Tag Archives: contemporary romance

COVER REVEAL + EXCERPT! ~ When Sinners Kneel by R. Scarlett

Title: When Sinners Kneel
Series: The Blackest Gold World
Author: R. Scarlett
Genre: NA PNR
Release Date: March 8, 2018
Cover Design: Regina Wamba – Mae I Design 

 

Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.

 


 

Lex Harvey came to The Pit to find her missing friend. Someone who fights there must have the answers she’s seeking. Instead, she found him. The damage inside her matches the darkness inside him. She’s only eighteen, but the feelings she has for him are as old as time.
Beau Knight should have ruled New York. Falling in love was the beginning of his end. He watched her die and he lost his heart. Now, The Pit is his heaven and his hell. The only place he can be himself.
They’re both beyond fixing. Addicts, with desires humans couldn’t understand.
A soulless man and a souleating girl.
How do you find redemption from your demons when you are one?

 

His inked fingers gripped my hair tightly in a makeshift ponytail and bent my neck farther back, almost as if he was offering me to himself. “Taste me,” he hissed out. An order. A command.

And before he could change his mind, I obeyed him for once in my life.

My mouth met his in a feverish ache, his lips full and soft and hard all at once. The smoke and whisky tasted hot on his tongue, on his gums and I swept deeper—deeper into the oblivion of Beau Knight.

He was the storm—the storm I walked into while everyone ran the opposite direction.

I welcomed him.

I thrived inside of him.

I let him conquer me.

Dig his claws and teeth in deep.

And then I let my hunger take over, let my soul take what it needed. What it craved.

Him. His essence. His soul filling my mouth like an old wine as a moan escaped my lips, quickly disappearing between his own.

I tasted his darkness—his coolness and burning, raging fire.

I tasted too much, too fast, and with that terrifying, powerful high of Beau Knight, I collapsed into the warm darkness of his palms, body humming.

“Fuck,” Beau breathed into my mouth, his hands going to cradle my head as he drew us further into the darkness. I caught his mouth again. My fingers clawed at his back, digging deep so that he met my aggression with a bit of his own.

My body shook—shook from the pure power I fed on from Beau. From his dark, unredeemable soul of sin and violence.

Soak in me, his soul sung to me. Drink me. Eat me. Consume me.

His hands were rough—callused and worn and worked so hard they felt like weapons on my body. Sliding, finding weak points in my frame, pinching ever so slightly.

Both of his large hands ran across my hips, leaving a hot trail in their wake.

I moaned once more—freely, openly and tore at his t-shirt soaked in sweat, feeling the hard ridges of his stomach.

His fingers captured my jaw again and he straightened, those dark, vivid eyes taking me in.

His breath came out in harsh and fast puffs of acid and sin, his inked fingers anchoring me as he came down from the high of letting a souleater taste him.

He licked his wet bottom lip and let his hand drop beside him. Each finger tattooed with a faint letter—spelling out hell and bent on each of his knuckles. How simple, rough hands inked in sin and blood aroused me—I didn’t understand it.

I let my tongue brush my mouth, soaking in every last taste of his soul.

In a span of a second, I tasted more of a person than I ever wanted.

It felt as if he was in me.



R. Scarlett lives in a small quaint town in Southern Ontario, Canada and has an unhealthy obsession with mythology and romance. 

From studying English literature and minoring in History, she loves losing herself in a good book and snuggling up to her Brittany Spaniel. 

When she’s not writing or plotting a delicious novel, she can be found hanging out with friends and family, going on long car rides, exploring small towns, or watching reruns of Sex and the City.

HOSTED BY:

REVIEW ~ Going Wild by Gretchen Galway

Get your copy HERE!!!

ABOUT:

When accountant Jane finds herself attracted to handsome, free-spirited Grant, will she pursue her long-term goals… or her heart?

All work and no play…

Jane Garcia’s life is going according to plan: she’s dumped the cheating ex, moved into a beautiful house overlooking the San Francisco Bay, and expects to move up at her accounting firm. But when financial trouble strikes, she’s forced to rent a room to Grant Whitman, a scruffy writer with a full beard who knits his own hats.

