To help celebrate the release of Forbidden
Archive for 'Romance'
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My teaser today comes from another historical romance, one I’ve just started reading called The Sergeant’s Lady
by Susanna Fraser.
“He’s dead?”
“Of course he is. Hard to survive a knife to the throat, ain’t it?”
Highborn Anna Arrington has been “following the drum,” obeying the wishes of her cold, controlling cavalry officer husband. When he dies, all she wants is to leave life with Wellington’s army in Spain behind her and go home to her family’s castle in Scotland.
Sergeant Will Atkins ran away from home to join the army in a fit of boyish enthusiasm. He is a natural born soldier, popular with officers and men alike, uncommonly brave and chivalrous, and educated and well-read despite his common birth.
As Anna journeys home with a convoy of wounded soldiers, she forms an unlikely friendship with Will. When the convoy is ambushed and their fellow soldiers captured, they become fugitives—together. The attraction between them is strong—but even if they can escape the threat of death at the hands of the French, is love strong enough to bridge the gap between a viscount’s daughter and an innkeeper’s son?
Purchase The Sergeant’s Lady from Carina Press or at Amazon Kindle
The theme for this week is holidays. Since I love travel quite a few of my characters take holidays. This week I’ve chosen an excerpt from my story in the Ellora’s Cave Cavemen anthology, Summer Lovin’. My heroine, who lives in New Zealand, goes over to Australia for a holiday and finds much more than she expected.
Dreams of the Oasis III: Summer Lovin’ by Shelley Munro
“Sophie Walker? Is that you?”
The dark haired hunk grinned before grabbing me in a bear hug, right in the middle of the Burleigh Bowls Club.
Who was this Cutey Pie? My mind screamed questions even as I cozied up and savored the experience. I mean, what was not to enjoy? He possessed lots of muscles and was downright hunky with his tanned face and sexy grin. Pity we were in the middle of the Bowls Club. My heart kick-started into a racy beat, while I inhaled deeply to counteract the effect. He smelled wonderful—of ginger and exotic spices, all wrapped up with the tang of the sea.
Tall, dark and cute grasped my upper arms and pulled away before dropping a chaste kiss on my cheek.
Aw, call that a kiss, my inner siren taunted. Rev it up and lay one on me. For once I didn’t care if I ended up being the floorshow. Like a kid in a candy store, I wanted to touch and taste. I wanted it all.
“Sophie, what are you doing here on the Gold Coast?”
I stared and still came up blank. The petite redhead who stood at his side didn’t look too happy. If I was in her shoes I’d have felt exactly the same way. Possessive. Heck, in her place I would have bared my teeth and warned me off.
“I used to go out with Sophie’s daughter,” Cutey Pie said.
Redhead’s frown smoothed out like magic.
I groaned inwardly. Well, that sure put me in my place. Cutey’s name popped into my mind. Isaac Shepherd. I’d liked him back when Susan was going out with him. Since my daughter was notorious for being late, I’d spent a lot of time chatting with Isaac. We had a lot in common. It had taken me a long time to forgive Susan for letting him get away.
“Susan is married now,” I said.
Isaac’s brown eyes glowed, making me intensely aware of my body and the way my clothes fit. The word desperate came to mind. I hadn’t kissed a man for a long time let alone got down and dirty. My hormones were protesting the lack of action. For a moment there, they’d thought they’d got lucky. Disappointment was a bitch.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his husky voice strumming across my senses in a very delicious way.
“I’ve come over on a RSA trip, with a group of golfers. Ostensibly to keep an eye on my father, but he doesn’t really need it.”
“What’s the RSA?” Redhead asked in her Aussie twang.
“Returned Services Association,” Isaac answered.
“Hey, Sophie!” It was my Uncle James, my father’s partner in crime. “There’s a dance on here tonight. Fred and I are gonna grab us a granny!”
I did a mental eye roll. “You can’t say that.” After all, I wasn’t exactly a spring chicken. My fortieth birthday was practically staring me in the eye, so I felt I should offer up a defense for the dozens of more mature women in the club. “It’s not P.C.”
