We didn't have anyone signed up to blog today so we decided to bring over one of our favorite traditions from the Superromance board at eHarlequin. Snippets!
What are snippets? It's when we all post a few lines from whatever we are reading or writing—a great way to sample the diverse writing voices and styles and reading interests among romance readers and writers.
Best of all...instead of trying to think up a blog topic, we get to read what everyone else is up to!
We have a few simple ground rules just to keep things smooth. Remember, anyone can post a piece of their work or the book they’re reading right now!
Ground rules:
- Try to keep your snip under 3 paragraphs. Even a few lines is fun.
- Snips should be PG since we're in a public forum.
- No crit or feedback--this is just for fun.
- Compliments and Gushing are completely allowed!
Deb suggested we might also post deleted scenes. If that suits you, go for it!
We're giving away a Kindle download of any Superromance of the winners choice to one person who comments. (For folks who don't have a Kindle, we can offer an Amazon gift card, instead.) (You don't have to post a snippet--just pop in and say hello.)
44 comments:
Looks like another great week ahead on your blog! You have some great authors lined up...thanks!!!
Hi!
I meant to get in here early and kick things off, but I had a camp snafu with my younger son. He's not vaccinated against chicken pox because he actually had chicken pox. This is fine medically, but causes paperwork issues sometimes. I had to run around and chase down a proof of immunity from his doctor. Sigh.
He's way more likely to contract a swamp fungus at camp since it's raining and they're outside all day at the lake, but whatever. Now they have official proof he's not going to infect anyone with chicken pox today.
Here's my snippet!
It's from the first of two books about the Fallon brothers. I picked a scene with both brothers because the folks over on eHQ helped me name them. (Jeannie Watt's ever-so-helpful suggestions of Shadrach and Spike were overruled. Those names are now free for the taking.) Here goes...
==============
Deacon slammed his hand against the glass door of the university athletic center and stalked through. He made no attempt to hold the door for the idiot he called a brother. In fact, the way he felt right now, he hoped the door would hit Wes in the face. The kid desperately needed someone to knock some sense into him.
“Deacon, wait,” Wes called.
Fat chance. His Porsche convertible was parked in a visitor’s spot right outside the building.
“Deacon!” Wes was behind him, the flip-flops he wore slapping the pavement. “Can’t you listen for one minute?”
“I was just at a meeting with your coach and a very nice woman from the dean of students office. A meeting in which I fully expected to listen to what you had to say, but, oh right…you weren’t there, were you?" He tried to settle his temper. "They were talking about kicking you out of school, Wes. You couldn’t be bothered to show up?”
"I was there."
"An hour late."
“Aren’t you even going to listen to my side of the story?”
“How can there possibly be “your” side to paying your roommate to do your work? How can there possibly be “your” side to skipping practice? Or getting caught in a bar with a fake ID? And I’d really, really like to know how there can be “your” side to stealing your coach’s car and “parking” it inside the weight room.”
Wes barely suppressed a snicker when he mentioned the car.
“You wouldn’t be laughing if Coach Mulbrake had called the cops when he found out his car was stolen—“
“It was a joke, not auto theft.”
“Coach doesn't share your sense of humor. You’re suspended, Wes, and unless we scare up three hundred hours of community service and a fist full of letters of recommendation, you can kiss your college basketball career goodbye.”
========
Next? :-)
Oooh, I like this, Ellen. GREAT snippet!
What a fun idea for a blog!
Here's a snippet from July's Super, Beyond Ordinary:
Angel Donovan limped home to Ordinary, Montana, on her wounded Honda Gold Wing, pulling to a stop on the side of the highway a couple of miles shy of town.
Out of gas.
She tugged off her helmet and, with one strong swing of her arm, heaved it into the closest field where it rolled across dry soil beneath yellow wheat, its red gloss disappearing under the dirt it picked up.
