Cathy MacRae's Blog, page 9

Medieval Monday with Ruth A. Casie

                  Welcome to Medieval Monday
                                           Week # 6

Today I have USA Today Best-selling author Ruth A. Casie sharing an excerpt from her latest book, The Pirate's Jewel!

You can find my excerpt on her blog here:  http://ruthacasie.blogspot.co.uk
​

Commenters on Ruth's excerpt each week will be entered into a drawing for a free digital copy of
THE MAXWELL GHOST.






                                                The Pirate’s Jewel – part of Pirates of Britannia

He had walked away from women before, but never with remorse, never with his heart broken.
Wesley Reynolds will do anything to avenge his family’s banishment from Dundhragon Castle
even throw in with the notorious pirate, MacAlpin. His plan, ruin Lord Ewan’s trading network.
He has a more devious plan for his father’s ‘best friend,’ the man who abandoned them at the
eleventh hour. He’ll ruin the man’s most precious jewel, his daughter Darla. Wesley’s so close to
ruining the trade network and succeeding he can almost taste it, but revenge is not nearly as
sweet as Darla’s kisses.

Darla Maxwell, beloved by her parents has no prospects of marriage. Her father and Lord Ewan
search to find her the right husband. Darla’s special gifts are frightening to many. She has visions
that often come true. The murky image of a man haunts her, she’s sure it’s Lord Ewan’s soon-to-
be son-in-law, but the vision morphs when she meets Wesley. The meaning couldn’t be any
clearer to her, her destiny lies with Wesley.

When revelations surface indicating Wesley has been deceived and his revenge misplaced. Will
he find the truth of what really happened to his family in time to stop the pirates? Will Darla ever
forgive him? Will he ever forgive himself?

Excerpt #6

He made his way between the crates where he could still see and hear what was happening. It would be better for everyone if Lord Ewan didn’t catch sight of him.
The two men came out of the aft-castle.
“You know we have enjoyed having Darla with us,” Lord Ewan said. Maxwell walked him to the wagon.
“She insists on coming home with me. I hate to disappoint her,” Maxwell said.

                                                                                         * * *
The excerpt continues! Next week Ruth will be on Barbara Bettis' blog:  http://barbarabettis.blogspot.co.uk
I will be with Lane McFarland:  http://lanemcfarland.com/blog/


Don’t forget, commenters each week will be entered into a drawing for a free digital copy of THE MAXWELL GHOST.

Medieval Monday with Sherry Ewing

                                Medieval Monday

                                               week 5

      A warm welcome to Sherry Ewing as she showcases a snippet from her hero   and  heroine's first meeting in her book If My Heart Could See You.

 I'm on her blog here with snippet number 5 from The Highlander's Welsh Bride.

                             






                                                                 If My Heart Could See You

                                    When you’re enemies, does love have a fighting chance?
     For Amiria of Berwyck, defeat does not come easily as she watches her home and clan being
ripped asunder. When the very enemy who has laid siege to her home demands her fealty, she
will do whatever it takes to protect her people including a hastily concocted ruse that quickly
begins to unravel. All too soon, she starts to question whether she can forgive herself for
betraying those she has sworn to protect.

     Dristan of Blackmore, champion knight of King Henry II, has a reputation to uphold as the
Devil’s Dragon. After his invading army conquers Berwyck castle, he sets out to manage the
newly claimed estate by training its knights in the art of proper defense. At first, everything
appears as it should be, or is it? Betrayed by those he believed he could trust, he must first set
aside his anger before he can make room in his heart for love.

     Together they are tied by an unspoken bond. As they begin to rebuild the land and unite their
people, forces beyond their control attempt to tear apart their fragile truce and only time will tell
if love will forever bring them together.

                                                                             * * *

   Snippet:

 Merciful heavens, what was she to do? His words hung in the air between them, and her
consciousness frantically screamed to find an answer to give him and quickly! Yet, no rebuttal
came to her frozen mind as Amiria stood there in total indecisiveness. She knew she could not
allow him to get too close on the off chance he might recognize her, even though her face was
clean from the grime and mud usually gracing it these days. ’Twas the words he uttered,
haunting her as he had spoken them to her once afore, although she was now in a different guise.

“Somehow, I do not think giving you my name would be in my best interest, my lord,” she said
quietly and took but an instant more to gaze at him afore her eyes became downcast. Her mind
was racing, thinking of only how to escape the predicament she now found herself in with no
horse to hasten her journey.
Dristan gave a soft chuckle at her words. “Mayhap not, but ’twould please me to know it just the
same.”

“It matters not to me if you are pleased, so I will keep it unto myself I think,” she retorted
sharply.

