|
Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and Heather Boyd!  Scandals rarely take place in the center of the ballroom, but on the fringes anything is possible.   From the moment George Sweet stole his intended, Roman Crawford has pursued every possible manner of revenge against the nasty scrub. Though he does have his limits. Debauching Sweet’s sister, a veritable paragon of vestal goodness, is beyond the pale—yet that is exactly what the lady herself requests. Roman isn’t willing or able to refuse when Amity Sweet quite literally begs him to participate in her ruin. But instead of a shy, virtuous flower, Roman finds himself in the arms of a wickedly passionate beauty…who disappears from Town immediately after their tryst. If public humiliation is the only way Amity can escape an arranged marriage to one of her vicious brother’s cronies, then it will be on her terms. She enlists the aid of George’s greatest enemy, who she’s certain will be happy to see her brother brought low by her corruption. But Amity is no fool. She also chose Roman because of his reputation in the bedroom. She expects to find pleasure in her ruin. She does not, however, expect to find Roman Crawford nigh unforgettable. When the pair meet again, their wicked attraction is stronger still, but Amity despairs of falling for a man pining for another, while Roman knows any offer for her hand may further alienate Amity from her family. Neither are aware that their worries may be for naught. That their combined fate—and destiny—may already be sealed.   Born female, but living the whole of her life as a male, Dane Winston has stumbled into the employ of Lord Stratford, youngest brother of the Duke of Ravenswood. As his valet, she can barely keep the chatty lord on schedule…nor can she keep his hands off her person, once he discovers her true gender. The only thing more surprising than his attention is how much Winston enjoys it. But their dalliance must be short-lived. As she navigates a house party where certain guests are keen to cause trouble for the duke, she discovers trouble of her own in the form of jealous servants…and someone from her past she hoped never to meet again. Lord Stratford Sweet has returned home to find his deceased father has left the duchy in dire financial straits. As he scrambles to help his eldest brother, the new duke, hide the extent of their insolvency from a houseful of guests, he certainly needs no further distractions. But he finds one in the form of his new valet, a man who looks too young, too soft…too good in a pair of breeches. When Stratford discovers her secret, keeping Win in his employ could cause a scandal the likes of which the estate can scarcely afford. But the more he learns about Win, and the uncanny connection they share, it may be a scandal he’s willing to endure…forever.    USA Today Bestselling Author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after—no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she writes steamy romances that skirt the boundaries of propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning. Heather has published over fifty regency romance novels and shorter works full of daring seductions and distinguished rogues. She lives north of Sydney, Australia, with her trio of rogues and a fluffy four-legged overlord. Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads   
2 Comments
Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and Author Anne Carrole!  To risk or not risk: that is the question? A second-chance, enemies-to-lovers novel.  Career-minded Lexi Russell seeks a calm, predictable life that doesn’t require taking chances. But coming home to Wyoming for Thanksgiving, she finds out her carefully orchestrated life has imploded. Her “perfect” boyfriend has been cheating on her, her lucrative job has been eliminated, and the family ranch is on the chopping block. In addition, the teenage boy who broke her heart one summer a decade ago has turned into a handsome cowboy who’s planning on buying her family’s ranch with a low ball offer and her parents’ blessing. She’s got to figure out a way to help her parents avoid a serious mistake, find a new job, and stop her growing attraction to the cowboy who dumped her. With Christmas on the horizon, things take an unexpected turn that will force her to decide whether love is worth the risk.   