First Kiss Friday with C.H. Admirand & a Giveaway!

24 Friday Mar 2023

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Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog. Today’s guest is another Dragonblade Publishing author C.H. Admirand who has an excerpt from her newest release, The Duke’s Dragoon. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene and be sure to read all the way to the end for a giveaway opportunity. Happy reading, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

He met her gaze and held it. He looked past the proud woman struggling to hide what was in her heart, to the woman he’d wrapped in his arms with nothing between them but the night. It took every ounce of his steely control to ignore the clawing need to kiss her until she was weak with passion. Instead, he bent and placed a kiss to tip of her nose. With a brief hug, he stepped back. 

The need to profess his undying love tore through him, but he’d done more than he’d ever intended that night he accepted the gift of her virtue. He would not have her pining for him while he was gone, too. She needed to be able to live her life without him—at least for the next few months. 

So many things he wanted to tell her, but for the sake of his sanity, and her heart, he rasped, “Be safe, lass.”

She lifted on her toes, wound her arms around his neck, and kissed the breath out of him. His body tensed as desire for her threatened to cut him off at the knees. One more moment and he would toss her over his shoulder—again. 

“Promise me, Mollie.”

“I promise.”

He could not resist brushing the tip of his finger along the curve of her cheek one last time. Something in her eyes had him hesitating. Mayhap he could ask the duke if he could remain at Wyndmere Hall permanently—his brother Patrick had after he’d married.

But that would never work. He and Patrick would butt heads constantly, as they had done the whole of their lives. Mayhap after Penwith Tower was rebuilt, and the local excise men put a stop to the smugglers and wreckers plying their trade along the coast of Cornwall, he could claim her heart. At the moment, the situation was too tenuous, too dangerous.

“Mollie?” She lifted her gaze to meet his, and a lone tear streaked across her cheek. He wiped it away and tenderly pressed his lips where it had been. “If ye need me—”

Bloody hell, why couldn’t he just say what was on the tip of his tongue? Send word immediately if you think you’re carrying my babe.

Frustration twined with anger, tearing him apart. His brother had told him how the lass suffered the last time they’d parted, and the added worry that she might be carrying his babe. She hadn’t been, but that did not mean she wasn’t with child now. A strong believer in fate, he knew you could only tempt it so many times…

He couldn’t utter the words to ask. He would never leave if she was. Clearing his throat, he reminded her, “If ye need me, have Patrick send word.” The lass remained stubbornly silent, until he wanted to shake some sense into her. “I’ll have yer word, Mollie Catherine Malloy!”

She huffed and mumbled. 

Good—he’d rather she was angry than sad. “What was that?” 

“If I need you—and I won’t—I will seek out your brother.”

“Not me cousins.”

Her soft laughter was music to his ears. “Aye, Finn, your brother, Patrick.”

He yanked her to him and gave in to the need tearing at his soul. Molding his mouth to hers, he drew every ounce of sweetness from her lips. “That’ll have to last ye till I return, lass.”

She pushed back from his embrace, blue eyes narrowed, wisps of auburn silk trailing from where she’d gathered her hair into a knot on top of her head. Mollie studied his face as if she’d never see him again. “What makes you think I haven’t found another to warm my bed while you are away?”

He chuckled. “Ah, lass, I know ye like I know me own heart. You’d never have tried to seduce me and have yer wicked way with me if ye didn’t love me.”

“Why haven’t you asked if I’ve been faithful to you?”

He pulled her back into his embrace and tucked her head beneath his chin. “Ye’ve a heart as big as Ireland, lass, and eyes that speak louder than yer words. When ye gave yer virtue to me, ’twas a gift to be treasured for the one ye’ll love till ye die—me!”

“Then why are you leaving me—again?”

“I’ve given me word to His Grace. Between us—me brothers and cousins—we swore an unbreakable vow. I’ll return to ye. Trust me and wait for me, Mollie-lass.”

Gently, he set her away from him. The mixture of hope and despair in her gaze tugged at his heartstrings, but he had a duty to fulfill. She had to understand!

“I will.”

He saw the moment doubt crept into her gaze. But let her doubt him. He’d show her he could keep his vow to the duke—and the one he’d made in his heart to her. He’d prove her wrong when he returned to sweep her off her feet and plop her down in front of the vicar. 

A swift nod punctuated his decision. He turned to go, but not before he heard her softly whispered words. 

“I love you.” 

Those three words carved a hole in his gut. Bloody hell, if he turned back one more time, he’d never leave! It was his duty to go. His honor and his vow would be in question if he stayed. 

The first step was the hardest. He put one foot in front of the other, ignoring his bleeding heart as he walked away from the woman he loved.

Duty called.

The Duke’s Dragoon (The Duke’s Guard, Book 4)
By C.H. Admirand

The Duke’s Guard: The men in black who have sworn an oath to protect the Duke of Wyndmere and his family from enemies that would stop at nothing to discredit and destroy him!

Mollie Malloy happily works for the Duke and Duchess of Wyndmere in the Lake District, until the day her head is turned, and her heart is lost to the heartbreakingly handsome member of the duke’s guard—Finn O’Malley.

Finn is tempted by lovely Mollie and cannot afford to be. When he can no longer ignore the slip of a lass, he requests a transfer to the duke’s crumbling tower on the coast of Cornwall. When she discovers Finn asked to be transferred to Cornwall, she is devastated.

He sweeps back into her life when the head of the duke’s guard is injured. Finn struggles with his control—and the need to honor his vow to protect the duke and his family. Mollie cannot resist the smoldering desire in Finn’s emerald eyes.

