Today I invite you to post an excerpt, any excerpt. Please make sure it’s suitable for all and limit it to 500 words. If you have buy links, feel free to post them.
Here is mine from The Seduction of Lady Phoebe which will be released by Kensington in September.
As Marcus turned to leave, someone began pounding on a door at the far end of the hall. From the almost unintelligible words of love coming from the young blood attempting to lay siege to the chamber, it appeared the young man was in his altitudes, and he’d found Phoebe. At least Marcus didn’t think the idiot would be reciting bad poetry to anyone else. Damn.
Much to his disgust, Marcus recognized something of his own prior behavior towards Phoebe in the drunken young man. With long strides, Marcus quickly covered the distance to her door. Taking the other man by his coat collar, Marcus picked him up, and shook him. Hard. In a low, fierce growl, he said, “You, my lad, are leaving with me now, and you will not return to bother this lady again. If you do, I shall take great delight in breaking every bone in your body.”
Through the fellow’s alcoholic haze, he tried to focus on his tormentor. Marcus received a grim satisfaction at the fear in the blood’s eyes. Marcus slowly lowered the younger man until his feet touched the floor, then Marcus guided the buck down the hall to the stairs and out the front door, handing him over to one of the ostlers still on duty.
Marcus scowled. “Take this fool, and do not allow him back in the inn.”
The ostler eyed Marcus cautiously. “But, my lord, he’s stayin’ here.”
He fixed the ostler with a cold, hard glare. “I don’t give a damn where he is staying. He was bothering a female guest. You will not allow him back in the inn, or you’ll answer to me.”
“Of course, my lord. I’ll put him in the barn.”
As the ostler started off, Marcus asked, “Where’s the landlord?”
“I don’t know, my lord.”
Marcus scowled as the ostler hurried off with his charge. When his groom, Covey, called out, Marcus glanced over.
“What did you discover?” he asked curtly.
“Seems as if it were just bad luck, my lord, her la’ship being on her way to London. Stays here a lot she does. She was supposed to have arrived next week but came early.”
“Did her servants tell you anything?”
“Close as clams. Don’t tell no one nothin’. Got the information from one of the ostlers. She’s travelin’ with a groom, coachman, and maid.”
“Those damn ostlers talk too much,” Marcus responded savagely, striding back to the inn and to the hall outside of Phoebe’s chamber. If the innkeeper couldn’t protect her, he would.
ellaquinnauthor
Loved your excerpt, Ella. Entertaining, as always. This is an excerpt from my newly released wagon train novel, Emma’s Journey:
The sky grew dark and campfires sprang up as the party continued. Standing with a group of women, Emma spotted Davis in a circle of men who apparently were having some fun at his expense. The joking and nudging led her to believe they were discussing what was to come when the party wound down. Davis seemed to take it all in stride, but when he glanced over she found her heartbeat speeding up. Glory be, what had she done?
In her focus on getting married again so she would have help for the rest of the trip, she had shoved the wedding night and all it meant to the back of her mind. Now it immediately presented itself to her full force. What was she thinking marrying a man she hardly knew? Would he insist on his marital rights tonight? Would he give her time to adjust to him?
She didn’t have a whole lot of time to dwell on it as Davis walked slowly over to her, his lips tilted in a half smile. He took both of her hands in his and gently kissed her on the lips. The distinct odor of whiskey wafted from his mouth. Perhaps she should have also dipped a cup into the men’s punch bowl to calm her nerves.
“Let’s go back to the wagon.” He whispered against her lips.
“Um, already?” Emma gasped. Davis chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders, guiding her away from the group.
Oh, dear, it didn’t seem as though Davis had any intention of allowing any getting to know you time before he took her to bed. She broke into a sweat and swallowed several times, trying to fill her lungs with air.
The walk back to the wagon used up no time at all. Her heart thudded so hard no doubt Davis could hear it. Apparently noticing her distress, Davis left her in front of the wagon. “I’ll have a smoke out here, to give you privacy in the wagon before I come in.”
Nodding numbly, Emma crawled into the wagon. Good grief, now what? Would it be acceptable to lie down fully dressed on the pallet? What if she only took off her shoes? Davis had cleared out a few things and re-packed so the bed would fit. It was a warm night, but she imagined newlyweds sleeping under the wagon would not be appropriate. Newlyweds. There was a scary word.
Reluctantly, Emma took off her dress and underclothes and put the same nightgown on. Hands shaking, she took the pins out of her hair and brushed the lengthy locks. She could hear Davis outside the wagon moving about. She lay down on the pallet and took a deep breath. Within minutes her new husband entered through the canvas flap.
The space seemed so small with him in here with her. Her heart sped up again, her breathing rapid. With the bright moonlight she could see his face as he sat alongside her. Tenderness seemed to radiate from him. He moved his hand slowly over her hair.
“You have beautiful hair, Emma,” he whispered. “I like it down. It’s like curly brown silk.” He picked up strands of hair and let it fall between his fingers. He then ran the back of his hand over her face, ending at her chin. He tilted her head up and bent slowly over her.
