The Romance Reviews Fall into Love Party

Welcome Romance Readers! In this excerpt from Parallel Lives, Part 1, Leah is in New York and has received a message from Irene, who is babysitting for her granddaughter, Zoey, in Florida. (Irene is Zoey's other grandma.)

Leah disconnected from the Internet so she wouldn’t be tempted to check email or get back online. She was about to power her phone off when it beeped. Leah saw that several more text messages had come in from Irene.

“Oh, good. More pics of my little ray of sunshine. Couldn’t have come at a better time.” Leah grabbed her smoothie and brought it with her to the couch, where she stretched out, feet on the coffee table, to enjoy a few moments with her granddaughter before digging into the day’s writing.

In the first picture, Zoey was still in her onesie from the night before. Irene must have gotten there early before Ali had a chance to dress the baby. There was Zoey, a plump little ball covered in the pink and purple hearts of the one-piece pajamas, sitting up in the crib playing with some stuffed animals. She had a big grin, which showed her two bottom and two top teeth.

Leah read the text beneath the photo. “Seeing her get this happy just to see me walk in the room makes getting here at 6:30 in the morning totally painless. Had to share. Hugs, Irene.”

“Oh, I am so jealous! Look at that face!” Leah kissed Zoey on the nose through the phone. She clicked on the next text. Zoey was now dressed in a two-piece pink, purple, and turquoise tie-dye leggings set, trimmed in lace, with a big purple heart in the center of her chest.

Irene wrote, “All dressed up with somewhere to go. Off to Mommy and Me class—or in this case, Grandma and Me.”

Now Leah was really jealous. She longed to have the baby for a day and take her for fun outings. She caught herself in the pout Jonathan described and quickly straightened out her face, running her hands around her lips and between her eyes to smooth out any lines. She laughed out loud and spoke to the photo on the phone.

“Zoey, you would love me, wrinkles and all, wouldn’t you?”

She made a face, probably causing more deepening of the lines, and shrugged. “Grandmas are supposed to have wrinkles.”

She clicked ahead to the next shots, but they weren’t very good. None of them were close enough to get a good look at that beautiful face, so Leah clicked back to the photo of Zoey in her pajamas.

Leah kissed the baby’s face on the screen again and placed her cell phone flat on her chest as she closed her eyes to imagine what it would be like to walk in early in the morning and find that little bundle of joy waiting for her with outstretched arms.

She’d pick that baby up and give her a big hug and special grandma kiss. Then she’d bring Zoey over to the futon on the other side of the room and spend some morning love time playing peek-a-boo and other silly games that delight nine-month-old babies.

Leah could smell Zoey’s sweet baby smell and feel the softness of her smooth face. She could even hear the soft baby gurgly laugh. It sounded so real!

She opened her eyes, and there was Zoey on her chest, poking her, wanting to play more. Leah’s mouth stretched wide open, but nothing came out.

Where was she?

* * *

Hope you've enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for the visit! 

Book Launch Special Introductory Pricing

I'm pleased to announce that Parts 1, 2, and 3 of my new series, Parallel Lives, are now live on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and All Romance Books. 

To celebrate the launch of the series, each part, or "episode," is only 99 cents for the month of July! Download your copies at

Amazon

Barnes & Noble  

iTunes

All Romance Books

Kobo

We're taking a summer break (like your favorite TV series), but will resume the story with weekly releases of Parts 4, 5, & 6 beginning September 2. 

I will be sending subscribers advance notice of releases, previews, and some surprise bonuses, so please subscribe to Elyse's Hot List to be sure you don't miss a thing.

BTW, these are perfect summer reads on your ereader of choice! Enjoy ;-)

Book Launch Contest

Yay! Parallel Lives Part 1 is now live on Amazon, Kobo,  iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and All Romance Books!

I'm very excited to introduce this new story in a serial format, similar to your favorite TV shows. There's a total of six parts, which will be released weekly. Part 1 launched today, Part 2 will be released on June 24, and Part 3 goes live on July 1. We'll take a short summer break, and Parts 4-6 will be released weekly starting September 2.

I'd love to get your help with the launch, and I want to make it fun so here's the deal. Share my Facebook post or reTweet my Tweet and be entered to win a signed beach art poster by Joe Gemignani, the cover photographer!

I should be able to track your shares, but it's a good idea to comment below as well to make sure you're entered. The winner will be announced on Sunay, June 22.

