A Code of Love
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All About Kissing - Excerpt from 'A Code of Love'
Excerpt from A Code of Love
Gus pounced as Henrietta rose from her knees, the task of weeding the flower beds complete. Henrietta teetered but the impact of the four-stone Labrador couldn’t be stopped. She fell backward on her heels, giving Gus the perfect position to lick her face. His wet kiss landed squarely on her lips and was followed by a full frontal assault. Her shrieks encouraged Gus to intensify his slobbery affection.
“Gus, you kiss better than the gentlemen of the ton.” She stood, brushing the paw marks from her pale yellow muslin dress.
“You never told me that you kissed a lot of men.” Edward came down the steps. Her younger brother never appeared to be listening, but it was like him to hear her slightly risqué comment.
“I was joking, and a gentleman would never ask a lady whom she has been kissing.”
“Why were Michael and his friends laughing about Lady Hawksley’s lips?” Edward asked.
Henrietta was going to wring their older brother’s neck for being indiscreet about the voracious widow in front of Edward. “I’ll let Michael explain what he and his friends were discussing.”
“I knew you weren’t going to tell me anything. Michael is in France and isn’t going to be home for at least four or five years.”
With his round baby cheeks and the golden Harcourt hair, Edward looked like a cherub in a Raphael painting. Leaning over, she tousled his hair. “I’m sure Michael will be home before you’re twelve years old and will answer all your questions.”
She had definite plans for educating Edward on the relationship between women and men, to shatter the male balderdash that women needed to be protected and thus excluded from the workings of the real world. With Michael’s departure to France for intelligence work, the management of the entire household fell on her shoulders.
Edward chased Gus over the grass and behind a tree. The dog came then waited for Edward to give chase again. The boy and dog ran circles around the giant oak.
Watching their enthusiastic play, she felt a deep longing for something she couldn’t identify. When Edward and Gus came to a halt near her, she hugged her younger brother. “I’ll tell you about kissing. It’s delightful when you’re kissing someone you care about, like your younger brother or your dog.”
“Hen, I’m not talking about that kind of kissing.” Edward, appearing to have no interest in the conversation, drew away and threw a stick to Gus.
“Kissing between women and men is exactly like kissing between families, a sign of mutual affection between people who care about and respect each other.” She shook her gardening gloves, carefully choosing her words. “Women want to know men respect them for their minds, their wit, who they really are, before they share their affection.”
Why was she thinking of a man whose kisses wouldn’t be the least respectful?
A Code of Love named SELF-e Selection
Now you can find A Code of Love in Seattle libraries!
There are times when being a self-published author can be challenging. One of those challenges is gaining access to platforms automatically (or so it seems) available to traditionally published authors.
If you aren’t savvy as to publishing terminology like self-pubbed vs. trad-pubbed, let me help. Traditionally published authors are those whose books are delivered to the marketplace via a publisher, such as Harlequin or HarperCollins. Self-published authors, also called indie (independently) published authors, coordinate all aspects of book production (cover design, writing, editing, distribution) themselves.
Access to platforms like libraries and retailers is much easier for traditionally published authors as publishers have already negotiated these partnerships. With the increase in self-published books, platform gatekeepers (like librarians and store managers) are starting to recognize the need for some kind of entry point for indie authors.
SELF-e is one such program. Founded by BiblioBoard and administered by Library Journal, SELF-e provides an opportunity for self-published authors to introduce local libraries to their books. Books must be submitted for consideration and are evaluated for quality and professionalism.
A Code of Love, book 1 in the Code Breakers series, was recently named a SELF-e Selection. I’m proud of this endorsement, but more importantly, I’m grateful for the chance to share my book with local Seattle librarians and readers.
Connecting with libraries is an important means of discoverability for all authors, but especially self-pubbed authors. According to Library Journal, “Over 50 percent of all library users go on to purchase ebooks by an author they were introduced to in the library.”
The next time you visit your library, ask about the SELF-e program. You might discover a new favorite!
Win A CODE OF LOVE audiobook!
ENTER TO WIN! Comment or share this contest announcement for a chance to win an audiobook version of A CODE OF LOVE! Contest runs Aug. 1-15. One winner will be randomly selected and announced via Facebook on Aug. 16. Good luck!