What a Duke Dares by Anna Campbell – Excerpt and Giveaway

What woman in her right mind would say no to marrying the dashing Duke of Sedgemoor? Miss Penelope Thorne, that’s who. She’s known Camden Rothermere since they were children-and she also knows she’d bring nothing but scandal to his name.Cam can hardly believe Penelope turned down his proposal. But if she wants to run off to the Continent and set the rumor mill ablaze, he can’t stop her. Then her brother’s dying request sends him to bring home the one woman he thought he’d finally gotten over.

The only way they’ll both get back to London without their reputations in tatters is to pretend they’re married during the journey. That means kissing like they mean it and even sharing a bed-until it becomes hard to tell where the game ends and true desire begins . . .

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EXCERPT

“How can you flirt when we’re about to find a watery grave?”

 

“How can I not?” His voice roughened into urgency. “If the ship goes down, I’ll be damned if I die without kissing you.”

 

She started without moving away. “This is a mistake.”

 

He laughed, wondering how his demise became cause for amusement. Perhaps Pen’s courage bolstered his. Most people would cower at the raging seas, but valiant Penelope Thorne met the storm and the man who wanted her with her head high and a smile on her lips. At that moment, if he’d been capable of love, he might imagine that he loved her. “The thought of kissing you has tortured me.”

 

Her hands linked around his neck. To steady herself or because she wanted to touch him? He hardly cared as long as she stayed near. He’d never seen her like this. Like she yearned for his touch the way he yearned for hers. Desire pounded harder than the waves outside. Thunder cracked close.

“Oh, hell, Pen,” he groaned, firming his grip on her. He was incapable of gentleness. The storm outside was a pale echo of the storm in his blood.

 

On another guttural groan, his mouth crashed down . . .

 

About Anna Campbell

Always a voracious reader, ANNA CAMPBELL decided when she was a child that she wanted to be a writer. Once she discovered the wonderful world of romance novels, she knew exactly what she wanted to write. Anna has won numerous awards for her Avon historical romances including Romantic TimesReviewers Choice, the Booksellers Best, the Golden Quill, the Heart of Excellence, the Aspen Gold and the Australian Romance Readers Association’s most popular historical romance (twice). Her books have twice been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Award and twice for Australia’s Romantic Book of the Year.

When she’s not writing passionate, intense stories featuring gorgeous Regency heroes and the women who are their destiny, Anna loves to travel, especially in the United Kingdom, and listen to all kinds of music. She lives near the sea on the east coast of Australia, where she’s losing her battle with an overgrown subtropical garden.

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To enter Anna Campbell’s blog tour giveaway click the above banner. Good luck!

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Spotlight: Samantha Grace

In Bed with a Rogue

By Samantha Grace

Soucebooks Casablanca

Historical Romance

September 2, 2014

ISBN: 9781402286612

$6.99/£4.99

Mass-Market Paperback

 

He’s the Talk of the Town

The whole town is tittering about Baron Sebastian Thorne having been jilted at the altar. Every move he makes ends up in the gossip columns. Tired of being the butt of everyone’s jokes, Sebastian vows to restore his family’s reputation no matter what it takes.

 

She’s the Toast of the Ton

Feted by the crème of society, the beautiful widow Lady Prestwick is a vision of all that is proper. But Helena is no angel, and when Sebastian uncovers her dark secret, he’s quick to press his advantage. In order to keep her hard-won good name, Helen will have to make a deal with the devil. But she’s got some tricks up her sleeves to keep this notorious rogue on his toes…

 

 

SAMANTHA GRACE

 

Historical romance author Samantha Grace discovered the appeal of a great love story when she was just a young girl, thanks to Disney’s Robin Hood. She didn’t care that Robin Hood and Maid Marian were cartoon animals. It was her first happily-ever-after experience and she didn’t want the warm fuzzies to end. Now Samantha enjoys creating her own happy-endings for characters that spring from her imagination. Publishers Weekly describes her stories as “fresh and romantic” with subtle humor and charm. Samantha describes romance writing as the best job ever.

 

 

Website: http://www.samanthagraceauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Grace/264436686918343

Twitter: @SamGraceAuthor https://twitter.com/SamGraceAuthor

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4946067.Samantha_Grace

Buy: Amazon | B&N | BAM! | IndieBound | !ndigo | iTunes

 

For the chance to win a book bundle by Samantha Grace, you can enter the contest by clicking this link.

