Laurel O'Donnell's Blog, page 91
May 10, 2012
First Kiss Friday – Midnight Shadow
Here’s the first kiss from my romance novel, Midnight Shadow!
Terran seized her shoulders and slammed her up against the blacksmith’s shop. “Enough!” he roared. “Enough of your insults. I have endured them from your father and grandfather, even from Dysen. But I will not tolerate them from you.”
Bria’s mouth dropped open for only a moment before her shock vanished, replaced by fury. She opened her mouth to reply, but Terran slammed his open palms on the wall on either side of her.
“I said enough!”
For a long moment, Bria could do nothing but stare at him. And slowly, a realization came to her. She was alone with him. And he was close — very close. His hands were on either side of her, effectively trapping her. His lips were but inches from hers. Her eyes scanned his face, his rugged square jaw, his sensual lips, his dark eyes. Lightning lit the sky above, but Bria barely noticed except for the reflection in his eyes. Was that remorse in them? Or was she imagining it?
He leaned closer to her until his face was beside hers, almost cheek to cheek. Bria stiffened. What was he doing? But she didn’t protest. His hair brushed and mingled with hers. “I didn’t mean to kill him, Bria.”
She felt a soft wave of hot breath on her neck, but his words were so soft Bria wasn’t sure he’d spoken them at all. She turned her head to try to see him, and he shifted his gaze to look into hers with eyes that seemed a little lost.
In the next moment, he was brushing his lips against hers, seeking, exploring. She was unsure of what to do and found herself frozen, half wanting him to kiss her, half wanting to flee. His touch was gentle, almost soothing. Not at all what she had expected.
He pulled slightly back to look into her eyes, studying them as if waiting for her to deny him.
But she couldn’t. She didn’t want to.
He cupped her neck and pulled her to him, claiming her lips with a more urgent need. A fierce, reckless desire seared through her. His arms pulled her tight against the length of his body.
Her world spun out of control. He coaxed her lips open to his exploration and when his tongue entered her mouth, warring with her own, Bria felt the ground rumble beneath her feet.
He kissed her fully, expertly exploring every part of her mouth. Then he pulled slowly away, ending the kiss, leaving her weak and confused.
He stepped back, taking his strength and support with him.
Bria’s knees buckled and she almost fell, but he reached out to steady her. Humiliated and awed by her reaction to his kiss, she expected to look up and see him laughing at her. But when she gazed into his eyes, she found no laughter there. He appeared just as baffled as she.
May 7, 2012
Inspirational Quote Monday! #16 of 2012
It’s Inspirational Quote Monday! Here’s the quote for the week – “The philosophy of life is to make the most of it, enjoy the happy moments, challenge the challenges thrown at us, lead a content life and to make a difference to all those around us.” – Unknown
May 6, 2012
Which Cover Do You Like Best?
I’m getting my new medieval romance, Angel’s Assassin, ready for release on July 3rd and I need your help! Please vote for the cover you like the best. Leave a comment and tell me why.
http://www.laurel-odonnell.com/angels-assassin-cover-poll.html
May 3, 2012
First Kiss Friday – Champion of the Heart
Here’s the first kiss from my romance novel, Champion of the Heart!
“I told you before you could not escape,” he whispered hotly. He held her firmly against the wall, his body pressed against hers.
Jordan knew he spoke the truth, but not the truth as he believed it. It was the truth as she knew it. How could she escape from Fox? And how could her children ever depend on her again if she couldn’t fight to get to them? She couldn’t hold even a trembling dagger to Fox. Uselessness, frustration, and helplessness all welled up inside her, spinning and churning until Jordan couldn’t keep her feelings inside. Warm tears slipped from her eyes and dripped onto her cheeks, and her body trembled with a sob.
Fox placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his, studying it for an eternal moment in which Jordan fought hard to bury her feelings. She lifted her chin slightly, waiting for his scorn, waiting for his berating words.
But when the silence stretched on, she lifted her gaze to his. She was unprepared for the tenderness she saw in those blue depths. He lifted a finger to trace the path of one of her tears. Then he pulled his hand away from her, slowly rubbing the tear in his fingers, staring at the glistening drop for a moment.
His blue eyes seemed confused, and a slight scowl marred his brow as he continued to inspect the tear on his fingertip. Then he looked at her again and his gaze swept every inch of her face. A warmth spread throughout her body that suddenly brought her senses to life, sharpening them. The muscles in his strong chest pressed against her breasts. The power in his thighs crushed against her. And something dangerous stirred inside her — something powerful threatened to engulf her. Her vision dropped to his lips, lips that were so sensual, so entrancing. Lips that were slowly moving closer and closer.
Jordan didn’t fight him; she wanted to feel his kiss. She wanted the intoxicating feeling rushing through her body to grow. His kiss would only make the dangerously delicious sensation run wild inside of her.
And then his lips closed over hers, a startlingly gentle caress, a warm, wet brush of his lips. But with that simple touch, exhilaration filled Jordan’s body. It was unlike anything she had ever felt, tender and warm, but filled with a fiery spice all the same.
Then his tongue touched her lips, gently sliding along the length of her mouth, caressing, coaxing. She felt a jolt igniting its way through her entire body from the tips of her hair to the edges of her toes. She gasped against his lips and he dropped his hands to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him as he delved into the recesses of her mouth.
Jordan felt herself being swept away by the emotions raging through her. Her world was spinning on its axis, and she had to cling to Fox as if he were the only thing keeping her from falling. But the tighter she clung, the greater the waters seemed to swirl about her.
“I won’t let you go, Jordan,” he whispered against her lips. “Not this time.”
