The Last Exclusive Excerpt to tease you from The Cheerleader!

Happy New Year!

💜💜💜💜💜💜

Hello ,

This is the time to look back on the year and marvel at all that's happened.

My year has been busy and though I planned to write and release three novels and one novella this year, I released only two novellas.

But that's only one measure of accomplishment and accomplishments are only one measure of what's happened in a year.

AI has had an impact on the writing business, as it has on many things. It may not have hit your corner of the universe, but it probably will in the near future.

For me, the biggest impact is on promotions, the way blurbs and ads are written and the wy social media memes and ad images are developed.

There's also been some advances I AI narration for audiobooks and although I've experimented with these, I'm going on the record here that I'm unimpressed.

I love listening to audiobooks and I'm committed to trying to produce audio versions of my books with human narration.

This year I've been lucky enough to have three of my Whalers hockey romance books produced by talented narrators with Tantor media. The fourth one will be coming out soon--Tricky Puck--in 2025.

On the personal front, I had that hip replacement surgery, and though I wish it was a minor blip in my life, it took up more of my attention that I would have liked! Lol!

But I can walk, so alls well that ends well, right?

My family is all wonderful and intact as the year ends and that's something to be acknowledged and be grateful for.

You are here and I'm happy and privileged to be writing to you every week, and for your entertainment with my books.

Finally, I'm super excited as the year closes to complete the writing of my new favorite novel of mine, The Cheerleader - a college romance about friendship and choices set in the 70's.

The Cheerleader has turned out longer than I expected--by about 20,000 words!

For reference, that's 80 extra pages! 💞 .

Since it will be released soon--within 2 weeks--it would mean a great deal to me if you would pre-order The Cheerleader at your favorite store.

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Check out the FINAL EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from THE CHEERLEADER below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Also check out my featured romance authors & book deals below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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At SQ's House

UConn's football team made it to a bowl game this year--the Fenway Bowl in Boston. Me and my UConn pals met up for the game and some fun. ➜➜➜➜

We bundled up against the cold Boston weather in December, but it wasn't so bad. (That's my thickened blood talking!)

p.s. UConn won the game.

Meanwhile, my younger son and his girlfriend were visiting from D.C. and H and I teamed up to make chicken parmigiana for Christmas Eve dinner for the family.

Unfortunately, my son's girlfriend got sick the next day (she got a cold--completely unrelated to the chicken parmigiana) and couldn't make the trip to visit my mother and family in CT.

But we did have a beautiful morning of seemingly endless gift-opening!

My older son got no less than 3 grill sets! Guess I'll be returning a gift this week...

ANSWER TO THE QUESTION Will she make it or won't she? Yes! All my gifts arrived on time after all!!

Hope you enjoyed every moment of your holidays! 💜 🎄

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If you enjoy my books, I invite you to

➜➜Join the SQ Team on Facebook Here!

I'd love the chance to get to know you in our group!

💜

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WORK-IN-PROGRESS: THE CHEERLEADER

Total Word Count Goal: 90,000 110,000*

COMPLETED To-Date: 109,409

PERCENT COMPLETED: 99.99%*

You can pre-order The Cheerleader at the following places now:

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FINAL EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT!

THE CHEERLEADER

Bryan

Susie looked upset when she left the party. She wasn’t out of my sight for more than a few seconds since she walked in the door and I could swear it was something Liz said to her.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” The girl standing in front of me who’s name I don’t remember—if I ever knew it—says to me.

I glance at her, but I’m keeping my attention on Liz as she winds her way through the crowd in my direction. It’s easy to track her by the trail of smiles she leaves in her wake. What the fuck did she say to Susie? As much as I want to know, I don’t want to confront Liz.

“Excuse me,” I say to the girl with no name, and move her out of my way as I stalk out of Liz’s path and out of her line of sight. Then I duck out of the room and head to the back door.

As I escape the crowded party and go around the side of the cottage to find Susie, I spot Judy trotting up the driveway.

She sees me and breaks into a run right at me. “Bryan, Susie doesn’t feel well. She needs you to drive her home.” She’s breathless as she holds her hand out dangling some keys at me, sounding like it’s urgent.

“What’s wrong with her? Does she need a doctor?” I stay calm, but my heart pumps faster as my adrenaline surges.

“She’ll be fine. She’s a little dizzy and you’d be better at helping her walk or maybe carry her to her room if she needs it. Liz’s car is on the street.” She points over her shoulder and to the left.

I snatch the keys from her hand and take off.

“Your welcome,” she shouts at my back.

I raise a hand in acknowledgment because I’m in a hurry. I feel a sense of urgency to go to Susie, even though I know she’s most likely okay. Something compels me to protect her as if she needs protection. Fuck. As far as I can tell, I’m the only one she needs protection from.

When I get to the car, I find her slumped against the passenger side door as if she’s sleeping.

“Susie?” I whisper as I get in the car and touch her shoulder.

She turns and sits up. “Bryan.” Her voice is like a sigh. “Take me home.” She gives me a wan encouraging look, and I nod.

I drives her back to her dorm and carry her upstairs to her dorm, still unsure what’s wrong with her, as she protests.

“It’s nothing. Exhaustion,” she says. But I can see the signs of recent tears, so I’m not sure what’s going on. Finals just ended and maybe she is exhausted from studying late. Or maybe there’s something more.

I carry her into her room and lay her o her bed. Then lying beside her, I take her in my arms. 

“You’re alright, Susie, whatever’s going on, it’ll be okay. I’m here.” I murmur into her ear as she leans against me, wrapping an arm around me and holding on tight. I kiss her temple and the soft creamy skin of her cheek, making my way to her lips.

