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Judith Sterling

~ Award-winning Author

Judith Sterling

Tag Archives: romance series

STRONG ENOUGH by Jana Richards and a Giveaway!

24 Tuesday May 2022

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Amazon gift card, Child of Mine, contemporary romance, family life fiction, giveaway, Jana Richards, new release, romance series, Silver Dagger Book Tours, Strong Enough, The Masonville Series, To Heal a Heart, Unexpected

Today, I’m delighted to feature Jana Richards’s new release, Strong Enough. It’s the fourth contemporary romance in The Masonville Series, and I’m guessing you’ll need a box of tissues handy when you read it! Here’s the story:

Love can make you stronger, if you let it.

Charlotte Saunders has a full life–a rewarding career as a nurse, meaningful volunteer work at a dog shelter, and family, friends and pets she adores. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t forget the horrible event that’s haunted her for ten years.

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Damon Greyson now helps others who have suffered trauma. His experience and intuition alert him to trouble in Charlotte’s past, and he wants to help her, if only she’d let him.

As they work together to help veterans suffering from PTSD and neglected dogs needing loving homes, their feelings for each other deepen. But when the trauma from Charlotte’s past roars back to life, both are forced to confront their painful histories—or die trying.

A peek between the pages:

She looked away. “I’m sorry. I hate women who use tears to get what they want. It’s just that yesterday the shelter had to put down some dogs. There was this one old dog, Shep….” She shook her head, unable to finish.

He squeezed her elbow before letting her go. “I’m sorry, Charlotte.”

She nodded and again Damon sensed her vulnerability. Charlotte tried to give off an aura of strength. She was the caregiving nurse, the person others looked to for help. But who helped Charlotte?

After a few breaths, she straightened her shoulders and faced him, her composure once more back in place. “How long do you think it will be?”

“You mean until the retreat is up and running?” When she nodded, he blew out a breath. “I don’t know. My building’s in worse shape than I first thought.”

“If there’s anything I can do to speed up the process, let me know.”

“You know anything about unplugging sewer lines?”

She made a face. “You’re on your own, Greyson.”

Don’t I know it. “Hey, you asked. From now on I’ll only request your help when it comes to dogs.”

She chuckled. “Good plan.”

This time Charlotte’s smile was genuine, and for a moment Damon couldn’t breathe. He found himself wondering what it would be like to have the full force of her smile directed at him on a regular basis, and to know there was real affection for him behind the smile. The longing he experienced at that thought shocked him.

Better not to allow such thoughts to take root. Despite all the work he’d done over the years to overcome the harm done to him in the past, he still had questions. Would it ever be possible for him to have a normal, loving, long-term relationship with a woman? So far, the longest relationship he’d had lasted only six months.

Maybe he’d always be damaged goods.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60582342-strong-enough

Other books in the series:

Single dad Ben Greyson wants only to retain custody of his two stepdaughters. A dysfunctional childhood has made family the most important thing in his life. When his late wife’s parents sue for custody, a desperate Ben is left with two choices – run away with his girls or marry his next-door neighbor.

Jamie Garven wants to be a mother. She’s intrigued by her handsome new neighbor and falls in love with his little girls. Then Ben is faced with losing his children, and Jamie agrees to marry him for a chance at motherhood. They’re determined to show the world, and the girls’ grandparents, two loving parents.
Their marriage of convenience turns into unexpected love. But Ben interprets Jamie’s efforts to save their family as betrayal—they could lose everything, including each other.

**On Sale at Amazon for .99cents June 3 – 17!!**

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * WildRosePress

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57013622-unexpected

Two souls in pain, two hearts in need of rescue.

Garrett Saunders’ world changed two years ago on a road in Afghanistan. Back home, he feels like a stranger. As he struggles to find his place in the world, he meets a horse destined for the slaughterhouse and a woman bent on rescuing the strays of the world, including him.