Thanks, Ella.
Callie, what a lovely excerpt. Thanks for posting.
Here is an excerpt from my YA romance LOVING YOUR LIES.
Stop. Thinking. About it.
“Want to know what really hurts me? That you, of all people, lied to me. You could have ask me to join the celebration. Because for you, I think I would have come.” I barely managed not to sob. “Now tell me one thing, Julian. Was all the kissing and the trip to the beach only part of your plan to bribe me to my mother’s party?”
A frown formed small lines at the sides of his mouth. “Don’t be ridiculous. None of this was part of any plan.” He reached for me.
But I jerked back. “I’ll tell you what’s ridiculous. This goddamn dress is! What were you thinking? That you can wrap me up like a birthday present? If it wasn’t for the fact that I have nothing under it, I’d rip it off!” Fingers digging in the fabric of the bodice, I clenched my fists.
His right brow lifted, daring me to proceed. The urge to slap the stupid smirk from his face was hard to resist. I didn’t move. Julian came closer and pried my hands loose with gentle fingers.
“This wasn’t me wrapping you up as a gift,” he said so softly it made my skin tickle like it was brushed with a down feather. “I saw you staring at the dress in the shop. The gleam in your eyes. For once, I wanted you to see how lovely you are. Not for your mom, your aunt, me or the guests. But just for your beautiful self.”
I forced a swallow through my dry mouth and throat. “I don’t know what you saw that day, but I never said I liked this dress. And I sure didn’t think it would make me pretty.”
“But you are pretty,” he whispered, and at the same instant he pulled me closer to him. “The most beautiful girl I know. And I’m sorry I hurt you by tricking you into coming to the party tonight. But the kiss on the beach had nothing to do with any of this.”
My fingers were splayed against his chest, the warmth of his breath caressing my face. I wanted to hold on to Julian, just for a second. To ensure this was not an imagination, and that I had found someone who saw me for what I really was. He was someone who saw beyond all my sarcasm and knew when I needed a friend. “Then why would you kiss me?”
“Because I’m falling in love.”
You can get this book on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Your-Lies-ebook/dp/B00B6MO2UK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361192542&sr=8-1&keywords=loving+your+lies
Thanks for the oportunity, Ella!
Piper, that’s wonderful. Very touching. Are you sure it’s a YA?
Excellent Excerpt Ella! I love how well you paint a scene and give it such life with characters have accents! That takes real talent!
Here’s an excerpt from my latest WIP a Sci Fi romance about a human woman named Laina who’s been captured by cyborgs because she holds the key to their species survival.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire as her mother used to say. Laina’s brain pounded fiercely against the insides of her skull. What the hell had happened after she fell out of the air duct. She’d been running…somewhere and then blinding pain and nothing.
“What did you do to me?” she demanded, but to her shame she sounded as breathless and frightened as she felt. The blond cyborg studied her, the chilly depths of his electric blue gaze taking in every inch of her to the point that she was beginning to almost feel a physical touch on her body.
“I stunned you and you fell and hit your head. Our ship doctor believes you may have a concussion.” His voice was deep, gravelly. It teased her ears and sent rebellious shivers of longing down her body. If only he were human …
“I would like to do a full medical scan for any other injuries or conditions. Would you remove your clothes for me?” The cyborg doctor asked, drawing her attention away from the intimidating cyborg that was scowling down at her. The doctor’s face held a softness, an understanding of humanity reflected in his gaze. It was probably left over from his medical background where doctors were trained to believe in healing and helping above all things.
“Take my clothes off?” She clamped her hands around the collar of her jacket, closing it tight around her throat. She knew they could easily overpower her and remove her clothing, but she wasn’t going to just give in.
The doctor made eye contact with the blond cyborg, their look unblinking. Laina had the distinct feeling they were communicating, her skin broke out into goosebumps as though their shared thoughts were drifting across her skin as they stood on either side of her. Finally the doctor turned back to her.
“Yes. Removing your clothes will help my scanners penetrate your body so I can see more clearly.”
“Do I have to?” She realized grudgingly, that she wasn’t above begging.
The blond haired cyborg made a low growling noise in the back of his throat that made her squeeze the jacket about her throat even tighter. His hands shot out, prying her own hands from her collar and he tore the jacket open eyes raking her body savagely.
“Umm, Rorik. What are you doing?” The doctor asked.
“It’s obvious she’s hiding a weapon on her person. She is reluctant to strip. We need to take the clothes off, with or without her consent. I won’t be held responsible for bringing human on board with a weapon equipped to massacre us. Now help me rid her of her clothes, Valerius.”
The doctor, Valerius, reached over her and wrapped one hand around Rorik’s wrist, stilling him.
“We can do the scan in a little while when she’s recovered from the concussion.”
Laina found herself nodding enthusiastically, hoping Rorik would have mercy. Even though every instinct in her told him he wasn’t the merciful type.
“No. She’ll do it now.” He dropped his frosty eyes to hers. “Won’t you? You’ll be good, not make trouble for me. I have no interest in hurting you to force you into compliance, but if pain is what motivates you, then I will do what is necessary.”
“So you’ll just bully me?” Where her bravery came from to say that, she didn’t know. Her entire life she’d been taught to hide, evade, beg if necessary for survival. Something about this cyborg just rubbed her the wrong way and she was tired of cowering.
Thanks so much, Lauren, for liking my excerpt. Yours was wonderful.
He can storm my chambers anytime he wishes. Great excerpt Ella. Love when they go all protective.
Here’s an excerpt from mine.
Swamp Magic Excerpt:
Terror gripped her, anchoring her in place as headlights do a deer over the freaky happenings before her. Trembling, her mind screamed to turn and run, but her body refused to heed her mind’s clear warning. Her heart beat with such velocity she swore it would burst from her chest at any moment. She couldn’t even seem to will breath into her body, and her lungs grew heavy. Her breathing became no more than ragged gasps as she began to hyperventilate.
Her eyes widened as the active water began to become more centered. Fear froze her immobile. Though terrified, she continued to be drawn, almost as if in a trance, into its strange murky depths. Her vision zeroed on the brightest point amid the swirls, jaw gaping open as a form began to emerge.
The form of a man.
He rose from the murky depths like some type of Greek deity, Neptune perhaps. Her mouth grew dry as he continued his slow rise, inch by glorious inch. Terror receded as blatant curiosity arose. She tried to lick her parched lips as droplets of water ran down his wet, chiseled chest and continued running until they disappeared into the low-slung waistband of his pants. Pants which, luckily for her, were good and wet and plastered to his magnificent body, leaving little to the rest of her imagination. She nibbled her bottom lip, wanting to lick just one of those lucky, lush little droplets rolling down him.
One jerk of his head moved the long, dirty-blond hair enough to reveal the face of a god. Eyes so intensely green she swore they penetrated her soul.
And shoulders, oh, so big, they would devour her if she were embraced within. Bronzed skin that had been kissed by many a sunray, abs that rippled right down his belly. Part of a beautiful tattoo was visible as it spread about his stomach in a unique pattern, seeming to come from his back.
She’d gone mad. She should be running in stark fear, yet here she stood watching a man emerge from the swamp and wondering about being wrapped safely in those huge arms. Her fingers itched to run them over every hard, muscled ridge, all the way down to …
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Magic-Crimson-Romance-ebook/dp/B00AWWZVAK/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/swamp-magic-bobbi-romans/1114145163?ean=9781440564260
Also available through Crimson Romance, I-Tunes, ARe, Sony, Kobe and many other sites.
Thanks Ella for offering this today. Have a great week.!
(Okay, so it’s Monday–I’ll mention a greet week again on Weds so well all believe it more)
Bobbi
Thanks, Bobbi, and your welcome. You have a great excerpt as well. I can see why she’s mezmerized.
Hi Ella, I enjoyed reading your excerpt and the one posted by Callie. This is from ‘The Rebel’s Promise’.
Jack paused to watch the dancers and his eyes were drawn immediately to Rosie. She looked stunning, but too much like every other woman present, he decided savagely … and she had far too much flesh on display! Her youthful partner was unashamedly ogling her breasts as they came together in the dance. Jack felt an unaccountably strong compulsion to take the stripling by the throat and shake the life out of him. He resisted this unsociable impulse by ramming his hands into the pockets of his breeches and leaning his shoulders against the wall. A giggly debutante, who much admired his heroic good looks, advanced towards him. Noticing the brooding frown on his face, she thought better of it and drifted nonchalantly away.
When the dance ended, Rosie curtseyed low to her partner who, to Jack’s further outrage, took the opportunity to snatch another lecherous eyeful. Without thinking, he marched over to where she stood and, ignoring the blaze of hope which lit her eyes, bowed stiffly.
“Your servant, Miss Delacourt,” he could barely speak for rage, “May I claim the pleasure of your hand in the next dance?”
Rosie’s smoke-grey eyes showed her dismay. She had no idea what she had done to provoke this mood, but he was clearly seething with ill-concealed outrage. Surely even Jack, unquestionably the most audacious man alive, would not dare to cause a scene here … at her engagement party? With an inclination of her head, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. The last dance had been a minuet but the mood became less formal now as the musicians struck up a country dance. All around them, other dancers indulged in the opportunity for socialising, gaiety and even – disguised within the abandon of the dance – amorousness. Rosie was reminded of the dance she and Jack had shared at Christmas, in a very different mood. Why must these memories, all of which made her body ache with longing, keep tormenting her? Studying the clenched muscles of Jack’s jaw, Rosie prayed for the dance to end before he gave vent to his annoyance. Her prayers were ignored.
“Your gown suits you very well,” he informed her, steering her expertly around the floor, “It announces to the world that you have the heart of a common harlot beneath all that expensive silk and lace.”
He might be angry – although Rosie had no idea why – but that was going too far! They were separated briefly by the movement of the set and, when they came back together, Rosie’s own temper – usually slow to ignite – had already reached boiling point. Between his cold fury and her white hot chagrin, it was obvious to even the most casual observer that a sizzling argument was underway.
“How dare you!” Rosie hissed, her hand, gripped tightly in his, twitched convulsively with the effort of not slapping him.
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK4w-ci2bU4
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/282694
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Rebels-Promise/book-aOElLBmNSk2fGx3jBwIKEQ/page1.html?s=GbQVQEIk70KG0jiRrm1rJw&r=1
All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-therebel039spromise-1053355-160.html
Thanks, Ella! Can I also mention that the publisher of my book, Front Porch Romance, are accepting submissions? The link is: http://www.frontporchromance.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65&zenid=srl6naf7r8k98fr8tgdfctton7
Delightful excerpt, Jane. I’m glad you liked mine. Of course you can mention a publisher requesting submissions.
Fantastic excerpt. In such a little piece – pulls the reader right in.
This is from my latest – hoping to be released soon. Hope it’s suitable – I edited it a smidge. Capri is on a corporate jet flying to a remote island.
Having finished the book she was reading, Capri tucked her tablet away and stared at the door blocking her view to the cockpit. She picked up her empty glass, walked to the galley, and filled it, then knocked on the cockpit door. “Anybody in there?”
“No.”
She raised her eyebrows and opened the door. “No? No is not the answer the passenger wants to here.”
Captain Hall sat facing the window with his fingers interlocked behind his head. He lowered his arms, turned his head and smiled, then pointed to the empty co-pilot’s seat.
Capri stepped closer. “Is it okay that I’m in here? You know, FAA rules and all.”
“It’s fine.”
She slipped into the seat and cast her gaze over the numerous dials, switches and display screens. “Oh, wow. Probably should be able to think of something more intelligent but…” She shook her head. “Look at all the electronics.”
“Flying 101. This is the throttle.” He gripped his hand around it. “Think of it as the gas pedal.” He placed his hands on the metal object in front of them. “This is the steering wheel of the plane. And see this.” He pointed to a small screen in front of him, blue on the top and brown on the bottom. “When it is level like that, life is good.”
Capri waved her hand at the other devices. “What about all these?”
“Haven’t the foggiest?”
“Pardon?” She laughed. “You are not instilling confidence in your passenger here.”
“Well then, my telling you that I only got to chapter two in Flying for Dummies is probably not a good thing?” His eyes twinkled with delight.
A brilliant flash of light interrupted Capri. “Oh my God, did we just get hit?”
He did a visual scan of the instrument panel. “Don’t think so. But no worries. Planes are designed to take lightning strikes.”
She swallowed two mouthfuls of her wine. “I didn’t think it would be this dangerous up here. Maybe you were right, and we should’ve waited.”
“Well I tried to tell you that.”
“But? You left a but hanging on that sentence.”
“You were being a bit of a corporate bitch, and since I like my body parts where they are, I figured I’d get you to where you wanted to go.”
Capri fingered a switch on the mid console.
“Be careful. You can finger the switches, but if you flick them, you might not get the result you expected.”
She glanced sideways at him.
“It’s best to handle a plane like a beautiful woman. Twist the nobs gently. Move the switches with a gentle flick and when everything is ready, apply a full power thrust.”
Woohoo, Daryl. I can see where this is going! Thanks so much for posting.
oh yea, I tweeted
Thank you.
I love scenes at inns. One of my heroines arrived at an inn overcrowed with spectators going to see a famous mill between two prize fighters:
As Diana suspected, the Maiden’s Crown indeed had more customers than it had ever had before. To the extent their rooms were already occupied.
“This is an outrage,” Selby exclaimed. “You are addressing her ladyship, the Countess of Northam. And her rooms are Bespoken. I demand you evict whoever is in her ladyship’s chambers and ready them immediately for our occupation.”
The innkeeper visibly shook under the formidable dresser’s assault. “Indeed, Mistress, I have already—”
“Or his lordship, the new earl of Northam, will have you brought up on charges.”
Diana started to reprove her dresser. “Selby—”
Badgett was astonished. “His lordship?”
“Yes, indeed,” Selby replied awfully. “Northam has a new master and when he arrives, there will be an immediate accounting for your incompetence.”
Diana was conscious of the curious stares from every person in the yard. She supposed it must come as a shock to anyone in England that she had finally married.
Wonderful excerpt, Angelyn. Thanks for coming by.
Your excerpt is beautiful. I could picture the whole scene.
From my NA release – Circles Divided – Robert’s older brother has taken Julie’s class hostage. Robert fights to free them
Mike slammed his fist into Robert’s stomach. He doubled over and dropped to his knees. Drops of red landed on his jeans and the floor as blood streamed from his nose. He could taste it in his mouth from the split in his lip. The pain in his side told him the newly healed ribs were cracked again. He pushed himself back up to standing.
“Had enough, baby brother.”
Pttth! Robert covered Mike’s face with blood. Enraged, Mike swung wildly. Robert reacted on instinct dodging punches.
“Hit him, Robert.” Julie jumped up.
“Julie! Sssh.” Mrs. Wolmsley slapped her hand to her mouth.
Both Robert and Mike’s faces snapped in Julie’s direction then back at each other. “Get her out now.” Robert dove at Mike.
“Come on.” Franklin dragged her to the door. The remaining students and teachers followed.
“No. No.” Julie fought to stay behind.
Franklin manhandled her into the hall. “Shut up and listen! Robert said you were smart. He can’t protect you now. If Robert’s gotta worry about you, he could get killed.”
Julie looked toward the classroom. He could get killed rang in her ears.
Buy link – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BBKNDAC
I’ll tweet this as well.
Victoria, thanks so much for liking mine. Yours was great! Thanks for tweeting.
Thanks for the opportunity, Ella. Lots of great excerpts. Here is mine from my upcoming release, The Implanting.
The radio played a familiar tune, and her foot tapped to the rhythm. God, she’d missed music. A new song played. One she’d never heard. The music caught her up, and thoughts of Avant filled her. His smell. His kiss. She danced around the room as her inner most fantasies sprang to life, warming her heart and heating her body. Images of him holding her, making love to her, spending his life with her, filled the space in the beautiful song. Closing her eyes, she swayed with the music, her love and desire thrumming strong inside her.
The song ended. Her eyes opened. Avant stood in the doorframe, watching.
Shit. Those thoughts had been unguarded. A tidal wave of humiliation and embarrassment flushed her from head to toe. What could she do about it now? It wasn’t like he didn’t already know about her sexual fantasies, but to have him catch her red-handed was beyond mortifying.
She squared her shoulders and met his gaze, prepared for some kind of disapprovalrebuke. But her heart skipped a beat. Not the usual look of sympathy or restraint he normally possessed, his eyes flamed wild with passion.
A new tune played, familiar, sensual. For a moment, they stood with just the song between them. The desire emanating from him pounded as severely as the beat of the music.
In an instant, Hhe spanned the distance between them in three strides. With one arm around her waist and the other behind her head, he pulled her into a rapturous kiss. His passion, a breathtaking rush, swept over her and continued to spill like a waterfall, thrashing with powerful current.
Slanting his lips against her mouth, he took as he pleased, and she tried to keep up. Hot and forceful, his tongue danced across hers, his velvet strokes sending electric shocks coursing through her core. Dizziness threatened her balance, and breath was in short supply. She could only hold on. His urgency possessed her like a demon spirit, and heat burned between her legs.
After a time—she couldn’t say how long—his pace slowed, but his kiss, still deep, became languid and full of promise. Leisurely and fluid, his mouth moved but never relinquished his hold. She molded to his chest and would’ve given her fortune to stay in this moment for the rest of forever. His hold loosened, and the kiss slowed like a carnival ride coming to a stop.
Kary, wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
There are some great excerpts here. Thank you Ella for giving us a chance to share/read.
Jane, you’re welcome.
Great excerpt, Ella! I bet you are sooo excited for September!!
I am, Karen, but i’m gearing up for the pre-order in April or May as well.
“Sigh”–I love Marcus! And that excerpt! What a fun blog!
This excerpt is from Mistress of Deception; my Historical Romance Regency Spy series. The hero, Adam is a captive of the heroine’s father, a traitor to the Crown. This is their first meeting.
“You bloody bast…” The invective died a swift death. The stranger, with his arms tied to the backs of his seat, gaped at her. The emerald depths of his eyed sparkled with wariness.
With the tip of her slipper Georgina closed the door and faced him. Her stomach turned over at his bloodied and battered face; his swollen lips, the green of his irises glimmered, like a wild animal’s, full of the need for retribution. The slight tilt of his aquiline nose indicated it had been broken at some point. Georgina, too, had known such pain.
Despite his injuries, she could discern his breathtaking beauty: the hard, chiseled lines of his angular face, his square jaw and chin with the slightest indentation at its center. He possessed the kind of power artists memorialized in stone. She cursed herself for thinking such thoughts at a time like this. Yet she could not look away from his eyes.
“Why are you here?” the stranger asked, his voice hoarse.
Georgina rushed to his chair and set down the tray. Even seated, his long muscular frame filled the room. Her hand quaked with a tiny tremor as she dipped a rag into a bowl of water and gently wiped the blood from his face. It stained her fingers; the potent smell that was sickly sweet and harsh metal combined. Bile climbed to her throat.
A hiss slipped from between his teeth and she bit her lip, hating that she’d caused him further pain. Moments later, the blood was gone, but the bruises stood in dark purple contrast to the olive hue of his skin.
Georgina knelt at his feet. When she picked up his bound wrists, a groan grumbled in his throat.
“Forgive me,” she lightened her grip and focused on his left hand, strapped to the leg of the chair. She’d done this many times before, loosened each prisoner’s bindings one limb at a time in order to massage the bruised skin. She knew it was dangerous to free even one hand or leg of her father’s captive, but her compassion overrode her concerns. Within moments she’d worked one binding free. She probed the area for any breaks but found none. Wordlessly, she continued to rub his injured flesh.
The stranger held up his other wrist, clearly expecting her to free him.
Georgina shook her head. “I can’t.” She wished she could liberate him. With every breath in her body, she wished to. But it would mean death for him and other untold horrors for her. In time she would plan a way to save him, but it couldn’t be right now otherwise her own life would be forfeit.
His hand fell back to the side of the chair.
In a sudden move, he trapped her chin with his free hand. A startled squeak escaped her. She tried to shake free of his grip but he held tight. “What do you want then?”
“I only want to help.”
“The men who brought me here, who are they?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”
He wrapped long fingers around her neck, his hold gentle, but firm. “Who are they?” Despite the furious demand, his thumb rubbed the spot where her pulse fluttered wildly.
Great excerpt, Christi. Georgina has a quiet type of strength.
Thank you, Ella Quinn, for inviting fellow authors to share excerpts. Here’s a shortie from FALLEN EVERMORE:
Chapter One
Seated in a corner booth at Denny’s, criminal lawyer Sophia Mercola drummed her fingers. Where was her client? Not here. For the second time she glanced at the entrance looking for the bearded guy with a smile, all fur and teeth. The animal was no smarter than the fish he caught but just as gentle. Handyman Buck Toolbox was her receptionist’s common law husband. Accused of robbing convenience stores along the California-Nevada border, the dirt road behind the restaurant led to his boyhood single-wide. Her month-long preparation for his trial here in El Dorado County was for nil, but no matter. It ended in an abrupt acquittal. Sipping ice water soothed her throat, parched due to non-stop talking. Soon she’d drive home to the coast, pick up her dogs, and enjoy life.
That would be hard with the horror happening there.
Since mid-September, vicious attacks had rocked Laguna Cove. So far victims were homeless beach bums, not quite murdered. Strangled into submission and buried neck level at low tide, they didn’t drown at high hide. Townspeople were glad they were alive, but it didn’t add up. Everyone was spooked, and it wasn’t yet Halloween.
Pulling at the loose waistband of her skirt, she’d dropped a size. No longer driven, she fretting, something she did when pressure lifted. In a tired-wired state, she twirled a finger around long black locks and spotted split ends. She’d squeeze in a trim before heading to the coast. Near the courthouse where felony judge P.J. Williams presided, a shop nestled between a gun shop and a bar. Maybe Buck was knocking a few back. Outside the window, a soft rain fell in dusty Lone Palm. She hoped it would clear the air for the local bad boy. Buck wasn’t any more popular at home on the coast.
She turned on her new iPhone, impressed she’d mastered the basics. The time was four-thirty. Too early for dinner, but she could use a glass of iced tea. With the staff short-handed, a wait was a small thing. She glanced toward commotion at the doorway. Was the mob coming for her?
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/181009
Hi Kathleen. Thanks so much for stopping by and posting. Nice excerpt.
From THE MURDER OF SUSAN REED:
I was waiting out front under my umbrella when Kit pulled up.
“Ooh, I thought it was so dangerous to be outside alone,” she said, as soon as I opened the car door. But she didn’t wait for me to defend myself. Before I was even done buckling my seat belt, she lambasted Larry. “Ya know, it’s like I told you about David: if a guy wants to date, why doesn’t he get a divorce first? Isn’t that the least he can do for a wife of decades, the mother of his only child?”
I felt a sudden urge to argue the resilience of children of divorced parents. My own daughter seemed to have fared well. Emily remained happily married and still passionate about pursuing an acting career—all while living in crazy Los Angeles. Kit’s son was also married, and the last time I’d seen him, when he was home from Texas for Christmas, he’d proudly if drunkenly boasted about his newly acquired ranch. On the off-chance there was a family upheaval headed his way, I doubted he’d need the services of a child psychologist.
“Well, let’s make sure Larry has been dating, okay?” I refused to give up hope that this was a huge mistake.
I knew I’d said the wrong thing even before Kit responded. “Whose side are you on, anyway?” She sounded as accusatory as if I had fixed Susan and Larry up. And I knew my role right now was not to try to talk sense into Kit or to defend Larry. He would have to defend himself. I’d just have to help her carry out her plans until she managed to prove Larry guilty or, I hoped, innocent.
“Kit, I’m on your side, of course. And that’s why I’d like to think Larry is as good as I’ve always thought he was. But you’re right. Something seems off.”
We drove in silence for a few minutes. Then Kit said, “I don’t even know what the hell Susan does down there.”
“Down where?”
“Down at the office. Where did you think I meant?”
“That’s what I thought you meant. Down at the office.”
I pulled the collar of my trench coat up around my neck. I was staring straight ahead at the road before us, but out of the corner of my eye I could see Kit begin to grin and then laugh. When it seemed safe to join her, I did so.
“Some friend you are,” she said. Her laughter had subsided. “My husband with Miss Nice ’n Easy is amusing to you?”
I put a gloved hand on her arm. “Honey, none of this is amusing. But let’s be sure before we get too worked up.”
http://amzn.to/JxxiQR
Thank you for your generosity and support, Ella!!
Patricia, you’re welcome. Thank you for posting.
Loving all these excerpts! Tweeted and FB Ella!
Thanks so much Nancy. I really appreciate it.
