HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO MOTHERS EVERYWHERE!
Welcome back to another week’s installment of Jenna’s 411!
The sightseeing plane Corrine takes over Cornwall
I have been hunkered down all this week, writing furiously on my time travel novella that will be part of an anthology called Crashing into Love, due to release in early July. The theme tying the books together is that each story begins with a plane crash.
I’m a bit behind my self-imposed schedule because I’ve had more to do at work than I thought I would. Yesterday I wrote almost all day, finishing two chapters and writing approximately 4500 words. I have one more chapter to finish today and it will be done.
Do you want to know what the book is about? Ok, the down and dirty synopsis: Theatre professor Corrine MacGowan is in a sightseeing plane that crash lands in a field in Cornwall. She wanders away from the crash site, led by a strange buzzing in her head that is coming from a black well (think The Ring). She falls down the well and ends up in Cornwall in 1868 at the home of her Master’s thesis subject, playwright Sir Robert Graysill. She immediately meets Sir Robert’s nephew, Ian Hunterly, and once she comes to terms with the fact that she has fallen through time, realizes from her research that Ian is doomed to die within a matter of days. Can she save him and change history? Or let history run its course and lose the man she has come to care for?
So now I’m off to write that last chapter, polish it just a bit, and send her off . 🙂
Still reminding you! My full length Georgian romance, Only Scandal Will Do, is not on sale for .99 at Amazon! This is the first time the book has been priced this low, so please tell your friends and announce on you SoMe. Read Book 1 of The House of Pleasure series before Book 2, Only Marriage Will Do, comes out in June!
Get your copy of Scandal here.
Pre-order your copy of Marriage here.
Blurb:
He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?
Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.
Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she’s a lady, but how can she be? No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her. Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he’ll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who’ll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family’s name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared. He’s betting their future he’ll capture her heart, but does he have what it takes to win the wager?
WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.
This week both my daughters finished at their respective colleges and are now home for the summer. The younger ended her first year with an impressive 3.5 GPA. She’s been at the school where I teach, however, she’s transferring to University of Memphis in the fall to get her BFA in Musical Theatre, which my school doesn’t have. My older daughter finished her semester at VCU in Richmond, but is transferring back to my school in the fall as a technical Theatre major! She’s just landed a job at the Busch Gardens amusement park in the Costume Department and is loving it. So with both of them home, but working this summer , I should have plenty of alone time to write. LOL
One of my author friends on one of my loops is crazy about Kid Rock. My favorite singer, however, is a little more old school. I absolutely adore Sting. Love, love his music. My favorite song of his is When We Dance, one of the most romantic songs I’ve ever heard. Here’s the song for you to enjoy!
See what I mean?
So, how’s your week been?
Please help me welcome back guest author Liza O’Connor. Liza has just published the fifth book in her Long Road to Love series, The Hardest Love. I hope you enjoy Liza’s works as much as I do!
Our memories How reliable are they?
When I was in college, I roomed with a very strange woman, and together we made the strangest occupants of our dorm hall. Without even trying, we managed to terrify our dorm ‘mother’ into thinking we were witches. (or so I recall.)
I will state right now, I am not, nor ever have been a witch. However, my roomie later in life did become a good Wiccan. But there was no witchcraft going on during college. We were just two theatrical young women in a very bizarre college where classes would be shut down and all students corralled into giant auditoriums to watch fake healings. During that particular week, I took a puppet ostrich, a pillow, a blanket and the book Elmer Gantry to the never-ending pontification and healing event. There I read aloud the first page of the book over and over for a very long week.
I still remember the words: Elmer Gantry was drunk. Lovingly and pugnaciously, he was drunk.
If you google Elmer, you will discover that quote isn’t correct. However, it is what my brain recalls clearly, and I did read those lines over a hundred times.
So why aren’t they right? How could I read a sentence a hundred times, and still have it wrong? When did I start getting it wrong?
I probably had it correct when reading it directly from the book. But somewhere during the week, I stopped actually reading it. I’d just open the book and burst out in oration. Thus, it probably started to change then. I also remember the cult leader finally seeing me with my pillow blanket and puppet ostrich far back in the balcony and sending his security goons after us, thus requiring us to scatter.
