# Award-winning Romance, Mystery, and Suspense



## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

**** Little Miss Straight Lace, Gold Medal Winner, 2010 Readers Favorite Book Awards ****​

 

*The Story:*
What happens when a dedicated researcher learns a bit too much about her pharmaceutical client's new drug? Her life begins to spin out of control, and a dashing computer security expert from South America seems the perfect antidote. But is his sudden arrival just the happy coincidence it seems? Find out in this complex novel of suspense, humor, and romance that takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of murder, mayhem, sex, and drugs-of the pharmaceutical variety, of course-until the very last page. Approx. 180K words.

*Praise for Little Miss Straight Lace:*
_"Romana's characters are portrayed with skill, each is a credible person filled with foibles, warts and gaffes&#8230;the various twists and turns are handled with skill, are easily followed, and add depth and dimension often lacking in works provided by newer writers&#8230;Maria Romana's Little Miss Straight Lace is a fast paced, keep 'em guessing and turning the page type read sure to intrigue readers who enjoy good writing, a bit of romance, a lot of action, and a downright good read..."
_-Molly Martin, Midwest Book Review.

_"There is one thing for sure, the reader is in for a rollicking ride. It is full of suspense and mystery along with romance and humor. A very enjoyable read."_
-Readers Favorite, an Amazon Vine™ Voice reviewer.

_"&#8230;a great beach read&#8230;all the ingredients for a story that's hard to put down&#8230;"
_-Author A.J. Braithwaite, Inside Hawley Lodge

*Read a sample or learn more here*: _Little Miss Straight Lace_ info page.

*--Maria Elizabeth Romana*


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Maria--

Congratulations on the new book! Well done book page. You've intrigued me enough to start with a sample.

(If you've gotten this welcome before, it's just as a matter of housekeeping. We like to put a copy of the "welcome letter" in each book thread. It doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, it just helps us know that you know the rules.)

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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Since this is the Book Bazaar, I can say it: *Yay me!* Or yay for my book, anyway. It's official now: _Little Miss Straight Lace_ is a finalist in the Readers Favorites Book Award Contest in the romantic suspense category. Okay, I know it's not a Pulitzer Prize or even a RITA, but it's still an honor and a thrill, and maybe just a little bit of vindication, for this author.

 Maria


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Congratulations on being a finalist. That's great!


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Monique said:


> Congratulations on being a finalist. That's great!


Thanks! To me, it feels like Christmas!


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

Congratulations! That's fantastic 

Sandy


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

Yeay Maria!  I'm so happy for you!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Congratulations, Maria!

Betsy


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks, ladies!  And Maureen, you're next up on my reading list...

 Maria


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## CaraMarsi27 (Aug 7, 2010)

Congratulations on your book and on being an award finalist!


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

CaraMarsi27 said:


> Congratulations on your book and on being an award finalist!


Thanks, Cara. I'm getting anxious now as the time is getting close for the award decision--one more week. Readers Favorite posted their official review on Amazon yesterday, and I could tell from what the reviewer said that she fell for all my red herrings. That made me smile.

--Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Geez, I was nervous when I got the email from the Readers Favorite contest. I mean literally, my heart was pounding, and I wasn't even sure why. I'd already seen the review on Amazon, and I knew I was a finalist in my category, so what was the big deal about whether I was Gold, Silver, Honorable Mention, or whatever? No matter which, I could still use the review and the placement in my marketing, and that's why I entered the contest in the first place, right?

Yeah, right.

I always tell people I'm not a competitive person, and in most aspects of life, I'm not. I have always striven to do my very best at whatever I do--at my job, with my kids, in my writing--but being _better _than the next guy? Nope, that's never been important to me. But when I saw my book listed next to that big fat Gold Medal, my heart leapt. I realized for the first time since I put my work out there, that all I really wanted was to know that I'm connecting with people, that my words are moving them or thrilling them or just entertaining them. Winning the award told me that's happening.

If you are now or someday become one of those people, thank you for allowing me to touch your life through the magic of ebooks.

--Maria


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

Congratulations, Maria.  That is fantastic news!!!!   And the gold medal is well deserved!  Wonderful job! I'm so happy for you.


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks, Maureen, I am polishing it now  .  Okay, okay, it's just a digital image...


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Since _Little Miss Straight Lace_ has two major characters (one male, one female) whose lives are colored by negative sexual experiences in their youth, I thought I would take a moment to bring your attention to a popular YA novel, _Speak_, that has come under fire this week for having the audacity to take on similar subject matter and <gasp> bring it into our school system. A Dr. Wesley Scroggins called for a ban on _Speak _and a couple other novels from his local school system, referring to them as "filth" and "soft porn"!

There has been an enormous backlash in the blogosphere and online media about this attack on free speech, not the least of which is my post,
"Halse Anderson's _Speak_ Labeled Pornography". Let's hope the school board in question (Republic, MO) sees the importance of books like these for young people who lack the wherewithal to "speak" for themselves.

--Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

I know most of the people on this board are ereader owners or wanna-bes, but since I've had more than a few "oh, gee, don't you have a paper version" requests come in through my website, I'm finally embarking on that journey with CreateSpace. Fortunately, I found tons of great threads right here on KB to help me through the process (most particularly Ed Patterson and his self-pubbing book). With any luck, I'll be sporting a new, print version of _Little Miss Straight Lace _in another couple weeks.

Cheers,
Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Hi Guys,

If you've been thinking about buying _Little Miss Straight Lace_, now is the time! To coincide with some news releases about the contest winners from Readers Favorite, I'm putting the book on sale for only 99 cents for the next week. And if you're wondering if this book is for you, he's a little snippet that will give you an idea of what's under the hood:



> He looked hard at her. "Can you think about my employees and their families? Do you care about them at all?"
> "Jesus, Gary, of course I do, but..." Images flashed in her mind of waking in bed, soaked with sweat, heart pounding, gasping for air, desperate to separate dream from reality. She put a hand on a nearby chair and steadied herself. Her voice was just above a whisper, "I can't do it. I just can't."
> His smooth demeanor was rapidly giving way. "Why then, Josie? Tell me why!"
> Well, she certainly couldn't tell him _that_ now, could she? Josie turned away, looking out the window, into the darkening sky high above RTP. There were colored lights here and there in the distance. "I'm sorry, Gary. I have to think about...my professional reputation."
> ...


Thanks for stopping by,
Maria


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Just finished reading, and enjoyed it a lot   I have to say, it would be a good buy at $2.99, but if you can catch it at .99 cents, grab it - it's a steal


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## Karen Fenech (Jul 1, 2010)

I'm off to download the sample, Maria.  All the best with this book!

Regards,
Karen


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks, Ladies, I appreciate the lookie-loos!

--Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Hey Folks,

I just posted my first blog contest as a way to increase traffic. It only takes 5 minutes to enter, and you can win $25 via PayPal or a $25 Amazon GC--your choice. Doesn't matter if you've already bought the book or looked at it before; it's all about winning a little Holiday Green...so you can add even more books to your TBR!

Thanks for playing,
Maria

Romantic Suspense Books Cash Giveaway


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

You got my attention!  I'm on my way on over there


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

I thought I'd offer some background on where the crazy, complex plot of _Little Miss Straight Lace _comes from.

When I started out in my career, I worked for about a decade in pharmaceutical research, specifically in women's & children's health issues. The particular institution I worked for was doing a lot of their research in third world countries, so I learned first hand the tremendous difference between first world and third world medicine (or lack thereof). Since I was young and childless back then, I also had the free time on my hands to do some volunteer work, and so I put a lot of effort into helping build up a women's crisis program in my town.

After my children were born, I felt I no longer had the time or the emotional energy for the volunteer work. Sharing in the intimate, tragic circumstances of people's lives can really take a toll on you. I knew I couldn't continue to do that and also be a great mom to two beautiful little girls, so I gave up volunteering. All of the things I had seen and heard, both in the clinical work and the volunteer work, however, never left me.

I guess that's why, when I sat down to write, it was those stories and circumstances that naturally rose to the surface. But I didn't just want to download junk that I was carrying around on everyone else, and I doubted anyone would want to read that. No, what I really wanted was to share the positive things I had learned, the happy endings, the hope and redemption I had seen come about. Most of all, though, I wanted to do it in an entertaining way that anyone could enjoy. If I achieve that goal in any small measure, I'll have been successful.

--Maria


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to announce that Little Miss Straight Lace is our next KB Book of the Day!


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Hey, thanks, Harvey. I'm enjoying the ride so far. I woke up to a couple extra sales, and since breakfast, have had a few more. I really wasn't expecting much, since I've hung around KB long enough that I would think everyone here who wanted to, had already bought _Little Miss Straight Lace_. Certainly not complaining, though .

I thought I'd add another bit about the book today, inspired by a question that Lynn from Red Adept posed to the authors yesterday. She asked if our book characters were based on ourselves or people we know, and whether the characters were naturally flawed. I answered that most of my characters are combinations of people I've met or known, with mixtures of good and bad qualities. IMO, perfect is boring and makes characters hard to identify with. For example, my main character Josie is considered a genius by her colleagues in the pharamaceutical industry, but outside the lab setting, she's a klutz--her house is a mess, laundry piles to the ceiling, and there's never anything in the fridge...which, as it turns out, is a good thing, since every time she tries to cook, the fire department somehow gets involved.

I hope folks will give _Little Miss Straight Lace_ a whirl!

Thanks,
Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Just puttin' it out there, folks--today's the last day to enter for the $25 cash prize. I've had a lot of entries, but your odds are still good. And thanks to the slow-as-molasses price-changing process at Kobo, my book is still on sale for half-price at Amazon, so grab a copy while you're at it .

Come on down: Blog Contest $25 Giveaway.

--Maria


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

I'm in it...I'm getting excited!!!


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Oh, good, I'm glad you got in.  I had a ton of entries on the last day, so I am still sorting through and verifying entries, but I hope to have the winner drawn later this week.

In the meantime, another KB Book of the Day is upon me!  Yay!  The last one went quite well, and sales have been pretty steady ever since, so I'm anxious to see what will happen in the next 24 hours, and in the weeks following...right up through Christmas, when all the new Kindles under the tree get opened!

--Maria


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to announce that Little Miss Straight Lace is our next KB Book of the Day!


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to welcome back Little Miss Straight Lace as our KB Book of the Day!


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Hey, 

Thanks, Harvey!  I'm glad to be back.  I've become exceedingly fond of KBBOD's.  I like seeing the numbers go up a lot faster than usual...like they just did in the last hour, since you "stickied" me.

 Maria


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## AnThem (Dec 28, 2010)

OK, you sucked me in. My Kindle hasn't even been delivered yet and I just bought your book! You get to be my first Kindle read.


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## Moi_Ici (Dec 27, 2010)

Blanche (my K2) insisted she had to have your book - what choice did I have?  Will be reading it this evening.

Moi


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Woo hoo!  The Kindles have spoken!  I'm glad the devices are picking their own books now, because they're really smart devices .

Seriously, thanks for giving me a try, folks, and welcome to KB.  I see that you're both newbies.  You picked the right place.  Kindleboards is a friendly, welcoming forum.

--Maria


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## AnThem (Dec 28, 2010)

I just wanted to let you know I'm enjoying your book! It (and the fascinating power of the Kindle screen) have lured me away from a reread of Harry Potter book 7, so hopefully you will take that as the compliment it is meant to be.


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Wow, chosen over HP, even if only temporarily...I consider that high praise!  I'm so glad you're enjoying it.

Feel free to drop by my website (in sig below), and leave any feedback or enter the contest I have going on for a $25 Amazon GC.  Think of all the ebooks you could buy!

 Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Hi folks,

In honor of my lovely new cover, I've been running another Book View Contest: easy-peasy to enter, takes about two minutes and gets you a chance to win a $25 Amazon GC or $25 cash. There's only today and tomorrow left to enter, so come over and give it a whirl!

