Today I’m
excited to participate in the Book Blitz of ‘Wheeler’ by Sara Butler Zalesky. This
is a Adult, Romance, Sports, Suspense novel that was published on July 4th
2016.

Fate
whispers to the warrior,

‘You cannot withstand the storm.’
The warrior whispers back,

‘I am the storm.’ 

Loren
Mackenzie has spent much of her life honing her body to meet the physical
challenges of being a professional cyclist in the women’s European peloton. She
has also refined the control of her mind, using the power of her emotions in
competition to become one of the elite cyclists in the world. After an accident
at the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic, Loren must rise to the
challenge of leading her team as the Women’s World Tour races across Europe,
culminating with the opportunity to compete at the World Championships in
Richmond, Virgina. 

When a
chance meeting develops into a whirlwind romance, what appears to be the
perfect relationship threatens to unravel Loren’s tightly wound life. The
microscope of tabloid media attention dredges up fears that her past will be
unearthed; tragic secrets she has kept buried, even from those closest to her. 

Can Loren
face the trauma of her past and vanquish the demons within, or will betrayal
and obsession ultimately defeat her?

 14
June

 Loren rose from her chair
and began to gather up the cups and plates they had used as Graham watched her
through half-closed eyes. She leaned into the table with a grin.

 “Are ya gettin’ sleepy?”

 He put his hands on her
hips to pull her close. “No, are you?”

 She licked her lips. “I
have to admit, I was enjoying what we were doing before we were interrupted.”
Loren raised a brow at him. Graham’s mouth twitched, and he took out his mobile
to shuffle through his music. As the first notes of the song began, he stood
and extended his hand to her.

 “Dance with me?” He drew
Loren to him, his eyes never leaving hers as they moved in rhythm with the
music. “Hereafter, in a better world than this,” he murmured, “I shall desire
more love and knowledge of you.”

 Their breath mixed as his
lips hovered over hers. He kissed her gently at first, then with increased
fervor as his hands glided over the curves of her body. Her positive response
urged him into further exploration. It was several minutes before he realized
he had laid her back on the table with one of her legs curled over his hip.
Graham reluctantly ended their kiss.

“I’m sorry. I-I got a
little carried away there,” he said, his breathing unsteady.

 Loren kissed him. “We both
got a little carried away.”

 He helped her return to her
feet but couldn’t bring himself to let go. He brushed the back of his fingers
against her cheek and kissed her again. Her touch, her smell, the way she felt
in his arms; he’d never been so completely at ease with anyone. He pressed
his forehead lightly into hers.

 She backed out of his
embrace and offered him her hand. “Loren Mackenzie, pro cyclist. Nice to meet
you.”

Graham laughed and shook
her hand. “I am so glad I turned around!”

Her chuckle dissolved as
she tucked her lower lip in her teeth. “I’d better get you back to your car
before we do something we might regret.”

 He took a deep breath and
licked his lips. “You’re right.” He squinted at her. “How would you, you said
you don’t have a car?”

 “Come on.” Loren motioned
for him to follow and headed to a shed hidden behind the willow tree. When she
opened the doors, the glossy black BMW F800R sport bike glowed in the overhead
florescent light.

 He scoffed as he placed his
hand on the headlamp. “The two of us won’t fit on that.”  

 “Not that one. This one.”
She took the canvas off the matte black Harley-Davidson Night Rod motorcycle.
“Anthony’s Harley is bigger than mine.”

 Graham’s mouth dropped
open. “Wow. That’s…that’s a Harley?” He frowned. “But still…”

 She tossed a helmet at him.
“Come on. Help me get it out of the stand.” She grabbed the handlebars, and
they both gave the bike a push to roll it out of the shed and Loren set the
kickstand. “Anthony keeps it in good shape, but it still needs to be ridden every
so often,” she said, putting on her helmet. “He converted his garage into a
gym, that’s why it’s here.”

“Ah,” he said, holding open
the larger gate next to the shed for her as she pushed the Harley down the
gravel path to the street. Graham followed her only to stop short at the sight
of her on the machine.

“Come on. I’m a
professional,” she chuckled and patted the seat behind her. He was grumbling as
he donned the helmet, then mounted the seat behind her. His knees were under
her arms with his feet on the pegs, and she giggled as she leaned back against
him like an easy chair.

“Yes, yes, it’s hilarious,”
he muttered, making her laugh harder.

 Loren pushed the ignition
and the engine rumbled to life beneath them. After knocking the stand with her
heel, she eased out the clutch while rolling the throttle to move off down the
street. Graham had been holding her waist loosely at first, but as the Harley
took off, the burst of speed had him tighten his arms. He could feel her
laughing in his embrace.

Loren came to a brief stop
at London Road then took a left turn to rumble down the street. Another left
turn and they were soon at the car park where she came to a stop next to his
car and set the stand again. She was grinning as she took off her helmet as
Graham awkwardly dismounted.

“Fun, huh?”

 “I reckon I would have
preferred to walk,” he complained as he handed her the helmet where she hooked
it to the buckle behind her then swung her leg over the bike. She was smiling
as she approached.

 “Oh, that’s a pity,” she
said, sliding her hands around his waist. “I rather liked having your arms
around me.”

 “You have but to ask, my
Lady.” He gathered her in his arms to nuzzle her neck. “I must admit, I would
have been quite put out if I had to wait another week to see you.”

“Me, too.”

“Good night, good night.
Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night ‘til it be morrow.”
His voice was a low rumble as he leaned in to kiss her, but stopped. “Well, not
actually tomorrow, as you’ll be off to Colchester.”

“Gladly,” Graham murmured
and staked his claim to her lips.

***

Sara was
born in the wee hours of a November night in New York City. When her
family moved to a small borough in northwestern New Jersey, she had little
choice but to move as well. Self-sufficiency is a tough thing for a
toddler.

The dichotomy of being the middle child of three, but the only girl, was
difficult, as typically no one really pays attention to a middle child.
Mostly, Sara spent her time creating fanciful stories in her head when she
should have been focused on other things, an issue that continues to this
day.

Most of these stories have never been shared, let alone completed. This
all changed in the spring of 2015, when Sara was encouraged by a friend
to expand upon a short story she had accidentally emailed to him.
The result is ‘Wheeler’, a romantic, women’s fiction/sport novel,
which combines the author’s romantic inclinations and her passion for
cycling.

Sara currently resides in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA, with her
loving husband and their son. She is a paralegal for a boutique law firm
in Chester County, Pa, an avid road cyclist and indoor cycling
instructor at a national chain.

Follow the author’s blog at sarabutlerzalesky.wordpress.com or
on Twitter @sarazalesky.
She does a little dance every time someone ‘follows’ her on Twitter.
Really. You can also visit her website or on Facebook!

(US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway This Book Blitz was organized by Xpresso Book Tours