Cathy MacRae's Blog, page 27

Medieval Monday's Betrayal - Bambi Lynn

This week's moment of betrayal features Bambi Lynn's hot historical novel, Sirona, Gods of the Highlands, Book 2.

​EXCERPT
 
Ty stepped away from the Cleary lass, much to Rhain’s relief. He had been on his way to Father Baen’s apothecary when he rounded the corner and found Sirona in the man’s arms. The monster, dormant most days, rose up within him. If he had had a weapon, he would have attacked Ty on the spot. Rhain curled and uncurled his fists, ready to beat the life out of him.
“Doona fret, cousin. The lass is safe.”
“’Twas no’ her safety I was worried about.”
Ty fixed him with a look, the look of an elder who knew so much more about the world, despite his much younger mien. “Perhaps, ye should be. I caught Fergus assailing her, his intentions less than noble. If I had not come along when I did...”
Fury, violent and ferocious, welled up within him. “I’ll kill him,” he ground out through clenched teeth.
Sirona seemed to get her bearings and spoke up. “Please, Rhain. I doona want to cause a rift betwixt you and yer brother.” She looked at Ty and placed a hand on his arm. “Thank you,” she said.
Rhain crossed the distance and put one arm around her possessively. With a sly grin, Ty pulled his arm from beneath Sirona’s touch. “Think nothing of it, lass. But doona be wandering about the castle alone.” With a curt nod to Rhain, he left them. The clack of his boots echoing down the length of the corridor as he disappeared around a bend.
To Rhain’s surprise, Sirona snuggled against him. He held her, savoring the way she fit him perfectly. Her slender body molded to his as if she had been created just for him.
“I am sorry I was not here to protect ye,” he said over her head. “I barely made the promise err I broke it.”
She shook her head. “Doona fash yerself. He dinna hurt me. Not really. Asides, I shall be going home soon. Your da promised.”
His heart tightened. Without a doubt, the best thing for her was to be gone from this place. But already Rhain dreaded her departure like the threat of plague.
 
BLURB
 
She has the power to heal his body, but can she heal his soul?
 
Sirona Cleary tries to hide her unholy healing powers from everyone around her, denying her divine heritage even as she saves those who would see her punished. When she is kidnapped by a rival clan, she is sure her execution is near. Rhain Comyn is dying from a mysterious disease, and he couldn’t be more glad of it. After the atrocities he has committed, Rhain believes he has no right to a decent life and welcomes the ailment that leaves him with unquenchable thirst and hunger, extreme fatigue, blurred vision and ultimately drives him into a deep slumber from which no healer can awaken him. Can a witch from the clan of his enemy save him?
 
BUY LINKS
 
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Sirona-Gods-Highlands-Novella-Book-ebook/dp/B0113S6RA4/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sirona-Gods-Highlands-Novella-Book-ebook/dp/B0113S6RA4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1455037893&sr=8-2&keywords=bambi+lynn
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sirona/id1076588155?mt=11
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sirona-bambi-lynn/1123276720?ean=2940152815764
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/sirona-1
 

Medieval Monday -- Betrayal

A new theme for Medieval Monday begins today.

Betrayal is often a turning point. Will what the hero or heroine has worked so hard for end in success or will it fail?
Join me for the next 8 Mondays for these glimpses into the sometimes heart-wrenching moments of these featured stories.




Today's moment of betrayal is an excerpt from Ruth A. Casie's story, The Druid Knight Tales.
                                          * * *

He stood by the stone altar. The mist thickened in deep pools and drifted to the bottom of the great sarsen stones. Churning like a phantom stew, fingers of mist crept up the stones, leaving a shimmering outline in its wake. The silhouette thickened, revealing the hooded forms of the Ancestors.
“Grand Master, who do you bring to the sacred circle?”
“The healer—” his voice boomed.
“Only you, the Grand Master, are permitted to approach us for our guidance.” The angry voice of an Ancestor reached his ears. “But we are forgiving.”
“I come to seek—”
“Before you tell us what you seek, tell us of your quest.”
A flicker of apprehension pulsed through him. He was certain Ellyn didn’t have much time and the full red moon hung large in the sky. Only a thin arc of sun remained on the horizon.
He removed the wrapped cloth from his pouch and laid the package on the altar stone. “I have passed your test.” He did not expose the mistletoe. He didn’t want the Ancestors to see the dead plant, not until he had Ellyn safely back to Avebury. After that he didn’t care.
“You have found your mate?”
Max hesitated. “Perhaps. I have much to tell you, but before I begin I ask for a boon.” He glanced over his shoulder. She waited for him.
“What do you seek?” the Ancestors rumbled with a cold, hard voice.
“Ellyn of Brodgar is ill. I ask you to help her. She is honorable and has served the people well and denies no one at her own expense.”
“You are the people’s Grand Master. She is your responsibility. We can only guide and help those who have passed on to our world.”
“No,” he insisted, pounding his fist on the stone altar. How could this be? For the first time in his life he felt helpless. He could not lose her. He knew if he did he would lose a part of himself. “She has done everything—”
“It is not for us to interfere.” The voice was calm and without empathy.
“You do not interfere? You demanded I find a mate.”
There was no response.
He tried to keep his control. “She told me she was compelled to come here. Why?”
Still they did not respond.
Anger surged through him. “You brought her here. She needs your help. She’s dying.” He pointed to where he left her.
“Only you can help her, Grand Master.”
“Me?” He stopped short. “How? If I could she’d already be cured.”
“Why do you care what happens to her? She is just a simple Orkney witch. Nothing else.”
Ideas flashed across Max’s mind. If he was the only one that could help her the answer must lie in his greatest gift. His magick. He must get her back to Avebury, back to his magick, before the sun set.
“Here.” He unrolled the mistletoe. “Here is your talisman. Send us back to Avebury,” he demanded.
“So, you found your mate,” the Ancestor said with a satisfied voice.
Max looked at the healthy mistletoe and gaped in astonishment. The plant was dead when he’d last looked. How could it now be alive? Icy fear raced up his back. He glanced at Ellyn on the far side of the circle. Her kisses. He had teased her and it was her kiss all along.
“You hold her destiny in your hands.”
                                       * * *
 
Blurb:
 
After a year of searching, Maximilian, the druid Grand Master, finds the sacred mistletoe destined for his soul mate shriveled and dead. He must journey to the Otherworld and tell the Ancestors of his failure.
Ellyn of Brodgar is an exceptional healer. But each healing kiss depletes her energy and brings her closer to death. Ellyn needs to find her own healing power before it’s too late.
Max and Ellyn are tossed into the Otherworld and have until the third sunset to appeal to the Ancestors or be lost forever. Together they find love, and as the last rays of the third sunset slip away, both are willing to sacrifice their hopes, dreams, and lives for the other. Do they have what it takes to escape the Otherworld and begin their life together?
                                           * * *
Amazon: http://bit.ly/DruidKnightTales
BN: http://bit.ly/DruidKnightTalesBN
iBook: http://bit.ly/DruidKnightTalesiBook
KOBO: http://bit.ly/KOBO_DruidKnightTales
 

Medieval Monday- First Kiss with Jenna Jaxon

Medieval Monday's first kiss spotlights Jenna Jaxon's book, Time Enough to Love.

EXCERPT:
​
“It has been decreed by His Majesty that on the first day the festivities will begin with a procession of ladies and knights of King Arthur’s court, starting at the Tower of London and winding through the town out to the lists. There are to be twenty-five knights on the king’s side who will joust and fight in a pas d’armes. So there needs be twenty-five ladies as well, to escort them to the field.”
She nodded again. “Princess Joanna rides in this procession.” Her part in the festivities had been determined last week. Did he have anything truly new to impart?
“You have been chosen to be one of the ladies.”
Alyse’s mouth dropped open and a thrill coursed through her. “But I am only Princess Joanna’s attendant, Sir Geoffrey. Usually such honors are reserved for the queen and Princess Isabella’s ladies, or the Duchesses and Countesses in the Royal Family. Why did they choose me?”
“Because I am to be one of the knights, and I begged a boon of the king to allow you to be my lady.”
She stared at him in shock, almost unbelieving, though she knew he would not lie about such a thing. To think she owed such an honor to the man she would soon call husband, that he had asked the king himself to grant the favor, made her heart beat an unsteady march in her chest. Alyse parted her lips to thank him when he swooped forward, secured her chin in his hand and kissed her.
Strangely soft, yet very sweet, his touch sent a searing bolt straight to her stomach, setting it afire. After moments that seemed an eternity, his mouth slackened on hers as though he would release her. Then he flicked the tip of his tongue across the hard-pressed seam of her mouth, testing for another invitation.
With a gasp she jumped back, drawing a chuckle from Geoffrey, who had the grace to glance around to make sure they had not been observed. “Be not discomfited, sweet. We are safe in our conversation.”
“’Twas not in our conversation that I feared harm, my lord.” Lord, ’twas difficult to sound outraged when she could still feel his lips on hers.
 
BLURB FOR TIME ENOUGH TO LOVE
When Lady Alyse de Courcy is betrothed to Sir Geoffrey Longford, she has no choice but to make the best of a bad bargain. The hulking knight is far from her ideal man, and although he does possess some wit and charm, he is no match for the sinfully sensual man she secretly admires, Thomas, Earl of Braeton, her betrothed’s best friend. 
From the first, Sir Geoffrey finds himself smitten by Lady Alyse, and, despite her infatuation with his friend, vows to win her love. When Geoffrey puts his mind to wooing Alyse, he is delighted to find her succumbing to his seduction. But when cruel circumstances separate them, Geoffrey must watch helplessly as Thomas steps in to protect Alyse—and falls in love with her himself.
As the three courtiers accompany Princess Joanna to her wedding in Spain, they run headlong into the Black Plague. With her world plunged into chaos, Alyse struggles with her feelings for both the men she loves. But which love will survive?
 
BUY LINKS:
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ACF9L98?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
 
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-timeenoughtolove-1964202-161.html
 

Guest Author - Me!

I'm visiting with Mary Morgan today, chatting about writing and The Highlander's French Bride.

Come visit with me!

​
​http://marymorganromancewriter.com/blog/2016/02/18/spotlight-author-interview-cathy-macrae/#comment-30208

Medieval Monday-First Kiss with Barbara Bettis

Nun meets mercenary in this first kiss excerpt from Barbara Bettis' novel, Silverhawk.

​Excerpt:
 
Lady Emelin tucked her heavy brown wimple beneath her chin and watched the wounded knight.
 
Swollen eyelids, a puffy cheek, and bloody scrapes couldn't hide his handsome features. Waves of midnight hair fell across his wide forehead to brush one side of his square, stubble-darkened jaw. Grit clustered on the high bridge of his nose. What shame such a strong, rugged man should be cut down. Her pulse fluttered, and she sucked in a sharp breath. Ashamed of such reaction, she squeezed shut her eyes.
 
Would Stephen have been so handsome, had he lived? She hardly recalled what her youthful first betrothed looked like when he joined his foster father on King Richard's crusade. If only he'd returned, she'd be wed now, with the family she craved.
 
She sighed, reached for a leaf on her patient's cheek—and found herself staring into the palest gray eyes she'd ever seen. His mouth moved; she leaned forward.
 
“What is it?” she murmured.
 
“Before...I...die,” came the hoarse whisper.
 
“Yes? What would you like before you die?” If it were in her power, she would provide the poor man with his wish. Drink? Food?
 
A strong hand gripped the back of her head, pulled her forward. That close, she saw his eyes weren't gray, but layered like a winter pond winking with ice. They were silver.
 
“To...kiss...a nun,” came the outrageous reply before his lips met hers.
 
His warm mouth robbed her of breath for an instant. Then she snapped back with a gasp. And, with inborn reflex, slapped him. His head jerked, his eyes closed, and he lay motionless.
 
“Oh, Sweet Mary,” Emelin whispered, “I've killed him.” Leaning close, she saw his narrow, beautifully molded lips relax. His mouth curved at the corner.
 
At least he died with a smile on his face.
 
Blurb:
 
Sir Giles has come to England to kill his father, who seduced and betrayed his mother. First, however, he’ll seek sweet revenge—kidnap the old lord’s new betrothed. But when Giles uncovers a plot against King Richard, he faces a dilemma: take the lady or track the traitors. What’s a good mercenary to do? Both, of course.
 
Lady Emelin has had enough. Abandoned in a convent by her brother, she finally has a chance for home and family. Yet now she’s been abducted. Her kidnapper may be the image of her dream knight, but she won’t allow him to spoil this betrothal. Her only solution: escape
Rescuing the intrepid lady—while hunting traitors—is a challenge Giles couldn’t anticipate.  But the greatest challenge to Giles and Emelin is the fire blazing between them. For he’s everything a proper lady should never want, and she’s everything a bastard mercenary can never have.
 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Silverhawk-Barbara-Bettis-ebook/dp/B015QIK9CE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452213479&sr=8-1
 
www.barbarabettis.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/BarbaraBettisAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/BarbaraBettis
 
 

Book Release! Highland Seduction

Over 1000 pages of Highland Romance by 8 of your favorite authors!
Included in the set is The Highlander's Tempestuous Bride.
Available for a limited time on Amazon for 99 cents!

https://www.amzn.com/B01BLL35L2

Medieval Monday- First Kiss with Mary Morgan

This week's first kiss is from Mary Morgan's sensual time travel book, Dragon Knight's Shield.


​Excerpt:
His look was predatory, lustful, inviting, and she took a step backward. Words failed her as she took another step back.
He arched a brow and his smile became seductive. “Do I frighten ye?”
“No!” she lied. Like hell you do! You’re as gorgeous as sin standing there, and I want to rip your clothes from your body.
Pushing off from the wall, he stepped into the room and silently closed the door behind him, his eyes never leaving hers. His hair hung in soft waves past his shoulders, and her fingers itched to twine within them. Her body ached in places so deep—longing for even the slightest touch. 
“Are ye unwell, my lady?”
The burr of his voice so low—so sexy, she could only stare at him until his words resonated in her mind. “No,” she replied softly, feeling the flames of desire heat not only her face, but also her entire body.
This time when he took another step closer, Deirdre didn’t back away. Now he stood so close she could feel the warmth of his breath across her face—a mix of wine and pure male.
She watched mesmerized as he reached for a lock of her hair, twining it around his finger. “So verra soft.”
Deirdre couldn’t breathe, as he let the curl unravel and cupped her face in his hands. “Ye confuse me. Ye torment me in my dreams,” he whispered against her cheek, sending a wave of pleasure down her spine.
Without thought, she groaned and leaned into him—his beard grazing her cheek. She no longer battled her mind for the man. “Kiss me, Angus.”
This time he groaned, capturing her mouth with savage intensity and drawing the breath from her lungs. His tongue plundered deep, and Deirdre opened fully to the fiery possession.
 
Blurb:
Angus MacKay, leader of the Dragon Knights, failed his brothers and his clan upon the death of his sister. Now he must fight the darkness of despair tempting his soul. Back on Scottish soil, he comes face to face with Deirdre who can wield a sword as mightily as his warriors, and he takes her captive. Yet, with each passing day, the fire dragon inside him roars to claim the one woman fate has destined for him. 

Famed mystery writer, Deirdre Flanagan, is unprepared for the next chapter in her life. On a vacation to Scotland, she steps through the mists and enters into a skirmish alongside a Highlander. However, the fight has only begun, and now she must battle Angus as well as evil in order to claim the love of this Dragon Knight. 


Will their love be powerful enough to shield them from danger, or burn them to ashes? 
 
Buy Links:
 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Knights-Shield-Order-Book-ebook/dp/B018MESJ12/
 
Barnes&Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragon-knights-shield-mary-morgan/1123094798?ean=2940157846695
 
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/dragon-knight-s-shield
 
The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6584
 
 

Medieval Monday- First Kiss with Ashley York

Another great 'first kiss' moment for this week's Medieval Monday from Ashley York's book, The Gentle Knight.

EXCERPT:
"What. Will. It. Be?" He leaned in closer, whispering each word.
"Whatever you think best?" She spoke as calmly as she could but the room was getting very hot.
He glanced up as if trying to read an unclear sign but then that assured smile returned.
A tiny quiver rippled through her. Before she could speak again, he was closing in on her, his body up against hers.
"Whatever I think best?"
She wavered for a moment, unsure why he answered her with that tone. She wanted nothing more than to melt against him, envelope herself in his heat. This was just like in her dream. Hot and heady.
Then his firm lips were on hers. His hard length pressing her into the table, as if trying to meld them together. Her body would gladly have done just that if only it could have turned to pure liquid instead of just a growing warmth where his hips grinded into her.
He pulled his head back enough to search her face. He was breathing hard. He looked bewildered. "Is this what you want then?"
Her body arched towards his where the pressure had eased. "I…I'm not sure." She should not be feeling this way. "Please."
The answering sound from deep in his throat surprised her but then she got what she craved. His lips on hers again, then trailing across her cheek and down her jaw. An intense ripple of pleasure shot straight to her core. His hips undulated against hers, the heat, the dampness. She moaned.
He suddenly stopped, his head still dipped into the crook of her neck. She didn't dare breathe.
"I do not believe your protector will be happy with the outcome if we continue." His voice was husky, his breath warm against her skin. He shifted away.
Her body immediately missed his. Her eyes closed, she took a slow, steadying breath.
 
 
BLURB:
 A medieval soldier returns home to find his lover died in childbirth just as his own mother had. Believing he is cursed, Peter of Normandy turns from love. When he must give escort to an Irish princess more noble than many knights, he struggles with his decision to live a solitary life. Can he take the chance that his love won't be a death sentence and possibly make them stronger?
 
Padraig MacNaughton's death bed decree rips his daughter, Brighit, from the shelter of her protective clan in Ireland. Forced to take vows at a Priory in England, she finds herself in the hands of lecherous mercenaries with their own political agendas. Dare she trust the Norman knight to see her safely to her new life as a nun? Even when she finds in him the fulfillment of all she's ever wanted?
 
Or will honor and duty eclipse their one chance for happiness?
​
BUY LINKS: Apple    Kobo    Amazon    Barnes and Noble

Medieval Monday- First Kiss with Lane McFarland

Here's our next 'first kiss' on this week's Medieval Monday, from Lane McFarland's book, Cameron.

BLURB:
Determined to band Scots together against English tyranny, Laird Robert Graham seals a truce with his feuding neighbor, the MacDougalls. But after his brother is nearly killed in a treacherous attack, Graham kidnaps the laird’s daughter in an act of revenge.
Cameron MacDougall has devoted her life to the healing arts. She’s long rebelled against her father’s feuding ways, but when Robert Graham abducts her, she’s finds herself at the center of the dispute between their families. She expects the anger she feels, not the simmering attraction to the powerful warrior, or the love she develops for his clan.
Can she stop further violence between the clans with her escape? Or will she find her surrender leads to a lasting peace and her own heart’s desire?

Excerpt:
Robert gently set Cameron on the ground, and she turned to face him. A bit dazed, she ran trembling fingers down the front of her gown. His hands lingered at her waist, and when he didn’t step back, she looked up to find him smiling.
“I believe ye owe me yer thanks, Mistress Cameron.”
At his mention of her name, she searched his face. “How do ye know me?”
He chuckled, his deep voice rumbling throughout his thick chest. “I make it my business to know all the bonnie lasses in the area.”
The men behind him laughed.
Her stomach tightened. She was no beauty. He obviously mocked her—in front of his men. Prickly heat tingled across her cheeks.
“I’ll catch up to ye,” Robert called over his shoulder.
“Oh, aye. Once ye’ve taken care of business,” one man asserted.
“Important business to be sure,” the other bantered.
The men chuckled as they nudged their mounts, then trotted down the path and out of sight.
Robert’s gaze lingered on her mouth before he raised it to her eyes. “I believe it’s customary to thank someone when they’ve helped ye.”
Cameron cleared her throat. “Aye, I do thank ye.”
He studied her lips again. “I had something more in mind. Ye know ye’d still be stuck in that tree if I hadn’t come along, so ye owe me.”
His warm breath caressed her face. He bent and placed his mouth on hers. His arms pulled her close, his muscular frame molding her body against his. Stubble scratched her skin, and she inhaled his male scent of leather, and aye, of horse.
She should be horrified at his advances. What was she thinking, allowing a Graham to kiss her so…so wickedly and deliciously? She should push him away and demand he step back, but somehow, she loathed the idea. Indeed, she reveled in the feel of his hard body pressed against hers.

​Buy Link: Amazon

Medieval Monday- First Kiss with Bambi Lynn

It's Medieval Monday again, and today's first kiss goes to Tanis and Kiah in Bambi Lynn's hot Medieval romance, book three in her Gods of the Highlands series, TANIS.


BLURB :
Tanis Cleary, laird of a small Highland clan, wants to protect what’s left of his family from the pagan god who hunts them. But even with his colossal strength, fed by the unholy blood in his veins, he cannot do it alone. His only ally is an insatiable angel with a chip on her shoulder. Will he desert his clan to follow the only woman who can save him from eternal damnation?
 
Kiah is an angel of God, tasked with guarding one of His most sacred vessels. Like any woman desperate to win her Father’s approval, Kiah will stop at nothing to succeed in her mission. Distracted by the lure of a man more compelling than any other, Kiah soon finds herself battling the fires of hell, her very existence in jeopardy.

EXCERPT :
He stopped abruptly when she appeared. His demeanor changing quickly from one of surprise to that of hungry predator. She smirked. He would soon see which of them was prey. She pressed him back into the room with a strength belied by the dainty hand on his immense chest. She kicked the door shut with her foot as they entered.
With one beefy arm around her waist, Tanis gathered her up against him. Fighting the urge to squeal with delight, Kiah wrapped both legs around him. He was massive. And hard.
She wore nothing beneath the fur around her waist that left her legs bare to her thighs and drove men wild. The ridges of his stomach teased her through the fabric of his shirt, but Kiah savored the anticipation of feeling his skin against her almost as much as the contact itself. It would be difficult to say which gave her more pleasure.
A choice she was glad she did not have to make.
Winding her arms around his neck, she captured his mouth with hers. She was hit with the most mind-numbing kiss she had known in all the ages. A groan of sheer ecstasy bubbled up in her throat. What elements caused such a reaction? Why did she not feel it with all men?
Why did it not last more than a few days?
She felt like she could fly, something she had done every day since her creation, one of few gifts withheld from man. But in human form, the sensation of flying was far greater than the reality. It was not fair.
Emotions combined with her human sensations, roiling through her in a tangled mess that left her bereft of coherent thought. She kissed him fiercely, inhaling his essence as her tongue danced with his. He smelled of male and sex, tempting her to vanquish their clothes and feel his naked skin against hers. His body was sculpted muscle, hard and strong, beckoning her to meld her own warrior’s body against it, to stroke it, to lick it, to conquer it.
Tanis kissed her back, with equal enthusiasm, alternately teasing her and devouring her. She tasted his humanity and for once was not revolted by it. His passion enflamed her own, leaving her drunk with lust. He tangled his fists in the fur at the small of her back. In many other parts of the world, her attire would be scandalous. It certainly was not acceptable here in Alba, but in the wilds of the Highlands, she found it a simple matter to ensure her existence went unnoticed, even in human form.
Woven within his humanity was the hint of pagan blood. Its impurity laced the delectable flavor of the man. She recoiled from the foulness of it, only because she reminded herself she should, before it was too late. 
 
Buy Link: Amazon