Contemporary Romance
[Rated R]
A word from the author…
Blue
As Sapphires was born from my love of sapphire digging, and gold panning in the
beautiful Gem Mountains and Rock Creek River that runs through Philipsburg,
Montana. Another issue that I’m passionate about is doing away with domestic
abuse. I took the two subjects and combined them into a story that made Marissa
determined to survive and overcome her ex-husband’s physical and emotional
abuse, and the sheriff, Riley McCade, who is determined to love and protect
her.
NOTE: National Statistics from the National Coalition
Against Domestic Violence:
On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused
by an intimate partner in the United States. ... 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men
have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner
within their lifetime.
Blurb:
Escaping
from her abusive ex-husband, Marissa Simpson came back to her hometown to start
over. She had no intention of getting involved with another man, or with the
community she left behind all those years ago. That is, until Riley McCade
showed up.
Riley
was the Sheriff of Granite County and he commanded a work force of fifteen
deputies. He loved his community and went out of his way to protect and serve.
When he met up with Marissa, he was bound and determined to get to know her
even though she said she wasn’t interested.
The
more he got to know her, the more he learned of her past. Could he protect her
and earn her love?
Snippet:
Marissa laid back and wrapped her arms
around Riley’s neck. She brought her lips to within an inch of his. She stared
into his eyes and noticed how tender they looked. She moved in a little more,
and her lips met his. He moved his mouth over hers, devouring it. While the
fireworks were going off in the sky, Marissa felt her own fireworks. His kiss
sent a shock wave through her entire body. Riley guided Marissa so she was on
her back and he was partially on her. His Stetson concealed their faces. They
continued to kiss and touch, looking lovingly at each other, and then kiss
again.
The fireworks lasted for fifteen minutes,
and suddenly a flashlight shone on them and voices interrupted them. Three
firefighters stood in front of them singing a line from Burning Love.
Riley and Marissa quickly broke apart.
“What the hell?” Riley said. A hint of
irritation laced his voice. He abruptly stood up, grabbed Marissa’s hand, and
pulled her up.
“We were told that there was sparks on the
ground, and we were asked to put it out,” Mitch said, laughing.
“Just who the hell told you that?” Riley
asked.
“Heidi,” John, second firefighter, said
with an amused smile on his face.
Riley and Marissa shot Heidi a glance.
“We can see that the sparks have been put
out so we’ll head back to the truck.” Mitch
smiled even wider.
Dave and Cindy stood off to the side
chuckling. Someone from the crowd that had gathered
around them asked, “Hey, Sheriff, got a new girlfriend?” Ripples of laughter
rang through the crowd.
Marissa continued to glare at Heidi. She couldn’t believe her
friend would do something like that. As the party broke up, Marissa said to
Heidi, “We will talk later.”
You Can Find Connie Bretes on:
Facebook: Connie Bretes
Author Bio:
Connie
began her career as a secretary in 1977 for the State of Michigan as a civil
servant. She retired from the Michigan Department of Transportation after 38
years as the department’s forms analyst. She has an MBA in Business
Administration – Leadership Studies, and a BA in Business Management. She
has six books published, with five more on the way. Connie
spends most of her time behind her computer, writing, editing and researching
for her next story. When she’s not there, she can be found checking out ghost
towns, sapphire mining, and gold panning with her best friend and husband, Jim.
Her other hobbies consists of basket weaving, and jewelry making.She
is a member of RWA’s From The Heart Romance Writers, and Kiss of Death Romance
Writers, and lives in Basin, Montana.
Buy Links:
As much as we writers hate to admit it, we often read positive
reviews of our work with smiles and enthusiastic enjoyment. On the other hand,
when we receive a critical objective review, we too often get annoyed or
depressed, instead of looking for value and constructive advice from it. That’s
when it’s time for us to pause, consider the advice, sort out the positive,
and hopefully apply the knowledge we’ve gained to our next creative works.
