Hope you are having a great time with our Anniversary Party! There are games, prizes, and lots of fun to celebrate The Romance Reviews’ 6th Anniversary!
My Q & A is slated for March 11, and the excerpt below will help you to answer my question correctly to help you win the prizes! Prizes include a $50.00 Gift Card, tons of books by very talented romance authors, and an ecopy of my upcoming release, Only A Mistress Will Do.
This excerpt is from my upcoming release, Only A Mistress Will Do, Book 3 in my Georgian House of Pleasure series.
EXCERPT:
Wild laughter out in the hallway, faint strains of a pianoforte, and the lewd grunts from the room next door twisted her stomach. The raucous sounds of the brothel had become more familiar during the week, but still set her on edge. Once the deed was done, she could curl up on the stained sheets and cry uninterrupted. No one would hear her in this place.
Footsteps approached once more, slowed, stopped.
Violet’s heart pounded, her rapid breathing keeping pace. She seized the arms of the velvet chair, fighting to hold herself in place. Her nails sank into the soft fabric as she struggled to slow her breaths.
The doorknob turned.
Her head came up, back straight, forced smile plastered on her face as the door opened wide and she caught a glimpse of the man who had bought her for the night.
He entered the small room in a swirl of black fur and sandalwood, the spicy scent tickling Violet’s nose, making it twitch.
She tipped her head back and looked up into the swarthy face. Dark hair and piercing blue eyes, a strong jaw, and a long, straight nose. Too tall, though. He was too tall for her. The ridiculousness of the irrational thought broke through her lethargy. She forced herself up out of the chair as he strode toward her.
The smile that curled his full lips would have been charming had not the gleam in his eyes betrayed his lustful intent.
“Good evening, Cassandra.” His deep baritone voice sent a frisson of dread through her. “Such a lovely name for a lovely temptress.”
“What pleasure may I give you this evening, my lord?” The words came out flat, but by God, she’d gotten them out. Now to remain standing and not faint. One small goal at a time. She stared at the wide expanse of blue velvet jacket barely two inches from her face.
He ran the back of his hand along her cheek and goose flesh pimpled her whole body. “I do hope the pleasure will be mutual, my dear.”
BLURB:
The man of her dreams . . . belongs to another woman.
Destitute and without friends, Violet Carlton is forced to seek employment at the House of Pleasure in London. She steels herself for her first customer and is shocked when the man rescues her instead of ravishing her. A grateful Violet cannot help but admire the handsome Viscount Trevor. But she must curb her desire for the dashing nobleman she can never have because he is already betrothed to another . . .
Tristan had gone to the House of Pleasure for a last bit of fun before he became a faithful married man. But when he recognizes the woman in his bed, he becomes determined to save her instead. Now, his heart wars with his head as he falls for the vulnerable courtesan. Unable to break his betrothal without a scandal, Tris resolves to find Violet proper employment or a husband of her own. Still, his arms ache for Violet, urging him to abandon propriety and sacrifice everything to be with the woman he loves. . . .
I’ve begun a Wednesday weekly post to present interviews with authors across all romance genres. Although I’m primarily an historical romance writer, I do read outside my genre and suspect a lot of you do as well. And what’s more fascinating than finding out more about either your favorite authors or new ones? I plan to change up my questions (most of them at least) every three months or so, just to keep the interviews lively.
So now gather round the tea table, grab a scone or cookies, and a cup of tea or coffee and discover a new friend in the writing world.
This week on Be My Guest, I am interviewing a fantastic Sci-Fi Romance author and friend, Jessica E. Subject. I met Jessica originally while blogging with Six Sentence Sunday and now with Weekend Writing Warriors. She writes delightful romances, most with a science fiction setting. Her stories always make me wish I had more time to read!
Author Bio:
Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.
When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.
Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.
So without further ado, please meet Jessica E. Subject!
I’ll start out with my favorite question: Who is your favorite romance hero or heroine and why? What qualities do they possess that make them memorable?
My favorite romance heroine would be Wanderer “Wanda” from The Host by Stephenie Meyer. She holds that position because she’s an unexpected heroine. When I first met her in the story, I didn’t think I would even like her. After all, she took over a human body with the intention of getting rid of the soul of the host. But as she came to like being in the company of humans rather than fearing them, she became a character I loved. She was willing to learn from them, and then helped them before she fell in love with them.
