The Matchmaker, Book 3
Beneath the Surface
: Terms of Surrender : Manifest Destiny
Angela Calminetti, mother of five, New Age practitioner
and gifted psychic and telepath, is proud of her family
ties and does everything she can to make sure that all of
her younger siblings are as happy in love and marriage as
she is…whether they want her to or not.
Note: Each book is written to stand alone.
Watch a video of The Matchmaker series!
Manifest Destiny
Siren: Top Seller
Just-turned forty-three Evelyn Vega is beginning to wonder
if her time for love and romance has past. No one who
knows her would believe the heart of an idealist beats
beneath the tough-as-nails, Wall Street broker exterior.
No one, that is, except her oldest matchmaking sister,
Angela Calminetti, who negotiates a deal with Freeborn
ranch owner, Montana Phoenix, to get Evelyn and Freeborn's
cow boss, Jason Makepeace, together.
Orphan at eleven, divorced at twenty-one and lovelorn
after Montana falls for Seth Phoenix, Jason has been as
unlucky in love as he has in every other facet of his
existence. The two things he wants most in life but that
have eluded him for the last twelve years are a spread of
his own and a woman to love and share the rest of his life
with. This is all about to change when sexy city slicker
Evelyn struts into his life.
Sensuality Rating:
SCORCHING
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal/ May-December
Length: Plus Novel (94,600 words)
Story
Excerpt
Adult
Excerpt
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Larger Cover Image
Cover
Art by Jinger Heaston
MANIFEST DESTINY
The Matchmaker 3
ISBN: 1-933563-43-5
E-book $6.99

ISBN: 1-60601-002-6
Trade Paperback $13.99


Also Available
BENEATH THE
SURFACE
The Matchmaker 1
ISBN: 1-933563-17-6
E-book $6.99
ISBN: 1-933563-18-4
Trade Paperback $15.99

Also Available
TERMS OF SURRENDER
The Matchmaker 2
ISBN: 1-933563-37-0
E-book $6.99
ISBN: 1-933563-38-9
Trade Paperback $14.99

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REVIEWS
for Manifest Destiny [The Matchmaker 3]
4.5 Hearts: "This
story is the third tale to feature a Vega
sibling and their big sister Angela. It
also ties into another McKeever tale,
Spells Cast in Shadow, which is Seth
and Montana’s story. Although connected,
this is a stand-alone tale and may be
fully enjoyed without reading either of
the other stories, but is best enjoyed
with full knowledge of the back-story, if
for no other reason than Ms. McKeever is
such a magnificent storyteller. In many
ways, Jason and Evelyn seem like each
other in the opposite form - both are
extremely wary of entering into any type
of relationship due to painful past
experiences, and both are stubborn,
strong-willed individuals who insist on
living life on their own terms. In many
ways, they seem like a totally improbably
pair! However, Ms. McKeever does a
masterful job in revealing the traits of
these characters in a way that plausibly
allows them to become a fully recognized
couple. This tale is full of twists and
turns, and the reader will never know just
what the irrepressible Evelyn will come up
with next. The love scenes are scorching
and classic McKeever! This reviewer also
enjoyed revisiting the main characters
from previous tales and other repeat
readers will do so as well. The paranormal
bits are primarily psychic in nature,
although a couple of mystical creatures do
make an appearance. The two main
protagonists provide all of the angst, so
readers looking for the suspense element
found many times in Ms. McKeever’s tales
will miss that in this one. Excellent
effort as usual, Ms. McKeever! Highly
recommended!"
—Leah,
Love Romances and More
4.5 Klovers:
"First off, I LOVE how Gracie C. McKeever
joined her Matchmaker series to her novel
Spells Cast In Shadows in this
story! It makes perfect sense for Evelyn
to vacation at the very same Dude Ranch
owned by Seth and Montana Phoenix – not to
mention it was great fun to see where that
couple is now. Pairing Evelyn with Jason,
who suffered from a case of unrequited
love in that previous book was wonderful,
and paves the way for future crossovers,
should McKeever choose to do so.
