Don't Miss It!!

Blue 52 is going on tour in March. Be sure to join us for your chance to win a $50 Amazon or B&N gift card. One final except, and I hope to see you on March 11. In this excerpt my heroine is having a little trouble.

With no warning, three shadowy figures melted out of the shrubbery around the porch and surrounded her. They seized her under her arms and propelled her backwards toward the house before she had time to call out. She hit her head against the wall, and for a moment she saw stars. A hand sheathed in a thick, leather glove roughly covered her mouth and nose as she drew a breath to scream. One of the attackers slapped a length of duct tape across her mouth.

The two largest men crushed her against the house while the third man casually slipped a knife from his pocket. Kathryn struggled with all her strength, but she might as well have tried to move the house itself. She was no match for two strong men.

“Be still, Dr. Sinclair,” the third man ordered. He held the knife in front of Kathryn’s terrified eyes for her inspection. “We want you to give your boyfriend a message. We think he should forget about the past. No good can come of upsetting things now. If he doesn’t stop nosing around, we’ll have to pay you another visit. I promise that you won’t like it we have to come here again.”

He placed the glistening, sharp edge of the knife against Kathryn’s throat, which started to sting as the blade bit in. She held her breath as the man slowly cut from one side of her throat to the other. When she felt warm blood drizzle down her neck, her ears roared, and she saw spots in front of her eyes.

You'll Figure This Out

Another excerpt from Blue 52. You can figure out what they're doing all by yourself.

Hank shrugged. “Grandpa loves me, I know that, but I also know he thinks I’ve never measured up to Dad. God knows I’ve tried, but how can you compete with a dead hero? He was the damn president for crying out loud! Nothing I ever do can top my father, because he’s dead.”

“I understand.” Just look at his mouth. His lips were exactly the right shape for kissing. How was she supposed to think of a dead president when a living, breathing, sexy man sat beside her in the bed?

“I’ve never compared you to your father,” she whispered. “I’ve never even met your father, but I know you, Hank, and I like what I’ve found out about you.” Her eyes locked with his as she slid across the bed to within a hair’s breadth of him.

“You smell faintly of lilac,” he muttered.

Kathryn ran her hand through her hair, releasing the lilac fragrance into the air. “That’s the shampoo I used on my hair. Do you like it?”

“Uh huh. I like that clingy little robe too. I’m trying not to stare, but those curves of yours are getting to me.”

Kathryn’s heart took off in a mad gallop. “I tried not to think of those kisses we shared at the party, but I thought of them anyway.”

“Me too.”

Oh, glory be! Look how his eyes were smoldering. “They made my stomach feel fluttery,” she said.

“My knees got weak.”

A demure little smile curved Kathryn’s lips as she melted against him. “So, kiss me again, and let’s see what happens.”

Hank’s eyes closed as he gently kissed her. “Well?”

“My stomach got fluttery again.” Kathryn sighed.

Hank gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “My knees might be weak, but I can’t tell because I’m lying down.”

Kathryn frowned. “Oh, I don’t like that. If you don’t know for sure, I must be doing something wrong. Let’s try that kiss again.”

Hank seemed agreeable. He took her in his arms, but this time he kissed her the way a man kisses his true love, as if she was his greatest treasure in the world. Kathryn shivered against his chest as fire raced through her veins. “How are you knees?”

“Weak as water.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

blurb:

"First Lady Kills President Lovinggood"

December 29, 2018

Thirty years later Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him.  Together Hank and lovely physicist Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever. 

Don't forget to enter the contest to win a copy of Return Engagement, the president's story. Follow my blog at http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com and leave a comment here at the party pavilion on one of my posts. 

Blue 52 is available at most all online outlets.

After Thirty Years the Lovinggood/Stanton Feud Still Lives

In this excerpt from Blue 52, my hero is at a party with his grandparents and pretty physicist Kathryn Sinclair are at a party to raise money for charity when two men approach them. The older man is Josh Stanton, President Lovinggood's vice president.  First an excerpt, then a blurb.

“I see that Richard’s son has a way with women just like his father before him,” said the older of the two men. He actually smirked when he said it.

Hank felt his face turn a fiery red. Everyone who was watching me kiss Kathryn just remembered that Mother probably shot Dad because he had an affair with his secretary.

And look at his grandfather. The senator’s eyes blazed, but his face had no expression whatsoever. Goose bumps rose on Hank’s arms. Uh oh. That usually means trouble for someone.

“This must be the first time you’ve been invited to one of Millicent’s parties, Josh,” Senator Lovinggood commented. “If you’d been here before, you’d know about her fund-raising stunts.”

It had taken Hank a moment to recognize Josh Stanton. God, what an unpleasant little shit. That comment about his father was uncalled for. “I guess that’s yet another way you’re different from my father,” he observed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the second man, Stanton’s son Rob, stridently demanded.

Hank smiled. “Why, I thought it was obvious.”

“Don’t talk about my father that way!”

Hank shrugged. “Then show a little respect for your betters.”

Kathryn gasped, but Senator Lovinggood and Elaine both howled as Stanton’s face turned as red as Rudolph’s nose. “Why, you…”

“What’s the matter, Mr. Vice President? Can’t think of a snappy comeback?” Hank retorted.

“You address my father with respect!” Rob Stanton shouted. Hank flicked spittle from his arm as every head in the room turned their way.

He coolly stuffed the red ribbon in his pocket. “He doesn’t deserve my respect, and he really should learn some manners. This is a party to raise money for charity, not a forum to insult my father.”

“You Lovinggoods!” Josh Stanton’s face was dark with loathing. “You always thought you were better than anyone else. Ha! Look at what happened to Richard. His own wife murdered him.”

Hank laughed. “I doubt it, but either way Dad’s still a hero thirty years after his death. Not too many people call you a hero, do they? If I remember correctly, you finished Dad’s term of office but didn’t win a term on your own, right?”

Blurb:

"First Lady Kills President Lovinggood"

December 29, 2018

Thirty years later Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him.  Together Hank and lovely physicist Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever. 

Buy Links:  http://www.amazon.com/Blue-52-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00H1MHC24/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393801678&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+52+by+elaine+cantrell  and at most retail outlets.

Don't forget my contest. Follow my blog at http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com and leave a comment on one of my posts here at the party pavilion to tell me so. I'm giving away a copy of Return Engagement which is the story of the president and his wife.

Blue 52: First Meeting

Blue 52 is a mainstream romance published by Whiskey Creek Press.  Here's a blurb about the book.

"First Lady Kills President Lovinggood"

December 29, 2018

Thirty years later Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him.  Together Hank and lovely physicist Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever. 

In this excerpt, my hero and heroine first meet.

 “Mr. Lovinggood, Dr. Sinclair is here to see you.”

Hank rose to his feet. He didn’t know what he had expected, a person his grandfather’s age maybe, but the woman who appeared in the door behind his secretary looked almost as beautiful as his mother. In fact, as impossible as it seemed, she might be even more beautiful. She was about five six and had dark hair and eyes even bluer than his own. He guessed she might be about his age. Her figure would make a blind man stare, but the expression on her face attracted him as much as her physical appearance. Intelligence, curiosity, and life shone from her eyes. She glowed with an eagerness he didn’t understand.

As she approached his desk, she held out her hand. “Mr. Lovinggood, how are you? I’m Dr. Kathryn Sinclair. Thank you for seeing me.”

She had a firm handshake and looked him right in the eye. “Not at all, Dr. Sinclair. Please, have a seat. May I get you a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, that would be lovely.”

Hank filled a disposable cup with coffee. The cups biodegraded in three months’ time, so nobody hesitated to use them. The trashcans overflowed with cups by the end of the day. “Cream or sugar?”

“Black, thanks.”

He handed the coffee to Dr. Sinclair and got a good look at her legs in the process. Nice. She wore a well-cut, red suit that looked expensive. He liked her short little skirt, but the neckline of the jacket didn’t plunge quite enough.

Hank flushed. He was no hormone-riddled teenager. The woman hadn’t come here for him to ogle her. “My secretary told me that you wanted to talk to me about a crime,” he said as he seated himself behind his desk, unconsciously smoothing his tie and sitting up straight.

“That’s right, I do.” She didn’t wait for him to prompt her to tell her story. “The crime was committed a long time ago, but there’s no statute of limitations on murder, right?”

Hank nodded. “You want to talk to me about a murder?”

“Oh, yes. A man and his wife were brutally murdered, and the murderers framed the wife to take the blame.” Dr. Sinclair paused to take a sip of her coffee. “Their names were Lovinggood.”

Blue 52 is available at http://www.amazon.com/Blue-52-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00H1MHC24/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393776181&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+52+by+elaine+cantrell and at most retail outlets.

