Accidental Affair by Leslie McKelvey

Please welcome Leslie McKelvey author of Accidental Affair.

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ACCIDENTAL AFFAIR

By

Leslie McKelvey

BLURB:  

Jack Vaughn is sure his life is over as he tumbles down the wooded hillside onto the deserted two-lane stretch of asphalt. Years of work ended with a single gunshot. Yet, it’s not over. 

A good Samaritan stops to help him, despite the danger he poses to her. 

Laine Wheeler knows better than to stop for strangers on the rural Montana highway near her home, but her conscience won’t allow her to leave an injured man behind. 

What she doesn’t know is the man is an undercover ATF agent tasked with infiltrating a domestic terrorist group. His cover has been blown and helping him will put her life in danger.

Though there is an instant attraction Jack knows that beginning a romantic relationship with Laine would be both unfair and unwise, yet the farther they run the harder it gets to ignore the feelings that are surging between them.

An Exclusive Excerpt 

EXCERPT:  

Laine looked through a rack of khaki pants and found a pair to fit Jack, then grabbed a short-sleeved button up shirt, another t-shirt, and a jean jacket. There wasn’t much of a shoe selection, but she found a pair of work boots in his size and took them, tossing a couple pairs of socks and a 6-pack of men’s underwear into the basket as she went. She was walking toward the register to pay for her items when the front doors opened and three men strode in.

Normally, she wouldn’t have given them a second look, but the military haircuts and sharp, searching gazes made them stand out amidst the tired truckers and bleary-eyed travelers. She noticed one of the men was wearing an earpiece. It wasn’t a Bluetooth that much she was sure of. The pigtail wire that ran from the end of the earpiece and disappeared beneath his shirt collar was a dead giveaway. She’d watched enough episodes of 24 and Alias to know what it was. The fact they were wearing all black and resembled a SWAT team that had just gotten back from a raid didn’t hurt either. Laine grabbed a book from a rack and started perusing the back cover, trying to blend in. From beneath the brim of the ball cap, she watched their every move.

The tallest man walked into the restaurant and one of his buddies approached the cashier. Her heart rate jumped when the guy by the register took what looked like a photograph from his pocket and showed it to the clerk. A tremor ran through her as adrenaline hit her bloodstream. The bored employee looked at the picture, shook his head and turned his gaze back to Guns and Ammo. 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Biography

Leslie McKelvey has been writing since she learned to write.  Her mother still stores boxes of handwritten stories in the attic.  Leslie read her first romance at 12 and was hooked.  When her high school Creative Writing teacher told her she needed to be a novelist, she decided to give it a try.  Finally, at the ripe old age of...forty-something...her debut novel, Accidental Affair finally made it into print through Black Velvet Seductions Publishing.  The publisher has also contracted two more manuscripts, which will follow Accidental Affair shortly.  The next story slated for release is Bear’s, so for all of you who fell in love with Jack Vaughn’s best friend, get ready.  The 6’8” FBI agent saves wildlife photographer Beth Drummond’s life and loses his heart to her in the process, a journey that tests the boundaries of loyalty, friendship, and love.

Leslie is a war-veteran who served with the U.S. Navy during the Gulf War, and she was among the first groups of women to work the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.  During her five years of service she was stationed at NAS Miramar (yes, Miramar used to belong to the NAVY) and was an F-14 Tomcat mechanic.  While in San Diego she spent time on the carriers USS Independence, USS Ranger, USS Lincoln, and the USS Nimitz.  The final two years of her enlistment were spent on Guam and her squadron frequently deployed to Japan and the Middle East.

She learned everything she knows about firearms and tactics from her police officer husband, who is a weapons expert and firearms instructor for one of the most highly-respected law-enforcement agencies in the world (and one he wishes her NOT to disclose).  He is her biggest supporter and her unpaid consultant on everything law-enforcement and weapons related.  She has three boys, the oldest of whom will soon be wearing the uniform of a United States Marine (SEMPER FI!).  She spends her off-time (kidding...WHAT off-time?) reading, taking pictures, and sending lead down range (that's shooting, for those who are unfamiliar).  One of her favorite scents is the smell of gunpowder in the morning....

Sales URLs

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http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/accidental-affair-leslie-mckelvey/1113750316?ean=2940015936421
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/250538

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WRITING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

Title: CHASING RAINBOWS, a romantic comedy novella in A VALENTINE'S ANTHOLOGY from Rogue's Angels

Author: Genene Valleau, aka Genie Gabriel, aka Amber Angel :)

Book heat level: 2

I've written three romantic comedy novellas--the third one is scheduled for release in May 2013--and I have to confess, writing comedy is more difficult for me than the more dramatic stories in my Halo Legacy Series. 

CHASING RAINBOWS was drafted during a dark time in my life. I was tired of wallowing and my therapy was throwing every funny thing I could think of into a document on my computer. The result was 60,000 words of very rough story and a much better attitude for me. Then I went on to sell three more dramatic novels.

