Sherry Ewing's Blog, page 13
September 15, 2023
First Kiss Friday with Sherry Ewing
Welcome back to my First Kiss Friday blog, my dearest readers. Today I’m going to share an excerpt from my upcoming novella A Love Beyond Time: A Family of Worth (Book Three) that will be found in the Bluestocking Belles’ boxset Under the Harvest Moon. It releases October 10th. I hope you enjoy this scene between Brandon Worthington and Hannah Pownall. Happy reading!
Excerpt:
He followed her outside and Hannah tried to keep calm while she waited for Brandon to say whatever he wished of her.
“I know I was a complete dullard the other day when we met at our spot,” he began with a tentative smile. That he mentioned the place by the meadow and pond brought fond memories of the boy she had tried to forget.
“I suppose my words were a bit harsh and I will warn you that today has been already trying. I can’t vouch that I shall remain… as polite as my mother would expect of me,” she said honestly. She raised her eyes to him but there was nothing showing on his face other than compassion.
“Is there anything I could help you with?” he asked, leaning heavily on his cane.
She shook her head as an answer to his question. There was nothing he could help with, of course, but she was curious as to what happened to him. She bit her lip in indecision if she should voice her concerns and then threw caution to the wind. “I hope you won’t think me rude to ask this, but how did you become injured?”
He winced and then began fingering the handle of his cane. “Shrapnel. Near the leg joint. The sawbones surgeon couldn’t reach it and was ready to take the leg. If it wasn’t for a faithful drummer boy, I’d only have a stump. He lives with me now. It was the least I could do since he had no family of his own.”
She gasped at the thought of him lying in some tent close to a battlefield. “Oh Brandon! I’m so sorry,” she murmured, reaching out for him before she checked herself. “Does it bother you often?”
A slight chuckle left him. “I’ve become used to it. If I sit too long, I need to walk to work out the stiffness and of course if I do that too long, I need to sit. It’s a constant reminder of what the war has cost me.” He hesitated before he continued. “And perhaps this is why I am reluctant to ask you if you would consider seeing me again. A second chance so to speak.”
She tilted her head to one side to stare at him while her heart leapt in joy. It would never do to give in so easily. “I thought you were only here to rest and recuperate… or so you told me just a few days ago.”
“Yes… well… that was my original intention but the overwhelming relief I felt knowing you were still unwed gave me the first bit of hope I’ve felt in years. And then there was that memento you left on the bench.”
Hannah blushed. “I was afraid you would see that.”
Brandon stepped forward and took her hand. “It was lovely, Hannah. But I will certainly understand if you don’t want to further our association. Not many women would want a cripple for a potential husband.”
“Don’t you dare call yourself that, Brandon Worthington!” she scolded, stamping her foot to get her message across. “I won’t stand for it.”
He laughed. “Ah! There she is. That little fireball of a young woman whom I so did love to tease in our youth. Maybe there is hope for us after all that we could make another go of it.”
She bit her lip in indecision before she spoke her worse fears. “What will your mother or brother think of you courting a woman who works in an inn?”
“My mother is just thankful that I came back alive from Waterloo intact… for the most part. My brother and sister couldn’t care less who I might marry as long as I am happy.” He raised her fingers to his lips. His breath was warm, and she did everything in her power not to heave a heavy sigh at his romantic gesture when his lips brushed her skin.
She had forgotten he had a sister. His father was someone she could never forget. “Your father minded greatly.”
A startled look passed over Brandon’s features before he composed himself once more. “My father is long gone from this world and, though I wish no ill will on the dead, he no longer has any say in the way I run my life.”
“I don’t want to be the cause of any family problems, Brandon, nor could I stand to watch you have to leave again,” she mused aloud.
“Give us a chance, Hannah. I will do all in my power to make up for the years we missed together. I promise.”
“I may just hold you to your vow, Brandon,” she stated while her heart melted away the last of the wall of ice she had erected so many years ago. She had another chance with him and she would grasp it willingly with both hands!
“Please do so and feel free to call me out if I ever start to break your heart again,” he said with a short bow. He began to lean forward and she waited breathlessly for him to kiss her.
His mouth inches from her own, she had closed her eyes in anticipation of what she had longed for all these years, but they now opened wide when all she could feel was his breath. His amber eyes twinkled in delight and a roguish grin turned up the corner of that mouth she had been wishing were upon her own.
“May I kiss you, Hannah?” he asked quietly.
She stepped even closer, and her fingertips smoothed the lapels of his coat before making their way around his neck. She fingered the edges of his hair until she at last gave her answer. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Home… his mouth upon her own was like coming home or a taste of heaven itself. She never thought she’d feel the emotions Brandon brought out in her again. His lips took possession of hers, claiming her like no other ever could. Brandon belonged to her as much as she belonged to him.
Eight long years dissolved in an instant. He began to work his magic with his tongue and hers in a dance known to lovers throughout all time. Time… he had once told her that their love went beyond just their brief time together and would last for all eternity. And when his arms went around her waist and he pulled her into his body, she believed his words from all those years ago. Today they would begin anew, and the past could stay where it belonged.
Under the Harvest Moon: A Bluestocking Belles Collection with FriendsRelease Date: October 10, 2023
Preorder now for only $0.99!
As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.
But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.
With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.
Nine award winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.
