And the fourth installment in the increasingly mislabeled
trilogy. Here’s something from my wild Caribbean romantic suspense novel
Whirlwind Romance.
Pirates, Puritans, and
princes—pieces of the puzzle in the whirlwind romance between a jelly maker and
a castaway.
Paraiso, the island in
Whirlwind Romance, is based on a real island in the western Caribbean that I
discovered—how else?—mucking around on the internet. Called Providencia, it
forms an archipelago with two other islands, San Andres and Santa Catalina, and
five uninhabited atolls. Currently under the Colombian flag, it has been the
ruled by an incredible variety of groups, from Henry Morgan the notorious
buccaneer, to Spanish Conquistadors, Dutch traders, even English Puritans. Now
part of the UN's Seaflower Biosphere, it sports the third largest coral reef in
the world. To reach it isn't easy, which is why it's not well known in tourist
circles.
Its rich and odd history made
it an intriguing backdrop for my story, but please be aware that most of the
cultural and geographic description of Paraiso in Whirlwind Romance, not to
mention the characters, is purely fictional.
Blurb
In the aftermath of a hurricane, Lacey Delahaye
finds herself marooned on an island on the Gulf coast of Florida with a
mysterious man. They are immediately drawn to each other, but before Armand can
confess his identity, they are kidnapped and taken to a tiny island in the
western Caribbean. With the help of her son Crispin and a small, but fierce
young boy, Inigo, she and Armand must face down pirates, power-mad ideologues,
and palace intrigue, if they are to restore the once idyllic tropical island to
its former glory.
 |
| Mangrove swamp near Lacey's house |
In this excerpt, Lacey and Armand are only beginning to slip
into what might be love.
Excerpt (PG):
Slipping Briskly
The full
moon shone through the window, illuminating Lacey’s nodding head. Armand
touched her cheek. “I think it’s your bedtime.”
Stung, she
shot back, “I’m taking care of you, remember?”
He held up
a hand. “Sorry! I’d forgotten.” After a moment, he asked, his tone diffident,
“Can you help me up?”
Lacey put
an arm around his back and together they limped to Crispin’s room. She took his
pants and shirt off and folded them neatly. As she turned to leave, he touched
her arm. “Stay a minute?”
How could
she admit she had to get out of there quickly or she wouldn’t be able to go at
all? His handsome face—the strong chin covered with stubble, the pearly teeth
contrasting with his tan skin, not to mention the long, graceful fingers he
held out to her—all conspired to lure her closer. Her heart led the way,
propelling her to his side. She sat down. “What is it?”
“Lacey…um.”
Her body
tensed as desire fought to get out, and she fought just as hard to keep it in. I have to go. I have to…go. “What?”
His words
came out in a rush. “Lacey, the other day—the first night—when you rescued me.
When we…we…”
Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Christ.
“I…uh…want
you to know I don’t do that on a regular basis.”
His air of
shy ambivalence gave her courage. “I see. You don’t have sex on a regular
basis?”
“No, no,
it’s not that.” He stopped, flustered. “Er, I mean… I don’t sleep with women
indiscriminately.”
Should she
let him off the hook? Nah. “But you
do sleep with a lot of women?”
“No! Lacey,
you’re being difficult on purpose. I meant, that I didn’t mean to…you know. It
just happened. Forgive me?”
“I—”
Armand
interrupted her. “Not that it wasn’t enjoyable.” He seemed distracted, running
a finger down her arm. “Wonderful. Fantastic. Too short.” He peered at her.
“Lacey, you must know how beautiful you are. You have the most perfect
cheekbones I’ve ever seen.”
“Cheekbones?”
What the hell is he talking about?
“I’m an
amateur photographer. Those cheekbones could belong to a supermodel. Perfectly
sculpted. And your nose…” He tapped the tip. “A little pixie nose. It even
turns up slightly. Your long, fine hair is the russet-gold of burnished copper
pots I once saw piled high in a shop on Martinique .
Your eyes…” He closed his. “Your eyes are the blue-green of a freshly mowed
cricket field, of the emeralds that grow deep in the mountains, of the lagoon
near my home on a blustery day.” He touched her hand. “Then there’s your
body—as I remember it—a soft, comfortable, pillowy—”
“Hey!”
Lacey shook her head to break the spell. “I think you’ve said enough. Get some
sleep.”
She tried
to rise, but he slipped his arms around her and drew her close. She wanted to
struggle. She tried to struggle. It was no use. The long kiss filled her with a
warmth that matched a fire on a cold night, a cup of cocoa, or a hot bath. When
he lay back, the warmth turned to blazing passion. The power of it frightened
her. I’ve got to go. She ran out of
the room before he could stop her.
 |
| Paraiso |
Wild Rose Press, 8/17/2016,
Champagne Rose imprint
Contemporary romance/Action Adventure; M/F; 2 flames
Imprint: Champagne
Rating: Hot (R)
Ebook 89,905 words; Print: 358 p.
Contemporary romance/Action Adventure; M/F; 2 flames
Imprint: Champagne
Rating: Hot (R)
Ebook 89,905 words; Print: 358 p.
Buy links:
