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Jessica is offering the chance to win one of two Gift cards ($50 or $25) from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Scroll down to enter the Rafflecopter contest.
SECOND CHANCE MARQUESS
When Wilhemina Turner’s younger sister runs off with a young Lothario, she has no choice but to turn to the notorious rake who broke his promise and her heart, for assistance. George Bartlett, the Marquess of Chesterton, hasn’t forgotten the woman who hurt him so many years ago, but can’t deny her request, knowing that his brother’s reputation, and fortune, is at risk. A series of misfortunes leave the straight-laced widow and committed bachelor stranded, sharing both close quarters and old secrets. But when morning comes, will this unlikely pair find a second chance at love?
Read an Excerpt...
“Fine.” He looked away first, turning his attention back to the items he’d collected upon his desk. “If you want to join me, then you may.”
She squared her shoulders and stood a bit straighter having won their duel of wills. “Good.” Without another word or a single glance, Chesterton left the room. Not one to be left behind, Wilhelmina hurried after him, through the study and up the stairs. “Where are we going?” she asked once they’d reached the top, breathless from the burst of activity. He strode down the corridor, seemingly unaffected by the brisk climb. “To my bedroom.” She immediately stopped. “Your bedroom? Why ever would we go in there?” Chesterton turned back to her, one sardonic eyebrow arched high. “To change,” he answered. “You didn’t expect me to head out in this, did you?” He turned and continued toward the room, looking back at her before entering. “Are you coming?” he asked, voice smooth as warm chocolate. This wasn’t the first time she’d been lured into George’s bedroom. He’d been an earl, the courtesy title bestowed upon him at birth, but more than that, he’d been a gentleman. Apparently, he’d lost that when he’d inherited the Marquisate. His bedroom was no longer an inviting sanctuary, and this invitation was not one of love as it had once been, but a lewd proposition, tenderness replaced by cruelty, as he watched expectantly for her reaction. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” she stuttered, trying in vain to remain calm and collected as he started to untie the sash about his waist holding his robe closed. He let it fall to the ground and the robe opened, revealing his chest and torso in all its naked glory. And it was indeed glorious. She quickly averted her glance, whipping her head around and staring attentively at the painting on the wall. “Is something the matter, Mrs. Turner?” She was not about to play this game. She didn’t have the time, and he didn’t deserve the enjoyment it would undoubtedly bring him to see her suffer so. And most importantly, she couldn’t play because she knew good and well that she had no chance of winning. About Jessica Jefferson...
Jessica Jefferson makes her home in Almost-Chicago with her husband, two young daughters, French bulldog Lulu, and English bulldog Pete. When she's not busy trying to find middle-ground between being a modern career woman and Suzy-Homemaker, she loves to watch "Real Housewives of [insert city here]" and performing unnecessary improvements to her home and property.
Jessica writes Regency-era historical romance with a modern twist where she invites her readers to fall in love with romance again. Links and social media: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon Author Page, Pinterest Enter the #Rafflecopter Contest to win a $50 Amazon or B&N GC
It is always a pleasure to welcome my friend Ella Quinn to my table. Ella has another gorgeous Regency Romance (with a fabulous, fabulous cover!)... read on for more information and details of how you can win an Amazon or BN Gift card!
THE SECOND TIME AROUND
Can a beautiful Worthington widow find love again? Depends on who’s asking . . .
Before he died, Patience was the Earl of Worthington’s second wife. So why shouldn’t Patience be allowed a second chance at marriage, too? Of course, finding a new husband was not something the mother of four had ever planned on. But a surprise encounter with her first love has suddenly made the impossible seem possible all over again . . . It seems like a lifetime ago that Richard, Viscount Wolverton, was halfway around the world, looking for adventure . . . while Patience, at her coming-out, was left with no choice but to take old Worthington’s hand. Richard never forgot the woman whose heart he yearned for—and now that he’s back, he’s not going to let her slip away again . . . Read an excerpt...