 

The six Samantha Grace books include:

• Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel
• Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half
• Miss Lavigne’s Little White Lie
• Lady Vivian Defies a Duke
• One Rogue Too Many
• In Bed with a Rogue

***Giveaway is sponsored through Sourcebooks

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The Captive by Grace Burrowes – Exclusive Excerpt + Giveaway

 

“What are your long-term plans, my lady? I ask both as Lucy’s papa and as the husband of your late cousin.”

 

“My plans?” Gilly’s bread and butter turned to sawdust in her mouth when she saw the considering light in His Grace’s eyes.

 

He’d ambushed her, the wretch, out here in the sunshine and beauty of a perfect summer’s day.

 

Next Mercia would explain, politely, that he needed privacy with his daughter, and an extraneous cousin-in-law on the premises must needs be a temporary imposition.

 

Well, damn him. Damn him and his elegant, scarred hands and his beautiful, soft voice and his lovely eyes and his kindness toward the child. Damn him for all of it.

 

And especially for kissing her. Those gentle, nearly chaste kisses had been so…so… Gilly had lost sleep trying to describe Mercia’s kisses. One word kept careening into her awareness, no matter how stoutly she batted it away. Mercia’s kisses had been cherishing, as if Gilly were the reason he lived, the reason he’d bested demons and nightmares to return to her side.

 

Which was balderdash. He’d meandered home from Carlton House through the park, and she was pathetic to make so much of a small late-night lapse between two tired adults.

 

He regarded her now with an expression so far from cherishing that Gilly’s food sat uneasily in her belly.

 

“We’ve only just arrived at Severn, Your Grace. Must we discuss plans and arrangements now?”

 

“We must.” He picked up one of the sections of orange and held it out to her. “Please.”

 

Please eat, or please reveal her hopes and fears, as manifest in the next year’s residential particulars? His blue eyes held an odd light, and Gilly abruptly wished she had the protection of her black silk shawl, for all the afternoon was pleasant. She took the orange section from him and popped it into her mouth.

 

Across from her, the duke screwed up his thin lipped, elegant mouth in a grimace of impatience.

 

“For the near term, you will stay here, my lady. We are agreed on that for the child’s sake. I’d like you to consider making your home with us permanently, though. You are in mourning, and I certainly intend to live quietly. You know this household, and I have no hostess, no lady to see to the maids and the housekeeper.”

 

He had no one to see to him, as far as Gilly could tell, which apparently mattered to him not at all.

 

***

THE CAPTIVE

Author: Grace Burrowes

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Historical Romance

 

 

He’ll never be free…

 

Captured and tortured by the French, Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, survives by vowing to take revenge on his tormentors. Before the duke can pursue his version of justice, Gillian, Countess of Greendale, reminds him that his small daughter has suffered much in his absence, and needs her papa desperately.

 

Until he surrenders his heart…
Gilly endured her difficult marriage by avoiding confrontation and keeping peace at any cost. Christian’s devotion to his daughter and his kindness toward Gilly give her hope that she could enjoy a future with him, for surely he of all men shares her loathing for violence in any form. Little does Gilly know, the battle for Christian’s heart is only beginning.

 

Author Biography
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes’ bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish and Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

 

Social Media Links

 

Website: http://graceburrowes.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-Burrowes/115039058572197

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraceBurrowes

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4152482.Grace_Burrowes
 

GIVEAWAY

Sourcebooks is giving away a tote filled with Grace Burrowes’ backlist. To enter click HERE and follow the rafflecopter instructions.

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Cover Goodness: Never Judge A Lady By Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

 

 

RITA Award winning author, Sarah MacLean, reveals the identity of The Fallen Angel’s final scoundrel in the spectacular conclusion to her New York Times bestselling Rules of Scoundrels series…

By day, she is Lady Georgiana, sister to a duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking-in London’s darkest corners, she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city’s most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has gone undiscovered…until now.

Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear…including her heart.

Sarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, obsessed with historical romance and bemoaning the fact that she was born far too late for her own season. Her love of all things historical helped to earn her degrees from Smith College and Harvard University before she finally set pen to paper and wrote her first book. Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, baby daughter, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers. Please visit her at www.macleanspace.com.

