Sample 60 Saturday: TRICKS

Every Saturday, until I run out of books--or decide to go to page 70--I will present an excerpt, page 60, from one of my books. No matter what it says--funny, filthy, scary, dumb, or tantalizing--you'll get it here.

And I'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment below and let me know if this made you want to read more.

Let's continue the chronological tour with my love-story-set-in-a-stripper-bar, Tricks. When it reviewed Tricks, the Bookwenches said, in part: "...Most of us have come to associate author Rick R. Reed with stories of horror and suspense that keep us on edge, shock and enthrall us. In his novel Tricks, Mr. Reed gives his readers something a little different from what we've come to expect: a story whose main focus is romance. This is a novel about the nature of love, the meaning of home, and the choices that men make. But while this is unquestionably foremost a romance, it also contains elements of suspense that lend an almost tangible sense of urgency to the story..."

BUY Tricks.

SYNOPSIS
Tricks can mean many things: sex partners, deceptions, even magic. In Rick R. Reed searing love story, it means all three.


Arliss is a gorgeous young dancer at Tricks, the hottest club in Chicago's Boystown. Sean is the classic nerd, out of place in Tricks, but nursing his wounds from a recent break-up. When the two spy each other, magic blooms.


But this opposites-attract tale does not run smooth. What happens when Arliss is approached by one of the biggest porn producers in the business? Can he make his dreams of stardom come true without throwing away the only real love he's ever known? And will this question even matter if the mysterious producers realize their dark intentions?

PAGE 60:
“Yeah. I think I might have caught that bug that was going around. Hopefully, it’s just a 24-hour thing and I’ll be in tomorrow. Thanks, Don.” Sean hung up the phone, feeling guilty. He hardly ever missed work and when he did, he never lied about it. In the past he had only called in sick when he had actually been sick (which was rare). He used to scoff at those who laughingly said they took “mental health” days, thinking they were slackers.

Now he knew what they were talking about. If there was ever a time when he needed a mental health day, this hot, muggy Monday morning was it.

He had made himself some coffee and toast and took it out to the balcony. There was no breeze and the air stank of car exhaust. It seemed like the whole world—everyone but him—had either gone to work or was on their way there. He stared out at the street, watching the cars and foot traffic go by, wondering just what the hell he had done.

Let’s examine the evidence. First, he had sent away a perfectly nice guy—no, more than that, a really sweet, hotter than hell guy—and probably made him feel like shit in the process, adding insult to injury by requesting that he leave by the back door so he wouldn’t cross paths with his ex. Nice.

Sean wouldn’t be surprised if he never saw Arliss again. He couldn’t blame him. What he had done was akin to using the guy and casting him aside, making him feel he was at best second on Sean’s priority list when it came to men. When that list amounted to only two, that left poor Arliss dead last. Arliss probably rethought his opinion of Sean on the way home, labeling him a first class jerk, or a flake, neither of which, Sean was sure, would rank high on Arliss’ list of dating likes.

He blew on the coffee and thought of the second stupid thing he had done. He had sent Jerome away, telling him pretty emphatically that there would be no second chances, that they were truly over and done…for good...

BUY Tricks.