#WeWriWa - ONE RED SHOE: No More Wounded Strays

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I'm sharing a snippet from my romantic suspense, ONE RED SHOE. This snippet continues from last week when Daria's brothers were examining her car.

Please excuse the creative punctuation, necessary to keep this within the guidelines. It's also edited some from the original.

While they debated whether she should get a new tire, Rover dashed up, the reddish-brown mutt of indeterminate heritage nearly knocked her over with his usual enthusiastic greeting.

“Billy, don’t feed Rover any table scraps--only two cups of kibble a day and, Andy, you’re going to put food in the barn for Archy and Mehitabel, right?” She didn’t wait for his response, “And, Tommy, you’ll take care of—”

Jimmy straightened, “For crissake, Daria, it’s a goddamn zoo around here.”

At least he wasn’t trying to delay her with talk about new tires. She reached up and patted his cheek, “Don’t swear.”

“I mean it, Daria Jean,” Jimmy said, “Don’t you dare bring home some wounded stray. I don’t care if it’s bleeding--no more. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into--you’ve never even been east of Chicago.”

She smiled, “I know.”

Blurb:

It Happened One Night meets Knight and Day.

Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.

From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.

Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?

ONE RED SHOE is now available:

Amazon: http://a.co/d/gqi3A9E

Smash: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/901383

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/one-red-shoe-4

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/one-red-shoe/id1439298014?mt=11

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. 

GUEST: @Nancy Gideon Blog Tour - PRINCE OF DREAMS

I'm happy to participate in my friend, Nancy Gideon's, blog tour for her latest release. I've known Nancy for at least twenty-five years. She's an inspiration, writing through adversity, and a mentor. She also introduced me to vampires and werewolves. Sure, they'd been around for years before I read her stories. They weren't what I expected. Sensual, thrilling, tug-at-your-heartstrings romances. Now, she has a new release, PRINCE OF DREAMS. It's a fantastic story. See my review at the end of this post.

Here's Nancy to tell us about her favorite heroes, vampires and werewolves.

Team V vs Team WW

I’ve always loved a dark, tormented hero, the kind that roams freely on Halloween!

And I’ve been torn since my first introduction to late night horror films – Vampire or werewolf (later shapeshifter). Though both were technically villains, the undead or unnatural that needed to be destroyed for preying upon humanity, I always found their tragic story . . . romantic. Denied the light of day or fearing the loss of control wrought by the cycle of the moon, instead of getting the woman of their dreams, these antiheroes got the short of the stick—usually sharp and through the heart. Not fair, but how the story always goes. Then Hollywood, and finally fiction, began a subtle change when 50s heartthrob Michael Landon wolfed out in “I Was A Teenage Werewolf” and squealing bobbysoxers vied to put him on their leash.  I didn’t notice until Frank Langella took up Dracula’s cape, becoming one HOT dead guy! He was charming, educated, and had it hands down over the second-string Jonathan Harker. But love never triumphed at the end of their stories. 

No happily ever after for them.

Maybe it was Dark Shadows, the campy ‘60s vampire soap opera that finally broke tradition. Barnabas and Quentin Collins had fans swooning for a chance to save them from their cursed lives. As vampire and werewolf, they were portrayed as victims worthy of redemption. When “The Kindred” came out as a nighttime saga about strong warring supernatural families (and later, “The Originals”), I was sold on heroes both fang and fur. Those were the larger-than-life heroes I wanted helming my books, beginning with Louis Radman, mourning his lost humanity in my “Touched by Midnight” vampire series, then Max Savoie, top dog in my “By Moonlight” shapeshifter books and the yummy Terriot princes in the “House of Terriot” spin-off (PRINCE OF DREAMS is just releasing!). Smart, loyal and deadly, (and it doesn’t hurt-gorgeous!), it’s their very difference that draws their strong heroines . . . and readers. Something about tall, dark and dangerous with a bite . . . especially when the moon is full and the season is All Hallows!

Prince of Dreams

House of Terriot

Book Four

Nancy Gideon

Genre: Paranormal

Date of Publication: October 2, 2018

Word Count: 98,500

ASIN B07H4XMSC9

Cover Artist: Patricia Lazarus

Tagline:  Written in the cards . . . Who was this guy, her rescuer, her hero, her knight in shining 2-carats?

Book Description:

Kip . . . Prince in the shapeshifter House of Terriot

He'd said he wasn't a mobster. . . She should have asked if he was a monster.

