Now, my manuscript is a full-fledged book, released today by Turquoise Morning Press, and I find myself back on Cloud Nineteen … maybe even Cloud Twenty-Nine. Y’all already know numbers are not my strong suit. (That’s why I chose to work with words for a living instead of earning the big bucks as an engineer.)
The short blurb: After finding herself alone and pregnant at the advanced age of thirty-two, Meg Malone plans to avoid men — until Condors catcher Matt Thatcher throws her plan a curve.
If your favorite e-tailer isn’t on the list yet, check back. It should be available at IBooks, B&N, Kobo, Diesle, library and subscription channels within the next week or two.
OK, OK. Technically, it’s not a reveal. You’ve probably already seen it on Facebook and/or Twitter, but now I’m plastering it here, on my blog: The cover for my April release from Turquoise Morning Press.
Gorgeous, isn’t it?
I love Jenn’s striking eyes. You can certainly see why her sister took Jade as a stage name.
SLIDING INTO HOME (until recently known as Untitled Book 3) comes out in mid-April. I can’t wait to share Greg and Jenn’s story.
Here’s a sneak peek:
More than anything, Arizona Condors first baseman Greg Bartlesby wants to make his own name in the big leagues. Too bad being the son of MLB legend Jake “Big Man” Bartlesby makes that impossible. Even worse? His attempts to differentiate himself from his old man more often land him in legal trouble. His latest brush with the law brings him in contact with an attorney he’s met before — as a dancer at the club where he was arrested … for protecting her.
Jenn Simpson isn’t a stripper—not that she can convince her bonehead client her twin is the one doing the dancing. When Greg offers her sister a job at his father’s Foundation, Jenn is the one who accepts, at her sister’s urging. She soon discovers she likes the work—and her new boss. As she and Greg forge a friendship and more, she knows it’s time to convince him she’s not who he thinks. But when his father’s hospitalization compels Greg to fast-track his leap to the majors by capitalizing on Big Jake’s fame, it might be too late for her to come clean.
Hi, all. It’s been a while since I’ve jumped in with a My Sexy Saturday post. But with BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER set to release in mid-March and SLIDING INTO HOME in mid-April , it’s high time I get back in the habit.
Blog hops like this are a fun way to share info about a new release, don’t you think?
A quick refresher on the rules:
Post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words ONLY. The choice is yours. It can be from a WIP or something you already have published. Your post should be live by 9 am US Pacific Time on Saturday. Put those lucky 7s to work for you!
BEAUTY is my newest release, but it’s far from a new story. It’s the manuscript secured me my first (and only) RWA Golden Heart finalist title, way back in 2011. (Wow 2011 seems like forever ago …) It’s the second book in my Love & Baseball series, and the only one set in my adopted hometown of Flagstaff. The Arizona Condors are in Flagstaff for spring training. Matt, the team’s catcher, is feeling every one of his 28 years now that the manager has added a rookie catcher to the roster.
Here are seven paragraphs from the opening scene, in which Meg, who just that morning discovered she’s pregnant, and Matt meet in a bar. What’s a pregnant woman doing in a bar, you ask? Drinking 7-UP and commiserating with her coworkers, all of them glad they’re still employed after a fresh round of layoffs at the ad agency where she works.
Hard to say which of them is having a worse day, eh?
***
After enduring his appraisal, Meg had no qualms about completing one of her own. She slid her gaze from the tuft of thick, chestnut hair poking through the back of his burgundy-and-white cap downward, over his golden-brown eyes, straight nose and smiling mouth. She took in his toned arms, broad chest, tree-trunk thighs and—oh my.
Perhaps he had good reason for his arrogance. She jerked her eyes back to his face. After they’d mentally stripped each other, it didn’t feel right to not know the man’s name. She extended her hand. “I’m Meg.”
He eyed her outstretched hand and his lips lifted again. She grinned back as she rescinded her offer. He was right. They already knew each other too well for a mere handshake.
Awareness jolted through Meg when he rested a hand on her knee. “Matt.”
“Well, Matt, I’d like to say it’s nice to meet you, but I can’t say that to the guy who took my table.” She shifted ever so slightly, hoping to break the strange hold he had over her.
Matt chuckled. “Would it help if I told you I’ve had one hell of a day?”
Last week, I shared the details of my writing process.
This week, if you hop on over to Susie Haught’s place, she’ll tell you about hers. It’s hard to believe we’ve only known each other for three years. She really is one of my biggest supporters, always ready with words of encouragement and willing to read for me.
I’ll be giving away some of Susie’s bookmarks at the Chocolate Affaire in Glendale, Ariz., next weekend. Did I mention I’m signing copies of DIVA IN THE DUGOUT Saturday? It’s my first book signing. If you live in the Valley, be sure to stop by and say “Hi.” I’ll be there from 2 to 10 p.m.
