Carmen DeSousa

Here's a brief description of my male protagonist, Jordan Monroe, from She Belongs to Me,  seen from my female protagonist's POV the first time she sees him. Excerpt: At that precise moment, the man sitting at her booth looked up from his menu, acknowledging her presence. Wow ! Now she understood Amy’s grin and offer to assist. She gawked in awe. The man at her table was a real looker. Not in a generic, Hollywood way. He was a genuine, all-American, striking male. The man’s face, chiseled and sculpted to perfection, stared back: square chin, high cheekbones and angular nose, all framed by a neatly trimmed beard trailing up his jaw that only added to his rugged look. His hair was a deep brown, almost black and cropped short, military-style. His build also resembled an officer of some sort. His shoulders were broad and held back in perfect posture, and based on their width, she now understood the need for a larger booth. According to readers,  She Belongs ...

Full cover coming soon...getting closer...  Spoiler Alert!!! Though subtle this week, over the next few weeks, I will be sharing excerpts from my new romantic-suspense, When Noonday Ends , a spin-off of Land of the Noonday Sun . You will not have to read Land of the Noonday Sun to understand When Noonday Ends , but you will not enjoy reading Land of the Noonday Sun as much if you read second. Just sayin’. J Excerpt: Sitting at the back of the courtroom, Tom Turner’s mind wandered. One person after another approached the judge, claiming their innocence. He hated doing this, but the law firm where he worked required all new attorneys to accept hardship cases. To get your feet wet , they’d said. Like his father before him, he’d chosen a career as an attorney. And for once in his life, his parents were actually proud of him. Still, most attorneys spent their days off golfing. He couldn’t stand golf, but he’d give anything to be kayaking right no...

Oh...and I've hidden the cover too...  Spoiler Alert!!! Though subtle this week, the next few weeks I will be sharing excerpts from my new romantic-suspense, When Noonday Ends , a spin-off of Land of the Noonday Sun . You will not have to read Land of the Noonday Sun to understand When Noonday Ends , but you will not enjoy reading Land of the Noonday Sun as much if you read second. Just sayin’. J Excerpt: Sitting at the back of the courtroom, Tom Turner’s mind wandered. One person after another approached the judge, claiming their innocence. He hated doing this, but the law firm where he worked required all new attorneys to accept hardship cases. To get your feet wet , they’d said. Like his father before him, he’d chosen a career as an attorney. And for once in his life, his parents were actually proud of him. Well, that's it. Just a quick glimpse of our main character. If you've read Land of the Noonday Sun , you know who Tom Turner is and...

After secrets and a mysterious background leave a wife’s life hanging by a thread, a husband must look for answers in the only place he knows—the past. Excerpt from the first chapter: Jordan ambled his way over to the French doors and attempted to pull the door shut, but something blocked its track. He switched on the overhead light, and she was there… He dropped to his knees, his hands fluttering to her face in horror. “Oh, my God…Jaynee…What have you done?” He didn’t recognize the peal of anguish that escaped his throat. Blood dripped off his wife’s forehead and pooled onto the planks of their wood deck. Her arm draped across the threshold. Beside her lay the .38 caliber revolver he gave her for protection when they first married. Jordan’s first instinct was disbelief, and he wanted to inspect the gun to ensure it was hers. But his police training took over, and instead he knelt over her to confirm she was breathing. Thank God she was, but it was faint, and she w...

Jaynee questions Jordan wanting to take her salsa dancing. He immediately responds to her comment as though she thinks he's just a dumb country boy, and he assures her he isn't. Excerpt: He flashed a wicked smile, wiggling his eyebrows at her as he shifted the car into drive. “What in the world type of dancing are you planning, Jordan?” she asked. He glanced in the rearview mirror then back at her. “ Salsa …” His tone was seductive as he enunciated the word. “ You, Salsa dance?” He huffed at her reaction. “Baby…it’s not my fault you think I’m a dumb country boy because of my accent, which by the way I can suppress if I want.” He did so instantaneously, demonstrating his ability. She started at the endearment “baby” but addressed his accusation first. “I have never thought you a ‘dumb country boy’, Jordan. Country, yes, but never dumb!” Her face flushed with anger that he would even imply such a thing. He reached across the seat and stroked her arm. “I k...

