Chapter 1 of SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON ...

Chapter One
~SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON~

I woke before Wesley that morning, the first morning waking up next to him. I silently yawned, stretching my feet against the cowboy sheets tucked tight at the foot of the bed. Greeting the morning lying between sheets with broncos and rodeo riding cowboys galloping across and under me, brought a smile to my face, not that I wouldn’t have been smiling anyway.

The sex was good. The cowboy sheets added an element of quirkiness I expected from Wesley. As I gently stretched, imagining my pointed toe nudged a lariat-twirling rider off his horse, the muffled electronic notes of Yellow Submarine rudely invaded my rodeo. I rolled out from under the sheets as gently as possible and hit the floor on all fours with a thud. Looking back at the still sleeping Wesley, I said a silent thank you for plush carpet. I didn’t bother standing. In three, hand-knee crawling movements, I reached my destination and yanked open my purse to extinguish the now irritating jingle.

“Hello,” I said in a loud whisper.

“Sandra?”

A knot instantly formed in the middle of my stomach. I recognized the voice, the baritone drawl, even after all those years. “Yes?”

“Hey, darlin’. It’s Carson.”

I looked over my shoulder at Wesley, still tucked under his cowboy sheets from the waist down, breathing the steady rhythm of sleep. One sinewy arm draped across his chest, the other cradled his head. I patted my legs, checking my state of consciousness; reasonably sure I hadn’t dozed off into one of my bizarre dreams.

“You know. Carson Holiday, your favorite ex-husband.”

“I know who you are.”

“I can barely hear you, darlin’. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

After a year without sex, getting a phone call from ex-husband number two, while in a new man’s bedroom with him less than four feet away, is definitely a bad time. “Yes, kind of, Carson. I’m…I’m…” Spit it out, Sandra. A grown woman of fifty can certainly have an affair without feeling the need to make excuses. Especially to an ex-husband. Life goes on after you, Carson. Oh, hell. “I’m …on my way out the door…with my neighbor’s sleeping baby.”

“Can I call you later?” he drawled.

Why? After eighteen years, why would he contact me? I heard Wesley roll over behind me.

“Later.” I could barely hear myself.

“I think you said okay. So, I’ll talk to you then. And by the way, I’m here in Minneapolis. Bye.”


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*Contest/Give-a-way!
*In Sleeping with the Lights On, Sandra can’t find the time to get to the store to buy coffee. The quirky millionaire, the red-headed stalker, and a sexy ex-husband are keeping her tied up – whoops – there’s a sneak peek. So she makes frequent runs to Starbucks, sometimes in her unconventional p.j.’s. for a cup of latte and biscotti. Leave a comment here AND drop me an email at Brenda@brendawhiteside.com, and at the end of the week I’ll draw someone to receive both a Starbucks’ gift card and a gift card for The Wildrose Press. I’ll also add you to my announce only newsletter to notify you of future drawings and give-a-ways.

Excerpt from SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON by Brenda Whiteside ...

“When do you go back to Vegas?”

Carson hesitated. “In a day or two.”

“You sound rather vague.” And still allusive. What could be the big secret about this charity gig he couldn’t divulge?

“I have a few more things to find out. I’ll be out of here as soon as I get all my questions answered. It’s complicated.”

We’d reached the edge of my apartment complex.

“Carson, honestly, how complicated can a gig—”

Pulling me around, we stopped, facing each other. My head said run like hell, but my legs wouldn’t respond. Mushy from wine or Carson and moonlight. I couldn’t be sure which.

“Have lunch with me tomorrow, darlin’.” His fingers slipped from mine to gingerly brush along my forearm. The moonlight caught in his eyes. “Another hour of your time with a long lost friend?”

“Yes.” My voice went all husky and come-hither. I wanted to kick myself for being so easy.

“Good.” Grasping my hand again, he led me toward the door. “What’s the address of your office?”

I struggled to shake off the moon shadows and to remember where I worked. Once inside the building, I took a scrap of paper from my purse and wrote the address.

“I’ll walk you to your door and say goodnight,” he said, tucking the scrap of paper in his pocket.

“Unless you want to have me in for a goodnight drink.”

I didn’t answer. If he’d only known the extent of my uncertainty at that moment, a little persistence might have made me cave.

“Okay, then—” His mouth gaped.

I followed his bewildered look to my apartment door.

TRAMP

Buy The Book

Brenda's Web Site

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*Contest/Give-a-way!*
In Sleeping with the Lights On, Sandra can’t find the time to get to the store to buy coffee. The quirky millionaire, the red-headed stalker, and a sexy ex-husband are keeping her tied up – whoops – there’s a sneak peek. So she makes frequent runs to Starbucks, sometimes in her unconventional p.j.’s. for a cup of latte and biscotti. Leave a comment here AND drop me an email at Brenda@brendawhiteside.com, and at the end of the week I’ll draw someone to receive both a Starbucks’ gift card and a gift card for The Wildrose Press. I’ll also add you to my announce only newsletter to notify you of future drawings and give-a-ways.

Join us tomorrow for a sneek peek at Chapter 1 of SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON!

