Meet Marquete Williams!

Today, it is my pleasure to introduce you to new romance author Marquete Williams. Marquete is in the process of creating a fabulous website that will be launched soon, and polishing her first full-length erotic Action/Thriller, Jewel of the Sea. I've asked her to reveal an excerpt to you all, so you get the first look at this wonderful story, as well as talk about herself and her thoughts on this exciting new career venture! Ladies and gentlemen, Marquete Williams...

Hi Denyse! I am so excited to be here. It’s an honor being your guest today. Thank you so much for giving me this wonderful opportunity to tell everyone about my upcoming new adventure, Jewel of the Sea.

I love anything with suspense, fused with a good love story that makes the blood pound in my veins and my backbone rigid with expectancy. The great adventure thriller movies with old time favorites, like Chuck Norris; Clint Eastwood, and Harrison Ford. Unforgettable plots and action scenes call to mind, such as one particular action scene I watched several years back with Chuck Norris and the heroine running through the city streets; the drug kingpins were in relentless pursuit of them. Running into a dead end alleyway, they quickly climb the fire-stairs on the outside of an apartment building, when Norris spots an open bedroom window. He shoves the woman through, and he swiftly falls in. The kingpins are hastily gaining. With no time to spare, Norris rips off the woman’s clothes, and throws her on the bed and pretends to make love to her; the kingpins rushing past the lovers.

Other unforgettable action scenes are Eastwood and his woman prisoner running from the police; Harrison falling for the determined ladies in death defying adventures. Retrospectively, such action flicks with their perilous dangers and provoked wild passion, has inspired me to write about gutsy, quick tempered women, and take charge, larger than life heroes.

My journey in writing my first action thriller novel has been quite tremendous. Based on years of periodic hard work, rewrites and re-visiting my characters and villains; I’ve engaged myself in the intense intrigue storyline and lived through my characters wild and turbulent venture. Along the way, I met two very dear and expressive authors, Gracie McKeever and Denyse Bridger. Both hugely inspirational through my precarious progress, as well, my husband, mother and father, siblings and friends have been heartening and encouraging.

Here’s Jewel of the Sea, and how it advanced into an action thriller...

Jewel started out as short story for a contest I entered. Cal Mallory lives in his summer home on the beach, and finds a woman lying unconscious in a wooden boat. He carries her back to his place to care for her. Cal somewhat believes Toni’s story when she says she is being chased.

Simple enough, but how do I create suspense at a beach house? Was Cal Mallory a convict, a Hells Angel on vacation? Or is he just a normal muscled and rugged professional man living by himself? Why was Toni being chased by thugs? The story ‘as was’ didn’t have enough suspense; I wanted something intriguing, emotional and explosive. Then it came to me: diamonds and Mexico, Cal’s yacht anchored in the Gulf, and a head boss named Rattlesnake that will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.

Toni doesn’t know why she is being chased. Through her frightening venture the pieces come together when she discovers they are after a rare diamond. Rugged, well built, hard as nails, Consultant, Cal Mallory doesn’t like surprises; but when a young woman literally crashes into his life and turns his life world upside down, all hell breaks loose. The next thing he knows he’s on the run with the tenacious wild beauty protecting her from her assailants and coming face to face with the man who wants her.

Through their perilous venture, passion and emotion ignites and differences spark between Cal and Toni. A diamond is disclosed, but it isn’t the one Rattlesnake is after. The diamond he wants is hidden in a most unusual place. Getting to the diamond before the Rattlesnake does, to him in to the authorities poses a greater challenge, raising the stakes. Until Toni is taken, the stakes get even higher.

Danger explodes. Hearts and emotions are shattered and their venture turns fatal. Can Cal make it to Toni before it’s too late?

Time is running out.

Excerpt:

They both hurried through the parking lot towards the wharf. Cal carried the knapsack hobbling beside Toni; the cat cage bouncing off her shapely legs, her jasmine fragrance emitting an untamed trail driving his senses crazy.

Glancing past the bustling vendors, Cal looked over at Benito’s Bar. “Shouldn’t you leave a note for Benito telling him you won’t be in?”

“No worries. I penciled myself off for the next three nights. Who knew,” she said stuffing a stick of gum between her white even teeth.