And here’s the blurb for my story within the boxset, A Love Beyond Time: A Family of Worth, Book Three
Can love at first sight be reborn after heartbreak, proving a second chance is all you need?
Miss Hannah Pownall fell for a young lord years ago, only to see him leave. After no word from him in eight years, he returns to their small town, wounded and broken. Now, Hannah must reconcile her old feelings with the heartbreak he caused, knowing he plans to stay.
Captain Brandon Worthington returns to the town of Reabridge to recover from the war. He never expected to find the girl he once loved still unwed. Now, he must prove to her that he never forgot her.
Hannah and Brandon’s journey is complicated by their respective pasts, but ultimately, they must decide whether second chances are worth taking a risk. Will they be able to navigate the obstacles thrown their way to find the happily ever after they both deserve?
Preorder now for only $0.99!Buy Link: https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon
September 8, 2023
First Kiss Friday with Caroline Warfield
Welcome! I’m so happy you’ve stopped by my First Kiss Friday blog. Today’s guest is my dear friend Caroline Warfield who has an excerpt from her novel Duke in Name Only. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Take it away Caroline!
For months Phillip, Duke of Glenmoor the , lived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, with the Archer family in relative obscurity as “Artie.” When he resolved to testify the villains who attacked him initially, they’ve come after him to kill him, and the Archers take on his problems as their own. Phillip and Nan Archer have been dancing around their attraction and in danger, shared sudden, passionate kisses. In this scene, after her tavern has been burned to the ground, living in tents and facing the daunting task of rebuilding, they share their first real kiss.
Excerpt:
The fourth night, he couldn’t stand it. He’d have rolled in the snow if there was any. He crawled from the tent and went to the river’s edge, tempted to plunge in to cool his blood but wise enough to stay put, leaning against the big elm.
He didn’t hear her approach, but he knew when she came to stand behind the bench and gaze on the moonlight reflected in the water. He held his breath, certain she could not see him in the shadows. Several moments passed.
“What keeps you up, Artie?”
Damn. She knew I was here. He could hardly say, “Lusting for you.” Not when watching her outline in the moonlight made it worse. “Thinking of all we have to do. It is daunting.”
She sighed deeply. After another moment, she turned his way and took a step toward him. “Would you kiss me, Artie?”
So unexpected that it took his breath away, the question froze him in place. He held himself rigid.
“One kiss. I’d like one kiss in the serenity of the night. One that isn’t a survivor’s kiss prompted by horrific violence. One just for the simple joy of kissing.”
He swallowed hard. “Nan, I don’t know what is going to happen to me. I don’t want to promise what I can’t deliver.”
“I’m not asking for a promise,” she said tartly. “I’m asking for one kiss.”
“A kiss can be a promise,” he murmured. It would be. It would promise everything he desired but couldn’t have with any kind of honor unless he let it anchor him to Archers’ Roost. He wouldn’t let it, and that wouldn’t be fair.
“It doesn’t have to be.” She walked toward him. “I know you’ll leave. This place isn’t for you. You don’t belong in a rough tavern much less a tent, wearing homespun, working with your hands. I suspect I know it better than you do.”
She came to stand a foot away, still bathed in moonlight. He could feel the longing in her, the heat radiating from her. His heart pounded; his breath came fast and hard. “So,” she whispered. “One kiss. No promises.”
He touched her check with the knuckles of one hand and she leaned into it, making a soft noise, and he was lost. His hand went around her head and his other arm around her waist, pulling her until they touched gently, chest to chest. She lacked only an inch or two of his height; he needed to bend only the smallest bit to reach her mouth, her glorious mouth. And so, he did, running his fingers up into her hair.
What constitutes one kiss? He wondered. Was it when lips touched lips and then done? How long dare they hold? Was it when his tongue traced the seam of her mouth? When she opened for him? How much exploration constituted just one kiss? He stopped caring, and kissed his way across her cheek to the spot below her ear and down her neck, his mouth wet and needy against her skin.
She moaned, gripped his shoulders, and slipped one hand around his neck, pulling him closer, her body thrusting against his, their closeness now neither gentle nor tentative. He plundered her mouth again and she followed his lead.
A rush of cold air when she ran her tender fingers under his shirt, caressing his chest, forced him to his senses, awakening his sleeping conscience. She moaned in protest when he pulled his mouth from hers. He set her head to his shoulder with the shaking fingers of one hand while the other caressed her back. “One kiss? That promised quite a lot, I fear, Nan. More than either one of us plans to make good on. We could make love and then what?”
She pulled back. “No. I—”
He didn’t let her go entirely. “You what? Are you telling me you will lie with me once, or twice, and then we’ll go our ways? I don’t think I can do that. Yet, you said yourself I don’t belong at Archers’ Roost. Can you picture yourself coming to England with me?” God, Glenmoor, the vipers of the ton would tear her apart.
“For a visit. Maybe. But no. This is my place.” Her tremulous voice faded to silence, and she pushed against his chest half-heartedly.
“Your kiss promised much, Nan. Beware what you promise.” He took her hands and pulled them away, sliding past her. He left her there and sought his own bedroll and a sleepless night.
About the Book
Misfortune is an excellent teacher.
When Phillip Tavernash, Ninth Duke of Glenmoor, discovers his title is held fraudulently, he embarks on a journey to North America determined to succeed on his own. It doesn’t go well. He has no idea what a fish out of water he will be.
