Heart's Desire

This is the first book of the Eastman Family and Friends series. It's an African American drama-filled sensual contemporary romance, doused with revenge and heart, the start of a family saga.

You can find out more about the author and her books at http://monicajackson.com. Monica loves to hear from her readers.

~Excerpt~

Brent Stevens took a stiff swallow of his drink and surveyed the noisy cocktail party. He hated functions like this.
He was here in a semi-official status as Congressman Eastman’s surrogate. He’d completed his business with one of the congressman’s largest contributors, the one throwing this party, and now waited for an appropriate moment to leave.
Someone jarred his back hard enough to send the drink flowing over his fingers where it disappeared into his immaculate white shirt. Brent swung around to face two soft breasts that had been momentarily pressed against him.
They belonged to a woman with an exotic, but softly beautiful face. Her black hair was pulled into a sleek chignon, and her lips were full and moist. She had flawless deep brown skin, a shade somewhere between chocolate and cinnamon. It would feel like velvet, he thought. Coffee-colored eyes sparkled up at him.
He couldn’t look away and dismiss her as he’d already dismissed countless come-ons from women since the party started. Totally appealing and somehow familiar, she was delicious.
“You spilled your drink,” she said, her voice low and cultured. “I’m so sorry.”
Brent nodded.
She made no move to leave. “I’m Kara Smith.” The woman sipped her champagne. She glanced around the room then focused on him. “Are you planning to stay here much longer, Mr. Stevens?”
So, she knows me, he thought. Brent searched his memory for a moment, but couldn’t place her. He decided to join in the game. She excited him. With an amused twist of his lips, he said, “Not if I can find something more interesting to do.”
A shell-pink tongue darted out and moistened her lips. It wasn’t a nervous gesture, but rather a slow, provocative, studied one. She was hot. Extremely hot. Her scent intoxicated. He moved imperceptibly closer.
Her lush figure was voluptuously feminine, not like the tightly coiled, fashionably thin and athletic women he was used to. He was definitely interested.
Brent waited for her to make the next move, and she didn’t fail him.
“I know of some much more interesting amusements,” she said.


Monica Jackson spins a dark tale of political intrigue that will keep you locked into the pages until the very end. --Phoebe Imel

I personally have ordered all the rest of her books and look forward to reading them with as much enthusiasm as this one. --Betty Holloway

I wanted to re-read this story right before I picked up Tiffany's story Never Too Late For Love.--Sean D. Young

It's not your average romance novel. These characters don't always behave according to societal rules. But then real-life is not cookie-cutter perfect. Nor is Kara or Brent. --Janice Sims