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Lisa Kleypas News!! *dancing in seat*

Avon Books Welcomes Home Bestselling Romance Author Lisa Kleypas:

Leading Romance Imprint to Publish Seven New Titles from Top Women’s Fiction Author

 

 

For Immediate Release

NEW YORK, NY (May 8, 2014) – Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, is proud to announce  a major new deal for seven original novels (North American rights) with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas.  The author first published with this leading romance imprint in 1993, writing some of the most beloved romances of all time under the Avon imprint.  “No one writes romance like Lisa Kleypas,” says Senior Vice President and Publisher Liate Stehlik, “and we’ve been hoping for the opportunity to work with her again for many years.  The excitement we feel over Lisa returning to publish with us cannot be easily quantified.  We’re overjoyed that she is coming home.”

 

The “homecoming” sentiment is echoed by Senior Vice President/Executive Editor Carrie Feron, who worked with Mel Berger of William Morris Endeavor (WME), to ink the deal.  “We are celebrating Lisa’s return!  She has an incredibly rich backlist with us: 19 novels and two short stories.  Lisa is an important part of Avon’s history.  This deal will allow us the pleasure of working closely with her into the future, on both historical and contemporary romance titles.”

 

Lisa Kleypas, who has been called a “truly talented storyteller” and a “master of her craft is one of the most prolific – and popular – romance authors today.  Readers and reviewers alike have fallen in love with her original brand of romance, where love never comes easily.  Her novels are captivating, filled with humor, life and a compelling touch of pathos.  RT Book Reviews offers compelling insight on the Kleypas allure: “unforgettable story…remarkable characters…a depth of emotion that will leave you breathless with the wonderment of knowing what falling in love is really like.”  The Post and Courier agrees that her work “will steal the hearts of readers.”

 

“I’m absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to work with the extraordinarily gifted Carrie Feron, who is known for bringing out the best in her authors, and Liate Stehlik, who is a brilliant and creative publisher,” says Kleypas.  “As I know from past experience, everyone at Avon Books brings the highest level of passion and commitment to the romance genre, so I’m thankful – and excited! – to be part of Avon’s future. Without a doubt, our best work is ahead of us.”

 

About the author:  Lisa Kleypas is a New York Times bestselling author of both historical and contemporary romance novels. Her intensely passionate, emotional and humor-filled stories have earned widespread critical acclaim, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist.  In 2013, 12 of Lisa’s novels were listed on the All About Romance reader’s poll of their top 100 all-time favorite romances.  Her 38 novels and four novellas have been published in 28 languages and are bestsellers around the world. After graduating from Wellesley College with a political science degree, Lisa sold her first book and made a full-time career of writing the kinds of romance novels she has always loved to read.  Lisa is living her own happily-ever-after in Washington State with her husband Greg and their two children.

 

For more information about Lisa Kleypas, please visit www.lisakleypas.com.

For more information about Avon Books, visit www.avonromance.com.

 

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS:

HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world, is a subsidiary of News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups around the world in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India. HarperCollins is a broad-based publisher with strengths in literary and commercial fiction, business books, children’s books, cookbooks, narrative nonfiction, mystery, romance, reference, pop culture, design, health, wellness, and religious and spiritual books. With nearly 200 years of history, HarperCollins has published some of the world’s foremost authors, including winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery Medal, and the Caldecott Medal. HarperCollins is consistently at the forefront of innovation, using digital technology to create unique reading experiences and expand the reach of its authors. You can visit HarperCollins Publishers online at: http://www.harpercollins.com

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Viveka Portman – Guest Blog and Giveaway

Lady Catherine Bexley is new to marriage and the marriage bed, but surely there must be more to it than this? Her husband is proper and perfunctory — treating her with careful respect but leaving her aching for more. When she witnesses a gentleman disciplining a maid at a house party, the ache explodes into ravenous desire. She finds herself no longer willing to wait for her husband’s stiff and passionless attentions — and soon develops a naughty plan to finally get what she wants.

 

 

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My Favourite Scene to Write in The Secret Diary of Lady Catherine Bexley.

