I was at the dentist today and read an article about Jake Woods. And he was on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert!
Category: Veteran Hearts
Veteran Romances
I hope my readers in the states are looking forward to a long weekend! It’s overcast here in Albuquerque, which I love, and I’m sipping some iced coffee with toffee nut at Michael Thomas Coffee Roasters. It’s the first Friday of the month, and I’m very tempted to head over for Fractal Fridays at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History as featured in Veteran Hearts. Do you think I’d meet someone like Kyle?
If you’re looking to celebrate Independence Day by reading some hot veteran romances, please read mine: Veteran Hearts and Thankful Hearts.
For something short with several sex scenes, please read Veteran Hearts:
Excerpt:
To her surprise, he turned off the truck and killed the lights. Maybe he was coming in after all. He turned sideways to look at her and said, “I’d love to come in, but that might be too fast for me. I know in the book we read they hit the bed after the first hello, but even after two months of knowing you, it’s hard for me to get closer.”
He had his hand on the console between them, and she placed hers on top. “You could just come in for dinner. I swear I won’t molest you.”
His gaze softened though it was hard to see in the shadows. “Maybe I’ll just walk you up to the door, old fashioned like.”
“I’d like that.”
She withdrew her hand, sorry he wouldn’t be staying but still feeling like they’d taken a big step in their relationship. When she stepped out of the truck, he was already out and around, ready to take her hand as she stepped down. Her soul thrilled when he laced his fingers between hers after he closed the door.
She opened the tall wooden gate and smiled at the gurgling of the fountain in the corner of her patio. She’d have to turn it off soon before the first freeze, but she was glad it was on tonight.
“Nice courtyard,” he said as he entered.
She shut the gate, cutting off the view of the rest of the neighborhood. She’d forgotten to turn the porch light on when she left, which allowed the moonlight to cast a romantic glow.
When they arrived at the door, she turned and faced him, not knowing if he wanted to stay and talk or if he’d leave right away. She had a wrought-iron bench over to the side by the fountain and a table with two chairs on the other side. It’d be more comfortable inside.
She realized he was staring at her with a mix of affection and regret on his face. It made her want to stand on her toes to kiss him, but she was sure she’d scare him away if she tried that.
Much to her astonishment, he slipped his hand beneath the hair on the back of her neck, leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
Heaven.
Goosebumps erupted all over her body. She’d imagined the first kiss so many times that she couldn’t believe it was better than all her scenarios.
He pulled back just enough to speak. “I’m sorry I’m so crazy. I really like you, and it scares the shit out of me—not the liking part but the possibility of losing you in the future. I lost a lot of friends at war.”
It was weird to feel relief at his statement, but at least now she knew what was wrong. Before it’d been a vague generalization of being a veteran. Now she knew something of the cause.
Buy Links:
All Romance: Free for the Weekend https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-veteranhearts-2064021-149.html
Amazon: $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017Y6RG3Q
Barnes and Noble: $1.99 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/veteran-hearts-evelyn-aster/1122952967?ean=2940152466577
Or if you’d like a full novel with an involved plot and several sex scenes, please read Thankful Hearts:
Excerpt:
She broke the silence and asked, “Did you miss home while you were away, or did you try not to think about it?”
He looked at her profile as she stared out at the city. It was probably an innocent question to her, but it brought up all of his theories and fears about PTSD that he hadn’t talked to anyone about. He wasn’t planning on talking about it ever, but his words betrayed him.
“I thought about home every damn day. I wanted to keep in mind what I was fighting for to distance myself from the violence I was a part of. Soldiers come home and blow up when they hear people complaining at the mall about a dress that doesn’t fit or the fucking barista misspelling their name on a cup of coffee, but that’s why we’re fighting. So someone’s misspelled name is the worst part of their fucking day. I didn’t want to come home and be mad about it.”
Her breath hitched, and in one smooth move, she placed her hand behind his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. At first he stood still, unable to register what was happening. But her lips warmed his and brought movement to his body. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her right up against his chest. Their lips parted, and she slipped her tongue inside his mouth. He loved her assertiveness—he didn’t have to guess what she wanted. But then he tensed. She might discover his gun.
He broke off the kiss and said, “That wasn’t a line. It’s really how I feel.”
She smiled and said, “I know. Was I overly appreciative of your philosophy?” She drew her hands off his neck and tried to step back, but he held her fast.
“No, I just don’t want you to think I’m full of shit.” His face burned when he spoke. He didn’t know why it was so important what she thought of him. He hadn’t been considering her as a girlfriend; at least he didn’t think he had.
Buy Links:
All Romance: On Sale for the weekend at $1.99. https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thankfulhearts-1921896-149.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017OA0S46
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thankful-hearts-evelyn-aster/1122923280?ean=2940152453270
Veteran Hearts: New Cover for the 4th!
