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I have a new website AND a new blog! Don't be a stranger. :-)

http://www.jenniferbernard.net/blog/

Double-header Release Day!

It's not often that I have two books released in one day! First up, DRIVE YOU WILD, book 3 in the Love Between the Bases series, is out today in both ebook and paperback. The reviews have been phenomenal. Here are a few of them.

They say there is no crying in baseball. Well, Jennifer Bernard threw that myth right out of the ballpark. Not only did I cry, but I balled like a baby. Trevor Stark and Paige Taylor tore me apart and then put me back together again, piece by piece. ~ Kitty, Guilty Pleasures

DRIVE YOU WILD is utter and sheer perfection! What joy it is when an author hits all the right notes with such ease! Jennifer Bernard has woven exceptional characters into a fabulous baseball story, along with a beautiful romance and quite a bit of suspense added to the mix, and makes it work like nobody's business  ~ Fresh Fiction

“DRIVE YOU WILD, the third book in author Jennifer Bernard's LOVE BETWEEN THE BASES series, is an adrenaline-packed, sensual contemporary romance that readers will find nearly impossible to put down.  ~ Romance Junkies

 “Bernard’s Love Between the Bases novels are irresistible fun. What makes this series remarkable is her willingness to challenge readers’ stereotypes and assumptions, resulting in a story that is moving and genuinely entertaining.

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1QBILw2

Nook: http://bit.ly/1UX4B41

iBooks: http://apple.co/1UvyjNG

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1PIar1g

 Next up: SEEING STARS!!!
 

 

Click to Download

When pop star Starly Minx freezes onstage during a show, she knows what her guilty conscience is telling her. She has to make things right with her nemesis, Hope Falls’ own Karina Black. And she has to do it without the paparazzi finding out. If only she didn’t have to leave behind the man she’s been secretly pining for—her sinfully hot bodyguard Hunter McGraw.

Hunter just turned in his resignation. He desperately needs to get some distance from the distracting, enchanting Starly and get on with his life. But if she’s going to Hope Falls, he’s going after her. Who else is going to keep her out of trouble? And with two feuding pop stars in the same tiny town, trouble is inevitable.

They can deal with the paparazzi. They can deal with the curious Hope Falls residents. But can they keep their feelings secret from each other? Is that even possible when every touch has them seeing stars?

 

This is a novella in the Hope Falls Kindle World by Melanie Shawn! Reviewers are loving it:

“Everything about SEEING STARS is absolutely delightful” ~ Monique from Goodreads 

 

“Hunter and Starly can’t resist each other, their attraction was palpable, and the romance felt authentic, and utterly irresistible; Jennifer Bernard wowed me again!”

Click to Download 

As a Kindle World novella, this book is available only for Kindle. BUT -- you don't need an actual Kindle. You can download the free Kindle app from Amazon and read on your phone (that's what I do.) :-) 

Wishing you much book love and happy reading! 

xoxox

Jennifer

RT16 Las Vegas Appearances

This is going to be crazy, y'all! But I'm going for it, and if you are too, I'd love to meet you or see you again if we've met before. Here are the places/times I'm guaranteed to be. But if we cross paths in the hotel bar, at a party, or at the blackjack table, do say "hi"!

• Wednesday at 9:30pm: Vintage Vegas party - Avon's salon is the "Stardust Lounge," I'll be there from 9:30 - 10:30.
• Thursday at 2:45: Prospera's Table. Come play blackjack, poker, and other games for Avon swag and prizes. I'll be at the blackjack table because that's all I know how to play. 
• Thursday 5-6: Reader meet-and-greet with Erin Nicholas, Candis Terry, Samantha Chase and Melanie Shawn at a TBA hotel bar.
• Friday 4-5:30: Bling it On. Avon's free book signing with sweet treats and wine.
• Saturday 11-2: The Giant Book Fair. I'll be signing in Row 5.
• Saturday at 8:00: LizBeth Selvig and I will be holding our traditional reader appreciation party in our hotel suite, which is also TBA. This year we'll be joined by Maxine Mansfield.

If you'd like to attend the " location TBA" events, email me at JenniferBernardBooks@gmail.com and I'll add you to the list! I'll let you know the instant we've pinned down the details.

