The internet takes a step back in time every Thursday as people around the world share old baby pictures, vintage prom and wedding photos, and other assorted oldies. Authors can share too! This Thursday meme highlights those books in your backlist.
In comments, tempt us with a snippet, 300 words or less, from your older works. Don't forget your buy link and website/blog link. Have fun!
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WANTING (Mac and Amanda' Story) River City Novel #1
http://amzn.com/B005BHR258
Available as a Kindle Unlimited
He sat across from her, and with elbows on the table, he rested his forehead in his palms for a moment before placing his hands together in front of him. Thoughts whizzed through his brain, and he needed to choose the right words. He did not want to frighten her again.
''That's okay. I'm sorry that I've made you that uncomfortable. My only intention is for us to be able to converse in a quiet atmosphere.'' He lifted his gaze from his own fingers to her face and saw she was focused on his hands.
''I was scared that you might…'' She turned her head. Her voice drifted off.
''I'm not going to do anything to you.'' His heart tightened in his chest, wrapped in disappointment that she would not find him trustworthy. It chafed his honor and made him more determined to prove his gentlemanly behavior to her. ''To be honest, I have no clue why you are so afraid of me.''
''I'm not going to end up like my mother,'' she said while staring at his fingers.
He shook his head. ''I hope I don't end up like my father. He's had so many wives I've lost track. They just keep getting blonder and younger.'' He leaned back into his chair and gave her a little grin. ''So what else is new? Don't we all hope we don't end up like our parents?''
Her gaze focused on the red plastic cup in her hand and she fiddled with the condensation ring her Coke had made on the table. ''You don't understand.''
Her voice was flat and her expression gave no clues to her actual thoughts.
''You're right. I don't,'' he responded in a voice just a notch above a whisper.
He watched silent tears fill her eyes and flow over her cheeks. Those rivulets instantly made him feel powerless.
http://amzn.com/B005BHR258
If anyone wants to read it, but needs a format other than Kindle's, please contact me through my website (contact page) http://www.ayersbooks.com
This snippet is from "Murder Most Foul" a detective/mystery
Harmon entered a local diner for a late dinner. There, he discovered he was unwelcome. “We ain't servin' no one who's help’n that baby killer, Vernon James,” the waitress vowed.
“So you're that F.B.I. guy they sent down here to solve the case ‘cause our cops can't do the job?” a redneck asked.
Around him the customers snickered, so another redneck said, “Yeah, I heard you're real good with your hands. Know karate and all that stuff.”
“Karate? Shit!” The first redneck leaped to his feet. “Well, Mr. Bad-Ass, this is homegrown.” He threw a round-house punch.
Ducking the attack, Harmon laid out the big mouth with a right cross that sent him flying across the tabletop he had sat at. The owner grabbed his twelve-gauge shotgun from beneath counter and cocked both barrels, yelling, “That's enough! Now get out of here.”
Harmon slammed the door behind him. Driving toward town, and disgusted with his treatment at the diner, he turned on the FM radio and lit a cigarette before loosening his tie. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, shattering a left rear tire. Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, he maneuvered the vehicle off the road, before screeching to a halt. He jumped out and scanned the horizon for the sniper. Seeing no one, he used his car-phone to call for a taxi and a wrecker.
www.melange-books.com/authors/joannemyers/MMF.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/joanne-myers/murder-most-foul/paperback/product-21183493.html
Website: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com
Here is a snippet from The Teacher's Billionaire book 1 in The Sherbrookes of Newport Series which is free for all e-readers.
Slowly she dropped her arm back down and turned around expecting Dylan to step back. He didn't move. Rather he reached out to brush a stray piece of hair off her face.
As if on autopilot Callie closed her eyes as his fingers skimmed down her check and neck to her shoulder. With the weight of his hand resting on her shoulder, she waited not sure what to expect. And then she felt just the slightest bit of pressure as his lips settled over hers. Everything seemed to stop. The only things she was aware of were his callused hand on her shoulder and his lips on hers. The kiss was gentle. Tender.
This shouldn't be happening. Not with this man.
Even as her brain protested, Callie's body responded. She wanted to feel his hard-muscled body pressed up against hers. Even though she knew she should break contact, she took a step closer and rested her hands on his wide shoulders.
http://amzn.to/1gGgOXG Amazon
http://bit.ly/103WyUT Itunes
http://bit.ly/YZos1k B&N
http://bit.ly/10weeFT Smashwords
http://bit.ly/XbxgUl KOBO
From my first novel Dream Date Dare to Dream 1
http://www.bookstrand.com/dream-date
A conversation between Kate and Jason:
“You were saying?”
“The thing is, I had a good time, surprisingly good actually, and I
thought that you did, too?”
