NOT YOUR USUAL SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK'N'ROLL (Book 2)

What happens after a rock band passes its heyday and its members look back at the lives they have led?

--Do they have regrets about the love that never was, like Geoff in THE ROCK STAR?

--Do they struggle with guilt about not saving the life of the person most important to them, like Mitch in THE BODYGUARD?

--Do they go to great lengths to regain their fame, like Zach in THE LEADER OF THE BAND?

This weekend, I'm going to share excerpts from my Rock'n'Romance trilogy. Three very different heroes connected with a classic rock band face unique challenges to realize love can fill their hearts and lives with the most joyful music of all.

If you want to enjoy this entire end-of-summer e-book concert, each book of this trilogy is specially priced at only 99 cents each from Rogue Phoenix Press and other online e-tailers.

***EXCERPT from THE BODYGUARD***

Two weeks before Christmas, Mitch decided he had waited long enough. 

"Come on, mutt." Mitch grabbed his coat and a pair of work gloves. "Let’s go find the twins." 

Gabe bounded to his feet and bumped the doorknob with his nose. He sniffed and marked around the yard while Mitch pulled the Ferrari out of the garage. As soon as the dog jumped into the car, Mitch drove to a lot selling Christmas trees. He selected one that would fit nicely in Julia’s small apartment and strapped it to the top of the car. 

The mutt hung his head out the window, riding in silent watchfulness until the apartment building was in sight. "Woof!" 

"You have to be quiet or we’ll get caught smuggling you in." Under cover of the falling twilight and a bushy evergreen tree, Mitch and the dog walked quickly toward Julia’s apartment. 

As soon as Julia opened the door, the dog pushed inside and sniffed out the twins, quickly falling back into their game of hide and seek. Within seconds, the twins’ giggles let Julia know the dog had found the children. 

"I brought a tree." Mitch stood the evergreen upright. 

"I see that." Julia bit her lip as she walked around the tree. "Nice choice. Bushy all around." 

"I had three picky sisters who trained me in the fine art of Christmas tree selection." 

Julia smiled. "They trained you well." 

"I thought we could decorate it tonight and maybe have cookies and hot chocolate."

The wistful look on Mitch’s face tugged at Julia’s heart. She didn’t want to disappoint him--or miss the chance to spend time with him. "That would be great. Except..." 

"Except?" 

"All the decorations were left behind." 

Understanding dawned in Mitch’s eyes. "I’m sorry, Julia. I didn’t think--I’ll go buy some." 

"Wait--" Julia didn’t want to owe Mitch anything more, and she couldn’t afford to buy decorations for an entire tree right now. "Let’s make decorations. We have construction paper for paper chains and snowflakes, and we can pop corn to string together. I haven’t done that in years. It will be fun." 

"How about the angel for the top?" Mitch asked. 

Julia tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Origami. We can do a fancy folded paper one." She hoped. 

"Sounds great to me." Mitch took off his jacket. "I did remember a stand." 

While Mitch set the tree in the stand, Julia gathered supplies for ornaments and explained to the twins what they were going to do. The twins were delighted, as they hadn’t been allowed to touch the fussy tinsel and glass ornaments on the tree in the West Hills house. Just one more reminder of how suppressed her children’s joy had been. Julia much preferred this homemade Christmas tree. 

The tiny apartment soon became littered with scraps of paper, as loops of red and green chains took shape. The popping of corn rattled a cheerful accompaniment to the giggles of the twins as Julia brought another bowl of popcorn for Mitch to add to the string the dog snitched pieces from. 

"Why don’t you just give him some popcorn?" Julia asked. 

"He won’t eat it except off the string." Mitch threw a disgusted look toward the dog. "It must be a new game." 

Julia turned away to hide her smile. The tree was shaping up beautifully, even if Angelina insisted on hanging all her handmade ornaments on the same three branches. "Anyone want refills on hot chocolate?" 

