Julie Elizabeth Powell's Blog, page 15
January 31, 2018
Romance Between The Pages presents...
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Ever wondered about the personalities behind your favorite books? Victoria Danann's new podcast with Riley J. Ford has an incredible lineup of authors booked through the spring. No question is out of bounds. Check it out!
THIS WEEK'S BEST SELLING AUTHOR... SELENA KITT!
Selena Kitt is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and award-winning author of erotica and erotic romance fiction. She is one of the highest selling erotic writers in the business with over a million ebooks sold!
Her writing embodies everything from the spicy to the scandalous, but watch out-this kitty also has sharp claws and her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.
When she’s not pawing away at her keyboard, Selena runs the innovative publishing company Excessica, the erotica and erotic romance bookstore Excitica, and two erotica and erotic romance promotion companies – ExciteSteam and ExciteSpice.
January 27, 2018
LOST DREAMS by Jude Ouvrard
LOST DREAMS
by Jude Ouvrard
Genre: Contemporary Romance with Military elements
When Carter is killed in combat, he leaves behind his heartbroken wife, Avery and his shattered best friend Remy. Naturally these two wounded souls gravitate together, irresistibly drawn by the loss of the one they both loved, as well as their deep friendship with each other. But when that friendship starts to turn into something more, new problems arise.
Will Avery be able to move on after losing the love of her life?
Will Remy be able to fill the void left by the loss of his best friend? Or will this new chance at love cost them all they have left?
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"Drama, true love, tattoos...and everything in between!"
Jude Ouvrard is an author who writes from the heart, and reads with passion and devotion. Jude enjoys stories of drama, true love, tattoos, and everything in between. While writing is her therapy, reading is her solace. Life doesn't get better than books and chocolate, and maybe a little bit of shopping.
A romance lover, Jude writes about love, pain, heartbreak and matters that will challenge your heart. A book can tell an unexpected story, no matter which directions it takes. Jude embraces words that have haunted her for years.
Jude is a working mom who dedicates her time to a law firm and writing books. She has an energetic superhero son, and a supportive boyfriend of many years. Her family is her rock; she could not survive without them. Born a country girl, she transformed into a city woman who now lives in Montreal, Canada. Although French is her first language, Jude decided to write in English because she liked the challenge.
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EARL OF SUNDERLAND by Aubrey Wynne
EARL OF SUNDERLAND
Wicked Earls' Club
by Aubrey Wynne
Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)
Publisher: Plato Publishing
He’s inherited the title of rake. She hides behind her independence... Fate accepts the challenge.
Grace Beaumont has seen what love can do to a woman. Her mother sacrificed her life to produce the coveted son and heir. A devastated father and newborn brother force her to take on the role of Lady Boldon at the age of fifteen. But Grace finds solace in the freedom and power of her new status.
Christopher Roker made a name for himself in the military. The rigor and pragmatism of the army suits him. When a tragic accident heaves Kit into a role he never wanted or expected, his world collides with another type of duty. Returning to England and his newfound responsibilities, the Wicked Earls’ Club becomes a refuge from the glitter and malice of London society but cannot ease his emptiness.
Needing an escape from his late brother’s memory and reputation, Kit volunteers to inspect the family property near Scotland. Lady Grace, a beauty from a neighboring estate, becomes a welcome distraction. When the chance to return to the military becomes a valid possibility, the earl finds himself wavering between his old life and the lure of an exceptional—and unwilling—woman.
Early May 1814
London, England
Lord Christopher Roker slapped his twin brother, the Earl of Sunderland, on the back. “A fit of the blue devils on your wedding day, eh? Come now, the bride seems a prime article to me.”
“She’s not the woman of my choice. I’m more than an unwilling groom. I’m downright defiant.” Carson tucked his white linen tails into the pale gray pantaloons, gave his matching waistcoat a tug, and adjusted his neckcloth again. “Yet our parents are deliriously happy over the match because she is the daughter of a marquess.”
“You made your own name.” Christopher shook his head and gave his brother’s shoulder a hard squeeze. “Gambling and womanizing has its place when you’re more boy than man. By Christ, we’ve just passed thirty.”
“How did I know I’d fall in love and my reputation would haunt me?” Carson walked over to a polished oak side table and poured two glasses of brandy from the crystal decanter. He handed one to Christopher. “Or that the woman who stole my heart would have a self-righteous father who despises me?”
