by Joanne Wadsworth | Mar 30, 2014 | Author Blog, Highlander's Castle
HIGHLANDER’S CASTLE
Highlander Heat, #1
I’m bringing you an exclusive excerpt today from Highlander’s Castle which released a month ago. I hope you enjoy.
Exclusive Excerpt:
Like an ethereal vision, Anne glided toward Alex. She reached him and he couldn’t help fingering her waist length locks. Even the sun’s rays feasted on her, setting her white-gold hair ablaze.
Damn. How would he keep his hands off her when she looked this edible? “You look…bonnie.”
“Thank you.” Her sapphire eyes burst with brightness. “You’ve washed up well yourself.”
Edible and delightful. He was in a world of trouble. He turned to his brother. “Do you have our plaid?”
“Aye, here.” James unraveled a strip of MacDonald tartan.
“Good.” This was it. The moment he’d not wished for, but now strangely did. He clasped his right hand with Anne’s right, and his left hand with her left then took a long, steadying breath. He looked into her eyes. She would be his wife, soon.
“It’ll be all right.” She squeezed his fingers. “This is meant to be. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
’Twas as if she spoke to his heart. “James will wrap the plaid around our hands and bind us together.” He nodded at his brother and James tightened the strap around their joined hands. The symbolic gesture had his pulse racing. Nay, this was simply a handfast, which was real enough, but that’s all. There would be no marriage in a year’s time.
–ooOoo–
~~ Joanne Wadsworth’s Books ~~
HIGHLANDER’S CASTLE (Highlander Heat #1): Amazon Kindle
HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE (Highlander Heat #0.5): Amazon Kindle
WITNESS PURSUIT (Bodyguards #1): Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / Kensington Publishing / iTunes / Kobo
ENCHANTER (Magio-Earth #3): Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / Kensington Publishing / iTunes / Kobo
HUNTER (Magio-Earth #2.5): Amazon Kindle
WARRIOR (Magio-Earth #2): Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / Kensington Publishing / iTunes / Kobo
PROTECTOR (Magio-Earth #1): Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / Kensington Publishing / iTunes / Kobo
by Joanne Wadsworth | Sep 19, 2013 | Author Blog, Highlander's Captive, Highlander's Castle
The Scottish Highlands and their beautiful old castles.
Traveling through time…for a Highlander.
There’s something so inspiring about these stunning castles and the history contained within their walls, and whether in ruins or not, my imagination runs rife. There are a ton of stories vying for attention in my head, and since I love the fantasy genre as well, I simply had to write a series where I get to send a twenty-first century heroine back to the past. In my HIGHLANDER HEAT line, expect tension, intrigue, and the sensational backdrop of the Highlands where it’s all set. This is historical romance where Highlanders have never battled so hard to defy the odds…and neither have their modern day heroines as they strive to find their own magic and beat the very essence of time.
I’m so thrilled to announce that the first glimpse into my Highlander Heat series kicks off with a novella that will be included in an anthology with some other awesome authors. HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE is the story of a young woman held captive by a Highland warrior, a man whose deep-seated honor may just turn him into becoming the captured instead.
This anthology will be FREE, and is compliments of those authors and the publishing house. I’ll keep you posted on the release date for this FREE book, but it will be sometime in early November, just a few more weeks away. Next year, book one in my series, HIGHLANDER’S CASTLE, releases, and just this week I’ve submitted the second book, HIGHLANDER’S MAGIC, for consideration. Of course next, I’m going to go straight into writing the third book, and I can’t wait to delve into this one.
Here’s a “sneak peek excerpt,” from book one, HIGHLANDER’S CASTLE (unedited).
To set the scene my modern day heroine, Anne MacLeod, has handfasted with Alex, her Highland warrior. Anne is just about to see exactly how Highlander men fight, and she’s accompanied by one of the woman from the clan as she goes in search of her new handfast husband.
–ooOoo-
They rounded the corner of the stables and there, before the waters of the glistening loch, a good hundred shirtless warriors wielded claymores in a battle of strength against one another.
