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Judith Sterling

~ Award-winning Author

Judith Sterling

Tag Archives: award winning author

Medieval Monday ~ THE HIGHLANDER’S PIRATE BRIDE

12 Monday Apr 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

#MedMonSpring21, award winning author, Cathy MacRae, DD MacRae, excerpt, Hardy Heroines, Highlander romance, Judith Sterling, Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance Lovers, medieval romance series, pirate romance, Scottish historical romance, The Highlander's Pirate Bride

Welcome back to Medieval Monday! Our “First Kiss” theme continues, and this week, award-winning author Cathy MacRae is here with her recent release, The Highlander’s Pirate Bride.  It’s the swashbuckling seventh book in her Hardy Heroines series. If you like pirates, rags-to-riches, and swoon-worthy Highlanders, you’ll love this romance on the high seas.

For those following my excerpt from Return of the Raven, you can find Snippet #10 on Cathy’s blog. Remember, you’ll find links to all the participating authors’ snippets at Medieval Romance Lovers on Facebook. (#MedMonSpring21)

Now, let’s enjoy Cathy’s tenth snippet:

Pedr closed the final distance, his cheek nesting against the top of her head. “Promise ye’ll always fight for those less fortunate than ye,” he murmured, his breath stirring her hair. “Promise ye will always tell me what ye think.”

A strangled chuckle escaped her. “Ye have naught to fear. I dinnae dissemble well. And, my heart will always be with those in need.”

More about The Highlander’s Pirate Bride:

As the pirate The Black MacNeill, Rona MacNeill has stolen more than one English ship to keep her clan from starving. With Yule only days away, will the theft of the wrong ship land her in a hangman’s noose? Or the arms of a Highlander?

Rona MacNeill has done everything she can to help her small, impoverished clan—except marry for money. Her luck seems to lie in stealing ships, not attracting suitors. Only days before Yule, she seeks one last ship with stores to keep her people fed over the long, harsh winter. Too bad her luck has run out.

Pedr MacLean is happy to be the younger (by three minutes) son of Baron MacLean. His days are filled with running the family’s shipping business and sailing the world. His heart belongs to the sea—or so he thinks, until one of his ships is stolen, and the woman responsible turns his world upside down.

Drawn to Rona’s strength and love of the sea, Pedr will agree to her father’s demand—information on the whereabouts of his ship in exchange for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Will Rona find herself caught between a marriage of convenience and a hangman’s noose? Or will she discover something far more compelling?

Buy the book on Amazon!

That’s all for this week. See you next Monday!  🙂

Medieval Monday ~ MAGNAR

29 Monday Mar 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

#MedMonSpring21, award winning author, first kiss, Judith Sterling, Magnar, Mary Morgan, Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance Lovers, medieval romance series, Scotland, The Wolves of Clan Sutherland

Welcome back to Medieval Monday! Our “First Kiss” theme continues, and this week, I’m thrilled to have my dear friend, Mary Morgan, here! We’re featuring her latest release, Magnar, the first book in her new series, The Wolves of Clan Sutherland. This book is waiting patiently on my nightstand, and I can’t wait to read it!

If you’re following my excerpt from Return of the Raven, you can find Snippet #8 on Mary’s blog. Remember, you’ll find links to all the participating authors’ snippets at Medieval Romance Lovers on Facebook. (#MedMonSpring21)

Now, let’s enjoy Mary’s eighth snippet:

When she returned her gaze to him again, resolve and a bit of stubbornness filled them. “Why, Magnar?”

 “The king will permit me to continue with my duties with the elite guard, including an important task which requires my attention after our marriage.”

Chewing on her bottom lip, she nodded slowly. “Then you will be absent most months from Steinn?”

“Most assuredly, and when I am there, Erik will be my focus.”

Last week’s snippet on Sherry Ewing’s blog: https://sherryewing.com/blog/

Follow along next week on Jenna Jaxon’s blog: https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/

A little more about Magnar:

Known as the Barbarian, Magnar MacAlpin is a fierce ruler for those under his command. As leader of the Wolves of Clan Sutherland, his loyalty and obedience lies with Scotland. However, the king’s last demand is not something Magnar will tolerate.

After Elspeth Gunn’s brother the Chieftain of Castle Steinn is murdered, she flees with her nephew, and finds safety amongst a band of men who are rumored to be part wolf. When the king forces her to wed a heathen Northman, she fears losing her heart and soul not only to the man, but the beast as well.

In order to restore peace to a shattered clan, Magnar and Elspeth travel a treacherous path that challenges their beliefs. When evil seeks to destroy ancient traditions, will Magnar be compelled to restrain his wolf or allow him free to protect those he loves?

