Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. She wears many hats: a partner in her own business, a mother, and a foster parent to disabled dogs. Sheryl has been writing for many years, the road along the way often bumpy. She was therefore thrilled beyond words when Safkhet Publishing loved her writing enough to commission her to write for them.
Sheryl's debut novel, Recipes For Disaster - combining deliciously different and fun recipes with sexilicious romantic comedy, is garnering some fabulous reviews and has been shortlisted for the Innovation in Romantic Fiction Festival of Romance Award. Sheryl has since been offered a further three-book contract under the Safkhet Publishing Soul imprint. Somebody to Love, a romantic comedy centering around a single father's search for love and his autistic little boy, launched in July 1st 2012. Warrant for Love, bringing together three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly, released August 1st 2012 and A Little Bit of Madness releases Valentines Day 2013.
Here's a message from Sheryl!
Oh time for me to get my thinking cap on! You can read my review for Warrant For Love tomorrow on the blog!
Warrant for Love
Love, blackmail, lies, adultery, entrapment.
Three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly.
Three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly.
Life for Paul sounds like your typical country song. He comes from a broken home, his wife is divorcing him, he's got no place to live, he's losing custody of his son, and his sergeant, who's sleeping with his wife, is a loud-mouthed braggart who won't let up on him – not even at work.
Leanne's caught her (now) ex cheating on her again, but before she can give him the what-for, she's wrongfully arrested for soliciting – by Paul and his partner. One thing leads to another and things could be looking up for Paul, except for Leanne's friends – quarrelling mom Nicky and financial goddess Jade – have it out for her ex.Leanne wants closure, Paul wants a home, and Nicky and Jade want revenge. Blackmail, lies, adultery, entrapment. Will it all work out in the end or will Paul uphold the law? It sounds like he needs a Warrant for Love.
‘Hi, hon, got any plans this evening?’ Jade asked, when Lee answered her mobile half an hour later.
‘No, not really.’ Lee clutched her phone to her ear, glancing at Paul, who’d extracted himself from a conversation to walk back over to her. The other guests were departing, but Lee’d continued to linger, wondering whether Paul wouldn’t perhaps consider being a little dishonourable and invite himself back to her house again, hopefully.
‘Good,’ Jade said. ‘How do you fancy watching a real man get his kit off?
‘Hm?’ Lee started mentally undressing Paul.
‘There’s a Full Monty on at Tenbury Village hall, and I’ve seen one of these guys perform. His routine, that is. Believe me, he’s good.’
‘A strip show!’ Lee gasped. ‘In the village hall! Blimey. That’ll ensure a full house on bingo night,’ she remarked, noting Paul’s sudden choking fit.
Jade laughed. ‘I’ll assume you’re coming, then. Um, what will you wear?’
‘I don’t know.’ Lee pondered her wardrobe. ‘A disguise probably.’
She signed off, wondering whether naked male torsos were quite the thing to take her mind off Paul. ‘I have to go,’ she said. ‘I’ve got to…’
‘Ogle naked men?’ Paul suggested.
‘Girls’ night.’ Lee blushed. Lord, she hoped he didn’t think she made a habit of frequenting sleazy village halls, as well as soliciting.
‘Oh, right. I’ll see you around then.’
‘Yes.’ Lee wavered, then waved her mobile cheerily. ‘See you around.’
She smiled wanly and headed for her car. So, he didn’t really fancy her, then. He was just after a quickie to shore up his confidence, and then he was going to string her along until he was sure she wasn’t going to file a complaint.
And he was now, sure of it, so it was bye-bye, Lee.
Who cared? Lee’s heart belly-flopped into her boots. Not her.
‘Leanne,’ Paul called from behind her.
‘Yes?’ She turned, more eagerly than she should.
Paul smiled, clearly amused. ‘Where are you going?’
Lee cocked her head to one side, confused.
‘Your car’s in Birmingham, Leanne. What are you going to do? Thumb a lift?’
****
‘Hi.’ The blue-eyed copper smiled, as he opened the front door.
‘Bye,’ he added, squeezing past Nicky and Jade, who stared after him stupefied.
He doffed his cap from what he no doubt considered a safe distance, climbed into his car, and drove off, while Lee refused to elucidate on his presence, other than to say, ‘I showed him some properties, and he gave me a lift home.’
Well, if that’s all he’d done, Jade thought, the man must be…principled?
Lee had to be mad. Jade would swap a relationship with Dickhead for a night with the boy in blue anytime.