When Julia returned from the kitchen, the room had grown quiet. 

"Your helpers are asleep," Mitch said. 

The twins lay curled like cherubs next to the dog beneath the spreading limbs of the now decorated tree. 

"Do you want to move them to bed?" Mitch asked. 

Julia nodded. Soon the twins were settled in their beds for the night. 

"Sometimes I just want to watch my children." Julia’s heart swelled with joy as she gazed at Abraham and Angelina. "If I could have one thing for Christmas, I’d ask for my children to be safe." 

Julia and Mitch lapsed into silence for a moment, absorbing the innocence of the twins as they slept. "What would you ask for, Mitch?"

Mitch stared at Julia for a moment longer. His gaze caressed every inch of her face and finally settled on her mouth. "A kiss from you." 

IF YOU WANT MORE INFO ABOUT MY ROCK'N'ROMANCE TRILOGY, PLEASE VISIT MY WEB SITE: www.GenieGabriel.com

NOT YOUR USUAL SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK'N'ROLL! (Book I)

What happens after a rock band passes its heyday and its members look back at the lives they have led?

--Do they have regrets about the love that never was, like Geoff in THE ROCK STAR?

--Do they struggle with guilt about not saving the life of the person most important to them, like Mitch in THE BODYGUARD?

--Do they go to great lengths to regain their fame, like Zach in THE LEADER OF THE BAND?


This weekend, I'm going to share excerpts from my Rock'n'Romance trilogy. Three very different heroes connected with a classic rock band face unique challenges to realize love can fill their hearts and lives with the most joyful music of all.

If you want to enjoy this entire end-of-summer e-book concert, each book of this trilogy is specially priced at only 99 cents each from Rogue Phoenix Press and other online e-tailers.

***EXCERPT from THE ROCK STAR***

Spotlights flashed in rainbows across the stage. Red. Green. Blue. Crisscrossing until they merged into one white-hot light on Geoff Chastain’s face, evoking memories of other times. The screams of thousands of teenaged girls washed through his memory as he pulled the microphone from its stand. 

The first notes of his daughter's favorite song filled the auditorium and his breath caught, jagged, in his chest. Pain pulsed through Geoff's heart with each beat of the drum. He nearly dropped to his knees, longing to crawl back into the self-imposed exile where he had existed since his daughter died. 

The faces of the kids in wheelchairs looked up at him with bright expectation. The whispers of the singers waiting in the stage wings curled around him in concern. 

Daddy, promise you won’t let the music die. His daughter’s last request haunted Geoff. He never suspected life would become so desolate he would forget to eat and sleep, let alone lose touch with the music that had always flowed so easily from his soul. 

A singer moved from the wings to stand beside him. Her presence drifted around him in silent encouragement. Her sweet contralto coaxed him to sing with her. 

Focus, he ordered his brain, staring at the woman. Waves of auburn hair framed her face, then tumbled halfway down a lush body barely covered in spandex and sequins. A woman designed to stir a man to action. 

Geoff's voice rasped with disuse on the first verse; the woman's harmony covered it. As he started the second verse, an image of his daughter swam before his eyes and Geoff's throat closed. The woman picked up the melody without missing a beat, as if they had planned this duet. 

He grasped at her hand and drew a deep breath. Her soft scent filled his nostrils, drawing his attention away from the pain. Giving him the strength to dig deep inside where the music had lain in silent mourning. 

Geoff's voice mingled with hers on the chorus, then soared as he soloed the third verse. Their voices chased each other through the final refrain, then their eyes met and held on the last triumphant note. Awed silence hung for a moment before applause erupted and the crowd was in motion. 

A sea of well-wishers swarmed onto the stage. Not the frenzied near-riots of years ago, but the exuberant cheer of celebration. Smiles and congratulations wrapped warmly around Geoff as men pumped his hand and women kissed his cheek. 

