New Year's Eve Club

"Mom. You're still up."Jessie's mother raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Hard to break the habit of waiting for a child to come home, whether she's nine or twenty-nine. You and Heather had fun shopping?"For my upcoming fling? Jessie nodded and broke the seal on the cap of her water, resisting the urge to grab the bright pink Victoria's Secret bag out of her mother's hand. Her mother just hooked a finger around a strap and pulled a very brief lacy bra-bright red-from the tissue paper. She held it up and gave Jessie a knowing smile."For a special occasion?"Jessie had never lied to her mother, and she wasn't going to start now, though she felt her cheeks burning. "Mick Landers asked me out," she blurted."Who?" Her mom furrowed her brow."The detective who found Charlie.""Oh, right." Her mom nodded and dumped the contents of the bag on the counter, considered the jumble of lace and silky fabric then smiled. "Well, it's about time!" A multi-published author and former RWA President, as a child some of Jill's tales got her in trouble, but now she gets paid for them. Residing in San Diego with her husband and a trio of dogs and one very ancient cat, Jill's favorite pastime is to gather friends and family for good food, conversation and plenty of laughter.

He was tall and whipcord lean, just like a hero out of the old movies that were her favorites. His grey hat was pushed back on his head, revealing again that curly dark blond hair. Today he wore no chaps, but that didn't stop her from instinctually checking out his backside. Nothing like Levi's and boots to make a man look manly. Terry Irene Blain was lucky enough to grow up in a large Midwestern family with a rich oral tradition. As a child she heard stories of ancestors' adventures with Indians, wildlife, weather and frontier life in general, so she naturally gravitated to the study of history and completed a BA and MA then taught the subject at the college level. Married to a sailor, now retired, she's had the chance to live in various parts of the U.S. and has traveled to Hong Kong, Australia, England and Scotland."My degrees and my teaching experience make me a natural to write historical romance. Writing historical romance gives me the opportunity to pass on stories of who we are and where we come from while exploring the relationship between men and women. What could be more exciting than that?"