No man is an island…

Grant Whitman has spent countless weeks alone in the wilderness researching his best-selling books. But after he meets Jane, he knows solitude isn’t going cut it anymore. She’s smart, strong, sexy… and the chemistry between them could roast marshmallows. The problem? A guy like Grant just doesn’t fit into Jane’s plans.

Fools rush in…

As they grow closer, Jane isn’t sure she can continue to resist Grant—or even wants to. Soon all her careful plans begin to unravel like a badly knitted hat. And then, to his surprise, so do Grant’s.

But can their wild fling outlast the summer?

Starting this review is difficult for me because I LOVED the story and I really, really loved Grant. Jane though…I can’t say I ever warmed up to her. She was rigid, judgmental and so singularly focused that after a while I was hoping for a twist where a WAY better choice for Grant came along.

Alas, there was no twist.

Jane and Grant meet when she accidentally bumps into him with her minivan. She’s running late for a party at her employer’s home and she takes one look at his unkempt appearance and assumes he is a step above a vagrant and forces a wad of cash into his hand. Strike one.

What I liked about Going Wild was that Jane and Grant were both in a bit of a bind and needed each other. He wasn’t some dashing hero diving in to save her, and the fact that she was so independent and capable was something I really admired and loved about Jane. What I couldn’t understand was how someone so capable could let her mother treat her the way she did. But…family. I just wished that she would have stood up for herself when it came to Nicole or Troy or her mom. Any one of those would have done, especially considering the way she said really messed up things to Grant without even considering that it might hurt his feelings.

Grant is amazing. A creative non-fiction writer, he’s got a serious case of writer’s block and he’s certain Jane Garcia is the key to breaking it. Turns out, he was right and we get to see the fun that ensues.

By the time the end rolled around, I was smiling like a fool because Going Wild was a good story, and in line with the Oakland Hills series. Jane somewhat redeemed herself at the end, but honestly by then I no longer cared about her, but because Grant wanted her and I wanted him to get his HEA, I’m all right with it.

 

The Oakland Hills series:

Love Handles (free) – http://amzn.to/2CzWFig

This Time Next Door – http://amzn.to/2EGEgGC

Not Quite Perfect – http://amzn.to/2HyptLZ

This Changes Everything – http://amzn.to/2sKiOL9

Going for Broke – http://amzn.to/2GwnEhr

Going Wild – http://amzn.to/2EVtb3K

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!! ~ The Happy Endings Collection by L. Wilder

Collection Title: The Happy Endings Collection
Titles: My Temptation ~ Bring The Heat ~ His Promise
Author: L. Wilder
Genre: RomCom

Release Date: February 20, 2018

Grace-


After one too many disappointments in and out of the bedroom, I’d all but given up on men. While I was doubtful that therapy would change anything, I had to try something.


As soon as I walked into Dr. Seth Michaels’ office, temptation set in. With his piercing green eyes and devilish smile, the handsome doctor was every woman’s fantasy, including mine.


He tempted me in ways that I never dreamed possible, but some lines just can’t be crossed. With a newfound libido, I left his office thinking I would never see him again, but fate and a meddling mother had other plans.








Kaci-


Tucker Michaels could bring the heat, striking out anyone who stepped up to the plate, and he was burning up the big leagues.


At least, that’s what I was told.


I had no idea who Tucker Michaels was, and I honestly didn’t care. From the moment I met him, I thought he was an arrogant, smart-mouthed jerk.

I’ll admit he was hot—if you’re into those gorgeous, athletic types, but there was no mistaking the way he looked at me, like I was about to be his next grand slam. 


Unfortunately for him, he was about to be the one to strike out. I had no interest in playing games, especially when he was helping my little brother’s baseball team. 


… But after a week from hell and one too many drinks, I was starting to see another side of the sexy, charismatic player.