“I did.” She paused briefly. “It was perfect actually, including what took place after we left the restaurant. I have no regrets. There may be some warm fuzzy edges around the event, but I remember everything, except for…” Her voice trailed off.
Jason waited for her to continue and when she didn’t, he prompted,
“Except for?”
She cleared her throat, embarrassed. “You didn’t by any chance happen to find my…”
He sought to ease her discomfort by cutting her off. “I did, actually. I don’t have them with me, though.”
She sighed with relief. “That’s okay. Just the idea of the cleaning
personnel finding them was so embarrassing.”
He smiled gently. “I’m sure that they’ve had to deal with much worse. Celebrities and the filthy rich are infamous for their indiscretions.”
“Well, I’m still glad that it was you that found them.” She paused
briefly to retrieve another cookie sheet. “As I was saying, you have nothing to apologize for. Two consenting adults, and all that.” She waved his concerns away as inconsequential.
A teasing smile slowly lit up her face. “Besides, how do you know that I didn’t deliberately encourage your inebriation so that I could have my wicked way with you?”
“Did you?” he asked as if the answer was of utmost importance.
“Not consciously,” she admitted.
“Then I can’t complain. We have no control over our subconscious
activities.” He was smiling now, too.
“So, we’re agreed. There is nothing to apologize for and we both had a great time. Now what?”
“I’d like to see you again.”
Thanks for the opportunity to share! This snippet is from my paranormal romantic comedy, Purple Prose:
When I pulled open the door to my backyard an hour later, the sound of falling water met my ears. Then the fragrance hit me. Flowers, lots of flowers. And the chirping of exotic birds. As I stood with the door open, looking out into a full-fledged tropical paradise where my scruffy back yard used to be, a large multicolored bird landed on a nearby branch and cocked its vibrantly coiffed head at me.
“Awwkkk! No more hobo clothes. Awwkkk!”
I glared at the thing. It had a red head and belly, and its wings were mostly yellow with green and blue layers. Its beak was large, hooked, and grey. I didn’t know much about birds, but it looked like a parrot to me. A very mouthy parrot, since it had just dissed me. I shook my head and turned away. Responding would only encourage it.
Zahn was sitting cross-legged in a patch of thick, impossibly green grass before a ten-foot high fountain. He’d folded his legs in full Lotus position, and rested his hands on his knees, palms up.
I walked over and nudged him with my foot. “You made my backyard into a tropical paradise.”
The Parrot landed on my shoulder and I jumped.
“Awwkkk! Nice perfume. Awwkkk!”
“I’d have to concur with Mike.” Zahn grinned.
I lifted an eyebrow. “Mike? You named an exotic bird Mike?”
Zahn shrugged. “He likes it.”
“Awwkkk! Name him Mikey; he likes it. Awwkkk!”
I stuck a finger in my ear and glowered at the megaphone with feathers on my shoulder. “Do you think Mike could remove himself from my personal space?”
Zahn stood and stretched. The shirt pulled nicely across his shoulders and pecs, and the jeans did some magical things against his thighs. His feet were bare. They were nice feet, albeit purple. Overall, my muse presented a very pleasurable picture. “Ask him yourself. He’s not deaf.”
I removed the finger from my ear, which was ringing from the effects of Megaphone Mike. “I think I am.”
Musa Publishing: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35_64&products_id=743
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IGD7VXC
Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Purple-Prose-Sam-Cheever-ebook/dp/B00IGD7VXC
Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Purple-Prose-Sam-Cheever-ebook/dp/B00IGD7VXC
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/purple-prose-sam-cheever/1022878147?ean=2940148231707
All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-purpleprose-1421369-178.html
Thanks for letting us share older stories! Here’s a snippet from Cougar by the Tail – Extra Cream 3
All that mattered was that they were mates, and she damn well knew it. Trent wasn’t going to let her play games with him. “Did you want him to live like that, a blood addicted beast, killing and gorging on flesh? If that’s what you wanted, you’re not what I thought you were.”
He stood, strode from the pool, and leaning on a nearby boulder, he watched her. It tore at his heart to see tears slide down her cheeks.
She glared up at him and said, “He was still my brother.”
“No, he wasn’t. He was an abomination, something that threatens us all, humans and Kind alike.” Trent softened his voice. “I’m sorry.” He walked back to the edge of the water and sat down. “That wasn’t your brother anymore, Peri.”
Looking the other way, she said, “You could become like that.”
He gazed at her and could see her rosy nipples just above the water. Thank God for cat’s eyes. “Honey, any of us could die tomorrow. Shot by a hunter, taken down by a transgressor. I stand a better chance if I embrace my other half. It’s a part of what God allowed me to be.” Shit, he sounded like a preacher man, but he believed every word of what he said. Leron and Jag had taught him that by ignoring the vampyre side of himself, he could never be the man, or cat, he was supposed to be. He inched back into the water and landed at her side, brushing against her hip.
