My Sexy Love - Songs in Love Stories - Where I Cheat with My Sexy Saturday

Welcome back to My Sexy Saturday! This week's theme is "My Sexy Love":

"There is something special in writing about love and how two people can find how important it is. It’s special to us as writers if we find a song or a series of songs that epitomize that love story.

"We can think of hundreds of love stories that have been inspired by music. The characters they produce are the type that live forever."

 Those of you who have read my Pride and Prejudice adaptations know how much music music affects me and becomes an integral part of my plots. (The same is true in my upcoming romantic suspense The Widow.) Thus, I felt I has no choice to cheat just a little and provide short excerpt from both my modern adaptation as well as the story of Mr. Darcy, vampire. So, my dear readers, you may elect to read from the adaptation of your choice, or both if it is your desire...

UPDATE:  I am giving away THREE eBooks of each of these novels!  Just leave a comment here: Click this link

From The Proud and the Prejudiced: A Modern Twist on Pride and Prejudice

 I am sure you all recall the scene at Rosings where Elizabeth plays the pianoforte as Mr. Darcy listens. In this 21st century adaptation, Rosings is replaced by New Orleans (naturally!), and Alice plays a song on her iPhone for Peter to hear. It's one of her favourite songs - "Maggot Brain" by the Funkadelics - and he is predisposed not to like it based on the title. They listen to it together, each with one earbud plugged into the music...

     The short length of the cord forced Alice closer to him, and she pressed play.

     During the opening arpeggio, his straight mouth and eyes rolled up to the sky told her he expected to be unimpressed. Then on that first dramatic intense riff of the lead, his fathomless eyes fell upon her, the serious line of his lips denoting something far different from ennui. The song had always affected her, but now the strings of the guitar reached deep beneath her sternum and tightened around her heart.

     Halfway through, the song drew quiet, and she didn’t think she could bear another five minutes in such close proximity with her head swimming in whisky and his heat causing her a chill.

      “After that, it’s just pretty much more of the same.”

    She reached to take the earbud from him, but he clasped her hand near her cheek. “No. I want to hear the rest.”

     When the screaming guitar line began again, their eyes met, and she lost her breath and pulled her hand away. Her breasts felt heavy, and her nipples tightened as if a cool breeze had fluttered between them, but the night air was as hot, dense, and still as ever.

She squeezed her eyes closed both to block out the man sharing this moment and to revel in its succulence.

     Once it ended, they pulled the buds from their ears and he locked her in his gaze. “That is the sexiest song I have ever heard, and you are the sexi—”

From Pulse and Prejudice: The Confession of Mr Darcy, Vampire

This scene is from the last night that Jane and Elizabeth are staying a Netherfield following her illness.... 

Miss Bingley finished a concerto as he entered and immediately transitioned into an Italian love song. She smirked, quite pleased at the attention she received from one quarter, as Darcy stared in her direction while listening to her play and sing. She rose to polite applause then invited Elizabeth to the pianoforte as she smiled at Darcy and assumed the chair nearest him.

Elizabeth thumbed through the sheet music a moment then changed her mind and took her seat at the instrument. She began to play.

Darcy recognized the sonata within the first few notes. Beethoven. He had not heard it in years, perhaps not since before, but he did not recall it ever sounding so bittersweet. Miss Bingley spoke, yet he heard nothing but the haunting chords...strains of sorrow, longing, and unrequited desire. He had not wanted to watch Elizabeth, but he could not look away, the mysterious melody whispering to him. His mind returned to that morning, his hand on her face, his lips on her neck. He envisioned pulling her into his arms and holding her in a firm embrace, untamed thoughts of loosening her hair and running his fingers through the silken strands as he brought his mouth onto hers.

Elizabeth played only six minutes, ending as gently as she had begun, sending the room into silence. A few moments passed before she said, “I fear the first movement is all I remember.”

“That was beautiful, Lizzy,” said Jane. “I have not heard you play that piece in forever. Pray, what is it called again?”

“Quasi una fantasia. I do not remember the last time I played it. I cannot think what made me play it now.” She turned her gaze from her hands on the keys into the eyes of Darcy.

They held the stare for a full minute, although it seemed an hour, as if pulled by lodestone. Darcy regained his senses and broke away, straightening his posture, standing, and stalking out of the room. Elizabeth shook her head to relieve the torpor. She stood and smiled at the others. “I suppose I cannot please everyone.”

By the way, Quasi una fantasia would later be known as The Moonlight Concerto - quite appropriate for a vampire, wouldn't you say? You can hear it played on the trailer for the original release of Pulse and Prejudice.

Be sure to enter to win one of three gorgeous hardbound editions of Pulse and Prejudice. Also, if you order directly from the publisher's store, the hardback is $5 off for a limited time.

(For more information on the relaunch of Pulse and Prejudice, check out my interview on Austen Variations.)

 

 
 Where to find Pulse and Prejudice
 
Audiobook Now Available from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes

Don't forget to visit these other awesome authors and their excerpts for My Sexy Love!