#Excerpt – #FindingHunter – #MegaSale – #AlertTheMedia

/ Marcia Meara

Still having fun sharing excerpts–something I seldom do on The Write Stuff. (At least not from my own books, though I do intend to get my #ExcerptWeek series for guest posters going again before long.) Today, I’m sharing one of the lighter scenes from Finding Hunter that I hope will make you chuckle. To say Hunter Painter has issues would be an understatement, but he’s a kind and gentle soul through and through, in spite of the things life throws his way. Happy reading!

Finding Hunter takes a look at the devastating effects of a family torn apart by a horrific tragedy, pitting brother against brother, and focusing on battling PTSD with the redemptive power of unwavering love and support.

EXCERPT:

HUNTER GROANED, PULLING his feather pillow over his head not only to block out the world, but just in case he started shouting in frustration.

What the hell happened? What the bloody hell just happened? Everything was fine. It was going better than I ever thought it would, and then suddenly it all went crazy. She kissed me! Why the hell did she kiss me? How the hell was I supposed to resist that?

The memory of that kiss rocketed into him so hot and fast, it scorched a path through his soul. Never in his life had a kiss transported him that way. He could still feel her mouth under his, sweet and yielding, and burning like fire. The raspberry scent of her hair lingered on his hands, and he would never, ever forget the taste of her skin. Every nerve ending in his body felt burned raw from the experience—so sensitive, the slightest breeze sliding over it would cause unbearable pain.

But somewhere in his torment, he also remembered how she had responded to him, moaning into that kiss, and whispering his name over and over as they clung to each other. She wanted him, too, a concept that had never once seemed a possibility in all the years he had loved her.

Doesn’t make it any better, does it, you stupid fool? Still never gonna happen. You don’t belong with Willow Greene, and nothing’s going to change that. All you’re doing here is torturing yourself.

He swore into his pillow. “’Take a chance,’ Gunn said. ‘Call her up,’ Gunn said. I’m gonna find that bastard and pound him to death with one of his own cameras!”

That image distracted him from his woes for about thirty seconds, and then he slid even deeper into the hole of misery he’d dug for himself.

Never gonna leave this room again. Can’t be trusted to go out into the real world and behave like a person with a single, functioning brain cell. Just gonna have my meals delivered right here, and Dad can walk Biscuit. I’ll tell him I’m sick—and keep telling him that for the rest of my life.

A sudden rap on the bedroom door interrupted his maudlin thoughts. “Hunter? Are you awake?”

“Yeah, Dad. You can come in.”

His father stuck his head in the door. “Sorry to bother you, son, but … well … there’s a young lady down here says she wants to talk to you.”

Horrified, Hunter bolted upright. “What? What’re you talking about?”

“I’m talking about this pretty little thing at the front door, says she has to talk to you. Real long hair, sweet smile, named … um …”

Hunter smacked his head. “Willow.”

His dad nodded. “That’s it. You wanna come down?”

“No! Did you already tell her I’m here?”

“Well, sure. Should I be lying to young ladies who are looking for you?”

“Yes! I mean, no, not generally. Just this one.”

“You do something to her, Hunter?”

“No, of course not. Well, not like you mean. It’s just … aw, it’s complicated, Dad. Can you just tell her I wasn’t up here, or I’m asleep, or I’m sick, or I’ve gone to China? Something? I’m not coming down there!”

His dad gave him a disapproving look. “Okay. Have it your way, but no, I’m not gonna lie to this little gal. I’m just gonna go tell her you don’t want to see her.”

Flinging himself back down on the bed, Hunter growled in frustration. “Fine. If that’s what you want to do, do it. I’m still not coming down.” He clamped the pillow back over his face, and refused to say anything else.

His dad sighed, closed the door a little too hard, and stomped down the stairs.

Two minutes later, Hunter heard a tap, and the sound of the door opening again.

This time, he didn’t bother to lift the pillow. “Did she go away?”

“No, I didn’t go away, Hunter. And I’m not going to.”

Once again, Hunter bolted to a sitting position. He dropped his pillow and stared at Willow, mouth agape. “Willow! You can’t just walk into my room. It’s … you … this isn’t …”

“Oh stop, Hunter. I’m here. And you and I are going to talk.”

Available on Amazon for only $.99 thru Valentine’s Day!
Download  Finding Hunter HERE

Hope you enjoyed this excerpt from the second Riverbend novel!  Thanks so much for reading and helping me get the word out!

