Coming this week from Changeling Press!
Title: Audit This!
Genres: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Humor
Release Date: January 24, 2013
Author: Anne Kane
Publisher URL Changeling Press – Erotic Fiction
BLURB:
When government tax auditor Nick finds himself obsessed with the work of erotic romance author Khloe Matters, there’s only one thing to do. Audit her! But getting a closer look at the sexy author in her own home just makes him switch his obsession from the writing to the writer.
When he accompanies her to a writers’ festival, things heat up in a hurry. Neither of them is being entirely honest, and as the weekend progresses so does the hilariously tangled webs of deceit as each of them seeks to further their own agenda.
EXCERPT:
Khloe groaned in frustration. Did the gods really have nothing better to do than toy with the libido of a romance writer just trying to make a living? Would it have been so hard to make the auditor an ugly frog and some nebulous fellow-writer a mouth-watering hunk of man-flesh? Really? “I am not suggesting we have sex. I’m saying we need to keep our priorities straight. You’re the auditor. I’m the auditee.”
“I’m not sure auditee is a word but I get your point. You don’t want to mix business with pleasure.”
“Exactly!” She gave him a grateful smile. “You understand.”
“Of course.” In less time than it took her to blink, he turned back into the stone-faced auditor she’d been dealing with all week. He pulled a tablet out of his briefcase. “Now, about this Writer’s Festival. How did you want to approach it? Should I meet you there?”
The sudden shift from amorous lover to business-like auditor caught her off-guard. “It’s upstate, about a three-hour drive, so we might as well drive up together.”
“And that would be where?” He paused, his fingers poised over the input screen.
“Gardenville. It’s just south of the capital. The festival is held at the Inn on the Lake.”
The auditor keyed the information in. “I take it accommodations are available on a drop in basis?”
Damn! The hotel had been booked up for months. The gods really did have it in for her. “No, but I have a junior suite reserved. Two double beds, so I’m sure we can work something out.” She could feel the heat stain her cheeks. People shared rooms at these kinds of things all the time. Not a big deal. There were two beds, and even a bit of a sitting room. Nothing wrong with that. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
“Sounds excellent. Given the accommodations, I assume you will tell people I’m a romantic interest? It puts a damper on conversation when I’m introduced as a government auditor. I’ll pick up the tab for my half of the room, of course. When should I pick you up?”
“Pick me up?” She was starting to feel less and less like a successful author and more like a fumbling teenager with her first crush
“What time do we need to leave in order to get to this Writer’s Festival on time? I am the worst possible passenger you can imagine, so I will pick you up and drive us to Gardenville.”
He sounded so calm, so reasonable. As if just minutes ago he hadn’t had his arms wrapped tight around her while his tongue played hide-and-seek with her tonsils. “Umm…” Khloe did a quick mental calculation. Three-hour drive. Add half an hour for unexpected complications. An hour to check in and get unpacked. Another hour to change into clean clothes for the informal meet and greet that started at six. “If we leave here by noon we should have plenty of time.”
“I’ll see you then.” He collected his notes from the table and carefully stacked them back into his briefcase, placing the Bullfighter’s Downfall on top of the stack. “Meanwhile, I’ll go through the rest of your receipts and let you know if I have any other questions.”
Khloe took a step toward him. “You can’t keep my book. That’s a signed ARC.” The moment the words were out she regretted them. The last thing she wanted to do was antagonize this man. “Never mind, of course you can keep it. I can get more from the publisher.”
A crease marred the smooth line of his brow, and he looked confused. “I thought it was just a book. What’s an ARC?
Khloe sighed. “Advance Reader’s Copy. The publisher gives me a certain number of them in advance of the release, and I use them for promotional giveaways. I always keep one for myself.” It sounded silly when she tried to explain. “Anybody can buy the book at a store, or order it online, but only a few lucky people have access to the advance copies. It’s kind of like a good luck thing.”
He nodded as if made perfect sense, plucking the book out of the pile and handing it back. “I can get a copy at the bookstore across from my hotel. I wouldn’t want to spill my coffee on your lucky copy.” A ghost of a smile flitted across his face as he closed the lid and snapped the locks. “Maybe you can sign it for me when I pick you up.”
“Sure.” She put Bullfighter’s Downfall back in its spot on the bookshelf, not sure what else to say.
“So I’ll pick you up on Friday at noon.” The auditor hefted his massive briefcase in one hand and held out the other toward her.
Really? After that soul-destroying kiss, he wanted to shake hands? “Sounds good.” She reached for his hand.
The auditor’s warm fingers enveloped her smaller hand. Catching her totally off-guard, he drew her toward him to place an achingly sweet kiss on her lips. “See you then.” Before she managed to regain her balance, he headed out the door. Damn, even from the back view, the guy had major charisma!
Another Great blurb & excerpt..
Thanks,
tl.etheridge31(at)gmail(dot)com
Great excerpt!
deethomas 291 at gmail dot com
Excerpt makes me curious why he is going to the Writer’s Festival with her.
html-2(At) Hotmail(Dot) com