Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!
Today I’m continuing with my Christmas novel that releases at the end of September, The Widow’s Christmas Surprise. This is book five of The Widows’ Club series and is Maria’s story.
It releases this coming Tuesday, September 29 in print, e-book, and audio book!
Here’s the blurb:
BLURB:
The death of her husband has thrown Lady Maria Kersey’s future into doubt—and her heart into the arms of a man she cannot have. But Christmas with the Widows’ Club will bring choices—and surprises–that may change all her holidays to come . . .
Maria just gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter—but the event is shrouded in sorrow. A month earlier, Maria’s husband, Lord Kersey, was killed in a duel under compromising circumstances. Worse, Maria’s failure to provide a male heir has stripped her of any hope of an inheritance. Scorned by the ton, one of her few allies is her late husband’s steward, Hugh Granger. Hugh is everything her husband was not—warm, charming—and penniless. . . .
Hugh has fallen desperately in love with Maria, but has little to offer but comfort. As their attraction becomes impossible to resist, Maria flees to London to spend Christmas with her dearest friends, a group of widows who lost their own husbands in the Battle of Waterloo. Little does she know the holidays will reveal a twist of fate she never expected—proving that the greatest Christmas gift is the magic of true love . . .
I’m starting this snippet well into the book because this is a fun scene. Maria is about to leave her lover, Hugh, to go to Scotland until they can marry. Hugh has taken Maria out for a final outing, to spend some time together before they have to say goodbye. They have now begun to skate.
We are in Hugh’s POV.
EXCERPT:
“I see it came back to you,” he steered them down the center of the pond toward the bulrushes at the end, then turned to head back up the far side.
“It did–this is so marvelous–I did not realize how much I had missed it until I started to skate.” Maria’s excitement was infectious. He’d not thought of skating since last year, but now the thrill of the speed—almost like flying—seemed one of the most exhilarating things he’d ever done. “Take my hands like this.”
He clasped her hands, left in left and right in right, until they faced one another, then he began to spin them around, faster and faster until the world sped by at a dizzying pace.
Maria leaned her head back, laughing up to the cloudless sky, her face more beautiful than he’d ever seen it.
He slowed them down until they stood facing one another, panting. “I love you.” Hugh managed to get the words out before he sank his mouth onto hers.
And now to finish the scene :
The kiss was quick—they were still both gasping for breath—then a gulp of air, then he kissed her again. Longer this time, pressing against her even as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her to him. Another breath and he settled in for a lengthy kiss that he deepened, delving through her lips, into her mouth, tasting all the entrancing flavors that were uniquely her. God, he would never get enough.
Slowly, he came back to his senses and broke the kiss, albeit reluctantly. Maria nestled her head on his chest, as though it was the most natural thing in the world to do on the middle of a frozen pond.
“Do you still want me to leave?”
The Widow’s Christmas Surprise is available for pre-order on Amazon, B & N, Kobo, and Apple.
I’ll be running a Christmas giveaway between now and September 29 when The Widow’s Christmas Surprise releases. The prizes are signed print copies of the previous Widows’ Club books, Christmas ornaments, swag, and a $25.00 Amazon gift card. To enter this Rafflecopter giveaway, click here.
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
Great emotions building in this scene. I’m guessing the answer to the question is a strong “no.”
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Thank you, E.D.! You’ll find out next week!
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Beautiful scene building! I can almost feel the brisk winter air on my cheeks as I skate along. Of course, in my case, the scene would end up with me falling on my ample hiney and possibly cracking the ice rather than with a handsome swain breaking the ice with a kiss.
~Cie from Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost~
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Thank you, Cara! I sympathize. I’ve never set foot on ice and if I did, it would not be pretty!
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Such a sweet scene! I am so looking forward to reading this story! 🙂
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Aww. Thank you so much, Teresa! Two more days! 🙂
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I’m sure she doesn’t want him to leave! Nice descriptive scene.
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Thank you so much, Elaine! 🙂
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I currently have a migraine causing dizziness, so I don’t even want to think about spinning around. That said, I still enjoyed the snippet.
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So sorry about your migraine, Ed! Definitely not the scene to imagine in your head at the moment. But glad you enjoyed the snippet!
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A very romantic scene, though the last line is a bit heartbreaking.
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Yes, that last line is at the crux of the scene. They are there because she’s leaving, with the hope they can be together in the future. And we know how that often works out!
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I enjoyed the way the scene built and built in intensity (although now I have vertigo from all that spinning LOL)…yeah, no, don’t leave! Not after a kiss like that! Great snippet…I love the cover, in case I forgot to say that weeks ago.
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Thank you so much, Veronica! And yeah, I wouldn’t be able to spin like that either. LOL And I’m glad you like the cover (I think you did comment on it earlier, so no worried!). So Christmasy!
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Pair skating is so magical and romantic! I bet the answer to that question has now changed.
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I think it is too, Carrie-Anne! And yes, they want that answer to change, but they know it’s impossible at the moment, no matter how they feel about one another.
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That’s the kind of kiss that would tempt even me out onto the ice. Hopefully it won’t melt under their feet. This is at the top of my Christmas reading list!
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Aww, than you so much, Nancy! Hope it gets you in the Christmas spirit!
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Glad I preordered because it looks like another good read, but I think I’ll read it closer to Christmas! 😊
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I’m sure with your TBR list that won’t be a problem, Sandy! 🙂 Thanks for coming by!
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