Friday, April 19, 2013

4 Day Contemporary Book Fair

I’m glad to be part of Romancing The Blog’s celebration of Contemporary Fiction. There are 22 of us in different contemp genres, so be sure to go look around!

I’ll choose a winner from the comments here to win a copy of Pier Lights as a thank you for coming to play. Either leave an email address or check back on Tuesday to see who won.

Here’s my debut novel, Pier Lights. It is first of a series of dancers in lighthouse locations.

PierLights2012-dark72med

Caroline was a relevé away from becoming prima ballerina when, partly due to her own actions, she was damaged enough to never be allowed en Pointe again. Returning to her hometown area, she finds a grittier dancing job and determines to land on top this time.

Dio hides away on his farm near Charleston, South Carolina, and ventures out only when he can be in disguise. He uses his swordsman skills to work out aggression and connect with others while he maintains distance.

When the two collide on the beach in the glow of the lights from the pier, their personal scars push them away, and pull them in, just as the ebb and flow of the Atlantic.


Excerpt:

A sparkle in the water caught her eyes and she paused, then wandered closer, slowly. He was there. Out farther in the water and harder to see. But he was there. Caroline got as close as she could and spread her towel on the sand. Lowering, again slowly, so as not to catch his eye the way he’d caught hers, she crossed her left leg in front of her, the right leg out straight, and gazed out at his motion, his elegance, his skill. His dance.

He was a Man of La Mancha dancer except with more focus on the sword movements than on the dance techniques. Caroline frowned. Maybe that wasn’t true. The dance technique for him was the sword movement. The sword was an extension of him. His skill was every bit as trained as her own, his body every bit as controlled and precise. He would be a good dance partner.

And if his big sword, the shiny hard long extension of his body, was any clue as to the rest of him, he might be good at other things, also. She was tempted to swim over to his boat and find out.

Then again, he could be as much putty and bluster as nearly every other man she’d met. Better to admire him from a distance and make believe he would be worth sleeping beside, worth her energy and patience and skill.

Not that she was terribly skilled in that way. She had other skills she cared more about and skill in that department wasn’t terribly necessary, that she’d found. As long as she complimented her mate, she came off as skilled enough. They cared more about their own skill, real or not, than hers. She just had to be there.

Putty and bluster.

Maybe Mr. Big Sword wouldn’t be either. But some things were better left unknown.

She needed to leave. A yawn told her she’d reached her limit for the day’s energy. Rising slowly, still watching the man she could barely see, she froze when he stopped. He set the tip of his sword down, again between his slightly spread thighs, or just in front of them. And he stood still, faced her direction.

Read the beginning Here

Check the early reviews
Here

Pier Lights
Ella M. Kaye
$1.99 Sensual/Spicy Contemporary Romance 
Buy Links


14 comments:

  1. Thank you for taking part, Ella.

    You convey great sense of atmosphere in this excerpt, and portray imagery of the dance and the training required to perform to personal perfection. The finale being eye contact! Lovely.

    best
    F

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  2. Thank you, Francine! Thanks also for running the blog hop. :)

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  3. I'm already an Ella Kaye fan, and I highly recommend this story! Ella also didn't take the credit for her cover, which I happen to know she created as original artwork...

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  4. Maggie, thank you for the sweet comment! Yes, I did the cover as a watercolor painting and then played with it to get the right feel.

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  5. Wonderful excerpt! Oh and cover, too :) Best of luck with your debut novel and with the book fair.

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  6. Thank you, Debbie! I appreciate you coming by. :)

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  7. A fabulous excerpt, Ella.

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  8. Hi Ella, I love your book cover and excerpt.

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  9. I realy enjoyed your excerpt both here and when you posted in the group. I am certain Pier Lights is going to be a big success.

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  10. Gilli and Kiru, thanks for stopping by!

    Sarah, thank you. I'm kind of enamored with Caroline and Dio so it would be nice to have them out and about and mingling widely. ;-)

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  11. Anonymous4/20/2013

    Enjoyed the post, Ella! Nice setting and excerpt. - Greg Gumkowski

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  12. As a little girl I dreamed of being a ballerina. Didn't even take lessons but I love to go and watch the ballet when it comes to town. Your novel sounds fantastic. Best wishes.

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  13. Love the cover, and LOVE the excerpt, Ella. Another book to add to my to-read list. :)

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  14. Greg, thank you!

    Nancy, there is something special about watching dance live, isn't there? Thanks for coming by. :)

    Michelle, I hope you enjoy the read! Your name was picked by my dice throw, so I'll be in touch to send it along to you!

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