Tag Archives: medieval romance

Medieval Monday ~ DRAGON KNIGHT’S SHIELD

12 Monday Nov 2018

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  It’s Week Two of our “Family” theme, and I’m thrilled to feature my dear friend and award-winning author, Mary Morgan’s work, Dragon Knight’s Shield (Order of the Dragon Knights, Book Four).  Don’t you love this cover?!

If you’re following my excerpt from Flight of the Raven, you can find the second snippet on Mary’s blog: www.marymorganauthor.com

Now, let’s enjoy her second snippet:

Hearing the door closed, Angus slumped down against the stone wall. The druid’s visit left him raw with emotions. Hanging his head in his hands, he thought back to the night of Meggie’s death, shoving aside the vision of her lifeless body, he brought forth the image of the Guardian. Closing his eyes, he could see her in all her beauty and then she spoke. Across the sea, their destiny awaits. A love will meet through time and space. To right a wrong within this place. Beneath the gate to test your fate.

Deirdre was sent to him across the veil of time. A test—one he had failed to see.

Follow along next week on Barbara Bettis’ blog: http://barbarabettis.blogspot.com/

For a chance to win a signed print copy of Dragon Knight’s Shield, please leave a comment.  And don’t forget to visit Mary’s blog and comment on my snippet for a chance to win Flight of the Raven (or if you already have a copy, your choice of another of my books)!

A little more about Dragon Knight’s Shield:

Angus MacKay, leader of the Dragon Knights, failed his brothers and his clan upon the death of his sister. Now he must fight the darkness of despair tempting his soul. Back on Scottish soil, he comes face to face with Deirdre who can wield a sword as mightily as his warriors, and takes her captive. Yet, with each passing day, the fire dragon inside him roars to claim the one woman fate has destined for him.

Famed mystery writer, Deirdre Flanagan, is unprepared for the next chapter in her life. On a vacation to Scotland, she steps through the mists and enters into a skirmish alongside a Highlander. However, the fight has only begun, and now she must battle Angus as well as evil in order to claim the love of this Dragon Knight.

Will their love be powerful enough to shield them from danger, or burn them to ashes?

Buy Links: AMAZON | BN | KOBO | iTunes

See you next Monday!

Medieval Monday ~ THE GUARDIAN’S WITCH

05 Monday Nov 2018

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Medieval Monday is back!  I’m teaming up with seven amazing authors of medieval romance, and every Monday for the next eight weeks, we’ll share excerpts from each other’s books on our blogs.

This round’s theme is “Family” in honor of all the family holidays during the next two months.  Each excerpt will be broken into eight snippets; mine will be from Flight of the Raven (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book One).  My excerpt highlights brotherly trust, support, and love…tough love, in this case.  Sometimes, only a trusted sibling can open one’s eyes.

Each Monday, I’ll feature a snippet from another author’s book and tell you where to find the next bit of the story.  I’ll also let you know where to find my snippet.

On the last Monday (December 24), I’ll feature the final snippet from my own excerpt here on my blog.  If you follow along and comment on the snippets from Flight of the Raven, you could win a digital copy of the book.  If you already own a copy, you’ll have your choice of any one of my other books, fiction or nonfiction.  I’ll announce my winner on Monday, December 31.  The other authors will also award prizes to commenters, so you have lots of chances to win!

USA Today bestselling author Ruth A. Casie is featuring my first snippet on her blog: https://www.RuthACasie.blogspot.com

I’m featuring hers from The Guardian’s Witch, Book One of the Stelton Legacy. Let’s take a look!

“Jamie,” Tom called. “We captured six English. They were tracking Alex.”

Jamie and Alex sat in the main room of the hunting lodge. They looked up from a large parchment map on the table.

“Your brothers?” Jamie waved his hand at the six men accompanied by highland guards.

“Yes, I thought they would follow.” Alex left the table to welcome them.

“Alex.” Cameron came forward. “With the carnage we passed on the trail, we arrived at the conclusion you’ve made at least one friend here. We thought about going back but we knew we would upset Mother if we arrived without you.”

The excerpt continues next week on Sherry Ewing’s blog: https://sherryewing.com/blog/

Don’t forget, commenters each week will be entered into a drawing for a free digital copy of The Guardian’s Witch.  And visit Ruth’s blog to comment on my snippet for a chance to win Flight of the Raven or another of my books!

