A Few Winning Synopses
Does the word synopsis make you shiver with dread? If so, I hope this page will at
least bring that shiver down a few notches. (Smile)
I’ve heard of writers who do the synopsis before they write a word of the novel,
but I’m not one of them. I never write my synopsis until the whole manuscript is
all done, and usually polished. I guess I just like to put it off. I’ve asked around,
and found I had a lot of company. (Smile) Sometimes though you will need to do
that synopsis first, maybe for an agent or an editor, maybe on more than one
book.
No matter if you do it first or last, long or short, it has to get done. So, I’ve asked
around and found some authors who landed contracts with either a big agent or a
big publisher, thanks to their synopses. These kind writers have agreed to let me
place their winning synopses here, just to help others who find themselves staring
at a blank page trying to figure out what a good one should even look like, what
bases it should cover, how much to tell, and so on.
I’ve placed the authors’ names with their synopsis with a link through the name
so you can check out their sites, and then placed a buy the book link at the bottom
of each synopsis so you can get the book that the synopsis was written for.
Hope it helps!
Happy writing and best wishes,
Charlotte Dillon
least bring that shiver down a few notches. (Smile)
I’ve heard of writers who do the synopsis before they write a word of the novel,
but I’m not one of them. I never write my synopsis until the whole manuscript is
all done, and usually polished. I guess I just like to put it off. I’ve asked around,
and found I had a lot of company. (Smile) Sometimes though you will need to do
that synopsis first, maybe for an agent or an editor, maybe on more than one
book.
No matter if you do it first or last, long or short, it has to get done. So, I’ve asked
around and found some authors who landed contracts with either a big agent or a
big publisher, thanks to their synopses. These kind writers have agreed to let me
place their winning synopses here, just to help others who find themselves staring
at a blank page trying to figure out what a good one should even look like, what
bases it should cover, how much to tell, and so on.
I’ve placed the authors’ names with their synopsis with a link through the name
so you can check out their sites, and then placed a buy the book link at the bottom
of each synopsis so you can get the book that the synopsis was written for.
Hope it helps!
Happy writing and best wishes,
Charlotte Dillon
Cathryn Fox
Phone number here
E-Mail address here
Pleasure Games
Book one—Pleasure Control
Synopsis
In order to prove to the Grant Governing board that they are
close to producing a libido suppressant, scientists Laura
Manning and Jay Cutler must use themselves as guinea pigs.
Jay fulfills his role by injecting himself with the serum.
Laura’s role requires candlelight, soft music, and silky
lingerie. Her job is to entice him. If he gets aroused
they will know the libido suppressant failed.
Since Jay gravitates toward tall, waify blondes, a complete
contrast to Laura’s petite, curvaceous frame, she is both
surprised and thrilled that the man she’s been lusting after
for months wants her to try to seduce him.
Hours after taking the suppressant, Jay shows up at Laura’s
apartment ready to test the stability of the serum. Clad in
silky lingerie, Laura decides that if she has to get
undressed, Jay should too. After all, she needs to see
Little Jay, to observe his response. In no time at all,
their scientific pursuit turns into a sexy, seductive game.
One thing leads to another and they find themselves engaged
in heavy foreplay.
Lost in Jay’s touch, his kisses, and his scent, Laura is
secretly pleased that the formula failed. During their
intimate encounter, Jay’s touches affect more than her
body. They affect her heart.
Their play is halted when they get a phone call from lab
security informing them that the lab has been broken into.
Laura discovers that the vials have been tampered with and
the serum Jay had taken earlier that day was a libido
enhancer, not a suppressant.
Since Jay has never paid attention to her sexually, she
naturally assumes this is why they ended up becoming
intimate. Emotionally distraught, she discusses this with
her lab assistant.
Knowing Laura and Jay must test the formula again, her
assistant makes a suggestion. If Laura wants to finish what
they started she should switch the vials. As much as she
wants to be with Jay again, Laura could never bring herself
to do such an immoral thing.
Outside the lab, Jay sees a whole new side to Laura. A side
he suspects exists, but is kept hidden underneath her
pristine lab coat. Their intimate encounter awakens an
emotional part of him, and has left him longing for more.
All of her. Inside the bedroom and out.
Wanting to be with her again, physically and emotionally,
Jay pretends to take the serum. Later that morning they
make wild passionate love against the bathroom wall.
Because Jay is so feral and aroused, Laura fears that her
assistant has switched the vials and he, once again, has
taken the enhancer. She gathers her courage and confesses
this information.
Jay is thrilled to discover that Laura’s secret desire was
to finish what they had started. In turn he admits that he
didn’t take the formula. When she appears confused, Jay
goes on to explain that he loves her and wants to be with
her--forever.
Laura is overjoyed to discover Jay didn’t need an enhancer
to want her. That he loves her for who she is.
Elated and in love, they decide they don’t ever want to
suppress their desires and decide to find someone else to
test the potion.
This book sold to Avon. Buy the Book.
Phone number here
E-Mail address here
Pleasure Games
Book one—Pleasure Control
Synopsis
In order to prove to the Grant Governing board that they are
close to producing a libido suppressant, scientists Laura
Manning and Jay Cutler must use themselves as guinea pigs.
Jay fulfills his role by injecting himself with the serum.
Laura’s role requires candlelight, soft music, and silky
lingerie. Her job is to entice him. If he gets aroused
they will know the libido suppressant failed.
Since Jay gravitates toward tall, waify blondes, a complete
contrast to Laura’s petite, curvaceous frame, she is both
surprised and thrilled that the man she’s been lusting after
for months wants her to try to seduce him.
Hours after taking the suppressant, Jay shows up at Laura’s
apartment ready to test the stability of the serum. Clad in
silky lingerie, Laura decides that if she has to get
undressed, Jay should too. After all, she needs to see
Little Jay, to observe his response. In no time at all,
their scientific pursuit turns into a sexy, seductive game.
One thing leads to another and they find themselves engaged
in heavy foreplay.
Lost in Jay’s touch, his kisses, and his scent, Laura is
secretly pleased that the formula failed. During their
intimate encounter, Jay’s touches affect more than her
body. They affect her heart.
Their play is halted when they get a phone call from lab
security informing them that the lab has been broken into.
Laura discovers that the vials have been tampered with and
the serum Jay had taken earlier that day was a libido
enhancer, not a suppressant.
Since Jay has never paid attention to her sexually, she
naturally assumes this is why they ended up becoming
intimate. Emotionally distraught, she discusses this with
her lab assistant.
Knowing Laura and Jay must test the formula again, her
assistant makes a suggestion. If Laura wants to finish what
they started she should switch the vials. As much as she
wants to be with Jay again, Laura could never bring herself
to do such an immoral thing.
Outside the lab, Jay sees a whole new side to Laura. A side
he suspects exists, but is kept hidden underneath her
pristine lab coat. Their intimate encounter awakens an
emotional part of him, and has left him longing for more.
All of her. Inside the bedroom and out.
Wanting to be with her again, physically and emotionally,
Jay pretends to take the serum. Later that morning they
make wild passionate love against the bathroom wall.
Because Jay is so feral and aroused, Laura fears that her
assistant has switched the vials and he, once again, has
taken the enhancer. She gathers her courage and confesses
this information.
Jay is thrilled to discover that Laura’s secret desire was
to finish what they had started. In turn he admits that he
didn’t take the formula. When she appears confused, Jay
goes on to explain that he loves her and wants to be with
her--forever.
Laura is overjoyed to discover Jay didn’t need an enhancer
to want her. That he loves her for who she is.
Elated and in love, they decide they don’t ever want to
suppress their desires and decide to find someone else to
test the potion.
This book sold to Avon. Buy the Book.
Midnight Hero Synopsis Diana Duncan
Midnight Hero
A 24 Hour Story by Diana Duncan
Opposites are not contradictory but complementary.
Riverside, Oregon SWAT team door-kicker Conall O’Rourke
takes risks for a living. So asking bookstore manager Bailey
Chambers to marry him on New Year’s Eve after only six
months of dating seems a reasonable gamble. She’s the only
woman for him, his soul mate. The first time he saw her, he
saw his future children in her expressive blue eyes. Why
wait? New Year’s Eve is a time for new beginnings.
Book-lover and avid reader Bailey is wrestling with
emotional turmoil. For months, she’s danced too close to
Conall O’Rourke’s fire. No matter how appealing, how
tempting those bright, exciting sparks are, she must end her
relationship with adventure junkie Conall. They’re just too
different. She analyzes and plans, fearless Con rushes in.
She avoids confrontation, he’s the first one through the
door, catching bullets between his teeth. He’s the life of
the party, she’s quiet and introspective.
Bailey is terrified because Con has a hero complex. He is
compelled to save lives, at horrible risk to his own. Her
fireman father suffered from the same malady – which
resulted in his death. She cannot understand or accept the
violence Con’s job requires. Furthermore, Bailey suspects
Con sees her as fragile and in need of protection. After
Bailey’s father died, her grief-stricken mom wrapped her in
cotton wool and nearly smothered her. She’s had enough
coddling and is determined to find her own path and become
her own woman.
As much as she loves Con, sometimes love is not enough.
Bailey can no longer put off the inevitable. It’s New Year’s
Eve. The old year is ending, and she cannot begin the new
year in a relationship with the wrong man. Though her tender
heart quails at hurting him, and her sensibilities roil at
the mere thought of conflict, Bailey meets Con for breakfast
and shakily tells him they must go their separate ways. He
is fire and she is water, and her fears will quench his
spirit…leaving only ashes.
Stunned and upset, Con cannot believe Bailey doesn’t see how
perfect they are together. He wonders if the shadow hanging
over his past affected her decision. He’s learned to live
with the whispers and rumors speculating that his late
father was a dirty cop, but perhaps Bailey cannot.
Especially since her father died heroically, saving many
lives.
No stranger to tackling problems head-on, Con refuses to let
Bailey go without a fight. Brandishing two dozen of her
favorite pink roses, he marches into her bookstore in
Riverside Mall, demanding they talk. He offers to give up
active duty and ride a desk for the next twenty-five years.
She refuses to let him sacrifice his beloved job for her. He
might think it’s what he wants now, but eventually,
resentment will kick down love’s door and bitterness will
storm in. In the midst of their discussion, bank robbers
invade, take hostages and threaten to kill everyone. Con and
Bailey are trapped, with only each other to depend on.
As time ticks down to an explosive detonation, Conall and
Bailey must work together to save themselves and the
innocent hostages. The situation becomes personal for Con
and he is shaken to the core when he sees the head bank
robber wearing his dead father’s watch.
Bailey’s extensive, eclectic reading habits and familiarity
with the mall’s floor plan comes to their aid. She helps Con
construct creative defenses and forge unusual weapons out of
random items they scavenge from the mall. In the process,
she discovers an inner core of steel she didn’t realize she
possessed. She realizes her fears have held her back from
truly living. Step by step, she comes to terms with who she
is. She begins to like herself and trust her instincts.
However, she still cannot bring herself to hurt anyone.
The siege continues, and cements Con and Bailey’s existing
bond. They reconcile their differences, discover and
appreciate each other’s true characters and learn that the
other’s strengths balance their individual weaknesses.
Together, they can do more than either could ever accomplish
alone. They also come to understand how precious their love
for each other is, and how devastating it would be to lose
their soul mates. To die just as they’ve really begun to
live. Each vows to protect the other, even giving up their
own lives if necessary.
Struggling with the moral dilemma of using necessary force,
Bailey suffers a hard lesson when they find the mall’s
security guard near death. The bank robbers shot her unarmed
friend in cold blood. The former distinct line between right
and wrong becomes irrevocably blurred, and Bailey vows to
fight back. She finally understands what drove her father to
give up his life to save others. Heroes have to be heroes,
they can’t be anything else. And the women who love them
must accept them as they are, support them, and keep on
loving them.
As the horrifying events crescendo, Bailey’s self-confidence
grows. A pregnant hostage escapes from the robbers, but goes
into labor. Unshakable Con panics. His SWAT team delivers
high risk warrants, not babies! Bailey keeps the mother-to-
be calm, and Con rises to the occasion. The baby is born not
breathing, but Con gives the tiny newborn artificial
respiration. She begins to cry, and then everyone cries in
relief. The grateful mother names the infant Constance
Bailey.
