Monthly Archives: January 2020

Medieval Monday ~ NIGHT OF THE OWL

27 Monday Jan 2020

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Welcome to the final installment of Medieval Monday…for this round, at least!  My excerpt has been hopping all over the place, but now at the last, it has found its way home.  Hope you enjoy the snippet.

            Hugh turned back to his brother.  “Laugh all you want.  I shan’t see our guest abused.”

            Robert’s eyes widened.  “Oh, is that it?  You’re worried he’ll seduce her?”

            “Not worried.  But not at ease either.”

            “Relax.  Lady Ardyth is a sensible woman, and unless things have changed since my last visit, Ranulf cares more for his music than for those who admire his…er, chin.  I must say, his skill with the rebec is exceptional.  William and I encountered the instrument on several occasions in the Holy Land, though ʼtwas always played upright on the lap.  Ranulf is as good as any musician we heard there…perhaps better.”

            “I don’t doubt it.”

            “But you do doubt his intentions toward—”

            “Forget it, Robert.”

            The knight looked over his shoulder, trading glances with their mother.

            “I saw that,” Hugh admonished them.

            Lady Seacrest gave him a smile that appeared innocent on the surface, yet highly suspicious.  “Cannot a mother and son exchange looks of amusement?”

            Hugh frowned.  They shared more than amusement.  ʼTwas solidarity he sensed between them.  And if his steadfast mother and mischievous brother agreed on something, it meant only one thing:  trouble.

And there you have it:  the end of the excerpt but the beginning of an adventure my hero couldn’t have fathomed before the heroine waltzed into his life.  Here’s a little more about story:

PhD student Ardyth Nightshade has renounced men and pursues her twentieth-century career with single-minded focus. When fate whisks her to medieval England, she meets her match in a man whose passions mirror her own. Can she sacrifice ambition for a love she never sought?

Hugh, Lord Seacrest confounds all who know him. He refuses to marry without a meeting of minds and hearts, and no lady has even approached his ideal…until Ardyth. But she’s an odd one, with unique skills, shocking habits, and total conviction she needs no man. She also harbors secrets, and in the midst of rumors, plots, and murder, trust is fragile.

A woman outside of her time. A man ahead of his. They must take a leap of faith to forge a bond that will shape history.

Buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo

Wishing you a beautiful Monday!  🙂

Silver Dagger Book Tours ~ THE NOVELS OF RAVENWOOD

24 Friday Jan 2020

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Happy Friday!  Today, I’m kicking off a month-long blog tour with Silver Dagger Book Tours, featuring the first four books in my medieval romance/time travel series, The Novels of Ravenwood.  There are excerpts and more, and you can enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card.  Check it out here!

A little about the books themselves:

Flight of the Raven (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book One)

How eager would the bridegroom be if he knew he could never bed the bride?

Lady Emma of Ravenwood Keep is prepared to give Sir William l’Orage land, wealth, and her hand in marriage. But her virginity? Not unless he loves her. The curse that claimed her mother is clear: unless a Ravenwood heir is conceived in love, the mother will die in childbirth. Emma is determined to dodge the curse. Then William arrives, brandishing raw sensuality which dares her to explore her own.

William the Storm isn’t a man to be gainsaid. He’ll give her protection, loyalty, and as much tenderness as he can muster. But malignant memories quell the mere thought of love. To him, the curse is codswallop. He plans a seduction to breach Emma’s fears and raze her objections. What follows is a test of wills and an affirmation of the power of love.

See more on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google | Kobo

Soul of the Wolf (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book Two)

A Norman loyalist, Lady Jocelyn bristles when ordered to marry Wulfstan, a Saxon sorcerer. She nurses a painful secret and would rather bathe in a cesspit than be pawed by such a man…until her lifelong dream of motherhood rears its head.

A man of magic and mystery, Wulfstan has no time for wedded bliss. He fears that consummating their marriage will bind their souls and wrench his focus from the ancient riddle his dying mother begged him to solve. He’s a lone wolf, salving old wounds with endless work. But Jocelyn stirs him as no woman ever has.

Their attraction is undeniable. Their fates are intertwined. Together, they must face their demons and bring light to a troubled land.

See more on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google

Shadow of the Swan (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book Three)

Lady Constance de Bret was determined to be a nun, until shadows from the past eclipsed her present. Marriage is the safest option, but she insists on a spiritual union, in which physical intimacy is forbidden. Not so easy with a bridegroom who wields unparalleled charm! But a long-buried secret could taint his affection and cloak her in shadow forever.