I loved Jason Makepeace before, but seeing him come
into his own in The Matchmaker, Book 3:
Manifest Destiny was a pure delight.
It took someone with a gentle soul and a
firm hand to break through Evelyn Vega’s
considerable defenses, and who better for
the job than a man who stands by his
friends even while his own heart is
bruised? By the time Jason meets Evelyn,
he is over his crush on Montana, and
planning for his move away from the
Freeborn Ranch. The timing couldn’t be
better for him to meet the woman who is
his ‘Manifest Destiny’, even if he does
not believe so at first. Evelyn thinks she
is over the pain of her first marriage,
but she has buried the real hurt deep down
inside, hidden even from herself. She
needs someone like Jason who can touch her
very soul, read her every need as easily
as he finds he can read her mind, to help
her deal with the past that has sealed her
heart away from the potential pain of
loving again.
I am uncertain how many more Vega siblings are left,
but with the expansion of this series in
Manifest Destiny, I am hopeful that
Angela will turn her skills to others when
she finishes marrying off her brothers and
sisters. I’ve enjoyed each of these
stories as much as the first, and am
nowhere near ready to see an end to
McKeever’s The Matchmaker series!" —Jennifer,
CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
4 Cups:
"Manifest Destiny is the third
volume in Ms. McKeever’s Matchmaker
series, but it works well as a stand-alone
title. The fish-out-of-water tale of a
city girl in a rural setting is a classic
plot, and Ms. McKeever adds a paranormal
twist to keep it fresh. The sex scenes are
numerous and they leave nothing to the
imagination, but they are integrated into
the story and do not seem gratuitous.
Evelyn is a sensual woman who proves that
the saying “life begins at forty” can be
very true. Jason allows her to live out
her fantasies of being with a cowboy and
proves that there are younger men who
appreciate the intelligence and experience
of an older woman." —Maya, Coffee
Time Romance
4 Angels:
"I recommend reading these books in sequential order. If you don’t, I believe you miss out on the development of some of the characters. There was enough information in
Manifest Destiny to prick your interest in
Beneath the Surface, Matchmaker 1 and
Terms of Surrender, Matchmaker 2. Gracie C. McKeever has developed the May – December romance well, at least from this forty-something’s perspective. In
Manifest Destiny the comments are sharp and well aimed. I fell in love with Jason; I wonder if I went to Colorado I could find one like him?" —Dana,
Fallen Angel Reviews
The excerpt
or excerpts
below contain
explicit adult language and sexual content.
By
reading any further, you are stating that you are at
least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of
18, it is necessary to exit this site.
___________________________________________
Copyright © 2008
All rights reserved, Siren Publishing, Inc. Cannot be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without expressly permitted to do so in writing from the
publisher.
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STORY EXCERPT
He took off his hat as he approached. “Miss Vega?”
She took off her glasses, stared up at him and raised an
imperial eyebrow.
Jason noticed, except for a light touch of glossy bronze
lipstick, she had on barely any make-up.
For some reason, this surprised him. It surprised him also
that his cock instantly reacted to her slick but uncomplicated
looks, twitching in his jeans at her flawless olive skin, the
light veneer of moisture giving her complexion an ethereal
sheen that made him want to lick her like a mango ice cream
cone.
Jason caught himself following a single drop of moisture as it
made a path from her neck down to her luscious cleavage, and
had to consciously stop his mouth from watering.
His cock throbbed behind the zipper of his jeans as if he
hadn’t let it out off a leash in centuries. Sadly, this was
almost close to the truth, nearly eight months since he had
been with Jennifer Brighthart, a twenty-five-year-old (much
younger than he liked tangling with),
New York
bound waitress from town with dreams of hitting it big in
modeling and acting.
Okay, maybe eight months wasn’t exactly centuries, but it
was getting dang near close for him. He hadn’t realized how
close until this very moment surrounded by Miss Vega’s raw
feminine appeal and heat.
“And
you would be?”
He started, shook his head to clear it of all the horny-dog
thoughts going through it, and quickly stuck out his right
hand. “Jason Makepeace, ma’am. I’m the cow boss at
Freeborn.”