Blair Greyson moves to Masonville to look after her ailing grandfather and give her rescue horses a home. Right away she butts heads with a surly former Marine. Despite a rocky start, they come to an agreement: Blair will board Garrett’s rescue horse and he’ll help with repairs around her farm.

Garrett finds purpose working with Blair—and falls in love with her. But she’s hiding a secret. Can she forgive herself and accept Garrett’s love, or will she let guilt and regret continue to rule her life?

**On Sale at Amazon for .99cents May 20 – June 3!!**

Add to Goodreads

Amazon* Apple* B&N* Google * Kobo * TheWildRosePress

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53209383-to-heal-a-heart

Is Lauren’s love for Cole stronger than her fear of scandal in her hometown?

Lauren didn’t intend to sleep with her brother-in-law Cole on the day of her husband’s funeral. But now that she is pregnant, she’s not sorry. Cole’s given her a baby, a long-wished-for miracle. He’s been her friend forever, though she never told him or anyone else how unhappy her marriage to his cheating brother was. And she’s afraid to tell the small town that considered her husband a hero that the baby isn’t his.

Cole’s been in love with Lauren since he was sixteen. It kills him that everyone believes the baby is his dead brother’s. All he wants is to claim the baby, and Lauren, as his own. Though she marries him, will Lauren’s heart ever be his?

Lauren must tell the truth or risk losing Cole. Is her newly-discovered love for him greater than her fear of scandal in her hometown?

Add to Goodreads

Amazon* Apple* B&N* Google* Kobo* TheWildRosePress

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43517277-child-of-mine

About the author:

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Where to find her:

Website: http://www.janarichards.com

Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274.Jana_Richards

Newsletter: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter

There’s a giveaway too! Check out the Silver Dagger Book Tour and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

Good luck to everyone, and best wishes to Jana! 🙂

Cover Reveal ~ A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: AIDEN

01 Tuesday Jun 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

A Pride of Brothers: Aiden, A Pride of Brothers: Rick, award-nominated, contemporary romance, cover reveal, Peggy Jaeger, romance series, The Wild Rose Press

Behold the cover of Peggy Jaeger’s upcoming release, A Pride of Brothers: Aiden! It’s the second book in the series; the first, whose hero is Rick, is nominated for a RONE award. (Best of luck, Peg!)

Here’s the scoop on Aiden’s story:

Lexi Buckley wants answers about her younger sister’s death. The police have labeled it a suicide, but Lexi doesn’t believe it. Stymied in her investigation, she doesn’t know where to turn next. After a chance encounter with a private investigator, she thinks her prayers have been answered.

Aiden Keane has never been an answer to a prayer before, but he agrees to help Lexi. A quirky combo of brains and beauty, the pixie blonde makes him feel things no professional ever should for a client. When their investigation puts Lexi’s life in jeopardy, her safety becomes his number one priority. The hard part is not falling for her.

A peek between the pages:

Were you close with your sister?” Aiden asked.

Not the way we should have been. Not at the end.

“We had a sizable age difference between us. Almost ten years. I was the big sis. The oldest.” Her lips trembled when she pulled them into a sad line. Rolling her eyes she added, “The bossy one, according to her. She was the baby and took full advantage of her status from the moment she realized it.”

“And rightly so.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I’m the youngest of my brothers and I’ll can tell you with one hundred percent honesty, my oldest brother is the bossiest one of us. I think it comes with birth order. Although he takes his so called right uber-seriously. Especially at work.”

This time her grin was steadier.  “What kind of business do you all own together?”

“We a run a private security company.”

“Security?”

“Personal bodyguards, if a client needs protection from something. Background checks for employers. Mostly we do investigations.”

“What, like private eyes? Like on television?”

He laughed. “Nothing so glamorous. The fast cars and hot babes are all fantasy. It’s a lot of boring research, computer work, and surveillance, but yeah, you could say I’m a private eye.”