I’ve no idea if that really happened. Before I found out how terrible memories are, I would have sworn it was true. But now, I’m not swearing to anything. The human brain is a terrible recorder of facts. If you want semi-factual memoirs, write it down as they happen. They’ll still be wrong, but that’s as close to factual as you’ll get to the truth. Unless you are willing to walk around with a video cams & mics attached to you. That would get you closer to the facts.
Turns out you will alter a memory every time you recall it. The more you recall it, the more you change it. Thus, the memories you remember the best are very likely your most inaccurate memories. I don’t know about you, but I find that concept highly annoying and unfair.
The Hardest Love
A Long Road to Love Series
By Liza O’Connor
BLURB
THE HARDEST LOVE IS TO LOVE YOURSELF.
Sam Lancaster is a lost man. Since returning from the war in Iraq, his life has been spiraling out of control. Attempting to escape his troubles, first he moves to a small town of Denton, Iowa, where he becomes the sheriff and beats up the local trouble. When that ceases to work, he seeks peace at a Vermont hunting lodge, where he gets arrested for shooting fish rather than throwing them a line. After spending five months in a work camp to pay for his many crimes, he gets out only to discover Carrie is in danger—again. Convinced he’s the only one who can keep the little Pint Size safe, he rushes back to NYC.
During his absence, Mars has turned the Lancaster estate into a sanctuary for injured vets. Sam agrees to take a test that proves he has Swiss cheese memories that are inaccurate and dangerous. Even knowing this, his PTSD continues to worsen. While he’s deemed to be a poor candidate for a new method of self-correction, his many friends will try anything to save him.
When danger shows up at the Sanctuary, Mars gives him a mission to evaluate the potential threat from certain staff members. On top of his list is Sam’s new girlfriend. Figures!
EXCERPT
Sam dreamt of rescuing Carrie from the bullet ridden car. There were over forty assassins, some on the rooftop, others in windows, and over a dozen on the ground. With a single gun, he took them out. When he opened the door to secure Carrie, she ran past him and into the arms of Dan.
After she ended her ‘Near Death’ kiss with her husband, she turned to him and her eyes rounded in fear. Sam followed her gaze. Damn it! I’ve left one assassin alive. He raised his gun, aimed and click. Out of bullets.
With only one option remaining, he jumped in front of the slow-moving bullet. Pain exploded in his chest.
Sam sat up, his heart pounding. As the pounding continued, he sought another source of the noise. Pissed that he’d just died for unrequited love, he stormed to the door and yanked it open. “What?” he snapped.
A tall, muscular young blonde grinned at him. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”
Her words made no sense. Was he still dreaming? He followed her gaze to his crotch. Shit. He’d gone to bed naked. He chucked her under the chin bringing her eyes back to his face. “Is there some reason you’ve woken me in the wee hours of the morning? I’m a guest, not a patient.”
She laughed. “I’m to take you to see Carlos.”
“Oh, sorry I yelled at you. Come in, I’ll be dressed in a second.”
He grabbed the pants lying on the floor and put them on.
“You prefer commando, eh?”
Sam glanced over at her. While she was a bit plain, he liked her smile…and her ability to appreciate a well-toned body. “Are you Carlos’s physical therapist, by chance?”
“Use to be, but he prefers Colin.” She grabbed his shirt from the floor and tossed it to him.
While in the process of buckling his belt, he still managed to snatch the shirt from the air and drop it to the bed.
“Quick reflexes,” she said with admiration. “How do you keep in such good shape?”
He shrugged. “Just normal stuff. Yank drunks out of their cars and cuff them. Kick the hell out of the local thugs. Carry grown men down two flights of stairs.” Curious to see if he’d terrified her, he glanced up. Nope. She still wore a gorgeous smile.
“So you’re a cop with martial arts training who takes care of his drunken buddies?”
He pulled on his shirt. “Not bad. I was a sheriff with martial arts training who helped my sick buddy to the car so I could get him to a hospital before he died.”
“And did you?”
“Of course. Why would you think otherwise?”
“You seemed a bit grumpy at the door.”
