Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 7/17/16 Heart of Desire: A Worse Fate

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

Because it’s releasing this month, Heart of Desire is again “Book of the Month.” It’s Book 2 in my Regency series Handful of Hearts, and here’s another snippet of this sweet Regency.

This snippet continues from the first chapter of Heart of Desire. The time is the beginning of the Season in London, May 5, 1820. Miss Katherine Locke is waltzing with Lord Haversham at Lady Hamilton’s ball. Lord Haversham has demonstrated the scandalous nature of the waltz and is now escorting her off the ballroom floor. Lord Haversham escorted her to her brother, Lord Ainsley and Kate and Haversham have continued to trade barbs. I’ve skipped ahead a few paragraphs and now her brother brings up a disturbing idea. (There have been some punctuation changes to accommodate the rules.) Hope you enjoy!

NT; (c) Dyrham Park; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

“You are in your third season, Kate; you could do worse than Haversham, you know.”

“Worse than…” She stared at her brother, expecting devil’s horns to sprout from his dark curly head. “How could anyone be worse than Marcus, Earl of Haversham?”

“You sound as though the man’s a scoundrel or a cad. He’s a good man, Kate, who’d make a good husband.”

“Do you seriously want me to marry him?” She grimaced and swallowed convulsively. “My mouth doesn’t even want to say the words. I wouldn’t marry him if he was…was…there is no instance where I would consent to marry him.”

Blurb:

Follow your heart to find your desire

Miss Katherine Locke is irked to start her 3^rd season dancing with the disagreeable Lord Haversham, her brother’s friend and her own arch enemy. After three years out, however, she’s finally interested in the dashing Lord Finley—only to find out her cousin has set her cap for him too. To make the man jealous, Kate feigns interest in Lord Haversham, only to be shocked to find herself falling for the handsome lord against her will.

Marcus, Lord Haversham, is in a tight pinch. His estates are failing and worse, he’s just lost 5,000 pounds to his best friend, Lord Ainsley. Ainsley’s solution: have Marcus marry his shrewish sister and he’ll cancel his gambling debt plus give him 10, 000 more for her dowry. With nowhere to turn, Marcus agrees, praying he can keep word of the wager from Kate until he can woo her and charm her into marrying him.

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

Heart of Desire should release in late July! Yay!

The prequel, A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe, is available at Amazon currently on sale for $.99.

Posted in A Handful of Hearts, Heart of Desire, Historical Romance, On Regency Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged A Handful of Hearts series, Heart of Desire, Jenna Jaxon, sweet Regency romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | 20 Comments

Medieval Monday: Elsbeth ~ by Lane McFarland: “She Couldn’t Look Away”

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

Celebration of Nature

is our theme for this round of Medieval Monday!

Please welcome this week’s guest Lane McFarland with her romance

Elsbeth

Excerpt:

Exhausted from a sleepless night spent on the unforgiving ground, Elsbeth curled on her side with Mum’s little wooden cross clutched in her hand. She stared at the campfire’s dying embers glowing through charred wood and ash. It would be light soon, and the group would continue their journey to Stonecrest.

Conflicting emotions churned her stomach like turbulent tides. Her heart fluttered at the memory of riding with Brandon but squeezed when she recalled his violent nature. She closed her eyes and tried to conjure Fabien’s image, his light hair and smiling face. But Brandon’s dark eyes and boyish grin emerged before her.

Wishing to get the man out of her head, she rose and wrapped her blanket around her shoulders. Bea slept beside the orphans, and Brandon’s men lay clustered in the small clearing. Elsbeth tiptoed from camp and strolled along a narrow dirt path, winding through trees and down to the loch. Brisk air blew off the water, and chill bumps peppered her skin. She rubbed her arms and tugged the blanket tighter about her neck.

Dawn bathed the awakening forest in golden hues, and fog wafted off the tranquil loch. A black-throated diver floated across the pond. The industrious bird disappeared beneath the surface, leaving nothing but ripples in its place. As she’d done so many times beside Da’s loch, Elsbeth studied the calm water and tried to guess where the creature would re-appear. Moments passed. Not even an air-bubble crested. Without so much as a splash, the creature bobbed to the top with a wiggling fish in its black bill.

