Pushing Robby

When I released my first book, Picking Daisy, the response was incredibly positive.

And then questions started emerging that I hadn’t anticipated- the most interesting of which was, ‘when does the sequel come out’?

Sequel? I wrote the book as a standalone, happily-ever-after romance novel. There wasn’t supposed to be a sequel.

Only now, with my recent foray into self-publishing- there is!

Here’s the blurb for the continuation of Robby and Daisy’s story:

Rock and roll’s bad boy is back!

After rehab, losing his band, and nearly ruining the one relationship that ever meant anything to him, Robby Grant is finally on the right track.

A new career, band, and most of all a perfect wife named Daisy can only mean one thing- the worst is finally behind him.

Until the honeymoon ends.

It only takes one phone call for the dark shadows of Robby’s past to threaten his newfound peace.

Will Daisy’s love be enough to lead him, again, back to where he belongs?

Pushing Robby is available only on Amazon. Check it out! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B8ZYBTR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

1 Year (Almost) Anniversary for Picking Daisy

It’s hard for me to believe that it’s been almost a year since Picking Daisy was published.

As a way to celebrate I was looking over the Pinterest board (aptly named ‘Picking Daisy’) that I made for the book.  Take a look and see some of the inspiration I used while writing, share the  board, and share the book with all your friends. From the board, you’ll probably notice that John Rzeznik from the Goo Goo Dolls was my inspiration for Robby– the group’s music was a huge part of my writing too. Maybe you can enjoy listening to some Goo Goo Dolls while you read Picking Daisy, or perhaps the board and the music will help you see the book and story in a different, new light.

If you’ve read Picking Daisy and don’t mind sharing an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads, I’d greatly appreciate it.

You can purchase a soft cover copy or the Kindle version at Amazon.

 

Another excerpt from Picking Daisy…

Robby pulled the truck into a deserted parking lot and set the brake. His eyes searched her face.

Just a man in need.

“Things should be easier for you. Let me help,” he said, the words a sincere promise she wanted to believe. His voice was gentle, caressing her ear, silken and sensual. “I mean, in exchange for the help with my career. I’m…not a bad person. I’ve got to have my life back.” Robby drew a deep breath. “Will you help me? I can’t do this without you.” The sincere pleading in his voice was unsettling. He was a human being.

She refused to turn his way. If she did she’d be powerless to say what she really thought.

“No one would believe it,” she whispered.

“Come on, Harpo,” Robby pleaded. “You’d lose your house to save your pride? We’ll do this while I’m here helping Nick…that’s what? Two weeks or so? Max?” Robby leaned across the seat so that his lips were near her ear as he spoke in a whisper.

“Come on. I’m hot, I’m rich, I’m an excellent kisser…” he paused when she squirmed as if he were ready to seal the deal. He dropped his voice low so it came out husky and tempting against her ear. “I’m even better at…other things.”

Daisy’s head spun and they were nose-to-nose. Even Alec hadn’t done this to her. She was certain her physical response to his offer was nothing to be proud of. Her father’s face popped into her mind and she forcefully pushed Robby back to his own side of the truck. Her father was a man of God, respectful and kind, but also driven by the rules of the Bible. Daisy had been raised better than to fall into Robby’s lustful trap.

“I don’t want your money,” she stammered, brushing Robby’s touch from her arms in an effort to make the tingling sensations stop. “And I definitely do not want your body!” “Humph…you’d be the first,” he grunted, seeming to forget himself.

“Not everyone is like that.”

“Right, so when you realized who I was, why did you help me?”

It wasn’t difficult for Daisy to give an honest answer. “I was nice to you even before I put it together.” She looked at her lap, feeling silly and uncultured, but forging ahead anyway. “I did it because I…it’s what I was supposed to do. When someone needs help, you help them. It’s basic Sunday School.”

Robby smiled. “Well, I will be forever grateful to you and all of your Sunday school teachers…” He kissed her hand and she was suddenly aware he’d never let it go in the first place. Daisy yanked herself away and scowled at him.

Robby grinned. “We can break up in a few weeks. Happens all the time. No big deal and you’ll be free to go on with your life never again thinking of the way you slummed with me.” “If that’s how lightly you take relationships it is a bigger deal than you think,” she said.

Daisy longed to take him to Nick’s house and forget about him, but unfortunately, Robby’s uncle had more than one bottle of alcohol and left alone she didn’t know what would happen. She’d never forgive herself, and she doubted Nick would either if he hurt himself or slipped back into his old habits. Making Robby go away was out of the question, but that didn’t mean she be forced to agree to this. She hadn’t liked babysitting when she was younger and she didn’t want to babysit a grown man now. But most of all she didn’t want to pretend with her fragile, empty heart that she was in love with him.