                                                                          * * *

Be sure to leave a comment below to be in the running for Sherry’s giveaway – an
eCopy of If My Heart Could See You. A winner will be randomly selected and announced on
Medieval Monday, May 6 th .
Catch last week’s excerpt here: https://judithmarshallauthor.com/blog/
Follow me to next week’s blog (March11th) here: https://barbarabettis.blogspot.com

Buy Links:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1LV1qnk
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2pNkekK
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1D5NSBw
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1HQzhwH

Medieval Monday with Bambi Lynn

    Welcome to week 4 of Medieval Monday 2019! I have author     Bambi Lynn on my blog today, and you'll find my newest            excerpt on her blog here:
      https://bambilynnblog.wordpress.com

     Bambi's excerpt is from her newest book, The Vikings.
                                        Enjoy!

           THE VIKINGS OF NORMANDY
Five fierce invaders. Five innocent maids. One land to conquer.

When the Viking leader, Rollo, sets his sights on conquering Paris, he sends a band of his fiercest warriors to capture a stronghold to shelter the invaders through the winter. Collect all five episodes in one volume.
                                                                        

GUNNAR
Gunnar Sigurdsen finds an unguarded stronghold at the mouth of the Seine River is the perfect
target. Oliana du Fossé waits helplessly for her brute of a husband to claim her.

                                                                          WULF
Wulf contemplates his share of the spoils after capturing a stronghold in Francia, fat with
treasure and slaves. Farin longs to escape her fate as bed slave to the most savage barbarian of
them all.

                                                                            BRON
Brondulf Adilson has struck terror into his enemies for as long as he can remember, as well as
the women who share his bed. Now he finds himself saddled with a beauty who may just steal
his heart.

                                                                      THORLEIF
Thorleif Rolvsson has been captured by the enemy. The Queen of the Franks has needs. Will a
single night of passion change his fate? Or will he dine with his sons in Valhalla?

                                                                       MAGNUS
Magnus hasn't the time or motivation to take a wife. Especially not one who will most likely try
to slit his throat while he sleeps.
                                                                           * * *

Excerpt #4:

Now that he thought back on it, he could not remember if he had ever gotten a good look at this woman Wulf convinced him to take. She could be hard to look at, growing harder as the years passed. And she was a Frankish maid. He would have to sleep with one eye open.
                                                                            * * *

For more information on Bambi and her books, click here.

BUY LINK: Amazon

Medieval Monday with Elisabeth Hobbes

                               Medieval Monday
                                             week 3

 Elisabeth Hobbes helps me kick off the third week in   our Medieval Monday Excerpt Hop. Isn't this a romantic cover?

 You'll find my   excerpt from The Highlander's Welsh   Bride on her   blog  here: 
  https://elisabethhobbes.co.uk/

                     Beguiled by the Forbidden Knight

                              He’s her enemy…
                                       …and she must not fall for him!

When her mistress is claimed as an enemy knight’s betrothed, handmaiden Aelfhild knows it would be too dangerous for her lady; she must go in her place. But there’s more to the scarred knight than she first thought—she isn’t expecting to fall for him! As the line between friend and enemy blurs, Aelfhild realizes she might be protecting her mistress, but not her heart… Excerpt:

The girl paused her song and giggled to herself. Unexpectedly she ducked under the
surface to her neck and came up again in one fluid movement, now soaked to the skin.
She gasped aloud in a series of breathy panting noises that reached inside Gui to a time
when he had been capable of causing women to make such sounds. His guts twisted with
longing as he looked at her, transfixed.
The curves that were now apparent beneath the thin cloth indicated she was even closer
to womanhood than he had at first supposed. True, her breasts were small, but her waist
was shapely and the wet tunic clung to her legs. Through the fabric Gui could make out
the dark triangle of hair where her legs met, and the pink of her nipples. Despite the cold
water Gui felt himself hardening. He almost choked on the cold water in surprise at the
unexpected awakening of an urge that had lain dormant for so long.
​
Next week Elisabeth will be on Barbara Bettis’ blog
http://barbarabettis.blogspot.co.uk​ Buy links
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Harlequin
Kobo

Medieval Monday with Jenna Jaxon

                          Medieval Monday

                                  week 2

 Welcome to the second week of the Medieval Monday blog hop! Today, Jenna   Jaxon and I are swapping blogs with our second snippet from our excerpts. You   can find me on her blog here: http://jennajaxon.wordpress.com

Enjoy this snippet from the hero and heroine's first encounter in Jenna's book, Time Enough to Love!

