Sherry Ewing's Blog, page 52

Medieval Monday with my guest Ceci Giltenan & a Giveaway!

Today I’d like to welcome Ceci Giltenan as my guest for Medieval Monday who is sharing a snippet from her novel A Wee Highland Predicament. Be sure to leave a comment for Ceci for a change to win an eBook at the end of this theme! Happy reading and enjoy!

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Snippet:

She looked over her shoulder at him and frowned. “Ye sound like my sister, Gillian. I’m not trying to be bossy, but my family—”

“Will not thank me for leaving the Laird’s sister-in-law on her own in some godforsaken village in the lowlands.” They probably wouldn’t thank him for ransoming her either, but that was beside the point. “Do ye know what could happen to ye? I give ye my solemn word that ye’re safe with me. It’s better if I just take ye home.”

“Home?”

“Aye. Home.” He meant his home, but again, she didn’t need to know that.

“Brathanead is at least four days ride from here. Perhaps ye could just take me to Castle Carr? The Carrs are our allies and we stopped there on our way south. If we ride the rest of the night we could be there by sunset tomorrow.”

Blurb

Sometimes a bad boy can be a good man.

Lucas Grant’s brother is going to be furious. Lucas was supposed to secure a betrothal with a wealthy heiress to save his clan from financial ruin. After meeting her, he cannot marry the detestable woman.

As he flees Edinburgh to escape her, he happens upon six men who are holding a lovely Highland lass captive. He can’t just leave her to whatever fate awaits, so he rescues her.

Well, perhaps rescue isn’t the right word…

When he learns the feisty lass he stumbled upon is Ailsa MacLennan, he sees another way to help his clan. He’s going to hold her for ransom.

But when she steals his heart, what will the ransom be?

Buy Links:

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon Australia https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0799T7KB3

Follow along next week on Elisabeth Hobbe’s website: https://elisabethhobbes.co.uk/. Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win an e-copy of A Wee Highland Predicament or another e-book of your choice by Ceci Giltenan.

Be sure to check out my next snippet from ONLY FOR YOU: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time (Book Two) on Ceci’s blog. Leave me a comment there, as well, to be in the running for my giveaway! You can connect here!

Medieval Monday with my guest Ceci & a Giveaway!

Today I’d like to welcome Ceci as my guest for Medieval Monday who is sharing a snippet from her novel A Wee Highland Predicament. Be sure to leave a comment for Ceci for a change to win an eBook at the end of this theme! Happy reading and enjoy!

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Snippet:

She looked over her shoulder at him and frowned. “Ye sound like my sister, Gillian. I’m not trying to be bossy, but my family—”

“Will not thank me for leaving the Laird’s sister-in-law on her own in some godforsaken village in the lowlands.” They probably wouldn’t thank him for ransoming her either, but that was beside the point. “Do ye know what could happen to ye? I give ye my solemn word that ye’re safe with me. It’s better if I just take ye home.”

“Home?”

“Aye. Home.” He meant his home, but again, she didn’t need to know that.

“Brathanead is at least four days ride from here. Perhaps ye could just take me to Castle Carr? The Carrs are our allies and we stopped there on our way south. If we ride the rest of the night we could be there by sunset tomorrow.”

Blurb

Sometimes a bad boy can be a good man.

Lucas Grant’s brother is going to be furious. Lucas was supposed to secure a betrothal with a wealthy heiress to save his clan from financial ruin. After meeting her, he cannot marry the detestable woman.

As he flees Edinburgh to escape her, he happens upon six men who are holding a lovely Highland lass captive. He can’t just leave her to whatever fate awaits, so he rescues her.

Well, perhaps rescue isn’t the right word…

When he learns the feisty lass he stumbled upon is Ailsa MacLennan, he sees another way to help his clan. He’s going to hold her for ransom.

But when she steals his heart, what will the ransom be?

Buy Links:

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon Australia https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0799T7KB3

Follow along next week on Elisabeth Hobbe’s website: https://elisabethhobbes.co.uk/. Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win an e-copy of A Wee Highland Predicament or another e-book of your choice by Ceci Giltenan.

