Wednesday, September 24, 2014

BLOG TOUR: Inglorious Royal Marriages by Leslie Carroll

02_Inglorious Royal Marriages


Publication Date: September 2, 2014
NAL Trade

Formats: eBook, Paperback; 400p

Genre: History/Non-Fiction/Royalty

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READ AN EXCERPT.


Why does it seem that the marriages of so many monarchs are often made in hell? And yet we can’t stop reading about them! To satisfy your schadenfreude, INGLORIOUS ROYAL MARRIAGES offers a panoply of the most spectacular mismatches in five hundred years of royal history….some of which are mentioned below.

When her monkish husband, England’s Lancastrian Henry VI, became completely catatonic, the unpopular French-born Margaret of Anjou led his army against the troops of their enemy, the Duke of York.

Margaret Tudor, her niece Mary I, and Catherine of Braganza were desperately in love with chronically unfaithful husbands—but at least they weren’t murdered by them, as were two of the Medici princesses.

King Charles II’s beautiful, high-spirited sister “Minette” wed Louis XIV’s younger brother, who wore more makeup and perfume than she did.

Compelled by her mother to wed her boring, jug-eared cousin Ferdinand, Marie of Roumania—a granddaughter of Queen Victoria—emerged as a heroine of World War I by using her prodigious personal charm to regain massive amounts of land during the peace talks at Versailles. Marie’s younger sister Victoria Melita wed two of her first-cousins: both marriages ultimately scandalized the courts of Europe.

Brimming with outrageous real-life stories of royal marriages gone wrong, this is an entertaining, unforgettable book of dubious matches doomed from the start.

My Review

Inglorious Royal Marriages is another great historical nonfiction book by Leslie Carroll. I have read her previous novels, Royal Romance, Royal Pains, and Royal Affairs, and this book was very similar to them. I felt like it was a little more boring that her previous novels, and read slightly more like a text book than the others, but I still really enjoyed it. I love learning about the secrets of royal marriages/families. It is so interesting to find out about the different affairs and intrigues these couples engaged in. It seems a rarity for royal marriages to actually be normal and loving! I suppose it would be hard to have a ‘normal’ marriage when more than likely you were married to your husband or wife whether you wanted to be or not. This wasn’t a novel that I was completely engrossed in and unable to put down, but I did really enjoy reading it and definitely wanted to finish the book to find out the dirty secrets about these different royal couples. The books I read tend to be about a few of the same well known royals, so it’s interesting to read about royalty who I have never heard about before!

Overall I enjoyed reading Inglorious Royal Marriages, and if you are interested in historical nonfiction, especially about royalty, than this is a great book to pick up and read!

I give this novel FOUR out of FIVE stars.

Praise for Leslie Carroll’s Royal Books


“An irresistible combination of People magazine and the History Channel.”—Chicago Tribune (5 Stars)

“Thoroughly enjoyable.”—Booklist

“For those who tackled Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, and can’t get enough of the scandal surrounding Henry VIII’s wives, [Notorious Royal Marriages is] the perfect companion book.”—NewYorker.com

Buy the Book


Amazon US
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
IndieBound

About the Author



03_Leslie CarrollLeslie Carroll is the author of several works of historical nonfiction, women’s fiction, and, under the pen names Juliet Grey and Amanda Elyot, is a multipublished author of historical fiction. Her nonfiction titles include Royal Romances, Royal Pains, Royal Affairs, and Notorious Royal Marriages. She is also a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit, and is an award-winning audio book narrator.

A frequent commentator on royal romances and relationships, Leslie has been interviewed by numerous publications, including MSNBC.com, USA Today, the Australian Broadcasting Company, and NPR, and she was a featured royalty historian on CBS nightly news in London during the royal wedding coverage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. She also appears as an expert on the love lives of Queen Victoria, Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great, and Napoleon on the television series “The Secret Life of [fill in the name of famous figure]” for Canada’s History Channel. Leslie and her husband, Scott, divide their time between New York City and Washington, D.C.

