Title:
Sparkle of Glass
Author:
Shawna Delacorte USA Today Bestselling Author
Genre:
Contemporary romance
Publisher:
The Wild Rose Press
Book Blurb:
Putting a painful past behind her, Darvi Stanton has a new job in a small coastal town in Oregon. Designing the stained glass windows for a Victorian-style inn under renovation is right up her alley. She’s determined to impress the owner in spite of the obnoxious, know-it-all contractor with gorgeous eyes and a charming smile.
Rance Coulter had another artist in mind for the decorative windows of his new project, someone with more experience, someone less…attractive. When he’s overruled, he gives in grudgingly, but they clash over every decision. The only time she’s not arguing with him is when he’s kissing her.
Will mixing business with pleasure lead to ruin or a happily ever after.
Excerpt:
Darvi pulled her car into the parking lot of the inn located just north of town on a bluff overlooking the ocean. She looked around the nearly deserted parking area as she climbed out of her car, immediately recognizing the large black car belonging to George Adamson. She had never seen the other vehicle before, a sleek red sports car. In addition to being the architect on the renovation project, George also owned the property. She would be providing all the special stained glass windows for the remodeling of the bed-and-breakfast inn, originally built in 1902. He had personally hired her, overruling the contractor’s objection and expressed choice of hiring someone else.
As she entered the lobby, she spotted George standing by the fireplace talking with another man whose back was to her. She made her way toward them, offering an apologetic smile. “George…I’m so sorry to be late. Some scruffy, arrogant jerk blocked me into a parking space this morning with his beat-up old truck and wouldn’t let me out. He kept me waiting for half an hour.” She turned briefly toward the other man, acknowledging his presence with a friendly smile.
“Don’t give it another thought. I just got here myself. Let me introduce you to the contractor on this project. Darvi Stanton this is Rance Coulter. The two of you will be working closely together for the next few months so you need to get acquainted.”
Darvi extended her hand to Rance as she carefully looked him over—mid thirties, dark blond hair, clear blue eyes, and stood about six feet one inch tall. There was something familiar about him, something around his eyes and nose, but she couldn’t quite place it or where she might have seen him. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Rance. I’m really looking forward to getting started on this project. It’s going to be a real challenge, but I think this will be quite a showplace when it’s finished.”
Rance felt the soft warmth of her touch as he grasped her outstretched hand in his. He extended the same dazzling smile he had used earlier that day when he had confronted her on the street, not knowing her identity. “Scruffy, arrogant jerk? I’ll admit that I certainly needed a shave and a haircut. I’d been tramping around in the wilderness for two weeks, then I spent another two weeks on the beach in Hawaii. I admit my clothes were a mess, although no more so than that interesting outfit you were wearing. But…arrogant jerk?”
His voice dripped with sarcasm. “Really, Red—you were the one who stole my parking space. And that beat-up old truck, as you so callously referred to it, has great sentimental value to me.” He had intended to put her on the defensive with his verbally aggressive manner, a tactic that usually worked to his advantage especially with strangers. It gave him more time to size them up, to categorize them, and determine what tactic to use in dealing with them.
She glared at him, her green eyes flashing defiantly. “Don’t call me Red.” Then she paused and blatantly scrutinized him. “I didn’t recognize you all cleaned up. I’ll take back the scruffy part but arrogant and jerk still seem totally applicable.”
The smile faded from his face as he stared at her. The realization hit him that he just might have underestimated her. His eyes locked with hers in silent combat. He stretched his tall frame to the maximum.
Darvi Stanton stood a little over five feet seven inches. Tall men did not intimidate her. She refused to back down from his aggressive body language.
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Author Biography:
USA Today Bestselling Author Shawna Delacorte lived most of her life in Los Angeles where she worked in television production for twenty years. During that time, she combined her avocation of photography and interest in writing to do magazine articles featuring her photographs. Her friends said she should utilize her television contacts and write scripts. She enrolled in a screen writing class at UCLA. By the close of class, she knew screen writing was not for her, but she did want to try writing a novel. Her first sale was to Harlequin followed by 20 more Harlequin novels for their Desire and Intrigue lines. Harlequin has re-issued 18 of her print backlist in e-book.
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