The cold night air nipped at Cort’s skin as he walked to the pickup in stride with Lexi. He had to restrain himself from reaching for her hand, like he might have done if it had been a date. They’d spent considerable hours together, but far from making him ready for alone time, he wanted more of her company. She was bright, funny, frank, and darn pretty. And she knew about ranching, even if she didn’t do it anymore. The perfect partner. But, unfortunately, the ranching part was the stickler. She didn’t want it and it was all he wanted. How things had changed from that long-ago summer when she’d teased him about his city-boy ways and the future he’d laid out where he would be heading up some company, while all she’d wanted was to raise and train horses. And look where they’d wound up. As he shifted the truck into gear, he checked on her. Her head was leaning back against the headrest, a smile on her face, and her eyes closed. “You have a buzz?” he asked. She’d only had two beers, and since he was driving, he’d stuck to one. She chuckled. “Just feeling relaxed.” He remembered what it’d been like when he’d quit working at his corporate job. It’d been like banging his head against the wall one day then suddenly finding his head resting on a soft pillow the next day. “Guess you haven’t been very relaxed in that job you had.” Maybe she’d reconsider her plans now that she didn’t have a job to immediately go back to. And maybe he was dreaming. “Not at all. You know what it’s like.” “Yeah, crazy.” He turned onto the main highway and put some pressure on the gas. “That’s why I’m not doing it anymore. When the buyout came and everything sort of stopped for a moment, I realized how bad it had been, how much stress I’d been feeling. Then my uncle got sick, and by the time he passed, well, I didn’t want to go back anymore.” She turned her head in his direction. “It’s tempting when everything stops. But, you know, ranching isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s risky. There’s a lot of stress and a ton more things you can’t control. Like the weather.” “Or what my neighbors decide to do.” He glanced again at her. Her face was serene, not a frown line to be seen. She closed her eyes and smiled. “That too. But I don’t want to talk about that. Let’s just enjoy the moment. I haven’t been able to do that in a long, long time.” He turned the truck into her driveway. The headlights caught Bandit in the equipment barn doorway running around in circles. Barking filled the air. “What the heck?” Lexi shot straight up in her seat. Cort gunned the gas, and the truck bumped down the gravel drive like a runaway roller coaster. Something was wrong.   Anne Carrole is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical western romances. Raised on a farm with horses, dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and whatever other animals she could convince her parents to shelter, she’s married to her own sweet-talking hero and the proud mother of a twenty-something cowgirl. Besides Country Snow and Mistletoe, you can also enjoy her popular Hearts of Wyoming contemporary series where love gets a second chance. Visit her website at https://www.annecarrole.com.   Concept for the Book People may not realize it, but family ranches may soon be a thing of the past. Many are being swallowed up by mega corporate ranches or sold to developers, particularly if there is no one in the family who wishes to take on the ranching legacy. And few independent ranchers are able to pony up the money to buy these family ranches when competing with the likes of corporations and real estate contractors. Ranching, as a lifestyle, may be under threat. It is this situation that I explore in COUNTRY SNOW AND MISTLETOE. Faced with health issues, Lexi Russell’s parents need to sell the family ranch since their children have gone off into different careers. Cort McClane, a city boy who got a taste of the ranching lifestyle one summer when he also met Lexi, has the means and the desire to buy the Russell ranch, but his offer cannot compete with a developer’s. Lexi, striving to do what she thinks is best for her parents, goes in search of a better offer, so sure that the boy who dumped her that fateful summer is taking advantage of her family’s situation with a lowball offer. But their past attraction is as strong as ever as they navigate past hurts, present obstacles, and the potential for future complications. With Christmas on the horizon, things take an unexpected turn, forcing them to decide if love is worth the risks. You can find this heartwarming second-chance holiday story on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited. If you like Hallmark movies, you'll love Country Snow and Mistletoe. Enjoy! Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Country-Snow-Mistletoe-Anne-Carrole-ebook/dp/B0BMZMH5F6   $30 Amazon Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/country-snow-and-mistletoe-book-tour-and-giveaway  Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and Author Susan Stradiotto!   