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Five-Line Friday-Ten Lines Today!!
Where authors and readers meet to share and read romance novel snippets!
Five-Line Friday RULES
- Five lines of your current work in progress, new release, soon-to-be-released … whatever. (Do keep it as close to five sentences as you can.)
- You are welcome to post buy links too.
- PG (I don’t have a warning on my blog about content, so it has to be appropriate for all I will delete comments that aren’t appropriate or offensive to some audiences. (Sorry.)
I’m sharing a tidbit from Her Scandalous Wish, my contribution to
Once Upon a True Love’s Kiss Limited Edition Boxed Set.
Rakes, Rogues, Spies, and Pirates-seductive scoundrels all! 8 historical novellas from bestselling authors for only 99¢!
His pulse leaped. Oh, he had an idea or two, but he wouldn’t call the musings dishonorable, more along the order of improper, but absolutely delicious, sensual imaginings. Not altogether wise, contemplating kissing a nameless woman in an obscure arbor housed in the gardens of his soon-to-be-brother-in-law.
The moisture glistening on her plump and pink lower lip, enticed temptingly.
But, then again, who was he to turn down such an unexpected and precious gem? He was about to see one of fantasies of a moment ago realized.
Bradford lowered his head a couple of inches, and her sooty eyelashes swooped downward, fanning her cheeks. Hovering over her parted lips, her breath sweet and slightly fruity as if she’d eaten berries, he booted caution aside.
What could one kiss hurt? He had no intention of taking the moment as far as those in the bushes outside. Perhaps if he kissed her, he would finally recall how he knew her.
No, fool. If you’d ever kissed this woman before, you’d not have forgotten.
BUY HERE:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OiqGHf
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Rrno2J
ITunes: http://apple.co/1VBUAFl
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1jKXgVy
This is my favorite part of the week!
love the excerpt!
Thanks, Denise!
Hi Collette!!
Loved the snippet! Here’s one from my addition to the same anthology! This is from the prologue of THE REDEMPTION OF JULIAN PRICE coming January 4th in the ONCE UPON A TRUE LOVE’S KISS set!
***
Henrietta spun away with tears of anger burning her eyes. Her body may have changed but she had not. She’d always been more comfortable with male companions over females. They had readily accepted her when she’d proven their equal in climbing, riding and other sports, but everything had changed once she’d sprouted breasts.
The revelation of her changed anatomy had come as quite a shock to the boys. Thenceforth, her relationships with her boon companions became awkward and distant. Thomas could hardly looked her in the face anymore. Julian, however, seemed particularly fascinated with her breasts. A month later, he even tried to kiss her at the Michaelmas Fair. In response, Henrietta had balled up a fist and drawn his cork, leaving him with a small hump on the bridge of his nose. Perceiving her breasts as the root of her troubles, she’d considered binding herself, but it was too late. The damage was already done. Her life had irrevocably changed.
***
BUY HERE:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OiqGHf
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Rrno2J
ITunes: http://apple.co/1VBUAFl
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1jKXgVy
Breasts at the root of her problem!! So true! Loved it Vicki!
Great excerpt, Collette,, especially that last line 🙂
Here’s mine from The Sheriff Meets His Match:
Laurel scowled. “I do have a man here. I just told you that.”
Now he was getting irritated also. He stood straight and glared into her upturned face. “Don’t be an idiot,” he said.
She gasped in outrage.
“I was talking about a lover, of course,” he growled.
What the h-e-double-l did that mean, of course?
Men.
You can’t live with them, and you can’t shoot ’em. It’s a felony.
http://authl.it/3qq
Chuckling. Can’t shoot ’em. That’s great!
Great excerpts today!
Sharing from Dead Reckoning which is now available for pre-order.
Kellee’s unselfish caring had begun to heal him.
She rubbed her cheek against his back, attempting to console him, but the sensual movement had the opposite effect. Shifting to ease his discomfort, he stared ahead at the water and concentrated on keeping the boat off the shoals.
Reaching behind him, he drew her to his side. Her presence was like a balm, soothing and peaceful. Breathing in her scent, he relaxed. She snuggled against him, fitting him like a missing puzzle piece. He brushed a kiss across the top of her hair. He didn’t deserve her. He didn’t want to want her in his life. But he needed her. More than he needed his next breath.
http://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-Northstar-Security-Stanalei-Fletcher-ebook/dp/B016BXS4FC/
I love that line, “fitting him like a missing puzzle piece.” Wonderful!
From Cassie to the Coast:
Cassie and I walked side by side along the shore as the setting sun dipped, fiery red, into the sea. She seemed to be deep in thought. Our broken connection at the rest stop this morning, or our reconnection at Lincoln City beach? The weirdness with Toni or the clash with my sister-in-law Corinne?
The wind, which had been whipping her Polynesian batik wrap around her, slackened.
See, this is what was so weird about the whole day – The sudden swings of emotion. Lies and honesty, passion and turmoil, and then sudden calm, and still all I could think of was being next to her.
We walked a ways farther, not talking, then Cassie reached out her hand toward me. I took it, and I counted that as good enough for now.
http://peytonreese.com/contemporary.html
Oh.. follow that link to read two samples from the story. – Peyton
Lincoln City? Love it.
Thanks!
The story is divided into four parts. Part One begins in Dundee and ends in Lincoln City. Much of Part Two occurs in Newport, and points south. Part Three is mostly Portland. Part Four begins in Depoe Bay.
For Collette’s more distant readers, these are all locations in Oregon, USA.
A wonderful selection again, everyone! Thank you Collette, for giving us this opportunity. This snippet comes from my new Regency release, ‘Treasure Beyond Words’. It is available from Smashwords etc. and will be out on Amazon very soon.
“Indeed, sir? Then I believe you shall also be glad of it now, to aid your endeavours.” Stepping on to the jetty, she approached the red boat. “Be so kind as to hold her steady, sir.”
Taking a firm grasp of the pole, she gathered her skirts in her other hand and climbed into the craft, where she made short work of tying the shirt to the ‘mast’ by its sleeves. It hung in limp disinterest of its task, there being little breeze to lift it, but Amelia was hardly concerned with that. In handling the fine linen, she had released aromas trapped in the fabric in spite of washing; a sensual mix of soap, sandalwood, wood smoke and man. All of a sudden, her mouth went dry and her heart jumped. Be still, oh foolish organ, she chided it. He is not for the likes of you; not any more.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/586750
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00I04PYPE (Author page)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00I04PYPE ( ” ” )
I bet the foolish organ didn’t listen.
Very intriguing!
Thanks, Collette! My lines are from Shy Violet, the third Wildlfowers of Scotland novel. http://amzn.com/B012BLSAKM
When the pirates finally sailed into Fionnphort, the shoreline in front of them was blacker than black with a single white light reflected in the onyx waters. Violet suspected that they had hovered just off the coastline until darkness set in – most likely for reasons she didn’t care to know about. When she questioned why they were dilly-dallying around instead of getting on with it, they threatened to drop her off on the uninhabited Treshnish Isles to spend the night with the Atlantic puffins.
“What am I supposed to do until morning?”
“That’s your problem noo, isn’t it lassie? We gave you free passage, as agreed. We fulfilled our end of the bargain. Noo it’s up to ye to do what ye promised.”
It didn’t seem wise to remind them that she hadn’t promised to do anything. “But this isn’t even a proper port.” She squinted her eyes and managed to make out a boat and a dock. That was it. “There’s not a hotel or a rooming house or a pub or a car hire or anything. You can’t just leave me here.”
Bradford is definitely a sexy hero, Collette! Goodness !!
Here is an excerpt from A PERFECTLY UNREGIMENTED CHRISTMAS, my Christmas novella in CHRISTMAS REVELS II which goes live tomorrow !! VERY nervous, but also excited for everyone to read our Christmas offerings. In this excerpt Ebenezer Miserington, Viscount Pennyworth meets Mrs. Annabelle Winters, governess, for the very first time.
