#TeaserTuesday WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER Excerpt

The second book in the AT THE SHORE contemporary romance series, WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER, comes out on June 5, but it’s now available for pre-order! I truly love the story about career-driven New York City lawyer Connie Reyes and sexy surfer dude and tech guru Jonathan Pierce. They have an amazing chemistry and there’s so much for them to both learn about themselves and each other in order to finally get their happily-ever-after!

I’m happy to say that Kirkus Reviews loved it too and had this to say about the story!

Pineiro’s follow-up to One Summer Night (2017) covers the same time frame from the alternate couple’s viewpoint, to sexy, satisfying effect. Connie and Jonathan’s trials, tribulations, and second chance at love are engaging and at times thought-provoking, touching on the power of love, loyalty, and friendship. Another visit to Sea Kiss will charm romance fans.

To read the first part of the prologue, you can visit https://wp.me/p7KDGz-6eR.

And now, another little teaser from the prologue!

Connie’s heart thudded almost painfully in her chest as she wondered how, in a week’s time, she could leave him. The ache deepened beneath her breastbone and she put her hand there and rubbed to assuage the hurt.

What had started as a summer fling with a funny, smart, and beautiful boy had turned into something so much more, with an incredibly amazing man. Falling in love with Jonathan hadn’t been in her game plan, but he was just too hard to resist.

She should have resisted. He was a Pierce. She wasn’t a Sinclair, but Maggie was like a sister and that stupid family feud was still going strong, as far as she knew.

He was going back to Villanova in a week and she’d be returning to Princeton. The colleges were not all that far apart, but if she was to execute her game plan, she had to stay in the game, which meant studying and more studying. Not nights spent in bed making love and days spent daydreaming about the nights. But like Adam with Eve, now that she’d had a bite of such delicious forbidden fruit, she didn’t know how she could go on a Jonathan-free diet.

At the moment, she could just admire his sun-streaked light brown hair waving wildly around a masculine face with chiseled features. A sexy dimpled grin was on his lips and his eyes glittered with a blue as enchanting as a Sea Kiss summer sea.

That ache in her heart rocketed to life again together with an almost unbearable lightness in her soul. For so much of her life she’d been driven to accomplish more and more, but with Jonathan, she could just be herself. No goals or responsibilities. Just…happy.

And so, in the blink of an eye, her game plan altered. She could see it all so clearly, only now Jonathan was there beside her at each step. Finish college. Head to law school. Pass the bar. Get a job in a big New York City law firm so she could help her family financially, as well as others who had legal problems and couldn’t afford representation. Become a partner. Marry Jonathan. Or maybe marry Jonathan and then become a partner. She didn’t want to wait too long to be with him forever.

Not that she’d ever pictured getting married to anyone before, since her home life hadn’t been anything great. But for Jonathan, she’d make an exception.

As she snuggled into the curve of his arm and pillowed her head on his broad shoulder, she sighed and said, “I can’t believe the summer’s almost over.”

He grunted his reply in a too-typical male way. “Sucks.” But then he surprised her by adding, “I’d like to keep on seeing you once you’re back in school.”

She smiled, pleased by his admission, and glanced up at him. There was a contented smile on his full lips and the first hint of a dimple. The hard line of his jaw had a bit of blond stubble from an evening beard. She ran her hand up to brush away a lock of his hair.
“I’d like that, too,” she said.

His smile broadened and the dimple fully emerged, drawing attention to that luscious mouth. She couldn’t resist surging up to skim a kiss along that dimple and the corner of his lips.

“What was that for?” he asked.

She wanted to say because he made her happy, but she hesitated. She’d seen what could happen to a woman whose happiness depended on a man, as she’d watched her mother lose herself and her dreams.

“As a way for you to remember me until we visit each other at college,” she said instead.

Tension crept into his body, impossible to miss. Enough to worry her. She pulled back from him. “I thought you wanted us to see each other. At least, that’s what you said a minute ago.”

A chagrined look passed across his features, stirring the worry inside her.