Wistful memories of playing with her sisters while Mum and Da rested beneath a shade tree surfaced. Three long years had passed since she’d last seen her family. She was homesick and longed for those precious, carefree days.

The sun stretched, sending its warming rays through an arbor of branches and leaves. Brushing aside her melancholy, Elsbeth continued along the light-dappled trail. A thunderous roar drifted on the wind, and she hurried downhill to view the water cascading over a stone ledge. Mist off the noisy flow dotted her face, and a rainbow of blue, red, and yellow arched from one side of the falls to the other.

She hiked her skirt, hopped to a flat stone, then another, and landed on a grey boulder positioned before the falls. Stretching her legs, she settled in to enjoy the stunning view.

A torrent poured over the shelf’s edge into a deep pool. Spray wafted from the churning white water, sprinkling lush vegetation bordering a trail that snaked alongside the basin and disappeared behind the falls. Her gaze traveled across the deluge to the far side. Pleased to see the trail continued, she wondered what creatures stole behind the wall of water.

Her mind wandered back to Brandon McLeod. It aggravated her that he affected her so. She must keep her distance, but accomplishing such a feat while traveling with him would not be easy. Once Da arrived, she would leave the commander’s care and return home with the orphans. Until then, she would endeavor to stay away from the man.

Sadness washed over her and seeped into her heart. By all accounts, the plan should give her a sense of resolution, but the thought of leaving Brandon caused lonesome emptiness.

Something burst through the falls and dove into the deep pool.

Elsbeth gasped. She drew her legs beneath her bottom, poised to sprint. Her heart raced, and her gaze darted across the rippling water.

A man emerged.

Brandon.

Her breath caught at the sight of his broad shoulders and chiseled muscles. Black hair covered his sculpted chest and abdomen. He shook his head and droplets sluiced along his bronzed skin.

She swallowed, and her interest roamed lower, but the water’s shadowed darkness concealed his…other attributes.

He ran a hand through his wet hair as he waded in the basin.

She couldn’t look away. Curiosity and more than a twinge of disappointment piqued. Her eyes strained, and she craned her neck to have a better angle.

He raised his head, and his eyes locked on hers.

Heavens! He’d caught her admiring him. What the devil was wrong with her?

His boyish grin returned. “Good morn, Sister.”

Blurb:

Elsbeth MacDougall recoils at the violent Scottish rebellion and the bleak plight of orphans. Vowing to protect the homeless, she embarks on a journey to Scone and sets her course to become a nun, sheltering children from the cruelties of war. But when Brandon McLeod arrives at the Abby, he shakes her convictions and stirs provoking emotions she buried long ago.

After English soldiers murder his family, Brandon McLeod determines a course of revenge and leads numerous clans in Scotland’s fight for freedom. Bent on the annihilation of English oppression, he is resolved to a life of solitude, vowing never to marry and chance the pain of losing loved ones again. However, that was before he met the enchanting Elsbeth.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Posted in Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance, Promotion | Tagged Celebration of Nature, Elsbeth, Lane McFarland, Medieval Monday | Leave a comment

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 7/10/16 Heart of Desire: You Will Be Civil

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

Because it’s releasing this month, Heart of Desire is again “Book of the Month.” It’s Book 2 in my Regency series Handful of Hearts, and here’s another snippet of this sweet Regency.

This snippet continues from the very beginning of Heart of Desire. The time is the beginning of the Season in London, May 5, 1820. Miss Katherine Locke is waltzing with Lord Haversham at Lady Hamilton’s ball. Lord Haversham has demonstrated the scandalous nature of the waltz and is now escorting her off the ballroom floor. Lord Haversham escorted her to her brother, Lord Ainsley and Kate and Haversham have continued to trade barbs. Now her brother has a thing or two to say to Kate. (There have been some punctuation changes to accommodate the rules.) Hope you enjoy!

“You are without a doubt the rudest woman in Christendom.” Face like a thundercloud, her brother snatched her to him, his voice low and menacing. “Haversham is my friend and I will not allow you to taunt him with accusations of things beyond his control. You will be civil to him or you will stay home.” Nathan’s slate-gray eyes reminded her of a rain-soaked pavement.

“Then tell him not to come near me,” Kate said as she pulled her arm from his grasp and smoothed her skirts.

