Meet Katherine Wesley

Hi, I’m Katherine Wesley, but everyone calls me Kate. I’ve recently returned to my home town of Twinsburg, Ohio after five years of living in self-imposed exile. Okay, it wasn’t really exile, I left because my fiancé jilted me two days before our wedding. Can you believe he didn’t even have the guts to tell me in person? Oh no, he left me a note and took off to Las Vegas. 

I left town shortly after, because I couldn’t stand the looks of pity from everyone. I know I wasn’t the first, and I probably wouldn’t be the last, but that doesn’t help when it happens to you. So, I fled. I built a new life for myself. I even opened a very successful flower shop in Clyde, Ohio.

But now I’m back and I just opened my own florist shop here. Problem is, my ex is back too. Not that I care. I mean seriously, I’m over him.  The fact my heart beat a little faster the first time I ran into him didn’t mean a thing. Heck, it thumped twice as hard when I met my client’s brother. Not that I’m looking for a guy, believe me, I’m not.  Good grief, I’m happy just the way I am. I don’t have to answer to anyone, and no one has to answer to me. Nope, I’m quite happy, thank you very much

.

Life was fine until I visited my Aunt Kate’s grave, well mostly fine. I mean my ex and Emma’s brother seemed to be vying for my attention. I never had that happen before and, quite honestly, I could live without it. Talk about uncomfortable. But the florist shop was doing well for just having opened. Emma’s wedding helped that. Anyway, there I was, minding my own business, going to the cemetery, and that’s when I found a dead body.

Well let me tell you, life turned upside down, backwards, forwards, and inside out. Between my ex, Emma’s brother and the dead body, let’s just say things got real complicated.

To make matters worse, the twin sister of the victim showed up in town. If you don’t think that made life real interesting, well think again.

You’ll have to read Trouble Comes in Twos to find out what happened. Released from BWL Publishing, it’s available from several booksellers. You can find them all at: BWL website

Check out the rest of my books here on my blog,

Excerpt from Trouble Comes in Twos

A shadow passed over the doorway, and Kate realized she wasn’t alone.

Adam stood in the doorway, a cocky grin on his face. “Now that’s settled, how are you, Kate?”

Kate couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t he take a hint? “What do you want, Adam?” She didn’t care if she sounded angry. He deserved angry.

Adam came into the work room and stood in front of her. “You look great.”

Kate looked away. So did he, but darned if she’d tell him. He looked too damn good. What was the saying? Fool her once, shame on him, fool her twice, shame on her. Nope, she didn’t need him, or anyone like him.

 “So, what do you want? I gave you all the information on Emma. Shouldn’t you be out investigating?” She picked up a flower and set it in a vase. Her heart beat so hard, it surprised her that he didn’t hear it.

“Look, I know you’re still upset about the wedding, but give me a chance to make it up to you. How about dinner tonight?”

“I’m busy.” Still upset? The man had no idea. Like she’d pick up where they left off? Was he kidding.

“Tomorrow then?”

“I’m busy tomorrow, too. Look, Adam, just go, okay. I don’t want to have dinner with you. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever.”

“Come on, babe, don’t be like that.” Adam moved a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t blame you for being angry. But come on, it’s been five years.” He ran his finger along her cheek. “The least you could do is give me a chance to explain. Not that I’m sure I could. I’m not sure, even now, why I took off. Cold feet, I guess.”

Kate trembled at his touch. A spark of something familiar tumbled in her stomach. She pushed his hand away. Try as she might, her anger shattered.

“How dare you walk in here like nothing happened? Like we’re going to pick up where we left off?” Kate spoke through clenched teeth. What she really wanted to do was lash out and hurt him the way he hurt her, but a customer might come in and screaming wasn’t going to help anyway.

Adam stared at her, a look of confusion in his dark eyes. He just didn’t get it. He really didn’t see anything wrong with what he did. Took the coward’s way out and left her to deal with canceling all the wedding plans. What a jerk. “Look, just go.” She turned back to her work and picked up a vase to fill her next order.

Adam ran his hand through his dark, wavy hair. Hair she used to love to run her fingers through. She could almost feel the soft, silkiness of even now.

“Give me a break, Kate. Let me make it up to you.”

Part of her wanted to give in, and part of her wanted to throw something at him. Stay strong, get rid of him. No way was she picking up where they left off.