Who was the first romance author and book you read?
I don’t think I remember that far back. But, the first one I do remember reading is Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts. I’ve read many of her books since then, including those she wrote as J.D. Robb.
Who has been the greatest influence on your writing?
There is no one influence with my writing. Every author I’ve read (whether good or bad) has influenced my writing. So has every critique partner I’ve had as well as every editor I have worked with. Also, reviews that I’ve read with constructive criticism have had some influence.
Who or what inspires your writing?
The world around me as well as the one in my mind inspires my writing. Sometimes a story is formed after a dream. Other times it’s an overheard conversation. I find inspiration in pictures, news stories, music, and so much more. The problem is finding enough time to write them all.
Which of your own books is your favorite and why?
That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child. I like them all because I wrote them, but there are different aspects of each story I love. Sometimes it’s the characters, other times the setting, or even the circumstances. I’m always most excited about the stories I’m currently working on or plotting, but Made For Her will always hold a special place in my heart, as does my Galactic Defenders series. They are stories I put a lot of planning and research into. And because I spent that much more time planning these stories, the characters became like friends.
What is your favorite holiday and why?
I like Family Day. It’s a holiday in February where we simply get to spend time with family. We don’t have to prepare large dinners or travel anywhere. It’s just a day off during the coldest month of the year here in Canada.
If you could have one wish granted just for you (not world peace, LOL), what would you wish for?
I’d love for someone to clean my house and make dinner so I have more time.
What is the most exciting/daredevil thing you’ve ever done?
I’ve gone on a zipline and the Xtreme Skyflyer.
Do you have any hobbies/passions outside of writing?
I enjoy going to fitness classes at a small fitness center in town. I go to boot camp, spin, weight, circuit, and Zumba classes. It’s an outlet I need, and it helps me sleep better rather than having ideas spinning through my mind all night.
Who is your favorite non-romance genre author? What is your favorite book of theirs?
I like the writing duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, not only the books they write together, but also the ones they write on their own. I can’t really pick a favorite, as I’ve enjoyed so many, but if you haven’t read them before, I would recommend starting with The Relic.
Now, the Infamous Lightning Round: (Choose 5-6 of the questions below)
What is your favorite amusement park ride?
Roller coasters as long as they don’t go backward.
Beach or mountains?
Mountains
Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla
Boxers, briefs or commando? (preferred for your heroes)
Boxer briefs
Would you rather skydive or scuba dive?
Scuba Dive
Would you rather vacation in Hawaii, Vegas or London?
Hawaii
Awww, we were having so much fun and now it’s over! But thank you so much, Jessica, for being here with me today. Now, let’s give the audience a taste of your latest novel: It Took A Zombie Apocalypse.
BLURB:
It started with a kiss.
Then the zombies came. Now, Missy must work with the neighbor her parents hate if she wants to survive. But zombies aren’t the only threat to her life, or her heart.
Contagion arrived from Ostrander. Spread through the hospital. Stay in bunker. I’m infected. Zombies
Zombies? He dropped his phone and stared at it on the floor, expecting it to explode. Zombies didn’t exist. He was in some kind of dream. Had to be. Missy actually had come home for the summer. And kissed him. Now, zombies.
“What is it?” Missy bent down to pick up his cell then handed it back to him. “What happened back at the park?”
“Zombies.” The word came out before he had a chance to stop it. He didn’t know whether to laugh or grab Missy again and run.
A crooked smile formed dimples in her cheeks. “You’re joking, right? Trying to help me laugh off what happened.”
“I wish.” He showed her the message from his father. “My dad doesn’t have a sense of humor.”
The phone beeped, and she pushed his hand away. “I think it needs to be charged. We should call him just to be sure. Or contact somebody. Maybe he meant something else. You know how stupid autocorrect can be.”
RJ rushed to the kitchen, found his charger, and plugged in the cell. But, by then, he’d lost signal. Reception was spotty in West Vitula, but he couldn’t get anything. He peeked through the doorway, out to the living room. “Missy, can you get a signal?”
After digging into her purse, she pulled out her phone with a pink, sparkly case. Not at all what he expected from her. Had he missed that girly side, or had someone given it to her, and she didn’t want to hurt their feelings? That he could understand.
