Tuesday Teaser: Suddenly Royal

So, you guys have been very patient with me and I wanted to say thank you somehow. I've decided on an excerpt from Suddenly Royal, to tide you over until it's ready for print. Oh, and a giveaway!

First, let me tell you a little about why I've been absent so much lately. In the last three months, I've had pneumonia, Whooping Cough (who knew that was still around?), a broken rib from all of the coughing, surgery, and a few complications. Yes, I'm sharing personal stuff. Why? Well, I want you to know that I wouldn't leave you guys hanging for nothing. I'm doing much better now and trying to catch up on everything. Please bear with me a little longer.

And NOW for your TEASER! (Please keep in mind that this is unedited and may change in the final version.)

           I looked at him sharply to see if he was joking, but it brought our faces nose to nose. There was an amused glint in his eyes, but underneath that was something much warmer. We stood there, neither moving, only our breaths tangling in the cold air between our lips. Part of me demanded to move closer, to press my hungry mouth to his, while another part of me screamed to run for the hills. Just being near him sent my hormones into overdrive.

            The front door was pulled open in a rush of warm air, and I almost stumbled off of the top step. Alex’s warm fingers closed around my elbow to help steady me. I turned to look into Jess’s wide eyes and smiled weakly.

            “Sorry, I thought you were having trouble with your key again.” Jess swung her gaze from Alex to me and back. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

            “You didn’t. Alex brought me home when my truck wouldn’t start.” I cleared my throat and turned to smile at the Prince standing on my tiny front porch.

            “My pleasure.” Alex winked at me before tipping his head to Jess. “You must be Jess.” Holding his hand out, I watched as my roommate looked at it like it was something unreal before slowly leaning out of the front door to shake it.

            “Yes. Jess. I am. I mean, I am Jess. Um, nice to meet you.” Jess looked at me and then back and at Alex. She yanked her hand away from him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hold your hand like some kind of crazy stalker. Boyfriend! Bert! My boyfriend is in the living room.”

            My eyes grew with each word out of Jess’s mouth and I had to fight to not laugh out loud. I looked over Jess’s shoulder to see Bert staring at us with the same look of amusement.

            “Right. This is my roommate, the not-stalker and that’s her boyfriend, Bert, back there.” Bert raised his hand in greeting.

            “Nice to meet you both.” Alex looked back at me, and I could see the amusement rippling in the blues of his eyes. “I’ll be in touch, Samantha.”

            “Right.” I nodded my head, trying to make everything seem very businesslike. “I look forward to it.” My heart stopped. Had I really just added that? What was wrong with me?

            “As do I.” With a bow of his head, he backed down the steps and climbed into the limo door the driver was holding open. Turning I shooed Jess back into the house and closed the door behind me. I leaned against the heavy wood and kicked the heels off of my feet.

            Jess stood there staring at me, her eyes the size of saucers. I sighed and shrugged out of my coat. “Go ahead and get it out of your system.”

            “Prince Yummy brought you home.” Jess pointed a finger at me, like I was in trouble. This was going to be bad.

            “His Royal Highness, Prince Alex, brought me home.” I frowned at her. “You have to stop calling him that. It was stuck in my head all night.”

            “His Royal Highness, Prince Alex of the Yummy, brought you home. In a limo.” Jess took a deep breath. “And you were about to kiss him. Right there. On our porch!”

            “What? No. No I wasn’t.” I shook my head and dropped my coat on the rack before walking to the kitchen.

            “I’m not blind, Sam. You were, like, this far apart!” She held her finger and thumb up, so I could see the sliver of space between each. “You were going to kiss him!”

            “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s European. They kiss cheeks. That’s all.”


What do you think? Have you interested?


And now for the giveaway! All you have to do, is share this picture and place a link to where you shared it in the comments below. I will close this contest on Friday, Jan. 25th. You can enter up to 3 times a day-- blog, Facebook, or Twitter. If you come up with another location, let me know, and I'll work it in (book clubs, online reader groups, etc.) There will be two winners. One will win a beaded bookmark and the other will win a necklace, both made by moi!

 The prizes:

 

In case you've forgotten what Suddenly Royal is about, here is a refresher. ;)

 

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

 

*** This is a NEW ADULT novel and is not recommended for readers under 17, due to adult content and sexual situations.***