“Cow boss,” she repeated as if trying it on for size and
put a perfectly French-manicured hand in his. “Is that
anything like a cowboy?”
She had a strong grip. He liked that. “It’s a highfalutin
name for foreman, or a cowboy in charge of cattle operations.
I mostly run the buckaroo crew.”
“Ahhh.” She nodded. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Makepeace.”
“You can call me Jason, ma’am. Almost no one calls me Mr.
Makepeace.”
“And you can call me Evelyn. Almost no one calls
me…ma’am.”
Jason put his hat back on, stopped himself from grinning at
the difficulty she had getting that last word out of her
mouth. “No disrespect ma—I mean Evelyn. It’s just an
address of respect around these parts, like Mr. and Miss
around your parts.”
“Respect, huh?”
She said the word as if it was an alien concept and made Jason
wonder if common courtesy and respect were unknown qualities
to someone from the big bad city. He’d heard horror stories
about cold and rude New Yorkers, sure. Granted he didn’t
travel much outside of the
Midwest
and Southwest but he was almost certain Evelyn Vega pulled his
leg.
She stood from her bag. “Shall we go?”
“Ready when you are.” Jason hungrily watched her, the
skirt flowing down around her legs to reach the top of her
boots in sinuous waves. She turned to lift one of the bags, an
expensive leather designer tote and then smoothly draped a
matching handbag across her chest.
Jason inhaled, her scent wafting out to him as she passed, a
combination of some spicy sandalwood cologne laced with a
touch of vanilla musk and a lot of female.
He reacted as if he had been gut-punched, hissing as his cock
hardened and grew to painful proportions in response to the
mix of the aroma and Miss Vega’s proximity.
What was that about? He hadn’t reacted so strongly to a
woman in a long time. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last
time he’d had such a carnal response except…Heck, he had
barely been in his twenties, nothing but a dumb pup back then,
hormones running haywire and vulnerable to the attentions of
almost anything on two legs and female.
Evelyn headed for the front passenger door of his truck and
paused. “Are you coming?”
Jason looked at her and at the stack of bags she’d left
behind—two of those large wheelie bag do-dads that were all
the rage among the sophisticated set, and a matching backpack.
He gathered the bags, grunting at the unexpected weight as he
hefted them into the backseat of his pick-up. “Dead body in
any of these?”
“No. Just essentials.”
More like half her fancy
New York City
wardrobe. “You’re only staying a week right?”
“No, two. Why?”
“Just curious. Most people stay one.” Jason sauntered
around the front of the truck to get in the driver’s seat
and caught her looking around in awe as if she couldn’t
believe the pristine condition of the cab. He stopped himself
from smiling at her reaction and asked, “You were expecting
some smoke-filled honky-tonk?”
“Actually, I was looking for your gun rack.”
“I don’t know what you’ve been told, but that’s a
myth. All us hillbillies and rednecks ain’t card-carrying
members of the NRA.”
“It wasn’t meant as an insult.”
“Contrary to all the westerns you might have seen, being a
cowboy is a lot of hard honest work that doesn’t involve
shoot ’em up, bang-bang poker games in the town saloon.”
“Oooo-kay, you
made your point.”
ADULT EXCERPT
She spread her thighs wide for him, every bit the
accommodating wanton, trembling as he lowered his mouth and
tongued her swollen clit.
“Oh, God, Jace…I need you…” She gasped as he eased a
finger into her. “Yes. That’s it. I need you inside me. I
need—God, that feels good!”
He added another finger and scissored them as he plunged deep
and twisted his fingers inside her, brushing the sensitive
bundle of nerves inside as he licked, sucked, and nibbled her
clit until her body strung tight beneath him.
“Jason!” She grabbed his hair in both hands and held him
in place as an orgasm crashed down on her. Her vaginal muscles
clenched around his fingers and her cream gushed out and
filled his hand.
He raised his head and sat back on his heels again to watch
the tremors rack her slick naked body while he licked each
finger and savored the musky sweet taste of her. He stared at
the downy black hair between her legs, mouth watering at the
sight of her creamy glistening pink lips peeking through her
curls. “Mmm, now that tasted better than a T-bone steak.”
