Beach and Water Fun #summer #RB4U

Summer Beach Fun

Hello and welcome back to another monthly visit from me. Today, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite beachy memories. After all, what is a better way to beat the heat than in WATER!

Growing up, my family always had a pool. The summer months were spent from sun up until sun down in the water. We'd have swimming parties, inviting all our classmates over and play games of Marco/Polo and brought our dolls and Barbies into the water. 

As we got older, the pools got bigger, from small one foot plastic tubs to in-ground pools with diving boards. There was once this time when Rob came over to swim and was hanging off the diving board when it broke! Luckily, no one was hurt but it's a story we still tell over and over again. 

When I got married, I became exposed to a new favorite past time...beaches! My husband's family were beach bums who spent weeks in South Carolina on the sand, fishing and swimming. My honeymoon was spent with them that first year. But soon, we were back year after year, exposing our children to the fun of summer sunshine and sand. 

While it wasn't a pool--there were fish swimming in the water with me and getting the salt in your mouth, Yuck! We had the best times. To my delight, we also had a pool at the resort so we divided our time between both water delights. The beach in the morning and after dark and the pool in between! My children learned to swim and dive during those trips. I'm pretty proud of the fact, I've instilled a love of water in my children.

Water is in my blood-more than literally. 

In fact, I set a book I wrote in South Carolina at the very beach we loved. It's a part of the Wilder Sister's Series and is a f/f story of finding love on vacation. 

I've also tied in a beach wedding into One Night in Laguna.

What are your favorite memories of summer fun? Are you a beach bum or pool rat?

Until Next Month!

Melissa Keir

www.melissakeir.com

Talk about busy...it's August already?

Hi all and welcome to my day on Romance Books '4' Us !!!

Sorry it's better late than never I suppose :)  

The 2nd of each month creeps up on my before I realize it.  

Things are super busy this time of year.  

Most kids around the country are either back in school or are going within the week or so.  Here in Michigan, well we're a bit delayed...matches my rhythm perfectly here lately.  My kids are still around underfoot for the next few weeks, not that i mind too much as they are pretty self sufficient.  We always go back to school two days after Labor Day so the official peaceful household will be celebrated on Wednesday September 7th.  But only for a partial day.  Their first day is an early release but once the bus leaves with my youngest two and my Senior drives off in her own car with her 8th grade brother, there will be a sigh from old mom here.  Another school year started and a bit bitter sweet as this will be the start of the Graduation planning.
I'm still struggling a little with having a child old enough to graduate soon.
Can't fathom where the time has gone.

My 3 sweet babies :)

Then as if I don't have enough to do with 4 kid, 2 7 y/o chocolate labs and 2 cats, we decided to get a puppy.  Our labs are getting older and we wanted to add a puppy while they were still young enough put up with one.  Her name is Aeri(pronounced R-ee), and i'm totally in love. She'll be 9 weeks old this Friday and she's ever so ornery and precious.

Of course there's always more to add to our ever busy life.
I have a few book deadlines hovering which i'm super excited about.

The only one i have a cover for so far is a Fairytale Anthology

And it's up for pre-order on Amazon
99¢ or free for KU
Unfortunately, I don't have more info to share on my own story in this just yet however
I can say you might hear a bit about some pigs and a wolf and a woman in red,
among a few other fairy tale characters you might recognize, but keep checking
 my website, www.kristaames.com for more details.

Hope your summer is going great and hey, don't forget to check out RB4U's
 monthly giveaway, located on the sidebar of this site !!!

Seashore Seduction

July Birthstone: Ruby (Promoter of friendship and love)

July Flower: Larkspur (Levity and hilarity) -- FICKLENESS

Theme: Beach scenes/scenarios; music, movies, plays, books with beach settings

Beach scenes and swimming come to mind in summer time, especially in July. The birthstone and flower for July are ruby and larkspur.