“You danced with him and social engagement demands you respect your partner.”

“I only danced with him because of that stupid wager and you know it.” Her brother could be absolutely infuriating. “If Calabree had been a nose faster, you’d be dancing with Miss Carmichael instead.”

Blurb:

Follow your heart to find your desire

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

Heart of Desire should release in late July! Yay!

The prequel, A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe, is available at Amazon currently on sale for $.99.

Accident or Injury? Saving Molly with Liza O’Connor

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

When we are children, we basically believe what our parents tell us. Thus, Molly believed she would die if she ever went to a doctor or a hospital. Her parents warned her that would happen whenever their beatings caused serious damage. Even as an adult, the innate fear of doctors remained within Molly.

Clearly the parents knew they’d be arrested for child abuse if a doctor ever saw any of the constant injuries she acquired.

I was a great acquirer of injuries myself. However, other than the injuries my older brother inflicted—He wished to an only child—mine were often of my own doing. I got my nose broken and almost blinded by a sickle in my face. (Note to self: Don’t follow close behind an older child swinging a sickle.) I dropped a heavy pair of garden shears on my left ankle. (Doctors still have no clue why I can walk on it, but I can. Anyone reading the x-rays assumes I am crippled.) While riding in the bucket of a small tractor, I could hear my dad saying something to me, so I popped my head up over the bucket edge so I could actually hear him. Evidently, he had warned me to stay in the bucket, because just as I got my head over the bucket, he raised the bucket, splitting my chin wide open.

There must have be far more events than what I can remember. When I would go to the doctor, the old fellow would laugh and declare, yet again, his doubt I would survive my childhood. Now-a-days, Child Care would be all over my parents. But back then, it was thought to be the normal wear and tear children go through.

Honestly, my scars and bruises verses the signs of real abuse would have probably looked very similar to a doctor. But I was not physically abused (except by my brother who truly believed my existence had ruined his life). I was just fearless and possibly too sure of myself.

Saving Molly

Liza O’Connor

Book 2 of the

Requires Rescue Series

∞

Contemporary Suspense

∞

Sometimes even the strong

requires a helping hand.

Blurb

Molly Brown always faces life with a smile, even when a frightening thug is intent upon killing her. At first, Detective Sean Cushing finds Molly’s cheery disposition unnatural, especially when he discovers the seriousness of her injuries. When she asks for police protection, he instead offers her a job and home being a nanny to his five-year-old daughter, hoping her cheery disposition can pull his child from her dark hole of misery. Never did he expect he’d be proposing marriage within a day, but life has a way of going in odd directions when Molly Brown is involved.

EXCERPT

Sean set his daughter in a chair and placed his hands on Molly’s cheeks. “Talk to me. Tell me why you’re so frightened.”

She shook her head, but when he pulled away, hurt by her refusal, she gripped his hand. “I can’t explain the panic I feel. The Browns convinced me I’d die if I ever went to a hospital or saw a doctor. I think my body is in flight mode.”

He kissed her forehead. “We can deal with that.”

Just then, the doctor she’d met at the precinct entered and frowned at her. Her fear tripled and her heart pounded so hard in her chest it felt like it might burst out and attempt to run off by itself since she couldn’t.

“David, you need to put her under now. She’s having a panic attack.”

The doctor stared at the monitors. “Looks more like a heart attack.”

“It’s a severe panic attack. Trust me.”

David looked down at her. “Are you feeling panicked, Molly?”

“No, I’d like to go home now,” she whispered.

“David, it’s a panic attack. She’s just been taught to lie to doctors.”

“Great!” he sighed and stared at the monitor. “Molly, if I treat the wrong symptoms, you may die. Now is this panic or do you feel a sharp pain in your chest?”

“I’m fine. I want to go home. Sean, please take me home.”

“That’s not an option, Molly. I am going to treat you for a heart attack unless you can convince me you’re having a panic attack. Now, what are your symptoms?”

Molly opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She looked to Sean to save her, but he was glaring at the doctor. She should have never agreed to this. She knew better than to come to a hospital. Suddenly, a new voice cried out. “Mommy, tell him what’s wrong. You can’t die, you can’t. Please tell him—for me. I need you. Mommy, please.”

