I'm happy to have author Shannon Leigh at my blog today to let readers know about her book, Chinatown Buffet. Keep reading for a little taste of Shannon's book and to find out more about where you can find her and her work.
About Shannon Leigh
Shannon Leigh is a practicing registered nurse who graduated with a B.S.N. R.N. from the Indiana University School of nursing in May of 1996. She lives in Indiana with her husband, four sons, dog, and cat. Shannon and her family enjoy camping, fishing, and sitting out back while a cozy fire crackles in the fire pit. In her spare time, Shannon likes to decorate cakes, scrapbook, draw, read, write, and watch movies.
Despite a hectic schedule, Shannon tries to dedicate a couple of hours every day to writing, usually sometime between the hours of 9 P.M. and 3 A.M., after everyone else is in bed. She likes to curl up on the couch with her laptop, a cup of hot tea, the cat, and become engrossed in her characters.
Along with reading other romance genres, Shannon loves suspense, fantasy, and horror, but paranormal fiction remains her favorite. She has several stories available at Amber Quill Press, Audio Lark, and Wild Child Publishing. While most involve some paranormal aspect, she has dabbled in contemporary, and more recently, science fiction. With such an active imagination, she always has something in works.
Despite a hectic schedule, Shannon tries to dedicate a couple of hours every day to writing, usually sometime between the hours of 9 P.M. and 3 A.M., after everyone else is in bed. She likes to curl up on the couch with her laptop, a cup of hot tea, the cat, and become engrossed in her characters.
Along with reading other romance genres, Shannon loves suspense, fantasy, and horror, but paranormal fiction remains her favorite. She has several stories available at Amber Quill Press, Audio Lark, and Wild Child Publishing. While most involve some paranormal aspect, she has dabbled in contemporary, and more recently, science fiction. With such an active imagination, she always has something in works.
Chinatown Buffet
Shannon Leigh
Amber Quill Press
Genre: Contemporary erotica / Multicultural
ISBN-1-59279-421-1
Buy Chinatown Buffet: http://amberquill.com/
BLURB:
They say the road to success is a lonely one. Newly named corporate executive of the Chinese American Development Corporation, Ms. Mei Ling Zhao, can attest to this. Hated by her subordinates, her acquired status has truly left her friendless and in need of some male attention. After a long week of dealing with spiteful employees, threatening letters, and one headache after another, she treats herself to a much-needed drink and an order of fast-food—Chinese takeout, via “special delivery.”
While Mei Ling expects her meal to arrive smoking hot and in a timely manner, she doesn’t anticipate her delivery boy to be a tall, tanned Texan with a black Stetson, levis that cling to all the right places, and seafoam eyes that remind her of ocean water pooling on the shore. And yet, when she opens her door, that’s exactly what she finds standing on her stoop.
Seems the Chinatown Buffet is in the business of delivering more than just a tasty meal, and Mei Ling is about to find out what “special delivery” really means…
Excerpt: Chinatown Buffet
Slipping the gold chain-lock from its holder with one hand, she turned the deadbolt with other. Despite her foggy state of mind, she tried to appear as levelheaded as possible as she grasped the brass knob and pulled open the door. Were it not for the support of the foyer table, Mei Ling likely would have collapsed to the floor.
Her gaze first met the man’s black, T-shirt clad chest, as he stood nearly a foot taller than she, then slowly traveled upward. The perfect ball of his Adam’s apple caught her attention—she bet he had a deep voice; smooth and rich, like the heart stopping sound of a Franz Werner Virtuoso bass.
“Sorry, but we were fresh out of buffalo,” he said in a low, southern drawl.
Ripples of awareness coursed her veins. Mei Ling’s stare snapped up to his tanned face, instantly meeting a pair of sea-foam green eyes shrouded with chocolate lashes. A velvety smooth, black Stetson balanced perfectly on his head, successfully concealing his hair except for one renegade lock the color of sand that had slipped free to dust his forehead.
A lump caught in her throat. “You’re…” She choked on the word as though she’d swallowed it down the wrong pipe. Politely covering her mouth with the back of her hand, she turned her head to cough.
“You’re late. I called an hour and a half ago.” Although she tried to sound stern, taking a stance with him as though he were one of her subordinates in need of discipline, strangely, her voice sounded husky rather than annoyed.
Seemingly entertained by her haughtiness, his firm, beige lips pulled into an amused smirk. “I tried to call,” he countered. “I got lost on La Salle Street. Ya didn’t answer.”
Mei Ling felt her cheeks grow warm. That’s because she’d passed out, drunk—certainly not proper behavior for a corporate executive. “I didn’t hear the phone,” she replied bluntly.
