{"id":1039,"date":"2022-05-23T13:37:32","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T17:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/?p=1039"},"modified":"2023-05-04T16:30:56","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T16:30:56","slug":"please-pardon-our-dust-and-other-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/23\/please-pardon-our-dust-and-other-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Please Pardon our Dust and other things."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Louisville and Nashville book events were lots of fun. Books at the Beach in St. Petersburg, Florida is next. The talented Sherrylin McQueen, a.k.a, Sherrilyn Kenyon, will be the guest author and honored Fae Queen.<\/p>\n<p>Please check the events page for the correct address and tickets. Or go through this direct link to EventBrite. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/books-at-the-beach-2022-tickets-213711074577?aff=ebdiayyoutube\">Books at the Beach <\/a><\/p>\n<p>I hope to see you there.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In other news.<em>\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Undeniable, <\/em>Central Florida Stories book 2 is currently on preorder. The talented folks at Sleeping Giant are working to have the page up and running in a couple of days. For your reading pleasure, I&#8217;m leaving a short excerpt and blurb. Be aware that <em>Undeniable<\/em> is an &#8220;adults only&#8221; Romantic Suspense novel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>BLURB:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Their hearts will never forget&#8230; But the approaching danger may take away their forever.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Possessing vital information that could bring down a crime cartel, Arely Bernal flees to Orlando, taking a job as far under the radar as she can get\u2014bartending at a BDSM club. Where she encounters the man she\u2019s never forgotten.<\/p>\n<p>Wracked with post-Afghanistan PTSD, Kurt Allendorf limps through his days, barely taking an interest in his Club Nexus anymore. Until he\u2019s stunned to spot a face, he hasn\u2019t seen in twelve years. Arely has grown into a seductive beauty who awakens his inner Dom like no other woman, ever. But he\u2019s too broken to be worthy of her trust, much less her submission.<\/p>\n<p>When the danger Arely\u2019s running from tracks her down, there\u2019s no place safe to hide. And both Arely and Kurt will have to rise above their demons to survive\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stand-alone strictly 18+<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>EXCERPT:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Kurt planned to arrive at the club fifteen minutes after the trial began. He wanted to slink into the cocktail lounge as unseen and unheard as possible. It was crucial to watch the applicant\u2019s behavior from a distance. He had nothing against women working jobs usually associated with men. He was all about equality and qualifications. If she knew her stuff and Ross approved her abilities, great. His suspicions rested elsewhere. The faint flash of vulnerability Ethan had shown last night was concerning. He hadn\u2019t been this way since the debacle with Joyce; a predator with a great act. Before the wedding, Ethan discovered she was after his money. After that, he closed himself off to anything meaningful. Missing the initial interview pissed Kurt off. That would\u2019ve been the perfect opportunity to assess the woman\u2019s intentions and nip any ulterior motives in the bud. But no, he\u2019d been socializing instead.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever, he still had enough time to remedy the situation. The position hadn\u2019t been offered yet. Pete wasn\u2019t around, and that avoided undesired conversation. He slipped inside the lounge, grateful for the rubber soles of his shoes, moved to a back table, and sat down to watch the activity in the bar.<\/p>\n<p>The trial was underway.<\/p>\n<p>Perched on a stool, Ethan had his back turned to Kurt. His friend was focused on the applicant and few words were spoken. Kurt couldn\u2019t see the woman working in front of Ethan. He did hear ice and liquid jiggling quickly inside a metal shaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDelicious.\u201d Ethan\u2019s remark reached him.<\/p>\n<p>The woman shifted to the side\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Kurt\u2019s world imploded.<\/p>\n<p>Not caring if he made a racket, he jumped out of his chair.\u00a0 Arely Bernal was here, now, and in his club. How could this be?<\/p>\n<p>Ethan swiveled toward him and frowned. Ross stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>Arely mouthed, <em>Kurt<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly aware of his stiff knee and awkward gait, he leaned on his cane, attempting to move as nimbly as he could. He had to confirm this wasn\u2019t a figment of his imagination, an uncanny lookalike, or a cruel joke from the creator above.