“How many times did I warn you to pull back on the reins? There are always consequences to one’s actions. You will be the Marquess of Falsbury in your own right someday. It’s time you accepted responsibility.” He took a sip of the amber liquid as Carson downed his in one gulp and poured another. “It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it? You might want to pace yourself.”
Sunderland sank heavily onto a chair, pushing his fingers through a tangle of black waves. “Kit, trade places with me. Marry the chit and take the title. You should have been the heir anyway. You’re better to this type of life than I am.”
“We had this conversation when we were twelve, and you wanted to be a sheik and live in the desert. And then again at sixteen, when you wanted to run away and join the Navy.” He smirked and sat down opposite Carson. “Besides, Mother would know at once.”
“She’d stay quiet for her darling Christopher. You’ve always been her favorite.” He tipped back his head and gulped the second glass of brandy. “A little courage for the ceremony.”
A knot tightened in Kit’s stomach. He had a bad feeling about this wedding but knew better than to admit it. It wasn’t the match itself. Lady Eliza was a beauty and came with a generous dowry. And he didn’t believe for a moment Carson loved another woman. Infatuation was more likely. He fell for one and before he hit the ground, another had taken his fancy. While Kit loved his brother, he also accepted his faults. His abilities did not include accountability or dependability.
“You’re dipping too deep, brother,” Kit said as took the third glass of liquor from his twin, recognizing the slight glaze in those familiar chestnut eyes. “Let’s get you to the church, shall we? At this rate, you’ll be foxed before the end of the wedding breakfast.”
“That’s the plan, sir. Then I won’t feel those leg shackles I’ve acquired.”
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Meet twelve of the most wickedly sinful earls in all of Regency England. Together they make up the Wicked Earls’ Club. A secret group, marked with a single golden W; it is a place where these deliciously devious earls can indulge in their darkest desires. Though fate may have something else planned for them entirely.
Earl of Basingstoke ~ Earl of Wainthorpe ~ Earl of Grayson ~ Earl of Benton ~ Earl of Westcliff ~ Earl of Weston ~ Earl of Pembroke ~ Earl of Harrington ~ Earl of Sussex ~ Earl of St. Seville ~ Earl of Davenport
Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule and barn cats. She is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. Obsessions include history, travel, trail riding and all things Christmas.
Her short stories, Merry Christmas, Henry and Pete's Mighty Purty Privies have won Readers Choice Awards and Dante's Gift received the 2016 Golden Quill and Heart of Excellence award, as well as being a Maggie and Aspen Gold finalist.
Her upcoming series "A Vintage Romance" was inspired by tales of her stepfather, who served in the British Air Force in WWII. Wynne's medieval fantasy series "Medieval Encounters" begins with Rolf's Quest, 2016 NTRWA Great Expectations winner. The Wicked Earls’ Club will continue with a Regency Christmas in 2018.
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A place of handsome knights, dashing gentlemen, beautiful, sassy women, and romance from the past to the present. You’ll also have some opportunities to help promote Aubrey with her upcoming releases if you feel so inclined. There is fun to be had, prizes to be given, and heroes and heroines to fall in love with. Come join Aubrey's street team.
RELATIONSHIP RESUSCITATION by Jennifer Theriot
RELATIONSHIP RESUSCITATION
The Juniper Court Series
by Jennifer Theriot
Genre: 'Seasoned' Romantic Comedy
Release Date: February 28, 2018
Meet Phillip & Jayne Miller, original homeowners on Juniper Court. He's a successful attorney; she's a flourishing blogger. Head over heels in love and approaching 50, their relationship needs a little jump start. With the Miller's twin girls married and moved away from Sunview, Phillip and Jayne decide it's time to focus on resuscitating their relationship, complete with spicing up their neglected sex life. When competition between the two sets in, it becomes a full out game to see who can one-up the other trying new things. Ah, yes. Life on Juniper Court gets interesting... and sometimes embarrassing. Be careful what you wish for and where you stick your nose. Sometimes keeping up with the Joneses--or in this case, the Sullivans can have consequences.
Armed with a box of our favorite cheese danishes, I arrived on my neighbor’s doorstep at precisely seven-thirtyin the morning for our ritual Hump Day Hangout, and rang the doorbell. Nina Sullivan peered through the leaded glass door and smiled, but when she opened it, Max, her mammoth German shepherd, charged out, all but knocking me down. His nose went to my nether regions, and it was all Nina could do to yank his collar and get him to step back while admonishing him.“Max! Stop that.” Her belly gushing laugh did little to get Max to obey. “What the hell is wrong with him? I thought you took him to obedience school? Geez.”
