Book Releases

Holding On (Colorado High Country #6) —
The Colorado High Country series returns with Conrad and Kenzie's story.

A hero barely holding on…

Harrison Conrad returned to Scarlet Springs from Nepal, the sole survivor of a freak accident on Mt. Everest. Shattered and grieving for his friends, he vows never to climb again and retreats into a bottle of whiskey—until Kenzie Morgan shows up at his door with a tiny puppy asking for his help. He’s the last person in the world she should ask to foster this little furball. He’s barely capable of managing his own life right now, let alone caring for a helpless, adorable, fluffy puppy. But Conrad has always had a thing for Kenzie with her bright smile and sweet curves. One look into her pleading blue eyes, and he can’t say no.

The woman who won’t let him fall…

Kenzie Morgan’s life went to the dogs years ago. A successful search dog trainer and kennel owner, she gets her fill of adventure volunteering for the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. The only thing missing from her busy life is love. It’s not easy finding Mr. Right in a small mountain town, especially when she’s unwilling to date climbers. She long ago swore never again to fall for a guy who might one day leave her for a rock. When Conrad returns from a climbing trip haunted by the catastrophe that killed his best friend, Kenzie can see he’s hurting and wants to help. She just might have the perfect way to bring him back to the world of the living. But friendship quickly turns into something more—and now she’s risking her heart to heal his.

In ebook and soon in print!


About Me

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I grew up in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, then lived in Denmark and traveled throughout Europe before coming back to Colorado. I have two adult sons, whom I cherish. I started my writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor of two different papers. Along the way, my team and I won numerous state and several national awards, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, I was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism. Now I write historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense.

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Seductive Musings

Friday, March 30, 2007

And then my leg fell off....



OK, that's an inside joke with Benjy, my 17-year-old, that draws upon my propensity for whining. I list a long string of sad, woeful events and end it with "...and then my leg fell off." For example: "I was writing for so many days, and my carpel tunnel kept me up at night and then I was too sleepy to write any more and got further behind and my book was late and then my leg fell off." I guess that's my joking way of acknowledging my own whininess.

And that's what happened, but really it's "... and then my brain shut down."

I should have been able to get more done today, but my head is tired. So instead of forging ahead tonight (I finished Chapter 24 at about 7 p.m.) I'm editing what I already have. And in the course of doing so, I came up with this little snippet to share.

YES! Another excerpt. Now, remember, Marc, my hero, has been in prison for six years. Before that, he was in the Army. And he's been in love with Sophie since he was a teenager.

From Unlawful Contact:

As they finished the meal, he told her about boot camp and how the meanest master sergeant on the face of the earth—a bastard by the name of Stracher—had kicked his ass into gear. He told her how he’d discovered he had skill with target shooting. He told her how he’d been transferred into Special Forces after 9/11 and deployed to Afghanistan as a sniper, where he’d spent a winter high in the frigid mountains near Tora Bora.

“It must have been very hard.” Her cheeks were flushed, her body relaxed, her gaze focused on him, a dreamy look in her big blue eyes. She was obviously feeling the champagne. “I’m so glad you made it home in one piece.”

“You know what kept me warm at night?” He leaned in closer, brushed a strand of hair from the satin of her cheek. “I kept thinking about this beautiful girl from my hometown. I only spent one night with her—just one night—but it was the sweetest night of my life. She gave me her virginity and told me to shoot for the stars. I tried, Sophie. I tried to shoot for the stars.”

He must have been feeling the alcohol, too, or he never would have said anything like that. Or maybe it wasn’t the champagne. Maybe it was just being near her like this.

She turned her head, nuzzled her cheek against his palm, her skin unbelievably soft, her eyes drifting shut. “Did you really think of me these past six years?”

He ran the pad of his thumb over her lower lip. “Oh, yes. I thought about you. Dreamed about you. Fantasized—”

Her eyes flew open, her pupils wide and dark. “About me?”

“Yeah.” Slow down, Hunter. Do you really think a woman wants to know that sort of thing? “Does that bother you?”

She shook her head, the flush on her cheeks going deeper, her lips parting on a breathy whisper. “I was just thinking we could… you know… try out a few of those, um, fantasies. While we have the chance.”

And that right there outstripped any fantasy.

His tried to say something, but all the blood in his body had rushed to his crotch.

“So, Marc Hunter, where do you want me?”

Geez-us!

Where did he want her? God, he wanted her everywhere. Against the wall. Spread-eagle on the bed. On her hands and knees. In the hot tub. On the dining room table. In the Jag. Hell, on the Jag.

He searched his mouth, found his tongue. “It’s not so much where I want you, Sophie, as it is how. Nothing tastes quite like a woman, and no woman tastes like you.”

She gave an almost inaudible gasp. “Then you want…”

He stood, reached for her, drew her on to the couch beneath him. “I want dessert.”

He kissed her out of her blouse, suckling her through her bra until she was whimpering and writhing beneath him, her nipples straining against the wet lace. Then he moved on to her pants, drawing the fabric down her long legs, tasting his way down her silky skin, over her sensitive calves to the tips of her little toes. But as scrumptious as her skin was, this wasn’t the taste he hungered for most.

He worked his way back up her legs, nudging her thighs apart with his hands, inhaling the wild, musky scent of her arousal, filling his lungs with her. Yes, that was it, the scent he’d wanted inside his head for so, so long. But now he wanted a taste.

