While there might not ever be a free lunch for anyone, I promise there are numerous free book offers out there. Some that come from very well known authors. Over the years, I’ve seen the free book promotions and on occasion I’ve taken advantage of those. Well…I know I am not as well known as the Jae’s or the Lee Winter’s of the Sapphic world, but starting today and for FIVE days only, Inspiration Takes a Vacation: An Epic Love Story will be free to EVERYONE. Yup, you heard that correctly.

I might have issues with Amazon on occasion, but the one thing I learned when I self published Inspiration Takes a Vacation: An Epic Love Story is that I could do a promotion for five days that would make the book available to everyone for free. I liked that because I do want to thank the readers, and this is a really good way to do that. Honest, this is not a gimmick or trick. You don’t have to sign up for my mailing list (unless of course you want to). There isn’t another book in the series that you need to buy. This is simply a stand alone book that you can get through Amazon for the next five days and if you like what you read, maybe you’ll check out my other books. I’m also not asking for reviews in exchange for a free book. Nope this one’s for free with no strings attached. Just enjoy…or not if it turns out not to be your cup of tea!

Here’s a little teaser for you in case you want to get a sense for what the book might be like:

Abigail Prentice had holed up in her tiny apartment for the past seven days. At least she’d graduated to showering every day. She’d engrossed herself in several television marathons—Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, anything to avoid her laptop. Abby imagined the damn thing glaring at her or the blinking screen simulating how a computer might telegraph hurt. If she was honest with herself, lately, the ghostly white glare reminded her of a cheap horror flick—a blinding light on her utterly blank manuscript.

In her head, she thought of what her laptop might say to her. “Why are you avoiding me again? You know how much I love it when your fingers dance across my keyboard.”

When Abby wasn’t spending her free time binge-watching the different shows, she posted cat videos on Facebook or slipped in random comments to posts already taking on a life of their own.

Danger lurked around every corner for Abby, which was why she thought a writer was the safest occupation she could have chosen. Unfortunately, she was in the midst of the most prolonged dry spell of her entire career. She hadn’t written a single fictional word in over three months. She’d joked on Facebook that inspiration had taken a sabbatical, and she wasn’t sure the persnickety woman was coming back.

“Screw it,” she muttered and flung the covers aside. After setting her iPad on the glass table, Abby shuffled into the bathroom and began brushing her teeth. What good does it do to live in such a beautiful place if I never leave my bedroom?

Peeking through the blinds, she was happy to see a tiny patch of blue sky far in the distance through the tall trees. Once the fog lifted, the beach might be a safe place to try to get back her writing mojo. Hadn’t she always heard that’s where writers teased forth their inspiration? How dangerous could it be to take a walk on the beach and clear her head from those maudlin thoughts? Lately, she’d wondered if she’d ever write another word. Although writing was in her blood, she didn’t worry about losing income. She had enough to retire if she wanted to.

Abby supposed she fit the stereotype of an eccentric writer. Single woman, living alone with her cat. If a person looked in the dictionary next to the word recluse, she imagined her mugshot would stare back at them. Sure, she was friendly with the locals because she didn’t completely lack social skills. Once she had her best friend, Jenny, and Jenny’s daughter, Nat, to hang with. Unfortunately, rather than literally plummeting, she’d fallen for Jenny and had an epic crash and burn. They weren’t talking to one another at the moment. No one had to tell her it was a bad idea to be in love with your straight best friend.

Abby replayed the conversation she’d had with Jenny. The night had been perfect before her confession. Nat was at work, and Jenny had invited her over for dinner. She’d said she wanted to tell her something important. Abby had misread the cues. She was all smiles when Abby had arrived with pie and ice cream. After dinner, they’d sat close together on the couch, and Abby had jumped at the chance to tell her how she felt.

Jenny looked so good. She had such a glow about her that night, so Abby had blurted, “I’m in love with you, Jenny. I have been for a long time, but of course, I couldn’t tell you when you were still married.”

The smile slipped from Jenny’s face, and the small crinkle on her brow deepened. She sucked in a mouthful of air before responding.

“Abby, you’re my best friend in the whole world. I would like nothing better than to fall madly in love with you. I love you with all my heart. But there isn’t the tiniest bit of gayness in any bone in my body. I’m so sorry. I wish I were a lesbian or bisexual because I can’t think of a better partner or coparent for Nat, even though she’s all grown now.”

