With: Elizabeth Harmon
In SHINING
THROUGH, when Tabitha
Turner, sweetheart of
American figure skating, falls for the bad boy of Russian figure skating, Daniil Andreev, it puts her quest for Olympic gold on thin ice. Can the two
set aside their painful pasts and spiral into a shining future together… or
will their dreams shatter like thin ice? Dirty Dancing meets Olympic figure
skating in this sweet and sexy final book in the Red Hot Russians series from
contemporary romance author Elizabeth Harmon.
SHINING THROUGH
The Biggest Season of her Career…
America’s sweetheart Tabitha Turner is on
track to win figure-skating gold in the Winter Games. Her family has sacrificed
everything for her career, but the pressure is taking its toll. Burned out and
living a lie, can Tabitha let off a little steam without melting the ice?
The Last Chance of His…
Russia’s bad boy of skating Daniil
Andreev is determined to prove the toughest thing about him is his competitive
fight. When Tabitha tempts him to help her take a secret walk on the wild side,
he gives her a taste of the freedom she craves, never expecting that one
unforgettable night could turn into something more.
Two Hearts on Thin Ice…
Chicago, Vancouver, Paris… the
international figure skating season unfolds. Tabitha and Daniil compete and
fall in love, but as the pressure mounts in a make-or-break season, can they
set aside their painful pasts and spiral into a shining future together… or
will their dreams shatter like thin ice?
SHINING THROUGH Excerpt
Copyright © 2017 Elizabeth
Harmon
As awkward as this was,
he seemed to sense she had something on her mind. She might as well get it over
with. “But I came to Vancouver to work with Misha on my skating. And you too,
of course, because I admire your,” her cheeks burned hot, “passion, on the
ice.”
“Just on the ice?”
His tone was light and playful. Clearly, he wasn’t taking her seriously.
Her mouth tightened and
she crossed her arms over her body. “Look, as much fun as we had in Chicago,
what happened there needs to stay there.”
He shoved his hands into
the pockets of his trousers and gave her a long penetrating look. “Do you think
I am pushing you for something more?”
“Maybe. It’s hard to
know for sure.” The heat in her cheeks spread to her around her eyes and down
the back of her neck. “I don’t have a lot of experience with situations like
this—“
“You mean with sex?”
His directness startled
her, and she glanced wildly around at the people passing by on the sidewalk. A
busy downtown street felt like entirely the wrong place for a conversation like
this. Then again, she’d started it. She dropped her gaze and pushed a stray
lock of hair back behind her ear. “Yes, sex,” she muttered. “And the rest of
it, too.”
“Tabitha.” His low voice
wrapped gently around her name and he stepped forward, taking her hand. “This
is not to push you into something you are not ready for. I pay you compliments
because you deserve them, not to lure you into bed.”
At that, an elderly
woman turned and glared. Not at Daniil, but at her. Talk about double
standards! Tabitha pushed her hair back again. “Come on let’s walk.”
They continued on toward
the cauldron in an uncomfortable silence that tainted the beautiful
surroundings. Vancouver Harbor was drenched in the warm golden light of late afternoon
sun, and the mountains in the distance formed a stunning backdrop. Too bad she
couldn’t truly appreciate them. Though she’d said what needed to be said, she
didn’t feel good about it. Daniil glanced over. “It seems you don’t have a high
opinion of me,” he said, quietly. “Did I offend you in some way?”
She didn’t want to get
into an embarrassing conversation about untrustworthy Russians or Mafia Dad
rumors. “It’s not just you. Like I said, I don’t have a lot of experience with
men. How could I? I missed out on college and dating to spend half my life in
an ice rink! On the other hand, my mom and my sister do have a lot of
experience. And most of it hasn’t been very good.”
He nodded slowly. “So
because of them, you think the worst of me. Like today at the airport, when you
thought I left you stranded.”
“It’s not you
personally.” But even as she said it, she knew she wasn’t being entirely
honest. Brett had said he was trouble and even if the rumors weren’t true, his
suspension was fact. To say nothing of his recent arrest. Though the fact he
was competing at all suggested the whole thing was behind him, knowing he’d
been in trouble in the first place, troubled her.
She has a squeaky clean
no-drama image and intended to keep it that way. She’d never had the luxury of
messing up. It wasn’t necessarily fun, but you did what you had to do. He
obviously hadn’t lived that way and though she didn’t want to think the worst
of him because of it, a part of her couldn’t help it.
The brush of his hand
against hers made her stop walking. She turned toward him, and they stood
facing one another in the busy plaza as pedestrians streamed past. “I didn’t
invite you to Vancouver so I could have sex with you. Not that I would mind,”
he said, offering a little smile, “but I also understand that you don’t know
me, other than what you may have heard. Which probably isn’t very good?”
The humorous glint in
his eyes had softened into something different. Sincerity, maybe even shaded by
regret. Was it possible that he’d been humbled by his mistakes and wanted to
change? If so, he deserved her honesty. “Not really.”
“But just like you are
more than an Ice Queen, there is more to me than people think. So maybe we get
to know each other, and then decide what comes next.”
About
Elizabeth Harmon:
Elizabeth Harmon loves
to read and write romances with a dash of different.
A graduate of the
University of Illinois, she has worked in advertising, community journalism and
as a freelance magazine writer. She feels incredibly blessed to have a career
that allows her to spend her days imagining “what if?” and a loving family that
keeps her grounded in the real world. Her debut novel, Pairing Off is a
2016 RITA Award Finalist.
An adventurous cook,
vintage home enthusiast, occasional actress, and entry-level figure skater,
Elizabeth makes her home in the Midwest, where life is good, but the sports
teams aren’t. She loves to hang out on her front porch, or at her favorite
local establishments, enjoy good food and wine, and talk writing with anyone
who will listen.
Hi JCR, thanks for hosting me today. I hope readers enjoy Tabitha and Daniil's story. FB likes, and adding the book to Goodreads TBR lists is greatly appreciated!
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