Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 10/16/22 ~ Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve ~ A Shadow Come to Life

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

Happy October!!!

It’s autumn and October, my favorite season and month. Counting down to Halloween all month! And in honor of everything spooky, I’m sharing snippets all month from my Halloween short story, Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve, part of my Handful of Hearts series.

BLURB:

When Miss Cecilia Powell attends her very first masquerade on All Hallows’ Eve, she’s thrilled when a mysterious reveler pays court to her. As their encounter continues, Cecilia is charmed, then smitten with this masked stranger, even though she senses something odd about him. Is he truly the man of her dreams, or will Cecilia find her dream a true nightmare?

I’ve skipped ahead a few paragraphs, in which Cecelia sees another happy couple getting ready to dance. So now the stage is set for…something to happen. 🙂 Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

Cecilia sighed. She had had hopes in May, though quite briefly, that she had found that certain someone. Such a shame, too, as the gentleman had danced so well, and their conversation had been lively.

Leaning her back against the cool marble pillar, Cecilia smiled, remembering that dance. The orchestra had tuned up now. For a waltz, perhaps? Then Lady Haversham would have gotten her wish. Really, she must find Lady Hamilton and request help in finding a dancing partner, or this whole evening would be a failure.

Gazing about the room, still hopeful she could catch someone’s eye, Cecilia glanced into one of the darker corners of the room. The black wall hangings stirred, as if by a breeze, and a hooded figure emerged, a shadow come to life.

And a little more for good measure…

A thrill of fear shot through her, and she pressed her back to the unyielding marble, trying to melt into it. Goose skin rose on her arms as the apparition continued forward. Toward her. Her breath stopped, and she stood as if rooted to the floor, unable to move or speak.

The black form reached up to its head, and gold suddenly glinted in the candlelight. A glittering half-mask of intricate design concealed the gentleman’s face, though it revealed black, curly hair and the strong chin and jaw of the wearer.

Cecilia gasped, unaware until then that she’d been holding her breath, as realization struck that the man—for certainly it was a normal man who stood before her—wore a black domino to disguise his identity. Most revelers had chosen more colorful clothing, but this gentleman was garbed in one of the simplest and most elegant of costumes, the classic hooded cape that enveloped him in black entirely, save for his shimmering gold mask.

Relentlessly, he continued toward her, creating new flutterings within. Excitement rather than terror, she was sure.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve is now available on Amazon and Smashwords for .99. But you’d better hurry to claim your copy. This Regency ghost story only appears during the month of October. Come the witching hour October 31 it will disappear for another year!

UPDATE on my House of Pleasure series! At long last, the series is now available on Amazon and on KU for free! This includes all five House of Pleasure novels plus the boxset! Grab your copy(s) today!

The Handful of Hearts series