by Angela Smith | Sep 19, 2018 | Characters, Relationships
It was hard not to fall in love with Garret. With his sea-green eyes and engaging personality, Reagan quickly fell for him. He isn’t generally deceptive, but in his line of work he has to be. An undercover agent with the FBI’s jewelry and gem theft program, he’s assigned to investigate Reagan. But his investigation turns into so much more. He falls for her, and she learns of his deception. Boy does he have some relationship advice to offer if he wants to save his relationship with Reagan!
He’s supposed to be on vacation when he’s assigned to investigate Reagan. Here’s a quick excerpt on what Garret does in his “down time”:
What does an FBI agent do in his down time?
Break his brother’s previous ski records, almost kill himself by ice climbing, freeze his balls off. Question his motives for bedding only one woman in the past while and worse, falling for said woman.
Investigate a murder.
Garret trolled through the snow covered hills, phone attached to his belt loop, ear bud planted in his ear, and reported everything he knew to Buchanan thus far. Buchanan trusted Garret to finish the investigation, so he hadn’t called in other agents. He thought it best to keep a low profile.
Garret sat on a knoll and spread his backpack out on the snow, placing his notes on the backpack. A normal person would be indoors, at a desk, his notes scattered everywhere, but Garret couldn’t function inside a normal environment. He had to get out, away from the artificial lights and sounds, and in with nature.
Garret has a romantic side, and we see it often. Here is a quick excerpt from Reagan’s POV that gives us a glimpse into his romantic side:
The door squealed open. Reagan jumped and sat up, plopping against the mound of pillows.
“Hello, sleepyhead,” Garret said.
The painting in her mind didn’t include balloons. She gasped as his feet shuffled against the floor, an array of colorful balloons trailing behind him as he held a tray of food and a flickering candle.
“Happy birthday,” he said as he sat the wooden tray on the bed. The balloons were tied to the side and one red rose reached across the tray.
“What is this?” she asked, her mind a muddled mess of confusion and contentment. “It’s not my birthday.”
“Maybe not today, but it’s the first time I’ve celebrated it with you. Besides, it gives me an excuse to woo you.”
“You need an excuse?”
“Mmm,” he groaned as he leaned over and kissed the side of her mouth.
And now for his relationship advice:
by Angela Smith | Feb 14, 2018 | Books
Valentine’s Day is one of those days that many dread, many love, and many ignore. Me? I’ve been married so long that we try to celebrate each other throughout the year, which is very important, so we don’t generally make a large fuss on Valentine’s Day. But I do love the red, and the hearts and flowers and chocolate! And any excuse for wine and/or champagne!
Copyright : subbotina 123RF
What I love most is the fact Burn on the Western Slope has a Valentine’s Day scene. It was such a fun scene to write, and is still a fun scene for me to read again and again.
Even better, Burn on the Western Slope is available in a 3 book set for 99 cents! Whether you prefer Kindle, Nook, Kobo, or many others, you can find this set on just about any platform. If you prefer print, Burn on the Western Slope is available (not as a set) in print.
Buy links on my page here.
And now for an excerpt! In this scene, we see our hero, Garret, up on stage singing karaoke, and our heroine, Rayma, thinking of … well, you’ll see. We also meet Chayton, the bartender and Garret’s brother, and Naomi, Reagan’s cousin. Those two end up together in the next novel, Fatal Snag.
Side note: I absolutely LOVED writing Reagan and Naomi! Some of my favorite characters, if a writer could choose.
Enough babbling! Here’s the excerpt:
After downing the Valentine drink, she asked for another, urging the dizziness to hit. The more the merrier tonight. She yearned to get wild with this guy like she’d never been wild before. To hell with the damn consequences. She was tired of worrying about consequences and right now, didn’t see why two bright, responsible people should cause many. Who cared if he was a neighbor? Who cared if she might accidentally run into him after they had sex?
Who cared if he professed only to be friends? Friends slept together all the time.
“How is it?” Chayton asked.
Warm and ready. She stifled a giggle as she turned and handed him the empty cup.
“Wonderful. I need another.”
“That good, huh?”
“I’ll run twice the distance tomorrow on the treadmill,” she said, though she hadn’t gotten on a treadmill once since she’d arrived in Montana. “Hit me with another one.”
“You go girl.” Naomi struck her shoulder against Reagan’s.
“I’m in lust,” Reagan said, staring at Garret. He sang another song, a low, guttural, sad song that wrenched her heart in two.
Damn, he was sexy, and his voice was sexy, and his hair, his eyes, his hands…
A man sat beside her. A man who couldn’t hold a candle to the one she currently lusted after, and she declined a dance. She drank another cocktail and by that time, the room spun.
It felt good. No, it felt great.
After a third song, this one quick and screeching, the crowd roared and asked for more. “It’s someone else’s turn,” Garret said as he dismissed the crowd with a wave.
Chayton already had a Guinness ready for Garret when he arrived.
“That was great,” Naomi told him.
“Thanks.”
“You didn’t tell me you were a singer,” Reagan said, the twitter in her voice hovering between desperation and completion, like she knew she was about to have the most magnificent sex of her life.
“I’m not technically. I like to sing and do it for fun but I’m not a singer.”
“Better than a lot of singers I know.” She swept a finger across his silken cheek, something she’d been dying to do since she first met him. “You could quit your day job, whatever that might be.”
“It’s your turn.” That same guttural voice in which he sang kept her on the brink of losing her composure, or her sanity, or her clothes.
“What?” She plunked a hand over her chest, steadying her pounding heart by planting her heel, which had been propped on the barstool, on the floor. “Oh no, oh no, not me.” If he did have an urge to sleep with her, that would change as soon as he heard her sing.
“Oh come on,” Naomi said. “I’ll do it with you. We’ll sing ‘It’s Raining Men’ or something like that.”
“You want me to make a total fool of myself, don’t you?”
“Yes. Come on.” Naomi pulled her up, and she gave Garret one last lingering look before following her cousin to the stage. Her legs wobbled as she walked up one step, two steps, to the stage.
Her heart pounded in her throat but Naomi, the perfect being she was, broke the tension.
“We’ve never done this before,” Naomi said, shaking her hips, looking cute, and gaining applause. “So don’t be too hard on us.”
They had a blast, and Reagan couldn’t hear how bad she sucked over the loud speakers. Other women joined in the fray, and before long the entire crowd sang.
But she couldn’t take her eyes off Garret, who stood by the bar and watched.
“Okay, okay,” she told Naomi when their second song ended. “I gotta go. I’m gonna see if that hunky man wants to go home with me tonight.”
“What about me?” Naomi asked.
“You’re not invited.”
“But where am I supposed to sleep?”
Reagan’s giggle sounded a tad tipsy, a tad silly, and a whole lot horny. “With Chayton.”
Reagan moseyed down the stage, attempting to appear sexy even after all the drinks she’d consumed. She couldn’t remember anymore. She didn’t care. The drinks provided the courage she normally wouldn’t possess, and she needed the courage to kiss Garret again.
“Water, please,” she said to Chayton.
“You’re not going to get up there and sing?” Naomi asked Chayton.
“Are you kidding? I can’t sing to save my life.”
“You and Garret are brothers. You didn’t inherit the singing gene?”
“Half-brothers. He took after his mother. I took after mine.” His eyes grew shuttered, his voice harsh and remote, as if to say no more questions. He turned away to tend bar. Reagan met Naomi’s gaze and shrugged.
“That’s obviously out of the conversation piece,” Naomi said.
Reagan hadn’t seen Garret since she left the stage and she looked around, eager to find him. A man and woman dressed in red hearts performed a skit. Cupid came along and had the crowd roaring with laughter.
Reagan couldn’t pay attention. Where was Garret?
“How’s everything over here?” Chayton asked as he returned. “More water?”
“Where’s Garret?” Reagan flicked a piece of make-believe lint from her sweater. She didn’t want to appear too interested, but the words gushed out more suddenly than she intended.
“He had to leave,” Chayton said. “He does that sometimes.”
by Angela Smith | Feb 12, 2016 | Books, Introspective
I love Valentine’s Day! The red, the hearts, the love quotes! Funny thing is, I don’t celebrate. Maybe because it’s way too close to my birthday, among several other family member’s birthdays, or because my husband and I don’t see the need to anymore since we’ve been together so long. I think it’s a great time for new lovers, those who need that extra push, and even children! I always loved it as a child, and I think it’s a great time to show appreciation and respect to those we love (it doesn’t always have to be romance)!
As a child, I always loved the old shoe boxes we decorated, and the care we took in slipping each Valentine card into those boxes. My coworkers and I were just talking about that today, and how memorable and fun it was, and she mentioned her son’s class doesn’t do that. I’m not sure if school stopped doing that or what, but I think it’s sad.