Duty calls and Finn returns to Cornwall. He and his men struggle to protect those rebuilding Penwith Tower, while smugglers and wreckers ply their trade in the caves beneath the duke’s ancient tower. Rumors abound that the local excise official has been looking the other way and lining his pockets. The official decides it’s time to get rid of O’Malley—the same time Finn receives an urgent message from Mollie.

He returns to Wyndmere Hall to discover Mollie’s carrying his babe, but not ready to accept his proposal. She wants to marry for love—not for the protection of his name. He’s torn: should he leave his new bride in the safety of Wyndmere Hall—or would she be safer by his side?

It is only when the hangman’s noose is around Finn’s neck that he realizes the feisty lass has always held his heart.

Danger stalks in the night, but it will have to get past The Duke’s Dragoon before he will let harm come to those he has sworn to protect with his strength, his heart, and his honor.

Read Free in Kindle Unlimited!

The Duke’s Guard
Book 1 – The Duke’s Sword
Book 2 – The Duke’s Protector
Book 3 – The Duke’s Shield
Book 4 – The Duke’s Dragoon
Book 5 – The Duke’s Hammer
Book 6 – The Duke’s Defender
Book 7 – The Duke’s Saber
Book 8 – The Duke’s Enforcer
Book 9 – The Duke’s Mercenary
Book 10 – The Duke’s Rapier
Book 11 – The Duke’s Man-at-Arms
Book 12 – The Duke’s Lance
Book 13 – The Duke’s Champion
Book 14 – The Duke’s Sharpshooter
Book 15 – The Duke’s Cavalier
Book 16 The Duke’s Blade

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVWPKBY6

More about C.H. Admirand:


Historical & Contemporary Romance “Warm…Charming…Fun…”
C.H. was born in Aiken, South Carolina, but her parents moved back to northern New Jersey where she grew up.
She believes in fate, destiny, and love at first sight. C.H. fell in love at first sight when she was seventeen. She was married for 41 wonderful years until her husband lost his battle with cancer. Soul mates, their hearts will be joined forever.
They have three grown children—one son-in-law, two grandsons, two rescue dogs, and two rescue grand-cats.
Her characters rarely follow the synopsis she outlines for them…but C.H. has learned to listen to her characters! Her heroes always have a few of her husband’s best qualities: his honesty, his integrity, his compassion for those in need, and his killer broad shoulders. C.H. writes about the things she loves most: Family, her Irish and English Ancestry, Baking and Gardening.

C.H.’s Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.chadmirand.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/C.-H.-Admirand/author/B001JPBUMC
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-h-admirand
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CHAdmirandAuthor
Facebook Private Reader’s Page ~ C.H. Reader’s Nook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/714796299746980
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/212657.C_H_Admirand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.h.admirand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdmirandH
Dragonblade Publishing: https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/team/c-h-admirand/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRSXBeqEY52VV3mHdtg5fXw

C.H. Admirand is giving away an e-book copy of her new release, The Duke’s Dragoon (The Duke’s Guard, Book 4.) To enter, leave a comment below answering the question, do you have a favorite reading spot? Winner will be chosen by random(dot)org and announced on Monday. 

Medieval Monday with A Knight To Call My Own by Sherry Ewing!

20 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by in 2023, Medieval Monday

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Welcome to my Medieval Monday blog. I’m so happy you’ve dropped by for another excerpt from my medieval romance, A Knight to Call My Own. This week, I’m continuing on with Lynet and Ian’s meeting after a six year absence. Happy reading and enjoy, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

He advanced on her ’til she felt the wall pressed against her back. With nowhere else to turn, she held him back by firmly placing her hands upon his chest. Touching him was a huge mistake, for there was nothing but hard muscles beneath her fingertips, as solid as the stones behind her!

“Tell me you are not happy to see me, sweet Lynet.” The huskiness in his voice was almost her undoing, yet again.

She lifted her eyes to meet his. Damn! Mistake number two! She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much she had missed him. “I am not happy to see you!” she retorted meaningfully. Lifting her chin a notch, she prayed the expression she gave him was a defiant one. His chuckle led her to believe she had failed in her quest to appear indifferent to his charms.

“Perchance, you should tell your eyes that, little one, for your gaze tells me your lips speak a falsehood.” His grin was surely from the devil himself, as it broadened whilst she attempted to mask her feelings for him. His deep laughter rumbled in his chest, only giving evidence she had completely forgotten her hands were still pressed upon his granite-like torso. She let go quickly with the feeling she had been burned.

“Go back to the Highlands and marry some other witless girl. I care not who you wed, as long as ’tis not me,” she yelled, pulling herself from his arms and making her way to the door. She slid the bolt back and opened the door, only to come face to face with a very angry brother-in-law.

“Is there something amiss here?” Dristan demanded.

“Nay,” Lynet cried out in frustration, “nothing is amiss. Ian and I are finished here. Let the damn games begin!”

She did not wait for his response, but ran down the corridor to her chamber. Flinging herself face down upon her bed, she allowed the tears of her frustration to finally spill forth like the churning waves of a turbulent sea. ’Twould be hours later afore she came to the sad realization she had not even acknowledged Rolf’s presence or concerned look whilst he had been standing next to their liege’s side.

A Knight To Call My Own
By Sherry Ewing

When your heart is broken, is love still worth the risk?