When Christine Young offered the chance to write a novella as part of an anthology and suggested CHASING RAINBOWS, I hesitated. When I pulled out the draft story and reread it, I hesitated even more. First of all, it would need to be cut almost in half to meet the word count of a novella. Secondly, I had grown a lot as a writer since I wrote the draft, and this story would need major overhauls in point of view and strengthening motivation. But I liked the concept and still thought the characters were funny. So I took several deep breaths and and chopped my way to a leaner story with a much better structure. Whew!

The second romantic comedy went better. One of my critique partners suggested reprising the characters from CHASING RAINBOWS and, with that in mind, ST. BATZY AND THE TIME MACHINE was created and published as part of the anthology, A ST. PATRICK'S DAY TALE. 

My third romantic comedy novella is scheduled for release in May 2013 as part of an anthology of stories centering around May Day. This story was tougher to write because I had been intensely writing dramatic stories for over a year. Unexpectedly, switching gears to comedy took some time! The story is currently being critiqued, so I'll soon see if the humor holds up. 

Who knew it would be so tough to find a laugh?

Do you have a favorite type of humor--slapstick? Dry humor? Subtle humor? 

CLIFFHANGER SATURDAY: CHASING RAINBOWS

Title: CHASING RAINBOWS, a romantic comedy novella included in A VALENTINE'S DAY ANTHOLOGY from Rogue's Angels
Author: Genene Valleau, aka Genie Gabriel, aka Amber Angel :)
Cliffhanger heat level: PG
Story heat level: 2

***

            With a nod, Ian once again nosed the Land Rover forward. Rissa turned her attention to the overgrown drive grudgingly unfolding before them. Trees pressed in close overhead, casting a gloomy half-darkness to the already cloudy day, while branches scraped along the windows as if trying to reach inside. Their route was occasionally marked with red-lettered signs warning KEEP OUT.

            "We should almost be there." Ian steered over a large rock in the road. "Beatrice said it was only a half mile past the main road."

            Rissa nodded and braced her hands on either side of the seat beside her as they bounced over yet another boulder jutting out of the slippery track that passed for a road.

            Then abruptly the trees gave way to a small clearing. Ian stomped hard on the brakes and the Land Rover slid to a halt, its nose almost touching Nathan Peters' front porch.

            Nathan Peters himself came out to greet them. He put one booted foot on the bumper of the Land Rover and leveled a double-barreled shotgun at the windshield. "Get out--nice and easy."

***

To celebrate Valentine's month, CHASING RAINBOWS is specially priced at only 99 cents <www.RoguePhoenix Press.com>!

You can read excerpts from all my books on my Web site <www.GenieGabriel.com>.

AMBER ANGEL PRESENTS...CHASING RAINBOWS!

Marissa Madison lives with a unique family: an inventive uncle whose experiments usually involve explosions, an artist aunt who collects classic automobiles, a mother caught in a 1950s time warp, and a playboy twin brother who impersonates their eccentric aunt.
 
Ian MacGregor should have been enjoying a roaring drunk to grieve his father, not selling every piece of personal property so his mother didn't have to live on the street. However, his purchaser for a 1972 Pinto station wagon has disappeared.
 
As Ian gets caught up in finding this eccentric collector, he falls in love with her niece--a woman whose padded breasts landed on his spit-shined shoes. Can he win the girl's heart, collect the money, and save his mother's home? Or will their romance only be another adventure in CHASING RAINBOWS?

To celebrate Valentine's month, CHASING RAINBOWS is on sale for 99 cents during February <http://www.roguephoenixpress.com/>. 

Hi, all! I'm going to switch gears for this post and give you an excerpt from a romantic comedy written by my alter-ego, Genene Valleau. I've written three romantic comedy novellas--the third one is scheduled for release in May 2013--and I have to confess, writing comedy is more difficult for me than the more dramatic stories in my Halo Legacy Series. I hope you enjoy this excerpt...

***

Hovering at the far end of the bar, Rissa rubbed her arm where That Man's fingers had rested. Dressing as a waitress had seemed like the perfect solution to keep an eye on her brother. Put on a wig and some selected endowments, then circulate through the bar and smile. Unfortunately, because she looked like a waitress, she was expected to act like one also. Except that she didn't know a Black Russian from a Bloody Mary, and her feet hurt. She supposed that her backside would have been black and blue from pinches too if it hadn't been artificially padded.

However, Rissa quickly figured out a simple system. Wine in the tall glasses; hard liquor in the short, squatty ones. Match the color of the umbrellas or what was left of the drink. If she mixed up the orders, she just smiled and apologized profusely. Her system had worked fine.

Until That Man touched her arm. 

Rissa couldn't even look into his mesmerizing green eyes without growing dizzy. A dimple appeared briefly in his left cheek as he flashed a smile. 

Lowering her gaze was another mistake. His worn-soft bomber jacket and faded-on jeans conveyed a dangerously intimate message. A message her body picked up loud and clear. 

