A huge thank you to Delilah for having me as a guest. Before I was a writer, I was a reader — and I still am. I have three loves in reading: romance, mystery, suspense. I also like humor. My favorite humor is the kind that sneaks up and surprises you. I like smart, strong-minded women. And I like smart and strong men, too. Compassionate men and women, too. In my books, someone is always in trouble. Compassion is needed.

The books in my Love & Murder series have all of that. They also have bad guys (or gals), but the bad guys in my books might surprise you. They aren’t always the usual.

Right now, all my Love & Murder books are on sale for only 0.99 each at Kindle. If you’re a Kindle Unilimited subscriber, they’re free. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download their free app, which works on every device. You can find the three books here:

An excerpt below is from Book 1, TRUTH ABOUT LOVE & MURDER. All the books are stand-alone, but Truth is set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the other two are in Door County, Wisconsin. I’m giving away a mobi or epub file of RULES OF LOVE & MURDER (Book 2) to a commenter. (Or one of the other two books; I’m easy.) Just tell me what are your favorite things in a book.

*~*~*

The truth is that life is uncertain.

Meg Quinn hasn’t been to war, but her father has, and it changed their lives for the worse — and for the better. Now she has a sharp tongue and a mind to match … and she doesn’t trust easily. The best person she knows is losing a fight with death, and Meg is guardian of her friend’s seven-year-old son.

Easy MacLean, the co-guardian, is Meg’s dying friend’s brother. The former Marine has been hibernating in his Colorado mountain home, and Meg lets him know that he needs to be by his sister’s side in Milwaukee now.

Easy is attracted to his sister’s clever friend, but life gets complicated when he gets involved in a search for a missing veteran. After living alone with his rescue dog for so long, Easy and his dog are now sharing a home with a beautiful woman, a boy, and a cat. Even as he watches his sister die a little each day, he’s finding out the truth about life and love … and murder.

Excerpt:

“Bedtime,” Meg said.

Though she was looking straight at Ollie in his sister’s small living room, Easy half smiled, thinking it would be nice if she were saying it to him. Real nice. They would make a good fit, physically and emotionally. She was smooth with rough edges. He was rough with smooth edges.

But they were co-guardians, and it would be a bad mistake to get involved. Involvement would invariably lead to a time of disinvolvement on his part. And maybe hers. She seemed … capable. Independent. And smart. He had the feeling she’d taken one look at him and had seen the cracks and fissures in his soul, the cuts and the bleeding. The damage that not even all the duct tape in the world could stick together.

It made him think she had a few cracks and fissures and cuts and bleeding, too.

In any case, it would lead to complications and bad feelings, so just better not do it.

A lot of his life was like that, avoiding complications. The reason he was called Easy. Why strive for trouble when a little forethought would keep trouble at bay?

Ollie kissed and hugged Meg good-night then came to Easy, looking up at him, his arms out. Feeling awkward, Easy bent and hugged him. Ollie’s head leaned against his chest, his small hands holding on to the crooks of Easy’s elbows for a few seconds before he pulled back. “’Night, Uncle Easy.”

“Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” Easy said.

“That’s what my mom always says.” Ollie’s eyes were big, then he turned away. “Don’t let bedbugs bite you, too!”

Getting to his feet, Easy laughed softly. That’s what he used to say to Jules every night. Their mom had worked full time, done most of the housework, and she’d cooked their meals. She’d been busy or tired, while his dad had been emotionally unavailable. Easy had learned the bedbug saying from watching TV, and he’d started saying it to Jules every night until they were in their teens.

“What are you thinking?” Meg asked.

He frowned as he heard Ollie’s footsteps pound on the stairs that led to the bedrooms on the second floor. The house was a mid-twentieth-century two-story, and Easy liked the way his sister had furnished it. The couch was a sturdy material that looked as if stains could easily be washed off. It was a bronze color, and the tiger-striped cat looked queenly on it, while the recliner was a light orange, making a pop of color.

Meg stepped two feet in front of him. “Why is it that men have such a problem answering that question?”

“What question?”

“Never mind.” She waved her hand in the air. “I asked what you were thinking, and obviously that’s too difficult to ask a man. In the future, that question will never pass my lips.”

“I was thinking how much I liked your snark.”

“Awww. You’re so … weird.”

He laughed. “I was really thinking that since dinner was on you, I should do dishes.”

“There’s no dishwasher.”

“I’m not planning on being a hand model.”

“Oh? What were you planning on modeling?”

“Now, that’s a leading question.”

“Leading where?”

“A place you might not want to go.” He was standing close to her, about two feet away. Maybe too close. “I believe you’re flirting with me. I thought you didn’t like me.”

“What’s liking you got to do with it?” Her gaze met his, her full mouth twisting in a smile.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. He wanted her. Wanted her badly. He liked her honesty even more than he liked the way she looked. And he really liked the way she looked.

*~*~*

Buy the books:
Truth About Love & Murder, Book 1: https://amzn.to/1MMS8Xa
Rules of Love & Murder, Book 2: https://amzn.to/1O1pFyH
A Christmas Love & Murder, Book 3: https://amzn.to/1MMSj4Y

Find out more about my $50 Gift Card giveaway and join my newsletter to find out first about new releases, special deals and sales.

Edie

I’m pleased to share my latest historical, Libbie: Bride of Arizona, that was part of an unprecedented author collaboration of 45 authors writing a mail-order bride story connected to each of the 50 American states!

Will a tomboyish outsider with unusual habits find a home with an Arizona rancher who has strict ideas on what’s appropriate in a wife?

Publisher:  Inked Figments
Release Date:  1/5/16

Alone for the first time, tomboyish Libbie Van Eycken accepts a mail-order proposal and travels across country to find a place to call her own. Arizona rancher Dell Stirling needs a wife but didn’t count on the eccentric creature that brings chaos in her wake.

Purchase Links:
Exclusive to Amazon:  https://amzn.com/B017L14VS2
Free in Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt:

“What do you have there?” Libbie stepped forward and angled her head, hoping for a peek at what the women had been looking at when she entered. But, as always, her short height thwarted her from seeing.

Sally glanced between the two other women and then reached behind her sister and stepped forward, laying a newspaper on the block table in the middle of the room. “Dora used to work at a textile mill in Lawrence which is about thirty miles away. Just recently, the place burned down, leaving approximately one hundred women without jobs.”

“Oh, that’s awful.” Not that she’d ever held a job, but Libbie knew many women in America worked in offices or factories to support themselves. “What will they do?”

“Well, Sally is my only family, and I’ve come to Boston to find a new job. I stayed in Lawrence for a week, hoping to find similar work but there’s naught to be had.” Dora glanced at the door to the main hallway and stepped closer. “Miss, please don’t tell your aunt I’m here. At least, not until I find work and can offer to pay for my room and board.”

“Yes, Libbie, please keep our secret.” Sally wrapped an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Although, now I’m thinking Dora should arrange for a husband through the gazette’s ads.”

Surprise jerked Libbie back a step. “A husband in a newspaper?” Then curiosity forced her gaze to the page.

“See? Grooms’ Gazette.” Sally pointed to the masthead then moved lower. “Elizabeth Miller works as a matchmaker in a nearby city. She prints and distributes this newspaper as a way to share information about men in other states and the frontier who are hankering for wives.”

A wave of gratefulness for her family, as far-flung as they were now, flashed through Libbie. Granted the trans-ocean travel by ship was long and boring, but she knew they’d be waiting with open arms at the end of her journey when her time at the Academy was completed. She scanned a few of the letters and then leaned both elbows on the counter, intrigued by the variety of situations the men were in. Logger, rancher, shopkeeper, doctor, farmer, miner, lawyer, professor, saddler, dentist, saloon owner—almost every occupation under the sun. Most sounded honest and upstanding, and also very lonely. Some were too specific in their requirements, which told her those men would not possess easygoing personalities. She straightened and waved a hand toward the newspaper. “Dora, are you considering this?”

“Several of my co-workers were writing letters to arrange matches when I left Lawrence. My friend, Grace Dickinson, wrote to a gentleman who’s a mason way out in Montana.” The young woman wrung her hands and shook her head. “I just don’t know if I can do this. Although having a home of one’s own sounds wonderful.” She turned toward Sally and her lower lip quivered. “But to move too far away worries me.”

“Tell her, Libbie, that coming from another country ʼtisn’t so bad.” Mary crossed her arms at her trim waist. “Sure, I miss the green pastures of County Cork and watching the ships in the harbor. But I like being warm and having a roof over me head even more.”

The cook spoke the truth. Although Libbie barely remembered her father’s older sister from the family’s visit when she was seven or eight, she was grateful to be staying with her aunt and cousins. After a month in Boston, Libbie still hadn’t adjusted to the large number of people living so close together, or the noise from peddlers in the street, horse-drawn cabs and trolleys, tolling church bells, and wailing fire sirens. “Every place I’ve lived has good and bad aspects. Only you can decide what town or situation is best for you, Dora. Maybe you should look for the locations of men living the closest to Boston.”

A smile creased Dora’s chubby cheeks. “I like that idea. Thank you.”

“Excuse me, miss, but yer aunt hasn’t yet rung for her tea.” Mary frowned and glanced at the pendulum clock on the wall. “Could ye step into the parlor and check on her?”

“Yes, Mary, I will do that on the way to my bedroom. I have been sent home with Mrs. Templeton’s specific instructions to practice my gliding.” She held out her arms straight and took exaggerated sliding steps. Glancing over her shoulder, she noted the women stood with hands covering their mouths, suppressing their laughter, and she gave them a cocky grin.

About the Author

As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication–a confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.

Linda’s Links:

Website  Blog  Facebook  Twitter   Goodreads

A couple of years ago, my sister, Delilah Devlin, and I took a trip to Louisiana, getting to know the state a little more. We traveled through bayou country all the way down to Grand Isle, LA which is nothing more than a little spit of land surrounded by water and barely above sea level. Houses there are built on stilts, daring the ocean to reclaim them. We could see oil rigs off shore and the sunsets were to die for.

In bayou country we checked out the old plantation houses and took an airboat tour of an alligator infested bayou. We found great settings, and gained a better understanding of life along the bayous and the crazy but loveable people who live there. From the ladies dressed in period costumes leading tours through the old plantation houses while serving mint juleps, to the crazy coonasses insane enough to drag a ‘gator out of the water so we could pet it. (Yeah, I pet the 12 ft alligator. Call me crazy too!) Small towns, lots of water and great food added to the experience.

That trip was great fodder for my Cajun Magic Mystery series coming out this year, starting with VOODOO ON THE BAYOU available now! VOODOO FOR TWO (Feb 23) and DEJA VOODOO (Mar 22). They’re laugh-out-loud funny with suspense and sexy characters. Give them a shot while they’re only $2.99!

Voodoo on the Bayou

Book #1 of the Cajun Magic Mystery Series
by Elle James (aka Myla Jackson)

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From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elle James, the 1st book in the Cajun Magic Mystery Series

Don’t piss off the Voodoo Queen…

Craig Thibodeaux’s tangled with the wrong person. Cursed by Bayou Miste’s notorious Voodoo Queen, he’s destined to be a frog by day and a man by night. If he doesn’t find someone to love him by the next full moon, he’ll remain amphibious for the rest of his days.

Elaine Smith came to Bayou Miste to investigate the source of pollutants and finds herself in need of a bodyguard when she gets too close to revealing the source. Though suspiciously absent during the day, handsome local Craig Thibodaux offers to be that bodyguard in her forays into the swamp at night.

Together, they discover the culprits and a magical desire neither expected to find in the blackest waters of the bayou.

Elle James Bio

Elle James aka Myla Jackson spent twenty years livin’ and lovin’ in South Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and emus. A former IT professional, Elle is proud to be writing full-time, penning, sassy western romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. She has over 100 works published! Now living in northwest Arkansas, she isn’t wrangling cattle, she’s wrangling her muses, a malti-poo and yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

New Year’s Resolutions. 

Ahhh…Just the sound of those three words make my writer’s heart thump with anticipation. A new year and all the lovely manuscripts I could knock out. Oh, the possibilities are endless. Two books in a year. No, four books! Heck, why limit myself? I could write ten books! By December, I could have two complete series filling up my Amazon Author’s page.

This year could be the best ever and I absolutely love setting goals: making timelines, creating word count milestones, you name it. Yeah, I’m that person. The good-intention over-achiever, the one who has great plans and those plans are color-coded and just plain pretty. I love setting those goals…in December. I’m full speed ahead immediately after the holidays. I’m distracted by mid-January, but still revved up and planning to hit the jackpot. Then February rolls around and my writing machine crashes to a halt.