I ordered 15 print copies of DIVA, and would love to sell out so I have to order more for my next signing at Desert Dreams in April.
The book is gorgeous — trade paperback size, 198 pages.
When the box arrived on a Friday night, I took a dinner break from work just so I could run home and see it. (Give me a break — it was my first time seeing the print version. When I ordered copies for the RITA, I had them shipped directly to RWA HQ.)
It looks amazing!
When I go to the Chocolate Affaire, I’ll also be bringing a sign-up sheet for my newsletter, and some bookmarks for BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER. Its mid-March release date is getting closer. Only about six more weeks and BEAUTY will join DIVA on virtual shelves.
In fact, this happened last week:
I got the galley for BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER, and spent several days combing through it — twice.
I’m a little scared that I missed something. Susie had a chance to read the galley of DIVA for me. Between us, we found quite a few things to change. This time, I went it alone.
Fingers crossed that I had my editor’s hat pulled low over my ears, firmly affixed to my blonde head. (You know, I think I saw a few strands of gray in there the other day … I’m so not ready for that.)
As I worked, I started making a list of some of my favorite lines. Not sure where or how they’ll pop up, but rest assured you’ll be seeing them somewhere.
If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter or even Pinterest, you’ve already seen the cover for BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER—probably more than once. However, it recently occurred to me that I have not yet shared it here on the blog.
Allow me to remedy that problem, pronto, by introducing the cover for BEAUTY, my March 2013 release from Turquoise Morning Press.
When it turned up in my email inbox, I might have squealed and startled three sleeping dogs.
I signed my first print autograph recently … and promptly spent the rest of the afternoon dancing in my seat. My coworkers probably thought I had ants in my pants.
One of my coworkers bought a copy of DIVA IN THE DUGOUT and brought it to the office for me to sign. Such a thrill!
It was the first time I’d seen the print version. I ordered copies for the RITA judges, but had them shipped directly to RWA HQ to beat the early deadline so I’d have a chance to win either an iPad or conference registration. I haven’t ordered my own print copies yet.
Soon, though. I’m headed to the Chocolate Affaire in Glendale in February, and am taking DIVA to sign.
It looks great, by the way. Can’t wait to get a copy for my keeper shelf!
‘Tis now the season for holding hands with the one you love while strolling through freshly fallen snow and cuddling (and more) in front of a blazing fire. No need to shiver in sub-zero temps when there are so many fun, creative ways to stay warm, right?
The hero and heroine in my holiday short, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, have no trouble staying warm. Cue today’s My Sexy Saturday snippet. Cher has just admitted to Derrick the real reason she’s back in town, and asked him not to tell anyone, even their mutual friend, Elliott.
****
“Especially El. He’d tell my sister, and she’d blab it to everyone we know—not to mention every total stranger we run across. I don’t want my medical history to become fodder for the gossip rags. Any rumors about Starshine’s future would be bad for business.”
He made a zipped-lips motion. “They don’t call me The Vault for nothing.”
The mention of his high school nickname brought a smile to Cher’s lips. “I thought that was because your parents had more money than God.”
“That, too.” His teeth flashed white in the darkness. “But people tell me things. I must have a face you can trust or something.”
“Or something,” she echoed, her eyes glued to Derrick’s supposed trustworthy face. With his killer smile and cheekbones sharp enough to slice a bagel, trust wasn’t the first thing that came to mind. More like hot, sweaty nights. “What do you say we get inside before we end up with frostbite?”
Wrapping his arms around her, he nuzzled her neck. “We probably ought to wait until the rest of the family leaves, to avoid any more pleas to join in.”
She pressed against him, letting his body’s heat surge through her. No danger of frostbite as long as they were together. “I like the way you think.”
Get HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Only 99 cents — less expensive (and fattening) than a fancy coffee drink.
Cheryl “Cher” Stanton is about to discover home is where the hunk is …
Today has been more than a year in the making, but I can finally say it, loud and proud: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is on sale. Just in time for the holidays, it’s available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
My indie publishing debut joins DIVA IN THE DUGOUT, which was released last month by Turquoise Morning Press.
The musician heroine of HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS leapt out at me, fully formed, last year when I read Carina Press’ open call for holiday shorts. I clearly saw the story’s beginning and end … I just wasn’t sure how she got from Point A (singing the blues because she’s forced to return to the hometown she couldn’t wait to get out of) to Point B (singing the town’s praises).
This being a romance, a man had to figure into the transformation. Enter Derrick Mullins, one of her two best friends throughout middle school and high school. Cher had always had a thing for Derrick—and even went so far as to put the moves on him on graduation night—but she left town on the 6 a.m. bus the next morning convinced he didn’t know she existed.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, of course. And now that Derrick’s no longer young and stubborn, he’s ready to pick up where Cher left off all those years ago.