Nan Archer had to summon enough backbone to stand up to her father and older brother, who moved their family across the frontier every time civilization reached any clearing in which they’d made a stake. She has landed on the banks of the Mississippi and built something of her own, the tavern Archers’ Roost. She will go no further.
When Nan’s brother dumps a pathetic traveler, robbed, beaten, and wounded on her tavern floor, she takes him in as she would any wounded duck. That he called himself duke is cause for hilarity.
Attraction blooms easily, but can Phillip look past his life of privilege to find what he’s looking for deep inside himself? Can he convince her she’s the answer to his search?
Is he a duke or a bastard? Does it matter in the end?
FREE with KU or buy a copy at:
Carol Roddy – AuthorAbout the Author
Award winning author Caroline Warfield has been many things: traveler, librarian, poet, raiser of children, bird watcher, Internet and Web services manager, conference speaker, indexer, tech writer, genealogist—even a nun. She reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows where 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.
You can learn more about Caroline Warfield at these social media links:
Website: http://www.carolinewarfield.com/
Good Reads: http://bit.ly/1C5blTm
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WarfieldFellowTravelers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaroWarfield
Email: warfieldcaro@gmail.com
Newsletter: http://www.carolinewarfield.com/newsletter/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/caroline-warfield
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycyfKdNnZlueqo8MlgWyWQ
September 5, 2023
Happy Release Day ~ It Began With A Kiss!
Any day you release a new book baby out into the world is a good day for any author. Today, It Began With A Kiss is finally live. This is the story of Aiden of Clan MacLaren and his search to find his place in the world. On a quest for Henry II, he’ll question his motives and loyalty once he captures Dunborough Castle. I hope you’ll enjoy Aiden and Lady Iona’s journey to finding love!
It Began With A Kiss: The MacLarens (Book Four)By Sherry Ewing
Sometimes you need to listen when your heart begins to sing…
In the gripping historical romance, It Began with a Kiss, author Sherry Ewing weaves a tale of passion, duty, and trust in a world torn apart by clashing loyalties.
Aiden of Clan MacLaren, a warrior seeking purpose, finds himself in the service of King Henry II. Tasked with a mission that will shape his destiny, he never expects to cross paths with Lady Iona Ferguson, a woman burdened by her duties as the wife of a powerful clan chieftain. A chieftain who died when Aiden takes over her husband’s castle.
When tragedy strikes and Iona’s castle falls into enemy hands, she must flee to the village with her young son. However, in the chaos of the turmoil, something unexpected stirs within her—a forbidden attraction to Aiden, a man torn between his loyalty to his English and Scottish heritage and his growing affection for Iona.
As Aiden takes charge of Iona’s home and seeks justice for her late husband, their lives become intertwined in ways neither could have predicted. Battling their inner demons and the opposing forces that threaten to tear them apart, they embark on a treacherous journey that forces them to question their loyalties and the true nature of their feelings.
Will their love conquer the boundaries of clan, country, and duty? Or will their differences tear them apart forever? Find out in this spellbinding tale of two souls colliding against the backdrop of war and romance. It Began with a Kiss is a mesmerizing enemies-to-lovers story that will leave readers breathless and yearning for more.
Buy Links:
Amazon US | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | Books2Read
Amazon AU | Amazon BR | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon ES | Amazon FR | Amazon IN | Amazon IT | Amazon JP | Amazon MX | Amazon NL | Amazon UK
Angus & Robertson | Thalia | Vivlio
Giveaway Opportunity!I have a giv3away I’ll be running through September 9th which is also the date I’m having a release party for It Began With A Kiss. Share, follow, tweet… all the ways to win are on Rafflecopter at https://bit.ly/47SHfpi
Must be present in my party to be eligible to win.
And don’t forget to join me and my guest authors on September 9th to celebrate my latest book baby being launch into the world. It will be held in my public group join now at https://www.facebook.com/groups/356905935241836
September 4, 2023
Medieval Monday with If My Heart Could See You
Welcome to my Medieval Monday blog! Eight weeks sure went by in a hurry but now I hope you’re in the mood to enjoy my next release tomorrow, It Began With A Kiss! Sit back and enjoy this last excerpt between Dristan, the Devil’s Dragon of Blackmore and Amiria of Clan MacLaren in If My Heart Could See You. Thanks for joining me and happy reading, my lovelies. I appreciate your continued support.
Excerpt:
Encouraged by her words, Dristan urged her closer and was pleased when she came readily into his arms, resting her hands upon his chest. “Tell me your name, ma cherie,” he whispered, bending his head and inhaling the scent of her hair, a smell of the fresh sea air. “’Twould give me great pleasure to have it pass from my lips as we converse together.”
She gave a sweet laugh, making his smile broaden in encouragement even as she shivered at his touch. “Converse, you say? Since you have already mentioned your reputation precedes you, my lord, ’tis hardly likely conversing is all you have in mind this day.”
“I would be lying if I said I do not desire to have a taste of your sweet lips beneath mine and all else you would offer,” he told her truthfully but watched in dismay as the spell that had been woven between them was broken with his words. She stepped away from him, covering her face once more. “Surely you would not deny your lord a simple kiss.”
