#amwriting #authortips #romance the want list for publishers and their readers

For the past few months I have been contacting editors and agents for a contest of emerging authors.  You guessed it.  I volunteered to chair a contest, and this is a helping contest with worthwhile critiques.  Aside from that, would you like to know what qualities and tropes agents and editors are looking for right now? I'm sharing this insider information which I've compiled from the many agent and editor websites I've visited: 

·       Strong conflicts where the characters’ goals are in opposition to one another

·       Physical action-oriented heroines (martial artists, MMA fighters, etc.)

·       Enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romances

·       Adventure quest style romances (think Indiana Jones or Ready Player One but with more kissing!)

·       1930s-style fast patter bantering

·       Diverse romances that showcase heritage, ethnicity and cultural practices

·       Romances that also feature very strong friendships/BFF characters

·       Gender role reversals or defiance of gender role stereotypes ( i.e. biker heroine, preschool teacher hero)

·       Post-apocalyptic romances grounded in realism (think Battlestar Galactica)

·       Couples who aren’t interested in a nuclear family-style existence

Here are qualities and tropes that editors and agents are presently not looking for:

·       First-person POV (usually better suited for New Adult, chick lit or women’s fiction than romance)

·       One or more “evil exes” as the main source of conflict to a romance — the conflict should be interpersonal between your leads.

·       Telling rather than showing and long exposition/information dumps

·       Characters without any goals besides finding love

·       Alpha heroes that are insulting and condescending to their heroines

·       Couples that fall into insta-love when they meet and never truly face any conflict

·       Relationships where the characters’ only bar to getting together is fear from past bad relationships (Everyone has insecurity and angst, but the only way a character can resolve these things is through internal epiphany. That isn’t enough to hang a story on.) 

#Tirgearr author #BookQW #nothing from Unholy Alliance by Kathleen Rowland

The word for Book Quote Wednesday (#BookQW) is NOTHING!  The following excerpt featuring NOTHING is from Unholy Alliance when hero Grady listens to Tori say she'll play this like nothing happened. Is he getting what he thought he wanted?

“Just so you know, I hope after the New Year, this won’t feel awkward.” She was dressing and neatening the bed at the same time.

“I’m glad.” As he watched her tuck under the blanket, he wanted to get back in bed with her. Was she smoothing her way to a break up?

“Amy and Finn are the best friends I’ve ever had. I really like Shane and of course, Maeve,” she said.

“They care about you, too.”

“So, can you keep this between us? I’m not saying it’s a mistake. It is temporary.” Tori smiled, and it didn’t waver.

His heart stopped. A minute before, this was what he wanted to hear.

“Our partnership is our secret. I’m hoping we don’t have to tell anyone. Around other people, let’s act like a lawyer and client.” She looked up at him through dark eyelashes. “Can you do that?”

“Sure.” Grady found his voice, but what was squeezing in his chest? “No problem. I’m down with the idea. We’ll play it like nothing happened.”

“When our partnership ends, I won’t be giving you the whiny chick routine.” She reached into a narrow closet for a skirt and put in on in record time.

Grady got what he wished for. The way Tori called his name while he was buried inside her meant more to him than it did her. He didn’t want what he thought he wanted.

Unholy Alliance is a stand-alone romantic suspense, book 2 in the Donahue Cousins series.

#HappyHolidays - The Santa Bargain, A #HolidayRomance #NewRelease by @robinsromances

My spotlight is on talented author Robin Machaela and her new release just in time for the holidays.  Robin, can you please tell us a little about your book?

Absolutely, and thanks so much for hosting me on your blog today, Kathleen!

The Santa Bargain is my new contemporary romance novel. It’s a holiday romance about a relationship-phobic single mom and the equally commitment-shy guy who agrees to be Santa in their small town’s holiday parade. In order to get Joe to agree, though, Maria has to strike a bargain that promises to heat up the holidays.

The Santa Bargain is on sale for $0.99 on Amazon through 12/31/17 or read it for free on Kindle Unlimited (click this link for either version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077996MP2).

Thanks for checking it out. Have a merry and bright holiday season!

Title: The Santa Bargain

Blurb:

Santa’s gifts can be both nice…and naughty.

Coffeehouse entrepreneur, Maria Thompson, has sworn off men ever since her young son’s father walked out of their lives. But, when she literally runs into sexy carpenter, Joe Sinclair, she wonders if it’s time to rethink her plan.