For more information please visit Leslie's website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Inglorious Royal Marriages Blog Tour Schedule


Monday, September 1
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, September 2
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Interview at Scandalous Women

Wednesday, September 3
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Tapestry

Thursday, September 4
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Friday, September 5
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, September 8
Review & Giveaway at Bibliophilia, Please

Tuesday, September 9
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Spotlight at Princess of Eboli

Wednesday, September 10
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Thursday, September 11
Review at The Lit Bitch
Spotlight & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, September 15
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, September 16
Spotlight & Giveaway at Reading Lark

Wednesday, September 17
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Saturday, September 20
Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Tuesday, September 23
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden's Court

Wednesday, September 24
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
Review & Giveaway at To Read or Not to Read

Thursday, September 25
Review at Bookish
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

Friday, September 26
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

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SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT, & GIVEAWAY: Taming the Wicked Wulfe by Tammy Jo Burns

Taming the Wicked Wulfe Tour Banner

Taming the Wicked Wulfe by Tammy Jo Burns The Rogue Agents #1
Publication Date: July 14, 2014
Genres: Historical, Regency, Romance

 Purchase from AmazonPurchase from B&NPurchase from KoboPurchase from iBookstore

Taming the Wicked Wulfe Cover

Synopsis

Rebekah is forced into a proxy marriage to a man she despises for the sake of her orphaned niece and nephew. Her new husband, Thorn Wulfe, holds the key to all the secrets of her long-buried past. Thorn, considered the Wicked Wulfe by many of the ton, operates one of London’s most notorious gaming hells, the Lady Luck. When his brother is killed, he finds his life turned upside down with a wife he does not want, and two children to care for. When old secrets come to light and enemies make themselves known, Rebekah and Wulfe are going to have to decide what is more important…the past, the present, or the future? Will they be able to learn to trust and love one another along the way? Or will their secrets keep them apart forever?


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Excerpt from Taming the Wicked Wulfe
by Tammy Jo Burns
April 1811…