Buy the book:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | APPLE BOOKS | KOBO

That’s all for this week. See you next Monday!  🙂

Medieval Monday ~ LACHLANN’S LEGACY

22 Monday Mar 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

#MedMonSpring21, Ashley York, award winning author, excerpt, Highlander romance, Judith Sterling, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, Medieval Romance Lovers, Scottish historical romance, The Order of the Scottish Thistle

Welcome back to Medieval Monday! Our “First Kiss” theme continues, and this week, I’m excited to feature Ashley York’s Lachlann’s Legacy.

If you’re following my excerpt from Return of the Raven, you can find Snippet #7 on Ashley’s blog. Remember, you’ll find links to all the participating authors’ snippets at Medieval Romance Lovers on Facebook. (#MedMonSpring21)

Now, let’s enjoy Ashley’s seventh snippet:

“I’d not thought of it as such, but I’ll admit I find great comfort in the thought.”

“As ye should.”

His chest tightened with the truth of her words. Slowly, he nodded but words refused to come.

“He was yer sire, yer family, yer clan.” With her hand on top of his hands, she fisted his fingers around the precious metal. “Best to keep it safely tucked away.”

“Ye’re right.” He put the medallion back where it belonged. “My thanks for keeping it safe.”

More about Lachlann’s Legacy:

Hidden secrets could tear them apart as fast as their passion drove them together

On the Moray coast in Scotland…

Ethne’s genuine and caring nature makes her invaluable to her brother as his son’s caretaker, but he and his wife treat her as little more than their servant. When she learns their tribal leader would use her chaste status for his own purposes, Ethne plans to escape and reluctantly accepts the help of Lachlann—a handsome pilgrim she only just met at the local faire.

Despite her independent spirit, Ethne feels drawn to Lachlann. Her instincts say his intentions are honorable, but can she trust him with her heart?

Raised by his godfather with few clues to his family’s past, Lachlann values his freedom and the brotherhood of his highlander kin. Disguised as a pilgrim on a mission for the priory, he encounters Ethne, a warm, intelligent maiden whose courage in the face of a loveless marriage awakens an intense need to protect her.

Unfortunately, Ethne is one of the very people he must deceive to explore the cave system containing clues to the lost treasure he seeks. But he cannot abandon her to an uncertain fate—or deny the simmering tension between them.

With religious prejudice running high and both of them facing tests of loyalty, Lachlann and Ethne may realize the only way to fight for their futures is to surrender… to each other.

Buy the book here!

That’s all for this Medieval Monday. See you next week!  🙂

WINTER AT THE LIGHT by Stephen B. King

19 Wednesday Aug 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

1950s, Australia, award winning author, guest post, historical, Judith Sterling, lighthouses, romance, Stephen B. King, The Wild Rose Press, Thirty-Three Days, thriller, Winter at the Light

I’m thrilled to have Stephen B. King on my blog today! He’s a brother Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press), and he’s here to tell us all about the inspiration for his latest release, Winter at the Light. Take it away, Stephen!

Write what you know (so they say…)

Mostly, for the twelve books I have written and published, this tenet holds true. I am by nature a ‘pantster’, which loosely means that once I get an idea I have to write it to explore and see where it leads. Sometimes that spark turns into nothing I can use to build around, others it finishes around short story length, and occasionally the 100,000 words, or so, that to me works for a book length.

Along the way of re-modeling that idea into a novel I often drift into areas of which I know nothing about, so I have to stop the creative flow to research it. This has been particularly true of my psychological thrillers because I am neither a psychologist nor a policeman, though I have always had a deep-seated interest in both (along with serial killers). But, isn’t Google wonderful? On occasions, because I write stories set in my home state of Western Australia I have to visit those places I write about, but it’s all very piecemeal, if you know what I mean? I stop writing to research something that has popped up, figure it out, then go back to writing. I find that by writing this way, I want to know what is going to happen next, because truthfully I have no idea, and sometimes I pen a passage and sit back afterward and think, Where the heck did that come from? I have found, that in my humble opinion, the best things I’ve written came through me, and not from me, if that makes sense?

But for Winter at the Light, this was not the case. The idea came, as they often do for me, while I was driving along, almost in auto pilot mode. The traffic was its usual annoying self and I wasn’t thinking about anything terribly important, not even concrete if I’m honest. Suddenly, a random thought snuck into my consciousness and said: The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter. I have no idea where it came from, or why I even thought it, one moment I was wondering what time I’d get to work, and the next I was thinking about a lighthouse, and in particular the daughter of the keeper. Weird? You bet, welcome to my life.