She unhooked her saddlebags and took out a can of lighter fluid she’d bought in Bozeman and sprinkled it over the bike. It glowed golden in the horizontal rays of the setting sun, its chemical scent a counterpoint to the dry, earthy aroma of the fields.
Striking a match on the denim across her thigh, she threw it onto the bike where the lighter fluid ignited with a satisfying whoosh.
Mary!!
She lit it on fire!!! Awesome!
I need to know what happens next.
Thanks,
Ellen
P.S. She struck the match on her jeans. What a great character detail. I've never written anyone that cool. :-)
Ellen, when I was a teenager, I had a friend who used to do that and, at the time, thought it was pretty cool! She wore incredibly tight jeans, though. I wonder if that's why it worked? ;-)
No snippets for me and no kindle either, so, I will just say Hello. Ellen and Mary, I did like your snippets.
What a fun idea! Here's my snippet. It's from my June Superromance Twice the Chance:
“That was my first time,” she told him.
“What?” Matt looked adorably shocked.
“Not my first time making love,” Jazz clarified. “My first orgasm.”
His grin was so cocky it warmed Jazz to her toes. “Sweetheart, you’ve been hanging out with the wrong guys.”
“Is that right?”
“Absolutely.” Matt kissed the side of her neck, sending shivers spiraling down her body. “In fact, I think you should go to dinner with the guy who gave you your first orgasm.”
“I thought you were going to stop asking me out,” Jazz said.
“This won’t be a date.” Matt nuzzled her neck again. “It’ll be my reward for gratifying you.”
She couldn’t help it. She giggled again.
Darlene, what a fun, playful snippet! I like your heroine's name!
Don't have a kindle,and no snippets, but I just will say hello and tell you I am reading Creed's Honor by Linda Lael Miller..
Your snippets are great...I need to get these books...
Ellen--I love snippets and more than that, I love a hero named Wes!
Here's mine, from my January 2012 release, Just Desserts:
Layla Taylor wasn’t drunk enough to be hallucinating, which meant that Justin Tremont was not a figment of her imagination. Her childhood nemesis and the sworn enemy of all she held dear was indeed standing in the doorway of the Lake Tahoe lounge, scanning the room.
Crap.
She ducked her head, hoping he wouldn’t see her drowning her sorrows, alone, as she waited for her sister to come pick her up. The lounge was dimly lit and crowded. There was no reason he should notice her, but less than a minute later she felt the vinyl bench give way beneath his weight as he sat beside her.
This evening just kept getting better.
“Hi, Layla,” he said when she cut him a sideways glance. “I’m here to take you home.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Whatever.”
Just to clarify--I'll send an Amazon gift card to the winner if you don't have a Kindle.
No worries!
Darlene--I love your snippet. Now I want to know why he's supposed to stop asking her out. These are perfect little teasers. :-)
My second Fallon brother was originally named Matt before I switched to Wes. I really like that name!
Jeannie--the dialogue. I love it. That last "whatever" has me intrigued by Justin. His personality is right there.
Thanks for sticking up for Wes. ;-)
Fun idea, Ellen! Here's mine, from my July Super, THE PURSUIT OF JESSE:
He leaned in, his hands still at his sides, but his face closing in, his lips only inches from her cheek. If he’d pressed her, if he’d shown an ounce of force, she’d have pulled away in an instant. Instead, his slow, smooth movements disarmed her. She couldn’t move. She could only breathe. His lips hovered over her mouth.
She closed her eyes. Waiting. Waiting. Kiss me. Kiss me, dammit!
As if reading her mind, he moved infinitesimally closer. The touch of his lips against hers was unexpectedly as soft as a feather, so light it was almost as if she imagined his touch. She wasn’t even sure she could technically call it a kiss.
She tilted her head, hoping to feel the pressure of his lips, or–God help her—the heat of his tongue.
That’s when he chuckled, soft and low, the sound vibrating through her. “You know what you are, Sarah?” he whispered against her lips. “You’re a very beautiful … very seductive … hypocrite.”