Romantic Suspense Books $25 Giveaway

See you there,
Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

I thought I'd share a little Valentine's gift with all the romance fans out there. "The first kiss" from Little Miss Straight Lace:

```
"So, can I offer you something? Tap water? Pickle juice?"
    He laughed, "No, thank you, dear. I will not keep you. I know you are tired." He picked up his tie and draped it around 
his neck.
    And he knows that because...[i]you tried to run him off downstairs, klutz![/i] Suddenly she wanted very much to feel 
those long arms around her and to taste those lips and to touch that marvelous soft hair one more time--knowing the door 
was open, of course. She grabbed the ends of his tie in each of her hands, and peered playfully up at him, "I did say I 
would let you kiss me goodnight..."
    He cast his eyes to the side. "Well, I was not going to hold you to that-"
    "No," she said, wrinkling up her nose, "You wouldn't, would you?"
    He looked back at her quizzically. "Of course not."
    She tugged on the tie just enough to urge his head down toward hers, and it came, but his arms, instead of wrapping 
around her, slid up into her hair, his great hands gently cupping her head, as though it were one of the oversized coffee 
mugs from which they had drunk at the end of their meal. When she closed her eyes and their lips met, instantly, she felt 
those miniature acrobats turning little somersaults in her stomach. Who were those guys anyway? And they rose up inside 
her, making her want more. She parted her lips, and the force of his became stronger. She responded in kind, and he 
acquiesced. And she wanted more. Her fingers dropped the tie and crept up around his neck, seeking that pretty, silky hair 
she had encountered so briefly the other day at the McKennas. Ah, it was still there. It was still soft. And as she let her 
fingers explore it, she sensed his chest rising in search of oxygen. And then one of his hands did drop, finding the center 
of her back, urging her closer. And then she wanted no more.
```
Happy V-Day,
Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Wow, just got an awesome, long, detailed review, and a big shot of sales to go with it. Made my day! Thanks to reviewer "SKM", who I met on the Amazon forums: SKM's review.

--Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Looks like _Little Miss Straight Lace_ is joining a bunch of other Kindleboards authors' books in having been nominated for an award at "The Romance Reviews"...yee ha! You can see the full list here. LMSL is listed under "Best Romantic Suspense in 2010". I hope you'll give it a whirl. Or give it a vote!

Thanks,
Maria


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

Congratulations, Maria!  I will vote.


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks, Maureen, you're very kind!  I voted for all the KB authors that had been nominated (you can vote for as many as you want).

--Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

It seems some folks have been asking lately for a better idea of book length, since Kindle locations don't mean a whole to people yet. I thought I'd update my description with that information, as in this case, there's no concern of too short a book! In fact, some readers have stated that the book was too long for their taste, so if you like quick reads, _Little Miss Straight Lace_ probably won't be your thing. On the other hand, if you're like me, and you love to get really involved in a time, place, and set of characters, LMSL is sure to please. At 180K words, it's about twice (maybe even three times) the length of the average indie novel, and more like what you'd expect from Nora Roberts, Judith Krantz, etc., at about 370 pages in tiny-print paperback length. In other words, as long as Amazon keeps _Little Miss Straight Lace_ at $1.89, you are getting a whole lot of read for the money!

--Maria


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

That is a great deal for that length, Maria!  I am like you. I want to sit down and be into a book for a long time, because if the book is good (like yours) ...I just don't want it to end!


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

I just added LMSL to the Smashwords Summer Sale at 75% off list: Smashwords PDF, mobi, epub, PDB ($4.79 $1.20 with coupon code SSW75). This sale has special meaning for me, as it was during last year's Summer Sale where I first released the book. I remember the day--July 3rd--because it also happens to be my mother's birthday. Egads, that's tomorrow, and I haven't even thought about what to do for Mom...HELP!

 Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

I've gotten a bunch of great reviews lately after entering LMSL into BookRooster's database, but I particularly got a kick out of one, and wanted to share an excerpt:

"I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I took it with me on a 5-day camping trip and was asked by my husband several times to 'Please put the book down.' But I just couldn't wait until the next time I would get to pick it up again." (Full review here.)

These kind of comments are what keep us writing!

