Lynda's Blog
Valentine’s Day: A Little Suspense with A Lot of Romance
Valentine’s Day Blog Hop and Giveaway.
Starts February 11 and runs through the 14th! Visit the Event Page and see the other 256 authors who are participating! YES I SAID 256.
I’ll be giving away an Amazon gift card, and maybe a little something extra too…
You’ve got plenty of time to participate and win. There are 256 differnet opportunities. So stop by and see what amazing gifts they have to give away.
http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/
Valentine’s Day has always intrigued me. We associate the day with attributes of our affection, flowers, candy, cards and even engagement rings. But that’s not how it started.
Valentine’s Day was not linked to romance until the 14th century. Before then, it was a day for celebrating a martyr, Valentine, who was a priest that went against the Roman Emperor.
There are legends out there on what he actually did. One stated that Valentine refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. He secretly performed marriages for them and when found out Claudius had him arrested. Others attest Valentine was killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. Either way he was executed. But the night before he was killed he wrote the first “valentine” card himself, addressed to a young girl whom he befriended and healed.
The note read “From your Valentine.”
Which is what we write on our valentine’s today. With that history lesson behind us, what do you look for in a valentine?
Although those were legends, they still emphasize the appeal, sympathetic, heroic and most important, romantic. Hence, our hero, which is what every good, Romantic Suspense story, is based on. Whether it’s male or female we are drawn to these characters in our lives and in our stories.
Valentine’s Day today is a day of surprises, and fun. The intrigue is there as the day passes, wondering what’s going to happen. The suspense of the wait, will they remember, do they really love me? Then the Romance hid in the special gift, a dozen red roses, chocolate, an emotional card, or the crush velvet box. Just remembering that special someone who sees you as their hero in life makes the wait worthwhile.
Rescued from the Dark is a story of a heroic man who battles all odds to save the woman he loves.
Blurb:
Undercover FBI agent Jason Michaels infiltrates the terrorist cell and risks everything, even his life, to save the FBI intern who stole his heart then walked away. Once Mercy wakes from her coma she has no memory of what happened and Jason realizes the terrorists vow to get her back for their secrets locked in her memory, no matter what the cost. In a race against time, Jason and Mercy struggle to fight their attraction and put their differences aside as they launch a manhunt to save their country and each other.
Excerpt:
Mercy opened her eyes and was met by his hypnotic stare. She had to look away to break his hold. She could not afford to have any distractions, not now.
“Jason, I can do this. I’ve been on the top floors before and no one has suspected anything. I have a method to being in an elevator and you have to let me do it my way. I panicked earlier because I was caught off guard, go ahead and take the boxes up. I’m going to need a few minutes. I’m better at this alone.” Mercy knew she was rambling to hide her fears. The memories of that night returned every time the door closed. Damn him, damn them. She had to get control of these panic attacks before it was too late.
“Mercy, this is ridiculous, I’m not going to leave you here. We’ll stop at every floor if we need to. Now get in before we both miss our meetings,” said Jason.
His tone had a hint of compassion but filled with sarcasm which pissed her off. She took a few deep breaths. Focus, you can do this. She inched her way through the door and slid across the wall. Her eyes scanned the cage around her and the open area above her then blew out the breath she was holding as the tension slowly released from her shoulders.
“Wow, why can’t all the elevators be like this one?” She leaned against the cold cage trying to calm her racing heart.
“We use it to move our gear, crates, and some of Conner’s toys. They can get pretty big.” Jason’s laughter lightened the tension between them and she started to relax.
As he got the elevator set Mercy fiddled with her purse as a distraction. The silence grew heavy between them, but she couldn’t make small talk, distance is what she needed.
“Hey, are you still with me? Your eyes were glazing over and I don’t want to lose you before we get started,” said Jason.
“I’m fine, go ahead and close the door.”
Her tone was harsh but she didn’t care. As the door closed, Mercy kept her eyes focused on the open area above them. She felt calmer now, the open area helped to keep the demons at bay. Flashbacks of that dark room and the pain from clawing at the door kept resurfacing when the walls closed in on her.
So Mercy, are you and Mitch going to work things out? Not that I ever liked the guy,” said Jason.
Subtle Jason, Mercy chuckled to herself. She knew he didn’t mean for her to hear the last part but she liked the distraction. He hated Mitch, and so did the other guys. They saw what a snake he was before she did. Mercy just wanted to make her parents happy and Mitch seemed to do that.
“No, he’s still showing up trying to guilt me back into the wedding. I hate lying to my parents and now that my application to the Academy is in I’m going to have to tell them this weekend.” Mercy gripped the edge of the metal sides and tapped her foot rapidly as the sound of the elevator echoed in her ears.
“They think Mitch and I are separated, but working through our problems. I can’t hide the fact I broke up with him any longer. I hope the anger they have for Mitch is greater than the pain they feel from my deception.”
She heard her voice crack and felt the first tear spill down her cheek. It was cool across her hot skin. She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the cold steel as her day went from bad to worse. Her brown curls hair tangled to the mesh wire so she pulled her head back up and opened her eyes to find Jason inches from her face.
His gaze pulled her closer and set off an inferno inside of her. His hand lightly cupped her cheek and the heat sent her head spinning. To close, her heart warned, much to close. Mercy took a jagged breath in, as he expelled a deep sigh. She couldn’t look away as he hesitated, his breath warming her lips. She knew better but couldn’t stop herself as she leaned in, closing the gap between them, touching his lips with hers. The kiss exploded into a heated embrace and she gasped when he pulled away. They both stood there, trying to catch their breath when she noticed they weren’t moving.
“The elevator stopped Mercy. We’re here.”
His voice was breathless and his warm tone flamed the fire inside her. She needed to say something, anything, but her voice escaped her. This was wrong, the kiss was wrong. She wanted to be an agent and there were rules. She opened her mouth to find her voice, when he placed his fingers against her lips.
“I know Mercy, I know the rules. I understand what you want. I always have, but I also know what I want. I’m sorry about the timing, not about the kiss.”
He spoke just above a whisper and her heart melted. This can’t happen, not now. Her lips turned cold the minute he pulled his hand away. She watched him turn around and draw in his shoulders as he took a deep breath. He stood there clenching his fists and she waited, wanting him to turn around, to come back, but he moved towards the door. He had his back to her when he spoke in a whisper, so soft she had to strain to hear the words, but she did.
“Rules can be bent, but I understand. You don’t want to be part of my future, not since you know about my past.”
Her heart squeezed in anguish as she realized his true meaning. She wanted to tell him she heard, it didn’t matter, just not now. But her voice wrapped around the lump that formed in her throat.
He stood motionless and Mercy waited for him to turn back, but he opened the door and grabbed the boxes off the floor. Mercy struggled to find something to say, but nothing right came to mind.
“Jason, I…I know about…” She held her breath as the pain radiated through her chest. She had to do it. So she squared her shoulders and cleared her throat.
“I want to be an agent. We both know the rules and I’ll lose everything. I’m sorry.” Mercy felt her heart breaking in two as the anguish engulfed her. She had to stay strong.
She watched as Jason broad shoulders tightened under the weight of the boxes. He slowly turned and when their eyes met, his expressive face become almost somber.
“Mercy, no explanation needed, we’re headed in different directions anyway, so no worries. I’ll take these boxes to the conference room.”
She felt the ice run through her veins from his cold, emotionless tone. What did he mean by different directions? She watched him scuff his feet along the elevator floor as he walked towards her. Her heart refused to believe what her mind was telling her. She stared into his ocean blue eyes as he bent over and kissed her cheek. She gripped the edge of her jacket to keep from reaching for him as her knees grew weak.
“My distraction has to be better than your clenched fists and focus techniques. Don’t you agree?”
She heard a faint chuckle from him as he moved back.
“I’ll see you later. Call me if you need help getting back down.”
Mercy froze against the elevator wall. Her mind was still whirling from his kiss, while the irritation burned inside of her from his calloused tone. She was glued to his movements as he turned on his heels and strode out the door. What in the hell just happened? Damn him! She stomped her foot so hard it sent a pain shooting up her leg, causing her to drop her purse. She threw her purse back up on her shoulder as she stood up straight. Call him, hell no!
The vibration from Mercy’s phone snapped her back to reality. She jammed her hand into her pocket and pulled it out so fast it slipped out and crashed on to the elevator floor. She bent over, grabbed the phone glared at it, shit, her father. The disappointment that engulfed her was short lived when she read the message.
Meet me in Ron’s office, ASAP.’ The hair stood up on the back of her neck as the eerie feeling crept through her veins. Something was wrong.
For the other 256 participating authors and prizes, visit the main event page below.
This book sounds good. Happy Valentine's Day!
happy valentines day, thanks for the hop.
jbarrett5 at cox dot net
Happy Valentines day, I knew part of the story about Saint Valentine 🙂 Just the letter not the other stuff about him going against Roman Emperor. Thanks for the chance to win!
[email protected]
Hope you have a naughty Valentine's Day.
Have a wonderful Valentines Day!!!
[email protected]
Hello Lynda! I love romantic suspense. I like a little danger with my romance. It usually makes for a protective hero, which I love. Thanks so much for the giveaway and the cool VDay facts!
geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com
Loved your blurb and post. Happy Valentine's Day!
Thanks for the giveaway.
Sue B
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com
Have a great Valentine's Day!!
books4me67 at ymail dot com
Great excerpt. Good luck with the story.
elliewrites2 (at) gmail DOT com
Great excerpt! Happy V Day.
mcv111 at hotmail(dot)com
An interesting post and lovely excerpt 😉
Happy Valentine's Day
Marin Garde
[gardemarin(at)gmx DOT de]
Nice blurb!
Thank you for being part of the Hop
Happy Valentine's Day!
monica
moniqee @hotmail.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
I'm glad you liked the book. :}
thanks for stopping by and good luck with the contest.
Lynda
Thanks for stopping by!
Lynda
I love a good history lesson. Good luck with the contest.
Lynda
I hope so to. I'll have to make sure my husband knows what I want :}
Lynda
You too and good luck with the contest.
Lynda
I love a strong hero. Thanks for visiting and good luck.
Lynda
Glad you liked my post and good luck with the contest.
Lynda
I hope you hae a great Valentine's day too.
Good luck.
Lynda
thanks, it's my first story and I hope to find a home for it soon.
Good Luck
Lynda
Glad you liked it.
Good luck.
Lynda
Thanks Marin, Good Luck.
Lynda
Thanks Monica and good luck.
Lynda
That is so interesting to know about Saint Valentine. It seems incongruous that the day ended up being about romance when he was a martyr himself! Happy Valentine's Day anyway!
Thanks for the giveaway!
lexie.bookbug at gmail dot com
Interesting post, and I enjoyed your excerpt. Happy Valentine's Day!
1jenniferlabelle(at)gmail(dot)com
I enjoyed your post- thanks for the giveaway!
catherine0807 at hotmail dot com
Happy Valentine's Day. Thanks for the giveaway.
kareninnc at gmail dot com
Happy Valentine's Day. Please enter me into your contest
yinyang1062(at) yahoo(dot)com
thanks
Happy Valentines Day & Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
stardf (AT) gmail.com
I'm looking forward to the surprise presents and flowers 🙂
Happy Valentine’s Day
Thank you for the giveaway!
Lyra L
lyra DOT lucky7 ATgmailDotcom
Thanks and happy v-day 🙂
celjla212 at aol dot com
Thanks you a lot for this giveaway ( international i hope)
it always strange how history can be interpreted
I hope that my valentine ( when i will find him) will be honest and loyal
all the best
isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com
I'm looking forward to the steak dinner and the movie afterwards. Thanks for the giveaway. Happy Valentine's Day.
[email protected]
Thanks for the contest, and have a Happy Valentine's Day!
ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com
I'm looking forward to the flowers 😉
Thank you for your giveaway and for participating in the hop ^-^y
Happy Valentine’s Day
Emiliana25
Emiliana25(at) web [dot] de
Thanks for the interesting facts. And I loved the excerpt.
Happy Valentine's Day!
cayce006 at yahoo dot com
Happy Valentines Day! Thank you for the blog hop giveaway! [email protected]
I love the history! One of my favorite parts about holidays is finding out their true meaning! thanks for that!:-)
mmbrack AT earthlink dot net
Thanks for the fun. I love meeting new authors. Happy Valentine's Day.
zenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom
Awesome excerpt!
author_shannon_leigh at hotmail.com
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I love these hops. What a great way to discover new authors/blogs and visit with old friends.
Thanks for being part of the hop and for the chance to win such a fantastic prize! <^_^>
reneebennett35(at)yahoo(dot)com
I am also interested in the History of St. Valentine. And the only thing I look for in my Valentine is my husband :0)
junerlisle at gmail dot com
Hoppy V'day. Good post.
Thanks for doing this history post! Hope I win!
[email protected]
I think it is kind-of odd how V'day has became about lovers considering the way it began. Thanks so much for the post.
Happy V'day.
June
manning_J2004 at yahoo dot com
Thanks for the great giveaway!! I love romantic suspense 🙂 Thanks for joining the hop!
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Ashley A
[email protected]
GREAT post…thx for the interesting history and giveaway op! Happy Valentines Day <3
barbbattaglia @ yahoo.com
its always fun to learn the history behind different holidays.
great exert!
laurie
[email protected]
I like to show my love to my family and friends by making them homemade baked goods on Valentine's Day.
~Krista
theangrypollo{ AT }yahoo{DOT }com
Thanks for the post, it is always interesting reading about the history of holidays.
Thanks for being part of the hop and the giveaway.
Jean
skpetal at hotmail dot com
I'm looking forward to a bubble bath and a nice quite evening 🙂
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Emma
E_l37(at) gmx {dot} de
very interesting facts. Happy Valentine's Day!
author_shannon_leigh at hotmail . com
I love a long excerpt, it give me so much more of a feel of what a book is really like. The facts were interesting too.
acm05atjuno.com
I thought the history was interesting also. Good luck with the contest.
Lynda
Glad you liked the excerpt and yes the history on Valentine's day is quite interesting.
Lynda
I'm glad you liked the post and good luck. :}
Lynda
Karen and Lily,
Happy Valentine's day to you and good luck with the contest.
Lynda
I'm also looking forward to the surprise. Maybe flowers, maybe candy, won't know until that day. Good luck.
Lynda
Thanks Carrie and Miki,
I think everyone should have a special Valentine. Good luck with the contest.
Lynda
Thanks for the post and the giveaway. A movie night is in my planes for the VDay.
Happy Valentine’s Day ^_~
Anzu
AnzumerlinATmailDOTru
Please enter me in your contest. Thanks.
Donna
[email protected]
http://donnamcintosh.weebly.com/index.html
Thanks for sharing that great excerpt
jslindzy @ hotmail.com
I've always loved V-day and all the romance that comes with it. Of course, I'd rather get all that romance every day. 🙂
Thanks for a great contest!
~Rhonda~
sanddanz at gmail dot com
Great excerpt. Thanks for sharing!!
bacchus76 at myself dot com
Educative post, well I look forward to the surprises and chocolate, I love chocolate!
Ellie
elaynelostATyahooDOTde
Thanks for the excerpt! It got my interest!!! My TBR list is getting longer 🙂
Mel
[email protected]
Happy Valentine's Day!! It's one of my favorite holidays of the year =) Thank you for the excerpt, I love it!
Veronika
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
Happy Valentine blog hop, nice excerpt. DebP
[email protected]
thank you for the opportunity and the giveaway!! Happy Valentines Day. [email protected]
I look for a sincere valentine, even handmade is great. I think that shows a lot more thought than just going and picking one out at the store. I hope you are having a great Valentine's Day.
seriousreader at live dot com
Interesting excerpt!
Happy Valentine's Day!
menina.iscrazy @ yahoo.com
I'm doing last minute hops! Hope I'm not too late. It's not midnight everywhere in the world, right? ^.^
Hope you had a great V-day 🙂
Erica Pike
eripike at gmail dot com
Thank you sharing and for the great giveaway! Happy Valentines! Im reading a book and blog hopping. I switching between the two. 😉
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
thanks so much for the great hop!
aliasgirl at libero dot it