Thursday, August 16, 2007
Texas Tea is now out! You can buy it at Aspen Mountain Press. To whet your appetite, here is my last excerpt but be sure to read the whole post, there are contests at the bottom of the post!Let me know what you think of my first fiction offering!
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Excerpt:
And he thought she was both pretty and smart. A man who accepted her for what she was. At least for most of what she was. He still didn’t know her big secret.
He won’t care, you know. He can accept all of you.
The tingling sensation came and went almost instantly, the ghost apparently only interested in delivering its message as quickly as possible.
“Thanks.” She said in a random direction since she had no idea where the ghost had spoken from.
She glanced at her watch to find she still had a few minutes left before Matt was due to arrive.
She needed to make sure she was ready to really dive into her work today. After removing her wad of clothing from the handle of the camera bag, she opened the bag and started her equipment check. She quickly changed the batteries in all her cameras, including the digital SLR that would be her primary tool today. The batteries she removed went into the chargers she’d stationed on the small kitchen counter and the previously charged ones were moved to the bag as spares. Several spare memory cards were tucked inside the bag as well.
Thankfully, the keys to the B&B cottage had been sitting on top of the camera case, no doubt due to Matt as well. She needed them to lock the deadbolt as she left, so she laid them on top of the zipped up bag again. Matt’s thoughtfulness had saved her from the normal process of trying to figure out where she’d last put that set of keys, but she still had to find the keys to her rental car. She started with the outside pockets of the camera bag and was happy to discover them in the first pocket she searched. She moved them to one of the pockets of her cargo pants.
Money. She might need money. She certainly needed her driver’s license. Just as she retrieved her wallet from the pair of pants she’d been wearing yesterday, a knock sounded at the cottage’s front door.
Darting out of the bedroom and toward the front door, she couldn’t wait to see Matt again. Only when her hand was already on the doorknob did she have a brief moment of trepidation. How would he behave today? Would he treat her differently? The man had seen her naked. And the commented on her choice in underwear. Worse yet, he had seen the fact she was far from tidy.
She quelled her fears as best she could. It’s not like he’d run or said anything critical, after all. She opened the door to see Matt’s tall body, more sexy than ever in his pressed and formal Park Ranger uniform.
His lips curved in a slow, hot smile.
“Good morning, Lara.” He shocked her by opening his arms and pulling her immediately into them. Like an animal pouncing, he covered her open mouth with his own. His lips played over hers, gently teasing her skin with the texture of his own warm lips. Almost as quickly as the kiss started, it ended and Matt just held her close to him.
Lara sighed, surrendering to the sense of comfort and leaned her body into his. She was surprisingly content just resting in the circle of his arms. Wanting to be even closer, she wrapped her own arms around his slender waist and hugged him to her. The sense of peace and acceptance quickly changed to arousal when she felt what she did to the self-possessed man. His uniform pants didn’t conform to his body as well as his jeans did and she could feel his cock grow thicker and harder against her.
A foreign sense of power rippled through her. Plain, weird Lara had one of the most attractive men she’d ever met hard and wanting sex with her. With her.
She rocked her hips gently, pressing herself against Matt. The combination of the ridge of his cock against her mound and the tug of her skimpy thong against her clit sent her arousal spiraling into a veritable storm.
Matt made an animalistic sound and reached around to ease her away from his body. His face was tormented and his features appeared somehow sharper, more feral. Even the teeth biting his lower lip seemed sharper.
The sensation she’d noticed the first time she met him, the hint of the spirit world, became stronger and more intense. She reveled in it and the heady power in having the sexy man at her mercy.
She finally allowed Matt to disengage her arms from his waist and move her an arm’s length away from him. When her body lost contact with his, she felt a fundamental sense of loneliness, almost emptiness. She tried to remind herself that he wasn’t necessary to her existence, no matter what her body seemed to think at that particular moment.
“We need to get breakfast now, if we want any.” Matt smiled a tight smile down at her. She could swear his teeth were a little long, the tips of his canines just showing when he talked. Why hadn’t she noticed that yesterday? It was odd but very sexy in an untamed way.
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Contests!
I'm having my very first contests to celebrate my very first book -- Two contests, no less! I probably should mention that one of my hobbies is jewelry making :) Now two readers will be the beneficiaries of my skills.The first contest is for my blog readers and the prize is a lovely bracelet in ocean colors. There's a larger picture on my website's Contest Page. It's made of enameled copper rings in ocean and peacock blue with ocean glass rings interspersed. The silver clasp is a magnetic clasp that makes it very easy to wear.
