The Take That Ride Playlist by Meg Benjamin – Guest Blog and Giveaway

August 28, 2023 By 9 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Meg Benjamin will award a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Take That Ride Playlist

Take That Ride, my newest Konigsburg book, is all about music. In particular, it’s all about Texas Americana music. My hero, Coy Blackburn, is a touring musician trying to get his musical groove back. My heroine, Lexi Markham, has been hired to drive Coy and his band around town. When Coy discovers a premium collection of country and folk albums from the seventies at Lexi’s house (they belonged to her late mom), he’s a happy man. And he’s doubly happy when he and Lexi make some sweet music of their own. The music they listen to plays a big part in their story, so I made up a playlist of some particularly important songs. You can find it here.

I won’t go through everything on the list, but here are some highlights.

1. Take That Ride. All my Konigsburg books are named after songs, and this is Emmylou Harris’s lovely song about a woman trying to decide if it’s time to move on. But to me it’s a broader question than that. Both my characters are trying to decide if it’s time to take that ride. To take the next step in their lives and their relationships. In a way, that’s the central question in most romances, and their decision to go for it is what makes the story move.

2. Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This. A Waylon Jennings standard that Coy is trying to do as a duet with his opening act, Marcia Mills. They can’t quite get it to work until fate presents them with a surprising new guitarist who leads the way. This version is by guitar virtuoso Daniel Donato, who sounds a lot like my character Danny the roadie.

3. Mr. Bojangles. Coy plays this beautiful David Bromberg version of the Jerry Jeff Walker song when he visits Lexi’s place for the first time, and it forms a bond between them. It also represents what he’s after in his time singing at the Faro tavern in Konigsburg since he really wants someone to play the Bromberg guitar line while he sings, and he finally gets it right.

4. Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys. Yes, the Willie Nelson classic. Coy sings it because he thinks even Lexi will recognize it, and he’s sort of stunned when she gets tearful. She tells him she was remembering how her father and mother danced to that song at her sister’s wedding, and how happy they were. “I think that’s what music’s supposed to do, sort of,” she says. “Make you think. Make you feel.” An idea Coy takes to heart.

5. I Threw It All Away. Ever have a song come on the radio that suddenly sums up everything you’re feeling, everything you’re worried about? This Dylan song does that on the last night Coy and Lexi are together. Coy keeps trying to convince her and himself that he’ll come back, that he won’t forget what they have together. The Dylan song comes across as a warning—don’t blow this! Don’t give up on what they might be able to create. But circumstances may override whatever the two of them want.

6. On the Road Again. This Willie song doesn’t actually show up in Take That Ride, but it’s still got resonance. In the end, Coy’s got a tour to finish. But now he’s got something else, too. And yes, he wants to get back on the road again, with Lexi.

Since I love Americana music, I had a great time writing Take That Ride. And I hope this playlist will make it easier for non-fans to experience the music along with my characters. Here’s hoping it’s a hit. Happy listening, y’all!

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They’ve only got a week. They need to make it count.

Coy Blackburn is an up-and-coming country singer, but right now he feels more like he’s down-and-going. He’s at the end of a long tour, and his band is dragging. A week-long gig at the Faro tavern in Konigsburg, Texas, may get them back on their feet or it may be a disaster. For Coy, it feels like it could go either way.

Lexi Markham is living life on auto-pilot at the moment. As the main driver at her family’s tour business, she spends her days taking tourists around the Texas wineries and trying to get over her breakup with her lying fiancé. Now her sister has booked her to drive a country band around town, and she’s definitely not feeling it.

When Coy and Lexi meet, sparks fly—and not it a good way. Still, trust the power of music (and a back country cloudburst) to overcome a few bumps in the road. But can they even think about the future when they’ve only got a few days together?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Lexi propped herself against the doorway watching the band slide into the complete number. After a moment, Deirdre stepped up behind her. Lexi didn’t recognize the music the band was playing, but it must be one of their regulars, given the easy way they seemed to be moving through the verse. As if they felt comfortable with what they were doing. After they’d played a few minutes that were strictly instrumental, Coy stepped to the microphone and began to sing.