Nina chuckled. “Maybe he smells something he likes down there.”
“Any normal dog would have gone straight for the danish.”
“I never said Max was normal, did I?”
Price will rise after release. Get your copy now!
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Relationship Resuscitation!
Welcome to Juniper Court!
7 homes from 7 authors on 1 cul-de-sac with dozens of secrets!
USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Theriot (pronounced Terrio) hails from the Great State of Texas. She is a career woman, working as CFO of a Texas based real estate investment firm. She felt something was missing and discovered her passion for writing--mostly at night and on weekends. In her limited spare time Jennifer enjoys being outdoors; preferably somewhere on a beach curled up with a good book. Spending time with family and friends, watching a baseball game and enjoying a good bottle of wine are usually on her to-do lists. Jennifer has three grown children and is also 'MiMi' to four beautiful grandkids - all of whom she adores.
Her best-selling Out of the Box Series, OUT OF THE BOX AWAKENING, OUT OF THE BOX REGIFTED, OUT OF THE BOX EVERLASTING and TOCCATA OBBLIGATO~SERENADING KYRA are currently available on Amazon.com.
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January 22, 2018
THE DEMON DELIVERANCE by Victoria Danann
THE DEMON DELIVERANCE
Knights of Black Swan, Book 12
by Victoria Danann
Genre: Paranormal Romance
If you force a demon to agree to a deal under duress, you will live to regret it.
New York Times bestselling author, Victoria Danann, adds a long-awaited book to the Knights of Black Swan saga featuring everybody's favorite demon. 😈
Two and a half centuries ago Sixt had been a young witch with little control. In a fit of jealousy, she’d cursed the demon with an addiction spell. She thought better of it shortly thereafter, but couldn’t find him to take it back. She did something unforgivable, but now she wants forgiveness anyway.
Deliverance had been a slave to sex for so long he could barely remember life before. When he learned the compulsion that was a never ending itch was an addiction hex, he was elated because hexes can be withdrawn by the witch who casts them. But giddiness was cut short when he learned the price he’d have to pay to have the curse reversed.
Knights of Black Swan has been voted BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES every year for the past four years in a row. Reviewers’ Choice Awards, The Paranormal Romance Guild.
She was waiting in the hallway when the elevator doors opened and threw herself into his arms when he stepped off, making him take a stumbling step back and wish he’d come to see her even sooner.
As they stepped inside her penthouse, Hans looked at Deliverance with curiosity.
Sixt said, “This is my brother…”
“Harm.” He stuck his hand out.
Deliverance hesitated for a minute before deciding that he didn’t want to punish Sixt through her brother. He shook hands.
Sixt’s eyes had widened when her brother had announced his name was ‘Harm’. For obvious reasons, the principal credo of witches was keep a low profile. In answer to the claim that ‘nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition’, witches would say it’s always on their mind.
With his good looks and show-stopping smile, keeping a low profile was a challenge for Hans to begin with. But the addition of a name like ‘Harm’ was, well, curious.
“Harm? Really?” she asked.
He shrugged. “It’s a new age.”
She shook her head. “You’re wrong, brother. The outer trappings are new.” She waved her hand at the view out the window. “Skyscrapers, drones, internet, cars that drive themselves. Da. Da. Da. People are just the same.”
He flashed a blinding grin. “Good thing we aren’t people.”
Deliverance looked at Harm like he was an infectious viral bacteria rapidly multiplying. And he was definitely not interested in family reunions. “May I be excused?” he asked, words dripping with venom.
Sixt sighed and waved her hand. Deliverance disappeared.
“Am I interrupting something?” Harm looked at Sixt as if expecting an explanation.
“As a matter of fact, now is probably not the best time.”
Recognition lit up Harm’s face. “Hold. The. Newsflash. That’s not that demon you were pining for…” The way Sixt jerked her chin up and fixed him with a glare caused him to rethink finishing that sentence. “Okay, then. Your business.”
“That’s right. Just like I don’t meddle in your business. But for the record, I was never pining for the demon. I just had unfinished business with him.”
“Oh. Right.” His tone changed. “You worried about being hunted?”
“Always.”
“Why? Looks like you’re…” He looked around at the penthouse office. “Fortified.”
“And connected to judges, congressmen, even movie makers.”
“Movies?”
She canted her head. “Cultures are shaped by their stories. Right? You know this.” She motioned to walk with her toward the kitchen. “I like movies that make witches comical, like Bewitched, or sympathetic, like Nanny McFee.”
His lips twitched. “Not a Blair Witch fan?”
“Please. I had to pay those little fuckers three fortunes to say it was all a hoax.”
“So this is what it’s come to? Instead of using your talents to get what you want, you bribe kids with cameras?”
“Whatever works.”
He nodded. “Who am I to judge?”
She smiled. “As I remember, back in the day, you rained down some major judgment on witch persecution.”
He smiled. “I still keep track of their descendants and make sure there’re never more than one or two alive.”
“Sins of the great grandfathers sixteen times over? Maybe it’s time to let that go.”
He laughed. “Hmmm. Maybe. I’ll bet they spend their lives wondering why they can’t ‘catch a break’.” He made air quotes when he spoke the phrase ‘catch a break’. ”Maybe they don’t know why they’re being punished.” He shrugged. “But it’s entertaining for me.”
“So where’ve you been the past…” She stopped to try to remember the last time she’d heard from her brother. “Fifty years?”
He pursed his lips. “More or less, I guess. Last time I saw you was San Francisco. 1969.” He waved at the penthouse. “So you’re trying on empire. I read all about WC6.”
“Keeps me busy.”
“Distracted, you mean. It keeps you distracted. Not busy.”
“What’s the difference?”
Instead of answering, he said, “And you think you’ve insulated yourself with so much power that you’re safe from humans with torches and pitchforks?”
She sighed deeply, looked out the window for a time, then turned back. “Hide in plain sight. If somebody wants to hunt me, well, I have enough money to charter a shuttle to the moon if I want to. Enough to buy an army of mercenaries.”
He smiled. “Remember the healing potions. Our parents sold them for just enough to get by?”
She locked gazes with Harm. “Of course I remember.”
“Makes more sense to take their money and let them die.”
“I wouldn’t put it like that.”
“No? How would you put it?”
“The enterprises I control aren’t evil, Harm. They’re just successful. I help a lot of people who are good money managers enjoy their retirement.”
He laughed. “That’s what you tell yourself?”
“I just play the game…”
“That was set up by nut job, insecure little men whose insatiable desire for more money is a cry for help. Or mother’s milk. Usually hoarding syndrome.”
“Is there a point on the horizon? Have you spent the last fifty years meditating on the Tibetan Plateau? And now you think you’re a German warlock version of Yoda?”
He laughed. “Hardly. I’ve pretty much done the same as you. Just more quietly. If we pooled our resources, we could probably buy a country big enough to get a front row seat at the U.N.”
She raised an eyebrow. “No interest in politics. Other than the protection racquet they offer. Thanks just the same.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t care if you take advantage of humans. After everything they’ve done to us.” He trailed off then asked abruptly. “You have any friends?” She scowled. “Right. Same here.” He poured himself a bourbon remembering how their parents had instructed them to go their separate ways and not make friends with other witches. Separation was key to safety. “How about love? What’s with the ‘may I be excused’?”
“My business,” she reminded him.
He saw by the tortured look on her face that he’d hit a nerve dead center.
“Ah. The demon. What’s his name?”
“Deliverance,” she said quietly. “Why are you here, Hans?”
“Harm. Can’t you guess? I’m lonely. And it satisfies to the core to talk to somebody who knows who I really am.”
She nodded, walked over and sat down on the end of the sofa close to the big plush chair he plopped into. “It’s nice.”
“Maybe we should seek out others like us. Enlarge our social circle.”
She laughed. “It wouldn’t take much to enlarge a social circle that consists of two.”
“You mean three. Don’t forget about Deluvian.”
“Deliverance.” She sighed and looked at the fire. “Not a friend.”
“Ouch. Well, all the more reason to network. Come on. You’ve never thought about it? Casting a spell to find out what others are out there?”
“Maybe I don’t want to know if we’re the last.”
“Pish. That’s beneath you. And we’re not.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know.”
“Oh, well then,” she agreed sarcastically.
“He reached over and tapped her knee with two fingers. “Let’s find out for sure.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“We have to lower the personal guards so we can be found. Right now there might be somebody out there looking for you. Or me.”
Sixt gave Harm a snide smile when she saw a dreamy look cloud his eyes. “And there it is. You’ve devolved into a sappy romantic who thinks that love is just over the next hill.”
“Why does that make me a sappy romantic? Our parents loved each other.”
Sixt turned to face forward at that. It was true. Her parents had given every appearance of loving each other and their children. They were crazy idealists. Love family. Serve community. Harm none.
“They did.”
