The Reboot of A Series

I did a re-boot of the first books in this series this past week and the reception has been good so far. This group of friends was a pleasure to write about and I hope readers feel the same way. If you haven't tasted my writing as yet, this is a good way to get your feet wet. 

📌📌Each story in this friends-to-lovers series is 0.99. Get yours before the price goes up. Don't be late. Act now! Good day, readers. Each story in the friends-to-lovers series is 0.99 this weekend. Get yours before the price goes up next week. Don't be late. Act now!📌📌 http://www.joylcampbell.com/p/par-for-course-series.html

THE SHORT GAME - One kiss. Two friends. Three relationships changed. What d'you do when you're in a committed relationship, but your best friend starts looking like the lover you need in your life?  http://lrd.to/short-game

THE LONG GAME - He's all she's ever wanted, She's all he'll ever need. What moves can you make on your bestie when she's watched you make them on other women for the last fifteen years?  http://lrd.to/long-game

THE BLIND SHOT - Despite cultural differences, love will find a way. Although your family might not approve of your relationship with someone from another culture, opposition means nothing when you find the one that gives your life meaning. 

Coming soon ...

5 Reasons You Should Read The Short Game

Paulette Harper has been good enough to give me a little shout on on her blog. Nothing But Books. So if you didn't know about The Short Game, you can hop over there and say hello. Meantime, I'm giving you reasons to check it out over here. 

Sooooo, if this has piqued your interest, there's no better time to buy than now. http://lrd.to/short-game

When Things Become Sticky ...

Enjoy a sample from The Short Game, where a couple of friends make the journey from friends to lovers, despite the odds.

Garth got out of his seat so suddenly, he startled me. He picked up his crutch, wedged it under his left arm and spun toward the door.

When my head cleared a second or so later, I got up and went around the desk to help him.

He ignored me and kept on going. When he reached the door, I was there before him and pressed my back to the panels.

Garth stood within a foot of me and only then did I realize my mistake. Being this close to him wasn't a good idea, considering our seemingly-sudden attraction to each other. I swallowed and let my breath out through my lips. My next gulp of air made me all too aware of the hint of musk in his cologne. I looked up at him, speaking quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

His eyes softened a little, but he didn't respond. His high cheekbones were taut and so were his lips. He stared back at me, his gaze as intense as mine.

I opened my mouth, but couldn't get a word out. I licked my lips, which was another error.
He took a step forward, his gaze focused on my face.

With my palm, I pressed his chest to get him away from me. His intention was as clear as if he'd said the words. He was going to kiss me again.

"Garth, no."

That didn't stop him because he lowered his head toward mine. Our lips touched and I stepped into his space, closing my eyelids as my mouth opened. His tongue invaded my mouth, gently at first and then more demanding. He was impatient and insistent, pulling me against his body with an arm curled around my waist.

I made a protesting sound in my throat which died as his tongue swirled and danced around mine. I needed air, but it was as if with Garth here like this, breathing was secondary.

So attuned was he to my thoughts that he withdrew, pressing tiny kisses to the corner of my mouth. My arms slid up to circle his neck while he loosed my shirt from the waist of my pants, stroking my skin. For an indeterminate amount of time, we had a silent exchange, a transfer of ideas, sharing things we'd never said.

Then reality asserted itself and I pressed my fingers to his lips. "Garth, we—"

He tilted his head sideways and came in close, nibbling my bottom lip.

When he had me releasing tiny moans that he absorbed with his mouth, I relaxed against him while his body betrayed how badly he wanted me
.
Some part of my brain was still functional because when the buzzing started, so did the alarm bells in my head. The harsh vibrations continued and it occurred to me that someone was pressing the button at the front door.
Jace.

My blood turned cold and chills chased from my head to my feet and back. My eyes went wide and I jerked away from Garth. "Jace. He's supposed to—"

"Shhh." Garth pressed a final kiss to my lips and eased my shirt back inside the waist of my pants.

"But—"

Garth pulled his phone from his pants pocket. "Go let him in. I'll call for a cab."

"But—"

He silenced me again. "You keep saying that. It's okay. I'll be okay, but we do need to talk."

"Sure." I licked my lips as if that would make his flavor disappear from my taste buds and my mind.

As I approached the front door, Jace got out his phone, touched the screen several times and then put it to his ear. His frown disappeared when I buzzed him in. "What on earth took you so long?"

"Hello to you too." I stepped back to let him in. "I was in my office with—"

"What the hell is he doing here?" 

Want to find out more about The Short Game? Click here. 

The Short Game - Discounted This Weekend!