Be sure to check out my next snippet from ONLY FOR YOU: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time (Book Two) on Ceci’s blog. Leave me a comment there, as well, to be in the running for my giveaway! Here’s the link: www.cecigiltenan.com

First Kiss Friday with guest Jasmine Haynes

It’s another First Kiss Friday and not only do I have the pleasure to welcome back my friend Jasmine Haynes but we also get to help celebrate her newest book baby. Today’s excerpt from Any Way She Wants It is the latest book in Jasmine’s West Coast Series. I’ve already grabbed my copy and we hope you’ll do the same. Get out your fan… lets turn up the heat and give a warm welcome to Jasmine!

Thank you, Sherry, you know how much I love your First Kiss Friday blog! And it’s a pleasure to be here with you again!

So Tricia and David in Any Way She Wants It have a history from way back when she was sixteen. And now they’re working at the same company over twenty years later. Tricia is divorced and David is a widower, and sparks about to fly! And the title comes from that fabulous old Journey song, Any Way You Want It, which happens to still be one of my favorites!

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Excerpt:

“Just let it go, Tricia.” He wanted to beg, but he was afraid he’d start begging for something else entirely.

Why had she come back into his life to torment him? Wasn’t his wife’s death enough? There was only so much guilt a man could take before it crushed him.

Her eyes went soft, and she shook her head at him gently as if he were a poor misguided fool. “I haven’t let it go for over twenty years, David. I don’t know why you think I’m going to now. Unless you give me a really good reason.” She rose, picked up her papers, stuffed them in a folder, and headed for the door.

He felt sliced right down the middle, ecstatic that she intended to let it alone for now, and aching that she was leaving him. He pushed back from the table, that hair-brained part of him wanting to rush after her. But he didn’t stand. His fears and his guilt kept him bolted to the chair.

But she turned, setting her file on the bookcase by the side of the door, her hand on the door knob as she stood outlined in the frame. “Do you remember what you told me that night?”

He swallowed, barely restraining himself from running his finger around his collar as if his tie were too tight. “Uh…not really.” Most of what he remembered was physical, sensory, tactile, her mouth, her scent, her skin, her tears.

“You told me to demand what I wanted. Never to let a man get away with pleasing himself and not me.”

Yes, that he remembered. He’d wanted her to demand her pleasure. Because men could be selfish or clueless or just plain stupid. But he didn’t answer her aloud.

She closed the door. The lock clicked, the sound like a shout in the quiet office.

“I’ve decided to demand what I want. From you. Right now.” She advanced on him.

He couldn’t have moved if the fire alarm started screeching or an earthquake shook down the office walls. There was her black skirt, her slightly sheer blouse, and those mind-blowing red shoes. He could barely breathe. She leaned down, hands on the armrests of his chair, her scent spellbinding him.

“I want that night all over again,” she whispered. “Maybe I’ll be satisfied if I can have it just once more. Maybe I can get you out of my system.

If he gave in, he would never get her out of his system. He’d be lost. He’d be—

She hiked her skirt and climbed on top of him, fitting her slim legs down the sides of the armrests, along his thighs. Her heat surrounded him. He should have pushed her off, forced himself to surface above the beguiling aroma of woman and sex, above his needs and desires. But he couldn’t move.

Then she cupped his face in her palms. “Kiss me. Like you did back then. Tell me what you told me then.”

He couldn’t resist her, succumbing to what he’d dreamed about for so long. He didn’t even put up a token battle, dropping his voice to match her whisper, replaying the night. “You’re so damn beautiful. Don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re not good enough.” He wiped the tears from beneath her eyes as if she were crying. She’d always compared herself to his sister Judy, and always failed to measure up. In her mind, Judy was the pretty one, the popular one. The two of them had gone to some neighborhood party, and Tricia had overheard a boy say he could only kiss her if she put a bag over her head. Her self-confidence had been decimated.

She was nothing like that fragile girl now.

But that night, after the party, afraid she’d wake Judy—Tricia was always at their house—she’d come to the living room to hide her tears.

She’d found him sitting in the dark, watching TV with the sound off.

“Kiss me, David,” she begged him now, just as she had then. “Show me I’m pretty enough to be kissed.”

He gave in completely. To her and to his own dreams.

Jesus, she tasted better than memory, like hot, sexy, sensuous, experienced woman, so different and yet so much the same. Hands on her hips, he pulled her tight, her hot center riding him.

He was gone in two seconds flat. Lost. And he devoured her, taking her tongue, diving deep, fulfilling twenty-two years of fantasy. He kissed her until he was lightheaded with need, his hands all over her, thighs, breasts, tangling in her hair.