His face softened when he saw that Sixt was wearing the faraway dreamy look he knew he got when he thought about a mate. “So what’s wrong with that?”
Her eyes snapped to his as her attention slammed back to reality. “Clusters invite being burned at the stake. Or drowned by dunking.”
He waved around the room. “We’re not poor, powerless farmers, Sixt. They should stay awake at night worrying about what we could do to them. If we combined our resources, we could rain global economic woes down on the world. Like plagues of Biblical proportion. We can put people into power or yank them away from every good thing they’ve ever known. Now we’re the big bad, sis. Don’t you know that?”
She sighed. “Seems like our insecurities, and I’m not saying they aren’t justified, drove us in similar directions.”
“It was only logical to insulate ourselves with money and power. As far as the benefits we could have given the humans? Like our parents wanted to do? Their loss.”
She felt a wave of affection for her brother. It had been a while since she’d felt connected to anything other than work and Ashes. She smiled. “You hungry?”
He ran his hand over a divinely formed six pack that rippled under his salmon colored knit shirt. “I’m always hungry. You know that.”
She chuckled. “I figured some things never change.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he returned her look of affection. “Some things never do.”
“Let’s go out among the torch and pitchfork crowd. They’ve learned a thing or two about culinary arts since we were children in Germany. What do you feel like?”
“Manly food.”
“What is that?”
He looked scandalized. “You must know. Americans specialize in manly food. Burgers. French fries. Steak. Prime rib. Shall I go on?”
“No. I get the idea. I heard about a place where people go after work sometimes.”
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Books 1-11 of the Knights of Black Swan series
Victoria Danann is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty romances. For the past four years in a row, Victoria's Knights of Black Swan series have won prestigious Reviewers' Choice Awards for both BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES and PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVEL OF THE YEAR. This past year three of her series and three of her novels were nominated. Two of her series took the top two places and two of her books took first and second place in the PNR Novel of the Year category.
In addition to vampire hunting knights, Victoria writes other paranormal romance, scifi, fantasy, and contemporary romance.
Victoria co-hosts the popular ROMANCE BETWEEN THE PAGES podcast which can be found on itunes or at → www.romancecast.com
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January 19, 2018
DIRT ROAD TO HELL by Marissa Storm
DIRT ROAD TO HELL
by Marissa Storm
Their marriage had gone to hell. He can't understand the damage his behavior caused. Unable to take anymore, she gathers the children and leaves. But he can't let go. A desperate move puts him over the line. Can anything be redeemed from the mess? The children are terrified, and he is slipping farther down the dirt road to hell.
Sue argued with him and he struck her across the face. One of the neighbors saw the whole thing and called the police.
John being drunk and his normal fit to be tied self, ended up getting into it with the police. The two officers grabbed him and pushed him to the ground then cuffed his hands behind him. They led him to the police cruiser to sit while they went back to talk to Sue.
After some cajoling, the officers got Sue to press charges. Then she could get a restraining order to keep him away. After thinking about it, she realized it was all she could do. She had run out of choices. She felt it was the only way until he accepted things the way they had to be.
When John got out of jail, he called Sue, “Hey, uh, Hon, you know I just need you and the girls. Why did you have me put in jail? That was so wrong? I’m your husband. What happened to love honor and obey?”
“John, don’t call me again. I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want you around me. I’m tired of your abuse and your meanness. I won’t live that way again.”
“Well, Miss high and mighty, just look at you. Do you think you are better than me? You aren’t crap, I’ll tell you that missy. No man in his right mind is going to want you.”
“Well that just goes to show you aren’t in your right mind now doesn’t it?”
“Sue, Honey, please…I need you.”
Sue hung up the phone and he called right back.
“Hello?”
“Sue I’m sorry really, please come home.”
“John no, I will never come back, ever. Stop calling or I will report you for harassing me on the phone. Now stop! Go to bed.”
Marissa Storm has a few other published books in circulation today:
Storm Warnings, a fiction love story adventure.
And What Happens to the Children, a book about the price the children pay when the parents split their lives in half.
I now write under a Pen name for personal reasons.
I love to meet with fans and will be making personal appearances in the near future. From NC, enjoys family and friends and the love of God as well as the blessings He brings.