She held the cell up and moved around the room. “I got nothing. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should try outside?” Though he doubted it would make a difference.
Missy stepped over to window and shoved the curtains aside. “Um, there are people coming. And they don’t…look right.”
RJ glanced outside. Neighbors walked down the middle of the street, their bodies twitching. And no one stopped to talk to one another. They just kept marching along to some unknown destination. As they came closer, he noticed their tattered clothing, their disheveled hair, and limbs connected at odd angles to the rest of their body, as if they’d been trampled. And now they were up and walking.
Next Wednesday my very special guest will be long time friend and CP Patricia Green, an incredibly talented author of romance books in many sub-genres, from sci-fi romance to historical westerns to contemporary spanking tales that are richly detailed, sexy, and fun . I certainly hope you’ll be back next week to meet Trish!
Immortals have been a part of Seth’s world since he barged into Kai’s life at the age of twelve. And having a group of shifter and vampire assassins he considered family, he thought that he’d seen it all and that nothing would surprise him. But the one night he met Aubrey changed his world, and he’d never been so happy to be wrong.
Aubrey was used to seclusion, even before she had been turned into a vampire. She’d never dreamed of a life outside her tiny little world, but that was until she met Seth. Before she could understand her reactions, she ran from him. But she couldn’t stay away. The more she gets to know him, the stronger the connection between them solidifies.
When Seth tells Aubrey that he is her mate, will she take a chance and keep him forever?
He cupped his hands around the warm mug and took a sip of tea as he watched Aubrey process what he’d already told her. Although he knew that everything Kai, Liv, and the rest of the assassins had told him was to be kept secret, he knew he could trust Aubrey.
“The assassins work for an organization called the Dark Company, founded by Ghost, who is a white wolf shifter. There are more shifters than vampires who work for Ghost. They used to work individually, but when Kai met Liv, she insisted that she would feel better if Kai had someone to watch his back, so Ghost gave the okay for pairs to work together on all missions. It worked well, especially after Reaper met and turned his mate, Ara. Reaper is a timber wolf shifter and Ara—well, Ara is special. When she was human, she was telekinetic. Able to move objects, manipulate her environment and people. She was turned by accident and is now a red wolf shifter. Her powers have grown exponentially and she can heal and regenerate dead tissue. She brought Reaper back from death.
“You’ll meet Reaper and Ara when I introduce you to Liv and Kai, but the others who are usually around are Xander, Hunter, Gunnar, Ax, Jade—who are all shifters—and Thomas, Isaac, and Kane, the vampires.”
Aubrey was quiet for several minutes, processing everything he’d thrown at her, but he wanted her to be prepared. Hearing about them differed greatly from meeting them.
“What do you mean by mate? Is it like wife or husband?” Aubrey’s mouth barely moved, the question quiet.
“From what Kai and Reaper have told me, it’s a deeper connection. When they both caught sight of their mates, they knew that they were meant to be together. Kai had a little rougher go at it. He denied to himself and others that Liv could be his mate, until she was kidnapped and he had to face losing her. Reaper had known Ara was his mate the moment he laid eyes on her. What they feel is love, but they describe it as a deep need to be with their mate, combined with a strong feeling of protectiveness. It’s hard to describe, but when you see how they act with each another, you’ll understand.”
Seth reached for her hand, smiling when she threaded her fingers with his and curled them around his hand. She was starting to trust him more, but he knew that she was confused about the feelings he brought out in her.
“Do they know about me?”
“Yes. I told them the same day I met you. Kai figured it out when I started talking and through their mind link, communicated his thoughts to Liv. Liv is excited for me.”
He could see the doubt reflected in her eyes.
“They want what’s best for me and you are what’s best for me. I noticed you the moment you walked in the classroom. And when you walked away from me the first time, I was devastated. I know that this world is new to you, even though you’ve been a vampire for ten years, but I know something that you don’t. I’m your mate.”
Valerie writes paranormal and contemporary romances with strong alpha males and brilliant, beautiful heroines. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her wonderfully supportive husband and their funny and wise black lab. She’s addicted to coffee, crime shows, and reading and writing character driven romances.
Join us and discover some of the most evil and dastardly villains our medieval romances ever produced! And we are doing something a bit different this time around. We’re breaking our excerpts up into tantalizing little bites–only 8 to 10 sentences each week. So you’ll need to keep up to get the whole excerpt. We let you know each week whose blog we’ll be at the week so you can keep up with each Medieval Monday author’s work the same way.
