Lily Graison's Blog, page 23
November 4, 2013
ManCandy Monday #17
Cowboys again this week. What can I say…I can’t resist those stetsons!
The post ManCandy Monday #17 appeared first on Lily Graison - Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.
November 1, 2013
Friday First Kiss #21 :: Loveland by Andrea Downing – Historical Western Romance
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I’ll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from Loveland by Andrea Downing.
The stable was quiet, the horses calm. Alex moved down to Ranger’s stall and fed him a carrot from a basket. She propped herself against the stall door and stroked his blaze, running her finger gently along its outline. The door opened and Jesse came in.
“I thought you were dancing with Sue Ann,” she said as he came up to her.
“J.J. felt left out, took over my place. Anyway, what’re you doin’ in here? Everyone’s lookin’ for you, wantin’ a dance.”
“I was waiting to see if you’d kiss me.” The words just seemed to tumble out. Alex tilted her face almost boldly toward him.
He hesitated, surprised. “I can’t kiss you, Alex.”
She looked away for a moment, but was drawn back to that familiar face. Jesse was so gentle, yet so strong. She knew now she had always loved him— for as long as she could remember, she had loved him.
“If I kiss you,” he went on, “I won’t be able to stop.”
“We could have an experiment,” she said softly, “to see if you could stop.”
“Is there a prize involved?”
She thought for a moment. “No. Just the kiss. I guess that’s the prize. Anyway, it’s an experiment, not a competition.”
He looked at her. “You jus’ want your way. As usual.”
“I won’t deny that.”
“No, don’t. If I was to tell you the moon was shinin’ tonight, you’d move heaven and earth to prove the sun were out, if that’s what you believed.
That’s the way you are, ain’t it?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. You know me best, it seems.”
“Yeah.” He extended his hand to her. “Gonna dance then?”
“Mebbe,” she said putting on her Colorado accent. “Mebbe I will, mebbe I won’t.” She took his hand and jumped down from her perch.
He laughed. “Yeah. That’s what I thought. At least with dancin’, there’s no argument as to when the music stops.”
Jesse led her back to the party. Alex saw Oliver look at the two of them across the corral dance floor; no doubt he was wondering exactly how involved Alex had managed to get herself with the young puncher. He nodded to Alex, waved good-bye and left. She considered for a moment what Oliver would make of her and Jesse, decided she didn’t care a damn, and followed Jess to join the circles for the next dance.
They had just missed a two-step and now everyone gathered for a square dance to music that was no longer strange to Alex’s ears. The men and women wove in and out of each other, formed couples, went round, formed quadrilles, and the whole thing started again. Every time Jesse took Alex’s hands, he found he wanted to stop, just stop right there, and hold her. He wondered if the experiment was not so much if he could stop kissing her if he started, but whether he could resist kissing her at all. He knew he couldn’t, not that evening, not with her looking like the first wild flowers of spring, something fresh and alive yet exotic and untamed.
When the music stopped they were not together and he politely nodded to the woman opposite him and turned to find Alex. A waltz was next and they moved toward each other as if someone had thrown a loop about the two of them and were pulling it tighter and tighter. He held out his hands but when she placed hers in them, he didn’t hold them for the dance but stood there caressing them, their fingers moving in and out of each other’s as if the hands had a life of their own. At the same time, his eyes lost in hers, Jesse had no sense of where they were, where they stood. Alex kicked off her shoes as she had done when she was young and stood on Jesse’s toes when he slid his arms back around her and held her to him for a moment. She tilted her face up to his, brushing his lips lightly with hers before he sought her mouth. Then, for a moment, the magic was broken by a small voice to his side.
“Mama?” Sue Ann gave her mother a jab as Annie filled a plate for her. “Are they kissing or eating each other?”
From the corner of his eye, Jesse saw Annie look up. She gently turned her daughter’s face back to the table of food and smiled. “Oh they’re just in love, sweetheart,” she said.
Alex sensed Jesse guiding her back into the shadows, out toward the darkness at the edge of the dance floor. For a moment they stopped as the kiss got deeper. Yet Alex was suddenly aware of the people, friends and otherwise, around her.
“That’s positively disgusting.” Sara Beth turned to Millie, nodding in the couple’s direction.
“Oh, Sara Beth, I wish I had me that kind of disgusting—and so do you!”