BUY LINKS
The Hardest Love
Book Five
Other books in the A Long Road to Love series
Book One
Worst Week Ever
“Love this book and couldn’t stop laughing from beginning to end.” 5 stars – Alves – Amazon
Book Two
Oh Stupid Heart
“Be warned though, this book is completely different from The Worst Week Ever. Yes, there is still humor, dry wit, situations that you would think…NOT AGAIN but this one humanizes Trent more.” 5 stars – Brian’s Mom – Amazon
Book Three
Coming to Reason
Once again, Ms. O’Connor has written a brilliant book about the complexities of relationships, good and bad. Again, to me, the book is the best break up book EVER and it left my heart singing in the end. Best.Book.Ever…
Book Four
Climbing out of Hell
“In typical @Liza0Connor fashion, crazy things happen which make you laugh out loud.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Liza O’Connor
Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
LIZA O’CONNOR & UPCOMING BOOKS:
Welcome back to Medieval Monday! Today my guest is Mary Morgan with her medieval romance, Dragon Knights’ Medallion. Hope you enjoy!
Blurb:
To right a wrong, two souls are brought together only to shatter when they are torn apart by the deeds of an evil druid.
Dragon Knight, Stephen MacKay’s powers are altered after the death of his sister. Now he is plagued with visions that threaten to destroy his soul. When Aileen Kerrigan falls through a time tunnel, he vows to keep her safe, despite the fact the beautiful but head-strong half-blooded fae could be the death of him.
When Aileen finds out her dad is a Fenian Warrior, she flees to a nearby ruin. Armed with the medallion her mother gave her, and a matching one belonging to a long dead knight, she is flung into the past and finds a handsome but surly warrior who is on a quest. Now it seems her future could be entwined with his, if she doesn’t kill him first.
Excerpt:
Stephen was gathering some food, which Betha had prepared for him understanding he would be away all night. She and Donal had pleaded with him to join in the feasting, but he waved them off rather rudely. He wanted no part of the festivities.
Almost colliding with a couple, he swore softly. Placing the food across Grian, he shifted hesitantly. It was then he spotted…her.
His hand froze on the leather sack. Sweet Mother! What was she doing? And dressed like that? She was a Goddess of the flame. He watched as she was swung up into the air by none other than Brian. Then he dared to slide her down against him.
Dark fury burst somewhere deep inside Stephen. “I’m going to kill him,” he rasped out.
The blood roared in his head, as he stormed across the open field, never hearing those who greeted him in passing—one hand held firm against his sword.
Stephen waited as any warrior would. Let the enemy show himself, he thought. When their dancing brought them nearer to him, he darted in front blocking their path.
They never saw him coming.
Aileen’s back slammed into his chest, and his arms grasped her instantly in a firm grip. “Hey, ouch!” She tried to move, but he held her solid against his body.
Brian skidded to a halt. “Greetings, Sir Stephen.”
He went to grab for Aileen’s hand, when Stephen let out a growl of warning.
“What is your problem? Did you just growl?” demanded Aileen. She tried to pry herself loose, but he continued to hold her firm.
“Mine,” he snarled.
Instantly, Brian’s face went white.
“Thank ye for the dance, Lady Aileen,” Brian clipped out. Giving Stephen a curt nod, he stormed away.
“Bloody. God. Damn. Hell,” Aileen snapped.
Stephen released her, only spinning her around to face him. Something primal within him tore loose. He tried to reason with himself that this was insanity, though his mind and body would not yield. His gaze dropped to those lips—lips he had fantasized about for weeks.
“Aileen,” he choked out before his mouth took hers in a plundering kiss. His lips moved over hers devouring their softness. The kiss became urgent, pleading in its need. His tongue sought hers, and the dance of desire seared their bodies. Raw passion took over his anger, and she opened fully, drawing him against her body. She took her hands and wrapped them around his head, threading her fingers in his locks and pulling him in deeper. Never in all of his life had he felt so right in someone’s arms.
When he broke from the kiss, his breathing was labored. Her eyes were dark with desire for him, and he shook with such need, it frightened him.
“By the hounds,” he uttered hoarsely. In one swift move, he picked her up. Carrying her to his horse, he ignored the hoots, and remarks coming from the crowd. Placing her on Grian, he swung around in back, taking off through a large group of oak trees with only one clear thought in mind.