This week’s excerpt is from Mary Morgan’s
Dragon Knight’s Shield.
Excerpt:
“Ye are no leader, MacKay. The fire controls ye! Can ye not smell the flames licking at your skin?”
Angus wanted to place his fingers around the man’s neck until it burned off. Lifting his sword, he let the fire flash off his blade. “I dinnae fear what runs through my blood. Ye are naught who hides behind a woman. Come forth and fight me!”
Follow along next week by checking out Sherry Ewing’s blog
Angus MacKay, leader of the Dragon Knights, failed his brothers and his clan upon the death of his sister. Now he must fight the darkness of despair tempting his soul. Back on Scottish soil, he comes face to face with Deirdre who can wield a sword as mightily as his warriors, and takes her captive. Yet, with each passing day, the fire dragon inside him roars to claim the one woman fate has destined for him.
Famed mystery writer, Deirdre Flanagan, is unprepared for the next chapter in her life. On a vacation to Scotland, she steps through the mists and enters into a skirmish alongside a Highlander. However, the fight has only begun, and now she must battle Angus as well as evil in order to claim the love of this Dragon Knight.
Will their love be powerful enough to shield them from danger, or burn them to ashes?
This is my final week for sharing snippets from the second book of the House of Pleasure series, Only Marriage Will Do. Next week I go on to my upcoming release, the third book in the series, Only A Mistress Will Do. But this week a little more intensity for Juliet and Amiable.
Captain Amiable Dawson, irritated because he’s been standing out in the hot sun, knocking on the Marquess of Dalbury’s door, has stumbled upon quite a scene of a man lunging across a sofa and grabbing a woman’s arm. The woman runs to Amiable and whispers for him to please help her as this man was trying to abduct her. Amiable comes to the rescue by pretending to be her husband. St. Cyr then makes a bawdy comment about Juliet and shows Amiable papers purporting to claim Juliet is his wife. (Altered slightly from published text to conform to WWW guidelines.)
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
EXCERPT:
Blood roared in Amiable’s ears, as though he stood in the heat of battle. He drew his sword and lunged, aiming to skewer the Frenchman through the stomach crying, “The law will matter not at all if you are dead, St. Cyr.”
St. Cyr grasped the knob of his walking stick and pulled a thin blade free just in time to parry the thrust,
Wood sword cane/walking stick with ivory ball tip Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
then scampered for the door, calling out in English, “This is not the end of this, Juliet. I will return with the authorities and make you see reason.” As the viscount fled the room, Amiable scrambled after him.
“Let him go,” Juliet said, tugging at his arm.
Amiable stopped and the front door slammed shut. “I wish I’d run the blackguard through.”
Juliet burst into tears and crumpled on the rose and cream sofa, shaking hard enough to make the legs skitter against the wood floor.
BLURB:
Not every happy-ever-after begins at “I do.”
When the hero of her dreams rescues Lady Juliet Ferrers from the man claiming to be her husband, she is sure she has found her one true love. But is she free to marry him? Not to be deterred, Juliet arranges for her hero, Captain Amiable Dawson, to escort her to her family estate, hoping that along the way she can win his love.
Amiable is charmed by the sweet, beautiful woman he rescued, and although he has grave reservations about her marital status, he allows himself to be swept up into Juliet’s romantic spell and the promise of a happy-ever-after.
The spell breaks when legal questions arise and Juliet faces the horror of not knowing if she is married to her knight in shining armor or the cruel viscount who is determined to have her at any price.
Books in the House of Pleasure series:
(Click on image for link to Amazon)
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
I’ve begun a Wednesday weekly post to present interviews with authors across all romance genres. Although I’m primarily an historical romance writer, I do read outside my genre and suspect a lot of you do as well. And what’s more fascinating than finding out more about either your favorite authors or new ones? I plan to change up my questions (most of them at least) every three months or so, just to keep the interviews lively.
So now gather round the tea table, grab a scone or cookies, and a cup of tea or coffee and discover a new friend in the writing world.
