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Thursday, March 22, 2018
THE HIGHLANDERS GIFT ~ Eliza Knight ~ Giveaway
Have you Pre-ordered The Highlander’s Gift?
USA Today Bestselling Author Eliza Knight’s The Stolen Bride series continues in this spin-off of our favorite hero and heroine's children.
“Ms. Knight has a gift for writing wonderful characters that pull the reader into the story. For fans of Highlander romance, this series is a must read. I highly recommend it.”
—Night Owls Reviewer, The Stolen Bride Series
Add THE HIGHLANDER’S GIFT to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek and enter the giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift Card or an eBook from Eliza!
Title: The Highlander’s Gift
Author: Eliza Knight
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: March 27, 2018
Publisher: Knight Media, LLC
Series: The Stolen Bride
Format: Digital & Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-0997377705
Synopsis:
An injured warrior… a lady who won’t let him fail…
Betrothed to a princess until she declares his battle wound has incapacitated him as a man, Sir Niall Oliphant is glad to step aside and let the spoiled royal marry his brother. He’s more than content to fade into the background with his injuries and remain a bachelor forever, until he meets the Earl of Sutherland’s daughter, a lass more beautiful than any other, a lass who makes him want to stand up and fight again.
As daughter of one of the most powerful earls and Highland chieftains in Scotland, Bella Sutherland can marry anyone she wants—but she doesn’t want a husband. When she spies an injured warrior at the Yule festival who has been shunned by the Bruce’s own daughter, she decides a husband in name only might be her best solution.
They both think they’re agreeing to a marriage of convenience, but love and fate has other plans…
Available at:
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An excerpt from THE HIGHLANDER’S GIFT
Copyright © Eliza Knight 2018
Dunrobin Castle, Scottish Highlands
Fall, 1306
“I want to be knight for the day.” A petulant lass with golden locks crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at the line of grubby lads with their wooden swords tucked into the corded belts of their plaids. For the first time in her short life, she had the chance to prove something.
“Ye canna. Ye’re a lass. Go back to the keep and help the maids with their chores.” Several of them snickered and rubbed elbows at that.
Snorting, another added, “Aye, go and milk a cow.”
“Or knead the bread.”
The list of chores typically delegated to females continued on for several minutes. All the while, the young lass’s face grew redder and redder, her fists tighter and tighter, until one particular lad stepped forward.
He opened his mouth to say something, but she didn’t let him get further than that. She tugged her arm back as she’d seen her brothers do, and let her tiny fist fly, landing hard on his chin.
Zounds, that hurt.
Her knuckles were instantly red and stinging. She thought the whole point of hitting a lad would be to hurt him, not herself.
Surprised, the lad stumbled back a few paces, eyes wide. “What the hell did ye go and do that for? I was going to tell these raven-gut idiots to give ye a shot.”
She was immediately contrite, but being as stubborn as she was, and feeling more than mildly embarrassed, she pursed her lips in a frown and refused to say anything at all.
The other lads were laughing, doubled over as they slapped their knees and rolled around on the ground, clearly not taking her seriously.
“Ye’re on your own then, wee chicken,” the lad said, backing away and rubbing his reddened jaw.
“Wait,” she whispered, stepping forward and looking at him nervously. “Ye’ll really let me try?”
He smirked, green eyes flashing with some emotion she couldn’t understand. “I’m not so sure anymore after the way ye just walloped me.”
The lass stiffened her spine, knowing exactly what mocking was when directed at her. “Why’s that? Ye think I fight like a lass?”
“Nay, just the opposite.”
Most of the lads had stopped laughing long enough to listen, surprised perhaps that the older lad had just admitted her blow had hurt.
“What do ye say, lads, are we scared to have her join in our tournament?”
“Scared?” They laughed. “Not on her life.”
“All right then,” the one she’d given a good smack to said. “We’ll let ye join us.”
She’d not planned for them to actually allow her. Och, she had all sorts of plans involving revenge and sneaking in dressed as a lad, but not once had she thought they’d welcome her. “And if I win?”