I hope to see you there!!

xoxo
Jennifer

Big $.99 Sale!

Sale alert!!

It's not often that your most recent book goes on sale for only 99 cents! But baseball season is starting and my publisher wants to celebrate. Bring on the cracker jacks! CAUGHT BY YOU will be available in ebook at all online retailers for $.99 for a limited time, so grab it while you can. This book has a 5-star rating on Amazon and RT calls it an "utterly sensational romance" with "addictive chemistry."

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1ThMaF4

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Qpiqmq

iBooks: http://apple.co/1VRbtw3

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1LMijU9

I hope you love Mike and Donna's story! 

xoxox

Jennifer

Huge New Sweepstakes for Getting Wound Up!

 

Are you ready to #ScoreWithEli?

Erin Nicholas and I have teamed up to bring you an incredible new hero in our exciting joint book GETTING WOUND UP, which releases in three parts beginning March 8^th. And he wants to get to know you!

Eli Anderson is a six foot one inch charmer with a wicked knuckle ball and panty melting blue eyes.

Eli meets his match in Caitlyn Murray next Tuesday, March 8^th. But until then, you still have a chance to score with him—and be entered to win some exciting prizes. Eli always leaves a woman satisfied.

So ... how can you #ScoreWithEli?

Don’t be afraid to make the first move. Lean in, close your eyes, and ever so gently touch…your cursor to the Score With Eli graphic! Share it on Twitter or Instagram.

Eli wants to make you feel good by touching you someplace really special…your Facebook page. Post the “I’m getting ____ for Getting Wound Up” graphic on your wall and fill in the blank in your post.

As things heat up, Eli will definitely be ready for you to reveal…your email address. Be sure you’re signed up for both Erin Nicholas’s and Jennifer Bernard’s newsletters to get to third base with Eli.

And when you just can’t resist a second longer? Go ahead and preorder Part One of GETTING WOUND UP to go all the way with Eli!

NOW FOR ALL THE RULES, PRIZES AND DETAILS!

#ScoreWithEli Sweepstakes

Score with Eli on any or all of four bases for a chance to win prizes. Here’s how to enter:

First Base: 

Share this “Score with Eli” graphic on Twitter or Instagram, with “#ScorewithEli when the fun, flirty baseball romance Getting Wound Up comes out on March 8!"” and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of 10 $5 gift cards. While you’re at it, you might want to follow Jennifer and Erin. While you’re at it, you might want to follow me and Erin.

Jennifer:

https://twitter.com/Jen_Bernard

https://instagram.com/jenniferbernardbooks/

Erin:

https://twitter.com/ErinNicholas

https://instagram.com/ErinNicholasBooks

Second Base: 

Post the “I’m getting _XXX__ for Getting Wound Up" graphic on your Facebook wall and fill in the word that best describes how you’re feeling about the upcoming release in your post AND post one of these preorder links:

 

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1ThMgMW

Nook: http://tinyurl.com/h7ef33a

iBooks http://tinyurl.com/j3rqutv

Kobo http://tinyurl.com/j5z6yg4

Use the #ScoreWithEli hashtag so we can find you!  You’ll have a chance at one of 20 “I Scored with Eli” root beer flavored lip balms!

                                                                                  

Third Base: Sign up for the Erin Nicholas AND Jennifer Bernard newsletters to be entered to receive one of 30 keepsake I Scored With Eli shot glasses. (If you’re already a subscriber, you’ll be automatically entered.)

Jennifer: Jennifer's Newsletter

Erin: http://www.erinnicholas.com/newsletter.html

Home Run: Preorder Part One of GETTING WOUND UP** from any retailer for a chance to receive one of 40 limited edition Eli Anderson baseball cards signed by both Erin and Jennifer! (See above preorder links!!)

Want to get a Grand Slam with Eli? #Score with Eli on all four bases** and be entered to win a combined Love Between the Bases/Sapphire Falls swag pack that includes signed print books and swag from Erin and Jennifer along with all of the promotional items!

