D

D
As many of you may know, our beloved sister hostess SHARON DONOVAN, tragically passed away on 11th April 2012. We who knew her, loved her, and were inspired by her courage and determination to face head on whatever life threw at her. When she could no longer see to paint she turned to writing and showed her amazing talent in the Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense genres, and her story 'Charade Of Hearts' was awarded the coveted Predators and Editors Award in January 2011.

This Blog was a source of great delight to her, she was one of the founder hostesses and she contributed to the fun and silliness in her own original way, and was kind enough to let her unique creation, the hunky butler 'Oliver' join us for our Friday romp and prepare 'virtual breakfast' for the guests on the following morning. It's beyond hard to have to go on without her, but we know that she would have been the first to insist that 'the show must go on.' She is, and will always be with us in spirit.
Sharon, dear friend, we will never forget you.
The Author Roast and Toast is part of the legacy you left us. Let's raise a Toast to you as well as all our guests.
***********************************************************

Friday, March 4, 2011

OPEN HOUSE AT THE AUTHOR ROAST AND TOAST

 






OPEN HOUSE
That 's right. We thought we'd try something different just for today.
We're having a party and everyone is invited to share their favourite excerpts.
Just paste the paragraph in the comments section (please keep to a reasonable length.
(No Adult Content please, this is a G-rated Blog)

Thanks and enjoy the party - let your hair down!


The hostesses are throwing an 'open house' party at the beautiful Nanteos Mansion in Wales, which is theirs for the whole weekend.  This old mansion, owned for many years by the Powell family, is steeped in history and reputed to be haunted by three ghosts.

Sharon and Mary are very excited as they speed up the drive toward the mansion.  They've never been to Wales before.

"See the boarded up window at the end of the house here," Lyn says, "Many years ago the lady of the house watched her husband ride up the drive from this window, and the horse took fright and threw him, he was killed instantly and she would never allow anyone to look through that window again."

Mary shivers.  "Ooh, creepy, do you have any more stories like that?"

"Oh lots," Lyn says, "There are three ghosts here altogether, but they're quite benign!" Before she can say more, the car pulls up and there stands Oliver in the doorway to greet them. 

Sharon waves "Hello Oliver, I hope you have the food ready, we've no idea how many guests may turn up today." They pile out of the car and into the house.

Tomorrow Lyn will show them around the grounds.  The 18 acre field in front of the house, known as 'The Park' where her horses used to live, and where the Powell family grazed their own horses.
 
Then they and the guests can take a walk by the lake.  The daffodils have bloomed just in time for St David'sDay, March 1st and are nodding gently under the trees, just as Wordsworth must have seen them.

To one side of the 'Park', on the way to the stables, is a little 'copse' covered in snowdrops and bluebells in early spring, where the Powell family's pets are buried.  It's a lovely secluded spot and Lyn used often to sit there and write in the dappled sunshine.

The stable yard is cobbled, the stables of Victorian design.  There used to be an eagle each side of the arch, and a horse in the middle, but the man who inherited it after the deaht of the last Powell sold them to someone in America!

The three hostesses admire themselves in one of the huge mirrors in the downstairs drawing room.  In  honour of St David's Day, Sharon and Mary are dressed in traditional Welsh costume, and sporting a daffodil.

"You both look beautiful, Lyn exclaims, tipping her black Welsh hat.  Mary's costume is not nearly as revealing as those she normally wears. "Your hooters are well hidden today!" Sharon laughs.

"And that long flared skirt hides your bubble butt very well!" Mary retorts.  "Can't imagine why Lyn chose to wear such a short skirt though, it really shows her clodhoppers - er I mean dainty little feet!"


They all giggle and hug each other, as they go into the drawing room.  Oliver has surpassed himself.

Wild Welsh salmon, local chicken, leg of Welsh lamb, Welsh beef, home cured ham, rack of pork, various cheeses, home made bread rolls,  fruit, all grown locally,



mussels, shrimps and scallops from Cardigan Bay, with lava bread (seaweed) for those who like it, various salads, assorted cheeses -

and for those with a sweet tooth, Bara Brith (dark, malty fruit cake) spongecake with fresh cream, Fresh dairy icecream with hot fudge sauce,chocolate and strawberry gateau, and Lyn has also been busy in thekitchen making traditional Welshcakes.  (Small flat fruit scones, eaten with butter or lightly dusted with sugar)




As always, there's plenty of mead,  as well as Oliver's famous Maritinis, champagne and a fruit punch fountain.  The wine cellar is well stocked, as is the bar, so whatever our guests' tastes, they're sure to find something to suit them, including non-alcoholic beverages.