When I arrived at work, I was so fascinated I Googled it and discovered it had been a book, written many years before and I felt immediately disappointed that it hadn’t been an original idea. But, it wouldn’t go away and all through the day I wondered things like, why is she looking after the lighthouse for her father? Surely, it had to be years ago as to the best of my knowledge lighthouses are mostly automated these days. Slowly the plotline came together, a twenty-year-old woman, a nurse who lost her mother during the war when she was a child agrees to tend a remote lighthouse miles from anywhere when her father is injured and he will lose his job if she doesn’t.

Then a very curious thing happened. I was driving home that same evening, daydreaming, and as clear as a bell, in my mind’s eye, I saw a young woman, in a horrendous raging storm risk her life and wade into the crashing waves to grab a life raft. In the inflatable dinghy, is an injured man, and he has lost his memory…or has he?

Never before, except perhaps when I had the idea for Thirty-Three Days, and that came to me in a dream, has an emerging plot line been so vivid in my imagination. I knew for example, the man was on the run, and he had been shot and wounded, but he says he can’t remember why. I also knew that the men who had shot him, were still hunting for him, and they would eventually turn up at the lighthouse to look for him. So, pretty much I had the outline for the whole story, but I knew nothing about nursing, lighthouses, or the era shortly after the war when in my soul I knew the story had to be set. And so, I researched like never before. By that I mean I studied so I could tell a story, and not tell a story and research along the way.

I found, online, a diary of a lighthouse keeper from the fifties, and read every single word. I learned how kerosene fueled lights operated, the responsibilities of the keepers in an era before we had satellite navigation, radio check ins, the officialdom that ran the operations, and so much more. Then nursing, what was it like in the fifties? It was male dominated and these wonderful women were, in general, treated poorly by the hospital, and doctors. Next the war, Molly (I’d come up with her name by then) lost her mother in an air raid, while her father was in the navy as chief medical officer; more research.

So, by the time I sat down to write the first words, I had an incredible amount of information I knew I would need to tell the story of Molly, and her stay at Forbe’s Reef Light, during the worst storm season of the decade, and her eventual fight for survival against two men who are going to come to the island and kill the man she has been nursing back to health. It was exhilarating for me, and I hope I have done the story the justice it deserved.

Winter at the Light is a love story, a thriller, and it is historical. It is set in a more romantic, less promiscuous era than now and features one very special woman. Molly is not one of the ‘beautiful people’; she is just a normal, everyday young woman, who must find strength and courage she doesn’t know she has to survive. When there is nowhere to hide, she must stand and fight back against two armed men who want to kill her.

Thanks so much to Judith for hosting me, and letting me rave on about Winter at the Light.

My pleasure, Stephen. It sounds like a wonderful story! I love it when inspiration strikes out of the blue; thank you for sharing yours with us. Wishing you all the best with the book!

A little more about Winter at the Light:

Forbes Lighthouse is a dangerous place. Twenty-year-old Molly McLaren agrees to tend the light when her father breaks his leg, so she leaves behind the city and her nursing career. Molly dreads the thought of three months as the sole inhabitant on the tiny island, nineteen nautical miles off the rugged coastline of Augusta in Western Australia.

Molly discovers she enjoys the solitude, and when a massive storm arrives bringing a life raft, Molly risks her life to save the unconscious man inside. On waking, he says he has lost his memory but as Molly nurses him back to health she wonders if he has. When the storm finally clears, Molly has fallen for the man she’s nicknamed John, but still has doubts about his honesty.

The real danger arrives with two men who are searching for her mystery man. They want to kill him and anyone else who can identify them, and Molly quickly learns; on a lighthouse, there is nowhere to hide.

A peek between the pages:

A man sat on a chair in front of the desk, and Mrs. Frost waited with fingers tented. “Come in, Molly, please take a seat,” Mrs. Frost said softly and smiled, but to Molly, it looked like a shark grinning. She was in her fifties with silver, gray curly hair and wore a yellow shirt buttoned to the neck with a ribbon tied in a bow at the collar. “This is Mr. Darcy Harpington, from the Department of Marine and Harbors; he has some news for you about your father.”

The man stood up and held out his hand to shake. He was short, balding, with spectacles which sat halfway down his nose and wore a gray pinstriped suit. Molly barely noticed as her heart leaped inside her mouth. “What about Dad, what’s wrong, is he hurt?” She struggled to retain tears of fear from pouring forth. She knew it would be terrible news; it had to be, why else is he here? She worried.

The man smiled and raised a placating hand. “No need to panic; your father is a remarkable man, Miss McLaren. He broke his leg out on the rocks while checking the moorings for the boat during a severe storm. He made it back to the light basically by crawling; it was quite a journey; he tells us. Being a doctor, he has splinted his leg and been in constant radio contact since. We are sending a boat out to pick him up tomorrow; the weather forecast is for the storm to ease enough to go and evacuate him. We need to get him into hospital for X-rays, set the leg properly, and make sure he’s done no permanent damage from crawling over the rocky ground.”