This year I’m doing something new. I’ve still written a detailed Action Plan for my next manuscript that will fit into my ultra-busy life and help me finish the final draft of my 50K word novel in three months (for 2016, I settled on writing “only” four books, one final draft every quarter). I go in depth into my Action Plan over here.

But in an effort to avoid the answer to the inevitable question next December from my nosy aunt as to why she can’t find that new series I was going to write on Amazon, I’m not just setting rigorous goals—I’m giving myself an effing break.

This year will be different because I’m putting less emphasis on actually achieving all that is written in my Action Plan, and more emphasis on truly enjoying the process. Am I going to accomplish my goals just because I detailed everything about all four books? Maybe not, but I didn’t get into writing just to write about planning it.

Aside from giving myself a break from the pressure and disappointment of failing to meet my New Year’s Resolutions, I’m looking deeper into what hijacks my plans to literary stardom, and, more importantly, what truly motivates me as a writer.

One of my favorite quotes is actually song lyrics from The Eagles. “So often times it happens we live our lives in chains and never even know we have the key.” We all have “chains” (read: responsibilities, phobias) that prevent us from doing what we believe will make us happy/successful.

Aside from working at a demanding 40+ hour a week job, I still have many distractors: reading books, celebrity gossip, watching two daytime soap operas five days a week, and, oh, yeah, babysitting my nieces and nephew.

Some are unavoidable (like family obligations), but what about other things that don’t put food on the table and keep a roof over my head? Celebrity dirt? Watching soap operas? I think about all the time wasted watching soap operas that never end the way I want them to anyway. All these distractors turn into chains that keep me from being a truly productive writer.

And when I say a productive writer, I don’t just mean an organized writer. I mean a writer who can truly, deeply get 100% lost (in the best way possible) in the creative process of writing. As writers we are well aware of the almost blissful state that comes with being swept away by our own words, which never truly feel like our own words. It’s like some other being is feeding them to us and we’re simply the messenger.

We all know that feeling and it’s an amazing feeling. So why would we keep ourselves from that? Why would we deprive ourselves of that blissfulness by wasting mindless hours in front of the boob tube?

I guess that’s truly my New Year’s Resolution: Finding the balance somewhere between the organization and the creative chaos of it all.

This year I’m giving myself a break by accepting that it’s okay to want to go through the extensive process of detailing what happens next in my story and book series—because that’s important to me so that I don’t write myself into a corner. I’m giving myself a break and giving myself a mental vacation to go where the characters and the worlds take over.

What worlds did you deprive yourself of in 2015? What organization tips and tricks are you picking up in 2016? Let everyone know in the comments.

Happy New Year and Happy Writing!

Check out my website at www.deborahbogart.com to find out more about upcoming releases and to read an excerpt from Love Me to Death, the first in the paranormal romance series Blood & Magic. Amazon: Love Me to Death

The New Year is upon us, much more quickly than I am ever quite prepared for, but book one of the new Tales from Atlantis series is out, and I thought a little background on the Tales was in order since the first books don’t focus that much on Atlantis itself.  They focus more on what would happen if Atlantis returned.

I’ve always been fascinated with stories of Atlantis and magic, and I’m a big fan of Urban Fantasy like Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, and Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan, so it was natural for me to write Urban Fantasy.  Riley’s world came into being about 10 years ago when I heard about a contest where writers were asked to write stories based on what would happen if magic returned to the earth.

I didn’t write a story for the contest.  You have to overcome ‘life’ to make time to write, but the idea stuck with me.  Then it started growing until now it has developed into a whole world populated with characters who are sometimes a little different and don’t always follow the plan I have for them, but they wouldn’t be any fun if they did.  They do get the person, however, and I hope you’ll like them.

At the time of Digging Up the Past, Atlantis has been back for about 200 years, just long enough for those with magical bloodlines to become what they would have been had Atlantis not sunk.  Riley was raised in a shape shifter clan since her father was a shape shifter by birth.  Her mother, however, had originally been a witch, as had her grandmother on her mother’s side.  She takes after her mother, although her mother began to be able to shift shapes shortly after Riley’s parents were married.

