The Warehouse Part 2 FREE STORY

It's time for Part 2 of The Warehouse, this time coming to you direct from the pen of Miss Iona V Andrew!

Follow the link if you need to catch up with what happened in Part 1.

The Warehouse

Part 2

'I'm not sure it really matters at this point. We always knew they had resources. I guess we just didn't figure they'd be this good.' 

She tried to peer into the gloom of the warehouse, desperate for any indication of what was out there. She could see the bare concrete floor extend into the darkness, two more sets of girders either side of them about 20 metres away. Above them the roof was too far to make anything out. No windows either, all she could sense was the huge space around them. Empty except for her, and her companion. She'd been trying not to let the cold get to her but the shivering was becoming harder to stop. Under her bare feet the concrete floor sucked all the warmth out of her body.she let out another sigh and watched her breath form a cloud in front of her. The anger was starting to give way to fear. It didn't matter how they got there or whose fault it was. All that mattered was how they were going to get out, before they both froze to death. 

'I can't stand much more of this. I'm cold, and I don't think I'm going to be able to stay awake much longer.' her voice had lost all the heat of her earlier rage. She sounded scared. She felt him tug on the handcuffs, trying to turn to see her. 

'Just hang on, they can't mean to leave us here to die. They would have just killed us before.'
She scoffed at his attempts to comfort her, but no sooner did the sound of her short laugh disappear into the silence of the warehouse than it was replaced with the sound of a distant car engine. 

Distant, but getting closer.

Feeling chilly yet?! Look out for Part 3 - coming soon!
Ellie and Iona
xxx

Something a little bit different ... FREE STORY

A couple of months ago my best friend (the brilliant @ionavandrew) and I decided to see what would happen if we wrote a story together, passing a few hundred words at a time back and forth.

Iona writes gritty crime procedurals, I write people falling in love, so we handcuffed a couple together, chucked them into a warehouse and waited to see what happened!

Here's part 1 of 'The Warehouse' (from Ellie)...

The Warehouse

Part 1

She tugged against the cuffs and winced as the cold metal bit into her skin.

'Would you stop that?'

She directed an exasperated sigh at the voice behind her. 'And do you have a better idea for getting us out of here?'

A telling silence.

'No? Well good. Let's leave the ideas to me, shall we? Because the last brilliant thought you had got us here --' shackled back to back in an abandoned warehouse, with no food, no drink, and no hope of rescue. Bloody brilliant. She pulled harder at the cuffs, deliberately this time, pulling until they were tight against her skin.

'You've made your point.' This time the voice was thin, defeated. 'And I am sorry. I never imagined this would happen.' She leant her head back against the girder and let out a long sigh. How could he have imagined this. Before the moment that she was bundled into a van, a bag pulled over her head, her hands tied behind her back, she wouldn't have believed that this, that anything like this, actually happened in real life.

The rational part of her brain knew that it wasn't his fault. That the only people who really carried the blame for kidnapping her were the people who had kidnapped her. but she'd been angry with him for so long that it seemed more natural to be pissed at him than not.

'How do you think they found us?'

We'd love to know what you think! Part 2 (from Iona) will follow very soon :)

Ellie and Iona
x

Update: click here for Part 2

Should All Romance Novels End with a Marriage Proposal?

I'm blogging today at my publisher's website - head over to -http://www.crimsonromance.com/featured/should-all-romance-novels-end-with-a-marriage-proposal/#sthash.EpRMuaTW.dpuf to check it out and leave me a comment!

Ellie x

It's here!

I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to finally announce ... HIDING FROM HOLLYWOOD is HERE!

The run up to today has been a combination of ridiculous excitement and sweaty-palmed nerves as I've gradually realised that those lovely, not so lovely and downright horrid folks who have existed in my brain (and the brains of a few trusted friends!) until now are going to be unleashed on the world.

I've loved spent the last two years with Abby and Ethan, working out who they are, making them fall in love, making them laugh, cry and *ahem* well, you know. I never believed when I was writing this story week after week, word after word, that one day I'd get to share it with the world but thanks to the brilliant folks at Crimson they're here! I hope you enjoy getting to know them just as much as I have.

The book landed on virtual bookshelves this morning, and hopefully those of you who preordered will have your copies sitting waiting on the ereader of your choice :) If you've not picked up a copy yet, it's available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, iTunes, and Google Play and other ebook sites. If you've read the book, I'd love to hear what you think of it - leave me a review on Amazon or Goodreads or contact me directly on Facebook, Twitter or by email. If you're a blogger or book reviewer and want a review copy of the book then drop me a line at elliedarkins@gmail.com.

Ellie
x

Media world domination starts here

Today  marked a huge milestone in my career as a writer - my first media interview!

Here I am in the studio of BBC Coventry and Warwickshire radio just before my interview with Bob Brolly.

The interview is here on the BBC iPlayer, and will be available for the next week.

I'm on from about 00:10 to 00:40 talking about Hiding from Hollywood, and my writing group, Harbury Writers. Also listen out for the surprise appearance from the husband-to-be discussing how he proposed to me!

Ellie x

Happy 2014

Happy New Year you lovely lot!

And what a year it's shaping up to be. Today is Hiding from Hollywood launch minus 11, and I'm communicating with those around me mainly through squeals of excitement (and sneezes).

Will have lots more exciting things to share as l-day draws closer so watch this space!

Here's to a fabulous 2014 for us all.

Love, Ellie xxx