Buy Links:
Amazon The Wild Rose Press Barnes & Noble APPLE KOBO
I hope you check out this wonderful offering and come back next week when my guest will be Bambi Lynn!
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!
I’m changing it up this week because my Georgian novel, Only Scandal Will Do is on SALE for just .99 at Amazon.
This snippet is from early in the novel. Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam is kidnapped and has been sold in a brothel auction to the highest bidder, a masked man. Here are my 8 from their first encounter:
She jerked away from the touch of his hand, and said, “You may have paid for a slave, sir, but what you find in this room is a lady in distress.”
“A lady in distress?” He laughed and straightened. “How did a lady come to find herself on display at an auction, scandalously clad in a transparent Greek costume, in Madame Vestry’s House of Pleasure?”
“House of Pleasure?” she squeaked.
“Where else would such a thing occur?” The man’s amusement seemed to deepen at her indignation. “And there will certainly be pleasure here tonight, slave.”
Blurb:
He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?
Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.
Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she’s a lady, but how can she be? No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her. Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he’ll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who’ll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family’s name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared. He’s betting their future he’ll capture her heart, but does he have what it takes to win the wager?
WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.
Only Scandal Will Do is available for .99 at Amazon.
And the second book in the series, Only Marriage Will Do is available for Pre-Order here.
That’s all for this week. Hope you enjoyed it!
If you want to read my medieval series, Betrothal, Betrayal, and Beleaguered before my up-coming novella Beloveds releases in early May (if not, Beloveds will have spoilers), they are all available on Amazon, Smashwords, and ARe .
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
Welcome back to another week’s installment of Jenna’s 411!
I revealed my sexy new cover for Beloveds last Friday! Don’t you just love it? I’m still editing the book, but keep tuned to find out the release date, sometime in early May.
My full length Georgian romance, Only Scandal Will Do, is not on sale for .99 at Amazon! This is the first time the book has been priced this low, so please tell your friends and announce on you SoMe. Read Book 1 of The House of Pleasure series before Book 2, Only Marriage Will Do, comes out in June!
Get your copy of Scandal here.
Pre-order your copy of Marriage here.
Blurb:
He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?
Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.
Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she’s a lady, but how can she be? No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her. Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he’ll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who’ll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family’s name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared. He’s betting their future he’ll capture her heart, but does he have what it takes to win the wager?
WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.
Meet Precious
Last week I told you about Precious having seizures that was causing her and her family much pain and distress. I am happy to report that since going on the medication–a sedative–she has had no more seizures that we have seen. She’s eating like there is no tomorrow and is acting more like her old self–climbing up into my husband’s lap and sleeping there. We are all breathing a sigh of relief. Thank you for all your caring notes for her last week. 🙂
“Pirates of the Caribbean Redhead 2012” by HarshLight – Flickr: Pirates of the Caribbean. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons –
I don’t know if you all like amusement parks, but I do. My favorite park is probably the Magic Kingdom at Disney World and my favorite rides there are a tie between Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean. In fact, Pirates of the Caribbean was the very first ride I rode when on my first trip to Disneyland when I was a teenager.
So, how’s your week been?
Welcome back to Medieval Monday! Today my guest is Carmen Stefanescue with her medieval time travel romance, Shadows of the Past. Hope you enjoy!
Blurb:
Anne’s relationship with her boyfriend Neil has disintegrated. After a two-year separation, they pack for a week vacation in hopes of reconciling. But fate has other plans for them.The discovery of a bejeweled cross and ancient human bones opens a door to a new and frightening world–one where the ghost of a medieval nun named Genevieve will not let Anne rest. This new world threatens not only to ruin Anne and Neil’s vacation but to end all hopes of reconciliation as Anne feels compelled to help free Genevieve’s soul from its torment.Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve find her eternal rest?A touching, compelling story of tragedy, loss and the power of endless love and good magic.The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.
Buy Link:
Excerpt:
Andrew pulled her to his chest. “Do you regret you’ve come with me?”
Passion smothered Genevieve’s doubt and guilt. “Never,” she answered, aware of her body’s response to his touch, and she succumbed to his embrace.
