Blurb:
High school history
teacher Doug Garvey is trying to enjoy his last few weeks of summer vacation,
but receiving his final divorce decree hits him harder than expected. After a
brief fling fizzles, he fears love just isn't in the cards for him. If only he
could find someone who's real, someone interested in something beyond
herself…maybe a new running partner who can keep up with his more carnal
appetite. When sexy, straight-talking Laurel runs across his path, he dares to
hope again.
He's done with social-climbing posers...she's ambitious and has
big dreams.
Fired from an art
gallery, Laurel Jepsen shelves her pursuit of an art career in San Francisco to
help her beloved great aunt Maxie move into assisted living. While out on a
morning run, she's harassed by a group of teens until a tall, broad-shouldered
hottie steps in, pretending to be her boyfriend with a kiss that makes her wish
it were true. But she's only passing through, not looking for a relationship.
Their fierce chemistry
burns up the sheets—and the couch, the shower, the forest—but falling in love
would ruin everything. Laurel can't stay in Eugene, and he can't leave. Doug's
only hope is to convince her the glittery life she's after could blind her to
the opportunities already in her path.
Excerpt:
“I’m sorry she called you the S word.”
“Huh?”
“Sensible.”
She
laughed. “Yeah. That’s a curse word, as far as I’m concerned.” She leaned her
head on his shoulder.
“I’ll
strike it from my vocabulary. Your S word is sparkle.” He traced her jawline
with a feather-light touch. “Look at you, Laurel. You’re blinding.” His
twilight-blue gaze made her heart dance—a steamy tango with swirls and
dangerous dips. He kissed her, and, for a moment, she forgot all about caution,
about cutting things off before they became too serious, about San Francisco.
Her focus narrowed to his lips on hers, his nearness heating her whole body,
opening her like a blossom, soft and willing. Ripe for the plucking.
“God, I’ve missed you.” He
scooped her legs across his lap. One hand cradling her nape, the other gripping
her thigh, he kissed her senseless. His velvet tongue teased her lips apart. He
tasted of sugary coffee. The world around them faded—just two bodies, calling
and answering, breathing in sync, their pulses beating the same rhythm.
I have never had so much fun with
a writing project! My first steamy romance, Through
the Red Door, nearly wrote itself, though it damned sure didn't edit
itself. I've totally immersed myself in the world of romance, gobbling books
like popcorn, filling my ears with romance podcasts, and joining the
Romance Writers of America. From skeptic to romance mega-fan in two short
years, I’m totally addicted to passionate, heartfelt stories with happy
endings.
Why set the series in a bookshop? Ever since I was a wee lass, I
dreamed of owning one. Add to that my fascination with historical erotic art
and literature, and you’ve got the Book Nirvana series, set in an indie
bookshop with an extensive erotica collection behind a locked red door.
I love stories in which a couple’s powerful physical attraction
leads them to consider a partner outside their usual M.O.—one who just might
turn out to be their perfect match. That’s how it happened for my husband and
me, and my romance fiction contains that element.
I sort of pulled the setting out of a hat. I wanted to set my
series in a college town. I’d heard that Eugene, home of the University of
Oregon, has a lively arts scene and a rich counterculture legacy from the
hippie era. After much online research, correspondence, and hours on Google
Earth, I finally made the trip. Eugene is even lovelier than I’d imagined. Kate
Rock, a resident author, kindly shared her knowledge of the city’s history and
the flavor of the different neighborhoods. I look forward to many return trips.
Buy Links:
Author Bio:
Ever since her first kiss, Sadira’s
been spinning steamy tales in her head. After leaving her teaching career in
Germany, she finally tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen
of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance and cozy mysteries from her home
in Washington State. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the
Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, belly
dances, plays guitar badly, and gobbles all the books. Visit Sadira at www.sadirastone.com.
I want to
hear from you!