The bell rang again, and before she had a chance to react, Mark stormed in. Kate’s stomach did a flip at the sight of him. What was wrong with her, reacting to these men this way? For five years men had no effect on her. Now, in the course of an hour, the two of them managed to get under her skin, causing feelings deep within she hadn’t experienced in years. Feelings she didn’t want to feel.

Mark stared at them for a second. “I don’t know what the two of you have going, but why aren’t you out looking for my sister?”

Kate shuddered at the angry tone of Mark’s voice. “There’s nothing going on between us, Mr. Westfield. I just suggested the very same thing to Detective Shaffer,” she said just as angry. “Now if the two of you will continue this outside, I have work to do.”

“I’ll call you later, Kate.” Adam acted as if everything between them was settled. Par for the course. Wasn’t that always how it was? She got mad, spoke her mind, and that was it. Over and done with. Nothing changed. Adam went on doing the same things he always did. Didn’t matter if it upset her. Poker every Friday night with his friends, no matter how angry she got. How they had managed to plan the wedding was beyond her.  Not that he did any of the planning. Adam didn’t even want to see the hall or listen to the band. No wonder he didn’t have any qualms about canceling the wedding. He didn’t do any of the work for it. Obviously, he wasn’t ready to get married. So why had he asked her? Asked her, heck, he had insisted. Even when she suggested they wait a year or so. He at least owed her an explanation. But did she really want to hear it?

Coming Soon

Nothing Ventured - Nothing Gained  (Book 3 of the Family Affair series)

Beatrice Lulu is back creating more havoc, but this time she’s involving Ed. From testifying in court to investigating a dog rescue shelter, she’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. When teenage orphans enter the picture, things really get chaotic. Beatrice Lulu adventures of mystery and humor take on new meaning when a new neighbor finds a note about hidden money and gems.

Excerpt: 

Beatrice Lulu couldn’t get out of that courtroom quick enough. Once the judge said she was free to go, she hightailed it out of there and hurried past the defendants without looking at them. No doubt their faces were forever imprinted on her mind.  She leaned against the sink in the lady’s room, fighting back nausea.

They didn’t get it. Not Ed, not Ethel or Lottie. None of them did. They thought it was all cut and dry, but they weren’t there. They didn’t see how those guys worked. Didn’t see the evil. Easy for them to say she had to testify. No skin off their noses. All she wanted was to go home, live her life, and forget this ever happened. She’d become a recluse, that’s what she’d do. She’d never become involved in anything again. Her days of snooping were over. Callie could handle it from now on, that’s what they paid her to do.

Read Book 1 - All in the Family 

Taking over the police chief's job in her hometown should be easy for Callie Johnson. At least that's what she thinks. After working in a big city, small town crime should be a breeze. What a surprise when she arrives to find her grandmother, the judge, accused of murder. As if that isn't enough, someone attacks her while walking to her car.

Between criminal investigations, her nutty family's antics, and her Aunt Beatrice Lulu's matchmaking, Callie has her work cut out for her. Will her grandmother be exonerated? Can Callie ward off her aunt's unsuitable suitors?  What other surprises are in store for her? 

Amazon

Book 2 - All's Well That Ends Well

Aunt Beatrice Lulu is back and creating more havoc than ever. When a body falls out of a chimney in their newly purchased cabin, she takes it upon herself to investigate. Just because her

niece is Chief of Police doesn't mean she should mind her own business. Even her husband can't control his busy body wife. It doesn't end there, too many things happening for Beatrice Lulu to overlook. She's bound and determined to figure things out on her own.

Amazon

Available Now - Book 2 in the Family Affair Series

I’m Beatrice Lulu Eberhardt. Some of you know me from my niece Callie Johnson. Callie’s the new Chief of Police of our little town and I first appeared in her book, All in the Family.

Callie doesn’t know it, but she’s my favorite. I annoyed her  sometimes because I tried to fix her up with a nice young man, well several nice young men. I didn’t want her ending up an old maid like I almost was. If Ed hadn’t come along – well I shudder to think what my life would have been like. Callie didn’t much care for any of the men I introduced her to. Praise God, she finally met a nice young man on her own.

But that’s neither here nor there. This story isn’t about Callie. It’s about me. That’s

right, me and pretty much no one else. I’m a bit of a sleuth. Some call me nosy or a busy body, but honestly, I’m only trying to help. I don’t mean to interfere.