Who was this too good to be true, always ready in a crisis guy working a menial job for her father? Ophelia knew things. Something was not quite normal about the Kip Terriot hiding behind another name in lace-up dress shoes and a preppy wardrobe – something wild and exciting as all hell. A dangerous something calling to that restless difference in her own soul.

Ophelia . . . daughter of his enemy, girl of his dreams

So sassy, so sweet so perfect . . . and what he had to do would destroy her.

Kip was in New Orleans to save his clan and his kind, not to play white knight for Ophelia Brady with her quirky habits, curvy body and tormented past. His deception would rip the heart from her world, not help heal it. Was his family’s nemesis using his own daughter to make Kip the played instead of the player, pulling him between love and duty to make an impossible choice?

“Emotionally captivating! A brilliant conclusion to a unique series!” – Book Bling

Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/g9qdy5RmkJg

Amazon

Excerpt from Prince of Dreams . . .

An unnatural being from a family of shapeshifters.

            Even now Ophelia didn’t know whether to laugh or weep at the absurdity of it. Things like that didn’t exist. Except she knew they did, just outside the peripheral, where worlds of fact and fiction met and mingled and blurred. She’d felt their presence in the shadows of reality all her life. She met them in her dreams and visions.

            Kip Terriot gave them gorgeous face and form, but underneath, he was that creature with red eyes and sharp teeth. Her big, bad wolf, who’d protected her from a robber and defended her from abuse, who’d rescued her sister from the attack she still refused to acknowledge. Who loved his family and would do anything for them?

            Who she loved too much to let go but couldn’t give what he needed because she wasn’t his kind.

            Which was the greater fear, what he was or that she’d fail him?

“What are we going to do, Phe? I don’t want to lose this.” He brought her knuckles to his lips for a kiss.

            “I don’t want to lose you. But I already have, haven’t I? You’re a million miles away right now and almost out of reach.”

            “I’m right here.” His argument brought her to him, her knees stepping over his lap to straddle him, arms circling his shoulders, face nestling against the curve of his throat where she rode his hard swallow. He held tight, trying to believe they could make this moment last, this glorious, fiery, tender moment that offered so much and promised so little.

            “You are my prince,” she whispered, breath moist and soft against his neck. “My Prince of Cups. You rode into my life bringing romance, shaking my world to its foundation that first night I met you. It was in the cards.”

            “Fate,” he murmured, smile in his voice. “No escaping it.” His fingers threaded through her hair, pulling back gently to tip up her face, offering sweetly parted lips and glistening eyes.

            He’d planned a sweet kiss but the taste of urgency and need in the sweep of her tongue ruined that noble ambition. They feasted upon one another for long, desperate minutes until she rocked back, thumb swiping the dampness from his mouth.

            “Go, be who you need to be for them. Then come back and be who I need you to be.

About the Author:

Nancy Gideon is the award-winning bestseller of over 65 romances ranging from historical, regency and series contemporary suspense to dark paranormal and horror, with a couple of produced screenplays and non-fiction writing books tossed into the mix.

A legal assistant for a brilliant criminal attorney in Central Michigan (when not at the keyboard working on her latest book in progress), she feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur, fin and fowl and dotes on her grandguy.

Nancy’s also written under the pseudonyms Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West and Lauren Giddings. Look for reissues coming soon under those pen names!

Website: http://www.nancygideon.com/

Blog: https://nancygideon.blogspot.com/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/NancyGideonAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyGideon

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Gideon/e/B001H9PV8E/  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/282919.Nancy_Gideon

Nancy Gideon by Moonlight Goodreads Group: 
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/109994-nancy-gideon-by-moonlight

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancygideon/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Diane's Review:

She did it again! Nancy Gideon hooked me from the first page until the end. Not a book I could put down. Kip Terriot has to be my favorite prince. He's real and down-to-earth, just what Ophelia needs and loves. Although this is the last of the House of Terriot stories, there's more to come from Nancy. I never thought I'd enjoy shifter stories until I read hers. The romance between Kip and Ophelia is so tender and at the same time hot. Kudos to Nancy Gideon for another entertaining story.

Although I was offered an Advanced Reading Copy, Nancy's books are always a 1-click for me.

#Release Day for ONE RED SHOE #RomanticSuspense

I'm excited to present another new book. Rather, it's the re-release of a book that was published five years ago. When the rights were returned, I couldn't wait to re-issue it. I love this story.

