Exclusive Excerpt + Giveaway: More Than Words - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

The moment she met Callen Hayes, eleven-year-old Jessica Creswell knew he was a broken prince. Herprince. They became each other’s refuge, a safe and magical place far from their troubled lives. Until the day Callen kissed her—Jessica’s first real, dreamy kiss—and then disappeared from her life without a word.

Years later, everyone knows who Callen Hayes is. Famous composer. Infamous bad boy. What no one knows is that Callen’s music is now locked deep inside, trapped behind his own inner demons. It’s only when he withdraws to France to drink his way through the darkness that Callen stumbles into the one person who makes the music return. Jessica. His Jessie. And she still tastes of fresh, sweet innocence . . . even as she sets his blood on fire.

But they don’t belong in each other’s worlds anymore. There are too many mistakes. Too many secrets. Too many lies. All they have is that instinctive longing, that need—and something that looks dangerously like love.

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Contemporary Romance

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Exclusive Excerpt: More Than Words
By Mia Sheridan

Exclusive Excerpt + Giveaway: More Than Words

Mia Sheridan is one of my favorite authors—her innate ability to draw you into her stories and fall in love with her characters is as impressive as it is addictive. As soon as I’m done with her books, I’m already clamoring for what she’ll give us next. Her latest, MORE THAN WORDS, imparts a beautifully written, intensely felt story about second chances, and I’m thrilled to share an excerpt with you today!

MORE THAN WORDS is out June 12th.

ENTER TO WIN 1 OF 2 PAPERBACKS OF THE BOOK BELOW.

I heard the ding of the elevator and stood, my heart picking up speed as I watched to see who got out in the lobby where I…well, where I’d been sort of loitering in a corner for the past hour.

An older couple stepped out, and my heart sank but then lifted again when I spotted Jessie behind them, looking at a pamphlet of some sort held open in her hands. She was dressed in jeans, a loose white top, a pair of sandals, and she had a large purse over one shoulder. Her long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail like the night I’d kissed her in Paris, and she had a pair of sunglasses perched on her head.

“Bonjour.”

She looked up, and I laughed at the startled look on her face, surprise that morphed into something that resembled irritation. “Callen. I wouldn’t have pegged you for an early riser.”

I cleared my throat and fell in beside her as she began walking toward the front desk. “Yes, always. Best part of the day. I never miss, er…” I searched my mind for what happened before noon.

“The sunrise?” she offered, amusement lacing her tone.

“Yup.”

She looked at me sideways, clearly skeptical, and I couldn’t help smiling. She was so pretty. Those big hazel eyes, full lips that I knew tasted sweet, and a light scattering of freckles that I could only see when I was close. Very close. I leaned toward her and she leaned away.

“Where are you off to this morning?” Jessie asked.

“Museum tour.”

She stopped and turned toward me, raising a brow. “Which one?”

I waved my hand toward the front door. “The one down…that way.”

She crossed her arms over her breasts. “Mm-hmm. We’re going to the same one, I’m assuming?”

I shrugged, enjoying this. Enjoying her. I felt…eager. When was the last time I felt eager? “How presumptuous of you. There must be hundreds of museum tours in the area.”

Her lip quirked. “Crafts and exhibits relating to a former abbey from the Middle Ages?”

I pretended to be shocked. “What a coincidence. Fate really seems to keep throwing us together, doesn’t it? I’m fascinated by alleys of the…ages.”

“Abbeys.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Right.” She sighed, her expression becoming serious. She fidgeted as if she might be a little uncomfortable. “Listen, um, Callen…it’s been great seeing you and knowing all you’ve accomplished. But we’ve both changed a lot and I don’t think…well, I just don’t think there’s any reason for us to spend time together. It really wouldn’t come to any good.”

I frowned, drawing back slightly, the unfamiliar rejection hitting me like a smack. “Why not? We were friends once. We enjoyed each other’s company. Why shouldn’t we enjoy it again?”

Her lips thinned, and she looked off behind me for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. When her eyes met mine again, her expression was grim. “It doesn’t seem you’re lacking for…friends. And I’m not interested in any of that. The friendship we shared as children is a sweet memory for me, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“But…we could create new memories. Better memories.” I gave her my best seductive smile, but it only caused her eyes to narrow with disapproval. My smile slipped, and I felt strangely chastised.

She put a hand on my arm as if in comfort. “Thank you, no.” Then she turned and walked away from me for the second time in twenty-four hours.

Thank you, no?

I followed her out the hotel door, fast-walking to catch up. Outside, the air was cool and fresh, the sky already a bright, cloudless blue. “Thank you, no?”

She turned abruptly, and I collided with her. Her body was both firm and soft, and I wanted to press in closer, but she stepped back, taking a deep breath. “Listen, half the women of the free world would love to spend time with you. You won’t miss the company of one girl.”

She turned again and walked to the curb, where she took her cell phone from her purse, glanced at it, and dropped it back inside.

I went to stand next to her. “Forty percent.”

She glanced at me, furrowing her brow. “What?”

“Half the women of the free world is a bit of an exaggeration. Forty percent, forty-five max. I don’t take a single one for granted.” I brought out the big guns, smiling, sort of lopsided, the one I knew women went crazy for.

But once again, apparently not this one. She tilted her head as if she was trying to figure something out. “Funny,” she muttered, drawing out the word, though she didn’t sound amused at all. She took a few steps forward, tapping her foot and looking toward the bend of the long driveway, as if impatient for her ride to show up.

