How The Cookie Crumbles is here!

Phew – after a nail-biting wait, the book is finally here! The countdown is down to zero and now you can get How the Cookie Crumbles right here.

What can I say? It took a year to write and even longer to edit, but finally it's available for your reading pleasure. The story of Frankie and Jake is long and winding, but also funny, exciting, and occasionally hot. Naturally, I think it's awesome, but you can judge for yourself. Did I mention that this book is long? So long, in fact, that the free sample is TEN chapters long! I downloaded it myself last night, and I figure that's enough book to let you judge if it's as awesome as I think.

What's a Blog Hop?

I have all kinds of news for you. As you may know already, I'm launching my new book, How The Cookie Crumbles, today!  You can find it here. As part of the book launch, I am taking part in this amazing Hockey Hotties Blog Hop! If you're like me a month ago, you may not even know what a blog hop is. So, I'll explain: it's a chance for readers to check out different blogs where the authors all write about hockey. So if you enjoy hockey fiction, check out all the links below, you can win prizes on each one. Can I enter too, or is that a conflict? Because I love reading hockey romances!

On this blog, I'm having both a giveaway and a special promotion, here are the deets:

To win a free ebook copy of my new book, just tell me your favourite NHL player in the comments below. I'll need some way to contact you, so leave your email in the comment, or if you're worried about privacy, just email me directly. I have no idea how many entries I'll get, but hopefully more than three, so I'll give away three free ebooks. Of course, if I only get three... well, you can do the math, everyone's a winner!

How The Cookie Crumbles is the story of Frankie Taylor, who flees across the country when her boyfriend dumps her. The small town she flees to is the summer home of a partying hockey player named Jake Cookson. And when they meet, well gosh – it's love at first sight. No, I lie. Actually when they meet, Frankie hardly notices him, and by the time she does... Jake's taking off to begin the hockey season. She's classy and cultured, and he's beer and burgers. Really, all they have in common is an enjoyment of good food. It's an up and down journey on the high calorie road to love.

Does that sound yummy to you? Yay, it's live now, so check it out! And be sure to visit the seven other hockey blogs. (Due to technical issues too complicated for me, the link boxes below all work, but ignore the sign-up part.) The blog hop runs until October 8th, and I'll pick a winner that day. Be sure to enter all the contests. Hop to it!

One Day Left to Book Launch

Well, when we last left our hero, he had spotted Frankie arriving in his hometown. Naturally, in a small town, it doesn't take long for them to run into each other again. Unfortunately for Jake, when he first chats up Frankie, she is completely and utterly uninterested. Not only does he not get a date, she won’t even tell him her name. But he’s not letting that stop him:

Jake

I like women. I know most guys would say that, but I genuinely like women and naturally I like to get with women. Of course, being in the NHL definitely improves my odds with chicks; I figure I’m a nice guy, but sometimes that’s not enough. Still, I get that not every girl is into hockey players or into me, and it kind of seemed like the little brunette was one of them. I wasn’t going to keep after her if she wasn’t interested, but she was hot enough to rate some extra effort.

The next day at the gym, I asked Brad about her during our training session. “Hey Brad, you know that brunette that works out here?”

He made a face. “Afternoons? Short with long brown hair?”

“And stacked!” I added.

“Yeah, you’re only the tenth guy to ask me about her. It’s not that kind of gym, and I should never have let her talk me into a membership.”

“Why, is she picking up guys all the time?” That would be good news, because she seemed more on the chilly side.

“No, quite the contrary, she’s strictly not interested in anything but working out. But she’s proving to be a distraction.”

“Has she got a name?”

“Look Cookson, you need to concentrate on your workouts while you’re at the gym.” And he increased the level of the treadmill I was on.

“C’mon, Brad!” I puffed, “She was actually on me for not working out hard enough, so it can only be a good thing if I see more of her.”

He frowned again. “Well, she does come to the gym almost every afternoon and work out hard. Her name is Frances Taylor, Frankie for short.”

So I started coming to the gym afternoons too. Frankie looked pretty cute in her little workout outfits, but it was true that she totally focussed on her routine and hardly looked around. By the end, when she was all sweaty and her top was sticking to her, I was ready to overlook all her prickly ways just to get a crack at that body. Then she would shower and come out wearing these dresses and high heels. She looked like something out of an old movie, but way hotter.

So, will Frankie get over her broken heart? Will Jake ever get Frankie to go out with him? And what was making the weird yowling noise in the pet carrying case? For the answers to these and other burning questions, check out How The Cookie Crumbles. 

You can find the book right here. For a limited time, it’s at the special introductory price of only $2.99, which is half the regular price. Why are you still here? Go get it, and enjoy!

