Tag Archives: Night of the Owl

Medieval Monday ~ SHADOW OF THE SWAN

21 Monday Sep 2020

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Welcome to another round of Medieval Monday! Once again, our theme will be “Nature.” Last time, I contributed snippets of an excerpt from Night of the Owl, the fourth book in my medieval romance/time travel series, The Novels of Ravenwood. (By the way, my editor should be sending me the preliminary galley of the fifth and final book, Return of the Raven, soon. Stay tuned for updates!)

For this round of Medieval Monday, I’ll share snippets of an excerpt from the third book, Shadow of the Swan. The “nature” elements won’t become apparent until Snippet #6…unless we’re talking about human nature!

This round will also be different from our usual routine. For the next 12 weeks, I and the other participating authors will post only our own snippets, instead of each other’s. To find links to all of our excerpts each week, visit the Medieval Romance Lovers Facebook page and look for the Medieval Mondays post. (#MedMonFall20)

Now, on with the show! Here’s a little about Shadow of the Swan:

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.

Here’s the first snippet:

            He cradled her face with his hands. “I feel I finally know you. At least, more than I ever have.”

            She smiled through her tears. “I want to be known.”

            “Do you?”

            She nodded. “In every way.”

            He dropped his hands to his sides. “When you say ‘every’…”

            “I want our marriage to be more than spiritual.”

            His eyes widened, and hope shone within them. “You mean physical?”

            “Aye.” Heat flowed into her cheeks. “But not tonight. I still need time to adjust. Please be patient.”

            His gaze probed her soul. “I’ll be anything you want, Constance. Whatever you need, I shall give.”

Buy the book or audiobook:

Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | Walmart | Apple | Kobo | Audible | Apple Audio

Well, that’s it for now. Have a lovely week, and I’ll see you next Monday!  🙂

Binge-Worthy Book Festival ~ NIGHT OF THE OWL

31 Monday Aug 2020

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It’s the last day of the Binge-Worthy Book Festival at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven, and my time travel romance, Night of the Owl, is one of the featured books. I also talk about the first binge-worthy book I ever read. Check it out here!

Be sure to enter the giveaway, if you haven’t already. You could win one of several Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift cards. The drawing will be held tomorrow. Good luck!

Binge-Worthy Book Festival ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

03 Monday Aug 2020

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Calling all readers! Feed your book addiction with N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s Binge-Worthy Book Festival. 68 books 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 time travel romance, Night of the Owl, will be featured on August 31. I even talk about the first binge-worthy book I read. You won’t want to miss it.

Enter the giveaway here!

Open internationally.

Runs August 1 – 31.

Drawing will be held on September 1.

Bookmark this get-together and tell your friends:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/bookpromos/categories/binge-worthy-book-festival

Medieval Monday ~ NIGHT OF THE OWL

13 Monday Jul 2020

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Welcome to the eleventh and final week of Medieval Monday…for this round, at least!  We’re finishing our nature theme, and I’m sharing the conclusion to the excerpt from my time travel romance, Night of the Owl.  So without further ado…

Hugh frowned. “What is it?”

“Naught. I’m sure I’m wrong. Anyway, we found you, and the rest you know.”

“Not in full. You said you kicked and punched the man called Degarre. I would I’d seen you.”

Ardyth jumped to her feet. “I’ll show you now, if you’d like. I promise to be gentle.”

A wicked grin spread across her face. God’s teeth, but she was alluring!

He stood, all too aware of his stiff manhood. “Show me.”

She stepped closer. “I kicked here…” Swiftly, she lifted her leg between his, thankfully stopping short of the obvious goal. “…and he bent forward.” Grasping his shoulders, she made him fold over at the waist. “Then I punched him right here.” Her fist tapped his temple. “He fell to the ground, and your mother hit him over the head with a rock. Then I tied his hands and feet with my stockings.”

He whistled as he straightened. “Pray, remind me not to anger you in future.”

Again, she grinned. “Fear not. You’re safe with me.”

“Am I?” He inched closer, and an invisible cloak of intimacy wrapped around them.

Her smile disappeared, and her eyes darkened in a subtle yet soulful invitation. “Always.”