Joe Sinclair doesn’t need or want romance or a family. He was raised in the foster care system and learned long ago not to get attached to anyone. Now, if he could just remember that, he could put the sensual owner of Copper River, Colorado’s new coffee shop out of his mind.

After Maria and Joe volunteer to work together on the town’s first Christmas festival, their attraction lights up brighter than a new a string of holiday lights. When Santa comes to town, will they finally find everything they’ve ever wished for under the tree?

Excerpt:

Wanting to lighten the mood, he cleared his throat. “I bet Zach is looking forward to Santa’s visit. The holiday is coming up fast.”

He watched a soft smile spread across Maria’s face. “Yes, he is. He’s at that perfect age for Santa – too old to be afraid, but still young enough to believe in the magic of the season.”

She must be working some magic of her own on him because Joe felt the warmth of her smile all the way to his toes. He grinned, remembering his own excitement as he awaited Santa’s visit when he was Zach’s age. “Has he told St. Nick what he wants for Christmas yet?”

“I’ve been waiting until the festival to take him to see Santa because the big guy is supposed to show up there. That is, if I can ever find someone to actually be Santa.” Maria clamped her mouth shut.

He saw a glint come into her eyes as she tilted her head to one side, then squinted at him like she was appraising a prize show horse. “Hmm.”

Joe really didn’t like the way she’d started looking at him. He could practically see the image in her mind – and, in it, he was all decked out in a red suit. He put his mug down on the counter so fast it made a clinking noise as he held up his hands. “Oh no, don’t get any ideas, Maria. I’m the last guy who should be Santa.”

“Why, Joe, I think you’d make a perfect St. Nick.”

He’d swear her voice had dropped by at least an octave. The new throaty tone made his groin twitch.

She picked up her spoon and slowly slid it between her lips. He watched her tongue sweep out to lick a droplet of coffee from it, and he fought to keep from groaning. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pull his gaze from her mouth.

“You know, I’ve been thinking…if you were Santa, I could be your elf,” she continued in her sultry voice. “Who knows? You might be very happy with what you find under your Christmas tree this year.”

He suppressed a smile as he thought about that. How she could make being a festival Santa sound enticing was beyond him, but she was managing. Joe was very nearly tempted to tell her he would do it, but he held back and waited to see if she’d sweeten the deal.

Buy links:

On sale for $0.99 at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077996MP2.

Author Bio:

Robin Michaela has been reading romances since her teen years, when she first snuck her aunt’s copy of The Flame and the Flower, by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
She’s married to her own Handsome Prince (a military airman) and has lived everywhere from the sunny shores of Florida to the wild crags of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. By day, she’s a dental hygienist and by night, Robin can be found eating chocolate, training for her next half marathon, and crafting her next novel (although not necessarily in that order).

Robin loves to hear from readers. Please visit her website (www.robinmichaela.com). You can also follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RobinMichaelaRomances) or Twitter   (https://twitter.com/robinsromances).

#HappyHolidays author exchange #contemporary #romance Stormy @#!/AuthorTinaGayle

Please welcome mega-talented writer Tina Gayle along the Happy Holidays Trail to great books. Today I have my spotlight on Stormy by Tina Gayle.

Blurb:

A widower, a divorcee, co-workers, lovers... a future together... marriage?

Consoling each other for years over each other’s misfortune, Karen and Daniel turn a friendship into a weekend of unbridled red-hot passion.  The heat between them leads to thoughts of a future together.  That is…

Until children, an ex-husband, an unexpected heart attack, a conniving trophy-wife, guilt and personal choices come between them.  Will the heat of their passion, let them break from the past and move into the future?

Excerpt:

“Damn it, Daniel, if I find you with a young chickadee like I did my ex-husband,” she growled as she trudged up the staircase. “I might be tempted to...”   

Her gaze immediately fell on the empty king-size bed. Exasperated by her inability to find him, she quickly scanned the entire room...desk area, open closet, bathroom... the door closed. Light glowed through the seam between the floor and the bottom edge. “Daniel, if you’re in the bathroom come out this minute.”

The entrance opened, and he stood in the doorway.

Problem, he wore only a towel.

