Meet some very special people courtesy of Carlene Love Flores

Oh wow a very special release day visit. 

A very big welcome to Carlene and friends

Sidewalk Flower   J

Hello friends!  I’m honored to be Raven’s guest today, especially since it’s Release Day!  Spending time with you, celebrating my new contemporary romance, Sidewalk Flower, is beyond cool.  I sat down to whip up something interesting for our time and it hit me.  

No really, the cover for my book literally hit me smack in the forehead.  Okay, I may have been holding the laminated print a little too close to my face, inspecting those little water droplets kissing Lucky’s beefy chest, when my elbows gave out.   

It was then that I realized I better hand the reins over to someone much more capable than me of being interesting.   Lucky popped in and we shared a few words.  He saved my behind.  I thank him.

“Hey buddy, so we’re talking about yours and Trista’s story today with Raven and friends.  I’m sort of horrible at this stuff.  Any possibility you’re feeling heroic and in the mood to help a lady out?  Had any interesting thoughts since I wrote The End?”

 (Lucky works that full bottom lip and coughs.)  “Well uh, yes ma’am.  I was actually just, um, with Trista.  (Lightly tanned roses bother his cheeks…aww, big guy’s still a blusher.)  Anyhow, she asked me if I thought a kiss was more romantic or more heroic? 

(He scratches his head through his thick waves) I didn’t really know what she meant.  You ladies could go easier on us guys, you know.”

“Well, maybe she was asking if you thought a kiss was meant to be pleasing or if it was meant to say you are staking a claim to the person?  So what did you tell her?”

“Dang.  Didn’t say a thing.  I just sort of thought it’d be best to show her.”

“And did she seem to like your answer?”

He smiles that irresistible country boy grin and chuckles.  His soul patch is standing at full attention.  “Yes, ma’am.  Yes, she did.  But I should probably get back to her and make sure.”

“I agree, big guy.  Hey, thanks for being you.”

Lucky nods and gives a short wave.  “I hope your friends like the book.  Bye y’all.”  He’s gone in one long legged, Tennessean stride.

oh my... (this is me, Raven and I'm drooling.)

Blurb for Sidewalk Flower:

A jaded young woman, Trista, sets out on an intense road trip home to deal with her past when she is asked to allow a relative stranger to tag along.

But, she’s seen too many good guys succumb to the harsh realities of her supposed privileged life in the music business and intends on keeping her distance.

When she picks up Lucky, the southern gentleman cousin of her selfish best friend, she has absolutely no idea of how to accept a perfectly good person with good intentions.  Home has never looked so good, or felt so far away.

 Excerpt:

Her two insistent hands pressed against the back of his neck like she was forcing him to do this.  It was cute.  Yeah, she was dead wrong.  He’d wanted to kiss her since he’d first seen her, hopping down out of that girly silver Jeep.  But he knew better.  Earning something you wanted took more than a few hours.  And if he’d gathered anything from her hot and cold responses so far, it was that Jaxon’s vague but deliberate warning that he take good care of her hadn’t been just puffed up, ego talk. 

                  This girl was in trouble.

                  He should have stepped away for both their sakes.  He knew he didn’t deserve this kind of kiss, not yet.  But California was glued to him on full speed and didn’t appear to have a pause, let alone a rewind button.  On second thought, he’d let her get this out of her system and then they’d start over. 

Her hand had to be killing her, so he managed to pull it down and keep it tucked at her side.  But the other one was petting those hairs at the back of his neck, leaving him seconds away from coming undone.  If he clenched his jaw any tighter, those painful yet ticklish sensations shooting throughout his upper body would without a doubt get him into trouble down below.  Heck, if he squeezed her in his arms like he wanted to, she’d feel how aroused he’d let himself get.  He worked his jaw to ease away from the pain, wishing he could let go entirely and enjoy her touch. Yep, their fresh start was gonna have to wait until she was done proving her point.  Cute girl though.

* * *

His lips were soft and salty like he’d worked up a sweat at some point during the day.  Crap, again she cursed his damn tempting bloodline.  This would only complicate their pending trip even more.  So naturally, when he smartly pulled her one hand away, she found a sweet spot of baby hairs with the other and went for more.  Her rules—that was the only way to play with the boys and stay safe. 

Lucky’s hands eventually cupped the sides of her face, which was fine because she had made her point.

“Are we okay?” he asked.

Well, hell if she knew.  “Yes,” she said.  They could figure the truth out later.  There would be an endless amount of open road ahead of them come Sunday to think.  Tonight was desperate Friday.  “We’re good.”  But she hesitated because he looked for a moment like he may have regretted things. When he coughed and cleared his throat, she was sure of it. 

“Come on, Miss ‘We’re Good’,” he said, as he urged her the rest of the way to the back door.  “I’d like to keep that promise I made Jaxon.  You could go a little easier on me from here on out.”  

The inside of her mouth remained warm from their kiss as she swallowed a cool breath of air.  The contrasting temperatures left her with a chill and a memory—the taste of the last kiss she’d had.  Cigarettes and beer.  No hand holding.  No talking.  No first, second or third date.  As badly as her sour heart warned her to throw Lucky in with that lot, she just couldn’t do it.  He’d already taken more care of her than any other guy she’d known. 

“You shouldn’t take things so personally.”  At his wince, she splintered and added, “I know you didn’t sign up for this; I’ll try to be…better.”  No promises though.

“Okay.”  He hesitated, and shifted on the steps.  “Ready to go inside?”

“No, you should go in though.  I need to be alone.”  A tingle traveled around her wounded hand and she made the mistake of squeezing it into a fist.   

Lucky dipped his head then and ran his hand up along the back of his neck, rubbing it in his obvious confusion.  “Trista. I’m kind of at a loss here.  You’re obviously in pain.  Just come inside and let me help you.”

She tried to warn him, hoping he’d listen.  “Lucky, you’re a nice guy.  Okay, I get it.  You want to help, but I didn’t ask for that and you have no idea what you’d be signing up for anyway.  Assholes can barely handle my world; a good guy like you doesn’t stand a chance.  Jaxon had no right doing this.”

“Hmmm.”  He scratched at his sideburn.  “You don’t know what I can and can’t handle.”  He looked down but she had caught his every word. 

Sidewalk Flower is available in e-book format through:

Evernight Publishing http://www.evernightpublishing.com/

And other e-book distributors, including Amazon Kindle, All Romance e-Books & Barnes & Noble

Find Carlene here—she’d love to hear from you:

Website & Blog: http://carlenelove.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cloveflores 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/carlene.l.flores 

Author Page: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/carlene-love-flores/

and the all special buy link

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/sidewalk-flower-by-carlene-love-flores/

Happy reading, 

Love R x