Lily Java

I’ve been reading about and looking forward to Chicki Brown’s newest book for months. Now I’m pleased to announce that Book One of The Lake Series, Born To Be Wild is here. If you’re like me and like your men tall, dark, and riding a Harley get ready for the heart flutters and get to one clicking.

Synopsis:  A quiet bookworm, Tangela Holloway has always been content working at her independent bookstore in the sleepy little town of Eufaula, Alabama. But lately, Tangie discovers that she’s bored and frustrated, especially since the man she’s been dating for two years seems to care more about his business than he does her. When Reese Turner rides into town on his Harley, Tangie’s heart feels like it’s beating for the first time. She not only sees the most exciting man she’s ever met, but also a chance to experience something other than backyard BBQs and fishing at the lake.

After ending a drama-filled relationship with a high-maintenance fashion model, Reese wants nothing more than to make a road trip to Florida with his motorcycle club. Never did he expect a quick stop at a small town bookstore would introduce him to a shy bookworm who makes him re-think his vow to remain single and unattached.

Excerpt:

“Are they not used to you coming here with a man?”

“Other than the man I’ve been seeing, no.”

Ahh. It only made sense that such a smart and attractive woman would already be booed up. “How long have you been together, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Going on two years.” The way she avoided looking me in the eye put questions in my mind.

“So it’s serious then.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Her lips pressed together in a slight grimace, and then she shook her head. “We’ve been together a while, but there are no plans for the future on the table.”

The hint of annoyance in her voice made it clear there were issues in their relationship. I don’t know why I wanted to smile at the thought, but I kept my pleasure hidden. “I guess it means you two aren’t exclusive.”

“I guess you’re right.” A shadow of a smile crossed her face.

All I’d been expecting from this week was an enjoyable ride, seeing some of my buddies and maybe hooking up with a couple of the available women who showed up at these bike rallies. They made no bones about the fact that they were attracted to bikers, and they didn’t want any more than a few days of fun. At the end of the rally you kissed and said goodbye with no expectations or demands. Since my last serious relationship ended, a non-committal arrangement suited me just fine, so I didn’t comprehend my fascination with her subdued sexiness. I wanted to see her again, and I had good reason to.

“Does that mean you’ll be free to have dinner with me when I come back through to pick up the book?”

Her brown eyes widened for a fraction of a second, and she dabbed her full, bow-shaped lips with a napkin before she answered. “What day are you coming back? We have a nice restaurant here called the River City Grill. It’s a few doors down from my store. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is nice.”

“How’s three o’clock? If I leave Panama City Beach around noon, I should be pulling in around then.”

My groin tightened at the way her gaze took me in from across the table, but then she said, “This is first Sunday, and we have communion, so I’ll be a bit late getting out of church, but I’ll be home by one-forty-five at the latest.”

“Do you go to church every Sunday?”

“Uh huh. You don’t?” Her question didn’t sound judgmental, just curious.

“Haven’t been in a while.” The confession made me uncomfortable, which I didn’t understand.

“How long is a while? Weeks, months or years?”

“Years.” My confession made me feel inadequate. Funny, but it never bothered me before.

“Too bad. It always helps me deal with whatever I have to face during the week. You know, like when you jump a weak battery.”

“Interesting analogy. I guess I’ve gotten used to working on Sundays. I don’t build, demolish, paint, or dig up anything, but I reserve the day for paperwork.”

“Hey, you can’t work all the time. It’s not good for your mental state.”

“You’re probably right. My mind is constantly on the current project, and each one is time sensitive.”

She tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“When I buy a house, it’s important to get the house on the market as soon as possible. I’m losing money with every week that passes. The longer it takes, the more daily interest is mounting up on a property. The longest I hold on to a house is ninety days. If it hasn’t sold by then, I know there’s a problem.”

Tangela clasped her hands under her chin and leaned forward as though she was sincerely interested. “Like what?”

“The listing price could be too high or something has happened in the neighborhood to turn potential buyers off.”

“How long does it usually take you to sell?”

“Two or three weeks.”

“Seriously? Isn’t three weeks unusual?”

“Not when you buy a property in a good neighborhood and renovate it to be one of the best in the area. People are willing to pay for quality.”

“So you don’t actually do the work yourself then?”

“Some of it, but the majority is done by the construction and landscaping companies I subcontract.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you learn to flip houses? I know Tarek and Christina were realtors before they got into the house flipping business.”

She was really interested. “It’s a long, boring answer.”

“Are you in a hurry?”

“Not at all. Okay. I got my degree from Texas A&M in construction management, and initially I went to work for a big commercial construction firm for a couple of years. It didn’t take long for me to realize I didn’t want to be the guy in a dress shirt and tie, walking around the job site with a clipboard. Actual involvement in the project is what I need.”

“You need to get your hands dirty,” she said with a smile.

“Right, and my degree covered planning, cost estimating, scheduling, supervision, building systems, scheduling, cost estimating, construction management, and business/labor relations.”

“So you knew you had what you needed to run your own company.”

The admiration in those pretty brown eyes as I spoke gave me a sense of pride I hadn’t felt in a long time. Many Atlanta women weren’t impressed. To them what I do for a living sounds like nothing but manual labor. Very unromantic. I wasn’t a lawyer or a doctor or a pro baller. I nodded and finished my salad.

Purchase Born To Be Wild here:

Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072R147RV

Nook –  http://bit.ly/2twWU9M

Paperback – https://www.createspace.com/7262080

UK Amazon – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072R147RV

Author bio

Contemporary women’s fiction/romance author Chicki Brown has been featured twice in USAToday. She was the 2014 B.R.A.B. (Building Relationships Around Books) Inspirational Fiction Author and also the 2011 SORMAG (Shades of Romance Magazine) Author of the Year. Chicki was also a contributing author to the Gumbo for the Soul: Men of Honor (Special Cancer Awareness Edition).

A transplanted New Jersey native who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, Brown still misses the Jersey shore, the pizza and the hot dogs.

Nia Forrester, Beverly Jenkins, Iris Bolling, Lisa Kleypas, and J.R. Ward are among her favorite authors.

Reach Out to Chicki Brown Online:

Blog: http://sisterscribbler.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@Chicki663

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chicki.brown

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/chicki663/

Amazon Central Author Page: http://amzn.to/l2kjXQ

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/qcsiMD