I’m sharing from the brand new short story I’ve just released for Halloween called Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve. It’s set in the world of my Handful of Hearts series and it will be FREE to those who sign up for my newsletter in October! Just click here. 🙂
Miss Cecilia Powell is attending her first masquerade on All Hallows’ Eve when she sees something just a little strange. A hooded figure in black begins to stalk toward her, a mysterious and handsome stranger in a glittering mask and black domino.
This snippet continues from last week’s. Cecilia and the mysterious stranger have finished their dance and the clock is striking midnight.
(Creative punctuation used liberally!)
“Indeed, I do, for your dancing gave you away,” she giggled again, nervous as the clock began to strike. “I believe I met and danced with your brother at Lady Hamilton’s ball in May–you whirl your partner in just the same breathtaking way he did.” Some of the lightness left her as she said, “I was very distressed when I heard he had—”
“Drowned?” The clock almost smothered his voice as it continued to chime the midnight hour.
“Yes, may I extend my belated condolences to you?” He must be grieving still, for his lips had tightened.
“I accept them with heartfelt gratitude, however, I fear you are mistaken.”
Was he not the new Lord Seaton after all?
“You see, I had no brothers.”
BLURB for Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve:
When Miss Cecilia Powell attends her very first masquerade on All Hallows’ Eve, she’s thrilled when a mysterious reveler pays court to her. As their encounter continues, Cecilia is charmed, then smitten with this masked stranger, even though she senses something odd about him. Is he truly the man of her dreams, or will Cecilia find her dream a true nightmare?
Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve is available at Amazon, B & N, and Smashwords, as well as other e-tailers.
Books in The Handful of Hearts series:
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
Halloween Party at my blog on Tuesday, with prizes: giveaways of copies of Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve, Only A Mistress Will Do, and a signed copy of Ella Quinn’s Three Weeks to Wed, plus gift cards! Stop by my blog and enter a comment for a chance to win!
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
Very mysterious opening. Very serendipitous, too. Last night I read the opening of Louise Penny’s latest murder mystery, Glass Houses, and it opens with an anonymous man dressed all in black . . .just like your snippet. So come on, admit it: are you really Louise Penny?
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That last line got me. What’s he really saying? Can’t wait to read and find out.
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This mystery will be revealed next week, so stay tuned! 🙂
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I love the covers of this series – gorgeous! The plot thickens, for sure, but I have to wonder about the wording of the last line. “I had no brothers” implies he didn’t have them in the past but does now (otherwise, he would say “i have no brothers”)… is that deliberate, I wonder… is he suggesting something mysterious along those lines? Makes my mind go in all kinds of directions!
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There is one other implication of “I had no brothers,” and we find out the meaning of it in the next couple of paragraphs. 🙂
I love these covers too! They sum up the series perfectly! 🙂
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What? Curious!
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Indeed! There’s more here than meets the eye!
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The plot thickens! 😉
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Next week it may bubble over!
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The mystery deepens and she’ll be prettily confused but intrigued, I predict. All this while dancing – love it! Great snippet…
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The mystery is about to be revealed, and she’s confused and a bit more. But that’s for next week!
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Boom! Love it, Jenna! Nothing like a Halloween surprise!
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Yep! And a big one is on the way!
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So maybe he didn’t drown. Very curious! A great snippet and congrats on the release! 🙂
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Or maybe he did. :0 Thank you so much, Jessica!
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I so love your stories, Jenna.
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Thank you so much, Charmaine! 🙂
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Hm, so is he really a mysterious stranger, or is he hiding something, or both?
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Not exactly hiding something so much as trying to tell her something. 🙂
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That line would send a chill down my spine! Regardless of what he means by that, it seems like he’s not the man she assumes!
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Or is he? Thanks for coming by, Carrie-Anne!
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