Seal the Deal by JoAnne Kenrick
A 1Night Stand Story
After being ditched at
the altar, Finn Kneale isolates himself at Port St. Mary’s magnificent
lighthouse. A violent storm ravishes the coastline, pitching the maritime tower
into the Irish sea and transforming Finn into a seal. Carefree at first, he
soon longs to walk as a man again. When leap year arrives, bathing land and sea
in magic, Finn temporarily regains his human form. If he can’t find his soul
mate in twenty-four hours, he’ll be back to cavorting among the waves.
Anne Ward—resident
midwife and newcomer to Port St. Mary, Isle of Man—guards some wild secrets of
her own while avoiding entanglements with married doctors. A believer in fate,
she seeks out Madame Eve’s exclusive agency to help find her destined mate.
1Night Stand matches these two lonely souls. But will their extraordinary date allow Finn and Anne to open their hearts to magical possibilities and Seal the Deal?
Excerpt:
Finn Kneale slid from
his watch-point rock a few miles out from the little tourist trap where he had
lived for most of his life. Under the miraculous February 29th lunar eclipse,
he delved into the depths of the Irish Sea. The orb hanging over the ocean like
a dimmed lantern held his last chance to undo the spell shrouding him in
misery. Water lapped, and he twisted, clapping flippers over the sea foam.
Waves crashed over his mottled gray-and-black seal self. Excitement rushed
through him and exited in a loud, brassy roar. Then he unleashed another and
another, each increasing in volume for the benefit of his aquatic friends. The
barked announcement told the world Finn hoped to meet his mate tonight.
He floated in the shallows, waiting, watching as the old, white lighthouse fluctuated in and out of existence. The sliver of moonlight cast a silvery glow over the once-in-ruins building sitting proud again, high on the cliff’s edge. Its beacon shone bright, yet the gray sky pitched gloom below. He had all of twenty-four hours to seal the deal—as long as the lighthouse stood—then the energy balance would return to normal along the rocky shores of the Isle of Man, the historical maritime building vanishing once again. At least, that was the story his father had relayed every morning for the last four years.
Shimmying his slippery body across the pebbled beach of Port St. Mary, he took cover between tall, bulky rocks for the transformation. Safely hidden, he squeezed his eyelids closed and tried to envision his human self. Too much time had passed; he wasn’t sure his memory was close to the mark.
Think, Finn, think.
Soft cotton towels against his whiskers, the warm touch of the sun on his shoulders as he worked the farm, tasty homemade soup tangy on his tongue. Soft flesh of a woman beneath him. Oh, to be admired for his manliness rather than his cutesy seal features and bubble-blowing talents. Fragmented recollections of the little things were all that had survived years of watching the shoreline.
He floated in the shallows, waiting, watching as the old, white lighthouse fluctuated in and out of existence. The sliver of moonlight cast a silvery glow over the once-in-ruins building sitting proud again, high on the cliff’s edge. Its beacon shone bright, yet the gray sky pitched gloom below. He had all of twenty-four hours to seal the deal—as long as the lighthouse stood—then the energy balance would return to normal along the rocky shores of the Isle of Man, the historical maritime building vanishing once again. At least, that was the story his father had relayed every morning for the last four years.
Shimmying his slippery body across the pebbled beach of Port St. Mary, he took cover between tall, bulky rocks for the transformation. Safely hidden, he squeezed his eyelids closed and tried to envision his human self. Too much time had passed; he wasn’t sure his memory was close to the mark.
Think, Finn, think.
Soft cotton towels against his whiskers, the warm touch of the sun on his shoulders as he worked the farm, tasty homemade soup tangy on his tongue. Soft flesh of a woman beneath him. Oh, to be admired for his manliness rather than his cutesy seal features and bubble-blowing talents. Fragmented recollections of the little things were all that had survived years of watching the shoreline.
About the Author:
JoAnne Kenrick is a multi-published author who writes both contemporaries and paranormals. Her Irish Kisses series earned her the title of a Bookstrand bestselling author, and contemporary romance bestselling author at ARe and Amazon.When JoAnne's not writing, she enjoys creating book adverts and crafting.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two kids, and two puddy cats. When they aren't demanding her attention she strums away on the keys of her little laptop, creating worlds and adventures she could only ever dream of. Come across the pond and faraway....with JoAnne Kenrick. Get exclusive sneak peeks at her new and upcoming releases by signing up to her quarterly newsletter here: http://tinyletter.com/joannekenrick
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