Meet & Greet: Garrett Kelly

Garrett Kelly

All business and music, Garrett Kelly runs a successful Miami night club for his uncle who lives in Chicago. He's quiet and serious with little patience for the college boy antics that is the standard for Jack and the other guys who play his club.

But it's Marley Ryan's carefree and sweet personality that intrigues him. How can she be so happy and trusting? Perhaps it is because she hasn't seen the dark side of the world he has lived in his entire life. And now the most important thing to him is protecting her from that world and preserving her wide-eyed innocence... no matter the cost to him.

Meet & Greet: Marley Ryan

Marley Ryan

As the daughter of a high-profile Boston businessman, she has lived a charmed life. A charmed life provided for by an over-protective father. In fact, once when she stubbed her toe on a living room coffee table, her father took the offending piece of furniture out in the back yard and chopped it into splinters.

Understandably, Marley is more than a little anxious to get out of the house and live life on her own. She chooses Miami for college... the farthest away on the eastern seaboard she can possibly travel and still be in the country.

Of course, a young woman on her own for the first time is bound to fall into some trouble, whether of her own making or the kind that just happens to find her.

~No Backing Out (in progress)

Meet and Greet: Jack Donnelly

Jack Donnelly

If you're riding the shuttle from the airport to the school campus, Jack is the first person you're going to meet. He might seem distracted at first, but once you get his attention you'll experience the smooth-talking, easy-going nature of this guy firsthand.

He rocks the surfer look. And his favorite subjects for a first conversation include Viking raids and tours of the city. Just beware that if you turn down his first attempt to ask you out, he won't give up... even if he has to follow you to your dorm room and give you the puppy dog look.

Other interests include electric guitar, surfing, working for the bad guys, and Marley Ryan.

~ No Backing Out (in progress)

Another Look: Lady Gemma Reynolds

Lady Gemma Reynolds

An accomplished pianist and well-bred gentlewoman of the ton, Lady Gemma has spent her life endeavoring to be the perfect lady, the perfect daughter, the perfect sister. The very thought of scandal makes her blood burn with embarrassment.

When her family pressures her to marry someone she has never met... an old duke with lots of money, she rejects the idea with every fiber of her being.

Lady Gemma is in love with someone else. A man her family would never approve.

Taming Wilde, the third installment of the Waltzing with the Wallflower trilogy, is releasing tomorrow! Look for it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Another Look: Sir Colin Wilde

Sir Colin Wilde

Being level-headed and even-keeled is a thing of the past. His broken heart has sent him over the edge. And he is convinced the only way to get over the loss of Lady Gemma is to lose himself in debauchery.

Taking his cue from the private bachelor journal of Viscount Maddox, he presses forward in his quest to become the most notorious rake the ton has ever seen.

Will Lady Gemma manage to do the impossible — coax him back to sanity and tame his wild heart?

The Unexpected Choice

Stacey Ingram is the girl next door. She keeps her business to herself and despises pity. Forced to drop out of school in order to take care of her ailing grandfather, her self-confidence is shot, yet she is still too proud to ask for help.

Her grandfather’s care zaps their savings, and the bills are piling up, but she would still rather go through bankruptcy than accept a handout.

Especially from the guy across the street, whom she has been in love with since childhood. And she’s far too busy caring for others to envision any happiness for herself. Besides, she knows what real love is, and it isn’t the feeling she gets whenever Joey McCrary comes around.

Joey McCrary is every girl’s dream, and he lives like he knows it. All through high school and college he had girls hanging on his arm, and he was none too careful whom he chose to spend his time with. Now that he’s faced with an unexpected responsibility, he has to change his ways fast.

The only person he trusts to help him is the girl next door, Stacey Ingram. Ever since he’s known her, she’s been a pillar of stability. No matter what life threw at her, she could handle it with quiet grace. That’s why he is certain, the curve he’s going to throw her will be met with equal effort.

The way he sees it, she needs him as much as he needs her. It’s a win-win. Not to mention the fact that she's more woman than he can handle. Now he’s wondering why he never noticed her before.

FROM THE COVER:

Joey McCrary needs a wife and someone to help him raise his daughter after he made some poor choices in college.  Stacey has always been his friend, and even though she’s a sweet girl, nothing can compare to the feelings he has for his ex.