Eliza’s sweet voice broke through Molly’s paralysis and panic. Eliza had managed to say her first words in over a year! She looked to Sean. He was staring at his daughter in shock. “I want my mommy!” Eliza cried.

BUY IT NOW!

SAVING MOLLY

AMAZON

DON’T FORGET—-

99 CENT PROMO

7/1-7/7

SAVING CASEY

AMAZON

NOTE: EACH BOOK STANDS ALONE

AND CAN BE READ IN ANY ORDER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

LIZA O’CONNOR

Investigate these sites:

Liza’s Blog and Website Facebook Twitter

Posted in Guest Posts, Promotion | Tagged child abuse, Liza O'Connor, Saving Casey, Saving Molly | Leave a comment

Happy 4th of July 2016!

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

“The best laid schemes of mice and men/Gang aft a-gley.” Robert Burns’s words in “To a Mouse” applies to both the British forces at Yorktown some 200+ years ago and to my plans for today’s 4th of July celebration.

The British expected to quickly subdue the “rabble,” as they deemed the colonists, and found that to be quite impossible. When they surrendered on October 19, 1781 at Yorktown, their schemes had not only gone awry, their world had turned upside down.

” Salute of the States” on Market Square and parade down DOG St to the Capitol. 4th of July.

“Middling folk” in Colonial Williamsburg

My scheme for today was not so lofty, but I had planned to go to Yorktown battlefield, take some pictures, then head to Colonial Williamsburg to see all the attractions and watch my daughter in action as an orientation interpreter. The downfall to my plans came in the form of very bad rainfall–it’s been storming here for the last week–so while I will still meet my family at Christiana Campbell’s

Christiana Campbell’s Tavern

Tavern for dinner, I will not be visiting the milliner’s shop, the royal palace, the shoemaker’s, or the maze. 😦

Maze at the Governor’s Palace

Fortunately, the weather is supposed to start to clear up by about 7pm, so we might get to watch the fireworks!

Anyway, I’ve chosen this year to celebrate the 4th on my blog with a different piece of music. Usually I post Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” but this year I was reminded of one of my favorite composers, whose works embody the spirit of America, Aaron Copeland. Below I’ve posted one of his most famous works, the Hoedown suite from Rodeo,performed last autumn in Blacksburg, VA by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

Posted in Colonial Williamsburg, Holiday Posts | Tagged 4th of July Celebration, Aaron Copeland, Colonial Williamsburg, Hoedown, Independence Day, Rodeo | Leave a comment

Medieval Monday: An Endearing Transformation~ Mask of the Highlander by Bambi Lynn

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

Celebration of Nature

is our theme for this round of Medieval Monday!

Please welcome this week’s guest Bambi Lynn with her romance

Mask of the Highlander

Excerpt:

It was late afternoon by the time they arrived at the dilapidated cottage. The door was nearly impossible to find amidst the overgrowth, even to one who knew where it was. Ty halted his stallion nearby and helped Kenna down from her own horse.

She eyed him with the suspicion that had been growing steadily since they passed the first village. She had made no comment as they skirted the ramshackle huts, but her cheery prattle had diminished considerably. By the time they passed the second, she had clammed up like a mute and said nary a word. Since leaving the third village behind them, she had made no effort to hide her uncertainty.

Ty would have found her wariness endearing had he not known the source, but at least she did not cower from him in fear. The hate and loathing she had shown at his homecoming was gone, leaving only doubt and caution. He could not be more proud than to have a wife of such strength as Kenna Cleary Vass.

She stood there, looking back and forth from him to the hidden door. “What are we doing here?”

Her voice trembled. Ty ached to soothe her concerns, but nothing he could say would accomplish that. Soon enough she would trust him, and if not sooner, then later.

He smiled and jerked his head toward the mass of brambles that hid the cottage. “I have something for you…inside.” He reached through the brush and pushed the door open. Without waiting, he went inside and began lighting candles. By the time she joined him, the room was bathed in a soft glow that revealed a hideaway very different from the one they had visited the last time.

Kenna stopped just inside the threshold, a gasp of surprise the only sound in the small cottage. Ty busied himself starting a fire in the hearth, giving her time to look around. He squatted before the fire, staring at the growing flames. He ached to see her face, to know if she was pleased with what he had done.

