Thursday, September 11, 2014

Guest Post by M. S. Spencer

I'm fortunate to have M. S. Spencer talking about her fabulous new book, Whirlwind Romance. Please be sure to leave a comment as M. S. will be giving away one free copy.

What do pirates, princes, Puritans, and propaganda have in common? Lacey Delahaye, forager and jelly maker, finds out in this romantic suspense set in the western Caribbean. If you comment and leave your email address you'll have a chance to win a copy of this romantic adventure.

Secret Cravings Publishing, 9/2/2014
89,000 words; M/F; 3 flames; Adventure/Romance
Up until my thirties, I traveled a great deal, living in many countries with amenities that many would consider below standard. So it wasn't until I married and settled down in an old farmhouse with an acre of land that I could indulge my fantasy of living off the land. I built a formal herb garden and planted all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.  The one thing I couldn't get to grow was mint. Yes, the gardeners among you will scoff, but it took me years to get a plot to flourish. When it did, it threatened to take over the entire acre. I had to do something.
So I called upon my sister-in-law, to whom Whirlwind Romance is dedicated. She directed me to an old recipe for mint jelly. Once the mint invasion was under control and I'd mastered the technique, I spent my summers working up recipes for herb jellies—tarragon, lemon balm, rosemary and more. It might have been helpful if I actually liked jellies, but they made lovely Christmas gifts. 
Florida—my new home—contains myriad ecosystems that produce exotic and interesting wild fruits, most of whom can be made into jelly. It was an easy step to make my newly arrived heroine into a jelly maker. I hope you enjoy the recipes as much as you do Lacey and Armand's love story.
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Blurb:
In the aftermath of a hurricane, Lacey Delahaye finds herself marooned on the Gulf coast of Florida with a mysterious man. They are immediately drawn to each other, but before Armand can confess his identity, they are kidnapped and taken far from civilization to a tiny, remarkable island in the western Caribbean. With the help of her son Crispin, a small, but proud young boy named Inigo, and a cadre of extraordinary characters, Lacey and Armand must confront pirates, power-mad ideologues, and palace intrigue if they are to restore the once idyllic tropical paradise to its former serenity and find lasting happiness.
Excerpt (R): Bath Fun
She turned on the taps and poured a few drops of rose water from a small flagon into the tub. Slipping off her shorts and shirt, she sank blissfully into the water. Armand came to the door. “You look happy.”
“At this point it’s the little things.”
“Yes. I have a feeling tomorrow will not bring good news. I wish you weren’t here, Lacey.”
“Well, thanks a lot.” She batted her eyelashes at him.
“You know what I mean. This is a very precarious situation.” He sat on the edge of the bath. “I never should have let you help me.”
“You didn’t have much choice, Armand. Besides, I couldn’t leave you in the mangrove swamp. It’s not done in my family.”
He shook his head. “And then I seduced you in the first five minutes of our acquaintance. I am a wicked man.”
Lacey thought back to that night—to the smells of sulphur, mud, and sex. She’d felt guilty then, believing it was her fault, that she’d thrown herself at him. Not the other way around. She looked up into Armand’s face. Black stubble covered his chin. His unruly hair, a little long now, matched his glistening black eyes. Might as well let him wallow in his ignorance. She reached an arm around his neck and drew him toward her. Just as their lips touched his eyes went wide, and he fell on top of her. 
Bathwater spilled out, leaving Lacey half exposed and shivering. “Ack! What are you doing?”
He struggled out of the tub, his clothes dripping. “It’s your fault. You pulled at me and I slipped.”
“Well, I never. You leaned in and lost your balance.” She turned the tap on again. As the bath refilled, an idea crossed her mind. Her eyes danced. “Now you’re wet, you might as well get in. You could use a wash.”
He cast her a look from under the thick eyebrows. “Might as well.”
She moved over and he squeezed in beside her, then rolled her over on top of him. She felt gloriously sensual and rubbed her body over his, massaging the hard parts. He found the soap and lathering up his hand, inserted two fingers into her pussy. The scent of rosewater filled the room. She slowly rotated her hips while his fingers kept up their pressure. When she pulled away, his fingers slipped out. Locking her eyes on his, Lacey lowered her vagina onto his cock. The soap lubricated her opening, and he slid in to the hilt. She began to rock, slowly, then faster, as he kept his hands on the tub’s sides to steady himself. She concentrated on the thick penis scraping the sides of her vagina, nicking the tip of her clitoris, nudging her orgasm into flower. 
“Oh God, Lacey, don’t stop.” He closed his eyes, and she redoubled her efforts until she came to the tipping point. Shuddering, she collapsed on top of him. They lay in each other’s arms, water bubbling and sloshing around them.
Someone knocked on the outer door.

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About the Author
Although she has lived or traveled in every continent except Antarctica and Australia (bucket list), M. S. Spencer has spent the last thirty years mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional staff assistant, speechwriter, editor, birdwatcher, kayaker, policy wonk, non-profit director and parent. She has two fabulous grown children, and currently divides her time between the Gulf coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
Ms. Spencer has published nine romance novels. The first two, Lost in His Arms and Lost and Found, were published by Red Rose Publishing. The other six—Losers Keepers, Triptych, Artful Dodging: The Torpedo Factory Murders, Mai Tais and Mayhem: Murder at Mote Marine (a Sarasota Romance, Lapses of Memory, and the Mason's Mark —were published by Secret Cravings. Whirlwind Romance, her ninth, was released September 2014.
Contacts:


2 comments:

Linda Andrews said...

Thanks for visiting us today M.S. I love the story of the mint jelly. Have you set any of your other books in some of those exotic locations you traveled?

M. S. Spencer said...

Thanks for having me! As to settings, they are a very important part of every one of my books. For example, the Mason's Mark and Artful Dodging are set in the colonial city of Old Town Alexandria, Mai Tais & Mayhem in Sarasota, and Lapses of Memory finds its characters traipsing across the globe from Paris to Istanbul! M. S.