As you're reading along through Strings of the Heart, you're going to have a lot of songs referenced. So here's a quick playlist to go to.




The Weakness in Me: One of the song Allison performs at Saffie's Tea Room



Am I the Only One?: Allison's second song at Saffie's




Moonlight Sonata: Rhys's cello and piano duet with Ellie



Bring Him Home: Rhys's second cello and piano duet with his sister, Ellie


You and Tequila: Eli and Allison's duet




You're Beautiful: Eli's serenade to Allison



Drunk in Love: The song Eli and Allison dance to at the club






Say Something: Allison accompanying Jake, which causes her to runaway from Rhys






Portland, Oregon: The song that gets Rhys fired up in Portland!

Howdy guys! I missed Teaser Tuesday, but how's Teaser Thursday sound? lol




In one fluid movement, Rhys closed the space between us, backing us into the corner of the drawing room. Immediately my head spun as I went into sensory overload at the nearness of him. His deep musky scent filled my nose while the heat radiating off his tux-clad body almost singed the skin exposed by my strapless couture. While I stared questioningly into his face, his dark eyes remained locked on my chest. To the average observer, one would have assumed Rhys was exhibiting typical male behavior by ogling my breasts, but I knew better. Most of all, I knew him better than that. His attention was drawn to the pendant nestled in the valley between my average-sized cleavage. 

When his fingers grazed against the bare skin of my breastbone, I couldn’t help the tremble that went through my body. I wanted nothing more than to feel his hands on me. If I was honest, I fantasized about them most nights, especially to get me through a dry spell without an orgasm. 

Once he had grasped the pendant, Rhys weighed it in his hand, taking in every aspect of it before his gaze flicked up to mine. “I can’t believe you still have this, least of all wear it.”

His almost accusatory tone momentarily stung me, and I jerked back from him. His grasp remained firm on the pendant, causing the satin ribbon to slice into my neck almost like I was on a leash. “Why wouldn’t I still have it?”

He shrugged. “I guess because it was so long ago when I gave it to you.”

“It was at my Sweet Sixteen party,” I reminded him. 

“I remember,” he murmured. 

“You do?”

He held my gaze as he fingered the raised magnolia on the pendant. “Of course I do.” One side of his lip quirked up in a half smile. “That was only four years ago, Allie-Bean. I’m not so old that I’m having memory loss.”

A nervous laugh escaped my lips. “You’re not old.”

“Just older than you,” he mused. 

“Only by a few years,” I countered, kicking my chin up determinedly. 

In his brown eyes flecked with gold, I saw the question he would never dare to verbalize. Four and half a years had passed since that momentous night out by the fountain at my party. There had been other loves and other life experiences for me. After all that time and distance, he wondered what was it about the simple necklace, hand painted by his sister, that made me continue to wear it, especially on the choker so close to my heart? 

What I wanted so desperately to tell him was I wore the necklace because in spite of all the loves and other life experiences for me, I was still madly and completely in love with him. Swallowing hard, I replied, “I like to wear it because I love magnolias—I always have. Magnolias remind me of strong women—the kind I aspire to be like. But most of all, it reminds me of home.”

Rhys slowly nodded his head, accepting my half-truths as if they were the gospel. In the end, maybe avoidance was better for both of us. At least for now, I would keep telling myself that. Now that we were on the cusp of uncharted territory, I would play the game for as long as I had to win his heart.


Preorder Link: http://www.amazon.com/Strings-Heart-Runaway-Train-Ashley-ebook/dp/B00J3Z4E4G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1396576333&sr=1-1&keywords=strings+of+the+heart

A year ago today I published Music of the Heart!!!

Back in November 2012 after The Proposition's release, I started what I thought would be my next book. The rockstar genre was huge, and I wanted to put my feet in the water. Of course whenever I set out to write a book, I always want take the similar tropes of a genre and turn them on their heads to where the action, the characters, and even the setting are all my own.






For my rocker book, I envisioned a virginal missionary's daughter with the voice of an angel and the bad boy rocker, lost and adrift in the unreal waters of celebrity, who was forever changed by her love. I got 11K words in when my course of writing changed because of the Cliffhanger of Doom in  The Proposition. Readers were rabid to know what happened with Aidan and Emma, so I had to put Music of the Heart aside and work on The Proposal.

When Music of the Heart debuted, I never, ever in my wildest dreams imagined how successful it would be. I just wanted an audience to read and enjoy it. Boy, was I in for a surprise! Within the first week of release, I was #3 overall on Amazon. NUMBER FREAKIN' 3! Proposition and Proposal only got to 7, so I'd never made the Top 5. Then Music spent 3 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List and 4 on USA Today. An amazing abundance of blessings came with this novel. I also never imagined more than one book, but then because of my amazing readers loving and embracing AJ, Rhys, and Brayden, it has become a series.

I can never thank my readers enough for blessing me with their love and support of Jake and Abby, and in turn, AJ and Mia and I hope Rhys and Allison. For writing reviews about how they wept and laughed and then also wanted to throttle Jake...and maybe Abby!

Check out the contest here for signed books & a Coach eReader case
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If you're not on Facebook, which I'm addicted to, here's a link where you can stay in contact with me about my books. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZdCxfxubqHCNtU-J8smDZrpbKkhlF2bEI3OziVUCC60/viewform

Hey guys! 

Strings of the Heart has a release day, May 12, and it also has a preorder! 

Here's the LINK















Once again, here's the blurb: 

Twenty year old, Allison Slater has been in love with her brother’s bandmate, Rhys McGowan, since she was fifteen years old. But to him, she’ll always be Jake’s little sister and off limits. Now a college sophomore and licking her wounds from a bad breakup, she sets her sights on making Rhys see her as someone he could date…maybe even love. Her opportunity comes when Rhys visits his parents in Savannah where she is attending college. But the night she’s dreamed of turns to heart-break, and she realizes she’ll never be the one for Rhys.

For Rhys McGowan, his nightmare began when he woke up, naked and hung-over, next to his bandmate’s little sister. Unable to remember a thing from the previous night, he only makes matters worse by lying to Allison about not being interested in her. The truth is he’s spent the last year to ignore his body’s reaction whenever Allison is around. His resolve is tested when Allison comes on tour with Runaway Train, as both Jake and Abby’s nanny and to fulfill her fashion design internship. The more time he spends with her in the close quarters of the bus, the harder it is for him to resist.

Will Rhys realize that having a relationship with Allison is worth fighting for even if it means that he has to fight his best friend for a chance?

Here's kind of a naughty and kooky little teaser from Strings of the Heart. I hope to have preorder information for you soon, but it should be releasing in late April/early May.