The Central Song: Chris & Ruthie

Working on edits for Facing It and I end up looping the soundtrack while I work.

This is the central song for Chris & Ruthie:



The lyrics are so perfect for their relationship (snipping):

You could've bowed out gracefully
But you didn't
You knew enough to know
To leave well enough alone
But you wouldn't
I drive myself crazy
Tryin' to stay out of my own way
The messes that I make
But my secrets are so safe
The only one who gets me
Yeah, you get me
It's amazing to me

Icome around all broken down and
Crowded out
And you're comfort
Sometimes the place I go
Is so deep and dark and desperate

Sometimes I swear, I don't know if
I'm comin' or goin'
But you always say something
Without even knowin'
That I'm hangin' on to your words
With all of my might and it's alright
Yeah, I'm all right for one more night

Every day you save my life

A Tidbit

The diner wasn’t difficult to find and wasn’t far from the department, either. Within walking distance. Frowning, Madeline parked in the alley beside the historic brick building. Why hadn’t Calvert sent her on foot?
She found the answer inside as the bubbly fresh-out-of-high-school cashier loaded take-out plate after take-out plate in two large cardboard boxes. An unwilling spurt of humor tugged at Madeline’s lips. At least Calvert hadn’t been a big enough ass to send her after this on foot.
Or maybe it simply hadn’t occurred to him.
She juggled one of the awkward boxes into her arms and glared at the second. “I’ll be back for that one.”
Trying to keep her hands from slipping off, she shoved the door open with one hip and stepped onto the sidewalk. The damn carton was heavier than it looked, and it was further to the car than she’d like. Plus, she’d locked the unit. Her keys were in her pocket; she’d have to set the box down to dig them out.
“Hey, let me help you with that.” A smooth drawl filled her ears seconds before strong hands lifted the box easily from her precarious hold.
“Thanks.” She rubbed her tingling palms down her hips before tugging the keys from her pocket. She looked up at her rescuer. He was tall, his body tight with the muscles that came from good old-fashioned hard work, the box balanced easily on one hip. Sunlight glinted off sandy-blond hair, lightened here and there by long hours outside. A denim jacket covered an untucked T-shirt worn over faded blue jeans, a hole worn in one pocket, and scuffed work boots.
Standard farmer attire.
Too bad she’d sworn off farmboys long ago. This one was cute, with a great smile and the prettiest pale green eyes she’d ever seen, glowing in a tanned face, thin lines spreading out beneath long lashes.
He was checking her out, too, his sea-colored gaze roaming from her hair, to her face, over her body and back up to her eyes. He grinned, white teeth flashing against his golden skin. “You’re new here.”
New? Madeline swallowed a laugh. If he only knew. She wasn’t going to explain her convoluted past to a man she’d probably never see again, though. She pointed toward the police car. “I’m parked over here.”
He settled the box on the stainless steel back seat and straightened. “Is that all?”
She wavered for a half second. “Actually, there’s one more, if you don’t mind…”
“I don’t.” The great smile lit his face again. “Or I wouldn’t have asked.” He tucked his hands in his pockets as they walked back to the diner. “Good thing I decided to call in a lunch order today, huh?”
She reached for the door and held it. “What do you mean?”
“Might have missed meeting you.”
A laugh bubbled in her throat, and she smothered it. The last thing she wanted was a man in her life, and if she was in the market for one, it would be the kind she’d always dated: smooth, polished, interested in sex and no strings.
Not the farmer-type she’d grown up with.
Not even one with a killer body and drop-dead eyes.
He hefted the second box with the same ease and economy of movement. Outside at the car, he tilted his chin toward it. “So you’re with the sheriff’s department.”
“Temporarily.”
He tucked his thumbs in his back pockets, the line of his body relaxed. “Maybe I’ll see you around then.”
Not likely, but she smiled anyway. “Maybe.”
He nodded. “You have a good day, now.”Slipping behind the wheel, she watched him amble toward the diner. My, my, he had a nice ass, and the old jeans highlighted it to perfection. Shaking off the purely feminine musings, she shifted into gear and drove back to the station. Any pleasant feelings engendered by the interlude with the good-looking farmer sputtered out as soon as she returned to the sheriff’s department.

Sshh!

I have a secret.

Cover Art Goodness: FALL INTO ME

She’s finally falling for the right man…at the worst possible time.

After two back-to-back romantic disappointments, bar owner Angel Henderson isn’t looking for love. In the past month, she’s been passed over twice by men she’d pinned her hopes on, both times in favor of a younger woman. She’s ready to swear off men for life. The only problem? A certain younger man determined to prove he can be her right man.

