Rachell
Nichole
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: Twenty or Less Press
Date of Publication: January 14,
2014
Number of pages: 100
Word Count: 20,000
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/X_BfnE1kxJg
Book Description:
When Jasmine Graves is invited to
the set of the movie based on her book series, she thinks all her dreams have
come true. The Vince Demarco, the man she's based her hero on for the past
seven years, will be there and she can't wait to meet him. Little does she know
that she'll have to face her worst fears to keep her leading man.
Vince Demarco has never been as
intrigued by a character or an author before being introduced to the haunted
werewolf he's been cast to play. So when he comes face to face with its
creator, Jasmine Graves, he's awestruck. But he fears an author who's a
reported recluse will want nothing to do with the paparazzi madness and crazy
shooting schedule that comes with dating a movie star.
Neither one can deny the almost
animal attraction that overwhelms them at first contact. But can an author and
her muse breakthrough the barriers between them, or will the heat between them
turn to ice in the winter cold of the Adirondack Camp?
Short
Excerpt:
Oh, God, no. No,
no, no. Please do not come over here! Her first meeting with Vince couldn’t be
while she was face-down in a tangled heap of arms and legs. With another man,
to boot. She was supposed to be breaking the ice around Vince, not her ass,
damn it.
She pushed her
gloved hands into the snow and tried to lever herself up. She attempted to get
her knees under her, but the snowshoes were too big in the front, keeping her
off balance.
“Here, let me.”
Vince’s large hands closed around her arms and he lifted her as if she weighed
nothing. At five-nine, and none-too-skinny, she wasn’t used to being
manhandled. But when Vince set her upright, steadying her with those strong
hands of his, she felt almost delicate.
His shaved head
was covered with a fur-lined hood clouding his features with shadows, but she
would know what he looked like in the pitch black: Dark skin, a wide-set nose,
low eyebrows, and thick pink lips she’d imagined kissing a thousand times. Even
within the confines of his coat, she could see the broad shoulders, the thick,
corded neck, and tapered waist.
Jasmine looked
into those dark eyes and forgot everything around her, even the fact that not
thirty seconds ago, he’d been telling another woman he loved her.“Uh… I’m…”
Coherent thought left her completely.
“Jasmine
Graves.” The deep rumble of his mildly-accented voice caressed her name,
sending a shiver skittering down her spine.
He knew her
name? She’d entered an alternate universe where movie stars knew authors’
names, not the other way around. She nodded like a fool.
“Are you all
right, Ms. Graves?”
“Jaz,” she said.
His hood slipped
back, revealing that devastatingly handsome face. He looked momentarily
confused, and if she didn’t know any better, she’d think his face looked as
star-struck as hers felt in that moment. She blinked, trying to make sense of
the situation and regain her equilibrium, but as soon as her eyes opened, they
were captured again by his gaze. What did he see when he looked at her?
She’d pulled a
soft multi-colored knit hat low over her ears. her long hair flowing out behind
her in the wind. A rib-knit scarf covered her chin and neck. Only a bit of her
face was visible in the night, but Vince’s attention didn’t waver an inch.
She’d imagined this day a thousand times, a thousand ways, but this instant
physical reaction hadn’t been part of the equation. He still held her arm, and
he was standing closer than was necessary. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to
complain.
“You’re taller
than I expected.”
He’d anticipated
this meeting too? Out of all the fantasies she’d ever had, his knowing who she
was immediately and making some comment like that hadn’t been one of them. She
swallowed. Not even in her worst bouts of writer’s block did words desert her
so completely. “Thanks,” she managed to squeeze out, then remembered to smile
at him and at least attempt to be flirtatious.
“For saying
you’re tall?”
She laughed.
“No. For picking up my sorry, klutzy ass from the snow bank.”
“Yeah, what the
hell happened?” Brian asked from beside her. His voice broke the spell and
Vince let go of her. The separation was like a physical blow and she shivered
in the sudden coldness.
She turned her
attention to Brian. “Sorry. I was… admiring the scenery. I didn’t realize you
had stopped until I looked back toward the path and was nose to back with you.
I couldn’t stop in time. You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m
fine.” He brushed some snow from the front of his coat. “As I was saying, up
ahead is the main lounge. It’s where all the meals will be served. There’s
always hot chocolate, coffee, and tea on tap, as well as bottled water and all
that. You’ll be sharing a cabin with a few of the crew. It’s over there.” He
pointed to a set of cabins next to where the blonde actress was staying. Damned
if Jaz could remember the woman’s name. After Vince had stepped down off the
porch, Jaz had gotten a good look at Vince’s latest co-star.
Out of the
corner of her eye, Jaz saw Vince staring at her. That same look of wonder was
in his eyes, but she didn’t turn her gaze back to his. He’d just been
professing his love to someone else. It was one thing to fantasize about a man,
create a character around him, and fall in love with him in her dreams. It was
another thing entirely to interfere in his real-world relationship with someone
else. She would keep her distance.
“I’ll show you
the rest of the way to your cabin if you’d like,” Brian said.
Damn. The man
had taken the words right out of Vince’s mouth. He wanted to be the one to show
Jaz to her cabin. It was a stupid reaction, but one he couldn’t quite quell.
She was almost as tall as he was. When she’d posed with those wolves for her
author photo, she’d been kneeling in the dirt. He’d had no idea that she was so
tall. Her thick, dark hair ruffled in the night breeze, adding an ethereal
quality to her looks. A chill climbed over his bare head, but he couldn’t quite
bear to put up his hood yet and restrict his view of her.
Jasmine’s Native
American heritage was apparent in her tan skin, breathtaking square face, and
dark, slightly almond-shaped eyes. Together, the effect was mesmerizing. Though
right now he couldn’t see most of her face beneath her hat and scarf, he knew
what she looked like. She glanced at him and he smiled.
“Thank you,
again…”
“Vince. You can
call me Vince.”
“Okay then,
Vince. Thanks. I suppose I’ll see you around?”
God, he hoped
so. He nodded and she turned away. It would be entirely too awkward for him to
stand there another second, so he headed for his own cabin to reread tomorrow’s
scene.
“I’m actually
starving, is there still food about?” she asked Brian as they walked toward the
other end of the camp.
“Sure.”
“Great. I’ll
just drop my bags, and then could you show me over to the lodge?”
And if Vince
happened to be there, having another cup of hot chocolate and Jasmine happened
to come in to have a late dinner, there’d be nothing wrong with that, right?
“I’d be happy
to,” Brian said. By the man’s voice, he really hadn’t minded being pancaked
into the snow by the lovely Ms. Graves.
About
the Author:
Rachell Nichole is a contemporary
erotic romance author. She currently writes what she likes to call Sizzling
Romantic Entanglements. She loves creating memorable characters and putting
them through the paces on their discovery for and journey to love.
Rachell holds two undergraduate
degrees, one in Professional Writing and the other in French. She also received
a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. She
is the author of The Marietta Hotels Series, Spicy with a Side of Cranberry
Sauce, and Queen of Hearts.
Rachell lives in New York with a
mountain of books, a loving family, and an evil cat named Godiva that she
adores.
@RachellNichole
Thanks so much for hosting me and helping me celebrate my book release!
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