Maggie Blackbird

Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. Readers can jump from one author to another who share hooks from their current WIP (work in progress) or any previously published books.

For this week’s edition of Book Hooks, I give you a teaser from my newest release Her Competition, a multicultural romance with a touch of Christmas.

Two sexy work rivals each want the prestigious promotion for Christmas, but neither expects to want each other. 

Driven and determined, Celeste Fisher won’t let anything stop her from anchoring the nightly news. She’s sacrificed a personal life, a love life, and left her Ojibway community to make it in the city. And if that means stomping all over her too handsome and too competitive rival to nail the position, so be it.

Casual dating and one-night stands are all Reed Dumont can spare while building what he covets most—his career. He’s not about to lose out to Celeste, no matter if he can’t keep his eyes off her sexy legs and admiring her just as sexy brain, because sitting in the broadcasting chair is another step up the ladder to thumb his nose at his poor Métis upbringing.

A crisis in a First Nations community sends the adversaries out on the road to cover the story. Snowed in at the hotel, rivals become humans, unable to deny their true private desires. But upon returning to the city, the new lovers face the biggest hurdle that could cost them their budding relationship when one gets the promotion and the other is left holding… frustration. Now they must decide what is worth fighting for: love or career.

Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Multicultural Romance, First Nations Romance
Heat Rating: Level 3
Publication Date: October 25, 2024
Publisher: eXtasy Books

PURCHASE A COPY AT EXTASY BOOKS

“This area is rich in history.” Celeste gazed down below at the Red River, but the darkness only allowed her to view black. “I bet you studied a lot about your people, hey? You are in the heart of where the Métis—”

The stereo volume increased, blasting the local news from the speakers.

She peeked at Reed’s thumb on the audio volume located on the steering wheel. “I see. It’s okay if you come up to my place to satisfy your morbid curiosity, but it’s not okay for me to inquire about your personal life?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The volume to the stereo lowered.

“You know exactly what I mean.” She calmly sipped her coffee, glancing out at the last of the river and a snow-covered park with railroad tracks going through it.

“No. I don’t get—”

“Give me a break.” She contained her snort. “Why else would you come up to my condo? I told you I’d be waiting in the lobby, my face shoved right against the window to watch for you. You knew this.”

From her peripheral vision, she caught his jawline tightening. A man with his ego would never admit the truth. She shook her head.

“Fine.” He snatched his mug from the holder. “I was curious. Hey, you can’t fault a reporter for doing their job. It’s why we report, don’t we? We want to know the truth.”

“And what truth do you believe I’m hiding?” Celeste couldn’t help the dryness in her voice.

“I don’t know. What truth are you hiding?” He glanced at her and back to the highway.

Again, she stamped down the snort. “I have nothing to hide.”

“I think you do. You never speak about your personal life. Ever. You don’t go to lunch with anyone. You don’t join us for drinks on Friday evening. You do know this is what Fontaine was hinting at, don’t you?”

“I’m there to do a job.” Celeste stiffened. “Nobody pays me to make friends, do they?”

He shook his head. “We got an hour and a half of driving. What’s it going to be? The radio? Or for once are you going to talk to someone from the office?”

She stole another peek. Why was he so insistent to know her? The man was only interested in himself and using women for a night. What could he possibly want from her? This had to be a trick—a way to find her Achilles heel and exploit it so he’d get the promotion.

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