His smirk widened. “We’ll let ye be knight for the day.”
Thrusting her chin forward, she gave him a righteous smile. The other lads balked, because it wouldn’t be right for a lass to be the knight for the day, given that she was…well, a lass.
The lad, a little taller than his friends, raised his hand for their silence. “But laddies, ye recall what happens to the knight for a day?”
They narrowed their eyes, unsure what to say, for there was an ominous tone to his voice.
The lass wasn’t certain of what he spoke, either. She only wanted to prove she was good enough, show her da she could beat the lads at their own game, that sewing and wearing dresses wasn’t all she was good at. To prove that her brothers weren’t the only ones who could help defend their castle. But…what else happened?
“The knight has to choose his lady. Who will be your lady?” the lad asked her, his grin growing wider.
Well, she wasn’t going to be sucked into whatever trick he was trying to lay on her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked at him confidently. “Why ye of course.”
About Eliza Knight
Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty sizzling historical, time-travel and contemporary romance novels. Under the name E. Knight, she pens rip-your- heart-out historical fiction. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses and two very naughty puppies.
Saturday, March 17, 2018
DAUGHTER OF THE KING ~ Ashley York ~ Excerpt/Giveaway
A mistaken identity. A gruesome murder. The uniting of two powerful clans.
DAUGHTER OF THE KING
Award Winning Author Ashley York
Series: The Derbfine Series Book 3
Genre: Historical Romance
Publication Date: March 17, 2018
A mistaken identity. A gruesome murder. Was it self-defense? Or Regicide?
Trained as a warrior, Brighit of Clan Cruadhlaoch despises the trappings and demands of womanhood…
Selfish dreams need to be set aside for the good of the clan, but a shocking murder only causes more turmoil. Especially as she stands accused. With no one else to turn to, can Brighit find escape in the arms of her new husband or will he require she reveal her inner most secrets?
Darragh of Clan MacNaughton is expected to follow his father into kingship but has little desire for the coveted title…
His willful wife is another matter. He has great desire for her. Despite her denial, he sees her womanly virtues and it sets him afire to know her, both body and soul. Will she resist his overwhelming need to possess all of her?
PURCHASE LINKS
Excerpt
“That’s the problem with prevarication.”
“Prevarication? When did I ever lie to ye?”
“When ye fluttered yer lashes and begged me not to tell yer father.”
“It works for the other lasses, why not me? They get whatever they want. All the lads begging at their feet, telling them how beautiful they are—” She averted her gaze. “—and they’re not so very beautiful.”
Darragh managed to subdue his grin.
When she finally turned back, her expression had softened. “I do not normally prevaricate.”
He crossed his arms about his chest. “If ye say so.”
“I do say so. Ugh!” She blew an irritated breath. “I canna convince ye when ye won’t believe what I say.”
Brighit’s nose flared in irritation just before she shook her head in a most defeated way. The idea came to him in a flash, and Darragh smiled at his own thought before sharing it.
“A kiss. A kiss will convince me.” He half expected her to slap his face for even suggesting such a thing.
Only she didn’t. Her eyes widened, and she glanced at his lips before wetting her own. She was excited by the idea. Could it be she’d never been kissed before? He’d bet his favorite horse she had not, not with Sean as her father.
“Ye are willing then?” Her look told him she was not only willing but eager. With the slightest movement, he slipped his hands beneath the mantle to graze his open palms up her arms until they rested on her shoulders. Her lips glistened and the vein in her neck throbbed. With a low voice, he asked, “Would ye seal our agreement with a kiss?”
The sharpest tip of her head, barely a nod at all, but Darragh would not quibble. He slid a hand from beneath the heavy material to tunnel it under her thick, silky hair and cup her neck, the skin there still cool from her swim.
She leaned in, meeting him halfway. His mouth slanted across hers, a gentle caress, before he slipped his tongue between her parted lips. She gave as good as she got, deepening the kiss to where he was no longer certain who was doing the kissing. He was glad he hadn’t wagered his horse on her inexperience, though mayhap she was simply an extremely fast learner.
