Today I am featuring a wonderful novel by my good friend and fellow writer Gemma Brocado. It is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it. Later in the post, she shares an embarrasing moment we can all relate to. Check it out. One lucky commenter will win a secret prize from me.
Gemma
Brocato
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: Kensington Books/Lyrical
Press, Inc
Date of Publication: October 20,
2014
eISBN-13:
978-1-61650-616-2
eISBN-10: 1-61650-616-4
ASIN:
Number of pages: 329
Word Count: approx. 85,000
Cover Artist: Renee Rocco
Available in Digital and Print
Formats
Book
Description:
They
walked through the shadows individually. Will they emerge into the light
together?
Leading a vagabond life as a curator for a traveling
photography exhibit translates to a lot of bad days for Rikki Salerno. But her
trouble doubles when a careless high school student shoves her into a marsh.
Being rescued by teacher Sam Kerrigan should have made things better, but
Rikki’s inability to confess her true identity casts a shadow over their
budding affair.
When Sam refuses an overly aggressive parent’s
marriage proposal, she’s determined to ruin him. Not only does she doctor
photos to make it look like Sam’s behaved inappropriately in front of students,
she hacks the foundation website to reveal Rikki’s true identity. Faster than
the blink of a shutter, Rikki’s focus changes from pursuing her full-color
future to the black and white necessity of clearing Sam’s name.
Excerpt:
Sam’s attention wandered
yet again off the homework papers he was supposed to be correcting. The
universal law of gravitation wasn’t nearly as riveting as the memory of Rikki
Salerno wearing a purple jacket and tight running shorts in the early morning
sunlight. He’d resisted the urge to wrap her in his arms when he’d run up on
her in the park that morning. A fiery halo had lit her hair, glints of red
winking in her messy ponytail. The sight of her when she turned back toward
town and ran ahead of him! He’d have been happy to follow her for all
twenty-six miles of a marathon. But, his need to talk to her overruled his
desire to watch her spectacular behind, so he’d quickened his pace to catch
her.
Rikki had tensed when
he’d started ranting about Marguerite Sims. Without knowing how, he’d made her
angry again. He didn’t understand it, but she seemed defensive when he’d made
disparaging remarks about her boss. He was going to have to watch his comments
about the pampered princess when he was around Rikki.
And, if wishes did come
true, there would be a whole lot of around
Rikki time. Her image in his mind’s eye—exotic, interesting, and
intriguing, all wrapped up in one sexy package…. He fidgeted in his hard
teacher’s chair, suddenly uncomfortable with the tightness of his khakis. Thank
God, there weren’t any students in the room. That’d be a hell of a thing to
explain to a bunch of horny teens.
Buy
Links
Barnes
& Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exposed-to-passion-gemma-brocato/1120138660?ean=9781616506162
One Digital Copy of Exposed To Passion, One Leather
Brighton London Flat Pouch, Assorted Picture Frames, $25 Amazon Gift Card, $15
Starbucks Gift Card. For one US Winner only. Prize package valued at $185.00
Runs 10/20/2014 - 11/20/2104
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Gemma Tells All: Her embarrassing moment
Thank you for inviting me to be here on your blog today. I’m
excited to share a little about myself, and my new release, Exposed To Passion. In the story,
something very embarrassing happens to my heroine, Rikki Salerno when she meets
the hero, Sam Kerrigan. This particular something was not based on a one of my real
life experiences, but I started thinking I’d gone out of my way to put my character
into several awkward situations. Turn about is fair play, right? I’m going to
share an embarrassing story about myself today.
I used to have a part-time job as a night manager at a
health club. At the end of each evening, I’d jog through the club, taking one
last turn around all 100,000 square feet to make sure the club was ship-shape
for the next business day. As I sped around, I’d stop to pick up towels and
water bottles patrons left behind, re-rack weights that hadn’t made it back
where they belonged and double check I’d locked all exterior doors. This
usually happened between 10 and 10:15 pm, after all members had exited the
building.
One night, as I completed my circuit, I passed the
housekeeping manager on my way to pick up towels left by the racquetball area.
Now, in case you’ve never seen a racquetball court, it’s a large, rectangular
concrete enclosure with floor to ceiling windows. One of the plexi-glass panels
has an access door members step through to play their matches. I spied a towel
on the floor of one of the courts and turned sharply to walk onto the court to
pick it up.
Except I misjudged which panel had the door. Let me tell you
- I bounce when I hit a wall at full speed ahead. The sound of my forehead
smacking the window wasn’t pleasant. I stumbled backward (thankfully still
upright) and clutched my hand to my head, trying to comprehend what had
happened. I was too stunned to move. It was the first time all evening I’d
stood completely still.
Remember the housekeeping manager I’d just passed? Yep, he
witnessed the whole thing. It was worse than if someone had caught me tripping
up the steps (I’ve done that too.) After he checked to make sure I was okay, he
started laughing at me. I did not laugh with him then, or again the next day
when he pointed out the bruise on my forehead to the club owner. I’d like to say
he embellished the story, but he didn’t. Everyone referred to me as Grace after
that.
So that’s my embarrassing story. Think you can top it? Feel
free to share. Please.
About
the Author:
Gemma's favorite desk accessories for
many years were a circular wooden token, better known as a 'round tuit,' and a
slip of paper from a fortune cookie proclaiming her a lover of words; some day
she'd write a book. All it took was a transfer to the United Kingdom, the
lovely English springtime, and a huge dose of homesickness to write her first
novel. Once it was completed and sent off with a kiss, even the rejections
addressed to 'Dear Author' were gratifying.
After returning to America, she spent a
number of years as a copywriter, dedicating her skills to making insurance and
the agents who sell them sound sexy. Eventually, her full-time job as a writer
interfered with her desire to be a writer full-time and she left the world of
financial products behind to pursue an avocation as a romance author.
Social Media Links:
Also
By Gemma Brocato:
Cooking
Up Love
Hearts
In Harmony
Thanks for stopping by everyone.
Hugs
Katie