Home for the Holidays

Manic Monday: Payson Book Festival this weekend

July 20, 2015

by Arlene Hittle with No Comment Blind Date Bride Cher & Derrick Musings

Talk about manic weeks… When I’m not at work, I’ll be running around getting ready for the first-ever Payson Book Festival.

The festival is Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gila Community College, 201 N. Mud Springs Road, Payson, Arizona. All kinds of authors will be there. I’m sharing a table with RWA chapter mate Susan Haught.

Activities will include:

Book readings by authors
Storytelling for kids
Book signings
Author exhibit tables
Local food vendors
Musical entertainment

I’m looking forward to interacting with readers, for sure! If you’re in Arizona, plan on stopping by. It’s a beautiful time of year for a road trip to Payson!

Speaking of getting ready, I had to unearth my box of bookmarks and business cards. I hadn’t seen it since my move, and I had a moment of sheer panic last Thursday when I couldn’t find it immediately.

It’s my own fault, really. I snagged boxes from the Daily Sun office for my move. They were the perfect size — big enough to hold books and/or videos without being too heavy to move once filled. And they’re all stamped “Sedona Visitor’s Guide.” So I have a couple dozen boxes all with the same label … with no idea what’s actually in them. (Yeah, that’s a solid argument for labeling boxes as I pack them. I did that at first. Alas, when moving day came and we were still throwing stuff in boxes, the labels went by the wayside.)

Finally, I found my author promo items. Some other crap from my computer desk had been dumped on top of the precious stuff I sought.

If you stop by to see me Saturday, I’ll autograph a bookmark for you. I’ll also have copies of BLIND DATE BRIDE and HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS for sale.

My Sexy Saturday: Sleigh Ride

December 20, 2014

by Arlene Hittle with One Comment Excerpts

This week’s My Sexy Saturday theme is “A Sexy Sleigh Ride”—MSS’s “hats off to the holidays,” so to speak.

Sadly, none of my characters take a literal sleigh ride. However, in HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, there is a sexy Porsche ride that will suffice. In this scene, Cher and Derrick, best friends in high school, are getting reacquainted a decade later when she reluctantly returns to her hometown for some much-needed R&R. They’ve just kissed, and Derrick asks “What was that?”

Enjoy!

***

Cher pressed her back against the Porsche’s passenger door, hoping Derrick wouldn’t notice her heart still thrummed too fast. He’d been the star of some of her wildest fantasies over the years, but that kiss of his was more potent than any she’d conjured up in her imagination.

Maybe it was a good thing he’d rebuffed her in high school. She wouldn’t have known how to handle that kind of passion back then.

Like you do now?

She brushed aside her conscience. Of course she did: Humor was always her best defense. Her only defense, really. She found a few jokes were a much more effect way to get her way than tantrums or stony silence.

With that in mind, she tipped her lips into a grin. “I think it was you taking advantage of my resistance, weakened by extreme hunger.”

He chuckled. “That your way of saying I should quit flapping my gums and start driving, your diva-ness?”

“You got it.”

Home for the Holidays is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and in print through CreateSpace.

My Sexy Saturday: Getting in the holiday spirit

November 8, 2014

by Arlene Hittle with 2 Comments Cher & Derrick Excerpts

Are you as sick as I am of Christmas creep? I don’t know about you, but I tend to get a little ragey when I see Christmas wreaths decking the superstores in September. Let’s give Thanksgiving its chance to shine, shall we?

I’m not really in the mood to read holiday stories before November, either, but perhaps I’m in the minority. Publishers have been releasing Christmas books for weeks now.

Anyway… With Halloween and Election Day firmly in 2014’s rear view mirror, it’s safe to trot out holiday reads.

Speaking of holiday reads, check out the ad My Sexy Saturday authors took out in the Nov./Dec. BTS eMag. (It’s on Page 109.)

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is in a unique position to capitalize on both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cher and Derrick get reacquainted on Black Friday. Driving home after a successful mother-daughter shopping expedition, Cher’s mother veers into a ditch to avoid an escaped cow. Derrick is the paramedic who answers the call and comes face to face with the woman he’d rejected in high school because he didn’t want to hold her back.