In addition to levity and hilarity, the stately looking larkspur also represents fickleness. Did you know it is poisonous?

In addition to friendship and love, ruby also represents power and wealth. These dynamics can often get complicated.

I started writing a short suspenseful murder mystery including these themes. At the beginning I knew who would be killed off and who the bad guy was, but as the story unfolded it morphed and several equally fascinating endings occurred to me.

So, I thought I’d invite you to have some fun here. The story is dangling at a crossroads. Anyone could be the murderer and anyone could be murdered. There are equally strong potential motives on all sides, although some have not yet been revealed.

I’m also contemplating the idea of writing more than one “last chapter” with different outcomes. I’ve never done that before, and would love to know your opinion. Would you enjoy a story with two different endings/victims at the end?

~~~

SEASIDE SEDUCTION (an excerpt)

A brunette bombshell in an expensive bright red bikini reclined on a chaise lounge at water’s edge. The thin solid gold chain hugging her waist glinted in the sunlight. Warm turquoise water lapped gently at her heels and over her pedicured, red-tipped toenails.  The scent of coconut wafted on the tropical breeze, as palm fronds swayed overhead, offering occasional shade.

She let out a slow, sensual sigh. It was so liberating to be free of her unhappy life for a fleeting weekend of secret pleasures. The impulsive getaway to this idyllic tropical resort had turned into an unexpected sensory feast.

Giorgio was everything her bruised ego needed. For two months he had been her personal trainer, coming to her mansion three times a week to guide her workouts and help sculpt her body.  

Rolling over onto her warm belly, Ruby’s eyes scanned the hotel swimming pool area where the beach bar was located. His back was to her as he ordered a chilled bottle of pink champagne for them from the vivacious bartender Colleen.

Her lover’s physique was outrageously perfect. He stood a head above all the others. Sun-streaked raven hair caressed his broad shoulders and his long well-proportioned legs were planted firmly apart. All he wore on his bronze body was a black racing brief that left nothing to the imagination, and the invisible trail of kisses, licks and bites she had placed on him that morning.

The sun hit her jewel emblazoned wedding band at a certain angle, and the rubies and diamonds flashed like fire. Ruby cursed beneath her breath. She didn’t want to be reminded of her farce of a marriage. Nor did she want to return to it.

Her seven year union with Syd had been dominated by money, power and sex, and was built on a bed of indiscretion. Syd had made it his business to bed every woman in their social circle, which was vast considering they moved in high circles, both politically and with the international jet set. She had turned a blind eye to one affair after another, and had never once cheated on him.

Until last month.

Syd always made sure she knew about his paramours. The day she found out he had screwed her sister-in-law was the day her inner fire awakened with a vengeance.

When Giorgio arrived for their workout, he’d found her in a sexy black and scarlet negligee with passion in her golden topaz eyes. Instead of their usual workout in her private gym followed by laps in the Olympic length pool, she had taken him upstairs to her bedroom suite.

He had become her willing captive, taking her in his arms and peeling the sheer material away from her skin. Their yearnings and pent up desires of the past month exploded and rippled out through exquisite love making. He was so strong and powerful physically, but his hands were gentle and his nature was unassuming. Instinctively he seemed to know where to touch her and how to play her body like a flute.

One by one he had uncovered all her deep dark doubts about her body. Why did her husband need to bed every other woman in their world? What was wrong with her? Soon Giorgio taught her the problem was not her – it was Syd.

As the full moon rose over silver tree tops, they had slipped downstairs to skinny dip beneath the stars. Violet and pink larkspur flowers were visible in the moonlight, and the scent of night blooming jasmine intoxicated Giorgio and Ruby as they made love in the pool. She had never been happier.

Any time she had considered walking out of her marriage she had given up the thought. It wasn’t a lack of courage so much as a deep-seated dread in the pit of her stomach. Syd had told her many times that if she ever tried to leave him, it would be in a box. He would consider her abandonment like the loss of a personal asset he had invested in for years. 

Nobody else was going to benefit from his investment. He owned her, in his sick and twisted mind. A piece of paper made her his legal courtesan, but in truth she was his slave and that piece of paper gave her no rights.

Giorgio slid onto the chaise lounge beside her, pulling her out of her depressing thoughts as his cool hand caressed her sun-glowing skin.

“Champagne is coming,” he whispered playfully into her ear. He nibbled her ear lobe, his warm tongue sending shudders of pleasure rippling up and down her body.

She rolled sideways to face him, rubies blazing on her ring finger in the bright sunlight. She rested her head on her hand.

“Let’s not go home.” Her eyes watched his features carefully to gauge his reaction.

“Cara mia, what a beautiful fantasy, but you know as well as I do that it’s not possible. Syd would kill us both.” Giorgio reached for his dark shades and placed them on the bridge of his straight nose, concealing his eyes.

“Maybe not,” Ruby replied hesitantly. “Did you know Syd is right here in the hotel, in a penthouse suite? He’s watching us this very moment.” Giorgio’s head started to turn to look upwards, but Ruby stopped him. “Don’t! He mustn’t realize we know he’s here. Listen…I have a plan.”

An excerpt from Seashore Seduction © 2015 Gemma Juliana. All Rights Reserved.