April 29, 2012
Inspirational Quote Monday! #15 of 2012
It’s Inspirational Quote Monday! Here’s the quote for the week – “Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns, be happy the thorn bush has roses.” - Proverb
April 26, 2012
First Kiss Friday – Shot Through The Heart by Niki Burnham
Today’s First Kiss Friday featured guest is Niki Burnham, author of contemporary romance Shot Through The Heart. Welcome Niki! Here’s the first kiss between Connor and Peyton.
Connor slides the binder from my lap to an open spot on the comforter. His gaze meets mine, and there’s a mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he studies me. “Strange how you can know someone for years and see them nearly every day, yet not have a clue what it is they want more than anything else in the world.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
We simultaneously sneak a peek at our joined hands. His skin is darker than mine from all the time he spends on the soccer field. His knuckles are more substantial, his fingers longer and stronger. My heart is racing so fast it makes me wonder if he can feel my pulse. He mutters what I think is, “To hell with it,” but as I glance up to ask what he said, he leans toward me.
In that split second, I know he’s going to kiss me. And I know I’m going to kiss him back.
It’s not my first kiss—I’ve had a couple of boyfriends—but as his lips brush mine, it feels like my first kiss. Or, at least, the way a first kiss should feel. Not in the scary, tentative, am-I-going-to-mess-this-up way, but in the thrilling, heart-stopping, this-is-better-than-I-dreamed way you see in the movies, where the music gets soft and the audience goes silent, mesmerized by the sheer emotional impact of what they’re witnessing on the screen.
We pause, lips barely touching, smiling against each other. We stay like that for a few seconds, motionless, our fingers still intertwined. Then we kiss again, less hesitantly this time, as if we’ve each made the decision that this is worth exploring.
“Everyone at school should know you’re never going to play pro sports,” I whisper a few minutes later as he moves to kiss my cheek. “If they actually take the time to consider it for a minute.”
His breath tickles my ear as he murmurs, “Why’s that?”
“Your name. Strabinowski won’t fit on a jersey. You’re kinda stuck having to look for a different career. So it’s not such a deep, dark secret.”
“Still worth it to confess to you if this is the result.” He gives me the lightest, sweetest kiss, just in front of my ear, then eases back to look me in the eye. “Besides, you’re wrong. Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Pro baseball player. Whole name on the jersey and it’s two letters longer than Strabinowski.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Wow. You learn something new every day.”
“Sure do.”
A deep, needful sound rumbles from the back of his throat as he shifts his body closer to mine on the bed. The sound alone sends me. I melt into him, wrapping my free arm around his waist. He lets go of my other hand to thread his fingers through my hair; the light pull of my scalp causes my stomach to seize and my brain to shut down. As my hands explore the space where his T-shirt meets his jeans, his skin radiates warmth through the thin cotton fabric.
He eases my mouth open with his own, and I decide right then and there that being stupid over a guy—at least while you’re alone together in the quiet of his room—is highly underrated. But only when that guy is Connor Strabinowski.
April 23, 2012
Inspirational Quote Monday! #14 of 2012
It’s Inspirational Quote Monday! Here’s the quote for the week – “There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.” – Mahatma Gandhi
April 19, 2012
First Kiss Friday – Framed In Fear by J.K. Maze
Today’s First Kiss Friday featured guest is J.K. Maze, author of romantic suspense Framed In Fear. Welcome J.K.! Here’s the first kiss between Andi Holton and Detective W. D. “Mac” McAndrews.
“Citizens arrest.” He nodded toward a trio of elderly women. “They’re staring. You are either going to march straight for Honey’s office, or I’m going to kiss you and carry you off. No one wants to get mixed up in a lover’s quarrel. Believe it.”
“I’d like to see you get away with it,” she said, looking up at him.
He didn’t give her a chance to get away. He grabbed her and kissed her hard. It started as a challenge, with her squirming in his arms. But something happened, and not just to him. Suddenly, she was kissing his back and moving closer and he felt her breasts against his chest, her nipples hardening and his own response. She opened her mouth and he sought her tongue, tasting of the cola she’d had for supper. He heard a couple whoops and hollers and stepped back.
“Guess you were serious after all,” she said, and started down the aisle, looking straight ahead, her head and neck rigid as if in a vise.
April 16, 2012
Inspirational Quote Monday! #13 of 2012
It’s Inspirational Quote Monday! Here’s the quote for the week – “They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” – Tom Bodett
April 13, 2012
RT Convention 2012
I had a great time at the Romantic Times convention! It was wonderful to finally meet my cover designer, Kim Killion. She is so talented and her covers are brilliant!
Those two handsome guys posing with us are Brooks, featured on The Angel and the Prince (you might not recognize him with his shirt on) and Bill, from the cover of Lost Souls: Resurrection.
I attended some great workshops including the self publishing workshop entitled What’s Coming Next: The Future of Self Publishing presented by Blake Crouch and J.A. Konrath. They were both very entertaining. The future they see for self published books was fascinating. And I’m thankful that the possibilities for readers and writers will continue to grow. Technology is a wonderful thing!
The ATF Workshop by Chicago’s Special Agents was riveting. They spoke about how they became special agents, what their jobs entailed. I’ll tell you, I have a new respect for those guys and gals.
Thursday wrapped up with the ebook signing. It was a lot of fun to meet some of my fans and talk to some of the other authors. I’m really glad I got a chance to attend.
Laurel O'Donnell's Blog
“What do you want from me?”
Perhaps it was ridiculous, Ryen thought. Men never seemed to have a problem with taking what, ...more
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