“Aw, Sophie. Don’t start,” my father said. “Look at those women over there. If it walks like a duck…”
Scowling, I glanced in the direction Pop indicated. Three elderly women were giggling like young girls. I shrugged. I didn’t intend to act the stern chaperon. Pop and Uncle James could get up to all the shenanigans they wanted.
“We must meet for a drink,” Isaac said, sending a wave of flattered satisfaction through me. Bigheaded of me I know, but the redhead’s scowls made me want to cheer. Score one for the visiting team.
“Why don’t you come back for the dance?” Uncle James said.
One look at Redhead popped my bubble of optimism. Isaac wouldn’t be here tonight.
Isaac glanced at Redhead too. “Maybe.” His voice was noncommittal. “We have to go.” His brown eyes caught my gaze, and for a long moment, we stared at each other. “It’s been great seeing you, Sophie.”
And damned if he didn’t grab me and kiss me right on the lips. It was brief. Intense. And left my knees knocking. I stared after him in bemusement, my trembling fingers rising up to touch tingling lips.
A soft whistle from Pop jerked me from daydream land. “You’ve made a conquest there, Sophie.”
“I’m old enough to be his mother,” I protested, and inside, I railed at the fact. Sometimes, life plain sucked.
Uncle James looked me up and down. “You don’t look your age. You don’t look old enough to be that boy’s mother. You’re fit, you don’t look like one of those god-awful beanpole models, and you have your own teeth. Always check the teeth,” my uncle ended sagely.
“I’m not a damned horse!”
“No, you’re a woman, Sophie,” Pop said. “That’s all any of us simple men want. A luscious handful of woman to cuddle up to at night.”
He winked at Uncle James, and they both discreetly checked out the three giggling women over in the corner.
“Ooh, not while I’m looking,” I said in a firm tone, although secretly, I was flattered, my confidence boosted. A bit of life in the old broad yet, I thought. I licked my lips and imagined I could taste Isaac. Damn, I didn’t think I’d shower for a week.
Purchase Dreams of Oasis III from Ellora’s Cave in either print or e-format. Also available at Amazon in print or e-format.
To read more excerpts follow the Snippet Saturday trail below:
Mari Carr
Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
Jody Wallace
TJ Michaels
Lacey Savage
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My teaser is from One Dance with a Duke
by Tessa Dare. I’ve just finished reading this book and recommend it highly. The characterization was excellent!
“Forgive me, Your Grace. Are you suggesting a woman is some sort of. . .piece of fruit to you? One squeeze, and you know if she’s ripe?”
Page 72, One Dance with a Duke
Blurb:
A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members — yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke — until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.
In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?
Purchase One Dance with a Duke
The topic for this week is food. As much as I enjoy food and cooking, I don’t have many foodie scenes. Most of them are picnic scenes. In the end I chose this scene from Lynx to the Pharaoh, a historical romance with a feline shapeshifter hero.
Lynx to the Pharaoh by Shelley Munro
“I’d love to visit the oasis,” Charlotte said, ignoring the feminine pride inside warning her she would not look her best after sleeping in her clothes. And the knowledge that she shouldn’t go anywhere with a man she didn’t know. She risked another glance at him, and the silent gleam of approval in his eyes warmed her all over. This early in the morning, she couldn’t blame the heat of the sun.
They passed the camp, and as Sethmet had said, no one stirred apart from the servants. Charlotte told herself her brother would never know. They arrived at the edge of the oasis more quickly than she would have liked. Countless questions trembled at the tip of her tongue. Curious as a cat. That’s what George used to say, always in a chiding manner. Could she help it if she liked to learn new things and gain knowledge?
Sethmet stopped by the edge of the lake, in a small private spot screened from the main path, glad Lady Charlotte had agreed to accompany him.
A gentle breeze played a musical tune as it blew through the reeds. Not far from them a heron stabbed the water with its beak and came up with a wriggling silver fish.