Patience gasped. Not loudly, she was much too self-contained to draw attention to herself. But Richard could feel her pulse jump, and he was pleased that he still had the ability to shake her calm, to make her react to him. He wondered if her old husband had been able to command her attention in the same way. The corners of his lips twitched. Probably not. Whether she knew it or not, she was his and always had been.
If only he hadn’t been such an idiot. Who forgets the year of his beloved’s come out? A young man who had traveled halfway across the world looking for adventure, that was who. By the time he had returned home, it was just days before her marriage to Lord Worthington. He had argued with her father to be able to see her, but it was as if her parents had locked her in the house. When they’d traveled to Town for the wedding, he had followed. However, his pains had been to no avail. Neither her mother nor father was going to let him ruin their plans for Pae. After all, an earl outranked the heir to a viscount. There was also the scandal that would ensue if she broke the betrothal just days before the nuptials. He would not have cared, but he was the only one. Even his parents would have been appalled if Pae jilted Worthington for Richard. Too late. That is what everyone had told him. But he wasn’t too late now. BUY Links
Meet Ella Quinn
Bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them. She has just finished her first series, The Marriage Game, and her new series, The Worthingtons, began in April 2016.
She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America. Europe is next! Website: www.ellaquinnauthor.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor Twitter www.twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor Blog http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpresscom 
If you like your regency romance with a touch of romance, then The Soldier's Woman is for you.
The debut novel from Aussie Author Kelly Lyonns (KA Lyonns by any other name!)
Kelly will be awarding a digital copy of The Soldier's Woman to 5 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.
Scroll down to enter the Rafflecopter! About THE SOLDIER'S WOMAN
It is 1810 somewhere in the chaos of war-ravaged Napoleonic Portugal. Miss Charlotte Everslea, dedicated member of an ancient secretive Guild and skilled paranormal artefacts hunter, has found herself trapped behind enemy lines. Colonel Maximillian Bladewood is used to giving orders and having them obeyed, both on and off the battlefield. But the petite golden-haired hoyden, to whose accidental intervention he owes his life, challenges both his authority and his sanity. Their cross-purposed journey will reach a crossroad where one or both of them will need to compromise.
Read an excerpt...
Dressing the soldier’s wound
Without a word she came up beside him and knelt down. He hesitated, unsure what she meant to do. So she met with no resistance as she gently took his arm onto her lap and started to wrap the cut in a strip of cloth. He stared at the top of the golden head bent intently over her work. His eyes locked on the wisps of fine-spun hair straying to caress her long neck. For all her gentleness there was a firmness to her touch that both comforted and reassured. She has done this before. His thoughts went no further as his eyes roved, fastening on her neat fingers, mesmerised as they deftly wrapped the cloth. He refused to allow himself to think about from where she had magicked the bandage. But his eyes were drawn back to the column of her smooth neck. Ah, her cravat was missing. The small collar and frill of her habit shirt now plain to see under the front of her jacket, as was the peep of pale skin where the edges of the fine cloth met. His lips clamped shut, mimicking the equally firm iron will he clamped down over his thoughts. Instead, he concentrated on calculating how far the British lines might be; when his dress boots had been last polished; where his dress boots might actually be; if his Sergeant had remembered about that loose shoe on his horse. He most definitely did not think about Miss Charlotte Everslea pressed up against his thigh, or the way his frozen hand was slowly thawing in the warmth of her lap, or how her fingers skimmed his skin as she wound the makeshift bandage.
THE SOLDIER'S WOMAN is available now from AMAZON
Meet Kelly Lyonns
After earning a living as a freelance environmental scientist, writer and editor, Kelly Lyonns has evolved into a creative writer. She cohabitates with three cats, two children and a husband in a house so packed with character even the termites live next door. Burning questions about ecological sustainability and how to tie a Regency bodice, keep her on the internet deep into the night.
She enjoys tea, meditating, Jane Austen, solar punk, science fiction, sculpting and science. She frequently succumbs to the need to write. She rarely succumbs to the need to vacuum. Connect with Kelly at her Website, Facebook and Twitter Enter the contest to win one of 5 ecopies of THE SOLDIER'S WOMAN
Who doesn't love vikings?
