Summer read: The Do It List

I had no idea I was walking around half-dead­­—right up to the moment the power failed.

—Bradley Craig

I was alone in the dark with a handsome stranger.

—Gracie Taylor-Scott

Hotshot copywriter, Gracie Taylor-Scott, has a reputation—for her artfully edgy ads. A rising star at Darcy Wexler Dean, New York, the long hours are perfect cover for Gracie’s fear of intimacy issues.

Great job. Great pay. No life—including her on again off again sex life. Then one night, she is plunged into darkness with a handsome stranger.

Bradley Craig, the new head of DWD’s research division, has secrets of his own. Much lauded in his field of consumer behavior, there’s a darker side to the attractive, enigmatic ad man—his erotic, list-maker side.

Gracie and Bradley are assigned to work on the biggest new business pitch Darcy Wexler Dean will be in all year, and the two tangle immediately, battling copy concepts and focus group findings along with their explosive attraction to each other. Bradley has a proposition: they make a list—ten erotic sexual encounters, no strings attached. What’s at stake? Two Super Bowl spots and two fragile hearts.

Welcome to the world of Darcy Wexler Dean Advertising,

New York

Darcy Wexler Dean is located at 111 Eighth Avenue on the 28th floor. This is where you'll meet Gracie and Bradley's fearless foul-mouthed boss Axel Wexler, Gracie's cute and slightly goth Art Director Sarah Springer and Creative Director Derek Moubin––who is sleeping with Audrey Lacoste,  sultry female account executive, and the reason why he is Gracie's ex-boyfriend.

Gracie's Neighborhood.

Top Left:  Pete's Tavern is the local waterhole. Top Right: Gracie lives on 19th Street, a block away from Gramercy Park. Her flat is on the third floor of this brownstone. Bottom Left: Every Saturday morning a farmer's market is held in Union Square. This also happens to be the starting location of Gracie and Bradley's first big relationship challenge. Bottom right: Bradley cross trains at the Chelsea Piers Sports and Fitness Complex (boxing, pickup basketball, weights and the running track).

 Meet Hannah Rose Hoffman. 

Trying, occasionally obnoxious and always theatrical, Hannah is Gracie's niece and the reason she moved to New York City. Two years ago, Gracie's sister was killed in a hit and run accident on her way to work at Mount Siani Hospital. Gracie moved to NYC to help Mitch, her brother-in-law, raise Hannah while he finishes his residency in neurosurgery. Gracie has Hannah on the nights Mitch is on staff or on call.

And shocker—Bradley turns out to be the first man Gracie has ever dated with parenting skills. That's because Bradley's got ex-wife baggage and an adorable daughter still living in London—but not for long.

Hannah goes to Hip-Hoppers at Chelsea Studios every Wednesday after school. Gracie catches up to her and takes an adult class with Shaun G (above). Here's a brief excerpt:

    Shaun rocked his hot body and we girls snapped out and rolled down low for the man.
    “Gimme that ass shakin’ thing. Wobble right—and left.” Shaun counted. “Drop five, six—take it to the floor—seven, eight.”
    I spotted Bradley in the middle of the second eight count. He sat on a bench in the gallery next to Hannah, whose little hands waved excitedly as she talked.
    Shaun pulled his body forward and we all followed. “Up for two—rock it low—three, four...”
    The sexy-sensuous Usher tune Good Kisser filled the room and we practiced the new moves at tempo.
    Bradley wore black sweats, a gray tee and hoodie. The words FightKlub UK ran up one of the arms. He looked younger and athletic, more of a jock. I’d never seen him out of a suit and the effect was stunning. Damp, ruffled hair and some beard stubble enhanced his casual hotness.

    A shower of tingles ripped through the girly parts. The same magnetic force I’d experienced last night and in the conference room this afternoon. The one that wouldn’t let go of me.
The mere memory of his kiss and his ‘gimme more, baby’ groan made me dip a little lower. I wobbled side to side, rocking the move for the gorgeous sexy man who couldn’t take his eyes off me. 

Bradley, Gracie and Hannah eat supper at Noodles on 19th, then much later that night:

    Sometime after midnight I settled into bed and turned on the news. As I clicked through two hundred and fifty-something channels I received a text alert.

    The bubble read: I like your dance moves.

    My wutang or wobble? I pushed send and returned to channel surfing.
    Text alert: Makes me want to take u somewhere n get hot n sweaty.
    I tapped out: Dance club? Two strangers rub up against each other in the dark.
    His answer made me smile: Put that one on the list. 
    Night, Bradley.
    Night, Gracie. 

An early review:

I like to start off by saying that this book is seriously HOT! Gracie and Bradley have serious chemistry! I also like that there wasn’t a cliffhanger. We still don’t know all there is to know about Bradley so I’m glad their story will continue in a second book, which I will be reading! I don’t want to give anything away, but I finished the book feeling content. This is a great beach book! —The Romantic Fanatic

The Antique Parisian Sleigh Bed.

A note from Jillian: Odd supporting characters pop up in my books all the time—horses, difficult mother-in-laws, gargoyles, the occasional Mesopotamian Goddess on the loose! But this is the first time an inanimate object has become a kind of supporting character in one of my books. I think I'm going to leave any further characterization up to your imagination…

By the way, I agree with the reviewer above, THE DO IT LIST will make a terrific beach read!

Curious About the Cover?

You're invited to THE DO IT LIST Facebook Release Party today from 10 AM to 12 Noon. Great contests and prizes include: Victoria Secret or Torrid eGift Cards, Lolita heart-shaped sunglasses,  Starbucks or Amazon eGift Cards and ebooks galore! Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1601156230126354/

COMMENTERS: Since almost all the characters in THE DO IT LIST are in advertising, I'm curious to know what your favorite TV commercial is. One that is running right now or a favorite all-time commercial––maybe something that ran on the Super Bowl? Please share in comments and be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance(s) to win a Kindle HD7.

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