So all that's needed now is the guests...

Feel free to post a paragraph or two or your work, and tell us all about yourself - and please remember to ensure all excerpts are G-rated!

As the first guest arrive, the three hostesses run to fling wide the doors, almost tripping over themselves in their excitement.

34 comments:

  1. Good Morning Ladies - just wanted to stop by and say "Hi." I must say you all look very festive today. Found it hard to get by the food. OMG - my mouth is watering. Again, thank you for last week. I had more fun. It was great.

    Absolution Excerpt - Kindle version now available on Amazon:

    Killing a female or a very young fledgling
    went against everything he believed in. Alisdair knew that!
    His mind expanded, seeking out the fledgling, a mere tendril
    of thought worming its way into her psyche lest she feel its intrusion.
    His fists knotted. The female was in agony! Damaged blood
    vessels and depleted tissues emitted pulsing waves of anguish
    flowing through the fledgling’s ruined system.
    The energy needed to retain the whisper of contact caused
    beads of sweat to form on Zaccarius’ brow. His mind instinctively
    shrank away from her intense pain and it was only through his
    stubborn determination that the fragile connection held. Gritting
    his teeth, he focused his energy, delving deeper into her being. He
    detected the scent of blood emanating from a nearby source. She
    is not alone! Two humans occupied the space, so near he could
    hear the rapid beating of their hearts. Intrigued, he sought to understand.
    If they were in thrall, why didn’t she feed from them?
    It would seem logical, but her thoughts did not entertain such an
    action.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oooh this excerpt is so intriguing, Patsy! Thanks so much for joining us, we had so much fun with you last week.

    Eat, drink and be merry!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Come one come all! Post your excerpt, tell us about your book!
    You're on!!!!!
    Have a great day. I will be at the hospital today with a dying relative so Please you all forgive my absence. Sharon is dealing with the same thing. So far our wonderful Lyn is safe!! Love you guys!!
    Back later!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hugs and prayers to my two sweet soster hostesses who have so much to deal with at the moment - but they're here in spirit and as always Oliver is ready to serve you with a wink and a smile!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Ladies. I'll be grabbing one of those non-alcoholic beverages. Even though I just had lunch, that spread looks delicious.

    I'm Beth Caudill and I write Fantasy and Paranormal romance. I think every party needs a wolf (4 legs and fur optional).

    Healer's Fate - available in many formats including pdf and Kindle


    Liam couldn’t watch the ceremony that would mate Corliss to someone else. He could’ve challenged for her, but that meant fighting his father—the ruling wolf, who was neither a tyrant nor senile. Both of them in their prime, a fight would have ended in one of their deaths, and he couldn’t justify the loss of life.

    Not even for her. Unable to keep control of his wolf, Liam let the animal free to seek solace in the forest. Except every tree, every scent roused memories of her, and the wolf circled back towards the clearing, towards the woman who should be his.

    Stark quiet alerted him to trouble as the wolf crept along the edge of the grass. People were missing and those who remained stood as if waiting for the ceremony to start. He circled around to the front to get a better view, hiding in the shadows so as not to alert anyone. Raymond was unaccounted for. Corliss stood stiff-backed, facing away from the audience.

    Her caramel-colored hair was piled atop her head, darkened to walnut in the moonlight. Shadows hid her sea-green eyes and emphasized
    her high cheekbones. She appeared cold, harsh, and removed from events going on around her. Yet he knew her to be warm and caring, often too
    caring.

    Giving to others more of her personal energy through her healing powers than she should. As her friend, he could offer support, but he couldn’t push too hard for her to rest, or she’d rip out his throat.

    He chuffed. The dark blue specks in her eyes glowed when she was angry. That spark had been missing from her eyes for days. He repressed a growl as Corliss bit the inside of her cheek. Before the wind shifted, he backed away. She wouldn’t appreciate someone seeing her close to tears.

    The wolf wanted to rip a hole in Raymond’s belly, but even the animals had rules for a challenge. He trotted to a cache of clothes. Only the man could help her now.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Never been her before, so thrilled to check it out. Will have to visit more often, seems like a great place.

    Tempting Adam excerpt: available at TWRP and Amazon

    Impossible-to-believe long legs ended in black,
    shiny, spiked high heels. The lethal stilettos rested
    atop the far corner of Adam’s antique desk without
    the courtesy of the Corinthian leather desk pad. The
    large wingback side of his occupied chair kept him
    from ogling the rest of the package those legs
    promised.