My favourite scene to write in The Secret Diary of Lady Catherine Bexley is the scene in which Catherine tries (in a most lady like fashion) to understand her husband’s reticence in the bedroom, and in turn, get him to realise that she is not just a fragile, naïve woman who will break if he administers aggressively to her. My favourite scene occurs in Lady Catherine’s diary entry of Tuesday, 27^th July 1813. This was such an enjoyable scene to write because Lady Catherine, despite all appearances is actually a lusty, witty, and highly sexual being.

In this scene, the reader really gets to see just how immovable and proper Lord Joseph Bexley really is. He is older (and allegedly worldlier) than his bride and wishes only to treat her well, but, as the reader also discovers, our proper little bride is curious by nature and desperate for something more.

As I watched him, the flickering candlelight outlined his broad shoulders. I wished more than anything that he would kiss me. He so rarely kissed me. I could perhaps count on one hand the number of times his lips had met mine. He was so proper. At times I imagined him an immovable mountain of propriety.

In this scene it becomes apparent that that Lord Bexley does indeed care deeply for his young wife, but is unable or unwilling to display that affection in deference to her feminine sensibilities.

‘You are a lovely bride,’ he confessed. His cheeks darkened with a blush as he spoke.

‘Thank you,’ I nodded. I wondered then if I should reply something of a similar sentiment, but he spoke before I could.

The very awkward Lord Bexley then goes on to tell his bride how he will never treat her poorly or use her in a manner she should find discomforting, except for the brief perfunctory occasions necessary to beget an heir. His attempts at gentle consideration for her well being, however, are not exactly what our young Lady wishes to hear.

It was, dear diary, the most emotion I’d ever heard him voice, and possibly the closest thing to a confession of affection a wife in a marriage like mine is likely to hear; but for all the sentiment he showed, it distressed rather than pleased me. I don’t want him to treat me like a lady. I want him to treat me as a woman.

This scene allows Lady Catherine’s sexual frustration to become palpable and the reader is able to witness just exactly how misunderstood each character is within the marriage.

I got the idea for this story years ago, after reading about young virtuous women marrying older men during Regency times. I really wanted to know how these couples would interact together on an intimate level outside and inside the bedroom. Well, particularly inside the bedroom if truth be told.

Writing these regency diaries is a challenge. Getting the language, technology, habits, manners and social mores correct and coherent for modern readers isn’t always easy – all that being said, I really did enjoy writing every scene in this story, it was a lot of fun!

Thank you for having me on your blog!

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To find out more about Viveka and her books, visit vivekaportman.blogspot.com. And for the chance to win a digital copy of The Secret Diary of Lady Catherine Bexley, just leave a comment below.

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What is Love? – Jess Michaels

Her mother’s madness and her father’s and brother’s irresponsibility have relegated Lady Portia to the life of a wallflower. The only shining light in her life is her best friend, Ava, who is suffering a rift with her own brother.

Portia’s quest to help takes her to the notorious Donville Masquerade in the hells, where—behind the safety of a mask—she witnesses shocking public acts of sin. And succumbs to the touch of Marquis Miles Weatherfield.

Unfortunately, they’re discovered. And now, tainted by scandal, she and Miles are destined for a marriage neither of them want. But Portia makes a bargain that raises even Miles’s eyebrows.

In return for saving her mother from the asylum, Portia will do anything Miles wants in bed. Shocked by his driving desire for Portia, Miles agrees. As they explore every wicked desire, every forbidden act that pleases them, they discover something that goes far deeper than flesh. But the lies that brought them together could be the very wedge that drives them apart.

Warning: This book contains wicked encounters, erotic voyeurism, lies, a brief threesome, and unexpected kindnesses.

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Hi everyone and a big thanks to Fatin/Mad for allowing me to come be a part of the Romance Reader at Heart Novel Thoughts Blog! It’s been about a year since the last time I stopped by here, so it’s nice to be back, especially since my visit today coincides with the release next Tuesday (November 19) of my next erotic historical romance, Pleasuring the Lady.

As a romance writer, I tend to think a lot about love. After all, it’s kind of the main part of my books. Because I write very sexy books, it’s really important that I also make sure I’m showing the characters falling in love, not just lust. So how do we ‘know’ love when we see it? What makes us love in the first place, the kind of love that will stand the test of time?

