Welcome to Sweet Saturday Samples! I have a treat for you if you've already read Fateful and Fractured. Please enjoy this preview of Forever, Book 3 in the Fateful series.
Told from Ethan's point of view. Hope this wets your appetite... :D
Chapter One
Full Moon
I’ll do anything to wipe that pout off her face, Ethan thought to himself as he watched Danielle wash the paint out of her paintbrush while he leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded over his chest.
Her shoulders lifted and then drooped with the troubled sigh she expelled. Moonlight filtered in through the skylight above her art studio and bathed her in silver. The lamp painted the rest of the room in gold. With her eyebrows drawn together, her thick lashes shadowing her cheeks with her downcast gaze, her soft hair caught up in a messy bun at the back of her head, and the earrings he’d given her dangling from her earlobes, she presented a portrait for Ethan that was prettier to him then the painting she’d just finished. And it was one of her better pieces. In shades of brown, cream and pale blue she’d captured another fairy in a soft wash of watercolors.
When Danielle was finished cleaning up her work, he gathered her under his arm. A little pressure on her shoulder and he had her facing him. Catching her chin on the edge of his finger, he said, “I like the fairy trapped in a jar, but she doesn’t look very happy.”
Those lashes swept up along with her chin when she looked at him. “Would you be happy if you were confined like that?”
Ethan noted the guards in his peripheral, knowing Danielle was talking about herself with that query and not the displeased little sprite in her painting. “I see your point.” He brushed the hair from her forehead. “Let’s watch that picture we rented,” he offered, hoping to distract her from the guards posted at each door and window inside their home as he steered her toward the sofa.
The pout deepened and those pretty brown eyes of hers darted to the guard near the window where the full moon was just visible beyond the sheer curtain and the man’s hulking shoulder. A twinge of jealously jabbed him in the gut even though he was fairly certain she was looking at the moon and not the handsome French bodyguard who said his name was Casanova ... Casanova, really?
Forget them, he mentally commanded and refocused on the lines of distress on Danielle’s face. He really needed to fix that. Drawing her down onto the seat next to him, he lowered his voice and muttered right next to her ear, “Forget we live in a fishbowl for an hour and a half and I’ll make popcorn.” Leaning out to make eye contact with her, he wagged his eyebrows and a shout of triumph echoed through his thoughts when she giggled at him. Her whole face lit up with the sound and he decided he’d not only do anything to wipe the pout off her face, he’d do even more to hear her laugh again, to hear her laugh more often.
Things had gone back to normal after they’d returned to being mortal. Sort of ... mostly.... Secretly he missed her need to feed from only him. The way she clung to him when she sank her little fangs into his flesh, the way she needed him, the way she still feared insects even being as dangerous as she was then. It was back to mortality for both of them, however, and he didn’t, no he couldn’t regret that. He still planned to care for her despite that modern streak of independence she had. Danielle was an intriguing bundle of contradictions. He found her fascination with all things Jane Austen charming. It was part of what drew him to her because she reminded him of his Victorian past, even in a modern world. But the fact that she could sweep his feet right out from under him in one smooth move ... well, that brought a smirk to his mouth when he thought about it. That violent side of her also drew him. Of course more than any of that was what he saw when he looked into her eyes. Their forgotten past together and the personality quirks she tried to hide from everyone else.
(If you haven't read the Fateful series yet, get them by clicking on the pictures below.)
For more Sweet Saturday Samples go here or click on one of the links below. (Please note that all of these samples are copyrighted by the authors and can't be copied or distributed without the author's written permission.)
Chapter One
Full Moon
I’ll do anything to wipe that pout off her face, Ethan thought to himself as he watched Danielle wash the paint out of her paintbrush while he leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded over his chest.
Her shoulders lifted and then drooped with the troubled sigh she expelled. Moonlight filtered in through the skylight above her art studio and bathed her in silver. The lamp painted the rest of the room in gold. With her eyebrows drawn together, her thick lashes shadowing her cheeks with her downcast gaze, her soft hair caught up in a messy bun at the back of her head, and the earrings he’d given her dangling from her earlobes, she presented a portrait for Ethan that was prettier to him then the painting she’d just finished. And it was one of her better pieces. In shades of brown, cream and pale blue she’d captured another fairy in a soft wash of watercolors.