Anne searched through the half-naked men and found the very one she was after. Alex’s body was hard and packed with muscle, his shoulders and arms thick and strong. His chest held the finest smattering of hair, the same color as the blond of his head. Oh, and below the plains of his glorious chest, his abs rippled, layer upon tight layer and all covered with a healthy sheen of sweat.
“He’s by far the tallest.” And Anne wanted every inch of that body back against hers.
“Aye, Alex could never be missed in a battle.”
His powerful form was magnificent, and his command of the warriors he fought against a sight to behold.
Alex thrust his enormous sword against his opponent’s as if it were an extension of his arm and not a monstrous piece of steel. Now, this was exactly how he’d come about every one of those bulging muscles.
“I have to get closer.” She passed Mary her basket.
“I’ll hold off Archie.”
She laughed. “Thank you. You make a wonderful friend.” Stepping forward, she focused her gaze on the one man who’d made love to her so intensely throughout the night. He moved deftly, growing stronger with each strike of his claymore upon his opponent’s blade.
The two men circled each other, as if waiting to pounce for the next attack. Alex raised his weapon and–
“Anne. Get back here now.” Archie tried to pass Mary who zigzagged in front of him.
“Damn,” Alex swore, barely missing his challenger’s blow. His gaze speared toward her. “What are you doing out here?”
She licked her lips as she stared at his wide chest. Even the veins on his arms stood rigid and firm. “Sorry, the view was rather distracting.”
–ooOoo–
I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek from HIGHLANDER’S CASTLE, tentatively set for release September 2nd, 2014.
If you don’t want to wait nearly that long, and you’d like to read one of my books from my thrilling new Young Adult Fantasy Romance series then by all means, check out the book links below to pick up your copy of PROTECTOR or WARRIOR.
Here’s what one reviewer has just said about my latest release:
“Warrior held my attention from start to finish. Each obstacle Hope and Silas encountered had me jumping with joy, but often screaming in frustration. What made me fall in love with Warrior, is the heart thudding romance between the two main characters. It isn’t just a love story, it’s so much more. 5 Stars.” – Nocturne Romance Reads
Buy PROTECTOR (Book One) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
Buy WARRIOR (Book Two) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
–ooOoo–
Thanks for joining me, and don’t forget, if you want to drop me a comment, make sure you do. I love hearing from you guys. 🙂
by Joanne Wadsworth | Mar 4, 2013 | Author Blog
LOL. Yeah, that’s one very creative knitter. 🙂
Hey everyone,
I can’t think of anything better than the following three quick tips which I’m never without as I write. At times it’s about heading back to the basics, and making sure the foundation of our work is steady and good. So, get ready. Here are three precious little gems to instantly improve your writing.
Oh yeah. When writing we can get so carried away with getting our words out, that our sentence length drags. My favorite thing, is to read my sentences out loud, particularly when a paragraph doesn’t look quite right. Try it. If you do, you’ll soon find yourself chopping long sentences right down.
There are so many benefits to this. Did you realize shorter sentences ensure the pace of your book picks up? Were you aware your reader becomes more heavily engaged when that occurs? It makes total sense, right? Shorter sentences allow for a quicker pace, and as a writer that’s one of our goals, to ensure our reader keeps turning those pages.
- TELLING AS COMPARED TO SHOWING
This can be an issue, and one we’re not even aware of. What to learn is, don’t tell your reader what your character is thinking, but show them with physical reactions. Even add more dialogue if necessary to accomplish this.
Here’s a short but sweet example of moving a sentence from telling to showing. To set the scene, the hero has lost consciousness after a hit to the head. He now awakens.
- TELLING:
- “I’ve been out for twenty minutes?” Confusion took him.
- SHOWING:
- “I’ve been out for twenty minutes?” He scrubbed a hand over his head, wincing as he struck a lump. “Did someone hit me?”
Switching to showing is about finding those words of emotion, and as you see above with the word “confusion,” nipping it out and showing with something else.
- OVERUSE OF ADVERBS AND ADJECTIVES
Never forget you want your reader to be immersed in your story. You don’t want them thinking too hard by the “overuse” of adverbs and adjectives. What do I mean by this? Here’s another sweet little example.
- OVERUSE. Can you spot the “unnecessary” adverb or adjective in the following sentence?
