The Aftermath of Hurricane Reese...Excerpt, Review, and more news from the world of Rock 'n'

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed Hurricane Reese. It's been nearly a month and I'm so excited at the feedback I've received.

I loved writing this story because it combined so many elements: music, family, Filipino culture, Alzheimer's disease, and so much more. I spent a lot of time talking with my friends about the must-dos when writing Filipino families and was told "It's all about the aunties." That's how we get this scene between Jude and his auntie Germaine:

"Jude why didn't you tell me about Reese? I'm pouting over here, you know."

Tita Germaine had always been there for him, and she understood just how hard the situation would be.

"Well, one minute we were dancing around the issue, then he shoved his tongue in my mouth. Next thing I know I'm saying 'I love you, too.' But Germaine, Mr. Matheson and his no-filter will never stand for us being together under his roof, and let's not even talk about our family."

Germaine snorted. "Gemma's already saying, 'He's so handsome he turned my nephew gay.' No reality with that one."

"Like he's some sort of gay sorcerer? That's rich. He is sort of magical." Jude sighed and thought of the few nights they'd spent together. "He's crazy, though. He's ready to jump into this with both feet and no safety rope. He's talking about forever, and I'm still trying to catch my breath."

And he was. But it wasn't just physically that Reese was overwhelming. So far he'd talked of buying Jude a car, supporting him while he finished school, and he even had some crazy ideas about adding onto the house so his brother and sister could stay with them. He'd backed off a little when Jude raised an eyebrow at him...or maybe he could just sense Jude was ready to bolt.

But then they kissed, and everything else faded away. Their intimacy had been somewhat innocent until a few nights prior. Jude had wondered how much experience Reese had had with other men...Reese's curiosity and passion were refreshing. He never made Jude feel like a hookup, and he was eager to please. It was unnerving how much Reese gave of himself, and he was open to anything. He didn't act or react like any of the men Jude had been with before.

"So what do you think is going to happen Sunday? You do realize that's in like two days?"

"Twenty-two hours, thirty-seven minutes, and seventeen seconds, but who's counting?"

"He's a good man, Jude. When are you going to tell Mr. Matheson? Because you should. It will be worse if he hears about it, or-" She paused for effect. "Catches you in the act."

"And knowing Reese? That's not unrealistic."

If you haven't picked up your copy of Reese yet, check this out. Reviews like this one from Tracy D. came in and blew me away:

"R.L. Merrill's Hurricane Reese blew in and captured my attention full force. I was only at Chapter 2 when I was moved to tears by Jude's plight. Merrill, with an economy of words, managed to capture the precarious nature of life in the current economy. We are all so close and living on the edge and we don't even know it. The dialogue is so good in this piece that I found myself reading along and nodding my head in agreement. The characters were real. Their emotions were easily discernible. The characters' descriptions were so vivid that I truly had a mental picture of the key players. Finally, the humor that was infused throughout the storyline made it impossible for the story to sink into a maudlin read. The characters' genuine love, whether filial, erotic or simple friendship was ever present. Reese's obsessive desire to protect and care for his loved ones with the full force of his personality and means was admirable. I am so glad that I read this book. It will stay with me. I look forward to this author's future works."

Book two is complete and is under revision. I'm hoping to have news for you on that soon.

Pick up Hurricane Reese Today from Dreamspinner or Amazon

In the meantime, I'm sure you've heard the buzz about the anthology I'll be featured in coming May 22nd... No? Well! The Down and Dirty Blue Collar Heroes anthology is coming your way, and you're going to want to get your hands dirty. I'll be featuring authors from the set this next couple of months so stay tuned. We finally have the link for Amazon so one-click this sucker!

Tomorrow I'll be doing a live chat and read from Hurricane Reese on Bookies. I'd love to see some familiar faces there! I'll be giving away an Amazon gift card and a couple of signed copies of Hurricane Reese so check it out! 4PM CST/5PM EST. I believe there's even a giveaway for folks who click going on the page.

That's it for today but there's SO MUCH MORE coming soon like announcements about The Banes of Lake's Crossing Book Two, a summer anthology, and I don't even know what else right now! STAY TUNED FOR MORE ROCK 'N' ROMANCE...