    Adam St. Eden grasped the doorframe. His
    temples pounded in the midst of his foggy hangoverinduced
    headache. Pain in the back of his neck
    slammed up into his head to mingle with all the
    reminders of last night’s binge.

    Never again, he vowed.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great Excerpt Beth - thanks so much for joining the party. I hope Oliver's looking after you! 'Healer's Fate' sounds like a 'must rad' for fantasy lovers!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Jill

    We love new visitors, thanks so much for posting your excerpt. Ooh that really entices one in and makes me want to read more!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a lovely locale for a party! I once visited a haunted castle. I wanted to stay the night to meet the ghost, but they wouldn't let me!

    I tried to post an excerpt from Sunrise in a Garden of Love & Evil, but... pfft. It wouldn't go through. So here's a blurb instead:

    A FLOWERING HUNGER, AND A TASTE OF VIOLENCE TO COME

    Being irresistible sucks. Ophelia Beliveau learned that at puberty. When her friends grew breasts, she sprouted fangs as well. The effect on boys was even more dangerous.

    Ophelia's peril has only increased. As a woman, there's been only one solution, but she can’t avoid men forever. Solitude satisfies no craving, and now her self-imposed exile must end. A vandal has destroyed her garden. A web of blackmail and murder is being woven across town, with Ophelia at its heart. And then there’s Gideon O’Toole, a detective sworn to uncover more secrets than she thirsts to bare…

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the pictures from the mansion!

    Here's a brief blurb of my vampire romance available now from The Wild Rose Press:
    Out of the Darkness-
    Her research could cure his dark hunger if a covert government agent doesn't get to her first.

    Vincent Maxwell is a vampire with a conscience seeking a cure to his dark hunger. But when a scientist looking to create vampire soldiers captures and kills a fellow vampire, Vincent seeks out Dr. Megan Harper, a research scientist who discovered a link between a genetic light sensitivity disorder and vampirism. Dr. Harper could hold a key to a cure and the answers to Gerard’s death. But getting close to the beautiful scientist could endanger both their lives.

    When Megan meets Vincent she believes he suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum, the genetic disease that killed her sister. Sensing a deep loneliness within the handsome man, she offers friendship and access to her research files. But she and Vincent soon become more than friends and Megan learns the horrifying truth. She's entered the dark and unseen world of vampires and Vincent is her only hope of survival.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey Lilly.

    We should have a contest to see whose bite is harder...my wolf or your vampire.

    Anyone have an apple?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Ladies! Stopping by on the way to the car park to start my trip. I've a novella coming out from Class Act Books on March 15...Gypsy Charm...Lisa didn't mean to get mixed up with gypsies. It just happened. The gift of a magic charm...an abandoned black cat...or is he? Tomas becomes Lisa's best friend. He protects her from everything but her dreams of a cat-like man who claims she can save him. Does Tomas have his own agenda? There's also a trailer up on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW_Phi3Xw6k. Well, got to run...Wyoming awaits! Have a great party! Tell Oliver hello for me!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi everyone, I have a new contract with TWRP for a contemporary romance, pub date unknown. Here's a blurb. Hope you enjoy.

    A CATERED AFFAIR
    A family tragedy has career-minded, Jenna Cassali, housebound with two teenagers, a baby, and a dog from hell, with a hot doctor in pursuit. The longer she stays the more she realizes what’s missing in her own life, but she likes to play it safe, and safe means returning to New York and her job, not launching a catering business, or falling in love.

    Grant, a pediatrician and widower, believes his son died because of his negligence. The hospital becomes his life, but when he meets Jenna, his broken heart begins to heal.

    Can he close the door on his past, and allow himself to love again? Will Jenna find the courage to change her destiny, open her life, and her heart?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ladies, I'll have a drink with you. Oliver, darling, this way. I love that sweet Vermouth. Thank you Mary, Sharon and Hywela for this invitation.

    Here is the blurb of Rx For Truat, an Epicon finalist.
    Successful physician and loving mother, Olivia Crane fiercely believes youthful mistakes should be kept secret and skeletons are better left in the closet. Dr. Luc George, the French psychiatrist, she loved ten years ago, detests secrets. Can he help her conquer her inner fears or will he get burned by the past too? Will Olivia grab her second chance and finally find happiness with the love of her life?