Con is knocked unconscious in a confrontation with one of
the robbers, and Bailey hides him, and then turns herself
into the robbers in order to spare him. Con awakens and
prepares to rescue her, but he is tormented by worry. He
finally understands her fears for his safety. He faces the
fact that he does have a knight in shining armor complex and
decides he doesn’t always have to rush in where angels fear
to tread. He’s got a woman who loves him heart and soul, and
a new reason to come home safe and sound every day for the
rest of his life. If they can survive the night.
A final showdown with the head bank robber, Tony DiMarco,
ensues, and Con finds out that the criminal framed his
father and then murdered him in a home invasion robbery.
DiMarco knew his father and mother years ago, and carries a
grudge for perceived wrongs. He gleefully tells Con exactly
how he’s going to kill him.
Bailey holds Con’s life in her hands. The only way she can
save him is to go against everything she believes and
seriously injure, perhaps kill DiMarco. Con looks at her,
and she sees the understanding in his eyes. He tells her, “I
love you for what you are and who you are. Whatever you
decide, it’s right.” He will die – his love for her
unwavering – if she doesn’t find the courage to save him.
Con’s unconditional love and acceptance gives her the
strength to do what she must and she incapacitates the
robber.
SWAT storms in, and Con is shot in the melee. Bailey is
rushed outside by a SWAT team member. For too many heart-
wrenching minutes, she doesn’t know if Con is alive.
Finally, they are reunited, and he assures her his wound is
minor.
The couple return to Bailey’s apartment. Con dreads the
coming confrontation. He is sure Bailey won’t want a life
with him after being forced to participate in violence. Her
seeing him shot and thinking him dead was probably the final
nail in the coffin of their relationship. She tells Con that
DiMarco chose his own fate by his actions. She assures him
she now understands the difficult choices he faces every
day, and fully supports him. The world needs heroes. After
uniting their bodies, hearts and souls by making love, he
proposes and she joyfully accepts.
Con has learned that courage has many faces and Bailey has
learned she’s a strong, brave, resourceful woman. They’ve
discovered that some battles are worth fighting – even worth
dying for. Con and Bailey’s trial has forged them into an
invincible team.
He is fire and she is water…and together, they make steam.
This book sold to Silhouette Intimate Moments. Buy the Book.
Midnight Hero
A 24 Hour Story by Diana Duncan
Opposites are not contradictory but complementary.
Riverside, Oregon SWAT team door-kicker Conall O’Rourke
takes risks for a living. So asking bookstore manager Bailey
Chambers to marry him on New Year’s Eve after only six
months of dating seems a reasonable gamble. She’s the only
woman for him, his soul mate. The first time he saw her, he
saw his future children in her expressive blue eyes. Why
wait? New Year’s Eve is a time for new beginnings.
Book-lover and avid reader Bailey is wrestling with
emotional turmoil. For months, she’s danced too close to
Conall O’Rourke’s fire. No matter how appealing, how
tempting those bright, exciting sparks are, she must end her
relationship with adventure junkie Conall. They’re just too
different. She analyzes and plans, fearless Con rushes in.
She avoids confrontation, he’s the first one through the
door, catching bullets between his teeth. He’s the life of
the party, she’s quiet and introspective.
Bailey is terrified because Con has a hero complex. He is
compelled to save lives, at horrible risk to his own. Her
fireman father suffered from the same malady – which
resulted in his death. She cannot understand or accept the
violence Con’s job requires. Furthermore, Bailey suspects
Con sees her as fragile and in need of protection. After
Bailey’s father died, her grief-stricken mom wrapped her in
cotton wool and nearly smothered her. She’s had enough
coddling and is determined to find her own path and become
her own woman.
As much as she loves Con, sometimes love is not enough.
Bailey can no longer put off the inevitable. It’s New Year’s
Eve. The old year is ending, and she cannot begin the new
year in a relationship with the wrong man. Though her tender
heart quails at hurting him, and her sensibilities roil at
the mere thought of conflict, Bailey meets Con for breakfast
and shakily tells him they must go their separate ways. He
is fire and she is water, and her fears will quench his
spirit…leaving only ashes.
Stunned and upset, Con cannot believe Bailey doesn’t see how
perfect they are together. He wonders if the shadow hanging
over his past affected her decision. He’s learned to live
with the whispers and rumors speculating that his late
father was a dirty cop, but perhaps Bailey cannot.
Especially since her father died heroically, saving many
lives.
No stranger to tackling problems head-on, Con refuses to let
Bailey go without a fight. Brandishing two dozen of her
favorite pink roses, he marches into her bookstore in
Riverside Mall, demanding they talk. He offers to give up
active duty and ride a desk for the next twenty-five years.
She refuses to let him sacrifice his beloved job for her. He
might think it’s what he wants now, but eventually,
resentment will kick down love’s door and bitterness will
storm in. In the midst of their discussion, bank robbers
invade, take hostages and threaten to kill everyone. Con and
Bailey are trapped, with only each other to depend on.
As time ticks down to an explosive detonation, Conall and
Bailey must work together to save themselves and the
innocent hostages. The situation becomes personal for Con
and he is shaken to the core when he sees the head bank
robber wearing his dead father’s watch.
Bailey’s extensive, eclectic reading habits and familiarity
with the mall’s floor plan comes to their aid. She helps Con
construct creative defenses and forge unusual weapons out of
random items they scavenge from the mall. In the process,
she discovers an inner core of steel she didn’t realize she
possessed. She realizes her fears have held her back from
truly living. Step by step, she comes to terms with who she
is. She begins to like herself and trust her instincts.
However, she still cannot bring herself to hurt anyone.
The siege continues, and cements Con and Bailey’s existing
bond. They reconcile their differences, discover and
appreciate each other’s true characters and learn that the
other’s strengths balance their individual weaknesses.
Together, they can do more than either could ever accomplish
alone. They also come to understand how precious their love
for each other is, and how devastating it would be to lose
their soul mates. To die just as they’ve really begun to
live. Each vows to protect the other, even giving up their
own lives if necessary.
Struggling with the moral dilemma of using necessary force,
Bailey suffers a hard lesson when they find the mall’s
security guard near death. The bank robbers shot her unarmed
friend in cold blood. The former distinct line between right
and wrong becomes irrevocably blurred, and Bailey vows to
fight back. She finally understands what drove her father to
give up his life to save others. Heroes have to be heroes,
they can’t be anything else. And the women who love them
must accept them as they are, support them, and keep on
loving them.
As the horrifying events crescendo, Bailey’s self-confidence
grows. A pregnant hostage escapes from the robbers, but goes
into labor. Unshakable Con panics. His SWAT team delivers
high risk warrants, not babies! Bailey keeps the mother-to-
be calm, and Con rises to the occasion. The baby is born not
breathing, but Con gives the tiny newborn artificial
respiration. She begins to cry, and then everyone cries in
relief. The grateful mother names the infant Constance
Bailey.
Con is knocked unconscious in a confrontation with one of
the robbers, and Bailey hides him, and then turns herself
into the robbers in order to spare him. Con awakens and
prepares to rescue her, but he is tormented by worry. He
finally understands her fears for his safety. He faces the
fact that he does have a knight in shining armor complex and
decides he doesn’t always have to rush in where angels fear
to tread. He’s got a woman who loves him heart and soul, and
a new reason to come home safe and sound every day for the
rest of his life. If they can survive the night.
A final showdown with the head bank robber, Tony DiMarco,
ensues, and Con finds out that the criminal framed his
father and then murdered him in a home invasion robbery.
DiMarco knew his father and mother years ago, and carries a
grudge for perceived wrongs. He gleefully tells Con exactly
how he’s going to kill him.
Bailey holds Con’s life in her hands. The only way she can
save him is to go against everything she believes and
seriously injure, perhaps kill DiMarco. Con looks at her,
and she sees the understanding in his eyes. He tells her, “I
love you for what you are and who you are. Whatever you
decide, it’s right.” He will die – his love for her
unwavering – if she doesn’t find the courage to save him.
Con’s unconditional love and acceptance gives her the
strength to do what she must and she incapacitates the
robber.
SWAT storms in, and Con is shot in the melee. Bailey is
rushed outside by a SWAT team member. For too many heart-
wrenching minutes, she doesn’t know if Con is alive.
Finally, they are reunited, and he assures her his wound is
minor.
The couple return to Bailey’s apartment. Con dreads the
coming confrontation. He is sure Bailey won’t want a life
with him after being forced to participate in violence. Her
seeing him shot and thinking him dead was probably the final
nail in the coffin of their relationship. She tells Con that
DiMarco chose his own fate by his actions. She assures him
she now understands the difficult choices he faces every
day, and fully supports him. The world needs heroes. After
uniting their bodies, hearts and souls by making love, he
proposes and she joyfully accepts.
Con has learned that courage has many faces and Bailey has
learned she’s a strong, brave, resourceful woman. They’ve
discovered that some battles are worth fighting – even worth
dying for. Con and Bailey’s trial has forged them into an
invincible team.
He is fire and she is water…and together, they make steam.
This book sold to Silhouette Intimate Moments. Buy the Book.
AFTERNOON DELIGHT -- Mia Zachary
Synopsis
Rei Davis is a tough-minded judge who wishes someone could see
her softer side. Chris London is a light-hearted matchmaker who
wishes someone would take him seriously. After a passionate
encounter at a bar, Rei walks into Lunch Meetings, the dating
service Chris owns, and the computer determines that they’re a
perfect match. With the help of email messages, afternoon
assignations and a leap of faith, maybe both of their wishes
will come true.
* * *
Commissioner Rei Davis didn’t get elected to the Superior Court
of California without making sacrifices. She’s earned a
reputation for being a man-eater in the courtroom- where she’s
not afraid to issue harsh decisions- but an ice princess in the
bedroom- where she’s afraid to ask for what she wants. Rei
knows better than to open herself up to criticism or rejection.
She’s never lived up to her demanding father’s expectations and
a man she’d once fallen for abandoned her when she needed him
most.
As a one-year breast cancer survivor, Rei believes she’s been
given a second chance so she’s more than ready to celebrate her
anniversary by going to a nightclub with her best friend P.J.
There, Rei does a little dirty dancing with a hot blond that
leads to even hotter kisses up on the darkened balcony. No one
has ever made her feel this way, so unlike her everyday
personality. But as much as Rei enjoys the moment of abandon,
fantasies need to remain just that, so she gives her name as
‘Jade’, knowing she’ll never see him again.
Chris London is a success professionally- he runs Lunch
Meetings, the hottest dating service in San Francisco and most
of his clients have found their happily-ever-after. Personally,
though, he can’t seem to make a relationship last longer than a
month. When his father walked out, he’d shattered any illusions
Chris had about love and marriage. Raised by his mother and two
older sisters, Chris respects and admires women and isn’t the
type to objectify them. So why can’t he stop imagining Jade
naked?
Rei’s world is shattered when she gets the news that her cancer
may have recurred. Does life offer third chances? She doesn’t
think so. She decides to wait to retake the medical tests. One
week won’t make a difference if she is sick again, but it could
mean all the difference in achieving some of the goals on her
Life List, including seducing a sexy stranger.
Despite the undeniable attraction they indulged at the
nightclub, Chris is pleasantly surprised when Jade calls him
and suggests they finish what they started. They meet at a
hotel and agree there will be no strings or complications. The
sex is incredibly hot and passionate but afterwards when Chris
wants to see her again, Jade reminds him this was a one-time
thing.
P.J.’s company is thinking about investing in Lunch Meetings,
so as a favor Rei signs up for the dating service. Chris is
stunned to recognize the aloof and conservative woman as the
same one who came apart in his arms two nights before. He’s
with a client though and can’t confront her before she leaves.
Later, the Lunch Meetings compatibility software declares Rei
and Chris a perfect match. Now maybe he can convince her to get
to know him outside of the bedroom.