~~~

I hope you’ll join in the fun, or perhaps you can share the name of your favorite summer read. Or what you consider the perfect summer vacation.

Thanks for reading my blog post. I wish you a very happy summer with a multitude of fabulous stories to read while you lounge beside the pool or ocean, or in the cool sanctuary of your own home.

GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity. You can buy Gemma’s books on Amazon. 

  

You can visit Gemma’s website http://www.gemmajuliana.com.

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The History of Sunglasses #CaraMarsi #RB4U

The History of Sunglasses

Sunglasses are cool. Think Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

 I love to wear sunglasses, not only because they’re cool, but because my eyes are sensitive to sunlight. Usually, blue eyes are more sensitive to light, but my brown eyes are, so this gives me an excuse to wear sunglasses whenever there’s even a hint of sunshine. Also, sunglasses hide a multitude of sins, like dark circles, bags, bloodshot eyes, droopy eyes.

I thought sunglasses were a modern invention and decided to do a little research. Turns out, sunglasses have been around since earliest times. The ancient Inuit people wore “glasses” made from walrus ivory. These had narrow slits to block the harmful rays of the sun. Here’s a pair below:

The Emperor Nero liked to watch gladiator games wearing glasses with polished emeralds for lenses. Sunglasses made of flat lenses of smoky quartz to protect from glare were used in China in the 12th century or maybe sooner. Judges in ancient Chinese courts wore shaded glasses to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses. Clever people, those Chinese.

None of these ancient glasses were used as corrective lenses. In 1430, vision-correcting tinted glasses were introduced into China from Italy. Around 1752, James Ayscough began experimenting with blue- or green-tinted lenses, believing they could correct some forms of vision impairment. Harmful UV rays weren’t a concern.

Glasses tinted with yellow-amber and brown were prescribed for syphilis sufferers in the 19th and early 20th centuries because those with syphilis were sensitive to light. In the U.S, in the 20th century, the military was at the forefront of sunglass technology.

Movie stars helped spread the popularity of sunglasses in the early 20th century. Some said they wore the glasses to avoid recognition. Another explanation is that they had red eyes from the powerful arc lamps that were used when filming.

Sam Foster introduced inexpensive, mass-produced sunglasses in 1929. He sold them under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth’s on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.  By the 1930’s sunglasses were all the rage.

In the 1930’s the Army Corp of Engineers commissioned Bausch and Lomb to produce lenses that would protect pilots from high-altitude glare. In 1936, Edward Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation, patented polarized lenses. Ray-Ban produced aviator-style glasses using polarized lenses.

