Hello all...I thought I'd share an excerpt from Swift of Heart a current release I have with Cerridwen Press...read on fellow book lovers...
Blurb...
When Stephanie Hart opens her front door to find long lost love Mackinley Swift on her doorstep so many thoughts rush through her mind. Anger, love and an overwhelming urge to slap him then eat a chocolate bar. Here is the man who taught her to love, to want and to need then he walked out on her without a word. Now Mac’s back, a year later, telling her he’s been away fighting a war in another dimension. Yeah, right, whatever. Stephanie is simply not that stupid.
Mac knows he has the fight of his life on his hands to convince the woman he loves that he had no choice when duty called him back to fight a war against his country’s old enemy. He did not want to go. Duty to his country called him home. But love has brought him back to Stephanie Hart. How hard could it be to convince her that they are meant to be together?
However an old enemy is watching the lover’s reunion. He hates Mackinley Swift for killing his brother. He has every intention of making him suffer. The woman Swift loves is the means to do it. Hurt the woman, hurt the man.
Excerpt
“You just walked out on me. I thought you were dead or married to someone else and then I wished you were dead.”
For one horrifying moment Stephanie thought she was going to cry. She had promised herself six months ago she would never cry or think about Mackinley Swift again. But here he was, all male and hot and filling her with such longing and it made her feel pathetically weak and vulnerable. She hated feeling vulnerable. There was no way she was going back down that path with Mackinley Swift. It was too painful.
“Did I mean anything you?” God, that sounded whiny even to her. But oh, how she had loved this man. And he had left her. All those dumb dreams she had of building a life with him and he had had other plans. What a fool she had been. She did not intend to be a fool again. Once was painfully more than enough.
“You mean everything to me, beautiful.” Mac moved towards her. He wanted to hold her and comfort her and make love to her but the look in her eyes made him realize he owed her more. Besides holding her now would be like holding a wounded wildcat. Exciting but deadly.
“I can explain, Steph.”
If Mac touched her, even fleetingly, Stephanie knew she would lose what little self control she had left and she would either punch him or make love to him. Either option would be both satisfying and foolish.
“Gee, I can hardly wait for the explanation.”
Toughen up, she inwardly commanded herself. She knew letting this man back into her life would be a huge mistake. She never wanted to be that open and susceptible again. Especially not with this man. He knew too much about her.
Mac knew what he was going to say would test the most patient and trusting person. Unfortunately, Stephanie Hart was neither of these.
“I’ve been away fighting a war.”
Stephanie’s eyebrows arched up cynically. This was not the excuse she had expected.
When he had left she had run the gamut of all possibilities through her mind, but not this one. She would have accepted joining the foreign legion, being captured by aliens or being a James Bond-like undercover spy unable to contact her as he was being held prisoner by some evil doer.
“A war?” Afghanistan? Iraq? A ladies’ shoe department on sales day?
“Between Melotia and Carronas.”
A shaft of pain speared through her. Melotia and Carronas? Made up names to make her believe him. He either had great imagination or he thought she was monumentally stupid enough to fall for him again. Had she ever really known this man at all?
“Right, I think I saw that one on the television news…just how stupid do you think I am, Mac?’
“I don’t think you’re stupid at all, Steph.”
As much as Mac loved Stephanie he knew she was the most stubborn woman in the world to convince of something if she felt she had been used or treated badly. Once she had believed him wholeheartedly. He wanted that trust from her again.
“I want to tell you the truth. I should have told you before but I was called back so quickly.” It had been a case of his love for her or duty to his country. Both had torn at his soul.
“And you haven’t been able to get back until now…a whole year later.” Stephanie Hart did not believe one word of what she was hearing. Who knew lips that could taste so delicious and send shivers through her body could lie so easily? Had he been lying to her the entire time they had been together? Had she been so besotted with him that she hadn’t been aware of the lies? She liked to believe she was a good judge of character. Clearly she wasn’t if Mackinley Swift was anything to go by.
“The war went longer than expected.” Mac knew it would not be easy explaining what had happened to Stephanie. Since the moment he had met her he had done everything in his power to attract, seduce and make her believe in him.
“And before this fictitious war you couldn’t find time to tell me before you went? You couldn’t have written me a letter or an email or even damn well phoned me?” Even in the First and Second World, real horrible wars, people still managed to communicate with the ones they loved.
Mac knew Stephanie did not believe a word he was telling her. Even if the tone of her voice had not given her disbelief away it was easy to tell by the look in her eye and her defensive stance. He sighed softly. His next words were really going to seal their fate.
“Steph, my country is in a different world and a different telecommunications and postal system.”
“Uh huh…” Stephanie murmured as she was overcome with a conflicting need to cry and shout at him. The man she had loved so desperately was lying to her so badly that it hurt.
“Another world…like another dimension?”