The words weren’t familiar, but she found herself listening closely. Something about a couple that had broken up but still had feelings for each other. The man in the song missed the way they’d been together, even though he didn’t exactly miss the woman herself. It was a complicated kind of lyric, a lot more complex than she might have expected.

Lexi wasn’t sure if she’d heard Coy sing before or not. The last time she’d heard them rehearse, she hadn’t paid much attention. She was fairly certain now she’d never really heard him sing. His voice was deep and resonant, but not exactly a bass. More like baritone. Something about the way Coy sang those complicated lyrics began to reach deep into her senses. He wasn’t really living the song, but he made her feel as if the feelings he described weren’t totally unfamiliar. As if he knew how to make her feel them, too.

A shiver traveled up her backbone, and her arms seemed to tingle. She checked to see if she had gooseflesh.

About the Author Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing and from Meg’s indie line). Her new cozy mystery series, Luscious Delights from Wild Rose Press, concerns a jam-making sleuth based in the mythical small town of Shavano, Colorado. Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix and the Folk trilogy from Soul Mate. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: The Pepper Peach Murder by Meg Benjamin

August 25, 2023 By Leave a Comment

Thanks for joining us on our 16th anniversary scavenger hunt! There are two ways to enter to win and it’s easy to play– first read the blurb below, then answer the question on the first Rafflecopter. You might win a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC (along with other prizes). Follow and visit authors’ social media pages on the second Rafflecopter and you’re entered to win another $100 Amazon/BN GC (along with other prizes)!

Roxy Constantine is the jam queen of Shavano, Colorado. But her social life is a bust, and she’s still recovering from a bad experience as a line cook in Denver. Things improve when she meets tasty local chef Nate Robicheaux, but she’s also fending off the attentions of another local, Brett Holmes, who won’t take no for an answer.

When Brett threatens to derail Roxy’s career, the two have a very public fight. A few days later, Brett is found murdered in his restaurant kitchen, and suddenly Roxy’s a prime suspect.

Now Roxy must find the truth about Brett and his murderer before the town of Shavano decides her reign as jam queen is over for good.

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Roxy Constantine: Jam Queen by Meg Benjamin – Guest Blog and Giveaway

January 25, 2023 By 4 Comments

This post is part o a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Roxy Constantine: Jam Queen

At the beginning of The Pepper Peach Murder, my heroine, Roxy Constantine, has a laser focus on jam. She spends most of her time making jam, selling jam, and thinking about jam. After all, the local paper has called her “The Jam Queen of Shavano County.” She’s got a lot to live up to.

Roxy has come back to her hometown of Shavano, Colorado, after a bad experience as a line cook in Denver. It’s soured her on doing much besides concentrating on her jam company, Luscious Delights. Her business is just beginning to take off after a lot of hard work. And getting Luscious Delights off the ground has occupied most of her time. Roxy hasn’t done much in the way of socializing for the past couple of years. But thanks to her booth at the farmers market where she meets local chef, Nate Robicheaux, things may be looking up in the romance department.

Unfortunately, another Shavano chef, Brett Holmes, is trying to rain on Roxy’s parade. The two of them worked together in Denver, and even then he was someone who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Roxy doesn’t want to go out with him since he’s a definite sleaze, but he just keeps asking. And, in fact, it isn’t really asking . Brett’s demands move closer to threats, and Roxy has had enough. She tells Brett off in front of most of the vendors at the Shavano Farmers Market, which means half of Shavano gets the idea that Brett and Roxy are definitely not soulmates.

When someone kills Brett in his own kitchen a few days later, Roxy finds she’s got some major problems. A lot of people in town think she’s the killer, including the new chief of police, Ethan Fowler. Even though Roxy has an alibi, she decides she needs to investigate—Luscious Delights is in jeopardy since nobody wants to buy jam from a murderess.

