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\nO livro Shacking Up da autora Helena Hunting agora est\u00e1 dispon\u00edvel em brochura e para comemorar temos um trecho dele para voc\u00eas!<\/h3>\n<\/td>\nShacking Up by Helena Hunting is now available in paperback! To celebrate, we have an excerpt for you! Enjoy!<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n |
They say every cloud has a silver lining, but does that include missing your big acting break because of a bad cold? Maybe, if being actually sick turns into being\u00a0love<\/i>sick. From\u00a0New York Times\u00a0<\/i>bestselling author Helena Hunting,\u00a0SHACKING UP (St. Martin\u2019s Paperbacks, November 27, 2018, $7.99),<\/b>\u00a0<\/i>is\u00a0<\/i>a hilarious, swoon-worthy novel about sex and the city\u2014and everything in between.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
<\/u>\u00a0<\/u>Ruby Scott is months behind on rent and can\u2019t seem to land a steady job. She has one chance to turn things around with an important audition. But instead of getting her big break, Ruby gets sick as a dog and ends up with her tail between her legs. All thanks to a mysterious, gorgeous guy who kissed her\u2014and then coughed on her\u2014at a party the night before.<\/p>\n
Ruby\u2019s BFF might have found her the perfect job opportunity: pet-sitting in the lavish penthouse apartment belonging to hotel magnate Bancroft Mills. But when the newly-evicted Ruby meets her jet-setting employer, she realizes he\u2019s the same guy who got her sick. Seeing his role in Ruby\u2019s dilemma, Bane offers her a permanent job as his live-in pet sitter until she can get back on her feet . . . and maybe back into his arms?<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 3<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n SCREW \u00a0YOU,\u00a0 AWESOME KISSER<\/p>\n RUBY<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I eat an entire Listerine PocketPak on the subway ride home to kill any lingering germs in my mouth from Awesome Kisser. I\u2019m annoyed by the whole thing, but at least he apologized and seemed sincere about the acci- dental tongue invasion. Too bad the hotness of the mem- ory is marred by raging Brittany and the hack in the face.<\/p>\n After getting home, I rinse with mouthwash, down six vitamin C capsules and some anti-flu holistic stuff, and then I go ahead and make myself my customary before- bed, pre-audition nighttime drink of hot honey-lemon water, and pray I\u2019ve done a good enough job of ridding myself of cough germs.<\/p>\n I climb into bed, note my sheets lack a fresh scent, question when I last washed them, then I set my alarm and close my eyes. Behind my lids appears the hottie\u2014 whose name is apparently Banny, or maybe I misheard and it\u2019s Danny. It\u2019s not really a hot guy name. I\u2019m going to stick with Awesome Kisser.<\/p>\n Now that I\u2019m past the shock-and-awe factor I can fully appreciate that man\u2019s hotness in the shouty caps sense of the word. It\u2019s unfortunate he dates vapid, self-absorbed model-y types and not starving artists. I have a feeling \u201cdate\u201d isn\u2019t the appropriate word anyway. It\u2019s also unfor- tunate that he has poor coughing manners.<\/p>\n I consider that he was likely a guest at the engagement party and he very well may be a guest at the wedding as well. If I\u2019m still dateless by then he could make an ex- cellent potential dance partner, depending of course on how tight he is with Armstrong. If they\u2019re close friends I don\u2019t think it\u2019s advisable to get involved in any semi- unclothed dancing outside of the wedding celebrations, no matter how hot he is. I don\u2019t want to run the risk of encountering him again should things not go as well as one hopes.<\/p>\n Eventually I stop fantasizing about what\u2019s under his suit and pass out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019m about to find out exactly what\u2019s in Awesome Kiss- er\u2019s designer pants when a repetitive, annoying sound dis- tracts me. I pause just before I smooth a hand over the amazingly prominent bulge while he tilts my head back, his soft lips brushing mine, his hot tongue sweeping . . .<\/p>\n The wisps of the dream fade and I crack a lid. The fantasy breaks with the obnoxious sunlight screaming its wake-up call, along with my stupid phone. Sometimes I\u2019m slutty in my dreams.