one hot summer (28 page)

Authors: carolina garcia aguilera

BOOK: one hot summer

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This novel,
One Hot Summer,
was a departure for me from the genre in which I am used to writing. Having had six detective novels published before this one (three bodies per book, or your money is refunded), I have to admit, writing a love story presented a whole different set of challenges. For example, I had to train myself to write scenes in which two people were in bed simultaneously and both were still breathing. I have to express my gratitude to several very special individuals who had faith in me and who believed I could accomplish that.

I would like to thank my agents at International Creative Management, Richard Abate in New York, and Ron Bernstein in Los Angeles, for their unwavering support and belief in me. I am very grateful to Rene Alegria, my editor at Rayo, so aptly named, for his unbridled enthusiasm and joie de vivre, which made writing this novel so much fun. Quinton Skinner, as
usual, deserves a special thanks for his special talents, but especially for his uncanny ability to morph himself into yet another Cuban woman.

As always, I owe debt to my family: my mother, Lourdes Aguilera de Garcia; my sister, Sara; my brother, Carlos; and my nephew, Richard, for all the years of encouragement and support they have given me. It gives me great comfort to know I have their backing in my literary efforts.

Sarah, Antonia, and Gabriella, my precious daughters, thank you for blessing me with your presence, for being with me as much as possible, for having stood by me at all times, good or not so good. Every day I am in awe of my unbelievably good fortune, and for the blessings that have been bestowed upon me. Even though I do not have a clue as to what that might be, I am positive that I must have done something right for God to have given you three to me. However, I don’t question too much, I just happily accept my gifts and enjoy them to the fullest.

I have to acknowledge the importance of my friends, recognizing I have been blessed in that aspect as well. Beginning with my childhood friends from Cuba, to the gang on South Beach, all of you plus many others,
gracias
. Thank you for being my friends, which, I suspect, is not easy at times. For the friendship you have given me throughout the years, I owe you all a debt I can never repay.

But, finally, I must thank the men who have played such an important part of my life, for without you I would not have been able to write a book such as this.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cuban-born C
AROLINA
G
ARCIA
-A
GUILERA
was a private investigator for more than a decade before becoming a full-time writer. Her previous books include
Bloody Waters; Bloody Shame; Bloody Secrets; A Miracle in Paradise; Havana Heat;
and
Bitter Sugar
—all widely acclaimed mysteries of the Lupe Solano series. She has been honored with the Flamingo and Shamus Awards for her books.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

PRAISE
FOR
ONE HOT SUMMER

“A female fantasy filled with…good-looking men and unforgettable sex.”

—
Miami Herald

“Tropical politics, culture, and identity…are at the center of
One Hot Summer
.”

—
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

“A hilarious romance novel.”

—
El Nuevo Herald

“Women will love this story. It’s threaded with the emotions many people feel…. A universal story of self-doubt and the way we feel when we fear our lives are traveling in the wrong direction.”

—
USA Today

“Garcia-Aguilera
is never funnier than when she describes Cuban Miami and all its social trappings with the accuracy of an insider.”

—
San Antonio Express-News

“Garcia-Aguilera perfectly captures the conflicts of these cosseted women. Her tongue-in-cheek humor enlivens the situations she describes with intimate familiarity…. Another crowd pleaser.”

—
Publishers Weekly

ALSO BY CAROLINA GARCIA-AGUILERA

BITTER SUGAR

HAVANA HEAT

A MIRACLE IN PARADISE

BLOODY SHAME

BLOODY WATERS

BLOODY SECRETS

Copyright

ONE HOT SUMMER
. Copyright © 2002 by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Mobipocket Reader November 2006 ISBN 978-0-06134218-9

The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as follows: Garcia-Aguilera, Carolina.
One hot summer / by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera.—Rayo 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-06-000980-2

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