This week on Be My Guest, I am interviewing an incredible author and friend, Melissa Keir. Melissa is one of the most supportive writers you would ever want to meet–not to mention that she’s a fantastic writer of contemporary cowboy romance! We’ve been in the same critique loop and worked together on an anthology last year, but I still want to find out more.
Author Bio:
For my wedding in Vegas, my books and computer came with me but there wasn’t enough room for my wedding shoes. It’s all about priorities! As an avid reader, I was probably born with a book in hand. Luckily my mom was also an avid reader, so it was easy to “borrow” her books when my books were finished.
I was reading from an early age about dashing men on horseback riding to the rescue of strong willed and capable women who didn’t really need rescuing. I came to expect that women in fairy tales should have fought their own battles. When I was older, I found Margaret Atwood and realized that women could re-tell history in their own way and I experimented with changing those basic fairy tales.
Fortunately for me, my husband allows me the opportunity to be myself (spend my salary on books) and still takes care of the really important things for me like killing spiders and opening jars. As an elementary teacher, teaching children about the many worlds inside of books is a gift that I’m lucky enough to do for a living. Teaching the next generation to love reading is a lot of fun! Reading the right book can make a new world come alive!
Currently living in the suburbs of Ann Arbor, Michigan with my darling husband, way-too-grown-up children and spoiled dogs, I enjoy getting away through a book to escape the harsh winters or summer road construction.
Thank you for having me. I’ve been enjoying the interviews and a chance to get to know some amazing authors.
Awww, thank you Melissa!
For being so nice, I’ll start you off with an easy one. Who was the first romance author and book you read?
The first author I read was Johanna Lindsay. Her Captive Bride book started my love of strong heroes and began my journey through all her books.
That one was pretty racy back in the day. I really love her Mallory series!
Who has been the greatest influence on your writing?
My mother was my biggest influence. She was a huge romance reader. Books were always close-by her. When I was old enough, I would ‘borrow’ her books and then, began to buy my own. When I was in high school, my mother wrote her first novel. She submitted it to a variety of publishing houses but wasn’t published. Because of her dream, I gave my own writing a chance. However, she died many years before seeing my name on a book. And just recently, I was given the original copy of her manuscript and hope to publish it for her.
Awww, Melissa, how totally sweet and awesome that is! I wish you luck and hope to see your mom’s book on Amazon soon!
Who or what inspires your writing?
Love inspires my writing. I believe every person deserves a happily ever after. Many people are still looking for that connection and special person. Being able to share a variety of stories about happily ever after’s, I hope to give readers a chance to dream of what might be or be reminded of a love lost or long gone.
Which of your own books is your favorite and why?
I really enjoy all my books but I have a few which have a special place in my heart. Second Time’s the Charm is one of my favorites. It was one of my first books and a story which seemed to write itself, spilled out of my thoughts very quickly. The Heartsong Cowboy was my first cowboy story. I loved writing about the Heartsong Ranch which used equine therapy for a variety of disabilities. But all my stories feature some piece of true life in them. One of my stories, features an event that happened to my mother, while another story featured a character based off of a former student.
How cool! I love it when authors weave true incidents and people into their books!
What is your favorite holiday and why?
Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy the first stirrings of warm weather and the chance to enjoy some family time, cooking out and parades. When I was a little girl, I carried the banner in the Memorial Day parade which ended with a picnic at the local cemetery where we visited with our family members who had passed on. Our small town took great pride in the many young men who had given their lives for our country’s peace.
That sounds like an idyllic summer for childhood! No wonder that holiday’s your favorite!
If you could have one wish granted just for you (not world peace, LOL), what would you wish for?
I would wish to win the lottery so that I could help my own children with their dreams and not have to worry about the health and care of my loved ones. It’s hard to see your parents getting older and knowing that they need more care…as well to worry about your own health and how to pay for all the necessary things required to keep yourself healthy.
That’s a great and selfless wish, Melissa. But you’re right, wishing for the ability to care for loved ones is a wonderful wish.
What is the most exciting/daredevil thing you’ve ever done?
I have been a part of Fireplay. I loved learning about how to control the fire on the skin. As well, the feeling of finally being warm, was such a blessing. It is one thing I can’t get enough of.
I had never heard of that, Melissa. See, these interviews reveal all kinds of wild and crazy stuff!
Do you have any hobbies/passions outside of writing?