This Valentine’s Weekend, I have big plans. I’m helping host a baby shower for a friend on Saturday, and my husband and I are actually going out on Valentine’s Day, but that’s only to see Deadpool! Can’t wait to see it! Then, of course, there’s the new episode of The Walking Dead! And let’s not forget the big news: Liberation’s release day!
To celebrate here, I wanted to share a snippet of Valentine’s Day from Burn on the Western Slope.
In this scene, we see our hero, Garret, up on stage singing karaoke, and our heroine, Rayma, thinking of…well, read the excerpt and you’ll see. We also meet Chayton, the bartender and Garret’s brother, and Naomi, Reagan’s cousin. Those two end up together in the next novel, Fatal Snag. Join me tomorrow for an excerpt from their story, and on Sunday for a special excerpt from Liberation!
In this particular scene, Chayton, who owns a bar, is hosting a Valentine’s party. If you like what you see, you can always pick up a copy of Burn on the Western Slope here.
Without further ado…
Excerpt:
That weekend, Reagan and Naomi went to Air Dog, sporting grins and laughter. She tried to convince herself she wouldn’t care if Garret didn’t make it to the Valentine’s Party at Air Dog. It’d be best if he didn’t. Something about the red hearts gave Reagan a crazy longing to truly experience love and devotion. To have red roses and dark chocolate delivered to her door. Silly, silly thinking.
Red lights glimmered across the ceiling, emitting low, sexy illumination. A beam of lights corralled atop the dance floor, emanating a stream of colors. Tables flaunted small red candles and white bears.
The décor wasn’t set for sweet. It was set for sexy.
Chayton stood behind the bar with a bright red jersey shirt advertising the number sixty-nine. Only he could look good wearing a shirt like that. With extra help, he tended a flurry of customers. The other bartender was the woman she knew as Simone. The lights flickered off blonde and cherry streaks to make it appear outrageous in an appealing way.
Just the kind of woman Chayton would like. Reagan perceived Naomi’s sigh more than she heard it.
“Ladies, ladies, welcome.” Chayton retrieved two glasses hanging above the counter. “What can I get you? You want to try my Valentine Rose?”
“What’s that?” Naomi asked.
“My specialty. You have to try at least one.”
“Hit me,” Naomi said, and glared when Chayton winked. And here Reagan thought they were getting along.
“And you, Reagan?”
“I’ll try it,” she said, trying not to be too conspicuous as she searched for Garret. Even if it was best he didn’t come, she longed to see him. It wouldn’t be hard to blend in here. Masses of people swarmed the bar and the dance floor brimmed with patrons.
Reagan watched Chayton concoct the beverages. Naomi focused her attention away from the bar.
“I thought you and Chayton were friends,” Reagan said.
Naomi nodded. “We are.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Chayton returned, furnishing their requested beverages.
Reagan popped a couple bucks in the tip jar. “What’s going on tonight?” she asked.
“Entertainment night. Tourists and locals play music, tell jokes, karaoke, whatever they want to do onstage as long as it’s legal. Gets pretty crazy but it’s loads of fun.”
“Where’s Garret?” Naomi asked, as if she knew Reagan was dying to ask but wouldn’t.
He nodded behind them before turning to another customer.
Reagan swiveled her chair to look. Garret stood on stage, a guitar strapped around his neck. The loud music overhead stilled and Garret sat on a chair in the middle of the stage. The lights dimmed.
Reagan swallowed. The pulse in her throat ached. A bright flash of panic seared her eyes. She blinked.
His hair, mussed to perfection, coasted across his forehead and curled at his neck. She resisted the urge to jump him, right there on stage. Her thoughts grew naughtier as she imagined the stage lights illuminating their bodies as they made love.
Reagan gripped Naomi’s hand. “Ohmigod. He sings.”
“That’s yet to be determined,” Naomi said.
“He’s a Greek God.”
“Yes, he is.”
“And I haven’t slept with him yet.”
Naomi coughed as her drink sputtered to her nose. Reagan slapped her back with the palm of her hand. Okay, not the best move if her friend had been choking, but whatever.
“Yet?” Naomi asked.
“I should live a little dangerously, right? I can’t help that the first guy I see is fine, intelligent, and sings. Remember, I’m being wild? Leaving my safe little past behind?”
“Okay, so you’re ready to make the first move?”
“Give me a few more of these,” Reagan said as she held up her drink, “and I will.”
Buy Ebook:
