Mandy Baggot

Today in the Lady's Lounge I have a very good friend of mine, the gorgeous, funny, talented author Sheryl Browne!

Hi,Mandy! Thank you sooo much for inviting me on to your blog! Totally thrilled to be here, putting myself about a bit! Rather than over-expose myself, though ~ not a pretty sight, I thought I would just share an excerpt of my latest release Warrant for Love.

Before I do, however, I have a wee bit of news (you knew I wouldn’t resist, didn’t you?). Without further ado, I am uber-excited to announce my next book now has a release date! A Little Bit of Madness is to be launched by Safkhet Publishing on Valentine’s Day 2013! I don’t have a cover to display yet, but, cover art in mind, Safkhet Publishing will be at the FESTIVAL OF ROMANCE (taking place from 16th to 18th November 2012 in the historic county town of Bedford. Over 40 romantic fiction authors taking part over the weekend) and they are bringing their camera. Come along to the Safkhet stand and YOU could be one of Safkhet Publishing’s gorgeous cover models! For further details about the Festival of Romance bumper, fun-packedweekend, go to: www.festivalofromance.co.uk. Come and held us celebrate romantic fiction!

I’ll shut up now! Herewith, my blurb and excerpt for Warrant for Love - three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly.

Life for Paul is like a typical country song. He comes from a broken home, his wife is divorcing him, he's got no place to live, he's losing custody of his son, and his sergeant, who's sleeping with his wife, is a loud-mouthed bully who won't let up on him – not even at work.

Before Leanne can give her cheating boyfriend what for, she's wrongfully arrested for soliciting – by Paul. There’s an undeniable attraction though and things could be looking up for Paul, except for Leanne's friends,who have it in for her ex. Leanne wants closure, Paul wants a home, Nicky and Jade want revenge. Blackmail, lies, adultery, entrapment. Will it work out in the end or will Paul uphold the law?

Lee emerged from the loo, having slipped into the natty little number Nicky had provided, to find Clooney squirming under cool surveillance from Nicky and Jade. He gave Lee a small smile, then dropped his gaze as two sets of eyes continued to bore holes in his skull.

Nicky sniffed and turned her attention to Lee. ‘Better?’ she asked her more comfortably clothed, if not couture, sister.

‘Much.’ Lee eyed her flower-festooned sarong affair forlornly.

‘I know it’s a bit garish,’ Nicky conceded, ‘but at least it fits. Your bum certainly doesn’t look big in it.’

‘Thank you for that, Nicky. Would you like to pop over and ask the nice officer if you can use his walkie-talkie? You can broadcast the size of my vitals to the entire police force then.’

‘Whoops. Sorry.’ Nicky looked suitably sheepish. ‘Come on, let’s go get you a medicinal drink and you can tell us all about it.’

Lee sighed and blinked back a tear. ‘It’s me who should be apologising. I’m sorry, Nicky. It’s just…Richard’s been cheating on me! Screwing some trollop with size ten feet, behind my back! Right under my nose!’

As Nicky and Jade steered Lee towards the door and more privacy, out of nowhere Jade commented, ‘He’s actually a bit of a dish, isn’t he?’ She gave Lee a nudge. ‘The blushing policeman?’

‘I hadn’t noticed.’ Lee glanced over her shoulder in female reflex, to check. ‘He is a bit, I suppose. But obviously a complete himbo.’

Nicky gave Jade a sidelong glance. ‘Jade, Lee’s had a very traumatic experience. She might be a little too emotionally vulnerable right now to be embarking on another relationship, don’t you think?’

‘Which is why sex with no strings would do her the world of good. Getting too emotionally involved is Lee’s problem.’

‘Jade!’ Nicky admonished.

‘Not that I’d be likely to be embarking on anything with him anyway,’ Lee offered wearily. ‘He’s probably got a list of admirers in his little black book, or a supermodel sort at home. I think I can safely say he wouldn’t beinterested in me. You, possibly.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes, you. With your looks and a cleavage that owes nothing to plunge bras, why wouldn’t he be? But flat-chested, fat-bottomed me? Wearing madam’s floral sarong and his baggy sweater, I don’t think…’

She stopped in her tracks. ‘The sweater. I’d better give it back.’

‘Good idea.’ Jade nodded. ‘Pop back in topless. That should get his attention.’

‘I very much doubt it.’ Lee clutched at her skirt in order to negotiate the station steps without splatting her face on the pavement. Parting company with her teeth would just about round the day off nicely. ‘He’d probably die laughing. Once he’d figured out which way I was facing.’

‘I hate to disagree, hon, but the guy didn’t take his eyes off you the whole time we were there. And Iknow that look.’

‘That’s probably because he couldn’t believe them.’

‘Miss Curtis?’ Lee heard someone callout behind her. She turned to see Clooney standing on the station steps.

‘What on earth does he want now?’ Lee hissed. ‘To arrest me for stealing his sweater?’

‘We’d better go and find out,’ Jade suggested, eyeing Clooney curiously. ‘Come on.’

Lee sucked in a breath. ‘Right.’ She nodded, then, shoulders back and head high, she walked defiantly toward him.

Paul’s stomach tied itself in a knot when Lee paused in front of him, arms folded and flanked by her friends. He wished they’d back  off. Obviously she needed her mates after the night she’d had, but they were practically grafted on.

‘I, er, wondered…’ Paul stopped and ran his hand over his neck. Wondered what? Whether you fancied going out for a drink sometime, with the copper who just arrested you? Yes,right. Idiot.‘The, er, jumper,’ he finally mumbled, his courage deserting him.‘I wondered if I could collect it… sometime.’

‘Told you he was interested. Go on,hon.’ The tall, dark-haired one gave Lee a less than subtle shove in his direction. ‘Give him your number.’

‘He’s got it, on the arrest form.’ Lee informed her, unimpressed eyes fixed on his. ‘I’ll drop it off,’ she said flatly.

Paul nodded. ‘Right. Great. Fine. I’ll see you then. Possibly. If I’m not on duty, that is.’ He smiled awkwardly.

Lee didn’t reciprocate. ‘I’ll ring and make sure you are. Now, is that all, or…’  She trailed off as his sergeant ambled down the station steps and slapped Paul on the shoulder. ‘Trying to pull her again, hey, Davis?’

Paul glanced down, knowing Cummings was about to wind him up, just like he always did, because he knew damn well that it was more than Paul dared do to retaliate. One of these days, though. His jaw tightened as Cummings went on, inevitably, embarrassingly.

‘Maybe you should ask the next one out before you arrest her, hey? Just a suggestion.’ Cummings looked from Paul, whose gaze was now fixed firmly on his shoes, to Lee, his eyes roving lewdly over her, before he turned, chuckling at his own knife-edged wit, back to the station. ‘Oh, by the way,’ he called over his shoulder ‘your wife’s on the phone.’

Author blog:http://www.sherylbrowne.com/

AuthorFB page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheryl-Browne-Author-Page/245372252189480

TwitterA/c @SherylBrowne:https://twitter.com/#!/SherylBrowne

Buy:Amazon.co.uk

Buy:Amazon.com

Publisher(buy): SafkhetPublishing LLP (1July 2012)

Thank you for joining me in the Lady's Lounge, Sheryl!