It all started when Ed and I bought a cabin. It’s a beautiful place with its own lake. Ed loves to fish. We thought it would be fun to have a place just for us, away from everyone. You may not remember I’m from a large, crazy family. Crazy in a fun-loving way, of course. So Ed and I wanted a place to relax, not that it’s turned out that way. We’re seldom alone. Guess it’s because we genuinely like people. So now days when we go up there, someone always comes along. Usually Ethel and her husband, Greg. Ethel’s my sister, by the way. I have two other sisters, also – Charlotte, we call her Lottie,  and Lillian. Lillian is Callie’s mother, and we have a brother, Clyde, but we don’t see him as often.

Anyway, we bought the cabin and Ed and I went up there to clean it up. No one had been in it for years. Cobwebs filled more than the corners I’ll tell you that. It was going to take days, if not weeks, to clean it. But Ed promised we could fix it up and Ed never breaks a promise. That’s one of the things I love about him.

So there we were looking around, deciding what to do, and Ed decided to build a fire to take the chill and damp out of the air. The place smelled musty, the way empty houses smell after being locked up for a long time.

Well there I was, thinking about where to start when I heard a strange clattering noise. I thought Ed fell or something. I turned around and lying on the fireplace hearth was an arm – well what was left of the arm, bones and tattered flannel from a shirt, I assume. Although I’ve been told never to assume anything.

If you want to know what happens next you’ll have to read about it in All’s Well That Ends Well soon to be released from Books We Love.

If you haven’t read All in the Family – Book 1 of the Family Affair series, you can find it and all my books at Books We Love. Just click on the book and it’ll take you to the buy page. They're also available from Amazon and other markets. 

Welcome Jude Pittman from Books We Love Publishing

Thank you so much for being here, Jude.

1: First, I’ve discovered most publishers are also

authors. Are you?  

Yes I am.  I write mysteries and paranormal romance.

2: When did you start your publishing company?

Books We Love Ltd. incorporated in 2010, however, the predecessor to Books We Love, an author promotion group entitled Books We Love promotion, actually started in 1998.

3: What inspired you to start your own publishing company?

My introduction to online publishing came in the early 90s, and it didn’t take me long to discover there was very limited, if any, support given to eBook authors by either small press publishers or the industry in general.  Since I had a fair amount of experience with online groups like the original Time Warner and other Compuserve authors forums, as well as a stint as an editor of the Open Directory, I formed an author promotion group with a focus on group promotion to give us more exposure than any of us could gain on our own.  In the mid-2000s many small press houses began folding and by 2009 a great many of my co-authors and myself were looking for what we referred to as an “author-centric” publishing house.

4: What makes your publishing company different than others?

First, we do not “mass recruit” authors.  We focus on quality over quantity, and we’re very particular about the books we publish.  Our primary criteria are experience and knowledge of the industry.  Our authors need to have a history in publishing together with the experience required to be part of a quality-focused publishing house like Books We Love.  We pay higher royalties, offer a lot more promotion, and much more author support than most small press publishers.  We also expect a high degree of professionalism from our authors and we only work with authors who can meet those expectations.

5: What do you like the most about running your own publishing company? What do you like least?

Being able to publish some of the most fantastic books being offered in the marketplace and knowing that the author is going to get a fair share of the proceeds from those published books is what I like the most.

Having very little time left over for my own writing is what I like the least.

6: Tell us about your company, what type of stories are you looking for? How to submit, what length stories, and where can we find the submission guidelines?

Our company publishes genre fiction in most categories.  We do not have an “open” submission policy.  Most of our new authors are recommended by existing authors, and we do not provide submission guidelines because each offer of interest is geared towards a specific candidate referred by one of our existing authors.  When we do have an interest in an author we want the entire manuscript. We seldom bother with query letters and synopsis. We are a different kind of publishing company.

7: Tell us about your authors.

All of our authors are experienced professionals. Many of them have previously been published by large houses, and have opted for the smaller, more author focused and individualistic environment of a medium-sized publisher like Books We Love.  Of course, as far as we’re concerned, we have the most talented authors in the publishing industry.

8: How do you decide to accept or reject a manuscript?

Based on the quality of the work, the experience of the author, and the recommendations of our existing authors.