**Fine Print:  Please email proof of preorder—screen shot, receipt, etc—to ErinNicholasPromo@gmail.com to get entered. No purchase necessary. You can also enter by emailing Home Run to ErinNicholasPromo@gmail.com.

Enter the ScoreWithEli sweepstakes by Monday, March 7 at midnight EST. Winners will be chosen randomly from all eligible entries. 

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! 

The Boys of Winter - A Free Holiday Short Story

 This story was originally part of Literary Escapism's Black Friday event. I'm posting it here for those of you who want more Mike Solo, the hero of CAUGHT BY YOU. Baseball and shopping, what could go wrong ... or right? 

THE BOYS OF WINTER

As a professional baseball player, catcher Mike Solo considered the time between the World Series and the start of Spring Training pretty much a wasteland of workouts and off-season trade rumors. Every gray November day, every dark December night brought him closer to the start of the next baseball season, when life began again. And every year, right around Christmas Eve, it sank in that something else happened in the off-season.

Christmas shopping.

Make that Christmas shopping for his entire family of six brothers and sisters, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and lately, little nieces and nephews. Honestly, it was surprising that Chicago had room for the entire Solo family. His list was enormous and his shopping time was running out. In baseball terms, he was down to the last inning and he hadn’t yet gotten a hit.

Time to swing for the fences. 

Time to dig deep.

Time to hit the malls.

The last few years, he’d resorted to gift certificates. This year, he was determined to shop for real presents selected with his own two hands. Nothing else would get him to set foot on Chicago’s famous Magnificent Mile, a eight-block stretch of pricey boutiques and soaring skyscrapers crammed with department stores.

As he made his way down Michigan Avenue, Mike hunched against the bitter wind blowing off the lake. It felt like icicles slicing through his coat. This was why he’d never been interested in hockey. Give him green grass, blue skies and a sunburned neck any day. He was a baseball guy down to his core.

Much as he detested shopping, Mike had to admit that the city had done a spectacular job decorating the Magnificent Mile. Fairy lights were strung through the bare-branched trees lining the sidewalks. Storefronts offered elaborate displays of gingerbread houses, giant candy canes, evergreen adornments. An early snowstorm had left behind piles of snow, which managed to look festive instead of dingy in the gathering twilight. The sidewalks were thronged with bundled-up shoppers. A fake Santa Claus wandered through the crowds, bellowing, “Ho ho ho” and handing out flyers for the mall.

Mike gritted his teeth and forged down the sidewalk. How hard could this be, anyway? People survived Christmas shopping all the time. If he could hit a knuckleball, he could handle this, right? He scanned the dizzying lineup of stores – Prada, Cole-Haan, American Girl, the Lego Store. Should he get the boys Legos? Or were they a choking hazard at this age? Did his dad need new shoes? Should he blow his entire budget on a single item from Prada? Maybe his sisters could pass it around.

Maybe he should have made a list first. Maybe he should have started before Christmas Eve. Maybe he should go home and admit this was a huge mistake.  

He was in the midst of turning back when something whipped through the air toward him.

This, he could handle. He threw up one hand and snatched the flying object before it could hit him.

A snowball.

He spun around to find a skinny boy in a Chicago Bulls jacket gawking at him. “How’d you do that, dude?” the boy asked in amazement. He looked to be about twelve, with a full head of frizzy hair.

“It’s what I do. I’m a catcher.” He tossed the snowball, which was really more of a chunk of dirty ice, back toward the kid. “You know, baseball.”

The boy tried to catch the ice ball, but missed. “I know baseball. It’s my second favorite sport.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess. Bulls fan?”

“This is Chicago, ain’t it?”

Another snowball winged through the air. Mike had to dive for this one. He flung his arm out, snagging it before it could hit the fake Santa just passing by. “Hey,” Mike called to the snowball hurler. “Watch it, will you?”

A second boy skidded down the sidewalk and joined the first one. Slightly younger, he wore torn jeans, high-tops, and glasses held in place by a headband. “Sorry, Mister! I wasn’t aiming at Santa. I was trying to hit my brother.”

The Santa stopped next to Mike and put his hands on his hips. “Got some troublemakers here?”

“No!” Both boys said at one. “We’re chill. We’re not doing nothing bad.”