In the 1960’s a clever advertising campaign by Foster Grant made sunglasses chic. We’ve also come to realize that sunglasses do more than protect from glare and make a person seem a little mysterious and alluring. The best sunglasses are those that protect against the sun’s harmful rays.

Now you have it—the history of sunglasses.

When I sold my first book, I treated myself to a pair of high-quality Revo brand glasses. Since then, I’ve bought two more pairs of designer glasses from the discount sites Gilt Group and Rue La La. I’ve tried to score a pair of Chanel from those sites, but that’s proved elusive. The Chanel glasses are sold out within minutes of going on sale. Because I now need “corrective” lenses, I have a pair of bifocal sunglasses that I wear most of the time. Since my designer glasses aren’t prescription, I wear them when I’m wearing contacts; otherwise, I might look nice, but I won’t be able to see a darn thing.

What about you? Do you love sunglasses? Do you wear them?

Sources: Wikipedia, Ideafinder.com, www.glasseshistory.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don’t forget that Sizzling Summer, a limited edition boxed set of three full-length romance novels, is still available for 99 cents until after Labor Day.

How hot do you like your romance? 

A special three-book set
Lynn Reynolds
Ann Whitaker
Cara Marsi

Love Capri Style by Lynn Reynolds
A sexy, sun-drenched romance set on the island of Capri. Can inept journalist Amanda Jackson get an exclusive on playboy Eric Greyford, or will she wind up as just another item on the gossip pages of his newspaper?

Dog Nanny by Ann Whitaker
When vet tech Julie Shields agrees to train two delinquent poodles to save them from becoming doggies of divorce, she doesn't count on having to harness her desire for hunky pilot Nick Worthington.

A Catered Romance by Cara Marsi
There's more than business brewing between two old high school flames.
Stubbornly self-reliant Mary Beth Kendrick needs financial backing to keep her catering business cooking. A looming corporate buyout forces her to accept help from Tom Sackett, the man who broke her heart and left her with no appetite for love.

Available exclusively at Amazon and BN.

http://www.amazon.com/Sizzling-Summer/dp/B00JZCE1SG/?tag=carmaraut-20

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sizzling-summer-lynn-reynolds/1119638711?ean=2940149588060

Summer Heat with Sizzle by Janice Seagraves

Here’s something to help heat up your summer.

Blurb: Team Alpha Three’s spaceship is out of power after fighting a wormhole, and parked on the primitive world of Zenevieva. With half the team sick from radiation poisoning, the team commander entrust geologist, Maya Gladstone, to find enough matrix crystals to power up their spacecraft, so they can go home to Earth.
Vach Namaste of the powerful Clan Namaste, a native of the planet, has desired the lovely Maya since she stepped off the spaceship on that astonishing day a year ago. He’s hounded her every step since. As Hymeneal Night approaches, he makes plans to take her as his bride… willing or not.

~*~

 

Excerpt: As promised, Maya bought another cheap tote so she wouldn’t damage her prize. Then she worked her way through the bazaar, buying supplies for the next day’s trip. As she went from tent to tent, hunting down the few veggies, fruit and other types of food that she could digest, she caught glimpses of the Zeeman following her. She tensed. What does he want with me?

.

She stalked completely round one of the tents to come face to face with him. Now’s my chance. “Why are you following me?”

.

“What? I don’t know what you mean.” He took a step back.

.

Maya grabbed a fistful of his dark brown robes. “Yes, you do. You’ve been dogging my steps from the moment I set foot on your planet.” She suddenly noticed that the young man was bigger than she’d thought. His chest was deep and his shoulders broad. His arms were larger than Bobby’s and he worked out. And here I am, holding him by his clothes.

.

He stared at her hand. “I like you and want to get to know you. If you were one of my people, I would woo you.”

.

She realized his robe wasn’t made from the rough, homespun fabric used by the common Zeeman. Is he a clan lord?  Maya loosened her grip on the silky material. “Who are you?”