And then Alex heard the familiar voice as Cal stood with Garrison and just laughed.
“I guess that smart mouth of hers is learning its lesson at last,” he said.
Loveland
by Andrea Downing
When Lady Alexandra Calthorpe returns to the Loveland, Colorado, ranch owned her father, the Duke, she has little idea of how the experience will alter her future. Headstrong and willful, Alex tries to overcome a disastrous marriage in England and be free of the strictures of Victorian society –and become independent of men. That is, until Jesse Makepeace saunters back into her life…
Hot-tempered and hot-blooded cowpuncher Jesse Makepeace can’t seem to accept that the child he once knew is now the ravishing yet determined woman before him. Fighting rustlers proves a whole lot easier than fighting Alex when he’s got to keep more than his temper under control.
Arguments abound as Alex pursues her career as an artist and Jesse faces the prejudice of the English social order. The question is, will Loveland live up to its name?
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Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
The Wild Rose Press
About Andrea Downing
Author Andrea Downing
Andrea Downing likes to say that when she decided to do a Masters Degree, she made the mistake of turning left out of New York instead of right to the west, and ended up in the UK. She eventually married there, raising a beautiful daughter and staying for longer than she cares to admit. Teaching, editing a poetry magazine, writing travel articles, and a short stint in Nigeria filled those years until in 2008 she returned to NYC. She now divides her time between the city and the shore and often trades the canyons of New York for the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Loveland, her first book, was a finalist for Best American Historical at the 2013 RONE Awards. Lawless Love, a short story, comes out Sept. 4th as part of The Wild Rose Press ‘Lawmen and Outlaws’ series. Three more books are
in various stages of progress!
Email Andrea at: andidowning@gmail.com or find her around the web at any of the follows locations.
The post Friday First Kiss #21 :: Loveland by Andrea Downing – Historical Western Romance appeared first on Lily Graison - Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.
October 29, 2013
Hot Halloween Heroes Giveaway Hop
This giveaway has ended. Winners are listed below:
Prize #1 – signed copies of The Calling and The Gathering, books 1 & 2 in the Night Breed Series. – Patricia A
Prize #2 – ebook copies of The Calling and The Gathering, books 1 & 2 in the Night Breed Series. – Desiree R.
Prize #3 – 2 winners – ebook copies of The Calling, book 1 in the Night Breed Series. – Yvonne S. and Denise S.
Welcome to the Hot Halloween Heroes Giveaway Hop! This hop is hosted by Felicity Heaton and Indie Romance Books and will run from Oct. 29th to midnight on Nov. 3rd.
Writing in three different genres has its ups and downs, spending time away from one particular genre being one of those, but I always come back to those I neglect, especially when there’s an Alpha Hero just begging for my attention.
My Night Breed Series has a host of preternatural creatures lurking about but my hero is an Alpha werewolf who will do anything to protect the woman his wolf wants for a mate. Take a look below at book 1 in my paranormal series and get a 10 chapter sneak peek at the book.
The Calling
Lily Graison
In a world where the supernatural isn’t supposed to exist, one woman comes face to face with the monsters and fights to survive their call.
Investigative reporter Rayna Ford is sent to the small community of Wolf’s Creek to write an expose on a town supposedly over run with werewolves. Assuming the inhabitants to be under a mass delusion, she learns quickly that all isn’t as it seems. Their plans involve more than a newspaper article and her life hangs in the balance as their motive for luring her to them is revealed.
Garrett Kincaid knows a thing or two about werewolves. He is one. After leaving his pack, he’s spent the last twelve years pretending to be something he isn’t. His closely guarded secret threatens to destroy him when he meets Rayna Ford, the woman his wolf has claimed as his own. When he learns the pack has lured Rayna to them in order to get to him, he races to Wolf’s Creek to protect her from the very thing he fears the most. Himself.
The power struggle within the pack becomes clear once Garrett reaches his old home and learns of the packs plans for Rayna. The beast lurking beneath his skin is torn between protecting the woman he wants to call mate and keeping the balance within the pack on neutral ground. When choosing a side no longer matters, he does what he must to save his mate, even if that means making one of the most difficult decisions of his life. When the stakes are high, and lives hang in the balance, can you ignore life as you know it to answer…The Calling.