“Theodore Wulfe, I will not do it! I don’t care that you are a bloody duke! Nothing you
can say could make me ever want to tie myself to that man. I cannot believe you even have the
nerve to ask such a question of me,” Rebekah stormed to the window and looked through it,
unseeing.
“Rebekah,” the man behind her said in a gentle tone, much like one would use when
attempting to calm a wild horse. “Do you see those children out there?”
“Yes,” she whispered, letting her forehead fall against the glass, welcoming the coolness.
She knew what he would say next, and Lord help her, she could not hate him as much as she
wanted to.
“They are my life. They are the best of both Sarah and me, as you well know. You have
helped care for them since they entered this world. Do you want them sent to an orphanage?
Hell, Rebekah, do you want them sent to Sarah’s parents? Do you want them deciding the future
of this dukedom?” the Duke of Wulfcrest queried.
“No!” Rebekah exclaimed, horrified, looking at him over her shoulder. She turned back
to watch the two little ragamuffins that played outside with their matching Wolf Hounds, Piddles
and Smelly. Smiling, she remembered how she had tried to coax the children into naming them
something else, but they were as stubborn as their mother which explained why their names
made vague references to bodily functions beyond a young pup’s control. Sarah’s parents would
never allow the children to have pets of any kind, let alone the menagerie they seemed to keep.
No, two four-year-olds deserved to be allowed to play and be rambunctious, not locked away in a
living tomb.
“Sarah loved you. I love you. We could not ask for a better adoptive mother for our
twins,” he broke off into a coughing fit.
Rebekah tried to tune out the coughing, but found she could not. She could no longer
deny that he continued to get worse. She also knew that if she turned around, the handkerchief
he used would have flecks of red on it. She wanted to rage at Heaven about the unfairness of the
situation. These two precious children would be orphans in a matter of months. Teddy and
Sarah were wonderful people who did not deserve to be taken so young. Especially when his
rotten, good for nothing brother still drew breath. A man who could not be bothered to attend his
sister-in-law’s funeral. A man who had not shown his face around Wulfcrest Manor in years. A
man who if she saw him, there had better not be a loaded gun nearby. A man that Teddy wanted
to tie her to for the rest of her life.
“Teddy, I have a wonderful idea,” her face lit up as she turned to look at him. Once more
composed, he looked at her expectantly. “Why don’t you and I marry? It would be a marriage of
convenience. I could care for you. Why are you shaking your head no?”
“I will be taking myself off to London at the end of this week. I don’t want the children
to see me decline. It will not be pretty and if I can spare them, I will. That was one blessing in
regards to Sarah’s accident, she did not linger. And besides, if I know my in-laws, they will fight
you for the twins regardless. Knowing that Zachary will rule a dukedom, Hezekiah will want to
have him close so that he can attempt to turn him into a pious monster. No, Rebekah, you need
Thorn’s strength to help you. The two of you will have to provide a united front to fight the
Reverend and his wife.”
“That is going to be most difficult when I want to kill him myself.”
“Rebekah, I have told you on many occasions that he has excellent reasons for everything
you accuse him of,” Teddy sounded as if he were attempting to patiently talk to a small child.
“So you say. I still reserve the right to despise him. Even now, he needs to be here and
where is he? Or should I say whose bed is he in? He is single-handedly destroying your family
name, and all you do is make excuses for him. It sickens me.” She turned once more to stare out
the window. The children were playing tag with the dogs. Squeals, laughter, and barks filtered
into the room.
“On this we will just have to agree to disagree.”
“Teddy, he runs one of London’s most notorious gaming hells! How can you excuse
that?”
“I have said all that I will say on the matter.”
“Oh,” she growled, “Sarah said you could be stubborn when you set your mind to
something.”
“And I have set my mind to this. Need I remind you what Sarah said when I held her in
my arms as she took her last breaths?”
“No,” she bit out, tightening her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She
refused to give in to any more tears. It had been two years since they buried her sister, and best
friend, but some days it felt like only yesterday.
“She wanted you to be happy.”
“And marrying your wastrel brother is the solution?” she asked incredulously, spinning
around to face him once more.
“Regardless of what you think, family is very important to Thorn. He loved Sarah like a
sister for most of his life. He loves his niece and nephew. He tolerates you,” he tried to tease.
“I loathe him.”
“What really happened between you two?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” she huffed and moved across the room.
“Sarah always suspected there was more between the two of you than you let on, but she
said you remained tight-lipped about it.”
“It was none of her business and now it is none of yours.”
“Fine.” He held up his hands knowing he would not get anywhere further on that front.
He started to say something but another fit of coughing overcame him. This time it lasted longer
than before and had him doubling over until Rebekah could assist him to a chair. Once seated,
she quickly got him something to drink. She made to stand up when he grasped her wrist. She
could not help but notice that his grip had weakened over the weeks. Kneeling beside him, she
looked up at him and saw the desperation in his eyes. “Please, Rebekah.”
Those two words were like a death knell sounding over the valley. Suddenly she felt as if
someone had put the last nail in her coffin and she could not take in enough air. “Do what you
must,” she said, rising to her feet. “Thank you. You don’t know how this eases my mind.” He took her hand and gave it a
gentle squeeze.
“I’m going outside with the children,” she said, slipping out of his grasp, and escaping
from the room. Once she reached the coolness of the darkened hallway, she came to a stop.
“Bloody hell and damnation,” she muttered, nerves and anger jockeying for first place position
inside her. “This will never work. I’ll kill him first.” She pushed away from the wall and made
her way outside. The spring sunshine felt wonderful on her face, a light breeze blew, lifting the
tendrils of hair off her neck.
***
Two hours later Rebekah sat at the dining table with Teddy, the twins, and the vicar and
his wife. They had been allowed to join the adults on what Teddy considered a special occasion.
She reached for her glass of wine and paused as the ring on her left finger sparkled in the
candlelight. It felt heavy on her hand, reminding her of all that had transpired today. She felt
relief that Teddy had had the foresight not to put on her hand the ring that Sarah had worn. If he
had done that, she would have been unable to hold back the tears that she currently fought.
Instead, her husband’s signet ring encircled her finger. Ignoring it, she took her glass and drank
deeply. Her life would never be the same.
“Lady Wulfe, are you all right?” The vicar asked at her elbow.
“Yes, I’m sorry, Vicar. It isn’t every day that a woman finds herself married, is it?”
“No, it isn’t. I just wish your young man could have been here.”
“Yes,” she murmured before taking another deep drink.
“You will be the envy of all the women,” the vicar’s wife, Mrs. Young, said. “Wulfe is
such a handsome man, and there is such mystery surrounding him.”
“Mystery,” Rebekah huffed before taking another drink, only to find her glass empty.
She caught the eye of a footman who quickly refilled it. She let the conversation flow around
her, not contributing overly to it. The wine continued to flow and before she knew it, the vicar
and his wife were leaving.
“You are going to have a hell of a headache in the morning, Bekah,” Teddy said as he
helped her up the stairs.
“That is Lady Wulfe to you,” she slurred and stumbled up two stairs before standing
upright with the help of Wulfecrest and the bannister. “Not even a proper wedding night, but
there was that one night.”
“What night? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t kiss and tell, Teddy,” she waggled her finger at him in mock reprimand.
“Perhaps I should break the news of this marriage to my brother in person,” Teddy said.
“He doesn’t know?” Rebekah giggled uncontrollably. “That’s rich!” She continued
giggling. “I’m married to a man who doesn’t know he’s married. He’s going to murder us both
when he finds out,” she singsonged.
“He will not. How many glasses of wine did you have?” Teddy demanded.
“I lost count. Why is the room spinning?” She asked curiously as they entered her
bedchamber.
“Just climb up on your bed,” Teddy instructed.
“Wanted a marriage like you and Sarah. So happy. But now I’m stuck with Thorn. Will always have a thorn in my side,” she giggled and flopped back on the bed. Soon she slept the
sleep of the truly inebriated.
“You, dear sister, are going to have a terrible headache in the morning,” he told the inert
form sprawled across the bed. He looked around the room and spied a shawl draped over a chair.
He grabbed it and covered her with it rather than fighting with the bedcovers. “Thank you for all
you have sacrificed for my children,” he whispered and brushed a kiss across her forehead.
“Thorn, kiss me again,” she mumbled.
“What secrets are you carrying?” he asked the sleeping woman.