Roxy’s investigation is the central focus of The Pepper Peach Murder. Well, that and her developing relationship with Nate. She’s got a lot to figure out and a lot to overcome if she’s going to maintain all she’s accomplished so far and all she wants to do in the future.

The Jam Queen of Shavano County is on the case, and she’s definitely got a lot of reasons to find the killer. Whether she can do that, particularly when she discovers some people she cares about may be involved, is another question. That’s one question she’ll have to answer if she wants to keep her title.

Roxy Constantine is the jam queen of Shavano, Colorado, and she’s fine with it. Not that things couldn’t be better. Her social life is a bust, and she’s still recovering from a bad experience as a line cook in Denver. But things are looking up when she meets local chef Nate Robicheaux. Roxy would like to get closer to Nate, but she’s fending off the unwanted attentions of another local, Brett Holmes, who won’t take no for an answer. When Brett threatens to derail Roxy’s appearance on a national cooking show, the two have a very public fight. A few days later, Brett is found murdered in his restaurant kitchen, and suddenly Roxy’s a prime suspect. Now Roxy, Nate, and her other friends must find out the truth about Brett’s background and his murderer before the town of Shavano decides Roxy’s reign as jam queen is over for good.

Enjoy an Excerpt

It would be better for him to hear it from you than to discover it on his own.

Nate’s voice still echoed in my ears. For a moment, I wished I’d asked him to come with me. But I had to face this on my own. It was my disaster, after all.

I climbed up the stairs to the front door, pausing for a moment to check the directory on the wall inside. The chief’s office was on the first floor, right down the hall. Once I turned in that direction, there’d be no going back. I’d be committed to confessing.

I walked down the corridor, feeling like I was going to the executioner’s block.

There was a receptionist for the chief’s office along with the county attorney and the sheriff. I didn’t recognize her, which was just as well. This visit wasn’t something I wanted shared on social media.

She looked up expectantly. “Yes?”

“I need to see Chief Fowler.” I was amazed that my voice was steady.

“Do you have an appointment?”

I shook my head. “He’ll want to talk to me. Tell him it’s Roxy Constantine.”

The receptionist picked up her phone and dialed a number, turning away from me as she spoke.

Of course, I wasn’t absolutely sure Fowler would want to see me. Maybe he’d be too busy. Maybe he wasn’t interested. Maybe…

The receptionist glanced up at me. “Go on in. He’ll see you now.”

So much for hope. I opened the office door and stepped inside.

Fowler was sitting at his utilitarian, city-issued desk. He gazed up at me with that same unsmiling, inscrutable look he always seemed to wear. I wondered if he ever smiled. Probably not at people like me, people he suspected of murder.

I cleared my throat. “I have some things to tell you.”

He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down, Ms. Constantine. I’ve been expecting you.”

About the Author:Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing). Her new cozy mystery series, Luscious Delights from Wild Rose Press, concerns a jam-making sleuth based in the mythical small town of Shavano, Colorado. Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix and the Folk trilogy from Soul Mate. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

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The Folk: Magical Research by Meg Benjamin – Guest Blog and Giveaway

November 23, 2018 By 6 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Folk: Magical Research

I started writing the Folk series a while ago, knowing nothing about fairies beyond the usual. And by “the usual” I mean pretty much Midsummer Night’s Dream and a very obscure Kipling children’s book called Puck of Pook’s Hill. I knew I needed to do some research on the subject, although I hadn’t much of a clue how to start. Googling fairies gets you over 150 million results.

Enter Anna Franklin. Her Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fairies is a delight, as well as essential reading for somebody like me. She covers everything from generic topics like spinning/weaving (the heroine of Unseen, Marika Sager, is a weaver for a reason) or clothes to the most esoteric, like Havfine (Norwegian mermaids) or Medb (an Irish succubus). After spending some time with Franklin, I decided I wanted to bring a variety of European fairies to America—why wouldn’t fairies emigrate like their non-supernatural cousins?

