Sneak Peek Sunday … Always

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday!

It’s great to be back from a busy summer. What did you do to pass the days? Work? Play? Travel? One thing I look forward to each summer is vacationing by the sea, where we can walk on the beach, lounge by the pool, and take a day trip or two. Oh, and eat. A lot. Of seafood. 🙂

It was also the perfect time to indulge in the TBR pile. I’ll post here in coming weeks some SPS titles, but the first mention goes to Sara Walter Ellwood’s GAMBLING ON A SECRET. I absolutely loved this sexy contemporary western romance with an ex-military hero, a spirited heroine with a secret, and enough compelling emotion to keep the pages turning. I can’t wait to start the second book in this series!

A childhood promise bound them together.
A war and a secret tore them apart.

And now for today’s peek. This is the first excerpt from ALWAYS, a book that departs a bit from my usual M.O.  It’s a small town, friends-to-lovers romance set in post Civil War Pennsylvania.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, June 1865
After four war-torn years away, Emily Winters returns to her home town determined to face down old rumors and do whatever it takes to resurrect her late father’s printing business. Unfortunately, what it will take is help from Ross Gallagher, the only man she’s ever loved and the last man she wants to turn to.

Ross has survived the war and returned to rebuild the life he left behind. He’s a successful reporter and set to marry his boss’s daughter. Until Emily steps off the train. Ross made a promise to Emily when they were children. It’s a promise he means to keep, but Emily guards a secret that stands between them.

*

In today’s peek, Emily has just arrived from Baltimore. It’s taken the news of her father’s death to bring her home. As she walks through town, she’s stung when she comes face to face with the cold reality of her loss. Her father’s weekly newspaper and print shop is shuttered. A “For Rent” sign appears in the window.

What Emily doesn’t expect when she stops to peer through the window of the deserted shop is to hear a familiar voice speak up from behind. It’s a voice she never thought she’d hear again…

*

“Em? Emily?”

Her hands fell to her sides, her heart skipped a dreadful beat. She recognized that voice, but of course, it couldn’t be him. Her imagination was playing cruel tricks. She’d been nervous about returning home, and naturally she’d been thinking of him, and—

“Emily Winters! I’ll be damned! It is you, isn’t it?”

Emily didn’t turn around. She couldn’t. Her disbelieving gaze fixed on a blurred image in the window glass, the reflection of a young man standing behind her on the street. It couldn’t be…  She forced herself to turn, slowly, as if in a dream, half expecting him not to be there, half expecting that the hazy, distorted image in the glass was the whole of him, the essence of a ghost long since dead.

But he was there. He had changed over the years. Gone was the boy she had known. His youthful features had been replaced by the rugged, hard-angled face of a man. And those shadows beneath his eyes. Could they be testimony to the suffering and tragedy he had witnessed in war?

“Emily! How long has it been?” He looked at her, too, as if she were some sort of mirage, as if he could scarcely believe his eyes.

*

There’s a very good reason Emily is stunned to find her childhood best friend, Ross Gallagher, standing before her alive and well. Can you guess what it is?

For more sneak peeks, hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!

Sneak Peek Sunday … Will she or won’t she?

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday!

It’s hard to believe it’s been weeks since my last peek, but it’s been a busy summer. Much going on with the day job and family (all good, thank you) and I’m happily at work on edits on the first book in my 1920s romantic mystery series. (There will be more news on that to come.)

What have you been up to during these dog days of summer?

In a race to find Excalibur . . .
Who knew they’d find love?

Today, I’m taking a break from edits to offer one last peek from SEARCH FOR CAMELOT, a romantic comedy about a wisecracking American college student and a cool-mannered British bluestocking who find love when they join together to search for the fabled sword Excalibur.

Philadelphia, London, Glastonbury. June 1892.
On the eve of his college graduation, Arthur Pierce comes into an unusual inheritance, a 16th century parchment that contains a clue to the location of King Arthur’s sword. Is it for real? Or a hoax?

To find out, Arthur joins with his arch nemesis from the classroom, the scholarly Chelsea Delafield. It’s Chelsea who holds the key to deciphering the ancient clue and following its trail, which begins in her home town of London.

In previous peeks, Chelsea and Arthur posed as bickering newlyweds aboard a steamship to London, where they confirmed that, not only is the parchment authentic, but King Arthur too is more than legend. He was a mysterious fifth century military leader who once walked the earth in a place called Glastonbury.

In today’s peek, Arthur is leaving for Glastonbury, but Chelsea’s role is done. London is her home, and now that she’s finished college, her loving but conservative family has perfectly reasonable expectations for her to meet. Those expectations don’t include running off with a handsome, totally unsuitable American on a madcap treasure hunt.

