom to find Cooper making sandwiches.

“And Kari’s drawing up her last will and testament?” he asked, handing her a glass of iced tea.

“She probably should be,” Gabby said. “But I’m too exhausted to think about driving back to Chicago and kicking her ass today. Or tomorrow.” Or for the next week, probably, she thought looking up into his green eyes.

“You know, she told me she was sending me a surprise,” Cooper said. “I was expecting a box with a bow but this definitely works.” He gave her that good ole’ boy grin that had gotten her out of her panties two years before. “And if you want to put a bow on, I’d be happy to unwrap you.”

She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow—even though she was seriously considering losing her panties again. “You can just put that country charm right back in your pocket, ‘cuz it won’t work.”

She was such a liar.

“Oh, it’s not just country charm. It works in the city too, if you remember.”

Holy crap, did she remember.

She tried to seem unaffected by him. “I was hoping you could introduce me to Travis?”

“Travis?” he asked.

“The guy Kari wore out.” She liked the narrowing of Cooper’s eyes.

“Yeah, I know who Travis is. Why do you need to know him?”
“Kari said I need to do everything she did while she was here.”

His eyes narrowed a little further. “Well, that, Gabby girl, isn’t going to happen.”

“No sex?” she asked.

“Oh, I didn’t say that.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Gabriella had no idea what to expect from the Potterbury County Fair—or any county fair, for that matter. She’d grown up, gone to school, worked and lived in cities her whole life.

There were a lot of lights, a lot of noises and a lot of fried foods.

“Here you go.” Cooper handed her a tall glass of something pale yellow.

“What is this?”

“Lemonade. Fresh squeezed.” He saluted her with his cup. “Drink up.”

She took a tentative sip. Then let her eyes slide shut in bliss. It was the most delicious thing she’d ever tasted.

“So are we going to talk about the last time we were together?”

She swallowed wrong and started choking.

Cooper grinned and thumped her on the back. “So you do remember.”

She shook her head. “We’re not going to talk about it.”

“Hmm.”

He took her hand and they moved on to other booths.

“I cannot believe how great food tastes when you fry it,” Gabby said twenty minutes later, half a funnel cake gone.

“Amazing.” Cooper lifted a hand and ran his thumb along her bottom lip.

She saw powered sugar on the tip of his thumb just before he put it to his mouth and sucked it clean.

Desire, sharp and hot, arrowed through her and she gasped.

“Delicious.” He grinned down at her again. “You should breathe Gabby.” Then he started moving again, her in tow.

She shook her head. This was too much. The last time they’d been together it had been hot, but fast. An instant attraction they’d both just reacted to. This time she was getting to know him, getting to see him in his own environment, totally comfortable in blue jeans that hugged his butt, a soft gray t-shirt that she wanted to cuddle up to and that grin he flashed constantly.

He didn’t only smile at her. He talked to everyone, greeted people personally and they all seemed happy to see him. But there was something different about the grins he gave her. They were sexy but also warm—like he was just thrilled she was here with him. Like she was something—someone—special.

It was addictive.

It wasn’t that she didn’t date or have guys who liked her. She did. A lot.

But that was part of her recent restlessness. Her life was… big. It was crazy, it was exhausting. She was always on the go. She felt like she was always fighting, trying to get more. She wanted to win her cases, wanted to make partner, wanted to impress people—her bosses, her clients, the men she dated.

Slowing down felt so good.

Being with a guy who so obviously liked her, without her even trying, was so amazing.

And she knew, even though she wanted to ignore or deny it, that she was falling in love with him.

No, that wasn’t right, she thought as they moved among the booths of food, crafts and games. She’d fallen in love with him two years ago. She just hadn’t wanted to believe it. Because falling in love in one night was crazy.

But now being with him again she knew it was true.

What she was going to do about it was another question.

He bought her earrings when they got further down to the craft section past the food.

“Oh, I can’t.”

“They remind me of the ones you were wearing the night we met.” He held them up.

He was right.

And she was stunned.

“Oops, I’m not supposed to talk about that night, right?”

He didn’t look a bit apologetic.

She kept eye contact as she replaced her earrings with the new ones.

How did he remember her earrings from two years ago? They’d been simple silver hoops. Nothing flashy, nothing memorable. But she remembered him playing with them as they sat at the bar, him seeming to take in everything about her, studying her face.

Wow. No wonder she’d slept with him.

“Now what?” she asked.

“I’d like to touch you semi-inappropriately.”

Her eyebrows shot up.

“Let’s dance,” he said with a grin.

The dance was outside, in the town square. There was a live cover band, lights strung from trees and poles, and a lot of laughter and conversation.

As Cooper pulled her into his arms, she sighed. He felt so good—strong, warm, protective.

“We fit together so well, Gab,” Cooper said, his voice husky. “I hate that I only get this little taste of you and you’ll be gone again.”

There had sure been a lot of tasting on both their parts the last time they’d been together.

She looked up at him and couldn’t help but smile. “Thought we weren’t talking about that night.”

Heat flared in his eyes and he smiled. “We don’t have to talk about it. I think about it all the time. Like you do. Whether we talk about it or not.”

She took a deep breath and blamed the fried food as she confessed, “You’re right.”

“I can’t let you leave without kissing you.”

Her heart thumped. She knew exactly where kissing would lead. “Good,” was all she could say .

Desire was clear on his face, but he swallowed hard and said, “I can’t start here, because it’s going to get indecent really quick.”

The most they did was hold hands all the way home. But within minutes of stepping through the front door, clothes were flung left and right, lips and hands were everywhere and there was a lot of sighing, moaning and “yes, please”.

They made it as far as the wall in the hallway on the way to the kitchen.

“I wanted this time to be slow,” Cooper said gruffly as he lifted her thigh in one big palm and pressed her into the wall.

“We have next time.” She needed him so much she could hardly think. “But right now I can’t wait.”

She gripped his butt and pulled him forward.

He’d already slipped on a condom and didn’t hesitate to thrust forward, sliding deep. They groaned together and started moving in a steady rhythm that quickly built and sent them over the edge together.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As they stood, sweating and breathing hard, plastered against one another, Cooper knew he couldn’t let her go. Not because the sex was the best he’d ever had, but because she was the best he’d ever had.
But instead of telling her, he tried to show her. All night long. Again and again.

The next morning he left her sleeping, made her breakfast and left it on the stove then went out to get some work done. Working outside had always been like therapy for him. He was at peace, he knew what he wanted, he was focused when he was out in the midst of what he loved and wanted.

But today he felt like something was missing. Well, not missing exactly—it, she, was in the house in his bed.

It was crazy to feel like this. They’d met one night two years ago and had now been together not quite twenty-four hours. But he felt it. She was his. She belonged with him.

And he belonged here.

Would she stay? Could he even ask?

She was just out of the shower when he came back to the house later. They didn’t make it downstairs for several hours.

As they sat together by the bon fire at Cooper’s best friend’s barbecue later that night, he struggled to keep from asking her to stay. She fit in with his friends, she felt so good here with him, so right. But it was a crazy thought. Maybe they could try the long distance thing. They could talk on the phone, they could e-mail and text, they could visit, they could vacation together.

It all sounded great.

But not enough.

He kept his thoughts and feeling to himself at the barbecue, in the car and even as he undressed her that night. Somehow.

They made love that night sweet and slow, like they were trying to savor the time they had. They slept sporadically.

In the morning he knew he had to tell her something. Something that would make her stay. Something that didn’t sound crazy like “please stay even though it feels we barely know each other, we don’t have the same backgrounds, the same lifestyles, but stay.”

No, he couldn’t say any of that.

He put her suitcase in the trunk and they stood by her open car door.

“Thanks for… everything,” she said.

“Well, we drank and danced,” he said. “How do you feel?”

She grinned up at him. “Great. Completely rejuvenated. Must have been the beer.”

“Right.” He chuckled.

“Okay, well… can I call you?” she asked.

Of course she could call him. “Stay.”

She looked stunned. “What?”

He took a deep breath. “Stay.”

“For how long?”

“Forever.” He shrugged.

“That’s nuts,” she whispered.

“Yep.”

“I do love it here.”

“So, stay.”

“I can come back and visit.”

“Yeah. Or you could stay.” He was really trying not to push. And he wasn’t succeeding at it very well.

She licked her lips. “Will you still give me directions to the interstate if I say I can’t?”

He took a deep breath. Okay. He wouldn’t push her any more. This time. The next time he saw her, though, all bets were off. And there would be a next time. “You go four miles to the stop sign. The interstate is to the left. A right will bring you back to me.”

She stood, just staring at him for a long minute. Then she took a deep breath, got in her car and drove off.

He watched until her taillights disappeared. Then he kicked the dirt and headed for the house to look up plane tickets to Chicago.

Ten minutes later he was typing in his credit card number for a ticket out the next day. There was a knock on the door.

No one knocked on his door. He pushed back and stomped to the door.

Gabby stood on the porch.

He grabbed her and kissed her before she could say a thing. If she’d just forgotten her toothbrush he was at least going to remind her of what she was leaving.

“You took a right,” he finally said.

She grinned and nodded. “Right back home.”

Just My Type excerpt... just because

2011-09-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

I've been talking about Just My Type again a lot lately since it just came out in print about a month ago and it's been so fun! I do love the Bradfords! And I've had a chance to revisit the Bradfords, not just talking about JMT, but also because I'm in the midst of finishing Dooley's book which will end up being book four of the Bradfords. (And yes, Kevin's is next after that! :))

So, just because (ha! That would be a good Bradford book title, huh?!) I thought I'd post an excerpt from Just My Type.

And in reading this excerpt, it reminds me very much why I think Dooley and Kevin deserve books too ;)

* * *

Mac breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently his taking Sara to bed last night had been monumental only to him and Sara.

His peace lasted until four minutes after they stepped into the locker room at the hospital to change into their uniforms.

Which just happened to be when Sam came in.

“Oh, hey, Mac, I found this on the steps and forgot to give it back to Sara. You better take it home tonight.” Dooley tossed Mac a hot pink thong.

She’d probably dropped it on the way into the house last night.

It wasn’t a big deal. Except that the tossed thong nearly hit Sam in the face.

Mac caught the scrap of lace and put it in his pocket, bending to tie his shoes without a word.

He was going to kill Dooley. He was pretty sure Dooley knew it so it didn’t need to be said out loud.

“Oh, and I think this is yours too, right?” Kevin tossed him one of the finger vibrators from Sara’s toy box. Which no way had just fallen out on the table or floor. They’d gone looking through the box.

Mac caught the vibrator and put it in his other pocket. Without a word, he crossed to the coffeepot. It would be harder to kill a good guy like Kevin. Hell, Kev didn’t even swear. But God would understand.