 



After the devastating loss of my wife and daughter, I did everything in my power to guard my heart, making everyone, including myself, believe I no longer had one. I focused on my work and kept everyone at a distance. It was the only way I could face the day. 

I had no time for distractions, but the day Langley, my legal assistant, asked for help with her custody battle there was no way I could refuse. When I was at my worst, she was there to pick up the pieces, making sure I didn’t lose the only thing I had left—my career.

Now, it was my turn to ensure she didn’t lose the one thing she cared about most—her children. 

I promised to help, but I had no way of knowing that one promise would turn my entire world upside down. With the help of her two kids, she chiseled away at the walls I’d worked so hard to build, and I found myself wanting the one thing I thought was out of my reach—another chance at love.
  
Leslie Wilder grew up in a small town in West Tennessee. A country girl at heart, she’s always thought that life is too short, but she had no idea how short it really was until her brother passed away in 2014. She’s always been an avid reader, loving the escape only a great book can give, and wondered if she had what it took to write one of the wild romances she’d come to adore. With the support of her family and friends, she published Inferno: A Devil Chaser’s MC, one year after her brother’s death. With him in mind, she fulfilled her lifetime dream of writing. Since then, she’s completed the Devil Chaser’s Series and continued on with the Satan’s Fury MC Series. She has so many stories in her head, and can’t wait to share each and every one.
Leslie has been blown away by the support of her readers, appreciating every message, review, and encouraging word she’s received over the past year. She looks forward to continuing this journey with them for years to come.

HOSTED BY:

99¢ SALE!!!! ~ Blackest Gold Series by R. Scarlett

Series Title: Blackest Gold Series
Novels: Vein of Love ~ Body of the Crime ~ A Vow of Thorns ~ To Crown a Beast 
Author: R. Scarlett
Genre: Romance
Release Date: Available Now

 


VEIN OF LOVE



 

“Darkness isn’t all one shade, sweetheart.”

Three centuries ago, Molly Darling’s ancestors signed a contract in blood—daemon blood—to protect themselves from harm. On the eve she turns nineteen, Molly leaves for her birthday party against her parent’s wishes, sick of their warnings about her “betrothal to a demon.”

Except that she’s very much betrothed, and he’s very much a demon—one who’s only agreed to the nuptials to steal Molly’s ancient daemon powers. Brash, arrogant, and built like a Greek god, Tensley Knight keeps showing up to save Molly from otherworldly attacks, only to insult her a moment later.

As Molly learns more about the demon world, she realizes two things: that her family’s safety depends on a successful marriage, while any chance of freedom she’ll ever have calls for Tensley’s demise.

Yet sometimes Molly spots a tortured soul beyond those liquid grey eyes, and there’s no denying the way her skin tingles when Tensley touches it. In Vein of Love, safety requires sacrifice, foe becomes lover, and one must decide whether to kiss…or to kill.

        _____________________________________________________

Body of the Crime


 Never trust a demon.

Never trust your heart.

And never trust the woman who holds it.

In Body of the Crime, a beast craved a beauty and oh, how she ravaged him.



        _____________________________________________________


A Vow of Thorns

Never disobey the court.


Never disobey the crown.


And never tame that vicious heart.


In A Vow of Thorns, sacred laws are broken when a beauty holds an iron heart.





 




        _____________________________________________________

To Crown a Beast

She tasted his sweetness, his power, and his love, and it destroyed him.

That iron heart has turned to ashes, leaving only a heartless beast.


One she vows to tame.

One she vows to save.

Before he rips her own heart out.



 

 


        _____________________________________________________










R. Scarlett lives in a small quaint town in Southern Ontario, Canada and has an unhealthy obsession with mythology and romance. 

From studying English literature and minoring in History, she loves losing herself in a good book and snuggling up to her Brittany Spaniel. 

When she’s not writing or plotting a delicious novel, she can be found hanging out with friends and family, going on long car rides, exploring small towns, or watching reruns of Sex and the City.