“You didn’t kiss me like that, David.”

He wasn’t sure how he’d let go long enough for her to pull back and whisper those beguiling words to him.

“It was different,” was his only excuse. And she was different, not the young girl who’d never had her first real kiss. Back then, he’d wanted only to show her that there would be so many more kisses for her in the future.

“Do you want me?” And she completely seduced him with the question.

Any Way She Wants It Blurb

He was engaged to be married.

She was his sister’s best friend and his dirty little secret.

Twenty years later, it’s all about to explode.

David Farris has been a widower for almost a year. He should have been able to handle Tricia Connelly walking back into his life. After all, it’s been over twenty years. But now that she’s here, she’s the embodiment of his greatest desire…and his worst guilt. Keeping everything between them strictly business is the only way to preserve his sanity.

Tricia wants nothing more than to make David totally crazy with need for her. When she realizes they’ll be working side-by-side, day in and day out, her heart clamors for this second chance to make the one man she’s always wanted fall for her. But David can’t let go of the past.

Her only choice is to seduce him with steamy kisses and delicious caresses to show him how perfect they could be for each other.

Can David forgive his past sins? Or will he sacrifice their future?

Learn all about the West Coast Series on my website! And read more excerpts!

Revenge, Book 1, Jessica and Clay

Submitting to the Boss, Book 2, Holt and Ruby

The Boss’s Daughter, Book 3, Ward and Cassandra

The Other Man, Book 4, Spence and Zoe

Pleasing Mr. Sutton, Book 5, Rance and Monica

Any Way She Wants It, Book 6, David and Tricia

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Bio

NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jasmine Haynes loves giving readers sexy, classy stories about real issues like growing older, facing divorce, starting over. Her books have passion, heart, humor, and happy endings, even if they aren’t always traditional. She also writes gritty, paranormal mysteries in the Max Starr series. As Jennifer Skully, she writes laugh-out-loud romantic comedies laced with a heavy dose of mystery. Look for Jennifer’s new series written with Bella Andre, starting with Breathless in Love, The Maverick Billionaires Book 1. Having penned stories since the moment she learned to write, Jasmine now lives in the Redwoods of Northern California with her husband and their adorable nuisance of a cat who totally runs the household. Join her newsletter for updates on contests, new releases, and freebies by going to www/jasminehaynes.com.

Contact

Newsletter signup: http://bit.ly/SkullyNews

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Bookbub

Medieval Monday with my guest Jenni Fletcher

Welcome to another Medieval Monday. I’d like to welcome my guest, Jenni Fletcher, who is joining us on the Medieval Hop for the first time! We hope you enjoy this snippet from her novel, Besieged and Betrothed. Be sure to show Jenni some love by leaving her a comment and happy reading!

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Excerpt:

‘That’s all I wanted for him, too.’ Tears welled in her eyes suddenly, bright and glistening like diamond drops. ‘But I failed him. I should never have let him go.’

‘Go where?’

‘Into battle!’

‘How could you have stopped him?’

‘I don’t know. I just should have.’

‘He was an experienced soldier, Lady Juliana, a good one, too. He must have thought there was a chance of victory for him to engage Stephen in the first place.’

‘There was, but not the way that it happened. I should have realised…’ She bit her lip abruptly.

Blurb –

Ruthless warrior Lothar the Frank has laid siege to Castle Haword, but there’s a fiery redhead in his way—and she’s not backing down!

More tomboy than trembling maiden, Lady Juliana Danville would rather die than lose the castle. When she’s caught on opposite sides of a war, a marriage bargain is brokered to bring peace. But is blissful married life possible when Juliana has a dangerous secret hidden within the castle walls?

Buy Links:

Amazon US  |   Barnes & Noble   |   iTunes   |   Amazon UK

 

First Kiss Friday with guest Caroline Warfield & a Giveaway!

It’s always a pleasure to welcome Caroline Warfield to my First Kiss Friday blog. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up one of her books, you are certainly missing out. I’ve enjoyed each of her novels that  are rich in historical detail and all ending with a happily ever after for her characters. Please help me welcome Caroline and her first kiss scene!

Thanks for having me Sherry. Today I have the first kiss in the first book of my series, Children of Empire, The Renegade Wife.  Meggy is a woman on the run who has come to rely on the kindness and protection of Rand Wheatly, a solitary business man who has taken her and her children in. When attraction blossoms between them, so does temptation.

