https://www.goodreads.com/ en-US Sun, 17 Mar 2019 03:06:11 -0700 60 https://www.goodreads.com/ 144 41 https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/9219524-first-encounters Tue, 13 Oct 2015 10:47:59 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/9219524-first-encounters
I will always fondly remember my first actual encounter with my husband. It went something like this…

“I ran over my coat this morning.”

I looked up from whatever I’d been doing at the time to see a tall, blue-eyed, blond man standing in front of my desk. I knew him as he worked at the same place I did, but we’d never had much contact. I will admit, though, that I had noticed him.

“You what?” I asked, not sure I’d heard him right. For opening lines, his was certainly original.

A silly grin quirked his lips, as if he amused himself. “I ran over my coat. With my car.” There was laughter in his eyes, and I really liked that. “There’re tire tracks on the back of my coat now.”

“Okaaay,” I said, biting down on my bottom lip to keep from laughing.

He put his hands on my desk and leaned toward me. “It’s a good story, but I’ll tell you the rest over dinner.”

His nearness, the low timbre of his voice, the scent of him, stole my breath. A cliché, I know, but it really did!

I’m married to that man now—have been for years—and he still makes me laugh, and he can still steal my breath when he turns those blue eyes my way, leans close, and whispers something naughty in my ear.

Although I knew him in passing before the legendary coat caper (yes, he really did run over his coat), I consider that moment our first encounter. It was the first time he made my heart go pitter-patter. It was memorable, and it changed my life.

In books, that first encounter is one of the most important scenes of the story. It is the event that will change the hero and heroine’s life! It sets the tone, and it tells us whether the hero and heroine are going to fight the attraction (because there must be attraction, else who cares about them?). Or maybe they go at it like bunnies, then some conflict or other comes along and threatens to kill any chance of a happily ever after for them.

I’ve read books were the first encounter just didn’t do it for me, and when the chemistry is missing, the story ends up being a disappointment. Then there’s those books that grab you the moment the hero and heroine set eyes on each other, whether from across a crowded ballroom, or across the baselines of a small town baseball field.

The author just got it right! You can’t wait to get to the end because even though romance means you’ll get that satisfying HEA, you just have to be sure. Wait, never mind, you don’t want the book to ever end.

Not long ago, I read two books that began with the same type of first encounter. In both stories, the hero and heroine got right to it the night they met, before they even knew each other’s names. In one, by a well-known author, I was totally turned off. It was just creepy, and set a tone for the story that I couldn’t get past.

In the second, I was blown away. I’m not usually a fan of sex with strangers in books, but the author made it work. As the book progressed, I fell in love with hero and heroine.

First encounters can be powerful whether that first meeting is humorous, or sizzling with heated looks, or sad, bringing tears to our eyes. One of my favorites from a book I read long ago and can’t remember the name of, at his first sight of the heroine, the hero thought, Here she is. That was all. Here she is. He didn’t know why the words flashed through his mind, and he promptly dismissed them as not having any meaning to him. But we knew!

In the first book of my K2 Special Services series, Crazy For Her, my hero, Logan, feels an immediate connection with a woman sitting at the table next to him and his friend. Logan’s first encounter with Dani was a here she is moment, and he recognized it as such. Yet, it didn’t seem meant to be. The time wasn’t right for them, and sometimes that’s the way it happens. Other events must occur, sometimes years must pass, and tears shed before one has their chance for that happily ever after.

In my just book, Falling for Her, my hero is attracted to the heroine at first sight, but he isn’t happy about that. She’s the exact opposite of the kind of women he thinks he wants. Of course, we all know he’s wrong, and the fun is in seeing him figure that out.

First encounters are fun, and I love writing them.

#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on March, 17 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6744444-crazy-for-her-is-here Fri, 01 Aug 2014 08:05:00 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6744444-crazy-for-her-is-here
I’m so excited about this. It feels like getting an early Christmas present, so let’s unwrap this baby and peek inside.

When his best friend and fellow Navy SEAL, Evan Prescott, died in his arms on the battlefield, Logan Kincaid gave his word to watch over Evan’s widow. But for two years he kept his distance…torn between honoring his solemn vow and succumbing to his secret love for his fallen comrade’s wife. But when Dani Prescott desperately reaches out to Logan for the help only he can give, he rushes to her side—determined to fight for her safety as fiercely as he fights against his own buried desire.

