Sneak Peek Sunday with The Girl Most Likely

Hi! Nice to be back at Sneak Peek Sunday. Today I've got a 6 paragraph snippet from THE GIRL MOST LIKELY, my contemporary romance novella. It's part of the Class of '85 series from the The Wild Rose Press, which is all about classmates attending their 25th class reunion. Here's a blurb:

Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own words, “fat, frumpy, and over forty.” The thought of facing former classmates—and the ex-husband who dumped her—at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal Trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help—but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?

Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She’s everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing—she can’t get past the fact that he's eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him—love?

Finn and Cara share their first kiss in this snippet. Unfortunately, it's in front of Cara's daughter, and she's not ready for her mother to have a new relationship:

“I couldn’t have gone on the air today without talking to you first. Thanks for the pep talk.”

“You’re welcome. I knew you could do it.”

Finn moved around the table and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. He rested his cheek against the top of her silky hair and breathed in her perfume, something subtle and flowery that made him think of warm breezes on a tropical island. Too soon, she pulled away. He held her hand, preventing her escape.

“Congratulations Cara. You’ll be great at this new job.”

He leaned in close to kiss her, going for a congratulatory peck. But when his lips touched her soft sweet mouth, his rational brain stopped functioning and his body took over. He pulled her close once more, molding her against his chest. She stiffened for one moment before relaxing and sighing against his mouth. She clutched his shoulders, the material of his t-shirt fisting in her hands. Finn lost himself in her intoxicating scent and the feel of her in his arms.

“Mom!”

THE GIRL MOST LIKELY is available at The Wild Rose Press, and Amazon. For a complete list of buy links please check out my website.

And now check out some snippets from other Sexy Saturday contributors!

Winners at my Contest!

Thank you to everyone who entered my contest and read my blurbs for FLAWLESS and my soon to be released contemporary romance ONE MORE SECOND CHANCE (tentative title). I have picked two winners at random and they are:

Linda Bass

and 

Lisa Kendall

Congratulations! Linda and Lisa have been contacted and have received their copies of FLAWLESS. Please watch your inbox for more news about contests and giveaways. Have a wonderful Father's Day!

A New Cover & a New Release!

I have a brand new cover and I'm tickled pink about it! My publishers at The Wild Rose Press have created a wonderful new cover for my previously released book FLAWLESS, a World War Two romantic suspense novella. Here it is!

Isn't it beautiful? I am absolutely thrilled about it. FLAWLESS can be purchased at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, and other e-book retailers. For a complete list of buy links, check out my website at www.janarichards.com. I hope I can tempt you with a blurb from FLAWLESS:

France, 1942.  The world is at war. The Nazis have stolen the infamous blue diamond, Le Coeur Bleu, intending to barter it for weapons that will destroy the Allies. Jewel thief Hunter Smith is given a choice; help the French Resistance steal back the diamond and avenge the death of his best friend, or stay locked up in an English prison. He chooses revenge.

Resistance fighter Madeleine Bertrand’s husband died when he was betrayed by Hunter Smith. How can she now pretend to be married to the arrogant American? How can she betray Jean Philippe’s memory by her passionate response to Hunter’s kisses? Neither is prepared for the maelstrom of attraction that erupts between them. To survive they must uncover the mysteries of the past and conquer the dangers of the present. But first Madeleine must decide if her loyalties lie with her dead husband and the Resistance or with the greatest love of her life.

To celebrate this beautiful new cover, I'm having a contest. I'm giving away two (2) PDF copies of FLAWLESS. To enter my contest, simply like my Facebook Page, follow me on Goodreads, follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on Google+, sign up to receive my blog posts in your inbox, or leave a comment on this post. Let me know what you've done by dropping me a line at jana.richards@hotmail.com to make sure I don't miss any of your entries. Every like or follow gives you an entry in the contest. Your chances of winning depend on the number of entries received. I'll pick two winners at random from all entries received on Thursday, June 5. The names of the winners will be posted on this blog. Good luck!

And in other news...
I'm pleased to announce that I have sold another book to The Wild Rose Press. Yay! This book, a full-length contemporary romance, is part of TWRP's new series, set in the fictional small town of Lobster Cove, Maine. This multi-author series is unique in that all the books will take place in Lobster Cove, but they can be any romance genre across all TWRP's lines, including romantic suspense and historical. It's going to be an exciting series!

My book is tentatively titled ONE MORE SECOND CHANCE. As yet, there is no release date. Here's a blurb:

Dr. Alex McKenzie has a plan – finish his contract to provide medical services in Lobster Cove, Maine, pay off some of his massive medical school debt, and head back to his real life in San Diego. But when he meets fiery Julia Stewart all his carefully laid plans are put in jeopardy. 

Julia Stewart swears she’ll never let another man drag her away from the home she loves. Her aging parents need her, and Lobster Cove is where she wants to raise her five year old daughter. When her mother’s illness bring her and the big city doctor closer together, she panics. Her marriage taught her that men don’t stay. Can this high school principal put aside the heartaches of the past and trust Alex enough to accept the love he’s offering? Or will her fear of abandonment mean she’ll send him away forever?

In this excerpt, Julia and Alex first meet when her daughter Ava is injured and she has to rush her to the ER. Alex doesn't believe her injuries result from an accident. It's not the best way for two people to meet:

“What did the x-ray find?” she asked.

“A spiral fracture of the right arm.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath as if trying to control his emotions. “I’ve seen this kind of injury before. A fracture like this can be the result of a fall, but it can also be an indication of child abuse. An arm as small as Ava’s will break like a twig if it’s twisted hard enough. I’m obligated to contact the authorities if I suspect abuse.”

Julia stared at him in mute shock, her brain struggling to process his words, as if trying to translate some unintelligible language. The words child abuse rang in her ears. Finally she found her voice.

“You think someone deliberately hurt her?”

“Her injuries are consistent with abuse.”

“I don’t give a damn what they’re consistent with. Ava has not been mistreated. My mother said she fell down the stairs, and if that’s what she said, then that’s what happened.”

“I believe there’s more to the story than a simple fall.”

“If it comes down to believing you or my mother, I’m going with my mother.”

“Perhaps you don’t know her as well as you think you do.”

Julia sucked in a breath and stared into Dr. McKenzie’s dark, accusing eyes. The idea that her mother would hurt Ava was ridiculous. She adored Ava, would do anything for her…

She blinked and looked away, remembering an incident the other day. She’d heard her yelling at Ava about the milk she’d spilled on the kitchen floor, making such a huge deal of it that Ava had cried. It had struck her as strange since she couldn’t remember her mother yelling at anyone, ever. She wasn’t as patient as she used to be. And how did she explain her strange phone call telling her Ava had been hurt? Of course she’d been upset, but her mother had been nearly incoherent with distress. Was something going on she wasn’t aware of? She was seventy-one now. Maybe looking after a rambunctious five year old was too much for her.

No. She shook her head to reject the disloyal thought. Dr. McKenzie was the one who was wrong.

“I know my mother. She didn’t do this. It was an accident.”

“We’ll soon find out. The social worker is questioning Ava now.”

Julia stared at the door. “She’ll be scared all by herself.”

“Sharon’s very good at what she does. She has a way of making kids feel comfortable.”

Julia turned on him, the anger and despair she’d been holding inside spilling out. “And you? Do you enjoy upsetting five year olds and turning families’ lives upside down? Does it make you feel powerful to sic the authorities on us?”

“Trust me, I don’t take any pleasure in upsetting either one of you. But I’ve seen child abuse, up close and personal and I can tell you it’s damn ugly. The things adults are capable of doing to defenseless children—“

He stopped abruptly, his lips clamping shut in a thin, angry line. Averting his gaze, he took a deep breath. When he turned back to her, his steely control was back in place. “So yeah, if I have even the smallest suspicion that a child has been abused, I’m going to ask questions. And I’m not going to apologize for it.”

I hope you enjoyed the blurb and excerpt for ONE MORE SECOND CHANCE. Watch your inbox for updates and more contests. Have a wonderful summer!