He placed his basket down and helped Charlotte sit on a flat rock. Her lack of primping and fussing gained his approval, not that she needed to preen. Sethmet opened his woven basket. He had to stop the urgent need to touch, to run his hands across her silky cheek. A bark of laughter escaped at the thought. No doubt the lady would slap his face at the presumption.
“Is something funny?”
“Not a thing,” Sethmet said. “Would you care for flat bread and cheese?” He spread a blue woven cloth on the ground beside them and set out the food. The instinct to serve and nurture Lady Charlotte, or Charlotte as he thought of her, came as a surprise. Most women ran after him, but being with Charlotte felt right. He didn’t feel pressure or hunted for matrimony. He wanted to protect her, even if she came from the English camp and was possibly an enemy.
Charlotte was no longer committed to a man.
Satisfaction swelled within Sethmet along with an urge to kiss her. Hell, he wanted to do more than that. He wanted to claim her as mate. The thought gave him pause because he knew nothing of her. Yet he didn’t worry overly. Swift courtships were normal in his family, and their decisive nature when taking a partner was one of the gifts that came with feline powers. Everyone in his family married for love. They might argue at times, but he had no hesitation about following his heart.
He glanced up from laying out the food and saw Charlotte studied him avidly. For an instant, open desire shimmered in her blue eyes before her lashes lowered to screen the emotion.
Sethmet acted on instinct, going with his gut. He leaned toward her and took possession of her lips in a slow kiss of exploration. When she didn’t object, he deepened the contact, sliding his tongue across her soft, pink lips and urging her to open her mouth so he could taste. She was so soft, tasted so sweet, and he wanted more.
Purchase from Ellora’s Cave or Amazon Kindle
To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:
Mari Carr
Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
Jody Wallace
TJ Michaels
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~ BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
“Be grateful I’m wearing as much as I am,” he said. “Sometimes, when the weather turns warm, I dismiss the day help and make do with the apron alone.”
Page 23, Stroke of Genius
by Emily Bryan
Blurb:
CAN AN ARTISTIC GENIUS . . .
Crispin Hawke is revered by the ton. His artistic creations are celebrated in every fashionable parlor, tales of his fiery bed skills whispered behind every fashionable fan.
TRANSFORM AN AMERICAN HEIRESS . . .
Grace Makepeace is determined to wed a titled lord, but her Bostonian bluntness leaves her least likely to succeed. To be accepted by the ‘high-in-the-instep’ crowd, she has her hands ‘done’ in marble by the incomparable, Crispin Hawke.
INTO THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER ORIGINAL …
Crispin schools Grace in flirting and the delights of the flesh. But when she catches the eye of a marquess, Crispin regrets her transformation. An artist isn’t supposed to lust after his own creation but how can he help Grace . . .
WITHOUT FALLING FOR HER HIMSELF?
Purchase Stroke of Genius
There’s no doubt about it – writing humor is difficult. Something I think is hysterical, you might consider only worthy of a yawn. What I think is funny might offend you. People who live in different parts of the world have different senses of humor. That said, there’s nothing better than reading a book that makes you laugh.
Our Snippet Saturday topic this week is characters interacting with humor. Reviewers often state my books contain humor and one that was particularly popular is Fancy Free. Just to get you all up to speed – Alice has inherited a condom company. She’s finding the condom business a bit different and, after her first day at work, she drinks more than she should when she visits the local pub. James, the company manager, escorts her home and ends up staying the night…
Oh, I should mention…there are a few naughty words ahead…
Fancy Free by Shelley Munro
“Ooh,” she murmured when she finally floated back into her body—because this had definitely been a wonderful out-of-body experience—and relaxed liked a cooked spaghetti noodle.
“Was it good for you?” James asked.
Alice belatedly remembered that she had and he hadn’t come. Tactful answer required. Guys, she’d heard from various gossipy sources, became a little tetchy when it came to sex and not getting any. Alice stared at his erect penis. It looked large and red and bad-tempered. It gave an angry twitch while she gawked.
