Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!
This week I’m continuing snippets from my upcoming Regency Christmas novella, It Happened Under the Mistletoe. It’s a companion piece to last year’s It Happened at Christmas, and is the story of Roger, Lord Daventry (friend of Nicholas, Lord Benberry from It Happened at Christmas) and Lady Sylvia Montgomery.
To set the scene, Roger has come with his cousin to a winter’s ball in London to meet the young lady the cousin is enamored of. But Roger loses his cousin in the crowd, and ends up careening around the room, landing on his knees in front of someone in a white gown.
I’m still working on the blurb, but will have it done by the time I release it.
EXCERPT:
She stared down at him, an incipient smile on her coral lips. Her dark eyes sparkled with mirth in a face of porcelain, her cheeks tinged with pink. Luscious ebony hair was piled high on her head in a mass of ringlets, some of which had come loose to coil becomingly around her face and long neck. A vision in white that literally took his breath away.
“Are you quite all right?” The vision extended a gloved hand.
In a daze, he took it and hauled himself to his feet, unable to wrest his gaze from her.
“Are you all right?” She spoke louder, perhaps assuming his hearing had been injured in his fall.
His hearing was fine–it was his tongue that wouldn’t work.
And now to finish the scene :
“Should we call the surgeon for you?” Her black brows had drawn down into a charming frown. “Mamma is just here. Perhaps I should—”
“I’m fine.” Roger gasped in air and pushed the words out. He could scarcely hear himself for the roaring in his ears. “I…I do beg your pardon for falling at your feet like that.”
She gave him a brilliant smile that stopped his breath once again. “Oh, good. You’re able to speak. I thought for a moment you were having an apoplexy, although you’re quite young to have one. My uncle Robert died of one a few years ago, but he was very old.”
It Happened Under the Mistletoe will release in November, so keep an eye out for the release party here on my blog.
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
Christmas Romance Novellas
by Jenna Jaxon
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I love their dialogue. Will he be able to continue a conversation with her, or will he keep tripping over his tongue?
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His reaction is priceless — gobsmacked not by a fall, but by a woman. I wonder if he’s had this reaction to any other woman, or does he suspect he’s found The One.
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I love that word gobsmacked! And you are absolutely right, Ed, it describes Roger perfectly.:)
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Last line in the snippet really pulled me in. I like a little awkwardness in a hero–really makes him adorable.
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Thank you, Shari! Roger really is not awkward–until he meets this young lady. The ground just came away from under his feet when he met her.
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She’s conversing circles around him! lol
That cover is gorgeous! His red and her green are stunning for a Christmas story. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Teresa! It really is a festive cover, isn’t it? 🙂
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Fabulous scene. Apoplexy – haven’t heard that in a while/
Tweeted.
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Thank you, Daryl! Isn’t that a delicious old world word for stroke? 🙂
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She’s certainly calm and collected. He’d better get a grip and catch up! Enjoyed the snippet…
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Thank you, Veronica! Yes, they are rather an odd couple at this point. Good thing opposites attract. 🙂
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I enjoyed the contrast between her polite inquiries and his tongue-tied awkwardness.
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Thank you, Aurora! 🙂 They do make quite the odd couple at this point.
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Aww, they’re both so adorable! Great snippet!
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Thank you, Jessica! That’s exactly what I was going for–a very fun, light-hearted couple. 🙂
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