Awe, shit... she didn’t need to see his bare chest covered in crisp dark hair, the sculptured muscles of his arms and shoulders, developed pecs, and thick thighs.

Damn, how was she supposed to resist such temptation?

Desire added to the anxiety she’d already experienced on her drive here, lit her anger. “Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been calling and texting you for the last two hours.”

A confused frown passed over his handsome face. Instead of responding, he stepped to the bedside table. He lifted his cell phone and clicked a few buttons.

Unable to contain her impatience, Karen stalked forward.

He glanced up when she grew closer and showed her the phone. “I don’t understand it. I don’t show receiving any messages or calls. The signals must have gotten lost because of the storm.”

She’d suspected as much. Still, she refused to let him off the hook because he could’ve contacted her before he left town. “You should’ve called me. But no...”

Having endured his inability to communicate for months now, she stabbed her finger through the air at him. “You never call. You always expect me to phone you. Well, I’ve had it.”

The distance closed between them and she stood inches from him. Her fingertip tapped his chest. Static electricity sparked between them and her fist unfolded. She stumbled backward.

“Whoa.” Daniel caught her around the waist with one hand and held her close. His phone landed on the bed before he circled his other arm around her. His strong grip held her steady and didn’t allow her to step away. “You’re right. I guess I’m just use to...”

“Don’t say it. I’ve heard it too many times. Sharon might have resented the interruptions, but I’m not her. I’m never in any type of meeting that you could possibly disrupt.” Karen spread her hands over his chest and worked to maintain a smidgen of distance. Nevertheless, with him so near, his warmth surrounding her in a seductive cocoon, she had to fight the urge to melt against him.

“Yes, but if I called you whenever I wanted we’d never get off the phone.” The husky tone of his voice pulled her gaze upward.

Spying the silly grin on his face, she shook her head. “Don’t play with me, Daniel. I was worried that something bad might’ve happened to you.”

He cupped the back of her neck and guided her head to his shoulder. “You worry too much. Nothing’s going to happen to an old dog like me.”

Now available at  Amazon

www.amazon.com/dp/B00N8797R4

Author Bio:

Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.
After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing. Her books touch the heart and show the true joy of being a woman.

Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.

Find Tina Gayle everywhere

Home - www.tinagayle.net
Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Tina-Gayle/e/B002BM9GR8

Get Ready for #HappyHolidays With a #99c #Romance from @Kris_Bock

 Please welcome my guest, Kris Bock.  Let me tell you about her book, Whispers in the Dark.

Whispers in the Dark: Archaeology student Kylie Hafford craves adventure when she heads to the remote Puebloan ruins of Lost Valley, Colorado, to excavate. Romance isn’t in her plans, but she soon meets two sexy men: Danesh looks like a warrior from the Pueblo’s ancient past, and Sean is a charming, playful tourist. The summer heats up as Kylie uncovers mysteries, secrets, and terrors in the dark. She’ll need all her strength and wits to survive—and to save the man she’s come to love. 

Whispers in the Dark, romantic suspense set in the Four Corners region of the Southwest, has a 4.2-star average. This novel will appeal to fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Victoria Holt. It stands alone and is not part of a series.

Whispers in the Dark is on sale Nov. 19-24 – only 99 cents for the Kindle! Get it now!

Excerpt:

I hit something, bounced, scraped, and finally landed with a thud that rattled my whole body.

I lay in the dark, blinded, my head ringing, pain washing over me in great waves. My lungs screamed for air, but it seemed like I’d forgotten how to breathe.

Finally I dragged in a breath. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing, waiting for the world to settle into place.

Rain misted my face, so I must be lying on my back. My head felt heavier than my feet. I shifted and realized I was lying on a slope with my head pointing down.

I tried to concentrate on those little details. I couldn’t handle anything more. Panic fluttered around me, but I refused to think about anything but the present moment. I flexed my fingers. When that worked, I moved my hands over my body, up to my face. My head throbbed, but when I felt around my skull, I didn’t find any serious damage.

I had to move. The thought battered at the back of my mind, a panicky whisper that I tried to ignore. I had to run. Hide. He was after me. I had to get away.

I clenched my teeth hard, as if I could bite back the pain and fear. Memories crowded in, like panicked ghosts wailing at the edges of my mind. Guns, strange men. Dangerous, threatening men. Danesh trying to protect me, the gun going off. My own helpless, panicked flight. Helpless. Worthless. Unable to fight, unable even to scream.

