Karen’s idea last week was fabulous…an excerpt of an upcoming release available only to Plotmonkeys readers! I have a novella collection out this month, “Driven to Distraction,” that not only connects to the other stories in the collection, A FARE TO REMEMBER, 
written by Vicki Lewis Thompson and Kate Hoffman, but also to my upcoming Extreme Blaze, The Domino Effect.
Here’s a sneak peek from the minute my heroine, Rachel, catches up with Roman Brach, the hero…and a mysterious woman named Domino. Mario is our matchmaking cab driver. Enjoy!
They headed toward the Upper East side, where Mario had dropped him off before. Did he have an apartment there? A home? A wife or lover or family she knew nothing about? His nomadic lifestyle appealed to her own sense of wanderlust so much at the beginning, she’d never questioned how a man could go from place to place with no real home. In fact, she’d envied him. He seemed to feed on the spontaneity of his job, just the way he seemed to revel in the unpredictability of their so-called relationship.
Hadn’t she been attracted to the same life? Her spontaneous trips fulfilled her desire to travel and her career as a freelance artist paid the bills. In Roman, she’d seen a kindred spirit–a career-focused professional at one moment; a free-wheeling vagabond at another. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t just let him go. He was too perfect for her. He understood her like no other man ever could.
And yet, she was practicing the ultimate deception to find out more about him. Would he forgive her if he found out?
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” she suggested as Mario followed the other yellow cab onto a quiet street with tall, thick elms in decorative iron planters imbedded in the sidewalk.
Mario kept his expression blank. “Tell me now, Rachel. You don’t want to know what the man is hiding, we go home.”
She pressed her eyelids closely shut. She was so close. Would it really hurt to finish what she’d started? “I need to know,” she said, her voice nearly a whisper. What if he was married? What if everything between them had been a lie? Okay, she had to admit that in the trust department, she and Roman had a huge deficit. But until one of them broke the casual pattern of their relationship, things would never change, right?
“Here’s your chance,” Mario said.
The yellow cab pulled up to the curb in front of a clearly upscale condo building, only this one had no doormen–at least, none out at the early hour of the morning. After a moment where Rachel assumed he was paying the driver, Roman got out. Almost instantaneously, a tall, slim brunette emerged from the shadows.
And made a beeline for Roman.
Rachel sat forward, watching out of the corner of her eye as the cab Roman had ridden in pulled away. He didn’t seem to notice. His attention was one-hundred and ten percent on the leggy brunette.
“Now, who is she?” Mario asked.
Rachel opened her mouth to ask the same question, but before she could, the brunette with the waist-length, glossy black hair grabbed Roman by the lapels and tugged him into a hot, hard kiss.
“Holy shit.”
They’d cursed in unison.
Rachel reached for the door handle. Mario grabbed her by the elbow.
“You have your answer. Rachel, let it be,” he said, his dark eyes glossy with warning.
Rachel looked at his hand with disdain, but then quickly realized he just wanted to protect her. She appreciated the sentiment, but she could slay her own dragons. She’d sliced a few open in her lifetime. She could again.
“Yes, I do. Mario, trust me on this.” Her gaze flicked to Roman, who was still swapping spit with the Cher-on-a-stick look-a-like in skin-tight leather jeans. “I will not let that man, or any man, walk all over me. Never have, never will.”
Mario released her arm and before she lost one ounce of indignation, Rachel pushed out of the cab. Sure, she and Roman had never pretended to be exclusive. Hell, they’d never even talked the matter over. But while Rachel Marlowe may have grown up with three sisters, she’d never learned to share. Especially not her lovers.
As soon as she was close enough, she tapped the chick in the boob-hugging turtleneck on the shoulder and said a polite excuse me. Once. Twice.
The exotic brunette turned slowly, her eyes a dreamy onyx mix of shadows and mystery. “May I help you?”
Rachel grinned. “Actually, yes. Could you step aside?”
The woman complied, giving Rachel a perfect shot with her fist on Roman’s jaw. “You son of a bitch!”
Roman barely flinched, but his eyes widened and his face, so healthy and tanned less than half an hour ago, lost all color. He grabbed Rachel by the arm and yanked her behind him so quickly, she lost her footing on the dew-slippery sidewalk.
He turned and shot a finger out at her. “Stay there.”
With a spin, he faced the woman in black, who’d gone into an odd fighting pose. He raised his hands in front of him, as if she was going to attack. “Dom, don’t get crazy.”