Sheriff’s deputy Troy Lee Farr is tired of being the department screw-up. The harder he tries to prove himself, the worse it gets. The only thing that’s gone right recently is getting a second chance with Angel. Except she’d rather jam on the brakes than rush into a new relationship. Now he has to work hard to prove his worth as a romantic prospect.

Troy Lee is a patient man, and it isn’t long before Angel is falling into him as hard as he’s fallen for her. Just as Angel begins to think of him as more than a fun date, her past—and Troy’s dangerous reality—threatens the tentative happiness they’ve found in one another.

Reminding them both that security is tenuous…and unconditional love is the biggest challenge of all.

Warning: Cops who talk like cops, explicit older woman-younger man lovin’, and two-boxes-of-tissues emotion.

Releasing January 27, 2009 from Samhain Publishing.

***

Note to Rhiann -- I'm pretty sure I mailed it when I sent out the last batch. Will dig through postal reciepts. May just send another copy, just in case. If both turn up then, you can give one away. ;-)

Pictorial Inspiration

So I have to have pictures for reference when I write. I look for photos that match what's in my head. Now, usually, once I'm beyond the first chapter or so, I can put the photos away. Anyhoo, I was organzing and deleting files on my computer, thought I'd share the photos I'd pulled for the Men of Chandler County.

Tick (2 shots)


Troy Lee:

Chris:

Mark:

See, this is soooo much more fun that figuring out a problem for my Ed Research course.

Do You Have Your Cookie Yet?

Hearts Awakened releases today!

It’s not the past that wounds us…it’s the ghosts we hold onto.

Hearts Awakened by Linda Winfree
Book Six of the Hearts of the South series

A lifetime ago Mark Cook’s pregnant wife vanished, taking everything and leaving an empty, aching hole in his life. Since then, as penance for his failure as a husband and father, he’s refused to allow himself to live. Refused to lay his sleeping heart on the line for any woman.

Enter Tori Calvert, his best friend’s baby sister. Suddenly, against his will—and against his better judgment—that same damaged heart seems determined to reawaken. And Mark’s not sure he can withstand the pain.

When she was a teenager, a vicious attack ripped away Tori’s very essence as a woman. Finally she feels ready to focus her existence on something other than her job as a rape crisis counselor. And to step outside the shelter of her loving, protective family. She trusts Mark more than any man, yet fear holds her back.

Fear that even the healing light of love may not be enough to banish the shadows of the past.

**

Hearts Awakened is a Recommended Read at Fallen Angel Reviews!

"Ms. Winfree’s skill at putting emotion into words is nothing short of genius, she had me laughing, crying, cheering and just a little hot... she had the mix of want and fear that Tori experiences perfect. Anyone that reads Hearts Awakened will not walk away unaffected and I can guarantee you’ll fall in love with Ms. Winfree’s work." -- Rachel C., Fallen Angel Reviews

For an excerpt and more information, click HERE.

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES: Available in PRINT

“…a first rate suspense thriller with an excellent romantic component that hooks the reader from the very beginning… quintessentially a story about doing the right thing and it’s so well told that I’m in a hurry to read it again. I give it my highest recommendation.” — Aviana, Two Lips Reviews

When deceit and desire collide, the results can be deadly . . .

Truth and Consequences by Linda Winfree
Book One in the Hearts of the South series

For undercover FBI agent Jason Harding, coming face to face with the grown-up version of his adolescent dreams is a nightmare. Kathleen Palmer sees him as a despicably corrupt small-town law officer and a murder suspect. Trapped in a web of his own making, he must see his mission through to the end and bring down the crooked cops who’ve run Haynes County for decades. To do so, he must betray the only family he’s ever known and fight his growing love for Kathleen, a relationship that could get one, or both of them, killed.

Determined to uncover the truth, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Kathleen struggles with her attraction to the one person who’s awakened her since she buried her heart and emotions in her son’s tiny grave. Listening to her heart could destroy all she has left in life – her career and reputation. When the truth about Jason’s identity surfaces, they both face unimaginable consequences: Jason may lose his life and Kathleen the man she loves.

Samhain link: http://www.samhainpublishing.com/authors/linda-winfree

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Consequences-Hearts-South-Winfree/dp/1599987716/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209486269&sr=8-2

Booksigning at The Bookstore, Camilla, Georgia: Saturday, May 3, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

“But in the south, we also have men like Jason who are patriotic, law abiding, loyal, caring, family men…Thank you, Ms. Winfree, for a character that is a real southern man. I also enjoyed Kathleen’s tough girl, independent, take no prisoners attitude…the embodiment of a southern woman…Truth and Consequences is an exciting, pulse-pounding, suspense story.” – Stephanie, Fallen Angel Reviews

Hearts of the South . . .

. . . the dedicated blog for my upcoming Hearts of the South series is LIVE!