    Excerpt:
    Luc frowned as Olivia bolted off the bench. “Mom, don’t tell me how to handle my daughter. Put her on again.”
    Olivia had a daughter?
    Ten years was a long period to be alone. But she wasn’t wearing a ring. Neither she nor McMillan had mentioned a present husband, fiancé or boyfriend. And she hadn’t said a word about this daughter all day long. Still she could have had a child anytime after he’d left. But why had she kept her a secret from him?
    He scowled as he trudged through the grass surrounding the pond, his breathing labored, blood pounding against his forehead. “Olivia.”
    As she turned toward him, she mumbled a quick, “Bye, Mom,” and then shoved her cell phone into her purse. “Luc, what are you doing here?” She bent to retrieve her high-heeled shoes from under the stone bench and slipped them on while he dumped the bottle, bucket of ice and glasses on the bench.
    “Ah.” Merde. One of the glasses had shattered on the stone. Mumbling a string of curses, he collected the broken pieces and threw them into the ice bucket.
    Why had she not told him she had a daughter?
    Something did not make sense here. Olivia Crane had always been a secretive woman, difficult to understand. Still...
    Is it possible that Melissa is...?
    His jaws tensed. “Olivia, how old is your daughter?”
    Lies by omission had cost him a child. Pain spiked through his heart at the thought of his little Paul and the lying bitch, the salope, who’d kept his son hidden from him for two years.
    Was the nightmare of his past slithering around him again?
    Luc resolutely took the last step separating him from Olivia. He wouldn’t allow her to knock his structured world out of control the way another woman had, years ago.
    “You’ve been eavesdropping? How dare you?” Her chin lifted, and she scowled.
    The memory of a pale toddler still scorched his heart after so many years. He was inflexible when it came to secrets and lies.
    “Tell me the truth. How old? Is she mine?” How could she have hidden this from him? She was no better than Brigitte. Were all women fickle liars?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Barbara - what a shame you didn't get to meet a ghost (I think). I never saw one at Nanteos, but late at night in the dark, the stable yard would echo with shrieks like those of the damned It didn't bother the horses at all, and I later found out it was only screech owls!

    What an intriguing excerpt - thanks so much for posting it, Ophelian sounds like a fascinating character!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Lilly

    So glad you like the pictures. Nanteos is a beautiful, peaceful place and I still love it.

    Another great vamp excerpt, and I love the title, 'Out of the Darkness.'

    ReplyDelete
  17. LOL Beth, not sure a biting contest between vamps and wolves is a good thing at the party, we like our guests characters to survive! *grin*

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hello ICSnow - how great you could stop by. Loved the excerpt - it's good to have a gypsy at the party. Drop by any time, we'll all be pleased to see you and Oliver can never resist blowing kisses to any lady who says hello!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Patrice, welcome to the party and congratulations on your new contract. Delicious excerpt - thanks so much for sharing it with us!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Mona

    We always love to see you at one of our parties! Wow what a tense and intriguing excerpt, no wonder it's an Epicon finalist! Congratulations.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi there! My first visit as well. Love the pictures. I'd love to take a walk around that place.

    Staking His Claim, available through TWRP, also availabe in Kindle format on amazon. This is the book's opening:

    “Kyle, I’m pregnant.”

    The cheerful smile Kyle Morgan had opened the door with slid from his face. A shocked sort of numbness stole over him, and his bare feet cemented to the linoleum flooring that served as the foyer.

    He searched the familiar eyes of the woman across the threshold. The color of warmed honey and flecked with gold, those eyes had the power to make his day a whole lot brighter simply because they smiled at him.

    But they weren’t smiling now, and the dejection reflecting back at him said he hadn’t heard wrong. The woman he loved was pregnant with a baby who should’ve been his. God, she couldn’t have hurt him any more had she kneed him in the groin.

    Before he could stop it, a sense of betrayal reached up and grabbed him by the throat. Like a raging inferno, anger ignited in his blood, hot and unstoppable, and his hands curled into fists at his sides, itching to swing out and put a dent in the wall beside him.

    Thunder crashed overhead, shaking the thin walls of his apartment, and the rain picked up, going from a soothing pitter-patter to battering the roof. The lights flickered once, twice, and brought him screeching back to the here and now.

    Kyle dragged in a deep, calming breath and forced his fists to unfurl. She couldn’t know the torment her news wrought within him, that the mere thought of her with another guy stabbed at his gut like a knife with a jagged blade. No, he wouldn’t tell her.