“Doesn’t it scare you?”
“The only thing that scares me right now is I know you were put here for me. I’ll follow you through these mountains until the cows come home. I will have you.”
Available at:
http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1321
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-extracream3cougarbythetail-423778-142.html
http://www.amazon.com/Extra-Cream-J-Hali-Steele-ebook/dp/B00501GT0Y/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1409841835&sr=8-19&keywords=j+hali+steele
J. Hali Steele
Growl and roar-it’s okay to let the beast out.
www.jhalisteele.com
Here is an excerpt of SEDUCING SIGEFROI:
"Is everything to your liking so far?"
Jarred by the deep male voice, Melusine snapped awake. Sigefroi stood in front of her, one soft boot nonchalantly propped on the edge of the wooden tub. The white of his tunic matched his teeth as he stared at her with a wolfish grin.
Melusine glanced around in panic for something to cover her nudity but her clothes lay too far away. She pulled up her legs in the bath water and laced her arms around her knees. "How dare you intrude? Can't you see I'm taking a bath?"
Sigefroi's bold gaze swept over her exposed body. "It's not as if it were the first time. You seem to like bathing in hot tubs as well as in cold rivers."
Shocked at his effrontery, Melusine released one arm to point toward the door. "Get out of my chamber immediately!"
"Your chamber?" His grin widened. "This is the only private chamber in the villa, and it happens to be mine."
"Yours?" Melusine flushed in confusion. She knew the villa was small but hadn't really thought about all the details.
"I'll share it with you, unless you want to sleep on the hall floor with the servants." The scowl on his brow returned. "And as the lord of this place, I don't take orders from my guests... or my wenches."
Wench? Her solitary life hadn't prepared Melusine for such vulgarity. According to what she understood of men, however, she must not give herself too fast but rather let Sigefroi grow hungry for her body as long as possible. "I am no wench and demand to be treated with respect!"
He chuckled and effected a mock bow. "You certainly have mine, my lady."
Available in kindle on Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B008LW18EG
False Pretences
Traditional Regency Romance – Mystery and Romance
“Has my guardian told you who my parents are?” Annabelle asked in a voice quivering with excitement.
Regret flickered across Miss Chalfont’s face before she shook her head. “No, I am very sorry, he has not. For your sake I wish he had. In fact, I do not know who he is. I receive instructions from a lawyer in Dover.”
Dover! Annabelle thought. The town where she had lived with her nurse before a nameless elegant lady, with a French accent, brought her to The Beeches. Time and time again she had wondered if the lady was her guardian or whether she was a stranger ordered to bring her here. She had no way of knowing, for the lady had not answered any of her questions.
Annabelle looked into Miss Chalfont’s eyes. “Who is the lawyer, ma’am?”
“I do not know for he does not identify himself. He merely arranges for your…er…upkeep, and sends me your guardian’s instructions.”
No clue to the mystery of my own identity, Annabelle thought and gazed down to conceal her disappointment. “Has the lawyer given you permission to tell me who my guardian is?” she asked, despite her suspicion that he had not.
Miss Chalfont looked down at a letter. “No, your guardian, whom I have no doubt has your welfare at heart, still wishes to remain anonymous. But, my dear child, you are fortunate. Your guardian has arranged for you to marry Monsieur le Baron de Beauchamp.”
Annabelle looked up with a mixture of astonishment, disbelief, and intense indignation at the arrangement that took no heed of her wishes. “I am to marry a man I have never met?”
With restless fingers, Miss Chalfont adjusted her frilled mobcap. “Yes, your guardian has arranged for you to marry Monsieur le Baron tomorrow.”
Annabelle stared at her kind teacher as though she had turned into a monster. “Mon dieu!” she raged, reverting to the French she spoke when she was a small child. “My God! Tomorrow? My guardian expects me to marry a Frenchman tomorrow? Miss Chalfont, surely you do not approve of such haste.”
Buy links:
amazon.com/dp/B009YK1MFO
www.museituppublishing.com/bookstore
Dancing in Circles - book 1 in the Circles Trilogy.
One born into privilege and a charmed life surrounded by love and family. The other born to a life of violence on the streets as the solemn gang leader of the notorious Shoresmen. A young, idealistic co-ed, Julie, meets a jaded, cold gang member, Robert, and cracks his icy shell, allowing the warmth of her love to awaken his soul.
Buy link - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PFNPMG
Where to find me – Victoria's Pages of Romance - http://victoriaadams.blogspot.com
Black Dorn - an erotic medieval romance by Daryl Devore.
Purchased to be trained as a courtesan, Branwyn arrives in a strange new land and begins her daily lesson in the art of bedding a man.