A little more about The Guardian’s Witch:

Will he come in time or must she trust in her magic and risk exposure as a witch to save them both?

England, 1290

Lord Alex Stelton can’t resist a challenge, especially one with a prize like this: protect a castle on the Scottish border for a year, and it’s his. Desperate for land of his own, he’ll do anything to win the estate—even enter a proxy marriage to Lady Lisbeth Reynolds, the rumored witch who lives there.

Feared and scorned for her second sight, Lisbeth swore she’d never marry, but she is drawn to the handsome, confident Alex. She sees great love with him but fears what he would think of her gift and her visions of a traitor in their midst.

Despite his own vow never to fall in love, Alex can’t get the alluring Lisbeth out of his mind and is driven to protect her when attacks begin on the border. But as her visions of danger intensify, Lisbeth knows it is she who must protect him. Realizing they’ll secure their future only by facing the threat together, she must choose between keeping her magic a secret and losing the man she loves.

Check out Ruth’s books here:

https://ruthacasie.com/books.html

See you next Monday!

N. N. Light’s Gobble Gobble…Gobble Up Books Giveaway ~ FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN

03 Saturday Nov 2018

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Gobble, gobble . . . Do you hear that? It’s the international call for booklovers, courtesy of the persnickety turkey. It’s time to fill up your e-reader and/or physical library with a cornucopia of books, and this giveaway is a great place to start. N. N. Light has gathered new releases and wonderful backlist titles in one giveaway. My medieval romance, Flight of the Raven (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book One) is one of the prizes.

Enter below and good luck!

Gobble Gobble. . . Gobble Up Books Giveaway: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775021

 

 

NIGHT OF THE OWL ~ An Excerpt

13 Saturday Oct 2018

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It’s a rainy day here in Salem, MA, so I’m staying indoors, baking an apple pie, and writing more of Night of the Owl, the fourth of The Novels of Ravenwood.  Time travel plays a large role in this one!  Here’s a peek at the first pages of this work in progress:

Northumberland, England
July, 1986

For the love of God, stay awake! It’s not much farther. Ardyth Nightshade gripped the steering wheel of her rental car and yawned, bringing welcome tears to her dry, scratchy eyes as she continued driving north.

The morning traffic was unremarkable. Nonexistent compared to rush hour in Chicago. Even so, driving on the left side of narrow roads flanked by stone walls waiting to crush one at the slightest mistake required all the focus she could muster. If only she’d been able to sleep on the plane!

Excitement forbade it, on both the overseas flight to London and the connecting one to Newcastle. Ruled by adrenaline, she’d daydreamed the hours away. A PhD student in Medieval Studies couldn’t ask for a better summer job than the one she’d landed. Not only would she work as research assistant to Professor Henri Seacrest, but after two long decades, she was finally returning to her father’s ancestral home. Memories from childhood—some vague, others clear and resonant—had made Nightshade Manor synonymous with magic. She itched to see the place again.

Now she was paying for her eagerness, running on fumes and sporting dark circles under her eyes. She cast a second glance at the rearview mirror, in the hope that her first was too critical.

It wasn’t. Long but limp blonde hair. Shadows beneath her brown eyes. Next to no redeeming makeup. She’d worn only foundation, just enough to keep from scaring small children on the flight, and then the airline lost her makeup case. Better that than her clothes, but still…

At least she wore a new skirt and blouse. Travel had wrinkled them a bit, but there was no possibility of ironing them now. No way to cover the fresh scuff on her right shoe either.

With a sigh of acceptance, she returned her attention to the road. I’ll make one hell of an impression on my new boss. If I can keep my eyes open long enough to get there.

Like a beacon of mercy, the ruins of Nihtscua Castle—her ancestors’ earlier home—came into view. High on a throne of rock, the ancient keep held vigil over the modern town of Prestby, the merger of the medieval villages of Preostbi and Nihtscua. Most of the buildings dated to the 18th and 19th centuries. Relatively new to a history buff like her…and her professors…and PhD candidates like…

No!

She refused to blight her summer with thoughts of her ex-boyfriend. This was her time, her adventure. Afterward, she would return to the university trailing clouds of glory, and no one would interfere with her academic career. Not even that rank-stank piece of—

Let it go!

The castle towered above as she braked before its entrance path. She couldn’t wait to explore the place again. Later, she promised herself. First things first.

She turned right and drove the short distance up the hill to the manor. The gates were open, so she went on through, followed the circular driveway toward the house, and parked right in front. Her pulse quickened as she stepped out of the car and gazed upward.

Nightshade Manor was everything an Elizabethan home should be: built of stone and crowned by a multitude of chimneys reaching toward the soft morning sky. Its large mullioned windows beckoned, and she hastened to the great oak door. She lifted her hand to knock, but the door swung open before she made contact.

A marvel of masculinity stood before her. It was as if the doorway existed for the sole purpose of framing his tall, broad-shouldered frame. His short black hair framed a clean-shaven face whose smooth, hard lines set the stage for a full, sensuous mouth and wide gray eyes. Despite his casual attire of jeans and a blue, button-down shirt, he oozed authority…and more sex appeal than she’d ever encountered up close.

She found her voice. “Professor Seacrest?”

He enfolded her upraised hand with both of his. Their warmth flowed into her as his steady gaze held hers.

“Please, call me Henri.” A French accent laced his words. “You must be Ardyth.”

I must? Argh! Don’t be an idiot. “Yes.”

She hadn’t expected him to be so young. Mid-thirties at most. Her father had made him sound quite distinguished, which he must be to convince her parents to let him spend the entire summer in their home while researching Anglo-Saxon sites. Of course, her mom and dad were currently back in Illinois, in the house where she’d lived most of her life.

Henri still held her hand. She looked down at it and cleared her throat.

Quickly, he released it. “Forgive me.”

That’s it for now.  What I’m writing today is much further along in the story, but I wanted to show you a snippet.  If you’d like to catch up on the whole Ravenwood story by reading the three previous books, click here for buy links:  https://judithmarshallauthor.com/my-books/

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend!  🙂

Guest Author Mary Morgan ~ OATH OF A WARRIOR

19 Wednesday Sep 2018

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I’m thrilled to have my dear friend and talented author Mary Morgan here today!  I’ve featured some of her work during our Medieval Monday rounds, and she’s featured excerpts from my medieval romance series, The Novels of Ravenwood.  But today, as a special treat, she’s written a lovely post to celebrate her recent release, Oath of a Warrior.  So I’ll just sit back and enjoy it with you.  Take it away, Mary!

Hello Judith!

Thanks for having me on your wonderful blog today!

OATH OF A WARRIOR, Legends of the Fenian Warriors, Book 2 is about second chances, healing, renewal, and those that tend not to fit within the rules of society. You first meet the hero in Dragon Knight’s Sword, Order of the Dragon Knights, Book 1. The Fae Warriors were prominent throughout this series, so I was thrilled to give them all their own stories. Rory MacGregor was the most tortured hero I’ve ever written, and I’ve chosen the first few pages of Chapter One to share with your readers. This opening scene reflected the anguish he kept hidden and never spoke about to anyone.

In doing research for Oath of a Warrior, I came across hundreds of cases pertaining to witches and the witch trials in Scotland. The records of Scotland’s witch trials spanned over a period of 200 years during the 16th and 17th centuries. However, I did find evidence of several women being burned, or executed in the late 15th century. This was a dark period in Scottish history, exposing a culture of fear and panic that cast a cloud over much of Scotland.

Some of the charges brought against these individuals ranged from belonging to a coven, receiving herbs from the Queen of the Faeries, and using charms against another person. It did not matter if you were a servant or upper class, either. If you wanted to rid yourself of someone, all you had to do was accuse the person of being a witch.

Erina was a wonderful character to write and one I knew who would appeal to Rory. She loved her garden and animals, tended to those who required healing, made love charms, and believed in the old ways. This was a perfect combination for any to accuse her of dealing in the black arts. Yet, she never saw herself as a witch. Only someone who was different. Sadly, even in this century, we tend to look at others who do not walk the same path as the majority as odd.

This recipe is one that I mentioned in the story. It’s a favorite of Erina’s. In 17th century Scotland, she might have made it with less sugar and more honey, or no sugar at all. I’ve adapted this recipe with all sugar. It’s delicious and perfect during the summertime or early autumn months.

Red roses symbolize passion, sacrifice, and love. It’s a perfect blend for my love story and this recipe.

