Bebo

My newest release, HARD AS NAILS, came out today. Yay!!! I love release day.

HARD AS NAILS is an anthology of three related novellas, centering on a house rehab project. To entice you, here's a little taste from the first novella:
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THIS OLD HOUSE

Never tick off a woman holding a sledgehammer.

Cole Carruthers added that piece of wisdom to his mental checklist for dealing with the opposite sex the second he stepped into the entry of the three-story Victorian house in the pricey Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C.

One glance at the woman standing in the living room off to his right and he questioned the wisdom of being there at all. He'd come to see an elderly woman about a house. Actually, he'd come to get an elderly woman out of the house.

As his gaze wandered over his unknown companion's khaki short-shorts, down her mile-long legs, then back up to her rounded ass ... well, he knew one thing for certain: right house, wrong woman.

He expected a greeting from someone bent over a walker. The same friendly, white-haired someone who a month ago sold this historically-protected property to his partners, Adam and Whit Thomas. Looking at the peeling wallpaper and exposed floorboards, Cole wondered if his usually astute friends had jumped on the deal too fast. The place could crumble and fall on top of them before the construction permits came through.

And the smell. Reminded Cole of damp shirts left in a dryer too long. He doubted the windows had been opened during the last decade.

But that wasn't the problem of the hour. No, convincing the former owner of the house to get out held the number one spot on that list.

Two weeks ago Gilda Armstrong had nearly set the kitchen on fire making her special cheese biscuits. Now she refused to move to her reserved room at a nearby assisted-living facility.

The refusal made Gilda Cole's problem. Not that he volunteered. No, he just didn't refuse as fast as his business partners at yesterday's weekly meeting. Next time he'd take a swallow of coffee after a vote instead of during.

Despite being shanghaied an hour ago, Cole assumed the job would be simple enough. He thought he'd have no problem making his standing Thursday racquetball game with Adam. Cole glanced over at the sledgehammer-wielding mystery woman again. He had not counted on finding her.

"Looks like racquetball is out today," he mumbled under his breath.

Facing away from him, the non-grandmother stood in front of the dark, hand-carved fireplace staring at the ornate mirror towering above it. With the tool balanced in both hands, she concentrated on a spot on the wall.

He didn't see whatever she saw. Probably had something to do with focusing on the way her slim white T-shirt skimmed the top of those shorts.

On the outline of her tan arms and lean legs.

On the wavy black hair falling over her shoulders and down her back.

Yeah, this lady was no grandma. He'd guess she was somewhere in her twenties. Which meant she was not the woman he came hunting. Which was a damn shame.

"Uh, ma'am?" His voice echoed back at him, so he stepped into the cluttered room and tried again. "Hello?"

She ignored the slam of the front door and continued to ignore him now. A lecture on safety and self-protection seemed in order. He'd get to that right after he explained the concept of trespassing.

The warped wood floors creaked under his weight. "Ma'am, I need you to-"

She finally turned around. Her dark eyes widened and a tiny "o" formed on her full mouth. Then she yelped. Actually made one of those sounds heard best on dog frequencies.

"I'm here to-"

"Get out of here right now, or I'll call the police!" She managed to demand and yelp that time.

Through all the screeching, Cole saw the culprit. Earphones connected to an MP3 player. She never heard him coming. "Sorry to scare you. I didn't mean-"

"Last chance," she warned.

"For what?"

But

I just accepted a new three-book deal from my editor!!! All three will be Brava single titles.

These titles will come out in 2009. Included in the three is the sequel to YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY. Right now I'm writing a Brava Christmas novella that will come out about this time next year in an anthology with Donna Kauffman and Jill Shalvis. After that, I'll get started on the books from this new contract.

My upcoming release, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, is now available for pre-order on Amazon. To entice you, here's the cover copy:

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME…

For Gabby Pearson, being dumped in public before the dessert course has to be the lowest of the low—especially when it’s the old, “It’s not you, it’s me” speech. Honestly, how about something original: “I have five minutes to live” (very possible); “It’s not you, it’s the voices in my head” (thanks for the warning); or “I am such a powerful sexual being I could put you into a coma with one kiss” (wishful thinking). Not that Gabby would ever know since Reed Larkin never bothered to take her to bed. Why does a girl bother (to shave)? The only thing left to do is offer the guy a goodbye-forever drink…on his head.

IT’S ME WANTING YOU COMPLETELY…

Damn. Reed did his job—he walked away from Gabby rather than drag her into his unstable life and danger. Now he’s wearing her full glass of wine instead of throwing her onto his sheets. It doesn’t help that the woman is smart as hell and could stop a man’s breath with that wide smile and those shapely curves. Gabby has it all, and Reed wants every inch of her. And now the joke’s on him, because new intel says Gabby has just become his assignment: He has one day to win her back, get information from her she may not know she has, and somehow protect her at the same time.

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. PROBLEM?

The stakes are high. The odds are impossible. And the mutual attraction is as hot and strong as Gabby’s anger. And Reed can only hope his next speech—“It’s you, baby, it’s definitely you…”—will be the start of something wild, something crazy, something dangerous, something wonderful…

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Go order!!!!