Perhaps some of you have heard (since I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops) but I recently won an award. Well, not so much me, but my book, Seduce Me. It took the honors of the RomCon Readers Crown for Best Short Historical and I couldn’t be more proud. Or excited! This is the second award for Seduce Me, and it’s so validating because my Legend Hunters series is very near and dear to my heart. I love this series and it’s nice to know that readers love it too.

And the Readers Crown came with some great prizes. One of which will have a special display in every Borders bookstore, so be sure to look for Seduce Me and the other winners in mid-August. And I’ll be a featured author at the RomCon conference in Denver next year. I can’t wait!

So to celebrate, I’m sharing an excerpt from the book.

The stiff chair was exceedingly uncomfortable and so large, her feet dangled several inches above the floor. She ignored the fact that she felt more like a girl than a woman. Gently, she retrieved the box and set it on her lap.
Pandora’s box!
Esme stifled a giggle, again feeling very much the young girl with a new toy. Every time she looked upon it, the carvings became more and more beautiful. She ran her fingers across the gold reveling in the feel of it. Then she heard it – a whispering. Just the faintest of sounds. Like a voice being carried on a wind. She whipped around behind her, but found no one there. Straining to listen to the voice, she was unable to decipher any of the words.
“Hello? Anyone there?” she asked. Yet there was nowhere in the room for someone to hide, and there was only the door in which she’d entered.
She shook her head and looked at the box. Again she heard an unmistakable whisper. It was a sound filled with yearning, with the promise of unfulfilled longing. Suddenly she was overtaken with the sweetest yearning. With a sense of hope and the possibility of joy. Although the words were still undecipherable, she could have sworn she’d heard her name. But that was impossible.
She continued stroking the box, tracing each engraving, noting each detail. Something pricked her finger and she drew it back; a tiny cut bubbled with a fleck of blood. Strange considering the gold was perfectly smooth. She lifted the box for a closer inspection and noticed a slight abrasion in the metal near the etching that matched her pendant.
Her heart quickened. It was as if the box was asking her to open it, no begging. One little peek wouldn’t hurt. For so many years she’d longed for it, how could she now deny herself this moment?
She had the opportunity, she had the key.
She scanned the room once more before removing her necklace. Carefully she lined her pendant piece up with the carving, then took a deep breath before pushing it into place. She heard something give way within. Slowly she exhaled.
In one swift movement she opened the lid and squeezed her eyes shut. She waited for a swarm of locusts or screaming, something. Nothing happened.
One eye popped open to inspect inside the box, then she opened the other.
Empty.
There was nothing inside the box. She waited a moment to see if she felt different, to see if some invisible power had settled over her. But she felt nothing.
Disappointment poured through her and she was about to close the lid when she noticed something at the bottom of the box. It looked as if it, too, might open, so she slipped her hand inside. Something touched her. She pulled back. A shimmering gold bangle bracelet dangled from her wrist. It was beautiful. Thin and unadorned, the band was simple and elegant.
Excitement fluttered in her belly. Perhaps this was it – Pandora’s charm. Was it possible that by her simply wearing the band that men would want her? That she could finally know what it was like to walk into a room and have all men’s eyes turn to her?
A giggle erupted within her. It was a mythical box, not a miracle box. She ought not get too encouraged. Perhaps it would assist her in the ways of womanly charms, but the chances of her becoming an irresistible siren were slim.
She held her arm up in the air, moving her wrist about. The light played against the sliver of gold. Something caught her attention and she held the bracelet up to the light to admire it and noticed an engraving. A closer look proved the impression to be ancient Greek; a language she could read, but not one she was proficient in. Luckily for her the text to decipher was short, only one word. She read the word and thought on it a moment, unsure if she’d interpreted correctly. Another glance and she was certain. Lust.
With her other hand she attempted to remove the gold band, to put it back in the box, but it would not budge. No matter how much she tugged, the bracelet would not move past her thumb.
Splendid.
Her heart raced to a wild beating and her breaths came in short surges. This changed everything.
This wasn’t a charm.
This was a curse.

So how do you like to celebrate when you have something nice happen to you? I’m a fan of champagne and having a nice dinner out. Or spending time with friends and family. To celebrate I’m giving away 2 copies of Desire Me, the second book in the Legend Hunters series (in stores now!). Just comment and you might win!