ONE RED SHOE began as a writing assignment at a Mid-Michigan RWA chapter meeting. Some writers hate writing on demand. I enjoy it. Give me a sentence or a clue and my imagination takes off. Through the late 1990's and early 2000s, I wrote and rewrote this story. My friends (like Nancy Gideon, Jolana Malkston, and the LaSenorita critique group) gave me lots to think about. They made me rethink motivation and goals. Nobody likes to have people tear apart their work. Biting my tongue and listening to their advice made this story so much better.

If you haven't read ONE RED SHOE, here's a little about it, followed by an excerpt. I hope you enjoy.

Blurb:

It Happened One Night meets Knight and Day

When elementary teacher Daria Mason left Iowa for a writers’ conference in New York City, she didn’t expect to come home with a wounded spy. Sam Jozwiak works for a shadow agency that gathers intel vital to U.S. security. From the moment he steals digital files from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist. Thus, begins a road trip that takes Sam and Daria cross country with the assassins right behind them.

Excerpt:

Sam Jozwiak slid open the door to Korioff’s inner sanctum. It had been blissfully easy. One guard, now sleeping quietly along with the rest of the compound. Locks a rookie could open. The computer password taped under the mouse pad. You’d think even a minor kingpin in the Russian Mafia would have better security.

Hold on. No modem. No cable, DSL, broadband, not even dial-up. No way to transmit data. Well, shit.

Okay, on to Plan B.

In the dark, with only the glow from the computer screen, Sam copied files onto a tiny memory chip. The financial records and client lists would make for fascinating reading back at headquarters. As the personal files were being copied, a name caught his attention. Why the hell did the Russian Mafia have a file on a U.S. senator? Especially, that senator. Sam opened the file. Holy shit!

Intel this dangerous couldn’t wait for the normal fourteen-hour transport home. The hearing was next week. What he just read would send shockwaves through Washington, through the country. He had to report this to the Director now then upload that file to the agency.

An hour later, he raced up the worn wooden stairs of the shabby hotel. He’d contacted the Director who wasn’t pleased about the change in plan. Sam had wasted too much time explaining why he couldn’t hook up a connection instead of copying the files. The Director insisted that the package be hand-delivered. While that seemed odd to Sam, considering the tight time frame, the Director did have a reason. The intel was too sensitive to trust to the Internet. He ordered Sam to meet him in New York City. Again, odd. But he learned long ago not to question his superiors. All he had to do now was grab his gear and get the hell out of Dodge before Korioff discovered the little surprise in his computer.

Sam unlocked the hotel room, realizing too late that it wasn’t locked.

“Hello, Samuel. Long time no see, as you Americans say.” Yuri Grashenko sat in the corner of the small room, his smile as deadly as the Walther PPK in his hand. “Please return what you stole from my employer. He is most unhappy.”

Jesus, how did he know? How did Grashenko get here so—

“Why you talk nice to thief?” The male voice came from behind.

Sam spun low with a move he hadn’t forgotten from his college basketball days. He slammed into the newcomer as a bullet from the PPK slammed into the wall where Sam’s shoulder had been seconds before. One good thing. Yuri wasn’t trying to kill him. Not yet, anyway.

Sam and the newcomer rolled down the dark stairs in a tangle of arms and legs. Jesus, the guy was big. Elbows and knees wreaked as much havoc as the wood steps. He was going to have bruises on bruises.

His dad was right. Sam should have gone to work in the steel mill. Shoveling slag had to be easier than this.

ONE RED SHOE is available at:

Amazon http://a.co/d/8DH9M5H

Smash: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/901383

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/one-red-shoe-4

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/one-red-shoe/id1439298014?mt=11

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#WeWriWa - ONE RED SHOE - A Delay?

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I'm sharing a snippet from my romantic suspense, ONE RED SHOE. This snippet continues from last week.

Please excuse the creative punctuation, necessary to keep this within the guidelines. It's also edited some from the original.

Billy stowed her suitcase in the trunk next to the picnic cooler, “I made sandwiches for the trip.”

That earned him a dark look from Jimmy.

“And I loaded the cooler with the fruit and yogurt you bought so you and Ginnie won’t need to spend too much money on food.”

“Are the chips and pretzels your contribution to their nutrition?” Andy mocked, “By the way, DJ, you’re all gassed up.”

Another dark look from Jimmy.

“I checked your car over thoroughly and it’s good to go,” Tommy said.

She blinked back a tear, “You boys are so sweet for going to all this trouble.”

Jimmy bent down to look at the right front tire. “I don’t like the looks of this.”

“The tire is fine,” she said.

The others ignored her, and all bent down to look.

Blurb:

It Happened One Night meets Knight and Day.

Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.

From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.

Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?

ONE RED SHOE will be available tomorrow, Oct.22nd. It's available now for pre-order. http://a.co/d/gqi3A9E

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. 

#WeWriWa: ONE RED SHOE - Leading A Parade

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I'm sharing a snippet from my romantic suspense, ONE RED SHOE. This snippet continues from last week.

Please excuse the creative punctuation, necessary to keep this within the guidelines. It's also edited some from the original.

With her tote slung over her shoulder, Daria picked up the handle of her rolling suitcase and headed for the blocked doorway, “Okay, boys, I’m ready to go.”

To her surprise, Jimmy stepped aside, then Billy grabbed the handle of her suitcase, “Maybe you shouldn’t go,” he said, following her down the hall that overlooked the living room, while the others trooped after him. At the top of the stairs, she looked back along the white balustrade—Dear Lord, I’m a drum majorette leading a parade.

“I went on line,” Andy said, “Maybe you should reconsider. There are writers’ conferences closer than New York City.”

“It’s Sodom and Gomorrah, for sure,” Tommy said.

“C’mon, boys, don’t spoil my Spring Break. This conference is really important to me.” Daria kept walking through the kitchen. “I left our itinerary on the board next to the phone.” She pointed but didn’t stop on her way out to her car.

Blurb:

Wannabe writer rescues wounded spy while risking her heart.

Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.

From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.

Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?

ONE RED SHOE will be available on Oct.22nd. It's available now for pre-order. http://a.co/d/gqi3A9E

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. 

I'm on a working vacation this weekend, but I'll try to get to everyone as soon as I can.

GUEST: Veronica Scott - EMBRACE THE PASSION, Pets in Space 3

I'm excited to welcome Veronica Scott back to the blog. She has a great book to tell you about, an anthology featuring pets. I've read the two previous anthologies and thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm so looking forward to reading this one.

Welcome, Veronica!

STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER for Pets In Space3: Embrace the Passion

by Veronica Scott

Thanks for having me as your guest to talk about my story for this year’s Pets In Space3: Embrace the Passion anthology!

I love going back to revisit my interstellar cruise liner, the Nebula Dream, for these PISA stories, as the ship cruises through the futuristic human civilization known as The Sectors.  I’ve written a number of books and novellas centered on events aboard the ship now and find the whole cruise setup lends itself to telling a good scifi romance adventure tale. Readers new to my world don’t need to know a lot of backstory to enjoy the events, and for those who have read others in the series, it’s a nice return to see some favorite characters (I hope!).

When it came to the central plot of the story, I have to say I love unexplained mysteries and trying to figure out the truth. Since the pet in my story is a kind of alien genie-cat who lives in a beautifully painted black laquer box, that reminded me of the gorgeous boxes and Matryoshka (nesting) doll sets the Russians paint and sell.  

The link to Russia in my author brain then reminded me of the whole tragic story of the last Tsar and his family, and how they were murdered but for years rumors persisted one of the children might have survived. Various individuals claimed to be ‘Anastasia’ or another of the siblings, and of course there have been movies and plays written with that theme. There’s even going to be a TV series this year about pretenders to the Russian throne!

I always flash back to the 1950’s movie version with Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman because that movie was one of my mother’s favorites and also left the answer to the question of “Is she or is she not Anastasia?” somewhat open at the end. My daughters loved the animated fantasy version of the tale, with the voices of Meg Ryan and John Cusack, when they were growing up.

When I was growing up there was a lot of sentiment and speculation that one woman in particular actually might have been Anastasia. Nowadays with DNA testing and the like, it’s possible to answer this type of question relatively easily and reveal an impostor but in my far future, I was able to leave the question a bit more mysterious, until the very end of the story. No spoilers from me!

As far as the pet, I happened to see a very distinctive Siamese cat earlier in the year and I thought that would be fairly easy for our talented artist, Nyssa Juneau, to adapt with a third eye and a few other scifi alterations. F’rrh may not be the most elegant feline in the galaxy but I think she does has a certain edgy, mysterious look. You sure wouldn’t take her for granted.

Anthology Blurb:

Pets in Space™ is back! Join us as we unveil eleven original, never-before-published action-filled romances that will heat your blood and warm your heart! New York Times, USA Today and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Ruby Lionsdrake, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Carol Van Natta, Tiffany Roberts, Alexis Glynn Latner, E D Walker, JC Hay, and Kyndra Hatch combine their love for Science Fiction Romance and pets to bring readers sexy, action-packed romances while helping our favorite charity. Proud supporters of Hero-Dogs.org, Pets in Space™ authors have donated over $4,400 in the past two years to help place specially trained dogs with veterans. Open your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space™ 3 today!

STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER blurb:  Tassia Megg is a woman on the run after the death of her elderly guardian. Her search to get off the planet in a hurry comes when chance directs her to an open dance audition for the luxury cruise liner Nebula Zephyr’s resident troupe. If there is one thing Tassia can do, it is dance!

Security Officer Liam Austin is suspicious of the newest performer to join the Comettes. She shows all the signs of being a woman on the run and seems to fit the Sectors-wide broadcast description of a missing thief, accused of stealing priceless artifacts. As he gets to know Tassia during the cruise, he starts to wonder if she’s something more – a long vanished princess in hiding from deadly political enemies of her family perhaps? And what’s the story with the three-eyed feline companion other crew members swear Tassia brought aboard the ship? Does the animal even exist?

As the ship approaches its next port of call, all the issues come to a boil and Liam must decide if he’ll step in to help Tassia or betray her. Life is about to get very interesting aboard the Nebula Zephyr as Liam tries to uncover the truth. Could F’rrh, the peculiar alien cat he has been hearing about, be the key to the mystery and Tassia’s fate?

The excerpt – Tassia explains part of her story for the first time:

Remembering his previous intuition that she was on the run and hiding secrets, he held her tight. “I need to know the whole story now, sweetheart, so I can protect you. Help you. Before we have to explain anything to Captain Fleming.”

Tassia took a deep breath, set the mug on the table with a thump, and sat straight. “I’ll have to tell the captain so I might as well start by telling you.” She gazed deep into his eyes. “I trust you.”

“Tell me what?” Nothing she could say was going to change his feelings for her but he sensed major trouble might lie ahead. No matter what challenges Tassia had, he’d stand with her and do his best to defend and protect her.

Raising her head as if she wore a crown, she said, “I’m the Imperial Princess Alynnskaya Tassiamilla Oleavna, sole survivor of the mass assassination that sparked the Ruatsar Rebellion.”

He stared at her, not sure he’d heard correctly, waiting for her to clarify the oddly timed joke, and then he realized she was deadly serious. She was the embodiment of the persistent urban legend, whispering through the stars, telling of the mysterious survival of one member of the doomed family.

“It’s a long story, but the RNR forces have been hunting for me almost my entire life.” Her voice was weary and her hands shook. “They’ve also been trying to regain the crown jewels, which the enemy believes I possess, but whatever bits of jewelry I had were sold long ago for food, a roof over our heads, or passage to the next solar system by the woman who was my rescuer and guardian angel.” She watched him. “I’m trying to reach asylum at the court of my great aunt, but it’s been a long and difficult journey through many Sectors.”

BUY LINKS

Amazon     iBooks     B&N    Kobo     Google

Website: https://www.petsinspaceantho.com

Pets in Space™ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetsInSpace/

Author Bio and Links:

USA Today Best Selling Author Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart and thought there needed to be more romance in everything but especially science fiction.  Blog: https://veronicascott.wordpress.com/

#WeWriWa: ONE RED SHOE - Off to NYC

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

Apologies for being AWOL for the past 2 weeks. Life got in the way. Today, I'm sharing a snippet from my romantic suspense, ONE RED SHOE. In August, I received the rights back from the publisher, and I'll be reissuing it next week. This snippet is how the story begins.

Please excuse the creative punctuation, necessary to keep this within the guidelines. It's also edited some from the original.

“Daria Jean, you are not going to New York City and that’s final.”

With a thudding heart and sweaty palms, Daria Mason zipped shut her suitcase and gritted her teeth, “Jimmy, we’ve been over this before.”

Only about twenty times.

She lifted the suitcase off her twin bed, and since Jimmy blocked the doorway, the other boys who crowded behind him in the hall couldn’t rush in—either to help or hinder. It was a sign of Jimmy’s discombobulation that he didn’t march in and grab the suitcase out of her hands.

She took one last look around her bedroom for anything she might have forgotten. In that fleeting moment, she realized her room looked faded and worn. With the exception of her computer desk where the doll’s house her father built used to be, the room looked exactly the way it had on her thirteenth birthday. Same twin bed, same wallpaper and curtains she and her mother had chosen for that landmark birthday. No wonder the boys still treated her like she was thirteen instead of six months shy of the Big Three-Oh.

Blurb:

Wannabe writer rescues wounded spy while risking her heart.

Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.

From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.

Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors.