#GuestPost #NewRelease – “Cinnamon and Sugar” by RW Richard

FINDING YOUR MUSE(S)

When I write I search for a model who is what I think my hero and heroine look like. I try to capture them in the process of struggle, since the arcs of the story and scenes are so important. In this novel, Cinnamon & Sugar, published by The Wild Rose Press, the two models attached are exactly how I pictured them. In the story, Alicia, is compared favorably to any number of young starlets. Humphrey when first seen melts Alicia’s resistance, but she’ll struggle on.

A NOTE regarding recent events. People have told me I stole the beginning of the story from the violence in D.C. 2021. I can’t write that fast. If ever you send a manuscript to a publisher you can expect at least a year to go by before it’s out. My story is about how love knows no boundaries. Two lost souls find each other impossible, but discover they can’t live without each other’s help.

WHEN I was caretaking my daughter, I read to her from my draft manuscript that I have since dedicated to her. I read to keep her mind off her pain and that she might have to leave soon. I never imagined her reaction. She cried, yes, of course, it’s a tear jerker, but it was more than that. It was how she loved, lived, and taught. She, being who she was, instructed a professional writer (me), on changes she wanted (demanded). Since it was on a subject (racial hatred and brother and sisterhood) that caused her to march just like her old man did with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she made me promise I get a “real” publisher and, “Dad can you help my boys?” I said, “yes, honey, all the royalties will go to them.” So, Lani became my third muse and 1^st angel. The story is rated PG.

Blurb:

Humphrey Bertrand’s genius-level IQ can’t help him find his moral compass. His family is filled with racial conflicts and he struggles to find his own way. But he cannot let anyone drown, regardless of their skin color. Alicia Bloom, a gifted valedictorian and poet runs away from an abusive situation. While she is thankful to Humphrey for saving her life, she doesn’t want to be tied to anyone. When an attempt on her life forces them to hit the road together to stay one step ahead of a murderous maniac they wonder if their dreams of a future will be put on hold permanently.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cinnamon-Sugar-RW-Richard-ebook/dp/B08PMPC9S8

Barnes & Noble paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cinnamon-sugar-rw-richard/1138420307?ean=9781509234158

Barnes & Noble ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cinnamon-sugar-rw-richard/1138420307?ean=2940162824152

Excerpt:

A sweaty Alicia left the poolside gym, at the Marriot, near Dartmouth, New Hampshire. The pool and poolside were devoid of people except for Humphrey. She ogled him while he sprinted the butterfly up and down the outdoor sapphire pool. Droplets danced on his wide shoulders and lats. His incredible body caressed the waters, producing a smooth trowel the length of him. Every part of him made her yearn for a lover named Humphrey. On the run with the world’s cutest boy, one must avoid freefalling off a cliff. Rocks often awaited at the bottom.

He still put up makeshift curtains between their beds, but it had gotten cold at night.

She ran to their room and changed into a red, white, and blue bikini she had bought in Cambridge, but coming out on the deck, she chickened at the idea of getting wet.

He stopped his exercise and allowed his shoulders to slack, likely exhausted. He gawked when she sauntered over to near the pool’s edge in the patriotic swimsuit, and there he sloshed in water, mock fanning himself. Boys. But she was tickled to the point she almost squealed. Oh, he liked her figure all right.

He waved. “Come on in.” And saluted her.

True they still had the pool to themselves, so nobody would laugh at her awkwardness. “I don’t know how to swim.” She squinted from the bright sun.

“I can teach you.”

He tossed his goggles on to the deck next to his towel.

What kind of teaching would this be? Would he touch her body? How could she resist him? But the water reminded her of the Potomac drowning, and the boy reminded her that she could drown in desire. Her heart beat fast, a crazy cross between fear and desire, and unfamiliar waters.

Author Bio:

Bob Richard, pen name RW Richard is published by The Wild Rose Press. He’s a member of RWA and RWASD. He has a BS in Physics and an MBA in management/marketing from St. Joseph’s university. He was a champion swimmer. Is a chess master with State titles (CA NJ NY). He won best contemporary romance of the year and other awards. So far he has written nine books.