I love to do a variety of things such as create jewelry and sewing. I do needlepoint and have made a few outfits for my children when they were younger and jewelry for my sisters. I’m also a local radio station movie reviewer so I get to see a lot of movies.
How cool is that!
Who is your favorite non-romance genre author? What is your favorite book of theirs?
I’m in love with Margaret Atwood. In college, I was exposed to her essay giving Hamlet’s mother a voice. Since then, I’ve read her book, Good Bones and Simple Murders. The way she provides a different perception of known characters shaped my own writing.
I love Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and I bet you’re looking forward to the series as much as I am!
Now, tell us a little bit about one of your books.
In the box set, Dreaming of a Hero, I have a novella titled Beach Desires. This is a female/female story of a woman from a small town who had to hide her interest in other women from her family, friends and the town. She’s learning how to accept her own desires on a vacation to South Carolina.
What was your inspiration for this story?
The town of Garden City, South Carolina is a real beach town on the Atlantic Ocean. For over ten years, I vacationed there, along with my family. My children grew up on the stretch of sand, played games at the arcade and ate dinner at many of the fabulous restaurants. The main character came about after a lengthy discussion with former classmates. Our small town was seeped in traditions, many of which we had no clue about… like why the town fire siren went off each day at 6 pm. Diversity didn’t exist in our town, or maybe it was hidden so well, no one really knew. This had me wondering about how someone could hide their sexual orientation and my heroine was born.
This sounds like a fantastic read!
Now, the Infamous Lightning Round:
What is your favorite amusement park ride?
The Gemini at Cedar Point. One time I rode it 10 times in a row before I puked.
LOL! Lord, I wouldn’t have made it once!
Tea or coffee?
Mocha (flavored coffee)
Beach or mountains?
Can I have both? Beach during the night and mountains for the day?
Boxers, briefs or commando? (preferred for your heroes)
Commando does cut down on the laundry!
LOL
Blond, brunette or redhead? (preferred men’s hair color)
Bald!
Now that’s a different answer!
Would you rather vacation in Hawaii, Vegas or London?
Vegas. I was married there!
What’s the one thing you would never do?
Swim with sharks…too scary!
Now let’s dream of the perfect hero!
BLURBS:
Heroes fill our nights with stories of passion and love. These six full-length novels and a bonus novella each feature a hero sure to fill your nights with desire…You’ll never want to wake up!
In a man’s world, Camila Lemos is one of the top sports agents in the market. Linebacker Evan Purser is the newest man in his family to join the NFL and doesn’t make for an easy client for Camila to handle. When the walls are broken down, will a touchdown be scored, or will it be yet another fumble for both?
Destiny’s Child by Deb Julienne
Cherie and Jason are thrust into an endless web of deceit created by their families. As the truths are revealed, can they find the inner strength to band together in order to get to the bottom of it all, or will it lead to their demise when their unknown nemesis returns to finish the job?
Nine by K.S. Thomas
Nine. That’s the number of years between us. Age is just one reason it’ll never work. I have eight more. One for every year I’ve been alive longer than he has. And they all add up to the same thing: A thirty-something woman covered in ink doesn’t belong with a twenty-something soldier destined for a life in politics. Only he doesn’t seem to know that.
Safe to Love You – Jude Ouvrard
When Abbie and Presley see each other, their mutual attraction flares first. The unconventional guy seems like an intriguing choice for the still-wounded Abbie, but is he actually someone she can feel safe with? Will she be able to move on, continuing with her life unscarred?
With Love; Now & Forever by RaeAnne Hadley
Can one person really have more than one soul mate? Years after losing the one man that meant everything to her, Ana has met someone whom she intuitively feels could mean as much or more. But Rick has some secrets of his own, and there is darkness in the future for them both. Will they open themselves to the power of love or will they exile their hearts forever?
Desert Heat by D’Ann Lindun
All Mike Malone wants is to run his Arizona guest ranch in peace. But an environmentalist group hell bent on destroying his business, a friend who wants to be lovers and now a dead prospector keep him otherwise occupied.
Mallory James traces her father’s bootsteps to buried treasure, but can she trust her heart to the man who found his body?
Beach Desires by Melissa Keir
Can a summer fling last a lifetime?
Can Stacey and Mandy make their long-distance relationship work? Or will they let the prejudices of their upbringing ruin their chance at happiness?