In court that afternoon, Rei believes the remorse of a boy
named Bruce Grayson and lets him off easy in a juvenile assault
case. She goes home to find several emails from potential
suitors but none of them interest her except one. DCL3 is
charming and funny so she takes a chance and replies. But even
as she and ‘DCL3’ begin an online friendship, it’s Chris who
occupies her thoughts and erotic dreams. She enjoys another
night of great lovemaking with Chris, but when she goes to
leave he accuses her of using him. Realizing she’s been unfair,
Rei agrees to a real date. At lunch the next day, he’s
flirtatious but subdued and finally Chris tells her that he is
‘DCL3’, the friend she made online.
At first she’s furious that he lied and manipulated her, but
then he asks when ‘Jade” was going to be honest with him. Rei
then has to admit she enjoyed the freedom Jade’s persona
allowed her. She apologizes and says she’ll see him again, but
because of her health fears she’s determined to keep things
physical. Her plan doesn’t quite work out, however. Rei has
taken her Life List to heart and over the week she accomplishes
quite a few goals, including falling in love. Chris is sweet
and caring and sexy and more patient than she deserves, so she
finds herself opening up to him and sharing parts of her life.
A few days later, Rei gets the news that Bruce Grayson has
assaulted another boy in juvenile detention. She is horrified
that she gave this kid the benefit of the doubt and was so
wrong. So when Rei gets the case of Gabriel Russo, accused of
being a threat to his school, she vows to come down hard.
Suddenly faced with pressure from the presiding judge and
unwanted media attention, Rei takes the rest of the day off.
After seeing her on TV, Chris brings a picnic lunch to her
house and the comfort of his arms. The passion they share is as
hot as ever but now there is an underlying tenderness to their
lovemaking. Chris is ready to tell Rei how he feels but before
he can, she gets a call from her oncologist urging her to
retake the blood test and schedule a mammogram immediately.
Chris’s fear of abandonment kicks in big-time – someone else is
going to leave him alone- and he withdraws emotionally, not
realizing how much the sudden distance hurts her. Rei believes
he is rejecting her, just as her ex-boyfriend did the first
time she was diagnosed. The emails and phone calls stop since
neither of them is willing to admit their fears and feelings.
P.J. is furious with Rei for not confiding she might be sick
again, but still P.J. goes with her to the doctor’s. Rei is
extremely relieved and grateful when the diagnosis proves to be
false. Her good mood is ruined, however when P.J. shows her the
newspaper. A tabloid reporter has been posing as a dating
service client, trying to dig up dirt on Lunch Meetings and on
Chris. His article runs in the Examiner with the headline
‘Dating Service Setup- Matchmaker Pulls Strings Behind the
Scenes’, with a picture of Chris and questions Rei’s ethics
after the Grayson incident.
Rei isn’t at all surprised by the accusation that Chris
manipulated the matchmaking results. She tells P.J. about Chris’
s rejection and that they’ve split up. To her surprise, P.J.
thinks she’s made a mistake and accuses her of only giving
second chances in the courtroom. Rei is forced to examine her
life and relationships and admit P.J. is right.
Meanwhile Chris is wondering if he’ll be able to stay in
business, let alone open new locations. After work, he stops by
his mother’s house to find his father there. His divorced
parents announce that they’re going to try again. The angry,
abandoned boy inside of Chris demands to know how she can trust
David not to leave again. However, Jeanna believes David has
changed and says everyone deserves a second chance.
Gabriel Russo’s case continues in Rei’s courtroom. After the
Grayson debacle, she refuses to believe that Gabe’s behavior
was merely a distressed teenager’s acting out. When the defense
asks to call character witnesses, Rei is stunned when Chris
enters the courtroom- he’s the boy’s uncle. Because of their
relationship, she has to recuse herself and reassign the case.
However Chris corners her in a side hall and tries to convince
her Gabe deserves a second chance. Rei is sympathetic but
accuses him of being manipulative again.
The next day, several Lunch Meetings clients appear on a local
TV morning show admitting that while Chris did coach the men,
if not for him they wouldn’t have had the confidence to pursue
their current girlfriends, who wouldn’t have given the guys a
second chance except for Chris’ suggestions. Watching the
program, Rei is reminded that ethics mean doing the right thing
as well as upholding the law. She has a quiet word with the
judge now handling Gabriel’s case and also asks P.J. to take a
risk and proceed with her investment in the dating service.
Rei goes to Lunch Meetings and apologizes to Chris, asking for
another chance. She explains that she’s been afraid to be
vulnerable, to let anyone inside where they can hurt her, and
that she pushed Chris away because in loving him he could hurt
her the most. She’s finally realized that she doesn’t need to
live up to anything; she just has to live. It’s time for her to
believe in the future and the future is Chris.
Chris hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Rei. He missed
her terribly but he refused to chase someone who didn’t want to
be caught. But now she’s here and promising that she always
will be. If his parents can forgive and move forward, then
maybe they can too. Chris realizes that love is the greatest
risk of all but he’s willing to take it. They make love in his
office, making a commitment on their hearts.
Mia Zachary sold this manuscript to Harlequin's Blaze line. Buy
the Book.
Synopsis
Rei Davis is a tough-minded judge who wishes someone could see
her softer side. Chris London is a light-hearted matchmaker who
wishes someone would take him seriously. After a passionate
encounter at a bar, Rei walks into Lunch Meetings, the dating
service Chris owns, and the computer determines that they’re a
perfect match. With the help of email messages, afternoon
assignations and a leap of faith, maybe both of their wishes
will come true.
* * *
Commissioner Rei Davis didn’t get elected to the Superior Court
of California without making sacrifices. She’s earned a
reputation for being a man-eater in the courtroom- where she’s
not afraid to issue harsh decisions- but an ice princess in the
bedroom- where she’s afraid to ask for what she wants. Rei
knows better than to open herself up to criticism or rejection.
She’s never lived up to her demanding father’s expectations and
a man she’d once fallen for abandoned her when she needed him
most.
As a one-year breast cancer survivor, Rei believes she’s been
given a second chance so she’s more than ready to celebrate her
anniversary by going to a nightclub with her best friend P.J.
There, Rei does a little dirty dancing with a hot blond that
leads to even hotter kisses up on the darkened balcony. No one
has ever made her feel this way, so unlike her everyday
personality. But as much as Rei enjoys the moment of abandon,
fantasies need to remain just that, so she gives her name as
‘Jade’, knowing she’ll never see him again.
Chris London is a success professionally- he runs Lunch
Meetings, the hottest dating service in San Francisco and most
of his clients have found their happily-ever-after. Personally,
though, he can’t seem to make a relationship last longer than a
month. When his father walked out, he’d shattered any illusions
Chris had about love and marriage. Raised by his mother and two
older sisters, Chris respects and admires women and isn’t the
type to objectify them. So why can’t he stop imagining Jade
naked?
Rei’s world is shattered when she gets the news that her cancer
may have recurred. Does life offer third chances? She doesn’t
think so. She decides to wait to retake the medical tests. One
week won’t make a difference if she is sick again, but it could
mean all the difference in achieving some of the goals on her
Life List, including seducing a sexy stranger.
Despite the undeniable attraction they indulged at the
nightclub, Chris is pleasantly surprised when Jade calls him
and suggests they finish what they started. They meet at a
hotel and agree there will be no strings or complications. The
sex is incredibly hot and passionate but afterwards when Chris
wants to see her again, Jade reminds him this was a one-time
thing.
P.J.’s company is thinking about investing in Lunch Meetings,
so as a favor Rei signs up for the dating service. Chris is
stunned to recognize the aloof and conservative woman as the
same one who came apart in his arms two nights before. He’s
with a client though and can’t confront her before she leaves.
Later, the Lunch Meetings compatibility software declares Rei
and Chris a perfect match. Now maybe he can convince her to get
to know him outside of the bedroom.
In court that afternoon, Rei believes the remorse of a boy
named Bruce Grayson and lets him off easy in a juvenile assault
case. She goes home to find several emails from potential
suitors but none of them interest her except one. DCL3 is
charming and funny so she takes a chance and replies. But even
as she and ‘DCL3’ begin an online friendship, it’s Chris who
occupies her thoughts and erotic dreams. She enjoys another
night of great lovemaking with Chris, but when she goes to
leave he accuses her of using him. Realizing she’s been unfair,
Rei agrees to a real date. At lunch the next day, he’s
flirtatious but subdued and finally Chris tells her that he is
‘DCL3’, the friend she made online.
At first she’s furious that he lied and manipulated her, but
then he asks when ‘Jade” was going to be honest with him. Rei
then has to admit she enjoyed the freedom Jade’s persona
allowed her. She apologizes and says she’ll see him again, but
because of her health fears she’s determined to keep things
physical. Her plan doesn’t quite work out, however. Rei has
taken her Life List to heart and over the week she accomplishes
quite a few goals, including falling in love. Chris is sweet
and caring and sexy and more patient than she deserves, so she
finds herself opening up to him and sharing parts of her life.
A few days later, Rei gets the news that Bruce Grayson has
assaulted another boy in juvenile detention. She is horrified
that she gave this kid the benefit of the doubt and was so
wrong. So when Rei gets the case of Gabriel Russo, accused of
being a threat to his school, she vows to come down hard.
Suddenly faced with pressure from the presiding judge and
unwanted media attention, Rei takes the rest of the day off.
After seeing her on TV, Chris brings a picnic lunch to her
house and the comfort of his arms. The passion they share is as
hot as ever but now there is an underlying tenderness to their
lovemaking. Chris is ready to tell Rei how he feels but before
he can, she gets a call from her oncologist urging her to
retake the blood test and schedule a mammogram immediately.
Chris’s fear of abandonment kicks in big-time – someone else is
going to leave him alone- and he withdraws emotionally, not
realizing how much the sudden distance hurts her. Rei believes
he is rejecting her, just as her ex-boyfriend did the first
time she was diagnosed. The emails and phone calls stop since
neither of them is willing to admit their fears and feelings.
P.J. is furious with Rei for not confiding she might be sick
again, but still P.J. goes with her to the doctor’s. Rei is
extremely relieved and grateful when the diagnosis proves to be
false. Her good mood is ruined, however when P.J. shows her the
newspaper. A tabloid reporter has been posing as a dating
service client, trying to dig up dirt on Lunch Meetings and on
Chris. His article runs in the Examiner with the headline
‘Dating Service Setup- Matchmaker Pulls Strings Behind the
Scenes’, with a picture of Chris and questions Rei’s ethics
after the Grayson incident.
Rei isn’t at all surprised by the accusation that Chris
manipulated the matchmaking results. She tells P.J. about Chris’
s rejection and that they’ve split up. To her surprise, P.J.
thinks she’s made a mistake and accuses her of only giving
second chances in the courtroom. Rei is forced to examine her
life and relationships and admit P.J. is right.
Meanwhile Chris is wondering if he’ll be able to stay in
business, let alone open new locations. After work, he stops by
his mother’s house to find his father there. His divorced
parents announce that they’re going to try again. The angry,
abandoned boy inside of Chris demands to know how she can trust
David not to leave again. However, Jeanna believes David has
changed and says everyone deserves a second chance.
Gabriel Russo’s case continues in Rei’s courtroom. After the
Grayson debacle, she refuses to believe that Gabe’s behavior
was merely a distressed teenager’s acting out. When the defense
asks to call character witnesses, Rei is stunned when Chris
enters the courtroom- he’s the boy’s uncle. Because of their
relationship, she has to recuse herself and reassign the case.
However Chris corners her in a side hall and tries to convince
her Gabe deserves a second chance. Rei is sympathetic but
accuses him of being manipulative again.
The next day, several Lunch Meetings clients appear on a local
TV morning show admitting that while Chris did coach the men,
if not for him they wouldn’t have had the confidence to pursue
their current girlfriends, who wouldn’t have given the guys a
second chance except for Chris’ suggestions. Watching the
program, Rei is reminded that ethics mean doing the right thing
as well as upholding the law. She has a quiet word with the
judge now handling Gabriel’s case and also asks P.J. to take a
risk and proceed with her investment in the dating service.