Enjoy this My Sexy Saturday snippet detailing the first time Cher and Derrick have spoken to one another since high school.

***

The smoldering fire in Derrick’s gray eyes set her soul ablaze, offsetting the chill in the crisp November air. “Sweetheart, you can trust me when I say I’ve improved with age.”

To distract herself from the flash of desire his comment sparked, she lowered her lids and tapped her inner smart-aleck. “You think so, huh? You’re not wine or cheese.”

That was a line of crap and she knew it. Even in the watery gray early morning light, he looked as good now as he had in high school. Better even, if she took into account the broader shoulders and more masculine presence.

He knew it, too, judging by his sly grin. Damn the man. Why couldn’t he have developed a paunch, or better yet, started balding?

A low, sexy laugh rumbled from deep in his throat. “Wine and cheese aren’t the only things that get better with age, Cher.”

Her mother hadn’t raised a fool, so she knew even The Grinch’s twenty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole wouldn’t be long enough for her to touch that comment safely.

When she remained silent, Derrick shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and looked at his heavy black boots for two beats. Then he met her eyes and flashed her the charming smile she’d never been able to resist.

Home for the Holidays is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and in print through CreateSpace.

My Sexy Saturday: Getting reacquainted

September 27, 2014

by Arlene Hittle with No Comment Cher & Derrick Excerpts

Hi, friends. How was your week?

My week—my second full week of being (f)unemployed—was spent waiting for my severance check and writing feverishly. I’ve been drafting a novella. On Friday, I crossed the 20K mark, giving me about 10K to wrap up the story. I hope to be able to divulge all the details soon.

Until then, let’s get to this week’s My Sexy Saturday fun.

Fall is officially here. With the change in seasons comes a new emphasis on holiday romance. Seems every time I check my tweet stream or Facebook feed, someone’s talking about their new holiday release.

Not to be outdone, my sexy 7 this week comes from my holiday novella, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. In this story, rockstar Cher Stanton reluctantly returns to small-town Indiana for some much-needed R&R. Things get much less relaxing when she bumps into high school crush Derrick Mullins, the one guy who never paid her any attention—or so she thought.

Here, Cher and Derrick are on their way to dinner. They stop to clear the air and she ends up kissing him.

****

Chalk up another one to missed opportunities.

Story of his life. One missed opportunity after another, starting with Cher. Med school— nope. Not going there. Being a paramedic was as close as he’d ever get, and it was plenty. Doctors dealt with way too much stress.

Seemed he wouldn’t get any answers from Cher unless he demanded them. He cleared his throat. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

His gaze locked on her mouth. “That.” He waved his hand between them.

“That kiss?” Her tongue darted over her plump bottom lip, leaving shine in its wake.

Shifting in the Porsche’s bucket seat, he nodded. “Yeah. That kiss.”

Like what you’ve read? Home for the Holidays is on sale for 99 cents at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. If you prefer to read books on paper, grab the print version from CreateSpace.

My Sexy Saturday: Willow’s Grove welcome

December 28, 2013

by Arlene Hittle with No Comment Excerpts

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve joined in the My Sexy Saturday fun. A couple of weeks ago, I was so sick that there were several days the laptop stayed firmly closed. And then I was spending time with the Boyfriend and doing last-minute Christmas prep.

Not to worry. I’m back in the saddle again. (And if the phrase doesn’t give you an annoying ear worm, click here for a lovely Aerosmith flashback.)

The rules are simple:

Post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. 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!

This week, I’m taking you back to Willow’s Grove. The holidays aren’t quite over yet, and Cher and Derrick have more to offer. And I’m cheating a bit. Since I didn’t have any paragraphs last week, you get 12 this time. Don’t worry: Some are short.

In this scene, Derrick has just picked Cher up for their dinner date at DeLuca’s Italian restaurant in nearby Willow’s Grove. She’s second-guessing the outfit she borrowed from her sister, a black mini-dress almost completely covered with a soft lavender cardigan, worried it makes her look like a reject from a Barney the Dinosaur casting call.

***

“I feel like a thrift store refugee.”

“Don’t. That sweater looks better on you than your sister.” With that, Derrick pulled back onto the highway and pointed the car toward Willow’s Grove.