Especially when Kevin said, “I had to clear the kitchen table for breakfast this morning, so I put that pink fur wedge in the pantry. Don’t know what it was doing on the kitchen table, but it was taking up all the space.”

Mac tried valiantly to not remember exactly what it had been doing on the table. It was damned tough.

“Thanks.” Was there any chance, any chance at all, that they were done? He poured a cup of coffee he didn’t want.

“Hey, since I didn’t see Sara this morning, I was hoping you could give her a message for me,” Dooley said.

Of course they weren’t done.

"Tell her I’ve been thinking about what positions she should try and she’d look great in any of them, but The Couch Canoodle would be fantastic for her.”

Mac turned slowly to face one of his best friends. Sam and Kevin were staring at Dooley with the complete disbelief that Mac was sure was apparent on his face.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mac finally asked.

“The Couch Canoodle?” Kevin said at the same time.

“You sure you want to hear this?” Dooley asked Kevin.

“I think I have to hear this,” Kevin said.

Dooley chuckled. “Okay, she’s on your lap on the couch—or a chair would work, I’m sure. I mean you just have to be upright…”

Kevin motioned with his hand for Dooley to get to it.

“Then she leans back. All the way back. Until she’s horizontal. Not only does it feel great, but the view…”

“Stop. Oh my God please stop,” Mac said, plunking his coffee cup down on the counter and stepping toward Dooley, ready to do physical damage if needed. “I don’t know what you want but you can have whatever it is. Just fucking stop talking.”

Hotblooded!

2011-08-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have a new book coming out some time in November!! It's called Hotblooded. Here's the first blurb... what do you think?

Her mama always said the women in their family were hotblooded…

And it’s been causing Brooke Donovan trouble her whole life. But it wasn’t until her mother set out to ruin the man who broke her heart, and the town he loved, that Brooke truly realized that the daughter of the town whore didn’t stand a chance. Brooke got out, determined to never return. But old debts have to be repaid sometime. Now she’s back and stuck in the last place on earth she wants to be. Temporarily. Until the one man who can make her rethink everything shows up.

Doctor Jack Silver saves people. It’s what he does, what he loves. So when he feels responsible for Brooke’s husband’s death, he travels across the state of Texas to give her the only thing he’s got— money. But instead of a grieving widow, he finds a gorgeous, feisty woman who’s just trying to survive in a town that wants her gone. The medical clinic she runs is at risk of going belly up. Thank goodness. This is something Jack can fix. He steps in as the supervising physician, determined to get the clinic—and Brooke—back on their feet. Whether she likes it or not.

Product warnings: Contains a hotblooded woman, a man who really likes that about her, a town with a long memory, and a cappuccino machine that makes it all worthwhile.

Anything You Want!

2011-02-28T18:14:00.000-08:00

Anything You Want, my next book, will be out in just a few weeks!! This one is unrelated to the Bradfords... but I hope readers will love Sabrina and Marc's story too!

Here's a peek:

Suppose the solution to all your problems is the one thing you never wanted…

It figures the one time Sabrina Cassidy is determined to do the responsible thing, karma kicks in. After four years on the road chasing her musical dream, she’s stranded six hours from home with no money, a ruined credit history—and morning sickness.

Out of options, she swallows her legendary independent streak and calls the only person who won’t hang up on her. Luke, the man she left behind.

Marc Sterling’s first instinct is to protect his business partner and best friend from another broken heart. That means letting her think she’s talking to Luke, then finding a way to send her in the opposite direction.

When he shows up at her hotel room, there’s something in the air beside their customary insults. Sure, her rebellious attitude, smart mouth—and purple panties—still drive him crazy, but now it’s a different kind of crazy. The kind that has him driving her home instead of to the nearest airport.

And when Luke offers to solve all her problems if she’ll only say “I do”, Marc realizes he’s just crazy enough—about her—to forget whose heart he wanted to protect.

Warning: Contains two people who don’t like each other very much, a Toyota that can’t quite handle the road trip home, and a spontaneous proposal. Or two. Or three. And foreplay with—what else—pie filling.

Christmas Recipes!

2010-12-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year! Some of the fun are the treats!

Here are some of my favorites:

Salted Peanut Squares

non-stick spray coating
4 cups dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 c butter
1 10 1/2 oz pkg tiny marshmallows
2 C peanut butter flavored pieces (12 oz pkg)
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Line 13x9" baking pan with heavy foil. Spray foil with non-stick spray coating. Cover evenly with 2 cups peanuts. In a 3 qt. saucepan, melt butter with marshmallows over low heat. Add peanut butter flavored pieces, sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Quickly pour over the peanut layer in pan. Sprinkle the remaining peanuts on top. Cool or chill if necessary. Cut into squares. Store candy in refrigerator. Makes about 4 lbs. candy.

White Peppermint Hot Chocolate

8 oz white chocolate, chopped
3 1/2 cups milk
6 hard peppermint candies, crushed fine
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2/3 cup whipping cream

Beat chilled cream with crushed mints until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate for about an hour. Meanwhile, heat milk to a simmer, them mix in chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add mint extract and stir through. Pour into mugs and top with minty whipped cream

Hope this Christmas Season is everything you wish it to be!
Merry Christmas!
Erin

Writing Romance Is Like...

2010-11-26T02:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to my home blog! (well, one of my homes… I spend a lot of time at the Nine Naughty Novelists too! *g*)

So this is stop #9 (out of 10 in case you’re wondering) for my blog tour!

You probably know the details by now, but just in case:

Since November is the anniversary month of my first published book, I decided to go on a tour and chat and give stuff away!

The “theme” (I use the term loosely) is Writing Romance Is Like…
And every blog stop has a difference comparison that will give you some insight into who I am, how I write and my slightly weird sense of humor. Oh, and you can win stuff! Every commenter gets entered for a chance at a book from my backlist. And if you really want to have some fun: follow me around to all the stops on the schedule (on my website) get the answers to the questions (on the form on my site) and then e-mail them to me by December 15th to get entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or MyBookstoreandMore.com. Come join the fun!!

And now…
Writing Romance Is Like… Being a Knocked Up Homecoming Queen: the spotlight is on you, you get to wear a sparkly crown… and now everyone can see your big mistake.

I was not the Homecoming Queen. I’m not really the type. I wasn’t unpopular but I wasn’t HCQ popular. I never was very good at kissing up and trying to make everyone happy. But one of my good friends was the Queen and I remember how nervous she was. She was so concerned about having the right shoes, getting her hair done, picking the right dress. Because she would be on stage, in the spotlight, for everyone to see. And, as typical teenage girls do, someone (or more than one someone) would be looking for even the tiniest flaw.

Which reminds me a little of being a published author. Before I published I figured the only person I needed to worry about liking my characters, enjoying my story and admiring my word choice would be the acquiring editor.

But a published book is kind of up on stage in a spotlight. Once it’s published and available, anyone with a five-dollar bill can get a hold of it and then… well, they don’t have to like it. And if they have a Twitter account, a blog, a Facebook page, or even an e-mail account (or a break room at work) they can let a whole bunch of people know what it’s flaws are. You can bet if you end up a pregnant homecoming queen—everyone’s gonna know and everyone’s going to have an opinion.

So, it definitely feels great to be published, to see your book for sale, to have a kick-butt cover, to have great reviews. But for every person who likes my book there will likely be someone who won’t. I’m okay with that and trust that many people who won’t like it won’t even pick it up because of the blurb or excerpt or whatever. But there will always be a few who will think they might like it and end up being less than impressed.

It still feels uncomfortable. Like standing up there with a tiara and maternity underwear at the same time. Somebody liked me enough to put me in the spotlight, but by walking up there I accept the risk that somebody else might find a run in my hose, a hair out of place or feel my lipstick choice was wrong.

The good news is that I really like tiaras. I love having people like my books, read my books, talk about my books... enough to not worry too much about lipstick shades! *G*

Join me at my next (and final) stop! November 29th at the Nine Naughty Novelists blog: ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com

Excerpt, Just Right (which got five star ratings and two star ratings… go figure)
Erin Nicholas

He’d wanted her for a long time. Before tonight, he’d liked what he knew about her and wanted to know more, but he couldn’t do anything about what he wanted to do to her. When he was at work he wasn’t filing tax claims, or harvesting corn, or teaching algebra or asking if people wanted to Super Size things. He was saving lives. He simply couldn’t—wouldn’t—be distracted by a nice body and some sexy underwear when he was supposed to be putting people back together.

Of course, that was before he quit putting people back together a few hours ago.

Now he could pretty much do whatever the hell he wanted.

He came off his stool and rounded the table. He grasped the edges of Jessica’s seat in both hands and turned her to face him, then moved in until his belt buckle touched her knee. “So, what do you want in exchange for this huge favor you’re doing for me?”

She didn’t pull back or even stiffen in response to his sudden nearness, and he was inordinately pleased, but she did look mildly surprised. He could see her lips fall open slightly as she pulled in a long breath.

He’d never dared test if the chemistry he felt was reciprocal. He and Jessica were colleagues in a stressful environment that required concentration, quick thinking and skills that were practically reflexes. The last thing he needed was the distraction of trying to get a bullet away from a spinal cord or patching a bleed in a major artery while his girlfriend stood across the table from him fuming about their latest argument.

“I get the satisfaction of knowing that you’re safely home,” Jessica finally said.

They needed to be very clear on a few important points. “Is Sam paying you?”

She looked offended by the suggestion. “Of course not.”

“Do you feel sorry for me, Jessica?”

She snorted. Actually snorted. “No, Ben. I do not feel sorry for you.”

He moved closer, a centimeter at best, but enough to fill more of the air around him with her scent and body heat. Her eyes widened a fraction and if he hadn’t been watching for it—or for any reaction at all—he would have missed it.

“Are you worried about me?”

She wet her lips before answering and Ben thought about just kissing her and finding out if her

response to him that morning had been a product of shock or true attraction.

“Sam’s worried about you,” she said.

Her voice sounded breathy, if he wasn’t mistaken. He grinned and crowded closer, propping an elbow on the table beside her hand. Still she didn’t move. But her breathing got faster.

“I don’t give a damn how Sam feels.” He finally gave in to the desire and opportunity to touch her. He lifted his hand and drew the pad of his thumb along her lower lip. “But I’d love to know how you feel.”

Up against him. Naked. On a bed.

Or a pool table, he thought, aware of the closest horizontal surface.

Jessica’s lips fell open under his touch and Ben felt the jolt of satisfaction go through him. He thought it was noteworthy that the conservative, always-in-charge, always-knew-what-she-was-doing ER nurse—who always smelled like cotton candy—was suddenly looking flustered. He wondered if it was her response to him that surprised her or his response to her.

Writing Romance Is Like...

2010-11-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog! And the 3rd stop on my blog tour!

Since November is the anniversary month of my first published book, I decided to go on a tour and chat and give stuff away!

