Women's Fiction & Contemporary Romance

Casey Dawes

A tap on her shoulder shook Jane from her replay of Michael’s after dinner kiss the night before. “You’re not doing it right,” a young female voice said. Jane turned and stared at the figure dressed in an empire-waisted green dress. The woman’s light brown hair was swept up in … Read More

Jane suggested a small Ukrainian restaurant near her apartment. “I go there a lot,” she said to Michael.  “They know me and what I like. It’s like having my own personal chef and dining room.” She slid on her coat, Michael helping her with the sleeve that seemed to have … Read More

It’s been a while since I’ve written another scene for “The Bodice Rips…”  Part of it is that I was working on another story, one that, frankly, excited me more.  As I sat down to work on “The Bodice Rips…” today, I realized I was stuck. So, I did what … Read More

Page Five Sophie stabbed at the needlework, jabbing her index finger. “Ouch!” Sucking the tip of her finger in her mouth, she scowled at the offending fabric.  She’d made quilts at home, but they were practical.  This, this artistic nonsense was a waste of time.  A prettily embroidered jack-in-the-pulpit would … Read More

Jane snatched the envelope from Michael. If only she could hide it in the freezer along with the cat food, dirty dish and tampon box. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize it for what it was. “Landlord problems?” Michael said as he shut the door. “Mmmm.” She tossed the envelope on the … Read More

Page 4 It was unfair. Jonathan had been enjoying his grumpy mood far too much and now this chit of a girl was ruining his ability to remain testy. She was attempting to look down her nose at him–a difficult feat for a slight girl a little over five feet … Read More

A note from the author:  All writing is re-writing.  I’ve made some adjustments to the characters and plot since I began this piece. If you’ve read The Bodice Rips on page 25 before, you might go back and start here.  If you’ve never read any of it…you might start at … Read More

    “Oh, m’lady,” the shop girl squealed. “Yer all wet!” Sophie glanced in a nearby mirror.  She did look a bit bedraggled. Good thing her aunt couldn’t see her. “I’ll dry,” she pointed out to the shop girl. “I’ve come to see what can be done about this.” Sophie thrust … Read More

     An hour later Jane was still sitting at the coffee shop, entranced by Michael’s stories of hobnobbing with royalty when he worked with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. She didn’t know how much of what he said was true and how much was his imagination. “I wish I could … Read More

Jane stared at the rain pouring out her own window. She longed to follow her imagination to that English country stable, throw herself over a horse and ride for hours. But there was no horse in a stable waiting for her. She was a city girl, always had been.      … Read More