The moonlight bathed his face in silver light. Andrew lowered her wimple, and his fingers threaded into her curls. She swayed, enveloped by the dizzy sensation of drowning in the tumultuous ocean of his gaze. The tenderness of his touch raised in her the wish they had lived in another time and been simple, ordinary people. She longed to feel the warmth of his lips on hers. How much she’d have liked to live the rest of her life beside him and bear his children. A dream not likely to ever come true for her. Why not let the feeling lurking in the pit of her stomach take over and consume her whole being?
Aware of the track of her thoughts, she shifted uneasily, a hot flush warmed her cheeks. Drawing in a deep breath in spite of herself, calming the gnawing unease in her mind and the thought of Sister Dominica guessing she was the dough of a sinner, Genevieve repeated, “Never.”
With her eyes closed and their bodies touching she became, for the very first time, simply a woman. She melted in his embrace in spite of the invisible vicious threat breathing around them. Aware they might never be alone again, she fought hard to silence the voice of conscience berating her.
“Oh, God. Please forgive me,” Andrew muttered under his breath when he bowed his head to kiss her. Their lips met in a passionate first kiss.
/././././././././././././.
Far in the forest, the sprightly stream’s clear waters sang their ancient song down the moss-covered banks. Reaching an old, crooked oak tree, bearing the seal of recent lightning damage, the waters trembled, turned muddy and the pale, distorted face of a woman emerged. Her raven black hair floated around her head, the long black tresses writhing and coiling on the waves, like snakes trying to pry free and attack. Her eyes flew open and a hideous grin stretched her lips. She blinked several times and gurgled a hoarse threat to someone known only to her, “You imagine you thwarted my plans even from beyond the grave, but you’re wrong. You shall hear from me. You shall all hear from me! Soon.”
Little by little, the waters of the river became an ugly shade of green, covered the ghastly face, and continued down to the green pastures in the valley while an ominous silence, harbinger of the woman’s spiteful threat, settled over the rugged mountain and its mysterious forest.
I hope you check out this wonderful offering and come back next week when my guest will be Mary Morgan!
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!
I’m finally back again with my current WIP, Beloveds. I revealed my cover on Friday and here it is! Isn’t it sexy? 🙂
I’m starting a little later than my last snippet, but now Thomas and Alyse’s encounter is heating up. And it’s not quite edited, so please keep that in mind. 🙂
She rubbed her cheek against his warm, silky flesh, wondering at his presence but not daring to question it. She simply reveled in each precious moment together.
“I have sorely missed the feel of you in my arms, my sweet,” he said as he tightened his grip on her. “I will never tire of holding you close.”
She nestled closer to him, resting against him. Like she would a pillar that could shelter her for all her life. Idly, she drew her fingers down his hard abdomen, following the curve of his waist to stroke his sleek back. His skin was delicious to the touch.
BLURB:
Passion never dies.
Lady Alyse Braedon frets over her renewed passion for Sir Geoffrey Longford, her first love. They have pledged their hearts to one another, despite the fact that both are recently widowed. Alyse worries that she has not properly mourned Thomas and cannot think herself as true wife to Geoffrey until she puts her feelings for her first husband to rest.
And then Thomas unaccountably appears in her bedroom. She is stunned and confused. When he begins to make love to her, however, she joyfully surrenders herself to his familiar caresses and expert ministrations…until Geoffrey arrives.
Faced with the dilemma of wanting two lovers, Alyse simply cannot choose–until Thomas suggests she doesn’t have to. Instead he and Geoffrey will share her. The scandalous proposition awakens new hungers within her. Can she allow herself to abandon all she’s been taught a proper woman should resist, and find pleasure with both her beloveds?
That’s all for this week. Hope you enjoyed it!
If you want to read my medieval series, Betrothal, Betrayal, and Beleaguered before Beloveds releases in early May (if not, Beloveds will have spoilers) they are all available on Amazon, Smashwords, and ARe .
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
And now revealing the cover for my soon-to-be released erotic medieval short story
I have a medieval trilogy, Time Enough to Love (Betrothal, Betrayal, and Beleaguered) and in about two weeks (early May) a short story (that occurs chronologically at about the halfway point of Beleaguered) will be released. It’s called Beloveds. Two things are different: first, it is very definitely erotic romance, not sensual like my others, and second, if you read it before the rest of the series, you will find spoilers. So if you don’t like to have things spoiled, read the first three before number four. 🙂
So, without further ado, here is the blurb and an excerpt from Beloveds:
BLURB:
Passion never dies.