Excerpt Garrett raced toward the circle and stepped from behind the trees. Rayna screamed again and slid to a stop, her eyes wide when she saw him. He caught her in his arms, spinning her around and placing her against a tree. “Don’t move! You run and they’ll kill you faster, got it!” He didn’t wait for her reply, instead, he turned back to face the pack and took a step backwards, placing her completely behind him. She was wedged between him and the tree. They’d have to move him to get to her and that wasn’t going to happen.
Lowering his arm, he grabbed her hand to keep her from running. Her nails bit into his flesh and he felt her trembling against his back, her harsh sobs and the scent of her fear forcing his beast to the surface. It was a struggle to keep it restrained. He felt it beating against his skin, struggling to be free. He let out a low warning growl, watching as those in pursuit slowed before coming to a stop.
“Look who decided to come home.” Caleb walked closer, lifting his head to sniff the air. “You still smell like a coward to me, Garrett. Let her go and I’ll let you live.”
Garrett crouched low ready for an attack. “Not likely, Caleb. You can’t do this.”
“We can and we will.”
Caleb’s voice was distorted in wolf form and Garrett wondered if Rayna could understand what was being said. She moved behind him, his shirt clutched in her fist. He could smell her tears, taste her fear on the back of his tongue, thick and sweet. His beast roared at her distress and he followed with a growl that vibrated in his chest. The bones in his face started to shift and he clenched his teeth to hold the wolf back. When he spoke, his voice was harsh and rough. “You can’t have her. She’s mine!”
Caleb laughed, the sound grating and coarse. He stood, rising to his full height and stared down at him. “I don’t smell a claim on her, Garrett. Crawl back to that pathetic life you’ve made for yourself and leave pack business to the real wolves. You’re not wanted here.” He lowered his voice and said, “You’re only alive because some of us wish it.”
It was then Carmen took a step forward. He would recognize her wolf anywhere. He locked gazes with her, watched as she lowered her head and growled. She snapped her teeth at him before taking a few steps to the side, her gaze locked on Rayna at his back.
Garrett glanced over at Malcolm. He was standing over Mitch, looking down at him. The man was still on the ground, blood pooling around his neck. The sight made him sick. Two seconds longer and that would have been Rayna.
Jacob was standing near them, a look of horror on his face. When he lifted his head and turned to look at him, Garrett tilted his head, gesturing for him to come and hoped the boy was still loyal to him. He knew the answer to that as he watched him edge his way to the tree line and disappear into the forest. He turned his attention back to Caleb and Carmen. “You’ll have to come through me to get her, Caleb, and I can promise you, it’ll be the last mistake you ever make.”
The tone of his voice left no room for arguments. The soft whimpering of the others drew his gaze to them. They were watching him while backing away with ears and tails tucked in, their bodies low to the ground. The submissive behavior pleased his wolf. They were beta wolves and whether they knew it or not, they’d just submitted to him, telling him in actions he was stronger. They feared him. Good. They should be.
He looked back at Caleb. He wasn’t backing down. His hair was bristled, standing on end with his ears erect. He met his gaze without fear.
A loud howl split the night air. It was Malcolm. The others turned and looked at him. Their leader was still standing in the middle of the circle. His plan was falling apart in front of him and he knew it. It showed on his face.
When the others turned back to him, some started advancing, still trying to keep their distance, and circled around to the side.
Garrett lifted his head, looking at Malcolm. “I’ll destroy them all, old man. Call them off!” Malcolm didn’t answer. He just stood there staring at him but Garrett could see the uncertainty of the situation cross his face.
Sensing movement to his left, he glanced to the forest and saw Jacob. He stepped into the light and stopped beside him. “You know them better than I do, Jacob. Will they attack on Malcolm’s order?”
“Caleb will regardless,” he said, quietly. “He’s always spoiling for a fight but the others I’m not so sure about. They fear you but they don’t want to displease Malcolm either. Depends on who they fear more. You or Malcolm.”
Garrett locked gazes with Caleb. He could see excitement flare in his eyes. Jacob was right. He was spoiling for a fight. “Can you outrun the others?”
“If I have to.”
“You do,” he said, pulling Rayna from behind him and placing her hand in Jacob’s. “Take her to the hill where I found you. I’ll come when I can.”
“What are you going to do?”
Garrett straightened to his full height and inhaled deeply. He smiled and called his beast. “I’m going to show these puppies what a pissed off Alpha male looks like.”
