Feb 20, 2011

Sunday Smooch

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from Moon Thrall by Mel Teshco, but first...

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -- Erin K!


Congratulations, Erin K! Can you please contact Natalie Anderson at

natalie (at) natalie-anderson (dot) com

and she'll send you a copy of Rebel With A Cause.

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Ellora's Cave e-book Moon Thrall by Mel Teshco...


Elyse Wellston e
scapes from her brutal, violent ex-fiancé to a remote cabin in Australia. Fearing for her life, it makes no sense for her to react the way she does on meeting the enigmatic Dane Maddox.

Only when she d
iscovers he is a werewolf and she is his weren—his mate and a werewolf herself—does she begin to understand the hot, sexual yearning within. No longer does she need to act out a desire she doesn’t feel, Dane is everything she wants.

But will her ex end her happiness, her sexual fulfillment, almost before it begins?



Dane lay watching her with drowsy contemplation. “Hi, sleepy head,” he murmured.

“Hi,” she managed, suddenly shy.

He cupped a hand behind her head and tugged her in close for a kiss. “Thank you.” At her obviously bemused look, he added, “For trusting me.”

“You’re welcome.” She snuggled further into his arms, content to stay put. At least for now. “I only wish I could stay like this forever,” she conceded.

He stroked her head. “And why can’t you?”

She twisted in his embrace and looked into his face, feeling all too serious. “That little secret I said I had—”

“Ah.” His jaw hardened fractionally. “Go on.”

“—it was my fiancée. Was. He’s my ex-fiancée now.” She lifted a hand, letting it drop back to her side as she added, “Only, try telling him that. He’s...he’s a very possessive man.”

Dane’s face remained impassive. He reached for her hand, interlacing her fingers with his and examining her bare ring finger.

“I left my engagement ring behind on my pillow.” She chewed her lower lip. “It belongs in my past, not my future.”

The ring had represented a future bound by sacred vows to love, cherish and uphold. Everything her relationship with Caleb wasn’t. The only vow she felt certain Caleb would have kept was the death do us part.

Looking back, it was so hard to believe that Caleb had been such a rock for her after the death of her parents in a car accident. She’d just turned twenty, and though on the outside she’d put on a brave face, inside her world had spun off its axis.

She’d been an only child, with no one to share her grief. Add the mountain of debt that had been left behind, and she’d been only too grateful to allow Caleb—a man her parents had known for years, but seemed somehow to disapprove of—to take the reins. Trouble was, he’d never handed those reins back to her.

It hadn’t taken her long to see his true colors, hadn’t taken long to understand why her parents had felt

such mistrust toward him. She’d lived in terror of him, too scared to leave him, too scared not to. But after the first time he’d hit her, she’d known there was no future with him, known she’d never marry him.

More than once her refusal to wed had sent Caleb right over the edge.

Dane drifted his thumb over her bare finger, “You had no choice but to leave,” he murmured. “You were compelled to find me.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” she said softly.

“You don’t have to understand.” He turned to her fully, pressing soft kisses onto her brow, the tip of her nose, before finally claiming her mouth until she all but melted into his heat. He drew back to add huskily, “Just follow your instincts, trust in them.”

He moved his body full-length over hers, his weight centered on his forearms and his outspread hands either side of her head. “Now shut up and kiss me,” he said huskily.

She smiled as intoxicated delight sizzled through her womb and spread outwards, her mouth capturing the soft heat of his lips this time until she became lost in everything but the moment.



Moon Thrall will be released in North America on March 2nd. To be in the draw to win a copy, answer the following question! (Please note, Moon Thrall is an e-book.)

What is your favourite movie or book where the heroine is escaping an abusive relationship, and into the arms of the loving hero?


Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee will be posted!

27 comments:

  1. Hmm... good question--I have to admit that I don't always gravitate towards this theme because it's sometimes such a painful one. A couple of recent ones, Julia Rachel Barrett's Anytime, Darlin' and Jewel Adams' Hell to Heaven.

    f dot chen at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  2. Scorching scene, Mel!

    Nora Roberts had one called Dance Upon The Air which was fabulous. The hero was a sheriff on an island where the heroine is building a new life under a different name. She also finds out she's a witch. :) It was the first in the Three Sister's Island trilogy - my favourite books by NR.

    ReplyDelete
  3. hi flchen,
    and you're right, it can be very painful - but deliciously emotional and powerful.
    And thanks for bringing my attention to some books I'll have to look up =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Rach!

    The kiss scene I wanted to put in was a little more scorching, but this one will just have to do (g)
    I havne't read a Nora book for so long! She'd write more than I'm reading lately! LOL
    And now I'm sooo intrigued, might have to order this one!

    ReplyDelete
  5. the movie that comes to mind for me is the Julia Roberts' movie SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY. The lengths she went too to escape that abusive realation was so well portrayed. And she almost pulled it off. She found love with an amazing man. Funny though - I can never remember how it ends.

    ReplyDelete
  6. LOL Trace,
    that is the movie that my heroine is very loosely based on. I always remember the scene where she (Julia) topples out of the boat (after swimming lessons) and her husband thinks she's drowned. Much watch that film again =))

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Mel,

    I remember seeing only one movie in that category, which was : ENOUGH starring J Lo. But sadly it had her turn into a kickass heroine instead of having a hero ;)

    So reading about where the heroine has a delicious hero is an added bonus ;)

    There were a couple of books though and I remember one. Survival instinct, not sure about author's name.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ju - hi! Can you send me an email at rachel (at) rachelbailey (dot) com? There was a conversation we were having ages ago that I lost when my computer crashed (the second time I've had a computer crash and lost emails from readers, many of them before I'd replied - ugh).

    ReplyDelete
  9. hi Ju!
    I haven't seen that movie, and ooh, I quite like a kickass heroine, though I have trouble seeing J Lo in that role!
    And Survival Instinct, is this one by Rachel McCalla?
    - Rach, sorry to hear about your computer crashing =((

    ReplyDelete
  10. It was months ago, Mel, and every so often something will remind me of a conversation or email I lost, like seeing Ju's name there.

    But the good news is I'm loving my new computer and widescreen monitor. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Woman in Chains by Bridget Midway is my favorite story where a submissive woman is rescued from an abusive master/slave relationship by a former dom who now runs a slave rescue team in the dom/sub community. He falls in love with her as he tries to teach her how a real dom/sub relationship should work. It's not for everyone but is very good.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi She!
    I haven't read that one, but another author who writes amazing BDSM is Joey W Hill =)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great kiss, Mel!

    I really love Jenny Crusie's books, and she's done some with abusive exes. There's one called Crazy For You, where the ex refuses to believe the relationship is over and becomes increasingly unhinged. Crusie handles it brilliantly -- it's comic and disturbing at the same time. And another one (is it Getting Rid of Bradley?) where the ex keeps trying to dispose of the heroine's dogs. Actually, that's a theme for Crusie -- the ex in Crazy For You tries to get rid of the dog too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Emily,
    I haven't read anywhere near enough of Crusie's books, but the ones I have are brilliant! Just a few more to add...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Rach, Sorry to hear about the computer woes ! But yay for new ones :) I'll fire away an email right away :)

    Mel, yes..that's the one I read! I didn't want to misspell her name ;) and it was a love inspired suspense! I read it for the reason to find out how can stories be written without a good love scene or two ;) and really enjoyed the book. I am always awed by the variety (from no sex to steamy type) and genres of writing out there ;)

    I love creating worlds.. making rules ;) but as a reader, I feel like a kid in a candy shop - I love everything ;)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, and J Lo did manage to pull it off ;) After all, she had a kid to save! But then you know :-) movies are movies..so the transition (of her from meek to learning martial arts in a few weeks) is something we have to accept, cringe a bit, and move on ;)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mel

    I love the sound of this book loved the excerpt. Sleeping With The Enemy comes to mind for me about running from an abusive relationship.

    Have Fun
    Helen

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Mel --
    Love the smooch - Dane sounds like my kind of werewolf!

    Like Rach, I loved Nora Roberts' Dance Upon the Air. She also had a category book The Heart of Devin MacKade which dealt with this theme really well.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ju, it is most definately all in the writing isn't it? I think a story can sizzle just with a touch, a look, if it is written well =))

    And I might get that movie out just to see how she did. I have actually enjoyed her in a few movies.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Helen!
    Sleeping with the Enemy definately sticks in the mind doesn't it? Hard to believe now this movie is 20 years old!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Anna,
    and thanks, sure Dane thanks you too (g)
    WHen I read a few more books on my towering TBR pile, I'm going to buy a few of the Nora Roberts books mentioned, the def the Cruisie books too!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Loved the scene, Mel!! I'm feeling a little werey today after watching the latest bigscreen werewolf movie last night. Very Goth. Loved it!!!

    Has anyone said Sleeping with the Enemy? Also J.Lo's Enough. Go the girls!!! The classic twist in Rebecca is a goodie, where the heroine thinks she might be in an abusive relationship. Loved that book...

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Robbie!
    Werewolf movie?? What am I missing!!??
    And Sleeping with the Enemy has been mentioned, and a few other goodies I need to check out!
    Thanks everyone for the recommendations :))

    ReplyDelete
  24. Mel, my first thought was SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, too. Great movie... mmm, it's been ages since I watched it... so maybe this weekend.

    And Anna's mentioned Nora Roberts, THE HEART OF DEVIN MACKADE which I think is a really fab example. Actually, all the MACKADE books are great!

    Terrific smooch!
    :)
    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Sharon!
    I think this weekend might be the time for me to watch that movie too!
    And looking foward to reading some Nora!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hello Mel

    OH WOW OH WOW this scene was brilliant!!! This book really does sound unbelievable a true masterpiece I must read it !!!

    Where did you find the inspiration for this book your mind must be one heck of a place to me could I borrow your mind for just a little while so I can be in the stunning place where you created this wonderfull sounding book !!

    Great post and great contest

    Best
    Desere

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thank you Desere, very sweet of you to say so!!
    Lots of inspiration from personal experiences, a good imagination and lots of books and movies =))

    ReplyDelete