Magical Limitations by Susan Stradiotto, author of Raine of Fire When writing fantasy, there’s a concern that magic will be seen as the proverbial dues ex machina, or the thing that suddenly happens that allows the main characters to get out of an impossible situation. A classic fantasy example is the golden eagles in the Lord of the Rings. I’ve always felt that magic in any world or story should have limitations. Therefore, when I was building the world for Raine of Fire (and what will be come the world for the series to follow), I wanted to make sure that each and every bit of magic used had its own unique drawback. There are so many books out there where the magic user loses energy when they access magic. That’s one way to do it, but I felt like there could be some more specific consequences. When dealing with the Fae, I couldn’t assign a limitation to Faerie magic as a whole, because their magic is granted by the goddess Danu and is tied strongly to the realm of Faerie. So, I looked for other options. One of the scenes in Raine of Fire shows the main characters Raine going on a “memory walk.” This is a fae ability where the faerie can relive a person’s memories through their eyes. There are actually a number of limitations associated with this ability. First, the faerie must be touching the person. There is no walking by a person and getting a flash of their memories. A second limitation is that the faerie cannot sense how the person was feeling at the time the memory occurred, only how the person feels in the present. This allows events to be viewed objectively or with almost an analytical lens. However, it also restricts the faerie from knowing immediate reactions. For example, when walking through a criminal’s memories, there might be a separation the criminal has created between themself and the crime. Finally, there is the big consequence. When a faerie can take on physical or mental characteristics of the person they memory walk into. In Raine of Fire, the example is a hip problem, so Raine limps away from the encounter with the same affliction. This is temporary, of course, because Fae are immortal. There is also an unwritten rule: Never memory walk with the dead. I’ll let that one sit with you for a while.  Sparks fly when an exiled Fae prince and a straight-laced detective team up to solve a murder.  Banished by his mother from Faerie, Raine Abarta wants nothing more than to entertain people on the streets of Wickney, Wisconsin. But when the daughter of a prominent senator stumbles upon his show, he’s drawn into her world and her mother’s murder. When Raine takes his act down to the police department with intentions of helping solve the puzzle–or, uh, the “case”–he meets the ultra-serious Detective Kennedi Craine. To his dismay, she views him as nothing more than a charlatan, but when has that ever stopped him? Kennedi’s latest case is open and shut, more of a paperwork and media hassle than a case. Senator La Point, after all, was holding the smoking gun over his wife’s lifeless body. So, when a random guy off the street walks in telling her she’s wrong, she sends him on his merry way. At least she thinks she does. As he keeps popping up, she begins to wonder if he’s on to something. And when he broaches a situation from her past, she just can’t leave him alone. Raine helps her solve another small case, and she starts to wonder if there might be something more to both mysteries before her. Fabulous read for fans of the TV shows Castle and Bones.   Susan Stradiotto is passionate about the written word, whether it is in her own writing or her editing practice. She is a fan of well-told stories. Susan is always searching for unique voices and stories that tell a truth. As Neil Gaiman said in his master class, “Write the truest story you can.” She believes that is what makes a story sing. Susan is an author of fantasy and romance and has professional editorial experience with genres such as romance, memoir, mystery/thriller, cozy mystery, fantasy, and women’s fiction. She attended Capella University for her BS in Information Technology and the University of Chicago’s Graham School for her professional editing certification. She lives in Eden Prairie with her husband, a hoard of Bernese Mountain Dogs, and one Miniature Dachshund.  Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and N.J. Walters!   Ancient Desire Forgotten Brotherhood Book 5 by N.J. Walters Genre: Paranormal Romance Nothing was supposed to wake half dragon, half human Lucius from his Deep Sleep. Nothing. And yet something, or rather someone has. The unexpectedly attractive human not only touched him. She kissed him. Now Lucius is awake, and more powerful than he has ever been in his 4,000 years of existence. And once he finds out who led her to his cave, he’ll deal with his 300 years of hunger… College professor Raine Carson spent her life obsessed with myths and legends. And now she’s woken one up. Only, Lucius is nothing like anything she’s ever seen or read about in her history books. Because this man is part sexy badass and part terrifying…monster. Yet she wants him with a hunger like nothing she’s ever