Delay of Game is On its Way

Happy Memorial Day, to all of you in the US! Happy Monday to everyone else. :)

Book 4 in the Portland Storm series will be DELAY OF GAME! It'll release on August 11, 2014. I'm working on getting it up for preorder like LIGHT THE LAMP currently is, and I'll provide those links when they're available.

So, what will DELAY OF GAME be about? I'm so glad you asked.

With her father’s health in question, Sara Thomas is focused on reducing his anxiety. That’s no small feat considering his high-stress job, not to mention her own distractions. Everyone knows Sara’s single; no one knows she’s pregnant. There’s never a good time to unexpectedly get knocked up, but now is definitely not it. Regardless, she doesn’t want anyone to know—especially not her father—until she has a game plan in place. But when Jonny, one of her father’s players, seeks vigilante justice on the ice, everything gets tossed out the window.

Cam Johnson’s role as a fourth-line winger with the NHL’s Portland Storm entails more than scoring goals. He has to ensure other teams don’t take liberties with the Storm’s star players. The way Cam sees it, that’s the most important aspect of his job. His teammates call him Jonny; opposing fans call him a goon; the media calls him an enforcer. The title’s unimportant. Cam will always fight for his team—even if he has to break the rules. He’s used to taking penalties, but he never meant for anyone else to suffer from his choices.

When Cam’s actions cause Sara’s worst fears to be realized, he blames himself. He’s screwed everything up; now he has to set things right. Mutual attraction leads to lust, and suddenly Cam is taking penalties at every turn…at least where Sara is concerned. He’s got to think on his feet or he’ll end up with a Delay of Game.

The preorder links aren't available yet, but you can go ahead and add it to your Goodreads bookshelf. I can't wait to share this one with you!

Light the Lamp Preorders

LIGHT THE LAMP, book 3 in the Portland Storm series, is available for preorder at several ebook retailers. It will release on June 12, 2014.

Why should you preorder it? Because during the preorder period, you can get it for only $0.99. Once it is live at all of the major ebook retailers, I'll be raising the price up to it's regular price of $4.99.

You can place those orders now at iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo, and the ebook will be delivered to your device as soon as it goes live.

EDITED TO ADD: Amazon is not currently allowing for preorders, so you will not be able to purchase LIGHT THE LAMP there in advance. However, I will make it available at Amazon at the $0.99 price for a very limited time at the beginning--for three days only. After that, it will be raised to its regular price. If you want to be sure you don't miss out on that 3 day introductory price, sign up for my mailing list and click the button on my Amazon page to be notified of new releases.

What is LIGHT THE LAMP about?

Life’s been rough lately for Noelle Payne, but she’s not one to let negativity rule. So, she lost her job? She’ll find another one. The bank foreclosed on the house? Well, she can live out of her car for a while. There’s always an upside to be found…but now Noelle needs to find something to give her life meaning. She owes it to the universe to figure it out, too, because a stranger just saved her life.

When Liam Kallen’s wife died, his goal-scoring ability died with her. After a trade from the only pro hockey team he’s ever played for, he’s now playing for the NHL’s Portland Storm. Everyone said he needed a change of scenery, but nothing changes until he rescues Noelle. All of a sudden, the world once again looks bright and he’s lighting the lamp like he used to.

Noelle’s cheerful disposition is just the bit of sunlight Liam needs in his life. He wants to give her everything she needs because she’s everything he wants. The problem? She doesn’t believe she needs anything…at least nothing material. The one thing they both know she truly needs—a real purpose—also happens to be the one thing he doesn’t know how to give her. If he can’t help her find that, she might walk away and take all her sunshine with her.

Thick as Thieves

I have a new historical novella available today.

THICK AS THIEVES is the third novella in the Bexley-Smythe Quintet. The first two novellas are FLIGHT OF FANCY and RHYME AND REASON.

David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside while those he loves are hurt. Preston determines his brother-in-law’s guest is up to no good, so he scrutinizes every move of the would-be thief. Not that he minds—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her wastrel brother and her proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his heart. 

Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant companion due to her brother’s affinity for gambling. With the fate of her family resting upon her shoulders, the time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny complicates her task. Far more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is more than merely a distraction. But desperate times call for desperate measures…

You can purchase THICK AS THIEVES at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the iBookstore, All Romance eBooks, and Smashwords.

This novella of approximately 25,000 words was originally published in the anthology A PACT BETWEEN GENTLEMEN.

The other authors from the Regency Gentlemen's Pact anthologies are also releasing their novellas separately today, so look for them if you haven't read them yet. They are: A BIT OF MISTLETOE by Ava Stone, LADY DISGUISED by Jane Charles, ALL HE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS by Jerrica Knight-Catania, CHASING LORD MYSTERY by Aileen Fish, and 'TIS THE SEASON FOR SURRENDER by Julie Johnstone.

Babs and Katie FAQs

Ever since SEDUCED BY THE GAME was released, I've been getting asked a ton of questions about
Babs and Katie.

Is TAKING A SHOT the only story they'll get?

Do I have to read TAKING A SHOT to understand the other books in the series?

Why do I have to buy a whole anthology with all these other stories by other authors just to get Babs and Katie's story?

So...let me try to answer your questions.

First off, TAKING A SHOT is not the only story Babs and Katie will get. It's not their happily ever after. It's a brief moment in time that lets you see where it all begins. They will get a full novel, with a true happy-ever-after ending like you expect in a romance, somewhere down the line. The problem is they both have a lot of growing up to do between the time of TAKING A SHOT and whenever that will be. Think of this novella as a prequel. It's just a taste, and there's a lot more to come.

Second, no, you don't have to read TAKING A SHOT to understand the other books in the series. Ever since BREAKAWAY, which got it all started, you've been seeing bits and pieces of their story going on in the background. That's going to continue in the other books. In fact, initially, TAKING A SHOT was not going to exist as a separate entity at all. The events that take place in that novella were only supposed to be going on in the background of the rest of the series.

(As a side note, TAKING A SHOT is where the hero for the third book, LIGHT THE LAMP, is introduced. That said, you'll meet him when you start reading LIGHT THE LAMP anyway. It isn't necessary to read TAS in order to understand what's going on in LTL. LIGHT THE LAMP will release on June 12, 2014.)

This novella, TAKING A SHOT, would not have existed at all if not for me learning about the SEDUCED BY THE GAME anthology. When I learned about it, and that the authors involved were going to donate our stories and all the royalties we earned from sales to Hockey Fights Cancer, I decided that this was a brief story that I could pull to the forefront instead of allowing it to happen in the background of someone else's story like I initially intended. The only reason I wrote it at all was for the opportunity to raise money for a good cause. Period.

So why do you have to buy the anthology just to get this story? That's why. It wouldn't exist if not for the anthology. If you don't want to buy an anthology with other authors' stories and have the money go to charity, that's fine. You don't have to do that...you just have to wait. In 2015, I will get the rights to TAKING A SHOT back, and I will then be able to publish it separately. Until then, the only way to purchase TAKING A SHOT is to buy the SEDUCED BY THE GAME anthology.

I hope this answers all your questions about Babs and Katie. If not, feel free to contact me through Twitter, Facebook, or the email address found on my website or in my books!