Rei goes to Lunch Meetings and apologizes to Chris, asking for
another chance. She explains that she’s been afraid to be
vulnerable, to let anyone inside where they can hurt her, and
that she pushed Chris away because in loving him he could hurt
her the most. She’s finally realized that she doesn’t need to
live up to anything; she just has to live. It’s time for her to
believe in the future and the future is Chris.
Chris hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Rei. He missed
her terribly but he refused to chase someone who didn’t want to
be caught. But now she’s here and promising that she always
will be. If his parents can forgive and move forward, then
maybe they can too. Chris realizes that love is the greatest
risk of all but he’s willing to take it. They make love in his
office, making a commitment on their hearts.
Mia Zachary sold this manuscript to Harlequin's Blaze line. Buy
the Book.
I've tried to place the below synopsis into the format used for it, so you'll
have a sample of how one should look. It's a lot of extra work to add the
frames and such, which is why I didn't do it with each synopsis.
have a sample of how one should look. It's a lot of extra work to add the
frames and such, which is why I didn't do it with each synopsis.
9½ DAYS - Mia Zachary
Synopsis
When Jordan Gregory’s boyfriend David Navarro broke things
off, she blamed herself for their non-existent love life.
Though she’s trimmed down to a healthy size 12, she still sees
herself as the shy, overweight girl she once was. Determined
to learn how to be sexy, provocative and spontaneous, Jordan
buys a sex manual called Fifty Fast Fantasies.
Firefighter Danny Navarro isn’t nicknamed, ‘Lady Target’, for
nothing. But whenever his girlfriends get too close or too
serious, he bolts. He’s not about to be trapped in a bitter,
loveless marriage like his parents’. This habit earns him a
reputation as an eight-date man, but Danny’s happy sticking to
fun and games.
After reading the manual from cover to cover, Jordan
formulates a plan to seduce her ex-boyfriend into granting her
a favor. David just has to pretend to be her fiancé for the
ten days leading to her grandparents’ Fiftieth Anniversary
party. Acting out a fantasy called, Strangers For One Night,
she dresses in her naughtiest undies and kidnaps him for a
night he’ll never forget. Tonight there will be no names, no
inhibitions and no regrets.
Jordan experiences great sex for the first time. The only
problem, she discovers the following morning, is that she
kidnapped the wrong twin! Danny’s not interested in commitment
– not even a fake one. But then he finds the Fifty Fast
Fantasies book. He’ll agree to the next ten days if Jordan
agrees to sex ‘any time, any place and any way.’ Over the next
days… and nights… she experiences a sexual awakening and
slowly begins to accept her body image in light of Danny’s
obvious appreciation of her full breast and rounded hips.
Danny enjoys the family gatherings he’s ‘forced’ to attend.
The Gregory’s share a warmth and laughter he never had with
his parents and he suddenly realizes how much he wants this to
be real. Later that night, when Jordan asks about the scar on
his back, he reluctantly tells her he was part of the rescue
team at the Pentagon after the September 2001 terrorist
attack. She realizes now that Danny’s bad boy facade hides a
wounded and wary soul.
Jordan has fallen in love with Danny but is convinced that
when their agreement is over, he’ll want a woman like Keisha,
her slim and beautiful cousin. Danny is overwhelmed by the
depth of his feelings for Jordan, and determined not to give
it to them. At a baseball game, he lets Keisha flirt with him
but when Jordan calls it quits he realizes he doesn’t want to
lose her.
Saturday night is finally here. That means their ten-day
agreement is over. Danny looks at Jordan with pride- for the
first time, she’s wearing a revealing dress and left her hair
down- and he realizes how much he loves her. Before he can
tell her, though, Keisha tries to kiss him. Danny is frantic
to get to Jordan first. He tries to tell her he can’t pretend
to be her fiancé anymore, that he wants their relationship to
be real, but she refuses to listen. Jordan is humiliated and
terribly hurt. With a heavy heart, she tells Danny to leave
her alone.
He is devastated by Jordan’s rejection. He tells himself it
doesn’t matter, that it wouldn’t have worked out anyway. But
then a fire alarm goes off at Jordan’s office building and
Danny has to overcome his worry and battle his deepest fears
in order to find her. Thankfully, Jordan is all right and
Danny admits how empty his life has been; that you can’t go
through life afraid to take a chance on love- that’s not
really living. Danny and Jordan finally declare their love.
A month later, Danny kidnaps Jordan, telling her it’s part of
a fantasy he wants to act out. When they arrive at their
destination, Danny slips a ring on her left hand and removes
the blindfold. This fantasy is called ‘Be My Bride’. Through
tears of joy, she sees that both families waiting on the steps
of the church. Jordan is certain the love they discovered over
the last 9 1/2 days will last forever.
Mia Zachary sold this manuscript to Harlequin's Blaze line.
Buy the Book.
Synopsis
When Jordan Gregory’s boyfriend David Navarro broke things
off, she blamed herself for their non-existent love life.
Though she’s trimmed down to a healthy size 12, she still sees
herself as the shy, overweight girl she once was. Determined
to learn how to be sexy, provocative and spontaneous, Jordan
buys a sex manual called Fifty Fast Fantasies.
Firefighter Danny Navarro isn’t nicknamed, ‘Lady Target’, for
nothing. But whenever his girlfriends get too close or too
serious, he bolts. He’s not about to be trapped in a bitter,
loveless marriage like his parents’. This habit earns him a
reputation as an eight-date man, but Danny’s happy sticking to
fun and games.
After reading the manual from cover to cover, Jordan
formulates a plan to seduce her ex-boyfriend into granting her
a favor. David just has to pretend to be her fiancé for the
ten days leading to her grandparents’ Fiftieth Anniversary
party. Acting out a fantasy called, Strangers For One Night,
she dresses in her naughtiest undies and kidnaps him for a
night he’ll never forget. Tonight there will be no names, no
inhibitions and no regrets.
Jordan experiences great sex for the first time. The only
problem, she discovers the following morning, is that she
kidnapped the wrong twin! Danny’s not interested in commitment
– not even a fake one. But then he finds the Fifty Fast
Fantasies book. He’ll agree to the next ten days if Jordan
agrees to sex ‘any time, any place and any way.’ Over the next
days… and nights… she experiences a sexual awakening and
slowly begins to accept her body image in light of Danny’s
obvious appreciation of her full breast and rounded hips.
Danny enjoys the family gatherings he’s ‘forced’ to attend.
The Gregory’s share a warmth and laughter he never had with
his parents and he suddenly realizes how much he wants this to
be real. Later that night, when Jordan asks about the scar on
his back, he reluctantly tells her he was part of the rescue
team at the Pentagon after the September 2001 terrorist
attack. She realizes now that Danny’s bad boy facade hides a
wounded and wary soul.
Jordan has fallen in love with Danny but is convinced that
when their agreement is over, he’ll want a woman like Keisha,
her slim and beautiful cousin. Danny is overwhelmed by the
depth of his feelings for Jordan, and determined not to give
it to them. At a baseball game, he lets Keisha flirt with him
but when Jordan calls it quits he realizes he doesn’t want to
lose her.
Saturday night is finally here. That means their ten-day
agreement is over. Danny looks at Jordan with pride- for the
first time, she’s wearing a revealing dress and left her hair
down- and he realizes how much he loves her. Before he can
tell her, though, Keisha tries to kiss him. Danny is frantic
to get to Jordan first. He tries to tell her he can’t pretend
to be her fiancé anymore, that he wants their relationship to
be real, but she refuses to listen. Jordan is humiliated and
terribly hurt. With a heavy heart, she tells Danny to leave
her alone.
He is devastated by Jordan’s rejection. He tells himself it
doesn’t matter, that it wouldn’t have worked out anyway. But
then a fire alarm goes off at Jordan’s office building and
Danny has to overcome his worry and battle his deepest fears
in order to find her. Thankfully, Jordan is all right and
Danny admits how empty his life has been; that you can’t go
through life afraid to take a chance on love- that’s not
really living. Danny and Jordan finally declare their love.
A month later, Danny kidnaps Jordan, telling her it’s part of
a fantasy he wants to act out. When they arrive at their
destination, Danny slips a ring on her left hand and removes
the blindfold. This fantasy is called ‘Be My Bride’. Through
tears of joy, she sees that both families waiting on the steps
of the church. Jordan is certain the love they discovered over
the last 9 1/2 days will last forever.
Mia Zachary sold this manuscript to Harlequin's Blaze line.
Buy the Book.
THE BET—SYNOPSIS
The corporate Ice Queen, Zoe Lauterborn, has complete control
of her life. In funds management, she consistently outshines
her colleagues. Phillip Kingdom is fascinated with her—her
skills impress him, and so do her looks. He'd love to make
their relationship more personal—much more personal.
But he's watched her turn down date after date, and he
understands she's drawn a line in her mind. Phillip wants her
to cross it—badly. He knows he needs to offer more than a mere
rendezvous to get her attention.
Phillip sees his chance one happy hour. The firm is buzzing
with talk of an upcoming promotion. Who will get it? Seeing
Zoe high on her job and a little tipsy, he proposes a bet. If
she gets the promotion, she gets his bonus. If she loses,
she's his sex slave.
Even after too many martinis, Zoe knows she should walk away—
or maybe slap his gorgeous face—but she has a secret. A new
client with a lot of money is about to sign on her dotted
line. She'll break all company records. She knows the
promotion is in her pocket. Besides… Zoe just watched Phillip
dance.
She shakes on it.
Zoe should have won. But the bosses didn't think an Ice Queen
would make a good team leader.
She's his for 17 hours.
Ignoring her horror, he leads a sizzling seduction, taking all
choices—and her underclothes—away from her. Dancing nearly
naked at a nightclub gives her an unexpected sense of power,
and her first orgasm leaves her craving more in Washington
Square Park. The remote-controlled vibrator purchased together
at the Pink Pussy Cat does little to alleviate her growing
desire. He opens doors for her that she'd thought had no keys.
And he does it without bruising her spirit.
That night—and the culmination the following morning—change
something for her. Phillip has shown her how to embrace her
feminine side. She finds that it doesn't limit her—it expands
her perspective. Her bosses and employees respect her. And,
when she lands the next promotion, her team heads the highest-
producing division in the firm. She likes who she sees in the
mirror.
When Phillip proposes, she hears 'happily ever after' in his
voice.
Lucinda Betts sold this manuscript to Kensington Aphrodisia.
It was published as part of an anthology title Pure Sex. (You
can find the synopsis for this story on the Sample Query
page.) Buy the book.
The corporate Ice Queen, Zoe Lauterborn, has complete control
of her life. In funds management, she consistently outshines
her colleagues. Phillip Kingdom is fascinated with her—her
skills impress him, and so do her looks. He'd love to make
their relationship more personal—much more personal.
But he's watched her turn down date after date, and he
understands she's drawn a line in her mind. Phillip wants her
to cross it—badly. He knows he needs to offer more than a mere
rendezvous to get her attention.
Phillip sees his chance one happy hour. The firm is buzzing
with talk of an upcoming promotion. Who will get it? Seeing
Zoe high on her job and a little tipsy, he proposes a bet. If
she gets the promotion, she gets his bonus. If she loses,
she's his sex slave.
Even after too many martinis, Zoe knows she should walk away—
or maybe slap his gorgeous face—but she has a secret. A new
client with a lot of money is about to sign on her dotted
line. She'll break all company records. She knows the
promotion is in her pocket. Besides… Zoe just watched Phillip
dance.
She shakes on it.
Zoe should have won. But the bosses didn't think an Ice Queen
would make a good team leader.
She's his for 17 hours.
Ignoring her horror, he leads a sizzling seduction, taking all
choices—and her underclothes—away from her. Dancing nearly
naked at a nightclub gives her an unexpected sense of power,
and her first orgasm leaves her craving more in Washington
Square Park. The remote-controlled vibrator purchased together
at the Pink Pussy Cat does little to alleviate her growing
desire. He opens doors for her that she'd thought had no keys.
And he does it without bruising her spirit.