Without warning, she released him and backed out of his hold, wiping the back of her hand over her mouth. Her heaving chest matched his own.
He reached for her. “Brighit, I—”
She raised a hand, shaking her head, and put more distance between them. It was a long time before she spoke again. “We will wait the fortnight.”
About Ashley York
Award-winning author Ashley York writes historical romance full of passion and intrigue set in 11th and 12th century Ireland, Scotland, and England where life was wild and survival was never guaranteed.
Whether it's in the mysterious ring forts of Éire, the Scottish Highlands, or the battle fields of Hastings her characters fight hard and play hard. Good or evil, primary or secondary, they all evoke strong emotional responses.
Passionate about history and research, York may tweak some historical facts (like the location of the Baron's Rebellion), but the flavor of the time is undeniable. With heroes and heroines you'll want to read about again and again, her stories are fresh and unpredictable but still finish with a satisfying HEA.
Official website: https://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com
Official blog: http://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com/blog
Join Ashley York's Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/p0z9z5
Giveaway
WIN $10 GIFT CARD AND MORE
Prizes up for grabs:
1. $10 Amazon Gift Card
2. One set of The Derbfine Series (3 eBooks)
Contest runs from March 17 - 23, 2018.
In partnership with
Saturday, December 2, 2017
LEADER OF THE TITANS ~ Kathryn LeVeque ~ Excerpt/Giveaway
Welcome to the new release book blitz for
Leader of Titans: Pirates of Britannia Book 2
by Kathryn Le Veque!
Leader of Titans: Pirates of Britannia Book 2
by Kathryn Le Veque!
Publication date: November 29, 2017
Genre: Historical Medieval Romance
It's Medieval knights on the high seas! Swords, sea, and sea-going warriors in this exciting tale!
Welcome to a brand-new Medieval series of a daring brotherhood, where honor among thieves reigns supreme, and crushing their enemies is a thrilling pastime. These are the Pirates of Britannia.
1444 A.D. - Constantine le Brecque a man of many facets. As the bastard son of Henry V, he was raised in secret to protect him from the king's enemies and lived his life knowing that his royal blood was a curse. He was, however, properly educated and trained as a knight, and one of the very best England has ever seen. But when he falls in love with the wrong woman, the course of his life is irrevocably changed....
Now, Constantine is known as the fearsome English pirate called LEADER OF TITANS, but his experience with his ex-lover wasn't enough to drive him away from women. He loves them, and loves them in droves. Passion, plunder, and pirates his is motto.
Enter Lady Greggoria "Gregg" de Moyon. A pious woman, she was given a sacred object by her husband, an object much sought after by the terrible French pirates who roam the coast between Brittany and England. When her husband is killed by the French pirates on their quest for the treasure, Greggoria must turn to Constantine for help. She knows that only a pirate of equal strength can fight off the French and save her from most certain doom.
Constantine is more than willing to help the beautiful woman with the unusual name. But when he unexpectedly falls for her, the man with more women than a Arab shiek finds that his task has just become unbearably complicated. Can he save Greggoria from the French pirates who want to see her dead? And the mysterious treasure that she is protecting... will it be his destruction?
NOTE: This is Book 2 in the Lords of the Sea pirate series, written by Eliza Knight and Kathryn Le Veque. Eliza Knight's novel, SAVAGE OF THE SEA, is Book One in this series. All books are stand-alones but much more fun if read together!
Gregoria didn’t push. She hadn’t talked to the man since yesterday and she didn’t want the first words between them to be those of her nagging at him one way or the other. She, too, watched the dogs as they frolicked about.
“They are fine animals,” she said.
He smiled. “They are spoiled,” he said. “They nearly crowded you right off the bed. I saw.”
It was her turn to chuckle. “They are a bit pushy, that is true,” she said. “But they are sweet. I am glad to have had them with me.”
He lowered his head so that he was closer to her, his voice barely above a whisper. “Just so you know, I will not share our bed with them,” he muttered. “I shall be the only one curled against your body.”