“I do, only… I won’t be at college this year. I’m not going back to Villanova.”

She searched his face, finding it hard to believe, but he appeared deadly serious.

“What do you mean you’re not going back? Did something happen? Are you transferring to another school?”

Order

You can purchase WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER at these retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2y6hi4h
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2y92UIQ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJNcov
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2hKg3BW
iBooks: http://apple.co/2hKgP1J
Kobo: Coming Soon!

Also, don’t miss out on the special 99 cents pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT! You can purchase ONE SUMMER NIGHT at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL
What Happens in Summer Contemporary Romance set on the Jersey Shore

#WriteWed I am a Total Nerd & What Happens in Summer

I think I’ve mentioned that I’m a lot like the heroine of my upcoming release WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER. Like me, Connie is Latina and a lawyer and very career driven. But today I’m going to surprise you and tell you why I’m also a lot like Jonathan Pierce, the sexy surfer dude and nerd who turned into a tech billionaire.

In the first scenes of WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER you meet Jonathan and realize that he’s “coasting” through life and bored with school. He’s decided not to return to Villanova (my alma mater and go Cats!). That choice is something that very responsible Connie can’t imagine, especially since going to school for her was a financial hardship and a lifelong dream.

You eventually find out that Jonathan is bored because. . . I don’t want to spoil it for you right now. But suffice it to say that like Jonathan, I was sometimes bored in school, but instead of dropping out, I found more things to do to keep me engaged. I went home and read anything I could get my hands on, oftentimes things well beyond my grade level. I read the encyclopedia. I did the vocabulary tests in the back of the World Book. I was a nerd and very shy. Yes, people laugh when I say that because I’m anything but shy now.

When I wasn’t learning, I was also a jock and a musician which oftentimes confused people and also made it a little hard for me because I fit in a lot of places, but not really since each of those groups couldn’t quite get me.

Which is how Jonathan felt at times, even with Connie. It takes him some time to find his stride and his friends and also, what makes Connie tick and how to handle that because well, he loves handling her if you get what I mean. LOL!

So, that’s the story of my writing inspiration for Jonathan Pierce from What Happens in Summer. You can purchase WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER at these retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2y6hi4h
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2y92UIQ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJNcov
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2hKg3BW
iBooks: http://apple.co/2hKgP1J
Kobo: Coming Soon!

Also, don’t miss out on the special 99 cents pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT! You can purchase ONE SUMMER NIGHT at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL

#FridayFun One Summer Night Playlist #AttheShore

Admit it, there are some songs that bring back memories every time you hear them. Whether it’s thoughts of hitting the open road on your way to the beach (or the shore as Jersey folk like to say) or of a special time in your life, those songs stick with you.

Wouldn’t it Be Nice by the Beach Boys is one of those songs! Being down the shore on summer nights brings the sounds of the Beach Boys to mind for sure. But this song is doubly special because it’s “Our Song.” It was part of the soundtrack for the movie Shampoo which was my first date with my husband. Being without transportation, we went to see the movie together on campus at Villanova. Brings back good memories every time I hear it.

FYI – this song is from the Pet Sounds album which is considered one of the best albums of all time. If you love the Beach Boys like I do, check out Love and Mercy which is the Brian Wilson story and has a lot on the creation of the Pet Sounds album. Fabulous movie.

Have a great weekend and if you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to sign up for the May 11 Cover Reveal event on Facebook.

Please click here if you can’t see the Beach Boys Video below or cut and paste this link: https://youtu.be/lD4sxxoJGkA.

#ThrowbackThursday 1985 Villanova Champions

Still celebrating Villanova’s win in this year’s NCAA basketball championship. We’ve been waiting for 31 years since that Perfect Game to see the Best Championship Game Ever!

So this Throwback Thursday I’m sharing a commemorative collage I made to celebrate the 1985 Villanova Championship win. I’m already gathering newspapers and magazines to make a collage for this year!