Molly looked from one to the other, unable to understand what they were saying. Dad broke his leg, she thought. She realized she was in shock. Molly sat down, hard, on the straight-backed chair, as the man sat back down too. Just for a moment, she had a mental image of her father dying, and her world went black.

She knew he could be stubborn and obstinate when he had a bee in his bonnet, and how typical of him not to lie down without a fight. Crawled back to the lighthouse with a broken leg in a severe storm? She was incredulous. Molly had spent three weeks there and knew the terrain well from her frequent exploratory walks. He’d achieved a miraculous result if the accident happened anywhere near the dock. Tears welled in her eyes, never did she realize just how much she loved him, and needed him in her life, until then. “He’s going to be all right?” she asked in a quivering voice.

“Yes Miss McLaren, we believe he will be fine after a lengthy hospital stay. It’s possible, I’m told, the doctors may need to reset the fracture, and put him in a cast, possibly stretch the leg back into place.” He nodded slightly and stared pointedly at her; the implication of the seriousness unsaid.

“I’d like to thank you, Mr. Harpington, for coming to tell me personally, that was very kind of you.”

“Oh, think nothing of it, Miss McLaren. Your father has done a sterling job for getting on toward two years for us, and he is a valued member of our lighthouse staff. Um, that brings me to another matter, which he asked me to discuss with you.”

She had been staring down at her hands as they gripped and clasped each other but looked up sharply at his words. She didn’t like the sudden change in his tone. “And, just what is that?” She recognized the defensive aggression in her tone of voice, and it shocked her. Calm down, Molly girl, you’ve had a shock, be careful, she told herself sternly.

He made a performance of taking his spectacles off, then removing a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiping them. “Miss McLaren, your father understands, we cannot leave the light unattended, and if we replace him with another employee, then…”

“You won’t let him go back?” She saw the predicament immediately and was suddenly angry, enough to slap the officious looking man. Molly stood up, furious and almost shouted, “Dad donates a leg to the cause, and he loses his job, is that what you are telling me, Mr. Harpington?”

“Mind your tone, Molly,” Mrs. Frost interjected. “Sit down; there could be an alternative which Mr. Harpington and I have discussed. Mr. Harpington has sought a special arrangement with his Department, and this hospital, at your father’s behest, to find a solution to the problem. I would suggest you hold on to that temper of yours until you’ve heard what he has to say.”

Buy the book on Amazon!

Connect with Stephen:

Website

Twitter: @stephenBKing1

Facebook: @stephenbkingauthor

Email: stephenk8@me.com

Medieval Monday ~ A WINTER KNIGHT

15 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

A Winter Knight, award winning author, Barbara Bettis, Judith Sterling, Knights of Destiny, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, Night of the Owl, The Novels of Ravenwood

Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our nature theme continues, and I’m delighted to feature A Winter Knight by award-winning author and friend Barbara Bettis.  This book is part of her Knights of Destiny series and a wonderful read.  If you’re following my excerpt from Night of the Owl, you can find the seventh snippet on Barbara’s blog today.

Now, let’s enjoy her seventh snippet:

Luck was with him, however. The snow, while blowing like a needle-toothed banshee earlier, hadn’t completely filled in the tracks left by the riderless horse. Faint, but Nicholas could make out the slight indentations. Northeast, then.

He and Solomon plodded along the path, stopping once to investigate a drift at the edge of the road, only to find a skiff of hardened snow covering a low bush.  When he remounted, he tugged the heavy wool cloak tighter around his shoulders. The wind might have laid, but the air was turning colder. He beat his hands together. They were numbing in spite of his sturdy leather gloves.

See what happens next here: https://www.cathymacraeauthor.com/bits-n-bobs-author-blog

Find last week’s here: http://ruthacasie.blogspot.co.uk

A little more about A Winter Knight:

Sir Nicholas has given up on marriage. These days he’s content to captain his friend’s troops and avoid entanglements—until one winter night when he rescues a half-frozen woman from a snowstorm. Her irrepressible spirit and kindness to others reminds him that all ladies aren’t like his former intended, who wed his brother while Nick was on crusade. But he can’t open his heart to Lady Clare. She’s bound to another, and Nick won’t forfeit his honor. Even if she were free, he has nothing to offer but love, and this lady deserves everything.

Lady Clare’s dying grandfather has arranged her betrothal, but the arrival of the man she’s to wed sends her fleeing into a snowstorm. Injured when her horse stumbles, she’s rescued by a mysterious knight. She recovers at his run-down manor, safe at last—until her betrothed tracks her down two days before Christmas. Trapped at home with the wedding imminent, she longs for the winter knight she’s come to love.

Only a miracle can bring Clare and Nick together. But at Christmas, anything is possible.

Buy the book:

Amazon | Kobo

That’s all for this Medieval Monday.  See you next week!  🙂

Cover Reveal ~ VANILLA WITH A TWIST by Peggy Jaeger

10 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

award winning author, cover reveal, Judith Sterling, One Scoop or Two, Peggy Jaeger, romance series, The Wild Rose Press, Vanilla with a Twist

Today, one of my sister Roses (published by The Wild Rose Press) is revealing the cover of her upcoming release, Vanilla with a Twist.  It’ll be part of our publisher’s summer series, One Scoop or Two.  Isn’t it cute?  Here’s the scoop (pun intended!):

Tandy Blakemore spends her days running her New England ice cream parlor, single-parenting her teenage son, and trying to keep her head above financial water. No easy feat when the shop’s machinery is aging and her son is thinking about college. Tandy hasn’t had a day off in a decade and wonders if she’ll ever be able to live a worry-free life.

Engineer Deacon Withers is on an enforced vacation in the tiny seaside town of Beacher’s Cove. Overworked, stressed, and lonely, he walks into Tandy’s shop for a midday ice cream cone and gets embroiled in helping her fix a broken piece of equipment.

Can the budding friendship that follows lead to something everlasting?

Sounds like a great summer read!  Visit Peggy’s blog here for more info.

TO WEAVE A HIGHLAND TAPESTRY by Mary Morgan

12 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

award winning author, Celtic paranormal, excerpt, fantasy romance, guest post, Judith Sterling, Legend of the Yew Tree, Mary Morgan, new release, Order of the Dragon Knights, Scotland, The Wild Rose Press, To Weave a Highland Tapestry

My dear friend and sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) Mary Morgan is here today!  We’re celebrating her new release, To Weave a Highland Tapestry, and she’s written a wonderful guest post about the legend of the yew tree.  Let’s read on…

In To Weave a Highland Tapestry, I considered it time to give the hero, Patrick MacFhearguis his own “happy ever after.” He’s been a huge secondary character since my first book and series, Dragon Knight’s Sword, Order of the Dragon Knights. I sensed he was brooding at his home in Scotland. What he needed was a wife and a purpose. In truth, he has been a favorite of mine since he stepped into the first story. I made his castle, Leòmhann, as the center of this love story, along with an ancient yew tree.

Allow me to take you back in time to ancient Scotland…

When the ancient MacFhearguis clan settled near the Great Glen in Scotland, the Chieftain wished to bless the land, and his castle known as Leòmhann—the lion. Druids came from far away, bestowing their approval over stone, land, and people. Afterwards, they took part in a grand feast. Drink and food overflowed in the Great Hall. The bards recounted the great tales. Minstrels played songs of past triumphs, and the dancing and feasting lasted for countless days.

However, another tale lay buried within the stone walls of Leòmhann and only those brave enough could relate the true account.

It was whispered there were those in the clan—weavers from an ancient order from the west—not happy with the Chieftain’s refusal to offer a gift to the Fae who had graced his land before him. He deemed their request foolish and banished these irritating women to the forest.

Saddened by this act from their Chieftain, the women grew concerned the Fae would not give their own blessing over this new land, leaving their people without a compassionate and wise leader. Regardless of his order to silence them, they sought another path to right this injustice.

Gathering around a bonfire on a moonlit Samhain eve, each woman brought with them one long golden thread from their looms. On a whispered prayer, they knotted them all together. Traveling deep into the forest far away from Leòmhann, they came upon a young yew tree. As they swayed softly, the women wrapped the knotted threads around the tree. After they were finished, they joined hands and sang out as one.

“Seasons will ebb and flow—battles shall be fought.

The loom of the land shall not see rebirth.

From left to right, the strands of time will knot and break.

Only when a weaver threads the true color on a winter full moon night, shall the land, stone, and clan be cleansed.”

Smiling, they embraced each other, deeming their prayer had been received by the Fae. As the leaves rustled beneath their feet, none of them ever fathomed that the true master weaver to claim the heart of a MacFhearguis would not appear for over eight hundred years.

And as the centuries passed, the legend of the Yew tree became more of a curse, and the land around Leòmhann suffered.

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?

A peek between the pages:

His kiss was urgent, demanding. Patrick thrust his tongue into her soft heat. The air swirled in a tempest of passion as the kiss deepened. No longer caring if anyone came upon them, Patrick continued to feast on her mouth.

