Nicole Zoltack's Blog, page 5

The Reluctant Wife by Caroline Garfield and a Giveaway!

 Caroline Warfield is over the moon to finally be able to release The Reluctant Wife into the wild .
This sweeping story carries readers from the edge of Bengal to Calcutta to the Suez and across the desert, to rural England while two people stumble into love in spite of themselves. The hero, a clueless male with more honor than sense, never stops trying to do the right thing. Imagine his shock when he realizes people actually depend on him! The heroine is a courageous wounded duck with more love bottled up than she finds comfortable. Along the way it features a meteor shower, a tragic asassination, colonial officials, steamboats, narrow minded officers' wives, herbal remedies, a desert bivouac, a court martial, interfering relatives, a horrific fire, and camels. The self important villain, rotten to the core, makes the hero miserable in both India and England, until the hero brings him down—with a little help from family—in the end. And last but not least, it features two charming children, one a precocius little girl who pushes the hero to do what is right even when he is confused about what that is.
The author dedicates this one to her father, the constant soldier, who understood duty and loyalty as few people do.
Thank you for joining the celebration.  Tell us about your favorite story elements. Caroline will give a kindle copy of The Renegade Wife, Book 1 in the series, to one person who comments.
She is also sponsoring a grand prize in celebration of her release. You can enter it here: http://www.carolinewarfield.com/2017blogtourpackage/   The prequel to this series, A Dangerous Nativity, is always **FREE**. You can get a copy here: http://www.carolinewarfield.com/bookshelf/a-dangerous-nativity-1815/The Reluctant WifeChildren of Empire, Book 2Genre: Pre Victorian, Historical Romance  µ Heat rating: 3 of 5 (two brief -mild- sexual encounters)ISBN:  978-1-61935-349-9 µ ASIN:  B06Y4BGMX1 µ Page count: 275 pages Pub date: April 26, 2017Children of EmpireThree cousins, torn apart by lies and deceit and driven to the far reaches of the empire, struggle to find their way home.Book 2
When all else fails, love succeeds…
Captain Fred Wheatly’s comfortable life on the fringes of Bengal comes crashing down around him when his mistress dies, leaving him with two children he never expected to have to raise. When he chooses justice over army regulations, he’s forced to resign his position, leaving him with no way to support his unexpected family. He’s already had enough failures in his life. The last thing he needs is an attractive, interfering woman bedeviling his steps, reminding him of his duties.
All widowed Clare Armbruster needs is her brother’s signature on a legal document to be free of her past. After a failed marriage, and still mourning the loss of a child, she’s had it up to her ears with the assumptions she doesn't know how to take care of herself, that what she needs is a husband. She certainly doesn't need a great lout of a captain who can't figure out what to do with his daughters. If only the frightened little girls didn’t need her help so badly.
Clare has made mistakes in the past. Can she trust Fred now? Can she trust herself? Captain Wheatly isn’t ashamed of his aristocratic heritage, but he doesn’t need his family and they’ve certainly never needed him. But with no more military career and two half-caste daughters to support, Fred must turn once more—as a failure—to the family he let down so often in the past. Can two hearts rise above past failures to forge a future together?
Find it here.
About Caroline Warfield Traveler, poet, librarian, technology manager—Caroline Warfield has been many things (even a nun), but above all she is a romantic. Having retired to the urban wilds of eastern Pennsylvania, she reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows while she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart. Caroline is a RONE award winner with five star reviews from Readers' Favorite, Night Owl Reviews, and InD'Tale and an Amazon best-seller. She is also a member of the writers’ co-operative, the Bluestocking Belles. With partners she manages and regularly writes for both The Teatime Tattler and History Imagined.Website http://www.carolinewarfield.com/  Amazon Author http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/Good Reads http://bit.ly/1C5blTm Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7Twitter @CaroWarfieldEmail warfieldcaro@gmail.comExcerptThe ballroom at Government House, Calcutta, 1835
Clare had stopped listening. A prickle of awareness drew her gaze to the entrance where another man entered. He stood well above average height, he radiated coiled strength, and her eyes found his auburn hair unerringly. Captain Wheatly had come. The rapid acceleration of her heart took her off guard. Why should I care that he’s here?
“Clare? The lieutenant asked you a question.”
Lieutenant? Clare blinked to clear her head, only to see Mrs. Davis’s icy glare turned on Captain Wheatly. “Is that your strange captain from the black neighborhood?” she demanded in a faux whisper.
The lieutenant’s avid curiosity added to Clare’s discomfort. “Is that Wheatly in a captain’s uniform? I thought they might demote him after the business with Cornell,” he volunteered.
Clare forced herself to turn to the lieutenant. “Cornell?” she asked to deflect Mrs. Davis’s questions.
“Collector at Dehrapur. Wheatly assaulted the man. Unprovoked, I heard,” the lieutenant answered.
She looked back, unable to stop herself. Merciful angels, he’s seen me. She watched the captain start toward them. At least Gleason could make introductions.
The lieutenant went on as though he had her full attention. “He was in line for promotion, the one that went to your brother instead. Philip posted over there right after it happened.”
Clare found it impossible to look away. The captain gave an ironic smile when he saw her watching. Mrs. Davis gave a sharp intake of breath when she realized Wheatly’s intent. “He’s coming here? Clare, I think I should warn you that a man who has been passed over as this one was—”
Before she could finish, Colonel Davis, who had been coming from the other direction, met the captain and greeted him with a smile. Clare couldn’t hear the words, but Captain Wheatly’s self-deprecating grin seemed to indicate at least a modicum of respect. The two men approached together.
“Captain Frederick Wheatly, may I present my wife, Mrs. Davis.” The captain bowed properly, and the colonel went on, “And our house guest, Miss Armbruster.”
This time the captain’s eyes held a distinct twinkle. “Miss Armbruster and I are acquainted. I met her when she visited her brother in Dehrapur.”
“Of course, of course! I should have remembered,” the colonel said jovially. He leaned toward Clare and winked. “He’s a catch, this one. Doesn’t like to boast of his connections, but earls and dukes lurk in his pedigree. His cousin stepped down from Under-Secretary for War and the Colonies just last year!”
Captain Wheatly looked discomfited by that revelation.
Gleason looked skeptical. “The Duke of Murnane?” he gasped.
Before anyone could answer, the small orchestra hired for the occasion began to play, and the captain cocked an eyebrow as if to ask a question.
“I think the captain wants a dance, Miss Armbruster. It’s your patriotic duty to see to the morale of the troops,” the colonel said coyly.
Captain Wheatly put out a gloved hand, and she put her equally gloved hand in his. Walking away from Gleason and the Davises, she admitted two things to herself. She was glad he came, and she planned to enjoy the dance. 

How I come up with my ideas: Guest Post with Jude Knight, author of Farewell to Kindness

How I come up with my ideas"How do you come up with your ideas?" people sometimes ask. It's a question I have trouble answering. Ideas sleet all around me, all the time, and I run around with my hat held out in both hands trying to catch the ones that shine the brightest.Often, I'm not sure what to do with them when I've got them, so I squirrel them away until three, or five, or ten of them collide together in the recesses of my mind and emerge into a story. Then, when I start writing, I dig into the store whenever I hit a speed bump. If nothing there helps me around the block, I've learned to trust I'll get the answer from something in my research or some serendipitous piece of information that passes my way.Let me illustrate. First, imagineSeven of the forty or so historical fiction plots I'd worked out in my head before I began writing the actual books belong to The Golden Redepenning series. The one that's now on prerelease, A Raging Madness, is book two in the series but actually came first in my imagination. As usual, I started with a character type, in this case a beleaguered widow, escaping from her in-laws by climbing out the window, and having to leave behind her beloved colt, the only thing in the world that she owned.Which, of course, raised all kinds of questions. What was she escaping, and why? Where was she running to? Who was her husband, and how did he come to leave her dependent on her in-laws? What sort of person was she?And what of her hero? I knew he was one of a group of cousins (the Redepennings), and fairly early on I made him a military man, largely because her husband had been military, and so she had a prejudice against soldiers for my hero to overcome when wooing her.That must have been all of four years ago. As always, I told myself the bare bones of the story as I walked from the railway station to the office or soaped myself in the shower. Then recordThen I wrote it into my notebook and moved on to another one. Here's what I wrote.Alex comes to the funeral of Lady Melville's mother-in-law, as the widowed Lady Melville was wife of a friend and fellow officer. Realises that she needs help. Tries to visit her but is turned away. Ella hears her brother-in-law and his wife talking and realises that they mean harm. Runs to inn where Alex is staying. Alex agrees to take her with him. Takes her to his sister Susan, where he and she investigate to find out why in-laws are so determined to keep her. Attempt on her life; find out that brother-in-law has kept secret her inheritance. (Thought her only inheritance was her horse). Next, research Once I had all seven stories, I sorted them by date, so Farewell to Kindness came first, since it starts some eight months before A Raging Madness. I needed a confidante for my Farewell hero, Rede, and had planned to make it a school friend. But Alex's book came next, so Alex got shoe-horned into the Farewell spot. I needed him wounded for the plot, but how and where? He was a soldier, but what battles might he have been involved in to have him in London and still very much an invalid in late April of 1807? I found battles galore, but only one close enough for him to get back to England in time. And the English were not combatants.The decision to put Alex there anyway, as escort to an unnamed VIP, was one of those fortunate chances I spoke of earlier. In A Raging Madness, a grateful King gives Alex first a cash reward and then a title and an estate, all of which have consequences for his relationship with Ella.Explore the characters and explore them some moreOf course, the plot capsule above was just the bare-bones start of the story. I knew a little more, but mostly I knew the characters.Alex was still an invalid, which fired off a couple of plot threads. Keep researching and researchingI needed to find out the medical treatment for shrapnel wounds, and likely complications. I thought it would be good if Ella treated him, which meant I needed her to have medical training. I made her father a doctor with the regiment in which both Alex and Ella's husband served. But my research showed that the treatment for shrapnel is to leave it alone until it causes problems. Aha! What sort of problems? Alex and Ella are running away, but the roads in 1807 were diabolical. How could an invalid escape over them? I love the idea of canal boats, and would adore to travel on them. How about if Alex and Ella escaped on a canal boat? No one would think to look for them there, and it would give Alex a chance to have abcessing shrapnel removed, and to recover.And I'd somewhere come up with the idea that Ella was being drugged by her in-laws. What drug? Laudanum was the obvious answer, and I was lucky enough to find a personal account by a Victorian laudanum addict. How would this affect her escape, and what might Alex think when she arrived in his hotel room?Then writeSo that's where I started. With the bare bones plot ideas, several characters I was beginning to know quite well, and some ideas about directions. I began writing, researching as I went, and found out what happened as it poured out on to the pages.So I started writing, researching as I went, and found out what happened as it poured out on to the pages.
And that's how I come up with my ideas.
Genre: Regency romance, historical romance, historical suspense,
Regency noir, gothic    µ Heat rating: PG-13    µ  ISBN: 9780473393670
Page count: 382 pages on Kindle    µ Publication date: 9 May 2017TaglineTheir marriage is a fiction. Their enemies are all too real.Blurb Ella survived an abusive and philandering husband, in-laws who hate her, and public scorn. But she’s not sure she will survive love. It is too late to guard her heart from the man forced to pretend he has married such a disreputable widow, but at least she will not burden him with feelings he can never return. Alex understands his supposed wife never wishes to remarry. And if she had chosen to wed, it would not have been to him. He should have wooed her when he was whole, when he could have had her love, not her pity. But it is too late now. She looks at him and sees a broken man. Perhaps she will learn to bear him.  In their masquerade of a marriage, Ella and Alex soon discover they are more well-matched than they expected. But then the couple’s blossoming trust is ripped apart by a malicious enemy. Two lost souls must together face the demons of their past to save their lives and give their love a future.              a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author bioJude Knight’s writing goal is to transport readers to another time, another place, where they can enjoy adventure and romance, thrill to trials and challenges, uncover secrets and solve mysteries, delight in a happy ending, and return from their virtual holiday refreshed and ready for anything.She writes historical novels, novellas, and short stories, mostly set in the early 19th Century. She writes strong determined heroines, heroes who can appreciate a clever capable woman, villains you’ll love to loathe, and all with a leavening of humour.




Website and blog: http://judeknightauthor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudeKnightAuthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudeKnightBooks Pinterest: https://nz.pinterest.com/jknight1033/ Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JudeKnightGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8603586.Jude_Knight
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Jude-Knight/e/B00RG3SG7I

Enter to win a brand new Lenovo Ideapad 110s laptop courtesy of Pure Textuality PR!

Pure Textuality PR is giving away a brand new Lenovo Ideapad 110s laptop. With an 11.6" screen, weighing less than 3 pounds, and less than an inch thick, it's the perfect little machine for any writer on the go. The system specs meet the requirements for many popular writing programs, including Scrivener., accesses Google Docs with no problem, AND it comes with a free 1-year subscription to Microsoft's Office 365.ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO ENTER IS SIGN UP FOR THE PURE TEXTUALITY PR AUTHOR MAILING LIST.ENTER HEREhttps://goo.gl/xaQIv2★ ★ ★ TERMS & CONDITIONS ★ ★ ★This giveaway is being hosted by Pure Textuality PR. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Rafflecopter, and HeadTalker are in no way responsible for this giveaway. This giveaway is open to US and Canada shipping addresses only. Giveaway ends on March 30, 2017 @ 11:59pm EST. Giveaway prize non-exchangeable. Should you have any questions regarding the terms, please contact Pure Textuality PR at jena@puretextualitypr.com. Visit Pure Textuality PR's website at http://puretextualitypr.com.★ ★ ★ LAPTOP SPECS ★ ★ ★Brand New Lenovo Ideapad 110s: White Case, 11.6" LED Screen, Windows 10 OS, Intel Celeron N3060 1.60 GHz Processor, Intel HD Graphics 400, 2GB RAM, 32GB eMMC Flash Memory, 3 USB Ports ((1) 3.0 and (2) 2.0), HDMI Port, Headphone/Microphone, Bluetooth Enabled, Built-In Webcam, Built-In Speakers, 2.53lbs, 0.7" Thin, 8 Hour Battery Life, 1-Year of Microsoft Office 365. Item is brand new in factory-sealed box. Comes with 1-Year Parts & Labor Warranty and Gift Receipt.

Can the Magic be Awakened? New #UF and #PNR boxed set!

The secrets of the heart are hidden when magic sleeps, but miracles happen when magic is awakened.Enjoy eleven stunningly romantic supernatural tales in one divine boxed set. Fantastic beasts, shifters, and unearthly creatures face all too human conflicts and heartbreak, but always with a promise of a happily-ever-after ending.With mates and magic, each story brings to life a unique world where anything is possible, including finding true and everlasting love, no matter who…or what you are.Only 99 cents or free with KU!
K.N. Lee & Calinda BUrban ExtinctionTwo women. Two extraordinary magic abilities. One city threatened by dark supernatural forces.Nicole Zoltack
Of Howling Moons
The dark world beneath the moon where werewolves reign is no place for a human or a lone wolf.Julie Morgan
The Power Here
An Oni looking for a second chance at love. A were-panther wanting revenge. A banshee fighting to keep their triad protected.Shereen Vedam
Hidden
In a realm where magic is banned, an extraordinary woman braves her secrets being revealed to defeat a sorcerer bent on destroying her world.D.N. Leo
Pisces – Silver Blood Collection
The queen of the deep sea falls in love with a human spy. But for him to be with her, she has to kill him.Tricia Owens
A Hex on You
As a dragon sorceress, Anne Moody couldn’t care less that the magickal community fears her. She’s unprepared, though, for the creativity of their attacks.J.A. Armitage
Endless Winter.
Imagine falling in love for the first time. Now imagine being told you had to have a baby with somebody else…T.F. Walsh
Lunar Shadows
A powerful seer. A Guardian with a death sentence. A fight to stay alive.Kara James
Cornered
A dragon shifter MMA fighter meets his match in a witchy cop. Could she unlock his lost memories and why he awoke covered in blood?Cait Reynolds
Seeds of Love
In a world of shadows and death where nothing grows, can there be any hope for ‘The Seeds of Love’?Tierney O’MalleyWolf’s Heart
When a shapeshifter and a human dreamer finally meet, their worlds clash. But would they find love in the middle of chaos.

My Website and Newsletter!

Have you checked out my website lately? It's up and running!

And I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter. Word on the street is that you might get a free book if you sign up. Maybe. Just maybe. ;) LOL You can sign up here!

Fantastic Creature Anthology Release and Scavenger Hunt!

Hi, everyone! I'm so happy to be one of the authors in an epic fantasy anthology! To kick things off, we're having a scavenger hunt with a super cool prize. Each of the twenty stories in the anthology focuses around a fantastic creature from folklore or mythology. My contribution is called An Adventurer's Heart. Be sure to visit all the stops and collect the clues--a number featured in each post--and you could win a Kindle Fire plus a digital library of ebooks from participating authors. Read down to the bottom to find out how to enter.

Now let's hear from one of the other authors in the anthology, A. R. Silverberry:.​


Tall Tall Tales
It’s surprising where a funny story can come from. Take Three Steaks and a Box of Chocolates, for example. The idea came to me while driving my cat to a veterinary specialist. The down-on-his-luck Doc Turner and his friend, Burt McCall, chaser of crackpot dreams, sprang to life pretty quickly after
that. McCall’s rickety, backfiring old tow truck and the near empty town of Dead End, which sees no more action than a few rolling tumbleweeds, soon followed. What I didn’t anticipate was that I would end up writing a tall tale. If you come right down to it, you can’t plan something like that. The seeds blow in from somewhere, take root, and grow all on their own.

Now that I’ve written one, I thought I’d find out more about them! The main element of a tall tale is that one aspect of the story is larger than life. In fact, we want our tall tales to have something preposterous or unbelievable. That’s what makes them fun. Pecos Bill just wouldn’t be the same if he didn’t lasso a tornado or chow down on a stick of dynamite. Tall tales will usually have a larger-than-life hero, like the giant lumberjack, Paul Bunyan. And of course, Paul has to have the impossibly big and impossibly colored, sidekick, Babe, the blue ox. Paul’s exploits don’t stop at the fifty flapjacks he gobbles in one minute. A hero of his stature leaves his mark on the land he strides through, leaving the Grand Canyon, the Finger Lakes, and the Mississippi River in his wake.
Not all tall tales are preposterous, though. They can take place in familiar settings and be based on real people. Johnny Appleseed, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, and John Henry are examples of such heroes, whose exploits have become legend and are immortalized in American folklore. Similar traditions are found the world over, from Australia’s Crooked Mick to Canada’s Big Joe Mufferaw. Deep down, we want our funny bones tickled, and larger-than-life heroes have a knack for doing it.
How tall of a tale did I write? Crack open a copy of Fantastic Creatures to find out! I’ll tell you one thing, I scrawled the story in the sands of the Mojave using a three-hundred-foot redwood tree. Afterward, it made a good toothpick.
Sign up for my mailing list during this scavenger hunt, and I’ll enter you to win a free eBook copy of my award-winning fantasy novel Wyndano’s Cloak. You can follow me at the cantinas below, and happy reading!
Website
Facebook
Twitter: @arsilverberry
A. R. Silverberry writes fantasy fiction for children and adults. His novel, WYNDANO’S CLOAK, won multiple awards, including the Benjamin Franklin Awards gold medal for Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction. THE STREAM , his second novel, was honored as a Shelf Unbound Notable Book, and was shortlisted in ForeWord Review’s Book of the Year Awards. He lives in California, where the majestic coastline, trees, and mountains inspire his writing.