Someone claiming to be her husband is stalking Dani and her infant daughter, making them virtually prisoners in their remote country home. Logan’s elite military training and high-risk security expertise have outmatched more dangerous enemies. But the real challenge will be the burning temptation that threatens to overcome Logan whenever Dani is near…especially when she reveals her own hidden passion.

http://amzn.com/B00ISCXNO2

Crazy for Her


#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on March, 18 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6548357-crazy-for-her Sat, 28 Jun 2014 13:25:00 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6548357-crazy-for-her While Logan’s attention was elsewhere, Dani studied him. His dark brown hair—now cut close in the military style—suited him. In their SEAL days, he and her husband had worn their hair longer to help them blend in with the Afghan people. His black leather jacket stretched over broad shoulders; his jeans encased long legs she was certain rippled with muscles.

Logan was still eye candy. That sure hadn’t changed. A little sigh escaped her lips. He must have heard because his dark brown eyes turned her way and he raised a questioning brow. Strangely, the arrogant gesture put her at ease. He was still the Logan she’d once known and liked. She walked down the steps.

“Nice bike. What is it?”

He moved next to her and eyed the motorcycle with a fond smile. “A Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle.” His gaze captured hers, and he grinned. “It’s very fast.”

And dangerous. Like him. She remembered he’d always been like this. Intense and focused.


The above is an excerpt from CRAZY FOR HER, due out September 1st. My hero is tall, dark, and handsome, and as I thought about that, I wondered about the origin of the phrase. In researching it, there are several theories.

One of the earliest uses in print is from The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal, 1833, and it actually referred to a woman.

Hester now looked at her aunt, who was the very reverse of what she had imagined: she had always thought she would be like her father, and fancied a tall, dark, and handsome face.

Although used in women’s fiction in the early 1900s to describe a romantic hero, the phrase really became popular because of the 1941 film, Tall, Dark, and Handsome, starring a swoon-worthy Cesar Romero as a Robin Hoodish gangster.

I don’t think the dark in tall, dark, and handsome refers to a man’s skin, or eyes, or hair. I think it’s a reference to a mysterious quality—something unexplainable that draws the eye to any man possessing that elusive something.

http://tinyurl.com/nfx8wnn


#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on March, 24 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5837608-new-beginnings Sun, 02 Mar 2014 09:48:43 -0800 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5837608-new-beginnings
Things are happening, and I have a feeling this year is going to fly by with the speed of Superman on a tear. First, I’m proud to announce that I’m one of the authors of a new blog, Embracing Romance. It’s going to be fun times at Embracing Romance with the latest news on our books, contests, giveaways, etc. Our debut is March 1st and I hope you’ll join us. We’re at http://embracingromance.com/

There’s more good news. This week, I received notice that my Regency romance, THE LETTER, is a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Have you read it? You can see more about my books at www.sandra-owens.com


Now for my most exciting news of the year. My series of the men of K2 Special Services will be published by Montlake Romance, with the first, CRAZY FOR HER (a 2013 Golden Heart® finalist), due out this August. The men of K2 Special Services, all ex-SEALs, are not looking for love. They live on the edge and danger is their middle name. The last thing they need is a woman messing with their game. There are a few ladies, however, who feel differently and will show them the error of their thinking.

Well, that’s it for now. Remember, stop in at Embracing Romance and see what’s happening with some very talented authors. See you there!

#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on March, 17 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5466587-welcoming-in-2014 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 16:27:00 -0800 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5466587-welcoming-in-2014
I’m not sure where 2013 went, but it feels like it flew by with the speed of the space shuttle at lift-off. Since it was one of the best years of my life, I wouldn’t have minded if 2013 had stuck around a little longer.

It started with my signing a contract with The Wild Rose Press for two of my Regencies, The Letter and The Training of a Marquess. In January, I was walking around in a daze while I’m going to be published, I’m going to be published, I’m going to be published were the only words racing around in my head. In February I got my first edits from my new editor and it started to feel real.

Then in March, my first cover arrived and, OMG, I had a cover and it had my name on it. My name! It wasn’t the best cover ever, but it was mine and I loved it. As if that wasn’t enough, March had even more in store for me. On March 26th, I received a call that I’d finaled in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart®.

The published author who called me, woke me up. But hey, Claudia Dain, feel free to wake me up anytime you wish with news like that. From then on, it was a world wind of activity. More edits, a second cover, new loops I was invited to join that I never knew existed, but best of all…the very best of all, are all my new friends. Like my 2013 Golden Heart® sisters, The Lucky 13s. These ladies are beyond awesome. Their talent, their support, their funny emails…God, I love them.

My two Regencies appeared on Amazon, B&N, kobo and other places in late spring and it was another OMG moment. OMG, people are reading my books. Then I started getting emails via my website from readers who loved one or the other book and I’ve since connected with some beautiful people around the world like Hanny in the Netherlands and Carol in England.

I can’t even begin to list the ones from America (like Gina, Nancy, Lindsey, Sandy, Melanie, Miranda, Jan…and, oh Lord, there’s so many others I should list, but then this would go on forever). One I would like to mention is Danny C. Hill who wrote one of the best indie books ever, In Search of a Soul. Thanks, Dannie, for giving me hours of reading pleasure and for being a friend.

This writing business is sometimes hard, sometimes lonely, sometimes tear-your-hair-out frustrating, but getting an email from someone who loved your book, getting five stars and glowing reviews from book bloggers—those kinds of things—makes every single challenging, hair-pulling nanosecond worth it. Trust me on this.

In July, I attended my first ever Romance Writers of America’s national conference. Wow! That was just…well, wow! I got to meet Jenny, my critique partner from Toronto (we not only share the same agent, but she’s just freaking awesome). I got to meet Grace Burrowes (another OMG when she invited me to have dinner with her and yes, I immediately accepted), and so many authors I’ve read over the years and admired from afar. At the risk of repeating myself, wow!

By the time I arrived back home, I pretty much thought I’d experienced the best of what 2013 had to offer.

But, no, 2013 wasn’t done with me yet.

In September, my Golden Heart® final, Crazy For Her, went to auction. OMG. Seriously, OMG. My fantastic agent, Courtney Miller-Callihan, did her thing and when she felt she’d taken the offers to their limit, she said I had to decide who to go with. Well, let me tell you, that was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. It involved vast amounts of pacing (to those who know me, yes, there was wine involved) and numerous phone calls with questions, along with more hair pulling.

In the end, I went with Montlake Romance. They offered a two-book deal for Crazy For Her and Someone Like Her, the second book in the series. The negative was that I won’t be in the brick and mortar book stores, but every single Montlake Romance author I talked to loved them…with an exclamation added at the end, as in, “I love writing for them!”

The “I love writing for them,” pretty much sold me. Any day now, I’m expecting to get the edits for Crazy For Her. Can. Not. Wait. Can’t wait to start my new journey and see what 2014 has in store for me. Can’t imagine it’ll be anything like 2013, but that’s okay. I’m a very happy author.

So, I hereby designate 2013 as the year of OMG. My New Year’s wish for all my friends—writers or otherwise—is that you have a 2014 OMG year.

Bring on 2014!

#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on January, 27 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5091329-on-writing Wed, 23 Oct 2013 13:26:00 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5091329-on-writing
1. What are you working on right now?

Some of my writer friends work on several projects at once, but I’m single-minded. Once I start a book, I write straight through until I type “The End”. The only time this isn’t true is if I get edits from my publisher, then I’ll get those done so I can hurry up and return to my work in progress.

So, right now, I’m seventy-five pages into my third K2 Series book. The first, CRAZY FOR HER, was a 2013 Golden Heart finalist, and I hope to have some news about that very soon. The second book is finished and in the hands of my agent. I’m sure she’ll have some revisions she’ll want me to do on it.

2. How does it differ from other works in its genre?

My hero, Saint, is different from most alpha male heroes in that he doesn’t drink or cuss, and is very discriminating in the women he sleeps with. As a young man, he was the exact opposite—wild and carefree. Then he made a terrible mistake and vowed to change his life. Okay, so he went a little overboard, but the woman he’s just met is about to turn his world inside out.