I concentrated on groups of fairies who lived in mountains or woodlands, since I figured those were the beings who’d most likely gravitate toward the Rockies (I already knew I wanted the series to take place in Colorado). Kobolds were a natural. They’re northern European mine fairies, and the name derives from coboldus, Latin for mountain spirit. My present-day Kobolds live in Nederland, an actual town in the mountains above Boulder. The hero’s assistant in Unseen, Reynard, is half Kobold, although he’s not all that fond of his relatives, who own a sand and gravel business. Another group of mountain fairies were the Erdluitle, who come from Switzerland. In their natural setting they live in caves and can bring both avalanches and fertile soil. I put a group of Erdluitle in Animas, the town where Unseen takes place.

My hero, Teran Richter, is part Seelie—not a fairy group that’s particularly associated with mountains, but one that’s famous for being gorgeous (they’re Scottish aristocrats). Teran isn’t particularly aristocratic and he loves Colorado, but he’s also part mortal, so that may explain his non-Seelie traits.

I also have a couple of new Folk in Unseen, but their nature is sort of a secret, as are their names. Since I’m not going to provide spoilers for my own book, I’ll let you discover them on your own.

I really enjoy the world building with the Folk; the characters are great fun to work with. I hope you’ll enjoy stepping into their world, too. After all, the message of the Folk is clear: you never know what’s going on just beneath the surface. Maybe your next-door neighbor is Erdluitle or the couple down the street are Silvani (the women are Silvane). With the Erdluitle, you can always check his feet—they’re supposed to have duck paddles. But maybe they won’t look any different—maybe they’ve evolved in a new way.

You never can tell.

Beauty model girl with healthy brown hair

Teran Richter is in Animas, Colorado, to find members of the Folk, a simple task. But the annual Animas Fall Festival brings hordes of tourists and daily celebrations that make it frustrating. Things begin to look up when Teran meets Marika Sager. Marika’s business partner Eva seems to be a member of the Folk, only it’s Marika Teran’s attracted to, particularly after a local witch’s brew sends the two into a memorable night of passion.

But there are sinister forces at work in Animas. Teran’s attacked and his assistant is kidnapped. When Marika also disappears, Teran’s forced to confront the truth: someone is out to sabotage his mission and destroy anyone who tries to help. With an eccentric team of magical allies, Teran must rescue Marika and fight off those who want to destroy both him and the Folk. But can he find a way to confront the shadowy forces while keeping himself and his lover safe from harm?

Enjoy an Excerpt

The flash of heat zapped along Teran’s backbone, branching out into the nerves along his shoulders, then into his arms. He jerked with the force of it, and the heat ripped to his sides and out. The fog glowed red as his power crashed into it.

It thinned before it gathered once again.

They pushed forward quickly, but not quickly enough.

“Can you increase the voltage?” Reynard muttered.

“If I knew what I was doing, I might be able to. Since I’m playing it by ear, I don’t know. I’ll try once more.” He took a deep breath, then concentrated. This time the power snaked through his body more quickly—he felt it all the way to the back of his head. For a moment he felt as if he were glowing, and then the blast flew outward into the mist.

And shot back toward them.

“Holy crap,” Reynard cried, throwing himself flat on the ground.

Teran had time to hunch over, protecting his head. The power blast washed over him like a superheated wave. It felt like he’d singed his hair.

Terrific. What the hell kind of Seelie singes his own goddamn hair with his own goddamn power blast? A reluctant Seelie, obviously.

About the Author: Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance. Her newest series, the Folk, is a paranormal trilogy set in Colorado. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing). Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

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Falling for the Prince by Meg Benjamin – Guest Blog and Giveaway

June 7, 2018 By 10 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Falling For the Prince

I’ve always been a fan of regency romances: Lord of Scoundrels, My Lord and Spymaster, Ravishing the Heiress, etc., etc., etc. But although I love them, I’ll never write one. The amount of research involved in historical writing is staggering, and I’m definitely not up to it.

