This is the third book in my Unlikely Bedfellows series and takes place right after the Vietnam War ended and feminism had blazed to a societal force. Women ruled and military guys were at the bottom of the ladder. So who should feature in this book but a staunch feminist and two men in the Marine Corps? Unlikely bedfellows indeed.
Blurb:
In 1975, a professional woman is probably a feminist and often was an anti-war protestor. Professor Leah Morris was both. Now, however, feminism is settling in comfortably and Vietnam is over. When Leah seeks early tenure, she fails on two fronts. She's desperate to prove to her family that she has the same talent for success that they do, and from desperation comes sometimes brilliant ideas. With the concept of a unique, new book, her dream of proving herself to her family may finally come true. She carefully selects two men to help fulfill her plan, only discovering too late that she swore ten years earlier she'd never again speak to one of them, and that both are out of the war, but still in the Corps. Are the teacher's pets carrying too much baggage for Leah, or is that "baggage" really a comfy sleeping bag, large enough for three?
Buy link:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Teachers-Unlikely-Bedfellows-Publishing-Everlasting-ebook/dp/B00A796SGY/
Excerpt:
The radio switched from Simon and Garfunkel’s old hit, “Bridge Over
Troubled Water,” to Glen Campbell’s, newest, “Rhinestone Cowboy,” but Dr. Leah
Morris hardly noticed. Sitting back in her office chair, puzzled, she picked up
the sheet of paper filled with even, legible script and examined it once more,
just to confirm what she already knew. This man—she checked the name at the
top—this Beau Johnson, had scored an A. And not just an A but a perfect one
hundred percent. And this was the third time this week he’d done it.
No need to consult the seating chart. She knew exactly who he was—the intriguing man whose gaze had held hers a split second too long earlier in the day. His gaze had heated her, and she’d had the satisfying impression that hers had done the same to him. She placed his paper on top of the others and tapped the edges on the table until the stack was aligned before tucking them inside her notebook. Picking up her wineglass, she drained it.
She poured chardonnay from a local vineyard, filling the glass again before pulling from her briefcase the two letters that had her mind churning. Both had arrived the week before classes started. One was from the chancellor’s office. It stated that though she had taught at Herrisville College for three years, she had not distinguished herself enough to be considered for early tenure. She would be considered again in five years.
Five years! She would show him how she could distinguish herself from every other female teacher in the school. Colleges all over were fast-tracking women to prove nondiscrimination in the face of women’s lib. Leah had chosen Herrisville College—a medium-sized school in the Virginia Blue Ridge—because she thought achieving tenure would be easier there than in a larger school. “So much for that idea,” she muttered.
The second letter was from Whitestone Publishing Company telling her that her book proposal was not intriguing enough to pick up. Her proposal had been to document two college men in different frat houses to show how their behavior was different based on their living arrangements. The editor said her idea was “clichéd.” He explained that if she decided on something more provocative, they would entertain another proposal. In that one day she had been described as unaccomplished and boring. She took a healthy gulp of wine. Damn it! She had counted on that book to push her over the edge into tenure if she needed it.
More provocative is what they want? “Well, I have provocative down to a T.” She took another gulp of wine, letting the bite stimulate her senses before swallowing. She’d written articles for scholarly magazines but never a book. The time had come. Publish or perish might pertain to magazine articles, but books were the way to make a name outside the academic world as well as in, and she had the idea of the century. If this didn’t get her tenure, nothing would.
Taking out a clean sheet of paper and firmly taking up her pen, she first wrote provocative. The word could mean interesting, but she wanted to take it a step further, to sensual or even sexy. She could handle either one.
Next, she listed intriguing. If two frat boys didn’t interest the publisher, perhaps two rivals would. And nothing made rivals of men like a woman. A woman who brought out their primal instincts. She would be the woman. For men, she needed two who wouldn’t mind the idea of sharing—at first. She had faith that any two men, forced to face the fact that they both screwed the same woman, would eventually turn on each other. The territorial male would be her premise. “That should be intriguing enough for Whitestone-fucking-Publishers.”
The trouble was finding two men who were emotionally disengaged enough to agree to participate. She wanted a “family unit” of sorts to study but not clinging males who insisted she continue the experiment long after the thrill was gone. Which, based on the attitudes of most men when faced with a strong, independent woman, wouldn’t take too long.
She wouldn’t hint that the men would be part of a book because that would affect their behavior. They would try to fit into what she wanted instead of acting naturally. Her thesis was that men couldn’t remain friends if a woman stood between them. When she proved it and put it in writing, the book would be a best-seller and the college would be sure to pick her up for fast-track tenure.
The phone rang and she went into the kitchen to pick up, her mind on organizing the book.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Leah.”
Oh, no. Her self-confidence shriveled to the size of an acorn. “Mother. How nice to talk with you.”
After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity. Sign up for my newsletter and have access to free reads.
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1 comment:
I love the plot for Teacher's Pet, Dee. What's better than a menage and a conflict between military guys and a feminist? :)
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