They've lost their way. Paloma, a runner-up in the Tri-State, Wink, Think, and Defend Lioness Competition, regrets that she didn't win. But she knows the biggest disappointment of her life, by far-her hot, successful, traveling salesman husband, Jim. He's a daily disappointment.
Jim the "Catch" that women discuss in whispery voices like giggling, giddy, silly schoolgirls. He also happens to be a hometown hero. Paloma and Liam, their son, wish he'd be their hero. Jim personifies secretive and flirty. His travel schedule requires more and more time away from home including weekends. He loves Paloma, but he lacks emotional intelligence. He has always been the lazy lion.
Because she wears a wardrobe of hats-married single mom of a hormonal preteen son, successful house flipper, ranch hand and ranch manager, she feels overwhelmed, abandoned, resentful and alone. Yet, she still yearns for Jim's physical presence, his emotional support and his sexuality. If superficial sex provides the only way she can feel close to him, then, so be it for now anyway...even if she feels like a trained lioness.
Over time, Jim and Paloma find themselves helpless to deal with the rot of dysfunctional choices that have rooted in their lives. How can they find their way back to being a happy bonded couple again? Steamy, D-reference, L-reference, Violence. Tropes: Second-Chance Marriage Romance, Second Chance Romance, chosen family and ride-or-die best friend.
Lavender, Kelly: - "Kelly's fascination with fiction began in middle school when she entered a book-reading contest and won. When college professors spotlighted her writing in the classroom, it triggered her interest in becoming a novelist. As an ardent fan of the resonating narrative and the cliffhanger, she decided to dedicate herself to becoming a skilled writer. She continued to pursue her education at UCLA Extension where her writing earned praise from an award-winning author/professor.When did she dare to dream large? An epiphany occurred when she read that one of her favorite authors began his work career with a finance degree, also graduating with honors. Actually, he earned a living in Pharmaceutical Sales before becoming an author. Despite chuckles and setbacks, she had a burning desire to write. She lovingly labeled it - "a calling, a compulsion and an obsession."One of the high points of her journey occurred when Kelly paid an Industry Creative to analyze her novels. In the Executive's written comprehensive assessment of both books, she declares, "...Beautiful Evil Winter may work best as a feature film while Plenty has potential as a TV series... Both projects might have appeal for actresses with their own production companies. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Selena Gomez and Sandra Bullock come to mind..."The expert storyteller's impressive credentials include Creative Executive on SALT, The Bone Collector, Revenge - tv series, and script consultant for Kevin Costner.On a personal level, Kelly credits her horse life with shaping her personality by making her confident, thoughtful, resilient, relentless and disciplined. As an avid, lifelong equestrian, rural life with horses proved to be a perfect backdrop for indulging her insatiable desire to craft quality novels. In fact, she wrote Beautiful Evil Winter, her first paperback, while training for competition and managing the family ranch. Moreover, her horsey background helped her enrich the lives of her big dog rescues with Obedience and Agility classes."
