Thursday, August 28, 2014

Women Spies, Sex Scandals & Sabotage – Part 2

Research for RED TAPE was extensive and fascinating. I had no idea there were so many women spies in history. Here are a few. Maybe my book isn't so far fetched???

Think high stakes espionage is a man’s game? Women operatives tend to be overlooked in history books, but they have demonstrated their bravery and played a major role in protecting our nation as well as working in many parts of the world. Sometimes their techniques may be different than men, but the results are quite impressive. Many of these women will never be recognized for the work they did because they kept a low profile and died while working undercover. These women have conducted missions such as information gathering, assassinations, and sabotage, sometimes using seduction and even stripping to get what they want.

This is part two of three highlighting a number of well-known women spies.

Brita Tott was born in Denmark and holds allegiance to Denmark. As a daughter of Danish nobility, Brita married into the Swedish royal family. There she became a courier passing military secrets onto her family. She betrayed the Swedish military and assisted in conspiring to kill Sweden’s King Charles VIII

Lona Cohen was born American but held allegiance to the Soviet Union. She worked as a courier for Manhattan Project physicist, Theodore Hall, who leaked atomic secrets to the Soviets. She and her husband formed the Portland Spy Ring in London, passing British naval secrets to the Soviets. Husband/wife spy team. Can you picture Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt?

Stephanie Julianna von Hohenlohe
 

Princess Stephanie Julianna von Hohenlohe – She was from Austria and held allegiance first to Germany and later to America. As a socialite among London’s elite, she seduced cabinet ministers and other royalty, then turned her attentions to Hitler. When she moved to the US, she helped created a psychological profile on Hitler- her former friend.

Violette Szabo

Violette Szabo was born in France and her allegiance was with England and France. The Xbox video game Velvet Assassin is named after her. She was a secret agent for Special Operations Executive in England. Her varied missions included intelligence gathering and sabotage. After D-Day, she was caught in an intense gun battle, emptied every clip of ammunition, then captured by German soldiers. She was imprisoned at Ravensbruck concentration camp and executed in 1945 at 23 years old.

  
Look for part 1  of Women spies, Sex Scandals and Sabotage (http://kathykulig.blogspot.com/2014/07/women-spies-sex-scandals-sabotage.html )

Part 3 coming soon.

Some of these stories gave me ideas for my new book RED TAPE and the series: The FLC (The First Lady’s Club).

Sex, lies, manipulation and coercion are powerful weapons when used creatively, especially when women are in charged with the help of some hunky, dangerous men.

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BUY Red TapeAmazon  B&N  Smashwords   Apple  Kobo  ARe

RED TAPE – Book one in The FLC series- a sexy romantic suspense by Kathy Kulig- Available early August at most retailers.

Blurb: BONDAGE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Handpicked for an underground White House society, Jason Merritt and Zoe Summers are assigned to take down a sadistic leader through the use of blackmail, coercion and sex. Former CIA agent Jason must train his ex-lover for her role as a submissive in a dangerous BDSM sex tape project. Distracted by their tortured past, he’s unprepared for their reignited passion or his overwhelming need to protect her, possess her and do whatever it takes to make her his.

HE WANTS TO MAKE HER HIS SLAVE
Tough and tenacious Zoe Summers has tried to forget her former field partner and lover. She hasn’t forgiven Jason, or herself, for their failed missions. The BDSM training sessions with Jason stir up deep yearnings and sparks fly. She’s obsessed into exploring this realm of her sexuality, but worried it will undermine both their relationship and their project. Danger escalates when their target discovers the plan and devises one of his own. Now the two must fight and choose between life, love and national security.


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Brought to His Knees Boxed Set with Sabrina York

My friend, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sabrina York is a busy girl and has recently published a hot new boxed set with some amazing authors. Brought to His Knees sounds yummy and so does Sabrina's book, Whipped. Her addition to this hot new collection.

Amazon Buy

CHECK OUT RAFFLECOPTER CONTEST AT END

Who Doesn’t Want a Man Brought to His Knees by Love? Eleven Scorching Stories for 99¢

I was thrilled when my latest venture, the Hot Alpha SEALs Megaset, hit the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists and I am very excited about my next release, a collection of steamy stories about men brought to their knees by love. Check out a taste of my story, and read on for more teasers from the collection.