“Where are your parents?” Mike asked them. “What are you doing out here?”

They exchanged guilty looks. “Mom’s working at the food court in the mall.” The brother in the Bulls jacket indicated Water Tower Place, one of the multi-story megaplexes on the Mag Mile. “We got bored and she told us to come outside and play.”

“She’s working on Christmas Eve?”

“Yeah, Christmas too. It’s okay. She gets overtime.” But Mike could tell it wasn’t okay. Both boys had that long-faced look that meant their holiday season was likely full of disappointments.

Mike exchanged a glance with Santa. Behind the long white beard and little wire-rimmed glasses, he could tell this Santa was on the young side. “I don’t know about you, Santa, but I have a real problem with this situation.” He offered Santa a wink, hoping he’d play along.

Santa nodded and stroked his fake beard. “Young troublemakers throwing snowballs in the middle of Michigan Avenue? Darn right it’s a problem.”

“It’s not that so much. It’s the baseball taking second place to basketball. I’m not okay with that. You a Cubs fan, Santa?”

“White Sox.”

“I can work with that. Hang on.” A sixty-ish woman was walking by, several rolls of wrapping paper poking out of her tote bag. “Ma’am, I’ll give you twenty bucks for one of those tubes.” When she hesitated, he said quickly, “make it fifty.”

With a beaming smile, she handed over a roll of red and gold striped paper in exchange for the cash. Triumphant, he turned back to Santa and the boys. “We have a bat! Now, for a field.” He jogged to a spot across the street where a storefront sat empty save for a “For Lease” sign.

“You.” He pointed to the kid with the Bulls jacket. “You have a pretty good arm. You pitch. Little brother, you’re up first. Santa, how are you at fielding?”

“All-City, two years in a row.”

“Our lucky night.” Mike exchanged a high-five with Santa. “Let’s show these kids why baseball’s the best game in the world.”

Looking around, he realized that the woman with the wrapping paper had stopped to watch, and other shoppers were pausing in their headlong rush down the Mile. In fact, a small crowd had gathered. He crouched over a spot that seemed like a good place for home plate. The kid with the glasses took a few practice swings with the roll of wrapping paper.

“Pitcher provides the balls!” Mike called to the older brother. Laughing, the boy scooped up some snow and packed it into a tight ball.

“Y’all ready for this?” He made an exaggerated show of winding up and flinging the ball toward Mike. The younger boy swung and missed. Mike caught the ball in his mittened hands, where it fell apart in a spray of snow crystals.  

“Strike one,” someone called.

A few yards behind the pitcher, Santa clapped encouragement. “Hey, batter batter. You got this.” A few more voices called from the crowd.

“Come on, kid … keep your eye on the snowball … swing, baby, swing …”

The next ice ball must have been more tightly packed, because when the boy swung, the roll of wrapping paper thunked against it and sent it soaring overhead. It shed icy sparkles in the fairy lights twinkling from the trees.

“I got it, I got it,” yelled Santa. The crowd cleared the way for him. He caught it softly against the chest of his red Santa suit. The bystanders erupted into applause.

“Need someone to play first base?” A businessman in a long gray overcoat stepped forward. A little girl bundled into a neon orange parka held his hand.

“Can I bat next, Santa?” she asked eagerly. “I love baseball.”

“Sure thing,” said Santa. “I bet you’re going to knock it out of the park.”

Her face lit up. Mike beckoned her toward the ‘plate.’ The boy with the glasses handed her the roll of wrapping paper, which was nearly as tall as she was. Warm laughter spread through the crowd.

“Hey, I’ll cover the outfield,” said a college-aged kid in a thick hoodie.

Mike gave him a “welcome to it,” gesture. The pitcher packed another snowball and, nice and easy, tossed an underhand throw toward the girl in the orange parka. She whacked it to the ground, where it skipped once, twice, then broke apart.

“Fair ball,” Mike roared.

“Run, sweetheart! Run!” Her father yelled from ‘first base.’ The crowd shouted and whooped as she scurried toward her father. Laughing his head off, the pitcher bent to pick up the remains of his snowball. His younger brother cheered for the little girl as if she’d just gotten a hit in the World Series.