Joey realizes that he and Stacey can benefit one another.  Joey can provide Stacey with all she’s ever wanted: a family.  But can Stacey teach him a few things along the way, too?

Available now at: AMAZON      BARNES & NOBLE      ASTRAEA PRESS

Meet & Greet: Teo

Teo

Stem 7217A

Teo spends a lot of time with Aria, the EROMI plant assigned to his social group. When Aria leaves to fulfill Dr. Admatha's mission, Teo has a difficult time understanding the difference between her mission and the orders stems usually receive, which mean they won't be coming back.

He doesn't have long to fret over her absence though. When his human counterpart is convicted of a capital crime, Teo's purpose is questioned by EROMI's powers that be. Who will Aria find in Teo's place when she returns to Endfield?

Meet & Greet: Aria

Aria Markus

#8936

Aria has lived and worked at the Endfield compound for the past several years. She lives among the stems and interacts with them on a daily basis. As far as they are concerned, she is one of them. She's been there long enough, she is starting to think she is too.

The powers that be never let her forget who she really is -- what her role at Endfield is.

But no one knows the real reason Aria came to Endfield in the first place. The one memory that haunts her and makes it impossible to trust another human being.

~ All We See or Seem (available now) and One Lonely Rose (work in progress)~

Meet & Greet: Gemini

Gemini

Stem 6418C

Gemini has lived in Endfield ever since she can remember. It is the only place she has ever been. Her entire life consists of exercise regimens, dietary regimens, community assignments, regular clinic visits, medical tests, and carefully supervised social interactions. But this strictly regulated life is all she has ever known -- her normal -- and she is perfectly content to maintain this existence and meet the expectations...

Until her closest friend gets his orders. When Gryff leaves, Gem's whole world seems to fall apart.

And that is when Gem discovers that not everything she has known her entire life is as it seems.

Meet & Greet: Gryffon

Gryffon Stem 7217C

"Gryff"

Fun-loving Gryff has lived in Endfield ever since he can remember. He follows the protocol just as he as always done: Exercising, working, eating right. He does everything he is supposed to do, in order to meet the expectations.

When his orders arrive, he quietly says goodbye to his group of friends, to Gem, and reports to the EROMI building... fully knowing that no one ever comes back.

~ All We See or Seem ~

Meet & Greet: Katherine Bourne

Lady Katherine Bourne

Daughter of the Earl and Countess of Banbury

Lady Katherine, the beautiful but rather accident-prone daughter of the Earl of Banbury, has been infatuated with the Duke of Paisley ever since their first meeting, when she was nothing more than a child. His noble and chivalrous nature has always captured her girlish fantasies.

On the other hand, she has always had a strong aversion to the incorrigible and rakish tendencies of Benedict Devlyn, the Devil Duke. No matter how sinfully handsome he is.

When she hears the news that the Duke of Paisley will be returning from Scotland for a short time to choose a wife, she plans to make certain she is in the forefront of that race. Even better, his grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Durbin, seems to be on her side in the matter.

Imagine her disappointment when she arrives at the Montmouth Winter Ball to discover her one-time ally has already finagled a betrothal between Paisley and some other girl, and had in mind instead that Lady Katherine be a match for none other than the Devil Duke... the last man on Earth she would ever choose.

Meet & Greet: Benedict Devlyn, the Duke of Creighton

Benedict Devlyn

Duke of Creighton

"The Devil Duke"

After the death of his parents, Benedict Devlyn was taken in and raised by his Aunt Agatha, the Dowager Duchess of Durbin. She was strict and insisted on things being done her way. Benedict, however, was a strong-willed child who never liked to do things by the book. And so he came by his nickname, "the Devil Duke" quite honestly by doing exactly whatever pleased him.

A man of rapidly changing tastes, he has had eight different mistresses in the last year, whom he hires as his housekeeper for as long as they can hold his interest.

It should come as no surprise, that he has no intention to marry any time soon. No woman can capture his heart. But his aunt is growing impatient. She will see him married before her time comes, no matter what methods she must employ to see it done. Poor fellow, he won't even know what hit him!

