Fourth quarter was a tough one for me, and I have not been blogging nor have I spent much time on social media. So, hi and Happy New Year!
One of my resolutions for this year is to write more– I’d really like to release more than one book this year!– and one of those books needs to be the as yet unfinished SPEEDING that started me on this journey. Looking at it now, I see it needs A LOT of editing and revision to go along with the final chapters, but that is something I would love to do this year. I will also be taking it down from the site in the next few weeks so when it is finished and released it won’t bring up any plagiarism alarms, and it will of course be free (charging for something I’ve offered for free for years seems a bit, um, wrong.)
BURN is first up, and it in full swing, with characters you know along with new ones that will anchor the Aylesford stories. That said, how about a snippet with some old and new characters?
“You’re living with Nate? Oh my god!” Kendall shrieked as she sat down to lunch, meeting Belle, Claire, and Taylor.
Belle felt her cheeks heat with color. “It’s not like that.” At the disbelieving looks of her friends, she gave in. “Okay, it’s kinda like that, but not.”
“Sure, that makes sense,” Taylor commented, a smile on her lips.
Belle took a deep breath, held it a moment, blew it out and tried to explain. “He wants to keep me safe. After my building was burned down, they’re worried.”
“So, naturally, you move in with a yummy firefighter you’ve had the hots for forever,” Taylor finished.
“And the other part? Where you said it’s kinda like that?” Claire asked.
“We kissed last night, and let’s just say…” Was there really a word to describe it? She settled on, “Wow.”
“That’s all you’re giving us? Really, Belle?” Claire complained.
“How’s Owen these days?”
“Touché, sister mine.”
“That’s what I thought.” She stared her little sister down. “You’d better not forget.”
“Tell!” Kendall ordered.
Claire looked away, took a breath. “Belle made me promise to go after Owen if she took a step with Nate.”
Kendall and Taylor both gasped at that. “What? You’re dating Daniel,” Kendall sputtered.
“He’s boring!” Belle drew the word out.
“Boring, huh?” Taylor asked, eyes on Claire.
“Total vanilla, home to watch TV by nine, meatloaf every Wednesday, boring,” Belle continued with a smirk.
“Maybe not that boring,” Claire defended halfheartedly. “He’s just so… So…,” she trailed off to search for a word.
“Just so-so?” Taylor asked.
“We broke up this morning. It was,” she paused, “really easy.”
“He wasn’t feeling it either?” Kendall asked.
“Guess not,” Claire agreed with a shrug. “We were much better friends than lovers.” She blew her hair out of her eyes. “We really weren’t great lovers.”
“So, what’s your plan, baby sister?”
Claire shook her head, her cloud of dark hair flying. “I called him.” Three sets of eyes focused on her as she swallowed and continued, “I left him a message and asked him to call.”
“A message?” Belle repeated.
“I called his office.” When Belle rolled her eyes, Claire added, “After hours. Tonight.”
“Please tell me you left him your cell.”
“I’m doing this, Belle. I’m making the first move. I’m sorry if it’s not as big as you moving in with your lickable firefighter, but I’m doing it.”
“Good for you,” Kendall encouraged.
Isn’t the cover awesome? Another Jimmy Thomas pic and Jodi Jo design!