Thanks, and good luck!

Winners Announced! Thank you all for participating!

A big, hearty thank you to everyone who visited and participated in recent events! Congratulations to the winners named below.

June is such a busy month, and there is another contest coming up! So if your name isn't posted here, stay tuned by getting on Elyse's Hot List or subscribing to the blog. Details for the next contest are on the way!


The Romance Reviews Sizzling Summer Reads Party
Winner of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX ebook is Amber Hall.

Summer Splash Blog Hop 2014
Winner of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX ebook is Jessica Crawford.
Winner of the signed Beach Art Poster is Bobbi Kinion.

Winners have been notified by email.

Summer Splash Blog Hop 2014

Welcome to Summer Splash Blog Hop 2014!

Blog hops are a great way for authors to give back to their readers and fans by offering some type of giveaway. Many authors offer signed copies of their books, but you can win anything from gift cards, to free ebooks and print books, to Kindle readers. 
  
Each author (I'm one) participating in the blog hop will be offering some type of giveaway on his or her site, and I'm giving away a free ebook copy of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX and —because Leah loves the beach—a free signed art poster by photographer/artist Joe Gemignani! 

To enter, all you need to do to join my HOT LIST (top, right of this page)! That's it, and you're in!

In addition to what each author is offering, the Summer Splash Blog Hop is also offering several grand prizes—including a Kindle Paperwhite, $50 Amazon Gift Card, & book giveaways—just for participating in the Hop with tweets, Facebook posts, book purchases, and more. Ready? Get started now at the Summer Splash Blog Hop 2014. (But first don't forget to sign up for my Hot List for a free ebook copy of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX and signed art poster ;-)

Enter to win the Grand Prizes HERE

BLOG HOP BONUS:  While you're there be sure to visit the 99c Sale Page. During the 4 days of the hop only, many authors (including me) are offering an ebook for only 99 cents.

New Series Cover Reveal & Launch Dates

Cover photo ©Joe Gemignani. Cover design by Janet Aiossa.

I'm so excited to reveal the cover for Parallel Lives, my new six-part serial drama to be released in weekly "episodes." In this new series, Leah Gold gets mysteriously transported to a parallel world, which appears to be an alternate version of her life, one with some radically different circumstances—like still being married to the man she divorced fifteen years earlier.

And that's just the beginning of the nightmarish journey. Everything Leah encounters increases her desire to return to her own world—until she comes face to face with evidence that the one decision she's regretted for thirty years is reversed in this alternate lifetime. Now, she's torn between two parallel lives with seemingly no way to merge them.

Part 1 of Parallel Lives will be released June 17. Parts 2 and 3 will follow on June 24 and July 1. Then we'll take a summer break (like your favorite TV series) and resume the story with weekly releases of Parts 4, 5, & 6 beginning September 2.

I will be sending subscribers advance notice of releases, previews, and some surprise bonuses, so please subscribe to Elyse's Hot List to be sure you don't miss a thing.

The Romance Reviews Sizzling Summer Reads Party

Welcome, romance readers! Here's an excerpt from The Prince Charming Hoax to help you answer the quiz question:



The phone was ringing when Leah turned off the shower. She ran to pick it up, her wet feet slipping on the tile and her hair leaving a trail of water droplets as she raced through her bedroom. She grabbed the receiver. “Hello.”

“Leah, where have you been? Why aren’t you answering any of my messages?”

“Doug?” Damn, she should have checked the call screen.

“Yes. Remember me?”

“Look, I’m dripping wet from the shower, Doug. This isn’t a good time.”

“I’ll be in meetings the rest of the day. I have to talk to you, now. Get a towel. I’ll wait.”

Leah walked back to the bathroom and wrapped herself in her terry robe and pulled her hair back in a clip. “What is it?”

“Leah, have you listened to your voice mail or checked your email since yesterday?”

“No.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ve been busy with Ali.”

“You can tell me about that later. I have some important things to go over with you.”

Leah hated when he took on his corporate “I’m Mr. Important” voice with her, but he didn’t give her a chance to interrupt.

“I'm flying out tonight, and I’ll be away for three weeks,” he continued. “Things are very unstable with the Euro right now, and I have to secure our investments. I won’t be here when you and Ali arrive, but I want you to know that I’ve arranged to have the corporate apartment ready for you. You can stay there indefinitely until I’m able to leave Amanda and get a real place for us.”

