A Kelly Family Novella Series
Ethan: A Kelly Family Novella
Officer Ethan Kelly is a nice guy. That’s what all the girls say, right before they toss him aside for one of those bad boys. But when he meets rookie officer, Heather Moss, Ethan is determined to show her that a nice guy knows how to treat a real woman.
But Heather isn’t interested. Or at least, she doesn’t want to be. She swore off men a long time ago, and focusing on her career leaves zero room for romance. Even with someone as sweet and sexy as Ethan. But when she saves his life on a robbery call, Heather realizes that he might just be the man to save her from herself.
Storm: A Kelly Family Novella
Bad boy cop Storm Kelly is on the prowl for some action. And the way he’s feeling, he doesn’t much care if it comes in the form of a bar fight or a smart, sassy woman. So when he gets off his Harley and walks into a biker bar, he’s in his element when he finds both … barroom brawl, check. Rescue the damsel in distress, check. And with any luck, that sexy damsel might just turn out to be the perfect sub he’s been searching for.
Nina Fitz is in a world of trouble when the sexy stranger comes to her rescue. Never one to resist a hot guy on a motorcycle, she quickly decides to invite this one home. And when the jerk from the bar decides he’s not through with her, Officer Storm Kelly becomes her protector. But after one night of passion with Storm, Nina is left wondering if she can handle his dark dominant side.
Frankie: A Kelly Family Novella
Frankie Kelly has fought her whole life to prove that she is just as capable as all the men in her testosterone-driven family. And now her hard work and dedication to the police K-9 program is finally beginning to pay off. But when her secret, sexy romance with her sergeant culminates in a marriage proposal, Frankie is thrown for a loop wondering if she’s ready to go public with their clandestine relationship.
John Myles is sure of two things in life - one, that he is dedicated to the K-9 program he leads at the police department. And two, that he loves Frankie Kelly more than life itself. But when she hesitates to accept his proposal, John is rattled. Especially when the job gets in the way, forcing him to send her and her K-9 partner out into the dark night in search of a dangerous murder suspect.
Marina: A Kelly Family Novella
Marina Kelly is sick to death of cops! That’s all she’s known her entire life - her father is a cop, her uncle was a cop. All of her cousins are cops. Even her two brothers and her big sister … all cops. So Marina decided early on that her life would take a much different path, getting as far away from that lifestyle as she could get. And dating a cop is totally out of the question!
Levi Hawks is well aware of Marina’s ‘no cops’ dating rule, so when a supposed chance meeting brings him face-to-face with the sexy shop owner, Levi is determined to hide the fact that he’s a police detective from her for as long as he possibly can. Or at least until he can get her to agree to go out with him!
Book Excerpts
Excerpt from Ethan: A Kelly Family Novella
“What the heck was that all about?” she asked.
He hesitated, shaking his head and rolling his eyes, a clear indicator that he hated this topic of discussion.
“What? You mean you have been at this job for two whole months already and you haven’t heard that Mike Kelly’s boys couldn’t be more different?” he asked sarcastically. “Storm is tall and blonde, good-looking, military smarts, athletic build. The spitting image of his father, the much beloved and revered Michael Kelly. Ethan, on the other hand, is about three inches shorter in stature, average looks, average police skills. He’s never gonna be half the cop that their father was. Storm is the city’s last best hope. Didn’t you know any of that?”
Heather couldn’t help her incessant giggle as she listened to his snide, self-deprecating diatribe. “No. I was not aware,” she laughed. “I’m sorry.”
“Well … now you’ve been schooled,” he told her, smiling at her giggle as he looked her over. She really was a pretty girl. In fact, Ethan would go so far as to say that she was gorgeous. And he couldn’t help but take note of her figure in the regular clothes. He thought she looked hot in the uniform, but now he could clearly tell that she had a great body, and he was having trouble trying to keep this friendly drink platonic. Her hair fell in blonde waves that bounced around her shoulders as she laughed, and all he really wanted to do was kiss her.
“Well, having just met you both properly tonight, I can say with some authority that whoever labeled Ethan Kelly as just average in the looks department had to be … I don’t know … blind,” she offered.
“Oh, yeah?” he asked, suddenly looking at her in surprise as he wondered if she had picked up on his vibe. Was she flirting with him?
Heather shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah,” she answered with a small smile. And she could feel the color spreading over her face. Why had she said that?