Lexi’s entire mood turned on his words. The sorrow flew, the hurt dissolved. Even her nervous trivia-speak went dormant. She sat bolt upright, her knees bumping against the tabletop when she shifted. Excitement shot from her system as she turned her body, placed a hand across his forearm and declared, “Oh, my God. You’re the answer to my prayers.”

Sounds like a great read, and the cover really sets the mood. No buy links yet, but you can find the first book in the series here.

Connect with Peggy:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | YouTube | Instagram 

Pinterest | LinkedIn | Amazon | Triberr

Wishing Peggy all the best with her forthcoming release, and wishing you a lovely June!

SEA SALT LAVENDER FOR APHRODITE by Julie Howard

05 Friday Jun 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

bestselling author, cozy mystery, ice cream, Julie Howard, One Scoop or Two, romance series, Sea Salt Lavender for Aphrodite, summer reading, The Wild Rose Press

Please welcome Julie Howard!  She’s a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) and has a yummy new release: Sea Salt Lavender for Aphrodite, part of our publisher’s One Scoop or Two summer series.  She’s here to tell us all about her love for ice cream and this fun read, which you can snap up for only $1.99.  Take it away, Julie!

After a mild, damp spring, summer laid down its gauntlet last weekend with our first hundred-degree day. I opened the freezer to a welcome rush of frigid air and reached for the ice cream. An ice cream bar, vanilla covered in a crisp chocolate nutty shell, to be exact.

That’s this week’s treat. Next week it’ll be a different flavor. I’ve never been a plain vanilla kind of gal. I need variety. Strawberry, peach, coffee, chocolate chip, mango, mint chip, mocha, and daiquiri. I’ve tried strawberry with black pepper, bourbon, and green tea. Going ice cream tasting is sort of like wine tasting, right? Somebody offer ice cream flights, please!

My love of this sweet treat is the reason I knew exactly what kind of food truck my heroine in my latest book would have. Rosella Rivers is a former pastry chef-turned-entrepreneur who now sells unique flavors from the truck she parks each day at the beach boardwalk. Chocolate eggplant, anyone? (Okay, that one wasn’t a success for her.)

After the murder of an acquaintance, she falls head over heels with the detective who investigates the case. He’s lactose intolerant. What’s a girl to do?

Sea Salt Lavender for Aphrodite is a light, cozy mystery that evokes soft lapping waves, seagulls, and warm sand between your toes. I hope you enjoy!

A little more about the book:

Rosella Rivers enjoys the perfect life, loving her new ice cream food truck business featuring exotic flavors. But her beach view parking space is not so lovable when she finds an acquaintance stabbed to death in the boardwalk bathroom.

Detective Mark Pruitt knows murder is bad for small-town Olympus Bay. He must find the suspect before he strikes again. When he first sets eyes on Rosella, the only witness, he is smitten. However, there’s no time for romance when danger lurks. 

Together he and the lovely ice cream maker must discover the killer before he turns his sight on Rosella.

A peek between the pages:

The echo of a drip-drip-drip resonated from within. Rosella glanced around, wishing a man would pass by, someone she could send inside on her behalf. On this side of the structure, though, the beachfront was hidden from view and the building backed by sand dunes. Unless someone needed to use the facilities, they wouldn’t approach.

“Mick?”

A distant chime from the town clock made her heart sink. Ten a.m. Opening time. She had to get back to her truck. A fresh round of anxious yips sounded. She scooted to the corner of the building and peeked toward her truck. Aphrodite stood at attention, straining at the leash. The dog barked twice at spotting her and renewed efforts to break free of the tether.

She returned to the doorway. “Mick, I’m just going to step inside since I’m a little bit worried, just to make sure you’re okay. Let me know if I shouldn’t come in.” No response sounded. “All right, coming in.”

The odor hit her first. Heavy, sweet, sickening. Then her eyes registered the scene. Mick lay face down in the middle of the tile floor, a steady stream of deep red blood winding its way toward a drain.

