Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog. Today my guest is Katherine Kayne who has an excerpt from her novel Bound in Roses that releases January 23, 2024. We hope you enjoy this excerpt. Be sure to read all the way to the end to learn about Katherine’s giveaway. Happy reading, my lovelies!

EXCERPT:

Aboard the SS Wilhelmina, Pacific Ocean, 
At the entrance to San Francisco Bay
The 1st of March, 1910

It was that briefest of moments right before the sun rose. The tip of the day coming to greet her. Not light enough to really see, but enough to make out the California hills and the edges where land met water. Different shades of black marked by lighthouses on either side of the Bay. Pinpoints of light already flickering near the city. 

Very few of the other passengers were out and about. Most were in their cabins packing their last items. Some were even still asleep. Meanwhile the ship hummed as the crew prepared to bring the Wilhelmina into port.

For this dawn arrival Lokelani chose to stand at the rail at the bow of the ship. Facing directly into the wind, she slouched deep into the layers of clothing she’d donned in the faint hope of keeping warm in the early March chill. 

Her gloved hands gripped the rail as the ship began its entry through the Golden Gate into San Francisco Bay. She braced for the jolt that she knew would come, the jolt all ships experienced when crossing that point where the swirling currents transitioned from the rough Pacific waves to the calmer waters of the Bay. What kind of twisted humor caused a person to name an ocean “Pacific” when it was so notoriously rough? In fact, the nearer they came to California, the rougher it always was.

The jolt came, mild this time, perhaps due to the unique construction of the Wilhelmina. The captain had bragged that the ship had special bilge fittings that made her more stable. Lokelani had to admit she’d been less seasick this trip.

And then the sun rose, peeking over the Sierras. When (or if?) she made it back to Maui one day, she must ride up Haleakalā to greet the dawn once again. That ride was no

colder an adventure than this.

For the last two days she’d kept to her cabin with the queasiness she always experienced in rougher seas, the sea air not enough of an antidote under those harsher conditions. She’d not seen Artemus since his promise to finish the letter. But he had sent the steward with a box of Chinese ginger candies and a note suggesting their use. The candies did help. This was the best she had felt in days.

A large presence moved along the rail and landed at her side. “Good morning,” he said. “I am glad to see you survived.”

Her mouth curved in a delighted smile. “With your help, thank you very much. I must ask you to let me know where to get more of the ginger. It is quite helpful.”

“I’d be happy to share my secrets.” He leaned in closer, his arm touching hers. “Any secret at all.”

Her mind went momentarily blank. She could—no, should—pull away. But she did not want to. He smelled so good. Spicy, earthy, something she could not put a name to. Like incense. Artemus. Her conscience scrambled to convince herself that this attention was all very brotherly. But her gut, her na‘au, knew better. She should back away. She did not. Rather, she moved even closer, amazed at her own boldness. “My, but it is cold.” 

It seemed then the most natural thing in the world for his arm to snake around her to pull her near. To use his big body to shelter her from the wind. His chin rested on her shoulder as they stared at the dark water together, watching the rising sun paint the tips of the waves with color. “

This should help,” he said. “I’m quite a windbreak. Did you feel the ship shudder when we crossed the current line?”

“Yes, I did.” She relaxed against him, again as if it were the most natural thing in the world. How could that be? “Now, about those secrets of yours . . .”

“Actually, there are not that many. I am quite the bore.”

The sound of a cough came from behind them. Artemus’s arm dropped in a heartbeat as he turned to keep her behind him. Out of sight, or at least unrecognizable, one might hope. Artemus was very wide, after all.

A male voice. “Mr. Chang, we have received the transmission you were expecting.” The crinkle of paper transferred hand to hand.

“Thank you, Purser McDowell.”

“Good morning, sir,” the purser said. Lokelani was about to breathe again when the voice added, “Good morning, Miss Letwin” before footsteps led away.

“I’m sorry.” Artemus turned back to her with a grimace. “I did my best to block you from view.”

“Then you must simply get larger.” Whatever was possessing her? She reached up to grab his ear and pull his face down a bit. “You just need to be bigger, that’s the thing.” 

He grinned, his face now very close. His glasses down his nose. Just like the boy who’d tickled her when she was a girl. Who’d called her Toad. 

And so she kissed him.

---

Bound in Roses
By Katherine Kayne

A red-hot Hawaiian romance blooms for a buttoned-up botanist who must learn to let go and embrace the ancient voice within her.

After a failed engagement to a high-society suitor in San Francisco, Lokelani “Lucky” Letwin returns home to Hawaii, leaving her beloved rosebushes behind. She’s desperate to establish a life of her own—a daunting task for any unmarried female in the early twentieth century but particularly for one passionate about the science of plants. A stubborn, song-filled girl grown into an accomplished woman, Lokelani is haunted by a family tragedy. She is as reluctant to acknowledge her past as she is to accept the supernatural force building inside her, strong and inevitable. She is a mākāhā, a Gate, ever connected to the power of the land . . . if only she will admit it.

In her quest to retrieve her roses, Lokelani is reunited with Artemus Chang, a childhood friend, who’s now a handsome and successful lawyer. As the spark between them grows, Artemus agrees to help her recover her roses, only to discover her kisses leave him literally breathless. When a mystical teacher—a kumu—enters Lokelani’s life, her embrace of the voice of ancient power bubbling up within her—her leo—takes on a new urgency.

Will Lokelani continue to be bound by guilt and fear? Or will she learn to bring together her worlds as a botanist and a Gate—a conduit able to channel the power of the ʻāina into the world—to sing once more and claim her love?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK57Q93D?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_2NSY6K81ZQQ21S5HYC5N&language=en-US

About the Author:

Award winning author Katherine Kayne writes deeply romantic historical fantasy set in old Hawaii. Her critically acclaimed debut novel BOUND IN FLAME delivers myth, magic and all the sparks promised by the title. The next installment in her Hawaiian Ladies’ Riding Society series, BOUND IN ROSES, is available for preorder now. 

Katherine’s novels are filled with horses and history and happily ever after . . . and heroes strong enough to follow their heroine’s lead. She spends a part of each year on Hawaii Island immersing herself in Hawaii’s past. Accompanied – of course – by the occasional mai tai and her own true love. Katherine created the world of the Hawaiian Ladies Riding Society to tell the stories of the fearless horsewomen of the islands’ ranches. Because who doesn’t love a suffragist on horseback? With a bullwhip? Wearing flowers? If you come along for the ride, be prepared for almost anything to happen. Katherine can promise you fiery kisses, charming cowboys, women who ride like the rainbow to save the day, and that rarest of beasts – handsome men who like to dance.

Social Media Links:

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/46FHJ0g
Website: www.katherinekayne.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k2writesbooks/

Giveaway Opportunity for U.S. residents:

Leave Katherine a comment to receive a print ARC copy of Bound in Roses. Tell us what you enjoy best about the holiday season and Katherine will chose a winner on Monday!