Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Rites of Spring Blog Hop March 20-23






I struggled with what I wanted to write about, I love so many characters.  I started thinking about my favorite first meetings of characters that make me wonder just how the author was going to pull off them falling in love.

Sam Kane and Scarlett Morningstar from Marshal of Hel Dorado by Heather Long have one of my favorite first meetings.



“He yelled the order this time, but as the shadows sharpened and redefined, he saw the woman, alone, was standing there, hands up, facing him… Under the faint light of his brother’s lantern, Sam saw a cascade of red hair, an up tilted chin and a sprinkle of cinnamon colored freckles across a pert nose. Between the alabaster skin and the red hair, she was a picture.
He barely took notice of the gingham shirt with its rolled up sleeves and haphazard buttons which opened at the throat and dipped invitingly down to flesh a lady should never be revealing or the tight breeches that hugged her slender shape. Boy's clothes should not look so fine on a woman.

But her curves made them more attractive than Miss Pontfour’s dancing girls in their silks and feathers… “Are you armed?” He demanded, ignoring the way her lush lips parted over white teeth.

Most of the ladies at Miss Pontfour's were yellowed by this age and even sported a gold tooth or two of their own. Not this red haired filly with her sassy nose and pert ass.

He scowled at the direction of his thoughts.

“No, sir. I don’t believe in guns.” The warm honeyed voice laughed at him and Sam’s mouth thinned.

“What about knives, Miss…?”

“Knives are useful.” She bobbed her head, but the hint of humor perfuming her words set his shoulder blades to itching again.

“Hand it over.”

“I didn’t say I had one Marshal.” Now she was playing coy, her eyelashes dipping over her summer green eyes. The shade was a miracle of spring, a color not favored in their high summers when grass yellowed and drooped in the Texas heat.

He released her, taking a step back and bringing his gun out of his holster again. His father would give him the back of his hand for pointing a gun at a lady, but this lady had been in the bank vault somehow, robbing it. Sam tried not to focus on the how's and the why's. That meant she was a thief, pure and simple. The law had one solution for her ilk and it delivered that promise at the end of a rope.

“Hand it over.”

She sighed, smoothing a hand over her sleeve as though he’d bruised her, but Sam ignored the purely feminine invitation to feel bad for his manners. Thieves didn’t deserve manners. But when she rolled up the sleeve, he frowned. Strapped to her forearm was a four-inch piece of metal dovetailed into a white boned handle.

Two thin leather ties fastened it in place against the pale skin. She stretched out her arm expectantly, a glint of amusement in those green eyes daring him to take it himself.

He obliged, pulling the ties loose and pocketing the knife.

“Anymore?”

“No, sir.”

He was mighty suspicious of her cooperation and gestured for her to move over to the single cot sitting in the corner. She lifted her eyebrows, challenging his authority, before deigning to stroll over and sit down. He’d seen that look on his father’s horses, the strong-willed ones who didn’t cotton to breaking. Those horses had to be gentled, persuaded that they wanted to do what was asked of them, but even the most successful behaved as the woman did.

As though she were allowing him to be in control and if he turned his back, even for an instant, he might find himself on the sharp end of a hoof slash.

“Much obliged.” He bobbed his head and backed out of the cell, closing it with his foot and holstering the gun to lock it again.

In the cell, the fiery haired vixen sat down and leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed under the full, firm curves of her breasts that seemed to be straining at their confinement.”

Quoted from Marshal of Hel Dorado by Heather Long

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It only gets better from there, who would think that even with how attractive he finds her that a straight-laced Marshal can fall in love with a bank thief. I loved that they met under such adverse circumstances; it just sets the stage for an action packed story. I love characters that start off at odds, that just make the journey to a happily ever after all the more interesting.

Do you have a favorite first meeting of characters? Do you love when characters start off at odds, or are you more of a love at first sight instantly fall all over each other?



 Giveaway!

To enter both my giveaway and the Grand prize, use the Rafflecopters, the only mandatory action is to leave a comment!

I'm hosting a giveaway for assorted book swag and a book off of my prize shelf, I'll send the winner a list to choose from. Seriously, I'm going to put the book in the box and then shove as much book swag in I can. The swag includes bookmarks, Romance Trading Cards, tokens for ebook copies of books and more! If I get over 80 comments I'll pick two winners for my prize!

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There is also a blog hop Grand Prize giveaway of

1st Grand Prize
Kindle Fire (international)

2nd Grand Prize
$50 Amazon.com gift certificate


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19 comments:

  1. Thanks for being a part of the blog hop

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  2. Thanks for being a part of the blog hop

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  3. I like when the characters are at odds with each other and then grow to love one another.
    Thanks for being part of this fun blog hop.
    skpetal at hotmail dot com

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  4. I more or less prefer when the characters are at odds. Love at first sight is grand, but cattiness makes for a humorous read.

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  5. I love watching their love grow! Thanks for the hop! mikiajanai@yahoo.com

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  6. Marshal of Hel Dorado sounds really good. I love the excerpt. I really enjoy the writing style and need to get this soon so I know what happens next.

    Hmm, I can't think of a favorite first meeting of characters off hand though if I thought for a bit I would likely be able to come up with a few. I think that sometimes I like love at first sight and sometimes I like the at odds thing, it really just depends on the characters and the writer.

    As for the spring thing, my very favorite thing about spring is opening up the windows again. I am starting to miss the fresh air!

    Thank you for the chance to enter the giveaway and happy spring everyone!

    Shelly H.
    Booski24@hotmail.com


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  7. I love when they are at odds....the anger and angst seems to make the passion more so when they do finally get

    xo_veronica16[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  8. I love when they are at odds at first.
    Thanks for the chance to win!

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  9. Love at first sight, instantly fall in love.

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  10. Love at first sight, instantly fall in love.

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  11. I tend to love when they actually can't stand each other at first, or they have a complete misperception of who the other person is. I love when they're forced to reassess their opinion as they get new info or get to know the other person better :)

    f dot chen at comcast dot net

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    Replies
    1. Oh, and my favorite thing about spring? All the signs of new life and hope! And warmer weather ;)

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  12. I like it when there is love at first sight but for whatever reason they are still at odds :)

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  13. I'm an enemy to lovers fan. When it's done well and believable.

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  14. I like the stories where they don't really like each other but then discover they are very compatible.

    I love Spring for the flowers.

    Thanks for being in blog hop.

    roya-clan@sbcglobal.net

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  15. Instant attraction but tension, of course :) Tried and true formula!

    dreammie_angel at yahoo dot com

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  16. I like when they start off at odds!

    susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com

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  17. I don't like when they start out HATING each other and reluctantly fall in love. Too forced. An attraction while being friends or acquaintances is good. Over time, it grows or they are able to explore it. That's more believable.

    cc_clubbs[at] yahoo [dot] com

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  18. I like when there's some conflict or tension at the start--two people thrown together who don't want to be together, for example...who grow to like each other.
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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