Brought to his Knees Box Set
The Alpha male. Strong. In control. Letting no one and nothing rule him…until he meets the one, and all bets are off. The world tilts, the bed rocks, and suddenly that tough guy finds himself Brought to His Knees—in more ways than one. This collection of ten hot to erotic novellas and one short erotic novel will take you on journeys of lust, love, and adventure, leave you breathless and quite possibly in need of a cold shower. Enter with anticipation. Finish satisfied…



Whipped
By Sabrina York

Dane Coulter is mourning the loss of his best friend, fellow Special Ops buddy, Cody. Oh, Cody didn’t die. It’s worse. He’s getting married. Cody is, in Dane’s opinion, whipped.

Dane swears he will never suffer the same fate. But when he meets a woman who can take all his dominant loving and beg for more, he realizes he may have met his match. It’s a damn shame she’s the one woman in the world his man-code deems untouchable…his best friend’s sister.

Read an Excerpt (18+ Only, Please—this is steamy stuff)
He was bigger than he’d been in high school. Bigger, taller and just…more. His muscles, lacquered by a tight black tee shirt, bulged. Tattoos danced over his biceps. The planes of his face were angled. High cheekbones, dark brows, long blade of a nose all the same, but sharper. His eyes hadn’t had those shadows back then either, that predatory glint. His hair—his thick mop of curls—was gone, shaved off, revealing the perfect shape of his head. His chin, however, wasn’t shaved. It was covered by a smattering of dark fuzz. A scar on his cheek, rather than detracting from his looks, made him even more fascinating, dangerous.
And he smelled…delicious. As he moved, his cologne, a clean enticing scent, enveloped her in a cloud.
Oh, he was dangerous all right.
She didn’t care.
The slight buzz from the margaritas at the bachelorette party, the sexual sizzle ignited by the strippers who’d burst in on their party wearing camo fatigues with rip-away crotches, all contributed to her bravado.
In real life she would never hook arms with some random guy and sashay by his side to his room. But hell. This was Dane. The man of her fantasies. And, judging from the hunger in his expression as he looked down at her, the heat that passed between them where they touched, he wanted her.
Thank God she wasn’t still the dorky teen with braces she’d been when they’d last met.
She looked amazing tonight. He happened to wander by and notice her. No one else was around. And he wanted her.
It was as though, somehow, magically, all the stars had aligned.
There was no way—no way—she would miss this opportunity.
Excitement danced low in her gut as he swiped his room key and led her into his suite. It was a nice suite—not as sumptuous as Angie’s, but nice all the same—with a small sitting area and an enormous king bed. The windows looked out on the sparkling lights of the City that Never Slept. Or one of them.
“Can I get you a drink?” he asked, taking off his watch and dropping it on the table by the door. It drew her attention to his forearms, thick and muscled and sprinkled with dark hairs. They were roped with thick veins. She’d always had a thing for bulky forearms. And she’d always had a thing for Dane. The combination was irresistible.
She tipped her head to the side and blew a bubble with her gum. “Margarita?”
He waved at the glossy wood armoire against the wall. “I have a mini bar. It’ll have to be shots. What’s your poison?”