Mac knows he has the fight of his life on his hands to convince the woman he loves that he had no choice when duty called him back to fight a war against his country’s old enemy. He did not want to go. Duty to his country called him home. But love has brought him back to Stephanie Hart. How hard could it be to convince her that they are meant to be together?
However an old enemy is watching the lover’s reunion. He hates Mackinley Swift for killing his brother. He has every intention of making him suffer. The woman Swift loves is the means to do it. Hurt the woman, hurt the man.
Excerpt
“You just walked out on me. I thought you were dead or married to someone else and then I wished you were dead.”
For one horrifying moment Stephanie thought she was going to cry. She had promised herself six months ago she would never cry or think about Mackinley Swift again. But here he was, all male and hot and filling her with such longing and it made her feel pathetically weak and vulnerable. She hated feeling vulnerable. There was no way she was going back down that path with Mackinley Swift. It was too painful.
“Did I mean anything you?” God, that sounded whiny even to her. But oh, how she had loved this man. And he had left her. All those dumb dreams she had of building a life with him and he had had other plans. What a fool she had been. She did not intend to be a fool again. Once was painfully more than enough.
“You mean everything to me, beautiful.” Mac moved towards her. He wanted to hold her and comfort her and make love to her but the look in her eyes made him realize he owed her more. Besides holding her now would be like holding a wounded wildcat. Exciting but deadly.
“I can explain, Steph.”
If Mac touched her, even fleetingly, Stephanie knew she would lose what little self control she had left and she would either punch him or make love to him. Either option would be both satisfying and foolish.
“Gee, I can hardly wait for the explanation.”
Toughen up, she inwardly commanded herself. She knew letting this man back into her life would be a huge mistake. She never wanted to be that open and susceptible again. Especially not with this man. He knew too much about her.
Mac knew what he was going to say would test the most patient and trusting person. Unfortunately, Stephanie Hart was neither of these.
“I’ve been away fighting a war.”
Stephanie’s eyebrows arched up cynically. This was not the excuse she had expected.
When he had left she had run the gamut of all possibilities through her mind, but not this one. She would have accepted joining the foreign legion, being captured by aliens or being a James Bond-like undercover spy unable to contact her as he was being held prisoner by some evil doer.
“A war?” Afghanistan? Iraq? A ladies’ shoe department on sales day?
“Between Melotia and Carronas.”
A shaft of pain speared through her. Melotia and Carronas? Made up names to make her believe him. He either had great imagination or he thought she was monumentally stupid enough to fall for him again. Had she ever really known this man at all?
“Right, I think I saw that one on the television news…just how stupid do you think I am, Mac?’
“I don’t think you’re stupid at all, Steph.”
As much as Mac loved Stephanie he knew she was the most stubborn woman in the world to convince of something if she felt she had been used or treated badly. Once she had believed him wholeheartedly. He wanted that trust from her again.
“I want to tell you the truth. I should have told you before but I was called back so quickly.” It had been a case of his love for her or duty to his country. Both had torn at his soul.
“And you haven’t been able to get back until now…a whole year later.” Stephanie Hart did not believe one word of what she was hearing. Who knew lips that could taste so delicious and send shivers through her body could lie so easily? Had he been lying to her the entire time they had been together? Had she been so besotted with him that she hadn’t been aware of the lies? She liked to believe she was a good judge of character. Clearly she wasn’t if Mackinley Swift was anything to go by.
“The war went longer than expected.” Mac knew it would not be easy explaining what had happened to Stephanie. Since the moment he had met her he had done everything in his power to attract, seduce and make her believe in him.
“And before this fictitious war you couldn’t find time to tell me before you went? You couldn’t have written me a letter or an email or even damn well phoned me?” Even in the First and Second World, real horrible wars, people still managed to communicate with the ones they loved.
Mac knew Stephanie did not believe a word he was telling her. Even if the tone of her voice had not given her disbelief away it was easy to tell by the look in her eye and her defensive stance. He sighed softly. His next words were really going to seal their fate.
“Steph, my country is in a different world and a different telecommunications and postal system.”
“Uh huh…” Stephanie murmured as she was overcome with a conflicting need to cry and shout at him. The man she had loved so desperately was lying to her so badly that it hurt.
“Another world…like another dimension?”
..........and stuff happens...........
Reviewed by Readerviews.com
Stephanie and her sister Amy certainly turn out to be two feisty redheads who can take care of themselves. I found myself cheering them on as they face adversity throughout the story. I found “Swift of Heart” to be a well-written, action-packed short story. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy a good love story - reviewedReaderviews.com
http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewDaviesSwiftofHeart.html
http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewDaviesSwiftofHeart.html
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1 comments:
And this is on my TB list when the next retirement check arrives. I can't wait. There was a movie out years ago about a young man that went off to fight for the galaxy...can't remember the name of it. I loved the idea. Looking forward to this one.
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