Giveaway Hop Prizes
1 – signed paperback copies of The Calling and The Gathering, books 1 & 2 in the Night Breed Series.
1 – ebook copies of The Calling and The Gathering, books 1 & 2 in the Night Breed Series.
2 – ebook copies of The Calling books 1 in the Night Breed Series.
To enter this giveaway, just enter one option on the Rafflecopter form option.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don’t forget to visit the other blogs for more great books and prizes!
The post Hot Halloween Heroes Giveaway Hop appeared first on Lily Graison - Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.
October 25, 2013
Friday First Kiss #20 – Another Shot At Love by Niecey Roy – New Adult Romantic Comedy
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I’ll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from Another Shot At Love by Niecey Roy.
“You really should change that light bulb,” Matt said, glancing around us.
“I know.” I pushed aside my wallet to dig to the bottom of my oversized purse. “I kind of take for granted that this is supposed to be a safe neighborhood.”
“Until an alien abducts you off your poorly lit porch.”
“Very funny.” I glanced up from my purse with a smile. “But really, it’s late. You could have been home by now.”
“Gen, I’m glad to walk you to your door. I would have worried about you if I hadn’t.”
I considered him as we stood there on my porch, the light flickering above us. I didn’t want him to leave, but I didn’t know how to ask him to stay. Maybe I could ask him in for a drink, though I’d already had enough.
But I have those cupcakes…
Yeah. I could offer him cupcakes. They weren’t his favorite, chocolate with sprinkles, but yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting had to be a close second, right? Hadn’t he said a cupcake will fix everything?
“I’m really glad we went out tonight.” His voice made me jump and I dropped the keys. We both bent to pick them up at the same time and bumped foreheads.
“Sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay, I’m fine.” I clasped my forehead and laughed.
Probably, I sounded hysterical. Like a rabid hyena. I couldn’t even look him in the eye when I took the keys from him. “Thanks for inviting me. I had a lot of fun tonight.”
“Me too,” he said.
I put the key into the lock, turning it slowly as I struggled with what to do about him and my out of control libido. Unlocking my door hadn’t given me enough time to figure things out, though, so I tried to prolong sliding the patio door open. That didn’t take long either, and I hesitated in the doorway, still unsure. I opened my mouth to ask him in, but nothing came out. So I stepped backward through the doorway, my gaze glued to his. After a moment, he followed me inside, part of his face lost in shadows.
Time stood still. My tongue darted out to lick my lips, and I lifted up onto my toes as he lowered his head to meet me halfway. The smell of his cologne surrounded me and my eyes drifted shut. He grasped me loosely around my back, pulling me close, sending shivers coursing through my body. His breath caressed my skin, his lips just a whisper away from mine, and my lips parted…
HONK, HONK!!! My eyes snapped open and I jumped from Matt’s embrace. He raked a hand through his dark hair, pressing his lips together while I trembled with what I’d been about to do. I couldn’t let it go, pretend the moment had come and gone—I was running on the most intense high and it was all because of Matt, this darkly handsome guy who made me feel alive and sexy. I’d never been so turned on in my life. The heat between my thighs threatened to ignite while I imagined his hands all over my body. “Oh, what the hell,” I said and threw myself into his arms and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. We were both breathless as his lips devoured mine, kissing me with a passion I hadn’t expected. The satin caress of his tongue against mine, the taste of him, made my knees weak. The thrill coursing through my body was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Maybe it was because I’d only just met him and suddenly I was in this romantic, forbidden lip lock. Maybe it was because the man knew how to kiss, really kiss. It didn’t matter. What I wanted to do was wrap my legs around his waist and press myself against him, feel him inside of me. My body trembled with excitement and need, and the idea of living in the moment didn’t feel wrong anymore.
Another Shot At Love
by Niecey Roy
Imogen Gorecki has a problem—her twin sister just got engaged, and guess who’s the best man? That’s right, her scum-of-an-ex-boyfriend whom she caught cheating with a bottle-blonde, with fake breasts and a stripper’s flexibility. There’s a disturbing possibility her eyes will never recover.
Gen needs a date for the engagement party, but finding Mr. Perfect in a time crunch is proving impossible. Just when she’s about to give up, she face-plants into the crotch of the sexiest guy she’s ever met.