Fabulous trailer, Melissa! And such a fun interview! Thank you so much for being my guest!
Next Wednesday my special guest will be Jessica Subject, a wonderful author of sci-fi romance guaranteed to keep you guessing. Her current work, however, has to do with Zombies! Hope you return to you favorite Wednesday spot to meet Jessica!
Join us and discover some of the most evil and dastardly villains our medieval romances ever produced! And we are doing something a bit different this time around. We’re breaking our excerpts up into tantalizing little bites–only 8 to 10 sentences each week. So you’ll need to keep up to get the whole excerpt. We let you know each week whose blog we’ll be at the week so you can keep up with each Medieval Monday author’s work the same way.
This week’s excerpt is from Ashley York’s
The Gentle Knight.
Excerpt:
Ivan walked in like the captain of a ship and towing Brighit close behind. He stopped, made a sweeping glance around the room and laughed. “Well? Does this place seem familiar to you, Brighit?”
Brighit paled.
Peter stopped mid-drink. He moved toward her. “Have you been here before?”
She shook her head. A slow, emphatic “no”.
“Speak up, dear Brighit,” Ivan said. “Tell Sir Peter what this place reminds you of.”
Follow along next week by checking out Sherry Ewing’s blog with excerpt #4
Brighit MacNaughton is an obedient daughter following her father’s death bed decree that she take her vows and become the virginal bride of Christ. The hired men seeing her to the Priory at Tanshelf are more interested in the building resentment against the English king than her safety. But when the handsome Norman knight offers his protection against the lecherous mercenaries, he sparks her passion with his gentle touch and smoldering looks of desire, reminding her of dreams best forgotten. Can one night with him quench the intense need in her or will it cause the fire to burn out of control?
Peter of Normandy is a trusted knight of King William, sent north to subdue the unrest and rumblings of revolt at York. Giving aid to an Irish princess more noble than many knights, he is quickly overcome with the need to possess her. With a body meant for a man’s pleasure and an unrelenting stubbornness to follow her father’s wishes, he struggles against giving her what she wants if it can only be for one night. Will one night of passion prove to be enough or will it unleash an insatiable need that makes him never want to let her go?
I’m continuing this week, sharing snippets from the second book of the House of Pleasure series, Only Marriage Will Do. It’s got one of my favorite heroes, Amiable Dawson, a man with secrets who becomes attracted to a woman with secrets of her own.
Captain Amiable Dawson, irritated because he’s been standing out in the hot sun, knocking on the Marquess of Dalbury’s door, has stumbled upon quite a scene of a man lunging across a sofa and grabbing a woman’s arm. The woman runs to Amiable and whispers for him to please help her as this man was trying to abduct her.
Juliet and Amiable
EXCERPT:
He smiled into her pleading face, then grasped her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze to signal his acquiescence. “Whatever is the matter, my dear?” Hell if he knew. However, he could play his part, even with little information. Let the lady lead and he’d follow as well as he could.
The woman swayed toward him, then took a deep breath. “My dear, may I present Viscount St. Cyr?” She nodded toward the fop. “Philippe, my husband, the Earl of Manning.”
BLURB:
Not every happy-ever-after begins at “I do.”
When the hero of her dreams rescues Lady Juliet Ferrers from the man claiming to be her husband, she is sure she has found her one true love. But is she free to marry him? Not to be deterred, Juliet arranges for her hero, Captain Amiable Dawson, to escort her to her family estate, hoping that along the way she can win his love.
Amiable is charmed by the sweet, beautiful woman he rescued, and although he has grave reservations about her marital status, he allows himself to be swept up into Juliet’s romantic spell and the promise of a happy-ever-after.
The spell breaks when legal questions arise and Juliet faces the horror of not knowing if she is married to her knight in shining armor or the cruel viscount who is determined to have her at any price.
Books in the House of Pleasure series:
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
“An unruly person, in allusion to the habit of the excessive use of the word damn.”
–from Albert Hyamson’s Dictionary English Phrases, 1922
I’ve had a couple of heroes who could have been called “dammy-boys.” LOL
And here’s one from the classic movie, My Fair Lady, with Rex Harrison playing dammy-boy Henry Higgins. (You needn’t watch the whole 6 minute clip if you don’t want to. The first 30 seconds will suffice.) 🙂
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 