He tensed when he felt her behind him. His body was already so hard for her. His craving surprised him at times. He was like a man starved, and she the only sustenance that could satisfy him. His skin tingled when she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“You did this?”

He stood, towering over her and filling the small room. “Lá breithe shona dhuit,” he whispered.

She frowned at the phrase. “It’s my birthday?” He nodded. She looked around with newfound surprise. “And all this…is for me?”

‘All this’ was a complete transformation of the sanctuary she had escaped to as a child. Gone were the few pieces of broken furniture, the cobwebs, the decades of dirt and neglect. The place had been scoured until nary a ball of dust remained, even the tiny window allowed in a scant amount of the remaining sunlight. The decrepit furniture had been replaced with a table, two short stools and a bed frame, a fresh inviting tick nestled inside. A bundle of primroses filled a vase in the middle of the table, filling the room with a spicy, comforting fragrance that reminded Ty of spring.

He smiled down at her. “I suppose fairies must have fixed the place up since the last time ye were here.” He took her hand and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her palm. “D’ye like it, then?”

Tears sparkled on her lashes, and he could tell she had trouble speaking. He almost laughed. That must be a first. She laid her palm against his cheek, smoothing the patch that covered his eye and staring deep into the other one.

“No one has ever done anything like this for me. Thank you.”

He cocked his eyebrow at her, pressing her with his most devilish grin. “I hope ye have some other way of showin’ yer thanks?”

Blurb:

Kenna dreads her husband’s homecoming like the plague. The man she married is vile and cruel. She has prayed every day of his absence he would be killed in the fighting, freeing her from a life of brutal torment and a loveless marriage. But the man on her doorstep has changed. This man is kind, gentle and sparks a fire in her she never felt in the early days of her marriage.

Ty is returning home after years fighting in France. He yearns for the arms of his beautiful wife and to finally meet the daughter he has never known. But can Kenna forgive the man she married and love the man he has become?

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Mask-Highlander-Gods-Highlands-Prequel-ebook/dp/B01D6W96OE/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mask-Highlander-Gods-Highlands-Prequel-ebook/dp/B01D6W96OE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1458561258&sr=8-5&keywords=bambi+lynn

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mask-of-the-highlander/id1095199574?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/mask-of-the-highlander

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mask-of-the-highlander-bambi-lynn/1123562788;jsessionid=CE60A3595E440C0F72681CCDEADC70E8.prodny_store01-atgap08?ean=2940152818888

Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/305367079

Posted in Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance, Promotion | Tagged Bambi Lynn, Celebration of Nature, Mask of the Highlander, Medieval Monday | 1 Comment

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 7/3/16 Heart of Desire: No Trouble

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

Because it’s releasing this month, Heart of Desire is again “Book of the Month.” It’s Book 2 in my Regency series Handful of Hearts, and here’s another snippet of this sweet Regency.

This snippet continues from the very beginning of Heart of Desire. The time is the beginning of the Season in London, May 5, 1820. Miss Katherine Locke is waltzing with Lord Haversham at Lady Hamilton’s ball. Lord Haversham has demonstrated the scandalous nature of the waltz and is now escorting her off the ballroom floor. We are skipping ahead a few paragraphs, in which Lord Haversham escorted her to her brother, Lord Ainsley and Kate and Haversham have continued to trade barba. (There have been some punctuation changes to accommodate the rules.) Hope you enjoy!

“Please allow me to fetch you some refreshment, Miss Locke. I would not want you to suffer one bit more than necessary.” Haversham’s sickeningly sweet tone set Kate’s teeth on edge.

“Oh, God forbid I put you to work, Lord Haversham,” Kate said, smiling as returned his saccharine attitude. “It would be the on-dit of the night.” According to a conversation she’d overheard between her brother and Celinda’s father, Haversham’s fortunes had gone amiss. The man had never lifted a finger to help his family and now his ineptness in business affairs had been highlighted by his father’s recent death.

Lord Haversham’s cheeks paled, then flushed with bright spots of color. He clenched his jaw, then bowed. “It’s no trouble at all, Miss Locke.”

Blurb:

Follow your heart to find your desire

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

Heart of Desire should go on pre-sale by early July! Yay!

The prequel, A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe, is available at Amazon currently on sale for $.99.

