This Week's Book Choice - J.F. Jenkins "Displaced"

 

Displaced

by J.F. Jenkins

 

 

Blurb: 

Chevelle Donahue thought going into work would be just like any other boring day at the mall. Sure, there was her annoying co-worker Wicken Sanders, and a promotional visit from teen heartthrob Timber Hudson, to watch and keep her entertained. But who was she kidding? Working retail was lame no matter what happened.

A terrorist attack changes everything - an attack from aliens of all things. The patrons are given two options: comply or else. Complying means giving in to a new set of rules and changing her entire life. "Or else" means she has no chance of going home again.

She must figure out the truth behind why the aliens are holding everyone hostage. In doing so, she risks her chance at freedom - but by the time she learns what's really happening, she might not want it.

 

Excerpt:

I want to say it’s a Thursday, and the middle of January. I’m not sure exactly because I haven’t seen a calendar since the end of October. The one we kept in the apartment ran out, and all of the others have been destroyed in the effort to make sure all of us poor, inferior humans submit to the ways of the Achlivan. We were able to draw one on our bathroom wall. It’s small, but it does the job.

It took some time, but I think I’m finally able to accurately document everything that’s happened in the past three months. For a while, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be ready. I’ve seen things I wish I could forget, and as much as I want to just go along with the way of these aliens, I can’t.

Letting go of my past life is not easy, and I’m terrified of forgetting it. Someday, the human race will be free from captivity, and when that day comes, they’ll need to know what happened and how life used to be. They’ll need to know that our species was once part of a thriving civilization.

That’s why I’m writing this.

I remember the day the Achlivans came vividly. It was warm, which was something to cherish in late October in Minnesota. The weather there was always so temperamental, like Mother Nature had PMS. One day it’d be gorgeous, and the next there would be three feet of snow. It didn’t matter if it was the middle of July. That day, I want to say it was around sixty degrees. Jeans and a sweatshirt kind of weather.

Like most days before I had to open at work, I didn’t sleep the best the night before. Something about the anticipation of having to wake up with my alarm clock always messed with my ability to relax. I had the same problem during school too. Any time I had to wake up before my body actually wanted to messed with my head. I don’t think I need to elaborate how going to bed at two in the morning on a regular basis didn’t make for waking up at a time before eleven often. It all comes with being a night owl. At school, I had the ability to schedule my classes around that. Work on the other hand left me at the mercy of my manager. Because I needed money – badly – opening was something I had to suck up and deal with.

The store opened at ten, so it wasn’t like I had to get up at some ungodly hour in the morning or anything. Still, the morning of the attack, I was having a hard time wanting to get out of bed. I groaned several times and opted out of taking a shower just for the extra half an hour of sleep.

My alarm went off on my cell phone one last time. If I hit the snooze button and stayed in bed, I’d be on the chopping block at work. The fifty cents over minimum wage that I got an hour was almost enough for me to say screw it all and stay in bed. Unfortunately, it was still more money than I had in my bank account.

As if he could read my mind, my chihuahua, Burrito, jumped up onto my chest and started to lick my face until I couldn’t breathe. Dog breath filled my nostrils, slobber covered my mouth and nose, and tiny paws scratched my neck and shoulders.

“Ugh, okay, I’m awake, I’m awake!” I carefully picked Burrito up and put him next to me. Then I reluctantly got out of my warm, cozy bed. Getting dressed took all of five minutes since I threw on my jeans from the day before which were still laying on the floor, my navy Toy Tech T-shirt that I needed for work, the first pair of socks and necessary undergarments I could find in my top dresser drawer, and my amazingly comfortable work shoes. All that was left to do was pull my long, straight, boring, dark hair back into a ponytail.

I was halfway up the stairs when my Mom called down to me. “Chevelle, if you don’t get up here soon you’re going to be late! Breakfast is ready for you!”

“I’m right here, relax,” I said, meeting her at the top of the steps. “You cooked? Wait, of course you cooked. You’re always cooking.”

“Someone has to make sure you’re eating right. I figured you’d be thanking me so you didn’t have to eat all of that cafeteria college food.” Mom threw up her hands and shook her head. “All right honey, I can take a hint. You’re an adult now and you don’t need me to baby you.”

I gave her a big hug. “Baby me all you want. I just don’t have a lot of time to eat a big breakfast. Like you said, I’m going to be late. Besides, do the words freshmen fifteen mean anything to you?”

She laughed. “If you’ve gained fifteen pounds already, you’re hiding it well.”

Truth was, I’d gained five pounds. Pants should not be such a chore to get on. Would my mother have understood this? Over time, but not until I lost control over my weight gain and it became painfully obvious it was there. I didn’t want things to get that bad and, like most American teenage girls, I believed I already needed to lose ten pounds as it was just to feel good about myself.

Ignoring her comment, I took a cold toaster pastry from out of the box and rushed to grab my purse and hoodie from school. “I’ll be back for dinner! Love you!” I called out before I headed out the door.

Those were the last words I spoke to my mother.


Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Displaced-The-Achlivan-Cycle-ebook/dp/B00DTLOZ30

 

 

 

 

This week's book choice: Kelly Martin "The Deception of Devin Miller"

THE DECEPTION OF DEVIN MILLER by Kelly Martin

 

 

Back Cover Blurb:

One month ago, seventeen year old Devin Miller wrecked while intoxicated—or so she’s told by the very aggravated blue-eyed boy when she wakes up from a coma. The only thing Devin remembers is the darkness holding her down and the voices-- some happy, some upset, and one very agitated. She can't remember her name, her age, where she lives, or who in the world the blue-eyed boy is. But he knows who she is, and against her better judgment, she offers to pay him for his memories so she can trick the ones closest to her into thinking she's fine. That is her first mistake. When Devin gets home, things start to spin out of control. People she doesn't know keep talking to her. Trey--the blue -eyed boy-- doesn't show up like he's supposed too. And the police want to talk to her about her involvement in car accident. Plus she keeps seeing flashes of the crash, but none of them make sense. What would a red plastic cup have to do with anything? And why doesn't she have any feelings for her 'boyfriend', Cooper? Facing DUI charges for a wreck she can't recall, Devin struggles to remember exactly what happened the night of the crash: something the real driver wants her to keep buried.


Excerpt:

Chapter One 

I heard the voices but couldn't place them in the darkness.

Your prom dress is in! You'll look fab when your bruises disappear.

Cooper feels really bad, you know? Wake up so he can stop moping.

What were you thinking?

Come on, Sweetie. Open your eyes for me.

You got what you deserved. You get that, right?

I hate being here. Seriously? You couldn't have waited for my side of the story? Of all the people to be stuck with…

I couldn't move, couldn't answer any of them. I tried but everything felt so strange like I was at the bottom of a pool after diving from the board. Voices were muffled and came in and out. I didn't know how long I'd been in the darkness, but I knew I wanted out.

One day, the dark water started swirling around me. Like coming up after a dive, the current roared in my ears. Rising to the surface, I opened my eyes and gasped for air that didn't immediately come.

Everything was blurry. I had no idea where I was. All I knew was there was something shoved down my throat keeping me from breathing, and I fought to jerk it out. How in the world could I breathe better beneath the surface than I could with my head above water?

"Hey, calm down. Stop pulling it," a distorted male voice echoed in my ears. I felt pressure on my arms as if something was holding me down. Terrified that this thing was going to hurt me, I fought harder.

"Stop," the voice ordered more firmly. "Quit! Ugh… I'll go get the doctor."

Doctor!

Nothing made sense after that. People ran in with distorted eyes telling me not to freak out. They didn't look human with their twisted faces and larger than average foreheads. I'd been abducted by aliens?

"We're going to get this out of you, okay?" someone said, a man by the sound of his deep, raspy voice, while standing over me and holding the tube coming from my throat. It was uncomfortable to say the least, and I gagged as it slid out of my mouth. Thankfully once it was gone, I could breathe again. The weight lifted from my chest and my lungs filled with the air I put into them.

As I calmed down a bit, the people began taking more of a normal shape. I noticed they didn't have gigantic heads, and they were, in fact, dressed like medical personnel. I scanned the room and assumed from the dull walls, pain chart hanging across from me, and the wide door to my right that I was in the hospital, which made sense with the all the beeping and tubes.

What I didn't know at the moment was how I got there.

"And she just woke up?" A man with a graying beard and blue scrubs asked the young guy in black standing next to him.

"Yeah, just like that. Scared me to death — relatively speaking of course."

I remembered that voice. I'd heard it in the darkness. Not the scary voice that was too whispered to recognize. The unhappy one.

"Okay, you stay here and sit with her while I call her parents."

"Sit with her? Me? Why? I have other patients to see."

"You go to school with her, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Then the others can wait." The man in blue smacked the other guy on the back. "Don't look so sad. Maybe you'll even make a friend." I heard laughter in the man's voice as he left the room, leaving me there with this guy I didn't know at all though he told the doctor he knew me.

"Do you need anything? Anything at all," a female nurse, I guess it was a nurse, asked from my right side. I followed the sound of her voice until I saw her face then kept going until I saw a tall pole with a line coming out of it. Presumably my IV.

What in the world was I doing in the hospital?

I shook my head as an answer because my throat felt raw from the miserable tube that had been so rudely shoved down in it. The nurse lady patted me on the shoulder — they liked to pat here — and told the other guy she'd be back in a few minutes and to try to get me talking. What if I didn't want to talk? Did I want to talk? Talking seemed painful, and what in the world would I talk about to a stranger?

She handed me the nurse call button and left. The chaos had died down, and it was just me and the strange guy.

He seemed irritated and a little nervous as he pulled one of the little blue, uncomfortable-looking hospital chairs closer to my bed, but not close enough to touch which I appreciated. I clung to the nurse call button as tightly as I could just in case he started freaking me out.

As he sat there like a lump, I studied him. He seemed familiar and I felt like I should know him from somewhere, but I didn't. He had jet, more than likely unnaturally, black hair, cut short around his ears and longer and floppier on top. It was fixed with some sort of styling gel or maybe it just laid like that on its own. How he styled his hair wasn't exactly important in the scheme of things.

He had big beautiful blue eyes, the kind of blue that were so light you couldn't look away if you tried. The blue popped thanks to a trace amount of black liner around his eyes. It wasn't an ungodly amount: no raccoon eyes by any means. But it was enough make them stand out. I really liked it. It suited him. His nose was on the bigger side and had a rounder appearance, but he definitely wasn't unattractive. On the side of his neck, I saw something that looked like a hickey. Seemed a bit inappropriate to wear a hickey to a hospital.

 By the way his plump lips fell in a straight, stern line I could tell he definitely wasn't happy. I didn't know if it was me personally he wasn't happy with or the situation in general. It couldn't have been me. I didn't know him.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he said finally with a hint of agitation in his voice. Was he always so bitter? "We were — they were worried about you."

What was I supposed to say to that? Um… "Thanks." My voice came out harsh and not feminine at all. It made me a bit embarrassed that this not so bad-looking guy had to hear me sound like a thirty year smoker, but it wasn't like I could help it. I didn't put the stupid tube down my own throat.

"I guess I should say that you gave everyone quite a scare." He leaned his elbows on his knees and stared at me. It wasn't a happy stare.

"Sorry about that." And I was. I just wished I knew who everyone was or why I scared them.

His eyes squinted, and I felt my face flush. Why was he looking at me like that? He took a l-o-n-g deep breath before speaking again. When he did, he didn't sound as angry. "Are you okay?"

Want to read more? Find it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Deception-Devin-Miller-ebook/dp/B00E20WOHG/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374348562&sr=1-3

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-deception-of-devin-miller-kelly-martin/1116121655?ean=2940148477785

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/338946

Author Bio:

 

Kelly Martin is a southern mama who writes... a lot. She has two books out through Astraea Press: SAINT SLOAN and Grace Award winning, CROSSING THE DEEP. Her fourth book, B.I.G. IS BEAUTIFUL will be out Sept. 3rd, 2013. By day, she is a special education preschool teacher. By night, you can find her with her hair in a bun and her fingers on a keyboard. She loves God, is addicted to chocolate, and would rather write than sleep. She loves a good mystery and believes in Sherlock Holmes.



Where to find Kelly:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/martieKay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelly-Martin-Author/136506059763138
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6552501.Kelly_Martin
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Martin/e/B009O5CZL4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

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I've received the Inspiring Blogger Award!

Inspiring Blogger Award

 

 I have the honour of accepting the Very Inspiring Blogger Award from Heather Gray 

 

I have been instructed to post seven random things about myself and then pass the award on to two other people who I find inspiring.  So here I go!

 

Random facts about me, although I think there aren't that many about me anymore. Apologies if you already know :-)

 

1. Although I write romance, when it comes to movies I like a good action flick. Along the line James Bond and Die Hard.

 

2. English is NOT my native tongue and I sucked at it at school.

 

3. I do a German Radio Program every Wednesday and loving it.

 

4. I love working with numbers!

 

5. My favourite dinner would be Fajitas or Spaghettis. But I have to admit, I miss my mum's German cooking :-)

 

6. I'm terribly afraid of heights. 

 

7. Oregon is the place to visit AGAIN!

 

I am now passing this award on to two bloggers who inspire me. Just click on their names to see their blogs. (They may not have their inspired posts up yet, but their blogs are still worth checking out.) They are Kristen Vayden and Lisa Orchard.

 

Have a fantastic day! Be ... Inspiring!

This week's book choice - Heather Gray "Ten Million Reasons"

 

 

 



 

Back Cover Blurb:

Money talks, and the way she spends hers tells him all he needs to know…

Richard needs to find a woman he can trust, and he needs to find her fast.  He doesn’t have time to waste on getting to know people, which means dating and interviewing are out of the question.  So how can he get past that initial mask of good behavior to learn what people are really like?  Easy!  Give them ten million dollars and watch to see what they do with it.

Genevieve is a free-lance journalist who talks to herself, constantly forgets to put appointments on her calendar and can’t go anywhere without being asked to take a survey.  Why on earth is Richard interested in her?  She doesn’t know it yet, but he has ten million reasons…

 Excerpt:

After the pizza had been demolished, they all walked across the street to enjoy some ice cream. “Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie Monster Chunk for me!” declared Max.

“Peanut Butter Marshmallow Chocolate Madness please!” Genevieve added. Then she and Max went to sit down while Richard ordered the ice cream.

“So, Aunt Gen, you honestly didn’t know who he was?” When Genevieve shook her head, he said, “You’ve got to look him up online. His family grew up around here. Old money. Maybe back to Jamestown. Lots and lots of old money.” She raised her left eyebrow, and Max shook his head and laughed at her. “I know. Money doesn’t make the man. Blah, blah, blah.” After a second he asked, “So, was this supposed to be a date or a business meeting today? You never said.”

Right as Genevieve opened her mouth to tell her nephew it most decidedly was not a date, Richard’s voice came from behind her, “A date, of course. How many business meetings have you been to that include pizza and ice cream? Business meetings have boring foods like salad and steak and desserts you can set on fire because people are busy trying to impress each other.”

Is he out of his mind? Of course he is. Genevieve watched Max and said, “Not a word, you hear me?”

“Not a word about what?” Richard asked.

“Oh, come on, Aunt Gen. If I go to school tomorrow and tell people my aunt is dating the Richard Blakely, do you know how much my stock will go up?”

“Not a word. I mean it.” Max rolled his eyes, let out a loud, over-exaggerated sigh, and threw himself into the kind of relaxed slump that no one but a teenager could master. “Max…”

“Alright, alright, but if you make it to a third date, all bets are off.”

Genevieve shook her head in mock despair, her red curls gamboling with the movement. Then she looked over at Richard and did a double-take, “Since when do men eat girlie ice cream?”

Richard spied his colorful cone and asked, “Girlie ice cream?”

Max tried to warn him, “Don’t argue with her. Trust me. Let her lecture you and get it out of her system. Eat the ice cream as fast as you can. If she can’t see it anymore, she’ll get over it quicker.”

Richard inspected her, slowly took a bite of his cone, and said, “Did you just insult my ice cream?” Then, putting on a hideous fake western accent, he added, “Them’s fightin’ words, don’cha know?”

Max tried to hide his laughter as Genevieve, face dead-pan and voice matter-of-fact, said, “Only girls eat fruity ice cream.”

Richard eyed her ice cream cone and said, “You’re a girl, and I don’t see any fruit in your cone.”

“No man! You never say that,” Max said in sympathy.

“I, Mr. Blakely, Esquire,” Genevieve wound up, “am not a girl. I, Mr. Blakely,” she said his name with added emphasis, “am a woman of sophisticated tastes. You, on the other hand,” she waved her hand dismissively, “are eating girlie ice cream.”

Richard tried to defend his choice of ice cream but was told again and again, “Only girls eat fruity ice cream.”

Finally, Max asked, “So exactly what flavor is that, anyway?”

Shamefaced, Richard answered, “Pineapple Pom Pom Sparkleberry Cheer.” Max and Genevieve laughed uproariously, and Richard joined in. When their laughter settled down, he told Max, “And you are most definitely not allowed to tell your friends at school about that, my boy.”

“Are you kidding me? I’d be shunned for life, a perpetual outcast of the high school social strata. I’m taking that secret all the way to the grave.”

 

Author Bio:

Aside from her long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys in life are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing.  Years ago, she decided it would be better to laugh than yell.  Heather carries that theme over into her writing where she strives to create characters that experience both the highs and lows of life and, through it all, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.

 

Buy Links (hyperlinks embedded)

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Astraea Press
Smashwords  

Where to Find Me:

My Website – http://www.heathergraywriting.com

My Blog – http://www.heathergraywriting.com/blog

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting

Twitter – http://twitter.com/LaughDreamWrite

Goodreads –  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4051662.Heather_Gray

 

This week's book choice - Patricia Kiyono "Love's Refrain"

 

"Love's Refrain"

by Patricia Kiyono

Blurb:
Lady Laura Montgomery would much rather spend her summer at the family estate, but instead she must act as her stepsister's chaperone for the London season. She takes solace in her poetry books and in her love of music. They're all she has to comfort her as she once again faces the one man who stole her heart ten years ago. Andrew Bradford, Earl of Covington, needs an heir, but he's not looking for love. His mother has made her selection, but he can't help being drawn to the girl's chaperone. Can he hope to make a match based on more than beauty and suitability?

Bio:
Love's Refrain is Patricia Kiyono's seventh release with Astraea Press. During her first career, she taught elementary music, computer classes, elementary classrooms, and junior high social studies. She now teaches music education at the university level. She lives in southwest Michigan with her husband, not far from her children and grandchildren. Current interests, aside from writing, include sewing, crocheting, scrapbooking, and music. A love of travel and an interest in faraway people inspires her to create stories about different cultures.

Excerpt:
Andrew had just settled back in his chair when the most beautiful music floated through the open window. At first, he thought it was his imagination. But the uplifting of his soul was not imagined. The smile on his face was real, as was the voice he heard. Quiet at first, as if the singer tried to hide it, the smooth soprano melody was barely discernible. But gradually, the singer gained confidence, and the volume grew, to Andrew’s delight. The song was one familiar to him — a Scottish air his nanny had sung to him when he was small — and he absently hummed the melody along with the singer. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Suddenly, the weight of his worries drained away. The dull ache in his forehead eased, and he breathed more easily. Who was the mystery singer? The voice was cultured and had the maturity of a woman but without the force of one trained for the stage. Still, the music was pleasing to his ears… and to his world-weary soul. He settled back to enjoy the performance. But as soon as it had begun, the singing stopped. An undistinguishable voice called out a command, the singer responded, and footsteps receded away from him. And as the volume of her footsteps decreased, so did his state of euphoria. Silently, he thanked the singer for providing a welcome respite from his daily drudgery. It had been a pleasant interlude, but now it was time to return to his life and responsibilities. With a rueful twist of his mouth, he sorted through the day’s correspondence.

Author links:
Patricia Kiyono can be found at her WEBSITE |BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Purchase Links:
ASTRAEA PRESS | AMAZON |

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Review: Jill Shalvis "It had to be you" (Lucky Harbor #7)

 

 

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

ISBN: 978-1455521128

My Rating: 4/5

 

Ali Winters is not having a good day. Her boyfriend left her, everyone in town thinks she's a thief, and now she's about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who's as sexy as he is stern....

After a high-profile case goes wrong, Luke Hanover returns to his hometown for some peace and quiet. Instead he finds a bombshell brunette in a heap of trouble. As he helps Ali put her world back together, the pieces of Luke's own life finally seem to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling? Or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor? (amazon.com)

 

My thoughts

Lucky Harbor is without a doubt one of my favourite series and I treasure each book.

In LH #7 we get introduced to Luke and Ali. Luke Hanover is a cop from San Francisco who's come to Lucky Harbor to get away from the stress of his recent case. His intention is to hide away in the house he's inherited from his late grandmother. But there's one problem, Ali Winters, his ex-tenant's ex-girlfriends is still in the house.

There's no doubt that this is another great read. We get spoilt with the typical Shalvis wit, humour and great dialogue. Both characters are dealing with their own problems and as much as Luke' tries to resist Ali, she's liking having him around. Ali being accused of stealing money adds a bit of extra to the story.

And of course, we get introduced to Ben and Jake - LH #7 & 8 ;-)

Bottom line, Luke and Ali are a great addition to Lucky Harbor!


 

This week's book choice - Jill Urbach "Two-Room Flat"

 

Two-Room Flat

by Jill Urbach

Blurb:

Spicy fiction made novelist Claire Gissler a star, but she can’t pen a sentence to save her life since her husband’s accidental death two years ago. Now, deeply in debt, her only hope of reviving her crumbling career is to flee small town America for big city London. Trouble is, she can’t afford the move. That is, not until handsome Adam Lambright — her husband’s best friend and the man she blames for his death — offers to let her stay in his flat… with him. Adam Lambright used to know how to smile, how to have fun, how to love, but that was before watching his best friend die and his wife wither away from cancer. Now, ticked off at God, he’s vowed never to love again. That doesn’t mean he can’t help out his best friend’s widow. Heck, her life’s more of a mess than his own. Seeing no other possible option, Claire moves to London. In that exciting city, she faces the challenges of rebuilding her career — and the attentions of her sexy English publicist. But, it’s her growing feelings for Adam that present the biggest challenge: learn to forgive or face heartbreak once again.


Excerpt:
Chapter One

The irritatingly dramatic voice drowned out the squeal of the espresso machine.

"Claire Gissler! Where have you been hiding yourself?"

Sometimes she cursed the day she moved to a dinky Pacific Northwest island. Couldn’t she get a stinking cup of coffee without running into half the people she knew? Okay, one person. Just her luck for it to be the biggest mouth in town.

Claire dug a five-dollar bill out of her jeans pocket, slapped it on the counter in front of the teenage barista and grabbed her extra-hot vanilla latte. “Thanks, Tyler.”

“Take care, Mrs. G.” Tyler gave her a sympathetic smile from behind the register as she turned to leave.

“Hi, Bea. Sorry. I’m in a hurry.” She attempted to brush past the large woman.

No such luck. A simple shift of weight was all it took for Beatrice Atwell to block her exit.

“But I’ve got wonderful news.” Bea leaned in confidentially, although her volume didn’t alter a bit. Apparently she’d never learned the difference between inside and outside voices that any sane mother taught her children. “I’ve found someone for you.” She bared her teeth in what was probably supposed to be a smile.

“Excuse me?”

“A man. He’s taking over Dr. Wainright’s dental practice. I know several women who would love to meet him, but you’re at the top of my list.” Bea looked like she couldn’t have a more perfect gift if she had been Santa Claus himself.

The nerve of the woman! Who did she think she was, throwing random men at her — as if anyone could take the place of Mark? Claire narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin. "I’m not looking to be set up.”

Bea placed a fleshy hand on Claire’s shoulder. “It’s time, dear. And he’s perfect!”

Time? As if there were a limit on how long one could be alone? She bit back an angry retort and tried again. "I don’t date dentists."

"Nonsense. It’s a perfectly good profession. And I hear he’ll be offering Botox." Bea had the gall to point to the creases between Claire’s eyes. Creases that were getting deeper by the second. It was time to try a new strategy.

“Botox? That’s fascinating!” Claire’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “I wonder if he’ll do it for free if I sleep with him? After all, it works for the plumber, the eye doctor, and my lawn boy.”

Bea’s bright pink mouth fell open. Good. That shut her up. Then the single clink of a teacup settling into a saucer alerted Claire to the general silence that had descended on the rest of the patrons. She looked around to find several pairs of eyes resting on her. Most faces wore expressions of shock or disbelief, with the exception of one man leering at her through a grizzled beard, hastily pulling out a business card.

So much for snappy comebacks. When would she learn to just bite her tongue?

Her cell phone rang. Thank heavens. Saved by the bell, for once. She grabbed her cell phone from the pocket of her fleece jacket and buried her attention in it while she made a hasty exit from the coffee shop.

“Hello?”

“Well it’s about time you answer your phone.” Flo Liebowitz was her agent. Claire had been avoiding her calls for a week.


.

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