felt before. Lucius used to be part of the Forgotten Brotherhood—a ruthless group of paranormal assassins. Now he’s unsure if his former Brothers are their allies…or enemies. All he knows is that someone is hunting him, and Raine is just as tangled up in this mess as he is. And he’ll protect her—even if it means unleashing his Dragon and all of its power. Each book in the Forgotten Brotherhood series is STANDALONE: * Fury Unleashed * Arctic Bite * Burning Ash * Bjorn Cursed * Ancient Desire   Once upon a time N.J. had the idea that she would like to quit her job at the bookstore, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown, and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the bookstore and her hometown and settled in for another seven years. One day she gave notice at her job on a Friday morning. On Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first romance novel and life would never be the same. N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks--all vie for her attention. It's a tough life, but someone's got to live it.   Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and Author Linda Rae Sande!   They swore never to marry. But will the right suitors melt their hearts? Fiercely independent and daughters of a wealthy countess, twins Dahlia and Diana have no desire to husband-hunt, despite their mother’s pleas. But when the ghost of their late father makes an appearance, he takes it upon himself to guide the girls into marriage – even if his presence will scare off potential suitors. Caught cheating in one of their university courses, twin brothers Anthony and Andrew’s dreams of a Grand Tour are shattered when their father pulls the plug on their allowances. They had hoped to put marriage off as long as possible – but with their father withholding their allowances until they are wed, they have no choice but to face the daunting task of a lifelong commitment. There’s only one problem – although one of the brothers wants to marry, the other feels as if he‘s being forced to wed for money. Brought crashing together by fate and aided by the girls’ late father, both pairs of twins must learn to see through their differences and get along. But marriage is no easy decision, and it will take more than a miracle to convince these sisters to tie the knot. Are the twins a match made in Heaven? Or will the girls’ independence and the brothers’ lack of a fortune serve to drive them apart? Artfully blending a beautiful 19th-century backdrop with all the classic charm of British aristocratic life, this scintillating historical romance novel by bestselling author Linda Rae Sande is a delightful read that’s perfect for anyone looking for their next emotional fix. Scroll up and grab your copy now… Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads   A self-described nerd and lover of science, Linda Rae spent many years as a published technical writer specializing in 3D graphics workstations, software and 3D animation (her movie credits include SHREK and SHREK 2). Getting lost in the rabbit holes of research has resulted in historical romances set in the Regency-era as well as Ancient Greece. A fan of action-adventure movies, she can frequently be found at the local cinema. Although she no longer has any fish, she follows the San Jose Sharks. She is a member of Novelists, Inc. (NINC) and makes her home in Cody, Wyoming. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads   Settling back into the velvet squabs, Anthony regarded Dahlia for a moment, now worried the ghost might have had a conversation or two with his mother. He sighed. “He had a long talk with me, too, although he didn’t mention the insipid miss.” “When was this?” she asked in alarm. “He left only a moment ago. Just... disappeared.” She sighed. “He does that.” “Well, he is a ghost,” Anthony remarked. Her eyes once again rounded. “You know that?” Wincing, Anthony nodded. “I probably should be petrified with fear, but I find the old coot rather interesting.” “Old coot?” she repeated in disbelief. “Aren’t you worried that he’ll... he’ll—?” “Haunt me?” Anthony finished for her. “What do you think he’s been doing these past few days?” It was Dahlia’s turn to wince. “I’m so sorry.” When she noted his furrowed brows, she added, “This is all my fault.” She couldn’t help the sob that accompanied her words. She’d been attempting to swallow it since stepping into the coach. “May I join you?” he asked as he nodded to the bench upon which she sat. She nodded and scooted over to give him room to sit next to her. “Why do you think that?” he asked, his arm resting on the squabs behind her shoulders so he could sit closer to her. “I should never have looked at that damned book,” she whispered. He leaned over and kissed her on her temple. “Now I know you’re upset,” he whispered. “You so rarely curse,” he added when she