I tried to focus on this one moment, the physical sensations of my aching body as I lay on the hard, damp ground. The cold against my bare calves, the lump of rock pressing into my shoulder. That focus helped keep me grounded in the present. Never mind that this present wasn’t a place I wanted to be. I had to deal with reality. But I didn’t have to also deal with nightmares. Not now.

The little whimpers in my throat faded to short gasping breaths. I held on to this moment, this single slice of reality. Now to move forward. I didn’t have to like it, but I had to do it. One step at a time.

Get Whispers in the Dark  on sale for 99 cents for the Kindle!

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town. What We Found is a romantic mystery about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page.

Kris Bock Blog: The Southwest Armchair Traveler

Kris Bock’s Amazon page

Kris Bock on GoodReads

Kris Bock on Facebook

Kris Bock on Twitter

#HappyHolidays exchange #HistoricalWesternRomance #AuthorDevonMcKay @devonmckay2014

Greetings, friends! Today I have the honor of spotlighting bestselling author Devon McKay and her book, Lead me into Temptation.  Thanks to all of you who are joining the Happy Holiday Exchange. I hope you enjoy our tour and find some great reads to keep you company this holiday season.

Lead Me Into Temptation

Blurb:

Violet Webster is a bride on the run. The last thing she wants is to get married, especially to a stranger twice her age. However, agreeing to be a mail-order bride had been her only option and it paid the steep passage to San Francisco so she could locate her father. She’d find him too, if only her betrothed’s son would stay out of her way.

Garrett Sutherlin is on a mission. Delivering the striking, ebony haired beauty to his father’s doorstep not only paid off his debt, the effort would grant him freedom from the man’s condescending hold. As far as he’s concerned, Miss Webster made her own bed. 

Unfortunately, his father will be the one to lie beside her.

Excerpt:

“Name’s Sutherlin.”

“Sutherlin?” A surprised gasp escaped her as hope stirred, fluttering like the wings of a butterfly in her stomach. “But you’re not…no, you can’t be.” Confused, she searched his face. “Are you my intended?”

 Violet locked onto his gaze. She saw something she couldn’t quite read in the darkened depths. Sorrow? Regret? Whatever it was, the emotion quickly faded and was replaced by a clear veil of distrust.

“No, little dove, I’m not,” he stated firmly. “Or should I call you cunning fox? Not that it matters.” He shrugged. “You are marrying my father.”

Her blood froze. Spoken out loud, the direness of her situation magnified. She was spoken for. Promised to his kin. A man twice her age, and, other than two corresponding letters, a faceless stranger. 

For a moment, she’d actually longed for the possibility of the man standing before her being her future husband. Even embraced it. And cunning fox? The words stung only because they spoke the truth.

A painful, but honest depiction. At the moment, she felt anything but trustful. Yet, how could he know of her intentions? Didn’t matter. The search for her father trumped snide insinuations and witty tag-names, regardless of how true they might be.

“Shall we continue to our quarters?” he asked, shattering her thoughts and breaking the silence.

“Do I have a choice?” she questioned sharply, more upset at herself than his request. Unable to hold her tongue, she blurted, “And in regards to your blatant questioning of my character, perhaps you are right. However, considering the fact I feel as if I’ve been caught in a trap, the word cunning is hardly accurate.”

The quick retort brought forth a low rumble of laughter and a boyish grin, softening the hard, jagged scar under his eye. In response, her pulse spiked and a cool sheen of perspiration dampened her skin.

Not easily swayed by a man’s charms, certainly not a mere smile, she questioned the reaction. With her mind reeling, she continued planning a course of escape.

Now, she had one more reason she couldn’t possibly marry into this family. 

BuyLinks:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074FW8SD3

About Devon McKay

Amazon Bestseller Devon McKay writes historical and contemporary romance with a western flair. If she's not writing, she's busy with chores on her small ranch, working on a stained glass project or walking one of her three dogs through the woods. Her greatest joy is putting a smile on a readers face and hearing from fans. 