Lynet of clan MacLaren knows how it feels to love someone and not have that love returned. After waiting for six long years, she has given up hope of Ian’s return. Her brother-in-law, the Devil’s Dragon of Berwyck, is tired of waiting for her to choose a husband and has decided a competition for the right to wed Lynet is just the thing his willful charge needs to force her hand.

Ian MacGillivray has returned to Berwyck Castle in search of a bride and who better than the young girl who cared for him all those years ago. But Lynet is anything but an easy conquest and he will need more than charm to win her hand in marriage.

From the English borders to the Highlands of Scotland, the chase is on for who will claim the fair Lynet. The price paid will indeed be high to ensure her safety and even higher to win her love.

Buy Links ~ Available in eBook and  paperback 

Amazon US | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Amazon AU | Amazon BR | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon ES | Amazon FR | Amazon IN | Amazon IT | Amazon JP | Amazon MX | Amazon NL | Amazon UK

Available on audiobook:

Amazon  |  Audible  |  iTunes 

To read last week’s excerpt in case you missed it, you can find it here: https://sherryewing.com/2023/03/13/medieval-monday-with-a-knight-to-call-my-own-by-sherry-ewing/

First Kiss Friday with Lisa Williams Kline

17 Friday Mar 2023

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Welcome to another First Kiss Friday. Today’s guest is Dragonblade Publishing author Lisa Williams Kline who has an excerpt from her novel Between The Sky and The Sea. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Happy reading, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

Long stretches of time drifted by. The sun rose higher in the sky and seemed determined to burn them to ash. The horizon was empty in all directions. Lavinia’s spirits plunged, and she concluded with unassailable certainty that they would indeed die out here. 

“Is there anything that you wish you’d done in your life that you haven’t, Mr. Ridge? Do you wish you had traveled more? See the Taj Mahal?” 

He lay still for a few seconds, his eyes closed. “I would have liked to have had a wife and children. What about you?” 

She regarded him. “I’ve come to the ripe age of twenty-two, without being kissed. I always wished for a love match but never found one. I wish just once that I might have been kissed.” 

Mr. Ridge opened his eyes and sat up. He looked into hers and reached up and gently pushed a strand of hair from her face. “I will kiss you, Miss Onslow. It would be my great honor and pleasure to do so.” He leaned toward her and very gently touched his dry, cracked lips to hers. She caught her breath. Despite the pain of their sore lips, a pleasant heady feeling swirled and she felt a faint shiver, a tingling lightness through her whole body. Then he held her close and they floated in a golden silence for a long time. Or perhaps it was only a few moments. Time seemed to have stopped.“So that’s how a kiss feels.”

Between The Sky And The Sea
By Lisa Williams Kline

Lavinia Onslow, who delights in the freedom of managing her father’s millinery shop in the heart of Savannah, Georgia, has decided she may defy convention and not marry after all. Yet, in the summer of 1838, on board the elegant steamship Pulaski, bound from Savannah to Baltimore, she exchanges glances with an intriguing young man. What can ensue from a mere glance? Quite a lot, as legend has it. That very night, the boiler of the Pulaski explodes and the ship sinks, drowning most of its wealthy passengers. As Lavinia struggles in the water in her heavy dress, calling out for her father and thinking she will surely perish, someone dives in to rescue her, pulling her up next to him on a makeshift raft made of two deck settees. When she composes herself, she recognizes the intriguing man. There they float, alone but together, surrounded by ocean, thirty miles off the coast of North Carolina, desperate for a life-saving miracle.

Is the bond she feels for this stranger more than an instinct for survival?

Inspired by a legend –that may or not be true– and set in the rich historic milieus of Savannah, New Orleans, and the coast of North Carolina, Between the Sky and the Sea explores how Lavinia Onslow’s desire to live as an independent woman transforms after surviving the wreck of the Pulaski.

Buy link on Amazon is Between the Sky and the Sea – Kindle edition by Kline, Lisa. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

About the Author:

Lisa Williams Kline is the author of two novels for adults forthcoming in 2023, Between the Sky and the Sea, and Ladies’ Day, as well as an essay collection entitled The Ruby Mirror and a short story collection entitled Take Me. Her stories and essays have appeared in Literary Mama, Skirt, Sasee, Carolina Woman, moonShine review, The Press 53 Awards Anthology, Sand Hills Literary Magazine, and Idol Talk, among others. She is also the author of ten novels and a novella for young readers. She lives in Davidson with her veterinarian husband, a cat who can open doors, and a sweet chihuahua who has played Bruiser Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical. She and her husband treasure frequent visits with their grown daughters and their husbands.

Find Lisa at these social media outlets:

Website: www.lisawilliamskline.com 
IG: @lisawilliamskline 
FB: lisa.kline.566

A new release from Sherry Ewing!

14 Tuesday Mar 2023

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Any day you can release a new book baby into the world is a happy day. Today, I have the pleasure to let you know that A Countess to Remember is now available for individual sale. You may have had a chance to read it in the Bluestocking Belles & Friends boxset, Desperate Daughters. I just love this cover and I’m very pleased how Patience and Richard’s story turned out. I hope you’ll give it a read and take a moment or two to write a review. They’re so very important so other readers can find my books. Happy release day to A Countess to Remember!

A Countess To Remember
By Sherry Ewing

Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it…

Patience, the young Dowager Countess of Seahaven has the weight of the world on her shoulders. With a bevy of stepdaughters under her care, a Season to find them all husbands is completely out of reach. But with the help of her family, they’ll scrap up enough money to see to a Season in York for the younger eligible daughters. Still… there’s been no chance at all for romance for Patience until fate intervenes. Will she allow herself time for love?