--Maria


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

For those who haven't sampled already, I thought I would pop this excerpt in here that appeared on the Red Adept's book review blog a while back. Hope you enjoy it and will take _Little Miss Straight Lace_ for a spin.
--Maria


```
Josie pulled her laptop toward her, but peered out the corner of her eye. Sh*t. They were sitting
right up at the bar. Probably waiting for a table for dinner. Six o’clock, too. Why didn’t they make reservations? Losers. 
She saw Gary shift in his seat, opening his view to the room. Then, as he glanced around, acting casual, he caught her 
eye and grinned ever so slightly. A twinge poked in her belly. She quickly shifted her focus back to her laptop. [i]Ignore 
him, Josie. Your club, your friends, not his.[/i]
    “Jos!”
    She looked up. It was Shawn, grinning from ear to ear. She smiled back, “So…did you work it out?”
    “Better.” He plunked down in his seat and picked up his wine. “Guy was kissing my *ss.” He tossed back the last of 
his glass. Josie grinned and leaned in to hear the scoop, but before Shawn could say any more, they were interrupted.
    “Shawn, Josie, how are you two?”
    Goldman. Great.
    Shawn answered for both of them, “Gary. Is there something we can do for you? Josie and I are in the middle of a 
very important meeting.”
    Gary brushed the top of their empty wine bottle with his thumb. “Looks like it.” He turned to Josie, “Shawn tells me 
you’re getting married soon. Kind of hoping I might get to meet your fiancé. Oscar says he’s a real swell guy. Nic, right? 
Not gone to South America again, is he?”
    Pins and needles started pricking the back of her neck. Why was Gary asking about Nic? How was it he cared enough 
to remember Nic’s name and where he was from? An image flashed in her mind of the day at the airport, of Gary 
watching Nic load his bags in the trunk of the car. Was he going to do something to Nic? Try to get back at her by 
hurting him? Not while she was alive! Josie looked up and faced Goldman as she hadn’t before. Stupid sardonic grin. Ice 
cold green eyes—nothing like Daddy’s. She looked Gary in the eye and answered him, “None of your d*mn business.”
    Both Shawn’s and Gary’s eyebrows shot up. After a second, Gary recovered and reached out toward her, running his 
finger along the top edge of her computer. “Well now, that wasn’t very friendly.”
[i]    Not very friendly, is she? Three guys standing around her and one behind—surrounded![/i]
    Huh? What was that? What was she thinking of? Josie felt the color draining from her face.
    Before anyone could say anything else, Gina suddenly reappeared at the table. “Josie, hun, sorry to interrupt, but 
would you taste test these for me? New recipe I’m trying. It’s called chocolate covered golden hearts. See, it’s these 
little flaky pastries with a layer of…”
    But Josie wasn’t listening. Chocolate covered golden hearts. Chocolate covered. Chocolate covers. Gold hearts. Josie 
could see it—a bed with a chocolate brown coverlet. Windows with chocolate brown drapes. A bathroom with chocolate 
brown towels. All with gold accents. Where? When? And Gary Goldman. Huh? Why was all this stuff floating around in her 
head today?
    “Josie? Will you, hun? Will you try them for me?”
    She tried to focus on Gina’s face and her pretty red hair, but Gina was standing right next to Gary, who was still 
grinning his stupid grin and no doubt seeing the confusion on Josie’s face. The voices in the room were pulling away, 
sounding distant. Someone had lowered the lights. And turned up the thermostat.
    “Jos, you okay?” Shawn’s voice.
    “What is your name? Where do you live? Do you know who I am?” Gary’s voice. But the words didn’t match his lips. 
How was he asking that? [i]Why[/i] was he asking that?
    “Doctor, should I increase the dose now?” Gina’s voice. But her lips weren’t moving at all. And why would she call him
‘doctor’? Well, he was a doctor—of finance, right? But Gina didn’t know that.
    The room was getting darker still, and the voices in it further and further away. Crap—she was losing it. No, no, no. Not 
now. Not right in front of world’s biggest jack*ss. Not right after she’d finally stood up to him. Josie pushed herself up from 
the table…wobbly as sh*t. [i]Just need to get out of here, get some fresh air.[/i] She backed away from the table, knocking 
her chair down as she went, and ran toward the veranda door.
```


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

I thought I would share some quotes from some of my favorite reviews of _Little Miss Straight Lace_:

_I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I took it with me on a 5-day camping trip and was asked by my husband several times to "Please put the book down." But I just couldn't wait until the next time I would get to pick it up again. 
_~S. Mino (from Amazon)

_I got a kick out of the main character, Josie, she's brilliant, feisty and always getting herself in a fix. The book had it all..romance, intrigue, mystery and humor._
~Barbvee (from Amazon)

_The story is in-depth, with great character development, and a thoroughly thought out plot. The book was good, although, a little slow to start, but once it picked up, it didn't stop, and I couldn't put it down. The story is filled with what - at first- appears to be a brewing romance, but what turns into a mystery thriller filled with unexpected plot twists._
~Nita Mason (from Amazon)

Maybe you'll give it a try and leave a quotable review, too!

Thanks,
Maria


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