Chelsea can’t risk ruining her reputation and scandalizing her dear parents just for the sake of one last fling at adventure, love and passion… Can she?

*

Arthur didn’t answer her. Instead, he studied her face, and Chelsea suddenly felt as transparent as window glass. “Chelsea,” he began, taking a deep breath.

“You should go. You’ll miss your train.”

After a moment of awkward silence, he nodded, then turned and started to walk away. Chelsea squeezed her hands into fists as he took a few more steps, then slowed, then stopped, then swung back around to face her. “Oh hell, why don’t you come with me?”

“What?”

“Come with me.”

Chelsea’s heart thumped. All it would take was one word from her. Yes. Her feet almost moved. Almost. Her heels rose off the ground for one indecisive second. Yes! a voice urged in her mind. But she couldn’t. “I can’t,” she said numbly.

“Why not?” He dropped his suitcase to the ground and then suddenly had her by the shoulders, his fingers burning through the material of her blouse, his mesmerizing blue eyes threatening to make mincemeat of her newfound resolve. “Why not?”

*

What do you think? Has this crazy magical quest come to an end for Chelsea? Is it time for her to grow up and forget childish dreams of adventure and romance?

SEARCH FOR CAMELOT is available at ITUNES, AMAZON, and SMASH WORDS.

For more fun sneak peeks, hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!

Sneak Peek Sunday … The Race is On

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday!

Today’s peek is from SEARCH FOR CAMELOT, a romantic comedy about a wisecracking American college student and a cool-mannered British bluestocking who find love when they join together to search for the fabled sword Excalibur.

 Philadelphia, London, Glastonbury. June 1892.
On the eve of his college graduation, Arthur Pierce comes into an unusual inheritance, a 16th century parchment that contains a clue to the location of King Arthur’s sword. Is it for real? Or a hoax?

To find out, Arthur joins with his arch nemesis from the classroom, the scholarly Chelsea Delafield. It’s Chelsea who holds the key to deciphering the ancient clue and following its trail, which begins in her home town of London.

In last week’s peek, Chelsea and Arthur confirmed that, not only is the parchment authentic, but King Arthur too is more than the stuff of legend. He was a mysterious fifth century military leader who once walked the earth in a place called Glastonbury.

In today’s peek, as Arthur and Chelsea set their sights on Glastonbury, trouble is brewing elsewhere. They are not alone in their quest.

They have a rival, a resourceful competitor who will stop at nothing to lay his hands on the clue contained in Arthur’s parchment . . .

*

“Mr. Dark to see you, sir.”

Emory Blake looked up from his desk to see that his valet, Thackery, awaited a reply. Nondescript in appearance and disdainful in expression, Thackery’s butlering skills were exemplary. In any other household, he would have advanced to the station of head manservant long ago. In Blake’s household, however, it took a bit more than traditional butlering to rise to the esteemed rank of Man Friday. “Show him in, Thackery.”

“Yes, sir.” Thackery’s immaculate shoes made no sound as he strode across the floral carpet and vanished through the open double doors. Moments later, Geoffrey Dark was sweeping those doors closed to gain privacy.

“You have it?” Blake closed an account book and pushed it aside. He rubbed his hands together, then began cracking his knuckles, an exercise designed to distract him from the burgeoning swell of anticipation that might overwhelm him at any moment. That swell was both exquisite and painful, almost sexual in its intensity, an approaching climax that, in this case, was almost ten years in building. That was how long Blake had been searching for the sword.

“Not precisely, sir.”

Not precisely? Blake stopped cracking his knuckles. Geoffrey remained still as a lizard. One blink. Two. That was all. Geoffrey’s reptilian stare seemed even deader than usual. Blake suspected Geoffrey was experiencing a certain level of job frustration.

 “I’m afraid there is a problem, sir.”

*

And so the race is on. Will Arthur and Chelsea make it to Glastonbury before their fellow sword-hunters?

For more fun sneak peeks, be sure to hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!

Sneak Peek Sunday … where magic and reality meet

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday!

I was recently reminded by one of my fellow Sneak Peek authors, the talented Karen Michelle Nutt, that one of the best parts of participating in Sneak Peek Sunday is getting the opportunity to sample excerpts from authors I might not have found otherwise. Whenever I go hopping among this group, I’m always delighted and entertained.

As a result, I’ve added several titles to my summer TBR list, beginning with Karen’s Magic of the Loch, a fun contemporary paranormal romance spun from the intriguing legend of the Loch Ness monster. Be sure to check out Karen’s peeks HERE

In keeping with a magical theme, today’s peek is from SEARCH FOR CAMELOT, a romantic comedy about a wisecracking American college student and a cool-mannered British bluestocking who find love when they join together to search for the fabled sword Excalibur.