 

Sounds delicious!  Thank you so much for joining me today, Mary.

Now, here’s a bit more about Oath of a Warrior:

“You met them in the Order of the Dragon Knights. Now, journey to the realm of the Fae and witness their legends!”

Fenian Warrior, Rory MacGregor’s love conquests are legendary, but he has never spoken of the one mortal female who captured his heart. After his dark secret is finally revealed, he is ordered to return and seal the wounds left open by her death. Yet, he finds the timeline altered and swears an oath to rewrite fate, even if it brings about his own death.

Erina MacIntyre is known for her healing herbs and love charms. Determined to aid others, she refuses to listen to the whispers that call her a witch. When a Highlander steps forth into her path, he ignites a thread of strange familiarity and sparks a flame of desire she is unable to control.

Can the destiny of two lovers find love once more among the ashes of death and betrayal? Or will history repeat itself, leaving a scorching path of destruction for both mortals and Fae alike?


A peek between the pages:

“In the twilight moments before one wakes, be wary of the fragmented dreams of truth.”

~Chronicles of the Fae

Beneath the Hill of Tara, Ireland, Mid Autumn—the season of harvest and feasting in the Fae Realm

Smoke filled his lungs, strangling his pitiful cries for mercy. Dust coated his mouth, and his eyes burned, reminding him of the flames of dragon fire during raging battles. Repeatedly, they continued to pummel his face, while his hands and feet remained bound as he knelt on the ground. Some threw stones at his head and others spouted vile obscenities and spat on him. He choked back the copper taste of blood and attempted to reason with any one of his captors.

Did they not understand who he was? Did they not know he could boil the blood within their bodies and peel the skin from their bones? He, a great Fenian Warrior could obliterate their entire city!

But he would not. Death would come far more quickly if he harmed so much as a hair on their pathetic bodies. In truth, he was honored bound by an oath to these deplorable humans.

“Bind…me to…the stake,” he pleaded in a choked voice. “Take me.” Fighting the wave of panic and the pain slashing his body, mind, and soul, Rory blinked in an attempt to focus and faced his tormentor.

His captor grabbed a fistful of hair, forcing Rory to view the scene in front of him. “Your time will come, ye spawn of the devil. But ye will first watch how your witch shall die.”

“Nae a witch,” he hissed.

“Liar!” the man shrieked, spittle flying. “Did she not tell wee Alan the charms came from the faeries?”

“A lad’s tale to amuse his friends,” he argued, during fits of coughing spasms.

“Nae!” A woman protested, pushing through the crowds of people. She charged forward and delivered a slap to Rory’s face. “Ye are bewitched by the lass and spout lies about my son.”

She wagged a finger. “Ye should burn with her. Ye have the painted markings of the devil on your body.”

“Leave and go tend to your son,” ordered the man.

Hastily making the sign of the cross, she quickly departed.

“Please, have mercy,” begged Rory.

“Mercy,” he echoed. “So that she may return and cast her evil ways upon us? Nae. She has been found guilty of her crimes.” Releasing his hold on Rory, the man nodded to another.

Rory uttered a curse and looked at the woman bound to the burning stake. Eyes wide with fear gazed back at him as the flames took hold of her dress, licking a path up her body. Not once did she let out a scream of terror. Choking on the scent of burning flesh, he swallowed the bile threatening to heave and attempted to stand. He would not let her die like this. She had done nothing wrong.

Yet, the effort cost Rory when his captor shoved a blade into his side. Pain dulled his senses, and he fought to move forward.

He broke free from his bindings and heard the crowd gasp in horror. No longer caring if any witnessed his power, he lifted his arms, only to have another bash him over the head.

Rory’s last glimpse of the woman he had forsaken were her screams of his name before he succumbed into the dark abyss, praying death would take them both swiftly.

Awakening on a guttural cry, Rory turned and emptied what little he had in his stomach onto the ground. Gasping for breath, he waited for the spasms to settle within his body and rolled on his side. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he leaned against the cool crystal wall of his prison, and let his head drop back. Gazing upward, he watched as the stars glittered like diamonds against an inky velvet night sky.

