Hi,
thank you for inviting me to your blog to talk about my latest book from
Evernight.
An
Unusual Vacation
I
originally expected this story to be a short, but as the plot developed and the
characters took over, the story grew and grew, and still there’s more to tell,
because one of the supporting characters, Connor, is going to have his own
story.
Dominic
Carr, my hero and Michelle Vega, my heroine, couldn’t be more different, but
they are instantly drawn to each other and the resulting passion between them
is intense. Dominic’s hopes are high, making him vulnerable. Michelle is
involved in a dangerous lifestyle far removed from Dominic’s, but she’s lonely.
This opens her up to taking chances when she meets Dominic.
I
love water, rivers, and the ocean. They have their own very special atmosphere,
and I wanted to flavor the story setting with the sounds, and smells of sun
drenched harbor towns, wide rivers and boats, to provide contrast with the
suspense element of the story.
When
you read the story and Dominic sails away on vacation. Think Monterey or the
marinas in the Caribbean or the Florida keys. The sky is Grecian blue, the air
and water sparkles. There’s the smell of salt and sea, and wheel of seagulls as
the couple walk on the quay together.
At
thirty-two Dominic Carr thinks it’s time he met a girl he could love. He’s
tired and jaded from his high power job, and hoping that this summer’s vacation
will be refreshing. When he sees Michelle Vega in the art gallery of a harbor
town he visits, her long legs in pink couture shorts grab his attention.
Michelle
Vega has everything to hide except her beauty and her instant attraction to
Dominic. She’s not on vacation as she visits the gallery—more like on business.
As
the two of them fall into a hot romance, Dominic is sure Michelle could be ‘the
one,’ but Michelle is filled with doubt when she considers how he might react
to discovering her secrets.
When
Michelle’s business takes a dangerous twist Dominic finds he’s pulled into a
perilous situation.
Will
this be a test of his love or the finish of it?
Read
an excerpt: Dominic sees Michelle for the first time
A
sunbeam slanted through the skylight as if aiming for Dominic’s face. He opened
his eyes and rolled away from the bright shaft of light. His head safely on the
other side of the pillow, Dominic checked the time on his cell phone that lay
on the bedside unit. The day looked beautiful through the cabin window as he
sat up and swung his legs onto the floor. He pulled on a T-shirt over his
boxers and padded into the galley to make coffee. Dominic went up on deck and
took his cup of coffee with him. The clear, blue sky and the sun-dappled water
brought a smile to his face. The marina around his berth was already full of
life, and he sat to watch a fabulous motor yacht edge out of a berth and move
majestically into deeper water. Hunger drove him to shower and dress. He had
food in the fridge to cook, but Dominic knew there was a great café in this
town next to an art gallery and he meant to visit both that morning.
Mellowed
by the blueberry pancakes he’d eaten, the sun on his shoulders as he sat at one
of the café’s outdoor tables lifted his spirits. Summer scented the air and
Dominic took a deep breath. I needed this change. It feels as if I’ve suddenly
entered the real world…
His
thoughts made him grin as he paid the bill, and left the café. The art gallery,
a door down, was showing several local artists’ work and the traveling
exhibition on loan from a private collector housed a number of Monet paintings
Dominic wanted to see. He’d never thought about joining the art world himself,
but Dominic liked to look. It gave him a sense of peace.
A
poster on the revolving door proclaimed there was a small fee that week because
of the Monets. The gallery had two floors. The rooms were long, stretching back
in the deceptively spacious building, with padded benches placed at intervals
for people to sit and absorb the art. Dominic donated at the plastic box
attached to the screen midway down the first floor of the gallery designating
the entrance to the special exhibition. He wanted to see that first.
Over
an hour later, Dominic left the Monet exhibition, and wandered along to the top
room of the art gallery. He saw the young woman the moment he reached the top
of the stairs. She sat part way down the left hand side, on one of the blue
benches. Dominic couldn’t tear his gaze away as he edged closer to where she
sat. She wore a pale-pink suit jacket and her glossy hair fell down her back,
almost to her waist. Her lightly tanned legs were bare and she wore bright
pink, high-heeled pumps. Dominic couldn’t see a skirt. Intrigued, he stopped at
the painting adjacent to the one she sat in front of, and cast a secret glance
at her. Shorts, mmm, she’s beautiful. He passed behind the bench trying to
ascertain if she wore a wedding ring. Luck gave him a perfect opportunity as
she moved her hair from her face, giving him a delightful view of a naked
wedding band finger and her lovely profile. Dominic’s heart raced. Surprise at
his reaction to the young woman gripped him, and he walked rapidly across the
width of the gallery to stand before an ocean scene and try to collect his
swirling thoughts.
Copyright
Elodie Parkes 2015 Evernight Publishing
Buy
the book: Evernight All
Romance Amazon
US Amazon
UK Siren Bookstrand
About
Elodie
I’m
a writer who is in love with happy endings. Currently based in the UK but
thinking about joining the next flock of birds I see heading south for the
winter.
I
love: music, art, flowers, trees, the ocean ...
I
work with antiques by day and words by night.
Like
a vampire, darkness is my friend, that’s when the silence is only broken by an
occasional hoot of owls in the woodlands opposite my current home, and I write.
Find
Elodie online: Blog Facebook FB Twitter Tsu Google + G+ Pinterest Blog 2 Tumblr ManicReaders Amazon
Hi Emma,
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me today :-)