December 4, 2009
Release Day, and a Contest
Release Day is finally here! The Curse of Culcraig is out. And to celebrate I’m giving away a copy. Just leave a comment and I’ll draw a name. Easy, right? Since today is Friday, I’ll announce the winner on Monday.
In the meantime here is a new excerpt. I hope you’ll enjoy.
He rose and stood next to her while adding
cream and sugar to his coffee. She ignored his
suggestion to sit down—not that he was
surprised—returned the cream to the fridge
instead and brushed against his back as she did. A
shimmer of unseen energy tingled over his skin. He
turned and caught her hand to stop her from
moving away.
Her eyes went wide and dark like a forest lake.
He could have drowned in them. Her soft, powdery
scent with the barest hint of floral wrapped around
him, teasing his senses. He wanted to kiss her. To
press his mouth to her full, parted lips. To taste
her. She’d intrigued him from the start, and
wanting her had gnawed dully at the back of his
brain for days.
But having her this close, so that he could feel
her body’s heat mingling with his own…
The thud of the cream hitting the floor jarred
him from him his thoughts. He glanced down as
thick, white liquid glugged out over the stone slab.
“Damn it,” Hillary muttered, squatting and
righting the carton. “I’m not usually so clumsy.”
He snatched a dishtowel from the counter,
hunkered down beside her and started mopping
up the mess. “It doesnae matter.”
“The stone is porous.” She stood and soaked a
cloth at the sink, then returned to his side. “If the
cream soaks in, it’ll stink.”
He snorted. “What’s a wee bit of soured cream
compared to the usual dank, musty stink of the
place?”
She smiled, but didn’t look up from mess she
was wiping. Her hair fell across the delicate lines of
her jaw and cheekbone. His fingers itched to push
the silky strands away. Despite the benign
conversation, the tension from a few minutes ago
thickened rather than abated. He forced his gaze
back to the mess on the floor.
“That should be good enough,” she said, sitting
back on her haunches and eyeing the dark spot on
the stone. The faint jagged line of the scar on her
hand peeked out from the cloth, drawing his
attention. He’d noticed it before, and noticed the
way she shut down when he drew attention to the
mark.
As she stood, he did likewise, gripping her
hand once more. He took the wet towels from her
and tossed them into the sink, but didn’t release
her. Instead, he ran his thumb over the hardened
flesh marring her palm. Her hand fisted instantly.
“What happened?” he asked, lifting his gaze to
her wide, dark eyes. They looked huge against the
paleness of her skin.
“I cut it. Not a big deal.” A soft rasp edged her
voice.
“How? It looks like it was bad.”
She didn’t answer, but tried to tug free of his
grip. Instead of letting her go, he pulled her closer,
then, as though it were the most natural thing in
the world, he lowered his head and brushed his
lips over hers.
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Pick me! Pick me!
December 4th, 2009 at 2:08 pmCongrats, Dawn, on the release of your second novel! Looking forward to reading it!
December 4th, 2009 at 3:51 pmHUGE congrats Dawnald!!!
December 4th, 2009 at 4:25 pmAnd NOT to be cheap but since ’tis the season and all, I thought I’d give winning a shot! ;o)
Congratulations Dawn on the release of your new book. Nice excerpt.
December 4th, 2009 at 4:38 pmAll I have to say, is that I am dying to know what a Culcraig is! Now you got me hooked. The excerpt is great and I didn’t want it to end. Dawn you got me hooked. I wish you the best in sales and I hope you have some great signings too!
December 4th, 2009 at 5:39 pmJust wanted to give you HUGE congrats on your release, Dawn! (Don’t enter me in the contest, I’ll pay for my copy.
~G
December 4th, 2009 at 5:42 pmCongrats on your release! Yay, Dawn!
Loved the excerpt. And I’m with Gwen, don’t enter me in the giveaway, I’m looking forward to buying a copy. 
December 4th, 2009 at 8:58 pmYour book sounds great, Dawn!
December 4th, 2009 at 9:05 pmCongratulations, Dawn!
December 4th, 2009 at 9:30 pmCongrats and thanks for posting an INTRIGUING excerpt! Hope I win!
December 5th, 2009 at 9:19 pmthis is great excerpt! would love to read this.
(popped over from the WOW yahoo group)
jeannie
December 7th, 2009 at 6:32 amThe Character Therapist
Thanks everyone for participating, and for your kind words. I’m about to draw the name and anounce the winner, so stay tuned.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:59 pmDid I miss where the book is being sold? I know I posted the question somewhere on your blog…
December 28th, 2009 at 5:20 pm