“Thanks.” She cringed when her laugh came out too high-pitched. With all the adulation she got from audiences, surely she ought to be able to handle a simple compliment without getting nervous. Then again, nothing about Derrick had ever been simple. As hard as she chased him in high school, she’d only ever succeeded in pushing him farther away.

“I won’t tell Carrie you said that.”

With his eyes fixed on the road, he shrugged. “I don’t care if you do.”

When he lapsed into silence, Cheryl sank back into the passenger seat, cursing the impulse that had prompted her to say yes to his dinner invitation. If they were already out of things to say, how would they ever survive the rest of the drive to Willow’s Grove? Even dinner at DeLuca’s wasn’t worth torturing herself with thirty minutes of strained silence.

“Cher, I—”

“Derrick—”

They began speaking at the same time. Derrick chuckled. “Ladies first.”

She took a deep breath. If she put a stop to this abomination of an outing now, she could borrow Carrie’s car and drive to DeLuca’s for garlic bread after Derrick took her home. “I just wanted to say you don’t have to feel obligated to be nice to me. I’m a big girl. My sister’s fiancé’s best friend and I don’t have to be on speaking terms.”

Derrick didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled to the shoulder and guided the car to a stop. His smoky gray eyes were inscrutable as he studied her for several long moments.

Finally, he rumbled, “Cher, I didn’t ask you out for El’s sake.”

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Reviews are trickling in

December 27, 2013

by Arlene Hittle with One Comment Musings

I admit, I’ve been nervous about book reviews.

Who wouldn’t be after reading the horror stories about authors who refuse to read their reviews … authors devastated by one-star—or, worse, no-star—reviews …

Putting my books out there, in the world at large, wasn’t hard. I’ve wanted to be a writer, to tell my characters’ stories, since second grade.

Opening them up to strangers’ criticism was a different story. That scared me to death. I get that my voice won’t appeal to everyone. There are some authors I love and some that I struggle to read. But the fear that someone will dub one of my heroines “too stupid to live” or hate one of the heroes that I love? Those worries are the ones that keep me up at night.

I’ve been lucky so far, though. Not that I have a ton of reviews (yet), but the ones I’ve received have been positive.

My holiday novella, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, just received a lovely 5-star review from Brianna at Girl Seeks Place. Among her thoughts:

This was another novella that left me wanting more. I like novellas because I can read ‘em quickly, especially when I don’t have a ton of free time, but I also dislike the short length of novellas. Ms. Hittle’s story left me wanting more and I look forward to reading her other book in the future.

On Amazon, a 5-star review from Firefly Girl had this to say about HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS:

This little romp to Willow’s Grove is the perfect read for the holidays or any time. Short, sweet and punctuated with Ms. Hittle’s trademark wit, it’s the perfect length for a quick getaway when you can’t handle another minute of the holiday rush.

The reviews for DIVA IN THE DUGOUT are also good. From the book’s Amazon page:

I love baseball. I love romance. So what’s not to love about a baseball romance? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ms. Hittle created lovable characters who make mistakes, but find a way to rise above. I fell in love with Dave, whose life revolves around baseball’s seedier side until he’s given an ultimatum. In the end you will swoon with his maturity and love for his family that outweighs all else. Mel is spunky, cautious and will do anything to protect her daughter. Tara is smart and insightful and way too cute! Fun, easy, heartwarming read. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

(Firefly girl might well be my biggest fan!)

And from Patty:

I bought this book because I love romance. I finished the book because I believe in true love. A one night stand can b just that, one night or it can change your life. For Dave and Mel it was the one love that never was or was it? True love conquerors all and families are made with acceptance and of course love. I highly recommend this book and can not wait to read more by Arlene Hittle.

My stories are faring slightly less well on Goodreads. DIVA has an average rating of 3.5 (with a 2-star and 3-star factored in); HFTH is at 4.67.

I find that a bit odd, considering my roommate, who’s read both, said she enjoyed them both but liked DIVA a little bit more.

Thanks for reading, everyone. And for taking the time to leave a review. You’ve helped make my 2013 a year to remember. And for someone who until recently hated the number 13, that’s no easy feat.

My Sexy Saturday: Holiday heat

December 7, 2013

by Arlene Hittle with One Comment Cher & Derrick Excerpts

Dashing through the malls? That’s so last week.

