Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Labels:
Escape,
historical romance,
kEARA'S ESCAPE,
novella,
Orphan Train,
Pinkerton Agent,
romance,
suspense
Sunday, July 17, 2016
CAN SCAVENGER HUNT BLOG STOP #11
LINDA KOZAR, I’m
so happy to feature you on my blog for this CAN Scavenger Hunt. What book are
we featuring today?

WEIGHTY MATTERS, Book 6 in my Until The Fat Ladies Sing cozy
mystery collection.
When a
traveling circus comes to Wachita, Texas, bad things begin to happen under the
Big Top. Super-sized sleuths, Sue Jan and Lovita take to the tents to track a
crazy clown killer, even though Lovita is fixing to give birth in a few short
weeks. Then a scary Sasquatch is sighted in the Wachita woods, attracting a TV
news reporter, a Bigfoot investigative team, and a reality show film crew. The
townsfolk are shaking in their cowboy boots but Sue Jan and Lovita aren’t
clowning around.
What encouraged you to
write this story?
I've always been fascinated with
circuses and terrified of clowns. So of course, I had to write a mystery
involving a circus and a creepy clown. Plus, my characters Sue Jan and Lovita
are a hoot. I miss them when I'm not writing about them. It's like we're
friends. When you write a series, you really feel like you know your
characters. Gosh, maybe that clown isn't so weird. Maybe I am!
I know our readers
will want to know more about you. Please tell us a bit about your family.
I've been married to my sweet
husband Michael for 27 years. He works for ExxonMobil. We have two beautiful
daughters and a feisty JRT named Gypsy. My oldest daughter Katie is married to
Dan, a Baptist pastor. Katie graduated from Baylor with a masters in social work
and is employed as a behavioral interventionist in the public school system in
Waco. Dan graduated with an undergraduate degree in Business from A&M and
received his Masters in Seminary at Baylor. My youngest daughter, Lauren
graduated from UNT, did an internship at NBC in LA, then returned to Texas and
did an internship at The Richards Group, a Dallas ad agency, and they hired her
a few months later in public relations/digital journalism.
I love my family and do not put my
writing before them. That said, I do believe in boundaries. If I needed a block
of time to write, I expected my family to respect that. Did that always happen?
No. But I don't regret closing my laptop and offering my shoulder to a tearful
teen or going to the movies with my husband. I love writing and they all know
it. So hopefully, you'll be reading a lot more from me in the coming years. I
have so many ideas for great stories!
What are some of the
things you like to do for fun?
Oil painting is really relaxing for
me. Also painting with acrylics. I really lose myself in the creation. Writing
makes you think, but painting is different. You go with the muse of the moment.
I like it. However, since we got a Jack Russell Terrier puppy, the word,
"relax" isn't part of my daily life much any more. Gypsy is going on
ten months now and a bundle of energy and mischief. I haven't been able to
paint much. I have enjoyed a bit of crafting though. My oldest daughter Katie
and her husband Dan asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I asked them to
finish a project for me. Turned out to be the best gift ever! A friend down the
street replaced one of her large brass and glass lanterns with a chandelier, so
I asked her for the lantern. I decided to make a terrarium out of it and fill
it with succulents. They did it for me! And I was overjoyed. Check out the
photo of it!
How many books do you
have out now?
Fourteen and counting. I am
traditionally and independently published. I write fiction and nonfiction.
Everything from devotions and anthologies to cozy mysteries, historical
romance, contemporary romance, speculative fiction.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Weighty
Matters
Chapter
One
Not
My Monkeys, Not My Circus

“Hear what?” I flicked off the blow
dryer, my last nerve standing on end.
Now, normally, I’m supposed to
handle the boutique part of the Crown of Glory Beauty Shop and Boutique, with
the pretty dresses and shoes and purses and such, but when the need arises,
everyone knows I step in to do blowouts, cuts, and color. Even Homecoming and
Prom Do’s. And this morning, as usual, the need arose.
Sue Jan messaged that she had some
sort of “errand” to do on the way to work, so I wound up doing the whole
shebang for her new nitpicky client, Mrs. Barlow.
“The circus is coming to Wachita!”
Sue Jan batted the air as if an invisible piƱata would dispense goodies.
I sniffed, which rhymes with miffed,
which I was. “Is it ‘the’ circus, or ‘a’ circus? There’s more than one
circus in the world, you know.”
Sue Jan stuck her tongue out.
“Don’t be all uppity with your language smarts, Lovita. ‘A’ circus is coming to
town tomorrow! It’s called ‘More Deck Eye’s Circus and Slideshow, and
we’re going!” She reached into her purse and pulled out a small bag of boiled
peanuts, cracking a few open at lightning speed.
I was about to address her use of
the word “Slideshow” instead of “Sideshow” when Sue Jan’s pesky client spoke
up.
“A circus?” Mrs. Barlow, a
sixtyish, salt-and-peppery-haired woman with a beak where a nose should have
been, suddenly perked up. “What kind of circus would come to this town?
The only kind of circus this ‘one-hearse town’ would attract is a flea circus.”
She swiped her nose across her sleeve.
Where can the readers
find you on the Internet?
Babes With A Beatitude Blog: http://www.babeswithabeatitude.blogspot.com
Cozy Mystery Magazine Blog: http://cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com
I’m so glad to have read your funny, quirky first page of
your latest book, Weighty Matters.
That little taste certainly makes me want to read more! And it was so enjoyable
getting to know you a little. Thank you so much for visiting on my blog. For
new visitors, my bio and latest book is below. Be sure to look for the SECRET PHRASE.
LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN EITHER A COPY OF ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS FEATURED ON THE PREVIOUS BLOG OR A COPY OF RED IS FOR ROOKIE. THERE WILL BE TWO WINNERS, EACH ONE WILL RECEIVE THEIR CHOICE OF ONE OF MY TWO NEW RELEASES.
LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN EITHER A COPY OF ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS FEATURED ON THE PREVIOUS BLOG OR A COPY OF RED IS FOR ROOKIE. THERE WILL BE TWO WINNERS, EACH ONE WILL RECEIVE THEIR CHOICE OF ONE OF MY TWO NEW RELEASES.
ANNE GREENE delights in writing
about alpha heroes who aren’t afraid to fall on their knees in prayer, and
about gutsy heroines. Her Women of Courage Series spotlights
heroic women of World War II, with the first book Angel With Steel Wings
available. Enjoy her private investigating series, Handcuffed In Texas by
reading the first book, Holly Garden, PI, Red is for Rookie. Visit
Anne at AnneGreeneAuthor.com.
Phrase: about books to
Anne’s latest book, Red
Is For Rookie highlights Private Investigator Holly Garden. PI’s don’t
usually track kidnappers, but Matt is Holly’s lifelong friend. During the race
to save him, Holly discovers Matt’s in love with her. Her mother’s convinced
Holly will end up dead, so she hires a bodyguard to protect Holly. She needs
Stryker’s expertise and help, but risks her heart working with the
danger-loving man. With Matt and Stryker turning her life upside down, can
Holly make a choice?
Next Stop on the CAN Scavenger Hunt #12
http://bookishdesires.blogspot.com - Next stop.
If you’re ready to enter the CAN group Scavenger Hunt contest, click here to send in your entry: http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/newreleases/
If you’re ready to enter the CAN group Scavenger Hunt contest, click here to send in your entry: http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/newreleases/
Labels:
Anne Greene,
Bigfoot,
books,
CAN,
Christian Authors Network,
circus,
clowns,
Linda Kozar,
mystery,
novels,
Scavenger Hunt,
secret phrase
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
SPIES IN HOOP SKIRTS
ANNE
GREENE here. For the next several months on the 14th day, I shall be
writing about women spies during the
Civil War. I hope you will join me! www.hhhistory.com.
There is a book giveaway too.
ANNE
GREENE here. For the next several months on the 14th day, I shall be
writing about women spies during the
Civil War. I hope you will join me! www.hhhistory.com.
There is a book giveaway too.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ANNE
Hi Friends,
I just wanted to bring you up to date on some recent happenings in my Book World. My other blog used to be named Christian Fiction Historical Society Blog. I share the blog with 29 other excellent Christian writers. We decided to rename our blog Heroes, Heroines and History. You can access the blog on the 14th day of each month for my post at www.HHHistory.com. I hope you will join me and the other writers there. There are many chances to win books.
My latest Scottish historical, MARRIAGE BY ARRANGEMENT, has finalled in a number of contests.
Marriage By Arrangement has also received a number of Five Star Reviews! Here is just one.
MASQUERADE MARRIAGE, the first book in the Scottish Marriage Trilogy, also won awards.
You can purchase these book on http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com. and http://www.amazon.com.
And finally I just signed a contract with Elk Lake Publishing for a World War II Courageous Women series. The first book, ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS,, about a woman test pilot will release soon.
I also signed a contract with Elk Lake Publishing for a private investigator series. The first book, HOLLY GARDEN, PI, RED IS FOR ROOKIE, will release in 2015.
So much has happened since I last gave you tips on writing. God has blessed and is blessing.
Looks for my next post on that most important facet of novels, CHARACTERIZATION, next week. A book without compelling characters is an unpublished book. I have excellent suggestions to make your characters jump off the page and into the reader's heart.
Leave a comment and tell me what's happening in your Book World for a chance to win an autographed copy of MARRIAGE BY ARRANGEMENT.
I just wanted to bring you up to date on some recent happenings in my Book World. My other blog used to be named Christian Fiction Historical Society Blog. I share the blog with 29 other excellent Christian writers. We decided to rename our blog Heroes, Heroines and History. You can access the blog on the 14th day of each month for my post at www.HHHistory.com. I hope you will join me and the other writers there. There are many chances to win books.
My latest Scottish historical, MARRIAGE BY ARRANGEMENT, has finalled in a number of contests.
Marriage By Arrangement has also received a number of Five Star Reviews! Here is just one.
MASQUERADE MARRIAGE, the first book in the Scottish Marriage Trilogy, also won awards.
If you like mysteries, try mine.
You can purchase these book on http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com. and http://www.amazon.com.
And finally I just signed a contract with Elk Lake Publishing for a World War II Courageous Women series. The first book, ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS,, about a woman test pilot will release soon.
I also signed a contract with Elk Lake Publishing for a private investigator series. The first book, HOLLY GARDEN, PI, RED IS FOR ROOKIE, will release in 2015.
So much has happened since I last gave you tips on writing. God has blessed and is blessing.
Looks for my next post on that most important facet of novels, CHARACTERIZATION, next week. A book without compelling characters is an unpublished book. I have excellent suggestions to make your characters jump off the page and into the reader's heart.
Leave a comment and tell me what's happening in your Book World for a chance to win an autographed copy of MARRIAGE BY ARRANGEMENT.
Monday, April 14, 2014
MAKE EVERY SCENE COUNT
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Before
you write each scene write a one sentence description of what you want that
scene to convey: the purpose of the
scene. If the scene has no purpose, delete the scene.

Define
the chapter’s goal. This is a
turning point. One or the other of the character’s ends up on top or changes.
Write a great
opening sentence to that scene. This quickly gains your reader’s
attention.
Define
what you want to reader to feel. Use each of the five senses to make the
reader feel what you want her to feel: Sight,
sound, smell, feel, taste. Sight is the easiest. Taste is probably the
hardest. But work all these into your scene. These are significant details that
bring the reader into experiencing the scene.
Establish
the time, place, and event. Make
certain you have action, dialogue and narrative in fairly equal parts. Move the
story along. Create tension through
complications.

EVEN IN FANTASY,
WRITE THE SCENE SO IT IS BELIEVABLE.
Each
scene should end with a hook to keep the reader engaged.
Do
not bore your reader. Anything unnecessary to plot or characterization DELETE. For instance: sermons,
excessive naval-gazing, even excessive action. Each word needs a reason for being included in the scene.
Do not add anything unnecessary to the scene.
What
do you skim in the books you read? Are you like me and simply toss a book that
bores you, or do you soldier on until the end? Join my FOLLOWERS and leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed
copy of my Scottish Historical Romance, Marriage
By Arrangement.
Last
week Debbie Wilder, Renee Blair, Deb Kastner, Kristin Mayfield, Sarah K., and
Ladette Kerr all won a copy of Marriage By Arrangment.
ANNE
GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second
novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won three
prestigious book awards. The sequel Marriage
By Arrangement released November, 2013.
A Texas Christmas Mystery also won
awards. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to awesome
new worlds and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the
Lord Jesus. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. She loves to talk with her
readers. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne
on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. View Anne’s books, travel pictures and art work
at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
CATCH US IF YOU CAN: Spring Scavenger Hunt
Catch
Us if You CAN: Spring Scavenger Hunt! STOP #5, Anne Greene’s
Blog.
Here are the CAN Hunt’s official guidelines:
Welcome, Hunters! I'm
pleased to introduce Kathy Harris at this stop. Kathy, your website says you
took a “divine detour.” What does that mean? Hi, Anne! I think we’ve all taken a “divine
detour” in life—probably quite a few of them. My biggest detour was moving to
Nashville after college to work in the entertainment business. Since then, I’ve
enjoyed a long career in music marketing, but about a dozen years ago I decided
to get back to writing, my first creative passion.
BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH TRAFFIC, I'M OFFERING THREE EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN ONE OF THREE EXTRA BOOKS TO ANYONE WHO JOINS THIS BLOG AS A FOLLOWER AFTER FOLLOWER #41. THAT'S SIX EXTRA CHANCES!
WELCOME, to the Catch Us if You CAN: Spring
Scavenger Hunt! We hope you enjoy meeting Christian
Author Network members as you chase clues for the chance to win our grand
prize: $200 in gift cards from CBD, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, plus 29 free
books, one from each participating CAN
author!
· 2nd &
3rd Prizes: $50 Amazon, B&N, or CBD gift certificate!
· This
hunt begins at Noon on Friday,
03/21/14 and ends at Midnight on
Thursday, 03/27/14. No hurry as you search for clues—you have almost
an entire week! If you need help during the hunt, check in here: http://illuminatingthewordthroughfiction.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-help-page-for-catch-us-if-you-can.html
· Enjoy
29 stops, each featuring a different CAN
author!
· Gather
clues from each post, beginning at STOP # 1 and ending at Stop #29. Follow
the directions and fill out the Rafflecopter
form. Be ready to provide the complete clue in
sentence form, gathered from all 30 stops, within 2 days of email notification
or another winner will be randomly drawn. There is no need to email/submit the
clue, unless you are notified by 03/29/13.
Sorry, due to international regulations
and postage costs, prizes will be awarded to US Residents only. Individual
contests within the hunt may vary, so please read rules presented with each
giveaway.

Tell me about your Christian fiction debut. The Road to Mercy is a story about forgiveness…and of God’s unprecedented love and mercy
for us all. Wouldn’t it be great if we could love and forgive each other—or
even ourselves—like that?
I understand you’ve also been published in a few
non-fiction anthologies. I have. Building a fiction career is a long, but interesting journey.
Along the way, I’ve been honored to contribute to several non-fiction books,
including Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Thanks,
Mom, Tyndale House’s The One Year
Life Verse Devotional, and Thomas Nelson’s All My Bad Habits I Learned from Grandpa.
Want to know more about Kathy? She would love for you to
friend her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KathyHarrisAuthor
or follow her on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/divinedetour.
And you can read more about The Road to
Mercy at www.kathyharrisbooks.com.
Thank you, Kathy! CAN hunter, are you
ready to continue?
THE SCAVENGER HUNT CAN-DOs:
Before you go, write down this STOP #5 clue: Authors
WAIT! Check out this giveaway! Make a comment and leave
your email at the next stop and Kathy will enter your name into a drawing for an
e-book of The Road to Mercy.
And don’t forget
to leave a comment on this
page for three chances to win an
autographed copy of Anne Greene’s Scottish historical romance, Marriage By Arrangement. These are additional prizes
to the Scavenger Hunt prizes.

Now, proceed to
stop #6, http://kathyharrisbooks.com/blog/?p=26460/
KATHY HARRIS'S BLOG
Labels:
30 authors,
Big prizes,
free books,
new authors,
Scavenger Hunt
Friday, February 14, 2014
INTENSIFIERS
ANNE GREENE HERE.
Two
weeks ago I wrote how to make your characters unforgettable. This week I’m
discussing how to rack up the intensity
in your novel.
USE
INTENSIFIERS TO ITENSIFY THE
EMOTIONS.
ADD
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED TO EVERY SCENE.
SHOW
the POV character through his perceptions (what he sees), emotions (what he
feels), flashbacks (what he remembers and relives).
Show
three objects the POV character
notices.

The
three objects are intensifiers.
Show
three unexpected emotions in every
scene.
For
instance, in my book Cupid Goes
Barnstorming, Rand meets Gloria for the first time. She’s stunning. She has
backbone and spirit even if she is one of those new-fangled flappers, and she’s
a moocher. Those are his perceptions. His emotions range from she’d complicate
his life, he had no money for the gold-digger, but he’d give her the most
dangerous job on the planet. (not so much emotions as decisions) - emotions
take more time than I have here. But one is definitely unexpected.
Now,
if you use flashbacks, throw in the
unexpected!
What SCENE
do you remember from a book you read (not from a movie)! Does it contain
intensifiers?
Leave
a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of Anne’s latest release,
Marriage By Arrangement.
On
March 1st, Anne will write about how to add
an exciting new twist to your book. Come back and visit. Join her followers
or add the date to your computer calendar.
ANNE
GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second
novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won numerous
awards. The sequel Marriage By
Arrangement released November, 2013.
A Texas Christmas Mystery also won
awards. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Tim LaHaye led her to the Lord
when she was twenty-one and Chuck Swindoll is her Pastor. Anne’s highest hope
is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch
hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Buy Anne’s
books at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne
on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. Visit Anne’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
ONE EASY WAY TO MAKE UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS
Anne Greene
here:

What will your
characters fight to the core for?
What
does your heroine fight for? What
does she stand for?
What
will she not give up, no matter what happens?
Is she showing this?
What is her motivation for the above? Have you told the reader?
What
does your hero fight for? What does
he stand for?
What
will he never give up, no matter what happens?
Is he showing this?

What is his motivation for the above? Have you told the reader?
And
the villain should be real as well.
He should believable. He should have
a good side.
What
does the Villain fight for? What
does he stand for? Why does he not think he is evil?
What
will he never give up, no matter what happens?
Is the villain showing this?
What is his motivation for the above? Have you told the reader?
Each
character must change over the
course of the story. They need to discover something about themselves.
Do
all of the above and readers will not be able to forget your real-life-like characters.
What
characters do you remember from the novels you’ve read in the past year? Leave
a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of Anne’s latest release,
Marriage By Arrangement.
ANNE
GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second
novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won numerous
awards. The sequel Marriage By
Arrangement released November, 2013.
A Texas Christmas Mystery also won
awards. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Tim LaHaye led her to the Lord
when she was twenty-one and Chuck Swindoll is her Pastor. Anne’s highest hope
is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch
hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Buy Anne’s
books at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne
on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. Visit Anne’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor.
On
February 15th, Anne will write about how to intensify each scene in
your manuscript. Come back and visit. Join her followers or add the date to
your computer calendar.
Labels:
fight,
hero,
heroine,
motivation,
Scottish,
villain,
win a book
Saturday, January 18, 2014
End
of Blog Tour
So,
to end the Blog Tour, I want to tell you more about MARRIAGE BY ARRANGEMENT. I
love this book.
Why does
a handsome, powerful noble of the highest rank in England stoop to marry a mere
Lady of Lowland Scotland?
A
GREAT SECRET
Are the
whispered stories about him true? With his shadowy past and strange behavior
what awful secret does he hide? Each change of clothes transforms him into a
different man.
Can Lady
Cailin keep her vow to make her marriage happy and successful, unlike that of
her parents, or to save her unborn child, must she arrange for the Duke’s
accidental death?

Here is an excerpt:
CHAPTER ONE
Castle Drummond, home of Lord and Lady
MacMurry, near the Village of Kirkmichael in Lowland Scotland -– April 19, 1746
“It’s not too
late. I heard another scandalous rumor about Duke Avondale.” Lady Megan
MacMurry grasped Cailin’s arm.
“I
won’t listen to gossip.” Cailin pulled away from her sister and lifted her
wedding bouquet to inhale the white rose fragrance. If only the sweet scent
could overcome Megan’s words, and her own misgivings. Though most arranged
marriages turned out badly, surely God would give her a loving one. After all, since her earliest years,
she’d prayed for a happily-ever-after love.
“Ask
yourself why such a grand noble would stoop to marry a Scottish lass with but
the title Lady? Why did he not choose an English Duchess or Marchioness or even
a Countess?” Megan tilted her head and lifted elegant brows.
Why
indeed? Cailin clutched her enormous diamond engagement necklace. The thing
felt heavy with responsibility.
“The man’s an
English duke. He owns palaces all over England.” Megan planted her hands on her
slender, mossy-green silk covered hips. “Every noble lass in the land should be
offering to give her right arm to be in your shoes. And yet they are not.”
New knots formed
in the nape of Cailin’s neck. She held her finger to her lips. “Too late to
turn back now. The wedding chorus has begun.” She forced her feet to take the
first step and then began the slow glide from the stone castle’s rear archway
through the garden toward the rose arbor.
With a jerk,
Megan lifted and straightened Cailin’s cumbersome satin train. “In truth,
beyond his wealth and titles, our family knows little about the English Duke.”
She gathered up her own long skirts and ran ahead to lead Cailin down the
flower-strewn path.
Seven
bridesmaids stopped giggling and chatting and moved to their places in front of
Megan to head the procession.
Beneath
her veil, Cailin smoothed her frown.
Papa had chosen
to take this path in light of the violent upheaval following England’s latest
battle with the Highlanders. Her marriage to the Duke would shelter her family
with his great cloak of protection. Neither the English nor the Scots would
dare invade a castle guarded by the powerful Duke’s Coat of Arms.
More
goosebump fingers shivered her spine. Surely jealousy fueled the flagrant
tittle-tattle. She pulled in a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and
took measured steps in time to the music toward the loch gleaming in the late
afternoon sunlight. She would not let whispers spoil her wedding. She laid her
hand lightly on her father’s offered arm.
Their
procession passed the scores of guests assembled on both sides of the flowered
path. Ahead her groom stood beneath the rose bower, sunlight from the loch
gleaming on him, the pastor, and his groomsman.
Her
heart fluttered.
The Duke looked
the perfect picture of manhood. He towered above his shorter groomsman and the
pastor. Sun glinting off his iceberg blue satin coat, heavily laced with gold,
almost blinded her. His chocolate eyes gazed past the dazzling crowd of guests
and focused on her. Beneath those beckoning eyes, the straight bridge of his
nose above softly smiling lips formed the most handsome face she’d ever seen.
Her pulse quickened. Butterflies flitted from her stomach to her heart and
back.
As she reached
her groom and the chamber music died, her high-heeled slippers sunk into the
grassy moor, but her foreboding dissolved like fog before the sunshine.
The rose bower
in the garden where she and the Duke stood together and promised their fidelity
was pure romance with its lush greenery, heavy scent of roses, and panorama of
softly rolling, newly green glen. Though she didn’t know the man she wed, she
repeated with all her heart to love, honor, and obey him as long as she should
live.
Marrying a man
one had barely met happened more often than not to daughters of Lords. So why
were her knees shaking? Her attractive groom, with his mahogany hair, wide
shoulders, and square jaw, held her hand gently in his warm, strong grasp.
Rumors were just rumors, and, truth be told, if he were not perfect, neither
was she.
A breeze
loosened strands of brown hair from the gold band that tied the thick mass
neatly behind his muscular neck to dance around his face.
She was glad he
had not powdered his hair. Her throat tightened. Loving him would be easy.
Oh God, please let him love me.
She would love
him so greatly, with everything inside her heart. Surely he would love her in
return. She would work hard to make certain her marriage turned out differently
from Mums. There would be no coldness, nor violent arguments between her and
her grand Duke. No sleeping in separate parts of the castle. No making their
daughters’ lives miserable with the dislike they bore one another.
As the
magnificent sunset painted him gold, the Duke’s chestnut eyes stared into hers
with promise, his inviting lips tipped upwards at the corners, and his demeanor
was affectionate and approving.
Joy burst
through her chest, and she gave him a brilliant smile. Yes, her marriage would
be happy. A storybook marriage like Cinderella’s.
The English
parson the Duke had brought with him raised a hand in blessing. “I now
pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
She handed her
heavy bouquet of roses and lilies to Megan and tipped her chin up.
The tall, lithe,
young Duke stepped forward and lifted her expensive Brussels veil. She was so
very fortunate he was not old.
She closed her
eyes.
He touched his
lips to hers.
Oh! Her eyes flew open. The bridal kiss
had been so short…and disappointing. The pledge in his gaze had led her to
expect so much more. She frowned. Their first kiss was like melding lips with
someone on stage, acting a part.
He dropped his
arms and moved back.
She’d scarcely
been around men, and the Duke was a stranger. She frowned. And his kiss had
held so little promise.
A terrifying
thought swirled through her brain like a ghost. Since Papa had betrothed Megan
to a cruel man, what type of man had he selected for her? Were safety and
titles and lands more important to Papa than both his daughters’ happiness?
She shivered.
I’m
giving away three autographed copies of Marriage By Arrangement. For your
chance to win, simply join my following. Three of you will win. Also leave a
comment with your email address so I can contract you for your snail mail
address when you win a book.
ANNE
GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second
novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won the New
England Reader Choice award, the Laurel Wreath Award, and the Heart of
Excellence Award. The sequel Marriage By
Arrangement released November, 2013.
A Texas Christmas Mystery also won
awards. She makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Tim LaHaye led her to the Lord
when she was twenty-one and Chuck Swindoll is her Pastor. View Anne’s travel
pictures and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.
Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new
world and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord
Jesus. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.PelicanBookGroup.com.
Or at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne
on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. Visit Anne’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor.
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