.

He moved back and swept his arm down in an elaborate bow. “My name is Vach Namaste of the Namaste clan. It would please me if you remembered it.”

With a flutter of his robes, he hurried away, weaving through the crowd. It wasn’t until he had disappeared that Maya realized that he’d been speaking to her in English.

~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

US, Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJ10W26

UK, Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-ebook/dp/B00FJ10W26/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380662336&sr=1-3

US, Trade paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-Janice-Seagraves/dp/1492709751/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

UK, Trade paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-Janice-Seagraves/dp/1492709751/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1_KKW6

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Top Ten Things I Love About Summer

It’s summer time and the livin’ is easy, to paraphrase the song. How do I love summer? Let me count the ways, paraphrasing Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Sitting in my air-conditioned house while the temps outside hover near 100 has me thinking of all the ways I love summer. Of course, air-conditioning makes summer a tad more enjoyable. Here’s my David Letterman-inspired Top 10 List, in no particular order:

1.  More time to write. My TV shows are in reruns during the summer. I’m a TV junkie and I’m not afraid to admit it. A writer acquaintance once told me that to be successful at writing I’d have to give up all TV. She’s more successful than I so maybe she was right. However, I don’t see why I should give up something that gives me pleasure. TV watching allows me to relax my body and mind, and I get ideas for stories too.

2.  The sun. It shines in the summer. I live on the East Coast so the sun is a rare commodity most of the year. Yay, sun! I love that shining orb. Just seeing the sun in a cloudless sky lifts my mood. Sun makes people want to get out and do things and it improves their attitudes.

3.  The beach. Or Shore if you’re referring to New Jersey. I’ve lived most of my life a 90-minute drive to the Atlantic Ocean. The beach and ocean are a big part of summer here. I don’t get to the beach much nowadays, but I went to the Jersey Shore most summer weekends when I was in my twenties and thirties. Snooki, The Situation, and the rest of the “Jersey Shore” cast have nothing on me and my friends. Good times. Although I spent almost every weekend at the Shore in those days, I didn’t get tan. There are two reasons for that: I don’t tan no matter how hard I try; I was indoors, in the bars, most of the time. Like I said, good times.

4.  Tans. See above. Most people look healthier in the summer with their golden tans. I’m the exception.

5.  Clothes. I wear fewer of them in the summer. It’s so nice to get up in the morning and throw on a tank top and a pair of shorts and some sandals. In the winter I wear thermal tops under my long-sleeved shirts, sweatpants, socks, warm shoes, and a jacket. In the house. Our house is surrounded by mature trees so it’s always cool, actually cold, in the winter. It’s so much easier to dress in the summer.

6.  Sandals. Love them. I once helped launch a revolt where I worked because our company wouldn’t allow us to wear sandals and wanted us women to wear pantyhose and closed shoes all year round. Yuck. Our revolt was successful. The company never again tried to force us to wear pantyhose and closed shoes in the summer.

7.  Pedicures. My favorite toe color du-jour is green. I wear toe rings too. Sometimes I paint my toenails blue. Painting my toes bright colors and wearing toe rings help me feel a little bit edgy. I like the feeling.  

8.  Beer. I’m usually a wine drinker, but there’s nothing like an ice-cold brew on a hot day. Give me some fresh oysters and clams with that beer and I’m in summer heaven.

9.  Less people where I live. Most of my state’s population is in the southern part of the state at the beaches or at the Jersey Shore. I stay up north most of the summer. The roads up here are less crowded and so are the stores and restaurants. You can walk into almost any restaurant and be seated right away. Whereas in the winter, the most popular restaurants have long waits. In the summer, I get to try restaurants I can’t get into during the winter.

