Blurb
An accountant’s calculated attempt to fit in entangles her with Hollywood’s hottest tattoo artist who thrives on standing out. Worlds collide as the two decide what is truly permanent.
What is Permanent?
Always on the outside looking in, accountant, Lindsay Stevens, has calculated her transformation from a small town, nerdy bookkeeper to a sleek, high-powered accountant down to the last penny. With all her checks finally in balance, she moves to California to start a new life free of her embarrassing past she never wants revealed.
As Hollywood’s hottest tattoo artist, Shane Elliott thrives on standing out. Charismatic and free of commitments, he travels through life with a wink and a smile, hiding the letters he receives from the IRS as if they don’t exist. Now with bills to pay and tax collectors breathing down his back, for the first time in his life Shane can’t charm his way out of his situation. However, when his new neighbor literally falls into his life, he knows he has struck gold once again.
Though Lindsay tries to keep her distance, she suddenly finds herself trying to hide her true self as she thrust into a world she doesn’t think she belongs, but can’t resist. In his good-time life, Shane must discover there is more to life than a party if he wants something more.
With their lives intertwined, the two must learn accept each other, themselves and their love.
Worlds collide as they decide what is truly permanent.
Permanent is the first book in the Indelibly Marked Series that follows the lives and loves of those surrounding Permanent Tattoo.
Excerpt
An entire entourage, including a few people she didn’t know had joined in her search party, but she could only focus on Shane as he guided her into the driveway and sprinted to her car.
She barely threw the transmission in park before Shane opened the door and practically got inside with her. Though she wanted to protest, or tell him he was making too big of a thing out of it, her body disobeyed and she wrapped her arms around his neck. This time she denied herself nothing and purposely leaned in and took a big long whiff of his soap. She was done for. “Oh God.”
“We’re never going to do that to Shane again, are we?” He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek, grazing the corner of her mouth.
She didn’t realize she’d held her breath until her lungs demanded air and she gasped and grabbed Shane’s leg. When her hand grazed across his jeans, she swore she’d never felt anything quite so supple and pliable, a well-worn fine nap not unlike the most expensive velvet beneath her fingertips. Beneath his jeans she could clearly make out the definition of his toned thigh. The contrast of textures overloaded her senses. “Did you know the 5 freeway and the Golden State freeway are the same?”
He chuckled but didn’t move away from her. In fact, his dark blue eyes stared so intently that she studied his arm tattoos. One thing about Shane was that every part of him was interesting to look at.
“Why were you on the 5?”
“I was trying to get back from Orange County.” She admitted it like she’d committed a felony, and stared at his forearm. His smooth skin gave him the perfect showcase to display his personal artwork. Without really thinking, she touched his arm and used her nail to trace one of the leafy vines that trailed and curled around his forearm. “I’m sorry, it was for work.”
“What did you think of it?”
“I thought it was very repetitive.” She took in a black panther’s paw. The tattoos were all part of him and her mouth dried, causing her voice to sound strained. “Why was Orange County off limits?” Her finger made it around the back of the panther, and then almost as if she awakened from her trance, she stopped.
Shane put his hand over hers. “Finish.”
“Why didn’t you want me to go to Orange County?” She looked up at his face, his focus clearly on her hand and she allowed her finger to resume its trek.
“I didn’t want you to like it there.”
Her hand made it back to where it started and she shook her head. “Everything there was too much the same.”
“It’s good to like things that are a little less conventional.” His voice lowered.
She licked her lips to impart any moisture she could into her arid mouth. With Shane in her car in front of a tattoo shop in downtown Los Angeles, she doubted her problem was being conventional. Her problem was that she didn’t have the data to deal with the unconventional.
About the Auth0r
Kim Carmichael began writing eight years ago when her love of happy endings inspired her to create her own.
A Southern California native, Kim’s contemporary romance combines Hollywood magic with pop culture to create quirky characters set against some of most unique and colorful settings in the world.
With a weakness for designer purses, bad boys and techno geeks, Kim married her own computer whiz after he proved he could keep her all her gadgets running and finally admitted handbags were an investment.
Kim is a member of the Romance Writers of America, as well as some small specialty chapters. A multi-published author, Kim’s books can be found on Amazon as well as Barnes & Nobel. From alcohol to makeup to infrared cameras and even scientific lasers studying the atmosphere, Kim has worked in some aspect of sales and marketing for over twenty years.
When not writing, she can usually be found slathered in sunscreen trolling Los Angeles and helping top doctors build their practices.
Previous books
- Hands On Me – Keith Publications – 9/12 – Part of the Tramp Stamp Line
- Closure – Hot Ink Press – 11/12 – Explores a second chance at a first love.
- Eternity – Keith Publications – 1/13 – My fallen cupid story.
- The Promise – Hot Ink Press – 2/13 – My sexy demon story.
- Trifecta – Hot Ink Press – 7/13 – A typical Romance that just happens to have three people.
- Interchangeable – Decadent Publications – 7/13 – Part of Decadent’s 1Night Stand Line. Explores a M/F/M love story.
- Permanent – Book One of the Indelibly Marked Series – 10/13. Permanent was chosen as a finalist in the Assent Publishing Great Romance Contest.
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Susan Hatler is an international bestselling author who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.
Kyle Shoop is the author of Acea and the Animal Kingdom. He lives in Utah with his wife and children. After spending several years volunteering in his wife’s elementary classrooms, he was inspired to write the book, which the first in a planned trilogy. The second book, Acea and the Seven Ancient Wonders, is expected to be out in 2014 and the first chapter is available at the end of every purchased copy. When not writing, Kyle is also a practicing attorney.
