Dream of Paris - Released Today!

This week's ‘prompt’ for the GBE2: Blog On group is ‘Dream’ – which is a very easy one for me, since my new novel ‘Dream of Paris’ is released this week. It’s now on Amazon and also on Smashwords

 

It is a contemporary romance, set partly in an (imaginary) small seaside resort in South East England, and partly, as the name suggests, in the beautiful city of Paris.

 

Anna Richards has a dream of going to live and study in Paris, but when Matthew Carlton comes into her life, her dream changes direction. Attraction sparks between them, but Matt’s behaviour is strangely inconsistent. Anna is shocked when she discovers the reason and is sure there is no future for them. Can Paris work its magic and make her dream come true?

 

Here’s an excerpt – Anna and Matt's first kiss as they stand on the path by the Seine, in the shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral.

 

They slowed to a standstill as they drew level with the south transept of the cathedral, with its huge rose window. The streetlights reflected like silver pools in the river and, under the floodlights, the towers, spires, and flying buttresses of the cathedral stood in sharp relief to the dark sky.

 

Anna gazed across the river. “It simply defies description, doesn’t it? All that stonework and carving, all done by hand.”

 

Matt’s hand tightened around hers, but when he didn’t reply, she turned to him. The soft heat which simmered in his eyes made the hairs on her skin stand on end. Everything inside her did a double somersault, but she stayed motionless, mesmerised as he leant towards her.

 

Slowly, almost hesitantly, his lips brushed hers, in a brief and tender connection. Warm pulses of pleasure danced through her. When he moved fractionally away, she brought her hand up to grasp his arm. He let out a quiet groan and his mouth returned to hers, now intense and hungry.

 

Stunned for a split second, she clutched his shoulders as her whole body weakened. He wrapped one arm around her while the other slid into the hair at the back of her head, pulling her closer to him. The tip of his tongue explored her lips and ignited every nerve in her body. Closing her eyes, she returned his kiss, relaxing her mouth and letting her tongue meet his in a sensual union.

 

A raucous car horn sounded from the street above them and he broke away.

 

“Oh God,” he muttered.

 

Her heart beat like a tom-tom as he stared at her with what seemed to be a mixture of desire and contrition. After a few seconds, he shook his head. “You shouldn’t have let me do that.”

 

“Matt—” But no more words would come.

 

He let out a deep breath. “Let’s go for a drink.”

 

They didn’t talk as they climbed the stone steps back to the road, but his hand gripped hers tightly. Her mind reeled and she was unable to latch onto any coherent strand of thought. Everything seemed completely surreal.

 

When they reached the Café de l’Espérance, Arnaud brought them a bottle of wine without Matt having to order it.

 

She looked across the table at him, afraid he would tell her the kiss meant nothing.

 

“Paris has gone to our heads, hasn’t it?” he said with a small smile.

 

She lowered her eyes and stroked her fingers up and down the stem of her glass. “Is that all it was?” Slowly she returned to reality, even though she tried to cling to the dream.

 

Her heart jerked when he put his hand very gently around hers. “Do you want it to be any more?”

 

She raised her head again until her eyes met his. “Do you?”

Dream of Paris can be downloaded for Kindle at

Amazon USA, Amazon Canada and Amazon UK
Print version will also be available very soon!