LATEST NEWS & UPDATE:

Howdy, y'all,

Please don't worry. I won't be sending you pics of my butt. At least not unsolicited, I mean, if you ask for it, and we're consenting adults...

I have two things for you today, the first is a little audience participation time if you have ten minutes and like to read romance novels.

Katie Deane, a graduate student at the University of Birmingham in the UK, is conducting a romance reader survey as part of her dissertation research. The questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete, and you can find it here: [https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/bham/romance-reader-survey].

Oftentimes research on reader browsing is privately funded and difficult to access, requiring expensive corporate subscriptions only available to large publishers. Additionally, it’s not conducted by romance readers – so the questions don’t cover things like whether a reader prefers category series or uses tropes to find their next read.

Katie’s research will be shared publicly, so that not only large publishers, but also curious readers, independent authors, and other scholars can read and benefit from the results. The more responses that are received, the more robust the data will be!

I know in January, we talked about my Ream platform (for those of you who missed it, you can find it here: https://reamstories.com/lasairiona) because I know there's been a cosmic crap-ton of new subs on my newsletter list, and if I don't tell you I have all this cool stuff then how are you supposed to know it's even there?

You don't.

So every now and then I'm going to drop a little first chapter of one of my books up in here to see if I can't tempt those newbies to my newsletter list to go back and read my book baby darlings. And if you've already read them, maybe it'll remind you how much you love them and convince you to go back and do a wee re-read.

Today, it's one of my all time favorites (yes, I know, I shouldn't have favorites because my books are like my children, but here we are). Two for Interference is a college hockey romance described by a reviewer as "Pride and Prejudice meets You've Got Mail."

Here's chapter one to see if I can whet your appetite...

Chapter 1

Cleo

Unknown number: You left your bra here.

Cleo’s best friend, Molly, snorted over her shoulder. Cleo clutched the phone against her chest, cheeks on fire. 

“Too late, I saw it. But I know for sure that message wasn’t meant for you.” Molly snapped the bra strap on her shoulder. “You’re wearing your regular Tuesday bra. And even if by some miracle you were possessed by a demon long enough to let your hair down for a hook-up, there’s no way you’d be careless enough to leave your bra behind. You’d break out in hives at the idea of being seen with your girls hanging free. Not to mention, you were here watching Pitch Perfect with Ben and Jerry last night.”

“I don’t have a regular Tuesday bra.” Cleo reached for the spaghetti strap of her tank, as though it would somehow cover the bra strap in question. Why she was embarrassed by it was anyone’s guess. 

“Wanna go open your underwear drawer and do a headcount? Ten bucks says I’d know whether whoever that is on your phone actually has one of yours or not. In under five seconds.”

Cleo groaned and hung her head. She and Molly had been besties since the first day of Cleo’s freshman year over a year ago. They’d met in the library, throwing dirty looks and shushing the same obnoxious group of jocks. Despite Molly being a year older, a beautiful friendship had been born over a mutual respect for the rules, a shared love of the smell of musty old books, and grilled cheese.

Cleo placed her phone screen-down on the desk. “It’s a wrong number. I’m just going to ignore it. I have to finish this assignment for tomorrow anyway.” 

“Uh huh. It’s not even the third week of term and you’re already charging ahead. You can have a little fun sometimes, you know? That’s kinda the whole point of college.” 

“The whole point of college is to graduate with honors and get a good job. Now, shush. I got shit to do.” Cleo shifted her glasses up her nose and slid the end of her pen between her teeth. Her phone chimed again and her fingers twitched, itching to flip it over. Was there another installment to be had of the mysterious #BraGate she’d found herself in the middle of? Maybe if she stared at it long enough, it would turn over by itself. 

“Maybe he’s got her panties, too.”

“What makes you think it’s a he?”

“Oh sweet, summer child. Let’s go with ‘intuition’. Go on. I can tell you’re bursting to see if that’s him again. I’m giving you permission to take a look.”

Cleo picked up the phone. 

Unknown number: I’d drop it off but I dunno where you live. Are you in the dorms? I know these things are expensive as shit or I wouldn’t have messaged, I know last night was a one-time deal.

Unknown number: Why do women pay so much money for such a flimsy piece of fabric?

Cleo wrinkled her nose. She’d never been a one-night-stand kinda girl. In truth, she’d never really been a dating-of-any-kind sort of girl. Her parents had kept a tight rein on her social life throughout high school. Her two previous boyfriends had never understood her academic drive. 

Molly elbowed her. “One-time deal? Huh. You’re a changed woman, Cleo Martinez. I had no idea you’d gotten into the do ‘em and dump ‘em game. Next you’ll be telling me you bat for my bi-team. You should reply at least, tell the poor guy he’s written the love of his life’s number down wrong. You think he’s talking about this campus?”

Shrugging, Cleo placed the phone back on the table and turned the page of her book. Try as she might to deny it, or squash it down, a small part of her yearned to have a ‘normal’ college experience. But her mom would kill her if she got anything less than exemplary scores in all her classes.

Unknown number: Uh… Melissa? You know it says ‘read’ next to your messages, right? Wait. Is this your calling card? Like you leave your bra behind so I come running? A sneaky way to make it more than a one-time thing?  

“Woman! Answer the man, jeez. Hold up – you don’t think he means Melissa Ross, do you?”

Cleo must have had a blank face because Molly continued. “Cheer squad? Still not ringing any bells?”

Cleo shook her head. 

“You might actually get to know people if you stepped outside of the library sometimes, you know. You should answer The Boy. He seems to want to get rid of that bra as a matter of some urgency.”

