That April in Santa Monica by Melody DeBlois

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Five Things We’d Probably Never Guess About You

Long before I started writing Romance, I wrote for children and young adults. In fact, if someone had told me I’d end up writing contemporary romances, I’d have been in shock. My children were young back then, and as they grew, my targeted age group got older as well. My mind wound in the direction of the paranormal. I wrote mostly ghost stories, some scary as heck, others downright knee-slapping funny. Sadly, or maybe not, I didn’t sell any.

I have never admitted this to anyone, but I keep my healthy habits mainly because I want to write well. Ouch! That one hurt. No one centers their priorities around doing a better job. It’s a little crazy, but if I don’t get my daily swim, I can’t sit at my desk as long. If I don’t sleep at least seven hours, I can’t focus. Eat well to write well is my motto. A daily avocado keeps the brain sharper, and I need all the help I can get.

I discovered a yummy blender drink quite by accident. Tired of my usual banana milkshake, I tossed in a pinch of Pumpkin Spice, and, oh my gosh! Talk about scrumptiously rich. So here’s the deal. You put a bit of milk in the bottom of the blender and add ice, banana, honey, and plain Greek yogurt. Don’t forget your dash of Pumpkin Spice, then buzz away. You’ll have a drink to write home about.

No one would guess I arrived so late to the party, I watched Sex in the City for the first time last summer. During a girl’s weekend in Reno, my friends brought up the TV show so many times I began to feel deprived. I thought I’d give the first episode a try. Sure it was dated. People smoked for goodness sake, but I laughed at the great lines and antics. I loved the concept of a young journalist typing the theme of each story on her dinosaur of a computer. Soon, I was addicted. Even if I returned home late, I couldn’t go to bed without a dose of Sex in the City. In early October, the final season drew near a close. I felt as if I were losing my best friends. Now, I’m down to only two more shows. I can hardly bear it. I’m certain to suffer withdrawals.

I don’t usually talk about the fact that I cannot drink tea. I get hives—there it’s out of the bag. The only way I could cope was to give a character in my WIP the same affliction. And because the subject matter is so relevant to the story, I’ve been researching the blends and many strains of teas. I’ve learned some of the cultural, medicinal, and spiritual aspects. Sip, savor, slow down. It’s a step back from our Smartphones and social media. Drinking tea is something I long to partake in, even more so after studying the ritual. After all, whoever heard of a tea lover who must be content with hot water? Oh, well, at least I get to write about it.

Madison receives acclaim for running a talent agency for people with disabilities, but she doesn't know how to take care of herself. When her altruism becomes life-threatening—a matter of either develop healthy habits or die—she joins a reality TV show that pairs her with hot, raven-haired Brandon. He is witty, sexy, and her teacher. That makes him off limits.

After a successful run on a soap opera, Brandon stepped away from empty fame and now focuses on his work as TV's most noted health teacher. He has one fast rule—never fall for a student. But when he meets Madison, their chemistry is combustible. There's no hiding their conflict or their attraction, especially when it's all caught on film.

Read an Excerpt

On the beach, Madison started to gather energy, so that when they went into downward-facing dog, he discovered, with her well-earned agility, she didn’t bend her knees as usual.

“Madison, you’re touching the ground!”

She beamed up at him. “I am!”

She was unimaginably beautiful. The way the sun seized the golden streaks in her red hair, the way the natural wave framed her angular face, distracted him. He had his fantasies about her, and this was one of them. The two of them by themselves on the beach, doing yoga. The only problem? The usual. They were not alone.

Warrior pose brought with it an expression of victory on her part, and child’s pose caused her to fold up within herself like a flower after sunset. No woman had ever done the positions with as much raw sensuality. Being with her made him, the yogic practitioner, forget how to move and how to breathe.

This day she stood taller and bent farther. The muscles in her arms supported her with effortlessness. Even her hands seemed stronger than before. She balanced herself with greater ease, like a goddess surveying her kingdom by the sea. Brandon closed his eyes against the gush of erotic pictures she evoked in him. He had been with her too long, yet not long enough.

When they finished, she purred, “I just might learn to love this.”

“You did well.”

“Do you think it was the fancy yoga outfit?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I think it was the woman.”

About the Author:

Born in California, award winning author, Melody DeBlois follows the sun. When she isn’t swimming laps, she’s writing sweet and sassy romances. Her heroines are self-reliant and smart and her heroes are kind by nature and love dogs. She lives in California during the summer and spends winters in Arizona with her husband. She has plotted her novels while hiking the beach or trekking across the desert. Her most treasured possession is family.

Website: https://www.melodydeblois.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Melody-DeBlois/e/B07XBV66Y8/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48106063-that-april-in-santa-monica
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melodydebloisbooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeBloisMelody

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/That-April-Santa-Monica-Beach-ebook/dp/B07XDP155H/ref=sr_1_1

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