Thank you, Melissa, for having me back on 1000 Plus Books To Read. I really appreciate the opportunity to give your readers a sneak peek at my new romance novella, The Cruise – All That Glitters.
One of my favorite modes of relaxation is cruising—settling into a comfy cabin with a private balcony, sleeping in rhythm with the gentle rocking of the ship, waking in a new port every day. I meet a lot of people when I travel and always look forward to making new friends. But not all of my cruise experiences have been great, or even memorable. In fact, a few are probably best left forgotten. Yet, that’s where I’ve found some of the best stories lie.
In The Cruise-All That Glitters, the main character, Dean, is a thirty-something bachelor taking his first cruise. Like most single men, his sights are set on finding scores of beautiful women. But what was supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime quickly turns into a trip to hell. Although he tries to forget the nerve-wracking plane ride and the disappointment of his tiny stateroom, his situation only gets worse as he finds himself roped into sitting at a dinner table for two with a recently divorced, testicle-stomping man-hater named Thelma.
In the following excerpt, Dean has just about given up all hope of finding his dream woman on board, and has decided to check out the port excursions and tours, hoping his luck will change on the white sands of a Caribbean beach.
Here’s an excerpt:
Was she really here? Could the perfect woman—the woman of countless wet dreams—be waiting for me in this desperate collection of middle-class America?
With a good quarter mile of semi-naked bodies to peruse, I began to pick my way through the maze of day-bags, backpacks, and discarded towels. I tried to appear in transit, as if on my way to somewhere specific rather than cruising the deck like a voyeur.
Halfway around, I began to smile at any woman who would look up, hoping someone would notice and smile back, giving me the opportunity to stop and talk. But after a complete tour, I had collected only a few punitive glances from middle-aged, housebound, soap-opera aficionados, most of them sporting a large fringe of errant fat below the elastic edges of their JCPenney two-piece.
This hole’s mined out. Only tailings left here, son. That’s what my grandfather would have said. A wise old fart, my grandfather.
Perhaps it was too early for hard-bodies. After all, it was still morning. Hard-bodies usually slept late, not arriving poolside until the early afternoon.
I would look again, after lunch.
I decided to check out the shore excursions, to find out what options were available while we were docked in St. Thomas. At the very least, I could get recommendations for the best beaches and resorts. Certainly there would be hard-bodies on a Caribbean beach.
The tour office was a simple affair; a small counter where cruise personnel answered questions, sold excursion tickets, and processed reservation forms. About twenty people were standing in line, a few asking each other questions about which tour they liked best, and generally complaining about the cost.
I scanned the rack of flyers and pamphlets, looking for anything having to do with a beach. I quickly decided this was going to take some serious study. While many tours offered a beach stop, it came only after hours of bussed sightseeing with detours for shopping. With information in hand, I decided to return to the dining room and review my options over a pot of coffee and a Danish.
I headed for the elevator. And then, in a way so simple and random, and perhaps for no other reason than because fate makes it so . . .
I saw her.
She looked mid-twenties, yet radiated that rare kind of flawless beauty that transcended age. Her angelic features were framed by sparkling sun-blonde hair flowing soft and silky across bare sun-kissed shoulders. Her white, backless sundress hugged the curve of her waist without fold or wrinkle. And a couple of inches below her bottom, the thigh-high hemline revealed shapely, muscular legs, their deep tan contrasting against the light fabric in such a way that questioned her need for clothing at all. She was surely the creation of some godly sculptor, who had no doubt brought her to life as a full-grown woman, ready and willing to delight in everything sensual.
She was earthy. Sexy. Perfect.
I realized I was staring. Had anyone seen me? I quickly looked right, then left. I was safe. In fact, most of the passengers were looking at her. Even some of the women seemed awestruck, marveling at such rare genetic handiwork.
Here’s a brief synopsis:
It’s love on the high seas for Dean, a thirty-something bachelor taking his first cruise, hoping for a shipboard romance. On the prowl for the elusive hard-body, he quickly becomes disillusioned, wondering if his expectation of a boatload of beautiful sea nymphs is something found only in travel brochures.
Until he meets Angel.
She is the girl of his dreams, brought to life as a bewitching goddess, ready to engage in every sensual delight. Quickly lured into submission by Angel’s seductive charms, Dean is ready to surrender his heart and soul to this provocative beauty.
Until he meets Marcie . . .
The Cruise – All That Glitters is available now
as a Kindle eBook on Amazon for only $.99
Author Bio: Jaye Frances is the author of the new romance novella, The Cruise – All That Glitters, a humorous take on a shipboard romance, and the paranormal-occult romance book The Kure, the first novel in The Kure series. She is also a featured columnist for the NUSA SUN magazine. Born in the Midwest, Jaye readily admits that her life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent. When she’s not consumed by her writing, Jaye enjoys cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which find their way to her website. Her other works include The Possibilities of Amy, a coming-of-age story about a high school romance, and an upcoming book titled Journeys From Above and Below the Belt, a collection of adult fiction novellas and short stories, scheduled for a Summer 2012 release. Jaye lives on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes. For more information, visit Jaye’s website at www.jayefrances.com, or Jaye’s Blog at http://blog.jayefrances.com, Goodreads Author Page, Facebook Page.
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