The woman pondered his words and took a hesitant step back as if she knew she had stayed too long. “A kiss is not so simple to a woman’s heart, my lord, hence I would not give them lightly and without thought.”
“Surely you are not wed?”
“Nay, my lord, I am not.”
“Then I do not see the problem if we but share a moment or two of pleasure this morn.” Dristan reached for her again, but to his irritation found only empty arms as she dodged his outstretched hands. Still he persisted in his efforts to know the maiden further. “Come now, do not be shy. I but wish to know you,” he said, trying again, and got no further than he did but moments afore.
“To what end, Lord Dristan?” she queried tartly, as he watched her become annoyed with him. “I will be no whore for you or any other man nor shall you make me your lady wife. I am but one woman among many to have crossed your path and surely there will be more to follow as you travel about on the king’s business. I will not be used and tossed aside with mayhap a babe in my belly for allowing you to, as you said, share a moment or two of pleasure,” she answered angrily. “Somehow, I think I am worth more than that, although you may not think so.”
Caught off guard by the bitterness in her words, Dristan was about to reply when the sound of racing hoof beats came to his ears and he turned to see the cause. He was put at ease as several of his guardsmen came into view and dismounted with swords drawn as if protecting him from some unseen enemy. He turned back to have further speech with the woman only to find her gone from his sight with only a brief glimpse of her tartan as she disappeared into the forest.
And that’s the end of this first encounter scene for If My Heart Could See You. I hope these excerpts got you in the mood for my upcoming release tomorrow, It Began With A Kiss, which is Amiria’s brother Aiden’s story. I just know you’re going to love it!
Miss last week? You can catch last weeks excerpt here: https://sherryewing.com/2023/08/28/medieval-monday-with-sherry-ewing-if-my-heart-could-see-you-2/
Buy Links – Available in eBook and paperback:
Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Smashwords
Amazon AU | Amazon BR | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon ES | Amazon FR | Amazon IN | Amazon IT | Amazon JP | Amazon MX | Amazon NL | Amazon UK
If My Heart Could See You is also available as an Audiobook. Come listen to how Marian Hussey has made my novel come to life!
Audiobook Buy Links:
Amazon | Audible | iTunes
Curious about It Began With A Kiss? Click that Book tab above to read all about it!
September 2, 2023
A Sale & Giveaway from Sherry Ewing!
If you’ve seen my posts on social media, you know I’m about to release my next book in my MacLarens series, It Began With A Kiss. Yes, I know… it’s been a long time in the making, but the wait is almost over as it will release on September 5th!
In preparation for my new book baby, I’ve put If My Heart See You: The MacLarens (Book One) on sale for only $0.99! Read on to learn more about both books and thank you for all your support!
If My Heart Could See You: The MacLarens (Book One)By Sherry Ewing
On #SALE through September 5th for $0.99
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 knight 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.
Buy Links – Available in eBook and paperback:
Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Smashwords
Amazon AU | Amazon BR | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon ES | Amazon FR | Amazon IN | Amazon IT | Amazon JP | Amazon MX | Amazon NL | Amazon UK
If My Heart Could See You is also now available as an Audiobook. Come listen to how Marian Hussey has made my novel come to life!
Narrated by Marian Hussey
Audiobook Buy Links:
Amazon | Audible | iTunes
It Began With A Kiss: The MacLarens, Book FourBy Sherry Ewing
Release Date: September 5, 2023
Preorder Now
In the gripping historical romance, It Began with a Kiss, author Sherry Ewing weaves a tale of passion, duty, and trust in a world torn apart by clashing loyalties.
Sometimes you need to listen when your heart begins to sing…
Aiden of Clan MacLaren, a warrior seeking purpose, finds himself in the service of King Henry II. Tasked with a mission that will shape his destiny, he never expects to cross paths with Lady Iona Ferguson, a woman burdened by her duties as the wife of a powerful clan chieftain. A chieftain who died when Aiden takes over her husband’s castle.
When tragedy strikes and Iona’s castle falls into enemy hands, she must flee to the village with her young son. However, in the chaos of the turmoil, something unexpected stirs within her—a forbidden attraction to Aiden, a man torn between his loyalty to his English and Scottish heritage and his growing affection for Iona.
As Aiden takes charge of Iona’s home and seeks justice for her late husband, their lives become intertwined in ways neither could have predicted. Battling their inner demons and the opposing forces that threaten to tear them apart, they embark on a treacherous journey that forces them to question their loyalties and the true nature of their feelings.
Will their love conquer the boundaries of clan, country, and duty? Or will their differences tear them apart forever? Find out in this spellbinding tale of two souls colliding against the backdrop of war and romance. It Began with a Kiss is a mesmerizing enemies-to-lovers story that will leave readers breathless and yearning for more.
Buy Links:
Amazon US | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | Books2Read
Amazon AU | Amazon BR | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon ES | Amazon FR | Amazon IN | Amazon IT | Amazon JP | Amazon MX | Amazon NL | Amazon UK
Angus & Robertson | Thalia | Vivlio
Giveaway Opportunity!I have a giv3away I’ll be running through September 9th which is also the date I’m having a release party for It Began With A Kiss. Share, follow, tweet… all the ways to win are on Rafflecopter at https://bit.ly/47SHfpi
Must be present in my party to be eligible to win.