But when I started work on Away, the first book of my Folk series, I discovered I was writing a regency after all, or anyway, I was writing about a regency character. One of my secondary characters is a prince of the Folk, Prince Bertilak, nicknamed Prince Bertie. And the more I saw of Bertie, the more I realized he was a regency hero set down in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.

So what constitutes a regency romance hero, aside from the fact that he’s supposed to live in early nineteenth century England? He’s usually wealthy, frequently aristocratic, sometimes dissipated, usually sophisticated or jaded, and always dashing. So how does Prince Bertie stack up?

Like the typical regency hero, Bertie comes from wealth and power. His mother, Queen Alcina, is the nominal head of the mountain Folk, although the real governing is done by the chieftains of the clans. As I wrote Bertie’s dialogue, I could hear a refined British voice in my head, although Bertie himself is a Colorado native. In a nod to another regency tradition, he first appears as a decadent dandy, indulging in wine, women, and song while the hero, Grim Morrigan, carries out his duties as a Folk policeman. But there’s more to Bertie than he seems. He joins Grim’s investigation, proving to be a clever and experienced sidekick. And he has a few surprising traits that make him someone outside the box.

In the end, Bertie becomes Grim’s trusted friend and ally. And that surprised me. When I first started working on Away, I hadn’t planned on Bertie playing the major role he played. He became one of those secondary characters who suddenly take over a chunk of the plot. And the more I worked with him, the more I liked him. Bertie plays a major role in book 2 of the Folk, Unseen. And he’s the hero of book 3, Found.

Though I’ll undoubtedly never write a regency romance myself, with Away, I feel like I’ve had a chance to work with a regency dandy in all his variegated splendor. And I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Here’s a brief taste of Prince Bertie:

As she watched the vehicle make the final turn, she felt a sudden surge of panic. Suppose they became disoriented in the fog? Were they sure this was the right direction?

“Bertie,” she called, her throat suddenly tight with fear. “Are we going the right way?”

“No way to know for sure, is there?” Bertie’s voice sounded absurdly calm. “Trust to Anu. And to luck.”

Annie had no idea who Anu was. If by some miracle they survived this evening, she’d ask Grim. “Please get us out of here,” she whispered. “Whoever you are.”

Grim rolled down the window. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Bertie nodded. “Come on, Annie. Time to walk.”

The chemlight sticks cast their light around six feet ahead. Annie paralleled Bertie at the side of the road, keeping her gaze on the dirt beneath her feet, watching for sudden drop-offs. A few seconds later, she heard a rich baritone warbling the opening lines of “Margaritaville.”

She gaped, thunderstruck. Bertie was singing.

“Jimmy Buffett,” he called. “Okay with you?”

“Fine,” she mumbled, joining in on the chorus. She felt almost like giggling but had a hunch she wouldn’t be able to stop if she started.

Beauty model girl with healthy brown hair

Grim Morrigan, Guardian of the Ward and part-time private detective, polices the Folk, the clans of fairies who live in the foothills outside Denver. But his main job is concealing their true nature from the mortals around them.

Enter mortal Annie Duran, who hires him to look for her brother Richard, missing and presumed dead for ten years. Annie has seen Richard in the parking lot of the nightclub where she works. Now she wants answers, and Grim’s supposed to find them.

The quest for Richard ensnares both Grim and Annie in a sinister conspiracy involving kidnapped women and outlaw magic. But they also discover their own overwhelming attraction to each other.

When Annie herself disappears, Grim’s need for answers becomes even more urgent. With the help of a dissolute prince and a motley crew of unlikely fairies, Grim confronts a rebellion among the Folk.

And it may take more than just magic and luck to save both Annie and Grim this time.

