Congratulations to "Jo-Anne B." the winner of Margaret's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated.
Once in a while, an author creates
a couple of characters that grab on and won’t let go. That’s exactly what
happened when Jack Rudolph and Ellie Nichols popped into my head.
The three of us met when I was
trapped at St. Louis ’ Lambert International
Airport waiting on a
delayed flight and people watching. Airports are a target rich environment for
a writer. There’s always some kind of high drama unfolding – arrivals,
departures, lost luggage, over-served travelers…the place is teaming with plot.
While I was there, I watched a guy and a girl sneaking peeks at each other in
the gate area. The spark ignited, and the story of a saucy hotel manager and a
hunky FBI agent who strike up a conversation while stranded at the airport by a
Christmas Eve snowstorm caught fire.
Concourse Christmas was published
in Believe:
Turquoise Morning Press 2010 Christmas Anthology, and soon I heard from
readers who wanted to know what happened next. So I wrote another story that
takes place on New Year’s Eve and posted it on my website as a free read. From
there, the Jack and Ellie demand only grew. More stories followed covering
Groundhog’s Day, President’s Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Derby
Day, and Independence Day.

I’ve always felt bad for Flag Day.
Noted in red on June 14th, it falls so close to the Fourth of July
that it’s often overlooked. But not by me.
Seriously, how was I supposed to
resist using this scrap of byplay?
“Hey, Elfie.”
The sheets rustled as she rolled
over. The cell phone was warm against her ear, but not nearly as hot as the
sound of Jack’s voice. Weariness undercut the teasing playfulness behind the
use of that hated nickname. Husky and gravelly, his faint southern drawl crept
in around the edges, wound its way around her heart, and squeezed. Hard.
It had been six weeks since she
last kissed him. It would be another three before she got the chance. Jack was
at the FBI facilities at Quantico
for some kind of training, though why a forensic accountant needed to go
through additional training was beyond her. Numbers were numbers. As far as she
could tell, they stayed the same whether the person crunching them worked at
the neighborhood tax preparation place or for the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. She wanted him settled in Chicago ,
not off learning to subdue runaway subtraction. Navigating a long distance
relationship was hard enough as it was. Oklahoma
City had been bad enough. Chicago would still be a challenge. But Quantico , wherever the
hell that might be, was just too damn far away.
“Rudolph,” she managed to whisper.
“Good day of quantum accounting?”
“I miss you.”
Score, a direct hit for her very
Special Agent. “I miss you too.” His raspy chuckle struck a girl right in her
happy place. “That’s why I’m calling. I wanted to run something by you.”
“Up the flagpole?”
“What?”
“It’s Flag Day. You should run it
up the flagpole.”
Ellie squinted through the darkness
of her own bedroom, her mind racing to catch up. “Is this some kind of weird
dirty talk?”
“I could only wish.” Another quiet,
resolve-melting laugh. “Talk dirty to me, El. Tell me what you want to run up
my flagpole.”
“I only wanted to float the idea of
me coming to Chicago
over the Fourth.”
She heard his sharp intake of
breath. “Really?”
“Well, I was just…yeah.”
“You never come to me.”
The barely disguised wonder in his
tone set her on the defensive. “It’s not that I wouldn’t. It just hasn’t worked
out that way.”
“Yes. I mean, I know, and yes. Come
to Chicago for
the Fourth. I’ll let you do whatever you want with my flagpole. You don’t even
have to salute.”
Yeah, I know. It was pretty thin.
That’s why poor Flag Day was once again overshadowed by Independence Day. But
Jack and Ellie do have plenty of fun times to share in Long Distance Love– now
available as part of the 8-book Unforgettable Heroes digital boxed
set. Eight Amazon top-selling authors share their favorite contemporary romance
heroes--all boxed up for you in one sexy and irresistible package! From a sexy
carpenter to magnetic CEO, a rough-and-ready cowboy to a homeless man, a
classic car buff, a starving artist, a Latin-style dancer, and an FBI
agent--each unique hero has his own story to tell, and a heroine who just can't
forget him. Ever.
The best part is, Unforgettable
Heroes is available for only $0.99 through the end of March!
Giveaway:
Comment below and tell me your favorite holiday and why and I’ll chose one winner for a digital copy of any book from my backlist or a copy of UnforgettableHeroes!
Comment below and tell me your favorite holiday and why and I’ll chose one winner for a digital copy of any book from my backlist or a copy of UnforgettableHeroes!
Please visit my
website http://margaretethridge.com
You can also follow
me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mkethridge
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at: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMargaretEthridge
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Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST March 22nd. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@JustContemporaryRomance.com with a subject title of JCR GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway.
Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST March 22nd. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@JustContemporaryRomance.com with a subject title of JCR GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway.
Hi Margaret. I like Thanksgiving because it's all about food and family. And football, if you're so inclined. LOL It's just a more relaxed holiday than Christmas and I do love a good turkey dinner.
ReplyDeleteMarcy Shuler
bmndshuler(at)hotmail(dot)com
Christmas is my favorite holiday because our family always gets together for it. When my children were small, it was fun watch them rip open 'Santa's' presents but now that they are older I just love watching them.
ReplyDeletejoanneboykoATyahooDOTca
Christmas for the decorations
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
No need to enter me in the contest since I'm already the proud owner of everything Jack and Ellie. Just wanted to give some love to Mrs. Ethridge. I was one of those readers who demanded to know more of J&E's story. You'll understand when you meet them. They just get under your skin and into your heart and you can't help but root for them. Congrats on being a part of this fantastic collection, Margaret!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving is my favorite holiday since it's really about spending time with family and appreciating what you have.
ReplyDeletemce1011 AT aol DOT com
*waving* Hey Margaret! I love seeing my fellow UNFORGETTABLE HEROES authors out around the town!
ReplyDeleteThanks for featuring Margaret and our boxed set on your fabulous site!