That night—and the culmination the following morning—change
something for her. Phillip has shown her how to embrace her
feminine side. She finds that it doesn't limit her—it expands
her perspective. Her bosses and employees respect her. And,
when she lands the next promotion, her team heads the highest-
producing division in the firm. She likes who she sees in the
mirror.
When Phillip proposes, she hears 'happily ever after' in his
voice.
Lucinda Betts sold this manuscript to Kensington Aphrodisia.
It was published as part of an anthology title Pure Sex. (You
can find the synopsis for this story on the Sample Query
page.) Buy the book.
Betrayed Jamie Leigh Hansen Page #
Betrayed Synopsis
Kalyss has made many mistakes in her life and a man has
always been at the center of them. She refuses to try again,
despite Alex’s advice. Her best friend and business partner
is the only good decision about a guy that she’s ever made.
Kalyss only wants to go about her life as a martial arts
instructor, but a stranger’s sudden attack alters her
course. Who is he? Why is he after her? And why does he
refer to killing her as a “game without end”?
Fighting for her life, Kalyss uses every bit of strength and
skill she’s gained in the four years since her ex tried to
kill her, but barely holds him off. She hears Alex and tries
to call for help, but the stranger slams her against a wall,
knocking her dizzy. Then he leaves and she’s left as
confused as ever. Alex and another stranger appear as she
passes out.
In 1070 AD England, in the midst of the skirmishes against
King William’s rule, one knight takes control of a keep,
charged to marry and protect that land for his king. His
bride, Kalyss, has heard the rumors about him, however. She
sees the blood of her people on his hands. In fact, with her
gifted vision, she sees the blood of all his victims on his
hands and fears him.
Kalyss awakens to Alex and Geoffrey standing over her. When
Alex goes for the first aid kit, Geoffrey questions her about
her attacker. When time passes and Alex doesn’t return,
Kalyss worries. Geoffrey tells her they must leave. He
pushes her to the front door.
Suddenly, Geoffrey turns toward the back of the building.
Kalyss struggles to escape his hold, but he manages her all
too easily, pushing her ahead of him and telling her Alex is
dead. She grabs a can of spray paint as they pass a shelf
and prepares to use it when he turns to her. She is in
motion, ready to spray the paint in his eyes, when a sword
pierces him from behind.
The world slows for endless moments as Geoffrey presses keys
into her hand and she has a vision of a drive and a
destination, a well-known church. With his last breath, he
says, “Run.’
Geoffrey falls and she completes her motion, spraying the man
behind him with the paint. Then she runs. All the way to
the church in her vision. Terrified, not knowing who
Geoffrey was or why the killer was after her, she convinces
herself to find a phone to call the police.
She enters the mysteriously unlocked church, searching for
the pastor’s office, and hears someone stalking behind her.
Refusing to go through the door leading down, she tries for
another exit, afraid the killer is behind her. But it’s too
late and down is the only direction left.
Through the darkness, she finds a locked door and follows the
last instruction from her vision. She unlocks the door with
the extra key from the SUV and hides inside, locking the door
just as the footsteps stop outside and the person jimmies the
door. Apparently satisfied, the footsteps retreat and she
backs up, then nearly screams at a stone touch on her
shoulder. Terror mixes relief, then grief wins. She
collapses.
The footsteps of her husband mark each second she has left
and by the time he reaches the door, Kalyss is huddling in a
corner. Moving slow and talking calmly, he eventually talks
her out. They are married and it must be consummated, but he
doesn’t want her to be afraid. Unfortunately, her fear has
built to such a level, she’d rather jump her death than face
him. He stops her, then goes as far as tying himself to a
chair, naked, giving her control.
Kalyss awakens in the church’s basement with the dream man’s
challenge ringing in her ears. Run, die, or kiss me. The
challenge was applicable. Where could she go and what should
she do? Who was after her and who had tried to save her?
Either way, she had to leave the church. Determined to do
something, not running or dying, she rises and finds the
stone touch was a statue and she’d slept at it’s feet all
night.
His feet. The dream man. Alex is dead and she must run,
but Kalyss finds herself captivated by the stone man, his
expression of grief and the dried, bloody handprint over his
heart. Her hand fits it perfectly and she hears his
challenge again. Vowing she wouldn’t run, letting the
villain ruin her life, nor would she die, she kisses the
statue to seal her vow.
In a flash of heat, he awakens. She doesn’t want to believe
his story, but she finds it hard to deny. The killer is
Karl. In 1070 AD, he killed her and her husband, Baron,
froze to stone in his grief. Every hundred years, his second
in command, Geoffrey, tried to reunite them so she could
awaken Baron. And every time, nine times, Karl killed her.
Loaded with a backpack of surprising items Geoffrey had left
them, they go to a hotel and she calls the police. Afraid
they will accuse her, not believing in a serial killer that’s
killed her nine times, or a man who’s lived nearly a thousand
years, or a man who was a statue, she keeps it anonymous and
turns on the news to watch for updates.
She doesn’t really believe Baron’s story, despite her own
gifts, and refuses to just jump into being his wife. She’s
been down that road before. And nearly died from that
marriage, too.
But Baron is kind. And gentle. She loves his sense of
humor. He’s attractive, downright sexy. And he wants her,
needs her with an intensity she hadn’t known existed. He
hadn’t been asleep in his stone prison. He’d spent the time
hearing, seeing, grieving. Only in the last hundred years
had he dared hope they could have a future. She escapes his
strange enchantment by hiding in the shower. But her dream-
vision isn’t done with her.
Every other road led to her death. Kalyss faced Baron and
made her decision. She was afraid, but he was gentle with
her fears. Her control was an illusion, but she’d take it.
Take him. She’s tentative and slow at first, but with his
encouragement, she seduces them both.
Kalyss wakes in the shower, struggling with her feelings for
Baron, both past and present. He checks on her and he sees
her body, her scars. He’d been in battle all his life. He
is covered in scars as well and sees her as a well-tested
warrior. He’d always dreamed of having a family, but he’s
since learned that what he really needs is her. If she can’t
have children, he can accept that. His comfort and
acceptance of her, his need and the very way he views her,
seduces Kalyss. Accepting she wants him and testing him with
each movement, she makes love to him.
In her sleep, the dream-vision continues. Showing her a past
discussion she and Baron had about his childhood. His
parents were poisoned by his father’s wife, Maeve. Her
jealousy and protectiveness for her son, Karl, had led her to
it. Years later, when he was strong enough to avenge his
parents death, he saw Maeve. Hatred still twisted her and,
deciding that was her worst punishment of all, Baron turns
from her, refusing to give her any more power over him.
Kalyss awakens and uses the TV internet to search for any
updates in the news. A double homicide with an anonymous tip
would be on the news right a way in this city. But it isn’
t. Karl has deflected them. And what can the police do with
a man who never dies, anyway? She has to do something. She’
d go back to the dojo and face him.
The cell phone from Geoffrey’s backpack rings. It’s Karl, he
is at the dojo, and Alex is alive. So, shockingly, is
Geoffrey. Kalyss and Baron rush there to find he’s gone and
taken the guys with him. Karl wants to play a game. A
treasure hunt through Kalyss’ latest past.
But his game is more effective than he knows. Kalyss doesn’t
just remember specific moments in her past, she sees them
vividly. And Baron insists she share the vision with him.
She refuses at first. Finally, she agrees to tell him the
memories, but the memory plays for them, the day her ex
proposed. Baron experiences all of it, even her happiness as
she accepts.
From there, she is directed to an exhibit that marked a
milestone in her recovery from her ex’s final attack. A
milestone made greater by Alex’s encouragement and support.
Next, she and Baron stand where she first met Alex. Karl is
clearly telling her to watch who she trusts. Of the men
she’s accepted into her life, Alex was her only good choice.
This point is proven at the empty house where her ex nearly
killed her. She sees that night so vividly and painfully,
solid as flesh. Baron shares the vicious attack that not
only left her scarred and barren, but also killed her baby.
Karl’s lesson has taken. She rejects Baron’s comfort and
attacks him with her pain and horror. A blooded, battle-
hardened warrior, Baron lets her. She’s suffered enough in
her ten lifetimes, he won’t add to it. She rejects his claim
to her, rejects his presence in her life and rejects him.
His guilt over not saving her at any point in the last nine
centuries makes him accept her rejection, give up his dreams.
She ignores Karl’s last call when it comes, still filled with
grief and fury. And she thinks she knows where he is. The
sound of a waterfall behind his voice was a clear clue. She
goes there and finds Alex tied to a dock. Karl stands at the
top, waiting for Baron.
Kalyss unties Alex, ready to leave. She’s done with men and
the past. She’s building a new life by her rules. As Baron
and Karl fight, Alex talks to her. Geoffrey told him the
story. If she walks away from her destiny, it must be a
decision not made from fear.
When she hears the fighting stop, she races up the cliff, not
ready to lose Baron even if she’s not ready to keep him. Her
appearance distracts Baron and Karl takes advantage of it. A
few smooth moves and he impales Baron on his sword and kicks
him from the waterfall.
Alex drags himself to the top of the cliff in time to see
Baron fly off of it. With a look from Kalyss, he stays
hidden and watches Karl drug and drag Kalyss away. Then he
goes into the pond at the bottom of the waterfall and finds
Baron, frozen to stone, the sword impaling him.
Alex refuses to kiss Baron to wake him, opting instead for a
tough speech and pulling out the sword. Baron awakens,
nearly healed and with a new knowledge of his own ability.
He thanks Alex - for not kissing him.
Driving to remote area, Kalyss fights to escape, but fails
and Karl cuffs her to a tree, her hands above her head. He
doesn’t want to kill her. That was never his ultimate goal.
He wants vengeance for his mother’s death at Baron’s hands.
Karl retreats to his car, leaving Kalyss alone in the cold,
wet night. Her situation looks hopeless. She had a chance
for a true love and couldn’t overcome her fear and hold on to
it. She fights the tree, screams at God and gives in to her
tears. She had ten chances and ruined them all. She could
only pray for another one. And she hoped her heart wasn’t so
full of fear, bitterness and resentment that she has no room
for love.
Kalyss understands that to let those go and free her heart,
she must forgive. When Baron and Alex arrive, Kalyss is the
only one surprised. Karl has enacted a barrier that allows
Baron inside and closes. Alex can’t get in. The barrier
will only release when a heart stops beating.
Baron and Karl re-engage their battle. Alex talks Kalyss
through her escape. Surveying the battlefield and determined
not to make the same mistake, she waits behind Karl until
Baron notices her. Though he doesn’t know her plan, Baron
doesn’t want to kill his own brother and chooses to trust in
Kalyss and her abilities.
Kalyss runs to Karl, who spins to avoid her. Baron embraces
Karl from behind and turns to stone. His hold is
unbreakable. Kalyss runs to them both, puts a hand on both
of them, and calls forth more memories than any of them
expect. When Karl rejects Baron’s memory of his mother’s
last moments, and struggles, Kalyss’ hand slips to his
emerald necklace, his mother’s. All three see the truth of
Maeve’s death.
Suddenly, they fly apart. Baron is freed from the visions,
but, Kalyss and Karl are still trapped. She convulses, on
overload after using her gift all day. In their minds,
amidst visions of her nine deaths, Kalyss and Karl face each
other. He determines only a death will free them and it
should be his. But Kalyss won’t kill him, instead, she
forgives him again, this time for him. Karl kills himself to
set her free.
The barrier drops and Alex rushes to both bodies. He has a
gift of his own, healing. He saves Kalyss and does what he
can for Karl, but he’s unconscious. Alex takes him to the
hospital. Kalyss and Baron, freed from the cycles of the
past, express their love to each other. Only one task
remains. They must use Karl’s map to find Geoffrey.
Jamie Leigh Hansen's manuscript Betrayed was sold to Tor.
Look on the Sample Query page to see the query letter than
landed Jamie her agent for this story. Buy the Book link
coming soon.
Betrayed Synopsis
Kalyss has made many mistakes in her life and a man has
always been at the center of them. She refuses to try again,
despite Alex’s advice. Her best friend and business partner
is the only good decision about a guy that she’s ever made.
