Posted by Julie at Jul 11, 2012 6:00 am
So, I confess…I did receive a “senior superlative” the year I graduated. I was voted “Best Leader” by my classmates, which probably just meant I was the bossiest girl in the Class of 1983. I’m okay with that. Unlike a lot of people, I loved high school. I made good friends that I still have today, I had a lot of great experiences because of my involvement in student government and in show choir, where I served as a lead soloist and “president” of the choir. I got to travel, meet a lot of community leaders and to be honest, skip a lot of the classes I didn’t want to go to. (I hereby thank Coach Hailey for letting me skip a LOT of PE in order to rehearse and/or plan pep rallies and dances.)
In other words…I was a LOT like Erica Holt, the heroine of my story, “A Moment Like This,” in the Harlequin Blaze collection, THE GUY MOST LIKELY TO… I can’t say that I had a secret crush on the class bad-boy (I’m not exactly sure who that guy would have been in my class…we had a lot of them…I did to to Catholic school after all!) but I did have a lot of expectations on me that made me very conscious of how people perceived me as opposed to who I was deep down inside. That’s what made this story so appealing to me…a chance to explore that theme.
And the hero? Scott “Rip” Ripley? I can honestly say I never quite met a guy like him (although maybe I did and I was too young and too naive to see it!) He’s a bad boy with a sense of humor and a secret past that drives him to be “the Guy Most Likely to Ride out of town on a Harley” the moment graduation is over.
But now he’s back…and Erica will never be the same. At least…that’s her plan. :-)
**For those of you who read my books, the heroine of “A Moment Like This” is Erica Holt, best friend of Abby Albertini, the heroine of TOO WICKED TO KEEP. I’m going to give away five copies of that book…so post what you think of the excerpt below for a chance to win! US shipping only.
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EXCERPT FROM “A MOMENT LIKE THIS”
She kissed him. She didn’t think, didn’t overanalyze, didn’t over-orchestrate the touching of lips that she’d been anticipating for over nine months, ever since Scott “Rip†Ripley had checked the “yes†box on the invitation to their ten-year class reunion.
The planning was over—and the party had begun.
With her mind, body and soul open, she surrendered to the dizzying sensations that came from finally taking what she wanted for so very, very long.
Just as she expected, he tasted like sweet cola and freedom and forbidden lust. The warmth of his tongue as it swirled around hers possessed enough heat to melt asphalt.
She gripped tight to the stone wall beneath her. Grit bit into her skin with an exquisite pain that kept her from going too far, too fast. Not that she hadn’t already gone farther and faster than she ever expected.
“Erica,†he murmured, his mouth still pressed to hers.
“Mm?â€
“Holt?â€
“Mm-hm,†she verified.
“What are you doing?†he asked, skimming his lips across her cheeks, down her chin, and then along the ridge of her jawline.
God, he was good. Oh, so good.
“Kissing you,†she replied.
“Yes, you are.†He wiped his hands on the thighs of his jeans, then speared them into her hair and repositioned her face so that she had no choice but look at him directly—without lip contact. “But why?â€
She blinked. Was it her imagination, or was his jaw more square-shaped now than it had been all those years ago? His eyes looked even bluer. As it had been in the past, his hair was longer than the St. Aloysius dress code requirements allowed—and it still suited him.
“Why?†she repeated. “Because it’s long overdue.â€
She kissed him again and for a second time, he didn’t resist. Ten years clearly had changed the man. When she’d tried this last time, he’d pushed her away and forever ended their secret, albeit totally platonic friendship.
The memory shouldn’t have been so fresh, but ten minutes or ten years couldn’t erase what had become a singular moment in her senior year. She could feel the bite of the torn leather booth against the back of her thighs and could still smell the greasy pepperoni and cigarette smoke in the South Side pizza parlor where they’d met for her French lessons.