Lady Alyse Braedon frets over her renewed passion for Sir Geoffrey Longford, her first love. They have pledged their hearts to one another, despite the fact that both are recently widowed. Alyse worries that she has not properly mourned Thomas and cannot think herself as true wife to Geoffrey until she puts her feelings for her first husband to rest.
And then Thomas unaccountably appears in her bedroom. She is stunned and confused. When he begins to make love to her, however, she joyfully surrenders herself to his familiar caresses and expert ministrations…until Geoffrey arrives.
Faced with the dilemma of wanting two lovers, Alyse simply cannot choose–until Thomas suggests she doesn’t have to. Instead he and Geoffrey will share her. The scandalous proposition awakens new hungers within her. Can she allow herself to abandon all she’s been taught a proper woman should resist, and find pleasure with both her beloveds?
EXCERPT:
“Alyse.”
The familiar voice tugged at the edges of wakefulness. Had Geoffrey returned so soon? The sound did not have his deep tone. Yet ’twas a voice she knew well, rich and sensual.
“Do not fret, sweet. ’Twill be all right.”
Alyse struggled to open her eyes, though the heavy lids fought against her.
The bed dipped as someone sat beside her. . Good. Thank the Lord. Geoffrey had returned. Although she would swear it had not been he who had spoken.
A soft hand cupped her face, and she pressed her cheek against it, luxuriating in its warmth. She smiled and her eyes fluttered open at last.
The man seated on the bed had shoulder-length honey-blond hair and warm, beguiling brown eyes. He also defied fashion and wore a thin mustache and beard. His eyes brightened when he noticed she was awake and his mouth turned up in the lazy smile she had come to know so very well.
“Thomas.” The name came out a croak. Holy Father, had she conjured him with her guilt and longing? She shrank back into the pillows.
His smile widened and he caressed her, running one long finger along her jaw. “Aye, sweet Alyse. ’Tis I. Do you feel better now, my love?”
“Better?” She must be dying to see such an apparition. Or mayhap she was already dead and in heaven.
“Aye. You do not shiver as you did a moment ago. I hoped that meant you felt warmer.” He picked up her hand and kissed the knuckles.
Warmth flowed through her, soothing her, making her body tingle with that single touch of his lips.
“Is it really you?” Strength welled within her and she struggled to sit up.
“As ever I was.” He smiled, his gaze sweeping down her body. His eyes darkened with the desire she remembered well.
“Oh, Thomas.” She threw her arms around him, sighing when they embraced the hard-muscled chest she had lain upon so often. “I thought you dead, my love. Did I but dream?”
“Shhh, my sweet. I am here now.” He stroked her head then pulled it back to peer into her face. “I will always be with you, love.” He sank his mouth onto hers, and she melted at the touch of his insistent lips.
Like coming home.
Beloveds will be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble soon. But if you’d like to start the trilogy, they can be found by clicking the thumbnails below.
Welcome back to another week’s installment of Jenna’s 411!
I’m finishing up edits to Beloveds, my erotic medieval short story, and sending it off to my editor. Which hopefully means I can release the book in a couple of weeks. I also hope to reveal the cover this Friday, so please come back for the unveiling!
Meet Precious
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated our cat Precious’s 22nd birthday. Unfortunately, she’s now in ill health. Last weekend she started having seizures, which scared the bejesus out of us. An immediate trip to the vet revealed no definite source (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) and he actually said she was doing well for her advanced age. He thought the seizure was a one-time occurrence and sent her home. However, the seizures haven’t stopped, so we are starting her on anti-seizure medication. We’re praying this works because we want to keep her with us as long as possible and it’s extremely disturbing to have to witness these episodes and be helpless to help her.
Terribly random I know, but my favorite condiment is yellow mustard. I just love it, always have. When I was pregnant with my second child I craved it on sandwiches. So of course now she can’t stand it. LOL What’s your favorite condiment?
So, how’s your week been?
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 