“Oh,” Abby barely whispered. “Well, this is awkward,” she added as her body moved of its own accord several feet from Jenny.

“It doesn’t have to be awkward. I’m sure we’ll laugh this off in a few months. Besides, you can do way better than an old divorcee with a daughter ready to start college.”

Abby stood abruptly, bumping her knee against the coffee table. “Shit,” she exclaimed. “Um, it’s late. I better go now.”

Jenny touched Abby’s arm. “Abs, don’t go. We should talk about this.”

“I can’t. Give me a little time, please?” Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes.

“Okay, if that’s what you need. I know you like to process things on your own. Don’t take too long.” Jenny reached for Abby to embrace her, and selfishly, Abby melted into the hug, knowing it meant something very different to Jenny.

The first two months following the disaster had resulted in isolation and questionable hygiene. With everything except her writing, Abby believed she had started to turn a corner.

As quickly as the memory surfaced, Abby swallowed it down. No backtracking. She refused to let those feelings make matters worse than they already were. Shouldn’t heartbreak be an inspiration for a perfect romance novel?

She smiled when Plato, her orange tabby, trotted along behind her. He liked to follow her everywhere she went. In the middle of the night, this meant disaster. Four broken toes, a concussion, and too many bruises to count did not convince Abby that Plato was hazardous to her health. She needed someone to cuddle with at night, and the price for that comfort was not too high for her to pay.

“Plato, can you please give Mommy a little space? If I trip over you, I won’t be able to walk the beach and find inspiration. I wish that slippery little bugger would turn out to be a beautiful woman.” Abigail chuckled at her lame joke.

“Meow.”

“Yeah, keep meowing, will you? At least then I’ll know where you’re at and can avoid another unfortunate mishap.”

“Meow.”

Even though it was summer, the chill in the morning air was enough to warrant a bulky sweatshirt or light jacket. Sometimes the fog would hang in the air, reluctant to dissipate before noon, even with the persistence of sunshine in the distance. Abby thought the mist that often appeared in the Pacific Northwest was like a desperate beauty queen—unwilling to let go despite the telltale signs of aging.

Looking in the mirror, she saw evidence of the passing of time. She stuck her tongue out at her reflection. It was such a childish thing to do but gave her immense pleasure. Lately, she’d moved closer to the mirror to inspect the fine lines around the corners of her eyes. Bit by bit, year by year, she was losing her youthful appearance. If she didn’t put herself out there, she was destined for the label of crazy cat lady.

Selecting the warmest sweatshirt, she pulled the soft fabric over her head and stepped into the chill of the morning air. A small shiver traveled over her body before she began the brisk walk to the beach. Soon, she was warm enough to feel the beginnings of perspiration underneath her protective clothing. Abby debated whether she should stop and remove her sweatshirt but thought better of it, knowing once she hit the beach and sat on a log, she would feel the crispness of the air. Then again, if she didn’t, her sweat would turn into a damp cold and burrow inside like an intruder. Unwelcome. Uncomfortable.

Walking close to the water, the wind whipped fiercely across Abby’s face. Her long brown hair kept slapping against her skin and sticking to the corners of her full lips. Her slim fingers continued to push her hair behind her ears. Eating her long strands was not her idea of a good time. The sting of her thick locks against her cheeks wasn’t pleasant either. She chastised herself for not bringing something to tie back the offending tresses. Bending her head, she attempted to keep the wind from doing more damage.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise that she found herself in a face-plant spitting out a mouthful of wet sand. The bacteria in the sand would probably end up causing a fatal illness. What was unexpected were the two shapely legs less than a yard from where she was unceremoniously spewing the gritty substance.

A magnetic pull caused her to stop the purge as her eyes traveled to a sheer white coverall that barely hid the voluptuous body concealed beneath. The practical side of Abby thought that the swimsuit cover was utterly inadequate for the day’s weather. Another thought, undeniably salacious, was how easily the wind would cause the coverall to reveal the woman’s ample breasts. Please let her swimsuit be as skimpy as a boutique dares to sell.

Perhaps you will decide to check out my other books…you know the drill just click on the links below. Don’t forget about this week’s sales books from other great Affinity writers: Racing for Love by Erin O’Reilly and JM Dragon and Running From Love by Jen Silver. Also I need to put in a quick plug for the Lady Grim II Anthology that comes out tomorrow!

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