Minutes later Cal and Toni quickly gaited along the pier. In the distance a few boats cruised in the gulf, while Cal Mallory’s yacht floated placidly at anchor. Overhead a seaplane soared across the blue skies.

* * * * *

Out of nowhere, gun shots shrilled the peaceful air. Vendors and shoppers screamed, scurrying.

“Hay ellos see – There they are!”

Toni’s insides gelled, her legs buckled. Gasping, she looked around, her whole body pounded, watching the people bustle and disappear.

This can’t be happening, she despaired.

Another gunshot shrilled, splintering the floorboards. Toni screamed. Cal glanced over his shoulder, and nudged on Toni’s back. “Get to the safety boat, now!” he barked. Both broke into a run.

“Now do you believe me?” Toni rasped.

“They’re not firecrackers,” Cal hobbled fast beside her.

“Alto!” “Stop!” Pancho yelled, piercing the air firing more shots.

Toni screamed, instinctively looking back.

“Don’t look Toni! Just run!”

All of a sudden an explosion battered the air. Cal watched in horror while balls of flames blasted from his yacht. The space around them hissed and thundered; tremors knocked Toni down flat. Burning shards sprayed in the air and showered them both, drumming the wharf and boats like hailstones. Cal descended on Toni like a soaring hawk, slumping over her body to shield her from the falling debris.

Glass shattered and crackled from the combustion. Toni shuddered under the enormity of Cal’s weight. Both stared at the horrific sight through squinted eyes at the wrath of black smoke and fire rolling upward. The surreal scene provoked Cal nerves.

Sorrowfully, he hung his head, feeling the weight of what just happened, his heart heavy mourning his loss. A flashback of memories of the old man and the day he adopted Gator. His insides quaked, looking back up at the yacht, the smolder stinging his eyes. Seconds later, through the haze, Cal saw a safety boat and the silhouette of a portly man and a wagging tail.
Relief welled through him.

Agony and horror squeezed Toni’s heart. Helpless tears fell watching the blazing gulf. “Oh my god, Patty and Gator,” she shrieked, and struggled under the big man.

“They’re okay,” Cal staggered to his feet. He lifted Toni to a standing position, hastily brushing her bare arms and face, making sure she was alright. She coughed and nodded, “I’m fine.”

Cal groped for his transceiver, but he lost it on impact. Through a fierce clenched jaw he quickly glanced around, and shot his gaze upward and beyond, when he spotted a conspicuous looking black limousine sitting in the parking lot. His heart convulsed. Fear waged in his gut. Cal snapped his attention to Toni.

“Get to the safety boat!” he roared; throwing the knapsack over his shoulder, his hand clutched the crate.

“What about you!”

“I’m right behind you,” he pressed her to move. “Just go! Run!” He flinched with each stride.

Gun blasts punctured the air creating sparks off the aluminum boats. Toni screamed again. Her heart pounded fiercely, her breathing intensified, trying to make her legs go faster. She had no idea the night before would be a recreation. What the fuck do they want?

Cal hobbled to keep up, when he suddenly crashed down hard, thudding on both knees. He instantly put his good leg out to balance himself. Searing pain spiked through him. His breathing grew rougher as he glanced back at the two men jogging through the waterfront pointing their weapons. Surrender their ammo and put them in a boxing ring, he growled inwardly – wondered what they would be like. They must be the same goons that chased Toni last night. His fists tightened.

Toni felt the heavy rumble beneath her, and turned. Her breath caught, and fear pierced her insides at the sight of Cal staggering to lift himself up. Toni ripped her horrified gaze between the goons firing their hand guns, the shots splintering the wharf behind him, Cal flinching with each awkward stride.

She started to run towards him.

Cal!

“Get in the boat, Toni. I’m right behind you–”

She looped his big arm over her shoulder, and grabbed crate from his grip, and hurried for the safety boat.

“Not without you.”

ADDENDUM: We're going to have some fun and at the end of the day, too. Marquete is going to randomly pick a comment, and we'll send off a little surprise to whoever she picks. I'll offer up a prize pack of a Wild Rose Press bookmark, pen, and a PDF download of any eBook on my catalogue! Marquete's throwing in some sinful chocolates to complete the decadence....