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Judith Sterling

~ Award-winning Author

Judith Sterling

Monthly Archives: July 2021

Now on Booksprout: NIGHT OF THE OWL

15 Thursday Jul 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

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award-winning book, Booksprout, Judith Sterling, medieval romance series, Night of the Owl, read and review, The Novels of Ravenwood, time travel romance

Good news for those of you who like to read and review free books: my award-winning time travel romance, Night of the Owl, is available for a limited time on Booksprout. It’s the fourth of The Novels of Ravenwood, but it can definitely stand alone. Here’s the 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.

A peek between the pages:

            Hugh stormed into the cave, unable to stem the tide of jealousy swelling inside him.  A pox on Ranulf!  Ardyth thought him smart, talented, kind, and handsome.  She told me she didn’t need a man.  Now here she is, half in love with a goliard!

            Her arms dropped to her sides, and she stumbled backwards.

            He stopped and frowned.  “Why do you recoil?”

            She halted and lifted her chin.  “Why do you look so angry?”

            With purposeful strides, he closed the distance between them.  “I met Lady Isobel near the gatehouse.  She told me you were here, talking of Ranulf.”

            “Oh, she did!  How good of her to report my every move, and how predictable that you prize her opinion above mine.”

            “As you prize Ranulf above other men?”  He clenched his fists, willing her to contradict him yet knowing she wouldn’t.

            “What are you talking about?”

            “I saw the pair of you last night…conversing cozily in the hall.  ʼTis obvious he’s claimed your affections, though how I cannot—”

            “What?!”  Her flushed face was a mask of disbelief.

            “You heard me.”

            “I did, but I doubted my ears.  A man of your depth and perception must’ve realized that…”

            His clamped fingers relaxed.  “Realized…what exactly?”

            “Must I say it out loud?”

            “I think you’d better.”

            With a huff, she rolled her eyes.  “Ranulf is just a friend.  If there’s anyone I like around here, ʼtis you!”

            He hesitated only an instant, long enough to absorb what she’d said.  Then he grasped her arms, pulled her to him, and pressed his lips to hers.

            Breaking free of his hold, she took his face between her hands and returned his kiss with passionate abandon.  Her tongue took the lead.  Her moan harmonized with the howling wind.  She tasted of elderberries, ginger, and honey.  Of lust and life.  Heat rushed through him, heightening every sense as he gave himself to the kiss.

If your interest is piqued, check out Night of the Owl here on Booksprout. Or if you’d rather, you can buy the book at one of these online stores:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | B & N | Apple | Kobo

Enjoy the rest of your day! 🙂

UNDERCOVER IN VENICE BEACH by Melody DeBlois

13 Tuesday Jul 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

contemporary romance, courting the muse, Melody DeBlois, new release, Undercover in Venice Beach

I’m excited to welcome Melody DeBlois, a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press), today! Tomorrow is release day for her new contemporary romance, Undercover in Venice Beach, and she’s here to talk about courting the muse. Take it away, Melody!

The Muse arrives when I turn out the light,

And if I am lucky stays through the night.

She often sticks around until it is tomorrow,

Leaving a stream of words for me to borrow.

The muse is a fleeting lady. Although she’s forever late to the party and the first to leave, I never bar her entrance. Still, the more I struggle to catch her, the more she eludes me. A surefire way to scare her off is to overthink her, but for the sake of this blog, I’ll try to pin her down.

The best time to court the muse is just before drifting off to sleep. She’s great at jumping from one dream and landing in another. She’s quite the pest when she has a mind, leaving me no choice but to get up and write. After all that interrupted sleep and worn to a frazzle, I find the tease has left me flat.

Music is the best bait for trapping the muse. She’s partial to groups like the Cocteau Twins, a little Bossa Nova, and anything Billie Eilish. She’s been known to rock out to Jagger and to rap with Eminem. It’s raw emotions that attract her. The dark, theatric In the Nursery lured her into showing up for a Gothic Horror. Too much of a good thing, though, on any given day, causes her to drop in her tracks. There is such a thing as playing a song to death.

