Seriously, y’all. TGIF!!!!!!!!

Now that the release day fervor and nervousness have passed, I need to get back to the business of writing. Yes, I’ve got more books coming out this year, but if I don’t write, then there won’t be more to release, right?

So, I need to keep my nose to the grindstone.

The phrase is a common one of course, but the curious cat inside me wondered how the hell it had become that way. I mean, I really don’t want to put my nose to a grindstone – it would hurt and likely leave a scar. There would be blood I’m sure.

I went in search of its meaning, this odd little idiom we all use. From what I found out, there are two explanations as to the origin.

The first had to do with millers and the millstone they used, meaning they would lean down to be sure things were okey dokey. However, that explanation is trumped by the second one which is more commonly accepted as the origin.

It came from knife grinders when sharpening blades to bend over the stone, or even to lie flat on their fronts, with their faces near the grindstone in order to hold the blades against the stone.

The earliest citation in literature was 1532. Interesting, hm?

Okay, the word geek is going back to her manuscript and getting something written on Lee’s story before I have to get ready for work.

Have a faboo Thursday y’all!

I’m the guest interviewee over at Cynthia Eden’s blog today. Come on over and learn all my secrets! ;)

*sound the trumpets*

Release day is finally here!!

Welcome to Madeline and Teague’s world! I have a list of so many people to thank for encouraging me, inspiring me, supporting me and kicking my butt as needed. I am deeply grateful for everything! So thank you DH, DS#1, DS#2, Mom, Dad, Tammy, my entire in-laws family, Sasha W, Sasha K, Crissy, Kate, Laura, my amazing book club, and most of all, everyone who has taken a chance and read one of my books.

Sounds like an Academy Award speech, doesn’t it? LOL.

Really, though, I am excited beyond measure to have my first New York book hit the bookshelves. It may not appear in the stores officially until March 1, but today is the release date. And I’ll be grinning all day!

If you’d like to win a copy of The Education of Madeline, pop by Fatin’s blog later today – she’s giving away a copy!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I’ll love ya, tomorrow, you’re only a day away!!!!!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, The Education of Madeline releases tomorrow. I am filled with giddy excitement and nervousness.

Without any more delay, Monday’s eye candy for your viewing pleasure. Say hello to Teague. :D

I’m fighting a virus right now determined to steal every minute of sleep as I cough myself silly. It snuck up on me during the night Thursday and I’ve been suffering since.

BUT I can’t forget it’s only 2 days until The Education of Madeline releases.

I hope you enjoyed Lesson 1 over the last few days. Teague is a great kisser. *sigh* I thought for today I’d give you another scene to whet your appetite, so to speak.

Let’s take a peek at the moment when Madeline offers Teague her, ah, business proposal…

***

Madeline had initially thought he was an average-looking man, albeit a big one. She was unprepared to find out she had been very wrong. He was anything but average.

Underneath the grit and grime was a man with thick, wavy black hair, and a rugged face, nearly hewn from granite. He had incredible cheekbones and a strong jaw with full lips. The clean clothes hugged him like a second skin, accentuating the sheer size of his chest, shoulders, and arms. She couldn’t bring herself to look any lower than that or she might embarrass herself.

“Mr. O’Neal.”

“Miss Brewster.”

His deep voice vibrated through her. She wanted to press her ear against his chest and feel his voice.

“Please sit down.” She gestured to the large sofa that sat across from the fireplace. As he walked toward the sofa, she found her eyes straying to his behind. His perfectly formed behind. When he sat down, she almost asked him to stand up again.

Stop it! Business first!

Madeline sat up straight in the wingback chair and pressed her hands together on her lap. She looked at his feet.

“I have a business proposition for you, Mr. O’Neal. Please listen to its entirety before you give me a yes or no answer.”

“I can do that,” he responded.

She took a deep breath and continued. “First, let me say that you are welcome to stay in the house for as long as you need to. My house is always open for those in need. In addition, I am willing to pay you to teach me certain skills that I am lacking.”