Kalyss only wants to go about her life as a martial arts
instructor, but a stranger’s sudden attack alters her
course. Who is he? Why is he after her? And why does he
refer to killing her as a “game without end”?
Fighting for her life, Kalyss uses every bit of strength and
skill she’s gained in the four years since her ex tried to
kill her, but barely holds him off. She hears Alex and tries
to call for help, but the stranger slams her against a wall,
knocking her dizzy. Then he leaves and she’s left as
confused as ever. Alex and another stranger appear as she
passes out.
In 1070 AD England, in the midst of the skirmishes against
King William’s rule, one knight takes control of a keep,
charged to marry and protect that land for his king. His
bride, Kalyss, has heard the rumors about him, however. She
sees the blood of her people on his hands. In fact, with her
gifted vision, she sees the blood of all his victims on his
hands and fears him.
Kalyss awakens to Alex and Geoffrey standing over her. When
Alex goes for the first aid kit, Geoffrey questions her about
her attacker. When time passes and Alex doesn’t return,
Kalyss worries. Geoffrey tells her they must leave. He
pushes her to the front door.
Suddenly, Geoffrey turns toward the back of the building.
Kalyss struggles to escape his hold, but he manages her all
too easily, pushing her ahead of him and telling her Alex is
dead. She grabs a can of spray paint as they pass a shelf
and prepares to use it when he turns to her. She is in
motion, ready to spray the paint in his eyes, when a sword
pierces him from behind.
The world slows for endless moments as Geoffrey presses keys
into her hand and she has a vision of a drive and a
destination, a well-known church. With his last breath, he
says, “Run.’
Geoffrey falls and she completes her motion, spraying the man
behind him with the paint. Then she runs. All the way to
the church in her vision. Terrified, not knowing who
Geoffrey was or why the killer was after her, she convinces
herself to find a phone to call the police.
She enters the mysteriously unlocked church, searching for
the pastor’s office, and hears someone stalking behind her.
Refusing to go through the door leading down, she tries for
another exit, afraid the killer is behind her. But it’s too
late and down is the only direction left.
Through the darkness, she finds a locked door and follows the
last instruction from her vision. She unlocks the door with
the extra key from the SUV and hides inside, locking the door
just as the footsteps stop outside and the person jimmies the
door. Apparently satisfied, the footsteps retreat and she
backs up, then nearly screams at a stone touch on her
shoulder. Terror mixes relief, then grief wins. She
collapses.
The footsteps of her husband mark each second she has left
and by the time he reaches the door, Kalyss is huddling in a
corner. Moving slow and talking calmly, he eventually talks
her out. They are married and it must be consummated, but he
doesn’t want her to be afraid. Unfortunately, her fear has
built to such a level, she’d rather jump her death than face
him. He stops her, then goes as far as tying himself to a
chair, naked, giving her control.
Kalyss awakens in the church’s basement with the dream man’s
challenge ringing in her ears. Run, die, or kiss me. The
challenge was applicable. Where could she go and what should
she do? Who was after her and who had tried to save her?
Either way, she had to leave the church. Determined to do
something, not running or dying, she rises and finds the
stone touch was a statue and she’d slept at it’s feet all
night.
His feet. The dream man. Alex is dead and she must run,
but Kalyss finds herself captivated by the stone man, his
expression of grief and the dried, bloody handprint over his
heart. Her hand fits it perfectly and she hears his
challenge again. Vowing she wouldn’t run, letting the
villain ruin her life, nor would she die, she kisses the
statue to seal her vow.
In a flash of heat, he awakens. She doesn’t want to believe
his story, but she finds it hard to deny. The killer is
Karl. In 1070 AD, he killed her and her husband, Baron,
froze to stone in his grief. Every hundred years, his second
in command, Geoffrey, tried to reunite them so she could
awaken Baron. And every time, nine times, Karl killed her.
Loaded with a backpack of surprising items Geoffrey had left
them, they go to a hotel and she calls the police. Afraid
they will accuse her, not believing in a serial killer that’s
killed her nine times, or a man who’s lived nearly a thousand
years, or a man who was a statue, she keeps it anonymous and
turns on the news to watch for updates.
She doesn’t really believe Baron’s story, despite her own
gifts, and refuses to just jump into being his wife. She’s
been down that road before. And nearly died from that
marriage, too.
But Baron is kind. And gentle. She loves his sense of
humor. He’s attractive, downright sexy. And he wants her,
needs her with an intensity she hadn’t known existed. He
hadn’t been asleep in his stone prison. He’d spent the time
hearing, seeing, grieving. Only in the last hundred years
had he dared hope they could have a future. She escapes his
strange enchantment by hiding in the shower. But her dream-
vision isn’t done with her.
Every other road led to her death. Kalyss faced Baron and
made her decision. She was afraid, but he was gentle with
her fears. Her control was an illusion, but she’d take it.
Take him. She’s tentative and slow at first, but with his
encouragement, she seduces them both.
Kalyss wakes in the shower, struggling with her feelings for
Baron, both past and present. He checks on her and he sees
her body, her scars. He’d been in battle all his life. He
is covered in scars as well and sees her as a well-tested
warrior. He’d always dreamed of having a family, but he’s
since learned that what he really needs is her. If she can’t
have children, he can accept that. His comfort and
acceptance of her, his need and the very way he views her,
seduces Kalyss. Accepting she wants him and testing him with
each movement, she makes love to him.
In her sleep, the dream-vision continues. Showing her a past
discussion she and Baron had about his childhood. His
parents were poisoned by his father’s wife, Maeve. Her
jealousy and protectiveness for her son, Karl, had led her to
it. Years later, when he was strong enough to avenge his
parents death, he saw Maeve. Hatred still twisted her and,
deciding that was her worst punishment of all, Baron turns
from her, refusing to give her any more power over him.
Kalyss awakens and uses the TV internet to search for any
updates in the news. A double homicide with an anonymous tip
would be on the news right a way in this city. But it isn’
t. Karl has deflected them. And what can the police do with
a man who never dies, anyway? She has to do something. She’
d go back to the dojo and face him.
The cell phone from Geoffrey’s backpack rings. It’s Karl, he
is at the dojo, and Alex is alive. So, shockingly, is
Geoffrey. Kalyss and Baron rush there to find he’s gone and
taken the guys with him. Karl wants to play a game. A
treasure hunt through Kalyss’ latest past.
But his game is more effective than he knows. Kalyss doesn’t
just remember specific moments in her past, she sees them
vividly. And Baron insists she share the vision with him.
She refuses at first. Finally, she agrees to tell him the
memories, but the memory plays for them, the day her ex
proposed. Baron experiences all of it, even her happiness as
she accepts.
From there, she is directed to an exhibit that marked a
milestone in her recovery from her ex’s final attack. A
milestone made greater by Alex’s encouragement and support.
Next, she and Baron stand where she first met Alex. Karl is
clearly telling her to watch who she trusts. Of the men
she’s accepted into her life, Alex was her only good choice.
This point is proven at the empty house where her ex nearly
killed her. She sees that night so vividly and painfully,
solid as flesh. Baron shares the vicious attack that not
only left her scarred and barren, but also killed her baby.
Karl’s lesson has taken. She rejects Baron’s comfort and
attacks him with her pain and horror. A blooded, battle-
hardened warrior, Baron lets her. She’s suffered enough in
her ten lifetimes, he won’t add to it. She rejects his claim
to her, rejects his presence in her life and rejects him.
His guilt over not saving her at any point in the last nine
centuries makes him accept her rejection, give up his dreams.
She ignores Karl’s last call when it comes, still filled with
grief and fury. And she thinks she knows where he is. The
sound of a waterfall behind his voice was a clear clue. She
goes there and finds Alex tied to a dock. Karl stands at the
top, waiting for Baron.
Kalyss unties Alex, ready to leave. She’s done with men and
the past. She’s building a new life by her rules. As Baron
and Karl fight, Alex talks to her. Geoffrey told him the
story. If she walks away from her destiny, it must be a
decision not made from fear.
When she hears the fighting stop, she races up the cliff, not
ready to lose Baron even if she’s not ready to keep him. Her
appearance distracts Baron and Karl takes advantage of it. A
few smooth moves and he impales Baron on his sword and kicks
him from the waterfall.
Alex drags himself to the top of the cliff in time to see
Baron fly off of it. With a look from Kalyss, he stays
hidden and watches Karl drug and drag Kalyss away. Then he
goes into the pond at the bottom of the waterfall and finds
Baron, frozen to stone, the sword impaling him.
Alex refuses to kiss Baron to wake him, opting instead for a
tough speech and pulling out the sword. Baron awakens,
nearly healed and with a new knowledge of his own ability.
He thanks Alex - for not kissing him.
Driving to remote area, Kalyss fights to escape, but fails
and Karl cuffs her to a tree, her hands above her head. He
doesn’t want to kill her. That was never his ultimate goal.
He wants vengeance for his mother’s death at Baron’s hands.
Karl retreats to his car, leaving Kalyss alone in the cold,
wet night. Her situation looks hopeless. She had a chance
for a true love and couldn’t overcome her fear and hold on to
it. She fights the tree, screams at God and gives in to her
tears. She had ten chances and ruined them all. She could
only pray for another one. And she hoped her heart wasn’t so
full of fear, bitterness and resentment that she has no room
for love.
Kalyss understands that to let those go and free her heart,
she must forgive. When Baron and Alex arrive, Kalyss is the
only one surprised. Karl has enacted a barrier that allows
Baron inside and closes. Alex can’t get in. The barrier
will only release when a heart stops beating.
Baron and Karl re-engage their battle. Alex talks Kalyss
through her escape. Surveying the battlefield and determined
not to make the same mistake, she waits behind Karl until
Baron notices her. Though he doesn’t know her plan, Baron
doesn’t want to kill his own brother and chooses to trust in
Kalyss and her abilities.
Kalyss runs to Karl, who spins to avoid her. Baron embraces
Karl from behind and turns to stone. His hold is
unbreakable. Kalyss runs to them both, puts a hand on both
of them, and calls forth more memories than any of them
expect. When Karl rejects Baron’s memory of his mother’s
last moments, and struggles, Kalyss’ hand slips to his
emerald necklace, his mother’s. All three see the truth of
Maeve’s death.
Suddenly, they fly apart. Baron is freed from the visions,
but, Kalyss and Karl are still trapped. She convulses, on
overload after using her gift all day. In their minds,
amidst visions of her nine deaths, Kalyss and Karl face each
other. He determines only a death will free them and it
should be his. But Kalyss won’t kill him, instead, she
forgives him again, this time for him. Karl kills himself to
set her free.
The barrier drops and Alex rushes to both bodies. He has a
gift of his own, healing. He saves Kalyss and does what he
can for Karl, but he’s unconscious. Alex takes him to the
hospital. Kalyss and Baron, freed from the cycles of the
past, express their love to each other. Only one task
remains. They must use Karl’s map to find Geoffrey.
Jamie Leigh Hansen's manuscript Betrayed was sold to Tor.
Look on the Sample Query page to see the query letter than
landed Jamie her agent for this story. Buy the Book link
coming soon.
Barbara White Daille
COURT ME, COWBOY
Synopsis
A week to the day of first meeting, Marissa and Gabe Miller
tie the knot; three weeks later, the marriage unravels. The
big-city chef and the Texas rancher realize they've made a
mistake—but they've also made a baby. And now they need to
make a deal for the sake of their child. . . .
Marissa wants a partner on both sides of the sheets, but
Gabe's refusal to communicate forces her to walk out. Being
abandoned long ago by his mother leaves Gabe unwilling to
open up. Since falling for and losing Marissa, he vows to
keep himself to himself.
As the story begins, it's mid-December and Marissa's back,
telling Gabe she never filed for their divorce—and that
she's four months pregnant. She'd believed she could walk
away. . .but the pregnancy changes everything. She wants to
give Gabe and the baby the chance to forge a strong
relationship. When he demands she stay with him, she
counters that he has to court her. In her heart, she knows
he'll never agree.
