Welcome to Book Hooks, a Wednesday offering by members of Marketing For Romance Writers to share a little taste of our work and entice you into wanting more! Click on the links at the end to travel to other Book Hook posts, and enjoy!
We’re thrilled to announce Extasy Books has re-released our erotic romantic suspense, The Merry Widow. Thoroughly revised and edited, this is the steamy story of a mid-life widow’s sexual awakening. Following a prologue to set the stage, it opens with an erotic scene between two women – the first ever in our heroine’s life. If this isn’t your cup of tea, no problem – you might prefer our Romantic Suspense books, all of which deliver one man, one woman, hot sex, and perilous danger.
But if this appeals to you – hang on for the ride! Recently widowed and in her early forties, Merry Delany is about to plunge into a self-discovery journey that takes her places she’s never imagined, much less hoped for. Once passion is unleashed, can it be stopped?
Today’s excerpt is the morning after last week’s conversation about being watched; we’ll leave it in your capable hands to figure out what took place in between…
EXCERPT
Jim smelled Merry first and then the coffee. He inhaled, trying to keep both separate—she still smelled of arousal and sex. The coffee was richly aromatic, the way he liked it. He opened his eyes. There she was, standing by his side, holding out a cup of coffee. She wasn’t smiling as he might have expected. She looked thoughtful. She wore a blue-striped wrapper that she hadn’t bothered to tie—thank God. The Merry Widow looked luscious the morning after.
“Good morning. Thanks,” he said, sitting up to accept the coffee. “This is a necessity.”
Merry didn’t say a word. She walked around the bed and reclaimed her place beside him. Sunlight poured through the skylight above the blinds. Early-morning rays shone on the crystal figurine he’d noticed the night before. He sipped his coffee. “It’s beautiful. Awesome, actually.”
“What?” Merry startled, as if she’d forgotten he was there.
“The butterfly emerging from its cocoon—the way the sun’s rays shine through and bounce off it. I almost expect the butterfly to fly away.”
“It is a lovely piece. My daughter gave it to me when I moved into this room. It’s supposed to symbolize my transformation, I guess.”
“What are you transforming into?”
“I don’t know.”
BLURB
The millennium arrived with such promise—will it deliver for recently widowed Merry Delaney?
So much for all the anticipation about the new millennium. Merry Delaney’s life is still in a rut and shows no signs of changing. Sex? A fading memory, gone long before her husband actually died. Excitement? Hardly the hallmark of an accountant’s life. At forty-two, what can she look forward to?
Until her best friend takes Merry’s predicament into her practiced hands. One passionate kiss unleashes possibilities Merry never dreamed of—and she wants to sample them all. Men? Women? Young? Old? Ménage? Toys? Yes, to all, to pleasure, to making up for lost time.
Enter Chicago Detective Jim Barnes, who solicits Merry’s help with a mob funds-skimming case. Can the scorching passion that soon smolders between Merry and Jim survive the escalating mob threats of exposure? Having discovered a zest for sex, will Merry ever again be satisfied with one man?
Transformation is never easy or straightforward. BTW, coffee always smells better than it tastes.
A very intriguing bit here. Great sensual description
Good use of symbolism with the figurine.