As he pulled back, shame swept through her. The look of smug satisfaction on his face was enough to make her want to haul off and hit him. “I could fire you for that.”
“Go ahead. I dare you.”
Thanks for setting this up, Ellen. I would still like us to do a Deleted Scenes blog sometime, but I love Snippets. They've all been great so far. Mine is from a not-yet-contracted book. I've changed the hero's name three times so far. (Not once to Wes.) ;-)
He squatted in front of the wine cooler, eyeing his choices. A coastal pinot. Perfect.
He hadn’t even finished peeling off the foil topper before she returned. “Knock. Knock. I grabbed my triple antibiotic ointment, too. Foreign infections. I don’t trust ‘em.”
She hurried across the room. Was Energizer Bunny her only speed, he wondered?
“You can apply a little after your shower. In the meantime, these are for you.”
She presented the luncheon-size paper plate she was carrying with a flourish and a half-bow. He almost laughed, but he wasn’t certain she was trying to be funny. “Thank you. Cookies?”
“Hand-baked. My mother’s special recipe. Organic. These are why I need a bigger kitchen. I’m starting to sell them at Ju-Ju-Beans and a couple of other venues.”
He set the wine bottle aside and turned the plate so he could see her designs. Vibrant colors that reminded him of the window decorations. The bell-shaped cookie looked like stain glass. The snowman glistened white with a brilliant purple and green scarf, hot pink buttons and a cobalt blue top hat.
“Wow. These are works of art.”
“They ought to be for the price.” He got the impression she was not completely comfortable with the amount she charged for each cookie. He didn’t ask for details. “You can take them to work tomorrow if you don’t like cookies.”
“I like cookies,” he said picking up the smaller of the two. The taxi driver’s hint about who was the resident Grinch came back to him. “Who doesn’t like cookies? I’m not someone who has no concept of fun and doesn’t get any joy out of life. Despite what you might have heard.” He took a bite, even though he wasn’t the least bit hungry.
Her blue eyes, which were the color of the sky above Lake Tahoe--his second-favorite place in the world--went wide with...surprise? Horror? Fear? Did he look as crazy and paranoid as he sounded?
She took a giant step back. “Okay, then, I’ll let you get back to settling in. Good night. Welcome home.”
“Wait,” he mumbled through the half-masticated cookie in his mouth. “I’m sorry. I have a bunch of stupid stuff on my mind. I didn’t mean to go all whack job on you. I love cookies. And this one is great.” He took a second bite and chewed. The flavor connected with his distracted taste buds. Hints of spice lingered on his tongue. Cinnamon? Ginger? Anise? “Really good.”
She seemed unconvinced, and suddenly it was very important to him to connect with another human being. He’d just spent five days alone in a gorgeous condo on one of the prettiest beaches in all of Mexico. He’d dined alone, drank alone and slept alone. He needed to talk to someone who wasn’t looking for a big tip.
Ack--the formatting. No indents. Sorry. I pulled it off Schrivner. Anyone know how to fix that?
Deb
OK let's try this again and see if I can get it right this time....
Since you said anybody could post a snippet maybe Sarah Mayberry won't mind if I steal one of hers from her book One Good Reason...
This is a conversation between Jon Adamson and Gabby Wade. Jon is a carpenter who makes furniture for his brother Tyler and Gabby is Tyler's office manager and has been in love with him although he did not love her back.....She is still very protective of him. And does not like Jon at all.
Gabby has just come to work and observed Jon talking to a female in the parking lot and misunderstands what is going on
"She was into it, if that's what you were worried about", a deep voice said.
She turned to face him. "Excuse me?".
"Fiona, The blonde."
Gabby blinked, then shook her head. "Let me get this straight. It's your second day on the job, you walk in three hours late, then you try to pick up one of our customers. And none of it was your fault?"
"That's not what I said."