Back from the Crusades, Sir Robert le Donjon craves a home of his own and children to inherit it. From the moment he meets Constance, he feels a mysterious bond between them. When she’s threatened, he vows to protect her and agrees to the spiritual marriage, with the hope of one day persuading her to enjoy a “real” one. She captivates him but opens old wounds and challenges everything he thought he believed.

Two souls in need of healing. Two hearts destined to beat as one.

See more on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google | Kobo

Night of the Owl (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book Four)

PhD student Ardyth Nightshade has renounced men and pursues her twentieth-century career with single-minded focus. When fate whisks her to medieval England, she meets her match in a man whose passions mirror her own. Can she sacrifice ambition for a love she never sought?

Hugh, Lord Seacrest confounds all who know him. He refuses to marry without a meeting of minds and hearts, and no lady has even approached his ideal…until Ardyth. But she’s an odd one, with unique skills, shocking habits, and total conviction she needs no man. She also harbors secrets, and in the midst of rumors, plots, and murder, trust is fragile.

A woman outside of her time. A man ahead of his. They must take a leap of faith to forge a bond that will shape history.

See more on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google | Kobo

A big thanks to Silver Dagger Book Tours for organizing everything. 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Medieval Monday ~ A KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

20 Monday Jan 2020

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our theme of “Celebrations” continues, and I’m delighted to feature Laurel O’Donnell’s A Knight Before Christmas.

If you’re following my excerpt from Night of the Owl, you can find the tenth snippet on Laurel’s blog.

Now, let’s enjoy her tenth snippet:

She wiped at her eyes and sniffled. “I’m sorry.” She lifted her gaze to him. “I didn’t mean that.”

Gabriel’s heart broke at her misery, at the tears that streaked her cheeks, her clumped lashes. And he knew with certainty that if she married Michael her life of misery would have only just begun.

“I’m certain that when I get to know him… when we are man and wife –”

But there was no excusing what Michael had said. No true man spoke that way about his wife-to-be. Definitely not to others. Gabriel lifted his chin. “Eve.” He took her hand into his. She tried to pull away, but he held it firmly, allowing the sleeve to cover it so she felt better. “This is not what will make you a good wife.”

Go to Laurel O’Donnell’s website next week to read the rest of the excerpt from A Knight Before Christmas – https://www.laurel-odonnell.com/

A little more about the book:

Blamed by her father for her twin sister’s death on Christmas Eve, Lady Eve Chandos agrees to marry a man she does not love to please him and appease his years of wrath. Betrayed by his brother at an early age, Sir Gabriel Bedford decides it is time to make amends and attends his brother’s marriage, but he is unprepared for the beauty Lady Eve has grown into and the attraction that quickly sparks between them.

As Christmas approaches, can Eve and Gabriel find the happiness they seek, or will the secrets of their past doom them to remain apart forever?

Where to buy it:

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YZS3D3B

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YZS3D3B

Amazon CA – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07YZS3D3B

Amazon AU – https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07YZS3D3B

See you next Monday, when I’ll feature the final snippet of my own Night of the Owl right here!  🙂

A giveaway, a great review, and more!

14 Tuesday Jan 2020

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I love reading and writing series, and if you like them too, you won’t want to miss the Book Series Starter Event on N. N. Light’s Book Heaven.  You can find lots of great reads as well as series to add to your favorites, and one lucky winner will win an e-copy of EVERY BOOK FEATURED IN THE EVENT!  The first books of my two current series (medieval/time travel romance and YA paranormal fantasy) are part of the event.

Yesterday, Flight of the Raven, the first of The Novels of Ravenwood, was featured.  Check it out here!

The Cauldron Stirred, the first book in my Guardians of Erin series, will follow on January 16.  You can find that post, along with all the others, here!

The giveaway is open internationally and runs January 13 – 23.  Enter here and good luck!

In other news, I received a wonderful review for Night of the Owl, the fourth of The Novels of Ravenwood.  You can read it here on Wild Women Reviews, but here’s a bit of it:

“This is a non-stop adventure infused with historical fact, crisp dialogue, laugh out loud moments, and unforgettable characters. Don’t miss this one. On a scale of 1-5, Night of the Owl deserves a 6.”

Wild Women Authors interviewed both me and my heroine, Ardyth Nightshade, and you can read the interviews and an excerpt from the book here!

That’s all for now.  Happy Tuesday!  🙂

Medieval Monday ~ TO WEAVE A HIGHLAND TAPESTRY

13 Monday Jan 2020

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our theme of “Celebrations” continues, and I’m thrilled to feature my dear friend Mary Morgan’s recent release, To Weave a Highland Tapestry, a tale from the Order of the Dragon Knights.

If you’re following my excerpt from Night of the Owl, you can find the ninth snippet on Mary’s blog: https://www.marymorganauthor.com/blog

Now, let’s enjoy her ninth snippet:

A hushed silence descended when Angus gave a curt nod to silence the musicians. The doors to the hall were opened wide. Within moments, the druid, Cathal, entered. His long robe flowed gently with each step. In his right hand he held a gnarled staff, and in his left, the Yule log. Adorned with greenery, the log would be placed on top of all the other wood and lit by the druid.

Cathal’s steps stilled before the leader of the Dragon Knights. “I bid ye greetings on this longest night of the year, Eldest Dragon Knight.”

Angus dipped his head in greeting. “’Tis an honor to welcome ye into our home and at this feast.” He paused as he swept his gaze to his brothers and then outward to those gathered at the table and within the hall. “Generations of the MacKays have fought many battles in and around this mighty fortress. Though it grieves us that our time has come to relinquish our home to another, I ken other generations of our clan will fill the future home—Aonach Castle—with abundance.”

Follow along next week on Ruth A. Casie’s blog here: http://ruthacasie.blogspot.com/

A little more about To Weave a Highland Tapestry:

Patrick MacFhearguis, hardened by battles won and lost, desires what he can never have—peace within his heart and soul.  Yet, the ever-meddling Fae weave a new journey for him to conquer—a task this highlander is determined to resist.

When skilled weaver, Gwen Hywel, is commissioned to create a tapestry for the MacFhearguis clan, she embraces the assignment. While seeking out ideas, she finds herself clutching the one thread that can alter the tapestry of her life and heart.

A man conflicted by past deeds. A woman with no family of her own. Is it possible for love to unravel an ancient past, in order to claim two badly scarred hearts? Or will the light of hope be doused forever?

Where to buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Book Page

See you next Monday!  🙂

New Year, New Books Spotlight ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

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Today, N. N. Light’s Book Heaven is featuring my recent release, Night of the Owl, as part of their NEW YEAR, NEW BOOKS FETE.  Check it out here!

They’re also spotlighting a brother Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press), Stephen B. King, so look for his feature, too.  And if you haven’t already, enter the giveaway.  You could win Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift cards!

Hope to see you there.  Happy Wednesday!  🙂

Peggy Jaeger’s New Release ~ A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK

07 Tuesday Jan 2020

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I’m thrilled to welcome sister Rose (published by the Wild Rose Press) Peggy Jaeger back to my blog!  She’s written a lovely guest post about Abigail Lane, the heroine in her upcoming release, A Pride of Brothers: Rick.  Take it away, Peggy!

Lawyer Abby Laine made an appearance in my first WILL COOK FOR LOVE series book COOKING WITH KANDY. Abby is the second oldest of the Laine girls (right behind Kandy) and when we meet her in the first book she is working as a paralegal in a law firm and attending law school at night.

Abby’s backstory is a deep one. Her father left the family after multiple affairs when Abby was a child. His defection impacted her greatly because she saw what it did to her mother emotionally and to the family financially. Left with no means of support and with nothing but a high school education, Abby’s mother, Hannah, had to work 3 jobs to support herself and her 7 girls, and the family was forced to live with Hannah’s parents. Abby saw the way her mother was treated by her father – dumped and discarded – and by society – an uneducated, unskilled woman – and vowed to never allow herself to be treated so horribly by anyone. She was determined to be self sufficient and financially sound, get a good education and be successful.

Since she was the second oldest, she and Kandy were tasked with taking care of the younger girls while Hannah worked, and it instilled a great sense of family obligation in her. She loves her sisters, there is no doubt of that, but she never really got to be a kid. Assuming adult responsibilities at such a tender age left no room for friends, outside the home activates, or anything fun related.

When we meet Abby in A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK she is confronted by the angry abusive husband of one of her clients in her office while Kandy is visiting. Abby stands up to him and when he threatens her, has him arrested. The fact that her sister deals with such violent people in her practice scares Kandy, and she asks her Private Investigator/Bodyguard husband to place someone in Abby’s office as protection. Abby, of course, refuses the help.

When Rick Bannerman, Josh’s partner, hears about what happened, he wants to help protect Abby. The two of them have a subtle history that ended when he walked away from her after they shared a hot kiss 4 years ago. Abby has always had a thing for Rick, but his dismissal hurt, so she has kept her distance from him, despite the fact that their families are together a great deal.

Abby has a three-legged cat, adopted from a shelter, and whom no one wanted because she wasn’t deemed “perfect.” In her cat, Abby saw a kindred spirit and it was love at first sight. Despite the hardened, take no prisoners personality Abby shows the world, she is truly a softie at heart and wants nothing more than to be loved for the person she is.

A peek between the pages:

“Right there.” She aimed her fork at him as if it were a spear. “Perfect example. You know I hate being called Abigail. I’ve lost count of the hundreds of times I’ve told you and you still do it, knowing it pisses me off. And”—she cut him off before he could speak— “your usual response is to lift your hands and say ‘and still’ when you’re called on it. Who does that? What kind of person persistently and purposefully annoys people?”

“So you’re saying I’m intentionally annoying?”

“Persistently, so. Yes. Makes the lawyer in me wonder why.”

Just the lawyer? “Any answers come to mind?”

“Plenty.”

“Care to share?”

She placed her fork down next to her plate and regarded him across the table. “You really want to hear this? Because if you know anything about me, you know I’m truthful. I don’t hold back.”

Oh, he was sure she didn’t. And wouldn’t. Her tenacity was one of the things he’d first been drawn to.

That and her fabulous ass.

“I’m a big boy,” he said with a grin. “I can take it.

She took a sip of water first, her eyes trained on him the entire time. “Okay. If you really want to hear this.”

He waved his hand for her to continue.

“I think you use your cocky, aren’t-I-simply-too-witty attitude to keep people at a distance.”

Buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Books-a-Million

More about Peggy:

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go “What??!”

Where to find her:

Website/Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Jaeger-Author/825914814095072?ref=bookmarks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peggyjaeger_author/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger

You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber

Thanks so much for being my guest, Peggy.  Best of luck with the new book!

Medieval Monday ~ DAUGHTER OF THE OVERKING

06 Monday Jan 2020

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our theme of “Celebrations” continues, and I’m delighted to feature Ashley York’s Daughter of the Overking, the third book in The Warrior Kings series.

If you’re following my excerpt from Night of the Owl, you can find the eighth snippet on Ashley’s blog: https://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com/blog

Now, let’s enjoy her eighth snippet:

“Ye believe she’ll resist ye?”

“D’ye see the way she is with her brothers? She may now dress like her mother, but she sees herself the same as a man. More importantly, she sees nothing of value in what a man can offer her. Just the opposite.”

“I see.” Tadhg rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner. “So they fear she will continue to resist. And with the onlookers—” Tadhg raised a hand at Darragh’s gasped protest. “—not exactly onlookers.”

Darragh relaxed his shoulders.

A little more about Daughter of the Overking:

A mistaken identity. A gruesome murder.

Trained as a warrior…

Brighit of Clonascra despises the trappings and demands of womanhood and is far more comfortable training for battle. Long held alliances require she set aside selfish dreams and take Darragh as her husband. The union intended to promote peace between the clans is interrupted by the shocking murder of a neighboring king, and she quickly discovers there are far worse things than being wed.

Trained to be king…

Darragh of Drogheda has no wish to be king, but he is an obedient son and supports his father’s plans. His marriage to Brighit, however, will be no hardship at all since he finds her most intriguing when she fights him at every turn. A she-warrior indeed. Her persistent dismissal of him merely blows the fire aflame and sets him down the path to discovery of all her most tightly held secrets—secrets that could cost him his life.

Where to buy the book:

Available in e-book or paperback at https://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com/daughter-of-the-king

See you next Monday!  🙂

Resolve to Read More Books Giveaway ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

02 Thursday Jan 2020

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It’s a brand-new year and decade, and many of us have made resolutions. Here’s one that should be easy to keep: read more books in 2020! N. N. Light’s Book Heaven is sponsoring an incredible giveaway where you can win books, both e-copy and print. Everything from romance to nonfiction to young adult and everything in between is up for grabs, and you might win one of my books: Flight of the Raven, the first of The Novels of Ravenwood.

If there’s a particular book or prize you’d like to win, be sure to say which one when you enter via Rafflecopter. Enter below and good luck!

Resolve to Read More Books Giveaway: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775045

Literary Giveaway Portal:  https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/literary-giveaway-portal

New Year, New Books Fete ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

01 Wednesday Jan 2020

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Calling all readers! It’s a brand new year and I’m ringing in 2020 with N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s NEW YEAR, NEW BOOKS FETE. 39 books from multiple genres featured plus a chance to win one of the following:

~ $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My recent release, Night of the Owl, will be featured on January 8. I even talk about my resolutions/goals for 2020.

Bookmark this bookish get-together and tell your friends:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/bookpromos/categories/new-year-new-books-fete

Here’s the direct link to the giveaway:

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775044

Open internationally.

Runs January 1 – 31, 2020.

Drawing will be held on February 1, 2020.

Good luck, everyone!  🙂