Matt Sesnick is everything Gen wants in a man —except he’s not interested in a relationship. Can she convince Matt to take another shot at love, or will Gen’s pregnant, hormonal older sister, her bridezilla twin, and all of her past Mr. Wrongs get in the way of their happily-ever-after?
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About Niecey Roy
Niecey Roy knew she wanted to be a writer from a very young age, but her moment of enlightenment came after watching the movie You’ve Got Mail. It was then she realized her place in life, and happily parked her butt on writing romance. Her dream was to create sexy vixens, hunky, half-naked heroes, and above all, romance; lots and lots of butterflies in the belly, breathless first kisses and happily-ever-afters.
When she’s not at her day job where she works as a legal assistant, she can be found at home at a cluttered desk, pounding her tired little fingers away on a keyboard with nothing but black pepper flavored sunflower seeds and Visine as her weapons for mass-romance-novel-creation. When her fingers need a break, you’ll find her at a table with friends, drinking a few martinis and showing off a new pair of (sometimes ridiculous) high heels. She’s usually the loudest at the table and most often the one snorting with laughter.
Niecey is the author of Fender Bender Blues, a contemporary romantic comedy published by The Wild Rose Press. Her new novel to be released November 2013, Another Shot At Love, is the first novel in the What’s Love??? series.
The post Friday First Kiss #20 – Another Shot At Love by Niecey Roy – New Adult Romantic Comedy appeared first on Lily Graison - Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.
October 23, 2013
Writer Wednesday
If you’re on my Street Team, then you know I only recently finished A Willow Creek Christmas. It took much longer than I anticipated. The book was hijacked by my characters and the struggle wasn’t pretty. They eventually won the battle and the book topped out at nearly 90,000 words. I’m still on target for the November 25th release date and I’m sticking to it unless something MAJOR happens…like, something that pulls me away from my desk for days…weeks, kind of major. In which case, I will inform you of such a catastrophe.
I’ve been thinking about the next book in the Willow Creek Series. I know everyone is waiting on Alexandra Avery’s story__you would not believe the amount of email I get about her, which I love, by the way!__but I’m afraid her book is NOT next. I have one more to tell first, Dr. Even Reid’s story. His book will set up the small pieces I need for Alex so her story will only be better for it. Besides, she’ll still be there, causing a fuss and giving her daddy gray hair way before his time. Plus…she needs to age a bit, yet!
I brainstormed with a few friends to try and get the pieces of the next book in place and the vision I had for it has grown amazingly! I’ll start getting my notes in order soon and TRY to find a title. I’m the type of author who can’t write a single word of a story until I have a title. Its weird but it’s the way I roll.
For the moment, I’m editing and since we’re only five weeks from release, I’ll be devoting my time to that and taking notes for book #7 as release day approaches. I have a few great contests in the works to celebrate the release AND a very special Christmas giveaway that I can’t wait to start so don’t run off too far. I’ll be making announcements here on the blog and over on my Facebook page and Twitter feed, so keep your eyes open for those.
In the meantime…go read something fantastic!
The post Writer Wednesday appeared first on Lily Graison - Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.
October 21, 2013
ManCandy Monday and...I'm Moving....
I've been wanting to move my blog over to my website for some time now. Its been hosted here at Blogger since 2005 and what better way to procrastinate, than to do just that?
So, from here on out, my blog posts will be over on my website. If you follow this blog via Networked Blogs you'll need to 'follow' the new page and please do....the only person showing on that app is me and that's too sad for words. :-(
So...come find me...err, I mean, come find the ManCandy I promised!
This way to Lily's Website blog and the ManCandy!
All material ©2005-2012 to Lily Graison
ManCandy Monday #16
Since its Monday, and I’m on a brand new blog, I’ll break it in good and proper with a good dose of ManCandy! Enjoy!
See…wasn’t that worth clicking over here for?
The post ManCandy Monday #16 appeared first on Lily Graison - Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.
I’m making a move…
I’ve been wanting to move my blog over to my website for some time now. Its been hosted at Blogger since 2005. Well, what better way to procrastinate, than to do just that!
From here on out, my blog will be right here with the rest of my website. I do plan on moving some of those other posts over here but for now, you can read them on my blogger page, Lost in Solitude.