Mike met Santa’s eyes, and they both grinned.

For one enchanted moment, everyone stopped hurrying, stopped worrying about what was left on their shopping lists, stopped racing through Christmas Eve. Everyone forgot about the cold wind and gritty snow. For one moment, summer reigned on the Magnificent Mile as baseball—or was it snow-ball—worked its magic on a random collection of shoppers.

And, best of all, two boys had the time of their lives.

Mike would once again be doling out his traditional gift certificates on Christmas Day. But as he looked around at the shining faces around him, he figured it was worth it.

Read Mike and Donna's story in CAUGHT BY YOU, now available at bookstores and all e-retailers! 

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

iBooks

CAUGHT BY YOU is out!

It's here! It's here! CAUGHT BY YOU, the second book in the Love Between the Bases series, is now available at bookstores and online retailers everywhere. I hope you enjoy Mike and Donna's story. Let me know what you think!

As a special incentive to leave an early review, I'd like to offer you a FREE, brand new Bachelor Firemen short story set on New Year's Eve. It's called "Three, Two, One ... Fireman." All you have to do is leave a review within 72 hours of release (that's New Year's Day) and email Wendy at JenniferBernardAssistant@gmail.com. The story, which stars Ace the Rookie, will be delivered right to your inbox. :-)

Purchase CAUGHT BY YOU at these handy links! 

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

iBooks

HAPPY READING!!

xoxo

Jennifer

CAUGHT BY YOU Blog Tour and Giveaway

The blog tour for CAUGHT BY YOU begins today! Avon will be hosting a tour-wide giveaway for Five (5) winners to receive a Love Between the Bases Print Bundle (including ALL OF ME and CAUGHT BY YOU), so be sure to stop by for a chance to enter. See ya there! 

Dec 28th - My Book Snack -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Busy Bumble Bee Book Reviews -Rev/P
(Stop 3) - Okie Dreams Book Reviews -Rev/P

(Stop 4) - VampyRelady's Fav - Promo 

(Stop 5) - Born to Read Books - Promo

Dec 29th - Cris Conquers -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Book Readers Anonymous - Rev/P
(Stop 3) - Becky on Books - P/Int 

(Stop 4) - The Lusty Literate - Promo
(Stop 5) - Ellesea Loves Reading -  Promo

Dec 30th - mignon mykel : reviews -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous - Rev/P
(Stop 3) - IrishDaisylovesRomance -Rev/P
(Stop 4) - Majorly Delicious -Rev/P 

(Stop 5) - Cat's Guilty Pleasure - Promo

Dec 31st - Forget the Housework, I'm Reading... -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - The Book Disciple -Rev/P
(Stop 3) - Book Reviews & More by Kathy -Promo

Jan 1st - Christine's Words -P/Int
(Stop 2) - Reading in Pajamas  -Promo
(Stop 3) - E Romance News - Promo

Jan 4th - Books & Spoons -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - SOS Aloha - Promo
(Stop 3) - Teatime and Books - Promo

Jan 5th - Happily Ever Chapter -Promo 

(Stop 2) - A Bluestocking's Place -Promo

Jan 6th - What I'm Reading -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Kitty's Book Spot! - Promo
(Stop 3) - A Sky Full of Stars Blog - Promo

Jan 7th - Jen's Reading Obsession -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Ever After Book Reviews -Promo
(Stop 3) -  Buried Under Romance - Promo

Jan 8th - SiK Reviews - Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Nelle's Nightstand -Rev/P
(Stop 3) -  Life With Two Boys - Promo 

Jan 11th - Lush Book Reviews -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Brooke Blogs - P/Int

Jan 12th - The Many Faces of Romance -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Those Crazy Book Chicks - P/Rev

Jan 13th - Thoughts of a Blonde -Rev/P 

(Stop 2) - underneath the covers -Rev/P

Jan 14th - My Reading Reality -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Crystal Blogs Books- P/Rev

(Stop 3) - I'm A Book Shark - Rev/P
(Stop 4) - Nerdy Dirty & Flirty -Rev/P

Jan 15th - Romancing the Readers -Rev/P
(Stop 2) - Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews - P/Rev
(Stop 3) - I'm A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore -Rev/P
(Stop 4) - Nicole's Book Musings -Rev/P

A Holiday Extra: "The Boys of Winter"

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 

I hope you're enjoying this wonderful time of year. In celebration of the season, I wrote a free holiday short starring catcher Mike Solo, the hero of Caught By You.  See what happens when Mike brings his baseball magic to Chicago's Magnificent Mile on Christmas Eve. Click here to read The Boys of Winter at Literary Escapism. I hope you enjoy it!
And don't forget, Caught By You will be coming your way on December 29. Warm holiday wishes to you and your family! 