Medieval Monday: River Rescue ~ The Guardian’s Witch by Ruth A. Casie

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

Celebration of Nature

is our theme for this round of Medieval Monday!

Please welcome this week’s guest Ruth A. Casie with her romance

The Guardian’s Witch

Excerpt:

The berries Lisbeth had gathered tumbled forgotten from her hands. A tremor touched her lips while the vision slammed behind her eyes. She didn’t doubt the vision’s truth. Sometimes a bright light, warm and comforting, accompanied the vision; other times the wind howled, cold and disturbing. Today, panic clearly filled the air.

She spun around trying to pinpoint a direction and abruptly stopped. Facing south, she licked her lips nervously and tasted the sweetness of fresh water. A rushing sound burst in her ears. The river. Her head snapped east toward the river path and she ran. As she careened down the narrow trail, the outstretched branches tugged at her dress, pulled off her shawl and clawed at her face and arms. She took no notice. The cadence of her footfalls beat out a mantra, not him, not him, not him. She rushed on faster, mumbling enchanted words under her breath.

She exploded out of the forest and stood on the riverbank as the bridge gave way, sending the horse and rider plunging into the angry current. Swiftly the horse surfaced and headed for shore with an empty saddle. She stood on the bank, still mumbling as she scanned the river until she glimpsed a clear red aura shining deep in its middle. Her relief was momentary when the blackness began to creep in. There wasn’t much time.

Quickly she pulled off her heavy dress and, wearing only her chemise, dove into the river. Save him was her only thought. Down she plunged kicking hard against the current. The usually clear water, now choked with mud, churned with debris. She screamed the words in her head and made her demands. In response, the current slowed and as the mud began to settle, a lifeless hand beckoned to her from below.

Desperate to reach him, she kicked hard toward the deep river bottom. She was a strong swimmer and reached him quickly. She pulled on his arm but he didn’t budge. Something pinned him in place. She dropped his hand and pulled herself around him. The murky water made it difficult for her to see what held him. She resorted to running her hand over every inch of his body to locate what kept him captive. Her lungs burned. She needed to surface but she pressed on.

Frantically her hands felt their way along his leg until she found his foot caught in the debris. She shoved the timber away. The exertion cost her precious time and air. With one hand she grabbed his shirt collar and kicked off the bottom. With her free arm she reached for the surface. She didn’t take her eyes off him.

The higher she got, the more the water cleared. The wild current fought to get free of her restraint. She didn’t think. She focused on getting Alex out of the water.

The hand holding Alex’s collar cramped, sending spasms of pain up her arm. She did not let go. The last of her breath spent, her lungs screamed for fresh air. She forced herself not to breathe. She was certain she would break free of the water soon. Alex’s weight pulled at her. She wasn’t making any progress. If she didn’t do something quickly they would be back on the bottom. She glanced up. The light was brighter. She was close now. She held her legs together and undulated like a graceful giant fish. Once again her free arm reached hard and pulled the water out of her way. One last hard kick and she exploded into the air as if propelled from underneath. Alex floated face down next to her.

She gulped for air, exhausted. There was no time to waste. She held on to him as the current pulled them toward the rapids and the steep falls beyond. She turned him onto his back and swam for shore. She dragged the large knight onto the bank where his warhorse stood snorting and stomping. Worn out but thankful, she collapsed next to Alex gasping for air. Her hand was on his chest.

He didn’t stir. She fixed her eyes on his chest but she didn’t see any movement. She scanned his face. A small trickle of water escaped his mouth.

She rolled him on his side and pounded on his back. Nothing. She pounded again. More water trickled out of his mouth. She reached inside his wet shirt. No heartbeat.

She kept the building panic at bay. Think. Calmness overcame her. She rolled him onto his back and knelt above him. She placed her mouth over his and gave him her breath. She’d given her breath before, when the blacksmith’s wife gave birth and the baby didn’t breathe. That day she had tried everything but nothing worked. She wanted to move the baby’s chest, just one breath. In desperation she breathed for the child. It worked then. It had to work now.

She felt the tingle at her lips and a dizzying current raced through her. She closed her eyes and gave him another breath. Her hand pressed hard against this chest. She searched for a heartbeat, the rise and fall of his chest, anything to indicate he lived.