Mr. O’Neal nodded.

“As I’m sure you gathered, I am unmarried and … untried by a man. My marriage prospects are virtually nonexistent, and I … I want to learn everything you can teach me about the intimacies between a man and woman.”

She let loose a shaky breath and finally looked him in the eye. He didn’t look shocked. In fact, he looked almost amused.

“You want me to bed you?”

“Not just bed me, Mr. O’Neal. Teach me everything there is to know, or at least to the extent of your knowledge. And I am willing to compensate you five hundred dollars after a month’s … work.”

She had thought she was nervous before, now an entire colony of butterflies was dancing in her belly. He smiled. Then he chuckled.

Madeline almost lost her composure. She stood abruptly.

“I see that your answer is no. I won’t bother you again about it, Mr. O’Neal. Please be kind enough not to mention it to anyone.”

She held herself together with sheer will as she turned to leave the room. A large hand on her arm stopped her. She turned to look up into Mr. O’Neal’s face. He no longer looked amused. In fact, his pupils had widened in his incredible blue eyes and his mouth had compressed into a thin line.

“I didn’t say no.”

***

Tuesday is looming so close! February 24th can’t get here soon enough eh? :D

As promised, below is part 4 of lesson one. Enjoy the kisses. ;)

Part 4:

Teague ran his fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp with incredible tenderness. She leaned into him, letting the languid motion lull her.

“Your hair is magnificent. Whenever we’re having a lesson, you will have it free like this, understood?”
Madeline nodded.

“Good girl.”

His fingers traced the outline of her ears, then down her neck. His lips brushed across her cheekbone until he reached her lips. His tongue traced the seam of her lips ever so lightly until she shivered.

He nibbled the corners of her mouth. She wanted so badly to kiss him. This waiting was torture! But it was sweet torture … oh, so sweet. The anticipation was heightening her arousal. She could feel it.

Suddenly his lips were on hers, a slow, moist kiss that felt like a decadent dessert. She leaned into him, and a mewling sound erupted from her throat. His thumbs rubbed her neck as his lips captured hers again and again.

Teague’s tongue lapped at her lips.

“Open for me, Maddie.”

She opened her mouth, and his tongue plunged in like a conqueror. The twining serpent taught her how to dance with it even as her thighs grew wet with moisture. The roughness of his tongue scraped deliciously around her teeth. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth and gently bit it.

With sweet, slow kisses, he taught her about the inside of her mouth. How sensual the roof of it was, how tingly her teeth could feel, how fast her heart could beat without bursting from her chest.

He kissed her hard then pulled back.

“Look at me, Maddie.”

She opened her eyes, and it took her a moment to focus on his face. His eyes were heavy-lidded.

“That was lesson one. How to kiss. You did very well.”

He stood, and she was suddenly at eye level with his erection. Her hand itched to feel it, test the length and breadth of him.

“Is that all?”

“For today.”

“When is lesson number two?” she asked, anxious to continue.

“Tomorrow, after dinner.”

“Can we do them every day after dinner?”

He chuckled and pulled her to her feet. He kissed her again, this time pressing his body fully against hers.
Holy Mary! He was as hard as an oak tree from top to bottom. She was positively sizzling from the heat between them. He pulled away and turned to leave.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Maddie.”

With that, he was gone. Madeline was left standing there pulsing, pounding, throbbing without her teacher. She was frustrated and hoped lessons would move along more quickly so she didn’t have to go to bed so … unfulfilled.

****

Hope you enjoyed Lesson 1! Tomorrow will bring more surprises! :D

Three days y’all. *deep breath* Madeline is getting ready for her big debut. And so am I. LOL.

I hope y’all are enjoying the scenes from Lesson 1. This particular lesson is my favorite. I’ve never written a scene where kissing was so sensual. Enjoy!