“How many kissing boughs have our wives placed in this castle?” asked Stephen.

“In every nook, stone, and chamber. I would not be surprised to find one in the stables or lists,” replied Duncan.

Stephen laughed. “By the hounds, I do love Midwinter.”

Gwen stiffened against Patrick. Placing a finger over her mouth, he waited for the conversation to fade before relaxing his stance and stepping back. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as the men made their way into the feasting hall. Returning his attention to Gwen, he pulled her out of the alcove.

Her cheeks were stained a becoming pink, and full lips begged to be kissed again. Patrick raked a hand through his hair, doing his best to refrain from backing her inside the hidden enclosure again.

She giggled and stole a glance upward within the alcove. “Yes. We can blame it on the kissing boughs.”

He laughed nervously. “This is a first.”

“Are you confessing you’ve never kissed another under these boughs?”

Reaching for her hand, he caressed her fingers. “Never. Leòmhann has seen many a Midwinter feast, but no one dared to place these kissing boughs within the castle.”

She tilted her head to the side. Her joyful expression faded. “May I ask why?”

Once again, Patrick was reminded of the curse which surrounded his home. He looked down at her tiny hand. What could he offer Gwen? Why did he continue to pursue her without the promise of tomorrow? Should he confess all to her now?

She squeezed his hand. “If it’s too painful to talk about, I’ll understand. Let us enjoy this evening and not dwell on unhappy thoughts.”

Her words brought comfort to Patrick’s tortured spirit. Giving her a weak smile, he brought her hand into the crook of his arm. “Ye are correct. Let us welcome the light of Midwinter tonight.”

Patrick’s steps slowed as he guided them into the hall. The atmosphere was one of cheerfulness, laughter, and music. Greenery adorned the entire room—from wooden beams to tables. Children scurried past them in glee, and his heart leaped at the sight.

“My goodness. It’s beautiful,” observed Gwen, leaning against him. “And look, they’ve brought Meggie’s tapestry back inside the hall. The MacKays surely know how to celebrate.”

Within that moment, Patrick made a silent vow that one day he would see the same light enter his home. His heart soared at the possibility. With ye by my side, Gwen, I shall give ye this beauty.

Where to buy the book:

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

More about Mary:

Award-winning Celtic paranormal and fantasy romance author, Mary Morgan, resides in Northern California with her own knight in shining armor. However, during her travels to Scotland, England, and Ireland, she left a part of her soul in one of these countries and vows to return.

Mary’s passion for books started at an early age along with an overactive imagination. Inspired by her love for history and ancient Celtic mythology, her tales are filled with powerful warriors, brave women, magic, and romance. It wasn’t until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling by writing romance. Now, the worlds she created in her mind are coming to life within her stories.

If you enjoy history, tortured heroes, and a wee bit of magic, then time-travel within the pages of her books.

Where to find her:

WEBSITE/BLOG:  https://www.marymorganauthor.com/

TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/m_morganauthor

FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/MaryMorganAuthor/      

GOODREADS:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8271002.Mary_Morgan

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/

PINTEREST:  www.pinterest.com/marymorgan50/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/marymorgan2/

BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-morgan

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-morgan-2634a77a/

AUDIBLE AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.audible.com/author/Mary-Morgan/B00KPE3NWI

Best of luck with the book, Mary!  🙂

An Interview with Linda Nightingale, author of SINNERS’ OPERA

17 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Author Interview, award winning author, Judith Sterling, Linda Nightingale, new release, Night of the Owl, Sinners' Opera, The Wild Rose Press, vampire fiction, vampire romance

I’m thrilled to have another sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) here today.  Please welcome Linda Nightingale!  Her latest book, Sinners’ Opera, was released on October 7.  Let’s get to know her…

At what age did you write your first story?

I always told my friends stories from the age of about 8 and thought of scenarios that we could play, like raking leaves to form a house, then being princesses or housewives. Big jump, right? Not for us. The first story I remember writing was in 9th grade in place of a book report. It was sci-fi about an alien discovered on Earth and his flight from his captors.  He had silver-pink hair. (Hey, he’d be right in style today.)

Which genre was the first to hook you?

Romance and sci-fi.

What was your first published book?

My first book was Gemini Rising, which deals with a very sensitive, taboo for the most part subject. I wrote it because the characters woke me up one Sunday after a night on Miami Beach, and I wrote the first pages in purple on a legal pad. (Oh, no, purple prose!) A Canadian publisher picked it up, and it did fairly well considering the subject.

Sounds intriguing.  What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Brainstorming?  Research?  Outlining?  Writing?  Editing?

Easy. Writing. I’m not keen on research or editing but I love the white hot stream of creativity that flows from your fingers when the words are coming faster than you can type.