    Instead, he did what he always did when trying to hide his true emotions from her—he grinned and played it off.

    “Geez, Ceci, you shouldn’t do that to a guy.” He rolled his eyes and clutched a hand to his chest. “I think my heart just stopped.”

    ReplyDelete
  22. These excerpts are just blowing me away! You are such a talented crew!
    Authors amaze me Lyn, I just got to stop by for a minute, but I love the mansion. If I find a ghost can I keep him. Heck I already have a spirit attached to me from my Ouiji board days. They'd keep each other company!
    He's a really narky spirit and makes me a lot of trouble. I'm possessed I swear!! Nothing I do is my fault!!! Honest!
    Well off I go to explore, how long are we here for? Do we need the ghostbusters or not!!! Keep those excerpts coming, darn they are great!!!!!!Love it!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thought I'd drop back by and sneak a peek at the excerpts. Good ones people!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Joanne
    welcome to The Roast it's always great to have new guests and we're doing well today!

    Another excellent excerpt, thank you for sharing it with us - ooh, gripping stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hello Mary sweet sister hostess - and welcome back, Patsy *waves*.

    Yes, aren't all these excerpts amazing - all so different but all so good!

    Nanteos Mansion was built in 1738 by William Powell and it remained in the family for 250 years. Not surprising, perhaps, that it should be haunted.

    As for the ghosts, I hate to disappoint you Mary, but they're neqrly all female - with the exception of the unfortunate man who broke his neck when thrown from his horse!
    It is said that on some nights a ghost rider on a ghost horse rides straight down the drive and into the breakfast room - right through the bricked up window!

    Another of the mansion's famous ghosts is Gruffydd Evans, a harpist who entertained the gentry at Nanteos for almost 70 years. People say that if you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of harp music playing in the grounds.

    The Pink Room is allegedly haunted by a mysterious figure and a woman has been seen carrying a candlestick down the staircase - which was thought to be a forewarning of an imminent death in the Powell family

    Another lady who asked her maid to hide her jewels as she lay dying - and it's said that her spirit still stalks the corridors looking for those lost treasures.

    Then there's the 'grey lady', a phantom horse and a carriage that draws up to the front door in the middle of the night,

    The most famous story of all perhaps, although it has nothing to do with ghosts, is the legend of the Holy Grail or the Nanteos Cup.

    Legend has it that the grail - a bowl made from olive wood, which was used by Christ during the Last Supper - was brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimethea. He settled at a Glastonbury monastry.

    During the dissolution of the monasteries, some of the monks fled to Strata Florida and took the cup with them. It then passed into the family who owned Nanteos.

    The cup had a reputation for healing and people would drink water from it in the hope of curing their ailments. The cup greatly deteriorated due to the fact that the sick insisted on nibbling it to acquire its healing properties. The cup is now believed to be in safe-keeping somewhere in Ceredigion - and I actually saw it myself.

    Incidentally, the Powells ended up in America (New York City) and became Quakers. They did tremendous work on prison reform. William Marcy Powell, Sr was on the original board of the NAACP and became President of NY hospital.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi ladies and Oliver,
    Thank you for inviting me to visit you in beautiful Wales.
    A short excerpt from Wild Oats, my novel from The Wild Rose Press and a current EPIC finalist.

    WILD OATS
    Phillip Ashfield uncrossed his cramped legs and stood up to reach into the overhead luggage compartment. What an imposition, having to manhandle his own luggage.
    “Good God, man, when you’re in the colonies you have to look after yourself.” He remembered the advice he’d received from Tony, one of his friends from Eton. How true. Godforsaken bloody backwater.
    If his father hadn’t been so ill, he would have refused point blank to come out to Australia. Had his mother not been so distraught about the old man, he would have ignored her entreaties to visit relatives at the back of beyond.
    God, it was hot. The temptation to loosen his collar became almost unendurable. He wore the latest summer fashion for 1914, a three-piece suit with a shaped coat that had a vent down the back. His linen, as always, was the finest money could buy. Neither one helped keep him cool in these temperatures.
    Cheers

    Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Margaret

    How lovely to see you at the Roast again, and what a great excerpt.
    Congratuations on finalling at EPIC and wishing you even more success - and good luck with WILD OATS. I'm not sure what time it is in Australia at the moment, but whatever you fancy for refreshments, Oliver will be with you directly.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I just HAD to come join the fun. I guess I should have eaten first because now I'm even more hungry!

    Not Without Risk - available in eBook or Print

    “Why would someone want you dead, Paige?”