10.  Air-conditioning. I love the heat. I love the sun. But I sure do love my air-conditioning when things get too hot.

What don’t I like about summer? My list only has six items:

1.  Sweat. Not a ladylike thing.

2.  My hair. Those of you with curly hair always complain about frizz. I challenge you to have my hair--straight and flat with not an ounce of body. Want to know what happens to my hair in the summer? Within minutes of styling it, it falls flatter than the proverbial pancake. In fact, pancakes are fluffier than my hair. Next time you complain about your frizz or curls, remember this--it could be worse. You could have my hair.

3.  Humidity. We have lots of it here. It’s what makes us sweat and gives us bad hair days.

4.  Mosquitoes. Enough said.

5.  Swollen fingers. I can’t wear most of my rings because of the heat and humidity. I love rings and usually wear at least three on every hand. Now I’m down to one or two on each hand. Bummer.

6.  Food spoils faster. I keep an ice chest in my trunk during the summer. When I food shop, I put the frozen foods and perishables in the ice chest for the ride home. Even though I live fairly close to the supermarket, food spoils quickly in the heat. One of the few good things about winter is that I can go food shopping in the morning, store the food in my truck, stay out all day, and when I get home, the food is still cold and the frozen stuff still frozen.

Even the hottest summer is better than winter, in my opinion.

So, what do you like about summer? What don’t you like?

My Favorite Time of Year!

There is just something about this time of year that is electric. The long days seem to energize my spirit and the warm weather beckons me. I suppose at this point I should qualify ... I don't live where this time of year means you run from air conditioned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned office. Nope, I reside in the northeast corner of the US where summer brings warmth with moderate humidity and sun without heat ... total weather bliss after long winters.

I remember when the amount of time left of the school year could be counted in days and not weeks. My mom actually let us ride our bikes a couple of miles to school through the woods instead of taking the long convoluted bus ride over the country roads. In the afternoons all the windows in our classrooms would be lifted and doors to the outside propped open so we could smell the fresh air and hear the sweet strains of summer calling us. One year our dog, lonely at home alone, ran into the school building through those open doors. There was nothing so funny as my brother and I watching my older sister and two teachers running up the hall screaming "Ralph, no!" Yeah, our dog's attitude fit his name. The fact that our teachers knew who this medium beagle strutting up the hall with his tail held high belonged to, stunned us all. I think in the end he spent the last hour of school in my sister's classroom before following us home on our bikes.

I always loved the end of the year activities. There was the annual picnic barbeque at lunch. And field day. Remember field day? Playing kickball against the teachers or running three legged races with your best friend. *sigh* I loved it all. Stacking books and scrubbing desk tops. And then the sweet freedom when we burst through the doors of the school on the last day with our book bags filled with all the detritus we'd pulled from the dark depths of our desks, all the broken pencils, crayon nubs and spiral notebooks whose wires had become dangerous weapons. And held tight in my hand was my final report card revealing the name of next year's teacher.

And ahead of me ten weeks of unscheduled time to do nothing but fritter away the days with my friends or hanging out in the woods making tree houses that never seemed to be finished. When it was hot we rode our bikes to the river, swimming and lounging on the rocks or flirting with boys who acted like dragging a lure through the water drowning worms was so much more interesting than we girls in our little bikinis.

We drank Kool-aid by the gallons and ate potato chips by the pound. But no one worried we would gain too much weight, not when we were running around the neighborhood with our friends playing a warped version of hide-n-go-seek. We mowed lawns, babysat younger kids and slept in tents in the yard.

Oh, how I miss those lazy days. I watch my young nephews and neices whose summers are filled with soccer and baseball. Piano lessons and karate. There's no quiet time laying in the grass watching the cloud dragon chase the puffy turtle across the sky. No time to sit and admire a spider spinning a web across the daisy blossoms. Not a spare minute to blow bubbles for the cat to chase. It makes me sad they won't know the pleasure of having nothing to do ... to wake in the morning with no agenda.

I'm so glad I have those memories. With the bright summer stretched out in front of me I will make time to sit in a lounge chair in the sun and read a book and sip a gin & tonic. I'll enjoy street fairs and family barbeques and hopefully feel a little bit of that summer freedom from my youth.