He thinks she's crazy. Then he's stunned by the realization
that the baby is the only heir to his ranch. Afraid of
losing touch with the child, he agrees to a sham marriage.
Logic tells Marissa this farce isn't the answer, but her
heart overrules her head. She can't let her mistakes hurt
her child. For the baby's sake only, she gives in—with the
stipulation that she'll share Gabe's life but not his bed.
At a neighborhood Christmas party, Gabe "practices" kissing
her under the mistletoe and discovers it's a real perk of
this pretend marriage. He wants more, even if he has to
court her.
Even if he doesn't know how.
When each of Gabe's attempts results in disaster, he know
he's looking like a donkey's rear end. Plus, he's obsessing
over a relationship that's pure pretense! He wants to trust
Marissa to stay but knows she'll take off, like the first
time. Still, he'll keep his side of their bargain. Then,
when she does leave, she'll have no reason to deny him
contact with his child.
Gabe gives Marissa Christmas gifts, which touches her enough
to let her share some of her feelings with him.
He's astounded to learn how deserted she felt during her
first stay on the ranch and knows he's partly to blame.
Right after the honeymoon, he'd worked twice as hard and
twice as long hours on the ranch in an effort to provide for
her. And to fight his fear that she wouldn't stay.
When unexpected company arrives, Marissa is left with no
choice but to move into Gabe's room. But, every morning, he
wakes to an empty bed. Eager as he is to push the issue,
the thought of rejection reins him in. Because now he
genuinely wants a wife and child—he wants it all. And if he
can win her, he might just be able to get her to stay.
Eventually, the barriers down between them, they make love.
This supports Gabe's belief in the wisdom of his plan; he'd
gotten close to her, but still kept his heart. Yet he
doesn't want to take advantage of her. Or push her away.
So he'll do his best to keep her happy. Satisfied, he drops
off to sleep.
Longing to relive the closeness of the night they conceived
their child has made Marissa respond to Gabe's kisses, his
caresses, his love. Though their lovemaking reinforced that
closeness, Gabe's immediate retreat afterward makes her
ashamed.
The next day, he returns from the field to find the ranch
house deserted. When Marissa shows up, he blows his stack,
accusing her of planning to leave. She realizes there's
more than anger behind his tirade and knows he can never
love her, because he's been hurt before and is protecting
his heart. And she lost any chance she might have had with
him when she left him after the honeymoon.
Her heart breaking, Marissa also realizes she's been fooling
herself again. She's always loved Gabe, would live anywhere
with him, and truly wants to be his wife. Unfortunately,
the realizations have come too late. He might want to be a
real father, but he'll never be able to trust enough to
become a real husband. She tells him he can be the father
to her baby. But she can't accept what he’s offering
because what she needs—what they both need—is a full, loving
relationship. And she won’t cheat either of them out of it.
Left in the lonely ranch house, Gabe struggles to come to
terms with his own reality. His problem wasn't trusting
Marissa not to leave him, it was trusting himself to let
someone else in. And he had, the moment he'd met her. It
just took him till now to be able to admit it to himself—and
to her. Marissa tells him that's all she needs, and she
loves him in return.
In the epilogue four months later, he finds her with
suitcase in hand. She's leaving. Instead of agony, he
feels only joy. It's time for her to give birth to their
son. But, Marissa assures Gabe, she'll never leave him
again—except for future trips to the maternity ward.
Barbara White Daille sold this book to Harlequin American
Romance as part of a two-book contract. The Sheriff's Son,
September 2006, is the first book on the contract. Court
Me, Cowboy — which actually led to her getting "The Call" —
is her second published novel. Buy the Book
COURT ME, COWBOY
Synopsis
A week to the day of first meeting, Marissa and Gabe Miller
tie the knot; three weeks later, the marriage unravels. The
big-city chef and the Texas rancher realize they've made a
mistake—but they've also made a baby. And now they need to
make a deal for the sake of their child. . . .
Marissa wants a partner on both sides of the sheets, but
Gabe's refusal to communicate forces her to walk out. Being
abandoned long ago by his mother leaves Gabe unwilling to
open up. Since falling for and losing Marissa, he vows to
keep himself to himself.
As the story begins, it's mid-December and Marissa's back,
telling Gabe she never filed for their divorce—and that
she's four months pregnant. She'd believed she could walk
away. . .but the pregnancy changes everything. She wants to
give Gabe and the baby the chance to forge a strong
relationship. When he demands she stay with him, she
counters that he has to court her. In her heart, she knows
he'll never agree.
He thinks she's crazy. Then he's stunned by the realization
that the baby is the only heir to his ranch. Afraid of
losing touch with the child, he agrees to a sham marriage.
Logic tells Marissa this farce isn't the answer, but her
heart overrules her head. She can't let her mistakes hurt
her child. For the baby's sake only, she gives in—with the
stipulation that she'll share Gabe's life but not his bed.
At a neighborhood Christmas party, Gabe "practices" kissing
her under the mistletoe and discovers it's a real perk of
this pretend marriage. He wants more, even if he has to
court her.
Even if he doesn't know how.
When each of Gabe's attempts results in disaster, he know
he's looking like a donkey's rear end. Plus, he's obsessing
over a relationship that's pure pretense! He wants to trust
Marissa to stay but knows she'll take off, like the first
time. Still, he'll keep his side of their bargain. Then,
when she does leave, she'll have no reason to deny him
contact with his child.
Gabe gives Marissa Christmas gifts, which touches her enough
to let her share some of her feelings with him.
He's astounded to learn how deserted she felt during her
first stay on the ranch and knows he's partly to blame.
Right after the honeymoon, he'd worked twice as hard and
twice as long hours on the ranch in an effort to provide for
her. And to fight his fear that she wouldn't stay.
When unexpected company arrives, Marissa is left with no
choice but to move into Gabe's room. But, every morning, he
wakes to an empty bed. Eager as he is to push the issue,
the thought of rejection reins him in. Because now he
genuinely wants a wife and child—he wants it all. And if he
can win her, he might just be able to get her to stay.
Eventually, the barriers down between them, they make love.
This supports Gabe's belief in the wisdom of his plan; he'd
gotten close to her, but still kept his heart. Yet he
doesn't want to take advantage of her. Or push her away.
So he'll do his best to keep her happy. Satisfied, he drops
off to sleep.
Longing to relive the closeness of the night they conceived
their child has made Marissa respond to Gabe's kisses, his
caresses, his love. Though their lovemaking reinforced that
closeness, Gabe's immediate retreat afterward makes her
ashamed.
The next day, he returns from the field to find the ranch
house deserted. When Marissa shows up, he blows his stack,
accusing her of planning to leave. She realizes there's
more than anger behind his tirade and knows he can never
love her, because he's been hurt before and is protecting
his heart. And she lost any chance she might have had with
him when she left him after the honeymoon.
Her heart breaking, Marissa also realizes she's been fooling
herself again. She's always loved Gabe, would live anywhere
with him, and truly wants to be his wife. Unfortunately,
the realizations have come too late. He might want to be a
real father, but he'll never be able to trust enough to
become a real husband. She tells him he can be the father
to her baby. But she can't accept what he’s offering
because what she needs—what they both need—is a full, loving
relationship. And she won’t cheat either of them out of it.
Left in the lonely ranch house, Gabe struggles to come to
terms with his own reality. His problem wasn't trusting
Marissa not to leave him, it was trusting himself to let
someone else in. And he had, the moment he'd met her. It
just took him till now to be able to admit it to himself—and
to her. Marissa tells him that's all she needs, and she
loves him in return.
In the epilogue four months later, he finds her with
suitcase in hand. She's leaving. Instead of agony, he
feels only joy. It's time for her to give birth to their
son. But, Marissa assures Gabe, she'll never leave him
again—except for future trips to the maternity ward.
Barbara White Daille sold this book to Harlequin American
Romance as part of a two-book contract. The Sheriff's Son,
September 2006, is the first book on the contract. Court
Me, Cowboy — which actually led to her getting "The Call" —
is her second published novel. Buy the Book
All writing on this page copyrighted by its authors.
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 1
Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak
When the local gossipmonger barges into Tracy Gilbert's
apartment to bring news that Riley Collins has returned to
town, Tracy scoots the messenger out the door and tries to
ignore the message. She tells herself that it doesn’t matter--
either Riley is paying a short, springtime visit to his
grandmother, or someone saw a man who looked just like him.
Tracy has an adopted four-year-old daughter now, as well as
an office manager’s position that she hopes to develop into a
career. She has long-term goals and an organized plan for
reaching them. She has no time to track down Riley or the
truth. But before this busy single mom can gather half a
cartload of groceries, she notices an entire shelf emptied of
macaroni and cheese boxes. She imagines a familiar man taking
them, and curiosity wins out. Since Hannah is with a sitter
anyway, Tracy postpones her Saturday morning tasks and heads
north out of town. If Riley is hiding at the old house, she’
ll ask him to leave. He should know he no longer belongs in
Kirkwood, and Tracy is just the person to tell him. After
all, they were once the best of friends.
Riley doesn’t answer his doorbell, so Tracy takes time to
look around. Within minutes, he appears in his own backyard
to catch her on his swingset. Tracy knows the odd flip of her
stomach has nothing to do with the sudden halt in her
reminiscent swinging.
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 2
Riley was always too handsome for his own good, but this man
is grown-up sexy. Between accusations and torrid glances,
Tracy doesn’t accomplish the one thing she came to do. The
most she can manage before she leaves is to issue a warning--
don’t get comfortable. You won’t fit in.
Suddenly Tracy, who has been dubbed Ms. Superefficient by her
boss, is bungling things she usually handles effortlessly. It
doesn’t help that she keeps imagining Riley’s attributes on
every man in her path. She rededicates herself to her job and
Hannah, knowing she’ll soon forget about Riley. Just the way
she forgot about him thirteen years ago when he ran away with
her bombshell sister. Then forgot about him again when he
abandoned that same, potentially pregnant sister out in
California. The picturesque Kansas college town Tracy calls
home isn’t huge, but it’s big enough to allow a woman to
avoid a troublemaking man.
Avoiding any man who is sitting in your boss’s office mere
yards from your desk is difficult, Tracy decides a few days
later. Especially after Booker summons her inside to join
them. And when Booker and Riley dangle a consulting
assignment, a promotion and a fat commission check in front
of Tracy’s nose, it’s even harder. She wants that promotion
rather badly. Hannah’s toys clutter every corner of the
apartment, and her reasonable childhood requests threaten to
overpower Tracy’s bank account. Tracy would love to the means
to buy a house, a pair of skates and a guinea pig, but not at
the cost of working with Riley Collins.
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 3
She begins an exhaustive search for any excuse to refuse the
assignment, but she meets disappointment at every turn. Not
only does Riley have the appropriate credentials, his office
space is too cluttered to traverse. And he can hardly expect
certain clients to use his business if he insists on wearing
an ear stud and a bandana, especially given his history as
the town’s most notorious delinquent. Tracy admits to herself
that her skills are suited to his needs, and that turning
down the job and subsequent promotion would be ridiculous.
She confronts Riley on his own front porch, intending to give
him news of her acceptance and list a few conditions. They
will be business partners only, she insists. And he has to
agree to take Tracy and her advice seriously.
Riley always knew his childhood chum would grow into a pretty
woman, but he’d forgotten about Tracy’s spunk. She’s the only
lady who could stand there enumerating restrictions to their
relationship, while also charming him with her penchant for
slipping out of her shoes. She should know better than to
challenge him, though. In fact, when she suggests that his
cherished motorcycle doesn’t conform to a businesslike image,
he works the situation around until she rides the bike with
him. And when she informs him that fooling around is off
limits, he kisses her.
Of course, at their very next meeting Tracy outlaws workday
kisses. Riley knows she’s right to do so. He hasn’t
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 4
hired Tracy to seduce her, anyway. Most of those old rumors
weren’t true, and he wants to teach her a few lessons in the
perils of misjudging a person. However, every time he tries
to make a point with Tracy, a new lesson is drummed into his
own head. He enjoys teasing Tracy into smiling those huge,
wrinky-nosed smiles he’s always loved. And he tries to get
around the no-kissing rule whenever he can. At seventeen, he
recognized that he and Tracy could break one another’s
hearts.