Buy the book:

Amazon | B & N | Apple Books

More about Julie:

Julie Howard is the author of the best-selling Wild Crime and Spirited Quest series. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. Now she edits an online anthology, Potato Soup Journal, and spends many delightful hours writing her books.

Where to find her:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Twitter

Thanks for joining us today, Julie.  Wishing you all the best with your new release!  🙂

Sydney Winward’s New Release ~ ROOT BREW FLOAT

21 Thursday May 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

new release, One Scoop or Two, paranormal fantasy, paranormal romance, romance series, Root Brew Float, summer reading, Sydney Winward

I’m excited to welcome sister Rose (published by the Wild Rose Press) Sydney Winward back to my blog!  We’re spotlighting her new release, Root Brew Float, which is part of our publisher’s summer series, One Scoop or Two.  Here’s the story:

Josephine Brevil has lived hundreds of years haunted by the horrors she experienced during the Salem Witch Trials. She takes great care to hide her powers, though serving a Root Brew Float laced with a magic potion now and again never hurt anybody. The Order sends her to Massachusetts to deal with a paranormal threat, and she meets the young and handsome widower, Clarence Watts. However, being with him comes with a choice. How can she choose between the man she loves and the magic she holds dear?

A peek between the pages:

“There’s a reason we’re inside the circle. Nothing can touch us in here. Now close your eyes and listen to my voice.” She paused for a moment to take a deep breath, channeling the magic swirling within her core. “Clarence Watts, our task here is to send your deceased wife into the afterlife, beyond the door and into the next realm. If you have done as I previously instructed, you have gotten rid of many of Heidi’s earthly belongings, which is a crucial step to letting her go. Now, imagine a rope that connects you to Heidi. Cut it and sever the tie.”

“It can’t be that simple.”

“It’s not. It’s symbolic of freeing her, but the act of letting go is another story altogether.”

“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to let her go.”

“Cling onto something else you care about. It usually helps.” 

His hands tightened around hers. She cracked her eyes open, her heart racing as she stared at their conjoined hands. The word home echoed in her mind again, and when she tried to push it away, it slammed back into her stronger than before. 

Home is with the Order, she insisted.

Yet, her pounding heart didn’t believe her.

Book Trailer

Intrigued?  Here’s where to buy the book:

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Applebooks

A little about Sydney:

Sydney Winward was born with an artistic brain and a love of discovery for new talents. From drawing to sewing to music, she has loved to explore every opportunity that comes her way. At a young age, Sydney discovered her love of writing and wrote her first book at twelve years old, and since then, she hasn’t been able to stop writing. Her active imagination and artistic mind take her away to different worlds and time periods, making every new story a fantastic adventure. When she is not writing (or fawning over animals in the neighborhood) she spends time with her husband and children at home in Utah.

Where to find her:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Instagram

Thanks so much for sharing your new release with us, Sydney.  Wishing you all the best with it! 🙂

VANILLA WITH A TWIST by Peggy Jaeger

14 Thursday May 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Judith Sterling, novella, One Scoop or Two, Peggy Jaeger, romance series, summer reading, sweet romance, The Wild Rose Press, Vanilla with a Twist, writing

Sister Rose Peggy Jaeger is back!  She’s here to talk about her upcoming release, Vanilla with a Twist.  Ice cream and romance:  not a bad combo, if you ask me, and it sounds like a fun summer read.  Take it away, Peggy!

My new novella, VANILLA WITH A TWIST, is part of the new summer series from Wild Rose Press titled ONE SCOOP OR TWO. All the stories revolve around ice cream in some form and all must be set in summer. Since they are also novellas, the word count is set at 35,000 or less.

I typically write long tomes that range from 85,000 to 100,00 words, include a lot of story elements, and that typically feature some kind of intimacy (read: sex!) for the hero and heroine. I like a slow buildup with a lot of emotional and physical tension, so my folks don’t just jump in the sac in chapter 1. Sometimes, not even by chapter 10!