Part 3:

Heat pooled low and insistent in her belly, and a throbbing began between her legs.

“Does this mean you’re saying yes to my … proposal?” she asked. Her mouth felt as dry as cotton. “I mean, it sounds as if you’re going to say yes.”

He stood abruptly, and she could see the outline of his penis clearly in his pants. My, oh, my! That certainly was a large looking organ. Much larger than ones in the drawings in the book.

Teague let the rest of the cards fall from his hands and came around the side of the table. The primal way he walked was enough to make her nipples pucker. He clearly wanted her. Her. Madeline Brewster!

When he reached her side, he knelt down on the floor next to her and cupped her face in his big hands.

“Why me?”

She shrugged, somehow. “I need a big man. I’m not … petite or feminine like most women. I didn’t want my teacher to feel embarrassed by the size difference if I was bigger. You … you’re bigger than me. And …”

“And?”

“Just looking at you makes my body hum.”

His pupils widened, and he licked his lips.

He’s going to kiss me!

Madeline closed her eyes. She expected his lips on hers. What she didn’t expect was feather light kisses along her brow, down her nose, across her cheekbones, to her chin. Small, jittery kisses that made her ache that much more.

“Hurry up and kiss me,” she demanded.

He chuckled against the corner of her mouth. “If you want me to be your teacher, you’re going to have to be the student. Can you hand over the reins, Maddie girl?”

Madeline thought long and hard about that question. It wasn’t a matter of being under his thumb like her father. It was trusting that he would teach her what she wanted to know without doubting or interfering in his methods.

“Yes,” she breathed.

She felt him smile. “Good. Now just close your eyes and feel. This is lesson number one.”

“Wait! Does this mean yes?”

“Yes,” he said, then he pressed his finger against her lips. She had the absurd notion to lick it and almost giggled.

She felt his hands in her hair, and suddenly it was tumbling down around her shoulders. She wanted to stop him, to say no, but didn’t. Lesson number one.

****

Stay tuned for part 4 tomorrow!

Woot! Five more days until The Education of Madeline releases! I’m thrilled and scared at the same time. I’ll probably be going to all the local stores next week to prowl for copies to sign. LOL. *super dork*

Without further adieu, here is part 2 of Lesson 1:

After searching for thirty minutes, they found a deck of cards in her father’s old desk. Teague suggested they play in the kitchen, since it was in the back of the house and relatively private.

When they settled at the table, the lamplight threw a cozy glow over the room. Madeline watched Teague’s hands, fascinated by how quickly he shuffled the cards. His fingers were lithe and strong at the same time. She wondered how those fingers would feel on her skin, making her temperature rise degree by degree.

Teague explained a game called five-card stud. The rules were a bit complex, but Madeline understood most of them. He let her play a couple of practice hands, and then they started to play in earnest.

Madeline lost five hands in a row before she started to really enjoy playing the game. She won the next hand. Teague actually looked surprised.

“Very good, Maddie. You’re getting the hang of it.”

Madeline smiled. “I think I understand why gamblers like to play this so much. Can we gamble, too?”

Teague threw back his head and laughed. It was the first time she’d heard him laugh and the rough, raspy sound of it did something strange to her equilibrium.

“Don’t you think gambling is the root of all evil?”

“No, I don’t. I’ve seen the root of evil, and it’s definitely not poker.”

He looked like he wanted to respond, but he didn’t. He shrugged. “I don’t have money to play for.”

Madeline watched his hands as he shuffled the cards again.

“How about we play for truths?” he said without looking up.

“Truths?”

“Yes, each time one of us wins a hand, we get to ask the other a question, and the loser must tell the truth.”

His hands shuffled faster. By the time the cards started flying off the deck, his fingers were a blur of motion. In a few seconds, five cards lay in front of her.

“I’ll play for truths. There isn’t much I’ve got to hide anyway.”

Madeline lost the first truth hand.