Richard, Viscount Canfield has no desire to find a wife. He’s been perfectly content leading his carefree life until he’s charged with finding a suitable husband for his sister. He’ll travel to York for the Season only to become enchanted with a lovely young widow. Can he look past a ready-made family to possibly find love to fill his heart?

When several events have Patience and Richard crossing paths, she is hard pressed to forget her infatuation with the gentleman. Then there is the matter of her many responsibilities, along with Richard’s jealous ex-mistress who just may put an end to any sort of a relationship blossoming between Patience and Richard. Only time will tell if they can overlook their differences and allow love to conquer all.

A Countess To Remember was first published in the Bluestocking Belles’ 2022 boxset, Desperate Daughters. It is now available for individual sale.

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 | Vivlio 

And because I just love a good book trailer, I hope you enjoy this one I put together!

Medieval Monday with A Knight To Call My Own by Sherry Ewing.

13 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by in 2023, Medieval Monday

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Welcome to another week of Medieval Monday. Today I’m continuing on from last week with A Knight To Call My Own. It’s book two from my MacLarens series. This excerpt picks up with Lynet and Ian. She’s just a bit upset from his extremely long absence from Berwyck.Happy reading and enjoy, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

She turned towards the fire to mask the anger that was about to get the best of her, but she could not keep the words from pouring out her mouth as she turned to face him once more. “Who told you to send me such a missive?” The words rushed from her pursed lips whilst uncontrolled rage wracked her frayed nerves.

“There was only one who would share such information with me, since she had recently come from Berwyck,” Ian answered. “I do not see how this makes any sort of difference other than, at the time, I thought ’twas only right to do you such a service.”

“Who?” Lynet said between clenched teeth.

“’Twas the Lady Katherine de Deveraux, Riorden’s wife. Was she mistaken by hinting you still held an undeniable fondness for me?”

“Nay, she was not mistaken,” Lynet whispered. Recent memories flooded her mind as she remembered unburdening her soul to Katherine. She had first come to the castle with Riorden, who was a lifelong friend and comrade of Dristan’s and had been the captain of his guard. Looking at the couple, one did not need Kenna’s gift of sight to see how much they were in love, although they had had a rough course to overcome to find how deep that love truly was.

Katherine had returned several months later, alone and distraught, thinking her husband had forsaken her and had turned to another. Heavily along with child, Riorden had at last found her, once he learned his wife was actually alive and not dead at the bottom of the Coquet River near their home of Warkworth. Lynet could only surmise Katherine had most likely felt she was doing Lynet a favor by confiding to Ian. She supposed she could forgive the lady such a trespass. The timing of his return, however, could not have been worse.

“And what of now, Lynet,” Ian continued. He sought to pull her to him, but she brushed off his attempts and folded her arms about her. He gave a heavy sigh.

“Now?” She cried out with a muffled laugh, showing how truly distressed she really was. “Now, my laird, you are far too late, or did you forget I am at present only a prize to be won to the highest bidder?”

“I am sure I can convince Dristan to halt this nonsense of finding you a husband amongst those who may want to win your hand,” Ian declared. “Besides, I must needs marry, else the elders of the clan plan on ensuring they choose a bride for me.”

“Oh, do they now?” she huffed. “And, I suppose, you think I would at least be biddable and thankful to become your wife more so than any other of your acquaintance?”

“Why should my bride not be, at least, someone with whom I am familiar? At least, I know you.”

“Ha! You do not know me, else you would have been here long ago and not kept me waiting six long years to see you again!”

A Knight To Call My Own
By Sherry Ewing

When your heart is broken, is love still worth the risk?

Lynet of clan MacLaren knows how it feels to love someone and not have that love returned. After waiting for six long years, she has given up hope of Ian’s return. Her brother-in-law, the Devil’s Dragon of Berwyck, is tired of waiting for her to choose a husband and has decided a competition for the right to wed Lynet is just the thing his willful charge needs to force her hand.

Ian MacGillivray has returned to Berwyck Castle in search of a bride and who better than the young girl who cared for him all those years ago. But Lynet is anything but an easy conquest and he will need more than charm to win her hand in marriage.

From the English borders to the Highlands of Scotland, the chase is on for who will claim the fair Lynet. The price paid will indeed be high to ensure her safety and even higher to win her love.

Buy Links ~ Available in eBook and  paperback 

Amazon US | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Amazon AU | Amazon BR | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon ES | Amazon FR | Amazon IN | Amazon IT | Amazon JP | Amazon MX | Amazon NL | Amazon UK

Now available on audiobook:

Amazon  |  Audible  |  iTunes 

To read last week’s excerpt in case you missed it, you can find it here: https://sherryewing.com/2023/03/06/medieval-monday-with-sherry-ewing-7/

First Kiss Friday with Sherry Ewing and A Countess to Remember!

10 Friday Mar 2023

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Hello, my lovelies, and welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog. Today I’d like to give you an excerpt from my novella A Countess to Remember that is coming out of the Bluestocking Belles’ boxset Desperate Daughters. It’s now available for individual sale and releases on March 14th. I hope you enjoy this sweet excerpt with Richard and Patience. Happy reading and enjoy!

Excerpt:

Their eyes met across the room, and he gave her the briefest of nods before walking through the open doorway and out onto a terrace. It was a silent invitation and one she wanted to accept. Patience knew she shouldn’t follow him, but all common sense seemed to leave where Richard was concerned. Besides, no harm could be done to meet him outside for only a few moments. Who would miss her?