Because I like to write this way, penning a romance novella where I am restricted in the word count, and therefore the slow buildup, has made me a side-writer of sweet romance.

Of the three – now 4 – novellas I’ve penned for WRP, all have been sweet romances. No physical intimacy aside from a few kisses and hugs for the H/H.

Can I just tell you what an exercise in writing restraint that’s been?! Hee hee.

It’s actually been a good exercise, because it’s made me figure out alternative ways to show the physical tension and buildup of emotion through action and dialogue. A simple brush of the hero’s hand against the heroine’s can show a shiver of longing run up her spine, or have him hiss in a breath at the simple content. Just having them be aware of one another across a crowded room, or thinking about the other throughout the day without actually being in the same room denotes a type of intimacy and affection that can occur without sex accompanying it.

I have to admit, I love that.

But I also have to admit, I like writing my sex scenes, too. Hee hee.

The story:

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?

A peek between the pages:

For a few moments, she regarded him with a look his mother would have called insightful. The corners of her eyes narrowed, she dipped her chin a hair, and she pulled her mouth into another appealing pout he was tempted to kiss.

“I bet,” she said after a long, drawn-out sigh, “you were the kind of kid who took apart clocks and fans and vacuum cleaners to see how they worked.”

“It was more washing machines and lawn mowers and anything with a motor, but yeah. I was.”

She shook her head, her own lips forming a lopsided grin. “Your poor mother.”

“She survived.”

Tandy rolled her eyes and shot her hands to her hips. “So it’s working again?” She thrust her chin at the ice cream machine.

“For now.”

“Okay, well, I can live with for now. And you think you know the real reason it’s been acting up?”

“I definitely do. But like I said, the water to the machine needs to be shut off to fix it.”

“Okay. Well, we close at nine.”

“I’ll come back a little before then. Get things ready. Is that okay with you?”

“I guess it’ll have to be.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek as her brows pulled together. “And you’re sure you want to do this?”

“If I weren’t, I wouldn’t offer, Tandy.”

Why her reluctance to have him help was such a turn-on was something he considered while he waited for his ice cream.

Buy the book:

Amazon | Nook | Apple Books

More about Peggy:

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

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

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

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

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

Where to find her:

Website: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

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

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

            YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-jaeger-296ab878/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0

Authors database: https://authorsdb.com/community/15814-peggy-jaeger

Triberr: https://triberr.com/tribe/strong-women–loving-men

Thanks for joining us today, Peggy.  Wishing you all the best with the book!

THE SWORD UNSHEATHED ~ Release Date and a Sneak Peek Inside

29 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Dun Aengus, excerpt, Guardians of Erin, Ireland, Judith Sterling, release date, Return of the Raven, romance series, sneak peek, supernatural, The Novels of Ravenwood, The Sword Unsheathed, YA paranormal fantasy, young adult series

My publisher finally gave me a release date for The Sword Unsheathed, the third book in my Guardians of Erin young adult paranormal fantasy series.  June 1, 2020 is the big day, which also happens to be the date when Return of the Raven (the fifth and final book in The Novels of Ravenwood series) is due to my editor.

Here’s a sneak peek between the pages of The Sword Unsheathed.  Hope you enjoy it!

That night found me hovering above a massive, semicircular prehistoric fort at the edge of a cliff roughly 300 feet above the swish and swoosh of the ocean. Three concentric, terraced stone walls enclosed it, and beyond the third ring, an army of jagged stone slabs stood vigil. A large, tan tent dominated the innermost enclosure.

The all-encompassing twilight was telling, as were my bare feet and blue satin nightshirt, which I’d worn to bed. I was in the Otherworld, courtesy of an astral trip. But where exactly?

I had to know.

Determined, I floated to the ground in front of the tent’s entrance. A curious sense of déjà vu washed over me, and every inch of my flesh tingled with a hidden memory.