Scavenger Hunt Clue:


Here's the anthology!
​Here be dragons ... and selkies and griffins and maybe even a mermaid or two. 

Twenty fantasy authors band together to bring you a collection of thrilling tales and magical monsters. Do you like to slay dragons? Or befriend them? Do you prefer to meet cephalopods as gigantic kraken or adorable tree octopuses? 

Each story focuses around a fantastic creature from folklore or mythology, and they range from light and playful tales for the whole family to darker stories that may make you wish to leave the lights on. These stories carry the Fellowship of Fantasy seal of approval. While our monsters may be horrifying, you won't stumble into graphic sex and constant swearing. 

Perfect for the fantasy lover who can't get enough of mythical beasts.
GoodreadsAmazonB&NKobo
The Grand Prize!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Kitten From Hollystone Hall Needs a New Owner - Giveaway and Excerpt

Holly and Hopeful HeartsWhen the Duchess of Haverford sends out invitations to a Yuletide house party and a New Year’s Eve ball at her country estate, Hollystone Hall, those who respond know that Her Grace intends to raise money for her favorite cause and promote whatever marriages she can. Eight assorted heroes and heroines set out with their pocketbooks firmly clutched and hearts in protective custody. Or are they?Amazon.com • Amazon UK • Amazon Aus • Amazon CAKobo • SmashwordsAn Excerpt from Christmas Kisses (my contribution to Holly and Hopeful Hearts):
“Looking for the Duke of Barnet?” a light-tenored voice asked from behind her in the hallway.
She whirled around, her heart beating fast and strong. “No, actually.”
Weasel Winderfield nodded with a smirk. He was prone to gossip, and Anna felt her cheeks flushing. She had encountered him in London at various functions, and she did not like the man and did her best to avoid him.
“If you must know,” she said, slipping back a step, “I was looking for someone else entirely.”
“Has someone else finally caught your eye?”
She bristled. The last thing she needed was for rumors to fly about concerning her. Many spoke about the duke as it was, and she would hate for Florentina, whom she did not know all that well, to become the source of gossip as well. If word were to leak out about her condition…
“I find it rather peculiar that there was talk of Barnet having a quick marriage to his lady, but that hasn’t happened yet, not to my knowledge.” Weasel puffed out his chest, and immediately the image of a peacock flashed in Anna’s mind. “Is the duke having second thoughts? Is he finally willing to glance in your direction long enough to wish for more than merely two dances with you?”
Anna managed to smile. “You would have to ask the duke that himself, but I can assure you of this—I will not deign to be second in the eyes of the one I…” She broke off.
“In the eyes of the one you…love?” Weasel grinned broadly. “And who is it you love?”
“I must confess…he is not you. If you will excuse me.” Heart hammering, Anna all but dashed away. She ignored the onlookers and the questioning glances from other partygoers and hurried to her guest quarters.
Standing by her door was the one she had sought all along.
Anna smiled widely at him, her heart beating fiercely, and she suspected that was not solely due to her rushed flight to her door. “Lord Pershore. May I have a word with you?”
“A word. No. You may have three.”
Her cheeks warmed. Weasel had the right of it—she had been about to say love, but surely that had only been a slip of the tongue. She didn’t know Lord Pershore well enough to love him.
Yet.
She glanced up and down the hallway. It was empty, and she grabbed his arm and yanked him inside an empty small sitting room and shut the door.
“Lady Anna, what are you doing?”
“I wish to talk to you about a personal matter, and there are more gossips here than there are… Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“I thought I heard… a meow.” Anna walked around the sofa and kneeled down. Sure enough, she held up a small kitten. “Oh, isn’t she just darling?”
Lord Pershore was staring at her. “Yes,” he murmured.
Anna snuggled the kitten to her and tried to keep her wits about her. What she would have to say to Lord Pershore would not be easy but said it must be.
She might risk losing him, but it would be better, far better, for him to learn the truth now than to hope he would never learn it.
Christmas Kisses Blurb:
Louisa Wycliff, Dowager Countess of Exeter wants only for her darling daughter, Anna, to find a man she can love and marry. Appallingly, Anna has her sights on a scoundrel of a duke who chases after every skirt he sees. Anna truly thinks the dashing duke cares for her, but her mother has her doubts. When Lady Exeter insists on Anna befriending a marquess’s son, a man Anna thinks is far too crude, Anna learns all about the trials her mother went through to find love herself. Only time will tell if Anna can find true love this Christmas season.
A New Home for a kitten:
Rat, Anna's kitten, is looking for a home. Enter here!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The winner will be announced at the Book Launch Party on November 13th. The twins from the other kittens in the novellas are also looking for new homes, so be sure to keep an eye out for them! Good luck!
About the Bluestocking Belles

The Bluestocking Belles, the “BellesInBlue”, are seven very different writers united by a love of history and a history of writing about love. From sweet to steamy, from light-hearted fun to dark tortured tales full of angst, from London ballrooms to country cottages to the sultan’s seraglio, one or more of us will have a tale to suit your tastes and mood. Come visit us at http://bluestockingbelles.net and kick up your bluestockinged heels!

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The Bluestocking Belles proudly support the Malala Fund charity. You can find out more on our website: http://bluestockingbelles.net/belles-joint-projects/the-bellesinblue-support-the-malala-fund/

Cover Reveal: Holly and Hopeful Hearts by the Bluestocking Belles and a Bonus Excerpt by @NicoleZoltack

About Holly and Hopeful HeartsWhen the Duchess of Haverford sends out invitations to a Yuletide house party and a New Year’s Eve ball at her country estate, Hollystone Hall, those who respond know that Her Grace intends to raise money for her favorite cause and promote whatever marriages she can. Eight assorted heroes and heroines set out with their pocketbooks firmly clutched and hearts in protective custody. Or are they?A Suitable Husband, by Jude KnightAs the Duchess of Haverford’s companion, Cedrica Grenford is not treated as a poor relation and is encouraged to mingle with Her Grace’s guests. Surely she can find a suitable husband amongst the gentlemen gathered for the duchess’s house party. Above stairs or possibly below. Valuing Vanessa, by Susana EllisFacing a dim future as a spinster under her mother’s thumb, Vanessa Sedgely makes a practical decision to attach an amiable gentleman who will not try to rule her life. A Kiss for Charity, by Sherry EwingYoung widow Grace, Lady de Courtenay, has no idea how a close encounter with a rake at a masquerade ball would make her yearn for love again. Can she learn to forgive Lord Nicholas Lacey and set aside their differences to let love into her heart?Artemis, by Jessica CaleActress Charlotte Halfpenny is in trouble. Pregnant, abandoned by her lover, and out of a job, Charlotte faces eviction two weeks before Christmas. When the reclusive Earl of Somerton makes her an outrageous offer, she has no choice but to accept. Could he be the man of her dreams, or is the nightmare just beginning?The Bluestocking and the Barbarian, by Jude KnightJames must marry to please his grandfather, the duke, and to win social acceptance for himself and his father’s other foreign-born children. But only Lady Sophia Belvoir makes his heart sing, and to win her he must invite himself to spend Christmas at the home of his father’s greatest enemy. Christmas Kisses, by Nicole ZoltackLouisa Wycliff, Dowager Countess of Exeter wants only for her darling daughter, Anna, to find a man she can love and marry. Appallingly, Anna has her sights on a scoundrel of a duke who chases after every skirt he sees. Anna truly thinks the dashing duke cares for her, but her mother has her doubts. An Open Heart, by Caroline WarfieldEsther Baumann longs for a loving husband who will help her create a home where they will teach their children to value the traditions of their people, but she wants a man who is also open to new ideas and happy to make friends outside their narrow circle. Is it so unreasonable to ask for toe curling passion as well?Dashing Through the Snow, by Amy Rose BennettHeadstrong bluestocking, Miss Kate Woodville, never thought her Christmas would be spent racing across England with a viscount hell-bent on vengeance. She certainly never expected to find love…Coming November 8.Eight original stories, 578 pages of diverse characters,  complex relationships, and happily-ever-afters for $2.99.Pre-order Now!Amazon.com • Amazon UK • Amazon Australia • Amazon CanadaKobo • SmashwordsExcerpt from Christmas Kisses:
Jasper did his best to not scowl. “I think that those who would lie to sell papers should be hanged.”
Her eyes widened, and she took a step back on the rock.
He held out his hand to help her down. “I do not care for the likes of The Teatime Tattler especially. It grates me that—”
“Have you read Aunt Augusta’s column? She gives ladies and gentlemen hope and advice about love and more. I, myself, find it a kind read. Surely even you can find no fault with it.”
He scoffed. “Every week, Aunt Augusta repeats herself. ‘Love will find a way.’ ‘Love is worth the wait.’ She oversimplifies love.”
“So you think love is complicated?”Belatedly, he realized their hands were still clasped, and he released his hold on her. “Matters of the heart are complicated, trying…very difficult.”
“It sounds like there might be a story there,” she said with a teasing smile.
He couldn’t tell her, wouldn’t, but for a brief moment, he did consider it. Why bother? It was trying to move on as it was, and he was having difficulty doing so. Talking about it would not help, and of all people, why should he tell her?
For once, though, conversation with her did not feel forced or awkward.
A sudden gust of wind blew a few papers from Lady Anna’s hand. Laughing, they chased each one down, and when they captured them all, Jasper held out a hand to secure them for her. They stood far too close together—their chaperone seemed to be missing—and he stared down at her. He couldn’t understand why she hid herself away from gatherings, like he did. If she went to all the balls and gatherings, she would be betrothed herself. She was a fine, beautiful lady…

Cover Reveal - Caroline Warfield's THE RENEGADE WIFE

Love is worth the risk...
New cover, new release, new series! Coming in October
The heroes and heroines of Caroline Warfield's DANGEROUS SERIES overcame challenges even after their happy ending. Their children seek their own happiness in distant lands in Warfield's new CHILDREN OF EMPIRE SERIES. In THE RENEGADE WIFE, first of the new series, reclusive Rand Wheatly finds contentment in his remote cabin in Upper Canada, intent on making his fortune in timber, until his precious solitude is disrupted by a woman running from an ugly past. He quickly realizes she wasn't what she claims, but now she's on the run again and time is running out for him to save her.
Caroline is celebrating with a GIVEAWAY on her website.
http://wp.me/p5qiDD-vj

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My contribution is GUNS AND FANGS.

She won’t rest until they’re all dead… but then she meets him, and everything changes. 

Vanessa Lockhart is a vampire hunter, like her father before her, ever since those foul beasts murdered her mother. When she stumbles upon Anton, a vampire who doesn’t kill humans, she doesn’t relent. He protects himself from her onslaught, but even though he doesn’t fight hard, Vanessa is injured. That he doesn’t kill her, that he heals her instead, leaves Vanessa baffled. 

A vampire clan hunts Vanessa, intent on killing her for slaying their leader several days ago. Anton manages to save her…but only by turning her into a monster like himself. 

In retaliation, the clan kidnaps Emma, a young friend of Vanessa’s. She’ll need to accept her new second life, and Anton’s help, if she’s to save Emma…and maybe, just maybe, she’ll also find a way to forgive Anton for making her a vampire.