“Ali and I aren’t coming to New York, Doug.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m not coming to New York to be some high-price courtesan you keep until you’re ready to leave your wife. I never intended to be the other woman, Doug. You are always on the verge of leaving your wife, but you never do. The deal was that when I came to New York, we were going to be together—out in the open. Not hiding like two criminals.”

“It’s not like that, and you know it. I’d leave Amanda in a second if it weren’t for the kids. I can’t leave right now, but I will. I promise I will, as soon as I can. The important thing is for us to be together, Leah.”

He paused and his tone softened. “I love you so much. And I need you now more than ever. Please, Leah. Be patient a little while longer.”

Leah sat on the bed and closed her eyes. She felt herself wavering. She could see his face, his expression when he looked at her lovingly.

She opened her eyes. “No. If you love me, show me some respect. Acknowledge me to the world. Tell everyone I’m your woman.”

“I will, Leah, I promise. It won’t be long now, I swear. But, there are some things I have to take care of first.”

“You know what? I have some things I have to take care of, too, Doug. Like me and Ali. And she deserves a mother who doesn’t hide in dark corners and corporate apartments.”

“What are you going to do, Leah? You were all set to come.”

“Yes, well, now I’m all set to stay. Roxie has found me a very nice place on the beach. Ali and I will be just fine.”

“Leah, meet me in Paris, and we’ll talk this over. I can get you on a flight tomorrow.”

“No way. Ali graduates next week. I’m not going to Paris. Look, Doug. You go to Paris. Save the world economy. I don’t give a damn any more. I don’t want to hear it, any of it. You were very convincing the other night. You’re right. Your children need you.”

“Leah, please think about it a little more. I need you in my life. Maybe after Ali leaves for college, we’ll go away together. We can go to Napa Valley and stay in one of those wonderful bed and breakfasts. You can go to the spa—”

“I’m not taking another trip with you under an assumed name. I’m not taking separate flights and lying to protect you any more. Don’t you get it, Doug? It’s over.”

“Leah, they’ve buzzed me three times for my meeting. I’ll call you—”

“Don’t. Go to your important meeting, Doug. Go to Paris. Just go. Good-bye.” She clicked off the phone and tossed it on the bed.

* * *

Hope you've enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for the visit!

Mother's Day Gift

Happy Mother's Day! As a tribute to motherhood, I've shared one of my favorite scenes between

Leah Gold and her daughter, Ali,below.

And, to celebrate, THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX is on 99c through the Big Day on Sunday, May 11. If you buy the print book on Amazon, you get the ebook for free! (Links to ebook retailers below the excerpt.)

EXCERPT

One of my favorite scenes in THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX comes early in the story, in chapter 4. I think it really captures the good mother-daughter relationship, which is a foundation of the book. Ali, has just come from shopping for her prom dress. Let's join them.

Ali, Dana, and Tori spilled out of Dana’s Civic. Leah watched as the girls hugged each other good-bye while Ali retrieved her packages from the trunk. Laughing and all talking at the same time, they were the perfect image of what life should be like at their age with prom and high-school graduation approaching. Ali waved good-bye to her friends and walked toward the house.

“Hi Mommy!” Ali dropped her packages at the door and ran to give Leah a hug and kiss. “I’m so glad you’re home. Wait ‘til you see what I got!”

“My little ray of sunshine, I’m glad you’re home, too.” Leah squeezed Ali. “Did you get a dress today?”

“I got EVERYTHING!”

“Great! Go upstairs and try on the whole outfit so I can see. That is, if you can find a space to stand. Every inch of your room is covered with something.”

“Sorry. I’ll clean it up before I go to work,” Ali gave Leah a peck on the cheek and quickly headed upstairs, arms full of shopping bags.

Leah tore the top sheet off the pad, ripped it up, and threw it in the trash. She was not going to spoil Ali’s joy today. She began to do the dishes as she waited for Ali to come out and show off her finery.

After a few minutes, Ali put on music. “Are you ready, Mommy? I’m coming down.”

Leah ran into the living room and looked up to the top of the spiral stairway. She knew Ali loved to make a dramatic entrance, but she was totally unprepared for what she saw. Her daughter stood on the top step, enveloped by the sun streaming in from the two skylights above the staircase, as if in a spotlight.