I’ve been here before. I’m sure of it.

I entered the tent, and a plush Persian carpet cushioned my feet as I explored. Sumptuous in texture and color, the interior seemed strangely familiar. There were silks, satins, and velvets in shades of gold, burgundy, ruby red, dark blue, and emerald green. Curtains, cushions, and pillows aplenty. Spherical, perforated hanging lanterns. There was even a Moroccan tray table of polished brass decorated with an arabesque pattern; atop it sat two crystal glasses and a matching decanter filled with brown liquid, as well as a compote containing what appeared to be cocoa-dusted chocolate truffles.

“I could get used to this,” I said aloud.

“Could you?”

I jumped, then whirled around. Lorcan stood an arm’s length away. As always, he wore his black, Regency Era greatcoat, breeches, and riding boots. A question, deeper than the one he’d asked, glowed in his ice blue eyes.

I trembled.

His eyes darkened. “Are you cold?”

“No. Are you?” A heartbeat after I spoke, I cringed inwardly. What a stupid reply!

He shook his head. Glossy black hair swayed, teasing his broad shoulders. “Not particularly.” A smile tugged at his full, sensuous lips as he gestured to the table. “Chocolate? Cognac?”

I clenched my fists, steeling myself against his charms. “No, thank you, and you can wipe that smile off your face. How can I trust you after what happened Christmas Eve?”

“What do you mean?”

“You left me alone in Aoife’s castle. Where did you disappear to?”

He blinked, and for a moment, his long eyelashes stole my focus. “Ashling, you know I went to investigate the noise we heard.”

“And never came back.”

“I did come back.”

“Really?” I tilted my head to the side. “Funny that I didn’t see you. Aoife said you brought me to her, like some kind of warped Christmas present or—”

“Aoife lies.”

“I’m sure she does, but she also spoke a lot of truth. Are you still working for her?”

“How can you ask that?”

“Easily.”

He sighed: a sound of impatience and annoyance, both of which I, too, had felt over the past few months. “As I told you before, when I met Caer—you—I left Aoife and planned to live the rest of my days in the Middleworld…here, with you. Then you disappeared on me.”

“So Christmas Eve was payback for something I did centuries ago?”

“It wasn’t. By the time I returned to the dungeon, you were gone. Then I sensed you were in danger. Of course, Aengus did too, and I arrived just in time to watch him save the day.” A shadow crossed his features.

I’d seen that look before, whenever he compared himself to Aengus. Sympathy surged within me, but I expelled it with a huff. “Why didn’t you come and tell me all this before?”

“I didn’t think you’d listen. I knew Aengus would poison your ears with lies about me. How can I compete with such a paragon?” He twisted his lips, and a hint of humor restored light to his face. “Perhaps if I wore only my long drawers.”

“Your what?”

“I believe you’d call them underwear.”

The image of a bare-chested Lorcan flashed in my mind and set my pulse racing. “No. Clothes are a good thing.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Are they? Still, my attire is outdated.”

I shrugged. “A little.”

He furrowed his brow, then it smoothened. “I’ve got it.” Before my eyes, his clothing morphed into black jeans and a black T-shirt. “Better?”

Holy hell, he was sexy! Unfortunately, his new look emphasized the toned physique I’d only imagined till then.

I swallowed hard. “I don’t care what you wear.” It was true. He could dress in Super Mario footie pajamas, and I’d still think he was hot.

“Don’t you?” He inched toward me.

I took two steps back. “I…I wanted to ask…where are we? This place seems so familiar.”

“It should.” His eyes smoldered. “We made love here.”

My stomach dropped, and I fumbled for a reply. “You and Caer, you mean. How long were you together?”

“One perfect night.”

“That’s it?”

He stepped closer. “Even one moment of bliss can feel like an eternity. Caer and I created a heaven of our own. All. Night. Long.”

Dear God. I cleared my throat. “So you live here?”