“Tequila then.” Might as well keep a good thing going.
He hunkered down and searched through the fridge, pulling out a tiny bottle of tequila for her and whiskey for him. He cracked them open and dumped them unceremoniously into two glasses and handed her hers. No ice or anything.
Good thing it didn’t matter to her, or she’d be pissed at his cavalier attitude. The drink was lubricant, a time filler. They were dancing around a seduction, and they both knew it.
Or…not.
Apparently seduction was not necessary. Because Dane took a swig of his drink and said, with no preface whatsoever, “So do you have any no-nos?”
She gaped at him. “No-nos?”
“Anything you won’t do? Because I’ll be frank. I like a little kink.”
Holy God.
First of all, the heat scorching her was mind-numbing. Literally. Mind. Numbing. Those brash words from Dane’s gorgeous lips and she nearly lost her balance.
Second of all—he liked kink.
So, in fact, did she. Nothing super dark, but a little slap and tickle for sure.
“Um…” She took a sip of her drink. She shuddered as the harsh bite of liquor burned through her. It clashed with the flavor of her gum. “What kind of kink are we talking about?”
He strode to his suitcase and fished around, pulling out a long leather strap with two loops on the ends. Her eyes fixated on it. She shuddered.
“I want to tie you up,” he said, his voice low, taunting, as though he expected her to squeak like a mouse and scuttle from the room.
The. Fuck.
“Hmm. I think I can handle that.”
“I’ll probably smack your bottom.”
Also good. She tried not to flinch in anticipation. His hand on her ass? Gawd.
“I won’t hurt you, though. I’m not into that. And of course, I’ll use protection.” He held up a pack of condoms.
Well da-ham. He’d come prepared. A smile curled on her lips.
“Billy said your fee’s been paid.” His brow quirked.
The smile froze on Tina’s face. A combination of horror and rage and something else altogether snarled through her, as she realized how right she’d been. Not only did he not recognize her—after knowing her her entire life, for pity sake—he thought she was a hooker.
Granted, she did kind of look like a hooker, with makeup plastered on as if with a trowel. But still…
She glanced at him from beneath the impossibly long lashes The Master had glued to her lids. Not her style, but she liked the way they looked. The way they made her feel…like someone else. Someone sultry and daring. Someone Dane would want.
To tie up and spank.
Aside from that, the temptation to have him, taste him, fuck him, ran rampant in her. For years she’d fantasized about her older brother’s best friend. All through puberty and long after that. Every man she’d met, dated or been with had been gauged against Dane Coulter. None of them had measured up.
Ah yes, the temptation to have him was overwhelming.
Not to mention how much fun it would be watching him shit a brick tomorrow, when he realized who she really was.
Too delicious to pass up, really. The whole package.
He stood there in the middle of the room, holding the strap in one hand and the condoms in the other, waiting for her reply. Though he was all Dom, she couldn’t help but notice a hint of tension in him, as though he was, on some level, afraid she’d say no and waltz away.
He wanted her. And he wanted her bad. It was the heat in his eyes that gave him away, the way they flicked over her and burned with hunger. Yeah. Irresistible.
Sure. She could be a hooker for the evening.