I’ll give a electronic gift copy of this book to one randomly selected person who comments on this posting. (Kindle format is available to US residents only. All others would receive a PDF copy)

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Excerpt:

We. The word hung between them. She couldn’t look away. They stood for a long time in the narrow hallway before he closed the space between them. He moved so gradually that she didn’t realize it until his mouth was inches from hers, his warmth surrounded her, and his eyes searched hers. She couldn’t say if his eyes searched for permission; she couldn’t think at all. There was only awareness of the man, his warmth, and his bedroom door feet away.

The kiss came gently, a touch, a caress. She let herself feel it, starved for tenderness, and she breathed in his scent—pine and wood smoke. Her hands slid up his rough shirt, around his neck, and into the hair that hung to his collar.

Long fingers cupped her head, and he deepened the kiss softly, gently, without force. She opened gladly.

When he began to unbutton her dress, she stiffened and put her hands on his chest to push him away. Perhaps it was the sensation of cold. Perhaps it was the intrusion. Perhaps reason simply asserted itself. Meggy didn’t know what brought her to her senses. She had forgotten much for a few moments, but one fact came to her clearly.

“I’m married, Rand! Fergus may be a poor excuse for a human being, but he’s still my husband. Nothing changes that.”

She almost wept when he responded immediately, with respect and concern. He stood back, but he reached out a hand to caress her cheek.

“I’m sorry, Meggy. You deserve better.”

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About the The Renegade Wife

Betrayed by his cousin and the woman he loved, Rand Wheatly fled England, his dreams of a loving family shattered. He clings to his solitude in an isolated cabin in Upper Canada. Returning from a business trip to find a widow and two children squatting in his house, he flies into a rage. He wants her gone, but her children are sick and injured, and his heart is not as hard as he likes to pretend.

Meggy Blair harbors a secret, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her children safe. She’d hopes to hide with her Ojibwa grandmother, if she can find the woman and her people. She doesn’t expect to find shelter with a quiet, solitary man, a man who lowers his defensive walls enough to let Meggy and her children in.

Their idyllic interlude is shattered when Meggy’s brutal husband appears to claim his children. She isn’t a widow, but a wife, a woman who betrayed the man she was supposed to love, just as Rand’s sweetheart betrayed him. He soon discovers why Meggy is on the run, but time is running out. To save them all, Rand must return to England and face his family demons.

The book has numerous five star/top pick book from reviewing services. The Romance Reviews said, “This respectful, female-focused story provides an engaging departure from stories of female submission and will likely resonate with diverse women seeking a beautiful and sincere narrative that respects the importance of family and a woman’s right to take her time falling in love.”

InD’Tale Magazine said, “…the characters leap off the page and into the reader’s heart…Warfield weaves a delightful tale that leaves one sitting on the edge of their seat during most of the novel.”

Read the ebook for FREE with Amazon Unlimited or purchase a copy at

Barnes&Noble     Kobo     Amazon    Smashwords

[image error] About Caroline Warfield

Traveler, poet, librarian, technology manager—award winning author Caroline Warfield has been many things (even a nun), but above all she is a romantic. Having retired to the urban wilds of eastern Pennsylvania, she reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows while she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart.

Caroline has an active blog and her newsletter list recently zoomed past 3000.  She is a RONE award winner and has five star reviews from Readers’ Favorite, Night Owl Reviews, and InD’Tale. She is also a member of the writers’ co-operative, the Bluestocking Belles. With partners she manages and regularly writes for both The Teatime Tattler and History Imagined.

Website http://www.carolinewarfield.com/

Amazon Author http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/ 

Good Reads http://bit.ly/1C5blTm 

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7 

Twitter @CaroWarfield

Email warfieldcaro@gmail.com

Thank you for being my guest today, Caroline. Don’t forget to leave Caroline a comment to be in the running for her giveaway and thank you for dropping by!

Medieval Monday with guest Barbara Bettis

Welcome to another Medieval Monday, my lovelies! Today’s guest is Barbara Bettis who is sharing her snippet from The Lady of the Forest. Be sure to leave Barbara a comment for a chance at winning one of her eBooks, your choice. Happy reading!