See what people are saying about Author Brenda Whiteside and SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON ...*Contest*

RT Book Reviews, June 2010: Cheers to Whiteside for writing a heroine who exists outside of conventional romance novels in terms of age and marital status...novel is written with a pleasantly light sense of humor...

Ana Morgan, The Muse, June 2010 says “a page turner...characters come instantly alive, and their lives intertwine seamlessly in this fast paced romance...”

Rating: 4 Cups, Coffee Time Romance & More, July 2010Brenda Whiteside writes with a voice that keeps the reader coming back for more. I recommend Sleeping with the Lights On for the hair-raising suspense as well as the melt your heart romance.

Rating: 4 Stars, Night Owl Romance, July 2010I could immerse myself in the ambiance she created and the ending was a real surprise!!

Buy The Book

Brenda's Web Site

Brenda on FaceBook

*Contest/Give-a-way!*

In Sleeping with the Lights On, Sandra can’t find the time to get to the store to buy coffee. The quirky millionaire, the red-headed stalker, and a sexy ex-husband are keeping her tied up – whoops – there’s a sneak peek. So she makes frequent runs to Starbucks, sometimes in her unconventional p.j.’s. for a cup of latte and biscotti. Leave a comment here AND drop me an email at Brenda@brendawhiteside.com, and at the end of the week I’ll draw someone to receive both a Starbucks’ gift card and a gift card for The Wildrose Press. I’ll also add you to my announce only newsletter to notify you of future drawings and give-a-ways.

Stop by tomorrow for an EXCERPT from SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON!!!!!!

Let's get Up Close & Personal with Author Brenda Whiteside ...

Born and raised in Arizona, my travels had been limited to California, Nevada, and New Mexico until I married a man doing a stint in the Army. If the Army offered nothing else, we at least had the opportunity to see a good part of the world. And we found we liked moving around.

Our gypsy hearts kept us moving around in civilian life until seventeen years ago when we fell in love with Minnesota, a nature wonderland. We enjoy hiking, motorcycling, fishing, live theater, and the Twins. I enjoy gardening but haven’t been able to get my husband involved. He tells me he has no desire to play in the dirt.

I’m blessed with creative soul mates. My husband is an excellent photographer. Although not working in the field anymore, his creations hang on our walls. My son is a singer/song writer with talent unending. He lives in a far off town in the west, among the pines, where my husband and I love to visit.

My dog, Rusty, creates joy. After all, he's the smartest dog in the world!

I've been writing all of my life. Early on my writing consisted mostly of the captions on my artwork. I was certain my destiny was to be an artist. In high school my writing took on new meaning with the psychedelic age, and the writing became an art in itself with loopy scrolls. It wasn't until college and beyond that I found more satisfaction filling a blank page with words than an empty canvas with color. I left my paints behind.

After I dabbled in poetry and short stories, finally getting serious and publishing in both print and e-zine, I turned to writing novels. Whether I’m writing short stories or novels, the characters drive me forward, most often taking me along for the ride.

~SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON ~Buy The Book

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*Contest/Give-a-way!*
In Sleeping with the Lights On, Sandra can’t find the time to get to the store to buy coffee. The quirky millionaire, the red-headed stalker, and a sexy ex-husband are keeping her tied up – whoops – there’s a sneak peek. So she makes frequent runs to Starbucks, sometimes in her unconventional p.j.’s. for a cup of latte and biscotti. Leave a comment here AND drop me an email at Brenda@brendawhiteside.com, and at the end of the week I’ll draw someone to receive both a Starbucks’ gift card and a gift card for The Wildrose Press. I’ll also add you to my announce only newsletter to notify you of future drawings and give-a-ways.

Our Spotlight is on Brenda Whiteside and SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON ... *CONTEST*

After two failed marriages and countless relationships, Sandra Holiday thinks she’s met the man to end her years of less than perfect choices; choices that not only derailed her travel-related career plans but also left her single and broke.

Carson Holiday, a Las Vegas country crooner with swoon-inducing good looks, spent his adult life pursuing a recording contract and love, never holding on to either. After eighteen years, he drops back into Sandra’s life, reigniting an attraction he can’t deny.

When Carson reappears, Sandra must choose again. Only this time, nothing’s as it seems. A secret admirer, a redheaded stalker, and an eccentric millionaire throw her on a dangerous path, with Carson her only truth.

As life confronts her with yet another turning point, will her decisions find her eternally sleeping with the lights on – or will she finally discover a way to turn them off?

Buy The Book

Brenda's Web Site

Brenda on FaceBook

*Contest/Give-a-way!*

In Sleeping with the Lights On, Sandra can’t find the time to get to the store to buy coffee. The quirky millionaire, the red-headed stalker, and a sexy ex-husband are keeping her tied up – whoops – there’s a sneak peek. So she makes frequent runs to Starbucks, sometimes in her unconventional p.j.’s. for a cup of latte and biscotti. Leave a comment here AND drop me an email at Brenda@brendawhiteside.com, and at the end of the week I’ll draw someone to receive both a Starbucks’ gift card and a gift card for The Wildrose Press. I’ll also add you to my announce only newsletter to notify you of future drawings and give-a-ways.