He licked her inner thighs along the edge of her panties, heard her gasp, her fingers sliding into his hair, rough lace and soft skin both sweet against his tongue. Then he drew back and licked his way up the lace where it covered her cleft, the soft folds of her labia beneath. When his tongue felt the tiny bud of her clit, he held himself still, flicking it through the thin cloth, feeling it swell.

She whimpered, lifted her hips eagerly toward his mouth. “Please... Hunt!”

He chuckled. “Sorry, but this is my fantasy, and I’m going to take my sweet time.”

She gave a pained moan. “Is this your ‘torture Sophie’ fantasy?”

“No, it’s my ‘Sophie lets me do whatever I want to do’ fantasy. I’m going lick you everywhere, until your scent is imprinted on my brain, until I can taste you all the way down my throat, until your juices saturate my skin. So settle in, because it’s probably going to take a while.”

He saw her belly contract, felt her shiver, and knew the idea excited her.

“But… what about you?”

“Sweetheart, this is for me.”

----

Then things heat up from there. Let's just say Marc knows what a tongue is for, okay?

So that's from Chapter 21, I think....

Hope you enjoyed it. Just Saturday and Sunday and Chapters 25-30 plus an epilogue to write. Ain't gonna happen. So I guess this book will be late again. But to have clicked off five or six chapters in 10 days is pretty darn good. Now, hopefully they don't SUCK.

14 comments:

OK - I'm headed for the ice box now. Glad I didn't miss it this time!
February of 08 eh?

I'm glad you didn't miss it, too, Kristie! I hope all is well. I've been meaning to email you back (and I will) but I'm pushing really hard on this book and getting behind everywhere else. Sending you some e-hugs here... ((((((HUGS)))))

Ronlyn said...

O...
My....

*sigh*

Damn, my DH is working.

((((hugs))))

Bo said...

OMG,what an incredible scene,esp. the line about 'Nothing tastes quite like a woman...',etc.

And of COURSE it won't suck! Now,repeat after me-"I DO NOT WRITE BADLY."

When we finally meet,I think I will get you smashed,drag you to a tattoo shop,and have them put that on your forehead,backwards,so every time you look in a mirror you will see it.Or maybe your hands would work better,let me think about it....*G*

LMAO at the running joke-I feel quite whiny myself these days.(((HUGS)))

Sorry the DH is unavailable to help you out, Ronlyn. Thank God that God invented batteries. That's what I say. LOL! How are you feeling these days, girl?

Hi, Bo! I hope you're feeling alright and that your whininess doesn't have to do with feeling icky. Being pregnant can be really tough sometimes. REST!!!!

Glad you both enjoyed the scene. Yeah, so then after that it gets really oral. As you probably guessed. His first taste of female in a long, long time.

But when that baby is out, come to Colorado and let's DO go out and get hammered and go into a tattoo shop. I don't think I want anything on my forehead, but a tat somewhere of something. It has to go well with floor-length glamor gowns. :-)

Anonymous said...

That is so hot!!!!!!!!!
You are A EXCELLENT WRITER!!!!!!!!!
This is why I buy your books. You are one of the few who are on my autobuy
list.Sophia and Marc will be worth the wait.I am now going outside where it is a whole balmy 48 degrees and cool off.I read it twice.

Debbie H said...

OMG, I leave for the Medieval Faire and look what you left us!! My DH is a work, too. Trust me there are new batteries in BOB *BEG* and he will be put to the test as soon as the house settles down.

You are a great writer, so quit putting yourself down. It's ok to whine, it relieves stress and sometimes saying something out loud, can help the creative juices. Take care of that carpal tunnel, that stuff is painful.

Hugs

Kristi said...

WOW-WEE-WOW-WOW... I sure do love a man who knows what he wants for dessert!! *VBG* I love your "and then my leg fell off" sentence add-on! God, how I can utilize that for both myself and the other dearly loved members of my family! xoxoxo, K

Sara said...

I'd already drunk a half bottle of wine when I decided to pop over here and see how the writing is going. *GASP* Now, I am NEVER gonna get my work done tonight. This entry has left me breathless!!! YUM YUM YUM YUM! Okay lady, finish this book so I can go buy a bunch of copies, throw them on the floor and roll around naked on them!!

L said...

Yeah, I just melted into my chair. I'm with Ronlyn...I should have read this BEFORE the hubby ran off to work! YOWZA!

Rosie said...

Wow what an excerpt. Thanks for sharing parts of this wonderful (YES, I SAID WONDERFUL) new book of yours. And, yes, getting that much done in such a little amount of time is awesome, so don't beat yourself up. Now I can't wait for the finished product!

Hugs!!!

Well... ummm... ahem... HOLY SHIT! Can you please write faster!

Laurie D. said...

Good heavens, that's good stuff! Feb. is waaayy too long to wait though.

Guess I'll just have to reread the first two in this series - I've already read them so many times I can almost quote them!

Thanks for sharing this!

Well, that was certainly a nice surprise - glad I jumped on here before heading off to bed. Thanks, Pamela! Definately fodder for some sweet dreams there.

And can I just say, that pic of Mr. Hunter really works for me. *G* I think of the ones you've posted, I like this one with the sunglasses, beard and sunglasses the best. Yep, absolutely.

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