Jade’s story is coming along nicely and I’d like to share the first chapter:

Chapter One
“Ready?” Zach glanced over at Jade as he pulled into the roundabout in front of the restaurant. “There’ll be even more paparazzi tonight.”
“Once more into the fray,” she said with a weak smile. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for this, but I’ll handle it.”
“Welcome back, Mr. Crawford.” The doorman opened the passenger door of the Range Rover and offered a hand to Jade. “There’s a whole gaggle of photographers tonight.”
“Thanks Chad.” Zach was at Jade’s side in several long strides and gathered her hand in his, looking down at her with a heart-melting smile. “It’s good to be back.” He squeezed her hand. “We’ve been upstate filming a movie.” For a few precious moments they were shielded from the photographers.
“Jade! Over here!” The chorus started the moment they stepped out from behind the Range Rover. “Zach! When are you going to introduce us to your new lady?”
Zach held her casually at his side and paused just long enough for the photographers to get their shots. “Come on guys, give us a break. We’re just having dinner.” He gave them the famous Zach Crawford smile which always seemed to appease them.
Jade flushed under the scrutiny but managed a smile. She’d learned quickly that it was best to maintain a Mona Lisa-like silence. Besides, Zach was far more adept at handling the constant attention that was focused on them every time they went out together. She was seeing a side of Hollywood that she’d only heard of before…
Another solicitous greeting from the maître d’ and they were shown to a booth where they were visible to only a few other diners. Zach nodded to a few people and then slipped in beside her and gave her a long, searching look. “Is everything all right?”
How did he expect her to answer when he looked at her like that? Those dark, probing eyes seemed to look inside her soul and her heart did a little tap dance against her ribs. “I’m fine. Just not used to all the attention, I guess.”
“You don’t like people yelling at you and blinding you with their flash?” His dimple showed.
“It’s you they really want to get close to.” She glanced up sharply. “Don’t take that the wrong way, but it’s the truth.”
He looked at her as if she were some new species he’d discovered. “Most women I know love the attention; they go out of their way hoping to be noticed.” He cocked his head to the side. “Why is that, do you think?”
“Beats me.” She softened the words with a smile. “I just know that I prefer to stay out of the spotlight.”
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” he said, “us getting together.”
“Maybe not.” Her tone held a challenge and for a moment she thought she saw disappointment in his eyes. “But I’m willing to stick it out for a little longer if you are.”
He lifted her hand and brushed his lips against the back of her knuckles. Good thing she was sitting down, as her legs might not have held her upright. “That’s my girl.” He looked up as their server approached. “Hello Darrel.”
The young man grinned broadly. “Mr. Crawford. Good to see you again.” He smiled at Jade. “May I bring you something to drink?”
Zach turned to Jade, his eyebrows raised.
“A glass of white wine would be nice.”
“Sounds good. A bottle of Sauvignon Blanc please, and I’d like a Heineken to start.”
“Zach! I can’t drink a whole bottle by myself.”
“No? I might have to help you out by having a glass with the meal.”
Darrell returned with their drinks, menus tucked under his arm. “May I tell you tonight’s specials?”
After some discussion they ordered and Jade went back to their previous conversation. “So tell me. Has it always been this way for you…the attention… the paparazzi?”
“Heavens, no. In the beginning I couldn’t get arrested.” He smiled at a distant memory. “I remember a couple of times I wanted to impress a girl by taking her to the ‘in’ restaurant at the time and I couldn’t get a reservation.” He turned thoughtful. “I remind myself about that from time to time. Keeps me grounded. That and my friend Kevin. We work out together and believe me, he doesn’t let me get away with anything.” He picked up his beer and looked at it reflectively. “It’s good to have someone in your life who’ll slap you down if you get too big for your britches. I’ve worked with a few actors who could use a friend like Kevin.”
She looked at him thoughtfully. “It’s hard to think of you as anything other than a big movie star. How did you get your start?”
He grinned. “You really want to hear this?”
She met his question with a steady look. “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t interested.”
“Fair enough.” He took a drink, gathering his thoughts. “I think I already told you that my first speaking role was as an extra in a gang movie. I had something like three lines, but it was a game changer for me.”
“In what way?”
“I got to watch some real pros at work. I soaked up everything about their performance, as well as how they interacted with the other actors, the director, and the crew. It took only a few jobs to realize that the genuinely successful actors are gracious; they appreciate everyone around them.”
“I’ve noticed the same thing.”
Zach raised an eyebrow and Jade lifted her shoulders in response. “Some actors get into my makeup chair and forget that there’s a person working on them. Their true nature comes out, especially when they talk on their cell phones.”
He turned to her, dark eyes flashing. “Trust me, I was always aware of you as a person.”