And don’t forget to join me and my guest authors on September 9th to celebrate my latest book baby being launch into the world. It will be held in my public group join now at https://www.facebook.com/groups/356905935241836
September 1, 2023
First Kiss Friday with Jude Knight
Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog. In the coming weeks, you’ll be getting excerpts from the Bluestocking Belles novellas in our upcoming release Under the Harvest Moon. Up first is my dear friend Jude Knight with an excerpt from her story, Love In Its Season. We just know you’re going to love this set. Happy reading and enjoy my lovelies! Take it away, Jude!
This excerpt is from Love in Its Season, which is my story in the forthcoming collection Under the Harvest Moon. My hero and heroine, after a busy week with more hard work to come, take the afternoon off to go on a picnic. She doesn’t believe anyone thinks she is attractive. He is having trouble behaving like a gentleman.
Excerpt:
She sat on one side, her knees and ankles decorously together, her sensible half boots off the edge of the coat. “There’s room, Jack,” she said. “Come and share.”
Jack shook his head. “Not a good idea, Gwen. I cannot sit that close to you and keep my hands to myself.”
She looked puzzled. “Do you mean that you want to touch me? As if…? Jack, what do you mean?”
Perhaps he’d be off to hell in a hand basket, but he could not resist just once telling her how he felt. He would regret it if she sent him packing, as she should, but just once, he wanted her to know.
“I want to touch you.” It was a ravenous growl. “I want to kiss you until you don’t remember anything but my name. I want to devour you, Gwen, and if you have the least sense of self-preservation, you’ll let me sit over here while you sit over there.”
Was that a flare of interest in her eyes? Heaven help them both if it was, for her father was no sort of chaperone at all, sound asleep as he was.
Then she floored him. “You don’t have to pretend to desire me, Jack,” she said. “I know I am too tall, too old, and too manly. Believe me, Jack, I know what they think. The only man who has ever kissed me told me to my face that I was a fool to think he was truly interested.” She shrugged. “I don’t know why he pretended. And I am much older now.”
For a moment, Jack couldn’t think of a word to say, then he strode over to where she sat and lowered himself to sit beside her, so close that his thigh touched hers all the way to her bent knee. “Let me prove it to you,” he said. “May I kiss you, Gwen? Please?”
She stared at him, and her eyes gave him hope. Definitely interest. Curiosity, too, if he was not mistaken, and a touch of longing. She nodded.
His muscles quivered with the effort he made to restrain himself. “I cannot touch you without your permission. Words, Gwen. Yes or No?”
“Yes.” It was a whisper, and did not satisfy her, for she repeated it louder. “Yes, please, Jack.”
He started carefully, his hand cupping her face, his lips gently covering hers, moving to caress and stroke. She must have been kissed before, because she responded instantly, and opened her mouth to trace his lips with her tongue.
He deepened the kiss. She had not been kissed very well, or perhaps it had been a long time, for her every response was hesitant and then enthusiastic. She was proving to be a fast learner. As Jack’s hands found her luscious curves and her own hands stroked his back, he was in sore danger of losing all control.
He drew back, panting. “We have to stop, my love, before I cannot.”
Love In Its SeasonBy Jude Knight
The Battle of Waterloo lost Jack Wrath the use of one arm and ended his career in the cavalry. With nothing better to do and nowhere else to go, he sees his doctor home to Reabridge—and stays because of Gwen, the female farrier he rescues from a lustful lord. After all his years of wandering, Gwen’s cottage feels like home.
Gwen Hughes is taller and stronger than many men, and runs her own business. Perhaps she intimidates the men of the town, but that is fine with her. She doesn’t have time for courtship. She’d be a fool to refuse Jack’s offer to help her father, who is in his second childhood, and even more of a fool to read too much into his kindness.
Under the harvest moon, two people who believe romance has passed them by find it is their season for love.
Under the Harvest Moon: A Bluestocking Belles with Friends CollectionRelease Date: October 10th
Preorder now for only $0.99!Buy link:
https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon
Meet JudeJude always wanted to be a novelist. She started in her teens, but life kept getting in the way. Years passed, and with them dozens of unfinished manuscripts. The fear grew. What if she tried, failed, and lost the dream forever? The years since 2014 have brought 17 novels, 16 novella, 6 volumes of short stories, a number of awards, and hundreds of positive reviews. The dream is alive.
Website and blog: http://judeknightauthor.com/
Subscribe to newsletter: http://judeknightauthor.com/newsletter/
Jude’s bookstore: https://judeknight.selz.com/
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August 28, 2023
Medieval Monday with If My Heart Could See You & a Sale!
We’re only two weeks away from the last excerpt for Medieval Monday and If My Heart Could See You. Where did the last seven weeks go? In preparation of my upcoming release in this series (It Began With A Kiss releases September 5th), I’ve put If My Heart Could See You on #SALE for only $0.99! In this continued first meet scene, Dristan is puzzled by Amiria’s speech and dress. Happy reading, my dear readers!
Excerpt:
Dristan continued to view the beauty of the woman, who watched him just as intently, almost as if she knew him. He cleared his musings inside his head and smiled once more at the fair maiden afore him. “You dress with clan MacLaren’s colors and that of a peasant, yet your speech is of a lady,” he answered. The mystery intensified as he felt the slight calluses in the palm of her hand he yet held, giving evidence she was used to hard labor.