What are you working on now?

A companion story to Sinners’ Opera. In The Piano Man, Morgan is playing in a smoky piano bar, and in walks a love from his WWII days as a dashing RAF pilot flying night raids over Germany.  Of course, our vampire hero hasn’t changed a bit.  It goes back to the WWII story, then finishes in early 2005.

Cool!  Of all the settings you’ve used (or created!) for your books, which is your favorite?

Charleston, SC.  Charleston is my favorite city in the US. It was founded during the reign of Charles II and also ties to Morgan. A trip down the beautiful Battery takes you back to the Civil War with the cannons at White Point Gardens, and the gorgeous Antebellum mansions.

My great-grandmother lived in Charleston, so I went there as a little girl.  A beautiful place!  If you could have a conversation with anyone—dead or alive—who would it be?

Charles II of England. He was banished when his father was executed by Oliver Cromwell, but in 1660, he was restored to the throne by invitation. His court was known for being rowdy and a bit lascivious.

If you could step inside any book or series and live there for a week, which would you choose?

Probably either Game of Thrones or Outlander.

If a fairy godmother appeared and offered you one thing—anything at all—what would you request?

Enough money to live very comfortably for the rest of my life and have more left to will to my sons.

That’s a wish I share!  Now, it’s time to learn some of your favorites…

Sound:  The purr of Jaguar E-type exhausts.

Eye color: Blue

Foreign language (whether or not you speak it!):  French

Song:  “Phantom of the Opera”

Book:  Fever Dream by George R.R. Martin

Movie: The Libertine with Johnny Depp

TV show:  Game of Thrones

Cuisine:  Indian

Cookie:  Macadamia

US location: Charleston, SC

Foreign location:  Yorkshire, UK, where my son lives.

I love that area of England and long to go back one day.  Most of my upcoming release, Night of the Owl, takes place there!  Okay…last but not least, list your preference from the following choices:

Tea or coffee?  Coffee

Cake or pie?  Cake

Halloween or Christmas?  Hard choice.

I know; I love them both.  Nancy Drew or Sherlock Holmes?  Neither.

Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters? Jane Austen

A mortal, vampire, ghost, or fae for a lover?  mortal

English gent, Scottish highlander, European count, or all-American guy? English lord

Thanks so much for joining me today, Linda.  Best of luck with Sinners’ Opera!  Now, here’s the scoop on the book:

Morgan D’Arcy is an English lord, a classical pianist, and a vampire. He has everything except what he desires most—Isabeau. As the Angel Gabriel he’s steered her life and career choice, preparing her to become Lady D’Arcy. Many forces oppose Morgan’s daring plan—not the least of which is Vampyre law.

Isabeau Gervase is a brilliant geneticist Though she no longer believes in angels, she sees a ticket to a Nobel Prize in Gabriel’s secrets—secrets that have led her to a startling conclusion. Gabriel isn’t human, and she fully intends to identify the species she named the Angel Genome. Morgan is ready to come back into Isabeau’s life, but this time as a man not an angel. Will he outsmart his enemies, protect his beloved and escape death himself? For the first time in eternity, the clock is ticking.

A peek between the pages:

“Run, Mary,” I panted, shoving her.  “For God’s sake, run.”

Her hands branded my shoulders.  Need coursed through me.

Her brow puckered.  “How did you know my name?”

“You look like a Mary,” I gasped, trying to crawl away.  “Bloody hell, run, woman.”

Saliva broke beneath my tongue.  My heart thundered like a cavalry charge.  Fever stung my veins.  Instinct twisted me around to face my salvation and my damnation.  My lips parted to reveal the one unmistakable characteristic of my kind.

“Fangs.” She recoiled, clutching her cross. “Lord Jesus, save me from this demon.”

I knelt in front of my savior, bowed my head over her heaving breasts to touch the cross to my lips.  “Too late to run, too late to hide, and Mary dearest, your cross won’t save you.”

I held her gaze, a slow smile parting my lips.  Her eyes clouded, jaw slackening.  Too weak to command my more esoteric powers, I could still mesmerize my prey.  It was just too bloody easy.  Vampires are the perfect predators.  But I had a choice.  Didn’t I?

“What’s your name?”  She inhaled a long, slow breath, toying with my hair. “You’re as beautiful as an angel.”

Another wave of misery broke over me.  She wasn’t the only one who thought I looked like an angel.

Once, the woman I love—the woman who didn’t love me—believed I was an angel.

“My name is Morgan.”  I couldn’t bring myself to say my second name, an angel’s name.

Mary ran her finger down my cheek.  “Pretty name, Morgan.”

So simply, the seductive dance that would end in death began.