This wasn’t working. I wasn’t charming her. At all. Maybe it was little wonder after our first two encounters. “So…okay, you’re mad about the women who interrupted us both times we’ve run into each other—”

Her head whipped toward me and she gave it a quick shake. “No.” Her chest rose and fell on a deep intake of air. “No. I’m not mad. I have no reason to be mad. I just…don’t want to be a part of it. I can’t be a part of it.”

A shuttle bus pulled up to the curb, and she headed to it. I paused for a moment, telling myself I should walk away. But my feet had a mind of their own, and they followed Jessie, stepping onto the bus. She was already sitting, and her eyes widened when she saw me. She pulled her sunglasses down and looked out the window. I took the seat across from her, putting my own sunglasses on.

An older woman took the seat next to Jessie, and they struck up a conversation in French. I stared out the window, wondering what I was doing. I’d never chased a woman in my life. Much less to a museum. This was either a new low or a new high; I couldn’t tell which.

* * *

Jessie was standing in front of a huge portrait of an angel smiling down on a young girl, and she glanced at me quickly and then turned her attention back to the art.

She spent another several minutes looking at that painting, and I pretended to be interested in the statue next to me, resting my hand on its head and feeling one shell-shaped ear beneath my fingertips. The stone was rough and had broken away in a few spots. I wondered idly how one went about carving figures from rock, when the ear suddenly came loose and dropped with a small ping to the glass surface below. I froze.

Jessie, who had turned from the painting and was strolling to one next to it, looked my way just in time to see me grab for the piece of broken ear, bumping the statue and causing it to rock dangerously. I sucked in a breath, steadying it, and Jessie put one hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide with alarm. My breath wheezed out between my teeth as the statue stilled, and I stuck the ear in my pocket, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one had seen what I’d done.

The security guard standing near the front looked at me suspiciously, shifting back and forth on his heels as if considering whether to come over to me with some warning or another.

Before I knew what was happening, Jessie made a beeline for me, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me out the door. “Oh my God,” she muttered. “You broke that statue of the Virgin Mary. Let me see.”

I sheepishly reached into my pocket and pulled out the ear. She stared at it before looking back at me, a choking sound coming from the back of her throat. She pulled at my arm again, dragging me out of museum’s the main entrance and into the bright sunshine. “Don’t you follow directions? The signs all said ‘do not touch.’ Good God.”

“I’m sure it can be superglued.”

She stared at me, her mouth slightly agape, and then her lip suddenly twitched and she started laughing, grabbing her stomach and bending forward. The whole thing suddenly seemed so ridiculous, and I started laughing, too. Really laughing, for maybe the first time since I was a kid. Maybe since the last time I’d been with Jessie. “We’re going to get arrested or something.”

“I did it. Not you.”

“No, but I’m the reason you’re here. I feel responsible for you.” She dug around in her purse and pulled out an envelope, removing the contents and then holding her hand out. Understanding what she was silently requesting, I fished in my pocket, pulled out the tiny ear, and placed it in her palm. She put it in the envelope, sealed it, took out a pen, and wrote something on the front. Then I watched her walk the short distance to the mail slot, drop it inside, and hurry back to where I waited. “We have to go. Come on.”

I held back a laugh. “Go? We’re miles away from the château.”

“At least it’s a nice day for a stroll.” She paused before glancing away. “I guess we’re going to spend some time together after all.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

Excerpted from MORE THAN WORDS by Mia Sheridan. Copyright © 2018 by Mia Sheridan. Reprinted with permission from Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance. All rights reserved.

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21 Comments:


  1. Pam said:

    I can’t wait to read this!

    Reply

  2. Ashlee said:

    This sounds so good – I can’t wait to read it!!

    Reply

  3. Mari said:

    OMG! How I love Mia Sheridan and this upcoming release will be as brilliant as all her other books!

    Reply

  4. se said:

    Yes omg

    Reply

  5. Evelyn said:

    Mia is one of my top favorite authors. I can’t wait for this book!!

    Reply

  6. Shyla said:

    I cannot wait to read this! Mia Sheridan is SO good! Archer’ s voice is one of my all time favorite books.

    Reply

  7. Shyla said:

    So excited to read More Than Words.

    Reply

  8. Elizabeth Lewis said:

    I love Mia Sheridan and everything she writes!

    Reply

  9. AngieG said:

    I love Mia Sheridan! Can’t wait for this one!

    Reply

  10. Livia Nowlin said:

    ಌThank you for the excerpt and giveaway chance, ladies!

    Reply

  11. Nelufa Khanum said:

    I CANNOT wait! Mia Sheridan is an all time fave, buy without needing to read the blurb-author of mine. I LOVE all her books!

    Reply

  12. Nelufa Khanum said:

    I cant wait! I LOVE all her books. I instantly want to read her books. She is a “no need to read blurb-its MIA SHERIDAN!” instant buy for me?

    Reply

  13. Theresa Tunnell said:

    I can’t wait to read it. I’m so excited. ?

    Reply

  14. Paula DeBoer said:

    I love Mia Sheridan just the expert alone makes me wanna click!

    Reply

  15. Katie Lowden said:

    Love Mia’s books, can’t wait to read this!!

    Reply

  16. Maria Theresa Santos said:

    Sounds amazing

    Reply

  17. Milena M said:

    I love second chance love stories, this one sounds so interesting!

    Reply

  18. Tiffany J said:

    looking forward to reading

    Reply

  19. Yvonne C said:

    Love her <3

    Reply

  20. Tina Nguyen said:

    Thanks for the chance!❤️

    Reply

  21. Cassandra D said:

    Looks like a great book.

    Reply

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