Once
Upon A Summer
A
Contemporary Romance Anthology
With
Stories By:
Brooke
Moss, Liz Ashlee, Clara Winter, Tammy Mannersly, Sarah Vance
Tompkins, Kitsy Clare, Mark Love, Melissa Kay Clarke
Beaches,
boyfriends and danger…summer is certainly hot! Grab a hold tight as
these eight authors wow you with stories from sweet to sizzling!
After all, every day can have some summer fun!
Breaking
Girl Code by Brooke Moss
Aubrey
is having the perfect evening out, with the perfect guy, on a perfect
summer night. The problem is… Preston’s not her date. His real
date is her B.F.F., and she’s passed out in the backseat.
Wishing
on Water by Liz Ashlee
After
watching everyone’s else’s lives hit huge milestones, all Hope
wants is to escape to her boring, unchanging, single life. So,
where’s the one logical place to escape to? A retirement home.
Art
with a Pulse by Clara Winter
Artist
Alice finds herself rescuing a seal on the sands of Laguna Beach with
screenwriter Elijah. Can Alice put her past behind her and give
Elijah the chance he deserves?
A
Natural Passion by Tammy Mannersly
How
will marine biologist, Dylan O'Day, solve the illegal poaching
problem threatening the ecosystem he loves and protects when the
gorgeous, new intern, Kyra Shine, is occupying his every thought?
You
Had Me at Aloha by Sarah Vance Tompkins
Social
media guru Vivienne Parker's dream trip to Hawaii turns into a
nightmare when her roommate in the luxurious surf shack is the hot
Olympic athlete who just got her fired.
More
Than Puppy Love by Kitsy Clare
Fireworks
spark when Arianna, a city girl with an elite pet portrait business
is in a wreck and asks Dave a country auto mechanic for help, but can
these two beagle owners from different worlds see eye to eye?
Stealing
Haven by Mark Love
Sand,
sun, romance and a mystery to solve. Sounds like a perfect vacation
for Jamie.
Harmony
in the Key of Murder by Melissa Kay Clarke
Summer
in the South can mean a different type of heat when a newly appointed
investigator and a mechanical genius cross paths leading to murder
and love.
Harmony
in the Key of Murder Excerpt
"Thank
you for tonight. I had a great time." Her smile was like flipping on a
thousand watt bulb.
He ran a
finger along the side of her jaw. "So did I. Maybe the next time we can go
to my place and you'll let me make you dinner. I happen to make one of the best
omelets in town."
She
shivered slightly from his tender touch but didn't draw back. In fact, she
leaned toward him slightly.
"Omelets?
Isn't that for breakfast?"
He
chuckled softly. Cupping her jaw in his fingers, he held her as his lips
searched out hers, feathering a tender kiss on their plump softness. Her breath
stopped, and her eyes widened as he whispered to her, "It can be. The when
of that will always be up to you, Pix."
"Oh."
Hunter
loved the flustered look on her face and the way her eyes told every emotion
she was feeling. He knew without a shadow of a doubt, her heart rate was going
a hundred miles an hour. The old Hunter would have found her reaction to him as
a stroke to his overly inflated ego. Now, however, he found it endearing. The
fact he could affect her so profoundly made him want to be worthy of her
adoration and damned, if he wouldn't do anything in his power to make it
happen. He had dated, a lot, but with Harmony he was a different man, a better
man.
Taking a
step back, Hunter tapped on the roof of her car. "Be safe; I'll call you
tomorrow, yeah?"
"Yeah
okay, Hunter. Talk to you tomorrow."
He smiled
as he watched her leave. With a toss of his keys into the air, he hurried to
his car with a light step and grin on his face. Harmony Tailor may not know it
yet, but she would be his. Tonight he realized something important. Somewhere
along the way, she had captured more than just his attention.
She would
be his because he already was hers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stealing
Haven Excerpt
“You
like my smile? I always thought it was kind of lopsided.”
I
took his face in both hands and turned it toward me. “Maybe a little crooked.