 As she moved to stand before the king, the low drone of many voices rose   around the room.
  “Impudent girl.”
  “I’d not want to be in her place.”
  “Do you think the king will…”
 Each snatch of conversation made her heart beat faster. 
 What will he do to me?
Her normal embarrassment at being the center of attention tripled at the thought of this blatant lapse of
protocol. She stopped several feet from the dais and the room hushed as though everyone held their breath.
                                                                                        * * *
Stay tuned at Barbara Bettis’s blog for her snippet next week:  http://barbarabettis.blogspot.co.uk
More about 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 Link: Amazon

The Pirate's Jewel coming soon from Ruth A. Casie!

​Deception and family honor are at stake, so is the heroine’s heart in this new medieval pirate romance from USA Today bestselling author, Ruth A. Casie, which releases Feb. 12! Preorder today! Amazon: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B07M81Y7HM The Pirate’s Jewel
Wesley Reynolds will do anything to avenge his family’s banishment from Dundhragon Castle even throw in with the notorious pirate, MacAlpin. His plan, ruin Lord Ewan’s trading network. He has a more devious plan for his father’s ‘best friend,’ the man who abandoned them at the eleventh hour. He’ll ruin the man’s most precious jewel, his daughter Darla. Wesley’s so close to ruining the trade network and succeeding he can almost taste it, but revenge is not nearly as sweet as Darla’s kisses.
Darla Maxwell, beloved by her parents has no prospects of marriage. Her father and Lord Ewan search to find her the right husband. Darla’s special gifts are frightening to many. She has visions that often come true. The murky image of a man haunts her, she’s sure it’s Lord Ewan’s soon-to-be son-in-law, but the vision morphs when she meets Wesley. The meaning couldn’t be any clearer to her, her destiny lies with Wesley.
When revelations surface indicating Wesley has been deceived and his revenge misplaced. Will he find the truth of what really happened to his family in time to stop the pirates? Will Darla ever forgive him? Will he ever forgive himself?
RELEASES FEBRUARY 12th
Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2Cyrbev
RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance. Her stories feature strong women and the men who deserve them, endearing flaws and all.
Ruth lives in New Jersey with her hero, three empty bedrooms and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her writing voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and vice president at an international bank where she was a product/marketing manager, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing romance.
Visit her website to see what she writes. Her historical swashbuckling action-adventures and contemporary suspense will keep you turning the pages until the end. She hopes her stories become your favorite adventures.
Facebook, @RuthACasie, Twitter, @RuthACasie, Pinterest RuthACasie. Instagram RuthACasie

Medieval Monday 2019 Begins!

                                   


                               Welcome back to
                               Medieval Monday!

 This season our authors have put together some exciting excerpts from their hero and heroine's first encounter. Did they start off on a happy note? Or will they have to overcome a disastrous first impression?

 Follow us for the next 12 weeks and find out! Leave a comment each week to enter to win an ebook copy of The Highlander's Welsh Bride. See each author's blog for details.



           The Highlander’s Welsh Bride

It was over. Prince Llywelyn was dead, his soldiers fleeing before King Edward’s army. Carys, a distant cousin to the prince, herself a princess of Wales, had picked up arms alongside her husband more than a year ago. Now homeless, her husband buried beneath the good Welsh soil, she seeks shelter in the north, far from the reach of Longshanks’s men. Carys and Wales would never be the same again.
 
It was time. Birk MacLean has been ordered to take a bride and produce an heir. He grows weary of the lasses paraded before him, women of delicate nature and selfish motives. He desires a wife strong enough to help lead one of the most powerful clans in Western Scotland.
 
One like the Welsh woman sitting in his dungeon, arrested for poaching MacLean deer.
 
Can Birk convince Carys marriage to him is preferable to a hangman’s noose? And will the heard-headed Scot be worthy of a Princess of Wales?
 
From the towering Welsh mountains to the storm-swept Scottish coast comes a tale of betrayal and loss, deceit and passion. An epic tale of honor and the redeeming power of love.
                                                                                         * * *

I'll start this round of Medieval Monday off with the first part of my excerpt from The Highlander's Welsh Bride.

Caught poaching deer on MacLean land, our heroine isn't very happy.

Excerpt #1:

The heavy wooden door slammed shut. Carys peered about the stone chamber. Aside from a pallet on the floor and a bucket in a far corner, the room was empty. Air blew crisp through an arrow-slit, much too narrow to consider an escape route. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to erase the feel of strong hands manacling them, then, unable to help herself, tested the door. It was securely latched.
“Ffwl!” she spat. Fool. Caught doing nothing more than providing food to hungry people.
She stormed about the cramped space, her boots thudding across the wooden floor. “MacLean deer! MacLean people!” she snarled, targeting the absent laird. “Twmffat!” Idiot.
                                                                                        * * *
 
Part #2 of this excerpt can be found next week on Jenna Jaxon’s blog: http://jennajaxon.wordpress.com
 
BUY LINK:
Amazon: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B07KNYTMPK
 

Book sale alert for Judith Sterling's The Novels of Ravenwood series!