Trying to keep her pace casual was harder than she thought. She skirted the outside of the dance floor making her way through the crush of people who watched on the sidelines or carried on their own conversations. She saw her girls being watched over by Barbara and she was again grateful that they were being looked after. With no further thoughts except her own personal agenda, she strode through the balcony doors and peered into the shadows to see Richard waiting for her. He held out his hand for her to take and she had a moment of hesitation, as prudence seemed the better course of action.

“Do you trust me?” His hushed baritone voice caused her to shiver in the moonlight and this had nothing to do with being cold.

“Richard… I—”

“Patience… I am asking for you to trust me,” he calmly said. “Do you?”

“Yes,” she answered him and she could barely make out his smile.

“Then come with me,” he said before whisking her away into the night.

He seemed to know where he was going as he went down several steps and onto a garden path. She gazed back over her shoulder wondering where he was taking her.

“My girls—” she began before he interrupted her.

“We won’t be gone long or go that far.”

“Promise?” she whispered into the night.

“Yes. I promise. You are perfectly safe with me, my dear,” he exclaimed and, true to his word, he halted near a gazebo awash in the moonlit sky. A romantic setting that caused Patience’s heart to race.

“This is a lovely place, Richard, but—”

He turned her into his arms, and Patience couldn’t object, not when she had been envisioning this in her dreams for the past several days. “I know this is sudden, Patience, but I’ve been dying to do this ever since we met,” he said brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek.

She leaned into the palm of his hand. “What have you been wanting to do?” she asked hoping he wouldn’t find her undesirable but also praying he would kiss her no matter that they had just met.

“This…”

She held her breath while his mouth slowly descended upon her own. At first, gentle, exploring to see just how much she might allow. A nip at her lower lip to tease her caused her gasp of surprise giving him the opening he had apparently been waiting for. His tongue dipped in to take hungry possession of her mouth, and she was more than willing to learn this new dance together.

A Countess To Remember
By Sherry Ewing
Release Date: March 14, 2023

Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it…

Patience, the young Dowager Countess of Seahaven has the weight of the world on her shoulders. With a bevy of stepdaughters under her care, a Season to find them all husbands is completely out of reach. But with the help of her family, they’ll scrap up enough money to see to a Season in York for the younger eligible daughters. Still… there’s been no chance at all for romance for Patience until fate intervenes. Will she allow herself time for love?

Richard, Viscount Cranfield has no desire to find a wife. He’s been perfectly content leading his carefree life until he’s charged with finding a suitable husband for his sister. He’ll travel to York for the Season only to become enchanted with a lovely young widow. Can he look past a ready-made family to possibly find love to fill his heart?

When several events have Patience and Richard crossing paths, she is hard pressed to forget her infatuation with the gentleman. Then there is the matter of her many responsibilities, along with Richard’s jealous ex-mistress who just may put an end to any sort of a relationship blossoming between Patience and Richard. Only time will tell if they can overlook their differences and allow love to conquer all.

Buy Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Z69IUj
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3vxGvnG
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/3IkKyLy
Kobo: http://bit.ly/3IkKNpW
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/3QdcmDv
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/mKN0QB

International:

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3jNVjfm
Amazon BR: https://amzn.to/3QaWkdo
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3ClAv5n
Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/3G9Fpn7
Amazon ES: https://amzn.to/3GBk1Z8
Amazon FR: https://amzn.to/3ICIU8z
Amazon IN: https://amzn.to/3QdeM5p
Amazon IT: https://amzn.to/3i4apwV
Amazon JP: https://amzn.to/3VK13DY
Amazon MX: https://amzn.to/3jDhrsC
Amazon NL: https://amzn.to/3CjzydR
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3Ihu86Q

Angus & Robertson: http://bit.ly/3XmI18i
Thalia: http://bit.ly/3D1jBZZ
Vivlio: http://bit.ly/3VMRFzr

About Sherry Ewing:

Sherry Ewing picked up her first historical romance when she was a teenager and has been hooked ever since. An award-winning and bestselling author, she writes historical and time travel romances to awaken the soul one heart at a time. When not writing, she can be found in the San Francisco area at her day job as an Information Technology Specialist. Learn more about me and my books on the tabs above or follow me on these social media links!

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Medieval Monday with Sherry Ewing

06 Monday Mar 2023

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Hello, my lovelies, and welcome to Medieval Monday! I thought I’d go back to the second book in my MacLaren series with an excerpt from A Knight to Call My Own! I just loved how Lynet and Ian’s story turned out and actually had one reader say this book should come with a warning label since she was crying while waiting in a doctor’s office. I’ll say my job was done! Happy reading and enjoy!

Excerpt:

Ian ran his finger down one of her cheeks. She shivered in delight as her body naturally responded to the subtle caress. “We have not much time for speech, Lynet,” he whispered tenderly.

She saw his lips moving, but her feeble attempt to pay attention to his words failed her as panic of being alone with him began to set in. “What?”

He looked on her with an amused expression. “Dristan…he will come in search of us,” he answered. “I but wished to speak with you privately so we could come to an arrangement.”

“An arrangement?” Her eyes narrowed when she became suspicious of his motives for being here. Does he honestly believe he can just lay claim to me as easily as that?

“Aye.”

He does! Merciful heavens, did she appear to him as some simpleton, or merely a naive fool who would willingly come to him after a crook of his finger?

Lynet pulled out of his arms and stood behind a chair, as if this simple act of putting such an inconsequential piece of furniture between them in itself would protect her from his advances. “Surely, you jest, or did you not witness the spectacle outside our gates?” She was doing everything within her power not to let her temper flare out of control.