9: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Before you attempt to publish a book, make sure you have thoroughly mastered the basics of your craft.  Don’t just toss your book out there and see if a publisher is interested.  Perfect it first, then seek out beta-readers, critique groups, and anyone you can find to give you an honest and thorough evaluation of your work.  I remember my first novel.  I revised it 6 times before it was accepted for publication and then revised it two more to the publisher’s specification.  Publishing takes, time, patience, hard work, dedication and a passion for writing that goes far beyond the possibility of any financial reward.

10: I know you’re extremely busy, but we all need to relax sometimes. What do you for fun and relaxation?

I bowl twice a week and my husband and I enjoy long walks.  We also enjoy short getaways that allow us to leave technology behind and explore our country and our neighboring countries.  We’re Canadian, but we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our visits both to the USA and Mexico.

11: Where can we find your website? Blog?

Books We Love is at :  http://bookswelove.net or www.bookswelove.com

Our Insider Blog, written by all of our authors and unique in that our blog is not a promotion vehicles, it is a calendar of fascinating stories and articles written by our extremely talented authors.

http://bwlauthors.blogspot.ca/

12: What’s the one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

That I respect and value hard work and commitment.

13: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you or your publishing company?

That we have wonderful books written by very talented authors. We have a Bargain Store right on our website where smart purchasers can purchase the books in any format they choose at greatly discounted prices.  Books We Love also has a contest running right now where entrants can win their choice of one of three eBook readers.  Visit our main page, click the contest button and get your entry in there before the end of October.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer these questions. You can find Jude's books at Books We Love

Blog Swap with J.Q. Rose

Swapping blogs with Roseanne is always fun. I remember we did it one year on our birthdays because we have the same day in May.  After reading my post here, be sure to hop over to the J.Q. Rose blog at http://www.JQRose.com to learn about Roseanne’s excellent book, Show, Don’t Tell, where you can learn “to put pizzazz in your writing.”

Thanks so much for getting together again, Roseanne. I brought Texas cake with me. I know that’s a lot of cake, but we need a lot in case your big family shows up too!

Writers Helping Writers by J.Q. Rose

I invited romance and mystery authors to send me writing tips to share on my blog during October through February. I compiled tips from the fifteen participating authors with new material to make up the eBook, Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing. Yes, when I sent them the letter of invitation in August, they knew their tips would be included in a book that would reach out to help writers.

I enjoyed meeting new authors and working again with author friends (including our host) on the project. And oh my, what great tips and information are included in the eBook. 

The tips are organized into the main topics of Writing, Publishing, and Marketing. Within the topic, Writing, authors offer quick tips and advice on dialogue, creating characters, story structure, settings

and editing.

Being a curious person, I had to ask a few questions and dig deeper to learn more about the writers and their experiences in the industry, so I asked them to reveal the “light bulb moments” in their writing journey, questions they are asked most often, and the best advice on writing they have received.

By offering their expertise, the authors hope to smooth the sometimes rocky road for new writers toward a rewarding career in writing.

# # # #

Authors who graciously contributed to this project are:

Conda Douglas	http://condascreativecenter.blogspot.com/
C. Hope Clark	http://www.chopeclark.com
Gail Roughton	http://gailroughton.blogspot.com
Heather Fraser Brainerd	http://drivingblindproductions.wordpress.com/books
Heather Haven	http://www.heatherhavenstories.com/
Helena Fairfax	http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00DRBYLO0
J.Q. Rose	http://www.JQRose.com
Joan Curtis	http://joancurtis.com/
Joselyn Vaughn	https://joselynvaughn.wordpress.com/
Kathy MacIntosh	www.KathyMcIntosh.com
Marsha West	www.marsharwest.com
Melissa Maygrove	www.melissamaygrove.com
Miss Mae	http://www.themissmaesite.com/
Roseanne Dowell	http://amzn.to/tnqgR2
Sara-Jayne Townsend	http://sarajaynetownsend.weebly.com

Amazon link- http://amzn.to/1OFAczz

All royalties will be donated to public libraries.

About J.Q.

BIO- After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction. Her published mysteries are Sunshine Boulevard, and Coda to Murder released by Muse It Up Publishing. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. She spends winters in Florida and summers up north camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at

J.Q. Rose blog http://www.JQRose.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

Google+ google.com/+JQRose

J. Q.  Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/janetglaser/

J.Q. Rose is offering a free E-book to one lucky commentor. Be sure to leave your email so she can send you the book. Winner will be announced Thursday, May 21st.