He stayed away from her then. Why can’t he resist her, now?
Their consulting appointments always seem to overflow into
their lunch hours, and Tracy and Riley rediscover a mutual
liking for one another. Unfortunately, they also get a lot of
work done. The job is soon finished, but Riley is reluctant
to end the regularly scheduled meetings. A back alley
farewell turns into a steamy kiss and grope session, and
Riley realizes what it is that he really wants from Tracy Ð a
romance. A future. Quite possibly, a forever.
When he meets Hannah at Tracy’s duplex, Riley learns of the
child’s adoption. He recognizes that Tracy is the sort of
woman who makes long-term, life-changing choices. He wants to
be sure he’s serious before he professes his feelings. He
resolves to be patient, hoping to start with friendship and
build from there. But he also makes his intentions known to
Tracy. He’s planning to hang around and get to know both her
and Hannah very well.
On the first night of her sister’s visit from California,
Tracy worries about how Karen and Riley will react to one
another.
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 5
Karen’s presence reminds Tracy that she needs to back away.
She’s beginning to care too deeply. But when Karen confesses
a truth about her past, Riley makes a gigantic leap from an
untouchable man to a potential lover. With Hannah headed out
to a puppet show with Riley’s grandmother, the only thing for
Tracy to do is seduce Riley.
Their lovemaking is passionate enough to be frightening. As
much as she enjoys Riley’s adventurous spirit, Tracy knows
the relationship can never be serious. He’s the hot,
impetuous boy who survived a difficult childhood; she’s the
good girl next door who needs a warm, safe man. She plays
down the emotional punch of sleeping with Riley by avoiding
him for a few days. Then she attacks him again. She can’t
find the strength to sever the relationship, but she protects
herself by taking on the role of seductress whenever they are
alone.
For the citywide Independence day celebration, Tracy
organizes a picnic basket raffle as a fundraiser for clients.
Since she will be busy managing the event, Tracy leaves
Hannah in Riley’s care for a few hours. Immediately after the
raffle, Tracy learns that Riley has allowed Hannah to attend
a play date in the home of a family Tracy doesn’t know.
Although Riley assures her that Hannah is fine, Tracy is
angry at the risk he has taken with her child. But her
initial fear for Hannah’s safety lasts long beyond the child’
s return. Her quarrel with Riley becomes more significant
when she understands the problem--she has begun to open her
heart and
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 6
her life to a man she distrusted for thirteen years. A man
she has always loved, but whom she has never considered as a
true partner. She makes an panicky attempt to revert back to
sexy vamp, but Riley tells her it’s over. This time, he’s the
one claiming that he needs to be taken seriously.
After a sleepless night, Tracy speaks with her boss on the
phone. During the conversation, she realizes that she has
misplaced the money she raised in the raffle Ð over a
thousand dollars. Fearing for her job, Tracy searches for the
money on her own. During her madcap rush around town, Tracy
realizes that she is mostly upset about hurting her best
friend. Riley is now a strong and respectable man, as well as
a creative lover. Her job, the promotion and even the lost
money become insignificant in comparison to a future without
him. For the first time in a while, Tracy knows exactly what
to do. After confessing her mistake to Booker, Tracy writes a
personal check for the entire amount. Then she leaves Booker’
s office without finding out whether she’ll have a job the
next day.
Tracy’s goals to buy a house and provide a future for Hannah
are still intact, but she knows they need to be adapted to
fit a new situation. Tracy speeds to Riley’s house to tell
him that she’s ready to be brave. She loves him without
reservation. Her generous-spirited man drops to one knee to
propose, so Tracy kneels down, too. She wants to look
directly into his eyes, so he can see the certainty in hers
when she accepts.
Kathy Hagan sold this manuscript to Harlequin. It was
published under the title The Renegade, and under her pen
name, Kaitlyn Rice. (You can find the query for this story on
the Sample Query Letter page.) Buy the book.
Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak
When the local gossipmonger barges into Tracy Gilbert's
apartment to bring news that Riley Collins has returned to
town, Tracy scoots the messenger out the door and tries to
ignore the message. She tells herself that it doesn’t matter--
either Riley is paying a short, springtime visit to his
grandmother, or someone saw a man who looked just like him.
Tracy has an adopted four-year-old daughter now, as well as
an office manager’s position that she hopes to develop into a
career. She has long-term goals and an organized plan for
reaching them. She has no time to track down Riley or the
truth. But before this busy single mom can gather half a
cartload of groceries, she notices an entire shelf emptied of
macaroni and cheese boxes. She imagines a familiar man taking
them, and curiosity wins out. Since Hannah is with a sitter
anyway, Tracy postpones her Saturday morning tasks and heads
north out of town. If Riley is hiding at the old house, she’
ll ask him to leave. He should know he no longer belongs in
Kirkwood, and Tracy is just the person to tell him. After
all, they were once the best of friends.
Riley doesn’t answer his doorbell, so Tracy takes time to
look around. Within minutes, he appears in his own backyard
to catch her on his swingset. Tracy knows the odd flip of her
stomach has nothing to do with the sudden halt in her
reminiscent swinging.
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 2
Riley was always too handsome for his own good, but this man
is grown-up sexy. Between accusations and torrid glances,
Tracy doesn’t accomplish the one thing she came to do. The
most she can manage before she leaves is to issue a warning--
don’t get comfortable. You won’t fit in.
Suddenly Tracy, who has been dubbed Ms. Superefficient by her
boss, is bungling things she usually handles effortlessly. It
doesn’t help that she keeps imagining Riley’s attributes on
every man in her path. She rededicates herself to her job and
Hannah, knowing she’ll soon forget about Riley. Just the way
she forgot about him thirteen years ago when he ran away with
her bombshell sister. Then forgot about him again when he
abandoned that same, potentially pregnant sister out in
California. The picturesque Kansas college town Tracy calls
home isn’t huge, but it’s big enough to allow a woman to
avoid a troublemaking man.
Avoiding any man who is sitting in your boss’s office mere
yards from your desk is difficult, Tracy decides a few days
later. Especially after Booker summons her inside to join
them. And when Booker and Riley dangle a consulting
assignment, a promotion and a fat commission check in front
of Tracy’s nose, it’s even harder. She wants that promotion
rather badly. Hannah’s toys clutter every corner of the
apartment, and her reasonable childhood requests threaten to
overpower Tracy’s bank account. Tracy would love to the means
to buy a house, a pair of skates and a guinea pig, but not at
the cost of working with Riley Collins.
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 3
She begins an exhaustive search for any excuse to refuse the
assignment, but she meets disappointment at every turn. Not
only does Riley have the appropriate credentials, his office
space is too cluttered to traverse. And he can hardly expect
certain clients to use his business if he insists on wearing
an ear stud and a bandana, especially given his history as
the town’s most notorious delinquent. Tracy admits to herself
that her skills are suited to his needs, and that turning
down the job and subsequent promotion would be ridiculous.
She confronts Riley on his own front porch, intending to give
him news of her acceptance and list a few conditions. They
will be business partners only, she insists. And he has to
agree to take Tracy and her advice seriously.
Riley always knew his childhood chum would grow into a pretty
woman, but he’d forgotten about Tracy’s spunk. She’s the only
lady who could stand there enumerating restrictions to their
relationship, while also charming him with her penchant for
slipping out of her shoes. She should know better than to
challenge him, though. In fact, when she suggests that his
cherished motorcycle doesn’t conform to a businesslike image,
he works the situation around until she rides the bike with
him. And when she informs him that fooling around is off
limits, he kisses her.
Of course, at their very next meeting Tracy outlaws workday
kisses. Riley knows she’s right to do so. He hasn’t
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 4
hired Tracy to seduce her, anyway. Most of those old rumors
weren’t true, and he wants to teach her a few lessons in the
perils of misjudging a person. However, every time he tries
to make a point with Tracy, a new lesson is drummed into his
own head. He enjoys teasing Tracy into smiling those huge,
wrinky-nosed smiles he’s always loved. And he tries to get
around the no-kissing rule whenever he can. At seventeen, he
recognized that he and Tracy could break one another’s
hearts.
He stayed away from her then. Why can’t he resist her, now?
Their consulting appointments always seem to overflow into
their lunch hours, and Tracy and Riley rediscover a mutual
liking for one another. Unfortunately, they also get a lot of
work done. The job is soon finished, but Riley is reluctant
to end the regularly scheduled meetings. A back alley
farewell turns into a steamy kiss and grope session, and
Riley realizes what it is that he really wants from Tracy Ð a
romance. A future. Quite possibly, a forever.
When he meets Hannah at Tracy’s duplex, Riley learns of the
child’s adoption. He recognizes that Tracy is the sort of
woman who makes long-term, life-changing choices. He wants to
be sure he’s serious before he professes his feelings. He
resolves to be patient, hoping to start with friendship and
build from there. But he also makes his intentions known to
Tracy. He’s planning to hang around and get to know both her
and Hannah very well.
On the first night of her sister’s visit from California,
Tracy worries about how Karen and Riley will react to one
another.
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 5
Karen’s presence reminds Tracy that she needs to back away.
She’s beginning to care too deeply. But when Karen confesses
a truth about her past, Riley makes a gigantic leap from an
untouchable man to a potential lover. With Hannah headed out
to a puppet show with Riley’s grandmother, the only thing for
Tracy to do is seduce Riley.
Their lovemaking is passionate enough to be frightening. As
much as she enjoys Riley’s adventurous spirit, Tracy knows
the relationship can never be serious. He’s the hot,
impetuous boy who survived a difficult childhood; she’s the
good girl next door who needs a warm, safe man. She plays
down the emotional punch of sleeping with Riley by avoiding
him for a few days. Then she attacks him again. She can’t
find the strength to sever the relationship, but she protects
herself by taking on the role of seductress whenever they are
alone.
For the citywide Independence day celebration, Tracy
organizes a picnic basket raffle as a fundraiser for clients.
Since she will be busy managing the event, Tracy leaves
Hannah in Riley’s care for a few hours. Immediately after the
raffle, Tracy learns that Riley has allowed Hannah to attend
a play date in the home of a family Tracy doesn’t know.
Although Riley assures her that Hannah is fine, Tracy is
angry at the risk he has taken with her child. But her
initial fear for Hannah’s safety lasts long beyond the child’
s return. Her quarrel with Riley becomes more significant
when she understands the problem--she has begun to open her
heart and
K. Hagan, Hand-Me-Down Heartbreak -- Synopsis 6
her life to a man she distrusted for thirteen years. A man
she has always loved, but whom she has never considered as a
true partner. She makes an panicky attempt to revert back to
sexy vamp, but Riley tells her it’s over. This time, he’s the
one claiming that he needs to be taken seriously.
After a sleepless night, Tracy speaks with her boss on the
phone. During the conversation, she realizes that she has
misplaced the money she raised in the raffle Ð over a
thousand dollars. Fearing for her job, Tracy searches for the
money on her own. During her madcap rush around town, Tracy
realizes that she is mostly upset about hurting her best
friend. Riley is now a strong and respectable man, as well as
a creative lover. Her job, the promotion and even the lost
money become insignificant in comparison to a future without
him. For the first time in a while, Tracy knows exactly what
to do. After confessing her mistake to Booker, Tracy writes a
personal check for the entire amount. Then she leaves Booker’
s office without finding out whether she’ll have a job the
next day.
Tracy’s goals to buy a house and provide a future for Hannah
are still intact, but she knows they need to be adapted to
fit a new situation. Tracy speeds to Riley’s house to tell
him that she’s ready to be brave. She loves him without
reservation. Her generous-spirited man drops to one knee to
propose, so Tracy kneels down, too. She wants to look
directly into his eyes, so he can see the certainty in hers
when she accepts.
Kathy Hagan sold this manuscript to Harlequin. It was
published under the title The Renegade, and under her pen
name, Kaitlyn Rice. (You can find the query for this story on
the Sample Query Letter page.) Buy the book.
 |  |  |