What people are saying about WHIPPED:
"5 Stars—Whipped by Sabrina York was so good, LOVED all the sexy scenes and then how she mixed in some humor parts. I know she's super busy but I'm really hoping she makes this one into a series because its that good :)"—Read More Romance

"5 Stars—Oh my goodness! I loved, loved, loved this story! The sex was off-the-charts hot! And I mean HOT! The characters were witty and so entertaining. As always, Ms. York's humor and witty writing is on full display. I honestly don't think she could not write a story that doesn't leave me in awe of her slightly sarcastic, yet always smartly written style. I bow to the master."— Coffee and Books

"5 Stars—This was a great read that kept me glued to the events. Loved the epilogue!"—Ms Romantic Reads
Oh and here is some inspiration for Dane & his buddies:  http://www.pinterest.com/sabrinayork/boys-in-uniformor-not/

BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES—Available August 19th
Amazon: Check Sabrina’s Amazon Page for this and all her releases: http://www.amazon.com/Sabrina-York/e/B00856PDEO

Check out the teaser video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbYYLpmDk6c

More about Brought To His Knees
Dark Wolf Enterprises by A.M. Griffin: Murder, mayhem and imprinting with a hot wolf shifter… And they say being an accountant is boring.
Building Bridges by Amy Ruttan: A vet tech and a lone wolf rancher ride out a sudden storm, but can they weather the emotions they stir up in each other...
Three Strikes by Anya Richards: Two lonely men. One secret affair. Irresistible passion that will push them both to the breaking point, and beyond.
A Cowboy’s Seduction by Cynthia D’Alba: One exhausted cowboy + One uptight account x A tropical resort = A hot seduction. But who is seducing whom?
Born to Sin by Danica Avet: A tomboy in love makes a desperate attempt to seduce her best friend and succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. But this Alpha male isn’t easily tamed and has secrets that could very well tear them apart.
The Sound of Your Name by Felice Fox: Their silent erotic encounters change his luck and awaken his soul, but secrets and cowboy superstitions can only keep them apart.
Beneath the Pages by Jennifer Kacey: One wicked night with her did nothing but whet his appetite. Now he’ll settle for nothing less than her complete submission.
Cruising for Love by Lynne Silver: A vacation cruise comes with surprises—like the BDSM theme and her high school love, the one man she can’t resist.
Whipped by Sabrina York: A scalding attraction. An irresistible passion. A pity she’s the one woman he can never have…
Chief Sin by Sayde Grace: A taste of Sin isn’t enough. Instead she wants all of him, including the heart she once broke.
Make Me Surrender by Tina Donahue: When it comes to two of the hottest guys in town, she has a proposition…to win their attention, passion, hearts.

About Sabrina York
Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers. Her titles range from sweet & sexy to scorching erotic romance.  Connect with her on twitter @sabrina_york, on Facebook or on Pintrest. Check out Sabrina’s books and read an excerpt on Amazon or wherever e-books are sold. Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com to check out her books, excerpts and contests. Free Teaser Book: http://sabrinayork.com/home-2/sabrina-yorks-teaser-book/ And don’t forget to enter to win the royal tiara!

FOLLOW SABRINA
Like my Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/sabrinayork
Like my Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/SabrinaYorkBooks
Follow me on Twitter @sabrina_york https://twitter.com/sabrina_york

Check out my Pintrest boards (prepare to spend the day): http://www.pinterest.com/sabrinayork/boards/


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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Nightlord Lover Book Blast #erotic #vampire



Nightlord Lover hit the Amazon Bestseller list for Erotic Urban and Paranormal! Thank you readers for you support! You rock! If you haven't checked it out yet, the blurb is below. The Book Blast with Literati Author Services begins today (August 21-25) with several stops and chances to win a Gift Card and free books. To follow the tour check out their site for the days and the locations.

http://literatiauthorservices.com/2014/07/14/book-blast-reviews-nightlord-lover-kathy-kulig-paranormal-menage-erotica/


Warrior vampire Garrick Labar guards the secrets of the Guild. His comrade-- vampire and sorcerer Ramon Travere--enforces the uneasy alliance between mortals and immortals. When Larissa Devine moves into town, both Garrick and Ramon are mesmerized and enraptured by her. They crave to claim her as their crimson swan and lover. But a new arrival is fair game and if they don't claim her first, a band of renegades will. 

Larissa finds a blistering-hot ménage with her protectors too intoxicating to resist. The immortals can't deny their sexual attraction for her and sense her blood pulsing hot and furious whenever they are close. Erotic desires thrust her into a world of danger and seduction. When the renegade vampires attempt to destroy a hundred years of peace, Larissa is caught in the crossfire. Eternal love and carnal nights can be her future if she survives.



PRAISE FOR NIGHTLORD LOVER:

"She combined my two favorite genres, paranormal and erotica, into one dark, dangerous, and delicious page turner." ~Amazon reviewer

"IT IS SUCH AN OMG YUMMY READ THAT YOU NEED TO GET IT NOW!! ...The characters , plot everything just jump at you!!I give this book a 5 plus star rating and am so looking forward to a Part 2 if there is one.. Please , I sure hope so!!!!!" ~Blogger reviewer

BONUS PRIZE: I'm going to start giving away a $5 gift card to a random member of my newsletter each month with special surprise gifts. Sign up for the newsletter during this tour and post a comment on this blog letting me know that you did and I'll add you to a special private drawing for a signed print book (USA residents) or ebook to those outside the US.

*BTW I never share your personal information-PROMISE. And I rarely send out newsletters more than once a month unless I have a new release.

Signup for Kathy's newsletterhttp://eepurl.com/FC_nP

More news: I'm planning to start a Street Team soon. Still in the planning stages. I'm calling it 'NEVER TOO MANY SHOES & BOOKS' unless another title strikes me. I'll keep you posted.





Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Make Me Surrender by Tina Donahue-Included in a New Boxed Set



BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES BOXED SET


Make Me Surrender – included novella by Tina Donahue


Blurb for Brought to His Knees boxed set

The Alpha male. Strong. In control. Letting no one and nothing rule him…until he meets the one, and all bets are off. The world tilts, the bed rocks, and suddenly that tough guy finds himself Brought to His Knees—in more ways than one.

This collection of ten hot to erotic novellas and one short erotic novel will take you on journeys of lust, love, and adventure, leave you breathless and quite possibly in need of a cold shower.

Enter with anticipation. Finish satisfied…

 Excerpt #2:

Travis slammed the pickup’s door and went around to the bed.
Mercy reached it just as he did. “Can you hand me the cooler?” She pointed to it.
She’d painted her nails the same shade as her lips. He recalled her finger in his mouth, how good the frosting and her skin had tasted. A sudden shock of heat spread from Travis’s belly to his crotch.
“There’s a fridge inside, right?” she asked.
It took him a moment to catch up. He nodded. “Your own private bath too.” Just in case she’d planned to use the one in Dutch’s cabin or his, driving both of them over the edge.
“Thanks.” She took the cooler from him and pulled out a single-wrapped Popsicle. Cherry-flavored. “Want one?”
Travis’s answer died in his throat at her tongue snaking around the tip of the pop. She worked the treat between her lips, in and out, as she would a man’s stiffened rod. Unable to speak, he shook his head.
Mercy licked the corners of her mouth, her tongue stained scarlet. “If you do later, go ahead and take as many as you want. Sure is hot today.”
His damn underwear was practically smoking.
After giving him another smile, she followed her girlfriend to the cabin. Like a lovesick puppy, Travis followed, staring at Mercy’s plush ass, the backs of her thighs. All that pale, smooth skin had him breathing hard.
She stopped. He couldn’t, at least not quickly enough, and bumped into her, his cock snuggled against her butt. Mercy looked over, submission in her eyes, a drop of Popsicle juice on her lower lip.
It glittered in the afternoon light, inviting him to taste its sweetness, the cushiony comfort of her mouth.
With a shitting lot of willpower, Travis stepped back, letting Mercy lick her lip before he did.
On a sigh, she turned from him and considered the cabin’s interior again. Bright and clean, smelling of disinfectant and Febreze. He and Dutch had worked on the damn place for hours.
“Wow. This is really nice.” Mercy touched the wooden bedframe, small kitchen set, and freshly washed curtains as though they were made of gold.
Travis wondered what she would think of his old place in one of San Francisco’s most exclusive high rises, or his parents’ many mansions. He’d willingly walked away from so much when she hadn’t had the choice. Rotten luck had caused her to be alone, to work at Fast Fill and here in order to take care of herself.
Mercy didn’t seem to mind or care about money at all. In that they were so alike, making Travis admire and like her even more.
She offered a grateful smile. “You did an awesome job.”
“Way better than Carl would have,” the girl with her gushed, then added, “I’m Jill by the way. Carl’s my guy. That’s his pickup you drove,” she said to Travis. “Thanks for not hitting anything with it.”
Dutch chuckled.
Mercy gave him and her friend a disapproving look. “Travis wasn’t driving that fast. He’s just in a hurry to get me moved in. Do you have plans later?” She spoke to him and Dutch. “Either of you? Am I interfering?”
Travis had thought about calling one of the women he knew, maybe grab a pizza, catch a movie, screw until they were both raw then call it a night. “Nope. Dutch probably does.”
“I don’t,” he said immediately, and smiled at Mercy. “We’re all yours.”
She nodded slowly and licked the length of her Popsicle.
Travis’s throat constricted. He cleared it and said, “After we bring in your things, we’ll set up the ground rules for this arrangement.” He gestured to Dutch. “Let’s go.”
When they reached the pickup’s bed, Dutch spoke quietly. “Ground rules? You mean her hours of work. What she’s supposed to do.”
“Yeah, along with you keeping your jeans zipped and wearing a damn shirt when she’s around.”
“Like you’re doing? Oh wait, you’re not.”
“I didn’t wrap my arm around her.”
“It was a friendly gesture. Hell, I do the same with my grandmother. It’s not a felony.”