“Um…” Alice glanced up to scan James’ face. “I…yes…” She stared. The man’s face screwed up as if he suffered great pain or else he—
The wretch was laughing at her. She tapped him sharply on one bulging biceps. “Yes, it was good for me,” she snapped. “Why are you laughing?”
A tentative knock sounded on the door and his laughter cut off abruptly. They glanced at each other in silent communication mode, Alice scrunching her brows together in answer to his raised brow.
“Alice? Are you awake? Breakfast is ready.”
She stared at the wooden door in horror. Had she made a lot of noise? Her gaze darted to James and he pantomimed for her to answer.
“I’m up. Won’t be long,” Alice called out. She strove for a woman-of-the-world tone, but her reply fell in the feeble, scared zone. It must have reassured Lindy because she heard receding footsteps before silence fell. She turned to stare at James.
He shook his head, a rueful grin on his lips. “Well, Ms. Beasley. You’re not the only one who’s up. A fine mess you’ve got us in this time.”
“Why is it my fault? I’ve heard you’re a playboy and a cad.” The minute she said the words she wanted to take them back.
“Ah, you’ve read Ms. Knowall’s column. You’re quite right. I am a playboy and a cad.” He stood and picked up his clothes, dressing with an elegance that she admired. “You should remember that and stay well away from me.”
“I’m sorry.” Obviously she’d said the wrong thing.
“No problem. I’ll see you at work.” He strode over to the door, opened it and stepped into the passage. A soft click sounded when he closed it.
Alice heard footsteps and then the murmur of voices. Color swept to her cheeks when she imagined what Lindy would think. If inheriting a condom company hadn’t already ruined her reputation, then she’d probably done the job now by letting James Bates, sexy bad boy, spend the night in her bedroom.
Alice climbed from the bed, self-conscious of her nakedness now. Avoiding her reflection in the mirror, she scuttled through to the small en suite and jumped under the shower, letting the water pour over her hair and face. Five minutes later, dressed in a gray trouser suit, she made her way into the kitchen for breakfast. The wooden table was set for three with floral placemats and coordinated napkins. A posy of spring flowers in the center of the table added to the Victorian theme. The rich scent of coffee floated in the air. Lindy Redcliff stood at the stove, spatula in hand, humming along to a top-forty hit. Jake, her husband, sat at the table and had already started on his breakfast.
“Morning,” she mumbled. “Sorry I’m late.”
Jake glanced up from his scrambled eggs with a smirk. “We know why you overslept. Been doing the wild thing with Sloan’s playboy.”
“Jake!” Lindy put a world of remonstration into her husband’s name but it didn’t dampen his smirk.
“No,” Alice said. “We were discussing work.” The first thing that came into her mind.
Jake’s lips twitched. “Condoms. Care for some eggs and toast. Muesli?”
Alice met his gaze with difficulty. “I’m not hungry.” The truth. She’d lost her appetite. “And yes, we discussed condoms as part of our business meeting. Appropriate since Fancy Free sells condoms.”
Jake set his knife and fork across the center of his plate. He lifted his wrist to check his watch. “Hmm, I hope your company pays overtime for such a long meeting.”
Purchase Fancy Free from Ellora’s Cave or Amazon Kindle
To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:
Mari Carr
Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens
Jody Wallace
Yay! Blue Lady, book ten in my Middlemarch Mates series, is out today. Blue Lady features Emily and Saber who were first introduced in Scarlet Woman.
Read the Blue Lady blurb and excerpt
Purchase Blue Lady
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Today’s Teaser is Kiss of the Rose: The Tudor Vampire Chronicles
He smelled of exotic spices and leather, not Vampire, for which she was profoundly grateful. Tangling with a Vampire without her weapons—and in the queen’s bedchamber in broad daylight—was hardly the way to begin her mission.