But that’s part of the appeal.” Now I initiated a kiss. His hands slid through
my hair, then softly ran his fingers down my neck. Shivers of excitement
coursed through me. A horn sounded nearby. He broke the kiss and turned to
check the water. Another boat passed in the opposite direction. A man and woman
were at the helm, mirroring our positions caught
in the moment and sensuality of being on the water. I bit down on my bottom lip
in frustration. I longed for more than kisses but safety came first.
“We
don’t want to run into some sailboat out here,” Randy said with a grin.
I
scooted back onto the bench. Maybe a
little distance was in order? It might help my racing hormones. “How
fast are we going?”
“About
thirty. Want to go faster?”
Was he
talking about the boat, or the two of us? Randy
shifted. His right hand had dropped to the controls, his left lightly holding
the steering
wheel. He watched me, his lopsided grin worked its magic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More than Puppy Love Excerpt
“Could you ever see yourself living
in a rural area? Fitting in?” Dave's eyes are still fixed on me as he sips his
daiquiri.
“I don’t know. It’s beautiful with
all of the trees, nature. Bart sure likes it. But…”
“But what?”
“I’m not sure I’d be able to sustain
a pet portrait business in the country. You heard Gail. She was wary of the
prices I’d charge without even hearing what they were. Would enough people be
able to afford my photos? If they had extra cash wouldn’t they prefer to spend
hard-earned dollars on family photos, and not pet photos?”
“Hard to make a blanket statement.”
I pause to drink my daiquiri and to
check out Dave’s reaction. He’s handsome inside and out with his dark curls
framing his kind face and his patient way of just letting the words sink in
before he says a definitive yes or no. “What about you?” I ask him. “Could you
see yourself living in Philadelphia? In any big city?” Now it’s my turn to
study him. It’s not an inquisition, but it seems inevitable if we are going to
admit we like each other, and visualize being a couple.
He shrugs. “I like to visit big
cities—Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia. I’ve had good times in Philly—seeing
Independence Hall, hiking in Fairmount Park. Lunch in Reading Terminal Market
at the Amish booth was cool, too. I love their shoe-fly pie, sweet
and sour cabbage and freshly made sausages.”
“Mm, yeah, eating lunch at Reading
Terminal Market is a blast.”
“But my auto body business is up
here.” He looks down at his drink and rubs his forehead. “I’m not sure I’d be
able to afford the commercial rents in a place like Philly.”
“There’s always the suburbs.”
“True. Honestly though, I’d love to
get out of the car biz and
fully into dog breeding.”
“Like me and teaching. I love it, but
I love photography even more. It’s time to follow my passion. You too.”
Dave looks up and nods. “I want to do
it all, but I also want to be realistic. Kennel equipment isn’t cheap. Dogs
need tons of space, to run, to board, to breed.”
With the word breed, he flushes and I feel my neck
heat up. I take this moment to pour us one more round.
“Nothing’s impossible,” he says after
he’s gotten his drink refreshed and taken another gulp.
“Yeah. Never say never.”
He puts his big hand back on mine.
It’s warmer than before, and I really like having it there. “By the way, your
car is all done,” he says, giving my hand an extra pat.
“Great! When should I come get it?”
“At some point tomorrow? I’ll let you
know.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
He slides his hand further up, to my
wrist and then along my arm. And then he leans even closer and brushes my hair
back.
And then he kisses me.
Stepping out of the jeep at the
rescue, my flip-flop snagged on the gas pedal and I lost my grip on my
scorching hot tea latte. The plastic top came loose, and the tea spilled down
the front of my top. Leaping out of the car, I managed to knock most of the
liquid off before it scalded my stomach. My flesh was saved, but my vintage tee
was likely ruined. I stared, sadly, down at the four-dollar puddle on the
floorboard. After grabbing some napkins out of the side pocket of the driver’s
side door, I bent over to wipe up my mess. The London Fog was easily soaked up,
thanks to the plastic floor mats.
“Having problems?” asked a familiar
voice, behind me.
My stomach did a somersault, but I
wasn’t ready to turn around. That is, until I realized my rear end was on
prominent display. I stood bolt upright, adjusting my tee the best I could.
