Today's guest in My Writing Corner is contemporary romance author, Babette James. She has an exciting new book out, Love Burns. It is the third entry in her River series. Babette writes sweetly scorching contemporary romance and says she loves reading nail-biting tales with a satisfying happily ever after. When not dreaming up stories, she enjoys playing with new bread recipes and dabbling with her paints. As a teacher she says she loves to encourage new readers and readers as they discover their growing abilities and she adds her class cheers when it's time for a spelling test!
Babette was born in New Jersey and raised in Southern California. She has had a life-long love affair with the desert and going down to the shore. Currently she lives in New Jersey with her wonderfully patient husband and their extremely spoiled cats.
Here's a blurb for Love Burns:
Sometimes fanning the flames is better than running...
Smokejumper Dave Knight lives by two simple rules--play hard, work harder. Heartache taught him love and commitment don't mix with his high-intensity lifestyle. That hot kiss with classy Olivia Benedetti-Harper was a mistake, but he walked away in time. Too bad he can't run from the memories. Then a plan crash shatters his future, forcing him to face the ashes of his past, the woman he can't forget, and the toughest challenge of his life: Stop running.
The right man broke her heart. How could the wrong man heal it? Obedient daughter and dutiful wife, Olivia always followed the rules--only to be abandoned by her unfaithful husband. As she rebuilds her life, bad-boy Dave is a sizzling temptation she can't afford. However, breaking the rules with the wrong man might be the best mistake this good girl's ever made for love.
Sounds like a hot love story on a number of levels, and I love the cover. Want more? Here's an excerpt:
“Grip the rod in your right
hand.” He turned the long rod so the reel hung below and adjusted her grip.
“Get the base of the reel between your middle and ring fingers and grip firm.
How’s that feel?”
Her grip felt strange, but more
balanced. “Good. This reel is different from yesterday.”
“That was just a spincaster. Good
for the kids. You’ll like this spinning reel better.” He nudged her, sliding a
slow hand over her hip. “Move that foot a little, there. Good.” He caressed her
rear and let go. “Now, you want about six inches of line there free between the
tip and the lure. Then, pinch the line between your finger and rod.” He
adjusted her index finger. “There. Nice and firm. That keeps the line from
moving when you open the bail. You’ll flip open the bail with your left hand.
Ready?”
“Ready as I get.”
“We’re going to cast overhand
first. After we get this way down, I’ll show you sidearm. Keep that finger
tight on the line, and you’ll cock the rod back over your right shoulder, so
the reel’s kinda pointed up.” He skimmed callused fingertips over her, and drew
her into the gentle cage of his arms and hands, his chest brushing her back,
sun-warmed bare skin meeting bare skin. “Like this.”
As he guided her through the
move, needy heat swiftly turned resolve to be sensible to melted fudge, and
focusing on his lesson and off pressing her body into his took effort. Oh, yes,
how skillfully he’d used those hands yesterday…
“You’re ready to cast. Now, feel
the motion. Most of it’s in the wrist and forearm.” His breath feathered over
her cheek as he led her into bringing the rod back, their bodies swaying
together. “You’re going to do that, but fast, and when you stop, here”—he
paused with the rod pointing nearly vertical—“take your finger off the line and
let her fly.”
Oh, she wanted to fly. She
sighed, body softening into his as he reset their position.
“Ready to do it?”
Do…Oh, right. Casting, not…the
other. Focus.
He patted her hip. “Livie?”
“Yes, sorry.”
“For real this time. Here we go.”
He slid his hands, easing her into position. A swift draw back of the rod, a
swift flick forward and, at his “Now!” she released the line and the plug
whizzed through the air to plunk into the water.
“Great job. Reel on in and try it
on your own.” Teasing a kiss to her neck, he patted her rear, and stepped away.
Wanting
to whimper at her heightened frustration, she frowned at the line spooling onto
her reel. Well, he did ask if you wanted to go fishing.
The toughest parts of casting,
overhand or sidearm, were pinching the line hard enough and letting go at the
right time. However, with Dave’s cheerful coaching, she landed the plug where
she intended more than she miscast. Even when she snarled the line, he helped her
without criticism to untangle and rewind while he shared funny stories of past
fishing mishaps.
Despite
her frustrations, sharing this peaceful time together and seeing Dave at ease
lightened her heart. After his opening up yesterday, she better understood his
need for quiet and escape that seemed so at odds with his restless energy.
She’d felt the strain snapping in him as he spoke of his family, and she ached
for him and his losses. She had an uneasy sense he’d glossed over deeper
troubles.
Casual
touches and brushes of his hands kept her simmering in desire. Yesterday had
been amazing, a defining learning moment for her that she would always
treasure. She wanted that again: sex being what she’d always imagined. He’d
cared about her comfort, her pleasure.
Yet,
doubts slithered. Weeping all over him…so not sexy. Maybe yesterday was just a
fluke. Maybe she was misinterpreting—
Stop. Just enjoy the day.
She frowned, reviewing how
perhaps their morning interactions might seem to Dave. She’d passively enjoyed his
every touch, but not once asked for more. How would he know what she wanted?
Why couldn’t she let Dave know?
Curious, she deliberately bumbled
her next cast. As before, Dave stepped right in, steadying her hand on the rod
and repositioning her arm. However, this time, as he grazed his hands over her,
she twisted around and pressed her body to his, halting against one very hard
erection.
Make that a yes on his interest.
With a sizzling blush, but very amused and excited at how easily she diverted
his attention, she rose up on her toes, and nipped at his jaw, brushing her
lips over warm skin and new stubble, drawing herself over the solid length of
him. If that wasn’t clear…
Dave groaned. “Do that again.”
Catching her free hand onto his
hip, she rode up and nibbled more kisses to his jaw and throat as he tilted his
head and arched his body into hers.
“Yes!” He ran his hands over her
back, fingers hard and searching over her bare skin. “Damn,
sweetheart, what you do to me.”
On a ragged draw of breath, he plucked the fishing rod from her hand and
dropped it aside on the beach chair. “Fishing lesson’s over.”
Love Burns (The River #3) is available at:
The
Wild Rose Press
Amazon
Kindle
Barnes
& Noble Nook
iBooks
Kobo
And if you want more of the The River series, Summertime Dream (The River #1) is
available at:
The
Wild Rose Press
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
iBooks
Kobo
Clear As Day (The River #2) is
available at:
The Wild
Rose Press
Amazon
Kindle
Barnes
& Noble Nook
iBooks
Kobo
If you want to learn more about Babette or reach her online, here are her contact details:
Thanks, Babette, for giving us a look at your book today. Love Burns and the other two River books are now available. Any questions or comments for Babette?
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