***

June 1811
“Good afternoon, Director,” Thorn Wulfe greeted Mack in the obscure coffee
house. He had made sure no one followed him. Very rarely did he get summoned to
meet the Director, and he wondered what could cause the man to risk their connection
being made public.
“Wulfe, have a seat,” Mack nodded at the waiter, and the man brought over two
cups. “I have some news to share with you.”
“Will it help with Glandingham? I swear that man is as slippery as an eel.”
“No, this is of a more personal nature.”
“What is it?” Wulfe asked, noting the solemn tone that had entered the man’s
voice.
“There is no easy way to say this. Your brother was in London to see you. We
were on our way to the Lady Luck and someone took a shot at me. Your brother saved
my life.”
“Where is he?”
“He didn’t make it. He told me he was dying and had some things he needed to
tell you. He went very quickly.”
“Teddy’s dead?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Where?”
“A few blocks from the Horseguards. I believe it was an assassination attempt on
me.”
“I see.”
“Take a drink of your coffee. I had them put something a bit stronger in it.”
Wulfe mechanically took a drink of the coffee, welcoming the whisky he could
taste in it. He just as quickly put the cup down. “The twins. I have to get to the twins.
Sarah’s parents will be like vultures,” he knew he was rambling, but could not stop.
“The children are being well cared for at the moment by your wife.”
In the process of standing, Wulfe paused, hands braced on the table and looked at
McKenzie. “I’m sorry, Director, but I don’t think I heard you correctly. Did you say they
were being looked after by my wife? And before you answer, please remember that I am
very much single and have a beautiful mistress that is very demanding of my attention.”
“The children are being cared for by your wife,” Mack repeated. “And just who the hell is this wife?”
“Your brother said the name ‘Bekah’.”
“Bloody hell! How in the hell am I married to that waspish woman when I am in
London and she is at Wulfecrest Manor?”
“Proxy marriage.”
Wulfe dropped back on the chair. He would have had to sign some sort of papers,
wouldn’t he? Then he remembered a night several years ago when he had not been
thinking clearly. A night that had changed the lives of several people. Barkley, his valet
had presented papers for him to sign and passed them off as “estate business”. Bloody
hell, he had signed his life over to a fishwife. Never again would he sign something
without reading it thoroughly. “Damn, damn, damn,” he muttered before pounding his
fist on the table. His head began to pound.