Why so excited? Well, besides it being my alma mater, it just goes to show what teamwork and heart can do. Villanova is not a big school compared to North Carolina or some of the others. The guys on the team are not top NBA prospects, but they gave it their all and played like there was no tomorrow.

Who doesn’t love an underdog?

nova85
You can also check out my board of photos and videos about the championship game!
Follow Caridad’s board Villanova 2016 NCAA Champs on Pinterest.

#ManCandyMonday Villanova Basketball Coach Jay Wright

Humor me this Monday morning. Today’s choice is fashion plate and Villanova Basketball coach Jay Wright. This man, unlike Rollie Massimino (1985 National Champs!), is always perfectly put together. So much so that he’s been a multiple winner of GQ’s Fashionable Four of best dressed college coaches.

And despite disappointments in the last few years where Villanova was eliminated in the early rounds, this year Jay has led my alma mater to tonight’s NCAA Basketball championship game. WOO HOO! Let’s hope I’ll be able to celebrate tonight!

Jay_Wright_140507-D-HU462-384_(cropped)
By Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Flickr: 140507-D-HU462-384) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

#WriteWed Inspiration for Nickie from Just One Night

Just One Night New Adult Erotic Romance by Caridad PineiroWhen I decided to write a story about twentysomethings who had to make tough choices, it was difficult to find the kinds of professions where the hero and heroine might have to choose between love and their careers.

When it came to the hero, I had been inspired to make him a Marine from my days at Villanova with their ROTC program.

The inspiration for Nickie, the medical school student, likewise came from my days at college. I was a science major who intended to go to med school. Went the whole route of taking the MCATs and applying. Interviewed and was wait-listed at Columbia.

In the meantime I started working at a law firm to earn some money to pay for food, school, and stuff. That’s where I discovered my love of Intellectual Property law and decided to go to law school. Being a lawyer gave me reasons to truly embrace a path to a writing career and publishing my first book.

So even though God closed the door to med school, he gave me a path to take me to where I am today.

Anyway, back to Nickie. Being in med school was going to be tough for her and also tough for any relationship with someone who wasn’t going to be around. I knew that this would be perfect for the story in Just One Night, especially since it points out some of the things Jase and Nickie have in common. They both are strong and protective and they both want to help others. Perfect.

I hoped you liked this little #WriteWed behind the scenes from Just One Night.

Just one other thing! Today’s my anniversary, so I’m sharing with you this photo from our wedding day which was so so many years ago. Wow. I can’t believe it’s been that long since I met my hubby during our Villanova days.
weddingB&C

Bradley Cooper & Lots of Excitement!

It’s a dreary Monday here, but we have with us today a man who is hot and humorous. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Today’s Guilty Pleasure is Bradley Cooper who is in almost everything lately. Bradley first caught my eye in ALIAS and apparently attended Villanova for a year before transferring some other school that shall not be named. LOL! I still haven’t seen THE A TEAM although it’s still on my list. Maybe over the summer weekends when I’ve got a little more time.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Guilty Pleasure!

Now for the excitement!

Contest Winner

The winner of Friday’s contest – Margaret Mallory’s THE GUARDIAN – is Sabina E. Please e-mail me your postal address so I can send out your prize.

Check out the cover for THE FIFTH KINGDOM!

Just got the cover for THE FIFTH KINGDOM, my July 11 romantic suspense release from Carina Press.

Live Video Event on May 18 with Donna Grant

Come join me and my fellow Danger Woman Writing Donna Grant for a live video event this Wednesday, May 18 at 9 p.m. EST. We’re going to preview the trailer for THE LOST, the very first book in my new SIN HUNTER series and talk about writing paranormals, our favorite kinds of heroes and lots of other fun stuff.

I’ll be giving away a $10 gift card, an autographed copy of STRONGER THAN SIN and a couple of cool reusable grocery bags so that you can help to protect the environment. You can either click here to join this 30 minute live video event this Wednesday or click on the widget below. Feel free to share the widget with your friends and let them share in the fun and prizes. You can also tweet or share this link: http://t.wbx.me/eemp7