Gregoria flushed deeply. For a woman who had so vehemently swore that she would not be the man’s concubine, she seemed to have drastically changed that opinion. Having developed feelings for the man had seen to that, clouding her sense of judgment in all things pertaining to him. She’d spent the entire storm confined to bed, feeling sicker than she’d ever felt in her life, and pondering the conversation she and Constantine had where he’d asked her never to leave him. No one had ever asked her that before and it made her feel wanted and needed.
Now, it was a dilemma that had overtaken her entire being.
Hanging over her like a great, dark cloud was her entire purpose for being on the ship – betrayal. She’d come to the conclusion that she must tell Constantine the real reason for her presence. She had to untangle the lies she’d told him and pray he could forgive her. But she was terrified the man would never trust her again, and it was that fear that kept her from confessing.
Even now, as he warmed to her, speaking of the bed they would share, she was loathed to tell him the truth. She didn’t want to lose this warmth, this affection, because it was something she’d never known. She’d spent her entire life being treated with cold indifference and to finally find someone who thought she was special, who treated her with kindness and sweetness, made her realize what, exactly, she’d been missing.
It didn’t matter if she became Constantine’s concubine. The man had shown her more joy and warmth than anyone ever had.
She never wanted to lose it.
Leader of Titans
New Release Blitz Trailer
To celebrate USA Today Bestselling author Kathryn Le Veque's new release, LEADER OF TITANS, Kathryn is graciously giving away a Sterling Silver Gemstone necklace and a 7" Samsung Galaxy tablet! Giveaways ends on December 10th and the winner will be announced on Kathryn's Facebook page.
KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a USA TODAY Bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance. She has been featured in the NEW YORK TIMES and on USA TODAY's HEA blog.
In March 2015, Kathryn was the featured cover story for the March issue of InD'Tale Magazine, the premier Indie author magazine. Kathryn was the the winner of Uncaged Book Reviews Magazine "Raven Award" for Favorite Medieval Romance (Vestiges of Valor) and Favorite Cover, all Genres (Queen of Lost Stars) for 2017.
Kathryn's Medieval Romance novels have been called 'detailed', 'highly romantic', and 'character-rich'. She crafts great adventures of love, battles, passion, and romance in the High Middle Ages. More than that, she writes for both women AND men - an unusual crossover for a romance author - and Kathryn has many male readers who enjoy her stories because of the male perspective, the action, and the adventure.
On October 29, 2015, Amazon launched Kathryn's Kindle Worlds Fan Fiction site WORLD OF DE WOLFE PACK. As Kindle World's FIRST Historical Romance fan fiction world, Kathryn Le Veque's World of de Wolfe Pack will contain all of the great story-telling that readers have come to expect from many of historical romance's best authors.
Kathryn loves to hear from her readers. Please find Kathryn on Facebook at Kathryn Le Veque, Author, or join her on Twitter @kathrynleveque, and don't forget to visit her website at www.kathrynleveque.com.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathrynLeVeque
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
HIS HIGHLAND BRIDE ~ Willa Blair
A Dutiful Daughter No More
When Mary Elizabeth Rose’s father marries a much younger lass in hopes of siring a male heir, Mary sees her chance to escape her role as his chatelaine, but fears his next step will be to betroth her to a stranger. She has a different future in mind—with a sometimes charming, sometimes difficult and arrogant wounded Highlander.
He Owes Her His Life
Cameron Sutherland is not too delirious to recognize Mary Rose is the first woman he could seriously consider taking as his bride. He’d like nothing better than to spend years repaying the debt he owes his angel of mercy for taking him in and saving his life. First, he must convince her to defy her father one last time.
Will They Put Love Before Duty?
For Mary, Cameron has become the man whose every smile has the power to bring her to her knees. But he is as duty-bound as she is, and responsibility calls him back to Sutherland, where she fears he will stay, forgetting her and all they’ve shared. With another powerful clan’s interests at stake, Cameron’s return sets events in motion that will have life-changing consequences for the woman he can’t forget.
Purchase links:
Willa Blair is an Award-winning Amazon and Barnes & Noble #1 Bestselling author of Scottish Historical, light Paranormal, and Contemporary romance. She has been featured on and contributes to USAToday’s Happy Ever After romance blog, Savvy Authors, Romance University, and more.