The woman’s stare was ice. “I don’t get crazy, Brach. But if you don’t keep that–”
Her threat was cut off by the squeal of tires. Rachel half-expected Mario to come riding to her rescue, but instead she saw a dark sports car approaching, headlights off. She narrowed her gaze, and at the same moment that she noticed something protruding from the passenger side window, Roman dove over her, shielding her body as gunfire rent the air.
This book is a mix of romance and suspense–but it’s mostly romance. I gave you a suspensy scene just so you can meet Domino. Her book is out in August.
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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oooh, this sounds really good. Teases, all of you! LOL. You can be sure I’ll be buying this one…
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Julie, that was fabulous! I can’t wait to pick up this book!
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Hey Julie,
The book was great! I loved the story. I went on your site and read the excerpt to The Domino Effect… Why is August so far away! I can’t wait!!!!!! By the way i was floored when i read how your stories were connected. I’ve read all the Chicago and the New Orleans, but only a couple of the Tampa, so i’m hitting Maida’s book store during lunch to see if she has them. I know i told you before, but you ROCK!!!!!!
Thanks Julie,
Trish (*)
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Julie,
Thanks for the excerpt! I already have “A Fare to Remember” on my Amazon wish list. Can’t wait to read it and Domino Effect too! Both sound great! (y)
Susana
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Thanks for the sneak peak Julie….btw I am almost done reading “Dirty Little Secrets” I love it!!
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Hey Julie–
This book looks really fun. It is on my TBB list.
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Julie, Thanks for the great sneak peak! (y)
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Oh WOW!! Well you can bet that this one just went on my to buy list, thank you for the excerpt. (y)
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I’ve been waiting impatiently for the release of this book. :p As soon as I see it, I’m snatching it up so fast the salesperson’s head will spin around like Linda Blair’s. :d
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Hi Julie!!
Loved the Excerpt!! i love the idea of a match making cabbie.What a tease you are. Making us wait until the end of summer.
Your story is definately in good company with the other authors stories included in the book.
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I will not deny that I’m a big tease, but this book is OUT NOW! In the stores (or should be!) It’s THE DOMINO EFFECT that won’t be out until August.
I haven’t seen the book in a store yet, but I’m getting emails from readers who have read it, so I know it’s out there!
I’m a tease, but I’m not cruel!
Thanks so much, everyone, for the positive feedback. I really enjoyed writing this story moreso than any other novella in a long time. I think it was the mix of romance with action/adventure that I really enjoy!
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Sounds great. That was an interesting teaser! It is on my list! :)
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sounds great :)
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again………………..
(*) YOU ROCK JULIE (*)
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Okay, I went nuts looking for this book today and couldn’t find it yet. But I special ordered it at two bookstores. LOL!! Hopefully one of them will get their act together and get me this book.
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Kelly, thanks for trying so hard! Don’t blame the bookstores…this book is part of Harlequin Signature…a line that is out of bookstores by next month. I had a feeling it might be a little hard to find. I appreciate you ordering it!
Thanks again everyone for the compliments…psyched me up to write!
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I just checked with Amazon….it says it isn’t out, yet. Does anyone know where to get this and the “SURF’S UP” book that I keep seeing on this website?? Yikes…I need some good, fun reading! This book looks SO good (okay, so does “SURF’S UP”…I can’t stop looking at the cover of that one, LOL!!). sigh…
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Wow this sounds like a really good book. I am going to have to check out my book stores for this one (y) Thank You for the wonderful Excerpt :p
Linda.H. (f)
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Katie — SURF’S UP isn’t out until July. You only have a few more weeks to wait.
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Janelle: In the immortal words of my 3 1/2 year old, “darn it’ (I don’t know where he got it from!). I guess I am going to have to stare at the picture online! Thanks for the information! I’ll just have to read Carly’s new book until then
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Hey Katie, Just wanted to let you or anyone else looking for “A Fare to Remember” know that you can get it at the following online places now.
http://www.overstock.com
http://www.walmart.com
Both places have the book in stock according to their website. I also “Special Ordered” it from Barnes and Noble and Borders Books. So you can get it, it just may take a little bit longer than we would like. :d
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This books sounds like it is going to be a good one!! I can’t wait to get it! Thanks for the excerpt! Thanks to everyone who posted how to get it!! :d