Nothing was going to help this disaster, so I may as well own it.
“Actually, several. Flip flops,
jeeps, and hot beverages do not make good bedfellows.” I met Elijah’s
sparkling, emerald-green eyes.
He chuckled, producing a half grin. I
hated to admit how good he looked. Elijah was probably the only person on the
planet who could look pulled together in athletic gear. I wasn’t a fan of the
trend, but he looked great in long running shorts and a close fitting,
breathable shirt. Although these were the only types of clothes I had seen him
in, I was sure he looked amazing in anything.
“Let me take that. I assume we’re
here for the same thing.” He reached for my empty coffee cup and wet napkins.
Was he the last gentleman on earth? Or was Jude right and I was just bitter?
I thanked him, and he jogged over to
a trashcan, then back to where I stood. Now I felt more of a heel. I wasn’t
willing to claim any miracles, but I did at least owe him an apology.
“I’m sorry for snapping at you,
yesterday. You were trying to be nice, and I was…”
“I know what you were feeling, don’t
worry about it,” he interrupted. “The morning was stressful, enough. Then to
find out your stuff was stolen. I got it.”
Suspicious, my eyes narrowed, a
little. I couldn’t help it; this guy was too good to be true.
“Are you from California?” I asked,
thinking I had found the answer. Elijah must have hailed from a mid-western
state; a place which produced corn, cows, and people who looked out for one
another. Somewhere like the place my grandparents hailed from. This would also
explain the milk-ad appeal of his handsome, good looks.
--------------------------------------------------------------
A Natural Passion
by Tammy Mannersly
Excerpts
Excerpt 1:
“What are you up to, Shine? Playing with the fishes?”
“Something like that,” she agreed, fighting back the girlish
giggle that wanted to burst from her lips as soon as those gorgeous brown eyes
had met hers.
His gaze dropped and roamed over her body for a moment. His head
nodded slightly with the movement. Kyra’s nipples hardened under his stare, and
the heated tingling of desire clawed at her. Warmth blossomed over her skin.
She glanced down, checking that her body was still hidden beneath the flimsy
material of the red and white frangipani bikini.
“Lucky fishes,” he drawled, dragging his gaze back to hers.
She chuckled, suddenly tense. “You’ve seen me in this bikini
before, Jake. It’s nothing special.”
“Nothing special.” He stepped forward, closing the gap between
them. “I would never say that.”
His fingers reached up, skimming her collarbone before slipping
under the thin rope of material that formed the halter around her neck. He slid
them along her skin, the hot, rough, dryness of him against the soft, moistness
of her. They caressed their way up to her neck and then back down, just above
the cup of the bikini’s bra. He let his fingers linger there, his chocolate
brown eyes gazing deep into her own.
Jake stepped back from her reluctantly. “What are you doing
tomorrow night?”
Her dark blonde brows narrowed as she tried to calm her ragged
breathing. “Sunday?”
He nodded.
“That’s family night,” Kyra began again. “I mean, you know we
can’t miss family night. Your dad always invites everyone from the Turtle
Center and the Science Center for a big barbeque. Everyone who wants to come is
invited.”
He shrugged. “Maybe we don’t want to come this time?”
She giggled. “And, what are we going to do instead?”
Jake reached for her free hand, holding it, cool and damp
against the warmth of his. “Go out for dinner. Somewhere nice. Together.”
"I
write because if I don't...my head will explode, and ruin the
drapes." ♥
Brooke
Moss
writes complex, character-driven stories about kismet, reunited
lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have
the chance at finding. She prefers her stories laced with some humor
just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the
pages, and begging for more!
When
Brooke isn't spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning,
reading, watching movies then comparing them to books, and, of
course, wrangling five kids, mugging on her hubby she lovingly refers
to as her "nerd", and attempting to conquer the Mount
Everest of laundry that is the bane of her existence.
Liz
Ashlee
is a romance novelist who recently graduated from Northern Kentucky
University her B.A. in English and B.S. in Library Informatics. She
has been published in Loch
Norse Magazine and The
Pentangle, and
has won the Miller Award for Outstanding Fiction Writing. She
currently lives in Independence, Kentucky, with her family and
dog-daughter, Hero
Clara
Winter is the writing name of Amy Rugg.
Amy
Rugg grew up reading Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, and
Alice in Wonderland, while watching Buck Rogers, Star Trek, and
Doctor Who. Writing her own stories naturally ensued. She is a wife,
mother, and former school counselor, with a Master’s Degree in
Counseling. Amy is from Colorado Springs, Co and currently resides in
Mission Viejo, Ca.
Tammy
Mannersly is an Australian author based in Brisbane, Queensland.
She loves writing romance, has a fondness for animals, is crazy about
movies and enjoys a great Happily Ever After. Her passion for writing
started from a very young age and led her to complete a Bachelor
Degree in Creative Industries majoring in Creative Writing at
Queensland University of Technology.
Sarah
Vance-Tompkins was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She
spent every summer exploring the sugar sand beaches near Sleeping
Bear National Park. She left her heart behind when she moved to Los
Angeles to attend the University of Southern California. She received
an MFA in Film Production and went on to work in feature film
development in Hollywood. She has worked as a reporter for a weekly
entertainment trade publication, and been paid to write obituaries,
press releases, the directions for use on personal lubricant bottles,
and breathless descriptions of engagement rings for an online jewelry
store. She lives in a small town north of Los Angeles with her
husband and three cats.
Kitsy
Clare hails from Philadelphia and lives in New York. A romantic
at heart, she loves to write about the sexy intrigue of the city, and
particularly of the art world. She knows it well, having shown her
paintings here before turning to writing. Model Position, her new
adult novella is about artist Sienna and her friends. Living in a
Bookworld says: “Beautifully written! We get to learn things about
art & painting, which is refreshing. A colorful story from a
promising new adult author.” The next in her Art of Love series,
Private Internship launches in September with Inkspell.
Kitsy
loves to travel, draw, read romance, speculative fiction and teach
writing workshops. She also writes YA as Catherine Stine. Her
futuristic thriller, Ruby’s Fire was a YA finalist in the Next
Generation Indie book awards. Fireseed One, its companion novel, was
a finalist in YA and Sci-Fi in the USA News International Book
Awards, and an Indie Reader notable. Her YA horror, Dorianna,
launches fall 2014 with Evernight Teen. She’s a member of SFWA, RWA
and SCBWI.
Mark
Love
I
am a Michigan native, who up until recently lived in the Metro
Detroit area, where crime and corruption always seem to be at the top
of everyone's news. So there's always the chance to find something
that can trigger a story idea and enough interesting characters to
jump start your imagination.
While
I have worked in many industries and career paths over the years, one
of my passions has always been writing. I was even able to parlay
that passion for a while, working as a freelance reporter for a
couple of newspapers in the Detroit area. Writing features and hard
news helped me hone my talents. But while newspaper work was
interesting and paid a few bills, it was a far cry from the fiction
writing that I enjoy the most.
I've
always been drawn to mysteries and thrillers, the kind of stories
that have a fast pace, that keep you moving and keep you guessing as
to what's going to take place next. Mix those in with some elements
of crime, perhaps a glimpse of the seedier side and you've got me. So
it's always been one of my goals to write stories like
that.
Melissa
Kay Clarke
was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and raised in Houlka, a small rural
town forty-five minutes southwest down the famous Natchez Trace. She
found a love of reading very early and quickly devoured everything
she could. Told repeatedly that she had a wonderful imagination, she
turned to scribbling her musings and wrote her first novel while in
college. It was never published and has since vanished. The death of
a close friend who aspired to become an author reawakened her own
desire resulting in penning her first book, Shattered Dreams,
published in 2013.
Melissa
now resides in Meridian, Mississippi with her supportive family –
husband, Robert and daughter Rebecca, two cats, and two dogs. When
she isn't writing, she spends way too much time with her online
friends and feeding her ravenous appetite for the written word.
1 comment:
I like the cover of this book. It evokes the very essence of summer.
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