An unhappy shape shifter can be a dangerous companion....
For Sneak Peek Sunday authors share six paragraphs from a published work or a WIP (work in progress).
My submission for this week is from my 2nd book, Deadly Enchantment. A shapeshifting wizard romance set in Victorian England published by New Concepts Publishing,
In this excerpt, which occurs near the end of the first Chapter, Dominic Westcroft has returned from London to discover his sister has invited several young women to his home, so he can select a new bride. Except, Dominic has no intention of ever marrying again. His fury with his sister's interference manifests into a green trail of hot smoke that he directs away from his sister. Seemingly sentient, the tendril snakes through the ceiling and the floorboards of an upper room where the women are waiting. When Serena intercepts the smoky trail, she and Dominic are briefly connected on a psychic level.
Feeling as if he’d been punched in
his solar plexus, Dominic dragged in a lungful of air and regarded his
half-sister with a look of suspicion.
“Who did you say you invited here?”
Her
expression immediately turned to one of concern. “I told you, I invited ten women all from
good, but impoverished families.”
“Really,”
he replied, then sucked in another deep breath through his teeth as he fought
to regain control over his tumultuous mix of emotions. “Well, you may need to rethink the ‘goodness’
of the families you selected, sister dear, since one of your fine, upstanding
ladies is not at all what she claims to be,” he admitted coolly despite the
fact that his heart still pounded in his chest.
He
had often released his anger in this manner, but he had never before
encountered any thing or person who could match and counter it so
effectively. The presence, though
powerful, was untrained, definitely female and overflowing with distrust. Even so, she had managed to diffuse his rage
with a single touch.
“What do
you mean she’s not what she claims to be?” Regina asked, her uncertainty reflected in
her face and posture.
His
equilibrium restored, Dominic regarded Regina
with a practiced look of detachment. “I
mean that one of your guests possesses powers that she is taking great pains to
hide from you and the others. In short
we have a visitor under our roof who is here for reasons she purposely does not
want us to know.”
The brief connection nearly robbed Dominic of breath, but it was enough for Serena to determine she'd been briefly touched by an angry, masculine presence, which she recognized and recoiled from at the
same time
M/F, Shape shifting wizards.in Victorian England.
Read the first three chapters at: Deadly Enchantment
Available at NCP, Amazon, Barnes & Noble or ARe
Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed this brief excerpt and want more. Please click the link below to continue your hop Sneak Peek Sunday. Wishing you a wonderful journey.
Great peek. You ended on an excellent hook and made me want to read more.
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