Show Don’t Tell

Did you ever wonder what made you remember the characters in a book? Or what made a story especially memorable. In Part One, you’ll learn to see, hear, smell, feel and taste your story. By combining many elements of writing, my book will help you learn how to write publishable stories. I’ve worked out lessons that will teach you to use the senses, avoid boring dialogue, and write memorable descriptions.  Learn how to put pizzazz in your writing.

Learn how to avoid unnecessary words, using action, senses and self-editing. Show Don’t Tell covers it all.

In Part Two, you’ll learn how to self edit. Editing is, by far, the most difficult part of writing. Okay, one of the most difficult. Editing is where we have to cut precious words, sentences, or maybe even whole paragraphs.  How do we even go about editing? Most of us know to look for punctuation, that’s the easy part. After all we’ve all learned about commas, periods, question marks and exclamation marks in school, didn’t we?

You’ll learn how to create and describe characters, places, and things, keeping your POV consistent, proper dialogues, common mistakes, and how to prepare a manuscript.

How many times has something funny or unusual happened and your friends said you should write a story about it. Should you? What if your friend got stuck on the roof? Would his experience make a good story? How about kooky events, scary dreams? Ever hear a portion of conversation and wonder what it was all about? There are many places and ways to come up with ideas for good stories. Follow these lessons and you’ll enter a land of make believe so real, you’ll think it happened to you. From Uncle Joe getting stuck on the roof, to newspaper articles and even the classified ads, In Part Three – Turning Your Ideas into Fiction, you’ll learn the perfect way. . If you’re wondering where authors get their ideas, you’ll find out in this book. Have you ever wondered how much fact to put into fiction?

Show, Don’t Tell is available from Amazon

Featured Today

 Designed for Love is featured today at eBookSoda, a new reader's site where they'll send you ebook recommendations tailored to your tastes.

Check it out at www.ebooksoda.com/ebook-deals/

.

Memorial Day

As we celebrate Memorial Day this weekend with cookouts and picnics, I'd like to take a moment to remember our Vets and talk about how Memorial Day started.
Originally called Decoration Day, it's a day of remembrance for the men and women who died serving the United States. More than two dozen towns claim to be the originator of Memorial Day. In 1996, President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Waterloo, NY as the birth place, but it's impossible to prove the origin of the day. It was originally started to honor the dead of the Civil War. 
That being said, Memorial Day became a National Holiday and celebrated on the 30th of May in 1868. Its purpose was to decorate the graves of our men and women who died in defense of their country. The date of May 30th was chosen because it wasn't an anniversary of any particular battle. 
General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on the first Decoration Day and more than 5000 participants decorated the graves of 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
By 1890 Decoration Day was recognized by all of the northern states, but the sout refused to acknowledge the day until after World War 1. 
Congress passed a bill in 1971 changing the date from May 30th to the last Monday in May. 
Let's all take a minute from our celebrations to remember the true meaing of the day.
Thank you to our men and women who serve our country in the past, present and future. 

Finally, a break in the weather

A break from the rainy, cold weather we've been experiencing. The weekend promises warmer temperatures and sunshine. And the week ahead looks amazing. It's been a long cold winter, and a rainy, chilly spring.
I know in a few weeks, I'll probably be complaining about the heat and humidity. It seems the older I get, the less tolerant I am of the heat. Usually, I don't mind the cold, snowy winters, but this year has been extreme. Brutal cold temperatures throughout January left everyone begging for spring. I can handle cold. Heck, just put on more clothes, right? But not this winter.
I've always been one to crank up the air conditioning in the summer time. My sister always brings a sweater when she comes to visit. That's fine, better she bring a sweater than me taking something off. After all there's only so much you can remove, but you can always add more.
This year we decided to try camping. My son bought a new camper and we bought his old one from him. I mean old - 1979. Granted, it needs some work, but it's dry and better than a tent any day. Years ago we tent camped. Yep, did it for a lot of years and with six kids. The days of sleeping on the ground are in the past. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get up once I got down. So we bought the pop up camper.
We were a bit concerned (as were my kids) whether we could open and close it. My hubby has COPD and gets out of breath with any bit of exertion, but we managed and have now developed a system. It takes us a bit longer than most people, but we manage.
So last weekend was our first campout. Unfortunately, the weather didn't exactly cooperate. It reminded me
of the first Memorial Day we camped in 1968. Cold weather and this time to top it off we had rain off and on. At least back then it was sunny and dry.
But we had fun and that's the important thing. I'm looking forward to our next camping trip which is planned for June.