Blurb for Tina Donahue’s Make Me Surrender (menage):

She has a proposition…to win their attention, passion, hearts.

For over a year, Mercy’s had her eye on Travis and Dutch, two of the hottest guys on the Oregon coast. Dark and dangerously virile, Travis owns a saloon that caters to bikers. Dutch looks like one, right down to his impressive tats, and operates a motorcycle repair shop on the premises.
When a position opens in the saloon’s kitchen, Mercy sees a way to be near these sinfully sexy men, wanting the job and lodging, her cabin snuggled between theirs.
Travis isn’t so sure about having Mercy nearby. She’s deliciously curvy, but too nice. He’s into temporary fun. To Dutch, forever is a dirty word.
Imagine their surprise when sweet little Mercy encourages wild nights of carnal pleasure with a dash of bondage and spanking…followed by friendship and tenderness.
Before she’s through, these tough guys will be the ones who’ve surrendered. 

Buy Links:



99¢ for a limited time
11 NEW romances by today’s hottest romance authors
PRE-ORDER!
AVAILABLE: August 19

Lisa Carlisle's #NewRelease Better Than Cake

Welcome my friend Lisa Carlisle with her new book Better Than Cake. I'll be doing a workshop with Lisa and Lisa Fox at Romanticon in October on Paranormal creatures. Beyond Vamps and Weres Madlibs. Hope to see you there.

Better than Cake

Lisa Carlisle
After the worst fight of their relationship, the last place Stephanie wants to be is a wedding reception. She still can’t get over what happened. Could their five years of marriage be destroyed after a blast of heated words? Johnny suggested separating. Separating! Now with her marriage on the line, she has to put on a brave face and pretend love is grand.
Johnny doesn’t know why he’d freaked out the way he had and is left with one emotion. Regret. He doesn’t want to lose Stephanie. He must find her and make things right.
Stephanie enters the reception, fearing the end of her marriage. Johnny has something else in mind—a much more decadent proposal that will turn her friend’s wedding into an event they’ll never forget.

A short erotic romance for only  99 cents! Perfect for a beach or summer read.

Buy Now at:


Excerpt
Who gets ditched at a wedding? Stephanie paused and took a deep breath before walking into her friend’s reception. Something like this could only happen to her.
Ditched wasn’t a strong enough description. “Maybe we should try separating.” Johnny’s words echoed in her mind, lashing her psyche raw with repetition.
Separating! She closed her eyes. Unthinkable.
It’s okay. You can do this. Stick it out for a couple of hours and then you can deal with the mess.
How would she explain her husband’s sudden absence? He was at the ceremony, but wouldn’t be at the reception. What would be a reasonable explanation? They were spending the weekend here in Cape Cod so it would be tough to feign a work or family excuse.
Illness. Yes, something about seafood. That would be plausible at a seaside resort. Food poisoning. She had an excuse—but it didn’t make her feel any better about the situation.
Beyond the Sea wafted out from the ballroom, appropriate for this Cape Cod seaside resort. She glanced up at the imposing exterior of the multi-level hotel. Her hand trembled so she clutched her silver purse tighter. She raised her chin to steel herself and entered the hotel.