Deleted scene from CAUGHT BY YOU

When Donna MacIntyre met Mike Solo, they were both side characters in ALL OF ME. At the moment CAUGHT BY YOU begins, they've already known each other the whole season. Which means that the scene in which they meet never got completely written. It wasn't so much "deleted" as "never existed." I fixed that, and here it is for your reading enjoyment! If you've read either book, you might recognize a couple moments. As you'll see, the sparks start flying right away for these two. :-)

 

Donna MacIntyre wasn’t nearly as buzzed as she was pretending to be. People at the Kilby Roadhouse expected her to play the wild and funny party girl, especially on her birthday. If it helped get her best friend Sadie out of her cubicle of sadness, she’d turn cartwheels across the floor while juggling maraschino cherries with her teeth. Whatever it took.

Bumping into a couple of insanely attractive men with physiques that screamed “athlete” was just a bonus. Even better, the sight of the blue-eyed one had made Sadie nearly drop the two White Russians she’d fetched for them. Verrrry interesting, considering Sadie hadn’t even glanced at a guy since the horrible Hamilton Wade breakup.

“What’s your name, cowboy?” From her perch on one of the tables, Donna flirtatiously touched his leg with her booted foot – it was a test, and it got just the reaction she wanted out of Sadie. If that wasn’t jealousy in her friend’s gorgeous dark eyes, she’d eat her faux-alligator boot.

“Caleb Hart.”

“I’ve heard of you. You’re on the Catfish. I’m Donna and this is Sadie.” No time for subtlety. Sadie’s happiness was too important. “You should really ask her to dance, because even though she’s acting kind of strange right now, she’s super cool. Like, the bestest of the bestest.”

Caleb shot an amused glance at Sadie, who made a little face to indicate Donna’s buzzed state.

Well, guess what, she wasn’t drunk at all. She had a master plan here, and so far it was working. “Besides, she doesn’t go out much anymore.” Donna leaned forward, nearly toppling off the table. “She had a bad experience.”

Okay, maybe she was a tiny bit buzzed.

“Donna.”

“It’s my birthday and I can say what I want. Besides, I can see the sparks flyin’ here.” She waved her hand back and forth between Caleb and Sadie. They both looked kind of stunned by that statement, so when Caleb’s curly-haired friend returned with two Lone Stars, she jumped on the distraction. “And I think your friend’s a hottie, Caleb Hart. I’ve decided to put my money on those cute little dimples.” 

“Now that’s an interesting bet,” said Caleb. “We’ll leave you to it. Let’s go, Sadie.” He grabbed Sadie’s free hand and tugged her toward the dance floor. Donna wanted to pump her fist in triumph. A sexy ballplayer was just what Sadie needed.

Caleb’s friend looked down at the two beers he held in one big hand, then up at her. He pasted an exaggerated scowl on his face. “Cute little dimples?”

“Adorable. You know what those dimples say to me?”

“Don’t call me cute?”

Quick comeback. She gave him a closer look, noting the mischief in his green eyes and the power in his body. This man was smokin’ hot. “They say you’re as pure as a baby lamb, so you’d better hand that beer this way.” She gave him a cheeky grin.

“Is that right? Well, you’re not the only one who can interpret body language. You know what your smile says to me?”

“I’m just dying to know.”

“It says you prefer drinks with cream.” Flashing a smile, he brushed a drop of liquid off her upper lip. Her mouth dropped open in shock at how quickly he’d gotten the best of her. That never happened. Also, that light touch had done crazy things to her equilibrium. She had to get it back. Flirt, Donna, flirt.