Philadelphia and London. June 1892.
On the eve of his college graduation, Arthur Pierce comes into an unusual inheritance, a 16th century parchment that contains a clue to the location of King Arthur’s sword. Is it for real? Or a hoax?

To find out, Arthur joins with his arch nemesis from the classroom, the scholarly Chelsea Delafield. It’s Chelsea who holds the key to deciphering the ancient clue and following its trail, which begins in her hometown of London.

In today’s peek, Chelsea and Arthur arrive in London to consult with an expert from Oxford. The parchment is indeed authentic, and Arthur is surprised to learn that King Arthur, too, is more than a legend. He was a mysterious fifth century military leader who may have once walked the earth in a place called Glastonbury.

*

“What was Glastonbury Abbey famous for?” Arthur asked.

Professor Doyle smiled. “The tomb of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, of course.”

Arthur was surprised. Before becoming involved with this crazy quest, he had always assumed King Arthur and his Round Table were the stuff of fairy tales. Even now, to think that the man had walked upon the earth was hard to fathom. “I never realized—I mean, did they really find King Arthur’s body?”

“So they claimed. The remains, along with a leaden cross identifying the body, were unearthed in the monks’ graveyard in 1191, however many historians believe the find was staged to enhance the prestige of the abbey.”

Arthur was unwilling now to let this go. “But isn’t there some way to determine if the cross they found is authentic sixth century?”

“The tomb itself disappeared after the Dissolution, and, as for the cross, it mysteriously vanished sometime in the last century. As it stands now, we may speculate all we wish, but, without the remains or the cross, we can never know the truth.”

Maybe not, Arthur thought. But what if the remains were real, and what if the monks found more than just a leaden cross buried with the dead king?

*

After this, Arthur must dash off to Glastonbury if he’s to find more clues that will lead him to Excalibur’s hiding place. Will Chelsea go with him? Stay tuned!

They say Glastonbury is one of those rare places on earth where the spirit meets the physical, magic meets reality. Glastonbury Tor is associated with faerie legends and the Holy Grail. It was reputed in ancient times to be the mystical Isle of Avalon.

So, what do you think? Do magical places really exist? Have you ever visited one?

For more fun sneak peeks, be sure to hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!

Sneak Peek Sunday … A Sure Cure

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday!

This week is another peek from SEARCH FOR CAMELOT, a romantic comedy about a wisecracking American college student and a cool-mannered British bluestocking who find love when they join together to search for the fabled sword Excalibur.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  June 1892.
On the eve of his college graduation, Arthur Pierce comes into an unusual inheritance, a 16th century parchment that contains a clue to the location of King Arthur’s sword. Is it for real? Or a hoax?

To find out, Arthur joins with his arch nemesis from the classroom, the scholarly but secretly adventurous Chelsea Delafield. It’s Chelsea who holds the key to deciphering the ancient clue and following its trail, which begins in her hometown of London. To get there, the two pose as newlyweds on a steamship bound for Southampton.

In today’s peek, Arthur has learned that payback can be cruel. It’s been only two days since he was enjoying a good laugh at Chelsea’s distress when she found him disrobing in their cabin. Since then, not only has Arthur been unable to wipe away the memory of his own accidental glimpse of Chelsea’s fabulous legs, he’s come down with a nasty case of mal de mer that’s flattened him for an entire day. Chelsea has taken pity on him . . .

*

Arthur heard her emerge from the lavatory behind him. She smelled like a heaven-sent combination of flowers and peppermint. A moment later, she perched on the edge of his berth. “Here.”

Arthur turned over to see that she hadn’t done a thing to tie back her hair. It was still parted in the middle, with wispy soft tendrils hanging loose over each shoulder. She offered him a small glass of fizzing clear liquid and a plate of crackers.“Cold champagne and rye crackers,” she said. “I brought them from the dining saloon. Try some.”

He looked into dark-lashed violet eyes only to find himself thinking about her legs again. “I can’t.”

“You must. You haven’t eaten anything since breakfast.”

He meant to look back down at the plate, but, instead, his gaze followed the fluid line of sable tendrils to stop dead on her chest. The breasts she hid there might be small by some men’s preferences, but Arthur was suddenly certain they must be perfect. Delightful and delectable. Just like her legs. Hidden treasures that no one would ever suspect. “No, I shouldn’t,” he said, not altogether sure he spoke only of the crackers and champagne.

“Arthur, just try them. I promise they’ll be better than you think.”

*

So… will Arthur try those crackers or will he be able to let them alone? 😉

For more fun sneak peeks, be sure to hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!