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKurt, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Ethan asked.<\/p>\n<p>He ignored his friend. His gaze was fixed on the girl\u2019s golden eyes as he took in her stunning beauty. After a frozen moment, he managed to speak. \u201cArely?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She blinked; her full lips trembled, and the room tilted. Recognition struck him deep in his chest. Except for some tiny lines at the corners of her eyes, this was <em>the<\/em> Arely Bernal of College Park and his youth.<\/p>\n<p>His youth\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Kurt frowned. Circumstances and events clicked in rapid succession. A strange pattern emerged. Could Arely\u2019s presence here be more than chance? Especially on the heels of Abelard\u2019s visit? He didn\u2019t believe in coincidences. The connection, however buried, vibrated in his bones.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the Arely he knew would never be part of an evil conspiracy. She\u2019d always been good and honest. A feisty straight shooter who hated violence. <em>Had been<\/em>, he reminded himself, and long years had passed since. He\u2019d witnessed the most upstanding individuals falter under the weight of hard times. What did he know about Arely and her life?<\/p>\n<p>Something darker, even nefarious, lurked at the bottom of this seemingly innocent development. Until he had a long conversation with her, he\u2019d keep his suspicions private.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKurt, you\u2019re staring.\u201d Ethan snapped him back.<\/p>\n<p>Arely\u2019s expressive eyes had gone from surprise and delight to doubt and concern. She knew him too.<\/p>\n<p>He forced a smile. \u201cI think I left my manners in the truck. I\u2019m shocked. Stunned, really. Arely and I used to be neighbors. We actually lived two houses apart. I\u2019ve known her since she was yay high.\u201d He stretched out his palm, illustrating the height of the cute girl he remembered. \u201cHer brother was one my best buds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He let that bit of history slip out for Ethan\u2019s enlightenment. His eyelids flickered. Good. His friend noted the odd coincidence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWow, Arely. I can\u2019t believe it,\u201d Kurt murmured. \u201cYou\u2019re here. How long has it been?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwelve years, Kurt. I thought I\u2019d never see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Why did he pretend forgetfulness when he knew down to the day how many years had passed? In that span of time, her voice had turned smoky, seductive. And\u2026 Did he hear a hint of reproach in her words?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShould anyone be interested,\u201d Ross cut in, \u201cArely passed with flying colors. Her Bobby Burns and cosmo were outstanding. I approve. Hire her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay,\u201d Ethan said. \u201cSince Kurt is here, he should be involved in the decision. Maybe he\u2019d like to ask Arely a few questions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ethan moved to a club chair and gestured for the others to join him.<\/p>\n<p>As Arely came around the bar, Kurt watched her, overwhelmed by the changes. She\u2019d developed into a gorgeous, long-legged creature.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<em>Slow down. This is little Arely!<\/em> His brain commanded, but faced with reality, his libido rebelled. Yes, the little girl was gone. A glorious woman stood in her place. Her golden eyes glittered brighter than he remembered, and his fingers shook with the desire to caress and explore her luscious curves. Was her dark hair as silky as it seemed? And her tan skin, was it soft and perfumed? He wanted to know just like he wanted to taste her, feel her full lips under his&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><em>Fuck!<\/em> He wondered what had happened to the tedium and general disinterest with everything in life that had sent him to Key West.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Louisville and Nashville book events were lots of fun. Books at the Beach in St. Petersburg, Florida is next. The talented Sherrylin McQueen, a.k.a, Sherrilyn Kenyon, will be the guest author and honored Fae Queen. Please check the events page for the correct address and tickets. Or go through this direct link to EventBrite. &#8230; <a title=\"Please Pardon our Dust and other things.\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/23\/please-pardon-our-dust-and-other-things\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Please Pardon our Dust and other things.\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-release"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1039"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1129,"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1039\/revisions\/1129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/victoriasaccentiwrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}