“Not all peasants are unlearned, my Lord Dristan, even though ’tis most unusual,” she said, as if stating the obvious. His brow once more furrowed in puzzlement, and he had the distinct feeling she was poised to take flight.
“You give no hint of a Scottish brogue which seems out of place if you are but a peasant from the village, and yet you somehow seem familiar to me as if we have met afore,” he continued tentatively, and saw her give the slightest of smiles. “Surely this is not the case, as I would be hard pressed to forget someone as charming as you.”
“I suppose, coming from the Devil’s Dragon, I should consider your words a compliment, although I find it hard to believe that you give them often,” she teased and gave him an expression that told him she was surprised she had found the nerve to do so.
Catch last week’s excerpt here: https://sherryewing.com/2023/08/21/medieval-monday-with-if-my-heart-could-see-you-4/
On sale for only $0.99!
Buy Links – Available in eBook and paperback:
Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Smashwords
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If My Heart Could See You is also available as an Audiobook. Come listen to how Marian Hussey has made my novel come to life!
August 25, 2023
First Kiss Friday with Sara Adrien
Welcome, dearest readers, to my First Kiss Friday blog. Today my guest is Sara Adrien who has a first kiss scene from her book Captured at the Ball. We hope you enjoy this scene. Take it away Sara!
The following excerpt is from Sara Adrien’s story, Captured at the Ball, a prequel for the Check Mates series and incorporates the characters from the Infiltrating the Ton and Diamond Dynasty series. Told from the perspective of the villains, the Prussian Baron, Wolfgang von List, and the Russian Spy, Sophia, it gives a glimpse of how much antagonism the Jews faced, the same characters readers love to root for in Sara Adrien’s other books. Get to know the villains in this story and love to hate them!
Excerpt:
He twisted and turned, but it was most uncomfortable on the little settee. He moved down to the floor, not too close to the fire. The carpet smelled a bit like a wet dog, but he could tolerate it if he closed his eyes and focused on the smell of the Christmas tree only a meter away.
Another glance at the bed and those perfect ballerina hills and valleys. His breeches stretched uncomfortably, and he faced the fire. What should have been soothing heat felt like the flames of purgatory. Touching her was taboo. She just wanted to sleep, and he barely knew her. It would surely complicate their mission. Bad idea.
Wolfgang pulled up the knitted throw, making sure his erection didn’t stand up like a tent pole.
“Stop moving so much, I’m trying to sleep,” she mumbled from in between the soft bedding.
“It’s the stupid tea. It’s going to keep me up all night. But I’ll be quiet. My apologies.”
She sat up, pulling the covers over her breasts—although he could imagine them just fine.
He shuffled, trying to get comfortable. “I’m used to having a Kirschwasser, cherry schnaps, at bedtime. They don’t have that here.”
“I don’t know about cherries, but I have something that might help you sleep.” She got out of bed and rummaged around her valise.
He could see her arms, shoulders, and the silhouette of her middle under the transparent, white fabric of her shift. She came back with a flask and stood over him, the light from the fireplace illuminating her figure. Her breasts were perky, and her nipples poked out hard under the thin material. She looked like an angel aflame with her hair wildly cascading down her shoulders and framing her face. She handed him the flask, which he took and unscrewed, speechless at the sight of her. She must not have noticed how the fabric had stretched over her thighs and risen just enough for his angle to give him a perfect view of … he pulled the cover up again, checking that there wasn’t a tent situation.
“It’s my last, so enjoy it.”
He took a sip and cherished the violent burn that tore through his throat. “Ahh!”
“Good, eh?” She smiled brightly and reached for the flask. “Did you finish it?”
“In one gulp? Of course not! This is strong.”
“What? This?” She smiled slyly and shook the flask. The liquid splashed around and sounded like water. But it wasn’t water at all. “It’s ninety-six percent, the best you can get.” She smelled it, then tilted her head back and tried to pour the liquid directly into her mouth—without touching the metal to her lips.
Wolfgang’s mouth went dry. Her lower jaw bones were beautifully angled. She’d parted her lips in anticipation of the clear liquid, and he saw into her mouth. His hand flew to his cock, to control and hide it. But he’d want to do something else entirely as soon as she fell asleep.
Plik, plok. Just one tiny drop came out of the bottle and wet her lips. She licked the fluid off and leveled her head. “You finished it.”
“Sophia,” he croaked like a greenboy. He knew his gaze was hooded. She must have put on that show deliberately.
“If you had touched the flask to your lips, you might just as well have kissed me.”
She bit her lower lip and frowned. “I have never been properly kissed, Baron. I don’t do that.”
His heart lurched, and he sat up. “You’ve never been kissed?”
She shook her head. “I never wanted anyone to. They only ever hurt me.”
He tasted acid. How could anyone hurt such a beauty? She was like the white rose she’d worn in her hair the first time he saw her.
A moment of silence passed between them, and he noticed her gaze fell to his mouth.
“Are you not curious?”
“About kissing?”
He nodded. His gaze on her mouth and the lovely neck swept with dark amber hair. He reached for a strand and wrapped it around his fingers. “If I were truly your husband, Sophia, I’d show you how a man kisses a woman.”
She swallowed. “Can you show me now?” She leaned in, her lashes batting expectantly. She was as innocent as a newly-hatched viper, but she was growing on him.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, her gaze still fixed on his lips.