Please check out Devon’s website at: Authordevonmckay.com or contact her by email at: dev.mckay@yahoo.com. You can also follow her on face book and twitter at: https://www.facebook.com/DevonMcKay2014 
https://twitter.com/devonmckay2014

#BookQW word is usual. Excerpt from #Tirgearr #romanticsuspense Unholy Alliance

Are you ready to play Book Quote Wednesday?  Today's word is USUAL, and two examples are in the excerpt from Unholy Alliance.  In this scene attorney Grady Fletcher asks his client a question. The scene is in Tori Morningstar's viewpoint.  She is just released from prison for a murder she didn't commit, and they are driving along a highway.

"You sound like a sleuth. What angle are you working?"

"The usual angle. Searching.  Finding Vivienne. McGinn has her," she moaned. 

“That’s what you think.”  He shot her a withering look.  “I had this client, basically a good guy.  He needed to get off the grid but didn’t qualify for a legit government program such as witness protection. The poor schmuck got mixed up with the wrong crowd. He looked at old newspapers and found a name of a baby who’d died around his age.”

“Look, Grady.  I know this trick. Let me tell you the rest.   He requested the state government to give him a the birth certificate.” 

“Exactly,” he said.  “Many people lose birth certificates.” 

“Right. It’s pretty usual to lose one,” she said. “With a birth certificate, your client got a social security card.  Maybe enrolled in college for a student ID. He used these to open a bank account, get a credit card, and driver’s license.”

“Okay, fine. Did Vivienne disappear like this?” His reason for the story was to work Vivienne into it.  His assumption sliced through her skin. 

Her outrage rasped like feathers ruffling in anger. She took a breath to calm down, knowing he wasn’t done with his little narrative.

“She’d have to change hair color,” he said.  “Lose or gain weight. Put a tack in her shoe. Walk with a limp.  Move to a crowded city, rent a cheap apartment.  Build an employment history by working some job.”

“Uh huh.” Not up for an argument, she shifted her gaze back to the GPS map mirroring the Jeep as it sped onto a fly-over carpool lane linking up to the 22 West.  The map indicated ten more minutes of travel time and small talk.

#HappyHolidays sexy psych #thriller by Ronnie Allen @ronnieanovelist

Please welcome talented author, Ronnie Allen, and her book, Scorpio, book 2 from her amazing series, The Sign behind the Crime.

Blurb

With a mind as strong as twisted steel, Scorpio obsessed Henry Slater, suave, sophisticated, sexy, intelligent, and wealthy is the perfect man—except to women who tell him what he doesn’t want to hear.

Dr. John Trenton is called back to NYC for a case close to his heart, while NYPD Detective Samantha “Sam” Wright and Dr. Frank Khaos, conflicted about their on-again-off-again relationship, take on another case—a serial killer who’s orchestrated sixteen murders across the United States over a nine-year period. The seventeenth victim is Sam’s best friend, Carrie Baines. When forensic science connects Frank to Slater, Frank is pushed to delve into his past, something he swore never to do. Meanwhile, due to the interstate nature of the crimes the FBI gets involved, convincing Sam to go undercover. But Slater is clever, and Sam is no match for him. Will her psychic skills and police training be enough to survive this close encounter with a killer, or will she end up as his eighteenth victim? And even if she lives, is her relationship with Frank really over?

EXCERPT

Det. Sam Wright and her partner, Det. Nick Valatutti, trying to become involved in the serial murder case.

A mid-forties dark-skinned man wearing a conservative gray sports jacket at the opposite end of the table spoke first. “I’m Lieutenant Hicks. I know both your histories, and your relationship with Agent Case. Even though your excellent reputations precede you, consider this a professional courtesy, nothing more. Lieutenant Rojas and I go back a long way. At first, I wasn’t thrilled with a task-force for no reason, but I now understand it, seeing what damage this perp has done. Therefore, my precinct and I will give the FBI our utmost cooperation. As for the both of you being here, I know that you, Detective Wright, and the vic were good friends, so we will use what you tell us as a reliable source. Your involvement will end there.”

Sam cringed when she heard him say “vic” instead of Carrie by name. She held her tongue. His last statement made her stomach drop.

“I’ll be directing this interview,” Agent Case said. “Detective Wright, how long have you known Miss Baines?”

“Since kindergarten.” Sam remained focused. She’d only elaborate when he asked the correct questions.

“What can you tell me about her?”

“Referring to?”

“Everything. We need to create a profile to match to the other victims.”

Nick shot Agent Case a glare. “Why don’t you ask Detective Wright specific questions so we don’t go on for hours and waste time?”

Okay, Nick. You’re starting your magic.

Agent Case put his pen down. “Yes, I forgot. This one could ramble. Why would Miss Baines cut work and go to a casino?”

“That’s the million dollar question. One I want the answer to, but more importantly why did the perp choose her?”

“Not going there,” Lieutenant Hicks retorted, not holding back annoyance.

“Lieutenant, with all due respect, if my partner knows specifics, she’ll be able to frame her answers appropriately. Relevancy is crucial. Correct?”

The lieutenant let out an exasperated breath. “All of the murders were in casinos on the east coast. All vics were professional career women.”

“Any prominent differences?” Nick asked.

“Unfortunately, none that we’ve put together, yet,” the lieutenant conceded.

“Okay, Detective Wright, what can you tell us about Miss Baines relationship with her husband?” Case asked. “We know it’s not him, but—”

Sam cut Agent Case off. “I get it. Carrie and Charlie were separated four months ago. She caught him cheating, first through texts on his phone to another woman, then she followed him to an apartment building. She never confronted him.”

“Never confronted him? How can that be?”

“We never had time for a face to face meeting, and—”

“Don’t buy that for a second, Detective.” Case sneered at her. “If you two were that close, you’d be meeting at three a.m. if need be. Girlfriends cry with each other. I think you’re wasting our time, altogether.”

Bio-- meet Ronnie!

Ronnie Allen is a NYC native transplanted to rural Central Florida nine years ago. A teacher in The New York City Department of Education for 33 years, she also obtained a license as NYS School Psychologist. In later education, she added certification as a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, earning a Ph.D. in Parapsychic Sciences. Ronnie uses her expertise in education, the paranormal, and psychic development throughout her novels.  She’s an advocate for children, and their health and well-being. This is evident in the themes of her novels and in the dedications. Scorpio is the third book in The Sign Behind the Crime series. 

Buy links

US Http://Amzn.to/2zJwoy1

B&N http://bit.ly/2yTmPiw

UK http://amzn.to/2zPFnhk

CA http://amzn.to/2laNLEC

Readers can find me at:

Http://www.ronnieallennovel.com

Facebook http://Facebook.com/ronnieanovelist 

Twitter http://twitter.com/ronnieanovelist 

Instagram http://instagram.com/ronnieanovelist 

#BookQW is deep-- #Tirgearr #romanticsuspense Unholy Alliance

Welcome to Book Quote Wednesday, #BookQW!  The word for today is deep, and this excerpt from Tori's point of view, "fearing the deep sound of his voice" comes from Unholy Alliance.  In the short scene below, Grady meets up with Tori, his former client, at her food truck, Deep Fried to Taste. 

Grady met her on the stairs and offered a hand. The closer he got, the harder it was to concentrate on stepping down. His killer smile showed off two sexy dimples when he said, “It’s noon.”

“Good noon to you.” She gulped. Readying herself for conversation, she took his hand, rose on her toes, and sniffed. “Hmmm, what is that? Shaving lotion? Man perfume?”

He chuckled, and a weird electric awareness went off in her chest. In slow motion, it cracked open slowly, sent out sparkly runners to forgotten girl parts, and pulsed there.

She pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin. Their gazes locked. Her hair loosened from her bandana. “Drat, I’m a chef. Hair is supposed to stay put.” She took it off, placed the center of the bandana on the nape of her neck and tied a knot on the top of her head.

He reached to help tuck the ends under. “You’re so darn cute.”

“Oooo, that scent. Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“Eau des Baux Eau.” The warm, deep sound of his voice sent more sensations of want right through her. Behind him the sun stretched a bit higher and seemed to shine just on him. “You like it?”

“I sure do. Vanilla. You smell like a cookie.” Her heart thudded harder than it should.

“Do you like cookies?” He bent his head for a kiss.
Tori kissed Mr. Good Noon with the wavy reddish-brown hair and body made to lose sleep over. Her breath hitched, and she took a step back from heartbreak. No reason to set sights on a man way out of her league. The glow dimmed and the warmth backed off. “Care to look at my menu?” She stepped closer to the blackboard.

“Now you’re speaking my language. I’m starving.” He raised his eyebrows and the corners of his mouth lifted. “Pimento cheeseburger corn dog.”

---