First excerpt from He Has Pluck

Aug 07, 2022 10:14 pm

EXCLUSIVE Excerpt #1 for

He Has Pluck - a bad boy hockey rom-com

Hi everyone!

He Has Pluck is on its way to the page and I'm enjoying the new mischief-making hero Jason, who has nothing but hockey and fun on his mind. Or at least he tries to. Maybe Juliette, a serious lady who thinks playing a game for a living is a sin, has something to say about it.

Check out the excerpt below! 🧡

Also, if you're a romance novel lover (and I think you are!) ...

If you're up for a fun weekend getaway, a road trip with your bestie, you might want to experience a romance reader conference.

Consider it a pilgrimage, a place to go where everyone enjoys the same thing as you--and you get to meet the authors!

Fall in Love New England Romance Reader-Author conference is the perfect event weekend of fun to indulge your romance reading passion.

This fall, on October 21-22 in Massachusetts at the height of foliage, please join me--because I will definitely be there--and dozens of other romance authors and over a hundred romance readers like you, for the ultimate romance lover's weekend!

Check it all out at the Fall in Love New England website here.

On more thing...

Thanks to my fabulous cover designer, the gracious and talented Michele Hauf, the covers for the Playing series have all been re-done. Check them out below and let me know what you think! (I think they're wicked hot!)

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At SQ's House

It's a hot one today--and I don't mean my book! As I write, I'm inside my air-conditioned house to stay cool because I'm not a glutton for punishment.

But I did venture out into the sun and heat at the beach earlier this week with my H and got him to take this photo to prove it. (Yes, it's me.)➜➜➜➜

I decided I can't use the weather as an excuse not to stay active and ~~keep~~ get in shape. But I did quit my gym because that's not the way for me.

Swimming, skating, paddle boarding, walking, hiking, biking and even snow-shoeing are the way to go. All fun activities and all things I've done and need to do more of.

What about you? What's your favorite activity?

Of course I might mix in a little yoga, weights, squats and push-ups here and there to keep my strength up--not that I need a lot of strength for writing.

But I might need it to carry a stack of my books to a romance lover's conference in New England for autographing... 📚

Hope you're all managing to stay cool wherever you are! 💜

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✍️My Writing Progress

2022 so far: 300,767 words, 4.1 Novels

2022 Goal: 425,000 words, 5 Novels, 1 Novella

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What Am I Reading? This week I'm listening to Must Love Hockey by Sarina Bowen, a hockey romance.

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➜➜For Audiobook Addicts (like me)

➜➜If you'd like a chance for a REVIEW COPY of a Boston Brawlers audiobook, let me know at stephanie@stephaniequeen.com.

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Featured Review

He Has Charm

"A fun, well written romance that will keep you captivated!

Definitely A MUST READ!."

--Linda J. Olinger, Amazon Reviewer

Buy Now

Thank you for the review, Linda!

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT #1: He Has Pluck

Jason

Of all the people I need to see on my first day called up to the NHL, the public relations VP is the last person I’d have guessed. Checking my watch, the relic left to me by my dad, I rush down the hallway because the last thing I want to do is be late.

But when I round the corner, fate dishes out a different plan and I plow directly into another body.

Fuck. It’s a woman’s body. No mistaking it. Because as she stumbles back, I catch her, grabbing onto her arm and whatever else I can—which happens to be a very round and pliable boob.

And holy hell if I don’t feel the sizzle zap me from my fingertips down to my toes and stopping long enough at my cock to give it a jolt.

Our eyes connect with mutual shock. Hers go wide and her face flushes instantly like she feels the same insta-jolt. Fuuuck, but she’s hot. And she has the most gorgeous deep blue eyes I’ve ever seen. But our joint micro-orgasm—because that’s the only way I can describe this feeling—doesn’t last.

“What the fuck?” she says, batting my hand away and righting herself. We’re standing so close I can’t help noticing her chest heaving under the soft black sweater, or the flutter of the dark fringes lining those cool blue eyes.

Or the scowl trying like hell to mar her pretty face, but not succeeding. So I smile.

“I’m sorry, I was in a hurry to get…” I turn to the office door in front of us labeled VP of Public Relations. “Here and—”

Her eyes flare in surprise and then she closes them. My heart sinks in sympathetic disappointment as I watch her gorgeous flushed face pale and her shoulders and back collapse like a deflated balloon.

“Is something wrong?”

She comes to as if I’ve snapped my fingers and if I thought her eyes were remarkable, they’ve now turned to ice chips aimed at me like she wants to freeze my balls off. Her scowl of disapproval is unmistakable and I have no idea what this lady’s problem is, but it’s clear as the blue sky in winter that she has a problem with me.

Beyond the unfortunate boob-grabbing which was a total accident.

“Of course you’re a hockey player,” she says as if it’s the same as being an Imperial Death Trooper.

“And you are?”

She huffs and I watch her eyes flare and her chest continue to heave, almost forgetting she’s doesn’t seem to like me or hockey players in general.

“Me? I’m doomed.”

It’s my turn for flaring eyes. She’s dying?

“Wait a sec—you’re not—”

She waves a hand and scoffs. “Not literally. Of course you’d take me literally. I mean professionally. I’ve been demoted to … this.” She waves a hand and I’m not sure what’s so bad about this if she’s talking about the Boston Brawlers NHL franchise headquarters. Because to me, it’s nirvana.

“Sorry to hear about your demotion.” I’m puzzled as hell and even more curious, but I can’t indulge. Not now. “I wish I could help, but I have this meeting.” I indicate the door with a hand, careful to avoid touching her, because my hand itches to do just that. It’s stupid and ridiculous. She doesn’t even like me. I don’t move. I should nock on the door, but I don’t.

She shakes her head. “Why should you care? Never mind. I’ll get over it. Time for my pity party to end. For all I know you could be a perfectly decent guy who made an innocent mistake grabbing my boob.”

“Sorry about that. I was trying to—”

“I know what you were trying to do. You’re a hockey player, you play with pucks for a living, right?”

“Yes,” I say, but I suspect she’s not thinking that’s as fantastic way to make a living as I do. “And?”

“And you play with puck bunnies.” She squints her eyes into a serious frown. “Just so we’re clear, I’m no puck bunny, mister… whoever you are.”

“Jason Tansem. And you have me all wrong.” My eyes wander over her body as she radiates glacier-like vibes, catching on the aforementioned boobs and I quickly return to her face in time to see her scowl turn into a smirk, the gotcha kind.

Fuck. This isn’t going well. First knock-out lady I meet and I’m on her shit list. But who cares? She’s got an ice chip on her shoulder the size of a glacier and something against hockey players. I don’t need that.

“It doesn’t matter," she says. "I’m not interested in you even if you save kittens and orphans in your spare time.

I cough-laugh at her outrageous statement. But before I can get in another word, the door in front of us opens wide and a formidable middle-aged woman stands there with hands on her hips and a scowl that makes ice chip’s expression look angelic.

“Don’t lollygag out in the hallway. Come in for Christ’s sake.” I assume the woman with the commanding voice is the Public Relations lady I was told to see first thing...

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