Enjoy an Excerpt

He leaned toward her, slowly, slowly, and she moved to meet him. His lips were softer than she remembered, gentle, brushing against the side of her throat. She took hold of his sleeve, her hand closing on the cool smoothness of the leather.

He pulled away, stripping off his coat, then edged in closer, catching her chin between his fingers. Not a gentle kiss this time, but a claiming that burned her skin, set her pulse racing. His hand cupped the back of her skull, holding her tight so his tongue could plunge deep into her mouth. She moaned, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, feeling the coarse crinkle of hair and the heat of his skin. Her own desire built like a drumbeat.

And then he was lifting away, resting his forehead against hers, panting. “Wait.”

****

Wait? With every cell in his body screaming for her, he’d suddenly grown a conscience? Why the hell had his long-lost ethical sense decided to reappear now? Wretched timing, Grim. Just your style. He closed his eyes, catching his breath while he worked out what to say to Annie Duran that wouldn’t sound either insulting or insane.

“Wait?” She was staring at him, eyes shining with desire—and confusion.

He was such an idiot he felt like moaning.

About the Author: Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. Her newest series, the Folk, is a paranormal trilogy set in Colorado. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (both are available from Entangled Publishing). Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Email

Buy the book at Amazon.

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GUEST BLOG: MEG BENJAMIN

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell Blues, my second Konigsburg book, grew out of a couple of things. First, of course, was my desire to go back to the mythical Konigsburg, Texas, which I’d grown to love during the course of writing Venus In Blue Jeans. Second was the wedding of my older son. Now this was by no means the disaster that my characters experienced in Wedding Bell Blues, but it had its moments.

To begin with, my son and his fiancée had decided to get married on New Year’s Eve since that was the night he’d proposed (giving them an entire year to work on the details). We suggested this might make it a little tough for some people to attend, but they were determined and romantic and…well, we decided, what the hell.

In Wedding Bell Blues, the groom and his attendants have trouble finding tuxes that fit because they’re all very tall. This was also true for my two sons, both of whom are six-three. They both managed to find acceptable tuxes, but it was a struggle. Finding a dress for myself became an ordeal because I never wear dresses as a rule. A good friend assured me that I had to wear a dress and that it couldn’t be black. I wore a complicated silver satin skirt with a red velvet top. The Mother Of the Bride wore a black pantsuit and looked terrific. I tried not to gnash my teeth.

Fortunately for everyone, nobody as mean as Sherice Toleffson took part in the wedding. In fact, everyone was terribly sweet. I have to admit that I don’t remember a great deal of the reception beyond the fact that I, who never dance, had to dance with my son. It wasn’t pretty.

So anyway, it was a lovely wedding, and since it took place on New Year’s Eve, everybody remembers their anniversary!

So here’s a quick snippet from Wedding Bell Blues (out in print on May 4).

“Why did you become such a nice girl in the first place, Janie Dupree?” He watched her now, dark eyes to dark eyes. “Nature or nurture?”

“I’m from Konigsburg.” Her smile turned wry. “Females here are bred to be nice. My daddy was from East Louisiana and Mama’s from Lampasas—they both knew how girls were supposed to behave. I’ve spent most of my life living up to that standard, even after Daddy died.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was killed in an accident on the highway—his truck collided with a semi. I was nineteen.” Janie shook her head. “I had three semesters at UT, and then I had to come home and help my mom.”

“Nice girl,” Pete said softly.

She nodded. “Nice girl. I always wanted to go back and finish, but I’ve never had time.”

“So now?”

“So now I’m assistant manager of the bookstore, thanks to Docia.” She shrugged. “I never thought I’d get this far. I figured I’d be a waitress for the rest of my life.”

“Gratitude’s a bitch,” He murmured.

“No. I don’t resent her. Not Docia. And not Cal. He’s the best thing that ever happened to her. I’m so happy for her. I want her to have the best wedding ever.”

Pete nodded. “Yeah. Same for him and me. Although my little brother has never had a problem finding women. Girls always flocked after him like swallows headed back to Capistrano, not that he ever seemed to notice.”