gave him a quelling glance. “I take it you are referring to the book about sexual congress?” Dahlia gasped. “Did my father tell you about that, too?” she whined as her face bloomed with color. Chuckling, Anthony said, “Actually, your sister did.” When he saw anger in her eyes, he added, “Don’t be cross with her. I’m glad she did. Otherwise, how would I know about your fear of the marriage bed? You certainly weren’t going to inform me.” “I’m not supposed to know about such things,” Dahlia countered. “But now that you do know a thing or two, is that the real reason you don’t wish to marry me?” “I never said I don’t wish to marry you,” Dahlia countered. When she saw his look of confusion, she added, “I just didn’t wish for us to have to...negotiate.” Anthony straightened, deciding it best he not respond to the comment about negotiating, at least not yet. “Well, you’ve certainly vexed your father,” he accused. “Good, because he’s done nothing but make matters worse,” she complained on a huff. “Careful what you say, or he might haunt you for the rest of your life,” Anthony warned.   $10 Amazon – 1 winner, ebook of THE VIXEN OF A VISCOUNT – 3 winners! Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-honor-of-an-heir-book-tour-and-giveaway  Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and Linda Griffin!   In 1963, Neil Vincent, a middle-aged World War II veteran and "Christian atheist," is working at Westfield Court as a chauffeur. He spends most of his spare time reading. Mary Claire DeWinter is a young, blind, Catholic college student and reluctant heiress. To secure her inheritance, she has to marry within a year, and her aunt is pressuring her to marry a rich man who teased and bullied her when she was a child. Neil and Mary Claire shouldn't even be friends, but the gulf between them is bridged by a shared love of books. Can they cross the bridge to more? Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo    I was born and raised in San Diego, California and earned a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MLS from UCLA. I began my career as a reference and collection development librarian in the Art and Music Section of the San Diego Public Library and then transferred to the Literature and Languages Section, where I had the pleasure of managing the Central Library’s Fiction collection and initiating fiction order lists for the entire library system. Although I also enjoy reading biography, memoir, and history, fiction remains my first love. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, and travel. My earliest ambition was to be a “book maker” and I wrote my first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” with a plot stolen from a comic book, at the age of six. I broke into print in college with a story in the San Diego State University literary journal, The Phoenix, but most of my magazine publications came after I left the library to spend more time on my writing. My stories have been published in numerous journals, including Eclectica, Thema Literary Journal, The Binnacle, The Nassau Review, Orbis, and The Avalon Literary Review, and in the anthologies Short Story America, Vol. 2, The Captive and the Dead, and Australia Burns. Four stories, including one as yet unpublished, received honorable mention in the Short Story America Prize for Short Fiction contests. A sweet romance, Bridges (2022), and four romantic suspense novels, Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking (2021), Guilty Knowledge (2020), The Rebound Effect (2019) and Seventeen Days (2018) are available for order from the Wild Rose Press. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads   On the drive to Brierly Station, he didn’t speculate about who Miss DeWinter might be. It wasn’t his job to know who she was, only to meet her train and take her safely back to Westfield Court. She wouldn’t be the last of the friends and relatives who would gather as the old man’s life came to its long-awaited and peaceful end. Brierly was bustling today, as restless as the St. James household. He was in plenty of time for the train and sat in the car reading. The car was a Bentley Mark VI, as well-maintained and highly polished as it was the day it was purchased. The book he was reading was Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native. When the train rumbled in, he got out of the car. He stood patiently on the platform as the passengers disembarked, holding up a small slate on which he had chalked DEWINTER in large capitals. There weren’t many passengers, but they were briefly delayed while the conductor helped a blind woman navigate the steps. Neil’s gaze fell expectantly on a woman in her thirties, with an awful hat, but she was immediately met by a portly man and a teenage boy. No other likely prospects appeared, and he waited for someone to respond to the