In his old neighborhood, no one would recognize them. No one who saw them together would talk or spread rumors or better yet, intrude. No one who’d witnessed her spontaneous attempt to kiss him—which he’d spurned before her lips had touched his—would ever report that St. Aloysius’s good girl had attempted to seduce the ultimate bad boy.
And had failed.
But she wasn’t failing now. This kiss was everything she’d wanted ten years ago. Tentative, yet passionate. Unexpected, yet natural. Forbidden, yet undeniable.
Until he broke away.
Again.
“You’re playing with fire,†he warned.
She smiled. “God, I hope so.â€
She moved in for another kiss, but this time, he caught her by the upper arms.
“Holt, you need to slow down.â€
She narrowed her eyes. “And you need a new script. That’s exactly what you said to me our senior year before you stopped returning my calls.â€
He scooted away from her, swung his leg over so that he was facing the school grounds and after throwing her a wary glance, launched himself onto the carefully tended lawn.
“I did you a favor,†he insisted, punching a finger in her direction.
The gesture pushed her over the edge—literally and figuratively. She jumped off the wall with a little more force than necessary and when one heel caught the ground at an odd angle, she dropped to her knees, blindsided by a burst of pain in her ankle.
He was beside her in an instant, cursing even as he braced her foot.
“Can you move?â€
She inhaled and exhaled until the tiny bursts of light in her eyes disappeared. “I’m fine. I just twisted it a little.â€
“Let me check.†He felt around for the zipper that ran up the back of the boot, but as much as she didn’t mind having his hands on her, she wasn’t done being angry yet.
She yanked out of his grasp and rubbed her joint through the leather. “I said I’m fine. Did anyone ever tell you that you’re bossy?â€
He scowled at her. “As I recall, you cornered the market on bossy a long time ago.â€
“And what? You find bossiness unattractive?â€
“Right,†he snapped, “like anything about you is unattractive.â€
Erica grunted when her fingers dug into a sore spot. “Well, you were all hot and ready to go on a wild adventure with the sexy, anonymous biker chick. You even climbed a damned tree to find out who I was. The second you saw it was me, you put on the brakes. What am I supposed to think?â€
“Not the second,†he countered, dropping from his knees to his ass, as if her pointing out the truth had thrown him off balance.
Well, maybe it had. She had very little idea about what his life had been like since graduation, but she knew he hadn’t joined the priesthood or become a monk. His aunt and uncle still socialized with her family, so she knew he’d served in Iraq and had returned unharmed. She knew he’d graduated from college and that he lived in New York City.
Beyond that, his life was a mystery as much as hers likely was to him.
But it had been that mystery that had inspired her to jump completely out of her comfort zone. Around the same time she’d learned Rip was coming to the reunion, Erica had watched her normally cautious, infinitely serious best friend, Abby, lose her mind over a mysterious man from her past. At the time, Erica had thought Abby was making a huge mistake opening her heart to a man with a shady past—but in the end, Abby had found the love of her life.
She’d taken a risk. She’d gone against conventional wisdom and as a result, exchanged loneliness for delirious happiness.
Erica didn’t expect the same outcome for herself. She wasn’t looking for a soul mate. For tonight, for the weekend, she just wanted to have some fun.
Buy a copy of GUY MOST LIKELY TO at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or your local brick and mortar store that carries Harlequin books.
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GREAT NEWS…each of these novellas will have a sequel entitled GIRL MOST LIKELY TO… which will be available exclusively for your e-reader in a week or so!
No bad boys for me in high school either. Loved all three stories and can’t wait for the new ebook. :D Hope it comes out soon!
I can see you as the “Best Leader”. Me, I was a nerd. There was some show I was watching yesterday who was talking about how she was the girl who if she saw a guy drinking at the football game and then he invited her to a party would be like “We can’t drink, we’re not 21!” and didn’t have any fun. Totally fine for me, though. Yes, total nerd.
Actually, Katie, I was pretty nerdy, too. I didn’t drink in high school (except ONCE and it was NOT FUN) and I pretty much avoided most parties, even though I was usually invited. I think I kind of navigated all the cliques, but that might just be my memory and not reality, LOL!