***
Sophia’s heart pounded with something she first mistook as fear, but she felt safe expecting his touch. He drove his hand deeper into her hair until he held the back of her head. His other hand took hers. He was close to her, his eyes locked with hers. She felt his breath, sharp and clean. Some of his hair had fallen onto his forehead.
“Sophia, I’m not the prince you might hope I am.”
“I have long stopped hoping for one, Baron.”
“I mean… Don’t fall in love with me, alright?”
She nodded.
He touched her lips ever so slightly. She trembled with the sheer surprise of the contact, his lips fleshy and hot. Then she felt the slight stubble of his beard. A light scratch.
She took a moment to reconcile how intimate the contact was. Her mother had been right to warn her. But she wanted him now. Not just his mouth, but all of him. So, she opened her mouth a little.
He pulled her closer. And parted his lips wider. His movements were gentle but deliberate. Controlled and clean, just like everything else about him.
But Sophia wanted no more of that. She’d crossed a line, now she might as well enjoy it. She pushed her mouth onto his, tilted her head to give him access.
And he took it.
The Grand Mistletoe Assembly
A Holiday Regency Romance Anthology
Can the festive ball of the Season bring these couples together in time for the holidays? A collection of Regency romances with star-crossed lovers, fast-paced plots and timeless connections …Cuddling under mistletoe, fine lace, snowy linen, and true love to be found in the flickering light of a hundred gas lamps. Pearler House is bedecked for the holidays and everyone is attending the event of a lifetime. Experience the joy of the season with six all-new tales of passion. Some are sweet, some are spicy, all will capture your heart.
Captured at the Ball (one of the six stories):
He gambles for a ticket to the ball, but might win the love of his life. When the impoverished Prussian baron came to London, little did he expect to entangle with an irritatingly beautiful Russian spy with shared targets: the wealthy hosts of a grand charity ball. While everyone is distracted with holiday preparations, can they fool the other guests by pretending to be a couple? Will they both achieve their objectives despite a series of unfortunate events before their time in London runs out? A story of espionage, strategy, and distracting kisses under the mistletoe for a holiday season like no other.
Read the bonus love scene for this story in the FREE bonus book that you get if you pre-order The Grand Mistletoe Assembly, scheduled to release on September 25th
Find the book here:
See the trailer for Captured at the Ball and for the Anthology, The Grand Mistletoe Assembly.
About the Author:
Bestselling author Sara Adrien writes hot and heart-melting regency romance with a Jewish twist. As a law professor-turned-author, she writes about clandestine identities, whims of fate, and sizzling seduction. If you like unique and intelligent characters, deliciously sexy scenes, and the nostalgia of afternoon tea, then you’ll adore Sara Adrien’s tender tear-jerkers. She is the author of the series Infiltrating the Ton, Diamond Dynasty, Check Mates (coming in 2024), and Miracles on Harley Street (coming in 2024).
Sign up for her VIP newsletter to be the first to hear about new releases, audiobooks, sales, and bonus content at https://SaraAdrien.com.
August 21, 2023
Medieval Monday with If My Heart Could See You
Another week has gone by and I thank you for stopping by my Medieval Monday blog. We’re on week six already on excerpts from my bestselling novel If My Heart Could See You. I hope these excerpts bring a smile to your face and a reminder of how much you enjoy these characters. These two are the grounding force behind the rest of my books and you’ll always see them whenever my other characters are at Berwyck Castle. Happy reading, my lovelies, and enjoy.
Excerpt:
Dristan came towards the vision afore him whilst she stood her ground this time. He was impressed how she gazed at him directly, as if she in truth feared no man as she had said. He smiled at her again, noticing the unusual color of her deep violet eyes and saw her startled expression. He hesitated, if only for a second, afore he carefully reached for her hand holding the tartan in place to cover her features. He felt it tremble as the cloth fell away, and he brought her but a step or two closer to his side.
For once in his life Dristan could form no words as he stared down at the treasure afore his eyes. She was indeed more lovely than he had first thought, upon closer examination, and he was not sure how he would be able to let her go now that she was almost within his arms.
She closed her eyes, and he felt the heat of their body’s as he moved her closer ’til they were but a heartbeat away. “Carpe Diem,” she spoke tenderly, as if she were savoring this moment, however brief it may be. She opened her eyes, noticing his further bewilderment at her words. “’Tis Latin… it means to seize the day.”
“Aye, I know its meaning. I am just surprised you do, as well.”
“My lord?” she questioned breathlessly.
Catch last week’s excerpt here: https://sherryewing.com/2023/08/14/medieval-monday-with-sherry-ewing-if-my-heart-could-see-you/
Learn more about If My Heart Could See You on the Book tab above. It’s available in eBook, paperback, and audiobook narrated by the fabulous Marian Hussey.
August 18, 2023
First Kiss Friday with Jane Charles
Welcome back to my First Kiss Friday blog. Today my guest is the fabulous Jane Charles who has an excerpt from her upcoming release, The Vanishing Viscount . We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Happy reading, my lovelies.
Excerpt:
Except he knew now what he had tried to shield from himself these past few years. Love could be the only reason, or he would not have been so intent on pursuing her since her first Season.
Did he know her well enough to fall in love?
How long must a person know another or did the heart already decide?