From the first chapter. Jaynee has just met Jordan, and besides his strong southern drawl, there is something about him that tells her he's not from around here, and she wants to know more. And Jordan has asked her what her initials stand for, and she refused to tell him. We are in Jordan's POV. Excerpt:   “Where are you from?” she asked. “You’re not from Florida, are you?” “Now why would you think that?” he teased, smiling. Maybe he could get her to let down her guard. “Well, your accent obviously. Plenty of Floridians have southern accents, just not in Pinellas County. Even so, there is something else I cannot quite place, but I know it’s not a Floridian trait.” She relaxed deeper in the booth, crossing her arms, awaiting his answer. Wondering what she was getting at but deciding to engage her until he got what he wanted, he offered a compromise. “I’ll make you a deal,” he hedged, staring into her eyes a fraction longer than necessary, watching as...

One of the things I love about writing is sharing my love for the great outdoors. Here’s just a sample. Excerpt:   They descended the path faster than their ascent. Jaynee had to move fast to keep his tempo, but finally Jordan slowed his pace. Could they have made it back to the start already? That’s when she heard it—a waterfall. “Jordan!” she exclaimed. “I love waterfalls!” He stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist as they stared at the magnificence and splendor. Something about a waterfall entranced her, especially in the desert. The breeze created as the cascading falls pounded the river below as the sound of the crashing water drowned out all other noises as it beat the rocks below the waiting river’s surface. It was simply breathtaking. Her eyes glazed over just a tad at the thoughtfulness that Jordan had put into their week. “Thank you,” she whispered. He bent over her shoulder, kissing her neck. “I love them too,” he admitted. ...

Excerpt:   “Shall we?” The question was rhetorical. Instead of waiting for an answer, Jordan twirled her out once then pulled her back into his arms as he lowered her gracefully into a dip, his strong arms secured around her. The mime jumped up and down, clapping his hands noiselessly then proceeded to make a mock display as if tapping on a glass, beckoning them to kiss. Jordan obliged, and a cheer emerged from the surrounding crowd Jaynee hadn’t noticed had gathered. Jordan stepped back and bowed, pulling her with him. “Jordan, you’re crazy.” She let out a laugh. “And a ham! Can we go?” she pleaded. Not accustomed to the spotlight, she could feel heat fill her cheeks. “If you insist, my lady.” He waved the crowd off and pulled her to his side again. Finally, they made their way to the room. Although it shouldn’t have taken her by surprise, she felt the wind rush out of her when he swung her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold of their suite. Sh...

Excerpt: “Are you still at the movies? You can finish and meet me at Starbucks when it’s over.” Jaynee spoke the words nonchalantly as if she couldn’t fathom the notion he had been waiting all evening to see her. “Are you kidding?” he burst out. “I hardly even know what I was watching. I’ll meet you at the restaurant. You haven’t left yet, right?” “No, I have about fifteen minutes. I have a couple—” “Good.” He cut off her words. “I’ll come and get you.” He hung up the phone before she could argue. He didn’t like the idea of her walking out to her car alone. She was strong-willed and probably never asked for an escort. How many calls had he received where a waitress was attacked leaving work? Real-life predators knew tipped employees walked out with cash money. With Jaynee it was doubly tempting, as she looked appealing too. Download  She Belongs to Me  in Print or eBook Formats: Amazon Amazon UK Barnes and Noble I love talking abou...

Jordan has just met Jaynee and he knows she's had a horrible past, but he wants to assure her that he's the one person who'll never hurt her. But how can he convince her that in such a short time? Excerpt: Jordan set his dessert down, sighed, and then gently cupped Jaynee’s face with both hands. She sucked in a mouthful of air as if preparing for impact. What did she think he was going to do? Someone had hurt her badly. He planned to find out, but first he needed to assure her he wasn’t some schmuck who only wanted to take advantage of her. “Jaynee, I don’t know how to say this without scaring the heck out of you, or myself for that matter. But I am not pretending anything. And I am definitely not interested in a one-night stand. I don’t know how this is going to work, but I…all I know is I want—” He pulled her face to his, kissing her softly once, twice, a third. As she parted her lips inviting him in, he kissed her deeper, passionately. They fit toge...