I’ve already read the book and loved all the stories! In high school, I didn’t really fit into any one group although I was always the girl who was friends with all the cute guys & they would ask me for advice about girls or want my help. They all seemed like my brothers more than anything though. Would love to win one of the copies!
Fun read… will be great to read the whole book… thanks for sharing this much!
I was a band geek…
I was not popular with the guys in the band. I think it was the whole bossy thing. :-)
This is one of my favorite sites for romance novels. Each of you ladies offer a down-to-earth realistic approach to book writing and reviews. There’s no pretense and you don’t reach for shock value. You just tell it how it is and let the books, authors, etc. speak for themselves.
I must admit I haven’t read high school romance in a looong while, but this seems entertaining. I like the three stories with a follow-up book.
Thanks so much, Sallie! High school reunions are always a fun topic for playing “what if!”
We truly appreciate all your kind words about Plotmonkeys. We work hard to “keep it real” but also keep it positive! It’s our happy place. :flowers4you:
Oh high school. I didn’t mind it. I had a lot of friends and knew a lot of people, but never would have considered myself “popular.” It’s funny because only after graduation I found out others did. I was like “damn! I missed out – coulda used it!” But… I didn’t party or anything. My friends held parties with no drinking, etc – so that’s pretty much the indication.
The story sounds great, Julie!
Please don’t enter me though. I don’t read print books now – but will definitely get it in e!
Great excerpt, Julie. Thanks for sharing. In high school, I was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” Wow, that was a long time ago!
Fun!
Looking forward to reading these stories!!! As a high school teacher I see things in such a different light. My high school experience was unmemorable as I seemed to not fit in.
That is it I can’t take it anymore with the teasers. I am getting the book. Damn the budget :-)
Our evil plot has worked!!!
That was a great snippet… you have me curious about those two. Looks like a wonderful group of stories from you ladies!
In school I was the quiet shy one… still pretty much am… my friends thought I was a nerd… which surprised me… never saw myself that way.
I can’t wait to get this book!!!!! I really enjoyed your excerpt. I am sure the rest is just as good if not better.
Have a great day!!!
I dated a bad boy for awhile in high school. Well, maybe you can’t really say date since he didn’t work and had to cash in bottles to get gas money so we could cruise “E” St on the weekends. He was a little older than me and didn’t go to school, hmmmm, I think he may not have even graduated (I really don’t remember it’s been sooo long ago. But I was totally smitten with him anyway. I was the good girl and nobody could figure out why we were together. He always made me feel special and I still remember his kisses. :onfire1: Time moves on and so did I. He is a nice memory but that’s where he will stay.
Loved the excerpt. Sounds awesome. Thanks for the giveaway.
I was painfully shy in school. I blushed beet red if a boy even looked.at me. I actually only had 1 date in high school. I did have a crush on one of the football players, but of course he never knew. But boy, did I make up for it later ….. NOT. I married my 3rd boyfriend, and we are still together 9 grandchildren later. Love to win a copy of the book.g
That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!
Loved the excerpt. Can’t wait to read the rest.
I never really liked the bad boys in my high school class….I liked the top football players myself. They were also the class president and A students. Would enjoy reading about this bad boy however.
Enjoyed reading about your book. Bad Boys are fun to read about. Enter me for a chance to win.
I’ve been warned a few times about playing with fire and I did heed those warnings.
Loved the excerpt. Sounds awesome. Thanks for the giveaway. Would love to read these stories and looking forward to the sequel.
Hope I win one of them! :winner:
My high school experience was unmemorable as I seemed to not fit in anywhere.
I’m definitely going to read this book…thanks for the excerpt.