- Jack stepped away, quietly propping his back against the wide trunk of the tree.
- If you got the word “quietly,” you’re so right. It should read–
- Jack stepped away, propping his back against the wide trunk of the tree.
Keep an eye out for any “overuse” of adverbs. In the example I’ve used, Jack is quietly propping his back against the tree. How else does one prop themselves against a tree except quietly? “Propping” is a casual, restful motion, so in this case the adverb “quietly” is clearly not needed when “propping” explains it all. Don’t get me wrong though, adverbs definitely have a place where it’s necessary. Just remove those ones you don’t need so your sentences can free up and flow smoother.
Now for a bonus. I’m going to share with you a new excerpt from PROTECTOR, my young adult/fantasy/romance. Check out the scene below. It’s all about showing and not telling. To set the scene, my hero is in the heroine’s bedroom, and her best friend comes charging in. All completely innocent of course. 🙂
The door flew open and slammed against the wall. Yeah, that was Silvie, all right.
“Ten minutes is enough you two. Now break it up,” she admonished as she stormed toward the bed, red-gold curls flying about her face. “Let’s remember we still have a villain to unearth and apprehend.” She turned, giving Davio a fierce glower. “What do you think you’re doing on my best friend’s bed? Get off. Off. Off. Off.”
“Yes.” He pushed himself to his feet and pulled me up to stand beside him. “Except, in the future, Silvie Carver, you will remember not to storm into the room the way you just did and disturb us. Correct protocol is that you knock and wait before addressing a prince.”
Silvie didn’t seem to care as she reached past him and gripped my wrist. She scowled at him and tugged me toward her like a mother bear protecting her cub. “Well, lucky for me, Davio Thy-prince Loveria, I do not have to observe your correct protocol. We are on Earth, you see, not Peacio.”
Hmm, and all this from the girl who’d told me just days ago that I needed to get laid.
I almost smiled.
.
I hope you enjoyed that peekaboo excerpt, and if you still want more, then just below are the links to grab your copy of Protector. 🙂 So, what did you think of these three quick tips? Leave me a comment and let me know. I love hearing from you.
* * * *
PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 14, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
For that romantic heart of yours, I’m bringing you a special excerpt from my new release PROTECTOR, and one I’ve never brought out before.
It’s all about the first kiss. These are a tender and exciting moment in a romance novel, whether they range from sweet to off-the-charts hot. Two weeks ago the Young Adult Bookworm Blogger reviewed Protector and gave the first kiss between my young heroine and hero a “Swoon Award.” In light of that honor, how could I not share this young couple’s very first delicious kiss with you on this most special of days.
Here it is…
“So, now what do we do?” I snuggled, discovering my need of him intensifying just as his obviously was. I watched the play of sunlight dancing through the window, crossing his face and highlighting his strong jaw and his mouth.
“Someone harmed you. Zac, Viv and Belle are just three members of the team I keep quite close to me. No one else will ever get through all of us to you again. But there will be rules. To ensure your safety I want you to–”
“Hold on.” I cut off his words by pressing a finger to his lips. Ooo, so soft. And what was with my fascination with his mouth?
His brows drew down, his forehead furrowing deeply. “Are you still not feeling well?”
“Oh, I’m more than well.” Then I slowly grinned and leaned in. “It seems I want more than your protection. I want you to kiss me.” That was the complete and honest truth.
That comment stopped him dead cold.
Then he inhaled, slowly, the sound so sweet as his breath stuttered a little. “Kiss you?” he murmured, his eyes now turning a melting hue of delicious brown.
“If you want?” I somehow managed to shrug my shoulders like it didn’t matter.
“I want to.” Then he closed that last little gap and there was nothing but his warm lips against mine. Every sound around me vanished as my world centered and became only him.
He had come to me at the first sign I was in trouble–no man had done that in my life.
My soul lifted and my heart soared.
Desire flared, and he pushed me against the soft comforter. He surrounded me, my mind captivated as we shared breath and a moment like no other.
My first kiss.
* * * *
I hope you enjoyed, and if you want to pick up your copy of Protector for a special read, or to give as a gift, the links are just below. 🙂
PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