These were not thoughts or questions that he had been prepared to face when it came to Lady Clara, but he could not run from them forever either.
Chedworth had also told Pierce to kiss her.
Maybe that would be the answer. Once they kissed, he may no longer desire her and she would no longer be smitten, and then her heart would be at ease enough to return them back to Nightshade Manor. Or he would fall deeper and so would she, which might just leave them stranded. Unless, if the kissing brought calm to her and then all would be well.
Harcourt placed a hand on her cheek.
Frowning, Clara looked at him.
“Relax,” he said quietly, then brushed his lips across hers.
“Why did you do that?”
“Because I have wanted to for some time.”
“Why?”
“Because I find you charming, delightful, despite everything,” he answered honestly.
Clara leaned in. “Are you not afraid?”
Pierce pulled back and laughed. “I should be, and it is likely you will drive me to Bedlam one day, but I do not fear you, Clara.”
He also knew that one simple kiss had certainly not been enough to make a determination of where his heart may lead.
Clara could only stare back at Harcourt. He had kissed her. It was light and feathery, merely a brushing of the lips but they had been his on hers.
For a fleeting moment, Clara feared that he had only kissed her to try and put her at ease so that she would be calm enough to take them back to Nightshade Manor. Except, it had the opposite effect. Those butterflies in her stomach multiplied and her heart no longer did a little skip but pounded against her breastbone.
How could he possibly find her charming and delightful? Because of her, he had ended up falling onto a stinging nettles plant and now he was missing his mother’s ball and they were sitting in a strange place.
Harcourt was staring at her—a study, and she wasn’t certain what to do. His hand still rested on her cheek, and she could not find the will to pull away. It was almost as if she were mesmerized staring into the dark depths of his eyes.
Then he moved closer, and Clara let her eyes drift close as his lips once again touched hers. This time, however, it was not light, like before.
Goodness. They were firm and warm. She’d only been kissed once before, and that had been by Chedworth and that had been nothing like this. Harcourt’s kiss had a rather dizzying effect on her person. At his probing, she opened her mouth, and he swept in, stealing her breath. Clara returned his kiss the best that she could, learning from him, imitating his actions, afraid she was clumsy, but soon all thought left and she just enjoyed and experienced.
His hand cradled the back of her head as he broke away and trailed kisses over her cheek and down to her neck. Goodness, suddenly it was hotter here than it had been that day in July when she’d seen his bottom.
Her bodice grew tight, and she had the strangest sensations in her belly. Clara longed to remove her gown and take a dip into the clear lake so that she could cool herself, but she’d need to break from his kisses to do so, and that was the last thing that she wanted.
A moment later he broke away. “I am sorry. I simply meant to kiss you. I…I took liberties that I should not have.”
Clara blinked at him.
“Are you calmer now?” he asked with a half-smile.
“I am not certain.”
He brushed her lips again. “Take us back to Nightshade Manor and we will further discuss what happened.”
“Yes, of course.” Clara took his hand in hers, closed her eyes. “Return us to Nightshade Manor.”
When she opened her eyes, she was staring at Harcourt, and they were still sitting on the steps of this Greek temple. Tears of frustration sprang to her eyes. “Why will it not work?”
“I do not know,” he offered with disappointment.
Then she realized that he had asked if she was finally calm and her heart sank. “Did you only kiss me to distract me enough not to be nervous?”
“Only partially,” he answered.
“What was the other reason?” She was almost afraid to hear his answer.
“Because I finally gave into the desire to do what I have wanted since we found ourselves alone in the vault.”The little anxiety that had started to build subsided. It did not matter his motives so long as he had also wanted to kiss her.
The Vanishing ViscountMagic & Mystery, Book 2
Jane Charles
Release date: August 22, 2023
Lady Clara Westcott fell in love with Pierce Drakos, Viscount Harcourt, at the age of fifteen. That is also when everything went wrong- at least magically. When she encounters him again in London, Clara quickly realizes that she might very well be a danger to Harcourt and vows to keep her distance.
Pierce had considered Lady Clara sweet and pretty at fifteen but by eighteen, she had matured in a most delectable manner. However, every time he wished to draw near, she disappeared. Now that she would be visiting his family’s estate and attending his mother’s Witches’ Ball, he vowed to learn why she avoided him. What he hadn’t counted on was him being the one who now vanished.
Buy Links:
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Viscount-Magic-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0C71X6CCC
BN – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vanishing-viscount-jane-charles/1143594376?ean=2940161010525
Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-vanishing-viscount-magic-and-mystery-book-2/id6449888309
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-vanishing-viscount-magic-and-mystery-book-2
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172467316-the-vanishing-viscount
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author Jane Charles lives in the Midwest with her former marine, police officer husband. As a child she would more likely be found outside with a baseball than a book in her hand, until one day, out of boredom on a long road trip, she borrowed her sister’s romance novel and fell in love. Her life is filled with three amazing children, two dogs, two cats, community theatre, and traveling whenever possible. Jane may have begun her career writing romances set in the Regency era, but blames being a Gemini as to why she’s equally pulled toward writing Contemporary/New Adult as well as Historical romances.
https://www.janecharlesauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/JaneCharlesAuthor
https://twitter.com/JaneAcharles
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/jane-charles
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jane-charles
https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Charles/e/B0052V12QI