They stared at one another for a long moment, and neither one of them could ignore the electric charge suddenly dancing in the air between them. There was a definite heat pulsing on the current all around them, and neither one of them wanted to discount it.
Heather felt a stirring inside her that she hadn’t felt for a long, long time, and as much as the sensation scared her, she found herself craving it. Wanting it to linger and stay awhile. Finally, she gave an embarrassed smile and looked away, breaking their intense eye contact.
“Um, so … you and your brother … you seem to get along okay,” she said.
Ethan smiled at her obvious avoidance tactic. “Yeah. Most of the time,” he replied. “That wasn’t always the case when we were younger, but … we’ve both grown up a little bit. Now it’s only idiots like Shane who try and pit us against each other. That’s not to say that fights don’t happen at all, because they do sometimes,” he admitted. “Usually about stupid shit. What about you? You mentioned a younger sister.”
“Yeah. Hillary,” she answered. “We are polar opposites. I love her, but we usually fight like cats and dogs.”
“Yeah? Lots of hair pulling and scratching going on?” he teased.
“Well, one of us carries a gun now, so … not much hair pulling going on anymore,” she smiled, and he laughed.
“Hey, listen … I know it’s late, but … you want to go grab a bite somewhere?” he asked. “The menu here is limited to wings, and I could really go for a slice of pizza.”
Heather smiled at him, suddenly eager to get out of the bar and go anywhere with him. Her no carbs rule be damned. “Pizza sounds good.”
They stood and left the bar together, each of them wondering where this friendship, and the night, might be headed. They took his car, and they ended up about a block away at Martoni’s, which just happened to have the best pizza in town. It was also one of the only pizza joints in the area that stayed open late and sold pies by the slice, and as Ethan and Heather ate their late dinner, they talked about the job and shared a few more laughs.
Heather found herself feeling completely at ease with him, something that didn’t happen too often with men anymore since her rape. But something about Ethan was different. He was smart and funny, and his kindness was genuine. And Heather found that to be incredibly attractive.
Ethan was captivated by her. Especially now that he knew her background and what she had gone through. He admired the fact that she had picked herself up and done something positive with her life after such a tragedy, instead of letting that one moment define who she was and what her future was going to be. And he had never felt such an instant connection with another girl before. The chemistry between them hadn’t diminished one bit since they had left the bar, and he was determined to explore it.
“You’ve uh … you got some sauce …” his voice trailed off as he gestured to the corner of her mouth. And when he reached out with his thumb to clear away the remnant of pizza sauce on her face, his eyes lingered on her lips as he brought his thumb to his own mouth and sucked the sauce from it. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He leaned in and kissed her.
Heather was surprised by the unexpected sensation of his mouth on hers, but not upset by it in the least. His lips were soft and his tongue was insistent. She reached up and allowed her fingers to run through his soft brown hair as they kissed. And long moments later, after that one kiss had become a full-blown make-out session, she pulled away and looked at him.
“We should probably take this somewhere less public,” she panted.
“I like the way you think,” he breathed.
“What the heck was that all about?” she asked.
He hesitated, shaking his head and rolling his eyes, a clear indicator that he hated this topic of discussion.
“What? You mean you have been at this job for two whole months already and you haven’t heard that Mike Kelly’s boys couldn’t be more different?” he asked sarcastically. “Storm is tall and blonde, good-looking, military smarts, athletic build. The spitting image of his father, the much beloved and revered Michael Kelly. Ethan, on the other hand, is about three inches shorter in stature, average looks, average police skills. He’s never gonna be half the cop that their father was. Storm is the city’s last best hope. Didn’t you know any of that?”
Heather couldn’t help her incessant giggle as she listened to his snide, self-deprecating diatribe. “No. I was not aware,” she laughed. “I’m sorry.”
“Well … now you’ve been schooled,” he told her, smiling at her giggle as he looked her over. She really was a pretty girl. In fact, Ethan would go so far as to say that she was gorgeous. And he couldn’t help but take note of her figure in the regular clothes. He thought she looked hot in the uniform, but now he could clearly tell that she had a great body, and he was having trouble trying to keep this friendly drink platonic. Her hair fell in blonde waves that bounced around her shoulders as she laughed, and all he really wanted to do was kiss her.