But the mysterious auburn-haired woman who saved his musical butt had disappeared. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY ROCK'N'ROMANCE TRILOGY, PLEASE VISIT MY WEB SITE: www.GenieGabriel.com

The Angels Present: Check In Day

Choose The Write Path!

It's Check In Day.

Time to pay the piper! How did you do? How much did you write? Did words explode on your WIP?

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.

Plans have changed. I'm adding on to Highland Sunrise. So, it's not finished. I'm writing three new chapters. But the good news is, I wrote six pages on Monday and Wednesday. Hope to finish chapter one, Thursday and write another six pages. Writing is getting easier for me. I still remember the days when I wrote ten to twenty pages a day.

 Happy writing.

How was your week?

The Angels Present: Living the Legacy

Living the Legacy

Genie Gabriel

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 1

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

An early childhood of dodging fists and anger has left sniper Collin O'Shea always vigilant for danger. So he is totally unprepared for how quickly the innocent sweetness of Beth Boulanger claims his heart. Their whirlwind marriage is shaken when the harsh reality of Collin's job collides with Beth's sheltered upbringing. Will they survive the unknown dangers that stalk them and threaten their unborn child?

EXCERPT

When the day of their symphony outing arrived, Beth's nerves were stretched as taut as the strings on her cello. She fussed over her hair and wished she had learned more tricks for applying make-up. Unfortunately, it was too late now to learn what most females learned as teenagers.

At least she still had the subtly flattering formal dress she had worn when performing with the college symphony. It fit as easily as the memories that swept over her when she stepped into the auditorium where the symphony was performing.

She breathed in the smell of wood and resin, barely noticeable to a casual concert-goer. However, the memory of the slightly sticky feel of the resin she sparingly swept down the strings of her cello bow when she played tingled in her fingertips.

In the years she had been pursuing a business that could support the need for a house and healthy food in her refrigerator, Beth's time with her cello dwindled. Now she only occasionally brushed the dust gently from its strings and sat down with her once-constant companion.

This night unleashed the emotions making music once roused in her.

At a time when Beth desperately wanted to impress her handsome escort with her sophistication, she often found tears welling in her eyes as the orchestra played pieces she remembered well.

Rather than seem embarrassed by her behavior, Collin simply smiled and covered her hand with his.

After the performance, Collin cupped her elbow and steered her backstage to meet the members of the orchestra. Delighted, Beth was soon caught up in the world she had reveled in during her high school and college years.

When the principle cellist invited them to celebrate the performance with coffee and dessert at a local restaurant, Beth couldn't think of a more fitting highlight to their evening. With Collin as her escort, the evening had been perfect.

...

Collin watched the glow in Beth's eyes as she talked to members of the orchestra. The delicate lavender color of her formal gown and the diamond clips in the upswept curls of her hair enhanced her physical beauty. However, it was the love of music sparkling in her conversation that really captured Collin's attention.

Why had she neglected music? he wondered. Surely she could carve out time for something she so clearly loved in addition to running a restaurant.

Well, he would make sure their time together included the orchestra she enjoyed so much. And he did intend to spend time with Beth, Collin realized. Though this was their first actual date, it seemed he had known her forever.

Inwardly, Collin took a step back. Such fanciful thoughts for a man whose life was devoted to a job requiring deadly focus and split second decision-making.

The vibration of the cell phone in his pocket clearly reminded Collin of that job. Caller ID showed this interruption was a serious one.

He excused himself and went to the lobby to take the call. His team leader offered few details but to report ASAP.

Collin returned to the table and apologized to Beth. "Something's come up and I need to go."

He paused and frowned, irritated a call-out was pulling him away from the most pleasant evening he had enjoyed in recent memory. "I'm so sorry."

The sparkle in Beth's eyes turned to worry. "Is everything alright?"

If everything was alright, the SWAT team wouldn't be activated. But Collin couldn't say that. He couldn't destroy Beth's innocent concern. "One of the drawbacks of my job is being on call 24/7."

