SPeekSunday - 4/6/14 - Deadly Enchantment - Serena loses her temper #SPeekSunday #Shapeshifter #ParanormalRomance

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 excerpt 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 snippet, 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.  What neither he nor his sister suspects, however, is that one of the women is actually his deceased bride's sister.  Tormented by guilt over his wife's tragic and brutal death, Dominic has no intention of ever marrying again.  However, when his show of temper accidentally reveals one of their guests possesses magical abilities she's trying to keep hidden, he invites the ladies join him for dinner, so he can rout her out.  His resulting magical show ends up causing a few of the women to cry out in dismay, so Serena calls an end to the charade by revealing herself as the woman with whom he had psychically linked a few hours previously.  Serena knows she's taking a huge risk by standing up to him, but she believes doing so will put an end to his magical shenanigans without revealing her true identity. However, when Westcroft accuses her of being a sorceress, Serena loses her temper.

            “I’m not a sorceress,” she murmured between gritted teeth.  “Though you clearly are a bastard.”

            “Tut, tut,” he muttered.  “My father might never have married my mother, but that’s no cause to begin flinging paternal insults now, is it?”

            Serena didn’t answer.  She’d meant the insult figuratively, not literally, but she felt slightly ashamed of herself.  It wasn’t like her to swear, and resorting to name-calling really was beneath her.

            He moved his hands in a gesture that appeared almost graceful, and Serena was lifted above her chair, still in a seated position.  It was as if she sat on an invisible shelf.  She felt securely held, though there was nothing but air beneath her.  She kept her hands in her lap and her eyes on him.  If he dropped her from a height greater than where she was now, he could hurt her.  When she said nothing, he raised her up another foot.

            “Still no response?  Somehow, I expected more from you, my dear.  After all, we have so much in common, do we not?”

            All of Serena’s blood ran to her feet.  How could he know?  Surely he hadn’t discovered her true identity when he’d briefly probed her mind.  No one here, outside of her cousin, should have known who she really was, and her real name wasn’t on any of the paperwork.

Dominic Westcroft has caught the mouse with his trap, now he intends to expose her for the deceitful liar he takes her to be.

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.