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Excerpt:

“Sam’l doesn’t whisper that loudly. What possessed you to follow them?” Kate knew she wouldn’t like his explanation.

“To make sure they weren’t hurt or—”

“Or nothing, my lad! I’ve told you not to put yourself in danger like that. You were to return here immediately after you visited Maude in the kitchen.”

A new, sharper fear gripped Kate. If anything happened to this boy, she’d never forgive herself. He should be tucked into a warm bed right now, safe in a cottage and watched over by a loving mother and father.

Instead, he prowled a broken-down hut, too excited to sleep as he chattered about losing body parts. And God knew, Kate made a poor example for a parent—a lady who faked her own death to avoid marriage.

Buy Links

 AMAZON  TWRP

Follow along next week at https://elisabethhobbes.co.uk/. Be sure to leave a comment for a chance at an ebook of your choice.

First Kiss Friday with Lizzie Tremayne & a Giveaway!

Welcome to another First Kiss Friday! Today, I am happy to have one of our newest authors to join the Bluestocking Belles, LIzzi Tremayne.  If you leave a comment for Lizzie, she’s offering an eBook to one lucky winner. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene from A Long Trail Rolling. Take it away, Lizzi!

Hello! Thanks for coming by today, and thank you, Sherry, for having me here!

My heroine, Aleksandra, had already met the hero of the story, but… they weren’t exactly friends yet. SO this is actually Aleksandra’s first kiss, though it’s not with the hero! If you want to read about Aleksandra and Xavier’s first kiss, you’ll have to read A Long Trail Rolling, Book One of The Long Trails series.

Today I’m giving away an ebook copy of A Long Trail Rolling to one lucky commenter. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

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In our excerpt, life had turned upside down for Aleksandra. She’d just found her pa dead of a sword wound, she was alone, and the tribe of Shoshone she’d grown up alongside wouldn’t take her in—for her own safety.

We pick up our story as Aleksandra is riding toward her lonely cabin from the Indian village…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope was far from Aleksandra’s reach, her heart in tatters somewhere lining the bottom of her empty chest, as she and Dzień wandered down the mountain toward their cabin.

How could I have missed it?

She understood how the deepening rift between the settlers and the indigenous people wouldn’t let her safely live in their midst, but what of Dancing Wolf? How did she miss his deepening feelings for her, when they were close as brother and sister? Aleksandra was attracted to him, but accustomed only to the overt displays of affection in her family, his increasing reservation toward her as they matured had blinded her to what might have been. She shook her head to clear it and smiled as she thought of their leave-taking.

Dancing Wolf had accompanied her from the village and stopped at their old halfway meeting point. The tall young man dismounted from his pinto Mustang and for only the second time since they were children, wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she sat her pony, silent, for long minutes.

‘Kwahaten, you have been the most special part of my life and a large piece of my heart leaves with you. For your safety, I cannot have what my heart desires most, you by my fireside, beneath my furs,’ he stopped, flushed, and then cleared his throat, ‘riding by my side, forever. You need to go to your own people,’ he finally managed. ‘I will be watching for you. If you are ever in need, you know how to find me.’

Aleksandra nodded. ‘I understand, though I feel the rest of my family has truly died now. With you, I also leave much of my heart. May we meet again soon, my special one.’ She kissed the top of his head, bowed against her breast. He lifted his face to hers, his eyes deep pools of darkness, searching into her soul. Their lips met in their first kiss, the intensity of his touch shocking Aleksandra, and she drew back for a moment. His lips continued warm and insistent against hers as he wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and melted into him, her arms moving about his neck of their own volition as she breathed in his musky scent. She felt a gripping tension deep in her belly as he deepened the kiss, and inhaled sharply. He pulled back slowly, his eyes darkened to black, then smiled at her, while he shook his head slowly and let his breath out. Brushing the stray strands of hair from her face and taking her hands, he kissed her softly on the lips once again.

He looked down at her hands between his.

‘What we might have had—’ he started, then paused.

‘—cannot be, my special one,’ she said into the silence, ‘but I will always remember.’ She tried for a smile, looking at him through bleary eyes. Her hands still shook, but at least her heart felt like someone had kindled a small fire inside, and it was warm.

‘Go now, dear one of my heart, my Kwahaten. You cannot be mine, but I will always be here for you.’ Smiling at her, he swung onto his pony as Aleksandra turned her own Mustang and rode back down the mountain.