She kisses me back, her pillowy mouth gives against mine and she responding so perfectly. The taste of her entices me to deepen the kiss and I automatically move my hands under  her shirt to touch her warm skin, sliding them up her ribs to touches her soft, plump bare breasts until she moans.

Then as if she’s snapped my spell, she pulls back from me. “Bryan, you can’t—we can’t.” She puts her hands on my chest to hold me away from her. “You have to leave.” Her voice shakes.

“I want to stay so fucking badly.” I rest my forehead against hers, gulping down my need to ravage her as I admit my weakness, make myself more vulnerable than I ever have to anyone.

“I know. I feel the same way. But you can’t stay until I talk with Liz and let her know that we’re…” 

She trails off and my heart stutters because I’m not sure what she’s going to say and I want to hear it, want to know what she thinks we are, want her to tell me what we are to each other, how she feels about me.

But she doesn’t. She clears her throat and starts over. “Finals are over and I can’t be with you until I tell her.”

I nod, refusing to dwell on what she’s not saying about us. I focus on Liz. “We could both lose a friend.” My words don’t sound real because I can’t imagine ever not being friends with Liz. She’s family.

“We don’t have a real friendship if we don’t have honesty.”

I inhale the truth in a deep breath and it stings. “Fuck,” I mutter, wrangling my self-control back into place.

She hugs me and I hold onto her, needing to feel everything she makes me feel; alive, understood, warm, at ease and on edge at the same time, challenged, and not least of all, horny as hell.

“I need one more kiss,” I growl into her neck, her soft hair caressing my face.

“One more. A good night kiss,” she whispers and I know she wants me to stay. It’s in the desolate way she looks at me, the breathy desperation of her voice.

Fuck. She’s strong—stronger than I am, which is pretty fucking tough. Knowing that about her only makes me harder, makes it harder to leave. I lift myself from her to get space to calm down. Keeping my face close, staring, trying not to let my emotions control me, I wonder how I let her do this to me when no one ever has. 

I’m always under control. Fully fucking in control of myself no matter what else around me goes fucking crazy. I learned hard and fast the only single thing in this universe that I can control is myself. So I do.

She puts her hands on my face and pulls it closer until our lips touch.

The clicking sound of the door opening crashes loudly through the intimacy of our kiss, demolishing it as if the door clicking open were as loud and destructive as a stick of dynamite. My head whips around to see Liz standing on the threshold.

She screams my name and the sound tears me apart. 

PRE-ORDER NOW!

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SQ's Favorite Reviews from the Past

"Incredible! This is one of the best series l have read. They went through so much to be together. I just couldn't put it down."

--Diana Shaw, Amazon

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Stephanie Queen's Featured Authors

The Billionaire's Hook-Up - Zoe Beth Geller

When the media CEO meets a woman who is different than the others, he becomes consumed with his latest conquest.

Never spending more than a night with anyone, he finds himself compelled to see her again and again.

Courtney is caught up in the magnetic attraction and is playing for keeps. After she is initiated into The Black Card Society's club, she's hooked.

Life becomes complicated when her new crush is her new boss. She can't escape him in the office and he's taking over her personal life.

He denies his feelings but secretly, he's pursuing her like she's his next acquisition.

Enter The Black Card Society-where love is the ultimate currency.

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Resist - Lasairiona Lewis

She thought she was securing her future.

He's turning the page on her past.

To save her legacy, she'll say 'I do.' To expose the truth, so will he.

Cora

Inheriting my late father’s publishing empire is all I’ve ever wanted, except there’s a catch—marry a husband within the year to secure my claim.

Enter Sterling Montgomery—a charming new employee offering the perfect solution: a marriage of convenience. But the more time I spend with him, the harder it is to remember this isn’t real.

Can I secure my future without losing my heart?

Sterling

Blackwell Publishing is my target. Vengeance for my mother, served ice-cold. One fake marriage proposal later, I'm in. But with every touch my plan unravels.

Cora is my temptation, my impossible choice—gorgeous with fierce mind and intoxicating vulnerability. I came to burn her world to the ground. Instead, I’m the one in flames.

But when the smoke clears, will anything be left?

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Soldier for the Starling - Breanna Lynn

My number one objective should be protecting her...instead I'm fighting not to kiss her.

Sawyer

First rule of protection detail. Don't get too attached. Too bad I've already broken that rule—danger is closing in as fast as I'm falling for her.

I need to focus on keeping her safe, but with her honey colored eyes haunting my dreams, all I can think about is touching her, kissing her, worshipping her.

As former military, I've fought every type of unseen enemy. So why can't I fight the fantasies about the beautiful woman I'm charged with protecting?

Evie

Nearly five years ago, I ran from my life. And I've been hiding ever since. But I can't hide from how he makes me feel.

Sawyer King has appointed himself my protector. He'll save me from my past.

Relying on Sawyer to protect me is easier than being vulnerable with him. And falling for him? It's out of the question—even if his kisses have me wishing for more.

I don't want to see him get hurt because he's protecting me. He's just too stubborn to let me go. 

I'm not sure if I can trust him with my life or my heart. My greatest fear though, is that I'll put him into the very danger I've been running from...

Soldier for the Starling is the first book in the romantic suspense series, SAFE Haven Security. Because there may be safety in the light, but security is found in the darkness.

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SQ’s Featured Book Deals

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Thank you for reading this newsletter. Hope to share more books and stories with you in 2025! 😘 💜

Warmest Regards and Happy Holidays!