Seattle Delight
By
Charlotte Stout
BLURB:
Charly’s life was simple and uncomplicated, just like she wanted it. Or so she thought! One chance encounter with a devilishly handsome stranger in her local coffee shop would turn her world, and her heart, upside down. She would be thrown into a realm of privilege and romance, and more than just a little danger.
How will she handle the dark gorgeous man who has inserted himself into her domain? When danger threatens those she loves, will she have the strength of heart and spirit to do whatever it takes to save them? Share Charly’s adventures as she navigates through the quickly changing landscape that has become her life.
EXCERPT:
“Hey, watch it,” Charly said as someone bumped her table and precious drops of the caffeine laced fuel danced across the table. She couldn’t afford to lose a microgram of caffeine. Not today – well not any day! Considering she’d written two lines and a finished first draft of her book was due in two months, she knew she was in a world of hurt.
Charly turned to see who had been so rude. Okay, as a romance writer it was Charly’s job to write about hunks but what she saw before her left her breathless. Looking at her with Caribbean Sea blue eyes, copper skin, and dark hair falling in waves to the top of his shoulders was a God.
“Pardon, I am so sorry,” he said in a deep, richly accented voice bowing his head in her direction.
His eyes – those incredible blue eyes were intently focused on Charly making her feel self-conscious. Charly regretted that she hadn’t taken more care with her appearance this morning. Her damp hair was a mass of unruly curls, her face devoid of makeup with the exception of a dab of lip-gloss. Charly rested her chin in her right hand appreciating the view before her until she laid a finger on her upper lip. Panic rose within her; she felt it and if he noticed it she would be mortified. Damn, why hadn’t she waxed her mustache last night? Why did women get mustaches in the first place? It’s not like we don’t have enough to worry about.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Charlotte lives in Arizona with her hunky husband Warren, and her spoiled Silky Terrier, Tess. Her life has been filled with serious endeavors, including earning a Master's degree, owning her own business, consulting and working in the corporate world as a human resources executive. Before penning her first novel, Charlotte had written several practical guides for business applications, not exactly steamy stuff. Luckily, she never lost sight of her dream to write a novel that would encompass her passion for gorgeous men, adventure and a love of life. Enjoy
LINKS:
Web site: http://www.charlotteastout.com
Charlotte will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one random commenter during the tour.
CRIMSON FOOTPRINTS
By
Shewanda Pugh
BLURB:
When an insecure, bi-racial woman begins a cloak-and-dagger love affair with a Japanese American man, she is intent on keeping her bigoted family in the dark—albeit with devastating consequences. On the night of her brother’s murder, Deena Hammond stumbles upon Takumi Tanaka, lost and on the wrong end of a .32. After rescuing him from the certain fate driving through the hood in a Porsche will bring, a sweet kind of friendship begins. A balm for her grief. Maybe, Deena likes to think, it happened the day her white mother killed her black father. Or maybe, it was always a part of them, like DNA gone bad. Whatever the case, Deena knows that her family would never approve, hell, never acknowledge her fast-growing love for Takumi. And had he never made love to her that way, in that unraveling, soul-searching sort of way, she could’ve done the same. But love’s a devil that way. So, their game begins. One where they hide what they are from everyone. Anyone. And Tak understands this—for now. After all, Deena’s career hinges on the favor of her mentor and boss, his hard-ass of a father. And the Hammond family is already stretched thin with grief. Yet, each step Deena takes toward family and career brings her closer to an acceptance she’s never had. And away from him.
EXCERPT:
“I wish that I didn’t want my family’s love so bad. I wish I could be one of those people who wore leather jackets and didn’t give a damned.”
Tak shot her a look. “You’d be musty if you wore a leather jacket in this heat.”
Deena grinned. “You know what I mean.”
He shrugged. “Who doesn’t want a decent family, Dee? It’s not much to ask for.”
Tak paused to pluck a seashell from the sand. Chipped and polished by time, it shone under the glint of a fast setting sun. “I don’t know the answers,” he said. “But they seem to be in things like this,” he held up the shell.
She frowned. “I don’t follow.”
He shrugged. “Well think about it. What’s a shell? It’s just a—a hard, protective outer layer.” He hurled it in the ocean. “The same is true with family. They’re an outer layer, a protection from the world. At least that’s what they’re supposed to be.” He paused. “Think about what happens when you screw with an animal that has one of those hard shells. What does he do?”
“He goes into it.”
“Right. He retreats.” He thumbed the shell thoughtfully. “Now imagine if you were to rip the shell off a turtle and expose him. What do you think you’d find?”
Deena cringed. “Something soft and hurting.
“And dead, if not close to it. So, our hypothetical turtle, who’s able to stand our shell transplant, needs another shell, another form of protection. And so do you.” Tak handed the grooved and sand-polished subject to Deena. She looked down at it.
“So, how’ve I been surviving all this time? What’s my shell?”
Tak grinned. “Tell you what. I’ll let you know when I crack it.”
Copyright by Shewanda Pugh
Shewanda Pugh is a native of Boston’s inner city, though she now lives in sunny Miami, Florida. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Alabama A&M University and a Master’s in Writing from Nova Southeastern University. Fueled from a young age, her passion for crossing societal boundaries like race, class and culture, is the inspiration for both her cluttered bookshelf and her writing. When she’s not busy obsessing over fiction, she can be found traveling, nursing her social networking addiction or enjoying the company of loved ones.
LINKS:
Follow on Twitter: @ShewandaP
www.shewandapugh.comTHE AUTHOR WILL BE GIVING AWAY ($10 Amazon GC).The tour dates: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/07/book-blurb-blitz-tour-crimson.html.
11 comments:
I really enjoyed "Seattle Delight"! It was a fun and funny read. The characters were interesting and believable. A terrific book and I encourage all to read it!
Good info, Alice. Thanks.
They both sound like intriguing books!
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Both books sound AMAZING! Thank you for sharing! :-)
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Charlotte...I love how Charly sounds. She sounds like someone who I'd like to have as a friend!
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
Hey Shewanda...The excerpt is deep and kinda disturbing. The turtle analogy is weird!
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
Seattle is a great place to set a story. It has its own special charm and cosmopolitan feel. This should be a good read.
Both of these books sound interesting. Cute dog.
I really like the cover of the second book.
Thanks for sharing Crimson Footprints. Great site overall.
A double whammy today how fabulous. Both books make my reading list.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
The stories sound intriguing.
VB contest
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
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