I'm running a price promotion on The Short Game this weekend, so if you haven't bought a copy as yet, this is a good time to get one. It's only $0.99. http://lrd.to/short-game

One kiss. Two Friends. Three relationships changed. Garth and Anna-Lise have been golfing buddies for fifteen years, but it isn't until he's in an accident that they realize their feelings run way deeper than they think. Can they go from friends to lovers despite opposition?

Be sure to pick up your copy this weekend -  http://lrd.to/short-game

Sunday Sample ... The Short Game

Enjoy a sample from The Short Game, my latest release.

Garth

I was testy and irritable and a little ashamed at the same time.

Nadine had hung around all morning before giving me a breather by leaving to run some errands. Then, by the time I'd started to unwind, she'd come back just before evening visiting hours. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate her concern, but I hadn't realized before now how overbearing she could be, even if it was in an unassuming way.

My attention wandered from the crime-thriller I'd been trying to read, and she leaned forward. "Is everything all right? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Just the same as the last time you asked me, five minutes ago.

Earlier in the day, I assured my parents they didn't need to come because I was going to be released tomorrow afternoon, but they refused to consider staying home. They'd come and gone and only half-hour was left of the hospital's visiting hours.

Ayisha stood at the end of the bed looking at her watch.

"You're in a hurry or something?" I asked.

"Nah, just checking on the time and wondering what happened with … "

She didn't continue, but I guessed what she was about to say.

Where was Anna-Lise?

      From the foot of the bed, Vance asked, "D'you need anything?"

I shook my head, regretting it immediately. The headache that had set in earlier hadn't left and it now reminded me that it had only been on break.

"I'm going home tomorrow evening, once they give the all-clear."

"We're both very lucky," he said, pointing to the neck brace he wore. "This could have been much worse. The way that van flipped, man … "

"How long d'you have to wear that thing?"

"About five more days." He touched the collar and cleared his throat. "Like I said, we're lucky."

"Yeah," I grumbled. "And you get to go home today, while I'm lying here like a vegetable."

He shifted his feet and stared at the floor.

If I had to guess, I'd say he was feeling guilty. He'd still been going at me about my parents and Nadine just before impact, but that was his nature and I shouldn't have been distracted, but still …

I opened my mouth to tell him I didn't blame him, but Ayisha sidetracked me.

"Sorry to interrupt your pity party, but d'you want us to come and get you tomorrow?"

I nodded, grateful for the offer because I didn't want that stress on my parents. "They may let me go in the early afternoon after the doctor examines me. I'll call you or Lise."

Nadine sat forward in her chair. "I was thinking—"

"No problem," Ayisha said, drowning Nadine's words.

I figured Ayisha's response was deliberate, but I much preferred her and Anna-Lise around me when I was less than a hundred percent, rather than having Nadine trying to pamper me to death.

Since nobody was broaching the subject that was of the biggest concern to me, I asked, "So where is Lise?"

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The Short Game is Here!

So today's the day! I gave myself a birthday present by releasing The Short Game today. This story would not have been written were it not for a boxed set planning group and took on a life of its own with two more stories in the pipeline. Readers seem to like the characters, so that's a plus. 

In the order of things, this will be my fourteenth novel, in addition to four published novellas and two short story collections.

The Short Game is on Amazon and Smashwords, so feel free to grab your copy. If your TBR list is at the toppling stage, then add The Short Game on Goodreads.

Blurb:

Garth Chu is on his way to having the most sought-after video production outfit in Kingston, Jamaica. Everything is lining up well, including his relationship with his current girlfriend—until his mother starts pressuring him to get married. He has no intention of giving up his freedom to fit in with his parents' desire for him to settle down and run the family business, but his girl, Nadine, has other ideas and starts a crusade to get Garth to propose. 

Anna-Lise Myers has been Garth's golfing buddy for fifteen years and resents Nadine's intrusion on their friendship. When Garth is injured in an accident, his friends rally round him, but things take an unexpected turn. Anna-Lise discovers feelings she's never admitted to having and Garth can't remember when Anna-Lise went from sister-friend to potential lady-love. A hot and disastrous interlude between Garth and Anna-Lise forces them to decide whether they want to risk their friendship and take a chance on happy-ever-after. 

Pick up your copy today on Amazon! 

Sunday Sample - The Short Game

Garth disappeared into the bathroom and then came back and parked himself on the sofa. When he grabbed the remote and scrolled through the channels, I thought it was business as usual between us.

I was wrong.

He stopped at a football game and turned the volume down before angling himself toward me.

"So, what did you decide?"

"Uh, some finesse would be appreciated right now."

"Don't play with me, Anna-Lise. We know each other too well to beat around the bush."

"Well, I … I dunno Garth."