“Nay, I do not see the matter as something to jest about,” Ian replied, taking several steps towards her. “I would have thought you to be happy to see me after all this time, or am I mistaken?”

“I would have been happier if I had seen you afore you sent that bloody note!”

“I had nothing to offer you at the time ’twas written, Lynet. Surely, you can understand my plight and reasoning for sending such a missive.”

“I waited for you for all those years, and you wrote me but a few lines. A few lines, Ian!” Her fingers balled into fists at her side. Although, in truth, she would have liked to have beat them against his chest to drive the point of her frustration into his thick skin. How could he not know what his absence had done to her poor little heart?

“I told you at my leaving not to wait. Nothing changed over the years, and ’twas not ’til recently that I was told I should write so you could go on with your life.”

“You did not even write of your own accord?” she shouted at him and began shaking with fury.

A Knight To Call My Own
By Sherry Ewing

When your heart is broken, is love still worth the risk?

Lynet of clan MacLaren knows how it feels to love someone and not have that love returned. After waiting for six long years, she has given up hope of Ian’s return. Her brother-in-law, the Devil’s Dragon of Berwyck, is tired of waiting for her to choose a husband and has decided a competition for the right to wed Lynet is just the thing his willful charge needs to force her hand.

Ian MacGillivray has returned to Berwyck Castle in search of a bride and who better than the young girl who cared for him all those years ago. But Lynet is anything but an easy conquest and he will need more than charm to win her hand in marriage.

From the English borders to the Highlands of Scotland, the chase is on for who will claim the fair Lynet. The price paid will indeed be high to ensure her safety and even higher to win her love.

Buy Links ~ Available in eBook and  paperback 

Amazon US | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Amazon AU | Amazon BR | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon ES | Amazon FR | Amazon IN | Amazon IT | Amazon JP | Amazon MX | Amazon NL | Amazon UK

Now available on audiobook:

Amazon  |  Audible  |  iTunes 

First Kiss Friday with Jude Knight

27 Friday Jan 2023

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January has come and gone but we still have one last First Kiss Friday for the month. Please welcome my friend Jude Knight to my blog. I just love everything about this cover, don’t you? Happy reading and enjoy, my lovelies. Take it away, Jude!

This excerpt is from Lady Beast’s Bridegroom. My hero and heroine have made an arranged marriage at very short notice. To stop Arial’s cousin from claiming that their marriage is just a sham, they must consummate immediately. Arial is shy, but willing. Peter finds he is perhaps a little too willing!

Excerpt:

He bent his head and his lips touched hers.  

She smelt of cloves and something floral. Not roses or lavender—jasmine. That was it. Her lips were as plump and soft to the touch as they had looked. He had time for that assessment before she began to return the kiss, then his every thought fractured, and it took all his determination not to fall on her like a ravening beast.

His cheek kept bumping the edge of the mask, impeding his movements and reminding him he needed to go slowly. Not that Arial was objecting to his hand on her breast while the other anchored her against him. Far from it. She pressed into his hand, and lower, too, tipping to grind her groin against him, her body understanding what her innocent mind had not yet grasped.

He broke away for long enough to ask, “Am I going too fast?” He was gratified at her dazed expression and slow response.

She shook her head. “I like it.” And she tilted up her face, her mouth reaching for his kiss.

As he lowered his lips to hers, he suggested, “This time, will you open your mouth?”

Which she did, probably to ask another question, but before she could, his lips touched hers, his tongue already reaching to trace them. It was a long kiss, and even more fevered than the first. He explored her lips, her tongue and her mouth. When she tentatively followed the retreat of his tongue with her own, he allowed her to explore in her turn, trembling with the effort it took not to take the kiss back over.

It did not help to give his mind another direction when he swapped hands, for her other breast responded as sweetly as the first, the nipple tightening and hardening under his ministrations. When she began to touch him in her turn, sliding her hands under his robe to explore his chest, he almost lost his control again.

He was desperate for more. He began to back her towards the bed without breaking the kiss until they reached that destination, and she turned her head as he began to lift her.

The single candle had performed the office she desired. As she lay back against the sheets, the stark white mask hid the worst damage on her face, and the dim light disguised the rest, so the visible part of her face appeared unblemished. Beautiful, too: her eye heavy lidded with desire, her lips swollen with his kisses.

Lady Beast’s Bridegroom

Welcome to book 1 in a new series by bestselling author Jude Knight. Follow along in this exciting new twist on traditional fairy tales— https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Beasts-Bridegroom-Twist-Regency-ebook/dp/B0BPN37T99the roles are reversed.

Lady Ariel lives retired in the country after being badly scarred by a fire. She hides her burns from others by donning a mask, only enticing more gossip by Society who has dubbed her “Lady Beast”. Now, her second cousin, who inherited her father’s title but not his private wealth, wants to have her committed so he can manage—and steal—her fortune. Only finding a husband will prevent the cousin from having his way.

Peter, Lord Ransome, a man so handsome Society has dubbed him “Beau”, inherits not only his father’s debts but also his burdens. He must manage and care for a stepmother who loathes him, her daughters, and his own two half-sisters, who spend more money than the estate can provide.

His only recourse is to find a wealthy bride to save his estate and his family. For him, that means marrying “Lady Beast”. It’s merely a business transaction, after all. But then Beau learns that true beauty lies in the heart.

When Society tries to turn them away, is the union and love of Beauty and the Beast strong enough to overcome prejudice and rejection?