Kiss of the Rose: The Tudor Vampire Chronicles
Blurb:
Desperate to defeat King Richard III and gain the English crown, Henry Tudor made a pact with the Druids that bound him and his heirs to the Druid’s deadly struggle against the Vampires. Ever since, the Llewellyns, an ancient Vampire slaying family, have been in the permanent employ of the monarchy.
Now Henry VIII is on the throne, and his father’s bargain has almost been forgotten. Until corpses drained of blood start turning up in the most inappropriate of places, including the king’s bedchamber. But are these people the victims of the Vampires-or of the Druids?
To save the king from a nameless assassin, Rosalind Llewellyn, Vampire hunter extraordinaire, must form an uneasy alliance with a known Druid slayer. Sir Christopher Ellis hails from a family that has protected the Vampires for centuries, yet Rosalind has no choice but to rely on his help. And with her life threatened and her loyalty tested, Rosalind may even have to acknowledge the unthinkable. This sworn enemy may be her soul mate.
My special guest today is fellow Ellora’s Cave author, Wynter Daniels. Wynter was lucky enough to attend the recent RWA conference in Florida and is here to tell us about both that and her latest release, Getting Even With Warren.
Thanks so much to Shelley Munro for inviting me to guest blog here! I want to tell you about my trip to the RWA National conference in Orlando. This was my first, but I can assure you, it won’t be my last.
Aside from the awesome parties, the plethora of free books and the great info at the publisher spotlight sessions, there were the workshops. Before I attend a conference, I make myself a spreadsheet of my schedule including which workshop of the 7 or 8 being offered at any given time. My organized self sighs contentedly at the neat chart I tuck into a folder.
Then I arrive at the conference and I blow that all to hell! I listen to the buzz from other authors, scratch one program off in favor of another. The time rolls around and I change my mind yet again. The offerings were great this time and I would love to give you a detailed recap from each workshop I attended. But that would make a ridiculously long post, so I will try to give you a pearl from each of my favorites.
Linda Howard’s Twelve Steps of Intimacy is always a crowd pleaser. If you ever have the opportunity to attend this program, go for it. You won’t regret it. One thing that stands out – leapfrogging the steps can intensify or shake up the intimacy experience.
Donald Maass’ Fire in Fiction II program was standing room only. The pearl there – imagine the standout emotion from your scene then recall a moment in your own life that exemplifies that emotion. Include the details of what you were feeling at the time to give your writing better impact.
Nora Roberts, aka J. D. Robb, was the keynote speaker at the opening luncheon. She spoke about the incredible changes in technology in the thirty years since the first RWA conference in 1980. Manuscripts were typed on typewriters with carbon paper and research was done at the library. She said she’s heard people say it was so much easier to get published back then but she disputes that. Getting published is supposed to be hard. Hard makes it that much more special when you achieve it. She also talked about the huge number of opportunities available today like e-publishing. She credits the camaraderie of RWA members for helping writers survive and flourish in a difficult field.
I also listened to sessions on police procedure, upping the heat in romance and diversifying an author’s portfolio and attracting the biggest audience for your books. Overall, the conference was a winner and did I mention free books?
CONTEST: Please leave a comment and I will draw one name to receive a free copy of my latest ebook from Ellora’s Cave, Getting Even with Warren.
Here’s a little about the book and a link to an excerpt:
Widow Macy Halstead learned of her much older husband’s voracious appetite for cheating shortly before his death. Now it’s too late to get back at him. When she meets his bi-racial illegitimate son at the funeral, a mutual attraction flares. She leaves with him and the two share a night of hot passion.
Alex Jackson set out to get back at the father who treated him like dirt. Bedding his old man’s widow fit the bill—until he forgets his reasons and realizes he really likes Macy. But after a steamy fling, she seems to have second thoughts. Can they overcome their initial agendas and explore the possibility of a relationship?
You can find Getting Even with Warren HERE.
Bio: Wynter Daniels is the naughty alter ego of contemporary romance author Dara Edmondson. She lives in Central Florida with her husband of more than twenty years and their two nearly grown children. They are all the slaves of two very demanding cats. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. She currently writes for Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id and Red Sage Publishing.
