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

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Naked Edge update with excerpt



I just had to pop in quickly to say that my agent read Naked Edge this weekend and just called to tell me that I am ridiculous and have no sense of the quality of my own writing. This is very good news because I told her I thought Naked Edge was the worst thing I'd written so far.

She said she sobbed at the end and that she found the climax of the story every bit as nail-biting as was the climax of Unlawful Contact.

I have to give a shout out to some FOPs (that's an acronym for Friends of Pamela — you ken who you are) who have actually read the manuscript. The whole time I was writing it, I was thinking, "This sucks! This sucks! This sucks!" But these sweet FOPs kept saying, "No, it doesn't! Keep writing!" If not for them, I'd be out looking for my lost sanity.

I still want to do some minor revisions before I turn it in. This ghost-writing project is delaying that till the end of the month or early September.

How about an excerpt to celebrate the non-suckiness of the story (according to my agent and FOPs)?

Here's one I posted in my notes on Facebook. If you saw it there, sorry! And remember, Kat is a virgin — my only contemporary virgin thus far. And there are cultural reasons for this. But you'll see on March 2.

From Chapter 25 of Naked Edge

Kat willed herself not to break eye contact with Gabe, her heart pounding. He stared down at her, his pupils wide, the astonishment on his face turning to something darker, his brows bent in a frown.

He ran the pad of his thumb over her lower lip. “Are you sure?”

She couldn’t say when she’d reached this decision. Maybe it had been this morning when she’d prayed for him, looking for some way to help him regain the part of himself Jill had stolen. Maybe it had been that terrible afternoon when he’d saved her from being shot, proving his courage. Or perhaps it had been the moment she’d realized that the wind knew him, that he belonged to this land as much as she did.

Regardless, her heart had decided.

She had finally found a man who was worth it, a man she loved so much that going without him felt unthinkable.

“Yes, I’m sure.” She caught his hand where it cupped her chin and kissed his palm. “I love y—”

“Shhh!” He pressed his fingers to her lips. “Don’t say it. ‘Yes’ is enough.”

He ducked down as if to kiss her, then abruptly stopped, glancing around them. “No. Not like this.”

“Gabe?”

He stepped back. “Why don’t you go soak in a hot bath and pamper yourself a bit? The sun only set about an hour ago, so the water ought to still be fairly warm. There’s a camping lantern on the counter.”

Take a bath? Did she smell bad?

Something of her feelings must have shown on her face, because he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. “Hey, trust me, okay? If I can’t be man enough to keep my hands off you like I should, then at least let me be man enough to do this right. I’ll tell you when you can come out.”

Confused, Kat walked into the bathroom, turned on the camping lantern, and shut the door behind her. She found herself staring at her own bemused reflection in the lantern’s half-light. This certainly wasn’t the response she’d expected from him.

If I can’t be man enough to keep my hands off you like I should, then at least let me be man enough to do this right.

What did he mean by that?

And then her pulse began to race again as she realized what was about to happen.

Gabe was going to make love to her. Tonight.

Suddenly, she was grateful for the extra time. What she’d said a few moments ago had been entirely spontaneous. She hadn’t stopped to think that it had been a couple of days since she’d shaved her legs or that she needed to brush her teeth or that she might want to take a bath first.

Quickly, she set her razor and a washcloth near the tub, then turned on the water, relieved to feel it was still quite warm. While the tub filled, she flossed and brushed her teeth and tied her hair up in a knot. Then she undressed and stepped into the soothing heat, noises coming from the other side of the door—the clanging of dishes, the opening and closing of doors and drawers, the creaking of floorboards, the front door opening again and again.

She might have tried to figure out what he was doing if she weren’t so nervous. Instead, it was all she could do to focus on shaving her legs, questions chasing one after another through her mind. How much would it hurt? Would she be able to have an orgasm with him inside her? Would he compare her to Jill and be disappointed? Would he push her away afterward as he had so many women?

Stop doubting, girl. Trust yourself. Trust Gabe. Trust that you’ve come to this place and time for a reason.

Her belly full of butterflies, she reached for her soap, inhaled its sweet honey scent and remembered how much he seemed to like it. Then she lathered her skin, trying not to worry about things she couldn’t control. She’d just pulled the plug from the bathtub drain and begun to dry herself, when he knocked on the door.

“Kat? Whenever you’re ready…”

Her heart gave a hard knock. Was she ready? After all these years was she ready for what was about to happen? She wrapped herself in a soft towel, drew a deep, calming breath. Then, without glancing at the mirror, she opened the bathroom door—and stared in amazement. “Oh, Gabe!”

The cabin had been transformed. The dirty dishes had been cleared from the table, and the kerosene lamps had all been stored away. Dozens of small emergency candles sat here and there on saucers and in bowls, the room warm with their radiance. Pine boughs had been wrapped around the bed’s four posters and its headboard, their scent fresh and enticing. The air was warm, a strong fire burning in the woodstove.