sign. No one did. Finally, only two passengers were left on the platform—a small, homely man and the blind woman. Blind girl, really. She couldn’t be more than twenty. She had a jointed white cane, and her large sunglasses didn’t cover the edges of the scars on her face. She would not have been beautiful even without the scars—too thin, for starters, of average height but with small bones. On the other hand, her face might once have been pretty, and her hair was clean and shining, raven black, and well brushed. She was too pale, and the scars around her eyes were red and ugly. She looked a little lost. Feeling foolish, he lowered the slate. “Miss DeWinter?” he asked as he approached her. “Yes,” she said, turning toward his voice with a smile. “I’m Vincent,” he said. “The St. James chauffeur.” “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Vincent,” she said. “Thank you for meeting me.” Her voice was soft, her enunciation perfect. The porter fetched her luggage—a single gray vinyl suitcase with a flower decal—from the depot and turned it over to Neil with a cheerful nod. Jane would be disappointed, especially if the girl’s other clothes were as plain as what she wore, a simple dark dress with long sleeves and an unfashionable, below-the-knees hemline. Would you take my arm?” he asked, positioning himself so she could place her hand in the crook of his elbow, which she did with easy confidence. “Do you have a Christian name?” she asked. “Yes, miss. It’s Neil.” “That’s a good name,” she said. “Mine is Mary Claire. How is my grandfather, do you know?” Neil, who hadn’t known the old man had any grandchildren, said, “Hanging on, miss.” He opened the car door and helped her into the back seat. “You don’t have to call me ‘miss’ all the time,” she said. “Please call me Mary Claire. Or my friends at school call me Sunny.” “Yes, miss,” he said automatically and closed the door.   This is a beautiful story. The author writes with quiet eloquence. The story flows seamlessly from beginning to end, gentle and compelling. The characters would hardly seem the stuff great love stories are made of, but that is precisely the reason this is such an exquisite romance. Mary Claire, a young heiress, is inexperienced, blind, and pitiable in appearance. Even her scars can't be hidden. They're on her face. Neil is twenty years her senior, experienced, traumatized by his experiences in WWII, and a chauffeur. He's an avowed atheist. She's a devout Catholic. And there is so much more to them both. It's one of the guiding principles of my life. There is always more to a person beneath the surface. It's a short book, a novella, and yet a great deal happens. Neil and Mary Claire are both good people as well as interesting ones. Their conversations are never heavy, frivolous, or long. But they are profound. It doesn't take a lot of words to make a point. It just takes the right words, spoken in the right way. The same applies to their relationship and how it changes. Without a lot of protestations or physical contact, the attachment between Mary Claire and Neil grows strong and undeniable. You can feel the intense emotion and love between them. I love this book and its main characters. You will, too. Thank you, Linda Griffin, for this beautiful and poignant romance.   $10 Amazon Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/bridges-book-tour-and-giveaway Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and Author Barbara Monajem!   The death of her cruel husband means freedom at last for Lucretia Tifton—until she learns that the guardian he chose for her longed-for baby is the latest in a line of earls known for separating their children from unfaithful wives. The elusive new earl is certain to hear the gossip about Lucretia. Will he believe it and prove to be as heartless as his ancestors? Giles, the Earl of Netherbroke, wants nothing more than to work in his London shop, building furniture with beautiful marquetry finishes. If unexpectedly inheriting the earldom isn’t bad enough, now he’s saddled with an unwanted guardianship. What’s worse, the baby’s mother is the loveliest woman he’s ever seen. Giles is almost certain Lucretia is an adulteress—and the more he learns about her, the more he understands why she might have betrayed her husband. Nevertheless, he is determined not to succumb, like his ancestors, to the Infidelity Curse. But then Lucretia is suddenly in danger, and the only way to protect her is to make her his.   