As a part of a Lyrical Press book tour, I am delighted to welcome Sabrina Jarema to my table today with the first of the Viking Lords series, a family saga set in Norway during the ninth century. To celebrate the launch of this exciting new series, Sabrina and the other two participating authors, Martha Hix and Jane Goodger will be awarding digital copies of her book to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Scroll down to enter the Rafflecopter 
Lord of the Runes
In this exciting new series, the dramatic world of the Vikings is brought to life in vivid, historical detail. As brave warriors fight to defend family honor and tradition, they discover unexpected passion with memorable women who only further their resolve for justice . . .
Following his father’s murder, Eirik Ivarson plunges into a maelstrom of brutal warfare. As outsiders threaten his homeland and all he holds dear, Eirik vows to maintain his focus and avenge the jarl’s death. In his quest for revenge, he will leave everything behind, all he knows, and all he loves. Asa Sigrundsdottir, a spirited shieldmaiden with warm brown eyes, is wary of the golden-haired warrior discovered half-frozen in a storm. It is clear Eirik is a man of valor, bestowed with the gift of reading runes and destined for greatness. And despite the shadows in her past, he chooses her to help him on his journey. But when their bond is tested, it will take the strength of a hero to keep their love alive Read an excerpt...
She stood before him like a flame-haired Valkyrie—strong, proud, a warrior.
Not as she had been in life. Eirik Ivarson had seen his dead wife in his dreams before, but in them, she was always as he remembered her—gentle and too weak to survive their brutal world. Her soft blue eyes would gaze at him with reproach like she blamed him for her death, sending her to dwell forever with the goddess Frigga. She’d been right. But this dream was different and as he struggled to cling to it, she spoke. “Why do you sleep, husband, while your kinsmen die?” Her eyes darkened into a deep brown as though she was sullied by passing so close to the earth. The vision turned as crimson as the blood that had gushed from her and carried her away from their life together. A scream split his sleep apart. He tore himself awake and reached for his sword before he even opened his eyes. At least he was still dressed, having fallen across his bed well after midnight, passed out before he’d hit the furs. Head spinning with the mead he’d drunk, he staggered to the door of his small chamber. Another cry cleared his thoughts. He eased open the door and took in the state of his father’s main hall. An unfamiliar warrior, an outcast from the looks of him, stood over two cowering serving girls. Another servant lay in his own pooling blood beside them. The attacker raised his sword and the women shrieked again. Yelling to divert the man’s attention, Eirik bounded across the room. He swung his blade as the invader turned. They clashed, flesh to flesh, iron to iron. Eirik’s momentum smashed them into the wall and the outcast’s head cracked against it. Dazed, he paused for an instant. It was all Eirik needed. Using his forearm, he struck the upper edge of the intruder’s shield into his face. His nose shattered. Eirik pushed the shield aside and whipped his blade across the man’s neck. Blood arced down his body as the attacker fell. Meet Sabrina Jarema
Sabrina Jarema lives near Ocala, Florida, the Horse Capital of the World. She has a herd of fat, lazy Arabians on 40 beautiful acres. She also breeds and shows white German Shepherd Dogs and currently has several Grand Victrixes taking over her house. She’s joined by a menagerie of tortoises, turtles, birds, fish and cats. To avoid farm work as much as possible, she loses herself in the worlds she creates through the novels she writes, her art, music, dollhouses, and jewelry. She has worked as a professional fantasy illustrator and has written fantasy romance for many years.
Recently, she has branched out into historical romances set in the early Viking era. She is currently writing the Viking Lords series, a family saga set in Norway during the ninth century. She is an active member of the Tampa Area Romance Authors chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Please visit her website at sabrinajarema.com to enjoy her art, music, writing, jewelry, and all the other visions the night brings to her. http://www.sabrinajarema.com/ Win a copy of Lord of the Runes...