A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
Lady Beast’s Bridegroom
One Perfect Dance
Snowy and the Seven Doves
Perchance to Dream

Buy link

https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Beasts-Bridegroom-Twist-Regency-ebook/dp/B0BPN37T99

Meet Jude

Jude 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/

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First Kiss Friday with Alina K. Field

20 Friday Jan 2023

Posted by in 2023, First Kiss Friday

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Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog. 

Today let’s welcome Alina K. Field, who’s sharing an excerpt from her novella, The Nabob’s Designing Daughter, Book 4 in the Upstart Christmas Brides series.  Enjoy! 

The hero, Errol Robillard, is in the garden, waiting to talk to his friend, the son of his late benefactor.  

The weather the next morning had been as weepy as the mourners inside the respectable townhouse that was the home of the late Horace Beecham. 

The funeral reception had ended; friends and business associates had left the widow and her large brood to their private grief. They’d all departed, except for himself, Errol Robillard, but then he was more than a friend or business associate. At Beecham’s behest and expense, Errol had attended a day school with the man’s two eldest boys, William and Peter, and, when not studying or laboring at his father’s inn, he’d worked hard at Beecham’s textile warehouse. 

William Beecham was his best friend. Whether he was a good enough friend to continue paying Errol’s schooling was a question he hadn’t yet raised, and his university fees were due.

He needed to speak to William, later, when Mrs. Beecham and the rest of the family had retired. But first, a breath of air, damp though it might be, was in order, before he made his vulgar but necessary inquiry. 

In the garden, the herb-scented air filled his lungs but didn’t clear his head or comfort his heart. Beecham’s death followed too closely on his own father’s passing two years earlier. In fact, he still grieved his mother’s passing several years before that. 

A rain-slicked flagstone path snaked through well-tended beds of herbs, vegetables, and flowers to the shed at the back, partially concealed by an overgrown elm tree. He moved toward a sheltered bench on the small patch of grass, passing the raised beds filled with vegetables and the medicinal plants the Beechams’ eccentric cousin, Ann Strachney, raised for her concoctions of tisanes and teas. 

A plop of water landed upon his nose, and the heavens suddenly reopened with gusto. Before he could retreat inside a sudden cry from the vicinity of a tall elm had him rushing there.

A ladder teetered, a half-booted foot searching for purchase under a black skirt. 

“Stay still.” He reached, but the ladder teetered again, and an armful of skirts plopped onto him, knocking him flat on his back, almost knocking the wind from him. 

A grubby hand pushed back a wet tangle of light brown hair. Ann Strachney’s eyes widened, her already pink cheeks darkened, and her lips—just as pink, surprisingly lush—formed a perfect O. 

Gad, she was lovely. An oval face, porcelain skin, and eyes the color of a stormy sea. How had he not noticed? Another lock of hair fell, she wriggled, and his male parts stirred. He clamped a hand on her to get her to stop. 

“Oh,” she said, getting the word out. “I’m so sorry. I was…” She waved a hand. “The tree branch. The green house…”

He lifted his head and stopped her chatter, his lips soft against her own.

The wind gusted and glass exploded. He yanked her head down and cradled it in his hand and inhaled the scents of flowers and springtime, honey and bees. The hot breaths on his neck, the press of her breasts against his chest roused him more. 

She mumbled, tickling him. 

“What did you say?” he asked. “Are you alright?” 

***

A battle raged within Ann Strachney, or a strange, unfamiliar mêlée of nerves and blood, tingles and shivers, and a hot pooling of… what was this? She was stretched atop a muscled chest, her nose buried against hot flesh that smelled of starch and shaving soap, and a large weight pressed against her back. A tree branch or… oh. It was a hand and it had started to move, and she didn’t want it to stop. Steam ought to be rising from her wet hair and gown. She ought to be melting. 

Errol was holding her. Errol Robillard, the handsome, teasing boy who’d grown into a braw charming man. He was stroking her back. And a minute before he’d looked into her eyes and… what she saw there she didn’t recognize. 

But she liked how it felt. She didn’t want it to stop.

“Are you injured?” he asked, sounding more himself. 

Was she? How could she possibly tell when she was lying atop a gentleman…

“No,” she said, pushing herself up on her forearms. Errol grinned up at her, eyelids drooping wolfishly over eyes that had gone impossibly black. He’d lost his hat, and his tawny curls stuck out like the start of a lion’s mane. 

Heat flooded her cheeks yet again. He was, as usual, impossibly handsome, but this was something more.

About The Nabob’s Designing Daughter: 

A wealthy nabob’s daughter has designs on a handsome young doctor, but not the romantic sort, despite the one kiss he stole from her ages ago. The poor crofters she’s been tending behind her father’s back need more than a rich miss’s potions, they need a real doctor. And fortunately, she has the leverage to provide one. 

Ripped from his prestigious London practice to deliver a Highland duke’s heir, a young doctor finds there are more snares awaiting than a risky birth, including a surprise—and worthless—bequest. There’s also his best friend’s cousin, who’s blossomed from mousey to heart-stirringly beautiful, with enough wiles to convince an ambitious man that his heart belongs in the Highlands.

Where to find it: 

Amazon   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPMXYLFJ

Kobo  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-nabob-s-designing-daughter

Barnes & Noble    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nabobs-designing-daughter-alina-k-field/1142820461?ean=2940185741528

Apple Books  https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-nabobs-designing-daughter/id6445051918?ls=1

Googleplay Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Alina_K_Field_The_Nabob_s_Designing_Daughter?id=nQmhEAAAQBAJ

Universal Link https://books2read.com/u/3yVl6J

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature but prefers the happier world of romance fiction. Her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., but after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California where she shares a midcentury home with a gold-eyed terrier and only occasionally misses snow. 