Ceiling fans moved languidly, shifting the air but not cooling her heated flesh. Perspiration dampened her palms, her upper lip, the valley between her glued-on, enhanced breasts. 

For the first time in her life, Rissa was confronted with the raw sexual power between a man and a woman. It startled and intrigued her; made her want to draw back even as it pulled her under its spell. 

The physical impact of someone stumbling against her brought Rissa back to reality--and a commotion by the bar. Rex Foxworth stood alone beside a three-foot-tall cake, his face covered with a stunned expression and clumps of pink frosting.

Where's Ryan? Rissa thought. What happened?

She took a step and her padded breasts slid downward. "Oh, bother and damnation."

The glue must have been loosened by the perspiration generated from close proximity to the tempting stranger. Rissa placed a hand under her sagging bosom and nudged it upward.

The emerald-eyed stranger reappeared, regarding her curiously. 

"Are you feeling alright?" the man asked.

Rissa nodded vigorously, which started her bosom sliding once more. She crossed her arms and hugged her waist.

"Are you sure you're not in pain?" 

"No!" she whispered as her phony breasts continued their downward slide. If I can just get out of here without the entire bar noticing my escaping body parts. 

Rissa edged along the bar. The door seemed miles away, but she could make it. She knew she could. 

"Wait!" That Man touched her arm again.

The contact caught Rissa by surprise. As she spun around to face the stranger, her arms dropped their frantic hold across her midsection. She felt a shifting and realized her borrowed bosoms were now at her waist. Horrified, she watched the slow motion descent of her faux breasts as they fell at the stranger's feet.

"I'm sorry," Rissa whispered. She snatched the padding from atop the man's spit-shined shoes and double-timed it out of the Pink Flamingo.

*** 

And Rissa is the "normal" one in her family. :) CHASING RAINBOWS begins on Valentine's Day and wraps up a year later on the same day when Ian and Rissa are enjoying their happily ever after--with a little interference, I mean help, from her family.

You can read excerpts from all my books on my Web site <www.GenieGabriel.com>.

-Genie Gabriel

Rogue's Angels Presents A Valentine's Anthology

It's Valentines Day. Check out the angel's anthology.

It's check in day at the Rogues Angels blog. 

Time to pay the piper! How did you do?

This is the Rogue's Angels weekly check-in. Every Thursday we encourage the Angels and visitors to let us know how their writing is going.

How well are you doing?

Had problems this week? That's ok. Just sit down this coming week and write. Whatever you do, don't let difficulties from the week before get in your way this week.

Every word is one word closer to the finished product.

Lots of progress with  SSS my WIP. Finished preliminary edits on Sand the second book in my son's series. The first book is Blood Veins. Sand will be published by Rogue Phoenix Press in August 2013. 

Had a great week? Keep it up, the momentum is on your side.

EVERYDAY MIRACLES: HAVE YOU NOTICED THEM?

by Amber Angel

What miracles have happened in your life lately? 

Amid all the chaos and uncertainty when our world seems to be spinning faster and faster, have you also noticed the miracles? 

I listen to some of the most highly respected spiritual visionaries of our time, who also issue the thought-provoking question, "What if we are living in a time when miracles can become everyday occurrences?" 

What if the choice is ours? What if our willingness to challenge old thoughts, outmoded  perspectives, and beliefs that no longer serve us will determine how our world will unfold into the future? 

I like the idea of everyday miracles--as evidenced by the title of these blog posts. :) 

I also like a sign to let me know I'm on the right path. Right now, that sign comes in the form of two decorative lights on my front deck. These are supposed to be powered by solar batteries. However, the batteries aren't very reliable. (Yeah, I know, the theory is it depends on how much sunlight they receive.) The lights don't seem to work for a long time, then they will twinkle in multi-colored glory at unexpected times. Interestingly, their surprise twinkling brings me more delight than if they would come on at dusk each day and twinkle for a set period of time. 

These lights have also become a fun test of sorts for me. I practice Reiki--a method of focusing the energy or chi that makes up all matter--and I've been using that energy to turn on these lights. Not possible, you say? Well, my twinkling lights tell a different story. Quantum physics can explain this in scientific terms, but I like to say it's my own everyday miracle. 

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is this week. In the next few days over 150 million cards, 110 million roses and 8 billion candy hearts will be given to love ones. I discovered today there are even websites which give suggestions if you can’t think of anything romantic.  As for us, my husband and I plan to slow down and have a quiet dinner together at a small restaurant, just the two of us.

No matter how you show your loved one that you care, it is the thought and feelings behind the sentiment that really counts.  It is not how much they spent but how much thought went into it.  Something handmade is more precious to me than a store bought item. 

In my book The Look of Love Scott helps Penny plan the sweetheart’s banquet to be held on Valentine’s Day. They have known each other over a year and it’s not until they start talking about love and romance that Scott sees Penny as a woman and not a fellow firefighter. This is my second book in the Forest Ridge Firefighter series.