Her books have won numerous honors, including the Marlene, the Merritt, National Readers’ Choice Award Finalist, The Reader’s Crown finalist, Historical Romance finalist and Honorable Mention in InD’Tale Magazine’s prestigious RONE Award, NightOwl Reviews Top Pick, and InD’tale Review’s Crowned Heart.
A life-long student and reader, she has been a stained glass artist and instructor, a foreign language teacher, a computer scientist, an analyst, a manager and an executive. She has visited five continents and can get by in several languages. She loves scouting new settings for books, and thinks being an author is the best job she’s ever had.
Connect:
Site: http://willablair.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WillaBlair/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/willablair
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/WillaBlair
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
HIGHLAND RUSE ~ Madeline Martin ~ New Release Review
Title: HIGHLAND RUSE
Author: Madeline Martin
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: November 14, 2017
Publisher: Diversion Books
Series: Mercenary Maidens # 2
Format: Digital eBook / Print
Print ISBN: 1635761573
ASIN: B075YFTP1N
Kaid MacLeod couldn’t protect his clan from an unimaginable slaughter that killed his father and took the lives of many of his people. Wracked with guilt, he knows retaliation will only bring more death, but his clan thirsts for revenge and all seems lost…until Kaid discovers his nemesis’s betrothed will be traveling through Scotland. Abducting this innocent woman will give him the leverage he desperately needs to end the continuing massacres and bring peace to his clan. Though he is loath to do so, it's the least bloody solution he can see.
Delilah Canterbury has been striving to make her own way for a long time. One of many children, with no money or noble blood to fall back on, Delilah dreamt of joining the court of King James. After her beauty earned her one tender night with the king, he spurned her on a whim, causing her to lose not just her chance at a better life, but her reputation. In dire straits, her life was saved when she was taken in by a group of female spies and taught their deadly skills. Now, testing her prowess, she is disguised as Lady Elizabeth, daughter of a well-known noble, betrothed of a Scottish laird, and a target in the war between clans.
Kidnapped by Kaid, Delilah's mission as a decoy is near completion, but when she finds herself attracted to the very man she's supposed to deceive, will Delilah lose control and risk her very life in the process? Will finding out who Delilah really is be Kaid's undoing, and that of his entire clan?
An amazing follow-up to Highland Spy! I would've devoured this book in one sitting if I didn't have to work. :insert angry face: It has plenty of action, suspense and romance. The chemistry between Kaid and Delilah kept me entranced.
Delilah is an awesome warrior princess, I wanna be like her when I grow up! I felt for her in the beginning of the story but she recovers and much better things await her.
Kaid is wonderful caring, admirable, gallant, resolute.. I could go on and on! And he does what he has to do for his clan.
I'd recommend this story to anyone that reads Scottish Medievals, without any reservations. It's an awesome read!
Madeline Martin is a USA TODAY Bestselling author of Scottish set historical romance. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her two daughters (AKA OldestMinion and YoungestMinion) and Mr. Awesome.
She loves animals in sweaters, cat videos, wine and Nutella. Check out her FB page on any given Friday to see what great new book she's giving away by one of her fellow authors.
She also loves connecting with her readers, so feel free to follow her on any one of her social media platforms, or send her a message.
ROMANCING THE SCOT ~ May McGoldrick ~ New Release/Excerpt
Title: ROMANCING THE SCOT
Author: May McGoldrick,
E-Original published by Swerve
Publication Date: November 14, 2017
ISBN: 9781250166906
Price: $3.99
In this stunning series starter by USA Today bestselling author May McGoldrick, meet the new generation of Penningtons...five brothers and sisters of passion and privilege. Enter their aristocratic world…where each will fight injustice and find love.
Hugh Pennington—Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts, hero of the Napoleonic wars—is a grieving widower with a death wish. When he receives an expected crate from the continent, he is shocked to find a nearly dead woman inside. Her identity is unknown, and the handful of American coins and the precious diamond sown into her dress only deepen the mystery.