To tempt the muse back to the land of the living is to let her get her teeth on some juicy research. The more exploration, the merrier she dances. Fact is, she’s kept me up for hours on end. All that food for thought makes her shine, makes her gleam. The trick is to know when to stop. Too much hanging out with her makes me forget to start writing. Then neither of us wins.

When I can’t find the muse for any length of time, I resort to drastic measures. I read lots of poetry, draw pictures, and even write by hand. I search my brain for the right word to jar the muse back into existence. Sleep-deprived, I fall into bed. Just when I think I’ll never see her again, I awake refreshed. Low and behold, there she is in all finery, waiting for me with strong coffee and a swift kick into action. My muse is back!

A little about Undercover in Venice Beach:

By trading places with her twin, Audrey Powell has the opportunity she’s always wanted, running her late mother’s teahouse. When she fails to create food that delights the palate, she hires Liam James—a sexy as sin Brit with a flair for cooking. He tries to seduce her with titillating dishes and his charm, but she’s vowed to steer clear of romance.

Working undercover, Liam’s mission is to keep an eye on the teahouse. He poses as a chef to catch the traitor who is leaking UK security secrets. The last thing he wants to do is fall for a suspect, but when sparks fly, the romance starts to feel all too real.

A peek between the pages:

Liam pointed to the recipe, and when she reluctantly did as instructed, he said, “Add the wet butter and milk to the mix and beat until you get rid of the lumps.”

“Too bad I can’t rid myself of the lumps in my so-called life.”

“You’ll get them smoothed out.” He slid in back of her and took her hand, demonstrating the motion, tempting her to nestle against his chest. His Iron Man chest. “Just keep trying, luv.”

His being so near was torture. “Do I add the fruit now?”

“Aye, the cranberries. You can spot a bad one from the others because it shows a wrinkle.” He picked out a specimen, displaying it to her on his palm. “See, not unlike the line you get between your brows when you’re deep in thought.”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I do?”

He sent her an all-male grin. “Captivating, actually.”

He wiped flour from her face with a dishrag and plopped some cranberries in her mouth. She bit down, the tangy sweetness thrilling her taste buds, the sexy man challenging her vow to stay clear of him. But the very act of his helping her spoon the batter into tins pulled her deeper into his center, a universe composed of his culinary magic and kindness. His large hands and strong arms made her feel fragile and protected from the outside world. She remained there, a participant in sensations, till the bells over the entrance clanged together like dropped silverware.

Buy the book:

Amazon | B & N | Goodreads | BookBub

More about Melody:

Melody lives in Sacramento (the City of Trees). She writes romance novels. She’s partial to poetry, sun, rain, strong coffee, and her writing room surrounded by books. Besides California, she and her late husband lived part-time in a condo in Oregon overlooking the Pacific. That gave her a love for beach towns and whale-watching and sunsets—all the things that inspire the Love is a Beach series. The writing process fascinates her, the alchemy of layering and developing characters, the tinkering with language. There’s so much to treasure in the world: family, friends, and those random, everyday moments that make life grand. She hopes to give her readers all of that.

Where to find her:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Thanks so much for joining us today, Melody. All the best with your new release!

Summer in the Sun Book Giveaway

01 Thursday Jul 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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Amazon gift card, award-winning books, free audiobooks, Guardians of Erin, Judith Sterling, literary giveaway, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, paranormal fantasy, Starbucks gift card, summer reading, The Cauldron Stirred, The Stone Awakened, young adult series

July is here, and whether you embrace the heat or stay inside with the a/c cranked, you’ll want to check out this great giveaway at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven! It runs through July 31st, and you can win free books, including hardcover, e-copy, and audio, plus Amazon and Starbucks gift cards. I’ve contributed free audiobook codes (US and UK) for the first two books in my award-winning young adult paranormal fantasy series: The Cauldron Stirred and The Stone Awakened.

See all the prizes here. If there’s one in particular you’d like to win, be sure to list it when entering via Rafflecopter. Good luck, and have a fabulous July!

Recent Posts

  • PRG Reviewer’s Choice Nominee ~ TRIP THE LIGHT PHANTASMIC
  • Wintertime Reading Bookish Event ~ NIGHT OF THE OWL
  • New Year New Books Fete ~ TRIP THE LIGHT PHANTASMIC
  • New Year New Books Fete ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven
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