Excerpt #4 from He Has Charm
Jun 26, 2022 4:14 pm
Excerpt #4: He Has Charm
If you missed the previous excerpts, check past newsletters HERE!
Also, I officially apologize for the wrong sale date last week for I Want to Know What Love Is
You can get it HERE TODAY for $0.99
It's officially summer, reading pals!
Maybe that explains my anemic writing output this past week? But don't worry, I've been revising and thinking and percolating the story and characters.
Now I can feel a torrent of words coming on because Harper is funny and Maddox is fun and mischevious and the momentum is building.
Check out the excerpt below to get a taste! 🧡
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At SQ's House
I'm packing for my trip to London! I take off tonight for a writers conference at South Bank Centre. If you live in London or nearby, let me know!!!
You have no idea how cool it would be to meet you.🧡
Just got a notice that I need to be at the airport 3 hours early. This seems excessive to me, but there's no chance I'm taking a chance on missing my flight. Luckily I like writing in airports!
On sleeping on a red-eye flight: Does anyone ever? I sure don't, so guess what I'm doing all day tomorrow! But I planned for this and arrived a day early so I wouldn't miss the conference. 😜
In the meantime, I'll take plenty of photos and TikTok videos to share! 🧡
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✍️My Writing Progress
2022 so far: 235,997 words, 3.4 Novels
2022 Goal: 480,000 words, 6 Novels, 1 Novella
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What Am I Reading? This week I'm listening to The Rule Maker by Gina Azzi, a hockey romance.
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➜➜For Audiobook Addicts (like me)
by Spectrum Audiobooks!
He Has Trouble
He Has It All
He Has MVP
Comnig soon... He Has Game
Coming soon... He Has a Baby
CLICK HERE!
➜➜If you'd like a chance to review the audiobook, let me know at stephanie@stephaniequeen.com.
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He Has Charm - Excerpt #4
Harper
My poor shoe. I shouldn’t mourn, but that was my Christian Louboutin Pigalle Follies patent red sole pump. And I loved it. It’s stupider than silly that I want to cry or spit or both that I broke my heel and it fell to its death on the tarmac below. Gone forever .
Then for my further humiliation, I had no choice but to dig through my bag for back-ups so I don’t have to schlep through Logan airport on one and a half shoes when we land in Boston. But all I have are my sparkly evening sandals.
My professional appearance will be nearly impossible to pull off with these sparkly spikes. Shit. The least I can do is behave professionally.
Grabbing my Kate Spade bag, I slip out my tablet to check emails and act business-like. Though even with the larger first-class seats, Knight’s presence is overpowering, distracting me. I can smell him and it’s one of those crazy knock-out combinations of soap, mint and man.
Did I mention his special personal man-scent? Whatever it is, whatever’s in his sweat, I wish I could bottle it and sell it. Or better yet, keep it all to myself…
“Working?” he asks. I jerk my head up, hoping he can’t read my mind by seeing the flustered guilt on my face.
“Yes," I say quickly and launch into my most official and extended explanation in an effort to convince him I'm all business. "I’m reviewing some of the apartment and condo listings sent to me by our real estate agent—”
“The agency has a real estate agent?”
“Not exactly ours, but we do work with her frequently when—
“She?”
“Oh my god—can you just stop it already? Get your mind off women. No dating for you.”
“I wasn’t thinking of dating.” He’s serious. I squeeze my eyes shut. He adds, “And I’m pretty sure you can’t stop me if I wanted to.”
“You’re right. I can’t make you do anything.” I say. He gives me a wary look, so maybe he’s not in complete denial of the seriousness of his situation. “But according to the agreement you signed with the Boston Brawlers today, the addendum to your contract, you need to confine yourself to monogamous relationships only, no tomcatting around.”
“Monogamous?" he says. "And does it really say no tomcatting around in the contract?” His grin is barely suppressed and there's amusement in that damn twinkle in those killer blue eyes of his. But I keep on track.
“Not in so many words. Would you like to re-read the agreement?”
“No. Bottom line is it’s all temporary. Just until the end of the season. I can stand anything for four months. I won’t break.”
I half-laugh. “I’m not worried about you breaking. I’m worried about the contract getting broken. But no worries, I’m here to keep you on the straight and narrow.”
“Did you once work in a convent?” he asks, dead-pan.
Heat rushes to my cheeks and my muscles clench, my arm coming up instinctively to strike back as if he’s accused me of being a whore or called me an unmentionable four letter word. He catches my hand in his before I can do any harm.
“Woah there, sugar buns. Just joking.” He smiles. “Let’s face it. That would be some convent if they had women like you there.”
“What do you mean by that?” Stupid question. I pull my hand from his. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. Just… forget about women and concentrate on hockey for the duration. Do you think you can do that? Honestly?”
“Absolutely, except…” He stares at my eyes so hard I wonder if my mascara is smudged.
“Except what? No holding out, no secrets, Knight. Seriously."
Coming soon...
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Stephanie Queen’s Playlist for He Has Charm
Wasn't Tom talking about romance novels?
The Playlist
NEW! Girls Like You - Maroon 5
NEW! In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) - Hall & Oates
More next week...
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The NEXT story Boston Brawlers hockey romance...
He Has Pluck will be released in September.
His name? That's where I'm counting on YOU to help me out.
Look for the Name That Character Contest for that mischievous guy who's up to something naughty soon... 💜
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Featured Review
I Best Things in Life
a Second Chance Hockey Romance
"One of her best so far, great second chance romance with plenty of angst and steam! Characters were great and definitely pulled at my emotions. Lots of pain and forgiveness and tons of growing up. Perfect little ending!"
--Lunguy5, Amazon reviewer
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Stephanie Queen Featured Authors:
On Thin Ice - Kat Obie
NEW RELEASE!
Hockey Romance
Time to get ready for the Next Generation of the Wild. It's the kids' turn to find their mates.
Jayden
Coming to Minneapolis to play for the Wild's mini camp was a dream come true to jump start my hockey career. It was only natural to crash with my dad's friend and ex-teammate, Philippe Delaney. Everything was going great. The Wild is loving what they're seeing and I might have found my mate. The only issue, my mate isn't a werewolf and Mr. D has forbidden me from dating his youngest daughter. So do I listen to the powerful alpha or my heart?
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Hanging out with Jayden again has been a dream come true. He's sweet, caring and a bit of a comic. But best of all, he isn't afraid to date me. Now the biggest obstacle is the fact that I'm a sea otter shifter and he's a werewolf. Could he really be my mate?
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Stephanie Queen Featured Book Deals
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To get into that summer fun mood, I'm writing and reading more lighthearted books I call rom-com hockey romance. Hope you find your summer fun book reads to fill your heart. 💜
Warmest Regards,