It’s Free Friday and I went the extra mile to put a new cover on Veteran Hearts:
I’ve also done something I wanted to do with the original release but I ran out of time; I’ve put fractals at the beginning of each chapter.
Fractals are essentially never ending patterns. I would like to be known as the first romance author to have them in her book. I know, super geeky 🙂 But the main character in Veteran Hearts is a geek and loves an event in Albuquerque called Fractal Fridays.
She’s also hot to have sex with the hunky vet she’s in a book club with. Enjoy the excerpt and then download the book for FREE from All Romance. The new version is there exclusively. I won’t be uploading it to other vendors for awhile.
She walked back to her spacious closet and pulled out her most non-geeky, most frivolous, most expensive purchase ever: a pair of black stiletto Louboutin shoes. She’d bought the black apron with the crimson sash knowing it would be a perfect match to the black bow in the back of the shoes along with the trademark red soles. She’d never worn them anywhere but her house.
She sat on her bed, slipped them on and buckled the thin straps around her ankles. After walking back and forth in front of her bed to get used to the thin heels, she stepped over to the full-length mirror in the corner of her room and took a deep breath.
Followed by a sigh of relief. The black contrasted well with her pale skin. The top of the apron curved into the V of her breasts, appearing tasteful rather than slutty. She turned to see her bare back. Her ass wasn’t sculpted like an actress, but it wasn’t flabby either. In fact, it looked pretty good. The shoes did their job making her butt and breasts look their best—she’d finally feel like she’d gotten her money’s worth from the purchase if Kyle reacted as she hoped.
She turned to face herself again. A necklace would be perfect, but she didn’t own a lot of jewelry.
The doorbell rang. Another deep breath. She could do this. She gave herself a shy smile and walked away from the mirror.
Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor and to the front door. The scent of red chili and cheese filled her house. “Who is it?” she called.
“Kyle.”
She couldn’t tell from his voice if he was nervous or not. It hadn’t been loud, but he was never loud. She paused with her hand on the doorknob. She could do this. She could be vulnerable for him. She couldn’t think of any other man she’d wear an apron and nothing else for, but Kyle was everything she wanted in a man.
She turned the knob and swung the door open.
Kyle’s dark brown eyes widened. His jaw dropped. He stood with a bouquet of fall colored flowers and dusky roses. She thought he’d drop that too.
Her heartbeat sped up. His reaction was just what she’d hoped for.
There was no breeze, but the air was cold enough to harden her nipples beneath the apron. She noticed his eyes paused at her breasts as he kept looking her up and down.
“Come in,” she said with a grin. “I just need to take dinner out of the oven.”
She spun around on one of her spiked heels, thankful she hadn’t fallen yet and strutted towards the living room, which led back to the kitchen. After a moment, she worried that he wasn’t going to come in after all, but then the door slammed.
Fast footsteps told her he was coming right to her. The bouquet of flowers flew over the back of the couch and onto the cushions right before strong arms encircled her waist. He brushed his lips against her ear as he spoke. “I’m afraid dinner’s gonna burn.”
Two Best Sellers! One Month!
Veteran Hearts is an All Romance Free Reads Best Seller!
I took a screen shot:
And remember, Thankful Hearts was on the regular Best Seller list last week at All Romance!
Veteran Hearts
It’s a gorgeous Saturday here in Albuquerque with blue skies for miles. Tons of leaves finally fell from my trees last night, but it’s warm this afternoon. I hope your day is as beautiful even as we mourn for France around the world.
I’d like to share the beginning of Veteran Hearts. This story takes place in between Masked Hearts and Thankful Hearts, but it’s a complete stand-alone filled with a lot of sex for such a short story. Enjoy!
1| Ginger Tea Latte with Extra Foam
Jessica sat at a round table by the window of the Holiday Cafe. She gripped her Ginger Tea Latte with extra foam in one hand and her tablet in the other. Outside, a car with bright headlights drove through the parking lot, but she was looking for a truck.
Kyle would arrive at any second.
Her hand tightened on the cup. Maybe she’d scared him away. Maybe her not so subtle hint about where she wanted the relationship to go had been too much.
A planet shown brightly against the blue twilight sky, calming her nerves as she stared at it. She loved turning the clock back so night fell earlier. For the first time, she felt as if autumn had actually arrived. When Kyle showed up, it’d be the perfect evening—if he showed up. Of course, he would, wouldn’t he?
For fuck’s sake, they were grown adults, she could recommend that kind of book if she wanted to.
She turned her gaze back to the book on her tablet, but her mind remained on Kyle and the desire to move their relationship forward—way forward.
