Hoppy Easter Blog Hop and the Prize in the Golden Egg Giveaway

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for the Hoppy Easter Blog Hop hosted by The Blog Hop Spot.

It's Easter weekend, a time of flowers, colored eggs, gentle breezes, and...coffee? Perhaps not your typical addition to the pastel baskets and fluffy bunnies, but certainly a treat for many people. I personally love coffee and if my Easter basket was stuffed with it, I wouldn't complain. But mostly, I hope to find the Golden Egg in an Easter egg hunt.

To entice you into the holiday spirit, I've offered a little bonus scene between Bridget MacGregor nee Shanahan and her husband Fredrick, the heroine and hero from my latest release, Her Devoted Vampire, available now from Evernight Publishing.

“That’s not fair, Fredrick.” Bridget unwrapped her scarf with a savage twist and threw her coat onto a nearby chair. “I’m never having an Easter egg hunt with werewolves again!”

“Come now, it wasn’t that bad, was it?” Fredrick stuffed his gloves into his pocket and headed straight for the coffee machine on the kitchen counter.

“Are you kidding? By the time I’d found five, Cynthia and Stephen had at least two dozen.”

“Ah, yes, but you did find the Golden Egg.” He winked over his shoulder at her. “And you know that’s the greatest prize of all.”

“Oh yeah?” Bridget looked at him from under her brows as she flopped down on a couch. “Where’s this special prize?”

“I told you, my dear, you must be patient.”

She grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. Whatever made her think she could have a fair shot at finding eggs when the werewolves could smell them? She had been a little mollified when she’d uncovered the sparkling “golden egg” encrusted with real Swarovski crystals and fine fresh water pearls. Fredrick had promised her a ‘special prize’ and that took some of the sting away from her paltry nine eggs to her opponents’ two dozen. Each.

“Mother pus-bucket!”

“Now, now, there’s no need for that, my lady.” Fredrick appeared before her holding a large basket of flowers and a cup of coffee. “This is for you.”

She gasped. “They’re beautiful.”

Brilliant red geraniums held court with peach colored roses, golden daffodils, and purple and white tulips. Purple grape hyacinth fought for space among the crocus blossoms. The golden egg she’d found in the garden nestled between the glorious blooms, shining in the lights of the kitchen.

 “Thank you.”

“Your prize, my dear.” Fredrick pointed to the egg.

“The egg?”

“Open it.”

Curious, she grasped the sparkling egg and spun it in her fingers, looking for a way to pull it apart. A tiny hinge on the back allowed her to follow the seam to the front where one of the pearls acted as the catch for a loop of gold wire. She flicked it open and cocked her head at the palm-sized black velvet bag tied with a gold ribbon.

“What is it?”

Fredrick sat beside her and lifted the bag out. He held it up to her nose. “Sniff.”

Bridget inhaled and her senses flooded with the delicious scents of baby powder mixed with orange blossom honey, and gardenia. She closed her eyes and reveled in the smell until it drifted away.

She opened her eyes. “Oh glory, what is that?”

“That is Honey Dust.”

“What is it for?”

A dark, predatory smile wreathed his lips. “It’s your prize, my lady. I plan on dusting your body with it and licking every little bit of it off of you.”

She raised her eyebrow. “That sounds like more of a prize for you, than for me.”

“Oh, I promise it will be worth your while.”

Bridget grinned. “Do I get to use it on you, too?”

His laugh rumbled. “Perhaps when I’m done with you. Saucy minx.” Then he snatched her into his arms and hauled her, squealing and laughing, off to their bedroom. 

Oh, I could definitely go for that in my Easter basket! Alas, I'm sure I'll have the usual chocolate and M&Ms, but no Honey Dust. Maybe I'll get coffee this year. ;)

But what's your prize in the Golden Egg? I'm offering a digital copy of Her Devoted Vampire and a signed, framed cover art photo to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is tell me what you'd like to find in your Easter basket this year, follow my blog, and add a valid email address or Twitter handle in your comment (so I can let you know you've won). The winner will be announced here on this blog Monday, April 9th after 12:00 pm PDT.

Be sure to visit all the blogs on the Blog Hop Spot Event Page for your chance to win more fabulous prizes to put in your Easter basket. Thank you for visiting and happy reading! :)