As February is the month of love, I have a host of wonderful romance authors stopping by my blog to share flirty extracts from their novels! Well you know, any excuse 😉
Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow Apricot Plots author Morton S Gray, who is #SharingTheLove with an extract from her novel, The Girl on the Beach … over to you Morton!
The Girl on the Beach
“How did a situation between two people change so quickly? One minute she was standing next to Harry feeling rather disappointed that he preferred male company to female, the next they were slow dancing on the sand and her senses were on fire.
A glance at Tom confirmed he was far too busy talking to Louise to notice what his mother was doing. Mandy, however, was another matter. She’d seen what was going on and, after standing staring at the couple for a moment, she flounced off in the direction of the bar.
Harry’s breath was warm on her neck, his hands held her waist gently but firmly. It felt normal, natural and so lovely that her bare toes curled in bliss. She tightened her arms around his neck and he inched closer. Her legs brushed up against the warmth of his and now their bodies were resting against each other. They seemed to fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw. His hand moved to cup the back of her head, drawing her closer. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been handled so tenderly, had been so close to a man with her animal instincts kicking in.
Would he kiss her? Her lips burned in anticipation and her heart skipped a beat. How had this happened? There had been no words, simply a mutual closing of the gap between them and a united humming of a well-known song. Right now, she wanted the track to go on forever.
She fervently hoped Harry hadn’t danced with her just to quell Mandy’s inevitable rumour-mongering, but surely, the dance only replaced one rumour with another. She nuzzled her chin a little closer into the warmth of his shoulder. Did she imagine his sigh? The heat from his body was chasing away the slight chill that had enveloped her since the sun had gone down.
The only lights were from the disco equipment and the street lamps above the sea wall. The tide was edging in slowly. It would eventually bring a natural end to the party and right now that thought sparked panic as she didn’t want Harry to let go of her. She could hear the swish of the waves on the sand. This clinch had to stop sooner or later, but then what?
Stop it, Ellie. Enjoy the moment.”
Thank you for sharing your wonderful extract Morton, I’ve had the pleasure of reading The Girl on the Beach and fell a little in love with Harry Dixon myself. You can find my review here.
More about The Girl on the Beach:
Who is Harry Dixon?
When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon, she can’t help but feel she recognises him from somewhere. But when she finally realises who he is, she can’t believe it – because the man she met on the beach all those years before wasn’t called Harry Dixon. And, what’s more, that man is dead.
For a woman trying to outrun her troubled past and protect her son, Harry’s presence is deeply unsettling – and even more disconcerting than coming face to face with a dead man, is the fact that Harry seems to have no recollection of ever having met Ellie before. At least that’s what he says …
But perhaps Harry isn’t the person Ellie should be worried about. Because there’s a far more dangerous figure from the past lurking just outside of the new life she has built for herself, biding his time, just waiting to strike.
Published by: Choc Lit
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Buy the book Amazon UK | Amazon.com
About the author:
Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.
Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Starcompetition. The story follows a woman with a troubled past as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding her son’s headteacher, Harry Dixon. This book is available as a paperback and e-book.
Morton’s second book for Choc Lit The Truth Lies Buried is another romantic suspense novel, the book tells the story of Jenny Simpson and Carver Rodgers as they uncover secrets from their past. This book is available as an e-book and will be issued as a paperback in 2019.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is published on 13 November 2018 and is Morton’s first Christmas novella. It is set in her fictional seaside town of Borteen and follows the story of Pippa Freeman who runs the Rose Court Guesthouse with her mother and local policeman Ethan Gibson as they unravel a family secret as Christmas approaches.
Morton previously worked in the electricity industry in committee services, staff development and training. She has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified clinical hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She also has diplomas in Tuina acupressure massage and energy field therapy. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.
You can catch up with Morton on her website, on Twitter, Facebook and on Instagram. Morton is also a member of Apricot Plots.
Don’t miss author Angela Barton #SharingTheLove with an extract from her new novel, Magnolia House, on my blog tomorrow. xx
Carol Thomas writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. Discover more here.
