Sneak Peek Sunday!

Welcome! Today's blog post has a new name. Instead of Section Sunday, this day's posts will now be called Sneak Peek Sunday! Several authors are joining together each Sunday to bring you six paragraphs of one of their works. Find out more about it here.

Today I'm bringing you six paragraphs from the Tease Entice book I'm editing right now, Silent Surrender. I don't have a release date for it yet, but it's soooooooo coming along and I LOVE these characters! Meggie and Quinn had a fling in his hometown of Dublin eight months ago. Now he's come to her Highland village of Glenhalish (From Her Highland Champion and the June Tease book Carry Me Home) to find her and explore the connection they have. She is worried about her reputation in her tiny village. In this scene, they've just been making sandwiches for a group of people watching football at her house when he starts this conversation. Let me know what you think!

“Meg, I wanted to explain about the picture. I’m sorry I seemed insensitive to it, but try seeing it from my point of view. People recognize me all the time. Some ask for autographs, others want pictures. Some take what they want without me even knowing it. When I first started coaching and people recognized me, it drove me mad. But the reality is I can’t control everyone’s movements. Unless it’s something that’s truly offensive, I don’t get angry about it anymore.” He pulled her knuckles to his lips and kissed them. “And I really did love that picture. I went to the store and bought more copies of it.”

Why did warmth coil in her belly at those words?

Quinn invaded her space and cupped her cheek. “It’s a wonderful picture of you with your ginger curls, that purple shirt molding to your lovely curves.”

“Don’t.” But she didn’t push him away.

His thumb swirled along her skin and the scent of him invaded her nostrils. “Why do you fight it? Us?” His lips brushed over the shell of her ear. Dizziness swirled inside her brain. So much she wanted to give in, to fall back into his strong arms, to feel the muscles in his chest, his back, to surrender to the beautiful experience she could have with him. But she had too much to lose.

She raised her hands, planted her palms on his chest. To ward him off, aye?

---

Section Sunday!

Welcome back to Section Sunday!

 

Today's story is a bit of my next Honor Guard submission, Don't Say a Word. I'm hoping to have it ready to submit by June.

 

The story is about an American woman, Brynne, who is in Mexico to learn Spanish and the culture. She "overhears" something she shouldn't, but she doesn't know what it is because....she doesn't speak Spanish. Her bodyguard, Jas, is a member of the International Protective Network (IPN), but he's got other plans for his visit to Mexico. It's REALLY rough, but maybe you can see why I'm having so much fun with this couple. To set the scene, someone just took a shot at them.

 

“Are you all right?” Jas pushed himself up. She continued to shake. Without invitation, he swiped his hand over her backside to brush away the pieces of glass from her ass. She didn't move. Okay, now he was officially worried. The Brynne he'd been with would have smacked him for that innocent touch.

“Hey.” Had she been hit? A lead weight thudded in his gut.

 

Faint whispers accompanied tiny shivers coasting through her body. No blood around her or on her clothes. Maybe she was just in shock.

 

He crouched close to her and bit back the command forming in his mouth. She wasn't used to this lifestyle. He couldn't take it out on her.

 

“Brynne.” He reached for her hair and tucked it behind her ear.  The soft strands reminded him she was fragile, gentle, vulnerable. “Are you hurt?” Easing his hand on her back, a tiny bit of him was relieved to feel her steady breaths through his fingers.

 

“No.”

 

Her voice broke with that one word and Jas had an unbelievable urge to tear the shooter limb from limb.

Section Sunday!

Welcome back for another Section Sunday! Today's snippet is from my Work-In-Progress (WIP), Broken Road. It's set in my favorite fictional Scottish Highland village of Glenhalish. The story is a contemporary romance between Catriona MacGregor and Ewan MacDougall. Catriona, or Cat as she prefers, is the best friend of Ewan's sister. They've all grown up together and she's loved him for as long as she can remember. Of course, he doesn't have a clue. I hope you enjoy!

Cat drifted out the back door of the Kierlain House and wandered through the path to  Glenhalish proper. The sunrays warmed her skin and the fleeting breeze brushed her hair over her shoulders. At the start of her day, when she first decided to bake him a cake, it had sounded like a grand idea. Now, though, her nerves tightened a bit more with each footstep toward his door.

“Don’t be daft,” she mumbled to herself. “It’s only a cake.” It wasn’t like she’d barge into his home and strip down to the black silk bra and panties covering the very parts of her she wished he’d….

Cat jerked to a halt. For the first time in ages, she worried. Should she keep walking and bring the cake home? If she followed through with her plan would she say something or do something daft?

What if….what if he rejected her?

“Nonsense.” She shook her head and started her feet again. “I’m smarter than that. I’ve been doing this sort of thing for years. It’s perfectly natural.”