"Oh." Beth rose to her feet.

The scent of her flowery shampoo filled Collin's senses and sizzled through his body. She stood close enough he would only have to take a step forward to fold her in his arms. To protect her from the angry and distraught and plainly malevolent people he met every day on his job.

"Do you mind driving my truck back to Halo after I stop at the station? I won't have time to make the trip"

Doubtful hesitation crinkled across Beth's face. "If you don't mind."

"I mind leaving you without a proper escort home."

Collin drove quickly to the station and pulled into a parking spot. Then he cupped Beth's face between his hands and kissed her gently. As the seconds ticked away, his cell phone vibrated again.

He had to leave. He allowed one more moment of regret, then said goodnight, and strode inside to confront whatever emergency was once again claiming his life.

Irritation swirled through Collin as he entered the station. Beth was the first woman who had captured his attention for a very long time, and he had to cut short their date for a call-out. This had better be good.

A mass of organized chaos greeted Collin.

"About time you showed up, O'Shea." His team leader frowned. "We've got a town blowing up. We're sending all the manpower we can spare."

"What town?" Collin shrugged into his camouflage jacket.

"Halo."

Collin froze as a crystal clear image of Beth lodged in his mind. She was driving straight into a disaster.

The Angels Present: Legacy of Truth

Legacy of Truth

Genie Gabriel

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 2

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

Thomas O'Shea is the bad boy in a family of overachievers, haunted by what he saw as a child. When he turns to a woman known as The Wizard to help him solve the mystery of his adoptive father's death, the killers start closing in. His childhood memories hold the key to saving his family--if they can uncover the truth buried beneath years of fear and deceit.

Excerpt:

Thomas stared at Jenny standing in the great room in a little slip of a dress. No jeans to hide her long, sexy legs. No cane to steady her balance.

Love and desire plowed into his belly. "Wow."

She smiled at him uncertainly. "Is that a good wow or a bad wow?"

"Definitely a good wow." Thomas stepped forward and took her hand. "Do you want your cane?"

With a shake of her head, Jenny said, "I'm walking unaided tonight."

Thomas raised an eyebrow, and her spirited side burst out. "You don't think I can do it?"

He grinned. "I think you can do anything you set your mind to."

Her gaze narrowed on him, as if assessing whether he was teasing or not. "I may need an occasional hand from my escort."

Thomas tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. "Any time."

When they arrived at Waring House, a look of dismay crossed Jenny's face when she stared at the broad, curving staircase. The one she would have to climb to reach the ballroom on the third floor.

"There's an elevator," Thomas whispered.

"I'm walking tonight." A slight tremble vibrated in her words.

"Save your energy for dancing." Thomas swept Jenny into his arms and carried her up the stairs.

A squeak of protest slid out of her throat before she quieted. Not the first time he had carried her slight frame, but the first time since he realized she was The One.

That realization changed everything. Thomas felt more protective, yet also felt the need to be more gentle, as if to let her know without saying the words how special she was. He set her carefully on her feet in the entryway just outside the ballroom.

"I won't break, you know." Jenny brushed non-existent wrinkles out of her dress.

Her prickly comment told him she noticed something different, so Thomas fell back into their usual verbal sparring. "Didn't want to crumple your dress."

"Hmmph." However, she did take his arm before they entered the grand ballroom, where tables had been set up so diners could enjoy the fine French cuisine and listen to the music at the same time, then perhaps dance later on.

Thomas walked slowly with Jenny on his arm, letting her savor the moment of triumph when she walked all the way to their table. No cane. Just using those beautiful legs.

As Thomas pulled out a chair for Jenny to sit down, they shared a victorious smile. Then they dined with the rest of the family as the chamber group of Halo citizens played. Muted conversations and enthusiastic applause for the musicians made for a delightful dinner. Mayor Audrey beamed over the success what she hoped would be the first of many "cultural evenings."

The chamber musicians had just started on another piece when the lights went out.

The Angels Present: Legacy of Angels

Legacy of Angels

Genie Gabriel

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 3

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

"I'm not safe anywhere." Terror beat in Claudia deGras' heart, pulsed through her veins, shut down any rational thought. Get out of here!

She bolted toward the door, not daring to look back as the sound of heavy footsteps followed her.

The old brown sedan sitting in the driveway always had the keys in the ignition. Most of the time, it started without much protest.

Claudia flung open the door and cranked the key. The engine caught and roared as she shoved the accelerator to the floor. Two doors banged shut as the old Buick slid sideways on the gravel, then found traction on the pavement.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Patrick O'Shea on the wide bench seat beside her, his hand braced against the dashboard for balance, but his face reflected his normal serenity.

Could she trust him? Did she have a choice? And where was she going?

She eased her foot off the accelerator and settled the old sedan into a speed that wouldn't get them stopped by the police, though patrols were rare on this sparsely traveled road in Eastern Oregon.

While she drove the highway in silence, the childhood memories of curses and shouting and fists landing heavy blows on her body receded, and her panicked mind calmed down.

No one had harmed her today. In fact, over the last few weeks the O'Shea siblings, including Patrick, had rearranged their lives to protect her from the man-beast who stalked her.

She shivered.

The man-beast was the real danger.

"Take the next exit." Patrick's deep voice interrupted Claudia's thoughts.

Patrick's wisdom and gentleness had provided a balm to Claudia's soul many times during the time she had been recovering from her physical wounds at his mother's rambling farmhouse. Today, she discovered the emotional fears were deeper than she imagined. Facing the man-beast again--even in her memory--pushed her into a panicked flight.

Now reason was returning and adrenaline ebbing, and Claudia floundered. Once again, Patrick's reassuring voice provided an anchor, so she followed his instructions. Down a paved road for several miles, flanked on either side by acres of rangeland turning dusty gold in the early summer heat. Then another turn onto a graveled road with no other traffic. Finally off any road entirely, bumping over the rangeland to come to a stop under a sheltering copse of trees near a lake.

After Claudia turned off the engine, Patrick opened the car door. "Come with me."

He walked toward the lake, not looking back.

Claudia watched him for long minutes. Was he simply going to leave her?

The land sloped downward where Patrick now walked, making it seem like he was disappearing. When only the top of his head was still in view, panic seized Claudia once again. "Wait!"

She jumped out of the car and slammed the door behind her, running to catch up with Patrick. She topped the knoll and stopped, her chest rising and falling rapidly with exertion and fright.

Patrick stood looking up at her, the same serene expression on his face. Then he turned and continued walking to the water's edge. Hidden in the tall reeds was a raft that looked as if it would sink with the weight of the family of ducks swimming nearby. However, when Patrick climbed on, the craft barely dipped before stabilizing. He turned and reached out his hand in invitation. Cautious but curious, Claudia climbed aboard.

Using a long pole, Patrick pushed them across the lake and under a rocky outcropping. He secured the raft to a sawed-off tree stump that served as a pier post for a make-shift dock and stepped off. "Be careful. It can be slippery."

Intrigued, Claudia once again took Patrick's hand and climbed off the raft. They walked toward a sheer rock cliff topped by ruins of what could have been an ancient stone cathedral. However, as they reached the cliff, Patrick slipped through a notch in one of the rocks. Once inside, he retrieved a flashlight from a pocket in the rock wall and turned it on, revealing a narrow corridor. Claudia followed him down a winding pathway for what seemed like miles. Patrick walked without hesitation, turning down side tunnels until she felt totally disoriented.

At last he stopped in front of a solid rock wall. Well, it appeared solid. Until he slid aside what must have been a doorway, revealing into a cavernous room.

"Where are we?" Claudia asked.

Patrick turned with a half-smile. "Safe. That's what you wanted, right?"