Buy the book:

Apple Books

Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

More about Linda:

After 14 years in Texas, Linda just returned home to her roots in South Carolina. She has seven published novels, five of which are available from Audible.com in audio. Breeding and showing Andalusians, she’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer. She has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers’ Magnolia Award and the SARA Merritt.  She retired from a career as a legal assistant at MD Anderson Cancer Center to write full time.

She has 2 wonderful sons—one in Texas; one in England—and 4 equally marvelous grandchildren.

She enjoys dressing up and hosting formal dinner parties!

Where to find her:

Twitter

Facebook

Web Site – Visit and look around. There’s a free continuing vampire story.

Blog – Lots of interesting guests & prizes.

Goodreads

Pinterest

Amazon

BookBub

Vampire Morgan D’Arcy has everything except what he most desires…a woman he has loved since the day she was born…Isabeau.

https://youtu.be/hSsuAW7-UPE

Medieval Monday ~ DAUGHTER OF THE OVERKING

12 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Ashley York, award winning author, bad guy, Daughter of the Overking, excerpt, Facebook, Judith Sterling, literary giveaway, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, Medieval Romance Lovers, new video, Shadow of the Swan, The Novels of Ravenwood, The Warrior Kings

Welcome back to Medieval Monday! I’m excited to have award-winning author Ashley York here today. We’re featuring her medieval romance, Daughter of the Overking, the third book of The Warrior Kings series.

If you’re following my “Bad Guy” excerpt from Shadow of the Swan, you can find the eighth snippet on Ashley’s blog here. Remember to leave a comment there for a chance to win digital copies of the first three books in The Novels of Ravenwood series!

Now, let’s enjoy Ashley’s “Bad Guy” snippet:

“Let me get ye a—”

She shook her head, the movement causing shooting pain behind her eyes, and suddenly the room grew blurry all around her.

“No accident. He was murdered.” The tall man’s words were met with stunned silence.”

“Who would wish him dead?” Tadhg asked.

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.

Buy the book here!

Check out our Medieval Romance Lovers page on Facebook and enjoy this new Medieval Monday video:

See you next Monday!  🙂

Medieval Monday ~ CURSE OF THE HEALER

08 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Ashley York, award winning author, Curse of the Healer, excerpt, Judith Sterling, literary giveaway, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, Shadow of the Swan, The Novels of Ravenwood


Welcome back to Medieval Monday! I’m excited to have award-winning author Ashley York here today. We’re featuring her medieval romance, Curse of the Healer.

If you’re following my excerpt from Shadow of the Swan, you can find the tenth snippet of Robert and Constance’s first encounter on Ashley’s blog. Remember to leave a comment there for a chance to win a signed print copy of the book! Here’s the link: https://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com/blog

Now, let’s enjoy Ashley’s tenth snippet:

“I do.” His voice, no more than a whisper.

A tentative caress to her breast and her nipples tightened, painfully. His open palm running across that sensitive area increased the heat beneath her skirt. She squirmed under his ministrations as he cupped one breast and then the other. Grasping and releasing. The tension bloomed into pleasure and she exhaled.

“A lovely night.” He moved back to her ear, his warm breath making her heart beat faster. “And we are of the same mind.”

She nodded, pressing her breasts against the eager hands that stroked her, blessedly soothing.

“I’ve a great need for ye, Aednat.” His husky whisper intensified her longing.

A hand caressing her backside urged her closer. She molded herself to him, allowing her breasts to be more fully grasped in his hands, the heat becoming nearly unbearable. His persistent mouth suckling at the crook of her neck sent waves of delight through her body, settling between her legs.

Follow along next week when she’s visiting Cathy MacRae’s blog.

A little more about the book:

After the death of Brian Boru in 1014, a legend arose of a healer so great she could raise a man from the dead, with a power so strong it could make any warrior the next high king of Éire…and to steal it away from her, he need only possess her.

Fated to be a healer…

Aednat has spent her entire life training to be the great healer, knowing she must remain alone. When she meets Diarmuid, the intense attraction she feels toward him shakes her resolve to believe in such a legend. If she gives in to the passion he ignites in her, can she settle for being less?

Destined to be his…

Diarmuid of Clonascra is renowned for his bravery in battle. Only one thing daunts him: the prospect of taking a wife. The safest course would be to keep his distance from Aednat, the bold, headstrong healer who’s far too tempting for his peace of mind. But his overking orders him to protect her from a group of craven warriors intent on kidnapping her to steal her power.

What starts as duty for Diarmuid quickly transforms into something more. Aednat’s power might be at risk, but so is his closed-off heart.

Buy the book: https://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com/curse-of-the-healer

See you next Monday!

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