But then, she wasn’t Lee.
It was time to make absolutely sure that Richard exited the scene, Jade vowed as she pulled up in front of the village hall.
‘You’re sure it’s not a local craft exhibition?’ Nicky eyed the white walls and wired windows of what looked nothing like a den of iniquity.
‘Trust me, sweetie, the wares on display here would send the crochet club in search of Valium. Come on.’ Jade steered Nicky, who hadn’t quite got the hang of her four-inch heels, through the door.
Lee trailed behind them looking somewhat distracted. Jade hoped it was the blushing policeman providing the distraction.
‘I’ll get the drinks in.’ She nodded towards the bar. ‘You two go and find a table. No, Nicky, not one at the front, hon. Unless you want to help them get down to their socks?’
Jade rejoined them as the lights went down. ‘Strobe lights.’ She ran her tongue over her lips. ‘That definitely looks a bit promising. Drinks, girls.’ She plonked the tray on the table and slipped into her seat, as through a haze of stage-smoke appeared two gleaming chrome and white Harley-Davidson’s, with tell-tale red stripes and blue lights flashing.
‘I don’t believe it.’ Lee clamped disbelieving eyes shut.
‘So, how do they compare to PC Plod?’ Jade gave her an insinuating nudge as shirt-buttons popped.
‘They don’t. I mean… I… don’t… know.’ Lee’s cheeks flushed as two police pelvises simultaneously gyrated. ‘I can’t look,’ she said, peering through fingers.
‘Cor!’ Nicky drooled, as precision-pressed trousers were discarded true Monty style. ‘Oh, wow!’ She fanned herself, gawking as loincloths were removed with teeth. ‘I bet those aren’t standard issue.’
****
Jade directed Nicky and Leanne towards a double pepperoni for afters. ‘Did you see what the dark-haired hunk was packing under his uniform?’ She smirked.
‘No, Jade. Your tongue was obscuring my view,’ Lee informed her.
Actually, she’d quite fancied the dark-haired hunk in his uniform. Lee indulged another sneaky fantasy about Paul, reprimanded herself, then started all over again. She was all hot-flush and fluster by the time Roberto handed her a menu.
‘Nice buns,’ Jade observed as Roberto hip-swung back to the bar.
Lee’s attention, however, was drawn to another, more familiar derriere. She stopped flapping the menu mid-fan. Sure her eyes must be deceiving her; she wiped a hole in the condensation on the window. Then paled. ‘It’s Richard,’ she said calmly.
Nicky stared. ‘It can’t be. He’s in London.’
‘He’s not.’ Lee ducked below window level. ‘I’d know that self-assured swagger anywhere.’
‘I don’t believe it.’ Jade joined her. ‘Where?’
‘Jade! Get up, and watch what he’s doing. He’s diagonally opposite, heading for his car. And he’s not on his own.’
‘You’re right,’ Jade confirmed. ‘He’s not. And judging by the arm around her waist, she’s either his sister, or…’
‘The trollop with the size-ten feet!’ Lee shot up, just in time to see Richard assisting a long-legged creature into the passenger seat. He closed the door with a gallant smile and headed around to the driver’s side, glancing towards the restaurant en route.
Lee ducked again, almost planting her face in the cheesy-garlic bread. ‘What’s he doing now?’ she asked, as if she needed to know.
Jade squinted. ‘Fastening her seat belt.’
‘Why?’ Lee growled. ‘Have her bloody arms dropped off?!’
‘She might be a client,’ Nicky hazarded.
‘If she’s a client,’ Jade fumed, ‘Roberto’s Italian.’
‘But he is Italian,’ Nicky said, clearly confused as she watched Roberto expound the delights of pesto and pasta to an all-female audience at the next table.
‘Yes, Nicky.’ Jade rolled despairing eyes. ‘Come on… Lee? Lee, sweetie, you’re going to tip it all down your cleavage if you don’t let go, aren’t you?’
Jade wrestled the carafe of wine from Lee’s iron grip and left cash for the bill. ‘Right,’ she glanced out of the window, and then caught hold of Lee’s hand. ‘God’s gift has gone. Come on. We’re out of here.’
Finding footprints on the windscreen for her boyfriend’s car as evidence of his infidelity was worst case scenario for Lee. What would YOURS be? What would you do about it? Witty but NOT too rude suggestions, please. One name will be randomly selected from the blogs taking part to receive a copy of Warrant for Love.
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Sheryl is a loveahappyending featured Author and Editor.
Twitter: @sherylbrowne
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