HOSTED BY:

COVER REVEAL!!! ~ Brief Encounters by Scarlett Hopper

Title: Brief Encounters
Series: The Encounters Series #1
Author: Scarlett Hopper
Genre: College Romance
Release Date: March 7, 2018
Cover Design: Sarah Hansen from Okay Creations

 

Eleanor Ivy follows two rules in life: know how to lie and never let anyone in. With the painful life she left behind and the unorthodox job she currently has, lying is a must. But when Eleanor meets Jess Parker, Breslin University’s hockey player both on and off the ice, everything she has worked for threatens to come crumbling down.

Jess Parker is the epitome of everything Eleanor wants to avoid. He’s popular, cocky, and has more girls’ numbers than a phonebook. Yet, when they are paired together for a school project, their connection is undeniable. As their friendship develops, Jess’s ability to truly see Eleanor shakes the very foundation she’s built her new life on. When Eleanor begins to question the two rules she has always followed, she finds herself wondering if honesty might actually be the best policy. But, when all is said and done, will the truth be too much for Jess to handle?

 

Scarlett Hopper was born in Sydney, Australia and moved to Los Angeles when she was 10 years old. Her passion for writing came about at a young age when her sister would read her the works of Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath. Three years ago, Scarlett re-located back to Sydney where she studies creative writing and communications. When she isn’t writing or reading, she spends her time traveling and searching for the best record stores, while eating at 24 hour diners. After her graduation, Scarlett hopes to move back to the US and begin a new adventure in Seattle.

 

HOSTED BY:

RELEASE DAY ~ Break Down by Rebecca Norinne

Title: Break Down
Series: Dublin Rugby #4
Author: Rebecca Norrine
Genre: M/M Sports Romance
Release Date: February 21, 2018

He knows his place on the pitch, but in life, it’s a whole other game.All his life, Liam Donnelly looked and wondered. Could he? Would he? And then, finally, he did. But when he sampled a taste of that forbidden fruit, his whole world came crashing down, his position with Dublin Rugby right along with it. When the chance to ply his trade in Edinburgh comes along, Liam jumps at the offer, knowing it could be his best opportunity to start fresh and get back to the man he once was. But one look at Chef Lachlan MacLeod — his knowing, whisky-colored eyes, the abrasive scruff dotting his jaw, and the colorful ink lining his forearms —and Liam’s wondering all over again. Can he? Will he? His heart says no, but his body says yes.He’s conquered his own demons; can he help another man do the same?

Out and proud Chef Lachlan MacLeod has no problem with who he is, except he has a history of hooking up with bi-curious straight men. He’s vowed never to go down that path again, but when Liam Donnelly shows up in his restaurant, his eyes filled with heat and secret longing, Lachlan can’t help himself. He knows the closeted rugby player is a terrible idea, but the man calls to him in a way no one ever has before. What started as a safe way for Liam to explore his sexuality quickly morphs into something much deeper, and now Lachlan wants more. But can his heart reconcile what his head already knows-that loving the gorgeous, broken athlete might actually mean letting him go?

 

I absolutely adored Liam and Lachlan’s journey. It was sweet, smexy, frustrating and real and I savored each step forward and back that these men took in order to find their HEA. – Books-n-Wine

What do you get when you take a hot rugby star who is sexually confused and add in a sexy, chef who knows what he wants? An excellent read! – Que Sara Sera Book Blog

From start to finished i devoured this read and couldn’t put it down till i had. I was drawn in and captivated with Liam and Lachlan’s story. – Millsy Loves Books

Break Down was everything and more; all of Rebecca Norinne’s words are so beautifully and tastefully written you will not be disappointed with this book. – Scandalous Book Blog

Wow this book! I am having a hard time putting into words how I feel. I absolutely loved this book. This is one of the best M/M romances I have read in a while. – Laid Back Book Bitches

Holy amazing story Batman! This is the first story by this author that I have read. I’m a automatic one clicker for her now. WOW. – The Heathers Blog