Meet & Greet: Agatha Kingsley

Agatha Kingsley

Dowager Duchess of Durbin

A stern and demanding woman, the dowager duchess raised her grandson (Baldwyn Sinclair, the Duke of Paisley) and her nephew (Benedict Devlyn, the Duke of Creighton).

Her first husband was a cruel, abusive, and philandering man who died without producing an heir. Her second husband, the former Duke of Durbin already had two grown sons of his own, but he allowed Agatha one daughter, who married a Scottish duke when she was seventeen and moved far away from her mother.

Agatha has a fiercely strong will. She survived two husbands, her younger brother, her son-in-law, and her daughter. Now her dearest wish before she will allow herself the repose of death is to see her only surviving kin, the two dukes, married happily in love matches.

Because no matter how cold and unfeeling she appears, she loves them both more than life itself.

Meet & Greet: Anastasia Trent

Anastasia Trent

the daughter of the Earl of Marks

Lady Anastasia was raised by her father from the age of seven, when her mother fell ill and died. The young girl was her father's pride and joy, the last remaining thing he had of her mother, and so he indulged her, gave her everything her heart desired that he could provide.

A great dreamer, the girl built an elaborate fantasy in her mind of the knight in shining armor, who would one day come to her aid and sweep her off her feet. And who is the hero of this fairy tale but Baldwyn Sinclair, the Duke of Paisley? Returned from Scotland to do just what she'd always dreamed.

Too bad he sees her only as the troublesome little girl in pigtails who flings mud at him in order to gain his attention.

But she is no longer that little girl, and she fully intends to use all the tools at her disposal to turn his head now. Even mud...if it suits her.

Meet & Greet: Lady Gemma

Lady Gemma Reynolds

daughter of the Duke of Fraley

The beautiful and talented Gemma Reynolds is as straight-laced as they come. She quotes the etiquette book in her spare time. And though her goal in life is marriage, she is scared to death to be alone with a man. Propriety is very important to her.

Her parents and brother are over-protective of her, and raised her to be conscious of the appearance of everything she does and says. If there is even a hint of impropriety, Gemma becomes faint.

This is why her friendship with Bridget is such a puzzle. However, they do seem to balance each other out. Gemma holds Bridget back from jumping off the ledge and plunging into complete scandal, while Bridget encourages Gemma to step outside her comfort zone every once in awhile.

When bumbling Sir Colin Wilde focuses his attentions on uptight Lady Gemma, the result is sometimes funny—sometimes sad. Sometimes it is downright improper...and Lady Gemma doesn't know what to do with that.

Meet & Greet: Anthony Benson

Anthony Benson

Viscount Maddox

By chance, Anthony was born second, but only by mere minutes. He grew up with his best friend and twin brother, Ambrose. They were boys full of mischief, and they never quite grew out of that. In spite of that propensity, somehow they ended up as well-respected gentlemen and the two most eligible bachelors of the ton.

While his brother can be serious at times, Anthony takes life in stride. Everything is a game to be won. Anything can be made into a challenge. If things begin to run towards the mundane, Anthony will find a way to make it interesting. Whether it be through challenging his brother to re-invent a shunned wallflower, or to undertake to win the only woman in society who would spurn his own advances.

He is not completely without scruples, however. For instance, his compassion runs deep for those who have been made outcasts through no fault of their own (though he prefers people to think his motivations are selfish—he does have his reputation to think about, after all).

At the age of seven, Anthony suffered a traumatizing experience involving strawberries. He hasn’t been able to stand them since.

While at Eton, Anthony and Ambrose met Colin Wilde. The three met with an instant camaraderie based on their mutual affinity for mischief, and spent the rest of their educational career perpetuating all sorts of practical jokes and outlandish challenges...again, something they never outgrew.

Anthony's natural confidence draws women like flies, old and young alike. Every Season he has to fight them off with a stick (some more strenuously than others). This, of course, serves only to add a smack of hubris to his already healthy ego.

In spite of his arrogant exterior, Anthony is a romantic at heart and has always fancied himself a knight in shining armor, riding in on his white horse to rescue a fair maiden from a fate worse than death. But in this fantasy, he never once imagined the damsel would despise him.