Today, we have the pleasure of introducing Tracey Alvarez. A debut author, it certainly seems that her hot New Zealand romances would fit here on the site….
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Dear Santa,
I feel kind of stupid writing this. Scratch that, there’s no “kind of.” I feel like the world’s biggest asshole, and if one of my mates found out? It’d be worse than the time the guys ragged me for a solid month about Mrs. Taylor copping a feel under the mistletoe at the annual community Christmas party. In my defense, the old girl had one too many spiked egg-nogs and probably thought I was the widower Barnes.
Piper got her punishment for laughing her ass off at my expense later that night. Oh yeah, she screamed the house down after orgasm number three. Which probably puts me right at the top of your naughty list for 2013.
So, since I’ll never be good enough to make it to the nice list—at least not while I have my hot ex-dive cop in my bed—I’ll keep the list of Christmas wants short.
1. I’ll give Piper whatever she can dream up for the next fifty years or so, whether it’s sparkly, silky, shiny, costly, or mind-blowingly sexy—but she’s been hinting for one of those awful fleece onesies to keep her cozy on icy Stewart Island nights. That’s right, a button-to-the-neck pair of pajamas that a man needs a degree in engineering just to figure out how to get skin on skin access. So please, for the love of God, swap that package for a satin and lace outfit, something I can have her out of in 3.5 seconds. Trust me—I’ll keep her warm this winter.
2. If possible, could you gift wrap a woman for Ben and stuff her under his Christmas tree? As his wingman and mate since forever, I know he needs one. Piper says some female company would soften her brother’s rough edges. I say if you can find someone who’s prepared to overlook the big guy’s crankiness and verbal constipation around women, she’s a better gift than that fancy coffee maker you gave him last Christmas.
3. This request’s for Piper’s mum. Glenna pulls out all stops for Christmas dinner. She’s opened her home up for Dad and I since he and Mum divorced thirteen years ago. The only year we didn’t have turkey and all the trimmings, followed by a lazy summer afternoon swimming in Kahurangi Bay was the Christmas after Piper’s Dad drowned. This year we’re kicking her out of the kitchen and making sure she puts her feet up while we cook. Yeah, okay, I promise we won’t let Piper or Ben into Glenna’s kitchen, they’d make more mess than your team of reindeers on crack. So how about a big bottle of bubbles to keep Glenna happy while Operation Turkey takes place?
4. And while I’m asking for gifts for parents, do you think you could rustle up a miracle cure for kidney disease for my dad? Or how about a cooler under the tree with a healthy kidney in it? Because screw the tinsel and the trimmings, I just want my dad around yanking my chain for another thirty years.
5. Last thing, I promise. If you’re weighing up that naughty/nice list and decide that by not tossing my cookies on Mrs. Taylor’s orthopaedic shoes when she grabbed my ass is worthy of a free pass, I’d like a few things:
a) A new pair of Lycra training swim shorts. Piper nearly ripped my best pair in her hurry to get her hands on my, well, you know how she is. She should really be on the naughty list.
b) A container load of condoms. That’s right—going into Oban’s tiny grocery store to buy yet another box is getting embarrassing.
c) A stunning Stewart Island Christmas Day. The type of day pictured on the postcards in the giftshop—rolling hills of native bush under a denim blue sky. A day where the Harland’s and the Westlakes can crank up the barbecue and later toss a rugby ball around the beach as the sun goes down.
That’s about it Santa. Don’t forget where we are now, okay? Downunder—at the bottom of New Zealand. Yeah, it’s a hike—but there’ll be a cold beer and a slice of my dad’s prize pavlova waiting for you.
Cheers,
Ryan ‘West’ Westlake.
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Bio
I live in the Coolest Little Capital in the World (a.k.a Wellington, New Zealand) where I’ve yet to be buried under my to-be-read book pile by our infamous wind—my Kindle’s a lifesaver! Married to a wonderfully supportive IT guy (who doesn’t mind cooking dinner while his wife mutters to herself and hammers away at the keyboard), we have two teens who would love to be surgically linked to their electronic devices.Tracey 1 small
As a teenager I devoured novel after novel in my maths class, which explains why I still don’t understand using the alphabet in equations. I discovered a stack of tattered paperbacks hidden in my mother’s wardrobe featuring scantily clad women wrapped around bare-chested hunks. Who needs a pimply-faced teenage boyfriend when you can have book boyfriends, right? So as a child I got my first taste of Happily Ever After in fairy-tales, but after reading romance—I was hooked.
Fuelled by copious amounts of coffee, I’m now the author of contemporary romantic fiction set predominantly in New Zealand. Small-towns, close communities, and families are a big part of the heart-warming stories I love to write. Oh, and hot, down-to-earth heroes—real Kiwi men, in other words.
When I’m not writing, thinking about writing, or procrastinating about writing, I can be found reading sexy books of all romance genres and nibbling on smuggled chocolate bars. What? You were expecting me to say free-dive training, hiking the world-famous Rakiura track on Stewart Island, and restoring classic cars? Nope, sorry. I’ll leave such excitement to my characters as they explore their worlds and find the love of their lives.
Tracey
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She vowed never to return.
To save her brother from financial ruin, Piper Harland must do the one thing she swore she’d never do—return to the tiny island home-town where Ryan “West” Westlake crushed her heart. Piper is tough, resilient and a little wild—much like the remote and beautiful Stewart Island where she grew up. As a cop who’s part of the elite New Zealand Police National Dive Squad, bringing the dead back to their families still doesn’t stop the guilt she feels over her father’s drowning death. Now nine years later she’s obligated to return to a hostile community as the outsider, and forced to work with the man who was once her best friend and first lover.
She’s a risk he can’t take.
West is an Island man, through and through. As owner of the local pub, he lives and breathes the local community, and sure as hell can’t imagine living anywhere else. But most of all he refuses to ever fall for a woman like his flighty mother. He lost Piper once to give her the chance to fulfil her dreams of becoming a cop. But now she’s back for an unexpected six week visit to help her brother—his best mate. Maybe West wants her a little bit, maybe he can’t resist the temptation to tease and touch her, but can he fall in love with such a flight risk?
Saying goodbye the second time might just destroy them both.
I loved West’s letter to Santa, and I would love to read this book. Thanks for the giveaway. lacombejc at suddenlink dot net
Enjoyed Ryan’s letter to Santa. This sounds like a good story. Love to add new to me authors to my reading list.
West sounds like a very interesting character. His letter to Santa was so fun!
I’ve often wanted to wrap up a woman for my playboy brother 😉
Shannon
sabai30705 at yahoo dot com
I just fell in love with West! 🙂 Great letter to Santa; so sweet and funny. Cannot wait to read; sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing another new-to-me author.
Another new author to me. This sounds like a good book. Great Santa letter.
Enjoyed the letter, like the blurb for the book.
LOL, great letter, nice to meet you Tracy!