Two Days Until Book Launch

So, when we left our intrepid heroine, she was just flying across the country to spend the summer in Kingston. And what is waiting for her in Kingston? Why – limestone buildings, numerous penitentiaries, and limited job opportunities. Oh yeah, this is a romance, so there’s a guy too. And he’s a hockey player, because that’s all I write about. Anyway, his name is Jake Cookson, and he sees her the minute she steps off the airport bus.

Jake Cookson

Andrew pointed, “Shit! That’s her, the chick was I telling you about.”

Tolly and I looked over. There were two girls across the street, hugging each other, which is always hot to watch. Almost as good as girls dancing together at a club. Not as good as girls kissing.

“Which one is she?” Tolly asked. I noticed that the little brunette was gorgeous with a smokin’ body, she was wearing those tight yoga pants and a blue top that showed off her big tits. The other girl had light brown hair and was wearing a dress; she was pretty too, but kind of skinny.

“The one in the dress,” replied Andrew, he was getting a goofball look on his face. I had only been home a week, but I had already heard a lot about this chick he was crushing on: she worked at Queen’s University and he was taking a summer course there. So far he hadn’t had the guts to talk to her, but the summer had just started.

As we were watching them, we noticed a weird yowling noise. The little brunette looked over at us nervously and then picked up a pet carrying case and they pulled all these suitcases down Division Street. She had a great ass too, and I enjoyed the view as they walked away. With all that luggage, it looked like maybe she was moving here, which would be good news.

“I wouldn’t mind her doing her friend,” I commented.

“Perfecto, Jakester! You can snag the friend and then introduce me! We can like, double date,” Andrew suggested.

“How am I going to do that? I may never see her again, it’s not like I know where she lives.” Although, from the direction they were headed, it looked like somewhere in the student ghetto.

“Excuses, excuses.” Andrew shook his head, “You’re the guy who always scoring the Hollywood chicks, right? A sweet Canadian girl will be like putty in your hands, and besides, it’s Kingston in the summer. How can you miss a new hot girl around here? Just do your magic and I’ll be on her friend like white on rice.”

I laughed and threw the soccer ball at him. He caught it and kept yakking, “C’mon, what’s the good of having a famous friend if I can’t use him to score the girl of my dreams?”

“Yeah, Cooker, just use your charm and good looks to wheel that chick,” Tolly snorted. “And if that doesn’t work, tell her how much money you make.”

Hmm, a rich player? Sounds exactly like the kind of guy that a girl mending her broken heart doesn’t need. But will Frankie fall for his charm, large salary, and (cough, cough) good looks? Stay tuned for the final excerpt tomorrow, or just wait until October 1^st  when you can get your own copy of How The Cookie Crumbles.

Three Days Until Book Launch

Frankie’s had enough and she’s not going to take it anymore! Instead of sticking around to watch her ex-boyfriend, Matt, date every attractive waitress at the restaurant, she’s going to take the chicken exciting way out, and flee Vancouver. Of course, she’s hardly ever strayed from home, but desperate times require desperate measures.

I was on a plane to Toronto for my very first solo flight, and I was very excited. I felt daring, even if my entire family had taken me to the airport, and acted as if I was boarding the Titanic or something. My mom had been crying about her baby leaving Vancouver, and my dad had alternated between telling her not to be ridiculous and giving me painful hugs and more painful advice. My brothers were happy that I was paving the way so that when they left home it would be slightly less humiliating. Only my grandmother told me I was doing the right thing and suggested I “go a little wild.”

I had taken a leave of absence at the restaurant so I could go back in the fall if I wanted, and then I debated whether I should tell Matt that I was going away for the summer. Instead I told Shawntell that I was moving to Kingston. I may have misled that geographically-challenged birdbrain into thinking that I was going to Kingston, Jamaica, which she would then pass on to Matt. Take that, boring chartered accountant guy!

Bianca was right, as I flew farther and farther from Vancouver, I thought less and less about Matt. I felt nervous, but at least I wasn’t obsessing about my own life. Truth be told, I did stick too close to home and familiar friends and family. For most people flying across the country would not be a big deal, but for me it was huge. I felt brave and nauseous at the same time.


Brave and nauseous? Why that’s how I feel when I publish a new book. Anyway, what could be awaiting Frankie in the little town of Kingston, Ontario? Check in tomorrow for our next excerpt and find out. And if you’re enjoying these excerpts, you'll definitely want to check out How The Cookie Crumbles.

Four Days Until Book Launch

Well, yesterday we left our heroine, tearful and sad, after her breakup with Matt. Fortunately, things can’t get any worse for her. Or could they? In this excerpt, one night after the breakup, Frankie goes to work at the restaurant where she and Matt met. And there’s a nasty surprise waiting for her.