Setup: The broadsheets have published scandalous lies about both Giles and Lucretia. When a horde of newsmen hover outside Lucretia’s house, looking for more scandal, Lucretia tries to protect Giles’ reputation, while he at the same time tries to protect hers... Lucretia was too angry to cringe, or to care that a footman hovered and a maidservant was curtseying on her way to the stairs. “You are not to sacrifice your reputation for me!” Giles said through his teeth, “Might we continue this discussion somewhere more private?” Lucretia put her nose in the air and preceded him to the drawing room. The short walk down the corridor, with his menacing step behind her, sapped her courage. He shut the door and faced her. She had to explain quickly, before she lost heart. Her voice shook. “I merely wished to show that I am not a temptress, merely a widow in mourning, and that you are merely the guardian of my child.” He glared. “With your hair uncovered, a rose in your bosom, and that alluring smile?” She quaked at the fury in his eyes. Before she could muster a retort, he snapped, “They will tear your character to shreds.” Tears stung her eyes and she turned away. A wave of mortification swept through her, suffocating her anger, replacing it with shame, and the fear that always hovered, that he would do his worst. No. Her voice still trembled, but at least she could still speak her mind. “Oh, so it is perfectly fine for you to protect my reputation, but I may not do the same for you?” “Certainly not.” If he had not been so angry, Giles would have laughed at such an absurdity. “My dear Lady Tifton, I would be dastardly indeed to let you do such a thing.” “You are being portrayed in the broadsheets as a seducer.” She dashed a tear away. “It’s preposterous!” Through the gradual draining of his anger seeped a whisper of chagrin. He wished she weren’t so fervent about his inability to seduce. “Yes, but scandal helps the broadsheets sell a great many copies. And while I appreciate your confidence in my integrity—” “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She no longer seemed cowed, thank God. “You did a great deal to prejudice me against you. If you wanted to seduce me, you would not have taken such a bacon-brained approach.” “Hopefully not, but—” He would probably do something equally sloppy and inconsiderate, like sweeping her willy-nilly into his arms and plastering her with kisses. She had regained her shapely figure. The sway of her hips as he followed her into the drawing room had done nothing to help him suppress his suddenly ravenous desire. Deep down, or perhaps not so deep at all, he was indeed the lecher he had just pretended to be. And she had responded in kind. It terrified him, and it aroused him beyond belief. Not only that, but she wanted to protect his reputation. His mind still boggled. He took a breath and composed himself. “Lady Tifton, please try to see things from my point of view. It is a far greater stain on my honor to allow you to make a figure of yourself in my defense, than to suffer the injustice myself.” “In that case, you fully understand my position. You men think females have no notion of honor.” A tiny spasm crossed her features. “But we do.” “Of course,” he said gently. Tears sparkled in those blue eyes, and her lip quivered ever so slightly. If only he could pull her to him, hold her, kiss those tears away. She fingered the rose at her bosom as if steeling herself to throw it away. “I suppose I must have my clothing repacked, leaving the colors behind and bringing only my blacks,” she said bitterly. Was that how she saw him? Not only unskilled at seduction, but an ogre to boot. “What you wear is none of my business. I might have advised discretion, but once we leave London, people will lose interest in our affairs.” He did his best not to leer in earnest. The black mourning gown hugged her curves. The rose emphasized her beautiful breasts. A crimson flounce peeped from beneath her black skirts. He flexed his fingers to dispel the itch to finger that flounce, to ease it up, to explore and caress. Clearly, he was out of his mind. She was struggling to keep from weeping, for God’s sake, while he was consumed with lust. Ruefully, he said, “In any event, colors become you better.” She took a black handkerchief bordered with lace from her sleeve and wiped away a tear. “I am so sick of wearing black and grey, and even lavender. I am so sick of—of—” “Of pretending to mourn?” Mutely, she nodded. “With me, you need not pretend about that or anything else,” Giles said.    Barbara Monajem grew up in western Canada. She wrote her first story in third grade about apple tree gnomes. After dabbling in neighborhood musicals and teen melodrama, she published a middle-grade fantasy when her children were young. Now her kids are adults, and she writes historical and paranormal romance and mystery for grownups. She lives in Georgia, USA , with an ever-shifting population of relatives, friends, and mostly feline strays. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads   $10 Amazon Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-infidelity-curse-book-tour-and-giveaway Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and Author Gina Conkle! I highly -- HIGHLY -- recommend reading the excerpt!   