One tawny brow arched with what looked to be skepticism.
“I must have been…” Mei Ling quickly changed the subject. “How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching for the white bag in his hand at his waist.
Her gaze fell to the black Levi’s clinging to his trim hips and brawny thighs. She couldn’t help but focus her attention on the sizeable bulge at his groin. Her mouth suddenly felt dry. Where was that bottle of champagne when she needed it?
Surely this man did more than make fast-food deliveries. Come to think of it, he seemed completely out of place in Chinatown. With his cowboy hat, worn jeans, and silver-tipped boots, he looked like he’d just arrived from—
“That’s a first,” he declared, his seductively masculine voice cutting into her wandering thoughts. Mei Ling mentally shook herself, then forced her attention back to his face as her fingers closed around the folded edge of the bag. The arrogant slant of his mouth told her she’d been caught staring at his package—and not the one in his hand.
“A first for what?” she choked out, that bothersome lump returning in the back of her throat.
“Most aren’t ready to pay ’til we’re finished.”
Confused, Mei Ling blinked a few times. “Finished?”
This time, it was his turn to seem perplexed. “Didn’t ya want special deliver?”
“Well…yes. I did,” she returned with hesitance. “But I don’t—”
“Good. Then let’s get started.” With that, he stepped past her and into the foyer.
Stunned by his boldness, Mei Ling merely stared at him with her mouth hanging open and the bag of food dangling limply from her fingertips. What the hell was going on here? She didn’t invite him in.
“Hey,” she protested when he strode past her and headed for the living room.
“Nice place,” he called back over his shoulder, ignoring her objection. “Ya might want to close the door. I noticed some of your neighbors peerin’ out their blinds. Sure hate for someone to walk in on us.”
Not knowing what else to do, Mei Ling closed the door. “Wait a minute here!” She marched into the living room behind him. “What’s going on? Walk in on us? Doing what? You’re supposed to deliver my order. Right?”
He turned to face her, a boyish smile lighting his tempting lips. Then he reached up with one hand, removed his hat and tossed it onto the ottoman at the foot of her chair. “That’s precisely what I’m doin’.”
His barging into her home uninvited had surprised her. But when his T-shirt followed his hat onto the ottoman, Mei Ling nearly choked on her shock. “I’m afraid there’s been some sort of mistake here,” she gasped, trying not to stare at his nicely formed pectorals.
She certainly had no intention of appreciating the golden mass of curly brown wisps feathered across his chest and washboard abs. Or how a thickened swatch ran downward from his navel to disappear into the waistband of his jeans. And she absolutely refused to acknowledge the interest peaking within herself—the increased heart rate, the needful throb deep within her belly, the dampness in her panties.
As though ignoring her statement, he continued to undress. His boots followed along behind his shirt. Then his socks. He’d was just unzipping his pants when Mei Ling realized if she didn’t intervene, she’d soon have a naked man standing in the middle of her living room.
“Wait! Please. I really don’t understand what’s going on here.” Quickly crossing the room, she darted for the ottoman and his growing pile of clothing. Then she snatched up his shirt and thrust it toward him. “Here, put this back on. You can’t just barge in here and start taking your clothes off. I don’t know if this is some kind of a joke, but I only ordered…I don’t even know who you are for Pete’s sake!”
He stared at her, long and hard, seemingly trying to figure out if she were playing a game or genuinely confused. “Ya really didn’t know what special delivery meant when ya ordered it, did ya.” It wasn’t a question, but rather a declaration.
“Apparently not.” A nervous laugh slipped from her lips. “Would you…care to enlighten me?” Mei Ling wasn’t sure where those words had came from, but once they’d left her mouth, she knew there was no taking them back.
He smiled then, a wickedly delicious smile that curled her toes and robbed her breath. “My pleasure, ma’am.”
She could only watch with a strange sense of anticipation as he moved toward her. While his intent was unclear, one thing was for certain, his touch would be hotter than a glowing branding iron, and she’d surely melt like a plastic spoon in a blazing fire if he put his hands on her. When his fingertips brushed the side of her neck, she knew she was about to find out.
***
Website: http://shannonleigh.org
To find out more about Shannon’s writing and her published stories, please visit her at.
Email: author_shannon_leigh@hotmail.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/author_
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/shannon_
Blog: http://authorshannonleigh.
1 comments:
Okay, I admit that cowboys don't usually do much for me....I'm more of a ...well, nevermind. But this cowboy sounds delicious!
Quite an excerpt! ~ Nadja
Post a Comment