Ali had chosen a classic-style gown in white crepe knit with one shoulder strap, a diagonal neckline and slit up the side. Ethereal as Aphrodite, she glided down the steps and rotated at the foot of the stairs, so Leah could see her back. The dress draped down gracefully to her waistline, exposing her back. Ali wasn’t wearing anything under the dress and didn’t need to. She filled every curve of the design perfectly.

Ali had tried to contain her massive golden mane in rhinestone clips, but some of the long heavy curls escaped, framing her face and falling down her shoulders and back.

“Don’t you like it, Mommy? You’re not saying anything.” She searched Leah’s face for an answer.

“Mom, you’re crying,” Ali said, and she rushed over to hug Leah.

“You are so beautiful in every way, Ali. Your hair, your smile, your inner shine. I love you so much.” Leah laughed through her tears. “Don’t squeeze against me, or I’ll get your dress all wet. You better go change out of your dress, now. Thanks, though, for the preview. It was exactly what I needed today.” 

Ali’s phone rang and she hiked up the dress as she raced upstairs to answer. Leah smiled. So much for grace and beauty, she thought.

Leah’s humor turned into concern when she heard Ali screaming. She ran upstairs to find her daughter sitting on the bed, tears streaming down her face.

“Ali, what’s wrong?”

“Mom, Justin’s been suspended, and they won’t let him go to the prom.”

“Suspended from school? For what?”

“He told off his coach or something. I don’t know. You know how Justin is. He had a temper tantrum.”

“It must have been pretty bad if got suspended, Ali. Coaches and players fight all the time.”

“I don’t know, Mom. You’re not helping. All I know is the principal said he couldn’t go to the prom. So now I don’t have a date.”

“Oh no. Sweetie, maybe he could apologize to the coach and the principal. There must be something he can do.” Leah sat next to Ali and stroked her hair.

Ali rested her head on Leah’s shoulder, wiping her eyes and nose with a tissue.

“Come on, Ali, get out of your dress before it wrinkles beyond repair.”

Ali sat up and crossed her arms. “What’s the difference? I won’t be able to wear it anyway.”

Leah felt her defensive maternal instinct flaring. If Justin were there, she would have strangled the little twerp.

The phone rang. Ali picked it up. “Hello. Yeah, I’m all right. OK, call me later.”

“Was that Justin?”

“Yeah. He’s on his way to school now with his parents to talk to the principal. They’re going to beg him to let Justin take me to the prom.”

Leah nodded. She knew Justin’s parents loved Ali and probably wanted to strangle him, too.

“You see? Now take off your dress and let me hang it up. It’s going to be all right, Ali. I know it.”

“Mommy, why do guys do stuff like that?” Ali asked as she slipped off her dress.

“Like what?”

“You know. Act tough, mouth off, stuff like that.”

“Guys are turkeys, Ali.”

Leah regretted her statement immediately. “Look, Justin’s a good kid. You know that. He’s just very immature.”

“Does it get better when guys get older?”

Leah was grateful that her phone rang at that moment. “Be right back, sweetie. Let me get that.”

“I know, it could be Doug,” Ali teased.

Leah checked the call screen on her bedroom phone. It was Jonathan Lazarro. “Hi Jonathan.”

“Leee-ah! Haven’t spoken to you in a while. How’s it going? Still moving to New York?”

The last thing Leah wanted to do right now was talk about moving to New York. And Jonathan would gloat if he knew the truth. He had warned her about getting involved with Doug from the very beginning. She had brushed off his admonitions, thinking he wanted a chance with her himself.

“Can’t talk now. I’m in the middle of a crisis with Ali.”

“What’s wrong? Did she break a nail or something?”

“Don’t be an ass. You know she’s not like that. As a matter of fact, her problem is her boyfriend. It doesn’t matter how old guys are, they find ways to fuck women over.”

“Sounds like someone other than Ali is having boyfriend problems. Is something wrong between you and Mr. Wonderful?”

“I gotta go.”

“Wait, Leah. I’m sorry. Really sorry. I called to invite you to a gallery opening this Saturday. You know I was kidding about Ali and the nail thing. Please come with me. It’s free drinks and food and great art. Please.”

Leah sighed. “You know they serve crappy wine at those things. Headache wine.”

“Come on, Leah. If you want, drop by my studio first and I’ll serve you good wine before we go. Please. I haven’t seen you in a while, and who knows when I’ll see you after you move.”