3. Why do you write what you do?

I write romance because I’m a sucker for Happily Ever Afters. My people might go through hell and back to get there but in the end, they are going to be happy, damn it! When I first started writing, I had a tendency for my hero/heroine to fall in love and be happy by the second chapter. Makes for a very short book, so I had to learn about conflict and motivation. Will I ever write non-romance stories? I doubt it, but you never know what story might pop into a writer’s mind.

4. How does your writing process work?

Painfully, sometimes. Fortunately, my muse (not a morning person) tends to wake up mid-afternoon and when I’m lucky, she’s a blabbermouth. I just try to keep up with her. There are days when she doesn’t feel like talking, and those are the days I struggle to put at least a thousand words on the pages. I’m a panster, meaning I write by the seat of my pants. I’ve tried plotting, but it just doesn’t work for me. Makes me feel like I’ve been closed into an airless box.

There you have it. I’ll leave you with a short excerpt from what I’m working on.

Everyone laughed, and it struck Jamie that since the death of his parents, he’d built a wall, shutting out anyone who tempted him to have fun. Even with the team, he held back, not letting any of them get close. What had he been afraid of? That if he had fun, he’d slip back to his old ways?

In the beginning, it would have been a strong possibility, so the rules he’d put in place had kept him on track. Yet, as the years passed and he’d matured, he could have eased up a little. But he hadn’t been tempted to…until Sugar.

She scared him. She excited him. Was he willing to risk the kind of honorable life he’d strived for the past ten years for a few good times? Because that’s all it would be. Sugar Darling wasn’t what he wanted in a wife, but no other woman had called to the wildness he’d tried to exonerate the way this one did. Did he dare take what he wanted and if he did, what would be the consequences?

I tag Jenny Hall, Jan Romes, and Dawn Marie Hamilton

www.sandra-owens.com

#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on March, 23 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4787442-sandra-s-sunday-musings Sat, 31 Aug 2013 21:31:38 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4787442-sandra-s-sunday-musings

As a Regency romance author, I would love to have the opportunity to go back in time to that era…but only for a visit, mind you. I’d miss hot showers too much to stay forever, nor does the thought of chamber pots appeal. But if I could spend a week in London during the Regency era, I do have a Top Ten list of the places I’d want to visit.

10. Carlton House The palace, home of the Prince of Wales or Prinny as he was often called, was an exquisite showplace of priceless art, magnificent chandeliers, French royal furniture and decorated in the colors of gold, blue and crimson. Prinny entertained his friends at the palace, his parties known for their decadence where no expense was spared.

9. Almack’s Famous for its weak lemonade and strict rules, Almack’s weekly Wednesday night ball was still the place to be seen and admittance was by approval of its patronesses.

8. Tower of London Built by William the Conqueror in 1078, visitors could view the crown jewels, the Horse Armory, Traitors’ Gate (where many prisoners were escorted into the Tower) and the Menagerie which at various times included lions, a wolf, monkeys and even a hyena. The ghost of Anne Boleyn, beheaded in 1536 for treason, is said to walk around the White Tower, carrying her head.

7. Astley’s Amphitheatre Famous for its spectacular performances of acrobatic riding and horsemanship including equestrian ballet shows and re-enactments of war scenes.

6. White’s An exclusive gentlemen’s club and one of Beau Brummell’s haunts, White’s is famous for its bow-window where “dandies” would gather and gossip about those walking by, often wagering on such things as the color of the bonnet of the next lady to pass. For this visit, I would want to be invisible so I could meander among the tables and eavesdrop on the men’s conversations.

5. Gunter’s Known for its fruit ices and sweets, patrons could sit inside the shop, or stay in their carriages and be served their treats by waiters. Many a lord courted their chosen lady while treating her to a Gunter’s ice.

4. A Gaming Hell For no other reason than to be able to write better descriptions when one of my characters spends his evening gambling.

3. Vauxhall Gardens Famous for its wafer-thin ham slices and potent punch, Vauxhall Gardens was a fun place to go for evening entertainment. Concerts, the mechanical Cascade, dancing and fireworks entertained both the nobility and commoners nightly. Lamps lit the garden’s paths, but enterprising lovers could always find a dark corner to share a kiss, or more.