Website: https://alinakfield.com/

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY

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First Kiss Friday with Rue Allyn

06 Friday Jan 2023

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Happy New Year, my lovely readers, and welcome to the first First Kiss Friday blog post of the year! Today’s guest is my friend and fellow Bluestocking Belle Rue Allyn who has an excerpt from her new release, The Pirate Duchess. Happy reading and enjoy!

Excerpt:  This scene occurs in the nave of an ancient church that the two main characters have decided to visit in order to learn more about the building and, unintentionally, each other.

Another backward step would place her against the wall with no room for escape. She didn’t know what he was after, but she stood her ground. “That is unlikely to happen.”

He put his hat atop the open register and took her hand. “Possibly.” His thumb stroked across her gloved fingers. “However, you have secrets that you are paying to keep private. If you told me what your purpose is with Danville and Cosistas, I might be persuaded to maintain my silence as to those secrets. Were you to assist me with thwarting whatever criminal enterprise those two are embarked upon, I would speak on your behalf, should you be arrested for piracy.”

Anger rose at his words, but was undermined by the warmth traveling the length of her arm and farther. She snatched one hand from his grip and glared into his deep-blue gaze.

She could not read his thoughts.

“You think to blackmail me into dishonorable actions, sir. Even among thieves there is honor. I may have been a privateer in the past, but you cannot prove piracy. Nor can you prove that I am still such.”

“Privateer, pirate. ’Tis a legal quibble for which you have never shown documents in support of your privateer claim. You have been an enemy of the British government in the past, and, with Napoleon gathering troops for war, there is no telling what nefarious purpose has brought you here.”

“My presence in this village has nothing to do with Napoleon or the British government.”

“So, you say.” He continued to hold her gaze and her hand. “I am simply offering you the opportunity to mitigate the punishment you are destined to receive for your crimes.”

She almost laughed in his face. She would be gone long before he could arrange for her arrest. “Any argument is pointless. However, you are most definitely wrong. Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to continue perusing the register.”

He didn’t move.

“In private.” She attempted to skirt around him to the front of the lectern.

His hand on her arm halted her. “Wait. Please.”

“Why?” Their gazes locked once more. This time she saw an unnamable emotion of such heat that it could have frightened her. He’d always been cold with her before; perhaps she should be frightened.

“I… I’m not….

A racket interrupted nearby, but she could not look away from him. Then a storm of shouting, barking activity surrounded them. She was pushed in Gilroy’s direction.

“Ooof!”

His arms closed about her.

Eyes wide, she tilted her head and stared past his shoulder. Hector, the dog from the inn, raced out of the open church door with a stream of boys trailing after him. She straightened and found herself smiling into Gilroy’s face. He smiled back.

She could not have said how the kiss happened, or who broke away first. She found herself standing in his embrace, fingers to her mouth and astonished to wish the kiss had continued.

Gilroy seemed equally surprised. He released her, did an about-face, snatched his hat from where it had fallen to the floor, and fled, moving as if Napoleon’s entire army were on his heels.

What in the world? Her lips still tingled, and confusion swirled below her stomach. In front of her, the register stood forgotten. She’d never experienced anything like that. She’d kissed men before, but never wished the activity had gone on for hours.

“Are you well, Miss Fynlock?”

She blinked and finally noticed the vicar standing a few feet beyond where Brandon had been before.

About The Pirate Duchess: They met during a brawl!

Esmeralda Crobbin first encounters Brandon Gilroy during a brawl. Once their opponents are vanquished, she admires the man’s skill with his fists, his intelligence, and a number of other attributes until she learns that he is a British Naval Officer. He would be eager to see her hang, if he knew she was the American privateer, Irish Red.

Can sworn enemies become lovers? Find out. Get your copy of The Pirate Duchess today.

EBook UBL:  https://books2read.com/u/3RLvQn

EBook Amazon Buy Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Duchess-Regency-Historical-Enemies-ebook/dp/B09W8LJ2Y1/

Paperback Buy Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Duchess-Regency-Historical-Enemies/dp/B0B91ZLB4G/(Amazon only)

About Rue Allyn:

Hi, I’m author Rue Allyn. I learned story telling at my grandfather’s knee. (Well, it was really more like on his knee—I was two.) I’ve been weaving my own tales ever since. I have worked as an instructor, mother, sailor, clerk, sales associate, and painter, along with a variety of other types of employment. I’ve lived and traveled in places all over the globe from Keflavik Iceland (I did not care much for the long nights of winter.) and Fairbanks Alaska to Panama City and the streets of London England to a large number of places in between. Now that our two sons have left the nest, I and my husband of more than four decades (Try living with the same person for more than forty years—that’s a true adventure.) have retired and moved south. When not writing, enjoying the nearby beach, or working jigsaw puzzles, I travel the world and surf the internet in search of background material and inspiration for my next heart melting romance. I love to hear from readers, and you may contact me at Rue@RueAllyn.com. I can’t wait to hear from you.

Find Rue Allyn Online: 

Website~~https://RueAllyn.com

Facebook~~ https://www.facebook.com/groups/RueAllynCrew

Amazon~~https://www.amazon.com/Rue-Allyn/e/B00AUBF3NI/

Goodreads~~https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031290.Rue_Allyn

BookBub~~https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rue-allyn