This M/M read is beautifully written. The characters being both sexy & rough, yet emotional & vulnerable. – Dani’s Book Review Blog


 


 

Sign up for Rebecca’s newsletter for a chance to win the FULL SERIES >

 

 

No amount of logic or reason could prevent me from stepping between Liam’s thighs and fisting his blond hair between my fingers. No amount of caution or doubt would keep me from tugging his head back. And when he gasped—his mouth parting in surprise—no amount of uncertainty would keep me from crushing my lips to his, from my teeth nipping at the sensual curve of his full, bottom lip. Nothing, and no one, would keep me from devouring the mouth I’d dreamed about for weeks, from licking my way inside, from tangling my tongue with his until he weaved his fingers through my hair and moaned, the sound moving from his chest, through his mouth, and into mine.

 

 

USA TODAY bestselling Rebecca Norinne writes steamy contemporary romance featuring smart and sexy heroines and the men who adore them. When not writing, Rebecca is watching rugby, drinking craft beer, or traveling the globe in search of inspiration for her next story. Find out more at http://www.rebeccanorinne.com

HOSTED BY:

COVER REVEAL ~ Breech’s Fall by DD Galvani

Title: Breech’s Fall
Series: Devils Wind MC
Author: D.D. Galvani
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: March 21, 2018
Cover Models: Connor Smith and Jess Epps
Photographer: Reggie Deanching
Cover Design: Tammie Smith @ Renegade Covers and Design

 

From the moment Jiji steps foot inside the Devil’s Wind clubhouse, Breech can’t get her out of his head. She’s beautiful, smart and sassy-all things that drive Breech’s need to its breaking point. But she’s not for him. She’s his best friend Fighter’s little sister. He can’t hit it and quit it with Jiji, like he does the others. Either he’s all in or Fighter will have his balls.

Jiji knows exactly what kind of man Breech is and no matter what kind of fire he sets off in her lady parts, she has no intentions of getting mixed up with him and becoming another one, of the many women, he leaves in his wake. She has goals she’s working towards and the world of bikers doesn’t fit in with what she has planned.

But when trouble comes knocking and Jiji finds herself in a terrifying situation, it’s Breech and the Devil’s Wind that must step in to save her. She just hopes they make it in time.

D.D. Galvani was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She moved to Florida in 2002 and lives there today with her husband of 37 years. She has two children and one beloved grand daughter whom she spoils as much as she can. She is an avid reader and crafter and decided to put those two loves together and Swag by NaNa was born. After working around author’s for a few years, she asked a couple to look at a story she had written and was blown away that they liked it. They pushed her to finish it and her first novel Fighter’s Claim, an MC romance came to be. She writes strong alpha males and sassy intelligent women. Welcome to her world!

HOSTED BY:

RELEASE DAY ~ Broken Boundaries by TC Matson

Title: The Broken Boundaries
Series: The Debonair Series #1
Author: TC Matson
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Release Date: February 21, 2018

Two things I love are the company I built from the ground up and women, and not particularly in that order.

 

When I see something I want, I get it, whether it’s a new client or a wild night in the sack.

 

Women flock to my stock, and ladies, that’s not all they enjoy.

 

I’m not labeled as one of Denver’s top playboys for nothing. 
I’m damn good-looking, my pockets are deep, and my “endowments” leave women begging for more.
Two rules I live by:
* Don’t mix business with pleasure.
* Never, ever date an employee.
I thought I had it all in check until Zoey Campbell started working for me.
All my rules? Disintegrated.
Because rules are meant to be broken.
And great sex is meant to be had.

Easton Langley is a manwhore.
I knew his reputation before I applied for the job.
But none of the rumors about him mattered because my focus was on my career.
And I’m smart enough not to fall for his sexy charm.
Or so I thought.
He’s so insanely good-looking and smooth with his words, I can’t help but be distracted whenever he’s around. 
Fantasizing about the boss is inappropriate.
Sleeping with him would be crossing the line.
One night. That’s all it took.
And going back to the way it was isn’t an option.
The worst part about it?
I’ve fallen for him.