2. Visit a modiste Where I would be personally fitted for an exquisite ball gown, perhaps made from popular fabrics of the day such as spider-gauze, sarsnet or crepe. This visit would be in preparation for number one on my list.

1. Attend a ball Having received my handwritten invitation to the most sought after ball of the Season, my lady’s maid would spend several hours bathing me, dressing me in my beautiful new gown and then she would style my hair in the latest fashion. Within minutes of arriving at the ball, my gaze would drift across the crowded room to see a stunning man staring back at me. The bored look in his startling blue eyes would fade as his gaze roamed over me. He would push away from the wall he’s leaning on and prowl toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. My breath would hitch as I realized I’m about to dance my first waltz with the most handsome man I’ve ever seen and…I don’t know how to waltz.

Although there’s so many other places I’d love to visit, that is my top ten. Now I’m off to take waltzing lessons. Just in case.

#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on March, 17 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4731601-the-magic-of-ordinary-people-by-merry-farmer Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:09:00 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4731601-the-magic-of-ordinary-people-by-merry-farmer
The Magic of Ordinary People

Romance readers love dukes and ladies. I mean, who wouldn’t be fascinated by the wealth and power, the thrill of high society and the marriage stakes that come with it? But you know what else I love? I love reading tales of the romances of everyday people, like you and me. Sure, high society is alluring, but there’s something magical about an extraordinary love that touches two ordinary people.

That’s what made me fall in love with my novella, Sarah Sunshine, as I was writing it. Sarah and Roy actually began their lives as two minor characters—not even big enough to be considered secondary characters—in the first two novels of my Montana Romance series. They were just slightly above being extras hanging out in the background. I’d given them each a line or two here and there, but they were never meant to be more than scenery.

Ah, but characters have a way of waving their hands and making you notice them, don’t they. As they say, every secondary character is a main character in their own story. So I listened to the sweet and simple voices of these two characters to find out what they had to say.

It turns out that minor characters have quite a vivid life! While the ranch owner (Eric) and the English lady (Amelia) were running around as the hero and heroine of Fool for Love, Sarah and Roy were waiting patiently for their own stories to begin. Poor Sarah, who came to the end of her rope five years before the novel started and was forced to become a prostitute at the local saloon, was just on the verge of being free of her contract in Fool for Love. And Roy, well, after working as a bell hop for years, his ship was about to come in. I couldn’t very well leave them stranded, could I?

Newly liberated whores and ex-bell hops are not exactly dukes and princesses, but there is a certain charm to the people who usually make up the background of grander romances that cannot be denied. I find these stories so appealing because they are so much closer to what I could actually experience myself. Closer, and yet at the same time so wonderful! Wouldn’t it be great if we could all find that kind of love?

Okay, I’m going to let you in on another little secret. My Sarah is actually directly based on someone I know, a coworker at my day job, and Roy is loosely based on her real-life husband. The “Sarah” I know is such a lovely, pure person. She’s the kind of person that gives you hope that there is good in the world. She’s not a lady and her “Roy” is not a duke, but just watching them interact is like reading a romance novel. You can feel the love they have for one another.

And isn’t that why we read romance in the first place? To believe that a love like that is possible? Well, it is not only possible, it is all around us, waiting to catch us unaware. I love a good duke, but now and then it’s delightful to peek next door into the lives of ordinary people, just like us, to find the magic in everyday romance.

http://merryfarmer.net/


BOOK BLURB
After five years working at the saloon, Sarah Withers is a free woman. The shame of her past is behind her and nothing but blue skies lie ahead. But when her plans to become a respectable woman collapse under the weight of old wounds and fresh battles, her worst fears seem realized. The joy of her life and light of her heart, Roy, couldn’t possibly love a fallen woman like her.

Roy LaCroix’s future seems made. Delilah Reynolds has made him manager of her new hotel. The only thing he needs to fill his days with sunshine is Sarah. But dark clouds line the horizon when Sarah stumbles into a twenty-year-old feud as it breaks hearts in the present. Roy must stay true to himself and his love for Sarah to stop a bitter past from repeating itself before it’s too late.