Find my books at Amazon.

Freebits Friday

Michele swore she’d scream if she had to look into one more smiling face or listen to the words, ‘you make such a perfect couple’, one more time. And her feet hurt. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. To make matters worse, the warmth of Brad’s hand on her back sent heat coursing through her body. How

had she let them talk her into this?

The exquisitely decorated hall looked like a fairyland. Mother sure went all out this time. Twinkle lights sparkled through gauzy material that draped from the center of the ceiling and cast a glow on Brad’s face. He was so handsome in his tux. She could almost love him. That is, if she were inclined to love anyone.

The guests sat at round tables adorned with a single red rose in three-foot tall vases. Sure looked like they were having a good time while they awaited the announcement of the newlyweds. Michelle inhaled the scent of roses from her bouquet. The red roses that cascaded through the center of the bridal table looked beautiful, one of the few things Brad had insisted on.

Her mother had sure loved that. “Such a romantic gesture,” she had said. Little did her mother know the pact Michele and Brad had made. “Red roses,” he had told her, “not only mean love, they also mean respect. And though we don’t share love we promise mutual respect.”  A sweet and surprising comment.

Now their seats awaited them, their places of honor, the happy newlyweds. Ha, happy, Michele felt anything but happy. What she felt was tired, irritable, and just plain sick of this whole charade. If she had the nerve, she’d kick off her shoes and run out of here. But she didn’t and she wouldn’t - couldn’t - embarrass herself or her parents that way. She’d agreed to this charade. So she’d stay here, smile and play the happy bride.

 “Almost time to make our grand entrance,” Brad whispered. “Smile.”

It's Only Make Believe is available from Amazon

For More Freebits go to: Ginger's Blog 

Another Design from Karen Cote

Imagine finding a body washed up on your shore. That's exactly what happened to author, Jordan Blake, during an early Lake Effect snowstorm. So much for her quiet existence and plans to write. Who was this handsome stranger? 

Available from Amazon

Excerpt:

“Darn, it’s getting cold.” Jordan shivered and zipped her sweat shirt.  Storms scared her, especially thunder and lightning. A movement caught the corner of her eye as she swiped at some papers flying across the deck. Something just washed up on the shore. Something big.

A body?

Dark clouds hovered across the lake while lighting streaked across the sky, as she jumped off the deck and raced toward the craggy shoreline.  Cold water splashed against her as waves crashed against the rocks like angry arms hurling water at an invisible enemy. The muffled sounds of thunder echoed in the distance. The air crackled with electricity. Probably just a bunch of old clothes washed up. Still, she had to see for herself.

Surely, no one in their right mind would be in the water this time of year? Everyone knew how quickly storms stirred up on Lake Erie, the shallowest of the Great Lakes. Dangerous enough in the summer, this time of year, most boats had been dry docked. Not to mention, storm warnings had been broadcast on the radio and TV all morning. No one would be stupid enough to ignore the forecast. Would they?

Heavy rain and strong winds turning to snow with a drastic drop in temperature, and blizzard like conditions weren’t anything to ignore, especially on the lake. Jordan winced as lightning flashed again, back-lighting the dark clouds. Looked more like sunset than the middle of the day. Darn it, she wanted to be inside cuddling by the fire not out here in a storm. For two cents, she’d turn around and go back, but something stopped her. Something drew her forward.

A man’s body against the rocks.

Oh, Lord, please don’t let him be dead, she sent up a silent prayer. Sure didn’t look like the quiet weekend she planned writing. So much for looking forward to the first weekend without all the fall tourists. A weekend with a corpse wasn’t on her list of quiet. But she couldn’t leave him out here, either.

 Jordan stooped down, lifted his head out of the water, above the crashing waves, and felt for a pulse. Thank God, he was alive. Now, how was she going to get him out of here? She grabbed his arm, turned him over, and tried to pull him from the fury of the lake. Wave after wave pounced on him, their foamy peaks reaching out to reclaim him.

