Win "Stella and Dane" By: Deanna Roy & Review

Today we are spotlighting 

"Stella & Dane"

By: Deanna Roy

Stella is one step from leaving her honky tonk town when bad-boy Dane roars down Main Street on his prized Harley-Davidson. Their dangerous romance keeps the locals talking, but when Dane is arrested after a deadly bar fight, the couple discovers their love runs deeper than their reputations.

About the Author

Deanna is the author of Baby Dust and Stella & Dane, interrelated books on the hardships we sometimes face while searching for that ideal love and looking to build a family. 

Her articles and short stories have been published in many magazines including The Writer magazine, The First Line, and publications by SCBWI and the Writers' League of Texas. Her best work has been collected into a short story collection Single Edged Blades.  

She lives in Austin, Texas, with her two daughters and new husband. They were married 6.9.12!

Twitter: @deannaroy

Facebook: http://facebook.com/deannaroy

Web site: www.deannaroy.com

Excerpt

STELLA approached the water tower with trepidation. She peered up, curious if Dane was already there. But the night was dark, no moon, and she couldn’t see anything but the gray gleam of streetlamps reflecting dimly on its surface. If the platform held any secrets, it kept them close to its metal belly.  

Despite this being a date of sorts, she’d resorted to tennis shoes, unable to consider heading up the ladder in heels. She still did the miniskirt, though. Not much could make her wear anything else.  

She set her purse behind the concrete base to one of the steel legs and jumped to grasp the first rung of the ladder. Usually she had someone with her for the initial boost. But she could do it alone. She swung back and forth, grasping the metal tightly, until she had enough momentum to bring her feet up and above her head to catch on the ladder. Her leg crept up until her knee was over the rung, then the other, and she pulled herself up to sit on the lowest bar.  

A low whistle below made her pause. She looked down.  

“Impressive mount, good form. Definitely worth a replay.”  

Dane. 

She turned around on the ladder. “And the score?”  

“Nine point nine.”  

“Really?” She turned back around and began climbing. “I think I just got robbed.” She finished the first tier, reaching up to cover the gap to the second ladder. A hand grasped her ankle, startling her. She gripped the bar tightly.  

Dane was just below, grinning up at her, teeth bright in the dark.  

“You scared the crap out of me!” Stella tried to pull her foot loose. His grip was firm, sure, then became gentler, a caress. Still, she was hopping mad. “How did you get up here so fast? You trying to kill me?”  

He rose a few more feet, pulling up next to her. She shifted over, and he swung behind. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” 

He pressed her against the rungs, one arm encircling her waist.
  

With anyone else, she might have felt panicked, trapped. But she didn’t, just a zip of danger, and the thrill of him behind her, four stories in the air.

My Thoughts
      Oh my goodness, where do I begin. "Stella and Dane" was simply a wonderful romance, simply and complex, sweet and hot, pretty much all at the same time. Stella and Dane are fantastic characters and totally made for one another. Sure Stella is impulsive and at some times can be self involved, I really enjoyed her. And Dane..oh my goodness. Dane is HOT in capital letters. I know that's not super descriptive, but I just shivered when I read about him with Stella.
      I picked the previous excerpt to highlight because it was one of my favorite shiver worthy scenes. She shifted over, and he swung behind. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” Ummm, hello? YUM! Dane is strong and while some of his actions made me want to tear my hair out and say, "What ARE you thinking???!!!," there was no way I'm going to stop reading. A pull you in and not let you go kinda book, "Stella and Dane" is a fast paced romance perfect for a summer afternoon.

Comment on this review and win! 

Deanna will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

The more you comment the greater you chance to win!

Check out the following stops 

for more chances to win!

September 3:  My Reading Addiction
September 5:  Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
September 6:  Jersey Girl Book Reviews
September 7:  Reviews by Molly
September 7:  The Bunny's Review
September 10:  Crazy Four Books
September 11:  The Brunette Librarian
September 11:  Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More
September 13:  Queen of the Night Reviews
September 14:  It's Raining Books