A little more about Night of the Owl:

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 | Amazon UK | B & N | Apple Books | Kobo

Thanks so much for joining us for this round of Medieval Monday.  We’ll be back with another one soon!  🙂

Medieval Monday ~ WHITE ROSE OF AVALON

06 Monday Jul 2020

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our nature theme continues, and I’m delighted to feature Kelley Heckart’s Arthurian romance, White Rose of Avalon.  It was inspired by The Mists of Avalon, a book I enjoyed so much that I read it in English and Swedish!

If you’re following my excerpt from Night of the Owl, you can find the tenth snippet on Kelley’s blog today.  Now, let’s enjoy her tenth snippet:

Sighing, she lay down, closing her eyes, thinking of Lancelot. She missed his fiery touch. Melancholy weighed on her heart.

A large shadow blocked the sun.

“You are a fine sight to see, my dark beauty.”

Check out the ending to this excerpt on her blog next Monday: https://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

A little more about White Rose of Avalon:

Do you like captivating, passionate historical fantasy featuring King Arthur, Gwenhwyfar, Merlin, Nimue, Morgaine, and Lancelot? Inspired by The Mists of Avalon, this sensual retelling of the Arthurian romances brings these legendary characters to life.

Destiny cannot be altered.

With Britannia falling to the Saxon hordes, Morgaine, Queen of the Faeries, has no choice but to make a pact with the Christian monks. She promises to give them a High King who will unite the Britons against the Saxons if he takes a queen from the faery realm. Morgaine hopes this will restore the Goddess faith and return Avalon to its rightful place. She sends Lancelot to guard the future High King, but when a love potion falls into the wrong hands, all seems lost.

Gwenhwyfar is the only hope for the future, but betrayal, revenge, and forbidden love surround her, all of which could send both Britannia and Avalon into ruins.

Buy the book:

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback

Also available in KU

That’s all for this Medieval Monday!  Join me next week for the conclusion of not only our nature theme round but also my excerpt from Night of the Owl.  See you then!  🙂

Medieval Monday ~ TO WEAVE A HIGHLAND TAPESTRY

29 Monday Jun 2020

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our nature theme continues, and I’m thrilled to feature my dear friend Mary Morgan’s To Weave a Highland Tapestry (A Tale from the Order of the Dragon Knights).  Such a magical cover, don’t you think?

If you’re following my excerpt from Night of the Owl, you can find the ninth snippet on Mary’s blog today.  Now, let’s enjoy her ninth snippet:

His features grew serious, and he brought her hand to his chest. “I can learn. Ye can start by telling me why ye ran out of the chambers.”

And tell you I’m from a land eight hundred years in the future? Nope. Not going to confess that to you. I’ll pretend some silly female problem.

“I think one of those awful men hit me too hard on the head,” she lied.

“Ye seemed taken aback by the year.”

She tried pulling him along, but the man was apparently built of steel. “Not really. You need to get out of this biting chill.”

Patrick lifted his hand and smiled. “’Tis mild.”

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?

Buy the book:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | APPLEBOOKS | BOOK PAGE

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

Medieval Monday ~ EYES OF THE SEER

22 Monday Jun 2020

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our nature theme continues, and I’m excited to feature Eyes of the Seer, the second book in the Warrior Kings series by the lovely Ashley York.  If you’re following my excerpt from Night of the Owl, you can find the eighth snippet on Ashley’s blog today.

Now, let’s enjoy her eighth snippet:

“And I will not.”

Astrid wasn’t sure what to say to convince him that she was sincere in her desire to see to his needs. His chest rose and fell and she noticed his breathing getting faster. Looking from blue eye to green eye, she said, “Allow me to assist ye. I have wronged ye, and I know that. Believe me, I do. I ask ye to allow me to show ye the respect due every warrior. Respect I have been sorely lacking.”

Snap! See what happens next when I’m over at Cathy MacRae’s blog next week.

A little more about Eyes of the Seer:

He wishes to prove himself…

Marcán of Clonascra bears the bloodline of Brian Boru and his prowess as a warrior has earned him great respect from everyone but Astrid, the woman who holds his heart. Between her mother’s condemning him as a pagan Seer and Astrid’s total disinterest, he finds solace as the king’s protector and confidant.