“Damn it!” Jordan slipped and joined him in the surf. Wet, cold, and angry, she struggled to pull him to higher ground, lost her breath, and fell again. This wasn’t going to work. His long, muscular frame outweighed her slender five foot two body and felt like dead weight.

 “You’re going to have to help me.” She grunted and gasped for breath, when the full force of icy waves pulled her down and washed over both of them.

No response.

“Damn it. I can’t do this alone.”

Still no response.

 “I hate to do this, but I see no alternative.” Jordan took a deep breath and pushed him over, rolling him like a barrel while trying to avoid cutting him on the sharp rocks. It wasn’t easy, but at least she managed to move him.

“Come on!” She tried to encourage some life from his limp body.  Far enough away from the waves, she leaned down to give him mouth to mouth, hoping to bring him around. His long straight nose, eyes set wide with bushy eyebrows, and the grin on his lips, even in his unconscious state, sent a ripple of excitement through her.

 Not a handsome man, but something about him stirred deep inside. Resisting the urge to run her fingers through his curly black hair, she leaned down to his mouth. When her lips touched his and opened them slightly, something familiar tugged on her heart. She hadn’t touched a man's mouth in, what, three years. This wasn’t exactly the way she imagined touching them again. Not that she ever imagined it. Never even thought about it. She’d had enough of men to last her a lifetime.

“Good grief, Jordan, you’re supposed to save him, not make out with him. What’s the matter with you?” The sound of her voice startled her. She hadn’t meant to speak out loud. Fortunately, the man didn’t hear her. She blew in his mouth again.

His chest heaved. He coughed, spluttered, spit water, and opened his eyes.

His gray blue eyes sparked something in her, bringing out emotions she hadn’t felt since long before Derek. Her stomach lurched. She moved away, avoided his touch. He pushed himself up on his elbows. Looked around.

“Daisy,” he moaned. “Daisy?”

 Jordan jumped up, stood on tiptoe and scanned the shoreline. “Who’s Daisy?” She continued to search, looking for a body, a dog, she didn’t know what. The rain threatened to start any minute. She smelled it. They needed to get to shelter and quick.

The temperature had already dropped, making the chilly October air downright cold. Being wet didn’t help. Not seeing anyone or anything and receiving no answer from the stranger, she turned back toward him.

“Come on.” She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to his feet. He fell back and passed out again. “Damn it, I don’t need this.” What had she done to deserve this? All she wanted was to curl up in front of her fire and read or write.

“Get up, let’s go!” Lifting his head, she tried to bring him around, slapping his face lightly. Raindrops fell and quickly turned into a torrential downpour. She flinched again as lightning streaked across the sky. Thunder boomed. God, she hated storms.

“Come on, wake up. Damn it, why me? Why’d you wash up on my shoreline? The hell with it.” Having no choice, she pushed his limp form over and over, stopping often to catch her breath. Unsure where the strength came from, she rolled his large body across the sand toward her house.

“Okay now.” Jordan leaned down, put her hands under his arms, and taking a deep breath, pulled with all her might. Somehow, she managed to drag him up the step onto the deck. She wiped her face with the back of her hand as the wind whipped long strands of wet hair into her face. Freezing rain pellets pounded her, stinging her arms even through her sweatshirt. “Just a little more.” Fighting the wind and gasping for breath, she dragged him through the door into the great room and fell into a heap on top of him.

 After catching her breath, she rolled him across the floor toward the fireplace.

“That’s as far as you go, Bud.” Exhausted, cold, and soaked, Jordan couldn’t believe she had moved this large hunk all the way from the rocks into her house. Sitting down next to him, she shivered and brushed the water from his face. Where had he come from? How long had he been in the cold water? She hadn’t seen a boat, but the familiar brown vest and boots told her he’d been on a fishing trip. Pretty dumb if you asked her.

Probably a tourist. Shivering from the cold, she stood, and hurried to get towels and blankets. After drying him off, she removed his clothes, trying to avoid the sight of his naked body. For a moment, she stared at his long muscular legs and tanned burly chest. She swallowed hard. Heat flared, deep within and stirred a yearning in her.

Pushing aside her feelings, she managed to get him into a robe left over from Derek, pushing, rolling, and pulling his body to get his arms into the sleeves. She smiled at the too short robe. Derek was only five foot-ten, this guy was well over six feet. After covering him with blankets and putting a pillow under his head, she hurried to change into dry clothes of her own.