Back in the late 80s, the creators of Sesame Street decided that two of the main adult characters should get married. Luiz and Maria had, until this time, just been friends and obviously the idea of romantic love was a delicate topic to address with their target audience. The story goes that they asked kids how they would know that two people, two grown-ups, were in love and the answers were… well, kind of amazing.

They said they’d maybe save an animal together, fix something together, basically they thought if they saw Luiz and Maria doing things together, talking together, building a relationship… that would mean they were in love.

Smart kids.

The fact is that doing things together, sharing experiences and feelings on those experiences, is most definitely one of the ways we fall in love with each other. I know my husband of nearly 17 years and I often play, “remember when we” games and it definitely gives me butterflies about him (also he’s cute and a good kisser, which doesn’t hurt).

So when I begin to build a romantic relationship in any of my books, I guess in a way I go back to that idea of the shared experience bonding the hero and heroine. This is very much true in Pleasuring the Lady. My hero and heroine, Miles and Portia, are forced, fairly quickly, into a marriage. They’re sexually attracted to each other, but they have a great many issues that keep them from feeling like love will ever be in the cards.

But Miles wants insecure Portia to feel special after years in wallflower hell. And Portia feels saved by him and wants to provide something to thank him for that. They don’t realize it, but these are their acts of love. And between the hot sexiness, their talks and stolen moments are also the quiet path to a realization that their marriage could very well be real, could be amazing, could be worth fighting for, even if they started out fighting against it.

What are your favorite “acts of love” in a romance?

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For an excerpt and preorder links, visit www.authorjessmichaels.com. And for a chance to win a digital copy of Pleasuring the Lady, just leave a comment below. Good luck!

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Sharon Cullen Guest Blog and Giveaway

In Sharon Cullen’s sizzling novel of scandal and seduction, a headstrong beauty is pursued across Europe by London’s most notorious rake.

Having vowed never to wed again, widowed viscountess Claire Hartford is about to do the unthinkable: travel unaccompanied across the continent in search of a lover. Her adventure begins sooner than expected, when she meets a magnificent cloaked stranger on her ship’s gangplank. He is Lord Blythe, a man whispered about in London’s ballrooms and drawing rooms, a scandalous rogue hell-bent on seduction.

Nathan Ferguson curses the day he agreed to look out for his best friend’s wayward sister. The charismatic earl is traveling to Paris to uncover the truth behind his father’s death, but his desire for Claire threatens to be his undoing. From France to Italy, on a journey of passionate discovery and danger, Nathan is honor-bound to protect her—from himself most of all. What can he offer Claire? Only love, as he sets out to prove to the woman of his dreams that she belongs to him—body, heart, and soul. 

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St. Bernard Dogs by Sharon Cullen

While writing LOVING THE EARL I had to do much research about the Swiss Alps because my hero and heroine have to cross the Alps to get to Italy.

I discovered so many neat, interesting things about the Alps but the most interesting for me were the St. Bernard dogs. I’m a dog lover so that shouldn’t be too surprising.

But, oh man, after learning about these dogs I WANT ONE! Or two. Or three.

I mean, who wouldn’t want something as cute and cuddly as this?

But there is so much more to these dogs.

It is believed that the St. Bernard dog was brought to the Alps by the Romans. They’re named after the St. Bernard monks who live in the Great St. Bernard Pass. The St. Bernard dogs of today look different from the St. Bernard’s of that time, however. During an increased number of avalanches from 1816-1818 the dogs were almost wiped out. The remaining dogs were cross-bred with Newfoundlands and that is how we get the modern looking St. Bernard.

St. Bernards are not taught to search and rescue from humans but rather from the older dogs. How cool is that? Just proves that dogs really are smart.

There is some question as to whether the dogs actually carried barrels of wine around their neck. Some people say its fiction while others say there is much evidence to suggest they did.

The most well known St. Bernard was named Berry and he rescued anywhere from 40-100 people in his lifetime.

To me that is just amazing that these dogs are trained by their canine elders and they saved so many lives.

Plus they’re cute and cuddly looking. Even if they are as large as small horses. Okay, not really, but close.

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Sharon Cullen’s BIO:

Sharon Cullen is the author of the historical romance, THE NOTORIOUS LADY ANNE, LOVING THE EARL, and PLEASING THE PIRATE (available February 2014). She’s also published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance and contemporary romance.

Her other job descriptions include chauffer, laundress, cook and mediator to her three very busy kids, her husband and two dogs. She lives in southwest Ohio with her brood although her dream is to someday retire to St. Maarten and live on the beach.

If you’d like to find out more about Sharon and her books, you can visit her website. She’s addicted to social networking so you can find her on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion—books.

Links for LOVING THE EARL:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Earl-Loveswept-Historical-Romance-ebook/dp/B00CQZ65N8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383861206&sr=8-1&keywords=loving+the+earl

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loving-the-earl-sharon-cullen/1115688094?ean=9780345540065

Random House: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/221562/loving-the-earl-by-sharon-cullen

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For a chance to win a signed copy of Her Dark Knight, a title from Sharon Cullen’s backlist, just leave a comment below. Good luck! 😀 (U.S. only)

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Genevieve Graham – Guest blog

The Cherokee call her Shadow Girl. A white woman adopted by Indians, Adelaide is haunted by the dark dreams she hides—of her murdered family, of the men she fears, and most of all, of the ones that foretell the future. After her visions cause her to make a terrible mistake, she renounces her power and buries her dreams deep in her soul.
 
Until Jesse Black is captured by the tribe. His life is spared because the Cherokee believe his warrior spirit belongs to their fallen brother. Though he hates all Indians, Adelaide illuminates their way of life for him, just as he shines light into her shadowed heart. But when her dreams return, Jesse must help her face them…or die trying…

 

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Do You Dream?

 

Do you dream? According to articles I’ve read, we all do, and we do it every night, though we may not remember what we experienced. I’m terrible at remembering my dreams most of the time, though ironically, if they’re really violent I can’t stop seeing them. My daughters can recount every dream they’ve had for a week, including all sorts of details which they promise they’re not making up. My husband only admits to them once in a while.

 

Some scientists claim that dreams are a release of the subconscious. We have so many things going on in our heads during the day that we can’t sort through it all, so at night the most pressing concerns are aired out, given room to breathe. That means dreams are a good thing—even nightmares.

 

Different dream images and themes represent specific emotions in the sleeper. Like flying. Flying could mean a variety of different things, depending on how the flight goes. For example, if you’re having the time of your life up there, it represents the idea that you’re moving forward, overcoming obstacles or difficult people. If the flying’s not going so well, it might indicate doubt or lack of confidence.

 

Adelaide, my character in “Somewhere to Dream,” was born with the ability to dream of the future, but because she’s such a timid girl she has done everything in her power to deny herself the use of that gift. When she can’t escape a dream, she panics and wakes herself up in the middle of it. An effective way to protect herself, but it means that whatever she’s been foreseeing, well, she doesn’t learn the ending. It’s like ripping out the last bunch of pages from a book and burning them so she’ll never know. And since she doesn’t know what she’s blocking, when she guesses, she ends up causing more trouble than ever.

 

In order to make things right, Adelaide will have to go against everything in her nature. She’ll have to force herself to see the endings to those dreams, and she’ll have to make things happen in real life as well. It seems an impossible task for her.

 

Then Jesse Black comes along, cocky and unafraid, with restless golden eyes she’s seen in her dreams. He should be the most undependable person alive, but she is drawn to him, and it is the power of her trust that enables Jesse to do the same.

 

Do you dream? Can you guide your dreams or do you wake yourself up when they get too scary?

 

What if your dreams could tell the future? Would you want to know what’s going to happen … even if you can’t change it?

 

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For more information about Genevieve and her books, visit www.genevievegraham.com. And to enter a giveaway with books, candles, and more, click HERE.

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Historical Hookup Giveaway – Hoyt, Dreyer, Delamere, Barton, and Dalton

“Do you have a historical romance novel that you read that inspired you to write in the genre?”

Elizabeth Hoyt, DUKE OF MIDNIGHT:

No, but I remember being blown away by Stephanie Laurens’s DEVIL’S BRIDE.

