July Already?

Tags

#amwriting, #wip, Caleb and Haleigh, Caleb Everett, Dylan and Cassidy, Haleigh and Caleb, July, Live For Me, The Everetts of Tyler

First things first, happy Independence Day!

Now, second things, well, second… how the heck is it already July?  I mean, holy crap on a cracker, this year is already more than half gone?  School starts back in six weeks?  I promised two releases this summer and neither are ready yet? Ack!

So, without further ado (what a fun word), I give you a snippet from Live For Me.

Hand shaking, she picked up the phone on her nightstand, staring at the buttons for long minutes before finally making the call.

“Hello?” Cassidy answered the phone after the first ring, her voice tired through the line.

“Um…” Haleigh hadn’t been prepared for Cassidy to answer, even though she knew she and Dylan lived together. “Is Dylan around?” she finally asked.

“Haleigh? Are you okay?” the other woman asked instead of answering the question. “Dylan isn’t home, but what’s wrong?”

It was then she realized it was nearly three in the morning. She’d taken a nap after putting Georgie down so she could see Caleb when he got home, and had completely forgotten it was the middle of the night. She winced at the thought of waking Cassidy, and took a breath before explaining herself, careful not to say a word about the other woman’s younger brother. “I’m sure you know about the preschool thing with Georgie,” she began, grateful to hear an affirmative noise from Cassidy before going on, “and I just don’t feel safe here by ourselves. I mean—”

“I understand, but Dylan’s out of town tonight.” She paused. “What about Chris Delmonico?”

She held back a sigh of relief. “I know Chris.”

“Would you be okay with him staying in your house?” Cassidy asked, and Haleigh wondered just how much about her the town knew or presumed. She didn’t imagine that would’ve been a question posed to everyone.

“I would,” she answered, happy it was true. “But it’s three in the morning, and he has to be at the school in a little while, and…” she trailed off. She could make it through the next five hours before she had to be at work without being attacked. She could make it through the rest of her life without Caleb in it. She choked on the thought. No, she couldn’t. “Ya know what? We’ll be okay. I’m freaked out, and called in the middle of the night, but we’ll be fine.”

“You will not. I’ll come stay with you if you need, but if you’re scared, don’t ignore it.”

Really? “You’d do that for me?”

 

Fight For Me on Reviewing Vixens

Tags

4 star review, book review, Caleb Everett, Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, Live For Me, Reviewing Vixens, The Everetts of Tyler

I’m beginning to think this book is pretty good.  I know that sounds silly, but every time you put something out there, you never know what others will think.

Reviewing Vixens reviewed Fight For Me this week, and gave Dylan and Cassidy’s story 4 Whips and 4 Kisses, saying, “It’s a well written suspense with romance around every corner, the friction of our two main characters along with the looming threat hanging over everyone made an excellent read.”

The full review is here:

So now, I’m moving on to Caleb’s story, Live For Me, and since I missed yesterday’s Sunday Six, a snippet!

Blowing out a breath, he rushed to the couch to find Georgia pale and curled in a fetal position, her brow slick with sweat. “Where does it hurt, sweetheart?”

“Tummy,” she answered, her little voice tired.

“I’m Dr. E, and I’m gonna make you all better. Is that okay with you?”

“E-I-E-I-O,” she sang softly. 

 

Uh… Tuesday is REALLY Soon!

Tags

Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, New Release, The Everetts of Tyler, Tuesday Release

Tuesday is Election Day, and release day for FIGHT FOR ME.  I know my hubby said I shouldn’t say this, but I have to give you my cheesy pitch.  “Want a guaranteed happy ending this election day?  Pick up Fight For Me by Hayden Braeburn!”  Silly, isn’t it?

So far the reviews are amazing, too.  Check out Fight For Me on Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16098517-fight-for-me.

So, how about a snippet from Chapter One?

She knew he could have her out of her clothes in ten seconds flat, even with one arm immobilized, but he didn’t make a move toward her. She couldn’t decide if she was relieved or disappointed, so she decided instead to ignore it. “We have to get ready for court,” she said over her shoulder as she fled toward her own bathroom.

Editing…

Tags

Black Velvet Seductions, BVS Blog, Dylan and Cassidy, Editing, Fight For Me, Giveaway, Six Sentence Sunday

I’m getting the book back from editing, and making this face when I see things I missed.  Really?  I minored in English for heaven’s sake– I shouldn’t miss those things! I think to myself, but the truth of the matter is when you’re close to something, you read over things.  *Sigh*  This is why we have editors, right?

FIGHT FOR ME is featured on Black Velvet Seductions Blog this weekend, and I’m giving away a copy of DANCE WITH ME and an ARC of FIGHT FOR ME to one lucky reader.  Pop over there and ask a question!

So… Since it’s Sunday and all, how about Six Sentences?

Why had she left him alone? Oh, right, she had work she had to do, and she couldn’t just shirk her responsibilities because she’d rather be tending a man. A man she had kissed a few mornings ago, a man she couldn’t stop thinking about, a man who had nearly sacrificed his life to save her brother. She shook her head at herself. She had to stop thinking about Dylan and prepare herself for court.

Two Weeks and Counting!

Tags

#amediting, #amwriting, Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, Wednesday WIP

So… FIGHT FOR ME is due out in two weeks (13 days if we want to get technical), so we are right now in the throes of editing/revising.  Sometimes I think it’s harder to edit and revise than actually write the book because you have to cut things you really like in order for things to make sense, flow better, etc.  So, at the risk of sounding like a whiner, it’s no fun!