"So you're not making excuses for treating our showroom like a pick-up bar?"
"A pick-up bar? Are you serious? We were having a conversation."
"When it comes to your brother's company I am usually pretty serious. I'm a little crazy like that, caring about him staying in business and whatnot."
He made a rude noise, "Lady you need to lighten up."
"This isn't about me."
"listen, I know you're all bent out of shape because I used your computer for a few seconds yesterday--"
"This isn't about you using my computer. What do you think I am, a child or something?"
His gaze dropped to her chest for a telling beat. Never had she regretted being an A-cup so much in her life.
"I don't know. I can't think of another reason why you'd nearly blow a gasket because I was having a friendly chat with another consenting adult on my lunch break."
"She was a customer. She was looking for furniture not a quickie in the parking lot."
"Personally I prefer a nice big bed and plenty of time, but don't let that get in the way of a good story."
To her everlasting chagrin, Gabby could feel the heat stealing into her cheeks. Stop trying to make this about me. You're the one who's taking advantage of Tyler, taking his job offer and then arriving late on your second day. How do you think it looks to the other guys, the boss's brother strolling in whenever he feels like it and--"
"I called Dino, told him I'd be in late and that I'd make up the time tonight."
Gabby was thrown for a second. "Well, good. At least someone knew where you were".
"What's wrong? Worried about me?"
This is pretty rough. It's from the middle of a first draft for a story that's still incomplete:
“Ladies?”
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Mariah elbowed Tangie. They’d sat on the same side of the booth to facilitate sharing their desserts, Tangie’s usual thick slice of strawberry cheesecake while Mariah had ordered pineapple coconut layer cake.
“Jackson?”
“Hello, Tangie and…”
“Mariah.” Her traitorous friend extended her hand. He shook Mariah’s had then dropped his arm to his side.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were stalking me. What brings you here?” She found her voice albeit thick and cracking in her throat.
“Same thing that brought you it seems.” He pointed to the plate in front of her holding the strawberry and cream cheese treat. The waitress had set it down on the table just as Jackson walked up. She’d yet to take a forkful and now, with her throat constricted, she doubted she could.
“Not here.” Mariah rolled her eyes. “Here, as in New York. I heard you were in Ohio or Colorado somewhere.”
“I was in Ohio, then I stayed with family in Denver for a while. But you know how it is… New York has a way of calling you home.”
Tangie blanched. Like Khalil was “called home”?
He must have seen her reaction because he quickly added, “Once from New York, always from New York. I missed the placed and the family. I never planned to leave permanently.”
“Well, welcome back, Jackson. It’s good to see you.” Mariah picked up her fork. “Please excuse me, but right now, this cake is what’s calling me.”
Jackson chuckled, then angled his body toward her. “Tangie, I need to speak with you. Would it be all right if I gave you a call?”
She looked at him, his soulful eyes sparkling. What did he have to say to her? The only thing they’d had between them had been a mutual love for Khalil, and he was gone.
She nodded her head and began rifling in her purse for a pen. Jackson whipped out his cell and said, “Don’t bother. Just tell me the number and I’ll put it right into my phone.”
She called out her digits as he tapped them into his phone. When they’d finished, he said, “It’s good to see you both. Let me get over there before my boy starts chewing on the silverware. I’ll be in touch. Enjoy your cheesecake.”
He strode away from the booth, taking her appetite with him. She signaled to the waiter for the check and a carryout container. No way she could eat after running into Jackson for the second time today. What did he want? What had really brought him back?
I love these! Please keep them coming... Betty from the boards
Making up a boyfriend is nothing new for me. I'll come right out and admit that. Some people go window shopping for things they could never afford. Some look at online photos of resorts they'll never visit. And some people imagine that they meet a really nice guy when, in fact they don't.
Wow, I'm loving all of these snippets. Wonderful writing!
Helen and Deb--way to go with the last lines. I love it when there's a little twist at the end like that.