Not only was I a nerd, but a loner. I spent a lot of time avoiding people because my family didn’t have the money, the toys or anything else that wouldn’t make me an easy target. I hated school. If it hadn’t been for a couple really fantastic teachers who pushed me to get into the theater as a stage hand and a guidance counselor who made sure I had a summer job at the school, and friends in the next town over, I’m not sure I would have made it thru. Now, those same people who I avoided, have, over the years, become friends and people I talk to and commiserate and celebrate with. The bad boy? I actually married one of them- he was in the class before mine, dropped out, got his GED and joined the Air Force. Now he’s the Chief of Police. And I drive very, very slowly when I am home.
I dated the bad boy in junior high. It was fun while it lasted but I’m much happier being married to the nerdy, smart and cute type!
I finally have the chance to go tomorrow to get this book! I can’t wait!
Sounds to me like Rip is fighting a losing battle. I can’t wait to find out just how Erica is most likely to… win.
Good luck and happy writing!
Ok so I was a tomboy and a nerd in high school, but my real story comes from my home life. I was so hurt by my father and grandfather, that I played it supersafe when it came to boys. I am 25 and still have never been on a date, but I am working on my courage and backbone to head out into the world. I have been reading romances for about two years now, and with each book I read, I heal a little bit more. Thanks for the sample of your story, it sounds like it will be very exciting. As for your previous book, I think it is great that you are doing a giveaway. I haven’t read the book yet, but it is going on my “To-Read” list. Wishing an early Congrats to the winners! I hope everyone has a fun summer filled with great books.
This book looks awesome. Love anthologies because it gives you a chance to check out other authors. Loved the excerpts for the the stories. Thanks for the giveaway.
Points go to the girl for gumption and determination. Something tells me it was all … for her own good. Have “most likely” in my possession. Speeding through another book in spare time so can read it.
Would love to read Abby’s story too. If this one is as good as it sounds, will be clicking for the girl most likely too.
I am sooooo looking forward to getting a copy of this book with 3 of the 4 of you writing stories. Maybe I will get a chance to look tomorrow.
Back in the day! There were bad boys in my school but I sure didn’t have much to do with any of them. One was a stand out, someone I think that needed a break in life. He fell in love with someone that graduated the year before us, they eloped to Reno several years after high school. After their wedding ceremony they were kidnapped, he was killed & she was raped. Luckily she was already pregnant with Jack’s baby & they both survived fine. She came to one our class reunions because Jack was in our class. We all admired her after such a tragedy. It really shook up everyone. It was just not something one expected to happen back then. Sorry to tell such a sad tale. It was such a shock at the time it happened.
I was too good a girl in high school to go for the bad boy. Wish I’d had the courage back then. It could have been so much fun.
I had a best friend that was a “bad boy” in high school, and I was the class nerd, always throwing the curve, in band, and with my nose stuck in book most of the time. He was my absolute, complete best friend, and I always wondered “what if?” This story will let my imagination fly lol
Looking forward to it!! :cooldance:
Definitely going on my wishlist! Sounds like an awesome read!
-Amber
goodblinknpark@yahoo.com
Is it Tom Cruise on the cover?
Class Leader? That’s quite an accomplishment. It means you had brains and determination.
Thanks for the great excerpt. This book sounds fantastic. I’d love to read it.
I had friends in high school. I wasn’t one of the popular kids. I drank, smoked and dated older boys.
I made good grades, was too afraid to skip school like my friends.
I made lots of dumb choices and thankfully lived through it. I also thought my parents should have ‘killed me’. I was horrible back then.
Thank god high school doesn’t last forever.
Can’t wait to read this book. :dart:
I had a wonderful time in high school. I joined the drill team and played a snare drum. I dated the principal’s nephew whom I met on a debate team trip to our state capitol. He attended an out-of-town high school and we just happened to meet on the bus on the way to the debate meet. Hubby and I attended the same high school where he was he head cheerleader and we still meet with Exes from our high school once a month. We’re the Tiger Lunch Bunch.
“A MOMENT LIKE THIS†sounds wonderful. Please enter me in contest. Thank you for the opportunity to win.I enjoy reading all of your books.