Riley’s work with DUE started after her brother was killed by her then fiancé in a drug deal gone bad.  That betrayal started Riley on a new life where she uses her empathic and witchcraft skills in spite of not being able to shift shapes like a proper shape shifter should.  Initially, anger drove her quest for revenge until she saw her lying killer of a boyfriend put away for life.  After that, she was just angry with all drug dealers until Giles Walker of DUE heard about the vigilante who was taking out drug dealers and brought her into DUE.  At the time of the events in this story, Riley has been with DUE for about 3 years.

Excerpt:

Immortality? Now that’s tempting. Throw in an army of the dead, and hey, any evil overlord would kill for that package.

When the Homeland Security Service’s Department of Unusual Events, or DUE, assigned my partner, Jason, and me to this case, the file said the spade we were looking for was valued at eighteen million dollars and belonged to the Peruvian government. Stolen during shipment from Peru to the local university, the spade, along with a number of the other artifacts uncovered on a dig site in Peru, was scheduled for study here. According to our file, the HSS believed it had been stolen for financial gain or, perhaps, to cause an international incident. Not our usual type of case, but not unheard of either.

What the file didn’t mention was that this wasn’t just any gold spade. This was the Spade of Apocatequil. Peruvian legend has it that anywhere Apocatequil stuck this spade in the ground, people sprang up. Now, the spade is believed to grant the holder immortality and the power to raise the dead. Minor omission.

My cover on this assignment was that of a college student. I also worked as a dog walker for the Bradens, who were our primary suspects, so every afternoon, Angel, the Bradens’ German shepherd, and I made the two-block walk to the dog park near the Bradens’ house.

When I pulled in at the house, I could tell no one was home. The Bradens would be at the local dig site until at least dark, getting set for the summer dig, and it wasn’t unusual for Keesha, the Bradens’ daughter, and Mena, the operative from Cerberus Security who’s been acting as her nanny, to be out in the early afternoon. I clipped the leash on Angel and we headed for the park.

Oh, as for why they should be our primary suspects, that’s the easy part. John Braden was the American archaeologist on the Peruvian dig. His wife, Sonya, was the lead anthropologist on that same dig, and that put them at the top of the list of suspects. That placement was further supported by the fact that someone else believed they had the spade. Our file also indicated that things had been stolen from other dig sites when they were in charge. The hard part was that there was no evidence, solid or otherwise, that they took the spade, or that they were involved in any of the other thefts.

*~*~*

Author Bio:

Sandi lives in Texas with three roommates, two Yellow Labs, a Shepherd/Border Collie mix, two terrier mixes and assorted other critters.  The animals were primarily rescues.  Sandi’s full time job is as the Public Information Officer for the local Sheriff’s Office, and she teaches English part time at the local Community College.

She says she has a couple of degrees from the University of North Texas lying around somewhere, and she’s been writing ever since she can remember.  Sandi took time off for work and school, and previously her writing has been more geared toward short stories and academic papers.

Sandi publishes a newsletter and several articles a month in her current position, but she has now added writing fiction and currently has several more books in the works.

www.sandibrackeen.com

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/digging-up-the-past/id1022527729?mt=11
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/digging-up-the-past-sandi-brackeen/1100322121?ean=9781620159590
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Digging-Up-Past-Tales-Atlantis-ebook/dp/B012EHKCNQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438312045&sr=8-1&keywords=sandi+brackeen

UPDATE: The winner is…Laura!

* * * * *

I picked the image. My sister played with it to fit all the text bits in there. When it’s up on Amazon, it will have a little white Kindle World button in the bottom left. This book will be #5 in my Uncharted SEALs series. Do you like it? Does he look ready for anything? Sis tried to cover up his hands in her first versions of the cover. Can you imagine that?!

I’m keeping that image front and center as I write the story. Yeah, I’m in chapter one at the moment. Baby, It’s You has to be up in Kindle Worlds by the 20th for our January 26th release date. I’m cutting it a little close. Since I have to write fast, I decided to stay closer to my comfort zone with this one. Most of the story will take place on a Texas ranch as my SEAL woos the woman he “done wrong.” 🙂

I think his name is Carter Vance. I’ve been calling him that for the first few pages. I’m not sure where the name came from, but when the heroine thought about him, that was the name she plucked for me to use. Does he look like a Carter?