He shuddered with a shallow breath. Reassured, she felt a faint but steady beat and sank back on her heels. She observed the deadly gray pallor on his face retreat. His arms twitched as they came to life. His face contorted in a spasm as he choked to clear his lungs. He pushed himself up coughing out the last of the river sludge and sucked in large quantities of air.

Relief surged through her. She rose, retrieved her dress lying in a pool of sunlight, and quickly slipped it on. She calmed the restless warhorse with her gentle touch and whispered words. When she ventured a glance at the knight, she found herself staring into his compelling gray eyes. His gaze was riveted on her face. A fresh spasm of coughing took him, and she turned to leave.

“Wait.” He struggled to get the word out.

She stopped and took a deep breath.

He shook his head. His eyelids slid closed and he fell onto his back. He was asleep before his head touched the ground.

Blurb:

Lord Alex Stelton can’t resist a challenge, especially one with a prize like this: protect a castle on the Scottish border for a year, and it’s his. Desperate for land of his own, he’ll do anything to win the estate—even enter a proxy marriage to Lady Lisbeth Reynolds, the rumored witch who lives there.

Feared and scorned for her second sight, Lisbeth swore she’d never marry, but she is drawn to the handsome, confident Alex. She sees great love with him but fears what he would think of her gift and her visions of a traitor in their midst.

Despite his vow never to fall in love, Alex can’t get the alluring Lisbeth out of his mind and is driven to protect her when attacks begin on the border. But as her visions of danger intensify, Lisbeth knows it is she who must protect him. Realizing they’ll secure their future only by facing the threat together, she must choose between keeping her magic a secret and losing the man she loves.

Buy Links:

Amazon, BN, Kobo, iBooks

Posted in Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance, Promotion | Tagged Celebration of Nature, Medieval Monday, Ruth A. Casie, The Guardian's Witch | 3 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 6/26/16 Heart of Desire: Luck on Your Side

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

This month Heart of Desire is “Book of the Month,” Book 2 in my Regency series Handful of Hearts, so here’s another snippet of this sweet Regency.

This snippet continues from the very beginning of Heart of Desire. The time is the beginning of the Season in London, May 5, 1820. Miss Katherine Locke is waltzing with Lord Haversham at Lady Hamilton’s ball. Lord Haversham has demonstrated the scandalous nature of the waltz and is now escorting her off the ballroom floor. (There have been some punctuation changes to accommodate the rules.) Hope you enjoy!

“Luck must be on your side tonight as the dance has mercifully come to an end,” he said, dropping her hand as though it burned him and offered his arm. “Shall I see you to your brother?”

“Lord, yes.” She barely touched his proffered arm; the less contact with him the better. “Nathan must see that I completed the dance with you.” She avoided his eyes. “Ah, there he is, talking to our cousin, Lady Celinda Graham.”

“Do you think she will be slighted if I don’t ask her for the next dance? I am weary of having my toes stepped on, although she may have better dancing form than my last partner.” Lord Haversham didn’t break a smile, however his slate gray eyes twinkled with merriment.

Blurb:

Follow your heart to find your desire

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

Heart of Desire should go on pre-sale by early July! Yay!

The prequel, A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe, is available at Amazon currently on sale for $.99.

Cover Spot: Unexpected Love by Liza O’Connor

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Jenna Jaxon

It’s been a while, but I’m back with another gorgeous cover to show off. This week’s featured cover is from my good friend and fellow author Liza O’Connor who recently released her latest Romantic Suspense, Unexpected Love, Book 2 of her White Oak Mafia series.

Liza’s favorite line from the book:

Why would she let a stranger, nevertheless one prone to the wrong side of the road, drive her car? “Sorry, I don’t want to die today.”

BLURB:

Tess Campbell is a mafia princess who wants nothing to do with her dangerous family. She’d rather spend her life making Grams’ forest the best state park in Iowa.

Alistair Castile, aka Steel, is a British prince, his archeological career in ruins due to his promiscuous nature. He’s hired on as forest manager of Tess’s woods and quickly falls in love with the charming young woman, so different from the socialites of his world.

Only there are several serious barriers between them: Steel’s career cannot withstand another scandal and Tess’s father will kill anyone who gets in the way of his daughter marrying a Chicago mobster.

Buy Links:

Unexpected Love is now available on Amazon.