“Ah. We’re going to have a safe conversation.”

“Yup…if you want me to stay.”

“I do, and yes, I live here. This is Dun Aengus on the isle of Inishmore. Once upon a time, it was Aengus’s home, hence the name which means ‘fort of Aengus,’ but he abandoned it. I’ll admit, I felt a perverse pleasure when I claimed it as my own.”

Doubt and distrust gnawed at me, and I frowned. “Did you feel the same way when you took Caer away from him?”

“That was different.”

“How?”

He reached for my hand and enfolded it with both of his. Everywhere his flesh touched mine, a subtle vibration took hold. “I wanted you more than anything else in the Otherworld, or any world. I still want you.”

“I’m with Aengus now.”

“But you were once with me.”

“I don’t even remember that.”

His gaze held mine. “Your soul remembers. It went looking for me tonight. That’s why you’re here.”

My heart raced. My hand tingled. The tent and all its luxuries seemed to close in around me. How easy it would be to lose myself in sensation and…

To be continued!  I’ll let you know when the book is available for preorder.  Happy Sunday!  🙂

Cover Reveal ~ ROOT BREW FLOAT by Sydney Winward

20 Friday Mar 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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cover reveal, Judith Sterling, One Scoop or Two, Peggy Jaeger, romance series, Root Brew Float, summer reading, Sydney Winward, The Wild Rose Press, Vanilla with a Twist

Here’s the cover for another sister Rose’s (published by The Wild Rose Press) upcoming release, Root Brew Float.  I love it!

Like Peggy Jaeger’s next book, Vanilla with a Twist, Root Brew Float is part of our publisher’s summer series, One Scoop or Two.  I don’t know about you, but these covers are making me hungry for ice cream.  And I’m partial to root beer floats!  Here’s the story:

Josephine Brevil has lived hundreds of years haunted by the horrors she experienced during the Salem Witch Trials. She takes great care to hide her powers, though serving a Root Brew Float laced with a magic potion now and again never hurt anybody. The Order sends her to Massachusetts to deal with a paranormal threat, and she meets the young and handsome widower, Clarence Watts. However, being with him comes with a choice. How can she choose between the man she loves and the magic she holds dear?

Connect with Sydney Winward:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Amazon Page ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub

The book is set to release on May 18, 2020.  Best of luck with it, Sydney!  🙂

Cover Reveal ~ VANILLA WITH A TWIST by Peggy Jaeger

10 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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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.

Love and Romance Book Festival ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

02 Sunday Feb 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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Amazon gift card, Barnes and Noble gift card, giveaway, Judith Sterling, Love and Romance Book Festival, medieval romance, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, romance series, Soul of the Wolf, The Novels of Ravenwood, Valentine's Day

Calling all romance readers! It’s more than candy hearts, chocolates, and flowers at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven; it’s time for the Love and Romance Book Festival. 47 romances will be featured, and there’s 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 book, Soul of the Wolf (the second of The Novels of Ravenwood), will be featured on February 8. Wait until you read my romantic tip to enhance your love life. You won’t want to miss it.

Bookmark this festival and tell your friends:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/bookpromos/categories/love-and-romance-book-festival

Enter the giveaway!

Open internationally.

Runs February 1 – 29.

Drawing will be held on March 2.

Good luck!  🙂

Silver Dagger Book Tours ~ THE NOVELS OF RAVENWOOD

24 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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Amazon gift card, blog tour, book tour, fantasy, Flight of the Raven, giveaway, Goodreads, Judith Sterling, medieval, Night of the Owl, romance, romance series, Shadow of the Swan, Silver Dagger Book Tours, Soul of the Wolf, The Novels of Ravenwood, The Wild Rose Press, time travel

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

A little about the books themselves:

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

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

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

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

See more on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google | Kobo

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

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

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

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

See more on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google

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

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

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

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

See more on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google | Kobo

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

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

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

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

See more on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google | Kobo

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

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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