Stephanie scanned the place settings to find hers. Mr. and Mrs. John Silvio. Table nineteen. She dropped her purse to her side, but her fingers still clenched it. The last place she wanted to be after a killer argument with her husband was a wedding. She forced herself to enter the reception area, squeezing through all those decked in suits and evening gowns. Searching the table numbers for nineteen, she followed them to the back of the room. She guessed she’d be furthest from the head table, since she was neither family nor close friend, but an old college roommate of the bride. She made her way to the back of the room, braved a smile, and introduced herself to the couples already seated.
“Hi. I’m Stephanie.”
“Elaine,” a heavyset woman with puffy blond hair said. “You’re alone?”
Great. Just fantastic. Starting right with the topic she wanted to avoid. “Yes. My husband couldn’t make it tonight. Something he ate earlier,” she babbled. “Probably the shellfish.” She shrugged.
The others introduced themselves as she sat down and peppered her with questions about where they bought the seafood. A few shared their stories of food poisoning.
It was going to be a long night.
Once the attention was off her, she replayed the fight for what had to be the fortieth time since it happened. After a ripple of snide comments evolved into a tsunami of a fight, she stormed away from Johnny and ended up talking to herself like a crazy person as she pounded through the surf.
“Separating? Why does he take a small argument and blow it up into something like this? How could he do this to me at my friend’s wedding? What the fuck!”
A couple of miles later, she had calmed down. It wasn’t all his doing. She was the one who’d dragged them here when he had other plans. Her fury decreased as the sun sank lower in the sky, replaced by a cloak of sadness.
She didn’t want to split up.
Her eyes began to water. How the heck would she make it through the night without breaking down? Her marriage could be over. How long could she sport a brave face before it dropped?
“Excuse me,” she said and hurried into the ladies room. She barely made it through the door before her eyes pooled with tears.
She grabbed tissues and blotted them, fixing her smudged makeup the best she could.
“You can do this,” she told her reflection in the mirror.
As much as she dreaded being at a wedding while her own marriage hung in jeopardy, she had to put her feelings aside for the sake of Caryn. She’d only get married once.
Hopefully.

* * * * *

Johnny caught glimpses of the ocean from the cab and couldn’t help but brood on what he had said to Stephanie down the beach this afternoon. A cold black cloak had surrounded him since, fastened with shackles of regret. The same question echoed in his head ever since.
Why?
Why had he freaked out the way he had? Said the things he had? The day had started out great. They woke up at the bed and breakfast and had the morning free before the ceremony. They’d rented bikes on the Cape Cod Rail Trail and had ridden past sand dunes and shacks, cranberry bogs and duck-filled ponds, villages and pine forests, and even a couple of lighthouses. The scenery was one thing, his beautiful wife riding alongside him something else. He could barely keep his eyes off her lithe body and on the trail.
When they’d stopped to buy sandwiches from one of the beachside shacks and had a picnic lunch on the beach, things were still good. It wasn’t until after the seaside wedding ceremony this afternoon that he’d opened his mouth and all kinds of stupid fell out. And for what? Something trivial, not something to throw away a marriage over.
Their argument had stirred weeks before. He resented her for dragging him to a wedding when he’d already had plans for his monthly camping trip with his buddies, He had stormed about it for days, but downright exploded on the beach earlier. Telling her she was too controlling, she shouldn’t speak for him and make him cancel his plans to do something she wanted. How his outdoor trips were how he decompressed from work and if she didn’t get it by now, she didn’t get him. She’d countered, saying he used the same justification for his softball games, and sometimes he had to suck it up and act like an adult. Snide comments had escalated into verbal jabs. Past grievances were drudged up as their defenses rose. Accusations flew, growing uglier, and digging up past perceived injustices, until finally, he had suggested a trial separation.
He still wasn’t sure why he’d said it. A heat of the moment incident, blurting out something to end the fight with something he didn’t even mean.
Her shocked expression had turned to one of hurt as she blinked back tears. Then she’d lashed back at him. “If you’re so shallow and selfish that you consider a weekend away from your buddies such brutality, then yeah, maybe we should.”
When she had stormed away from him across the beach, he had turned away thinking to hell with her and pounded through the sand in the opposite direction. It wasn’t until he had turned back several minutes later to see she was gone that he realized he might have made the biggest mistake of his life.

About the Author

Lisa loves stories with dark, brooding, isolated characters and tough, independent, caring heroines. Her reading tastes very widely and she’ll read almost anything—especially mysteries, romance, and non-fiction on any new topic of interest.

She is thrilled to be a multi-published author writing since she’s wanted to write since the sixth grade. Her travels and many jobs have provided her with inspiration for novels, such as serving in the Marine Corps in Okinawa, Japan, backpacking alone around Europe, or working as a waitress in Paris. Her love of books inspired her to own a small independent book store for a couple of years.

Lisa lives in New England with her husband and their children. She spends her days writing for corporate clients and her evenings writing stories and novels.

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