“What’s perfectly natural?” A deep voice reached out from behind her. Pebbles crunched under his feet as the man in question joined her at her side.

Her body tingled as the scent of him enveloped her. "Nothing. I’m just talking to myself.” Casual, Catriona. She steered her gaze to him and drank in the sight of him. Dark clothes, knapsack easily dangling from one shoulder and that crooked smile.

“That’s not a good sign, Cat.”

“Well, it hasn’t been a problem yet. And besides, sometimes I get the best answers that way. Where are you coming from?”

“Work. Where are you going?”

To tempt you into a kiss. “I was heading to your house.”

“Aye? And why is that?”

She held up the plate. “I brought you a cake.”

Outside his fence, Ewan stopped. “A cake.”

"Aye."

One eye narrowed. “What do you want?”

Him.

Section Sunday!

Welcome back to Section Sunday! In honor of my new book contract, I'm sharing another section of Silent Surrender, which will be part of Decadent Publishing's Tease line later this year. Quinn and Meggie are in her kitchen making sandwiches for a group of people. Hope you enjoy!
 

Quinn invaded her space and cupped her cheek. “It’s a wonderful picture of you with your ginger curls, that purple shirt molding to your lovely curves.”

“Don’t.” She said, but she didn’t put him away.

His thumb swirled along her skin and the scent of him invaded her nostrils. “Why do you fight it? Us?” His lips brushed over the shell of her ear. Dizziness swirled inside her brain. So much she wanted to give in, to fall back into his strong arms, to feel the muscles in his chest, his back, to surrender to the beautiful experience she knew she could have with him. But she had too much to lose.

She raised her hands, planted her palms on his chest. To ward him off, aye?

“We were so damn good together,” he whispered before his teeth grazed her earlobe. “We could be again.”

Her breasts tingled, yearned for the touch of his hands, his lips, his tongue. Oh, what this man could do with his mouth! She inhaled an unsteady breath.

She shook her head. “No,” she said with absolutely no conviction.

“Come on, Meg.” His hand drifted up her side, under the curve of her breast. “Let me have my way with you again.”

“No.” Did that come out firmer this time? “I don’t want to.”

“You do.”

Her head shot up. “Calling me a liar, are you?”

“Yes. I can see it in your eyes, in the way your body responds to me.” He pressed his thigh further against her, teasing her while he swiped his thumb over her clothed nipple. “Stop fighting me.”

Bugger. Her whole body shivered. “I said no, Quinn.” She slapped her palms against his chest and shoved. Of course he didn’t move.

“‘Ere. I’ll thank you to take your hands off me sister.” Jamie’s hardened voice held a thinly veiled threat.

Section Sunday!

Welcome back to another edition of Section Sunday!

 

Today's section is from my curent work-in-progress. It's a full length romantic suspense, which means it's over 250 pages. I actually wrote the rough draft back in the summer of 2011 and only now have I worked out the time to play around with it. I'm already in love with the hero, Cole. The heroine, Amanda, is growing on me too. Hope you like this first peek!

 

Amanda Williams' ankle throbbed, her head pounded and she desperately needed a cookie.

For every mound of snow she shifted to one side of the driveway, it was as if three more fell back onto her path. But if she had any chance of getting out of this ridiculous town, she had to keep shoveling.

She blew her bangs out of her eyes, flexed her frigid fingers around the shovel handle and pushed the metal into another pile. Last night’s storm had dropped a foot of snow over the car and every other surface. Thankfully bright sunshine glanced off the pristine snow this morning. The scent of burning logs from somewhere close by mingled with the crisp, clean smell of the pine trees separating her rented home from the only neighbor for miles. Okay, so this place wasn't so bad...for someone else.

She couldn't stay here. She didn't feel safe.

She’d escaped to this remote part of New Hampshire to avoid the coming holidays and all the festivities that went with it. Amanda had no reason to celebrate Christmas and she definitely didn’t care that a new year was right around the corner. All she wanted was to run away.

Run. Right. Like that would ever happen again. A madman had taken that chance away with a three-inch blade six months ago.

She blew out a deep breath and went back to shoveling even with the chill running ragged over her spine. 

A slow creaking noise seeped into the air.

Amanda gasped and jerked upright, but quickly gritted her teeth. It wasn't Corling. He was serving a hefty sentence in jail for trying to kill her. No, the noise belonged to her neighbor’s front door. 

“Morning,” the man said as he walked toward her. He stood well over six feet tall with broad shoulders. His dark blond hair fell too long below his ears and he had a beard. Snow crunched under his construction worker boots. The thick, brown winter coat he wore created sparks of jealousy rumbling through her cold body.

“Who are you?” Her fingers flexed around the shovel handle.

“Cole Alexander.” He held out his hand. “Your neighbor.”