Cleo pinched her lip between her teeth. She needed to concentrate on her assignment, and the persistence of Mr. One Night Stand was not conducive to a quiet work environment. 

Cleo: Sorry, this isn’t Melissa. I hope you find your Cinderella soon, though. I can confirm the bra is not mine. 

See? She could be fun. Bantering with a stranger over text was fun, right? 

Unknown number: My apologies. This was the number she gave me. The search for the owner of the over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder continues. Have a good one.

Her stomach sank at the closed nature of his reply. It surprised her. Did she want an excuse to talk to a complete stranger? A stranger who’d had a one night stand the night before, no less. No, she had no time for distractions. She would never become Summa Cum Laude if she let some asshole player take up space in her brain. Focus. That’s what she needed. 

“I’m heading out to the party at Beta Kappa Pi. Sure you don’t wanna come?” Molly gave her shoulder a playful shove.

“I’m good, thanks.” 

Molly giggled. “You’ve reached your fill of excitement for one day. You know where I am if you change your mind.”

“Be safe!”

“Always.” Molly waved her rape whistle attached to her keychain and a foil-wrapped condom at Cleo before slipping them into the shallow pockets of her jeans. She left, mumbling to herself about how the patriarchy screwed women over at every turn, even when it came to their clothes. 

Cleo rolled her neck and a heaviness settled on her chest. Molly was a straight-A student who loved partying. She hadn’t failed a single class in her first year. She had plenty of friends, a fun dating life, and still managed to maintain high grades. She had it all. 

How was it possible for Molly to keep all of the plates spinning, while Cleo had to focus all her energies on succeeding in school? Studying English Literature in the University of Minnesota had been Cleo’s goal for as long as she could remember. She pursued it with fervor, but the occasional ache in the pit of her stomach made her wonder.

To read on in Cleo and Linc's story, you're going to want to go here: https://books2read.com/twoforinterference

That's it for this week, until next time, don't do anything I wouldn't do,

Have you joined my reader group yet? If not, then head over to: Margaritas, Men and Mischief with Lasairiona. As the name suggests, it's a place for my readers to chat about all things romance - with a healthy dose of sarcasm, sharp wit, conversations comprised entirely of GIFs, sneak peeks, giveaways and a plethora of memes. It's one of my absolute favorite places on the internet and I'm really enjoying getting to know readers that bit better over there. Don't be shy - we don't bite... much! Come on over!

Thor:

Protocol. Routine. Control.

Not anymore.

My life turned on a dime in the blink of an eye. From making pancakes for the curvy redhead I met at the club, to being the single dad of an autistic, eleven-year-old boy.

I need help.

She needs a job.

I’m usually a one-and-done kind of guy, but she draws me in, holding me hostage with her green eyes and sass.

I’m playing with fire. But maybe this time, I want to burn.

Addison:

Things I expect after a one night stand: breakfast, small talk, maybe even another O before the awkward walk of shame in last night’s clothes.

I don’t expect to open the door to his house and find a kid surrounded by all his earthly possessions.

Fired from my job, homeless, and the perpetual screw-up of my family... How can I even think about caring for someone else’s child when I’m incapable of looking after myself?

**Please note** This book contains one pseudo-MMF scene where one M acts as a mentor to another though it is not a full MMF/doing-the-deed scene.

Read Control, today!

Justin

I thought I’d left my past in Minnesota when I moved to Iowa, but it was right there waiting for me.

Long blonde hair, curves in all the right places, and a death glare that hits harder than a slap shot to the solar plexus. On the ice, I’m a pro at blocking shots, but Savannah Bowen has slipped behind all my defenses and made a home in my heart.

I had no intention of revisiting the past, but when she’s damn near everywhere I go, I’m a goner.

Savannah

Hell freakin’ no.

It doesn’t matter that Justin Ashe is seven feet tall and sexy as sin, or that I’ve had a crush on him for years. He cheated on my best friend in high school, and that makes him off limits.

I can’t be with him, but damn, it’s impossible to stay away from him. Girl Code says uteruses before duderuses.

He’s supposed to be my enemy, but the more I see of him, the blurrier the lines get.

Welcome to UCR hockey, where fierce AF heroines and hot as puck heroes find their hockey ever afters. If you pucking love college hockey romance series, you’ll adore UCR Raccoons hockey.

FREEZING THE PUCK is a delicious slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, ovaries before brovaries sports romance. This interconnected full-length stand-alone is the first in a new series with no cheating or cliffhangers and has a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

Read Freezing the Puck, today!

Bookish. Bold. Beautiful. And entirely out of his league.

On paper, all-American boy next door, Lincoln Scott, has it all. But behind his slap shots, straight-A report card, and easy going charm, Linc hides a secret only his best friend knows.

When he attempts to return a misplaced bra, a wrong number gets him way more than the hook-up he bargained for. No one has ever looked beyond the star hockey player, until the mysterious woman he can’t stop texting sees him for who he really is.

Does Linc have the skills off the ice to keep up with her? Will he follow in his father’s footsteps? Or will he step out from the shadows and chase his dreams?

If you’re pucking obsessed with Helena Hunting, Pippa Grant, and Elle Kennedy, you’ll love this hilarious, hot-as-puck, secret identity, opposites attract, curvy girl sports romance. Two for Interference is a full length standalone with no cheating, cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Welcome to the Minnesota Snow Pirates, where skilled and sexy mother puckers’ lives get turned upside down by strong and badass heroines. Curl up with your next book boyfriend today.

Read Two for Interference, today!