“Maybe I’m flexible and open-minded when it comes to drinks. And other things.”

His eyes darkened to a deep emerald. “Me and my dimples are going to pretend we didn’t hear that. We’re too pure, remember?” He put one bottle on the table and tilted the other to his mouth, which brought her attention to his broad chest and powerful shoulders.

She swallowed hard, taking a sip from her White Russian to hide her strong attraction to him. “I’m trying to remember. But the rest of you makes it hard. Are you a ballplayer too?” He certainly had the body for it. Not just because of his muscles, but the confidence with which he carried himself.

“I am. Mike Solo, catcher.” He extended his hand, and they shook.

“Donna MacIntyre. Flirt.”

He laughed at that, his eyes dancing. “You don’t fool me. There’s a lot more to you than 'flirt.'”

“How would you know? Something else you read in my smile?”

“No. I saw the way you got Caleb and Sadie to go off together. A real flirt wouldn’t do that. You’d want the star pitcher of the Catfish all to yourself.”

She shrugged. “So I’m a good friend. Anyway, maybe I wanted you instead of him.”

He cocked his head, considering. “Maybe. Except you didn’t even notice me at first.”

“So … you noticed whether or not I noticed you?”

“A-ha.” He gestured at her with his beer bottle. “Very coherent. You’re not nearly as tipsy as you want people to believe.”

“That can be fixed.” Alarmed by his perceptiveness, she drained the rest of her White Russian. “Ta-da. By the way, I totally noticed you. I just didn’t think you were interested.”

Something sparked in those green eyes of his. “What made you think that?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Just something I picked up on. You’re here with your friends, you’re having fun, drinking, hanging out, but you’re not looking for anything. You didn’t set off my play-dar.”

“Play-dar?”

“My play-dar helps me spot a player from two hundred yards.”

His burst of laughter lit up his face. “You should patent that. You’d make bank.”

“I’m right, aren’t I?” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be right or wrong. If anyone would tempt her, it would be catcher Mike Solo.

“As a matter of fact, you are, at least for now. It’s the baseball season,” he said as if it explained everything.

She shook her head, not understanding.

“I take a Vow of Celibacy at the beginning of every season. I stick to it until the last out of the last game.”

“A Vow of Celibacy? You mean, like a monk?”

“Yep.” He took another swig from his beer. “I pour all my energy into baseball. No distractions. No drama. It’s great for my concentration. According to my calculations, it adds an extra fifty points to my batting average.”

“Wow.” She eyed him, fascinated. This was the most intriguing conversation she’d ever had at the Roadhouse. “So you haven’t had sex since … when, Opening Day?”

“Spring Training, actually.”

“So if I invited you back to my place and told you every naughty thing I’d like you to do to me, you’d say …”

His eyes darkened and his Adam’s apple moved up and down the strong column of his throat. “I’d say you’re trying to kill me.”  

Damn. Now he was even more tempting than he had been before he’d revealed his Vow.

“You know, as a public service, you should be less attractive,” she told him. “Get a mullet. Or wear those shiny, baggy sweats. And a wife-beater. It’s only fair, if you’re going to be off-limits.”

“Sorry, you lost me at attractive. After that all I heard was blah-blah-blah.”

They both burst out laughing. Somehow it felt as if she’d known him much longer than the approximately ten minutes since they’d met. “So you’re a hottie who won’t put out, and I’m a flirt who just wants my friend to have fun. We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”

He clicked his beer bottle against her empty glass. “To us.”

“To us,” she echoed, then slid off the table she’d been perched on. He caught her arm to help her, setting every nerve ending on that side of her body aflame.

He put his hand in the small of her back and guided her through the crowd toward the bar. Hmm, she wondered, her mind filled with images of Mike’s laughing green eyes and hard body. Just how long did the baseball season last? 

CAUGHT BY YOU, AKA the rest of Mike and Donna's story, will be out on December 29! Click here to preorder.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

.99 Sale Alert!

News flash! Deal alert! Confetti explosion! ALL OF ME is only .99 today for Kindle. Fair warning, I don't know how long the price will be this low. With book 2, CAUGHT BY YOU, coming out on December 29, this is the perfect time to start this fun, sexy baseball series if you haven't already.

