Bittersweet or Santa's Helper

I'd like to take a moment to welcome fellow Rose Laura Browning to Decadent Decisions. She brings two new must have releases to share today.

Thanks you so much for the opportunity to visit with your readers today.

On the list of good problems to have: being able to promote the release of two different books in the very same week. Did I intend for this to happen? Not hardly. While I signed contracts for the two at about the same time, one was a holiday novella and the other a full-length novel. Naturally, I knew Santa’s Helper would be available in November or December, but I didn’t figure Bittersweet would release until 2012. After all, most of my other full-length manuscripts had taken from ten to twelve months to release once I’d signed.

Then I got the news. Bittersweet, from Lyrical Press, had a release date of December 5 and Santa’s Helper, from the Wild Rose Press, released December 7. 

That’s the challenge of working with more than one publisher at a time. It’s not like they’re consulting each other’s publications schedules. Is she crazy, you say? Wait, it gets worse.

Like many writers, the self-publishing bug bit me as well. I’ve published three vampire romances since July—all 80k words or more.

My family wonders who that crazed woman bent over the computer keyboard is. I can no longer read the letter “A” on my keyboard. I’ve worn it off. 

Now, before you think that I am the world’s fastest writer, typist, editor, I must admit that I have this …let me call it “woodpile” of stories on the flash drive that holds my life. That’s because I wrote and wrote and wrote until my husband finally said, “Publish some of that, or find a different hobby. You’re hogging the computer.”

With so many characters still clamoring for stories, I decided to publish. Bittersweet was one of the stories living on my flash drive, so are the vampire novels. Santa’s Helper came to me over time, but I just finally put it together after Christmas 2010. 

If there is one common theme in what I write, I suppose I would have to say it deals with the issue of trust. To me, this is the pivot around which any relationship is built. In a love relationship, it’s critical because you have to put yourself on the line for another person to accept or reject. That’s not easy for any of us. If we’ve had that trust thrown back at us—it’s even more difficult.

Chris and Anna struggle with that in Bittersweet because of their shared past.

Merry has her own baggage in Santa’s Helper that makes it hard for her to trust Jack.

Here are samples of both stories.

From Bittersweet:

“Are you… Is the baby through…uh, nursing? Bart’s waking, and none too happy.”

The impatience was back in his voice, and it hit her the wrong way. Anna stood. The weariness of the long day was catching up with her, and she lost patience as well. As much as she wished to keep him at a distance, sometimes options ran out. “I can’t juggle him and my daughter. If you’ll hold Becca for a minute, I’ll get him settled and in his stall.”

Chris looked almost as if she had instructed--“here, take this large, poisonous snake and give it mouth to mouth.” To give him credit, he recovered in an instant and held out his arms, uncertainty plain on his face. 

“There you go.” She left him standing in the middle of the office, a nervous, almost frightened look on his face. Serves you right, Anna thought with a small spark of vindictive satisfaction as she walked away. The only thing that would make it better would be for Becca to either spit up or poop, both things she excelled at doing. Imagining such a scenario made Anna smile.

From Santa’s Helper:

A black Bentley. She swallowed when they stopped next to it and he opened the passenger door for her. His lifestyle was so beyond her reach. She stared at him as she got in, and suddenly everything closed in on her. 

“Wait. Jack. I can’t do this. I’m a divorced mom working three jobs just trying to keep the rent paid and food on the table for my son. I’ve never been in a Bentley in my life, and I suspect the boots you have on cost more than I spend on groceries in a month! Just…forget it. Go find someone who’s in your league. I’m not.”

She started to duck out from under his arm, but he stopped her.

“Don’t, Merry. Don’t go. I’m not the kind of guy who wants to see a pedigree before he takes a woman out. And I wouldn’t be interested in a woman who wanted that. Don’t shut me out because I’ve been successful. I sure as hell didn’t start that way. Give me a chance.”

He stroked a strand of hair back off her face. “You’ve been kind to me. I want to do the same for you. When I saw you arrive tonight, you looked upset. Let me give you something; let me ease whatever burden’s bothering you.” His voice lowered until it was just a whisper on the winter wind. “Please.”

You can find my books in the following locations:

Santa’s Helper – The Wile Rose Press, Barnes and Noble, Amazon 

Bittersweet – Lyrical press, Barnes and Noble, Amazon 

You’ll find me at www.laurabrowningbooks.blogspot.com or www.laurabrowningbooks.com

on twitter: @laurabrowning4

On Facebook: Laura browning and Laura browning, author

I’d love to hear from you, and I’ve really enjoyed the chance to tell you about two stories I’m so excited to see published!