As part of our Scorching Summer giveaway, I’m thrilled to have New York Times bestselling author Shelli Stevens stopping by today!
Scorching Summer is here!
Are you ready to get hot? 😉 Scorching Summer has arrived!
In case you don’t know me, I’m Shelli Stevens, and I’m seriously excited to be sharing an upcoming release day with some fun, talented authors! Check out these fantastic books releasing June 11th from Samhain Publishing.
Good Girl Gone Plaid by Shelli Stevens (that’s me!)
Her Grace’s Stable by Joely Sue Burkhart
Full Moon by Mari Carr
Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox
She’s the One by Erin Nicholas
Today Joely is allowing me to hang out on her blog and share a bit about Good Girl Gone Plaid, and sneak you a pic of my prize! Thanks, Joely.
Let me say the title of this book came to me first, and I developed the series around it. I adore The McLaughlins, my imported Scottish family who now resides on Whidbey Island in the Pacific Northwest. And, seriously, I hope you adore the first in the series, too!
Falling for the bad boy is even more dangerous the second time around.
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The McLaughlins, Book 1
In high school Sarah fell for her best friend’s older brother—one of the sexy, Scottish McLaughlin boys. But a painful betrayal showed her she’d been a fool to give her heart to a bad boy. At least it made it easier to leave him and move halfway around the world when her Navy dad got stationed in Japan.
Eleven years later, the death of her grandmother has forced Sarah back to Whidbey Island for a month. It’s the length of time she must stay in her inherited house before she’s allowed to sell it, take the money and run. But when she sees Ian, bad as ever and still looking like sin on a stick, she can’t keep her mouth from watering.
One look at Sarah stirs up the regret lingering in Ian’s heart—and never-forgotten desire lingering in his body. He should walk away, especially since divorced single mothers aren’t his style. But when she starts showing up at his family’s pub, he can’t resist a little casual seduction for old time’s sake.
One thing quickly becomes clear, though. The heat between them is causing an avalanche of secrets and betrayal and nothing will ever be the same.
WARNING
A bad-boy hero who’s good with his hands, a heroine who’s trying to be good. Contains liberal consumption of Scotch whisky, a Highland Games competition, men in kilts wielding large poles, and a potential Sarah McLaughlin of the non-musical kind.
Now available for pre-order on Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Samhain
Excerpt
“Give me a Glennfidich 18. Neat.” Ian kept his hands folded and his gaze on the bar counter, but he could still feel the surprise in his eldest brother’s stare.
The pub was near empty—apparently Old Man Cooper had gone home already as well.
“You do realize it’s just about lunch time.” Aleck made his way down the bar until he was positioned right in front of him. “And you’ve gone and ordered one of the most expensive spirits we have?”
“You think I’m daft, big brother? Shut your mouth and just pour it already.” Scowling, Ian lifted his head to make sure his brother hadn’t taken offense.
Aleck, the eldest of all the McLaughlin kids was now sole owner of the pub. He didn’t seem the slightest bit offended by his brother’s comments. He was used to Ian’s quick temper. Instead, his green eyes crinkled around the edges with laughter and his mouth was twisted into a slight smirk.
“Aye, I’ll give ya your drink. So long as you fill me in on why the fook you’re in such a foul mood.” Aleck’s accent had always been the thickest and slowest to fade.
“As if you don’t know.” Ian accepted the shot and glared at his brother. “Go bring Kenzie a tire, you say. As if you don’t know just who exactly you were throwing in my path.”
“No. I haven’t a clue.”
The genuine bewilderment on Aleck’s face convinced him that maybe his brother wasn’t lying.
“Look, Kenzie called and said she was in a bit of a mess and needed me to come out and bring her a tire. She didn’t say she was with anyone.” Aleck placed the bottle of scotch back up on the shelf with the other bottles of spirits. “Fill me in already. Who was with her?”
“Sarah,” Ian finally growled.
“Sorry, who? Tera?”
Ian tipped back the scotch and slammed the glass on the bar. “Sarah.”
“Sarah?” Aleck went still and tilted his head. “As in your Sarah? The good girl you shagged around with in your youth?”
“Aye. That’d be her.” He stared into his empty shot glass, not seeing the drop of amber liquid, but instead the image of Sarah half-naked in the back of his Camaro. “And I wouldn’t necessarily call her a good girl.”
“Wasn’t she now? One step from the nunnery from the impression I got.” Aleck grinned. “Though I’m sure any corruption she acquired back then came from your doing.”
“Hmm. Maybe.” The single malt scotch had warmed his insides and taken the sharp edges off the memory of his encounter with Sarah.
“So, how was it seeing her again?”
“Oh just fucking fantastic.” He gave a harsh laugh and pushed the empty glass to his brother. “Nearly as fantastic as taking a foot to the balls, I’d imagine.”
“That lovely? Was she mean? Did she go and hurt your feelings?” Aleck teased good-naturedly.
“No.” Ian hesitated, unable to share the humor. “More like I hurt her. I probably said some things I shouldn’t have.”
Aleck nodded. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time either one of you has let your temper best you. You want another drink?”
“No.” Ian thrust a hand through his hair. “Wait, aye. One more.”
His brother grabbed the bottle and poured another glass. “I’m sorry. But let me guess. She’s fallen toward the ugly side and is as warm and cuddly as a porcupine?”
“Perhaps on the porcupine bit, but she’s not ugly.” He drank the second round. “She’s prettier now, if you can believe it.”
“Hmm. I’m trying to remember her. Short?”
“Petite. And she’d punch you in the stomach if she heard you call her short.”
“Which is probably as high as she can reach,” Aleck mused. “Long black hair, I think?” Ian nodded.
“Aye, I remember her hair. She was a pretty thing. Quite exotic. She had that hint of olive skin, but blue eyes. I’m surprised you captured her interest. Back then she was too innocent for the likes of you.”
And maybe still was. He’d calmed down considerably from what he’d been in his teen years. But he wasn’t an idiot. Ian knew his reputation on the island, and his bad boy image hadn’t fully gone away. Then again, he hadn’t done much to dissuade it.
“Will you see her again?”
“I doubt it. I don’t think she cared much for seeing me today, to be honest.”
“Aye, well you didn’t end on the best terms. Am I right?”
No. They certainly hadn’t. Just the memory of it was like taking a two-by-four to the chest. His jaw clenched against the wave of guilt and pain. Both emotions had been violently at war that day—as much as they still were now. Beneath those two emotions had been another one. Bitter disappointment. And it was always there. Hot and dark, running a river of anger through his blood.
He didn’t think about it much. Couldn’t go there in his head, because it was all such a mind fuck.
“There’s a reason the past is behind you.” Aleck’s quiet words resonated through the warm haze the Glennfidich had left.
“Aye. And it’ll stay there, no need to worry about that.”
Be sure to check out all the other gals’ blogs and don’t forget to enter the big contest—lots of great prizes and chances to win!
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As I was straightening my office for the New Year, I realized I’ve been moving a giant box back and forth across the floor ever since we moved to this house 1 1/2 years ago. Every time I have a call for the Evil Day Job, KoKo takes the opportunity to gnaw on the box, so it looks like a pack of rats have been chewing on it. (The box only – the books are fine!)
