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Consolation Prize About the Author
Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.Now she lives with her hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor...or Hulk (can’t
Consolation Prize Copyright
Consolation PrizeCopyright © 2016 by Linda KageSmashwords EditionThis is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses or establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.All rights reserved. No part of this book—except in the case of brief quotations in reviews—may be used, reproduced, or translated without written permission of the author.Contact Information: linda@lindakage.comCONSOLATION PRIZEPublishing HistoryLinda Kage, November 2016CreditsCover Artist: Kage CoversEditor: Stephanie ParentProofreader: Judy and Shelley Created with Vellum
Consolation Prize Author’s Note
Once again, I’m writing a story to honor the request of a reader!A little over a year ago, Ms. Ciara Townsend wrote to me: “My best friend and I are avid readers, and my favorite books usually have white lead characters and black minor characters, and they’re usually quite ghetto. It’s a little discouraging when all of the couples are with people of the same race when there are so many mixed people in the world. I would love an interracial romance, especially when there are so many people that don’t believe in it.”I always crave a good writing challenge, and this one is another for me because like Ciara, I haven’t run across a lot of interracial stories myself. I have no idea what kind of elements are usually in them or not in them. So hopefully I do this one some justice! Fingers crossed!Here is a little bit of forbidden interracial romance just for you, Ciara
Consolation Prize 1. Colton
I’m pretty sure I didn’t meet you just for nothing. —UnknownDamn, I loved wedding receptions.Parties must’ve been in my blood because I seemed to flourish at them. There was just something about the noise and energy and hint of wild abandon that got my engines revving. And no better place could I make a spectacle of myself, projecting the image I wanted everyone to see, than in a busy, crowded room like this.Oh, the things you could hide behind a loud, boisterous personality at a loud, boisterous party were truly amazing.“I know what you’re all thinking,” I drawled into the microphone I carried as I meandered back and forth behind the wedding party’s table to address the crowd. “Why the hell did a specimen as lovely as Sarah Arnosta settle for my loser of a big brother when she could’ve had all this, right?”As I splayed a hand down the side of my tux jacket, motioning to myself, my brother Brandt twisted in his seat to punch at me, muttering curses as he swung. But I only chu
Consolation Prize 2. Julianna
Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us. —UnknownI shouldn’t be here.I had been telling myself variations of that very sentiment all day, starting with I shouldn’t go as I’d dressed for the wedding all the way to What the hell am I doing? as I’d entered the church. And here I was now, still filled with a torturous regret as I sat alone at a round table during the reception and watched a bunch of white people trying to dance to the “Cha Cha Slide.”That was just plain painful all by itself.Except for the groom. He looked adorable attempting to perfect the Charlie Brown. I could tell he was only on the dance floor to entertain his bride, who sat in her wheelchair a few feet in front of him and covered her mouth with her hands as tears streamed down her cheeks from laughing so hard.A reluctant smile tugged at my own lips. Yeah, he was pretty damn cute with the way he so enthusiastically got into
Consolation Prize 3. Julianna
It’s amazing how one day someone walks into your life and you can’t remember how you ever lived without them —UnknownI couldn’t help myself. My mind went there. It took a good three-second vacation to envision what being with Colton Gamble might be like—which, embarrassingly, wasn’t the first time I’d wondered it either. And I had to admit, there was no way tangling with him could ever be boring or staid. The guy had a way of making me catch my breath just by looking at me as if he knew things… hot, kinky, exciting things, scrumptious things I hadn’t experienced in a long time, or maybe even ever.He had never laid a hand on me, but I already knew if I let him, those hands would be everywhere. They looked like naughty, mischievous hands, all long and slim-fingered, or like a magician’s hands that did all kinds of flashy, interesting things right before your eyes and then snuck up and surprised you with the real trick without you even being aware of it, until bam, orgasm central.My
Consolation Prize 4. Julianna
Intimacy is not purely physical. It’s the act of connecting with someone so deeply you feel like you can see into their soul. —UnknownAfter dancing, my heart was beating a little faster and my skin felt flushed. And I really did need that drink because my mouth was bone dry.I was relieved that Colton was a resourceful kind of guy. He knew exactly where the open bar was located, and bless him, he took me straight there. Once we each had a plastic cup in hand, he set his free palm on the small of my spine to escort me back to my table, which felt…nice, actually.But a guy waiting in the back of the line for the bar pointed at us. “Yo, Colton. That’s just pop, right?”I recognized the man as being a groomsman. There’d been two—the wedding pamphlet had named them Noel Gamble and Oren Tenning. Since this guy looked Brandt-ish, I figured he was Noel, which would make him Colton’s big brother.Lifting his cup as if in cheers, Colton answered, “Of course.”I glanced at him, frowning sl
Consolation Prize 5. Colton
The only time losing is more fun than winning is when you’re fighting temptation. —Tom WilsonI came awake to the sleeve of my tux jacket trying to shake its way off my arm.“Colton!” that cool, low yet sophisticated voice I was beginning to really dig said, except the tone was higher than usual, and sounded a little alarmed. It was still an awesome voice, though, and came from one of the sexiest women alive, a woman I decided wasn’t so bad after all.“Colton, dammit, answer me.”Actually, I think I liked her.Grinning lazily over that thought, I opened my eyes slowly only to grin wider when my gaze landed on her.There she was. Sexy as fuck.“Hmm?” I asked.“Oh, thank God, you’re alive,” she breathed, sounding relieved…for half a second. Then she scowled and smacked my arm. “Thanks for scaring the shit out of me, asshole.”“Ouch.” My grin fell. I rubbed my arm.Sexy but brutal.“Why are you sitting on the floor outside the bathroom?” she demanded. “I could find my own way b
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