Thank you for this opportunity Ellin.
Here is an excerpt for my best-selling Regency suspense romance, Vidal’s Honor.
Excerpt:
While Vidal joked with his cousin, the viscount scanned the room. The smell of fine wine, whiskey and cigar smoke blended into a rich aroma that was as much a part of Whites as the card games, the background chatter, and outbreaks of lewd laughter from the younger members of the club.
One member in particular interested Vidal tonight, and he watched Robert Dundas, second Viscount Melville, and First Lord of the Admiralty, take leave of his friends and head in his direction.
He wondered why the man spent the best part of the night watching his every move, and paused in the act of fobbing his snuff box while he waited for the viscount to join him.
“Take a walk with me?” Although couched as a question, Vidal noted the quiet steel of command in the other man’s voice. Dundas laid a hand on his arm; a companionable gesture for anyone interested enough to observe the two men leaving the club together. “I believe I live not far beyond your own house. I’d appreciate your company, and this is not the place for such a discussion. ”
With an indolent twist of the wrist Vidal returned the modish lacquered box, unopened, to his pocket and nodded agreement. A man’s club was no setting for private conversation, and it was plain the man wanted to talk about something away from flapping ears.
Together they strolled across the room stopping to take leave of several mutual friends.
Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/bpu7o75
Amazon.co.uk http://tinyurl.com/cgonnnk
smashworlds http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/250882
Hi Sherry. Thanks for posting.
Great excerpt, Ella! Here’s one from my new release, A Baron in her Bed – The Spies of Mayfair Series, Book One.
Horatia patted The General’s nose and fed him an apple. By the time the last of it had disappeared, the clip of a horse’s hooves came from the drive. She peeped out of the barn door and saw the baron, tall in the saddle, riding towards the house.
Horatia stepped out and beckoned him. He caught sight of her and rode towards the stables then dismounted and led the horse inside.
“Sorry, my lord,” Horatia said, adopting Simon’s gruff voice. “We have no footman here. No under-groom neither. I’ll stable your horse.”
“Simon, good fellow,” he said warmly. “I came to thank you again. I am indebted to you.”
“No need for that, my lord,” she said. “Everything’s right and tight here as it happens.” She turned her back to lead his horse into one of the stalls. Seizing a brush, she bent and swept it over the horse’s flanks.
He came to rest an arm on the stall door. “I am relieved. If you had lost your job, I was going to ask you to work for me.”
She straightened to brush the horse’s back, confident of the poor light. “Mighty good of you, my lord. But not at all necessary.”
“Eh bien, merci encore.” He turned towards the door.
Relieved it had gone so well, Horatia stepped out from behind the horse. She looked up to see if he had gone and found him watching her with his arms folded.
The elation left her, and she took a deep, shaky breath.
“Did you really think you could go on fooling me?” A note of outrage lay beneath the humorous tone in his voice. “How many people around here have red hair like yours?”
“My hair’s not red,” she said, incensed. “It’s chestnut.”
“I wondered how far you would carry this ruse, Miss Cavendish.”
She backed into an empty stall as he strode towards her.
He followed her inside. Reaching over, he whipped off her hat, and her hair came loose and tumbled around her face. “So, what do you have to say in your defense?”
“Nothing, my lord.” Horatia lifted her chin, her heart pounding loud in her ears. She chewed her lip. She would have to brazen this out.
Annoyed blue eyes stared into hers. “I do not like to be toyed with. I thought there was something wrong with me.”
“Pardon?”
“Watching you bend over in those breeches. Zut! From the first, I felt a strong attraction to you. And then, when I saw you dressed as a woman, I understood.”
“You knew it was me at the dance?” She scowled. “And you deliberately teased me?”
“Don’t you think you deserved it?” He seized her shoulders and gave them a shake. “You tricked me. Why?”
She swallowed. “No trickery, my lord. I was dressed this way when I found you, if you recall. I needed to keep up the pretense.”
He shrugged. “But why do you dress like that?”
She couldn’t explain her restlessness to him and tossed her head. “I prefer to ride astride.”
He raised a brow. “You like a strong beast moving beneath you?”
She bristled at the insult. “I like to ride alone.” He made it sound as if she gained some sort of indecent enjoyment from the exercise. Her face heated. To ride astride was unfeminine, she knew, but that fact had never bothered her before.
“But to do so places you in peril.”
Horatia drew herself up. “I can handle myself as well as a man.”
“You believe that, do you?” His gaze flicked over her. What was he thinking? She quivered under his scrutiny.
Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/a74s5ne
Amazon.co.uk: http://tinyurl.com/b6nbv9x
http://www.knoxrobinsonpublishing.com
Maggi, very nice. Thanks so much for posting.
Great, Ella! Can’t wait for Sept. Here’s an excerpt from my short story RETURNING THE FAVOR (it’s a Regency Rom.)
A sudden shriek rent the air and Colin charged forward. He barely caught the bundle of white before it hit the ground.
“Are you hurt, my lady?”
Lady Catherine was curled in a tight ball, shaking like the many leaves she disrupted in her fall.