“Well, having just met you both properly tonight, I can say with some authority that whoever labeled Ethan Kelly as just average in the looks department had to be … I don’t know … blind,” she offered.
“Oh, yeah?” he asked, suddenly looking at her in surprise as he wondered if she had picked up on his vibe. Was she flirting with him?
Heather shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah,” she answered with a small smile. And she could feel the color spreading over her face. Why had she said that?
They stared at one another for a long moment, and neither one of them could ignore the electric charge suddenly dancing in the air between them. There was a definite heat pulsing on the current all around them, and neither one of them wanted to discount it.
Heather felt a stirring inside her that she hadn’t felt for a long, long time, and as much as the sensation scared her, she found herself craving it. Wanting it to linger and stay awhile. Finally, she gave an embarrassed smile and looked away, breaking their intense eye contact.
“Um, so … you and your brother … you seem to get along okay,” she said.
Ethan smiled at her obvious avoidance tactic. “Yeah. Most of the time,” he replied. “That wasn’t always the case when we were younger, but … we’ve both grown up a little bit. Now it’s only idiots like Shane who try and pit us against each other. That’s not to say that fights don’t happen at all, because they do sometimes,” he admitted. “Usually about stupid shit. What about you? You mentioned a younger sister.”
“Yeah. Hillary,” she answered. “We are polar opposites. I love her, but we usually fight like cats and dogs.”
“Yeah? Lots of hair pulling and scratching going on?” he teased.
“Well, one of us carries a gun now, so … not much hair pulling going on anymore,” she smiled, and he laughed.
“Hey, listen … I know it’s late, but … you want to go grab a bite somewhere?” he asked. “The menu here is limited to wings, and I could really go for a slice of pizza.”
Heather smiled at him, suddenly eager to get out of the bar and go anywhere with him. Her no carbs rule be damned. “Pizza sounds good.”
They stood and left the bar together, each of them wondering where this friendship, and the night, might be headed. They took his car, and they ended up about a block away at Martoni’s, which just happened to have the best pizza in town. It was also one of the only pizza joints in the area that stayed open late and sold pies by the slice, and as Ethan and Heather ate their late dinner, they talked about the job and shared a few more laughs.
Heather found herself feeling completely at ease with him, something that didn’t happen too often with men anymore since her rape. But something about Ethan was different. He was smart and funny, and his kindness was genuine. And Heather found that to be incredibly attractive.
Ethan was captivated by her. Especially now that he knew her background and what she had gone through. He admired the fact that she had picked herself up and done something positive with her life after such a tragedy, instead of letting that one moment define who she was and what her future was going to be. And he had never felt such an instant connection with another girl before. The chemistry between them hadn’t diminished one bit since they had left the bar, and he was determined to explore it.
“You’ve uh … you got some sauce …” his voice trailed off as he gestured to the corner of her mouth. And when he reached out with his thumb to clear away the remnant of pizza sauce on her face, his eyes lingered on her lips as he brought his thumb to his own mouth and sucked the sauce from it. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He leaned in and kissed her.
Heather was surprised by the unexpected sensation of his mouth on hers, but not upset by it in the least. His lips were soft and his tongue was insistent. She reached up and allowed her fingers to run through his soft brown hair as they kissed. And long moments later, after that one kiss had become a full-blown make-out session, she pulled away and looked at him.
“We should probably take this somewhere less public,” she panted.
“I like the way you think,” he breathed.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Excerpt from Storm: A Kelly Family Novella
Storm took the girl by the hand and walked out of the room. He led her back down the hallway and out through the crowded bar, keeping his eyes peeled the entire way. He noticed a few glances in their direction as they made their way out, and he wondered who this chick was and what exactly he had just stepped into the middle of. Did she belong to one of these guys here? Was he about to be jumped for trying to help her leave?
Once they were safely outside he turned to look at her as he kept a firm grip on her hand and led her toward his bike.
“Thanks for your help,” she said, her voice sounding slightly haughty as she pulled her hand from his grasp.