Leah heard Ali’s phone ring across the hall and hoped it was good news.

“All right, Jonathan I really have to go now, though. Call me on Friday and give me all the details.”

“Will do.”

Leah waited until she heard Ali hang up. “Was that Justin?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t sound happy.” Leah peeked her head in Ali’s room. “What happened with the principal?”

“Justin said he and his parents pleaded with Mr. Aronson, but the answer was no. They even brought my picture and asked why I should be punished too.”

“And what did Mr. Aronson say?”

“He said Justin should have thought about me before he got in the coach’s face and screamed profanities. He said it wasn’t the principal or coach’s responsibility to consider me.”

“Ali, I’m so sorry. Are you going to be all right?”

Ali looked worn out, but turned it off with a shake of her head. “Of course I will. I’m your daughter. You don’t let them see you cry and neither do I. I’m going to the prom by myself, and I will be voted Queen! Who needs a King, anyway?”

Leah was startled with her daughter’s comeback. Did Ali really think she’d learned that attitude from her?

Leah brightened. “Ali, I am so proud of you. And, let me tell you something. In that dress and with that attitude, you’ll be more than Queen of the Prom. You’ll be Empress of the World and Ruler of the Universe!”

Leah’s phone, still in her hand, rang. It was Doug’s name on the call screen this time. Leah decided to let voice mail pick up.

“Who is it, Mommy?”

“No one important.” Leah walked back into her bedroom and replaced the phone on the charger cradle next to a framed photo of her and Doug taken in front of the Eiffel Tower. 

“My family is just as important as yours, you bastard,” she muttered. “And for once, I’m going to put our needs first.”

* * *

Now through Mother's Day, THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX ebook is only 99 cents at the following retailers:

Amazon

iTunes

Kobo

Smashwords

All Romance Books

Parallel Lives, the follow up to The Prince Charming Hoax

Do you ever wonder what your life might have been like if you married someone else, took that other job, or backpacked across Europe before going to college? Leah Gold gets the opportunity to circle back and travel the road not taken in my new serial,  Parallel Lives.

While Leah doesn't go back in time, she is transported through her smart phone (how else?) to a parallel world where her doppelganger is living the life she would be living if she had made some very different major life choices. 

Parallel Lives is being written and released as serial episodes—eight in all—one per week. We're starting work on the covers and plan to release the series very soon. Subscribe to this blog or my newsletter to be sure you don't miss the release dates or any of the exciting giveaways I'm planning for the launch.

I've organized some of the links to previously published blog posts with excerpts from the new series so you can read them here, in order:

Excerpt #1

Excerpt #2

Excerpt #3

Excerpt #4

But, Leah's biggest surprise is yet to come. It's so intense, I get tears in my eyes and a stab in the pit of my stomach every time I think or write about it. There's so much more to come...

A Special Valentine's Day Gift for Readers

Check out all the 99c Specials here

Happy Valentine's Day, Readers!

Today, I offer a gift from me and an opportunity to feel the love from some other authors, too. To celebrate Valentine's Day, THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX and some other great reads are only 99c. (Just click the link below the banner at the top of this post to see them all.)

But's that not all I want to give to you. First, I'm including an excerpt from Chapter 19 below. Second, I'm going to giveaway a copy of My Secrets Discovered, a new novelette by my "sister" Layla Wilcox.

Stay with me after the excerpt for instructions on how to enter a giveaway.

At this point in the story, Leah was angry at Doug for missing her birthday and was having a pretty rotten Valentine's Day.

Leah was stretched out in a bubble-filled Jacuzzi tub in their hotel suite when Doug came back from his day of conference meetings. She heard him come in and call her name, but she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, putting her ears below the water so she could pretend not to hear him. A good number of minutes passed, and she wondered how long it would take him to figure out where she was.

Finally she heard the bathroom door open and what sounded like a cart being rolled in, but kept her eyes closed. She didn’t move until she felt him kiss her gently on the forehead. When she opened her eyes, she burst out laughing. Doug stood on the steps leading up to the tub completely naked and covered in whipped cream. An open bottle of champagne, two glasses, a small vase of flowers, and a tray of unappealing pastries were atop the cart.