“Are you ready for the first question?” he asked with a small grin.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“Why did you paint your house blue?”

It was her turn to laugh. “I thought you were going to ask me what color my bloomers were.”

His eyebrows rose. “Now you’ve spoiled it. That was my next question.”

“I painted it blue because it was my favorite color, and I wasn’t allowed to wear anything that bright. After my father died, I indulged myself.”

He nodded. “That answers why it’s so damn bright.”

She laughed and waved her hands at the cards.

“Deal again, Teague. I’m itching to ask you a truth question.”

This time, Madeline won. She pondered her question for several minutes, earning a sigh and rolling eyes from the sore loser.

“Why didn’t you say ‘no’ to my proposition to bed me?”

He clearly hadn’t been expecting a personal question like that. The cards he’d been shuffling fell out of his hand like an explosion, raining down all over the table and floor.

“I had to stop myself from saying yes too quickly.”

****

Stay tuned for part 3 tomorrow!

Blanche, that wonderful chickie, posted about The Education of Madeline on her blog yesterday. This prompted my edit clogged brain (I’m doing the copy edits on Micah’s story, the sequel!) to remember to do a countdown on my blog!

Six more days!!

I decided to post part of a scene each day between now and next Tuesday. Today will be part 1 of Lesson 1…

***
It was the third day of his residence, and she was slowly going mad.

Watching Teague had become an obsession. The first day he was repairing the corral, Madeline went out to bring him a glass of water and ended up dropping it on her foot. He had taken off his shirt and was half-naked in her yard!

Oh, sweet Lord above! She was wrong. A cold marble sculpture could never compare to the muscle and sinew and pure fire that was Teague’s body. Just looking at him nearly burned her eyes. He swung a sledgehammer down, driving the post far into the ground. The swing of that instrument in his hands was like a symphony of human beauty. Everything rippled and sang together as an orchestra might. The raw masculinity made a tune that her body hummed along with.

Teague was a gorgeous man. Maddie could barely keep her hands to herself. She walked within three feet of him before she realized her hand was outstretched, ready to caress the sun-bronzed god who had stumbled into her life. She whirled around and ran back to the house for another glass.

She made excuses to herself to visit him during the day when she was home. The hours at the bank gave her time to cool herself off, but then there were the times she was home and temptation was within reach. Each time, no matter if he wore his shirt or not, her heart and her body reacted as one. Reaching for him, wanting him. Needing to know what it felt like to touch him. What it felt like for him to touch her. Her experience was limited to simple kissing and hugging, but she could imagine quite a bit more. Especially with the help of the medical texts she’d read. Although none of them quite explained the exact details of fornication, she was fairly certain she had figured it out.

Now she couldn’t wait to try it. If only she hadn’t agreed to give Teague a week to decide. A week was too long. Far too long. She should have given him one day. No more. She had to find some way to distract herself from thinking about bedding him. An idea struck her.

“Do you play any games, Teague?” Maddie asked as they left the dining room after supper.

He didn’t answer so she turned to look at him. A mischievous grin played around those beautiful lips and one eyebrow arched over humor-filled eyes.

“What kind of games?”

Madeline felt a bit flustered, and she hoped it didn’t reflect in her cheeks. She didn’t want him to know that her self-control was melting like an icicle in July.

“Checkers, chess, backgammon. Those kinds of games.”

When his grin turned into a full-blown smile, Madeline gripped the door jam to stay upright. She thought she was prepared. She was so very wrong. That smile was devastating. It lit up his whole face, made his eyes crinkle at the corners, and turned her into a puddle of unrequited passion.

“No, but I play a mean game of poker. Do you play?”

Madeline shook her head, disappointed. That cancelled her distraction idea.

“Would you like to learn?”

She felt an urge to blurt “No!” but grabbed it before it could be let loose. The proper lady wasn’t going to make the decisions this time. Proper ladies may not play poker, but Maddie Brewster was going to learn.

***

Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!