Trusting herself seemed impossible. If she was pretending, she might become unable to recognize the difference between fact and fiction. That was her problem with Alec too. Her stomach turned.

“Say the word and you got twenty grand to bail you out,” Robby continued. “Even more if you throw in the ballad.”

“No,” Daisy said adamantly. “Forget about the song!”

…Enjoy what you’ve read so far? Get your copy today!

An excerpt from ‘Picking Daisy’

Here’s a little excerpt from my recently-published novel, Picking Daisy. If you like what you read, you can purchase a print or Kindle version of the entire book on Amazon (I’ll include the link after the excerpt). Thanks!

Daisy stared at him as he held the phone out to her. He was now one step ahead of her and he wasn’t even aware. Still, she thought about telling Nick that Robby was there and let him deal with his inconsiderate nephew. If Nick knew Robby had shown up drunk…

“I am not going anywhere with you…” she muttered as she reached for the phone. Once again Robby yanked it away from her, irritated. 

“Really? There are millions of women who’d do any number of things for a ride in my truck.”

Daisy rolled her eyes. “Well, call one of them!”

Robby placed the phone back on top of the refrigerator with an irritated sigh. “Your friends said Nick was asking for you. Don’t you care?”

His words cut Daisy to the core. She glared. “Nick means more to me than you’ll…never mind. It’s too complicated to bother explaining to…you.”

Robby grinned again before slowly stepping toward her. He placed one hand on either side of her so that he was nose-to-nose with her. He smelled heavily of expensive, masculine cologne that made her dizzy. Daisy’s chest constricted and she reminded herself she needed to breathe.

He wasn’t going to kiss her. Not that she’d mind…but surely even Robby had his standards.  But it had been such a long, long time since anyone had even hinted at kissing her. 

Robby continued smiling and gently brushed the hair back from her face. “Come on. Let’s go for a visit. I have a feeling he’d be happy to see you,” he whispered. “You’ll be home in time for Duck Soup. And Uncle Nick will love that I’m so thoughtful I brought his good friend.”

Quickly Daisy gathered her wits and managed to push his hand away, knocking him off balance as he tried to stand. 

“Don’t you ever touch me again,” she said, moving away from him. Incredulous, Robby regained control and resumed his original stance, his eyes blazing.

 “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” 

Daisy laughed, pointing to her backpack. “You don’t either. Thanks to your uncle I’m a darned good shot.”

Angrily Robby reached for her and lifted her from the wheelchair, surprising them both as he held her close. 

“I don’t play games…Rose. We’re going to see Nick… and before this night is through I bet you’ll beg me to take your songs.”

As Robby started for the door alternately kicking the wheelchair in front of him as he went, Daisy was beginning to come to her senses, which, for a moment anyway, completely escaped her. 

“My name is Daisy!” she shouted feebly. “Put me down!” she beat against his solid chest but to no avail. They were outside in the cool night air before she even thought to scream. 

It didn’t matter. There was no one to hear. 

Hope you enjoyed this excerpt from ‘Picking Daisy’- If you’d like to read more, grab a copy from Amazon

 

Am I really a writer now?

In recent weeks, I’ve seen my first novel, Picking Daisy, come to publication on Amazon.com through my publisher. I’ve been offered a contract on my second novel (that is finished) and today I submitted a novella per my publisher’s request. As a full-time professor, I have almost no time to write during the school year, so I’m hitting the writing life hard this summer, knowing it will soon be at an end.

But now people are asking questions like, ‘how did you come up with the story?’ and ‘how long did it take you to write the novel?’ While they may be aware of my other writing endeavors, the only one that really shines for them, like the tip of an iceberg with all the real weight of the thing below, is the novel they can hold in their hands or read on their Kindle. The rest is a mystery they don’t need or want to solve.

The sheer fascination in their voices tells me something clearly. Since my goal has been to see my novel published, I was under the false assumption that I’d come full circle. And more importantly, I was in real danger of losing the awe regarding my craft.

In other words, writing is never done– and even when you’ve completed a stage of it like research or character creation, you will likely return to these stages later when your writing is open for others to see (a whole other frightening area I should probably unpack in another blog post).  At this point, people will want to know the ‘behind the scenes’ work you did months or even years earlier. It’s fun, and humbling, to go back.

But at the same time you’ll be moving forward. In my case, I had the novel published, was working to prepare a novel for submission, and in the back of my mind I was thinking about the edits I needed to make to the other novel that’s been finished but waiting for me for about two years.

My conclusion?

Maybe because I never reached this stage before (except with academic writing, which is a whole other area of work), I didn’t realize that writing is cyclical. We get on the merry-go-round and won’t get off until we stop writing.

So strike up the music and hop on your horse (you know the kind that moves up and down while you hang onto the useless strap?)- and get writing!