As soon as I got to work, I knew something was up. Cinnamon, who was one of my better friends there, pulled me aside once I walked in the door.

“Oh my God, Frankie, I am so sorry to hear that you and Matt broke up! You guys were like the perfect couple.”

“It’s okay, but wow, it doesn’t take long for bad news to spread. How did you hear about this anyway?” It only happened yesterday afternoon, and neither Matt nor I worked last night.

“Well, Shawntell told me. Matt called her and he asked her out! Did you not know?” Cinnamon’s eyes were wide and her perfectly glossed lips formed a matching circle.

“What! He’s going on a date with Shawntell!”

Matt and I used to laugh at Shawntell. In addition to having a mother who couldn’t spell, she was blessed with gorgeous sun-streaked looks and a killer body. But she was so incredibly stupid that she was gave dumb blondes a bad name. She was constantly getting her orders wrong, and causing all kinds of problems in the kitchen. Was dating airheads what Matt meant by having more fun? Of course, she also confided in me that she believed giving b.j.’s gave her an orgasm because she had an extra clitoris in her mouth, which now seemed to be information I probably I shouldn’t have passed on to Matt.

Poor Frankie is having the week from H-E-double-hockey-sticks. But she’s got enough spirit not to take all this lying down! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s excerpt, and remember How The Cookie Crumbles launches on October 1^st.

Five Days Until Book Launch

With my new book, How The Cookie Crumbles, launching on October 1st, I thought I’d feature an excerpt each day leading up to the launch. It’s such a long book that I could probably excerpt it for a year and still not have everything up! Did I mention it's 150K words? That's actually the length of two books, so it's a chance to get lost in a world that's funny, exciting, and romantic.

Our heroine, Frankie Taylor, is happily celebrating the end of her third-year university, by eating yummy doughnuts in the park. Suddenly, she’s brought down to earth by her boyfriend, Matt. He’s decided that it’s his last summer to have fun before he joins the real world of work. And his idea of fun does not include a steady girlfriend. Frankie is completely blindsided by the break-up, and limps back to her parent’s house to recover:

Frankie Taylor

I definitely looked sadder now, but maybe nobody would notice.

My mother was already in the kitchen cooking dinner. I could smell tomato sauce and hmmm, chicken with rosemary roasting. I reached into the cookbook cupboard and pulled out the recipe box.

“What are you doing, Frances?” my mom asked curiously.

“I thought I’d make something for dessert. Maybe some brownies?”

“I was going to serve ice cream, but that would be nice, dear.” She gave me a suspicious look. “Isn’t Matt staying for dinner?”

“Um, no, he had to go.” I grabbed an apron and started pulling out the flour, sugar and cocoa. “Oh Mom, not Frye’s cocoa, didn’t I tell you to get the Dutch processed cocoa? It’s way better.”

“Well, unfortunately they don’t have it at the Superstore, and I don’t have time to search for it everywhere.” Mom was a great cook, but she wasn’t into anything too gourmet or too trendy.

I started measuring and sifting and creaming. Whenever things bothered me, I liked to bake. There was something comforting about the way that measuring precisely and following directions in a recipe meant things always turned out perfectly. Baking was so unlike life.

I would admit that I wasn’t the most spontaneous person in the world, but Matt had basically told me that I was boring. And it’s not like we had stayed home every night, we went out to parties, clubs, and friend’s places. I loved to entertain, but Matt enjoyed that too. He used to tease me about being a domestic goddess, but he never complained about all the creature comforts that went with that. Plus, I had thought that our sex life was great. Just seeing him undressed was a total turn-on for me; he had this amazing muscle definition and an actual six-pack. And Matt was experienced, so sex was way better than with Adam back in high school. Adam was clueless when it came to female anatomy. He should have been paying attention in Health instead of writing song lyrics in his notebook. But whatever, my sex life was over now.

I sighed quietly to myself so my mom didn’t hear anything.

I finished mixing the brownies, poured them into the greased and floured pan and popped them into the hot oven. Then I started creaming more butter for the icing. My older brother, Glen, walked in and stared at me.

“Did you break up with Matt?”

“Glen!” My mom admonished him. “Don’t pry, I’m sure Frances will tell us when she’s ready.”

I burst into tears. “Why does everyone know what’s going on with me? Am I so boring and predictable?”

My mom came over and hugged me awkwardly, since I was waving a buttery wooden spoon around. Glen came over and made it a group hug. “Sorry Franny,” he said, “It’s just when you start randomly baking, you’re usually upset about something and Matt had left, so I figured.…”

Poor Frankie! Will she ever recover, or will she be forced to drown her sorrows in Belgian chocolate? Stay tuned for a daily excerpt and be sure to mark your calendar for October 1^st when How The Cookie Crumbles will be available for download.