About the Author

Tammy Jo Burns From a young age I could always be found carrying around books to read while watching my grandmother's soap operas with her. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on and even made up skits and stories for my friends and me to act out. Once I outgrew the children's and YA books, my mom introduced me to an entirely new world - contemporary romance. Upon discovering I had a love for history I began devouring historical romances. One day, sitting in a college British History class, something the professor said made me think, I wonder. I quickly called mom (also a writer) and ran the idea by her. After being told, "Of course you can do it, you're my daughter," the rest, as they say, is history. I currently share my love of reading with the next generation as a high school librarian, and share my personal life with my demanding dog trapped in a cat's body, Ajax.


IndieSage PR

Monday, September 22, 2014

BLOG TOUR: Prisoner of the Queen by E. Knight

02_Prisoner of the Queen


Publication Date: July 2014 | Knight Media, LLC | Formats: eBook, Paperback
Series: Tales From the Tudor Court
Genre: Historical Fiction


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I have served three queens in my life. One was my sister, one was my savior, and one my bitterest enemy. Knowing she was seen as a threat to the Queen she served, Lady Katherine Grey, legitimate heir to the throne, longs only for the comfort of a loving marriage and a quiet life far from the intrigue of the Tudor court. After seeing her sister become the pawn of their parents and others seeking royal power and then lose their lives for it, she is determined to avoid the vicious struggles over power and religion that dominate Queen Elizabeth’s court. Until she finds love—then Kat is willing to risk it all, even life in prison.


My Review:


“Prisoner of the Queen” by E. Knight was a fantastic read. One of those books you curl up with, and find you can’t put it down until you finish. I liked how the novel was written in first person. It really gives the reader a great idea of what Katherine really might have been going through—you can picture her having these exact thoughts during this time. I felt like I really was able to get to know Katherine. She’s definitely a relatable character, and as a reader you just want to protect her and for things to turn out for the best. Katherine Grey is definitely brought back to life in this novel. I like that the focus was mainly on her life outside of prison.

E. Knight’s writing transports me to another time and place—I can picture everything and I become completely lost within the pages of this novel. The author has a great gift for storytelling that makes it hard to put any of her books down. This novel is another hit in a long list of great novels by E. Knight. She definitely has a way of pulling the reader into a novel, and letting them get lost in the smooth writing and great research.

I would recommend this novel to any lover of historical fiction. The research is great, and the writing style is fantastic. It definitely is a great read.


I give “Prisoner of the Queen” a FIVE out of FIVE stars.

Tales From the Tudor Court Series



Book One: My Lady Viper Book Two: Prisoner of the Queen


About the Author

Eliza KnightE. Knight is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America and several RWA affiliate writing chapters: Hearts Through History, Celtic Hearts, Maryland Romance Writers and Washington Romance Writers. Growing up playing in castle ruins and traipsing the halls of Versailles when visiting her grandparents during the summer, instilled in a love of history and royals at an early age. Feeding her love of history, she created the popular historical blog, History Undressed (www.historyundressed.com). Under the pseudonym Eliza Knight, she is a bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author of historical and erotic romance. For more information please visit E. Knight's website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Prisoner of the Queen Blog Tour Schedule


Monday, September 15
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Tuesday, September 16
Review & Giveaway at JulzReads
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Wednesday, September 17
Review at Just One More Chapter
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Thursday, September 18
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection
Friday, September 19
Guest Post at What Is That Book About
Monday, September 22
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Interview & Giveaway at The Tudor Enthusiast
Tuesday, September 23
Review at Book Nerd
Review at Historical Tapestry
Wednesday, September 24
Review at leeanna.me
Spotlight & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
Thursday, September 25
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Review at Curling Up By the Fire
Friday, September 26
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Monday, September 29
Review at Book Drunkard
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Tuesday, September 30
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Wednesday, October 1
Review at Caroline Wilson Writes
Review at 100 Pages a Day - Stephanie's Book Reviews
Thursday, October 2
Review & Excerpt at Romantic Historical Reviews
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Friday, October 3
Review at The True Book Addict
Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

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Monday, September 8, 2014

SPOTLIGHT: Shadow on the Highway by Deborah Swift

BLURB:


May 1651. 