What about you? Any plans or non-plans for the summer ahead?

Summer

It’s my favorite season of the year. I need warmth and sunshine to fuel my soul. I love spending time on my pool deck or floating around on a raft in the pool. It took us longer than usual to get the pool cleaned this year and while the hot and humid temperatures past to cooler, rainy days, I’m sure the warm weather will return.
June is a busy month in our house with three birthdays in the family and Father’s Day. It also brings the end of the school year, which is an added bonus for me. No more rushing to get the daughter off to school. Now I’ll have an extra hour to myself. Woo Hoo!
This summer I’m hoping to finish my wips. One is about 4-5k away from being finished. The other needs another 10k or so. No pressure this summer for me.
The DH and I are planning more day trips then long vacations this summer. After reading the blog posts over at Penelope’s Romance Reviews yesterday I have some fun ideas for trips. If you want to learn more about New England drop over and see all the great posts.
One thing we always do is take in a few Red Sox games. That will still happen. ;o)
What are your plans for the summer?
My newest release is a summer read: Chasing Forever available now from Ellora’s Cave.

Blurb:

Jordyn has longed to make her relationship with best friend Diego more than platonic. Her body drips with need to know what it would feel like to have his lips kissing every inch of her skin. Desire to wrap her legs around his waist and plunge into deep waters with him fills her every dream.

Diego is one with the ocean. His passion is surfing and chasing that ultimate wave. He doesn’t have time for a relationship. Or does he?

A storm is brewing and when a tragedy occurs, Diego and Jordyn need to decide if they’re both chasing the same dreams.

An Excerpt From: CHASING FOREVER

Copyright © AMBER SKYZE, 2011

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter One



Jordyn sat on the beach towel watching Diego riding out the waves. Her pulse raced. He knew he shouldn’t be out there. Hurricane Ivan was heading inland and the weatherman had warned of the dangerous undertow. She’d attempted to chase a few waves, but once she’d swum a few yards she knew it was a mistake. She’d quickly swum back to shore and waited while her best friend tried to prove he was smarter than the ocean.

The waters had turned mean and ugly over the last twenty minutes and the sky was an ominous gray. The hurricane was moving closer. A breeze came in off the water and a chill passed through her body. She’d unzipped her wet suit down to her waist, exposing her bikini top when she exited the water. She should cover up again in case the rains poured down.

She scanned the waters. Someone on a Jet Ski buzzed around, stopping every so often to take some pictures. She hoped he would keep away from the jagged rocks. The razor-sharp rocks were Jordyn’s bigger fear with Diego being out on the water. One wrong move and a wave could drag him under and throw him against the rocks, ending his life.

Jet skis were prohibited at any time on this part of the beach, but it didn’t stop them, especially on a day like today. They’d swarm around the surfers—in this case, just Diego—hoping to get a great shot of him nailing a thirty-foot wave.

Hopefully that’s all he catches.

She scanned the beach looking for any other fools. People with cameras hoping to click the ideal picture of the perfect storm peppered the sand.

“Dumbasses,” she muttered. What did that make her? She was on the beach too. Why had she allowed Diego to convince her this was a good idea?

“Because I’m a fool too.” She buried her foot in the sand and watched how the tiny particles glided between her toes. If she was smart she’d grab her board, jump in her Jeep and hightail it back to her place. Common sense flew out the window when it came to Diego, because she was head over heels in love with him.

Too bad he doesn’t feel the same. He loved her like a sister he’d said a few too many times, especially on drunken occasions.

If she’d had a nickel for all the times he’d said, “If you weren’t like a sister to me, I’d fuck you.”

How her pussy moistened with the thought. A few times she’d been tempted to sock him one and other times she’d wanted to tackle him and show him the woman inside waiting for him to fill that void deep within.

Instead she’d sat back and waited.