When a late night in the office shatters every rule, Easton and Zoey find themselves breaking all the boundaries.


“Why would you care what I do outside of work?” I ask valiantly. Bad day or not, I’ll not be the person taking direct hits from his frustrations.

He rests back in his chair. “Because I do.” I’m stunned by the sexy grin curving his mouth. “You represent me.”

He’s got to be kidding me. Him of all people? “Sir, no matter what I do, it’ll cause no harm to your business. If your reputation hasn’t damaged anything, I’m quite sure my nonexistent one won’t either.”

I smother the gasp my words cause. I can’t believe my mouth, but I hold my ground, keeping my nervousness below my poker face.

His chuckle is playful. “I’m not what they claim in the papers or wherever else my reputation is slandered. Rumors are just rumors. Most of them false. I conduct myself professionally and give them no further thought.”

My skin is still buzzing from his gall. “No matter how dazzling your entrance, your reputation got there before you. Regardless of how you conduct yourself, a reputation like yours can influence the purest of minds.”

He chokes on his water.

Still irked, I push to my feet and flash a bitchy smirk. “Thank you for lunch.” 

“Dreaming in Reality…You dream in reality when you pick up a book and get lost in it. In my writing, I strive to take you to a place where reality and fantasy become a blurry line. Everything should be relatable. It could happen…couldn’t it?” ~ TC MatsonTC Matson loves to let her character’s voices be heard. With a head full of stories, she puts her keyboard through a beating daily. With an understanding that love isn’t always instant and full of flowers—her writing mirrors it.

She’s a romance junkie at heart and an avid reader. Add those two together and she will devour books within hours, getting lost in the world the author creates.

Matson resides in the peaceful Piedmont area of NC with her husband and three boys, where staying hopped up on caffeine is the key to her sanity. Chaos is indefinite and a sense of humor is an absolute must.


HOSTED BY:

HAPPY RELEASE DAY & Review!! 💙💚 Fool Me Twice by Lillian Anderson

Title: Fool Me Twice
Author: Lilliana Anderson
Genre: Romantic Comedy/Contemporary
Release Date: February 21, 2018
‘Some husbands bought their wives flowers, others bought jewellery. Mine? He returned the things he stole.’

I should have known better. Hot guys didn’t hit on big girls without an agenda. They didn’t approach them in bars and talk their way into your bed. They also didn’t make you feel beautiful and proud of your curves. But, I was going through a dry spell—actually, I’d kind of been going through a dry spell all my life—and dry spells sucked. Of course I slept with him.

I was such a fool. 

I believed his lines. Fell for his easy smile; the man swept me off my feet, rocked my world, then robbed me blind. 

I really needed a three date rule.

Angry and embarrassed, I engaged the help of my best friend to track the thief down and make him return what he took. But when I found him, he wasn’t alone….

What does a girl do when she finds not one thief, but an entire family? 

She marries into it, of course.
I have mixed feelings about Fool Me TwiceOn the one hand it was a fun and funny romance featuring a curvy girl and a sexy guy with an accent, two things guaranteed to get me all hot & bothered…and interested. But on the other hand, this story wasn’t everything I hoped it would be, which is why I only gave it 3.75 stars.
The story itself was good with a really intriguing premise and the chemistry between Holland and Nate (not Ben) was really hot. But the story loses something with only being told from her point of view. That fact alone made it hard to connect with Nate, to give a damn about why he and his family did what they did, which is key, in my opinion, to forgiving him for the way he treated her. Twice.
Fool Me Twice was a good read, but I never fully connected.
Bestselling Author of the Beautiful Series, Drawn and 47 Things, Lilliana has always loved to read and write, considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer.
Australian born and bred, she writes New Adult Romance revolving around her authentically Aussie characters with all the quirks you’d expect from those born Down Under.
Lilliana feels that the world should see Australia for more than just it’s outback and tries to show characters in a city and suburban setting.
When she isn’t writing, she wears the hat of ‘wife and mother’ to her husband and four children.
Before Lilliana turned to writing, she worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities and communications before transferring to commerce/law at university.
Originally from Sydney’s Western suburbs, she currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.