“Not for long.” She ignored his hand and braced the shovel between them, as if that alone could protect her. He didn't wear a hat, but in every other aspect he reminded her of Paul Bunyan.

He dropped his hand and squinted against the sun behind her. A hint of annoyance flashed across his handsome features. “Contrary to popular belief I am one of the good guys.”

She narrowed her gaze at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. So, you’re renting that cabin?”

“That was the plan.” She glanced toward her supposed sanctuary. 

“You really should wear gloves to work out here.” 

“I hadn’t planned on shoveling.” The snow that dropped through the night had been an unwelcome surprise when she woke up.

“If you need something in town I’d be happy to pick it up. Or you can come with me.” 

Granted everyone she'd run into in this town had been very kind so far, but she wasn't about to get into a vehicle with a strange man. Especially not one who looked as tough as he did. “I don't think so.”

“Are you sure?” He tossed his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m heading out there now.”

“Thank you, but I’m not shoveling to get to town. I’m trying to get out of here.”

“So soon?”

“I was promised this place would be out of the way.”

“It is. Town’s three miles away.”

“I was also told I’d be alone.”

“Well, I’m not living with you. I’m only next door and our cabins are fifteen yards apart.”

“Not good enough.” She shoved the shovel into another random mound of snow. “Look, it’s nothing personal.”

“Of course it’s not.”

“I just...” She stared out across the woods. “This wasn't what I had in mind when I came up here, that's all.”

Section Sunday!

Good morning! Happy St. Patrick's Day! While I'm out celebrating my heritage, I'm sharing with you another part of my recently submitted story, Silent Surrender. This is the story with the Irish football coach who has come to the Scottish Highlands because he can't get the heroine, Meggie, out of his mind after their amazing weekend. In this snippet, Quinn is sitting at the bar and Meggie is working as the lead bartender. In honor of the holiday and Quinn, I give you Silent Surrender:

When the games began to finish and the crowds fell away, Ewan left her in charge and went home for the night in the arms of his on-again-off-again girlfriend. Meggie needed to do another round of dishwashing. She'd put off working around Quinn long enough.

“You’re still here?” She gathered the empty glasses and dirty napkins left from his entourage. “No signatures to give out or lasses’ numbers to collect?”

“None.” He took the last swig of his drink and set the empty glass in front of her. “I’ll have another.”

Only a few lads still sat watching the last of the night’s games.

“So tell me,” she began while refilling his glass. “You’re on holiday. Is this all you intend to do? Sit in the pub, watch football matches, and drink?”

“I’m only waiting to hear from my lovely lass when our date will be.”

“I’m not your lass and are you familiar with the phrase when hell freezes over?”

“Oh, but you already agreed.”

“Aye, but that was to get you to stop holding me hand.” She pulled another rag out of a bucket by her feet, grabbed a small tray and walked toward the far side of the bar, the area with the pool tables and several empty glasses and dull bar lights. No doubt he would be watching her. Hopefully her knees would keep solid.

“Margaret MacDougall, I thought you a better person than that.” He took a sip of his drink and sauntered over toward her. “You, trying to get out of our deal. I’ll not take no for an answer. Come on. You said yourself we had a good time together. I’m only asking for a few more good times with you.”

She tossed the dishrag onto the tray and pressed her free hand to her hip. “I’ll not go to bed with you again.”

“I’m not asking you to. I enjoy your company out of bed too, you crazy woman.”

What was she thinking even considering this? In only a few hours, with a load of people surrounding them, he’d broken down her wall of defiance. What would he be able to do to her resolve when it was just the two of them? She moved to the corner table.

“Meg, it’s one more long weekend, a few more days to share stories. A chance for you to play tour guide in your hometown.” He crowded close to her, trapping her between the wall, the table and him. “Do you not remember our site-seeing in Dublin? Temple Bar, Jameson Distillery, the Guinness Storehouse. We even met up with your friends and took that River Liffey tour.” His fingers drifted up to her cheek and brushed against her skin.

The tray wobbled in her hands, clinking the glasses together. She set it on the table before she dropped it. “Yes, I do remember that.” Don’t look up. “It was grand.” Don’t react. No doubt, people would be watching. His hand slinked in to cup the back of her neck, his fingers rubbing her skin and igniting shivers down her spine. “But...”

His eyes twinkled and a sexy smile tugged at those luscious lips. Memories of that mouth caressing her skin, taunting her into wild, frantic orgasms, even now made her weep with need.

Damn, her knees quivered. Yes, she wanted him, wanted this, but she could not be this irresponsible.

Quinn slid his knee between her legs, tipped her head up. “Shhhh. No buts.” His mouth covered hers, warm, strong and oh so demanding. She dropped one hand on his arm and pressed the other along his chest. She’d meant to push him back, but the feel of his abs through his shirt joined with the pressure of his knee against her intimate places to stir her desires. In her ears, her heartbeat steadily rose. His tongue pushed against her lips, gentle but insistent.