The “theme” (I use the term loosely) is Writing Romance Is Like…
And every blog stop has a difference comparison that will give you some insight into who I am, how I write and my slightly weird sense of humor. Oh, and you can win stuff! Every commenter gets entered for a chance at a book from my backlist. And if you really want to have some fun: follow me around to all the stops on the schedule (on my website: www.ErinNicholas.com) get the answers to the questions (on the form on my site) and then e-mail them to me by December 15th to get entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or MyBookstoreandMore.com. Come join the fun!!

Today I’m talking about how Writing Romance Is Like… Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches: because it’s all about taking two things that are good alone but even better together!

I love peanut butter. Peanut butter and chocolate is one of the all-time best combinations. Peanut butter and honey—damn good. Peanut butter on bananas—yum! But peanut butter and jelly are… perfect. Strawberry is the best, in my opinion, but grape is a close second.

There is nothing as good as getting two things together that belong together.

You wouldn’t put more peanut butter with peanut butter. To be good together, things don’t have to be exactly alike. Also you wouldn’t put say, filet mignon with peanut butter. Filet mignon is awesome. Just not with peanut butter. That’s okay. Because there’s jelly.

My writing process always starts with a character. Usually the hero (I don’t know why, that’s just how it is). Then I ask the question: what situation would really screw up this person’s life? That leads to who is this person, where have they come from, what is their life like now, why is this situation such a bump in his or her world? Then the fun question: who does this person really need? Who is the jelly to this person’s peanut butter? Not because they’re not okay on their own—my characters are strong and independent and doing fine on their own. But there’s something missing—even if they don’t know it. Peanut butter by itself is okay too. Just not as good as it could be.

Sometimes they need the other person because of the situation. Sometimes they’re just stuck with the person because of the situation. Sometimes they really don’t want that person because of the situation. Whatever the case, the story—regardless of what predicament I put them in— is about why is this person the one? And why right now? And what will keep them together—because the situation will be resolved and then what?

Well, once you’ve had peanut butter and jelly—you’ll want it again and again right? Most of us have been eating it for years. PB & J is a forever kind of thing.

I love reading that and writing that. That finding-forever-thing. I would be a terrible mystery writer. The clues would go undiscovered because the detective (the hot, super smart detective) would be making out with the gutsy, beautiful, sweet woman who—well, see, I’d have to come up with some reason for her to be there too… it would be a mess. I write romance. I always will. Because I’m all about peanut butter and jelly!

Join me at my next stop! November 12th at Shelly Munroe’s blog! http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/

Excerpt, Just Right (a true PB&J couple!)
Erin Nicholas

Ben leaned forward, grasped her hips and pulled her toward him until his forehead rested against her stomach.

Surprised, she slipped her fingers through his hair, her palms resting against the warmth of his skull, and waited for him to speak.

He drew in a deep breath. “He’s stable, but barely. To go back in so soon…and on his head…damn.”

Her chest throbbed. For Mario. For Ben. This was hurting Ben so much too.

“Do you see why I hate my job?” Ben asked, still not moving. “Why did you have to pull me into this?”

But he didn’t sound or act angry with her, and he continued to hold her as if he needed her comfort.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her throat tight. “But if you hadn’t already been with me, I would have called you. I would have needed you there.”

And having him here now made it painfully clear that it wasn’t because he was a doctor. She’d wanted him there because he could make her feel better just being in the room with her. Ben would do anything in his power to make things right in the world. He was a warrior, a hero, a fighter. That’s all she needed. Not the victory necessarily, but the man willing to do battle for the right reason.

Ben rubbed his forehead back and forth against her abdomen, his hands still splayed on her hips, the gentle but firm pressure keeping her against him. She became aware of how thin the cotton of her pajamas was. The heat from his hands spread and her stomach tightened as she felt the hem of her pajama top pull up as he rubbed, exposing a strip of skin about six inches wide.

“I don’t want to talk medicine right now,” he said hoarsely. “I want to forget all the bad stuff. Just for a while.”

She felt his breath on her skin a millisecond before she felt his lips. He kissed her three times along the waistband of the pajama pants and she reflexively tightened her fingers against his head. He must have understood the invitation to continue.

Her eyes slid shut as she felt a lick along the side of her belly button.

“You taste as good as you smell,” he murmured against her skin.

Her breasts tightened, the nipples prominent under that soft cotton. If Ben looked up he would see how much she wanted him. But he seemed content to trace the bottom edge of her ribcage with his tongue.

The power his mouth had on her was incredible.

She wanted to strip off every stitch of her clothing—then start on his.

“Ben, maybe we should talk about what happened and how you’re feeling.”

His lips hardly lifted from her skin. “You’re not a damn psychiatrist, Jess,” he growled. “I’m not here for psychoanalysis.”

“What are you here for?” She knew, even as she asked. He needed a distraction, an outlet. Could she sleep with him for those reasons?

Absolutely. If she could make him feel better, in any way, she’d do it. Not that there weren’t perks to being his therapy right then. His hands and lips were hot on her and she, too, wanted to do anything but talk.

“I want to feel good. I want to forget that there’s any pain or disease or sadness, even if it’s just for a while.”

He looked up at her with a wanting she had never seen, even in her fantasies. Because what he needed from her was so much more than physical.

The last Bradford...

2010-09-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, the 14th, saw the release of Just My Type! It's book 3 in what I originally didn't even intend to make a series (when I first started writing Just Right) and then decided (after writing Just Right) to make into a three book series.

I love this series. I love these characters and their stories. The series has been well-received too. It's been on the best seller list at My Bookstore and More and made a brief shining appearance on the Kindle store top 1,000. It's gotten good reviews, good reader comments... all in all, it's been great!

And I've got another book contracted that isn't a part of the Bradford world at all. Anything You Want is new, new characters, etc. and will be out in the spring and I'm excited for it. I love this book too (I guess if I didn't love them I probably wouldn't write them right? :)) but...

Well, I had a little spark of an idea after finishing Just My Type about another recurrent character. I talked with my editor about it and she liked the idea. But I still didn't start it. I got into writing another and left that idea sitting.

Then I had some readers ask "is so and so going to have a story?" and "I think so and so needs a story" and "is this really the last one? no!" which got me thinking about it again.

Especially after the release of Just My Type. I'm a little sad to let them go. Strange, probably even a little crazy. But there it is. It's like my last one going off to kindergarten. It's not an end. It's not like they're gone forever. These stories are now going to be around . People can find and read them a year from now, five years, ten years from now. I can re-read them if I want to! *G* (honestly, after edits I swore I'd never need or want to read them again!).

So, I may write another. If the idea stays with me and nags me enough I'll know it's worth doing. If I move on to new stories and new people and look back with affection but no burning desire to do more in the Bradford world, then that's good too. As a reader, I do think that it's possible to make a series too long, too. After awhile I want something new, to see what the author can do with new characters and situations...

I guess at this point all I've decided is to wait and see. But I'm so glad I wrote these three books and that they're out there in the world!!

Welcome to Bloodsuck... Have Some Wine

2010-09-08T09:42:00.001-07:00

The Zillionaire Vampire Cowboy's Secret Werewolf Babies (geez, I think that's the right title... when we get over three or four words it's tough on me :)) kicks off with the first chapter TOMORROW!! It's 9-9 which is like a magic number for us over at the Nine Naughty Novelists! So to celebrate we wrote a serial story that will post chapter by chapter on Thursdays over the next few months! The story itself is hilarious. The writing of the story has been a hoot!!

I'm way behind in posting about this amazing, silly, and hilarious serial so many of you have probably already heard about it! In fact, I'm not even sure what to say-- I just want to link you back to the Nine Naughty Novelists blog! :) www.ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com
There's a TON of awesome info on there that will catch you up and... catch your imagination!

So, go check it all out and don't forget to become a follower! Until then... welcome to Bloodsuck... have some wine...

It's done!

2010-08-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

Anything You Want is now finished! It will go through some editing and polishing of course, but the five hours of unexpected layover in Minneapolis today paid off!

And it was worth all the rewriting! It turned out good, because it works, because the characters are right. Now.

So, thanks for listening to all my whining about it! (maybe it was interesting seeing a little bit of how this process works?! Or not.)

I can't wait to let you know how Super Editor, Lindsey, feels about it ;)
Erin

This #$%&-ing book, Part IV

2010-08-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I can finally post with absolute certainty that I no longer swear-at or hate this book! :) I never really *hated* it but we were really having some problems getting along as you know. Well, I'm two chapters away from the end and I really, really like it!

Turns out our Former Hero isn't as heart-broken as we all thought he would be... which helps. And it turns out that our Current Hero and our Heroine are completely perfect for each other. Also definitely helps.

So, I'm approaching the finish line!

The title is Anything You Want (unless Lindsey wants to change it...) And the next book, with the Former Hero (guess he'll have to move to Current Hero status then, huh?) is also plotted out! Yay!

I'm also gearing up to start talking more about Just My Type (out in September!). Sara and Mac really needed their own story... I was very happy that it happened to be the *same* story! They go together so well-- once Mac gets over his she's-my-best-friend's-little-sister thing!

I'll post some excerpts and stuff for sure and I'll be having contests etc on the website and other places (The Romance Studio and Author Island) so keep a look out!

Thanks for reading!
Erin

New Cover for Just My Type!

2010-07-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

In the same week I get the final version of my next book AND I hit the road for Denver to attend Rom Con!

So exciting!
Thought I'd share the cover here... and then I'll post some fun things either while at the conference or when I get back!

By the way, if you've read Just Right and/or Just Like That you'll be happy (I hope!) to know that Mac Gordon (Sam and Ben's buddy) and Sara Bradford (Sam and Jessica's younger sister) are the stars of this next book!

Take a look:

More to come soon!
Erin

This #$%&-ing book, Part III

2010-07-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

It is with trepidation that I announce that this book is now moving at a fast, but fairly smooth pace.

Sure, I've had to let go of some of my control issues. Sure, I've had to come to terms with creating a really nice guy who's, well, too nice. And then making him suffer just a little for being that way. But now it's going somewhere. And, wow, it feels good!

See, the fix was to look at something that seemed like a problem as an opportunity. The hero and heroine don't like each other. That seemed like a problem. But the truth is, they have good reason for not liking each other and feeling passionate about somebody is still... passion. Which is something a romance writer can definitely work with!

Actually, our hero summed it up nicely when he said to our heroine, "I don't have to like you to want to see you naked."

Ah, good point. And something that can drive things forward! :)

So, it wasn't how I planned it. But you know what? It's kind-of fun to see how things look from the passenger seat versus the driver's seat.

Now my fingers and toes are tightly crossed that there aren't any hairpin curves ahead... because I definitely don't have a driver's manual for this!!
Erin

This #$%&-ing book, Part II

2010-06-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Muse,

You are being such a...

Okay, okay, sorry. That's not nice. But I thought we were friends. I mean, we've been together for a long time, we've been through a lot, you've really come through for me in the past.

But now... this. This book. This story. These people! None of it's going the way I expect it to, the way I want it to. Every time I write a scene, you decide there should be a twist.

FYI, *I* don't need to be surprised. The readers do. Maybe that's where you got confused. I'm a reader. But in regards to my own work I'm the writer. It's okay for me to know what's going on. It's okay to follow my plan. At least once in awhile.

So, can we *please* do this next scene the way I want to? Just this one? Pretty please?

Your friend-for-now-but-we'll-see-how-this-turns-out,
Erin

EXCERPT-- Just Like That

2010-06-07T19:04:00.001-07:00

For fun ...and for an upcoming contest (Author Island... http://www.authorisland.com/) here's an excerpt from Just Like That (leading up to "The Bathtub Scene" :))

“You’re crying.”

“So?”

He sighed. He could be patient, but he wasn’t especially good at it. “Come on. What’s going on?”

“I hate this.”

He knew what she was talking about. She was used to being self-sufficient. She knew how to rewire a ceiling fan. She’d claimed that she made a point of always doing everything for herself.

This had to be hard for her.

But he was enjoying it. Not to the point of being truly happy in the face of her misery, but definitely not upset about the situation that made this sweet, funny, beautiful woman let him hang around for awhile.

“Why were you crying, Dani?”

She sniffed, but met his eyes. “I can’t wash my hair.”

He thought about that. Yep, that would be tough with one hand. Especially one hand that she could not get wet.

She just looked at him, her eyebrows slowly rising. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
“Say what?”

“That I… need you.”

He probably moved a notch closer to “ass” on the jerk scale but he did like hearing those four words from her.

“You need me to wash your hair?”

She nodded, looking royally pissed about the whole thing.

“Um…” Sam blinked down at her.

Her hair.

It seemed like a simple request. But she was a girl. Which pretty much guaranteed that anything to do with her hair wouldn’t be simple.

“You realize that as far as I’m concerned, hair washing involves three steps. Get hair wet, rub shampoo in it, run more water on hair.”

She propped her left hand on her hip. “Why are you looking like I just asked you to perform open heart surgery on me?”

“Well, girl hair involves those twelve additional steps that I don’t even know about.”

“What twelve additional steps?”

“Whatever it is that ensures no woman can get out of the shower in less than twenty minutes.”

“Did it ever occur to you that they were doing more in there than fussing with their hair?”

“Okay, there’s soap and other body parts, but come on, twenty minutes?”

She laughed at that. “Sam, there aren’t any magic hair washing steps. There’s conditioner, but I know you can handle it.”

He watched her face, and felt humble. He sensed that this woman didn’t ask people for things often or easily. “You hate that you need help for this don’t you?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Get over it,” he said simply.

She slipped around him and was through her bedroom door before he realized she was moving.

“What are you doing?” he asked her back.

“Getting my swimming suit.”

“You don’t need…”

“Yes,” she interrupted. “I do.” The door shut in his face.

He grinned. “How are you going to get a swimming suit on by yourself?”

“I’ll manage,” she called.

He leaned back against the wall across from her bedroom to wait.

# # #

She was desperate. Plain and simple. She had to wash her hair or she was going to go crazy andthere was absolutely no way she could do it herself.

It was so frustrating! To not be able to do the simplest, most normal thing made her want to scream. She didn’t want to need Sam, not like this. She was kind-of okay with needing him physically, with feeling like she would die if he didn’t touch her. At least, she was getting used to it. She wasn’t as okay with needing him to make her a sandwich, unzip her dress and wash her hair.

Talk about pathetic.

This was exactly the kind of thing she avoided at all costs. She never let other people take care of her. She’d been sick with the flu for almost a week four years ago and it had taken her three days to call Carmen and even tell her and another two before she would let Carmen come over.

She hated the feeling of vulnerability, of weakness, of being a burden.

Sam thought this was fun now. He felt responsible now. He was even making it sexy.

How long would any of that last?

Not as long as she would remember being dependent on him for the smallest thing.

She was able to wiggle out of her panties and the nightgown was loose enough that she could pull it over her head one-handed. The swimming suit was more of a challenge. It was a one-piece and she was able to get the bottom of the suit up by pulling one side up, then the other until it was in place. She threaded her casted hand in through the strap and up onto her shoulder, then the other side.

“I’m going to need a plastic bag to put over the cast,” she said as she stepped back into the hallway, still pulling her right shoulder strap up.

Sam was standing across from her, leaning back against the wall, but he pushed away as she stepped through the door. His eyes were wide.

“Wow.”

She stopped short at the look in his eyes. She might as well have been naked. He was looking at her as if memorizing every curve and prominence.

She tried to ignore the tingles that seemed to erupt everywhere as she realized that he was imagining peeling her swimming suit off of her. It was so clear, in fact, it was like reading his mind. “You going to be able to do this?” she asked.

“Definitely. I’m a little tight in my jeans, but I’m okay.”

Her eyes dropped to his fly in spite of her effort to avoid it. He was grinning when she looked back into his eyes.

“Let’s do this,” she muttered, stepping past him into the bathroom.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She looked over her shoulder. “Washing my hair,” she clarified.

“Of course.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “The garbage bags are under the sink.”

“I’m all over it.”

She wanted him all over her. “Garbage bags.” She wasn’t sure if she said it to try to distract her

own thoughts or to again clarify what he was all over.

“Right.”

She started the water running while Sam went to retrieve a plastic bag from the kitchen. She knew the moment he was back because the air temperature in the bathroom spiked and she could feel him behind her, checking out her butt.

“Isn’t that how we ended up in this mess?” she asked without looking at him.

“Yep,” he said unapologetically. “But it isn’t my fault. You can’t take someone to the edge of the

Grand Canyon and expect him not to look.”

With the water the right temperature, she turned to frown at him. “My butt reminds you of the Grand Canyon?”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Again, thinking too fast on my feet. How about you can’t take someone to see the Hope Diamond and expect him not to look.”

“Again, you’re comparing my butt to something that is extraordinarily big.”

He chuckled. “I can’t think of anything amazingly beautiful, but appropriately trim, firm and tiny.”

She tipped her head to one side, considering that. She, of course, didn’t think that he’d been insulting her and she couldn’t think of any other way to make him squirm so she shrugged. “Forgiven.”

This #$%&-ing book

2010-06-06T15:50:00.001-07:00

That's the new title of a series of blogs I'm going to have to do about this WIP. I think it could be therapeutic!

To review, I've written 95% of a book which I've now realized has the wrong guy as the hero. I've been making notes about the changes that need to be made (where I purposefully devastate my hero-- now known as my Former Hero) but haven't been able to actually start changing things. And today I figured out why.

Having these two have sex is... difficult. Because I really like their friend who is going to be-- as I think we've established-- devastated. It will obviously be a life-changing event for them. As it should be. So deciding how it should happen, how to write it, was tough.

But I did it today. And it's a good scene! (if I do say so myself)

I usually write books in order. Meaning that I write the scenes in the order that they happen in the story. It's just how my brain works. But in this case I wrote the scene anyway, because I had to get over that hump. And now that I did, I think the rest will be easier.

Well, up to the point where the Former Hero learns about their relationship.

Maybe that's the scene I should try to write next :)

We have a problem...

2010-06-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

I should be writing about my upcoming release Just Like That! June 15th it will release and I really am excited! I love this book. Love the characters, the cover, the chemistry in it, the fact that it's the second book in a series that I also love...

But the thing is, that book was finished over a year ago. I've written another book in the meantime (book 3 *G*) and am now working on this one. Let's call it The Problem for right now :)

So, yes, I'm thrilled that Just Like That is coming out SOON!!

But The Problem is giving me fits. And not just tonight.

I love this book too. Love the characters, all of that. But here's the thing. These people are becoming almost... real. Not like hallucinations (yet), but I'm thinking about them all the time. And here's why. I think I'm going to have to break my hero's heart. Actually, I believe we need to begin referring to him as my FH (former hero). Yeah, that's right. I don't think he's the guy. Not this time. Not for this girl.

Dammit.

My life would be easier if they could just live happily ever after. And they probably could. But she's going to be better with The Other Guy... who is-- brace yourself-- the FH's best friend.

Yep. You got it.

I didn't mean for it to happen. In fact, the best friend was kind of keeping out of it nicely. Until he had a big fight with the heroine. And then I realized why he's so passionate about this whole thing, and why there are such sparks between them and *sigh* yes... why they should be together.

Ugh.

My hero-- (sorry, Former Hero)-- is a great guy too. Nicer than the best friend, actually. Best friend isn't the nice-guy-next-door at all. But that makes him even better for this heroine. She thinks she wants safe and predictable but... nope. 'Fraid not. That would be way too boring.

This is really gonna mess FH up.

Which probably means I have another book in the works in the deep recesses of my subconscious. He'll need his own happy ending after all of this, huh?

Maybe that's the glass-half-full way of looking at this-- I got two for one.

Sure. Let's look at it that way. Rather than looking at all the pages and pages that will have to be re-written now.

Still--and maybe this makes me crazy-- I'm looking foward to these two realizing that there are other ways of working off their pent-up frustrations with one another ;)

I've had better

2010-05-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

A romance author that I really like recently wrote a new book. I downloaded it to my Kindle in preparation for a business trip I'm taking. Excited to have a new book to help pass the time in the airport and on the plane, I turned on my Kindle, chose the title and opened it up.

Much to my disappointment it's not a romance.
Well, there are "romantic elements" but it's definitely not a romance. It's about this woman's journey, other relationships and rediscovering herself.

Hey, that's great. Seriously. I like these stories and would have likely still picked this particular book up. But I would have liked for the description, title and author's reputation not to lead me to believe it's a romance.

It's like a "romantic" movie where either the hero or heroine dies.

Or the book where 3/4 of the book is spent on the story of one guy and girl, only for them to break up and for the girl to end up with another guy at the end (the second guy was better for her, by far, but I didn't have a chance to get to know him as well so didn't get that feeling of "ah" when the h and H finally got together). (Yes, this is a real book... again, no names! :))

Or like the build up to some "fantastic" CD or dessert or... anything... only to try it yourself and think "I've had better".

I hate that!
Nothing like a big let down.

So, one of my goals as a writer is to be sure to represent my work accurately and to not let anyone down!

What's something that an author can do that will make you feel let down? Is it in how she solves the mystery or the problem between the characters or in how they finally profess their love?

Will you give the author a second chance? A third?
I will definitely give this author another chance. She's great. And the story was great. I'm glad I read it, even if I was "tricked" into it! :)

Release Day!

2010-03-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

So, I've been all over the net blogging and posting and talking about Just Right releasing today... but neglected my own blog! :)

I mentioned on Facebook that I think release day is even better than my birthday! Partly because I'm far past the age of getting brightly frosted cupcakes, new bikes and wearing a tiara at school! Now birthdays are dinner of my choice (which, don't get me wrong, is just fine!) and something nice from Steady and a homemade card from Ruckus and Finicky. But it also means one more year older and facing the reality my butt is NEVER going to look like it did when I was 20.

Release day on the other hand means my beautiful book cover and name splashed all over, people e-mailing me telling me how they can't wait to read it, people reading excerpts and telling me how great it sounds, etc. I feel appreciated and creative and... fantastic! So, yeah, I like release day better! Because you know what... I got dinner of my choice to celebrate today too! *G*

Here's the blurb and an excerpt from Just Right!

To be a good bad boy you have to find just the right girl…

ER nurse Jessica Bradford is a good girl. Okay, more like a reformed bad girl. She’s determined to be the woman her late father wanted her to be. And she knows she should be with someone like Dr. Ben Torres-- in charge, dedicated, selfless. The tall, dark and handsome part is just a bonus.

So Jessica agrees to keep Ben out of trouble after he’s suspended from the hospital for punching a belligerent, drunk patient in the emergency room. She’ll get the needed recommendation from the Chief of Staff for the promotion she wants and she’ll have a great reason to spend more time with Dr. Perfect. But suddenly she’s got a problem. Outside of work Ben’s not so dependable, or perfect after all…and he’s even more tempting than before.

Ben’s done being everybody’s hero. What’s being a trauma surgeon ever gotten him but horrible hours and a bunch of responsibilities that make his life complicated? His sudden time off from the hospital is not only overdue, it’s a blessing. Which he intends to enjoy fully.

Jessica can’t believe Ben is acting more like a kid in a candy store than a man who’s about to throw his career away. Even more, she can’t believe that she still wants him like ice cream wants hot fudge. She tries her best to keep him out of trouble—except “trouble” is all Ben’s interested in.

And suddenly Jessica’s having trouble remembering why that’s a bad thing…

Excerpt:
There were five words that Jessica hated to hear from her brother.
“Jess, I need a favor.”
Yep. Those were them.
She closed her eyes. “Come on, Sam. I had a long day.” She wanted to prop up in bed, watch Seinfeld reruns and eat a pint of Peanut Butter Passion.
“It’s important, Jess,” Sam said, his tone the one he used for coaxing shy women out onto the dance floor. “I tried to handle it, but I need your help.”
The tone always worked on curvy blondes.
Jessica was not a curvy blonde.
“I’m…busy.”
“Dry your hair and get dressed,” he said. “I told you—it’s important.”
Jessica paused with the comb halfway through her straight brown hair and stared at the phone receiver in the mirror. How had he known her hair was wet? That was weird.
“I said I’m busy.”
“No. You said I’m, then there was a long pause before you said busy.”
She scowled. “So?”
“So, that pause means you were trying to think of a good excuse because you can never quite bring yourself to lie about it. You’re at home. It had to be taking a shower, doing laundry or cleaning the apartment.”
Jessica bristled. “I do other things here than…wash things.”
“Yeah, but if you were really doing anything important you would have actually been busy and you would have just told me what you were busy doing instead of using the noncommittal, generic I’m busy.”
Jessica was thrown off for a moment by her brother using the word noncommittal.
Showing off her own impressive vocabulary, she replied again, “So?”
“I need your help. It should be enough that I say it’s important,” Sam said, moving on from the “busy” conversation, probably bored by now with the topic that wasn’t directly about him.
Of course, important could mean almost anything with Sam.
It could mean he was a few dollars short of getting in on a poker game. It could mean that he needed a place for a couple of buddies from out of town to crash for the weekend. It could mean that one of the girls he’d flirted with had taken him too seriously and he needed an emergency wife to get the girl off his back. Jessica sighed. She hated playing Sam’s wife. He always wanted her to be bitchy and she always ended up feeling bad for the girl.
“It was a really long day at work.”
And it was all because of Ben Torres.
Rumor had it he had been suspended by the Chief of Staff and the hospital attorneys were riled up trying to figure out how to troubleshoot the situation. There were charges pending as well. Manslaughter for Ted. Assault for Ben.
Not that any of it affected Jessica directly. She was an ER nurse. There were more surgeons, there would be more accidents and more patients. But she couldn’t get Ben out of her mind…or suppress her insane urge to make sure he was all right.
“I heard,” Sam said.
Of course he had. Sam was the head paramedic on the best ambulance crew in the city and he not only worked with the ER staff regularly, he was also friends with many of them, including Ben. Matt Taylor, the ER doctor on Ted Blake’s case, was a poker buddy of Sam’s.
“I’m tired and—”
“Shame on you, Jessica Leigh Bradford,” Sam broke in. “I’m your little brother. Your only brother.”
The only part was right. The little part not so much. Sam was younger than Jessica by five years, but she didn’t even come up to his chin.
“I’m not in the mood for this.” But she knew that she didn’t sound convincing. She’d always been a sucker for the little brother bit. Because he was right. He was her younger brother and she felt responsible, even now when he was twenty-five and definitely a big boy.
“Too bad.”
“What is it?” she asked, trying to soak a cotton ball with skin toner with one hand while holding the phone with the other.
“A babysitting job.”
She frowned, forgetting the cotton ball for a moment. “Did you say babysitting?”
“Well, first, do you have a sexy dress?”
Jessica forgot about the toner, cotton ball and everything else. “Excuse me?”
“You’re going to need to borrow one then,” Sam said. “And high heels. Do you have high heels?”
His tone suggested that he sincerely doubted it.
“Of course I do.” They were way in the back of the closet somewhere, but she was pretty sure she still had them.
“What about the dress?”
“I have a dress, Sam.”
“But is it sexy? It will have to be sexy. Maybe you should call Marcy.”
This called for a dress from her friend Marcy? Marcy didn’t dress in anything that didn’t reveal cleavage and lots of it. What in the hell was going on?
“Sam, maybe you’d better define babysitting,” Jessica said grimly.

Buy!

Read more!

Reader's At Home Conference

2010-03-20T09:54:00.001-07:00

Thought maybe you'd all like to know about this event! I will be participating! It's a month away or so, but wanted to let you know so you could look forward to it like we are!

What do tons of authors, tons of prizes, tons of hotties and tons
of readers have in common? They’re attending the first ever
Readers at Home Conference! During the week
of April 26-30, authors and readers will converge on Lucy Monroe’s blog, to
celebrate their favorite genre – romance!

We are giving away Swag Bags to the first 50
readers who register for the conference. To register, all you have to
do is send an email to
Lucy Monroe with your name and mailing address (for the
Swag Bag) stating your intention to attend the RAH Conference. The
Swag Bags are for conference attendees only and we are trusting that
you truly intend to attend the conference and interact with the
authors and other readers on the blog. :) Lucy is shipping the Swag
Bags at her own expense, but many authors have
donated loot for you all, and each Swag Bag will have a free book
inside.

Yes, that's right - the conference is FREE. How cool is that?

Every day there will be multiple authors visiting and guest blogging,
with new posts going live every 3 hours between 6 AM and 6 PM. Lucy
will post a hottie who is definitely hunky enough to be a cover model
and there will be daily drawings for multiple prizes
(more than 50 over the week!!!), including dozens of signed books, a
B&N gift card, a t-shirt, 3 prize tote bags filled with books and
goodies (from Sue G at BTRB and Becke Davis), free online
subscriptions to Affaire de Couer magazine and 2 more Swag Bags given
away each day. What could be better?

Hope to see YOU there!

Readers at Home Conference Sponsors
~ Guest Blogging Authors ~
Elizabeth Amber
Jules Bennett
Jenna Bayley-Burke
Leigh D'Ansey
Jami Davenport
Kate Davies
HelenKay Dimon
Diana Duncan
Cynthia Eden
Kimberly Fisk
Barbara Freethy
Tricia Jones
Nicola Marsh
Kaylin McFarren
Susan Meier
Elisabeth Naughton
Erin Nicholas
Lorie O'Clare
Rick Reed
Maggie Robinson
Patti Shenberger
Gabi Stevens
Kay Stockham
Helen Scott Taylor
Karen Van der Zee
Mary Wine
Other Readers at Home Conference Sponsors
(donated prizes, items for the Swag Bags, etc.)
Affaire de Coeur
Borders True Romance Blog
Monica Burns
Christie Craig
Lori Foster
Donna Grant
Faye Hughes
Margaret Mallory
Becke Martin
Lucy Monroe
Alexis Morgan
Laurie Ryan
J.L. Wilson

So, while a bunch of us are at RT going crazy, you can be visiting
with some of your favorite and some brand new authors - wearing casual
clothes, ditching the makeup and your shoes. Oh, that? I envy! :)

Lucy Monroe

Some stuff you should know!

2010-03-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, I blog. But I don't necessarily blog here. Because I feel like I can't keep up and I hate that! I blog at the Nine Naughty Novelists, of course, and over at Samhain when it's my turn. But I'm going to make a better effort and keeping stuff up here. I guess I want a place to talk more about my books and how they went from ideas to actual books!

So, let's talk about the next book coming up. I'm counting down to March 30th when Just Right will release. I love this book. It was the fastest, most fun write I'd had up to that point. Jessica and Ben were very real to me early on which made their story easy! And they had heat... which is always fun!

I started Just Right not knowing that it would lead to a series. Never done a series before. But I do love them as a reader. Then as I wrote and got to know the other characters I knew that was where this was going to end up.

Sam, Jessica's brother, and her sister, Sara, both show up in Just Right. And both need their own stories! Sam's story comes out in June. Just Like That is about him and Danika, the only woman to tame this playboy! And then Sara finally admits that she's in love with Sam's best friend, Mac, in Just My Type in September! So, 2010 is going to be fun and I'll be spending a lot of time with the Bradfords! Good thing I like them so much!

Here's some stuff you might like to know (or not...)

Jessica is the oldest. She is five years older than Sam and ten older than Sara.

Their mother left when Sara was two and their father was killed when Jessica was 20. Sara was only ten and so Jessica took over the guardianship of both her siblings, truly raising Sara. They are close, but Jessica is very protective of Sara, spoiling her rotten, and easily exasperated with Sam, who loves playing the irresponsible playboy role where no one really depends on him for anything.

Their dad, David Bradford, founded and ran a center for troubled teens up until he died and the three siblings took that over and continue to run it with his trust.

Ben grew up as the only child of a missionary physician. He spent many of his younger years in Africa with his dad and then went back after medical school. His dad was completely devoted to his work and died in a plane crash in Africa when Ben was a teenager. His mom died about a year before our story starts.

So, there's some baggage. But there's a lot of fun too! Check out the excerpt at my website for example: www.ErinNicholas.com

Food Scene (kind of) from Just Right

2010-01-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

My upcoming release, Just Right, has more than one sexy, charming guy in it! Here's a scene with two of them, Ben (our hero) and Sam (his best friend and our heroine's brother). This week, for the Nine Naughty Novelists, this scene is supposed to involve food somehow. It does, kind of. Enjoy!

“You know that you don’t have a clitoris, right?”

Ben strolled into the kitchen where Sam was preparing grilled cheese sandwiches.

Sam turned away from the stove, an incredibly funny expression on his face. “Excuse me?”

Ben tossed him the bottle he’d found when looking for a towel in the bathroom. “Thought I should fill you in, just in case you were wondering why this stuff wasn’t working for you.”

Sam looked at the label that claimed the oil inside had a warming and arousing affect on the clitoris if applied prior to sexual activity. He grinned when he realized what it was. “Oh, it worked for me—indirectly.”

“Better than the leopard print panties?” Ben had also seen those in the lid-less shoebox in the cupboard under the sink.

Sam set the bottle on the counter and turned to flip the sandwich in the pan. “I do my best work when panties are not involved.”

Ben chuckled and grabbed a banana from the bunch on the counter. “So what is that collection?”

Sam shrugged. “Stuff people have left here.”

“People? As in, how many?” Ben bit off a huge hunk of banana.

Sam slid the golden sandwich onto the plate that already held two others. “However many are in there.”

“Three panties, a bra, a garter and the oil.”

“So, six,” Sam concluded.

“They were each from a different woman?” Ben asked.

“Probably. I don’t remember which is which anymore, though.”

“They didn’t ask for their underwear back the next time they were here?” Ben asked.

Sam shrugged again with a large grin as he added cheese to yet another piece of bread. “There’s no again around here. One night, that’s all they get.”

Ben shook his head and bit off another bite of banana. Wow. Sam certainly didn’t have any problems with getting too wrapped up in other people’s lives. If his friends were getting too drunk in some bar, he sent someone in to get them. If a woman came up for some fun and left anything behind, he just chucked it in the shoebox and didn’t worry about it anymore.

Sam didn’t get too attached to his patients either. He’d told Ben once that he’d chosen being a paramedic partly because he could work those overnight shifts that agreed with him best, and partly because he didn’t have to do anything more than keep them alive, however he could, until they hit the ER. Then the big decisions, the tough choices and the hard work were someone else’s responsibility. Like Ben’s.

“I need to be more like you,” Ben said shaking his head. Sam pushed a plate with two sandwiches toward him. “You have to show me how. Give me lessons or something.”

Sam even used paper plates. No washing, no worrying about breakage.

“The warming oil has directions on it, man. I am not showing you how to use it.” Sam took a huge bite of bread and cheese and yet still managed his unapologetic grin.

“I’m talking about the way you just get by without anyone expecting more of you,” Ben said, thinking out loud as he bit into a sandwich too.

Sam washed his food down with a big swig of milk. “That sounds like maybe I should be insulted.”

“No, you should appreciate it,” Ben said emphatically. “You can just do your thing your way and everyone just accepts it.”

Sam finished off his first sandwich, watching Ben contemplatively as he spoke. “So, basically I’m irresponsible and inconsiderate.”

Ben scowled at him. “I’m commending you. I want to be like you!”

Sam laughed. “I wasn’t offended. I was just clarifying what you were saying.”

“I’ll give you an example,” Ben said, on a roll now. “I can remember the names and birth dates of all but one of the women I’ve slept with. How about you?”

Sam looked amazed. “Hell, no. Are you kidding?”

“I’ve had one one-night stand. And I do remember her name. Otherwise, I’ve slept with three women, all of whom I had significant relationships with.”

“It’s not necessarily bad to have only slept with a few women, most of whom you really cared about,” Sam countered. “You’re what they call one of the good guys.”

“I’m guessing the woman who owned the warming oil thought you were pretty good,” Ben said dryly.

Sam grinned. “Well, sure. Yeah. For that. At the time. But I can also assure you that she didn’t call begging me to come home and meet her parents.”

“You’re a good guy,” Ben said. “You just don’t take things too seriously. You know when to say when. You don’t try to fix everything for everyone else. You know that you can’t always make everyone happy so you don’t worry about it.”

“And you’re not like that,” Sam said nodding. “Yeah, you’re right. I get that. It’s not that you don’t know when to say when… you don’t even know that there is a ‘when’. Especially with work. Right?”

Because his dad never said ‘when’.

The thought flashed through Ben’s head before he could stop it, or brace for it.

His father had been all about his work. Being a missionary was Michael Torres’ calling and he put his heart and soul into it. Everyone Michael had ever known respected him and were inspired by him. But none of those people had lived with him. None of them knew what it was like to always have the work, the calling, the mission be put first. Ben had been loved, but he had never been prioritized. Neither had his mother. They were expected to be self-sufficient enough, emotionally strong enough, smart enough, to not require Michael to take time or resources away from his work.

Michael had known that he would give one hundred percent to his work. He’d never intended to have a wife and family. But he’d accidentally fallen in love with Ben’s mother. Then they had accidentally gotten pregnant. Not that Ben ever believed Michael regretted being a husband and father. But he couldn’t focus on it. His work was what he lived for and what he taught his son to value. Work, service, sacrifice. Those were the ideals Ben had inherited from his father. And even though he knew how it felt to be an after-thought Ben had felt guilty, lazy and selfish any time he’d entertained ideas of focusing on something other than his work.

There had been no such thing as free-time, blowing off steam, or frivolity in Michael Torres’ life and he’d managed to take those out of his son’s imagination as well.

Even when he was watching a football game on TV at home, Ben had a medical journal open in his lap. If he was having a beer with the guys after an especially hard day in the ER, he was still replaying cases, and planning for the next day. Even with women he was always only partially there. They didn’t know it, of course, but he couldn’t remember one woman he’d ever given one-hundred percent of his attention to.

Until Jessica.

Until the one woman who constantly tried to get him to focus on other things.

It was just perfect. Perfectly frustrating as hell.

“Well, I want to learn how to say ‘when’,” Ben announced.

“It’s not that hard,” Sam said. “Hell, Ben, you just need to hook up with people who have the
expectations that you want to meet.”

Sam’s words hit Ben direct in the gut. His friend was right. The problem was partly Ben letting people expect too much, but maybe part of the issue was the people that were doing the expecting.

Well, quitting his job at the hospital was a step in the right direction in getting away from some of those people.

The only thing he wasn’t sure of was what to do with the people he didn’t want to get away from.

Meet the Heroine--Jaden, from No Matter What

2009-12-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

I love to write heroines who I can admire. Women of strength, passion, intelligence, toughness, etc. Jaden is no exception. She knows what's right and is willing to do what she has to do make it happen.
In No Matter What, she wants desperately for the Pediatric Rehab wing to be finished at her hospital. But they don't have the money. Adam Steele, our hero, gives her the chance to make her dream a reality. Here's a scene that illustrates what Jaden's going through.

“The hospital Board is considering a proposal to expand the outpatient surgery department and radiology into the new wing.”

“And…” Jaden felt her stomach start to knot even before Rachel spoke again. She scribbled angrily to color in the noose she’d put around Dan’s neck.

“They’re tired of the building being partially finished. They want it done and used for something. They think it looks bad to have it just sitting there.”

Jaden felt every muscle in her neck and shoulders tighten. “So, Rehab is just out? Done? It’s over?”

“No, not officially.” Rachel sounded depressed. “We’re fighting for it. We have patients and their families writing letters. We have some of the doctors on our side. But the fact remains that we
don’t have the money and we don’t…”

“Don’t what?” Jaden asked when Rachel stopped.

“We don’t have you,” Rachel said quietly. “You were our fearless leader. You were the one who always had another idea and who always knew what to say. The wing was your idea. You’re the one they listened to.”

Jaden felt like she might throw up. She wasn’t sure what to do. It might be too late. It might not be enough. “Rach…I have the money.”

“What?”

“Well, I will have. I’m…working on something.”

“For a million dollars?”

“Yes.”

“You better not be doing anything illegal,” Rachel said.

Jaden chuckled. Sort-of. “It’s therapy. I’m rehabilitating Adam Steele’s daughter, Emily.”

“Steele? As in Steele Enterprises?”

“The same.”

Rachel whistled. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” Wow was one word for it.

“Is it a sure thing?”

The million-dollar question…literally. Jaden put as much confidence into her voice as she could.
“Yes. It’s a sure thing.”

“Oh, J.” Rachel sounded choked up. “This is so…great. Wow. I should have known you’d be working on it. I should have known you’d come through.”

Jaden wondered if she’d ever be able to eat again. Her stomach might be in a permanent knot. “Of course. You know how much the hospital and the kids mean to me.”

“I do,” Rachel said sincerely. “I know this rehab wing is your dream. And I know that it’s probably killing you to be away from work this long.”

Rachel shared Jaden’s passion for pediatric physical therapy and everything it entailed. They had gone to numerous conferences, had published two papers and had flown to Washington D.C. to lobby Congress. “It is,” Jaden admitted. “Working with Emily is saving me.”

“Oh, Jaden, this is the best news I’ve had since I had to take over. I should have known you wouldn’t leave us hanging. And I can’t wait for you to come back and take the director’s position back.”

The staff in the rehab department had been handpicked by Jaden. They were more than co-workers. They were colleagues and friends. Who had been let down by Jaden. She added devil horns to the top of Dan’s head.

“We’ll have to work that all out. But right now you’re in charge of keeping morale up,” Jaden said. “Just a little while longer.”

“Jaden, I have a confession.”

“Yeah?” Jaden could barely force words through her tight throat.

“When you told me you were bartending, I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I’m sorry for doubting you. I should have believed that you’d be trying to figure a way out.”

Jaden closed her eyes. She hadn’t figured anything out. If Adam and Tony hadn’t come to her, she’d still be confusing mojitos for margaritas. “I have a confession, too.”

“What’s that?”

“I want this rehab wing for all of you and the kids,” Jaden said. “But I also wanted it to show Bob that he was wrong to not support me. And now I want it so that we can compete against Dan’s new project, and kick their butts.”

“Sounds great to me,” Rachel said with a laugh. “I can’t wait to tell everyone.”

“No!” Jaden said, then softened her tone. “I mean, let’s surprise them when I have the check. I’ll show up with lunch for everyone or something.”

“But J, I have to tell the rehab staff at least.” Rachel sounded almost panicked.

“Why?”

“Mercy is trying to recruit as much of our staff as they can for their program.”

Jaden felt her temples begin throbbing. “What?”

“We are the best pediatric staff in the state. They’re contacting our staff members and offering sign-on bonuses and higher salaries…a lot of stuff.”

“Has anyone signed with them yet?” Jaden asked, dreading the answer.

“Not that I know of. But, if they don’t know for sure that we’re moving ahead here, I’m afraid we might lose a few.”

Jaden rubbed her forehead against the threatening headache. “I can’t believe Dan wants to hurt me this much.”

Rachel’s voice was soft and sympathetic when she answered, “I know it’s not exactly the same thing, but I can speak as a friend and colleague when I say that losing you leaves a pretty huge hole, hon.”

Jaden squeezed her eyes shut and felt the tear escape. Damn.

She could not let anyone else down. Her staff needed this. The hospital needed this. All the kids who would need to recover from illness and injuries in the future needed this.

Meet the Hero-- Adam from No Matter What

2009-12-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

Adam Steele is a stubborn, dedicated single dad. He's also head of his family's company which has made him a millionaire and used to using his money to get his way. He thinks that's what he's getting when Jaden Monroe agrees to privately rehabilitate his daughter in exchange for the one million dollars she needs to finish the pediatric rehab wing at the hospital. But he quickly learns that he's not getting his way at all. Of course, that doesn't stop him from trying! Here's a scene where we get a peek into Adam's head and heart.

“What is this all about?” Adam demanded the minute Jaden arrived in his office.

The desire to kiss her was nearly as strong as the desire to shake her.

He wasn’t sure how much of her he could take.

“You are getting in the way,” she told him bluntly.

She had no idea how in the way he could get. “I refuse to let you do this to Emily.”

“I’m doing this to Emily? She’s becoming an invalid. Don’t you see? She doesn’t need that elevator. You should never have installed it.”

“She can’t go up and down the stairs in that wheelchair. What else could I have done?”

“You came up with a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The more permanent the fixtures—like an elevator—the harder it is for Emily to believe that her disability is short term.”

He leaned closer and glared at her. “Her lack of a leg is not temporary, Jaden.”

She gave a heavy, exasperated sigh. “It’s no wonder she thinks she’s a cripple. You have her labeled as one in your mind and you are treating her that way. No surprise that her rear end is glued to that chair.”

“I did not bring you here to judge me and my decisions. I’ve done my best for her.”
His best had always been enough too. Always. Emily had never had a need he couldn’t fulfill. Until now. He couldn’t give his daughter the only thing she really needed…her leg back.
But he could, by God, give her the chance to have her life back. “I brought you here to make her better.”

“Then let me. You can’t coddle her,” Jaden said. “I know that it must be hard seeing her unhappy and struggling, but you’re not doing her any favors.”

“She’s been through enough already, Dr. Monroe. I want this therapy to help her, not hurt and frustrate her.”

“I thought you were going to call me Jaden,” She said, her irritation clear. “You’ve both been through a lot. But now it’s time to get past it. It’s not going to get better unless Emily gets up out of that chair.”

“Lower your voice!” How could he want to kiss her even more now?

“No, she can hear this.”

Jaden stomped to the office door, which was open only a few inches. She swung the heavy door open as wide as it would go. “Everyone can hear this. Emily is not disabled.” Jaden proclaimed at the top of her lungs. “She is not crippled or deformed or anything else. And she will walk again. She will go up and down the stairs like everyone else, she will dance again, she will do all of the things that she used to do. As soon as everyone—especially Emily—believes it!”

Adam stalked to where she stood. She whirled to face him again and was clearly surprised to find him so close. Unable to stop himself, he gripped her upper arms and pulled her closer. His voice was thick when he spoke. “Do you believe it?”

Her eyes, swirling with emotion, made him forget that she was there as a professional therapist. Passion like that pulled at his deepest male instincts.

“Yes.” Her voice sounded ragged. “Yes, I believe it.”

He stared at her for another long moment. He wondered what she would do if he pulled her up against his body and showed her how she was affecting him. Then he released her, stepped back and sucked in a long breath.

This woman had the potential to make his life incredibly complicated.

“Dr. Monroe, if this job is more than you can handle, I would appreciate you being upfront about it. Emily’s been in that wheelchair too long. If I need to find another therapist, I’d like to get started.”

Jaden stared at him. “Are you firing me?” she asked.

“No. But if you’re going to quit…”

“I told you just a little bit ago that I’m not quitting, no matter what.”

He considered that for a long while, searching her eyes, trying to gauge her sincerity. She wet her lips, shifted from one foot to the other, and waited.

“Because of the money?” he finally asked.

It took a moment for her to form a response. “No. The money is very important to the hospital, but—no. I’m not going to quit because…”

He was certain that he would know if she fudged the truth, and even a half truth from this woman would disappoint him. He realized that he already had incredibly high expectations for Dr. Jaden Monroe and he wasn’t sure if he could take her being just another person who let him down. “Because?” he asked.

“Because I don’t think that you believe I can do this. I don’t think you believe that I’m the one who will help Emily walk again. And I want to prove you wrong.”

He watched her, the air between them heavy with something that felt a lot like expectation.

Finally, he gave her a simple nod. She spun toward the open door, where he could see Emily sitting in the foyer, staring at his office door.

“You ready?” Jaden asked the girl.

“For what?” Emily looked wary but carefully kept her tone pleasant.

“To learn to go up and down stairs.”

“Um…” Emily glanced up at the long, spiraling staircase.

“Great, I’ll meet you at the top. Enjoy your last ride in the elevator.”

Holiday Drink Recipes

2009-12-08T20:54:00.001-08:00

I love this time of year... the lights, the decorations, the music, the kids' school and church programs and, of course, the food and drink! While I have plenty of favorite foods *G*, I have some special drink recipes that are perfect for this time of year! And I wanted to share!

Enjoy! And Merry Christmas! Erin

White Hot Chocolate

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups half and half

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Vanilla whipped topping, for garnish

Candy cane, crushed or whole, for garnish

Peppermint liqueur, optional

White chocolate liqueur, optional

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine white chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stir continuously until white chocolate chips have completely melted. Stir in the half-and-half, vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Stir occasionally until heated through.

Pour into mugs, top with a dollop of vanilla topping and a candy cane.

Note: For a tasty adult drink, add desired amounts of peppermint and white chocolate liqueurs (but it is just as good without! *g*)

Christmas Tea
This is a dry mix that you mix up and use cup by cup. It's fantastic for warming up on a cold day and is very soothing to a sore throat!

3/4 c. instant tea
2 c. orange Tang
2 c. granulated sugar
2 1 quart sized packages of instant lemonade
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp Allspice

Mix all together, store in a covered air tight container.
Use 2-3 tsp. per 1 cup hot water, or to taste.

Orange Egg Nog
4 cups Egg Nog
2 bottles (10 oz) ginger ale, chilled
1 can (6 oz) frozen concentrated orange juice, thawed

Just before serving, combine egg nog, ginger ale and orange juice. Stir occasionally.

Arguments and Tension... sexual and otherwise

2009-12-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's inevitable... any time you put two strong willed people together there's going to be some friction. Throw in the additional tension of an unexpected and unwanted sexual attraction you know there's going to be some disagreements and maybe even outright arguments! But they are fun, aren't they? At least a little?

My characters Jaden and Adam have plenty of chances to disagree-- and they do! But it helps them learn about each other and gain respect for the other.

Here's one such scene:

“Everything that goes on in this house or on these grounds is my concern. You could have left a note.” Though his voice was low, his tone indicated a clear underlying irritation.

“A note about what?”

“Where you were going, what time you’d be back.” His exasperation came through distinctly.

“Are you always so nosy?”

“Are you always so sneaky?”

“Sneaky?” She stopped the cocoa preparation and turned to look at him squarely.

“You slipped out of the house tonight without a word to anyone about where you were going.”

“I didn’t realize I was under house arrest. I have things I have to do. And I did not ‘slip out’.”

“A million dollars is a lot to pay for an eight hour work day.” He lifted the coffee cup that she hadn’t noticed until that moment.

She felt a wave of indignation wash over her but she held her expression stoically. “This is not exactly a typical business arrangement.”

A long silence followed her statement.

“You’re right.” His words took Jaden by surprise. “For instance, any other time I hire someone, I ask a lot of questions about them personally as well as professionally. I like to know about their families, their interests and hobbies. Their habits. I should have asked more questions about you. My primary concern at the time was that I hire the best therapist for Emily.”

“You did.”

“Yes, but I didn’t think beyond the therapy sessions. I didn’t fully consider all of the things you would mean to Emily besides being her therapist.”

Jaden frowned, wishing she could see his face more clearly. “What do you mean? And what did you mean by ‘their habits’?” She wasn’t sure why but she felt offended by the comment now that she replayed it in her head.

“I expect Emily will get very attached to you. You are a young, intelligent, successful woman and Emily will likely look up to you.”

“And that concerns you.”

“Frankly, yes.”

“Why?”

He came to his feet in one quick, fluid movement. “Because it’s one in the morning
and you’re just getting home.

Let him guess and assume about what you were doing. Make him a little crazy for a change.

“I don’t like that you’re assuming the worst about me. I haven’t given you a reason not to trust me.”

He took a deep breath. “Okay, then, I have only one question for you. Where were you?”

She swallowed hard and tried to get a grip on the thoughts and responses that were stumbling over one another in their haste to make it to her mouth first.

“I was out, Adam. That’s all you need to know.” She added a flip of her hair to emphasize how casual she was about the whole thing.

“Jaden…” He took a deep breath and she saw him consciously work to unclench his fists. It struck her how personal her name sounded from his lips even when he was frustrated. That only increased her aggravation.

His voice slightly calmer, he spoke again. “It is important to me. At least tell me that you weren’t—”

“What? That I wasn’t…doing drugs? Drinking all night at the bars? That I’m not a call girl in the evenings when I’m not at the hospital? Smell my breath, Adam, if you don’t believe me. Diet cola was the strongest thing I had tonight.”

He came toward her quickly and she tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. He leaned in, braced his hands on the counter behind her on either side of her hips and took a deep breath.

She held hers. Having him suddenly this close was overwhelming and she fought to remember what they had been talking about.

He reminded her quickly. “How about all of the above?” His voice was lower now, huskier, and his eyes studied hers closely. “How about reassuring me that you wouldn’t dream of doing any of those things?”

She didn’t like that he doubted her. She wanted to stomp and yell and demand that he believe in her. But at the same time, this might just be perfect. She’d been off-balance since meeting him. He shook her up, as much as she hated it. Clearly her conduct during off-duty hours interested him, and worried him. This might be her chance to turn the tables a bit. Not that getting a man like Adam off-balance would be easy. But it would, very likely, be fun.

“I’ll tell you this much. Drugs and prostitution aren’t my thing.”

He pressed closer and she felt the edge of the counter against her low back. Perhaps it was her decision to try to overwhelm him for a change, but for the first time, when he got close to her, dropped his voice low and looked at her like he wanted to make all of her fantasies come true, she reveled in it.