HOSTED BY:

BOOK SPOTLIGHT ~ Silent Song by Jaci Wheeler

Title: Silent Song
Author: Jaci Wheeler
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 22, 2018 

 

*Barrett* I’m Deaf. What most people view as a disadvantage, I see as an advantage. I feel my way through life in my 1969 Ford Fairlane. The vibrations and speed sustain me, the race track is where I dominate. I thought racing was all I needed to survive…but I was wrong. *Presley* Music is my life. I inhale the melody and breathe in the lyrics. That was until I met someone that opened my eyes to a new culture. Who knew all it would take was silence for me to really experience music. When Silence and sound collide it creates an explosion of the senses.

“I want to ask you something but don’t want make you uncomfortable.”

Oh God, please don’t ask me for sex. I can’t deal with that right now. He isn’t going to ask for comfort sex, is he? Oh Lord, he is. How do you turn down a grieving brother? A hot, grieving brother at that? 
“What?” I sign, not looking at him at all. 
“Could you…I mean, would it be okay if you sang to me?” My head snaps up and I look at him. He’s looking down sheepishly, but he raises his eyes to meet mine. 

 

“Why sing if can’t hear you?” 
“I can a little…if you let me put my head on your chest.” I look at him skeptically and he is quick to follow up, “I swear it’s not a line. My mom used to sing to me that way, and it’s been a while, so I was just curious if it would work with you.”
“Light on off which?” I repeat. 
“I prefer low light, always on.” He flips off the main switch and turns on the nightstand light, which isn’t more than an amber glow. 
I roll to my back and he places his head on my shoulder. I think about what song to sing. It’s not like it’s really going to matter much to him, but I never make a song choice without thought. Music is the sound track of life to me, so I decide something a little sad and soulful is in order. I pick ‘Hallelujah’ by Jeff Buckley. Singing while flat on your back with a person on top of you is no easy feat. I guess it doesn’t really matter what the sound is like as long as the vibration is there, so with that in mind, I keep my tone low and raspy. Luckily, I tend to feel right at home singing alto, so this works out pretty nicely. 
I start off soft and low, and let the music build. He is tentative in the beginning, who am I kidding, we both are. This should be seriously awkward. We hardly know each other and we’re entering major bubble territory…yet there’s also something very innocent and pure about it. I can tell when he starts to relax and is more comfortable. I’m really letting go as well now and just singing from my soul. He moves to where his head is fully on my upper chest, right below my throat. By the third verse I stop worrying about how weird this might be and the beauty of the situation full on hits me. I’m able to give this man something that he’s never been able to give himself. Sharing the joy of music isn’t only a passion for me, it’s a need, so we are just two souls fulfilling a great need in each other.
His tears are completely silent as they slowly hit my exposed skin and pool in the hollow of my throat. They spark my own tears. The idea that I can touch him so deeply this way, giving him nothing but my voice, touches me deeply. Without thinking, I bring his arms around me and place his hands flat against my back so he isn’t only getting the sound vibrations from my chest, but he can also feel them from behind. It has its desired effect when he sighs out against my neck. The song ends but neither one of us move. To be honest, I have no words. In this type of communication words are useless. I close my eyes and go right into ‘Brightest’ by Copeland. Somewhere around ‘As my guitar gently weeps’ by the Beatles, I drift off.”
Jaci Wheeler lives in the Central Valley of California with her husband and two precious kids. 
Her love of literature began in Jr. High when she was introduced to Lowis Lowry’s books. Since then she has had a passion for writing Young Adult books, and creating strong female leads. When she’s not writing, she is advocating for Autism Awareness and involved in the deaf community.
Her favorite things to do are play with her children, craft with her friends, sleep while her husband watches movies and indulge in her favorite addictions: Coffee, candy and shoes.

HOSTED BY: