Cupid Rocks update

Hi all,
  I'm really excited to share my updates about Cupid Rocks. The book will release on February 22nd and I've received my cover art for the book. Let's talk hot abs! Those definitely qualify, right?  Love the guitar over his shoulder and the leather jacket, too.

Cupid Rocks was fun for me to write because I loved Joe right away. This guy who'd been a rock musician most of his life, but was a working musician not a big star. Joe is on the road a lot and is feeling lonely even though his bandmates back him a cake for his 40th birthday. But his life turns on a dime when he meets Mandy. She's everything he's ever wanted in a lover. But there are some bumps along the way.

Mandy's parents, while they are True Mates, had a bumpy relationship themselves so she's not good at relationships. Joe's father is an exacting man and he's never quite approved of his rock guitarist son. And to top it off, they meet when Mandy is trapped in a lie she told her parents to make her life a little easier.

But this IS a romance, so ultimately, it's about the happy ending and the winding paths it takes for the hero and heroine to earn their happy ending. I love the relationship between Joe and Mandy and that they work to support and encourage one another. Together they are stronger. They are better together than they are apart and that's all any of us ever hope for in a love relationship. I hope that comes through in the story I tell about these two wild shapeshifters!

Happy Pre-Valentine!

It's February, month of hearts, flowers, and groundhogs.

Okay, so the groundhog doesn't really fit with Valentine's Day. (Though apparently he's predicting an early spring, which is never a bad thing in my opinion.) But Valentine's Day is a time for love, affection, and relationships.

It isn't usually a time for first dates, but that's what happens when Trey Damone and Jeremiah Crawford schedule their first date without looking at the calendar. Trey and Crawford (he prefers his last name) meet at Dunkin Donuts at the beginning of my February 15 release Chance Met, and feel an instant connection, helped along by Trey's six-year-old son Mikey. Mikey is psychic, like Crawford, and insists to his father that Crawford is "nice." Crawford wants to help the little boy learn to cope with his psychic abilities, but he also wants to become part of Trey's life because he's interested in Trey.

Chance Met will release February 15 from MLR Press.

Who would think that a child’s wish for hot chocolate would change lives? Jeremiah Crawford didn’t expect anything but coffee when he walked into Dunkin Donuts one morning. But a little boy catches his attention–along with the boy’s father. When he realizes the boy, Mikey, has psychic abilities like him, Crawford wants to learn more about him. And more than that, he wants to learn more about Trey Damone, Mikey’s father.
Trey has kept secrets of his own. Mikey’s mother’s family is looking for Mikey to make use of his abilities, which Trey has forbidden his son to speak about in public. And Trey himself is a werewolf, changed only a month earlier. But he’s tired of carrying the secrets alone. Can he trust Crawford enough to let the man into his life?

EXCERPT:

rey took a long drink of the soda he’d ordered. Crawford had expected him to ask for beer or a mixed drink, but Trey had said he didn’t like alcohol. He glanced down at the placemat for a moment, then at Crawford again with something approximating a smile. “It’s been a rough few years. Adjusting to being a father was hard, especially when Mikey’s mother decided not to be a full-time parent. She left him with me and showed up once in a while to visit.”

“At least she left him with someone who took care of him.” Crawford took a sip of his rum and cola. “And that was a stupid thing to say. I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t stupid.” Trey’s smile became a bit more genuine. “With all the horror stories people hear, you’re right. I am glad she at least gave me a chance to try with him. We lived together off and on, when she wanted to be more a part of his life. She knew I was gay—well, bi, I guess, since I did have sex with her. I prefer men, though. It wasn’t a problem for her. I think it was for some of her family, but she never told them who I was, so they couldn’t track me down and try to take Mikey.”

“That’s good.” Crawford couldn’t even begin to comprehend the prejudice and hatred that would go into taking a child away from their parent solely because of the parent’s sexual orientation. He was glad Trey hadn’t had to cope with it.

“She, um, died. A while back.” Trey took another drink. “I wish I could have something stronger right now. I hate even thinking about this.”

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Crawford said quickly. The other man’s sadness had increased, and Crawford almost cried for him. He definitely didn’t want to cause Trey any pain.

“It’s all right.” Trey ran his hand over his face. “Mikey misses her. So do I. We would never have worked romantically. I can sleep with a woman, but I can’t have a relationship with one. I’ve tried, and it just doesn’t feel right. But she and I were friends, and obviously we shared a child. It was hard when I found out she’d passed.”

“I can imagine.”

“And then we had to move to Boston, and I left my boyfriend behind.” Trey picked up his napkin and fidgeted with it. “The relationship didn’t end well. I couldn’t tell him where we were going, so I just ended it, and he wasn’t happy.”

“Why couldn’t you tell him?” It was none of his business. If Trey wanted him to know, he would say something, but Crawford didn’t have the right to ask.

Except he wanted to find out everything Trey was willing to tell him. Trey had mentioned neighbors who watched Mikey, so he obviously knew some people in the area. Maybe even well enough to talk to about personal things. But Crawford had the sense Trey had been carrying some of those things alone for far too long, on top of raising his son and providing for him.

He wanted to help Trey carry whatever load he had.

“It sounds a little strange,” Trey said.

“You don’t have to tell me.” Crawford hesitated. “I’m starting to feel like I’m cross-examining you, and I’m sorry if it’s coming across that way. I may have mentioned how out of practice I am with this dating thing.”

Trey gave him a small smile. “Why are you asking so much? I’m not that fascinating.”

“You are to me.”

Crawford should have regretted saying it. It was one of the sappiest things to come out of his mouth yet. But he had no regrets about speaking the truth. He didn’t only want to help Trey. He wanted to be near him. To talk to him. To just look at him.

If he was falling for the guy, he would never hear the end of it from Joel. Hell, he would never let himself hear the end of it. And he was pretty sure that exactly what was happening. They could be friends as long as it was what Trey needed, but his feelings for Trey definitely went beyond friendship.

Trey’s smile grew. “I think you mean it. Good, because it’s going to be your turn next. I want to find out more about you, too.”

“Ask, then.” He wouldn’t hide anything about himself. He couldn’t imagine even trying.

“I’ll answer you first.” Trey took a deep breath. “No one else knows this. I don’t know why I’m telling you, except Mikey trusts you. And so do I.”

“I’m glad.”

Trey nodded. “You asked why I couldn’t tell my ex where Mikey and I were going. I didn’t tell anyone, to be honest. We moved quite a distance from our old home. We had to. His mother didn’t die in an accident. She was killed because she was psychic. Her people, her family,  wanted her to use those abilities for a purpose. She never told me what, but she refused. She died because of her refusal and because she wouldn’t tell them where Mikey was.”

He clenched his fist around his napkin. “I couldn’t let anyone know where we were going because they want my son. And I’ll die before I let them have him.”

Cupid Rocks!

Hi everyone - Francesca Hawley here!

I got some excellent news this week. My editor emailed me to tell me that she wanted to contract my most recent submission to Ellora's Cave. Woo hooo! I'm super excited. On December 21st, my shapeshifter erotic romance Leader of the Pack was released and now, another shapeshifter romance is on the way. Cupid Rocks is a Valentine's Day themed story featuring a guitar god and the chick who digs him.

Joe Blackwolf was inspired by Joe Perry. Hot. Talented. With the looks and sex appeal to drive women wild. Especially when he starts to play that guitar. But Joe...MY Joe...views himself as a bit of a screw up. He comes from a family of classical musicians and his father, in particular, looks down on rock music.

Mandy Goldwolf grew up in The Pack, her parents' rock band. It's a regional band with a strong following, but they aren't Aerosmith. They don't play stadiums, they play bars and small festivals. But The Pack, and its members, love to perform and the crowds love them right back. Mandy used to perform with the band, but had a traumatic experience when she was much younger. She forgot the words during a competition and completely froze. Since then, she's had morbid stage fright.

They meet when The Pack comes to Whitewolf, Colorado to play a gig and the sparks fly.

Here's the story blurb:

Cupid Rocks

When her parents' rock band, The Pack, performs at Zach's bar, Mandy discovers her True Mate, Joe Blackwolf, the band's lead singer and guitarist. All she has to do now is convince Joe that she told a little white lie to make her mom happy, her father that rock musicians aren't all alike, and her new mate's family that rockers aren't all that different from classical musicians.

Joe Blackwolf is celebrating his 40th birthday. And what he wishes for when he blows out the candles is to find his True Mate. He succeeds when he meets Mandy Goldwolf. Problem is...she belongs to someone else. Finding out the truth leaves him free to explore every inch of her smokin' hot curves, but now, Joe and Mandy are neck deep in overbearing relatives and everyone is in for a rockin' Valentine's Day!

* * * * *

Excerpt

“Am I dead, Angel? Cause you look like you’re straight from heaven!”

“That has to be the worst line I’ve ever heard,” Mandy laughed, looking up into warm brown eyes. She shivered as he settled into the chair beside her. 

“Maybe, but it made you laugh.” He took her hand. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Joe waved over a waiter and ordered for them without once releasing her hand. She could feel the rough calluses guitar playing had created on his fingers, but they turned her on. He turned her on.

This was Joe? “Good ole Joe” as Eddie called him. He was neither good nor old. No. He was gorgeous…and talented. Zach wasn’t kidding when he’d said this Blackwolf was a great guitarist and singer. For the first time since Carly bugged her, she wished with all her might she hadn’t lied about Zach being her mate. Zach might be handsome, but Joe made her throb in places that hadn’t throbbed in all of her thirty-five years.

“So what’s with the camera, Angel? Fan or reporter?”

Mandy looked down at her fingers clenched around her camera strap. If she told him who she was, he’d back off so fast she’d see skid marks on the floor. Just this once, she wanted to pretend she was someone else. Just tonight. She leaned forward pressing her lips against his ear.

“I’m more than a fan. I’m a groupie. Can’t you tell?” He shuddered, turning his head he met her gaze. The fire glowing in his eyes set her boiling. Yes. She had to have him. Now. 

“A groupie? For just any rock musician?”

“No, Joe. I want you.”

“Fuck, yeah,” he growled, standing so abruptly his chair toppled over. No one nearby noticed as he dragged her to her feet. “Where?”

Mandy looked over toward the hallway leading to Zach’s office and smiled. They had a clear path. She pulled him after her and they ducked into the shadowy space. He pressed her to the wall and took her mouth in a deep kiss. Their mouths meshed together. Joe pulled back to nip at her lips, then ran his tongue along the inside edge of her lower lip. She caught his long dark hair in her fingers, holding his mouth to hers.

Fire. Heat. She’d never felt anything like this in her entire life. She moaned as his mouth slid to nuzzle her neck. Mandy wrapped her free arm around him, clutching his leather jacket. She lifted her right leg along his hip. He stepped into the opening she’d created, thrusting his hips against hers.

She shivered as his rough fingers slid along her leg and under her skirt. He slipped his fingers under her panties and cupped her ass. Grasping her, he pulled her more firmly against his hard cock. He reached up to her peasant top, untying the drawstring to bare her bra covered breast. His hot breath teased her neck and then his warm tongue grazed her skin as he licked his way over her curves

“Hey. Anyone seen Joe?” Mandy and Joe froze as she heard Eddie’s voice. He was close. Too close. She looked out of the entrance of the hall. She didn’t see him, but he was right there. She knew it. Mandy closed her eyes, fighting to keep her panting excitement from giving them away.

“I think I saw him with a hot chick earlier. I didn’t get a good look at her though. Just noticed she was his type.” Tom responded with a laugh.

Joe groaned in her ear, and kissed her cheek. She turned to look up at him. He was still on fire, she could see it but there was a definite question in his dark eyes? Stop or go?

She lowered her leg and he sighed, then she smiled and grabbed his hand. “This way,” she whispered.

Mandy knew there was an empty unlocked office back here and she wanted this wolf and she wanted him now. He chuckled as they moved into the darkness. She found the door on the right and turned the knob. Hearing the click, she pushed, wincing at the creak when the door stuck. He pushed her through and they shut the door behind them. Mandy flipped the light switch, blinking a bit to adjust to the table lamps that came on. She’d been expecting an overhead. They looked at each other and grinned.

Joe pulled her over to the empty desk and she climbed up onto it. He stroked her cheek. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. I don’t want to stop. Not now.”

* * * * *

Look for a release date soon - after all it's a Valentine's Day story.

Let's hear what men have to say about Romance & Valentine's Day

February, the month for lovers, since Valentine's Day falls on February 14th. I'm dedicating some blog space to a few men from different walks of life, age bracket and marital status and asked them what their interpretation of romance was and what Valentine’s Day meant to them.

I thank each and every one of them for their enthusiastic responses and no-holds-barred, shooting-from-the-hip responses. 

Bruce, 35 years old:  Guy’s do all the heavy lifting when it comes to romance and relationship continuity in general. We have to be the funny ones, the witty ones, the date planners, the impresarios. Girls just show up. If girls want a tip – step up your game. Put into it what you want to get out of it. You expect a guy to romance you – romance him. You expect a guy to do for you, do for him. Gotta give action to get action.

 Angelo, married, 50 years old: “Valentine’s Day is a “f@!@!@” cash grab.  Ten dollar roses on the corner all year jump to fifty bucks!  It’s worse than the ice storm people who jacked up the prices of generators on people who are in their “f@!@!@” houses “f@!@!@” freezing . . .”

Angelo’s wife’s response: ”Now you know why we go out for Valentine’s Day on February 13. IF we do go out, because I can only listen to so much “I can make this f***in stuff at home for half this price . . .”