Don't forget to enter my contest. I'm giving away an electronic copy of Return Engagement. Blue 52 is the sequel to Return Engagement, but it can stand alone with no problem. To enter, become a follower of my blog and leave a comment on one of my posts here at the party pavilion. I'll choose a name this evening and post the winner. You can find my bog at http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com

Movies, Books, and Contests

I like going to movies, don’t you?  For one thing the refreshments are better than what I have at home, and for another the movie just looks better on a big screen in a dark room. Since I’m a romance author I’ve seen lots or romantic movies. Can you guess the name of these movies? Some are old and some are new.

1.He was a paraplegic former Marine, and she lived on Pandora in the Alpha Centauri star system.

2.She called him Preppie, and his family disliked her, but nobody expected her to die of cancer.

3.They were both robots, but in this Pixar release they learned to overcome their model differences and find true love.

4.She was an Austrian governess who fell for her employer and helped the family escape the Nazis  during the beginning of World War II. 

5.He gave his life for hers when their unsinkable ship sank in the bitter North Atlantic Ocean.

6.She didn’t realize he and his family were vampires until she had already given him her heart.

7.He was a troubled rich boy, and she’d had hard times too, but just when they got their lives together, disaster struck in 2001.

8.Julia Roberts played a hooker whose life was changed forever by one of her clients.

9.Her wedding in Greece didn’t happen, but her mother and father’s did.

10.She’s a mysterious stranger who arrives in a small North Carolina town and meets a local widower whose children like her.

You give up?  Here’s an answer key.

1.Avatar

2.Love Story. This one is old, but if you like to cry buckets of tears just find a copy and watch it.

3.Wall E

4.The Sound of Music

5.Titanic

6.Twilight

7.Remember Me

8.Pretty Woman

9.Mama Mia

10.Safe Haven

Unfortunately, none of my books have yet been made into movies, but they’d be so good!  How about this: They meet on the beach after a ten year separation, and she agrees to marry him that night, never suspecting that a mad man is intent on killing him. (Return Engagement)

Don’t like that one? Okay, how about this: He plays for the Green Bay Packers, but an accident costs him his job and his girl. He’s depressed until Violet Emerson enters the picture. (A New Dream)

Gee, you’re hard to please!  Try this: She’s on the run from a crazed, psycho killer, ex-husband, and he’s a marshal who thinks she may be a murderer. (Never Trust a Pretty Wolf)

Oh, you like that better? Good. How about this one: Thirty years after his father’s assassination, he and a beautiful physicist set out to prove that his mother wasn’t the assassin. Their only problem is that the real assassin is still very much alive and doesn’t want them to expose him.

Now you're talking!  I like that last one too. It's called Blue 52, and I just love it. It would make a super movie. Uh, you don't know anybody in Hollywood, do you? If so, put in a good word for me. Tell your contact that they can get a copy of the book at  http://www.amazon.com/Blue-52-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00H1MHC24/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393776181&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+52+by+elaine+cantrell

I'll come back later with an excerpt for you. Oh, wait. I forgot to say that I'll give away an electronic copy of Return Engagement. Blue 52 is the sequel to Return Engagement. All you have to do is become a follower of my blog. You can find the blog at http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com. Then leave a comment on one of my posts  here at the party pavilion telling me that you've followed. I'll pick a winner tonight. 

Thanks!

Famous Love Quotes

Love may mean different things to different people, but this is what some famous people have said about love.

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork."
Pearl Bailey

Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell."
Joan Crawford

"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour.
Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity."
Albert Einstein

"Love is the flower you've got to let grow."
John Lennon

Do you love me because I am beautiful,
or am I beautiful because you love me?"
Cinderella

"It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all."
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

"Who, being loved, is poor?"
Oscar Wilde

"LOVE: The irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."
Mark Twain Quotes

"Marrying for love may be a bit risky, but it is so honest that God can't help but smile on it."
Josh Billings

"The first duty of love - is to listen."
Paul Tillich

“Love is a game that two can play and both win by loosing their heart”
Eva Gabor

Which one is your favorite? I like the one by Joan Crawford best.

Thanks for reading!
Elaine Cantrell
Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
http://www.elainecantrell.com
http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com

A New Dream

A New Dream will be available on March 8 at http://www.astraeapress.com In this excerpt my hero's brother interrogates him after his first date with my heroine.

Thanks for reading!
Elaine Cantrell
Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
http://www.elainecantrell.com
http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com

Matt didn’t quite get his bedroom door closed before Chris showed up. He poked his head around the corner and demanded, “Did you kiss her?”

“Chris, that’s none of your business,” Matt protested, feeling warmth spread up this face.