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PURE INNOCENCE by Liza O'Connor
PURE INNOCENCE
The Extraordinary Life of Amy Winston, Book 1
by Liza O'Connor
Genre: Historical Regency Romance with Paranormal elements
For some, Amy is an angel incarnate; for others, she is the child of Satan. In her early years, Amy learns the skills of a soldier and discovers she can heal with the touch of her hand. Upon the death of her beloved Uncle John, he stays as a protective ghost to assist the soldiers in their vigilant efforts to keep her safe. Never has a girl arrived at Madam Cousec’s School for Young Ladies with more charm, more friends, or greater protection. She’ll need them all to survive the head girl and set her future in motion.
John sat down upon the ground, so he would look less threatening. “I mean you no harm.” He spoke in the soft voice he used to calm war-panicked horses. His words came slow, in gentle tones, letting them sink in through her fear.
She hugged her child harder and rocked faster, but she did not try to run away.
“I want to help you. I can see you are hurt and afraid. You are probably hungry as well. I can give you shelter and food, see your wounds are tended and provide clean clothes for the baby and you.”
Upon comprehending his words, she burst into a torrid of tears and sobs that shook her body so hard he feared she would trigger the collapse of the entire cliff.
“Please don’t cry,” he begged. “The ground you are upon is unstable. I need you to be very, very still until my man returns with the ropes, so that I may rescue you. Will you do that for me? Will you be very still?”
She stopped crying and stared at him. “Why do you want to help me?”
“Because you need my assistance. I can see you are all alone and desperately in need of help.”
“I am, but you will not help me—not once you have learned what I have done.”
“I know that you’ve had a child and were tossed from your home because you would not name the father.”
“I could not name him. There is no father. I have lain with no man. There was only a dream, a wonderful dream of a handsome prince on a white stallion. He declared me the most beautiful lady he had ever seen, and he kissed me and made my body burn with fire. Then I woke up from my shady spot on the banks and I was alone as always. It was the devil, you see. He came to me in my dreams.”
She began to rock again as she held her baby tight against her chest. “That is why you will not help me—because of the dream. I am the whore of Satan and this child is his spawn.”
He feared he’d soon lose her to madness.
“Amy, I don’t think that is true. You are too sweet to be the whore of Satan. Your child is too good-natured to be his seed.”
She looked up at him in shock and stopped rocking. “She is very good-natured and so very beautiful. But what other reason might there be?”
“Amy, I believe the man in your dreams was real. He must have come to you while you slept and lay with you while he distracted you with kisses and sweet words. Can you remember more about his features? For example, what was the color of his hair?”
“The color of yours,” she said. “When I first saw you, I thought you were the man in my dream and you had come to rescue me. But you are not him.”
“No, I am not. But I do want to rescue you.”
She studied him. “His face was smoother than yours and his eyes sparkled blue. And there was a tiny mole on the edge of his mouth.”
Her words stopped his heart. Dear God, she was describing his younger brother, Alexander. Yet, that was impossible. Alexander had died in battle eight months ago and before that, he had remained in London.
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Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. 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.
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DUKE DU JOUR by Petie McCarty
DUKE DU JOUR
Lords in Time series, Book 1
by Petie McCarty
Jared Langley, present-day Duke of Reston, tumbles into an abandoned fountain on his ducal estate and travels back in time to the year 1816. There, Reston servants and local villagers think him a dead ringer for his namesake and rakehell ancestor—the seventh Duke of Reston, gone missing at the Battle of Waterloo. Unfortunately, Seven got mixed up with French spies out to assassinate the Duke of Wellington, and an unwary Jared ends up in their crosshairs.
Lady Ariana Hart has loved Jared Langley, the seventh Duke of Reston, since she was twelve years old, until the night the rogue broke her heart. Given up for dead, her rakish neighbor makes a miraculous return from Waterloo—only Jared shows up a changed man and reignites all the feelings Ariana had long ago buried.
Jared is in a race against time. He must waylay the suspicions of his quirky servants and neighbors, get to Wellington before the French spies do, fix his fountain—before Seven shows up—so Jared has a way home, and definitely not fall in love with the irresistible Lady Ariana.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, as he pulled the boot free.
“No!” she blurted.
His gaze swung up to her face, and she forced a smile. The boot removal had affected her as much as him. How would he ever make it through the night? He frowned slightly and then set to work on the other boot, holding her other knee and reigniting the heart palpitations all over again.
She made another swipe at the coverlet with her palms and almost fell over sideways. He fought back a grin. Misery loved company, and the sight of her flushed cheeks and bright eyes caught his breath in his throat.
Jared straightened and placed the second boot by the first next to the bed. “Are you feeling all right? You look a bit flushed. Maybe the ride was too much for you.”
