OH, IS IT WICKED!

So, I am officially counting down the release of my next book, LOST IN A STALLION’S ARMS. I am so excited that I’m about to bust! Baby brother, Luke Stallion’s story, will officially be released in five weeks, and oh, is it wicked!

Luke Stallion makes me hot! The boy is twenty-something young and as perfect a male specimen as one can imagine. The heroine, Joanne Lake, is full-figured with great attitude. I call her my poster child for women who aren’t a size sixteen small but love every dip and curve of their voluptuous bodies. Together the couple makes for some serious heat and steam. I still break out into a sweat when I think about the seductive encounters I get them tangled up in.

In case you have some doubts, here’s a little taste of what’s to come. If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy, please do. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Excerpted from LOST IN A STALLION’S ARMS by Deborah Fletcher Mello

Joanne paused for a brief moment. “What’s your definition of foreplay?”

The man’s eyes widened in surprise. He suddenly laughed, mirth rising out of his midsection and flooding his entire body. He laughed hard, the wealth of it moving him to tears. He pressed the cloth napkin in his lap to the corner of his eyes dabbing at the moisture that had clouded his vision. “That was a good one!”

Joanne laughed with him. “I know. So answer the question.”

Luke nodded. “Wow! My definition of foreplay,” he repeated, enthralled by the energy that spun from her eyes. Pausing, Joanne could see his mind racing for an answer.

“Why don’t I just show you,” he said finally, lifting himself from his seat and extending his hand in her direction.

The woman was clearly curious as Luke entwined his fingers between hers and pulled her to her feet. She couldn’t help but follow behind him as he led her back to the front of the nightclub and the dance floor that was jam packed with couples shimming hot against each other.

The music had a rich Caribbean flavor, calypso beats with a hard bass line. One couldn’t help but be moved by the pulsating tones. Pushing his way to the center of the crowd and an expanse of empty floor space, Luke turned to face her, his shoulders starting to bounce in time with the music. He raised his arms to chest level, his large hands clasped into tight fists, his torso shimming from side to side. Taking a step toward her, his pelvis gyrated seductively, the man’s hips swaying for attention. His eyes were locked on hers and Joanne could feel herself falling fast into the stare he was giving her.

Joanne began to gyrate her own hips. She danced slowly at first, her body moving instinctively with his. Moving with him was intoxicating. Heat was rising quickly between them and Joanne suddenly wanted to strip right out of her clothes in exchange for a rush of cool air. When Luke took another step closer, his pelvis meeting hers as his hands fell to her waist, pulling her to him, Joanne thought she could easily pass out from the sudden rush of emotion that flooded through her.

The man was moving in sync against her, his gyrations tight and precise. Joanne couldn’t remember when her arms had swept up and around his neck until she became aware of her fingers lightly caressing the nape of his neck. Their bodies were pressed so tightly together it was if they were one unit instead of two. Then Luke pulled some fancy footwork on her, spinning her around so that her back was against his chest as he pushed himself against her buttocks. Unable to resist Joanne gyrated with him, savoring the sensation of his rock hard frame kissing the cushion of her soft curves. She raised her arms over her head, her fingers snapping in time to the music and then dancing against him like a stripper on a mission she lowered herself to floor level and slithered back again, her body never losing contact with his.

The man slipped his arms back around her waist, spinning her around to face him. The look in his eyes was pure, unadulterated lust, his hunger setting every nerve ending in her body on fire. Both of them felt like they were going to combust, heat radiating from every open pore. As Luke continued to move against her, his left arm holding her tightly around the waist, his right hand moved up the length of her back, his palm coming to rest against the back of her head. Then without warning, Luke slipped his fingers into the short length of her hair, his palm cupping the nape of her neck. He tugged gently as he dipped her over her arm.

The gesture took her by surprise causing Joanne to gasp loudly and then he leaned down over her, pressing his mouth against the curve of her neck. The sensation of his lips against her bare skin was electrifying, overwhelming her senses and Joanne moaned loudly, forgetting that they were surrounded by a crowd of people. Desire raged rampant between them. The sensations were intense and unyielding.

Luke planted a soft trail of kisses up the length of her neck toward her chin. Joanne tried to murmur an objection, nothing but a low hum bubbling past her lips. Her eyes locked with his and before she could draw her next breath, Luke slowly caressed her mouth with his own, grazing her lips once, and then again, the soft touch teasing.

Joanne pressed her palms to his chest. Her clarity was suddenly skewed, desire sweeping every coherent thought from her. She could barely remember her own name as he lifted her back up. Luke smiled, moving to wrap both arms around her as he pressed his cheek to hers.

He whispered into her ear, his breath blowing hot against her flesh. “I’d say that was just my intro to foreplay. To give you a full definition, I would need a whole weekend alone with you.”

Joanne struggled to breathe, words caught tight in her chest as she tried to ignore the hands that glided like hot coals against her skin. The music had transitioned to a slow and seductive tune. Without missing a beat the two had slowed their roll, their gyrations measured as they continued to move one against the other. A slow smile pulled at her lips as she lifted her eyes back to his.

“I think I get the picture,” she said softly, stammering ever so slightly.