<\/p>\n I reach for the phone, remembering that Amie prom- ised me a morning call, just in case I messed up my alarm, which has happened in the past. I was on the ball last night, though. I set three alarms, all within five min- utes of each other so I wouldn\u2019t have an opportunity to fall back asleep.<\/p>\n \u201cRise and shine, Ruby! I\u2019m your wake-up call!\u201d How she manages to sound so damn chipper at seven-thirty in the morning after her engagement party is beyond me.<\/p>\n A seal-like bark comes out when I attempt to grum- ble hello and tell her off for interrupting my dream.<\/p>\n \u201cRuby? Are you there?\u201d<\/p>\n I make a second attempt at speaking but all I manage is another bark.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have a bad connection? I told you not to go with the cheap provider. You know how terrible the re- ception is.\u201d<\/p>\n I clear my throat and immediately regret it, as it feels like knives are traveling up my esophagus.<\/p>\n \u201cRuby?\u201d Amie asks again and then sighs. \u201cI\u2019m hang- ing up and trying again.\u201d<\/p>\n Once the line goes dead I immediately hit the video call. Amie picks up right away. She\u2019s wearing a white robe with her wavy hair pulled up into a ponytail, look- ing as fresh as baked bread out of the oven. I on the other hand, look like yesterday\u2019s garbage based on the small image in the corner of my phone.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my God. Are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n I motion to my throat and shake my head. I give speak- ing another shot, just in case my inability to make more than random, audible sounds is a result of waking up. I usually don\u2019t have to use words until after my morning coffee. All I get is another one of those squeaky moans and more sharp pain in my throat.<\/p>\n Amie sucks in a gasp and slaps her hand over her mouth. \u201cYou have no voice!\u201d<\/p>\n I nod.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you going to audition?\u201d<\/p>\n The final dregs of sleep slip away. I mouth oh God. <\/em>A mime is the only part I can audition for with no voice, or one of the dancer roles with no lines. They don\u2019t make nearly as much money as central, or even secondary character, roles\u2014which is what I\u2019m hoping to score. The pay scale for that is far higher than for a lineless role. It definitely won\u2019t cover the basics, like rent and food, let alone the minimum payments on my credit card. I\u2019ve been banking on this audition to get me out of the hole I\u2019ve dug for myself over the past few weeks.<\/p>\n The phone conversation is pointless since Amie can\u2019t read lips and I can\u2019t respond. She tells me she\u2019s coming over. I try to tell her not to bother, but again, with the lack of words it\u2019s impossible to convey. I wait until she hangs up and text her to tell her it\u2019s not necessary. Besides, this thing I have is clearly contagious since I must\u2019ve gotten it from Awesome Kisser, and I don\u2019t want to pass it on to her. Damn Awesome Kisser\u2014ruining the already ques- tionable state of my life.<\/p>\n I roll out of bed, the full-body ache hitting me with the movement. I must be dying. And I\u2019m not just being dramatic. Every cell in my body hurts. I drag myself to the kitchen and fill the kettle. Maybe a lemon-honey hot water toddy will help restore my voice. Based on my re- cent unlucky streak, I have my doubts.<\/p>\n I shuffle to the bathroom, turn on the shower, and root around in the medicine cabinet for some decent drugs. All I have is regular-strength Tylenol, so it\u2019ll have to do. I climb into the shower without checking the temperature first\u2014it takes forever to heat up and then fluctuates be- tween lukewarm and scalding. I step under the spray during a scalding phase and huddle in the corner until it\u2019s bearable.<\/p>\n I\u2019d like to say the shower helps me feel better. It does not. The warm water also does little to help my voice. Although I\u2019m past just squeaking to barely audible one- word phrases, such as \u201cow.\u201d I\u2019m praying to the voice-miracle gods that the honey-lemon combo will further improve my ability to speak.<\/p>\n Once out of the shower I doctor up my water, adding extra lemon and honey. Not only do I burn the crap out of my tongue, it feels like serrated blades coated in acid sliding down my throat. Still, I get dressed in basic black tights and a black tank with a loose, gauzy gray shirt over top. I dry my hair and put on makeup in hopes that ap- pearing put together will make it so. I have to double up on powder when the effort to prepare my face causes me to sweat.