So, not the first kiss with the hero, but Aleksandra’s first kiss…

Medieval Monday with my friend Mary Morgan

It’s Medieval Monday and it’s my pleasure to welcome back my friend Mary Morgan who has a snippet from her novel, A Highland Moon Enchantment. Mary will be giving away a signed print book to a random comment that will be drawn at the end of this Medieval Monday blog hop. Be sure to leave her a comment for your chance to win! Happy reading and enjoy!

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Excerpt:

Both druids lifted their hands upward and raised their joined voices as one. “Let the lights from the stars cast their glow down upon the longest night which greets us once again. The land slumbers, and the battle between the Oak King and aging Holly King begins anew. Though the skies are cold and dreary, we rejoice in song and feasting as this night encloses us in her embrace. For we fear naught, since the moon and stars will light our path. Blessings of Mother Danu to all!”

Cathal scooped out a mixture of herbs from the leather pouch, belted at his side, and then tossed them into the flames. Sparks danced upward, and cries of approval echoed throughout the hall. Cheers resounded and many lifted their cups in salute to the blaze and each other.

Angus brought over two cups for the druids. “I thank ye both. Come and join us in feasting this night.”

Blurb

You first meet this warrior in Dragon Knight’s Axe, Order of the Dragon Knights, Book 3

Irish warrior, Desmond O’Quinlan has never surrendered his heart to any woman. He has no wish to have his soul tortured by love. Yet, the moment he locks gazes with Ailsa, his fate is destined for an adventure he never fathomed. He may have battled alongside a Dragon Knight, but his greatest challenge will come from within his own heart.

Ailsa MacDuff, a warrior among her clan, has no desire to have a man chain her to a life of obedience. However, that is before she meets Desmond. The temptation to allow this warrior inside her heart is a risk she dares to take, but one that could lead to a future of emptiness and sorrow.

When betrayal looms from within, the battleground of love is no match for these two warriors. Can the power of a Highland full moon be strong enough to unite or destroy them?

Buy Links

AMAZON | BN | KOBO | iBOOKS

Follow along next week on Elisabeth Hobbes’s blog: https://elisabethhobbes.co.uk/ and leave a comment for a chance to win a signed print copy of A HIGHLAND MOON ENCHANTMENT.

 

First Kiss Friday with guest Lela Bay

Hello Gentle Readers! Welcome to another First Kiss Friday. Today I have a new to me author named Lela Bay. We hope you enjoy her excerpt. Take it away, Lela!

Thank you for having me, Sherry! It was fun to look back through my book for the first kiss. Since the book is two Regency novels, there’s quite a bit of tension before that first kiss. The first story, The Unusual Manners of Mr. Aarons ends with a sweet kiss. Virtue’s Temptation isn’t as coy and I love how it finally plays out.

Eleanor is a widow who stumbles across a girl running off with someone unsuitable. Much to her own surprise, Eleanor steps in and takes charge of irrepressible Bitsy. Fortunately, Mr. Stinson shows up in pursuit of Bitsy and they become allies attempting to chaperone her home with her reputation intact. The weather doesn’t cooperate. They stop their carriage at a roadside inn, and after supper Bitsy leaves Eleanor and Mr. Stinson at the table while she takes a bath.

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“Virtue’s Temptation” in Ruined Reputations Excerpt:

“I should attend her,” said Eleanor.

Dropping his napkin, Mr. Stinson walked around the table. “She’ll be in her bath. Let her enjoy it. We should all take time to savor pleasures.”

Eleanor nodded, gripping the back of her chair. “I can’t thank you enough for your understanding. Bitsy is a good girl.”

“Bitsy is a child,” he said. “She has been coddled and maintained like a pretty doll, with all the sense that a head of stuffing can hold, but there is no malice in her.”

Since this mirrored her own opinion, she smiled faintly and took the arm he offered. He did not escort her out the door, as she had expected. Instead, he turned his gaze on her, and rather than chocolate his eyes reminded her of cups of Turkish espresso—heated and molten. She could taste the promise hidden in them.

She was experienced enough to recognize the question lying within. Had she been thinking—if the night had not been so quiet and her muscles so relaxed—she might have found the strength to make a small gesture. Lowering her chin, looking away, or brushing her hair aside to cover the longing written across her face would stop him.

She did none of these things. The intensity of his gaze held her.

