I've been following her blog since late 2010, and have been honored to watch her go from unpublished to published!
Today, her FIRST story, Fated Mates, released from Secret Cravings Publishing. When I purchased my copy to read, I noticed she's already number four on the publisher site's bestseller list, WOOT!!
I think her story is an erotic sci fi romance. For a blurb and excerpt plus a chance to win a free copy, head over to her blog and leave her a "happy release day" comment!
I'm so happy for her.
In my own life, things are and aren't quite as exciting. I was offered a contract for two books since complaining about waiting for a submission responses last week, YAY!! One story I was super excited about finally selling (my second young adult book). But I'll talk about those more later...probably way later.
Then I received a ho-hum review from The Romance Reviews for How to Resist Prince Charming. The reviewer had good things to say and bad things to say. Usually, I can learn something good from the negative comments, but I don't know how to change disjointed pacing and disconnection for a reader. Sounds almost like a subjective thing, where another person might not feel the same way. Oh, well. Can't win over everyone.
On the other hand, I received a GLOWING review on Goodreads for my story, Delinquent Daddy. So, it all evens out. And that's my Monday updates!!
Ellie paced to the kitchen and wilted into a chair. She shook so hard, her fingers jerked uncontrollably as she covered her mouth.
Cassidy was the only person she had left. That little girl was her life, her only family, her very soul. Ellie would be nothing if Cassie left her. And to have Cassie so mad at her...someone might as well stab her in the stomach and drag the knife across her abdomen.
It felt like she’d just sat in the chair when Boston strode back down the hall. Ellie popped to her feet. He paused when he saw her.
“Thanks a lot,” she growled.
He frowned, clearly confused. “What?” he asked. His expression added, What’d I do?
“That’s the second time today you’ve played the good guy, and I had to star as the wicked witch.”
His body went taut as he tightly answered, “Hey, it’s not my fault you fill the role so—” But he broke off before he could finish the insult.
Blowing out a breath, he ran a hand through his hair and glanced down the hall, quietly saying, “Look. I’m going to leave that form here.” He nodded toward the custody arrangement. “And let you think about what would work best for you.”
“I don’t have to think about it,” Ellie hissed just as quietly. “You can’t have her every weekend.” God, she didn’t want him to have Cassie at all.
He sighed, long and low. “Then what do you suggest?”
Never was the immediate response Ellie wanted to give. She didn’t want to part with her daughter, even for one day each decade.
But she licked her lips and diplomatically answered, “I could settle for one weekend a month.”
“One weekend a month?” he sputtered. Then he instantly calmed and glanced down the hall as if to make sure Cassie hadn’t heard him. Turning back, he whispered harshly, “Fine then. One weekend a month. And for the first nine years I’ve lost with her, you owe me two hundred and thirty-six days. I’ll just take those now on the other weekends I’m not scheduled to have her.”
“Well, then you owe me sixty thousand dollars for ten years of child support,” Ellie shot back.
That caused him to pause. Tilting his head thoughtfully, he murmured, “Hmm. I calculated a hundred and twenty grand. But...” He shrugged. “Do you want that in one lump sum or monthly payments?”
She glared at him for calling her bluff. “I don’t want your money. I want my daughter every weekend.”
“You’re already getting her during the week. Two out of seven days sounds pretty freaking practical to me. You still have the majority.”
“Look, Law Boy, I can’t be away from my daughter that often. It’s just not possible.”
“Well, then thank God this isn’t about you. And don’t call me Law Boy anymore. You only did it because you thought it annoyed me, but all it ever did was turn me on.”
Ellie gasped and took a surprised step back. Unconsciously her gaze went to his crotch. She was utterly bowled over to find his pants stretched tight over a huge bulge.
Boston gritted his teeth, turning so she couldn’t see the proof of his attraction. “But guess what,” he growled. “That part of my anatomy doesn’t make the ultimate decisions in my life anymore. I don’t care what my dick wants. I don’t even care if you’re willing...I’m not interested. I’m still pissed at you. And I want Cassie every weekend. Personally, I think that’s being more than fair. It’s not like I’m asking for full or even evenly split custody.”
“Well, it’s impossible,” Ellie answered. “And I’m not just thinking about myself. Cassidy’s life is here. Her friends are here. She has activities and ball games on weekends.”