‘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.

I am thankful

November 28, 2013

by Arlene Hittle with No Comment Musings

I have so many things to be thankful for in 2013, including discovering this cornucopia photo on Wikimedia Commons. I find old advertisements like this, described as a “propaganda poster to get immigrants to move to California” (circa 1876), fascinating. Did you note how California is “a climate for health and wealth, without CYCLONES or BLIZZARDS”?

Fun, eh? I love to pore through historic ads selling miracle cures or, more recently, claiming smoking is good for you.

Anyway, this is Thanksgiving Day, so I’m here to list the things for which I’m giving thanks. This is a special year for me, being newly published and all.

In no particular order:

— Thanks to the folks at Turquoise Morning Press for taking a chance on DIVA IN THE DUGOUT. It’s been amazing working with such a talented group, and I look forward to getting Books 2 (BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER) and 3 (still untitled) out next March and April, respectively.

— Thanks also to those who’ve helped me ready my first foray into indie publishing, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. (It’s not a terribly original title, by the way. There are about 100 pages of them on Amazon … I blame the Christmas carol, which is where I took inspiration for the title.) I couldn’t have done it without my talented cover designer, Rogenna Brewer; former coworker and editor Dani Crabtree; and Marie Force’s Formatting Fairies.

— Thanks to the Boyfriend for always believing in me, even when I have a tough time believing in myself. He’s more excited about my first royalty check than I am … I think he thinks I’ll suddenly be flush with cash, while I know better. I’m not going to disabuse him of the notion, though, because he gives me plenty of time to write.

— Thanks to the people who are buying DIVA and HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, reading them and leaving reviews. HFTH just got its first 5-star review on Amazon. Among the highlights:

Short, sweet and punctuated with Ms. Hittle’s trademark wit, it’s the perfect length for a quick getaway when you can’t handle another minute of the holiday rush.

And …

Grab a latte or a hot toddy and relax with Home for the Holidays. You won’t be disappointed.

I’ll take that high praise any day of the week (and twice on Sundays!).

— Thanks, too, to my fellow authors for their support and commiseration. I don’t know where I’d be without the gals from NARWA; my Golden Heart sisters, the Starcatchers; and the LaLaLas. They’re always around to bounce ideas off of, cheer me on and listen to me worry. They say writing is a solitary pursuit, and you need a strong support system. Thanks to these folks, I have one. They’re all a phone call, text or email away.

— Thanks to my coworkers, who listen to me squeal with excitement (or groan in disappointment) whenever I check DIVA’s Amazon sales ranking. Even if they don’t really care, they do a good job of faking interest.

— Thanks to my web designer, Larissa, who put together this beautiful website. It’s exactly what I wanted, but had no clue how to build for myself.

— Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Starbucks. Their drinks and pastries keep me going. Oh, the pastries … have you tried the new pecan tart yet? Mmmm …

My holiday novella’s here

November 25, 2013

by Arlene Hittle with No Comment Cher & Derrick Stories

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.

My Sexy Saturday: Coming home

November 23, 2013

by Arlene Hittle with No Comment Excerpts

It’s Saturday—time for another installment of everyone’s favorite blog hop, My Sexy Saturday.

A quick reminder of the rules:

Post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. 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!

This week, I’m celebrating the release of my holiday novella, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

The tale of a singing sensation forced to return to her tiny Indiana hometown just in time for Thanksgiving is a little bit sexy, a little bit sweet and a whole lotta hilarious.

Enjoy this sneak peek:

Derrick didn’t seem to mind her lapse into brainlessness. He merely chuckled and stepped away to strip off his T-shirt, revealing the muscles she’d been fantasizing about all night. Hair dusted his chest, narrowing down to …

Oh my. They weren’t in high school anymore. This Derrick was all man, and finally, all hers. She raised her eyes back to his face too late. He’d caught her looking.

His lips quirked up in amusement. “You looked your fill yet?”

Not trusting her voice, she nodded.

“Good. Now it’s my turn.”

“What?”

“Strip for me, Sweetness.”

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, my indie publishing debut, available Monday at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Phlox

Posts tagged: Home for the Holidays