“You’re welcome,” he answered. He looked at her as he swung his leg over his bike and sat down. Back there in the thick of things he’d been a little too preoccupied to notice, but now that he had a minute to process, he started at her feet and went all the way up. Black spiked ankle boots, blue jeans that looked painted onto her form, a blue denim halter top that revealed a flat stomach, ample tits and a body peppered with tattoos. There was a small, very realistic looking ladybug on the right side of her neck, and Storm could see part of what looked like swirls or waves of some kind running down the left side of her abdomen. There were also words on her right forearm and a small tattoo of flowers around her left wrist, like a bracelet. She had long silky hair the color of copper and the biggest blue eyes he’d ever seen. She was sexy as hell, and Storm suddenly wanted nothing more than to peel her out of those tight clothes and bend her over his bike.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
She looked at him with a surprised, blank stare for a moment, and then gave him a slight smile. “Look, sugar, I appreciate the assist with the Neanderthal back there. Truly, I do. But this is not winner take all, okay? I’m not your prize. You won’t be taking me home as your trophy.”
Storm smiled at her as he released the kickstand of the bike. “First of all … don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. I mean, you’re hot. But that doesn’t mean I’m dying to bag you,” he lied, loving the soft blush that crept over her cheeks. “And second, I just thought it’d be nice to know your name before I give you a ride home, that’s all.”
“Who said you’re giving me a ride home?” she asked.
“Oh, my bad,” he shrugged. “I just assumed that when no one in that place bothered to lift a finger to help when you were screaming, or cared enough to see if you were alright as you left, meant that they weren’t exactly your friends.”
She rolled her eyes as she listened to him and glanced back at the bar. He had a point. Who else was she going to ask for a ride? And it wasn’t like she had her cell phone with her. And she certainly didn’t want to go back in there to call a cab.
“Does one of these bikes belong to you?” he asked.
She looked back at him, and she could see the amusement in his eyes. They were an incredible shade of blue. The palest she’d ever seen, and with his blonde hair and those rugged features, he looked good enough to eat. Especially sitting on that bike in all that leather. Oh, yeah. Maybe she did want to be nice to this guy.
“No, they don’t,” she said, answering his question. “My name is Nina. Nina Fitz.”
“Storm Kelly,” he said, smirking at her. Then he started up the bike. “Hop on, Nina. Where do you live?”
She sighed as she imagined his annoyance. “I live in Eastwood. On Hawthorn Street.”
Storm’s snorted softly. “Eastwood, huh?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry,” she said. “I know that’s probably a little out of your way.”
“Actually, it’s not. I live in Eastwood.”
“You do?”
He nodded his head as he stared at her, wondering how he had never run across her before. She was someone he would definitely have remembered meeting.
“Small world,” she smiled, staring into his eyes.
“So they say,” he replied.
He waited as she climbed onto the back of his Harley, and then he reached to the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a pair of aviator sunglasses.
“Put those on,” he said. Then he pulled out his own riding glasses and slipped them on. “Ready?”
She nodded at him and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling slightly closer to him than was necessary.
Storm smiled as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. “Something tells me you’ve done this before,” he said.
Nina shrugged a shoulder at him. “I like bikes and the hot guys who ride them. Is that a crime?”
“No. Not at all,” he answered, revving the engine a couple of times. Then he pulled slowly out of the parking lot and onto the street.
Storm took the girl by the hand and walked out of the room. He led her back down the hallway and out through the crowded bar, keeping his eyes peeled the entire way. He noticed a few glances in their direction as they made their way out, and he wondered who this chick was and what exactly he had just stepped into the middle of. Did she belong to one of these guys here? Was he about to be jumped for trying to help her leave?
Once they were safely outside he turned to look at her as he kept a firm grip on her hand and led her toward his bike.
“Thanks for your help,” she said, her voice sounding slightly haughty as she pulled her hand from his grasp.
“You’re welcome,” he answered. He looked at her as he swung his leg over his bike and sat down. Back there in the thick of things he’d been a little too preoccupied to notice, but now that he had a minute to process, he started at her feet and went all the way up. Black spiked ankle boots, blue jeans that looked painted onto her form, a blue denim halter top that revealed a flat stomach, ample tits and a body peppered with tattoos. There was a small, very realistic looking ladybug on the right side of her neck, and Storm could see part of what looked like swirls or waves of some kind running down the left side of her abdomen. There were also words on her right forearm and a small tattoo of flowers around her left wrist, like a bracelet. She had long silky hair the color of copper and the biggest blue eyes he’d ever seen. She was sexy as hell, and Storm suddenly wanted nothing more than to peel her out of those tight clothes and bend her over his bike.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
She looked at him with a surprised, blank stare for a moment, and then gave him a slight smile. “Look, sugar, I appreciate the assist with the Neanderthal back there. Truly, I do. But this is not winner take all, okay? I’m not your prize. You won’t be taking me home as your trophy.”