He leaned in and placed the back of his hand against her forehead, ostensibly to check for a fever, and she whimpered at his touch. The intimate sound had his mouth feeling dry as sand, and he desperately wanted to touch more than her forehead.
His gaze locked with hers. Her eyes darkened.
Oh no. This could be trouble. A misstep here could ruin her…Or keep me here forever.
Still he did not move his hand. His gaze held hers. “You feel warm.”
He heard his voice go low and raspy.
Great. Let her know she has the upper hand.
Was she warm or was he? Every vein and artery in his body pulsed with the need he had denied since the day he’d met her.
“I’m fine,” she said softly.
He had to fight this magnetism, or he would have her ruined in short order.
“Are you?” He leaned closer.
Her look of befuddlement tugged at his heart, and he fought the lust roiling in his chest. He couldn’t read the look in her eyes. Did she want him, too? Oh, what did it matter unless he kissed her?
She leaned forward, whispered, “I think so.”
“Let me check.” He pressed his lips to hers.
Every nerve ending in his body exploded with pleasure. Primal desire had overwhelmed him in the taproom after he had saved her from the drunken farmer, his primitive nature taking the lead.
My lady. Mine.
He had not thought twice. Jumped in like the knight in shining armor she raved on about. He had wanted to be her knight.
His lips did not plunder, as she no doubt expected. He gentled his kiss so as not to frighten her, locked together in this room as they were. He brushed his lips across hers, caressed, hoping to make her want him half as much as he wanted her. He leaned back to stare into her eyes. He shouldn’t have started this. He would not be able to stop.
“This way lies disaster,” he rasped, “for both of us.”
“Maybe,” she said breathlessly, “but could I please have another?”
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Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World -- "The Most Magical Place on Earth" -- where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her mystery-romance-with-elements-of-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.
Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband, a spoiled-rotten English Springer spaniel addicted to pimento-stuffed green olives, and a noisy Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in Angel to the Rescue.
Visit Petie's web site online or her Facebook page.
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DONNACH'S DAUGHTER by Nancy Pennick
DONNACH'S DAUGHTER
The Clan MacLaren series, Book 2
by Nancy Pennick
Genre: Historical Romance Stand Alone Novel
Publisher: Satin Romance, an imprint of Melange Books
Glynis MacLaren longs to see the world, not get married and live a suffocating life in Scotland. She leaps at the chance to escort her sister to the colonies. She soon finds out the larger world is just as constraining for a woman. People expect her to marry and follow certain protocol. Then she meets the ship’s captain. He stirs feelings in her that she never knew she had. The trip across the ocean is filled with the adventure she sought, love she didn’t expect and a sudden heartbreak when the journey ends.
“A good evening to you, madam,” Captain Aaron Redding addressed the woman standing at the bow’s rail, her back to him as she stared out to sea. He liked to make the habit of getting to know the passengers, especially the upper class. Word of mouth was paramount to the success of his merchant ship. He had learned the ways of polite society at a young age and knew from many admirers he was quite handsome. The combination of the two went far in his business. “Let everyone know how well you were treated aboard the Pembroke,” he would bow and tell them as they disembarked at the end of the journey.
Aaron shook his head, returning to the moment. Perhaps she did not hear. The wind had picked up, and waves crashed against the side of the ship. “Madam? We have just left port and this will be your first night at sea. Are you faring well?”
A steady breeze blew across the ship. The woman wore no cap, and her blue silk dress whirled about in the wind, at times clinging to her body. Her dark hair reached almost to her waist and whipped around her in a seductive way. For some outlandish reason, Aaron longed to reach out and latch onto one of those silky locks, run it through his fingers then bring the tip to his nose to inhale the fragrance. The willowy figure in front of him didn’t acknowledge his presence, which made him all the more infatuated. She pulled her shawl closer to her body, tossed her head, and became still again.
Perhaps she is hypnotized by the sunset. It is one of the more magnificent ones I have seen in a while. Or enthralled by the crash of the waves on the bow? I sometimes cannot even hear when I am close to the ship’s edge with the wind and sound of waves in my ears. He wished to join her at the rail yet afraid he would startle her. So he stood quietly behind her, watching the edge of the horizon where the sky met the ocean, as the sun sank out of sight in a blaze of deep pink, golden yellow, and shades of purple. He felt a strange communion with her, this shadow of a woman who disappeared in the last ray of sunlight that almost blinded him.