<\/p>\n I take a second hot lemon-honey toddy with me on the subway and arrive for my audition half an hour early. Not that my promptness matters. I\u2019m still unable to speak above a whisper. My despair balloons like a marshmal- low in the microwave at the mass of people performing voice warm-up exercises around me.<\/p>\n I make an attempt to do the same, but the hoarse, croaklike sound is drowned out by the crystal clear voice of the perfectly gorgeous woman standing next to me. As I listen to the sound of a thousand soaring angels spew out of her mouth, I shiver with what I fear is the begin- ning of a fever. Sweat breaks out across the back of my neck and travels down my spine, along with a violent shiver. As if today could be any worse than it already is, my stomach does this weird, knotting thing.<\/p>\n \u201cRuby Scott.\u201d<\/p>\n I glance at the director, who\u2019s thankfully still looking fresh, and not beaten down by hundreds of craptastic au- ditions. Those are yet to come. I shoulder my bag and follow him to the theater.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re auditioning for the role of Emma today, cor- rect?\u201d He doesn\u2019t give me a chance to confirm. \u201cI\u2019d like you to start with the song at the beginning of act two.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d I croak feebly, cringing at the raspy sound. At least I can speak, even if I sound like a prepubescent boy with his nuts caught in his zipper.<\/p>\n The director looks up from his clipboard, his frown an omen.<\/p>\n \u201cI seem to have lost my voice.\u201d He has to strain to hear me.<\/p>\n He heaves a frustrated sigh. \u201cYou can\u2019t audition if you don\u2019t have a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to miss it. Maybe I could audition for a dancer part?\u201d Fewer words are better.<\/p>\n He purses his lips. \u201cAuditions for dancer roles aren\u2019t until later in the week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand, but I\u2019m here and if you can\u2019t hear me sing, at least you could see me dance?\u201d I fight the gag reflex as another wave of nausea hits me.<\/p>\n He sighs and relents, gesturing to the stage. I thank him, then drop my bag at the edge of the stage and get into first position. My brain is foggy and my body aches horribly, but I can\u2019t pass up this opportunity for a mod- est, yet steady income for a few months. I can\u2019t afford to rack up additional credit card debt, and I don\u2019t want to ask my father for more money, because that will make him aware of how much of a struggle this is. Then he\u2019ll make his case for me to come work for him, as is his mas- ter plan. I know I can do this.<\/p>\n The music cues up, and as I start to move my stom- ach does that rolling-heave thing again. There isn\u2019t any food in it, but all of a sudden the honey-lemon water I consumed this morning decides to stage a revolt. I\u2019m in the middle of a spin\u2014not the best idea when nauseous\u2014 and the next wave hits me; violent and unrelenting.<\/p>\n I attempt to keep my mouth closed, but the intensity of the spasm forces it open. I spray the stage with partially digested honey-lemon water, and what appears to be last night\u2019s shrimp tarts and mushroom canap\u00e9 appe- tizer dinner\u2014in an Exorcist<\/em>-like dramatic flair.<\/p>\n And thus ends my audition.<\/p>\n The\u00a0New York Times\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0USA Today<\/i>\u00a0bestselling author of\u00a0Pucked<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0I Flipping Love You<\/i>,\u00a0Helena Hunting<\/b>\u00a0lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s writes contemporary romance\u00a0<\/b>ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" O livro Shacking Up da autora Helena Hunting agora est\u00e1 dispon\u00edvel em brochura e para comemorar temos um trecho dele para voc\u00eas! Shacking Up by Helena Hunting is now available in paperback! To celebrate, we have an excerpt for you! Enjoy! Synopsis They say every cloud has a silver lining, but does that include missing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=672"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":675,"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672\/revisions\/675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}About the author<\/h2>\n