Storm smiled at her as he released the kickstand of the bike. “First of all … don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. I mean, you’re hot. But that doesn’t mean I’m dying to bag you,” he lied, loving the soft blush that crept over her cheeks. “And second, I just thought it’d be nice to know your name before I give you a ride home, that’s all.”
“Who said you’re giving me a ride home?” she asked.
“Oh, my bad,” he shrugged. “I just assumed that when no one in that place bothered to lift a finger to help when you were screaming, or cared enough to see if you were alright as you left, meant that they weren’t exactly your friends.”
She rolled her eyes as she listened to him and glanced back at the bar. He had a point. Who else was she going to ask for a ride? And it wasn’t like she had her cell phone with her. And she certainly didn’t want to go back in there to call a cab.
“Does one of these bikes belong to you?” he asked.
She looked back at him, and she could see the amusement in his eyes. They were an incredible shade of blue. The palest she’d ever seen, and with his blonde hair and those rugged features, he looked good enough to eat. Especially sitting on that bike in all that leather. Oh, yeah. Maybe she did want to be nice to this guy.
“No, they don’t,” she said, answering his question. “My name is Nina. Nina Fitz.”
“Storm Kelly,” he said, smirking at her. Then he started up the bike. “Hop on, Nina. Where do you live?”
She sighed as she imagined his annoyance. “I live in Eastwood. On Hawthorn Street.”
Storm’s snorted softly. “Eastwood, huh?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry,” she said. “I know that’s probably a little out of your way.”
“Actually, it’s not. I live in Eastwood.”
“You do?”
He nodded his head as he stared at her, wondering how he had never run across her before. She was someone he would definitely have remembered meeting.
“Small world,” she smiled, staring into his eyes.
“So they say,” he replied.
He waited as she climbed onto the back of his Harley, and then he reached to the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a pair of aviator sunglasses.
“Put those on,” he said. Then he pulled out his own riding glasses and slipped them on. “Ready?”
She nodded at him and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling slightly closer to him than was necessary.
Storm smiled as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. “Something tells me you’ve done this before,” he said.
Nina shrugged a shoulder at him. “I like bikes and the hot guys who ride them. Is that a crime?”
“No. Not at all,” he answered, revving the engine a couple of times. Then he pulled slowly out of the parking lot and onto the street.
BUY THE BOOKS
A Kelly Family Novella Series
PREPURCHASE LINKS: BARNES & NOBLE
Ethan
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ethan-lashell-collins/1119059178?ean=2940045799034
Storm
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/storm-lashell-collins/1119059179?ean=294004579904
Frankie
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frankie-lashell-collins/1119059181?ean=2940045799065
Marina
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marina-lashell-collins/1119059183?ean=2940045799096
About The Author
When she’s not writing, Lashell enjoys reading, shopping, eating Chinese food, and riding on the back of her husband’s Harley-Davidson. She loves watching General Hospital and Grimm. She is a huge music fan and is completely obsessed with Slash. Lashell is a member of the Romance Writers of America. Drop her a line; she loves to hear from readers.
AUTHOR WEBSITE
GOODREADS
Contest Giveaway
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Author Lashell Collins will be awarding a $15 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
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The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/04/cover-reveal-four-novellas-by-lashell.html
I just want to say thank you to Jersey Girl Book Reviews for hosting a stop on my cover reveal tour. Thanks for adding the two excerpts from my website!
ReplyDeleteHi Lashell! Thank you for the opportunity to host your virtual book cover reveal event. A Kelly Family Novella series looks wonderful, I added them to my TBR list. I love adding book excerpts to the blog post, this way my followers get a teaser of the story. :)
DeleteThanks for adding them to your TBR list. When you get around to them I hope you enjoy them. I'll be posting excerpts from the other two novellas to my website on Thursday and Friday to keep the party going! :-)
Deletewho was the hardest character to get inside their head?
ReplyDeleteandralynn7 AT gmail DOT com
Definitely Marina, because she sort of has a different mindset than the rest of her siblings, so she was a challenge!
DeleteThank you for the opportunity to host the virtual book cover reveal event.
ReplyDelete