Luke smiled back, his expression smug. “Are you sure? Because I don’t mind painting a complete portrait for you. I don’t mind at all!”

Pushing herself away from him, Joanne glanced quickly around the room. “I’m sure,” she said, her gaze returning to his. “But I’ll have to pass.”

Luke eyed her curiously. “Why?”

“Because we’re friends. And I don’t engage in foreplay with my friends.”

WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN...

...there is jubilation!

chicagotribune.com
Charter school in tough neighborhood gets all its seniors into college - By Duaa Eldeib , Tribune staff reporter

1:14 PM CST, March 5, 2010

The entire senior class at Chicago's only public all-male, all-African-American high school has been accepted to four-year colleges. At last count, the 107 seniors had earned spots at 72 schools across the nation.

Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman surprised students at an all-school assembly at Urban Prep Academy for Young Men in Englewood this morning to congratulate them. It's the first graduating class at Urban Prep since it opened its doors in 2006.

Huberman applauded the seniors for making CPS shine.

"All of you in the senior class have shown that what matters is perseverance, what matters is focus, what matters is having a dream and following that dream," Huberman said.

The school enforces a strict uniform of black blazers, khaki pants and red ties -- with one exception. After a student receives the news he was accepted into college, he swaps his red tie for a red and gold one at an assembly.

The last 13 students received their college ties today, to thunderous applause.

Ask Rayvaughn Hines what college he was accepted to and he'll answer with a question.

"Do you want me to name them all?"

For the 18-year-old from Back of the Yards, college was merely a concept--never a goal--growing up. Even within the last three years, he questioned if school, let alone college, was for him. Now, the senior is headed to the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. next fall.

Hines remembers the moment he put on his red and gold tie.

"I wanted to take my time because I was just so proud of myself," he said. "I wanted everyone to see me put it on."

The achievement might not merit a mayoral visit at one of the city's elite, selective enrollment high schools. But Urban Prep, a charter school that enrolls using a lottery in one of the city's more troubled neighborhoods, faced difficult odds. Only 4 percent of this year's senior class read at grade level as freshmen, according to Tim King, the school's CEO.

"I never had a doubt that we would achieve this goal," King said. "Every single person we hired knew from the day one that this is what we do: We get our kids into college."

College is omnipresent at the school. Before the students begin their freshman year, they take a field trip to Northwestern University. Every student is assigned a college counselor the day he steps foot in the school.

The school offers an extended day--170,000 more minutes over four years compared to its counterparts across the city--and more than double the number of English credits usually needed to graduate.

Even the school's voicemail has a student declaring "I am college bound" before it asks callers to dial an extension.

Normally, it takes senior Jerry Hinds two buses and 45 minutes to get home from school. On Dec. 11, the day University of Illinois at Champaign- Urbana was to post his admission decisions online at 5 p.m., he asked a friend to drive him home.

He went into his bedroom, told his well-wishing mother this was something he had to do alone, closed the door and logged in.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" he remembers screaming. His mother, who didn't dare stray far, burst in and began crying.

That night he made more than 30 phone calls, at times shouting "I got in" on his cell phone and home phone at the same time.

"We're breaking barriers," he said. "And that feels great."

deldeib@tribune.com

Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune

21 AND GROWN

Exactly twenty-one years ago today I was staring out of my front window as falling snow blanketed a moon lit street. I find myself doing the exact same thing tonight, an unexpected snow storm coating the landscape with white, fluffy stuff.

Twenty-one years ago I was also in labor with my baby boy, angry as spit because my baby daddy didn’t think there was any reason for us to rush to the hospital. After much haranguing and threatening to call 911 for an ambulance, the man finally crawled out of bed. It took another hour for him to shower and shave before we finally left the house, traversing some very hazardous roads to get to the hospital.

To my chagrin, when we finally arrived, I was already dilated nine centimeters and told I was too far along for any pain medication. The names I called the ex-husband were drowned out by the sound of a late night game show playing on the hospital room television set and the noise of the doctor and the ex playing along, both annoyed to be awake at that hour of the morning.

Less than an hour after arriving, at exactly 4:41 am that Friday morning, I delivered the most beautiful baby in the world. He pushed his way into the world quickly, never shedding one tear, eyes wide with wonder. Seconds later he was nursing at my breast, claiming every square inch of my heart. The baby boy and I had an in incredible bond from that moment on.

For years we were inseparable, one never being seen without the other. The family made jokes about the side kick attached to my hip. Two years ago I sent him off to college, determined that he would make his way in this big, wide world. I was ready for him to move forward. He wasn’t, coming back to do it in his own way and in his own time. He came back, but not to my home, him insisting and me adament that he would not be dependent on his mommy to get him through.

My son had grown into an amazing young man. He has the most embracing spirit, a clever sense of humor and is too smart for his own good. From day one he has challenged me like no other. We don’t always agree but I have come to trust that I raised him right and he will do much good in this world. He shared his life plan with me recently and I was taken aback by a decision he has made for himself. His choice was wise beyond his years.

I couldn’t be more proud of my child. He is the best of everything his father and I had between us. He’s my baby and today he celebrates his twenty-first birthday.

Twenty-one and grown. SIGH!

Happy Birthday, Son-shine! I love you very much!