"You've taken a week to think about it, so what more is there?"

"D'you realize the seriousness of what we're proposing to do?"

"Of course, I do. I haven't thought about anything else since Ayisha and Vance put the thought into my head."

I pulled my legs up on the sofa and faced him. "How? What do they have to do with all this?"
He dragged his fingers through the fluff springing from his scalp. "Well, they're the ones who said we were in the same bad mood, which might mean we had a thing for each other."

"I should have known."

He laced his fingers through mine so our palms touched. "Is the thought so way out there?"
The electronics magazines on the center tables grabbed my attention for a bit, but I shook my head. "I guess not."

Garth squeezed my hand, and I looked at him.

"They only saw what we've known subconsciously for a while, but it's always easier for people looking in from the outside to see exactly what's happening."

"You don't say."

He dragged himself closer, pushed my feet off the seat, and threw his arm around me, squeezing me into a hug. "Stop acting like an asshole. You know exactly what I mean."

I held on to his fingers, savoring the slight rasp of his fingertips.

"What if this doesn't work, G?"

"Cheesecake, you're old enough to know that life doesn't come with any guarantees. We'll take things a step at a time." He applied a little pressure to my shoulder to get me to look at him. "If this works, I'll be happy. If not, we can say we tried."

I wriggled from under his arm and took off my jacket, throwing it on the arm of the sofa. Then I walked away from him, pacing before the television on the other side of the center table. "D'you realize what a big decision this is though, Garth? We have fifteen years of history between us." I stopped and stared at the wall across from me. "What if we lose our friendship?"

"It worked for Kathy and Bryan," he said softly.

"That's them, this is us."

"And we have to work our way through this the best way we can. I don't think we can afford any kind of mistake. After all, six of us will be affected if we do this madness you're suggesting."

I folded my arms across my stomach and kept walking.

"Aren't you here because you thought maybe, somewhere in the back of your mind, this is somehow feasible?" Garth asked.

It didn't make sense lying to him, so while gawking over the table, I nodded.

Using his hands for support, he got to his feet and approached me. When he stood before me, he touched my chin and whispered. "You're thinking too hard. I know this is a big decision, but … " His hands slid down to where mine were still folded and moved them out of the way, then he touched the spot just below my left breast. "Despite everything, doesn't it feel right here?"

I couldn't have shifted my gaze if I tried, so again I nodded.

He blinked and his eyes went hazy.

Just as before, I knew the moment the intention formed in his head to kiss me.

Our lips touched. 

My mouth opened.

Our tongues tangled.

The room faded to nothing.

Garth pulled me to his chest, groaning as he explored my mouth.

My eyelids closed and I savored the joy of kissing him without restrictions.

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The Short Game

I unlocked the seatbelt and leaned toward Anna-Lise. I'd tipped her chin up and was about to kiss her when Nadine's voice sliced through the silence.

"Garth! I thought you'd dumped that slut. What are you doing?"

The light died in Anna-Lise's eyes and she faced forward in the seat. "Get out."

"What?" My gaze cut to Nadine, who stood akimbo in my doorway. Why the hell hadn't I gotten my key back yesterday? Now wasn't the time to think about that because Anna-Lise was talking to me.

"You don't understand English?" She opened her mouth, speaking as if I'd developed a learning deficiency. "I said, get out!"

I opened the door and put one foot on the asphalt, my stomach sinking when I stared into her eyes. "But—"

She put the car in reverse and I protested, lifting my foot off the ground. "Lise, what I'm trying—"

"So help me Garth, if you don't get out now, I'm going to turn this car and fling you straight on the asphalt."

On my left, Nadine's voice had gotten louder, but I didn't hear a word she said. 

Anna-Lise stepped out of the Audi and I was sure my reputation would be ruined and I'd have to move, but all she did was pull the back door open and yank the crutch off the seat. She stomped around the car, ignored Nadine and chucked the crutch on the sidewalk. 

Struggling to stand before Anna-Lise got back in the car, I twisted my good ankle and stifled a curse word. When I stood on my own, Anna-Lise swung the car around and raced from the property, barely waiting for the security guard to raise the railing across the driveway. Seconds later, the car screeched and I winced. She'd gotten to the end of the avenue and made it to the main road.

I prayed she'd make it home in one piece.

I wanted to strangle Nadine, but what good would that do? After I got her to understand that our relationship was over, I'd give Anna-Lise time to cool off, but I didn't hold out much hope that she'd speak to me today or tomorrow for that matter.

I didn't have a choice about contacting her though, because she was driving my mother's car and besides that, I had to know if she got home safely considering the way she was driving and the fact that she was mad as hell.