She lowered her head. “I wasn’t speaking about you.” She searched her mind for something else to talk about. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
His mouth tightened for a moment, then he relaxed. “No. How about you?”
“I was an only child as well. Tell me about your mother. You mentioned her a couple of times when we were in Chance but I didn’t want to pry.”
The look of love that swept over his face made her heart melt. “My mother was the best,” he said with a catch in his throat. “She was born in Puerto Rico but her family moved to the States when she was small. She married an American who left when I was four. I never saw him again.”
Jade tried unsuccessfully to hide her disgust.
“It’s okay,” he said with a sad smile. “I agree that it was a cowardly thing to do but the truth is, he’s little more than a faint memory. His absence didn’t affect me at the time. It was only later that I realized my mother scrambled to make ends meet for many years. Eventually I was old enough to get a job and was able to help out financially, but I always wanted to do more for her.” His eyes took on a faraway look. “She was so thrilled for me when I got my first real role. She was my biggest fan. I was determined to buy a house for her and as a result I accepted every job that came along, which of course meant a lot of time out of town.” He sucked in a breath of air. “I should have noticed that she was losing weight. She always put on a bright face when I was home between projects. It never occurred to me that she had cancer.”
“Oh Zach –” Tears sprang to Jade’s eyes.
He reached for her hand. ‘I came home from shooting a movie in Vancouver and I couldn’t believe the change. She died a month later and even though the doctor said they did everything possible, for a long time I beat myself up believing that if I’d been around more I could have done something.”
“Sounds to me as though you were a good son; something that fills every mother with pride. How long ago was this?”
He watched a drop of condensation roll down the outside of his beer glass. “It’s been six years.”
“You haven’t slowed down much.”
“You noticed, huh?” Sometimes I think I’m still trying to make Mom proud of me.”
“I’m fairly sure she is.”
He took a long swallow of beer. “I’d like to think that’s true. How did we get on this subject anyway?”
“We were talking about our families, and your busy schedule.”
He gave a short, dry laugh. “I can only blame myself for that. I told my agent to keep me booked. That was around four years ago and I’m beginning to regret it but you know how it is in this business. Projects get scheduled far ahead.”
“Especially for actors as popular as you.”
He acknowledged the compliment with a wry smile. “I have a small project next month, then we’re in talks with Stardust Studios. They’ve bought the rights to Dylan Hawkins’ latest series and they’d like me to play the lead.”
“He writes thrillers, right?”
“Have you read his stuff?”
“No, but his books are everywhere. I think you’d be good as a detective type.”
“Think so?”
She nodded.
“I like the idea as well. Besides, as I said he’s written a whole series. If the first one’s popular I wouldn’t mind tackling a few more. Some good paydays and I’ll be closer to my ultimate goal.”
“Buying a ranch.”
Their meals came, but neither of them paid much attention. Zach nodded when their server offered to pour him some wine. He held the glass, but didn’t drink, gazing into the distance. He finally turned to Jade, a resolute expression on his face. “This may sound like I’ve seen too many westerns, but I’ve always wanted to have a ranch.” He smiled as her eyes lit up. “Not a huge one… not like Lianne’s spread, but maybe a hundred acres or so. Enough to go riding, let my dogs run, maybe even raise a few cattle, but that’s not important.”
“You have dogs?”
He laughed. “Not yet. They’re part of the dream.”
Jade took a slow sip of her wine, sat back against the banquette, and studied the man next to her, realizing that she didn’t know him at all. Had she done as so many others had done, and fallen in love with the image… the man on the screen who donned a new identity with every role he played?
The realization that she was in love with Zach Crawford had come to her several days ago, after she’d retired to her room. He’d been talking on the phone and she’d been torn apart, wondering if he was talking to another woman, perhaps discussing how much longer he had to keep up the charade with Jade.
Because it was a charade. At least on his part, and just thinking about it tied her stomach in knots.
It had never occurred to her that she might fall in love with him. Okay, she’d been attracted to him while they were shooting in Chance, but not because he’d encouraged her. Zach was that rarest of creatures – a genuinely nice actor who treated everyone around him with kindness and respect. The few women who were part of the crew and had worked with him previously assured Jade that he’d been this way from the beginning of his career. He had a reputation for not sticking with a woman for very long, and yet not one of his former girlfriends had a bad word to say about him. How he’d remained single this long was anybody’s guess. Not surprisingly there were plenty of women in Hollywood who given the chance would eagerly take him off the market.
Jade watched his eyes flash as he described his ideal hobby ranch and thought back to when it had all begun for her…