The first time he’d walked into the cafe on a Monday night, she’d caught her breath. He had thick coffee colored hair she wished she could brush her fingers through and even darker eyes that turned her insides soft as the foam on her latte. He’d worn a forest colored t-shirt tucked in—very unusual for men in Albuquerque. But it was his voice that really pushed her desire over the edge: deep and smooth as milk chocolate.
She startled and looked up when she actually heard his voice speak the words she’d heard for the first time two months ago: “Hey, Chloe. A Ginger Tea Latte with extra foam.”
Jessica smiled when he turned around and nodded to her with his eyes crinkling in a grin. He was even the same age as her: thirty-five.
When he turned back to Chloe, the barista, Jessica checked out his perfect ass in his snug jeans. So many times she’d wanted to run her hands down to his butt while giving him a long kiss. She took a deep breath and steadied herself by checking the time on her tablet: 6:00 pm. Right on the dot as usual.
Chloe chatted with him as she rung up his order. After he’d paid, he walked right to her table instead of waiting for the drink.
He moved with confident strides that said he was a man in control. But when he talked, he was always soft spoken—a contrast. The first night they’d met, they’d had a great conversation about books and decided to meet again the next week. They’d agreed to read and discuss The Martian, which she’d hoped to turn into a movie date, but it’d never happened. At least he’d promised to meet her the next Monday for another book and then the next Monday and the next for two months now.
Kyle sat down, his face changing to the color of the Red Planet.
Jessica gave an impish grin, set her tablet down and wrapped both hands around her cup.
Kyle said, “That wasn’t romance. That was porn.”
Jessica gave a mock gasp and flipped a strand of long blond hair behind her shoulder. “I can’t believe you said that. Porn has no emotions. This couple had a deep connection.”
“Oh, I’d say it was deep. The book spent several pages telling how deep into her he was.”
Jessica snorted and stared down at her lap. Heat flared in her face. She didn’t know if she was more embarrassed by his comment or the snort. But there was no turning back now. Two months of enjoying Kyle’s company over Ginger Tea Lattes with extra foam and without sex was too long.
She jutted her chin out and said, “That’s what you get for making me read that hard sci-fi book last week.”
“You’re a scientist. I thought you liked sci-fi.”
“Not hard sci-fi. I don’t need to read detail after detail about some solar array. That’s my real life.”
“So I guess your real life doesn’t involve sex at every angle you can possibly think of.” He stared straight into her eyes as he spoke with his voice barely above a whisper.
She stole herself against the intensity of his dark eyes and forced out her reply. “My life hasn’t involved sex of any sort for far too long.”
He leaned forward and slid his hands across the table as if he would encircle her hands around the cup. Her skin tingled in anticipation of his touch. She’d been waiting for this for two months. She should’ve suggested a smut book sooner.
But Chloe walked up dressed in combat boots, camo pants and a green t-shirt that said Holiday Cafe.
Kyle withdrew as she set a teacup with a light froth on top in front of him.
She said, “One Ginger Tea Latte with extra foam.” She turned to Jessica and asked, “Are you ready for another?”
Damn it. She was ready for a long-awaited sign of affection from Kyle. “Uh, no not yet.” She couldn’t believe Chloe had walked up right then. Chloe knew she was frustrated with how slow the relationship was moving. Surely she’d seen that he was just about to hold her hands.
Kyle leaned back in his chair. One hand took the handle of his teacup, and he lifted it up to take a sip.
Chloe slapped a flier on the table with an American flag in the background and text saying something about a special coffee. “I hope the two of you can come to our Veterans Day Coffee. It’s next Monday so you won’t have to change the day you meet or anything. Troy Sandoval’s baking all the pastries, and I know he’d love to see you, Kyle.”
Kyle stared at the flyer with the teacup halfway to his mouth. Something akin to anger glinted in his eyes. Jessica had hoped he’d ask her to the Poetry Slam the cafe had hosted for Halloween, but he’d only commented that poetry wasn’t his thing. By the look in his eye, maybe he was anti-war too.
Jessica realized the silence had gone on too long. “Uh, thanks. I’m sure I’ll be here for it,” she said.
“Great,” said Chloe with a smile as if nothing was wrong. She turned on her heel and strode back to the counter.
Kyle set his cup down and put a hand on top of the flyer. Jessica watched as he slowly curled his fingers together, crumpling the paper.
“Is something wrong?” asked Jessica.
He stopped, midway to a fist, appearing distraught.
Compassion swelled inside Jessica, making her do what she’d been too timid to do for two months.
She reached out and put her hand on top of his.
Her whole body glowed like a candle at the first contact. He relaxed his hand beneath hers until it was flat once again along with the paper.
“Sorry,” he said, staring at her hand on top of his. “We were having a good time and the reminder was unexpected.”
“Reminder?”
“I’m a veteran. I like to forget that I am.”
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Evelyn Aster 