Excerpt from ONE GOLD HEART by Sadie Haller

Synopsis 

Mac Wallis agrees to join the wind quintet, Dominant Cord, for the Christmas concert season as a favour to an old friend. It's her first step towards recovery after a vicious attack more than a decade before. However, sparks fly when Dominant Cord's unofficial leader, flutist, Finn Taylor takes issue with Mac's reliance on medication in order to perform.

Mac can't understand why the asshole who so completely humiliated her at their first rehearsal keeps showing up in her late-night fantasies as the Dom of her dreams. It's not even like he's the good kind of bad boy.

After his marriage ended in disaster, Finn tries to steer clear of damaged women, but as a Dom, he feels compelled put aside his own hang-up to help Mac reclaim her independence and her former life.

A note of warning, this story contains material not suitable for readers under 18.

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Sadie Says:  Mac has suffered a nightmare and her screaming wakes Finn and their friend, Sully. This excerpt takes place shortly after Finn and Sully have calmed Mac down and Sully has returned to his own bed.  What makes this scene special for me? Finn kisses Mac for the first time.  

Excerpt

Finn thought hard. Talk about walking a fine line. What to ask that pushes the envelope without tearing it? He needed to make this question count because he didn't want to make her shut down.

"Right then, let's go for an easy one. What's your favourite part of a man's body. Where do your eyes go first when you meet a man you find interesting?"

"I check out the upper arms. I like them to be muscular, but not in a body-builder way. If a guy needs to flex his biceps in the mirror, his arms are too muscular. I want to feel like those arms are for holding me and keeping me safe, not for his own personal eye-candy."

"I can assure you that I never flex any of my muscles in a mirror. I'm going to cheat a bit, and ask a follow up question. How would you rate my arms?"

Finn resisted the groan that threatened when Mac reached up and gave his left biceps a bit of a squeeze.

"I'd say you're well within acceptable muscular parameters."

"That's a relief. Your turn to ask me something."

"Same question."

"My favourite part on a man's body is..."

Mac giggled. "Smart-ass. You know what I meant."

Finn toyed with giving a less provocative answer, but he refused to be anything less than completely honest.

"Okay, I'd have to say lips. They're so very versatile."

"I buy that."

Finn watched with interest as Mac caught her lower lip in her teeth and screwed her eyes shut. He waited patiently for her to resolve her inner conflict.

With her eyes still squeezed shut, she said, "You got a follow up, so it's only fair that I do too. How would you rate my lips?"

She'd no sooner got the words out and her face was buried into his shoulder.

Finn just about stopped breathing. It was the logical follow up, but that she'd asked it had him scrambling for an answer that would satisfy her, but not scare the shit out of her. Finally, he went with his instincts.

He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and gently guided her face to meet his. He paused for a moment and looked into her eyes before touching his lips to hers. "Kissable, most definitely kissable," he declared. He gave her another, slightly longer kiss before releasing her chin.

For more on Sadie Haller, check out her books on:  

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3QA5MM

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940149024544

And you can get updates about Sadie and her writing by visiting her website: http://www.sadiehaller.com or following her on Twitter: @SadieHallersPen 

Wonderful Double Whammy!

I had a very pleasant surprise this weekend - actually, TWO pleasant surprises. 

Generally speaking, an author doesn't know who will review his/her books, nor does the author know when a review will come about.  Even in scenarios where a reviewer has asked for a copy to review... Well, sometimes a review just never comes.

So, I was quite happy to see that the book review blog Have You Heard, run by Melanie Carrico, reviewed both Blood and Groom AND Dead Light District this weekend.  Being reviewed of course made my day, and the content of the reviews put a big grin on my face. (Both books were rated 5/5.)

Of Blood and Groom, Melanie says:
"Sasha Jackson is a down to earth, quick to the punch character.  The plot is woven so well you won't know whodunit until the very end."

And of Dead Light District, she says:
"Jill Edmondson has created the next great detective series. Keeping the character reachable and "normal" will endear Sasha Jackson to the readers.  Move over 007, you've got some   serious competition in Sasha Jackson."   

Melanie's full review for Blood and Groom HERE
Full review for Dead Light District HERE

While I'm in *bragging mode*, I should also mention a couple of other wonderful reviews that came out in the last while.

On the Irish online magazine called Writing, Lawrence Wray says Blood and Groom was:
"an unputdownable easy read.   Everything ties in very nicely at the end and it was a disappointment that the book was actually finished."

And, finally, Deena on E-BookBuilders recently reviewed Dead Light District, and she had this to say: "I found this book fun and engaging. I liked the characters, enjoyed the interaction between them.  I wanted to have a gin & tonic with Sasha and could easily picture her as one of my ‘real life’ friends.  I found the dialog snappy, the action fast paced and the storyline not something that I had read a thousand times before. So big points for originality go to Ms. Edmondson."

Recent Reads: Count Plum Moon Cream

This was an interesting read: science, politics, history.  Rumford made a difference and had an impact, yet his name is not well known (probably because he pissed off so many people).  Filled with lots of fun bits of trivia. 

I read everything in the Stephanie Plum series.  She is without a doubt one of my favourite characters. 
I love the escape and love having a good laugh as I read!

Wow!  This is one time that I can truly say a book is gripping, moving, compelling...
I was very teary-eyed by the end.  Read it!

Loved this latest mystery by Howard Shrier!  It really is a page-turner!  Jonah Gellar is a wonderful
character and a great PI - I look forward to the next installment in the series. 

The Subway Book Signing Tour

I am so happy to know that "Blood and Groom" is out (a bit early!) and it's already in stores! It wasn't supposed to be at the distributor's until November 16th, and then give it a week or so to be delivered, received, shelved, etc.

So, because the arrival date was supposed to be late November, I haven't got much promo stuff planned yet (stores are too busy in Nov-Dec with Christmas stuff). That's okay, there is lots I can do now and even more I can do in the New Year.

In the meanwhile, I have been hitting local stores and local libraries and talking to individual staff about "Blood and Groom." The response has been positive. A number of libraries want to arrange a reading or author meet & greet. Of course, I'm happy to plan those.

As for local bookstores, I have gone around to all those that I can reach by subway and have signed whatever copies of my book they have in stock. In return, they have all given me a front facing and put a sticker on the cover "signed by author." So, that's all been kind of cool.

Next focus is on the launch party, which is on December 8th. I am very excited about it and I dearly hope some media types show up!