Ty Drago: “I’ve been married to my best friend and the most beautiful woman in the world for more than twenty years. Valentine’s Day is one of those days of the year when I get to tell her that. There are 364 others.”

Tom Cosentino: Although over-hyped and over-commercialized, Valentine’s Day allows men to appreciate their significant other and, consciously make an effort to recognize how special they are.  Although we should do this all the time, men do need a kick in the butt and having Feb. 14 as an annual date to remind us, reminds us to keep it  in our the mindset for more than one day.

Rick Wilcox:  This year I’m going to be away from my wife on Valentines Day and it’s just killing me. We’ve raised 4 kids and now have 7 grandchildren, and after 30 years of marriage she’s still my sweetheart. Of course, my parents were married for 62 years, so Dad would call that a good start.For me, romance is all about intimacy, and nothing is more intimate than poetry. My wife says the most romantic moment of our life was a rainy night I read poetry to her while sitting on the front porch swing, listening to a gentle summer thunderstorm. I sat on the swing and she laid next to me with her head in my lap.That was a slice of heaven.

I asked my wife and she said it was a spontaneous kiss, sitting in my pickup eating pizza and watching a sunset the first year we were married. She said it tops every 5 star place we’ve dined around the world.

Michael John Sullivan, married:  I find Valentine’s Day to be intrusive and forced upon me. On this particular day I’m expected to dazzle my lover with a shiny or sparkly gift. However, I love the idea of it to be part of the fabric of any relationship. I am a romantic. I prefer treating my honey to a wonderful candlelight dinner with Sinatra singing Summer Wind. A slow dance makes the evening more enchanting. But, since we have two teenage daughters, kiss that idea goodbye!!

Fun Guy, married, 56 years old: What I would find romantic on Valentines Day is to have your wife meet you at the door in a very sexy and revealing outfit (without kids) and have an evening planned of physical activities  with dinner ordered in. Hot bath together, wine, cheese, grapes, sexy movie and then the rest is XXX. Valentines Day should be a day for both parties to make sure at least once a year they reconnect and spend time together to reignite the flame they had when they first met….look at each other, talk, and discuss there future needs, desires etc………doesn’t need to be expensive….just time together with no interruptions…without this. Valentines Day is just a big commercial money grab…..

Dan, single dad, 43 years old: For me, Valentine’s Day has always been a Hallmark holiday, turning husbands and boyfriends into panicked buffoons hoping either to get laid or stay on the good side of their better halves. I’ve never appreciated forced romance.  However, here’s something for you. Like I said, not sure if it’s what you want.

Romantic? I’m not a roses and dinner kind of guy. I can’t dance and hanging out at a bar with a date sure doesn’t rev my engine, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a concept of romance (at least I hope I have one…)Here’s what I find romantic-It’s a Friday night. We’ve just finished dinner and we’re settled in for the night. The phone’s unplugged and I put an old movie in theDVDplayer. She’s never seen it before and since it’s an old movie I’m a little nervous that she might not like it. After a little while I can tell she’s into it. She laughs at all the right spots, she sighs, she wipes away a tear. She leans over and when our shoulders touch, she smiles and tells me that she likes it. I’ve seen the film at least a dozen times before, but on this particular night it’s like we’re both enjoying it for the first time.

Yeah, I know it’s not the most exciting scenario, but this is as good as it gets. For me, rediscovering a great movie with someone special is a real romantic moment – simple but affecting nonetheless.

* * *

Selena Robins Personally, I think men and women are similar on what we find romantic. Both men and women crave a connection and to know that we matter to the other person. It doesn't have to be in the form of gifts, or lavish trips and arrangements. Spending time together is the most important element in any relationship, nurturing it and showing with not only words but action that that person matters to us. This goes for any relationship, but even more so, when it's a romantic relationship, because that's when emotions usually run extremely high.

So, what do you think?

About Selena Robins

Genre-defying, witty, humorous, suspenseful, romantic and sexy—words used to describe Selena’s novels. A self-professed foodie and chocolate guru, Selena loves to dance with her dog, sing into her hairbrush and write in her PJ's. In love with her family, friends, books, laughter, hockey, lively discussions and red wine (sometimes all at the same time). Selena is a dragon slayer who enjoys reading and writing sassy heroines and hot heroes (the ones your mamma warned you about, but secretly wished she’d dated a few in her life).

Selena's recent release is with Samhain Publishing, WHAT A GIRL WANTS. A romantic comedy, intermingled with mystery, hot spicy scenes and a touch of suspense.