“You did kiss her,” Chris declared, satisfaction oozing from his voice. He moved into the room and threw himself down on the bottom of Matt’s bed. “If you hadn’t kissed her you’d oh so virtuously tell me so.”

“Chris…”

“Is she the first since Stacey?”

“Chris…”

“She must be the first. Way to go, bro. It’s about time you woke up and realized your life isn’t over.”

“Chris…”

“That includes women too, Matt. Violet looked at you like you walk on water. Do you think you could be serious about her?”

“Chris…”

“I hope you won’t think I’m out of line, Matt, but I don’t think Violet’s the same kind of woman as Stacey.”

“Chris…”

“I mean, Stacey didn’t have a problem sleeping with you, but I think Violet would. Pam’s family knows Violet’s family, and she said Violet’s father is real strict. He raised the girls to have high moral standards.”

“Chris…”

“You should think about getting married. You’re old enough, and you have a good job. If you got married you could move out of here. Just think about that.”

“Chris…”

“But the best part of it would be that you’d have a woman to cuddle with at night. Don’t you miss female companionship?”

“Yes, but…”

“But nothing. You think about it, Matt. Violet’s beautiful, and you need a wife. You could do worse.”

“Chris…”

“I’ve got to go to bed, Matt. I enjoyed our talk.”

Chris slammed the door behind him, leaving Matt with a smile on his face. “I enjoyed it too, Chris.”

A New Dream

Have you heard of Astraea Press? They're new, and I've signed a contract with them for a book to be released March 8 at http://www/astraeapress.com. The book is called A New Dream, and in this excerpt my hero and heroine share a first kiss. This is unedited, but you can see how the kiss went.

Thanks for reading!
Elaine Cantrell
Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
http://www.elainecantrell.com
http://www.elainepcantrell.com

Here's a blub and excerpt from A New Dream.

Blurb:

After an auto accident destroys his pro-football career, Matt McCallum struggles to find a new dream for his life, but nothing engages him the way football did. After a stint in rehab, he takes a job managing a grocery store where he meets Violet Emerson.

Violet works in the bakery department, but her dreams carry her far beyond the doors of Chef’s Pantry. As soon as she can save the money, she plans to open a catering business. And she thinks the new manager’s broad shoulders and blue eyes are simply divine.

Thrown together at work, Matt and Violet find a common dream for their lives, but a loose end from Matt’s past returns to jeopardize their future. Will love be enough to save their new dream before it turns into a nightmare?

Excerpt:


They drove in a companionable silence for a few minutes before Violet exclaimed, “Oh, Matt, it’s a lovely evening for a drive! The moon’s so big and glorious, and the air feels like silk against your skin.”

It surprised Matt to find that he enjoyed the drive too. He’d rather have died than admit it, but since the accident, moonlight drives scared him to death. However, with Violet chatting happily beside him, the night didn’t seem so big and frightening, and the enjoyable present submerged the hurtful memories of the past.

He parked his car in the Emerson’s drive and escorted Violet to the door. “I had a good time tonight. Thank you very much for going with me.”

“Thank you for asking,” Violet returned with a smile. “I like your mother and your brother, and I had a good time too. I hate I didn’t meet your father, though.”

“I’m sure he’ll hate it too.”

They both fell silent, caught in the spell of the evening. Violet glanced at him and moved a fraction closer, her face obligingly tilted upward.

She doesn’t want to kiss me, Matt thought. I have to stop thinking about it. He’d do well to forget such nonsense, but naturally that was easier said than done. Violet was beautiful, and she looked at him as if he were whole and worthy of her kisses.

All I’d have to do is bend my head. He closed his eyes as his lips grazed hers.
Soft and warm, they yielded beneath his own. Violet trembled in his arms, and Matt nervously moved away from her. “I scared you. I’m sorry.”

“Scared me?” Violet giggled. “You didn’t scare me.”

“Then why…”

“Matt McCallum, I’m nervous! This is our first kiss, and I was afraid you wouldn’t like it.”
Matt breathed a sigh of relief. “I was afraid you didn’t really want to kiss me.”

Violet reached for his hand. “You’re joking. Who wouldn’t want to kiss you? You’re handsome, kind, and loads of fun.”

How absurd! Matt opened his mouth to say so, but at that moment the porch light came on. From behind the door they heard Fred Emerson clearing his throat.

“Thanks again,” Violet whispered. She opened the door, and Matt caught a glimpse of her father radiating disapproval from his chair in the living room.

He doesn’t like me, Matt thought. It must be my legs. I don’t know that I blame him. I don’t like myself too much either.


Do check out Astraea. They've signed some good authors.