So, my question today, should you decide to play, is whether a book cover matters to you. And what do you think of this one? If I placed a plain brown wrapper on my story, would you buy it? Or do you get sucked in by a sexy man or woman staring back at you? Answer for a chance to win a free copy of one of the prequel books to Baby, It’s You in the Uncharted SEALs series.

Hello my darlings! I am thrilled to share the news about my recent release, a scorching Highland Romp titled Susana and the Scot.

I had a great time writing the Untamed Highlander Series, but the best part of it all was visiting Scotland for research. (Ahem, that is my story and I am sticking to it!)

I had a bucket list of things I wanted to do and I am pleased to say I accomplished them all! Here are my top 5!

#5 TRY HAGGIS. I’ve heard so much about it. We all have. I just HAD to try it. Here is the picture of me with it. I’ll let you decide if you think I enjoyed it!

#4 GO ON A TRAIN RIDE. I have always been in love with the romance of train rides! We took the sleeper train from London to Inverness and it was a blast! Here is a picture of my ENORMOUS berth!

#3 HIGH TEA. Oh yes. This was awesome! We had a lovely tea in the lobby of the Grand Highland Hotel! So elegant!

#2 VISIT THE VILLAIGE MY MOTHER’S FAMILY CAME FROM. Yes! I loved checking this off my list. It was a tiny village with a stone church, a grocery store and a café. I loved meeting the people and exploring this tiny villaige nestled between Loch Rannoch and the Rannoch moors! The village will feature prominently in my next Highland series!

#1 FIND THE END OF THE RAINBOW. I know it’s more of an Irish thing, but let’s be real. Finding the end of the rainbow is a worldwide fantasy! Though it rained when we were in Scotland, somehow the sun also shone. There were rainbows everywhere and here, on this one lane road, we actually found the end of the rainbow! There was no treasure, but there was great beauty!

I had a wonderful time on my trip. I loved every moment. But what I loved most was connecting with the lands and the people. I have always had a passion for Highlanders, but now I feel I KNOW them!

If you love Highlanders, please check out my Untamed Highlanders!

Here’s a taste of my recent release:

SUSANA AND THE SCOT

Scotland, 1813.

A SCANDALOUS TEMPTATION
Andrew Lochlannach is famous for his conquests, on and off the battlefield. When a fellow warrior challenges him to a kissing contest, he wastes no time in planting his lips on ninety-nine lovely lasses-an impressive feat of seduction that gets him banished to the hinterlands. Still, Andrew has no regrets about his exploits-especially his embrace with the most beguiling woman he’s ever met…

AN UNDENIABLE PASSION
With flaming red hair and a temper to match, Susana is not some innocent farmgirl who gives herself over easily to a man, even one as ruggedly handsome as Andrew. The wicked Scot may have won a kiss from the headstrong beauty in a moment of mutual desire, but Susana refuses to be just another one of his conquests. Andrew must convince the fiery lass that even though he is not playing a game, losing her is not an option…

READ AN EXCERPT!

Susana was annoyed. There was no doubt about it. The swish of her hips as she led him across the bustling bailey was a dead giveaway, that and the dark glowers she shot over her shoulder. But Andrew couldn’t help but be amused. For one thing, she was damn alluring when she was annoyed.

Hell, she was damn alluring altogether. The curve of her waist alone could drive a man insane, much less that silky tumble of hair. He wanted to wrap it in his fist, wind it around his body. A certain part of his body.

At the thought, his cock rose.

It was difficult to remind himself that he’d vowed to eschew seduction, but try as he might, he couldn’t banish the fantasy of stripping those breeks from her lovely body and laying her down in the heather. Visions of that twitching backside—bare before him—danced in his head.

But he’d made a vow. A sacred vow. And as tempting as she was, he would control his baser urges. He could. Probably.

These thoughts whirled in his head as she led him into the stables, past his men—who were unpacking and seeing to their horses—and through the kennels. Though he was perplexed, Andrew followed. He would probably follow anywhere she led. It was a fact that should have scared him to death or at the very least, concerned him. But it didn’t. However, when she started up a staircase at the very end of the long hall, he had to stop her.

She glared at the hand he set on her arm. He tried to ignore the sizzle that raged through him at their first touch. It was ridiculous how much that touch affected him. And how much he enjoyed her glare.

He edged closer. “Where are we going?” he asked in a purr. Read the rest of this entry »