Now, if you spend any time here looking at the pages, You’ll notice something funky going on with the menu. The BLOG link jumps from left to right. That’s because the blog is ‘separate’ from the main website and I can’t for the life of me figure out HOW to get that blog link to show up on the far right like its supposed to so for now…just pretend you don’t have to chase after it. *wink*
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October 4, 2013
Friday First Kiss #19:: Capturing the Marshall’s Heart by Linda Carroll-Bradd – Historical Western Romance
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I’ll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from Capturing the Marshall’s Heart by Linda Carroll-Bradd.
“You thought I was a bank robber, yet you jumped into bed with me.”
“Guilty as charged.” He reached out a hand and caressed a voluptuous, bare breast. “You were irresistible, no matter which side of the law I thought you are on.”
For a moment, she closed her eyes and savored the roughness of his callused thumb in the valley between her breasts. Then her eyes popped open. “Are?”
A grin slid along his lips and he winked. “I meant to say were.” He leaned close, his gaze intent on her lips.
Out of habit, she turned her head and offered her cheek, her hands twisted in the bed sheets.
“Look at me, Jazzy.”
His raspy words drew her attention and she connected with his lusty stare.
“No games and no playacting. Right now, this is you and me in this bed—Jazzy and Slade.” His gaze caressed her lips then rose to meet hers. “I’m going to kiss you…on the mouth. Next, I’m going to taste your lips. Then I’m going to open your mouth and taste your tongue.”
Oh, my stars! Just listening to him made her nipples bead and an ache throb between her thighs. She shivered.
“Relax.” He lowered his head and briefly brushed his lips across hers.
His actions were gentle and the sensation against her mouth was as soft as a rose petal. The ladies were right—letting a man kiss your lips gave away a bit of your heart. But doing so warmed her from the inside out like hot cocoa on a winter’s morning. As her resistance relaxed, so did her tight hold on the fabric.
He skimmed gentle fingers along her neck and kissed her again and again, lingering longer with each contact.
The sensation was as heady as fancy French champagne. Jazzy pressed against his lips and was rewarded with a groan from Slade. After a moment of hesitation, she raised a hand to twine her fingers into the hair at his neck. The luxury of touching him for her own pleasure was new. She enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
This time, when his lips captured hers, she almost forgot to breathe. He nibbled, he ran his agile tongue along her teeth, then delved inside the warmth of her mouth. She’d only kissed two boys in her life and neither had kissed the way Slade did. His kisses heated her blood and made her lightheaded. She couldn’t think, she could only react—and that doubled her excitement.
Slade broke away from her mouth and touched his lips along her jaw. “Touch me, Jazzy. I like the feel of your hands on me.”
The familiarity of those words hit her hard. She stilled, then trailed her hand down his chest, slowing to caress his stomach and then stroked down toward his erection.
He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest, covering it with his much larger one. “I like your hands other places, too. That comes later.”
A man who took his time…a man who enjoyed kissing…a man willing to delay his own pleasure.
The muscles under her hand were firm and warm, part of a solid, reliable man. But she was looking for adventure and a new life. Although, there was certainly something to be said for dependable.
Capturing the Marshall’s Heart
by Linda Carroll-Bradd
Jessimay “Jazzy” Morgan boards a westbound stagecoach, intent on building a respectable future with the money earned in Miss Veronica’s Pleasure Emporium. Polite society is more taxing than she’d imagined, especially when her first thoughts of a handsome stranger center on the fee she’d likely get. When she finds him in her boardinghouse room, she can’t resist a little playacting. During a sexy night with the marshal, her needs are tenderly considered and she loses a little bit of her heart. The next day, the stagecoach is robbed and the women kidnapped. Jazzy is crushed at leaving a beaten Slade behind. Planning an escape against huge odds is tough, but confessing her past to a respectable man like Slade is almost impossible.
Boarding a westbound stage in San Antonio, US Marshal Slade Thomas realizes three of the female passengers resemble the wanted poster for a bank robber. The audacious behavior of one woman draws his attention and his suspicions lead him to search her room. When she returns, he can’t resist her playful nature and a rousing night of passion ensues. The next day on the stagecoach neither knows what to say to the other. Then bandits attack, steal the valuables and the women, leaving the marshal badly injured. When Slade tracks down the kidnapped women, he must choose between capturing the bandit and saving Jazzy. A choice between his duty and his heart.
