Linda’s Summer #RomanticIdea
“A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and
Thou” - The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám
I love that quote, and it makes me think of
romantic summer picnics—at the beach, by a lake, in the mountains or a
park—whatever location works best where you live or vacation. But what to pack?
Wine, bread, meat and cheese are a given, but don’t forget the summer
fruit—ripe red strawberries, lush juicy peaches or crisp apples. There’s
nothing like a taste of fruit to sweeten a kiss.
Lady Elinor's Escape
by Linda McLaughlin
Sweet Regency Romance
by Linda McLaughlin
Sweet Regency Romance
Lady Elinor Ashworth always longed for adventure, but when she runs
away from her abusive aunt, she finds more than she bargained for. Elinor fears
her aunt, who is irrational and dangerous, threatening Elinor and anyone she
associates with. When she encounters an inquisitive gentleman, she accepts his
help, but fearing for his safety, hides her identity by pretending to be a
seamstress. She resists his every attempt to draw her out, all the while
fighting her attraction to him
There are too many women in barrister Stephen Chaplin's life, but he has never been able to turn
his back on a damsel in distress. The younger son of a baronet is a rescuer of
troubled females, an unusual vocation fueled guilt over his failure to save the
woman he loved from her brutal husband. He cannot
help falling in love with his secretive seamstress, but to his dismay, the
truth of her background reveals Stephen as the ineligible party
Buy links:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00CHSNEII
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/312406
LADY
ELINOR’S ESCAPE Excerpt:
Elinor looked around her. “Where shall we have our picnic?”
“I have a particular place in mind.”
A few minutes later, he reined in the horses near a small
pond with a few ducks paddling on the surface. He put his hands on her waist
and swung her down from the curricle. His hands lingered for a moment longer
than necessary as he stared into her eyes. His were a dark liquid amber, like
honey, and the warmth in his expression set her heart to racing.
Alarmed by her reaction, she stepped away from him. Oh my,
this very private picnic might not have been a wise idea at all.
After tethering the horses, he spread a blanket under a
nearby oak, and then produced a picnic basket. While Elinor lowered herself
onto the blanket, removed her gloves and bonnet, he dug into the basket. The
picnic turned out to be a hearty repast of cold chicken, cheese, bread and
butter, cider and sweet, fresh strawberries.
Elinor did not realize how hungry she was until she took the
first bite of chicken. Before she knew it, she had devoured a bit of
everything, aware of Stephen watching her the entire time.
“I did not mean to eat so much,” she said, feeling a bit
embarrassed.
“As you are so slender, I had not expected you to have such
a hearty appetite,” he remarked with a smile. “I approve.”
“Everything was delicious.”
“I’ll pass your compliments on to Mother’s cook. She kindly
provided the food.”
“You mean you cajoled her into it,” Elinor teased him.
He flashed her a boyish grin. “Cook always did have a soft
spot in her heart for a hungry boy.”
“You must have had a wonderful childhood.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Fairly typical, I should
imagine, except for my habit of bringing home stray and injured animals. I was
the despair of my mother.”
Elinor laughed softly. “Then you have not changed much, only
now you collect stray females. What does your mother think of that?”
Again he shrugged. “If only I were to marry one of them, she
would not object at all, or so she says.”
“I see.” So he was under familial pressure to marry. But he
could hardly consider a liaison with a seamstress. Was he pursuing her as one
last fling before getting married?
“There is one strawberry left.” He held it out to her.
She leaned toward him and bit into the sweet pulp. A trickle
of juice ran down her chin. With one finger, he captured the moisture, and then
licked it off, all the while holding her gaze. Her eyes widened at the intimacy
of the gesture as heat rose to her cheeks. She was in over her head here.
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| Linda McLaughlin, Author |
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love
of books and history, so it's only natural she prefers writing historical
romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters
learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward. Linda also
writes steamy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of
the writing team of Lyn O'Farrell.
You can find her online at:
Website: http://lindalyndi.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lindamclaughlin
Twitter: @Lyndi Lamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
2 comments:
Thanks for hosting me today, Caroline.
Thanks for sharing with readers today, Linda. Can't wait to read your book. The excerpt sounds intriguing.
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