To win this bracelet, just leave a comment in response to this post by midnight on Sunday, August 20th. I'll draw a winner on Monday and announce the winner on this blog as well, so remember to check back to see if you win!
The other contest is for my Newsletter subscribers. I have started a Newsletter that will come out once a month, on the 15th of each month. It includes excerpts, news, author trivia and starting next month will include a chapter each month of a free story I'm writing just for the Newsletter.Entries for this contest will be accepted from today through September 15th but in order to enter, you must subscribe to the newsletter. I won't use your email address for anything else, so don't worry. You can subscribe to the Newsletter using the Feedblitz subscription box on the right-hand side of my website's Newsletter Page. The winner will be announced in the September Newsletter.
This necklace is also made of enameled copper rings in ocean blue with a magnetic clasp but it has a sterling silver charm of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse on it. I almost kept this one for myself! Again, there's a larger picture on my website's Contest Page.
posted by Maura Anderson at 1:03 PM
I enjoy the excerpt! and I love your hobby
byOooooo, I like the subtle cover, Maura. Plus, this books sounds so good. I like ghosts in books.
byOk now I have to buy, because I want to know the secret....lol.... I am impatient...
byLove the excerpt. Got this book on my 'to buy' list. Your jewelry looks great and I would love to have that necklace your giving away. I like that color of blue.
bygreat plot idea, I really enjoyed the excerpt.
byThanks! I was torn about the necklace because I really liked how both pieces of jewelry turned out -- but we'll see who wins!
byI think my coyotes have developed their own series concept now. Hopefully people will like them as well as I do.
Beautiful, Maura! Love the jewelry, the necklace is stunning! Can't wait to read the book, I just went over and picked it up :)
byCongrats on the new release! It sounds wonderful! The jewelry you are giving away is lovely.
byYou are so talented. I love the necklace and the bracelet. I really enjoyed the excerpt.
byHello, Maura,
byAs a reader, I join in welcoming you
to the wonderful world of writers!
I enjoyed the excerpt and I look
forward to reading your book. I am
also taken with the diversity of the
interests in your life. Good luck
with your writing future!
Pat Cochran
Hi Maura, I was very excited to find out about you and your new book thru reading Jacquelyn Frank's blog. I love reading paranormals and especially stories involving Native Americans and their wonderful myths and legends. Recently finished reading the Night Guardians series by Linda Conrad which told of the Navajo brotherhood and skinwalkers. Thanks for the teasing excerpt...have to know more, so will be adding your book to my 'to buy' list.
byThe bracelet you are showing is beautiful and I definitely would love to win it as blue is my favorite color...I guess because I am a blue jeans type of gal.
Shari C
Congrats one the release Maura!
byLove the cover and the book sounds amazing!
Best wishes to you!
-Stephanie
Hi Maura! Love the book, any more on the way?
byAndria
Thanks for the great reception! I hope you like the story!
byThere is another Coyote story in the works - it's called Wake Me and is a Mountain Song People story.
Congrats, congrats, congrats! I've got my copy and can't wait to read!
byHi Maura! I read Texas Tea last night!! That was so good!! The bacon scene was funny!!! It soo could have been longer! I didn't want to stop reading! You ARE writing more right? Because Cody HAS to have story!! He just has to! LOL :)
byCongratulations and Fantastic Job!!
Hey Maura..congrats on the book, it sounds great, I can't wait to get it...love the excerpts!
byCongratulations on your release! Love the excerpt! Oh, and the jewelry. A girl never has enough of jewelry or books. lol
byI have read her Texas tea story and could not put it down..but had too..once I had time I read it none stop..I am hoping she continues the series..
byKODOS to you Maura this was a wonderful book.. I am really looking forward to your next works :)
Blaze
This sounds very good. Love the cover.
byLove your book and the cover is extremely striking.
byVery enjoyable excerpt. Would love to read this novel. Your jewelry is stunning and unique.
byYour creativity is wonderful. The excerpt is riveting and the jewelry is lovely. Color is beautiful.
byWow, great excerpt. Love the necklace. Love Old Point Loma, it's where my hubby proposed to me.
byThe Books sounds great:)
by