He gripped the back of the leather chair, leaned over it, and came nose to nose with the most striking woman he’d ever seen in his life—soft grey-blue eyes shone from a heart-shaped face framed by a thick halo of braided and pinned sable hair. Not young, but not yet thirty. She blinked, squeaked a word he’d seldom heard a lady use, and promptly swatted at him with a thick, leather-bound book.
Ben caught the book mid-swing and took a step back. “Is there anyone on this estate who doesn’t intend to assault me for no good reason?”
The woman erupted from her chair in a wave of grey velvet draped over a very fetching figure. Hands on her hips, she raked him up and down and turned up her blade of a nose. “I had every reason. You startled me.” She snatched the book from him and dropped it on the reading table between the chairs. “Who else has assaulted you?”
“Today? A number of vicious urchins, possibly a goat, and a bookish harridan who needs to learn to be quiet if she is intent on success as an assassin. Are there any other women lurking about this room? Startling anyone else might be the death of me.” To quash his urge to give the lady a far more lingering once over than she’d given him, Ben gave her his back and returned to the opposite hearth to take up his brandy.
Here are the buy links for CHRISTMAS REVELS II
http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Revels-II-Regency-Novellas-ebook/dp/B016CV9G6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444879593&sr=8-1&keywords=christmas+revels+II
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-revels-ii-hannah-meredith/1122771468?ean=2940152400946
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/christmas-revels-ii-four-regency/id1047951334?mt=11
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/christmas-revels-ii-four-regency-novellas
AND in honor of CHRISTMAS REVEL II’s Release CHRISTMAS REVELS is on sale for 99 cents !! Here are those buy links.
Amazon link – http://tinyurl.com/lzlkwrr
Nook link – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-revels-hannah-meredith/1120813398?ean=2940149987016
Smashwords link – https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=christmas+revels
Kobo link – http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/christmas-revels-four-regency-novellas
Brilliant as usual, Louisa!
Lovely pieces. I do enjoy reading them all. This one is from Gingerbread Bride, my novella in the Bluestocking Belles’ box set Mistletoe, Marriage, and Mayhem, which will be released in just over a week.
The innkeeper took the news of a stranded coachload of passengers in his stride. “Some of the men will ’ave to double up, sir, but I’ve a good suite for you and your sister: two bedchambers and a private sitting room.” He looked at the two of them suspiciously.
“And will Miss Reid’s maid be arriving with the others?” Reid was the surname Rick had written in the register.
“My maid, unfortunately, was taken ill and was not able to accompany me,” Mary said.
“You should not have gone on without her, sister, dear,” Rick scolded. “Fortunately, I was at home to receive your message and was able to follow after you before any harm was done.”
My goodness, he sounded exactly like a patronizing older brother. She snapped back, “All would have been well, if the coachman had not landed us in a ditch.”
He opened his mouth to say something more, but his leg suddenly gave way, and he lurched, catching her shoulder as she moved to support him, her irritation forgotten.
Such a wonderful title and excerpt, Jude!
I love the titles!
I love all the snippets I find on your site. Here is mine.
He sank back into the chair. “I didn’t kill her.”
“But you were in her house on November 21.” Claressa scrutinized his face. The day-old beard. The haggard, rebellious look. She knew he’d been there. She had no doubt at all.
“I think that’s enough. My client has no more to say.” Like rotating apes on a carousel, it was Matthew’s turn to speak.
“One more question.”
“No,” Hebert stated.
Why? She wanted to badger West Morgan until he spilled the truth. She knew how, what, where, and who. All she needed was why. What was his motive?
As his attorneys escorted him from the room, Claressa threw one last question at him. “Are you left-handed?”
West Morgan stopped at the doorway, glared over his shoulder at her and answered, “Unfortunately, Ms. Dupré, I’m ambidextrous.”
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015X2IK74?keywords=Crescent%20Moon%20by%20Patricia%20Charles&qid=1445813002&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1