I like it better when I can turn the page instead of just wondering what's next. :-)
Ellen--that's a great snip! If I were Sarah, I'd be tickled that you were inspired to post.
(Actually, if I were Sarah, I'd be sitting around all day laughing at my own scenes.)
Patricia--that's the good stuff. I want 1.) to know what happens next and 2.) to finish her cheesecake for her. Yum!
Thanks for posting.
Virginia--that's hilarious! Perfect.
Thanks!
I'm loving these snippets! makes me want to read the whole book!
Fab snippets!
All the non-Kindle people- Amazon do Kindle software for PCs as a free download. It does make for a not-too-bad reading experience and lets me read Kindle format ebooks on my laptop.
Now, can I find something from my WIP that's not too cringeworthy to post?
Oh, I love snippets and these are all fabulous! What talent we have here on the blog!
Here's a bit from my August release, Feels Like Home:
“Poor little princess,” Aidan murmured. “Having trouble finding your prince charming.”
Her head snapped back as if he’d slapped her. She made to go around him but he stepped in front of her. “I’d like to leave now.”
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of pushing past him or raising her voice, though her throat burned with the need to scream. Her hands wanted to fist, to pound against his chest.
She kept them loosely at her sides.
He finally moved and she swept past only to hear him curse under his breath. He snagged her elbow. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
His soft tone, the feel of his fingers on her arm, the scent of his aftershave, so familiar it sent her reeling back in time, all combined to undo her.
“No.” She tugged but Aidan held firm. “You shouldn’t have. But then, you’ve had no qualms before this of sharing your bad opinion of me, so why start now? You’re so arrogant,” she said, the words spilling out before she could censor herself. “So superior with your rigid sense of right and wrong. There are no gray areas for the mighty Aidan Sheppard.”
Tightening his hold on her, he yanked her to him. She pressed her palms against his chest, his heart beat strongly against her hands. “You left,” he ground out, lifting her to her toes. “You. Left.”
“And you can’t forgive me. You want to stay angry, that’s your choice. You want to put the failure of our marriage squarely on my shoulders? I’ll carry that burden because I did leave. You want honesty?” she cried hotly. “You want the truth? Leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It was also the best decision of my life.”
Love all the snippets! Great idea, Ellen. Here's a bit from my work in progress which will be released May 2012.
Standing on the edge of the party, the events of the previous few days still troubling him, Riley felt oddly detached, as if he were floating above the gathering--
"Hey,” a woman said. “I guess I should have known you’d be here."
Riley dropped back to earth. A blonde in a cherry red maxi dress stood before him holding a fizzing champagne flute. She took a huge gulp, draining half the glass, and scrunched her nose against the bubbles.
"Paula." It had taken him a moment to recognize his partner without her uniform.
"Got it in one," she said dryly, glancing around. Her shoulders, bared by the dress’s halter top, were angular and toned.
"It's just...I haven't seen you with your hair down, so to speak."
He wished he hadn't. Now she wasn't just another cop, she was a woman with breasts and silky-looking blond hair and a faint floral fragrance that was curling through his nostrils, turning on his brain...and other things.
These snippets are amazing!!!
Autumn and Rula--come play! We want more. :-)
Beth--great snippet. Intense. I'm reading a book right now where people are reuniting and the emotional journey has some darker spots than a typical "just met you" romance. Yours sounds terrific.
Joan--I love this bit, "...she was a woman with breasts and..." I can just picture him hating this new information while also kind of loving it. And now I want some champagne to go with the cheesecake I've been craving after Patricia's piece! (Does champagne go with cheesecake? I don't care...)
Thanks for posting!
I just popped back in after a day of writing and feel very inspired after reading all the snippets. We'll have to do this again!
I love this! I have a number of the books which have been "snipped" and this has me ready to get them off the TBR shelf as soon as I can. Future snippets...well, they go on my to purchase list.
