Today I'm thrilled to welcome back Elodie Parkes to the blog and spotlight her new novel, Swoop on Love, from Evernight Publishing. Scroll on down for an excerpt AND a giveaway for a $10 (or £10, depending what side of the pond you're on) Amazon giftcard! I'm also excited to unveil a new feature for my Author Spotlight, "20 Questions With Deliza," which will give you a little personal insight into your favorite authors featured here. Elodie has graciously agreed to be my guinea pig for the very first one. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and of course, we both welcome your comments below - in fact, that's how you enter the giveaway, so chat away!
Synopsis:
Lured to the place by its intriguing name, Jeanie was to find no owls lived there, but someone or thing does…will she realize before it’s too late?
Suspense…shifters…sex…and love...
Jeanie explores her new neighborhood and finds a strange little road leading to a place with an intriguing name. Owlswick. It’s Saturday and she has no plans, as usual, why not drive down this road? What she finds there is even more fascinating than the place name, and to her delight, a very attractive man lives there. Too bad he’s furious with her for taking a photograph. Why is that? What will Jeanie find when she checks the picture out at home later?
A love story, graphic sex scenes and a twist of fantasy suspense, 18+
From Elodie:
"Thank you for inviting me to the blog to celebrate the release of Swoop on Love from Evernight Publishing.
I loved writing this story because of the inspiration behind it. Like my heroine, Jeanie, I found a sign post to a strangely named place and followed the country road that took me there. I didn’t find the two shifter heroes Nathan and Reed, but I did find the country restaurant that is mentioned in the story, and I passed the Christmas tree plantations that also feature in the scenery of the book.
Nathan and Reed are special characters for me. They are similar in looks but so different in personality. Nathan is alpha and the enforced restrictions on his life in recent years have taken their toll. He’s reckless, risk taking and that’s how Jeanie uncovers his secret. He inspired the title since he saw Jeanie, wants her and love, and so he takes it. Reed is gentle, sensual, and giving, but he’s also very sexy."
Excerpt:
He
gave her a fright when he leaned around and opened her car door for her.
She
jumped away and he laughed.
“Sorry.
I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Jeanie
took hold of her car door and turned to him. “Thank you.” She was about to get
in when he touched her lightly on the arm. It sent a shock of sensation along
to her breasts. She shivered.
“I’m
Nathan, by the way. I’ve been hostile and rude. I’d like to remedy that. Could
I offer you a drink? There’s a restaurant further along the road, they have a
great garden bar. It’s still a lovely evening.”
She
stared up into his face, overcome with longing to be with him in this
restaurant garden. He looked hopeful and interested. Loneliness made her
reckless. She nodded, casting aside suspicion and taking a chance. “Okay, yes
that would be nice.” She didn’t add that it would be the first Saturday night
in more than eighteen months she wouldn’t spend alone.
“I
can go get my truck if you’d like me to drive us.” His voice gave away his
happiness at her answer.
“No,
I’ll drive us. You can give directions.”
He
smiled and little lines appeared next to his eyes. They were endearing.
Warmth
spread through her as she imagined hugging him.
He
went around to the passenger side as she got into her car and started the
engine.
When
he settled next to her, she looked at him. “Which way?”
“Go
left, and follow the road.”
****
The
restaurant was visible for a long distance on the straight road before they
reached it. Lit up in the summer evening, fairy lights twinkled in the trees
out front, and strings of them attached to the building looked like a sparkly
fringe, even in the remaining daylight.
It
was unexpectedly exciting to be next to this man. She
felt a wave of pleasure that he’d asked her out. “It must look so pretty when
it’s really dark.” Jeanie smiled as she glanced at Nathan.
“It
does. It’s always full, too. It’s a happy place to be.” He sounded wistful.
She
looked his way again. He stared out the side window, so she couldn’t see his
expression. Suddenly under a strong wave of need, she wanted to hold him, kiss
his incredible lips, snuggle against that muscular chest, and then… She sighed.
“That
was a big sigh. You know you haven’t told me your name.”
Surprised
that it hadn’t occurred to her to tell him her name even when he told her his,
she answered. “It’s Jeanie, sorry.”
“A
pretty name for a pretty girl.” His tone was tender.
She
was tired of her solitary life. A spark of hope flared that maybe she’d met a
man interested in her, even if he was involved in some kind of strangeness.
They
reached the restaurant and Jeanie parked her car. Nathan got out of his side
and swiftly appeared at Jeanie’s door to help her. He smiled at her as she
thanked him. He didn’t move away from her and they stood so close to each other,
Jeanie yearned to kiss his perfect mouth.
He
bent toward her and whispered, “You’re so pretty. I’m very glad you came back.
Why did you? You never told me.”
His breath teased her
ear, and her nipples peaked against her T-shirt. She slowly moved her head until
her mouth hovered a centimeter from his. She closed her eyes, captivated by his
nearness. He kissed her then, softly. His lips explored hers, firm, then soft
and moist. A simple touch of his tongue against her mouth sent her into a
spiral of desire. Her whole body responded to the kiss.
Copyright Elodie
Parkes 2013
BUY SWOOP ON LOVE NOW:
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Meet The Author
*** 20 Questions with Deliza ***
1) Elodie, where were you born and raised?
I was born in the United Kingdom and raised mostly there.
2) If you could live anywhere in the world other than where you live now, where would that be and why?
I like where I live but wouldn’t mind living further down the coast, maybe the surf coasts in Cornwall.
3) If other than being an author, when you were a child you wanted to grow up to be a vet .
4) If writing isn’t something you’ve always done, what made you decide to start and when?
I’ve always written something and had things published in magazines as well as books. I do have a day job and work in an antiques emporium.
5) What genre(s) do you write?
I write contemporary romance, erotic romance, paranormal erotic, romantic mystery
6) Is there any genre you wish you could write but don’t feel you could do justice? Or do you feel you are capable of writing anything you set your mind to?
No I do have limits. I can’t write horror or anything violent.
7) Share some of your favorite authors and tell us what it is about their writing that keeps you going back.
I read so much and always have done. I have so many authors I like to read. I read Christine Feehan for paranormal romance. I like the mix of story, and sex. I especially like the Dark series. I read Robert Goddard for mystery, as his plots are so creative. Sometimes I read reference books too. I think I’ve read everything by some of the classic authors such as Dickens, Hardy. I’ve read all the Tolkien. You know it would take me weeks to list the books I’ve read.
8) Share some of your favorite books and tell us what it was about them that moved you.
N/A
9) Is there a book you’re just dying to see turned into a movie? Who would you cast?
N/A
10) What is your favorite food(s)?
Fruit.
11) What is your favorite color?
Purple and Blue vie for my affections
12) What/where would be your dream vacation?
I think driving across Europe with some hunky guy in my jeep, we’d stop at all the historical sights and beaches.
13) Name one thing on your bucket list.
I don’t have a bucket list, for me that would be a massive tease.
14) Is the glass half full or half empty?
Half-full
15) Name one of your guilty pleasures.
Roast potatoes
16) I can’t stand it when a person/people smokes near me .
17) I love it when a person/people are kind to each other .
18) I am very much looking forward to the day when marketing my books isn’t such a huge part of my life .
19) Can you see dead
people?
Happily, no
20) Name five things you
couldn’t do without.
My laptop
My smart phone
My jeep
My iPad
My moisturizer
Elodie Parkes is a British author writing romance, erotic, contemporary, and often with a twist of mystery, paranormal or suspense. Her books are always steamy, cool stories and hot love scenes.
Elodie lives in Canterbury with her two dogs. She works in an antique shop by day and writes at night, loving the cloak of silent darkness that descends on the rural countryside around her home.
Elodie writes for, Hot Ink Press, Moon Rose Publishing, Eternal Press, and Evernight. She has also released titles as an individual indie author.
Hi Deliza,
ReplyDeleteThank you for inviting me to your great blog today, it was huge fun :-)
Always a pleasure to have you, Elodie!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good read....and the cover is intriguing ;)
ReplyDelete