Here is a #romanticidea ripped from the headlines…of a small
town newspaper:
town newspaper:
Have a slice of watermelon for dessert. Here’s how to make it
romantic:
romantic:
After dinner, cut a generous slice from a huge, seedy watermelon. You
must settle yourself on your door step or deck or porch to consume it. Spit out
the seeds. In fact, spit them as far as you can. The best spitter gets to watch
the loser do the dinner dishes.
must settle yourself on your door step or deck or porch to consume it. Spit out
the seeds. In fact, spit them as far as you can. The best spitter gets to watch
the loser do the dinner dishes.
About Stranger in My
House by Mari Manning
House by Mari Manning
When Officer Kirby Swallow’s half-sister is
threatened, Kirby assumes her sister’s identity and journeys to the remote
Texas ranch her sister calls home to catch a killer. Kirby confronts a growing
list of suspects and a rising body count, not to mention the ranch manager,
Seth Maguire, who sees past the charade to the warm, generous girl beneath. But
can Kirby trust a man who rejects the one thing she holds dear: family? Her
love dares all, but as the killer closes in, will it also be blind?
threatened, Kirby assumes her sister’s identity and journeys to the remote
Texas ranch her sister calls home to catch a killer. Kirby confronts a growing
list of suspects and a rising body count, not to mention the ranch manager,
Seth Maguire, who sees past the charade to the warm, generous girl beneath. But
can Kirby trust a man who rejects the one thing she holds dear: family? Her
love dares all, but as the killer closes in, will it also be blind?
Self-reliant Seth Maguire is manager of the struggling Shaw Valley Ranch. His future appears empty until the ranch’s wild, unpredictable heiress suddenly morphs into a very hot lady cop. What starts out as just another seduction turns into something deep and, for him, frightening. Then the killer is revealed and Seth is faced with an impossible choice. Will his fragile, uncertain love be enough to save Kirby?
Buy links to all the major electronic sites are here: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/stranger-in-my-house/
An excerpt from
Stranger in My House
Stranger in My House
The aroma
of fresh coffee drifted past Kirby’s nose. A man’s raspy breath sawed the air.
A wool blanket tickled her neck. Her eyelids drifted open. Planks of varnished
redwood stretched across the ceiling.
of fresh coffee drifted past Kirby’s nose. A man’s raspy breath sawed the air.
A wool blanket tickled her neck. Her eyelids drifted open. Planks of varnished
redwood stretched across the ceiling.
Where am I?
“Thought
you might sleep all morning.”
you might sleep all morning.”
Kirby
bolted up. She was in a strange bed in a strange room in a strange house.
Maguire slouched against the doorjamb, slurping coffee and studying her.
Rumpled curls, muscular chest, vee of dark hair running down his belly,
sweatpants hanging on narrow hips.
bolted up. She was in a strange bed in a strange room in a strange house.
Maguire slouched against the doorjamb, slurping coffee and studying her.
Rumpled curls, muscular chest, vee of dark hair running down his belly,
sweatpants hanging on narrow hips.
Alarm
jolted through her. He looked satisfied and sexy. What happened last night? Had
he… Had she? Lord Almighty! Had she slept with Maguire? A searing pain drove
through her head, and she fell back against the pillows.
jolted through her. He looked satisfied and sexy. What happened last night? Had
he… Had she? Lord Almighty! Had she slept with Maguire? A searing pain drove
through her head, and she fell back against the pillows.
“What…am…I…doing…here?”
Her mouth was dry, her tongue thick. As if she’d been on a bender.
Her mouth was dry, her tongue thick. As if she’d been on a bender.
Maguire
pulled up a chair. The scrape of chair legs against wood vibrated inside her
head like thunder. “Found you wandering around last night,” he said.
pulled up a chair. The scrape of chair legs against wood vibrated inside her
head like thunder. “Found you wandering around last night,” he said.
“Last
night?” She remembered the sudden crush of exhaustion, of feeling too tired to
hold up her head. Then nothing. Not putting on her T-shirt or brushing her
teeth or turning down the bed. Speaking of T-shirts, what was she wearing, if
anything? She brushed her fingers over her hips. The Rangers jersey twisted
securely around her.
night?” She remembered the sudden crush of exhaustion, of feeling too tired to
hold up her head. Then nothing. Not putting on her T-shirt or brushing her
teeth or turning down the bed. Speaking of T-shirts, what was she wearing, if
anything? She brushed her fingers over her hips. The Rangers jersey twisted
securely around her.
“Just
after midnight. You were banging on the barn.”
after midnight. You were banging on the barn.”
“I don’t
remember.” Her emotions swung between sheer embarrassment and sheer terror at
being discovered. Either way, she couldn’t bear to look at him. “Was I, uh—I
mean, did I, uh, do anything?”
remember.” Her emotions swung between sheer embarrassment and sheer terror at
being discovered. Either way, she couldn’t bear to look at him. “Was I, uh—I
mean, did I, uh, do anything?”
“After
the striptease?”
the striptease?”
Shocked,
she whipped her head around.
she whipped her head around.
About Mari Manning
Let’s start with the fun stuff. I love small towns,
mysteries, quiet men, laughter, old-fashioned spaghetti dinners. I love boots
and shopping and jokes and Hershey’s dark chocolate and white wine. I love lots
of things. But my first love is reading.
mysteries, quiet men, laughter, old-fashioned spaghetti dinners. I love boots
and shopping and jokes and Hershey’s dark chocolate and white wine. I love lots
of things. But my first love is reading.
I love to read. Just about anything, but it has to be
well-written. I go through periods where I am into historical novels or romance
or mystery or history or biography. I never know when my desires will suddenly
change.
well-written. I go through periods where I am into historical novels or romance
or mystery or history or biography. I never know when my desires will suddenly
change.
Now for the writer-ish, official stuff: Mari Manning is the
author of several contemporary romances and three romantic suspense novels set
in the Texas Hill Country. Stranger at My Door is the first in her A Murder in
Teas series. The second, Stranger in My House will be released by Entangled on
June 13. The third book in the series is Stranger in My Bed. Currently Mari is
working on a series of cozy mysteries.
author of several contemporary romances and three romantic suspense novels set
in the Texas Hill Country. Stranger at My Door is the first in her A Murder in
Teas series. The second, Stranger in My House will be released by Entangled on
June 13. The third book in the series is Stranger in My Bed. Currently Mari is
working on a series of cozy mysteries.
She and her husband live in Chicago.
Contact Mari at [email protected]
Visit Mari’s website at www.marimanning.com
Follow Mari @mari_manning on Twitter