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About Linda Carroll-Bradd
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 now writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.
The post Friday First Kiss #19:: Capturing the Marshall’s Heart by Linda Carroll-Bradd – Historical Western Romance appeared first on Lily Graison - Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.
Friday First Kiss #19:: Capturing the Marshall's Heart by Linda Carroll-Bradd - Historical Western Romance
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I'll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from Capturing the Marshall's Heart by
Linda Carroll-Bradd.
“You thought I was a bank robber, yet you jumped into bed with me.”
“Guilty as charged.” He reached out a hand and caressed a voluptuous, bare breast. “You were irresistible, no matter which side of the law I thought you are on.”
For a moment, she closed her eyes and savored the roughness of his callused thumb in the valley between her breasts. Then her eyes popped open. “Are?”
A grin slid along his lips and he winked. “I meant to say were.” He leaned close, his gaze intent on her lips.
Out of habit, she turned her head and offered her cheek, her hands twisted in the bed sheets.
“Look at me, Jazzy.”
His raspy words drew her attention and she connected with his lusty stare.
“No games and no playacting. Right now, this is you and me in this bed—Jazzy and Slade.” His gaze caressed her lips then rose to meet hers. “I’m going to kiss you...on the mouth. Next, I’m going to taste your lips. Then I’m going to open your mouth and taste your tongue.”
Oh, my stars! Just listening to him made her nipples bead and an ache throb between her thighs. She shivered.
“Relax.” He lowered his head and briefly brushed his lips across hers.
His actions were gentle and the sensation against her mouth was as soft as a rose petal. The ladies were right—letting a man kiss your lips gave away a bit of your heart. But doing so warmed her from the inside out like hot cocoa on a winter’s morning. As her resistance relaxed, so did her tight hold on the fabric.
He skimmed gentle fingers along her neck and kissed her again and again, lingering longer with each contact.
The sensation was as heady as fancy French champagne. Jazzy pressed against his lips and was rewarded with a groan from Slade. After a moment of hesitation, she raised a hand to twine her fingers into the hair at his neck. The luxury of touching him for her own pleasure was new. She enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
This time, when his lips captured hers, she almost forgot to breathe. He nibbled, he ran his agile tongue along her teeth, then delved inside the warmth of her mouth. She’d only kissed two boys in her life and neither had kissed the way Slade did. His kisses heated her blood and made her lightheaded. She couldn’t think, she could only react—and that doubled her excitement.
Slade broke away from her mouth and touched his lips along her jaw. “Touch me, Jazzy. I like the feel of your hands on me.”
The familiarity of those words hit her hard. She stilled, then trailed her hand down his chest, slowing to caress his stomach and then stroked down toward his erection.
He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest, covering it with his much larger one. “I like your hands other places, too. That comes later.”
A man who took his time...a man who enjoyed kissing...a man willing to delay his own pleasure.
The muscles under her hand were firm and warm, part of a solid, reliable man. But she was looking for adventure and a new life. Although, there was certainly something to be said for dependable.
Capturing the Marshall's Heart
by Linda Carroll-Bradd
Jessimay “Jazzy” Morgan boards a westbound stagecoach, intent on building a respectable future with the money earned in Miss Veronica’s Pleasure Emporium. Polite society is more taxing than she’d imagined, especially when her first thoughts of a handsome stranger center on the fee she’d likely get. When she finds him in her boardinghouse room, she can’t resist a little playacting. During a sexy night with the marshal, her needs are tenderly considered and she loses a little bit of her heart. The next day, the stagecoach is robbed and the women kidnapped. Jazzy is crushed at leaving a beaten Slade behind. Planning an escape against huge odds is tough, but confessing her past to a respectable man like Slade is almost impossible.
Boarding a westbound stage in San Antonio, US Marshal Slade Thomas realizes three of the female passengers resemble the wanted poster for a bank robber. The audacious behavior of one woman draws his attention and his suspicions lead him to search her room. When she returns, he can’t resist her playful nature and a rousing night of passion ensues. The next day on the stagecoach neither knows what to say to the other. Then bandits attack, steal the valuables and the women, leaving the marshal badly injured. When Slade tracks down the kidnapped women, he must choose between capturing the bandit and saving Jazzy. A choice between his duty and his heart.
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About Linda Carroll-Bradd
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 now writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.
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