Happy weekend All!
It has been a busy 2014 so far and I’ve gotten some solid months of writing and editing done! One of my writing goals this year is to write one book per quarter (or every three months). There, I’ve said it. Much like Amelie Laurent in the below excerpt, I’ve put it out there and will have to live up to it. 🙂
In the mean time, if you want to see what I’m working on check my social links below. If we’re not connected, by all means, let’s do it! I’m a Pinterest fanatic. You will find my inspirations and aspirations pinned on my boards.
Exciting things are developing. For one, I am part of a dream anthology to be published soon – Yay! Â More to come on that. Also, the new Cardiff novel is almost done and I’m looking forward to presenting to you Xavier Quinn. Some people know him as Roman Cardiff”s cousin, others know him as a secret agent but not even his family knows Quinn is a vampire lover. Yes, the Cardiff family has been dealing with a lot lately; il Dragone demons, vampires – what will it be next? Shifters.
Since I have Cardiff’s on the brain, I’m sharing a new excerpt from my paranormal romance Love Entwined. Â Oh, the situations Amelie gets herself into…enjoy!
Love Entwined, A Cardiff Novel – Excerpt
Later that night, Amelie passed through the kitchen on her way to the pool.
She went through the gym, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirrored walls. She was a mermaid in the incandescent green two-piece with a diaphanous sarong. She loved it and would have bought it for herself except that it probably cost as much as one of her business suits. Work attire and jewelry were the only things she could see spending that kind of money on.
Roman had guessed her size. The man was an expert; he knew how to make a woman feel beautiful.
That was dangerous.
She was no match for his subtle prowess and he was too well versed in things she had not played at long enough to know her own capabilities.
When she opened the door, he was already in the pool swimming laps. She stood near one of the benches lining the walls. The underwater lights bathed the room in a bluish-green glow and illuminated his retreat. His strokes were long and powerful, breaking the silence and echoing in the cavernous room.
He swam toward her and she took off her flip-flops. She was the wallflower while he was…Godlike, more than a man should be. He climbed out of the water and stood in a puddle, pushing dark, wet curls out of his face. Her eyes followed the rivulets running down his chest over sculpted abs and finally over his feet. Everything about him was oversize.
He walked toward her in black swim trunks and her skin burned crimson as reality confirmed what her dreams had already conveyed; the man was superbly endowed.
“I see you found your way down.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist, and managed to stop just short of turning back the way she’d come. “I was watching you swim,” she said unnecessarily.
He grabbed a towel hanging on a hook. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you for the swimsuit.”
“I should be thanking you.”
She stood mute, but unfolded her arms.
He gestured to the shower in the corner. “Why don’t you get wet? It will help you get accustomed to the water.”
Aware he was watching her while he dried off; she twisted the end of the wrap in her fingers.
He picked up a bottle of water and sat down, leaning against the tiled wall. He took a long drink before saying, “Of course you could always swim in it.”
“Of course not.” She took off the wrap and crossed over to the steady stream of water.
Closing her eyes, she blocked his eyes out of her mind, but still felt them as she turned in a slow circle under the stream sluicing her breasts. She felt his eyes as the water traveled down her waist, glancing off her hips in droplets that danced in puddles over her feet.
When she turned off the water, she felt much calmer.
He held out a bottle. “Water?”
“No, thank you. Do you want to get back in?”
“Your wish is my command, Beauty.”
He kept pace with her underwater. In a steady rhythm, he glided next to her. He needn’t have worried; she was a good swimmer.
They reached the other side and she started back the other way with the butterfly stroke. They swam together and met at the deep end, holding on to the side and facing each other.
She waved her legs in the water, feeling so much better after exercising away her nervous energy. “This is nice.”
“Where did that come from?”
“What?”
“That genuine smile on your face. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that before.”
She made a face.
He grinned. “There is nothing like a few laps in the pool before bed. It helps clear my head.” He followed her line of vision to a beach ball floating nearby.
Grinning, she swam off in that direction. She held the ball up over her head and took aim.
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Shaking one waterlogged lock of hair out of her face, she asked innocently, “And why is that?” She treaded further away, still brandishing her weapon.
“I might have to come after you.” He hadn’t finished his sentence before she threw the missile. It was close, but she missed. She looked around for something else to throw.
“Nothing but pool water left, Beauty.”
She treaded away. “It didn’t hit you.”
“Ah, but that was your intention, and now you will pay the price.” He dove underwater.
She squeaked and started swimming in earnest to the other side of the pool. By the time she saw him swimming underneath her it was too late. He rose up out of the water and grabbed her around the waist. She tried to get away, but weakened by laughter she stopped struggling and leaned against him.
He took her to the side of the pool and they caught their breath as their legs wove together. The gentle lapping of the water against their bodies broke the silence.
“Give me a few days’ practice and I’ll be chasing you.” She laughed up into his face, looking forward to it.
Roman wasn’t laughing. He moved closer and his lips brushed hers.
Feeling relaxed and exhilarated, she didn’t stop him, but parted her lips. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, rolling it over hers in long, lazy strokes. She slid gently into bliss as he deepened the kiss.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her nipples hardened against the hair on his chest.
When he cupped her buttocks and moved against her, a languid moan escaped her lips.
Love Entwined is available on Amazon  http://amzn.com/B00F2M3FZI
Social Media Links
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RomanceAuthorDanitaMinnis
Facebook Author Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Danita-Minnis-Romance-Author/433534206657385?ref=hl
Blog: http://danitaminnis.danitaminnis.com/
Networked Blogs http://www.networkedblogs.com/user/1345144572
Google +Â https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/115952729941261769379/115952729941261769379/posts
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9183360-danita-minnis
Klout http://klout.com/#/Danita_Minnis/topics
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/danitaminnis/
Stumbleupon http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/RomanceAuthorDan
Shelfari http://www.shelfari.com/o1515015619
A book a quarter? Wow, that’s ambitious, Danita…and impressive. It takes me a year to write, revise, and edit a manuscript, plus run the final draft by my betas. If you have some time-saving shortcuts you can share with me, I’ll all ears.
Best of luck on your anthology, and continued success with your Cardiff novels!
It sounds like a lot to me to Linda.:) I’m writing novel length but trying not to go over 70 or 80K words. In between my novels I plan to write novellas at the 30K word length. The betas turn those around faster. Then it’s about time management, which I am rangling with – it’s time to win that battle!
Well, I’m rooting for you all the way, Danita!
Thanks, my friend. 🙂