The dream had once again come unbidden to him during his time spent in the Room of Reflection. Never once had he dreamt of her until he entered his imprisonment. Nae. He had banished the memories—tucked them away to a remote part of his being. Hardened himself against any emotions. Struck her name from any thought and vowed never to reveal to his fellow Fenian brothers his involvement in her capture, imprisonment, and death.

Where to buy Oath of a Warrior:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Oath-Warrior-Legends-Fenian-Warriors-ebook/dp/B07CZSXFYN/

BN (Nook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oath-of-a-warrior-mary-morgan/1128772180?ean=2940162047865

iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/oath-of-a-warrior/id1388814969?mt=11

The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5920-oath-of-a-warrior.html

A bit more about Mary:

Award-winning Celtic paranormal 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. She spent far too much time daydreaming and was told quite often to remove her head from the clouds. It wasn’t until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling–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: http://www.marymorganauthor.com

BLOG: http://www.marymorganauthor.com/blog

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

N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s Fall Bookathon ~ FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN

06 Thursday Sep 2018

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The weekend is almost here!  But it’s not too soon to cast aside your work and worries and dive into a bit of medieval romance.  Flight of the Raven, the first of The Novels of Ravenwood series, is being featured on N. N. Light’s Book Heaven today as part of their ongoing Fall Bookathon.  Read an excerpt from my book, and while you’re at it, make sure to enter the giveaway to win a $150 Amazon gift card!

Here’s the link:  https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/single-post/2018/09/06/Fall-Into-Flight-of-the-Raven-by-Judith-Sterling-and-WildRosePress-historicalromance-giveaway-romancereaders

Hope you enjoy both the excerpt and your weekend.  And good luck with the giveaway!

Five-star Review of SHADOW OF THE SWAN

13 Monday Aug 2018

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I’m so happy and grateful that Shadow of the Swan, the third book in my medieval romance series The Novels of Ravenwood, has received five stars from N. N. Light’s Book Heaven!  Check out the review here:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/single-post/2018/08/13/Two-Souls-in-Need-of-Healing-Shadow-of-the-Swan-by-Judith-Sterling-and-WildRosePress-historicalromance-MedievalMonday-bookreview

I’m making good progress on the fourth book in the series, Night of the Owl.  I’m having a lot of fun with this one!  🙂

Hope everyone has had a good Monday.  Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Another Five-star Review by N. N. Light’s Book Heaven ~ SOUL OF THE WOLF

02 Thursday Aug 2018

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So I woke up this morning to another five-star review from N. N. Light’s Book Heaven, this time for the second of The Novels of Ravenwood, Soul of the Wolf.  I’m so grateful for it and for all my readers, and I love knowing I’ve made them happy!

Check out the review here:  https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/single-post/2018/08/02/Soul-of-the-Wolf-The-Novels-of-Ravenwood-Book-Two-by-Judith-Sterling-is-a-Sweeping-MedievalRomance-romance-bookreview

In the meantime, I’m hard at work on the fourth book in the series, Night of the Owl.  Time travel takes center stage in this one!

We’ve almost made it to the weekend.  Hope you have a great one!  🙂

THE NOVELS OF RAVENWOOD on Audible

01 Wednesday Aug 2018

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Happy first day of August!  It’s the Gaelic festival of Lughnasa–also known as Lammas in the Anglo-Saxon tradition–which marks the beginning of the harvest season.

I, myself, am starting to see the fruits of my labors, especially with my medieval romance series, The Novels of Ravenwood.  The first three books (Flight of the Raven, Soul of the Wolf, and Shadow of the Swan) have been made into Audiobooks, and they’ve received some wonderful reviews!

If you’d like to listen to samples of any or all of them on Audible, follow this link: https://www.audible.com/Judith-Sterling

Wishing you a beautiful August and a successful “harvest” of whatever you desire!

SHADOW OF THE SWAN ~ Sherry Ewing’s First Kiss Friday Blog

27 Friday Jul 2018

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Today, I’m a guest on Sherry Ewing’s First Kiss Friday blog.  She’s sharing an excerpt of Shadow of the Swan, the third of The Novels of Ravenwood.  For those of you following the series, I’m hard at work on the fourth installment, Night of the Owl.

Join Sherry and me on her blog and read the moment when Sir Robert le Donjon first kisses Lady Constance.  Here’s the link:

First Kiss Friday with guest Judith Sterling

Wishing you a happy Friday and a great weekend!  🙂