    “I don’t know.”

    "Is there anything you’re not telling us about the events of yesterday morning? Something Leroy St.John told you, something you saw?”

    “I told you everything.”

    “You’re sure?”

    “Yes.”

    Under different circumstances, she might not have blamed them. She had no proof, just her word that she had seen the photograph. But her life was in danger. Someone had killed Leroy and blown up her car. She knew the two events were connected. The same way she knew the photograph had been there and that the uncluttered desk before her was important.

    For a long, tense moment, Sergeant Harrison’s dark gaze locked with hers. She caught a flash of emotion in his eyes, then it was gone and they were cool and disconnected—cop’s eyes. Her heart lurched, and her knees went weak.

    “What do you want me to do?” he asked.

    “I want you to believe me.”

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Sarah

    Welcome to the party - don't worry all the food ius completely calorie free - eat as much as you like!

    What an exciting excerpt - really made me want to read more. Thanks for sharing it with us, and wishing you much success.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Sarah

    Welcome to the party - don't worry all the food ius completely calorie free - eat as much as you like!

    What an exciting excerpt - really made me want to read more. Thanks for sharing it with us, and wishing you much success.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Mary and Sharon my prayers are with you.Hugs. I will have a nice cold glass of the champange fruit punch. Sounds yummy. Think I will have to try a bit of everything for the food. LOL. Well I don't write but; I sure am enjoying all the excerpts. And what a variety too.
    Sue B

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Sue

    How lovely to have you call in, yes there's plenty of food - and aren't these excerpts fantastic, something for everyone I think - and readers are double welcome to our parties - we writers couldn't do without you, LOL!

    Thank you for your prayers and good wishes for my dear sister hostesses, Mary and Sharon, I know they'll be appreciated and will help in the losses they've been going through.

    So glad you've enjoyed our change of format this week, we should be back to normal next Friday, but it's been wonderful having so many talented authors drop in and share their work with us.

    ReplyDelete
  33. What a lovely locale for a splendid party. Hugs to Hywela, Sharon, Mary and Oliver. I tried earlier to post an excerpt but Blogger wouldn't allow it. The following is an excerpt Hot Spanish Nights (The Wild Rose Press, The Wilder Catalog). The hero and heroine have ridden into the mountains on Andalusian stallions:

    Up an incline and down the other side, they rode in silence then Damian surprised her by asking, "Why do you compete ?"
    She stiffened in the saddle, and her stallion slowed. This was a test. A lot depended on her answer Erica suspected. "Strange question coming from you.”
    He urged his mount closer to hers. "I am competitive by nature."
    Feigning indifference but hyper-aware of his presence, she scratched Bonito's mane. "So am I."
    As fiercely competitive as you are.
    Damián tilted his head and winked. "Shall we race?"
    She laughed. "You got it," and touched spur to Bonito.
    Though he was an inch shorter than the other stallion, the young horse was agile and leapt ahead. Over the grass they thundered, but in five strides, Damián drew alongside. She threw her stallion the reins and shouted, “Run,” in his ear. To hell with being ladylike, she was riding to win. She aimed Bonito at a fallen tree and took the jump at a gallop. Damián slowed Espartero, clearing the tree two strides behind her. When they reached a copse of tall trees, she was in the lead. She sat back, reined in and collapsed on her horse's neck, laughing. Damián brought his stallion to a sliding halt.
    Erica sat straight in the saddle, dropped her reins and punched the air. "I win."
    Espartero danced and whirled, snorting. Mischief glittered in her companion’s dark eyes. "I didn't say where this race would end."
    "Well, it ends here."

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi Bianca -
    yes Blogger can be a pain sometimes, but so glad you got here in the end! What a great excerpt.

    As a rider myself, I can certainly relate to the thrill of feeling those powerful muscles beneath one at a flat out gallop - and what a sizzling end to the excerpt. Lovely that you immortlised your own Bonito in this story too!

    ReplyDelete

AUTHOR ROAST AND TOAST

AUTHOR ROAST AND TOAST
authorroast@btinternet.com
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE OUR GUEST? DO YOU WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR NEW RELEASE OR EVEN AN OLDER ONE?IF YOU FANCY BEING GUEST OF HONOUR AT ONE OF OUR PARTIES JUST EMAIL US AT THE ADDRESS in 'OLIVER'S RULES'!(PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A 'G' RATED BLOG SO NOTHING HIGHER THAN THIS RATING, PLEASE.)