Do you guys buy a book (or not) based on reading an excerpt? When people, usually bloggers, ask readers what they want to see on author websites, excerpts tends to top the list. This always shocks me a bit. See, I am not one of those people who goes on to author websites and reads excerpts. I read blogs, check out what books are coming out next (that’s me favorite part) and otherwise check around for interesting stuff.
For whatever reason, taking a quick look at an excerpt never tops my list of things to do at an author website. I know I’m in the minority here. Many people won’t buy a book without reading a excerpt. Who knew?
I do have a few winners. These folks don’t have to worry about reading an excerpt of Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy or even buying it. I’ll send it to you!! Congrats to Maureen and Cherie J.!!!
For the rest of you, just in case Gwen’s incredible review didn’t convince you to get the book, maybe this second excerpt from a little later in the book – one Kane and Annie know each other a bit better – will help:
******
Kane eased her onto the bed and fluffed up the pillows behind her. That type of thing worked on television. The sensitive hero always did something totally unbelievable like patting a pillow. Looked ridiculous, but he was willing to try anything to help her relax.
Anything.
He blew out a tense breath. “Move over a bit.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to massage your leg.” He gave her a gentle push until she shifted to the middle of the mattress. “I’d prefer not to fall off the bed and on my ass while I do it.”
“No need.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“I’m fine.” She clamped her lips together. Her thighs followed, so did a sharp intake of breath and a wince.
“Yeah, I can see that.”
“What does that mean?”
He pointed at her lips. “Those tiny lines around at the corners of your mouth suggest you’re in pain.”
Her gasp – this time from indignation, not pain – nearly knocked him over. “I don’t have lines!”
“I only meant-”
“I’m too young for wrinkles.”
The conversation took a turn he didn’t understand. “When did I say wrinkles?”
“That’s what you meant.”
This is why a life without women suited him just fine. They were all nuts. “If I had meant that, I would have said that.”
She scoffed and those lips pressed together again.
He tried blowing out a second breath. Then a third. Nothing seemed to calm him down. “Okay, let’s try this. You lie back. I’ll massage your leg. If it hurts, I stop.”
After a slight hesitation, she leaned back all stiff with her hands plastered to her sides. “If it hurts, I’ll kick you.”
“Now there’s something to look forward to,” he grumbled as he moved to the bottom of the bed and started to part her legs.
Her body sprang right back up again into a sitting position. She grabbed the edge of the tee and stretched it toward her knees. The move pulled the neck down, flashing him with a view of the tops of her pale breasts.
“Where do you think you’re going?” She actually squealed.
“Your knee is down here. You know, toward the bottom of the bed.”
“Your head needs to stay up here.” She smacked the pillow.
Rather than argue, he let his hands speak for him. With slow certain squeezes, he massaged the ball of her foot. Kneading with his thumbs and soothing with his palms.
“Holy…you’re amazing at that.” With a groan, she flopped back against the pillows.
“I aim to please.” He sat against her outer thigh and reached across her lap to continue his ministrations.
“You do.”
Gently rubbing but never applying too much pressure, his hands moved up her leg. He tended to her calf then to the area surrounding her knee.
“Mmmm…you could charge for this service.”
Her husky voice sent a wave of heat coursing through his body and straight to his groin. “Just relax and stay quiet.”
He caressed and touched, stroking his fingertips over her bare skin until her eyelids slipped shut. With the stiffness gone, her thighs fell open in a welcoming gesture. The arch in her back eased, and her arms dropped open at her sides as if her bones had turned to mush.
With each pass of his hands, he eased closer to her. As his fingers glided to the top of her knee, his body settled into the vee between her legs. She shifted to make room for him, so that one leg lay behind his back and the other across his knees.
“Damn, Kane.”
Yeah, damn. Shit. Hell. All of those.
The more relaxed she became the harder he got. Comforting her and wanting her blended together. Her, here in his bed. Him, ready and in need of release.
Just then she tilted her head back and exposed miles of glorious neck. Flowing copper hair spilled over his white pillowcase. Any smartass comment she might have said dissolved on her tongue. Instead, her mouth fell open in a tiny “o.”
The comfort part of the program had been accomplished. Too well. Well enough that his shorts felt two sizes too small.
Before he could think through all the ramifications, his hands eased higher. Past her knee and up to her middle thigh. The tiny whimpers at the back of her throat drove him to reach even higher. His palms massaged her warm skin as his fingertips dipped under the edge of her shirt.
If she yelled, screamed or followed through with that promised kick, he’d deal with it. Hell, he probably deserved a shot or two for changing a therapeutic massage into foreplay.
He’d definitely regret this in the morning. Or when he had to haul her off to jail for kidnapping and murder.
I do. If the excerpt interests me, I’ll look up the book online or in the store. Much more likely to find books I like that way
I do also. It’s especially useful if it’s from an author I’ve never read before. For example, one excerpt that I’ve read that has made me waiting impatiently for the book is Christine Wells’ book “Scandal’s Daughter”. This is a book I might have skipped over completely but now I’ll be making a point to buy it.
YES! Excerpts make all the difference in the world to me, especially if I’m unfamiliar with an author. I go to the website, and read the excerpt to get a taste of the book and the author’s writing to see if it works for me. Excerpts are huge deciding factors for me. 🙂
Excerpts are big for me, especially if it’s from an unfamiliar author. An intriguing excerpt definitely helps make the purchase decision. And if it’s a favorite author, it just whets the appetite more.
I was with you, HelenKay–about the no excerpts, but I’ve been converted thanks to reader blogs. Now I don’t only have them on my site, I read them when I see a book that interests me. I don’t know where my original resistance came from–maybe because I thought screen-reading was such a damn trial! But when you think of it, in a book store, readers generally pick up a book, look at the cover, check the blurb, and if that looks good, skim over the first few pages. Doing the same in the cyber market makes a lot of sense–although I’m still waiting for the *perfect* screen (and the perfect handbag).
And speaking of excerpts, yours is great! See this book on my bedside table. Oh Yeah! 🙂
Definitely want to read an excerpt for an author I’ve never tried before and have an expectation that it’s going to be a story I’m going to like.
I always read an excerpt when it is a new to me author especially if it is in a sub-genre I’m not particularly fond of. The excerpt will make the difference of a sale or not. EC Sheedy was spot on when she said it’s the equivalent to browsing in a book store. I read part if not the whole first chapter of books in the store as well. There are very few exceptions (a hand full of auto buy authors).
BTW, great excerpt.
Thank you so much for my wonderful prize! I just sent an email to HelenKay with my mailing address. Congrats to Maureen as well.
As for excerpts, they are essential when purchasing a book from a new author. A cover catches my interest first since I am a visual person, then I will read the blurb and then I go onto the excerpt if I liked what I read of the blurb.
Thank you so very much!
I particularly enjoy reading excerpts at the end of a book when they are from the authors next book.
Oh that SCENE!!! It is beyond HOT! If you haven’t picked this book up yet, you should! A very fun read! (fanning myself)
Oh, and of coure I love excerpts! I always try to read one before I buy a book. And because I like them, I always try to include links to excerpts in my reviews.