When Danielle was finished cleaning up her work, he gathered her under his arm. A little pressure on her shoulder and he had her facing him. Catching her chin on the edge of his finger, he said, “I like the fairy trapped in a jar, but she doesn’t look very happy.”
Those lashes swept up along with her chin when she looked at him. “Would you be happy if you were confined like that?”
Ethan noted the guards in his peripheral, knowing Danielle was talking about herself with that query and not the displeased little sprite in her painting. “I see your point.” He brushed the hair from her forehead. “Let’s watch that picture we rented,” he offered, hoping to distract her from the guards posted at each door and window inside their home as he steered her toward the sofa.
The pout deepened and those pretty brown eyes of hers darted to the guard near the window where the full moon was just visible beyond the sheer curtain and the man’s hulking shoulder. A twinge of jealously jabbed him in the gut even though he was fairly certain she was looking at the moon and not the handsome French bodyguard who said his name was Casanova ... Casanova, really?
Forget them, he mentally commanded and refocused on the lines of distress on Danielle’s face. He really needed to fix that. Drawing her down onto the seat next to him, he lowered his voice and muttered right next to her ear, “Forget we live in a fishbowl for an hour and a half and I’ll make popcorn.” Leaning out to make eye contact with her, he wagged his eyebrows and a shout of triumph echoed through his thoughts when she giggled at him. Her whole face lit up with the sound and he decided he’d not only do anything to wipe the pout off her face, he’d do even more to hear her laugh again, to hear her laugh more often.
Things had gone back to normal after they’d returned to being mortal. Sort of ... mostly.... Secretly he missed her need to feed from only him. The way she clung to him when she sank her little fangs into his flesh, the way she needed him, the way she still feared insects even being as dangerous as she was then. It was back to mortality for both of them, however, and he didn’t, no he couldn’t regret that. He still planned to care for her despite that modern streak of independence she had. Danielle was an intriguing bundle of contradictions. He found her fascination with all things Jane Austen charming. It was part of what drew him to her because she reminded him of his Victorian past, even in a modern world. But the fact that she could sweep his feet right out from under him in one smooth move ... well, that brought a smirk to his mouth when he thought about it. That violent side of her also drew him. Of course more than any of that was what he saw when he looked into her eyes. Their forgotten past together and the personality quirks she tried to hide from everyone else.
(If you haven't read the Fateful series yet, get them by clicking on the pictures below.)
For more Sweet Saturday Samples go here or click on one of the links below. (Please note that all of these samples are copyrighted by the authors and can't be copied or distributed without the author's written permission.)
Your writing is beautiful. Great sample. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome and thanks for the compliment!
This looks like a really interesting read
Wonderful and extremely intriguing. Your description of Danielle while Ethan watches her paint is beautiful.
Love the artistic details included here - wonderful imagery. :-)
'Sank her little fangs into his flesh'. He thinks that's cute? They must be vampires of some kind! Now I'm curious...
Here's my sweet sample: http://diannehartsocksalex.wordpress.com/sweet-saturday-samples-3/
Your hope is fulfilled, I want more!
The sample is really good....Could you tell me when book 3 is coming out.....
Thank you for your comments, everyone! Truly I mean that! I’ve enjoyed reading each one.
Ah, yes, the question everyone is asking, or so it seems to me...When will Forever be out? I wish I had an exact date. My original goal had been sometime in August. However, since it’s summer and my editors have been super busy with summer stuff, it looks like the date will be pushed into September, as I’d feared. :(
I am happy to report that his sample really made my hits to the blog spike, so expect to see more of them between now and the release of Forever!
Thanks for the giveaway :)
GFC(Mona Garg)
monagarg@yahoo.com
OMG!! im so excited, my heart is literally already racing! haha the 1st two books deff. kept me on my toes! i absolutley love these books! when is the nxt book actually going to be available??
Thanks, Amber!!! My goal is to finish Forever this month. The summer months really hindered my writing schedule with children home to distract me. LOL :D But it's coming along really well, I think...
Anyway, I hope you gave my books good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads for me. It really helps me out. ~Hugs~ Cheri
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