Excerpt
With a smile of promise, she turned and headed back to the saloon. It was still warm in spite of the chill in the air. November was only a few days old, and it had been an unseasonably warm autumn. Today was a perfect day for moving – moving out of the saloon and moving on with her life. She hopped up onto the saloon porch with joy in her heart.
The sound of sweeping from the old hotel, across the alley from the saloon, caught that joy and fluttered it all through her.
“Good morning, Roy.” She swayed to the end of the porch, cheeks flushing pink.
Roy LaCroix stopped mid-sweep and met her eyes across the alley. The hotel porch was several feet above where she stood, and looking up at him—tall and handsome and smart as a tack in his dark blue bellhop uniform—was like looking up at an angel. Especially when a smile lit his face from ear to ear.
“Good morning, Sarah.” He straightened to his full height and tipped his round bellhop hat to her, replacing it on his head at a rakish angle. “You’re looking awful pretty this morning.”
“Thanks.” She blushed and lowered her eyes, glancing up at him through her lashes.
Roy LaCroix was just about the nicest, sweetest man in all of Montana. He was built strong for a bellhop with arms that could hold a woman and make her feel right. He had the most dazzling brown eyes too, with long lashes and a sparkle that set her insides quivering. It didn’t feel like work at all when he came to the saloon to visit her. In fact, those were the very best evenings of all.
“You’re contract’s up today, isn’t it?” he said. He set his broom aside and ambled to the end of the hotel porch to lean against the railing, hands in his pockets. The sunlight gave his brown hair a warm reddish glow under his blue cap.
Sarah kept her head bowed modestly as she answered, “Yes, it is.”
Roy’s smile widened. “I’m awful glad to hear it.”
“Are you?” She could feel the warmth of his gaze as surely as the sun.
“Well, I’ll be sorry not to spend time with you,” he answered, a blush spreading across his face. “You wanna go for a picnic later, maybe?” His eyebrows rose with the question.
“Why, yes, I would.” Her heart bounced to her gut then back up again. Roy LaCroix was asking her on a picnic. The amazing thought filled her for two seconds before her smile and her shoulders dropped. “Oh, but I can’t. I’m moving my things over to the boarding house this morning and then I’ve got to work.”
Roy’s gallant joy dropped to a frown. “But I thought you said your contract was up. You’re not still … working, are you?”
Sarah giggled, pressing a hand to her mouth.
“No, no, not like that.” Tickles of hope spread from her chest to her toes as Roy’s smile returned. “I’m gonna be working for Miss Jones now, cleaning and mending and things. Mr. Sutcliffe arranged it. A woman’s got to have gainful employment if she’s gonna make her own way in the world.”
“But you’re definitely not … entertaining no more?” The spark in Roy’s eyes vacillated between relief and disappointment.
She shook her head, pressing a hand to her hot cheek. “The only man I’ll ever entertain like that for the rest of my days is my husband, and that’s the truth.”
As quick as she said it, a wave of bashfulness swirled over her. She lowered her eyes and bit her lip, then peeked up at Roy. He had that hungry look in his eyes—that look he had when he came to the saloon. It sent prickles across her skin.
“I’m mighty glad to hear it,” he said. He sniffed and shrugged. “I don’t think I have much call to go in the saloon now myself, all things considered.”
“No?”
“Not if you’re not there.” He watched his foot as he dug his toe against the boards of the hotel porch before saying, “Maybe you’re free for a picnic tomorrow then?” His eyes met hers.

#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on March, 20 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4713351-sandra-s-sunday-musings Sun, 18 Aug 2013 11:27:38 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4713351-sandra-s-sunday-musings

“You asked to see me?”

Michael turned from the window, his expression so solemn Diana had the urge to flee.

“I did.” He stepped behind his desk and gestured to a chair in front. “Have a seat, please. There is something I must show you.”

Whatever it was, she didn’t want to see. The step toward happiness she had taken yesterday fled and she resented it. Diana sat and clasped her hands together. “What is it?”

“What it is…” His words trailed off. He picked up what looked like several pages of a letter, stared at it a moment, then lifted his eyes to hers. “Before I give it to you, I want to say—” He took a deep breath.

Her heart did a hard thump in her chest. What was written on that paper that disconcerted him so much? Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. She was on the verge of leaving when he began to speak.