Back from battle, Prince Malack returns to the court of his father. The noble woman chosen to be his bride rejected him and bedded his hated rival. Malack turned his anger onto the focus of battle and increasing the power and wealth of Black Dorn. Until his gaze settles onto the face of the woman who will be his queen.
Buy Link - Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Black-submission-punishment-bondage-ebook/dp/B005XQ93RC
Blog – Erotic Notions – http://myeroticnotions.blogspot.com
From 2009 historical vampire romance novella, Sweet Redemption.
Excerpt:
Of its own accord, his head angled toward her lips. Although he'd tried to keep his thoughts from how soft and inviting her lips appeared, his body seemed to take over. He lowered his mouth to hers. She tilted her head in apparent invitation, her scent causing his shaft to harden. His lips brushed hers, tentatively at first, but the sweet taste of her soft, heated mouth drove him to open his own, tongue thrusting to taste her thoroughly.
At first she held her lips firm, then opened allowing him to explore the velvety insides of her mouth. Encouraged, he leaned into her, and she yielded beneath him, sighing softly as she reclined on the settee. He pulled the pins, releasing her hair into a silken veil trailing over her bodice. He cupped one of her lush breasts through the fabric of her gown, and she moaned in response. Encouraged, he adjusted his body over hers, his arousal growing.
She gazed up at him, eyes half-closed in passion. He focused on her throat and the steadily beating pulse. He pushed a strand of hair back and fixated on the soft, white skin, gaze drawn to the pulse point. His lips grazed the spot, the beat and scent driving him mad. He had the overwhelming urge to bite. His mouth distended.
An image of what Arnwolf had done to him in the barn, made him jerk back. His heart pounded as he traced his finger along his teeth. Two sharp, pointed fangs had taken the place of his canines. He rose from the settee and howled, backing away.
Mrs. Emery stared at him.
He turned away, so she wouldn’t see. What had he become?
http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Redemption-ebook/dp/B0056ICETQ/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313157188&sr=1-7
http://susanmacatee.com
Bad Boy Blues
By Christiane France
http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/566-Bad-Boy-Blues.aspx
Also: Amazon Kindle and allromanceebooks.com
Billy Duval and Sharon Lee Parker were teenage lovers—until Sharon went off to college and Billy’s disregard for the law earned him a four-year sentence in the Federal penitentiary. They haven’t seen one another in more than ten years, but now Sharon’s back home for his sister’s wedding.
Excerpt
“Not the hotel.” Sharon gritted her teeth and gave him a tight, little grin, wishing she could stay mad at him, but knowing she couldn’t. Billy knew damn well what she wanted to do. She wanted to get laid, by him. She wanted him to rip her clothes off, open her legs and fuck her brains out. She wanted him to make her come and come again until she was too sore to come anymore. She wanted him to take back what had always been his and, if she had her way, always would be. She wanted to smell Billy’s smell on her. She wanted to be Billy’s woman again so badly, she was having trouble holding herself together.
As they drove across town, she pulled down the zipper on his pants and slipped her hand inside, loving the feel of heat and hardness as she ran the tips of her fingers over his shaft and it responded eagerly to her touch. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere private.”
“I hope it’s not the local lover’s lane.”
He made a noise like he was choking. “That’s not the place I had in mind.”
“Where then? That farmer’s field where we used to go?”
www.chrisgrover.ca
Here's mine from Viking Fire - historical romance with a touch of magic:
Outside he released her, but blocked her path to re-enter the hall. The music resonated around them. Leaning against the far wall, she crossed her arms.
She was two feet away from him, but he was too close.
“I thought the air would clear your head.” He cocked his eyebrow, examining her.
“My head is fine, thank you.”
“Aye, and the rest of you is fine to look at too.” His thick dialect chased shivers through her.
Her hands smoothed her gown. She caught herself and stopped. At seeing his grin, her frown deepened. “I believe it’s improper for you to stare at a lady so.”
“Would you rather I stare at you on our wedding night?” She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued. “Whilst you are without clothes?”
“I assure you, sir, we will have no wedding night.” Her blush radiated from her chest and spread between her legs.
“You wish to wed during the day then?” He took a step closer. “Very well, daylight will be all the better to see you.”
Music and laughter from inside filtered through the night air. He strode toward her.
She braced for his advances, wondering if she had the strength to inflict enough pain
to make him reconsider. Part of her wanting to run, the other part daring him closer in challenge. God’s toenails, how could she have forgotten her dagger?
A breath from her, he stopped. Her heart hammered in her chest.
His fingers brushed aside a strand of her auburn hair that had slipped from her braid.
The brief touch sent fire coursing through her. Afraid her legs would give way she leaned farther against the wall.
Buylink: http://www.amazon.com/Viking-Crimson-Romance-Andrea-Cooper-ebook/dp/B00DV0XJ9U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409875152&sr=8-1&keywords=viking+fire
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