He held her tighter. “I’ve got you.”
She sniffled and lifted her head. Brushing the back of her hand across her cheek, she asked, “Who are you?”
Sunlight streamed through the tree and eyes greener than the surrounding fields met his.
Colin swallowed. The croquet ball earlier lodged in his throat dropped to his stomach. Gut twisting painfully, Colin’s mind blanked. Light brown hair swirled around Matthew’s sister’s face and spilled over her shoulders to tickle his fingertips. Fingertips that rested just below the small swell of her breast.
She gave him a tiny, encouraging smile.
“Lady Trewin is looking for you.” ,” He he blurted, totally disconcerted by the feelings holding her caused.
Then, Colin did a most ungentlemanly thing. He dropped her.
Her outraged sputters followed him on the wind as he fled back to the manor.
See purchase links here: http://priscillashay.com/books/
Priscilla, thank you so much. Loved your excerpt, so funny!
I do so love Marcus, Ella !! He is one of my absolute favorite of your heroes!
Here is another snippet from Wicked In His Arms, my current WIP.
“You think him capable and yet you still managed to trick him into inviting you here.”
“Trick him? I’m shocked at your accusation. Why would I want to trick Tildenbury?”
“Because you can. Why else would a man like you befriend a man like Bennie? You think him stupid and gullible. He fancied your wish to visit his home to be an act of friendship and you took advantage of him.” A virulent anger rose in her. “You and Hightower think Dashwood came here and met some terrible fate. So you cozened Bennie into an invitation and once you have satisfied your curiosity and accumulated enough scandalous tales to tell about my family you’ll be off to regale all of London with every delectable word.” She shouldered out of his coat and pitched it at him. “I have to go and instruct the servants to prepare rooms for you and your friend.” She turned to leave.
“Not just yet.”
In the space of a breath she was wrapped in the coat and snatched against the solid wall of Crosby’s chest. At the top of the tower with an endless night sky as canopy and only snow and wind around them, Eve was trapped. The entire world and she had seen much of it thanks to her nomadic parents, in this moment narrowed to the place where they stood. And in the dead of winter, every inch of her body burned.
“I don’t think your brother stupid. You do.”
“That is the most ridiculous and hurtful thing I have ever heard.” She struggled to get free, which only made him pull her closer. “Let me go.”
“Imagine how it feels for him. His sister doesn’t trust him to defend her honor and she thinks he’s an idiot as well.”
“How dare you.”
“I find your brother the most clever man of my acquaintance.”
The wind whispered into the silence. Snowflakes dusted his hair, his eyelashes. She dug her nails into her palms to keep from brushing it away. Her heart constricted. With all the air whipping around them she couldn’t draw any into her lungs. His hands curled into the black wool of his coat, drawing it closer and closer around her. The white flakes lay in sparkling contrast against the tanned marble of his skin. All of it the perfect picture of a gentleman in complete control of the situation until she looked into the torrid snap of his eyes.
“Bennie? Clever?” She managed to croak out the two words past the enormous lump in her throat.
“Your brother has a rare gift, Miss Tildenbury, a gift for happiness. Why would I seek his friendship? He is happy, truly happy every minute of the day. It is his gift. I envy him.” He stepped back and released his grip on the greatcoat, but continued to hold her captive with his eyes.
“Oh.” His words crashed over her as heavy and powerful as the stones in the tower walls. No further reply came to mind.
Oooh, Louisa, very nice. I can’t wait until you finish this book.
I enjoyed your excerpt, Ella, and laughed when the ostler hauled that poor, besotted young man off to the barn! Thanks for offering to let us post excerpts, too! Here’s a snippet from my traditional Regency romance, MARISA’S CHOICE, which can be found here on Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/axtzy4t
It was an innocent enough remark, Will decided, as he made his way to St. James’s Street and White’s for dinner and a game of cards or dice. Since Brummell had removed to the Continent and Lord Alvanley had taken his place at the table in front of the bow window, the club had taken on a sedate feeling, but tonight he was glad for it. He chose a secluded table in the back where he could be alone with his thoughts.
Only his thoughts were far from innocent, and well he knew it.
I spoke only the truth, but how could I not have noticed before that Marisa has grown so damned pretty?
Just a week earlier, when he had chastised her and made her cry, he had felt a pang of regret deeper than when he had been forced to kill a French sentry the night before the deciding contest at Waterloo began. But that man was a soldier, just like he was, and had known the risks of the battlefield. Marisa was just a girl, after all, and—
He stopped there with a whispered curse, rattling the table top with a bang of his fist.
“I am most sorry, sir. I shall bring another serving at once!”
“What?” Confused, Will watched the waiter hastily remove a platter laden with a thick slice of sizzling beef and a portion of roasted potatoes, which Will did not recall ordering. “No, leave it. It will do.”
“Yes, sir,” the man set the dish back in front of him. “If you are certain?”
“Bentley.” Will picked up his knife and fork and attacked the meat with a sigh of exasperation. “I assure you, I am far from certain of damned near anything these days.”
Very nice. Thanks so much for posting and liking my excerpt.