“And I have a car. I know how to drive. If she has somewhere to be, I can take her just as easily as you could.”
“Oh, come on. You’re not going to want come all the way back to Lawrence for a—”
“Right about now, I’d go to Italy to get her a pizza,” he boomed, advancing until he’d neatly trapped her in a corner.
Ellie gritted her teeth and only had to glance at his face to see just how true his words were. He would do anything for Cassie, which made her jealous. There’d never been a point he would’ve done anything for her.
Instantly upset because he’d never loved her how she’d always wanted him to and even more pissed because he’d caused her to experience such a petty feeling as jealousy, she had this irrational urge to slap at him until he bled.
Unaware of just how close he came to bodily harm, Boston blew out a breath and spiked his hands through his hair. “Don’t fight me on this, Ellie,” he said, restraining his temper and once again talking in a hushed voice. “You don’t want to take it to court.”
Her face drained of color. “Once a month,” she repeated firmly.
He was silent, studying the way her hands shook. She couldn’t hide her bubbling, erratic emotions at all, and she hated that.
“Every week or we take it to a judge,” he reiterated.
Trapped between him and the counter and needing more space, Ellie jerked by, turning her back to him as she moved. But the space was so narrow, she grazed him, making him suck in a breath.
He leapt backward as if she’d just struck him with lightning. She frowned and was about to ask him what his problem was when she remembered the bulge. Lips parting, she lifted her face.
Boston ground his teeth and spun away from her. Shoving his hands through his hair yet again, he groaned to himself, “I need to get out of here.”
******************** You just read an excerpt from: DELINQUENT DADDY by Linda Kage The Wild Rose Press You can also go HERE for another excerpt! ********************
Yes, you read correctly. That author is ME. Surprise! My story, DELINQUENT DADDY, is out and available to read in both ebook and print TODAY!!!
Here is what it's about:
********************BLURB******************** It's not every day you learn you have a nine-year-old daughter.
Boston Kincaid and Ellie Trenton have a bad past. After dating for two semesters in college, they experience a rough break, and Ellie miscarries Boston’s child…or so she tells him. Ten years later, a nine-year-old girl seeks Boston, wanting to get to know her father. Though Boston returns to Ellie’s life merely for his daughter’s sake, he realizes he never quite got over that long ago romance.
Boston and Ellie’s decade apart melts away, and that magical chemistry between them flares back to life. But trust doesn’t come easily, and old wounds never healed properly.
Can Boston and Ellie learn to forgive and forget so they can experience the love they never shared, or will child custody battles keep them apart forever? *********************************************
I decided not to have a countdown this time around; they don't seem to go over too well. But I am running another contest to win free copies of Delinquent Daddy and How to Resist Prince Charming, since they both came out this month.
Then next month, I'll run another contest to win ebook copies of Hot Commodity. Delinquent Daddy is actually the second book to its companion story, Hot Commodity (releasing from Champagne Books). So, in February, I'll have, yes, ONE MORE CONTEST, to give away both books together!
But if you'd like a little something-something without having to enter a crummy-ol contest, email me at Linda (at) LindaKage (dot) com, with Delinquent Daddy in the subject line and your name in the body with a snail-mail mailing address, and I'll send you a bunch of swag for my books (postcards, bookmarks, pamphlets with excerpts, and such).
If you don't want to wait for Hot Commodity first, it's okay to get started on Delinquent Daddy now; that's perfectly fine by me, and it won't give away any of the good stuff in its companion story.
The Wild Rose Press has placed great faith in me and contracted me for yet another book.
WOW.
DELINQUENT DADDY is an adult contemporary romance about Boston Kincaid who realizes he has a ten-year old daughter with Ellie Trenton. Merely wanting to get to know his little girl, he reenters Ellie's life only to discover the chemistry never died between the two of them.
I'm just starting edits, so it'll be awhile before I find out WHEN the story will be released, but it'll be available at online bookstores in both ebook and print once it's available.
If you'd like to meet Boston before his story comes out, he'll be a supporting character in my third book, HOT COMMODITY, which will be available in November from Champagne Books.
Head to my Bookshelf on my website to read more-detailed blurbs if you're interested.
.....to MARIE ROSE DUFOUR!!