Grace Ware is an enemy to the English crown. Her father, an Irish military commander of Napoleon’s defeated army. Her mother, an exiled Scottish Jacobite. When Grace took shelter in a warehouse, running from her father’s murderers through the harbor alleyways of Antwerp, she never anticipated bad luck to deposit her at the home of an aristocrat in the Scottish Borders. Baronsford is the last place she could expect to find safety, and Grace feigns a loss of memory to buy herself time while she recovers.
Hugh is taken by her beauty, passion, and courage to challenge his beliefs and open his mind. Grace finds in him a wounded man of honor, proud but compassionate. When their duel of wits quickly turns to passion and romance, Grace’s fears begin to dissolve…until danger follows her to the very doors of Baronsford. For, unknown to either of them, Grace has in her possession a secret that will wreak havoc within the British government. Friend and foe are indistinguishable as lethal forces converge to tear the two lovers apart or destroy them both.
Looking the shipping crate over for damage and seeing none, he retrieved an iron crow from a workbench. Jo was standing inside the doors, eyeing the box doubtfully from a safe distance.
“Come closer. It won’t bite.”
“Not a chance. From the smell of that thing, a person would think you’re importing cadavers. Have you also taken up being a Resurrectionist as a hobby?”
He patted the crate affectionately. “This sweet thing has been sitting in the bowels of a ship from Antwerp. You know what the hold of a ship smells like?”
“Actually, I don’t.” She held a handkerchief to her nose and drew closer. “But I think you’re correct with the reference to ‘bowels.’”
Hugh took the first nail out. “Well, stand back, since you’ve become so prissy. Though I recall a younger version of you leading the rest of us through bogs and marshes that smelled no better.”
“Of course! But as I recall, we had frogs and turtles and the occasional dragon that needed hunting,” she replied with a smile. “Very well. Open it and let’s see this treasure of yours.”
Prying off the top took him only a moment. Throwing it to the side, he pulled back the tarp that covered the basket and then stared curiously at the dark green rags bundled at the bottom.
Leaning in, Hugh’s enthusiasm evaporated as a horrid realization settled in. This was no pile of old clothing. A shock of blond hair. A shoe. A hand. The body of a dead woman lay curled up in the gondola.
“Bloody hell.”
“What is it?” Immediately, Jo was at his side. “Good God!”
Hugh climbed in and crouched beside the body. He took her hand. She was cold to the touch. His heart sank. The crate had been shipped from Antwerp. To be trapped for so many days with no water, no food, in the cold and damp of the ship’s hold. He had no idea who this woman was or how she came to be in here.
The thought struck him. Perhaps it wasn’t an inadvertent act. Perhaps she was murdered and her body had been dumped into the crate.
Dismay and alarm clawed at him as he pushed away the matted ringlets of golden hair. She was young. He lifted her chin. The body had none of the stiffness of postmortem. He stared at her lips. He may have imagined it but they seemed to have moved.
“Bright . . .” The whisper was a mere rustle of leaves in a breeze.
The fingers jerked and came to life, clutching at his hand.
“She’s not dead,” he called to Jo, relieved. “Send for the doctor. I’ll take her to the house.”
His sister ran out, calling for help, and he lifted the woman. She emitted a low groan. Her limbs had been locked in the same cramped position for so many days. Hugh propped her over the side of the gondola.
“Stay with me,” he encouraged. “Talk to me.”
Holding the woman in place, he clambered from the basket and then gently lifted her out, cradling her in his arms. She weighed next to nothing.
As they went out into the rain, he feared she was about to die. The exertion of trying to breathe showed on her face. He’d seen this on the battlefield. The final effort before death.
Starting up the path, he stumbled, not realizing the woman’s skirts were dragging on the ground. He staggered but caught himself before they went down. Her head lolled against his chest, her face gray and mask-like. She appeared to be slipping away. It would be a shame that she’d survived the crossing only to perish now.
A dagger point of anger pierced Hugh’s brain as he recalled another dismal day when he’d lifted two other bodies, wrapped in burial shrouds, from a wooden box.
“Talk to me,” he ordered. “Say something.”
As he made his way up the hill toward the house, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky above Baronsford. Thunder shook the ground and the sky opened, unleashing fierce torrents of rain on them.
His wife. His son. Hugh hadn’t been there for them. They’d died as he and the British army were being chased by the French across Spain. He’d been trying to save his men’s lives, not knowing that those most precious to him were suffering.
“You’ve survived a horrifying ordeal. Give me the chance to save you.”
The woman struggled weakly in Hugh’s arms, and her head tipped back. He watched as her lips parted, welcoming the wetness of the falling rain.
“We’re almost there.”
“Bright . . .” she murmured.
He looked into her face and saw she was trying hard to open her eyes.
“Yes, brighter than that crate,” he said, encouraged by her effort. Any movement, however small, gave him hope. “And you’ve been in there for Lord knows how long.”
Authors Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick (writing as May McGoldrick) weave emotionally satisfying tales of love and danger. Publishing under the names of May McGoldrick and Jan Coffey, these authors have written more than thirty novels and works of nonfiction for Penguin Random House, Mira, HarperCollins, Entangled, and Heinemann. Nikoo, an engineer, also conducts frequent workshops on writing and publishing and serves as a Resident Author. Jim holds a Ph.D. in Medieval and Renaissance literature and teaches English in northwestern Connecticut. They are the authors of Much Ado About Highlanders, Taming the Highlander, and Tempest in the Highlands with SMP Swerve.
Friday, November 3, 2017
THE HIGHLANDER'S CRUSADER BRIDE ~ Cathy & DD MacRae New Release/Review/Giveaway
Born in the Holy Lands only a few years after the Third Crusade, half-Armenian, half-Scot Arbela MacLean is a true daughter of the desert, beautiful and untamed. Trained to be a warrior to avoid her gentle mother’s fate, Arbela has honed her skills with Turkish bow and arrow, sword and throwing darts—and dreads the day her father choses a man for her to marry.
After more than thirty years in the Holy Land, Donal MacLean, Baron of Batroun, is recalled to Scotland, the last son available to take up leadership of clan MacLean. He brings with him knights, treasure, trade—and a daughter of marriageable age.
Caelen MacKern, known as the Bull of the Highlands, is cynical about women. His first marriage formed an alliance, and he did not grieve when his spoiled, immature bride passed away. He has agreed to marry again—against his better judgement—for the men, means and coin to recover from a devastating pestilence that all but wiped out his clan.
More than a little resentful at finding himself forced to remarry, Caelen’s proposal to Donal MacLean’s headstrong daughter nevertheless piques her interest. Each will receive what they want most from life—the ability to live as they please without interference from a meddling spouse. But their marriage of indifference will soon change to one of passion that neither Arbela nor Caelen could have predicted.
4*
Setting: The Holy Land, County of Tripoli
Late Fall 1221 AD
This story gives you a glimpse of what it might’ve been like for young brave female that learned how to take care of herself in the 13th century. She has knowledge and resources and isn’t afraid to use them.
Arbela MacLean is smarter and more cunning than your average lass. She has a tender side as well. She loves her father and twin brother fiercely. Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Alex.
Caelen MacKern wasn’t an over the top alpha. He admits his mistakes and learns from them. He’s humble and doesn’t let his guard down.
THE HIGHLANDER'S CRUSADE BRIDE held my attention thoroughly and completely. It’s a wonderful mix of history, culture and slow burn romance. Definitely a page-turner!
Cathy MacRae lives on the sunny side of the Arbuckle Mountains where she and her husband read, write, and tend the garden—with the help of the dogs, of course.
You can visit with her on facebook, or read her blogs and learn about her books at www.cathymacraeauthor.com. Drop her a line—she loves to hear from readers!
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DD MacRae enjoys bringing history to life and considers research one of the best things about writing a story! With more than 35 years of martial arts training, DD also brings breath-taking action to the tales.
You can connect with DD through www.cathymacraeauthor.com. It’s always exciting to hear from readers!
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