 

Eileen Dreyer, ONCE A RAKE:

Not one. I’ve been reading historical romance, especially Regency historical romance for years before I decided to write in it. I can tell you that one author inspired me to write the kind of historical romance I write, which I call historical romantic adventure. That would be Patricia Veryan. She wrote three series in which the heroes find themselves beset by history and the world of nefarious spies. She was also an author who loved wounded heroes. And yes, if you read any of my books, be they historical romance contemporary romance or suspense, I’m pretty tough on my heroes(it’s a great stress reliever).

 

Jennifer Delamere, A LADY MOST LOVELY:

My inspiration comes from a mix of sources. For starters, there are the classic novels of Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell (whose North and South was made into a wonderful mini-series with Richard Armitage). I try to blend those sensibilities with the more intense focus on the romance between the hero and heroine that today’s readers expect. My hope is to engage readers’ minds as well as their hearts.

 

Anne Barton, ONCE SHE WAS TEMPTED:

There’s not one particular book, but Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series captivated me. How I longed to be Bridgerton! (Still do.) I’d change my name to Isabel in a second—to be next in line after Hyacinth. If only I could be an honorary sibling…

 

Lily Dalton, NEVER DESIRE A DUKE:

Shanna, by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I did not start reading romance until I was out of college, married and on maternity leave with my first child. My mom gave me that one to read and yowza! It was completely different than anything else I’d ever read. So passionate and exhilarating! I felt as if I’d been set free. That book got me started reading romance, and thinking about writing my own.

*****

A LADY MOST LOVELY by Jennifer Delamere

September 24, 2013; Forever/ Mass Market; $8.00; 978-1-4555-1896-8

Socialite Margaret Vaughn agrees to marry a rich man to save her family’s estate, but then her fiancé turns out to be just another poor social climber. Even after amassing a fortune, Tom Poole hasn’t forgotten his humble beginnings. Taken with Margaret’s beauty and grace, Tom offers her financial assistance—but his interest is not strictly business. Can he convince the proper, refined lady that they despite their social differences, they are a match made in heaven?

*****

NEVER DESIRE A DUKE by Lily Dalton

September 24, 2013; Forever/ Mass Market; $6.00; 978-1-4555-2401-3

Lady Sophia has long been estranged from her husband, the Duke of Claxton, who has never forgiven himself for the youthful mistake that ruined their marriage. After nearly a year abroad, the reformed rogue vows to win back the only woman he’s ever truly loved. He’ll do whatever it takes to prove he can be the honorable husband she deserves—and the passionate lover she desires. Can they rekindle the flame that burned so bright and find a new path to forever?

*****

 

ONCE SHE WAS TEMPTED by Anne Barton

October 29, 2013; Forever/Mass Market; $8.00; 978-1-4555-1330-7

In desperate need of money for her sick mother, Daphne Honeycote had posed for two scandalous portraits. Now she must hide her secret to save the Honeycote family name. Benjamin Elliot recognizes the stunning beauty from the beauty the instant he meets her. His possession of the painting makes him an insufferable thorn in her side—and yet he may be her best chance at finding the canvas’s companion. As she becomes drawn to the dark-tempered earl, can Daphne risk laying bare the secrets of her heart?

*****

 

DUKE OF MIDNIGHT by Elizabeth Hoyt

October 15, 2013; GCP/Mass Market; $8.00; 978-1-4555-0834-1

By day Maximus Batten is the Duke of Wakefield, a powerful member of Parliament. But by night he is the Ghost of St. Giles, prowling the grim alleys of St. Giles, ever on the hunt for the man who brutally murdered his parents twenty years ago. When he rescues Artemis Greaves and her cousin, the fiery young woman discovers his secret and threatens to expose Maximus unless he uses his influence to free her imprisoned brother. But blackmailing a powerful duke isn’t without risks. Now that she has the tiger by the tail, can she withstand his ire—or the temptation of his embrace?

*****

 

ONCE A RAKE by Eileen Dreyer

October 29, 2013; Forever/Mass Market; $8.00; 978-1-4555-1932-3

Accused of trying to kill the Duke of Wellington, Colonel Ian Ferguson is now a fugitive—from the law, the army, and the cunning assassin who hunts him. Wounded and miles from his allies, Ian finds himself at the mercy of an impoverished country wife. Lady Sarah Clarke knows she should turn him in, but a single, delirious kiss shatters her resolve…and awakens a passion that neither of them can escape.

*****

 

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