I knew I wanted Cher’s hometown to be a small town, one a high-school girl with big dreams would find stifling. And I knew just the place: Langley, Indiana. I’d already written one story where Langley figured into the equation, so I had a clear picture of the town. Nestled in the Indiana cornfields, it had just one stoplight. A high school (Langdon High, Cher and Derrick’s alma mater), a barber shop and Dottie’s Diner (the town hangout) dotted the main drag.
It was the kind of place from which Cher couldn’t wait to escape. She returns only because her health demands she get some R&R, and she figures she can hide out at her folks’ house, so far off the beaten path that her fans will never think to look for her there.
And it works. She’s getting her much-needed vacation … until she runs into Derrick. Things heat up and Cher finds herself developing a new appreciation for her hometown.
Why set a story in a tiny Indiana town? Well, they say write what you know. I grew up in small-town Indiana. My high school was in Albion, which had one stoplight—at the intersection of state roads 8 and 9.
Langley is not Albion, but Albion is part of Langley. So are a lot of other small Indiana towns, places I’ve come to appreciate now that I’ve been gone from them for more than a decade.
I hope you enjoy Cher and Derrick’s story, and your stay in Langley. (I have three other stories set in nearby Willow’s Grove, including OPERATION SNAG MIKE BRAD, the manuscript in which Langley was born.)
Pick up your copy of HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. It’s a real steal at only 99 cents.
… For the news I’ve been waiting to share all week: My debut, DIVA IN THE DUGOUT is live.
It’s been a whirlwind from getting the call in July to seeing my first book available for sale. I keep pinching myself, expecting to wake up and find the last few months were all a dream.
But so far, it seems to be real. DIVA now exists in cyberspace. Type “Diva in the Dugout book” into Google and you get links to Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks and various blog posts I’ve written in the last few months.
Leave off the word “book” and the results aren’t quite as clear-cut, though. You get a Facebook page for someone called “The Dugout Diva” and the Sioux Falls, S.D., Canaries Dugout Divas. I suppose you can’t win ’em all.
The details:
Diva In The Dugout by Arlene Hittle
A Turquoise Morning Press VINTAGE CATEGORY ROMANCE #106 (and All Is Fair in Love and Baseball, #1)
Classic Romance, Heartfelt Happily Ever After
Can the Condors bad boy step up to the plate and knock out a home run for fatherhood? And if he does, will his daughter’s mamma be ready?
After a successful stint in drug rehab, Arizona Condors shortstop Dave Reynolds is still trying to outrun his bad boy reputation. When the team’s new owners tell him to shape up or be fired at season’s end, he vows to change. He doesn’t count on fatherhood playing a part in his transformation.
Melinda Cline makes a rash decision: take solace in the arms of a sexy-as-sin ballplayer whose name she tells herself she doesn’t want to know. Big mistake. Now, a single mom to a four-year-old, Mel strives to live as cleanly and quietly as possible. But fate intervenes and she comes face to face with the man who insists on being included in their daughter’s life. The attraction between them is still strong, but it may not survive Dave’s reputation or his attempts to do the right thing.
Release: October 18, 2013 Category: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary (Category-Vintage) Rating/Heat Level: Sensual-Sizzle Length: Novel, 51,000 words
ISBN: 978-1-62237-207-2
Ebook Price: $2.99 Digital Download – Available Formats – EPUB, PRC/MOBI, LIT, LRF, PDF
I started a mini blog tour Friday, chatting with J.M. Kelley about my book, where I do my best writing and the eternal debate: Print books or ebooks? Click through to see where I stand …
On Monday, I’ll be at the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood, talking about my trouble with the (learning) curve of a debut author. (No, I haven’t seen the movie yet, but it’s on my list.) And on Wednesday, Oct. 30, I’m guest blogging with Lynn Cahoon. We’ll talk about DIVA and the best writing advice I’ve ever gotten.
Want to get your hands on a copy of DIVA IN THE DUGOUT?
Check out these screen shots from the various websites:
All Romance EbooksAmazon.com
If you want to add DIVA to Goodreads, you can do that here.
As for me, I’m so excited, I doubt I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Time to go down copious amounts of carbs in an effort to knock myself out, because I have to drive 3-ish hours to Payson bright and early in the morning.
When BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER finaled in the RWA® Golden Heart contest in 2011, I was floating way beyond Cloud Nine.
Now, my manuscript is a full-fledged book, released today by Turquoise Morning Press, and I find myself back on Cloud Nineteen … maybe even Cloud Twenty-Nine. Y’all already know numbers are not my strong suit. (That’s why I chose to work with words for a living instead of earning the big bucks as an engineer.)
