Welcome to my new blog feature, The Reading Bag! Every Friday I’ll spotlight a book for your weekend reading. AND I’ve got a sneak peek for you – a short excerpt!
Though I read throughout the week, on Fridays I start looking around for new books to read over the weekend. In the winter, I curl up in front of the fireplace to read. In the summer, I take my reading out to the patio or front porch. No matter what time of the year it is, I always need a new read for the weekend. I hope you’ll check these books out and add them to your own reading bag.
I also wanted to let you know that Fortuna is on sale from August 5 to August 11, so pick it up before it goes back to its regular price.
Fortuna by Elaine Cantrell
**Excerpt**
Excerpt 1 Aimee goes to a garden party in an 1860s costume
Cade held out his arm to Aimee. “Ma’am, I would be delighted to show you the gazebo. Do take my arm. The ground is rather uneven.”
“Why, thank you, sir.”
As they strolled toward the gazebo, Aimee allowed the setting to mesmerize her and capture her imagination. What would it have been like to attend this party in the year 1860? Would the threat of war have lent a spice of excitement to the festivities that made ordinary activities like visiting the gazebo seem new and romantic?
Cade indicated a built-in bench, which circled the inside of the gazebo. “Would you like to sit down?”
Aimee sat and gathered her skirts around her, admiring the rustle of her long, crinoline petticoat. She patted the space beside her. “Sit beside me.”
Cade bowed. “You honor me, Miss Sherwood.”
“You may call me Miss Aimee, sir.”
“Miss Aimee, then.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.
Aimee’s heart took off in a mad gallop. She felt heat rising from her chest and knew it colored her face an inconvenient shade of red. Oh! My! Goodness! All he’d done was kiss her hand, and she was melting. If only she hadn’t left her fan at Miss Gladys’ table.
Cade kept hold of her hand even though she’d expected him to let go of it. His calloused fingers felt so male, so strong, so warm that another wave of heat washed over her and almost took her breath away.
“You look beautiful tonight, Miss Aimee. There’s not a woman at the party who can touch you.”
Was it her imagination or had he moved a bit closer to her?
“Your eyes sparkle like blue diamonds, and I love those curls of yours. You’ve captured the sunshine.” He reached for her ponytail and bounced her curls in the palm of his hand.
Breathe. She mustn’t forget to breathe.
Elaine Cantrell has been married to the same wonderful man since 1973. She has two handsome sons and three wonderful grandchildren, Simon, Kara, and David.
She credits her boys as the reason they always have had so many pets. She can not remember a time when she and her family didn’t share their lives with pets. The newest edition to her pet family is a fat white cat named Perci who arrived at our door extremely ill. Elaine and her family adopted her and took her to the vet, and now she terrorizes the entire family.
Elaine spends a lot of her free time writing, but has several hobbies she enjoys. She likes quilting, gardening, and decorating, and when she can, she and her husband like to travel. They’ve had some great vacations in other countries, but the place they loved best was right here in the United States. “Have you ever been to Arizona? If not, you should see it. It’s absolutely fabulous.”
You can purchase Fortuna at these online retailers:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fortuna-elaine-cantrell/1123328090?ean=2940157912277
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/611196
Visit Elaine Cantrell online at:
http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com