If I’m not around much on facebook/twitter/pinterest, etc, you know where I am!

Oh, and since it’s Wednesday, why not a snippet?

She stomped her foot, her beautiful mouth compressed into a hard line, her brows drawn together. “Dammit, Dylan, I can’t do this.”

Can’t do what? He needed a scorecard to keep up with this woman. “What?”

“I can’t leave you.”

The End!

Tags

#amwriting, #wip, Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, The Everetts of Tyler, writing

Last night…er…early this morning I finished the book!  Well, now it needs edits and revisions and more edits, but it’s finished!

Now it’s time to start laying out LIVE FOR ME, Caleb’s story, while I let this one sit for a little while.  I’m also thinking of doing a story for Detective Chris Delmonico, and I need to do another chapter (or four) of SPEEDING.  The end of the year is incredibly busy in my retail-oriented real life, but I won’t let it stop me from writing (although it might be even slower than normal!).

And, since I missed Wednesday, a snippet!

She sank into the kiss, realizing two things. He really felt there was nothing in his life more important than protecting her, and he would die to save her if necessary. Her breath caught in her throat and she pulled away from him. She stared at him for long beats, but words just wouldn’t come. Swallowing, she turned to give a small wave to Haleigh. “See you Friday,” she said quietly and made her way out the door.

Love Never Fails

Tags

#amwriting, #wip, Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, Six Sentence Sunday

This weekend we attended the wedding of one of Wonderful Hubby’s first cousins.  The bride was absolutely gorgeous, and the love between the two of them was so easy to see.  What a beautiful thing for a romance writer, and even more inspiring were the vast number of strong marriages on display.  WH and Bride Cousin’s grandparents have been married for 65 years, the groom’s grandparents for 51 years, BC’s parents have been married for 30 years, and G’s parents for 27.  Add to that the aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends married for 10 (including us), 15, 20, 30, 40+ years, and it was a practically a poster for enduring marriage.

Love is patient, love is kind… Love never fails.

So, on that note…

Chris’s dark eyes widened. “You love her.”

“We’ve established this.”

“No, you really love her. Like give your life for her, love her.”

He stared at his friend. Anything less wasn’t love.

Ack!

Tags

#amwriting, #wip, Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, Wednesday WIP, writing

You know when you get to the part of a book that makes you yell at characters and  bite your nails?  Yeah, that’s where I am, but it’s not as fun to write as it is to read…  I haven’t been around much online (the whole facebook/twitter/pinterest world is just slightly distracting!), but I am plugging away at this book.  So… shall we do our Wednesday WIP?  Why not?

Her gaze swept up his body, finally connecting to his golden eyes, the lust and heat she saw there completely ensnaring her. She blew out a breath. She could straddle him in less than a minute and be calling his name in five, but that wouldn’t be satisfying. Not for what she had in mind. Before she could talk herself out of it, she slammed the truck back in drive and sped down the road.  

Slowly But Surely

Tags

#amwriting, #wip, Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, The Everetts of Tyler, Wednesday WIP

 

 

So, yesterday was Wednesday which means I missed a post.  The good news is I did write, but the end of this book isn’t just appearing like I had hoped…  It’s coming together, though, I promise.  I did add a page detailing Tyler the way I had one for Aylesford yesterday, and although it’s still very much a work in progress, you can find it here: http://haydenbraeburn.weebly.com/tyler.html.

The book is slowly but surely coming together, and now it’s time for the snippet I promise every Wednesday even though it’s Thursday and stuff.

He hit the door close button, leaving the two of them alone in the car. “I’m not sure. A feeling like we were being watched.”

“Your spidey senses?” she joked.

He managed a smile. “You don’t stay alive in war zones without them, darlin’.”

“I’m glad you have them then,” she said softly.

Him too. Now, he just had to figure out what had his nerves on edge. 

 

Sunday Six and More!

Tags

Close Enough to Touch, Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, Six Sentence Sunday, Sunday Six, Victoria Dahl

I am thisclose to finishing this book!  YAY!  Of course, that only means it will be time to edit, but we’ll pretend that’s fun and games and such, right?  So, first things first, let’s do six sentences.

His phone buzzed in his pocket at the same time he saw Chris’s car pull onto the rutted dirt road leading to the property. Evidently the detective had determined the same thing he had, finding his way out here. He checked the call, then slid his thumb across the screen. “I figured it out first, my friend,” he greeted.

“And you’re already here,” Chris guessed, his voice strained. “You haven’t killed anyone yet, have you?”

Now for the More! part of the post.  I read a book!  Yeah, I know I shouldn’t be screaming with excitement there, but I haven’t been reading much lately what with the writing and the working and the other crap life requires.  Anyway, I finally read Victoria Dahl’s Close Enough to Touch, and I really liked it (not exactly a surprise there–I love her).

The blurb:

For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn’t the land of golden opportunity. It’s the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson Hole, Grace thinks she’ll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting….

Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can’t help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay—and those fires from long ago may burn them both.

They’ll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

This book features a left-of-normal heroine, a hot as hell–but not perfect–hero, and I loved the opposites attract storyline.  You know me, I’m not a recapper or a spoiler, so I’ll leave you at that.