24 thoughts on “#Excerpt – #FindingHunter – #MegaSale – #AlertTheMedia”

    • Aw, thanks, Mae. Hunter is second only to Rabbit in my heart, and I’m so happy you enjoyed the book. And yep, now would be the perfect time for those who haven’t met this man to check out his story. Thanks so much for your encouragement and support, my friend, and for taking the time to stop by today. I really appreciate it! 😀 ❤

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  2. Hunter’s a wonderful character and so beautifully written I cried in one scene. This is such a good book and, despite the sadness, there’s lots of love and humour too. If I didn’t already have it, I’d be taking you up on this offer! ♥♥

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    • Lovely words, Trish. Thank you! Hunter Painter touched my own heart as I was telling his story, probably more so than any other character I’ve written. I loved all three Painter brothers for one reason or another, but Hunter will always be special to me, and I hope a few new readers will discover they feel the same way. And of course, you know me … bad times or sad times or not, I have to have some humor sprinkled in here and there. I firmly believe a sense of humor is how we survive what Life throws at us. That and Love can see us through so much!

      Thanks for stopping by this morning, Trish. I really appreciate the support and encouragement, especially as I struggle to get back into my writing again. 🤗💖🤗

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    • I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Mar. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts when you get a chance to read it. I would suggest, though, that the series (3 books) be read in order. Even though FH can be read as a stand-alone, you’ll understand the cast of characters and their relationships much better if you read Swamp Ghosts first. Now that one is definitely Romantic Suspense, but Finding Hunter morphed into something quite different, as did Book 3, That Darkest Place.

      Having said all of that, I’ll be delighted even if you decide to read it as a stand-alone. And I hope you’ll fall in love with Hunter Painter, just as I did while I was telling his story. Thanks so much for stopping by today and taking a moment to let me know your thoughts. And happy reading! 😀 ❤

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    • So glad you enjoyed it, Jan. Willow Greene is probably the strongest female character I’ve ever written, totally belying her appearance. She’s small of stature and very delicate looking, but has a strength and determination about her that carries her through some very difficult times in this story. She faces life head on, and doesn’t give up when the going gets tough.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a moment to comment. I hope you get a chance to meet Willow (in Swamp Ghosts) and to see her in full bloom in Finding Hunter. 🙂 ❤

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    • Thanks, Diana. I thought it would be a fun time to have a really big sale, and I’ve enjoyed sharing some excerpts, etc, from my books. And thanks for the good luck wishes, too. MUCH appreciated!! 😀 ❤

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      • Have you considered Bookbub? I know it’s expensive, but I think you’d have a wonderful response to the Wake-Robin Ridge series. BB readers do tend to read through the whole series and I’d be surprised if it wasn’t a huge success for you.

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        • Funny you should mention that, Diana. I’ve made up my mind I simply must start marketing! I’ve never run any ads before, anywhere, and think I should start small and work my way up to BookBub. I’m doing some research into what’s available, what I can afford, and what I’m going to aim for. Deborah Jay has shared some of her very positive experiences in a series of posts that I’m going to refer to for ideas and tips. Somehow or other, I have to get these books moving again. Sales really slowed down for me during this last year, and part of that is because I haven’t gotten anything new out there, I suspect. But I’m working on that now, too. Crossing my fingers I’m able to come up with a strategy that works for me, and isn’t too complicated for my tiny brain to wrap around.

          I might do a series of posts on the process, or asking others to share their experiences, even. That could be helpful for many of us. We’ll see. Thanks for the encouraging words, and I do think the WRR series would be the place to start. 😀

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          • I lost money on every single paid promotion until I tried Bookbub, Marcia. I got books into hands, which was my goal, but honestly, if my point had even been breaking even, I would have been in tears. Do what’s comfortable, but keep BB in mind. It was so worth it, and I came out ahead. Deborah has some great posts about her experiences. Good luck!

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            • I definitely plan to make BookBub my goal, Diana. It’s like the Holy Grail. It does have a long waiting list, I’ve heard, so I thought I could try some small steps first while I’m waiting for that. Just some of the newsletters that go out. But I plan to research very thoroughly before even investing the $15 to $25 or so for those. (Meanwhile, saving up for the “real deal” with BookBub.) I’m glad to know you had a good experience with it. I’ve heard that from several people. The more I think about it, the more I think I’ll do either a post asking for related comments, or a series of guest posts on marketing experiences. It could be helpful to so many of us. *going off to ponder how best to set that up*

              Thanks again for your input, and I totally believe you about BookBub.

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