Tarnished Silver

 Welcome to Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors. Today I'm sharing an excerpt from my current work in progress. The book is titled Tarnished Silver, and I have no official blurb to share. The set up is like this. 

My heroine Brittany Granger is a private investigator who has been summoned to the home of the Silver family. The Silvers operate The Silver Firm, a prestigious law practice. They are famous, rich, and some say unscrupulous. She has no idea why they want to see her.

Excerpt: As this is a WIP anything helpful that you see I'd love to know about it.

The sullen sky looked leaden and gray, but at this particular moment the weather and how she was going to get home didn’t concern Brittany Granger.  After driving in circles for what seemed like forever, she still couldn’t find the Silvers’ home.  Biting her lip, she smacked the steering wheel. Only twenty minutes to get there, and something told her Mr. Silver appreciated punctuality.

 Her last turn had brought her back to the same intersection she had seen three times before, but this time she turned left instead of right and saw the Silver mansion at the end of the street.

A tall, thick, stone wall surrounded the property while a manned gatehouse guarded the entrance.  She stopped her car and rolled down the window as the gatehouse door opened and a man stepped outside.  

“Hi.  My name is Brittany Granger.  I have an eleven o’clock appointment with Mr. Silver.”

Savannah Run

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Title: Savannah Run

Series: The Protecting Love Series

Author: Michelle Donn

Genre: Romance Suspense

Release Date: October 21, 2020

Leia Stone is in over her head and the help of a talented fixer with a dangerous past is her only chance of survival.

She's just discovered her boss is in business with some of New York's most brutal criminals. Going to the FBI throws her even deeper into the dark waters of money laundering and human trafficking. A former client is the only one she can turn to.

Eric Robb is a man of many talents.

He's a professional fixer whose clients pay him handsomely to make their problems disappear. But now he's got a problem of his own—protecting an idealistic beauty he's never been able to get out of his head.

When a ghost from Eric’s past joins the hunt they escape to the southern city of Savannah looking for a reprieve only to stumble deeper into the criminal’s web.

Eric is only one man, with danger lurking around every corner will his skills be enough to keep Leia alive?

•••••

Savannah Run is the action-packed first book in the Protecting Love series of standalone HEA romantic suspense novels. Expect tangled sheets, car chases, and perilous rescues. A protective hero and a bold heroine

Michelle introduced herself to romance novels by stealing them off her mother’s bookshelf. She got caught red-handed when she destroyed a new book by dropping in the bathtub before her mom could read it. From stolen paperbacks to an overloaded iPad, Michelle’s passion for reading grew into her debut contemporary romance novel: Savannah Run.

She lives in South Florida with her real-life prince charming, two dogs, two horses, a cat, and Daisy the donkey. Most evenings, you will find her floating in the pool, enjoying a cocktail, and working out the plot of her next book with her husband.

Get your fix of happily ever after with a shot of action and adventure.

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My Saving Grace

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Title: My Saving Grace

Series: Vested Interest - ABC Corp Series

Author: Melanie Moreland

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 25, 2021

Grace VanRyan has her life mapped out.

Law school, a career with ABC, and a bright future ahead of her.

Until Jaxson Richards steps into the picture. He’s everything she hasn't planned for.

Older, sexy, off-limits.

And her new boss.

When the passion between them explodes, will her life blow up along with it?

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"What is your problem?" I repeated my earlier question.

He didn't waste any time getting to the point. "Did you want to go for a drink with him, Grace?"

"No!"

"He was standing awfully close."

"And I was trying to step back when you showed up. In fact, I would have told him off before you rushed into save the day."

"He kept looking at you during the meeting."

I hadn't noticed. All my attention was on Jaxson. "He can look all he wants. I'm not interested."

He drummed his long fingers on the desk. I tried not to stare at them.

"It's your outfit," he announced.

"What the hell is wrong with my outfit?"

"It's too damn sexy."

I gaped at him. "It's pants. I'm wearing pants, for god sake."

"Your blouse. It's indecent."

I glanced down. Nothing was showing, my collarbone barely visible. The neckline was modest, the sleeves long, and I was wearing a shawl.

"You are being ridiculous. The lawyer, that Sabrina woman who came in here this morning, was showing more skin than I am."

"Do not compare yourself to her."

An irrational flash of jealousy hit me. "I'm out her league is what you're saying?"

He glared. "Don't push it."

I threw up my hands. "I give up. Why don't you write me a list of what I can wear, who I can talk to, and what I should think, Jaxson?"

"Don't be stupid."

"Stupid? This from the man who thinks wearing pants is overtly sexy."

"They are," he insisted.

"Don't be an ass," I hissed before I could stop myself. "You're acting like an idiot."

"You're pushing my buttons."

"Your buttons? You're the one with the over the top reaction here. You're being a jackass—again."

"Fond of that word, are you?"

"It suits you."

"Shrew," he replied.

"What did you call me?"

"You heard me. You're a shrew. I was trying to help you earlier."

I was done with this insanity. The man was clearly deranged.

I stood. "For the record, he came over to me. I said no—twice. If you hadn't shown up, I would have walked away or if I had to, pushed him away. I can take care of myself, Jaxson. My father taught me how to throw a punch if required, so I don't need you to rescue me and I don't appreciate your over reactions. My outfit is perfectly acceptable, and you are, in fact, a jackass."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." I drew in a deep breath. "In fact, if this is your way of talking, you can stuff it, Mr. Richards."

I turned and headed to the door.

The next thing I knew, Jaxson was behind me, spinning me around and crowding me against the wall, his body hot and unyielding.

"Jesus," he spat. "Gracie, you drive me crazy."

"What?" I asked confused.

"I keep fucking this up." He hung his head. "You get close and I lose all common sense. I do things I would never do—say things I shouldn't."

I stayed silent letting him ramble. I liked the way it felt with him pressed up against me. I could feel his strength and his anger. Both were addictive somehow and I wasn't afraid of either. The irritation I had been feeling started to be replaced with a different sort of buzz. One of longing.

"Jesus," he uttered. "I keep doing this. Last week spending time with you outside the office. Yesterday—kissing you in the car. Holding your hand. As your boss, I shouldn't do any of that. Or pass judgment on your life. I didn't intend that to happen. And today." He groaned. "Seeing him beside you, chatting you up. I wanted to punch him in the face. What is it about you that messes up my head?"

I frowned. "I don't understand."

His intense blue eyes met mine. "I didn't mean to start an argument, Grace—yesterday or today. You're right, there is nothing wrong with your outfit. You're beautiful. And yesterday my words were born of hating to think of you living in fear—of anything. I wanted to help. But I know it didn't come across that way."

His confession disarmed me.

"I apologize for both—my rudeness and my inappropriateness in the car yesterday."

We were so close, I could feel every solid inch of him. His scent filled my head—citrusy, musky—heady. He was tense, his muscles bunching, his jaw working as our eyes locked and held.

"I liked the car," I whispered, the words torn from me before I could stop them.

He rested his forehead to mine with a low groan. "Don't tell me that, Gracie."

His breath washed over me. Mint and coffee. I could taste it. Taste him. I wanted to taste more.

"I liked the way you told him off today. You made me feel protected."

"Fuck," he mumbled, his eyes locked on my mouth.

"I like how you feel this close to me."

He groaned again, the sound low and desperate.

Exactly the way I was feeling.

"Jaxson," I murmured.

"What are you doing to me?" he replied, sliding his hand along my shoulder and up my neck, cupping my cheek. "You make me want things I can't have."

"Like what?"

"Like feeling your lips underneath mine. Tasting your mouth. Knowing if the heat of it is as addictive as I think it would be."

"Find out then."

He crashed his lips to mine.

And I was lost.

New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.

While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.

Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.

Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at  flavia@bookcaseagency.com

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