Aaron blinked as if he had seen a mirage, but she was still there. He studied her carefully in case she might be one, so he would not forget a detail. Do not be a dolt. She is a real woman and is still standing there. Ignoring you! The captain of the ship. He cleared his throat. “I hope you continue to enjoy the evening, madam.” He turned and left in haste without looking back.
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My Highlander Husband
Volatile times engulfed 1715 Scotland. Threats of a Jacobite uprising hung in the air. Lady Juliet Kingston traveled to Glenhaven with her entourage to meet and marry Laird MacLaren’s son with the hopes their union might help calm the rumblings of war—an Englishwoman weds a Scottish Highlander. Juliet longs for home and the man she left behind, until she meets Ross MacLaren. Both are stubborn and strong, but find love. Now a threat comes from a different front, one Juliet cannot fight. She gives up her husband and home to protect those she has come to love and returns to England with John, her former beau. Will she ever find her way back?
After a great career in teaching, Nancy found a second calling as a writer. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, she currently resides in Mentor, OH. Ohio is her home, but she loves to travel the U.S. Now Scotland is on her bucket list as a place she’d like to visit. Nancy is married and has one son.
SEXUALITY AND ITS IMPACT ON HISTORY by Hunter S. Jones
SEXUALITY AND ITS IMPACT ON HISTORY
The British Stripped Bare
by Hunter S. Jones
Genre: History/UK/Women & Gender/Sexuality
Learn of the scandals and romance that shaped Great Britain. This provocative collection of essays depicts the cultural and societal kinks of the British, from the Anglo-Saxons, Medieval, Tudor, Regency, and Victorian eras.
Discover the ménage that changed the course of the Anglo-Saxon throne, go undercover to explore Courtly Love, learn about the business of Tudor and Regency marriages. Read of a possible dalliance involving Queen Anne Boleyn, and the controversial marriages of Mary, Queen of Scots. Peek into the bedrooms of Victorian prostitutes.
Each story provides shocking detail about what was at the heart of romance throughout British history.
Would you swig a magic potion or plot to kill your husband in order to marry your lover? These are just two of the many romantic and sexual customs from British history that you will explore as seven authors take us through the centuries, revealing that truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to love. From bizarre trivia about courtly love, to techniques and prostitution, you’ll encounter memorable nuggets of provocative information that you'll want to share.
It's all here: ménage a trois, chastity belts, Tudor fallacies, royal love and infidelity, marriage contracts (which were more like business arrangements), brothels, kept women, and whorehouses. Take a peek at what really happened between the sheets. Each story provides you with shocking detail about what was at the heart of romance throughout British history.
Sexuality and Its Impact on History: The British Stripped Barechronicles the pleasures and perils of the flesh, sharing secrets from the days of the Anglo-Saxons, medieval courtly love traditions, diabolical Tudor escapades—including those of Anne Boleyn and Mary Queen of Scots—the Regency, and down to the ‘prudish’ Victorian Era. This scholarly yet accessible study brings to light the myriad varieties of British sexual mores.
Chapter 1
Godiva: Lady, Legend, Legacy
Emma Haddon-Wright
Chapter 2
Rioting in the Harlot’s Embrace: Matrimony & Sanctimony in Anglo-Saxon England
Annie Whitehead
Chapter 3
The Art of Courtly Love: The Ideal and Practice of Love in the Middle Ages
Jessica Cale
Chapter 4
The Tudor Marriage Game
MaryAnne Coleman
Chapter 5
These Bloody Days: The Relationship between Anne Boleyn & Thomas Wyatt
Judith Arnopp
Chapter 6
The Marriages of Mary Queen of Scots
Gayle Hulme
Chapter 7
Succession, Confusion and Ramifications: Who Should Wear the Crown?
Dr. Beth Lynne
Chapter 8
Lips of Flame & Heart of Stone
The Impact of Prostitution in Victorian Britain and its Global Influence
Hunter S. Jones
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Hunter S, Jones is passionate about the history of romance, science and music, a.k.a. sex, drugs and rock & roll. She has a popular history blog, and is a historian for Past Preservers Casting. When she isn’t writing, talking or tweeting about kings, queens and rock stars, she’s living the dream in Atlanta, Georgia with her Scottish born husband.
Look for her first collection of historical essays, Sexuality and Its Impact on History: The British Stripped Bare, available early 2018 from Pen and Sword Books. She is delighted to work with the talented team of Emma Haddon-Wright, Annie Whitehead, Jessica Cale, Maryanne Coleman, Judith Arnopp, Gayle Hulme, and Dr. Beth Lynne.