England has been in the midst of a civil war for nearly ten years. 


The country has been torn in two, and the King is getting ready to make his last stand against Cromwell’s New Model Army. 


Abigail Chaplin, a young deaf girl, has lost her father to the parliamentarian cause. 


But with her family now in reduced circumstances, she is forced to work as a servant at a royalist household - the estate of Lady Katherine Fanshawe. 


Abi is soon caught up in a web of sinister secrets which surround the Fanshawe estate. 


The most curious of which is the disappearance of Lady Katherine late at night. 


Why are her husband’s clothes worn and muddy even though he hasn’t been home for weeks? 


How is she stealing out of the house late at night when her room is being guarded? 


And what is her involvement with the robberies being committed by the mysterious Silent Highwayman? 


‘Shadow On The Highway’ is based on the life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, the highwaywoman, sometimes known as ‘The Wicked Lady’. It is the first book in ‘The Highway Trilogy’. 




Praise for Deborah Swift: 

‘There is no greater compliment than “Give me more!”’ - Susanna Gregory 

‘realistic dialogue, an author’s obvious love for history, and characters that leap off the pages’ - Romance Reviews Today 


‘genuinely engrossing… with characters you can get interested in’ - The Mum Website 


Deborah Swift lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District. She teaches classes and courses in writing, and is the author of three other historical novels: ‘The Lady’s Slipper’, ‘The Gilded Lily’ and ‘A Divided Inheritance’. You can find out more about her on her website, www.deborahswift.co.uk. 


Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.




Review

'a terrific read ... thoroughly engaging for lovers of historical fiction of any age'
Gabrielle Kimm, author of His Last Duchess 

From the Author

This is a shorter, more lightweight novel than my other books, which sometimes run to more than 400 pages. The story itself naturally fell into three parts and so it made sense to divide the narrative into three books of about 200 pages each, and form a trilogy. Each book is a stand-alone story with a different main character, but each book features Abi, Katherine and Ralph. I hope the subject matter will appeal to younger readers of historical fiction - but that is not to say adults won't enjoy it too!

Thursday, September 4, 2014

BLOG TOUR, GIVEAWAY, & EXCERPT: Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath

Once More my Darling Rogue
The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James # 2
By: Lorraine Heath
Releasing August 26th, 2014  
Avon


Blurb

From New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath, comes the second book in a brand new series, The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, featuring three eligible bachelors...and the scoundrels that reside within each.

Born to the street but raised within the aristocracy, Drake Darling can't escape his sordid beginnings. Not when Lady Ophelia Lyttleton snubs him at every turn, a constant reminder he's not truly one of them. But after rescuing her from a mysterious drowning, he realizes she doesn't remember who she is. With plans to bring her to heel, he insists she's his housekeeper—never expecting to fall for the charming beauty.

While Ophelia might not recall her life before Drake, she has little doubt she belongs with him. The desire she feels for her dark, brooding employer can't be denied, regardless of consequences. So when Ophelia's memory returns, she is devastated by the depth of his betrayal. Now Drake must risk everything to prove she can trust this rogue with her heart once more.