In case you haven’t read the Prequel, I’ll put the links below. The Prequel introduces us to the five women who join forces to bring a small California town back from obscurity. ps: It’s FREE!

AMAZON US AMAZON UK iTUNES B&N KOBO

I read a lot. And thanks to e-books, the selection is wider than ever. I won’t bore you with the way things used to be – we’ve read enough blogs about that, thank you very much. But with this new ability to publish a book where it succeeds or fails on its merits offers readers a new freedom of choice. I’m now able to decide for myself if I like a new author and I might even stop reading some of my former choices when I compare their offerings against newly found talent.

I’ve discovered that my favorite authors are the ones with whom I feel comfortable. When I go on to their next offering, or when they have a new release, I get that warm and fuzzy feeling, knowing that I’ll be disappearing for a while, immersed in the story. In many cases, when I turn the page, I know what the next word is going to be. Does that mean they’re predictable? Perhaps, but it also means that we (the author and I) share a love of words that extends to how we arrange them on the page. Predictable isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, contemporary romance readers expect a happy ending and in a murder mystery, we expect the protagonist to solve the crime.

I recently found a new author named Victor Methos and am currently reading the second book in his Neon Lawyer series. I like the way the books move along, his characters are believable and either likable or detestable depending on their role. He’s simply a good storyteller and I look forward to carving out some time later on this winter to read more of his stuff.

In years past I read a few offerings by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. These were paperback, so you know how long ago that was. I recently purchased her book First Star I See Tonight and enjoyed it immensely.

I’ll read anything by John Grisham. I’ve seen critiques of his writing from time to time and wonder if those reviewers read a different book. It’s popular fiction, folks, and hugely entertaining. His latest, The Rooster Bar is, as usual, an engaging read.

Another new author (for me) is James Swain. He has several series, but the one I’ve tackled is the Tony Valentine series. I intend to read the others, time permitting. The Tony Valentine character consults with casinos to show them how people are ripping them off. Fertile grounds for great stories, and he doesn’t disappoint.

I’ve mentioned Nick Russell before. His Big Lake series has brought him national attention, but I’m also enjoying his new John Lee Quarrels series. Slightly grittier, they’re fast-paced and fun to read. The latest offering in that series is Badge Bunny.

For me, reading is my time away from the keyboard. When I sit down with a book by any of these authors I know I can disappear inside the world of their characters, and emerge refreshed and ready to work again. It doesn’t get much better than that!!