“They didn’t do that with you and Lars?”

He paused to consider. “Lars, yeah. Lars is Mr. Responsible—or he used to be, before Sherice. The activities will be monitored and even limited as Osteoporosis can allow fractures and http://downtownsault.org/downtown/nightlife/the-downtowner/ cialis no prescription breakage in bones. But if the damage is mental in nature, non-medication options need downtownsault.org cheapest levitra to be considered for impotence treatment. This repairs the penile malfunctioning buy cialis and allows the person to live a life with reduced stress. These days, male impotence is cialis online http://downtownsault.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/01-08-14-DDA-Minutes.doc at an all time high. Women always thought he was a great husband candidate.”

“And you?” Janie cocked her head.

Pete stared up at the streetlight on Spicewood. “Nope. Nobody has ever considered me much of a candidate for Mr. Right. I’m a great candidate for Mr. Right Now, however.” He glanced back at her, feeling his groin tighten. This was definitely not the direction he’d originally planned on going. But then lately his plans had had a tendency to go south.

Part of his brain screamed at him to say good night and go upstairs, but it couldn’t make the connection to the rest of his body, particularly not when she smiled at him like she was doing now.

“I guess that’s one way to get rid of sympathizers. Jump into bed with somebody else.”

She was going to keep talking, and he was going to say something supremely stupid. That was almost a given. Pete leaned over abruptly and covered her mouth with his own.

Heat flashed through his body, sucking the breath from his lungs. She was soft and warm against him, her breasts pressed lightly on his chest. He cupped her face in his hands, angling his head to deepen the kiss.

Janie’s hands moved up his chest to his shoulders. And then she pushed, gently. She tipped her head back, staring up at his face, her eyes narrowed. “Tell me the truth, Pete Toleffson—are you doing this because you feel sorry for me?”

“Sorry?” He was having trouble focusing. What exactly was she talking about? And why had she stopped kissing him?

Her jaw firmed. “Are you sorry for me because Otto dumped me so publicly?”

Good Lord, she was serious!

It took him a moment to remember just who Otto was. “If I’m sorry for anybody, it’s Otto,” he muttered. “The freakin’ idiot blew it big time.”

Janie gave his shoulders a small shake, like a miniature Rottweiler. “I’m serious, Pete. I don’t want pity.”

Pete took a deep breath, closing his eyes. If only he could get enough blood back to his brain to form a sentence. “I don’t believe in pity sex, Ms. Dupree. Among other things, pity doesn’t really do much to get me in the right mood.”

She grinned up at him. “Are you in the right mood?”

Too much talking. Entirely too much talking was going on right now. “Lady, I’ve been in the right mood since I saw you walk into the Dew Drop my first night in town.”

He dropped his head, opening his mouth against hers again. One arm locked around her shoulders as he pulled her against him. Then Janie’s arms wrapped around his neck, and she pressed her body to his, shoulder to hip.

Pete felt as if a small rocket had ignited in his groin. He leaned back against the stair, moving his tongue into the warmth of her mouth, his fingers spearing through her soft hair. All of his senses were suddenly in play—pinwheels of light went off before his eyes, he tasted something sweet, spicy, felt the warm, wet rasp of her tongue, smelled a faint echo of lavender, heard the distant humming of the street lights—or was that him?

Janie’s fingers slid beneath his shirt, smoothing across his chest. Her palm touched the jut of his nipple and every inch of his body was suddenly like rock.

Somehow he had to get her upstairs. Now.

~~~~~

Meg Benjamin writes about South Texas, although she recently moved to Colorado. Her comic romances are set in the Texas Hill Country in the mythical town of Konigsburg. When she isn’t writing, Meg spends her time listening to Texas music, drinking Texas wine, and keeping track of her far-flung family. She recently retired from twenty years of teaching writing, Web design, and desktop publishing. She love to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.

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