He pulled her around and bent his head to hers, and she gasped. His firm lips moved across hers. She welcomed the heaviness of his embrace. The press of his chest promised to soothe the ache that made her arch into him and moan. His hands slid along her sides to her narrow waist and cupped the flare of her hips to draw her toward him.

She broke off, stepping back. His hands caught her skirt, letting her move away but keeping them connected with the soft layers of fabric.

“This is unseemly,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow. “It is what we both want.”

He stepped forward into the cage of fabric, yanking her to him with a fist twisted in the material, drawing the length tight against the naked skin at the back of her knees where her stockings ended.

She longed to throw caution to the wind—he must read the flickers of desire hidden in her heavily lidded eyes—but she couldn’t be weak willed.

“There can be no hint of scandal. Bitsy’s reputation may very well depend on the strength of my own. I cannot endanger the both of us,” Eleanor said.

“No?” he asked, feathering kisses along her jaw. His beard stubble scraped her skin like the rasp of a cat’s tongue, insisting on additional brushes. The first stroke incited a tickle that needed scratching, the next a rasp needed soothing, and finally the third brush ignited her skin and sent fingers of flame through her neck and into her tingling body. She gasped slightly, releasing a moan.

“No?” he asked again, regretfully. Her words had gotten through to him.

They pulled apart. He released her skirts, though the fabric hung twisted and wrinkled beneath her knees. She smoothed it, glancing upward at him. Her chest heaved within her tight neckline.

His eyes raced over her. With a groan, he turned away, gripping the chair she’d recently released.

She slipped out the door.

Bitsy had bolted their room from the inside. Sighing, Eleanor knocked and called to her.

Through the thick door Bitsy’s high voice sang, “Oh, darling, I’ve only just gotten started, and it is wonderfully hot. Can’t you come back again later?”

Mr. Stinson’s heavy tread at the base of the steps paused, as if he waited for Eleanor’s answer. She leaned her forehead against the wood of the door, fearing the heat from her body would burn a brand into the dry wood.

BLURB

  –The Unusual Manners of Mr. Aarons–

Rumors of Mr. Aarons unconventional ways are confirmed when he nearly yanks the bonnet off Emmaline’s cousin’s head. Drawn by his charm and good looks, Emmaline finds herself assisting him in his mysterious mission.

His obscure search appears to lead to her cousin, beautiful Catherine Connersfield. She is the more sensible choice, but will she have him? More to the point, will Emmaline let her?

–Virtue’s Temptation–

Experience has taught Eleanor it’s better to be practical than passionate.

When she discovers Bitsy eloping with her French tutor, scandal threatens to ruin the girl.

To keep her reputation intact, Eleanor reluctantly chaperones the rebellious heiress.

Eleanor’s spotless character protects Bitsy, but behaving respectably proves difficult when tempted by the dangerously attractive Mr. Stinson.

If she fails it will end with … Ruined Reputations.

BUY LINKS – Read for free on Kindle Unlimited. Available in eBook and paperback.

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079K7D8KS

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Lela Bay Bio

Lela lives in a modest house with her husband, children, and pets. Despite living in the far north, she requires a certain amount of sunshine each day or she gets grumpy. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys strolling, gardening, reading, and tea time with friends.

She enjoys stories with intimacy and humor.

Follow Lela on twitter @bay_lela.

Lela Bay Links

Blog: http://lelabayblog.wordpress.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bay_lela

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/lelabay

 

 

Medieval Monday with guest Judith Sterling

It’s always a pleasure when I can welcome back Judith Sterling to my blog. Today, for Medieval Monday, Judith is sharing a snippet from her novel, Shadow of the Swan. Read on and don’t forget to leave Judith a comment. Happy reading and enjoy!

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Excerpt:

She gave him a pointed look. “Trying won’t suffice. If we’re to share a chamber, I need a clear statement of your intentions.”

He grabbed his wine, drained the cup, and plunked it down on the table. “We agreed to be friends, did we not?”

“We did.”

“Friends don’t steal from one another. They take only what is willingly given.”

“Know this now: I shall never give it.”

His gaze held hers. “So you’ve said.”

Blurb

Haunted by memories; healed by love.

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

The Wild Rose Press:  https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5561-shadow-of-the-swan.html

Follow along next week at Barbara Bettis’s blog:  www.barbarabettis.blogspot.com