I am delighted to welcome Sara Turnquist to Ms. Stuart's table. Sara's wonderful historical romances sweep from the American Civil war to 19th century eastern Europe, to her latest release THE GENERAL'S WIFE set in ancient Egypt. I cornered Sara to ask her a few questions about herself and her writing process.
What would we find under your bed?
Honest, you would only find my wrapping paper box and our ornament box. What was the scariest moment of your life? When my 2 year old went head first down our stairs. Do you listen to music while writing? If so what? Most often, yes. Mostly instrumental. I actually love to listen to the music of Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and The Dark Crystal. I did listen to a lot of Celtic Woman when writing my debut novel. It just inspired me more for that novel. What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year? I’d like to decide once and for all if I need an agent. And if so, secure one. How long did it take you to write this book? Wow…though this is my second book published, it was the first book I ever wrote. So, I’m going to say a couple of years. Now I can finish a book in 4-6 months.
To celebrate the release of THE GENERAL'S WIFE, Sara is offering a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Scroll down for details of how to enter...
THE GENERAL'S WIFE
Ismene, a beautiful, somewhat naïve, young noblewoman, is torn from her childhood home in Greece and her first love. Bound by honor and duty, she marries Pharoah's chief military commander, Alistair. Though determined to remain true to the man she left behind, her new husband stirs feelings in her she cannot ignore. Attempting to accept this brazen new culture, it isn't long before she discovers that the locals don't like her. The Alexandrian mob starts making anonymous threats.
This face-less group will stop at nothing to achieve its goal of driving out the unwelcome Greeks. In the midst of these heightening attacks, the general must leave for battle. Ismene fears that she is on her own. Evidence of a spy within her own household arises. It soon becomes apparent that one of these Egyptian rebels wants her dead. The safety of Ismene, and possibly the entire ruling class of Egypt, hangs in the balance. Read an excerpt...
A din of whispered conversation among the servants could be heard, but only just. No one wanted to speak out for fear of enraging the general further. Many of the servants were unable to read Greek and had no idea what important message was scarred into their master's most prized sanctuary. As if the vandalism alone wasn't enough to evoke a great anger in him, the message itself had pushed him closer to the edge of violence. They had never seen their kind master in such a state.
“What is everybody...” Ismene's voice interrupted their musings. No one, not even Alistair, had even noticed that she had arrived at the grand estate, least of all made it all the way out to the gardens. Her voice, which started light and happy, trailed off as she noticed the source of everyone's fixation. There were many audible gasps as the servants, like Alistair, turned and saw Ismene's paled face, her mouth moving as if trying to form words, though none came forth. Alistair rushed over to her, “Ismene, don't look...it's...” he said, trying to turn her away, to go back in direction she had just come. It was only then that he realized—the message—it was for her. Ismene and Alonah came to the gardens each day to check on her tiger lilies. This wall faced the entrance into the gardens closest to her bedchambers, the entrance she came through every day. How did anyone outside of his house and Pharaoh's know that? His heart sank. There was a leak in one of these houses.
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About Sara Turnquist
Sara is originally from middle TN. After a short stint in Memphis, where she earned a degree in Biology and began a career as both a Zoo Educator and a Sleep Technician, she then followed a dream to work for a large zoo in Orlando, FL as an Educator. Once she and her husband started their family, they moved back to Tennessee. Sara and her husband now enjoy a full life with their three beautiful and very active children. Sara enjoys many creative outlets – singing, piano, drawing, drama, and organizing anything. And even though she has enjoyed her career as a Zoo Educator, Sara's great love of the written word continued to draw her to write. She has always been an avid reader and, for many years, has been what she terms a “closet writer”. Her travels and love of history have served to inspire her to write Historical Fiction. Sara has made several trips overseas to the Czech Republic. Her time among the Czech people and the landscapes of the country inspired her and greatly influenced her work on her debut novel, The Lady Bornekova, set in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Sara is also a member of the ACFW.
FIND SARAH Website Twitter: @sarat1701 Facebook: Sara R. Turnquist, Author - Pinterest: Win a $50 Gift Card... |
Alison StuartAlison writes historical romances and short stories set in England and Australia and across different periods of history. Archives
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