By Martha O'Sullivan (Guest Blogger)
My
love affair with California began at the tender age of fifteen and
continues today, three decades later. So it should come as no
surprise that the book of my heart, which somehow turned into a
trilogy, is set there.
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Barnes and Noble
Maybe
it was the indescribable thrill of a Midwestern girl seeing the ocean
for the first time. Or the unapologetically bronzed coeds with
movie-star teeth driving silver metallic convertibles and playing
volleyball in the sand. Perhaps the towering palm trees swaying
against the impossibly blue sky? But that was in Southern Cal; my
Chances trilogy takes place in Lake Tahoe and San Francisco, hundreds
of miles north.
I
was an inadvertently lonely, only child of the 1970s, growing up in a
place where a short, precious summer turned into a long, cold winter
seemingly overnight. In high school, I often opted for the city bus
because it stopped in front of the library. Just a branch, but they
had loads of paperback books. And I always found myself drawn to the
wire rack of slightly musty and lovingly tattered romance novels. The
books took me to places all over the world where effortlessly
beautiful, wonderfully flawed heroines were swept off their feet by
dynamic, irresistible heroes. I preferred the books to the afternoon
soaps because I could use my overzealous imagination to fashion the
characters to my liking. And if I found the ending disappointing or
abrupt, I would simply continue the story in my head.
Writing
such ideas down, however, took another thirty years.
In
the interim, I went to college and met my own alpha hero. And he took
me to San Francisco on our honeymoon.
And,
as cliché as it sounds, that’s where I left my heart. Well, part
of it anyway. Because eight years and two babies later, he took me to
Lake Tahoe for the very first time.
And
my frisson with California moved even farther north.
I
hope my Chances
trilogy will take you there. And you’ll leave a little piece of
your heart behind too.
Martha
O’Sullivan’s Chances trilogy
is available now from Red Sage Publishing. Second
Chance, the trilogy opener, is a
reunion/love triangle romance that keeps the shores of Lake Tahoe
blazing hot long after the sultry summer sun has set. Chance
Encounter, the trilogy's
second installment, heats up San Francisco’s chilly days and
blustery nights with white-hot passion and pulse-pounding suspense.
And in Last Chance,
the conclusion of the trilogy, lifelong friends-turned-lovers melt
the snow-packed Sierras into lust-fueled puddles despite the
single-digit temperatures of the Lake Tahoe winter. Here’s a blurb
and excerpt from Last Chance.
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Blurb
Moira
Brody knows Paul Webster better than he knows himself. But neither
one of them know that he as in love with her as she is with him.
These friends-turned-lovers will have to look at each other with
fresh eyes and brave hearts. And even the single-digit temperatures
and snowcapped peaks of the Lake Tahoe winter are no match for their
long-bridled desire.
Excerpt
Paul
laid Moira down on the rumpled bed, and standing above her, got out
of his shirt and pants. She’d seen him shirtless countless times
before. But it was as if she was seeing him through different eyes.
His pecs were firm but not overbearing; his abs ripped but not enough
to make him barrel-chested; his arms defined but not herculean.
And
every bit of that thoroughbred-like body was lowering itself on top
of her.
Along
with something else.
And
it was throbbing against her thigh through form-fitting briefs.
Arrows
of fear and excitement shot through her and she wondered if he could
hear her heart beating outside her chest. He framed her head with his
arms. “I’ve wanted you for so long,” he effused, “without
even knowing it.”
Moira
gulped. “Then take me.”
Her
newfound initiative seemed to surprise, then intrigue him and he
began to indulge her.
She
welcomed his mouth, his tongue, his bite. She loved the way he
brushed his fingers across her cheeks, combed his hands through her
hair and down the nape of her neck before cocooning her in his arms.
He kissed her with his whole body, feasting on her throat and
shoulders before scooting back and finding his way to the hem of her
dress.
“I’ll
go easy. I promise.”
“I’m
not going to break.”
His
sultry eyes fired with desire. “Be careful what you wish for.”
Lifting
her arms above her head, she silently yielded to him.
Paul
slipped his hands under the silk and began shimmying the dress up her
thighs. He stopped appraisingly at her hips, then continued up her
torso to the swell of her breasts. He tasted them impalpably, then
slipped the dress over her shoulders.