Like a starving lass, she surrendered to him and welcomed him into her mouth. Swift and in control, he swirled his tongue around hers, along the roof of her mouth, and ended the sweet torture with a quick taunt of his tongue’s tip against hers.

Too soon, he pulled back, leaving her body trembling for more. “Tomorrow. I’ll come for you here at four.” His hand moved back to her cheek, to a sweet sweep of her jaw line with his thumb, and then he released her completely. “Goodnight, Meg.”

As he turned and walked toward the pub door, her traitorous body begged for more time with him. The question was, could her brain convince the rest of her how dangerous this could be?

Section Sunday!

Welcome back for another installment of Section Sunday!

This weekend I'm bringing you another snippet from my Scottish contemporary romance, Silent Surrender. I LOVE this story and hope you will too. Today I'm editing the manuscript and then submitting it to my publisher, Decadent Publishing. (Hopefully they'll love it too!)

Here's the background you need to fully appreciate this scene. Meggie went to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day with her friend and ended up meeting Quinn. She and he had an amazing fling over the few days she was there, and she intended to leave what happened in Dublin, in Dublin. But on the day of this scene, Quinn has arrived in her Scottish Highland village.

Be sure to let me know what you think! Enjoy Meggie and Quinn's reunion!


    Meggie dished out drinks to the patrons of her family's pub, Cuan MacDougall. Fueled with confidence, she waited for Quinn to walk through the door. He would at some point. Their pub was a highpoint in the village. They offered drinks and football matches on five screens.

Her plan was simple. She'd be casual, respectful, but that was it. She'd not encourage him. And who was to say he'd come for her? Maybe he was here for something else and he didn't even remember her.

A niggling pain twinged behind her temples. Och, that would be even worse since she hadn't been able to get him out of her mind in the last eight months.

She poured another drink for a waiting patron. “I'll just go about my business, do me job and not worry about it,” she whispered.

“Meg, you're talking to yourself again.” Ewan retrieved two bottled beers from the cooler next to her. Leave it to her brother to point out her failings.

“Aye, and if you don't mind I'd like to finish the conversation.”

The bell on the pub door jingled and a blast of cold air whooshed through the room.

“Hiya,” Ewan greeted the new visitor.

“Busy place you've got here.”

Meggie's veins strung tight as a bow at the sound of the Irish accent. Her heart rate tripped. Her hands stilled. Be calm. With a casual lift of her head, she caught his eyes as he slid onto the stool directly in front of her. His scent wrapped around her and ignited shivers through her spine. Already, and he hadn't even said anything directly to her yet.

Without looking at him, she delivered the beer to the patron two stools down and returned to him. Just a few more seconds, then she'd gather her nerves and meet his gaze for more than a few seconds. But the extra time did nothing. When she stood in front of him, all her breath whooshed out of her mouth. His dark green eyes sparkled and that sexy grin shoved her right back into that hotel bed they shared oh so many months ago. After swallowing the lump in her throat, she managed a poor excuse for a greeting. “Hiya.”

Och, ignoring him? Staying casual? It would not be as easy as she'd thought.

Section Sunday

Hello! Welcome to "Section Sunday"! Each Sunday I will post a section of one of my works for you to read and comment on (if you choose).

Today's "Section" is part of my current Work-In-Progress, Silent Surrender. This is a short story romance set in the Highlands of Scotland (modern day). The heroine is a secondary character from my very first book, Her Highland Champion, and the hero is a football coach originally from just outside of Dublin, Ireland. I'm hoping to submit this to my publisher within the next couple of days.

As this section opens, they are playing football with a few kids on the school field. Of course, Meggie and Quinn are on opposite teams, which makes it even more fun! Be sure to let me know what you think! (And please remember this is still part of a rough draft, so don't be too hard on me!)

He closed the distance between them. Meggie pushed against his rock-hard abs and tangled with his feet. He tugged on her ponytail, slid his foot between hers and sent the ball to his teammates.

Meggie yelped. Her arms flailed to her sides. Her feet remained tangled with Quinn's and she lost her balance.

Quinn circled her waist and twisted her so his body took the brunt of the impact with the dirt-packed earth. She rolled to the side, still cradled in the crook of his arm and with the pressure of his delicious body over every inch of hers. “Are you all right?” He propped himself up and brushed her hair away from her face.

“Aye. Thank you for taking the fall for us.”

“You're down here with me, aren't you?”

“But you protected me. Thank you, my Irish knight.”

“My pleasure, my lady.”

Yes, she was his lady and she decided she rather liked it.

He leaned down and claimed her mouth.

“Is she hurt?” one of the lads yelled. The ground trembled beneath their feet.

“Aye, ye daft fool. He's giving her mouth-to-mouth,” yelled another.