Evelyn leaned up on her elbows to look at him with bedroom
eyes. “Speak for yourself. I think I’d prefer a little
taste of this steak right here.” She reached for him,
grasped his long jutting shaft, fingertips just barely making
it completely around to meet her thumb once she closed her
hand around his erect flesh.
He watched her eyes widen in comprehension and his heart
fluttered with pride.
Lordy, he knew vanity was a sin, but the things this woman did
to his libido and his ego with just a look and a touch made
the sinning all the more worthwhile!
“Had enough already?” he asked at the astonished look
on her face and she shot right back, “Not nearly enough.”
“I am truly glad to hear that, darlin’,” he murmured,
braced his weight on his palms on either side of her head as
he lowered his face to hers again. He licked her parted lips
before she opened her mouth to suck in his tongue and nibbled
his bottom lip.
She cupped his ass, pulled him towards her and bucked her
hips, her pubis colliding with his cock as she growled into
his mouth. She reached down to caress his balls, taking the
springy weight of him in her hand and making him melt inside
as surely as that wicked smile of hers did. “Don’t hold
out on me, cowboy. Give it to me now.” She drew him forward,
but Jason refused to be prodded or rushed. Not until he was
ready. He’d waited a little while already. He could wait a
little while more, and so could she.
He reached for his jeans behind Evelyn’s head, dug around in
one of the front pockets before he emerged with a foil pack
that he brought to his mouth.
Jason stared down at Evelyn’s face as he ripped into the
package with his teeth and one hand and waited for her
reaction.
“Why you cocky cowboy!”
He shook his head, gave her his most earnest look and
murmured, “Not cocky, just hopeful. Would you rather I wasn’t prepared?”
“I suppose it’s a good thing one of us is,” she
admitted, then squinted up at him. “You sure you didn’t
put that snake in my tent?”
His eyes widened at the idea. “If I had thought it would get
you where you are now, in my tent and beneath me, I might
have.” Jason finished sheathing his cock and positioned
himself between her thighs as Evelyn brought her legs up to
circle his hips. “If I hadn’t come prepared, you would
have been deprived of this.” He gently poked her slit with
the tip of his cock.
Evelyn nodded. “I like a man who thinks ahead.”
“Have to keep up with you.”
He watched her grin like a satisfied lioness and his heart
flipped over.
Time to get this show on the road and good!
He cupped her breasts, leaned in to suckle and bite her erect
nipples until they both shone like washed plums in the dim
light of the tent.
Evelyn writhed and gasped beneath him. “C’mon, cowboy.
Mount up.”
“You are so bossy.”
“So I’ve been told.” She reached between his legs to
grasp his balls, firmly massaging them in her hand until Jason
groaned.
He leaned in to plunder her mouth, coming up for air a minute
later to say, “You’re lucky we want the same thing.”
“If that means you’re going to fuck me now, and fuck me
good then yes, we do.”
Her raunchy talk turned him on like nothing else, had him
taking his throbbing shaft in hand, guiding it to the creamy
opening of her pussy...
SIREN SEX Rating
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SENSUAL:
Traditional romance, suitable for the general
audience (BookStrand) |
| |
STEAMY:
Heavy sexual tension; graphic details; may contain
coarse language (BookStrand) |
| |
SIZZLING:
Erotic, graphic sex; explicit sexual language; may offend delicate
readers (SIREN) |
| |
SCORCHING:
Erotica romance; contains many sexual encounters; may contain unconventional
sex; will offend delicate readers (SIREN) |
| |
SEXTREME:
Excessive or non-exclusive sex; many instances of unconventional sex; may be hardcore; not for the faint-hearted
(SIREN) |
SIREN BOOK LENGTH
| |
NOVELLA:
15,000-25,000
words |
| |
NOVEL:
25,000-55,000
words |
| |
FULL
NOVEL: 55,000-80,000
words |
| |
PLUS
NOVEL:
80,000-100,000
words |
| |
SUPER
PLUS
NOVEL:
100,000-140,000
words |
| |
HUMONGOUS
NOVEL:
140,000+
words |
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