EXCERPT

Irritated with himself for being drawn to the sound, he glanced back over his shoulder to spy her flirting outrageously with the Duke of Avendale and Viscount Langdon. Their families were well-respected,  powerful, and wealthy. He was not surprised to see two other ladies in the group. The gents were sought-after, but just as he tended to avoid social affairs, so did they. Marriage was so far in their distant future that they wouldn’t be able to see it with a spyglass. They were here only because they were close to both Grace and Lovingdon. But now that the happy couple had departed, he suspected Avendale and Langdon would be headed elsewhere for their entertainment.
Unlike Lady O they would invite him to join them. Ophelia’s laughter reached him again, only this time when the sound went silent, her gaze landed on him like a huge stone, then dipped to the champagne, and her lips tipped upward in triumph, just before she wrinkled her nose as though she smelled something quite unpleasant. Her face settling once more into deceptive loveliness, she shifted her gaze back to Avendale, summarily dismissing Drake in the process.
Unfortunately for her, he was no longer quite so easily dismissed.
Ophelia knew a quick spurt of panic. Darling strode toward her with purpose in his step, his large hands—a workman’s hands—dwarfing the flute he carried. His expression shouted that he was tossing down the gauntlet and she feared she might have misjudged his mood tonight, that managing him might be more challenging than she’d expected, but manage him she would. She would not be cowed, not by him, not by any other man for that matter.
He was a commoner who came from common beginnings. He might wear the outer trappings of a gentleman, but she had no doubt that deep down he was a scoundrel, with a scoundrel’s ways, and a penchant toward sinful behavior.
She didn’t know why that thought caused her to grow uncomfortably warm. It was the crowded room, the gaslit chandeliers, the layers of petticoats, and the tight corset. She certainly wasn’t imagining those hands exploring her body. She was not of the streets. She was a lady. And ladies did not contemplate such things.
But as he neared, something within the black depths of his eyes twinkled as though he knew precisely where her errant thoughts had journeyed and was more than willing to serve as her companion on a sojourn into wickedness. He was not handsome, at least not classically so. His features were rugged, craggy, as though shaped by an angry god. His nose was too broad, his brow too wide. His jaw too square. She could see the beginning of shadow, bristles that hadn’t the decency to wait until later to appear. Why was she wasting her time cataloguing each and every inch of him when she had lords aplenty willing to give her attention?


Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19099623-once-more-my-darling-rogue?from_search=true

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Author Info
LORRAINE HEATH always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals and computer code, but something was always missing. After reading a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s RITA® and a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times best-seller lists.



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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

PROMO & GIVEAWAY: What a Lady Most Desires by Lecia Cornwall

What a Lady Most Desires
The Temberlay Series # 3
By: Lecia Cornwall
Releasing August 26th, 2014
Avon Romance


Blurb


On the night before the final battle against Napoleon, Lady Delphine St. James finds herself dancing with the one man she has always wanted, Major Lord Stephen Ives. He makes it clear he has no time for a lady he sees as flirtatious and silly, but as the call to arms sounds, she bids him farewell with a kiss that stirs them both. When he returns gravely injured, she is intent on caring for him, even if his surly behavior tests her patience.

After the battle, Stephen is not only wounded and blind, but falsely accused of cowardice and theft. The only light in his dark world is Delphine, the one woman he never imagined he could desire. But she deserves more than he can give her.

As their feelings deepen and hidden enemies conspire to force them to part forever, can their love survive the cruelest test of all? 



Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18518676-what-a-lady-most-desires?from_search=true




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Author Info
Lecia Cornwall is a PRO member of the Romance Writers of America’s Seattle and Calgary Chapters. Her background includes all facets of writing, including running a successful freelance writing business specializing in direct marketing and advertising. Both history and writing have been lifelong passions. Lecia currently lives and writes in Calgary, Alberta, the heart of the Canadian West.






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Excerpt

Stephen pushed his way through the crowded streets to his quarters, a house he shared with five other unmarried officers. Marching columns of men filled every boulevard and alley, flowing like a river toward the city’s southern gate. Officers waded through the flood on horseback, bawling orders. Women waved and cried, and children marched alongside the soldiers until their mothers caught their hands and pulled them back. The heavy beat of the march step pounded like thunder in Stephen’s breast. He was late. He should have left the ball much earlier, and he would have it hadn’t been for Delphine St. James. He had not expected to see her there. She’d kissed him. And he had kissed her back. It hadn’t been a sisterly peck, or a fond send off for an old acquaintance. It had been a lover’s kiss. It had been surprising and unexpected, but not unpleasant. In fact, he’d found it very pleasant indeed, and that surprised him most of all. Of all the eligible females on earth, Delphine St. James was the last woman he’d have chosen for what might well be his last kiss. He’d thought that honor would belong to another woman. The familiar ache of losing her filled him. He ran a hand through his hair, but it was the faint ghost of Delphine’s perfume, not Julia’s, that rose around him. What had Julia’s perfume been? He couldn’t remember. Odd—he hadn’t thought of Julia Leighton for hours, and it was the first time in weeks that she hadn’t filled his mind every waking minute of the day. He tried to picture her as he’d last seen her, at another ball, months ago, in Vienna. He’d lost her to a man far less worthy of her in Stephen’s opinion than he himself would have been. He loathed balls.





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