She found the scent of his cologne and the warmth of the arm braced on the counter beside her appealing rather than aggressive. In fact, this close, she found that his blue eyes, swirling with emotion, were impossible to resist. He was a passionate man. He cared about his daughter, his household, and stood firm in his convictions. It was his unflinching devotion that made her want to know more about him. For instance, what else stirred Adam Steele’s passions?

“So tell me, what is your kind of thing?”

The huskiness in his voice made her nerve endings dance.

She studied his full lips for a long moment before her eyes traced his strong jaw
shadowed with dark stubble. Eventually, she moved up slowly to again meet the midnight blue eyes that seemed to pierce straight through to her soul.

“Arrogant millionaires, evidently.”

As his lips met hers, she momentarily stopped disliking anything about him.
Adam’s lips were demanding as they moved, leading Jaden along on a stirring journey. But his mouth was warm and gentle, the edges of his lips rough from his late night whiskers.

She slid her arms around his neck and let her knees get just a little weak, let her little sigh escape and held him just a little tighter. There were so many things that she wanted to do and say and feel…

Then he pulled back.

She blinked as if someone had flipped on a fluorescent light in a previously pitch-black room. Slowly her eyes focused on Adam’s face.

Adam. Lips. Kissing. Oh, crap.

“Jaden…” His voice was hoarse.

“Don’t.” She focused on the tiny, opaque button on his shirt collar. She resisted the urge to press her lips together, to relive the surprising, intimate moment for just one more second.

“Don’t?”

Don’t ever stop kissing me.

She was in big trouble.

“Let’s just change the subject. In fact, I think I’ll even change the scenery. I need to go.”

First Scene from No Matter What

2009-11-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

One-night stands were a lot like apple pie as far as Jaden Monroe was concerned.
The notion of having sex with someone just for the sex had honestly never appealed to her. Like apple pie. Jaden had believed her whole life that she didn’t like apple pie simply because she’d never seen or smelled one that tempted her. But the truth was, her senses just hadn’t been introduced to the right one. Once she tasted the apple pie, she couldn’t get enough.
Especially à la mode.
The man now sitting at table sixteen near the front door of Big Billy’s Bar and Grill was the one that could change her mind about one-night stands. He wouldn’t even have to talk. He’d just have to be there, completely naked—of course—with those eyes that had been on her all night.
This guy didn’t just look at her, he didn’t just watch—he seemed to be studying her, even appreciating her, like someone did a painting in an art gallery. He took in every detail of how she moved—and breathed for that matter. She could feel it.
It wasn’t creepy, though it probably should seem a little stalker-ish. It made her hot and tingly and a bunch of other things she hadn’t been in a long time.
Looking at him now, Jaden couldn’t think of one reason why ice cream and sex couldn’t go together too. But with this guy it couldn’t be just vanilla. It would have to be something much more decadent. Double Fudge Brownie, maybe. Or Peanut Butter Passion. Spread all over him. And she definitely wouldn’t need a spoon.
Jaden was so into her thoughts that she didn’t notice the full beer mug until the beer came over the rim, drenched her hand and sloshed to the floor.
“Unless you’re planning to squeeze all that beer from a sponge into the glasses, pay attention,” Billy said, reaching over her shoulder and flipping the tap handle off.
Jaden only had half her mind on swearing under her breath and searching for a towel to dry her hand. “Sorry, Billy, I’m distracted tonight.”
“And for the past five months,” he grumbled, but he elbowed her gently to one side. “I know you’re going through a rough time, which is why I’m not going to make you pay for the three glasses you’ve broken, the fifteen dollars you’ve undercharged or the case of lemons that are rolling around all over the floor in back.”
He took the very full beer glass from Jaden’s fingers and set it on the waitress’, tray. “I’ll get the rest.” Billy grabbed the order pad and started pulling bottles together as he read.
It had been a bad night.
A bad week.
Hell, it had been a bad half year.
Jaden wiped up the excess beer with barely a corner of her mind on the task. She glanced toward table sixteen again. The man was on his cell phone, but his eyes were on her. Which felt good. One small spot of fun and pleasure in an otherwise sucky five months, three days, fourteen hours and twelve minutes.
Playfully, she leaned out over the bar surface, wiping at a non-existent spill. It put her cleavage—more remarkable in the stretchy, gauzy purple top she wore—straight in his line of sight.
She scrubbed for a moment, then glanced up. She was startled into straightening when she found his eyes still on her face, rather than her other assets.
But a small knowing smile lifted one corner of his mouth.
“Four more.” Roxanne, half of Big Billy’s wait staff for the night, placed her tray of empty beer bottles on the bar. “Apparently turning thirty is thirsty business.” She gestured toward the rowdy birthday party occupying the four tables closest to the stage and live band.
Jaden smiled weakly, relieved that Roxy had moved in to block her view of the man. What the hell was she doing showing off her cleavage to some stranger? While she was standing there getting all hot and bothered, he could very well be studying her to determine how best to cut her body up so that the pieces would fit in his freezer.
She shivered. She was comparing him to apple pie while he was working on wording the ransom note.
Jaden laughed out loud at that. He was going to be so disappointed when he figured out he was kidnapping someone whose close friends had about seventy-three dollars between them.
“You okay?” Roxy asked, fishing in her apron pocket for a bottle opener.
Jaden rubbed her forehead. Good grief, she couldn’t even open beer bottles tonight. It had been a difficult past twelve months for her—professionally and personally—and had gotten downright hellacious in the past five. And while drinking a vat of Amaretto sounded enticing, she wasn’t here tonight to relax, drown her sorrows or to celebrate. She was here to help cover her friend Gina’s shift while she went skiing with her boyfriend. Which was good. It was simple, it was straightforward, it provided her money and it had nothing to do with her ex-professional life or her ex-fiancé.
“Jaden,” Billy said wearily, holding up two large margarita glasses. “Why don’t you take a break?”
Jaden looked at the green contents of the glasses that looked barely touched. “What’s wrong?”
“They ordered mojitos.”
Well, at least she’d gotten the color right. Sort of.
“You know, Billy, maybe I’ll just head home.”
He looked relieved and Jaden smiled.
She glanced over to table sixteen again as she untied her apron and stuffed it in the laundry basket by the kitchen door. Being at home alone with her thoughts still rated higher than being tied up in the trunk of a car.
But for some reason, the idea of being tied up by the man whose eyes she met again, and whose gaze made even her pinky toe tingle, didn’t go in the direction of car trunks so much as four-poster beds. With silk scarves.
She huffed out a breath and wiped her hand across her forehead.
Yep, it was official. She was losing it.

You can read the whole first chapter at Samhain's site! Click here!

First Kisses

2009-11-10T17:17:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts of a romance-- book or movie-- is the first kiss. It's the moment when what we've seen coming, what the hero and heroine have felt coming, is finally confirmed.

One of my favorite first kisses comes at the end of one of my favorite movies. Oh, sure there are moments along the way leading up to it and "almost" moments, but the true lip to lip action is at the very end. And, worth it. I personally think it's one of the best. Because you love the heroine by this point. You want her to have this kiss so badly. And you want to love the hero. You have all along, really, at least up to the point where suddenly they might not get together-- and it's his fault (well, pretty much). So, now you're not sure and you're sitting there thinking "he better show up". Then he does. And you want to cheer! Ths kiss, after all of that, is so sweet. The movie is Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore and, the easy on the eyes Michael Vartan. Check it out if you've never seen it!

Every Thursday over on the Nine Naughty Novelists blog we're posting excerpts from our books according to a different theme!

November 12th's theme is First Kisses! Yay!

Here's the first kiss between hero Adam and heroine Jaden from No Matter What:

His voice slightly calmer, he spoke again. “It is important to me. At least tell me that you weren’t—”

“What? That I wasn’t…doing drugs? Drinking all night at the bars? That I’m not a call girl in the evenings when I’m not at the hospital? Smell my breath, Adam, if you don’t believe me. Diet cola was the strongest thing I had tonight.”

He came toward her quickly and she tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. He leaned in, braced his hands on the counter behind her on either side of her hips and took a deep breath.

She held hers. Having him suddenly this close was overwhelming and she fought to remember what they had been talking about.

He reminded her quickly. “How about all of the above?” His voice was lower now, huskier, and his eyes studied hers closely. “How about reassuring me that you wouldn’t dream of doing any of those things?”

She didn’t like that he doubted her. She wanted to stomp and yell and demand that he believe in her. But at the same time, this might just be perfect. She’d been off-balance since meeting him. He shook her up, as much as she hated it. Clearly her conduct during off-duty hours interested him, and worried him. This might be her chance to turn the tables a bit. Not that getting a man like Adam off-balance would be easy. But it would, very likely, be fun.

“I’ll tell you this much. Drugs and prostitution aren’t my thing.”

He pressed closer and she felt the edge of the counter against her low back. Perhaps it was her decision to try to overwhelm him for a change, but for the first time, when he got close to her, dropped his voice low and looked at her like he wanted to make all of her fantasies come true, she reveled in it.

She found the scent of his cologne and the warmth of the arm braced on the counter beside her appealing rather than aggressive. In fact, this close, she found that his blue eyes, swirling with emotion, were impossible to resist. He was a passionate man. He cared about his daughter, his household, and stood firm in his convictions. It was his unflinching devotion that made her want to know more about him. For instance, what else stirred Adam Steele’s passions?

“So tell me, what is your kind of thing?”

The huskiness in his voice made her nerve endings dance.

She studied his full lips for a long moment before her eyes traced his strong jaw shadowed with dark stubble. Eventually, she moved up slowly to again meet the midnight blue eyes that seemed to pierce straight through to her soul.

“Arrogant millionaires, evidently.”

As his lips met hers, she momentarily stopped disliking anything about him.

Adam’s lips were demanding as they moved, leading Jaden along on a stirring journey. But his mouth was warm and gentle, the edges of his lips rough from his late night whiskers.

She slid her arms around his neck and let her knees get just a little weak, let her little sigh escape and held him just a little tighter. There were so many things that she wanted to do and say and feel…

Then he pulled back.

She blinked as if someone had flipped on a fluorescent light in a previously pitch-black room.

Slowly her eyes focused on Adam’s face.

Adam. Lips. Kissing. Oh, crap.

“Jaden…” His voice was hoarse.

“Don’t.” She focused on the tiny, opaque button on his shirt collar. She resisted the urge to press her lips together, to relive the surprising, intimate moment for just one more second.

“Don’t?”

Don’t ever stop kissing me.

She was in big trouble.

More of this book!
Excerpt: http://www.erinnicholas.com/nomatterwhat.html
Buy info: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/no-matter-what

Check out more First Kiss excerpts at the Nine Naughty Novelists:

ninenaughtnovlelists.blogspot.com!!