Title: THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Author: M.J. Schiller
Genre: Romance
Book Blurb:
Zoe McCord has a crush on Zack. Only one problem—he’s been her best friend and neighbor since she was little. How do you make a guy see you as more than just the girl next door? Is it ever possible to find your way out of the friend zone?
Zack Isaaccs has always thought Zoe was cute. But when did she become so hot? He can’t believe he’s even having thoughts like that about his best friend. Is there any chance that Zoe feels the same way?
But when trouble is coming at the McCord family from all sides, will it bring Zack and Zoe closer together, or rip them apart?
No one can hurt you quite like THE DEVIL YOU KNOW….
Excerpt:
[Last year I gave you readers a scene from Samantha’s wedding to Kyle, an NHL hockey ref. In it, Samantha’s ex took the cake table down on his way out the door. This is the continuation of that scene, from Sam’s point of view….]
Tucker’s words sounded distorted. I put a hand over my stomach. Cold sweat dripped out of every pore and my knees buckled. “Kyle?” He and Ryan were at my side in an instant, keeping me from going down.
Ryan looked at Kyle.
Kyle shifted to better hold me. “Let’s get her to a table.”
They helped me over to a chair and lowered me into it.
Ryan squatted beside me, his gaze searching my face. “Mom? Are you all right?”
I patted his arm, drained of all energy. “Fine, baby.”
Dani spread her arms wide and herded our guests to the other side of the lawn. “Let’s make our way into the big tent. There are plenty of hors d’oeuvres.”
Max and Alex came forward, shooting glances in my direction. “Is there anything we can do?”
Dani peered back over her shoulder at me. Our gazes connected and I gave my head a slight shake. She turned back. “Let’s give them some room for a minute.” She slid between them, turning them around and placing her hands on their shoulders. Whatever else she said, it was lost in the noise.
Kyle looked at Ryan. “Hey, bud. Do you think you could go get her a glass of ice water?”
Ryan looked hesitant, but he nodded and rose.
I planted both elbows on the table and put the tips of my fingers to my temples. Kyle’s hand was on my back. I started to shake.
Kyle squatted beside me as Ryan had. “Hey, hey, hey.” His voice was gentle.
Tears came out of nowhere. “He ruined it. He ruined everything.”
“No, he didn’t,” Kyle insisted. “We can still dance in the fountain.”
I raised my head and stared at him. He brushed away my tears with his thumb. I laughed, feeling a bit wacky.
“That’s my girl.”
I looked over at my cake. It took me forever to find a guitar the right size to stick on the top, with a pair of ice skates. Now all of the layers of the cake were separated, each slid off their base, the guitar was cracked in half, and the ice skates were nowhere to be seen. I let out a whimper.
“What? The cake?”
I nodded.
“I’ll get you another one.”
I chuckled. “They don’t just keep extra ones hanging around, you dumbshit, in case someone happens to decide to get married at the last minute.”
His smile widened. “I know. I know.” He patted my leg, then stood, offering his hands and tugging me to my feet. “Trust me.”
Ryan arrived with the water and I drank it, staring over the rim at my husband and shaking my head at him, but the corners of my mouth rose. When I was finished, he took the glass from me and set it on the table.
“Now. Let’s go and show these people how we Scolfields boogie.”
I screamed when he swept me up, then looped my arms around his neck and relaxed against him. Everyone cheered when we entered the tent, but he didn’t stop at the dance floor as I expected him to. He continued to march across the lawn and it came to me, I knew what he was doing. I kicked my shoes off and screamed in delight right before he lifted me and set me in the fountain. Of course, everyone was staring at us as Kyle hopped over and joined me. He looked back toward the tent and waved his hand with a flourish. The bandleader caught on, said something to the other musicians, and the music started up. With a grace I didn’t know he possessed he drew me into him and we danced in the fountain.
I couldn’t believe it. This feeling of bliss after a catastrophe.
“You never cease to amaze me.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Oh, no. The amazing’s for later.” We laughed and he put his forehead on mine as we swayed to the music. The horns and violins were beautiful, and I knew an electric guitar or two waited in the wings. He moved his lips to my ear. “No one messes with my woman.”
A half hour later, as I was circulating among our guests, I noticed Kyle peel off a wad of bills and give them to Ryan. The kid was grinning ear-to-ear, so I knew they were up to something. An hour after that, a cart was wheeled in. Ryan must have cleaned out every grocery store and convenient mart in the county. Ding Dongs were stacked, taller than my cake even was, and it looked like…Reddi Wip?...was sprayed in the spaces between. He’d even patched the guitar somehow and found the skates.
Around midnight, after most of our guests headed out, Kyle brought me a Ding Dong. I laughed. “This is perfect. It looks like a hockey puck.”
The servers were milling around cleaning tables, but it was as if we were all alone. Kyle leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet onto our table, putting his arm around me. “Well, things didn’t turn out quite like we wanted them to, but I’d do it all again and again to be the one sitting here with you at the end of the night.”
“Hmm…” I swiped some Reddi Wip off my plate and stuck my finger in his mouth. “I think it’s time for you to amaze me.”
He moved his feet, let the chair fall back on all four legs, and leaned over to kiss me. Maybe this whole marriage thing could work out.
Yes, we’re loud. We’re unconventional. We’re off-beat.
But, damn it, we’re the Scofields.
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
In a word, Kyle. Kyle is one of my favorite characters. He definitely wouldn’t consider himself a hero. In fact, he would probably see himself more as a rogue, and that would be true. But I’ve got news for you, Kyle—you are also every bit the hero. He’s not my handsomest, most buff lead male, but Kyle would do anything to protect the woman he loves, Sam. He’d also go to the ends of the earth for Sam’s daughter, and he makes that clear to poor Elise’s first suitor when Kyle grills him before their first date. He’d also sacrifice all he had for Sam’s son Ryan, who wasn’t even that nice to him when he first came on the scene. But that doesn’t even cross Kyle’s mind when he has a broken leg and some punks try to jump Ryan. He tosses his crutches aside and gets right in the mix. His selflessness even stretches to enfold Sam’s best friend, Dani’s, daughter (Zoe) and her boyfriend (Zack). He is so much a part of Zoe’s life that Zack actually asks Kyle for Zoe’s hand before he even goes to her own dad. Kyle, (and Killian Murphy, from the same series), is the character that wouldn’t go away. He keeps popping in to be awesome book after book after book. He’s everything a hero should be, in the most human, unheroic way. I just love him! I hope readers do too. J
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card:
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Author Biography:
Bestselling author M.J. Schiller is a retired lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. She is the mother of a twenty-nine-year-old and three twenty-seven-year-olds. That's right, triplets! She likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon.
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