Today Lexi is sharing the inspiration behind her book ( I LOVE finding out these things!) Not only do we have a toe-curling excerpt but Lexi is also generously giving away a copy of her book to one lucky reader who enters the Rafflecopter contest below :-)
Good luck!
Passion
of Sleepy Hollow: Origins
My
most recent erotic romance, Passion of
Sleepy Hollow, is obviously inspired by Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” But as my story is very
different from either the current television show (which I love) or the movie
made over ten years ago (which I didn’t care for), there was obviously a lot
more to it than simply the classic story.
Actually,
there was a lot more to it. I sprinkled in a bit of Brigadoon with the
disappearing village of Sleepy Hollow, added a significant amount of both hot
and emotionally charged sex and then stirred in a pinch each of superstition
and mysterious occurrences. I topped it all off with one and half ghosts and a
witch.
My
favorite part about blending these elements was discovering the details within
the original short story. Both black horses, Daredevil and Gunpowder are
authentic, as are the trees, the church, and the bridge of Sleepy Hollow. In
fact, in today’s current town of Sleepy Hollow, a fan of this story can
actually see the Old Dutch Church and the Cemetery nearby where Irving’s
inspiration for Katrina Van Tassel is buried. In fact, the town has an annual
Washington Irving festival in which a visitor can see the headless horseman
ride!
Hmm,
Irving was inspired by real life and now the rest of us are inspired by his
story. Pretty cool how that all works, don’t you think?
To
win an ecopy of Passion of Sleepy Hollow enter the Rafflecopter or leave a
comment about what you remember about the original “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Always, Lexi
Excerpt
Her
blue eyes, so full of life, looked everywhere but at him as multiple emotions
crossed her face. He didn’t want the one that meant he irritated the hell out
of her. She was like a roulette wheel and he needed it to stop so the ball fell
in his favor. Lifting his finger, he replaced it with his lips.
Just
a gentle kiss, like the night before. But her intake of breath parted her lips
and he couldn’t resist. Not wanting to scare her off, he slipped his tongue
inside slowly to explore.
When
her hands came to rest on his waist, he deepened the kiss, moving his hand
behind her head to hold her in place. A tiny sound escaped from her throat and
his cock came to life. He needed her closer.
Suddenly,
she pulled away and stared at him. “Fine.”
“Fine?”
Nothing was fine. He wanted to keep kissing her. What was she doing?
She
brushed past him and opened the kitchen door. “Fine, you can stay. I need to
get my quilt and pillow from my room.”
The
door shut solidly, leaving him to stare at the wooden grain. “What the hell?”
He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. Obviously, he had no skill
with the opposite sex anymore. His long abstinence since the debacle with Reed
had taken its toll.
His
blood cooled at the thought of his best friend. He should know better than to
get close to people. He was better off behind the screen of his computer where
it was safe. Kat was not safe. But God, she was fun.
He
opened the kitchen door and strode down the hall to her room, his room…their
room if he had his way.
***
Kat
closed the door to her room and leaned against it. Her heart raced so fast it
could beat a squirrel up a tree. Licking her lips, she closed her eyes.
Braeden’s kiss brought back all those wonderful feelings she used to have with
Brom. The ones where her toes curled inside her buckle shoes and her body
quivered.
She
crossed her arms over her stomach. She hadn’t had those with anyone else since.
Not even slightly. What was she going to do? She’d been desperate to get away,
and now he would be staying the night. She opened her eyes. Staying in her
room. Oh Lord.
Moving
to her chest at the end of the bed, she pulled out a pillow and threw it on the
floor. She’d already changed the sheets because he was supposed to leave. It
had been so hard not to bury her face in his unique scent. It reminded her of
the forest after a rainstorm, musky, comforting, making her want to snuggle in
for a winter hibernation.
Ugh,
what was she thinking? He was Stephen’s brother, a Newtimer, and he would leave
tomorrow.
Oh
no. The village would be long gone by then. What would happen to Braeden then?
She glanced toward the door, listening to the floorboards creak under his
weight. Quickly, she pulled her quilt from the chest and grabbed the pillow.
Too
late.
The
door opened and he ducked inside, obliterating the opening from her sight. He
stood stock-still, studying her once again. The lantern light softened his
features, proving how different he really appeared from Brom.
Straightening
her shoulders, she stepped toward him. “Your room is all set. I’ll just make my
bed in the parlor.”
He
didn’t move, and she couldn’t go through the door unless he did.
“Braeden?
You need to step aside for me to leave.”
“And
what if I don’t want you to leave?”
Her
breath caught in her throat as tingling sped from her head to her toes. She
swallowed hard. “What do you mean?” She turned away to give herself a moment
without looking at his handsome visage. “Did I forget something?”
The
floor creaked behind her and she stepped forward to inspect the water pitcher.
If he touched her again, she’d be lost. She turned to review the bed. “I assure
you these are clean sheets.”
The
door closed.
She
spun and the quilt knocked the pitcher off the table onto the floor with a crash.
“Oh no.” She knelt, suddenly wanting to cry, though the pitcher wasn’t anything
special. In fact, it had a crack along the handle and was bound to break soon
anyway.
“Come.
It’s okay.” Braeden’s hands on her arms helped her to stand and sent fire through
her already taut nerves.
Gently,
he enveloped her in his arms. Her heart slowed as a feeling of rightness
settled through her. With her face against his chest, she could hear his strong
heartbeat.
“Kat.”
The soft-spoken word came from deep within him and she met his gaze. “Don’t be
mad at me.”
The
loneliness she glimpsed in his eyes undid her. Before she could think about
what she did, she hooked her hand around his neck and pulled him forward for a
kiss. This time, she breached his lips and explored his mouth, tasting the red
wine he had with dinner.
Heat
pounded through her limbs as he pulled her tighter to his body. One hand held
her head to the side so he could fully devour her while the other cupped her
arse, pushing her into him. His erection pressed into her belly, causing
excitement to race to her core, which made it difficult to breathe. She held
his face and pulled back to nibble at his lips while she gulped in air.
He
bent and scooped her up in his arms and laid her on the bed. He followed her
down, lying on his side, and swept stray hair back from her eyes. “I can never
tell if you’re attracted to me or irritated with me.”
She
gave him a shy smile. “You mean that kiss wasn’t enough of a clue?”
He
chuckled. “You’re a very unique woman, Kat.”
“Is
that good or bad?”
“Oh,
it’s good. Very good.” He held her head and kissed her again, his tongue
tangling with hers.