She is desperate to escape…

Astrid is more than ready to wed but her brother, the king, is in no hurry to see her married, so she decides to see to her own match-making. The man she approaches quickly reveals his lack of honor, but her overbearing mother pushes her to wed him anyway. When Astrid discovers Marcán’s love for her, will it be too late to have the happiness she’d always dreamed of?

GRAB A COPY HERE

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

Medieval Monday ~ A WINTER KNIGHT

15 Monday Jun 2020

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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!  🙂

Medieval Monday ~ THE PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE

08 Monday Jun 2020

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our nature theme continues, and I’m excited to feature Cathy and DD MacRae’s The Prince’s Highland Bride, the recently released, sixth book in the Hardy Heroines series.  Don’t you love the cover?!  If you’re following my excerpt from Night of the Owl, you can find the sixth snippet on Cathy’s blog today.

Now, let’s enjoy her sixth snippet:

“Please accept my apology, m’lady. I knew this, yet I thought . . ..” He sighed and stepped away, lifting an arm to the abbey’s walls. “We could strengthen the walls, raise the height, also. Replace the roof. Tile would be best, though mayhap a job for next summer.” His voice took on an impersonal tone.

“I would ask ye to inspect the interior, create a plan for the rooms within. New buildings or additions would also need to be addressed next year. There are not enough weeks left before harvest to do more than fortify what is already here.”

Maggie inhaled sharply. She liked Phillipe when he spoke to her as an equal, but not in this aloof tone that built a wall between them.

Join her next week on Kelley Heckart’s blog: https://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

A little more about The Prince’s Highland Bride:

Phillipe de Poitiers, a prince of Antioch, finds himself a breath away from wrongful execution. Risking everything, he leaves behind his crown, his family, his country—and a body sworn to be his by the Bishop, himself.

Free of court intrigue and drawn to Scotland by memories of a woman who once possessed his heart, Phillipe sells his sword to pay for his travels and accepts the task of guarding the daughter of Laird MacLaren.

When Maggie MacLaren’s abusive marriage fails, she wants nothing more than to retire to her childhood home on the banks of Loch Lomond. Trouble follows her, putting her clan in danger, and she travels to the Isle of Hola, placing her safety in the hands of a mysterious mercenary with a haunted smile and a kind heart.

As Maggie and Phillipe struggle with their pasts, love blooms. But when a pirate’s treasure offers a seductive lure, will it free them—or prove the downfall of all they hold dear?

Buy the book:

Amazon

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

Medieval Monday ~ TIME ENOUGH TO LOVE

01 Monday Jun 2020

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Welcome back to Medieval Monday!  Our nature theme continues, and I’m delighted to feature Jenna Jaxon’s Time Enough to Love.  Isn’t this a lovely cover?

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

Now, let’s enjoy her fifth snippet:

“Oh, Thomas made sure I knew what would happen. I told you, he tried to dissuade me.” Geoffrey would never understand why she had wanted that experience. Part had been the exhilaration of freedom but even more had been her sudden desire for Thomas. “I wanted to, Geoffrey. We had been cooped up in that cabin for five days. I wanted to smell the sea, to taste the salt in the air. I wanted…an adventure. Something to remember when I was old, something to tell my grandchildren and scandalize them. Most of all I wanted…to take control of my life for once.”

Follow Jenna to Mary Morgan’s blog for another excerpt next week.

A little more about Time Enough to Love:

When Lady Alyse de Courcy is betrothed to Sir Geoffrey Longford, she has no choice but to make the best of a bad bargain. The hulking knight is far from her ideal man, and although he does possess some wit and charm, he is no match for the sinfully sensual man she secretly admires, Thomas, Earl of Braeton, her betrothed’s best friend.

From the first, Sir Geoffrey finds himself smitten by Lady Alyse, and, despite her infatuation with his friend, vows to win her love. When Geoffrey puts his mind to wooing Alyse, he is delighted to find her succumbing to his seduction. But when cruel circumstances separate them, Geoffrey must watch helplessly as Thomas steps in to protect Alyse—and falls in love with her himself.

As the three courtiers accompany Princess Joanna to her wedding in Spain, they run headlong into the Black Plague. With her world plunged into chaos, Alyse struggles with her feelings for both the men she loves. But which love will survive?

GRAB YOUR COPY HERE

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