He
extended his arms in invitation and she raised herself on her knees
to meet him. Cupping the back of her neck, he brought her to him. She
surrendered to his mouth, his hands, and soon she knew, as a chord
struck deep inside her, to his burgeoning erection.
Not
a word passed between them, but her eyes granted him the permission
he so desperately sought. His impatient hands unhooked the strapless
bra with disturbing deftness. He’d done this before, she reminded
herself.
A
lot.
His
fingertips grazed her chest and throat as if looking for a place to
start. He settled on her breasts, making concentric circles on her
nipples with his thumbs before easing her back against the
upholstered headboard.
His
shaft was nudging at her as he began where he’d left off.
But
with his teeth this time.
Nibble
by tortuous nibble, he tugged, snagged, bit until her nipples stood
on point. A lightning bolt of lust flashed in her bundle of nerves
below as he licked his way down to her bellybutton. He paused to
circle it with his tongue, then returned to her mouth, sampling her
all the while.
His
hands continued south to the strings resting below her hipbones. He
waggled the panties down, then jettisoned them with a nimble kick.
“You
are so beautiful,” he venerated, finding her. “Everywhere. I want
to touch every inch of you.”
She
reached for him more clumsily than she liked. He was as stiff as a
board and globules of need were oozing through the black cotton. “I
want to touch you first,” she ventured. “Show me what to do.”
He
made quick work of all that separated them and lying next to her,
placed her hand on his pulsating cock.
“You’ll
know.”
Get
your own copy of Last Chance
About
Martha
Martha
O'Sullivan has loved reading romance novels for as long as she can
remember. Writing her own novels is the realization of a lifelong
dream for this stay-at-home mom. Martha writes spicy, contemporary
romances with traditional couples and happy endings. She is the
author of the Chances trilogy
from Red Sage Publishing. Her current work-in-progress in a sweet and
steamy Christmas novel set in Costa Careyes, Mexico. A native
Chicagoan, she lives her own happy ending in Tampa with her husband
and two daughters.
Please
visit marthaosullivan26.wix.com/marthaosullivan
or
http://eredsage.com/store/OSULLIVAN_MARTHA.html
for
reviews, excerpts and more.
Find
Martha on the web at: marthaosullivan26.wix.com/marthaosullivan
11 comments:
Thanks for having me, Lisabet. I look forward to a great day and choosing a winner!
Congratulations on the excellent books, Martha. I know your work is well thought out and engaging,because I've read some of it. It's wonderful that your "alpha hero" swept you up into your own romance novel - that's awesome. So many of us escape into the world of books, and somehow never quite escape. Isn't that wonderful, though!? Hugs, D
Boy what an excerpt! I love books over TV and movies... so many places and people to enjoy! Thanks for sharing! :)
greenshamrock at cox dot net
Enjoyed reading the article. Your books sound really good.
JWIsley(at)aol(dot)com
Looks like some great books. Enjoyed the post. Thanks for the giveaway.
turtle6422 (at) gmail (dot) com
Thanks, Denyse. The compliment of such an accomplished author like yourself is humbling. And for as long as I can remember, I've escaped into a book. I could only hope someone would consider my books an escape too!
Thanks, Colleen! I think I've "met" you before. Maybe at The Romance Studio? Thanks for reading.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. You can find more excerpts, reviews and more at marthaosullivan26.wix.com/marthaosullivan.
Thank YOU! I loved writing them. I'll announce a winner tomorrow. To learn more about my Chances trilogy, please visit
marthaosullivan26.wix.com/marthaosullivan
or
http://eredsage.com/store/OSULLIVAN_MARTHA.html
Welcome to Beyond Romance, Martha!
I lived in southern California for a couple of years. It's a strangely seductive state. Since leaving, I've set many stories there.
Good luck with the trilogy.
Thanks for having me, Lisabet. It's been a whirlwind weekend--two guest blog spots, Prom and graduation prep! J Bur is the winner of a free e-copy of one of the books in the Chances trilogy. I'll contact him or her directly to coordinate e-reader preference and delivery.
Thanks again,
Martha
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