Hey all, I’ve got some exciting news I want to share with you. At the beginning of this year, I was offered the opportunity to write a sweet contemporary romance short story for the charity boxed set LOVE & GRACE. Preorders start August 1st.
100% of the proceeds will go to Gracepoint School for Dyslexic Learning.
Now, I don’t normal write contemporary romance, but when I heard about this boxed set, I jumped at the chance be involved, dedicating the next few months to perfecting my short story SWEET SAMANTHA. I have family members with dyslexia who have struggled all their lives, and with the support of a school like Gracepoint, I can only imagine how much easier school might have been for them growing up. I think what Gracepoint does for its students is amazing.
And they need our support!
A special thanks to one of my own favorite authors, Sherrilyn Kenyon, for taking the time to write a foreward for the boxed set. I’m sure I can speak for my fellow authors when I say we are honored by her involvement. Like, crazy honored!
In SWEET SAMANTHA, you won’t find my normal salty mouthed bad-boy heros or the steamy bedroom heat, but you will still fall in love with the depth of the story and the emotional connection of my characters. Plus, there are eleven other great stories to get lost in.
SWEET SAMANTHA EXCERPT
As Samantha poured them each a glass from her bottom-shelf vintage, Tammy speculated on the neighborhood’s mysterious new resident. “I bet a family’s moving in. With the school so close and the park down the street, this is such a family-friendly neighborhood. Better yet, I hope it’s another single mom. Then I’d finally have someone else to talk to. Not that I don’t love you, hun, but I just don’t get the whole interior design thing.” Tammy worked as a waitress at the local diner, and as far as Sam could tell, never aspired to be anything more.
“And I just love hearing about every terrible table that complained about the food and then left you a bad tip.”
“Speaking of, this lady last night was such a…” Tammy trailed off, staring out the kitchen window.
“What’s up?” Sam followed her gaze. A black Chevy pickup truck was now parked behind the moving van. A jean-clad man in a dark shirt was prowling the high grass. His stride was confident, his gait purely masculine. He assessed the house, then the surrounding houses, turning as he did. When he was taking in her modest home, she got a better look at him….
And her breath caught.
From this distance, it was obvious he was handsome with his clever gaze and strong jaw. She might go as far as to say too handsome, but his lips were a little too severe, pressed tightly together as his short brown hair tussled with the breeze.
“You think that’s the owner?” Tammy was transfixed as well.
“Could just be a mover,” she replied when the man crossed the yard and opened the back of the moving van. There wasn’t a lot inside. With her full year of on-the-job experience as an interior designer, she determined the belongings would fill a single room, maybe two in a stretch. And much of it looked destined for the garage. There had to be three tool chests that she could see.
“God be praised if every mover came that hawt. I’d be in constant upheaval.” Tammy sipped her wine.
Another car rolled into the driveway, a blue sedan. Both she and Tammy leaned in for a better angle.
“Oh, there are two of them!” Tammy exclaimed. “One for each of us.”
“One of what?” Ellie strolled into the kitchen.
The women jumped back as though they’d been caught doing something untoward. “We might be getting new neighbors,” Tammy replied.
Ellie glanced out the window. “Who? Those two guys?” After a minute, Ellie lost interest and headed back into the living room, throwing over her shoulder, “They’re probably gay.”
Tammy grabbed her chest as though she’d been struck by a hard object. “Gay? No. You think? It would be just my luck. All the good ones are either gay or taken.”
Sam heard Jayden ask from in the living room, “Who’s gay?”
“The new neighbors,” Ellie blurted airily.
Sam took a sip of wine. “All I care about is that they are nice and quiet. Whatever they do in the bedroom is none of my business.”
Tammy wiggled her eyebrows. “Let’s go meet them.”
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Did you enjoy my little teaser? Let me know what you think in the comments.