Grab your ereaders! Here's a sale sure to make it (and you) smile!
Now through Feb. 7, 2019, the first 3 books of Judith Sterling's medieval romance series are only 99 cents each!
​Read more about them and click on the buy links below-            Flight of the Raven
 How eager would the bridegroom be   if  he knew he could never bed the   bride?

 Lady Emma of Ravenwood Keep is   prepared to give Sir William l’Orage   land, wealth, and her hand in   marriage.  But her virginity? Not   unless he loves her. The curse that   claimed her mother is clear: unless a   Ravenwood heir is conceived in love,   the mother will die in childbirth. Emma is determined to dodge the curse. Then William arrives, brandishing raw sensuality which dares her to explore her own.

William the Storm isn’t a man to be gainsaid. He’ll give her protection, loyalty, and as much tenderness as he can muster. But malignant memories quell the mere thought of love. To him, the curse is codswallop. He plans a seduction to breach Emma’s fears and raze her objections. What follows is a test of wills and an affirmation of the power of love.

Buy Links:
Amazon https://amzn.com/B01JVH2GFO
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flight-of-the-raven-judith-sterling/1124411557
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/flight-of-the-raven/id1146332733
The Wild Rose Press https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4531-flight-of-the-raven.html
                                                * * *
      Soul of the Wolf
A Norman loyalist, Lady Jocelyn bristles when ordered to marry Wulfstan, a Saxon sorcerer. She nurses a painful secret and would rather bathe in a cesspit than be pawed by such a man...until her lifelong dream of motherhood rears its head.

A man of magic and mystery, Wulfstan has no time for wedded bliss. He fears that consummating their marriage will bind their souls and wrench his focus from the ancient riddle his dying mother begged him to solve. He's a lone wolf, salving old wounds with endless work. But Jocelyn stirs him as no woman ever has.

Their attraction is undeniable. Their fates are intertwined. Together, they must face their demons and bring light to a troubled land.
​
Buy Links:
Amazon https://amzn.com/B06WP4GSCR
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/soul-of-the-wolf-judith-sterling/1125800554
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/soul-of-the-wolf/id1209890366
The Wild Rose Press https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4949-soul-of-the-wolf.html
                                              * * *
     Shadow of the Swan
Lady Constance de Bret was determined to be a nun, until shadows from the past eclipsed her present. Marriage is the safest option, but she insists on a spiritual union, in which physical intimacy is forbidden. Not so easy with a bridegroom who wields unparalleled charm! But a long-buried secret could taint his affection and cloak her in shadow forever.

Back from the Crusades, Sir Robert le Donjon craves a home of his own and children to inherit it. From the moment he meets Constance, he feels a mysterious bond between them. When she’s threatened, he vows to protect her and agrees to the spiritual marriage, with the hope of one day persuading her to enjoy a “real” one. She captivates him but opens old wounds and challenges everything he thought he believed.

Two souls in need of healing. Two hearts destined to beat as one.
Buy Links:
Amazon https://amzn.com/B078JYQDTX
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-of-the-swan-judith-sterling/1127751024?ean=2940158925597
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shadow-of-the-swan/id1332023091
The Wild Rose Press https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5561-shadow-of-the-swan.html
                                              * * *
About the author:
​
Judith Sterling is an award-winning author whose love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Whether penning medieval romance (The Novels of Ravenwood) or young adult paranormal fantasy (the Guardians of Erin series), her favorite themes include true love, destiny, time travel, healing, redemption, and finding the hidden magic which exists all around us. She loves to share that magic with readers and whisk them far away from their troubles, particularly to locations in the British Isles.
Her nonfiction books, written under Judith Marshall, have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons.

On Sale, Amazon UK only!

Grab your kindles! Don't let this sale get away!
January 4 through 7 Highland Escape is on sale- Amazon UK only!
Click here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00X60XB2U

"...good story, great plot, admirable heroine..." Amazon Customer
"...thoroughly enjoyed this read..." julia
"...an unusual twist..." ann

*Flash Sale* Highland Escape and The Highlander's Viking Bride!

Today only, you can grab Highland Escape AND The Highlander's Viking Bride for only 99 cents each!!
​Highland Escape: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B00X60XB2U
The Highlander's Viking Bride: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B0728HWJRY