Warwick's Mermaid
by Ellie Gray
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
Having escaped an abusive relationship, Chloe MacGregor is determined to put the past behind her. The little cottage high up on the cliffs overlooking the beautiful North Yorkshire town of Whitby is her safe haven, somewhere she is free to be herself.
When the arrival of her new neighbor and boss, Luke Warwick, threatens her peaceful, sheltered life, Chloe is forced to confront her past and to re-evaluate who she really is. Falling in love with Luke is not part of her plan but, to her surprise, Luke is falling for her too. The only thing preventing their happy ever after is Chloe herself. Will she ever truly learn to leave the past where it belongs?
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EXCERPT ONE:
Luke relaxed back in his chair, his body angled towards Chloe, one arm resting casually on the table, the other along the back of his chair. In stark contrast, she was sitting bolt upright, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, and his gaze narrowed thoughtfully as he watched her battling with some emotion. He had been taken by surprise when he saw her walk into the room with Lucie, recognising her instantly as the girl he had been captivated by on the beach below his cliff-top cottage. He remembered how her auburn curls, tumbling down to the base of her spine, had shone brightly in the sunlight as she collected shells along the shore, oblivious to his gaze. And now here she was again; except tonight she was tense and uneasy, whereas on the beach she had seemed relaxed, carefree, and somehow ethereal.
“Red or white?”
She looked up in surprise and Luke smiled faintly, gesturing to the wine bottles sitting on the table.
“Do you drink red or white?”
“Oh, er…white, please.” She briefly met his gaze before adding, “Can’t stand red.”
As he reached forward to pour her a glass, she snapped around to face him. “This isn’t a blind date, is it?”
He favoured her with a curious glance, taking his time with pouring himself a glass of water before settling back into his seat. “I’ve just moved to the area. A friend suggested the ball and put me in touch with Clive, and I couldn’t think of a good reason why not. He mentioned Lucie would be bringing a friend, but in answer to your question, no, I didn’t understand it to be a blind date.”
Chloe nodded and sipped at her wine, clearly unconvinced.
“I gather Lucie has persuaded you here under false pretences?” Aware that this was somehow a big deal for her, he frowned and leant forward. “Look, forget Lucie’s intentions, blind date or otherwise. Even if I hadn’t been invited as part of the group, you would still be sitting next to a stranger. Why don’t we start again as two people who happen to meet up at a ball, safe in the knowledge that, after this evening, we don’t have to see each other ever again if we don’t want to?”
“Luke Warwick.” He reached out his hand, holding her gaze.
After a brief hesitation, she took it, the tension visibly leaving her body as she smiled at him in relief. “Chloe MacGregor.”
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GUEST POST:
Some of My Favorite Items in My Office:
I’m really fortunate to have a little study
where I can shut myself away and write. We moved into a beautiful 1830s
townhouse last year and I absolutely fell in love with the study, and claimed
it as my own! I’ve filled it with lots of things that provide me with
inspiration, or carry a special memory, as well as the more practical things I
need such as a desk, chair, laptop and printer. The painting above the
fireplace is one my husband painted for me, a fantasy ruin, and it just fits
perfectly with the colour of the room. I love it.
Here are a few of the little things I keep in the study:
Prints of an alternative Victorian fantasy
version of Edinburgh, by the talented Colin Myers. Edinburgh is my favourite
city, and we go there as often as I can – usually at Christmas time when it is
magical, and I love wandering around the Christmas market.
My
boat shelves – crammed full of memories and special things. Photographs and
mementos from my parents, who I miss dearly; of my son’s graduation; and of a
trip to Paris with my oldest friend.
I collect snow globes, so I
have a selection here on my shelves, reminding me of wonderful holidays and
places I’ve visited.
A little bit of broken pottery with Whitby
printed on it. One of my writer friends found this (I’m not sure if it was on
Whitby beach, but it was on a beach in Yorkshire) and she gave it to me because
she had read my book, Warwick’s Mermaid, which of course is set in Whitby. It
was so thoughtful of her, and it now takes pride of place on my shelf.
The
bottom shelf and the drawers are crammed full of scented candles, oils for oil
burners, and incense sticks. I always have a scented candle or oil burner going
when I’m writing – I love fragrance and my house always has different scents
wafting through it.
Lastly
on my shelves is my Smart speaker – I listen to music or the radio constantly –
spiritual/spa or classical music when I’m writing – it can’t be songs because I
end up singing along with it and it breaks my concentration.
Here’s my post-it planner board
which I tend to use once I’ve completed the first draft to see where the peaks
and troughs are in my story, and I can see the areas that need a little work.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour of my
study. You’ll see I have purposefully not included a close-up of my desk – it’s
a little bit messy……
Ellie x
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AUTHOR BIO:
I love to write heartwarming, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense novels, with characters I really want my readers to engage with. I live in the beautiful East Riding of Yorkshire in the UK and, although I work full-time in the public sector, my favourite pastime, when not writing, is wandering around old stately homes and castles, or sitting at a pavement café in the sun and watching the world go by – always on the lookout for something that might spark the idea for my next novel.
I enjoy engaging with both readers and other authors, and am a proud member of the Romantic Novelist Association. Feel free to contact me and chat about all things romance through my social media pages, which you can find at the bottom of this page.
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CONNECT WITH ELLIE:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Ellie will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a
randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you so much for hosting Warwick’s Mermaid. I enjoyed sharing a little part of my writing space! Ellie
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt. Sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much, Rita. Ellie x
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