Doug held out a glass of champagne in each hand, and offered her one.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, and I couldn’t get a birthday cake or dinner reservations. Every decent restaurant is booked and every bakery only had heart-shaped cakes. So, I ordered the champagne and whatever cake they could find for me at the restaurant here.” He picked up the plate with a flat, stale-looking pastry assortment. “This leaves something to be desired, so let me be your cake. Come on, eat me.”

Leah stood up and wrapped herself in one of the oversize, fluffy white towels. “You look too good to eat. Why don’t you get in this bathtub, though, and clean yourself off. Then we can talk and drink the champagne.”

She walked past Doug, but stopped at the door. “Let’s hope room service hasn’t been overbooked too, and I can order dinner in the room. I’m starving.” She closed the door behind her without waiting for his reply.

Room service came about twenty minutes later and the wait staff set up a romantic table on the terrace overlooking the Gulf, but Doug still hadn’t emerged from the bathroom. Leah opened the door and stood in the doorway. “It’s safe to come out. I’ve officially defrosted, and dinner is waiting on the terrace.”

He was sitting at the vanity, drinking champagne. “There’s not much left in this bottle,” he said. “Should we order another?”

“I have a bottle of wine outside. Come on, let’s eat dinner.”

Doug stood up and approached her slowly. “I’m sorry, Leah. I know you’re angry that I missed your birthday. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“No. But I’m willing to let you try very hard. This wasn’t just any birthday, you know.”

“I know. Let me start begging your forgiveness with this.” He pulled her to him and kissed her lips and neck and nuzzled her ear. “I am so sorry, Leah. Please don’t be angry with me. I can’t stand it when I think I might lose you. Please forgive me.”

Doug reached into the pocket of the hotel bathrobe he had wrapped around him, pulled out a small box, and placed it into her hand like a peace offering.

“What’s this?”

“Open it, my love. It’s your birthday gift.”

Leah took the small, elegantly wrapped box and turned it over several times, then shook it, smiling at him. “Any hints?”

“No. Just open it.”

Leah ripped off the wrapping, not being careful to save the ribbon and lace, as she normally would have done.

“Diamond earrings! Very beautiful, like the roses. Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Let me put these on so I can dine in style.”

She went to the mirror and replaced the earrings she was wearing with her gift. She turned to show Doug, but didn’t try to hide her disappointment. “So, let’s hit the terrace before the dinner gets cold and ruined.” She smiled briefly as she walked past him and out to the terrace.

“Come pour the wine,” she called back to him when she didn’t hear him follow. She sat at the table but Doug didn’t join her. After several minutes, she was about to go in, but he walked out before she could get up.

He held another package out to her. “Maybe this one will suit you better.”

Leah sat with the box in her lap. It was heavy and wrapped in brown paper with a hand-drawn heart in the center. Inside the heart were their initials, as if written on a tree or scratched on the sidewalk: LG & DD 4-ever. She looked up at him. “What’s this?”

“Your Valentine’s surprise. Open it.”

Leah undid the wrapping carefully, making sure to preserve the inscribed heart, only to find a plain white box with no markings. She lifted the cover and gasped. A copy of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand lay in the center of the box, surrounded by crumpled tissue paper for protection. She lifted it out carefully and opened the cover. It was a first printing, signed by Rand. A card fell out as she started to turn the pages. Leah retrieved it from the floor with shaking hands, opened it, and read:

Dearest Leah, I know that one day your books will be as well known and dearly loved as those of Ayn Rand. She may be your favorite author, but you are mine. Happy Valentine’s Day, Birthday Girl. Love, Doug

Leah put the card and the book back in the box and stood up, facing Doug. “That is the best gift I’ve ever received. Forgive me for doubting your love.”

They stood across from one another, not touching, but caressing each other with their eyes, until Doug abruptly scooped her up and carried her inside. “I promised you some whipped cream topping, and you are going to get it.”

When he placed Leah down gently in the bed, something on the nightstand caught her eye. She broke out in hysterical laughter as she grabbed the can of whipped cream and squirted it down her top. “I’d rather wear it and have you lick it off me, if you don’t mind.”

Doug’s bathrobe fell to the ground and he leaned over her on the bed, placing his face in her breasts. Leah heard a muffled, “My pleasure,” as she leaned back and let herself be devoured.

To win a free ebook copy of My Secrets Discovered by Layla Wilcox, just comment below and tell me what brought Leah's spirits around on Valentine's Day. (Hint: You have to read the excerpt above.)

Happy Valentine's Day!