“I want to say I’m sorry, but the words sound trivial because they won’t undo what I allowed my cousin to do to you.” He caught her gaze and held it. “But, Diana, I am sorry, more than I can possibly say.” He held out his hand, the sheets fluttering.

My God, his hand was trembling. She recoiled from the pages wavering at her like the head of a snake. Whatever it was, it was evil. It would bite her and open old wounds.

She vigorously shook her head. “I don’t want it.”

She wanted to be happy, had promised herself she could be. She didn’t want to be a beaten down thing huddling against the wall, her arms protectively over her head. Putting her hands on the arms of her chair, she pushed up, prepared to leave.

“It is a letter from Leo.”

Diana fell back down on the chair. It was a snake all right. “I don’t understand. If he wrote to me, why do you have it?”

“It was written to me.” Michael placed it on the desk, close to her. “I’m not sure when, sometime after he learned he was dying, I assume. I’m sorry.” He sighed heavily. “I seem to be saying that a lot, don’t I? But I am. You need to read it. There are things in it you need to know.”

Whatever Leo wrote, it would be vile. She considered going to her room and getting a pair of gloves to put on before touching it. Lord, she was acting like a coward. Her resolve to be a new woman, a strong and happy one asserted itself. There was nothing her husband could say that she hadn’t already heard, lived through and survived. She picked up the letter and began to read.

Oh, God, she had not heard this.


#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on February, 03 ]]> https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4675441-sandra-s-sunday-musings Sun, 11 Aug 2013 14:49:00 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4675441-sandra-s-sunday-musings
Christian slapped the table with his hand. “I am sitting here. Talk to me, Reeves. Now.”

“When I arrived, I delivered your missive to the butler and was sent to the kitchen to await a reply. I had an interesting conversation with the cook. When I commented on the cleanliness of the kitchen, the cook said it was young Katie’s doing. I asked what she meant and she said the girl manages the household and that she insists on a clean kitchen. She said at the house where she worked before, no one paid attention to the kitchen as long as food was coming out of it, and she hadn’t realized how dirty it was until she worked in a clean one.”

Christian made a mental note to check the kitchen at Rosemont.

“You needn’t worry, Your Grace, your kitchen is clean,” Reeves said.

“That relieves my mind. Is there more?”

“Yes, and I don’t think you are going to like it. The cook said your Katie—”

“The cook said my Katie?”

“No, I said that part.”

“She is not my Katie.”

“Of course not, Your Grace. What she said was, the poor girl works like a dog and never a word of thanks from Herself. Your Katie came in before I could learn more.”

“She’s not my Katie.”

“Right.” Reeves took a sip of his drink before settling back in his chair and removing a sheet of paper from his pocket. “I have a message for you handed to me personally by your very lovely Katie.”

“She. Is. Not. My. Katie.”

“If you say so, my lord.”

Christian considered giving his friend and valet facers when he caught them sharing an amused glance. He opened the letter and read it, then handed it to Kensington.

The earl raised a brow. “She’s sending you a message, Aubrey.”

“There is one more thing,” Reeves said. “Your Katie asked me to tell you, and this is an exact quote from the lady, ‘Please tell His Grace that unless he wishes to be married post haste to Lady Katherine, he should beware while he is visiting. I asked if the duchess was that anxious for a wedding and she said, ‘I would use the word desperate’. Then she refused to say more.”

“Sounds as if the duchess plans on some kind of entrapment,” Kensington said.

The duchess could plan all the traps she wanted and if, by bad luck, he was caught in one, Christian had no intention of marrying Lady Katherine, whoever the impostor was. He was, however, deeply disturbed by what Reeves had related concerning Katie.

Christian pushed his chair back. “I’m going for a walk. When I return, we will plan our strategy.”

Hands fisted at his sides, he walked away from the inn until swallowed by the dark, stopping next to a tree. She works like a dog. He could not get it out of his head. What the bloody hell was going on there? She was Lady Katherine, the daughter of a duke. The daughter of a duke does not work like a dog.

He plowed a fist into the tree. “She works like a dog, does she? Well, we will just see about that.”

#sometimeblog

posted by Sandra Owens on November, 22 ]]>