Saavy Romance Writers are using the new Romantic Observer – Excerpts web site to posts excerpts and get free incoming links to their ebook purchase pages as well as their romantic fiction web sites and romance reader blog.
Check out this romance excerpt from L Picaro’ Knotty Secret:
“Hi, Sweetheart.” Fenton’s cheerful voice leapt from the telephone earpiece “Sorry to interrupt your writing time but I need you to check something on my computer.”
“Oh, Honey.” I only half faked a whine.
Fenton is quite anal about his computer. He uses it to access the computer network of the hospital where he works. Most of the time he invokes the fear of God in me when I look at the thing. However, when he needs me to do something for him it’s, “Awww Honey, just do exactly what I say and there won’t be any problem.”
I am much more computer proficient since starting my romance writing career ten years ago. Ten published books later, I have picked up some computer savvy by making all the mistakes at least once, and sometimes twice.
“There’s a document named ‘Network Universe Review’, or something like that in the directory on my desktop named ‘Firewalls’. I need to know the name of the products the reviewer looked at.”
As I searched the cluttered computer screen for the directory named ‘Firewalls’, I noticed one named ‘Personal Stuff’.
After telling him what he needed to know and pressing the ‘Call End’ button on the cordless phone, a tiny voice inside me pushed me to open the ‘Personal Stuff’ folder and peek.
I walked away from Fenton’s desk and walked back three times before double clicking the folder and seeing the icons inside.
Fenton and I have been married for twenty-one years. We’ve worked hard at having a marriage built on trust. It’s not that we share everything with each other. We both have our private spaces and thoughts where the other does not invade. But for most things, it’s open and honest. It works well for us.
We don’t lie to each other but sometimes, well, we don’t tell the whole truth. We’ve turned it into a kind of a game. For example, Fenton will ask, “How much did those shoes cost, Sweetheart?”
I’ll say, “Guess.”
“One hundred twenty dollars.”
“Yep,” I’ll say and leave it at that. Of course, they cost one hundred twenty dollars apiece, but I didn’t lie.
We’ve had our ups and downs but it’s mostly been, and currently is, an ‘up’. Fenton has his successful career at the hospital and I decided to chuck the corporate grind and write full-time seven years ago or so.
Our sons, Frank and Joe are both off at the University of Michigan. They excel in the engineering school there; Frank in chemical engineering, Joe in aeronautical engineering.
Fenton and I felt a kind of loss of direction when we found ourselves alone. It was rough for a while; anger flared and tears flowed. It took some time and some patience but we met this challenge too, working it out together. We have grown closer than we ever have been. Fenton is my friend and I love him very much.
However, love and friendship aren’t strong enough to dam the river of my curiosity when it starts raging. Someday I may be the perfect wife, but until then I’m snooping.
The folder ‘Personal Stuff’ had several folders beneath it: ‘Resume’, ‘Taxes’, ‘Insurance’. One folder in particular piqued my curiosity. It was named ‘Rope’.
‘Rope’ was an odd name for a folder. We have some rope in the back of the Honda for tying stuff down on the way home from the Home Depot but no other rope that I could think of. Why a folder named ‘Rope’?
There were several files in the folder. Some .zip, some .jpg, and lots of files ending with .wmv. Each file started with a woman’s name followed by a number.
To say I was shocked would be an understatement of great magnitude. I didn’t know what .wmv files were but I recognized women’s names. I double clicked the one named Kally.
Maybe BDSM Romance is not your style. How about this romantic time travel story from Rayne Forrest, Across Time?
Once at their camp, Corri found out she’d already seen what there was to see. The camp was Spartan. Each tent contained two cots and the normal assorted camp items and non-perishable foodstuffs. So where was everyone? She looked around and brought her rusty tracking training to bear.
There was evidence of downtrodden grass, a faint path, leading away from the camp. She checked her hand weapon and holstered it, and then followed the barely noticeable trail. She thought she’d lost it when she entered the shady woods. It took several minutes of casting about before she found it again, going straight ahead, deeper into the forest.
She’d just concluded it was folly to continue on alone when a noise behind her snapped her to attention. She stealthily drew her weapon then whirled around.
“Don’t shoot me, Dunn!” Devin exclaimed, quickly halting and holding his hands out wide at shoulder height. “Put that away.” The Irish brogue was more pronounced than usual.
Corri glared at him. “What the hell is wrong with you, sneaking up on me like that? You know better!”
God he was gorgeous in old-fashioned denim. Those pants hugged his body like a glove. The custom tailored black leather jacket he wore had been a gift. From her.
“I wasn’t sneaking. I was about to call out to you. Where do you think you’re going?”
“Where does this trail go, Tremaine? You might as well tell me. I’m following it until I find out.”
“Oh, no doubt. You’re too stubborn to give it up.” He grinned at her. “Maybe I found my leprechaun and his pot of gold.”
She wished he’d stop smiling at her. She was very aware of their isolation, and the fact that she suddenly wished he’d just shut up and kiss her. It had been five long, lonely years since he’d kissed her.
She couldn’t give in to her emotions. She had a job to do.
“You’re not that Irish, and you’re certainly not that funny.” She turned on her heel and stalked off. Devin quickly caught up to her and fell into step beside her.
“We found a cave. Or, I suppose I should say, a cavern. We’ve not explored it beyond the entrance. We’re not equipped,” he admitted.
“Did you touch anything? Disturb anything?” God help them if he had. Winston’s head would probably explode if Devin’s crew had moved even a grain of sand.
“No and no. There’s evidence that some large carnivore used the area for a den. We didn’t linger for dinner.” He shot her a wry glance.
Corri shot him a disgusted look. He did think he was funny. And charming.
Of course, he really was. Therein lie the problem.
“How big is it?” she asked, instantly regretting her choice of words. His blue eyes gleamed at her with amusement.
“Come on, Dunn. I didn’t whip out my tape measure and check it.”
There are also excerpts of stories by Karen Duvall, Claire Thompson and Isabella Snow.
Blogs are now and all the eye candy video trailers in the world aren’t going to get you listed in the search engines so your readers can find you.
Romance readers, get on over to Romantic Observer and check out the romance reviews, excerpts and promo. Writers, what are you waiting for? The readers are headed over there, you’d better be there when they get there.