Happy reading!
 
http://www.amazon.com/All-Me-Between-Bases-Novel-ebook/dp/B00U1TTATC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448909181&sr=8-1&keywords=all+of+me+bernard

Favorite Things for Fall Giveaway

Have you signed up for my newsletter? If you have (and you read the September issue), you know all about my Favorite Things for Fall Giveaway. If not, here's the scoop. If you join the list, you'll be automatically entered into my Favorite Things for Fall Giveaway -- exclusive for newsletter subscribers. Every month until the end of the year, I'll give away a super-cool prize. Each prize will be something that I personally LOVE and hope you will too. The September prize is a gift set from Suki Tea, a wonderful tea blender based in Belfast, Ireland. One of my favorite readers introduced me to Suki. As a tea aficionado, someone who literally cannot write without a cup of tea on hand, I can vouch for this tea as being among the best I've ever tasted. I'll pick a winner on September 29, and will announce the next prize in the October newsletter. It could be a treat from Alaska or something from Hawaii or beyond. Whatever it is, it will be one of my favorite things ever, I promise you that.

Is that enough to get you to sign up? I'm also sharing exclusive sneak peeks at CAUGHT BY YOU, the next Love Between the Bases novel due out on December 29. In September's newsletter, I posted half of Chapter 1, and will include the entire first chapter in October's issue.

What else? How about recipes, book recommendations, and more giveaways? And, of course, snapshots of life in Alaska, Hawaii, or wherever I happen to be. Have I lured you in yet? Here's the link to sign up. :-) I'd love to see you there!

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Summer, Slugs, and Cell Phones

I’m not one of those lucky people who grew up in one place with familiar faces all around them. If that was your experience, I truly envy you. My family moved many times, and I continued that pattern as an adult – with one exception. When my parents were young and nearly penniless, they joined with two other families to purchase a tiny summer cabin on an island in Maine. My family still gathers there almost every summer, and that’s how I get to appreciate what time does to a familiar place.

When I was little, the entire island had exactly one telephone. It's still there, right next to the Community Hall, down near the public wharf. 

As a teenager, I spent hours on that phone with my college boyfriend, fending off mosquitoes and pesky interlopers who wanted their turn on the phone. These days, everyone has landlines and cell phones, but some things don’t change. Cell service comes and goes out there, and communication with the outside world is still blessedly sketchy.

When I was little, the woods at the north end of the island were thick and daunting. The paths were hard to find and if I ever had to walk through them at night—say, after a cookout on the beach--I would cling to an adult’s hand the entire time. I will never forget the terror I felt stepping into the world of those dark, looming evergreens. These days, there’s a sign post for the path. A sign post!

And if I need some light, I use the flashlight app on my iPhone.

What else? In our little cottage, the only toilet was in the basement where the slugs and spiders lived. When you had to pee at night, you had a choice between the dreaded trek downstairs and a chamber pot. Every night I held a long, agonized internal debate about which was better, or at least less horrid. We had no shower, so we ran around all day long with ocean salt drying on our skin. Occasionally my mother would heat water on the stove and stick us in a washtub. The only means we had of cleaning our clothes involved an old tin washboard and lots of scrubbing. These days? Over the protests of the younger generation, the elders put in an actual bathroom with tub, shower, and laundry. I’ve never seen a single slug in there. Peeing has become a drama-free experience.

It’s amazing how things change even in timeless places like Cliff Island, and how some things don’t.

We have Internet access now. The island has a Facebook page and a website for renting cottages. Washing machines are common, but we still hang our clothes out to dry in the sun. The kids of today are offered organized activities—soccer games and sandcastle contests—while we had nothing but bikes, swimsuits and lots of free time. But some things never change.

On a sunny day, if the tide is right, kids still spend all day at “the cove,” then skip down to the wharf for an ice cream cone.

I wouldn’t trade my tech-challenged, slug-infested memories for anything. On the other hand, you won’t catch me complaining about WiFi and hot showers. And those flashlight apps – they’re fantastic.

Is there a place you return to every year, or maybe where you've been living since childhood? I'd love to hear about it!

xoxo
Jennifer