Guest Blogger - Haley Whitehall
Romance
on the Mississippi River
Haley, welcome to my blogspot, come on in and have a quiet cup of coffee while you tell us all about your new book - which by the way, I have already downloaded to kindle.
Romances
in the workplace are often difficult to navigate. In my African American
historical romance Midnight Heat the
workplace romance takes place on the steamboat the Queen Bee. George is a roustabout, a man who loads and unloads
cargo from the steamboat. After rescuing her from a burning house, he is able
to get Allison a job on the Queen Bee as
a chambermaid.
Both
of them find it difficult to keep focused on their work, their thoughts
straying to each other. The only thing that saves their jobs and likely their
sanity is the difference between the deck and cabin crew. Allison as a
chambermaid is allowed on the boiler deck, her work requiring to enter and
clean the rooms. George, on the other hand, is not allowed on the upper deck.
The main deck and the boiler deck were almost like two different worlds. The
main deck with the roustabouts and deckhands was a world of raw masculinity
while the parlor on the boiler deck was a world of refinement often with a
piano, plush carpet, chandeliers and other finery.
In
writing every romance there comes a time or times when the hero and heroine are
separated. As the saying goes absence makes the heart grow fonder. In Midnight Heat this separation was a
little different than most. After all, both George and Allison were on the same
boat, Allison was just on the deck above. I’m sure you can imagine how that
drove George crazy!
Blurb:
Living in St. Louis, Missouri is a nightmare for
Allison. It is 1868, but for her slavery never ended. After enduring years of
abuse, she reaches her breaking point. She sees a fiery death as her only
escape. She did not expect to live through the night, but George came to her
rescue and changed her plans. Now she has a chance to fulfill her dream of
falling in love and having a normal relationship with a handsome black man. But
will he accept her with her baggage and the dark secrets from her past?
At eighteen, George is
ready to make his own way in the world. He leaves his brother’s farm and gets a
job as a roustabout. Working on the Mississippi River gives him the freedom he
craves. Going ashore one night he sees a shack along the waterfront on fire. He
never expected to find a beautiful colored woman trapped inside. Protective
instincts kicking in, he instantly wants to be her man and take care of her.
Will he be able to gain
her trust and love or will the memories of Allison’s painful past burn their
relationship to cinders before it has begun?
Excerpt:
George stood at the railing looking up at the stars,
his mouth moving. Was he making a wish? She stood still, not wanting to
interrupt him. She feasted upon his tall, muscular frame. His gray trousers fit
him snuggly, showing off his tight ass.
George turned around and smiled. “I was wondering if
you weren’t coming back down.”
“I had more ironing than I thought. I should have
told you.” Why did she say that? He wasn’t her keeper.
“Just as long as you came back, it doesn’t bother
me.”
His eyes quickly swept her frame. He had seen the
pine green dress Mrs. Brown had given her many times, but he acted like this
was the first.
“You are beautiful, Allison.”
She laughed. She looked like a freak with only half
her eyebrows. “Thank you.”
He took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing
her skin chastely. His soft lips stirred her and made her ache for more.
“I saved a good spot for us,” he said, motioning for
her to follow him.
A spot for us? He freely threw around the
supposition they were together—which they weren’t. Still, she didn’t protest.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to be closer to him, but she knew she didn’t want to
push him away. They picked their way around the maze of barrels and crates, and
poor and colored passengers to an area surrounded by cotton bales.
“Some privacy,” he said, a glint in his eye.
Why did they need privacy just to sleep? She gulped
air. Or did he have something else in mind?
Buy
Midnight Heat:
Author
Bio:
Haley Whitehall lives in Washington State where she
enjoys all four seasons and the surrounding wildlife. She writes historical
fiction and historical romance set in the 19th century U.S. When she is not
researching or writing, she plays with her cats, watches the Western and
History Channels, and goes antiquing. She is hoping to build a time machine so
she can go in search of her prince charming. A good book, a cup of coffee, and
a view of the mountains make her happy. Visit Haley’s website at http://haleywhitehall.com.
Haley
loves to connect with readers. You can find her here:
Lovely blog post, Haley. Your except is tempting indeed. I think work place romances are great fun, but the river boat is a very different workplace to write about.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Daisy. I enjoy reading work place romances especially when they try to keep their relationship a secret.
DeleteI have had a fascination with steamboats, and I just had to write a romance that took place on one. ;)
Thank you so much for visiting Haley. I love the idea of this book and can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me, Diane. I hope you enjoy Midnight Heat. It has fire!
Deletemmm raw masculinity!
ReplyDeleteHi there, Eva. I know you have a thing for George... not sure if Allison will share.
Delete