A Scot Is Not Enough Scottish Treasures Book 2 by Gina Conkle Genre: Historical Scottish Romance Gina Conkle’s newest stunning romance in her Scottish Treasures series features a fierce Scotswoman eager to break the rules and the man who vows to stop her. A Gentleman of Virtue Decent and ambitious, Alexander Sloane is finally a finger’s breadth from achieving the government post he’s worked towards for years. A minor task monitoring Bow Street funds for the Crown is his final hurdle. But he discovers more than he bargains for when his assignment leads him to the most captivating woman in London. A Woman of Questionable Repute Cecelia MacDonald has one mission: find and steal the sgian duhb, the ceremonial dagger taken from her clan by British soldiers during the Uprising of 1745. The coy and clever Scotswoman has never had any trouble using men to do her bidding and she’s enjoying the cat and mouse game she’s playing with the delectable Alexander. But when a mutual enemy proves deadly, she must rely on him for more than flirtation to gain the dagger. An Explosive Partnership As Alexander and Cecilia become unlikely allies, their desire for each other overwhelms them. When shocking secrets come to light, will Alexander realize loving the wrong woman is the right thing to do? Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo    Gina's fate was sealed when her mom read aloud the poem, The Highwayman—the perfect historical romance hook. But, Gina grew up in California where no dukes or Vikings live. She always did prefer stone castles over sand castles and books over beaches. Years ago, she fell in love with her favorite hero, Brian, and they eloped to Vegas at midnight. Together, they raised two sons who like history almost as much as their mom. Nowadays, Gina pens sparkling Georgian romance with a dash of Scots or Viking romance with heat and adventure. When she's not writing, you can find her wandering a museum or with her nose in a book. Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads  A SCOT IS NOT ENOUGH by Gina Conkle Her hems covered his shoes. Heat bounced between them. His, hers. Emotions boiling. Miss MacDonald looked as if she’d come fresh from a tussle, cosmetics smudging smoky lines around her eyes, and her lips faded carmine. A proud, glorious, passionate mess. A woman who didn’t like needing a man. Her brows pinched, the fight fading from her eyes. “I . . .” He waited, but whatever needed out wouldn’t come easily. “Let me refresh your memory. You said, ‘Come with me, please.’ I detected a note of desperation in your voice. A woman who didn’t want to be alone.” A pause and, “Or are you about to tell me how mistaken I am?” Composure rippled through her. She stood tall yet older as if the day had aged her. “You’re right. I don’t want to be alone.” Her voice was loneliness and a whiff of despair, the sound reaching into his heart. Honest hazel eyes met his. “When I’m with you, I feel . . . safe.” “Miss MacDonald, you’re not alone. With me, you never have to be.” Her eyelids quivered shut as if he’d delivered a healing elixir and she the dying woman who needed it. Blue shimmered seductively on her shoulder. A gap showed between skin and silk, a fragile shadow. An opening. He touched it and won her sharp inhale. Miss MacDonald trembled when he slid the fabric off her shoulder. The hat she held slipped to the floor. His gaze dipped, fascinated by two hard nubs straining against silk. He dragged both sleeves down her arms. This was heady, the sight of her skin intoxicating. Miss MacDonald wavered, a flush spreading up her chest and neck. She gripped his waistcoat, twisting the cloth in both hands. Mere inches separated them when she said a resentful, “I don’t want to want you like this.” He crushed her sleeves in both hands. “You mean the unceasing need to breathe the same air as mine, to hear my voice as I crave yours, the anticipation, hanging on what you might say or do next because you are the most irritatingly captivating creature.” He exhaled long, his breath stirring her hair. “That kind of not wanting to want someone?” Her lust-black gaze enthralled him. “Yes.” “Now you know how badly I want you.” His voice was hoarse, primitive. Her mouth was inches under his. “Why?” Desire unspooled, maddening carnal layers of it. He slid both hands into her hair. Bright red earbobs slanted on his wrists and hairpins clattered to the floor. His fevered hands roamed over her neck, her shoulders, and her hair. Her grip on his waistcoat was unyielding. “Why, Mr. Sloane? Why me?”  Giveaway $10 Amazon Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/a-scot-is-not-enough-book-tour-and-giveaway |
Romance!It's no secret that I prefer fat HEAs. Where better than in a beautiful romance? Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed