SUNRISE is Award Winning Novella

This past week Romance Writers of America held their National conference in Washington DC. Industry professionals and published and aspiring authors meet, give and attend workshops, eat and drink and network. Also at this conference many chapters hold their own get togethers and some announced the winners of their annual contests. I wish I could have been there this year, but it wasn't meant to be.

The finalists for the Passionate Plume, a contest for published works of erotic romance, put on by the Passionate Ink chapter of RWA, were announced several months ago. I was entirely thrilled that my story, Sunrise, which is included in the Ellora's Cave anthology, Jewels of the Nile II, was a finalist in the novella category. I was surprised and honored to find out on Thursday night that it won!

Sunrise was one of those special stories that seemed to write itself, from the first line to the last. Maybe it was because it was written in first person, present tense, something I rarely do. But I felt as if I was channeling Caroline. As if she was telling me her story and I was simply getting it down on paper. Man, I really wish that happened more often :)

Blurb:

Caroline has been meeting Alan at sunset for months. The hot sex they’ve been enjoying started out mindless and anonymous, just the way she wanted it. Little by little, they’ve gotten to know and care for each other. Caroline fears the changes in their relationship she can’t seem to prevent.

Alan wants Caroline in his life. He sets out to seduce her with his voice, his hands, his body. He’s no longer satisfied with sex in the shadows and wants more. Can he make Caroline feel the same?

Excerpt:

He sits on the bench and pulls me between his legs. The light is at my back. I can see him, but I know I’m in the shadows. The way I like it. It seems much longer than six weeks that he’s been away.

“You cut your hair.” I comb my fingers through his short, dark strands.

He shrugs and pulls the clip from my hair. The heavy weight settles over my shoulders and down my back. The breeze picks up the golden strands and blows them across my face. He gathers my hair in his hands and pulls my head to him. His kiss is hard, bruising, punishing even. I know why and wish I could give him what he wants.

At first his lips are dry, but as we kiss they quickly moisten and we slip and slide against each other. Our whole mouths are soon involved. Tongues. Teeth. Taste. No one else kisses me the way he does. As if he would devour me if he could. As if my taste is the only thing that can sustain him through the days to come.

Or is that the way I kiss him?


In celebration of winning the Passionate Plume, I'm holding my own little contest today. One commenter today will win an autographed copy of Jewels of the Nile II. So my question today is...I've heard so many readers who have strong opinions about reading books written in the first person. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other if a story is 1st or 3rd person. How about you?

Be sure to check back tonight when I'll announce the winner...I love contests, don't you???

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com