I'm late to the party, but I love reading the snippets. We should do this every month. They're all great and I'm hesitant to post mine. I've been to the dentist, and my head is still a little foggy so here goes.
This is from my August release, The Texan's Secret.
=======
Chance shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Let me make this easy for you.” He could see she was thinking of dancing around the truth. He had to apply pressure. “If you don’t tell me why you were trying to rob the Calhouns, I’ll call the constable of High Cotton. He’ll notify the police here and they’ll arrest you for attempted robbery and take you back to High Cotton to face the charges.”
He gave her a second to digest that. “Do you want to put Darcy through that?”
Shay paled. “You wouldn’t.”
“You know I would. I wouldn’t have come here otherwise.”
She winced. “I thought you were nice, but you’re not.”
“I’m the foreman of Southern Cross and responsible for everything that happens while the Calhouns are away.”
“I didn’t take anything, okay?”
“I don’t know that for sure. When I came in, you had the safe open and were rummaging through it. What were you after? And how did you get
the combination?”
Her head jerked up. “You saw me leave, and could see that I didn’t take anything. How many times do I have to say that?”
“But you were after something. I just interrupted you.”
Shay gazed down at her sneakers and remained silent.
The shattered look on her face twisted his stomach and prompted him to add, “Shay, I mean you no harm, but I have to know why you tried to
rob Southern Cross—a house in a small out-of-the-way town.”
She still remained silent.
“If you’re innocent, I’ll forget the whole thing.”
Her hands curled into fists. “But I’m not innocent.”
Look at that, Ellen beat me to posting a snippet from One Good Reason! Ellen, I'm hugely chuffed you liked it enough to share. I was thinking of something from my November book, All They Need, but this one from my WIP, More than One Night, popped into my head. The heroine, Charlie, has just left the Army after 14 years of service. She's celebrating the first night of the rest of her life with her friend but has been forced to wear borrowed clothes because the airline lost her luggage:
“Do you honestly think you look bad tonight?” Gina asked.
“I don’t look like me,” Charlie said.
“That’s not answering my question. Do you think you look good or not?”
Charlie glanced down at herself. The black mesh of her borrowed top reflected the candlelight on the table, clinging to her breasts in what she could only describe as an outrageously sexy way. The black satin of her pants glowed with a more subtle luster, somehow lending her usually gangly legs a new voluptuous.
“I look okay,” she finally conceded.
Gina shook her head. “You’re hopeless. You’re the hottest woman in this room and you don’t even know it. What a waste.”
Charlie made a disbelieving noise.
“You don’t believe me?” Gina asked.
Charlie took a swig of champagne. “You don’t need to blow smoke up my skirt. I know exactly where I fit in the man-woman food chain.”
From the moment she hit puberty she’d known. She wasn’t blonde, she wasn’t perky, and she didn’t have that unknowable “something” that made men want to howl at the moon. A painful realisation at the time, but now simply a fact of life.
I forgot to add, this is a great idea. Loved reading everyone's snippets!!! Now I have to go put a bunch of books on my TBR list!!
Great idea, Ellen...love everyone's snippets. I'm flying out the door so have nothing to add today but keep them coming. This is how I buy books...reading excerpts.
Karina
No snippet from me, but fun reading others.
This was so much fun. One of the things that continues to make Superromance my favorite HQ line is the diversity of stories I can find each month. We certainly got a look at a bunch of exciting but different books today.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to read or to share a bit with us.
I'd love for this to be a monthly event. I might even be brave enough to post something next time! Seeing all those fabulous snippets is a little humbling...
This is a great idea. I'd love to see snippets every month as well. The only down side is its going to mean buying even more books!
Toni
No fair! I really, REALLY loved all the snippets, but I've added immeasurably to the list of books I'll be looking for and buying now. Thank goodness for my nook! I can buy the books and download them without taking up any more space in the house and without my dear hubby being any the wiser! ;)
Wow, the snippets are making my head spin. I've added to my TBR list.
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