His gaze fixed on her, Gabe stood in the middle of the room, wearing only his jeans, the candlelight giving his skin a tawny glow, seeming to accentuate the ridges and valleys of his muscles. And Kat felt that familiar flutter in her belly.

Oh, yes, she was ready—for him.

He crossed the space between them in two lazy strides, slid his fingers into her hair, and undid the knot, spilling it down her back and around her shoulders. Then he brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “I can’t make any promises about tomorrow, Kat, but for tonight at least, I’ll do my damned best to be worth it.”

Then he reached down, tugged off her towel, and let it fall to the floor.



-----

The rest of that scene will be available on March 2. (Is my sadistic side showing?)

19 comments:

Unknown said...

Told ya the book didn't suck!That excerpt is yummy. How's the ghostwriting going?

BTW, got any cures for the second-book blues?

Wendy said...

LOVE IT. Thank you! Can't wait until March!

ronna15 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ronna15 said...

First, of all, it does not suck! Are you kidding me!?

Second, I'm confused. I thought they made love sometime before or during chapter 19 based on your other excerpt. No, wait. Don't tell me, I'll just let it bug me till March 2!!LOL! Lovely writting Pamela. Can't wait!

-ronna
;D

Hi, Linda — Thanks for having faith. :-)

The ghost-writing is pretty time consuming — more time consuming than I at first thought it would be, but it is going well.

Oh, Second Book Syndrome! No fun! My only advice: Just keep writing. Keep writing. Don't worry about anything but writing. Yeah, I choked big-time when it came to starting my second book. But you can do it!

Thanks, Wendy! I'm pretty excited for its release myself. Lots to do between now and then, though.

Hi, Ronna — Go back and read that excerpt again. :-)

As for the book sucking, I'm perfectly willing to believe that anything/everything I've ever written sucks. I'm completely NOT objective. Ever.

ronna15 said...

Ohhhhhh! I get it. It's kinda like RIDE THE FIRE, I think.

Debbie H said...

You know my comments, sweetie!;)
I have got to call you and talk sometime. It's been ages!

Mary G said...

What sucks is you being a terrible tease LOL. That was yummy & the pictures get you off the hook but just a little.

RitaSV said...

I think that is so romantic...Gabe wanting her first time to be so special. For me that physical gift is a huge thing, a one time treasure to offer someone precious to you. Gabe gets shiny gold stars from me for appreciating her gift!

Pamela, you worry needlessly. Clearly your magic is at work in this story!

Jane said...

I want the book now.

Lori said...

Oh. Why do you think you suck? I just don't get it? This scene rocks. Seriously. Me want book. Now.

Hi, Ronna — Yeah, I guess you could say that. Lots of pre-game action, you could say, if you wanted to use a sports metaphor. :-)

Hi, Debbie — Yes to both of those. It's still nuts here. I'm ghost writing and, as usual, it's taking longer than I estimated. Work has been really busy (and rather unpleasant) lately. Argh.

Hi, Mary G — I am a tease. I know. I'm sorry. Well, not entirely. LOL! I feel as much anticipation as you do, believe me. Except that I know what happens. Glad you like that lovely chest.

Hi, Rita — I'm glad you found it romantic. It took so so so long to write that scene. Three weeks? Not just that snippet, but the whole scene. Gabe is a pretty special guy. OK, that's my own opinion. LOL! And thanks so much! I didn't know I had magic, but I'm glad you're seeing it there. That means a lot to me.

Hi, Jane — Me, too! Dang it! March is kind of far away. Less than 199 days now, though.

Hi, Lori — Well, my agent says I'm ridiculous. My friends who help me through it tell me, "You say this with every book." And I say, "But this time it's really, really true!" And they say, "Yeah, you say that, too."

But I swear it's like having a baby. The process is absolutely grinding. And every time I forget how hard it was. I get into the middle of it and feel like every bit of creativity has vanished from my mind, body and soul and that the book is a lifeless piece of sh*t. That is honestly how I feel -- to the point of tears. My sister can attest to that, as can Debbie H and some others who post here.

And if someone read it and said, "This book sucks," I'd say, "See! I told you all so!"

In short, writers are crazy, I think. :-/

ronna15 said...

You're adorably, awesomely hilarious Pamela!

;D

Lucy said...

Oh, you are so mean!!! To cut it off there!!! I got butterflies in my stomach reading that, so it's gotta be good (g). It's that or I've got a bad tummy :(

Luci said...

Don't read excerpts as you know because they only make me yearn for more and till March is a long wait. But I enjoyed the pics of the pecs :).

Am glad you are getting great feedback!!

Anonymous said...

SEE!!! I told you that it doesn't suck!! It is completely hot. And I love the little visuals that you inserted...it's totally you! I want to finish taking off those pants myself.

March will be here before you know it and we will be celebrating NE's release. Gangsta style!!

Love ya!
Sue Z

Oh, I love it! You have the best covers, too. Unlawful Contact was super good!! I'm looking forward to this one.

Late saying this, but that is an awesome excerpt. Looking forward to the whole thing!!!

Denise A. Agnew

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